Newspaper Page Text
February 6, 1968 • THE MERCER CLUSTER • 2
Editorial
Recruiting Crisis
A Guest Editorial By
The President of SGA
Three years ago, students could be found arguing that
Dr. Ebey was a better professor than Dr. Snipes (English) or
vice-versa. When Dr. Ebey leaves at the end of this year, both
will have left Mercer. Dr. Snipes left two years ago and will not
be replaced until next fall (two new English teachers have
recently been hired for next year). But the question is — will
we have to wait two years before there is a replacement in
Math?
The whole speech and drama staff left at the end of last
spring. Dr. Thornton is said to have left an abundant list of
names of possible replacements. No replacements have been
found and our debate team is subsequently coachless and with
out a drama coach, there have been no plays. Will it be another
year before we can enjoy student drama?
The modern foreign language staff will be in need of seve
ral faculty members at the end of this year. Will it take two
years to find suitable replacements for them?
Mr. Jack Jones will be leaving the Music department at the
end of this year. Although there may never be a replacement
for his talent, will his position be filled by 1970?
In addition there are needs for additional faculty in
Economics, Psychology, Chemistry, and Biology. One hesitates
to think how long these vacancies will exist.
The strength of our fine school lies in its qualified and
personable faculty and administration. Although it is under
standable, though not desirable, that we sometimes will lose
in the competitive college market; it is not understandable why
these vacancies cannot be filled.
Surely we have not misplaced our priorities to the extent
that we spend thousands on campus lights and underground
wiring, carpets for the dining hall, color TV’s for the dorms,
etc. (all of which are desirable but not first in necessity) and
fail to get a good professor because Mercer will not give him
an adequate salary. Surely money, then, is not the problem.
One good professor is worth 500 miles of new sidewalk.
Why then do I write this article? I write it because I am
personally concerned and also because the Student Govern
ment Association is concerned. It is our hope that all the stu
dent body will share this dissatisfaction over the present dismal
rate of action. We also hope to alert Mercer “officialdom” to
our interest and to the support and appreciation we offer for
the continuing improvement of this situation.
Disintegration Is Here?
During the past several weeks the
student leadership has become
acutely aware of the present and
possible faculty vacancies, and the
apparent problems that have post
poned the recruitment of replace
ments The SGA has in its meet
ings voice 1 strong opposition to
what has in some cases seemed an
interminable delay
We realize that there are topics
that are out of the purview of stu
dent concern and questions But
we realize even more as the news of
each new faculty departure reaches
our ears that Mercer, if she is not
at the moment, may at some rela
tively early date, find herself in a
chasm of want and lack of ability
to get out of her academic jicrson-
nel problems, if we can do no more
than make it clear that we see the
problem and do not understand it,
that we see Mercer as somewhat
unique in its puqiose and do quite
idealistically question the troubles
of ri cruitment and that we do not
see any necessity in the problem
continuing for one single year
more
If some academicians question
our right to assert ourselves on this
topic we can only answer that
whatever good intentions may be
possessed by the University become
instantly irrelevant when one rea
lizes that Universities are in the
business of education and a failure
to do this results in a bad return on
our investment as students
We have heard statements from
administrative agents in confer
ences such as Waverley and have
talked in private: and from behind
all of the good intentions come
sounds not unlike those of Winston
Churchill as he so skillfully guided
England, while at the same time for
whatever reasons there were, pre
sided over the disintegration of the
British Empire. It seems vain to
make excuses and plot causes for
Britain's demise. The point is that
through all the blazing rhetoric the
Erppire as Mercer may do simply
and so irreverently disintegrated.
IPfgDDgau»i4-fi 1
The Draft: A Legal Escape
by Steve Darby
Monthly Review recently announced the release of a new,
thought provoking book — How to Stay Out of the Army: A
Guide to Your Rights Under the Draft Law. The author is a
Negro, Conrad Lynn, an attorney for draft resisters and civil
rights. His purpose in writing the book is “so that those that
wish to resist may be aided in having all their rights that might
help them to refuse induction into the armed forces.”
The first half of the book lists the five basic classifications
and the divisions under them, and presents the rights and
privileges given to an individual who falls under that particular
classification. The second half shows the methods and tech
niques used to gain the conscientious objector deferment and
if all fails, how to gain entrance into Canada.
The basic section of the book is the latter half which dis
cusses the “open door” to Canada and the court procedures
used to defend a draft objector. It tends for the most part to
be directed toward certain minority groups rather than the
draft delinquents as a whole.
Mr. Lynn points out that since Canada is sparsley popu
lated, it has no objection in allowing young men from the
United States into the country. Also since Canada is indepen
dent in world politics, it has nothing to lose. Mr. Lynn states
that the best procedure to follow in entering the country is to
enter as a “landed immigrant” which is one seeking pemament
residence. Even as a Canadian citizen it would be dangerous
to re-enter the United States because the U. S. has draft laws
regarding aliens also.
The chapter concerning the rights of the conscientious
objector constitutes the main section of the book. And this
chapter evolves from the case of Daniel Seegar which appeared
in the Supreme Court. Daniel Seegar was a college student
that was classified as II-S. He requested a Special Form No.
150 for a deferment as a conscientious objector. When he came
to the question: Do you believe in a Supreme Being?, he chose
to leave it blank and instead stated that although he did not
believe in a Supreme Being, he did “ believe in and was devoted
to goodness and virtue for their sake, and a religious faith in a
purely ethical creed. “He was refused a deferment simply be
cause he did not believe in God. The United States Court of
Appeals, though, found Seegar not guilty of turning down his
induction order on the grounds “that religion was obediance
to an external entity, whereas Seegar held an allegiance to an
‘inner voice’.” The court felt that the first should not have
been favored over the second. The case then appeared in the
Supreme Court upon an appeal by the U. S. Attorney. The
Supreme Court found in Seegar’s favor. Justice Clark states
“that men may believe what they cannot prove. . . . Religious
experiences which are as real as life to some may be incompre
hensible to others. Local boards and courts in this sense are not
free to reject beliefs because they consider them ‘incomprehen-
able’.” Thus was an important decision handed down because
now an individual did not have to belong to a particular reli
gious sect or be a pacifist in order to become classified a con
scientious objector.
While the main purpose of the book is to show ways for
legal draft-evading, it also gives moral and political reasons why
the U. S. involvement in Viet Nam is wrong, and it is in this
context that I recommend the lxx>k since it does bring up
serious questions concerning American presence in Viet Nam;
but it is also nice for anyone planning a Canadian weekend.
(Elje iHercrr Cluster
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Tom Cauthorn Wright Daria
Roger Poaton. Haywood Turner
COPY EDITOR
Paul Kirk
BUSINESS MANAGER MANAGING EDITOR
Cartoona
Photographer
News Editor
Staff
Bob Johnson
Dianne Downer
Wardlyn Milla, Don Ripley,
Gary Johnaon. Ginny Scherer, Mary Riddle.
Carolyn Hamilton, Carolyn Braun, Anna Dixon
Special Correspondents Gary Brenner, Ed
Faculty Adriaora Prof. Anthony Stanafeid. J. O.
Paine
Bob Lanier Stare Darby
Contributing Editors Becky Sima, Ed Beckwith
Business Specialist Christy Tyler
Exchange Editor Karan Riven
Executive Editor Bobby Phillips
Sports Editor Claudia Young
Sports Staff John Kidd. Leonard Bona,
Art Hapnwr
Feature Editor IUmi Newell
Feature Staff Chris Greia, David Sibley. Ixxie Sodth,
Anne Gentry
Social Editor Carol