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(02/12/20 12:00am)
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is hosting its fourth consecutive Black History Month series delivered by ranger Lonnie Davis.
Davis will deliver a series of five talks that cover the following topics: Slavery: Foundation for a New Nation, Reconstruction: Revising a Nation, Jim Crow Era: Racial Segregation, Civil Rights Movement: We Shall Overcome and Women’s Equality: Hear Me Roar.
Davis is the cultural resources specialist and historian for Ocmulgee National Park and a 21-year Army veteran. Davis started the Black History series when he noticed that there are “parts of the past people simply don’t know.”
The series event flyer says “reconstruction … is one of the most complicated, poorly understood and most significant periods in American history. The intent was to rebuild the South and rearrange the state and federal governments to accommodate changing times … what actually happened is much different.”
Davis has been with Ocmulgee National Park for 18 years. Part of Davis’ job as cultural resources specialist is to educate the public on local history that has been forgotten or left untold.
Davis said he is particularly interested in the history of African American soldiers in the Civil War. In previous years of the ranger series, he educated the public on the Georgia African Brigade, which contained over 3,000 African American men, then former slaves, who were recruited into the Union military.
“Most people don’t know about the three regiments that were organized right here in Macon,” he said.
Davis conducted extensive research on the Macon-based regiments of the Georgia African Brigade, compiling the names and identities of hundreds of soldiers. In doing so, he hoped to unveil information from a historical standpoint as well as provide information to utilize for tracing family lineage.
His research was under the National Parks Service’s “Civil War to Civil Rights” initiative that took place from 2011 to 2015. One goal of the national initiative was to “help Americans understand the connection between these two epic periods of time as a continuous march toward freedom and equality for all–a march that continues still today,” according to the National Parks Service.
Davis will touch on this area of history and others at his Black History series. Anyone interested can attend the talks which take place every Saturday in February from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Visitor’s Center. Attendance is free.
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is located at 1207 Emery Highway.
(10/10/19 5:01am)
This semester marks new beginnings for Mercer’s Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM). Due to budget cuts and restructuring in the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, BCM’s minister Chris Fuller was laid off in the spring of 2019. Now, the student organization is adjusting to the changes with the help of their leadership and volunteers.
Amy Jenkins, president of BCM, said the organization is a place for “people from all backgrounds” to “learn more about God and to grow together in their relationship with God.”
On average, BCM’s weekly worship meetings draw 80 or more students.
“One of the great things about BCM is that it’s a student-led organization,” Fuller said. “It is amazing that this organization is continuing on just as it did before, just as strong as it was before.”
After being told that BCM would lose Fuller, Jenkins said it was difficult to process the news because of his involvement with the organization and his importance to the students.
“It’s one thing to be allowed a lot of freedom to make decisions when there is still someone serving as the mentor figure to kind of give you advice on whether or not your ideas are good,” Jenkins said.“It’s a lot different to not really have that person there anymore.”
Fuller and his wife Dianne moved to Macon in the late 1990s after he ministered in Savannah for over 10 years. In Macon, he ministered for Wesleyan College and Mercer University.
“I like ministering to college students because they are so open to the truth, open to adventure… college students are very inquisitive,” Fuller said. “And of course, Mercer students are exceptionally bright … I like working with people who are smarter than I am.”
As campus minister, Fuller supervised BCM, taught leadership skills, chaperoned mission trips and served as a mentor and counselor to students.
“Chris is a very good person to talk to, like if you need life advice, not even related to BCM at all,” Jenkins said. “He’s an incredible person, too, like if you ask about his life, his story or anything, he’s lived such a wild life. Like, he played football against Bill Clinton one time — I think he scored a touchdown on him.”
Fuller said he wanted to help his students succeed and give them the chance to forge their own paths.
[pullquote speaker="Chris Fuller, former campus minister for Mercer BCM" photo="" align="left" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]I saw my role as a campus minister to empower them, to give them the choice, to give them the opportunity to lead, to make mistakes or to succeed wildly. Ninety-nine times out of 100, they did way better than anything I could have imagined.[/pullquote]
Mercer is not alone in its loss of a paid campus minister; other universities, such as Kennesaw State, have also lost theirs.
There’s not much Mercer can currently do to bring back a paid minister on its own terms. The Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC) cut its ties with Mercer University in 2006 due to Mercer’s decision to support an LGBTQ+ event on campus, among other disagreements.
The split means the university can’t rely on funding from the convention and must pursue it through individual churches. Although the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, which does the work of the GBC, had extended help through its funding of a minister for Mercer’s campus, its inability or decision not to fund its campus minister anymore leaves Mercer in a tight place.
The break of Mercer’s association to the GBC also means that Mercer can’t prioritize Baptist groups over other organizations on campus. Jenkins said that in a talk with Mercer President Bill Underwood, Underwood said he was concerned for the preservation of the organization, but also stressed the importance of not showing favoritism.
Like Fuller, President Underwood was himself a member of BCM as a college student.
“When this all happened, the students organized and… wrote a three-page document where they made a case for why Mercer continues to need to have a BCM and needs to continue to have a campus minister,” Fuller said. ”The head of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, Reverend Thomas Hammond… (is) coming to speak, and they are hoping to win that appeal and get another campus minister here, and I hope they do. I’m praying for that. These students are amazing.”
Jenkins said that regardless of the circumstances, BCM wants to continue their mission on campus.
“We don’t want us not having a campus minister to affect who we are on campus. It’s a big change, but we also believe that the good news of Jesus, which is the reason that we exist in the first place, hasn’t changed, and that Jesus is still there providing us with new life and providing us with a reason to gather and be friends,” she said.
BCM is also receiving support from professors on campus. Andrew Pounds, who teaches computer science and chemistry, currently serves as the official volunteer campus minister.
“God has been really good to us in that things have been going smoothly,” Jenkins said. ”Obviously, we would love to have a campus minister, and I would say we need a campus minister … Despite the changes that we have been dealing with, moving forward, we want who we are to stay the same in terms of loving each other and loving Mercer’s campus.”
Fuller now serves as the pastor of Russellville Baptist Church in Forsyth, but he still attends BCM’s weekly leadership meetings and remains involved on Mercer’s campus.
BCM meets on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. in Newton Chapel.
(10/20/18 2:11am)
A ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a Samurai suit suddenly shows up in major cities around the world. Large-scale art installation or something else? The intriguing statue, later to be nicknamed Carl, prompts 23-year-old April May to take a harmless YouTube video of it. And then things get really weird.
When April does some private sleuthing to determine what the Carls actually are, it becomes clear that the entire world is wrapped up in him, somehow. Suddenly April and her discoveries are mega-famous, and not for all the right reasons.
Hank Green’s debut novel, “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing,” is a read that you are guaranteed to remember. For starters, its plot is complex and unique. Green pulls from Sci-Fi, politics, H.P. Lovecraft, music and internet culture to craft a storyline that keeps you detached from reality and simultaneously very much in it.
April’s quest for answers, which soon becomes a quest for fame and significance, is relevant in today’s world of stardom, which exists largely online.
Green has had his own share of the spotlight, as one half of the 11-year-strong Vlogbrothers YouTube Channel and the creator and host of online content like Crash Course and SciShow. His brother, John Green, is an acclaimed young adult author of novels such as “Looking For Alaska” and “Turtles All The Way Down.” Such relation beckons the question: how do their novels compare?
And honestly, what is there to compare? As a fan of both brothers and simply a lover of books, I think what both have written has value and merit in their own ways. “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” is so vastly different from anything John Green has written; it would be like comparing apples with oranges.
The book isn’t perfect—its protagonist can come off as cliché, though April isn’t one-dimensional by any means. Sometimes her narration is overkill and delays the plot advancement-- super annoying when you’re in the middle of a juicy bit!
While being hilarious and entertaining, the novel asks (and tries to answer) some important questions about our culture. What do we value in our idols? What do we give up for the sake of attention? Why are we so divisive? And, most importantly, what the heck is Carl?
(09/12/18 2:03am)
If you’re itching for an interesting day trip or weekend getaway during your time at Mercer, you can’t choose any better than Savannah.
Savannah is situated on the Georgia coast just two and a half hours away from Macon. Nicknamed the “hostess city of the south,” Savannah’s 22 lush park squares are sure to welcome you. There is something for everyone, whether you love history, architecture, art, the paranormal or food. That’s right, food alone is reason enough to visit Savannah.
If you’re into architecture and history, Savannah is famous for its beautifully restored historic homes. Highlights include the Andrew Low House, which is open to regular tours during the day and ghost tours at night, and the Owens-Thomas House, which consists of a Regency-style mansion and slave quarters. According to Telfair.org, Owens-Thomas House encourages visitors to “explore the complicated relationships between the most and least powerful people in the city of Savannah in the early 19th century.”
Being the home of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), it is only appropriate that Savannah has three major art museums. The SCAD Museum of Art caters to contemporary art lovers and hosts permanent and rotating exhibitions of international pieces. For 19th and 20th century American and European art, head to the Telfair Academy. The latest art museum to open is the Jepson Center, a large, modern facility with rotating contemporary exhibitions.
One of the coolest things about the city is how many parks there are—virtually every square is a mini-park. The largest park is Forsyth Park, which has paths for biking and walking. To see the city’s greatest show of Spanish moss, simply take a stroll through here.
Another great nature spot? Surprisingly, a cemetery! Bonaventure Cemetery, established in 1846, has been distinguished as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. Its Southern gothic beauty is captivating and haunting. Since it’s 100 acres large, don’t plan to walk it all in one go.
When you need to stop for a bite to eat, I recommend Leopold’s Ice Cream, a popular shop specializing in ice cream, floats, sandwiches and 50’s aesthetic. If burgers or hot wings are your thing, check out Betty Bomber’s All-American Eatery.
The trip wouldn’t be complete without hitting River Street, Savannah’s main shopping destination. Here you’ll find boutiques, candy shops, restaurants, souvenir shops and more.
All of this only scratches the surface of what Savannah has to offer. If you get the chance, grab some friends and head there to see what you’ll get out of it!
(05/02/18 6:46pm)
In a scary movie, nothing is more unnerving than the stretch of silence before the murderer emerges from the dark. In the drama, thriller film “A Quiet Place,” out in theaters now, perpetual silence is necessary to survive—an accidental noise could cost you your life.
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt play parents trying to protect their family after terrifying, otherworldly creatures take over humans. The aliens hunt with their acute sense of hearing, which makes ordinary living a near impossible feat.
Yet, this family makes it work: they loot stores, catch fish, school their children and spend each day trying to remain a normal family despite knowing that every second of the day, they are being hunted.
Everything hinges on the night in which Blunt must give birth and remain silent during it.
One of the main reasons I enjoyed this film is because its characters are likeable. Rarely do I see a horror movie and feel compelled to root for its characters, especially if they’re created to be shallow and unintelligent. Instead of relying on unwitting characters to propel its plot, the movie depicts people that are compelling and realistic. The parents have motivations and dreams that surpass merely staying alive-- they want to build a comfortable and happy life for their children.
Krasinski and his costar Blunt are married parents in real life, which explains why their chemistry shines in the film. Krasinski likens the movie to parenthood, and I think it’s because the story depicts a couple that is willing to go to any lengths for their children. I get the sense from the film that what the characters want more than anything is to be a happy family despite the danger that constantly surrounds them. Regardless if you’re a parent or not, I think everyone can relate to the desire to create happiness in a difficult environment.
“A Quiet Place” is a directorial breakthrough for Krasinski, who is most well known as playing goofy Jim on the comedy show “The Office.” Though not a fan of horror himself, Krasinski creates a nerve-wracking atmosphere that lasts the whole duration of the film.
The sound design is excellent-- each miniscule sound that you hear, whether it be a creaking floorboard or grains of sand shuffling on the ground, is designed to create fear and build suspense. The suspense keeps keeps you on the edge of your seat, and I felt so immersed in the movie that when I left the theater and walked out into the parking lot, I felt momentary pangs of shock at the abrupt sounds of slamming car doors and beeping off in the distance.
Even if you hate jump scares, the atmosphere of this movie makes everything worthwhile. Wherever the camera takes you, whether that be a cornfield or the woods or an abandoned town, encases you and doesn’t release you until the credits roll. Viewing the film on the big screen in theaters is a must if you want the most immersive experience.
Similar to movies like “The Babadook” and “Get Out,” the film blends horror and metaphor, making it thrilling and thought-provoking. It is a must see for those who love to be scared and even those that don’t.
(03/27/18 2:48am)
Mercer Theatre’s final play of the semester, “God of Carnage,” is coming to campus the first week of April.
After a childrens’ fight on the playground results in lost teeth, their parents must meet to make amends. Sounds straightforward enough, but Yasmina Reza’s play, which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2009, has more in store. Though the meeting begins civilized, it devolves into total chaos as the night wears on and familiar binds break.
Currently, Mercer Theatre actors are in rehearsals and are anticipating audience’s reactions to it.
Mercer junior Chase Moore plays Michael, the father of the kid who ends up with knocked out teeth from the playground fight.
“It’ll give the audience some food for thought as they head home after the show...about why (people) behave the way we behave,” Moore said.
Unexpected behavior plays a major role in the conflict between the sets of parents. As their discussion progresses and alcohol is brought into the picture, spouses switch sides and the fighting becomes about something larger than their children.
The play marks the directorial debut for a full length production of Ashley Greene, a Mercer senior who has starred in recent productions such as “Rhinoceros” and “She Kills Monsters.”
“I’m really excited, the four actors blend very well together,” Greene said.
If you enjoyed Scot Mann’s rendition of Eugène Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros” earlier in the semester, you might also enjoy the social satire in “God of Carnage.”
Along with being thought-provoking, the show is sure to bring laughs and surprises.
“It’s funny in ways that sometimes make you cringe, and the characters all have very distinct personalities,” Greene said.
The play features star performances by Travis Meeks, Avery Davis, Chase Moore and Monica Stephenson.
“God of Carnage” will be presented April 12-15 and April 19-22 at the Tattnall Square Center for the Arts.
Tickets are $10 for students and $15 regular price.
(03/01/18 11:41am)
Mercer University Design Studio is a new organization on campus with a goal to build upon students’ existing knowledge of graphic design and use that for design projects on campus and within the Macon community.
The organization’s co-founder, Tyler King, is a freshman double majoring in marketing and graphic design. King has wanted to create an organization like this since high school and came to Mercer for the very reason of starting it.
“It’s more than a club,” King said. “It’s a studio for people to build their portfolios so that when they go out into the working world, they actually know how to work.”
It is ultimately up to the members of the organization to decide which directions they would like to take.
A possible direction is hosting learning workshops, which would sharpen members’ graphic design skills.
Faculty advisor and co-founder Luke Buffenmyer said “I want it to be very beneficial for the students.”
Another objective of the Mercer University Design Studio is to put student work into motion for a good cause.
Buffenmyer said that there has been talk with SGA about possible issues the organization could tackle, such as sexual assault and environmentalism.
The environment is close to King’s heart.
“We don’t have recycle bins almost anywhere on campus. That’s something that we would want to do,” King said. “We would want to, one, design them, and two, we would want to design some advertisement for environmentalism on campus.”
Members could take their graphic design skills off-campus as well. Buffenmyer and King have the goal of partnering with nonprofits in the area. Nonprofits could receive the benefit of free design work and members would gain significant design experience.
Members are encouraged to have some kind of existing interest or forte in graphic design, but anyone can join.
The organization meets on Tuesdays at 6pm in Hardman Hall 107.
If interested, contact Buffenmyer at Buffenmyer_LA@mercer.edu or King at Justin.tyler.king@live.mercer.edu
(02/14/18 3:47pm)
As an artist, Ashlyn Rebel has two loves—one that she has always known and one that she discovered last summer.
Rebel’s first love is writing, dating back to elementary school.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been not coming up with ideas,” she said.
Rebel is an assistant editor for The Dulcimer and a creative writing major. She reads, edits and writes often in her spare time.
She enjoys writing stories that have happened to her or that could happen, she said. “Writing is fiction that blurs the line between nonfiction.”
[video credit="Thais Ackerman" align="left"][/video]
Through this kind of storytelling, Rebel seeks to “let humanity speak for itself,” she said.
She derives comfort from putting pen to paper and sharing her thoughts with others.
“I like having that knowledge that if there’s something that I want to remember forever, that I want other people to remember forever, I could put it down and as soon as somebody else reads it, it can’t die. Someone will have it outside of myself,” she said.
For Rebel, everything from poetry to a short story based on a memorable trip with her friends is fair game.
As someone who has moved homes often before coming to college, Rebel is no stranger to change and embraces it within her own life.
Last summer, she embraced an interest that was first introduced to her in childhood: music.
“I learned piano when I was like six or so, and I took lessons for a couple of years and I hated it so much,” she said. “I would not practice at all until 15 minutes before the instructor came and then I would practice for 15 minutes because my mom was standing there,” she said with a laugh.
When a friend introduced her to the Japanese manga series “Your Lie in April,” which largely revolves around music, Rebel was inspired to take up piano again as well as the violin.
Rebel now sees music as “an auditory form of writing where there’s rules that you kind of follow and guidelines that are there like a map for your heart,” she said.
Rebel said music and writing are different for her because while writing allows her to get thoughts and ideas out, music allows her to speak a new language.
“With music, when there’s a piece I’ve not ever paid attention to, and then when I actually start listening to it, when I’m playing it, there have been times where I’ve gotten emotional, like this is something that I’ve just made and it’s different parts and they all come together and I have a part in this song now,” Rebel said.
“I just love that language and feel very connected to it,” she said.
(01/28/18 2:23am)
At the beginning of 2018, the popular YouTuber Logan Paul posted a video blog (vlog) of himself encountering a dead body in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, also known as the Suicide Forest.
Paul, with over 15 million subscribers to his name, is a 22-year-old man whose YouTube channel description reads, “22 year old kid in Hollywood making crazy daily Vlogs!”
The video begins with Paul warning his viewers that it will contain graphic content and assuring them that he won’t make ad revenue off it. As somber piano music plays in the background, he adds “I think this definitely marks a moment in YouTube history because I’m pretty sure this has never hopefully happened to anyone on YouTube ever.”
For many including myself, it became clear early on that Paul meant to hype up his experience and provide entertainment, despite the sad music he edited in.
In the video, Paul and his friends find the body of a man hanging from a tree. Though Paul appears visibly shocked and frazzled, saying “a lot is going through my mind,” he also cracks plenty of jokes and maintains most of the over-the-top behavior that is characteristic of his style.
One major criticism Paul has received for posting the video is that he exploited the suicide to receive views. The tone of the video is an unsettling mismatch of fake seriousness imposed on an event showcased as thrilling.
Though I do believe shock can cause people to react to uncomfortable situations in different ways, sometimes through humor, I don’t believe that Paul would have posted the video if this event truly gave him any discomfort.
It doesn’t appear to have been a sobering experience for him, but rather an opportunity for him to put more exciting content on his channel.
Paul, whose vlog channel has racked up a total of over 3 billion views since he joined YouTube in 2015, faced immediate criticism by fans and non-fans alike.
Not only did Paul receive criticism for his video, but YouTube did as well.
The video violated YouTube’s terms of use, which holds that a graphic video can only remain on the platform so long as it is backed by documentary or educational information. YouTube kept the video on its trending page for roughly 24 hours before Paul took it down himself.
Another nine days passed before YouTube revoked Logan’s Google Preferred Status, which gives the top 5 percent of YouTubers ads from brands that pay for their ads to be put on their channels.
Gestures like these don’t mean much to me when I consider the underlying goal of YouTube. Paul is one of the site’s biggest stars and acts in several YouTube Red, YouTube’s subscription service, originals.
In other words, Paul makes YouTube big money. He could even be seen by some as the face of YouTube. I believe YouTube needed to gauge how negatively it would affect their company to remain inactive before they risked losing an asset.
This particular scandal reminds me that YouTube isn’t the same website as it was five years ago. It’s not just a site where you can make videos for free anymore. Instead, it’s a company like any other, with an agenda and a way of self-promoting.
YouTube places a handful of channels at the top, feeds them money, and keeps them in a particular order that best serves YouTube’s needs. In this case, YouTube’s needs included giving Logan Paul special treatment and tolerating his video as long as it did.
Most people have seen a dead body on the internet before. However, there is a way to portray death so that it remains respectful, and Logan did not care about being respectful nearly as much as he did about getting views.
Similarly, YouTube’s slow reaction shows that they don’t care to take action when it involves threatening their brand. Both YouTube and Paul deserve to be criticized instead of ignoring the problem this controversy caused.