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VOLUME 71, NUMBER IS
MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1969
SGA puts constitution
to student vote
Rosemary Radford Ruether
Ruether: Women still
All dualistic roles
Ijj SUSANNAH VASS
Feature* Editor
Women in American society are
caught between dichotomous roles
of wife and employee, according to
a leading feminist theologian who
spoke Thursday night at the fifth
lecture in the “How I See
America" series.
Rosemary Radford Ruether. pro
fessor of applied theology at
Garrett-Evangelical Theological
Seminary in Illinois, spoke on a
variety of feminist themes. She
centered chiefly on the effects of in
dustrialization on the status of
women in the 19th century, which,
she said, are still evident in our
own century
Citing the division of work from
home that was caused by the In
dustrial Age, Ruether said that to
day's women are still required to
filfill dualistic roles in our society-
She gave a quick overview of the
three different women's
movements in the 19th century,
stating that while they were suc
cessful in granting legal rights to
women, domestic roles continue to
be a handicap.
Ruether suggested that society
define the term "family” in a
broader way in order to close the
gap between the separate ethical
systems of family and industry
Fewer people than ever, she said,
fall into the category of "traditional
family.” and children should grow
up with a wide community of peers
and Juiults to refer to rather than re
main isolated to one parent or set
of parents.
"1 believe the church can play an
important role as community
builder and integrater,” said
Ruether.
The lecture was followed by a
brief question and answer period.
By PAUL ALEXANDER
Editor-In-Chief
The sudenl body will get a chance to vote on a revis
ed constitution that narrowly passed through the Stu
dent Government Association last Monday The vote
will lake place March 9.
The constitution, which needed 17 votes to pass and
received 18. was revised in order to allow for more
student imput into SGA. according to Donna Itzoc,
SGA Paliamentarian and Constitutional Revision Com
mittee chairperson.
One proposed amendments that caused controver
sy among the senators involved direct relations with
the student body; it regards the ability of students to
call a senator up for a vote of confidence. It was agreed
after much argument that this amendment, as well as
one offered during the meeting, would be transferred
to the by-laws of the constitution, which will be voted
upon by the senate in tonight's meeting
The amendment reads: "By a petition of two hun
dred and fifty signatures of students of that senator's
class enrolled at Mercer, the student body may recall
any elected senator for a vote of confidence from the
class electorate."
A friendly amendment added that 500 signatures
would be necessary to recall a senator-at-large, and
another proposed amendment calls for 600 signatures
to bring the vice president or president up for a vote.
Major opposition to the amendments came from
Senior Cass President Jan Horton as she said she
believed that it would be too easy to get the 250
signatures needed.
"1 don't know how to put it other that I don't like
it," she said. Lanier, however, said that he liked these
amendments.
Hugh Lawson tr) and Kevin Walton were sworn In
as SGA senators Feb. 13 as Gay Hoffman (I) and
Jan Horton look on.
"It all goes back to the question of accountability,
and that goes for me, the vice president and any
senators. I think we've come a long way. but there's
not enough (accountability)."
Also needed to the constitution is a necessary grade
point average of 2.5 to be on the senate Previously,
there was no specific average needed, but a 2.0 was
understood.
The revised constitution will need a 16 vote of af
firmation from those who vote to be adopted by SGA.
Other business in Monday's meeting include giv
ing 5100 to Phi Eta Sigma of office expenses. The In
terdisciplinary Studies Department usually supplies
some funds to the organization, but the recent spen
ding freeze placed upon the university has kept that
from being possible.
The senate also passed a measure that would allow
for 5400 be used to send four students (yet to be nam
ed) to a conference on race tjflations being held at
Cootlnutd on page 6
Low turnout makes poll data unreliable
By CHARLIE SMITH
News Editor
Low student response to the re
cent Student Government Associa
tion questionaire on Mercer's
financial situation has led SGA to
the decision that it will not disclose
the raw data results of the survey.
The Student Government design
ed the list of thirty questions as an
attempt to understand how students
feel about the status of Mercer s
financial situation. The questions
ranged from basic statistical con
siderations such as class rank and
residential status to the substanitive
issues of belief in the credibility of
the university and confidence in
Dr. Godsey s
Alhtough there were at lot of im
mediate reactions to the trustee and
administrative disclosures of
Mercer’s financial situation the
SGA committed itself to knowing
the feelings of their constituencies
before taking action. The question
naire seemed the most appropriate
way to allow students to voice their
opinions.
It was hoped that the SGA would
be able to get an accurate picture
of student opinions through
responses to the questionaire. but
the turnout was too low to produce
reliable statistics. Only about 10
percent of Mercer’s undergraduate
population filled out a question
nairc. It would be misleading to
publish the raw date of the poll
because there is not real way to suf
ficiently emphasize its unrealibili-
ty. according to Dr. Richard Met
zger of the psychology department.
who analyzed the raw data.
An SGA committee has been
formed to investigate ways in
which the questionnaire’s results
may be used. This committee also
hopes to make recommendations to
the senate about what action is ap
propriate for them to take. They
hope to do so in the evening’s
meeting