Cornhuskin’ Hall Raids will not be happening this year in their traditional capacity, according to Kacey Reynolds Schedler, the Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Service (SLS). Instead, the Meredith Recreation Association (MRA) will be hosting an alternative event that will not take place within residence halls for students who wish to participate in a similar activity. More details will be announced soon.
Hall Raids are a Cornhuskin’ tradition in which students run through a residence hall while yelling and banging pots and pans. The tradition is typically a surprise in which one class runs through the dorm of their Big or Lil’ class.
According to Schedler, Cornhuskin’ Hall Raids have in recent years been organized by MRA, and this year, Schedler said that the MRA Cornhuskin’ Board had received “concerns about how Hall Raids unfairly affected students . . . with sensory issues, service animals and PTSD.” The MRA Cornhuskin’ Board and Schedler’s goal is to “be as inclusive and sensitive to all Meredith students as possible.” While Schedler and the MRA Cornhuskin’ Board recognize that it is difficult to “[accommodate] all different desires and views of Corn[huskin’],” Schedler said that they felt “[transitioning] Hall Raids to fun alternatives” is one way to achieve this goal.
Students will receive more information from their Class Co-Chairs via email and at their respective Cornhuskin’ practices about the alternative event after its finalization. Schedler noted that “MRA, the Corn Board and I realize that the Hall Raids can be very fun for some students, so we didn't want to eliminate the opportunity for that same sense of exhilaration and fun.”
The MRA Corn Board’s official statement regarding Hall Raids is as follows:
“The MRA Corn Board has been made aware that Hall Raids are not accessible and inclusive of the diverse populations represented by Meredith College and can indeed be harmful to some students. [The] Class Chairs and MRA Corn Board are working on some fun alternatives to satisfy the spirit of the Hall Raid while respecting the needs of students. Due to no official Hall Raids, no individuals or groups of students may plan or implement an unofficial Hall Raid in any location on campus.”
By Cady Stanley, Arts and Entertainment Editor