Under the Arch
nder this arch, thousands have passed. Each with their own dreams, goals, following their own path. My time was the late 60’s and early 70’s. Salem College was much different then, compared to now. Even the name is different – Salem University. However, for me and others, it will always be Salem College.
Over the years, when I would return to Clarksburg to visit relatives, I would occasionally drive through the campus to see what was the same and what had changed. I would often pull into a parking lot and remember what it was like to be an undergraduate and graduate student. I could still see the crowds heading toward class. Hear the laughter. And the occasional strum of a guitar. However, I never really ventured ‘into’ the campus until a few months ago.
Before we go any further, let me take you back to the Salem College I knew. From early morning to early evening and between classes, the streets and paths between buildings were full of students either heading to class or just ‘hang’ng’ around.
With books under arms, we went from class to class each day, some of us five to six days a week, two to three or more classes a day. No matter how hectic and busy the day, there was always time to just sit, talk and share.
Especially, there was always time to share an intimate moment.
When the sun went down, the campus was filled with the music of our time. Small concerts were scheduled in some of the campus buildings, an occasional guitar was uncased in the student center, and some (music) just ‘happened.’ And then, there was movie night. Seating for the movies and bands were never a problem. There was always room for one more…or several more.
We often looked to the sky and dreamed of …
“Those were the days my friends, we thought they’d never end.”
But end they did. And out into the world we went.
Our ‘Time Machine’ now whisks us from 1970 to 2020: Fifty years later, I was given the opportunity to return to Salem as an adjunct professor to teach an educational psychology class. As I was preparing for the class, my thoughts often took me back to my years as an undergraduate at Salem – Physical Education and Social Studies.
I was looking forward to many ‘lively’ discussions, like the ones which took place in most of my classes. We questioned and we challenged. We expressed many different opinions and often agreed to disagree. But sometimes we did not.
When I became a high school teacher, I carried this same type of enthusiasm and 'get involved’ attitude into my classroom. And because of this approach and result, I looked forward to teaching sophomores in college. After all, there could not be that much difference (I thought) between 17 and 19-20-year old students.
I slowly came to realize just how much had changed and how much I had changed. After some of my preliminary meetings with the administration and class preparations, I took time to walk around campus to get a ‘climate’ check. I wanted to get a feel for now as compared to then.
The administration was aware of the seriousness of COVID-19 and enforced the necessary protocols. Students and faculty were required to wear masks and social distance. Generally, the protocols were followed. However, youth is youth. We were there once, and I kept reminding myself of that. The only time I removed my mask was in my car and distanced in the cafe.
One of my first observations was the absence of students walking around and just being outside. This was a photo of the main part of the campus at 12:00 p.m. on a beautiful early fall day.
The few I did see, other than those running for sports conditioning, were walking from the Davis Building (athletic facility) to the Randolph Campus Center, where the café is located. See photo below. I occasionally ate in the café and found it reasonably crowded. The students were masked and distanced, other than while eating. Once done, I watched them walk back to their dorms or to the Davis Building for practice, conditioning or treatment. Side Bar: The café food is wonderful.
