Newspaper Page Text
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OPINION
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Editorial
Help A Mullet Evolve
by H*i Brodsky
Hi there! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hal
Brodsky. I'm a sophomore here at "Mercer as well as the Cluster's
editor.
Isn't that nifty?
What is an editor? An editor is a reporter who gets to spend a
whole lot of time editing. He also gets to write editorials. It is
concerning these editorials that I am writing this one:
You see, I feel like a mullet.
What is a mullet? A mullet is an oily fi?h often used by
fishermen. A mullet spends a major portion of its life jumping in
■nH out of water making small splashes. A mullet is rarely seen
except when being looked for. Therefore its splashes represent
little more than a waste of energy. \
Why do I feel like a mullet? I feel like a mullet because of these
editorials I am so privileged to writ^. From time to time, I, along
with my fellow mullets on this staff,'have made little splashes.
They were cote little splashes—anyway. I liked them. But it seems
no one was looking for them.
Look, the point is this: I’m tired of being a mullet. I’m sure the
others who have contributed to this page are tired of being mullets
also. This may be the single most important page in this paper.
Most issues have only two sides. The splashes which appear on this
page support one of these sides. This gives our readers, the people
standing on shore, an advantage. With the controversy presented
for them, all they have to do is agree or disagree with the points
expressed in the editorials, AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!
Do what about it? That's simple too. Discuss the editorial with
friends. Talk about it with faculty or administrators.
What else? Well, how about writing an editorial of your own?
You know, the Cluster is different from most other university
newspapers in that it is written by the students. Anybody can write
for the Cluster, and this includes the editorial page.
Nifty, huh?
Look, Mercer is a whale of a school. It is Mercer's students who
make it so. Become involved in school policy. Take part in making
decisions. Help a mullet evolve.
Open Forum Continues
Dear Editor:
In response to last' week's
article, "Abolishment is not the
answer,'' it was totally blown
out of proportion. An excerpt
declared that Greeks lack a
proud service tradition. This is
shooting the bulL The Fraterni
ties at Mercer actively partici
pate in service projects such as
Muscular Dystrophy. Heart
Fund Drive, March of Dimes, or
helping the Blind Academy.
These groups are in dire need of
help and Greeks at Mercer try
Lets Play “Name That Country”
by Marbea Bland
Come on. and play a snail
game with me; it's called, name
that country. It works like this: I
will give you several facts and
you try to gtMss what country I
am .talking about. O.K.? Let's
Facta: From the country side
thousands of protesters con
verge on the capital city, block
ing the major commuter arteries.
When the protesters reach the
capital, building, they are mss
by government police who keep
them from going inside by
pinning them up outside^ like
cattle.
Eventually the protesters are
but their de-
> are met with
harah words from government
1,500 to 2,000 vehicles, some
from as far away as Montana
chuffed into Washington. At its
peek about 30,000 farmers and
their tractors were "camped”
out on the mall between Capital
Hill and the Lincoln Memorial.
The farmers are members of
the American Agriculture Move,
men!, which staged a similar
but smaller demonstration in
the capital a year ago that
produced some isolated vio-
taxpayer an estimated 20
million to 50 million dollars a
year. With the White House
and Congress being in a
belt-tightening mood this year,
the chances of the farmers
receiving even a alight increase
in price supports are shout as 1
good as anybody winning a trip
around the world for playing
Name That Country.
Bubbling
to suffice these areas.
Another point was made that
needs to be cleared up here and
now. Open mixers would have a
tremendous strain on a Frater
nity's budget. The Fraternities
usually have j open mixers
during the summer and during
rush. The rush mixers go on for
all to h“ j a good time. From
Independents and law students
to faculty representatives. The
fraternities have only enough
money in their Fall budgets to
supply huge rush parties at the
beginning of school. In the
Winter, the fraternities and
sororities usually have Winter
weekends, ski trips or dances or
whatever their budget will
allow. In the Spring the Greeks
usually have enough money for
Spring weekends, dances, etc.
On the subject of dosed of
mandatory mixers, it is up to
the individuil sorority or
fraternity to decide upon this
policy. If duos were raised, the
fraternities might be able to
support these open houses or
Now that I haws given you the
facts, it's time lor you to name
that country, ft is country
A—Iran; B—Soviet l56toc; C—A
Latin American Dictatorship;
D-Nooe of the above.
If you packed D, none of the
above, you am right. Tbs
country is the United States and
the protesters are the American
Soma violence erne reported
this year between farmers and
Washington police. However,
the major problem the farmers
caused was with their tractors,
causing massive traffic snags.
What thi farmers want is
parity for their crops. Parity
simply stated is a 100% return
on what it costs to produce a
crop. In other words, if it costs s
farmer *2.000 to grow sn acre of
corn, at 100% parity, the farmer
would get at the market place
the *2,000 it coat to grow that
sere. When the free market
place doae not supply the
farmer with parity, the farmers
I to step in
Up From Down Deep
price supports
To provide even 90% parity it
would coat the American
1 do not know the author of
the recent ROTC article, Pst
Keenan, who wrote about the
cadets participating in an
infantry patrolling exercise at
Fort Banning. I do feel I do
know the Army, bong an ROTC
cadet myself. My beef is
towards the recent article in
which he makes the comment:
"It's usually pretty tough on
a cadet being around enlirted
people, for some believe that
the only thing lower than a
second lieutenant is found at
the bottom Of the ocean.”
That comment was strong
and unjust. Maybe the author
was inferring that the ROTC
method of entering the Army
was the beat way to go. But, if
be wasn't, then I know I don't
ever want to be an enlisted men
in the Army under him. Excuse
the proud and loyal enlistments.
Mr. Big Officer for being so
low.
The ROTC Department surely
doesn't hold the belief of
Keenan, and I'm sure this is not
in alignment with the current
military's program • of officer
recruitment. Currently contem
plating a military career myself,
I hope I don’t have to run into
the beliefs of other officers who
think they are so great as the
author of tbs article or we ee
dtixensof the United States will
open rush parties eaih quarter.
But, so far, the fraternities have
to meet payments like rent on
the lodge 1*90 per month), and
phone, gas, electricity and
repairs.
The author of last week’s
article was trying to create
friction between Greeks, Inde
pendents, Faculty or whatever
group or individual wrote
"Abolishment is not the ans
wer." All Greeks at Mercer are
just as proud of their respected
service traditions as those at
Emory, UGA or University of
Florida. The Greeks at Mercer
actively participate in these
projects also. The author of last
week's article was just mud-
slinging at the Fraternities. For
example the statement, "Mer
cer's frsts in fact prove they
can't get their own dates so
they'll try to steal someone
else’s." The individual cannot
realize that he/she was just
trying to condemn or abolish
Fraternities in his or her own
mind. The statement was unfair
and sarcastic.
Reform should be looked into,
there are alternatives that
, can be accomplished. For
instance, rush should be shor
tened, thus leaving more money
in s fraternity's or sorority's
budget. This should be s
common goal among the Greek*
Once this obstacle is handled
we may attain other goal*
Nobody should abolish
Greeks or any other group at
Mercer. If so, the school would
stand to foes money from many
Greek Alumni or the Greek
parents or trustees that contri
bute to Mercer’s educational
process. Everyone should stop
arguing and look at the situation
realistically inatead of looking at
it sarcaatically. True, abolish
ment is not the answer.
of tractors totaling
Daryl Taos
The H affine