95 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/21/11 4:26am)
Undergraduate students can expect to pay almost $900 more in tuition next year under a new budget plan adopted by Mercer's Board of Trustees Friday.
During their annual meeting in Macon, the trustees approved a $193.4 million operating budget for the 2011-2012 academic year. That's an $8 million, or 4.3 percent, increase from current budget levels.
To help cover the University's additional operating costs, the newly approved budget also calls for a 2.92 percent increase in undergraduate tuition from $30,360 to $31,246, excluding room and board and living expenses.
While Mercer's undergraduate tuition has been steadily rising in recent years, this year's increase is less than the 3.48 increase that took place last year, and is roughly on par with the 2.9 percent increase enacted in 2009.
All three of those increases are about half as much as those that took place between 2006 and 2008, when tuition shot up at a rate of around 6 to 7 percent annually.
Most graduate and professional programs will experience slightly larger increases of between 3 percent and 5.3 percent. Tuition will not increase for undergraduate programs for working adults.
President William D. Underwood said the University is finding ways to operate more efficiently and keep tuition increases to a minimum as many families continue to grapple with the effects of the 2008 economic downturn.
“The economy, while improving, still poses challenges for many of our students and their families. We must remain sensitive to those challenges while finding innovative ways to continue delivering the high-quality programs and services that our students deserve and expect,” Underwood said.
For more on this developing story, read the next issue of The Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com for updates.
(04/13/11 8:55pm)
Media mogul Alberto Ibarguen, president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, will deliver the keynote address at Mercer's annual Macon campus commencement ceremonies next month.
Ibarguen, longtime newspaper publisher and journalism executive, will speak to the nearly 700 students graduating from Mercer's Macon campus Saturday, May 14.
The Knight Foundation, which Ibarguen heads up, is the primary financial backer of the College Hill Alliance.
The ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the University Center Arena.
For the first time, this year's commencement will include graduates from the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, as well as graduates of the Stetson School of Business and Economics, Tift College of Education, School of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts and the Townsend School of Music.
The Atlanta ceremony – now the University’s largest – will be held May 7, and will consolidate the commencement schedule on the Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus from a high of six ceremonies last year to one.
Mercer Chancellor Dr. R. Kirby Godsey will deliver the keynote address for the Atlanta commencement.
In Macon, the School of Medicine will hold its commencement ceremony Saturday, May 7, in the University Center Arena at 5 p.m. Physician and author Dr. William Rawlings Jr. will deliver the commencement address.
On Saturday, May 14, the Walter F. George School of Law will hold its commencement at 10 a.m. in the University Center Arena. Federal Circuit Court Judge Karen Nelson Moore will deliver the commencement address.
Information used from Mercer Marketing and Communications Office in this report.
(04/13/11 6:32pm)
Dear editors,
I was disturbed by the report in the March 31, 2011 issue of The Cluster that a university official poured water on two chalkings by Mercer students about abortion: one that pictured a crossed-out coat hanger with the words “Mercerians against wire hangers” and another that said “College parties = unwanted pregnancies.”
According to The Cluster, the official took this action because she believed that the chalkings were “offensive” and therefore violated Mercer’s Community of Respect.
Courts have often struck down campus speech codes at public universities on the grounds that they violate the First Amendment. As a private university, Mercer has more leeway to restrict speech, and I understand the university’s desire, expressed in the Community of Respect document, to promote an environment in which all members of the Mercer community are “treated with respect and civility.” It is not clear to me, however, that the chalkings in fact violated Mercer’s code.
Moreover, if they did, their removal demonstrates the difficulty entailed in drafting a code that accomplishes its end without having the undesirable effect of suppressing the expression of ideas. Both of the chalkings at issue expressed views material to a rational debate and genuine exchange of ideas about abortion.
- Dr. Rosalind Simson, Department of Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies
(04/05/11 3:34pm)
[nggallery id=10]
Severe thunderstorms tore through Middle Georgia early Tuesday morning, killing as many as five people in the region and knocking down at least one tree on Mercer's campus.
A campus-wide weather alert was sent out to members of the Mercer community around 10:45 p.m. Monday, warning students of a tornado alert lasting until 5 a.m.
While damages were minimal Tuesday morning at Mercer, at least one tree was toppled by the storm and branches were littered throughout campus.
Officials estimate that as many as 12,000 people in Macon remain without power.
For more on this developing story, read the next issue of The Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com for updates.
(03/30/11 6:04pm)
Dear editors,
I have a story to tell. It’s the story of a 16-year-old girl in 1990. Imagine a 16- year-old girl in a small, mostly redneck community with a crazy, jealous mother, a younger sister and an indifferent stepdad. Her stepfather is home every day when she gets home from school but she is not allowed to enter the house until hours later, when her mother gets home from work, because of the mother’s jealousy toward her daughter.
This household also has a curfew that is strictly enforced in the form of a locked door at the curfew time that prohibits entrance into the house. Sleeping in the streets and finding other places to sleep become a commonality for this girl. Soon, this bed- and love-deprived girl finds an older guy willing to take her into his bed, in more than one way.
Unprotected sex ultimately leads to another teen pregnancy in this rural, Georgia county. The girl finds nothing but an urging to get an abortion from her family, and no support whatsoever from her lover. As an unsupported, unemployed young girl riddled with lice and venereal warts, no option except the proposed abortion makes any logical sense… and yet she chooses adoption.
This story may mean nothing to you, but to me it means everything because I was that baby who got to live. The pain and inconvenience of nine months of pregnancy on top of an STD that had to be endured until the birth could take place, as well as a C-Section in order for the baby to actually be born, were the awful consequences to be suffered by this young woman in order to bring her child into the world, and yet she chose to honor life.
Recently our campus has been in an uproar over the chalking of the sidewalks by the pro-life group. The so-called “mixing of church and state” done by the pro-life group in their chalking upset many, including most of my friends. While I do believe that my religion enhances my choice to be abstinent and pro-life, I do not believe that these decisions have to depend on religion whatsoever.
I also recognize that others do not share my religious beliefs, and thus telling people the decisions they should make based on religious beliefs that they do not hold is pointless and spurs anger. As a person who logically should have been aborted, I recognize the importance of human life. I do not want to praise myself whatsoever because I know that I, like anyone else, have more than my share of faults, but for those of you who know me very well, think how different your life would be were I not in it. Who would have comforted you and let you cry on their shoulder?
Who would have taken care of you as you vomited/passed out drunk? Who would have driven you to Checkers at 1 a.m. when you could not? Who would have done simple things such as offered hugs at any given moment to let you know you are loved or simply proofread your papers?
Think not only of me, but also for any person you have ever known that ever had any impact on your life whatsoever. They too could have been inches away from not existing because of abortion. In New York City alone there were 87,273 abortions reported in 2009.
That’s 87,273 people who didn’t get to offer shoulders to cry on. Haven’t you ever felt like you had no one to turn to? There’s a possibility that that’s because the person you could have turned to never got the right to be there for you. We all know what safe sex is and we all know how to practice it. If you are that broke, Student Health offers condoms for free.
But keep in mind that no form of sex is completely safe and that no form of birth control is 100 percent effective. So while I don’t think the elementary chalking of the campus was influential in any way except to infuriate many, I would like to ask you to pause and consider those you love and how close they could have come to not ever existing. I do believe in freedom of choice, the choice to have sex. And I believe in equal human rights for ALL humans.
- Kathryne Scott, Sophomore
(03/26/11 11:08pm)
The mayor's office issued the following press release this evening in relation to the Cherry Blossom Festival Street Party scheduled for tonight:
Macon, GA, 3/26/11 – In light of current weather conditions and forecasted weather for tonight, Mayor Robert Reichert has cancelled this evening’s Cherry Blossom Festival Street Party. The severe thunderstorms that have moved through the Macon area have downed power lines and disrupted traffic in the City of Macon, as well as resulted in tornado warnings and hail. For the safety and welfare of the general public and for the need to commit public safety personnel to this pressing weather situation the street party has been cancelled.
“With thunderstorms present and continuing to approach the Middle Georgia area tonight, I have told the Cherry Blossom Festival leadership that the Street Party must be cancelled in the interest of public safety. The City of Macon needs to redeploy public safety personnel to provide for the safety of the city as a whole and to put on the street party would overextend those resources as well as endanger the general public” said Mayor Robert Reichert.
“We have been working with the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency to provide for the safety of all our visitors and guests,” said Karen Lambert, Executive Director of the International Cherry Blossom Festival. “We understand the impact of the current weather and the threat of the weather that is approaching the area tonight and agree in the best interest of all to cancel tonight’s Street Party.”
All citizens are encouraged to stay off the roads overnight and early tomorrow morning, unless absolutely necessary. As information develops the Macon-Bibb EMA will notify the local media and will also post updates to the City of Macon website www.cityofmacon.net.
(03/25/11 1:35am)
Want to work for an award-winning student newspaper and have your writing, photography and graphic design published in print and on the Web to a global audience? Want to get paid to do it?
If so, The Cluster is now accepting applications for its 2014-2015 editorial team. Previous journalism experience is a plus, but work in the field is by no means a requirement. Students from all majors and academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. A training workshop will take place before the end of the semester to teach you the ins-and-outs of the job, and you will be paid a bi-weekly salary for your work.
Click here to fill out an online application. The deadline for all applications to be received is Friday, April 18. Late applications will be considered only if space remains available.
A description of each of the available positions is listed below:
News Editor: This position is the heart of what The Cluster is all about: Reporting the news in a timely, factual and accurate manner. The News Editor is responsible for assigning and writing news stories for both the print and online editions of the paper, as well as managing a team of reporters. Knowledge of basic news writing and AP style is preferred.
Assistant News Editor: The Assistant News editor will be responsible for helping the News Editor find story ideas, edit stories and manage writers. This person also helps the News Editor place stories and photos for the print version of The Cluster. Knowledge of basic news writing and AP style is preferred.
Online Editor: The Online Editor is responsible for managing MercerCluster.com and assisting in formatting and editing breaking news stories along with the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor. The Online Editor is also responsible for updating The Cluster's Facebook and Twitter accounts. A basic grasp of HTML, Photoshop and social networking is preferred, but anyone with an interest in computers and strong news writing skills is encouraged to apply.
Opinions Editor: The Opinions Editor is the official editorial voice of The Cluster, and is responsible for writing a bi-weekly editorial on current issues and events, and soliciting content for the opinions section of the paper. A willingness to take a stance on controversial issues is a plus for this position.
Arts & Lifestyle Editor: The Arts & Lifestyle Editor oversees the production of unique, thought-provoking content and lifestyle, arts and entertainment columns for the paper. This is an ideal position for someone who writes extremely well, but does not enjoy hard news reporting.
Assistant Arts & Lifestyle Editor: The Assistant Arts & Lifestyle editor is responsible for helping the A&L Editor find interesting and thought-provoking features, as well as editing those features and managing writers. The Assistant A&L Editor will also help the A&L Editor layout pages for the print edition in an interesting and eye-catching way. In addition, the Assistant A&L Editor will help the Sports Editor if the need arises.
Advertising Manager: The Advertising Manager is responsible for working with local businesses to sell advertising space in The Cluster's print and online edition. An outgoing personality and willingness to talk to local business owners is preferred. The Advertising Manager is paid solely on commission, so someone who is willing to devote a lot of time talking to potential advertisers is ideal. Anyone interested in marketing or business is encouraged to apply.
Business Manager: The Business Manager is responsible for The Cluster's budget, and for making sure writers and editors get paid. The Business Manager needs to be very organized, and should feel comfortable working with payroll.
Copy Editor (two positions available): The two Copy Editors will have two different jobs: One will read every single word in The Cluster before it goes to print and correct any and all AP Style errors. Thorough knowledge of AP Style is a must for this position. The second Copy Editor will read every story to be published in The Cluster and correct any and all for grammar, content and/or style errors. Thorough knowledge of grammar and style is a must.
Design Editor – The Design Editor is responsible for designing any graphics for stories for The Cluster when there are not photos readily available for a story. This editor is also responsible for designing advertisements. The Design Editor will also be responsible for working with section editors during layout to make sure the paper has a consistent, yet eye-catching layout throughout. Basic knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop is preferred.
Photography Editor: We are not currently hiring a new photography editor.
Sports Editor: The Sports Editor is in charge of the sports section of the paper, and should ideally be an informed fan of the Mercer Bears. The Sports Editor is responsible for assigning interesting sports news or feature ideas to writers. Knowledge of editing AP Style is preferred.
We're looking forward to reviewing your applications. If you have any questions about the hiring process, don't hesitate to email editor@mercercluster.com.
Sincerely,
The Editors
(03/16/11 9:55pm)
Mercer Police received a total of 14 emergency calls during the months of January, February.
Jan. 31: A student reported her vehicle was missing. The car turned out to be stolen. Macon Police recovered the car at a local apartment complex. The ignition was damaged and several items were missing from the vehicle.
Feb. 3: A student reported his vehicle had been entered illegally and his iPod stolen.
Feb. 5: Officers responded to a domestic dispute.
Feb. 8: Officers received a report of a suspected marijuana smell in a dorm room. Investigation found several articles of drug paraphernalia.
Feb. 12: A student reported a baseball had damaged her vehicle window.
Feb. 13: Officers responded to a call involving a student who had been hit by another student on the Asylum trolley.
Feb. 14: Officers answered a call regarding a broken window in a new building. An investigation revealed underage drinking had taken place. Further investigation revealed who allegedly threw the object that broke the window.
Feb. 14: Officers answered an alarm and determined a balloon had floated past the sensors and set it off.
Feb. 18: A student reported her car tag/license plate had been stolen.
Feb. 18: Miss Molly the trolley caught fire on Stadium Drive near the Hilton Hotel.
Feb. 22: A student reported a leg brace was stolen from the hall outside his room. He had left it there to dry.
Feb. 22: A student was seen directing a laser toward the sky. The laser was confiscated. The FAA has reported in the past of compromised air safety and damage to pilots’ eyesight from lasers used in similar fashion.
Feb. 23: A smoke detector in one of the buildings being constructed was activated by drywall dust in the air.
Feb. 26: A student reported she either lost her laptop or someone stole it. It was later found by another student who returned it to Mercer Police. Officers then returned it to the student who reported it missing.
To report a crime or incident, call Mercer Police at 478-301-4357 (HELP)
(03/16/11 9:15pm)
SGA announced on Monday a new annual award to recognize an administrator, faculty or staff member in honor of former Dean of Students Dr. Barry Jenkins, who is retiring this year.
The Dr. Barry Jenkins Award for Ourstanding Contributions to Student Life will honor a Mercer employee each spring for commitment and dedication to student affairs.
SGA president Trenton White said the new award was established as a way to pay tribute to Jenkins’ long record of service to the Mercer community.
“Dr. Jenkins has always been a friends of students and had our best interests in heart. This award will help us remember him for years to come,” White said.
SGA senators submitted eleven nominations for the award during its senate meeting Monday night. The nominees include Jeremy Baham, Carol Bokros, Heather Bowman-Cutway, Megan Delong,Eimad Houry, Carrie Ingoldsby, Diane Lang, Dale Moore, Jim Netherton, Eric Spears and Annie Stephens.
Senators will vote on the award at their weekly meeting next week. The winner of the award will be announced at the annual Student Leadership Awards banquet on April 28.
Also during Monday’s senate meeting:
• SGA voted 22-1 to amend the honor pledge found in the Mercer student handbook, The Lair. Former Honor Council Chief Justice Douglas Doud proposed the change.
Doud said the new amendment to the honor pledge reflects a more positive statement of affirmation that falls in line with Mercer’s community of respect.
• SGA Vice President Shannon Giddens announced that the SGA presidential debate will be held next Tuesday, March 22. The debate will feature candidates for next year’s SGA president and vice president.
“This is an important event for students to attend so that they can get a better understanding of the issues that affect campus and can ask questions of their potential new representatives,” Giddens said.
The presidential election for SGA will be held the next day, March 23.
Cluster staff writer Carl V. Lewis contributed to this report.
(03/16/11 4:02pm)
Dear editors,
Mary Kathryn Wiley’s response to Clarissa Ashley Price’s article on the limited resources available on campus to women in crisis pregnancies calls for some clarification.
While Ms. Wiley is an excellent writer (I’ve enjoyed reading her papers in more than one of my classes!), I’ve been studying this issue for over two decades (teaching a capstone class on abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment) and feel the need to respond.
Ms. Wiley states that “Planned Parenthood does not push a specific agenda.” It is true that Planned Parenthood provides an abundance of information on family planning, women’s health, and contraception methods.
However, when we reflect on the fact that Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the world and that abortion is a multi-million-dollar industry, it is obvious that this organization has a vested interest in creating a market for those services.
With this in mind, it is difficult to defend Ms. Wiley’s assertion about Planned Parenthood’s not pushing an agenda.
Ms. Wiley also states that “contraception can be used effectively every time a person chooses to have intercourse.”
This statement is significantly misleading at the very least when one notes that contraceptive failure rates go from 8% for the pill to 15% for condoms to 29% for spermicides, just to cite a few (http://www.contracept.org/risks.php).
Speaking of the morning-after pill, Ms. Wiley further comments that “emergency contraception prevents pregnancy; it does not end it.” Plan B and Next Choice do not technically end pregnancy, since they dispose of the fertilized egg before it implants in the uterine wall (which is the event that signals all the hormonal changes of pregnancy). However, pregnancy is not the primary issue here. In fact, calling the morning-after pill a contraceptive method is inaccurate. A contraceptive method is one that actually prevents fertilization of the egg.
Once the egg is fertilized, an individual human life has begun. This is incontrovertible biological fact. At what stage of development in the womb it should be referred to as a person deserving legal protection is another question, but it is not a part of the mother’s body, it is genetically complete, and within twenty-one days there is a beating heart.
Finally, I wish to address Ms. Wiley’s assertion that “pregnancy is a medical issue and should be addressed in a medical facility.”
While medical advice is certainly one of the needs of a woman in a crisis pregnancy, it is not the only—indeed not the most essential—of her needs. The decision to end a pregnancy by elective abortion is profoundly weighty. An abortion always ends a human life. At best, when the mother’s life is endangered, abortion can be considered a necessary evil.
Because we have a generation who has never known elective abortion to be illegal, it is urgently important that young people be fully educated on the options available in a crisis pregnancy and the consequences incurred by artificially ending a pregnancy.
I sincerely hope we can continue, in the pages of the Cluster as well as in various other contexts, to sustain a lively and respectful dialogue on issues of the significance of abortion. The community of faith and learning that Mercer aspires to be draws its breath from such exchanges.
-John Marson Dunaway, Professor of French & Interdisciplinary Studies, Director of Mercer Commons
(03/16/11 2:52pm)
Dean Lake Lambert recently unveiled a sweeping round of changes to Mercer’s general education curriculum for fall 2012, including replacing First Year Seminar and Senior Capstone classes with a new interdisciplinary program, lowering core requirements and adding a new writing focus to certain courses.
The new curriculum – called the Integrated Learning Program – will replace the courses previously known as FYS and SCP with a new set of classes called INT, which stands for Integrated Studies.
INT will cover topics of self-composition and community engagement similar to the ones in FYS and SCP, and will include an experiential component called INT-X.
The new curriculum also will reduce the amount of core credits needed for CLA students to graduate from 50 hours to 40 hours, Lambert said. Students will then be allowed to replace the extra 10 previously required hours with courses of their choice.
“The new general education requirements will fall in line with the core requirments at similar instutitions by making general education take up about one-third of the total credits needed to graduate,” Lambert said.
Lambert said one of the biggest benefits of the new curriculum is that it spreads interdsciplinary learning throughout the undergraduate experience rather than only in the freshman and senior years.
“Previously there’s been a bit of a gap with interdisciplinary studies. You take FYS in your freshman year and Senior Capstone in your senior year, but there’s not much in between,” Lambert said.
Lambert said the new curriculum has been in the works for a while now, but remains open to changes based upon faculty and student suggestions.
Student body president Trenton White said the new curriculum is not intended to lower Mercer’s standards but rather to offer students a broader range of choice.
“The new coursework will just allow students to take more classes in their respective majors or elect to take other classes they find interesting,” White said.
The changes to the curriculum will also include a greater emphasis on teaching students analytical writing skills, Lambert said. Certain departmental-specific courses will be listed as writing-intensive classes and include a fourth hour for in-depth writing instruction.
“We hope that our renewed focus on writing instruction will help bring more focus to this area and will renew focus on how to teach faculty to teach students how to write,” Lambert said.
Another major difference in the new curriculum is that all students will be required to fulfill a community engagement requirement, which could include study abroad, internships or undergraduate research.
The new requirements will not affect current students, who will be grandfathered in under the new curriculum, Lambert said.
The Integrated Learning Program will have no signifcant effect on existing university programs such as Great Books, UNV, preceptorship or Peer Advising.
It will also nix the Scientific Inquiry requirement.
(03/16/11 2:50pm)
[issuu layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml showflipbtn=true documentid=110316143920-e913a2126cc74f19b18b8f058058a038 docname=printpdfissue12 username=mercercluster loadinginfotext=Mercer%20Cluster%20-%20Issue%2012%2C%202011 showhtmllink=true tag=mercer%20cluster width=600 height=542 unit=px]
(03/05/11 4:47am)
[singlepic id=66 w=300 h=height mode=web20|watermark float=center|right]
[nggtags gallery=toby,wordpress,... ]
Mercer's newly erected bear statue outside of the University Center was apparently pranked Friday after a styrofoam takeout cup was found attached to the mascot's outstretched claws shortly before noon.
A Mandarin Express cup was found appended to the Toby the Bear statue using an elastic tie. The cup was positioned to make it look like Toby was drinking from it. It's not yet known how long the cup had been tied to the statue, or if it may still be there.
The mostly harmless prank on the statue comes at the same time as the regional Atlantic Sun basketball tournament in full swing at the U.C. this weekend.
For more on this story, read next week's Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com for updates.
(03/04/11 8:22am)
The Cluster is always looking for letters from its readers to run in its opinions pages. Fill out the form below to submit your letter for publication.
[contact-form 2 "Letters to the Editor"]
(03/04/11 7:15am)
[page_polls]
(02/27/11 10:11pm)
Dean Lake Lambert announced on Monday a sweeping round of changes to Mercer's general education curriculum for fall 2012, including replacing First Year Seminar and Senior Capstone classes with new interdisciplinary classes, lowering core requirements and adding new writing courses.
The new curriculum – called the Integrated Learning Program – will replace the courses previously known as FYS and SCP with a new set of classes called INT, which stands for interdisciplinary studies.
INT will cover similar topics of self-composition and community engagement as FYS and SCP, and will include an experiential component called INT-X.
The new curriculum also will reduce the amount of core credits needed for CLA students to graduate from 50 hours to 40 hours, Lambert said. Students will then be allowed to replace the extra 10 previously required hours with courses of their choice.
Student body president Trenton White said the new curriculum is not intended as a way to lower Mercer's standards, but rather as an opportunity to offer students a broader range of choice.
"The new coursework will just allow students to take more classes in their respective majors or elect to take other classes they find interesting," White said.
The changes to the curriculum will also require students to take three new writing courses, Lambert said.
“We hope that our renewed focus on writing instruction will help bring more focus to this area and will renew focus on how to teach faculty to teach students how to write,” Lambert said.
The new requirements will not affect current students, who will be grandfathered in under the new curriculum, Lambert said.
The Integrated Learning Program will also have no effect on existing University programs such as Great Books, UNV, preceptorship, Peer Advising and study abroad.
For more on this developing story, read next week's Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com for updates.
*Story updated March 1 to provide greater clarity.
(02/25/11 8:46pm)
Mercer's trolley service will not begin running until 10 p.m. tonight because of a scheduling conflict caused by the recent fire that destroyed the "Miss Molly" trolley last week.
Dean of students Doug Pearson said in an email Friday afternoon that he plans to meet next week with NewTown Macon – the group that operates the service – to ensure that the trolley schedule is not interrupted again in the future.
"Obviously (NewTown) is facing challenges as they deal with being down," for the time being, Pearson said.
The trolley service has been operating under tight constraints after losing one of its two vehicles in an unexplained fire Friday near the University Center. NewTown's other trolley, "Sweet Melissa," has been running double time to pick up the slack.
Student body President Trenton White told The Cluster Friday afternoon that SGA would do whatever it can to make sure the trolley service runs smoothly in the coming weeks.
For more on this story, read the next issue of The Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com.
(02/25/11 6:29pm)
[issuu layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml showflipbtn=true documentid=110225181927-fa888f00718e4edf95ef219851ee08ec docname=full-issue_pdf_for_web username=mercercluster loadinginfotext=%22The%20Cluster%2C%22%20Issue%2011%2C%202%2F24 showhtmllink=true tag=mercer width=420 height=379 unit=px]
(02/23/11 9:00pm)
Student body president Trenton White said at last week’s senate meeting that SGA plans to fight the recently renewed push from state legislators to do away with the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant, a scholarship that helps subsidize tuition costs at in-state private universities like Mercer.
White called on students to contact their local legislators to express support of keeping GTEG funding in place for the coming fiscal year. He also tasked senators with the job of making sure their fellow students know that they could lose some of their scholarship money if the grant gets axed.
"It's important for our state to make college affordable for all students. It's also important for students to have a variety of institutions to choose from, especially small liberal arts colleges like Mercer. GTEG helps make that possible," White said.
Senior senator Brittany Francis will head up SGA’s initiative to save the grant. Francis said she’ll use SGA’s resources to raise student awareness on the issue.
Kruti Desai, a junior from Rome, said she’s been receiving GTEG funding since her freshmen year. Desai said she’s opposed to the grant being taken away because it would trim her scholarship package.
“It would put more stress on my parents to pay the difference if it were cut,” Desai said.
Ellen Begley, a sophomore from Atlanta, said that although she doesn’t receive GTEG funding personally, she thinks it’s important to keep the grant in place for the sake of her fellow students.
“I wrote my legislator the last time they tried to take the grant away. I think everyone in our state should have access to a quality education,” Begley said.
Record state budget shortfalls have put GTEG funding under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks from Georgia legislators, many of whom view cutting the grant as a potential austerity measure that could save the state millions. Backers of the grant say trimming higher education scholarships should be avoided at all costs.
Also during last Monday’s senate meeting:
SGA fiscal affairs chair Khoi Le said 16 student organizations have yet to claim their Bear Grant checks allocated last fall. Le said that if organizations do not pick up their money before the April deadline, it will reflect poorly on them as well as SGA.
SGA is working with Mercer’s information technology department to create a voting app for mobile phone and iPad use. A representative will demonstrate the app at next week’s senate meeting.
(02/23/11 5:00pm)
[singlepic id=31 w=400 h=height float=none]
Kappa Sigma held its first annual Wing Eating Competition during Third Thursday in Mercer Village on Feb. 17. as a way to raise money for the Military Heroes Campaign.
[nggtags gallery=wings,wordpress,... ]