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(02/21/14 1:06am)
Natalia de Souza Sterci is currently Mercer’s visiting professor as part of the Fulbright scholar program. Sterci is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she studied during her undergraduate years in college.
Sterci originally studied to be a translator, but she later decided she wanted to be a teacher.
“When I was an undergrad, I quickly realized that wouldn’t be the right profession for me, because I really like talking to people,” said Sterci.
Sterci became a teacher when she was 19 and that was when she realized teaching is what she wanted to do. Apart from knowing how to speak her native language of Portuguese, she has studied French, English and Latin, and has begun studying German.
Sterci said that out of all the languages she has studied, English is probably her favorite. “Even though I’m teaching Portuguese now, I think I like English even more than my own language,” Sterci said.
One of the reasons that Sterci became interested in the Fulbright Program was that she wanted to study in America. She felt that a program through school would be the best way to be able to come to America.
“As I’m not rich by any means, I knew that the only way I would be able to come would be through my studies, so that’s why I’ve always studied really hard,” Sterci said.
Sterci said that she always knew her hard work would pay off eventually, and that she is incredibly glad she had the opportunity to study at Mercer. The Fulbright program that Sterci is part of actually has several programs within it; the one she is part of is the Teaching Foreign Language Assistant (TFLA).
According to Sterci, the program covers the costs of her coming to America, and going back home, as well as some of her living expenses. This includes a stipend and Mercer covering the cost of her apartment and meal plan.
Sterci described the program and said, “This is a program for English teachers who come here, and we have to share our cultures; we have to work as ambassadors of our country and the U.S. At the same time we have to learn more about America so that when we go back to our country we’re going to be better teachers.”
Sterci heard about the Fulbright program from one of her friends while she was studying in Brazil. This program only allows applicants to apply once a year.
Sterci started applying in 2012, and found out the Brazilian program selected her in December. However, acceptance into the program in Brazil is only the first part; acceptance by a university in America is required for full acceptance.Sterci said she did not request a specific school because she wanted to see where the program would take her. She found out in May of 2013 that Mercer had accepted her application.
As part of the program, Dr. Eric Spears acts as Sterci’s official supervisor and sponsor. According to Sterci, Spears has pushed a lot of programs at Mercer involving Brazil, including the one that brought her over here and a program
that sends Mercer students to study in Brazil.
Sterci also said that Dr. Leona Kanter and other people from the sociology department have worked as sponsors for her as well. She said that both Kanter and Spears, as well as everyone in the sociology department have treated her incredibly well since she has been here, and that she could not ask for better sponsors.
Sterci is the first person to teach Portuguese at Mercer and currently has around 25 students in her class. She said her experience at Mercer has been great, and that she has grown a lot professionally since she came to Mercer. She also said that everyone at the university has done their best to make her feel welcome.
“I don’t really feel homesick, maybe because everybody treats me very well here,” said Sterci.
Part of the program requires her to learn about America as well, so Sterci also takes a few classes at Mercer apart from teaching. She has also taught lectures about Brazilian culture at Mercer and at other colleges such as Middle Georgia State College, which is part of her responsibilities of being an ambassador for her country.
She is due to return to Brazil in May of this year.
(10/26/13 3:51am)
Mercer Debate Society recently competed in its first competition of the year, with two of its members, Lindsey Hancock and Hunter Pilkinton, winning the first parliamentary debate of the season. Pilkinton and Hancock scored an almost perfect score over the two days that the tournament took place, making this the best showing Mercer University has had in parliamentary debate.
“It was really exciting, Hunter and I had been partners since the beginning of last semester, so this was of course the highest award we had won together, and I think it’s the highest award we’ve won period since we both started debate in high school,” said Hancock. In debate tournaments, teams consist of two people, with each alternating different positions in the debate they are participating in.
According to Dr. Vasile Stanescu, who has been the team’s coach and adviser since 2010, “You can win individual rounds and still win if you just get the majority, but they took every single ballot in the preliminary rounds.” The final rounds of tournament where judged by a three-person panel, each member of whom cast ballots to decide who wins a round. Hancock and Pilkinton only lost one ballot in the last round.
The University of North Georgia hosted the tournament, with around 80 schools competing. Some of the competing schools were Valdosta State, Morehouse College and North Georgia itself.
According to Hancock, a big reason she and Pilkinton did so well was the support of the debate team. “I think that we also have to emphasize the team effort, though, because coming out of the tournament like that after you’ve won like a first place award, it really starts to hit home how much we need each other because when we’re prepping up for these rounds,” says Hancock. The team hosts weekly practice rounds, and when a competition is approaching, they occasionally get a list of possible topics so they can research and think about those topics. The list of topics they are given is only a list of possible topics though, so they still have no way of knowing exactly what they will be debating at the competitions.
The other members of the team where pleased with Hancock’s and Pilkinton’s achievement. “I have no experience with [debate] and I was put in on the varsity level, which was pretty scary, but just seeing my teammates, how they conducted themselves in that setting, it was really inspiring,” said Rainea Cumberbatch, who earned special recognition at the same tournament in a category reserved for first time debaters.
Caleb Maier, another member of the team, also voiced his pleasure. “I’ve been on here for a while, so I was very excited, but I wasn’t surprised at all; they’re very good debaters,” said Maier.
This is not the first time that members of Mercer’s debate society have won awards. Maier previously achieved the rank of number one speaker at a past tournament in 2012, held at the University of Florida, and Pilkinton won state speaker at the Varsity and Novice levels during his first year of college in 2012.
“I would say we’ve become increasingly competitive over the last year and a half,” said Hancock, referring to their increasing number of awards. Stanescu also agreed, saying that he felt like the team was receiving more attention this year, and had an increasing number of members.
The team usually attends six tournaments a year, and plans to attend the National Tournament, held in Arizona, March 21 to March 25. Stanescu said that they hope to start attending more tournaments each year, if possible. The debate team meets each Wednesday at 4:30 in room 116 of the CTH building.
An earlier version of this article was incorrect in regards to how long Vasile Stanescu has been coach of the Mercer Debate Team. Stanescu became coach in August.
(09/14/13 5:10am)
Mercer University’s Student Government Association (SGA) held its first meeting on Monday. The meeting began with the swearing in of SGA’s newly elected freshmen representatives: Sarine Husein, Ngozidirichukwu Ihenacho, Logan Fowler, Elizabeth Mckay and Patrick Harris.
The meeting schedule included the discussion of six pieces of new business. Of the six new pieces of business discussed, five of them regarded new student organizations seeking SGA’s recognition and approval for funding.
According to SGA President Raymond Partolan, the majority of SGA’s budget goes directly to student organizations.
The clubs asking for SGA approval included a League of Legends club, Mercer Mentors, the National Black Students Association, Golden Key and Caribbean Student Association. Each of the student organizations did receive recognition with the exception of Golden Key. Golden Key had no representatives present at the meeting; SGA chose to postpone voting until the next meeting.
The final piece of business SGA discussed was a motion to amend SGA’s fiscal affairs bylaws, which would change the procedure SGA uses to distribute funds to student organizations. SGA voted to postpone the fiscal amendment vote until next week, pending approval from the student affairs department.
(09/13/13 3:59am)
On Aug. 29, 2013, Mercer University announced that it had received a $2 million grant to fund Mercer’s Center for America’s Founding Principles and provide new educational opportunities to students who are from the Dominican Republic. The grant is from Thomas C. and Ramona E. McDonald.
According to Dr. Charlotte Thomas, co-director of the Center for America’s Founding Principles, around 60 percent of the gift is going to the center. The remaining 40 percent will fund the Thomas C. and Ramona E. McDonald Fund for Advancement of Education in the Dominican Republic. The fund will allow Mercer to provide funds to professors and students in the Dominican Republic through exchange programs.
Dr. Will Jordan, co-director of the center alongside Thomas, said the center is the product of an Academic Initiatives Monetary (AIM) Fund grant given to the university six years ago.
“Our chief mission was to supplement the curriculum of Mercer’s wonderful Great Books program by bringing to campus speakers and events that would encourage the serious study of the books and ideas that have shaped western civilization and the American regime,” said Jordan.
Jordan also said that funding for the center has come from grants and gifts over the years. The grants and gifts have allowed the center to bring a series of speakers to the school to talk about a variety of topics. The center has also been able to have an annual A.V. Elliot Conference on Great Books and Ideas, and faculty-student reading groups, research fellowships and summer Great Books Programs.
Asked to describe the primary purpose of the center, Thomas said, “We promote direct engagement with the books and ideas that influenced the American Founders. We believe that one of the most important responsibilities of higher education is to graduate students who can function as responsible and informed citizens.”
The recent gift from the McDonald family will go to fund a new course at the center called America’s Founding Principles.
“The resources from this gift will allow us to invite every semester at least three nationally-prominent scholars to come in and teach this course for a week at a time,” said Jordan. “These scholars will also be delivering public lectures and participating with our faculty-student reading groups.” He said the new programs they were going to introduce are both supplementing and enlarging their current programs.
Thomas also mentioned that three outside scholars are going to be teaching the class alongside a member of Mercer’s faculty.
“Mercer students will have an opportunity to be in the classroom with some of the most prominent historians, political theorists and philosophers in the country. These visiting scholars will also give public lectures, meet with reading groups and generally participate in the life of the university for the week that they are in residence,” said Thomas.
America’s Founding Principles will be a special course for several reasons. According to Thomas, it will be a Great Books- style seminar, and it will be an option for students in the Western Heritage block of the Integrative Program. The course is in development and should be available to Mercer students in the 2014-2015 academic year.
“It was very important to Mr. and Mrs. McDonald that the course be available to as many students as possible—students with varied interests and pursuing a wide variety of degree programs,” said Thomas.
Thomas said that when she heard of the gift, she was “humbled, honored and thrilled.” She went on to say that, “we know that there are a lot of people doing a lot of good things at the university and beyond who never get the kind of support that we have enjoyed in the not quite six years of the center’s existence.”
Jordan expressed similar feelings saying he and Thomas were “thrilled” by the gift and that they “look forward to creating a truly unique and nationally-respected program at Mercer.”
This semester, the center is going to focus on the question of religious liberty, and it is sponsoring the upcoming undergraduate Constitution Day lecture by Dr. Vincent Phillip Munoz, associate professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Political Science Department. For more information, go to the center’s website at http://afp.mercer. edu.
(09/13/13 3:59am)
This semester, Mercer’s Student Government Association (SGA) added five new freshmen representatives to its group. The new representatives are Sarine Husein, Ngozidirichukwu Ihenacho, Logan Fowler, Elizabeth Mckay and Patrick Harris.
The SGA elections began on Tuesday, September 3, and concluded on Wednesday. There was an unveiling held at 6 pm on Wednesday that revealed the results.
“The first meeting was really informative,” said Patrick Harris. He was not into student politics in high school, but he came here with the minority mentor project. Raymond came to his O-group and talked about SGA, which motivated him to join SGA.
Elizabeth McKay said, “The meeting went well today, it’s definitely very formal.” She is very passionate about Mercer, and being involved with the school. She said, “I am so glad to be a part of that.”
“It was really long, but it was really insightful,” said Ngozidirichukwu Ihenacho. “I’m really looking forward to being involved.” She wanted to run for SGA because of what the group stands for and the impact they have on Mercer’s campus. This year is about improvement and growth for her.
Sarine Husein said she worked on her high school’s student government and loved being a part of it, which is why she chose to become involved with Mercer’s SGA. She also wants to help preserve Mercer’s heritage. “I think the first senate went very well, I was very comfortable and I loved meeting everyone,” said Husein.
“This first senate meeting really reassured me that all of us freshman senators are in good hands and it really proved to me that a lot of things go on here,” said Logan Fowler. Fowler was a member of his student government in high school and his sister was also a member of SGA, which motivated him to join when he became a student at Mercer. He says that he hopes to give students a bigger incentive to participate in events at the university.
When asked how he felt about the new members, SGA President Raymond Partolan said, “I’m incredibly excited to be working with these brand new freshman senators! Mercer’s in a time of change and I’m confident that this cohort will be a positive catalyst to help bring about that change. Each and every single one of these new senators campaigned for the last week about their own personal qualities and their ideas about how to best represent their class. They’ve worked hard and all of them deserve to be where they are today! They are natural leaders who will truly help to express and promote the interests of their peers. I already know it’s going to be an amazing year!” The new representatives were sworn in on Monday and are now full members of SGA.
(09/13/13 3:59am)
Mercer University’s Student Government Association (SGA) held its first meeting on Monday. The meeting began with the swear- ing in of SGA’s newly-elected freshmen rep- resentatives: Sarine Husein, Ngozidirichuk- wu Ihenacho, Logan Fowler, Elizabeth Mckay and Patrick Harris. After the fresh- man representatives were sworn in, each of them took their seats with the rest of SGA.
The meeting schedule included the discus- sion of six pieces of new business. Of the six new pieces of business discussed, five of them regarded new student organizations seeking SGA’s recognition and approval for funding.
According to SGA President Raymond Partolan, the majority of SGA’s budget goes directly to student organizations.
The clubs asking for SGA approv- al included a League of Legends club, Mercer Mentors, the National Black Students Association, Golden Key and Caribbean Student Association.
The first club to ask for SGA ap- proval was a new League of Legends club. Brady Brettin, the club’s presi- dent represented the club at the meeting.
League of Legends is a popular online video game. The club wanted to have SGA’s approval to be an independent club so that the game’s company will recognize the club as an official team. After presenting the club’s case, SGA voted to approve the club.
The second group was Mercer Mentors, represented by Josh Funderburke, is a group of students that wished to work with children at local schools. Their primary goal was to work with schools such as Southwest High school. Their group also received approval.
The third group was the National Black Law Students Association, which wants to help bring in students and help cre- ate good work experiences for stu- dents who are members of the group. This group received SGA’s approval.
The fourth group was the Golden Key Group. The Golden Key Group did not have a representative present at the meet- ing, so the SGA chose to postpone the decision on the group until the next meeting.
The fifth group was Caribbean Student As- sociation (CARIBSA). This student group wanted to expose Mercer to the Caribbean culture, and it received SGA’s approval.
The final piece of business SGA discussed was a motion to amend SGA’s fiscal affairs bylaws, which would change the procedure SGA uses to distribute funds to student orga- nizations. SGA voted to postpone the fiscal amendment vote until next week, pending ap- proval from the student affairs department.
When asked how he felt about the meet- ing, SGA President Raymond Partolan said, “Well, I definitely thought the first meeting, considering it was the first meet- ing, went incredibly smoothly.” He men- tioned that the help they had from peo- ple like Parliamentarian Wildes as the reason that meeting went so smoothly.
Vice President Melina Hettiaratchi ex- pressed similar feelings saying, “We have so many new people and it ran just like they had been doing it all year so I’m really proud of our new senators and our old senators for keeping decorum, setting a really good example, so I’m a proud VP right now.”
SGA’s next meeting is going to be on Monday, Sept. 16, at 5:30 p.m.
(08/28/13 7:00pm)
On May 30, 2013, Mercer University announced that it was accepting an invitation to join the Southern Conference, leaving the Atlantic Sun Conference, which it is currently a member of. Mercer’s membership in the Southern Conference will become effective on July 1, 2014, according to a new release made by the university.
There are several reasons that went into Mercer’s decision to switch sports conferences. According to Jim Cole, Mercer’s Athletic Director, football was one of the reasons, but it was not the primary motivation for Mercer’s decision.
“We really do respect the Southern Conference and its heritage,” said Cole. Founded in 1921, the Southern Conference is the fifth oldest athletic division in the country.
Cole also mentioned other reasons for wanting to switch divisions, including a chance to play against certain schools, and less travel time for the players. “It was a chance for us to renew a lot of rivalries that had been important to Mercer,” said Cole, who specifically mentioned schools such as Samford University and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
He also said that the Southern Conference has a smaller “geographical footprint” compared to the Atlantic Sun Conference, which would mean less traveling time for Mercer’s athletic teams. Cole said that less travel time will mean “More time there at home, more time that they can devote to studying.”
While one advantage to joining the Southern Conference is that it will sponsor Mercer’s football team, Cole made it clear that Mercer was not just thinking about football when it decided to switch conferences. “We looked at the whole, all 18 sports, and how it would impact the whole department,” said Cole, describing Mercer’s thought process when it made the decision.
When asked whether he thought that joining the Southern Conference would be a benefit to all of Mercer’s sports teams, Cole said, “To me, I can find no detrimental move to any of our sports.”
The Southern Conference will sponsor all of Mercer’s current sports teams with the exception of lacrosse, which Cole said is because it is a newer sport in the south. Mercer will continue to support its lacrosse team however by having it play in affiliate conferences, so the switch from Atlantic Sun should not affect the team.
Before choosing to join the Southern Conference, Mercer had an extensive history with the Atlantic Sun Conference. Mercer was one of its charter members and according to Cole, was the oldest, having joined in 1979.
When describing Mercer’s relationship with the Atlantic Sun Conference, Cole said that they were a great conference to be a part of and that they had no complaints with the conference. “We’re leaving some good people in Atlantic Sun, and a lot of long time partners that we’ve gotten to know very well. But we are excited about the move to the Southern Conference,” said Cole.
While Mercer’s relationship with Atlantic Sun had no issues, the Southern Conference had more to offer the university, according to Cole. “We’re very thankful to Atlantic Sun and for what they did, and all that they brought to the table, and at this time, for Mercer, the Southern Conference is a better fit,” said Cole.
(08/28/13 7:00pm)
For the first time in decades, Mercer University now has a football team and that team is going to be playing against other schools this year. I was in the second semester of my sophomore year of college when I heard the news that Mercer was bringing football back, and I will admit, the news caught me by surprise.
Personally, I have been wondering when Mercer University will win its first football game. I know that the team has been training hard for over a year now, but it is still hard to make any guesses.
Several factors should be considered that could affect the outcome of Mercer’s first couple of games. First, this is the first football team Mercer has had in decades.
Second, apart from the fact that this is the new football team’s first year playing, this is also Mercer’s last year playing in the Pioneer League before next year’s move to the Southern Conference.
The Southern Conference will have Mercer playing some different schools than it has in recent years. That alone will change things for every sports team at Mercer.
The switch to the Southern Conference will also double the challenge presented to Mercer’s football team.
That said, these challenges might mean nothing to the team’s results on the field. That is part of what makes the new football team so exciting to me; it is almost impossible for me to figure out what the outcome of the season is going to be.
That said, I could still wildly guess on when Mercer will win its first football. My guess is that it will sometime this semester, thought there is little foundation for that guess. I cannot think a more defined period than this semester, so that is my best guess.
For me, the most exciting part Mercer’s football game will not be about winning or losing. For me, it will be about going to the games with my friends and the rest of Mercer University.
Football games were never a big deal at my high school, so I am hoping they will be a bigger part of my senior year. I am personally glad that football came back to Mercer University while I’m still a student there.
I will admit that it does not really matter when Mercer wins its first football game. I am just excited to see the game, and I will definitely be at as many I can make regardless of the outcome of the games. The fact that Mercer’s first football game in decades will be one of the memories of my time here is awesome to me.
(08/28/13 7:00pm)
In the spring of 2011, Mercer University made plans to include a sports medicine clinic inside of the Drake Field House that was part of the new football stadium. On Aug. 7, 2013, Mercer announced in a news release that the sports clinic was officially open.
According to the news release, the main goal of the sports clinic is to offer physical therapy, evaluation and treatment of non-surgical, sports related injuries to athletes and physically active people of all ages.
The clinic’s staff currently includes a physician board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics specifically qualified in Sports Medicine, a licensed practical nurse and a receptionist. There are also plans to hire a physical therapist and radiology technician in the future to round out the services offered by the clinic.
The clinic’s on-site physician is Dr. Shelley Street Callender. Her previous experience with Sports Medicine includes working with the Junior and Special Olympics, the NCAA, as well professional basketball and football teams.
Services are available to all Mercer student athletes, as well as Mercer faculty, staff and the general community at the sports clinic. Dr. William F. Bina III, dean of the School of Medicine, said, “The clinic offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment of non-surgical sports-related injuries and conditions to athletes and physically active individuals of all ages throughout central Georgia.”
He also said, “The clinic has arrangements with local orthopedic surgeons for needed consultations and referrals of surgical treatable problems.”
The Sports Medicine Clinic differs from Mercer’s Student Health Center in several ways. The Student Health Center offers services including immunizations, general health education, allergy injections and treatment of minor injuries, whereas the sports clinic focuses more on providing services related to physical injuries.
Another key difference between the two facilities lies in the way they operate. According to Callender, chief of Sports Medicine, “The Sports Medicine Clinic is also available to all Mercer students to use, the difference being that it operates just like your personal family doctor’s office.” What she means by this is that appointments with the Sports Medicine Clinic may require the patient to make a co-payment or another out of pocket fee depending on their health insurance coverage.
She also said that a difference between the sports clinic and the Student Health Center is that the health center does not have any out of pocket cost on the part of the students or their parents for using the its services, although there may be a small cost for additional services such as lab or radiology services. It is available to any Mercer student with health insurance, regardless of whether the student uses their parents’ insurance or they pay for the school-sponsored coverage.
Students under the school health plan are still encouraged to seek treatment at the Student Health Center first before seeking care the sports clinic. The health center may refer that student to another health care provider, such as Mercer’s sports clinic afterwards. Mercer’s website provides additional information on the clinic’s services.
(08/28/13 7:00pm)
Cosplaying, or costume playing, is the act of dressing up like a fictional character, usually from a movie or videogame, and acting like them. Cosplay is a big part of fan conventions, especially at conventions such as Metrocon, Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA), and Dragon Con.
Two Mercer University students, Libby McCormick and David Ellis both plan to attend Dragon Con this year, and both will be cosplaying. McCormick will be dressing as the character Willow, and Ellis will be dressing as the character Wilson, both of which are from the hit indie videogame “Don’t Starve.” They are also dressing up as Aku, from the TV show “Samurai Jack.”
The primary difference between cosplaying and regular costuming is that cosplaying involves not just dressing like the character, but also acting like them, and usually involves a more intricate costume. “Just someone who you want to be, and then you look like them and you become them,” said McCormick, referring to how they choose which characters to cosplay as.
Both McCormick and Ellis have experience with conventions and cosplaying in the past. For McCormick, she got into cosplaying after working at a renaissance festival. Ellis decided to start cosplaying after he went to AWA and saw everyone else there dressed up.
The primary motivation for cosplaying is for fans to have fun dressing and acting as their favorite characters, regardless of how the costume turns out. “I think some people just like the challenge of being like ‘I’m going to make that,’” said McCormick.
According to both McCormick and Ellis, part of the fun of conventions is recognizing a character you like in the crowd. “Even if nobody else recognizes you, two people will, you will make their day and that’s the best feeling in the world,” said McCormick.
In regards to the challenges that come with making a costume, Ellis said, “Don’t be disheartened if it comes out terribly, just take what you learned and try again.” McCormick also made it clear that is okay for someone to buy their own costume and that sometimes, it is better to buy higher quality materials.
“First step is crying,” said McCormick, jokingly referring to the process of making your own costume. When asked how he began the process of making a costume, Ellis said, “I sit there with a sketchbook.”
Many fans will make their own costumes for conventions. “You use what materials will work,” said Ellis, who also advised fans to use materials that were already available to them before buying more. Some materials used in costumes include cloth, plastic, and even things such as PVC pipe when a fan is making a more elaborate costumes.
Even when costumes do not turn out as planned, they can still be an enjoyable experience. “I will have the ultimate respect for anybody who goes out in costume no matter if they buy it or they make it,” said McCormick. “Even if the costume is subpar from whatever angle you want to look at it, just their ability and willingness to go out in any way and their desire to go out in a costume they made, that’s brilliant,” said Ellis.
Both Ellis and McCormick stressed that cosplaying and conventions are really about having fun above all else. Dragon Con will take place from Aug. 30 to Sept 2.
(08/28/13 7:00pm)
Throughout the month of August, the Jack Tarver Library, located on Mercer University’s Macon campus, hosted the Historic Macon Foundation’s Macon Then and Now exhibit. The exhibit is a series of photos that show what historical buildings in Macon looked like in the past, and shows how they look now.
“What they’ve done is they’ve taken before and after photos of historic places in Macon. So sometimes there’s a photo of a building that existed back then, and that same building may exist now, maybe it’s gone through some renovations,” said Lee Twombly, outreach and assessment librarian at Tarver Library. She went on to say, “In other cases, that house may no longer exist, or the building may no longer exist.”
The exhibit features around 25 photos in total. The photos show several locations including residential houses on Forsyth Street, Mulberry Street, College Street and Orange Street.
Some of the buildings have undergone major alterations, or been replaced by completely different buildings. Some of the buildings that have been replaced or altered include Mount de Sales, located at 851 Orange Street, as well as several of Macon’s residential houses.
According to Twombly, the point of the exhibit is, “just to show people a sense of history of Macon, and the importance of preservation.” The exhibit shows what Macon looked like in the past, and is meant to let people see a piece of its history.
According to Twombly, the Historic Macon Foundation approached the university around a year ago about displaying the exhibit on its campus. The foundation spoke with several different places about displaying the exhibit.
Twombly said that she hoped more people would come to view it while it was at Mercer, or while it was at another location. “I’m very supportive of it. I grew up into a Victorian house. I understand the efforts that go into fixing it up,” said Twombly.
Mercer’s library is not the first or the last location in Macon to host the exhibit. The exhibit opened in the Sidney Lanier Cottage in March, and the Historic Macon Foundation planned to have it travel to several different locations in the city.
The first location after the Sidney Lanier Cottage to hold the exhibit was Macon’s City Hall, then the Washington Memorial Library featured it and Mercer held it for the month of August. In September, the exhibit will move to Carlyle Place, and will be at Middle Georgia State College in October. A location for November has not yet been determined, but the Historic Macon Foundation plans to locate one.
The Knight Neighborhood Challenge funded the Macon Then and Now exhibit. The challenge is a project of the James L. Knight Foundation, the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, and had special assistance from the Middle Georgia Camera Club.
(08/14/13 6:50pm)
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="500"] Photo Credit: Mercer Marketing and Communications[/caption]
The Georgia Asian Times has published a list of the ‘Top 25 Most Influential Asian-Americans in Georgia.’ The list includes Farooq Mughal, Sharon Lim Harle, and Bryan Ramos, each Mercer University alumni.
Mughal said he was “humbled and honored for receiving the award.” Both Ramos and Harle expressed similar attitudes towards their awards.
“Honored, very honored. Really did not know I was considered,” said Harle. Each of the three Mercer Alumni was very active since they graduated from Mercer University.
Since his graduation in 2000, Mughal has become a managing partner of MS Global Partners. His expertise mainly lies in government relations, political affairs, international trade, negotiation, and global public affairs.
In May of 2013, Mughal met with Vice President Joe Biden to speak with him about immigration reform. According to him, about 40 leaders from the Asian-American community received an invitation to the meeting.
“I give all the credit to my university; I give all the credit to my professors,” said Mughal. Mughal also wanted give a special thanks to Dr. Leona Kanter, his advisor whom he credits for pushing him to work so hard get this far.
Harle said she originally came to Mercer as an international student, and that she is “glad to be part of the community.” Since she graduated from Mercer’s Atlanta campus with a BBA in 1996 and an MBA in 2000 from the Stetson School of Business and Economics, she has worked with Mercer Alumni services University Special Events, including Commencements, alumni reunions, and various academic Boards and ceremonies. She also continues her work with international students on campus, and stays in contact with international alumni.
Apart from her work with Mercer University, Harle has also done extensive work outside of Mercer. She helped set up Atlanta Asian Film Festival, which premiered in 2000.
She was also involved with the Atlanta Centennial Olympics in 1996 by hosting the Malaysian contingent as well as the Malaysian Royal family. In 2007, the annual Who’s Who In Asian American Communities honored Harle.
Ramos graduated from Mercer’s Law School in 1999, and this is actually his third time winning this award. He mainly works as a worker compensation lawyer.
After his graduation, he worked as a clerk for a law firm in Atlanta for several years before founding the Ramos Law Firm in 2005, of which he is the current President. “If I’m going to work this hard, I’m going to work for myself,” said Ramos, referring to his decision to found his own law firm.
Apart from his work with his, law firm, Ramos is also very active in the Asian community and the Democratic Party. He attended both inaugurations of President Obama, and he spoke at the White House earlier in the year about fiscal policy.
Each of the alumni seemed to be proud of their time at Mercer and happy that they were part of its community. “It gave me a good feeling, that out of 25, you had 3 that went to Mercer,” said Ramos.
The awards were humbling to all of them, and they are dedicated to continuing their work. “Nice to be recognized, but it’s not what it’s all about,” said Ramos.
(08/14/13 6:45pm)
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="500"] Photo Credit: Patrick Hobbs / Cluster Staff[/caption]
Groundbreaking for the new Cruz Plaza took place on Wednesday, December 12, 2013. Mercer trustee Milton L Cruz, a graduate of Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts, provided the lead gift for the construction of the plaza. His wife Aileen Rosso, his father Juan Cruz Rosario, and sister Zorida Cruz Torres are also Mercer graduates and contributed to the gift alongside him.
In a video news release by Mercer University, Dr. James Netherton, Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance at Mercer, Cruz wanted to improve the campus by removing the abandoned street Edgewood Avenue. According to the video, Cruz felt that there needed to be a central place on campus for students to gather.
Mercer University hired the Atlanta based landscaping and architecture company HGOR to handle the design of Cruz Plaza. HGOR has had history of handling projects on college campuses. Their past projects include handling the designs of colleges such as Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Wesleyan School.
The original deadline for the project’s completion was in July, but there were some delays due to the unusually heavy amounts of rainfall in the spring. According to Larry Brumley, Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Chief of Staff at Mercer University, there were only a few delays in the project due to the rain.
The construction crew did what he described as an “amazing” job of working around the rain. According to administrator Brumley, they are going to finish the project by the time freshman move in.
Mercer also chose to expand the project during Cruz Plaza’s construction. Administrator Brumley said that throughout the project, they found new opportunities for improvement during construction and they felt it was the best time to add those improvements in.
When describing the effect the Cruz Plaza will have on Mercer’s campus, Administrator Brumley said that it “creates a park like environment” for the students and that he expects the plaza will be “heavily used by students, faculty and staff”.
Some of the plaza’s amenities mentioned included fountains, tables, and chairs by Connell Student Center, as well as benches all around the plaza, electrical outlets, and new lighting. One other change to the campus is that the Mercer Bear statue that used to be by the University Center was relocated during construction and is now located in Cruz Plaza.
Administrator Brumley mentioned that the plaza is a great place to host some of Mercer University’s formal events. One example he gave was that they could hold outdoor commencement services, which could allow them to have more room for the families of Mercer University students that are attending the event.
When asked how he believes the students will react, Administrator Brumley says that he believes that students who last saw the campus in early May, when it was still in the earlier stages of construction will find it to be a “real jaw dropper”. According to him, they have already heard “real exclamations of surprise” from students who have seen the completed plaza for the first time.
(08/14/13 6:45pm)
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="426"] Photo Credit: Mercer Marketing and Communications[/caption]
The National Medical Association has awarded the 2013 Practitioner of the Year Award to Dr. Warren Hutchings, Director of the Student Health Center and on the Macon Campus of Mercer University. This year is the first time Dr. Hutchings has won the Practitioner of the Year Award.
“I felt great, I mean that was one of the most wonderful experiences,” said Dr. Hutchings, referring to how he felt when he learned the news. He went on to say he was surprised when he received the award.
The National Medical Association awards one physician each year with the Practitioner of the Year Award. The National Medical Association usually considers around 5o,ooo physicians for the award each year, according to Dr. Hutchings.
Dr. Hutchings also mentioned that winning the award is usually a onetime event; physicians do not usually win the award more than once. He has also won several other awards such as the Dr. George A. Johnston Sr. Community service Award, and the MGMS Outstanding Leadership Award. When asked how one would become eligible for winning Practitioner of the Year, he replied, “You’re nominated by one of your peers.”
Dr. Hutchings received his nomination came from Dr. Millard Collier Jr. the President of the Georgia State Medical Association (GSMA). Dr. Hutchings is the current board chair for GSMA and was the president for 2011-2012 year. He is also the CEO and founder of the Middle Georgia Medical Society (MGMS) and served as its president for several years.
Dr. Hutchings has been working at Mercer University for seven years. He started working at Mercer University in 2006 when he joined the Family Health Department. Dr. Hutchings had already been working in Macon since 1996 at that point.
“I’m part time/part time,” said Dr. Hutchings, describing what it is like for him to work in two departments. As of now, Dr. Hutchings spends half of his time at the Student Health Center and he spends the other half of his time with Mercer’s Family Medicine department.
Apart from his work at the Student Health Center and Family Health Center, he also works with Mercer Athletic Department as one of the family medical physicians.
“It’s been excellent,” said Dr. Hutchings, describing the time he spent working at Mercer University. “I’ve been able to maintain my practice and my presence,” said Dr. Hutchings, referring to the fact that his work with Mercer University’s Student Health Center does not prevent him from working with family health.
As for the award itself, Dr. Hutchings said that it “was a wonderful opportunity to showcase Mercer,” referring chiefly to Mercer’s School of Medicine. Dr. Hutchings went on to say, “Mercer has shown consistent community involvement” and he says he was glad he was able to highlight that by winning this award.
The National Medical Association holds an annual Convention and Scientific Assembly. This year is the Association’s 112th assembly. This year’s assembly is in Toronto, Canada, and it is there that Dr. Hutchings will accept his award.
(04/25/13 5:34pm)
On Thursday, April 11,
Mercer University held its
sixth annual Engineer Expo.
The purpose of the Engineer
Expo was to display the accomplishments
of Mercer’s
Engineering students and the
projects they have worked on
this year.
The Engineer Expo lasted
two days, and was part of the
Mercer’s BEAR Day events.
BEAR Day, or Mercer’s
Breakthroughs in Engagement,
Arts and Research Day
celebrates the accomplishments
of Mercer’s students.
Events of the Engineer
Expo began with podium
presentations at 9 a.m. from
several of Mercer’s engineering
students and faculty in
the Science and Engineering
Building. The presentations
focused on the students’ projects,
with 20 presentations
from 34 students given.
The Engineer Expo continued
at 11 a.m. with a talk
from Dr. Gilda Barabino
titled, “Learning in Research
Settings: Role of Identity
Formation.” Dr. Barabino
is a professor and associate
chair for graduate studies
in the Wallace H. Coulter
Department of Biomedical
Engineering at the Georgia
Institute of Technology and
Emory University.
An important part of the Engineer
Expo is the First Year
Engineering Design Competition
at 1 p.m. and the senior
project poster presentations
at 3. Hawkins Arena in Mercer’s
University Center was
the location for both.
The poster presentations
displayed senior projects,
and featured the work from
48 students. The students
made posters of their projects
giving details about their
work such as the cost, the
materials used, and the goal
of their project.
“The expo’s purpose is to
showcase what students in
the engineering school have
been showing over the year,”
said Michael An, an engineering
senior whose project
was featured at the Expo. According
to An, the projects
presented at the Engineer
Expo “ranges from exploring
modeling software, to senior
design projects, to independent
research that is graduate
level studies.” An’s project
at the Expo was a swing assisted
exoskeleton with gait
trainer.
The project presentation
boards included an intro to
the project, an analysis, a
picture of the fi nal device,
specifi cations of the project,
the theory behind it, the results
of their project, recommendations
for its use, and
acknowledgements to everyone
who assisted on the project.
The students were there
along with their projects to
answer questions about their
project, give details on the
challenges they faced, discuss
the different issues encountered
and how they dealt
with those issues.
The Engineer Expo featured
a wide variety of projects
from both the Mercer’s
engineering students. Apart
from senior projects, there
were also presentations for
freshman projects as well as
honors and independent projects.
Some of the other senior
presentations at the Expo included
projects such as artifi
cial arms, prosthetics, and
automated kayaks. Some of
the Honors research projects
at the Engineer Expo.
Seniors received $300 to
complete their senior projects.
Some students were
able to receive outside donations
for their projects. Some
donors for the projects were
companies such as Macon
Water.
Vein Specialists of the
South, Gulfstream and the
Kern Entrepreneurship Education
Network each helped
sponsor Mercer’s Engineer
Expo.
(04/25/13 5:30pm)
Beginning on Friday, April
12, and concluding on Sunday,
April 15, Mercer’s
Townsend School of Music
hosted a weekend-long dedication
and inauguration of
its Giuseppe Englert Memorial
Organ. The University
received the organ as a gift
earlier in the school year,
and recently fi nished installation
at the McCorkle Music
Building.
The Townsend School of
Music received the organ as
a gift from the nephew of
Giuseppe Englert, Michel
Snethlage. Victor Gonzalez
constructed the organ in Paris,
France, for Giuseppe Englert
in 1953. Dr. Mitchener
also mentioned that the organ
had been played by several
famous composers.
Gonzalez was a famous
organ builder in France,
known for the style called
“Neo-Classical,” according
to Dr. Jack Mitchener, associate
professor of organ in
the Townsend School of Music,
as well as director of the
Townsend-McAfee Institute
of Church Music. “Gonzalez
was the most important
builder of the style in the 20th
Century,” said Dr. Mitchener.
According to Dr. Mitchener,
the organ had been sitting in
an apartment in France for 60
years before Snethlage gave
it to Mercer. French musician
and organ builder Robert
Martin dismantled the organ
in France and reassembled it
here at Mercer after it arrived
in Macon in October.
The organ’s size required
transportation in about 15
large crates, according to
Martin and Dr. Mitchener.
Martin arrived in Macon in
November and started reassembling
the organ, comparing
it to a “big puzzle.”
Martin also said that
many of the students at the
Townsend School of Music
helped with the reassembling
process saying, “They
give a lot,” and that “Everyone
wanted to see the organ
rebuilding.” Dr. Mitchener
also mentioned how much
help the students provided.
“The students were very involved,
they were here very
late many nights,” said Dr.
Mitchener.
Dr. Mitchener mentioned
how lucky they were to
receive the organ saying,
“We’re very grateful to Michel
Snethlage.” He also
mentioned that apart from
being valuable as a historical
item, the organ also had
many practical uses for the
school.
“Because it was built so
well that it still plays very
well and will serve the needs
of our students very well,”
said Dr. Mitchener. “Just for
student practice and lessons
and classes and so on, it’s really
a great thing for us.”
Apart from being an organ
builder, Martin has also been
the organist of the Principle
Church of Marseille for 38
years. He mentioned that
while he was at Mercer, many
music students came to speak
with him about music. “They
ask a lot of questions about
French music, because I am
an organist,” said Martin.
Martin and Dr. Mitchener
also participated in the inauguration
and dedication
events held to celebrate the
organ’s donation. Both of
them were amongst the organists
that performed on
Friday, April 12 along with
two other guest organists,
Ralph Tilden and Maritouca
Vernières.
Martin also gave a talk
on Saturday, April 13 titled
“César Franck and the Great
Cavaillé-Coll Organ at Ste.
Clotilde.” The dedication
concluded on Sunday, with
performances from Mercer
students and local organists.
(04/10/13 2:22pm)
DreamWorks' Need for Speed in Macon
Macon will be the site for principal photography for the DreamWorks Studios film “Need for Speed,” based off the popular racing videogame franchise. According to an article published in the Macon Telegraph on March 19, shooting for the film will begin mid-April.
The same article mentioned information about casting and other work opportunities planned for release closer to shooting time. The cast of the film includes Aaron Paul, Michael Keaton, Dominic Cooper, and Imogen Poots with direction by Scott Waugh, who previously directed “Act of Valor.”
According to Elliot Dunwoody who serves on the Macon Film Commission, the commission worked with the production company for a few months before the announcement.
“The Film Commission started working with scouts about six months ago. It became clear that they would be coming to Macon about three months ago,” said Dunwoody.
Dunwoody went on to say that the company behind the film chose Macon mainly for the reputation it has developed among filmmakers as a “film friendly area.”
“The [members of the] Film Commission board are all film professionals, and we are able to work with their scouts to find the best locations. The city of Macon has shown that we want films to be shot here, and we work well with the producers,” said Dunwoody.
Many films are now being shot in Georgia due to the Georgia Tax Film Credit, which provides a 20 percent tax credit for companies that spend $500,000 or more on production and post-production in Georgia. Another 10 percent is given to companies that include a promotional logo provided by the state in the finished product.
The Macon Film Commission’s goal is to get more films shot outside of Atlanta, said Dunwoody.
“Need for Speed” is currently being filmed in Mendocino, Calif., north of the Bay Area of San Francisco. Filming should start moving toward Macon near the end of next week.
The filming will take place in Macon for about two and a half weeks, before moving to Atlanta, Columbus, the North Georgia area and then the Mid-West.
“We are all very excited that Macon is becoming a major location in Georgia. We are continually trying to attract more films here,” said Dunwoody.
Most of the filming is planned to take place at night, scenes consisting mostly of cars and racing.
Dunwoody also said man vendors from Macon would be involved with the filming. Opportunities for extras and local residents who want to help with different production jobs will be available during filming.
However, Dunwoody said, since this is a major film production, most of the crew is going to be made up of union people.
According to an article on WMAZ, a company named Tammy Smith Casting is putting out the call for precision drivers for the film. The company, based in Atlanta and Los Angeles, says filming will take place between April 23 and June. More information is available on Tammy Smith’s website.
“Need for Speed” is only the most recent film to be shot in Macon.
In the past year, Macon’s Luther Williams historic baseball field was the shooting location for the films “Trouble with the Curve” and “42.”
Dunwoody said only a few scenes were originally planned to be shot in Macon, but after the scouts saw the historic architecture of Macon, they decided to expand their shooting schedule.
(04/10/13 2:14pm)
On Thursday, April 4, a dodgeball tournament has held at 7 p.m. at the intramural basketball court in the University Center. The dodgeball tournament was a joint fundraising event between the Biomedical Engineering Society and the Mercer University Korean Student Association.
The requirements to enter the tournament were a team of six players, and a $30 entry fee or $5 per person. A portion of the money raised from the tournament is going towards Mercer on Mission in Vietnam.
Each of the teams competed in a bracket style dodgeball tournament. The winning team of the tournament was able to win a small cash prize.
According Dohyun Daniel Yoon, who was in charge of the event, the Mercer Biomedical Engineering Society was the main funding source for the dodgeball tournament. The tournament is the first time they worked alongside another group to do a fundraising event.
“This was actually the first joint fundraising event we had with other student organization, MUKSA (Mercer University Korean Student Association) for this time, to attract more people in other departments (non-engineering) to this event” said Yoon.
Yoon did mention that they would like to host more events. Mercer Biomedical Engineering Society will not be able to have any more tournaments this year however, due to how late in the semester it is.
Freshman Avery Lewis participated in the tournament as captain of the team Average Joes. “When I first heard about a dodgeball tournament, I got really excited. Dodgeball has always been incredibly fun and I was instantly looking forward to participating. Despite there only being three competing teams, I think everyone who went still had a great time,” said Lewis.
Lewis also said the tournament was “fantastic” and said that he believed everyone involved had fun. He claimed that the dodge ball tournament has led to several participants wanting to form their own intramural teams for next year’s tournament.
The dodgeball tournament is one of several events the Mercer Biomedical Engineering Society puts on each year. Other events they are involved with include having a number of engineering related guest speakers visit the university to present their research to the students as well as a field trip event to “Bodies: the Exhibition” every year.
This is the only sporting event that Mercer’s Biomedical Engineering Society hosts. They hold the tournament once a year.
According to Yoon, they had been planning it for more than a year. The actual preparations for the tournament took place about three to five months before the event. They will be holding no more tournaments this year, saying there is no more time.
(03/27/13 2:00pm)
Cartoons were a staple of my childhood.
I spent hours watching cartoon network and the Disney channel when I was a kid. That is why it saddens me when I see so few hand drawn animated movies these days.
Disney recently announced that they had no plans to make anymore hand drawn animated films.
It seems like in the past few years, not only has Disney reduced the number of hand drawn animation but the style has all but disappeared from theaters.
Luckily, Disney has not completely abandoned its roots.
While they do not have any immediate plans for hand drawn films, they did recently announce that they would be making new Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts, done in a similar style to the original shorts that used to feature the character, i.e. Steam Boat Willie.
Disney announced the new series earlier this month, with a preview appearing on Disney.com.
Each cartoon will feature the famous character in different locations and situations.
One of the goals of the series is to be similar in terms of style and direction giving a nod to the older Mickey Mouse cartoons.
Disney has also announced that the cartoons will also feature characters like Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto.
It appears Disney is finally trying to do something in their old style again.
As a fan of animation in general, this announcement made me happy.
It has been a long time since I have seen Mickey Mouse featured in his own cartoon series, and it will be nice to see the iconic character featured in a new series.
The new series will not be a carbon copy of the older cartoons though, trying to be contemporary while still having a similar style. This is a kind of relief, as it will not feel like they are retreading old ground.
The preview they showed online, entitled “Croissant de Triomphe” is an entertaining, and well-made short.
The cartoon is set in Paris, and features Mickey trying to deliver food to Minnie’s restaurant.
Visually, the cartoon’s style was a little different from the older shorts.
While it was still 2D animation, the cartoon had a more modern look to it than the older animations.
Disney seems to have mostly neglected their classic characters for the past few years along with traditional animation.
Most of the animated films are now CGI, and come from Pixar or else the animation in their films are reminiscent of Pixar’s style.
This cartoons series will probably not be anything amazing or groundbreaking, but I hope it is at least an enjoyable series.
Disney seems to be putting a fair amount of effort into it, only time will tell if it pays off.
(03/27/13 2:00pm)
I have been playing video games for well over a decade now. Even though it was a while before I owned my first system, I still played plenty at my friends’ houses as a kid.
One thing I seem to keep hearing about games in the media is whether they are dangerous, and or lead to more violence.
While this has not been news topic in recent months, I have heard talks similar to this in the past year.
Hearing people talk about video games like this has always bothered me.
I understand that video games have become progressively more violent, especially with this past generation of consoles.
There seems to be a large number of people who think that video games are corrupting children, and that companies are specifically trying to market them to children.
I personally disagree with this notion and I find it to be a little annoying when people argue that it is true.
While I do not believe the video games can corrupt people, I do agree that many games are inappropriate for children.
Many parents do not want their children playing violent games and I respect that.
However, I believe this fear that video game companies are trying to market violent media to children is ridiculous.
The video game industry has created a rating system specifically designed to prevent young children from purchasing video games that are inappropriate for them.
Videogame cases have large labels on them that display the intended age group of the game.
I know for a fact retailers actively try to enforce the ratings and do not try sell violent games to children.
The video game retailer GameStop often displays posters for the ERSB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating system in their stores.
The ESRB is responsible for determining which ages groups are the games intended audience.
As someone who buys games on semi regular basis, I can testify to how seriously employees at video game retailers take the ratings system.
In the past, I have been required to produce a photo ID to prove I was old enough to buy certain games because of their rating.
Apart from that, I have seen employees at stores such as GameStop ask parents if they are aware of a game’s rating if it looks like they are buying a mature game for a younger child.
While I cannot say that every employee at a GameStop or Wal-Mart will actively try to enforce the rating system, these practices have become more widespread.
It has become increasingly harder for younger children to buy games that are inappropriate for them and that is a good thing.
I cannot say that it is impossible for children to gain access to inappropriate games, just as I cannot say that it is impossible for them to gain access to inappropriate movies or books.
There are limits to the rating system, and it is always possible for children to play violent games when they are gifts or if friends or siblings own them.
However, the videogame industry is actively trying to be responsible with their products.
There is a point where the consumer has to have some responsibility for the products they buy.