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Editorial
V'V*\* ;
Baptists Continue Their Irrationality
If- the
WM controlled by Lester Mad
dox wUlt ha ran a restaurant
Mima of Ida dactotons would bo
moca rational than thoao of tha
Georgia Baptist Convention la
ita
Mercer.
Laat weak tha ]
laymen of the
in Macon to thraeh over eona
or tha many actMUaa of Geor
gia Baptists. They did a com
mendable job on tfaoee questions
o fxjat which they knew some
thing bat whan it came to die-
cuaaing dm Baptiet ooUegee in
Georgia tbagr onoa again igaoaad
the facte and etack their heada
in the eead ae regards to fed
eral eid in the hope that the
problem* of university finance
would go away. THE PROB
LEMS DID NOT 00 AWAY.
Norman Collate came on its
knees and was allowed, after
much dtocumion, to borrow
$120,868 before dm end of the
fall team. Thia loan ia going
to keep that acbool’i doora open.
The glaring question ie: WHY
DIDN’T THE CONVENTION
ACT SOME YEARS AGO BE
FORE NORMAN PARK GOT
INTO THESE DIRE
STRAITS?
Tha resolution that the con
vention allow tha collegm to
bontow money ‘Tram now sourc
es’’ provided the new aouicee
would not compromise the in
tegrity of die college or conven
tion was passed only nfter an
nnenimsnt wee added provid
ing tint “no money be sought
or accepted from government
tax funds.”
But in the same day the con
vention was willing to let dm
Georgia Baptist Hospital in At-
ieral money by
in the resolution
affecting tha hospital. The hos
pital to not merely a medical
facility; it ia also the home of
the Georgia Baptist Hospital
School of Naming. This to not
as email a point aa it may seem.
We would ask the Convention
if we were in the question ask
ing badness; WHY COULD
THE HOSPITAL GET FED
ERAL MONEY AND NOT
RUN INTO THE SAME OB
STACLES THAT THE RES
OLUTION ABOUT THE COL
LEGE FUNDS RAN INTO
FROM THE FLOOR AMEND
MENT?
We have repeatedly talked to
students and cannot find morn
than a handful that am in favor
of dm GBCa constant attitude
toward federal aid to Baptiet
collages. We have repeatedly
examined the issues around fed
eral money and Mercer's finance
problem. We editorially stated
last year that the university
and the Baptists should sever
their formal ties. This was done
fast year in substance by the
Trustees’ resolution that they
should ultimately decide all the
questions of policy and fiscal
matters for the university with
out being subject to the review
of the sponsoring institution
(GBQ.
We now see the only recourse
for the university to to openly
advise the convention that it
no longer controls the decisions
of Mercer in any form. We real
ise that this would not be a
popular decision among Baptists
and we regret this. But, we feel
that the welfare of the univer
sity ha* priority over the es
tablished tradition of Baptist
control of Mercer.
The Cluster has no authority
to advise the trustee* nor doe*
it presume to do so. We merely
state the conviction* of the vast
majority of Mercer University
students when we say that the
needs of the university have
priority over the well-meant de
sires of the Baptists to control
the school. We see the only al
ternative to be that of the uni
versity seeking its own course
regardless of Convention pme-
sures and opinions
The tradition of Baptist in
fluence at Mercer will not be
affected by a formal separation.
Other schools such as Davidson,
Emory and Sewanee have taken
the same steps but still are es
sentially conceived of as denom
inationally oriented.
The Cluster feels the case is
closed and that any indecisive
action by any determining bod
ies of the university including
the Convention, the Trustees,
the Mercer community or the
administration will be regret
table and only defer the neces
sary action until some much
more volatile time in the future.
We at Mercer are ready to
admit that this university may
take its place among the finest
schools in the South or we are
also ready to admit that the
university could at some cloudy
time in the future come on ita
knees to the Convention aa
Norman College did last week.
The Mercer community and
the university are in the bus
iness of providing the exacting
service of education to almost
2,000 young people. With this
in mind we cannot allow the
university to be controled or
advised by anyone or any group
but those persons and groups
that are qualified to determine
the complex decisions that face
educational institutions today.
We respectfully admit that
while the convention ia fully
capable of determining its ques
tions regarding the church it is
not qualified to advise Mercer
University in any method or
form.
sflttrmr Cluster
Volume L
MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA, NOVEMBER 22, 1968
Number 5
Mercer President
Calls Attention
To Young Rebels
Adult Americana have a duty
to try to understand what tha
"screaming” of student rebels to
si k>ut. Dr. Rufus C. Harris, pres
ident of Mercer University, told
delegates to the state convention
of Christian Churches Friday af
ternoon, November 15.
Speaking in tha Houston Avenue
Christian Church, Dr. Harris mid,
"Middle-aged America has • high
obligation to listen to what
students are saying. Respectable
people are so ropaOsd by tha out-
waid forms of student protest—
the unksmpt hair, tha soiled
d thes, the beads, the beards, that
they fail to see tha substance of
valid
Though “violence can never be
tolerated and danger to property
cr injury to persona to intolerable”.
We most realise that “rtwiwcracy
does indeed have some shortcom
ings. Tim case against Vietnam to
in assay stays n strong sad per
■ostove one*.”
Dr. Harris mid. “America moot
listen and wo most understand. Wo
should not m a group put
high
•i tics and good I
only tho acrosma. Ws adult Assad-
cans have a duty to try to eoaa-
prahead what tha mowing to aD|
about.”
s«iy to wmovi the
which they attoa.
“But thaw to no.
WHnd. and no
keen mods fa
from which
■ Tho .spa
church convention “to bo
m with people than wife a**-
fcin, dm. <>mt M omr apdn
the toapovsrtohed people of Amm-
ks In* barn pssntofod help fag
ft*ik pwhlmto only to hero feme
tomtom nwlirtirt
“Ia tho torn of dkappoh
r prop- m*
■sasUf
■M '
Dr. Harris
ing so increasingly explosive that
wo should expect violence and dis
cord in the large urban areas across
the land.”
Dr. Harris deplored the “absents*
of important, creative programs for
urban change” and said many lo
cal governments are conducting
M n—yi|M of repress!venae* which
promise disarrangement against
the ghetto population.”
Alluding to the Biblical phrase,
the president said, “Thia to what
ws have attempted. It to hnpoaai-
bis in terms of financial or human
commitment to be preoccupied
with opposite and contrasting is
sues—waging war in Vietnam and
lildiag order at hotna.
“It to important that wa soon
tuns from the enemy perceived on
far boriaon and me tha real
on* beside us—poverty, degrade-
tfam .and injustice. Unlam we can
tun actively to the needs of Aasar-
ica’s oppressed, frustrated and an
gry people, these will come to us
h chaos m leads either to
anarchy or to such a radical shift
to tha right that factom ultimately
follows."
SGA Stimulates Student Involvement;
Food Services’ Quality Investigated,
Board To Oversee Auxiliary Enterprises
Hie Student Government Asso
ciation has concerned itself with
many pressing student grievances
this quarter such as the unrest
with the cafeteria and Co-op, the
need for more periodicals which
present both the far left and far
right view, and the possibility of
a full time assistant to the Dean
of Chapels staff. Thia and modi
more was outlined in tha SGA
quarterly report presented tonight
The SGA in order to present a
dear picture of it’s function to
the student body has presented
this quarterly report to the Cluster.
The SGA to extremely interested
in student involvement and urgee
any interested persona to attend
their meeting* every Monday night
at 5:00 o’clock in the Trustee's
Dining Room.
The Food Service Committee
was reactivated this year when
Van Hal* and later Allen Wallace
and other “concerned students”
presented the grievances that some
areas of the cafeteria could be im
proved and that the administra
tion of the facilities should be
looked into.
Following the committee's
ing with Mr. Krakow and Mr.
Haywood the committee reported
that there was a need far mot*
money to puirknss new cooking
equipment to replace the antique*
Mary Jo Allen’s committee and
Mr. Haywood have worked out a
proposed Pomp to ovoieoo the run-
wfog of the bookstore, cMstsrfa,
sad Co-op. This was enftomad by
tho SGA on November 11 and mat
to Mr. Haywood and trustees far'
The nnmstottn to now in fas
proesm of tahnlatiag a food pro-
f stance poll taken a couple of
weeks ago. If you have any sug
gestion or problems concerning
this committee you can contact
any one of it’s members which in
cludes: Mary Jo Allen, chairman;
Danny Brogdon, Dean Daughty,
Shirley Harrison, Jim Pape.'lriie
Smith, Gary Smithley, Allen Wal
lace, and David Whatley.
Another matter of concern both
to the students and faculty was the
need for periodicals which will pre
sent the views of the far left and
right. The Library Committee pro
posed that the SGA Appropriate
$6000 toward the purchase of new
periodical*.
The SGA approved the proposal
and selected members to evaluate
the list of periodicals to be pur
chased. The committee has been
and is dealing with the social or
ganizations in an attempt to cut
down on noise in the library caused
by their pledge class** in compul
sory study halls. Members of the
committee are Claudia Young,
chairman; Phil Comer, Bill In
gram, Charlene Smith. Pam Chap
pell, Wright Davis, and Robert Mc
Allister.
One of the Committee* having
the roost trouble in trying to dead
with their problem is the Commit
tee for the Leaning Atmosphere
in the Dorms. The reasons for
these difficulties relate to the dose-
nos* of living in the dorms and
the condition* of the buildings.
In order to provide a bettor study
atmosphere it has been proposed
that two rooms in Knight Hall be
opened for students desiring quiet
for individual study. Any sugges
tion* may be pme»ntod fa Linds
Rodgers, chairman; Bob Collins,
Mary Cotton, Beth Danfoto, David
Long, Bill Stembridge and Carolyn
X-X.
Ed Bacon gave an enlighting re
port on the first meeting of the
Advisory Council of Students to
the president which consist of the
presidents of the classes, SGA,
Panhellenic, IFC, and the editor
of the Cluster. Some of the sug
gestions by both the President and
the council were that editorship
of publications on campus should
be appointed on the basis of qual
ifications and not a popularity con
test A Committee was set up to
study the idea and its members
are Tom Cautborn. chairman; Dan
Thigpen, Carol Strange and Linda
McNeal. The group also discussed
the type of social disciplinary com
mittee for both men and women.
A proposal is being drawn up by
Jacob Beal, Chairman; Jo Ann
Searcy, Lynn Whatley, and Jinx
Schenke. The final area of interest
to Dr. Harris and the group Was
concern over certain chapel be
havior.
Another project of the SGA to
“Stump” which allows any student
ten minutes to speak on any sub
ject during convocation as long
as a brief outline to approved be
fore time. Further information can
be obtained from Hugh Duke*.
SGA received a letter from Mr.
Haywood which urged students to
park their can in the library park
ing lot since several can have
been vandalized along Edge wood
and Adams Street.
KEEP FREEDOM
IN YOUR FUTURE
SwUici
Bonds,
Sturts