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We like the cars, the cars that go boom

By:
Published Oct 5, in Features

Many of you have seen some pretty sweet rides zoom past on campus, or you might have stopped dead in your tracks to admire the dream car that caught your attention in the parking lot.
The question that comes to mind is: Who does that belong to and where can I get one of those?
The Cluster has tracked down a few of the owners of some of these sexy automobiles that have you salivating. They can tell you the real deal on what it’s really like to own one of these luxury cars.
Senior Kati Mogil is the owner of a black ‘06 Mustang that she has named Stella. Mogil purchased her car “back home at the Ford dealership in New Jersey. It was not my first choice. It was my second. My first choice was a Nissan 350Z.”
Even so, she absolutely loves driving this car around. When asked what makes her car sexy, she replied, “Because I drive it.” When asked about some of the cooler features of Mogil’s car, she said her Chi Omega sticker and her sound system are what stand out.
Junior Ashley Chackalayil drives a Lexus LX 470. “It’s just too special to be named,” said Chackalayil. The sexiest feature of the car for her is the grill.
“It was my first choice; I feel safer in it,” said Chackalayil. Though she feels like her car is dependable, the upkeep on the car is not so favorable. “It’s reliable, but expensive,” explained Chackalayil.
She would recommend a Lexus; “Though I may prefer something that didn’t guzzle gas,” said Chackalayil.
Senior Ernestine Dahn drives a BMW 330I. “The car is sleek; it’s black. It’s just a sexy car,” said Dahn.
“I have not named it yet. Technically, it is my father’s car. It’s mine for the semester, but it’s still his,” said Dahn.
One of the features that Dahn likes about the car is the computer-based system. “I really like the push-to-start feature. All you have to do is stick the key in the ignition and push start. Also, I love how it rides. It’s so smooth. Even when I stop abruptly, the car still reacts smoothly,” said Dahn.
Along with Chackalayil, Dahn also has some reservations about the cost of maintenance for her car. “The price of repair and upkeep is very expensive. When you have a luxury car, you really need to get a warranty on important parts, like the engine. Any little thing that goes wrong cannot be fixed like a normal car. You have to go to the dealership,” said Dahn.
These three ladies drive some sexy cars, but having these luxury cars does come at a price.
Remember that you get what you pay for the next time that you are wishing that you were behind the wheel of one of these sexy rides.
Though the maintenance and upkeep for these cars can get to be outrageously expensive, the bragging rights that come with these automotive beauties seem to make up for it.

Mercer student selected to be national fellow

Graddick returns home to remodel Farmer's Co-Op

By:
Published Sep 21, in Campus, News

Mercer student, Kelvin Graddick recently was selected to participate in the Food and Community Fellows program. Graddick is one of 14 students selected for this year’s program from a pool of 560 applicants.
Graddick will return to his hometown of Hamilton, Ga. to revamp the West Georgia Farmers Cooperative.
The goal is to adjoin African Americans and low-income whites under a cooperative to grow and sell fruits and vegetables. The Cooperative was founded in the 1960s.
“Producers in the area don’t have the volume, resources, or knowledge to reach the right markets and consumers in the area don’t always have access to healthy, affordable food. People in the area often suffer from a lack of economic opportunities,” said Graddick.
Graddick’s family and friends began the cooperative to deal with a lack of economic opportunities in the area. The Georgia Famer’s Cooperative has been addressing these issues for over 30 years, but has now become defunct. “Now it is needed more than ever with today’s economic crisis. Fueled by my family’s love for the co-op, I decided to propose a way to bring the co-op back,” he said.
Graddick proposed his redevelopment idea to the Institute of Agriculture and Trade this January. The institute was very receptive to his plan. In July, Graddick attended an orientation and has been working on the co-op since.
Over the summer, Graddick helped work on the cooperative’s building, fundraising and creating a new board. The group now has more than 20 members and many will begin growing products for the cooperative next spring.
“IATP currently funds me and offers any support I need for training, planning, and organizing,” he said.
He believes his family played a crucial role in this process.
“They taught me that we must work to make change and that it won’t happen without dedication,” said Graddick.
His hometown of Hamilton has been very supportive of redeveloping the cooperative.
“The buzz around the co-op is growing every week and more and more people are joining the cause. The strong support of community has allowed me to secure Internet, newspaper, church, and television exposure for the co-op,” he said.
Graddick did not imagine his career panning out the way it has.
“Originally when I came to Mercer, my only goal was to graduate. My goals have changed after uncovering this amazing opportunity though. I hope to use many of the skills I learned at Mercer to help a great amount of people through my managing of the West Georgia Farmerís Cooperative,” he said.
Graddick will receive a yearly stipend of $35,000 for this two-year fellowship and he will have the opportunity to attend meetings around the country. The Kellogg Foundation funds the Food and Community Fellows Program.

Mercer student found dead in apartment near campus

Cause of death of Tianliang Zhang, 24, remains unknown

By:
Published Mar 31, in Breaking, Campus, City, Crime, News

(Photo by Carl V. Lewis/THE CLUSTER)

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 Leon Jones said.

Zhang was last seen alive Tuesday night, and Jones said he appeared to have been dead for at least a day.

“When you’ve got a 24-year-old healthy kid dead like this, it looks suspicious to me. Every once in a while, I get a case where I break down and cry. This was one of them,” Jones said.

An autopsy performed Friday morning was inconclusive. The cause of death remains undetermined pending toxicology and histology reports from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which Jones said can take anywhere two to three months to complete.

Macon Police spokeswoman Jami Gaudet said police do not suspect foul play at this time, but an investigation into the incident will continue until the cause of death can be determined.

Mercer’s chief of staff Larry Brumley said University administrators notified Zhang’s next of kin in China of his death late Thursday evening.

Arrangements are in the works to transport Zhang’s body to China after autopsy procedures have been conducted, Brumley said.

For more on this developing story, check back in at www.mercercluster.com and read the next issue of The Cluster.

Live blogging: SGA presidential/vice-presidential debate

The Cluster gives you minute-by-minute updates of the debate for Mercer's next campus leaders

By:
Published Mar 22, in Breaking, Campus, News, Student Government

In the last minute run-up to what has been a spirited week-long campaign, candidates competing for the position of Mercer’s next student body president and vice-president will go head-to-head tonight in a debate beginning at 8 p.m. in the Bear Rock Cafe at the University Center.

Juniors Stephen Bradshaw and Jordan Locke, who are both vying for the spot of SGA president in tomorrow’s election, will take center stage for the night with their respective running-mates, Melissa Thompson and Ike Ekeke. Current SGA president Trenton White and vice-president Shannon Giddens will moderate the debate, and Cluster co-editor-in-chief Liz Bibb will field questions to the candidates.

The Cluster will provide minute-by-minute updates of the debate here.

9:22 pm

The debate concludes with SGA president Trenton White thanking students for coming out and Liz Bibb and The Cluster for covering the event.

9:15 pm

The debate nears an end with a final question about from V.P. Giddens about how each ticket plans to deal with the growing construction projects on campus and the accessibility of on-campus parking.

Bradshaw gets the chance to respond first, saying that a number of buildings on campus need renovations or replacements, namely Connell Student Center and Willet Science Center.

Both Bradshaw and Locke write off the idea of constructing a parking deck in the near future as unfeasible.

Locke addresses the proposed construction of a football stadium on campus.

“As far as a stadium goes, it should be built on other side of the road from campus so it would be a Macon stadium, not just a Mercer one. That would decrease Mercer’s financial responsibility to maintain and upkeep the facility,” Locke said.

9:11 pm

The last student-posed question deals with the issue of the separation of church and state, and how that separation should be upheld at Mercer, a private, historically-baptist college.

Ekeke answers by pointing out that he and Locke come from different religious backgrounds, and therefore will uphold religious freedom however possible. Locke gives a similar response, saying that Mercer must look out for “what’s good for everyone” instead of focusing merely on a single religious tradition.

The Bradshaw/Thompson campaign responds to the question by acknowledging that while both Bradshaw and Thompson are involved in Christian campus ministries, their personal religious views would not affect their ability to represent the interests of students.

“My faith is obviously a huge part of my life, but that will not affect how I would do my job. It would be mine and Melissa’s job to facilitate healthy discussion. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to impose our morals and religious beliefs on other people. If you don’t have people from all views and opinions, then you’re not doing your job,” Bradshaw said.

9:06 pm

The next question from student comment cards asks each ticket how its platform embodies the spirit of change.

Bradshaw responds by saying that change is good for Mercer, as long as the changes aren’t negative.

“We don’t want to remain complacement––we want to change––but we don’t want to change in a negative way,” Bradshaw said.

Locke replies by saying that his campaign is focused on “progressive feasibility.”

“We want to push university to be continually looking at programs and seeing where we can go. We want Mercer to be progressive,” Locke said.

Ekeke adds to Locke’s message, saying that he feels the Locke/Ekeke ticket represents the diversity needed to bring about change.

“We want diversity. Jordan and I deal with separate sides of campus and are involved in different activities. This is also change, showing that Mercer can have two people who are different but can come together for the good of the school,” Ekeke said.

9:02 pm

Now the debate shifts to questions submitted by students. The first question involves whether Mercer should remain a dry campus or become wet. The question is directed toward Bradshaw.

Bradshaw says he doesn’t know whether he should “give his personal opinion” on alcohol on campus or the opinion of the student body, but that he’ll stick to what students want.  He encourages students to start a petition to present to administration to determine whether the student body wants a wet campus.

“If you want it go from dry to wet, you need a petition to show that students want that to happen,” Bradshaw said.

8:57 pm

Liz Bibb asks both candidates whether they believe a lack of safety on campus is a reality or a perception.

Ekeke responds first by saying that Mercer Police has done an excellent job of making sure campus is safe. He adds that more could be done to find out who the people are “in the black hoodies” who break into cars on campus.

Locke follows up by pointing out that crime on campus has been dropping in recent years, according to a recent meeting he had with Chief Collins of Mercer Police. “That’s not to say there are no safety issues, but that we’re heading in the right direction,” Locke said.

Thompson rebuts with similar remarks, saying that “safety is a reality but also a perception.” She adds that the Bradshaw/Thompson campaign hopes to increase student awareness of safety on campus in order to make perceptions fall in line realities.

8:53 pm

Liz Bibb to Bradshaw/Thompson: Is there an apathy problem among students regarding campus athletic events?

Bradshaw: We do think there’s a disconnect between athletes and non-atheletes. but it’s very difficult to combat that. It’s natural to some extent. One of the things we want to do is have an athletics liason for SGA so that we can keep better tabs on the opinions of athletes.

8:49 pm

Cluster co-editor-in-chief Liz Bibb takes the stage to field questions to candidates.

Liz Bibb to Locke/Ekeke: A recent issue raised in The Cluster has involved the accessibility of automated external defribrilators on campus. How should SGA address the  potential liability issues of AEDs for people not trained to use them?

Locke: “We’ve done a little research about AEDs. They cost about 1,200 bucks each depending on where you buy them from. We think they would best be utilized in places where there are a lot of people. Putting one in Willingham, for example, might be a good idea, since a lot of older, more high-risk people who aren’t students are in Willingham a lot.”

8:40 pm

Vice-president Giddens shifts gears into platform-specific questions directed toward each campaign.

Question to Locke/Ekeke from Giddens: A unique part of your platform involves bringing back the Bear Bikes program. Historically, that’s been a failed program. How do you plan to make it feasible?

Locke: “It’s had some ups and downs in past. It’s changed hands a couple of times and is currently MIA. We’ve attended meetings with administrators and came up with very feasible ways to revive the program and make it sustainable. Much of the money has been spent in paying for inventory––getting nice bikes for students to use. Then, what’s left of that money we’ll use for promotion of the program. Electronic bike-racks are a big part of the plan we have. You’ll swipe your Bear Cards and get access to use a bike rack. We’re really in support of this program. Mercer could be a biking campus. Initially, the program was heavily used by students. We feel like the demands is there, and we’d want to promote it at orientation. Overall, our goal is not only to promote Mercer in general, but a better, healthier Mercer.”

Question to Bradshaw/Thompson from White: A major component of your platform is creating a committee for students not on SGA to serve on which would address the issue of vacant buildings on campus. How do you plan on staffing committees when it’s already difficult to fill committees already?

Bradshaw: “The part we’re missing so far is the student interaction after the election. We want to create this committee as way for students to  provide input about how currently vacant buildings on campus are used, including the old bookstore, the Bear Rock Cafe and the Back Door Theatre, We want any empty places on campus to help the student body. It got tossed around in senate a few weeks ago for the old bookstore to be used by campus media outlets such as The Cluster. I’m in favor of that. Plus, anytime we can get non-SGA students involved in the process, it’s a good thing. This year, for example, Katie Martin, who isn’t a senator, chaired the Green Committee. I’d love a bowling alley, but that’s just my opinion.”

8:39 pm

Question from Giddens:  Each platform has introduced ambitious goals. How do you believe you can accomplish these initiatives?

Bradshaw says any good platform should be ambitious but realistic.  ”Obviously, our goals are ambitious, but they need to be. If we’re not growing, then we need to be. But we also don’t want to promise things we don’t want to fulfill,” Bradshaw said.

Locke highlights the fact that his platforms have been researched and are immediately feasible.

8:34 pm

Question from President White: How will you balance your current campus involvement with the required commitment of serving as SGA president and vice-president?

All four candidates give similar responses about how they will scale back in external involvement if elected to focus on their duty to represent students.

8:30 pm

Question from Giddens: How do each of you plan to make Mercer a more environmentally sustainable campus and follow up on recent recycling efforts?

Bradshaw trumps up a “campus-wide blackout” of academic buildings at night as a way to save on power costs, as well as composting excess food from the cafeteria to help fertilize gardens on campus.

Ekeke rebuts by saying solar panels can often be too expensive, but does not rule out the idea entirely. Locke follows up by saying he’s spoken to Russell Vullo at the Physical Plant, and that composting could cause unpleasant smells for campus. He also says a full-blown blackout proposal may cause students walking across campus at night to feel unsafe.

Locke proposes installing motion-sensored and heat-sensored lights on campus.

Thompson proposes the idea of erecting a big thermometer on campus that would measure the weight of recyclables processed as a way to increase student awareness of sustainability efforts. ”Students like to see results. That would be one way for them to see them,” Thompson said.

8:26 pm

First question from Pres. White: Mercer currently has more than 120 student organizations. Unfortunately overprogramming is a major concern, and can often overstretch involvement in student organizations. How will you balance the two?

Locke and Bradshaw answer the question in a similar manner, balancing the need to recognize a diversity of organizations with the concern of funding existing organizations.

8:19 pm

The candidates introduce themselves. Bradshaw defers to his running mate, Thompson, to introduce herself first since she is “a lady.” Ike introduces himself, then Locke follows up. Each ticket offers an almost identical goal of its platform – to make Mercer better overall. Locke says his platform is about “progressive feasibility,” while Bradshaw says his platform is motivated by his passion for Mercer.

8:10 pm

Debate begins. Current SGA president Trenton White and VP Shannon Giddens open by detailing the format of the debate: Questions from current SGA administration, questions from The Cluster and questions submitted by students.

8:03 pm

A crowd of roughly 50 students have begun filling up Bear Rock Cafe. Senators are passing out notecards for students to write questions on to ask the four SGA candidates. Do you have any questions you want asked?

For more on Tuesday’s debate, including an overview of each side’s main messages, check back in at www.mercercluster.com in the coming hours.

Cluster honored with Georgia Press Awards

Mercer's newspaper racks up multiple honors

By:
Published Feb 9, in News

Cluster editors accept statewide journalism awards at student press conference Saturday in Athens.

ATHENS –– The Cluster nabbed eight awards at this year’s Georgia College Press Association’s 2011 Better Newspaper Contest.

The Cluster took home four first-place awards for Best Campus Community Service in News, Sports, Layout and Design, as well as third place for Best Features Section and Best Editorial Section.

The Georgia College Press Association is an organization that honors student journalists and members of the association.

The Cluster has been a source of information for both students and faculty since 1920, the year the publication debuted. The publication’s editors and staff have been committed to reporting on issues both on and off campus.

This year, the association’s conference was held in Athens, Ga. on Feb. 5. The Cluster and its editorial staff competed against universities as large as Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mercer competed in the 4-Year College Division A category.

Morgan Riley, Co-Editor in Chief, expressed her excitement for this year’s conference.

“The newspaper continues to get better each year, and it’s an amazing feeling to see everyone’s hard work awarded and recognized by the GCPA,” Riley said. “I’m incredibly proud of the newspaper staff and honored to be a part of it.”

Senior News Editor Kathleen Quinlan and junior Entertainment Editor Eric Brown took home individual GCPA awards. Quinlan earned third place in the Best Column category for her humor column “Listen Up Nerds”, while Brown took home first place for “Best Entertainment Story”.

One of the most notable awards collected was second place in the General Excellence category.

The GCPA also held officer elections at the annual conference. Liz Bibb, The Cluster’s Co-Editor in Chief, was elected vice president for the upcoming year. Bibb said she was excited about being able to hold an executive position with the organization.

“Being a member of the Cluster staff is my favorite thing I have done in college. It is a passion of mine, and I am very excited to get to work with other college newspapers around the state,” Bibb said.

As Co-Editor in Chief of The Cluster, Bibb also felt ecstatic for her team. “I couldn’t be more proud of everyone on staff,” she said. “We work well as a team and our efforts have been rewarded. The plan now is to keep up the good work and hopefully return to the awards next year.”

Kayleigh Irby, Business and Advertising Manager, felt that the staff has seen a tremendous growth since last year.

“I feel that with these rewards we will be able to branch out into the local community and become a staple alongside the 11th Hour and The Telegraph,” Irby said.