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(11/03/11 1:03am)
This past August, all puppies housed at the Macon Animal Shelter were euthanized after an outbreak of Parvo (a highly contagious virus that affects dogs) and Giardia (an infection that affects the small intestine) swept through the facility. A total of 45 adult dogs were temporarily relocated to a site in Central City Park’s livestock building while the shelter went through extensive cleaning.
The shelter, despite the detox, remains infested with cockroaches, mice and rats due to its location—right by the city dump.
The Macon Telegraph reported that the Parvo is believed to have come from the fenced-in grass behind the shelter. The puppies can no longer be taken outside because they face a much higher risk for contracting the disease.
The animal shelter was built 32 years ago on what was once a landfill, making it a “haven for cockroaches,” said the shelter’s interim director Van VanDeWalker.
During the Parvo outbreak last summer, animal control had to run two shelters: one at the current location, and one at the Central Park location.
Luckily, many volunteers stepped up to help take care of the Central Park location by cleaning the kennels and feeding the dogs.
Because of the hard-to-find-location and poor condition of the animal shelter, many people avoid it, subsequently avoiding pet adoption. That is why, according to the Macon Telegraph, 70 percent of animals are given lethal injection. Often, the shelter gets so full that it cannot accept any more animal drop-offs.
On Nov. 8, voters will consider a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) which will dedicate $3 million dollars towards a new facility for the animal shelter, which will help to fix all of the aforementioned problems.
A new building, modeled after a Humane Society shelter under construction in Alpharetta, Ga., will replace the one here in Macon.
The shelter in Alpharetta has many state-of-the art features such as an air conditioner that, instead of recycling old air into the building, brings in new, fresh air, “cutting down on airborne spread of disease,” reported the Macon Telegraph.
The flooring is designed to have no cracks and holes, giving dirt and germs nowhere to hide. Outside will feature a play area with artificial turf, making it easy to clean, reported the Macon Telegraph.
VanDeWalker doesn’t yet know if the SPLOST money will be used towards building a completely new facility, or buying out an old building and renovating it, as was done in Alpharetta.
With a new shelter, the hope is that adoptions will increase and euthanizing will decrease. They also hope to have a larger volunteer base where Mercer students are welcome to help out.
For now, students can go and walk the dogs, and play with the dogs and cats as well suggested VanDeWalker. The dogs especially tend to suffer from boredom.
If the SPLOST money does not get passed, then the future is uncertain for the animal shelter. What happens “will be up to the county,” said VanDeWalker, explaining that in July 2012 Bibb County will be taking over the animal shelter.
“We have the chance to do the right thing. The city needs something it can take pride in and claim ownership for,” said VanDeWalker.
“Take good care of your animals,” he advised Mercerians living off-campus. They don’t need to end up in Animal Control.
(11/02/11 10:00pm)
For four Thursdays in October, Valkyrie Anderson, a French one and two teacher at Mount De Sales Academy, showed up at Tatnall Square Park to learn the dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Those there were preparing for a ghoulish night of fun and dancing at the Zombie Thriller Dance, an annual Halloween dance party that takes place in downtown Macon. The practices were an hour long and led by Pilar Wilder, the director and owner of Hayiya Dance Theatre located on Vineville Avenue in Macon. Students from Miller Middle School also came to help out. Their goal was to replicate the entire 14 minute music video by the King of Pop. The dancers learned one piece of choreography per week, and by week two or three, the group of zombies-to-be knew the whole “Thriller” dance.
This was Anderson’s first year participating in the zombie thriller dance, which started at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 28th. However, before the actual performance at 9:00 p.m., a dance party began at 8:00 p.m. This Zombie Dance has happened now for six years. 11th Hour, one of the sponsors, actually initiated the event for the first time six years ago. People of all ages and from all over Macon are welcome to participate, provided that they attend three out of the four practices, said Jessica Thompson, an intern at Hayiya Dance Theatre. Last year, the Zombie Thriller Dance boasted over one hundred dancers and even more onlookers. They gather every year in front of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame on Cherry Street to put on a “thrilling” performance. Oh, and it’s completely free.
Hayiya Dance Theatre, NewTown Macon and 11th hour all sponsored the event last Friday night. The event garnered large crowd from young to old. Families all gathered at the Cherry Street plaza to watch the dancers put on a frightening show. There were also other games and performances happening that night. Anderson came with a few of her students from school, all of whom dressed in zombie attire, complete with authentic-looking living-dead make up. They weren’t the only ones. Zombie Drew Aiken, who was an onlooker rather than a dancer, was impressed by the effort everyone put into their costumes. “If you described it in one word, it would be ‘cool.’ The zombie dancers were impressive, and it looked like they practiced a lot,” Aiken commented.
Anderson said that her first year was “awesome,” and a lot of zombies had danced multiple times. There were a great many zombie dancers, and even more audience members who dressed up as well. While “zombie” was the dominant costume, not all of those in the audience dressed as zombies. There was a genie, a bumblebee, an adorable baby skunk, multiple other costumes and many people in regular clothes. Camera flashes abounded as people snapped photos with their friends, and even with strangers in interesting, crazy, or cool outfits. A DJ played music, and everyone milled about, chatted and even danced the night away at the dance party that followed the performance. Overall, it was a truly “thrilling” night, one that would have made the King of Pop proud.
(10/19/11 11:17pm)
Finding the perfect Halloween costume can be stressful, especially when you are on a budget. But the great thing is, the coolest costumes aren’t always the most expensive. Here are some cheap alternatives, along with some more expensive ideas for those who can afford to go all out.
Prom Queen/Miss America: When was the last time you wore your two-hundred-plus-dollar Prom dress, ladies? That’s what I thought. If you were ever jealous of the Prom Queen, now is the time prove you’ve got what it takes. Just wear your old prom dress, and find a princess crown at Target or Claire’s. If you want to go a little further, you can go to a craft store, buy a ribbon and some fabric paint, and make your own Miss America sash. If you’re not that crafty, check out the girl’s dress up section of Target or Wal-Mart. They may have sashes there.
The Boys of Jersey Shore: Throw on some baggy pants and a wife beater (or that Ed Hardy shirt you’ve got lying around) and emulate the style of Pauly D. or Mike “The Situation.” You could even slick some gel in your hair or wear a baseball cap backwards. Guys, don’t forget the sunglasses and obnoxious jewelry to complete the look.
Audrey Hepburn: Every girl should own a little black dress, so why not use it for Halloween? Put on your black pumps and pearls, and pile your hair on your head, and you’ll look like you’ve just stepped out of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. For $40, Amazon.com has a great Audrey-style costume, complete with a hat, gloves and pearls.
The Versatile Suit: Have a suit, guys? Wear your slacks, blazer and tie, and be pretty much anything you want to be. Business man (though, admittedly, that’s a little boring), Don Draper from Mad Men (slick your hair to the side and get a cheap fedora). *Even try a flamboyant man from the 70’s (go to a thrift store to find a hat and a cane). If you want a flashier suit, check out costumediscounters.com. They have a wide variety of costumes in the $40 range. Check out partycity.com for pimp costumes as well.
Lady Gaga: Partycity.com has some great Lady Gaga costumes for a wide variety of prices ($25 to $50). They also have wigs and other Gaga-esque accessories such as jewelry and sunglasses. Don’t want to spend the money? Just wear something completely outrageous.
Where’s Waldo: Partycity.com has a Where’s Waldo costume for $40, but try going to Target or Wal-Mart and buying a red-and-white-striped shirt and red beanie, and wear some jeans that you already own. Then wear your glasses, or find some cheap costume glasses to wear. That would be much cheaper.
Any of these costumes can easily be transitioned into a scary vampire or zombie. For vampires, add some fake teeth and dramatic make up to your costume.
If you’d rather be a zombie, tear your clothes a bit and by mixing red food coloring and corn syrup, splatter some blood on your costume. For that “living-dead” look, be sure to have rumpled hair and a pale complexion. Here are some more specific scary costumes:
The Scarecrow: To make that business suit a little more interesting, wear a burlap sack over your head to be The Scarecrow, one of Batman’s nemeses.
Scary Rag Doll: Partycity.com has a great Scary Rag Doll costume for $40. With the right makeup, this could be downright creepy!
Headless Man: For just $35, partycity.com also has a Headless Man costume. The costume is taller than the average body, so it appears that the head is not attached to the neck.
If none of these ideas are working for you, or if you don’t have anything in your closet to work with, hit up thrift stores around Macon or your home town.
Goodwill and the Salvation Army always have a huge selection, but the really cool and unique finds are in independent thrift stores. Girls, look at the old wedding/prom dresses, and guys, try on some tacky,’80s era suits.
I once found a cool, red kimono shirt at a thrift store that would work well for a Halloween costume. The other great thing about independent thrift stores (and chains, for that matter) is that most of the proceeds go to certain charities like the Humane Society.
Some local thrift stores (besides Goodwill and Salvation Army) include the Macon Rescue Mission’s Bargain Center, Family Value Thrift Store, and Nifty Thrifty.
Good luck finding this year’s perfect Halloween costume!
(10/19/11 10:50pm)
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness month, and all around the city of Macon, businesses and individuals are doing their part to help raise awareness of and money for breast cancer.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the organization most associated with Breast Cancer, and on this past Saturday, the annual central Georgia Race for the Cure took place in Central City Park, here in downtown Macon. It was a 5k run/ walk down the streets of Macon, preceded by a Celebration Walk, supporting Breast Cancer survivors and their friends and family.
Approximately 2,739 people were registered, with 136 different teams, all racing for a cure to Breast Cancer.
Some of the business sponsors included Kroger, Belk, The Macon Telegraph, Coca Cola and many healthcare centers around the Macon area.
For those who did not like to wake up before 9:00 a.m. to run/walk a 5k, the Komen Race for the Cure included a Sleep in for the Cure option, letting non-runners register and receive their t-shirt without having to run in the race.
Another local Breast Cancer event occurred at The Shoppes at River Crossing. Beginning Friday, October 7th to Friday, October 15th, there was a Pink Promise Zone at River Crossing: an informative, entertaining and interactive station, said macon.com. The Pink Zone was located in The Village Green Area, where shoppers were asked to sign a “promise card” which included tips for improved breast health.
For each card, The Shoppes promised to donate $1 toward the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
On Saturday, October 8th, The Shoppes hosted a Think Pink Family Festival with “children’s entertainment, music, street performances, and other activities for the whole family,” reported macon.com.
There was also the opportunity to give donations for Breast Cancer research and awareness.
Finally, on October 21 and 22 a local yarn, knitting and crochet store called Creative Yarns will be hosting their third annual Knit-A-Tit-A-Thon. From 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, they knitted breast prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies.
Last year, Creative Yarns was able to make and donate over 100 prostheses to local hospitals and oncology centers.
On Friday and Saturday, local merchants provided door prizes to be given out every hour, and food and drinks were available as well.
The prostheses are “quick and easy to make,” said Christy Ott, who has helped put on the Knit-A-Tit-A-Thon in years past, saying that the women who receive them are very grateful.
“Women come in and thank us so much,” said Ott, talking about how rewarding participating in the Knit-A-Tit-A-Thon can be.
For more information, call 478-7GO-KNIT (46-5648), or visit Creative Yarns at 134 Speer Avenue, just off Vineville Avenue.
About 1.3 million people annually are diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and it is the most widespread form of cancer in the world today. Get involved in events around Macon or your hometown this October to help raise awareness for this disease.
(10/06/11 12:55am)
If you’ve been in the Connell Student Center lately, you may have noticed students selling tickets at a table. If you haven’t, then you’re way behind, because this Friday, October 7th, Quadworks is bringing the Fall Concert back to Mercer. Janelle Monae and fun. have teamed up for the Campus Consciousness Tour, a tour aimed at raising awareness about environmental issues, and will be performing at Macon’s Grand Opera House at 8 p.m. on Friday night.
(10/06/11 12:22am)
(09/08/11 12:43am)
This fall, Harry Potter came to Mercer in the form of English 236, an upper-level English class where students learn about none other than “The Boy Who Lived” himself, and at the same time can fulfill their gen. ed. requirement. Specifically, the class aims to take a critical look at fantasy literature, how it comments on and shapes our society and how J.K. Rowling formed the Harry Potter series.
Dr. Gary Richardson, who comes to class each day in robes, is teaching the class of 75 students. Dr. Richardson first became interested in Harry Potter when his thirteen-year-old son began reading the books. Through a series of lectures and Socratic sessions, and as the students read all of the 7 books, Dr. Richardson hopes to discuss things such as how J.K. Rowling manages to change her writing style as the series progresses, how she incorporates social commentary in the Harry Potter novels, and why fantasy literature is no longer considered a “great art.”
“It’s nice to have so many people interested. They seem like a good group,” Dr. Richardson commented, saying that he had a hard time finding a classroom to accommodate the large number of students.
Because the Harry Potter class has generated so much interest, Dr. Richardson decided to sort the students into various houses. Each house will discuss the particular novel they are reading, providing a smaller atmosphere for the Socratic seminars.
“Professor Mcgonagall would not allow me to take the Sorting Hat off campus, so I created the sorting box,” said Dr. Richardson, explaining that each student drew a ping-pong ball corresponding to a certain house out of the sorting box. Their next assignment is to write an essay explaining why they should or should not be the prefect of their house.
Ann Marie McAllaster, an art major, hoped to be sorted into Hufflepuff. “I’m just a super Harry Potter nerd,” answered McAllaster when asked why she decided to take the class.
McAllaster grew up with Harry Potter, and the fact that Mercer is now offering a class on her favorite wizard is really exciting for her, especially for someone who is not interested in conventional english classes.
“It’s awesome to have a diverse selection for those who don’t like English,” she said, mentioning that Mercer should offer other such classes.
McAllaster thinks that fantasy literature classes would be a great addition to the English department, saying, “I would take those classes.”
Political Science major Matt Hickman grew up reading Harry Potter just like McAllaster. While Hickman enjoys reading the classics, he said that reading Harry Potter is definitely “better than reading Thoreau,” and that a class such as the Harry Potter class is great, because the students know that they will like what they read.
Hickman is looking forward to reading and discussing books five and six the most, since those are the ones he does not remember as well.
Hickman is also excited to discuss all of the novels. “I have my own theories [about the books],” he said.
For those who are upset that they missed out on the opportunity to enroll in this class, Dr. Richardson and a few other English professors will be giving Harry Potter oriented talks in September in cooperation with the Harry Potter exhibit coming to the Jack Tarver Library. Also, students are welcome to sit in on Dr. Richardson’s Harry Potter class provided they email him ahead of time.
Students interested in enrolling in English 236 and learning about Harry Potter have an apportunity to take the class in the future. Dr. Richardson is willing to continue teaching the class after this semester.