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GMDS'O’SK The Pacesetter of the Seventies GARY JOHNSON JOHNNY TURNER member Editor Anociate Editor CARL BROWN, Business Manager LYNDON MAYES, Managing Editor Asst. Editor*: John Tylar Hammett, Ron Childs Executive Editor*. Tom Cauthorn, Bobby Phillips (Untigrwd •ditotislt lh* opinion o( Cluster and should not be confused with news stpnes Signed columns end cartoons ere the opinions of the authors and not the Cluster ) Student Union Board THE STUDENT UNION BOARD SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR EXCELLENT IDEA OF USING SHUTTLEBUSSES TO CARRY STUDENTS TO THE MACON COLISEUM FOR MERCER BASKETBALL GAMES. PLAYING THE GAMES IN THE COLISEUM GIVES OUR TEAM AN IMPRESSIVE IMAGE EVEN IF THEIR SCORES ARE NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE. THE SHUTTLE- BUSSES HAVE MADE THIS POSSIBLE AND HAVE PROVEN TO BE VERY POPULAR WITH THE STUDENTS. SOME OF THE BUSSES HAVE BEEN PACKED. IF THIS TYPE OF IMAGINATIVE THINKING IS ANY INDICATION OF WHAT IS PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE. MERCER STUDENTS CAN EXPECT ONE OF THE BEST HOMECOMINGS WE HA VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME. THE STUDENT UNION BOARD SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED FOR THEIR WORK SO FAR THIS YEAR. The Cafeteria...Again! "THE FOOD AT MERCER IS BECOMING WORSE. AND THE CHOICE OFFERED IS A LWA YS LIMITED. ’’ THIS STA TEMENT HAS BEEN A COMMON HOUSEHOLD WORD AROUND CAMPUS LATELY EVEN MORE THAN SPIRO AGNEW. THE STUDENTS ARE TIRED OF NOT BEING ABLE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN PURCHASE A MEAL TICKET OR EAT OFF CAMPUS. THE CLUSTER DOES NOT FEEL THAT THE FOOD AT MERCER IS "COMPLETELY" INDIGESTIBLE. BUT WE DO FEEL THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN TREATED LIKE PAWNS ON A CHESS TABLE TOO LONG. THERE ARE SOME MERCER STUDENTS THAT WOULD LIKE THE OPPOR TUNITY TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A MEAL TICKET AND EATING OFF CAMPUS. BUT THEY ARE DENIED THIS PRIVILEGE AND RIGHT. WHICH THEY HAVE HAD IN THE PAST. ALL THE TALK OF BRINGING A CATER ING SERVICE TO CAMPUS HAS REMAINED JUST THAT - TALK. WITH THE FOOD UNDER SO MUCH CRITICISM WHY DO THE STUDENTS HA VE NO CHOICE BETWEEN MEAL TICKETS OR OFF CAMPUS FOOD. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT IF THIS CHOICE WERE AVAILABLE. MANY STUDENTS WOULD CHOOSE TO EAT OFF CAMPUS AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD LOSE ITS MONOPOLY IN THE CAFETERIA. IN OTHER WORDS IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED BAD BUSINESS. NO MATTER THAT THE STUDENTS WANT A CHOICE. IF IT'S BAD BUSINESS THEN IT CAN NOT BE DONE. THIS TYPE OF THINKING CAN NOT HELP BUT MAKE THE BAD TASTE IN THE STU DENTS’ MOUTHS EVEN WORSE. THE CLUSTER HOPES THAT THE ADMINIS TRATION WILL RE-THINK THEIR POSITION ON THIS MATTER AND GIVE THE STUDENTS A CHOICE OF MEAL TICKET OR OFF CAMPUS FOOD. AND DO IT BEFORE THE SITUATION GROWS WORSE. Mercer Soccer Team IT IS A VERY RARE THING ON THIS CAMPUS WHEN A GROUP OF STU DENTS CAN GET TOGETHER AND START SOMETHING FROM SCRATCH WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE ADMINISTRATION. THE FOREIGN STUDENTS UNION HAS DONE THIS AND SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED FOR IT. THEY HAVE ORGANIZED AND SUPPORTED THE LONG DISCUSSED IDEA OF A MERCER UNIVERSITY SOCCER TEAM AND THEIR EFFORTS ARE NOW BEGINNING TO BE REWARDED. WITH THE HOPE OF AN ALLOCA TION OF FUNDS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT NEXT YEAR WILL SEE A MERCER SOCCER TEAM TAKE THE FIELD AGAINST OTHER SCHOOLS. IF THIS COMES ABOUT IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF THE DEDICA TION OF THE PLA YERS AND THE ENERGY AND DETERMI- NA TION OE THE FOREIGN STUDENTS UNION. ALL MERCER STUDENTS SHOULD SUPPORT THIS EFFORT. THE CLUSTER SALUTES ALL THOSE WHO HA VE CONTRIBUTED TO THE NEW MERCER SOCCER TEAM! Freedom of Choice Was Slogan of The Day|BiJ| It was carnival time on a pleasantly warm Sunday afternoon In Macon, Georgia. The mayor had iaiued the call, and hi* flock had obediently responded by aawmblylng at the Macon Coliseum to protest the de segregation rulings of the Supreme Court Popcorn, Cokes, cotton candy, and peanuts were sailing wail as the people took their mats to bear high school students and the Mayor speak. Lest anybody should mistake the true meaning of the assembly, a neatly lettered sign proclaiming “Racism is not our platform" was attached to the speakers' podium. And after a Mack student spoke, reprimanding the whites for their delay in implementing de segregation programs (a talk interrupted re peatedly by booing and Jeering), the modera tor unabashedly yelled into the microphone “Racism is not an issue here". A Manning ovation followed. Oh yes, perhaps I should mention that the Mack student was greeted with applause as she stepped to the rostrum, but the crowd was amazingly mute as she de parted. Most of the speakers were high school stu dents, and there was a noticeable lack of in formation regarding Supreme Court rulings, but veracity has always taken a bock east to emotion. The speakers had apparently listened well to Georgia politicians, for they made good use of all the polemical phrases and slogans employed over the years to condemn the Court. Socialism was mentioned; but I waited in vain to hear the Court linked with Communism, although the Mayor came dose to doing this. One student told the audience that “racial intergrity” was at stake in forcing the Bibb County schools to integrate, but un fortunately he never exactly explained what that interesting phrase meant. Freedom of choice waa the slogan lot the day. I was somewhat surprised to loam that my forefathers had fought for Ikesdcwn ot choice In the Revolutionary War (as the flat speaker informed me), but it has been some time since I studied American History in Ugh aohooi, and I L have been absent when this matter waa damaged. Aa foe students each In turn dadoed that schools could not Auction without freedom of choice, I wondered If any had ever WUace realised that they had been denied freedom of choice for years by the Bibb County Board of Education, since the schools in Macon are separated on the bads of sex as well as race. The meeting could have bean almost humorous ware it not for foe fact that foe participants were deadly serious. It la frighten ing to consider what emotion-charged T"*"*** can do to an aroused audience. Bach tfa— a speaker rales* hie voice, foe crowd bunts Into applause. I am frightened whenever I hear young people, especially, use time-worn phrase* calculated to provoke irrsapondble actions rather that responsible conduct. I am frightened whenever I see emotion tfoe the place of reasons. A person oboe said that we tend to invoke divine sanction for our own Mates and pre judices. On* speaker at the rally celled for God’s blearing in tasking to overturn rulings of the Supreme Court no fewer than twelve times. Juxtaposing God with any philosophy automatically gives credence to that school of thought; and if, as one speaker said: "We don't know whether God is black or white”, we can at least be sure that Ho supports free dom of choice. Is Change Possible In Our "Establishment" Recreation SENA TOR CHARLES BOWEN. SGA SENATE. HAS PROPOSED THAT THE SGA SET UP AN INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE FEASIBI LITY OF IMMEDIATE ACTION TO IMPROVE THE RECREATIONAL FACILI TIES OF THE UNIVERSITY. THE PROPOSAL CONCERNED SPECIFICALLY. THE FURNISHING OF NIGHT LIGHTS FOR THE TENNIS COURT. AND THE PURCHASING AND A VAILABILTTY OF BILLARD TABLE AND PING-PING TABLES TO STUDENTS. THE CLUSTER ENDORSES THE IDEA AND SUGGESTS THAT THE AD- MINISTRA TION TAKE HEED AND IMPLEMENT THE PROPOSAL IMMEDIATE LY (AT LEAST BY SPRING QUARTER). FACILITIES NOW ON CAMPUS ARE FAR INADEQUATE TO SATISFY THE RECREATIONAL QUENCH OF THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY. IF THE UNIVERSITY CAN SPEND OVER $200 000 TO LIGHT UP THE CAMPUS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO SMARTLY DECORATE ADMINISTRATOR S OFFICES. THEN THE LEAST IT CAN DO IS TO UPDATE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR STUDENTS AS A FRIENDLY QE2IURL THE MERCER CLUSTER . January 27,1970 • 2 It appears to me that this I University has developed the j sterile habit of substituting con-1 venation for dialogue; lest them [ be any misunderstanding, let) me distinguish between the [ two. Conversation merely in volves a process of speech] w he re as dialogue involve* an | exchange of ideas as well as FheubMiR words. ( \ You will recall my commitment to serve -his student body through tenaciously dinging to the accomplishment of a single god at a time; you will further recall that the first goal stated was the improvement of student recrea tional facilities beginning with the procure ment and placement of half a dozen ping pong table*. The fact of the matter is, I feel as though I have accomplhhed absolutely nothing es of yet. The question is why? I spoke with Mr. Haywood, I spoke with Jerry Stone, I spoke with members of the Student UMon Board, 1 spoke with members of the SGA. Yet in all this speaking, not once did I receive a con crete reply to the specific proposal that I was seeking to present Instead, Mr. Haywood told me storiee about the difficulties with foe budget, Jerry Stone told me about foe lack of spec* in the Student Center, the Student Union Board re presentative told me about foe difficulty and necessity of having the full committee meet to coorider the problem, and the SGA member, though sympathetic and atocer* In bk effort* to help get something done, could only shrug his shoulders and tell me that it looks Hke a commmittee will be appointed to Investigate the matter for the next ten years. Wall how In the good Lord's name is one to be taken seriously? How, pray tall, is one supposed to work quietly within the frame work of foe “establishment" when one ia asking foe acoompUehmeot of a simple goal and encountsn nothing but evaaive action on 1* possible that I alone detect the absence of such things as ping pong tables in a Student Center? I* then no one ads on If there are thorn among you, dear readers, who agree with any portion of what I any or what I've said, then my so. And any It over and over again until you feel that you’ve been heard. And only then will others begin to listen. And only in listening can you honestly proclaim that you have taken a crude! step away bom mete conversation, into the direc tion of true dialogue. And dialogue my friends does in no way indude the evasiveness that so frustrate* me in my present task: if there be any Kteement with the goal-I embrace — then write to the CLUSTER, talk with your friends, stop pro fessors in the halls and enlist their support. Go to Jerry Stone and tell him what you think. Write to Mr. Haywood and let him know what it is you want And hi foe mean time, I shall continue In my present efforts until somethin! it done. Draft Expands ROTC The Pentagon recently announced a plan for the improvement of the draft system ia hopes of removing all of the inequities of the present system. This plan centers around doing away with all deferments except those students who at* pre-medical students This plan would, according to Pentagon officials, tend to squabs* the body of men who turn nineteen, not allowing for student determents thus penalizing students who do not attend who would loin we la < such tedhtie* he provided? I beg of you, Marcoten*. stand up together and demand ia a dngls voice that them fob* be given to ua. •hnari and y* shall aeeelv*; mumble, and your requests shaft go Also announced with this plan was the con tinued exemption* for R.O.T.C. students, and a plan for the future which would allow only pre-med students and R.O.T.C. cadets to he exempt from the draft while atteodiag college, This program, said one Pentagon official, would peatiy Increase the anroihnent of stu dent* In the R.O.T.C. propam. Thh is probably the understatement of the year. It la true that this type of determent program would enhance the R.O.T.C. progmn, hut what about the roftagee? American tepawad, foe ooflagse of ■IBttry carets. ftTfoTpetriepMoflwriida^riio hero come up with this briOkant plan lor en hancing foe R.O.T.C. program, whwe dew foe studaot who daw not want to tdle R.0.T.C, come In? Ia he peneftied and not slewed to attend college w R.O.T.C. students? The In- teWgsoee of the Pentagon Is ap