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(08/28/13 7:00pm)
Mercer University has been named in The Princeton Review’s guide to “The Best 378 Colleges 2014 Edition.” The book displays a two-page spread of information specifically addressing Mercer.
Princeton’s review said, “Mercer University is a school that students flock to for ‘its reputation as a rigorous academic institution’ where professors ‘truly want to see students succeed.”
This year the Review modified their approach to ranking colleges across the nation. The new process involves ranking schools against the top 20 colleges who make up 15 percent of the typical four year institution in the U.S. The system uses 62 categories to rank colleges on various topics such as: academics, campus life and administration.
Mercer was ranked number 16 in the category “Future Rotarians and Daughters of the American Revolution.” This category surveyed students about their political beliefs, opinions about student government and religious beliefs. Mercer ranked high in this category because the survey showed that the school was, “very conservative, [had] low levels of acceptance of the gay community on campus, high levels of popularity of student government on campus and a very religious student body,” according to the Princeton Review.
Mercer has been listed in The Princeton Review’s best colleges guide for a decade.
In the previous year’s best colleges guide, Mercer ranked eighth out of 377 schools in level of participation for intramural sports.
“It’s hard to pin down an aspect of college life that isn’t represented at Mercer,” said the Princeton Review. “If there is a buzzword to describe the student body at Mercer, it is ‘involved.’”
The Princeton Review typically chooses schools with a high concentration of academics, according to the senior vice president, publisher and author for the annual book, Robert Franek.
The company started in 1981 as an educational service, and are privately held. The Princeton Review uses institutional date surveys to compile their research for each book as well as advice from their National College Counselor Advisory Board made up of 35 staff members. In addition to this research, the Princeton Review visits colleges and surveys students on individual campuses to survey their opinions of the school.
“It is their opinion that college applicants often value the most, particularly on (or in the absence of) campus visits,” said Franck.
“We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character,” said Franck.
(08/28/13 7:00pm)
While Mercer University prepares for their first football game in decades, students should keep a few guidelines concerning the etiquette of the game in mind. A famous coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi once said, “Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” The qualities signified above deserved to be admired through proper etiquette for the up becoming event.
Bearing this in mind, lets review some do’s and don’ts of football both as a fan and a player. Fans should show their team spirit by wearing black and orange, making signs, and singing the fight song. Another way to show support for the bears is to attend the Tailgate before the game. This is a great way to get involved and meet other Mercer football fans.
On the same token, it is a good idea the avoid wearing the opposing team’s colors on game day.
While watching the games this Saturday, do not yell when the bears are on the offense because it is distracting for the players. Minimize commotion by not participating in the wave when the score is close.
Try to be respectful to fellow Bear fans at the game on Saturday. Face out when walking through aisles in the stands. Avoid disrupting fellow on lookers by standing during the middle for a play.
One of The Cluster’s issues for November 10, 1922 said, “One of the most important phases in the benefits derived from football is the increased school spirit among the students themselves. The school yells are college songs, the hand-clapping and immense enthusiasm are roused to such a pitch by no other game as by football.”
As a football player, taunting the opposing team is a breach of etiquette and shows bad sportsmanship. Sophomore and long snapper for the Mercer Bears, John Garrett Abernathy said when a player is in a dogpile it is advisable to, ““Keep your mouth shut and go for the ball because in that pile…things can be squeezed and pitched…so if you keep your mouth shut people will stay away from you.”
Abernathy also discourages trash talking with opponents in general in order to avoid unnecessary confrontation.
During a football game players should strive to maintain good sportsmanship not only to prevent confrontation, but also to show respect for other team. Senior Marketing Major and Mercer Bears fan, Daniel Dupree said, “Personally I don’t think anyone should celebrate when they make a touch down. You just give the ball to the referee and move on.”
Injuries are bound to occur in football, and there are a few ways to handle this type of situation. “When you hit somebody and you knock them down, you always help them up,” said Abernathy. On the other hand, if a player is injured take a knee and wait for them to be taken off of the field.
Traditionally, at the end of a football game coaches and players shake hand with one another. “It’s common curtsey for the coaches to shake hands after the game out of mutual respect for one another,” said Dupree.
By following these simple rules of etiquette Bears fans can show their respect and admiration for our new football program.
(04/10/13 2:20pm)
Left-handed pitcher for Mercer’s baseball team, David Randall hopes to work for the financial management company, Merrill Lynch after completing his last season playing for the Bears.
Randall achieved a BA in marketing and business management last fall. He began working on his MBA at Mercer in January.
The pitcher was red shirted during his junior year in 2011 due to an injury. Since Randall has an extra year of eligibility to play college baseball, he started working on his Master’s degree.
Division I student athletes must complete at least six credits hours each semester to remain eligible to participate on a sports team, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The pitcher completed his BA in four and a half years. During his last semester he took 6 credit hours. “It was a good change of pace,” said Randall.
Randall does not plan to continue playing baseball after this year. “I’ve had a few pro teams contact me in the past,” said Randall. “It’s tough to make it and not a glorious life style.”
Most baseball players are drafted into the minor leagues before they have a chance of becoming pro athletes. “Some guys don’t even make it out of that first stage of rooky ball,” said Randall.
While looking for a job in the financial world, three companies have contacted Randall to set up interviews. His first interview is Friday with Merrill Lynch.
At this point, Randall has not replied to the other two interested companies. “I’m putting all my eggs in one basket because I really want this job,” he said.
Randall said Merrill Lynch is one of the top financing companies in the world. The company’s main offices are located in Buckhead near his two older brothers. He can see himself working for Merrill Lynch five years from now.
Randall also plans to get married and start a family when he reaches his late twenties.
Randall is applying for an advisory position with the company. “I’d basically do advising for certain companies employees and handle their 401k’s,” said Randall.
Merrill Lynch has a competitive reputation. “Baseball is competitive for me, and I’m going to miss competing everyday,” said Randall. “Working for Merrill Lynch would be an easy transition for me to the real world.”
If Randall continues his MBA program he will finish next summer. However, Randall will start working for Merrill Lynch this summer if the company offers him a position.
When Randall is not going to school or playing baseball he enjoys watching movies. “Me and my brothers watch movies when we have some down time,” said Randall.
Through Randall’s experiences playing college baseball he has learned skills that will help him in the professional world. “You have to learn how to overcome your obstacles, persevere, and work harder the next week for your next opportunity to play,” said Randall.
(04/10/13 2:15pm)
Melissa Mashburn is the associate director of residence life at Mercer University. She graduated from Mercer in 2004 after receiving her BA in communications and theatre arts.
Cluster: What initially attracted you to Mercer?
Mashburn: When I was a junior in high school, I was on the cheerleading squad, and my women’s basketball team was playing in the state championship. We came down and practiced in Porter gym, which is no longer here. It used to be were Porter Patch was. While I was here, I was completely amazed by the campus and how beautiful it was. I had no clue where Mercer was or what Mercer was. After that trip I went back and did some research. I realized how prestigious Mercer was and the academic rigor that was here. I knew this was where I wanted to be. It was the only institution that I applied to, coming out of high school.
C: Why did you choose your major?
M: Honestly, I came in as a pre-med. major. I wanted to major in biology. I took my first chemistry class and realized that I was no longer going to be a doctor. I struggled and realized science was not for me. I spent a few years taking my general education classes and seeing where my interests were. I ended up as a communications and theatre arts major with a minor in education. I have to say that was probably the best choice for me. I love working with people. In my current profession I work with individuals on a daily basis. I was really pleased with the faculty in the communications department. They were so helpful and encouraged us to think outside the box. It wasn’t what I necessarily came in to do, but I know that I made the right decision.
C: What organizations or clubs were you involved with?
M: I got my start freshman year in Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and I was active all four years. I was also involved with the Judicial Education office out of the dean of students. I served as a student justice, then as an associate chief justice, and then as chief justice. I was an orientation assistant, which are now called peer advisors, for three years. I was involved with Kappa Alpha Epsilon, which is the education honor society. There was also Sigma Gamma Alpha, which was a Greek honor society. I was recruitment chair for Order of Omega as well.
C: What exactly does your job at Mercer entail?
M: I am currently the associate director of residence life. I oversee the daily operations of our residence halls, approximately 1,600 students. I supervise four area coordinators who are masters-level professionals. I indirectly supervise 44 resident assistances and four senior resident assistances. I’m responsible for all of the RA trainings and RA selection. I oversee more of the programming aspects of residence life.
C: What is your favorite Mercer memory?
M: I would have to say homecoming was very different back then. A lot more organizations participated, and it was a lot bigger back then. We actually built floats and had a parade. I was excited to see they brought back the house decorating competition because that was actually one of my favorites. We still had the skit night and things like that. Homecoming was an exciting time at Mercer, even though we didn’t have a football team it was still something everyone wanted to participate in. As a Greek student it was a time when all the Greek organizations came together. NPHC, IFC, and Pan were all excited to participate.
C: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from attending Mercer?
M: Relationships are everything. I was here at Mercer from 2000 to 2004 as a student. I worked in the judicial office and residence life from 2004 to 2005. Then, I went on to graduate school and worked my first professional position. I came back here almost five years ago. Some of the individuals that helped grow me as a student and helped my development were Dr. Pearson, Jeff Takac and Dr. Steve Brown. They really invested their time and energy into me. They believed in me. Coming back here and working with those individuals who helped me grow into the person and professional I am today was very important. Working at Mercer is just really unique. I’ve worked at some other institutions, and we’re really a family here. It just feels like a family. Relationships, networking and making connections with people is so important. I think all of that just stemmed from being here at Mercer.
C: In your opinion, what change has made the biggest impact on Mercer’s campus since you went to school here?
M: Bringing on a football team is going to change the atmosphere, and spirit of the school. I know there have been some structural changes as well as changes in faculty. I know that even with our basketball team that has done so well the past two years, which is very exciting, I think football is just going to take that to another level. It’s going to bring alums back that maybe haven’t been back in years. I think its just going to bring the student body together. I’m definitely looking forward to football this coming year.
(03/27/13 2:09pm)
Senior marketing students are working to promote Mercer University’s baseball team by inviting students, faculty, and local families to themed games held on Claude Smith Field throughout the semester.
The baseball-marketing group, self titled as the SSBE Marketing Group is part of a yearlong Strategic Marketing Management Class. Students learn the principles of strategic marketing in the fall, and apply those concepts through an internship in the spring.
Professor of the marketing group, Tammy Crutchfield said each year the students work with a “real world client.” Mercer’s baseball team has been their client for two consecutive years.
Shortstop for Mercer’s baseball team and marketing student, Evan Boyd serves as the group’s liaison. “We appreciate everything they’re doing for us, and it has definitely helped,” said Boyd.
Mercer baseball’s previous graduate marketing assistant, Dan Kline, wrote a baseball marketing strategy for one of Crutchfield’s MBA classes.
Kline’s marketing strategy inspired Crutchfield to make Mercer’s baseball team a client of her Strategic Marketing Management Class.
“I just felt like it would be a great way for us to make a difference for the team, and also have a good time doing the project,” said Crutchfield.
During the spring internship, students are given specific jobs within the group. Crutchfield is the chief executive officer and Cassie Roy is the president of the marketing group.
Roy oversees five vice presidents in charge of events, public relations, social media, advertising, and marketing research.
The rest to the class is broken up into four groups focused on different target audiences, each with their own director. The target audiences are students, faculty, families, and businesses.
“Last year was a shotgun approach to marketing, and this year we’re targeting specific markets to make the game experience exciting,” said Crutchfield
The marketing group is focusing on families with children on Little League Baseball teams because they have already shown interest in the sport.
The group is marketing Mercer baseball games as “The Corridor’s premier outdoor sports experience,” to the community said Crutchfield.
The family group is focusing on the College Hill Corridor community.
“People want to feel a part of something and Mercer wants to feel a part of the community, so we help each other,” said vice president of events, Kayla Anderson.
The marketing group wants to make attending Mercer baseball games a tradition for the local community. Boyd said this local support would help increase the fan base while strengthening the baseball program and Mercer as a whole.
During the next couple of weeks the marketing group has scheduled five birthday parties to encourage local families to attend games.
Birthday parties give children an opportunity to run on the field with the players and stand with them for the national anthem.
Also, the birthday boy or girl throws the first pitch during the game. After the game the players sign autographs while talking to the parents and children.
“Its fun to have those guys by our sides and teach them little things about baseball,” said Boyd.
The social media vice president, Heather Strange, made a Mercer Baseball Facebook page to communicate inform about events and the team. She also created a Twitter account to post live updates about the team during games.
In addition to this, the group has a Mercer baseball blog on Wordpress where to relay more information about the team to encourage support.
“We want the students to know who the players are, and to feel like they have an investment in each of those players,” said Anderson.
This Wednesday there will be an Easter themed baseball game on Claude Smith Field at 6 p.m. The event will include an appearance from the Easter Bunny, and an Easter egg hunt.
Reformed University Fellowship is singing the national anthem. The Dean of Chapel, Craig McMahan, will throw the first pitch.
The current graduate marketing assistant Lee Walker works with the students from the marketing group to implement their events.
“This year they’ve tuned in on what they want to do and who they want to target,” said Walker. “I’ve seen an increase in attendance [at baseball games].”
(03/06/13 5:31pm)
With a strong motivation to excel in both athletics and academics, baseball player Derrick Workman manages his busy schedule with steadfast determination.
Workman is a right fielder for the Mercer men’s baseball team. “It’s a privilege to play,” Workman said.
As a junior majoring in communications and minoring in media studies, Workman has maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout his college career.
“Grades, going to class, and actually learning things that you can apply to your life way outside of sports [is important],” said Workman. “Baseball comes second.”
Workman receives the same amount of scholarships for both baseball and academics, therefore he devotes an equal amount of time to both activities.
His busiest day of the week is Tuesday. Workman wakes up around 9:00 a.m. to eat breakfast and catch up on any reading assignments for class.
Workman also enjoys reading sports articles and biographies of famous athletes in his spare time. “As a player I really like gaining information from guys that have already been there, and seeing how they dealt with stuff, ” he said.
The morning before a test Workman wakes up even earlier to memorize material for his exam. However, he is no stranger to an early morning routine.
During Workman’s off-season, between Nov. 1 and Jan. 1, he wakes up around 5:30 a.m. to run. “Your body gets used to getting up super early,” said Workman.
After breakfast, Workman goes to his first class, argumentation which lasts from 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.
Next, he takes a brisk walk over to his 12:15 p.m. Spanish class. Once his class ends at 1:05 p.m., Workman takes a 30-minute break to grab a snack from either the University Center or the cafeteria.
Workman’s last class of the day, old testament and prophets, begins at 1:40 p.m. After this class is over, Workman walks to his locker room, changes, and lifts weights from about 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
On days when the team has an away game, Workman misses his last class and leaves for the game, around midday on charter buses with the rest of his team.
Workman and his teammates spend their traveling time playing games and bonding. “Our road trips, I am going to remember those for as long as I live,” said Workman.
On a typical Tuesday, Workman’s practice starts around 4:20 p.m. and lasts until 6:45 p.m. After practice, he takes a shower and eats dinner. Then, he begins working on homework around 8:00 p.m.
Workman tries to go to bed by midnight after a long day of books and baseballs., “Anything over 6 hours I consider a win,” he said.
Workman is mindful of his time and devotes it to what he believes to be most important. “College gives you a great opportunity to grow, learn, and develop. You’ve got to take advantage of it not just on the field, but also in the classroom and stretch yourself to become a better person,” said Workman. “That’s the goal.”
(02/20/13 3:25pm)
Inside Macon’s Historic District, the pink cottage on College St. often attracts attention from on lookers passing through the neighborhood.
The historic Willingham Hill O’Neal cottage was recently renovated by Macon native and Mercer University alumn Joe Adams. “I was really wanting to do a renovation, and this house really needed one,” said Adams. “I just love the house.”
The Intown Neighborhood of Historic Macon is home to a number of renovated houses originally built during the 19th century.
Calder Baynard Willingham constructed the cottage in 1854. The home’s original layout included four rooms within the main structure as well as a detached brick kitchen behind the house.
James and Ellis Hill acquired the house in 1882 were they had their daughter, Laura Hill. She occupied the house for 83 years making her the longest owner of the home.
During her time Hill made numerous renovations to the cottage. “Ms. Laura Hill did everything,” said Adams. “The foot print of the house has not changed since her time.”
After Hill passed away, the house changed hands twice before Adams bought it in 2010. The previous owners each occupied the residence for 20 years, but few renovations were made during that time.
Adams sought to renovate the house for both financial and personal reasons. Although no major renovation had been done for several decades, the house was still in good condition.
Adams received state tax credits for his renovations on the home with the help of Historic Macon. These credits can be used for up to 10 years.
In addition, the major renovations turned Adam’s property tax into a flat rate for the next eight-and-a-half years.
“My wife agreed to move here only if I did certain things,” said Adams. In order to please his wife, Evelyn, Adams converted one of the bedrooms into a bathroom and one of the closets into a bathroom.
Adams completely renovated the kitchen in order to make it look more historic. “When you go into the kitchen it looks like its original, it’s like Disney--we totally created it,” said Adams.
Along with the kitchen, Adams also replaced the roof. One day, the roofers caught the house on fire by mistake while working.
The incident caused Adams to renovate the front of the house as well. The process took seven months to complete.
Adams was able the recover the original 1854 hard wood floors because of the fire.
However, Adams did lose one of the original wooden pegs, used to put the house together. “I really hate it, ” said Adams.
Adams decorated the interior of the home while his wife did most of the landscaping. “My wife is the yard person,” he said.
The interior of the house is decorated with a mixture of Italian, French and contemporary pieces. The couple has been collecting antiques for 40 years and many of their pieces are displayed throughout house.
Adams acquires many of his antiques from estate sales. “A lot of these pieces have pedigrees; I can tell you whose house they came from,” he said.
In 1978, Adams became a real estate agent after teaching art for about seven years. He is also a contemporary painter and uses the servant’s quarters behind the cottage as an art studio.
“I love Picasso; I think he is a genius,” said Adams. Many of Adams paintings are displayed in the cottage.
The house was a light pink with blue trim before Adams bought it. He did not like this color combination and decided to change it. “We painted it this really weird color which we are calling coral,” said Adams.
Adam also changed the house’s trim to green, for contrast. “I just felt like this little Victorian house needed some color,” Adams said. “I don’t regret it at all.”
As a Historic Macon trustee, Adams has noticed a change in the quality of life in downtown Macon. “There’s a new vitality in town that wasn’t here back in the 70’s. It’s different now. It’s incredible. It’s the place to be,” said Adams.
(02/20/13 3:22pm)
Mercer University’s baseball team hosted their annual First Pitch Classic event Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. in the University Center to kick off the beginning of the season.
Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves was the keynote speaker for the event. Murphy talked with many of the guests in attendance while signing autographs before dinner.
“I appreciate the chance to sign signatures, and hear some of the memories you have. I have great memories here,” said Murphy.
Junior outfielder for Mercer’s baseball team, Derrick Workman said, “Dale was fantastic. He represents everything right, and true about the game of baseball. One of the classiest men to ever play the game.”
The event started off with an invocation by the pastor of Rock Springs Church, Benny Tate. During the invocation, Tate said he was thankful for Dale Murphy as a role model not only for his athletic abilities, but also for his lifestyle. Athletics Director Jim Cole took the stage after Pastor Tate. Cole played baseball at Mercer University from 1990-1993.
To all of the coaches, players, friends, and family in attendance,” Cole said, “It’s going to be a special year.”
This event was held to help create awareness about the baseball program, honor its players, and raise money for the team.
Next to speak was Mercer’s Head Baseball Coach Craig Gibson. He thanked Jim Cole, Sybil Blalock, and Myra Cameron for everything that they do for the baseball program. “They help make the team possible,” said Gibson.
Gibson said that the team’s overall grade point average was a 3.3, and emphasized the importance of academic success.
The coach identified Workman as one of his student athletes who has maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout his time at Mercer. “It’s important [to study] because you can’t play forever,” said Workman.
Gibson brought the team’s six seniors to the stage to talk about their plans after graduation. The graduating seniors include Travis Benn, Evan Boyd, Logan Gaines, David Randall, David Teasley, and David Reid-Foley.
After each senior shared their plan for the future, Gibson said, “In 2013 we’re expecting some great things to happen.”
Frank Malloy, the Eyewitness News anchor for 13WMAZ, introduced Murphy. “I was born and raised in Portland Oregon, but this just feels like home in so many ways,” said Murphy.
Murphy shared many of his experiences as a major league baseball player with the crowd. He also gave the baseball players and younger children present some life lessons during his speech.
Murphy encouraged children to get involved with extracurricular actives. He said these activities will teach children important life lessons.
“When you’re my age, you want to be able to say I may not have hit all of the home runs that other guys hit or made all the all star teams, but I did things the right way,” said Murphy.
Murphy ended his speech with one last piece of advice: “Remember the things that are most important in our lives and that’s truly our relationships with our families, friends and with our God.”
(01/23/13 4:31pm)
Director of Milledgeville’s Digital Bridges Project, Heather Holder, became the new College Hill Alliance Executive Director Jan. 9, after Patrick Madison’s resignation two months prior.
Holder attended Georgia College and State University where she received a B.A. in History and a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
During her undergraduate education she served as attorney general and president of the school’s Student Government Association.
The new director has a Senior Georgia Downtown Development Professional Certification from the Fanning Institute and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
She was also a board member of the Georgia Downtown Association.
Holder first became involved with College Hill Corridor when she was on the planning board for the project.
The Knight Foundation gave Mercer University a grant in the amount of $2 million to develop the project.
“I come from a community and economic development background, but nobody’s ever tried to combine the two of them at the same time,” said Holder. “I think that we’ve seen incredible results.”
Holder served as the executive vice president of NewTown Macon in 2008 and the executive director of Milledgeville Main Street.
Holder was then named director of the Digital Bridges Project, a program founded at Georgia College and State University by a Knight Foundation grant to help combat digital illiteracy and promote innovative uses of technology.
The Director of Communications and Outreach for College Hill, Jessica Walden said, “To be able to get a director to our organization that doesn’t have much of a learning curve, and who is able to jump right into it has been really exciting for us.”
Holder plans to start a new initiative called Jump Start America to facilitate the growth the local economy and businesses in the area.
“The hope is that we can inspire investment to create jobs within the region.
Those jobs can then get people to live in College Hill to support and stabilize the community here,” said Holder.
This initiative is focused on keeping college students in the area after they graduate in order to stimulate growth within the community.
Holder said, “There is so much potential to truly impact not only this community, but how people look at urban planning and community planning as a whole.”
She believes that the branding of College Hill was a major factor in its success from the beginning.
The area was designated as a unique place and given a special symbol through its branding process.
The swirls on the insignia of the College Hill sign represent a design found on some of the historic sidewalks in Macon.
In recognition of College Hill’s brand, Walden said there is “a little bit of Mercer and a little bit of Macon history in it.”
When comparing College Hill Corridor with her previous project, Holder said, “This project was focused on the community and revitalization as a whole.
The Digital Bridges Project was working more on use of technology and integration of technology to help the community as a whole.”
While these projects differ, the new director’s experience with Digital Bridges has been used to create the website shoplocalmacon.com.
The site was made to assist local businesses in the Macon area.
The new director’s first event, Mardi Gras Mercer, will be held Feb. 12, in Mercer Village.
(01/23/13 4:23pm)
President Mollie Davis motioned to suspend normal business at the beginning of Student Governor Association’s first meeting this semester order to swear in the new Media Secretary, Caroline Cooper. The meeting was held Monday Jan. 14 at 5:30pm in the Connell Student Center.
Cooper replaced Edward Fletcher who stepped down due to extended class hours this spring. Senator Joshua Deremer also stepped down as Treasurer due to class conflicts.
The New Treasurer, Gary Wall, will be sworn in next week. Wall had the flu and was unable to attend the first SGA meeting.
President Davis announced the possibly of a time capsule for the Cruz Plaza as part of her agenda. She said, “SGA is looking at investing a time capsule for 2013 to show a snapshot of what Mercer is like now that would be opened in 25 or 50 years.”
The capsule would contain student submissions including personal narratives, polls from the student body, and a football signed by Mercer’s Football Team. President Davis said, “There’s a lot of cool ways we can go about creating an accurate and fun portrayal, based on student submissions, of what Mercer is.”
SGA plans to hold their office hours on the first floor of the Connell Student Center every last Monday of the month during this semester.
Vice President Joshua Lovett announced that the senators will work on the PAW Points initiative, the time capsule, and other projects in the lobby of the CSC during this time. He said, “By doing this we can really interact with the students and make sure we are being as transparent as possible.”
Chairman of the Campus Safety and Improvements Committee Senator Gayle-Anne Hendricks announced plans to hold a self-defense class this semester. She said, “I really want to open this up to both guys and girls because guys need self defense too.”
The Contract Services Committee will hold a focus group Jan. 24, at 5pm to discuss plans for students to share their opinion about what should be done with the Bear Rock Café.
Chairman Josh Soave said, “I really want what we with do with Bear Rock to be something the students choose, not just an SGA decision.”
SGA is holding a special election for freshman and junior senators. The polls will be open on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Parliamentarian Alex Lockwood announced SGA’s sponsorship of the event Last Chance Lecture. The students will pick a faculty member to give the lecture.
Lockwood said, “Its like the last lecture of their life, and they’re supposed to tell us what they’ve learned during life.”
Mercer’s SGA has sponsored the event since in the 1980’s. However, the organization has not given a Last Chance Lecture for the past two years.
In other announcements, Founder’s Day is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 10am in the Willingham Auditorium. Also, PAW Points from last year will roll over into the new semester.
(11/07/12 11:00pm)
Every spring, the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World, Macon Ga., holds a 10-day festival to celebrate the blooming of over 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees. This event is very important to the Macon community, and The Cherry Blossom Festival staff maintains a chief role in the planning of the celebration.
The festival, one of the city’s biggest annual events, has recently experienced a shift in leadership with the resignation of Cherry Blossom president and CEO, Richard Brewer, on Tuesday, Oct. 16, after only a four month term in this important position.
One of the biggest changes Brewer made during his term was to cancel the Levee Fest for 2012 because the event typically lost money and created a drain on the budget.
Before taking office as The Cherry Blossom Festival president, Brewer worked in Charleston, S.C. as a partner for a consulting business called Vernoia, Enterline + Brewer, CPA LLC. He was also the co-founder of a very successful event in Chattanooga, Tenn., called the Riverbend Festival.
The Telegraph reported that Brewer described “the keys to success for a festival as developing lasting relationships with sponsors and developing loyal patrons through quality programming and modern digital technology.”
Brewer took over the presidential position from Karen Lambert in June 2012 after she left to become the Head of The Peyton Anderson Foundation. Ultimately, Brewer decided to return to Charleston, S.C. in order to be with his family and resume his consulting business.
The Cherry Blossom Festival’s Board of Directors was able to hire an interim president and CEO for the 2013 festival by picking from the same general pool of candidates that they had collected from their search four months previously.
Jake Ferro was announced as the interim president and CEO on Monday, Oct. 22.
Macon.com reported that Cyndey Busbee, the 2013 Cherry Blossom Festival’s chairwoman stated, “We are excited that Jake comes to us with a long-standing relationship to the Festival and [as] a friend and community supporter. We look forward to getting him up to speed with all the projects planned for the 2013 Festival.”
Ferro is the festival’s sixth president and CEO in a decade. The new interim president, who is currently 69 years old, has stated that ever since his retirement from working as CEO of Bonsal American, Inc. in Charlotte, N.C., he has missed being involved in a leadership position.
According to macon.com, while discussing the late appointment as Cherry Blossom president Ferro stated, “I think [coming in late to the planning] is very marginal, and the reason is they’ve got a great team with a great infrastructure…I hope to add my experience to this.”
Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival is ranked as one of the Top 100 Events in North America, Top 50 Events in the U.S., and Top 20 Events in the South. The Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission developed this festival in 1982. According to cherryblossom.com, the commission formed the event around the principles of “love, beauty and international friendship.”
(11/07/12 11:00pm)
Veteran NCAA Division I coach Susie Gardner became Mercer University’s 10th head women’s basketball coach on Jun. 24, 2010. Throughout Gardner’s career she has established herself both as a player, and as a coach in women’s basketball.
Gardner was a member of the University of Georgia women’s basketball team that won the SEC title in 1983, 1984, and 1986. She played on the Sports Festival South Team that won a gold medal in 1983. As a player, Gardner was also a member of the USA’s Select Team, which competed in Canada.
She began her coaching career at the University of Georgia, where she fulfilled the role of a graduate assistant from 1986 through 1988. From there she went on to become the assistant coach at San Diego State University. In Clarksville, Tenn. Gardner rose to the ranks as head coach at Austin Peay State University where she won lead the team to win three consecutive Ohio Valley Conference tournament championships and was awarded OVC “Coach of the Year” in 2003. She then became the head coach at the University of Arkansas and competed at the WNIT tournament. Finally before Gardner accepted the head coaching position at Mercer, she spent three years as an assistant coach at the University of Florida. At Mercer, Coach Gardner is hoping to make history with the women’s basketball team.
Coach Gardner sat down to talk with the Cluster about her experiences as a life-long basketball player and coach.
Cluster: What made you want to become a college basketball coach?
Gardner: When I went to the University of Georgia, and played collegiately I knew I wanted to become a college coach. I knew I wanted to coach all my life, and then at every level that I played, I knew that I wanted to coach. In fact, I became a head basketball coach at age 23.
C: Growing up, did any of your basketball coaches inspire you?
G: I grew up in small town Mt. Juliet, Tenn. As we all know, girl’s basketball in the state of Tennessee is a huge deal. Being in a small town my high school coach, Tommy Martin, was very demanding. You were like a local miniature celebrity if you played girls basketball in Mt. Juliet. Coach Martin instilled in me a work ethic that made me who I am today. Everyday of my life since junior high has been something to do with basketball, right or wrong. I would say Tommy Martin in high school, and coach Andy Landers at the University of Georgia where two of the most influential coaches I had. When I made USA basketball I played for Coach Weller, who was a female coach at the University of Maryland. As my first female coach she showed me that women could be tough, strong and knowledgeable just like the coaches I had grown up with. Even though I was only with her for three weeks, in a round-about way she played a pretty big role in my life as a female coach.
C: What made you want to coach basketball at Mercer?
G: I know the state of Georgia has good girl’s basketball players in it. The academics here at Mercer are obviously very strong, and Mercer’s never been to the NCA tournament in division I, ever in its history. There’s something about making history, and doing something that may be a little tougher to do here at Mercer than it would be at the University of Georgia for example. President Underwood knows what we inherited, and believes in what we can do. Sybil Blalock also played and coached at Mercer, so she understands the challenge we have here. I think the support at Mercer was a huge draw.
C: What accomplishment are you most proud of since you started coaching at Mercer?
G: Our biggest accomplishment thus far is that we’re just building the foundation. We have to look at our daily walk, instead of maybe what has happened in terms of our record. It’s about changing the mentality of our players. Our biggest accomplishment is yet to come.
C: How do you feel about the upcoming season?
G: We’ve had the most devastating set of injuries that I’ve ever experienced in 25 years of coaching. We started out with 15 players and we now have 8 healthy players practicing day to day. You can never anticipate that many injuries and devastating blows to a program at the same time. We are going to have players that were potentially going to get a little bit of playing time that are now going to be starting. Everyday is a challenge, and as a coaching staff we have to figure out how we’re going to move forward with the hand we have been dealt. We have been dealt a very tricky hand.
C: Have you ever had any basketball-related injury?
G: Ironically, I did have knee surgery this August by the same physician who’s operating on our recently injured players. Who knows when it happened, it could be that I’m just getting up there and my knee was wearing down. I was never injured as a collegiate player at Georgia.
C: What do you do in your spare time, when you’re not coaching?
G: Up until I came to Mercer I was probably one of the most unbalanced coaches in terms of allowing myself to live life instead of just 24/7 coach. I had several people close to me say I needed to get some balance in my life. I love to play golf, but only from the months of April to August before our players get here. I only play in the summer months, I never play in the season. I love kayak fishing. I bought the kayak in Florida, where I fished on the intercostal. In Georgia I bass in my kayak, which is still really fun, and I don’t take my phone with me. I enjoy being outside and fishing, it’s a nice mental release. The problem is when I start having hobbies I’m intense about those too. I’ve also started taking pictures, and in fact I’ve won a couple of ribbons at the Georgia National Fair for my photography. Most recently I went down to South Georgia and took pictures of the cotton fields when they were in bloom. I do a lot of different things now, which is good mentally for this profession.
C: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the student body?
G: Coaching has always defined who I am, Coach Gardner, and now I’ve come to realize that I’m just as good of a coach when we were winning at Austin Peay, as I am now. I just need to make sure that I’m enjoying the process, instead of just the end result. I’ve learned to not let my profession define who Susie Gardner is.
Head coach Susie Gardner and the Mercer women’s basketball team return to play on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. against Brevard in Hawkins Arena.
This game will serve as the kick-off event for Homecoming Weekend 2012 as well as the regular season home opener for the team.
(10/10/12 4:00pm)
Tim Regan-Porter, director of the Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University and founder of Paste Magazine was awarded funding for his grant entitled the Macon Music Ambassadors Program on Wednesday Sept. 26.
The main idea of this program is to bring in both national and regional musicians or bands to Macon. Regan-Porter explains that he wants to, “Make [the artists] ambassadors of Macon. Let them know how cool Macon is, how cheap it is. What great architecture and art there is here.” The goal for this idea is to expose nationally known artists to Macon so that they will want to play here, while enticing regional artists to relocate and record in the city. When comparing this city to other popular music towns Regan-Porter argues that, “It’s even cheaper to live in Macon, we have a richer music history, and it’s something of a college town. It has real potential to become like Athens or Houston, here.”
The Community Foundation of Central Georgia awarded this grant through a community revitalization initiative called the Knight Neighborhood Challenge.
The Knight Foundation gave a grant of $5 million to the College Hill Corridor, which is a section of Macon including Mercer University, the Beall’s Hill Historic District, and the Intown Historic District. $3 million of the grant will go towards the Knight Neighborhood Challenge. According to Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Inc. website, “This grant will fund creative, transformational ideas for the Corridor from organizations and individuals.” Companies, individuals, and non-profit organizations are open to apply for grant money in order to fund a program that will in prove the College Hill Corridor in some way.
So far, $1.3 million has been spent in total on the 88 grants awarded by this program. In the last round of applications, 21 proposals were made that would have equaled a sum of $389,906 but only 12 of these grant proposals were accepted. In total the grants amounted to $249,394. Macon Music Ambassadors Program grant is worth $51,116. It is the second largest grant given out among the last 12.
The music program involves a series of seven events in which one national artist and one regional artist will perform in Macon and take tours of the city in order to expose them to its rich music history.
The artists will perform one free concert in Mercer Village in front of the Center for Collaborative Journalism at lunchtime. Then the musicians will be given a Rock Candy Tour of Macon, which will show them the musical history of the city. They will become better acquainted with the historical significance that artists such as Little Richard, Blind Willie Mctell, James Brown, Otis Redding, and The Allman Brothers had on Macon. After the tours, the musicians will play another concert in one of Macon’s historical homes. In conjunction with the concert the Macon Arts Alliance will display an art show in the historical home that is either themed or focused on a particular artist.
While discussing this process Porter states that “bands will get to see these great homes, people on college hill will have a great event, hopefully we will get some people from North Macon, and the surrounding area to come into downtown and see that it is a great, safe, fun, place.”
The first of these events will most likely begin in February or March of 2013. Others involved in the program include Historic Macon, the Macon Arts Alliance, the Rocky Candy Tours of Historic Macon, and the Blue Indian Blog. Jessica Walden and Jamie Weatherford run the Rocky Candy Tours of Historic Macon and Sean Pritchard is the Head of Booking for The Blue Indian Blog.
The blog reviews music and is based in Georgia. Pritchard books acts for the Hummingbird and the Cox Capitol Theater.
Regan-Porter noted that the music selection will not be broad and will contain artists similar to those found in Paste Magazine. He listed some possible artists for the program including Josh Ritter, Brandi Carlile, the Avett Brothers, or Mumford and Sons. Essentially Porter wants to, “continue to build this vibe that Macon is a very progressive, creative place.”
(09/26/12 9:29pm)
Monday, Sept. 17th marked the 225th anniversary of the founding of our nation’s Constitution. This celebration day has gone through a series of changes over the years since it began in 1939, but the spirit of the holiday has remained consistent since its conception. According to timeanddate.com, “…A federal law enacted in Dec. 2004 designated Sept. 17th as ‘Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.’” This most recent change authorized the official title for the holiday that we currently celebrate today. The purpose of this day of observance as stated by constitutionday.com is to, “[commemorate] the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on Sept. 17, 1787, recognizing all who, are born in the U.S. or by naturalization, have become citizens.”
In recent years the federal government has tried to encourage American citizens to observe this holiday. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005, the government mandated that Constitution Day should be recognized. According to the Georgetown Law Library website this mandate states that, “the civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns are urged to make plans for the proper observance of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day and for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States and of the State and locality in which they reside.” In many ways this piece of legislation has had quite an impact on Mercer University. Students have been encouraged to participate in an on-going discussion of what it means to be a citizen, and what responsibilities go along with that privilege. President William D. Underwood of Mercer University stated that, “We’ve got a two year lyceum entitled Rebuilding our Democracy. [The lyceum is] sort of a focus of conversation on campus.” He went on to emphasize the importance of this topic for all of students of any academic discipline. Underwood said, “One of the real deficits in higher education over the last couple of generations is not doing enough to ensure that our students are prepared for the obligations of citizenship.”
On this past Monday Sept. 17, Mercer University celebrated Constitution Day with a lecture given by Professor Colleen Sheehan of Villanova University, entitled “James Madison on Citizenship and Statesmanship.” Mercer’s Center for the Teaching of America’s Western Foundations hosted the event, which was sponsored by the Jack Miller Center. It was held in Fickling Hall at the McCorkle Music building. During the lecture, Sheehan expounded on Madison’s contributions to forming the United States Constitution as well as his views on government, politics and society. Amidst Sheehan’s explanation of Madison’s ideology she stated that, “The constitution Madison and the framers devised was intended to be a system of superior quality made out of the substandard material of the riff-raff of American politics. Madison’s political theory then might be considered a kind of philosopher’s stone that could transform base metals into gold.” By the end of Sheehan’s lecture, Fickling Hall was a buzz with political commentary. One guest in particular, Robin McDonald, began a discussion about media’s impact on democracy in which she stated that “The conflict itself, and the communication of those conflicts is exactly what Madison is building into the society, the government that they’re creating.” Here she is highlighting Madison’s emphasis on public opinion and its importance to a healthy democracy. This is a great example of how Mercer’s lyceum events have fueled intellectual debates regarding the constitution and citizenship.
(09/12/12 4:00pm)
Six new senators were sworn into office at the beginning of Student Government Association’s first meeting of the 2012-2013 academic year, on Monday, Sept. 10 in the Connell Student Center.
“I’m really excited about our new senators and student correspondents who will be serving with us this year,” said Davis, after the meeting ended.
The senate voted to make a new student organization called The Interfaith Alliance official during new business. The organization’s goal is to provide a platform for students to discuss religion and democracy as well as promote religious freedom and tolerance.
Plans for Pilgrimage to Penfield were also discussed during the meeting. The event will be held on Oct. 19 and students can sign up for the trip on SGA’s home page. The new administration was very enthusiastic about all of the new initiatives that are currently being put into place including Paint the Town Orange, the PAW Points Incentive Program, and a Senior Gift program.
Davis commented about the upcoming year, “We hope to increase our services to students through our new initiatives like Paint the Town Orange and the PAW Points Incentive Program.”
The PAW Points Incentive Program seems to be the most popular new initiative among the senators right now. The objective of this incentive program is to increase school spirit among students using a positive points system for attendance at games.
“We are looking into expanding the athletics initiative program already through the PAW points program, and I myself have been encouraged to participate at a greater level in athletics due to the atmosphere of school spirit and genuine connection present in SGA this year,” said Senator Grey Newell.
Even the newly sworn in senators are anticipating great success from this incentive program.
One of the newest senators, Josh Soave said, “I am most excited about the PAW Points Athletic Incentive Program because I would love to see a higher student turnout at athletic events. Mercer’s athletes put in so much time and effort into their respective sports and they all deserve the support of the student body at their games.”
Another exciting new initiative that is being discussed at the moment is the possibility of changing the way that the senior gift has traditionally been done in the past.
When discussing the program, Senator Khoi Le said “This year, the senior gift committee is considering an initiative that would encourage senior Mercerians to contribute a friendly amount to a department or a student organization of their choice. This brand new initiative will offer us seniors a way to give back to Mercer and to commemorate our final year in a meaningful and practical way. As the senior class president, I’m quite excited to get input from my fellow seniors and see how the planning and implementation unfolds.”
Overall the senators were very optimistic about the goals they hope to accomplish this year.
Junior Class Senator Grey Newell said, “I firmly support the message of efficiency that has become pervasive in the senate and the new ideology represented by my fellow senators. SGA is a fresh experience to me still, but I believe this administration brings both experience and novel perspective to the issues of the student body this year. Long story short, I think everyone remains excited for the promise of the coming year.”