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(04/23/19 6:36pm)
The Student Government Association (SGA) is already making plans for next semester.
Adam Penland, current president of SGA, will be retaining his position next year. He plans to focus on mental health on campus.
“That's something that we realize a lot of students on campus deal with, mental health issues, and I have myself,” Penland said.
The focus on mental health is in part due to problems with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), he said.
“There's a problem with CAPS,” he said. “It takes two or three weeks to even get an appointment with them, and we talked to some CAPS representatives and they said even if they had the… fully-staffed group of four people, that still wouldn't be enough,” Penland said.
CAPS acknowledged being understaffed in a previous Cluster article. Stephen Brown, associate dean for student services, said one of the counselors unexpectedly left the position, leaving a gap in CAPS’ services.
“In late August, a counselor who had worked at CAPS for over seven years announced his decision to focus full-time on his outside business,” Brown said. “As such, there may be some wait time to see a counselor during the busy parts of the semester.”
Penland also plans to continue his focus on campus dining.
“Even if we don't get new (restaurants), we can always get more options,” he said.
Micheala Jones, junior senator and next year’s vice president, said she will focus on campus parking.
“There is still some small issues that occur every day with parking, and … it's inconvenient,” Jones said.
She said she hopes there is an easy solution.
“Hopefully (we will) just continue to work with (Mercer Police) to make it easier for everyone to understand and collaborate with,” she said.
Freshman Senator Sheridan King also has plans for next year to improve printing on campus, develop masters programs for the College of Liberal Arts and implement direct deposits for students.
“I think our students spend enough money on tuition, and they deserve to be rewarded by providing the most up-to-date necessities possible,” King said in an email to The Cluster. “I feel incredibly confident about pursuing these difficult tasks because of our new administration.”
(04/11/19 2:48am)
Mercer University Police, or Merpo, have responded to student concerns throughout the semester about parking rules and tickets on campus.
In an email to students March 8, Merpo said that fines were being placed on students’ accounts in advance of course registration, which began March 11.
“Many of these fines are from tickets written much earlier than the date the fine was posted to the account,” according to the email.
Hannah Winslett, a junior holistic child major, is one student who has found issues with the parking ticket system.
“I was charged twice for the same parking ticket, and when I called about it they were not very helpful. I had to go in and speak to someone to get it resolved, but it took some time for the charge to be taken off my account,” she said.
Winslett also said parking on campus is a problem because of distance from residence halls.
“I know some people don’t feel safe walking alone back to their rooms from their cars, and it’s worse when you have to walk from the other side of campus,” she said.
The Cluster spoke with Chief of Police Gary Collins and Lieutenant Gary Mills to clarify parking procedures.
“We want to make sure everybody understands it,” Mills said.
On campus, parking on spots with diagonal lines, on grass, in loading zones and yellow curbs is not allowed. Students also cannot park in a handicap-designated spot without the appropriate decal.
There needs to be “some indication on the ground that it is like you know, white lines letting you know that it is a parking space,” Mills said.
Parking rules for all Lofts and within Mercer Village is always enforced, he said. In other spots on campus, students can park freely Monday through Friday after 4 p.m and before 8 a.m.
If a student believes they have been ticketed wrongly, they have five days to appeal a ticket.
“You fill out an appeal form and attach the ticket to it, and then there's an appeal committee meeting,” Collins said.
At the appeal committee meeting, the appeal is denied or accepted. If the appeal is accepted, the student does not have to pay for their ticket.
The meeting is scheduled once Merpo has received several appeal requests from students.
Collins said Merpo dealt with growing pains this year that contributed to some confusion surrounding the fines.
“We went to a new system, ok. The computer people … set us up with the new system and we were going through it. Well, the system didn't work,” Collins said.
As a result, he said some students have been charged twice for the same parking ticket.
“The people that have been charged twice for the same ticket, they need to come here,” Collins said.
Collins wants students to understand parking rules.
“If they have any questions about parking, they can come down here and someone would be glad to answer the questions,” Collins said.
(04/10/19 3:00am)
Several student organizations brought a drag show to campus on March 30.
Common Ground, Campus Life, Project Equality and the Mercer University School of Medicine’s Genders and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) teamed up for the show, said McPherson Newell, president of Common Ground, in an email to The Cluster.
“The second annual Mercer University drag show featured an educational panel about the history of drag and its role in the LGBTQ+ community, five performances by Mercer students and two performances by Tangerine Summers, a legendary drag queen from Macon,” Newell said.
Last year the show was hosted in downtown Macon. This year it was hosted in Penfield Hall.
“We were approved to have it on campus this year since last year's show was a success, and the performances were appropriate for campus and adhered to Mercer's community standards,” Newell said.
Jessica Smith performed in the show and said bringing drag to campus was special.
“It means a lot to have done this on Mercer's campus, because Mercer has been -- gracious, still is considered one of the most Republican, the most conservative campuses in the United States,” Smith said. “So it's like we have a presence and we're not going to back down, we're not just going to disappear.”
Monica Stephenson, a senior theatre major, said being allowed to perform on campus was a step in the right direction.
“In my high school, we did have a GSA group, which stands for Gender and Sexuality Alliance now, but when I was in high school it was called a Gay-Straight Alliance. But we weren’t allowed to write that out on any paperwork or posters on school grounds, so a lot of people didn’t know what the group was,” Stephenson said in an email.
"To be able to go from that in high school to being able to perform on campus in drag is really important to me because it feels like we are slowly, step by step, getting closer to accepting and celebrating queer people in schools,” they said.
The show was free to all students, but donations were collected for the Macon HOPE Center, Newell said.
The center helps people living with HIV and AIDS.
“We chose this organization because there's a strong history of drag being used to fundraise for HIV/AIDS-related care,” Newell said. “At the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, a lot of LGBTQ+ communities and organizations held drag shows to fundraise for health care, clothing, Christmas gifts and other resources for people living with HIV,” Newell said.
Raising money for HIV and AIDS patients is especially important in Georgia and Bibb county, Newell said.
“Georgia has the second-highest transmission rate of HIV in the country, and Bibb County has the ninth-highest number of people living with HIV per 100,000 community members in Georgia, so it's necessary for us to integrate the subject of HIV/AIDS into our everyday conversations because it's affecting so many of our community members' everyday lives,” he said.
Over $350 in donations was raised at the event.
Newell said plans for next year’s show have already begun.
“Everyone on the Common Ground executive board hopes that this event will continue long after we graduate and that an annual drag show will become a tradition for Mercer's LGBTQ+ community and allies,” Newell said.
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(03/31/19 5:56pm)
New housing will be coming to Mercer University by fall 2021.
“We’re in the process of looking at plans and meeting with contractors for designs,” Jeff Takac, director of housing and residence life, said.
The new building will house around 300 students and will be geared towards upperclassmen. The layout will feature private bedrooms with suite-style bathrooms.
Takac said new dining options that are not cafeteria style will be constructed in the same building, but the residence hall will not include kitchens. Instead, the new space will feature plenty of common areas.
The new residence hall will be “something similar in a lot of ways to Legacy Hall, but without community bathrooms. More for upperclassmen with the same type of atmosphere,” Takac said.
He said there is also discussion about adding a parking deck on campus. It would be located across from the tennis courts.
The deck would serve residents of the new residence hall and also be used as “combination for campus, especially on weekends during games ” according to Takac.
“It’s exciting. We’re looking forward to it. It gives us a lot of variety,” he said.
Roshni Patel, a sophomore global development and international affairs double-major, said the new option will help make finding attractive housing on campus easier.
“Housing (at) Mercer is like “The Hunger Games.” There are a few good options such as Legacy, Mercer Hall and Garden Apartments, and the rest are outdated and cramped,” Patel said.
Sophomore Mary Grace Schlueter, a biomedical engineering major, said the new residence hall could alleviate issues that the high demand for limited space has caused in the past.
“If you want even a shot at good housing, you have to wake up at the crack of dawn to fill out the housing contract,” Schlueter said.
Schlueter said she and her roommate aimed to live in the Garden Apartments next year, but all of the spaces were filled before they could access the housing registration process.
“The stress of the process was overwhelming,” she said.
Patel said the new residence hall is a “good start” towards fixing the housing problems.
“One building is not the answer to the housing needs, and Mercer needs to fix the buildings currently on campus,” Patel said.
Takac is optimistic about what the new building will bring to campus.
“Hopefully it’ll be able to meet the wants of all students, and what their needs are,” Takac said.
(03/29/19 1:49am)
Changes and expansions have come to the Mercer University Opportunity Scholars (OS) program this year.
The program is catered to incoming first-generation college students, students with disabilities and students from low-income families to help them transition to college life. It originally lasted a week before the start of the school year, but now lasts all four years with the assistance of student leaders called Opportunity Scholars Ambassadors, or OSAs.
“OSAs and fellows now have the opportunity to build stronger relationships with one, another and ambassadors are able to provide greater mentorship to fellows,” Macire Aribot, an opportunity scholars ambassador, said in an email to The Cluster.
OSAs now have a greater role in helping counselors from Student Support Services, the office that oversees Opportunity Scholars, plan and lead some of the group events.
“This change allowed fellows to get a student perspective on things like managing mental health in college or innovative ways to save money,” Aribot said.
The program also now features a newsletter for first-years that “provides OS fellows with encouraging words, updates on the great things other fellows have been achieving and news about upcoming events and workshops on campus,” she said.
For Savannah Duringer, a freshman majoring in graphic design, the Opportunity Scholars program has been a huge help.
“I can't express how helpful it is to have a mentor who understands what you are dealing with during your first year and be there willing to tackle any situation with you,” Duringer said.
Duringer joined OS to make new friends, and “get a head start on the college lifestyle,” she said, and she urges others to join.
“It builds a strong foundation for a successful first year, and it also is a wonderful support system that many of us need while stepping into this new chapter in our lives,” she said.
The OSAs are helpful in creating this support system, Duringer said.
“They do this through one-on-one meetings and by building a personal relationship with you,” she said. “I couldn't imagine starting college without having been an OS.”
CORRECTION: The previous version of this article reported that Opportunity Scholars is a one-year program and that group events are held by Opportunity Scholars Ambassadors. However, the program now lasts four years, and OSAs help plan some events alongside Student Support Services faculty. This article has been updated to reflect these changes.
(03/22/19 12:53am)
The Student Government Association (SGA) is considering reopening qualifications for the presidential elections after only one ticket emerged on the initial deadline March 13.
Sophomore Class President Jadon Murad opened a discussion about reopening the elections during the Senate meeting March 18.
“I think it looks lackluster on SGA to only have one ticket and have a lack of promotions for the qualifications,” Murad said at the meeting.
Murad said SGA did not share any infographics, emails or social media posts with the student body announcing the meeting.
Both Freshman Sen. Sheridan King and Junior Sen. Hayes Rule said they had been approached by students interested in running after the deadline for qualifications had passed.
Genesis Cooper, sophomore senator and chair of the public relations and elections committee, said she was partly to blame for the information not being shared.
“As (public relations) chair, I feel like I did kind of drop the ball,” Cooper said.
Murad said SGA could come under scrutiny because the only confirmed candidates for 2019-2020 president and vice president are Adam Penland and Michaela Jones. Penland is the current president of SGA, and Jones is a junior senator.
Penland said he had nothing to do with the outcome of the elections.
“I have nothing to do with the elections. I always tell this joke, I am not Brian Kemp,” he said, referring to criticism against Kemp for choosing not to step down from his former role of secretary of state, instead overseeing a gubernatorial race he was running in.
“I am not going to be election marshall and also in the election,” Penland said.
SGA could not take action regarding reopening qualifications at the meeting because Election Marshall James Smith was not in attendance.
Penland said that Smith and Dean of Students Doug Pearson, the faculty advisor for SGA, would meet to discuss matters further Tuesday.
The Cluster will continue to update this report as information becomes available.
(03/14/19 9:36pm)
MU Miracle, a student service club that supports Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) through dance marathons and other fundraisers, aims to raise $100,000 for the new Beverly Knight Olson Children's Hospital in Macon. The facility is part of Navicent Health and is designated a Miracle Hospital by CMN.
As a student organization, MU Miracle raises money for CMNH in various ways.
“MU Miracle hosts different events throughout the year to help fundraise for the hospital, including silent auctions, ‘social media push days’ and other special events,” Jessica Lee, public relations chair, said.
This year, the silent auction included themed baskets and was accessible to donors online. Baskets varied and included Macon Mayhem baskets and Z Beans Coffee baskets.
Meg Oldham, MU Miracle executive assistant, said she reaches out to everyone she knows.
“We also will go through and individually message Facebook friends and family members to give them more info about what we are doing, and often that will result in them wanting to donate,” she said.
Oldham also finds unique ways to raise money on her own.
“One year I did ‘Uber (For the Kids)’ and spent the two weeks before Bearthon spreading the word to everyone I could reach on campus that I would be available as a sober driver. So I was piling people in my car and hauling them around downtown for two weeks straight at $5 a ride, and I made about $250 doing that,” she said.
Other students’ fundraising methods have included selling poetry and photography services. One member shaved his head for $5,000, Oldham said.
For MU Miracle, the biggest group event is Bearthon. It is an eight-hour event where students, faculty and families from the children’s hospital come together to celebrate and reveal the total amount of money raised for the year.
MU Miracle's goal for this year is to raise $100,000 for the new hospital, which boasts “six neonatal intensive care beds, 21 pediatric critical care beds, four pediatric operating rooms (and) 23 general pediatric beds,” Lee said.
The new hospital opened Feb. 25 with treatments and surgeries beginning the next day, according to a press release.
“Seeing the hospital up and running gives me chills every time. It’s been such a big conversation and this huge idea for so long, and to look at it standing so tall and proud, and know that we were part of it is just a surreal feeling,” Oldham said.
Oldham continues to be proud of MU Miracle.
“We have only been around for four years, and to think that last year we raised over $75,000 for the hospital, and we will only continue to grow, is unreal.”
(03/12/19 1:58am)
The Mercer University Fighting for Our Rights & Gender Equality (FORGE) club is heading to the state capitol for Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity’s (URGE) Advocacy Day March 21.
URGE, a national organization, oversees collegiate FORGE chapters and facilitates events such as Advocacy Day.
“On Advocacy Day, URGE gathers student members in Atlanta, teaches them how to talk to their representatives and then brings the members into contact with their representatives while the assembly is in session so that we can express our views on issues we are passionate about,” Adri Rosario, FORGE public relations chair, said in an email to The Cluster.
One of the issues FORGE will advocate for is the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act.
“It would eliminate costs for sanitary supplies for pregnant folks postpartum, end shackling of incarcerated pregnant people and support access to doula services,” said Emily Cuarenta, a member of FORGE.
The bill would give female inmates access to medical information “concerning menopause and any other health issue related to being a female,” according to the Georgia General Assembly website.
The health and care of female inmates in Georgia has long been an issue. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigated Georgia prisons and found that many female inmates had been neglected, and some ultimately died due to poor care.
The Supreme Court ruled that inmates have the right to adequate medical care in 1976, according to Corizon Health, but the new bill goes beyond healthcare.
Female inmates would be granted more privacy. Male law enforcement agents would no longer be able to see the inmates in states of “partial or full undress,” or conduct pat-downs. All law enforcement agents guarding female prisoners would be given gender sensitivity and trauma training.
The location of a female prisoner’s family would also be considered when placing her in a facility.
“As an URGE chapter, we believe reproductive justice is for everyone, including incarcerated folks,” Cuarenta said.
(03/07/19 3:47pm)
Macon-Bibb’s county commissioners approved a new tax on blighted homes Feb. 19, according to an article by WGXA.
This tax will charge the owners of blighted properties seven times the current millage rate, according to an article by the Macon Telegraph.
A millage rate is the number that is multiplied per $1,000 of property value. This rate is also used to find the property tax for a building.
The commissioners said they hope this will help clean up Macon, as the city currently has 1,566 properties considered to be blighted, Cass Hatcher, Macon-Bibb blight consultant, said to the Telegraph.
The tax was proposed by Commissioner Joe Allen, who said the “worst of the worst” unoccupied blighted homes would be charged.
However, Mayor Robert Reichert believes this can cause people to not invest in Macon, as people will purchase fewer homes to rent, he said to the Macon Telegraph.
Andres Marroquin, visiting associate professor of economics at Mercer University, said he agrees with Mayor Reichert.
“If there is a possibility of a blight tax in the future, investors and homeowners might factor that in, so they might think twice before building a home or remodeling a home or making a business investment in some of these neighborhoods,” Marroquin said in an email to The Cluster.
Allen’s plan would keep tax money in the community, with all revenue from the tax going towards community redevelopment, according to a Macon Telegraph article.
Once the owner removes the blight, then they would only be charged half the millage rate for the next four years.
However, Marroquin said blighted homes are not just an economic problem.
“Blighted properties might be a symptom of deeper problems: crime and bad schools, for example,” he said. “People might abandon their homes, or firms might abandon their buildings because it is dangerous to live and operate in those neighborhoods. So the real problems might be others.”
(02/28/19 7:23pm)
Two third-year students at the Mercer University School of Medicine are growing fresh produce for a local food bank to combat a lack of access to fresh food in Macon.
Ayana Graham and Austin Miller started growing fruits and vegetables at a community garden owned by Centenary United Methodist Church last year to earn their “Distinguished in Service to the Community Project” (DISC).
The projects aim to “encourage students to participate in service learning through creating partnerships with local organizations and providing programs that will enrich and benefit the community,” according to Mercer Medicine’s DISC webpage.
“I need a hobby, and you know, people need to eat vegetables. They need to eat better,” Graham said.
Both students had never gardened before, so they researched online.
“I thought it was kind of therapeutic,” Miller said. “I really need to get away from studying all the time, so it was a nice release. It was definitely a learning curve though, because the people on Youtube and Google made it look easy, and then we got out here and our plants would be destroyed.”
Graham was also inspired by the closing of the Kroger on Pio Nono Avenue in April 2018.
“I remember seeing people walk to that Kroger, and I was thinking, ‘well, where are they gonna go now? Where are they gonna get their vegetables or groceries, period?’” she said.
The closing of that Kroger created a food desert, according to an article by the Macon Telegraph.
Food deserts are considered “parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas,” according to the American Nutrition Association.
However, Graham found a way to make a change.
“Then I realized how many community resources Macon has, just shelters which are basically there to just feed, clothe, you know, (give) whatever people need, and they run off donations, so I was like, ‘ok what if we grew vegetables and then donated them?’” she said.
The project donates the produce to the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia.
Graham and Miller create and donate health resource pamphlets with the food they donate.
Both students hope the project will continue to provide for the community, even after they leave Mercer.
“We’re both graduating in 2020, so I guess that's like the set limit. I’ve been talking to a couple of students who are behind us and trying to see if I can get somebody to take it over,” Graham said.
(01/30/19 4:00am)
Mercer alumnus and actor Mark McCollough has been selected to speak at this year’s Founders Day event on Feb. 6. The speaker was announced in a Student Government Association meeting streamed live on their Facebook page Jan. 7.
Clark Myers, senior senator-at-large and chair of the Heritage Life committee, told SGA that McCollough had been chosen.
“Mark McCollough is important to the Mercer community because his life shows that you never know where you will end up or what career you may pursue,” Clark Myers wrote in an email Jan. 17 to The Cluster.
A native of Savannah, McCollough graduated from Mercer University in 1995 with degrees in theater and political theory, according to a Mercer News feature from 2018. He then went on to earn a Juris Doctor from American University.
He started his career as a prosecutor working in Washington, D.C., but after a “serious car accident” in Nicaragua, McCollough changed his career from law to acting, according to his IMDB profile.
Since then, McCollough has acted in films including “American Made” and “Logan Lucky.”
McCollough’s roles often place him alongside some well-known actors.
In “American Made,” McCollough played Pete, “the gun and drug smuggling co-pilot to Tom Cruise’s character,” according to IMDB.
McCollough was also cast as a “redneck coworker to Channing Tatum’s character” in “Logan Lucky.”
McCollough’s acting career is not just on screen. In 2011, he partnered with Emmy-nominated Executive Producer Alexis Nelson to start Fort Argyle Films, a company focusing on television development and production, according to their website.
McCollough also founded The Savannah Actors Studio as a way to assist other actors. He teaches classes such as “On-Camera Audition Technique,” “Scene Study” and “Branding and Marketing for Actors,” according to the studio’s website.
McCollough was selected to speak at Founder’s Day 2019 because Myers thought he would be “interesting to hear.”
“We will never have a speaker that everybody loves, is excited about, or interested in. So, I asked the person from whom I thought people would widely enjoy and benefit [from],” Myers said.
Jay Sekulow spoke at last years Founder’s Day, prompting protests from some members of the student body.
Cefari Langford, a junior, participated in last year’s protest. They said they think this year’s speaker selection is a better choice.
“I have no real opinion about [McCollough], but I think this Founders Day will be vastly better than the last one,” Langford said.
(01/29/19 12:02am)
Women of Minorities Empowering the Neighborhood (W.O.M.E.N) is a new service-based club on Mercer’s campus aimed at mentoring Macon-Bibb County minority girls.
Co-Founder and Co-President Sheridan King, a freshman, said she was inspired to start the club after observing a “disconnect between Mercer University students and people in the Macon-Bibb community, as well as the financial need in the community”.
“I think that's something that, as students, we talk about addressing, and you know we write papers about it, but we don’t really figure out how we can fix it,” King said. “So that's what we wanted to do, we wanted to implement something that we could really and truly be giving back to the community.”
The club will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at Loaves and Fishes to make hygiene packets and wash clothes for people who utilize the ministry.
“It’s also difficult for homeless women to access things like feminine products and things like that,” Tiana Phoenix, co-founder and co-president of W.O.M.E.N, said.
Macon ranks No. 3 in the nation for concentrated poverty, according to an article from USA Today. Concentrated poverty rose in Macon by 14.4 percent from 2010 to 2016. It now affects 23,814 residents.
Children in Macon are deeply affected by poverty, with 46 percent of residents under the age of 18 living below the poverty line, according to Kid Count Data Center.
In cities like Macon that suffer from large income disparities, it is often minorities -- especially women and children -- taking the brunt of the consequences. In 2018, the Washington Post reported that “nearly 35 percent of blacks in Macon live in poverty today, compared with less than 13 percent of whites, according to 2012 to 2016 census data.”
Starting next fall, W.O.M.E.N. plans to address these problems further by partnering members with girls at Hartley Elementary School for mentorship. The mentors will meet with their elementary school student every week.
“We work on homework, and then on the second and fourth weeks, we would focus on different topics, like for 5th graders you know, maybe about like hygiene and things like that,” King said.
Member Michaela Jones said she was eager to join W.O.M.E.N.
“It’s such an important thing to do because a lot of Macon youth don’t have the best of lives, so whenever we can get the chance as college students to empower them and uplift them and encourage them, I believe it’s too good an opportunity to pass up,” Jones, a junior accounting and Spanish double major, said in an email to The Cluster.
Jones believes the elementary students will not be the only ones benefiting from this club.
“Students can also gain something from this experience. The kids are so friendly and caring. They attach to you so quickly and you really develop a cute relationship that you’ll never forget,” Jones said.
(11/28/18 1:50am)
Construction on the new “Mercer Landing II” lofts is nearing completion. The new lofts will be open and available to students in August 2019.
In comparison to Phase V, the existing Lofts at Mercer Landing, the new building will be “similar yet with its own flair,” said Jonathan Leake, Director of Student Living for Sierra Development.
The new lofts will feature more study rooms and larger courtyards as well as enclosed breezeways. Each loft will have a patio or balcony, and there will not be a rooftop terrace.
“Our lobby will host a fireplace and (is) expected to serve up a rock-climbing wall and virtual golf studio,” Leake said.
In addition to the new building, changes are coming to the Phase V lofts. Students will be allowed to bring their animals next year.
“All Lofts Student Living communities are service and support animal-friendly; however, we are very excited to offer our first pet-friendly community. As of June 2019, Phase V will be pet-friendly,” Leake said.
These updates don’t address all of the concerns that some students have with housing at Mercer.
“The university ought to make living spaces more accessible for low-income or self-supporting students,” said Taylor Cole, a junior who lives off campus. “If they aren’t price-adjusted for low-income students, then I feel that they’re pointless.”
Sophomore Mimi Nguyen lives in Mercer Hall and plans to live in the Lofts for housing security.
“I’m only considering living there to try and secure housing for senior year, because I heard people who live in lofts get to choose lofts again before other people who don’t,” she said.
She said the biggest problem students face is the 3-year on-campus housing requirement.
“I knew a lot of seniors this year who were practically without housing in the first few weeks of school, and that worries me a little,” Nguyen said.
(11/16/18 1:45am)
With midterm elections quickly approaching, the Southern Conference (SoCon) voting competition returns to Mercer University’s campus.
The SoCon competition focuses on registering students to vote in national elections.
SoCon is a collegiate sports conference focused on “facilitating intercollegiate sports competition” as well as to “promote a proper balance between academics and athletics,” according to the SoCon website.
The conference created the voting competition “to expand voter participation among college students by fostering excitement and competition nationwide.”
The competition includes nine other schools, including The Citadel, Furman University and Samford University.
According to a Mercer University news release, Mercer took home the trophy after winning the 2016 conference championship for highest student voter participation.
To participate, Mercer submitted an action plan to the competition detailing the strategic measures planned to increase registration number on campus. This plan was created in conjunction with campus service organization Mobilize Mercer.
One goal of Mobilize Mercer is to increase Mercer’s midterm voter registration from 68.9 percent to the 80 percent of students who were registered for the 2016 presidential election.
Mobilize Mercer is “a nonpartisan voting initiative that is focused on raising voter awareness and participation on Mercer's Macon campus,” according to the Campus Life website.
“The action plan details democratic engagement goals, addresses potential barriers to democratic engagement, and finally outlines the programmatic plans for Mobilize Mercer,” Lauren Shinholster, coordinator of community engagement and Mobilize Mercer advisor, said in an email.
The action plan includes a partnership with Mercer’s Office of Residence Life so students can register on move-in day. Professors are also encouraged to promote voter registration in classrooms.
“A new voter registration idea is to create competitions between different groups on campus (athletic groups, dorms, etc.),” Alexandra Kirschbaum, co-chair of Mobilize Mercer, said in an email.
The organization also plans to have a presence at Bear Fair and National Register to Vote Day as well as in the Connell Student Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays.
“We hope students develop a deepened appreciation for this democratic system as well as recognize that voting is one of the easiest ways to advocate for issues and ideas that are important to them,” Kirschbaum said.
(11/14/18 7:31pm)
This year, Homecoming festivities on campus included the unveiling of a new statue.
The “Bill of Rights Eagle” by artist Gregg Wyatt now resides outside the first floor entrance of Tarver Library.
“I’m extremely proud and honored. This is one of the high points of my career,” Wyatt said at the unveiling event Nov. 2.
The ceremony included a presentation of colors by the Mercer University ROTC program as well as a dedication prayer by University Minister and Dean of Chapel Craig McMahan.
The bronze statue was modeled after the “Soaring American Eagle” that is in a courtyard at the U.S. Department of State, according to a handout given at the unveiling. It was specially altered to fit in the new site.
A special pedestal was constructed for the statue and will be engraved with a message from Mercer President Bill Underwood on one side and the Bill of Rights on the other.
The statue was gifted to the university by Lt. Gen. Claude “Mick” Kicklighter, a graduate in the class of 1955.
“It will speak volumes throughout the years to the students who walk by here, reminding us that this free and beautiful America is not really free,” Kicklighter said.
(11/05/18 3:25am)
Mercer’s 2018 Homecoming week is shaping up to be a “super” event.
The week of Nov. 2, student organizations will create teams and compete for the trophy in various events, such as a Halloween silent rave, trivia night and lip sync competition.
The theme this year, Mercerians Unite, was “inspired by superheroes and the recent influx and popularity of superhero movies,” said Lizzie Ctibor, member of the Quadworks special events committee, which plans Homecoming week activities.
This year, Quadworks decided to bring an old tradition back.
“We have coordinated with Mercer Recreation and Wellness to bring back an older tradition of hosting a Homecoming 5K on Saturday morning,” Ctibor said.
This is the 10th year Mercer has hosted a Homecoming 5K. Beginning at Five Star Stadium, the race will take participants through and around the undergraduate campus.
Teams of student groups from Greek-letter organizations to religious life clubs like Wesley House are making preparations as Homecoming week approaches.
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity is partnering with Sigma Sigma Rho Sorority, Inc. and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. this year.
“Homecoming is a big deal to Phi Delta Theta. It’s a great way for us to show our school pride and support for the football team,” said the fraternity’s homecoming chair, Lou Velasco.
However, Homecoming isn’t just for current Bears. Mercer alumni will come back to campus for various events such as 50-year class reunions, an awards reception and tailgates, according to the Mercer Homecoming website.
This year will include the unveiling of a “Bill of Rights” eagle statue as well as the dedication of a classroom to former Mercer professor Jim Cox.
“I really hope to see a lot of students come to the events, and even if they aren’t participating, to show that Mercer pride and cheer the teams on in the competition,” Ctibor said.
(11/03/18 4:23pm)
Mercer University’s debate team won against the national team of Rwanda Oct. 19.
Junior Taylor Cole and Assistant Debate Coach Kyle Bligen debated against Kellia Kaneze and Mekha Rousseau as part of the Rwandan team’s American tour.
The topic of the debate was “In the case of genocide, is forgiveness a better response than justice?” as requested by the Rwandan team, according to a Mercer University press release.
The question hit close to home for the Rwandan team, as some had personally been affected by the mass genocide in 1994. Rousseau told his own story about how one side of his family contains perpetrators and the other victims.
The Mercer team argued in support of justice as a solution, while the Rwandan team argued for forgiveness.
Kaneze spoke about how the generation after a genocide requires forgiveness to exist as a unified group and how genocide is a collectivist ideology.
“Justice does not necessarily focus on tolerance,” she said.
Cole advocated justice as a solution to genocide, first citing the history of the word, and then connecting justice and forgiveness.
“We can see a relationship between justice and forgiveness,” Cole said. “Justice is an agent of forgiveness.”
The Mercer team won with a score of 3-2. After the debate, the Rwandan team gave the Mercer team a traditional Rwandan painting as a thank you.
“Debate is about bringing people together,” Mercer debate team coach Vasile Stanescu said.
For Cole, debating the Rwandan team at first was intimidating.
“We quickly sort of got over that, in realizing that debate is not at all about competition between two people, it’s about competition of ideas,” she said. “Debate does more to unify us then it does to separate us.”
(11/03/18 3:14pm)
Last year, The Telegraph reported that Mercer University students vote at a higher rate than their peers, but some student organizations hope to raise these rates even higher. Mobilize Mercer and the Iota Eta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc. have spent the semester working to boost voter registration on campus.
Both organizations have been holding events and hosting tables around campus to help students register to vote in the November midterm elections.
“We would like to raise the voter registration rate to match that of the 2016 presidential election,” said Alexandra Kirschbaum, chair of the bipartisan voter registration club Mobilize Mercer.
That rate was 56.4, according to The Telegraph.
Kirschbaum said the organization wants to increase signups on TurboVote, a voter registration service aimed at students accessible through MyMercer, as well as defend Mercer’s rank in the Southern Conference voter registration competition.
“We also aspire to raise the midterm turnout rate from 28 percent to 38 percent,” she said.
Mobilize Mercer has appeared at important events on campus, holding registration drives and tables at move-in day, Bear Fair and Be A Good Neighbear. They host tables every Wednesday in the Connell Student Center (CSC) and have also coordinated presentations at Bear Beginnings and in University 101 (UNV) classes.
Alpha Kappa Alpha hosted tables on Cruz Plaza and in the CSC. These tables included members of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) who work at polls, said Ashanti Griggs, program chair for AKA.
The sorority’s efforts helped 45 students register to vote.
“Whether we impact ten people or 100 people, anything is better than zero and every one (vote counts),” Griggs said.
Mobilize Mercer plans to continue helping students with voting after the midterms.
“We plan to keep this momentum alive even after these elections so students can continuously recognize the importance of being engaged in politics and voting,” Kirschbaum said.
The organization hosted a gubernatorial debate watch party Oct. 23 and plans to have an Election Day party as well. They also hope to provide shuttles to polling locations for students.
“Everybody is passionate about something, and politics is involved with literally every aspect of our lives,” Kirschbaum said. “Therefore, we should utilize our responsibility and privilege of voting as a way to advocate for those passions.”
(10/09/18 1:25am)
The Fresh Food company underwent changes this summer including a paint job, new cushions, an extended breakfast bar and a Mongolian Grill, thanks to work by the Student Government Association.
The Mongolian Grill offers new options including lo mein noodles, tofu and ginger, according to the Mercer Dining Website.
These changes stem from student input, according to former Contract Services Committee Chair Chase Peplin.
“SGA operates as a microphone to relay student input to the administration,” said Peplin, junior senator and campus outreach committee chair.
One request from students was a 24-hour dining option.
“We were not fiscally able to open a 24-hour restaurant on campus, but we were able to add a self-checkout Provisions On Demand (P.O.D.) in the 24-hour study room section of the library to satisfy those late night cravings of hungry Bears,” Peplin said.
SGA intends to continue to advocate for a 24-hour option.
Jabril Edmondson, new chair of the SGA contract services committee, said he will focus on the options already offered by Mercer Dining Services.
The Fresh Food Company has “a lot of great options and provisions in the cafe that get overlooked, and I want to highlight them,” Edmondson said.
He also plans to survey the student body to evaluate responses to the new changes.
“We're encouraging students to give more feedback on the feedback survey platform, Yourdiningvoice.com,” Edmondson said.
Peplin stressed the need for students to speak with SGA.
“Any time students want something changed or improvements made, we will be their liaison to the administration,” Peplin said.
(09/12/18 2:50am)
The Mercer University chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) has returned to campus this semester after being removed from campus in 2016 due to alcohol violations in three consecutive semesters.
“Basically we had a group of seniors that graduated in the spring of 2017 who knew we were on social probation, university probation, and chose to do something, chose to go out with a bang,” said Jack Raines, president of Mercer’s SAE chapter. “All the guys who were issues are gone from the chapter.”
SAE has returned to campus and is now able to recruit new members and have social events, but are under university probation.
“University probation is a status that means any further violations of the student code of conduct puts the organization status with the University (in) jeopardy,” Douglas Pearson, Dean of Students, said in an email.
SAE will be under University probation until Dec. 31, 2018, Pearson said.
The 12 active members completed over 20 hours of community service each as part of the requirements to return to campus, said Alek Christensen, SAE recruitment chair. Members also attended several risk management seminars.
The fraternity is eager to recruit new members and is looking for a mixture of freshmen and sophomores, due to the recruitment periods missed.
“We’re just going to try to get the best fit, make sure we don't get any people who are just looking to come in and party and go out with a bang because we’re looking to stay on campus and remain as one of the top chapters on campus,” Christensen said.
The fraternity plans to host events benefitting multiple sclerosis and Habitat for Humanity in the fall.
Both Raines and Christensen stress that SAE’s troubles are behind them.
“We’re definitely back and hopefully better than ever,” Christensen said.
Pearson believes the fraternity will have a positive influence on campus.
“I have every confidence that SAE will use this new start to be seen as leaders on campus. I would love to see them thrive and be serious about academics, service and leadership,” Pearson said.