Newspaper Page Text
% £EKmtr A Cluster
VOLUME LXVin, NUMBER
TEL
MERCER UNIVERSITY. MACON, GEORGIA
THURSDAY, APRIL M. 1988
Israeli consulate general speaks
on significance of Israel to U.S.
Th* Rev. Jim Pitts, president of tbe Georgia Baptist Convention.
GBC pres speaks in spring revival
By SUSANNAH VASS
The Rev. Jim Pitts, president of
the Georgia Baptist Convention,
spoke this week at the Spring
Spiritual Renewal of the Baptist
Student Union.
The yearly revival was held
Monday through Thursday, in
Newton Chapel. The Rev. Chuck
Poole, pastor of First Baptist
Church and advisory pastor to
BSU, spoke in Pitts’ place on Tues
day. Poole talked about the older
brother in the prodigal son, plac
ing the story in a modem context.
“You have to be able to read
Greek to find all this in the text,”
he joked.
Poole said that the older brother
is the one most of us best identify
with.
“My sins are not the dramatic
sins of rebellion, but the drab sins
of omission.” he said.
Pitts spoke Wednesday about
salvation and the Christian life,
comparing them to a baseball dia
mond. First base, he said, was
equivalent to meeting Christ;
second base was baptism and
church membership; third base was
walking in God's presence.
“Home, of course, is heaven," he
said. I
Pitts ended by relating a story
about the 1924 World Series,
where the hitter rounded all the
bases in time, but was declared out
because he "missed first." The
benediction ended with "Play
ball.”
By EDDIE SANFORD
SUIT Writer
What makes Israel such a unique
country, and why is it important to
us?
Those were the questions
answered in the topic of Muhamcd
Massarwa, the Consulate General
of Israel. "Why Israel is important
to America^’Tuesday.
The U.S. axhl Israel "share the
same way of life, values, prin
ciples, and ideals," said Massarwa.
“Located among the Arab na
tions of the Middle East (an area
noted for its oil), Israel is the only
democracy; and it is the only coun
try in the said area where citizens
18 years of age or older can par
ticipate in free elections. Thus, the
United States' best interest would
be to see that the country's
democracy is preserved,” Massar
wa continued.
Since its formation some 40
years ago. Israel has been in con
stant conflict with its Arab
neighbors since land had been
taken from her in order to create
the new nation. Because of this.
Israel has no secure border.
According to Massarwa, the
greatest conflict Israel has is with
the Palestinians, for which he said
there is no political solution.
The Palestinians nor the Israelis
have historical or religious rights
to control over the area. They on
ly have humanitarian claims,
Massarwa stated. The Palestinians
want to create a homeland while
Israel is fighting for its right (o be
a nation, he said. * s
Massarwa concluded, “We have
to find a way ta give Israel a part
of the Middle East and the Palesti
nians a homeland.”
Catching the Mercer vision: 10 years from now
Special to the Cluster
By DANA OWENS
Editor's note: This is the first in a
series projecting the future of
Mercer University.
"Mercer is the<bcst kept secret
of the South. ’ ‘ said Marjorie Devis,
associate provost. Mercer provides
high quality education, spiritual
and academic freedom, and is plan
ning to have facilities to meet all the
student's needs.
"Mercc- is a vibrant campus that
is continuing to •'take its mark as
a small college with a diverse stu
dent body achieving the ?oal of ob
taining the title of 'the' Baptist Col
lege," said Barry Jenkins, dean of
student affairs.
"The Engineering School, the
Law School, and the School of
Medicine all play a role in meeting
the vision of educational ex
cellence." said Dr. Doug Skelton,
acting provost of the College of
Liberal Arts, and dean of the
Medical School. President Kirby
Godsey staled that the university
was "continuing to surge in educa
tional quality."
Currently a Select Commission,
made up of Trustees, is looking in
to every facet of the university. Its
goal is to make recommendations
for improvement of the university
system as a whole. It will present
its findings at the April trustee
meeting.
It is courses such as the Great
Books Program, according to Peter
Brown, associate professor of
philosophy, that will anract new
students. Brown went on to say that
people will stop paying for
Wonderful Wednesdays and a
month off for Christmas break
because education is becoming too
expensive. "People will begin to
want to get their money's worth."
Brown said.
Elections for the Student Government Association will be held next week
Lanier, Light, and Ogden will run for president
By KAREN JACOBS
Editor-in-chief
Elections for (he Student
Government Association are slated
for Thursday. Apr. 21. from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. in the student center
lobby.
SHAWN LANIER
At press time, three persons had
qualified to run for president:
Shawn Lanier, Ron Light, and
Ashley Ogden. Running for vice-
president with Lanier is Lynn
Creech, and Miguel Garcia is
Ogden’s running mate. Jay Lee
completes the Light ticket.
Lanier. 20. is a junior political
science major from Waynesboro.
Ga. He presently serves as chair of
the fiscal affairs committee, and is
also on Judicial Council. Mercer
Ambassadors, and a member of
Kappa Alpha order. He is a Senator
of the Year nominee, and is also
treasurer of Interfratemity Council.
He has recently been chosen to
serve as an intern for U.S. Senator
Sam Nunn in Washington. D.C.
this summer.
In a report to the Cluster,
Lanier’s accomplishments were
outlined as follows:
• Establishment of a relationship
between the office of the vice presi
dent for finance and SGA.
• Effective means of evaluation
of funding requests from various
organizations and groups on
campus.
• Evaluation and revitalization of
the business and financial aid of
fices and helping improve the
quality of services.
• Assisted in the creation of a
new short term loan system to
replace the present promissory note
RON LIGHT
procedure.
• Pushed for more funds to be
allocated for student life im
provements such as dormitory
renovations, additional library
resources, and renovation of the
student center.
• Responsible for meetings bet
ween students and administrators to
discuss matters such as a second ac
creditation for ths^qpsincss school
and the 3/2 schedule.
Lanier also served as chairman
of a committee responsible for
revising the Lair and the present
judicial codes for the hearing of
organization trials in an effort to
eliminate all prejudice and
biasedness on the part of the hear
ing body 4
Ogden is a political science/
English major from Miami. Fla.
He presently serves as SGA vice-
president and chair of the food
committee. Garcia, a sophomore
from Columbus, 0a., chairs the
student life committee.
In a reporyo the Cluster. Ogden
and Garcia outlined their ac
complishments as follows:
• Instrumental in acquiring the
Essex phone system for next year,
having organized meetings with ad
ministrators and Southern Bell
associates and negotiating careful
selection and implementation of the
new system.
• Took part in discussions con-
ASHLEYjCkiDEN
ccrning the new 3/2 academic
schedule.
• Currently waiting to wrap up
preparations for the new cable
See Senate, p. 4