Editorials
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by Susan Webb
A Season For Change
As autumn approaches, the
leaves turn colors, the weather
turns cooler, and flocks of birds
begins heading south for the
winter, we witness the
metamorphosis of our environment.
Though we treasure the warmth of
summer days, there are indeed
many characteristics of autumn
that we value as well. The
seasonal changes are not only
aesthetically pleasing, but they
accompany and occasionally
prescribe different stages in our
lives. Individuals cannot isolate
themselves from their
environment, from change.
Salem students have long
known this to be true and thus have
developed a reverence for Salem’s
traditions and opportunities.
However, as Salem grows and
times change, the needs and desires
of students differ. Salem, as a
member of a dying breed of
colleges, cannot afford to be
impervious to desired changes, and
in many cases its administration
has demonstrated a respect for
needed change.
Change, however, can be a
scary word, perhaps, when
students are perceived as attacking
Salem traditions such as sit-down
dinner or Fall Fest that have in
many vyays been synonymous with
the college itself. Thus students
are likely to run into stumbling
blocks and red tape that slows
down the processes of change,
allowing more time for the changes
to be thought out. Are students
destroying a part of the heart of
Salem? This can strike fear into
those who hold Salem so dear.
Change, however, needn't be
destructive. Changes may simply
alter or compromise present
situations, establishing perhaps
only a transient stage in our lives
such as autumn represents. In
reference to college traditions, look
upon them as the trees in your
backyards. From season to season,
the leaves may change color, a new
bloom may appear, a branch may
break off, but they still stand.
Traditions, like trees, can
withstand alterations and may in
time evolve into new traditions.
resistance. A few modifications
can provide the added lift needed
to strengthen the vitality of
traditions, governing jx)licies, and
institutional programs. Change
should not be feared in this respect.
Changes can often be
healtheir than allowing
traditions to die or systems to fail
under the burden of resentment or
The student body and its
government have begun instigating
changes that students feel they
need. There definitely is a certain
reluctancy on the part of various
committees, administrative or
otherwise, to make decisions in
favor of change. In the face of such
proposals, you must first ask
perhaps the most important
question. Are there occasionally
blooms on the trees in your
backyards or are you living in a
static environment that has ceased
to grow with you?
Letter To The Editor: Sit Down Dinners Incovenience Student Lives
Dear Editor,
Lately, Salem students have
commenced another year of
complaining about our current
system of a seated evening meal. I
am in complete agreement with the
large faction of students against
sit-down dinners for three primary
reasons: time, money, and
energy/effort. As a good friend of
mine who wished to remain
anonymous stated, "Sometimes
traditions prevent progress and
growth."
Sit-down dinners waste the
valuable time of Salem students.
Many students cannot be ready for
dinner promptly at 6:00 p.m. due to
classes, athletic team practice,
work, or their activities in the
community. Why should this large
group of students be prevented from
eating a meal for which they have
pre-paid? A cafeteria-style option
would at least provide these
students with alternate dinner
times to work into their schedules.
Sit-down dinners also waste the
valuable time of the Epicure
employees. In addition to washing
the serving utensils used for a
sit-down dinner, they must also
wash the serving plates and
utensils. Proponents of sit-down
dinners will invariably argue that
one has to wait in line for a
cafeteria style meal, therefore the
issue of wasted student time is a
moot one. I counter this with the
notion that if dinner is available
for a complete hour, students can
spread out their dinner time, thus
allowing not only for a shorter
wait, but also allowing more
students the opportunity to eat.
Another advantage of a cafeteria
style meal is not having to rush
into the refectory in order to
procure a place at a table where
food in available.
In financial terms, sit-down
dinners do not appear to be very
economical for Epicure, the
students, and therefore the school.
It takes more people to serve at a
seated meal, thus incurring more
costs in terms of payment to
employees. Because many students
cannot attend the sit-down dinners,
there students are essentially
wasting money because our meals at
Salem are pre-paid. The extra
energy expended in washing the
implements used during sit-down
dinners costs money. Overall, I
believe students would get more out
of our pre-paid, forced meal plan if
we had cafeteria-style meals on
weeknights.
relationship between the students
and Epicure. I believe it is
important for the student body to
realize that Epicure is contracted
for their services, and the decision
of whether or not to have sit-down
dinners on a regular basis is not
theirs. Epicure does many special
things for Salem students, and we
should be quite appreciative to
them for their efforts. Having
worked in several aspects of food
service, I can personally
appreciate their work.
Halloween. The freshmen are in
for a treat with these Salem
traditions. I would like to see a
Sunday sit-down lunch or even
better, a brunch retained as a
regular feature in the refectory. I
feel that students have more time
to relax over a Sunday mid-day
meal than they have over a hectic,
weeknight dinner.
It is important for me to state
that I am not advocating the
abolishment of all sit-down
dinners. I believe that all Salem
students look forward to the
special sit-down meals such a
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Awards
Dinner, and Sophomore-Senior, not
Fortunately, our SGA is
currently addressing the issue of
student unrest over our meal
situation. It is our personal
responsibility to Salem College
and to ourselves to let our opinions
as students be known, so that the
democratic process can work
effectively for all of us.
Elizabeth Betts
In the past, when Salem
students did not have many of the
responsibilities and activities
which they now have, sit-down
dinners were a viable, respected
option for dinner. Unfortunately,
popular sentiment for the large
part has shifted, and the mere
mention of sit-down dinner often
provokes heated discussion. Also,
the subject of sit-down dinner has
become a source of frustration in the
^Ihe SdCemite Staff
‘Editor-in Cfii^
Susan WeBB
Plssistant Editors
Amy WashBum
0(gtie ‘Thomas
business Odanager
Adrienne ScBerer
J^vertising Tdanagcr 9dicfietU. Jaynes
Staff Writers
Julia Carpenter, EUzaBeth 'Betts,
Jenny Muendi, Suzan 'Ecmekpi,
Angela Ingram, Taige Earner,
Laura Workman, ‘Beth ‘Barksdale
ContriButing Writers VdUCie EtiBan^j Eatrice 9ditche[L
Staff Artist
' Angela Ingram