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PAGE 2-THE CLUSTER, ARPIL 2#, 1990
Editorials
—Re: The State of the University-
Dear Mr. President. Trustees.
Teachers. Editor. A Director:
I write to you as an alumnus of
#the University on a subject about
which I know you care. I hope you
will read and listen to someone who
remains proud of his university, but
who has become profoundly
disturbed by the actions and deci
sions of those charged with its care,
its future, and a history that belongs
to all of us. I firmly believe that the
University belongs to all of us. that
it is a special institution that was
founded and continues to exist for
the benefit of a community That
it is a living, organic thing, and as
such, can be injured and can die.
The Romans and—by bequest of
history—the lawyers have a term
for it: res umversiiatts. Black's
Law Dictionary defines res uni ver
sions as:
Things belonging to a communi
ty, the use and enjoyment of which,
according to their proper purpose,
is free to every member of the com
munity, but which cannot be ap
propriated to the exclusive use of
from law school in 1979. My ex
perience with the administration of
that university stands in stark con
trast to the ominous activities at
Mercer these past few years.
Shortly after I graduated from
Mercer in 1976, the University cn*
barked on an unprecedented cam
paign of growth. Like many. I
greeted this new age with restrain
ed enthusiasm, proud to see the
University outwardly successful,
unsure however of how this would
all fit together. But—again, like
many—I believed that the ad
ministration and those charged with
my University’s governance could
be trusted to safeguard the welfare
of the school and all its par
ticipants. These participants in
clude the faculty and the students,
not merely those charged with the
purse strings. When I say that *‘I
believed.” I mean just that; I did
not merely assume that everything
would be okay. Instead, I believed
that the youthful Dr. Godsey. and
a rejuvenated administration,
would “do the right thing.”
understand the motives of an am
bitious and ovcrzeakxis administra
tion. which is undone by its own
misconduct and deceit, it is im
possible to fathom a board of
trustees that endorses this sort of
thing. A board which attempts to
squelch free speech and dissent, the
lifeblood of a university. A board
that savages a faculty as though the
teachers were the wolves at the
door of their children's education,
and not the other way around. A
board that distorts the truth and im
plications of the Atlanta jury ver
dict against the trustees. A board
that violates the fundamental
character of trust. Black's Law
Dictionary contains a very power
ful and. under these circumstances,
disturbing definition of a fiduciary,
or someone who acts as a trustee:
The term is derived from Roman
law, and means a person holding
the character of a trustee, or a
character analogous to that of a
trustee, in respect to the trust and
confidence involved in it and the
scrupulous good faith and candor
father is the Chairman of the
English Department and a critic of
the administration and the Board of
Trustees. Perhaps. But, unlike the
Administration, the Board, and the
Alumni Association, my father has
at least been candid with me about
the University’s troubles. Were it
not for him, 1 would have^ittle idea
about what has been going oh; one
certainly cannot discern the disaster
from official publications. On a
more personal note, it pains me
greatly to hear and read my father's
sadness about his remaining tenure
at Mercer. Teaching is a joyous ex
perience, and should be a wonder
ful job; it is difficult to imagine a
nobler calling. And it makes me
very proud that my older daughter,
barely four years old, wants to
follow io her grandfather’s
footsteps. I pray that she and others
like her enjoy a more healthful
environment.
In the meantime, I salute and
thank a faculty that served me so
well as a student, that excelled in
its fulfillment for me of the Univer
sity's mission, to “guide (ray)
search for truth, even when
obscure, and to value the ways of
integrity, even when ambiguous."
I am sad that my search has led me
to this doorstep where, much like |
a malnourished and uncomprehen
ding latchkey child, truth is left to
fend for herself against her trusted
guardians.
I've rambled; for that I
apologize. I graduated from Mercer
summa cum laude. I wear this
badge as proudly as my Universi
ty justifies. Lately, that pride has
been strained. And while my firm’s
resume will always attest to my
undergraduate education. I will
probably continue to tell those in
quiring that I went to “a small
liberal arts school in the South.''
I am a little too embarrassed to
name our new Gethsemanc.
Very, truly yours,
HAMMOND A ASSOCIATES
CO., L.P.A.
Gregory L. Hammond
This notion of universal par- justified, but it has of late been (emphasis added). Something tells
ucipation is x common theme tn betrayed. Betrayed by the very sort me that this Board of Trustees, as
\
NOW ACCEPTING
a stiff price has often been paid for foreign to the cooccpt of collegia!!- also need the word “candor”
admission. See. e.g.. Hutchins, ty and trust Who has betrayed that defined for them. It has certainly
The University of Utopia, Mr. Hut- trust? As near as I can tell, it is the been absent from their actions. As
chins was the President of another very people charged with protec- to good faith, her whereabouts at
alma mater of mine, the Umversi-^ ting that trust, the Board of Mercer’s executive level have been
ty of Chicago, where I graduated Trustees. For, while one might « mystery for some time.
I must confess that, in the past.
It’s A Black Thing: EaSSSrES
You Wouldn’t Understand
The Muck Greek rvriem hat unknw trlkum of dwhlwk Greek will henceforth pay a great dexi of
Applications for Editor of:
The Cluster
The Cauldron
The Dulcimer
Deadline April 28th 4:00 p.m.
* Applications available in student activities.
fire because we
organizations in
a way that would be considered
normal—normal being defined as,
a method similar to the white Greek
system. Recently, with the in
troduction of the Ivies of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority, we have
received some negative reaction
from the majority of the Mercer
population. This negative response
has been mainly associated with the
practice of potential members
dressing alike and walking in a line.
Ours is a system which is deep
ly rooted in our heritage and stan
ding firm in tradition. Dressing
alike is not a method of hazing but
rather a way for potential members
to derive a sense of unity among
each other. Remembering back to
my time oa line, it gave me a
tremendous feeling to know that
there were two ocher girls on this
campus dressed exactly as I was.
it creases an almost instant bood, a
bond that will not be severed ooce
the pledge process is over. Dress-
inf alike is not a requirement, but
if potential members so choose,
they are advised to qxad frugally.
1 bebeve at lo be one of the oaou
system.
Walking in a line, for potential
members is a way to show the cam
pus. bow proud the potential
members are to be in the pledge
.hi
e of unity because they are
Q with women who for
the moat part have the same goals
and are moving in a syncopated
manner. The songs that the poten
tial members sing reflect their ex
citement and anticipation of inita-
tion. h is not a means of hazing but
rather an exercise in unity and
afnfood.
The torara of Alpha Kappa
Alpha are concerned about hazing,
than reflected in our new national
policies. We. along with the rest of
the Merwr community want to in
ure that another life will not be k«
i of hazing. We mm not
i ignorance to rule and thape
i of these organiza
tions but rather, reach out and ex-
anane each to understand what they
Sincerely.
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc.
attention to those ballots. And I
trill, as I have not done in the past,
contribute to my University much
more than words of criticism. As
the saying goes, it it easy lo tear
things down; in order to help re
build, I pledge by this letter a gift
of $10,000 payable in equal in
stallments over this and the next
nine years to the College of Liberal
Aits. This money shall not be us
ed for sporu programs or any other
non-academic extracurricular ac
tivity. It shall be used solely to
assist that mission for which the
University was originally founded.
By dha letter. 1 ask the Alumni
Association to contact me to
finalize the deads. For my teachers
pest, and those who continue, this
pledge is io imtfa fepyou.
I suspect this letter will not mean
much lo those persons who have
done so much damage to Mercer.
Unlike our Trustees, however. I
believe that contributing to hearty
debate is itself worthwhile,
whatever the outcome; and that lo
remain silent, in die bee of great
evd. it an even greater evil. I
suspect, as wdl, dial many might
e of bias, because my
Merctr © Cluster
./.... Heather Kimble
Marcus Durham
Activities Page Editor Jennifer Neal
Baatneaa/AdvertUng Manager Darcy Johnson
Features Edllor Chrte Carrolhon
Fmrrtatmmr Editor Rich Benson
Sports Editor Anthony Hooker
Chief Photographer Michael Lake
Danielle Underferth
and Stephanie Nordenhaug
Gary Blackburn
Technical CoauRaal David Tucker
Staff Writers
Bryant Chitwood, Gwen Podock, Chuck Junkint. Jodie Evans.
Tolde Gam. Travis Gravdl. Rhrit Thomas, Mark Roaea, Michelle
Been, Jarome Gautnanx, Drew Nord. Triht Warrick, Terr?
Browning and Aril! Young-
A dikin' Box A, Mercer. Office located oa third floor of the Stu
dent Center. 7S2-W71.
The Mercer Charier weir new a letters to the editor. They should
he ceadadaad typewritten. Letters moat be signed sad should be
I by a current addrem ead telephonr Bomber. Letters
Idrrmtd la the Edkor-lwChief.
I la The Mercer Chirr ere thoae of the editor
or the writer of the article and ere not aeceaoerfly thoae of the