This is not your typical “everything is fine” message. We can all agree that Salem has drastically changed within the past year. We began the spring 2020 semester in classrooms and dorms, full of excitement. During Spring Break, we received the gut-wrenching news that classes would continue online. We persisted. America believed the worst of COVID-19 was over in the summer, and students began packing for the fall semester.

We then received the dreaded email that we would continue yet another semester online. We have been resilient. I know we have all heard that word over and over…but it is true, Salem students ARE resilient. We have been able to withstand the difficult positions that we have been put in and are flourishing in our courses. I know that many students, both traditional and Fleer, are upset that we will not be on campus in the spring, but we must remember that this decision is for the greater good.

We must think of our Salem Siblings and faculty. Yes, this experience has, frankly, sucked, but because of it we are stronger than ever. We will graduate and will do it with an experience that coming generations will not believe.

Stay safe, be kind to others, and take care of yourselves.

Emily Brim
Fleer Leadership Council President 2020–2021

For as long as I can remember, my favorite wintery movie has been “The Holiday.” While it is terribly flawed in many ways, I think the part that I absolutely love is the idea of switching lives with someone else—of stepping into someone else’s world and experiencing what it would be like to live a completely different life. There is something thrilling about the possibility of “what if”—what if I would have made different choices in life? A different college major? A different first job? A different geographical location? How much of our life is dependent on our choices, and how much of our life might have been different had we made different ones?

Disney/Pixar will launch a new movie this winter called “Soul,” which will ask us some challenging questions:

• What does it mean to thrive?
• How do you find your voice and your purpose?
• How do you keep going despite roadblocks?
• And perhaps most importantly: What if every day could be the best day of your life? (and what if you did not want to ever trade lives with someone else?!)

This spring, we will wrestle with these questions together through a wonderful, free creative online platform. But before we dig too deep, let’s slow our souls down this winter break a bit to recharge!

Reminders for the break:

1. Spend some time doing the things you absolutely love. Read books. Eat great food. Watch your favorite old movies on the couch. Let your mind and your body recharge, so that when you are ready, you can think more deeply and more clearly.
2. Reach out to people in your professional network whose lives you find fascinating. Ask them to a virtual 15-minute coffee to pick their brains—and then ask just one question: What do you love most about your professional life? Soak in their answers.

And stay tuned for more information about joining us in January to develop your “Brilliant, Passionate You” by leading with your deepest soul! Can’t wait to join you!

Collier Lumpkin
Executive Director – Global Leadership and Career Innovation

You might think work-study at Salem has been put on hold, but Gramley Library has leapt into the world of remote work-study this semester. Eight devoted students stepped up to the challenge of working from their homes in and outside North Carolina, showcasing their dedication to serving their peers, faculty, and alumni community while also attending their online classes. Their role is to provide evening and weekend access to library services and resources, like staffing our Library Chat and lending digital course reserves.

In fact, these students doubled the number of accessible hours to these resources from 40 hours to 84 hours per week! With their help, Salem students have been able to access library staff and assigned course materials in the evenings and on weekends when the services might otherwise be unavailable without remote work-study.

Working remotely as a student comes with its own challenges, like practicing their time management and training on new processes completely virtually. There is no doubt that remote library work-study has offered a unique learning opportunity for these students at a time when the employment landscape is changing rapidly. Luckily, these students have mastered brand new skills necessitated by the online learning environment at Salem, which they will carry into next semester and into their future careers. 

If you find yourself needing a helping hand as we near the homestretch of the semester, don’t hesitate to reach out on Library Chat at these hours, or by emailing us at library@salem.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!

Kenny Arnold
Access Services Supervisor, Library