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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