A Letter from the Editor: The Cluster is alive
Conner Wood, Editor in Chief
August 14, 2015
If The Cluster were an independently-owned hotel, letters on the marquee would spell out an apology about the weeks our website was offline this summer and a banner would hang over the front entrance with the words ‘Under New Management.’ Thank goodness The Cluster is not an independently-owned...
What America can learn from India
Mary Lathem, Arts and Lifestyle Editor
August 14, 2015
There are two things America can learn from India. Just over two weeks ago, I returned from a trip that truly changed my perception of the world around me. My fellow Service Scholars and I spent three weeks in Kerala, India, where we had the unique opportunity to completely immerse ourselves...
Wear what you want, but think about covering up a little
March 5, 2015
I confess that I wear yoga pants. Since I am a 20-something-year-old female college student, this statement is probably not a surprising one. After all, when you step outside of your residence hall in the morning, you see more yoga pants than blue jeans, khakis, jeggings or dresses. Yoga pants might...
Pilgrimage to Penfield: A senior's perspective
October 20, 2014
I never went to Pilgrimage to Penfield as a freshman. I’m not sure why I skipped it, but it probably had to do with me thinking I was too cool to go, and that the trip wouldn’t be fun. It’s a silly attitude to have, but a lot of freshman start college thinking that having school spirit isn’t...
Ebola: Fear for the lives of those who actually have to face it
October 20, 2014
Ebola is a pretty hot topic right now. It’s deadly, it’s fairly recent, and it’s scary. Honestly, however, it is also a non-factor for most Americans. With only three people in America having been diagnosed with Ebola at this point, many of the corresponding freakouts from people within the United...
All meal plans are not created equal
October 20, 2014
Like all ideas, it started as a well intentioned plan to make things better. Honestly, it was a brilliant idea when I first heard about it at the beginning of the semester. Well, when I first saw it, I should say. The sign stood in all of its shimmering glory inside of the University Center. It had a...
Election night may just be the beginning
October 20, 2014
Election 2014 has been an odd paradox: chaotic and exciting yet consistent and static. Some races (like Kansas & Georgia for Democrats as well as Colorado & Iowa for Republicans) have become or remained unexpectedly competitive. However, the overall picture of the 2014 midterms has been remarkably stable;...
Climate change: thinking of our days after tomorrow
October 20, 2014
The movie “The Day After Tomorrow” follows Jack Hall, a paleoclimatologist, on his a journey across America to reach his son. The road to saving his son is filled with a range of dangers that bring him to his limits. The largest and worst of his obstacles is the plague of a new Ice Age brought on...
Don't be a bystander: Campus rape culture
October 20, 2014
Rape. It’s a word that too many people today use lightly, and usually as the butt of a joke. “Man, I just got raped by that test.” or “You should take it as a compliment. It means somebody likes you.” Except it’s not a compliment. It’s a violation. Its very meaning is “to take, or to...
Republicans should not allow a Senate takeover to go to their heads
October 20, 2014
The Republican Party’s chances of winning control of the US Senate appear quite robust. Races which were tossups a few months ago (such as Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alaska) now favor Republicans while races which were previously considered safe territory for Democrats (such as Colorado and Iowa) have...
Mars: The answers may lie in the stars
October 20, 2014
The recent collaboration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organization (IRSO) has re-sparked a worldwide interest in space exploration. On Sept. 30, representatives from the two organizations announced their plans to launch a cooperative mission...
The importance of a united faith community
October 18, 2014
As I enter into the rush of midterms during my second-to-last semester of college, I can’t help but to reflect on the events that have shaped my Mercer experience. From football games to Pilgrimage to Penfield to Mercer Service Saturdays, there’s just so much to experience in our own little bubble...