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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