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(04/14/16 6:08am)
Mercer University junior Drew Winslett sat in a chair inside a dimly lit broadcast station with a printed copy of a story detailing an incident of relationship violence.
But it’s not his own.
Winslett is one of the student advocates for Bears Speak, a student-led sexual assault awareness video campaign.
Taylor Jolly, Student Government Association’s vice president, organized the campaign for her senior service scholars project. Emily Thompson and Sarah Pounds, sophomores, have helped film and manage the project.
The campaign’s premise is to film campus leaders reading aloud first-person narratives from survivors of sexual assault and relationship violence. All of the stories will be edited into a 15 to 20 minute video that will be shown in freshman UNV classes this fall, Jolly said.
For many of the stories shown in the video, Mercer’s Title IX coordinator, Melissa Nunn, helped victims write their stories.
All of the survivors’ submitted stories have reported incidences of sexual assault to Nunn or have tried a judicial case or are in the process of trying a case, Jolly said.
The stories are handed over to Jolly who plans a time for what Jolly refers to as “student leaders” such as Winslett, who serves on SGA, to be filmed reading the victim’s story aloud in Mercer University’s broadcasting station near the Center for Collaborative Journalism.
Having student leaders — or students who are involved in campus organizations—take a public stance against sexual violence sends a powerful message, Jolly said.
She said that she hopes the narratives will create a more open, safe environment for students to report sexual assault crimes. Mercer’s Quality Enhancement Plan is funding Bears Speak, since research methods are being used to serve the community, Jolly said.
The idea for the video campaign began in November. Jolly and a group students sat outside the SGA office discussing Mercer’s problems with sexual assault and the potential ways the university could improve student awareness.
“’Mercerians don’t realize that it happens on our campus,” Jolly said. “They think that we’re exempt from this national epidemic of sexual assaults on our campus.”
Although campus events like The Crisis Line and Safe House’s Take Back the Night give victims a platform to share their stories, many survivors often feel unsafe sharing private details in a public setting.
Also, many students, particularly Greek and student athletes, resent being forced to attend mandatory lectures on sexual assault, Jolly said.
Originally, the SGA vice president said she planned on releasing short videos of sexual assault stories over social media. The advocates would relay the stories and what Jolly referred to as “high-impact videos,” which would hopefully initiate a culture change on campus.
Jolly said she also wanted to create a Google form for students to fill out, so they could anonymously share their stories.
Mercer’s administration officials expressed concerns on the stories’ validity if they could be submitted over Google Forms. There was also growing concerns with the portrayal of Mercer’s campus safety, Jolly said.
[pullquote speaker="Taylor Jolly" photo="" align="left" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]I’m excited to tell the stories that we have, and I’m excited that this will be perpetuated in some way.[/pullquote]
Jolly said that university officials informed her in a email that her project should be condensed into one video and could not be shared outside of Mercer’s campus. The video would also need to have an educational piece tied to it.
When Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications Larry Brumley was asked for feedback on the Bears Speak project by Jolly, he said he had concerns the video would reach the proper audience.
“If the intended audience is the Mercer community, how do we make sure it’s targeted toward the Mercer community and not just, you know, everybody in the world without the context?” Brumley said.
Brumley said that student safety was also a concern because having students talking about sensitive issues on camera “might not be good for them.”
“My suggestion was to find a platform that reaches that target audience,” Brumley said.
Since beginning the project, Jolly said she’s had several people come up to her requesting to share their story. Unless the victim has reported their case to Nunn, Jolly cannot share their story.
Nunn said in a recent interview that she supports Jolly’s project but is not directly involved.
“One of our hopes is that this will increase reporting,” Jolly said. “To know that these [stories] were reported to Melissa Nunn, and they were supported.”
Jolly plans on releasing a short clip of the video at Take Back the Night on April 21.
“I’m excited to tell the stories that we have, and I’m excited that this will be perpetuated in some way,” Jolly said. “This video can be shown for multiple years . . . it’s not just a one time thing.”
(04/14/16 5:42am)
Samantha Eustace came off the field after a windy morning practice the day before a conference game against Kennesaw State. She and the Mercer women’s lacrosse team are ready.
“Our team has worked really hard in practice, in the weight room, and on their own,” Eustace said.
Coming off one tough loss to Jacksonville last week and an exciting win over Stetson in the last minute and a half of the game, she is continuing to push her team to their goal of making a run in the conference tournament.
After the team was left without a coach early last semester, Eustace stepped in. Director of Athletics Jim Cole announced Eustace would replace Eve Levison in the first week of school.
"I am proud to announce the hiring of Samantha Eustace to lead our women's lacrosse program," Cole said in a press release. "Samantha comes from a nationally recognized program and rose to the top of our search list because of her reputation as an outstanding coach and more importantly as a person of high character."
Before coming to Mercer, Eustace coached at James Madison University, a top 20 D-I school in Virginia. She also coached at a number of prep schools before that, including St. Stephen's & St. Agnes school where they were the top-ranked team in the country.
Sophomore midfielder and team captain Lindsey Zeltwanger has welcomed the change in the coaching staff and is seeing improvements in team spirit.
“She’s the type of coach that you want to work hard for and want to win games for. She cares about us as players and people which, is different than last year ’cause the old coach wasn’t really invested in us,” Zeltwanger said.
Zeltwanger, who Eustace noted as the team’s best player, said that Eustace is committed to making the team a fun environment. Eustace even invited the team over to her house to have a Chopped challenge.
“I am a big believer in a lot of team bonding, so we have done a lot of activities throughout the year,” said Eustace. The team also participated in a 5k run for Jay’s Hope where the team was the 101 Dalmatians and Eustace was Cruella DeVille.
Before being introduced to lacrosse, Eustace played baseball for a while before having to switch to softball at her high school in Ohio. Before her sophomore year, she hadn’t even heard of lacrosse. But since all of her friends were playing it she picked up a stick too and ended up playing at the University of Massachusetts.
As anyone would, Eustace had some reservations coming in as the new face.
“Coming in new to a team, you don't know what you are going to get from the athletes on the team. Will they resist change or welcome the change? Will they want to work hard? It's always tough being new,” Eustace said.
As the weather continues to heat up, so will the intensity of the season as they near the conference tournament.
(03/17/16 11:50am)
Tonia Wilkes faces high-stress situations working as a Mercer Police dispatcher, but her own life experiences have taught her how to cope with crisis.
Wilkes opened up about the most difficult thing she faced in her book called “Renewing Your Hope Ministry.”
Although she said that she loves her job as a dispatcher, she’ll always treasure her first job — being a mom. Growing up, Wilkes said she daydreamed about one day getting married and having kids.
“I wanted to be a mom. That was my number one goal,” Wilkes said.
Wilkes met her husband at a church in Macon. They got married and then had their first child, Kahlie. Wilkes said her daughter was energetic and bubbly.
Kahlie was especially gifted at gymnastics and loved running around doing splits and cartwheels. After watching the 1996 Olympics, she told Wilkes she wanted to be an Olympian.
When 7-year-old Kahlie was diagnosed with Leukemia, the news flipped the family’s world upside down.
“We went through so many different phases of her treatment,” Wilkes said. “And you have to go through treatment for three years. That’s the protocol.”
Within two weeks of her diagnosis, Kahlie went into remission. The family thought it was a miracle, but Kahlie still had to fulfill the protocol’s three years of chemotherapy treatment.
Meanwhile, Wilkes juggled taking care of a sick child and her 10-month-old son, Kason.
Kahlie fulfilled her three-year treatment regimen and then went into remission for four years and eventually off her treatment for a full year.
Then Kahlie relapsed at 11 years old.
“We were devastated because she was doing so well,” Wilkes said. “She looked like a picture of health.”
Wilkes said the second relapse proved to be the most difficult on the family. The family couldn’t find a bone marrow match for Kahlie, so the doctors injected Kahlie’s chemo treatment through her spine, which paralyzed her from the waist down.
The active, healthy child who enjoyed tumbling across the gym floor was now wheelchair bound. She went back into remission for a year and a half, but the Wilkes family knew better than to get their hopes up.
At 13 years old, Kahlie became allergic to her chemo treatment. The doctors tried to find a medication that would help heal her to no avail.
Kahlie still had one year left in her chemo treatment. Wilkes feared that her daughter would relapse if she didn’t fulfill the three-year treatment.
Kahlie’s last night alive is still burned in the back of the mother’s mind.
“I like to tell everyone that she was thirteen and a half,” Wilkes said. “Getting to have her that extra half of a year meant everything in the world to me . . . to be able to breathe her, to watch her blink, to watch her every gesture . . . to just take that in.”
The entire Wilkes family huddled around Kahlie praying and singing worship songs in a hospital room. Kahlie spent her last few moments consoling family members.
“It's going to be OK,” Wilkes said that Kahlie told one of her younger cousins.
Then Kahlie eyes lifted up to the hospital room ceiling, and she pointed a finger up. Wilkes said she knew her daughter was holding out for her.
“I asked her ‘Kahlie, where do you want to go?’” Wilkes said. “I told her to go rest in Jesus and she immediately did.”
In that moment, Wilkes said a sense of peace engulfed the hospital room — Kahlie’s six year battle with cancer was finally over.
But the realization of Kahlie’s death hit Wilkes hard. She crumpled down on her knees in front of her own mom, crying after leaving Kahlie. Six-year-old Kason struggled to grasp what was happening; Wilkes and her husband knew they would eventually have to tell him.
The mother said she experienced a whole gamut emotions after her daughter’s death, but she clung on to her Christian faith.
When Wilkes was younger her mom gave her a bible with Psalm 49:1 inscribed on the inside of it: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
During those few years after Kahlie’s death, Wilkes said she clung to Psalm 49:1’s promise.
[pullquote speaker="Tonia Wilkes" photo="" align="left" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Even though I was mad, even though I was angry, even though I was hurt, I held on to that peace[/pullquote]
“Even though I was mad, even though I was angry, even though I was hurt, I held on to that peace,” Wilkes said. “I felt like God was going to help me carry the load.”
Wilkes and her husband plugged themselves into planting the roots for their own church called Renewing Your Hope Ministry, which is also the name of Wilkes’ new book.
Eventually, Wilkes said she’d like to transition into working in full-time ministry. But Wilkes said she’s thankful for her current job.
This past October will mark Wilkes’ eighth year serving as a dispatcher. She said she stumbled upon it at just the right time.
Wilkes’s cousin worked for Mercer University as a police officer and told her that the current dispatcher who worked the position for 17 years was planning to leave.
At the time, Wilkes, a stay-at-home mom who was still coping with the loss of her daughter, felt hesitant to apply. Her husband encouraged her to give it a try.
“I knew all the police lingo because my husband was a deputy,” Wilkes said.
Shortly after Wilkes submitted an online application, Mercer Police requested a face-to-face interview. As Wilkes walked through the building’s entrance for an interview, the dispatcher at the time grabbed her.
“She looked like she’d seen a ghost,” Wilkes said. “She says, ‘I had a dream about you, and you were the one they hired for the job.’”
Wilkes almost broke down in tears. Earlier that week she prayed that God would give her a sign about the job.
“I just had such a peace about the situation,” she said.
Although Wilkes said that she had never sat down for a job interview before, she landed the position and began working.
A few days later Wilkes’s husband, Randy, accepted a position as a sergeant police officer for Mercer Police.
“It felt good to be in a safe place and a good positive work environment,” Wilkes said. “There is somewhat stressful situations at the police department . . . But for the most part we’re kind of like a family.”
(03/04/16 6:00am)
The wait is finally over, Mercerians. Here’s the lineup for Bearstock 2016's headliners and day bands. This year, Bearstock is the Cherry Blossom Festival's official event and is set to be hosted April 9 in Tattnall Square Park from 1 p.m. until 11 p.m. Now, for the big reveal. Drum roll please . . .
Headliners:
MKTO
Remember that song “Classic” that was constantly playing on the radio in 2013? The catchy tune probably got stuck in your head at one point. Well, the song will be making a comeback at this year’s Bearstock. MKTO was created in 2010 when Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oliver combined their musical talents, along with their initials, to make “MK” and “TO." The act has opened for artists such as Demi Lovato and Emblem3. This past summer, pop-star queen Taylor Swift brought the musical duo onstage for her 1989 tour.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ba_qTPA4Ds[/embed]
Jon Bellion
The indie, hip-hop and R&B artist from Long Island, New York and has released four mix tapes. His most recent release was made Sept. 23, 2015 with his album titled “The Definition.” The artist describes his style as a meld of "solid and refreshing tunes," and in the words of Bellion himself, "that's all that really matters." Bellion has worked with artists such as Eminem and Jason Derulo. Check out his acoustic rendition of the song "All Time Low."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL-dRjY3OP_OzKwtLRPwqiockZIiiiig19&v=LZkDZFwzcSk[/embed]
Elephante
Harvard grad Tim Wu under his stage name Elephante is an American producer and DJ based in California. Elephante produces and performs electronic music. He is also known for remixes, such as Clean Bandit's "Rather Be," Calvin Harris' "Summer," Lorde's "Team" and Katy Perry's "Dark Horse." How did a Harvard economics major wind up performing music? Good question. Wu said in an interview with EM Tunes that he felt dissatisfied in his corporate job. The discontentment he felt at work led to the creation of Elephante. In this case, the big elephant in the room was that all Wu wanted to do was make music.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PRrzMWECeU[/embed]
dnk.
The Nashville-based pop group is made up of members Kayla Erb and David Davis. The band got its big break while they were both enrolled in Belmont University’s music program while training as musicians. At Belmont, they were discovered and subsequently developed by industry executive Becki Devries. Along with creating their own original music, they do acoustic covers of a variety of artists. Check out this cover of Nick Jonas' "Jealous."
[embed]https://youtu.be/XOCCflVI37g[/embed]
Day bands
Electric Sons
The Atlanta-based electronic/alternative band will make a return from last year’s Bearstock. The vocalist/guitarist Andrew Miller and keyboardist/vocalist Ben Richards teamed up and gained a fan following after they released a home-recorded EP in 2012. Shortly after the release, the band garnered the attention by being featured in multiple music magazines. In 2013, the Electric Sons was invited to South by Southwest, an annual music festival Austin, Texas. In October 2013, the band landed in TJ Maxx’s national ad campaign with the track “Breathing Electricity.” Its EP “Chromaethesia” was released Jan. 31, 2014.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXqolxmWjI[/embed]
Sam Burchfield
Burchfield kickstarted his musical career in an unconventional way — he said no. The artist turned down a spot on American Idol to release his own EP in 2014. If you don’t believe me, check out his audition tape on YouTube where he sings a song from Disney’s The Jungle Book, which wows judges Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban. His acoustic and folk sound somehow lure you in. I mean, just listen to his cover of “Halleujah.” It will give you chills.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK_TvPWlkaQ[/embed]
Good Night Alive
The Macon-based band started recording and writing music in 2014 and find roots in indie electronic rock. The self-titled EP introduced songs like “Ride Or Die” — a song the band still plays today. And the catchy chorus of “Playing A Part,” another one of the band’s first songs, got the attention of VH1’s Make A Band Famous competition, according to the band’s website.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZbJ7PxurVs[/embed]
Savannah Alday
Macon native Savannah Alday describes her style as a contemporary blend of country, blues and southern rock influences. She’s performed in Georgia and Tennessee.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ND3yxjoils[/embed]
Wiley From Atlanta
Mercer University's own Will Bryant will take the stage to rap for Bearstock. Make sure to check out the Cluster’s features article on the student rapper.
[embed]https://youtu.be/gPWivBYi6pQ[/embed]
by Thais Ackerman
So basically, we all can't wait for April 9.
via GIPHY
(03/03/16 3:15am)
Bernie Sanders and Marco Rubio won the Democrat and Republican nominations for a gummy bear poll held in Connell Student Center last Tuesday.
For the poll, students with a variety of political views — from Republicans to Democrats and Libertarians or Independents alike — were encouraged to place a gummy bear in a jar for their preferred presidential candidate.
The mock election was held by Mercer College Republicans, Student Government Association and Mobilize Mercer in the hopes of encouraging students to go out and vote for Super Tuesday. Mobilize Mercer is a student-driven voting initiative that is focused on raising voter awareness and participation on Mercer's campus and is not affiliated with any political party.
Here are the results from the gummy bear poll:
Candidate- Number of Votes (Percent of Party Vote; Percent of Total Vote)
Democratic Party ~ 51% of Total Vote:
Sanders- 130 (81%; 41%)
Clinton- 31 (19%; 10%)
GOP ~ 49% of Total Vote:
Rubio- 69 (44%; 22%)
Carson- 25 (16%; 8%)
Kasich- 25 (16%; 8%)
Trump- 22 (14%; 7%)
Cruz- 16 (9%; 4%)
(02/22/16 5:06pm)
[video credit="Kelli McGee" align="right"][/video]
For the past three years, the Daybreak Shelter has hosted the “Sleepout,” an annual charity event that raises funds for Macon’s homeless community and awareness for their plight.
To participate, a person or team raises $1,000 to sleep outside in the cold.
“By no means will they understand what it’s like to be homeless, but it is our attempt to show solidarity,” said June Bryant, executive liaison for Daybreak’s Sleepout.
The third annual Sleepout will be held in Central City Park on Feb. 25.
For dinner, Daybreak will provide soup and bread at 6:30 p.m. Then, some of Daybreak’s regulars will talk about their experiences with homelessness before teams head out to the park to camp.
Participants are encouraged to pack warm clothes, a sleeping bag and a tent. Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation will provide fire pits.
This year, Daybreak hopes to have 100 people participate and raise $100,000, said Gary Musoff, one of four Sleepout board members.
He said an anonymous donor has offered to match the funds raised by 10 new sleepers.
The funds raised from the event will go directly to Daybreak, which provides the homeless with coffee, a shower, laundry and a safe place to rest, Bryant said.
Daybreak has reached out to local businesses, churches and Mercer University’s students and faculty to participate.
“We mostly get adults, but we’re hoping to get some Mercer students,” said Sister Katie Norris, director of the event.
Mercer University senior Conner Wood said she plans to organize a group of 15 students to attend.
She said she plans on raising a minimum of $250 for the Sleepout.
“In the past, students haven’t really been involved with the event in any capacity,” Wood said. “This year, my role is to gather a group of students or have students donate.”
Norris said one part of the Sleepout experience is to have participants interact with the homeless.
For more information, call the Daybreak Center at 478-955-4519.
(02/03/16 5:59pm)
A vigil will be held at 9 p.m. in Hawkins arena in honor of Jibri Bryan, a Mercer basketball player who was killed Tuesday.
President Underwood recently offered Hawkins Arena for students to hold the vigil.
University Minister and Dean of Chapel Craig McMahan will say a few words and a short prayer. Then Stanley Roberts, associate dean of Mercer's Townsend School of music, will sing "Amazing Grace."
Candles will be provided, and there will be a moment of silence. The event is scheduled to last 10 to 15 minutes. Students, faculty and the community are invited to stay as long as they would like.
(02/02/16 10:16pm)
Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones announced one person dead after being shot in a parking lot of the Flash Foods convenience store near College and Forsyth streets.
The police call came at 4:16 p.m. this afternoon. Another person is in the hospital with gun shot wounds, according to local news outlet 41 NBC/WMGT.
Deputies are on the scene now investigating.
(01/29/16 4:57am)
I was mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came a across a photo juxtaposing the before and after shots of a woman with and without makeup. In the first photo, the woman had flawless skin, heavy eye makeup and perfectly coiffed hair. In the second picture, the same woman sat in the swivel beauty chair bare faced, but her facial blemishes were clearly visible. Once I scrolled down to the bottom of the page, the comments I saw underneath the picture horrified me.
“That’s why you should take a girl swimming before the first date,” said one commenter. “I’ll spend time with her as long as I never see her before 10 a.m., ” said another. The criticism on the woman’s appearance seemed to continue on for pages.
Intrigued and appalled by the comments, I researched the girl’s story. I soon discovered that the woman in the photo, Ashley VanPevenage, asked her makeup artist friend to do her makeup after suffering a bad reaction to Benzoyl. Her friend asked if he could Instagram a before and after picture. VanPevenage agreed but didn’t anticipate that the photo would go viral over the Internet. VanPevenage, who said she was confident to go out in public without makeup, told news organizations that the whole ordeal has made her extremely self-conscience of her appearance.
I personally feel bad for women like VanPevenage who are punished for being imperfect (gasp!). We live in a world where the media creates unrealistic and unfair expectations for women and men. Television shows, magazines and movies show us what it means to be beautiful, and unfortunately, we’re taught to idolize an unattainable standard of beauty.
As someone who truly appreciates makeup, I can’t help but to be saddened by this whole ordeal. I wear makeup because it’s a way for me to express my creativity and artistic side. I enjoy watching beauty tutorials and seeing the transformation take place before me. I wear makeup because it makes me feel good about myself, and I believe it enhances my natural beauty. Yes, compliments are great, but I’ve learned very quickly that it’s foolish to base my self-worth on other’s opinions.
As someone who suffers with acne, I can truly sympathize with VanPevenage. If having acne doesn’t make someone insecure enough, imagine having the whole world scrutinize you for something that’s out of your control. I don’t think I could be as brave as VanPevenage and let someone snap a picture of me when my skin is breaking out. Although it’s taken a considerable amount of time, I’ve learned how to feel confident in my own skin. I’ve also learned that whenever I’m feeling insecure, it’s more important for me to focus on my inner beauty than my outer beauty.
Someone once told me that it cost zero dollars to be nice to someone. Although it’s somewhat of a silly point, it’s a good one. Why don’t we spend more time building one another up than tearing each other down? There are many things in life that are out of our control. And our natural appearance is one of them. We need to lift one another up instead of tearing each other down, and the best way to start is with the people you run across daily. So dear reader, I challenge you to say one genuinely nice thing about someone’s appearance today. You could honestly be making that person’s day.
(01/29/16 4:45am)
Earlier this month, Mercer added itself to the list of Georgia universities that have banned hoverboards on campus due to fire safety concerns.
Christian Wells, one of Mercer’s Housing and Residence Life assistant directors, warned students in an email over winter break that the two-wheeled self-balancing devices were prohibited on campus because of a “lack of safety standards that have not been developed and implemented by manufacturers.”
Wells said the university was worried that device’s lithium-ion battery could easily catch on fire while charging. Although the university is up to speed on fire codes, allowing the devices on campus is not worth the risk, she said.
“We definitely want to make sure students are safe,” Wells said. “Safety is really important to us, and we don’t want anything to happen.”
Yet some Mercer students aren’t happy about wheeling their hoverboards off campus.
Junior Tricia Surber said she’s not a fan of the campus-wide ban. The devices catch on fire in isolated situations, and the university’s decision is being based off of those situations, she said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently reported that Amazon will offer a full refund on any hoverboards sold on its website.
The CPSC said that hoverboards pose a risk because of batteries overheating, and there have been numerous reports of falls suffered while riding the devices. Currently, the CPSC is examining the injury reports to see if there’s a flaw with the product.
(01/28/16 4:23pm)
After graduating in 1986 from Mercer’s School of Medicine, Dr. Jean Sumner chose to stay in her home state and live out Mercer Medicine’s mission: to educate physicians to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia.
In keeping with this mission, Sumner has loyally served two of Georgia’s most rural and impoverished counties for the past 28 years.
Sumner spent a successful career in Washington and Johnson Counties before being asked to serve as the new Dean of Mercer’s School of Medicine. Dr. William Bina, her predecessor in the position, announced in 2015 that he would be relocating to Mercer’s Savannah campus to serve as the Medical School’s Dean.
Although the decision to commit full-time to this new position was a difficult one to make, Sumner said she knew that taking the position would give her even greater opportunities to influence rural Georgia.
“It was a very hard decision,” recalls Sumner. “It was an honor, [and] I was humbled by the offer, but when you enjoy your work and you’ve worked in a community for a long time, you’re part of that community, and it’s hard to give up.”
Sumner says that practicing primary care in rural Georgia has made her more flexible and creative, and she believes that these lessons will carry over into her new position.
“When you’re a physician in a rural area, every day is different,” says Sumner said. “You have problems that you’ve never faced before, and you have to learn to be agile and be a team player in order to solve those problems. In the same way, academic medicine is a team sport. It takes everybody in the [Medical School] and in the community to contribute to the best possible educational experience for our students. My job is to be a leader, a coach, and a player at the same time.”
Caitlin Collier, a Mercer Medicine graduate and former student of Dean Sumner, has taken over Sumner’s position in Washington County. Collier has high praise for her mentor and friend.
“I've always seen Dr. Sumner as the embodiment of Mercer's mission to improve health in rural Georgia,” says Collier. “Everything she does is with the purpose of bringing well-trained doctors to small towns. [She] is also the hardest working physician I know. She never stops. She wakes up at night thinking of ways to improve the health of the community.”
Sumner’s dedication to improving rural health in Georgia has, indeed, been making a difference.
“Her patients absolutely idolize her and will miss her terribly,” says Collier. “We have had patients literally weeping in the office when they heard that she was going to stop seeing patients.”
Sumner hopes that Mercer’s School of Medicine will become a national leader of rural health during her time as Dean.
“We need to help produce physicians that are patient advocates,” says Sumner. Although she acknowledges that not every student and faculty member is meant to work in a rural area, she believes that, “every student and every faculty member can contribute in some way to rural health;” whether that be through research, technology advancements, or advocacy.
By pushing the Medical School’s focus on rural health back into the spotlight, Sumner hopes to repay Mercer for the opportunities it has provided her.
“Mercer gave me the opportunity to do something that I absolutely love—to return to a small town and practice medicine,” says Sumner. “It gave me the opportunity to serve my community and make a difference. I feel forever indebted to the University.”
(01/27/16 10:35pm)
The SHAPE Q&A session on gender violence in Willingham Hall sparked a controversial debate Tuesday night.
Over 800 students attended anti-sexist activist Jackson Katz’s lecture, “Taking it Personally: Why Gender Violence is an Issue for Men.” The event was mandatory for student athletes, students of the Greek community and a handful of students who were required to go for class.
Katz’s presentation touched on how sexual violence bystanders have a responsibility to speak up, and he also challenged students on how they view sexual assault. During the early portion of Katz’s lecture, distracted students listened and scrolled through their social media feeds on their phones.
When Katz opened the floor for the question and answer portion, the conversation heated up.
The first question came from sophomore Tyler Arnold who said he felt disappointed that Katz's presentation did not include women's violence against men. Arnold cited 2012 study from the Center for Disease Control, showing 40 percent of men were victims of sexual violence to justify his point that these types of abuses or assaults weren't given enough attention.
Arnold's question elicited an applause from the audience.
Senior Chancey Straily, who agreed with Arnold, stood up from her seat and said she found Katz’s talk to be offensive. She said she didn’t see how Katz could dismiss the male victims of sexual violence and then seek their help. She also said that she didn't believe women needed to be saved by men.
The crowd's growing chatter and sporadic applause made it difficult for Katz to hear the other questions.
“I’m sorry,” Katz said. “The acoustics in this room are terrible.”
The audience became restless and shouted out their opinions as Katz continued the Q&A. He paused a couple of moments to wipe the sweat off his forehead and struggled to regain the audience’s attention.
“My emotional response is that I spent an hour talking about this issue, and it all got high jacked with the first question,” Katz said to the crowd during the Q&A.
As the room’s temperature and emotions steadily climbed, students fanned themselves with presentation surveys handed out by SHAPE. Katz took two more questions and then shifted the talk to the media’s perception on gender violence by showing a couple of clips from a documentary.
Katz said he planned on showing one more clip but was unable to because of technical difficulties. Before Katz could make his closing remarks, students got up from their seats and filed out of the auditorium.
Some students who remained in the audience said that they were shocked that students left before the end of the presentation.
“At Mercer, we believe we have an extremely accepting environment, and I was set off by the blatant disrespect,” said sophomore Reed Jones. “I hold Mercer Bears to a higher standard, and this goes against how I think Mercerians should act.”
Mercer’s Title IX Coordinator Melissa Nunn, who coordinated the event, anticipated backlash from students.
“I know our students are not getting the point,” she said. “We still have a lot more education to do.”
However, the verbal parrying didn’t douse Nunn’s optimism. Instead, she said she felt encouraged to see students get passionate about the topic.
“It was a total success . . . I had not seen students so passionate, and there was obviously energy in the room,” she said.
At the end of the talk, a small group of students gathered around Katz to ask more questions, some of them apologizing for their peers’ disrespect.
Katz said he anticipated a certain level of resistance from a mandatory event, and he viewed the event as a success because students were engaged.
“I think it’s was a positive educational evening,” he said. “Overall, I give Mercer an A for the event.”
(01/25/16 4:01pm)
On top of old oaky
You've may of noticed that Cruz Plaza is a little less shady, or the fact that there's a mound of dirt near the bear statue. Well, Mercer's ground maintenance team cut down an over 100-year-old Swan Chestnut Oak tree as a safety precaution because the tree was rotting, according to the university's Superintendent of Grounds Carol Hodges. I guess that explains the mound of dirt. During the construction of Cruz Plaza, concrete was poured over the tree's roots which led to its demise. Hodges said that for the past few years her team tried to save the tree and "certainly didn't want to cut it down." However, Hodges and her team was left with limited options since the rotting tree posed a serious safety concern. The university plans to plant another oak tree in the same location.
Hoverboards to roll out of all Georgia colleges?
Right now it's looking like a possibility based on news headlines from the AJC and The (Macon) Telegraph. It's clear that the self-balancing devices are not so popular with college officials. Why? The devices have been reported to catch on fire in isolated incidences thanks to its lithium-ion batteries. Earlier this month, Mercer added itself on the list of college universities to ban hoverboards because of fire safety concerns from Mercer's Residence Life. In fact, over Winter Break, Mercer sent out an email to students, warning them that the devices were prohibited on campus.
Mercer to host leadership conference
Mercer University will host its inaugural Service Leadership Conference on Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m., on the Macon campus. The event will feature presentations by undergraduate and medical students exhibiting their commitment to community engagement. The program's aim is to address health, educational and socioeconomic disparities in Macon, Savannah and Columbus.
Augmented art in Macon
This past weekend, the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences opened a new exhibition called "Augmented" featuring many local and national artists. The artwork delves into the idea of living in an augmented reality and explores the connections on how the modern digital age creates a greater out-of-life experience. The exhibition will be open at the museum of arts and sciences until Feb. 21.
Just 'Hold On'
This weekend, the northern region of the United States was forced to brave the aftermath of Winter Storm Jonas, which left behind icy roads, snow-covered runways and blocked train tracks. The storm killed at least 15 people, grounded thousands of flights and shut down travel in many of the nation's largest cities, according to CNN. There were signs of some relief Sunday as residents shoveled snow and cleaned up flooding debris.
(11/17/15 10:44pm)
[video credit="Marin Guta " align="right"][/video]
Mercer's new vision is to make Middle Georgia the Silicon Valley of the South with the introduction with the Mercer Innovation Center.
The center aims to provide a physical space for technology, programming, resources and access to a talent pool, said President Bill Underwood at Tuesday's press event. The 10,000-square-foot facility that will host the center will be located next to Mercer's School of Engineering.
A 14-person advisory board made up of business leaders, entrepreneurs and academicians and chaired by entire Center and provide mentoring and guidance to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs around the world will also have the opportunity to compete for Mercer's Innovation Fellowship. Winners will receive one year of housing, office space, interns access to all Mercer facilities and $20,000 to fund their business.
The center will offer three levels of membership to the public ranging from $25 to $500 dollars. The center's memberships will allow them to have monthly entrepreneur speaker and a chance to sit in on workshops from Stetson School of Business and Economics faculty.
"Education drives the economy," said Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle "What we celebrate here today is that Mercer University is taking all the resources that you have at your disposal and creating an incubator that will be second to none."
(11/12/15 9:19pm)
Ocmulgee Traders, a European-inspired grocery store, closed its doors after only 17 months of being open, according to the (Macon) Telegraph.
Owner, Steve Bell, announced on the store's closing on its Facebook page:
"What an adventure pulling a store together like Ocmulgee Traders, bringing unique and loved products downtown. The store's gross profit margin exceeded our expectations but we needed more volume. Unfortunately I personally can't sustain the store until the density of downtown grows with several projects in the next year. I"m (sic) afraid we're going to have to shut it down unless we get an immediate investor or buyer. Thank you all for your support."
The downtown grocery sold organic grocery items and was outfitted with a café that sold sandwiches and drinks.
Bell told the Telegraph that he wanted to keep the store's doors open, but he couldn't afford to "pay out of pocket" to keep the store afloat.
Last November, Ocmulgee Trader's store owners Steve and Laura Bell sat down in an interview with The Cluster. They said the idea for the grocery store came out of the Macon Mogul Business Contest, where the winners of the contest earned the chance of receiving $50,000 for their business along with free rent for a year in downtown Macon.
The Bells put together their creative-business juices and pitched three ideas for the contest, including an urban grocery store. Their idea was cut during the second round of the competition.
The couples' efforts have caught the attention of of College Hill Corridor, which needed to launch a grocery store downtown as a part of its economic revitalization plan. With some financial help from College Hill, on June 4, 2014, the couple opened the $400,000 multi-level urban grocery store and called it Ocmulgee Traders.
Josh Rogers, CEO of NewTown Macon, said that it may have been too early to open a store downtown. He told the Telegraph that he hopes that the store's closing doesn't dissuade people from investing in downtown.
(11/12/15 3:14am)
One of Mercer University’s original engineering faculty members, Jack Mahaney, will retire in June after serving as an associate professor of mechanical engineering for 30 years.
In spring 1985, Mahaney saw an ad from the university that they were trying to hire a founding dean for its new engineering school.
At the time, Mahaney had just wrapped up his Ph.D. work at Old Dominion University in Virginia, and he was in need of a job. He realized he was unqualified for the dean position but decided to go out on a whim and submit an application for a faculty position.
Soon after, Mahaney was called in for an interview and offered a job on faculty.
Since the engineering school didn’t have a building, engineering classes were held in the Medical School.
“It was all a big scramble, and when the 10th of September happened, we all started teaching,” he said.
Mahaney said he remembered the first engineering class size ranging from 15 to 20 students. Also, at the time, only three types of engineering majors were offered to students: mechanical, industrial and electrical.
During his first year at Mercer, Mahaney worked long hours — typically from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. After work, Mahaney drove down to the Warner Robins Air Force Base to teach evening classes.
In the 30 years since, Mahaney said Mercer has changed dramatically, in infrastructure as well as curriculum.
“We now have six engineering programs instead of three. We have three non-engineering programs — industrial management and technical communication.”
But Mahaney said that one thing about Mercer that hasn’t changed is its emphasis on undergraduates.
“What I like, and liked, about Mercer was its focus on undergraduate education — what I call the ‘care and feeding of undergraduates.’”
Mahaney said that the main reason why he’s retiring is because he would like to have time for things he’s passionate about, such as boat sailing and playing the bagpipes.
“Everything I do from middle of August or finals in May revolves around my teaching schedule,” he said. “It started to annoy me that there are other activities I want to pursue because I have to be here.”
Although Mahaney said he’s looking forward to some time to pursue these hobbies, he’ll miss being in the classroom.
“I’m not quitting because I’ve burned out on teaching by any means. I love teaching. I love going into the classroom. I love my students,” he said.
Although Mahaney’s contract ends in June, this fall semester will be the professor’s last at Mercer. Last May, Mahaney contracted pneumonia and spent three days in the hospital.
He recovered from pneumonia, but the doctors soon discovered something wrong with one of his ribs from an x-ray.
“They found something funky from one of the ribs in my back,” which is where he had been having occasional mild back aches, he said.
The doctors learned that Mahaney had bone cancer. In early August, the engineering professor started a chemotherapy regime. So far, the treatment is going exactly how Mahaney wanted it to go. The cancer is going away, and his bones are healing.
But Mahaney will have to have a bone marrow transplant. This January, he’ll be at Northside Hospital in Atlanta for three months to receive treatment. Mahaney still has plans to return to Mercer in the spring if everything goes well.
Looking back on his time at time at Mercer, not one memory sticks out in Mahaney’s mind.
“Mercer has been my life. It has been my career. I’ve been here since 1985. That’s half my life I’ve spent at Mercer. That’s the memory right there.”
(11/11/15 10:38pm)
What are ways to help with homesickness?
Hello!
Homesickness is a very common feeling among college students regardless of how long they have been in school. It is a normal experience that is a part of every college student’s development toward adulthood. Although the feelings that come with homesickness are uncomfortable, they should still be acknowledged and accepted. After accepting these feelings, finding constructive ways to cope is crucial to reducing them. One of the most common methods I have seen fellow classmates use is going home every weekend or every other weekend. This strategy is not very helpful in dealing with homesickness, as these students are not truly creating a new home at Mercer. Doing this also probably means missing out on great opportunities to cultivate a social life and sense of belonging at Mercer. With that said, there are numerous ways to cope with homesickness, including making new friends, volunteering, taking advantage of campus life, going to football games and decorating your room with pictures of friends and family. Social support is also very important in helping with these feelings, so talking to a resident assistant, a friend, or a counselor from CAPS could be helpful. Another strategy that helps me get over homesickness is relaxing by myself. So, take some time to relax in addition to the previously mentioned strategies, and your feelings of homesickness should disappear soon.
What are the best ways to manage school and social activities? It's so hard to scale the level of importance of things when I find it all important.
Hi there,
There is no doubt that school and extracurricular activities can get quite overwhelming as we try to be able to do everything. When it comes to juggling, effective time management is essential. I cannot stress enough to make calendars and schedules with each of your commitments listed on them. Further, it is important to actually look at these calendars.
Consider also organizing your activities by importance and urgency. Complete the most important and time-pressing commitments first, followed by those that are important but less urgent. This does require some discernment as to what is important and what is urgent, so consider deadlines and how big of an impact the commitment will make.
Also, do not forget that your priority here is academics. Activities can be a great way to relieve stress and learn more about yourself and others. Ultimately, though, you are here to receive your degree. That being said, it is absolutely essential to ensure that your school work does not suffer in the midst of all of your activities. If you find yourself overwhelmed or your grades slipping, consider taking a break from one of your activities or scaling back on your involvement. It all seems important, but you must be willing to choose select activities to devote yourself to for the sake of your academic work and your own health.
A.W.A.R.E. is a student group of peer educators under the Counseling and Psychological Services umbrella. CAPS is located behind MEP and provides free, confidential counseling to Mercer students. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feel free to call 478- 301-2862 to schedule an appointment at any time for any problem, big or small.
(11/11/15 6:33pm)
Campus Engagement Committee
The Campus Engagement Committee was very busy this week. They have already begun work on their top four initiatives: diversity awareness, sexual assault awareness, athletic involvement, and Greek relations.
Senator Scherf explained that diversity awareness encompasses ethnic and cultural diversity as well as gender identity. He expressed that he did not want this initiative to be too narrow in only including ethnic diversity, but he also felt that it was important that it was not too broad either.
FLAG PARADE
The Campus Engagement committee will host the Flag Parade with the International Bears Association Nov. 17. This event is meant to bring students together and promote diversity.
In preparation for the event, IBA reviewed a list, provided by admissions, of the ethnicities represented on campus in order to include as much of the student body as possible. They have ordered over 50 flags for the event, estimated to cost the committee $300.
AUTISM AWARENESS
As part of the diversity initiative, the Campus Engagement Committee is teaming up with Sam Osakue or ‘Hype-man Sam’ to raise awareness of Autism on campus. By next semester they are hoping to have a group on campus.
The goal of this organization will be to raise awareness of Autism on a global level, as well as the presence of Autism on Mercer’s campus. They are hoping to team up with Autism Speaks U or another Autism awareness program.
If you are interested in the possibility of this organization, check out their interest group on Facebook here.
SEXUAL ASSAULT FOCUS GROUP
Senator Porter represented the Campus Engagement Committee at the sexual assault focus group earlier this week. Each student organization sent a representative to discuss sexual assault on campus. They reviewed a video and discussed whether to show it to the student body.
Other topics addressed in the focus group included students feeling disconnected from campus, and how to deal with sexual assault.
[sidebar title="Upcoming Events" align="right" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]
International Bears Association (IBA) Liberia Awareness Week is this week
Car Safety Event, put on the Mercer Car Club, will be Nov. 11 from 4-7 PM
The Deans Council Meeting is Nov. 13 at The Farmer’s Market, but the time will be moved earlier to accommodate the basketball game
President’s Round Table is Nov. 13 at 7 PM
MerServe Service Saturday is Nov. 14
[/sidebar]
Campus Safety Walk
The Campus Safety and Improvements committee, along with Dean Pearson, Chief Collins, and Russell Vullo, associate vice president for facilities, went on the campus safety walk in the rain Monday night to inspect any issues reported to them beforehand.
Senator Price pointed out the multiple leaks in the Stetson ceiling, and Senator Jolly addressed the sprinkler between the Greek parking lot and Sherwood that “basically floods” every time it runs.
Fiscal Affairs Funding Requests:
BEAR GRANTS- American Medical Women's Association
The American Medical Women’s Association submitted a revised request for $450 to cover start-up costs, t-shirts, and an upcoming cupcake fundraiser. Originally this new student organization had asked for $400, but SGA suggested they request more for t-shirts and meeting materials.
There was some debate as to whether or not Bear Grant money could be put towards fundraising materials. However, Senator Porter’s motion to strike the money for fundraising from the request failed. The motion to grant AMWA $450 passed.
CONFERENCE & LODGING- Mock Trial
After finding cheaper accommodations, Mock Trial asked for $1,471.80 to cover hotel expenses to attend the Argo Invitational Mock Trial Tournament.
Although this request was several hundred dollars cheaper than their original request, there was concern about how much money Mock Trial has asked for this semester. The Fiscal Affairs committee confirmed that if this motion passed than funds given to Mock Trial, totaling $4,502.88, would make up 16% of the annual budget.
MIMCA, by comparison, has received roughly 20% of the annual budget, $7,040.16. This competition, however, will be the last Mock Trial funding request of the year.
Senator Porter brought up that the bylaws state that Bear Grant money is distributed on a “first come, first serve” basis rather than “first come, first considered.” After a long debate, the motion passed.
(11/07/15 11:09pm)
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I believe that everything happens for a reason.
A run-in I had with Mercer freshman Timothy Jones back in August only confirms my belief.
I was walking from Connell Student Center (CSC) to go meet a friend. And I was late.
As I briskly walked to my apartment, I noticed a boy hunched over on the ground tying his shoe. Instead of staring down at his shoelace, he gazed up at the sky.
When I took notice of his red and white cane laying on the ground beside him, it immediately registered in my mind that he was legally blind. I was tempted to ignore him and keep on walking, but for some reason, I didn’t. I asked him if he needed any help, assuming that he wouldn’t accept my offer.
“Can you help me go to the cafeteria and load my plate with food?” he said.
I agreed, knowing that I would be late to meet my friend. As Timothy and I walked to the CSC, I couldn’t help but feel a little awkward and out of my element.
When we approached the front of the building, I tried to veer Timothy towards a handicap ramp in lieu of the CSC's front steps.
“I can go up stairs,” Timothy told me. He joked, I’m blind, but not lame. I couldn’t help but to laugh at my cautious manner. I wondered how often people underestimated his independence.
My mistakes only continued. When Timothy and I entered the cafeteria, I walked five steps in front of him and began to shout out the names of the food items on display.
“This is how you lead a blind person,” Timothy said as he stood on my right side and placed his hand on my right arm. We slowly looped around the cafeteria, and I told him—this time in a normal tone of voice —the food options.
When his plate was loaded with food, I led him to a table. I glanced down at my watch and immediately realized that I was unforgivably late to meet my friend. I quickly gathered my belongings and was prepared to leave when Timothy said something that stunned me.
“Is there anything that I can pray for you about?” he asked.
I was overwhelmed with emotion and choked back tears. Timothy felt that he needed to express gratitude to me for helping him, but I felt it should be the other way around.
I’ve received the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with Timothy, and I can say that he truly is an incredible individual.
As a student journalist, I have the opportunity to interview interesting people and learn a lot about their passions. But rarely you meet someone like Timothy.
His passion for life is infectious, and his faith is inspirational. He firmly believes that God has a special plan for his life.
Although he said he doesn’t know where he’ll be 20 years from now, he is committed to serving the Lord wherever he goes.
He reminds me that life is truly a gift worth living.
(11/05/15 12:01am)