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MEMBER
The Pecesetter of the Seven tiet
GARY JOHNSON JOHNNY TURNER
Editor Associate Editor
CARL BROWN. Business Manager
LYNOON MAYES. Managing Editor
Asst. Editors: John Tylar Hammett, Ron Childs
Executive Editors: Tom Cauthorn, Bobby Phillips
(Unsigned eduonels the opinion ol the Clutter and should not ba contuaad with
nevvs stpnes Si|jned columns and cartoons ara tha opinions of tha authors and not the
Cluster )
Plans Presented For
Campus Recreation
Ke> officers in the Administration have
continued a course of evasion and procrastina
tion .
From certain offices within the Student
Center, comes word that practical solutions to
the problems of recreation may
be in the offing . . . included in
one proposal is the idea of pool
tables where students would
pay a nominal sum to come
and play pool with their friends
. . . Another idea being dis
cussed by responsible indivi
duals in a sensible fashion is the
suggestion that ping pong tables
FinkeGtein ^ p| ace< j w ithin the Girls’ Gym
for campus use.
The SGA has appointed another committee
— this one is charged with the responsibility
of investigating the lack of recreational facili
ties at Mercer ... I hope they decide to hold
open hearings and invite all students to testify
. . . Tell it like it is, brothers.
SEX AND SEGREGATION
The University knows that it stands in need
of further recreational facilities. The Uni
versity claims that it can’t afford to buy any
new facilities as of the moment. The Univer
sity, then, should be in serious pursuit of
ideas for better utilizing existing facilities. The
plan I propose here is specifically designed to
.ccomplish that task.
Several years ago, the University went to
the great expense of having two freshman
Dormitories constructed. On the ground floor
of each structure, a TV and recreation room
was provided. Both rooms were then segrega
ted by sex. I now propose that one or both of
these facilities be fully integrated on an ex
perimental basis. (It should be clearly under
stood that I am advocating the integration of
the recreation rooms alone, and not the full
dormitory facilities.)
The arguments supporting such a simple
plan are clear and abundant. Here I shall deal
with just a few of them. (1) NO COM
PARABLE FACILITIES OPEN TO ALL STU
DENTS EXIST ON THE MERCER CAMPUS.
I think it plain to students and Administration
alike, that the school Is hardpressed for recrea
tion facilities. Color televisions are available to
the student body in certain dormitories, and
an old black and white television that some
times works and sometimes doesn’t, sits in the
lobby of the Student Center. In no instance,
however, does the University supply facilities
such as those of Freshmen Dormitory’s com
fortable seats and ample couches set around a
beautiful color television set, where men and
women may sit together to indulge comfor
tably, and quietly in an all American past
time for recreation and relaxation. No com
parable facilities, then, exist on the Mercer
campus.
(2) NO ADDITIONAL EXPENSES ARE
INCURRED BY THE UNIVERSITY. Since we
are dealing with the utilization of existing
facilities, no further expenditures would have
to be made before the program could be Im
plemented. In effect, we would be broadening
the recreational base of the campus without
spending a dime. No additional expenses,
then, would be incurred by the University.
(3) THIS PLAN DOESN’T INTERFERE
WITH ANY OF THE UNIVERSITY’S PLANS
FOR THE PRESENT OR FUTURE. Since this
plan doesn’t involve the re-appropriation of
any of the University’s funds, space, or equip
ment, it cannot be said to interfere with
either the short term or long range planning
of any University official.
In order to move for the plan’s adoption, I
urge that every student who reads this column
take the time to write a letter to the editor of
the Cluster supporting this proposal. In the
course of the next several weeks, I intend to
meet with Administration officials as well as
student leaders to urge that steps be taken im
mediately to implement my plan for the in
tegration of dormitory recreation facilities. I
shall continue doing everything that is within
my power to bring about constructive change
to the benefit of students and to Mercer Uni
versity. To this end I enlist your support.
Black Studies Can Only
Perpetuate Segregation
With anticipatory interest, I for one waited
for the decision our school would ultimately
make as to a Black Studies program. With the
announcement of an interdisciplinary major m
this field, 1 grew perturbed with the apparent
hindsight and ignorance that
the sponsoring committees had
used. The> have defeated the
actual purpose of a Black
Studies program
One of the tenets of the
program was to subtly force
black interest upon ignorant
whites through education to
the benefits blacks have contri
buted to our culture. Hut by Wade
making it a separate set of courses, those in
volved with the courses will be the same
black-conscious clique and no one is gained to
the movement for black awareness. How can
one know that Crispus Attucks, a black, was
the first man killed In the American Revolu
tion if one is not in a course to hear such?
As I proposed last fall in a Black America
panel. Black Studies will have no effect until
it is integrated into our present standing curri
culum. Our lower division courses in history,
art, and music should acknowledge and render
credit where credit is due in such areas of
their respective discipline.
It seems to me that Black Studies as it is
now proposed on this campus will serve to
cause more deterrence than benefit. I hope
that students who hold objections to the pro
posed program will strive for preventive cure
before this cancerous area begins to alienate
rather than cement the Mercer community.
Black Studies should sow benefits, which I
feel that it can do if handled properly.
MERCER CLUSTER STAFF 1969-70
Manafini Editor Lyndon Mayea
Nrwi Editor Elijah Lishtfoot
Nrwt Staff K. Shaw, K. Bryant,
M. Weinstein, G. Copeland, J. Parker, M. Swent,
D Wood, E. Vance. L Highnote
Feature Editor Chuck Jackson
Feature Staff . . . E. RoMnaon, B. Davies, D. Brown.
T Handler, Alice BoMM, lady Wright. Vivian
Southwell. Martha Matthews. Gene WUllanu
Columnists Ron Childs, Joa Hobbs, Larry
Finklesteln. Allen Wallace, Rocky Wade
Sports Editor Lou Johnson
Sports Staff B. Owens. B. Nottingham
Artists . . .G. Middleton. B Stanley, E. Hammonds,
P. Campbell
Ad vert lain | Mgr . v Jamas Boy kina
Advertising Staff . . Marion Murray. Dianne Camp
Ant Business Mgr Mary A. Buckner
Typists L. Pleas, Y. St Denis. E. Poole,
B J. Bandiow. T. Ursery
Copy Editors Tyler Hammett, Glenda Tully
Photography Bob Johnson
Public Relations Mgr Renata Williams Jamie
Dawson, Nadine Sherman
Layout .A. Cooper, J. Hatten,
B. Stanton. Ed Fisher, Andrea Frost, Joe Seguln
Political Editor Lwry Finklesteln
Advisors J. Pains, A. Staasfleld
The Mercer Cluster la a weekly student publication
published by the students of Mercer University. The
phone number Is 743-1511. extension 221. The
address is Box 29, Mercer University, Office room
32* and 321 CSC. Office hours we 9:09-5:00. Mow
day through Friday. Subscriptions are S5.00.
THE MERCER CLUSTER • February 3, 1970 • 2
| Letters To The Editor |
Door Editor:
In g past issue of this
paper, students were asked
how they liked Macon. They
replied with such answers as:
Macon has nothing to offer
me. Macon has no interest in
Mercer students. There is no
thing to do in Macon.
Macon has several organiza
tions whose purposes are to
relate the ideas of those who
would improve our com
munity to those who can Im
prove the community. The
Greater Macon Area Youth
Council, Inc. is one such or
ganization. It has representa
tives from the entire Bibb
County area, Mercer Included.
Its purposes are to give the
youth of Macon a voice on
whatever concerns them; to
interest the community in its
young people; and to Interest
the youth in all community
activities. By youth, we mean
Mercer, too.
Although announcements
of the council’s purpose have
been made through the news
media and have been available
to anyone in the Bibb County
area, not one of those stu
dents who claimed that Macon
had nothing to offer them has
registered a complaint with
the council.
There is much room for
improvement of Macon’s atti
tude toward young people and
Mercer. However, change will
require effort from Macon and
Mercer.
Any ideas you have should
be sent to Miss Man son Mar
shall, Box 822.
Sincerely,
Miss Lou Burkhalter
President, G.M.A.Y.C., Inc.
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to
the Jan. 20 article, “Blacks
After Vietnam — What?”
Frankly, when I read this I
was completely disappointed.
The article had to be the pro
duct of socially ill minds. And
my overall reaction to the
article is simple — HOG-
WASH!
The article was definitely
aimed to protest “whites’ pre
judice,” particularly in the
Deep South. It seems that the
Blacks recognize this as a
deadly evil, one which they
must work as a group to over
come. If this be the case,
doesn’t it seem odd that the
writers of the article them
selves advocate this same
deadly evil?
I have no all-decisive an
swers to the harassing pro
blems of society. But I do
know that racism is not an
answer. It is only by working
together that Black and Whits
can really Isarn to live with
each other, to begin to under
stand each other as fellow
human beings. Then, and only
then, can we come a step clos
er to social harmony. Why
then, do the writers of the
article advocate such unrealis
tic ideas? This merely shifts
the pendulum to their ride -
Black Racism. And racism,
from either ride, only worsens
the problem, a,
Tim Spencer
Deer Editor:
I read your editorial in the
last issue of the Mercer Clus
ter with late rest. I so agree
with you on your points.
I am concerned that in
moat of the writings and oral
conversations on the campus
the Speech Department has
been overlooked for the work
they have done in the com
munity. As you may or may
not know, my deep concern
and interest are with persons
who have a speech and/or
hearing problem.
The Speech Department
has, for the past four years
had students involved in many
agencies in our community —
Timmy Turtle, School of
Special Education at Central
State Hospital, Lucky Duck,
Tinsley School of Special Edu
cation and the Cerebral Palsy
Centar. Granted there is not a
student there each quarter,
but when there are enough
students in SDA 111-211 they
can choose to go.
- I do feel that all depart
ments who are involved in the
community should be recog
nized.
This brings up a question
in my mind. Why not have a
coordinator of services of Mer
cer students who work with
theae agencies? Our feedback
as to needs, and future plan
ning could be better organized
and implemented.
Sincerely,
R. Lanhara Logan, Chairman
Department of Speech
Dear Editor:
This is not a rebuttal to
the feedback section in last
week’s Cluster, but a reply to
clarify some points that Mr.
Carey’s white mentality was
not able to comprehend.
In order to express our at
titudes as one of the extreme
close-mindedneas you would
have to look deeper than tha
written paper of the article.
This is one quality that you
are obviously lacking, Mr.
Carey. I strongly suggest that
you discontinue your charact
erization of Individual atti
tudes until you acquire this
quality.
Mr. Cany also urea a mis
quote in his statement It was
not “What does the Black G1
have to grin from wiving his
country?” but “What does the
Black GI have to pin from
serving this country?” There is
s hell of a difference in those
two quote*. The thinking
Black people in this country
realise that this is not our.
country, but we are stranded
here in this wilderness of
North America. If this was
our country there would be
no need for the NAACP or
the civil rights movement, nor
the laws that have been paawd
to give so celled Negroes their
constitutional rights, which
has failed, nor would there be
a need for the Black Brothers
or Black Student Alliances on
college campus** all over this
country. But becauas my
African forefathers, were
bought, beaten, stolen, killed,
then forced to come to j/pm
shores and to carry the bur
den of your physical and man
ta! oppression, we are here.
We will remain here and white
folk, you will have hell on
your hands until there is a
positive total change In the
conditions that now confront
Black people In this country.
The statistics concerning
the .front line troops that are
Black in Viet Nam (58%) are
just as accurate as the stati
stics given by the white news
media on CBS with respect to
the Viet Cong drily death toil
and the one's that die for the
ftee world ride. That’s hinny
isn’t It?
Just for information’s sake,
Mr. Carey, we would not
attempt to explain the quote,
“One dead nigger in Viet Nam
is one less protester In
America” to any racially
mixed group, especially a
brain washed infantry platoon
where every man, Black and
White, has been transformed
into a military machine that
uses all purpore oil to replace
the H2 O that they drank
when they were human. My
total effort here is to awaken
Black people to the alterna
tives that they have and I
don't give a damn about what
you white people do.
I was pleased to see that
Mr. Carey was able to com
prehend one point that was
emphasized in the article. But
your “silent rush from the
flank” suggrets total non
violences, which hat proven
not to be sucussful in our
struggle. If you and the ma
jority of the whit* people in
(Continued on page 3)
Karate Makes Success
At Opening of Center
by Ron Childs
Mercer has recently put Into implementa
tion the beginning phase of the Community
Center program, that hopefully will expand in
facilities and perspective as time passes. Under
the direction of Peggy Gough, the program en
tertained over 100 children on Saturday the
24th of January. The children met at tba
Center and moved to the girls gym and partl-
cipated in various activities. Ths girts were
offered volleyball, tag games, and coloring and
drawing activities under the direction of Pam
Chappell. The boys played basketball, volley
ball, wrestling, and tnjoyed a tremendous
karate demonstration by Oecar Chapman.
This program give* ths children from ths
community a chance to heroine acquainted
with Mercer, and yet at/ the asms trine trie
Mercer students working Mn the program are
able to assimilate various experiences and re
actions into ■ better anderatandlng of the
community around them. Mercer students
should be eager and willing to help In this
endeavor, for hate is presented a two-fold op
portunity for teaming One, students will be
able to apply ciamroom knowledge and
theories into actual real lilt situations and
technical observation. Two, students will be
able to 0m a little to someone who needs this
befe, bring able to be a port of —*iwg Macon
a better plan to live.
In the long run then are hopes o( rigal
advice, medical and family planning, but these
hopes and dreams can only be MBaud by a
lot of hard work by a lot of wlliug people.
Everyone la urged to help as much as ponfoie
in tbs program.