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(03/27/13 2:19pm)
Bibb County school board has been dealing with several different issues over the past few months including multiple lawsuits and significant changes in leadership.
The Bibb County school board came to an agreement March 14 to settle a lawsuit filed by a Macon attorney for $1,758.
Daryl Morton made an open records request for Bruce Elementary School, and after waiting over a year for a response, he sued the school system in December.
This spring, he followed up his request for the school’s fax logs, emails and documents, alleging the Bibb County Democratic Party used the school’s fax machines to distribute negative information about him.
Morton was once chairman of the Bibb County Democratic Party and retired in November 2011.
In a new court filing, the Bibb County school system stated former Chief Financial Officer Ron Collier was stripped from his position for non-retaliatory reasons and claims Collier is lying about being punished.
Collier filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against the school system in December, claiming he was fired because he refused to pay a $1 million invoice in July for the Macon Promise Neighborhood program.
The school system’s filing on March 18 was the first response to Collier’s accusations.
The $1 million payment was eventually paid in October after the school board accepted paperwork stating the money covered renovation costs at the Promise Center.
Collier has revised the lawsuit several times, and requested an injunction against the Promise Center rent payments.
The school system denies most of the details in Collier’s lawsuit, including the claim that the Promise Center has an illegal lease.
Benton J. Mathis Jr., a school system attorney, stated that Collier would have received adverse employment actions against him for other legitimate reasons.
Collier’s attorney, Jeremy Lumley, says the school system has failed to mention what Collier has done wrong, if anything.
Within Collier’s lawsuit, he is requesting damages and an injunction to bar payments for the Promise Center.
Superior Court Judge Edgar Ennis upheld the lease and rejected a temporary restraining order for the lease because of a validated bond deal.
The lease actually begins July 1, and the first payment is due by April 1.
In terms of leadership, the school board has not decided on a permanent board president.
Susan Sipe, who is the board treasurer, has been serving as interim president since January.
Susanne Griffin-Ziebart was named Bibb County’s acting superintendent by the school board Feb. 28.
Her goals are to plan the budget for next year, to make sure students are learning and to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Griffin-Ziebart’s leadership role is temporary and will be held for 30 days or until board members choose an interim superintendent.
Griffin-Ziebart was the district’s deputy superintendent of school improvement and redesign since 2011 when she was asked by the board members to be acting superintendent.
Romain Dallemand’s superintendent contract was approved by school board members to be bought out for $350,000.
The deal also covers his accumulated pension benefits and health insurance for him and his family until July 2014 or until he receives another job.
(03/27/13 2:05pm)
A student’s car was found broken into on Mar. 6 in the campus parking lot behind Greek row near the apartments.
Kaitlyn Schmitt was on her way to a boot camp workout class with friends when she realized her car was in a state of disarray and the passenger door propped open.
“I went to unlock the back doors for my other friend to get in and there was stuff thrown in the backseat, stuff literally thrown all over my car, and its stuff that I would have never gone through in my glove compartment like my registration and manual,” said Schmitt.
Mercer police were contacted and arrived on the scene within 15 minutes, and while waiting for the police Schmitt contacted her parents and took photos of the damage.
Items that were missing from the car included a pair of aviator sunglasses and a valuable white gold necklace that was given as a gift from Schmitt’s boyfriend.
The hubcaps on the right side of the care and the console on the inside of the car were missing along with scratches and dents on the passenger side of the car
The investigating officer questioned Schmitt about any friends or enemies who may have done this.
This is the third car break-in on campus, leaving students feeling uneasy about the safety of their vehicles. Police stated that there was no sign of forced entry into the vehicle.
There is one security camera located in the parking lot where the break-in occurred, and it rotates to scan the whole parking lot.
Schmitt said the police officer told her, “There is a pretty good chance that the security camera did not pick up the suspect because it rotates.”
“I think the chances are slim to none that they will find out who did this, which is an unsettling feeling. I have finished my undergraduate degree here; I’m in grad school now and have been here for four years. I have never felt unsafe before on Mercer’s campus, said Schmitt.
Chief of Mercer Police, Gary Collins offers tips on keeping vehicles and the contents inside safe.
“Please keep your doors locked. We cannot tell if a car does not belong to someone if they walk up to it and just pull on the handle. Do not keep valuables in your car like jewelry, electronics, and CDs. It’s a crime of opportunity if no one is around and they think they can get away with it,” said Chief Collins.
Other tips include taking the off the stereo faceplate if applicable, storing the spare key in a location other than the vehicle, and reporting suspicious looking people or activities to the Mercer police.
Chief Collins also stated, “We do a safety walk each semester with volunteers and members of SGA and we look at all the lighting and safety issues. Over all we have good lighting, and we patrol the parking lots and campus regularly. Unfortunately we prove that with all of the tickets we write. ”
(01/25/12 9:14pm)
The United States Department of Education announced Monday, Dec. 19 that Mercer University will be one of 15 organizations that will receive the Promise Neighborhoods planning grants.
Another five organizations will receive the Promise Neighborhoods implementation grants.
The purpose of the Promise Neighborhood Program is to focus on the challenges and lack of opportunities for students and families in high poverty areas by providing support, plans and service that will help the students in those neighborhoods achieve success from infancy all the way through college graduation and job placement.
The program goes even further to help with prenatal care, counseling for pregnant mothers and bridging the gap between local Head Start centers and elementary schools. They have recognized that children need strong support systems inside and outside of the classroom in order to succeed after college.
The grants will help students in two of Macon’s at risk neighborhoods, Unionville and Tindall Heights. The four schools in those districts are Ingram-Pye and Hartley elementary schools, Ballard Hudson Middle School and Southwest High School.
Mercer University will serve as the financial representative for the grant. They have partnered with 35 local organizations including, Bibb County, Bibb County Schools, the City of Macon, the Macon Housing Authority, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Peyton Anderson Foundation, Central Georgia Technical College, local churches, non-profit organizations and organizations that provide support in those neighborhoods.
The process for the grant began two years ago with the support of Macon Mayor Robert Reichert and County Commissioner Chair Sam F. Hart Sr., who now serves as chair of the grant advisory board.
More than 200 nonprofit organizations in 45 states, institutions of higher learning, American Samoa and Puerto Rico applied for the grants in order to improve schools and revitalize unprivileged neighborhoods.
In the first round of implementations, grantees across the nation will be awarded $6 million over the course of three to five years receiving up to $30 million to provide support for infant to career placement opportunities after graduation.
Mercer University was the only grantee in the southeast to receive the grant of $500,000.
The Peyton Anderson Foundation will also donate $150,000 as a local matching requirement, making the total grant amount $650,000.
Dr. Peter Brown, professor of philosophy and the director of Mercer’s Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships, and Dr. Mary Alice Morgan, Senior Vice Provost for service learning, are the co-leaders of the grant. They, along with several other partners, took the time, effort and resources to complete the application.
“This will be a birth to career program...It will be an intensive, all-out commitment to the success of the students in these targeted neighborhoods. It will be coordinated, focused and measured for maximum impact,” said Dr. Brown in a press release on Mercer’s website.
The program is also at the core of the White House Neighborhood revitalization initiative, which focuses on renovating neighborhoods through education, health programs, federal housing and justice.
The five Promise Neighborhood implementation grantees are: Westminister Foundation (Buffalo N.Y.), Northside Achievement Zone (Minneapolis, Minn.), Berea College (Clay, Jackson, and Owsley Counties, Ky.), United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County Inc. (San Antonio, TX), and California State University-East Bay (Heyward Calif.).
(12/07/11 11:37pm)
Work is in progress for a new shelter that will help aid the homeless in the Macon and Bibb County area.
The Daybreak Center will be a daytime shelter for about 300 to 500 people. The shelter will provide help with job hunting, medical care, and mental health services.
Sister Elizabeth Greim, the director, partnered with DePaul USA, a Philadelphia non-profit organization, to open the shelter. DePaul USA is working toward a national response to homelessness, and the Daybreak Center in Macon is of their first projects outside of Pennsylvania.
Greim, who is a women of Bless These Hands, a collaboration of churches on High Street, is excited to build this refuge for those who often have nowhere to turn.
After taking to the homeless of Macon she asked many what do they do during the day or where do they go. Many replied that they roam or hang around the street corners, travel from place to place in search of a place to stay at night, or search for necessities such as food and clothing to survive.
The future home of Daybreak is an old warehouse located on Walnut Street, right before the entrance to Central City Park. It is an empty building with a sting of small offices, which Greim says will be constructed in to the medical and mental health clinics.
Toward the back of the build is a large area that is planned to hold washing and drying machines along with showers.
A separate area will hold a number of computers to aid with job searching and résumé coaching. There will also be opportunities for people to donate toiletries, socks, food, towels, and underwear.
Volunteers will also be needed to staff the center and keep it running. The center also wants to foster a relationship between the people who need help and successful people who have found their way out of homelessness.
The intended atmosphere is eye-to-eye assistance, not an attitude of volunteers looking down their noses at the people who come to them for assistance.
The estimated cost for the building plus renovations is around $175, 000.
So far Greim said they have partnered with a number of religious groups in Macon to help and support the operating cost. They are also looking for contractors that are willing to donate their time and services, or materials.
Cash donations are also needed.
The projected opening and operating goal is next summer.
The most recent support for the center came from the community presenting a $20 benefit performance on Dec. 6.
Many supporters and hopeful clients gathered together to announce and kick off the capital campaign for the center.
Other leading such as Chuck Levesque, the director of DePaul, have been overwhelmed by the love and dedication of the local volunteers.
This will is seen as a wonderful opportunity for Macon to be an example to similar cities by coming together and caring for the other people who live in your own community. The center itself will be a great contribution to Middle Georgia.
(11/17/11 12:48am)
Are you looking for a new project or a new way to get involved on campus outside of the student organizations already established? How about starting your very own cult right in your dormitory? The possibilities and benefits are endless. Starting a cult will bring followers, friends, praise and adoration. He are a few suggestions on starting out, and if these are found to be successful you can hope that your cult will last well beyond college.
First thing you should do is examine yourself. Confidence is key and it will help attract people to you. Charisma, good speech, diplomacy and personal skills are helpful characteristics to have when approaching people. Image is everything and you have to look the part. If you look like a king then you feel like a king, and if you feel like one then maybe people will treat you like one.
Next, you will need to make a lot of friends. This can be accomplished by striking up conversations in the cafeteria, ARC, library, class and any other area on campus where students congregate. Get to know people personally, and find a common thread that will draw them into you.
The next step is to be creative. Your cult will need a name, purpose, a doctrine that will be taught, slogan, official song and a simple logo. To advance your knowledge and creativity check to see if your university offers a class on cult psychology. Do further research and study books and videos on cults.
Out of the friends that you have made you will need to create an inner circle with positions so that you can delegate certain duties for them to carry out. The leader of the cult will provide spiritual guidance to the others. The enforcer should be responsible for regulating the followers and making sure the rules are followed. Most importantly at least one clergyperson should be appointed. This person will have a direct divine communication with whatever entity your cult decides to honor.
Your dorm room can serve as the designated meeting place, and in order to maintain the loyalty of your followers, outsiders should not attend the meetings. A public relations representative can be hired to maintain a good image of the cult and to attract more followers. Publication of your own unbelievable stories and past encounters tend to be the most believable. This may include battles with some enemy force and tales of martyrs who have died for the cause. Another way to engage more people would be to offer free advice or a consultation for a ‘limited amount of time.’ Using your emotions is another way to connect with others. Crying is contagious.
Last but not least is the effective use of propaganda techniques. This can be done through the use of discussions, mass meetings, print, film, television, recordings and theater. The use of logical fallacies can be helpful when planning your persuasion. These can range from the appeal of authority, appeal of numbers, appeal of probability, generalization, and the appeal to poverty and wealth. With these ideas in mind you can be well on your way to a new discovery in your college career.
(11/02/11 9:51pm)
The Mercer Lyceum was developed by the University and commenced for the 2011 fall term to support lectures and events centered on the theme of “Rebuilding Democracy.”
This theme will last until Spring 2013. The events are open to the community. The most recent took place Oct. 20 in the Medical School Auditorium. Mercer welcomed Dr. Johnny B. Hill, who presented the lecture “Our President is Black, Now What? Race Relations and the Obama Presidency.” Dr. Johnny B. Hill is a pastor, professor and author of The First Black President: Barack Obama, Race, Politics, and the American Dream. He is a leading advocate for human rights, social justice, global peace and reconciliation.
As stated by Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Dr. Hill is “a graduate of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Ph.D.) in Evanston, Ill. He also earned degrees from Duke Divinity School (M.Div.; Th.M.), and a Bachelor in Sociology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga…He is co-chair of the consultation for the Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. with the American Academy of Religion.”
Dr. Hill also co-founded the Foundation for Reconciliation and Dialogue with renowned theologian J. Deotis Robert. He is the current president of the foundation and pastor of the historic Greater Good Hope Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.
The topics that were discussed by Dr. Hill included history repeating itself, the concern of people losing that personal connection through social networks and the uncomfortable use of the word race along with the presidency of Barack Obama.
Mr. Jeremy Tate, who is an author and social commentator, shared a poem he wrote titled The Blackness. Tate has a book titled Heaven and Hell and Eating Too Many Lemon Heads, which is a collection of poetry and artwork done by Barbara Baca. He has appeared on aibtv.com with host Angie Wright-Rheaves and he has written for a number of websites including thyblackman.com and Rolling Out Magazine.
Tate has been pursuing his writing career for three years now. When asked of what Tate did to prepare for this lyceum he stated, “I practiced breathing some. First time I ever read my poetry aloud to so many people. College kids are intimidating.”
In addition, Tate shared that within his career he most enjoys the “freedom to express myself as honestly as possible. Writing consistently presents that freedom as a joy and a challenge.”
The event was co-sponsored by Campus Life, Minority Affairs, Student Support Services, Organization of Black Students, Quadworks and the Urban CEO/MCEO.
Many students and faculty were in attendance including Michelle Currie, director of federal TRIO programs; Vice President and Dean of Students, Dr. Doug Pearson; Dr. Mary Alice Morgan, senior vice provost for service Learning; and Carrie F. Ingoldsby, director of campus life and student involvement.
The lecture was followed by a question and answer session with an in-depth discussion of the topics led by Mr. Dominique Johnson, coordinator for the Upward Bound program.
Junior Nakita James shared, “I enjoyed the combination of Dr. Hill and Jeremy Tate. Their linking together for the lecture demonstrates how the fight for racial equality is not just for the older generation. It’s our fight too.”
(10/30/11 5:34am)
Tunnel of Oppression is an event put on by many college campuses across the nation. It will take place Nov. 1-3 at 7 to 9 p.m. in Connell Student Center.
Last year was the first time it was brought back to Mercer, sponsored by Quadworks, after a long rest period, and will be returning again this year. According to Breyana Davis, a worker for Quadworks, “Last year was a success because it was brought back. Many professors required their students to attend. Many students volunteered their time to help out, and there was a lot of positive feedback.”
The event highlights current issues of oppression ranging from domestic violence, sex trafficking, and race. Breyana and her co-chair, Chase Williams, will be running the whole production. She also stated, “Chase and I are responsible for picking the topics we would like to discuss. This year we had feedback from the actors which helped as well. We agree that these issues are common to the Macon Community and especially to Mercer.” The tours for this event will take place in a few weeks.
There will be a follow-up article after the event takes place.
(10/30/11 5:10am)
The Mercer Lyceum was developed by the University for the 2011 fall term to support currents lectures and event, and new ones around the theme of “Rebuilding Democracy.” Co-sponsored by organizations of the University and the Macon community students and faculty welcomed Dr. Johnny B. Hill, who presented the lecture "Our President is Black now What? Race Relations and the Obama Presidency.” Dr. Johnny B. Hill is a pastor, professor, and author of The First Black President: Barack Obama, Race, Politics, And The American Dream.
Other topics that were discussed by Dr. Hill included history repeating itself, the concern of people losing that personal connection through social networks, and the uncomfortable use of the word race. Mr. Jeremy Tate who is a poet/philosopher shared a poem he wrote titled The Blackness. Mr. Tate also has a book titled Heaven and Hell and Eating Too Many Lemon Heads, which is a collection of poetry and artwork done by Barbara Baca. Many students and faculty were in attendance including Dean of Students Dr. Doug Pearson. The lecture was followed by a question and answer session with in-depth discussion of the topics presented.
For an extended article on the lecture, please see the upcoming print edition of The Cluster.
(10/05/11 10:05pm)
This week’s organization spotlight is on the student organization Up ‘til Dawn.
Greg Anderson is the current president among the five-member executive board. Anderson said, “Up ‘til Dawn is a fun team challenge where students compete in an all-night challenge for the patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org).” The organization meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm and is open to anyone wanting to participate.
The annual fundraising letter-writing event will take place Monday, November 7, 2011 from 8:00 pm to 12:00 am. Participants are asked to bring addresses. The letters will be sent to those addresses to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer. The goal is for each person to write 50 letters.
The fundraising night will include free food, raffles with great prizes and a free t-shirt for those who reach the goal of 50 quality letters. Registration prior to the event is encouraged, and this can be done individually or in teams of no more than five. Registration takes place online at www.stjude.org/utd. The link to register using a cell phone is www.stjude.org/utdreg. Last year, Up ‘til Dawn raised $16,000. The organizations goal for this year is to raise $20,000.
St. Jude’s website explains, “St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened on February 4, 1962 and was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.”
The daily cost of operation is around $1.7 million, and children are never turned away if the family cannot afford to pay for treatment not covered by insurance. A large amount of funds are from public contributions. According to the St. Jude’s website, they are “the first institution established for the sole purpose of conducting basic and clinical research and treatment into catastrophic childhood diseases, mainly cancer.”
Ashlie Rubrecht, a junior here at Mercer, holds the fundraising chair on the executive board for Up ‘til Dawn. She has been a part of this organization for the past two years. Rubrecht said, “This organization is very close to my heart. If you had the opportunity to save a child, why wouldn’t you? It is a great cause and a great way to meet people who care about the same things that you do.”
This is a cause that many people from all walks of life can relate to. This is also a great way for the college students to bond with the Macon community.
The organization’s faculty advisor, Megan DeLong, stated, “I think it’s really important to get involved in student organizations. It is a great way for us to stay connected to the students and foster that personal relationship the Mercer encourages.”