WJBtM
Guest editorial
"Tht Pacesetter of the Seventies"
JOHNNY TURNER TYLER HAMMETT
Editor Managing Editor
MEMBER
CHUCK JACKSON, Assistant Editor
DON NOTTINGHAM. Business Manager
Executive Editors: Gary Johnson, Tom Cauthorn, Bobby Phillips
(Unsigned so.tonsil art the opinion o* the Cluster end should not be confused with
news itpries Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions or the authors and not the
Clustar.)
The Cluster welcomes letters from individuals expressing their views and opinions on any sub
jects. The letters (1) must be 500 words or less, (2) must be typed double space, (3) must be signed
by author, name can be withheld from publication upon consent of the editor, (4) onoe letter* are
received, they become Cluster property. The Ouster reserves the right to re-edit or not to publish
any letter not in good journalistic form and style.
Out of Vietnam
The time when we c«n remain piously aloof
and undecided about Vietnam has long since
passed. Within about twenty days there will be
an official rod call vote on the McGovem-Hat-
field Amendment to end the war in Southeast
Asia. This action by Congress would in effect
cut off fundi for the Invasion of Cambodia an
provide for the termination of the Jnited
States military operations in South Vietnam,
except, for the purpose of withdrawing troops
safely and systematically, the exchange of pri
soner*, and an asylum for Vietnamese who
might feel threatened by our withdrawal.
It is vital that Mercer University students
make a decision about this war and take con
structive action based on their choice. The Clus
ter urges you to support this legislation pending
before Congress. The only effective way to turn
administration policy around and disentangle
the U. S. from Vietnam is through Congression
al action. Protests and March at are helpful In
that they provide a visible means of expressing
concern and disgust with Nixon’s war policy.
Letters to Congressmen, petitions, telegrams
etc. are an even better means of obtaining swift
action to end the war.
It has always been inherent in the nature of
protests and demonstrations that they provoke
reaction, and in OUR days the reaction is often
violent and repressive.
Action through Congress is the traditional,
legal, established method of change. If the legis
lative system fails America is dead as a nation.
It is the responsibility of those people who are
concerned about the future of America to sup
port the system by expressing their views. One
way of doing this is the current petition sup
porting The Amendment To End The War. The
petition states: “The war in Viet Nam hat gone
on too long. We demand that Congrem exercise
its Constitutional responsibility to end a war
that has not been declared. We, the undersign
ed, support The Amendment to End Hie War
which will stop appropriations for the war in
Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam.”
The Cluster urges Mercer students to sign
this petition. It is the biggest step a single per
son can take toward ending the war.
Going down?
In order to help further the cause of a con
structive education, we urge that the Waverfy
Conference recommend that the university set
aside some time next fall quarter to allow stu
dents to work in political campaigns. This has
already been done by many schools scrota the
nation, notably, the California university sys
tem. Such action by the university would only
provide a “safety valve” but would also allow
the entire Mercer community to participate in
the business of a democracy. In the meantime,
we as students could all get back to the business
that we came here for ... that of getting an
education.
A suggestion
According to President Harris’ report to the
trustees dated 16 April, 1970, Mercer is losing
ten faculty members next year and has hired
only two to replace them. A recent check with
Dean Taylor’s office indicates that there are
now eleven faculty members leaving.
We can talk all that we want to about cur
riculum changes. Freshman Task Force resolu
tions, Black Studies and what have you, but if
Mercer doesn’t hire the faculty to teach the
new courses (not to mention the old ones), the
academic revival of Mercer won’t get off the
ground. Many people. Including the administra
tion, seem to have forgotten that people come
here to Mercer to get an education. That’s ED
UCATION, E. D.U.C.A.T.I.O.N..
Mercer is a good school .. . one of the best
liberal arts colleges in Georgia. But that doesn't
mean that we will always be. And right now the
situation looks ominous, to say the least.
You can ay that the lowering of the grade
point average required for graduation was the
product of faculty fatigue after two days of
meetings. And you can rey that Mercer doesn't
have a lot of money and therefore must bargain
extensively in order to get good faculty mem
bers. But sooner or later, there things add up.
Did you read Use above paragraph? Oat the
merest*? OK? Let us repeat ... SOONER OR
LATER THESE THINGS ADD UP.
The Cluster Staff
Advertiuni Msnifer ■„ Marion Mumy
Advertising Staff . . Mary DeFreese
Bryant Durham
News Editor Elijah Ughtfoot
Newi Staff Charter Carter
Lien da Copeland
Feature Editor . . Manha Mathewi
tretue Stiff Jody Wright
Ma^Murrey, Lou Swain, Wtdey Smith. Gem
Cogah Editors . .• Tom Robinson
(hag Stiraaon, Charier Wagoner
EdMarisBsts Ted Kandter
CM Gough, Larry FlnkeUretn
Columnist Audi Frost
Copy Editor! Jos Parker
Ed Fisher
Layout Consultant i Lynn Mayes
Photopaphen Joe Cook
Bob Johnson
Advisor .Mr. Michael Cass
Tbs Mercer Onsttr is t weekly MU drat publication
published by the students of Mamas IMvantty The
phone number te 74J-1J11, exteaMon 221. The
addsssr is Box 24, Mercer UuharMty. Office room 326
and 32B CSC. Office hows aw 9«EJ‘:00, Monday
through Friday- Subscriptions re* S3.00.
Military obligation : r%
should be equal for all
by Gary Johnson
There are not many things I
agree with in regard to Presi
dent Nixon’s policies, but his
recent moves to aiimlnata de
ferments, especially student de
ferments, I think will set this
nation on the right road.
The Rational* I use is this:
the bulk of the load re tar at
manpower is concerned has
come from the lower dees of
the American Society. The
sons of rich parents have been
saved The lower dare has ask-
This Idea of military obliga
tion should be breed on a
system of human Ufa against
human life and not human Ilf*
against talent. Hie person who
did not make it to college has
the earn* value re the parson
who did make It to college.
Every human Iif* must be
measured oh an equal bade.
After all a Itte ia a life.
If a few Rockefellers, Fords,
Vanderbilts and Eterahowan
ware drafted and rent to the
war, there would lead to be e
little more sympathetic under
Mandlag to the cry for panee.
Decrements hare bean used re a
rehide by the appre dare re a
way of avoMtaig the draft and
military obligation. BUM-
tlon of dereanaata would
render a data of notional
equality and almost a attain
guarantee of jb* eufaMWthm
of the war.
*d for the war to end but has
not been heard. The upper
dare has repeatedly made the
decisions of the war and hare
Radio station
urged its continuance at the ex
pense of the common man.
S.G.A.
report A
by Marcy Hobbs ^'inHUMut'
The SGA meeting of May
11 opened with the introduc
tion of Dr. Ralph Phelps, Vice
President for Development at
Mercer, who had asked to be
given time to speak to the Sen
ate regarding his views on the
newly approved Publications
Board. The board, constructed
for the primary purpose of re
viewing aH literary efforts and
for the protection of student
editors, is not agreeable to Dr.
Phelps, who claims that the ra
tio of students to (acuity repre
sented on the board should be
equal, or, in order for the
board to fundion produc
tively, the faculty should com
prise a majority. He empha
sized, however, that he was not
attempting to change the vote
of the Senate regarding the
matter, but wished only that
his opinion be recognised. Also
mentioned by Dr. Phelps was
the formation of the Greater
Mercer Development Commit
tee for the purpose of devising
a type of thirty-year progress
plan for the university. Five
students will be selected by the
SGA to serve on this commit
tee.
A very interesting addition
to the regular buslnere was a re
port given by John May, one of
the approximately 30 students
from Mercer who traveled to
the Washington, D. C. demon
stration last week. John, in-
duded among the many Mu-
dents hoping to participate in a
protest in which violence
would be reduced to a mini
mum, found the situation
“moA like a war in the street
tbsn a peaceful demonstra
tion.” Apparently this was
caused in greet part by the use
of tear gas and other forms of
appeasement by well-meaning
authorities when this wee ac
tually unwarranted. Concern
ing our own situation at Mar-
car, President Harris was com
mended in writing by the SGA
for hie action last Friday in
lowering the U, S. flag. Letters
will also be received by Dr.
Otto and Deane nimble and
Hendricks In relation to their
work with tbs student* during
the days immediately following
the Kent State inddenL
An excellent and much
aaedad Section Code was pre
sorted by its author, Aileii Wal
lace. Ia the peat, quart iona that
hare arisen either daring the
riretto*. Raatf or dart* the
qnaHflcation period hare ban
aasweted without sufficient
(Coatinued on Pag* 4)
to be reality
by Ted Render
Late in Winter Quarter, the
idea of a student radio station:
began to materialise. To a great
extent this was a remit of the
work of finite Robinson, now
President of
SGA. Oa
March 9,
1970, a com-
mitts* of
Students
made a report to the SGA coo-
earning the proposal of the sta
tion. One of the basic needs for
having the radio station ia an
old problem that bps affected
the Mercer Community for a
long time — communication.
Prerent facilities — bulletin
boards, Cluster news, an
nouncements in the cafeteria —
are not sufficient to meat the
needs of effective communica
tion. Thus a student operated
radio station broadcasting only
on the campus through the
electrical system of the campus
seem* the most effective mode
possible. This Idea has been ac
cepted with a greet deal of In
terest by the administration
along with offers of aaristance.
Some people probably
wonder why the Unhrarrtty
should interest Itself In a radio
station. Dssldw communica
tion, it would provide for the
students easily attained enter
tainment. To add to the feasi
bility of a station here on cam
pus, we can look to tbs first
radio station In Macon —
WMAZ. WMAZ was created
bare on the campus with its
broadcasting facilities in the
tower of the chapel. It was in
1926, that the University teas
ed the station to a group of
Macon dtiaene, but its pro
grams were still subject to the
University. Dr. Dowell further
said in hie book A History of
Mercer University “It was de
signated radio station WMAZ,
‘Watch Mercer Ascend to
Zenith’.”
The station Is to be located
in on* of the meat dorm*
broadcasting to the Student
Center and al! the dorms initi
ally. Later expansion is hoped
to include the whole campus.
To receive the station a student
will only need an AM Radio.
Onw the riatioo Is sst into
operation It wtt become part
of the duties of msrehrea of
the Publicity oommittre of the
SGA. One of the points of im
portance about the radio sta-
ttoa Is that It wffi not be brood-
reet to peopte off the campus.
■9 thl* nature It w« leave the
porefiffitte* for dteorertou open
without any poartbflty of hurt
ing Dr. Pteips job.
The renter currant or Indue-
tien fltU broadcasting syetam
gate the bmmdamt dbuetty Into
tbs AC distribution system of a
building or group of huddlnp
This method Is just fora small
geographical area and con
sequently Is the moat prectic-
abte for Mercer’s dartres. In
this system the AC Una* work
as carrier for electricity and al
so to carry the radio rignals.
The remit la an antenna paten
throughout the buddies. Elec
tric radio pick up the bwadrert
through the riecirtdty, where
as battery operated radio can
pick up the signals bom the an
tenna system of the wiring of
the hufldiqpi within a does dte-
tance of the building.
Hie programming of tba ria
tioo will directed through
the Publicity Committee. This
committee will choose a super
visor to serve as taping editor,
program director and be In
stalled as manager of the ela
tion. The programs for the ria
tioo win tentatively be catego
rised In three areas: 1) Morning
Program 6:30-9:90 A.M., 2)
Daily and special Programs
3:00-11:00 P.M., and 3) Evan
ing Programs 11:00 PJI.-2:00
AM. The morning programs
will be particularly concerned
with providing the student's
with news of campus and com
munity that It te pertinent to
the student’s interest. Indarire
in the morning program era: 1)
News - meetings events that
are to happen during the day,
student activities; 2) Thought
for the day — this will be given
by different individuate re
■elected by the gowning com
mittee; 3) Sports - along with
the cooperation of the Ouster
staff and News ssrriew sporta
■vents will be publicised; 4)
Weather - th* teat Itam of thte
programming period wffi bn the
weather ettalaahte through the
weather bureau.
The Daily and epactel pro
grams wtU Include mostly en
tertainment la th* auric ana.
Also than wtt he Internet pro
pane aaeh as intervtewa con
cerning a project of a particular
department, or critiques af art
teres, or debates on onmpue
Issues. Th* evening pro-
pammhri time wffi ha dtr triad
aoiety to the entertainment by
Th# Idea of the radio station
has come a long Way, yut Ik rtfi
has a long road ahead. Inetrite-
tioa rtfl has to be oompletsd,
buying of sqatpasai, retting
up of the programs and findfog
people who a* sriffing to
work. A great dart Kre aimed,
but with th* hopes that the
rintion wffi bainftffi npwation
by the bapaalag af ffhB Quar
ter.
THE MERCER CLUSTER • May 19, 1970 • 2
