Newspaper Page Text
Volume L
Number 13
* fflertn Cluster
MERCER UNIVERSITY. MACON. GEORGIA. MARCH T. 1HI
The Mercer debeie teem wine trophiee el the Florida Stale Invita
tional Tournament. Debateri are Hugh Duke*; middle left William
Cragge. Larry Finkelstein; back row, John Winkle and Mike Bliuard.
Debate Team Places
2nd in FSU Tournament
Mercer University's debate team
finished second in total points
among 31 colleges competing in
the Florida State University Invita
tional Debate Tournament in Tal
lahassee.
Members of the Mercer team,
eoaihed by Mrs. Gere Price, won
four of the five top speaking
awards for individual debaters. The
Mercer team was Judged the No. 3
negative team and the third best
team nebating. Individual members
of the team earned six extra events
awards.
John Winkle of Rome and Mike
Blizzard of Macon won five of the
six debates in which they com
peted. Larry Finkelstein of Holly
wood, Fla. and William Cragge of
Wiley, Georgia, won four of six
awards given the best affirmative
debaters.
The Debate Speaking Award,
4ven the student judged to be the
lest debater, went to Cragge.
Winkle was Judged No. 2, Finkel
stein No. 3 and Blizzard No. 5.
In extra events Hugh Dukea of
Debate Club
Sponsors
The Mercer Debate Club U
sponsoring an Intramural Debate
Tournament Spring Quarter in an
effort to promote academic com
petition oh the Mercer Campus.
They entertain hopes that this
will be the banning of many more
such activities at Mercer In which
the students can discuss and debate
timely topics Lt is their thinking
that such debate will be acadwni-
caUy stimulating and very bene
ficial to education.
They hope everyone will agree
with than and will support their
effort In every way. Please eh-
thnea organizations with
whom you have contact to part
icipate. Faal free to come and ob
serve during the actual Touma-
mant They welcome your critic
ism and new Ideas.
Whitesburg, Ga., was judged first
place winner and Blizzard third.
For persuasiveness Dukes was
judged third Winkle and Blizzard
were finalists. Winkle finished se
cond in impromptu speaking.
SGA President
Endorses Trustees
MACON, Ga.—The president of
the Student Government Associa
tion at Meroer University said to
day that the students are over
whelmingly in favor of the recent
action of the Mercer Trustees who
voTPd to apply for federal grants to
assist in the construction Of three
buildings. ^
Edwin Bacon of Jesup said that
the response from a petition
circulated among the students was
“overwhelming”. Slightly more than
half of the student body was con
tacted to sign a petition backing the
trustees action.
“We secured 750 signatures and
I was not refused by a single stu-
dtnt", Bacon a senior majoring In
English, said.
The petition "affirmed the final
authority of the Meroer trustees"
and expressed "the belief that Mer
cer must secure federal financial
support in order to continue her
academic progress and that the
securing of these monies would not
violate the principle of the separa
tion of church and state.”
The board voted unanimously
February 7 to apply for federal
grants totaling $580,000 to assist in
constructing a performing arts
auditorium, infirmary and a physi
cal education facility.
Bacon said today, “We view the
action of the board as nothing
zhort of life-saving. We am great
ful to the trustees for making
possible tite continuating of tbs
qualities of Christian education
that Mercer has been noted for fat
the past"
SGA Reconsiders
Proposed Constitution
Two weeks prior to the February
7 trustee meeting the Student
Government Association of the
College of Liberal Arts voted un
animously to circulate a petition
among the student body which
affirmed the final authority of the
Mercer Trustees’ expressed the be
lief that Mercer must secure federal
financial support in order to con
tinue her academic progress, and
that the securing of these monies
would not violate the principle of
the separation of church and state.
In the few days of circulating the
petition, the response was over
whelming. We secured 750 signa
tures. In my efforts to acquire
signatures, I was not refused by a
single student. In fact, since the
meeting, several students have ex
pressed their regrets that they were
unable to sign the petition before
the trustee meeting.
I was present at the meeting on
February 7 and presented the
signatures to the Board of Trustees.
I also spoke briefly explaining the
feeling of the Student Government
Association that if funds were not
secured soon, any hope for Mercer’s
keeping abreast with other institu
tions of higher learning in the ’70 s
would be almost nil. Therefore we
view the recent act on of the Board
as nothing short of life-saving. We
are very grateful to the Trustees
of Mercer University for making
possible the continuation of the
quality of Christian education that
Mercer has been noted for in the
past.
Sincerely,
J. Edwin Bacon, Jr., President
Student Government Asso.
The College of Liberal Arts
Mercer University
President Bacon reported on the
Student-President Advisory Coun
cil which met February 20. Dis
cussions centered around chapel
and office space for SGA.
On Friday, February 21, Ed at
tended the administrative council
and report discussions about con
fidential Status of Student Records.
A study is underway by members
of the council and action will
follow.
Dui Thigpen reported that the
appropriations Committee is setting
up next years Fine Arts Series and
students are asked to give sugges
tions concerning interesting groups,
etc.
The final order of business was
presented by John Winkle and the
Constitution Revision Committee.
After much discussion and debate
the Revised document was ac
cepted.
Absent:
Sandra Rich
Curtis Echols
Susan Wiseman
Rick Davidson
Mary Jo Allen
Linda Rogers
Bob Collins
Bruce Gordy
The longest meeting of the SGA
this year met Monday night,
February 24, with President Ed
Bacon presiding.
The Freshman Advisor, Steve
Richey, announced a meeting of the
orientation evaluation committee
for Thursday afternoon to study
the quest! onare filled out last
week.
Steve also reported that a Special
Edition of the Cluster will be
mailed to the class of “73 showing
highlights of this year.
Vice President, Hugh Dukes, dis
cussed the Insight Series and dates
and names will be published at a
later date.
President Ed Bacon read a letter
from Miss Lois McKuthan asking
for student help in contributing to
the alumni magazine the Msrcarian.
Ed also read the following letter:
February 21, 1969
The Editor
The Atlanta Constitution
P.O. Box 4686
Atlanta, Georgia 30302
Dear Sir:
With this letter I wish to make
public the feelings of the student
body of the College of Liberal Arts
of Mercer University concerning
the recent action of the Mercer
Trustees in voting to apply for
financial assistance from federal
funds.
Miss Dori RipUy. Lynns Kicklighter. Karan RWars. Joan Kyllonan. Julia Hulsay, Carol Slranga. Mary Me-
Gaughsy. and Chris Nordal prapara to troop tha lina at ROTC Sponsor's Day Par ad*.
ROTC Sponsor’s Day Parade Held
The ROTC Cadet Battalion part
icipated in Sponsor’s Day Parade
Monday, February 24, 1969 at Mer
oer University. The purpose of the
parade was to honor the recently
named battalion sponsor and her
staff. Lt Col. Robert M. BrambUa,
Jr. presented Min Dori Ripley with
orders naming her to the position
of battalion sponsor tor 1969. Min
Ripley also assumes the rank of
Honorary Cadet LI Col. with the
position. Her staff consists at Mias
Joan KyUonen a Junior from Ft
Lauderdale, Fla. and Miss Karen
Rivers a junior from Jacksonville.
Both staff sponsors assume the
rank of Honorary Cadet Major.
Miss Ripley a junior from Ft
Pierce, Fla. will be In command of
the corps of sponsors which is
composed of the two staff spon
sors and 1 sponsor from each of
the cadet companies. Those spon
sors are Miss Lynn Kicklighter,
Hdqtrs. Company; Miss Julie Hul
sey, A Company; Miss Chirs Nor-
dell, B Company; Miss Mary Mc-
Gaughey, C Company; and Miss
Carol Strange, D Company All of
the sponsors were elected by the
cadets in the Cadet Battalion.
After receiving their orders, the
sponsors trooped the lines in con
vertible vehicles, and then stood at
the receiving stand with Lt CoL
BrambUa, who is professor of
Military Science of the Mercer
ROTC program, while the battalion
passed in review.
Throughout the year, the spon
sors will perform service projects
for the Cadet Battalion and the
University.
