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(03/06/13 3:48pm)
Because who doesn’t love a little moral ambiguity in their protagonists?
Imagine a hostile encounter between Sheriff Andy Taylor of “The Andy Griffith Show” and Deputy Rick Grimes from “The Walking Dead”. While Taylor considers why they are even battling, Grimes will have already shot Taylor without asking questions. This battle shows the contrast of the traditional hero of old television and the Byronic hero that is so predominant in television.
Television shows are losing their episodic qualities and becoming cinematic serials. Like film writers, television writers now glean ideas from traditional and graphic novels. The source material is so expansive that the plots of television shows must span entire seasons rather than a single episode. To keep characters of serials from becoming stale, writers must design characters that can evolve over time. Add the general darkness of modern television to the mix and you get fantastically complex and mysterious characters.
As a result, TV is starting to reflect the more realistic, albeit pessimistic, qualities of modern society. Television series cannot afford to have a two-dimensional conflict of good versus evil. Main characters instead create conflict by acting in their own (or group’s) best interests at the expense of others.
Sacrificing the few for the good of the many is no longer an unacceptable choice; modern television audiences crave conflict rather than staunch idealism. When characters do good, they usually are trying to relieve themselves of guilt or manipulate others.
Enter the Byronic hero.
Before we dive too deeply into this phenomenon, let’s get our definitions straight. The hero is an idealistic enforcer of the lawful good (e.g., Captain America). The antihero, on the other hand, lacks all of the qualities of the common hero. Rather than an ideal person, the antihero is an inherently flawed individual propelled into extraordinary circumstances. Somewhere in between the two lies the Byronic hero (e.g., Iron Man).
The Byronic hero may be completely capable of performing extraordinary acts, but may not have the moral compass use his or her extraordinary powers or talent for lawful good.
A cursory check of IMDb’s highest-rated television programs reveals that a majority feature a less-than-ideal protagonist. Three of the shows in the top 20 list are from AMC and they all feature a Byronic hero as the main character.
AMC’s Breaking Bad ranks number four in IMDb’s highest-rated shows of all time. The protagonist, Walter White, is an overqualified high school chemistry teacher suddenly diagnosed with terminal cancer. To ensure that his family is financially stable after his death, Walter uses his chemical knowledge to manufacture methamphetamine to sell on the street.
He quickly evolves beyond ethical quandaries to killing his competitors to protect his turf. He knows full well that his product is destroying people’s lives, but he keeps on going. Walter loses focus and drives away the very thing he is trying to protect; his wife leaves him and his son hates him.
Dozens of other pessimistic shows with Byronic heroes litter IMDb’s top 20 list. These characters take a spartan approach to getting what they want. Rules are merely obstacles to their end goals, not to be carefully considered before purposely breaking. Life itself is not sacred to the Byronic hero.
The change in the average television hero may have a direct correlation with society’s general world-weariness. The perception of the ideal hero has changed to be more real, interesting and utilitarian. Our ideal hero can get things done, regardless of the consequences.
(02/20/13 3:35pm)
Nick Backlund is the designated hitter and plays first base for the Mercer baseball team. He is a registered junior, but a senior by hours and has one more semester left at Mercer.
Cluster: When did you start baseball?
Backlund: I started playing baseball when I was five years old.
C: Were you singled out as being a good hitter at a young age?
B: From a young age? No, I was awful. I was terrible. I was really bad until – shoot, man – I had vision problems and I had to go to vision therapy. My dad always supported me. I was always the last guy picked when I was 11 or 12. Once my 13 year old year came around, I started to become a power hitter. I took hitting lessons, throwing lessons. From there on out I’m pretty sure I’ve played baseball everyday.
C: You’ve won an award recently?
B: I was a preseason All-American in a couple different polls.
C: What does the award mean for your future?
B: It’s still pretty much open. I want to get drafted this summer and continue to play. It’s gives me exposure, it gives our program exposure. It’s good for the team. Just yesterday it came out that we were ranked 15th in the mid-major poll. It’s good for me, it’s good for the team, it’s good for everybody.
C: Do you have any target teams?
B: It doesn’t matter to me, I just want to keep playing.
C: To whom or what do you attribute your success?
B: I attribute my success to my work ethic. I like to think that I work harder than anyone else. I’ve always been a grinder. I try to grind everything out.
C: How so?
B: I’m in the cage multiple times a day and in the weight room for hours at a time, working as hard as I can.
C: So you’re constantly training?
B: Yeah.
C: Does that affect your school at all?
B: Well, I pass all my classes.
C: What’s your major?
B: I’m an economics major.
C: Are you planning on using your degree at any point?
B: I honestly have no idea. My first goal is to play baseball as long as possible. Once that comes to an end, I’ll figure it out.
C: How long to you want to play?
B: Until somebody kicks me out and tells me I have to go home.
C: Do you think the coaches have helped you?
B: Yeah, Coach Holmes instills a lot of confidence in us as hitters, he’s always positive. Coach Gibson is always pushing us to be the best that we can be and even Coach Shade makes our pitchers better and our pitchers make us better. I think the combination of those three coaches is really good for us and I think they do a great job at what they do.
C: Forgive if this seems pointed, but do you think that you carry the team?
B: I wouldn’t say I carry the team. Everybody on the team is an integral part of the team and everybody has a role and I just play a role on the team. I’m not a big ego guy, I don’t like to think that I make the team or any one person makes the team. I may happen to hit more home runs than another guy, but other than that, everybody plays a critical role.
C: Do you have any plans for the rest of your time at Mercer?
B: I want to win a ring this year. I want our season to end in a championship. I want to make a regional. I want to take the program to the next level as a team and I think we’re good enough to do that. We just beat a team that had a couple potential first-round draft picks on it on Sunday. I think as a team we will be able to attain all those goals.
Most of my goals for Mercer are team goals. I don’t sit here at the beginning of the season and say I want to hit 20 home runs or I want to hit 380. I say that I want us to win 40 games and I want us to beat Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern.
C: You’re very humble.
B: I try to be. I try to stay low to the ground. That way it seems to make me more successful.
C: Does it ever get to your head?
B: This year is a little bit different than years past. I’ve never really had as much recognition as I have now, just because Division I is a big stage. I’ve excelled at every level that I’ve played at. I wouldn’t say it goes to my head. I’ve had a lot of training in high school and junior college in terms of mental training. I try to not let anything get to my head. I just try to brush it off: good, bad or indifferent. Yeah, it’s nice to have these honors and people who respect what I do, but at the end of the day it only matters what you did in the last nine innings.
(02/20/13 3:13pm)
“House of Cards” is Netflix’s bold experiment into professionally produced Internet television. The show is a dark political drama that explores the corruption and cutthroat politics of Washington, D.C. Netflix also made the decision to release all 13 episodes of the first season at the same time, prompting many to binge on the show over the release weekend.
The show starts on the eve of President-elect Garrett Walker’s inauguration. Congressman Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey), House Majority Whip, has campaigned heavily for Walker. In exchange, Underwood has been promised the Secretary of State position in Walker’s cabinet. However, Underwood’s limitless ambition and goal of escaping the House of Representatives is thwarted by President Walker’s appointment of a dark horse candidate instead of Underwood.
Humiliated and angered, Underwood vows revenge and begins a protracted political war against Walker. Underwood does not outwardly oppose President Walker; Underwood is ruthless, but cunning. He eloquently covers his tracks while systematically dismantling Walker’s administration.
This is where the show’s writing really shines. The energy of each episode builds up as Underwood lays the groundwork for a grand plan, but leaves the audience in the dark. Over the course of several episodes, Underwood allows a reporter from a major D.C. paper to blackmail him. She wants information on the administration and he feigns the need to withhold his secrets. He uses the agreement to expose the secrets of politicians and control the flow of media in his favor, while staying out of the spotlight.
Congressman Underwood does not want money; he only wants power. He expands and maintains his power through the manipulation of other characters. He is not afraid to throw people who get in his way under the bus. Underwood is analogous to Benjamin Linus from ABC’s “Lost”.
Underwood’s strategy can be confusing, so he helps the audience from the start by carefully explaining his actions to the camera. In modern television, breaking the fourth wall is rare and usually reserved for comedic purposes. However, breaking the fourth wall is the signature trope of “House of Cards”.
Underwood is not just explaining his actions to the audience or thinking out loud; Underwood is clarifying his actions to us. What makes “House of Cards” unique is the audience’s role as a character in the show. Underwood is our mentor. He guides the audience through the shadowy world of political corruption and subtle manipulation.
Underwood gives his first lesson to the audience barely two minutes into the first episode. A dog has been hit by a car and is clearly not going to survive his injuries. Underwood sends his bodyguard to inform the dog’s owners of the accident. Then he tells us, “Moments like this require someone who will act, who will do the unpleasant thing.” He unsympathetically asphyxiates the dog with his hands.
The relationship between the audience and Underwood develops continually over the season. His sultry southern accent is intoxicating as he treats the audience as his confidant. He gives us the grand tour of D.C. and introduces us to all the major players of Walker’s administration.
“House of Cards” deserves high placement on the ladder of TV right next to “Sherlock”, “Breaking Bad” and “Arrested Development”. In fact, it is already the 16th highest-rated show on IMDb.
(02/06/13 7:23pm)
I don’t believe in God.
I used to be afraid to advertise that belief, but not since I’ve come to college.
Mercer University, despite its conservative history, consists of a open-minded community of people.
In a similar way that my LGBT friends came out upon coming to Mercer, now I can openly be myself.
The parallels between a closeted atheist and a closeted homosexual are uncanny. I didn’t choose to be this way.
It’s been 10 years since I realized God doesn’t exist and I kept my belief a secret for 10 years.
However, at Mercer University you can build a new identity for yourself. The stigma of being different that I perceived at home has melted away. The emptiness left by God has been replaced with a diverse group of friends and schoolwork.
Despite my mother’s best intentions, I never felt God’s presence when I was little. Still, I prayed. When my grandfather was hospitalized, I prayed for his health. I understood the selfishness of my prayers and I didn’t expect a direct response. But I expected some sort of a response.
My prayers were not simply being ignored, they were not being received because there was no receiver. The thought terrified me. I blocked it from my mind.
I still went to church, but more for the community of friends than the lessons. Determining the existence of God wasn’t a priority.
I kept my uncertainty about God a secret because I knew my acceptance in the church was conditional on sharing the same belief system.
It didn’t matter that I enjoyed helping those in need or going on youth group service trips. I felt that I couldn’t be Christian-like without believing in Christ. I kept my mouth shut and played along.
My faith came back to the forefront when I was 13 years old. My father passed away from a lengthy battle with cancer.
Friends from church and school would say, “Now he’s watching over you.” As comforting as that sounds, I couldn’t believe in it. Any of it. God. Heaven. Hell. It didn’t exist. Dad didn’t exist, not anymore.
Again came the waves of vertigo, but you can’t change your mind just because it makes you hurt.
All through high school, if someone asked me what religion I was, I would just say “Lutheran” because it’s what I knew.
I even went to church in high school for awhile. I worked as a Vacation Bible School counselor during the summers. I helped the church children explore their faith.
I always feared what would happen if someone found out my secret.
Would I be ostracized from my group of friends? My family? My then-girlfriend is a fairly devout Christian. I had every intention of marrying her had college not interfered.
I would have lived the rest of my life pretending to believe in God and been thankful.
I knew if I told her, our relationship would be over. I didn’t think love could transcend faith. My secret was my burden to bear alone.
Some time after we broke up and a few crushes later, I was ready to start dating again.
It sneaked up on me. Say it worked out and we dated for a few months. At what point in a relationship do you have the talk about religion? That’s what I was afraid of.
Say I did tell her. In her place, I would feel betrayed. Lied to. Taken advantage of. It would be a slap in the face.
From now on, it’s public. I’m comfortable with telling all of my friends at Mercer I don’t believe in God. I’m still me. I’m a strange guy who likes photography, cycling, climbing trees and even ballroom dancing on occasion. I just happen to not believe in God.
I’m OK with identifying as an Atheist. Mercer has allowed me to embrace who I am.
For your sake, I hope Mercer has helped you, too.
(02/06/13 3:26pm)
Veteran lacrosse coach Kyle Hannan enters his first year as head men’s lacrosse coach at Mercer University. Coach Hannan was hired to help the lacrosse team prepare for the team’s third season as a competitive lacrosse program. Hannan sat down with The Cluster to discuss his experience in lacrosse and how he plans to advance Mercer’s lacrosse team.
Cluster: How did you get introduced to lacrosse?
Hannan: I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and that’s kind of the way of life in that region. I really was a football and basketball player. I started really young at baseball and quickly transferred over to lacrosse. Actually my best friend’s father played in college and really got his son and myself playing at a fairly young age. I just really loved the sport.
C: How old were you?
H: Between 10 and 12. I was playing tee ball and baseball and then converted over.
C: Were there recreational teams?
H: Yes, a lot of recreational teams. It was a prominent sport in Baltimore. I was actually late getting into the sport compared to the guys I played with in college. They started younger than me, it was pretty amazing.
C: Were you good when you first started?
H: I’ve been obsessed with sports since the day I could walk. I think playing football, playing basketball at a young age helped me pick up lacrosse fairly quickly.
C: Did you pick your college based on lacrosse?
H: I did. I had a pretty broad list. I really chose Salisbury University because of its strong reputation in lacrosse. I felt a strong connection to the school.
C: What did you major in?
H: Education.
C: Did you ever use your degree to teach?
H: No - well, I use my teaching degree everyday as a coach, but I was offered a coaching position two days after my last game. There was no rest period or time to consider anything else. I stayed at Salisbury for two years and received my masters and coached.
C: So you were teaching kids who were barely younger than yourself?
H: You got it. Yes.
C: Was that awkward?
H: Maybe. In some degree it was a great learning experience, because a lot of the guys I coached, I played with. I had to learn how to go from teammate to coach. It was a valuable experience and worked well. I had a lot of respect for my teammates and I respected them.
C: No conflicts?
H: No, it was a pretty smooth transition.
C: Where else did you coach?
H: My first full-time teaching position was at Bates College, a small school in New England. I was the wide-receivers coach on the football team and then took the position of head lacrosse coach.
Hannan then discussed short stints at various lacrosse programs throughout the nation.
H: I stayed at Goucher for 12 years in Baltimore going full circle. It’s a good place to raise children and I had a mutual respect with the athletic director. I enjoyed working for him.
C: Why did you say so long?
H: Once you develop a culture, it’s interesting to watch that play out. I had so many short stops before. When I got to Goucher and we started to win games and conferences, I really felt like I wanted to change my history. I wanted to enjoy the benefits of winning championship games and watching players leave the program. That’s really why I stayed there, to watch these young men graduate from the program.
C: How did you find out about Mercer’s program?
H: I had a very good friend of mine who I practiced with a ton in college give me a call. He mentioned that he spent some time down here [Mercer University] and really appreciated the direction the program was going. I thought it would be a great opportunity. It was a whirlwind.
C: What was the lacrosse program like when you first joined?
H: They had only been a varsity for two years. They weren’t able to meet full-out success. The school had made a commitment to lacrosse, but they didn’t have the facilities. They were swimming up stream. They only won division I game in those two years. I really believed that things could change quickly, and they certainly have. We’ve had three scrimmages this semester. Our first game is this Saturday.
C: What did you bring to the table?
H: I’ve had a lot of stops along the way. I can say there has been a lot of change, not that the way before was wrong. Change in commitment to athletics, community services, work ethic, academics, diets, and schedule. I’m really proud of the players, the way they jumped on board. So far, it’s been a really positive experience for everyone.
C: How do you think you’ll do on Saturday?
H: Well it’s tough to predict the future. I do feel like because of the players we’ve brought in and the ethic and the improvement we’ve seen since September makes me feel confident that we are heading in the right direction.
Coach Hannan is leading the men’s lacrosse team on Drake field on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. against Rollins College.
(02/06/13 3:16pm)
The closest activity to treasure hunting that an average college can experience (and afford) is thrifting, or thrift-store-shopping. You’re not guaranteed to uncover a collectable worth hundreds of dollars, but your find can be just as rewarding if you know where and how to look.
Thrift stores receive a lot of donations per day, so the stores price items low enough to keep circulation high. Thrift store employees must rush to get donations sorted, priced and on shelves to keep up with demand. This means the display shelves in thrift stores are utter chaos compared to conventional stores.
Just imagine yourself on History Channel’s American Pickers. Digging through the crap on overcrowded shelves to find the diamond in the rough is a quintessential part of the thrift store experience.
I highly recommend that students shop at thrift stores with money to burn with no end game. Thrifting also makes for a more rewarding experience if you bring friends.
If you are looking for a particular item, you should check as many stores as possible as often as possible because inventories change daily.
Goodwill Industries has arguably the largest thrift store presence in Macon. Goodwill is a globally-recognized philanthropic organization which earns the company bulk donations of brand-new items from overstocked retail stores.
Goodwill has two stores in the Macon area: a warehouse on Eisenhower and a storefront on Zebulon. The Eisenhower location is the larger of the two and has the largest selection of clothes out of any thrift store in Macon. The Eisenhower location also has a decent-sized home goods (flatware, lighting, toys, electronics, books) section.
I’m particularly proud of my finds at the Eisenhower Goodwill Store: two original Nintendo games (Dr. Mario and Tetris, 50 cents each), an original Nintendo controller ($3), a strobe light ($2, for late night raves) and an HD computer monitor that retails for $130 (bought for $35). These low-ball prices are sweetened all the more by Goodwill’s 10% student discount on Tuesdays.
The Goodwill store on Zebulon Road and the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Mercer University Dr. stock mostly clothes and accessories and are about the same size. The Salvation Army thrift store is the closest store to campus, making it the best option for “emergency thrifting.”
Obviously, I frequent the “mainstream” thrift stores in Macon: Goodwill and Salvation Army. However, a cursory Google search will reveal four more thrift stores within Macon’s city limits.
The Macon Rescue Mission Thrift on Napier Ave. is located in a small building--probably a former grocery store. Half the store is dedicated to standard color-coded clothing racks. All clothes range between $1 and $10 depending on the quality of each article. The other half is dedicated to furniture and home goods. I found that Macon Rescue Mission Thrift has the lowest prices of home goods among the stores I visited; most small items are priced below $1.
The Habitat for Humanity Restore is an engineer’s paradise. The Restore is primarily a thrift-hardware store. Local construction contractors donate pallets of extra supplies, and individuals donate specialized equipment and appliances. Like all thrift stores, the inventory varies from day to day. Had I not run out of money from my Goodwill stop, I would have purchased a lot of foam insulation for my house at 75 cents each.
The last two stores on my list are the Methodist Thrift Store and the Arc Thrift Store. I honestly could not find the Methodist Thrift Store, which is a shame because it was the only store within walking distance of a trolley stop. I discarded my search for the Arc Thrift Store because it is the farthest thrift store from Mercer’s campus and is only open on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.--impossible hours for the average college student.
(01/30/13 6:25pm)
Mercer Alumnus Dr. Ferrol Sams Jr. , 90, died Tuesday of natural causes. Sams was know by his friends as, "Sambo." Sams is best known to Mercer students as the author of “Whisper of The River.” The book was first published in 1984. “Whisper of The river” has been required reading for Mercer students for several years.
Sams wrote eight books including a trilogy featuring the character Porter Osborne Jr., largely based on Sams' own experiences during his childhood and studying at Mercer University.
A Funeral Service for Sams will be held on Friday 1 at 4 p.m. at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. The family is holding a visitation on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mowell Funeral Home in Fayetteville.
Sams was born in Woolsey, Ga., on Sept. 26, 1922. He earned his bachelor’s in 1942 at Mercer and his Doctor of Medicine at Emory University Medical School in 1949. He served on the Mercer Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1997.
Sams is survived by his wife, Helen Sams; four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
(01/23/13 4:35pm)
Ultra Galactic Gung-Ho Gurus, a new children’s comedy video, premiered at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences last week.
The three hour event combined two screenings of the show with games, trivia, prize drawings and a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the show.
Ultra Galactic Gung-Ho Gurus (UG3) disguises an educational program with a comedic medium.
UG3 centers around an extraterrestrial reporter, Thunder Stone, and his intrepid crew of journalists for which the show is named.
The Gurus are on their way to cover an exclusive story elsewhere in the galaxy. Suddenly, their ship is stranded in orbit around a planet they have never heard of before: Earth.
The Gurus discover that the dominate life form on Earth, humans, are on the verge of becoming a full-fledged space civilization.
In what only can be described as journalistic extortion, the producer of their show refuses to send a repair vehicle until they produce a story about earth and its inhabitants.
The premiere at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences is the first of a three part series.
The Creators of UG3, brothers Al and Lee Waller, hope to form their own educational film company. UG3 is their second educational film.
The brothers financed their project using the grassroots fundraising website Kickstarter.com.
Al and Lee Waller grew up in Warner Robins and started making short films as teenagers.
Lee Waller is responsible for the technical aspects of the show, and Al is responsible for the creative aspects.
The film is essentially a smorgasbord of media: 2-D, 3-D, stop-motion, puppetry, flash animation and vintage footage.
The Wallers chose to premiere Ultra Galactic Gung-Ho Gurus at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences because it has a unique combination of subjective and objective exhibits.
UG3 covers the topics of mythology, literature, history, and science, paralleling the museum’s exhibits.
Al Waller works in Atlanta, Ga., and Lee Waller works in Cleveland, Tenn.
The brothers worked late nights, getting “less than three hours of sleep a night.” They emailed segments of video back and forth, rarely collaborating in person.
Al Waller used to be an elementary school teacher. His wife is a teacher as well.
The Wallers used their professional educational experience to turn UG3 into an educational comedy without alienating their young audience.
“We screened the movie for at least 150 third through fifth graders,” Al Waller said. The brothers struggled to find a balance between educational and engaging.
“Some segments were too boring or a joke was lost on the kids,” Al Waller said.
The brothers are planning to host a showing of UG3 in Atlanta in the future. They are also in the process of writing a book that complements the show.
Their working website is process742.blogspot.com and product website is UltraG3.com.
(01/23/13 4:35pm)
Oh-Brides Magazine hosted the fourth annual Georgia Bridal Bash Wedding Expo at the Marriott Centreplex on Sunday, Jan. 13. The Bridal Bash is designed to inspire brides during their wedding planning process.
The expo targets brides, but entire bridal parties (including grooms) are welcome to attend. Local wedding vendors set up display tables around the Centreplex convention center displaying their respective product or expertise.
Vendors and sponsors include Focal Blu, wedding videographers; Clear Channel, a local radio station; Signature, a salon and spa; Couture, a hair and makeup studio; Unique, an event management business; Sweet Seats, a seating rental company; Moye Photography; and Brilliant Linens.
Regular tickets to the Bridal Bash were $10 each. A limited number of VIP tickets were offered for $25 each. VIP tickets allowed brides to arrive at the event one hour early and receive exclusive “Bash-tinis” along with several other goodies.
Brides, flanked by their bridesmaids, visited each vendor to get advice and sample each vendor’s products. Many of the vendors offered discounts if bridal parties made a reservation during the Bridal Bash.
Some of the displays were more interactive than others. One corner of the convention center was dominated by stretch limousines, which were open for tours. Lashes and Mustaches, a full-service salon, hosted a cigar bar at the Bridal Bash: a nod to grooms planning bachelor parties.
Lashes and Mustaches has a “Luxury RV Land Yacht Travel Trailer” that can be rented for 4 or more hours.
The grand finale of the Bridal Bash was a fashion show, featuring Destiny’s Boutique formal wear. The make-up and hairstyling was provided by NeNe Brooks of Couture.
VIP ticket holders got front-row seating. Sponsors introduced themselves before the show, and the host invited brides to encircle the runway and led them in several slide dances. AJ the DJ provided music for the Bridal Bash and the fashion show.
Strapless and asymmetrical dresses appeared frequently during the show.
Jahsylon Gadson, a senior at Westside High School, has been a model for the Georgia Bridal Bash for three years. She was originally contacted by Moye Photography.
“When they told me about it in 2011, I couldn’t pass it up,” Gadson said. The Bridal Bash was her first professional modeling job, and she has since modeled with the local Macy’s and Dillard’s.
“I feel so powerful when I coming down the runway,” Gadson said. “Modeling is my passion.”
The models of the Bridal Bash picked out their own dresses and tuxes for the fashion show. Each outfit was approved by Destiny’s and the director of the Bridal Bash.
Gadson recently auditioned to appear on MTV’s Made, a reality TV show that recently came to Bibb County. Gadson hopes to become a professional model.
(11/28/12 11:00pm)
Goodwill Industries hosted its annual fundraising Gala in the Anderson Ballroom Conference Center on Nov. 16. This year’s theme was “Cirque de Goodwill.”
The Gala served largely to supplement tuition assistance for students attending Helms College, Goodwill Industries’ affiliate educational institution.
Helms College is adding three new associate degrees to its program next year.
Mercer sophomore Kaytlin Eldred is the community service chair of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. She is also the “Event Planning and Fundraising Intern for Goodwill Industries.”
“It [the Gala] brings leaders in the community together to back the scholarships Goodwill gives to students,” Eldrid said. Guests at the Gala were composed of sponsors and people who bought individual tickets.
Eldred coordinated with Alpha Delta Pi’s chapter adviser to get eight sorority sisters to volunteer at the Gala as hawkers. Alpha Delta Pi first volunteered with Goodwill last year. Syrena Scipio and Tenesha Robinson of ROTC also volunteered to be hawkers.
Scipio went to the table representing Goodwill Industries at Mercer’s recent career fair. She asked about any upcoming events. The person manning the table informed her about the Gala.
“My roommate [Robinson] and I jumped on board and helped set up for the Gala, decorating and such,” Scipio said. “The night of the Gala, we escorted guests to their tables, raffled tickets and hosted carnival games. It was a wonderful night for a great cause.”
Eldred started interning for Goodwill Industries in the beginning of the Fall 2012 semester, and will continue her internship through all of 2013.
“This semester I have worked strictly on the Gala,” Eldred said. “I did the tent ... coming from the ceiling, all the table centerpieces, the hats for the hawkers, all the carnival games that were there during the night, and I helped organize and manage the actual event.”
“We’re all very proud of her [Eldred],” Kayla Godwin said. Godwin is one of the eight Alpha Delta Pi sisters who worked as hawkers during the Gala.
“Hawkers” stems from the term for street vendors who would yell to passing crowds at a circus to draw people into the tent. The hawkers took a more active role in the Gala this year, working as greeters, serving appetizers, handing out desserts, running carnival game booths and selling raffle tickets.
“It was very busy but a lot of fun to interact with the city of Macon, as well as spend time with each other as sisters while serving a wonderful cause,” said Godwin.
Phi Delta Theta and Mercer’s baseball team help set up and break down the Gala, respectively.
Polly’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts Institute, under the Helms College umbrella, catered at the Gala. “This is an opportunity for the students [of Polly’s Hospitality Institute] to showcase their training,” President and CEO of Goodwill James Stiff said.
The “Georgia Big Band” serenaded more than 350 sponsors and patrons.
Goodwill Industries employs 600 people, and has placed more than 2,300 people into jobs over the course of 2012.
(11/28/12 11:00pm)
Mercer’s ROTC went to Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga. for a land navigation FTX (field training exercise) in mid-November. The excursion was mandatory for all contracted cadets in ROTC.
While at Fort Gordon, cadets practiced their ability to navigate wooded terrain. Each cadet had a canteen of water, flashlight, pair of gloves, hat, map, compass and whistle.
Upon ROTC’s arrival at Fort Gordon, training officer Cadet Maj. Raj Dulamal gave a safety briefing to 24 participating cadets.
The cadets verified that their compasses’ needles were pointing to magnetic north. The cadets also determined their pace count: the number of steps one takes in a preset distance.
The cadets performed three total navigation exercises (“runs”): a two hour abbreviated day run, a three hour night run and another five hour full-day run.
The cadets slept overnight in sleeping bags and ate MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat: a standard ration pack) for dinner and breakfast.
Before every run, each group received a piece of paper, called a “lane packet,” that listed five to eight coordinates. The Officer in Charge (OIC), Capt. Cynthia Warren allotted 15 minutes for each group to plot their respective coordinates on a physical map.
“Since this was the first time for the freshmen to use a military map, each one was paired with a senior, who walked the course with them, giving them advice and ensuring they didn’t get lost,” Warren said. The juniors were required to navigate the lanes alone.
To pass the FTX, each cadet had to find a majority of the points in the lane packet in the allotted two to five hours. All of the locations had hole punches, each with a unique design and a number for cadets to mark on their lane packets.
The battalion commander, Cadet Lt. Col. Ted Price, and the personnel officer, Cadet Capt. Suzy Spillers, worked in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) and kept track of the cadets’ progress.
“[On] the second day run, everyone passed. We even had a few perfect scores,” Public Affairs Officer Cadet Capt. Brittney Graham said. “We left early because everyone did so well.” Thirteen cadets received a perfect score, meaning they reached all eight points on the map within the allotted time.
Graham was responsible for taking pictures of the training.
Some cadets do occasionally get lost. “We give [the cadets] a panic azimuth, 90 degrees due east,” said Graham. When a cadet is lost, they head east until they hit a hard fall road, a major road that runs north-south. ROTC cadets can then radio in for a ride back to camp.
Some cadets were faster than others, so cadets trickle into camp all day. To pass the time while waiting for slower cadets to return from their lane, the cadets played a pickup game of football.
(11/28/12 11:00pm)
National Novel Writing Month (abbreviated NaNoWriMo and pronounced Nan-oh-REE-moh) is an annual internet-based creative writing project started in 1999 by creator Chris Baty.
NaNoWriMo challenges participants to write 50,000 words (about 175 pages) in novel form between Nov. 1 and 30.
Despite its basis in the United States, www.nanowrimo.org accepts novel entries from international sources.
In 2011 NaNoWriMo had 256,618 participants registered on its website and 36,843 (less than 14%) met the 50,000 word goal the midnight deadline on November 30.
The entire event is based around NaNoWriMo’s website forums, but heavily emphasizes participation on the local level. Dedicated writers (Wrimos as they call themselves) may apply to be municipal liaisons for their region.
Danielle Thuen is a municipal liaison for Macon. Their local group is called the Macon Mooslings. The Mooslings are a NaNoWriMo sactioned writng support group.
“I set up the Kick-Off and TGIO (Thank God It’s Over) parties, and run at least one Write-In each week,” Thuen said.
The group met every Saturday in downtown Macon in the Golden Bough bookstore for a write-in for a couple of hours.
The creators of NaNoWriMo suggest writing 1,667 words per day, which translates to about and hour and a half of typing for the enthusiast.
“Our Write-Ins are fairly relaxed events. We start off just chatting, usually about our stories, but sometimes about life in general. We have several “word wars” - everyone writes as fast as they can for a short period of time, and the person who has the most words wins,” Thuen said. The prize is usualy a piece of chocolate, a Squinkie toy, or a prize from a “box o’ prizes.”
Mercer’s Dulcimer went to the Crossroads Literary Conference this past October and heard Chris Baty give a speech about National Novel Writing Month.
“He was super encouraging,” Michelle Meredith, president of the Dulcimer said, “He took it on as his personal mission to remove the fear from writing a novel.”
After the chance encounter, Dulcimer staff writers expressed an interest in getting the Dulcimer involved in NaNoWriMo.
Following prompting by her staff, Meredith decided to use The Dulcimer’s website, www.mercerdulcimer.com, to blog about National Novel Writing Month. The blog posts offer support and encouragement for Mercer Wrimos.
“I think it’s cool for the Dulcimer to be involved in it [NaNoWriMo],” Meredith said. “I hope it encouraged people to see that other people were doing it [NaNoWriMo].”
Writing a novel while taking a full course load is a challenge, but definitely not impossible Meredith stressed. She recommends that anyone wanting to participate in NaNoWriMo next year should prepare mentally for the time commitment.
Meredith also recommended that Wrimos-to-be locate their local areas Municipal liason.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, Mercer student Britney DeRosa is studying abroad at Oxford University and participating in National Novel Writing Month.
“I don’t think I would have been able to write it if I was back at Mercer with a 16 hour semester,” DeRosa said. At Oxford, DeRosa has much fewer time commitments than traditional students back in the states. “I could definitely spare the time. I made myself write when I didn’t want to read, and amazingly enough I stayed off Netflix and wrote instead.”
DeRosa’s novel is a fantasy set in the fictional town of Blackwater. Her novel integrates aspects of ancient mythology into its story.
Three girls, Ophelia, Elizabeth and Miranda have separate storylines, but find each other through the meddling of a talking cat.
Upon crossing the 50,000 word threshold DeRosa submitted her novel, titled “On Opposite Sides of Town,” to be verified on NaNoWriMo. She received a certificate as an acknowledgment of her accomplishment.
“Oxford has been my inspiration, and I’m glad that I was here when I set down to write. Being far away from home. It gave me so many images that I worked in to the scenery and characters and back story of the novel.” DeRosa said.
(10/24/12 9:00pm)
Doug Faour became the new manager of Macon Downtown Airport and Middle Georgia Regional Airport on Sept. 4. The previous manager, Scott Coffman, left Macon to become the operations manager of Leesburg Executive Airport in Leesburg, Va. Faour previously worked as manager of Herlong Recreational Airport in Jacksonville, Fla.
Faour is a Georgia native and came to Macon to be closer to family. However, he is excited to work at an airport that is certified by the FFA to handle commercial flights.
“Trying to continue to get settled in to a new town and a new job is a pretty big undertaking, bigger than I thought it would be,” Faour said.
Faour was offered the position in Macon more than a month before accepting. Faour lived in a hotel for about a month. He only recently was able to get his family to move from Florida because of discrepancies in insurance policies.
Erick D’Leon, the airports’ Operations Manager, worked under Scott Coffman for three years before Faour took over.
“Doug seems more like a go-getter,” D’Leon said. The former manager made the airport self-sufficient. D’Leon hopes that Faour will take the airport to the “next step.”
“I think the previous airport manager did a really good job,” Faour said.
Faour admits that the aviation industry is struggling because of the recent recession.
“There’s always uncertainty in the aviation industry,” Faour said. “My goal for the airport is to continue to maintain its preparedness for the economic good times ahead of us. We are preparing for growth in a variety of areas,” Faour said.
Areas of growth include modernizing airport infrastructure, encouraging air service development (passenger and cargo transportation), and facilitating maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aircraft (MRO). Airline Sonair International will start providing aerial shuttles from Macon to Atlanta, replacing GeorgiaSkies in December.
“Commercial air service is just a tiny portion of what we do,” Faour said.
The airports do receive commercial aircraft and general aviation traffic. Pilots pay a premium to have private aircraft stored in airport hangers. However, Faour says most of the airports’ revenue comes from MRO on large aircraft.
The airports lease land and facilities to fixed-base operators for MRO work. The Middle Georgia Regional Airport leases to fixed-base operators such as Timco, Boeing and Bombardier. Lowe Aviation has operated at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport since 1946.
The airports also keep large stockpiles of fuel on site. The airports get a percentage of every gallon of aviation fuel sold, known as a Fuel Flowage Fee. Military airplanes from nearby Robins Air Force Base often come to the airport to refuel out of convenience.
To accommodate an increase traffic at the airports, Faour is having new above-ground fuel farm constructed at Macon Downtown Airport. The tarmac at Middle Georgia Regional Airport is being resurfaced. Funding for development projects come from grants under the FFA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP). AIP receives funding on the federal level from taxes on aviation fuel and fees on tickets.
“The fuel tanks in the ground at Macon Downtown Airport are old and have reached the end of their useful lives,” Faour said. The tanks are about 25 years old.
Above-ground tanks are more feasible than replacing the old underground tanks because complying with strict Environmental Protection Agency regulations hampers the installation process and drives up expenses.
Underground tanks have redundant walls with fuel detecting sensors in between the layers. Because the tanks are underground, repairing leaks can be costly. The fuel detecting sensors are also fairly expensive.
“Macon’s got a good airport here, it’s something they can be proud of,” Faour said. “The economic airport that this airport has is pretty substantial.”
(10/24/12 9:00pm)
There are movies I refuse to watch because of the pride I place in my gender and intelligence. However, curiosity will always make me wonder what all the hype is about. For example, I had never seen the Twilight movies before this summer. I had never been roped into watching the movies by friends or by my then-girlfriend.
The folks responsible for Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) solved the dilemma between my pride and curiosity. In essence, the show consisted of bad movies rehashed with clever commentary (riffs).
MST3K focuses on the life of a test subject trapped in a space station called the “Satellite of Love.” The test subject is forced to watch terribly cheesy movies while the experimenters “monitor his mind.” To maintain his sanity, the test subject makes fun of the movie during the showing, providing the audience at home with comedic commentary.
Starting in 1988 and running for 11 years, the cast of MST3K gained a cult following. The show was eventually canceled because Comedy Central and, later, Syfy were having difficulty getting permission to show the third-party movies featured in MST3K.
The creative minds behind MST3K reunited in 2006 to form RiffTrax (rifftrax.com), this time with a secret weapon. Instead of buying the licenses to movies to be riffed, they simply record an MP3 file of commentary satirizing the target movie. The user can then sync the audio file using their computer or audio player.
The difference is subtle, but it allows RiffTrax to produce commentary to almost any movie without the need to ask permission from movies’ producers. Movies chosen for RiffTrax must meet two criteria: the film must be easy to riff (example: the Twilight series, “The Last Airbender”), and the film must be widely available on DVD. The MP3 commentaries cost anywhere between 99 cents to $10 and the user must provide their own copy of the movie. Using Netflix as a movie source offsets the price of enjoying a riffed movie.
I tested out RiffTrax for the first time with M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender” based on Nickelodeon’s TV show “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
I loved the show but heard the movie was terrible. Shyamalan’s adaptation garnered a meager 6 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I downloaded the RiffTrax MP3 for “The Last Airbender” for $2, pulled up the movie on Netflix and played both on my computer.
The result was pure hilarity. I doubt that I would have been able to watch the entirety of the movie without the accompaniment of the RiffTrax commentary.
The riffers regularly point out odd choices of choreography, lapses in continuity and plot holes. Some of the funniest moments in the commentaries occur when the riffers chime in with dialogue, humorously amending or fabricating lines.
For example, take a scene from “Twilight” in which our protagonist, Bella Swan, is emotionally conflicted (as usual) and having trouble sleeping.
Bella wakes up, suddenly aware that she is being watched from across the bedroom by Edward Cullen, a vampire who attends Bella’s high school. What should have been a very tense moment takes a laugh-out-loud turn when one of the commentators, speaking for Edward, says, “What was our math homework?”
During a scene from “The Last Airbender”, a waterbender named Katara is (presumably) practicing her ability to magically manipulate water by doing glorified yoga.
The scene, with very little context, goes on for several uncomfortable seconds during which Katara extends and withdraws her hands a few times.
Meanwhile, the riffers have organically blended the pre-flight speech given by flight attendants to correspond with Katara’s movements.
For those wanting to try out RiffTrax (legally), Hulu has a RiffTrax feature section (hulu.com/rifftrax-features)where you can catch the riffers pan old movies that have entered public domain, such as “Plan B from Outer Space” or “Night of the Living Dead.”
(10/24/12 9:00pm)
You’re in your dorm room studying on Facebook. Suddenly, you get a text message and e-mail from Mercer Police emergency alert system:
“LOCKDOWN MACON CAMPUS: STUDENTS ATTACKED BY UNKNOWN ASSAILANT(S). SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT LEAVE FOR ANY REASON.”
You impulsively get up to look out your window, but the view is mostly the brick of the building opposite yours. You starve for more information. Both Facebook and Twitter explode with speculative updates. You hear powerful knocks at your door—the kind your R.A. uses during tornado warnings.
For whatever reason, you do not check the peephole before opening the door. The door is hardly unlatched before it pushes in with such force that it knocks you back. It isn’t your R.A.; it is a full-fledged, jaw-snapping, gut-wrenching zombie. Evidence of its last meal stains its face and shirt.
The zombie stumbles towards you, moaning. Three more zombies file through your door, attracted by all the noise. You soon succumb dozens of bites, but your death is short-lived. You soon rise to join your zombie brethren in the pursuit of more flesh.
Fortunately, this was a hypothetical scenario. You fell for the illusion of security within your dorm, but human error made you the join the zombie hoard. Taking proper precautions can avert that particular fate if and when the actual zombie apocalypse occurs.
Max Brooks, a concerned citizen, wrote “The Zombie Survival Guide” in 2003 to aid the preparation for zombie encounters. “The Zombie Survival Guide” is an invaluable reference for the living during a zombie outbreak.
The book details basic zombie knowledge and zombie survival skills. These skills range from how to identify zombies and infected individuals to methods of combating zombies, containing outbreaks and finding defensible locations.
Brooks recommends that the reader use traditional survival manuals for primary reference. I recommend that you acquire a copy of “The Zombie Survival Guide” as soon as possible; the information within the book could save your life.
First, Brooks distinguishes the voodoo zombie and movie zombie from those infected with the Solanum virus (the virus responsible for zombie-ism). Voodoo zombies are still alive and have no free will while movie zombies often have superhuman capabilities or the ability to run and climb. Real zombies are truly the walking (mindless) dead, possessing no more capability than the once-living body. That is, they cannot fly, use tools or shoot lasers out of their eyes.
The majority of the book has chapters devoted to finding and securing areas of refuge, selecting weapons, choosing transportation and staying sane in a world of the undead.
The end of the book contains a list of fictional zombie outbreaks in the past, going all the way from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 2002. Some of the entries attribute actual historical mysteries, such as the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island, to zombie attacks.
Brooks also published “World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War” in 2006. A film adaptation of “World War Z” was previously scheduled to hit theaters on Dec. 21, 2012, the supposed end of the Mayan Long Count calendar and the beginning of the end of the world, but was pushed back to June 2013.
If the world does end Dec. 21, I hope it is due to the zombie apocalypse. I’ve got a few zombie-incapacitation techniques that I have been itching to try.
(10/10/12 4:01pm)
The Young Patrons of the Historic Macon Foundation started their program’s first fundraiser on Oct. 5 at the Macon Idea House. The formerly dilapidated residence at 1116 Ash St. was renovated and decorated with flea market furniture to showcase small space living on a tight budget.
The structure at 1116 Ash St. was built in 1911 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was owned by the Oliphant family who lived in the 1,311-square-foot residence until 1924. The house changed owners several times over the decades until it was purchased in 2011 by the Historic Macon Foundation from BB&T.
Work on the Idea House began last September. The house has two bedrooms and two full bathrooms.
The Idea House’s interior was designed by nine decorators all under age 40. Each decorator was appointed an individual room to furnish and paint, but the decorators were given a budget limit.
“[They] wanted to show what you could do with a fairly small house,” said Lois Mclain.
Mclain is a member of both the Board of Trustees of the Historic Macon Foundation and the Sidney Lanier Cottage Committee. She has worked with the Foundation for 25 plus years.
Every student, regardless of living situation, can get inspiration from the furniture and decorations inside the Idea House. Most pieces are simply salvaged for cheap from flea markets and then reupholstered and painted.
The foyer has several up-cycled pieces of furniture including a newly stained china cabinet and a table made from an old glass window. The curtains are sheets of burlap
The kitchen is furnished with stainless steal appliances and honed Uba Tuba granite counter tops through the rehabilitation program. Decorations include a wicker basket, plastic stools and chalkboard paired with a unique picture frame.
“The dining room table was actually two separate pieces. The base was standing without a top and the tabletop had a different base. I removed the base from the tabletop and applied a crackle finish. The paint cost $50, but I was able to create a table no one else has,” said Betsy Campbell. Campbell was in charge of decorating the dining room.
The headboards in the master bedroom and guest room are made from an old flea market mantle and an upholstered plywood board respectively.
The Historic Macon Foundation has rehabilitated five historical homes in the Beall’s Hill area. These houses are then placed back on the market to raise money for the Historic Macon Foundation.
For further information about the Idea House and tickets, visit www.historicmacon.org/idea-house or call (478) 742-5084. Admission to the Idea House is $12 per person. Tours will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 13, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 14.
Most decorations and furniture in the Idea House are up for silent auction between now and Oct. 14.
The Historic Macon Foundation is hosting their annual flea market on Oct. 30. Furniture from the Idea House that is not sold at silent auction will be sold at the flea market.
The Idea House is currently under contract with Mercer University’s Executive Director of Athletics.
(10/10/12 4:00pm)
Mercer’s Student Government Association in conjunction with the Office of Campus Life, the Center of Theology and the Lyceum Committee conducted a campus-wide mock presidential election from Sept. 24-28. The results showed that 55 percent voted for President Barrack Obama, while 39 percent voted for Governor Mitt Romney.
Senior Senator Brandon Ryan of SGA announced the results of the mock election at a panel hosted by the Mercer Lyceum on the evening of Oct. 2 as part of the group’s “Rebuilding Democracy” theme. More than 120 students, faculty and staff showed up to hear the election results and the ensuing discussion.
Dean of Students Doug Pearson approached SGA about holding a mock election in mid-September. The mock election was open to all students, faculty and staff at Mercer’s Macon Campus.
“[He] wanted to see where the student body stood,” said Senator Ryan.
Eligible voters cast their ballot using their MyMercer ID online. Over the four polling days, 707 votes were cast: 497 students, 211 staff and 90 faculty.
Additional questions on the ballots surveyed voters’ habits at the polls. Each survey question was voluntary.
“Volunteer samples are not legitimate, there is a response bias,” said Dr. David Nelson, associate professor of Mathematics at Mercer.
According to those surveyed, 648 respondents (92 percent) said they would vote in the actual November election.
“[That] shows you that it’s a very biased sample,” said Nelson in response to the relatively high figure.
In the actual 2008 presidential election, only 63 percent of eligible voters turned out at the polls. If the sample is reduced to eligible voters aged 18 to 20, then turnout drops to 51 percent.
Surveyees were asked what their top concerns are regarding the next four years. Each voter was given two votes: 545 answered economy, 223 answered education, 211 answered social issues, and 150 answered foreign policy.
They did not necessarily use both votes or vote at all, possibly skewing results.
“The list may not be comprehensive,” said Nelson. He notes that even the order that the options are presented may affect results.
After the announcement of the mock election results, four panelists gave speeches on why voting is important to students.
Dr. David Gushee of the School of Theology at Mercer University spoke about violence, religion, environment, immigration, healthcare and budget.
“It [voting] matters to every one of us,” said Gushee, “What happens in our [presidential] elections [in the United States of America] matters to everyone on the planet.”
“There are 25 suicides of members of military for every one who dies in combat,” said Gushee, citing a New York Times article published earlier this year.
Dr. Laurie Johnson, a professor of political philosophy at Kansas State, spoke primarily about political law in America.
“Nobody in this country was given the right to vote,” said Johnson. She gave examples of the enfranchising of black men after the American Civil War (15th Amendment), the woman’s suffrage movement in the Progressive Era (19th Amendment) and the reduction of the voting age from 21 to 18 to reflect the minimum age of soldiers serving in the Vietnam conflict (26th Amendment).
President Underwood was the fourth speaker on the Lyceum panel. Underwood is concerned with the future of the education financial system.
“I received the Pell Grant in college,” said Underwood, “I could not have received the kind of education that you all are getting without those federal programs [Pell and Government Loans].”
Underwood portrays government loans and grants for private education as investments in human capital. By his math, the government will receive a several fold return for each loan that enables students to graduate college with a degree.
“A student who receives Pell grant and gets a degree will more than pay it back in federal taxes with increased wages,” said Underwood.
Underwood does not support any politician that signs a no-tax pledge, similarly no reduction in medicare benefits.
“We must be willing to compromise,” said President Underwood, “it’s easy for us to blame the dysfunction on our political leaders, but we were the ones who elected them.”
(09/26/12 9:19pm)
The Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Transition Task Force, appointed with unifying the governments of Bibb County and the cities of Macon and Payne City, met for the second time on September 19.
Voters approved the consolidation of the three governments July 31 by a margin of 56.7 percent.
“[Consolidation is] an opportunity to have a more efficient and effective government,” said President William Underwood of Mercer University.
Georgia’s General Assembly approved the consolidation of Macon, Payne City, and Bibb County with the passing of House Bill 1171 last spring.
“If consolidation continues on schedule, the newly unified government of Macon-Bibb County will assume control January 2014,” said Underwood.
Section 37 of House Bill 1171 mandated that a 15 member transition task force be created “for the purpose of planning and preparing for the assumption of governmental powers by the restructured governing authority.”
The legislation goes on to specify that the first ten members shall be elected officials from both the Bibb County and Macon governments.
The task force used an earlier meeting on September 11 to fill the seats of five subcommittees: a Finance Committee, Facilities Committee, Technology Committee, Human Resources Committee, and Laws Committee. Each committee consists of members of the larger consolidation task force.
President Underwood was appointed to the Finance and Human Resources Committee. Underwood is meeting with the Finance Committee on Wednesday Sept. 26.
“The truth is that I don’t have time for it, but it is so important to the community that I made time for it,” said Underwood.
The second meeting focused largely on the growing pains associated with combining the two distinct entities. Underwood said that the county and city governments operate with two different software systems: payroll schedules and pension plans.
House bill 1171 mandates that the budget of the restructured government not exceed the combined regular budgets of the separate governments.
Unfortunately, unified Macon-Bibb County automatically moves certain budget exemptions back into the regular budget, increasing the operating costs of of the new government before it even forms.
“We’ve begun a process of developing a budget,” said Underwood.
Another concern of the committee is job security for current city and county officials. Some positions may become redundant, forcing the the county to choose between city and county employees.
Pension plans may also be in jeopardy as Macon and Bibb County use two different systems. However, a new pension plan may be created for new employees while veteran employees are kept on their old plans under the new government.
(09/26/12 8:47pm)
With barely a month left until the presidential election in November, I am incredibly surprised by how little political rhetoric is circulating in my life. I have yet to see a political ad for either party ad on TV, radio, internet or print.
This is in stark contrast to my high school experience during the 2008 election. At the time, I considered myself an informed citizen. I listened to the news on the radio while driving to and from both school and work. I watched the evening news on ABC while doing my homework. Robots called our house phone almost non-stop telling us to vote for one candidate or another. Of course, Facebook was awash with debates.
Had I been able to vote, I feel that I could’ve made an informed decision based on the non-stop bombardment. I was passionate enough about the political battle to work twelve straight hours at the polling centers during the 2008 election.
This election, I live off campus but live close enough (1.7 miles) to opt for bicycling over driving.
This eliminates radio news. My house does not have cable partially because we don’t even have a TV, eliminating my former evening tradition. We don’t have a house phone, so nix the robo-dialers.
I do pay for a commercial-less Netflix account. On my internet browser, my ad blocker keeps even the most pervasive political ads out of sight.
My reliance on the convenience of technology to only show me what what I want to see, when I want to see it has led me to enter my most ignorant period in my life.
Recently I’ve gotten most of my news from from Stumble Upon and Facebook solely for their convenience. I’m narrowing my exposure to the nation and world for the sake of convenience.
Facebook discussion of political happenings are absent from my wall as well. Political talk has been reduced to small quips about either candidate rather than produce debate. I honestly believe my generation is jaded to politics when midterms are so much more pressing.
What disturbs me is how little I want to leave my internet rituals in favor of seeking out information on the internet.
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(09/12/12 4:01pm)
A display collection of Paul Gruenberg’s miniature rooms recently opened on Aug. 22 at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences.
The collection was donated by Gruenberg’s daughter, Paula McGlamery.
Before the Industrial Revolution, furniture was custom made and very expensive to produce.
Furniture stores could not afford to keep inventory nor could they keep display pieces because of floor space limitations.
Compensating for the lack of space, retailers used scale models of furniture pieces to give customers an idea of what they were ordering.
Traveling salesmen easily carried the models to show during door-to-door sales.
Paul Gruenberg owned and operated a rubber stamp business.
His family lived on the floor above the storefront, and his workshop was located in the basement.
He was inspired to start making scale models of furniture after being presented with an old cabinet maker’s sample by his daughter.
In 1967 Paul Gruenberg started making miniature pieces of furniture in his basement workshop.
Gruenberg’s first miniature was modeled after an antique hunt board, which is a type of high-rise buffet that he kept in his house.
“It struck a cord with him,” said Paula McGlamery.
Gruenberg handmade all of his furniture and most are replications of actual furniture that he observed.
“We would have dinner at home every evening above my father’s rubber stamp business in downtown Memphis. Later my siblings and I would do our homework upstairs while our father would work on pieces in his shop in the basement where his tools were located,” said McGlamery.
After successfully modeling his hunt board, Paul Gruenberg began to recreate other pieces of furniture.
Paul and his wife, Lu Gruenberg, collected many antiques during their marriage. In fact, many of the pieces Paul Gruenberg manufactured were replicas of furniture in his home.
Interestingly, Paul Gruenberg made most of his miniatures from the scrap wood of furniture donated by family friends.
This allowed Paul Gruenberg to replicate antique furniture down to the type of wood contained in the modeler’s subject.
As Paul Gruenberg’s collection of miniature furniture grew, Lu Gruenberg channeled her husband’s passion into creating complete interior dioramas to display his furniture.
She designed the upholstery, needlework, and wallpaper of the rooms.
She even coordinated the curtains, drapes, wallpaper, and rugs of the rooms with similar patterns.
Paula McGlamery donated five miniature rooms to The Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences. The collection includes a Parlor, a Formal Eating Room, a Family Eating Room, a Sleeping Room, and a Keeping Room.
The Paul Gruenberg Miniature Rooms exhibition, was previously installed for 25 years at the Art Museum at the University of Memphis. It is now on display in the Elam Alexander Gallery at the Museum of Arts and Sciences until Oct. 28, 2012.