Newspaper Page Text
October 7, 1967
THE MERCER CLUSTER
No Room For Pyros
Freshmen men evacuated the odd floors of their dorm
Monday night after a fire in the rubbish chute.
Monday night a student or students unknown felt that it
was necessary to release some of their adolescent inhibitions at
the expense of endangering the lives of fellow Freshmen. Some
one, obviously without regard to property, ignited a rubbish
chute in the Freshmen Men’s Dormitory at an early morning
hour when the majority of the students were asleep. Smoke
filled the whole wing, causing much inconvenience, loss of sleep,
and smoke damage to the personal belongings of a considerable
number of students.
What may have seemed as a practical joke to the guilty
party, was nothing more than a pitiful display of immaturity,
obviously committed by someone with a very warped sense of
humor. This was clearly a criminal act and should he treated
as such.
Fortunately no one was injured due to the efficient manner
in which the dormitory counselors evacuated the building. The
dormitory counselors are to be commended for their efforts.
The Cluster would like to point out to those inclined to
commit such acts that this is not conduct becoming of a Mercer
student. Those responsible have shown that they do not belong
at Mercer. The guilty party of this act and similiar acts should
be apprehended and expelled.
Furthermore, it has been brought to the attention of the
Cluster that the Freshman Men’s Dormitory’ does not have ade
quate fire protection. The fire alarms did not work when the
fire broke out. Three out of the five fire extinguishers were
empty and could not be used, and the fire alarm on the corner
was not in working order. This situation should be corrected
immediately. Mercer was lucky this time — very lucky.
Who Pays
The Bill ?
It now appears that after the concrete has set and
the paint has dried on the new Science Building
there will still be a hot rivet flying that seems des
tined to scorch the palm of the Georgia Baptist
Convention, the Mercer Administration, or the Mer
cer student. This is the question of permanent fi
nancing.
The word has lieen passed that the administra
tion will not again raise the issue of federal funds
before the Georgia Baptist Convention. Assuming
that the Convention is not likely to voluntarily
approve the use of federal aid in financing approx
imately one-third of the cost of the project, the
question arises: Who is going to bc-ar the added cost
of obtaining the funds from other sources?
Very probably, some will expect the generous
donors to our institution to reach u little deeper.
Others will feel that the difference between federal
and private interest rates can be paid from existing
budgeted funds. Concern is growing within the stu
dent body that a portion will have to be raised
through a further increase in tuition. It may well
be that the cost can lie absorbed somewhere along
the line without recourse to this, but it is logical
that money used for this pun>osp must necessarily
be extracted either from the budget during the
years of repayment or from some future program.
At the heart of the issue lies the very simple
fact: someone must pay the price—in dollars and
cents—of barring the federal government from the
Science Center, If the question were “who should
pay,” there could be only one answer: the Georgia
Baptist Convention, since the unrelenting position
of the Convention brought the problem into exis
tence. If the question of federal fund is dead, so be
it It is not the end of time; but it is time to deter
mine “How much?" and “Who pays?”
What The Cluster Needs Now Is Love
r-
By Bobby Phillips
Three week have swiftly passed on.
Freshmen are getting into the groove of
things, and sophomores are extremely well
versed — or so they think. Formal rush is
over, homework is piling ujh and romances
are blooming. This is college; more specifical
ly this is our college.
I passed through the Co-op last Saturday
and happened to see a stack of newspapers.
It was, of course, a stack of Clusters. I re
member very w'ell the burden and effort it
took, and still takes, to get one four page
edition out. And then when it does come out
few people really take notice. I saw a plea for
additional help — it will probably go un
answered, because for some mysterious
reason people do not seem to care to get
involved. Well I did once and lost a number
of “friends”, so I thought to myself “What
the heck?” and here I am.
A college newspaper can be a very powerful
tool if used wisely. For instance the Cluster
was instrumental in getting the food service
in the cafeteria changed over the summer.
Of course there was a great deal of co-opera
tion with the SOA — but then SGA officers
come and go, the Cluster merely staggers.
The Sunday hours in the Library were the
focus of another Cluster effort, and to a les
ser degree so are the hours of the women’s
dormitories.
So you see even at our college, our paper
can help solve our problems. But to do so,
you must help it solve its problems. The
greatest of which l>eing a lack of help. No
experience is necessary, just a desire, a will
ingness to work.
As to the title of this article, I was just
thinking of the song, “What the worlds needs
is Love, sweet Love.” You know how it is
when you get old, man its a hard life. As long
as I am just shooting the bull. . . .
Back to the subject at hand, for the Cluster
to remain an effective and powerful tool of
the students at Mercer, we must all give it
our support, and some must give of them
selves. It is not always as rewarding as one
might expect but it is interesting, and most
of all it is very, very important. If you are
interested, contact Tom Cauthom, Box 29.
Ciie Jfterrer vEluater
October 7, 1967
Volume XL1X, No. 3
EDITOR IN-CHIEF
Tom Cauthom
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Wright Da via
BUSINESS MANAGER MANAGING EDITOR
Bob Lanier Steve Wright
Contributing Editors Becky Sima, Ed Beckwith
Business Specialist Christy Tyler
Exchange Editor Russ Drummond
Executive Editors BUI Dayton, Bobby Phillips
Sports Editor Art Hapoer
Feature Editor Dan Newell
Feature Staff Karen Rivers, Milton Moore, Clyde Hoover,
Judy White. Steve Darby, Roger Bell, Reid Banks
Social Editors I/eonard Bone, Carol Bruce
Cartoons Roger Poston
Photographer Bob Johnson
Staff Wardlyn Mills, Dori Ripley, Chris Greis,
Susan Scott, Pam Warwick, Claudia Wheeler, Carolyn Hamil
ton, Cathy Geren, Dianna Downer, Charles Goolsby, Sharon
Young, Claudia Young, Cornelia Bennett, Ginny Scherr
Special Correspondents Bill Wehunt, Ed Bacon
Copy Editor Open For Application
Faculty Advisors Prof. Anthony Stansfeld, J. O. Paine
Student Government Association To
Investigate Status Of Dulcimer
By Ed Bacon
The Student Government Asso
ciation met Tuesday night. October
3 in the SGA room in the Student
Center. The meeting was called to
order at 9:30 by President, Dave
Hudson
A financial report as to how
SGA funds had been appropriated
in September and a brief outline of
how SGA monies will be budgeted
during October Student Govern
ment Treasurer, Carol Anne
Wright, gave the report, after
which she reported On research she
had conducted on the status of The
Plucked Dulcimer.
In the budget for the academic
year, 1967-68, there are $1000 ap
propriated for expenditures by The
Plucked Dulcimer. Discussion was
David Hudson
held on the possibilities of appro
pnating the money elsewhere, or
keeping this amount and requestini
one publication for this year After
presenting many viewpoints, di»-
cussions was tabled, pending a re
l*irt from the Publications Com
mittee, headed by Dean Glenn
Robert Belloir, President of
Sophomore Class, was comme
ed on his performance in plann
and executing the Freshman 1
ent Contest.
President of the Senior Class
Roddy Clark, assigned people to
|»ll duty for the Freshmen Elec
tions, Friday. Hours were
nounced for voting to be from 10 to
2 p.m.
The meeting was adjourned
10:16 p.m.