Newspaper Page Text
The Mercer Cluster
Special
Vietnam Accord Issue
“Part Of The News That’s Fit To Print'
See Pages 6, 7
Volume LIV
Mercer University, Macon, Georgia
February 2, 1973
No. 14
Gregory Enraptures Audience
By Mary Bet*
The BSA of Mercer presented
Dick Gregory in the chapel on
Tuesday, January 30. Gregory, a
comedian , author, and anti-war
activist had covered many
college campuses trying to
enlighten students, both black
and white, to camouflaged
conditions of the country. In his
presentation, Gregory was ex
tensive and tried to touch on a
little bit of everything in his two
hour discourse. Gregory held an
interested audience and dieted
some definite reactions.
Gregory began with anecdotes
concerning his 2 year fast and the
fact that “the whole world’s gone
crazy". He mentioned the
Clifford Irving affair, the
Eagleton episode, and his sar
casm reigned free over his ac
count of a reappearance of Christ
in modern society and the
possible reactions to it.
A serious tone was taken with
Gregory's introduction of the
youth topic. He praised and
credited youth with the end of the
war, their questioning and
protesting being their means to
the end. A new standard of
moralitity based upon actions
instead of appearance, a
volunteer army, and the gradual
awakening of the black com
munities to the “real” military
were also accomplishments of
youth.
Gregory exhibited his anti war
attitude and the reasons for it in
his presentation of facts and
opinions of Vietnam. Gregory
pointed out that "something’s
wrong" with a country that will
give $2'i billion to Vietnam to
rebuild itself after the war but
will’ not appropriate adequate
funds for Veteran hospitals and
research for the wounded;
"something’s wrong" when
amnesty cannot be granted to
draft resistors, but can be
granted to our obvious enemies.
He condemned the so-called war
supporters whose greatest
support fell short where it was
needed the most-in the Vet's
hospitals. Changing the con
ditions and atmosphere of
poverty and hunger is the way to
end the war. not by bombing
raids and “protective reactions".
The newspapers were a major
topic of attack for Gregory for
their lacklX^jproviding the public
with correct and substantial
information. He advised the
youth "to find some means of
getting information" and men
tioned many unknown facts
concerning major events of the
country to show the unrealized
need for truth. Facts concerning’
Watergate affair, the CIA, the
attempted assassination of
Wallace and the actual murders
of JFK and RFK surprised most
of the audience.
"Beer-drinking, pretzel-eating,
bubble-gum chewing society"
was Gregory’s description of
today’s man ^ho is “more in
terested in his money than the
democratic process ”. Gregory
attacked the white power groups
such as the Duponts and
Rockefellers for attacking those
of their own race. Hie power
groups show no diircrimination in
extorting people ami now that the
blacks have decided not to be the
"nigger" anymore, they must
choose a new group for a
scapegoat. The new group is
none other than the white youth
and it is their job to realize it and
not accept the role. Gregory
urged the youth to put the blame
where it belongs and start
hassling with the right people
instead of the wrong people. The
whites have become "super-
niggers"; the blacks can only be
blamed for the dirt in the ghet-
toes, while the whites are
responsible for the pollution of
the entire environment from
their power owned factories and
industries.
Gregory advised the youth to
place importance on the coun
try's actions and not to se
symbols such as the Sta •
Spangled Banner and the flag as
camouflage attempts for a
declining country. He also con
demned the use of alcohol, pot
and drugs as a copout, and as
another boost to the power
systems of the country.
Gregory ended his presentation
with an appeal to the students to
investigate the fundamentals of
Karma, its basis being that
whatever one does to others, the
same will one day be done to him
He stressed a non-violent ap
proach to change and the need for
understanding and the respon
sibility of youth to take on a big
job for which there is not much
time. Gregory urged the
audience to save the world by
saving America through love and
respect of their fellow men. all
their brothers.
Executive
Revamp
Sought By SGA
In an interview with SGA
President Bruce Gandy, he
discussed the proposed changes
in the SGA constitution which will
be made this quarter.
“Our intent is to have the
constitution more realistically
reflect the realities of the func
tions that the SGA serves A main
point is that it will become a
Student Association rather than a
Student Government Association
It has never governed anything.
it only represents student in
terests. The philosophy of the
constitution will not be altered,
simply structural changes will be
implemented "
Gandy went on to explain that
we no longer have a publications
committee yet one is named in
the constitution. Also, we have
new committees such as the
Academic Affairs committee
which aren’t even mentioned in
the constitution. There have also
been other changes due to
referendums (the co-editorship of
publications for example) which
are not included also.
"We are in a sense really just
trying to bring the constitution up
to dale with the reality of student-
politics."
Other opinions on the subject
however differ from Gandy's.
There was some mention if
discrepancies in interpretation of
the present constitution and
election code When asked why he
thought they were being revised
Yom Gordy answered. "Because
it s so blatantly open to misuse by
any person and-or group who
would wish to modify, alter, or
destroy it's original intent ”
On the other hand. Gail Kelly-
thinks. "There are some basic
inconsistancies and loopholes in
the present constitution and
election code which have to be
ironed out before we can
adequately function without
arguments over trivia. We've
seen how this has happened in the
past and how ineffective student
government has been because of
it."
Allen Wallace feels this could
be avoided. "Perhaps the mam
problem is the fact that members
of SGA. and the senators
themselves in some cases, are
not aware of what is contained in
the Constitution, by-laws, and
election code If followed, there
are few, if any. ‘loopholes' It is
only when it is not followedthat
problems may arise ."
Tom Gordy adds. "The con
stitution itself should be specific,
to-the-point. Tfnd absolutely
obvious as to what it’s intentions
of saying are. so that it can be
understood by anyone That's the
reason you have a system for
amendments, so that changes
can be made
Inside
editorials. 2.3 X
v Ke\i«*ws 5 v
X Vietnam Accords fi.7 X
£ Sports l«.ll '%•
L ; ck Gregory, the wystic. addressed a capdve audience Tuesday at
to. .’’hoto bv V.a Williams
Ingram Is Hard To Find
As you may recall, late last
quarter the Cluster began a
series ofi articles on various,
elementary schools in the Macon
irea as a part of a proposed
"deeper look" into the Bibb
County school system. In im
plementing these plans per
mission was obtained from Dr
Fortenberry, an official of the
Bibb County school system, to
send a reporter and a
photographer to investigate two
schools in the system. The
schools chosen for the reports
were (1) Springdale Elementary
located r;, Northsidc Drive, and
12) C.S. Ingram Elementary-
situated just a few blocks from
Mercer
In the December 1, 1972 issue of
the Cluster there- appeared the
first of the articles, the visit to
Springdale. The following week
when the reporter and
photographer arrived to do the
story on Ingram they were in-
forrried that due to an unforseen
conflict of interest Ingram
principal. Mr. Stuart was
unavailable for the scheduled
interview
In making preparations for this
week's edition of the paper,
another interview with Mr
Stuart was arranged and sub
sequently cancelled. Present
plans are to keep afier the
elusive head man at B.S. Ingram
for the long postponed interview
and to recontinue the research
into the Bibb County school
system in the February 9 issue of
the Cluster
Silverman Scheduled
For Next Week; Zappa
Proposed For Future
Appearing in a coffeehouse
atmosphere in the Mercer
cafeteria Feb 6-8 will he
Silverman an acoustically
oriented group from Atlanta
Sponsored by the Student Union
Activities Board, shows will
begin at 7 and 9 each evening and
refreshments (coffee and tea i
will be provided by the sponsors.
This coffeehouse is another
example of the Board's attempt
to accommodate the wide variety
of musical interests evident in the
Mercer community, as has been
apparent in thejJ^sl and is cer
tain to be revealed in the near
future with such groups as Wet
Willie Band and frank
Zappa and 'Die Mothers of
Invention
W**l Willie Band is scheduled to
appear in Willingham Chapel on
March 9 and on Wednesday. Feb
28. the SCAB has tentatively
announced Frank Zappa and the
Mothers at the Coliseum as a
replacement concert for Bobby
Womack, whose appearance at
Mercer has been canceled. A
dance featuring The Soul
Groovers.is presently being
considered by the Board, but a
positive word or date have not as
yet been issued.