Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

- ^ S' 1 ‘ 2 MEHCER CLUSTER CditoUaU S 'K. • . ' 1 r ■ * m&r RWGA, The Resident Women, We are writing this article in hopes of improv ing communication be tween RWGA and the student body. In past years. Women's Student Govern ment has been accused of allowing itself to lie used as a tool by the Office of the Dean of Women. Many of the rules passed by WSGA, and to a lesser extent, by RWGA, were not representative of the wishes of the women stu dents, but reflected the wishes of the Dean of Women. This year, changes are being made: RWGA is becoming more sensitive— and more receptive to the demands of women stu dents. Smoking and dress tides have been liberalized, in accordance with the de mands stated by the wom en in the poll taken re cently. The very fact of the existence of the poll is indicative of the desire of RWGA to fairly ascertain, and to act in response to, the wishes of resident The opinion was voiced on the editorial page of the Cluster some weeks ago that RWGA was dragging its feet, failing to live up to its responsibility to make known to the student body the results of the poll. We feel that that charge, while understandable in light of Women's Student Government's past bad rec ord, is not entirely in ac cordance with the facts in this case for two reasons: First, the Rules Cununillee is not composed entirely of RWGA representatives, nor does the main body of RWGA exercise control over the content of the jxdl, or over decisions re garding the use of the in formation. Secondly, the poll was complete in three parts. The Rules Commit tee did not feel that any thing would be gained by releasing the results of the poll section by section. Instead, they chose to wait until the results of the entire poll were tabulated, and all of the information could be released at once. It is probably fortunate that the information was not given out prematurely, since the results of the first section of the poll proved to be ambiguous enough to require clarifi- cation in a later section. We regret that me mm not in once complete com munication with. Mhs McNeal and dm Outer am By Barbara Marshall and Jails Hulsmy this issue, and we hope that this article, and future articles, will help to fill in the gap. The |x>ll has been re leased, and new rules have been passed which, in the areas of smoking and dress regulations, reflect the wishes of the majority of the resident women, as ascertained by the poll. It must be evident now, .if there was room for doubt before, that neither the Rules Committee nor RWGA is trying to sup press the facts- We do not claim that we have accom plished everything the women asked for. RWGA is now trying to extend the weekday hours to 12 mid night for Upperclasswom- en and 11 P.M. for Fresh men, and to abolish week end curfews for Juniors and Seniors. The difficul ties we have met with are, seemingly, of a financial nature. RWGA tunani- mously passed a resolution to extend the hours some three weeks ago. Since that time, more than one RWGA representative has tried repeatedly—and un successfully — to see Mr. Haywood to discuss the problem of funds for desk girl’s and security guards salaries. The new budget for the fiscal year 1969-70 will be before the Board of Trustees in a matter of weeks. The urgency of our need to see Mr. Haywood and to discuss with him the problems of funds without which we cannot pass Uu rules the women want, has gone unnoticed by his of fice. He apparently cannot spare the time. RWGA will pass the new hours as soon as the obstacles erected by Mr. Haywood's office are removed. We do not understand why Mr. Haywood cannot find SO minutes over three weeks to discuts a matter which concerns every resident woman student at this school. Mitt Helen Glenn, Dean ol Women, aid., at aa RWGA meeting that the Celt that the *156.00 need ed for detk girl’* salaries • if the dorim are to be kept open the extra dare (taring the week, amid net be ntited- At tbit point we do not know whether the money k available dr not because no one . from. RWGA can get an ap pointment with Mr. Hay wood; The only figures which have been made available to us were given by Mr. Shelton, through Miss Glenn. No official reply has been made by Mr. Haywood, who in fact, says that, to his knowledge, RWGA has not tried to contact him. If the money cannot be raised, why not? We are repeatedly told that the rules governing women students are made by the women, through their elect ed representatives, yet we are met with the possibility that the Mercer budget it not flexible enough to al low the women to have the rules they want. RWGA has a dear mandate from the women on the question of hours—but, as it now stands, our hands are tied. We, in RWGA, are trying at this time to work with the Administration — in this case, Mr. Haywood’s office—to reach tome solu tion satisfactory to all; we are getting no cooperation. At the RWGA meeting of Monday, February 10, the rule was passed that slacks, jerseys, and similar casual attire be allowed anywhere on campus, ex cepting chapel and classes. After the rule had been passed, Miss Stewart, As sistant to the Dean of Women and Advisor to RWGA, suggested that the approval of Mbs Glenn be secured before the rule went into effect This pro posal was clearly contrary to policy: nowhere in the RWGA Constitution is it stated that the approval of any administrator is re quired before a rule passed by RWGA goes into effect Nevertheless, Dean Glenn was summoned. She ob jected to the ride and stated that President Harris might also have objections. The tide was passed contrary to Mbs Glenn’s wishes, but she stated that if Dr. Harris had any serious objections, the rule would be revoked. It b not dear exactly what was intended by her state ment if RWGA has the sole HaponsibOity for mak ing and -onioning rules governing women students, mid if administrative ap proval is not a condition of the passage of any rule, then it k doubtful that . • RWGA am be required to * rale botiumo of administrative disapproval. It k possible that Mila Glenn meant that a rale could bo poand by har or could be mode a policy of the University, which forbid the casual attire permitted by the RWGA rule. But would that not be an admission that RWGA does not make the rules for the women? All of thb is, of course, conjecture; the fact is that the rule was passed. RWGA did its job; it up held die wbhes of the women students. to, Women’s Government to help in give the women dm- rules they have said they am best live under. It however, RWGA b a figurehead, sire are faced with the disheartening.fritt that an entire segment of the Mercer community — the resident women—exist here for the convenience of a few Administrative of fices. We have gone into some depth in our consideration of some of the problems faring RWGA in its at tempt to pass more work able rales, rules which represent the desires of the resident women students. We feel that it b benefi cial, especially at this time, to keep the students in formed of developments, and to make them aware of our problems. RWGA wants to represent the women students. The Ad ministration b being called upon to show its good faith, and its desire to give the women in fact, what it has always said that we. have—self-government At thb time, the meat of stu dent life controlled by RWGA. and thoae con trolled by the Administra tion, have not been dearly defined. We do not really know where we stand. In thb lack of definition lies our chief problem. Who docs govern resident wom en students? If the answer b Resident Women’s Gov ernment, then Mr. Hay wood’s and Dean Glenn’s offices have a responsibility Thb year's RWGA has changed. It b unlike any ’ Women’s Student Govern ment that we have had at Mercer. RWGA b trying to give the women the freedom they demand. Many of us feel that only when the students of . thb or any other University are as free as passible can they also learn to be responsi ble- RWGA needs the sup port of the women. The next few months will be determinative of the char acter of RWGA, and de finitive of the scope of RWGA's influence and power. If women students are displeased with the delay in the passage of - rules they have said they want, and if the very real possibility of the failure of these rales b dismaying to them—they have the re sponsibility of making th^ir demands known, not only to RWGA, but also to thoseAdministrators whose failure fo act b the only cause of the delay. The resident women must be willing to stand RWGA—if they are not. we can do nothing. fflu Editor-In-Chief Associate Edita Editor News Editor Linda McNeal Cartoons Editor —Tom Cau thorn —-JjforieAgglcson Wichtennan .Gary Johnson News Staff -Roger a a. t_i. Advertising ....a, EditorblStaff _ Sullivan. Elijah Lbhtfoot, Angie Hayes. Nancy Andrews, DebfafeHeweU. Anna Dixon, Betsy Bras, Quick Jackson * «s iroot reading Guthrie tiarie Asriopo 1—. "fl.—. 9 .X damn ’ro^O- fftanninn T tu | w • * - uoo saninton, juay inrtng Ettc. Editots Bobby Phillips, Wright Davb % Editor ' —, ————Louis Jahnsosi '\eti^ssnaSSS -Julian Goaty, Debra Rogers, johnny Tuner, Lyndon Mayes, Tyler Hammett, Lodtiyn <Urt«l MW- ' -Jeffrey Salter, Debra Rogers. Carol EUhrTPto Kay