Newspaper Page Text
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THE MERCER CLUSTER
January 17, 1M7
"An Adventure in
Good Eating" Ha!
Before understanding the task at
hand, an answer is in order for
those who might consider this
article a mere excercise in the
criticism of trivialities. No one
severely objects to minor incon
veniences and discomforts when
they are logically explained and
unavoidable. However, when such
are imposed with no apparent
foundation, they become trade
marks of nuisance and perhaps
even persecution.
Such is the case in our own
beloved snack bar. A number of
small but irritating inconveniences
have been brought to bear upon
both the staff and the patrons of
this “Gourmet's haven.”
It seems that the manager has
instructed his staff as follows:
1. Regardless of the desires of
the customers, lettuce and tomato
will be placed on every “bear
burger” plate (not only it this
decree a source of derogatory re
marks directed toward the help, but
also for those who dislike these it
does seem a shameful waste of an
item which costs an additional sum
on any other order).
2. At no time will ice cream be
sold in paper cups. If the customer
does not desire a cone, he must pur
chase the ice cream in a cone any
way (unless he wishes to purchase
the rock-hard, days-old ice cream
cups stored in the freezer), pur
chase a cup and then transfer the
ice cream from cone to cup. (A
price of five cents was quoted on
empty ice cream cones; cups sell
for two cents. Is it not logical that
the placement of the ice cream in
a cup would save some three cents
gross? However, the management
retaliates by saying that often the
students attempt to “cheat” on
the ice cream when it is sold in
cups. The logical answer — use
different sized cups for different
numbers of scoops of ice cream.
Besides, it is easier to mash ice
cream down in a cone than in a
cup anyway.)
3. There will be no cherry cokes
sold. (All we can ask is “why?”.
We happen to like cherry cokes
and consider this a personal af
front.)
4. Chocolate syrup is to be
used only in the preparation of
sundaes, bananna splits and milk
shakes. None is to be sold to the
customers. (What happened to the
delights of having plain vanilla ice
cream with luscious chocolate
syrup all over it? Alas!)
5. The price of matches is two
for one cent. (Is that not just a
little ridiculous? We know of no
other establishment that sells book
matches — they are made to be
given away as a method of adver
tising. Granted, a penny isn’t much,
but . - really!)
When complaints of high prices
are registered against the snack
bar, the answer is that the prices
are in accord with those of other
eating establishments. Should not
the aim of the snack bar be serving
food at a reasonable price rather
than trying to charge prices as high
as will be tolerated by the cus
tomers. As a school-managed
facility it seems that the snack bar
would be designed to do so. How
ever, to be sure, this is a lost
argument before a word is written.
Suffice it to say that as a school-
administered facility designed to
serve GOOD food at REASON
ABLE prices to the students and
maintained for their CONVEN
IENCE, the snack bar bemains a
magnificent fiasco, a parody of its
kind on all counts.
GREEN SHUTTER
Coffee House is Hit
By Financial Cut-Back
Mercer’s coffee house, “The
Green Shutter”, has been forced to
make some changes in hours and
policy, according to a recent an
nouncement by Doug Johnson,
Minister to the Students. In a letter
to the presidential advisory com
mittee Johnson wrote:
“You are aware of the cut-back
in funds which is seriously cur
tailing the Work-Study Program.
This cut back is of particular con
cern to us since the “Green Shut
ter” lost two workers.
“In light of this change in per
sonnel I am experimenting in theh
following ways. (1) Hours will be
adjusted as follows: Monday
through Thursday from 3 to 9,
Friday and Saturday the hours
will remain the same, 3-11:30.
Special groups, properly chap
eroned, may still use the facilities
there beyond these hours. (2) We
will attempt a Self-service policy.
The maid will be available to do
the cleaning up prior to opening,
pick up coffee cups, dean off the
tables, etc. The customer will be
trusted to pay for his coffee and
make his own change. (3) The stu
dents living in the building will
work the week-ends. They will,
along with Mrs. Sikes, check
through the building periodically
during open hours. It will be their
responsibility to make sure the
building is in good order and safe
at the dosing hour, as they have
been doing.”
Johmon stated that be hoped
students would continue to support
and use the Green Shutter. Hie
coffee house ( located next to the
W. G. Lae Alumni House across
the street from Cen tinary Metbo-
dist Church) will try to continue
. annual precsdms dsspits the
changes caused by recent financial
Action, he said.
Find out
if you’re man enough
for the Peace Corps.
Even if your name
is Mary.
Tbs Peace Corps.
Washington, D.C. 20525
□ Pleats send ms information
□ Please send me an application
.Zip Code.
Scene end Heard...
A im—l ■_ to—a—
W66K II KeVKK
Mercer since the beginning of
Winter Quarter is taking on
aspects suspiciously like many
would have a college campus should
be.
Like student unrest, baby. It's
happening!
A harbinger, perhaps, was the
“Welcome Back Weekend,” with
dancing (Would you believe?) in
You-Know-Where. This dance
made evident another shift in cam
pus polities — not only have stu
dents been sinning thus on their
own little campus, but the “Re
ception Deception,” is would seem,
is dead. A spade is now called a
spade at last — or in this case, a
dance — and no longer treated as
“concert that somehow got out
of hand . . . and into motion.”
Then came the Op Art Exhibit —
Clyde Hoover covered that in the
last CLUSTER — Our flag-waving
chapel speaker, Miss Rich’s Con
cert, The Panhellenic Dance . . .
But underneath the culture, the
student current surged . . .
First there was the fire in the
post office: Talk about inflamma
tory letters! Three fire trucks and
several boxes later, the flames were
brought under control and soon
extinguished. The mail in some fifty
near-by boxes was either destroyed
by the flames or damaged by the
water used to battle it. The winner
of this week’s Dubious Achievement
Award — the young animal with
sufficient intellect to perpetrate
the deed — faces prosecution when
discovered, on several chargee rang
ing from violation of a city ordin
ance to federal offenses: Violation
of government property, “tamper
ing” with the mails and a taw other
good things . . .
This was Thursday night Cams
Sunday, and the dawn saw a cam
pus liberally sprinkled with ffgna
urging support for a boycott of the
school lunchroom beginning Mon
day. Hie boycott didn’t work, of
course, but the signs did show scans
little ingenuity. (“Mercer spaghetti
is more effective than the leading
laxative.” “Mercer’s No. 9 among
Restaurants” — after the city farm
and Black Hole of Calcutta), and
gave evidence of a very real prob
lem about campus, and student
opinion on the matter.
The week was fairly quiet
that. Dean Hendricks’ chapel
speech enlightened those who might
not know that “Black Power” was
not a laundry detergent. (By tbs
way, the good Dean's comment on
the Poet Office bombing — for
those interested — “We’d like to re
fute the rumor that this waa an
other attack by the G.B.C.
Federal Aid.”)
The Greeks held Winter Rush
and took new pledgee.
A new editor was elected for
the CLUSTER
And speaking of “Signs of the
Times” — someone got happy with
the directory of the newly christen
ed “Night Hell of Humanitis” and
renamed the “Antichrist Depart
ment’’ (Seen: Dr. Mac chuckling
over this), the "Impass
Languages Department,” "Dem
Pain Languages Department,'
“Sick Logic Department,” and
“Holy Help (Psychology, for yon
initiates) Department.”
J. L. ROLLINS, Manager
TOP SIRLOIN
with french fries
$139
627 Chany St.
At Cotton Ave—Next to CAS lank
Open 6:00 AM Close t:30 P.M.
Fluffs Car it SHU Missing,
.. .Steal a V W? \