22 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(01/26/18 12:05am)
Disney-Pixar has outdone themselves with their latest release Coco. Spoiler alert: you will cry.
“Coco” is centered around a young boy named Miguel who lives in Mexico and wants nothing more than to be a musician. However, his family completely forbids him from enjoying music after their dark past with it. Generations before Miguel, the father of his great-grandmother, Coco, abandoned his family in order to pursue his musical career, or so the family thought.
In the process of following his musical aspirations, Miguel sets out to participate in a Dia de los Muertos show. Along the way, Miguel gets himself in some trouble and ends up in the Land of the Dead, or the afterlife, where he must meet his ancestors and ask that they support his musical aspirations. Yes, the movie has a lot of surprising turns.
The music and bright animation of the movie beautifully capture what Dia de los Muertos and Mexican culture overall is. The filmmakers spent three years researching Mexican culture in order to accurately depict the holiday. This work was demonstrated in how the movie portrayed ofrendas, the altars made to honour the deceased and alebrijes, the mythical spirit animals commonly used in artisanal art.
This emphasis on family ties is present throughout the whole movie in describing the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The holiday has roots in the Aztec rituals of remembrance of those that passed away. The two-day holiday includes festivals with music, food, parties and vigils where people honor their loved ones that have passed away.
Dia de los Muertos is not intended to be a “scary” holiday, but rather one that shows how a person’s life should be celebrated. The movie encompasses this idea by staying close to the true meaning of Dia de los Muertos.
The film’s soundtrack and famous Mexican figures’ presence allowed for the movie to expand outside of the plot and cover all of the culture. The soundtrack features famous singer Marco Antonio Solis who sings the Spanish version of the popular “Remember Me.” Artist Frida Kahlo, wrestler Santo and actor Pedro Negrete make special appearances in the Land of the Dead.
It was fulfilling to watch a movie like “Coco” that relates to cultural traditions that are sometimes overlooked in Hollywood. There should be more movies that capture this same message accurately for other cultures.
I was a little worried that “Coco” would not do justice to this holiday, considering there was controversy leading up to the movie with Disney-Pixar attempting to trademark “Dia de los Muertos.” They received accusations of cultural appropriations with Disney-Pixar by monetizing a holiday that has existed for centuries. After the criticism, Disney-Pixar hired Mexican cultural consultants to ensure that cultural appropriation was not taking place.
Overall, “Coco” showed the importance of cultural representation in movies and the impact it can have on people of all ages and backgrounds. In the future, it would be beneficial to have this kind of representation that is not commonly portrayed in Hollywood.
(09/30/17 3:45pm)
James Ruffin’s eyes lit up and his voice escalated as he spoke of his passion. The junior music major and business minor performs with the Mercer Singers and the Mercer University Opera.
“Music can be interpreted many ways, it can heal you and soothe your soul,” Ruffin said. "I have a gift, and I have a voice that can soothe my soul and soothe other people’s souls when I perform.”
Ruffin began singing after being forced to join his church’s choir when he was 5 years old. He didn’t know that he would find his true passion singing.
“I was kind of forced into choir, but at the same time, I started loving it. It was something that my heart just couldn’t stay away from. Music has been my passion ever since,” Ruffin said.
Ruffin was born in Washington D.C., but spent much of his life in Opelika, Alabama, a place with a lot of meaning to Ruffin.
“I made myself a better person there. I could never forget Opelika because it makes me who I am,” he said.
Some say singing is a gift, but Ruffin emphasized the importance of continuing to practice.
“Practice is always a good part of any gift or craft, because if you don’t practice your craft you will stay at the same level,” he said. “Every day is a day to get better at what you do.”
Ruffin said he tries to practice one or two hours a day every day of the week.
“Sometimes it gets hard because you also have classwork, but you make time for what’s important to you,” Ruffin said.
The Townsend School of Music plays a major role in Ruffin’s evolution as a singer where he’s a vocal performance major. Ruffin is taking classes on musical theory, music history, song literature and vocal diction.
“I’m learning the different sides of music and the breaking down of music. It’s actually harder than most people think, but it’s a very beautiful thing in itself. I love every day that I am in the music building just learning new things about music,” Ruffin said.
Although Ruffin’s in-class experience has helped him grow, his musical work outside of the classroom has also had a huge impact on him. Ruffin performed in Mercer University Opera’s “The Gondoliers” last year as the Duke of Plaza-Toro. This was Ruffin’s first opera performance.
“That has to be one of my favorite moments at Mercer, period. It broadened my horizons to a place I had never been before. It made me realize that I could do it,” he said.
R&B is his absolute favorite music genre and he sees John Legend as an inspiration.
“I love soul and something that hits your heart every time. My favorite songs are ‘Ordinary People’ or ‘Soul High’ by John Legend,” Ruffin said. “His whole emotion and ethos is all there in his piano and when he sings.”
The music school is an immense part of Ruffin’s Mercer experience, but he also tries to go to as many events outside the music school. Ruffin is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Ruffin emphasized the importance of also supporting other students outside your designated school.
When Ruffin thinks of his future, he hopes to continue performing.
“My main dream is to perform. For me, being on the stage, if I could do that every day, I would be happily content with that because that it how much I love music,” Ruffin said.
(09/17/17 1:36pm)
Mercer students are among those impacted by President Donald Trump administration’s announcement about the plan to terminate the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) order.
Former President Barack Obama passed the executive order approving DACA in 2012. DACA gave 800,000 immigrants or “Dreamers” a grace period to work, study and live without the threat of deportation.
The requirements to receive DACA include: arriving to the United States before 2007, being under the age of 31 by 2012, living continuously in the country, have no felony charges, have no more than three misdemeanors or a significant misdemeanor and be in school or have a high school degree or a general education development (GED), according to Homeland Security’s website.
DACA recipients pay a $495 fee renewal fee every two years.
Eduardo Rubio is a sophomore at Mercer University who is triple-majoring in economics, math and computer science. Rubio is a DACA recipient.
“[DACA] allows immigrants who came as children, such as me, a shot at normal American life. [It allows us to] get a social security number, [which then] allows us to get [a] driver's license and a workers permit,” Rubio said.
Rubio said he always knew he wasn’t from the United States. However, it wasn’t until his sophomore year of high school that he realized what this meant for him and others in his situation.
“Junior and sophomore year of high school is when everybody starts getting their driver's license, [and] the conversation of college starts picking up,” Rubio said. “I remember seeing all my friends be able to do all these things I wasn’t able to.”
According to the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, DACA recipients are not eligible for federally funded financial aid including loans, grants and scholarships. DACA recipients also have to pay out-of-state tuition at public institutions. Some states allow them to pay in-state tuition; however, Georgia is not one of those states.
“The financial barriers are enormous so for a really long time I did not think I would be able to go to college at all,” Rubio said.
Mercer University is a private institution, therefore DACA recipients like Rubio can receive merit-based scholarships like other students. The number of DACA recipients attending Mercer is not known.
Trump’s administration says DACA is an overreach of power.
“DACA was effectuated by the previous administration through executive action, without proper statutory authority and with no established end-date, after Congress' repeated rejection of proposed legislation that would have accomplished a similar result,”said Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a public letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke. “Such an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws was an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Executive Branch.”
The administration said there is a six-month delay on the termination of DACA giving time for Congress to vote to make a long term legislative decision. “Dreamers” and other advocates are pushing for the approval of Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act. The bill was introduced to the Senate in 2001 and has been rejected several times.
“They’re using DACA as a political football. I don’t believe it is a political matter necessarily, it should be treated like a humanitarian matter,” Rubio said.
Mercer University has declined to comment regarding the announcement.
(05/01/17 2:44pm)
Mercer University’s Student Government Association and Minority Affairs hosted a diversity panel on April 12.
The panel consisted of a group of students from African, African American, European, Caucasian, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Native American and Caribbean descent.
Senior Anthony McMillan presented the idea in hopes of allowing students to learn about different cultures, ethnicities and religions.
“It’s a very diverse campus, and it’s important for us to know why we have differences of opinion based on different cultures and religions,” McMillan said.
The panel answered questions that students were able to submit before the event. The questions included defining what racism is, its impact and the impact of the most recent presidential election.
However, not everyone believes the panel raised as much awareness as it could have, according to SGA committee chair Perry Hicks.
“The idea was to help raise awareness and educate that Mercer has a beautifully diverse student population, in every sense of the word. Attendance was poor, but I think that had more to do with the time allotted for planning the event,” said Hicks.
Panel attendee Jaz Buckley suspects the low turnout was due to the sensitivity of the topic.
“It is not surprising that only 15 people showed up because as much as we all say we care about diversity, it is a difficult topic as well as it being something that we feel that we already know about or it being something that pertains to us or what we feel,” panel attendee Jaz Buckley said.
Although it did not turn out as expected, Hicks sees potential in the discussion template.
“The panel shifted more towards a political focus from the questions and ended up not completely reaching our goal for the event,” Hicks said. “It was a great event, and I think it could be very successful in the future.”
The shift to the political focus Hicks describes began with the panelists expressing their sentiments about President Donald Trump.
Some disagreed with the way President Trump is leading the country.
“He’s not focusing on the right issues in the country; he’s talking about a ban, and he’s talking about a wall. The reason people voted for him is because he’d bring change. He ran on bringing change and making America great, but he’s not really living up to his promises,” sophomore panelist Supreet Kaur said.
Meanwhile, another panelist touched on the benefits President Trump could bring to the country regarding the president’s executive order requiring two federal regulations to be repealed for each new one passed.
“From an economic standpoint, he has been doing some good things. Like recently, he put a law that said every time you pass a law, you take away two. Which, I consider a good thing because there are too many regulations in America, and some need to be cut down,” student panelist Samukai Sarnor said. [Editor’s note: The rule is an executive order rather than a law, and it pertains to regulations enacted by federal agencies.]
Although the panel discussion shifted away from Mercer’s diversity, an audience member asked how to increase diversity on campus, and some of the panelists suggested including it in the academic curriculum, increasing collaborations among Greek organizations and other student organizations.
“I’m a part of the Caribbean Student Association and when I ask people why they don’t come, they say, ‘I’m not Caribbean’. Well, then how do you expect to learn about our culture? The seat is there, but do you want to sit down,” student panelist Zandree Granston said.
Despite whether or not the “Civil Discussion on Campus Diversity” fulfilled the intended goal, some audience members felt it was a good start to a necessary conversation.
“I think it was good. It was definitely a good start to discussions of this nature,” Buckley said. “It is important to start this conversation because it is important to discuss issues of diversity and issues of race and specifically how they relate to student organizations and campus culture.”
(04/21/17 2:56am)
Mercer Innovation Center is launching an initiative in the fall where students will meet once a month and share entrepreneurship ideas and plans to carry them out. The program is called “The Grind” because free coffee will be served at the monthly meetings.
This program will be a part of different initiatives the Mercer Innovation Center is doing.
“The Mercer Innovation Center is working on developing programs to encourage entrepreneurship and connect students with real-life startups,” said director of the Mercer Innovation Center Stephanie Howard. “What better way than to connect over coffee, and have meaningful conversations about starting a business? We hope that programs like The Grind will inspire students to develop their ideas and explore possibilities.”
The Grind will help give people the first steps to starting a business.
“We are having businesses pitch their ideas and then we are going to see how students can take it to the next level,” said Faiz Aly, The Grind’s program ambassador. “There’s a lot of businesses out there — they need interns, they need to find people to take their business to another level and we have students with amazing ideas.”
The program’s goal is to provide support for those who want to start a business or are interested in learning about the process.
“Our goal is we will grind with you until you have your first customer, win a competition, get into the accelerator or get funding,” Aly said.
During the monthly session, students will meet at the Innovation Center where they will be able to have stories pitched and have a small competition between those in attendance. Teams will be formed and they will have to create a business plan within an hour.
People who have a business pitch will also be able to attend a meeting and pitch their own ideas. Then, they have the opportunity to meet a cofounder and receive feedback from other people at the meeting,
“We have it set up like a think tank. People come in and pitch their ideas and we all listen, so it’s going to be very discussion-based,” Aly said.
Aly said he thinks the program will be beneficial to students and local business.
“[The Grind] can not just benefit the student by getting the offers, putting their stuff in a portfolio or LinkedIn account, but it also helps business.” he said.
The program will kick-start in the fall of next year and the sessions will be held in the Mercer Innovation Center.
(04/08/17 4:01pm)
Registering for classes is one of those things that causes me unreasonable stress; it’s just a reminder of the upcoming semester while I’m barely surviving the current semester.
It’s a little more stressful if you’re some of the students that do not receive priority registration. Athletes and honor students are allowed to register for classes earlier than others regardless of their year. Upperclassmen also register for classes before underclassmen.
Mercer is a small school, so the amount of classes offered is already small compared to bigger schools. This makes the availability of classes limited when different groups of students have access to these classes before the rest of the student population.
This becomes a bigger issue when the classes you need for your major are already filled up by the time you’re allowed to register. I am currently a journalism sophomore and need to take digital storytelling for my major. Unfortunately, this is one of the classes that fulfills the arts general education requirement, so it gets filled up rather quickly.
This does not mean you will not be able to register for the classes you need to graduate; it’s just a setback. Seniors receive priority if they are waitlisted for a course they need to graduate. However, seniors are pre-occupied planning for their post-graduate plans, so it is a hassle having to take their general education requirements. Science courses for non-science majors are scarce and are usually the first to fill up. These are the kind of courses you want to take early on in your college career in case you have trouble with it, rather than having to take it your senior year.
Even students that receive priority have trouble registering for the classes they want because there are so many people that receive priority registration. This only shows how difficult it actually is for underclassmen that do not have priority.
I think the best solution would be to get rid of the registration priority since it’s not really a priority. As I described above, even people with priority have trouble getting in the classes they want. Students should be able to register based on their year and have some sort of priority to get off the waitlist if that class is needed for their major. This solution would make the process smoother and guarantee that people get in the classes they need.
(03/30/17 2:46pm)
Student Government Association (SGA) president and vice president candidates running this election all had one thing in common. Each of their campaign platforms pushed for inclusiveness and diversity in SGA.
Last year, the Cluster published an article that highlighted the lack of diversity in SGA.
Candidates Cole Porter and Alexandria Kirschbaum, Olivia Buckner and Oge Onuh, and Catie Byrd and Michael Smith had platforms with strategies on how to make SGA more open to diverse students.
Candidate Porter said diversity was a major focus for him and running mate Kirschbaum during the campaign.
“I think it was beneficial and eye opening for SGA and campus to see how SGA has been siloed in the past,” Porter said. “ For Alex and I, it was really important to look at that and say ‘how can we fix that?’”
According to candidate Byrd and running mate Smith, this is something all of SGA is hoping to do.
“This has been a conversation SGA has had a lot this year. Senators have been discussing how we can get better representation in SGA among our senators and student correspondents and how we can better represent our student body by reaching other groups we may not necessarily have on our senate body,” Byrd said.
The candidates emphasized that the push for diversity wouldn’t affect the SGA democratic process, saying that their diversity platforms were not about who leads SGA, but about being more inclusive in order to better represent the student population.[related title="Related Stories" stories="19237,21347,21277" align="right" background="on" border="none" shadow="off"]
Candidate Buckner and running mate Onuh said their platform included ways to change the way Mercer’s student population interacts with SGA.
“I’m very aware of the issues regarding inclusivity and inclusion especially on SGA. The sad thing is we can’t change the election results, and we can’t change who runs,” SGA presidential candidate Olivia Buckner said. “But what we can change is the way senators who are elected take those issues and concerns into consideration and relay them.”
Each candidate went more into detail on their different plans regarding diversity and inclusiveness, if elected.
Porter and Kirschbaum had a two-part plan that included a diversity committee.
“What this committee would do is invite students from around campus who are currently underrepresented on SGA. The idea is we’ll invite cultural leaders on campus, [and] we’ll invite minority leaders on campus. Even academic diversity — we’ll invite more education, music students, international students and commuters,” Porter said. “Secondly, we hope to have this committee mentor younger students. As they work with these upperclassmen from different areas, we can encourage them to run.”
Byrd and Smith planned on creating advisory councils to represent different organizations throughout campus.
“Michael and I are seeking to create three advisory councils that will go along with our standing committees which are the multicultural, Greek and athlete advisory councils. These are groups that are not necessarily usually represented on SGA,” Byrd said. “This would be much more organized and structured than what we’ve had in the past; the councils would create official roles on SGA for 1-2 people per multicultural organization, per athletic team and per greek organization.”
Buckner and Onuh planned on hosting a “town hall” meeting open to all students in order to allow them to voice their opinions.
“SGA is an association, and there are other associations on campus. We don’t want at any time for SGA to be above any other, that is how I look at SGA. In that regard, we want to work with multicultural organizations especially and help with their events,” Buckner said “We want to have a town hall meeting where we can invite the whole student body to come and tell us their concerns. We want to have each committee chair be on the panel along with their advisors. That way there’s more of a direct contact.”
The runoff election for SGA President and Vice President will occur on Friday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(03/23/17 5:46pm)
So there’s this one celebrity you really like, and they’re basically your idol. You follow them on all social media pages, you listen to their music as soon as it comes out, you “like” all their Instagram pictures, etc. There’s only one problem, they recently were in the spotlight for doing something you don’t necessarily agree with. So what do you do? Do you stop being a fan and just look at them as an artist while ignoring their personal life? Do you continue being their fan?
Yes, celebrities are human too, and they have flaws. However, this is not an excuse for continuing to support someone that has been known to cause harm to others. Continuing this support normalizes their behavior.
Chris Brown is talented and has a vast number of followers. Nobody is rejecting the fact that he is talented. However, his behavior has made him a questionable individual. Last month, TMZ said a judge ordered Brown to stay away from his ex-girlfriend, Karrueche Tran, and her family. In the restraining order, Tran says Brown threatened to “take her out,” and he told some people he would kill her. This is not the first time Brown has been accused of domestic violence. In 2009, he brutally beat his then girlfriend Rihanna and got off felony probation in 2015.
Despite the first domestic abuse incident, Brown has continued to be successful in his music endeavors. People on social media continue to praise him and ignore his actions. Some Twitter users have even made memes of Brown’s abusive behavior which makes it seem like they think his behavior is fine.
Johnny Depp is another celebrity who has recently been accused of domestic abuse. His now ex-wife Amber Heard filed a restraining order on Depp and filed for divorce. According to court documents, the divorce was settled, and Heard donated the settlement money to American Civil Liberties Union, a national organization that protects the civil liberties of individuals and groups. She also has become a prominent anti-domestic abuse advocate starring in a commercial about domestic abuse.
Their heavily publicized divorce reached a lot of people, and many spoke out in support of Depp. Some accused Heard of being interested in money and fame even though she has her own career and donated the settlement money. Some fans even went as far as blaming the victims of the abuse.
As fans, we often place celebrities on a pedestal, and we feel like they are not capable of any wrongdoing. However, we must recognize that they have flaws, and they should still be held accountable for their behavior despite their celebrity status.
If we continue to support them, it normalizes abuse and makes it seem like anyone can do it. You cannot separate a person’s career from who they are as a person.
(03/18/17 7:36pm)
Throughout Mercer’s campus more and more students appear to be sick this flu season compared to previous years. This flu season has seen an increased number of cases because of the H3N2 strain, which is the most severe strain in the Influenza A category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influenza A and Influenza B are divided based on years of isolation, geographic area and other factors. Only type A, which is more widespread, has subcategories like the H3N2 and H1N1 viruses.
The dominant types of Influenza A also change each year because of mutations in the strains that make it difficult to predict how severe the season will be and what strain will affect people the most.
Mercer sophomore James Ruffin says he has seen some Mercer students take a hit this flu season.
“I have seen a lot more people getting sick around campus, and it just sucks because it slows down your body, makes you weak and lazy,” Ruffin said.
Being sick can also affect class attendance.
“I would imagine 30 to 40 percent of kids have missed at least one class. It’s hard to tell if they are missing just to miss,” Mercer professor Derek Glasgow said. “But I have seen the flu be more rampant this season, and when you live close together, it is inevitable.”
Senior Jacob Harvey was affected by the flu a few weeks ago, but he says it only lasted a few days.
“I had a sore throat. My body was aching all over. I just felt really sick. It was really awful,” Harvey said.
According to the CDC, flu vaccines are only moderately preventing this flu season. It is approximately preventing 48 percent of influenza cases. Seasons in which H3N2 dominate the season are harsher because they tend to affect adults at a higher and harsher rate compared to younger people.
Flu vaccines are constantly being updated because they are made up of different vaccines. However, the H3N2 component of the vaccine has not been as effective as other components, says the CDC.
According to five surveillance sites investigated by the CDC, the flu vaccine offered around 43 percent coverage of influenza. This is low compared to other components present in the vaccine that protect around 70 percent of cases.
The last H3N2-dominated flu season was in 2014-2015. CDC data from that season showed the vaccine offered virtually no protection against H3N2 viruses. This is because the target virus of the vaccine did not accurately match the virus strand making people sick.
The peak of flu season in typically between December and March, according to the CDC. In order to prevent catching or spreading the flu, the CDC recommends avoiding close contact with people who are sick, stay home when you are sick, cover your nose and mouth, avoid contact with your eyes, nose and mouth and clean your hands often.
(03/10/17 4:00pm)
There is so much pressure for college students to get internships and have job options after graduation. Career fairs and networking events are great ways to meet people in your career field that are specifically looking for college students. It’s hard to be noticed when there are a lot of other students there who are on the same mission as you. Here are some tips on what to do when you’re trying to network with professionals.
Go to the networking events prepared.
Dress professionally, because appearance does matter. It does not have to be something over the top. Business casual is the best way to dress for these types of events. Have a resume and business cards ready. Although we are still college students, it is important for potential employers to see your level of professionalism and what kind of experience you have.
If possible, arrive early to the event.
It’s easier to meet people if you arrive a little early. One of the hardest things to do when networking is waiting to talk to someone you are interested in if they are already in a conversation. Arriving early would give you a better chance of talking to someone you are interested in.
Don’t wait for someone to approach you.
If it’s a large networking event, it’s easy to go unnoticed if you are just standing in a corner waiting for someone to talk to you. Go up to someone and introduce yourself. Tell them your name, your major and your year. Start by asking simple questions like: “What brings you to this event?”, “What are you hoping to get out of this networking event?” or “What are you most excited about?”
Ask followup questions.
Listen intently to their responses allows for you to ask follow-up questions. Some good follow-up questions are: “How did you start working in that direction?” or “What is a short description of what you do?” If they have a similar career path, you should ask for advice on how to get to where they are.
Seem welcoming.
Smiling and nodding makes others feel more comfortable talking to you. Part of being welcoming is not hijacking a conversation. If they ask questions about you, answer them. However, it is better to ask the other person about themselves. People love talking about themselves.
Do not be afraid to brag.
Being humble is admirable. However, it is not appropriate in this situation. Potential employers are at networking events searching for talented individuals, so it is completely acceptable to let them know about your experience.
Keep it short.
Networking events are sort of like speed dating. Talk to someone long enough to make a lasting impression but short enough for both of you to meet other people. People also stop listening after some time so the maximum you should spend with one person should be ten minutes. If the conversation seems to die off, part ways. Give them your business card and ask what is the best way to keep in touch with them. They might give you their phone number, email or LinkedIn information.
Follow up with them.
Mercer’s Career Services Center recently hosted a networking and career fair. Lacey Cumming, a campus recruiter from AthenaHealth, gave a few tips there on how to follow up: “If you meet someone at a career fair or networking event and they give you their card, I think it is always great to follow up the next day by expressing your interest. If there is a specific position you are interested in, go ahead and let them know.” Start your follow-up by bringing up something from your conversation. They probably met a lot of people and might be bad with names. This allows them to remember who you are and it makes your introduction less awkward. Even if you are not looking for an immediate job, following up in this time frame allows for them to remember you so you can reach out to them later and maintain constant contact.
Regardless of your major, GPA, experience and talents, networking is fundamental for every industry. These connections will be helpful eventually, and it is important to maintain contact with people after networking events.
(02/21/17 4:19am)
The First Amendment gives people the right to be a part of a peaceful protest in public places such as parks and sidewalks. In light of recent events, people have taken it upon themselves to show their discontent with different injustices. Whether it is a peaceful or violent act of defiance, people still seem to be critical. This in turn raises the question of what is the “right” way for people to protest.
Recently, the University of Berkeley students organized a protest against a sold-out speech by Milo Yiannopoulos, who is a Breitbart editor and prominent right-wing supporter.
Yiannopoulos’s college tours have received a lot of attention for his inflammatory rhetoric. According to the New York Times, during a visit to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Yiannopoulos ridiculed a transgender student.
Berkeley students wanted to cancel the speech sponsored by the school’s Republican club, so they organized a protest. This protest, however, turned violent resulting in a number of injuries, so law enforcement officials intervened.
The violent aspect of the protest received a lot of backlash from both sides of the political spectrum. President Donald Trump threatened to defund the University of Berkeley. Some might argue that this protest added fuel to the already unstable political division. However, it is also important to note that even peaceful protests receive negative backlash.
Although peaceful protests are legal, some protesters are still arrested, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Unfortunately, law enforcement officials sometimes violate this right through means intended to thwart free public expression,” said the ACLU website.
The Dakota Access Pipeline protesters are an example of peaceful protests that have results in numerous arrests. Protesters have camped out in Standing Rock to fight the construction of a pipeline that risks damaging the water supply. The Morton County Police Department has estimated the arrests listed as protesters being almost 600. According to PBS, law enforcement officials have also tried to disperse protesters using water hoses and tear gas.
Peaceful protests are not only receiving a lack of fair treatment from law enforcement officials, but civilians are also criticizing peaceful protests in general.
(02/05/17 9:47pm)
If travelling more is one of your New Year’s resolutions, here are some tips on how to enjoy fulfilling trips while also maintaining a budget. Taking a trip can often cost a lot with hotel expenses. However, Airbnb is an affordable alternative to hotels.
Airbnb is a website that has open listings to residential places for a temporary stay. The renter decides the cost of rent. There are a variety of options, including renting a room in someone’s home or renting a whole apartment or house. Some places can accommodate up to 16 people or you can simply rent an open space for one person.
Here are some tips for planning your adventure.
Don’t be afraid
You will not be scammed using this website because Airbnb functions as a middleman in all transactions. If you are interested in a place, you submit a reservation and will then put in your payment method information. The renter will not receive your payment until 24 hours after you check-in.
Read Reviews
If you are skeptical about the process, you should read reviews from people who used the service in the past. The listings will also show the rating received. This will let you know whether or not the homes and hosts are as they appear to be online.
Read the location description in depth.
Renters will provide information such as: the amount of rooms/beds available, whether they charge extra for additional people, if pets are allowed, age requirements and etc. Some Airbnb locations also charge a cleaning fee. It is important to read this description because it varies depending on the renter and so that you don’t receive any unexpected charges.
Contact the renter beforehand
It is helpful to contact the renter to get additional information and to introduce yourself. This is helpful because sometimes renters are flexible with the rules they have on their description. For example, I contacted a renter who had an age requirement of 21 but after introducing myself, he was more flexible in allowing us to rent.
Arrive at the rental location at the time designated.
The majority of renters are regular people that have jobs, so they will specify on their description what times to check people in.
Follow the rules designated by the renter.
The hosts also review tenants so if you would like to make more trips in the future, it is important to have a good record.
Don’t reserve the first place you see.
Airbnb provides some cheap and good quality rentals, so it is good to shop around before deciding on a location. There are some places as cheap as $50 per night. It is cheaper to rent entire houses or apartments if you have a large group of friends and split the price. This gives you the opportunity to bring extra people if allowed and it makes it a much more fun experience.
Look up fun activities around the rental.
Some rental locations provide suggestions for fun things to do on your trip. You can also ask the host for recommendations.
You do not have to spend a lot of money to go on a trip with Airbnb, and it helps people stay in a budget while providing quality housing. Travelling is a goal to many college students in the New Year, but sometimes our bank account tells us otherwise. When we have to spend money on food, textbooks, clothes and other necessities travelling becomes the last item on our list of expenses. However, there is a way to travel even if it’s a short distance away and not harm our bank account.
(12/04/16 8:50pm)
Mercer University continues being ranked among the country’s best institutions. Mercer is ranked in sections such as impact schools, colleges that pay you back, best southeastern schools, best value schools and now, most active student government.
The Princeton Review ranked Mercer 11th out of the top 20 schools in the nation with the most active student government. Other schools on the list include: University of Virginia, Bucknell University, College of William and Mary, among others.
According to the Princeton Review’s website, they rank schools in this section “based on how strongly students agree or disagree with the statement, ‘Student government has an active presence and a tremendous impact on campus life.’”
SGA deals with academic affairs, campus engagement, campus safety and improvements, contract services, external relations, fiscal affairs, heritage life, public relations and elections, student life and organizational affairs. SGA is dedicated to filling the communication gap between students and administration, according to Aaron Scherf.
“Our biggest job as SGA is always talking with students and listening to their feedback, so hearing that people believe in our capacity to make a difference is great because it means they know they can come to us,” he said.
Scherf hopes that this recognition will allow SGA to become even more involved in school activities.
“I hope that this recognition will inspire more people to share their thoughts with us and that it will challenge our representatives to work even harder to reach out more,” Scherf said. “Having an active SGA is great, but we need to make sure that activity is achieving something meaningful for our school because we do have a lot more room for improvement as a university.”
(11/25/16 8:00pm)
As of October, The Mill nightclub has undergone a transition to create a more inclusive nightlife environment in the Middle Georgia-Mercer community by becoming a gay club — the only one in the downtown Macon area that caters to the LGBTQIA community.
The Mill had once been a gay club in the past, originally named Club Synergy, for about ten years before it became a “straight club.” However, the owner of The Mill, Tim Oblegoner, who also owns the Hummingbird and Billy’s Clubhouse, believed the community needed the change.
“There have been a lot of attempts over the years to try to do a gay night here, a gay night there, at various clubs around downtown or even private banquet venues, but nothing ever got going,” said The Mill’s general manager, Martin Marshall. “He [Oblegoner] saw the interest in the crowd and the community and the desire of the community to have a place of their own again.”
The Mill is committed to staying, Marshall said.
“The club is not temporary, it's not an experiment; it's a commitment. Time will show the commitment,” Marshall said.[pullquote speaker="Martin Marshall" photo="" align="left" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]The club is not temporary, it's not an experiment; it's a commitment.[/pullquote]
The club’s programming includes drag pageants, talent shows and karaoke. On Thursday and Friday nights, The Mill hosts Cherry Street Cabaret show nights which include skits, singers and stand-ups, among other talents. The Mill welcomes local talent but will also have special appearances from some of RuPaul’s Drag Race show, such as Nicole Paige Brooks.
“We continue to build shows showing the diversity in our shows. We have transgender, we have drag queens, we have drag kings, [and an] ethnically diverse cast,” Marshall said. “We're all about diversity and that builds a strong community.”
Aside from being a nightclub, the club is dedicated to be an outreach resource to help members of the community.
“We're doing a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff by reaching out to groups in Atlanta,” Marshall said. “There are some groups that'll be showing up in the next few months for events that are outreach oriented to the LGBT community, the trans-community and the LGBT youth.”
[sidebar title="Upcoming Events at The Mill" align="right" background="on" border="none" shadow="off"]
11/25: Cherry Street Cabaret Show
11/30: Macon's Got Talent
12/1: Karaoke Night with Man InTheBoxx
12/3: Full House - 3 Kings & 2 Queens
[/sidebar]
This would, overall, help the Mercer student community as well, said Common Ground’s president James Stair.
“I think that it would make for a more welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ students here,” Stair said. “Because the club does have major icons on the walls and frequent drag shows, it would also make for a more accepting campus overall just by the mere exposure of it.”
Gay clubs, historically, have been a major outreach and aid resource for the community, which allowed for the civil rights movement to commence. According to Time Magazine’s the Revolutionary Role of the Gay Bar in American History, the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York, played a major role in the modern day LGBTQA rights movement.
“We've seen gay bars be the center of the community and many of the movements today came out of gay bars,” Marshall said. “They started as a defense for the community when it wasn't very easy.”
Although the LGBTQA civil rights movement has made significant strides, it is still helpful to have a safe space like The Mill, Marshall said.
“Many members of our community have been kicked out of their homes, disowned by parents, so we are a family,” he said. “Basically, for the Middle Georgia gay community, we like to feel that this is a home that the family can come home to.“
(11/20/16 9:50pm)
Hillary Clinton may not have been named the first female president this election but history was still made. A record-breaking number of women of color were elected for the senate.
This election quadrupled the amount of women of color in the senate. Tammy Duckworth, Kamala Harris and Catherine Cortez Mateo will be a part of the senate beginning in January.
Duckworth is an Asian-American veteran who lost both of her legs during the Iraq War, now she is is the Democratic senator for Illinois after beating incumbent Senator Mark Kirk, according to the Chicago Tribune.
In 2010, Harris became the first African-American and the first Indian-American to serve as California’s Attorney General and is now the Democratic senator for California.
She became the first Indian-American and the second African-American to be elected to the senate.
According to Huffington Post, Harris’s career was could even become the first woman president. The article titled “Meet Kamala Harris, Who Could Become The First Woman President”, cites her experience with criminal justice, her role in the fight for marriage equality and the history she has made in California and now the Senate.
Catherine Cortez Mateo won the Nevada senate seat, becoming the first Latina in the Senate. She is Nevada’s former Attorney General and she is the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant.
Her campaign focused on immigration overhaul and the senate approval for Supreme Court nominees, according to New York Times.
Many people believe that the government should be representative of all the country’s population.
“I am proud that there is diversity in the U.S government,” Mercer sophomore Bansari Patel said.
Patel is Indian-American and is happy to see two Indian-American women in the senate.
“To know that to Indian-Americans are in the senate makes me feel represented. We need different perspectives in our fast paced world to understand intricate situations,” she said.
Prior to this election Hawaii’s senator Mazie Hirono, who is Japanese American, was the only woman of color in the senate.
She is also the first first female senator from Hawaii and the first Asian-American woman to be elected to the senate.
During an interview with Adrienne LeFrance on Medium, Hirono emphasized the importance of having diversity in the senate.
“When I go home, I talk with the kids in Hawaii and I say, ‘Do you know there’s only one person in the Senate who looks like us?...And they invariably look at each other. And I say, ‘That’s why we need to do a lot more,” she said.
(11/18/16 11:00am)
Mercer prides itself in providing students with a “major in changing the world”. The Mercer Innovation Center aims at providing students with the first stepping stool of that process.
During November of last year, President William D. Underwood announced the launch of the center. Dean of Stetson School of Business and Economics, Susan Gilbert, considers herself the co-founder of the center along with President Underwood. The center is a place where entrepreneurs can work together and use the technology available to create a thriving business. Despite the expectations the Innovation Center had, the center has not been as successful since it is not receiving as many students or start-up businesses.
The center is now done with renovations and is seeking to attract more students and potential businesses to use their office spaces. After the renovations, eight new offices were added to the center aside from the four existing office spaces, not counting conference rooms that were converted into offices.
KUDU Safari Braai and HeadNoise are Mercer Innovation fellows that are the only two tenants of the center. KUDU Safari Braai is a grill, griddle and fire pit. HeadNoise is a headband that delivers sounds through bone conduction. KUDU Safari Braai and Headnoise became fellows by winning the Mercer Innovation competition.
“Our first place winner was given $20,000 plus an apartment, plus the office, plus student interns to work for them. Our second place winner did not get the cash and did not need a place to live, but he gets an office, student interns and access to all that is Mercer,” Gilbert said.
The center hopes to get more startups to fill the remaining office spaces.
“We expect to get between five and seven more offices filled by winter,” Gilbert said.
This may be a problem with the recent surge in office spaces around the downtown Macon area.
“New Town Macon is an urban revitalization firm downtown, they just opened up a co-working office, the Industrial Authority has opened up a co-working office. So now, there's this big supply of shared office spaces which the startups really want,” HeadNoise intern and Mercer Student Government Association member, Aaron Scherf, said.”It's hard for us as being on campus to compete with someone that's right downtown.”
The center, however, has the technological means to compete with the office spaces downtown, Scherf said.
“Now, that we are set to go, I think we have a much more technically advantageous position, we have better communication software, better furniture, better office space, better parking, so I think it'll be good. We'll get more businesses soon,” Scherf said.
Aside from trying to get more businesses to collaborate with the center, the center hopes to provide more events for students from different fields of study. Stephanie Howard is the center’s interim director as of October and is a Stetson marketing professor. The previous director, Samantha Lankford, resigned a month ago, Gilbert said. The advisory board is still in the process of finding a permanent director. In the meantime, Howard plans on placing more focus on programming.
“Programming is my main focus. We want to provide workshops and programming that can help them figure out how to develop a business plan and bring in entrepreneurs that have done it,” Howard said. “My focus is in making sure students are prepared by connecting local entrepreneurs with students so they have access to one another to gain experience.”
The center hosts several events per month, Gilbert said.
“But we don't see those events really catching on to the general population,” Gilbert said. “They're of great interest to a small number of students and these students tend to be either business students or engineering students.”
This problem could be connected to the lack of knowledge about the center, said junior Mercer student and brand ambassador for the center, Faiz Aly.
“There’s still people on campus that are not 100 percent aware of what the Mercer Innovation Center is and what it does,” Aly said. “I want to make sure that we get all the creative and entrepreneurially minded people to know of this place and use it.”
The center is open to all students and has a community room with whiteboards and group tables that are available for group work. In the entrance the room has a pool table with several chairs. There is also a larger room where there is a projector that could be used for lectures.
“The Innovation Center has the fastest internet speeds, we’re the only school in the middle Georgia region with the fastest internet speeds,” Aly said.
The center will also host events such as the Next Big Idea competition in November for students and the Mercer Innovation fellowship contest is open to the public later this school year.
“We'd love to hear from them [in] these contests,” Gilbert said.
The center works within Stetson but is multidisciplinary. It has three different purposes to fulfill within different areas of study, Gilbert said.
“One, it's a learning opportunity because current business curricular, engineering, law, all of us, forget to teach what's involved in starting your own company. Number two, it's meant to help create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across campus and even within Macon,” Gilbert said. “Third, and probably most important, is that if we are successful in starting companies from ideas around the campus, then these ultimately become a growth engine for jobs, investment and economic activity in the region of middle Georgia.”
(11/05/16 11:00am)
Two Mercer University organizations established separately this year joined together in an unconventional collaboration. Mercer Students for Life and FORGE, which stands for
“Fighting for Our Rights and Gender Equality,” represent contending sides of a larger national debate on reproductive rights.
However, instead of engaging in unproductive conflict, these organizations are demonstrating how to accept different beliefs and work towards a common goal.
FORGE was founded by sophomores Emily Cuarenta and James Stair.
“We want to include transgender people, people with mental disabilities, people of all ages and people of all races,” Cuarenta said. “[We want] to create a more open line of communication that affects certain groups while it does not affect other groups.”
FORGE focuses on a variety of topics including but not limited to gender equality, gender wage gap, sexual assault and sexual education.
“We thought it would be relevant and important that Mercer has a feminist alliance like this,” Stair said.
Some people have negative opinions about the feminist movement that FORGE does not believe represents their purpose.
“People think [feminism] means, ‘Oh, everybody who is a feminist hates men and wants to blame the world’s problems on them,’ when really it’s just about recognizing the privileges you have where you have them and helping people who do not have those privileges,” said FORGE member Marisa Enlow.
In general, FORGE identifies as being pro-choice without imposing that belief on its members, according to Cuarenta.
“When people think of pro-choice, they immediately think of abortion, but they ignore the choice part of it all. It’s not just abortion,” Cuarenta said. “There are three options available: continuing pregnancy and keeping the child, adoption or abortion. You can still be pro-choice and choose life.”
On the other side of the reproductive rights spectrum, Mercer Students for Life was founded this year by senior Victoria Yrizarry.
“We believe that life should be protected from conception until natural death,” Yrizarry said.
Mercer Students for Life does not identify themselves with other extremist pro-life groups, according to Yrizarry.
“There are very extremist pro-life groups who do stereotypical extremist things; people pray out of abortion clinics or go to Planned Parenthood and cause distress,” Yrizarry said. “We’re not a religious organization. We’re not a politically affiliated organization. We’re not focusing on taking away the choice, but we’re just trying to show people that one of the choices is life.”
Representatives from both groups met a couple weeks ago and explained what each of their purpose is.
“[Mercer Students for Life] is not about forcing a woman to continue a pregnancy with no help after that . . . There is a misconception that pro-lifers just leave a woman on her own; [they’re] trying to show that that’s not what they do,” Cuarenta said. “What [FORGE] is trying to show is that we’re not all about, ‘Let’s murder babies.’ People seem to think that being for abortion is being for murder.”
After understanding the purpose, the two groups were able to acknowledge a common goal and work together to make changes on campus that would be beneficial to multiple individuals regardless of political ideologies.
“We’re looking at getting things like changing stations on campus and seeing where they need to be or if there are some already,” Yrizarry said. “I’m just really happy that we can both be civil and push our ideas together.”
With the national debate on women’s reproductive rights being so polarized, members of the organizations think this collaboration should set an example for others.
“FORGE found common ground with us, and it says a lot when two groups that are thought to have completely different outlooks end up coming together,” said Mercer Students for Life member Jackie Sevier. “It reminds people that even amidst all of the disagreements among activist groups, cultures and even individuals, there is always something that brings us together. It’s just a matter of finding it and realizing that we are stronger together.”
(10/09/16 10:41pm)
Donald Glover, thank you for showing my home, Atlanta, to the world.
Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, is the creator of the comedy “Atlanta,” which follows two cousins who are trying to make a name for themselves in the rap music industry. Glover also plays the main character in the show, Earn, a Princeton dropout who is struggling financially. Earn works at the airport as a representative for credit card signups and lives with the mother of his daughter, although they are not technically together.
Earn realizes that his cousin Alfred, also known as Paper Boi, is starting to gain fame through his rap music. Earn sees this as a financially rewarding opportunity and offers to be his manager. The rest of the show follows short stories about their lives, including how Paper Boi deals with internet critics.
What makes this show unlike others is its relatability. Other Atlanta-based shows like “Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta” and “Real Housewives of Atlanta” portray the city as the place where one acquires fortune and fame. However, “Atlanta” portrays the day-to-day life of an ATLien.
“Atlanta” includes MARTA public transportation, the Hartsfield-Jackson airport, and saucy lemon pepper wings, which are distinctive features of the Atlanta culture.
Aside from its relatability, the show highlights social issues that are often ignored by mainstream television shows. In the series premiere alone, the show covers the issues of police brutality, mental health, gun violence, homophobia, poverty and race relations.
The show is also completely different from the hit TV show “Empire,” which also is music-centered. “Atlanta” has drama but implements humor, something that “Empire” does not include a lot.
The only thing I don’t like about “Atlanta” is its length — each episode is 30 minutes long, including commercials. As soon as I am hooked on the show, I realize that the episode is almost over.
The show was announced about a year ago and much anticipation built before its premiere. I was not disappointed, and neither was the FX network.
(10/06/16 1:00am)
Enactus is an international organization present in 36 countries where it’s active in more than 17,000 universities. Now, they’ve made their way to Mercer University.
Enactus — “En-trepreneurial, Act-ion, and Us” — is a community service based organization that implements entrepreneurial techniques.
“Instead of just having bake sales or canned food drives, we want to create something — whether it be an app, a system or small business that can sustainably change people's lives,” said Mercer Enactus President Taylor Palmer.
The club will have an office space in the Mercer Innovation Center, which was previously the Religious Life Center.
The Innovation Center offers students and community members a space and the tools necessary to create entrepreneurial collaborations. The center is partnered with the Atlanta Tech Village and Atlanta Technology and Development Center, according to the Mercer Innovation Center website.
“I’d like for [Enactus] to hold their events here,” said Samantha Lankford, director of the Mercer Innovation Center. “I’d like for them to see this as a clubhouse or a place to study, collaborate and be innovative.”
Aside from the Innovation Center, Enactus also collaborates with SparkMacon and Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing in the community and around the world, according to their website.
SparkMacon is “Central Georgia’s first innovation space, equipped with tools, equipment, and grassroots education that enable users to convert their ideas into realities,” according to their website.
"Basically, we have no shortage of resources, and we want to make sure that we will provide students with anything that we possibly can to make sure that they get their stuff done in the most efficient or sustainable manner,” said Mercer Enactus Vice President Faiz Aly.
[gallery ids="20084"]
The newly-established club has various events lined up for its second semester at Mercer.
"Last spring was more of our introductory phase of introducing students to what Enactus is and what we're all about,” Aly said. “This year, we have projects lined up where we can start being productive from day one."
Those projects are aimed at helping a wide range of Mercer students. The club is open to students of all majors. One of their projects is dedicated to providing students and Macon residents with professional headshots.
“Internships often ask for professional headshots or they can use it for their LinkedIn profile,” Palmer said. “We are helping them put their best foot forward in their applications and it is free of charge.”
Other projects include a partnership with Mercer’s Stetson School of Business to host a “Women in Business Day” and a LinkedIn tutorial taught by Mercer’s finance professor Peter Williams, who is a LinkedIn expert, Aly said.
Women in Business Day will focus on showing girls what career opportunities they may have in the business field.
“We’d be inviting high school-aged girls from surrounding high schools to come in, dress professionally, sit through a mock class in the business school, eat lunch with us, listen to a few [members] of [our] wonderful staff speak and listen to a couple of students speak,” Palmer said.
The LinkedIn tutorial focus will be hosted in early November.
“We strongly believe [LinkedIn] is one of the strongest tools out there for anybody,” Aly said. “[It] doesn’t matter what your major is — it helps you meet recruiters and land jobs.”
Enactus is already established in several Georgia universities, such as the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University, according to the schools’ websites.
"All of our missions are the same. We're trying to help the community with innovative and entrepreneurial spirit,” Palmer said.
(09/20/16 10:39pm)
“Southside with You” showcased why the Obamas are the real “relationship goals.”
Writer and director Richard Tanne follows the first date between Michelle Robinson, played by Tika Sumpter, and Barack Obama, played by Parker Sawyers. The movie’s music and pop culture really takes the viewers back to the summer of 1989.
Instead of seeing them as the President and First Lady of the United States, we see Robinson as a thriving second-year associate and Obama as a summer associate at the same Chicago corporate law firm. The two spend a romantic afternoon together — which was intended to be work-related.
We do not see Obama in a black SUV with secret service. We see him in his used yellow Datsun with a huge hole in the floorboard. Instead of hearing him speak to hundreds of politicians, we see Obama giving a short inspirational speech to frustrated members of a Chicago community struggling with finances and violence.
“Southside with You” displays parts of the Obamas’ personalities that remain true to who they are now — for example, the dialogue stays loyal to Barack Obama’s humor and Michelle Obama’s humility and determination. The movie shows that even when the Obamas first started dating, they both supported each other and wanted to help each other grow.
Aside from the romance, the movie touches on racial and gender problems that are still prevalent today. Robinson is hesitant over the relationship because she is afraid of how her law firm, mainly made up of older white men, would view a young black woman beginning a relationship with a subordinate who is of the same ethnicity. The movie also focuses on Obama’s cultural background (yes, he was in fact born in the United States) and how he deals with being biracial.
Obama and Robinson’s cultural backgrounds and family relations are total opposites. Obama was born in Hawaii, mostly raised around the white side of the family since his dad lived in Kenya and did not keep in touch with him. Robinson was from the South Side of Chicago, where she lived with her close-knit working-class family.
Throughout the date, Obama tries to win Robinson over and convince her to date him. For this reason, I think his date plan is culturally-oriented because he wants to be able to connect with her. It seems that he is trying to impress Robinson by showing her that despite his background, he is still connected to Afrocentric culture. Toward the end of the date, Obama’s dating preferences are brought up and Robinson questions why he stopped dating white women. This shows that at this point in his life, Obama is trying to be more in touch with his African heritage.
Sawyer and Sumpter’s performances truly portray the progressive nature of the Obamas’ relationship. They do a particularly good job depicting the struggle between wanting to keep a professional relationship and recognizing their romantic chemistry. Throughout the 90-minute movie, we are able to see how the Obamas grow more comfortable with each other by recognizing that they have a common goal: to make a real impact.
Regardless of political views, this is a touching movie that shows the difficulty of attempting to be in a relationship in which both partners are strong-minded and goal-oriented.