Dear friends.
Greetings fromTexas! I feel compelled
to write to you concerning an issue that
£ of great importance to me - transfer-
png to another institution versus stay
ing at Salem.
1 Let me tell you about the pros and
cons. After nearly a semester at the
University of Texas at Austin, 1 have
tamed many things. Going to school
with 52,000 other students makes one
km very quickly to appreciate a
iendly environment in such a beauti-
setting as Salem.
t I'm a junior here. And, although all of
courses from Salem transferred,
^any of them transferred as "lower
'division." This means that they can be
lunted as electives. Although 1 was
*Sose to fulfilling my BDR's at Salem, I
Itill have many credits to complete here
atU.T.
j If I wish to graduate on time, by 1992,
lean plan on a few semesters of summer
"thool sessions, or I can opt for an extra
_pmester or two in undergraduate stud-
^ik. Let me assure you that neither op
tion appeals to me.
j My name is Anna Katherine Harris,
not466-71-2598! Although I have a name,
it is rarely used. In classes the professors
do not know you personally unless you
"isit them during their somewhat inac-
essible office hours. I have done this
_J\any times, but it is still always amaz
ing to me that most students do not
Letters to the Editor
mind this system. They are, for the most
part, not against being "processed by
the system" and do not mind having the
autonomy of a robot.
Unfortunately for me, I find the im
personality incredibly strange and un
settling. I am always ama^ by the
blank faces and scowls as I walk to class
instead of the friendly "Hey Ya'll" that
I was once used to.
My class schedule is not so awful, but
I do not have the luxury of self-sched
uled exams anymore. If any of you ever
doubt the efficiency or luxury of Sa
lem's self-scheduled exams and Honor
Code, please reconsider! I enjoyed tak
ing three exams this week, all of which
counted as one-quarter of my grade.
None of the test dates could be changed,
and I am positive that my grades have
suffered because of this system.
And for those of you who are wonder
ing about the social opportunities at a
large campus, let me enlighten you.
I have a theory that the only real way
to meet people who you can become
truly friendly with (like the wonderful
friends I found at Salem) is to join a
sorority or a social club of this sort.
Classes are for work and learning, and
students are basically interested in their
grade in the class, the test schedule and
what they missed when they skipped
class the time before. People will get
your phone number to find out missed
(■:
The Salem Bookstore
The place
to go for all
of your
favorite
traditional
Moravian
niceties
for the
Holiday
assignments, but are typically not inter
ested in striking up a social conversa
tion.
I have found that the upperclassmen
I interact with are pretty comfortable
with their own social groups and are
more reluctant to make friends then one
would think. It takes a great deal of
effort to break through to people and to
forge friendships.
Dorm life is, for the most part, dim. I
live in a dorm with 3,000 other people. It
is a co-ed and so is the floor I am on. This
is not as blissful as one might think. In
fact, it can be a bit of a pain - as far as
being able to totally relax. I am very glad
to have two bathrobes in my room (
because of the fact that my roommate is
practically married to her boyfriend,
having a bathrobe in the vicinity can
come in very handy at all times, if you
get my drift).
The majority of students, however,
live off-campus. This situation makes it
even harder to meet people because the
student body is scattered around Austin,
Texas. Contrary to what one might think,
all 52,(XX) do not live on campus!
I like to think of my experience at U.T.
as a sort of "junior year abroad." I have
certainly us^ the semester to my ad
vantage and am trying to view it as a
learning experience.
These insights are but a few of the
many I have to share. I will be glad to
share all of my experiences with you
when I return to Salem in February.
Yes, I am overjoyed, - I cannot fully
express my total euphoria- about re
turning home to Salem. My last month
here in Austin is difficult - because I so
eagerly anticipate my return.
For those of you who are wondering
"Well, if she was so happy, why did she
leave?" I'll tell you. I was happy at Sa
lem ... incredibly happy. But bk:ause of
family reasons, I felt that it would be
more financially feasible and easier on
my parents for me to attend the Univ. of
Texas. With the knowledge that I want
to attend graduate school, the thought
of taking out extensive student loans for
undergraduate work scared me. I now
realize that my happiness and my con
tentment with the institution that I re
ceive my undergraduate degree from is
paramount to any loan that can easily be
paid off in 10 years. Aft>_* all, I will only
receive one under graduate degree!
So, for those of you who are consider
ing a change in schools, please remem
ber what I have said. Think about and
weigh the pros and cons carefully.
Consider your personal happiness as
well as your goals and try to keep your
financial considerations in perspective.
For those who are happy with Salem,
please take the time to enjoy your time
there, try to experience everything at
Salem with the fullest of intensity and
think less about little annoyances.
I can assure you that I will "take time
to smell the roses" upon my return.
Salem is so incomparable and I miss
her, my friends, the staff and my profes
sors greatly!
I look forward to seeing you all in
February!
Sincerely,
Anna Katherine Harris
continued from page 4
Latanya Gary
Danielle Fahey
Mary Elizabeth Evans
Jamie Jumey
Karrie Stansfield
Terrie A. Smith
Rachel Miller
Melissa Murray
Shelly Williams
Jean C. Williams
Juliet M. Dyal
Mary Alerrun
Stephanie Crone
Saswati Datta
Michelle Conley
Elayne Thornburg
Dorothie Hughes
Jennifer Britt
Beth Murray
Lynne Pate
Tara E. Newton
Karen Lewis
Greta Cassady
Sophomores;
Jennie Thomas
Margaret Lamm
Melissa Fitts
Elizabeth Adams
Amy Whitehead
Heather Rankin
Heather Shea
Erika Jenkins
Ivey Clontz
Mandy Eckberg
Beth Portlock
Betsy Sheehy
Jennifer L. Aber
Mary Heather Morgan
Laura E. Pezowicz
Drewann Lynch
Shevella Riwdy
Chenie Bell
Steffan Hambright
Krissi Smith
Carla E. Jimenez
Barbara Harris
Freshmen:
Sarah Johns
Gwendolyn Brennan
Terri Suzanne Adams
Patty Crow
Allison Stancil
Jessica Handschin
Gretchen Nachtigal
Betsy Barber
Sarah Ivey
Shan Woolard
Arden Ney
Allison Bruce
Kristin Epsting
Cary Clayton
Stephan Seede
Christi Rue
Beth Johnson
Amy Woodard
Alicia Teaster
Julia Broten
Jennifer Pratt
Heather Henderson
i
^4)