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(10/01/14 11:58am)
Medical marijuana, also referred to as cannabis, is a topic in the medical and drug field that brings up much debate over whether or not it should be legalized in all of the states.
Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and Washington D.C. Currently only two states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. If medical marijuana is truly needed and beneficial, patients should have access to the treatment that will help them.
Several states have laws that decriminalize marijuana. Decriminalization of marijuana means that minor possession charges will no longer be handled as serious crimes. This could be compared to the legal actions taken towards traffic violations. Legalization is where charges would not exist on the state level.
There is an accumulation of evidence that shows the proven medical benefits marijuana is able to provide. Medical marijuana has been shown to help individuals suffering from various cancers, AIDS, glaucoma, and several other physical and mental conditions.
When marijuana comes to mind, most people would think of it as a plant that is being smoked. Many feel that those who would be using medical marijuana would be smoking it and that this would be inappropriate and harmful for children and adults. Many forms of medical marijuana are ingested orally rather than smoked. It can be turned into a liquid, pill, or edible form to consume.
Many modern medicines can affect the health of patients just as much as the disease the medicine is treating. Chemotherapy, a method of treating cancer, is one example of a medical treatment that harms patients while it treats them. Chemotherapy uses chemical substances that are delivered to a patient intravenously.
Chemotherapy related toxins could affect the health of an individual after administration. This can occur immediately after administration or several months later. Chemotherapy can damage the immune system, resulting in serious health risks to the patient.
Marijuana is a natural substance that can be grown in a natural environment devoid of chemicals. While it does not necessarily cure diseases on its own, it can be paired with treatments to be more effective than treatment by itself. Medical marijuana has research backing its ability to ease chemotherapy-induced symptoms including nausea, loss of appetite and anxiety.
Pain relief is one of the most important benefits of medical marijuana. This can be beneficial for individuals suffering from arthritis symptoms or other severe chronic diseases where the only alternative is a highly addictive prescription pain killer with a long list of unpleasant side effects.
While marijuana remains controversial and criminal in most of the country, it has the promise to heavily impact the country financially. According to an article published on CNN, there is an estimated $7.6 billion being spent annually by state and local justice systems on marijuana arrests and prosecutions. Marijuana is an extremely lucrative industry and not only would its legalization weaken the criminal element associated with the substance, it would increase tax revenues and jobs around the country.
Medical marijuana is an emotional subject because it blurs the line between “medicine” and “drugs”. The emotion needs to be taken out of medical marijuana and the focus should be put on the wealth of benefits it offers to those in need.
(09/10/14 2:12pm)
Social media connects us whether it is from across the room or across the country. We share selfies on Instagram and accomplishments on Facebook and Twitter to provide our friends and family a simple snapshot of the important moments of our lives.However, there comes a point where you are no longer connecting with others and your social media hobby becomes an outright addiction. To some, social media has turned from an electronic scrapbook to a place where they escape reality, seeking validation and identity.
The symptoms of this social media addiction are simple. Instead of going to an event, you just follow the live tweets. Instead of greeting your friend and wishing him a happy birthday, you result to posting a brief message on his wall or page. For some, Facebook is now a way to create an online persona of who they want to be. You are completely in control of what is shown and what is not.
Posts should not be bragging about what you are doing in order to make others jealous of you. Posts should be about significant moments of your everyday life that you want to share with your close friends and family so that they can have some insight into your daily experiences in life. When you only take photos to post to your various social media accounts so that people can see what you are doing or wearing, you are no longer living those life moments for yourself but for the approval of others. People need to stop trying for “likes,” “shares,” “retweets,” or whatever else and learn how to live their lives. When you live-tweet a concert, you are not really experiencing the concert the way it is intended with your face and attention turned away from the action and toward your mobile device. Events such as concerts, weddings and parties are to be enjoyed in the moment and not through a cell phone screen.
Looking back several years from now at a significant event in life, you want to be able to remember the lights, sounds and the atmosphere - not the way it all looked as you watched your cell phone record it.Social media allows you to write or post anything that you desire. This freedom allows you to have an opinion but also encourages the spread of false or misleading information.Instead of posting about going to the gym while watching that marathon of “Law & Order,” get off your couch and hit the track rather than boasting about false accomplishments. Social media sets a platform for you to create a persona of who you wish you could be. Not everyone lies on social media, but some do tend to create an idea of a person they are not. Users may only post photos where they are dressed up for rare occasions instead of how they look every day. Users may share articles that match certain ideas they want people to think they have.
Social media obsession prevents you from truly connecting with the world and people around you in the current moment, placing Facebook posts and Instagram pictures between you and the real experience.
(08/23/14 1:13am)
Weaver’s Weekend is an annual fundraising event for the Friends of Mike Weaver Foundation, a foundation that supports the memory of Mike Weaver.
Weaver, who died at the age of 20 in an altercation, is now remembered with a scholarship in his name. Weaver was passionate about music and baseball. The Mike Weaver Award is a scholarship that recognizes a 12 year old at Vine-Ingle Little League who exemplifies good sportsmanship and love for the game, as Weaver did.
“What started out as Mike’s old friends casually getting together for a fun night has turned into a weekend of events,” said Stephan Adams, board member.
The weekend includes a Friends and Family Dinner, Weaver’s Cup Golf Tournament, VIP party for sponsors, and the main event consisting of a night of fun and music. The concert will be hosted at Crazy Bull in downtown Macon on August 23, with The Dirty Guv’nahs headlining, with the Sonia Leigh and Gringo Grande performing as well.
The weekend's events take place Saturday, Aug. 23. The doors open at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are 15 dollars in advance or 20 dollars at the door. Proceeds benefit the Mike Weaver Foundation.
(08/16/14 3:20am)
Summer brought us all the opportunity to unwind after a year of school and a chance to hit the theaters for summer films. Some movies were overhyped and could not live up to their hype while others just went above and beyond expectations.
“Maleficent” is a movie that was hyped and built up for months leading up to the premiere and that drew crowds of devoted Disney fans. Much like a movie remake of a favorite book, the plot should have been left alone. The film played into Disney’s recent female empowerment emphasis; for this film, it worked with the plot well.
“Maleficent” is Hollywood’s newest and darkest spin of the classic “Sleeping Beauty.” With names like Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning and Sharlto Copley gracing the screen, the film should have been destined for success. However, Jolie (Maleficent) is the only saving grace for the cast. Fanning, playing Aurora, was too awkward and erratic to be taken seriously throughout the film, and Copley - King Stefan - is obnoxious and exaggerated.
The visuals were the highlight of the film. Graphically and anesthetically, the film was incredible. Rob Goodwin, who has done costuming work in “Sherlock Holmes,” did an incredible job on Jolie’s costumingfor the majority of the film. In one scene, Jolie’s Maleficent dons tight leather pants and high heels, completely out of context for the character and film.
When “The Purge” came out last year, the idea seemed to be genius for the next series of horror movies but completely crashed and burned, as it was cheesy and had a weak plot. Director James DeMonaco portrayed the grisly depiction of the 12 law-free hours that Americans are granted in the movie.
Many have avoided “The Purge: Anarchy” because of the reputation of the first movie. The second movie has a much more complex plot and character development. Rather than focusing on one family and situation for the entire plot, the movie switches around and shows insight into the complex adventures that connect multiple groups people and scenarios. Despite being remarkably better than its predecessor, the film was still not strong or as powerful as the filmmakers tried to make it seem.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller left everyone laughing with the antics of two drug-busting cops, portrayed by Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. “22 Jump Street” built upon the its predecessor by furthering the relationship of Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum).
Somehow, the film defied movie logic and actually improves upon the first of the series. “22 Jump Street” is an easy-to-watch goofy comedy that creates hilarious situations between the two leads as they go back to a college to work on an undercover drug bust.
“Godzilla” turned a series of cheesy, old-fashioned movies into an emotional action film that, through the utilization of imaginary science and history, brings believability to the existence of a giant lizard. Part of what has made the movie so successful is the constant explanation of how things could happen rather than having everyone in the movie simply accept that giant destructive monsters are just a normal part of their day.
Director Gareth Edwards was able to build up enough human drama to complement the constant action of prehistoric monsters rising from the earth and attacking each other and everything else in sight. The film was definitely a success at bringing the massive “Godzilla” franchise back to life.
(08/16/14 3:05am)
An unlimited meal plan… Fries and pizza in the cafeteria every day… Burger Studio and Chick-fil-A in the UC… Could being back in school at Mercer University get any better?
With the college lifestyle and unlimited eating options, you may find yourself struggling to fit into your favorite jeans. Gaining weight in college, the dreaded Freshman 15, is a reality that most of us have to face; however, it is a reality that is easy to fix and avoid.
Instead of grabbing the first slice of pizza that you see or hopping straight into the line to get a greasy hamburger, slow down and take a lap around the cafeteria before deciding what to eat. Signs displaying different options and their respective calorie counts are posted at each food area, so you should take a minute to glance at them and to allow them to influence your decision.
One station in the cafeteria that is always safe to return for seconds is the salad bar. Lettuce may not seem like a satisfying way to get full, but as you walk down the salad bar, you may notice many options such as beans, tofu or tuna that can add protein and other nutrients to your meal. Be wary of the dressings at the end because most thick, creamy salad dressings are loaded with extra calories and fat.
While you should carefully watch what you eat, do not starve yourself to avoid weight gain. Instead, mix and match food to build a well-rounded meal. Remember to include vegetables, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, all of which are needed to stay healthy.
Tempted by that extra slice of chocolate cake? You do not need it. Rather than avoiding all desserts, allow yourself to have a little bit of pleasure and reward during meal time. Limit yourself by only getting one or two cookies rather than a plateful. When you have cake, try only eating half of a slice rather than all of it or even multiple slices.
Another helpful tip to keep in mind is to avoid making dessert a part of every meal. Instead, use it as a way to reward yourself, grabbing some cookies after you finish classes on Friday or getting a bowl of ice cream after you ace that bio-chemistry test.
Having a refrigerator in your dorm room can also make quite a difference. A refrigerator gives you the opportunity to keep perishable, healthy snacks such as vegetables, fruit, hummus and yogurt.
If you do not have a fridge, work on replacing junk food with healthier alternatives. Switch that bag of chips out for whole grain rice crackers. Trade that jar of Nutella for peanut butter. Swap out the cans of soda for bottles of water.
Check in on yourself every once in a while. Buy a scale that you can keep in your room to help you maintain or lose weight. When you lose or gain weight, think back to the previous week and evaluate what you ate or how active you were and learn from your mistakes or successes for the next week.
A scale is a good way to keep track of how healthy you are being and the impact your choices are having on your body, but do not let the number depicted control your life and how you feel about yourself. Make a goal for yourself this year: aim to be healthy.
(08/16/14 2:58am)
When you have to pay tuition, buy books, buy groceries, buy gas, pay insurance, and spend money on who knows what else, losing money without realizing it can be easy. Living on your own in college allows much more freedom without the constant lecturing and nagging of parents about how much you are spending and you also have more freedom when deciding which purchases to make. Learning how to budget and save money is one of the most important things you can learn in college.
Create a weekly, monthly, even daily budget to help stay organized and on top of your spending. Many banks have their own phone apps to help you see how much you are spending and making. In addition to banking apps are apps that can help you create and stick to a budget such as Mint, Goodbudget, Spending Tracker and My Weekly Budget. These apps are an alternative to writing down your expenses. They provide easy, on-the-go and accessible budgeting for everyone. By budgeting carefully, you can ensure that you do not overspend. These apps also give the opportunity to see through the use of charts and graphs exactly where your money is going and exactly how to avoid ending up in the red after one night downtown.
Saving for more expensive items is better than buying them right away. Just because you see something big that you want and you have the money does not mean that you should buy it then and there. If you want to get a new laptop, television, gaming system or other big-ticket item, start to save extra money so that the sudden decrease in your bank account does not affect your savings as much.
By thinking ahead, you can avoid emptying your account or not having money for the items that you really need. If you know that you have to buy textbooks for next semester, do not go downtown and blow a bunch of money in the bars. Think about what you will need to pay for in the upcoming weeks and month.
Planning for emergencies helps make sure that you have money when you need it most. Life happens. You may need to pay for an unexpected car repair or replace a computer that breaks down. You should always have at least a small cushion saved in the case that something suddenly comes up.
Balancing your spending is just as important as saving. Spending money is inevitable, but the number one way to counter the constant deficit is to start putting money back in your account. With working comes a paycheck. A job allows you the freedom to buy groceries when you are tired of your meal plan or to buy clothes for your next Saturday’s party.
When making money, you provide yourself the opportunity to have money to save as well as having a little extra to spend on other things that you were not able to afford before.
The sooner you start saving, the better. One of the best and easiest ways to keep all of your savings together is to open a savings account that is separate from your checking account. This way, you can keep the money that you are saving and the money that you are allowing yourself to spend separate. Doing so also allows you to gain a small amount of interest. Once you have enough in your savings account, you are able to take the money and take part in higher interest and higher risk investments.
(04/04/14 8:24pm)
Gary Wall, Annika Sinha and Matthew Yin were invited to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), which is a program that accepts groups of individuals who make a “commitment to action.”
According to the Clinton Global Initiative University website, the program is based off the successful model of the Clinton Global Initiative. The program is meant to bring together different world leaders to take action on global challenges. Former President Clinton started the program in 2007.
“The Mercer Prosthetics and Orthotics Club applied to CGI U in November 2013 and was selected in the early acceptance pool in January 2014 for its commitments to prosthetic care in Vietnam and Haiti,” said Gary Wall, the president of Mercer Prosthetics and Orthotics Club (MPOC).
Mercer University has had a significant impact on prosthetic care in Vietnam. Since 2009, over 800 patients have been fitted with the Mercer prosthetic device through the Mercer On Mission program. This year, Mercer will fit its 1000th patient with its device.
“Walking on two legs is a pivotal part of our existence as humans and one that is often overlooked. Now take a second and imagine if your mobility was taken away from you after stepping on a landmine in a field or losing a limb in a motorbike accident hundreds of miles from the nearest hospital,” said Wall. “Then imagine knowing that you will never be able to walk again because you cannot afford a prosthetic device. When I fit a prosthetic on a patient, many whom have not walked in 5, 10, sometimes 20 years, their face, their demeanor, their non-verbal enthusiasm says it all.”
“This initiative is in line with Mercer’s long-term plan to make the Vietnam prosthetic program sustainable. On the institution level, Mercer was acknowledged as a Clinton Global Initiative commitment maker in 2009 and was recognized personally by former President Bill Clinton,” said Wall. “It is important to distinguish this latest CGI U acceptance. The CGI U commitment was done on the student level through the Mercer Prosthetics and Orthotics Club, and is a commitment that is separate but complimentary of the previous CGI commitments.”
Wall began his involvement with the Mercer On Mission program the summer of 2012 when he went to Vietnam with about 18 other Mercer students on Mercer On Mission. That summer, the team fit 205 patients over a three-week period that was a large increase in numbers over the previous years.
It was after this summer trip that Wall and six other alums founded MPOC to encourage more participation in Mercer On Mission, advocate and fundraise, teach prosthetic manufacturing and fitting to new students. The group also wants MPOC to increase awareness about amputees and prosthetics. MPOC encourages the idea that orthotics can be a career choice for those with majors involving health care or bio-medical engineering.
On March 21 to 23 MPOC president Gary Wall, senior vice president Matthew Yin and director of events Annika Sinha traveled to Phoenix, Ariz., to attend the CGI U conference hosted by Arizona State University.
At the conference, the group had the chance to network with other student innovators, businessmen and women, CEOs and individuals who are the founders of various nonprofit initiatives. The group attended several lectures that were about topics such as entrepreneurial education, the use of social media to advance your commitment, financing your commitment and the future of higher education.
The team also presented its commitments at the CGI U exchange, a large science-fair-like event where selected commitment makers showcased their commitments. “We also were able to attend large plenary lectures featuring the likes of Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton; Arizona senator and former republican nominee for president, John McCain; founder of the Barefoot College Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, Manal al-Sharif; a women’s rights activist from Saudi Arabia who helped start a women’s right to drive campaign in 2011, and Jimmy Kimmel,” said Wall.
“In the future, the club will continue to advocate for the great experience that MOM [Mercer On Missions] Vietnam is,” said Wall. We are committed to continuing to fundraise for orthopedic supplies and medication used by Dr. Ha Van Vo in clinic through community outreach and philanthropy events.”
(04/04/14 8:24pm)
Humans vs. Zombies is an event that will be coming to Mercer University’s campus from April 7 to 10. Students will take on roles of humans or zombies and will act out the scenario of a zombie “plague.” This is the second annual Humans vs. Zombies event and is put on by the Residence Hall Association (RHA).
Humans vs. Zombies event was hosted last year by the Merterwood Hall Government. Some of the members then went on to create the RHA on campus, who is hosting the event this year. Last year’s event was taken well by participating students and was considered an overwhelming success and RHA decided to repeat the event.
“Humans versus Zombies is a week-long game that focuses on providing a fun method of stress relief to students before finals. Throughout the game, zombies will seek out humans to quench their hunger. Humans in turn will have to defend themselves from zombies using only paper-based materials,” said the public relations contact for the RHA, Leslie Graham. “The game plays out like a giant, more awesome game of freeze tag, where humans can ‘stun’ zombies; but if a human is tagged, they are converted to the zombie ranks.”
During the Humans vs. Zombies event there will be different “battles” between the zombies and surviving humans, activities and organized opportunities for “humans” to create tools that will aid them in the game.
The event starts of with a “Humans Self Defense Workshop.” This is a chance for humans to meet and create tools to help defend themselves against the “zombies” they are trying to avoid.
The next activity is a game of Capture the Flag. “The stakes are high as humans and zombies face off between Cruz Plaza and the Historic Quad. The winning team will be given three power ups that will last for the next 24 hours,” said Graham.
The second to last day will have an event called the “Escort Mission” that is focused around a story about a character named Sasha Zlatojev. “Sasha Zlatojev, the daughter of renown biochemist Susannah Zlatojev, is frantically searching for the cure that her mother invented to defend humans against the zombie plague. Her latest research has indicated that the cure is still somewhere on Mercer’s campus. Join the remaining humans to defend her as she tries to recover her mother’s last works,” said Graham as she describes the story around one of the game’s activity.
On Thursday, the last day of the event, the activity planned is the “Final Battle,” where the game wraps up and the remaining human players try to fight and survive against the zombie players.
“When students register at hvzsource.com/mercerhvz they will automatically be enrolled as a human. Randomly selected humans will become “OZs,” or original zombies, and will be notified before the start of the event,” said Graham.
After students registered they are encouraged to come by the Connell Student Center between March 31 and April 6 to receive the supplies they need to start the game.
(04/04/14 8:18pm)
The Cherry Blossom Festival is a time of year where Macon brings in the springtime and comes together. Locals of Macon mingle with tourists during the festival and embrace the “weird” spirit Macon can sometimes have.
Parts of the festival this year included camel rides, high heel races, semitruck-pulling contests and more.
The 7th Annual PULL for the House was a sponsored event where teams of sponsors would work together to pull a semitruck a certain distance. Their goal was to find out how fast their team could move the semitruck. The event benefitted the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Georgia. Some of the sponsors who teamed up to pull the semitruck were Auto Air of Macon, Conditioned Air, Inc., and Central Georgia Technical College.
Another particularly strange event focused on running in high heels, a hard feat for anyone to accomplish.
On March 22, men, women and children ran down Cherry Street donning high heels of various shapes and colors. Individuals participated in the annual High Heels for the Cure Fun Run as part of Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival and in support of the Susan G. Komen foundation. Individuals made a donation of $10 to participate in the fun run.
“You don’t have to wear pink high heels, but you do have to wear two-inch heels. It’s just kind of really grown over the years, and we have lots of guys in pink tutus and pink high heels, and we have spray paint there if anyone wants to spray their shoes. The kids don’t have to wear high heels. They can wear tennis shoes and participate to win our kid prizes,” said the executive director of the Susan G. Komen Central Georgia Affiliate, Emily Bowden.
While the kids who participated were not required to wear heels, several opted to do so. The crowd was thrilled to see women race quickly down the street but laughed and cheered even more as they watched the men wearing dresses, skirts, tutus and stilettos wobble through the fun run.
“It was hilarious! It is my first time coming, and my favorite has to be the guy that was winning,” said Carrie Dowell who was a first time spectator of the race.
The man that was winning in the men’s race was a first time participant and wore some of the highest heels at the race.
“I thought it was great. It was hilarious. I love these Macon traditions. I don’t know if I would ever do anything crazy like that though,” said Joshua Roberts, a spectator.
Chuck Marks was a first-time participant who was laughing at the aftermath of the race. “My brother-in-law got me to do it! I’ve never done it before, but I would definitely do it again. As long as I don’t break a hip, I’m definitely good,” said Marks.
“We were at the mall, and there was a store that had these stilettos on sale for $4.99, and I said, ‘BJ, they’re running a high heel race downtown, and it’s for the Susan G. Komen.’ And he said, ‘Well, we’ll go do it’,” said spectator and friend of several participants, Sheila Mitchel.
The money raised from participant’s donations goes towards providing free mammograms for women without insurance.
“We keep our money locally, so we can provide the mammograms for women who don’t have insurance. So 75 cents of every dollar stays right here in our eight counties that we serve and 25 cents goes to national research to find a cure,” said Bowden.
According to the website for Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival, Macon is home to over 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees, and each March Macon hosts a 10-day festival to celebrate an overall theme of “Love, Beauty, and International Friendship.”
The festival originated when William A. Fickling Sr., a local Macon realtor, discovered the first Yoshino cherry tree in his backyard. The festival began in 1982 under the guidance of the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission.
“[The Cherry Blossom Festival] asked us four years ago to participate because we are pink just like they are. We came up with the high heels event, so that it would be different from our race for the cure but would still be fun and pink,” said Bowden.
(04/04/14 8:07pm)
Summer is a time for us college students to finally take a break from classes and make friends, hanging out, relaxing and going to the beach our priority — except when we realize that summer also brings summer jobs. The sheer act of even trying to find a summer job can be difficult because some employers will not hire college students who must quit in the fall when they have to go back to school. Not all summer jobs have to be a horrible experience though.
Summer Camp Counselor
Pros: As a camp counselor you get to spend a lot of time with children of different ages and different energy levels. You get to go on field trips, come up with game ideas, go to the pool, play sports, watch movies, do arts and crafts and many other activities that vary from camp to camp -- basically you get to be a kid again. Being a counselor is a relatively easy job and is similar to babysitting but on a much bigger scale. The ideal thing about summer camp is that it’s in the summer, and your employer will not need you to work during the school year and will most likely expect you to have to leave in the fall.
Cons: The idea of working with children can seem fun and exciting but can also be frustrating and annoying. You will not always have control over the age of the children you are responsible for. You could end up as a counselor to a big group of four-year-olds who may have the occasional bathroom accident or cry when they miss their parents. Four-year-olds are at a very needy point in their lives and will constantly want your attention and have more energy than you, even after you have had your morning coffee. On the opposite end of the age spectrum, you could have a class of young t(w)eens who are anywhere from 12 to 14 and think they are the ones really in charge. They will most likely not be impressed by any of your game ideas.
Bartender
Pros: In many states you can be a bartender starting as young as 18. Bartending can be a fun job that leaves your days completely free. It is the perfect job if you enjoy socializing with people and love the nightlife aspect of any downtown. While working during the summer, you are sure to learn new tricks on how to make a variety of drinks which you can use to impress your friends at your next party.
Cons: Bartenders get to serve all types of people. This includes a fun group of college students or the older guy who stands in the corner and has had way too much to drink and wants everyone to know it. The pay for a bartender is not always optimal because you will usually have a set wage (a pretty low one) and then tips to balance it out. This means that if not a lot of people are at the bar or you are just having an off night, you could make very little money.
Internship
Pros: Many companies offer summer internship programs specifically for college students. An internship allows you to have a set amount of hours, and it allows you to earn work experience in a professional environment. The most beneficial part of an internship is the experience you gain while working in the field you are studying in school. This experience will make your resume stand out more when it comes time to find a job in the real world.
Cons: More often than not, an internship will be unpaid, and sometimes it may even come with other expenses. Some internship programs will require you to move for the summer to the city where the internship is located. If you take part in an internship outside of your hometown, you will run into housing expenses, grocery expenses and the general cost of living on your own, all while you pay someone to work for them. The rare and elusive paid internship does exist and offers a high reward for anyone who has the patience and ability to find one.
Grocery Store Bagger
Pros: Bagging groceries can be an easy and mindless job that allows you to interact with different people every day. Grocery stores are typically well-established businesses under good management. Employers tend to want friendly workers who interact with people well, so you can almost always count on having co-workers who are friendly and pleasant. A grocery store is run just like any other business and will give you a fixed schedule and reliable pay.
Cons: People often go to grocery stores right before they go on picnics, camping or to the beach. You get to talk to people who are in the checkout line about their plans for the day, but when the conversation ends and they head to the beach, you are still stuck inside bagging an old lady’s cat food for the rest of the day. During the summer, the Fourth of July is the main holiday that comes up. Many other business close on the Fourth of July, but people still need to buy food for their holiday cook outs, so you will most likely still have to work.
(03/21/14 12:31am)
We all have busy schedules and a lot of important things we need to remember to do, which includes staying healthy. Since March is National Nutrition Month, it is an especially good time to keep a healthy lifestyle in college. It may not always be a top priority, but it is easier than you think.
Eat Healthy
Eating healthy might seem like the most obvious as well as the easiest thing you can do to stay healthy in college. In reality eating healthy can be one of the hardest things to do in college because of its limited food options. Our bodies need a variety of of foods to remain in peak condition. Instead of finding ourselves always at the dessert bar, we should focus more on eating fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains. In the Caf, there is a salad bar and several fruit stands, which can provide you with some much-needed fiber and vitamins. We do not need to cut out carbohydrates, but we should find more healthy forms. Instead of eating plain, bleached white bread, you should try to eat whole grain bread, whole grain pasta and other whole grain options. It is pretty obvious that we need protein, which is found in meat and dairy, as well as other vegetarian options like tofu and beans. Protein is important because it helps keep our hair and nails healthy in addition to our muscles and bones. It is also important to keep healthy snacks on hand in your dorm so that you can munch on nuts, fruit or cheese instead of junk food, like chips and candy. The same goes for drinks - replace some of your soft drinks with water or juice.
Utilize the Gym
We all have (free) access to the gym in the University Center, where there is a large variety of workout machines for both strength and cardio training. You can start a workout off with cardio such as the treadmill, elliptical or a spinning machine. After you and your muscles are warmed up, you can head over to the weights for a strength workout. Remember to stretch after a workout to help your muscles and to prevent feeling sore the next morning. Be sure to find a workout partner so you can help motivate each other. You could just focus on using the machines, but you might benefit from finding an activity you like such as yoga, running, basketball or volleyball. The UC offers a great number of classes day and night, from bowling to zumba. Find whatever is most helpful and fun for you.
Sleep Enough
The amount of sleep we get can affect our judgment, health, mood and even memory. Many of us prioritize hanging out with friends, studying, watching TV and other activities over getting a decent amount of sleep. It is important to develop a bedtime routine that gets you into a regular sleep schedule. This can mean going to bed at the same time every night or always doing something before going to sleep, such as taking a shower or reading. We often value sleep at any time of the day and will often take naps. Naps can help us feel more awake for the rest of the day, but they can also prevent us from feeling tired and wanting to sleep at night, when it really counts. Also, another key factor to getting enough sleep is cutting down on procrastination. The quicker you get your work done, the earlier you are able to relax and sleep.
Limit Partying
This is college, and of course we want to party. However, staying up late and drinking can affect our health a great deal. Late night partying deprives us from sleep, and alcohol, especially in large amounts, can cause substantial weight gain. When you drink, your body breaks alcohol down into acetate, which is burned before any other consumed or stored calories, such as fat and sugar. When you drink or eat more calories than you need, you will store the fat from other foods from earlier in the day. If you do want to party when you have (highly scarce) free time, make sure you have a plan. Go to parties with a group of friends. Plan how to get to and from campus and limit how much you will drink. If you ever feel unsafe at a party, do not hesitate to call your friends to pick you up or Mercer Police, especially if you feel you are in serious danger. Mercer Police’s emergency line is (478) 301-2911 and non-emergency line is (478) 301-4357. Adding these numbers to your cell phone could be helpful to your safety in many situations, from asking to be picked up to needing to jump off your car.
(03/21/14 12:30am)
From 1959 to 1964 Marjorie Singly-Hall passed notes in study hall and ran up and down the stairs and hallways of A. L. Miller Senior High School. Many other students engaged in similar activities since the school’s establishment in 1932. Today, the school that was the academic home to girls of Bibb County is only a shadow of its once-thriving self.
The A. L. Miller building is not currently being used and is considered abandoned and in peril.
The 2007 Places in Peril Nomination for A. L. Miller Senior High states “[Miller] has been an icon and important educational center for the Winship Heights/Montpelier inner-city neighborhood since its construction.”
The school building is still considered structurally sound, and many believe that it should be saved and restored rather than demolished. “Its demolition would seriously impact the viability of the neighborhood and be a loss to the heritage of our city,” the nomination said.
To restore such a large building would require a great amount of funding.
“I want to say it was $11 million last time we looked at the rehabilitation of the building. You can guess that it will cost somewhere around a $100 a square foot, so it depends on how much of the campus you want to revitalize,” said Josh Rogers.
Rogers is the current executive director of Historic Macon and the new president and chief executive officer of NewTown Macon.
“Architecture, like any other art form, is extremely subjective, so it’s really difficult to come up with an objective way of measuring an individual building’s importance,” Rogers said. “When we’re looking at historic buildings and trying to figure out if it’s worth getting involved to cause preservation, the primary criteria is, ‘Is it eligible for the National Register, or is it already listed in the register?’”
The National Register of Historic Places is kept by the National Parks Service and is the official list of the nation’s places that are deemed worthy of preservation. “Attending Miller had [its] challenges and rewards both socially and academically. Socially, there were three levels of student life: Greek life, the middle area student[s] and those students who were considered somewhat of an outcast,” said Miller graduate of ’67, Judith Ryan.
“My time at Miller was spent in the middle area where I made and still have three very close friends. The Greek world was somewhat arrogant, and the students who were considered outcasts came from homes in the mill villages. Looking back on my time at Miller, I see now that being in the middle was a safe place to be,” Ryan said.
Miller has stood in place for many decades and holds an important place in Macon’s history. In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the students of Bibb County school system were faced with desegregating schools.
“The atmosphere at Miller was a microcosm of what was going on in the south in general,” said Ryan. “When Miller was desegregated my senior year, I was surprised that the students behaved with more dignity than the onlookers across the street. Perhaps it was apathy, or perhaps the women of Miller realized that desegregation was inevitable, so why make waves? Or maybe it was just teenage disinterest in anything other than dances, grades and boys,” said Ryan.
“We heard the ‘winds of change,’ but I do not think that any of us believed that it would actually change the school so significantly. We were more worried about the Vietnam War, as it was beginning to directly affect the young men we knew [who] were being required to register for the draft,” said Singly-Hall.
When the Bibb County’s schools faced court-ordered integration, the schools Lanier, Miller Junior and Millor Senior High were merged together to create the Central High School Complex. The schools were no longer segregated by race but remained segregated by sex until 1981.
As A. L. Miller came face-to-face with desegregation, many students accepted change and continued to act as any other teenage girl would. The main focus of Miller students was on grades, friends and boys. “Boy did we go crazy when Lanier boys in uniform walked down the halls,” said ’67 graduate Kay Lovejoy.
In 2007 the process of building a new Central High School began which would later leave A. L. Miller with limited use. Today the A. L. Miller school building is boarded up and vandalized.
“I think there are some very complicated equations that people go by and a lot of times they think that building new is cheaper than rehabilitating,” said Rogers. “In some ways, it is way more dependable. With a historic building, when you start the rehabilitation, you really can’t have a firm budget until you get it all opened up and look at what you’re dealing with.
“Unfortunately a lot of organizations, especially Boards of Education, that are working on a huge scale depend on the dependability of building new rather than entering into a more creative rehabilitation, even if rehabilitation would be less costly in the long run,” said Rogers.“I strongly feel that Miller High School is probably a financial mistake for the school board because it’s sitting there abandoned; it’s depressed the values of property around it so much it’s probably reduced revenue by way more than the amount the school board saved by building new.”
“I would love to see Miller become a specialized high school. She sits there like the grand dame, alone and sad. I think if the city of Macon as well as the Bibb County BOE would take up the banner of reviving her, there is a population large enough in numbers that could justify rehabbing Miller,” said Ryan.
Many considerations are being made over what can be done with the school. Rogers said that two plans have been floating around in the past two years, both considering using the building for low-income housing.
“So far there has been significant resistance and debate from public officials and the neighbors about whether that building should be restricted to low-income use or whether we should wait until such a time that it might be available for market rate use,” said Rogers.
“Until that debate’s resolved, I don’t know that anything is going to happen with it. It’s really a chicken or egg question,” said Rogers. “Do you fix the neighborhood, so you can do something market rate with the school? Or do you fix the school in hopes that you can do something market rate with the neighborhood?”
There is a federal program known as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program that can be used in addition to historic rehabilitation tax credits. With these two programs combined, it is possible that Macon can recover 50 percent of the costs of fixing the building, thus making the option of historic rehabilitation a great deal less expensive.
A. L. Miller Senior High School holds historical and sentimental value to the people of Macon. Many generations of women have walked through the now-abandoned halls and still hold the establishment in high esteem. “I look back now and realize that the woman I am now, in part, is due to the challenges and successes I experienced at A.L. Miller High School,” said Ryan.
(03/21/14 12:22am)
Mercer University was recently named one of five institutions to be selected to participate in the Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellowship. The Georgia Partnership is supporting the program for Excellence in Education.
Mercer is becoming part of the newly developing initiative that will work toward increasing the supply of teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and change how they are taught to maximize efficiency.
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation exists to help identify and develop leaders and institutions to go up against some of the nation’s critical challenges. The Foundation has an array of programs that help support the development of more than 21,000 leaders, including teachers, scholars and businesspeople.
“Initially founded in 1945, the foundation was formed to give fellowships to World War II veterans wanting to return to college after their military career. Over the years the fellowship program expanded, adding thousands of fellows and many went on to have impressive careers - 14 Nobel Laureates, 35 MacArthur Fellows, 16 Pulitzer Prize winners and hundreds of other distinguished individuals,” said the project director of the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship, Melissa Cruz.
Today, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation seeks to build upon its name of excellence while maintaining its historic roots and working to help improve the achievement gap between Americans that is set by race and income.
“The Foundation has oversight of the Fellowship and will initiate the recruitment and selection process of the fellows,” said Cruz. “The Foundation will also provide guidance and administrative support to the universities throughout the many years of the programs. The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship seeks to attract talented, committed individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—into teaching in high-need secondary schools.”
“We will develop an innovative curriculum to prepare graduate level students with undergraduate degrees in science, math and engineering for careers as teachers,” said university President, William Underwood. “Working in partnership with regional school districts, we will then enroll Woodrow Wilson Fellows who will complete this masters level program, with significant stipends provided by the Foundation and University, and commit themselves to careers as outstanding K-12 teachers.”
Each university participating has a dedicated university faculty member, a program director, who will oversee the Teaching Fellowship. The university program director will work with Fellows to ensure that they are successfully progressing and growing. Part of the program directors’ influence includes aiding Fellows as they develop strong relationships with colleagues in the schools Fellows will become teachers.
The university program director continues to work with Fellows once they become certified teachers, earn their master’s degree, and begin teaching full time. They aid in their transition into the classroom and with any challenges they may face in their careers.
Mercer University will be part of several universities in the exclusive program to continue efforts to strengthen teaching programs across the country.
(03/21/14 12:22am)
Every 85 minutes a person in need of an organ transplant dies. Service Scholar Alexandra Himes is focusing her senior project on the need for registered organ donors. Her project is called “BEARing the Gift of Life” and is aimed to raise awareness.
“One of the most effective solutions to the lack of organ donations is increased awareness. Last semester, Dr. Mary Ann Drake took my passion for organ donation and helped me transform it into my event BEARing the Gift of Life,” said Himes. “In an effort to reach out to the Mercer student body and faculty, we developed my senior project as a way to educate the Mercer community about this national issue.
“This senior project represents the culmination of my commitment as a Service Scholar. I have been given so many wonderful opportunities through this program at Mercer and I am finally able to give back to my school and community,” said Himes. “I would not be planning and executing this event if not for the help and support of Dr. Chris Grant and Dr. Mary Ann Drake.”
Himes hopes for Mercer students to learn that they are a part of the solution by simply learning about organ donation and, hopefully, registering as an organ donor. The waiting list for organ candidates is growing as well as the need for organ donors. As of 2013, the list consisted of 121,605 candidates.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that, “right now, there are more than enough people waiting for an organ to fill a large football stadium twice over.”
“The purpose of this project is to raise awareness and to increase education about the major gap between supply and demand of organs in America on Mercer University’s campus,” said Himes.
At the end of Himes’s freshmen year, Grant, assigned his Service Scholars class an essay which Himes used as inspiration for her senior project. “He asked us to address a major problem in today’s society and to provide three solutions. I chose organ donation. At the time, this was a topic I was interested in mainly because of my goal to pursue a career in the medical field,” said Himes. “Over the next two years, organ donation stayed with me and gradually became the inspiration for my Service Scholar senior project.”
The event will allow participants to visit booths where they will learn about different aspects of organ donation such as surprising statistics, common myths and parts of the body that can be donated. There will also be games, cookie decorating and music.
Himes encourages those who are already registered organ donors to still attend the event so they can continue to spread information and awareness on organ donors as well as encourage those they know to register.
“All of the students and faculty on this campus bear the gift of life. By registering as organ donors, they will be committing to give that gift, their organs, to people who could potentially die without it,” said Himes.
The event will be hosted on Cruz Plaza on March 27 from 2-5 p.m.
(03/06/14 9:49pm)
The Residence Hall Association is a student-led group designed to make residence hall life as enjoyable as possible for the students. RHA also works to develop a sense of pride within the residence halls and develop a feeling of community among the residents.
Josh Gaisser, the area coordinator for residence life, said that Mercer’s RHA brought 17 student leaders to the Georgia Residence Hall Organization conference at the University of Georgia. This conference is a highly spirited, statewide conference with about 150 student leaders and 13 universities in attendance.
Gaisser said that Mercer’s delegation was able to win a multitude of awards including Best Display, Best Banner and the highest award, Most Spirited Delegation. Two other prestigious awards that were brought home included School of the Year and Student Leader of the Year, which was presented to the president of RHA Alfred Lee.
“At GRHO there are three types of awards that are given out. The first is comprised of ‘GRHO awards’, which are written bids that have to be submitted by the school’s National Communication’s chair and are then voted upon in Board Room,” said Leslie Graham, director of public relations for RHA, as she described what awards Mercer won. “Of those awards, Mercer took home School of the Year and Student Leader of the Year.”
Graham described the next set of awards as being conference specific. “These awards consist of Best Roll Call, Best Banner, Best Display and Most Spirited Overall. Of those awards, Mercer took home Best Banner, Best Display and Most Spirited Overall. We additionally contributed the most to the various philanthropies of the conference,” said Graham.
“The final sets of awards are actually grants awarded by the GRHO executive board. Of those grants, one student, Josh Hodges won the First Time Delegate Grant which essentially paid for his conference fees,” said Graham
All the schools that attended represented different Georgia state schools as well as representatives from the regional level and were part of the South Atlantic Affiliate National Association of College and University Residence Halls (SAACURH).
Some of the other schools that attended included East Georgia College, Valdosta State University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University and more.
“RHA is more than just a programming committee; we seek to improve residence hall living by serving as the means of communication between the students and administration,” said Graham.
Mercer’s RHA helps better itself by being part of the Georgia Residence Hall Organization (GRHO) focuses to unite RHAs from around the state so that a network of student leaders can be created. These students are able to benefit by knowing each other and working towards similar goals.
The GRHO Conference is a weekend event where all of the schools that are part of the organization come together to share ideas about programming and student leadership development and to attend the Board Room Meeting. During the Board Room Meeting awards and legislation were voted upon.
The RHA reflects the same values and creativity that they won awards for at Mercer. “Essentially these awards show that Mercer is a school that values creativity, ingenuity and dedication to detail,” said Graham.
“Historically we have put on large scale events such as Humans vs. Zombies, Splatterfest and our first ever RHA Week, but we also provide small-scale programs through the various Hall Governments on campus,” said Graham. “Our programs are designed to promote personal growth and/or to increase a sense of pride in their residence hall environment.”
“RHA is more than just a programming committee; we seek to improve residence hall living by serving as the means of communication between the students and administration,” said Graham.
The RHA works with students to bridge the gap between students and policies.
“We serve as the voice of the residents in regards to various housing policies and procedures. Therefore, if a student were to bring forward a grievance about their residence hall experience, we are equipped to explore the necessary avenues to reach a satisfactory conclusion,” said Graham.
RHA helps students by making residence life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. They put on large-scale events as well as small hall events in order to help residents connect with each other and develop a sense of community.
(02/21/14 1:45am)
Dr. Anya Silver is most recognized by her teaching position in Mercer’s English department, which she has held since 2000.
However, Silver not only teaches literature and poetry, she writes her own.
Silver has known she wanted to teach English since she was in kindergarten, and she has been writing for just as long.
In college, she concentrated her undergraduate English major in creative writing and went on to specialize in Victorian literature, with additional interests in children’s literature, women’s studies and (you guessed it) poetry while in graduate school at Emory University.
“At first I thought I was going to be a high school English teacher, but I did that for a year, and it was a nightmare,” said Silver. “It was all discipline and no teaching of English. So I went back to graduate school and decided I wanted to teach at the college level.”
Silver chose to teach at Mercer University in part because both she and her husband, Dr. Andrew Silver, were offered jobs at Mercer.
She also chose the school and cannot picture herself anywhere else because of the sense of community provided by Mercer.
On top of her work as a Mercer professor, Silver has written and published two books of poetry. The first book was published in 2010 and titled “The Ninety-Third Name of God” and the second book was published in February of 2014, titled “I Watched You Disappear.”
“It’s really gratifying to feel like you’re communicating with people,” said Silver. “That’s why the books make me so happy, is because I feel like people are reading what I have to say, and I’m not just writing into a void. My poems do try to communicate to other people. I want to write to ordinary people who can take something from my poems, and somehow make sense of their logic, and see parts of their life through the poem, or just feel like someone understands them.”
Silver explains that she does not just wait for inspiration to find her because life will get in the way.
She has to make a conscious effort to find the time to write because the more she makes time to write, the more she finds herself inspired.
Silver believes poetry to be a craft that needs to be practiced just like any other activity, such as yoga or an instrument, because poetry is something that you have to work at.
She will sometimes sit down to write a poem and have a specific image or title in mind, but once she begins writing, the poem has the opportunity to go anywhere or become anything.
“I find that teaching literature and reading literature is the best way for me to be inspired. When you constantly read it, you just become influenced by what you’re reading, and you can get ideas from it,” said Silver.
The poet who has been the biggest influence to Silver is Anna Akhmatova, a Russian poet, because her writing is always deep.
Silver is attracted to the subject matters Akhmatova writes about, including the meaning of life, understanding suffering, and understanding love.
“She asks the biggest questions you can ask and does it in a language that is very accessible to people.”
Silver is careful about what poems she allows to be published or that she reads at poetry readings. She thinks about who is reading the poem when she sends it off to be published.
Silver explained that there will always be some poetry to write just for herself for her to express her thoughts and emotions.
“Anybody could pick up certain books and read the poetry, and it will make sense to them, and they would take meaning from it,” said Silver.
“When bad things happen in people’s lives or when good things happen, they turn to poetry because there is something essential and primal about poetry that speaks to people.”
Leaving the Hospital
As the doors glide shut behind me,
the world flares back into being—
I exist again, recover myself,
sunlight undimmed by dark panes,
the heat on my arms the earth’s breath.
The wind tongues me to my feet
like a doe licking her newborn fawn.
At my back, days measured by vital signs,
my mouth opened and arm extended,
the nighttime cries of a man withered
child-size by cancer, and the bells
of emptied IVs tolling through hallways.
Before me, life—mysterious, ordinary—
holding off pain with its muscular wings.
As I step to the curb, an orange moth
dives into the basket of roses
that lately stood on my sick room table,
and the petals yield to its persistent
nudge, opening manifold and golden.
- Anya Silver
from her new book, I Watched You Disappear
(02/21/14 12:52am)
College is the time to discover who you are and to express yourself. Expression can be shown in many different forms; one of those forms being through body art, tattoos and piercings. Tattoos and piercings can vary from extreme gauges to a tiny flower tattoo behind your ear.
We have all practically grown up hearing that no one wants the punk with spiked green hair, giant gauges or neck and arms completely covered in tattoos to work for their company. It can be understandable as to how green hair and skin darkened with ink do not look professional, but many college students express themselves in a less radical manner.
In any college classroom, there will be students with small tattoos behind their ears, a tattoo on their foot or ankle, a cartilage piercing, an eyebrow piercing or a nose piercing. Some students will even have multiple body modifications; to college students they seem like a more reasonable and sensible version of the body art we have been warned all of our lives not to get.
The acceptability of tattoos, piercings or other body art depend on the employer and the position you are seeking. If you are trying to land a new job that involves a good bit of customer interface, body art will more than likely be seen negatively by future employers in the hiring process. Corporations want their employees to reflect their values because, after all, the employees make the company.
Even if your body art is as simple as an extra ear piercing or a small tattoo on your wrist the person interviewing you may not understand it. Often times, the person who is conducting the interview will be a generation or two older than you and will not appreciate or understand why you tattooed an infinity sign on you wrist, possibly assuming that your favorite number is eight.
Piercings and tattoos are a way for many of today’s youth to express themselves, but expression is not always wanted in the workforce. Some companies want, sometimes even require, all of their employees to be uniform in the way they present themselves while working, including teachers and wait staff at restaurants.
At places of employment such as schools and restaurants, individuals with body art will be required to cover their tattoos or remove their piercings while at work.
One test to see whether your potential place of employment will accept your ink, gauges and multiple piercings is to look through their website and advertisements. Are employees featured with body modifications like yours? If not, then it is likely that your image and the image of that company do not match and your job search should continue elsewhere.
No matter how nice of a person you are or what your personality is like, some people will always view body art with a negative connotation. This connotation could have stemmed from the idea that you are ruining your body. Tattoos are permanent and even though piercings can be taken out your appearance has been forever altered.
Students need to understand that when you apply for a job, the employer is not only looking for reasons to hire you, but also reasons not to hire you. Having tattoos or piercings does not make you any less qualified for a job, but the business may not want you looking anything less than professional.
(02/06/14 9:37pm)
We have all been told by our parents how we should act. “Do not put your elbows on the table.” “Say please and thank you.” “You cannot wear that skirt - it is too short.” “No drugs or alcohol.” “Put the toilet seat down.” “Will his parents be home?” When we discovered the new world of the social networking site Facebook, we entered into a virtually ruleless and unrestricted world. Even in the virtual world, there are precautions we should consider in order to remain safe and maintain a good image.
DOs
DO let others know if they have been hacked. We have all seen the annoying statuses about the latest “get rich quick” schemes, or messages and posts trying to get you to click on a link. “Two days ago I got held up at gunpoint at the ATM. I want your help finding these dudes. Click on this link and tell me if you recognize them!” Even some of our most annoying Facebook friends would not post these. If you see that your friends have been hacked, you should tell them. More likely than not, they do not know and will be extremely grateful you told them, along with all of their friends who have had to see all the spam in their newsfeeds.
DO use the privacy settings that Facebook provides. If your account is not private, literally anyone with a computer will be able to see what is on your profile. You have no way of knowing who is looking at your profile - it could be the cute new girl you sit next to in class, or it could be the really creepy old man who lives halfway around the world.
DO friend your parents and other relatives. Many of us live away from home and do not get to see our parents very often. Rather than constantly wondering what you have been up to in school, your parents and other relatives can keep tabs on your Facebook page to see all your latest activity. And you can keep tabs on their lives. That also means less time-consuming phone calls being made to family members.
DO share your good news. Facebook is a great way for friends and family to know what you have been doing, especially if they live far away. If you achieve something important or anything good happens to you, why not share it? When something great happens to you, you deserve the bragging rights. Made the Dean’s List? Feel free to shove it in the faces of your Facebook friends, but do it graciously. It will be a good break for people to see something positive in their newsfeeds rather than the typical drama.
DO monitor your tagged pictures. You can control what photos you put up, but you cannot always control the photos other people put up of you. Thankfully, you can un-tag and report photos. Congrats on your first keg stand, but your family and friends do not need to see you tagged in a picture of you caught in the act. It is smart to monitor your photos, so no one can see anything you do not want them to.
DON'Ts
DON’T post pictures of yourself with alcohol and drugs. When you begin applying for jobs, future employers are able to look at your profile to see how you carry yourself outside of the office. If an employer sees you posing in photos with your favorite beer or appearing to be under the influence of drugs, it will strongly affect their opinion of you during your application process. Companies do not want employees to ruin or alter their public image.
DON’T like or comment on a friend’s relationship status when it changes to “single.” Leave out the comments telling your friend to text you or asking what happened. If they actually wanted you to know the details of their breakup, you would already know. For the time being, let him or her have some privacy and time to heal
DON’T post annoying and meaningless statuses. You have heard it before: “No one cares what you had for lunch.” Do not waste people’s time by constantly posting statuses all about insignificant parts of your day. You do not need to post that you had pizza for lunch or a picture of your coffee. Everyone eats; you are no different.
Also, remember the most meaningless statuses are those which are vague and completely unexplained.
DON’T post inappropriate or vulgar statuses. Your Facebook timeline is a reflection of you and your personality. You do not want others to get the wrong idea about you. When you refrain from cursing, you automatically will look more intelligent and classy. A good rule of thumb: If you do not want your grandmother to read it, then you should not post it.
(02/06/14 9:36pm)
Valentine’s Day is on the horizon, which is a time for celebrating love and relationships.
However, every relationship is not the perfect balance of trust, love, understanding and respect.
In fact, domestic violence unfortunately has been prominent in Americans’ lives for as long as Valentine’s Day.
In the United States, on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner according to the abusive relationships hotline.
Abusive relationships are not always obvious to the person being abused, but sometimes outsiders are able to tell if something is not quite right in a relationship.
Abusive relationships are not limited to physical abuse. An abusive relationship can be physical, emotional or both.
To those who have never been in an abusive relationship, it seems strange that people could allow themselves to get caught up in an unhealthy relationship where they are not given the love and respect they deserve.
Many reasons exist for someone choosing to remain in an abusive relationship for an extended amount of time.
Someone could be staying in an unhealthy relationship because he or she does not know what a healthy one looks like.
The abused individual may not realize anything is wrong with the relationship and believe the abuse is normal.
Another common reason people stay in abusive relationships is because they are embarrassed.
They could be embarrassed that they allowed themselves to be caught up in the situation or by the actions committed by their significant other.
According to counselingcenter.illinois.edu, verbal abuse can be equally harmful for someone’s emotional state.
Emotional abuse can wear down a person’s mind to the point where he or she begins to believe anything the abuser tells them.
Emotional abuse can be anything from a partner insulting physical appearance to threatening to commit suicide if broken up with.
Victims of emotional abuse can begin to have self-esteem problems and believe themselves unworthy of love or incapable of finding a relationship better than the one they are currently in.
This type of abuse can be used as a way to manipulate someone into staying in a relationship.
There are many ways to spot a relationship with an abuser.
According to helpguide.org, if a person is constantly blaming his or her significant other for their emotions, he or she could be trying to place his or her own emotions and actions in the hands of someone else to avoid responsibility for them.
Sudden mood swings can be another sign someone is possibly inflicting abuse.
If a person is constantly bouncing between being happy to sad to angry, his or her emotions are unstable and could lead to rash decisions.
Strict gender roles do not have a part in a healthy relationship.
No individual in the relationship, regardless of gender, should be expected to be subservient or obedient.
The same can be said for the opposite situation - no partner in a relationship should be expected to be the dominant one who addresses all the problems.
If you are dating someone who physically harms or attempts to harm you, it is abuse.
He or she may try to tell you it will never happen again or it was an accident, but no one deserves to be in a relationship where they are not respected physically and emotionally.
The victims of abusive relationships may not know they are victims or that help is available.
In a healthy relationship, you would never be intentionally physically or emotionally hurt.
Communication, trust and respect are the key components for any relationship.
For those who are seeking help or know someone who is need of help, you can contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on campus or go to the hotline for abusive relationships at www.thehotline.org.
(02/06/14 9:31pm)
Downtown Macon has a continuing history of artists ranging from music to visual arts. The 567 Center for Renewal fosters the creative aspects in downtown Macon by encouraging and helping artists and businesses.
The 567 is a non-profit art center, music venue and business incubator whose goal is to help revitalize downtown Macon through music, the arts and small business development.
The 567’s webpage shares their “dream of a vibrant downtown Macon filled with successful businesses and creative professionals, a downtown filled with the arts and enjoyed by people of all ages from all places.”
The 567 Center for Renewal began out of The 567 Cafe on Cherry Street. New City Church saw a need and desire to create a space to help the community. It saw that musicians and artists needed a place to showcase their talents.
From there The 567 Cafe was created and continued to grow until more space was need. Eventually The 567 Center for Renewal grew into a separate organization that is now located in a larger building on Cherry Street.
“We help artists and musicians by providing them a place to showcase their talents. We have monthly art exhibits featuring a mix of local and regional artists,” said Melissa Macker, executive director of The 567. “Most of them are emerging artists who are still trying to get their name out there, or they may have never hung their work in a gallery before.”
The 567 offers art classes for both children and adults, and local artists have an opportunity to come and teach their skills to the community. The 567 also has concerts once a month where singer-songwriters and local bands are able to get their start.
“One area we’re growing in this year is helping artists and musicians to learn business skills. We had a workshop this past weekend called ‘Ignite Lite’ where artists, musicians, any kind of creative entrepreneur could come and learn how to create a business plan and set goals for their work,” said Macker.
The 567 plans to have more workshops similar to “Ignite Lite” soon.
“The 567 really encourages this idea that everyone has a little bit of artist in them,” said Macker. “In our society, children are discouraged from becoming artists or musicians because the chances of doing that as a successful career are so slim.”
“The people showcasing their talents aren’t full-time artists or musicians much of the time—they’re chefs or teachers or engineers who love to create,” said Macker.
The 567 works to encourage the creative life downtown as well as help take action to continue its development. In addition to supporting local musicians and artists, The 567 also supports businesses through their business incubator.
“The business incubator helps new business owners get through those difficult first couple of years of owning a business. We provide affordable work space and equipment so they don’t have to make a huge initial investment,” said Macker.
Once The 567 has helped the new business owners get their start, The 567 continues to help through providing the business with a community of support.
“The business owners in our business incubator can come to us when they need to bounce off ideas or get a recommendation for a website designer. They also network with each other and share their experiences,” said Macker.
The 567 is able to help Mercer students as well. “For students who are artists, we’re happy to take a look at your portfolio. We’ll exhibit the work of anyone who’s talented—student or not. If you have a business idea, we’re happy to hear it, and to give you some pointers on what it takes to start a business. After all, many famous companies have been started by college students,” said Macker.