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Editorial
Mercer Needs
To Grow Ud
^Mtxttx Cluster
What exactly is the trouble with housing? Ever since I have been
at Mercer, I have heard complaint after complaint about living
conditions on campus. .
Some are select complaints: "Troe dorms are too hot”', * <Se
dorms are too cold”, “The hall above me makes too much noise”,
”My R.A. doesn't ta*k to me Anymore; do you think it’s my
toothpaste?” X
What I wish to address here is a more perennial problem. The
bloomin' problem basically concerns male-female relationships and
dorm policies.
Presently, there are 29 hours of open visitation in each dorm per
vweek; all of it jammed into the weekend. This is certainly an
improvement over last year's visitation hours, but not nearly
enough of an improvement. f
Why there has to be a break in visitation for dinner I don’t know.
This situation came about as the result of a housing survey
conducted last spring which discovered female residents do not
want visitation during dinner hours. I’ve heard the girls want to
shower before eating, but that seems kind of far-fetched If
someone finds out why, please tell me.
Dinner break is not my big beef, however. What I am mere
concerned with is the lack of visitation hours for four of the five
days of the week. v ,
I have heard two reasons why open dorms only exist on
weekends. The first is that someone, somewhere, for some reason
is worried students won’t study if someone of the opposite sex is
within smelling distance. I won’t go as far as some who suggest
Mercer is promoting homosexuality among its dorm occupants, but
I will suggest that if girls distract guys from studying and
vice-versa, we should immediately segregate the library! After all,
most studying occurs therein, and therefore much distraction also.
The other reason also blames someone, somewhere, though this
time the finger is usually pointed at the Georgia Baptist
Convention. According to this theory, the G.B.C. or Pres. Harris or
God or someone is afraid that members of the opposite sex meeting
on weekdays will remit in the formation of babies or. at the very
least, a shortage of contraceptive devices.
library. While
sexual experiences
decrease the
Realistically, students desiring sex
uumj« the week have little trouble finding usable, albeit cramped,
Basically, fears preventing open visitation vr weekdays are
unrealistic and childish. Prom my own experiences, the presence of
females in the men's dorms and vice-verse has s definite calming
effect on the residents and creates neither poor studying
conditions, lack of privacy,
when U comes to restroom use
dorm would have 'no worse
residents into orderly behavior.
lag
Maoists, who resented what
they consider Teng’s moderni
zation program and demand a
return id Mao revoiuikmary
ways; the Nationalist Chinese
who want to return to the status
quo. no recognition of China,
and the native Taiwanese who
warn both Chinas to go away
and leave them alone.
Although President Carter.
has the power to break the
mutual defense treaty with
Taiwan, a Chinees precondition
for normalization, the president
Hal Brodsky Donna Gray
Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor
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Toor, Grog Wailing, Son Watson. Lib WOhsxns, Ron
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THE MERCER CLUSTER la published weekly except
daring exam periods by tbe students of Mercer University,
Macon, Ga Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
Mercer University of The CLUSTER. Printed by KEEN
AND JUDD PUBLISHERS, Macon
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Tom Bishop .
OPINION
The China Connection
UarlwMi Rl.n/4
legalization.
The
relations with the
Republic of China and
of its Vice-Premier Teng Haiao-
ping marks tbe start of the
China Connection.
The China connection is the
rush to trade with the most
populous and one of the most
under-developed nations in the
world. Teng’s eight-day four-
city tour of the United States, is
an effort to win public and most
importantly congressional sup
port for the China Connection.
Teng does not have
campaign for the support of
business, because it has been
present from the 'kart and was
one of the major factors in
President Carter’s decision to
normalize relations with the
People's Republic late last year.
However, tbe Vice-Premier
faces an up-hill fight to win
public and congressional sup
port for the connection.
must send to the congress
enabling legalization to com
plete the break with the
Taiwanese government. Con
gressional opposition led by
conservative Senator Barry
Goldwater (R-Arixona) has
vowed to kill any enabling
It is the hope of the Chinese
regime and the Carter Adminis
tration. that Teng’s trip to
Capitol Hill and his three city
crosscountry junket will rally
congressional and public sup-;
port for the China Connection.