Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2-THE CLUSTER, FEBRUARY 6, 1990
Editorials
■Letters to the Editor-
15 Reasons
why...
Dear Editor:
As concerned undergraduates,
we have been continually appalled
and dismayed at the flagrant acts of
the administration and the apathy
the students have shown toward
their school being used as a tod of
economic gain for those said ad
ministrators. As we realize the
university is a business, thus
business decisions must be made
good or bad. we still cannot com
prehend the lack of consideration
given to those who are most af
fected by these decisions. We feel
that we as students have failed in
our responsibilities to ourselves to
insure that we are given what we
have paid for. what we have been
promised in the way of education
and that we as the reason for the
university’s existence, are taken as
a serious indicator of future univer
sity success.
After careful consideration and
kxig hours of observation, we have
compiled fifteen (IS) reasons for
students to be concerned about the
future of Mercer University. They
are as follows:
1. Students receive no informa
tion regarding the financial state or
any proposed changes in policy.
2. Mercer diplomas will soon not
be worth the paper they are printed
on due to the lack of academic
credibility of the university once all
the current faculty who have ap
plied elsewhere, actually leave.
3. The admissions office has
become a separate entity, so much
so as to come up with their own
school colors—burgundy and tan.
We thought Mercer’s colors were
blue and gray, or was that black
and orange?
4. On the same note, the admis
sions office has successfully avoid
ed telling perspective recruits that
Wonderful Wednesdays are gone.
Great Books is a viable option and
the CLA faculty will leave in
droves if given the chance.
5 A $900,000 endowment will
be received by Godsey in 1996 in
additioa to hts hefty pension. Is this
a reward for causing bankruptcy?
6 Whr kind of school would
painlessly cut off one of ns limbs,
meaning the Cecil B. Day School
of Am and Sciences, which was a
viable operation, i.e. they were
making a profit?
7. Two respected trustees could
no longer take the lies and confu
sion of this administration, so they
resigned.
8. The executive committee of
the trustees is now running the
school.
9. Prospective calendar changes
for next year have still not been
decided on—it's February.
10. The budget is just now be
ing hashed out for 1990-91. We do
know that tuition is going up.
11. The registrar's office and the
admissions office (again) have
decided to require a $200 deposit
in order to reserve your spot in
preregistered classes for fall quarter
next year. This is due by June 1.
1990. But it sees not insure you
getting into 3 classes.
12. The CLA faculty will not
receive a raise next year, all other
faculty probably will.
13. Mercer is still in debt.
14. Students' financial and
academic well-being have been put
on the lme for the sake of a bloated,
pompous and irresponsible
15. AND. student voices ARE
STILL NOT HEARD.
None of these reasons may affect
or concern you. but as graduating
seniors and soon to be alumni, we
ho(0dui some action is taken to in
sure that a healthy Mercer Univer
sity exists- for our children. We
believe that as students it is our
burden and duty to either take a
stand for the high ideals we have
been taught here at Mercer or sit
back and watch corruption and
deception become a foundation of
learning.
Respectfully submitted,
Holli Broadfoot
Melissa Gifford
Enough, Dr. Godsey,
is enough
Walking across campus every
day. you are bound to notice the
atrocious spectacle of University
professors circling your office.
However, the spectacle is atrocious
these academic mentors
are not noticed at all.
I am a senior, and have spent my
college career at Mercer. I do not
know what I will be doing this time
next year, but 1 know that I am
prepared to take on any challenge.
Something happened somewhere,
some when, to inspire within me a
deep and sincere appreciation for
what I am learning at Mercer. I am
an English/History double major,
and 1 am leaving Mercer knowing
full well that I will not be “selling"
or “marketing" English or
History. Flannery O’Connor will
not go up or down on the Dow
Jones next fall, and Erskine
Caldwell’s social consciousness
will do very tittle to alter the supp
ly and demand curves of I.B.M.
But I am ready because
something —somewhere,
somewhen—instilled a vision. That
‘/something,’’ Dr. Godsey. is
Mercer’s faculty.
I walked across campus this
afternoon and saw Mercer pro
fessors protesting, and in the
apathetic spirit of present day
Mercer I did not join them. But to
day I thought, “what’s keeping
them from going on strike, or leav
ing all together?” Dr. Godsey. if
they left, who would take their
place? Do you think I would want
an interim professor to guide me
through the rest of my studies this
quarter or the rest of my senior year
Attention:
The Cluster is in need of a business
manager and an advertising manager.
Anyone interested in these positions
call Heather at 752-2871.
Thank You!
for that matter? What about future
students who would be denied the
same experience I had?
Throughout my college career. I
have gone out of my way to learn
from Mercer’s demanding pro
fessors. These people are the
lifeblood of my college experience,
not you. They do not want you here
anymore. I do not want you tpre
anymore.
In all honesty, you have indeed
done much for Mercer. The
Medical and Engineering schools
as well as the Business school are
all tremendous boons to the
University. The new library is
outstanding. You defended the
rights of students from a reign of
Baptist Fundamentalist terror. But.
Dr. Godsey, you lied to us all.
Please do not claim to have some
superior insight or enlightened
wisdom that enables you to do what
is “best” for us even if we do not
realize what is best for us. Students
are educated by professors, not ad
ministrative decisions. I realize the
importance of administration, but
what is it you are administering ’
Are you making decisions that sup
port the academic Integrity of
Mercer University? Did you just
answer “Yes” to that question Dr.
Godsey? The academic integrity of
Mercer University walks around
your office every day, and all they
hear, no, all we hear is a
reverberating and emphatic “NO. "
Marshall Angle
Oh Happy Day....
For Me and You!
By HEATHER KIMBLE
Editor-In-Chief
if you recall, one of the goals for the Cluster that I outl.ned in my
very first editorial was to fill the editorial page with letters to the
editor...a? it \bouid be! Apparently, miracles do exists in tiki modem
world because letters are beginning to trickle into Mercer P.O Box A.
You may ask yourself, “self, I can see why its a happy day for her,..she
no longer has to write long, sometimes boring editorials, but why is it
a happy day for me?” Well, you no longer have to read the long,
sometimes boring (although heart felt) editorials that I write! So. keep
writing those letters
Please Note
In the Jan. 22. 1990 issue of The Mercer Cluster, the article. “Trustees meeting held in December”
was printed. In this article, it was reported that “he (Dr. Godsey] then extended a standing invitation to
the CLA faculty House of Delegates to attend any and all future meetings of the Board of Trustees. “ This
should have read that a stand ng invitation was extended to the Executive Committee of the House of
Delegates. The Cluster apologize for this error.
flJmer Cgp Cluster -
Editor-In-Chief Heather Kimble
Associate Editor Marcus Durham
Activities Page Editor Jennifer Neal
Features Editor Chris Carrollton
Entertainment Editor Rich Benson
Sports Editor Anthony Hooker
Chief Photographer Michael Lake
Advisor Gary Blackburn
Technical Consultant David Tucker
Staff Writers
Bryant Chitwood, Gwen Pollock, Chuck Junkins, Jeff Bowers, Jodie Evans, Tobie Gass,
Travis Graveil, RhettThomas, Mark Rosen, Michelle Renn, Jarome Gautreaux, Drew
*ord, Trish Warrick and Terry Browning.
Address: Box A, Mercer. Office located on third floor of the Student Center. 752-2871.
The Mercer Cluster welcomes letters to the editor. They should be concise and typewritten.
Letters must be signed and should be accompanied by a current address and telephone
number. Letters should be addressed to the Editor-In-Chief.
Opinions expressed in The Mercer Ouster are those of the editor or the writer or the
artideand art not necessarily those of the university or student body.