New Students Participate in Meredith Traditions During Orientation

By Kristi Eaves-McLennan

Although they have only been on campus for a short time, new students have already had their first taste of the many traditions they will experience during their time at Meredith.

A welcome dinner at the President’s residence and the Honor Code ceremony were among the traditions that new students participated in as part of Fall orientation.

Meredith College President Maureen Hartford hosted this year’s dinner at the Massey House on Tuesday, August 18. New first year and transfer students traveled with their advising groups on trolleys to the president’s residence, where they were welcomed by the senior management team, deans and other administrators.

According to President Hartford, dinner at the Massey House is a tradition that dates back to 1972, when the house was constructed. Prior to that, the president of the College hosted a dinner for freshmen in the dining hall.

Tori Downs, ’13, a first year student from West Columbia, S.C., who introduced herself to President Hartford during the dinner, said that Meredith’s orientation had exceeded her expectations.

“I didn’t expect to get this much interaction with the president of the college,” Downs said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised that [Meredith staff] care enough to make sure we have everything we need.”

Following dinner at the president’s residence, new students participated in the Honor Code ceremony in McIver Amphitheater. In this long-held Meredith tradition, new students recite the honor pledge and sign pledge cards promising to “faithfully uphold the principles of the Honor Code.”

According to the student handbook, a student’s enrollment at Meredith is not considered complete until the Honor Pledge has been signed. Meredith's honor system has been recognized by the Center for Academic Integrity, which is affiliated with the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University.

About the Class of 2013
Meredith’s Class of 2013 includes more than 480 freshmen, up from 408 in 2008, and topping Meredith’s previous record of 460.

Meredith’s freshmen class includes students from North Carolina and 20 other states: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Virginia. Freshmen are also coming to Meredith from 14 countries: Afghanistan, Canada, Chile, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, India, Iraq, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Among the Class of 2013 are Amy Hruby, of Sanford, N.C., and Zeenat Razvi, of Karachi, Pakistan, who are the 2009 recipients of the Alumnae Legacy scholarship, Meredith College’s top academic award