Countdown to 19 continues with University-wide, community events

By
Jennifer Falk
-
18
A Mercer University bear mascot stands in a crowded room with people, including the Mercer president, holding small ice cream cups.
Mercer University President Penny L. Elkins, Ph.D., mingles with Mercer faculty, staff, students and families at an ice cream social in the Godsey Science Center on Oct. 9. Photo by Leah Yetter

The Countdown to 19 — a series of events and activities that will culminate with the formal investiture ceremony of Penny L. Elkins, Ph.D., as Mercer University’s 19th president on Oct. 29 — continues with University-wide and community events.

Guided by the inaugural theme — One Mercer: United in Mission, Amplified for Impact — the Countdown to 19 celebration brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University to honor Mercer’s rich heritage, celebrate student achievement, amplify its mission and impact, and look ahead to a bright future under Elkins’ leadership.

Here’s what else is planned for the Countdown to 19 over the next week:

Oct. 16

Be the Bear Fridays

Mercer T-Shirt Swap

  • 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • Cruz Plaza (Macon)
  • Mercer students only

United Way Kickoff

Georgia Grown Doctors Ceremony

  • 3 p.m.
  • Georgia Grown Building, Georgia National Fair (Perry)
  • Fair admission is required to enter the Georgia Grown Building

Toby’s Pumpkin Patch

  • 6-8 p.m.
  • Cruz Plaza (Macon)

Walking Toward Peace Introduction and Guided Meditation

Oct. 17

Service Saturday: 19 Acts of Orange & Black

Walking Toward Peace: Finding Inner Peace

Go Baby Go

  • 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • University Center Intramural Courts (Macon)

Walking Toward Peace: Making Outer Peace

Oct. 18

Community Peace Walk

Bears Under the Stars

  • 8-10 p.m.
  • Black Field (Macon)
  • Mercer faculty, staff and students only

Oct. 19

Groove & Move Outdoor Line Dance and Cardio

  • 3 p.m.
  • Cruz Plaza (Macon)
  • Mercer students only

Bears, Belongings and New Beginnings + Groove & Move

  • 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  • Upper Quad (Atlanta)
  • Mercer students only

OctoBEARfest

  • 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  • Upper Quad (Atlanta)
  • Mercer students, faculty and staff

Beloved Community Symposium

Oct. 21

FYI Wednesday

  • 10:10 a.m.
  • Toney Auditorium, Willingham Hall (Macon)
  • Mercer students only
  • FYI Wednesday info

Beloved Community Symposium

Wellness Fair

  • 4-6 p.m.
  • Cruz Plaza (Macon)
  • Mercer students only

Oct. 22

1.9-Mile Bear Crawl

  • All day
  • University-wide

A Bright Beginning (ARC)

  • 4-6 p.m.
  • Historic Quad (Macon)
  • Mercer students only

Let Your Life Speak: A Fireside Chat with President Elkins

  • 6-7 p.m.
  • Presidents Dining Room, University Center (Macon) | Livestream
  • Fireside chat info

Scenes from the celebrations

Inauguration celebrations were in full swing Oct. 9-15 as we kicked off the Countdown to 19! Here’s a look at some of what happened.

Ice Cream Social

Five people sitting on a couch in Mercer University apparel.
Three staff members serving scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream into clear cups.
Four people standing together at an ice cream social.
Three faculty members standing together in a lobby, each holding a small cup of ice cream.
Photos by Leah Yetter

Cubstock

A band performing on stage, with a lead singer in a patch-covered vest, a guitarist, and a bassist.
A band performs on a stage before an audience in an auditorium.
Audience members sits in a theater, laughing and pointing toward a stage.
A band performing on stage, featuring a harmonica player, a guitarist, a drummer, and a keyboardist.
A student in a blazer and white shirt sings into a microphone on stage.
A student on stage performs to an audience in a theater.
Photos by Jessica Gratigny

Tower Tours

A Mercer student and his mom take a selfie together the tower of the Administration Building.
Four people stand on a wood floor covered in handwritten signatures and messages.
Three people looking down into a wooden structure covered in signatures.
A student writes on a white pillar covered in signatures, overlooking Mercer's Macon campus.
Three people standing together inside a wooden tower covered in signatures.
A student in an orange T-shirt smiles while writing his name on a wooden beam in the interior of the Administration Building.
Photos by Leah Yetter

Paws and Presidential Pause

President Elkins and a woman shaking hands in front of an One Mercer inauguration banner.
Two young women petting a black therapy dog wearing a red bandana.
Two women petting a curly-haired therapy dog.
Two people petting a golden-colored dog wearing a pearl necklace and a butterfly hair clip.
A group of people practicing tai chi on the Upper Quad of Mercer's Atlanta campus.
A woman smiling while holding a small, curly-haired dog.
A golden retriever wearing a harness being petted by a person while a woman watches.
A person in a red uniform and a white sun hat practicing tai chi on the Upper Quad.
Photos by Jamie Tucker

Cocktails with the Bears

President Elkins speaks to a group of people standing on a lawn.
Four women stand at an outdoor buffet table selecting food.
Strings musicians playing music together on a wooden outdoor terrace.
Four people stand together posing for a photo on an outdoor patio.
Two men standing at a high-top table outdoors.
A man behind a United Way Greater Atlanta table shakes hands with a woman, while another woman stands nearby.
Photos by Jamie Tucker

For more information about the presidential inauguration, visit inauguration.mercer.edu.

 

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Jennifer Falk
Jennifer Falk
Jennifer Falk is director of digital communications at Mercer. She edits and writes feature stories for The Den and examines web data and analytics to drive content decisions. She also creates and supervises the creation of content for primary University web pages and e-newsletters.

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