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Volume U me'WER UNIVERSITY. MACON, GEORGIA. May 12.T970 photo by Johnny Turner Security officer Calhoun lowers f1a( to half mast as students watch. This action resulted from a student request to President Harris. For details, see lead story on this page. Flag at half mast Last Tuesday morning, May 6, Dean Trimble, Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, told a crowd of approxi mately 150 Mercer students and faculty that violence is not the answer to the problems in this country TT>e statement came after President Harris, at the request of a small group of Mercer stu dents, had ordered the lower ing of the flag to half mast as an expression of sympathy for the deaths of the four students killed in demonstrations at Kent State University. Around 9:30 A.M. a small group of six or seven students lowered the flag. One of the university officials walking by asked a law student who was with him to put the nag back up. He then asked the students to see President Harris in order to obtain official comment on the matter. Committee reviews AWS rule proposal Dr. John B. Sheppard an nounced on Monday, May 4, that President Harris’s Ad Hoc Committee on Women’s Regu lations had deliberated the change of regulation proposed by the AWS (formerly RWGA) and had made several recom mendations. The committee, chosen by Dr. Harris to be re presentative of the faculty and administration, included Mrs. Hooper, Mrs. Wilder, Miss Fuquay, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Stone, and Dr. Sheppard, chair man. Dr. Sheppard explained that the proceedings of the committee were confidential and could be revealed only by Dr. Harris upon whom ultimate responsibility for a decision rests. The committee investigation was prompted by an attempt by AWS to get new regulations for Mercer co-eds approved by the proper authorities. The proposals were first presented to Helen Glenn, Dean of Women, on March 2. Dean Glenn met with AWS on April 6 and April 13 during scheduled meeting time, but when no progress was made, the women students realized that they were not actually the aaif governing body they were supposed to be. An assertion of independence In which AWS declared itself to be a govern ing body Independent of the office of the Dean of Women and dependent for its powers upon the women studenta was passed by a majority vote by all resident women students on April 6, 1970. The following night a rally Was organized in order to give the women stu dents an opportunity to demonstrate their support for the statement, and after Dr. Harris's temporary approval, the co-eds followed the pro posed rules on a trial basis. The rules change proposals which were presented to the committee were as follows: Doors of the dormitories will be locked at mid night, Sunday through Thursday, and at 200 A.M. on Friday and Sat urday. Only upperclaaa men may return after hours. To do so, they must present their ID cards to the security guard on duty.. Dress regulations on campus will be set by AWS. Dress regulations in class will remain with in the prerogatives of the individual instructors. The doors of the Fresh man Dormitory will be locked at 12 00 midnight Sunday through Thurs day. and at 2:00 A.M. on Friday and Saturday. A statement accompanying the proposal claimed that Mercer is an educational insti tution, therefore, it should pro vide both the necessary en vironment and the sanctioned possibility for its students to become more responsible and mature individuals. AWS feels that the proposed rule changes will allow women residents to couple increased freedom with responsibility, thereby in creasing their progressive edu- by Marsha Matthews Feature Editor cational development. AWS also feels that since a woman’s conduct is indicative of her self respect and her mature judg ment, the proposed rule changes give the woman stu dent the opportunity to exer cise and develop her powers of judgment. When Dean Glenn was asked why she objected to the pro posed curfew regulations, she replied that her main concern (Continued on Page 5) The students found Presi dent Harris extremely coopera tive. They said he called the action “an appropriate thing’ ’ and gave his permission to lower the flag all day Tuesday. At 10:35 the students left the President’s office looking for Columbus Posey, the uni versity registrar, who is in charge of the flag. Mr. Posey, after checking with President Harris, called a security guard and ordered^the flag lowered. The students then gathered around the flag pole to watch. Originally there were less than ten persons involved, but the number grew as word of the actions passed throughout the campus. A sign posted in the post office bulletin board earlier in the morning an nounced a prayer vigil to be held in the quadrangle during third period. Several faculty members released their classes to allow attendance of the vigil. The group of faculty and students who assembled were quiet and sitting on the grass or standing around talking. Many wore black arm bands. At 10:51, the flag was lowered by security guard, Calhoun. One of the students then attached to the flagpole a copy of the Tuesday morning Macon Telegraph which fea tured the Kent State story. Shortly thereafter, a group of approximately fifteen law students approached the flag pole, removed the newspaper and started to raise the flag. They were reminded by the students that President Harris had authorized the placing of the flag at half mast. The law students decided to secure the flag as it was. They then sent their own group to talk with the president. The law students proceeded to President Harris’ office where they were greeted cordially and conferred for 15 minutes. Saying that* he thought there was ample rea son for putting the flag at half mast. President Harris made it clear that he 'had authorized the action as “an expression of sympathy for the death of those students who were killed at Kent State.” Harris admitted the possibi lity that he might have made an error. He said, however, that matters sucii as these must be measured by the probable cause. Also, Tuesday? action was for one day only. Addressing Gene Harrington as spokesman for the group, Harris told them that if any by Tyler Hammett Managing Editor further question arose about lowering the flag, he would contact Mr. Harrington to ascertain the feelings of the law students. He also stated his secretary would arrange a meeting to discuss the events of Tuesday morning. The disguntled students returned to the quadrangle and stood abound talking. There were numerous comments. “1 don’tHhink it ought to be lowered . . . you’ve got to stop rioting somehow.” “I swear to God, I think those guys (the National Guard) knew what they were doing ” “I don’t blame the National Guard, just the few that killed them.” “Mob rule is dangerous.” (Continued on Page 4) SGA endorses publication board The SGA in the regular meeting Monday May 4, voted unani mously to endorse the proposed Board of Publications designed to regulate campus publications. Both John Lowry. editor of the Cauldron and Johnny Turner, editor of The Cluster, stated that the proposal as submitted by the committee would be beneficial in that it would provide workable means of regulating and pro tecting student editors. No further action can be taken toward incorporating the proposed Board into the con stitution of the University Council as a standing commit tee until the Council meets fall quarter. Approval of the pro posal is expected at that time. The proposed Board would be made up of five students and four faculty members. It would have authority to suspend funds from any stu dent publication which “fla grantly or persistently violates agreed standards of taste, decency, or accuracy.” The Board would also have the power to recommend the removal of an editor and to set standards of eligibility for candidates for editorships. Chairman of the ad hot committee, Professor William A Lane, pointed out that the (Continued on Page 6) photo by Johnny Turner Faculty tto held April 5, In front of ROTC buddings defaced the night before by unknown vandala. Prayer vigil held for 4 Kent students