35 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(08/18/11 10:57pm)
This fall, Mercer will begin work on Lyceum, a university-wide initiative to encourage learning, service and action within the Mercer community.
The program aims to create a central program, known as a “lyceum” to plan university-wide events that follow the theme of morally transformative learning, service and student life.
Mercer Lyceum also hopes to make a permanent tradition out of the developing pattern of hosting at least one major university-wide conference on the Macon campus.
The conference and other associated events will revolve around the recently approved biennial theme of “Rebuilding Democracy.”
“This theme was chosen in part out of distress at the signs of breakdown in American civility and the effectiveness of our democratic processes, and in part to encourage our students and others to deepen their own sense of identity as citizens and their commitment to spend their lives engaged in civic action on behalf of the common good,” said Dr. David Gushee, Distinguished University Professor and member of the Leadership of Lyceum Planning Board.
Dr. Doug Pearson, Vice President for Student Affairs, believes the theme works perfectly for the programs that Mercer hopes to develop. “What students do outside of the classroom is just as important to us as what they do in the classroom,” he said. “We don’t want to simply graduate good student – we want to graduate students who know how to make a difference in their communities and in the world.”
The intent of a centralized theme is to provide a focus for classroom and co-curricular activities.
According to Pearson, the Lyceum concept developed from the success of previous conferences held at Mercer like the Torture Conference, the Caring for Creation Conference and the S.T.O.P. Conference.
“These all were stimulating, thought-provoking programs that were tied with service and action,” Pearson said. “Our communities experienced a real change due to these programs. Lyceum simply seeks to institutionalize this concept over two year periods of time based on a selected theme. “
One of the first programs Lyceum is planning for Mercer is a student voter registration campaign that will begin the first week of school. The unofficial goal of the campaign is to achieve 100% registration on campus.
As part of the campaign, SGA and Student Life will work with Peer Advisors and Residence Life to emphasize the importance of voting. The program is focused heavily on freshmen, with tables set up in the residence halls during move-in day, but all Residence Assistants will have information for upper-classmen living on campus.
SGA President Jordan Locke said he is very excited about working with Mercer Lyceum.
“Rebuilding democracy we feel is especially applicable to our organization because democracy is the crux of why we exist,” Locke said.
Gushee emphasized that Mercer Lyceum is not specific to any part of the university but belongs to Mercer as a whole. “The model we have developed involves collaborative event planning and also the co-branding of events that individual units do and wuld like to have associated with the theme,” he said. “Anyone who is planning a lecture and wants a co-branding with Lyceum is encouraged to contact any member of the Lyceum team to make that happen.”
(08/18/11 10:28pm)
Safety on and off campus remains an important issue for both new students and upper classmen.
Students returning to campus should remember to stay aware no matter how comfortable they have become with the area.
Police Chief Gary Collins, along with the entirety of the Mercer Police Department, made it clear in an interview with Ashley Minelli of NBC that protecting students remains the top priority going into the fall semester.
“We know that the students that come here are the sons and daughters of someone, and we want to keep them as safe as we possibly can,” says Chief Collins.
More of Mercer’s police force will patrol campus this fall to enforce security, and Chief Collins urges students to contact Mercer Police at any time by calling 478-301-HELP or 478-301- 4357.
Although more police will be present on campus the need for safety precautions is not unwarranted.
Chief Collins suggests abiding by these safety tips to help students stay out of danger both on and off campus.
“If you see something, say something. Report any suspicious activity to the police,” said Collins.
Collins also suggests never going anywhere with someone you do not really know and he urges students to always be aware of their surroundings on and off campus.
“Don’t ever think it can’t happen to you. It can,” said Collins so “travel with friends and utilize Mercer’s trolley service.”
Collins also urges students to keep a watchful eye out and not to believe that everyone who appears nice is truly nice.
“Do not lend your Bearcard to anyone, and keep your car doors locked and windows up when driving,” said Collins.
“Help us help you and remember - if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is,” warned Collins.
Chief Collins’ last safety tip is to remember Mercer Police. He encourages that students put the department’s number on speed dial.
Mercer Police want it known that even if a student is not on campus MerPo can be called if they are needed.
Other safety tips include knowing where the emergency poles are located on campus and signing up for the RAVE cell phone alert system, which sends alerts to students through text messages and includes I.D. tracking features.
Mercer students can sign up for the RAVE Guardian system through their MyMercer accounts anytime during the year.
In combination with Chief Collins’ safety tips, some Mercer students have their own safety precautions.
“Don’t go anywhere by yourself, especially at night. That’s my main rule,” said junior Albert Sykes.
“My main safety tip is dark places are scary for a reason, and don’t be stupid, always have a plan,” said senior Gene Mitchell.
“If you’re late make sure someone knows about,” Mitchell said, also adding that car keys can be more than just keys; they can be used for protection.
“I would suggest taking a self-defense, carry mace or maybe even a Taser,” said Sykes.
(08/18/11 10:08pm)
(08/18/11 9:15pm)
Cox Capitol Theatre and DSEL Promotions are starting the school year off with a bang.
On Thursday, Aug. 25, BASSFACE presents its Back to School Bash featuring Dubstep DJs Heroes + Villains and Mayhem.
DSEL Promotions began in 2010 and soon brought the BASSFACE series to downtown Macon, according to Nick Rizkalla CEO of DSEL Promotions.
Dubstep music had been in the Atlanta underground scene for years and was beginning to leak out into surrounding cities and into the public eye,” Rizkalla said. “The young people and college kids around Macon wanted Dubstep but had no outlet for it, and so DSEL stepped up to the plate and answered their demands.”
Headliners Heroes + Villians kept their identity a secret for some time, creating quite the buzz in the online community. They have recently been revealed, however, as DJs and producers Daniel Disaster and Pete H. Their discography includes official remixes for Roscoe Dash’s ”All the Way Turnt Up” and Waka Flocka’s “Oh Let’s Do It.”
Mayhem is an Atlanta-based DJ, producer, label executive and promoter. He is currently collaborating with Heros + Villains to combine southern rap music with Dubstep.
The show also features Natasha Fox, an Atlanta resident who began moonlighting as a DJ in 2011. Fox works with Atlanta music label Wobble House. DJ Pharmer, AKA Alden Bennett, will make an appearance as well. Bennett is a well-known DJ in Macon and has performed at local events such as Bearstock.
August’s Back to School Bash is an all ages event. The cover is $5 with college ID, and $10 without.
In the upcoming months, DSEL will be bringing other names and shows to Macon, including Wick-It The Instigator on September 29.
For more information on Back to School Bash or other shows, visit DSELpromotions.com or check them out on Facebook.
(04/28/11 6:00pm)
Mercer University’s student-run newspaper, The Cluster, placed in six categories in the Society for Collegiate Journalists’ annual national contest.
The paper was awarded third place for overall excellence in its division, which encompassed papers that come out weekly or less.
In the category of Newspaper Design, the paper placed first in front page design and editorial page design, and third in news page design and sports page design.
The Cluster also won first place for best advertising portfolio.
The Society for Collegiate Journalists sponsors this contest each year, and all member schools are invited to enter.
Mercer has had an SCJ chapter since 2007. There are over 150 colleges and universities across the country that have active chapters.
SCJ faculty advisor Jay Black said he is glad to see the Cluster recognized.
“I have seen the value of my students’ work rise every year since I’ve been here. The only way to be a good journalist is to write,” Black said. “The value of the Cluster is that the quality of the paper is at a level now that somebody who is just beginning can write stories and their peers and upperclassmen can turn them into a better writer. It is through the mentoring process of the Cluster that has made us not only a good student newspaper, but also an excellent news source for Central Georgia.”
Black also feels that Mercer’s SCJ chapter has been an integral part of the Cluster’s success. “SCJ’s mission on campus is to promote the media, and by actively doing that we created awareness. This added awareness has put pressure on the Cluster staff to be that much better,” he said.
Senior Morgan Riley, outgoing president of SCJ, said the awards are well deserved because of the hard work done by Cluster staff.
“The Cluster never ceases to amaze me,” Riley said. “The awards truly reflect the talent here and I love the standard we’re creating for journalism at Mercer. Everyone should be beyond proud because we’re doing great things.”
The Society for Collegiate Journalists is an establishment intended to promote and expand media on college campuses. It places a strong emphasis on service and expects its members to take leadership roles in campus media.
Mercer has recently been selected to host the Society for Collegiate Journalists 2012 Biannual Conference on March 9-11.
Cluster faculty advisor Lee Greenway was pleased with the outcome of the contest.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the staff of the Cluster. The students consistently prove their talent and ability; no surprise that they would show so well at the national level,” he said.
(04/27/11 11:46pm)
When I set out to write an article about Mercer students’ plans for the summer, I definitely had high expectations. I know that Mercer students are ambitious, adventurous world-travellers who, for the most part, would not be content spending a summer staring at a television in between sessions of baking in the sun next to a pool. (For the record, after the semester I’ve had, this summer option is looking more and more appealing every day.)
But Mercer students who volunteered their plans for my story exceeded my expectations. The students I spoke with are using their summers to work with causes that are important to them and to take steps towards bright futures.
Sophomore Emily Garrott is moving back to Macon on May 14-15 after overseeing the unveiling of a project she’s been working on in Washington DC since January. Garrott participated in George Washington University’s Semester in Washington journalism program this past semester, where she took two classes at GWU and had an internship with the Department of the Interior. This summer, she’ll be taking two summer classes and working long-distance with her boss in DC to finalize her project.
Garrott will also be working with WordPress to promote her personal brand, something she spent a lot of time talking about in DC. “I’m adding every video I’ve ever contributed or produced, every filmed interview, and all of my professional and published photographs…along with every article I’ve written for The Cluster,” she said. She hopes to work with FinalCutPro to improve her editing skills, something she wants to bring to the table when she assumes her position as online editor for The Cluster in the fall.
Garrott hopes to spend time studying other social marketing sites and what makes them so popular so that she can learn how to better market herself.
Junior Chelsey McDade will be working in the south of Spain this summer with missionaries who work with refugees coming from Africa. She is going on the trip with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a nonprofit organization that raises money to send missionaries around the United States and the world. She learned about the program from her father, who works for the CBF.
McDade said she has always loved mission work and Spain and has been looking for an opportunity like this for a long time. Although she is nervous about being out of the country alone for two months, McDade is excited to go and to hopefully perfect her Spanish.
As a Global Health major, junior Amiee Frutchey, who plans to get a master’s degree as a physician’s assistant, has been accepted as a Global Health Fellow intern for Unite For Sight, a nonprofit organization that supports eye clinics worldwide. For the internship, Frutchey will be volunteering in Ghana, Africa, working directly with patients in the field.
Frutchey will spend a month of her summer assisting eye clinics to screen for eye disease, implementing education programs and coordinating sight-restoring surgery for children and adults. Three days a week, she will travel to remote villages with local eye doctors to screen as many as 600 children and families for diseases related to eye care.
To prepare for the trip, Frutchey has raised $1,700 that goes directly to funding surgeries and ensuring no one remains blind due to lack of funds. She has also collected 500 eyeglasses that she will be bringing to donate.
Frutchey said she is extremely proud to be a Unite For Sight volunteer.
If these students’ stories have inspired you to spice up your summer, allow me to make a recommendation. It is possibly too late to sign up for most of these trips, but I cannot stress highly enough how absolutely mindblowingly amazing Mercer on Mission is. If you can’t go this summer, go next summer. Seriously. Best thing you’ll ever do.
(04/27/11 6:45pm)
Last week, the nation erupted in outrage over an incident that had liberals and conservatives engaged in vicious mudslinging. Was it the United States’ involvement with the war in Libya? No. Was it the disturbingly partisan nature of the recent budget crisis? No. It was something much worse. Popular clothing line J. Crew, heaven forbid, recently ran an ad featuring a small boy with bright pink polish on his toenails.
The ad was part of a feature in J. Crew’s catalogue titled “Saturday with Jenna” that gave a peek into the life of its president and creative director Jenna Lyons. In the photo Lyons is grinning from ear to ear at her laughing son while holding his foot, which sports hot pink toenails. Touching moment between mother and son captured on film? NO. Intentional assault on gender norms and family values everywhere!
As one Fox News contributor Dr. Keith Ablow asked, “If you have no problem with the J. Crew ad, how about one in which a little boy models a sundress?” Nope — sorry, Fox News, no problem with that either. The controversy about this ad centers around the concept that there are things that belong to boys and things that belong to girls, and anything that blurs the line will undoubtedly end with gender confusion and ultimately sex-change surgery, or, as Ablow calls it, “procedures to grotesquely amputate body parts.”
Aren’t we supposed to be past gender stereotyping? As one commentator on the story pointed out, the world would pass over an ad featuring a young girl wearing jeans and playing in the dirt with a Tonka truck without a second glance. And why? Because her crossing of gender norms makes her an empowered woman!
As a matter of fact, the general public would reject a requirement that a female child be forced to wear a pink dress and play with dolls for the purpose of advertising, so why should this little boy be forced to do likewise? We can’t pick and choose which gender norms we reject and which ones we follow.
More important, Lyons is being backhandedly accused of bad parenting as a result of this ad. Bad parenting, really? As pointed out by a columnist on RVAnews.com, a New York mother recently killed herself and her three children, but we’re concerned about a mother painting her son’s toenails. Parents abuse, neglect and abandon their children daily.
A mother who does not conform to gender norms is not a bad mother. A gay couple who I know very well recently adopted three beautiful children after years of unsuccessful ventures with adoption agencies around the world. Their birth mother has five children under the age of six, and all of them have been taken away from her. Are we really supposed to believe that these children would be better off with their biological mother because now they have two loving daddies who aren’t likely to enforce strict gender roles? Somehow I think not.
Comments on this opinion can be sent to editor@mercercluster.com
(04/13/11 4:31pm)
Mercer is set to introduce women’s sand volleyball as its 16th official athletic program beginning this fall.
Head volleyball coach Noelle Rooke said sand volleyball is the newest NCAA emerging sport, and Mercer is among the first schools to launch it. Other schools introducing the sport include Florida Gulf Coast University, Stetson University and the University of North Florida.
Unlike indoor volleyball, sand volleyball is played in “doubles” with teams of two competing against one another. Mercer will field five teams, so ten students will be required to play.
The 10 players are being pulled from Mercer’s existing women’s volleyball team, which currently has 16 students. Therefore, more than half of these students will be playing both sports — indoor volleyball in the fall and sand volleyball in the spring.
Rooke said she was not told specifically why sand volleyball was brought to Mercer, but she assumes it was a move to fulfill the university’s Title IX requirements.
Title IX is a law enacted in 1972 that amends Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Although it is most often associated with collegiate athletics, the original statute made no specific mention of sports. Its basic requirement is that universities receiving federal forms self-evaluate to determine whether they offer equal opportunities based on sex.
Until recently, Mercer had seven men’s sports and seven women’s sports. The addition of lacrosse in the fall tipped the scale in favor of men’s teams.
Because football is a non-scholarship sport, Rooke said, it does not affect Mercer’s Title IX obligations and will not unless it becomes a scholarship sport.
Rooke also said that, to her knowledge, each university can choose whether or not to follow Title IX guidelines.
The students who will be playing both sports will only be receiving a scholarship for indoor volleyball, Rooke said.
Cole said the implementation of scholarships is largely left up to individual coaches. He also said, however, that the university reassesses scholarships every year and, in the future, every sport is eligible for an increase in scholarship.
Cole said he and President Underwood are always looking to find more opportunities for athletes to participate and they look at athletics as a great recruiting tool. He also thinks the sport will be valuable to the volleyball players.
“I think it’ll be a great tool for the girls already playing to get more practice and exposure,” Cole said.
Rooke agreed that sand volleyball will benefit students. “I think it’s a great opportunity for these kids because … on sand … you’re forced to do everything,” she said.
Junior Amiee Frutchey said she is looking forward to playing on the sand volleyball team. “Sand volleyball is a sport everyone loves to play, whether just for fun on the beach or in a competitive setting ... I think the team will draw a lot of interest from people who like to play the sport themselves,” she said.
Frutchey said it is not common for an athlete to play two sports on one scholarship, but she emphasized that she and the other students playing both are doing so because they love the game and because it improves their abilities for indoor volleyball as well.
“You can jump higher, move faster, and it gives you a bigger arsenal of shots. In sand you rarely ever hit a ball as hard as you can so it forces you to think of other ways to score points. And it gets us out of the gym and into the gorgeous sunny Georgia weather, so that’s a plus too,” Frutchey said.
Mercer took three teams of two players to a tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. last weekend so the students could practice competing in the new sport.
(03/22/11 11:50pm)
Candidates for SGA president and vice-president discussed the issues of their campaigns at the annual debate in the Bear Rock Cafe Tuesday evening.
The debate opened with introductions of the candidates from both tickets: Senators Jordan Locke and Ike Ekeke and Senators Stephen Bradshaw and Melissa Thompson. The candidates were given a chance to state their class year, major, hometown and most important issue in their respective platforms. Both tickets emphasized their interest in “making Mercer better.”
Trenton White and Shannon Giddens, the current SGA president and vice president, then asked a series of questions to both tickets.
The first question asked both tickets about how they would handle over-programming of student organizations on campus. Locke and Bradshaw both expressed a commitment to preserving the diversity of organizations while continuing to be able to fund them.
The candidates were then asked what they would do to continue the green initiative that has been started on campus with the recent approval of a university-wide recycling program.
“We want to take smaller steps to reach our big green goals,” Bradshaw said. Bradshaw also said solar panels would be worth considering if they were financially feasible.
Locke replied that he and Ekeke had researched the possibility of solar panels, and they were not feasible.
The candidates also disagreed on the issue of blackouts in non-residence hall buildings on campus as a way to save on power costs. Bradshaw proposed nighttime blackouts in academic buildings, while Locke suggested a “blackout day” to raise awareness among students, citing a concern that a full-blown blackout might make students feel unsafe when walking across campus.
The two tickets responded to the question of how they would balance their current responsibilities with the responsibilities they would inherit if they win the election by citing their time-management skills gained through their experience with SGA and its related committees.
“I will make the time to make a difference,” Locke said.
Each ticket continuously stressed its commitment to change on campus.
“If we as SGA take a stance of complacency, then I don’t think anything will happen. If we’re not growing, we’re shrinking,” Bradshaw said.
Locke said, however, that progressive change does not always mean eliminating existing programs or infrastructures and creating new ones, but often means improving the existing ones.
After answering the questions raised by Senator White and Senator Giddens, the candidates turned to questions posed by audience members, one of which addressed the issue of personal values versus proposed changes for the university.
Both tickets said that while their personal values are important to them, they would not allow those values to impede in any way on what is best for the university.
“These things are part of us. We can’t just ask someone to put them aside, but we must ask if we can use them to come together and make a difference,” Ekeke said.
Voting for president and vice-president begins in Connell Student Center tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Students can also vote online using SGA's electronic voting system.
For a minute-by-minute update of Tuesday's debate, check out The Cluster's live blogging form the event here.
(03/21/11 11:31pm)
Macon’s newest night spot, Club Element, has come under fire recently for alleged homophobic comments made by a bouncer during the club's opening night.
The club, which opened March 4, is located in the storefront formerly occupied by Synergy, a venue that catered to the LGBT community.
Colby Cain, of Macon, said he and his friend Mitch Kersey were pulled out of line by a bouncer who previously worked at Synergy and told that they needed to “act straight” or they would not be allowed in the club.
The men were told that “this isn’t a gay club anymore,” Cain said.
Cain said he was offended by the club’s behavior, since he had been a longtime supporter of the business when it was operating as Synergy.
“We weren’t acting any differently than anyone else in line,” Colby said. “It was very clear that we were told we couldn’t act gay or we would be kicked out.”
After the incident, Cain said Club Element’s owner contacted him on Facebook saying the incident was a misunderstanding.
Club manager Chris Bordelon said apologies have been made and the issue has been resolved.
For more on this story, read the next issue of The Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com for updates.
(03/16/11 8:03pm)
A bill recently passed in the Georgia Senate will cut HOPE scholarship payouts by $320 million. This overhaul means that many Mercer students will have to pay at least $400 more for tuition when they return to campus this fall – and possibly up to $1,200 more in the coming years depending on future lottery revenues.
The bill, passed in the House on March 1 and in the Senate on March 8, will reduce the amount of HOPE scholarship funds awarded annually to in-state students attending private universities such as Mercer by a minimum of 10 percent, from $4,000 to $3,600.
House Bill 326 is a part of Gov. Nathan Deal’s plan to save the state’s lottery-funded education programs – including the college scholarships and the state’s prekindergarten program – from going broke.
To compensate for the HOPE fund’s currently estimated $400 million budget shortfall, the current bill will slash public and private university HOPE scholarships by 10 percent across the board for all in-state students with a 3.0 to 3.3 GPA.
Current public and private college students with a 3.3 GPA or higher will not be affected by the proposed cuts, however, as they will qualify for a newly-formed “Zel Miller” scholarship that retains all the benefits of the old HOPE scholarship.
Perhaps most significantly, H.B. 326 makes the amount of future HOPE scholarships dependent on the amount of lottery revenue generated, meaning individual HOPE scholarships could dip to as low as 70 percent of what they are now in the coming years if the funds are not available.
At public universities like the University of Georgia and Georgia State, students with a 3.0 to 3.3 GPA would only receive 90 percent of their tuition payments for the 2011-2012 academic year.At private universities such as Mercer – where HOPE only pays partial tuition – students in the 3.0 to 3.3 GPA range would incur a similar 10 percent scholarship reduction from $4,000 to $3,600 for the coming year.
That means Mercer students receiving HOPE who have less than a 3.3 GPA would be required to come up with an additional $400 to cover the cost of the next two semesters, and could be forced to pay as much as $1,200 more for each of the coming academic years if lottery revenues don’t pan out as hoped.
Larry Brumley, Senior Vice President for Marketing Communications and Chief of Staff, said that HOPE Scholarship cuts are practical on several levels.
Enrollment in colleges across the country has increased, Brumley said, and the lottery revenue funding the scholarship could not keep up. Also, public institutions have received cutbacks in federal funding over the past few years, causing them to raise tuition. Because the HOPE Scholarship previously provided full tuition for students attending public universities, the lottery funding was also unable to keep up with their tuition spikes.
“It was just unrealistic to keep funding one hundred percent of tuition for public universities,” Brumley said. “It’s practically not sustainable to tie the grant to tuition as these recent tuition raises have underscored.”
Brumley also cited a growing gap between HOPE funding for private and public schools. Because the scholarship fully covered tuition at public universities and paid for a fixed rate of private tuition, the public school funding increased while the private stayed the same, causing a great difference in aid between the two.
To qualify for the new Zel Miller scholarship and maintain the old HOPE benefits, students must have either maintained a 3.3 GPA in college, or enter in from high school with a minimum of a 3.7 GPA as well as a score of at least 1200 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT.
Junior Jordan Locke said that although he knows it is a hard time for Georgia economically, he hates to see funding cut from education.
“We are effectively lowering the propensity of our population to excel in the future,” Locke said. “That being said, I think the cuts that were deemed necessary were done in a tasteful, democratic way.”
Brian Dalton, Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management, does not believe that the HOPE Scholarship changes will negatively impact freshman enrollment in the long run.
“With the continued state of the economy and the uncertainty about HOPE there has been some hesitancy on the part of students and parents on committing early,” Dalton said. The trend seems to be that potential students and parents will wait to see what financial aid package they receive before making a decision.
Brumley was equally optimistic about continued enrollment at Mercer.
“Students who want to come to Mercer are motivated by certain decisions…I don’t think $400 will make that much of a difference to them,” he said.
Dalton said the funding cut from public universities might actually be serendipitous to Mercer, as it could potentially encourage students who are on the fence about attending a public university to consider Mercer instead.
In the meantime, Dalton said the efforts to promote enrollment have not ceased. “We’re doing our best to emphasize the unique qualities of Mercer [and] why it remains a good investment,” he said.
Mercer President William B. Underwood said in a statement to The Cluster that although he regrets the fact that some Mercer students may lose part of their scholarship packages, he supports the House’s overall aim in passing the bill.
“It is clear that the current level of funding for HOPE scholarships is unsustainable. While I regret that many Mercer students will receive a $400 reduction in their HOPE grant, I believe that the governor’s plan is a reasonable and measured response to the financial crisis facing the HOPE scholarship program,” Underwood said.
The Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant will not be affected by passage of H.B. 326, which means that qualified Mercer students will continue to receive the GTEG funding of $750 per academic year.
(02/23/11 9:00pm)
Dr. Eimad Houry, professor and chair of the political science department, began his journey to Mercer University in a corner of the world farther away than the origins of many Mercer professors.
Houry was born in Kuwait, where he lived with his parent for four years. Due to Lebanon’s nationality laws, he inherited his parents’ Lebanese nationality, and they moved to Lebanon when he was five. From the age of ten until the age of sixteen he lived in Dubai, where he attended high school.
Houry completed his bachelor’s degree at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla. and received his master’s and doctorate degrees from Florida State University. He was completing his Ph.D. in 1991 when he began applying for positions at colleges and universities in the Southeast. Mercer was the first university to call him back.
“I had two other offers, but I decided to go to Mercer because…from the outside it looked the least impressive,” Houry said.
When Houry accepted the position, the political science department was somewhat scant; his addition brought the total of professors in the department up to three. International and comparative courses in the curriculum had not been taught for five years. Houry said the age difference between himself and the youngest person in the department at the time was 37 years.
Houry chose Mercer not only because of the opportunities he felt it would provide him, but also because it was the closest university to Tallahassee, where his wife still lived and worked as a pharmacist.
Mercer asked Houry to become chair of the department by his second year as an assistant professor. “I said, ‘Sure, but what does that mean?’” Houry laughed. “It was a wonderful opportunity because that was the impetus for change.”
Houry intended to gradually implement plans he had for ultimately strengthening and improving the department. In 1997, he overhauled the curriculum and installed the track-based system that political science majors are familiar with today, a move he sees as an improvement over the system in which students were only required to take any eight classes for the major.
He also expanded the international affairs portion of the department and introduced the international affairs concentration, a move that he cites as the thing he is most proud of doing as a professor.
In keeping with his interest in international affairs, Houry said his favorite class to teach is his Middle Eastern Politics course. “It’s not just a job or a course; it’s kind of a mission or a passion of mine,” he said. He sees the course as an opportunity to correct many misnomers and misunderstandings about the Arab world.
“Unfortunately, no one else in the entire university offers anything on this subject, so this is a one-and-only opportunity,” Houry said.
Houry said his favorite thing about students at Mercer is that they are responsive and respectful. “When I take an interest in a student to help them distinguish themselves in one way or another, I’ve never had a student say ‘no thank you’ and walk away,” he said. “I’ve been here for twenty years, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had a problem with a student being disrespectful.”
Although Houry has traveled to five continents, he said Aruba is his favorite vacation location; he has visited it sixteen times. “There’s really nothing special about it, other than its simplicity,” he said.
Houry’s favorite pastime is watching soccer, particularly European and international leagues.
(02/23/11 9:00pm)
In the past few years, a movement has gained traction to promote a healthy body image for women. Dove, for example, started an advertising campaign celebrating natural beauty that featured “average” women in their underwear, presumably not Photoshopped or retouched.
The basic idea is to encourage women to embrace their body type for what it is rather than attempting to make themselves fit the mold of the infamous “supermodels” who are so scorned in today’s female-oriented magazines.
The concept is a good one. No one should try to force their body to be anything other than what it naturally is. This movement becomes problematic, however, when the attempt to move away from the supposedly covetable rail-thin body type creates a new image that not everyone can live up to.
There is a small, somewhat forgotten minority out there that, no matter how hard they try, will never achieve the “curvy” body type so celebrated in today’s media. It’s understandable—the majority of women in America are likely more concerned with losing weight than with gaining it, and they should be encouraged to keep themselves healthy rather than starving themselves to fit an image. But for women struggling with being underweight, the constant portrayal of their body type as “unhealthy” can be very detrimental.
Take magazines like Cosmo, for example. More than once, this magazine has run a feature on “Loving your body” or some similar theme. Often in these stories, a picture of a small-boned, thin actress will be placed next to a picture of someone like Kim Kardashian with a glaring red statistic pasted on top, saying “76 percent of men say they prefer Kim’s curves!” and usually accompanied by quotes from men about why they wouldn’t touch the skinny actress with a ten foot pole. Cosmo’s intent is honorable, but they fail to think how women who look like the skinny actress will react to this content.
A common perception is that women who are overly thin must be dieting too hard or exercising too much. Indeed, some of the women shown in magazines have lost dramatic amounts of weight in a short period of time. This is not healthy for anyone. But there is a somewhat forgotten minority who eats the right amount, exercises the right amount and still struggles with a weight problem.
As someone who identifies with this minority, I cannot pretend to understand what a struggle to lose weight is like. What is important to understand, however, is that gaining weight is also a struggle. Shoving one’s face with cheeseburgers and milkshakes absolutely does not work and is not healthy. Calories must be counted, exercises must be done; gaining weight requires constant effort and thought and, if not done properly, can be attempted in an unhealthy manner.
Although the attempt to lose weight and to gain weight cannot be compared, I’m sure, I feel that it is high time that both efforts be recognized in society. Speaking from experience, complete strangers feel absolutely no shame in coming up to someone who is underweight and asking them if they are anorexic or telling them to eat a cheeseburger. I humbly assume that the same person would not approach an overweight co-worker or fellow student and ask them why they eat so many cheeseburgers.
The perception is that people who are skinny either are doing something detrimental to themselves to achieve this result or that they are clearly so confident with their body type that nothing can hurt them. Both of these are blatantly untrue.
We’ve almost got the right idea. Women do need to learn to love their bodies for what they are, as long as they are healthy. Emphasis on the healthy. By attempting to make women feel comfortable with their bodies, society has created a new covetable image that not every woman can live up to. Instead, we should focus on making sure that every woman is eating right and doing what is best for her body—no matter what size she may be.
Comments on this opinion can be sent to editor@mercercluster.com
(02/09/11 11:40pm)
While Mercer’s Fresh Food Company is always convenient and often delicious, it is not always the most economically sound option for breakfast, lunch or supper. I know I can’t be the only person who has ever walked into the Caf, done the hopeful lap around the room, sighed and trudged over to the salad bar. Now, don’t get me wrong. This is not an assault on the cafeteria food. I have gained a much greater appreciation for the ease of spooning already-cooked rice onto a plate that I don’t have to wash myself since I moved into an apartment off campus. I think the Caf is fantastic. But on the aforementioned days when I find nothing that jumps out at me and screams “Eat me!” I am forced to turn to one of the most expensive salads I’ve ever eaten. Or the most expensive bowl of Lucky Charms. You get the picture.
The price per meal in the Caf according to meal plans is as follows:
Unlimited = impossible to calculate
14 meal plan (14 meals per week) = $9.65 per meal
10 meal plan (10 meals per week) = $8.46 per meal[gallery]
120 block plan (120 meals per semester) = $9.74 per meal
85 block plan (85 meals per semester) = $9.28 per meal
40 block plan (40 meals per semester) = $8.13 per meal
Please note that these calculations are regarding meals eaten in the cafeteria and do not take Dining Dollars into account. But still. Fourteen meals a week at $9.65 per meal comes out to $135.10 a week spent on food. I don’t know about everyone else, but I absolutely do not have that kind of money in my budget. And yes, the Caf is convenient, but so are restaurants. Again, I want to emphasize that there is nothing wrong with the Caf, but if you’re willing to spend almost $10 on a meal, you have other options.
Steak ‘n Shake
Steak ‘n Shake has four meals for under $4. They’re pretty sneaky about it, as the meals cost $3.99, but they’re still a deal in my book. All of them involve steak burgers and fries. You can even get a triple steak burger for this price! You can get a steak burger with cheese and bacon! And, hell, you can even add cheese to your fries and still come out under $5. Even if you decide to go crazy and get a soda, your total will still come out to less than or equal to the price of a Caf meal.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is so cheap, you could basically order the entire menu and still pay less than you would for the Caf. I exaggerate, obviously. But the prices at Taco Bell allow you to eat an enormous amount of food for $5 (See: $5 box deal). Sure, Taco Bell isn’t the most nutritious food (Anyone who watched Stephen Colbert last week learned that their beef is only 35 percent pure ground beef. Yikes.), but we’re looking for cheap food here, so we can’t be too picky.
Basically any fast food restaurant
I got a little carried away and had to list my two favorites, but unless you go crazy, you can eat at pretty much any fast food joint for less than the prices listed above. Drink included.
Olive Garden
Yes, you can even eat at a sit-down restaurant for less! Olive Garden has a $6.99 lunch special where the customer gets unlimited breadsticks, salad and soup of their choice. Unlimited, I say!
Francar’s/Ingleside
Both of the restaurants in Mercer Village offer affordable, delicious food, and you’re supporting the local economy and College Hill Corridor! Plus, you’re bound to run into people that you know at these places, which is one of the benefits of the Caf (or drawback, depending on your mood/state of personal cleanliness that day).
Cook your own food
For those of you who have a kitchen, buying your own food and cooking it is infinitely cheaper than both the Caf and restaurants. Plus you get a lot more for your dollar. The only drawback is that you have to clean up after yourself. For example, sandwich meat, lettuce, cheese, tortilla wraps and ranch dressing come out to around $10, give or take a buck or two. This is more than a meal in the Caf, yes, but with the ingredients bought at the grocery store, you can make at least 5 wraps, providing yourself lunch for a week. The same goes for pasta, rice, salad fixings and even frozen pizza.
Although there is nothing wrong with the Caf or its food, it cannot be denied that there are cheaper alternatives. The convenience of going into the Caf for a bite of lunch with friends between classes cannot be overlooked, but next time you head in there to get a cup of hot tea with one of your 85 meals for the semester remember, a container of Tazo tea costs around five bucks at Wal-Mart.
(02/01/11 2:46am)
Mercer graduate Nathan Deal was inaugurated as Georgia’s 82nd governor at a ceremony in Atlanta on Jan. 10.
Deal, a former trustee for the university, is the 7th Mercer alumnus to hold the office of Governor of Georgia and the 11th to become a governor.
Due to inclement weather brought on by the recent winter storm, all public events surrounding the inauguration were canceled, including a morning prayer service at which the Mercer University Orchestra was scheduled to perform.
About 20 students from the McDuffie Center for Strings were able to perform during a private reception at the Governor’s Mansion on Sunday morning.
Members of Mercer’s Student Government Association, Mercer Ambassadors and other students, along with current members and alumni of Deal’s fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, were signed up to work at Monday’s events before the storm blew in.
Deal, a native of Millen, Ga., graduated from Mercer in 1964 and earned his law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law in 1966. After law school, he joined the U.S. Army and rose to the rank of captain.
Deal was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992. In April 1995,
Deal changed parties and became a Republican. He announced his resignation and intent to run for governor in March of 2010 but stayed in office long enough to vote against President Obama’s health care reform bill.
The first speech Deal delivered as a full-time gubernatorial candidate was given to students, faculty and staff on Mercer’s Macon campus.
Mercer alumnus Bryant Harden originally became involved in the inauguration because of his job with the Georgia Farm Bureau as the legislative intern. He was later approached by Mercer and asked to take part in the ceremony. Although the events Harden was scheduled to work were canceled, he still traveled to Atlanta with the Georgia Farm Bureau, attended the Wild Hog Dinner and watched the inauguration from his hotel room.
As a Mercer alumnus, Harden feels it is significant that a fellow Mercerian holds such a prestigious office. “This is a great achievement for any individual, and I am proud for Mercer to have reached this pinnacle once again,” he said.
Harden voted for Deal, and said he believes Deal with be a great leader in a tough time. “I believe that Governor Deal recognizes the importance of higher education and that he recognizes the importance of Mercer University to Georgia,” he said.
Although Harden is pleased with Deal’s election, there is one thing the new governor could do to further the approval of the alumnus. “I’d like him even better if he offered me a position on his staff,” Harden joked.