Newspaper Page Text
It's An Education
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
The seemingly paradoxical
aid# of the liberal viewpoint
over desegregation has again
shown Itaatf Into tha arena of
newa. At fadaral courts have
ordarad speed
iar desegrega
tion in Atlanta
I a n d Bibb
1 County, I tat
back to make
asveral obeervs
! tiona. Let ua
I look at these
observations:
For years In Atlanta, It has
been tha Illy white schools of
the northern section of the
town wbo pushed for steadier
integration through tha PTA’s,
School Board, and local civic
associations on behalf of
southsida Atlanta high
schools. Yet, with the advent
of the new court orders re
quiring faster desegregation in
al Atlanta high schools, an
anti-court order group named
HANDS was founded by
parents who represent three
northside high schools — those
three are among the lowest
integrated numerically in
Allan ts.
Mercer professors who
teach a liberal philosophy
recently petitioned to have
four local Macon elementary
schools frozen at their present
student racial loads. This
freezing tactic would ultimate
ly cause lees integration in
elementary scfadaisyWhUe the
professors’ children do now or
will ultimately attend. This is
reminiscent of the Mercer
pro feasor who voiced liberal
ism while sending his child to
a private high school.
Recently, a former
Governor and presently a
candidate for Governor went
on television to denounce
black and white protestors
who congregated at the State
Capitol. This same man sends
his daughter to a private high
school in Atlanta, a Illy white
school.
The Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare
recently released a report that
Rocky Wade
showed that ninety-nine per
cent of the high schools in
Washington, D. C. were segre
gated still. It would seem that
someone Is practicing dk-
crimination somewhere?
The concludon from all
these observations is that
there must exist a credibility
gap between liberal philo
sophy and liberal reality. It
would seem that some men
have decided to neglect his
principles to expediency. It
makes one feel sorry for the
blacks who have been ex
ploited by yet another system,
that of liberalism.
College should make one
educated to think freely,
though not necessarily
liberally. I hope that as the
editor of the Shaft wrote in
our last Cluster issue, you will
realize that:
“Liberalism is not a substi
tute for Education."
What Happened to
The Catalogues?
“Pies' YOU FIND A NIPC>Lr-A6BP LAC* WITH Vft?V LIBERAL
views - then you asr net hired as a housemother."
Editor's Note:
(Because of my concern for
student Interest in the Cluster
and the recent feedback to
editorials in the paper, I’ve
again decided to forfeit my
column in order to provide
gtace for this Important dia
logue. Hm paper staff has
worked diligently each week
to provide the students with a
paper and have yet to fail.
H>e most gratifying reward to
them would be student con
cern, feed beck and action.)
Dear Mr. Johnson:
Just a short note to show
that someone sppreciates your
efforts and gives a damn
about the printed results that
stem from them. Unfortu
nately, however, this is a
negative form of “thanks.’’
You asked me to read “
‘Blacks’ After Viet Nam —
What?” with extreme care and
open-mindedness. I accepted
your advice but failed to live
up to the task because of the
nature of the article itself.
The extreme rashness and
cloee-mlndednees of La Ronce
Beard. Jimmie Samuel and
Timothy Marshall defeated ray
good intentions.
Just as I, a white, am not
capable of portraying the
agonizing dilemma of the
black people, tbeee three
gentlemen — none of whom
has ever worn a uniform — are
not capable of portraying the
military service
“What does the black GI
have to gain from serving his
country?” The very same
things an uneducated white
can gain: higher wages and
more benefits than he is
capable of earning in civilian
life, security and a leas pre
judiced environment, just to
mention a few. If this Is not
the case, then why is the
Negro re-enlistment rate
almost three times higher than
the white rate?
As far as the front line
troops are concerned, the
three authors made a sizable
error in stating that “58%” of
them are black. (I am willing
to wager on this point if they
disagree) True, Unde Sam
may ask more than he offers
(I left the service for this
reason) but he offers one hell
of a lot more to the Negro
than do other institutions.
Thirdly, if these three authors
attempted to explain their
theory of “One dead nigger in
I Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor
I was extremely unim
pressed with your article,
“Banzai, Mr. Nixon” in this
week's Cluster.
You are obviously as im
mature as the rest of your so
called “vocal minority” which
incidentally is exactly why
you are a minority.
Patriotic Americans do not
lower themselves to childish
threats such as, “One may
have a gun next time, Mr.
Nixon. You had better turn
around and look.” But then, 1
guess you are not what we
call patriotic!
I cannot help but wander
what kind of person you must
bo. I have never in my life
read anything as disgusting as
your solution to today’s pro
blame ... your revolution ...
‘resistance to the draft, «•
hsuatton of ail legal processes,
demonstrations and strikes.
You see a damn fool, and
Asithermoee, you are about as
mature as tha average 7 year
old ... not realty aware of
what le going on'around you.
Why don't aR of you take it
yourselves to do aome-
unoa your*
thing (and
constructive for once. Don’t
be so eager to criticize until
you have conscientiously tried
to make improvements. You
will never achieve anything
worthwhile as long as you
have your negative attitude,
and are in a position to cor
rupt the minds (attempt, any
way) of those of us who
really care about the welfare
of this nation.
i only hope that other
people have the sense to know
that you are not truly repre
sentative of our generation.
I am sure that my letter is
exactly what you were hoping
to hear People like you de
light in making an ass out of
themselves so that people will
talk. Well, we have better
things to talk about, so just
remember that the next time
you start to put a feather in
your cap.
Very Sincerely ...
Dear Editor:
I am writing to you in an
effort to locate a student at
Mercer University It to a
strange request, but, hope
fully, you can give me some
Ides.
1 met this individual in the
middle of December on my
way to Miami, Florida, i
stopped in Macon on my
journey home (Nashville) but
could not locate this person.
His name is Victor. All 1
know about him is that he is
a junior who is an English
major, is learning to play the
guitar, used to work on a
school newqraper, and works
at a gas station on the west
side of 1-475.
He is about 5*10”, medium
build, fair complexion, dirty
blonde hair, and wears glasses.
It is important that one of
us gets in touch with the
other. Do you have any idea
as to who he is? Would an ad
in the paper possibly reach
him?
I appreciate whatever help
you give me in my acarch.
Please aend me a reply In
forming me of the situation
and what I can do.
I am thanking you in ad
vance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Ro
athal
Editor’s Note: If anyone has
any Information that would
help Miss Rosenthsll please
come by the Cluster Office.
Dear Editor:
An article written in the
January 13 issue of the
CLUSTER concerning “The
Vocal Minority” disturbed me
to the feet that its editor
seemed to be threatening our
President. The last two lines
stated, and I quote, “One may
have a gun next time, Mr.
Nixon. You had better turn
around and look.” The editor
seems to want the President
shot, or removed by any
means possible. But why?
Only he can answer that ques
tion.
In his comments, the editor
states that the war is a game
played just for fun. Sure the
wre has gone on for k long
time, too long. But I don't
think it will end in a day.
Even after we pull Ml our
troops out, I feel that war will
go on for another year or so.
I also feel no one wants to
play a game using American
GI’s like toys. We’re over
there for a purpose, even
though It may seem sense leas
after ail these yean of drawn-
out fighting. „ -
cess’t. on page 5
Viet Nam is one less pro
testor” to a racially mixed
infantry platoon, they would
receive much laughter before
being fed to the NVA.
I do agree with their
philosophy in as much as the
Negro has a fight here in
America. The main issue is
how to fight. A silent rush
from the flank is often more
successful than a clamorous
frontal assault. If there is such
a thing as a good fight, then
Dr. King fought it, and if
there is such a thing as a good
death, then Dr. King paaaed
through it. He was successful
with the minimum number of
casualties and died a martyr.
What you espouse. La Ronce
Beard, Jimmie Samuel and
Timothy Marshall, is blind
hate, which can only repro
duce until its ugly scar is bom
by both races. Your fight will
be too costly and your deaths
will only be three tiny statfcti
cal marks on the tally sheet.
Slaughter is not correlatabie
with significance. There is a
better way.
John D. Carey
By Roger Boll
Last quarter, I wrote an
editorial on the disposal of
the 1969-70 Mercer Catalogue
At the time I wrote that edi
torial, I planned to follow it
up with another
editorial at such
a time as I had
gained enough
further Informa
tion to warrant
it.
Now I have
learned that
much of the information given
to me concerning the
catalogues was false. Admini
strative sources revealed to me
recently that the catalogues
were not sent back to the
printer, as eartier reported,
but instead were burned!
Secondly. I learned that
the main reason that the cata
logues were rejected is that
Mr. Johnny Mitchell abeoiute-
I•/ refused to recruit with
them. I further learned that
the primary reason that he
rejected the catalogue* was
not just for procedural, fi
nancial. and academic errors,
but he felt that the pictures in
the catalogues were unsuitable
with which to recruit stu
dents. (The majority of the
photographs were of black
students.)
It is very much a shame
that such a situation could
even happen at Mercer. Not
only did the enterprise cost a
lot of money, but moral
implications arise as to its re
jection.
However, it is more of a
shame that the administration
would find it necessary to
have to cover up the situation.
Was it for fear of reprisal?
Last quarter when I first
researched this issue, Mr.
Haywood even tried to cover
up the whole affair by deny
ing that there even was a
catalogue! However 1 have a
copy of the catalogue and
would be very happy to show
it at any time. Someone
should tell Mr. Haywood
about things going an around
campus, after all, he is an im
porlanl man.
Sources also revealed to me
some information on Mr.
Mitchell and on the position
that he holds on campus. It
was disclosed that Mr.
Mitcheli occupies a special
position within the administra
tion. Not only doe* he have a
high salary and a virtually
unlimited expense account,
but he is one of President
Harris’ right-hand men. His
job is entirely in the hands of
the President, but Mitchell has
been so successful in recruit
ing students (by making such
wild promises as a swimming
pool) that his position is quit*
safe. One doesn’t have to
wonder then that Mitchell had
his way with the catalogues.
An Open Letter
Most of what I have
learned on this campus has
originated through encounters
with professors not merely in
their roles as professional
teachers but as real people
with their own ideas, con
cerns. and with an openness
to what I not as a student but
as an individual person have
been thinking and doing. This
kind of relationship necessi
tates a certain tearing down of
barriers on both sides and a
common concern for truthful
ness in the actions of both
parties. This is what 1 have
searched for in all my pro
fessors
But unfortunately these
needs have been very rarely
met. and there wems to be so
learning and development of
creativity can come about
until students and professors
care enough to put aside roles
and be aware of their own
prejudices and then to engage
in personal discussion with
other people — no matter who
— on this campus
It seems ironical that a
liberal arts education is often
thought of as a liberation or
at least awareness of certain
influences and prejudices. And
I must say of the university
that at least through some
processes not wholly known
to me I have been made more
aware of myself as a member
and individual in the educa
tion system
It has been the purpose of
little of this kind of exchange , student Steering Commit
occurring in the university
But to me this is where real
creative learning must take
place: where common value is
placed on this type of learning
for both professor and sUi
dent. For not only are pro
fessors too engaged in pre
established roles as teachers
and professional men but
studenti too are not often
enough searching for this kind
of learning. They also are con
cerned with their roles as
students in the light of the de
mands of our present society.
So too when professors and
students do not recognize
each other aa people in a most
natural sense there is no
ground for real creative learn
ing and also no real awareness
of the need for discussion and
debate on the faults and
virtues of the educational
System as a whole. I have
come to realize that at least
no such changes as 1 believe
to be beneficial to genuine
tee for the College study to
come to grips with problems
in the educational system and
to attempt to instigate change
where it was thought to prove
beneficial as well as to provide
the faculty with student
viewpoint primarily on
academic issues. I have no
criticism of the committee
work or its members except
perhaps myself.
In the past year and a half
I have become disillusioned
with both faculty and
students on this campus and 1
firmly believe now that any
attempts by the Student
Steering Committee to ac
complish its purposes arc- pre
mature as far as this campus is
concerned. Students are either
unaware of the iniuslaces done
them in the educational
system or are Indifferent or
are not willing to make an
effort to educate themselves
in these matters.
(Continued on page 5)
THE MERCER CLUSTER . January 27, 1970 . 3