Newspaper Page Text
May 13. 1966
THE MERCER CLUSTER
Me/icen Gludten. FEATURES • SPORTS • SOCIETY • THE ARTS
AN OPEN LETTER—TO THE EDITOR
"THE FRAT'S ON FIRE
n
"done are the daya . .looked for an air of nostalgia at the recent
KA “Old South," but instead, all was gaiety and youth, and light
heartedness—the true spirit perhaps of now-dead planter South. But
I couldn’t help but wonder: “Shall this also pass?” Shall even this rem
nant of a day gone-by be no more. And this thought was the only pall
over the event
In the back of my mind was a recent article in TIME magazine
entitled—appropriately enough—“The Frat's on the Fire.” It spoke of
the furor on college campuses everywhere (and for once it seems Mercer
isn’t a bit behind the times or the TIME) as to the value and survival
of the Greek way of life.
It seems most Deans and profs, and parents, too, are asking—no
doubt with reason enough—if the fraternal-social aspect of our Ameri
can university isn’t perhaps interfering with our science and math and
sociology and race for space, with scholarship and—and scholarship.
No doubt, athletics also interfere.
But (and I mount my soapbox) there seems a bigger race for space
on our college campuses and that is the one fraternities have been de
signed to “rush” to fill. That “space” is not a nothingness and emptiness
“out there,” but an individual loneliness in and around each and every
student And as our world gets faster and busier and we’re crowded
closer to each other—somehow in that crowdedness this individual
“space” seems to grow. J
And so they come to college, freshmen away from home, family and
friends, and the identity they have established there. In this new setting,
they must fiml themselves, build and identity again—the same they
had before, or something new. The goal and self toward which they
work, they do not know, the tools with which they’ll work, they’ve yet
to find; the method they'll employ, they soon forget. Psychology and
philosophy have a word for this—an existential quandry.
Into this vacuum and around this space, new brothers and sisters
“rush.” They have a way of recognizing the freshman situation—per
haps they remember being there themselves. Or perhaps, they them
selves still live there. Admittedly, they sometimes reject this fragment
—identity frosh. Sometimes they try to impose identity—with recalci
trant cases. But basically they’re human, too, and try to understand.
And help. Nothing can force the individual freshmen to accept, or to
comply, when they impose, or even to tolerate, rather than fight, an
apparent rejection.
So the Greeks provide guidelines for identity: They exemplify,
accept, ostracize, set standards, reject and offer suggestions. This is one
reason for their existence, one point in their favor.
As well as the personal emptiness of loneliness and change, there
is the emptiness of spare time that cannot all be spent in study. MICA
(a group that refuses to go Greek) states in a recent Campus Sing:
“The I in our name stands not only for Independence, but also Involve
ment” If only to a small degree, every Greek, even, is still both inde
pendent and involved.
There are for instance, events such as the Campus Sings just men
tioned, intra-mural sports and competitions such as Sigma Nu Relays.
Freshman aren’t allowed to flunk happily and transfer. Grades must
be made and maintained if the holders, are to be initiated and wear that
pin. Sorority girls sponsor fraternity men to help service fraternities
raise money for charity. Altruistic projects, open houses and week-ends,
chances to meet and mingle ("sisters" often are pinned to guys with
“brothers" with whom you might double), and of course, the work and
joy and thrill and expectation of “rush" rush in to fill the gaps, the
hours, to provide the toos and goals.
ewe_ i saiga KflVti uiwinl life. Wfl
WP nJVr reasons to* inn. rgtntrm r, wr *"• ••• <
have school spirit; we have publications, homecomings, choirs, worth
while projects—because we have organizations. And organizations have
hedges. And pledges have duties and encouragement. And Mercer has
needs.
l^nd the sermon draws near and end—but the controversy continues.
Why not make the issue a matter of “survival of the fittest" (just as
rush is a “survival of the fastest")? If frets and sororities have served
their purpose—or have none, they have little chance to last for long.
They may even now be on their last legs—as some elements hope—but
there's no need to take the crutches away. Let them stand, or fall, on
their own.
And now the freshmen arid the pledges become sophomores and full
members. And next fall, speaking from their long year of experience,
they’ll be introducing confused "youngsters" to Mercer and seeing
they become incorporated into the institution. And they'll send some
|>1 edges (hopefully) up to help the Cluster.
Admittedly, fraternities and sororities take a lot of time; a lot of
|it is busy work. But even some of this is important, as has been hinted,
if we’re to have a “student body with some heart" and spirit Perhaps
the Greeks might fortify their position with greater emphasis on the
honor code. They might be more alert to opportunities to serve: The
recent flop of the Viet Nam blood drive was a black eye on the campus
,—especially when a frat-sponaored rally gathered the number of persons
who would have made the drive and made it succeed and thus have
credited their fraternities as well as their institution at large. The
Greeks would hardly be weakened indeed might have strengthened
themselves in certain quarters—if they and Independnts saw to it that
the unaffiliate be not completely left out. For example: wouldn't an
audience at those Campus Sings, athletics, and relays be bigger and
more Impressive—and just as acceptable—if many of those in it wore
too organisation pins at all? But are those invitations always dear and
frank and open? The unaffiliats needs special urging. Often he didn't
pledge because .he waa shy. He’s pebbehty shyer new, feeling left out
of the larger coesmunity he—ss he's not associated with any special
group
And finally—no group Greek, church, scholastic, or other st Mer
cer or slsiwhsrs should ever allow race or finances to determine choice
of members. And this qusstkiu deasrusg serious consideration. In
ttoakg, I remain a reprobate Who has boon on both sides of the orgaai-
satioa pin, ml who her — 1 still dose — both sides of the dean/
fraternity life ioaue.
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r
CHI OMEGA'S rejoice after copping first place trophy in the
Sigma Nu Relays.
K. D. E. Installs
Kappa Delta Epsilon, a profes
sional education sorority, held its
installation of new officers and its
initiation of new members after a
banquet at the S & S Cafeteria,
April 18. Membership in KDE is
composed of those who are plan
nmg to enter the teaching profes
sion. who have shown scholastic
achievement, leadership qualities,
and a willingness to serve.
The newly elected officers for
the coming year are: Julia Hickson
president; Fam Smith, vice-presi
dent; Susan Powell, secretary
Milly Cole, corresponding sec re
tary; Martha Walker, treasurer
and Nina Bean, historian. The new
members initiated were Bonelle
Bray, Suzanne Collier, Careen
Hart, Barbara Wehunt, Gloria Gat-
tis, Margie Thornton, Linda Hud
dleston, ami Nancy Jean Holliday.
ERCER
(fl4
AS5EENJ3/
M.U. MALES WOULD RATHER FIGHT THAN SWITCH
Ah, Spring! Certain literature professors on the
old campi claim that this is the season during which
the fancies of all young men turn lightly to amorous
thoughts. And so was it true at Mercer, so my great
aunt tells me. many many eons i>ast. But alas, the
youthful swains of Tatnall Tech have far more im
portant things on their minds. The scene of this
week's expose is a certain dormitory . . .
Rumor has it that several young men, who unani
mously choose to remain anonymous, have been pur
suing the study of ornithology (look it up. ignorant
ones). The source of their intellectual endeavors is
a bird commonly found in parks, on downtown
streets, and in campus towers. No wonder the girls
are being neglected—what date on Friday night
could hope to compete with the soft cooing of these
feathered creatures.
Better yet, on Saturday night, this masculine set
put aside the pigeons for—you guessed it—not girls.
but another type of winged animals—DUCKS! ! !
Well, as Williard C. always says. Quacks of a fea
ther . . And where do these little fouls ever find a
place to swim. Take a look—next time you venture
to fill an empty sink, and just make sure there are
no feathers along the rim.
So go the weekend activities of our young
scholars. But Monday Monday always comes, and
with it brings a return to hitting the books—includ
ing certain hollowed (or i« it hallowed?) encyclope
dias. Why. there's no limit to what explosive informa
tion can be found in such volumes of knowledge . . .
If anyone wonders where such intellectual pursuits
take .place. just tary into the lobby of the dorm any
spring evening. Everything and everyone will be in
full view—the doors to both wings have yet to be
closed. If you care to join this group, just ask any
intelligent looking young men—and tell them the
SPY- aant you.
Cadets Off The
Week Named
Cadets of the week for Mercer's j
Army ROTC battalion this week
and last week were freshmen
George Trask and Thomas Mason, j
according to announcements by
Col. E. W. Schroeder, Professor of ;
Military Science. The Cadet of the
week is chosen at battalion drill j
each Monday in recognition of out
standing appearance and perform
ance.
Cadet Trask, from Lakeland,
Fla., is a member of Kappa Alpha
fraternity and the Mercer Choir
and the Mercer ROTC Drill Team.
Mason is from Macon; this is the
first time that either he or Trask
has been named cadet Of the weak.
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