Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 26, 1993 TAG: 9308260338
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JONATHAN HUNLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Meredith, the daughter of Constance H. Mitchell of Roanoke and Don Meredith of Botetourt County, spent last semester at the University of Adelaide in Australia as part of an exchange program with the College of William and Mary.
The 20-year-old Meredith, a rising senior and government major, said the University of Adelaide is comparable to William and Mary. "It is probably the third-most prestigious college in Australia," she said.
Meredith left in February to spend five months in Adelaide. She took courses and received credit just as she would have at William and Mary. All of her credits transferred, and "I was even able to take an art class on media and culture that is not offered on campus in Williamsburg," said Meredith.
However, for this experience, Meredith had to pay for her round-trip plane ticket and housing in addition to her normal tuition at William and Mary.
Besides being on the learning end of the educational process, Meredith tutored a Namibian student in English three to four times a week.
"I would help him with papers he had to write in English. I even taught him a lot of Southern figures of speech," she said.
Meredith said Adelaide is a good place in which to study, even though she was lovingly called a "Yank."
While many areas of Australia were settled by British convicts, Adelaide was a planned city. Australians consider it one of the best places to live, she said.
Because an Australian dollar is equal to about 70 cents in U.S. money, Meredith found many good buys, although she didn't spend on food made from kangaroos.
"I ate a lot of good seafood and lamb, but I managed to stay away from ` `rooburgers' while I was in Adelaide," she said.
Even though she was unable to take any Australian history courses, Meredith picked up on some history on her own.
South Australia, of which Adelaide is the capital, was the first state in the world to grant women the right to vote, she said. Next year, South Australia will celebrate 100 years of this milestone, and Hillary Rodham Clinton is rumored to be attending the festivities.
"The mayor of Adelaide met with the first lady at a conference in Austin, Texas, and apparently she is interested in visiting Adelaide," Meredith said.
by CNB