Newspaper Page Text
May 8. 1968
Volume XLIX
Big Brother Eavesdrops
on Freshman Coeds Dorm
by David Sibley
So mlmy parallels have been tirawn between Orwell's 1984
and contemporary institutions, that it should not seem inappro
priate when Mercer, too, approaches totalitarianism. Yes, the
insidious Big Brother holds nothing sacred or inviolate, not
even the “Christian'’ university. Perhaps, you say, I’m being
slightly melodramatic, but withhold judgment 'till the conclu
sion of this article.
When the FresJ^fnan Woman’s dormitory was constructed,
a complete intercom system was installed, ostensibly for the
sole purpose of notifying girls of their visitors. Yet, in its pres
ent state, this intercom is so wired as to allow anyone at the
switchboard to eavesdrop, unannounced, into any dormitory
room.. When properly set up it should only allow the switch
board to call into a room, while by pressing a button the room
could talk back. Not only is this condition an invitation for
unethical conduct, but it is also a violation of Constitutional
rights. ,
Whether or not the condition about which I speak was in
tentionally created is a matter for speculation. But now that
it is being brought to the attention of the proper authorities
their response will make clear their intentions. If, in fact, the
situation is merely an oversight, then surely it will be corrected
immediately.
Stand Up and
Be Counted!
The cry of "our costs are going
up” has been heard from the cafe
teria over the past few weeks. This
was the response to an inquiry as
to why the required meal ticket
price has been raised for next year.
Our hands are tied at the moment,
but the process of eliminating this
situation is under way and should
be evident within the next few
weeks.
So, let us leave the land of po
tatoes for a moment and take a
look at the Snack Bar, or common
ly known as the Coop.
We are all aware of the changes
made here since we came back
from Spring Break. One of the
main revisions was to raise the
cost of the food. On the newly
lighted signs saying drink Coco-
Cola, we see that hamburgers, hot
dogs, sandwiches and the like have
increased anywhere from 6 cents
to 15 cents. What is their reply?
Our costs have risen concerning
food and employees.
This stock answer will be told
to the students as long as we keep
on accepting it With everything
being accomplished on campus for
the benefit of the students, it is
surprsing to note the students do
not agree with this. The prices
have risen and now are on the par
with any eating place in Macon.
The Brazier, Po-Boy, Burger King,
all have the same or LOWER pric
es than the Mercer operated Snack
Bar.
The Food Service Director told
the Cluster last year that we charge
less than any other comparable
place in Macon. I guess they could
be right, for no other restaurant or
bugger stop in Macon can compare
with the Coop. They don’t have
roaches! Their food is freshly
cooked! They try to serve and
please their customers! The differ
ences between the Coop and any
other eating establishment in Ma
con are numerous. As long as we
accept poor service and accept poor
quality of food, then no changes
will be made. But, if you are dis
satisfied and you do want changes,
then now is the time to act!
What should you do? A massive
demonstration with signs and press
coverage sounds great, but this
won’t work. The best way to
change the Coop is not use it Since
the school depends upon the Coop
to make a certain percentage of
profit, if this profit does not ma
terialize, and the books go into
the red, then action will be taken
immediately. They cannot afford
to eliminate the Coop, so the only
other alternative would be to im
prove it
There is an old Jewish saying
to prove that we can have changes
in the Coop: “MONEY TALKS!”
Behind the Scenes
END OF CHAPEL ... A compromise proposal is being drafted
by a student and the student's liason to God to be presented at the
Waverly Conference. Rumor has it this proposal eliminates convocation
completely and replaces it with a lecture series to be held on Wednes
day two or three times per quarter. Thursday and Friday Chapel
services will still be in effect
A BIT OF EVERYTHING . . . Talk among the fraternities has
it that an administration financial wizard is going to be honorarily initi
ated within the next two weeks . . . Friction between a conservative
and a liberal female in the Student Personal Office. Conservative wins
— gorgeous female will leave . . . President Harris approved a Student
Advisory Board to the President. They will be on the inside concerning
Administrative decisions. Bravo Ed Bacon ...
Are You Aware of Your
Rights and Freedoms?
Over the past few years the
rights and freedoms of university
students have been the main con
cern of many national organiza
tions. Since 1960, the American
Association of University Profes
sors has been studying this in rela
tion to the academic freedom of
students. A joint statement has
been composed and widely accept
ed in colleges and universities
across the country. Mercer is one
such place and now is the time
to be informed of your rights as
a student.
The Joint Statement on Rights
and Freedoms of Students is divid
ed into six categories. The first be
ing Freedom of Access to Higher
Education. The main point brought
out here is “Under no circumstan
ces should a student be barred
from admission to a particular in
stitution on the basis of race . . .
each college and university should
be open to all students who are
qualified according to its admis
sion standards.” It is also asserted
"The facilities and services of a
college should be open to all of its
enrolled students.”
Section II concerns the class
rooms. “The professor in the class
room and in conference should en
courage free discussion, inquiry
and expression. Student perform
ance should be evaluated solely on
an academic basis, not on opinions
or conduct in matters unrelated to
academic standards.” (2) Protec
tion against Improper Academic
Evaluation. Students should have
protection through orderly proced
ures against prejudiced or capri
cious academic evaluations; (3)
Protection against Improper Dis
closure. Information about student
views, beliefs, and political asso
ciations should be considered con-
fidentiaL
The Third section protects the
students concerning student rec
ords. “Information from disciplina
ry or counseling files should not
be available to unauthorized per
sons on campus, or to any person
off campus without the express con
sent of the student involved . . . No
records should be kept which re
flect the political activities or be
liefs of students. Provisions should
also be made for periodic routine
destruction of noncurrent discipli
nary records.”
Section Four is most important,
for it concerns Student Affairs. We
are guaranteed the Freedom of As
sociation. “They should be free to
organize and join associations to
promote their common interests.
If campus advisers are required,
each organization should be free
to choose its own advisor ., . cam
pus advisers may advise organisa
tions on the exercise of responsi
bility, hut they should not have
the authority to control the policy
of such organizations. Student or
ganizations may be required to sub
mit a statement of purpose, cri
teria for membership, rules of pro
cedures, and a current list of of
ficers. They should not be required
to submit a membership list as a
condition of institutional recogni
tion.”
Related to Freedom of Inquiry
and Expression, “the students and
student organisations should be
free to examine and discuss all
questions of interest to them, and
to express opinions publicly and
privately. Students should also be
allowed to invite and to hear any
person of their own choosing.” In
the area of student publications it
is pointed out that “the student
press should be free of censorship
and advance approval of copy, and
its editors and managers should
be free to develop their own edito
rial policies and nans coverage.
Editors and managers also should
be protected from arbitrary sus
pension, and removal because of
student, faculty, administrative or,
Continued on Page 4
Letters to the Editor
Dear Mr. Editor,
This week I ask you to look with
me at some theory behind Brown
University's Report of the Adviso
ry Committee on Student Conduct.
One might agree that the specifics
of the Report can not be fittingly
imposed upon Mercer, but I ask
your judgment on the reasoning
leading to the rules rather than the
liberal conclusions.
"We assume that it is meaning
ful to speak of a Brown University
community. While there are diverse
participants—and hence on occa
sion diverse perspectives—within
this community, the Corporation,
administration, faculty, and stu
dents at Brown University ulti
mately share common interests.
The University community is an
interdependent one, with the atti
tudes and behavior of each of its
component groups having an im
pact on the other participants. As
the quality of the faculty affects
the welfare of the student body, so
to does the quality of life among
the students affect other members
of the community.
“On the masters of making and
enforcing social policies and stu
dent conduct rules, we believe that
the University’s common interest
can best be identified and pursued
through a partnership process.
More specially, it is our conviction
that the students’ role should be
very substantial. First, sacial and
student conduct policies and pro
cedures impinge directly and al
most exclusively upon the students;
their impact, moreover, is doubly
significant at a primarily residen
tial (author’s note: by “residen
tial" the report is interpreted to
mean an institution in which the
majority of students reside on cam
pus in the school’s own housing.)
university such as Brown. Second,
we believe that students are more
likely to act maturely and respon
sibly within a social system which
they help to create and to enforce.
It is equally desirable that the
University establish a formal mech
anism which can provide a con
tinuous forum for the discussion
of the University's social system
and which can authoritatively re
commend adjustments and chang-
as experience and needs indi
cate. The proposed University
Council on Student Affairs is de
signed with this end in view. It
will blend the perspective of deans,
faculty, and students, and its re
commendations for future policy
changes will be informed by their
experience in administering and
enforcing the existing student con
duct rules. The Council’s recom
mendations will presumably cany
weight, particularly when they are
unanimous or nearly unanimous.
Hip (iMercer Cluster
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Paul Kirk
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Tom Caathein
EXECUTIVE EDITOR BU8INE8S MANAGER MANAGING EDITOR
Wright Daris
Wardlyn Milk, Deri Ripley,
Ann Walters, Gary Jofaneou, Mary Riddle,
Margie DsskU, Sksrri dark,
Final responsibility for accepting
or rejecting its recommendation
will of course rest with the Presi
dent of the University:”
I am not unreservedly favors bit
to complete participation of stu
dents in all aspects of a univer
sity. Service in a high school honor
council proved that students could
occasionally be far mote critical
of their classmen than the faculty
advisor. Wise use of authority b
the most important issue, regard
less of what age group exercism
the initiative.
Integrating responsible youtlu
into the governing machinery sys
tem that so vitally affects them j§
comparable to “no taxation with
out representation.” In another as
pect, the presupposed prejudices
of the different representatives of
generational and university strata
acts somewhat as a cbecks-and-
balances.
Respectfully yours,
Ernie Robinson '
Dear Sir:
I am writing in regard to your
April 23 article on certain coeds
protesting regulations at the Uni
versity of Georgia.
Let me say from the outset that
I think it is unworthy of the Cha-
ter, as a newspaper, to put an edi
torial on the front page in the guiss
of a news article. Such an obvious
ly slanted piece of writing belongs
on the editorial page.
“Clash on Equal Rights”—is this
an objective headline? It could
just as easily be titled, “Coeds Bat
tle for Booze and Beds.” But the
term “equal rights” is supposed to
trigger a favorable response in tht
reader's mind. Everyone is in fav
or of such a vague ideal.
One paragraph began, “Rules af
fecting women students at the uni
versity are arbitrary and discrimi
natory.” This is a value judgment,
not an undisputed fact Even sup
posing it is a fact the discrimina
tion exists for good cause.
Our Western society recognizes
that women are subject to special
privilege and protection. Though
it is occasionally difficult to
plain just why, few will dispute
it is more important that the wo
men of our society be more pro
tected from extra-marital sex than
the men. And isn't this the con
trolling reason for restrictions on
coeds?
Since the college woman is away
from her parents and yet under tin
age of majority, the University is
the logical entity to act in loco pa-
Conceding the generally permis
sive concepts on behavior that ars
pervading our campi (which is
themselves involve a value judg
ment aa to their worth), there stil
definite difference in tbs
way mala and female behavior b
viewed. Until the difference is com-
pltaty obscured by normal adult so
ciety, as wad aa the New Left, pe
rsists and those in the place of pa
rents will feel the need ts
above their daughters until the age.
of majority arrives, or a contract
of marriage.
The coed activists may attack the
University's restrictions hot until
our moral code la drastics Hr
changed, they will find the rules
ars but a symptom of our outlook
on asc and tin sexes, not a
for it *
Daniel B. Robison
Very truly yours.
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