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(08/16/15 10:42pm)
Old A. L. Miller High School burned early Friday morning in a fire without known cause, but plans for redeveloping the property will still move forward.
The fire started a little after midnight and primarily affected the gym and cafeteria buildings, the Macon Telegraph reported.
Macon-Bibb County Firefighters were able to contain the blaze around 4 a.m. Friday, with hoses still flowing well into the afternoon.
The abandoned school property was set to be repurposed as apartments next month.
Jim Huffstetler, the project manager for the redevelopment, said that is still the plan because the primary building — the castle-like shell of an old girl’s high school — is still intact.
“It’s structurally sound. It’s just got to be cleaned up,” Huffstetler told the Telegraph.
Firefighter Capt. Rex Sampson, the first incident commander on the scene, was injured. Assistant Fire Chief Shane Edwards said Friday that he was “on the mend.”
With no utilities hooked up to the building, authorities are concerned about the fire’s origin. Investigator Steve Wesson told the Telegraph that the investigation into potential arson will not be finished for a “little while,” but he did call the blaze suspicious.
Once the embers cool, Wesson will begin collecting the evidence.
Anyone with information about the fire or a potential cause is asked to call Georgia Arson Control at 1-800-282-5804 or the Macon-Bibb Fire Department at 478-751-9180.
The Macon Telegraph originally reported on this story at Macon.com
(08/14/15 1:13am)
At the first football game, there will be a new feature that has already caused an uproar among some Mercer fans.
It’s a bear. A big bear.
The new bronze statue measures over 10 feet long and weighs 1,800 pounds. It’s a gift to the university from retired businessman Irwin Belk, who is the former president of Belk department stores. Belk commissioned Gregory Johnson, a Georgia resident, to create the sculpture.
Brian Gerrity, senior associate director of athletics and executive director of the Mercer Athletic Foundation, said the fierce statue will make an impact on game day, according to a Mercer press release.
“Thanks to the generosity of Irwin Belk and the craftsmanship of Gregory Johnson, this statue is going to completely change the entrance to Five Star Stadium on game day,” Gerrity said in the statement. “It will be a focal point for pictures and a place to rally around.”
The donated installation captured the attention of USA Today Sports’ “For The Win” page, where they said that the bear was “terrifying” and “pretty ferocious-looking.”
Johnson said that the bear is supposed to be that way.
“What I attempt to do when I sculpt is make the sculptures so lifelike that they look like they can get down off of their settings,” Johnson said. “This bear will give strength to our team and make the opponent tremble with fear.”
(08/14/15 1:02am)
One day on campus and it’s already begun: the scramble for an empty spot.
You may have noticed all of the construction with dread — that can’t be good for parking, right? Perhaps. But knowing where you’re supposed to park is half the battle. In the race for a space, where the course is covered in or- ange cones, it pays to know where you won’t get a ticket.
According to Mercer Police, the association between residence hall and decal color is not the same as it was last year; rather than res- idents in certain halls parking in certain lots, all students living on campus will have a red decal. All red decals are allowed in the parking lots behind residence halls, so a freshman liv- ing in Plunkett could park in the Adams/Win- ship lots without any penalty.
This will simplify parking for those students living in the freshmen residence halls who may be unable to park in their closest lot due to construction of the new residence hall.
Faculty, staff and commuters will share the lots marked with purple and green found spo- radically throughout the interior of campus.
The lots marked in blue, primarily located on the edge of campus near the main entrance on Mercer University Drive, are open to everyone.
Yellow lots are for those students living in the Mercer Lofts.
According to Mercer Police, there are some specific adaptations to keep in mind for the month of August:
1. Yellow decals areas only — enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week
2. Auxiliary services lot now open to all decals except yellow decals
3. Student Center lot is for visitors, Green and Purple Decals
4. Mercer Village lots are for yellow decals, Mercer Village employees and Mercer Village customers only
5. The baseball field is open to all decals
(08/14/15 12:04am)
Melted playgrounds belong in horror stories, crime scenes and war zones. So, when Frank Austin came across one last fall in the Macon subdivision of Village Green, he was shocked.
“My first feeling was just a feeling of despair,” he said.
Austin is the founder and executive director of the Austin Smith Center for Community Development, and he has been volunteering in the Village Green area for over three years.
According to neighbors, the area was first set ablaze years ago by a gang. The city of Macon partnered with the community, and the playground was rebuilt.
However, the area still wasn’t well lit, making it easy for groups to meet there.
In 2013, the same playground burned again. Neighbors have told Austin that they believe the second fire was connected to a gang-related death in Bloomfield.
This time, though, the playground wasn’t rebuilt.
When Austin saw the playground a year later, the graffi tied tags still stood in sharp contrast to the twisted, melted plastic.
“Kids do still play on the playground,” Austin said. There are about 170 kids who have access to the space, he said.
“Seeing (the condition of the playground), I just think it was a direct reflection of the low community pride,” he said. “But I saw it as an opportunity of, if we can address that issue, and then it can start with the children in [Village Green]. We can go in, and with the community’s help, we can restore it.”
Village Green, located in the Bloomfield neighborhood just north of where I-75 and I-475 meet, once made headlines for its violent crime rate and the amount of blighted property in the community.
Now, it’s going through a transformation and residents are stepping up to address issues in their neighborhood.
The project to restore the playground is one of many that Austin has set in motion in Village Green, in addition to the introduction of a community garden and a mass planting of new cherry blossom trees last spring.
Austin approached the playground project like he has every other, reaching out to residents first to establish what they want in their neighborhood. He initially took to his Facebook page last fall.
“What do we do as a community? Do we rebuild ? Anyone know how much it costs?” he wrote.
Those questions turned into door-to-door canvassing in the neighborhood so that Austin and his team could get a good idea of what residents wanted to do with the space.
They want a new playground.
Plans are now in place to apply for funding to cover the cost of playground equipment. Austin has teamed up with Carrie Ingoldsby, Director of Campus Life at Mercer University, to work on grant opportunities for various projects, including revamping the playground. Ingoldsby will be assisting with this effort outside of her role at Mercer.
Austin said that he is also working with the local government to develop long term plans for the space.
Once those materials and plans are put in place, various organizations have already committed to provide the manpower to bring everything together.
That’s where Mercer really comes in.
Hannah Vann, the coordinator for Mercer’s Center for Community Engagement, said that the group worked in Village Green around once a month in the last school year on various service projects.
“We’re not officially a part of anything involved with getting the playground, but because we have a partnership with the Village Green community through service and volunteerism ... when they do get their equipment ready to install, we’ll be there,” Vann said.
(04/06/15 8:29pm)
Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) is hoping that their Camp for a Cause event April 8-10 will be a chance for different student organizations on campus to come out and support a variety of philanthropies.
There will be many different teams competing in tug of war, obstacle course, and even a Selfie Olympics. In addition to the competition, students will also pitch tents and spend the night on Cruz Plaza.
Teams can also donate money, and the team that raises the most money and earns the most points will be rewarded 60 percent of the total money raised for the charity of their choice. Second and third place will then get 25 percent and 15 percent of the profits, respectively.
The registration fee is $50, which is due by April 6, and they will also be selling t-shirts for the event.
Last year, ATO put on Camp for a Cause for the first time and were shocked when 11 different organizations raised around $4,800 for charity.
“If you want to do this, we want you to be a part of it,” said Drew Winslett, a member of the fraternity.
Phi Mu won the overall pot and was able to donate over $4,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
This year, ATO is setting the bar even higher.
“We’re expecting to raise over $10,000 this year,” Winslett said.
They’re already working on recruiting organizations by sending out representatives to different groups as well as getting out the word through the Bear Blurbs emails.
“We want to get more than Greeks,” said Drew Winslett, a member of the fraternity.
This year the event will be followed by the Koncert for Kim, which is being held at the Crazy Bull to help raise money for Kim Murphy, a Mercer student who recently lost both of her parents.
“We just wanted to do something special for her that would bring people out,” said Lee Belmer, a member of the fraternity.
The winners of Camp for a Cause will be announced at the show that night.
(04/03/15 4:35pm)
After a revote and even more campaigning, Austin Harrison and Taylor Jolly won the SGA presidential election today with 52 percent of the vote.
The revote was called earlier this week after questions were raised about the “integrity” of the voting process, current SGA President Joey Wozniak said Tuesday.
Even with the revote, over a thousand people voted in the election. It appears that students preferred to vote electronically this election with 1,153 of the total 1,156 votes being "electronic votes," according to a document from SGA showing the Presidential Election Results.
Harrison and Jolly, campaigning with the slogan "#TheTeam," published on social media what they call the “Game Plan.” In it, they outlined how they wanted to connect and empower student organizations; strengthen relationships with the students, administration, and the community; as well as how they want make the campus more "green."
“In the past, SGA has approached initiatives and issues from a top-down approach,” Harrison said in his platform. “It is our goal to instead work alongside students as partners in our endeavors."
The duo made a point to highlight their campus and community involvement on social media throughout the entire campaign.
Melina Hettiaratchi, senior senator, said on Facebook that she voted for Harrison and Jolly’s campaign.
“They have students' interests at the center of their vision for SGA, and I believe they have the most comprehensive, practical, and all-around better plan to connect students with the powers that be,” she said.
#TheTeam won by just 50 votes.
(03/31/15 11:02pm)
SGA senate was packed Monday night as students came out to be part of the conversation about the lack of housing available for juniors and seniors.
Representatives from the university came to try to respond to their concerns.
The general consensus of Jeff Takac, the Director of Residence Life, and Scott Davis, the Provost, is that they are in a bind this year when it comes to housing.
Mercer will have another large Freshman class coming in for Fall, and because of the housing registration setup and three year housing requirement, upperclassmen have restricted, on-campus living options for the upcoming academic year.
"We are managing this the best we can. We can't build a dorm overnight," Davis said.
However, there are students who are concerned about not being able to live on campus.
Among the points various students raised:
If students are unable to get a Garden apartment and cannot afford a Loft, what are they supposed to do?
Takac recommended off-campus housing but also said that there were some spots still available in Shorter Hall if students had to have that lower cost.
If students do end up in the Lofts but do not have a car, will there be any services available to help them with transportation?
According to SGA members as well as members of the administration, there are plans for a transportation system for those students that are living in the phase IV Lofts.
How can the Office of Residence Life improve communications with students so that they are aware of their options before their options have run out?
Takac said that they have “bombarded” students with emails and updates. However, some students still don’t check or read the emails, so they don’t know what’s going on until it’s too late.
What does the housing allotment look like for future years?
With the new residence hall being constructed behind MEP and Plunkett, there will be 300 new beds added for incoming Freshman, Takac said. This will take off some of the pressure for on campus housing options. He said that they are hoping to then reinstate Sherwood as a sophomore residence hall, which would also free up the apartments for more upperclassmen. But this also depends on the size of future incoming classes.
What do class sizes look like for future years?
According to Davis, it’s incredibly hard to tell what class sizes will be. Schools have models that predict the likelihood of students both putting down a deposit and coming to the school, and for the past few years, those models for Mercer have been wrong. Because of that, they’re looking at the possibility of capping the number of deposits they accept so that they don’t end up with more students than they can house.
Joey Wozniak, the SGA President, facilitated the conversation. And he said that while the concerns raised by the students were valid and needed to be heard, the administration is also doing their best.
“Mercer is working on it. They came to listen to us. They are sensitive to student issues. If you lose your Mercer Pride and love for an institution because of the fact that you weren’t guaranteed senior housing, that is and should be provided for underclassmen those guys should be prepared [for the real world] now,” he said.
He said that we should be grateful for the housing that we do have, because some schools like Auburn University don’t even guarantee on-campus housing for freshman.
“We have it good,” Wozniak said. “We really do.”
(03/29/15 8:44pm)
The Paw Points program goal of motivating students to attend sporting events has largely been taken over by the Mercer Maniacs — and because of that, Paw Points are going away.
“Everything that Paw Points would be doing, Mercer Maniacs pretty much does,” said John Morris, the Chairman of the Paw Points Committee.
Originally, Paw Points was designed to increase school spirit and motivate students to go to Mercer athletics events by marketing for the games, awarding students points for every game or match they attended.
“We needed it, initially, because people weren't going to games and stuff. But as the Mercer teams have gotten better, more competitive, we don't need the incentives because people just wanna go just to be there, you know?” Morris said.
Paw Points tracked the events that students attended, and the more events you went to, the greater your chance of winning priority tickets or a big prize at the end of the year.
However, the point system was complicated. Certain games were worth certain amounts, there were different awards for different kinds of events, and there were technical difficulties with keeping up with individual points. As a result, the program transitioned to more of the event raffles.
“Honestly, I don't think doing that at all was effective,” Morris said. “It gave a person one prize. It didn't really help the student body as a whole at all.”
Also, as the Mercer teams have gotten better, students haven’t needed a reason to go watch sporting events. And, when that drive does seem to be dwindling, there is now a student-led organization devoted primarily to building up that spirit: the Mercer Maniacs.
The Maniacs work to increase spirit by not only painting up, making signs, and leading cheers, but also by providing students in attendance with incentives like free t-shirts and even tickets to some away games.
“When I stepped back and looked at the whole committee ... [and] went to the Mercer Maniac's meeting and saw what they were doing, I pretty much saw that what we were doing wasn't helping the student body,” Morris said.
Because of that, he said, they’ve decided to reallocate the funds that would be used for Paw Points to be used in other ways by SGA, such as conference and lodging requests, in addition to changing the SGA legislation to reflect the dissolution of the Paw Points committee.
“It's another student group taking the [initiative] to do something to better the school.” Morris said.
(03/28/15 11:12pm)
(03/28/15 10:57pm)
(03/23/15 6:37pm)
The email came the Thursday before Spring Break, notifying every organization leader of the Fiscal Affairs committee’s recent reversal of fortune.
“At this point of the year the SGA Fiscal Affairs Committee has allocated $69,988 of it's $70,000 available, leaving us with a total of $12.00 in our Fiscal Affairs budget,” the email read. “To reiterate, we only have $12.00 left for Conference and Lodging and Special Funding requests.”
Austin Harrison, the chair of the SGA Fiscal Affairs committee and author of that email and a candidate in the running for SGA president, said that this year’s funding situation is an “anomaly.”
SGA receives $154,650 from the Board of Appropriations (BOA) every year. Within that, the Fiscal Affairs Committee has control of $70,000, which it allocates towards Conference and Lodging requests, Bear Grants, and Special Funding.
All of that money comes from the Student Activity Fee that’s attached to Mercer’s tuition. The money is allocated by the Board of Appropriations to different groups on campus like Mercer Maniacs, Quadworks, etc. SGA gets a portion of that.
“Because it's the student activities fee, every student puts into that pool, so we're trying to find ways that can benefit the entire student body, and it's not individual students benefiting from a collective pool,” Harrison said.
Bear Grants take up the largest chunk of that committee’s budget. In the beginning of each school year, they give out $40,000 worth of funding for individual organizations on campus. This process of allocation is a long one. For two to three weeks in September, the Fiscal Affairs committee meets with all of the organizations to go over their applications for funding. If they’re approved,the groups are funded by early to mid October.
That money is meant to last an organization for the entire year.
The other two types of funding — Conference and Lodging requests and Special Funding — are more variable. They’re granted on a “first come, first considered” basis, Harrison said, and the Fiscal Affairs committee considers them on a rolling basis, one at a time.
The Fiscal Affairs committee acts as a filter for all of these appeals before they are brought before the whole senate, to ensure that the senate doesn’t have to spend time questioning whether or not a request is in line with the constitution’s requirements.
For SGA as a body, competitions and presentations take priority.
“We really love events that the whole student body can benefit from,” Harrison said. “Either... You're making Mercer look good by presenting or competing, or you're getting educated in some form or fashion to come back and bring it back to campus and make the campus better.”
Events like that tipped the scales this year, Harrison said.
“These are things where they're going and they're representing Mercer students,” he said. “[They’re] elevating Mercer in different levels and different areas that we haven't been elevated in in the past. So, it's a good problem to have, because it just speaks to our organizations and how well they're doing, nationally... But, you can't go on those trips for free.”
The kind of prestigious invitation that some groups have received isn’t something you can plan on, and when Fiscal Affairs presented those requests to the full senate, SGA agreed to help the organizations with their expenses.
As a result, Fiscal Affairs found themselves with two months left in the academic year and only $12 left in their pocket.
Currently, the committee has two requests for funding on the table that were placed after the final large sum was allocated and before the email went out to organization heads to notify them that the well had run dry.
Fiscal Affairs is searching for alternative ways of helping those organizations, Harrison said, as well as those requests that may come in the next month and a half. He is still encouraging students to utilize SGA as a resource that can connect them with other funding sources.
Looking forward, the Fiscal Affairs committee is applying for more funding from the Board of Appropriations in the next academic year and is also exploring how they can change the constitution to reflect their funding priorities.
“I don't think [the funding process] will change very much from a student organization perspective, just more from our end,” he said. “We're going to look at [requests] closer and with more of a fine-toothed comb than we have in the past, but I don't really think that any groups are going to really be affected by it.”
Until that increase in funding comes, however, the Fiscal Affairs committee is limited in what they can do for students.
“We still want to be as much of a help as we can,” Harrison said. “We just can't be as direct of assistance as we once were.”
(03/19/15 5:02am)
When the Mercer Maniacs won the SoCon tournament’s “Most Valuable Fan” competition two weeks ago, they were given one free ticket to the SoCon tournament as a reward -- and they knew exactly who they wanted to give it to.
Robert Swanagan is a chef in the Fresh Food Company who, after he clocks out of the cafeteria, makes a point to see every sporting event that he can lay his eyes on.
“We figured it would be a great idea to give it to Robert because he goes to all the events,” said Timothy Lewis, a member of the Mercer Maniacs Executive Committee.
“Not just basketball but women's basketball, lacrosse, women's lacrosse, football, volleyball... I mean, you name it, (Robert) is there,” Lewis said. “He lives, breathes, eats Mercer sports, and we figured it would just be a good ‘thank you’ for him.”
The trip included a free hotel stay and tickets to the tournament games, and the Mercer Maniacs internally raised money to ensure that Swanagan’s food and travel expenses were covered as well.
“Monday, when I found out, I packed my stuff, and I'm ready to go,” Swanagan said, laughing. “I'm ready to go, I really am.”
He said that he was thrilled by the opportunity to go watch the Bears play at the SoCon tournament.
“It just makes me almost teary-eyed because, you know, the kids needed to make me feel that good?” he said. “To just go above and beyond just to get me there… Oh man, I'm just so excited.”
Swanagan has been working at Mercer for almost five years, and ever since he started, he’s made a point to support Mercer Athletics. He said that his favorite sport to watch is football -- he used to play football, as well as wrestle and play tennis -- but he makes a point to see every game, match and meet that he can.
“This week, I've been to softball and lacrosse,” he said. “Last week, I went to two lacrosse games and softball. Basketball. Baseball. I’ve been to sand volleyball. Volleyball. Tennis. Oh man... just about every sport that they have on campus...”
He said that he’s never been able to see any of the away games before.
“I wanted to go see them play in the ASun championship last year,” he said, “but I wasn't able because I was working. But we got to see it on television, and it was great to watch it in the caf on the TV.”
For Swanagan, it’s not just about the love of the game -- it’s about encouraging the athletes, as well as the rest of the student body.
“I just wanted to be there for the guys and girls, you know?” he said. He said that he makes a point to support all of the students on campus, whether it’s behind the counter in the cafeteria or in the stands at their game.
“I treat every one of ‘em like they're my own kids,” he said.
He said that he understands the pressures that they face, both on and off the field, and that he thrives on being there for them.
“I look forward to being here everyday,” he said. “I really do.”
(03/03/15 4:17am)
The motion to make the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) a recognized Mercer student organization passed unanimously March 3.
The group, headed by sophomore Matthew Long, is part of a national organization that has over 50 student chapters across the nation. They focus on “maintaining the support of American engineering,” Long said.
SAME got its start at Mercer last year when Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins approached the university about being a mentoring post for the organization. Once that relationship was established, they began to invest in individual students like Long, who they sent to a SAME leadership conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
Long said that this organization is different from other engineering-focused groups on campus in that they don’t just pull from students who are in the engineering school. Long himself is an accounting major. For him, it’s all about the “networking opportunity" that SAME provides.
The national organization also has a strong emphasis on service. They support the Wounded Warrior Project and QL Plus, which aims to provide engineering solutions like prosthetics for those who have served in the military. The Mercer chapter would also aim to improve engagement with the Bibb County public school system in order to promote STEM education.
SAME meetings will be once a month and will have speakers sponsored by Robins Air Force Base to discuss problems in engineering, how the professional force works, and to answer questions from the students.
SGA Vice President Victoria Conley spoke in favor of the organization and said that “[SAME] could be a really big thing for Mercer.”
(02/28/15 4:05pm)
In one of his first major acts as Senator at Large, Timothy Lewis pushed for the SGA funding of Bear DVDs to be cut, which means that the $500 that annually funded the program can now be used for other student concerns.
Bear DVDs are the movies and shows in Tarver Library’s DVD section that have a bear paw on the spine, signifying that they were bought with SGA funds for the student body since 2007. These DVDs made up 7 percent of the total collection, according to Tarver’s records, .
“We're just trying to make the most of our money,” Lewis said on behalf of the Academic Affairs Committee. He said that the money being spent on the program could be more effective elsewhere, especially since the majority of the Bear DVDs aren’t being used very much.
The program originally started when Akeem Anderson was president of SGA in 2007.
“Pre-Netflix, pre-Hulu, students were interested,” said Theresa Rhodes, the associate director for Public Services & Collections at Tarver Library, “so it was a way for providing some recreational entertainment."
Even now, the whole DVD section sees a lot of use. Rhodes said that this year was the first in six or seven years where DVDs weren’t the most popular item to check out.
“They are still heavily used, especially on Saturdays. Our circulation staff will see students tumble out of bed, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., come in, check out an armload of DVDs and go back to their dorm,” she said.
The movies are also used for long distance trips like Pilgrimage to Penfield or, in some cases, the ride to away games. Rhodes said that, on multiple occasions, the women’s basketball team checked out “Scandal” to watch on the way.
However, Lewis said that many of the Bear DVDs in particular aren’t being used.
“87 percent of them -- which is 278 (Bear) DVDs -- have been checked out three or less times this year, and 62 percent of that has been checked out one or zero times,” Lewis said, reading off from Tarver’s Bear DVD circulation records.
There were, however, those DVDs that were checked out over and over again. According to Tarver’s records, the top Bear DVDs that Mercer students have sought out in 2014-2015 so far are “Frozen,” “Pitch Perfect,” “Bridesmaids” and “Limitless.”
In the wake of this legislation, the question remains if anything will change, as far as those DVD offerings and access for students.
Tarver Library and SGA both said that nothing will be different moving forward. The Bear DVDs will stay on the shelves, and new DVDs will be added to the general collection.
“I've got great support staff in the library that are monitoring awards,” said Rhodes. “Oscars that have come out, what was nominated, so that we make sure that we get some of those critical titles.”
Students can also suggest titles directly to the library by emailing Rhodes through a request form found on the website, or they can contact SGA with their ideas.
There are also other options for movie-watchers on the horizon. Beth Hammond, Dean of Libraries, said that, just like options have evolved in the past few years - from VHS to DVD to Netflix - they will continue to change. She said that it’s hard to know the nature of those options, but that ultimately, they will do their best to serve Mercer students.
“We're here to serve students, primarily,” Hammond said. “Their student academic success, their satisfaction with Mercer is foremost. This Bear DVD program was a great partnership, but like a lot of things, has run its course. It's time for us to move on to something else.”
(02/28/15 3:51pm)
Little royals came together from kingdoms near and far for the 5th annual Fairy Tale Ball to benefit Rooms From The Heart, a local non-profit that redecorates the rooms of critically or terminally ill children.
There were little mermaids and belles, sleeping beauties and superheroes. Oh, and let's not forget the pirates, princes, and snowmen. Everyone got an entrance framed by fanfare and was given a rose by fairies, introduced by a voice booming in the courtyard while a trumpet sounded.
They entered a courtyard full of their favorite princesses, princes, and superheroes.
One of the children, a 5-year-old named Brooke, said that "seeing Elsa and Anna," referring to the snow princesses, was her favorite part of the night.
Once all of the kids filtered in from photo-ops with the characters of their choice, they filled the Blacksmith shop on Poplar Street.
The kids had their choice of crafts with the dwarves, food, games with pirates, face painting, or a visit to the Snow White Salon.
A group of girls from Mercer University volunteered in the craft area in the guise of the seven dwarves. Brittany Pearson has been helping out at the event for four years.
“This is probably the best year that I’ve seen,” Pearson said.
“They’ve expanded this year, so they have more to offer to the kids . . . And it just seems like the vibe is better in here,” she said.
Terrell Stanley is also a Mercer student, but he graduated back in 1967. He said he's volunteered here for three or four years, helping to welcome kids to the event.
He said that he's changed the outfit every year- once he was a swashbuckler, this year he’s decked out in a black velvet cape. But he’s kept his hat the same.
"People like the hat," he said.
Kelly Ferrell is a first-year volunteer who heard about the event through Mercer Medical School, where she is a second-year student. The medical school helped to transform a room with Rooms from the Heart this January.
Ferrell made balloon animals while wearing a medieval ball gown.
"It's fun!" Ferrell said. "The kids are having a blast, and it's great because it helps to raise money for Rooms from the Heart."
Bren Powell, the coordinator of the Ball and part of the Rooms from the Heart Board, said they predict that they made “between 22 and 25 thousand, but that is just an estimate.” They will know the actual total later in the week.
Chloe and Olivia were two little princesses that came to the ball with their friends and family. Chloe, who is 8, said that her favorite part of the ball was “hanging out with [her] friends and playing all of the cool games.”
Her friend Olivia, who is “9-and-a-half,” echoed Chloe.
“I think it's really great because we get to spend time with our friends," Olivia said.
Sally Ussery is a Board member for Rooms From the Heart who has helped put on the Ball for the past five years. She said that this year’s ball was an adjustment because they expanded and moved things around but that it’s “getting bigger and better.” But her favorite part was the beginning of it all.
“I like the entrance,” Ussery said. “I like it when they come in because they’re so awed by all the princesses out there and hearing their name called, that just makes them feel so special.”
“That is our purpose,” she said. “To make children feel special. And to give them a night, you know? They don’t often have a night just for them.”
(02/26/15 3:56am)
The event was pitched as a place to “voice your concerns” on the organization’s Facebook page, but there weren’t many issues raised at Bear Forum because there were only three students there that aren't on SGA.
“We were expecting 60,” said Senator Min Oh, the chairwoman of Public Relations and Elections.
In the forum, SGA gave a breakdown of committee reports, campaign advice and event updates, in addition to free donuts.
Here are some tidbits from tonight’s meeting that should be on your radar:
Taste of Macon is coming on April 18. Restaurants from around the city will be on campus to offer some of their food for students to try. “It was featured on Snapchat,” said Senator Oscar Martinez.
Last Chance Lecture is coming April 9 and Heritage Life wants your feedback on what kind of giveaways they should have in the future! Did you like the Penfield blankets? The Founder’s Day shirts? The mugs from the Christmas Tree Lighting? Let Senator Caroline Cooper or Senator Rebekah Fulton know.
Fiscal affairs has allocated nearly $70,000 for organizations on campus this year -- and because of it, they’re almost out of funding.
Student Life and Organizational Affairs (SLOA) is working on a “Master Calendar” to prevent organizations from planning events with conflicting times.
Keep your eyes out for the Civic Symposium, an event intended to strengthen the ties between the university and the city -- and if you have any suggestions for how an event like that could go, contact Senator Timothy Lewis or Senator Raymond Partolan.
Ever wonder where all of those engraved benches come from? That kind of gift to Mercer is the Senior Gift Committee’s job, and right now, they're looking at re-decorating and updating the classroom in the administration building that leads to the Tower.
Senator Katie Callaway said that Mercer is working on getting a "speed table" from the Admissions house to Greek row, which is essentially a raised, flat walkway that serves as a speed-breaker.
Is your Wi-fi down? How was your dinner in the Caf? Contract services are the ones to talk to. They are meeting with IT next week to discuss the Wi-Fi, and if you are having problems with the food provided by Aramark, feel free to contact Senator Christopher Murdoch or Senator Elizabeth McKay.
(02/21/15 6:28am)
You may be wondering about how to make an impact on campus. You might want to be the next Wozniak. You might want to rule the world, and think that Mercer’s campus is a good place to start.
In any case, you’re in luck.
The Student Government Association Presidential Elections Qualifications will be held March 18, and they are open to any full-time, undergraduate students hoping to run for SGA president or vice president.
“If there's anyone interested, they should be planning right now," said Senator Min Oh, the chair of the SGA Public Relations and Elections Committee.
According to the SGA Constitution and Bylaws, the president and vice president are part of the executive branch and “ex-oficio” members of the senate. Typically, this means that they don’t vote on legislation or make a motion. However, the president does vote when there is a tie in the senate, and if the president is absent, the vice president has power over that input.
“Usually we have people who were in SGA running [for president or vice president] because they know the inner workings of how SGA works,” Oh said. “But I mean, everybody's welcome to run, if they're interested.”
Oh had three pieces of advice for those interested in running:
Have a solid platform. “When people are determined to run . . . especially people who have been on SGA before, they know what we need,” Oh said. “They know how to go about implementing different things.”
Pick your sidekick carefully. “Talk to your Vice President/President candidate, because you have to run on one ticket,” she said. “You can't just sign up to be the president and just wait for someone to fill that other spot up.”
Talk to the current President, Vice-President, and Dean of Students about the work ahead. Oh said that the majority of the preparation for next year’s senate -- such as determining “how much each committee gets, where do you put [money], discretionary funds, and things like that” -- will be over the summer and the candidates should have an idea of how the budget works before they dive into the process.
While the positions are open to all students on campus, you do have to meet some standards to run. When a candidate signs up, SGA sends their information to Student Affairs to ensure that their G.P.A., Honor Council, and Judicial Council records are good enough to qualify.
The timeline for the campaign and election cycle at Mercer is pretty straightforward: sign-ups are March 18 and for those who qualify, there will be a Presidential Debate held March 25. The polls will open at 9 a.m. March 30 and close at 5:00 p.m. March 31. The winners will be announced at 5:30 p.m. that same day.
If you are looking to run, make a point to check out the Bear Forum being held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25 in CSC Conference Room One. All of the SGA members will be there for a Q&A session and breakdown of what each committee has accomplished this past year. This will be a good place to look closer at how SGA operates, as well as get any additional information about the election process.
And if you don't necessarily feel up to campaigning for the role of president or vice president? Don't worry.
There are always the Senator elections in April.
(02/17/15 10:07pm)
The National Council of Negro Women is an organization focused on enabling and advocating for African-American women -- and now, they’re at Mercer.
Jacqueline Zvandasara, a Women and Gender Studies major, recently saw that there aren’t a lot of organizations on campus that specifically focus on strengthening minority women. As a result, she decided to start one for herself.
“It was sort of just seeing a need and filling a need, and providing an opportunity for people -- African-American women primarily -- to have some place where they could join together in sisterhood that's not necessarily a sorority,” she said, “but somewhere you could become a leader, learn how to survive in the workforce and learn how to be a strong woman.”
Her first encounter with NCNW, a national organization, was through a gala at Fort Valley State University, where they have a new chapter of NCNW.
“You don't know what you don't have until you experience it somewhere else,” Zvandasara said.
She said that African-American females, in addition to other minority women, are typically the ones with the smallest allotment of representation. The problem isn’t just on the national stage, but even in places like Mercer.
“Even when we were defending the organization to the Student Government Association, I was in a room full of men,” she said. “Caucasian men and women, and there were only two African-American males -- but there were no African-American females on SGA.”
Zvandasara said that she hopes that the Mercer chapter of NCNW is a place to cultivate that minority leadership potential.
On their website, NCNW says that their mission is “to lead, develop, and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities.” In order to do so, they promote research, community service and advocacy, both in the United States and Africa.
One of the national organization’s pushes this year is HIV/AIDS awareness. Zvandasara said that she is already working to coordinate a NCNW project with the Public Health program that would offer free screenings at a blood drive.
She is also talking with Northeast High School in Bibb county with the hope of establishing a mentorship program, so that a Mercer students could potentially be a kind of “big sister to some girls over there.”
In addition to service events such as these, Mercer’s chapter will also hold general body meetings and socials for students on campus.
When she presented the idea to SGA, Zvandasara said she had “about 57 females interested.” Now, the list of interested members has reached about 97 -- and it’s still growing.
Since embarking on the process of starting the chapter, she said that she’s gotten the chance to meet a lot of new people.
If you’re interesting in checking them out, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the handle “MercerNCNW”.
(01/31/15 1:30am)
Mercer University’s production of “Alcina” is the first time that this Handel opera has ever been performed in Middle Georgia, according to Mercer Opera’s music director, Dr. Richard Kosowski.
Handel’s “Alcina” is an opera about a woman named Bradamante seeking her lost lover Ruggiero on an enchanted island ruled by the sorceress Alcina. Conflicts arise in the form of amnesia and miscommunication, and the characters must decide on the value of love and commitment.
In “Alcina,” the singing, acting, dancing, music and set all came together to form a cohesive story that unfolded over three acts.
“It’s a beautiful opera,” said Kosowski. “It’s one that’s rarely heard and from what we can tell, this is the first time a Handel opera has been locally produced in the state of Georgia, and we’re just really happy that we got to do it, that we have the students who can sing it and play it.”
As in many performances, the quality of the singing, acting and dancing depended on the individual, but the overall presentation was a thing to behold. Regardless of ability, the cast was entertaining. Sometimes the audience was in awe, sometimes they were laughing, but throughout the entirety of the opera, they stayed engaged in the events on stage.
The orchestra played a large part in that. The music added a depth to the opera that sometimes spoke more than the words being sung. There was also a twinge of familiarity to it. Handel was a Baroque composer who is best known today for his oratorio “Messiah.” His compositional style is identifiable in both his oratorios and operas and was especially recognizable in “Alcina.
From the beginning, I was worried about understanding what was happening onstage. I had never seen an opera before, and you can’t exactly turn on captions for a live performance. In some cases, I found that it was a little hard to follow. For example, Alcina had some places where she hit incredible notes and they sounded beautiful, but the text was indecipherable. However, overall, my worries were unfounded. If a word were unclear the first time, chances were that they would sing it again… and again. And if all else failed, their facial expressions were a good indicator for what was going on.
The expressions, body language and placement of characters in the performance also helped to clarify how the plot was unfolding. Charismatic, confident characters such as Morgana seemed to take up the entire stage in exuberance while uncertain, worried characters such as Oberto seemed to stay in a small, contained space. And then, as their circumstances changed, so did their use of the stage.
A prime example of this would be the way in which Alcina changed positions throughout the performance. In the beginning, she was a powerful ruler of the island, surrounded by her courtesans and dancers, seated on her throne at the top and center of the stage, but in Act II, her position in power became more precarious. Near the end of Act II, she was literally perched on a small platform surrounded by a few girls from her court. In Act III, she kneeled on the steps that lead to where her throne once was, and ultimately she became powerless and invisible when the urn, the source of magic for both Alcina and Morgana, is destroyed.
Visually, the performance was compelling. The stage of Fickling Hall was subtly transformed through a simple but elegant set that framed the action in earth tones. This contributed to the sense of being somewhere wild and remote. The set also contrasted well with the colors of the costumes - vivid reds and blues for Alcina and Morgana, jewel tones for the courtesans, pastels for the dancers and a mix of hues for the enchanted creatures and foreigners. The final layer of this visual, the lighting, was subtle like the set, with the exception of moments such as the breaking of the urn, which was accompanied by a blackout and bursts of light flashing like lightning.
I enjoyed my first opera experience: it was new, it was complex, and it was different from any other show I’ve seen. If anything, I walked away from my first opera with a greater appreciation for vocal chords, a deep gratitude for plot summaries and an even deeper gratitude for intermissions.
(01/30/15 12:37am)
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and pursuit of unity, Mercer students spent their Monday off actively engaged with the Macon community at the 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Celebration and following march to the Government Center.
At the breakfast, Mercer students greeted patrons at the door, doled out food from behind the counter and delivered meals to tables. When everyone was served, young adults from various Bibb County public schools were recognized on stage for demonstrating exceptional character through service. Henry Covington, Jr., an elementary schooler from Macon, then presented a passionate excerpt from Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech that had the audience cheering.
Some of the speeches given addressed the dissatisfaction that arises from persistent inequality, but there were also facilitated discussions about how to make the changes in our system that bring satisfaction and peace.
Cameron Pennybacker is a member of the committee that puts on the King Day breakfast every year and the CEO of Diversity Assets, a nonprofit dedicated to community reform and social justice. He said some changes that are coming to the area following the national controversy surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of white police officers.
“Sheriff Davis is doing some remarkable things in response to body cameras, for instance, so out of the strings of cultural context and residual racism in this country, there are really some things we can move forward with, and body cameras are one,” he said. He also emphasized the need for municipal court reform and support of the public school system.
According to Pennybacker, there were people from all over Macon at the breakfast. “Our Hindu community was represented here,” he said. “Our Muslim community was represented.” He said that he hopes to have those individuals “up front” in the future.
Marissa McKee is a Mercer student that is also involved with Strong Tower Fellowship, a church that serves the Pleasant Hill neighborhood. “I think this event is a really good opportunity for the community to come together, but I think we can be pushed a little farther,” she said. “It’s a good time to reflect each year, but there definitely is more to be done. And my hope is that, from this event, people will not only reflect, but do.”
Mercer students and faculty joined in at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March following the breakfast alongside the M. A. Evans Elementary School Band and residents who live in the Beall’s hill area.
The marchers came over the slope of Coleman Avenue singing hymns, a banner stretching in front of them. They approached from the Unionville direction, their voices growing louder, and everyone at the corner gradually fell into the crowd with the small marching band leading the way.
The west marchers were quite the bunch: residents pushed their children in strollers, old women strolled in jumpsuits and scarves, and men walked with small boys riding on their shoulders. A megaphone kept changing hands as people led hymns, and later chants, that mixed with the drumbeat at the front.
“Participating in the march is a sort of service to the community,” said Hannah Vann, Mercer’s Coordinator of Community Engagement. “It’s a statement. Anyone who participates in the march makes the statement that they stand for equality, justice, and fair treatment.”
Vann said that in the past, Mercer has coordinated a day of service on the holiday but that this year, she wanted to serve differently. “Sometimes, [service] means being supportive. Sometimes it means showing up,” she said.“Volunteering is good. Doing for others is good. But it’s also important to do with [others].”
Together, everyone marched from College Street to Forsyth Street, picking up more and more people at each intersection, until meeting up with the marchers from the east, north, and south sides of the city at the Government Center on Poplar Street. There was a small rally where various community leaders such as Rev. Richard Gammage, Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert, and Bibb County Sheriff David Davis spoke about strengthening the community through a shared pursuit of unity, and justice.
Macon resident Shequita Maxwell said that above all, we need to find peace. “Peace has to start with the individual. Until you find your inner peace, you can’t do anything in the community, cause it has to start with your self.”
On the walk back to campus, Mercer student Sam Osakue said that he’s coming away from this march feeling like there are still issues with diversity in the country, displayed in everything from events like Ferguson to something as simple as who gets nominated for Oscars. “Diversity matters,” he said.
Jordan Coleman, a Mercer freshman, was also reflecting on the day. “I feel empowered,” he said. “Motivated to try and make a positive change in the world.”