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January 30. 1988 • THE MERCER CLUSTER • 2
Cclitoziatd
Journalism Department... ?
The nia-d for a stronger depart
ment of Journalism cannot be over
stated. The Cluster wonders how
many students have wanted to en
rich their liberul arts backgrounds
by taking practical courses in the
journalistic arts when upon investi
gating what Mercer has to offer
have been Bhunned away in disil
lusionment.
Three courses in basic journalism
plus a varied assortment of politi
cal science, psychology, economics,
and history courses is supposed to
give the Meridian a minor in
Journalism. An internship in jour
nalism, whereby the student gains
practical journalistic experience by
actually working on a newspaper, is
hst(“d in the Mercer catalogue like
so many others are; but the course
is never taught.
Students are told that they can
come back during the summer and
take the internship program. Why is
it not possible to take the journal
ism internship during the regular
academic year?
Granted that future journalists
need a broad liberal arts back
ground in as many fields as possi
ble, we feel that the present minor
now offered in journalism leaves
much to be desired. More courses
in journalism should be offered and
full-time instructors should be
hired in order to provide the stu
dent inten*sted in a journalism ca
reer a "real” foundation in this
much needed area.
Wonderful would be the day
when Mercer had a strong journal
ism department whereby Mercer’s
publications could be run on a full
time basis. One might even see the
day when our professors could pub
Iish their books under the title of
MERCER UNIVERSITY PRESS
instead of some other university
press.
The Draft; Defects
and Alternatives
Who will be drafted . . . . ?
Who will serve . . . . ?
By Steve Darby
The first obvious defect in the
present day draft system is that all
those desirable for the draft are not
going to be drafted. Young men
who are not in college and are be-
twen the ages of 19 and 20 are turn
ed away from jobs because the own
er fears that the army may draft
him making the time he spent train
ing the youth u complete waste.
They then spend the rest of their
time going from one job to the next
until they arc drafted.
The second defect is over the
question of who will serve. The ma
jor pressure has fallen on the low
er middle class. This is due to the
fact that although they are not in a
position to go to college and be de
ferred because of their economic
background, they have had enough
previous education to pass the
qualifying test. Attempts have been
made to correct this. Graduate
school deferments are becoming
limited and undergraduate stu
dents will be placed in the prime
group for induction upon gradua
tion.
There are a number of alterna
tives to the present day draft sys
tem. First is the lottery system
which although still based on the
draft system would make all men
of draft age equally available. It al
so contains defects common to the
present system; poorly trained per
sonnel and disavowal of personal
freedom.
Next is the national service which
would give a person the opportuni
ty to serve his country in a civilian
or military capacity. One could
serve his two years for example in
the Peace Corps, Project Head
start, or, if he chooses, the military.
The last alternative is a volun
teer army. Through the use of in
creased incentives, enlistment would
be enticed. The draft would be nec
essary only in times of national
crisis upon the request of Congress.
A volunteer army would allow for a
larger amount of personal freedom
and while leaving others free from
responsibility would not place any
pressure specifically on any one
group.
There are probably many other
choices or propositions to the pres
ent draft system, but the fact re
mains that there are inadequacies
in it, und reform or a complete
overhaul is imperative. A change
must be made to insure against the
discrimination of the system and
the fear that the draft holds on
many young men’s present and fu
ture plans.
Waver ley Conference
Physical Appearance of Campus
Will Change In Fall of 1968
(Continued from Page One)
Dr. Harris commended the students in their
behavior during the Otto incident last spring. He
said that there was a great tension across the state,
but that tension has abated and the Baptist atti
tude has greatly improved in that those across the
state are not as suspicious as they used to be.
Dr. Harris, further elaborating on the improved
cafeteria, said that students should not let things
get to the boiling point. It should be caught in its
incipient stage. He said, “As I see it, I think that
it is a vastly different picture now.”
Dr. Harris said that the picture on campus
will be different next fall in that the present Physics
building will be converted into Math and Eco
nomics, Economics Building to Education, Chemis
try to Sociology and Psychology and Biology to
Music.
When asked what changes to expect in the
curriculum Dean Garland Taylor stated: “The
greatest changes in the curriculum will be in the
existing patterns.” The new departments which are
now being suggested by some are unrealistic and
impractical at tne present time. These departments
include a school of medicine, a school of business
administration, and a school of domestic sciences.
Taylor stated that a four year school of medicine
is an unrealistic and reckless proposal which would
take as a conservative estimate an endowment of
$25 million. The school of business administration
is impossible at this time because of Mercer’s em
phasis on liberal arts.
Dean Taylor responded when asked about a
stronger journalism department at Mercer, “The
curriculum committee has spent no less than 36
hours discussing this problem. It is unlikely that a
major in journalism will be offered in the near
future, but there are definite plans for strengthen
ing the present minor.”
Students at the conference expressed concern
over Mercer losing several of its faculty members.
Dean Taylor responded by saying, “We are inter
viewing people every week.” When asked about the
loss of the speech and drama department, Dean
Taylor said, “There has been progress made in
acquiring people.”
Ok, 1 dunrie. X flunk lls jus! t*r<e4fit.r clouJbursi.
Letters to the
Editor
Letten to the Editon arm wet.
corned from all interested partial.
They should be limited to 20|
words and are subject to standard
editing procedures. Unsigned letter)
will not be printed.
Dear Editor,
At the Wavejjy Conference lad
June there were many question
raiaed about the possibility of
food service at Mercer. Three com-
paniee had aurveyed Mercer’s prob
lem and made tentative bida. Then
seined to be one major problem,
however, in securing the services of
a caterer—there was no way, under
the existing policy of student meal
ticket buying, to guarantee a suffi
cient number of consumers. There
fore, notices were sent last July-
under a great many impression
that we were to have a catering ser
vice by September—stating tiiai
meal tickets must be bought Fall
Quarter.
Alleluia! Look at the carpets, the
striking mural, decorous walls, cam-
ouflaged conveyer belt—no com
plaints here! Even the food is of a
much better and varied nature. The
attraction are many; the represen
tation of them seems to be a facade.
Why was it necessary for us to buy
meal tickets when the school de
cided to refuse the catering service?
Walllll . . . It’d be too late to send
more and contradicting notices to
tell students they wouldn’t have to
buy meal tickets fall quarter. Why
just think of the confusion. Poor,
helpless, so easily bewildered stu
dents. Anyway, we bought them
Winter Quarter and it seems as
though we mandatorily will in ths
Spring. If the product is good
enough to sell itself, why make reg-
ulations to force it upon the stu
dents?
Rick Davison
Editor
The Cluster
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia
Dear Editor:
I was shocked to hear that a re- I
quest for admission of a Negro]
student to the Mercer Indepen
dent Men's Association had
I cannot imagine how this hap
pened, as I understand that ]
MIMA's charter states that it
open to any male student not
member of a fraternity, and lu
thermore that MIMA claims to lie ■ |
Christian organization.
One of my young friends told me, I
I'm confident that in another two |
years MIMA will be integrated.’’
ANOTHER TWO YEARS? ...II
should hope that in another two]
years the most tradition-bound fra
ternity and sorority on this campta
would be integrated, and I should j
have thought that the very first]
day a Negro student set foot on t
campus he would have received as]
open invitation to MIMA.
I am truly disappointed.
Sincerely yours,
William L. Easterling
Acting Chairman, Department]
of Modern Foreign
Languages
©je JHercer Cluster
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Tom Csuthorn Wright Deris
Cartoons , Roger Poston. Haywood Turner
Photographer Bob Johnson
News Editor Dianne Downer
Staff Wardlyn Mills, Dari Ripley,
Gary Johnson, Ginny Scherer, Mary Riddle,
Carolyn Braun. Anna Dixon
Special Correspondent Ed Bacon
Faculty Advisors Prof. Anthony Stanafeld. J. O. Paine
COPYEDITOR BUSINESS MANAGER MANAGING EDITOR
Paul Kirk Bob Lanisr Steve Darby
Contributing Editon Becky Sima, Ed Beckwith
Bueinees Specialist Christy Tyler
Exchange Editor Karen Riven
Executive Editor __ Bobby Phillips
Sport* Claudia Young. John Kidd, Art Hapner
Feature Editor Du Newell
Fenton Staff Chris Onto. David Sibley, Don Van Bmkiit
Social Editon Lnnsrd Bona, Garni Brace
• : - . ■ • ' .-
Cadet of the Week
James M. Corbitt, son of Mr-1
and Mrs. Newsome Corbitt of
con, is cadet of the week in the]
Mercer ROTC Jgtallion. Ff
Corbitt represent) thd first plab
of B Company. He is a Sop ho mo
and a graduate of Lanie:
School in Macon, where he
the rank of first lieutenant and
post of platoon leader.
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