Newspaper Page Text
by Chuck Jackson
Cluster Assistant Kditor
Freshman task force evokes varying responses
The recent curriculum changes passed by the
faculty as part of a set of recommendation
from the Freshman Task Force have evoked
varying responses. The task force, chaired by
Dean Trimble, was set up last spring as an ad
hoc committee of the College Studies Steering
Committee to examine the freshman experi
ence.
The actual redistribution of required courses
within the curriculum came at the end of the
study. The recommendations of the task force
reflected several general ideas. According to
Dean Trimble they took into account the na
ture of requirements, the problem of taking a
course just to meet a requirement, and the con
cern of students who may desire to investigate
various areas of study. Other than the basic
courses in English (11 and 12) there are no
categorical requirements. Trimble said this gives
the student more options and helps to make
him more responsible for his education.
Trimble explained that a loosening of the
curriculum would not necessarily endanger the
entering freshman who lacks direction. He re
marked that the responsibility for giving the
student direction would be forced onto the fac
ulty advisor. This gives the advisor a motive to
sit down and discuss the rationale behind a
course. It will also provide for closer relations
between the faculty advisor and the freshman,
Trimble said.
Throughout the extensive debate there was a
large concern over categorically requiring lan
guages. However, the general consensus was for
a definite need for curriculum change. As of
summer quarter the changes become retroactive
for everyone and a student who graduates next
spring may do so under the new requirements.
Commenting on the lowering of the mini
mum required grade point for graduation to a
1.5, Trimble said this was not a recommenda
tion of the Freshman Task Force. The proposal
was made by the Registrar and he, Trimble,
voiced opposition to it.
The curriculum changes will have the mo6t
impact on entering freshman. Mr. Johnny Mit
chell, director of admissions, feels that the
change will help him to enroll more students
and help the university retention problem. Mit
chell said that the move should have been taken
nine years ago. He remarked that high school
guidance counselors wonder why more colleges
don’t loosen currioulum requirements.
Paul Howell, freshman advisor, will have the
job of helping the entering freshman make a
smooth transition to college life. He feels that
the freshman will now have the freedom they
seek at college. Paul said the new curriculum
will give the entering freshman the freedom to
study and choose, especially in the area of lan
guages.
However, languages seems to be ef some
concern to faculty members. Mr. Jerry Win
field, instuctor in modem languages, while gen
erally in favor of the curriculum changes said
that this type of reform could be deceptive, it
should cause the students to think but may not.
Regarding foreign languages, Winfield said we
are living in a time when America can’t be iso
lated and there is a need for understanding
other cultures. However, he is optimistic that
the language department may get better stu
dents. He also added that the curriculum redis
tribution would allow for structural changes
within the language department
Dr. Willis Glover, professor of history, was
also concerned about the changes in language
but in a different light. Dr. Glover said he
wished the absolute restriction on foreign lan
guage could be removed without de-empha-
sizlng their importance. He also feels that too
little emphasis is now placed on science and
mathematics. Dr. Glover remarked that the
movement to redistribute curriculum is general
all over the country
Dr. Glover said there has been a lot of mis
understanding about the lowering of graduation
requirements to a 1.5. Dr Glover explained
that to graduate a student must have thirty six
courses on which he has made a 2.0. If in the
course of getting credit for the 36 he must take
40, he can because the overall average does not
have to be 2.0.
He said the faculty’s intent was to allow a
person to make four or five Ps without pen
alty. A 1.5 average allows a student to make 12
F’s and still graduate Dr. Glover feels that the
faculty should correct this to a 1.8. He added
that the whole point of an overall average is to
prevent hangers on. The idea of lowering the
required grade point average is to remove the
penalty F’s for people trying to graduate.
Students now attending Mercer for whom
the curriculum change will be retroactive also
expressed satisfaction.
Tom Gordy, a freshman, believes the system
is better because there is less chance of a fresh
man taking three required courses which he
didn’t want and flunking out. However, he said
the system may be disadvantageous to the per
son who needs help in finding his field of study,
(continued on Page 4)
THE
MERCER CLUSTER
"The Pacesetter of the Seventies"
EFP
STORY
PAGE 4
Volume LI
MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA, MAY 5, 1970
Number 18
Progress reported in study
of Mercer athletics
The following story is print
ed in part from the April 26,
1970 edition of the Macon
Telegraph.
Mercer’s recently appointed
athletic committee, which was
handed the task of coming up
with recommendations regard
ing the athletic program by
Prerident Rufus Harris, has
been broken down into four
subcommittees.
Two of them, one con
cerned with the scope and or
ganization of the athletic de
pertinent and the other with
coaching programs and effi
ciency, met for four hours one
night last week. ,
Dr. Ralph Phelps, Mercer
vice president, who is a mem
ber of the committee, said he
thought a great deal was ac
complished and that the overall
committee would .develop
tome workable recommen
dations to present to Dr. Har
ris.
The other two sub-commlt
tees deal with finances and
public relations and haven’t
met yet. “Their work depends
to a great extent on what is
done by the two subcommit
tees that did meet,” Dr Phelps
said, “so they'll get together
later.”
Dr. Phelps said the overall
committee had asked Dr. liar
ris for a week's delay in coming
up with recommendations,
which had been called for by
May 1
In an effort to obtain addi
tional views and suggestions a
uestionnaire has been sent to
0 former Mercer athletes.
Mercer, according to budget
figures, spends $98,057 on ath
letics, includit$ a percentage of
salary money paid five coaches.
All also serve as teachers and
only a share of what they are
paid is included in athletic ex
penses Salary money reflected
in the total athletic budget is
$26,053.
The total spent on the vari
ous sports is broken down in
this way: Baseball, $30,427;
basketball. $56,343; tennis,
$7,019; golf, $5,268.
Very little athletic scholar
ship money is available at the
school. Basketball gets
$21,877, baseball. $5,260, ten
nis and gulf nothing.
The amount of money
taken and budgeted for ath
letics totals $46,914, meaning
there is an expense of $61,143
above revenue.
Most of the revenue comes
from a scholarship fund for
athletics set up by the late Dr.
W. G. Lee of Macon, who do
nated a great deal of money to
Mercer.
Quite a few athletes at Mer
cer received financial aid from
other programs but the total
that is used purely for athletic
aid is $27,117.
Debate team takes first
place trophy at Catawba
invitational tourney
The Mercer debate team won 1st place in the Catawba Invitational Tournament held in Salisbury,
North Carolina April 24 through 26. Bill Cragg, Barbara Russell, Lynn Davis and Robert Surrency
finished the tournament with a combined record of ten wins and two losses.
BillCragg won first place in program. Tuesday, April 28th Honorary Society) Also inter
on Channel 41 at 1:00 p.m.
Members of the team who were
interviewed were Bill Cragg,
president of the Mercer debate
team, Dan Thigpen, president
of Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa
Alpha (National Forensics
the Television Commentary
competition which involved
making a video tape of a televi
sion editorial on pollution. The
tape was then judged by a
panel of two ecologists and
two speech experts.
The debate topic was, "Re
solve that the Federal Govern
ment should grant annually a
specific percentage of its tax
revenue to the state govern
ment.” Bill Cragg and Barbara
Russell tied Tor the Out
standing Negative Speaker a-
ward and won the trophy for
the Outstanding Negative team.
The five trophies brought
home by the team are on dis
play in the lobby of the Stu
dent On ter
The Citadel of Charleston,
South Carolina took second
place in the tournament
Schools from North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia, and
Georgia participated in the Ca
tawba Tournament, which was
Mercer’s eight debate touma
ment. The team is coached by
Mrs. Gerre Price, instructor in
Speech and Dramatics, and was
accompanied on this trip by
Mercer law student, Steven
Gower.
Team featured on TV
The team was featured on
the “Helen Popejoy” television
INSIDE
CLUSTER..
Clutter Policy p. 2
Editorial Exchanges p. 3
Fan tatties p. 4
Fashion ,, p. 3
Indian Musk p. 5
S.G.A. Report p. 2
Sports \.. . . ,p. 6
viewed were Allen Wallace -
winner of Mercer’s first Na
tional trophy at Delta Sigma
Rho — Tau Kappa Alpha Na
tional Conference Bill Dodson.
Robert Surrency, Lynn Davis
and Barbara Russell
Alumni Association
presents awards
A federal judge, an attorney
and a former congressman were
the first persons chosen by the
Mercer University Alumni As
sociation to received the Dis
tinguished Alumnus Award
The presentation highlighted
activities of Alumni Day. May
Receiving the awards were
Judge G. harrold Carswell of
Tallahassee, Henry H. (Trot)
Ware of Atlanta and former
Congressman Carl Vinson of
Milledgeville.
Judge Carswell, who has an
nounced his resignation fron
the U. S. 5th Circuit Court of
Appeals to run for the Senate
seat being vacated by Spessard
Holland of Florida, is a 1948
graduate of Mercer’s Walter F.
George School of law .
He was appointed to the ap
peals court by President Nixon
in June of last year after sen
ing 10 years as federal jud^e of
the Northern District of Flori
da Judge Carswell was United
States attorney of the North
ern District from 1953 to
1958.
Ware is a distinguished
member of the Georgia Bar and
generous benefactor of the uni
versity. He is a member of tin
Atlanta law firm of Ware.
Sterne and Griffin and of the
Mercer class of '23
The Henry Hall Ware Lee
tures on Legal History annually
brings a scholar to the Campus
to speak on this phase of law.
They were named for Ware In
Judge Ralph H Pharr Chief
Judge of the Atlanta Judicial
Circuit
Former Congressman Vin
son served in the United States
House of Representatives for
50 years When he retired in
1964 he had served for years as
Chairman of the House Armed
Services Committee and was
credited with being the father
of the modem Navy
Vinson was educated at
Georgia Military College and
was conferred the Bachelor of
Law degree by Mercer in 1902
and the Doctor of .Laws in
1946
Mercer's debate team poses with trophies won at the Catawba Invitational Tournament. From left
to right, front row: Barbara Russell, Lynn Davis, Bill Cragg; top row, Allen Wallace, Mrs. Price,
Robert Surrency.
