Page 4
November 20,1990
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Take a break: To the Stress Senior Pledge, Not Only a
Bunnies of the World
The last time I checked. Thanksgiving was still an official holiday. It is marked,
plain as day, on every calender I've found. The fourth Thursday of every
November has been set aside to give thanks. Yet somehow the original intention
of the holiday has been obscured.
The Pilgrims initiated Thanksgiving Day to give thanks to God for their survival
in a new and hostile land. If you'll forgive me. I'd like to make an analogy between
the Pilgrims and our generation. Okay-I know it's hokey, but bear with me. We
are the explorers and the pioneers of today, and the environment in which we must
struggle for survival is hostile in a different manner. Each day we turn on the news
to hear of killings, pollution, economic turmoils, and other human atrocities. This
has affected our attitudes and is revealed by the issues on which we focus our at
tention.
1 like to call our generation the 'fix-it' generation. We want to save the environ
ment, the whales, and the planet. We want economic prosperity for all and for
world peace. We protest. We support. We vote. We hope.
We are complex in that we are more relaxed in a some ways than ever before, yet
we can work ourselves into a frenzy in a matter of minutes over any issue presented
to us. Our minds whirl at unbelievable speeds in an attempt to process the amount
of information, both literal and sensoral, that we are bombarded with on a daily
basis. We are the generation that, in a way, specializes in guilt trips. The irony is
that we put the guilt on ourselves. Save the Environment! End Apartheid! Feed
the Starving!
Maybe it is time for us to step back from global issues, just for a little while, and
focus on our personal well-being. There are some good things going on in the
world. Throw away that Guns'N Roses tape! We are the fixers. We are the healers.
We are the survivors in a hostile environment.
What better time to do a little reflection than Thanksgiving. All these global
•issues are important, but sometimes it is necessary to preserve our own personal
sanctitiy. One way to do this is to focus on the positive aspects of our everyday life
that are usually t^en for granted—for those things are the truly important ones.
Once I watched a sunset, and as I did, several people passed by and asked what I
was doing. Upon my explanation they said, in different ways, "That's nice, but I
don't have time. Maybe I'll watch one tomorrow." I felt incredibly sad for these
souls who were so oblivious to the possibility that there might not be tomorrow.
And so I leave you with a few thoughts for this season of thankfulness:
Success But a Good Memory
Toward the end of each fall, there is a
dramatic change in the senior class.
It is almost inevitable to find us con
stantly clad in our best outfits and of
course our pumps and pearls. This new
style has emerged for a number of rea
sons.
First, our suits (and dress outfits)
have mysteriously been placed closer to
the doors of our closets - to enable a
quick change if a possible employer calls
about an interview. And, second be
cause it seems that everyone wants to
have dinner for us.
Parties for the senior class have be
come for most of us our only social
hours. With student teaching, intern
ships, off and on-campus jobs, inde
pendent studies, and extracurricular
activities we seem to have forgotten to
save time for our class.
The Senior Pledge dinner was proba
bly the most social many of us had been
since our post-convocation party.
Many of us left dinner if not with tears
in our eyes - due to the somewhat tear
ful toasts - then p>ondering our future
and reflecting on our short past at Sa
lem.
lem. I believe wholeheartedly, how
ever, that few of us would have pledgi
had we not been surrounded by those
who have made our four years so spe
cial.
It is this feeling which possess us to
pledge our financial support to thei
stitution by 1992.
So far, approximately 70 percent
the senior class has pledged and those
who haven't pledged have been con
tacted.
Events like the Senior Pledge dinne
are the ones which remind us of wha
Salem has given us and the desire
give back to her at least a small porti
of our gratitude.
As I walked from the dinner I revela
in Salem.
She is the only place where you can
have dinner with the dean and even
share great conversation, with frient
as well as faculty, over a glass of wine,
And, she is certainly the only place
someone would come up with the idea
of "stepping into the future" by fillin
pumps and heels with milar paper.
Ah! What creative minds.
The purpose for the Senior Pledge
diruier is to allow seniors the chance to
pledge their continued support of Sa-
Be thankful for things that are good, for they preserve your spirit.
Be thankful for adversity, for it makes you strong.
Be thankful for your past, for it has taught you well.
Be thankful for your future, for it will teach you more.
Be thankful for today, for it has taken you one step closer to tomorrow.
Be thankful for those who love you, for they will remain a part of you always.
Be thankful for yourself, for you are blessed.
Dear Mrs. Woollen:
Scdemite
The Uncensored Voice of the Salem Community
Co-TxUtors: (Patricia ‘Eam/tarxit & (Karen Tisey
9i{anaging'EcG.tor: SusanneTstes
Sidvertising‘Editor: ‘Eiizabeth penned
Layout‘EcGtor. 9hnan Mdid-KgUim
‘Business(h(anagtr: Laura‘Brooks
Copy‘Editor: (Kptkryn‘lt/fiitt
Offiu9datiager: ‘Donna May
Staff & ContriButing ‘lifters: LiBBy ‘Broum, (Patricia ‘Eofnfmrdt, JUnna (f^trris,
‘Kara (Hayes, ‘Dorotfue (Hugfies, Angie Sftotts, Anne ‘Tucl^r, jean WUHams,
(RpBin ‘Wilson
We are writing to you about an issue
that is of great concern to us. It has now
come to our attention that this Presi
dential Search Committee which sup
posedly represents "all constituencies"
only has one student seated on it. It
seems that after all of the controversy
that has taken place on campus and the
apparent fear of many underclassmen
whichiscausingthem to consider trans
ferring, that this Committee should
represent a greater proportion of our
interests. Also, the Committee should
represent more of what Salem should
be in the future rather than base its de-
dsionssolelyonpastexperiences. What
better way is there to determine Salem's
needs than by consulting those who
have the greatest stake in it?
It is our request that there should be a
student representative from each class
as well as a current Continuing Educa
tion student. Since each new class brings
new needs to the institution, it seems
that a greater cross-section of these
various needs should be represented.
Please consider our request n
seriously and respond to us throi
our newspaper and our S.G.A. Th
you for your consideration!
Seniors:
Kara Hayes
Karen Elsey
Laura E. Brooks
Sonya Cobb
Heather Inge
Heidi Weilbaecher
Laura Workman
Betsy Saxman
Angela Townsend
Amy Baldwin
Susanne Estes
Laura Lail
Margaret Harris
Patricia Earnhardt
Juniors:
Palmer Brown
Jennifer King
Kimberly Williams
Mary McGinnis
Hanan Abdul-Rahim
signatures continued on pngeo
ma