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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 Editor-In-Chief Associate Editor News Editor Business Manager Managing Editor . Cartoons Photographer Circulation News Staff Advertising Editorial Staff Linda McNeal Tom Cauthorn Claudia Young Bob Lanier Gary Johnson Roger Poston Bob Johnson Joanne Hoinowski, Carol Iaon Peggy Sullivan, Elijah Light!oot, Angie Hayes Cornelia Bennett John Guthrie MEMBER Layout Proofreading Claire Jordan Bob Staunton, Judy Irving Executive Editors Bobby Phillips, Wright Davis Sports Editor Louis Jo Sports Staff John Kidd Feature Editor Jeffrey Salter Feature Staff .... Julian Gordy, Andrea Fruet, Debra Rogers, Johnny Turner, Lyndon Mayes, Tyler Hammett, Loehlyn Kennedy Social Editor Jarl Baugh Anna Puitt