Page 2 The Salemite
iEbttflnal
The Ego Hour
By Alice Crawford
Many universities have a flourishing campus
newspaper. A few university newspapers struggle along
with an editor, an assistant editor, a business manager,
and an assistant business manager, and sporadic prin
ting schedule because the paper has a budget that it can
barely subsist on, and an all-volunteer newspaper staff.
The many people who cry out for a quality newspaper
are very entitled to that quality paper. These people,
however, do not realize the problems that confront an
editor that must manage an all-volunteer staff. There is
the ever-present problem of bruising egos, or worse yet,
unknowingly offending someone with editorial policies.
Once a person has had a bad experience writing for a
newspaper, she is not willing to write for that newspaper
again. How can one act as editor or more importantly as
a human being, capable of making mistakes, it the
Uireat of a staff member’s bruised ego prevades all
thoughts of editorial procedures?
Some might counter this with the old cliche “The pen
is mightier than the sword.” Nothing can replace a staff
member if shechoosesto resign from any position on the
paper because something was unknowingly done to of
fend any person. The pen is only mightier than the
sword if one can present one’s goals clearly and thereby
initiate the support needed to fulfill these goals.
Since the paper is staffed by volunteers, the reporters
are rarely the same. So much of the paper depends on
who has exams one week, who is planning a road-trip
and will be out of town, or who is just exhausted from
overloading already!
The main difference between the fluorishing campus
newspaper and the struggling SALEMITE is motivation
and incentive. Many of the fluorishing college
newspapers pay the staff of the newspaper. If the staff is
not paid for their services, then the students receive
some kind of classroom credit or even internship credit
for their work.
How can the people here demand a quality newspaper
(and indeed they have a right to a quality newspaper), if
no incentive or motivation is provided for the students?
Perhaps this incentive would overcome the problem of
bruised egos and inadquate staffing due to varying cur-
cumstances. Once these problems are solved, the
credibility problem of the SALEMITE will fade from
memory, and financial dire straits will ease.
The people that devote their time and energy to this
paper are to be thanked and commended for helping
produce a newspaper, for they have a personal incentive
to do the best they can to help the SALEMITE improve.
Editor Alice Crawford
Assistant Editor Cathy Cass
Business Manager Anna Shell
Reporters Jill Haly, Carla Litaker,
Dani Malbasa, Neal McArthur,
Liz McGehee, Pat Phillips,
Anne Roberson, Susan Robinson,
Lee Sears, Barbara Teates, Char Tipton
Cartoonists Catherine Ghoneim, Char Tipton
Oracle
Honor (Mistrust) System
a
99
Mr. Michie is a professor of
history at Salem College. This
column is a means of expressing
an opinion and will not be sub
jected to the editorial pen. This
text appears in its entirety.
I have been asked by
the SALEMITE to write
a short piece for the
“Oracle,” so I will take
up a subject that maybe
all of us should consider.
This is the low estate into
which our so-called
“Honor Tradition’’
seems to have fallen. The
greatest manifestation of
this condition is the “iron
curtain” that descends
upon Main Hall during
final examination period.
Students have to leave
their books and notes out
side the building. Nasty
caveats are posted all
over the place, and worst
of all, students have to
present their identifica
tion cards to obtain
copies of their examina
tion.
I take the liberty of
commenting on these
conditions which I find
rather appalling because
I grew up neat and at
tended the university
where the honor system
was founded, and where
it actually worked-at
least it did when I was
there.
At this university, the
honor system was found
ed on a basis of mutual
trust and respect among
its participants—a stu
dent’s word was bond.
Students should take
copies of final examina
tions anywhere they
wanted after they receiv
ed them and could move
about freely when taking
the examination. The
positive aspect of the
system was always
stressed, i.e., the student
was always to be trusted;
therefore, one was allow
ed a great latitude of
freedom during ex
amination periods.
I am afraid, however,
our system is based on
mutual fear and suspi
cion or why would Main
Hall resemble an armed
fortress during every ex
amination period?
Also, from what I
gather from the
freshmen, they are
scared half out of their
wits by what they are
told about our “Honor
Tradition” at orienta
tion. They are told that
even expressing an opi
nion, i.e., whether In
structor X’s examination
is hard or easy can be in
terpreted as an honor of
fense. It seems as if we
stress only the negative
aspect of the “Honor
Tradition.” Another ex
ample of this negative
aspect occurred a few
years ago when an Honor
Council official discussed
our system at a faculty
meeting. The gist of her
remark was, “Trust the
students but don’t trust
them too far!”
This fear and mistrust
that seems to enshroud
our “Honor Tradition”
encourages the attitude
of “they are out to get
me” and “them against
us’’—a sort of at
mosphere we find in the
novel THE LORDS OF
DISCIPLINE. This at
mosphere tends to
generate a coterie of
snoops and busybodies
who pry and spy into
other’s private business
and cloak their activities
in the “noble” mantle of
“We are doing this for
the good of the school.”
When conditions such
as this prevail it seems
that the whole purpose of
our honor system is
perverted. I think it is
time to recognize our
whole system, basing it
on a foundation of trust
Continued To Page 4
Insecurity
Dear Editor:
Are Salem women who
park in the pit safe?
One evening during the
week I went out with three
friends. We came home
around 12:30 a.m. in a con
vertible. On the way home
a car with two guys follow
ed us through Salem
Square and then down into
the pit. They parked
behind our car waiting for
us to get out of our car.
Luckily they did not try to
do anything to us; because
if they had who could have
helped us? There are no
bright lights in the pit to
see us clearly; the other
exit is locked; and there is
really no place to run or
call for help in the pit.
So, my question is are
Salem women really safe
if they park in the pit?
Name withheld by request
A Letter to the Editor of
the Salemite:
Are the ladies at Salem
College really safe? This is
an issue which has recent
ly come to my attention. I
feel that security is sever-
ly lacking in the Salem
community.
After talking with Larry
Upshaw, Director of
Security, I learned that
three security guards are
supposed to be on duty at
all times. One guard is
supposed to man the office
24 hours a day. Unfor
tunately, Salem security is
understaffed and has been
for quite some time.
Therefore, there are
usually only one to two of
ficers on duty. Upshaw
says it is difficult to find
trained guards who are
willing to accept part-time
jobs, especially since part-
time help receives no fr
inge benefits such as
health plans, etc. He hopes
that the staff will be built
up soon. Let’s just hope it’s
soon enough!
How well equipped are
our security guards in
whom we put our trust to
protect us? The six guards
now working have had a
one-month training ses
sion with Larry Upshaw.
They are not however of
ficially trained police
guards. The guards do not
carry guns; they carry
mace and a few carry bul
ly sticks.
A few areas siich as the
FAC and the pit are ob
vious danger zones. The
school expects us to park
in these places yet very lit
tle security is provided for
us. The lighting is bad,
Cont.’d On Page 4