Salemite, September 23,1977, Page 2
Students Responsible
For Interdorm Results
Election time at Salem - Spring, 1977 — and Kim Anders, rising
junior, was unopposed for the office of Interdorm Chairman.
Apparently, no other eligible junior found the position appealing or
worthwhile.
Elected to one of the highest and most powerful student positions on
campus, this chairman would be a voting member of Executive Board
and an ex-officio member of Honor Council and Legislative Board. She
and her council would hold judiciary power over students who in
fracted the social procedure code, by issuing penalties or
probationary periods as they applied.
This fall, our unopposed Interdorm Chairman did not return to
Salem. After a five day petitioning period for juniors to run for the
office, the result was an EMPTY SLATE. May we assume that only
one junior on campus, who was here last year thought the office to be
one of importance?
liCgislative Board, with power to appoint a slate of nominees for
election, chose “to defer the election for Chairman of Interdorm and to
allow Interdorm to set up its own temporary structure for chair
manship.” This group should be credited with perceiving that
students, especially juniors, are unsettled about the need for an
Interdorm chairman. Furthermore, this Board has heard from many
students that the whole structure of the Interdorm Council needs to be
re-evaluated.
It is exciting to note that we, as students, have an opportunity to
make a change in the structure of a group on campus which may not
be needed. We have heard murmurings around campus about
abolishing the Interdorm Council completely, giving judicial power
completely to individual dormitories to handle infractions.
We ne.ed to ask ourselves some vital questions concerning social
procedures on campus: Would we rather have our House Councils
handle all problems in the dorm? Do we still need to have an Inter
dorm Council as a means for dorm presidents to discuss individual
dorm problems?
Finally, the key question: Are we willing to considere alternatives,
formulate an opinion on this issue and become actively involved iri
making neccesary changes or modifications in the present structure?
Both Executive Board and Legislative Board have invited us to voice
our opinions. It is our responsibility to respond, either by saying we
just do not care, or by offering our opinions and suggestions. If we
choose to ignore the issue, then we are giving a small group of students
the right and responsibility to determine changes on campus which
will affect All of us who live in dormitories at Salem.
New Use for French House
By Jane Dittmann
Letters.
-Beth Fenters
Letter to the Editor:
This letter is in response to a
letter written by Beth Jones in
the Sept. 16 issue of the Salemite.
A few comments:
Convocation is indeed a calling
together. Whatever other pur
poses gathering may have, a
convocation of Salem College by
nature of its being, is to get all the
participants in one spot and
keynote the year. While feedback
from participants is usetui,
judgemental, unresearched
remarks seem irresponsible. To
label the occasion “A Fiasco”
and state that it “widened the
gap” probably should be ac
companied by concrete in
dications thereof. Responsible
journalism involves accurate
reporting.
“The same holds true for the
faculty retreat. The majority of
the faculty did not want to go but
were forced to attend” — Such a
remark published as fact seems
to be an infraction of a cardinal
journalistic precept - quote your
source.
As a new faculty member who
attended the retreat, it seems
appropriate for me to state
publicly that it was well-planned,
responsibly executed, fairly
arranged to allow for individual
expression, productive and
thought-provoking.
Comments by students are a
vital part of a campus
publication. A stated viewpoint
should pass the test of truth
fulness. Hearsay is for Rona
Barrett.
I’m finding the “togetherness”
at Salem enjoyable. If I may
venture a personal opinion, I feel
I’m working with a good faculty
and staff.
—Dudley D. Shearbum
New faculty member
Recent speculation over the
feasability of maintaining a
French House on campus, has
prompted inquiry into the future
of the facility. Upon consulting
Dean Helmick, The Salemite has
learned that she is confident that
the Home Management House,
known to many students as the
French House, will be well-
utilized this year. She has
assessed the process which
enabled a committee to deter
mine viable uses for the facility
as “carefully done with the good
of the whole campus in mind.”
The decision to re-examine the
use of the Home Management
House was no rash judgment on
the part of the administration.
Community sentiment last spring
suggested that students and
faculty, alike, were dissatisfied
with the building’s limited usage.
This fall Dr. Cuninggim ap
pointed a committee, chaired by
Dean Helmick, to gather
suggestions for possible uses of
the Home Management House.
Input from faculty and staff
embled the committee to com
pile the suggestions and submit
them to the Administrative
Council. The suggestions in
cluded the request that the
building serve in its former
capacity as the French House.
A major concern of the com
mittee was the necessity of
utilizing the building to justify the
exnense of maintaining it. The
administration feels that in light
of financial circumstances, a
project such as the French
House, which may involve as few
as 8 students who already occupy
dormitory space, would be im
practical.
The .Administrative Council
combined several suggestions
and arrived at the following
arrangement which they felt
would make the most of the
facility:
Basement Level - Art Studio
(particularly a sculpture studio)
First Floor - Faculty Seminar
Rooms, A library to ac
commodate Faculty Task Forces
Second Floor - Meeting areas
for several departments, reading
rooms for specific majors
Seminar and Lecture rooms for
an Honors Program, soon to be
established.
All departments have been
offered an opportunity to request
space in the building for their
own purposes. Thus far,
■the departments of
English and History have
finalized plans to utilize an area
of the building. Dean Helmick
said that although it is impossible
to please everyone, she has not
heard of any major complaints
with the suggestions that have
been advanced.
The increased activity in the
Home Management House will be
a contrast to its often dormant
appearance in the past. Sum
marizing a positive outlook for
the facility. Dean Helmick
concluded, “I think what has
come of the search for uses of the
Home Management House has
been creative and will make the
best use possible, in terms of
faculty and student needs, of that
space.”
Fellowship
Inquiries Invited
Inquiries about the Danforth
Graduate Fellowships, to be
awarded by the Danforth
Foundation of St. Louis, Missouri
in April 1978, are invited, ac
cording to Dr. Louise Gossett
Salem’s representative for the
program.
The Fellowships are open to all
qualified persons who have
serious interest in careers of
teaching in colleges and
universities, and who plan to
study for a Ph.D. in any field of
study common to the un
dergraduate liberal arts
Cont’d. (MD three
Yearbook Staff
Robin and staff members have
met with Hunter Publishing Co.
in Winston-Salem, and will rely
on their representative for some
suggestions on cover ideas, color
usage and possible format
changes this year.
“We’re thinking of giving more
time to clubs on campus, by
having action pictures of some of
their activities,” Robin said.
Another change is that students
will not dress in white drapery
garb, but in blue velveteen for
\
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class pictures this year. Also,
underclassmen pictures will be
taken Oct. 4-7 and there will be no
make up day. Students should
make plans now to allow time
dunng these four days to have
pictures made.
Robin and her staff have shown
actively that the yearbook will be
the product of enthusiastic,
creative work this year. Ali
studente with past yearbook staff
P^'^sent interest
should Me Robin in Strong dorm
^abmitT
Printed by Smiley Publishing Co.
The College year by the Student
Editor-in-Chief - Beth Fenters
Assistant Editor - Sandra Spear
Associate Editor - Jane Dittmann
Copy Editor - Susan Miller
Reporters:
Margaret Aslanis
Anne Beidleman
Laura Benfield
Charlie Bolton
Harriett Calhoun
Laura Castellanos del Valle
Jan Davis
Becky Dunbar
Holly Freeburg
Beth Jones
Jan LeMons
Margaretta Yarborough
_S»l!I£!!_Manager - Cameron Harris
and published every Friday of
Body of Salem College.
Ad Sales - Laura Castellanos del Valle
Nusrat Islam
Tammy Jolley
Margy May
Poo McDavid
Rosemary Stafford
Circulation Manager - Debbie Hudson
Art Editor - Hannah Haines
Art Staff - Margaret Aslanis
Anne Beidleman
Jan LeMons
Sally Lowndes
Betsy Vance
Liza Ovington
Head Photographer - Karen Smith
Photography Staff - Jan LeMons
Mildred Thomasson
Ann Yazujiah
I