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Pi Kappa Phi
Alpha Alpha Chapter of Pi
Kappa Phi will formally ded
icate the new lodge on
Sunday, February 15, 1970.
Alumni and members from
throughout the Georgia area
are expected to attend the
event. The lodge will be ded
icated to Walter “Wally”
Butts, former head coach at
the University of Georgia and
Robert Bennett, both alumni
of Alpha Alpha who have
aided in the building of the
lodge. Also included in the
dedication will be C. G.
McGeehee, a notable benefac
tor who also aided in the con
struction.
The dedication of the lodge
culminates almost two years
of hard work by the brother
hood to reach this goal since
the rechartering of the chapter
in 1968. With the construc
tion of the lodge completed.
the Raiders of Alpha look
forward to a bright and
prosperous future.
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu has elected its
slate of officers for the
Winter-Spring term. These
officers are:
Mike Osterhout — Com
mander. Henry Vann - Lt.
Commander. John Barry —
Recorder, Jack Pritchard —
Treasurer, Henry and Larry
Jackson — Scholarship
Chairmen, Tom Bennett —
Social Chairman, Phil
, Ricaurte — Historian, Steve
New — Rush Chairman,
Mike Moorhead — Pledge
Marshall. Biff TiHis -
Reporter, Ken Bailey —
Sentinel. Charlie Runion —
Alumni Contact, Bob
Stanton — Chorister,
Vernon Greene — Chaplain
Congratulations are in
order for several Sigma Nut.
Mr. Joe Prickhardt, from New
Smyrna Beach is the newest
pledge of Eta Chapter. Steve
Cotter is cavaliered to Cindy
Smith (Chi Omega). Jack
Phtohurd is to \liwa»
Jean Dowie of Columbus
The Snakes extend best
wishes for a happy and pros
perous future to newly weds
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Adams. Mrs.
Adams is the former Miss
Evelyn Hemlin and is Sigma
Nu Sweetheart.
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“The Swedish Blue Angel and
Her Imaginary Lover”
MERCER STUDENTS WELCOME -
PLEASE JUST HAVE I D FOR 21 yrs- old
Clutter profile
Cluster Files Prove Interesting
The Mercer Cluster, “somewhat of an innovation In college and school life," was first published at Mercer as an organ for the
14 schools in the Mercer system. The system, according to Dr. Spright Dowell’s History of Mercer University, was abandoned
after four or five yean, but the Cluster has remained and is still flourishing.
The Cluster, in Its first year Of publication, was one of the few college papers publishing its news in a regular seven column
format. It was edited by George M. Sparks, a practicing journalist and an alumnus of Mercer.
Taking IU name from Je«e The Cluster then challenged Another decade passed and
Mercer’s duster, a hymnbook, the various dubs to do some- the Cluster of Sept. 22, 1939,
The Army’s Meritorious Service Medal was presented to CoL
Joseph H. Jones, r., commanding officer of the Mercer Univer
sity ROTC. The presentation was made by CoL Jerry M. Sage,
master parachutists and former Green Beret commander whose
exploits in World War U were the basis for the motion picture,
“The Great Escape”, starring Steve McQueen. Col. Jones was
dted for service while assigned to the ROTC Headquarters,
Third U. S. Army, Fort McPherson from September, 1967, to
July, 1969.
Fraternity News
(Continued from Page 7)
2nd Vice President: Dovey
Hatcher, Corresponding
Secretary: Debbie Rogers,
Recreation Secretary:
Karen McCartney, Treasur
er: Dianah Broussard,
House Chairman: Carol
Jackson, Rush Chairman:
Lynda Osterman, Activities
Chairman: Pat Barnwell
At a candlelighting, re
cently, it was announced that
Sheila Miller was pinned to
Phi Dell, David Whatley.
the Mercer Cluster, was at
first a collection of notes
from the different colleges
and schools in the system. For
instance, under the heading
“Shorter News" was this item:
“There are rumors throughout
the college that the Mercer
Glee Club will visit Shorter
soon. We are wondering if this
is true. A cordial welcome
awaits them.” This was before
the days of co-education at
Mercer, of course.
First Issue
The big story for the first
issue was headed, “Bessie Tift
Girls Greet Each Other in
Foreign Lands,” and was, for
the most part, the reproduc
tion of a letter from Miss
Alvada Gunn to the ‘Bessie
Tift Girls.' From such stories,
the Cluster progressed to
stories of Mercer men who
were prisoners of the Germans
during World War I.
Another story of interest
to present Mercer freshmen,
who stilt learn of the tradi
tions around Mercer by word
of mouth from the upperclass
men, is the story of the
campus mound. This was “a
vine-covered mound to the
right of the steps of the main
building.” Freshmen in 1920
“were told that Jesse Mercer,
was buried there and that his
last request was that his re
mains be buried on the
campus. The Cluster, however,
sets minds at ease by getting
the facts.
“The mound was placed
there merely to beautify the
campus. There was another on
the opposite side of the
steps." (Volume I, No. 15)
Ten Years Later
Ten years made a lot of
difference to the Cluster. Dur
ing its first decade of publica
tion, it had shrunk to six
columns and was some six
inches shorter than its pre
decessors.
Movies had come to Mercer
for the first time. The Jan.
10, 1930, issue relates that
“Mercer’s first moving pictures
will be presented today when
C. B. Wray, dean of the school
of commerce, and his assis
tants will run the 'Island of
Sugar' and ‘The Queen of the
Waves.’ ”
In this issue the Cluster, in
its editorials, bewailed the fact
that the clubs on campus
could poll a quorum only
three times in the school year.
Once was at election time,
when everybody hoped to be
elected to office; once was
when the pictures were taken
for the annual; and once was
when a party was given.
thing worthy of four para
graphs in the news.
Also in the editorials was a
humorous comment about a
Macon Telegraph editorial pro
testing the cutting of a
musical number from a
“recent Rialto attraction.”
The number was cut, accord
ing to the editorial, because
“some few ladies objected to
the show of legs in “Turn on
the Heat.”
Extended Holidays
“Registration was delayed
because a large number of stu
dents voluntarily extended
their holidays for a day or
so,’’ the business manager,
S. J. T. Price, noted
Advertising, which is of
vital importance to any p-per,
did not appear to be a pro
blem for the Cluster. Its pages
were well filled with ads from
local businesses, such as Jos.
N. Neel and J. C. Penny, as
well as national advertising, a
sample of which is the Old
Gold ad in the Feb. 7, 1930
issue.
Showing a picture of an
all-American type strangling a
villain, complete with black
mustache, silk hat, and patent
leather boots, the ad reads:
All-American: “Curse you,
you have the resistance of an
army. Marvin Murgatroyd, you
fiend, I have promised myself
the rare pleasure of doing you
in with my bare hands, and
yet. . .” Top-hatted villian:
“Choke away, Horace Gilling-
water! Any throat protected
by the constant use of Old
Golds, the smoother and
better queen-leaf cigarette, is
beyond the power of your
feeble strength! There’s not a
cough in a carload!”
Football Active
Football, very much alive
at this period, went into
spring practice with over
thirty men attending.
The Cluster, in these days
before co-education, regularly
featured a letter from the stu
dents at Wesleyan. A box on
the front page of the March
28, 1930, issue asked the
Mercer men: “How Do you
Stand on Prohibition?" The
results, announced in the next
were UuU. the Mttocriiflt
were almost 3 to 1 in favor of
it
In its editorials, the Cluster
was asking "Why not a week
for spring holidays?" and the
Mercer Players made their
debut by presenting three one
act plays at Bessie Tift and
Weslevan.
<f hi (Dmeqa
•ay*,
Thf Rebels Will Be
“Ruined” by the Bruins
(Siijma ;\’u
says—
Go Bears
Snake Columbus
announced that the University
would present flight courses
for students. Taking note of
the war activities, the Cluster
also noted that its last year’s
sports editor. Charlie Hodges,
had joined the Marines
The Cluster had shrunk
again and had reached its pre
sent tabloid size. Its masthead
carried the slogan: “Mirror of
Student Thought and Action.”
The paper had gained a pho
tographer and was carrying
pictures of current campus
activities.
Lee Battle was in the news
because of a recent illness.
Lee, who had been suffering
from high blood pressure and
other ailments, told the
Cluster that he planned to use
a megaphone during the
coming football season when
be gave his famous bear growl.
During this -ear, the
Cluster carried more and more
notices of Mercer students and
alumni who volunteered or
were drafted into the armed
services.
Willing to Fight
A straw vote asking the
students if they would be
willing to fight if the United
States proper were attacked
brought the result that
“Mercerians Favor Peace But
Are Willing To Fight.’’
(Volume 20, No. 3)
The Nov 3, 1939, issue
relates that the “Determined
Bruins Invade Athens Today.”
The story continues: “Mer
cer’s crippled Bruins will meet
their traditional rival, the Uni
versity of Georgia Bulldogs,
on the field of battle at
Sanford Stadium in Athens
today. The Bears, although
weakened by the injury of
several key players in their tilt
with the mighty Tennessee
VoU last Saturday, will be
breathing fire in their attempt
to wrest a victory from the
Red and Black for the first
time in Mercer football his
tory." Unfortunately history
repeated itself and the Bears
lost.
Students Newspaper
Just ten years ago, the
Cluster carried the notice to
students: “The Cluster is your
newspaper. Therefore, any stu
dent or faculty member who
wishes to make suggestions,
comments, or criticisms, is
requested to do so, either
openly through the publica
tion or directly to the editor.”
This would seem to be the
attitude of all Cluster editors
throughout its history. The
Cluster was first of all a stu
dent publication and is still
student owned and student
operated.
The Messiah was performed
with accompaniment by Mrs.
Arthur Rich at the controls of
the new $25,000 organ in
Willingham chapel.
Mercer was observing its
117th anniversary and had
973 students enrolled. Plans
were announced for the
establishment of a school of
education and for the expan
sion of University facilities for
women students.
The Lambda Chi’s were
officially installed as the Zega
Omega Chapter. They had
been founded about two years
before this ceremony.
Boone Hall, addition to
Mary Erin Porter Hail, was
begun.
The Mercer ROTC began
its annual Field Day exercises
in 1950 with the first one
having the 14th Air Force
Command Band in attendance.
There are only a few of the
multitudinous articles that
have appeared in the Cluster
during its forty-year history.
Any student who has the time
or inclination will find a gold
mine of information plus a lot
of unintended humor as he
reads the old issues of the
HAVE YOU VISITED WILD STRAWBERRY
ON VINEVILLE?
The unusual and fascinating shop of imports found amidst the
aroma of potpourri and incense, blossoming flowers and hanging
lanterns. Mods and fraditionals in accassorios and gadgets to
ploase onoaolf.
WILD STRAWBERRY, Inc.
2470 Vineville Avenuo
MACON. GEORGIA
Phono 743-6959
Alpha ITau (Omega
• ay *'
Get the Mercer Bears “Bruining”
Defeat the Rebels
9J&
THE MERCER CLUSTER • FebruaryJO, 1970 • 9