ARTS &* I ENTERTAINMENT

Ajar of Ragu or Nunzi's Place? You decide.:

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929

The world watches with baited breath as tension in the Middle East escalates.

Page 2

^LAKER SPORTS

Football team defeats Northwood 17-14

ft>M»ty rale up, income declines

M ampus

[Events Ceramic Explorations on exhibit now in the Cummings Art Gallery

ntervarsity Christian _J jellowship meeting Thursday 18:15 p.m. in D Angelo 19.

pin Classes Friday at 4:30 Lm. in the Rec Center.

Women s Hockey vs. Bemidji Slate Friday at 7 p.m.

Hypnotist Friday at the PAC 8 p.m. -11 p.m.

On Your Toes presented by he Dance Department Satur-ay at 11 a.m. in the anceSpace.

ootball vs. Findlay Saturday it 1 -30 p.m.

Women s Hockey vs. Bemidji tate Saturday in the Ice Rink 17:30 p.m. £ 3 f

toffee House with pastries ind karaoke Saturday at 10 Lm. in the Union.

Family Bingo Saturday at 10 p.m. in the Union. ••?

The Son s Room, film at the PAC Wednesday 8 p.m.- 11 ).m.

Sports Scores

. Soccer 3-3 (2ot) (tie)

: X-Country 17-45 (win)

ML X-Country 20-35 (loss)

ootball 17-14 (win)

M. Soccer 3-0, 1-0 (wins)

K| Volleyball 3-2, 3-0, 3-1 fins) k

Mercyhurst mourns dual loss By Megan Fialkovich News editor

The Mercyhurst community lost two very special members over the weekend.

Dr. David D. Palmer, a former English professor and Korean War veteran, pasted away on Saturday, Sept. '28, after a lengthy illness.. He taught at Mercyhurst main campus for eight years, and also served as academic dean at the Northeast campus. 1|

A patron of the arts and father of three, Dr. Palmer served as a boardmember in a number of local cultural institutions, including Lake Erie Ballet, Erie Youth Sympohny and EAFAs arts in education committee. Visitors may pay their respects

Monday and Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the John R. Orlando

Funeral Home. A mass will be said at 10 a.m. at St. Luke s Catholic Church on East 38 Street, followed by burial at Calvalry Cemetary.

Sister M. Eustace Taylor, former six-year Mercyhurst College President, head of the English department and superior of the Sisters off Mercy, succumbed after a brief battle against cancer early Monday, SepU 30. The 98-year-old alumnus of the first graduating class at Mercyhurst in 1926 was an inspiring and noble character whose contributions surround the campus.

While Sr. Eustace was teaching, * Mercyhurst introduced its first financial aid options^ for students, built McAuley and Egan Halls and became co-ed.

The Taylor Little Theater was renamed in her honor, and she

wrote a commemorative 50* anniversary history of Mercyhurst, the first ever made for the college. Her last official appearance was at -the Motherhouse s activities on the recent 77 Founder s Day.

A viewing will be held for Sr. Eustace at the Motherhouse on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9, with her vigil at 7 p.m. Visitors may also call on Friday from 2-4 p.m. The funeral mass will be said Friday at 4:45 p.m. in the Motherhouse, and Saturday Sr. Eustace will be buried at St. Catherine s Cemetary in Titusville. £

Dr. Palmer and Sr. Eustace will be sorely missed, and remembered fondly. The entire Mercyhurst community extends its condolences and prayers to the friends and families.

i . Jody Mello/ photographer The Student Union will be open for family bingo and karaoke Saturday night

Parents provided with glimpse into the College Life By Michelle Stevenson! Contributing writer

Phis weekend, Oct. 4-6, Mercyhurst invites parents to see what kinds of activities are

provided here at the college to students on the weekends, says Jessica Montana, current chairperson for the Student Activities Committee.

SAC is organizing the evenings activities, working along with the school, dancers, artists, athletes, and the church to provide parents with activities all weekend long in the everyday life of students.

Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Mary D Angelo Performing Arts Center on Friday, Oct, 4,* and will be accompanied by a Welcoming Reception to assist parents i n meeting the staff.

Attendance is dependent on reservations, which were to be made by Sept .26. The event will be hosted by Dr.Andrew Roth, Dean of the College and Vice President of Academic Affairs.

A women s Ice hockey opener will begin at 7 p.m. in the Ice Center, Mercyhurst vs. Bermidjij State. The Lady Lakers ranked

#11 last season in the NCAA Division I polls.

The school will also be welcoming hypnotist Michael Anthony at 8 p.m. in the PAC. Thanks to the SAC, tickets are free, and Family Bingo follows in the Student Union at 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 5 begins with Registration again from 9 to 11:30 a.m., with a complimentary breakfast in the lobby of the PAC. Parents will also have an opportunity to look at the new Audrey Hirt Academic Center.

A one-hour session taught by the Mercyhurst Lakers head coach Marty Schaetzle, entitled Football 101, will begin at 10 a.m. in the Hirt Building. This is designed to provide a unique perspective designed for the novice, the armchair qua i terback, and even former football players, according to the Mercyhurst website.

At 11 a.m., directly following the seminar, the Mercyhurst Dancers will present On Your Toes in Zurn Hall 8 DanceSpace, along with a preview of the upcoming season and a special appearance.

Lunch on Saturday, A Taste of Italy, will be held in the Egan

Sr. M. Eustace Taylor

File photo Photo courtesy of Orlando Funeral Home .' g ,

IThe late Dr. David D. Palmer

Homecoming 2002 unites and excites By Megan Fialkovich News editor

This year s homecoming weekend was a celebration of the past, present and future of Mercyhurst College."

11onorees at the distinguished alumni reception Frday night included Daniel F. Langan 91, Brent W. Scarpo 84, Jeanne Ledoux Linek 48 and Sally Carlow Kohler 51. ;f

The 2002 King and Queen of Homecoming were named as Luke Slater and Kristin Brown; congratulations to the entire court, and to MSG, for organizing a wonderful campus celebration.

Every competing Mercyhurst athletic teams defied competition, claiming the weekend as their own. Men s soccer trounced Alderson Broaddus, women s volleyball shut down Lake Superior State,

The Gin Blossoms

and the Lakers edged out a win against North wood U., 17-14.

Another exciting event (albeit unforeseen) took place Saturday night, as early-90 s favorites Gin Blossoms took the stage in place of Sister Hazel,. A steadily growing crowd assembled in front of Baldwin Hall for dancing, frisbee and crowd surfing as the band played their hits.

AH in alt, Homecoming 2002 was a success, and a good time was had by everyone.;

Mall Dining Room from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Meals are $5 a person, but students may use their meal tickets.

Next, the Lakers vs. Findlay Oilers football game will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Tullio Field. Another women s ice hockey game against Bemidji State will start at 7:30 p.m. Both events are without charge.

Coffee and Dessert Hour, most likely featuring pastries, will be provided by SAC from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Carolyn Herrmann Student Union, and .will lead i nto a night of karaoke.

Mercyhurst wraps up the weekend with a liturgy at 10 a.m in Christ the King Chapel, and brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Egan. This meal will cost $10, and once again, students may use their meal tickets.

These events provide an opportunity for parents,

especially parents of freshmen, to join the students for the first time on campus, meet their friends and the* Mercyhurst faculty and administration, says Patricia Lionel, director of Parents Weekend. Contributing information from the Merevhurst Website

Sexual assaults prompt warnings By: Megan Fialkovich News editor Downtown Erie has been plagued by a number of sexual assaults and attempted rapes recently, eliciting cautious action primarily on thefpart of Gannon officials. j

All victims were attacked by a stranger in the late evening or early morning hours while traveling alone, and described their assailant as a tall, clean-shaven, muscular black male. Presently, no college students have come forth with allegations.

The incidents all occurred around West Fourth and Fifth Streets, and none have been fetal, j |

Young women are especially at risk for violent sexual assaults, and Gannon students have been singled out in the warnings. Safe behavior in \ < lives a great deal of common sense, such as traveling in pain or larger groups, keening to

well-lit streets, and always being aware of the surroundings and people nearby/ 1 This latest rash of crime is not

indicative of any fault on the part of Erie officials or college Security, but is merely a manifestation of the issues in any modern city. Erring on the side of caution is more advisable than taking unnecessary risks.v

Detective Barber of the Erie Police Department confirms that a 17*year-old male is in custody regarding one sexual assault, and will be questioned about several other incidents.

Any students who are uncomfortable going home late at night may call Police & Safety at ext. 2304 to request an escort. AdditionalIv, Erie Rape Crisis Center always has its doors open to victims, families and relatives of victims, and volunteers dike; their number is (814) I 9414. ! 51

PAGE 2 THE MERCIA D OCTOBER 3,2002

NEWS W o r l d a w a i t s A m e r i c a ' s n e x t m o v e P r e s t o n t h r i l l s , i n f o r m s

To contact: newsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

As so c i a ted Press New York Times

Kuwait City, Kuwait — U.S. Marines rode massive green hovercraft onto the Kuwaiti shore. But instead of assaulting hostile Iraqi troops, they joined Kuwaiti allies for a three-week exercise in the desert

Fighter jets from the USS Abraham Lincoln flew

_

overhead, not part of the exercise, but on their way to enforce a no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

Engineers in Qatar, meanwhile, are finishing a new forward command post for the U.S. Central Command — the men and women who would lead a war in Iraq. They re expected to arrive; in November to direct another exercise from the low-profile buildings camouflaged as sand dunes.

Special operations forces have put up tents at a new base in Djibouti, across the Red Sea from Yemen. In Kuwait, part of an armored infantry brigade from Fort Benning, GA, sits within 28 miles of the Iraqi

By Megan Fialkovich News editor

President George W. Bush addresses Congress border — a 10-hour drive to I Baghdad.

U.S. military spokesmen insist the exercises and deployments are routine, or part of the war against terrorism. But there is little doubt these forces could be used in an invasion of Iraq to remove President Saddam Hussein.

While the governments of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia refuse to discuss military matters, their citizens

Protests at world meetings Largest d©mon«traboo« at recent international •conomic meetings

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bear witness daily to the U.S. military presence in the region.

The Kuwaiti government ordered gas masks for all civil servants and authorized their sale to civilians. Troops have rolled out Patriot'missile batteries to defend against possible Scud missile attacks.

From what we re seeing, it looks like something is going to happen, but it s hard to know exactly what, said Bader al-Otibi, a government worker

ne pnoro

who was taken prisoner during the Iraqi occupation in 1990. I m against war, but I m also against Saddam.

Experts differ on the number of troops needed to invade Iraq —50,000 to 350,000, depending on the strategy. Deployments already planned would bring the number of troops in the region to near 50,000 by November, which coincides with a U.S.-proposed deadline for Iraq to comply with U.N. resolutions!

The acclaimed author of 1995 s runaway bestseller The Hot Zone, Dr. Richard Preston, recently made a lecture appearance at the PAC. His message,was told through journalistic war stories, graphic slides, and political discussion.

Preston also penned The Cobra Event, a fictional account of a smallpox outbreak in New York City. The author has worked in concert with the FBI, Pentagon and CDC to gather facts for his books, and although he writes with the zeal and meticulousness of a scientist, Preston is a Ph.D. in English, and admits that he s most fascinated by the human condition. Last year s anthrax attacks and

Mercy hurst s own brush with bioterrorism, or black biology, as Preston calls it, have nearly brought to fruition a terrifying vision. Nations stand poised on the brink of biological warfare without any real comprehension of the worldwide ramifications of, say, launching a smallpox warhead.

This particular situation presented itself during the Cold War, when Russia armed twelve

missiles with a smallpox contaigon. If launched, Preston explained, millions around the world would have died within 10-12 weeks. Smallpox is indeed responsible for the most deaths in written history, and is a highly contagious airborne disease, 8

Even more bone-chilling was the revelation to the modest yet attentive crowd that one can purchase materials online and genetically engineer a strain of smallpox resistant to treatment for about $300. i

In light of the Iraqi threat of black biology, Dr. Preston s explanation of the workings of Ebola, smallpox and antrax on the human body seem all the more pertinent. His latest work, The Demon in the Freezer, recounts and foretells the use of smallpox and anthrax as biological weapons.

Dr. Preston was personable and highly accessible to his audience, for whom he later signed copies of his books. While professing that he is not a Doomsday preacher, he is the voice of reason in an increasingly unpredictable world. This lecture was the first of MSG s 2002 Lecture Series, brought to the community free of charge.

: Science \at\your By Megan Fialkovich News edito^H

Tokyo, Japan: An odorous compound called DSA, which grows in jimson weed, has properties that could treat a specific type of brain cancer, say Japanese cytologists. Glioma, a rare neurological cancer, has been linked to chemicals used in the refinement of gasoline, as Kvith a rash of cases in a BP/ Amoco plant in 1999.

Glioma is fatal if untreated, and causes tumors in an area of the brain that is inoperable; radiation and chemotherapy destroy healthy outlying tissue, while DSA tagerts only hyperactice cells. [Source: Reuters)

Washing ton , D.C.: Federal [scientists presented Congress with a plan to have a West Nile [Virus vaccine ready in three years, and tests for the nation s _lood supply within one. j _ |

While the only people at mortal r isk are the elderly, infants and those with suppressed immune systems, the spread of West Nile across the U.S. is some cause for concern. Put together the climbing AIDS rate and those being treated for cancer, and a snowball effect emerges.West Nile is deadly because i t triggers encephalitis, or swelI ing of the brain. (Source: USA Today)

M urray Hill, NJ.Bell Labs and one of its disgraced employees face a real scientific snafu. Dr. Jan Hendrik Sch n, a Swiss wunderkind who appeared to be on his way to a Nobel Prize, was recently accused of fabricating his research into the operation of organic (i.e., carbon-bsaed) compounds as semi- and super-conductors. •

Fellow scientists and review committees became suspicious of Sch n when his experiments could not be replicated, and later his data and measurements were found to contradict known

physics. The journals Science and Nature have also been implicated in the perpetration of the fraud for accepting hasty, more camera-friendly research in place of meticulous methods. This 32-year-old electronics whiz is going to have a lot of splainin to do.

(Source: New York Tlmes)^ |

Giza, Egypt: Archaeologists have sent a robot into the Great Pyramid of Khufu to search for hitherto undiscovered shafts and antechambers. Two doors have been found in the northern and southern shafts, much to the delight of Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt s Supreme Council on Antiquities. He disclosed that this is the first fresh material on this, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, in 100 years.-Fourth-dynasty Pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops, as he is sometimes known, ruled over 4,000 years ago. * 2 (Source: www, egvptology. com/ kmi) ^

Irvine, CA: University of California biologists think they

have the formula for lima regeneration in the genes of the common salamander, which is able to regrow body parts losi in the jaws of predators (and the forceps of scientists). This is a departure from the recent stem* cell heavy advances in genetic research. j ~

Harvesting and reproducing the amino acids which causi salamanders and several othei species to regenerate would be a more cost-effective, ethicaj solution to stem cell techniques Eventually synthesized as f drug, the healing compoun could give a new life to sufferer of amputation such as diabetics those with advanced meningiti or gangrene, and acciden victims. £ j (Source: New York Times)

If you see science happening, send your submission to: newsmerciad@mercyhurst. edu, c/o Interface.

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PAGE 3 THEMEROAD OCTO B ER 3,2002

To contact: featwemerciad@mercyhurst.edu FEATURES SPAN- Fun with Nature Ceramic By Courtney Nicholas Features editor

If you are concerned about environmental issues and want to expand your knowledge of nature, Mercyhurst College has the club for you. It is called Students for the Protection and Appreciation of Nature (SPAN).

President Matt Goodrich, a sophomore Nutrition major at Mercyhurst, first heard about the club but did not give it much thought until he met and chatted with another student, Nevin Welte. Welte and Goodrich had class together and they found out that they shared a love of rock climbing.

Welte persuaded Goodrich to come to a SPAN meeting.

The officers of SPAN this year are Goodrich, President; Sara Lopata, Vice President; Steph Bartlett, Secretary; Amanda McCullough, Treasurer, and Jessie Grow, Public relations.

Creations:

Photo by Jody Mello/ Merciad photographer SPAN memebers take time out from their meeting to pose for the camera. ij

As a club they will be rewriting the mission statement, revising and approving upon success of the club, and will be producing a website.

We are planning a trip to Utah over Thanksgiving break. We will be hiking, rock climbing, and camping. We want to expand our efforts of recycling on campus, and also launch our website,

Goodrich said, We also would like to go white water rafting this spring and skydiving. We will continue to rock climb both indoors and outdoors.

If any students are interested in joining SPAN, contact Goodrich at ext. 3165 or by emailing him at gfiger@aol.com.

Cutting Loan Payments Fast Do not let those loans build up Special to The Merciad Featurelles Magazine (NAPS) It shouldn t take an advanced degree to understand student loan forms. That s the lesson many students have taught colleges and lenders due to the difficulty they have been having in filling out these forms. As a result, steps have been taken to make the loan application process easier and faster.)

Today, students can use* the Web to apply for loans, check

[ the balance owed on a loan or £) shop around' for lenders. A r'gfdup dkn<*&'Cbflso'IJ d at ion

Assistance Program (CAP) lets students sign their Federal Student Loan Consolidation applications online with a secured electronic signature.

The technology can help

% i

speed the borrowing and consolidating process, helping students borrow at the rates they want, when they want. In addition it reduces paperwork significantly.

Loan consolidation had become a popular choice for students burdened with heavy student loan payments. Students can consolidate loans without: paying a fee or needing a credit card.

As of July 1, Federal Consolidation Loan interest rates are at 4.125 percent-its lowest point in history-and in some cases, even lower.

With CAP borrower benefits, these rates could drop as low as 2.23.percent Even parents consolidating Parent loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS loans) can get rates as

low as 3.62S percent (including borrower benefits). For some borrowers, the new rates could reduce their monthly loan payments by more than half.

Consolidation is a process that makes sense for graduates seeking affordable education payments, says Ellen Frishberg, Director of Student Financial Services for the John Hopkins University.

Even though students are counseled on the importance of repaying an education loan, many are still overwhelmed by the size of their monthly payments when they get out. For those students, consolidation can be a positive alternative.

To apply for a consolidation loan or for more information visitb wwwjnycaploan.com.

By Courtney Nicholas Features editor

From Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002 through Friday Oct. 18, 2002, the Mercyhurst College Cummings Art Gallery will be filled with the colorful and innovative ceramic work of Thomas Hubert, associate professor of art at Mercyhurst College.

Hubert, a 1977 graduate of Mercyhurst rejoined the community after receiving his master of fine arts in ceramics and ceramic sculpture in 1980 from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.

This exhibition is a result of my recent sabbatical leave at Mercyhurst College. The show of 34 ceramic pieces includes 30 pieces which were made from start to finish during the six month period from May 1, 2002 through August 31,2002, said Hubert.

The work' in this show represents the various aspects of ceramics, which Hubert decided to investigate. He explored fish imagery and the use of a new material called paper clay. Paper clay is clay mixed with fine paper fibers. The fibers allow for rapid drying and combining of parts, which may be wet, plastics, dry or even bisque fired, explained Hubert

Many of the glazes and underglazes are new to me and I spent varied; all the work produced during my sabbatical...I found that I learned a tremendous amount about ceramics during a short, intense period of exploration, said Hubert.

Hubert s name and work are

Your Horoscope By Linda C Black Tribune Media Services

Today s Birthday (Oct. 3). The secret to your success this year is in the details. Take as much time as you need to make sure you ve thought of every-thing before proceeding. This will inhibit your spontaneity somewhat, but you 11 gain so-phistication ; and that s a good thing.

To get the advantage, check the day s rating: 10 u the easi-est day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21 -April 19) Today is a 7, New difficulties will soon arise, so don t assume you know it all. Good planning will help, of course, but more study is required. P Taurus (April 20-May^20) Today is a 7, Reaching an agree-ment leads to a closer bond, and that makes everything else seem easier. There are still complica-tions and shortages, but together you 11 find a way. M Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 6, You know those things you ve been thinking that might be better left unsaid? The really critical stuff? Unless you want the same back atcha, bet-ter stifle.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)| Today is a 7, Your natural tal-| ents are needed today to keep everybody on track. Without, you, chaos might reign, so if they re not listening, shout.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 6, As you go over your lists, you may note several little things that need immediate at-tention. A responsible review of

those lists could save you money.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept 22) Today is a 7, You may have to call a halt to the proceedings. If somebody makes an erro-neous assumption, don t let it stand. Object, or else you 11 wish you had. ft Libra (Sept. 23-Oct 22) To-day is a 7, Something you thought you had figured out could come unraveled. If it s not going to work, it s better to know sooner rather than later.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nbv. 21) Today is a 7, Not all of the news is good, but it s better to know the truth. You re learning why it s best to play by the rules, especially where money is involved.* 5 P Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 6, Another dead end? Don t despair. This is valuable information. Besides, your i curiosity is being tweaked, and your resolve deepened.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 6, A person who owes you a favor can give you the information you ve been seeking. Discuss the situation and find out what you need to know.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7, Postpone your I big date until the weekend, and plan to travel then. Meanwhile, watch your money. Spend carefully and don t take risks.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7, A surprising rev-elation causes you to reassess the priorities you ve just set Don t be dismayed, and don t hesitate. The more you do it, the easier it gets. (c) 2002, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Jhbune Information Services.

The Lumen

well-known in the Erie ' £ ' ill*. fJ ' f * "

community. He has earned awards from the Erie Summer Festival of the Alts Panorama Show, the National Endowment of the Arts, and the Northwest Pennsylvania Artist Association, the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, and the Erie Art Museum.

He has exhibited in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Washington, New York, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, California, and Massachusetts.

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By Courtney Nicholas Features editor

If you enjoy writing or photography Mercyhurst College has the magazine for you The Lumen! The Lumen, Mercyhurst s one and only undergraduate and above-ground literary magazine, is about to kick off its umpteenth literary season.

The season will be kicked off by a poetry reading by former Mercyhurst English professor and nationally renowned poet, Beth Gylys, on Oct; 17, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. in Mercy Heritage Hall. This reading is sponsored by MSG and the Mercyhurst English Department.

The editorial staff is now accepting submissions, both poetry and fiction, to be considered for inclusion in this year s issue of Lumen, scheduled for publication on April 15,2003. Please note that the official deadline for submissions is Dec. 17, 2002.

The Lumen magazine has been around for over 15 years, * said Dr. Sen iff, Lumen advisor,

It has gone though many ups and downs and different Incarnations, themes and titles, but there s always been one because, for as long as I ve been here, there s always been enough student interest in writing poems and short stories for the Mercyhurst College community to warrant such a publication.

Each year the Lumen staff receives well over a hundred pieces from fellow students. Last year, submissions increased perhaps because a cash prize was offered for the best poem and short story. This year, President William

Garvey has given the English Department an academic enrichment grant, making it possible for the Lumen to run another poetry and short story contest and to award cash prizes of $ 100, for the best poem and another $ 100 for the best short story submitted. All submissions will be read and judged by the editorial staff.

For the past several years the Lumen has won several awards in the region of its design*.

Pizza & 'Stix Student Combo

Your all in one ID is to be used at the printing sta-tions in the library and other computer labs in place of the print cards used in previous years. When you have used all of your free prints, Value can be added to your card at the vending machines in Hammond Library, the bocucenter, and the library in North East. Remember if you do not have your ID, You'll have to buy a print card from the vending machines. The card does not yet work in copy machines.

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PAGE 4 THEMERCIAD OCTOBER 5,2002

O PINION To contact: opinionmerciad@mercyhurst edu

THE GOOD... ¥ Despite arriving ten years too late, the Gin Blossoms salvaged our Homecoming concert this past weekend after a certain band (Sister Hazel) bailed on the last minute. A real band, on a real stagc.we are movin on up.

¥ Someone actually made good on The Good: Kudos to all those who placed the cigarrette trees at the Hirt Center. The Smoker s Outposts are a welcome addition to the building. Now if we could only do something about the labyrinth one takes to find a bathroom in the place...

¥Congrats goes out to the football team for their Homecoming victory. It was a great game to watch, despite the fact that half of those in the stands were a bit on the intoxicated side.

¥ Aside from a can of Campbell s, the other source for good soup on campus comes from none other than the Laker Inn. It is the one food there guaranteed to be served warm at all times.

THE BAD... ¥The computer virus that has managed to infect more than 100 students computers on campus.

And whomever devised this little annoying science project needs to download a social life. College students don t have time for immature Bill Gates adding more stress to our already stress-filled schedules. So go back to your parent 8 basement, roll some 12-sided dice and stop with the viruses.

¥ What is up with the new wave of rude people on this campus? Unfortunately, when under-classmen s maturity levels are lower than their blood alcohol s, it would not be a typical night on the party scene without some sort of feud. So kids, grow up or stop the binge drinking. We are adults now, at least some of us. 5

¥No campus call boxes at the Hirt Center? Instead of wasting time and money paving a road and then re-paving it, put the call boxes up and increase students sense of secuirty instead of decreasing their tolerence for wasteful expenditures.

¥ls the Hurst hosting auditions for HBO s Hookers on the Point ? Didn t think so, but someone might want to tell many of the freshman girls that before they go to class. Come on, ladies: not everyone wants to see your cleveage and thong straps on our way to a core class. Have some more resepct for yourselves. & ',

THE UGLY... ¥For the love of all tilings Nokia: Turn off your cell phones during class! (Please.)

¥ Sidewalks along Briggs Avenue were littered with shattered liquor bottles. Students, what a waste of beverage. If you can t keep the campus beautiful, at least try to take better care of your booze.

¥Last week s monsoon. Any place else, such weather would seem random. But not Erie. No matter what the clime, it seems that the city lost a bet with the rest of the country and has become the focal point for all things rainy, cold and/or snowy. So keep that poncho ever ready.

¥ Students not only publically urinating on campus grounds, but also making an athletic event out of it by walking and taking care of buisness while doing so. Gold medal for creative sport, but very bad form. a

¥ Traffic this past week on 38th Street has been God-awful, due to the seemlcssly endless construction being done on the street Does one road need that many holes dug in it? Are we putting in a quasi-aquaduct or something?

¥The Maintenence staffs lack of timely responses to many students requests for repaired toliets, broken doors and other domicile problems. And when complaints are filed, students aren t greeted with customer service but rather rude, condesending tones Do the job or get someone else who can. We don t pay for attitude.

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Send your rants, er, articles to: opinhnmerciad@Hereyhurst.edu \

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Lunch on the Run!

Living outside « the Box 99

Love, truth, romance, ethics and an honest understanding of how to apply the aforementioned things are some of humanity s concepts that have evolved across generations.

Or have they? In this volatile climate; where

suicide bombers, pedophilic priests, disenchanted politicians and talk-show-circuit bound divorcees, one can only speculate where we are going and if we are mature enough to get there, mature enough to handle all the things technology and moral conveniences allow us to postpone.

This analysis of the human condition, from an ethics and interested viewpoint, stems from recent discussions in both my Applied * Ethics and Theology of Marriage and Family classes. These two courses are objective in nature, but retrospective in effect. I can t remember any class (that I ve paid for) whose homework is still being graded long after graduation or career.

Using the three moral resources (respect, sympathy and moral identity) as a means to filter my current observations of human behavior, I see some serious suspension of these resources in favor of self-serving agendas and rhetoric disguised as true writ.

We dropped two, TWO, atomic weapons on civilian targets. Such a milestone of inhumanity, one would think from an infantile point of view, would be marked with the cliched stopping of the world."Instead, it is marked with historical debate and 20/20 hindsight.

From a cynical perspective, over the course of humanity s evolution, one could argue that August 6 and August 9, 1945, is marked with suspension of moral' restraint and more concern with mail-order catalogues or riding shotgun.*" ""In two days, years of unlived lives went up in a mushroom cloud and we have grown all too easy with sweeping such ethically questionable acts under history s rug.

And Another Thing.

Phil Pirrello

And as beings, whose primary instinct is to survive via procreation, the concept of marriage seems to have become more of a commodity, a fad, and less of an institution.

Marriage is a past time now, with more people cashing alimony checks than filing for marriage licenses. One could argue that love, romance and the corny ideals of love that come from fairy-tales and Audrey Hepburn movies is a fading photograph, stuck in an album of many other traditions that evolving ethics and de-evolving I ethical practices have created. ' " I do not mean to spout ignorance from a novice s soapbox. But in the wake of | Imany class discussions and readings on the subject of history s changing views regarding the moral question and familia, I worry that my kids history books will be nothing more than cautionary tales. I worry that they will only serve as reminders of a time worth saving if only its perpetuators stopped crying wolf and played hero. ' |

Humans, all humans, have a moral obligation to one another, despite the info one reads in CNN s news crawls. We have suspended answering

the moral question in favor of satisfying military necessity or self-serving agendas. We have taken a tradition, a sacrament, a home movie staple, and turned it into a practice more feared than envied."

Love and marriage, war and peace these are not mere concepts to define in some j notebook or short-answer quiz. These are defining variables in the equation designed to find the purpose of being human as opposed to being savage. These are hurtles that life purposely hands us as a means to test not only our intelligence, but also our worth to possess such intelligence.

We all don t have to belong to MENSA to see that romance is fleeting and basic concepts ofright and wrong are eroding with every Divorce, Springer Style special or Milosevic-esque ethnic cleansing. ""PlaywrightAaron Sorkin wrote, We live in a world today that has walls.

Those walls are not to be so tall as to block free will out and keep ignorance in, nor are they to be so small as to put us in our own harm s way. Ambiguity, the gray in black-

and-thinking, the middle ground — all things we want to grasp but fail to get a firm grip on. v i.

Communism or Fascism. Liberals or Conservatives. Right or wrong. All extremes that we diagram and often live by. * .

It is hard to find optimal balance in an incredibly turbulent society. But history cannot go on without recognizing the error of our future ways, errors we 11 never be able to Whiteout with endless hypothetical scenarios, broken vows or good intentions. "I d like to believe that

romance will thrive as well as technology has, or that a form of marriage can 1 i ve happily ever after behind a white-picket fence.

I d like to wake up to the improbability to an ever-probable nuclear war. ,

I want to be content with my role in history, not become a casualty of it. Unfortunately, I can only speak for me.

It will take more than some verbose opinion column to remove the blinders and acknowledge faults in faiths, creases in the silver lining and a line of demarcation between what is and what needs to be. J

Credit cards are licenses toJ procrastinate. Susceptibility is, a sympathetic form of ignorance.

But change, the ability to embrace the past without tainting the future, that is the true challenge, a challenge history should record as a victory and not a defeat.

F*fw

Fughettaboutit: "Sopranos defines epic television

»

By Stanley Crouch Knight Ridder Newspapers

The Sopranos has made television history, and HBO, always the front-runner in cable TV, has put itself ahead of the competition again.

What is the appeal of this series? Why has it become comparable to the radio shows of the 30s and 40s or the television shows of the 50s that drew such large audiences that one always knew a certain entertainment vision was going into the national consciousness at the same time?

Some say it is because Americans love humiliating images of Italians twisted up in crime, murder, screaming matches and endless plates of spaghetti. According to this critique, no group other than Italians is so consistently depicted as caught up in underworld life, vulgar fashions and crude loyalties.

Maybe so, maybe not. But I think the appeal is that

The Sopranos is the best (ale of gangsters and their families 'since The Godfather one of the greatest films ever made. fp We will never forget The Godfather as long as films are

e because it totally reworked the subject of organized crime and was moved along by a remarkable script,

Photo courtesy of www.the-sopmnos.com

extraordinary performances and a sense oi the unpredictability of the human personality that resonates far outside of the world of crime.

That is why 1 he Sopranos is so well loved. No one really cares about the gangsters and their girlfriends and wives and therapists being Italians. They could be the last of the Mohicans living in New Jersey, and the audience would react in the same way, so long as the myths of our nation and of our culture were so perfectly raised and shaken in our faces.

Pony Soprano has risen to where he is by an alternate set of rules that perverts the ideas of family, responsibility, risk, protection, loyalty and retribution. He is a monster with a heart, a demon whom we cannot dismiss as a cartoon, a man not particularly smart but one who is clever enough to

stay ahead ol the game in a profession that does not draw many great minds.

James Gandolfini s performance is one of the finest things that has ever happened on television. Audiences love em because they give them a surprise. Playing by no conventional rules, they might do anything.

£ rhat aspect of surprise, of both identifying with and being repulsed by Tony and his crew, of sympathizing with his wife and children and therapist while seeing them as often pathetic, gives the show its special thing; the feeling of looking at human beings handling and mishandling, building and destroying, betraying and disappointing. It is a view that we know is true about the human condition, whether it functions within the world of murder or ordinary life,

October 3, 2002 THEMERCIAD PAGE 5

To contact: opinionmerciad@mercyhursLedu OPINION

Campus? Question What makes a good entertainer?

Someone who is funny and honest J

Greg Kline, senior

Someone that appeals to a wide audience and can make college students laugh considering we all have a short attention span. • *j

Kyla h Smith, Junior

Somebody that s runny and gets your attention and makes the audience laugh.

Kristen LaDuca, senior

Someone who can grab your interest}

Jenny Stmnsky, Junior

Someone with no common sense.

Dave Portenier, junior

Someone who can make a fool of themselves and not

jnk twice about it. Shannon King, Junior

A good entertainer is someone who is talented at what they do but has the ability to adapt to the circumstances and also please the audience and themselves.*

Todd Swavey, sophomore

Someone who gets up in front of people and makes a fool of themselves and doesn t really care.

Ryan J akubczak, sophomore

I truly believe that a good entertainer is someone who can relate to their audience. Entertaining is all about helping people to forget their problems for a short time and giving them hope and something to relate to in whatever may be going on in their lives. $

Jen Coffman, sophomore

An entertainer has to be personable! They have to be able to interact with their fans and audiences.

* Ki m b er Kalicky, freshm an

They have to have run with the crowd and involve them.' Basically, just having fun doing what they re doing. *

Jessica Ellara, senior

Someone who is energetic and interesting. *

Stephanie Davison, junior

Someone who knows how to interact with the audience. *

Loaralne Schellito. senior

Somebody who is funny. * Marti Fudge, freshman

Somebody who is energetic. * Liz Patrode, freshman

Someone who keeps your interest. * |

CarolynTareau, freshman

Someone with a passion for what they are talking about or doing. 'A

Brittany Harger, fresh-man *

Someone who can make the audience forget about everything else for the moment*

Mike demons, freshman : •

Someone who can keep my attention. *

*' Jestina Klink, junior

Someone who keeps the audience alive and awake. *

Katie McAdams, fresh-man

Someone who is entertaining, funny, and can hold your attention for an hour." Someone who is not boring. *

Lindsay Bond, freshman

Must-necessitate TV: "ER" is not what the doctor ordered By Karen Heller Knight Ridder Newspapers

Just when I think I m power-walking with the rest of the country, Americans take a fancy to something, I can live without. ™ *"• a , , s 5 i i 6 S

'*«*V^?*f if*rt?f <> * i

Flavored coffee. Wrestling. Wrap sandwiches. Here s another: ER.

Not that this is 'a new development NBC s Thursday scrub opera has been the nation s top-rated drama since its debut seven seasons ago, rarely faltering the way so many of its patients do. Gurneys burst through doors.

Frenzied residents, hair askew, defibrillators at the ready, yell stat This isn t entertainment It s the Heart Attack at 10 p.m. "Some of us have already spent too much time in hospitals, and not in a good way.

The show is a technical marvel, though it never lets you forget it, and the effulgence of George Clooney, and now Goran Visnjic, is not lost on me. But that doesn t make it

likable in a Simpsons kind of way. It s all jawline, no soul. "In a rare inversion, the shows realism makes hospitals and their staffs appear worse than they actually are. Real ERs, frequented by uninsured patients in need of primary care, are generally'staffed by calm professionals who treat a wide array of household accidents.

ER portrays doctors and nurses as miserable, lonely, angry, humorless, jerks in serious need of mood elevators, making them easily confused with journalists.

Real doctors and nurses are more interesting. Frankly, it s shocking the AM A hasn t condemned its membership s portrayal.

Here is NBC s synopsis of a recent episode: A brittle Dr. Corday desperately searches for a possible Angel of Death who s been secretly murdering her elderly patients leaving her to shoulder any possible blame. Elsewhere, Dr. Greene hardly shares a happy home with a stressed-out Corday and his wild teen-age daughter Rachel Fun? You bet!

I preferred the late Chicago Hope. 'Its doctors were miserable, angry, humorless jerks, too. But they were miserable, angry, humorless, well-dressed, power-hungry jerks fighting about parking spaces and the internal power structure/a heartwarming story familiar to us all. '"Don t know about you, but after a long day of work, the last thing I want to do is watch people more miserable than I am. /•!• | Ever since the 80s ended, there s been', a dearth of dramas dealing with that most uplifting of social themes; Rich People Messing Up. There s also been an absence of my other favorite: Beautiful People Kissing. Occasionally, this happens on ER. i Then in no time, the kissing s

over and they re back to being self-abnegating jerks yelling at each other.

Television s demarcation is simple: Sitcoms are silly, dramas are work. Given the success of ER, why hasn t NBC rolled out its successors, Tax Audit or OralSur gery? J

BROAD 1

Kristin Purdy £ Adam Dushole ^ Megan Fialkovich Courtney Nicholas Phil Pirrello Mackenzie Dexter Jody Mello Emily Crofoot

Billy Elliott Megan Eble *'

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Features Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor

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TheMerciad is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of midterms week and finals week. Our office is in the Hirt Center, room LL120. Our telephone number is 824-2376.

TheMerciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the riant to trim letters to fit. Letters are due the Thursday before publication and may not be longer than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485. |

Campus Question: Second opinion

That's entertainment? By Phil Pirrello Opinion editor

Entertainment is a fickle beast.It has the power to produce various mediae and assign them labels such as Classic, ^Blockbuster, or A

Charlie Sheen Movie. * Entertainment also has the

power to take positive epithets away and replace mem with bottom-of-the-rack only

status, or turn a literary classic into a major literary faux pas.

It can make us laugh, cry, scream and plagiarize. It puts us to sleep late at night or inspires us to achieve publication.

Yet, what exactly is good entertainment? What makes bad entertainment?

These are loaded questions and their answers are even bolder statements. I ask these questions in the wake of reading over Entertainment Weekly s list of 100 Greatest Movie moments. Some I agreed with {Godfather at number one) and others I scratched my head at (no recognition for Ed Wood or American Beauty?).

I then 6egan to wonder about the best and worst of movies, TV, radio, literature, comedians, etc. Who has it and who needs it desperately? What can I watch over and over and what modes of entertainment would I label as the equivalent to rhino excrement?

Thousands of lists can be made by millions of critics rating entertainment s many venues. But if beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, then entertainment lies in the consciousness of the entertained. ?

Who is EW to say that this movie is better than that? " TV Guide is the barometer by which we separate all the Home Improvement* from all the Jackie Thomas Shows!"

Oprah? Booklist? Rolling Stone! Not everyone

has to love-Raymond, The

Corrections may be in error and a dozen other rank-and-filings may be undeserved of their status; positive or negative. * Society puts entertainment through an Iron Maiden of Top 10 lists and Best & Worst columns.?It needs to know what s worth the full cover price or the $6.75 for a movie ticket, thus making media s audience a horde of greedy materialists, craving the bragging rights for their number one movie, sit-com, Danielle Steel novel, etc.

To each his own. Such a maxim never rang more true than in the case of personal opinions about entertainment. * We will never definitively define universal standards of entertainment, good or bad, but for*the most part we can understand what we like that makes entertainment good or bad. We can attempt to better appreciate the notion of individual preference and respect that one man s Screech is another s Jim

Carrey. If I could explain to you why

Carrot Top makes me laugh when he s straight faced and straight faced when he s trying to be funny, this issue would be solved. But I can t. But the Top is the Stargate on this bad boy, and I d be willing to wager that the comedy s equivalent to the Rosetta Stone lies somewhere in his bag of house hold items-turned-comedic props.

For every Saturday Night Live, there is a Mad TV. For every Robin Williams, mere is an Emo Phillips. Entertainment personalitiesihave>their foils,; their reasons for being perceived as better than the next guest star or one-hit wonder.

But how does one make a career out of being entertaining? Given the state of Hollywood s rising and falling stars and success, such a career is more stressful than the prospect of Mark Furhman doing stand-up at the Apollo.

ff Do stars warrant upwards of $20 million a picture? For the prices they pay and the compromises they make to subjecting themselves to such a fickle industry? Yes, For the fact that they voluntarily subject themselves to it? No.

Like all jobs, entertainment has its own share of occupational hazards: failure at the box office, book signings at the local Target, a two-hour block hawking medieval dining wear on QVC possibilities of rejection and acceptance are endless.

But unlike all jobs, the consequences are no more immediate or less dire than that of an entertainer, especially if he or she fails to earn at the one thing their publicists ensure they are to succeed at: entertaining. * 1 suggest we stop hying to put down one medium over another. No matter what Ebert says or Shales recommends, they will still be timeless debates over the quality of rappers-turned-actors, the need for Glitter 2, and the reason why David Lee Roth just won t take a hint. * It s a vicious cycle and it goes on forever in syndication, comic book panels even opinion columns.

Entertainment is the best thing we have continued to develop as a culture. It gives us run and excuses to go out on dates or stay in alone with a good book and a warm drink. * It deserves better than some quaint, trite list written by a Snapple-raised group of wannabe Pauline Kael s who contuse pop-culture references with worthwhile prose. flLove it of- hate &, agree or disagree, Final Answer or Voted of the island,

entertainment is something we will never successfully categorize or easily reference. * * Let it be, as the song says. We all have our 15 minutes.

Let entertainment take as long as it wants to figure out what we 11 always want: to be entertained.

Call him Don Saddam, crime boss Has the U.S. made an offer Hussein camrefuse? By Zev Chafets Knight Ridder Newspapers

Asking whether the United States can fight Iraq and terrorism at the same time is like asking whether the feds can simultaneously go after crime and La Cosa Nostra.

In fact, Iraq and other Arab countries have a lot in common with the mob. They are, for one thing, family-run criminal enterprises. The Saud family controls Saudi Arabia the way iAl Capone ran Chicago. The Assad family dominates Syria and Lebanon. The boss of Cairo, Hosni Mubarak, is grooming son Gamal for succession. Iraq s Saddam Hussein is doing the same for his boys. Meantime, his blood relatives control everything worth controlling in Iraq.

Like Mafia dons, Saddam and other Arab bosses owe their power to brute force. Muscle keeps their subjects in line and the money flowing upward. %

: There are differences among the Arab families, just as there are variations in the Mafia. Wiseguys in Phoenix may not: dress like their Brooklyn colleagues, and may belong to different families, but they share a criminal culture. That S what put the puts the nostra in Cosa Nostra.

It is also what puts the league in Arab League. Arab families sometimes go to the mattresses with one another Saddam s invasion of Kuwait is an example

but more often, Mhey cooperate.

The Mafia has its standards and its virtues. Wiseguys are capable of good deeds, generosity and even a sort of piety. And they are famously adept at enforcing order in the neighborhood. The Arab families do this, too; diplomats call it maintaining regional stability.

Like the mob, the Arab families are big on honor, which they define as anything that suits their purposes, it is honorable by the standards of the Arab families to kill a political opponent, behead an adulterous woman, blow up an infidel building or Invade a wealthy neighbor.

Not everyone shares this view of Arab entitlement, and occasionally bosses like Saddam get called on the international (i.e., American) carpet. But, like their Mafia counterparts, Arab dons practice legal insulation.

There are always layers between the big man giving the orders and the little guys pulling the trigger.

This tactic works especially well when the victims aren t too interested in finding out who s

doing what to whom. It s called the Hoover Syndrome, named for former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who for decades denied the existence of organized crime. He didn t want his agents involved with the mob, so he simply pretended that crime in America was a series of unconnected events.

Modern-day Hooverites portray Arab terrorism as equally disembodied and random. What, for instance, does Iraq have to do with al-Qaeda? How would someone like Saddam even know a guy like Osama Bin Laden? What do they have in common except some friends, a shared culture and an enemy? Where s the legally admissible tape of bin Laden hanging out at the Saddamite Social Club? 1 In fact, there s no proof that

Saddam has ever mot a terrorist He played host to Abu Nidal in Baghdad for years? Big deal, Abu Nidal s dead now. Saddam pays Hamas bombers $25,000 a pop? Let s see the receipts. He ordered a hit on the first President George Bush in 1993? i J

Hey, his DNA wasn t found on the gun. Why go after Saddam? Why not wage war on terrorism instead?

11 s a question J. Edgar would have loved, and it is best asked in the Hoover position: eyes tightly shut, hands clamped over your ears,

PAGE 6 THEMERCIAD OCTOBER 3,2002

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT To contact: entertainmentmerciad@mervyhurst.edu

ThE BuzZ Oct. 15 Ratdog. Warner Theatre. Erie. $26.50. On sale Sept 20 at 10 a.m. at TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 452-4857 or 456-7070, online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Oct 18 ' Travis Tritt, Tullio Arena, Erie. S32.50, S25.50. On sale Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. at TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 452-4857 or 456-7070, online at" www. ticketm aster, co m.

Oct 22 Al DiMeoIa. Odeon, Cleveland. On sale Sept. 20 at TicketMaster.

Oct 25 Beck, Flaming Lips. Palace Theatre, Cleveland. On sale Sept. 21 at tickets.com.

Oct 30 No Use for a Name, Yellowcard, Eyeliners. Agora Theatre, Cleveland.

Oct 31 Yes. Bryce Jordan Center, State College. On sale Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. at (800) 863r.;; 3336 or at •; •• www.bjc.psu.edu.

Oct. 31 f Mest, Catch 22, Homegrown, Madcap. Agora Ballroom, Cleveland.

Nov.l Mushroomhead. Agora Theatre, Cleveland. On sale at TicketMaster.

Nov. 3 i|>!'-\#. Bob Dylan. Kent State Mac Center/Kent, Ohio. On sale Sept. 21 at TicketMaster.

Nov. 3 Pure Pop with True Vibe, Soujahz, Fat Chance. Orchard Hill Church, Wexford. On sale Sept. 21 at noon at TicketMaster.

Nov. 6v J Gregg Allman and Friends, Joe Bonamassa. Canton Palace Theatre, Canton, Ohio. On sale Sept. 21 at TicketMaster.

Nov. 7 Les Claypool Frog Brigade with Deadweight Metropol, Pittsburgh. On sale Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. at TicketMaster. »'

Nov. 10 Lords of Acid. Odeon, Cleveland. On sale Sept. 20 at TicketMaster.

Nov. 12 Down. Metropol, Pittsburgh. On sale Sept. . 21 at 5 p.m. at TicketMaster.

Nov. 13 vj Ataris, Sugarcult Agora Ballroom, Cleveland.

Nov. 13 Down. Odeon, Cleveland. On sale Sept. 20 at TicketMaster.

Nov. 16 Ray Bolt/.. Warner' Theatre, Erie. $ 19.25, $15.25. On sale Sept. 20 at| Tullio Arena box office, TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 452-4857 or 456-7070, online at ft www.ticketmaster.com.

Nov. 23 Club Paradise Tour with Phil Vassar, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Sixwire. Warner Theatre, Erie. On sale Oct. 5 at 10 a.m.

Nunzi's Place: A /most better than ajar of Rag u

Are you sick and tired of Sunday Pasta night in the Mercyhurst cafeteria? Instead wouldn t you like to find a local, family owned and operated Italian restaurant to fill your tummy?"Well, 1 thought I had the answer, but I failed." ""Right up East 38th Street lies Nunzi s Place, an establishment that prides itself on good old Italian family recipes, as the menu states specifically from Dad and Grandma, since 1953." -

You d at least think that since they claim all menu items are prepared fresh and with fine ingredients that you d be in store for some yummy Italian food the way your Grandma may make it. "But let me tell you, this Grandma needs to consult Food Network s Molto Mario. ""First off, I was expecting the atmosphere that I saw.**Family-style seating filled with Erie folk, not much decor, however one wall was mil of family pictures (I felt like I was being watched while I ate, afraid to finish what was on my plate), and a cozy town-ish bar.

It looked busy for a Thursday night, so I was hoping that the large crowd predicted the great taste of what was to come, but instead 1 was drawn to this conclusion: people in Erie don t know how to A) Open a jar of Ragu and heat it up, and B) Boil water and cook some pasta. "They, and I, would ve been much better off if we had taken these steps instead of relying on Nunzi.

Now for the run down on the food; the menu has a large selection to choose from, so my

Check, please By Betsy Donner Contributing writer

friends and I might have simply chosen three poor dishes out of the bunch."Basically any Italian dish you can think of, they have."Homemade spaghetti, manicotti, chicken and eggplant Parmesan, tortellini, and lasagna."They also have steaks and fish dinners, sandwiches, salads, and pizza and wings.

I got excited when I saw they had cannoli s on the dessert section of the menu, but I was later informed that they only carry one out of the five listed desserts, which happens to be pre-made. Once again, Grandma may have been too preoccupied with pinnacle to help out here.

Some good points:"they give you some great Italian bread before your entrees, and most dinners come with a salad, and they have homemade Italian dressing that was wonderful. Their prices are also good. Dinners are mainly in the $5-$9 range and they even sell a Prime Rib dinner for $9.50."I may have to be curious and stupid to go back and try that out."

Actually, I wouldn t mind giving Nunzi s a second shot to prove itself. I would just be sure to stay away from the red sauce this time;

If you are willing to give Nunzi s a go, head to 2330 East 38th Street, or call 825-2940 for details and specials.

Sweet Home Alabama: A cheesy chick flick at its worst

Reese Witherspoon is settling nicely into the It-Girl-Next-Door mold that Drew Barrymore and Alicia Silver stone once occupied in their heyday.

Sweet Home Alabama is nothing more than a date-movie catered to the charisma and talent of a rising star. ""It is written like a collage of the formula conventions one expects to find in a movie as lean on originality as this nice, but too,nice, romantic comedy. "'The plot is obligatory in this exercise.

We all know that Reese s character, Melanie Carmichael, a hick parading around in NYC as the big fashion designer, is going to end up with a happy ending and partake in a few chched jokes about southerners while milking every romantic comedy staple for all they are worth.

But Alabama s plot, which focuses on Melanie going back to her roots to get a divorce from her first hubby (charming Jake Lucas) before she can marry her second hubby to be, Andrew (played by 80s romantic comedy staple Patrick Dempsey),

Along the way, she must reconcile with her parents, her townsfolk and an identity the Big Apple can t truly hide from southern hospitality.

Never mind the leaps-of-faith the plot begs the audience to take (do we really buy that Melanie s parents haven t heard from her in seven years?), nevermind the eventual face-off between Andrew s mother, the Mayor of New York (played by Candice Bergen) and Melanie s folks r— we are here to see Miss Witherspoon do what she does best: look cute, act even cuter. "*Vk miss her presence when many a sub-plot choppily steals

Ticket stub By Phil Pirrello Opinion editor

her spotlight. When Witherspoon is absent, we are left watching a sub-par picture with an above-the-title character actress getting her first shot at Julia Roberts-esque marquee value.

The only support the film offers its star comes from Lucas, who makes a one-note caricature into a multi-dimensional character whom the audience more than welcomes.

Bergen s character is underwritten and left to do nothing more than bark and supply what a Hollywood politician would see as wise cracks. Bergen s personality dominates that which is absent from the character, thus leaving an annoying taste m'Sweet s narrative pallet.""

God forbid director Andy Tennant takes risks with the formula and tries to have fun with convention rather than play by the rules (then again, what can he do with a script whose dramatic epoch rests In the hands of Melanie s woe-is-me monologue at her dog s grave?)

Witherspoon lacks sufficient material to make Sweet Home Alabama anything more than a Friday night alternative to sitting at home.4

But a trip to the local Blockbuster offers a more rewarding evening, providing funnier films to cuddle to than this pedestrian attempt to make us laugh while showing us lesser scenes we ve seen done before in much better movies.

Calling Sail Dylan By William Hageman Chicago Tribune (KRT)

With another leg of Bob Dylan s 1 m-Going-to-Stay-on-the-Road-Until-I-0 utl i ve-All-My-Original-Fans Tour starting shortly, now s the time to get in on the Dylan Pool.

The Internet contest, dreamed up by University of British Columbia student Arthur Louie, is based on Dylan s ever-changing set lists.

Before each new phase of the contest, Louie gives every Dylan song a point value more points for ones Dylan seldom sings, fewer points for more familiar ones based on Dylan s track record with each tune. Contestants go to a Web site [pool.dylantree.com] and submit a list of songs they think he II play on the upcoming tour (there s no charge to participate). Once the tour starts, standings are kept based on what Dylan played each night, the point value of those songs and who guessed right. }

'There are a few songs that Dylan will perform only once or twice a year, Louie said. The most obscure tune he has pulled out recently is Quinn the Eskimo (the Mighty Quinn), which showed up on the last tour after a 33-year hiatus...

file photo When two worlds collide: Bob Dylan and Pope John Paul II.

Nobody could have possibly predicted it, Louie said.

Other songs are fairly safe bets.

There typically isn t much variation in bis encores, and you can usually expect to hear favorites such as 'Like a Rolling Stone and 'All Along the Watchtower, Louie said. Those songs aren t worth very many points in the pool because they re played so often.

At the end of each leg of the tour,Winners get fabulous prizes. Well, stuff Dylan CDs or posters or other music-related material all of it donated by* other contest participants. (More than 200 prizes were awarded at the end of the August tour.)

The site is run for free, and

people like to contribute by donating prizes, Louie said.

The prizes never come to me; we just match the people who donate the prizes with the people who win them. It s really amazing how generous people are.

More than 3,000 people have registered at the Web site. The question is, is Dylan one of them? J

Louie said an Associated Press story on the contest quoted Elliott Mintz, Dylan s spokesman, as saying Dylan is not a big computer guy.

However, I think it s entirely possible that Dylan s people could have informed him of the pool, Louie said. If that s the case, I hope it

gave him a good laugh.

"On Your Toes" It will get you on your feet By Bridget Hughes Contributing writer

To someone who may not be informed about the effect of dance on one s personality, perhaps he or she should take a break out from his busy schedule of studying at the library to attend a performance right in our own backyard.

That s right, the dance department here at Mercyhurst has gone all out, preparing a variety show, of performances promised to captivate and enchant any jff interested individual with that sparkle in their eye for dancing. 'k

On Your Toes is the upcoming performance series, which will be presented Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 28 at 4 p.m., and Parent s Weekend on Oct 5 at 11 a.m..

Such an invigorating title needs no clarification; surely all the participants agree that the recital will keep the audience engrossed and immersed in the many venues of dance that can be enjoyed by all.

Six pieces altogether comprise of a delightful and awe-inspiring demonstration of a behind the

scenes look at the world of dance.

A lecture demonstration consists of a ballet class ranging about twenty minutes, with nineteen girls showing off their dexterity? and proficiency working at the bar and doing exercises on the floor.

This is meant to give the audience a view through the eyes of a dancer and how classes are conducted. Paquita pas de Deux is another piece that will be performed at the recital. A duet comprising of Amanda and Brian Walker, both students here at Mercyhurst will be performing following the lecture demonstration.

The Liturgical Dance Ensemble consisting of fifteen students will also be performing a spiritual ballet piece. This is a very moving piece that has a lot of feeling, and is always a favorite of many when observing the emotions that come through very effectively as they dance.

Teachers and husband and wife team, Mark and Solveig Santillano will perform PasDe Tea for Deux. % A modern dance piece, this shows much expression and articulation of passion. It allows the viewer to step into another character,

feel the emotions and sense the true essence of this feature.

For Loss of Rene is a third duet that will be performed each weekend by two students at Mercyhurst. This is a contemporary ballet performance, which is choreographed by Ms. Tauna Hunter.

Lastly* a Jazz class comprising of eight girls will end the performance of On Your Toes with an ener getic and lively presentation to some upbeat music that the viewer can tap his or her foot to when he feels the immense excitement overtaking him, so much that he can no longer control himself. All right, so this may not occur for each and every person that attends a performance of On Your Toes. However, it is guaranteed that any person who takes part in this celebration of all things dance will truly be inspired to get their groove on and show their stuff the next time they decide to bust a move to a great song on the radio.

Sure, we all can t be the most talented dancers here at the Hurst, but why not have a little fun and cut loose with a vivacious attitude about dance and a lively spirit that makes you want to get On your toes.

0 0

fM*r

© Ken Ockenfels

The Everclear Concert is at the Hammermill Center at Gannon University on Sunday, October 6th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $17 and can be purchased at Gannon, Penn State Behrend,

Edinboro, Disc Go Round, Grasshopper, and World of

Music. VVe are still in the process of selecting an opening band, which will announced at a

later date. The concert is sponsored by the Activities

Programming Board at Gannon University.

October 3, 2002 THEMERCIAD PAGE 7

To contact^ sportmerci<3d@mercyhurst. edu

-JLAKER S PORTS

Men and women runners compete against Gannon Knight and Lauterbach each finish in first By Emily Pisula Contributing writer

The men s and women s cross country teams ran two strong races Saturday, Sept. 28 at Gannon. Both teams walked away with first place runs. This is the first time since the late 1980 s that Mercyhurst and Gannon have competed together for a dual race.

The men s team, having to complete a four mile course lost to Gannon with a score of 20-35. Junior Ryan Knight finished in first place with a time of 21:40. Freshman Pat Hauser followed behind Knight finishing in seventh place with a run of 22:30. Junior David Fredericks finished right behind Mauser in eight place with a run of 22:36, senior Steve Gerics finished in ninth place with a run of 22:37 and in tenth place sophomore Scott Bishop finished with a run of 22:39. The next race for the men is the LeMoyne Invitational, Saturday, Oct. 5.

The women s team competed on a 3.1 mile course defeating Gannon with a score of 17-45 and claiming seven of the top ten places. Junior Mindi Lauterbach won the race with a time of 19:13. Freshman Beth Kinneston came

Kathy Noble-Fraley/Contributing photographer

Junior Mindi Lauterbach and freshman Beth Kinneston finished in first and second places. respectively, for the Mercyhurst women s cross country team against Gannon. The Lady Lakers won their race 45-17. The men s cross country team also competed against Gannon losing 35-20. * j ' ?* v

in second place with a run of 19:24 and senior Kate Cywinski I finished in third place with a run of 20:01. Sophomore Heidi Irons finished in fifth place with a run

of 20:23 and sophomore Karen Thomas came in sixth place with a run of 20:24. The women s team is also competing in the LeMoyne Invitational this weekend.

The men s and women s teams will be running at Slippery Rock Oct. 12 and at the GLIAC Championships Oct 26 at Wayne State.

The big; question in college football: Who's No. 2?

\ \ nil % ^ < * •

By Wendell Barn house Knight Ridder Newspapers

FORT WORTH, Texas World War I had The Guns Of August, a book about how the war to end all wars started.

If someone was to write a book about the 2002 college football season, the publisher could call it rhe Losses Of September. Here

we are about to roll into October and the defeats have been numerous and significant

Already, 15 of the 25 teams ranked in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 have lost. Penn State closed the month by adding to that total. Florida State, Tennessee, Florida, Colorado, Washington and Nebraska were all Top 10 teams. The Buffaloes and the Huskers have tarnished the Big 12 Conference s Best In Football boasts by each having two losses before the baseball playoffs begin.

Two things are certain in a season that is becoming more and more unpredictable.

One: Of the Big Three in the Sunshine State, Miami, Florida and Florida State, either the Gators or the Seminoles will not be playing in the Fiesta Bowl. Each has a loss, and either Florida or Florida State will have two losses after they play each other Nov. 30.

Two: This is Miami s world and we re alt just taking up space.

The defending national champions took Saturday off. The Hurricanes are 4-0 and appear to have three challenges remaining _ Oct. 12 at home against Florida State, Nov. 9 at Tennessee and Dec. 7 at home against Virginia Tech.

Until proven otherwise, Miami is a strong favorite to be one of two teams playing for the national championship _ in the Fiesta Bowl. Who will be the Hurricanes victim, uh, opponent, should provide considerable drama over the next two months.

In the first four years of the Bowl Championship Series, the debate hasn t centered on who s

No. 1. There hasn t been much debate about Tennessee, Florida State, Oklahoma and Miami, all were undefeated teams. Determining the BCS Avis, who s No. 2, has been where the BCS hard drive has locked up.

This year should be more of the same. When the first BCS rankings are released Oct. 21, Jerry Palm projects that the top five will be Miami, Ohio State, the winner of the Oct. 12 Texas* Oklahoma game, Virginia Tech and Oregon. Palm is a Chicago-based math expert whose Web site ( w w w . c o l l e g e b c 8 . c o m ) accurately projects the BCS standings. £ With the 12-game schedule and the rash of defeats among ranked teams, it s becoming more obvious that there could be a bunch of teams with one loss. There -are some doomsday scenarios shaping up for the BCS:

Miami goes undefeated, but Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Oregon, Florida, Georgia and Virginia Tech all finish with one loss and all have a legitimate

claim to playing in the Fiesta BowE

The winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game goes into the Big 12 Conference Championship Game undefeated against an undefeated (or one loss) Kansas State or an 11-1 Iowa State. The Norm Division champion wins, but the BCS computers don t give either team enough love to justify a honeymoon in Tempe, Ariz. [- '*Undefeated Virginia Tech beats undefeated Miami in the season finale on a fluke play (say, a blocked punt). The Hokies are the only undefeated team, the Hurricanes are among several one-loss teams. Voters in both polls believe Miami is good enough to still be No. 2 and the Fiesta Bowl is a Hokies-Hurricanes rematch.

North Carolina State goes 13 -0, but the Wolfpack s weak schedule (two I-AA foes) keeps it from rising above No. 3 in the BCS ratings. N.C. State gets to play in the Orange Bowl instead.

Just over two months of games to be played, but the season s first

Lakers! welcome unbeaten Findlay Saturday

The Coaches; Marty Schaetzle (Bucknell 83) is in his first year at Mercyhurst Dan Simreli (Toledo 66) is in his third year at Findlay with an overall record of 9-16. -

The Series: Findlay leads 3-2. | £ ^jg }

Scouting Mercyhurst: Head coach Marty Schaetzle recorded bis first-ever GLIAC win last week and kept his home record unblemished at 2-0 with a 17-14 win over Northwood. Senior Faheem Williams 68-yard reception for a TD in the second half was the 12th TD reception of his career and his second longest catch. The Lakers are now 1 -2 against the Timberwolves and avenged a 51 -14 defeat at Northwood a year ago. Reserve QB Jim| Schuler is now 6 for 10 in his career for 118 yards, 2 TDs, and no interceptions. His 68-yard TD pass last Saturday was his career best. He also threw a tour-yard TD pass in a losing effort at Saginaw Valley State on September 21 Northwood had most of the statistics, but six turnovers and 78 yards in penalties proved costly. Mercyhurst freshman DB| Brandon Zangaro had the best game of his young career with seven solo stops, two tackles for loss, an interception, and one pass defended. The home team in the Findlay/Mercyhurst series has never won in the previous five games. The Oilers won the initial football game between the schools, 44-14 at Erie in 1997, then followed that with a 41-35 verdict at Erie in 1998. Mercyhurst squared the series with back-to-back 28-14 and 23-20 wins at Findlay in 1999 and 2000 before the Oilers recaptured the series lead with) a 24-14 decision in Erie last year. The Oilers grabbed a 24-0 lead at ha 1 ftime last season before settling for the 10-point win. LB Jackson Harris scooped up a Laker tumble and returned it 38 yards for the opening touchdown. Mercyhurst QB Mac McArdle and RB Phil Provenzano scored for Mercyhurst. Pro venzano leads the 2002 ground attack with 141 yards on 45 attempts (3.1). Marcus Patton had 67 yards last week aga Northwood. Mercyhurst quarterbacks are a combined 52 of 155 this season for 585 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions. Reserve QB Jim Schuler has thrown TD passes in the last two games. JefFThiel and Tim Siemon lead Laker receivers with 12 catches apiece. Senior Vinny Repucci leads the team in scoring with

[points. Repucci] 17 has

converted 4 of 8 field goals and all five points after touchdown. Brian Smith leads the defense with 17 solo and 10 assisted ttckles. DB Scott Mackar has two of Mercyhurst s six interceptions. Mercyhurst is -2 through four games in takeaway/giveaway.

Sconcing Findlay: The University of Findlay football team, ranked 22nd in the country entering Saturday s game, improved to 4-0 last week with a 42-23 victory over Michigan Tech. It was Findlay s first-ever victory over the Huskies. The Oilers are off to their best start since 1997 when they finished 14-0 and [won the NAIA Championship. Findlay s 42 points last week marked the fifth time since 1997 that the Oilers have scored more than 40 points in a game. Robert Campbell rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns. It was Campbell s first-ever three touchdown game and gave him eight on the season. He bad eight touchdowns in his first two seasons combined..The junior running back now has 693 yards on 143 carries (173.2 yards per game) and has totaled four straight 100-yard games, becoming the fourth running back in UF history to accomplish that feat. Campbell needs 248 yards to go over 2,000 career yards rushing. He [has moved into second in the country in rushing yards per game (173.3) and is also eighth in all purpose yardage (186.3) and tied for seventh in scoring (12.0 points per game). QB Jeff Fraser completed 13«of-14 passes (including 12 in a row) for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He connected with Josh Lenaburg on the longest pass play of his career, a 70-yard TD strike late in the second quarter. It was Lenaburg s first career TD.

Fraser s other TD pass was the first career touchdown for [freshman Tyler Beckley. Fraser has completed 63.0% of his passes this season (51-of-81). Hie UF record is 61.3% by Paul | Trina in 1978, Fraser s quarterback rating of 151.0 ranks him 16th in the country. Harry Garland, last year s GLIAC Freshman of the Year, had four punt returns for 57 yards and moved into 29th place in the country with a 12.1 punt return average.

Up Ahead: Mercyhurst will travel to Ashland Saturday, October > 12, for a 1:00pm kickoff. The Lakers will return home Saturday, Oct 19, to face Ferris State at 1:30.

Info by MC Sports Information

Graduation rates for Division I athletes at all-time high By Wendell Barnhouse Knight Ridder Newspapers

FORT WORTH, Texas Report cards are in, and the graduation rates for NCAA Division 1 student-athletes continue to improve slowly and steadily.

For the first time since the NCAA started tracking graduation rates in 1984, the graduation rate of Division I student-athletes reached 60 percent. By comparison, 58 percent of all students graduated.

1 lie study of Division I schools, which is federally mandated, is based on the class of incoming freshman student-athletes for-the 1995-96 school year, me

graduation rates are based on a six-year cycle for completing undergraduate degrees. A student-athlete who transfers from his or her original school is counted as a non-graduate even i 1 he or she graduates from another school. I

This is very encouraging, said Dr. Francis Lawrence, Rutgers president and chairman of the Division I Board of Directors Task Force on Academic Reform. This is the first graduating class of student-athletes who were required to have 13 high-school core courses (up from 11) in order to participate in athletics as freshmen. The results show that we are on the right track.

Nationally, graduation rates for men s basketball continued to be

troubling. The graduation rate for male basketball players in Division I increased to 43 percent, compared with 40 percent last year. And African-American male basketball student-athletes had a 35 percent graduation rate, up from 31 percent last year.

The graduation rates for individual schools can be misleading, particularly for a sport such as men s basketball, in which there are instances of players transferring. Also, a school s recruiting class is usually fewer than five players, so the percentages are skewed when one or two players transfer or leave school early for the NBA Draft.

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PAGE 8 THE MERCIAD

-LAKER S PORTS To contact: sportmerciad@ mercyhurst edu

OCTOBER 3,2002

Football defeats Northwood 17-14 New coach Marty Schaetzle earns first-ever'GUA C win By Bryan Christopher Contributing writer

The Mercyhurst football team bounced back homecoming weekend, outlasting Northwood 17-14.

More than 3000 came to watch the Lakers jump to a 3-0 lead, thanks to a ten play, 60 yard drive resulting in a 22 yard field goal for senior Vinny Repucci.

With 4:02 left in the first half, Mercyhurst took advantage of a Northwood fumble and senior quarterback Brett Weidig scored from six yards out

The Timberwolves scored a touchdown late in the third quarter. The Lakers answered immediately when sophomore quarterback Jim Schuler connected with senior tailback Faheed Williams for a 68 yard touchdown. Northwood again countered with a touchdown pass thrown with 1:42 left in regulation. Mercyhurst recovered the Timberwolves onside kick attempt and held on to preserve the win.

Sophomore Marcus Patton led the Laker running game with 20 carries for 67 yards. Quarterbacks Weidig, Schuler, and sophomore Clint Williams combined for 7-23 passing and 121 yards. They also threw three interceptions. Northwood outgained Mercyhurst 389 to 240 in yards of total offense for the game. ""Defensively junior linebacker Brian Smith led the way with eight and a halftackles. Senior Ike Morrison had two tackles for

Traun Moore/Contributing photographer Traun Moore/Contributing photographer

Senior Eric Bott tries to keep a Northwood player from catching a pass in the endzone as the rest of the Lakers battle against Northwood. Mercyhurst won the Homecoming game 17-14. The win was the first-ever GLIAC win for new head coach Marty Schaetzle.

Freshman Brandon Zangaro makes the tackle as senior Scott Mackar and senior Rob Keefe look on. Mackar is second on the team with 17 tackles, with 13 being solo. He also leads the team in interceptions with 2. Zangaro has made 10 solo tackles while Keefe has 8.

losses. Senior Scott Mackar and freshman Brandon Zangaro each had an interception.

Patton s 67 rushing yards give him 87 for the year, second to senior Phil Provenzano s 141.

Schuler leads the trio of quarterbacks with 444 of the teams 585 total passing yards. Brian Smith leads the defense with 22 tackles for the season and the defense as a team has

registered six sacks in four games. Mackar leads in interceptions with two.

The win marked head coach Marty Schaetzle s first GLIAC victory at Mercyhurst, and

improved the team s season record to 2-2 overall and 1 -2 in the conference.

The Lakers host another key GLIAC matchup against Findlay Saturday at 1:30.

Lakers ranked 23rd in pre-season Division I poll (Minneapolis, MN)

Minneapolis, MN The University of Minnesota, last year s NCAA Champion, was selected first in the Pre-Season USCHO.com Division I Men s Poll with 22 of a possible 40 first-place votes. Minnesota will attempt to overcome the losses of seniors like Hobey Baker winner Jordan Leopold on defense and goaltender Adam Hauser, as well as underclassmen like Jeff Taffe, who left school to sign with the

NHL s Phoenix Coyotes- Captain of this year s Gopher squad is last spring s NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player, Grant Potulny.

The University of Denver finished second in the poll with 12 first place votes. The Pioneers return nine of the top ten scorers and a top goaltending tandem from last year s squad that won the WCHA regular season and post-season titles.1

Other teams that captured first-place votes included Michigan,

which finished third, fourth-place New Hampshire, and fifth-place Boston University. Last year s NCAA runner-up, the Black Bears of Maine, finished in sixth-place. Michigan State, at seventh, will try to cope with the twin losses of head coach Ron Mason and Hobey Baker-winning goaltender Ryan Miller.

Cornell, which finished eighth, was the highest ranking school from the ECAC. Harvard, also from the ECAC, finished 14th.

Two teams that were unrated at the end of last season were in the top 15 teams of this poll. Boston College, which won the 2001 NCAA title but finished with just a 0.500 record at 18-18-2 last season, was selected ninth. North Dakota, which captured the 2000 NCAA title by downing the Eagles, finished last season at 16-19-2 but was selected 13th for this season. A total of 28 teams from all six Division I conferences earned votes.

The USCHO.com Poll is compiled by U.S. College Hockey Online, and consists of 40 voters, including 28 coaches from the Division I conferences and 12 beat writers from across the country. The poll is published weekly by the Associated Press.

Mercyhurst has three top ten teams on its 2002-03 schedule; Denver, Maine and Colorado College. Mercyhurst is the only MAAC League team to receive consideration from the voters.

Men's soccer still Lady Lakers take 3 wins undefeated: 8-0 record ranks Lakers 1st in Great Lakes Region By Emily Pisula Contributing writer

With a new head coach, the men s soccer team is off to a good start for the 2002 season. They are undefeated with an 8-0 record and are ranked first in the Great Lakes Region. The Lakers played two strong games Sept. 28 and 29, both ending with a shutout.

The Lakers hosted Alderson Broaddus Saturday, Sept. 28, winning 3-0. The Lakers scored twice within a three-minute span late in the first half of the game. Sophomore forward Mike Dlythe and junior defender Shane Hogan scored the goals for Mercyhurst. Hogan s goal was his fifth of the season. Senior forward J.P. Kitcho

scored his third goal of the season late in the second half to complete the scoring. Sophomore goaltenders Matt Sullivan and Marty Ruberry helped to combine for the shutout.

The Lakers went on to host Truman State Sunday, Sept. 29. With a tough game the Lakers defeated Truman State 1-0. Senior defender Shawn Burke, scored the only goal of the game on a penalty kick at 42:14. The goat was Burke s first of the season and the Laker s second successful penalty kick of the 2002 season. The shutout improved Ruberry s record to 8-0, giving him credit with four saves in the game. The men s soccer team will be

away at Northwood Friday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. and at Ashland Friday, Oct. 11 at 4:30 p.m.

By Bryan Christopher Contributing writer \

A weekend sweep of Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan has the Lady Lakers on a roll.

Trailing 2-1 on Friday, Mercyhurst stormed back to win 3-2 against Michigan Tech* Wins in games two, four and five by scores of 32-30, 30-27 and 15-9 offset losses of 30-24 and 30-21 in games one and three. Sophomore Lyndsi Hughes led the way with 23 kills and freshman Kari Clapham logged 58 assists.

We struggled a bit against Michigan Tech, said head coach Missy Soboleski,

The streak stayed alive Saturday with a win over Lake Superior State. 11 took just three games and scores of 31 -29,30-24 and 30-24. Senior Leslie Macko and Hughes combined for 23 kills while Clapham added 33 assists.

The first defeat of Northern Michigan sealed the Mercyhurst sweep. Hughes and Clapham again led the way, registering 19 kills and 40 assists.

Hughes leads the team average with more than four kills per game, and Clapham averages 10.86 assists per game. As a team, Mercyhurst has registered 814 kills to their opponents 463, good for a 13.8-7.8 average margin,

Hughes is named GLIAC player of the week this week.

The wins raised the Lady Lakers to 13-3 on the season, and 5-1 in the GLIAC, marking the school s best start since 1993. An exceptional balance of senior leadership and underclassmen contribution has the team sitting in second place in the South Division, and vying for a spot in the Division II top 25.

1 m glad we re 5-1 in the GLIAC, Hughes added, I knew we could be here, but it was all a matter of if the girls could put it together as a team.

The Lady Lakers put their unbeaten road record on the line against Wayne State Friday and Hillsdale Saturday before returning home to host Grand Valley State Monday.

Women's hockey ranked 13th in Division I

,: Monday SPIN CLASSES

Spin 4:30PM

Wednesday Spin

Friday Spin

4:30PM

4:30PM

Minnesota-Duluih, last year s national champion, finished first in pre-season balloting for the USCHO.com Division I Women s Pol) The Bulldogs will be led this year by returning Olympian Jenny Potter, and will look to become the first women s hockey team to win three consecutive NCAA titles this spring, when Duluth hosts the finals in March.

The only other team to gamer a first place vote was sister-school Minnesota, based out of the Twin Cities. Following a year that saw the Gophers surpass expectations, Minnesota will surprise no one this year, finishing second in the poll. Two Olympians, Krissy

Wendell and Natalie Darwitz, join the squad as freshmen.

Finishing third are the Crimson from Harvard University, which was recently named first in the ECAC pre-season coaches poll. Canadian Gold medalist and Patty Kazmaier--winner Jennifer Botterill returns as a senior, and is joined by U.S. Olympians Angela Ruggiero and Julie Chu.

Ivy League schools captured four ol the top ten spots, as fourth* place Dartmouth, fifth-place Brown and tenth-place Princeton, joined Harvard. Other schools in the top ten were WCIIA member Wisconsin and St. Lawrence of the ECAC. New league Hockey

East had two representatives with Providence at eighth and Northeastern at ninth. The Huskies will look to replace the scoring punch of last year s Patty Kazmaier winner, Brooke Whitney, who was lost to graduation.

Mercyhurst will play six of the top ten teams this season. They include Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, Wisconsin, St. Lawrence, and Princeton. The Lady Lakers will also compete against # 11 Niagara amd #14 Ohio State.

Upcoming 'Hurst Sportti

Cross country The men s and women s cross country teams will compete in the LeMoyne Invitational in Syracuse, NY Saturday, Oct 5.

Football The Mercyhurst football team will host unbeaten GLIAC opponent Findlay Saturday, Oct 5 at 1:30 p.m.

Field hockey The women s field hockey team plays at Shippensburg Saturday, OcU 5 at 1 p.m. and at Lock Haven Sunday, Oct 6 at 1 p.m.

Men s Golf The men s golf team competes in the GLIAC Championships at Grand Valley State this Saturday and Sunday. The team also travels to Allegheny Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Women s golf The women s golf team heads across town as it takes on Gannon this Sunday and Monday. The Lady Lakers host the Mercyhurst Invitational Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Men s hockey The men s hockey team begins its 2002-2003 season with an exhibition game against Brock University Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

lt\fo by MC Sports Infotmation

Women s hockey The women s hockey team begins its 2002-2003 season hosting Bemidji State Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.'and Saturday, Oct 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Men s soccer The men s soccer visits GLIAC opponent Northwood Friday, Oct 4 for a 4 p.m. game.

Women s soccer The women s'soccer team travels to Northwood for a 2 p.m. game Friday, Oct. 4 and to Northern Michigan Sunday, Oct 6 for a 1 p.m. game. They visit Slippery Rock Wednesday, Oct 9 at 4 p.m. > ;

Tennis The men s tennis team competes in the I.T.A. Regional Championships in Bloomsburg, PA this Saturdays Sunday and Monday,' The men s and women s tennis teams both take on Edinboro at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Women s volleyball The women s volleyball team travels to Wayne State Friday, Oct. 4 for a 7 p.m. game and to Hillsdale at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5.

Men s water polo The men s water polo team travels to Washington & Jefferson this Saturday. "I he Lakers play Perm State Behrend at 10 a.m., Washington & Jefferson at 1 p.m. and Grove City at 5:30 p.m. The team also plays Grove City again at Perm State Behrend Tuesday, Oct 8 at 6:30 p.m. i;