Mercer Strong, Bear Strong, Macon Strong

I was working in the newsroom last night at WGXA when we heard about the shooting.

 

It happened in my neighborhood and across the street from my church.

 

And while that was startling, what really hit me was finding out that it was a Mercer student from another Mercer student.

 

We join with Mercer in mourning the loss of Jibri Bryan. pic.twitter.com/ME4MhWY3Ze

— NCAA (@NCAA) February 3, 2016

I’m incredibly lucky to be less than two weeks into this job and to already have co-workers who understood my shock, and a supervisor who insisted- despite my protests- on coming in and making me go home.

 

Except I didn’t go home. I went to campus, because it made the most sense.

 

The thing is, for me, Mercer is a very special place. I didn’t appreciate Mercer fully until I went back as an adult and graduated in 2013.

 

And so while I did not know Jibri, I know people who did.

 

While on campus last night, I was so proud of the way my new job handled things. The professionalism and compassion that they showed in telling a heartbreaking story.

 

For me, Mercer and Macon are very much one in the same. There cannot be one without the other.

 

What y’all need to know is, @MercerYou is a family and we are all heartbroken #BearStrong #MercerStrong #34 pic.twitter.com/2gWtfjtmVA

— Molly M. Wilkins (@MollyMWilkins) February 3, 2016

There are tweets and posts of “Mercer Strong” and “Bear Strong”. I would say we should also say, “Macon Strong”. Or even “Middle Georgia Strong”.

 

Mercer University Basketball solidified itself as “Macon’s Team” when they propelled us into the national spotlight with their win over Duke. Let’s also show them we’re there for them.

 

 

Love to all my Bears,

 

 

Molly