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(09/12/18 2:09am)
The arts and entertainment industry is a business with a lot of overlap. Many musicians play several instruments. People who act can often sing and dance as well.
Mercer Sophomore Jacob Serrett is no exception to this trend.
Serrett began his time at Mercer as a trombone performance major after playing the instrument for several years.
“It wasn’t until high school that (playing trombone) really started to pick up as something that I thought I’d be really interested in,” Serrett said.
Serrett also plays several other brass instruments, the piano and the ukulele. Additionally, he writes, sings and acts. Of all of the instruments he plays, Serrett said that his favorite is the piano.
“I really love playing piano,” Serrett said. “If I’m having a really bad day, or if things get really anxious, I’ll often just go into one of the practice rooms in the music building, and I’ll just sit and play.”
Serrett said that music is his go-to for alleviating stress.
“I get kind of scatterbrained, but once I regroup, I will take time to either go and just listen to music by myself for a little bit, or go on a walk and listen to music,” Serrett said.
Serrett started doing theatre while he was in high school, where his first musical was “The Addams Family.” Eventually, Serrett found his way into the school choir at the request of his high school’s choral director.
“I think that was a gateway for me to get more into acting stuff,” Serrett said.
Of all of the career paths that he could follow with his set of skills, Serrett said that his dream job is to be an actor.
“I’ve always thought that doing voice acting, whether it be in TV shows or video games or something, would be really cool,” Serrett said.
(04/25/18 2:48pm)
Based off the book “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” “Love, Simon” is a movie for all audiences. There is an emotional journey present in which anyone can find something to relate to.
There is an adorable little sister, a solid ensemble of friends and a nuclear family living in a pretty nice home. Nothing seems especially different from other teen coming-of-age stories. However, one thing sets this movie apart.
Spoiler alert: Simon is gay.
Many books and movies that cater to teens focus on a girl who “isn’t like other girls” because she has short hair or has read more than three books.
Not only is this trope somewhat problematic, but it is also worn out. We’ve had Katniss Everdeen, Beatrice Prior and Hazel Grace Lancaster. Now it’s time for Simon Spier.
Simon, who is brilliantly played by Nick Robinson, is a gay high school student who is forced out of the closet in a blackmailing scenario.
Gay characters on screen have a pretty bad track record. It is common for them to either be killed off early in their arc or for them to be in a toxic, abusive or pedophilic relationship (not to call out “Call Me by Your Name” or anything).
In “Love, Simon,” the gay characters are not just present for sassy one-liners or to add just enough diversity that the movie studio feels ok saying they’re progressive.
The entire movie’s plot revolves around what it is like to be in the closet, and the creators tried to tell a real story of a struggle that people actually go through every day. Simon is forced out of the closet, but he doesn’t suddenly die for no reason or start dating a 25-year-old man.
Simon goes through genuine emotional turmoil because the only part of his sexuality he could control was ripped out of his grasp. This happens to LGBTQ+ individuals who are outed against their will, and it is not a story that is often told in mainstream media.
However, everything works out for Simon in the end, which is very important representation for anyone going through a similar struggle.
On the more logistical style of things, “Love, Simon” was very well put together. The music choices had a strong teen vibe without forcing the audience to listen to grating pop music from Sirius XM Hits One. The pacing of the movie was great, keeping the audience engaged the entire duration of the film. Finally, the acting was phenomenal with stellar performances from Robinson, as well as Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner as Simon’s parents and Logan Miller as Martin.
A sequel novel to “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” is set to be released on April 24, 2018.
(04/19/18 1:48am)
Devon Raffield and Dakota Johnson—both Junior engineering students—founded an improv comedy club on campus with one goal in mind: to have fun.
“(The club is) supposed to be a place for anyone to be silly,” Raffield said.
Improvisational comedy is a style of comedy where there is no script. The performers or players come up with the dialogue off the top of their heads based on prompts, usually given by an outside party such as an audience member.
The improv club, known as “Mprov Comedy,” is open to anyone, student or faculty, who is interested in having a good time, Johnson said.
Raffield and Johnson are both lovers of comedy who decided to stop just listening to comedy and start creating their own. Both of them listen to a multitude of comedy podcasts, which were also their inspirations for their comedic styles, they said.
Raffield and Johnson said that they are not seasoned performers, and they are not necessarily going to be teaching this style of comedy to the members of the club. It will be a more collaborative environment where everyone present can learn and grow together as comedians.
They said that the club will be a judgment-free zone where anyone who wants to explore comedy will be free to do so at their own pace.
“The day to day goal is to create a safe place to escape,” Raffield said.
Johnson also said that learning to improvise in a comedy setting will also help members in real-life scenarios.
“(Improvising) helps you to think on your feet,” Johnson said, relating the skill to situations like job interviews and public speaking.
There are currently no performances scheduled, but Raffield and Johnson said that there is a definite possibility of performances in the future.
The “Mprov Comedy” club meets every Monday at 7 p.m. in Knight 302.
(04/04/18 2:01pm)
Mercer University’s Student Government Association recently approved a new club on campus: the Mercer Neuroscience Organization. Two neuroscience majors, Keerthika Ravikumar and Manvi Manyam, founded the club with hopes to make a difference at Mercer.
Ravikumar and Manyam, both sophomores, said they have three goals they would like to meet with their new organization. One of these is to educate fellow Mercer students about neuroscience and the brain to help raise awareness of how different neurological conditions affect people’s everyday lives.
“If you think about all the major problems in society today, you can trace it back to individual differences,”Manyam said.
Ravikumar and Manyam said they want to help break down the barrier between society and the concepts of neuroscience.
Manyam and Ravikumar said that another of their motivations for founding the Neuroscience Organization is to help create a “good networking system among neuroscience majors” and assist students in planning for the future.
“I wish I had started thinking about all of this freshman year, so I don’t have to try to finish all my hours last minute,” Ravikumar said. “I think a lot of people are going to benefit from this organization.”
The final goal of the Mercer Neuroscience Organization is to help Mercer students connect with the residents of Macon, even long after Ravikumar and Manyam graduate. They want to establish a strong relationship between Mercer and the Macon community, they said.
While they are still in the beginning stages, Ravikumar and Manyam said that the Neuroscience Organization already has an event planned to attempt to bridge the gap between Mercer’s campus and the rest of Macon, as well as several other events specifically for Mercer students.
Manyam and Ravikumar said they are hoping to host an event on campus that will feature performers who will be showcasing their talents. They said they want to reach out to establishments in Macon that assist people with mental health issues and have the clients they serve come to Mercer’s campus and watch the show.
The Neuroscience Organization had its first interest meeting on March 16, and 27 people attended. The club does not have an official meeting time or place yet, but Manyam and Ravikumar said they are planning on posting those updates on their Facebook page as they get the details finalized.
For more information, visit the Mercer Neuroscience Organization Facebook page, or email them at mercerneuroscienceorganization@gmail.com.