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Sieve Kelman. of “Push Comes to She - .* "fame spoke at Mercer
Monday-
Kelman Appears At Mercer,
Discusses Latest Book
Insight 1973 presented Steve
Kelman, author and former
student activist at Harvard
University, on Tuesday. January
16. Kelman was graduated from
Harvard University in 1970 and
since then has spent two years
traveling. In 1971 he spent two
months in East Germany. In
Kelman's presentation he shared
those experiences.
Kelman explained that his
“reason for going to East Ger
many was to see what life was
like for the average person under
a dictatorship, an unfree
society." But he encountered
quite a few problems. Kelman
first considered going to East
Germany as a journalist or
tourist. But the problem was that
journalists are given
propagandized tours by govern
ment officials (and he wanted to
talk to the people) and tourists
By Pat Barron
are granted permission for no
longer than one week. So Kelman
came up with the idea of going
as a student journalist That way
hewouldn't be important enough
for a guided tour and he could
stay longer than one week.
Kelman says, “In East Ger
many you have to have a visa in
advance, showing the exact dates
and places to be visited."
Although he had not received his
visa, he arrived in East Berlin
anyway After much controversy
he became a guest of the
Academy of Sciences for the
German Democratic Republic. In
return for his visa Kelman
provided the Academy with
some insight into our American
society.
Some observations about East
Germany that Kelman made
were that "people could not
travel through the country. If
they could it would be rapidly
empty. The government does
allow retired persons to leave but
this is only so they won’t have to
paypensions." Kelman thinks
that the average person's
complaint in East Germany is the
shortage of consumer goods. He
recalled lines of people waiting
for fresh tomatoes and meat.
"Every summer the country runs
out of soft drinks the only flavors
being lemon soda and cola." The
quality of that which is available
is also a complaint. He notes that
milk is not refrigerated and
sauces are all fat and no meat
Kelman concludes that the
basic reason for the economy is
the "lack of competition, not
state versus private, but rather
between companies. The East
German government wishes to
make everything inside their own
Continued On Page 4
The Mercer Cluster
“Part Of The News That's Fit To Print”
Volume LIV
Mercer University, Macon, Georgia
January 19, 1973 No. 12
Sources of Control of Mercer
Books Are Traced Upward
By Evan Torch and Jan Suffolk
Homecoming Schedule
Friday, January 19
9:00A M. to4 OOP M
Voting for Toby and Tot
10:00 AM
Wagon Parade in Co-op
8 OOP M
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in Chapel
10.00 P M
Bonfire and Pep Rally on ROTC field
Saturday. January 20.
Judging of Lawn Displays
2:00PM
Mercer Bears vs University of
7 30 P.M.
Tennessee at Chatanooga in
Macon Coliseum
Dance after game-Poo Nanny
in Macon Coliseum
President Harris Discloses Details
Of Merger Finalization to Editors
by Weyman Johnson. Jr.
During the past week, the
Cluster has received numerous
complaints about prices in the
book store, both the prices for
new books and those prices given
for books bought back by the book
store. In an effort to understand
how the Book Store operates, we
interviewed ' Mrs. Vernon
Jackson, the book store manager
Mrs. Jacleon explained that
the book store is owned and
operated by Mercer University
and comes under the offices of
Business and Finance. She ex
plained that the book store made
no profit last year but this does
not mean that the book store is a
non-profit organization, in the
past the book store has always
shown a profit. She told us that in
the past, all profit made by the
book store went back into what
are called "auxiliary en
terprises,” which includes
maintenance of the snack bar.
cafeteria, and other offices
within the Connell Student
Center.
In response to a question con
cerning the selection of
publishers. Mrs. Jackson ex
plained that all books are
selecteu by the professor of the
course and he not only chooses
the publisher bu* usually is also
aware of the price of the book at
the time of ordering. She went on
to state that all books are sold at
the publisher's list price if they
are new books and are sold at 75
percent of the list price if they are
used. According to Mrs. Jackson
all books bought back by the
bookstore are bought at half the
original pnce.
We also asked Mrs. Jackson
why it is so rare that a student
does get his books bought back
by the bookstore. She stated that
is was mainly the fault of the
professor, as they can only buy
back books which they are
guaranteed will be used again.
She said that if the profesors
would stick to the same textbook
for more than one quarter, or*if
they guaranteed that they would
use the book again at some future
date that she could buy back the.
books at the half price figure.
According to Mrs. Jackson
however, other books are bought
back than those which will be
used again »r. courses. Mercer
has a contract with ihe Foilett
Publishing Company to buy used
books which are then slopped to
Foilett for redistribution. The
book store makes a 15 percent
profit on these negotiations, but
said that when buying for the
Foilett Comany. she had to buy
the books at Foilett's list prices
and could not usually offer the 50
percent price to the student.
Another gripe heard from
students is that many of the books
don’t arrive on time for the
quarter. She explained that the
main hold up is that professors
don't send in their book orders or.
time, and simply seem to forget
that it will take af least three
weeks to have the books shipped
to Mercer after they have been
ordered.
Mrs Jackson also said that
since she came to Mercer ten
years ago there have been some
dramatic changes in the
bookstore. "It used to be," she
said."that a student could buy all
of his books for one quarter for
about $25.00, now she said the
figure is closer to $50.00. Also, the
items on which we used to make
our profit simply son't sell
anymore. Gass jewelry . mugs,
and stationary which we made
quite a profit from simply don't
Continued On Page 7
In a rare and-^enerously long
interview with the Cluster last
week. Dr. Rufus C. Harris,
President of Mercer University,
disclosed details of the
finalization of the merger of
Atlanta Baptist College with
Mercer.
'The name of the institution
will simply be Mercer University
in Atlanta." President Harris
told r^orters. The name was
chosen to emphasize the merger
itself and to enhance the
relatively unsuccessful college
with Mercer's reputation.
Some elements in the Georgia
Baptist Convention desired that
/
/
the word “Baptist " remain in the
name of the institution However,
it was decided that Mercer's long
standing tradition as a Baptist
institution of higher learning
connoted Baptist influence
adequately
Dr Harris squelched rumors
that the merger was only a
financial boost for Mercer
"Some people thought we would
complete the merger and im
mediately sell this highly
valuable piece of property for the
millions we could obtain for it
This is the farthest thing from the
truth," President Harris ex
claimed vehemently.
It is hoped that the Atlanta
branch of the University can
so jn achieve accreditation with
the Southern Association of
Colleges and Universities. "The
accreditation process should be
complete before next Christ
mas," the President added
The faculty changes which
might result from the merger
were a great source of questions
from reporters However none of
the changes, if any will actually
occur, have been finalized yet
Also, the President told the
Cluster that a Dean must be
chosen who should serve as the
Continued l>n Page I