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Letters to the Editor
Race Relations not Improving
hy Yolanda Hairston
I am mad. Damn mad. And since I completely agree witli Amy Woodard,
1 loo am going to join her fight and complain. TTiere are far too many things
wrong on this campus that need to be talked about and heard.
1 know this is a touchy subject, and also one that many shy away from
discussing, but the issue of racism on Salem’s “diverse” campus has to be
dealt with upfront with no holds barred. 1 can not believe the onslought that
is occurring at the place that 1 wanted so much to call home. 1 am sick and
tired of hearing the phra.se “you people” that I’m about to explode! The idea
dial one person from a racial or ethnic group represents the sum is utterly
STUPID, and the main rea.son why prejudice exists. How can so many of
you waste your parents’ (and Salem’s, and the government’s) money on a
superior education, and you are not learning anything while you are here?
Yes, you come to get an education, but you are supposed to learn more than
textbook material—you are here to discover the world and all it has to offer,
including the great people that make up this world. There are bad apples in
every bunch, so when you sec a mangy dog on campus, please do not
“deduce” that the dog is from Hapipy Hill Gardens and belongs to a poor
black family dial can not take care of it.
Andsfxiaking of Happy Hill Gardens.. .who made up that crap about “the
really bad neighborhood near us” that we should all be so very weary of?
That bunch of garbage was spouted out to me during Freshman Orientation
last year, and the rumor lingers on. I am a native of Winston-Salem, and I
c;ui assure you that the residents of that area have not a care about us Salem
girls and hurling us or our campus. Simply because the area is predomi
nantly African-American in makeup does not mean that it is bad, by any
means. And you would have quite a long walk or even drive to get there from
here I The neighborhood is located on the other side of the School of the Arts,
and I’m sure many of you would get lost trying to get there. I have lived here
for almost twenty years, and I have never heard horror stories about an
abundance of murders, rapes, etc. occurring in that area. You run more of
a risk of getting hurt by hanging out with those damn “Klu Klux Klan K A’s”
at Wake Forest University.
I understand that the incident of the racist notes left on the doors of four
students who resided in Babcock last year (I was one of those students)
tarnished Salem’s image, and hurt a lot of other people who truly care, but
die bottom line is, as Tiffany Mattthews would say, “WHO WROTE THE
NOTES???” It seems that so much can be done to find missing wallets,
money, bxrks, etc., but someone who infringed upon our civil rights and
ha/.ed us got away. 1 feel that it should have been dealt with on a larger scale.
Something could have been done, but it was not. All of us need to take time
out to iliink about the incident, our beliefs, our morals, and how we treat ALL
pettplc. That person or group of people may still be here, and how can any
of us trust someone so devilish and sneaky? It could have been your best
friend, and you have no idea what she may say or do to you behind your back
or in the early morning hours.
And this all leads me to our Honor Code. lino longer exists. And I refuse
to fill the heads of prospective students with the ideals of the trust that we
should hold in it, because it no longer works. It can’t work when even one
person goes agaiast it and gets away with it. There is a thief in Clewell (and
I’m sure that the ghosts are not doing the stealing), and she is making off like
a bandit. Everything from credit cards to compact discs are being stolen, and
1 no longer know who to trust. We should all be able to go shower without
having to worry about someone creeping into our rooms or be able to sleep
at night without worrying what note (or worse) we may find on our doors in
die morning. Tnis is not the fault of Honor Council or Interdonn. The failure
of our once beloved Honor Code lies within the sneaky, shady, shameful
individuals who lie, cheat and steal. They are a threat to the future happiness
of Salem s community and we need to seek them out and get rid of them!
Salem women. 1 ask you in parting, to CHECK YOURSELF.
Editorials/Featu
res
Salem Campus Inhospitable
To Physically Handicapped
by Jennifer LeBlanc
Salem has such a friendly, “hcre-let-us-help-you” kind of atmosphere that
It never occured to me they would be so inconsiderate.
When I broke my foot four weeks ago. 1 found out that no building on campus
has adequate handicap accesses, if any at all. To top off my frustration I
rcah/ed that only one of my classes was on the ground floor of abuilding Eve’rv
other class involves several flights of stairs. ^
It’s really sad that a school working against the exclusion of women so
blalenUy excludes the physically handicapped. What about the policy of
Admissions, “regardless of color, creed, handicap, etc.?” Isn’t having a non
accessible campus enough to discriminate against a physically-impaired ner
son? ^ ^
New Faces on Campu
s
Pictures and Quotes by Ashley Poston
The new part-time faculty were asked the question “What do you like most about Salem?” and here are their
Jennie Puckett (Spanish)—”[I] Feel
so at home here and I love an environ
ment where women develop their own
leadership.”
Jamie Albritton (Music)—’’[The] at
mosphere here is very warm. Cer
tainly conducive to making some great
music.
answeis
Jim Gregory (Music)—’The at
phere is irreplicable, like no i
place in the world.”
Robert Johnson (Education)—”I en- Sherry Cole (Art)—’T have really en
joy the closeness of the Salem com- joyed teaching my class!”
munity.
JohnWilliamson (Biology)—”It'sf
ferent—my class is more 1
genous than I’m use to—It's veil
challenging.”
Ann Harrell (Accounting)—”Real
good expercince so far, the people
and environment arc wonderful.” Also
noted her love of historical surround
ings of Old Salem.
Michael Hartley (Anthropology)—
”I think Salem is aneat and wonderful
place. Likeitisacombinationofdeep
tradition and active, intellectual in
volvement with the present. I’m
pleased to be here.”
Marguerite Lewis (Economicir
’’Salem is a great environment ton
new educator. My sutdents aievti)
bright and keep me challenged.
Editor-in-Chit'f
Stephanie Peede
Layout Editor
Anna Mansfield
Photography:
Stephanie Peede
Anna Mansfield
Ashley Poston
Staff
Reporters:
Cindie Burnette
Mary Barcley Churchill
Amy Faulk
Lisa Findlay
Alaina Gieshrecht
Yolanda Hairston
Leslie Howard
Anna Mansfield
Shannon Newby
Meredith Roseman
Valerie Schlatter
Julie Smith
Angela Tatum
Amy Woodard
The Salemite Editorial Policy
e opinions, views, and ideas expressed in the editorial section do not nece
p sent those of The Salemite or the staff. Any student, faculty or staff memb
as any questions or strong feelings concerning an editorial or letter to the et
urage to write to the editors or to contact the author of the piece in que
All V of The Salemite to print all editorials at the discretion of the
'Wishing to write may place their letter i
1 e ox m Mam Hall or give them to Anna Mansfield or Stephanie Pee*