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(11/14/14 7:51pm)
Mercer University senior Macie Franklin was named the winner of the Quality Enhancement Plan logo design competition hosted by the Student Government Association.
A version of her design will be used to promote “Research that Reaches Out,” the five-year QEP aimed at improving student learning.
QEPs are required of universities preparing to reaffirm their accreditation.
“The accreditation process is judging what we’ve done before,” said Dr. Bridget Trogden, director of QEP and associate professor of chemistry. “And the Quality Enhancement Plan is looking at a plan to do something in the future.” Trogden is also director of the First-Year Integrative Foundational Program.
Research that Reaches Out will launch in the fall of 2015, and the plan combines research with service. Students, campus organizations, faculty, staff — almost anyone in the Mercer family — will have the opportunity to research a problem and implement solutions through Research that Reaches Out.
An example of this type of project is the Mercer on Mission trip to Vietnam, where engineering students fit amputees with affordable prostheses developed at Mercer.
The student design competition was a way to get students involved in the final year of planning the QEP.
“We’re going to use the logo in a lot of different places,” said Trogden. The logo is part of the marketing campaign for Research that Reaches out, and Trogden wants it to be everywhere.
“Especially with next year’s freshmen, we want them to really understand that Mercer is a place where you really engage in your own education and through making connections to what matters in the real world,” she said.
The official logo is not exactly like the one Franklin designed, but Trogden said it furthers the idea Franklin began in her design.
Franklin put a globe in her design, because she said she “wanted to incorporate the ‘reaching out’ factor on a large scale.”
A globe similar to the one Franklin used for her design is the focal point for the official logo.
Franklin wasn’t expecting to win because she submitted her design on the last day of the competition.
It didn’t give students a lot of time to vote for her design by “liking” it on Facebook, so Franklin was surprised when she found out she was the winner.
In all, her design received 70 “likes” on SGA’s Facebook page, more than any other design on the page.
“I am excited that my design concept will be used on promotional materials for the campaign,” said Franklin. “And a personal parking spot on campus is a nice reward, too!”
Franklin can choose a parking space on campus where only she will be allowed to park throughout next semester.
(11/14/14 7:10pm)
Mercer Bears Battling Cancer (BBC), which used to be called Up 'Til Dawn of Mercer University, raises money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Tennessee. The hospital's focus is to treat children with cancer for free.
"Our goal at Mercer is to fundraise for the hospital and to provide money for them so that they can continue their mission and continue to be able to offer free services for their patients," said Gina John, president of BBC.
Beginning Monday, BBC will kick off "Little Warrior Week," a week of fundraising opportunities for St. Jude's.
On Monday night, people who eat at the Margarita's in Mercer Village can say they are with BBC, and a portion of the money spent on their meal will go to St. Jude's.
On Tuesday, BBC will sell pieces of Duct Tape to tape a volunteer to the wall. The volunteer will stand on a chair in the Connell Student Center, and the more students who buy tape, the less likely the person is to fall once the chair is taken away.
BBC will be at a table in the Student Center Monday through Thursday selling raffle tickets for $1. Students who purchase tickets will have the opportunity to win gift cards to stores and restaurants in the area.
The week ends with Be The Match in Penfield Hall on Friday.
John said Be The Match is similar to The Red Cross. "But rather than draw blood they take cheek swabs," she said. "And they see if you are a donor for bone marrow."
BBC began last year after transitioning from being an Up 'Til Dawn organization. St. Jude's Up 'Til Dawn is a national program designed for colleges to raise money for the hospital. It's set up for larger schools, and John said Up 'Til Dawn requires almost 20 people to be on it's executive board.
"We're just too small of a school for that type of thing," she said. "And a lot of our officers are involved in other organizations as well, so getting 19 people on anything at Mercer is really hard."
BBC may not have the official Up 'Til Dawn title, but it is still affiliated with St. Jude's.
For more information about the fundraising week or how to become involved with BBC, email President Gina John at Gina.E.John@live.mercer.edu.
(11/01/14 12:01am)
Mercer University is launching a campaign to raise $400 million, according to a news release from the university.
Among the new facilities to be built with the funding are: a $15 million medical facility in Savannah, a $25 million science facility in Macon, a $20 million pharmacy building in Atlanta and a $3 million baseball stadium in Macon.
In total, more than $109 million will be devoted to capital projects such as the new facilities, $207 million will go toward endowments such as scholarships and $84 million is earmarked for operations.
The campaign is called "Aspire, the Campaign for Mercer University," and was officially announced by university president Bill Underwood Friday night.
According to Underwood, Mercer already has $90 million in gifts and pledges.
"By engaging our alumni and friends to join this effort, the university will achieve a stronger endowment, enhance its facilities, and expand its capacity to teach, to learn, to create, to discover, to inspire, to empower and to serve," said Underwood in the release.
(10/30/14 12:39am)
By: Jason Knowles, Mercer University law student
It is a big and busy world out there beyond the shores of the red, white, and blue.
[inlinetweet prefix="From @emily_farlow" tweeter="via @mercercluster" suffix=""]When you are involved with your studies in undergrad, medical school, law school or some other program, it can be easy to miss what is going on.[/inlinetweet] When you do catch a bit of news, it can be upsetting—and I’m not talking about Apple making your iPhone 6 with a bigger screen. Journalists have been beheaded on the Internet by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a terrorist group that is plunging Syria and Iraq back into a state of chaos. Putin seems to be threatening World War III over Ukraine. A deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa could spread worldwide if left unchecked. We still have armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The list can go on and on.
Listing these problems out makes me think that it would be easy for all of us to bury our noses in our books, secure in the knowledge that we live in America—the greatest country in the history of the human race. However, it is vital that we as students at Mercer University do no such thing. All of us are potential leaders of tomorrow. As a third year student at the law school, I am often reminded that both the governor and the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court are Mercer Law graduates. Regardless of which school you are in, you can be a leader in your community, a leader in this state or even a leader of this nation.
But suppose you become a leader… what exactly will you do? How will you lead? Will you offer a vision of America’s role in world?
I have heard my own friends sound off with answers on how America should respond to these crises abroad and America’s proper place of leadership in the international community. Those views range from isolationist (something like “the rest of the world is not our problem,” “we are too broke” and “we should not be the world’s police”) to humanitarian engagement (generally expressed as “with great power comes great responsibility”) and everything inbetween. I can find some merit in almost any argument… that is what law school does to you. However, the most powerful answer comes in the form of a question, one I ask myself everyday: What does the action that I am about to take say about me to everyone else? Asking myself that question is meant not only to help me avoid embarrassing myself on a daily basis but also to help me become the best version of myself. In life, the things that we do define who we are. It is no different when America takes action—and when America takes action abroad, it says something about each and every one of us to the rest of the world. How can it not if America and its government are truly “of the people, by the people and for the people?”
National security concerns, relations with our allies, humanitarian concerns and budgetary restraints will always constrain the actions that our leaders take on our behalf… but before we
(10/20/14 9:38pm)
I never went to Pilgrimage to Penfield as a freshman.
I’m not sure why I skipped it, but it probably had to do with me thinking I was too cool to go, and that the trip wouldn’t be fun. It’s a silly attitude to have, but a lot of freshman start college thinking that having school spirit isn’t cool.
I’m not talking about wearing orange and black or painting up at sports games. That’s not school spirit. I’m talking about really loving your school — about connecting with it. I’m talking about belonging to a community that spans more than a century’s worth of students.
I eventually grew out of my “too cool for school” attitude, as most freshmen do. But I always regretted missing Pilgrimage to Penfield.
So this year, my senior year, I decided to go.
I saw Jesse Mercer’s grave and went to a chapel service in the original university chapel, which is the only Mercer building left at Penfield. We had dinner and watched fireworks, and I had a great time.
I think the freshmen appreciated the trip, but it’s impossible to fully appreciate Pilgrimage to Penfield until you’re a senior and you’ve realized all the ways Mercer has impacted your life.
When I started college, I thought it would be like high school. I’d go to class, make some friends, and eventually graduate. I’d be the same Emily, just smarter.
But I’m not the same Emily. Mercer gave me confidence, pride and independence. Mercer taught me to be a leader. Mercer taught me that stories have the power to impact communities and bring diverse groups of people together. It taught me that journalism is not just about writing — it’s about serving a community.
At Pilgrimage to Penfield, I got to see where everything I am today began. If Penfield didn’t exist and if Jesse Mercer and other Baptists hadn’t started a college there, I might not be here now, ready to graduate with degrees in journalism and French.
As a senior, Pilgrimage to Penfield made me more thankful for Mercer than it would have as a freshman. The people whose graves I saw, the chapel pew where I sat, all of those have directly impacted me in ways I couldn’t have foreseen.
If you’re new to Mercer, you’ll come to appreciate it the way other seniors and I do, soon.
It happens in moments like preview days, when you run into prospective students on campus and try to convince them why Mercer is the best university ever. It happens at events in Macon, when you see Mercer students involving themselves in the welfare of the city. It happens at sports games, when you’re cheering on the Bears with hundreds of other orange-clad people. And it happens in class, when you finally realize what you’re passionate about.
No university is perfect, of course, but I think ours comes pretty darn close.
(09/20/14 6:11pm)
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(09/09/14 12:57am)
When Riverside Cemetery was established in 1887, it was meant to be more than just a place for the dead.
Rural garden cemeteries, as they are called, were created on the outskirts of towns to be public parks for the living, as well as the final resting place for the dead.
The Historic Riverside Cemetery Conservancy brought this idea back to life last weekend with the first annual Down by the Riverside, a music festival among the monuments of the historic cemetery.
Eight stages throughout the cemetery hosted musical acts from Macon and Middle Georgia such as Scott Little and Rowdy Hood, Garland and Jane Hurt, Dalmatian, Death Goat, Dirt Road Kings, Dean Brown Project, Louise Warren and Southern Gentlemen Dixieland Band.
Most of the acts played acoustic sets, and watching them play on the cemetery's grounds was beautiful, even fitting. It felt natural that bands should play music next to where Maconites of years gone by lay at rest.
Perhaps its a tendency toward "southern gothic" on my part, and my bias that Riverside and Rose Hill Cemeteries are the most beautiful spots in Macon, but I did not feel the festival was in any way disrespectful toward those buried on the grounds.
As for the festival feeling like a natural fit for Riverside, Deonna Belcher, events and outreach associate for the Riverside Cemetery Conservancy, said that, in the past, people would always go to the cemetery for picnics and music. For example, there used to be a bandstand in Rose Hill Cemetery, the public cemetery next to Riverside, which is a private cemetery.
"We wanted to offer an entertainment event where people could learn about a rural garden cemetery and see our grounds," said Belcher, adding that Riverside is still an active cemetery.
Down by the Riverside was modeled after a similar event at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta called Tunes among the Tombs.
From 4-6 p.m., people could walk among the monuments, listening to the bands. At 6 p.m., the headliners began playing at the main stage just inside the entrance to the cemetery.
Lining the entrance, vendors sold food, crafts and merchandise.
Suzanne Doonan, director of the cemetery conservancy, said a few people were concerned that Down by the Riverside wasn't an appropriate event for a cemetery, but she said the conservancy made every effort to keep the festival respectful.
Doonan said the main stage and vendors were kept outside the main grounds to maintain respect for the people buried there.
The conservancy, whose mission is to preserve and share the beauty of the cemetery, also gave out information about cemetery etiquette.
Walking among the tombs and listening to the music, I never once thought the atmosphere was disrespectful.
The music was not too loud. As I walked between stages, music from the last stage completely faded before I got to the next stage. That, I think, was the main reason the festival seemed appropriate and respectful.
Aside from the atmosphere, which was perfect, the bands were great, too.
Many of the artists played bluegrass music, which was fitting for a southern cemetery.
The best song I heard was "Autumn Leaves," played by self-proclaimed hobbyist musicians Garland and Jane Hurt.
The Hurts both played acoustic guitar, and Jane Hurt sang the song about lost love in a low, full-bodied voice. As I sat next to a grave, I realized it was the perfect song to listen to in a cemetery.
The next song they played was a waltz, and Garland Hurt traded his guitar for a mandolin. The song, called "Far Away," was written by a man who was playing at a contra dance and noticed a beautiful woman dancing across the room.
It was about longing, another appropriate theme for a cemetery.
Doonan and Belcher both said the event seemed successful, and I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it and hope Down by the Riverside becomes a regular event in Macon.
If you missed the festival, there are other opportunities to learn about the history of Macon's cemeteries.
The next event the Riverside Cemetery Conservancy will host is its seventh annual Spirits in October. It's a guided tour where actors portray notable people buried in the cemetery.
Spirits in October will run Oct. 16-19 and 23-26. For more information, visit www.riversidecemetery.com.
(08/27/14 5:38pm)
When Angela Manson drives around the neighborhood in which she grew up, she can still remember familiar houses and their occupants.
But many of those houses in Macon's Pleasant Hill neighborhood are now run-down, abandoned or gone.
"It's very disheartening when you drive up the street and you see all these vacant houses with overgrown yards," said Manson, who now lives in north Macon.
Although she no longer lives in Pleasant Hill, she is committed to stopping blight in the area, which is why she attended a national "UnBlight" conference on Mercer University's campus Aug. 14-15.
Although there are different definitions for blight, when people talk about blight they often talk about abandoned, run-down structures that are an eye-sore to the neighborhood.
Mercer's Center for Collaborative Journalism partnered with a governmental-transparency organization called the Sunlight Foundation to host the UnBlight conference. Local community members and officials as well as people from across the country talked about what blight is, how to track it and how to fix it.
A grant from the Knight Foundation requires that the Center complete two community engagement projects per year, which is the reason it hosted the conference.
"There are two aspects to the community engagement projects. One is, the way journalism is moving ... is towards more inclusiveness with the community," said Tim Regan-Porter, director of the Center. "Part of that, and this is the other aspect of the community engagement project, is helping (the community) solve problems."
Regan-Porter said journalism is no longer about reporting the facts and leaving the problem-solving up to the community. It's about working with the community to foster conversations about potential solutions to problems.
Last semester, the Center focused on blight, and it will do the same this semester.
The Center plans to map blight by driving down every road in Macon-Bibb County and cataloguing blighted structures.
"There are estimates that range from 3,000-6,000 in terms of the number of properties that need to be torn down that are so blighted," said Regan-Porter. "So just getting that accurate count will help the city and the community to know how big the problem is and what kind of money might be needed to address it."
Macon-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert set a goal of demolishing 100 blighted houses per year, so the Center's map could help the city more easily achieve its goal.
While demolishing 100 houses per year helps rid Macon of blight, demolition is a long and expensive process. Reichert estimated at the conference that it costs $12-$15 thousand and takes at least six months to tear down one house.
Another initiative Macon-Bibb has to fix blight is called Five by Five.
The program chooses five blocks of a blighted neighborhood and uses every city department, plus volunteers, to clean up and improve the neighborhood in five weeks.
"We try to make people think that they're not forgotten. We try to motivate them," said Reichert.
Motivation and pride are important factors when addressing blight, which Reichert said "breaks the spirit of the people in the neighborhood."
Aside from diminishing pride, blight hinders the economic development of a city.
Reichert and Regan-Porter both said that one blighted house has the potential to bring down property values for the whole neighborhood, and when property values across the city go down, the city receives less tax revenue to spend on services for residents.
New businesses are hesitant to enter areas with blight, leaving less money and fewer jobs for the city.
(08/22/14 9:26pm)
By now, students have probably noticed that [inlinetweet prefix=". . ." tweeter="@mercercluster" suffix=""]the Greek letters have been removed from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, and missing letters tend to start false rumors.[/inlinetweet]
SAE was suspended after getting in a fight with members of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity last semester, not because narcotics were found in the fraternity house, as some students have suggested.
Official reports obtained by The Cluster show no indication that narcotics were found in the house.
A police report filed with Mercer Police last semester indicated that members of SAE and ATO fraternities began fighting verbally and physically downtown one night in April.
The fight continued once the students were back on campus, and one student called Mercer Police.
As a result of the fight, SAE was suspended for the fall 2014 semester, meaning that the chapter cannot participate in any social or philanthropic events or meetings of any kind on or off campus.
SAE’s letters have been removed from the house, and the fraternity may not hold chapter meetings or participate in recruitment, among other restrictions.
ATO was placed on university probation, which means members cannot participate in any social functions on or off campus. ATO could still participate in recruitment this semester, and the fraternity may hold certain events such as chapter meetings or community service activities.
The sanctions against SAE were more serious due to several incidents and infractions over the past few years.
“They’ve been on social conduct and university probation off and on in the last seven years,” said Carrie Ingoldsby, director of campus life and student involvement. “Essentially, based on [prior incidents] and issues and off-and-on probation, my understanding is that the best course of action at this point was suspension.”
While Ingoldsby works with Greek organizations, Judicial Council ultimately decides appropriate sanctions for infractions.
SAE national headquarters is conducting a membership review with Mercer’s chapter to confirm that members are committed to the standards and ideals of the fraternity.
“Our staff and our advisers provide assistance and guidance for chapters throughout the year, and our leadership will not hesitate to take corrective actions, when necessary, for groups or members that fail to meet our expectations,” said Brandon Weghorst, a spokesman for SAE national, in an email. “Sigma Alpha Epsilon does not condone behavior or actions that are inconsistent with our mission, creed and values. We maintain a comprehensive health-and-safety program and year-round education, and we are committed to ensuring the well-being of our members and to helping them develop as scholars, leaders and gentlemen for the communities in which they live.”
The university is also working with the fraternity to ensure that it maintains a culture of leadership and community service.
“One bad thing is very memorable,” said Ingoldsby. “It can definitely throw off all of the positive things that are going on with our greeks.”
Ingoldsby said that, overall, Greeks are important and influential leaders on campus and that she’s proud of the culture of Mercer’s Greek life.
Vice President and Dean of Students Doug Pearson will evaluate the status of SAE and ATO at the end of the semester.
Members of SAE and ATO did not reply to emails requesting comment.
(08/20/14 7:12pm)
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(08/20/14 6:57pm)
(08/15/14 11:39pm)
After months of construction and road closure, the roundabout at College and Oglethorpe streets opened Friday. Aug. 15. Community members attended a grand opening, where Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert said the roundabout is the first on a public road in Macon. (PHOTOS BY EMILY FARLOW)
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(08/15/14 10:00pm)
Past editors in chief will probably disagree with what I’m about to say, but I’m going to say it anyway.
Last year was one of the most exciting times to be editor in chief of The Cluster, and I am thankful for the experience.
How many people can say they were editor of the school newspaper when Mercer University reinstated the football program after over 70 years?
The Cluster told stories about Mercer winning game after game, about Alex Avant making the national spotlight and about a university that excels at whatever it puts its mind to.
How many people can say they were editor of the school newspaper when the men’s basketball team beat Duke University during the NCAA tournament?
The Cluster told stories about seniors leaving a legacy, about a community coming together after a huge success and about a student body whose school spirit was recognized across the nation.
I cannot express my gratitude for having been trusted to lead The Cluster during such an incredible year, and I cannot express my gratitude for having been trusted to do it again.
Mercer changed a lot last year, and so did The Cluster. Both will change some more this year.
I can’t predict how Mercer will change, but The Cluster is already changing in impressive ways.
Our website, mercercluster.com, has a new, user-friendly design. We also have a mobile app in development.
With our digital platforms, you’ll get daily updates from The Cluster, instead of having to wait for us to publish the paper only twice per month.
That’s what the student body of Mercer deserves: reliable, regular news.
Although The Cluster staff puts this paper together, the paper isn’t ours—it’s yours. The Cluster is a public service to the Mercer student body, and we aren’t doing our job if we don’t publish news you need and want to hear.
The bottom line is this: Journalism is not about writing and it’s not about getting published. Journalism is community service, and my goal as editor this year will be to make sure The Cluster excels at serving its community.
But this paper is not a one-way form of communication. The Cluster is your forum, your public space. It’s a place to express your opinions and beliefs. It’s a place that fosters conversation about the issues facing Mercer and Macon.
To that end, I encourage you to write to us. Write an opinion piece on an issue you feel strongly about. Write a letter to the editor in response to any articles we publish.
Change does not happen without conversation, so use The Cluster as a way to converse with and challenge your fellow students.
Simply write a letter and email it to opinions@mercercluster.com. What you write might be published in the paper, and you might be instrumental in effecting change at Mercer.
Change can’t happen without dedicated people, and I’d like to thank The Cluster’s editorial staff for being willing to serve this community. Thanks also to the writers and photographers who fill this paper every issue with the stories Mercer needs to read.
And a special thank you goes to Carl Lewis, a 2011 graduate of Mercer. Without his dedication and love for this paper and this school, we wouldn’t have a shiny new website or app.
All that said, welcome back, Mercerians! Use this year to change Mercer and Macon for the better.
(07/30/14 1:53am)
When I tell people that I love Macon, I often get strange looks.
"Well, you're the only one," many people say.
Thankfully, that attitude is changing, and people who don't love Macon or who insist there's nothing to do there are quickly running out of evidence to back up their claims.
Naysayers would have been hard-pressed to call Macon "boring" last weekend during the Bragg Jam Arts and Music Festival, an annual, all-day event that features activities for children and families during the day, and a concert crawl at night.
This was my second year attending Bragg Jam, and each time I was encouraged by the number of people--and the diversity of those people--coming together to support downtown Macon.
I was also impressed with the band line up. Bragg Jam doesn't bring Podunk, no-name bands to Macon. This year it brought groups like The Blind Boys of Alabama, a five-time Grammy award-winning gospel group. The Whigs were also part of the line up, as well as rising country star Sam Hunt. Indie favorites like Kopecky Family Band and The Apache Relay all came to Macon.
My personal favorite was the bluegrass group Seven Handle Circus. Bragg Jam was their second show in Macon, the first being Second Sunday earlier this year.
What impressed me the most was seeing Mercer University students at Bragg Jam.
Whether they made the decision to stay in Macon for the entire summer, or if they made the special trip to attend Bragg Jam, it's heartening to see Mercer students support Macon even in the summer, when they don't have to.
I hope this signifies changing attitudes among Mercer students. When I was a freshman three years ago, few people I knew went downtown even to eat, much less attend city-wide events. In those three years, my own attitudes about the city have changed, and so have the attitudes of many other Mercerians.
Of course, Bragg Jam is not new to Macon--the festival celebrated its 15th year last weekend. What is new is the atmosphere of the city: I'm no longer the only one who loves Macon. Other Mercerians love Macon; Maconites love Macon; The bands who performed here last weekend loved Macon.
Look at downtown. Every year new businesses and improvements come to the city (this year, Second Street is getting an exciting makeover), and more people go downtown in support of the revitalization.
In a few weeks, Mercerians who aren't already in Macon will be back for the school year, and a few new Mercerians will join us. If you don't already love Macon, I encourage you to leave the Mercer bubble and discover the many reasons to love this town.
Instead of telling new students horror stories and warning them not to go downtown (don't roll your eyes--I heard the stories my freshman year), tell them instead what a great, vibrant city Macon is.
And next summer, when Bragg Jam and the Macon Film Festival partner up for ten days of film and music festivities, visit Macon and discover what all the hoopla is about.
(04/04/14 8:16pm)
Two art exhibits this spring, one at the Cannonball House and one at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, center around the art of storytelling through quilts.
The quilts at each exhibit are handmade, and many of them are antiques that are at least 100 years old.
The quilts at the Cannonball House’s antique quilt exhibit were brought in by volunteers who have had these quilts in their families for generations.
Earl Colvin, director of the Cannonball House, said that in the past women used scrap materials from other projects to make quilts. Quilts were made from leftover dress materials and seed sacks.
“They used every scrap of material,” said Colvin.
Many of the quilts are beautiful and ornate, and Colvin said that the quilts served artistic as well as practical purposes.
One quilt in particular, located in a servant’s quarters, is called a crazy quilt. Crazy quilts were made with any and every leftover scrap material, no matter its shape. Unlike most quilts, they lack geometric patterns.
Crazy quilts often have embroidered symbols and pictures on them, which was a way for women, especially slaves and servants, to express themselves.
One of the symbols the quiltmaker embroidered onto the crazy quilt that is now on display is a heart shot through with an arrow, and another is an anchor. Colvin said these symbols on the servant’s crazy quilt indicate that she might have fallen in love, perhaps with a sailor.
“That’s kind of the way ladies would tell their stories,” said Colvin. Quilting was a practical art—an art that told a story while it kept you warm.
The antique quilt exhibit at the Cannonball House was on display during March, but the Museum of Arts and Sciences “Quilts, Textiles & Fibers” exhibit, which also features antique quilts, will be on display until May 18. The quilting part of the exhibit will be on display until May 11.
Many of the quilts at the museum’s exhibit were donated by Dr. Roy T. Ward.
Ward was a doctor in a rural Georgia town, and often his patients could not pay him with money.
Quilting “was the currency his patients sometimes gave for his services,” said Melanie Byas, director of marketing and communications for the museum.
The exhibit has many geometric quilts similar to the quilts at the Cannonball House, and it also features a couple crazy quilts.
Not all of the quilts at the exhibit are antiques.
Wini McQueen is a local fiber artist who created a “Family Tree Quilt” in 1987 for the museum. Using old family photographs which McQueen printed onto fabric, she created a quilt that tells the story of her family’s history.
“We have a nice collection of photos in my family, and I had done a few archive projects, and I realized it was so important to see photos,” said McQueen about the Family Tree Quilt.
McQueen also uses African symbols on her quilts as a way to tell the story of her heritage as an African-American woman.
“It was a really nice experience visiting ‘Family Tree’ for me because everybody in my family is dead. None of those people exist anymore, and so that was what I liked about that,” said McQueen. “But the path that quiltmaking took me to was biography, as well as subjects of my choice such as literacy.”
McQueen said that quiltmaking is tedious and time-consuming, so it is a difficult art to enjoy.
“But for me, it’s a very good pathway and opening into my cultural history as a person of African descent. And so much so, that my whole quilting effort came out of my interest in African textiles and how I thought they might have originated,” said McQueen.
McQueen loves telling stories, and quilting, as well as other textiles such as scarves and wraps, is the way she decided to tell stories.
McQueen’s quilts, as well as the museum’s other quilts, will be on display until May 11. Admission is $7 for students with a current ID.
(03/21/14 12:47am)
A 72-year-old woman whom Marvin Defoor, better known as “Chief,” had never seen before pulled up to the abandoned liquor store where he was sitting and told him to get in the car.
Chief hadn’t bathed in a week, but the woman asked, “Do you need some help?”
“I said, ‘Yes, ma’am,’ and she told me to get in [the car],” said Chief. “Who does that in this day and time? Who does that? Especially a woman at 72-years-old, too.”
Chief was homeless and had been addicted to methamphetamine for 26 years. At 50, he had been a meth addict for about half his life.
The woman bought him food and a hotel room and said she would be back.
“I thought she got me a room, so I could clean up. And I didn’t think I’d ever see her again,” said Chief. But when he went to check out of the hotel, there she was.
She brought him to Salvation Army.
After graduating from their recovery program, Chief was left wanting more, so he went to Macon Rescue Mission, now called Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia.
That was almost four years ago. Now, Chief has been clean from drugs for almost six years and is the Resident Manager at Rescue Mission.
“He’s our eyes and ears when we’re not here,” said Executive Director Erin Reimers. “When the staff’s not here, he’s in charge. We couldn’t do it without him.”
Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia is a long-term shelter for homeless men recovering from addictions or other difficult circumstances and for women who are victims of domestic abuse.
There are currently 36 men in the Men’s Recovery Program, plus Chief, which makes 37 men living at Rescue Mission.
The recovery program has three phases. Phase one lasts 90 days, and during that time the men get acclimated to living at Rescue Mission.
“They go to half a day of Bible study class and the other half-day they do work therapy,” said Reimers. The men work in the kitchens, clean the floors, cut the grass and work at the Bargain Center, which is Rescue Mission’s thrift store located on Napier Avenue.
“When they come in, we like to assess their likes [or skills],” said Reimers. “We not only use it as work therapy and teaching them good work ethic, but we use it as a job training as well.”
Reimers said that phase two is an intensive, six-month “Bible-based recovery.”
The men spend this time getting to the root of their problems and what caused them to become homeless, and then they work to repair those problems.
“We give them hope and we give them Jesus, and they can fix everything else from there—Jesus can fix everything else from there,” said Reimers.
The men are not allowed to have jobs during phases one and two, however, toward the end of phase two, the men begin looking for work and a permanent place to live.
“When they graduate at the end of phase two, if they don’t have a job, or they don’t have somewhere to go, they move to our phase three which is just transitional housing,” said Reimers. During phase three, the men get help creating resumes and working on interview skills. Reimers said the men can stay in transitional housing while they save money to pay for rent or utilities at a future home.
Rescue Mission “accepted me with open arms,” said Chief. “I began to enjoy helping the guys that come in here that are as lost as I was.”
The Dove Center is the six-to-nine-month counterpart program for women and their children who are victims of domestic violence. Right now, Rescue Mission houses seven women and their children, which is the most it can house at one time.
“We have a waiting list anywhere from 25-35 women at any point in time, which is really on our hearts,” said Reimers. “When a woman is being abused and makes that decision to leave and call for help, she needs to be able to leave immediately.”
Rescue Mission is in the very early stages of planning an expansion that would allow it to house more men and women alike.
The women at the Dove Center go through Bible study classes like the men, but Reimers said the biggest part of the program is pattern changing class. “It is a long study program that teaches them that they don’t have to be abused. It’s acceptable to not have a man in their life,” said Reimers.
There are also nightly chapel services for the residents. “A big part of the program here is hope in Jesus,” said Reimers.
“God was the main one that I didn’t have in my life that I do have now, and that was due to this place. If it was left up to me, I’d still be without God in my life, and that’s scary for me to even sit here and say now,” said Chief.
Rescue Mission also serves those outside of its walls every day at 4 p.m. when it gives a hot dinner to anyone who needs one. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, Rescue Mission hosts meals for anyone who is hungry. This year, Rescue Mission is hosting its first Easter meal as well.
Because Rescue Mission of Central Georgia’s main focus is hope in Jesus Christ, it does not receive government funding and operates entirely on donations and revenue from it’s Bargain Center.
“The revenue from that store is about 50 percent of our operating budget here, so without those donations, we couldn’t do what we do here,” said Reimers.
For more information about Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia or about volunteer opportunities, visit rescuemissionga.com. The Bargain Center, which accepts donations, is located at 3375 Napier Ave.
“Everybody here has contributed to my recovery,” said Chief. “I never thought I could come this far and I love it. I love being alive, clean and sober and being around people who really seem to love me.”
(02/21/14 1:11am)
Mercer University students have missed two full days of classes and at least two half-days during what has been an unusually cold and snowy winter in Macon.
Last week, students waited for an email from Rick Cameron, senior assistant vice president for marketing and communications, to find out if classes would be canceled a second time this semester. Once students received the email, Cameron was dubbed a “hero” on Facebook.
What students may not realize, is that it takes more than an email from Cameron to cancel classes.
A committee of senior administrators for the Macon and Atlanta campuses will meet via teleconference when there is a threat of inclement weather, said Larry Brumley, senior vice president for marketing communications and chief of staff for Mercer.
“That makes it more complicated to make those decisions,” said Brumley. “Because Mercer has major campuses in Atlanta and Macon as well as some regional academic centers around the Atlanta area.”
Typically, the committee is made up of senior administrators such as Brumley; President William Underwood; James Netherton, executive vice president for administration and finance; Dr. Scott Davis, provost; Richard Swindle, senior vice president for the Atlanta campus; Penny Elkins, senior vice president for enrollment management; and Doug Pearson, dean of students.
However, sometimes scheduling conflicts prevent every administrator from participating in the calls. If only the Atlanta campus will be affected by weather, not every administrator in Macon will participate in the conference call.
When the group meets, they look at the weather and discuss options such as cancelling all classes or only cancelling morning or evening classes, said Pearson.
Brumley said that the decision to cancel classes is a difficult one, and last week the decision to cancel classes in Atlanta was much easier that the decision to cancel classes in Macon.
“Macon is 100 miles south of Atlanta, and usually Atlanta has more [weather] issues than Macon because it’s further north,” said Brumley. “The last episode we had in January, it was looking more like Macon was going to get the brunt of that storm than Atlanta, but it ended up flipping.”
Even with the best information, the committee still has to make “judgement calls,” said Brumley.
“The first priority for the institution is always to ensure the safety of our staff and students,” said Pearson. “However, the decision to cancel classes cannot be taken lightly.”
Both Brumley and Pearson said that if classes are canceled too much in one semester, make up days might need to be scheduled.
Three years ago, the Atlanta campus was closed due to snow and ice for at least four days, said Brumley, and make up classes were scheduled for Friday nights and Saturdays.
“That makes it difficult for everyone, so we prefer to operate normal hours where possible as long as we’re not compromising safety,” said Brumley.
The group of administrators consults with Aramark about keeping the cafeteria open.
“Food service is considered an essential operation and remains open,” said Pearson. “although they sometimes have more limited times of operation and food offerings.”
Brumley said, “We have to feed our students.”
Other essential services that remain available during school closings are Mercer Police and housing staff.
The University Center typically remains open during class cancellations because most of the student workers live on campus.
“Another priority is to keep the University Center open as many hours as possible in these circumstances so students have things to do besides just sit in their apartments or dorm rooms,” said Brumley.
Brumley said there will always be rare circumstances in which a few students, faculty or staff can’t drive to campus after it opens back up, but administrators, professors and supervisors work to accommodate people who may still be snowed in.
“We have to make [decisions] based on the widest possible number of students, faculty and staff,” said Brumley.
(02/21/14 12:49am)
Two weeks ago I sat in Willingham Auditorium, proud of my university and proud of our student paper, as Bob Hurt, former editor of The Cluster, delivered his Founders’ Day speech.
Hurt and The Cluster played an important role in Mercer’s integration along with the professors, administration and community members who paved the way for Sam Oni’s admittance to Mercer.
It was inspiring to hear him talk about such an important change on campus, and it was inspiring for me to know that The Cluster was part of that change.
I had the opportunity to meet Hurt last semester and talk to him about The Cluster and about Mercer as they both are today. This semester, SGA was kind enough to invite me to the luncheon with Hurt and Mercer administrators after Hurt’s speech.
Both times I spoke with Hurt, he was just as intentional, intelligent and kind in person as he appeared in his speech.
Hurt and his speech underlined why I want to be a journalist and why I believe The Cluster is important.
As a journalist, I want to serve my community, and as an editor, I want to make sure The Cluster serves the Mercer community.
The Cluster of Hurt’s time was an important voice for integration on campus. What will The Cluster of today champion? When students of the future go to Tarver Library and look at old copies of The Cluster, what will they think of campus? Will they be proud of the job we did?
I hope they will be. I hope that stories like the one I wrote about SGA President Raymond Partolan play a role in changing the conversation about immigration at Mercer.
But sometimes I’m not sure whether The Cluster can accomplish that kind of conversation change. We have been hard-pressed to find students willing to write for us this semester. Although we have a new, experimental journalism program through the Center for Collaborative Journalism, The Cluster has a shockingly small staff, few of whom are journalism majors.
All year I have asked myself, “Why don’t more journalism students want to write for The Cluster?” All day after Hurt’s speech, I asked myself this same question. We have the opportunity to do what Hurt did. We have the opportunity to tell stories that will change Mercer, but few students are willing to do that.
My challenge to the students on campus is this: If you want to be a journalist, be a journalist. The best way for you to do that right now is by writing for your campus newspaper.
It’s a journalist’s job to serve the community, and Mercer is your community. Why aren’t you serving it?
Write for The Cluster not because you want a resume booster or clips to show a future employer. Write for The Cluster because it is the job of journalists to care about the community they are in, and if journalists care for their community, they will want to tell that community’s stories.
We at The Cluster need more students to help us tell Mercer’s stories. Journalism major or not, if you care about the Mercer community, help us tell its stories.
(02/06/14 9:42pm)
For those of us who have no interest in football, the Super Bowl halftime show is the one thing (aside from Super Bowl parties and chili cookoffs) we have to look forward to during what is probably the biggest sporting event of the year.
The commercials during the game are entertaining, but I usually miss them. I find televised football so boring that I distract myself by socializing, eating and playing board games during the Super Bowl, which means I miss the game and the commercials.
All socializing and board games stop when it’s halftime, though.
The show opened with an epic chorus of “ahs,” followed by an adorable children’s choir bundled up against the New Jersey cold. They literally prepared us for Bruno Mars’ entrance with the line, “The world better prepare,” from Mars’ song “Billionaire.”
The visual effects coupled with the choir’s harmony gave me chills. I already described it as epic, but I’m going to have to say it again. The opening gave me high hopes for an epic performance from Mars.
I was confused about the American flag imagery and the red, white and blue lights flashing around the choir. I’ve never considered Mars’ songs especially patriotic. But nothing says “America” like the Super Bowl, so why not throw in some patriotic imagery?
Once the children sang their last “prepare,” there was Mars on the drums, delivering an impressive solo and sporting a pompadour that harkened back to Little Richard.
The retro comparisons continued throughout the performance. Mars’ gold jacket and black tie kept reminding me of Little Richard. His band’s brass instruments and coordinated dance moves had both a Motown and funk vibe.
Mars’ and the band’s dance moves during “Treasure” took me back to ‘90s boy band days.
Mars’ most obvious musical tribute was probably his footwork during “Runaway Baby,” where he channeled James Brown (and did a split, which caught me by surprise).
I thought Mars couldn’t have been older than 23 while watching his energetic performance, but an Internet search proved that he is actually 28, which is still incredibly young for performing at arguably one of the biggest entertainment spectaculars of the year.
And then, all semblance of youth disappeared when the Red Hot Chili Peppers shouted and thrashed around half naked on the stage. They are entirely too old to be going shirtless, not to mention it was cold in New Jersey.
The Chili Peppers’ performance of “Give it Away” was weird, simultaneously stale and chaotic compared to Mars’ intentional, tributary performance.
It also seemed random. Mars is a fresh, pop star, not a rocker. The segue from the Chili Peppers into Mars’ mellow “Just the Way You Are,” which opened with more patriotism through a tribute to military families, didn’t fit. The combination of Mars’ perfect, smooth vocals and The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ shouting didn’t work for me.
But despite the hiccup in the performance, couples everywhere made googly eyes at one another during Mars’ flawless vocals in “Just the Way You Are.” (Admit it, it’s been “your song” before.)
It was a stellar performance. Mars is just as good, perhaps even better, live than he is on a recording, and he proved that at only 28, he could give a legendary halftime show just like the veterans who have come before him.
The only thing I can hold against Mars is that he is not Beyoncé, whose halftime show will forever be the fierce standard by which I judge all future halftime shows.
No one can outdo Queen Bey.
(11/10/13 3:19am)
Raymond Partolan grew up in Macon, Ga.
But until recently, he didn’t feel welcome in Macon or the United States.
Not all undocumented immigrants cross the border illegally of their own volition. Some come with their parents, who may or may not come into the country legally.
Partolan’s family moved here legally.
When Partolan was 15 months old, his family left the Philippines for the U.S. His father had an H1-B visa, which allowed him to work in the U.S. for a specific amount of time. Partolan and his mother had H-4 visas, which are given to family members of H1-B visa holders.
Partolan’s father was going to work as a physical therapist, and Partolan’s parents thought the move was a good decision.
“The two of them brought me to the United States in search of a better education for me,” said Partolan. “And also just better quality of life in general.”
For nine years, Partolan grew up in the U.S. under his father’s visa. Like most of his classmates in the fifth grade, the U.S. was the only country he knew. All of his memories, his childhood, took place in the U.S.
Even now, the Philippines is, “a country that I have no recollection of, a country that I’m not familiar with, a country whose culture I’m not familiar with at all,” said Partolan.
The test
In order to legally practice physical therapy in the U.S., Partolan’s father had to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to prove his English proficiency.
Passing the test would have given Partolan’s father a VisaScreen certificate, which would have lead to a Green Card—permanent residency in the U.S.
Partolan’s father needed a lawful presence in the U.S. in order to renew his physical therapy license.
The test came in three parts: The Test of Written English (TWE), the TOEFL and the Test of Spoken English (TSE, which has since been replaced by the spoken portion of the TOEFL).
Partolan’s father passed the TWE and the TOEFL. But because of his thick accent, he failed the TSE by small margins.
He took the test over and over, but could not pass.
Since Partolan’s father could not pass the TSE, The Immigration and Naturalization Service, what is now the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), denied his application for a Green Card.
The Partolans’ visas expired, and all of a sudden, at 10 years old, Partolan was an undocumented immigrant.
His parents had a hard decision to make: move back to a country Partolan had no recollection of, or stay in the country that was Partolan’s home. Home or not, the latter decision would mean becoming undocumented.
“My parents opted to keep me here, our entire family,” said Partolan. “We had already established ourselves here and for all intents and purposes, we were American just like everyone else.”
Life as an undocumented immigrant
Partolan’s parents told their 10-year-old son never to tell anyone about his immigration status, because if he did, his family could be deported.
“I didn’t understand what they meant at that point,” said Partolan. “So, I went against what my parents told me, and I told someone in the fifth grade about my immigration status.”
Partolan told his friend Matthew that he was an illegal alien.
“And he told me there was no way I could be an illegal alien because aliens are from outer space, and I’m from right here on earth.”
After that, Partolan said he didn’t share his immigration status with anyone until he was in high school because he didn’t think it was important. “I didn't realize how much it could possibly affect me until I got older and into high school,” he said.
“It was absolutely miserable to know that at any moment I could be deported from the country that I know and love,” said Partolan. “The only country that I know and love.”
As an undocumented immigrant, Partolan could not get a driver’s license. In high school, he had to ride the city bus from school to the bus stop closest to his home. He then had to walk home from the bus stop—which was over mile from his house.
If he were to drive to or from school, something as small as a broken tail light could have gotten him deported if a police officer happened to pull him over, ask for his license and suspect that Partolan was undocumented.
Fear of deportation isn’t the only feeling Partolan had to live with.
Although Partolan spent his whole life in the U.S., he felt like he didn’t belong here.
“The government didn’t want me here, the right wing conservatives who are completely against immigration reform didn’t want me here,” said Partolan. “Yet this is my home, and I also don’t belong in the Philippines because I moved from there when I was so young. So it seemed like I didn’t have a place to belong, and that’s how I grew up from the fifth grade all the way up until now. That’s how I felt.”
Undocumented students and higher education
Undocumented students, though many of them grew up in the U.S. and graduated from public high schools, cannot receive any federal financial aid or loans. In Georgia, undocumented students also cannot receive state financial aid.
For example, even if undocumented students grew up in the state, attended the state’s public schools and earned a high enough GPA to be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, they could not receive that scholarship.
Those same students would also have to pay out-of-state tuition even though they grew up in Georgia.
John Millsaps, a spokesman for the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents, said that in-state tuition is subsidized by the state—by taxpayers—meaning that in-state tuition is a public benefit. A federal law, which Georgia follows, states that public benefits cannot be given to undocumented immigrants.
Even if undocumented students had access to in-state tuition and federal or state aid, it would still be difficult for them to be accepted at a public university in Georgia.
Melissa Cruz, Ph.D., is the director of Administrative Services at Mercer University, and wrote her dissertation on “Undocumented Students and Higher Education in the State of Georgia: The ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ Policy of Illegal Immigrant Children.”
Cruz said in an interview that Georgia, unlike states such as Texas, California and New York, falls into a “restrictive category” when it comes to undocumented students’ access to public universities.
“[The University System of Georgia] specifically ban[s] undocumented students from the top-tiered public schools,” said Cruz.
Specifically, the USG policy Cruz referred to states that “any person not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible for admission to any USG institution which, for the two most recent academic years, did not admit all academically qualified applicants,” according to their website, usg.edu.
Millsaps explained the policy, saying that public universities in Georgia cannot turn away other academically qualified students before accepting undocumented students. If a university has accepted every academically qualified applicant, only then can it accept an undocumented student.
“But there’s this subsidiary law as well that was passed that essentially bans them from any university in the state of Georgia that’s public,” said Cruz. “[The USG Board of Regents] have a clause that states [students] must be legally present in Georgia to attend school. This makes it almost impossible for them to attend due to the cost.”
Asked if efforts were being made to change undocumented students’ access to public universities in Georgia, Millsaps said, “The current policy stands as it is.”
Partolan wanted to go to college, but it looked like the odds were against him.
Private schools were his only option, because private schools like Mercer can accept whomever they choose—regardless of immigration status.
But Partolan’s parents, like many undocumented immigrant families, couldn’t afford tuition.
“Theoretically, I couldn’t go to college unless I had the means to pay for it, because the government wasn’t going to help me out in any way,” said Partolan. “So, from elementary school, I’ve always tried my best to do my best in school.”
Patolan applied to 14 private colleges and universities his senior year of high school.
His dream school was Yale University, and because he had spent his whole life in Macon, Mercer was his last choice.
“I wanted to get away from my family for a little bit, see new things, see new places,” he said.
Partolan did not get accepted to Yale.
Undocumented students and Mercer University
Mercer does not take official stances on political issues, nor does it have an official policy regarding undocumented students.
However, Alejandra Sosa, director of freshman admissions at Mercer, said that as long as applicants are academically qualified, their immigration status does not matter to Mercer. They are treated just like other applicants.
“When we’re making an admissions decision, we do not take a look at a student’s citizenship or anything else other than their application, transcripts, test scores,” said Sosa. “That’s also how we then make students eligible for scholarships.”
Prospective Mercer students are eligible for three types of financial aid: merit-based aid, which is based on GPA and test scores; need-based aid, which is based on the FAFSA; and talend-based aid for athletes and musicians.
Sosa said that undocumented students cannot fill out the FAFSA and therefore cannot receive need-based aid. However, those students are still eligible for merit- or talent-based scholarships from Mercer.
Merit-based scholarships, especially Mercer’s full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, make a college education possible for undocumented students.
As long as students submit an application along with their transcripts and test scores, Sosa said that Mercer uses the same standards for all applicants.
Partolan’s GPA and test scores made him eligible for an academic scholarship from Mercer, which he received.
“I was fortunate enough to get a Presidential Scholarship at Mercer, which I’m incredibly thankful for,” said Partolan. “Mercer’s given me the opportunity to get a college education, and I want to do everything I can to help give back to Mercer, which is why I’m so passionate about everything I do on campus.”
Turning to activism and involvement
In 10th grade, Partolan lobbied for the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The DREAM Act would provide people like Partolan, who came to the U.S. as children and who enroll in college or enlist in the military, a pathway to citizenship.
“I started writing legislators, making phone calls and organizing at the local level at my high school. And I garnered a great amount of support at my high school for that,” said Partolan. “That’s really when my activism started.”
The DREAM Act was introduced in 2001. It still has not passed.
In June 2012, the secretary of Homeland Security announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA grants legal presence to undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 and who meet certain criteria.
Immediately after DACA went live in August 2012, Partolan began the application process, and in November, he was accepted.
“I’m not a legal immigrant yet in the U.S., but now I have lawful presence. I can’t be deported anymore,” said Partolan.
Through DACA, Partolan applied for work authorization, and was able to get a driver’s license, social security card and work permit.
He also doesn’t have to live in fear of being deported.
However, DACA isn’t permanent. Partolan must renew his DACA status every two years.
Also, according to Cruz, DACA does not affect undocumented students’ ability to go to college in Georgia. The USG policy still applies, and undocumented students must still pay out-of-state tuition.
The only thing DACA affects is funding, meaning that with a job, it might be easier for an undocumented student to pay tuition.
“So this is just a placeholder for what needs to happen. And what needs to happen is actually a pathway to citizenship for people like me, who came to the United States when they were really young,” said Partolan.
Undocumented immigrants “have the potential to fulfil their civic duties as citizens of the U.S.,” said Partolan. “I just think they have enormous potential for the U.S. from so many different perspectives, and something just needs to happen on this. And this is why I fight for it as an activist.”
This summer, Partolan became involved in a youth-led organization called Dream Activist Georgia.
In July, Partolan and other students in the organization went to Washington D.C. to rally for immigration reform. The yearly event is called Dream Graduation.
The students marched to Congress and the Supreme Court chanting phrases like, “Undocumented, unafraid,” and “Up, up with education; down, down with deportation.”
“We held signs and we lobbied legislators, and that was just a genuinely great experience for me, because it showed me the potential activism has in making changes for the better,” said Partolan.
Partolan came back home inspired, and he began to organize rallies and marches in Georgia.
At the end of July, Partolan protested in front of the Georgia State Capitol and announced that he and other students were suing the USG Board of Regents, calling on them to grant in-state tuition to DACA students.
Because of the pending litigation, Millsaps could only comment generally on the USG’s immigrant student policy.
In October, Partolan helped organize another rally at the Capitol Building with the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. Partolan spoke in front of about 2,000 people at the rally.
“I’ve discovered that this is something I’m incredibly passionate about.”
Raymond is also passionate about Mercer.
“I just feel like Mercer’s given me so much. If it weren’t for Mercer, I would not be in college right now,” he said. “Because of that I want to give back to [Mercer] in any way that I can.”
Partolan became involved in SGA as a senator during his freshman year, and now, in his junior year, he is the President of SGA.
“I feel that by being in this role, I’m helping to give back to Mercer. And that’s something that I live and breathe every day, that I’m a Mercer student,” said Partolan.
After completing his undergraduate degree at Mercer, Partolan wants to attend Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law and specialize in immigration law.
“Every day I’m at Mercer I continue to fall in love with Mercer. There’s just something nice, like a bell that rings really sweetly in my head, when I think about the possibility of me being a double Bear graduate,” said Partolan.
“I’ve seen our immigration system first hand, and I want to help people manoeuvre through the system as easily as possible. Because it’s been incredibly difficult for me, so I want to make it easier for someone else.”
Through Mercer, Partolan was given an opportunity that a lot of undocumented students don’t have. Cruz said that, when it comes to getting into college, undocumented students have a lot to overcome. Many undocumented students are the first in their families to graduate high school, let alone go to college.
According to Cruz, the majority of undocumented students do not take college prep courses, or are stuck on the English as a Second Language track and don’t get off.
Cruz said it’s more difficult for undocumented students to be academically prepared for college than it is for U.S. citizens.
Even if students like Partolan are academically qualified, it’s still difficult for them to go to college in Georgia.
Undocumented students in states like Texas, California and New York can be accepted to those states' public universities if they went through school in the state. They also have access to in-state tuition, and in Texas, undocumented students are eligible to receive state financial aid.
Cruz said the difference between Georgia and states like Texas is that undocumented immigrants are relatively new to Georgia, and haven’t been in the state long enough to effect change.
For example, the Hispanic population in Georgia, said Cruz, is the fastest growing portion of the population, but it still only makes up about 10 percent of the population.
“There’s only one Hispanic person that sits down in the capitol. So issues that pertain to Hispanic people aren’t really brought up, and they don’t have the voting base either,” said Cruz. “Whereas Texas, California and New York, they have had enough of the legal population voting to change these laws.”
Cruz said that until enough people vote on legislation pertaining to undocumented immigrants, nothing will change.