Newspaper Page Text
Totnall Square Church
•las New Minister
It is with great apprehension that I begin this article. None
the less. I shall continue.
Approximately three weeks ago (the exact date is irreleve-
»nt for my purposes) an event occurred on the Mercer campus
which many people did not recognize. ThiB event was the hiring
of a new pastor at Tatnall Square Church, the Rev. Byron
You may be wondering perhaps why the CLUSTER has
not already publicized this event. It was not negligence on our
part to be sure. Rather we intended to interview Mr. Wilkinson
lefore drawing any conclusions. However, many unforeseen
occurrences have come to pass since that day.
I presume that you are all aware of the events leading up
to Mr. Wilkinson’s arrival. It was an ugly situation resulting in
the “White Citizens for Jesus” Committee voting to adhere to a
dosed door policy for the Church. It is not my purpose to
develop this argument to any event but rather to discuss only
Mr. Wilkinson and his relation thus far to Mercer Students
To begin with it might be wise to reveal the contents of a
letter the CLUSTER received concerning Mr. Wilkinson. The
letter ««id in summary that seven prominent Maconites (the
mayor, the editor of the Telegraph, Dr. Harris, Dean Hen
dricks, Dr. Otto, Dean Taylor, and Mr. Posey) had received
gift subscriptions from Hugh Heffner’s magazine. The donor
was reported to have signed the subscriptions with the name
Byron Wilkinson. I presume that there are some Mercer stu
dents who are “yukking it up" at the moment but, here again
I do not intend to go deeply into this aspect. I am merely lead
ing up to a conclusion, which we shall get to in due time.
Having received this letter we decided to see Mr. Wilkin-
ion as soon as possible, if not sooner. I chose to let the asso
ciate editor go by himself for reasons of my own. He made three
attempts. All in vain. Now, we are getting to the heart of this
writing ... is that really a church that sits on the comer of this
campus or isn’t it? Is it a place to worship or a secularized social
dub? If they are really concerned with spreading the gospel
(as the church is commanded to do in the Bible), why aren’t
they attempting to gather Mercerians on Sunday morning —
even white ones? I do not know. I have a feeling that somewhere
there has been a break in the ties between Tatnall Square
Church and the Administration of this University.
It is the CLUSTER’S duty to publish the news. Mr.
Wilkinson’s arrival was news. It has now been published. We
•iso had hopes of doing something to bridge the gap between
the Church on the campus and the students on the campus. Mr.
Wilkinson did not respond. Perhaps he didn’t get the message
(from his secretary); or then again perhaps he chose to remain
aloof from us.
If that pious body is content, then let it remain so, and if
God is dead perhaps "Churches” like this one had something
to do with his death. (As an after-thought let me say that it is
not my belief that God is dead, the preceeding statement was
but a hypothetical supposition. OK, RHP?)
WILLINGHAM Spotting good*
“Headquarters for All Your Athlatic Nood*’
Next to Bibb Theater
4*1 Third Street
743-SSS4
One For The Birds
Not too enthralled over the pros
pect of being labeled either a hawk
or a dove, one is faced with the
possibility of being called anything
from a screaming eagle to a yellow
chested chicken, comments the
Colorado State University Colleg
ian.
One humanoid bird that isn't re-
ceiving his due recognition these
days, the Collegian says, is the owL
He needs more consideration, not
because he is a symbol of wisdom,
but because he runs around asking
“Who?" Also. “What and Why."
The putxied bird is asking many
questions about everyone's favorite
topic, the war in Vietnam. He
■tarts out with the scholarly, his
torical approach: “How the hell
did we get there?" Reply: “Well,
we were sort of handed this seed
and a few years of poor tending
turned it into a sick and ugly
growth.” He asks, "Why us? Why
not let someone else look after it?”
And he learns that it is not only
us, but also Australians, South Ko
reans, even South Vietnamese.
Asking when we are getting out, he
receives only grumbles and stares.
Puzzled by news reports, he asks
about them. “Has there ever been
a time when American casualties
were anything but light? Is there
any truth to the statements about
bombing civilians?” To both ques
tions, one reply: "Incredible."
He focuses his attention on the
home front. Being an old bird, he
remembers better days. "Isn't it
customary here. ’ he asks, “for a
man to question national policy and
politicians and to raise a note of
dissent without being branded cow
ardlv or anti-American? And isn't
it possible for another man to sup
port, for moral and legal reasons,
military actions in another part of
the world without being called a
guileless follower or a butcher of
children?"
His feathers are ruffled by a
crossfire of shouts but he persists.
Do you mean that a man is wrong
if he feels he has a strong obliga
tion to oppose the draft and bums
his draft card?"
“Right,” answers a 19-year-old
Marine.
“Do you mean that a man is
wrong if he is convinced that this is
the greatest nation in the world and
he is privileged to serve in her
armed forces?”
"Right," answers a 19-year-old
pacifist.
| DANNY BAILEY . . . |
Fraternity Lodges
Featured this week are the lodges
of Alpha Tau Omega and Sigma
Nu, both buildings still under con
struction
„ The exterior of the A TO lodge
is constructed in Old South red
brick on all four sides. Immediate
plans include central heating, air-
conditioning, a color T.V.. patio,
and barbecue pit, a crest on the face
of the building, and bushes and
shrubs arranged in the shape of an
A TO pin. The pledges put their ef
forts into a donkey-basketball game
in order to buy furniture for the
new lodge. The Taua ho|>e to move
in in a few weeks. They wish to
thank Jim Arnold for the job he
has done helping to design the
lodge.
The Sigma Nu Snakes are proud
of their spacious new split-level
building. By time of completion its
features will include wall-to-wall
carpeting, exposed wooden beams,
and valence lighting. Two special
rooms are the commander's office
and the “snake pit”. The “snake
pit” will partially mask any extra
curricular activities that necessitate
concealment The Snakes plan to
move in in about two weeks
March 3, 1987 • THE MERCER CLUSTER • 3
A Critical Look At
The Food Situation
By Tom Cnu thorn
In response to student unrest concerning the meal tickets
in the cafeteria, the CLUSTER has thus far remained remark
ably tacit. Possibly wo could have effectively taken out against
the cafeteria but then this action would have considerably han
dicapped the virgin action of the SGA.
It is at this late date in the quarter that the CLUSTER
must speak. Knowing that students this week have pre-register
ed and perhaps payed fees and that other students are thinking
about paying fees it is timely to review the administrative posi
tion toward the often termed “lousy food” in the cafeteria.
In an interview with Vice-President Haywood this past
week, several remarks were well worthy of passing on to the
student body. — Mr. Haywood was asked to make some general
remarks concerning the cafeteria. — He said that SGA Presi
dent Steve Moody had told him that the reactions to the
changes in the cafeteria were “favorable.” Mr. Haywood said
that since the problem over the cafeteria had arisen he has
made it a point to eat lunch on the meal ticket line at least
twice weekly and has found the food and food selection “great
ly improved.”
Mr. Haywood also pointed out that the conditions in the
cafeteria were a result of various procedures which had been
allowed to lapse and are today back into effect. He said that
although the complaints were often valid they are many times
the same ones that anyone would encounter when he ate at the
same place three times daily seven days a week. But Mr. Hay
wood said that now the students should note that there are two
choices of everything; whereas it had lapsed into one choice. It
is also obvious that the food has improved, because as Mr. Hay
wood said, “They never know when I am going to pop in.”
When asked about a Food Catering Service, Mr. Haywood
did not seem to favor it. He said that the costs would fall on
the student and a conservative increase would be from twenty-
five to thirty-five per cent. He cited higher prices at various
schools and also the contract problems between the food serv
ices and the universities involved. He stated further that the
appreciable drop in the number of meal tickets from Fall to
Winter quarter had been anticipated in the drawing of the
budget. He said also that the less number of meal tickets, the
less cost, so actually the University is not losing money.
Mr. Haywood suggested that the students should complian
to Mr. Johnson when the food is poor but their complaints
should be specific and not sweeping generalizations. He said
that the cafeteria is actually helped when the student points
out specific problems (i.e., too much soda in the com bread).
He made it clear that the cafeteria would not be changed for
next quarter nor for next year. He said that no increase in cost
is anticipated.
It seems that from the interviews it should be obvious to
the students that the cafeteria will continue to make improve
ments as it has done but that there are going to be no major
changes. We encourage students who have found the food un
satisfactory not to buy meal tickets next quarter. For as Mr.
Haywood made clear, a decrease in meal tickets means a similar
decrease in food bought and costs; therefore from the surface
it is evident that the University will lose no money. Students
should no I feel that they are hurting or subverting the Univer
sity by not buying meal tickets.
Freedom to Chose-Essential
By Charles C. Abbott
WASHINGTON — What is the role of the individual in
today’s planned society? Is his function merely to fit a pre
planned slot in the economic model — or is he free to fulfill
some aspirations he himself chooses?
These questions recently were raised by Dean Charles C.
Abbott of the University of Virginia Graduate School of Busi
ness Administration.
Dean Abbott asks: “If we do have the basis for an economi
cally planned society — what kind of society should it be?”
Would there be a place in the planned society for the
frontiersman of 200 years ago? Would the Mormons be allowed?
What would be the role assigned to the ’49ers, the plantation
builders, the cowboys or wildcat oil drillers? Would there be a
slot for the Hemy Fords or the Wright brothers, or would they
be confined to activities defined by an economic planning com
mittee that channels effort only into those projects with proven
usefulness?
Taking present-day planning situation as an indication, a
candid answer has to be — probably not. A planned society
could neither permit such groups, nor accommodate them
within a preconceived plan.
How would a planned society motivate the du Ponts, the
Daniel Boones, the Billy Sundays? In all probability these
turbulent boatrockers would not be allowed.
Could any group of planners conceive and operate New
York City? Compare the Post Office and its annual deficit with
the privately owned and operated telephone system, paying a
profit to its thousands of investors.
This is not to say that a society based on individual free
dom and initiative is not within its faults; but, as Dean Abbott
succinctly summed up in his remarks, reprinted in the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States’s Washington Report:
“Freedom to choose is the essential freedom, whether in
politics, religion, management of one’s personal affairs or the
market place.”
When we lose the freedom to choose — we have lost
America.