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"The Pacesetter of the Seventies"
JOHNNY TURNER TYLER HAMMETT
Editor Managing Editor
CHUCK JACKSON. Assistant Editor
DON NOTTINGHAM, Business Manager
Executive Editors Gary Johnson, Tom Cauthorn, Bobby Phillips
(Unsigned editouals are the opinion ot the Cluster and should not be confused with
news stprres Srflni-d columns and cartoons ara the opinions of the authors and not the
Cluster I
I he Cluster welcomes Je ters from individuals, expressing their views and opinions on any sub
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tins it :'er not in good journalistic form and style.
Death on campus
When Mercer students :tnd faculty
gathered in I unit of the flagpole last
I uesday in an attempt to speak out
against the death of the four Kent State
students, they did so instinctively. They
sat quietly on the grass not realizing that
they would be ridiculed by many fellow
students, as well as photographed and
editorialized. WMAZ’s cameras and the
Macon Telegraph’s reporter did not enter
their minds. They simply reacted to a
violent and needless death of fellow stu
dents. What the Ohio National Guard did
on May 4 was wrong, and somehow they
felt someone must say this so they sat
out m the sun for two hours under a flag
at hall mast to say it.
Then Dean Trimble stood in front of
them, and said in words what their pre
sence in effect said. There must be some
way to end this insanity of violence and
war. protest and counter-protest, and
threats, other than mere violence, more
war. more protest, and more Counter
protest, and more threats. There must be
an alternative.
How is it possible to make a valid pro
test in our society when the act inevit
able leads to an insane spiral of reaction,
counter-reaction and violence; and
finally, as in Ohio, corpses. President
Nixon said in his C ambodia statement
that when “dissent turns to violence, it
invites tragedy.” But the President com
pletely missed the real tragedy. The
greatest cause for sadness is caused by
the structure of our society dissent
must turn to violence, dissent must be
come “tragedy.” dissent must lead to be
coming what you are trying to protest.
And the question which those stu
dents who sat under the flagpole, and
those who stood around criticizing them,
and those who went about their, business
as if nothing happened, should ask (hem-
selves is why why do we do nothing,
until we have corpses lying in our
streets?
Dorm conditions cramped
Any Mercer male who has attempted
to move oil campus in the last year has
continually been confronted with a time
worn question “Are you 21?” If he
happens to be under that absurd figure
his only chance of changing his residence
is a letter from a physiei in or pshychi-
atlist stating that dormitory life is detri
mental to his health, unless he is living
with relatives in Macon.
It does not matter if a student (and
his parents)-feel that living off campus
would be better for any number of rea
sons. it the above conditions don't apply
ins request will be turned down. The rea
son continually given for this is financial,
flic Housing Office must fill the dormi-
t.oj ics to keep them open.
( lumitlv each student living on
camp is pays SI 24 a quarter for his room
(including health lees’). Since two
people 'generally share a room this places
the total cost at x24(i a quarter. For this
they icccive one cramped room, use of a
-communal bath, and a minimum ot fur
niture and storage space. If'fortunate
enough to be housed m Sherwood Hall
they are'graced with a sink and at least
space to walk around. Fringe benelits of
the dormitory include lack of privacy,
noise at any time of the day or night,
and if you happen to be an upperclass
man the sheer joy of possibly rooming
next to a freshman.
It seems ludicrous that for S10 to S25
more a quarter for each resident two per
sons could rent an off-campus apart
ment l or this extra expenditure they
receive two rooms, wall to wall carpet,
private hath, and a relative degree of
privacy. I his also frees them from the
mandatory meal ticket. Yet it is virtually
impossible for a student under 21 to
move off campus.
It the university is going to persist in
its policy changes should be made. Why
not include some of the advantages ol
apartment living in the dormitories. One
place to,begin might be Shorter Hall. It
could be made more comfortable by
reducing every two rooms to one thus
decreasing the cramped conditions. It
the bousing fee has to be increased who
will complain if a private bath and the
right to privacy are in the offing.
The Cluster Staff
Advertising Manager
Advertising Stall
Bryant Durham
New v ftditor
News StalT
Glcndu ( ope land
I eature I ditor . . .
l eaturc Stall . .
Brian Murray. Lou
Child.*
C’i»-sportv h ditor*
Greg Stimvon, C'baric
ft difonalivtv
Cal Gough. l^aiTy ft ml
Marion Murray
. Mary Deft-reese
hlijoh Ughtfool
.Charter Carter
Marsha Mathews
Judy Wright
Swain. Wesley Smith. Gent
Tom Robinson
. Wagoner
Ted KandJer
tclsiein
Columnist Andi Lrost
Copy ft ditors Joe Parker
I'd ft ishcr
layout Consultant Lynn Mayes
Photographers . r Joe Cook
Bob Johnson
Advisor ,x Mr. Michael Cass
The Mercer Cluster is a weekly student publication
published by tftre students of Mercer University The
phone number is 743-151 1. extension 221. The
address is Box 29. Mercer University. Office room 326
and 328 C SC Office hours are 9 0 0 5 00. Monday
through I riday Subscriptions are S5.00
fHL MFRCLR C LUSTER • Mav 12. 1^70 • 2
Cambodia gamble
Is costly strategy
President Nixon has taken
the paradoxical position that it
is possible to end the Vietnam
War by escalating the fighting
into Cambodia. If such action
had been
taken by Pre
sident John
son a few
lace years ago, it
is doubtful that he would have
received nearly as much criti
cism as has been heaped upon
Nixon, especially from Con
gress, for the hawks have
become more dovish. But times
and emotions have changed,
and many people have seen the
disaster of a ground war in
Southeast Asia becoming a
quagmire for American troops
to be drawn into.
If we overlook the mother
hood and apple pie phrases in
Nixon’s “Cambodia State
ment” of April 30 (and we
must realize that these phrases
are necessary to appeal to a
large group of Americans — the
Silent Majority, perhaps), we
can see some logic in what the
President has decided to do.
From a military slandjvoint it is
essential to ‘‘clean out major
enemy sanctuaries on the
Cambodia-Victnam border" in
order to protect American
forces as the withdrawal pro
gram proceeds. For too long
the enemy has been able to
cache supplies of ammunition
and food in places a short
distance into Cambodia and
know that these supplies were
safe from American troops; no
war can be fought successfully
on terms like this.
But there arc other con
sideration with respect to this
new development. In a guerilla
war it is all but impossible to
make a quick “surgical strike”
effectively and then withdraw.
Nixon was careful to explain:
"Our purpose is not to occupy
the area. Once enemy forces
are driven out of their sanc
tuaries and their military
supplies destroyed, we will
withdraw,” If this can be done
in one or two months, this
massive political (and military)
gamble will have paid off for
the President; but if, as Robert
Goralski of NBC News pointed
out, Nixon must come back to
the American people In six
weeks and announce that with
only 10,000 more troops and
ten more weeks the Com
munists can be cleared out of
Cambodia he will have signed
his political death warrant
(which is relatively unimpor
tant vis a’ vis the deaths of the
thousands of American troops
who would be destined to die
if the Hghting had to be ex
panded again . . . and again . . .
and again).
Being in college, of draft
age, and without a deferment
for the coming year, it is dif
ficult to be objective in this
situation. The national unity of
the United States has always
been perhaps its greatest asset,
but that unity has been severe
ly harmed in recent years by
the Vietnam War, and the
Cambodia Statement has
strained the situation to an
almost unbearable limit. Every
person is being forced to ask
himself “What if this doesn’t
work? How much longer will
this war continue?” With ques
tions like this it is rather mean-
ingless that the President
assumed personal responsibility
for his derision.
But the decision has been
made. Troops have invaded
Cambodia, and the right or
wrong of the decision is aca
demic at this point. The agony
that President Nixon went
through in arriving at his deci
sion is equalled if not exceeded
by millions of Americans who
are now hoping desperately
that this risk will pay off. Wait
ing and waiting and waiting; it
is all but unendurable. Let’s
hope that the answer comes
soon — very soon.
SGA OK s I. D. Check
In the SC. A meeting of April
29, the following chairmen of
the standing committees were
nominated and approved by
the Senate Appropriations.
Charles Bowen; Auxiliary Ser
vices, Sally Fulcher, Elections,
Packv Cable; Publicity. Gail
Kline; Library, Patti Richey;
Waverly, Ernie Robinson A
special committee is headed by
Dick Jacobs and Mike Moore-
head to study our intramural
program.
At this meeting the new
cafeteria II) checking system
was endorsed after much de
bate — by a majority of SGA
senators. I personally see the
value of the new system as a
means of cutting down costs of
our food preparation, since stu
dents without meal tickets
won’t be signing for and eating
food that other students ulti
mately pay for. It’s important
to note that quality of food
will never increase unless cost
of preparation goes down or
until we are willing to pay
more for our meals, which cost
about $2.05 per day.
Dean Hendricks spoke to us
on the Waverly Conference
which is held at the end of
each academic year. Gathered
there are the SGA, a number of
faculty members, administra
tors, and representatives of just
about any aspect of the Mercer
campus that SGA deals with
Problems are discussed and
solutions are aimed at
Dean Hendricks talked to us
about the increasing amount of
student control at Mercer,
which he doesn’t seem to
lament. But he cautioned that
when we, the students, are in
control, we are also respon
sible. I am very much aware of
the responsibility we must ac
cept in problem areas on cam
pus. such as drugs and the large
number of transfers. It’s In
creasinglv difficult to scape
goat the administration when
we have control
In the May 4 meeting the
SGA unanimously endorsed
the proposed Standing Board
of Publications. I favored the
report, seeing it as a protective
measure for editors of student
publications, since all grie
vances by readers are to be
directed to the Board and not
the editor himself. In general I
see the Board as a reminder of
ethics in writing.
An interesting minority re
port was included by Ralph A.
Phelps, Jr., Vice President for
Development. He objected to
the idea of editors of student
publications being members of
the Board, with the right to
vote. He quite pointedly stated
that this is letting the accused
be a member of the jury. But
as the SGA understands it the
SGA Judiciary Committee —
not the board — will be the
jury.
He makes a second point
that “The makeup of the com
mittee, which gives students a
majority, makes the entire idea
of university control of publi
cations a farce.” As a student
I’d much rather see control of
student publications in the
hands of the students, as the
majority report advocates. Per
haps he favors a majority of
The Cauldron needs the help of the student body. In order to
expand the coverage of intramurals and campus activities, the
staff has increased the size of the yearbook and has planned such
innovations as color pictures and sf>ecial effects. Naturally, this
has increased the price, but the amount of the increase has been
more than anticipated. Due to the rise in printing costs. There
fore, the Cauldron must either have an additional $1890 to pay
for the yearbook or cut out the expanded coverage. If each stu
dent could contribute $1.00, this deficit would be cleared, the
student would be listed as a student patron, and Mercer would
have a very fine Cauldron How about it gang?
Senator Janet Hogue
faculty members on the Board
rather than students in hopes
that statements issued by the
Board would then be better re
ceived by the Macon com
munity or alumni. But I don’t
think many outside people
would bother to even ascertain
what the Publications Board is;
let alone who serves on it!
It is hoped that SGA en
dorsement of the majority re
port will aid its being adopted
by President Harris.
The Bookstore policy on
periodical subscription is being
looked into due to the very
sporadic appearance of the
Great Speckled Bird. Students
have asked repeatedly to have
it offered in the bookstore. If
you’d like to see more periodi
cals offered, see Patti Richey
about it.
We received some NSA pam
phlets that could save a lot of
money for anyone planning to
be in Europe this summer.
Stop by the SGA office for the
info.
Betsy Jones reported on the
Spring Cleaning action. Mercer
was offered a pool table or two
in exchange for workers. We
had workers but seems the
pool table is now in question.
In my opinion the whole
Spring Cleaning idea should be
in question! I’d like to see the
C&S Bank money go into
better housing or schools. I
think we need a lot of things
more than we need American
flags and publicity for C&S
Bank!
NOTES:
ALL students are eligible
for the Standing Committees
mentioned earlier. Applications
are at the switchboard.
ALL SGA meetings are
open to ALL students. Monday
6 pm.
Suggestions on cafeteria
procedure are welcomed by
Mr. Krakow and Sally Fulcher.
When you gripe about
apathetic students, yet do no
thing, you are an apathetic stu
dent.