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• • THE MERCER CLUSTER • March 3, 1M7
University of California's
Integrity Impaired
(ACP) — It is possible to write off the firing of Clark Kerr
from the presidency of the University of California as just one
more irresponsible political act in a state that has become a
symbol of political irrationality, the Michigan State University
News comments.
But to do this, the 9tate New»
concluded, would be to miss the
overwhelming significance of the
action of the California regents.
Kerr and Gov. Ronald Reagon
were engaged in a classic struggle
of state university versus state
government. And in one swift, total
ly unexpected move, government
reigned supreme.
While at Berkeley in the early
50’s. Kerr established his liberality
by fighting against the firing of
colleagues who refused to sign
loyalty oathB. Shortly thereafter,
he was named chancellor of the
Berkeley campus, and in 1968 was
made president of the entire uni
versity system.
Kerr was out of the country
when the now-famous Free Speech
Movement rebellion erupted at
Berkeley in 1964. He subsequently
took a strong hand against student
lawlessness but refused to follow
the bidding of some conservative
regents who told him how to pun
ish the "filthy demonstrators."
It is still not certain exactly what
prompted the firing. Reagan had
charged Kerr with politicking be
cause of his support for incumbent
governor Pat Brown in the recent
election. And there had been fric
tion recently over Reagan's plans
to cut the University's budget and
charge tuition. Reagan had also
sparked a dispute with his demand
that Kerr “clean up the beatniks,"
referring to the student activist
movement at Berkeley.
^Vhat is certain is that the far-
ranging implications of the firing
are political, no matter what the
precipitating cause. Kerr has stated
that the "University should serve
truth, not poliitcal partnership."
This strikes home particularly hard
in a state-supported institution.
Kerr’s case demonstrates the
precarious |>osition of a university
president. He must absorb pres
sures from above, from the mone
tarv powers that keep his institu
tion functioning. At the same time
he must respond to the demands
of an increasingly restless faculty
and student body. But the mone
tary contrdTof the |>oliticians must
not extend to the point where it
violates a president's intellectual
and educational control over his
institution.
Kerr’s dismissal was a regretta
ble mistake; yet it underlines one
of the most pressing problems —
external influence and control —
of the university today.
It is hoped that Kerr's succes
sor will manage to re-establish the
integrity of his position. Otherwise,
as the Daily Calif or ian suggests,
four years from now, “people will
be wondering how he (Reagan)
managed in such a short time to
turn the University of California
into a seconrtrate ‘college on the
coast.’ ”
College Population In ll.S. Will
Increase Four Fold In Next Decade
The U. S. college population will
increase four times as fast as the
national population during the
coming decade, the U. S. Office of
Education predicted today.
In its annual projection of school
data, the Office foresees a 12 per
cent rise in overall school enroll
ment by 1976-76 — about the same
as the anticipated growth in the
Nation's population. The projected
jumy in college enrollment is 49
percent.
"The projected boom in college
population underlines the foresight
of Congress in enacting new pro
grams. such as the Higher Edu
cation Act of 1966," said Dr. Paul
A. Miller, Assistant Secretary for
Education of the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare.
“American colleges are better pre
pared to accept larger numbers of
students, thanks to the increased
Federal aid made available for con
struction of college buildings and
the training of qualified college
teachers.”
During the next decade, high
school enrollment is due to increase
by about 26 percent. In the grade
schools, the rise probably will be
less than 2 percent.
The Office of Education said the
steep gain in college enrollment
is expected to result from higher
birth rates in the late 1940's and
1960's, together with the increasing
proportion of students who go to
college and then do graduate work.
The predicted gain in high school
enrollment is based on the birthrate
in the 1960’s and the growing per
centage of students who remain in
school.
The increase in grade school
enrollments will be slight because
the birthrate declined affof 1961.
,Despite the boom in college at
tendance. the proportion of the
popoulation attending school in
1976-76 srill be about the same as
today (three out of 10), the Office
said. This is because proportionate
ly the 6-17 age group will not in
crease as fast as the total popula
tion.
Numerically, the forecast shapes
up as follows:
* About 63 million Americans
will be in shcools in 1975-76, com
pared with 66 million in 1966-67.
* During the same period, the
national population will increase
from about 196 million to about
220 million.
* Colleges and universities are
expected to enroll about 9 million
degree-seeking students in 1975-76.
compared with 6.1 million enrolled
in 1966-67.
* About one-third of the college-
age population (18-24) may be in
higher education institutions 10
years from now.
* High school enrollments
(grades 9-12) will increase from
13.3 million this year to 16.6 mil
lion. By the end of the next dec
ade, dose to 98 percent of the
age 14-17 population may be en
rolled in school, compared with
the present 93 percent.
* Grade school students (kinder
garten through grade 8) may num
ber 37 million in 1975, only a
nominal gain from 36.4 million
this year.
* Classroom teachers in grade
and high schools are ex|>ected to
increase by nearly one-fifth, from
2 million to 2.4 million.
* College and university teachers
may number 640.000 in 1975. up
36 percent from this year’s esti
mate of 470,000.
The report, Projection* of Edu
cational Statistic1 to 1976-76
(OE-10030-66), also contains data
on school graduates and expendi
tures Copies*are available from the
Superintendent of Documents,
U. S. Government Printing Office,
Washington. D. C., 20402, at $1.00
each.
Don't Buy A
Meal Ticket
"Young Love"
At Wesleyan
By WILLARD CLUTCHMYER
Oh Friday, best of all days on the Mercer calendar. When all daises
empty for the weekend and the students race to the savory mullet dishes
they know await them in the dining hall. When Tatnall Tech folk tram
ple professors with glee as they rush to plan exotic and mystic things
for the coming academic respite.
Such was the setting last Friday as my roommate, Hampton
Hamster, and I were sitting in our room listening to a medley of
African war chants and enjoying a quiet game of mah-jong Hamp
ton is a glass-blowing major and the son of the famous Porfiria R.
Hamster. Mercer ’27, who, while still an undergraduate here, coined
the now famous remark, “Pass around a sheet of paper; if he isn’t
here in ten minutes we can leave.”
Hampton and I wen- planning to take two Mercer girls to town that
night. We were going to the barber shop to watch haircuts as had been
our custom. While we were gleefully discussing the coming evening our
loud and dear friend Maynard Grunch burst in.
"Willard!” he screamed as he kicked open the door. “How are
you lad?” he bellowed, knocking Hampton and a chafing dish full of
broiled pig’s feet onto the floor.
“Listen, amigo," he knew a little Spanish. “Why don’t you and I
tip out to Wesleyan tonight and live it up a little? I hear ‘Rex The
Wonder Horse’ is still on at the Motor-Vue and we can slip in the exit
and it won’t cost a cent. We’ll go in your car!”
"Well," I blushingly replied, "I have an engagement with a Mercer
girl tonight.”
“Not the same girl I saw you with last week, I hope!" he rasped,
grabbing me by the lapels of my ivy-league lounging pajamas.
“The very same." I confessed,
“Gad lad!” he shrieked, “Moonbeam C. Stevens, the Queen of the
Crows. You can’t mean you’re going to date that meaty beast! She’s so
fat she’d have to lose 60 pounds to he a slob!”
"Well,” I conceded, “She is a little corpulent around the edges.”
“Corpulent!” he gasped, “Man, I hear she’s really twins and
they've just been dressing her wrong. Willard, I knew you Imj a
string of girl friends but that one belongs on a leash!”
Maynard was right Moonbeam had been putting on weight. The
only reason I went with her was because she covered up two chapel seats
and I got to cut a lot.
“Do you really think you could get me a date with a Wesleyan girl?"
I asked.
“Like ten men!" he countered, “Just leave it to your dad here.”
The girl's name was O. R Wilson. She was lovely. She had
flaming red hair, (her roommate set it on fire just before she came
down), a beautiful blue eye, and a birth mark on the tip of her nose
which gave her an air of mystery.
I’ll never forget our first meeting when, as Maynard introduced us,
she looked deep into my eyes and said, with a slight nasal twang, “What
is it?" Ah yes. Love at first sight. Ecstasy was mine at last!
"Dialogue"
The following article was
“borrowed” from a very
noted professor on cam
pus. It is the original work
of Richard Gilbert, and
was taken from the Pres
byterian Life (Philadel
phia), May 15, 1966.
Gabriel; Have you heard what
they are up to down on Earth?
God: Earth?
Gabriel: You know, the craxy one
near Mars
God: Oh. you mean where they—
Gabriel: That’s it. Now they’re
saying you are dead and Jesus is
in Selma.
God: You've got to watch that
ambrosia, Gabe!
Gabriel: I swear—uh—state un-
equivoally that some young theo
logians are saying that your Pri
mordial Totality has metamorphos
ed into the epiphany of imminence.
God: What does that mean?
Gabriel: I don’t know, but we’ve
got Augustine working on it.
God: Is hrother Beelzebub be
hind this?
Gabriel: Actually, it started when
a philosopher named Nietzche coin
ed the phrase “God is dead” —
God: What is he doing now?
Gabriel: He’s just finished writ
ing on the west wall, “I was wrong”
three trillion times.
God: How many people are af
fected by all of this?
Gabriel: Would you believe . . .
maybe as many as four Young
Turks who never had a pastorate?
God: What’s a Young Turk?
Gabriel: He’s a theologian paid
by the church to teach the opposite
of what the church believes.
God: You've got to be kidding.
Sumner Fun In Mexico
The annual tour to Monterrey,
Mexico, for summer study at the
Institute Technologico y de Estu-
dios Superiores is accepting appli
cations for the summer of 1967.
The six-week session begins on July
10 and closes on August 19. College
and graduate students may earn up
to six semesters of fully transferable
credit and junior and senior high
school students may earn a full
year of credit equally transferable.
"Tec” extends a special welcome to
teachers of Spanish.
"Tec" is one of the very few
university level institutions outside
the United States that is accredit
ed by an American accrediting as
sociation. In addition to being rec
ognized by the Southern Associa
tion of Schools and Colleges, it is
also approved by the Mexican Na
tional Association of Universities
and Institutes of Higher Studies
and the International Association
of Universities. The academic stan
dards are high and the opportuni
ties for the American to learn a
foreign culture under favorable
circumstances are unequaled.
The study program is intensive,
supervised by highly trained and
internationally recognized special
ists. The program of entertainment
and social activities is equally well
planned, organised and supervised.
Something is planned for most of
the free time to insure familiarity
with Mexican culture. This enables
the student to understand how
Spanish works in its natural set
ting and context.
The Roindorps have been con
ducting the tour every summer
since 1960 and will be glad to an
swer questions from inisrsetsd par
sons. Dr. R. C- Reindorp, who is
Chairman of the Department of
(Chats Club Conffm
Speaking for ail the members]
our Chess Club, I wish to ooidii
invite any of you, whether
play or not, to our meetings, wh
are held the second and fou
Tuesday of each month at
P.M. in the Green 8hutter,
hopes that you might become
terested in joining us,
more so that you too might
addicted. (I GUESS I
TO WARN YOU — YOU
BE EXPOSED TO AN
ABLE DISEASE CALI
CHE8SOMANIA.)
and
FORC
INC
UC
If you are already into
and would like to know n
fore our next meeting just
me, Ronald Ross (THE
THING THAT LURKS BE!
THE CASH REGISTER IN
CAFETERIA), or our Faculty
visor, Mr. Taylor of the
Department.
In The Good Old
(ACP) — If college adminisi
tors think they have it rough
ing with today’s demonstrati
happy students, a look at
"demonstrations” in the
1800’s might convince them
don't have it so bad after all.
ments the University of Maryls^M
Diamondback.
trav
In those days students
fined, suspended or expelled
such offenses as using profi
playing billiards, associating
“idle or dissolute persons,"
ing more than two miles from
pus or attending the theater,
acting to such harsh discipline,
at Hobart College heated cam
balls till they were red-hot
rolled them down a dormitory i
dor seriously injuring a
member.
:body I
Prince
In 1807 Princeton expelled
than 60 per cent (126 of an
tnent of 200) of its student I
rioting. Seven years later
pyro technically-inclined
Tigers constructed a giant
cracker out of a hollow log
with two pounds of gunpowder i
nearly blew up a campus
Not to be outdone by Priz
students at Bowdoin in
off powder charges under
tutors’ chairs. Three students
expelled and 20 more
disciplined.
builds
1827
Smashing things was in vogue (
several colleges. At Harvard it 1
crockery. In 1817 freshmen
sophomores demolished every pis
of china the college owned.
Princeton, students, for some
son, felt the windows had to
Princeton students did it
rocks but North Carolina studs
got in some target practice
shooting out every window in i
But today's faculty and adn
istrators will perhaps be
thankful that they don’t feel
dent anger as directly as
their predecessors in the 18
did. For example. University
Virginia students, upset over
they considered exceesi
work, horsewhipped several
members. In 1817 Princeton
ists pelted some of the faculty '
wine bottles and firewood,
just before graduation in 1$
Dartmouth students stoned a
feasor.
School
Foreign languages at Wi
College in Macon, may be
ed there (Zip Code 31201).
Reginald C. Reindorp teaches
ish at Willingham High
Macon and may be contacted
or at their home, 1620
Drive 31206. Dr. Reindorp
been associated with the
Exchange Program for Tec
ten yean and was oas of the
era. He is enthusiastic
fori
dations and opportunities then ■
Al
All
|Thi
Set