2024 Corn Results
MRA Angel Awards
CO2028: “Coming in with boots Ablazin’ Award’' for jumping into the deep end with no idea of what to expect!
CO2027: "Most Adventurous Award" for their fearlessness in classwide scavengering this year and wrangling blood-thirsty pet plants last year!
CO2026: "Disco Queens and Sparkling Blings Award” for bringing the disco ball and the groovy vibes!
CO2025: "If it's not broken, don't fix it Award” for consistently providing solid Corn performances and showing us how it’s done!
Theme
Points were awarded based on inclusivity, diversity, creativity, originality, and the clever use of puns and references to pop culture or Meredith experiences.
3rd place TIE: 2028 and 2026
2nd place: 2027
1st place: 2025
T-shirt
Points were awarded based on creativity and relation to theme.
4th place: Class of 2028
3rd place: Class of 2027
2nd place: Class of 2025
1st place: Class of 2026
Can Art
Category: Design Quality of the planned design, which was the image turned in prior to the actual construction.
4th place: Class of 2028
3rd place: Class of 2025
1st place TIE: 2027 and 2026
Category: Execution of Design, which was the actual constructed end-product.
4th place: Class of 2028
3rd place: Class of 2027
2nd place: Class of 2026
1st place: Class of 2025
Can Art Popular Vote
Faculty and staff got to vote on their favorite constructed Can Art.
4th place: Class of 2028
3rd place: Class of 2027
2nd place: Class of 2025
1st place: Class of 2026
Skit
Category: Script
4th place: 2028
3rd place: 2026
2nd place: 2027
1st place: 2025
Category: Production Value
4th place: 2028
3rd place: 2026
1st place: Tie 2027 and 2025
Category: Choreography
4th place: 2028
2nd place: Tie 2027 and 2026
1st place: 2025
Category: Overall Performance
4th place: 2028
3rd place: 2026
2nd place: 2027
1st place: 2025
Tall Tale
Category: Emotional Connection
4th place: 2028
3rd place: 2026
2nd place: 2027
1st place: 2025
Category: Set Piece
4th place: 2028
3rd place: 2027
2nd place: 2026
1st place: 2025
Spirit
Category: Corn Week & Spirit Participation
4th place: Class of 2028
3rd place: Class of 2026
2nd place: Class of 2027
1st place: Class of 2025
Category: Unity Service Project
4th place: Class of 2026
3rd place: Class of 2028
2nd place: Class of 2027
1st place: Class of 2025
Category: Class Song Bonus Points
Class of 2028: 3 Points
Class of 2027: 4 Points
Class of 2026: 3 Points
Class of 2025: 4 Points
OVERALL SPIRIT
The Class with the Most Spirit points for Corn 2024 and the recipients of the Spirit Stick:
Class of 2025
The final results for Overall Corn Win:
3rd place: 2028
2nd place: Tie 2027 and 2026
AND THE OVERALL WINNER OF CORN:
Class of 2025
The list of results and their descriptions were provided to The Herald by Kacey Reynolds-Schedler, Assistant Director Student Leadership and Service.
Complied by Lola Mestas, Copy Editor
Organization Spotlight: TRC
The Traditions Review Committee (TRC) is an organization on campus that was organized by the Office of Student Leadership and Services (SLS) to review current Meredith traditions and propose changes to “enhance the student experience.” Cheryl Jenkins, the director of SLS, is also the chair of the Traditions Review Committee.
According to Jenkins, the TRC seeks to improve Meredith's traditions by collecting feedback from students through surveys. These surveys provide information on each tradition's purpose, values and relevance among the student body. Jenkins shared that every academic year, the TRC leads at least two tradition reviews that involve analyzing and processing survey data to share with the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Meredith community.
Jenkins explained that the main responsibilities of the TRC include coordinating surveys and focus groups as well as doing general assessments of each campus tradition. They also communicate their findings and revisions to current students and continue to seek feedback and address concerns. They review all their feedback with a focus on the tradition’s history, language and any barriers to inclusivity by also considering the different perspectives of others. If necessary, the TRC also partners with other campus departments to better understand each tradition's contexts, notes Jenkins.
Jenkins shared that this year the TRC is reviewing Meredith’s “family traditions” including the Guardian Angel Dance, Tea for Two and Senior Family Night. They are currently looking forward to getting more feedback from students about what they want to see moving forward with these traditions and what additions should be made to make them more impactful.
Jenkins feels that being a part of the TRC is important because Meredith has many traditions that students report being both significant and meaningful parts of their college experience. She explained that the TRC wants to ensure that Meredith traditions are updated to meet the needs of current students to continue to be meaningful parts of their experience.
After this years’ Corn tradition, Jenkins explained how she loved being able to feel the “energy and fun” that the students were experiencing in the days leading up to Corn and during the main event. She also stated that she is thankful for all the recommendations that were fulfilled during Corn this year. Jenkins explained how faculty and staff were able to be more involved this year through Can Art as part of the voting process. She also feels that they were able to create more student participation by giving Spirit Points in a number of ways. Overall, she feels like the work of the TRC has paid off so far in their revisions of Corn by getting the Meredith community more involved.
By: Elaina Irving, Opinion Editor
RHA Spooktacular Event
This Halloween, the Resident Housing Association (RHA) held an event in the spirit of Halloween. The Halloween Spooktacular Event took place in the Oaks “where you can trick or treat at participating Oaks apartments” as stated on MC Connect. The Halloween Spooktacular Event occurred Wednesday, Oct. 23 between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and featured a costume and door decorating contest.
The Oaks got into the Halloween spirit with some amazing decor. Secretary of the RHA Emily Wood, ‘25, gave The Herald some insight into some of the decorations they filled the lobby with, sharing that there were “spider webs along the furniture, and balloons wrapping the railing of the staircase [to] a smoke machine [and] a banner above the staircase that said ‘Boo Bash’ and ‘RHA Spooktacular’ on it.”Wood noted that different departments, clubs, and organizations were asked to donate candy. The candy was provided to apartments who wished to participate in their trick-or-treat event. “In exchange, [RHA] put out some flyers for those organizations and encouraged trick-or-treaters to take some as they came in,” Wood stated.
This Halloween, the costume contest featured a variety of looks, with the main trend being movie or TV characters. Wood explained that the event “saw characters like Maleficent, Bluey characters, Men in Black, Sully and Boo from Monsters Inc, Kim Possible, and many more.” Wood added that this year saw more group costumes overall. Costumes were judged on “their group effort and great costume and makeup designs,” says Wood. First prize went to the “Men in Black” group whose movie-inspired look was both recognizable and well-executed. Another standout was Selena Weaver and Brittany Mills, who amazed the judges “with their amazing black and white makeup.” Finally, Tiffany Holder and her group drew attention for their characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” with Holder dressed as Jack Skellington, alongside Sally and a jester.
Looking ahead, students can expect even more festive gatherings on campus. The RHA is putting on their annual winter Last Day of Class (LDOC) Pancakes event on Dec. 4, offering a break before final exams kick in. Farther into the future, Wood shared that RHA would “love to keep this contest up and running… possibly adding categories for a better range of entries.” So when next Halloween comes around, be on the lookout for RHAs Halloween Spooktacular!
By: Miriya Carson, Staff Writer
Can Art 2024
On Monday, Oct. 28 at 10:00 a.m., Meredith Corn Week festivities got off to a start with Can Art. According to Madison Daugherty, ‘27, students have spent “more than a month” preparing for the much-anticipated occasion. To complete their Can Art creation, classes had to collect as many cans as they could. With only thirty minutes to create their design, all classes got to work. The designs that each class produced were related to their Corn themes, which were also unveiled on Monday.
The freshmen class (Class of 2028) revealed that their Corn theme was “Oh shucks, It’s a Throwdown.” For their design, they created a cowgirl boot alongside a couple of music notes and letters that read “MC.” The sophomore class (Class of 2027) Corn theme this year was “Sophomore Scavengers and the Hunt for the Missing Onyx.” Their design showed a scavenger hunt map in the shape of a heart with wings and a halo. They also made a magnifying glass with a message to their bigs saying they love them. The juniors’ (Class of 2026) theme was announced to be “Dancing Bling.” Their design was a ring with the words “Dancing Bling” on top of it. Last but not least, for the last time, the senior class (Class of 2025) revealed that their Corn theme this year would be “Past, Present, Pillow Fight.” For their design, they made a sleeping mask with intricate swirls around the words “Past, Present, Pillow Fight!”
Whitley Denton, ‘25, commented that she had never taken part in Can Art before. She stated that she "wanted to get the full Corn experience," which is why she chose to participate this year. Whitley also mentioned how much she enjoyed seeing the class theme and "seeing [their] design come to life."
Can Art was judged and scored in three different categories. There was a tie for first place in the Design Quality category between the Class of 2027 and the Class of 2026. The Class of 2025 won first place in the category of Execution of Design. Lastly, the Class of 2026 won the faculty and staff Can Art Popular Vote.
Every can that was gathered will be exchanged for cash, which will thereafter be given to a worthy cause. The overall winner of this year's Corn, the Class of 2025, will be given the option to donate to any charity of their choosing, and Corn Co-Chair, Ella Cannon, '25, shared that the hope is to donate to the Carolina Abortion Fund.
By Ellie Phillips, Contributing Writer
Word search made by Shae-Lynn Henderson using Word Search Maker Omniglot AI
VALIDnation Performance
On Nov. 1 2024, artist Stacey Kirby hosted a performance in Meredith’s Art Department. This piece, titled VALIDnation, “is a performative interaction with the public about civil rights and the validity of all communities in the United States,” according to Kirby’s website. Her website also states that in the past Kirby has hosted performances at a number of venues including universities and museums such as the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), among others.
Over the course of just a few days, the Art History lecture room and slide library in the art building were transformed into a civil VALIDation office. Complete with typewriters, rotary phones and voting booths, the office became a fully immersive environment, manned by art students and Stacey Kirby all as civil validation officers. The setting created is a caricature of a traditional office setting, where you fill out personal information, like what county you are registered to vote in, and ushered through waiting rooms waiting for your number to be called. Participants enter a voting booth and receive a civil validation notification card they fill out describing their family, lifestyle, and partnership. They then meet with another civil validation officer who determines if the participants are valid or not (they are). Each person’s card is stamped with a “Valid” stamp, and you are given the option to mail your card to a political representative of your choosing. You receive a “validation receipt” to keep with you at all times, to present to anyone who questions your validity as a person. The entire experience was very powerful, especially being held so close to an election, and the information requested on the validation cards changes based on recent legislation. At this performance, participants were presented with legislation on issues such as abortion and other heated topics of debate for this upcoming election.
The cold, almost sterile, office environment coupled with the very real, personal issues up on the ballot create a cognitive dissonance that posits the question whether it is possible to separate your identity from political issues? Kirby’s work explores themes of community, civil rights, and identity, all while maintaining a sense of satire that allows the conversation to be understood by everyone.
Grace Massingill, ‘26, who played the part of civil validation officer and worked with Kirby throughout the performance stated that, “Working with Stacey was a very rewarding experience.” Massingill added that she could tell that Kirby“cares deeply about the issues her work dives into, and it was so cool being a part of the performance and helping to create the uncomfortable bureaucratic atmosphere.” She shared that she loved the interactive element and believes that VALIDnation is important in helping people “gain empathy and learn.”
Perla Gerez-Hernandez, ‘26, was a participant in the performance and said that she “didn't realize that government offices and processes had given [her] PTSD until [she] sat in the room with the fake ballot in [her] hands shaking.” She added that she knew it was a simulation but “still feared being the first invalid vote.” Gerez-Hernandez noted feeling relieved when she heard that her ballot was valid and believes that many others may have felt the same way.
Following the performance, Stacey Kirby shared that she felt “incredibly uplifted by Friday's VALIDnation performance!” She added that she is “deeply grateful for the dedication of the students, the artist in residence and staff who brought this work to life. Collaborating with Marty, Alora, Grace, and Maria was truly inspiring.” Kirby discussed the turnout VALIDnation received and shared that the handwritten responses were “a powerful, authentic reflection of [the] country's current state.” Kirby encourages the students of Meredith College to “keep sharing their voices” and believes that the Meredith students are the future leaders of the country.
Overall, performances like Kirby’s provide a way for students at Meredith and outside the Meredith community to interact with art. Kirby’s work specifically facilitates conversations between people that may not interact otherwise, and provides a neutral setting for difficult conversations to be had.
By Liese Devine, Features Editor
The Fall Look Book Returns
In this year’s Corn edition of The Herald, the Look Book is featured as a compilation portfolio of students’ outfits over the current Fall semester. This year’s Look Book was compiled by Lys Evans, ‘26, who also serves as a contributing writer for The Herald. This Look Book will be Evans’ third edition.
The Herald got the opportunity to speak with Evans about the process of creating this year’s Look Book. According to Evans , this year’s edition was built with “compelling concepts” in mind. Evans stated that for this year’s edition she used graphic design programs Canva and Procreate to digitally assemble the scrapbook-esque fashion feature. However, the assembly was not the hardest process according to Evans. She shared that it was “never hard to capture good photos,” but she sometimes faced difficulties with “find[ing] poses for people.” The hardest part of making the Look Book this year was asking people to model for pictures, as Evans described that it “[felt] a bit like rejection therapy.” Despite this, Evans felt fortunate that she hadn’t “faced any harsh rejections” and that the people who did model were “all wonderful to work with.”
When asked about how the Look Book first came about, Evans said that Kailey Wurr, ‘26, “initially came up with the idea” when they had sat next to one another in their public speaking class. It had started as a request from Wurr for Evans to “take pictures and arrange them in an interesting way” for an upcoming fashion article that Wurr was writing for The Herald. Evans already had some experience as she “had done some photography in high school,” and being tasked with assembling the Look Book enabled her creative skills “on a whole new level.” As for her taste in selecting the right fashion for each edition, Evans cited her TikTok’s “For You” page for ideas.
The inspiration for this year’s Look Book was addressing how “mass productions and overconsumption have negatively impacted our environment,” as stated by Evans. In response to that thought, Evans created a theme of “sustainable style” that she was “very excited” to explore in the future. According to the UN Environment Programme, overconsumption in the clothing industry is liable for “between two and eight percent of global carbon emissions,” as cited by CBC News in an article about how the overconsumption of clothes degrades the ecosystem.
Evans enjoys sharing the Look Book with Meredith because she finds it a way to “celebrate [Meredith’s] most stylish students,” as she believes that these students could play a role in future editions. When looking for the right outfits to feature, Evans stated that she likes outfits that allow the students to express themselves in ways that they’re both “comfortable in” and how they “[want] the campus to see” them. Evans hopes to see students wearing “interesting” makeup, “cute boots, sweaters, and layered jewelry” this year.
Time will tell how the Look Book grows and improves in future editions as fashion trends change and evolve over time, as well as the way that fashion is expressed on Meredith's campus.
By Ericka Hewitt, Contributing Writer
OPINION: Haters Gonna Hate: Perspective of a Non-Swiftie
Taylor Swift has rocketed in popularity in recent years. She’s always been a figure on the charts and radio until now, for sure, but it feels like her reach of influence has seeped into every corner of daily life. Of course, this may just be a part of the Meredith Experience–her influence is particularly strong among young women, after all.
It’s not a Meredith event until “Wonderland” has been played at least once, her merch can be seen everywhere, and Meredith is home to many self-proclaimed “Swifties.” As I write this, directly after Corn (the sophomores were robbed!), it’s yet another event with yet another barrage of Swift’s music. And I know her music will be played at White Iris, and then STUNT, and then again at Spring Formal. In 2028, “Wonderland” will once again be played ad nauseum just in time for “Alice.” Even The Herald’s April Fools joke this year was about Swift. If you love her music, I imagine the experience to be incredibly unifying and fun; being able to enjoy things with other people is incredibly validating. If you don’t eat, sleep and breathe Swift’s music, however, it can be a little bit much.
I am not a Swiftie. Don’t get me wrong, she has some iconic hits that I can enjoy, but the majority of her discography simply doesn’t appeal to me. And before anyone hits me with the “her lyric writing is innovative/creative/fantastic–” I just don’t vibe with it. It’s not to say that Swift is a poor songwriter, it’s that it just isn’t my taste and I won’t go out of my way to listen to it. Swift writes music for the everywoman, but this relatability can only stretch so far. Her brand is currently “celebrating girlhood” but it’s not a “girlhood” that every girl gets to have. Her lyrics feel less “layered in metaphor” and more “I’m thirteen and this is deep” to me.
This isn’t to spit in anyone’s cornflakes, of course; If you like her music, more power to you. I’m sure you might find the stuff that appeals to me weird and contrived, too. Music is subjective and I’m not here to try to pin down the ever elusive definition of “good” music.
It’s the Nickelback Effect: something that you’re lukewarm about gets over played, and then you’re tired of it and never want to hear it again. The chorus of “Wonderland” at every. Single. Tradition. gets pretty tiring after about the fourth time. But Swifties, for better or for worse, have a reputation for being intense. As Alex Hopper put it on American Songwriter, “The once-undefined mass of die-hard fans got narrowed down to specific usernames, icons, and groups. Swift made a connection with a select few Swifties over social media. These fans garnered fame in their own right within the Swiftie circle and gave hope to fellow fans that the same thing might happen to them.” This degree of parasocialism has left it so that any criticism of Swift or her music, no matter how valid, can be viewed as a personal attack on Swifties.
Over the summer, Dazed shared that internet users began to speculate that Swift was trying to strategically release variants of TTPD in order to “block” albums like Charli XCX’s “brat” and Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft” directly before they were released with the aim of extending TTPD’s stay at the top of the charts a little longer. In the process she released a whopping thirty-six variants of the album, allowing her to stay at No. 1 on Billboard charts for fifteen non-consecutive weeks. TikTok comments in her defense have come to the conclusion that the music industry is a business and a competition, and Swift is just playing the game. Herein lies the problem: Swift’s fans are so quick to defend and justify her every move that it feels like there’s a willingness to let Swift become yet another content factory that favors catchy TikTok sound bites and quotable one-liners over artistry and innovation.
Olivia Horn’s critical review of the "TTPD" in Pitchfork sums up my stance: “If Swift believes that output for its own sake is what she has to offer, she underestimates her gift…This data-dump release strategy is not at all unique to Swift; it’s a concession to the modern music economy, which incentivizes artists to batch as many songs as possible, in as many packages as possible, to juice streams and sales.” Her latest album is arguably way too long, and the re-releases of what is essentially the same content are growing stale. Of course, this isn’t to say Swift is single-handedly trying to kill the music industry. There’s a chance that all of these releases of the same album are just coincidences and Swift is simply releasing more content for her fans to snatch up. But to those of us who don’t derive anything from her music, it feels excessive and–dare I say it–greedy.
Swift is uncriticizable. Any criticism is met with mental gymnastics to spin her actions as positive and accusations of being “anti-feminist” and “a hater.” There’s nothing wrong with enjoying an artist’s music, but there is an issue when fans stop seeing celebrities and artists as just that and start viewing them like close, personal friends. I want to encourage fans who feel the urge to jump to her defense to consider: “Is Swift so high up on a pedestal that she can do no wrong?”
Swift is a thirty four-year old billionaire who writes songs for the everyday girl. I think it’s beginning to show. She’s no longer the plucky new girl on the scene taking the industry by storm, she’s simply another cog of it. I’m not a Swiftie, but I think Swifties deserve better. The music industry deserves better. Swift isn’t a god and her music isn’t the Holy Grail, and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be in order to be enjoyable. Casual listeners and die-hard Swifties alike should consider that Swift is also just a human being capable of bad takes and mediocre songs – it’s what made her music so relatable in the first place.
By Lola Mestas, Copy Editor
OPINION: Daylight Savings Needs To Go
According to USA Today, “daylight savings time” was initially referred to as “war time” in 1918 during WWI and signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson as the Standard Time Act. Daylight savings time was extended and in 1966 the Uniform Time Act was implemented across the majority of the U.S. to create a uniform time in which all states changed the clocks at the same exact time. Daylight savings time means that Americans will turn their clocks back an hour in November and spring their clocks forwards an hour in March.
Time skipping ahead or moving behind can directly affect a person’s mental and physical health. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs with certain seasons, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). SAD is most common during fall and winter but it is important to know that SAD is more severe than normal winter blues. According to the NIMH, the time change and change in hours of sunlight can easily exacerbate symptoms of SAD and other depression disorders.
According to the NIMH, “It is estimated that millions of Americans experience SAD, although many may not know they have this common disorder. In most cases, SAD begins in young adulthood.” It is stressful and confusing to not realize that a decline in your mental health is correlated to the time change, and it can take years to diagnose SAD. It can be especially difficult for young adults struggling with SAD while following a regular school schedule, potentially without knowing that they have this disorder.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and other research organizations have begun efforts to get rid of daylight savings time by arguing the health issues that are affected by the time changes. According to Citizen Times, Hawaii, Arizona, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands are all U.S. territories that have opted out of following the rules of daylight savings time. With 8-5s and 9-5s being common working hours, I think that it is weird to change the sun to set as most people are commuting home after a workday. According to the Wake County School System’s bell schedule, some elementary students are getting off the bus approximately at 4:30 p.m., or even 5 p.m., as the sun is starting to go down.
Personally, the time change can cause chaos in my everyday life and wellbeing for at least a week, but usually more than a week. The time change is simply unnecessary in today's world and I fully believe that Americans would be better off without the change. It is dangerous to ignore the real mental and physical health issues that are affected by the time change. The time change should be something that the nation gets rid of, preferably with more sunlight later in the day rather than in early morning. I feel that as humans we naturally are active during sunlight hours and tend to rest while the sun is down. Since I, as well as many other people, am not up and active at 5:30 a.m. and asleep at 6:30 p.m. I think it would be safe to say that we need sunlight to extend later in the day rather than at the crack of dawn. As someone who has seasonal affective disorder and other mental health issues, the time change causes a direct decline in my mental wellbeing. Myself and other people who experience SAD must implement strategies to cope with the symptoms. My advice to anyone dealing with SAD during the fall and winter seasons is to journal, talk to a mental health professional, lean on loved ones for support, adapt in order to enjoy being out at night, create easy night routines that can be kept consistent throughout the year and, above all else, get lots of lamps. The time change can affect more than just my mental wellbeing as it causes my regular eating and sleeping schedule to be thrown off course. Being a pet owner during a time change is difficult because I can not explain to my cats why their meal time is now an hour later. Like many Amercians, myself and my cats would be better off with a continuous schedule that is not randomly changed twice a year by something out of our control.
By Kailey Wurr, A&E Editor
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