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(10/24/12 9:01pm)
Fall is upon us and along with it, Mercer looks forward to events such as Mercer Madness, Pilgrimage to Penfield and Halloween. The Assistant Director of Campus Life, Cindy Drury is a Mercer alumna and had plenty of fond Mercer memories to share of the fall.
Cluster: What were you involved in while at Mercer?
Drury: I was involved in Residence Life. I was an RA for two years. I was also involved in Student Government, Quadworks, Alpha Delta Pi sorority and I was highly involved in intramurals. I helped start the Mercer club swim team. I was a lifeguard at Plunkett, which was very nice. I was part of T’s Corner staff, and so I was the informational specialist for the building [student center] for two years.
Cluster: What do you remember about this time of year in fall?
Drury: I remember fall being really exciting. We didn’t have homecoming until February but we had Mercer Madness. I think my favorite memory of the fall was having Mercer Madness in Porter gym. Porter gym is no longer here, but it used to be where Porter Patch now is. The basketball arena only sat about 500 students and it had these awesome wooden benches. And so at midnight, we would all crowd into the gym. It was such a fun event to go to because everyone wanted to be there. There would be fireworks, and the team would come out which was awesome.
Another good fall memory was when I had my FYSX class during the fall. We had 8:00 a.m. classes which was fine for me, but for some of my other classmates, they had struggled at times. I remember one time we had to go over to Roberts to actually knock on the door and wake one of our classmates up because he would like to sleep in a lot. But then we were able to spend the day outside, and kind of sit and have FYSX class in the courtyard area and enjoy the nice fall weather.
Cluster: What year did you graduate?
Drury: I graduated in 2006. So I was here from 2002 to 2006.
Cluster: Do you have any cool costume ideas you did for Halloween?
Drury: I have a twin sister named Samantha and I remember when we came to school our freshman year, a lot of people couldn’t tell us apart very well. We looked very similar and people just didn’t know us well enough yet. So we did a pretty fun play on costume where one was the good twin and one was the evil twin.
We did have a pretty good slogan when we ran together for student government our freshman year. Of course, we had a play on the “double-mint.” It was a really funny slogan and I think it was one of the reasons we probably got into student government that year because we had the catchiest little slogan out there. I think it [the slogan] was, “Double your pleasure, double your fun, vote for Cindy and Sam ‘cause two is always better than one.”
(10/24/12 9:00pm)
The last Second Sunday of the year occurred on Oct. 14 from 1-3 p.m. in Washington Park. Coyote Bones, a band originating from Atlanta, came out and played for a large audience made up of families, community members and students.
Many people who came to Second Sunday had attended others in the past. A mother named Heather Harris went to this Second Sunday with her husband, Anthony Harris and their children.
Heather is originally from Macon and said, “We used to live on Cherry Street and come out to [Washington Park] all the time.”
Heather and Anthony have two children named Max and Elizabeth, and a pet rat named Oreo. All of them, including Oreo, attended Second Sunday.
Two friends, Caitlin Roberts and Katie Boniol hadn’t heard much about the band Coyote Bones, but still enjoyed the overall atmosphere.
“I looked them up because I heard they were going to be playing so I listened on Youtube,” Roberts explained. Both Roberts and Boniol are from the Macon area.
Boniol had never been to a Second Sunday before. Boniol said, “I like the atmosphere.”
Even if the band is not well known, people seem to still be drawn to Second Sunday for the social aspects and ambience.
Keith and Linda Ryals, a couple from Macon have been to several Second Sunday events in the past. “We love being in the park and seeing the people,” Linda Ryals said. “It’s for families, it’s great to see the kids having a good time,” Keith Ryals added.
The Ryals brought their dog, Dakota along with them. The Ryals family usually brings Dakota with them for every Second Sunday event.
Bands who perform for Second Sunday events are usually from the Georgia area, but there are many bands from different states too. Bands who are from Macon and played this past year are: Jubee and the Morning After, Gringo Grande and Dean Brown and Dubshak. There was also KidSyc@Brandywine from Savannah, The Rocketboys from Austin, Texas, Floco Torres from Willingboro, N.J. and the Vespers from Nashville, Tenn.
Second Sunday is open to the general public and encourages families and students to attend. People are encouraged to bring their own food and drinks for a picnic. However, food and beverages are also sold at the event for prices between $2 and $5.
Pets are also welcome at the outdoor event.
Second Sundays will begin again in April and continue through the spring, summer, and fall until next October.
Second Sunday Brunch is from 1-3 p.m. in April, May, September and October.
Second Sunday at Sunset is from 7-9 p.m. in June, July and August.
(08/29/12 4:00pm)
Have you gotten frustrated that you can’t see the stars in Macon? The city lights are just too bright to see any constellations. The Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences offers a great way to see the stars and constellations, while inspiring you intellectually.
The Mark Smith Planetarium was added to the museum about two years ago and has been a big attraction for people of all ages. The planetarium was recently renovated and re-opened with a new state-of-the-art projector and a wider dome. The new theater seating makes watching the shows all the more enjoyable and comfortable.
The planetarium has shows Tuesdays through Fridays at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. On Saturdays, there are three showings at 11:30 a.m, 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Sunday has only two showings at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
During the show, there is an introduction describing facts about the constellations and stars. For instance you find out that the North Star, also called Polaris, is the only star that does not move. All other stars revolve around it.
Another interesting fact is that the Big Dipper is not actually a constellation on its own. It is an asterism (pattern of stars) made up of seven stars. Different cultures and times had varying ideas of what this asterism looked like.
Americans in the 19th century thought it looked like a large ladle while Native Americans believed it was part of a larger constellation of a bear.
After the introduction, there is a 23 minute animated video called Dinosaur Prophecy. The video discusses the theory that dinosaurs died from a giant asteroid hitting the Earth and the possibilities of that same fate occurring to humanity.
The video also goes into detail about different dinosaur species and where their fossils were found. Sitting back in the chair and watching the sky inside the dome is breathtaking and definitely keeps you entertained.
Sky Over Macon is another show that occurs every Friday night from 8:00 to 9:00. Just like the planetarium, the show describes stars and constellations but is updated every week to accommodate the new positions of the stars and planets.
The show lasts for about 45 minutes and opens ten minutes before showtime. Entry and seating for the display is through the planetarium outdoor entrance.
Just outside the planetarium entrance is a new gallery called the Story of Apollo. The gallery includes magazine covers, stamps, quotes, and signed photos from the time that the Apollo missions began.
The collection is temporarily on display for the museum from a local Maconite named Rob Sumowski. The gallery tells the famous early beginnings of manned space flight and how it evolved through the years.
The Story of Apollo will remain on display until September 30, 2012.
(08/29/12 4:00pm)
‘The Campaign’, starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, is a hilarious comedic spin on American politics. Cam Brady (Ferrell) is a corrupt long-term Congressman who is challenged by naive Marty Huggins (Galifianakis). Two incredibly wealthy CEOs push Marty to great lengths in an attempt to defeat Cam in the upcoming elections to gain more power in the North Carolina district. This movie has hilarious situations that become steadily more ridiculous, including Cam accidentally punching a baby (twice) and Marty shooting Cam in the leg with a rifle.
When thinking of other Ferrell movies like ‘Anchorman’, ‘Land of the Lost’ or ‘Blades of Glory’, this movie does not disappoint. It was a fun, easy-to-follow comedy and was just right for ending the summer movie season.
Ferrell makes his character such an arrogant arse that it’s hard not to root for him. Marty as the protagonist is lovable in his lack of style and naivety. He find pleasure in simple, goofy things like his Chinese pugs or sweater vests. Marty commits some pretty bad mistakes, and at times you’re not sure whether you like any of the characters because they all are such morons.
Both Ferrell and Galifianakis do an excellent job in this movie. They play off each other very well. There are quite a few dumb and cheesy jokes, but the scene quickly recovers and moves on, making it even more enjoyable.
‘The Campaign’ works well as a ridiculous satire of American politics. American politics lately seem to be just as ridiculous as the movie projects. Many politicians are more concerned about their public image than what they represent for the people.
An underlying message in this movie is this: Big money means more power. The CEOs supporting and endorsing Marty want to use him to make a profit. They have all the money, so they have most of the say-so in what happens in elections.
The same goes for actual politics. Wealthy billionaires and celebrities have a larger voice in government than the people. Big corporations and industries have enough money to endorse the politicians they favor.
The movie makes sure the good guys triumphed over the bad ones, letting the people of the North Carolina district be happy and keep their environment safe. Although that part is super cheesy, it really adds to the humor and makes you wish that politics really did work out that way in the end.
This movie gets a B+ for being a simple summer movie. It is pure entertainment and keeps the audience laughing through the entire show.
(04/25/12 7:25pm)
Summer break is almost here! Time for the beach, climbing trees, rolling around in the grass, devouring ice cream and the bevy of other things that summer brings.
Before everyone leaves for the break, Mercer Police has some thoughtful summer tips to leave Mercer students with. Most of that advice goes with the old friend, Mr. Common Sense. It’s important to keep these tips in mind while traveling as well as just staying on campus.
First of all, walk with confidence! When walking somewhere on your own, keep your head up, and walk like you’re on a mission. People won’t mess with you if you look like you’re in a rush to get somewhere. According to Mercer Police officer Chief Collins, “Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. If you make yourself a victim, the perpetrator will take the opportunity to make you a victim,” said Collins.
It’s also important to stay out of unsafe areas, and try to travel with friends. Don’t decide to walk into a creepy dark alleyway in the middle of the night by yourself. As much as you want to be, you’re not Batman!
If you’re ever walking alone and feel threatened by someone approaching you, keep your keys in your hand with the blade sticking out between your fingers. This makes a good self-defense weapon should any stranger try to threaten you.
If someone is ever coming after you, make sure to make a lot of noise. Staying quiet will not help the situation at all. Scream, shout, sing at the top of your lungs! Do something! If you have a whistle on you, all the better! Just be sure to alert everyone else around you that you’re there and that someone is following you.
If you’re staying on campus, definitely put MerPo on speed dial on your phone. Not only call MerPo when you feel threatened, but also call if you see any suspicious activity. The Mercer student body serves as the eyes and ears of MerPo. If you see something weird going on, don’t hesitate to report it!
Definitely do not leave valuables laying around in your car. Take them with you, or if you must leave valuables in the car, then put them in the trunk. Leaving purses, money, laptop cases, GPS devices and cell phones out in the open could entice someone to break in. Don’t forget to hide the GPS mounts under the seat or in the trunk too. Leaving GPS mounts on the dashboard would be a definite give-away that you have expensive stuff in your car.
Sorry to anybody with expensive purses, but it’s better to put some cash in your pocket rather than carry around a purse. Purses are usually targeted because of how easy it is to grab, and there’s generally enough valuables contained to make the thief happy.
If you decide to carry a pocketbook and somebody grabs it and threatens you, just give it up. Your life is much more precious than anything that purse could store.
So, this summer while having fun and partying with friends, be sure to keep Mr. Common Sense close by. He likes to wander off sometimes if you’re not paying attention. Have a great summer!
(04/11/12 7:12pm)
Dear Editor,
Students of Mercer have been in uproar about the recent SGA article written by Gene Mitchell. It seems that even the SGA board themselves have felt appalled at the accusations Mitchell writes about. Mitchell’s article had quite a few arguments break out in the comments on the Cluster website. Many of those arguments harshly accused and attacked Mitchell in the same way he had named and accused certain SGA officers.
Mitchell wrote how a few freshmen SGA members seem unqualified for the job as leaders and organizers of the freshmen class. This may be true because as he says, even though a person may be nice, does not mean they will be the best leaders.
Mitchell’s mistake in his writing was that he actually named people in SGA. Yes, I know it could be argued as something to be expected; if you run for office, get ready to have people criticize you. The problem here though of naming SGA officers is that Mitchell would still have to cooperate and work with the members. It’s hard to continue to be cordial to someone who has you out to dry in the campus newspaper.
Another problem Mitchell points out is how little interest students seem to hold for SGA. This could mean a whole mess of entangled problems later on if we don’t change. Only five candidates are running for junior class senator and senator-at-large. It’s scary to see that only five candidates are running which means, they are each guaranteed the open five positions. From reading the article comments online, students only seemed to care about the insults Mitchell tossed throughout his writing. Somebody even made a meme about Mitchell eating other SGA members. No one wrote a comment about the actual problems with SGA.
I believe we are missing the big picture here. Instead of bashing Mitchell for his mistake, students need to focus in on why Mitchell would write such an article. SGA needs more support from Mercer students. It amazed me how passionately readers reacted to Mitchell’s writing. People definitely had no hesitation to defend their SGA officers. But, when I asked a few people to suggest ideas for how to improve SGA, or even what they currently approved of SGA, no one had much to say.
So, the problem I see is that Mercer students do not get involved enough with SGA. They pull out excuses such as, their vote doesn’t matter, or that they don’t have enough time for it, or even that SGA just flat out seems boring to them. Here’s the truth: each vote does count, students have to make time for it, and SGA is student organized, so it can become whatever the student body chooses.
Mercer students have shown through those comments that they have passion and energy. That passion just needs to be channeled toward improving SGA. If students can react to one article about SGA so intensely, than they definitely have the potential to be that passionate about SGA itself.
-Erica O’Neal
erica.j.oneal@live.mercer.edu
(03/28/12 8:08pm)
Not only are the cherry blossoms blooming, but the gardens around Macon are sprouting this season too. You might find yourself asking, “Are there community gardens in Macon?” Yes indeed! There are gardens located in different key areas around the city of Macon, you just have to know where to look.
These community gardens mainly grow different vegetables. From pumpkins and beans to carrots and cabbages these gardens are grown from the love and hard work of volunteers. So how does an idea for a community garden even begin?
Dr. Brian Rood, Professor of Chemistry and Earth and Environmental Sciences, began his interest in community gardens after some worried speculation that there could be lead contamination in the soil. Dr. Rood had his students collect soil samples around the Macon area to allay people’s worries of lead in the soil.
According to Mark Vanderhoek, a Mercer administrator, “There is lead in the soil, but not enough to be absorbed by plants. It still would be harmful if ingested by small children, or if handled often with bare hands.” The gardens therefore do not use soil found in the Macon city area, and instead have soil shipped in from nearby farms.
How community gardens get started is pretty self-explanatory: it begins through the community. An idea for a garden stems from just one person, and then can begin to pull together the whole neighborhood to achieve something unique and special. After the idea for a garden is pitched and accepted by the community, then the next step is to find a site for the garden. Macon has plenty of empty lots open which makes it easier for finding a garden site.
Once the perfect site for a garden is found, then organizing the volunteers to work on the garden falls into place and the growing begins.
The only problem with attempting to get everyone involved with community gardens is that not everyone is available.
Vanderhoek started a community garden behind the Centenary United Methodist Church near Mercer campus, right across the street from Mary Erin Porter hall. Vanderhoek’s goal of starting a community garden was to bring together both the rich and the poor people to achieve something greater. The issue is, what about a single mom who works three jobs? Or a college student who goes to classes during the day and then works night shifts? Volunteering at a community garden simply cannot be at the top of their lists of things to do.
How do we address that problem? With a farmer’s market!
There is a small farmer’s market in downtown Macon in Mulberry Street Park between First and Second street. The farmer’s market was created not only to help bring more people and businesses downtown, but also to help community gardens directly sell their produce to others in Macon.
There will be a grand re-opening of the farmer’s market on April 4th between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The market will be open at the same hours every Wednesday evening until the month of September.
There has been talk of possibly beginning a community garden on Mercer campus, specifically for Mercer students. In order to make those possibilities into realities, students would need to make more of an effort to connect with the city of Macon and help volunteer with the community. If we can manage to get the ball rolling for students to start a garden, or even just volunteer in other gardens around Macon, it would greatly help the campus of Mercer University to come in closer contact with the rest of Macon.
(02/22/12 9:27pm)
Macon held an official Peace Week from Feb. 6-12 as a way to help build a safer community. The group, known as the Peace Keepers came to Macon as a part of a goal to create cohesiveness amongst the police and public. The Peace Keepers initiative began three years ago when founding member, Captain Dennis Muhammad noticed a steady rise in crime rates all across the nation. Peace Keepers is a national organization with 15 cities participating in Peace Week. The main presentation the group puts on is heading into neighborhoods wearing brightly colored orange shirts with the words ‘Present Peace’ written on the front. “Any time you see 50 to 785 men and women in orange shirts...they can go into the worst corners and be standing for one hour. I don’t think no drug dealer is going to sell no drugs that time. I don’t think there’s going to be no crime and violence,” Muhammad told reporters. Muhammad expanded on his idea to start the program at a meeting in the Freedom Park building. He stressed that the Peace Keepers are not an organization, but an initiative. Their mission is not to try to tell people what to do, but to help communities come together. Before meeting with the Peace Keepers on Saturday, February 11, no one seemed to have a clear idea of who or what the Peace Keepers were. Were they just some crazy people in bright colored shirts standing in a circle in bad areas? Did they attempt to demand others to be better people? No! The Peace Keepers don’t attempt to tell others what to do. Instead, the members make a point to be friendly to everyone in the communities they visit. They converse with others in the neighborhoods by explaining who they are, and what they’re doing there. “Peace Keepers are not the eyes and ears of the police, they are the eyes and ears of the community,” said Muhammad. He wants to help bridge the gap between the police and the public. The police cannot deal with social issues in the community, but the Peace Keepers can. Muhammad is in the process of jumping from city to city, and introducing the Peace Keeper initiative. First, Muhammad meets with the city officials such as the mayor and police chief and gains their support. Then, Muhammad moves to introduce the Peace Keepers to the rest of the community. With each city the Peace Keepers go to, they declare an official Peace Week to take place annually. Macon’s official annual Peace Week will continue to be February 6 to the 12.The Peace Keepers also encourage people to pledge and become members of the Peace Keeper initiative. New members actually go through training for a year before allowed to walk with the Peace Keepers on the street. Training consists of learning CPR, first aid and self-defense among others. The Peace Keepers had started out with only men becoming members. Now, more women are getting involved too and helping with the cause. Each day in that week, Peace Keeper members will gather to stand in one area for an hour a day to help knit the community together. “One hour of doing something is better than 24 hours of doing nothing,” said Muhammad. He stressed that every little step toward creating a better environment, a better neighborhood is imperative. To help fund the Peace Keepers, a few celebrities have joined in the cause. Cheryl Renee James from the 80s hip-hop trio, Salt-n-Pepa along with T.I are two major funders. The Peace Keepers do not want to be funded by the federal government, because they do not wish to be mandated by their rules and regulations. Muhammad said he would love to bring the Peace Keepers to Mercer University. He described it as an opportunity to eventually bring the city of Macon in closer contact with Mercer. He insists that by doing this students won’t necessarily have to be nervous about being out at night on or off campus.
(02/08/12 9:46pm)
Police set up traffic stops on the night of Jan. 20 in an attempt to suppress crime in Macon. Twenty-eight arrests were made along with 126 citations issued and 48 warnings. Over half of the arrests were drug related. According to a statistics report released by Macon Police there were 10 DUI’s, 27 minor vehicle registration suspensions, 17 for driving with suspended licenses among the many offences.
The traffic stops were located at Guy Paine Road and Montpelier Avenue and among other key locations.
The police forces set up traffic barriers and imposed more police authority in specific places of violent crime. The operation included squad cars, a Georgia State Patrol helicopter, transport vans, mobile intoxilizer and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety mobile detention trailer. Police units included Macon, State Patrol and a unit from Byron.
“We are searching for the worst of the worst -- violent criminals who threaten the safety of our community,” said Police Chief Mike Burns, in a press release.
According to the Macon Telegraph, the police kept up the road checks until late into the night. The suppression involved two phases “swarm and saturate” violent crime area, and perform road checks.
Some Macon residents agreed with the police in doing this, while others were not so enthused. Many claimed they felt intimidated to drive for fear of being pulled over by a squad of police cars. Those who supported the crime suppression efforts felt that police should continue doing more in the future to help lower the crime rate in Macon.
This is not the first time Macon Police have made a charge at deterring violent crime. A similar crackdown occurred in November 2011 involving Georgia State Patrol, the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
(01/25/12 4:57am)
Dear Editor,
I received a copy of The Cluster, and I wanted to thank you.
I was very impressed with the quality of your paper and the articles therein.
It appears that you guys have a fine educational institution.
I was pleased to see how involved your student body is in the community.
Obviously what your women’s basketball team did here in High Point is just a reflection of what happens on your campus.
I don’t know if you are aware of the influence that young people have in this country, but any major positive changes normally is instigated by the younger generation.
It warms my heart to see the efforts put forth by Occupy Wall Street and I wish them well. If they stay the course we will see the fruits of their efforts.
Keep up the fine work and may God bless all your endeavors.
Sincerely,
Thurman Hobbs
hobbs_thurman@yahoo.com