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(08/23/20 4:00am)
Jacqueline Lamothe is a journalism major and graphic design minor. She is a part of many student organizations, such as the National Council of Negro Women, Student Government Organization, and Delight Ministries. She works alongside Mercer Marketing Communications as a student writer, whilst also running a graphic design business. She hopes to further expand her horizons within public relations and hopes to impact the world with her passion for creativity.
(08/23/20 3:51am)
Kylie Brown is a junior political science and history double major. She has worked on many political campaigns, including Stacey Abrams' in 2018 and Pete Buttigieg's in 2020. This past summer, Kylie worked as an intern for The Borgen Project, a non-profit organization fighting global poverty. She also holds an active volunteering and education position with the Jon Ossoff campaign. Kylie hopes to one day work as a political staffer on campaigns and maybe even work in the White House.
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Send all opinions to opinions@mercercluster.com. Submissions should be around 500 words, but exceptions can be made for longer pieces. Opinions reflect the views of individual authors only, not The Cluster or Mercer University. The Cluster reserves the right to edit opinion pieces for length.
(08/21/20 5:38am)
(08/01/20 1:19am)
Savannah Smith is a rising sophomore majoring in English and economics.
(10/09/19 4:25am)
This semester, Mercer University’s Auxiliary Services Department began offering a new ID option for students: the digital bear card.
In the initial announcement of the offering, Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Ken Boyer said he hoped the new option would bring the community choice and convenience. Now that students have had the opportunity to try this new technology, some are left feeling disappointed.
Mercer junior Uday Sappati switched to the digital Bear Card amidst frustrations with the physical option.
“(My Bear Card) got damaged and it wouldn’t tap, it would only swipe,” he said. “I hate actually carrying a lot of things on me, and (the digital Bear Card) could just make it easier, because I already carried my credit card in my phone, and money is in my phone, so I was just like, ‘oh, why not just add my Bear Card to that?’”
However, the digital Bear Card wasn’t everything Sappati had hoped for.
“First of all, the way they made it sound, I guess I could just say this is like the sensor, and I could just go like 'boop' and come in, but no, I have to line it upright in front of the thing and you can’t like put it at any angle,” he said.
Sappati’s primary frustration is with the ability, or lack thereof, of the digital Bear Card to continue working after the phone battery dies.
“The biggest thing that gets me is that they straight-up lied about the usability of the dang thing. I got told by a couple people, some who were higher up or at least associated with the mobile Bear Card, that it’ll last up to three hours after your phone dies because it has infrared waves or some nonsense like that, absolutely lied,” he said. “My phone died five minutes before I came to Phase 2, and I couldn’t tap my card in.”
Sappati is likely referencing Boyer’s previous comments made to The Cluster.
“The new versions of Apple devices, according to Apple, have an additional power source that keeps the (near-field communication) chip powered even when the phone and other data functions quit when the battery dies, for approximately two to three hours,” Boyer said.
The digital Bear Card utilizes Apple device’s near-field communication chip to store a fully-functional digital version of the Bear Card in the user’s Apple Wallet. However, it is important to understand that while NFC technology has been available since the iPhone 6, there have been significant changes and improvements throughout generations of devices.
It wasn’t until the release of the iPhone XR and the iPhone XS that Apple introduced Background Tag Reading, which enables the device to automatically check for NFC tags when in close proximity with one. Any iPhone released before this will require the user to open the Apple Wallet app in order to scan for NFC tags like the Blackboard Transact readers.
Sappati has an iPhone X, possibly explaining his frustration with having to precisely line up his phone with the Blackboard reader. This also explains his frustrations with the backup battery he believed to be available for the NFC chip, as the feature was also introduced with the iPhone XR and XS.
Despite his feelings of deception, Sappati still believes the digital Bear Card is a viable option for some students.
“Honestly, it depends on what you want to do. If you don’t mind having a wallet on you or something like that, then yeah, I’d say stick with the normal Bear Card,” he said. “But if you’re all about not carrying too much … then yeah, I’d say switch to the iPhone. Just be smart about it. Just know that it’s gonna die, you know, and like, you’ve gotta keep it charged and keep wary of your charge.”
The digital Bear Card is part of Mercer’s five-year plan to transition away from mag stripe cards to the MIFARE DESFire EV2 contactless card technology, according to the announcement. Sappati believes that Mercer will see success in this endeavor.
“I actually do believe Mercer will fix their issues because Mercer’s trying really hard to compete with any other college that has like any big technological innovations,” he said. “So Mercer will definitely update their mobile Bear Card, you know, make it the kind you want.”
(04/23/19 6:48pm)
Mercer students combined efforts with the Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia to host a Take Back the Night (TBTN) march in downtown Macon on April 11.
Junior Emma Johnston, a women's and gender studies major, helped organize the event as part of a special seminar class titled Fighting Violence Against Women.
“It’s basically a march that allows survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and abuse to come together and share their stories with a safe community and raise their voices and raise awareness about those issues,” Johnston said.
According to the Take Back the Night Foundation’s website, TBTN marches date back to the 1960s, when women protested not being safe walking down the street alone in England and Belgium. The Foundation was officially established in 2001 and to this day seeks to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual violence.
The Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia’s mission statement, according to their website, is to provide community crisis intervention as well as safe shelter, comprehensive support and recovery services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Johnston said it is also their goal to educate the community about the cycle of violence and its prevention.
“Our event is put on by Crisis Line and Safe House, which is Macon and Middle Georgia’s shelter for the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and abuse. So what I was trying to do, and (what) the rest of the women's and gender studies department at Mercer is trying to do, is unite the greater Middle Georgia community with Mercer’s community,” Johnston said.
The seminar course covered how some issues that TBTN advocates against on a national scale, such as sex trafficking and dating violence, affect Macon.
“It is a really huge issue in Macon-Bibb County that’s usually quieted a lot,” Johnston said. “I’m really happy that Mercer cares.”
Domestic violence fatalities in the state of Georgia increased from 2016 to 2017, according to data gathered by the Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project. In 2017, 13 of the 149 reported fatalities occurred in Middle Georgia, three of which were specifically in Macon-Bibb.
Johnston said that raising awareness is important for Macon and that Mercer students should join the conversation.
“We’re a part of the Macon community, and we shouldn’t be afraid to be an active voice in that community,” she said.
(09/12/18 2:41am)
Three new startups, Z Beans Coffee, Send Mammogram and Sound Collide, were named fellows at the Mercer Innovation Center (MIC) Aug. 21. Four more have been selected as companies-in-residence, granting them office space and other resources within the MIC.
MIC Fellows are granted up to $20,000 cash for startup funds, full access to Mercer University facilities, coaching from experienced business professionals and faculty, office space in the center for a full year, paid interns from Mercer University, convenient parking and opportunities to pitch to investors across Georgia.
“The Innovation Center brings a lot to the table, but the biggest thing is that’s all dependent upon you as an individual. You have to drive. If you just continue to work they will find you,” Z Beans Coffee founder and Mercer alum Shane Buerster said.
Z Beans Coffee is a socially-motivated startup that imports Ecuadorian coffee.
The company’s mission is to create sustainable solutions for impoverished Ecuadorian coffee farmers through fair trade importation methods, according to the Z Beans website.
Send Mammogram is a website that allows users to request prior mammograms for comparison anytime, anywhere. Founded by Tillata Gibson, an alumna of Full Sail and Devry Universities, the mission of the company is to become the industry leader for women requesting prior mammograms.
Soundcollide is an online recording studio that allows users to discover new artists and record and collaborate live remotely. Founded by Robert Hatcher, the platform helps collaborators save time and money while developing an album, according to Mercer News.
The companies-in-residence are Lux Lenois, founded by Mercer business professor Ania Rynarzewska; Bear Food Co., founded by Mercer junior Mac Brydon; Traveler Camper, founded by Mercer graduate David Doleman; and Kingfisher Leatherworks, founded by Mercer sophomore Luke Kolbie.
The MIC also hosts the Next Big Idea Competition, an annual competition for Mercer students to pitch a business to investors and win up to $6,000 cash for the first-place prize.
“The Next Big Idea event is a great way to get a business off the ground,” Buerster said. “It’s a framework in place to get you to start thinking about the right concepts.”
While the Next Big Idea Competition is only open to Mercer students, the MIC Fellowship is open to all entrepreneurs, 18 and older.
Applications for the fellows program are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year and up to five fellows are selected. The deadline to apply will be in the spring semester and the application can be found on the MIC website.
(02/22/18 6:25pm)
The Hummingbird Stage & Taproom and the Thirsty Turtle will be hosting this year’s annual Big Bird Bash on Feb. 24. The Big Bird Bash is a music festival that will feature bands from all around the south east.
Both locations will open their doors at 4 p.m. and bands will begin performing at the same time.
This year's lineup features local, regional and national touring bands like The Vegabonds, BABY BABY, C2 & The Brothers Reed, Holey Miss Moley, Bootz & Katz, The Twotakes, The Dog Apollo, Gary Lazer Eyes, One Horse Parade, CHOIR OF BABBLE, Atria Music, and Alec Stanley's Blues Brigade, according to a post on The Bird’s Facebook page.
“The Bird is focused on providing quality entertainment at an affordable price,” said Tim Obelgoner, the owner of the Hummingbird. “The Big Bird Bash is just where to get it. The bands offer a unique taste of music hailing from the Southeast region.”
The Bird certainly delivered on the promise of an affordable price. Five dollars is the full price for access to the entire event. This means attendees can visit and enjoy bands at both the Bird and the Turtle for only $5.
“Events like these are something every student should attend given its proximity to campus and value by price,” said Raj Patel, a Mercer University senior who lives downtown near both venues.
The affordability of this event and the novelty of a small music festival across two stylistically varied venues makes it a unique opportunity for Mercer students, even those who haven’t experienced downtown Macon.
“As for students who never go downtown, I say try to step out of your comfort zone and you just might like it,” said Patel.
(02/09/18 4:00pm)
Registration for the 2018 Next Big Idea Competition, an annual event for Mercer students to pitch business ideas to investors, is now open.
The competition is aimed at giving Mercer business students the opportunity to present their innovative business ideas and gain real entrepreneurial experience. All students currently enrolled at Mercer are eligible to compete and there is no fee for entry.
“The main goal of the innovation center really was to bring a culture of entrepreneurship to Mercer,” said Briana Stenard, one of the competition’s key organizers. “That’s [also] the main goal of this competition.”
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Students can compete in teams of 1-5 as long as at least one of the members is a Mercer undergraduate.
Those who register for the event will submit a 2-minute YouTube video pitch, a one-page business canvas and an executive summary by midnight on March 14.
Students' eligibility to participate in the final pitch competition will be decided by their video pitch and additional documentation.
If selected, students will pitch their business idea in front of a panel of investors at the Mercer Innovation Center on April 13 at 3 p.m.
Students participating in the final pitch will be eligible to win either the first-place prize of $6,000 or the second-place prize of $2,500.
Additionally, whichever team gets the most likes on their YouTube video pitch will win the "Bear’s Choice" award of $500.
It is encouraged that students use the prize money to start their businesses, though this is only required of the first-place team.
Informational workshops hosted by professors of the Stetson School of Business will be held for competitors who feel unprepared or simply wish to learn more about the entrepreneurial process. These workshops will cover business model creation, pitching, small business finance and more.
Sophomore business student Max Hurley plans on competing in the event.
“Entrepreneurship is one of the reasons I picked Mercer’s business school, and I highly encourage others to spend an hour of their day and come to the competition," Hurley said.
Interested students can contact nextbigidea@mercer.edu.