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Post by FUBeAR on Jul 7, 2015 10:06:43 GMT -5
Won't dispute that Mercer has improved its campus, and that it is quite attractive. I think Furman and Mercer are not really in the same zip code in that area, though. I've appreciated seeing what they've done to Tattnall Square Park. Lot of effort in the college hill corridor to improve downtown Macon. Lot of changes that were sorely needed. Furman has a beautiful campus. No doubt about that. I'm sure they are at the top of the "Most Beautiful Campus" lists. However, in just the last 2 1/2 years that I have been exposed to Mercer, I would say that Mercer has to be on the list of "Most Improved". What is amazing to me, is that President Underwood & Co. are not resting on their progress (new football/lacrosse stadium, new field house, Cruz Plaza, baseball stadium renovation, others?) , but have doubled down on the projects in the works (new gateway with hotel, retail, student apartments and bridge over Mercer University Ave.; new freshmen dorm; Tattnall Square Park renovation, new $30M science building, etc.). So right 38. I told 'people,' once I had grasped what the Leadership at Mercer was doing and the commitment they had to their mission, back in 2012, that what they were seeing around campus and, possibly, in Macon, was going to look completely different in 4 years...and if they do it right (which there is no indication at all that they aren't) in 10 years (and beyond), the whole environment will be a 'showplace' for an incredible success story of how vision, hard work, relentlessness, perseverance, cooperation, execution, team spirit, and, in no small part, COLLEGE FOOTBALL, can come together to revitalize an entire metropolitan area. I would be interested to know if there are any schools that can even come close to matching Mercer on that "Most Improved" list you mentioned. It's gone from sleepy decay to vibrant growth in what feels like no time. |
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Post by bear38 on Jul 7, 2015 10:09:56 GMT -5
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Post by bear38 on Jul 7, 2015 10:15:04 GMT -5
Furman has a beautiful campus. No doubt about that. I'm sure they are at the top of the "Most Beautiful Campus" lists. However, in just the last 2 1/2 years that I have been exposed to Mercer, I would say that Mercer has to be on the list of "Most Improved". What is amazing to me, is that President Underwood & Co. are not resting on their progress (new football/lacrosse stadium, new field house, Cruz Plaza, baseball stadium renovation, others?) , but have doubled down on the projects in the works (new gateway with hotel, retail, student apartments and bridge over Mercer University Ave.; new freshmen dorm; Tattnall Square Park renovation, new $30M science building, etc.). So right 38. I told 'people,' once I had grasped what the Leadership at Mercer was doing and the commitment they had to their mission, back in 2012, that what they were seeing around campus and, possibly, in Macon, was going to look completely different in 4 years...and if they do it right (which there is no indication at all that they aren't) in 10 years (and beyond), the whole environment will be a 'showplace' for an incredible success story of how vision, hard work, relentlessness, perseverance, cooperation, execution, team spirit, and, in no small part, COLLEGE FOOTBALL, can come together to revitalize an entire metropolitan area. I would be interested to know if there are any schools that can even come close to matching Mercer on that "Most Improved" list you mentioned. It's gone from sleepy decay to vibrant growth in what feels like no time. Downtown Macon is on the right path, but still has a way to go. It has a lot of potential and needs more private investment $. The 50.4% growth in the Mercer Freshmen class in the last 4 years should be a catalyst. |
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Post by jackal on Jul 7, 2015 10:30:19 GMT -5
Furman has a beautiful campus. No doubt about that. I'm sure they are at the top of the "Most Beautiful Campus" lists. However, in just the last 2 1/2 years that I have been exposed to Mercer, I would say that Mercer has to be on the list of "Most Improved". What is amazing to me, is that President Underwood & Co. are not resting on their progress (new football/lacrosse stadium, new field house, Cruz Plaza, baseball stadium renovation, others?) , but have doubled down on the projects in the works (new gateway with hotel, retail, student apartments and bridge over Mercer University Ave.; new freshmen dorm; Tattnall Square Park renovation, new $30M science building, etc.). So right 38. I told 'people,' once I had grasped what the Leadership at Mercer was doing and the commitment they had to their mission, back in 2012, that what they were seeing around campus and, possibly, in Macon, was going to look completely different in 4 years...and if they do it right (which there is no indication at all that they aren't) in 10 years (and beyond), the whole environment will be a 'showplace' for an incredible success story of how vision, hard work, relentlessness, perseverance, cooperation, execution, team spirit, and, in no small part, COLLEGE FOOTBALL, can come together to revitalize an entire metropolitan area. I would be interested to know if there are any schools that can even come close to matching Mercer on that "Most Improved" list you mentioned. It's gone from sleepy decay to vibrant growth in what feels like no time. You can thank me later for helping assure the pack of jackals that was running Macon was voted out of office. As a Mercer alum, fee owner of property in Bibb County (for two more weeks, hopefully), former downtown resident, and one who spent years working downtown, I am pleased to see the evolution of the city. I think there is finally some competent leadership with what I will call "forward momentum." For too long Macon was the subject of partisan bickering and infighting as Bibb County continued to lose more and more residents. Macon has made a lot of strides. They are, in my opinion, significantly behind comparable cities in Georgia like Augusta, Columbus, and Savannah in many respects. The city's industry is still too heavily tied to Robins Air Force Base. If BRAC puts Robins on the chopping block, Middle Georgia will take a monumental hit economically. I have long thought Macon has never capitalized on its geographic advantage over, well, everybody. I think Mayor Reichert realizes how critical Mercer is to Macon. I cannot tell you how many professionals in Macon (doctors, lawyers, etc.) are Mercer grads. It is an overwhelming number. If Mercer struggles, Macon struggles, and vice versa. If Macon is successful, Mercer is successful. I was in town recently, and was impressed by the money being spent both by the University and the City. I think the jury is still out on how wise it is to spend gobs of money in a down economy, but one hopes the leadership has prepared for such contingencies. Mercer and Macon, though, have certainly made a strong partnership you do not ordinarily see among small colleges and their metro area. I think both are better for it. |
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Post by jackal on Jul 7, 2015 10:36:17 GMT -5
You may all know this, but Tattnall Square Park is named after Josiah Tattnall, former governor of Georgia. The park was so named as Macon tried to make a play for the State's capitol as it was moving from Milledgeville. Land was set aside for the government complex, and of course, the capitol was moved to Atlanta. With set aside land and a park named for a former Governor, the city reached out to a small college in Penfield to entice it to relocate to Macon. The rest is history.
Tatnall Square Academy, which has produced a few Bear players, is named after Tattnall Sqaure Baptist Church, which was formerly on Tattnall Square, which was named after Josiah Tattnall. Interestingly, no one I talked to over at the school knew that.
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Post by FUBeAR on Jul 7, 2015 12:01:04 GMT -5
You may all know this, but Tattnall Square Park is named after Josiah Tattnall, former governor of Georgia. The park was so named as Macon tried to make a play for the State's capitol as it was moving from Milledgeville. Land was set aside for the government complex, and of course, the capitol was moved to Atlanta. With set aside land and a park named for a former Governor, the city reached out to a small college in Penfield to entice it to relocate to Macon. The rest is history. Tatnall Square Academy, which has produced a few Bear players, is named after Tattnall Sqaure Baptist Church, which was formerly on Tattnall Square, which was named after Josiah Tattnall. Interestingly, no one I talked to over at the school knew that. So...I see that Josiah Tattnall was a slave owner on his plantation, Bonaventure, in Savannah and his son, of the same name, was a Flag Officer in the Confederate Navy. Guess we're going to have to change the name of the location... Mercer Square? Bears Square? Underwood Square? Lamb Square? |
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Post by Clueless Fan on Jul 7, 2015 12:39:09 GMT -5
"Most Improved" and "Up and Coming" colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-south/up-and-comingSome of Mercer's peer universities will always have an advantage due to endowment, location or history. Mercer has a campaign to increase its endowment (as do all schools). From what I understand, Mercer is willing to use its endowment to buy good students. Only by attracting good students will Mercer's reputation increase. Propaganda from the school indicates that the applications are up, as are the test scores of admitted students. I haven't seen the numbers, so I will hold off judgement. Unfortunately, Mercer's endowment is small when compared to Furman, for example. Location had become a hindrance to attracting students. Macon has a reputation for being a high crime city. Areas around the school were very sketchy. The school's efforts to change its community for the better has been very impressive. Those sketchy areas are being reclaimed. College Hill joggers - even mothers with children in strollers - now run at night without fear of being mugged. Downtown Macon is safer and more charming than it has been in 50 years. Belmont, for example, had a huge advantage in its rise in reputation due to being surrounded by a nice community in a popular city. Mercer recognized this disadvantage and worked to transform its community. The historical advantages that some of Mercer's peer institutions have will not be easy to overcome. It takes a long time to change people's perception. |
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Post by MUfan on Jul 7, 2015 14:38:20 GMT -5
So right 38. I told 'people,' once I had grasped what the Leadership at Mercer was doing and the commitment they had to their mission, back in 2012, that what they were seeing around campus and, possibly, in Macon, was going to look completely different in 4 years...and if they do it right (which there is no indication at all that they aren't) in 10 years (and beyond), the whole environment will be a 'showplace' for an incredible success story of how vision, hard work, relentlessness, perseverance, cooperation, execution, team spirit, and, in no small part, COLLEGE FOOTBALL, can come together to revitalize an entire metropolitan area. I would be interested to know if there are any schools that can even come close to matching Mercer on that "Most Improved" list you mentioned. It's gone from sleepy decay to vibrant growth in what feels like no time. You can thank me later for helping assure the pack of jackals that was running Macon was voted out of office. As a Mercer alum, fee owner of property in Bibb County (for two more weeks, hopefully), former downtown resident, and one who spent years working downtown, I am pleased to see the evolution of the city. I think there is finally some competent leadership with what I will call "forward momentum." For too long Macon was the subject of partisan bickering and infighting as Bibb County continued to lose more and more residents. Macon has made a lot of strides. They are, in my opinion, significantly behind comparable cities in Georgia like Augusta, Columbus, and Savannah in many respects. The city's industry is still too heavily tied to Robins Air Force Base. If BRAC puts Robins on the chopping block, Middle Georgia will take a monumental hit economically. I have long thought Macon has never capitalized on its geographic advantage over, well, everybody. I think Mayor Reichert realizes how critical Mercer is to Macon. I cannot tell you how many professionals in Macon (doctors, lawyers, etc.) are Mercer grads. It is an overwhelming number. If Mercer struggles, Macon struggles, and vice versa. If Macon is successful, Mercer is successful. I was in town recently, and was impressed by the money being spent both by the University and the City. I think the jury is still out on how wise it is to spend gobs of money in a down economy, but one hopes the leadership has prepared for such contingencies. Mercer and Macon, though, have certainly made a strong partnership you do not ordinarily see among small colleges and their metro area. I think both are better for it. I think Macon could be on the right path also. Along with Mercer , the hospital is putting a lot of money into the downtown area. Middle Georgia State is in the process of becoming a university and growing. CGTC is expanding. With all of these institutions investing in Macon , I think good things are coming. I'd love to see Mercer and Middle GA State become "crosstown rivals" one day. That's probably decades away though. Sorry if I went off course a bit. |
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Post by BearDownMU on Jul 7, 2015 14:48:53 GMT -5
You may all know this, but Tattnall Square Park is named after Josiah Tattnall, former governor of Georgia. The park was so named as Macon tried to make a play for the State's capitol as it was moving from Milledgeville. Land was set aside for the government complex, and of course, the capitol was moved to Atlanta. With set aside land and a park named for a former Governor, the city reached out to a small college in Penfield to entice it to relocate to Macon. The rest is history. Tatnall Square Academy, which has produced a few Bear players, is named after Tattnall Sqaure Baptist Church, which was formerly on Tattnall Square, which was named after Josiah Tattnall. Interestingly, no one I talked to over at the school knew that. And if you'd like to get deeper into the Tattnall Square Baptist Church history (and this is from memory, so some of the timelines might be off): The original Tattnall Square Baptist Church was commissioned on said land across from the park owned by Mercer University. In the early 60's a young man named Sam Oni had been converted to Christianity through mission work in Ghana was recommended for admission to Mercer by Harris Mobley (a prominent Mercer alumnus). Oni applied for admission to the university and was admitted in April 1963, with Mercer becoming the first private college in GA to voluntarily integrate. Surprisingly, when Oni arrived at campus, he went to attend church at TSBC one Sunday morning and was barred entry by church deacons, because he was black. He returned the following Sunday and was barred entry again, and instead delivered his own sermon on the steps of TSBC and then left quietly, never to return. Later after the internal discussion of allowing black people into the church continued and the Congregation and leadership made it clear they would not allow black into the church, the pastor, associate pastor, and minister of music resigned their commissions. Following that, when the lease on the land for TSBC came up for renewal, Mercer opted to not renew their lease, purchased the building from TSBC and that congregation relocated. The original TSBC building was later renamed Newton Chapel, open to serve all members of Mercer University's students body, faculty and staff, regardless of color, and still stands today. It has been used for University events as well as alumni who request its use from the university, including the funeral of my father, Jerry W. Arnold, in February of 2014. |
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Post by FUBeAR on Jul 7, 2015 16:11:26 GMT -5
You may all know this, but Tattnall Square Park is named after Josiah Tattnall, former governor of Georgia. The park was so named as Macon tried to make a play for the State's capitol as it was moving from Milledgeville. Land was set aside for the government complex, and of course, the capitol was moved to Atlanta. With set aside land and a park named for a former Governor, the city reached out to a small college in Penfield to entice it to relocate to Macon. The rest is history. Tatnall Square Academy, which has produced a few Bear players, is named after Tattnall Sqaure Baptist Church, which was formerly on Tattnall Square, which was named after Josiah Tattnall. Interestingly, no one I talked to over at the school knew that. And if you'd like to get deeper into the Tattnall Square Baptist Church history (and this is from memory, so some of the timelines might be off): The original Tattnall Square Baptist Church was commissioned on said land across from the park owned by Mercer University. In the early 60's a young man named Sam Oni had been converted to Christianity through mission work in Ghana was recommended for admission to Mercer by Harris Mobley (a prominent Mercer alumnus). Oni applied for admission to the university and was admitted in April 1963, with Mercer becoming the first private college in GA to voluntarily integrate. Surprisingly, when Oni arrived at campus, he went to attend church at TSBC one Sunday morning and was barred entry by church deacons, because he was black. He returned the following Sunday and was barred entry again, and instead delivered his own sermon on the steps of TSBC and then left quietly, never to return. Later after the internal discussion of allowing black people into the church continued and the Congregation and leadership made it clear they would not allow black into the church, the pastor, associate pastor, and minister of music resigned their commissions. Following that, when the lease on the land for TSBC came up for renewal, Mercer opted to not renew their lease, purchased the building from TSBC and that congregation relocated. The original TSBC building was later renamed Newton Chapel, open to serve all members of Mercer University's students body, faculty and staff, regardless of color, and still stands today. It has been used for University events as well as alumni who request its use from the university, including the funeral of my father, Jerry W. Arnold, in February of 2014. So...we're adding Mobley Square, Oni Square...and, most importantly, Arnold Square to the list of possible names for the future renaming of Tattnall Square then? |
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Post by MUfan on Jul 7, 2015 16:21:44 GMT -5
And if you'd like to get deeper into the Tattnall Square Baptist Church history (and this is from memory, so some of the timelines might be off): The original Tattnall Square Baptist Church was commissioned on said land across from the park owned by Mercer University. In the early 60's a young man named Sam Oni had been converted to Christianity through mission work in Ghana was recommended for admission to Mercer by Harris Mobley (a prominent Mercer alumnus). Oni applied for admission to the university and was admitted in April 1963, with Mercer becoming the first private college in GA to voluntarily integrate. Surprisingly, when Oni arrived at campus, he went to attend church at TSBC one Sunday morning and was barred entry by church deacons, because he was black. He returned the following Sunday and was barred entry again, and instead delivered his own sermon on the steps of TSBC and then left quietly, never to return. Later after the internal discussion of allowing black people into the church continued and the Congregation and leadership made it clear they would not allow black into the church, the pastor, associate pastor, and minister of music resigned their commissions. Following that, when the lease on the land for TSBC came up for renewal, Mercer opted to not renew their lease, purchased the building from TSBC and that congregation relocated. The original TSBC building was later renamed Newton Chapel, open to serve all members of Mercer University's students body, faculty and staff, regardless of color, and still stands today. It has been used for University events as well as alumni who request its use from the university, including the funeral of my father, Jerry W. Arnold, in February of 2014. So...we're adding Mobley Square, Oni Square...and, most importantly, Arnold Square to the list of possible names for the future renaming of Tattnall Square then? I vote BearSquare- Where Bears meet. |
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Post by BearDownMU on Jul 7, 2015 16:25:49 GMT -5
And if you'd like to get deeper into the Tattnall Square Baptist Church history (and this is from memory, so some of the timelines might be off): The original Tattnall Square Baptist Church was commissioned on said land across from the park owned by Mercer University. In the early 60's a young man named Sam Oni had been converted to Christianity through mission work in Ghana was recommended for admission to Mercer by Harris Mobley (a prominent Mercer alumnus). Oni applied for admission to the university and was admitted in April 1963, with Mercer becoming the first private college in GA to voluntarily integrate. Surprisingly, when Oni arrived at campus, he went to attend church at TSBC one Sunday morning and was barred entry by church deacons, because he was black. He returned the following Sunday and was barred entry again, and instead delivered his own sermon on the steps of TSBC and then left quietly, never to return. Later after the internal discussion of allowing black people into the church continued and the Congregation and leadership made it clear they would not allow black into the church, the pastor, associate pastor, and minister of music resigned their commissions. Following that, when the lease on the land for TSBC came up for renewal, Mercer opted to not renew their lease, purchased the building from TSBC and that congregation relocated. The original TSBC building was later renamed Newton Chapel, open to serve all members of Mercer University's students body, faculty and staff, regardless of color, and still stands today. It has been used for University events as well as alumni who request its use from the university, including the funeral of my father, Jerry W. Arnold, in February of 2014. So...we're adding Mobley Square, Oni Square...and, most importantly, Arnold Square to the list of possible names for the future renaming of Tattnall Square then? Pretty sure the only way Arnold-anything happens in the future is after the receipt of a large check. lol |
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Post by BearDownMU on Jul 8, 2015 12:42:30 GMT -5
"Most Improved" and "Up and Coming" colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-south/up-and-comingSome of Mercer's peer universities will always have an advantage due to endowment, location or history. Mercer has a campaign to increase its endowment (as do all schools). From what I understand, Mercer is willing to use its endowment to buy good students. Only by attracting good students will Mercer's reputation increase. Propaganda from the school indicates that the applications are up, as are the test scores of admitted students. I haven't seen the numbers, so I will hold off judgement. Unfortunately, Mercer's endowment is small when compared to Furman, for example. Location had become a hindrance to attracting students. Macon has a reputation for being a high crime city. Areas around the school were very sketchy. The school's efforts to change its community for the better has been very impressive. Those sketchy areas are being reclaimed. College Hill joggers - even mothers with children in strollers - now run at night without fear of being mugged. Downtown Macon is safer and more charming than it has been in 50 years. Belmont, for example, had a huge advantage in its rise in reputation due to being surrounded by a nice community in a popular city. Mercer recognized this disadvantage and worked to transform its community. The historical advantages that some of Mercer's peer institutions have will not be easy to overcome. It takes a long time to change people's perception. One note. You really don't "buy" students with endowment money. The net income from an endowment is used for operational budget of the University. Scholarships awarded by the University is, most simply, a reduction in price due to a student being desirable or having credentials that the school wants. Example: A student with above average grades and test scores is offered a $10,000 scholarship toward the $35,000 tuition. That $10,000 isn't "real" money. It doesn't come from an account. It is simply Mercer reducing the sticker price in an attempt to attract that desirable student to attend. |
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Post by bear38 on Jul 8, 2015 14:27:06 GMT -5
"Most Improved" and "Up and Coming" colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-south/up-and-comingSome of Mercer's peer universities will always have an advantage due to endowment, location or history. Mercer has a campaign to increase its endowment (as do all schools). From what I understand, Mercer is willing to use its endowment to buy good students. Only by attracting good students will Mercer's reputation increase. Propaganda from the school indicates that the applications are up, as are the test scores of admitted students. I haven't seen the numbers, so I will hold off judgement. Unfortunately, Mercer's endowment is small when compared to Furman, for example. Location had become a hindrance to attracting students. Macon has a reputation for being a high crime city. Areas around the school were very sketchy. The school's efforts to change its community for the better has been very impressive. Those sketchy areas are being reclaimed. College Hill joggers - even mothers with children in strollers - now run at night without fear of being mugged. Downtown Macon is safer and more charming than it has been in 50 years. Belmont, for example, had a huge advantage in its rise in reputation due to being surrounded by a nice community in a popular city. Mercer recognized this disadvantage and worked to transform its community. The historical advantages that some of Mercer's peer institutions have will not be easy to overcome. It takes a long time to change people's perception. I'd like to think that Belmont and Mercer were comparable, but that is just a bridge to far for me. At one time (20 years ago?) Belmont was bordered by the Vanderbilt/Hillsboro Village on one side and the high crime area of 12th South on the East side. The renovation of the 12th South area into what is now a "hot" destination had very little to do with Belmont and everything to do with Nashville becoming a huge draw with a booming economy (music, healthcare, government, transportation, auto industry, etc.). People are flocking into Nashville, buying up older neighborhoods and renovating properties as fast as they go on the market. Belmont is the beneficiary of that but not the catalyst. Mercer, on the other hand, seems to be a catalyst in Macon's renovation. Offering Mercer employee's low interest loans to move into the College Hill area surrounding Mercer and renovate the homes is just one example. What Macon needs now is new industry and jobs. Maybe there are already programs in place that recruit business and jobs to Macon. But if not, the State of Georgia should designate Macon as an area in need of state tax incentives. The county and city should match those as well. Perhaps they are already doing this. If so Mercer, could provide assistance in the form of graduates and collaborations with high tech companies in various industries. This would be a win, win, win. |
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Post by Clueless Fan on Jul 8, 2015 15:45:18 GMT -5
A modest house close to Belmont will sell for over $500k today. A similar house close to Tattnall Square will go for around $200k. And even less a few blocks back.
bear38 hit the nail on the head. Belmont has benefited from Nashville becoming a hot city. Macon is not a hot city and Mercer has had to overcome that . . . and has played an active role in changing it.
I am impressed with what both Belmont and Mercer have been able to accomplish.
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