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PAGE 11
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
I--, Mercer worship service
is still very much alive
Chapel is dead. (That was the
compulsory thing, remember?)
But Mercer Worship Service is
very much alive. At least, so
think the 60-120 people who
attend the Friday morning
services in Ware Music Hall,
and the student-faculty com
mittee that plans them.
Take this quarter, for in
stance.
ft The Faculty Forum was (ire-:
ft theory at least) a regulars
f:f:feature of last year's duster:-:
fvwhich gave the faculty an op-ft
g'portunity to express theirg
f:f:opinions on campus affairs. Theft
:£ feature died from lack of in-ft
•f:-treat. Mr. Ed Corson's article:;:
ft this week may be the first of ax
ft series of informative orfti
ft opinionated articles written by:-:
** ra te ft
'gur oFcoatue TOU HAVE A PLACE IN COLLEGE IF IT
WEEENT FOft TH' HJLL,LATY,ieK6«FbN5l0LE,»mPlP
9TUPENT; HOW EVEP VLOULPWE BE ABLETS RECOSNiZE :?opimonaiea articles wi
IK BW^KT.lNDUffrRIOL^HFRPWbBKiNG^NTELUGeNTCKE?* ^faculty memgen. Mg
Loss of legislators heralds
many congressional changes
\ visitor to Washington would'
probalby not notice any dif
ference in the old place, but you
can bet the face of national
politics i entering a w£ole new
ear and there’s going to be some
changes made.
The United States has lost
three of. its most respected,
Another change on capitol hill
may also be taking place in that
time honored tradition, the
senate seniority system. A
group of young senators is
seeking to have the system
changed, especially after the
stagnation in the senate during
the past congress. The house is
also supporting the change after
being fed up with-the senates
seeming incapacity to get
anything done
Sen. Russell and Reps. Mc
Cormack and Rivers might not
even recognize the old place in a
few years. At least we can hope
they wouldn't.
by Mr. Bill Corson
the duster expresses thanks to
Mr. Corson for his interest and
effort.
Mr. Lane started it off with a
series of two talks keyed in to
the E.F.P. theme of Per
suasion; then the first half of
the rock opera hit "Jesus Christ
Superstar" got played and
discussed. Just this past Friday
a favorite target of the redneck
element held forth in a service
that included music by a black
Soul chorus and a white Folk
quartet.
That speaker was Millard
Fuller, a Congregational
layman in his middle 30's who is
direcotr of the Koinonia
Movement in Americus,
Georgia. Five years ago he
gave up a prospering law and
business career in his native
Alabma, and turned first to
raising funds for a Negro
college and then to promoting
missionary work in Africa.
Then in 1968 he 1 came to
Koinonia Farms to help the late
Clarence Jordan get the new
interracial . business venture,
Koinonia Partners, underway.
When Jordan, Koinonia foundei
and translator of the Cotton
Patch Version of the Bible, died
suddenly in late 1969 as he
prepared to come here for a
Chapel appearance. Fuller took
over leadership.
For this Friday, the second
half of "Jesus Christ Super
star" is on the agenda. The
concert will start promptly at
10:p0. T.'e last ten minutes of
the period, after the music is
over, will be given to comments
by Dr. Otto, and by Mr. Loyd
Landrum, a local church
musician. Then, a "feedback
session" will involve those who
can stay on into the 3rd period in
a lively discussion of the con
troversial work.
Such opportunities to talk
back to speakers, incidentally,
are part of every service unless
the speaker has to rush off
immediately.
The coming weeks will see a
variety of things. Dr. Julian
Cave, Dr. Guldens’ successor as
pastor of First Church in
Athens, will preach. Then will
come a with-it religious jour
nalist whose socially-oriented
magazine has some of the
brethren pretty shook; a
Quaker educator; a Jewish
rabbi. The Mercer Choir and
various unofficial musical
groups will be on hand, of
Course.
Says a spokesman for the
planning committee, "We’re
aiming at a mix of worship,
social relevance, intellectual
stimulation, and spiritual
search and support. Different
things to meet different needs
and moods. For seekers and
Christians alike."
influential and of tn time feared
. legislators and national leaders.
The implications for change on
capitol hill are staggering.
Before the general election
this year Speaker of the House
John McCormack of Texas
announced his retirement; he
had the house in his grip for
manylong years. Only months
later Rep. L. Mendal Rivers of
South Carolina and chairman of
the house armed services
committee died following open
heart surgery.
And the most powerful man in
the U.S. Senate, Richard
Brevard Russell of Georgia was
buried only two weeks ago,
after he lost his bout with
chronic emphasema. Ruseell
was chairman of the Senate
Appropriations Committee and
a last Chairman of the armed
services committee. More
important, he was the chief
engineer of America’s militiary
might. \
It is obvious that possibility
for change has been opened up
In the area of national defense,
especially at a time when the
majority of the country is
questioning our defense policy.
Might might not necessarily be
right.
Even though the new
chairmen of the committees
will nrobably hold the same
views - ^ ineir predecesors,
members of. the congress might
be more ready to question them,
than they were a Russell of a
Rivers.
Perhaps even the existence of
the military-industrial complex
may be called into question and
the spending of 70 cents of every
tax dollar either directly or
indirectly for defense The draft
is already on the line and the
abscence of the three big men in
congress could have a definite
effect on a vote later this year
Letters to
the editor
publish a statement concerning
their funds and where these
funds are allocated? Maybe
next time they could provide the
Student Body with a list of
groups that are within our price
range, with some type of
student poll taken as to whom
we are going to pay.
Mercer truly needs a Student
Union Board that will relate to
the sesires of all of the students
and not to the musical
preferences of a few Board
members and their "advisor”.
Bob Kirkpatrick
In reply to Bob Kirkpatrick’s
letter to the editor,' and as a
statement of clarification
concerning the Student Union
Activities Board, the planning
of the activities, and the func
tioning process of the activities
program, I would like to point
out a few pertinent (acts. In
addition, explanation relating to
the Homecoming dance will be
given.
For the first time in five years
there was a *no show: of any
kind. Booked last October 1970
for the Homecoming dance 1971,
the Metros, who . played last
ye*r on campus, did not show.
Frank Bray, the Metros
manager, apologized profusely
for the inconvenience, which
was caused by internal strife,
specifically, the quitting of their
lead guitarist Mr. Bray claims
he Nras unable to contact any
school official.’ However the
$100.00deposit is being returned
and the Metros have agreed to
play a free dance at our con
venience.
The Student Union Activities
Board, whose members are
chosen from applications,
represent a fair cross section of
the student body. Almost
everyone that applied attained
membership. Part of the bast
responsibility of a Board
member, being somewhat the
thankless task that it is, entails
the planning of quarterly ac
tivities. The major portion of
energy is devoted to the actual
carrying out of programs, e.g.,
lighting, sound arrangements,
publicity, artist’s ac
comodations, etc. Therefore, it
has been the experience of the
^ Board members, that the few
who apply tnuit work
vigorously to. eVen meet
scheduled programs.
A note of interest concerning
the structure of the Board is the
complete reorganization of that
body. This Spring will include
the election of Board members
and its Chairman by the student
body.
As was mentioned, the
planning of activities is a small
part of the entire process of
finalizing programs. However,
this does not lessen the task
which' requires considerable
time and effort. Plans must be
made at least one quarter in
advance to meet booking
requirements of groups, film
companies, and speaker
agencies. Therefore, con
sideration must be given, not
only to time tables three months
in the future, rather, and more
importantly, to the budgeting of
funds to allow an even
distribution 'for all three
quarters. The activities
program at Mercer is able to
boast spending twice its
budgeted fund, due to the
promotion of such groups as
Three Dog Night. This, in ad
dition to, shrewd handling of
booking agencies has enabled
the activities program to func
tion- quite beyond its limited
budget.
If one cares for an objective
evaluation of the Mercer
Student Activities Program. 1
would like to refer to the out
standing reception df Mercer's
display at the annual Southern
Conference of the College
Unions International. This
display included promotional
material used in publicizing
Mercer Films programs. In
sight Lecture series, concerts,
etc. QompleL.y outclassing all
other schools of its size, Mercer
ranked among such universities
as the University of Florida,
whose budget, incidentally is
four fold that of Mercer’s! It is
in this perspective that the
magnitude of Mercer’s ac
tivities program is clearly
visible.
The Student Union Activities
Board, which has been so
unobjectively criticized, em
ploys an objective attitude in
earnest attempt to satisfy the
majority of students, with equal
concern for selective tastes in
entertainment. However, tl
seems' evident that one body
cannot fulfill simultaneously
the multitudes of partiality in
the area of entertainment.
Therefore, it has been
necessary to engage a variety of
groups and music in planning
concerts and dances.. Likewise,
several unlike preferences are
solicited before the selection of
films and speakers.
If any studnet is sincerely
motivated to assist, con
structively work for, or even
change the activities program,
not use the program, Board, or
any individual as a scapegoat
for criticism, then I more than
welcome him to the ranks of
time consuming dedication. All
students are welcome to attend
Uwoger^oar^meetings^
Send Action
Line Questions
To
Action Man
Pervaiz Peter