Newspaper Page Text
2 MERCER CLUSTER JAN. 17, I960
Sditotiali
Success Of The Free University
Depends On Student Participation
The students and fac
ulty at Mercer are pre
sently caught up in the
web of a great opportuni
ty. The free University,
which currently meets on
(Wonderful Wednesday,
represents progress . . .
progress of a tangible
nature.
Tor the first time on
this campus, students
have the chance to meet
and discuss at length
such things a» Zen east
ern mysticism and Karl
Marx . . . things that
have heretofore either
been ignored completely
in the regular curriculum
or have merely formed
parts of several courses.
The subjects, of course
are not confined to those
which have been posted.
Anyone who desires to
discuss a subject is
strongly encouraged to
post a note on the bulle
tin board in the lobby
of the Connell Student
Center to that effect.
All that any free univer
sity class initially needs
is interested members.
Moreover, while the
classes have some carry
over, they are structured
so that anyone may come
in at any time and gain
from the experience.
Not only is this a
chance for “in depth"
study, it is, in the words
of Mercer student Ray
Woods, “a chance for the
students and professors
to work together.” It is
a step in the direction
of truer communication
between the students and
the faculty. At last we
are experiencing the par
tial extirpation of the
myth that puts the pro
fessor on a pedestal and
isolates him from the stix
dents. For in the Free
University, people, both
students a r d teachers
work together to learn
because they want to.
However, the success
of the free university
depends not on the fac
ulty members involved,
but on the students. The
groups will last only as
long as there is interest.
The first week’s turnout
was good but it is expect
ed to drop off, as many
were just sitting in. Mer
cer i s “uptight for
change” but we are be
ing watched. What are
we, the students, going
to do about it?
Outside Endorsements For Federal Aid
The words “federal
aid” have covered the
editorial pages of this pa
per manv times during
the past two years. We
have said over and over
again that Mercer needs
federal aid to survive and
develop as a quality uni
versity. In a December
Atlanta Constitution and
in the Sunday magazine
section of The Atlanta
Journal and Constitution
two weeks ago time was
given to the issues of fed
eral aid at Merfcer.
In the December 3rd
Constitution Reg Mur
phy, Constitution Editor,
reprinted the front page
editorial of the Novem
ber 22nd Cluster headed
“Georgia Baptists Con
tinue Their Irrationali
ty”. This editorial called
for Mercer’s separation
from the Georgia Baptist
Convention (GBC). Mr.
Murphy followed oqr edi
torial with an article of
his own in the Constitu
tion describing the Stu
dent Government Asso
ciation’s resolution on
federal aid at Mercer and
the quietly determined
attitude of students fav
orably disposed toward
federal monies for Mer
cer.
By Tom Cauthorn
The question of federal
aid here has now ceased
to be an essentially in
ternal issue and has cap
tured the interest of
those outside Mercer and
the GBC. The Constitu
tion had commented once
before on federal aid for
Mercer under the editor
ship of Eugene Patter
son. We have long hoped
that the Mercer Trustees
would vote favorably to
ward former Gov. Ellis
Amall’s federal aid reso
lution. The Mercer ad
ministration has long
hoped the university
could obtain unrestricted
use of federal funds. Now
the SGA is on record in
favor of federal aid for
Mercer along with one of
the South’s leading news
papers. Editor Reg Mur
phy, just as have the
Cluster Editors, has pru
dently recommended fed
eral monies for Mercer.
We hope that the
Trustees will consider
these responsible en
dorsements of federal aid
for Mercer when they
vote on the Amall resolu
tion. We can only re-em
phasize the urgent need
here for additional funds
to operate the university.
The next five years at
Mercer will determine its
role as a quality institu
tion in the future. Let us
hope that the Trustees
do not refuse our plea
out of any personal or
institutional deferences
to the GBC. Mercer’s fu
ture is vastly more im
portant than any issues
on the periphery of the
personal lives of the
Trustees or any issues in
the GBC’s attitude to
ward federal aid to edu
cation.
Margaret Shannon
wrote in her article in the
January 5th magazine
section of The Atlanta
Journal and Constitu
tion: “From the stand
point of college adminis
trators, one of the most
devastating consequences
of the convention’s anti-
federal-aid stand is the
effect on potential pri
vate and foundation don
ors. A wealthy Georgian
who not long ago made a
large gift to Mercer has
declared he will give no
more until the policy is
changed. Some founda
tions will not even con
sider applications from
colleges that haven’t al
ready exhausted all pos
sibility of obtaining fed
eral funds.”
I
Letters to the Editor
Dear Sir:
In your editorial from
The Mercer Cluster dat
ed November 22, 1968,
you said: “We editorially
stated last year that the
university and the Bap
tists should sever their
formal ties. This was
done last year in sub
stance by the Trustees’
resolution that they
should ultimately decide
all the questions of pol
icy and fiscal matters for
the university without
being subject to the re
view of the sponsoring in
stitution.”
I have no argument
with the first sentence
which expresses your
opinion of the action you
feel should be taken and
to which you are, of
course, entitled.
I do, however, wish to
state that the second
sentence is misleading
and untrue. I am no long
er a trustee at Mercer,
but I was last year and
was present at the trus
tee meeting when the ac
tion you refer to was vot
ed on. Dr. Harris present
ed this to the trustees as
a requirement of the
Southern Association of
Colleges and Secondary
Schools, and stated that
unless the trustees ap
proved, then Mercer
would be in danger of not
being accredited.
The vote was unani
mous, but my vote cer
tainly did not mean I
was voting for Mercer to
sever her formal ties with
the Baptists, as your “in
substance” implies and I
am sure it did not mean
that for any of the other
trustees, although many
do favor acceptance of
government loans.
In voting for this mo
tion, I was merely say
ing that, as a trustee, I
would listen to all sides
of any question, but
would vote according to
what I considered in the
best interest of Mercer
University.
Sincerely yours,
Jack W. Worley
Bremen, Georgia 30110
MEMORANDUM TO:
Dean 002
FROM:
01936-01966
SUBJECT:
Student No. 039-026-
036.
I have become quite
concerned about the per
formance of Mi88 039-
026-036 in my course No.
01485-01688. I have tried
a personal approach and
have not gotten very far.
I talked to our chairman,
Dr. 01861-01865 and to
my colleagues, Dr. 01832-
0000 and Dr. 01789-018-
16. They had no sugges
tions except that I check
with Mrs. 0135-0021 in
Student Personnel. A ft*
a personal talk with Mi
0135-0021, we decided
refer the case to 1
0012-0035 in the Depa
ment of Psychology. 1
0012-0035 has haa gn
success with study
who have felt estrang
in the past and it is i
hope that she can be
help to Miss 039-026-0
If you have no sug
tions perhaps you
take the matter up
Dean 001 or Dean Oj
or if you deem the per
al implications serio
enough with Mr. 1.
Should you want
talk to me personally,
can be reached at 7(
1511, Ext. 226 betws
10:02 and 10:52 daily.
Cordially,
Prof. 01936-01966
(Dr. William Platt)
Dear Editor,
I am writing this
ter in reaction to the
S. G. A. meeting whii
was upsetting to say
least.
It appears to me
Mercer is in a mood
progressive and refre
ing change. This ys
alone we have the
derful Wednesday pi
gram, we may soon
getting more money fo
the University, and
girls’ dress requirem
has been “lifted”
Wednesdays and Satin
days. These changes, an
all changes made hen
come from a joint effoi
between the administn
tion and the students.
My complaint is ver
simple; we students an
not doing our part in thi
movement for chanp
Our established power
in our S. G. A., yet it
not as powerful as
could be. The reason I
this is twofold. First, 0
elected represents til
are not listening as mu
as they could to the si
dents’ demands si
needs. Secondly, t
enough students are
ing their demands
needs to our elected r
resentatives. The real
ing effect is evident
our present S. G. A.
1 believe it is a b o
time we seriously st
doing more of our sh
of the work necessary
change. It is about ti
we students truly ut
and support our S. G. A.
and its about time for th
S. G. A. to further il
support of the students
Sincerely,
E. H. Collins
(Ehe JHemr Cluster
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