Founder's Day:
What Do You Think?
Quotes:
“Remember that Founder’s Day is to celebrate the found
ing of the college—and we should keep this in mind.
“As a senior, 1 had more fun this year not competing!
The seniors had more fun performing for Salem rather than
themselves. I don’t think we worked any less either.
“No competition in skit and song—each class is
do a good job—why tell one class they came in third or
fourth? It’s like each class is presenting a gift to the
school—why should they be judged? The whole point of
Founder’s Day is to promote unity and happiness--not hard
feelings and pressure (which everyone has enough of any
way). Founder’s Day needs to get relevant and appeal to
the majority of the student body. (As it is now, five or six
people work themselves to death—and then must hassle to
get the rest of the class to learn the songs and dances—if
everyone cares, then why doesn’t everyone work hard on
it?)’’
“All classes could compete in games or such in the after
noon hut have juniors only do the skit, which could be pre
sented that night. This way each class has one big re
sponsibility per year:
Freshmen—Parent’s Day
Sophoinores—GHristnias Banquet
Juniors—Founder’s Day
Seniors—Follies”
“I like the idea of the field events in the afternoon—1
think it is fun to compete in that way, but I don’t see the
point in working on skits for three weeks before. It seems
to me that we could be able to find some more fun activity
such as suspend classes in the afternoon, relays, softball
games, keg party and picnic afterwards.’’
I’m sure that the seniors had the ‘right idea’ behind what
they did, but I did not want to slash anybody’s throat and
at the end of Founder’s Day I just wanted to hug every
body. Taking out competition takes out the spirit.
“1 agree with the Senior’s idea of ‘fun and games’ but not
‘cutthroat competition.’ The only drawback might he a de
crease in enthusiasm and quality. I think Founder s Day
should be celebrated. Those who don’t want to participate
need not do so. Salem is a unique school in that it has
traditions . . . Doing away with these, 1 feel would make
Salem a normal, every-day college — and that would be
awful."
“If you lose the spirit of competition between classes,
what would you have? Nothing! Why do you want to
change the old? It has held up for 199 years so fan—why
change it? . . . What’s wrong with tradition anyway?
Isn’t that one of the very reasons you come to Salem cam
pus-old building and atmosphere — Why ruin it for the
others?” I think this year would have been great if the sen
iors hadn’t ‘copped-out.’ No other class felt that it was cut
throat competition in the least—and in that way, the sen
iors came off as either poor sports or martyrs for a cause
that was non-existent except in their minds. Founders
Day is the greatest way to pull a class together—to work
with each other in races, skits, songs and it’s all in good
fun! Competition is fun—it is a challenge and if you can t
see that then you’re missing a great part of life.
“‘Competition’ should be eliminated and replaced by
participation and presentation. Let everybody take part,
give of herself—time, talent, etc. . . . Just have fun.
“I would like to see Founder’s Day stop taking priority
over all matters, achidemically (sic) and otherwise for
whole week and a half before Founder’s Day. Maybe elimi
nating skit competition would do it. The game in the after
noon are good, maybe then have songs and the picnic.
“Play down the amount of money put into it and encour
age the imaginative—have the skits somewhere other than
the gym. (The accoustics there are horrible.)
“We love it!!! ?!”
“Have teachers suspend classes the day after Founders
Day, because no one wants to or feels like going.
“I’d suggest you’d start the games around four or five in
the afternoon and then move right into the picnic. You
shouldn’t have to wait so long in line for dinner. More
tables could be set up."
Survey by Jeanne Patterson
Volume Lll
Salem College, WinstomSalem, N. C., Friday, October 23, 1970
Number 9
Student
Opinions
Founder’s Day 1971:
What Will Happen?
Every year at about this time Salem students have
finished griping about Founder’s Day and have moved on
to more exciting subjects. This year The Salemite has
taken a poll to see just how dissatisfied the student body
is with the way Founder’s Day is celebrated.
139 people filled out the questionnaire placed in their
boxes. Of these, 32 seniors out of 80 replied. 107 under
classmen out of 413 replied.
In answer to the question of whether they would change
Founder’s Day in any way, 32 seniors said that they would
change it. 48 underclassmen would have it changed, while
65 would leave Founder’s Day the way it is now.
Two seniors and 89 underclassmen would continue the
class competition. Twenty-three seniors and seven under
classmen would do away with all competition. Four seniors
and two underclassmen want to do away with Founder s
Day altogether. Twelve seniors and three underclassmen
wanted “other” alterations. Most people who checked this
category suggested competing on part of the events or using
other criteria than class for competition.
Twenty seniors and thirty underclassmen would change
Ihe areas of competition. Five seniors and eighty under
classmen would leave it the way it stands now. Most sen
iors who wished to change the areas of competition sug
gested that it be “spontaneous, impromptu entertainment
more creative.” The other classes suggested including the
spirit competition again, adding inore areas , of competition,
competing in field events but not in skit and song, and
girl said that “how to change competition” was “irrelevant.”
The seniors, in their extra comments and suggestions,
leaned strongly towards making Founder’s Day a “surprise
day.” Other senior suggestions included having a keg party,
dropping the skits entirely, having only the Junior class do
the skit, and turning Founder’s Day into a symposium.
Underclassmen suggested having the faculty compete in
the field events and put on their own skit, having the judges
be people not connected with Salem or else having some,
student judges. Many people disagreed strongly with the
senior’s decision to not be included in the competition, and
others agreed with their idea partially.
Many people said that not enough emphasis was placed
on the founding of Salem “since that is what we are scream
ing about.” The freshmen felt that having FITS at the
same time put too much pressure on them and the sopho
mores as well.
Several people felt that too much emphasis is placed on
the skits, making them too time-consuming. A few people
felt that the field events should be done away with alto
gether. Some felt that Founder’s Day should consist of an
assembly with a “super speaker.” A few individuals sug
gest having supper earlier, having no classes the day alter
Founder’s Day, no tests before, and holding Founder s Day
at the Schlitz distributors since they will supply free beer
with a guarantee of 75 people.
On the whole, the seniors still believe that Founder's
Day would be better without competition, or perhaps with
a complete re-vamping. The underclassmen feel that
Founder’s Day is basically good and should be hfeld in the
same manner.