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tElje iWercer Cluster
RITHIA McGLAUN
MANAGING EDITOR
JANE LOVETT
BUSINESS MGR.
MERCER UNIVERSITY,
November 18, lUfiO
MACON, GEORGIA
VOLUME XLI NO. 7
Sports Editor
Associate Editor
Executive Editor
RALPH BASS. JR.
EDITOR
Charlie Etheridge
Nancy Minter
John Weatherly
Staff Photographer Ward Lowranee
Editorial »ta[f: Carolyn Arnold. Budiiio Bruner. Kaye Bu»h. Mary Jane tarter. Judy
Clement.. Ellen Dillard, Bill Emtllah. Franeea Forbea. Amy Carri.on. Tim €.111, Jerry
Godwin. Pope Hamrick. Italic Heineke, I.ynn Holmee, I.ynn Howard. Karen Kennedy.
I.yo Knight, J hn Krueger. Hetay I.ivlng.ton, Elaine Mel^od, Ron Newberry. Pat Nor*
ton. J. M. tjuinonee. Jimmy Rachel.. Yvonne Reeve., Granger Rick., Joe Sakall, Bill
Scarbrough. Marte Shaw. Dick Shiver. Patricia Smith. Sybil Still, Rebecca Terry, Faye
Trawirk. Cookie Wataon Margretta Well., Judy Williamaon. Bonnie Bentley. Juanita Lr«.
Buainea. staff Dan Bradley, Sandy Bridge., l.tnda I owe. John Parka. Carry Parr.
Fredonia I'atteraon. Carole Rhodenhiaer, Jear, Smith. I.ynda Shaw. Holly Woodruff.
Sport, ataff : Jerry John.on, Jere Key. Hugh Cawaon, I.inda Smith.
The Cluster is published weekly during the regular academic year
by the students of Mercer University. The opinion expressed within
does not necessarily reflect the policy or opinion of the faculty, the ad
ministration or the trustees.
Letters to the editor are published if signed. Signer’s name con be
withheld for legitimate reasons.
Late Students Disturb Chapel
Once one conceited friend told his ally the proper way to enter a
room full of people. Open the door; stand at the threshold and when all
eyes are upon you, make a grand entrance.
It seems as if his advice has been adopted by many members of the
Mercer family, students and faculty alike. Especially was this true in
last Friday’s chapel session. Students and faculty were still coming in
some seven or eight minutes after the bell had rung.
Their tardiness is especially discourteous to the speaker who has
enought difficulty in gaining and maintaining the students’ interest with
out the entrance of some cute freshman, so innocent appearing, naive,
bland in her guilt. Tardiness shows a disrespect for what the speaker
has to say; it seems to be another way of expression, ‘‘I don’t give a hoot
about what you have to say, but I’m required to be here, so here I am.”
Their lateness is disturbing to their fellow students who might
have an interest in what a speaker has to say. The slamming of the
doors at the front of the chapel and the grand entrance of some
smartly dressed student is quite naturally going to steal the attention
of the students from the speaker
Third, students are hurting themselves by not cultivating the habits
of punctuality.
Ten minutes are allowed from the end of second period to the begin
ning of chapel at ten. This gives students enough time to move from any
place on campus, including the ROTC departments, to the chapel, if they
move with a fast clip.
Loitering outside the chapel with friends until one minute til ten
is not necessary. It is rather doubtful that any will fall dead during the
30 minute chapel program so that you will never seen them again.
When the clock in Willingham Chapel strikes ten, students and
faculty should be in their seats, through with their conversations, ready
for chapel to begin.
When the chapel bell sounds, the chapel checkers begin listing
the empty seats. A student who is two or three minutes late is al
ready counted ahsent by the time he reaches his assigned seat. The
checkers do not mark those absent when they first check the seats
present after they come in late.
We suggest for the sake of the speakers and fellow students that
both Mercer students and faculty who are late either cut chapel for the
day, or if they have a special interest in the program, enter from the
back and fill a convenient empty seat or sit on the chapel steps.
Do anything but disturb those faculty and students who cared enough
to arrive at the chapel on time.
Lectures Institutional At MU
Again this week the Mercer family has profited from the legacy
left by Mrs. Eugenia Dorothy Blount Lamar “to provide lecturers of the
very highest type of scholarship which will aid in the permanent preser
vation of the values of Southern culture, history and literature.” Mrs.
Lamar passed away several years ago, yet her name is perpetuated by
her thoughtfulness in willing this legacy to Mercer so that we as students
might have the contact with those who are authorities on Southern
civilization. The care which the I^amar committee has exercised in se
lecting the fall lecturers has truly made the Lamar Lectures an insti-
tuion on our campus.
Student Devotionals Are
Refreshing and Stimulating
It is good to have an occasional Wednesday devotional in chapel
led by members of the student body. Wednesday’s program was an out
standing example of what students are capable of doing.
Young people are in a position to appreciate the problems and situ
ations confronting college students. Often older speakers do not have
the clear perspective that young people possess.
And then too there’s an element in a student-conducted chapel pro
gram that’s missing in others. It’s something out of the ordinary when
students are willing to put time and effort into a religious-type of pro
gram. To see students express their convictions, their beliefs and their
ideas tends to bring out a responsive chord in their fellow tudenta.
We do not mean to intimate that all Wednesday programs should be
conducted by the students; no, there are important gains from having
adult speakers. They have the maturity, probably a greater degree of
wisdom and more experience than the student. We need their guidance
and their suggestions.
At the same time it is refreshing and stimulating to have an
occasional student-conducted Wednesday devotional.
Dr. Ltwit Batts
Role Of Chapel At Mercer
As to chspel at Mercer, I view it aa an integi
part of the educational program of the college,
is neither vestige nor relic. It is not a token
ritualistic acknowledgement of religion. It ia i
an arbitrary impocition on the student body by |
faculty, or the trustees, or the administrate
or the Baptists of Georgia.
Chapel at Mercer ia one of a number of bai
services included in the effort to build a eontei
porary and well-rounded program of Christ!
education.
I think chapel at Mercer ahould be education
devotional and pleasant. It should be many «
periences that, in their accumulation, studn
will like to remember lifelong from their Mere
day.
This is chapel in theory, and I know that
ia actual practice it ia Inevitable leas. Less,
that is, on many occasions. This lag of prac
tice behind theory ia the specific area of ef
fort for those of as wbe are responsible for
the chapel programs.
Exclusive of the student assembly on Tue
day, which is conducted by the Student Govcri
ment Association, there are two weekly meeting
which constitute the Mercer chapeL
At the present time the Wednesday meet it
is generally a devotional service, the chief pu
pose being divine worship. By means of prayt
hymn, anthem, meditation and organ we endea
or to call the entire college community to a brk
midweek experience of worship. “At the hes
at the week” it lies “at the heart of our noble
efforts.”
The Friday programs are intended to be varii
both in theme and in method of presentation,
is important that something happen and that
happen attractively and effectively. The yet
through we try to have drama, debate, music, si
snd public sddresses on vital themes. We hop
sometime to use a screen for projection but a
have at present no means for darkening the roos
One of the things we keep in mind to do it t
have more students in our programs. Another i
to bring men and women of accomplishment t
present to us their particular field of human sei
vice.
We are wilting to be a little experimeatal
too. It would be helpful to discover new re
sources for program and I invite everyone's
suggestion.
My final word is appreciation for every sti
dent who has contributed interest, cooperation an
courtesy. There is a delicate relation between pr<
gram and audience which, if maintained, can briq
credit snd deep satisfaction to all of us. As I ret
upon your coperstion, I pledge you my own.
Why Rake Leaves?
by rithia mcglaun
1 can't think of any one profound to quote or
paraphrase or steal from. In such event I resort
to a question. Why do people rake leaves?
It may be to do battle against the encroach
ments of nature upon a gardner’s sense of order
liness or to remove remainders that there is a
cycle which inevitably involves death or change.
People also rake leaves because they are bored
or retired or to avoid washing windows.
People do not rake leaves because they have
not thought of it or have something else to do
or like leaves on the ground. Some combine in
dolence with preferring fallen leaves. And what
is comparable to heaps and irregular piles of
leather-dry leaves to amble through?
ED’S NOTE: SUrlx rolu»ni.l M'Glaaa will 4iac»> IIm
mwlitval problem of how many angle* can itan4 •* the
head af a pin ia her next week'* rolamn.
JOHN WEATHERLY
Down The Drain?
The faculty members who have initiated and
maintained the program of religious activities
involving the visit of Dr. Katz and other out
standing scholars to the campus are now queBtion-
ning whether or not such a program should be
continued. They are imbittered with the poor
turn out of students to his Thursday night ad
dress. After “great expenditure of time, effort
and mony on their part,” students who had “com
mitted themselves to the program through their
participation in the discussion groups” now re
fused to assume the responsibility to turn out for
Dr. Katz “because he uh, uh’ed here and there
in his speech.”
I’d like to extend the criticism of the pro
gram beyond the obvious faults of the students,
who seem to be unwilling to turn out for a truly
articulate scholar as Dr. Williams, to the pro
gram itself. I’m not Bure of any sure-fire cure
for student apathy. But I would suggest that
the rest of this year be spent developing a core
group of students who will feel an allegiance
to the program and be willing to bear some of the
burden of its support. Could you really expect,
given our situation, a corporate responsibility on
the part of the members of the last groups, many
of whom never knew each other and who could not
come to do so in the grand total of three meetings
in preparation?
I understand a change of pace ia planned
for the winter quarter in the form of a preaching
mission. And there ia the possibility of a retreat
in the spring quarter on Christian drama. Bet
come next fall, should the regular program be
renewed? I think so if the faculty involved are
willing to undergo some self-criticism of the pro
gram.
If the Faculty Chrietian Fellowship obtain
a core group of students really committeed to th
program, then I feel they owe this group fo
their efforts a scholar who has some sense of th
“intellectual development” of the undergraduat
and who is both willing and capable of dearl
articulating his ideas. This is especially necessar;
if the man is to have any impact on the student
not participating actively in the discussion groupi
There is a counter-criticism to this. In
program such as this concerned with the student’
“vocation as a student" and with the relevant
of the Christian faith to the various academi
disciplines we cannot expect to find many resit
articulate men competent in this field.
Then why clidg so tenaciously to a progran
which allows men to speak only of the revelanr
of the Christian faith to some particular dis
cipline? Aren’t there other subjects or areas witl
which a scholar can deal adequately? But per
hape the program as it standi is too holy, tw
ideal, to undergo alteration to fit the situation.
These professors will charge that I advocat
a return to the religious focus week approacl
with its ovei -accommodation of the materia
covered toward the student (Dr. Glover caugh
me as an unaware freshman enjoying a rellgiou
focus week and has never forgiven me.) Havini
taken for themselves one extreme, they essunv
I will take the other extreme. I haven't
^ On the whole I like the program if it ii
workable. I have seen it come cioae to ■anrniiim
in tho visit of Richard Niebuhr. None of a man’
intellectual challenge is removed when what h
has to say U doariy stated; rather It ia mad