Last week, Dara Folan, Chair of the Board of Trustees, shared with the Salem community that a Presidential Search Committee had been formed. He listed the representatives from the Trustees, faculty, and staff who will serve on the Presidential Search Committee. We are now pleased to name our student representatives who will serve on this important committee.

Representing the Academy is Amira Rady (’20) from Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Amira is a Sisters Scholar, Honor Cabinet President, New Jersey Seeds Scholar, National Merit Semifinalist, and National Merit Hispanic Recognition Scholar. Her other areas of involvement include the Sisters of the Motherboard (Robotics), National Honor Society, serving as a Dormitory Prefect and a Graduation Marshall for 9th through 11th grades as well as being a member of the Field Hockey and Track & Field teams.

Representing the College on the committee is Alexus Effler (’20) from Marion, North Carolina. Alexus is majoring in communications and sociology and is currently SGA President. Her honors include Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, Pi Gamma Mu Honors Society, Lambda Pi Eta Honors Society, and College Honors. Please thank these students and their fellow committee members for their important work in helping select the next President of Salem Academy and College. For more information on the Presidential Search visit: salem.edu/presidential-search.

Need a space to talk about what’s going on? The Counseling Center and Chaplain’s Office are hosting times for students to share about the challenges of living in the midst of a pandemic, as well as find support from their siblings. All students are invited every Tuesday from 1-2 to “Let’s Talk: A Place to Share How You REALLY Feel.” Students can share whatever is on their minds, and can access the meeting via Google hangout -

Join Hangouts Meet every Tuesday from 1-2

Join by phone, dial +1 347-486-6800 ‪PIN: ‪190 501 914#

Seniors are invited to “Grieving Graduation: A Time for Seniors to Talk and Share” on Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16 from 4:30-5:30 pm. Seniors are invited to attend either or both the times. The Class of 2020 is not able to be on campus for important traditions and communal time this Spring, and here is an opportunity to talk about that loss together. The Google hangout can be accessed by -

Join Hangouts Meet on Wednesday and Thursday, April 15 and 16, 4:30-5:30 pm

Join by phone, dial ‪+1 561-614-0896 PIN: ‪183 411 372#

“It’s so hard for me to imagine you not being at Salem,” an undergraduate student laughingly remarked during a recent online advising session. I agreed.

Over the last two weeks, I have spent quite a bit of time in video conferences with students, and it has been fun to peek into their other worlds. I’ve seen childhood bedrooms, busy kitchens, inviting living rooms, and makeshift study areas. I have admired pets and even chatted with a few family members. Students and I have joked that I seem out of place away from my messy office and without the window unit air conditioner whirring in the background. So, I played with virtual backgrounds until I was finally able to put myself back in my office in Main Hall.  Yet as pleased as I am with my creativity and as much as I have enjoyed entertaining students with my sometimes less-than-realistic Salem scenes, I know that it’s not the backgrounds that make us feel at ease in these online meetings. It’s connecting. We may not be together physically on our Salem campus, but we’re still here—together in a community that bridges the distance. 

QUEST has reopened and is offering virtual Google Meet drop-in hours. Tutors will be in virtual rooms arranged by course and will follow this schedule. Students and advisees are encouraged to drop in. QUEST tutors have been anxious to talk math, biology, chemistry, psychology, and much more since distance learning started. QUEST is ready to roll!

As much as possible, use headphones with a built-in microphone when on video or audio calls online. It’s best practice to always be on a wired network connection rather than Wi-Fi when viewing videos and listening to audio on-line. The same is true for video conferencing using [Zoom/Hangouts Meet/insert your favorite video conferencing app here]. When you can’t get a wired connection with an ethernet cable, move closer to your Wi-Fi router/hotspot (BUT NOT TOO CLOSE! Remember, social distancing—it works for more than just COVID-19!).

You can also make sure that other Wi-Fi devices are turned off (especially Wi-Fi printers), your microwave oven is not running, your cordless phone is not close by, and other sources of Wi-Fi interference are turned off. For more information on improving your Wi-Fi experience and your video conferencing experience, visit IT’s MySalem page, or read Tips for a Better WiFi Experience (PDF).

On Friday, February 14, an opening reception was held in the Elberson Fine Arts Center Galleries for three art exhibits. The exhibits were 100 in 2020: Musings on Women and Voting Rights, Suff/e/rage, and FAC78 The Design Studio.  Many of the artists were in attendance. Also among the guests at the reception were Winston-Salem City Council Member Annette Scippio, Greensboro City Council Member Nancy Hoffman, several members of the Piedmont Triad Chapter of the League of Women Voters, and Ana Tampanna, President of Triad NOW, as well as Salem Academy and College President Sandra Doran and Dean Susan Henking.

The 100 in 2020 exhibit was a juried art exhibition open to all artists in North Carolina. Professor Kim Varnadoe selected the works to be included from more than 80 works of art from 45 artists. Suff/e/rage featured large 2-D and 3-D works by Connecticut artist SteviAnn Matijevic. FAC78 The Design Studio was a 10-year retrospective of works by design students.

If you missed the in-person experience, you can still enjoy online by clicking: 100 in 2020 or  Suff/e/rage.