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(02/22/12 9:04pm)
I’ve been getting headaches recently, really, really bad headaches. The best way I can describe them is brain-pounding, lingering migraines. It’s been going on for over a week now.I thought it could be stress-related, so I went online to follow up and get some insight about what might be causing it. I found reasonable sources telling me that the symptoms I’m experiencing could be an abnormal result of high blood pressure. I was skeptical, but wanted to pinpoint the cause so I could find a cure, or at least a way to inhibit the headaches.Naturally, I want to find out if it was true and if there was any correlation between the blood pressure issue and my headaches. So, I went to the student health center and scheduled an appointment. The secretary was polite and told me to come back the following day when the doctor could see me.After rescheduling a meeting and pushing back a timeslot I had devoted to working on my independent study, I was able to make time to meet with the doctor. I showed up five minutes before my appointment, ready to find out what was wrong with me. My appointment time came and went. Ten minutes later, I started glancing at my phone. I had somewhere to be thirty minutes later.As I checked the clock for the sixth or seventh time, the secretary came out of the office and told me I could go in. She told me to sit on the padded countertop-style examination table. She asked me what was wrong, and I described, in as vivid detail as possible, exactly what I had experienced. I told her about the tension in my neck and shoulders accompanied my severe head pain that lingered from 30 minutes to an hour. I also told her that I discovered there may be a correlation between the headaches and blood pressure, but that this was just an uninformed self-diagnosis.She was friendly. She asked me if I did anything active. I told her that I’m a dancer, and that I dance and workout several days per week. After checking my weight and pulse, she sent the assistant doctor in. He asked me to go through it all again: “What’s wrong with you?” A bit annoyed, I complied and regurgitated all the information a second time. After this, he left the room and spoke to the primary doctor at Student Health. At this point, I had been sitting in the room for about 40 minutes and I was getting pretty agitated. I was missing my next meeting of the day and taking the risk that my tardiness would reflect poorly on my grade.After what seemed like forever, the doctor finally came in. He asked me to give him my symptoms. I went through everything a third time, ensuring to captivate his attention with graphic details as I had before. He left the room and I waited again. After 10 or 15 more minutes, he returned with the assistant doctor. He brought a document in that he had just printed and handed it to me. It was a case study about headaches that had been led by researchers at a university.He gave me a brief synopsis of what the article said, and attempted to generalize the information so it would seem pertinent to me. After he gave his book-report style rundown of why headaches occur, he suggested I take some Ibuprofen or other pain reliever to remedy it (excellent suggestion…why didn’t I think of that?).The doctor then switched gears to the question I raised about blood pressure. He felt compelled to inform me that I had poor lifestyle choices; that I should elect to eat less canned meats and processed foods, get more exercise, and stop eating so much (because there are cameras on campus…student health doctors know when you are sleeping, they know when you’re awake). He also gestured to a fold of skin under my arm and told me that my weight was responsible for my blood pressure issues.While the assistant doctor made me feel at ease with my condition, the primary doctor came across as passive (not wanting to help me at all), and condescending. Truth be told, I felt a little violated having shared my condition with him in the first place.I don’t know which is worse: the fact that the doctor is providing diagnoses when he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about, or the fact that he passively insults patients in an environment where they already feel vulnerable and overly self-conscious.I’ve heard some pretty scary stories about Student Health, but I never believed they were true until this experience. I will not be returning to Student Health again. I am very capable of conducting a Google search on my own computer. If nothing else, one thing is clear: if you have a problem, it’s best to get yourself examined by a doctor that takes you seriously. Comments on this opinion can be sent to stephern.a.preston@live.mercer.edu
(01/25/12 11:50pm)
Track The Trolley is back this semester as a resource for students to use. As of January 16, the popular program that allows students to get a startlingly accurate readout of the trolley’s location is back in full swing at Mercer.
The revival of the program brings to our attention some attractive new features that give the project new life and have the potential to appeal to our new, technologically savvy generation of Mercerians.
“The system that Vice President Ekeke and I selected has many features that students will find very useful,” explained Jordan Locke, senior class president of the Mercer Student Government Association (SGA).
While new students anticipate utilizing the revived program, some of the more seasoned Mercerians wonder why the program was ever discontinued.
“At the end of the White/Giddens administration, it was realized that the carrier for the former Trolley Tracker was no longer supported,” said Locke. “Therefore, at the beginning of the year, Ike and I started looking at options to bring it back.”
“I worked directly with Mickey Belonte from the Information Technology department to select the best program for Mercer Students,” Locke said.
The SGA senators, in conjunction with Information Technology, settled on a program called TransLoc. This program is used by numerous universities across the country, including Georgia Tech.
“I started corresponding with Mr. Belote this summer, but it took until now to get the specifics of the program settled,” explained Locke. “The Trolley Tracker went live [Jan. 16]. Any student can access it from http://trolley.mercer.edu/ or from the SGA website.”
It makes sense that the program is so common among university campuses. After some minor changes, Track The Trolley seems more convenient than ever.
It now offers a text message feature that allows Mercerians to get real-time trolley updates on any personal cellular device capable of text messaging.
The reprise of the program also allows students to gain instant access to the service on smart phones. As the cliché goes, now ‘there’s an app for that!’
If students don’t own a smart phone but have service with Verizon Wireless, they can download a Track The Trolley add-on from the News and Information section in the Get It Now menu.
“I’m very excited that our administration was able to bring the trolley tracking system back. It is a service that is extremely beneficial to students,” said Locke. “Our administration’s aim is to make feasible changes to Mercer. I think that this change is both useful and practical to the well-being of the student body,” he concluded.
Regular trolley hours are from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesdays thru Saturdays. The trolley departs from Mercer after briefly stopping at two designated pickup locations: the circle between McCorkle and Greek Row and the Connell Student Center lot. It makes numerous stops downtown, including several popular club-centric locations.
For more infrmation on Our College Town transportation, Track The Trolley apps and mobile device compatibility, visit http://trolley.mercer.edu. Download the app to track the trolley at your convenience.
(11/16/11 11:51pm)
On Friday Nov. 10 as a part of the homecoming 2011 experience, Mercer University hosted a groundbreaking for the new stadium being built on behalf of Mercer Football and LaCrosse. The ceremony brought numerous dignitaries together under one white plastic roof to celebrate this milestone in Mercer history.
A large white tent was set up on the intramural field adjacent to the construction site to hold the several hundred attendees, which included current and former student athletes, staff, trustees, Mercerians and Maconites alike.
The event featured Mercer cheerleaders accompanied by everyone’s favorite bear, Toby. The event was marked by the ceremonial turning of the earth with golden-plated shovels. It was a proud moment in Mercer history.
“Our football program has been hibernating for 71 years,” Mercer president Bill Underwood declared at the ceremony.
Students were invited to embrace their collegiate heritage as Mercer unveiled color renderings of the finished structure. The renderings of the new facility include a field house, a press box , a spectator section that will seat 6,000 fans and plazas on either side of the playing space.
In a football press conference held Saturday November 11, head coach Bobby Lamb said that several students suggested that the stadium was too close to the Hilton Garden Inn. He replied with a chuckle that the building they were referring to was the new field house for the football program.
The rendering of the field house does evoke a distinct feeling of grandeur. The structure will include coaches’ offices for both sports, football and lacrosse, as well as a student lounge, locker rooms, a sports medicine facility, training rooms and conference rooms for the teams. The new field house will be named for chairman of Mercer’s trustees Homer Drake and his wife, Ruth.
Mercer Athletics is readopting football for the first time since 1941. The plan is to have the stadium built by Fall 2012 so that Bears may begin practice. The program will officially resume Fall of 2013. It will resume on the FCS level in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League.
(10/19/11 11:42pm)
The Grand Opera House has announced that student rush tickets will now be available for all main stage shows this season. College students with valid photo ID may now purchase tickets at a discount.
Students may come to the Grand Box Office up to one hour prior to a performance and present a college ID to purchase any available ticket at a discounted price.
The new rush ticket policy began with the Tony Award-winning Blast! at the Grand Opera House. Blast! is a high-energy Broadway smash in which the music and musicians are the show itself.
The Mercer University Pep Band, accompanied by Toby Bear, opened the show with a set list including selections such as Krypton, Georgia, and the Mercer Fight Song.
Audience members were astonished during a performance lasting nearly 3 hours.
The talented cast met the audience at the conclusion of the show. A member of the Blast! ensemble remarked after the performance, “It’s a lot of work, but we get to perform for amazing audiences each night.”
The Grand has been bringing exceptional entertainment to Macon audiences since 1884, and the 2011-2012 season is no exception.
The Grand’s season lineup includes touring Broadway shows as Rain, In The Heights (winner of the Tony Award for best musical), Fiddler on the Roof, and Damn Yankees.
The Grand will also be hosting several shows by regionally acclaimed performers, including John Berry, The Blues Brothers, and a special one-day presentation of Mercer Theater’s Alice In Wonderland.
Directed by Scot Mann, Alice In Wonderland is the classic story about a girl who escapes into a world of her own creation.
Over 40 Mercer students are participating in the Mercer Theater production of Alice. Abby Howd, who will portray the title role, is excited to be involved in this production.
“I love playing Alice because I’ve been fascinated by her Wonderland since I first heard her story,” said Howd.
Howd describes the challenges she faces regarding character preconceptions as she takes on the title role in Alice In Wonderland.
“I think playing Alice is a challenge because the story is so familiar to all, and most everyone has either seen a production, watched one of the countless films, or read the book about her,” said Howd. “I hope to live up to all of everyone’s expectations but also bring something unique to the stage that is all my own.”
Alice In Wonderland is being promoted as a kickoff event to the Mercer homecoming festivities. It will be open Nov. 10 with a 9:30 a.m. performance, an 11:30 matinee and 7:30 p.m.
Rush tickets will be available for Alice In Wonderland and all other main stage theater productions at the Grand Opera House this season. General admission tickets may also be purchased by calling (478) 301-5470.
(10/06/11 1:27am)
The Mercer University Dance Team auditions held in September yielded the participation of several young dancers who will perform at games and Mercer events throughout the current academic year.
The new Mercer University Dance Team consists of 10 girls: Madison Beavers, Christy Brown, Kayla Godwin, Porsche Green, Katie Houston, Kendalee Marcus, Elizabeth Peacock, Cassie Speirs, Hannah Troyer and Kaila White.
The team is under the direction of Terri Waits and Kim Hamrick, owners of T & K Studios in Jackson, Ga. Their dance education facility specializes in ballet, tap and jazz.
Both coaches have devoted their lives to the art form, which explains why Waits and Hamrick meet and exceed the standard that Mercer Athletics has always held for a dedicated faculty.
The two have experienced dance from both a competitive as well as a recreational standpoint. They were the directors for DANCEAMERICA and Dance Olympus, a popular dance competition and convention circuit in the southeast, and they are current Georgia representatives for National Dance Week.
“We’re very excited about directing Dance Team this year and we anticipate it being a great program,” said Dance Team Co-Director Terri Waits.
The squad now schedules frequent rehearsals in the University Center aerobics room in preparation for the upcoming Mercer basketball season, which is their biggest audience and primary focus in the coming year.
The members have been working to raise funds for their uniforms, shoes, music and choreography. The dances consist of a mixture somewhere between hip-hop and jazz. They are currently working on a piece to perform at the halftime show at the next big basketball game. While many schools’ dance teams perform solely to ‘canned’ music, Hamrick and Waits are of the opinion that dance team members should actively engage spectators as the cheerleaders do.
“The dancers are energetic, enthusiastic and eager,” said Dance Team Co-Director Kim Hamrick. “It’s our goal to make this a positive experience for everyone involved, including Mercer fans. We want the dance program to grow even more next year,” she added.
The Cluster caught up with the dancers as they broke in new dance shoes at the second team practice.
Dance Team member Cassie Speirs can’t wait for their first performance. “I’m looking forward to getting out there and being involved,” said Speirs. “I’m getting a chance to be a part of something new and exciting,” she added.
The primary focus this year seems to be the establishment of a more engaging atmosphere at Mercer athletic events, and basketball in particular. The dance team will collaborate with Mercer Cheer, Pep Band and of course Toby (Mercer Bear mascot), to create a fun, interactive environment for Mercer students and sports fans alike.
Dance Team member Christy Brown said, “I’m looking forward to bringing back the Mercer Dance Team and working beside the cheerleaders and pep band. It shows that you don’t have to be in cheer or pep band to get the crowd involved in games,” she added.
(09/14/11 7:22pm)
Mercer Marketing Communications shared a video with The Cluster of Mercer's 9/11 Memorial Service, held in Newton Chapel on Sunday evening.
(09/08/11 1:33am)
Student and faculty demand has prompted the introduction of a dance team to Mercer Athletics. Spirit Coordinator for Athletics, Penny Davis, has recognized the need for an established extracurricular dance program on Mercer’s campus.
Students responded to the announcement of dance team tryouts when a preliminary meeting was held to introduce prospective team members to key players in the athletics department.
“We encourage anyone with dance skills and an interest to help us take dance to the next level at Mercer,” said Davis.
Auditions are set for Sunday, Sept. 11 from 2-6 p.m. Students wanting to audition should plan to stay the entire time, and will receive breaks intermittently. Dancers should dress to move, wear jazz shoes or socks, and bring water.
Davis described the ideal dance team member: “At the auditions, we’ll be looking for dancers who are technically trained: pointed feat, good turnout. Our minimum requirement is a double pirhouette, front and side leaps. Of course, dancers with fouettes, switch leaps and any tumbling skills are a plus. All in all, we’re looking for dancers who master the choreography and make it look easy and fun.”
A high demand for dance has been driving artistic expression on the Mercer Macon campus for years. Student organizations like Mac Town Breakers, Mercer Dance Revolution, A.G.A.P.E., Ballroom Dance Club, and Chatmakaar are just a few examples of the student dance organizations integrated into Mercer’s co-curricular agenda.
Performance opportunities for the dance team include timeouts for various athletic events, basketball games in particular.
“We’re really pushing for a bigger, more festive atmosphere at Mercer basketball games. Our goal this year is to make every Mercer athletic event a memorable experience,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of potential for future growth with the dance team at Mercer. We’d like to be able to compete on regional as well as national levels. There’s really no limit to how many dancers can perform on the team, as long as they have the skills and technique we require,” she added.
Ms. Penny, as she is fondly known by her colleagues, has high hopes for the program. She anticipates dance team being picked up by Mercer Athletics within the next academic year.
(09/07/11 9:59pm)
Mercer Cheer, under the direction of Head Cheerleading Coach Nicky Bruno, has received a bid to compete at the national cheer competition in Daytona, Fla. next April. The National Cheerleaders Association/National Dance Association college nationals is the largest collegiate cheerleading and dance competition in the world. Last year, over 240 teams from selected colleges and universities
were in attendance.
“We were very excited to receive a bid to the 2012 NCA College Nationals again this year,” said Bruno. “Competing at this prestigious event last year was an honor, and we are all eager to take the stage for a second time,” she added.
The cheerleaders moved to the Macon campus a week early to begin training in anticipation of the NCA Cheer Camp, which took place in the university intramural courts. Representatives from the NCA coaching staff came to train and instruct Mercer Cheer as a part of a rigorous three-day camp. At the end of the third day, Mercer Cheer was evaluated during two closed performances; one consisting of game-day material, and the other involving an abbreviated competition routine complete with stunts, tumbling and a high-energy dance routine. The coaches used scoring standards from the NCA competition to determine that Mercer met qualifications for nationals.
Mercer graduate and former cheerleader Peter Fredrickson recalled his experience at nationals in April 2011. “I can attest that competing in Daytona is an unforgettable and exhilarating experience. I have good faith that Mercer Cheer not only has the talent to be one of the top cheer squads in Daytona, but that they also have the confidence and swagger to be one of the top two in their division,” said Fredrickson.
At this past year’s competition, the cheerleaders were excited to make it through preliminaries and have the chance to perform on the bandshell, a large stadium-style performance space erected from the white sands of Daytona Beach.
Prior to April 2011, Mercer Cheer had not competed on the national level in nearly 15 years. Nicky Bruno recalled the experience of Mercer placing in the top five at the first national competition in over a decade. “Last year the team finished third in the Small Co-ed One division at nationals,” said Bruno. “I was extremely proud of the team because not only did they accomplish their goals, they exceeded them,” she added.
In addition to the cheerleading competition, Toby the Bear will also be representing Mercer University as he performs in the 2012 NCA mascot competition. While no one knows for certain which university will take the trophy this coming spring, it’s clear that the members of Mercer Cheer have made a name for themselves in the world of competitive cheerleading and will continue to strive for greatness.
(04/18/11 4:06am)
Mercer's daylong music festival drew record crowds this year in its new location in Tattnall Square Park Saturday.
(03/25/11 2:48am)
A fire broke out Thursday afternoon in the old Atlantic Cotton Mill behind the Kroger on Pio Nono Avenue, emitting a dark plume of smoke that could be seen from as far away as Mercer’s campus. The more than 100-year-old building, which had been planned to be converted into lofts, was almost totally destroyed.
Police spokeswoman Jami Gaudet said officials suspect the blaze was caused by a homeless person holding a campfire outside the building.
Cluster digital staffer Carl V. Lewis contributed to this report.
For more on this developing story, read the next issue of The Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com for updates.
(03/04/11 8:31pm)
[postvid src="/Video/99lastchance.flv"]
A pipe burst in front of Stetson Hall caused water to erupt on campus for nearly an hour in the middle of the day last month, leaving construction workers scrambling to figure out what exactly went wrong. A jackhammer found lying on the ground was blamed for causing the incident.
Video reporting by Alex Preston for MERCER99 News.