Campus

Connell renovations unveiled

Cluster awarded in national contest

Mercer University’s student-run newspaper, The Cluster, placed in six categories in the Society for Collegiate Journalists’ annual national contest. The paper was awarded third place for overall excellence in its division, which encompassed papers that come out weekly or less. In the category ...

Physical Plant to remove asbestos from Willet

Mercer University’s Physical Plant department is planning to remove hazardous asbestos materials from on-campus buildings during the final weeks of the semester. Newly constructed buildings pose little to no risk of containing asbestos, but older campus buildings pose a greater risk of containing ...

New campus restaurants to open

When students return to campus for the fall semester they are going to have a variety of food to choose from in Mercer Village. Both Margaritas Mexican Grill and Fountain of Juice are currently under construction. The Rodriguez family founded Margarita’s Mexican Grill and has been serving the Middle ...

Urban Development Authority names Mercer graduate Executive Director

The Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority (UDA) recently hired Alex Morrison, former Mercer student and Cluster editor, as the new Executive Director. Morrison, chosen out of 55 applicants during a yearlong search, will begin the position on May 2. The authority considered merging the position ...

Post-graduation plans take over students’ minds, professors excited that school is out for summer

Every year Mercer students and faculty have a set of post-graduation plans. This year, while graduating students are leaving after their four years here, a few teachers are also taking sabbaticals. Senior Rachel Velie plans to relax this summer before continuing her education. “I plan to take the ...

Student Health Services provides limited help, informative handouts

Mercer’s Student Health Center, located in the Patterson Building, is available, free of charge, to all Mercer students, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 and noon, and 1:00 and 5:00. Students who choose to go to the Student Health Center will be evaluated by a nurse, but in order ...

Slight tuition hike, increased budget approved by trustees

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 ...

New mobile app allows students to contact police instantly

Mercer students can now whip out their smart phones and keep in constant contact with campus and city police. A new web-based app for mobile phones announced recently by the InTown Macon Neighborhood Association and Mercer Police allows students to contact Mercer Police and the Macon Police Department ...

Library hours not extended for finals week

Jack Tarver Library will not be open 24 hours during finals week, and the library will maintain its regular exam week schedule. In response to a request from the Student Government Association, Tarver provided 24-hour access to the library during last semester’s exam week. “During finals ...

STING, Inc. visits Mercer during college tour, participates in forum

On April 5, Mercer University was one of seven stops during a Cobb County community group’s 2011 College Tour for middle and high school students. STING, Inc., a nonprofit organization in conjunction  with “We Thrive on the Drive”, led students from Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Chapel ...

Southern studies major gains national recognition, program continues to grow

The southern studies program at Mercer University is less than 10 years old, but it has established itself in the local community as well as having gained national recognition. This year, Mercer faculty and staff have planned new ways to continue to expand the program. The southern studies program ...

Knight Foundation CEO to deliver Macon commencement speech

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 ...

Sand volleyball added to Mercer athletics roster

Mercer is set to introduce women’s sand volleyball as its 16th official athletic program beginning this fall. Head volleyball coach Noelle Rooke said sand volleyball is the newest NCAA emerging sport, and Mercer is among the first schools to launch it. Other schools introducing the sport include ...

Community gathers to ‘Take Back the Night’

Dozens of students and members of the community will march from Third Street Park to Washington Square Park to raise awareness about sexual assault. The Crisis Line and Safe House’s annual “Take Back the Night” event will take place April 14 from 7 – 9 p.m. in downtown Macon. April is sexual ...

SGA general election results announced

[nggallery id=12]   Roughly one in four students cast a ballot in Wednesday's SGA senatorial elections for the coming academic year, marking an official end to the spring campaign season. SGA election officer Jamel Pee said an estimated 575 students turned out to vote in Wednesday's campus-wide ...

PHOTOS: Severe thunderstorms ravage campus, downtown

[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 ...

Mercer student found dead in apartment near campus

A Mercer exchange student from China was found dead Thursday afternoon in his apartment less than a block away from campus. Tianliang Zhang, a 24-year-old graduate engineering student, was found lying unconscious in his bedroom around 4 p.m. by his roommates at 1252 Shamrock Street, Bibb County Coroner ...

Mercer lofts set to be finished by summer

The Lofts at Mercer Village, which were originally slated to be open for business by January, should be finished within roughly the next 30 days. Full occupancy is expected for the fall semester of 2011. Jim Daws, president of Sierra Development, said the company had encountered normal construction ...

Honor code policy changed

SGA voted on March 14 to change the wording of Mercer’s Honor Code. The motion to update the Honor Code was brought to the SGA floor by Vice President Shannon Giddens, who is also a member of Honor Council. The Honor Council debated this decision carefully because the change also requires an alteration ...