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R1TH1A McGLAUN i/jMLx- JANE LOVETT
MANAGING EDITOR ^Ujlp> BUSINESS MGR.
MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA
December 2, 1W»0 VOLUME XLI NO. 8
RALPH BASS, JR.
EDITOR
Sport* Editor Charlie Ethoridg*
Associate Editor .— : —— Nancy Min ter
Staff Photographer Ward Lowrance
Editorial atalf: Caroljm Arnold. Budgia Bruner. Faye Bush, tUry Jane CarUr. Judir
Clemen u Kilen Dillard, BUI Eng nan, Frances Forbes, Amy Garrison, Itm GUI, deny
Godwin. Pone Hamrick, Leslie neinear. Lynn Uoimea, Lynn Howard, Karen Kennedy.
Lyo Knigot, Jonn Krueger. Belay Livingsu>n. Bums McLeod. Moo
ton. J. as. Uuinonea. jimmy Kacbels, Yvonna Maeves, Granger Micks, JO. Bakall, Bill
Scarbrough, Marls Shaw, Dick Shiver, Patricia Smith. Sybil Still, Mebecca lerry, Faya
1 raw 1C a. Cookie Watson .Margretta WelU, Judy Wuliamaon, Bonnie Bentley. Juanita Gee.
Business stall: Dan ursuiey, sandy Bridges, Linda Lowe, Joun Paras, Larry Pa".
F radon is Patterson, Carole Kbodennieer, Jean bmilb. Lynda Snaw, Molly Woodrull.
Sports staff: Jerry Joonaoo. jere Key, Hugo Lawson, Linoa Smith.
Tne Cluster is publisned weewy during tne regular academic year
by the students of Mercer University. Tne opinion expressed witnin
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.
Harris Lists Program
Of Campus Improvement
Dr. Harris, writing in the Mercerian, recently announced that some
$600,IKA) is needed to emerge tne library.
Inis item represented one of tne largest projects undertaken by
the Harris administration.
Dr. Darns laueied tne library building “wholly inadequate" in the
Mercerian article and hinted tnat unless tne building is soon improved
the situation mignt tnreaten Mercer s accreditation.
Mercer students have long suffered from inadequate library facili
ties. Tne library staff has done well, but tney have been nampered by re
strictions imposed by a lacK of facilities. Dr. Dams’ enlargement oi the
library will be benencial not only to tne students, but it also increases
the eiticiency of tne staff.
Dr. Darns has also mentioned to the alumni the need for the in
crease of faculty salaries. Mercer’s salary scale is more than $1,000
lower than tne averages in tne Umversity system of Georgia. Dr. Har
ris snouid be commended in his efforts to make adjustments in the sai-
anes of the faculty.
He also noted that additional repairs are needed in the existing
classroom buildings, the chapel and tne dormitories. The administration
has carried on an almost continual program of plant improvement, but
they, as we, realize tne need lor additional work to the present bunding*.
As the president reiterates, his hope* are high for tne future of Mer
cer. We are looking forward to the realization of these aim*.
American Flag Flies;
Student Center Lighted
Two improvements have been made on the campus during the fall
quarter that the Cluster previously recommended in its editorial column.
First, Alpha Phi Omega, national service fraternity, has come
through with an up-to-date American Dag presented to the school by
the Woodmen of the World. The flag was recently received by Dean
Burts in a chapel program and he entrusted it into the hands of this
service organization.
Now the pledges of Alpha Phi Omega raise and fly the flag on the
mornings when the weather permits and care for it at other times.
Also a light has been placed on the student center’s side facing the
men’s dormitories. Since the construction of the student center this spot
has been dark after sun-set The steps leading to the dormitories were
not properly lighted so that one could possibly stumble or fall from
failure to see a step-up.
Now not only are the steps lighted but also that side of the student
center can easily be seen at night by visitors on the campus.
The Cluster congratulates those responsible for these improvements
on the campus.
Why Not Sadie Hawkins Day?
Why don’t we have a Sadie Hawkins Day? This would give the
students as s student body some activity to participate in together.
Much of activity among the students at Mercer is divided between
groups. These groups sponsor this program for their members and an
other little coterie plans a project for its members, but the active func
tions for student body as * whole are few. Students who are unaffiliated
are left out of so many of the activities on campus.
This would also give the student government something to do in ad
dition to their regular functions.
SGA Provided Outstanding
Chapel Last Tuesday
The Student Government Association deserves the credit for spon
soring such an excellent chapel program as that in chapel Tuesday.
It is not often that the student* have been elevated to such intel
lectual heights—or would yon say that the program waa the best en
tertainment that ths students have enjoyed this year?
This program showed such excellent planning. Surely to arrange
sneh a chapel program requires considerable time, effort and energy.
It would not be surprising to Dean Batts, if ha knew of the benefits
gained from each provocative chapel session, discarded Wednesday 1 !
and Friday's programs in favor of sueh highly developed programs as
given by SGA Tuesday. . j-;
• XX
RALPH BASS, JR.
Art of Resisting an Education
Mercer students seem to be majoring in one
course not offered in the university curriculum.
Now I know jokes have been told about stu
dent* majoring in “campuseology” and other
related fields of unacademic endeavor, but it
seems to me that too many students are placing
a great deal of importance on an art course—the
art of resisting an education.
This is without doubt the easiest major
here—if a true student of this noble subject
can manage to evade the dean that leug. It
requires no effort, no iniUative, no ingenuity,
no textbooks nor say class assignments.
Like history majors, majors in this field begin
with the broadest levels and then confine them
selves to a more restricted area. The broadest
level here at Mercer is the course in not studying.
Students seem to be rather highly successful in
this course—I note Dean Spiro recently sent out
some 177 notices of academic probation.
And then there are ths more restricted
themselves make excellent
quit.
Failing to become eegnahrted with
faculty is a major reqskement tor a major la
this field. Faculty members' have aMHtbs
that seamtbaesare as* revealed la the dam-
room lecture. But Ibn—iin groups, e. g.
the Kets or Stewart, affords tha opportunity
to became acqueinted with them h a mdque
way. TV bosk reviews ars aamthsr way *f be-
areas.
Not participating in extra-curricular affairs
is one of these. Students who do nothing to de
velop their leadership potential, to broaden them
selves through working with others, to better
their school and fellow itudents by giving of
A student majoring in the art of resist! oi
an education would never be found in the librar;
This is an area off limits to him. There ara com
70,000 volumes catalogued there, yet It la
aim of this major student to pass through th
college without every having sueh a dastard w
as checking out a library book go down on hi
record.
Finally, any student of the art of rosistiai
an education would never be caught at any of th
artist series programs. Bad as some of thorn an
they do offer an introduction to soma of
“finer” arte.
My best wishes to any student who is gradt
•ted from Mercer with a major in this field- h
needs them.
th
r i t h i a : th* drama of th* situation
The pressures of * university have a way of
submerging any remaining delights of child
hood. Instead of counting the days till Christmas
students count the days till final examination—
holidays are something to escape to, deriving
their primary glory in a negative fashion. It ia
impossible to focus on any activity or meaning
beyond the blank stare of an accounting.
As a freshman, first quarter, I gathered that
anticipation of final examination struck terror in
the hearts of all nice, conscientious student.
And a special sort of exotic fear and trembling
the hearts of recipients of deficiency slips an
probation notices and those whose parents b«
made enough excuses to the neighbors ail read)
I rather enjoyed the drama of the situation.
But pressure loses its novelty and terror itfltwii
shimmering aspects. Final examinations sti
clean and certain with a low cadence that
desperation.
Intellectually Honest
“The plight of a fundamentalist ia truly
magic when in the company of honest
intellectuals.”
The tragedy of the fundamentalist is that he
holds fast to a set of beliefs, a certain orientation
toward reality when before “the widening horizon
of scientific and historical knowledge’’ it “ia no
longer credible.” He just will not yield to reason.
He clings to prejudgements about life which were
merely inherited and shaped from his associations
quite independently of reason. He does this con
sciously.
Now our critic in his attack has the psycholo
gical advantage. His position is much vaguer than
the person he criticises, though presumably it is
based on more rational, more acceptable intellec
tual grounds. But could it be that his basic orien
tation toward reality is shaped ultimately by the
same irrational processes that structured the
thought of the fundamentalist and that aa long
as his position is not voiced clearly and coasii p y
tently these p re judgments are hid from bis cor 1 c ®
sciousness? . -
Ah, but what if our fundamentalist enj
his critic in conversation and prods him int
making certain baste affirmations about Ufa, n
ligion, and God? Those might not be very cor
ventional. Or they might be only generally ai
cep ted in his set But the fundamentalist is clove
He is skillful enough in ths mechanics of log a!'
of his affirmations beyond the bounds of rsaaol 1
and reason and doubt to push the critic’s detent to
The critic finds himself suddenly without reasor
to honestly go on believing what he has affim »“
ed. But he wants to. He wants to badly. So tl
temptation is to invent reasons to maintain hy r
position. And he is swats of this temptation.
It is then that th* plight of th* honest iatellei
tual when in the company of a fundamentalist:
truly tragic.
LETTER TO EDITOR
b Willard Really Handsome ?
Dear Mr. Editor:
I must confess (I use the word advisedly) that
I am a regular reader of the column written by
one Mr. Willard Clutchmyer. As one who ap
preciates the caustic verbosities of a Jonathan
Swift, I have indulged numerous chuckles as
I wandered through Mr. Clutchmyer’* columns.
Indeed, I have ofter thought hew fortunate is
Tataall Tech to have upon its campus a person
of such obvious perspicuity. In this day when the
when the dsvstsse of conformity are soothingly .
urging their sophisms upon us, I have taken Mr.
Clutchmyer tq jny bosom. Ia fact, at the risk of
incurring his satirical scorn, I confess (again)
that 1 like th* gsatiesisiii
Still and ail, I am perturbed, discampssed.
evea to toe point at confusion, as I ponder
kb column of today (Elmer Gantry Re-
viated). I am somewhat embarrassed teat a
miner thing -*■— u distarb am aa. ActaaUy,
I oaatesa (Mill again) that M b ealy a part
of a sentence that ha* induced this distor-
haneo. I goals; *my ■bteipWrUstoimi
hand.” That did Hi
Ten see, I bar* aavar really amt this clever
gentleman. I tabs it that tba photograph appear
ing ia IV Cluster b * good likeness at Mr.
As I have wandered amongst the ancient boil
ings of T. T. I have gated team kingly upon tl
countenances of all the male students in an sffo
to recognise our celebrity- There hare bsi jjj
occasions when I thought I had com* face to te#>*
(brrrrr) with our celebrated eokaaabt, only
learn that the gentleman disclaimed being M
Clutchmyer,
Bet, Mr. Miter, that b act what reaBy db-
taiho as*. TV goaatians b this: Ia Mr. WR-
laid Ctetdunysr really hsadneom? He ap
parently thinks am Now I rsadfly esaesdsd
that hb band |s mVhspsa, bat saadsr sam-
poOs ms to express my daabts that V h
I feel myself on the verge of ehelMnwh.g M
Chrtehmyer on th* proposition that V poessss
no capacity for self evaluation. On sacond thougl
perhaps a batter approach would V to kayo M JJ*
Clutchmyer rovoal th* slants! procosaot by whk
be arrived at this rather startling conclusion
earning himself.
Ptrhapo .. . then wo plight understand hetgRS
tba devious paoaaaiaa by which V mat*' h SJ2
coBagiata Elmar Gantry.
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