Newspaper Page Text
8| i' Muw® Cluster
VOLUME LXVIII, NUMBER 14
MERCER UNIVERSITY. MACON. GEORGIA
FRIDAY, FEB. 5. 1988
Criminal arrest warrant issued against SGA president
DAVID SISK
By RUBY FOWLER
Associate Editor
A criminal arrest warrant has
been issued by the Magistrate
Court of Bibb County against
David Sisk, president of the Stu
dent Government Association, on
the charge of simple battery.
Sources say the charge arises out
of an incident that occurred in
Dowell Hall on the night of Tues
day. Jan. 26. Named as the com
plainant in the warrant was a
female student who is a resident of
Dowell Hall.
Sisk was convicted by the
Mercer Judicial Council on Mon
day, presumably on charges related
.to the same incident. Sam Hart,
assistant dean of student affairs and
adviser to the Judicial Council, said
that the charges under which Sisk
appeared before the council and the
sanctions' levied could not be
disclosed pending Sisk’s appeal.
"Answering questions about the
conviction and sanctions could
jeopardize the outcome of the ap
peal.**
Sisk refused to comment on his
arrest for the Judicial Council con
viction. after being advised by his
attorney that doing so might negate
the objhi:tivity of the appeals
process.
Mercer Police Lieutenant
Michael Dorn refused to comment,
stating that he could not release any
information because the case is
Interview with Bob Skelton
New proposal in works to replace prom note
By KAREN JACOBS
A new proposal to replace the
promissory note procedure may be
disclosed in as early as two weeks.
Robert Skelton, vice-president
for finance and treasurer, said that
the prom note is under review, but
that the option is still available for
student uie. A new system is under
consideration, but details have not
been finalized, he said.
Skelton further addressed the
nutter of tuition increases. He
stated that the need to meet infla
tionary demands such as increases
in faculty salaries‘'Unth-gcneral
education costs necessitate the in
crease in tuition. He explained that
because Mercer is a private univer
sity. it cannot rely on receiving lax
money.
Skelton identified the universi
ty's major sources of revenue as
tuition, the cooperative program
funds from the Georgia Baptist
Convention, the Annual Fund (con- •
tributions from alumni), and en
dowment income, which is a gift
nude to the university ofwhicb on
ly the interest can he used. He said
the amount of endowment income
controls the cost of tuition, and
pointed out that since President R
Kirby Godscy has assumed office,
the endowment income has in
creased from SIX million in 1979
to $88 milliop at present.
Skelton said that 52 percent of
the general education costs are paid
by the students’ tuition. He iden
tified the chief expenditure items of
the university as instruction,
research, academic support ser
vices such as the media center and-
library, building maintenance, in
stitutional support (administrative
offices), and student services.
Skelton also commented that the
university was considering alter
native means for students to meet
educational costs, such as seeking
to allot more money for academic
scholarships.
pending deposition.
Dean of Student Affairs Barry
Jenkins who usually serves as the
appellate in Judicial Council pro
ceedings said he referred this par
ticular case to the provost’s office,
because of his relationship with
Sisk. Provost Douglas Skelton said
that he would not handle the appeal
because of a close relationship with
the Sisk family , but stated that the
appeal would be handled by some
one in the provost’s office.
Skelton said that the appeal
would be handled in a "timely, yet
thorough and responsible manner.
He said that the appeal would be a
review of all the issues considered
in the case, but added. "I have no
reason to believe that the Judicial
Council did not act in a fair way.”
Hart also praised the board for its
fairness: "The justices have goqe
to extreme lengths to be objective
in this case.” he said.
Jenkins and Hart both said that
more information directly related to •
the case would be available after
the appeals process is over. •
In regards to Sisk’ , position as
SGA president. Jenkins stated that
the SGA cannot addecss the issue
until the appeal is finished. Pic also
said that if the appellate findings
uphold the Judicial rulings, then
there would be cause for the SGA
to consider whether Sisk should re
main in his position.
Austin
greeted by
university
community
The dean's office sponsored a uniter.il> coffee In greet Dr. Phil
Austin, the new registrar. Dr. Austin comes to Mercer from Maries
Dickinson University in New Jersev. where he also served as registrar.
Alumni Association sponsoring
spring trip to Soviet Union
A group of alumni and non-
Mercerians will spend 15 days in
the Soviet Union this spring in the
first of a series of trips being spon
sored by the Alumni Association.
Dr. Jamie Cockfield. a professor of
history at Mercer, is organizing the
trip, which is open !o students for
course credit.
The trip takes place May 29-Junc
12 and will include visits to
Moscow, Volgograd (formerly
Stalingrad), Rostov. Yalta, and
Leningrad. In each city, the group
will visit historical points of interest
such as Red Square and the
Kremlin Armory Museum in
Moscow, the Nikitsky Botanical
Garden’s in Yalta, and major
palaces, the Hermitage, and the
Peter and Paul Fortess in Len
ingrad. A visit to a collective farm,
at least two theatre performances,
and a Russian style farewell dinner
will also be included.
All hotel rooms are deluxe and.
first-class, with double and single
accommodations available. The
total cost of the trip is S2.362 which
includes all transportation from
New York, three meals a day from
a Russian deluxe menu, all admis
sion and excursion fee. visa fees,
airport taxes, and all transfer, bag
gage handling and service charges.
Two American tour managers and
an English-speaking Intourist guide
will accompany the tour.
Through the tour program, the
Alumni Association hopes to pro
vide foe the alumni a means of con
tinued association with the univer
sity as well as make new friends
through the participation of
non-Mcrcerians.
Dr. Cockfield. who has taught in
the history department for 16 years,
has led a dozen tours to the Soviet
Union over the past decade. He has
a doctorate in Russian history from
the University of Virginia and has
sullied Russian language and
literature at Indiana University. He
also participated in the Russian
language program at the Herzen In
stitute in Leningrad in 1983.
Up to 25/peoplc can go on the
trip. Persons interested in going
should/xjntact Dr. Cockfield by
March I at 1-800-537-2878. (912)
744-2856, or (912) 477-9056.
Inside. . .
Phi Kappa Phi
fellowships .. 2
Students respond
to 3/2
schedule .... 3
Last Friday
review 4
Teddies win
again 9