Bears set to swarm Atlanta for Georgia Tech game

Mercer University will bring the tailgate from Middle Georgia to Atlanta at the Georgia Tech football game Sept. 10.

The Office of Campus Life, Mercer Athletics and the Mercer Maniacs came together to coordinate this student trip as a way to increase school spirit and the sense of community on campus.

Timothy Lewis, an SGA senator-at-large, said this is one event students want to make sure they are a part of.

“[Students] won’t want to miss this historic upset. This is the first time our football [program] is on the national stage, so we want to show the nation what makes our school so special,” Lewis said.

“Other schools do not give their students opportunities to bus as a group to major away games, so this is such a great opportunity.”

Students who wish to be a part of this event will be charged a $20 fee that covers the cost of a ticket to the game, transportation, food and a t-shirt. This is a $75 value, according to the registration page.

The deadline to sign up is Sept. 7. Tickets are first-come, first-served basis.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Kong said she is excited to go on the trip.

“I’m just excited to be in the crowd and to see the stadium at Georgia Tech. I’ve never done anything like this where I’ve traveled on a bus with other students, so it’s kind of exciting for me,” Kong said. “I think it will definitely make me feel like more of a Mercer student and up my school pride.”

To reserve your spot for the trip, you can bring a cash payment or your bear card to the office of campus life. You can also make debit or credit payments by visiting mercervtech16.eventbrite.com.

To complete the process, students who wish to attend the game will also have to register online at www.tinyurl.com/MercervTech16. The event registration is open for Macon campus students only. All others will have to visit tickets.mercer.edu to purchase their tickets.

As noted on the registration page, students who sign up online agree to pay the $20 fee, ride the bus from Mercer University to the game and back and abide by all university policies while away.

This will be an all-day event, so students who wish to attend the game should expect to spend the entire day off campus with their fellow Mercerians.

Buses will tentatively be leaving from Mercer at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 10, according to the registration page.

Lewis said that during the game, a thousand Mercer students will sit together as one student section.

“Going to this game will create memories that will be influential parts of [students’] Mercer experience,” Lewis said. “We want to show Tech how amazing our student section is.”