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(01/28/19 3:51am)
The world of acting can be pretty daunting for some people. But when Tiara Watkins, a sophomore transfer student, came to auditions for Mercer Theatre’s upcoming show, “The Christians,” she ended up landing a lead role.
Watkins has been participating in theater since her freshman year of high school. She has performed in a wide range of shows, with varying degrees of roles. During her first show, Watkins said she only had two lines. By the time she was a senior in high school, she was competing in Literary, a speech and recitation competition, and going to Thescon, a nationwide theater conference.
Watkins said that in high school, she was more reserved and quiet. This resulted in her having to constantly show her director that she could be a good actor.
“I learned that everyone’s not gonna like what you do,” Watkins said.
At her previous college, University of West Georgia, Watkins also participated in theater, where she won several awards for acting. She said she really enjoyed portraying Alma in West Georgia’s production of “Mother Hicks.”
Watkins feels like she has been able to adapt to being in a show here at Mercer, and feels quite at home at Tattnall Square Center for the Arts. She is very excited to be working on this show and is very interested in the character she will be portraying.
“I play the Congregant, her name is Jenny, and she is a member who is very dedicated to the church. She gives a lot, and she’s very invested… she’s gone through a lot and she has some financial issues,” Watkins said. “She is kinda, more understanding of what the Pastor is trying to say and is just trying to get answers.”
Watkins is a huge fan of theater and loves being a part of it. She said that her favorite part of theater is the performance.
“Performing and everything, I just love it,” she said. “It’s just fun to dive in and get to know the character and show the audience you love this character too.”
Watkins said she would pursue a career in acting if she could.
“Hopefully if things work out in my favor I will definitely do it,” Watkins said. “I definitely know I want to work in film and television for sure. So whether that’s writing or producing or the business side of it...something. I am going to do something with it.”
Watkins said that it is important to learn the behind-the-scenes and technical aspects of theater so that even if you don’t make it as an actor, you still have knowledge about it. For people who are aspiring actors, or are unsure if they want to pursue acting, Watkins said the best advice is to just audition.
“Please do it. I think it’s better to just go ahead and do it instead of wonder like ‘oh I should have done that’... just do it. Because if it’s something that you want to do, chances are you’re gonna like it,” Watkins said.
Watkins will perform in “The Christians” starting on Feb. 21 at Tattnall Square Center for the Arts. For more information, you can visit Tattnall’s website (tattnall.mercer.edu) or find Mercer University Theatre on Facebook.
(11/30/18 3:42am)
Ali Austin is a second year student at Mercer University. While she is majoring in psychology, her passion is art. Austin specializes in visual art through a variety of mediums. These mediums include traditional pencil and paper drawings, painting with both acrylic and watercolor paints, digital art, graphic design and some photography. Austin has been interested in art from a very young age.
“One of my earliest memories is mixing finger paint with my grandmother at her house,” Austin said.
She said that the first thing that really got her into art was the strict rules in her house, which were that from Monday until school ended on Friday, she was not allowed to watch television. This caused Austin to be more interested in reading and drawing.
The second thing that really solidified her path towards art was being a part of the art club at her school.
“In fifth grade, when we all had to choose between chorus, art club or band, I chose art club, and I suppose I never looked back,” Austin said.
Austin always knew that art would become a large part of her life. Austin is now a second year psychology major and art minor at Mercer. Her love of art has shaped her into the person that she is today.
“It’s always been something I invested a lot of time in and found a lot of joy in; it’s always kind of been an identity of mine, something I’m known for and something I know within myself,” Austin said.
Austin’s style of drawing varies from cartoonish to more realistic, both with digital art as well as drawings with a pencil and paper.
“I usually do more stylized, cartoonish drawings, and occasionally a kind of blend between realism and my usual drawing style,” Austin said.
Austin’s interests in artists range from more modern day digital artists to more classical and postmodern artists. While classically she is interested in artists such as Caravaggio and Bernini, she also enjoys artists and the types of media that are found online.
“I’m a big fan of the concepts and philosophy of Modernism and Postmodernism,” Austin said.
Austin plans on pursuing a career in psychology, though she does plan on continuing her career with art as a freelancer.
“It’s just not a steady enough job market for me to feel confident putting all of my eggs in one basket,” Austin said. “I definitely want it to keep being a part of my life.”
(11/05/18 3:47am)
Mercer University’s opera program reproduced the famous Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls” this past weekend. The production ran from Oct. 25 through Oct. 28.
The opera program usually puts on one show per semester, and has been working on “Guys and Dolls” since the beginning of the this school year.
“Guys and Dolls” was a wonderful experience. From the live music to the lights to the acting, being in the audience was an absolute pleasure. The singers were very talented, and listening to them singing was very entertaining.
The musicians were amazing, and very obviously prepared for the show. The music that they played at the beginning of each act was so great and beautiful that it felt kind of like I was watching a movie with similar vibes to “Meet Me in St. Louis” or “Gone With the Wind.”
The show takes place in New York, and follows two guys who are both gamblers. One of the main characters, Nathan, is engaged to his longtime fiancee, Adelaide. She is pushing him to finally marry her, but he’s more interested in his traveling gambling game.
The other male lead, Sky Masterson, is another gambling man, who bets against Nathan that he can get a devout Christian girl named Sarah to travel to Havana with him. Sarah and Sky inevitably fall in love, despite all of their differences.
I think the reason that this show was so great was because each of the characters were able to really connect to the audience. I felt myself sitting on the edge of my seat when the tension was building up between Sarah and Sky.
The whole audience applauded loudly when Sky and Sarah finally kissed for the first time. And, from what I understood, people loved the camaraderie between Sarah and Adelaide when they commiserated about their love.
Overall, the show was very fun to watch. Although it lasted for nearly three hours, I feel that I was entertained for most of the show. I was awed by the amount of talent that was poured out by every actor and musician.
Mercer University Opera put on another spectacular show, and I am very glad that I was able to experience “Guys and Dolls” before it closed.
(11/03/18 4:48pm)
The Museum of Aviation is located in Warner Robins, Ga, and is near Robins Air Force Base. The museum itself offers many programs for the public, including several tours, exhibits and workshops for all ages.
In order to raise money for the National STEM Academy that is a part of the museum, the museum directors have decided to host Fresh Brewed Production’s rendition of “The Wright Brothers: Those Daring Young Men & Their Flying Machine.” The company is touring from New York on the way to Florida, and decided to stop in Warner Robins for one day only.
This musical will run on Nov. 3, with one showing at 10 a.m. that is more geared towards children, as a children’s STEM program will follow the production.
“Our National STEM Academy educates more than 52,000 students and teachers each year through field trips, outreach programs in schools all over the state, weekend workshops and teacher training,” said Jenny Maas, one of the event’s coordinators.
There will also be another run of the musical in the evening of Nov. 3. This showing will be geared more towards adults, as the show will also include dinner.
“The evening show will be a more adult-themed dinner theatre show with a buffet catered by the Butcher Shop,” Maas said.
“The Wright Brothers: Those Daring Young Men & Their Flying Machine” is the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright and their journey building the Wright Flyer.
“The musical is a wonderful stage depiction of this piece of aviation history that is both entertaining and factually accurate,” Maas said.
For more information about the show, interested parties can look up the Museum of Aviation’s Facebook page or their website. Tickets for the show can also be purchased through the Museum’s website.
(10/20/18 1:49am)
The Contemporary Arts Exchange was a group of local artists and musicians who used studio space together in the Washington Building on the corner of Mulberry and Second Streets.
This group consisted of a combination of people from all walks of life, from students and professors to gallery professionals and even lawyers.
Mercer professor Eric O’Dell was one of the members of the Contemporary Art Exchange. He became involved with it when he moved back to Macon with his family in 1994. He was searching for studio space and stumbled across the building that would eventually become the open space. O’Dell said that part of his reason for starting up the Art Exchange was to ensure that he and his students had a space to work in.
“They need to see what studio life is like, that art is hard work and requires a space to make it,” O’Dell said.
The studio itself spanned two floors of space and served as a place where students could go and work on their artwork, hang out and share their ideas. Over the years, artists and musicians have come together to share their art, as well as share it with others in Macon by having open studio days. These open days eventually became known as First Fridays.
“What prompted First Friday was we wanted to share the joy we had in the space and the stuff that we made,” O’Dell said.
First Fridays became an established Macon tradition, gaining funding by Newtown Macon and becoming more popular. O’Dell believes that starting the First Fridays has started a fire in regards to the arts in Macon as well as worked to show people that Macon can be beautiful and fun.
“We believed, and we worked and we created, and Macon caught up with us. More art galleries have opened up, museums, performance venues, restaurants... this is the best kind of fire,” O’Dell said.
The last First Friday that the Arts Exchange will be a part of occurred on Oct. 5. This last First Friday was particularly special for O’Dell, who has been participating in the event for many years now. This event was a chance for O’Dell and other artists to share their art one last time in a space that they loved.
“We hugged and we laughed and were held among those old dusty rain stained walls as if in a gilded frame holding a priceless painting,” O’Dell said.
Washington Building was sold to a developer, most likely to become a space for apartments, according to The Telegraph.
While there are currently no plans to restart the Arts Exchange, there are some new studios opening up in downtown Macon to accommodate the growing number of artists that are living here.
“There will never be another Exchange, it was a magical sanctuary full of tough and joyful souls. But, it spread, the seeds have been sewn,” O’Dell said.
(10/09/18 1:56am)
McPherson Newell first began writing poetry in the second grade. His love for it grew, however, he was in seventh grade when he began writing every day and continued the trend until he graduated high school. He has continued to write several pieces of poetry while attending college.
The sophomore biomedical engineering major always thought that he would pursue a career in English. It wasn’t until his junior year of high school that he decided to change his course.
“I became disabled junior year of high school and made me focus more on prosthetics and engineering,” Newell said.
While he loves poetry and writing, Newell decided he wanted to study something in school that would help people who had a need for prosthetics and people with limited mobility.
Newell explains that most of his poetry has to do with things that are personal to him. Being transgender and disabled, he writes a lot of poetry about his body, his relationship with his body, and his body’s relationship with society.
“(Writing is) a good way to process aspects of disability that you can’t talk about with a lot of people, put words to physical pain as well as emotional pain and give that (pain) a voice when you can’t really tell others how you’re feeling,” Newell said.
Newell’s favorite poet is Walt Whitman, because he loves the way that Whitman writes about the sanctity of the body as well as how Whitman writes about the treatment of the soul.
Writing is something that Newell does as he is on the go, as well as when he is at home. This summer, Newell would write poetry while on the Marta on his way to work. Now back on campus, Newell explains that he would ideally like to write outside, but because of his chronic pain it’s not always possible, so he does a lot of his writing in his bed.
While Newell’s poems have not been published since being at college, some of his work was published while he was in high school. Most notably, one of his poems was featured in Atlanta Magazine.
Newell uses poetry as an outlet to discuss topics that are important to him. Oftentimes it can be hard for people to speak out loud what they are feeling. For Newell, poetry is a route for people to understand him, his experience and allows others to relate to him. Newell lends his voice to those who are voiceless, empowers those who feel unempowered and gives hope to those who are hopeless.
Newell wrote “On Rejecting Sanctification” on July 27.
"This is your body which is hell on earth,
speaking your own name sacred even when it’s misspelled,
laying the foundation of a kingdom on someone else’s holy ground.
This is your will which will continue to put one foot in front of the other
even when they believe so loud it cracks the sidewalks."
-McPherson Newell
(10/09/18 1:47am)
The Central Georgia Greek Festival takes place every year in Macon. This year, the Festival will take place the weekend of Oct. 19 and Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Oct. 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church on 859 1st St.
If you are new to Macon, or perhaps have never heard about the Central Georgia Greek Festival before, this festival would be a great way to hang out with your friends while enjoying wonderful food, music and dancing.
Natalie Saratsiotis is one of the board members of Holy Cross Church who helps put on the festival each year.
“We love inviting people into our homes and feeding them with our homemade food,” Saratsiotis said. “So what better way than to feed Central Georgia than to have a Greek Festival?”
The event will host a variety of foods such as spanakopita, gyros and kebabs. They will also have Greek pastries, such as baklava. To go along with the food the event will also host dancers from The Marietta Greek Dance Program as well as live music performed by George Karras.
There will also be a variety of vendors at the festival, selling things from jewelry and clothes to handcrafted pottery and woodworkings. For more information about which booths will be at the festival, you can visit the Central Georgia Greek Festival’s website.
Since the festival started in 2008, it has grown into a huge affair that thousands of people attend. People from all over Georgia attend the festival, not just local Macon residents.
“The reason we started the festival was not only to invite Central Georgia into the life of a Greek, but also the life of a Greek Orthodox,” Saratsiotis said. Our faith is extremely important to us and we want to be able to share with everyone who we are and what we believe in.”
So whether you want to enjoy great food, listen to live music or want to watch professional dancers, the Central Georgia Greek Festival might be the perfect weekend activity!
(09/07/18 5:30pm)
The Mercer community will have the chance to honor Anya Silver, Mercer professor, poet and Guggenheim Fellow who passed away this summer, in a special service Sept. 9 at 2 p.m.
The service will be held in Willingham Auditorium and will consist of poetry readings and the sharing of stories and music that Silver loved and held dear.
According to the Facebook event, guests will “share in the joy of knowing her and the grief of missing her.”
Silver passed away Aug. 6. She is survived by her son Noah, her husband Andrew, her sister and her mother.
Silver’s wishes were that instead of bringing flowers to the service, people make donations to help fund her son’s education. Donations can be made online by following the link on the Facebook event or by sending a check.
Over 165 people from all over the country - including family, friends, colleagues and former students - will attend the service, according to the Facebook event.
Attendees include those who knew Silver and want to show support towards her and give strength to all of those who love her.
All are welcome to attend the service held for Anya Silver and gather together to honor her memory.
(08/26/18 4:00pm)
If you’re new to campus, or maybe just interested in getting more involved on campus, Mercer University has several arts-related student organizations you can get involved in.
MUSIC
University Choir: The Townsend School of Music has several choral ensembles, some of which are audition-based. But if you’re looking for something a little less intense and time-consuming, the University Choir is open to all Mercer students, staff, and faculty.
They rehearse once a week and perform around the community with pieces such as Handel’s “Messiah”. To find out more information, send the choir director, Stanley Roberts, an email at roberts_sl@mercer.edu.
Mercer Bearitones: Mercer University’s a-cappella singing group holds auditions at the start of the fall semester. The group performs on campus and surrounding areas and regularly competes in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.
According to Mercer University’s website, “the purpose of the group is to perform and compete a cappella music while allowing the members to grow as musicians.”
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mercerbearitones/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/merceruniversitybearitones/
Jazz Ensemble and other instrumental ensembles: The Townsend School of Music is home to many varieties of instrumental ensembles. For jazz musicians, inquiries regarding auditions should be sent to Monty Cole at cole_mc@mercer.edu. According to their website, “the Mercer Jazz Ensemble is a traditional 17-piece big band which honors America’s rich cultural heritage.”
Other ensembles, including brass, percussion and woodwind, are open to Mercer students that audition and members receive academic credit hours for participation.
THEATER
Mercer Players: Mercer Players is a group of both theater majors and non-majors interested in theater arts. They put on a few productions per year, and opportunities for both acting and technical positions are available.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/2203844106/
Improv Club: Improv (improvisational comedy) is when you perform a scene that has never been rehearsed before and is made up on the spot. The Improv Club gets together once a week to practice improv scenes and have fun playing improv games. You can get involved in the club by coming to their meetings on Mondays at 7 p.m. in Knight 302.
ART
Mercer Public Art Coalition: Founded in the spring of 2017, the Mercer Public Art Coalition is a student organization aimed at connecting different art disciplines within Mercer to the larger Macon community.
Members will be present at Bear Fair to help new members get involved. If you can’t make it, their Facebook page will post updates and opportunities.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MercerPublicArtCoalition/
Mercer University Design Studio: Mercer University Design Studio, also known as MUDS, is a relatively new club on campus. This club aims to help students learn new things about graphic design and get their designs used on campus. For more information about the club, you can contact founder Justin at Justin.tyler.king@live.mercer.edu. Their meetings are held at Hardeman Hall 107 at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.
CREATIVE WRITING
The Dulcimer: Mercer University’s literary magazine, “The Dulcimer” is an annual publication of student-produced poetry, prose, photography and artwork.
“People can get involved anytime throughout the year, but of course the earlier the better,” Editor-in-Chief Will Darragh said.
Staff applications from students will be made available at the start of every academic year, but you don’t have to be on staff for the magazine to be published in it-- submissions are accepted from Mercer students throughout the year, with the final product published at the end of the spring semester.
Keep an eye on “The Dulcimer”’s social media to find out when applications and submissions are open:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mercerdulcimer/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedulcimer/
Website: mercerdulcimer.com
Point B.L.A.N.K: Interested in spoken-word poetry?
This group aims to help students “(hone) their writing and performing skills as well as collaborate with the community to spread the culture of poetry,” according to Mercer University’s website.
Alana Alvarez of the College of Liberal Arts serves as faculty adviser.
DANCE
Ballroom Dance Club: Mercer’s Ballroom Dance club hosts a dance practice once a week where you can learn ballroom dancing techniques. You can get involved in this club by attending their meetings at 8:15 p.m. on Mondays in Penfield Hall.
Mercer Rangreli: Mercer’s Rangreli Dance team is a South Asian Fusion Dance team that learns and performs dance routines. You can get involved in this club by searching for Mercer Rangreli on Facebook.
Mercer Kpop Dance Team: Have a love for all things Kpop? Korean pop is a genre of music that is oftentimes choreographed with elaborate dance moves. Mercer’s Kpop Dance team gets together to bond, watch and perform Kpop dance routines. Find out more by searching Mercer Kpop on Facebook or emailing mercerkpop@gmail.com.
(04/20/18 8:15pm)
Mercerians may have spotted a particularly friendly cat walking around campus recently. He is an orange tabby and his name is Chrissy. The cat, who is a couple of months old, loves to roam around the Greek side of campus and is particularly fond of the Phi Mu house.
Originally thought to be a female, Chrissy has won the hearts of several students on campus. One person in particular has made it her mission to make sure that Chrissy gets the care he needs.
Jamie Benson
Madison Buerster is a second-year student who has made it her job to make sure that Chrissy is taken care of before summer rolls around. She originally wanted to adopt Chrissy, but she needed help to pay for his medical bills.
“I was actually talking to a fellow Resident Assistant and I told her that I wanted to adopt Chrissy, but I was unsure because of the various costs,” Buerster said.
Chrissy is cross-eyed, needs deworming, defleaing and to be neutered. To help raise money for Chrissy, Buerster was inspired by a friend to create a GoFundMe page with a goal of $200 to take care of all the medical costs.
“I plan on getting Chrissy neutered, vaccinated and groomed. Any money left over will be donated to All About Animals shelter here in Macon,” Buerster said.
As of now, Buerster exceeded her fundraising goal. She was able to raise a total of $205 to help with the care and adoption of Chrissy.
Sophomore Rachel Keller was one of the first donors for Chrissy’s cause. Keller donated $40 to help pay for Chrissy’s needs. She said that she wanted to help because Buerster is one of her best friends and because she loves animals.
“I am a huge animal lover and it always breaks my heart to see stray animals. I figure if donating a little money will help an animal in need then that’s what I’m going to do,” Keller said.
Since Buerster was able to raise enough money to take care of Chrissy, he will be living with her this summer and be receiving lots of love and attention while staying nice and cool indoors.
“He’s my baby and man, he is spoiled! If you ever want to get some cuddles from him, stop by the Phi Mu house, he’s always lounged around waiting for some attention,” Buerster said.
(04/18/18 3:39pm)
SGA’s External Relations Committee is working to organize a campus-wide clothing swap that will take place April 19 in Penfield Hall from 3-5 p.m.
Rebecca Braun is a member of the committee that organized the event. She said that the committee decided to do a clothes swap because she was inspired by a similar concept that she saw in a church community.
“I thought it was a really good idea for students to have a chance to get rid of their clothes, do a little spring cleaning and at the same time give them a chance to shop for new clothes,” Braun said.
There will be free food served at the event, available for the people who show up to look at the free clothes.
As of now, the committee is accepting donations for the clothes swap. Students on campus can drop off their donations with the RA on their halls. There are also bins in the Connell Student Center where students can drop off their used or unwanted clothes. All of these donations will then be used for the event. Students are encouraged to drop off their clothes until April 13.
Daniela Acosta is the chair of the committee that is organizing the event. She said that her role consists of spreading the word and reserving the venue for the swap. She put up the posters that Braun created and sent out the Bear Blurb for the event.
“I am the chair for External Relations, which is the committee hosting the event, but I delegated the main responsibilities of the event to Rebecca… since she is the one who proposed the idea,” Acosta said.
The committee is looking for donations of gently used t-shirts, jeans, dresses, shorts, etc. Braun said that they want to get a variety of clothes, shoes and accessories from both men and women on campus so that the swap can be all-inclusive.
Braun also said that she wanted to do an event like this to help cash-strapped college students who are looking for a change in their wardrobe.
“We all know that students are always strapped for cash, and it doesn’t stop us from going to Target or Ross or Marshalls and buying clothes when we need them,” Braun said. “So I thought this would be a great way for us to exchange clothes... and maybe being a little bit more sustainable that way.”
(03/27/18 2:51am)
As someone who is in their second year at Mercer, I think I have completely exhausted all of the places on our campus where they serve food. I’m the type of person who tries to eat three times a day, and I also try to make sure that I’m eating something healthy every day.
I grew up eating homemade pasta that used my grandmother’s special marinara sauce recipe, pork tenderloin with fresh mashed potatoes, made from scratch brownies and cookies, you catch my drift. So it was definitely a shock to come to Mercer and see what options I had for eating on campus (which, as we all know, is required if we live on campus).
We really only have about six or seven options for finding food on campus. First, we have the cafeteria. While there is fried chicken with the occasional tasty macaroni and cheese thrown in on Wednesdays, most of the time the go-to food for myself and my friend group in the cafeteria is pizza. If we’re feeling healthy, we’ll grab a salad that’s made with wilted spinach and iceberg lettuce. Overall, the food in the cafeteria is mediocre at best on most days.
Next, you’ve got Einsteins, which is nice if you’re in the mood for a lot of carbs, but filling up on pizza bagels can only last so long until you’re either bloated or start feeling super sick to your stomach.
Then, you’ve got the PODs and Which Wich. I have no problem with Which Wich most of the time, but sandwiches every day are not exactly the epitome of healthy. Same with any of the frozen foods kept in the PODs.
To me, the Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express on campus are always a toss-up. It always depends on the day of the week, the time that you go to the food court and who is working that day that decides whether or not you get something that is good.
But how long are we supposed to rely on fast food? Yes, we are in college, and fast food is the quick and easiest thing to grab, but we also have to find things that are healthy for our bodies while we’re up until 3 a.m. cramming for an exam.
There are tons of other options that Mercer could employ other than the things we have on our campus. We could switch our food company from Aramark to something that is better suited to the needs of the students on our campus.
Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia has a very small population of students. However, they are definitely on top of their game when it comes to providing food for their students. My friend Maggie Pfiel is a freshman at Piedmont who has a gluten allergy, and she says that the service her school uses, named Chartwell, is very accommodating and works with her to ensure that she has plenty of options.
While Mercer could never really have a dining hall at the level of a larger state college, such as UGA, I do think that the school needs to step up their game when it comes to food options on campus. Especially considering that we are required to have a meal plan if we live on campus, which we are required to do for three years of our time at Mercer.
If Mercer is unwilling to get better food options for our students, particularly those who have certain dietary restrictions, they at least need to break the contract that states we have to have a meal plan if we live on campus.
Personally, I think that we pay too much money to go to Mercer and have a meal plan to get mediocre food that more often than not will give you a stomach ache. The University needs to ensure that the needs of their students are met.
(03/13/18 8:12pm)
On Feb. 14, 17 lives were lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. At 2:19 p.m., Nikolas Cruz walked into his old high school with an AR-15 style rifle and killed 17 of his former classmates and teachers. A 19-year-old was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, according to Sun Sentinel, a local Florida newspaper.
This slaughter is considered to be the worst school shooting to have taken place, replacing the Columbine shooting of 1999 as the deadliest, according to The Miami Herald. This event, with several shootings that have occurred over the course of the past few years in the back of the minds of American citizens, has rocked our country. It has caused a greater divide between not only the right and the left, but most Americans.
The main focus after shootings such as this seems to be wholly about guns and the laws that surround a citizen’s rights to own, carry and obtain guns. Should we have stricter gun laws, or does that fundamentally go against our Second Amendment rights?
Personally, I believe that before we even start to think about gun laws, we have to assess the role that violence has played in our society. All around the world, we see violence everywhere we turn. The brutality starts off on our television screens. In almost every television show I have ever watched, there has been some form of violence.
Violence also floods our news, pops up on all of our social media and infiltrates almost every aspect of our lives. It is almost as if seeing cruelty has become so commonplace that it makes us not pay attention to it as much.
We are a culture that has desensitized ourselves to violence, only sending “prayers for the family” and “good vibes” to those who are hurt by violence instead of pushing for action against it.
The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have banded together since the horrifying event that took place on Valentine’s Day this year. They have organized several walk-outs, called for bans on companies that give discounts to NRA members and have started a revolution against the legalization of assault-style rifles, as reported by CNN.
These students have facilitated meetings with lawmakers, people in power and even the President himself. Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have influenced, empowered and inspired thousands of people across the country in a call to arms for ending gun violence.
Overall, I think the banning of assault-style rifles is a complicated issue. I don’t think that the average citizen should have access to a semi-automatic rifle, but I can understand how some people may think that banning guns of any sort could potentially step on the toes of the Second Amendment. When it comes to the safety of children, for example, we have to start implementing steps in order to prevent another instance like the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. WHile we do have a right under the Second Amendment to bear arms, it is our responsibility as citizens of the United States to make sure that our people are safe, especially the children in our society.
In order to stop mass shootings like what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, our society needs to start paying more attention to who has access to high caliber weapons. We need to start implementing more in depth background checks, as well as potentially starting psychological evaluations for people who are wanting to purchase a gun. In addition to that, law enforcement officers have to make sure that gun dispensaries are actually following the laws that are in place in order to make sure that our citizens are safe.
(02/13/18 2:17am)
Everybody on Mercer’s campus, and even off campus, seems to have heard about the armed robbery that took place in Tattnall Square Park a few weeks ago. The incident occurred only a few days after shots were fired in Mercer Village at a group of students and an alumni. The students on campus were in an uproar, parents were concerned about safety and President Underwood himself sent out an email promising better security on campus. And while there has been an increase in security throughout Mercer Village, there has been a notable lack of Mercer Police officers where it matters most: the park itself.
Just across the other side of the park stands a building that few people know about. Tattnall Square Center for the Arts is located near the roundabout on College Street, just past Alexander II Magnet School. To most people, Tattnall Square Center of the Arts holds no special significance. But for the theatre majors, actors and students who attend the various classes within the Center, the theatre is a huge part of their lives. These same students are now showing a growing concern for their safety when traversing campus to get to their classes and rehearsal.
What most people don’t realize is that getting to TCA requires that you either walk on the path alongside College Street (where a theatre student was robbed just last year), drive a personal car or most commonly, walk through the park. With the recent events that have transpired, several students have expressed their concerns about their safety walking through Tattnall Square Park; even going so far as to refuse to walk through the park and instead give up their parking spaces to drive two minutes down the road because they’re afraid of getting mugged in the park.
According to Center Coordinator of Tattnall Square Center for the Arts, Amy Watson, around 48 students are currently enrolled in classes that take place in TCA’s classrooms. During audition days, rehearsals and show days for theatre students, most people who are involved in a show are at the theatre every day.
As the stage manager of the upcoming production, it is my job to make sure that all of the actors show up on time for rehearsal, set up the space so that the actors have everything that they need for a run and physically be there during the run to take blocking notes and answer questions. Between having classes at the theatre and being the stage manager for a show, I am at Tattnall Square Center for the Arts every day of the week, save weekends. I also do not have a car on campus, which is the case for several other students who are theatre majors or actors in the show.
Every single student here at Mercer pays large sums of money to attend classes. We are all promised a safe environment to get to and from classes. I believe that it is the University’s responsibility to ensure that their students are safe. There seems to be a great deal of concern for students who attend classes on the main campus. In my opinion, however, theatre students are completely overlooked.
With the events that have recently taken place, we as a community need to step up and take care of all of our students. Especially the ones who have to cross through Tattnall Square Park to get to class. Whether it’s stationing a police officer within the park at all times, or having some shuttling system for large groups of students walking through the park to get to class, Mercer needs to make the pathway to Tattnall Center for the Arts safer for students.
(11/30/17 3:38am)
Junior James Stair, chemistry and women and gender studies major, is the president of Mercer’s LGBTQ group, Common Ground. Stair is currently conducting research for his senior project.
His research focuses on gender-neutral housing, the interest in this type of housing at Mercer and the effects that this would have on Mercer’s campus.
Gender-neutral housing can be described as on campus living arrangements that base rooming not on gender or sexual preference, but instead allows students to choose their roommates and suitemates based on similar interests and lifestyle choices, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Essentially, gender neutral housing allows anyone to live with anyone.
According to CampusPride.org, 265 colleges in the United States have implemented gender-neutral housing on their campuses.
Currently, only three colleges in Georgia are listed as allowing gender-neutral housing on their campuses: Emory University, Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University.
Stair said if implemented, this type of housing would be beneficial to Mercer’s campus as a whole.
“LGBTQ students would have less problems coming out, transexual students would feel more comfortable with their living arrangements and straight students would be able to live with their friends,” Stair said.
Gender neutral housing is extremely important to Stair, and the research that he is conducting is something that he has and will be working on for a long time.
“I have been working on this since the beginning of the semester. I have gotten IRB (Internal Review Board) approval. I have been reading the literature to see what a proposal should look like. I have also been looking at the benefits of this type of housing,” Stair said.
Research on gender neutral housing is something that affects Stair personally.
“As a gay man, coming out is always a weird experience. It’s always a mixed bag, you never know how people are going to react,” he said. “There is a lot of anxiety that comes from working up the courage to come out to somebody and you’re not sure how they’re going to react.”
He said his own experiences helped shape his idea for this research and that he hopes it could help others.
“So, luckily, I was able to come out to my freshman roommates and find out what they thought about it before coming to Mercer, so that I didn’t have to have that extra thing to worry about coming to college,” he said. “However, not everyone has that luxury when they come to college… but having [gender neutral housing] may be a little bit better.”
Stair is working hard this year in hopes to submit the research so that gender neutral housing can be an option for Mercer students in the future.
“[I am] going to submit a proposal to the Dean of Students, which higher administration will decide on. This will hopefully come on December 2018, if there is enough interest,” Stair said.
Stair also explained what will happen after he submits the proposal, and what steps he will take to ensure that his research is being presented properly.
“After December, there will be time for the administration to think about it. I will also properly advertise this so that people can understand what this is so that it is an option for the future,” Stair said.
If you are interested in taking Stair’s survey, you can find it online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZNLDR6 . The survey is open now through spring semester.
“I am always looking for more responses and perspectives from every [person] regardless of their opinion as well,” he said.
(11/08/17 6:38pm)
Mercer students will have the chance to rock out and listen to talented artists on Nov. 10 on Cruz Plaza during Mercer’s annual Battle of the Bands.
Sophomore Kimberly Gessner, a committee member of Mercer Live, said in an email that Battle of the Bands will feature several artists on Mercer’s campus who will compete with each other to win a prize of $1000. The funds for the prize comes from Mercer Live’s yearly budget. Mercer Live is a committee on QuadWorks team that plans events such as Bearstock and Battle of the Bands.
Bands will play for the students, and then, they will be put to a vote by the students and a panel of judges. These judges are comprised of staff members at Mercer.
“There will be two parts to each band’s final score: the first from a panel of judges and the second from the audience’s vote. The band with the highest final score wins!,” Gessner said.
In case of rain, the event will be moved to Willingham Auditorium.
“Follow QuadWorks on social media to stay up to date with announcements about any location changes due to inclement weather,” Gessner said.
To find out more about Battle of the Bands, follow QuadWorks’ Facebook page for the most recent information.
The event will start at 7 p.m. and take place on Cruz Plaza.
(10/23/17 10:00am)
One of Mercer’s longstanding traditions, Be a Good Neighbear, was held on Oct. 21.
Led by MerServe, a student-run organization, this event continues to be one that many students participate in. The event gives a way for students to help out in the Macon community, as well as a way to build bridges between students and the people of Macon.
“I feel like it’s [almost] an ‘initiation’ thing to Mercer,” junior Daniel Darity said. “Like, you do Be a Good Neighbear, Lights on After School, sign the top of the admin[istration] building, and BAM… you’re a true freshman.”
Although Be a Good Neighbear is supposed to be a campus-wide event, most students that participate are freshmen. However, Be a Good Neighbear is also a bonding experience for not only new freshman, but all Mercerians.
“I enjoyed it because I was with friends” said Darity.
Throughout the day, students are tasked with a variety of things to reach out in the Macon community. From weeding gardens to picking up trash in local neighborhoods, students get to not only help the community, but also to make connections with the people around them.
Sophomore Travis Meeks had similar reasons to Darity for participating in Be a Good Neighbear.
“I participated my freshman year honestly because my O-Group professor made me” said Meeks. He said he also enjoyed working in the Macon community that day.
“I loved it despite being made to do it, but I’m biased because I like gardening things already. The experience was social and good,” he said.
The next volunteer opportunity that MerServe will be holding is Lights On After School. This event will be held on Oct. 26. More information on this event can be found on the MerServe page on Mercer’s website.
(10/14/17 2:24pm)
A relatively older club on campus has recently become very active. The Mercer Animal Rescue organization was founded several years ago, but was recently revived by fifth year senior Grace Witcher and sophomore Greer Weed.
“[We decided to revive the club because of all] the stray animals around campus and the lack of personnel to get them where they needed to be in order to find a good home and the care they’ve needed,” Witcher said.
Mercer Animal Rescue currently has around 100 active members around campus who work together to take care of the strays on Mercer’s campus.
“On campus and in [the] Tattnall Park area I have seen at least seven [strays]. In the Macon area alone I’ve seen 25 plus [strays],” Weed said.
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The group also works with shelters and rescues around Macon to make sure that the animals end up in a safe place.
“We work with Kitty City Rescue, All About Animals and Save-A-Pet mostly, but we’re open to helping other shelters who reach out to us and a possible clean-up day at the Macon Dog Park near campus,” Witcher said.
Witcher said she has seen the organization come a long way since it started.
“It has ventured out into [volunteering] at shelters and [educating] the Mercer population and Macon on caring for stray animals and whatnot,” Witcher said.
Witcher and Weed said the organization has worked to create goals and events for this upcoming year.
“Our goal this year is to have a lot of volunteer days with the shelters that we are in contact with. They need everything from helping cleaning to walking the dogs at their shelter,” Weed said.
Witcher said that even though they have many active members, they encourage other students to get involved.
“Please feel free to stop by! It doesn’t cost anything to join the club right now and help out,” Witcher said.
You can find the Mercer Animal Rescue by asking to join their Facebook group. Their next meeting will be held on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. in Knight Hall room 307.
“We honestly just love animals and are big advocates for animals that do not have a voice,” Weed said.
(09/30/17 4:45pm)
Macon’s Situation Room will be transforming their entertainment experience this October.
The Situation Room in Macon has decided they are going to do a twist on the classic spiel during this Halloween season. Instead of being simply a traditional escape room, for 13 days only they will turn into a Scare Room.
The theme of the Scare Room is "Nightmare on Poplar Street" and will be open for the first night on Oct. 6. The cost is $20 for general admission, and there is a $32 skip-the-line pass. Tickets are available for sale on their website, http://situationmacon.com.
Sarah Choo-Yick, one of the co-owners and the Chief Operations Officer of the Situation Room in Macon, said that in addition to obstacles in each room, there will also be hired “scare actors” who will be a part of what Choo-Yick said is a “haunted sensorium.”
“A sensorium will engage all of the senses from sound, sight, feel, touch, smell and taste to create the eerie feeling of anticipation,” Choo-Yick said. “Is that sensation of a person breathing down your neck real? You’ll wish to wake up from this nightmare!”
Each room will also present several terrifying obstacles that each person must get through to reach the end of the Haunted Sensorium.
“The obstacles you will have to overcome include struggling through a pit of spider eggs and cobwebs while a spider sucks on the blood of another victim,” Choo-Yick said. “[Others include] escaping chained victims in the thunderstorm; being silent and sleek to avoid the wakening of snakes; choosing whether to go into the cave of bats or take the less traveled path, the list really goes on.”
The events will be held at the location of the Situation Room on 427 Poplar St. in Macon. For more information on The Nightmare on Poplar Street, you can either visit the Situation Room’s website or their Facebook page.
(12/16/16 4:21pm)
With the holidays coming up, more and more people are getting excited about going home and celebrating with their families. Going home also means participating in family traditions.
During Christmas, most people decorating a tree together and open presents on Christmas Eve. Some Mercer University students chose to share some of their more unique traditions they celebrate during the season, and different holidays they observe.
“My grandma and I like to adopt a family for Christmas. It’s basically where you go through a program that gives you a family that is in need during Christmas,” Freshman Johna Wright said.
Some families choose this season to give back and help others celebrate. Wright explained that her family provides for their “adopted family” throughout the holiday season.
“They have a list of things that they might need for the house or the kids, and you can go out and buy the gifts for them. Then you meet the family when you give them the gifts,” Wright said.
Christmas isn’t the only holiday celebrated during the time that we have off from school.
Another religious holiday celebrated by Mercer students is Hanukkah. Different families can have different traditions that they do during Hanukkah, just as families have different traditions for Christmas.
“On the first few days, we give presents to each other. Then, on the first or second day, we have latkes and have friends over. Then on the last few days we give the rest of our presents,” Junior Alexa Levine said.
Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Hindu religious holiday celebrated by many students at Mercer University during the season. During this holiday, people decorate, pray, and light candles to celebrate their holy figures.
“The way that you guys celebrate Christmas is how we celebrate Diwali. We pray to God every day that we celebrate it, and we also light small candles,” Sophomore Nisha Patel said.
There are so many traditions that have been passed from generation to generation that are celebrated in families. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali or any other holiday, make sure to enjoy the time you get to spend with your family.