The Merciad, April 2, 2008

8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008

1/24

Clinton talks on

economy, education

Bishop boycotts

graduation

College looks into

political policies

NEWS 2 NEWS 3 NEWS 3


2/24

NEWSPAGE 2 April 2, 2008

Hillary Clinton speaks at Hurst

Students had the chance to

write themselves into Mercy-

hurst Colleges history books

this week.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clin-

ton (D-N.Y.) addressed over 3,000

members of the Erie community

Tuesday evening in the Mercy-hurst Athletic Center (MAC).

The Rocky theme song played

as Clinton climbed onto the stage

to cheers and applause from the

crowd.

Her talk, Solutions for the

Pennsylvania Economy, lasted

no more than 45 minutes. During

her time on stage, she highlighted

her plans for education, the

economy, the environment andthe War in Iraq.

It took a Clinton to clean up

after the first Bush and its going

to take a Clinton to clean up after

the second, she said. And Im

excited about doing it.

Clinton addressed the dif-

ficulties the average American

family faces in order to survive

in todays economy.

She said she plans to bring jobsback into the U.S. by eliminating

the benefits companies receive

when moving their business

outside of the States.

First we are going to return

fairness in America... she said.

We need to use our money to

help create jobs right here in

the U.S.

Clinton assured the crowd

that she was the person to make

the effective changes in the U.S.

economy.

We need a president with a

plan, she said. A president who

will ask everyday, What have we

done to create jobs in Erie or

Jamestown or wherever?

The presidential hopeful said

one way she will improve the

economy is by bringing home the

troops and cutting the funding for

the War in Iraq.Its time to put an end to the

blank check that George Bush

has been given to fund this war,

she said.

One way Clinton plans to

increase our national security is

by ending our addiction to oil,

she said.

Clinton plans to eliminate our

reliance on oil by finding clean,

renewable alternative energysources.

She specifically addressed the

ideas of utilizing solar energy,

increasing research for biofuels

and harnessing wind energy,

something she joked, Should be

no problem for Erie.

Two major issues of the Clinton

campaign are the affordability of

healthcare and higher education.

How do you put a price ongood health, she asked. How

do you put a price on a good

education?

Clinton addressed the increasing

number of uninsured Americans

as well as the increasing number

of insured Americans who are still

unable to pay medical bills.

Clinton said she wants to make

healthcare more affordable now

with the future goal of a universalhealthcare program.

Throughout her speech, the

cost of higher education was

continually addressed.

If you want to come to a great

college, a college like Mercyhurst,

than I want to help you afford to

go to that college, she said.

Clinton said she wants to

increase the number of pre-kin-

dergarten programs in order to

produced better-prepared grade

school students.

We need every child to be

prepared to start school so they

wont be so far behind by third

grade that theyre ready to drop

out by sixth, she said.

Addressing the young people

in the crowd, Clinton said, For

me, this is not just about the nextelection. This is about the next

generation. I want you to havethe same opportunities that I had

and that your parents had in this

great nation.

She told the audience, This

is the story for AmericaWe

are the people who are looking

to make tomorrow a better day

something she promises to do

if elected.

A long line

Some students waited in aline that stretched as far as the

Audrey Hirt Academic building

for over seven hours to hear

Clinton talk.

We were the first people to

get here, at 11 in the morning

and it was worth it, said junior

Jon Tirk. I wanted to be able to

meet her, shake her hand and get

an autograph.

Sophomore Ian Michalski said

he wanted the best seat in the

house.

Ive not made a decision on

who Im voting for, he said.

So, I hope this will help make

my decision.

Sophomore Nadine Beres said

she felt the same way.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity, said sophomoreNadine Beres. College students

need to be informed. Were sup-posed to be educated and well-

rounded students through a

liberal arts education, so we need

more opportunities like this.

A grand welcome

After a series of introductions,

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Ren-

dell and President of Mercyhurst

Young Democrats junior Tim

Knecht, joined Clinton on stage

to chants of Hillary from theaudience.

If its change you are looking

for, look no further, said Knecht.

Sen. Clinton is a remarkable

woman who will make a remark-

able president.

Hursts historic moment

I think this is a historic moment

for the country and a great oppor-

tunity for the students, said

Mercyhurst College President Dr.

Thomas Gamble.

Erie Press Secretary for Hill-

ary Clinton Kamyl Bazbaz said

many sites were considered, but

Mercyhurst presented the best

atmosphere.

Mercyhurst offered a venue

that is intimate but still can pack

a lot of people, he said. She

wants to be able to connect withthe audience but still get her mes-

sage out.Bazbaz said he is aware of the

controversy with Bishop Donald

Trautman, who is now refusing

to attend Mercyhursts gradua-

tion due to their acceptance of

Clintons invitation to speak.

We respect the bishops view

and what he has said but we

understand that the college wants

to offer students an amazing

chance to take part in a historicalelection, he said.

We really just want to give the

Erie community a chance to hear

first-hand what Sen. Clinton has

to say, said Bazbaz. Whats most

important, and our goal, is that

Sen. Clintons message is heard

loud and clear.

Erie County Executive Mark

Divecchio said Clintons visit

demonstrates her dedication.

Hillary coming to Erie, or

Mercyhurst, just shows her com-

mitment to the campaign, the

working class people and the

small communities, he said.

It is a great way for her to ener-

gize the people in the Erie com-

munity and other small commu-

nities not just the big cities where

all the political focus tends tobe placed.

By Casey GreeneManaging editor

Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke Tuesday evening to over 3,000 people in the Mercyhurst Athletic

Center, focusing on the Pennsylvania economy.

Scoot Williams photo


3/24

PAGE 3NEWSApril 2, 2008

Bishop boycotts

2008 graduation

Erie Catholic Bishop Donald

Trautman will not attend Mer-

cyhurst Colleges graduation

ceremony this year in protest

over Democratic presidential

candidate Hillary Clintons visitto campus on April 1.

In a statement issued by Traut-

man, he says by allowing Clinton

to speak, the college is taking a

pro-choice position concerning

abortion.

I am disappointed in Mer-

cyhurst College for not reflect-

ing the pro-life stance of the

Catholic Church regarding

abortion. As tangible expres-sion of my disappointment,

I have notified (Mercyhurst

College President Dr. Thomas

Gamble) that I will not be

present for Mercyhurs t s

graduation, he said in a state-

ment issued Monday. I am

open to meeting with Dr.

Gamble in the future to ascertain

how the Catholic identity of

Mercyhurst can be better clari-

fied.

Diocesan spokesman Msgr.

Tom McSweeney could not be

reached for comment.

Gamble said that while Traut-

mans absence will be missed,

the college must act in a way that

will meet the educational needs

of the students.

While we respect Bishop Trautmans decision, we are

saddened by it and will deeply

miss his presence at gradua-

tion, he said Monday. Our

mission counsels us to educate

our students in an environ-

ment where faith and reason

flourish together, and toward that

end provide opportunities for

our students to be well informed

politically and religiously.Students said they have mixed

opinions on the bishops absence

at graduation.

Senior Phyllis Roman said

she will not miss Trautman at

graduation.

If he doesnt want to come

to our graduation, its his loss,

she said. I dont think many

people will be traumatizedI

mean, were supposed to belearning and supporting voting

and civic duties.

Junior Dan Racitano said he

did not support Clinton coming

to campus, and even more so

now that the bishop is not

attending graduation.

I kind of feel with Hillary

(on) campus and this being a

conservative campusthat

this is a negative side of her

coming, he said. I thinkwe

should have thought about

having Hillary come before

we went ahead and invited her

hereit goes against our Catho-

lic ideals.

Racitano said though its

beneficial to have a potential

presidential candidate come to

campus and speak, the college

should not shy away from its

Catholic faith.

Im against Hillary coming

here, and if he (Trautman) is

going not (to attend graduation)

out of protest, then I think

its a wrong move on the col-

lege.

Kamyl Bazbaz, Clintons Erie

press secretary, said the campaign

recognizes the bishops view.We greatly respect the

Bishops point of view on the

subject, and also appreciate(d)

the opportunity to speak to stu-

dents and the Erie community

in this historic election, he

said.

Gamble said the college will

keep with the Catholic tra-

dition by planning to host a

forum before the general elec-tion about the Responsible

Catholic and the 2008 Elec-

tion.

Father James Piszker, the col-

leges chaplain, said Trautmans

protest raises concerns about a

pertinent subject.

I think hes expressing his

concern about a very important

issue to the Catholic church,

which is connected to the

Catholic identity of a college

like Mercyhurst, he said.

Gamble said the college

does reflect its religious roots and

plans to meet with Trautman.

We look forward to engaging

in conversations about the most

authentic way for Mercyhurst

to meet both its religious and

its educational obligations,

he said.

By Joshua WilwohlEditor-in-chief

School looks at

political policies

Roughly a week after Mer-

cyhurst College President Dr.

Thomas Gamble stated that he

will look into a policy regardingthe presence of political can-

didates on campus, the college

announced it would be the venue

for Sen. Hillary Clinton for her

Solutions for the Pennsylvania

Economy address Tuesday

evening.

Gamble, however, said the

college still has plans to develop

the political policies.

He announced the formationof two committees that will look

into two separate policies.

The one, headed by Associate

Vice President of Advance-

ment Dr. David Livingston, is

in charge of recommending

guidelines for the presence of

political candidates and related

activities on campus.

The other committee, chaired

by Vice President of StudentLife Dr. Gerry Tobin, plans

to recommend a policy that

will address the types of paid

advertisements, including politi-

cal advertisements, the Merciad

should accept.

Since there is no specific policy

governing paid political adver-

tising, Gamble said the college

is temporarily suspending the

placement of such advertise-

ments until the committee makes

its recommendation.

The questions about the policy

were brought to light when the

Merciad ran a paid political

advertisement for Obama for

America.

According to the Erie Catholic

Diocese, political advertisements

are prohibited in any of its pub-

lications because, as a non-profit

entity, the Merciad would have to

accept advertisements from all

candidates, including those who

support abortion.

Tobin said that the college

considered Clintons visit as an

opportunity for Mercyhurst to

engage students in an educationaland political dialogue, and is in

no way similar to a paid political

advertisement.

Tobin says that the differ-

ence between the allowance of

advertisements and someone

speaking is that there is a ques-

tion and answer session that gives

students the chancefor dialogue,

versus a paid printed political

advertisement that does not.It is by no means an endorse-

ment of the candidate and their

views, said Tobin.

He said the college sent all

political candidates an invitation

to use Mercyhurst as a venue

if they planned to make a stop

in Erie.

Clinton was the first to answer

the invitation, issued three weeks

prior to the Merciads running ofthe Obama for America adver-

tisement, said Tobin.

Once the invitation was

extended, we werent inclined to

rescind the invitations, he said.

Tobin said Clintons visit

should in no way affect the com-

mittees views on the separate

policies.

It does not influence my

objective, he said. I hope were

all open minded enough to go

into the committee with a good,

clear thinking that will help guide

us now and into the future.

Tobin said the committees

plan to meet by the end of this

week.

Gamble said he expects the

committees to make recom-

mendations to him in the next

two weeks.

By Ashley PastorStaff writer

Erie Bishop will not attend graduation ceremony

in protest over Clintons pro-choice stance and

appearance on Hursts campus Tuesday evening


4/24

PAGE 4 NEWS April 2, 2008

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Hurst students crack methamphetamine case

Two Mercyhurst College intel-

ligence studies student interns

received praise from the Penn-

sylvania Attorney General Tom

Corbett after helping the Bureau

of Narcotics Investigation and

Drug Control dismantle a massive

methamphetamine case.Juniors Samantha Shelnick and

Justin Zabiegala analyzed over

35,000 lines of data gathered

from various pharmacies across

Pennsylvania and Ohio.

They pinpointed 29 individu-

als who were involved in what

is being called the oldest-known

methamphetamine manufac-

turing operation in north-

west Pennsylvania.

Director of the investigation

and 1981 graduate from Mer-

cyhurst, Dennis Tobin, credited

Shelnick and Zabiegala for dis-

covering patterns and trends

indicating criminal behavior.

By analyzing data, Shelnick and

Zabiegala identified red flags, or

customers who bought multiple

boxes of pseudoephedrine in the

same day.The most difficult aspect of

the internship was how tedious

it was to input and analyze the

logs; but obviously that work is

very necessary and worth it in the

end, Shelnick said.

Guiding Shelnick and Zabie-

gala through out the case, faculty

advisor David Grabelski said,

The data lines that were exam-

ined were names of individuals

who bought pseudoephedrine

products.

The difficult part was analyz-

ing the data to determine further

relationships that were useful,

such as who is shopping with

whom, the area where theyre

shopping and if they are shop-

ping in more than one location

every day, Zabiegala said.

Shelnick and Zabiegalasefforts led agents to connect the

accomplices or pill shoppers

to the operation leaders, Robert

and James Frey.

Attorney General Corbett

said investigators believe broth-

ers Robert and James Frey from

Albion, Pa., were the organizers in

the operation for 14 years.

Investigators seized 9.6 pounds,

or $142,000 worth, of meth and

meth oil from the Frey brothers

home.

The investigation, Operation

Family Cook-Out, began in

March 2007.

Three interns before Shelnick

and Zabiegala also helped and

contributed with the investiga-

tion.

They (Shelnick and Zabiegala)

put the final touches on the inves-tigation, said Greblaski.

Shelnick and Zabiegala saved

the citizens of Pennsylvania a

significant amount of money by

dismantling the meth operation.

They did the work load of one

police officers annual salary for

free, said Greblaski.

Neither Shelnick nor Zabiegala

were paid while interning.

The most challenging part of

the internship was balancing the

different projects I was assigned,

specifically when were right in

the middle of a big case like the

Frey case, Zabiegala said.

In a given day, I might come

in to simply update our master

database, but then I might be

tasked to do work on a current

investigation, said Zabiegala.

And if we are close to makingarrests or executing search war-

rants I might be tasked to gather

information to facilitate that

process.

Shelnick said the internship was

somewhat challenging, but that

his training from Mercyhursts

intelligence really gave him the

tools needed to be helpful in this

investigation.

By Liz MaierStaff writer


5/24

PAGE 5NEWSApril 2, 2008

Life after graduation

It is the home stretch of the2007-2008 school year.

With about a month and a

half left in the spring term, its

a busy time for students and

employees.

Everyone is working hard

for finals, making their summer

plans and, for some, getting

ready for the Europe trip.

But for the seniors, they are

making the most important plansof all: preparing themselves for

their graduation.

Preparation for the com-

mencement ceremony is a year-

round project, starting in August

when the potential graduates are

contacted.

In February, Sr. Pat Whalen

and the Registrars office go

through all the applications and

make sure each student has 120credits, the minimum required

to graduate, and to make sure all

core classes have been taken and

to check if there are any incom-

pletes or courses missing.

This is a courtesy to the

seniors because we are making

sure they can graduate, Whalen

said.

The time leading up to gradu-

ation is a very busy time.

Several special events are set

up for the seniors as they wrap

up their college journey.

Events include the senior

dinner dance, which will be heldon Friday, May 9 and the senior

outing to Splash Lagoon on

Thursday, May 15.

There is also the dedication

of the senior gift, and an alumni

reception on Friday, May 16.

The senior picnic, sports awards

banquet, academic awards dinner

and, for the first time ever, Mer-

cyhurst will host its own ROTC

Commissioning Ceremony takingplace on Saturday, May 17.

Sunday, May 18at 2:00 p.m. the

official commencement ceremony

begins, with a farewell reception

afterwards.

Tickets are not required for

friends and family to attend.

General seating is available.

With such a busy schedule

for the last remaining weeks of

school, what are the seniors doingto prepare?

Honestly, Im not really doing

anything to prepare for gradu-

ation. I know where I am living

next year, and since I am taking a

year off before graduate school,

I have a lot of time to figure out

most of the details of my future,

senior Tricia Dallas said.

Im just enjoying what time

I have left with all of my friends

and making sure I am making the

most of it.

Senior and forensic science

major Kyle Scully said he wants

to go to graduate school, and iswaiting on responses from the

ones he applied to and is just

having fun.

Senior and Intel major Chad

Tilburg is spending his time

interviewing with government

and private agencies in hopes of

finding a job.

I plan to move to Washington

D.C. and work in a national secu-

rity-related profession, Tilburgsaid.

Although it may be a stressful

time of the year, seniors should

enjoy their last trimester at Mer-

cyhurst College.

Succeed in your coursework,

appreciate your final days in Mer-

cyhursts education system and

enjoy yourself, Whalen said.

Whalen also encouraged seniors

to periodically check WebAdvisorand look under course evaluation

just to double check the number

of credits they have, if their core

has been met and if there are

any incompletes or courses not

taken.

Jeff Cagle, 2007 alumni, said,

Dont slack off. Its really easy to

just kick back with friends, but the

last thing you want to do is have a

bad last term, grade wise.

By Emily GrabowskiContributing writer

Mercyhurst College class of 2008 students will soon thow their caps in the air tosymbolize the end of their undergraduate studies and the next step in their adult l ives.

Contributed photo

For students interested in giv-

ing to others then Dr. Stephen

Post is sure to intrigue them.

Post, a famous biochemist will

come to Mercyhurst College on

April 3.

Post will speak about his newbook, Why Good Things Hap-

pen to Good People.

The book and the topic of his

presentations will focus on the

idea of giving.

Post will talk about how it

is important to be generous

person and Post will also focus

on how giving is beneficial to a

persons health.

Post has developed a scale formeasuring how a person gives

and how they can improve their

ability to give to others.

Post was contacted to speak

by religious studies professor

Dr. Daniel McFee, who said

Post was thrilled to have the

chance to come to Mercyhurst,

having been a teacher at a Mercy

university for years.

There will be two opportuni-ties for students and the general

public to listen to Posts pre-

sentation.

The first is a roundtable dis-

cussion in Mercy Heritage Hall

on April 3 at 4:15 p.m.

This roundtable discussion

will focus on Altruism and the

Shaping of Our Lives and will

have five students from McFees

Social Ethics class dialoguingwith Post about the topic.

McFee believes that students

can greatly benefit from this

opportunity.

He said that Posts inter-

disciplinary work will inter-

est students from all fields,

including psychology, religion,

ethics, gerontology and other

disciplines.

Dr. Posts interdisciplinary

approach allows readers to visu-

alize the nexus between his ideas

and their own fields of interest,

McFee said.

Sophomore Nadine Beres be-

lieves that this discussion will be

interesting and beneficial.

I volunteer a lot and give

a lot back to the community,

so I think it will be interest-

ing to see where he is comingfrom. I also sometimes wonder

the same thing about why cer-

tain things happen to certain

people because I believe that

sometimes bad things can hap-

pen to good people as well,

said Beres.

McFee also believes that stu-

dents will leave these discus-

sions feeling empowered.

Posts basic points focus ongenerosity, giving, and how to

lead a good life. I find myself

empowered by his overwhelm-

ingly positive approach, he

said.

McFee believes that even stu-

dents who disagree with Posts

approach or arguments can still

feel moved in some way by his

presentation.

Sophomore Carly Rae Eisen-hauer agrees that this approach

will probably strike a chord with

some people.

I think that some people will

definitely change their view-

point about giving to others af-

ter hearing a presentation about

this topic, said Eisenhauer.

Junior Erik Penn believes that

his views may be challenged by

Post.I dont necessarily believe

that good things always hap-

pen to good people, however I

do think that good people give

back. It will be interesting to

hear what Dr. Post has to say

about this idea, said Penn.

Students and the general pub-

lic will also be able to hear Post

speak on April 3 at 8:15 p.m. in

the Walker Recital Hall.

By Julie HranicaStaff writer

Biochemist to speakabout generosity


6/24

NEWSPAGE 6 April 2, 2008

Beautify Erie: anti-graffiti project

Mercyhurst College students

are taking a stand on the war

against graffiti.

The city of Eries anti-graf-

fiti squad is now active and

helping to put an end on the

vandalism.

Headed by Eries third WardDistrict Judge Tom Carney; the

group uses a multitude of dif-

ferent skills and techniques to

tactically remove and suppress

the graffiti.

Other members of the group

include Christopher D. Hitz,

president of Advanced Drying

and Restorations; Dennis

Braendel II, vice president of

Braendel Painting and Services;John Tretter, business agent for

Laborers Local 603; downtown

businessman Tom Tippy

Dworzanski; Wally Brown, coor-

dinator of the Little Italy Neigh-

borhood Crime Watch Group;

David J. Grabelski, assistant

professor at the Institute for

Intelligence Studies and Maria

L. Garase, assistant professor

at Gannon Universitys criminaljustice program.

Along with this team are

Mercyhurst students who play

a critical role in the intricate

process.

Their job is to map out

and record graffiti sites around

the city so the team can ana-

lyze the data and effectively

respond.

Back in January of 2008Mayor Joe Sinnott made an

announcement about the

task force and I wondered if

students could help, Gra-

belski said, Once I heard

this, I called Judge Carney and

of fe r ed s tuden t invo lve -

ment.

A f t e r a m e e t i n g w i t h

Carney discussing the potential

role students would play in

the force; the involvement

was approved by Mayor Sin-

nott.

Graffiti is a hard problem

to deal with, but weve got to

start dealing with it and do the

best we can to stay out in front

of it and combat it Sinnott

said.

With the force in place, it

was time to put the students

to work. Taking into account the

amount of buildings vandal-

ized, the square footage, specific

taggers and the communitys

perception of these crimes the

team can determine hotspots

around the city that would yield

the most positive results when

cleaned.

We need good analysts to

help find solutions to this prob-lem, said Grabelski, So far I

have had good help.

Each term new students are

hired to intern with the team

and put their analytical skills

to work.

Grabelski said that this is a

long-term program he hopes to

see grow stronger.

Currently we have two

undergraduate students and onegraduate student helping; there

may be more in the future,

Grabelski said.

Junior Intelligence Studies

major Ryan Heise said that he

believes the program would

give students excellent field

experience and a feel for what

that type of work would con-

sist of.

Also as a local resident,Heise would like to see the

city cleaned up and put back in

better shape.

The first project was com-

pleted on March 20; remov-

ing graffiti on a wall near the

northeast corner of State Street

and the Bayfront Parkway.

We have the equipment,

we have the knowledge and

we have the staff to be able to

take care of these problems to

be part of beautifying the city,

task member Christopher Hitz

said. Were going to be doing

a lot more in the next couple

months.

Several students outside of

the Intelligence Studies pro-

gram feel that this is a great

opportunity to get involved and

make the community better as

a whole.

When you walk across

campus and see graffiti on

benches and trash cans, you

wonder what is being done to

stop it, said Sophomore Josh

Nordin. Now Mercyhurst stu-

dents are helping to clean up our

city and hopefully clean up our

campus next.

Nothing we do here is going

to stop graffiti; all you can do

is minimize it. said Grabelski.

This program is a win-win for

the city, state and college.

With the experience and com-

mitment from the Mercyhurst

community, major changes are

in our future.

By Tim HuckoStaff writer

Graffiti can be seen all over the United States in both rural and urban areas. Mayor Joe

Sinnott wants to clean it up, starting with Erie.

Contributed photo

The city of Eries anti-graffiti squad is now active and helping to put an end on

vandalism found throughout the city.

Contributed photo


7/24

NEWS PAGE 7April 2, 2008

The Career Services office, located in 201 Old Main, can help Mercyhurst College students

find a variety of different summer jobs.

Contributed photo

Career Services helpswith summer jobs

For incoming freshmen and

future sophomores, summer

will be a relaxing break from the

stress of college.

But for most juniors and

seniors, this is the time for

summer jobs and internships.

Elise Zigrossi, a junior major-ing in Art Therapy, will be stay-

ing in Erie this summer.

She will be interning for

LArche, a community for men-

tally and physically handicapped

people, as a relief aid.

Im exited to finally be using

my school knowledge out in the

real world, I really feel like Ill

make a difference in the Erie

community, said Zig rossi.Career service director, Bob

Hvezda, said that students usu-

ally do internships for college

credit but that it is also a great

learning experience.

It looks great on a resume

and for them to market them-

selves to employers for full time

jobs as well as get one or several

letters of recommendation,

said Hvezda.

Mercyhurst provides students with a variety of ways to find

jobs and internships in different

majors as well as helping them

with their resumes.

Career Services has a bulletin

board outside of their office

in Main 201 where they post

summer jobs and several helpful

web pages.

There is also a binder in the

office that students can ask forand review.

Mercyhurst also provides

students with the possibility to

be interns in the college.

There is usually an average

of 250 students from all majors

doing summer internships at

Mercyhurst.

Over the last two years, Mer-

cyhurst has had interns from 24

different states and five differentcountries, said Hvezda.

Some students rather intern

or work at home.

Junior Matt Campanelli, for

example, is going back home to

Elmira, NY for the summer.

He is a dual majoring in crimi-

nal justice and sociology and will

be working at the Elmira Water

Board. He will also be doing an

internship in the police depart-

ment of his town.I look forward to my intern-

ship this summer, itll be fun,

said Campanelli.

International student Sebas-

tian Thais will also be going

home this summer. He is a

junior majoring in Political Sci-

ence and hopes to get a job in

his home country of Peru.

I dont have an internship

yet mainly because I am tryingto get one back home working

for a congressman, hopefully Ill

get good news about that soon,

said Thais.

Another poss ib i l i ty for

spending the summer is stay-

ing on-campus taking some

courses.

Mercyhurs t offers var i -

ous summer sessions where

students can earn three creditsin three weeks or up to six

credits in six weeks.

This is a good option for stu-

dents who are behind or want

to get ahead in their work in

order to alleviate the class load

of the school year.

Summer classes are demand-

ing, but at the same time they

allow students to have free time

to enjoy the sun.

By Javiera CubillosStaff writer

The applied forensic science

department has been receiving

recognition lately.

Dr. Steven Symes, an applied

forensic science professor, has

received the lifetime achievementaward and students have been

presenting papers at national

association meetings.

The undergraduate program

consists of four specialized con-

centrations which are foren-

sic anthropology, criminalistics,

forensic wildlife investigation, and

forensic chemistry.

According to Dr. Dennis

Dirkmaat, department chair andprofessor of applied forensic

sciences, there are 140 to 150

students in the undergraduate

program.

The program and curriculum

focus on presenting state-of-

the-art techniques in forensic

science and crime scene recovery

in the classroom while providing

a variety of practical, hands-on

opportunities both in the fieldand in the laboratory.

A few advanced juniors and

seniors do have the opportunity

to work at actual crimes scenes

and all students gain experience

through classroom projects.

According to Dirkmaat, the

forensic and biological anthro-

pology graduate program at

Mercyhurst College is the best in

the world. The graduate programaccepts about seven students in

the program each year.

Graduates will have the skills

needed to conduct search, docu-

mentation, and data recovery

exercises involving a variety of

outdoor, fire, and mass fatality

scenes as well as conduct prelimi-

nary analyses of human remains

recovered from a wide variety of

forensic scenes.

Many graduate students will be

presenting papers at the 77 annual

meeting of the American Associ-

ation of Physical Anthropologist

in April and other students have

presented papers at the American

Association of Forensic Sciences

60 Anniversary Scientific Meeting

in February.

Krya Stull, graduate student inthe Masters of Science forensic

and biological anthropology

program. Stull said the best part

about the graduate program

at Mercyhurst is the hands on

experience.

The professors of the applied

forensic science department come

from a variety of backgrounds.

Dirkmaat received his doc-

torate in Anthropology at theUniversity of Pittsburgh and has

been a professor at Mercyhurst

since 1991 his specialization is

outdoor crime scenes.

He has worked on many plane

crash scenes in Pennsylvania and

elsewhere.

Symes has been a professor at

Mercyhurst since 2002.

He earned the prestigious

Thomas Dale Stewart Award forlifetime achievement, the highest

honor offered by the Physical

Anthropology Section of the

American Academy of Forensic

Sciences (AAFS).

The award recognizes Symes

enduring contributions to the

field of forensic anthropology

and a career marked by accurate,

detailed scholarship and remark-

able productivity.Symes is one of the countrys

leading experts on trauma to bone

and an authority on saw and knife

mark analysis.

Other professors in the depart-

ment are Dr. Ousley andLuis

L. Cabo-Perez from Spain. Dr.

Ousley developed a computer

program that can determine

the sex and ancestry of skeletal

remains.

By Sarah GerardContributing writer

Forensics dead set

on winning awards


8/24

PAGE 8 FEATURES April 2, 2008

THE LAKER

Spring Term

Galley Grill

Lunch:M - Club SandwichT - Chicken CaesarW - Chicken QuesadillaTh - Breakfast for LunchF - Tuna Melt or Grilled

Portabella SandwichS - Sloppy Joe

Board SpecialsLunch $4.75Dinner $5.50

Dinner:S - Turkey BurgerM - General Tsos Chicken over rice w/ broccoliT - Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes andveggiesW - Veal Parm over pastaTh - Buffalo chicken sandwichF - Fish Sandwich or Grilled PortabellaSandwich

S - Pepperoni Pizza Sub

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.

Saturday 1:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.

Sunday 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.

Look for New Menu Items!Mac & Cheese Bites Black Bean Burger

New Salads:Chicken BLT-Veggie(no cheese)-Spinach-Asian Chicken-

Greek-Caesar

Subconnection6 Sub $3.75 Combo $4.75

12Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75

Baja and Buffalo Chicken Subs:6 Sub $4.00 Combo $5.25

12 Sub $6.00 Combo $ 7.00

Special FeaturesWrap combo-Veggie $5.59

other wraps $5.79

Wrap It Yourself- Veggie $3.99

other wraps $ 4.19

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Saturday 1:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Sunday 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Laker ExpressBoard Equivalency Available:

11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Board Specials

Lunch $4.75

Dinner $5.50

Look for Laker Express

Minute Meals!

Hours of Operation:

Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Friday 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday Closed

In this fast-paced world, wehave seen time-saving adjust-

ments taking place on a regular

basis.

Fast food chains and coffee

shops have implemented drive-

thru services, and many restau-

rants are now equipped with

curbside pick-up.

One can even have movies sent

to them via the United States

postal service.All of these efforts have been

made to cater to the needs of the

average American with too much

to do during their day.

Recently Pizza Hut launched a

delivery service that goes above

and beyond pizza.

Many locations, including the

one on East 38th Street, have

altered their delivery services to

include new options.

Pizza Hut now offers pans

of pasta with bread sticks for

only $11.95 that are available

for delivery.

The pasta trays feed six peopleand are available in marinara and

alfredo sauces.

This service will be helpful

for catering purposes as well as

effective in limiting gas use for

families who are trying to save

money.

Competitors say that they are

unimpressed with this idea, say-

ing that Pizza Hut is trying to

convert into a restaurant ratherthan a pizza shop. But others

have different opinions.

Not only is this idea good for

when you are short on time,

sophomore Conor McKenna

said, it gives you a less greasy

alternative for a quick meal.

A Pizza Hut representative

said that if the process is done

correctly, pasta could become 15

percent of the total sales.

By Nicole McIntyreStaff writer

Pizza hut offerspasta delivery

Pizza Hut is now offering pasta choices for delivery.

pizzahut.ca/files/images/ChickenPomodoro


9/24

PAGE 9FEATURESApril 2, 2008

Celebs make presidential endorsements

Roll out the red carpet.

Hollywood has spoken and the

race to the White House is on.

With the 2008 presidential

election in the spotlight, celebri-

ties are endorsing their favorite

political candidates.

While U.S. Senators HillaryClinton and Barack Obama vie

for the Democratic nomination,

John McCain seems to hold the

ticket for the Republican Party.

Whether a celebritys support

will help or hinder a presidential

candidate remains to be seen.

Boston Red Sox picher Curt

Schillings endorsement for

McCain came early, as it did for

President George Bush in 2004.Support from Barbara Strei-

sand could help Clinton, while

Oprah Winfreys endorsement

may prove effective for Obama.

One never knows.

According to The Pew Research

Center for the People & the

Press, 69 percent of people

surveyed say political endorse-

ments generally have little impact

on voter preferences.On the other hand, nearly half

of the young people surveyed say

Oprah Winfreys opinion would

affect their vote choice.

Mercyhurst College students

were asked if celebrity endorse-

ments have the potential to sway

voters decision at the polls.

Senior Stacey Minchin said

there is a possibility for celebrity

impact.

Seeing Oprah endorse Obama

could result in the Oprah Effect,

in which everything Winfrey isinvolved in becomes a success

due to her popularity within the

public eye, Minchin said. It

is understandable for people to

consider all the factors includ-

ing the celebrity endorsements

for each candidate, but when it

comes down to the polls, votes

should be cast based on what

you think of the candidates

opinions in every issue, insteadof the money and stardom that

surrounds their campaign.

As an aspiring journalist,

Minchen is accustomed to gath-

ering all of the facts.

Celebrity endorsements tend

to result in voting based on

popular opinion rather that on

research conducted, she said.

Junior Ashley Brudy agreed

with Minchin.It is a good thing to get the

candidates noticed, but bad in

the fact that they are using Holly-

wood to get ahead in the game,

said Brudy.

Brudy said she will not use

endorsements as a factor in her

decision for president.

A celebrity could not gear my

decision a certain way, because

this is too much of an important

election for our country, said

Brudy.Mercyhurst College freshman

Justin Mando also agreed.

People may go along with

their favorite star if they dont

know enough about a candidate,

said Mando.

Instead, Mando encourages

people to trust in themselves.

A voter who is swayed may

not value or trust his or her own

opinions, he explained.

Junior Linnea Larson said it is

important to focus on the realissues and get all of the facts by

November.

Not everybody chooses to go

along with celebrity opinion,

said Larson. My own personal

beliefs and morals will influence

my decision.

It seems Mercyhurst students

will not be swayed despite cel-

brity involvement.

Along with research and reflec-

tion, they have education and

common sense to help themchoose the right candidate for

president in 2008.

By Carla HartStaff writer

Oprah Winfrey is one of many celebrities who are endorsing their favorite candidates.

graphics8.nytimes.com

Candidates and their celebrity supportCelebrity endorsements for

John McCain include:

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Sylvester StalloneTom Selleck

Burt Bacharach

John Ondrasik

Joe Eszterhas

Celebrity endorsements for

Barack Obama include:

Scarlett Johansson

Will Smith

Robert Deniro

Oprah Winfrey

Ben Affleck

Eddie Murphy

Maria Shriver

Hulk Hogan

Jennifer AnistonJackson Brown

Ben Stiller

Morgan Freeman

Tom Hanks

Tobey Maguire

George Clooney

Halle Berry

Leonardo DiCaprio

Matt Damon

Jamie Foxx

Stevie Wonder

Celebrity endorsements for

Hillary Clinton include:

Angelina Jolie

Danny De VitoHugh Hefner

Madonna

Eva Longoria

America Ferrara

Elton John

Jerry Springer

Martha Stewart

Barbara Streisand

Jack Nicholson

Rosie ODonnell

Stephen Spielberg Arnold Schwarzenegger is backing John McCain.

hollywoodhiccups.blogspot.com


10/24

FEATURESPAGE 10 April 2, 2008

Students create Earth Week projects from recycled materials

The Green Teams Earth Week,

which will be held April 14-18, istitled Seeds, Soil and Soul.

Among other things, this years

Earth Week will be focused

on a reduce, reuse and recycle

theme.

In honor of the upcoming

Earth Week, students and staff

members of the Mercyhurst

community are creating clothing

and accessories out of recycled

materials.Analida Braeger will head up

some of the activities of Earth

Week.

The recycled and creative

nature of the items that will

be on display will illustrate the

theme, she said. Just as the soil

recycles itself year after year, so

do we as we recycle materials to

fashion them into new things.

Sophomore fashion merchan-

dising major Marissa Stuart is

taking part in organizing and

contributing to the display case.

I like the fact that I can take

something old and turn it into

something new, Stuart said. Ithink the display will be really

interesting to visit and hope-

fully it will encourage others

to perhaps remake something

themselves.

So far, contributions have been

fashioned out of items like old

T-shirts, fabric remnants from

the schools sewing lab and even

newspapers.

Two surprising items foundin the exhibit include a paper

Mache bustier and a skirt made

out of old Merciad newspapers.

The display will also feature

a variety of recycled fashion

accessories.

Items already fashioned for the

display include a tote bag made

out of an old T-shirt and a LP

album-cover purse.

The accessory genre is one area

of fashion that has seen a major

increase in the area of recycled

materials.

Nike has created a basketball

shoe made almost completely of

Nikes factorys waste.The shoe was created for Steve

Nash of the Phoenix Suns and is

called the Nike Trash Talk.

The outer portion of the shoe

is made from scraps of leather

found on the factory floor and

secured together by zig-zag

stitching.

The middle sole is comprised

of scrap-ground foam that once

was considered waste from theproduction of other goods.

Accessories designer Eleanor

Salazar utilizes pool balls to

create one of kind rings and

bracelets.

Each ball she utilizes in her

designs was once used and each

piece of jewelry is hand crafted.

Due to this, it is not surprising

that her unique designs ring in at

a hefty price of $150.00 and up.

All in all, one can deduct that

cultivating awareness on impera-

tive issues like our environment

is necessary on a local level

and larger domestic or global

outreach.On a grassroots level, Mer-

cyhurst students and staff are

positively contributing to raise

awareness on the crucial issue of

the health of our ecosystem.

Creations from the project will

be displayed in Zurn Hall April10 to 16.

Eleanor Salazar creates rings from used pool balls.

www.etsy.com

By Sandy WatroStaff writer

Clinton sticks to what works best

Hillary Clintons pantsuits have been spoofed in the media.

Contributed photo

As Sen. Hillary Clinton said

Tuesday night at her rally in the

Mercyhurst College Athletic

Center, It took a Clinton to

clean up after the first Bush. It

will take another to clean up after

this one.

Well, whether she gets the

presidential nomination or not,

Clinton sure does take cleaning

up seriously in the fashion

sense, that is.

After being spoofed in the

media several times for continu-

ously wearing pantsuits, Clintons

fashion sense has begun to

broaden, even if its just in the

use of color.

The pantsuit is the definition

of leadership, experience, and

change, said Kamyl Bazbaz,

Hillary Clintons Erie Press

Secretary. Hillary is proud to

represent the pantsuit because it

challenges convention.

At Tuesday nights speech,

Clinton donned a familiar pant-

suit, albeit a flattering one.

The bright pink color of the

single-breasted blazer high-

lighted her facial complexion,

leaving a glow that was only

more enhanced by her mega-

watt smile.

Instead of a dated look, Clin-

ton appeared modern and con-

temporary.

The jacket was accentuated by

a slightly popped collar and a

nipped-in waist.

Paired with traditional black

dress slacks, the waist-length

blazer gave a very flattering and

lengthening silhouette.

By wearing straight-leg, but not

tapered, pants, Clinton created a

becoming shape and profile on a

woman who represents the aver-

age size of American women.

Simple, classic earrings and a

pink and black scarf topped off

the ensemble nicely.

The truth is, Hillary Clinton

is not a contestant in a beauty

pageant.

Perhaps what ought to be more

important than her day-to-day

outfits is for what her campaign

stands.

Bazbaz summed it up when it

comes to Clintons buzzed-about

wardrobe.

I would hope that viewers

would vote based on policy, not

clothing, he said.

By Jen GildeaFeatures editor


11/24

PAGE 11FEATURESApril 2, 2008

Dancing vs. Idol: Whos your favorite?

Features editor Jen Gildea introduces all the top contestants

The Top 9 contestants sing every Tuesday night on FOX.americanidol.com

Simon and Ryan are making nasty

jokes about each other, Paula is

rambling in an un-recognizable lan-

guage and Randy is calling everyone

dawg.

Sounds like its Idol time again.

With the shows cult-like following

among teens and adults alike, the con-

testants are catapulted into stardomthat some never expected.

But just who are these young people

with the talent to become tomorrows

newest superstar?

Brooke White, 24, is from Mesa,

Ariz., and has been dubbed the next

Carly Simon due to her raspy and

soulful voice.

San Diego resident Carly Smithson,

24, is native to Ireland. Her powerful

voice allows her to tackle songs fromartists like Mariah Carey and Whitney

Houston without missing a beat.

The youngest in the race for the top

is 17-year-old David Archuleta from

Murray, Utah. Picked as the winner by

Simon Cowell, Davids voice is so pure

and on pitch, even if he occasionally

forgets the lyrics.

David Cook, 25, from Blue Springs,

Mo., is the rocker of the group. His

interesting and brave take on Michael

Jacksons Billie Jean put him in the

race for the win.

Country crooner Kristy Lee Cook,

24, is from Selma, Ore. Although

being in the bottom three for several

weeks in a row, her chance to stay in

the competition relies on whether

or not she can diversify out of thecountry music genre.

Twenty-year old Jason Castro, from

Rockwall, Texas, is the most mellow

contestant. From his dredlocked head

to his relaxed take on song choice, he

sails through every week.

Ramiele Malubay, 20, from Miramar,

Fla., may be playing shy when talking

in interviews. Her soft-spokeness is

completely forgotten when she belts

out her songs.Michael Johns, 29, from Buckhead,

Ga., is the oldest contestant, but hes

right in the running for the lead with

his bold song choice of Queens We

are the Champions.

Finally, 21-year-old Syesha Mercado,

from Sarasota, Fla., is among the

judges top picks. After battling bron-

chitis recently, shes come back strong

to wow the judges and viewers.

Dancing with the Stars airs on Monday and Tuesdays on ABC.

abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars

Shaking booties and passionate

tangos comprise the other popular

reality show currently on TV.

Judged on creativity, personality and

actual talent, the celebs must continu-

ally push it to the max in an area where

most have little-to-no experience.

This season, contestants range from

young to old, tall to short and rhythmicto clumsy.

Television and radio personality

Adam Carollas lack of dance expertise

has resulted in some harsh comments

from the judges, but his quick, witty

responses make viewers laugh.

Cristian de la Fuente is an interna-

tional film star. Paired with two-time

winner Cheryl Burke, Cristians chance

of being a top contender is boosted.

American Pie alum ShannonElizabeth has shown decent talent this

season. Her physical physique gives

her flexibility and poise.

Steve Guttenberg is the oldest con-

testant on the show. After hitting it big

on TV and in the movies in the 80s,

hes making a comeback as the most

cheerful, lovable contestant.

R&B singer Mario is a fan and judge

favorite due to his undeniable talent.

His youth, paired with smooth moves

get the crowd going each week.

Oscar winner Marlee Matlin brings

a whole new challenge to the dance

floor. As a deaf woman, she cannot

hear the music. Communicating

through sign language and with the

help of a translator, shes still incred-

ibly talented despite her disability.Legend Priscilla Presley is step-

ping out of her usually quiet life as a

surprising contestant. The widow of

Elvis is honing in on her sultry side to

produce quite a tango.

Jason Taylor is NFLs man of the

year, but on the dance floor, many

were worried about his height. Sur-

prisingly, his moves arent too shabby

and fans swoon over his bald head.

Marissa Jaret Winokur is best knownfor playing the lead role in Broadways

Hairspray. Despite being the only

plus-size contestant, her bubbly

personality and never-ending smile

outshine every performance.

Finally, Olympic champion figure

skater Kristi Yamaguchi is the leading

female among the judges and viewers.

Skating has given her a natural advan-

tage to moving with the music.


12/24

PAGE 12 FEATURES

Food FixWithMegI

ERI

Get to know...

Zach Pekor

Turkey Panini

Directions

Ingredients

Wings and more are hits at Elis House of Wings.

Contributing photo

April 2, 2008

1.) Assemble as a normal sandwich,and butter the outside of the bread.2.) If you would like, add season-

ings to the outside of the bread forextra flavor.3.) Grill the panini in a hot skillet

until the cheese is melted and thesandwich is heated through.4.) Serve with a hot bowl of soup or

a salad, or another favorite side dish.

2 slices Italian breadShaved turkey (as desired)2 slices tomatoLettuce2 slices cheddar cheese

Italian dressingButter

There are a lot of restaurants

now that serve gourmet-style

sandwiches but they often cost

a lot, especially when you are on

a college students budget.

So I am offering you a recipe

for a fancy Panini-style sand-

wich that you can easily make

at home.

There are a lot of ways that

you could vary this recipe to fit

what you have around the house,

as well as to what will fit in your

budget.

My favorite additions to this

sandwich is cranberry jelly and

leftover stuffing; it tastes just

like Thanksgiving dinner on a

sandwich.

You can put anything in the

sandwich, including vegetables

for any vegetarians.

It is so quick and easy to make

and at much lower cost than go-

ing to a fancy sandwich place.

-Meghan Dolney

Crunch on Elis House of Wings

Chicken wing lovers unite atElis House of Wings located at

1002 West 26th Street.This corner bar is home to 57flavors of wings with attitudeand many more dinner items.

Owners Mighty Mike Maggioand Randy Crawford have beenserving up huge chicken wingswith expert flavor.

Favorite flavors range fromHoney BBQ to Cajun Parme-san Jerk.

Cranch, another favorite,mixes Cajun spices and ranchsauces to create a fun, newflavor.

Along with the original flavors, any wings can be madeextra special with dry season-ings sprinkled on top for anextra kick and layer of taste.There is a minimum order of

eight wings at a cost of $.50per wing.On Mondays, stop by for $.35

wings in-house only.Crisp veggies and bleu cheese

or ranch can be ordered on theside to accompany your order.

For those ladies that have aboyfriend who can dominate30 wings in one sitting, dontworry; wings arent the only

items on the menu.Munch on appetizers like

deep-fried pickles or Frenchfries and waffle fries with your

choice of seasoning.Chicken sandwiches and

several burger styles are alsoavailable, ranging from $3.25to $5.50.A word to the wise if youre

looking for a quick stop to getwings: This is not the place forultra-quick service unless youhave called ahead your order. Appetizers and fries will

come out before your orderof wings, which take about 30minutes or more.

Stomachs may growl for afew minutes, but believe me, itis worth it.

Kitchen hours are Mondaythrough Saturday from 4:30p.m. to 12 a.m., and the bar isopen until 2 a.m.

By Shelley TurkStaff writer

Name: Zach Pekor

Year: Junior

Major: Environmental Intelligence StudiesHometown: Plum Borough, Pa.

Favorite thing about Mercyhurst: The really awesome

people and friends I have made

Least favorite thing: The endless amounts of snow and

rain

Campus activities: MSG, Tri-Beta, Ambassadors, RA,

Student-Run Musical, Green Energy Review Board

Anything else interesting about you: I am in Urban

Dictionary; look it up. I hope I become a household name.


13/24

PAGE 13ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

tHeBuZz

MARCH 3. Dolly Par-ton. Benedum Center,Pittsburgh.

MARCH 3-9. DancingQueen. Fallsview CasinoResort, Niagara Falls,Ont.

MARCH 3. Dionne Warwick. Seneca EventsCenter, Seneca NiagaraCasino, Niagara Falls,N.Y.

MARCH 4. Down. TownBallroom, Buffalo.

MARCH 4. The Hush

Sound. Mr. Smalls The-atre, Millvale.

MARCH 5. Bon Jovi,Daughtry. Mellon Arena,Pittsburgh.

MARCH 5. Henry Rol-lins. Rex Theatre, Pitts-burgh.

MARCH 7. Bruce Spring-steen and the E StreetBand. HSBC Arena, Buf-falo.

MARCH 7. Adrian BelewTrio. Beachland Ballroom,Cleveland.

MARCH 8. Bob MouldBand. Grog Shop, Cleve-land.

MARCH 8. DisneysHigh School Musical:The Ice Tour. MellonArena, Pittsburgh.

Courtesy of Goerie.com

April 2, 2008

The curtain is about to go up

on a classic.

Tennessee Williams A Street-

car Named Desire is a Pulitzer

Prize-Winning play. It also won

the New York Drama Critics

Award for Best Play and is an

integral part of American lit-

erature.

The play takes place in New

Orleans and highlights the char-

acters struggle for happiness

and sanity in an atmosphere of

aggressive love and violence.

Former Erie Playhouse direc-

tor David Matthews is directing

this Mercyhurst College produc-

tion of Streetcat.

Williams is Matthews favorite

playwright and has directed all of

his major works.I love this [play] the best. I

thought it would be a real chal-

lenge to the actors and the audi-

ence, said Matthews.

While the play is a classic

Matthews feels the themes have

lasting relevance.Even though the play is

60- plus years old, it speaks to

todays generation, I feel, Mat-

thews said.

Junior Megan Farber is eager

to see the play.

Im excited to see something

on campus that is a classic and a

little more relatable than Shake-

speare, Farber said.

Junior Randy Tucker agrees.I

think its cool to see my peers

on stage and being familiar with

the play will make it that much

better, Tucker said.

Senior Joe Zamora is play-

ing the famous role of Stanley

Kowalski.

I couldnt have picked a

better play to be my last show at

Mercyhurst. Im glad I got thisopportunity, Zamora said.

Senior Jessica Hudack will por-

tray the tragic character of the

troubled sister, Blanche Dubois.

This show is definitely a chal-

lenging experience. There was so

much work to be done in such

a short time and it really flew,

Hudack said.

Junior Amanda Valauri is also

excited for the show and will playStella Kwalski.

This has been my favorite play

since I read it in high school. Im

thrilled that I got to actually be in

it,Valauri said. There is a lot of

action in the play which makes it

fun to perform.

The play will come to life from

Thursday, April 3 to Sunday,

April 6 at 7:30 p.m. and the

Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. inTaylor Little Theatre.

Tickets are for sale at the

door.

By Mason LorekStaff writer

American classic Streetcar to hit Taylor Little

Apparently the fall of 2007

occurs in late March of 2008. At

least that is the impression Panic

at the Disco (PATD) has.

Their too long awaited sopho-

more record was slated for a

release date in the fall of last

year. Alternative Press took

that projection to the bank by

putting the new album on their

Most Anticipated Albums of2007 list.

Well finally the Las Vegas boys

decided it was finally time to con-

tinue their stint in the music busi-

ness and actually release a new

album. Pretty. Odd. hit store

shelves and online music data-

bases on March 25, making the

gap between their debut album

A Fever You Cant Sweat Out

and the overly anticipated new

album two-and-a-half years.

While fans were stuck sing-

ing along to the painfully radio-

friendly hits off Fever, theband was supposedly busy writ-

ing their new record. After a few

headlining tours and a brief visit

to Europe, the band seemed to

get their act together and wrote

the 15-track album.

The band also decided to

overhaul the sound so many

fell in love with in 2005. The

new record relies not on studio

production and massive amountsof electronic effects, but on real

instruments and actual perfor-

mance.

The songs still maintain

a dance-pop feel to them as

Fever made famous, but the

band takes their sound and

regresses to early influences of

The Beatles, ragtime and big-

band jazz ensembles.

The first single off the new

album, Nine in the Afternoon,

was released on the bands

MySpace page and iTunes on

Jan.28. PATDs new musicaldirection will no doubt change

the demographics of the listen-

ers. With influences your parents

grew up on and still love, they

will probably take a liking to the

new Panic at the Disco.

Musically the album is astro-

nomically better than A Fever

You Cant Sweat Out, both in

arrangement and performance.

The band learned that electronicsimulations of instruments never

sound as good as the instruments

themselves, and enlisted the helpof studio musicians to playeverything from trumpets toaccordions.

The 20-something year-

olds in the band chose Danny

Elfman to produce Pretty.

Odd. Elfman, a Grammy and

Emmy award winner, mixed

the album at the famous Abbey

Road Studios where bands like

The Beatles, Pink Floyd and U2

recorded some of their definingrecords.

The record sounds as if it

is torn between two eras; the

modern era of experimen-

tal rock, and the classic era of

simple song structure and thin,

flat sounds.

Thanks to the help of Elfman,

Panic at the Disco managed to

seamlessly blend the two vastly

different eras into one solidsound.

Considering Pretty. Odd

took over two years to write

and produce, the quality of the

album is very lack luster.

It feels as if the band forgot

about their contract and had to

quickly write a record in a few

months.

Overall the album is disap-

pointingly mediocre.

By Greg SummyStaff writer

Junior Amanda Valauri and senior Joe Zamora with sopho-

more Jessica Hudack, right, in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Contributed photo

Panic at the Disco album: Pretty Odd indeed


14/24

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPAGE 14 April 2, 2008

Observe the beauty andpower of the MetropolitanOpera at The Mary DAngeloPerforming Arts Center con-tinuing with one of the worldsmost famous operas, LaBohme.

Told through the eyes of agroup of young bohemians,La Bohme is often referredto as the quintessential operaof romance and tragedy. This

famed story of love, loss andsurvival has gone on to inspiremany productions, includingJonathon Larsons modern-daymusical Rent.

Set in the slums of Paris,painter and poet Marcello andRodolfo, roommates and bestfriends, try to keep warm theonly way possible by burningpages from Rodolfos latest

drama.Their friends Colline, a young

philosopher, and Schaunard, amusician, also struggle to sur-vive. To all of their wonderful

surprise, Schaunard has landeda job and brings food, fuel andfunds to add to the warmth andhelp survive this bitter winter.

While trying to celebratetheir unexpected fortune, thelandlord, Benoit, arrives tocollect the rent, which they donot have. Showing no respectfor Benoit they mock him, andthen throw him out.

The friends depart withhope to continue their celebra-tion at the nearby Caf Momus.Rodolfo stays behind but prom-ises to join them soon.

There is another suddenknock: their neighbor, Mim,says her candle has gone out onthe drafty stairs and she appearsfaint and shivering.

Offering her wine, Rodolforelights her candle and helpsher to the door. Mim realizesshe has dropped her key, andas the two search for it, bothcandles are blown out. In

the moonlight the poet takesthe girls shivering hand, tellingher his dreams. From there,the romantic tragedy beginsto unfold.

Mercyhurst College joinsover 600 venues in 13 countriesacross the world in broadcast-ing this iconic production.

The broadcast is made pos-sible by a dozen of strategically-placed cameras offer brilliantclose-ups.

The close-ups reveal thedetails of costumes and facialgestures, and capture sweep-

ing wide angles of dance andpanoramic spectacle.

La Bohme will broadcaston Saturday, April 5 at 1:30 p.m.

Student tickets are $15.

By Jordan ZangaroStaff writer

Mercyhurst Performing Arts Center to broadcast opera La Boheme

This weeks film is one that

Ive been looking forward to

since I learned that it was sched-

uled to be shown. It didnt get

the attention that Atonement

and No Country For Old Men

did but, given the subject of the

movie, anonymity is fitting.

The film is called Control

and is a biopic on the life of Joy

Division singer Ian Curtis. Based

on the book Touching From a

Distance, written by Curtis wife

Deborah, shows the sad, intro-

verted teenager that was, accord-

ing to Bono, the best frontman in

rock until his suicide at 23.

Roger Ebert gives the follow-

ing synopsis.The movie is quietly, superbly

photographed and acted. It is in

black and white and gray, of

course, and we sense Ian was a

man who dreamed in shadows,

not colors. He is played by Sam

Riley, who makes him seem

always alone.

There is a lot of performance

footage, but Riley sees Ian not

so much performing as func-

tioning.

His bandmates sometimes

look at him with that inward

expression people get when they

wonder if they have enough gas

to get to the next gas station.

Much of the film focuses on

Curtis affair with Belgian jour-

nalist Annik Honore.As in the book, this is shown

as an example of one of Ians

enablers and Ebert speculates

that love didnt so much mean

what he felt for a woman, but

what she felt for him.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone

agrees with Ebert: Shot with a

poets eye in a harshly stunning

black-and-white, who cuts to

the soul of Ians life and music.

You dont watch this movie, you

live it.

Control will be shown at

the PAC at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Wednesday, April 2. Tickets are

free for students with an ID.

By Mason Lorek

Staff writer

Control is based on Touching From a Distance.

Control, biopic film on Ian Curtis to show at PAC

PAC photo

Lake Erie Ballet Company presents 50th anniversary gala

Lake Erie Ballet (LEB), a

small professional ballet com-

pany composed of Mercyhurst

dancers, presents its 50th anni-

versary gala performance.

The performance consists of

several works that will be danced

by the LEB company members.

Concerto for Two Violins,

choreographed by LEB artistic-

director Lesley Bories-Scalise,

is a ballet in three movements

that somewhat mimics the Bal-anchine style.

Another piece, created by

Alethea Bodine, is a more con-

temporary ballet on pointe.

The creation process for this

piece also involved collabora-

tion between the dancers and

Bodine, as the dancers offered

choreographic input.

Mercyhurst College dance

instructor Michael Gleason has

also choreographed a piece for

the gala, titled Suite Roman-

tique. This work is a Romantic-style ballet with opening and

finale, variations, duets, trios,

and pas de deux. SoMar, the

Erie-based modern dance com-

pany directed by Mercyhurst

professors Mark and Solveig

Santillano, will also present two

works at the LEB gala.

Mercyhurst student and LEB

company member Lauren Sten-

roos said, The show should be

very diverse and exciting, fea-

turing many different styles of

pointe work.It will also be a nice experi-

ence for the Mercyhurst dancers,

who through this performance

will get the chance to perform in

the Erie community in a venue

outside the Mercyhurst Dance

Department.

The 50th anniversary gala per-

formance is on Saturday, April

5 at 7 p.m. at Villa Maria High

School, located on 2403 W. 8

Street.Prior to the performance,

there will also be an Infor-

mance reception at 6 p.m.,during which portions of dance

works will be shown and the

public may talk to the dancers

and choreographers. Refresh-

ments will also be served until

7 p.m.

Tickets for the LEB perfor-

mance cost $15 for adults and

$10 for students and seniors

and may be purchased by calling

814-871-4356 ext. 101.

By Sarah Mastrocola

Staff writer


15/24

PAGE 15ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTApril 2, 2008

I thought it was a pretty origi-nal decorative idea this fall whenI decided to forego the usual

purchasing of Scarface post-ers and sports heroes to linethe walls of the bedroom in my

apartment.Instead I decided to cut up

most of the liner notes from my

CDs and paste them up aroundmy bed and desk.

I kept most of the sheets from

each band together: REM andBen Folds (with or without theFive) around the dresser; Match-

box Twenty and Train alongsidemy bed and Dave Matthews(solo and with DMB) above my

computer.

However, that did leave oneprivileged position remaining.

What would go on the door lead-ing into the room?

My choice was Third EyeBlind, the only band I saw live

in concert this summer. They played a venue called

Newport Music Hall, adjacent

to the campus of The OhioState University in Columbus.Its also the first place U2 played

in the States.It was a total of 10 hours

driving for me and three of my

friends from back home, but itwas well worth it.

The San Francisco alt rock-

ers made it big in the late 90swith a number of hits off theireponymous first album, includ-

ing Losing a Whole Year,Graduate, Jumper, HowsIt Going to Be, and Semi-

Charmed Life.Their next album, Blue, did

modestly well and includes a few

songs that still get some radioplay, Never Let You Go andDeep Inside of You.

Their third album, Out of the

Vein, was a commercial flop ,asElektra Records crumbled and

the band received little PR.However the album still had

quite a few worthwhile songs,

including Faster, Blinded,Crystal Baller and the bonustrack, Another Life.

Recently they released ACollection through RhinoRecords that includes all of

their hits and some other lesswell-known tracksMy Life inExile (originally only a Japanese

release), Tattoo of the Sun (anever-before released single) andMotorcycle Drive-By, many

hardcore Third Eye Blind fansfavorite song.

This is all important for only

two reasons: first, Third Eye Blindis coming to Penn State Behrendthis Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m.

Doors open at 7p.m., andthere is also an opening act yet tobe announced. Tickets are $20

and can be obtained by following

this link: http://www.erie.psu.edu/NewsCal/news2008/feb-

3eb.htm.Secondly, the band is planning

on a new studio release some-

time this summer named after aC.S. Lewis novel, The HideousStrength, which means that the

show this weekend could be anopportunity to hear some newsongs before they get released,

in addition to all their hits. The band is really electric

on-stage. Stephen Jenkins, the

front-man, is wildly charismaticand entertaining.

Leo Kremer has recently

become a full-time member ofthe band, taking on the bassistrole due to the personal drug-

and-alcohol demons Arion Sala-zar has been going.

Tony Fredianelli also plays

drums and does some back-upvocals, and drummer Brad Har-greaves really holds down the

beats admirably well. He can play

a mean solo, too.3eb functioned really well

in the low-key, 1500-personformer-ballroom where I sawthem.

At one point they brought outa couch and bongos in order toconvey to the crowd the process

by which some of their songs arecreated, and kept the crowd intoit, allowing them to sing choruses

to some of their major hits. They played an encore that

included God of Wine and

Slow Motion, a song releasedonly as a beautiful piano instru-mental on Blue but with the

disquieting lyrics on A Collec-tion.

It acts as a satire on the hip-

hop image creation from whichmillions of inner-city lives arelost while corporations and

individuals profit mercilessly,and the crowd was chanting forit between songs within six songs

into their set list.

By Kyle King

Contributing writer

Blues, folk and gospel collide

when Grammy nominee EricBibb, The Campbell Brothersand Eries own Martin Luther

King, Jr. Gospel Choir take thestage for an electrifying eve-ning at the Mary DAngelo Arts

Center of Mercyhurst College The godson of Paul Robe-

son, the nephew of John Lewisand the son of Leon Bibb, EricBibb grew up in the New YorkCity folk scene of the 1950s and

60s.Given his first steel-string

guitar at age seven, Bibb was

born into what he calls a magi-cal world that he never left.Influenced by the sounds of his

father and family friends such

as Bob Dylan Odetta and Joan

Baez, Bibb recounts that therewas nothing more alluring than

actually playing and singingand decided to turn his passioninto a career.

Nearly four decades later,

Bibb has performed in morethan 130 shows across threecontinents and has recorded an

astonishing 15 albums.Bibbs live performances are

truly an enriching experience,

both musically and spiritually.

With his soulful and gospel-infused style, Bibb has brought

what the Dayton Daily Newscalls grace, elegance and gen-tleness to the stages of such

legendary events as the Glaston-bury Festival in the UK, Austra-lias Port Fairy Folk Festival and

Canadas Edmonton Folk Festi-val and to venues such as the BBKing Blues Club in New York

City.

Bibb and Company will takethe stage on Friday, April 4, at

8 p.m.Bibb will also provide a

unique experience for Englishmajors in Dr. Brian Reeds Afri-

can-American Literature classon Friday, April 4 at 11:30 p.m.to discuss his experience as an

African American singer/songwriter.

Following Bibb is a soulful

group that get your heart beat-

ing and your hands clapping. The Campbell Brothers

have performed for thousandsof fans in venues across the world including the Kennedy

Center, the Hollywood Bowland at events such as the annualBonnaroo Arts and Music Festi-

val in Manchester, Tenn, whichrepresents the whos who in themusic world.

The steel guitar-wielding

gospel group emerged from the African-American Holiness-

Pentecostal Church, where theyhave been an integral part ofworship for more than 60 years.

The Campbell Brothers have

brought the soul-stirring soundsof what is known as the SacredSteel repertoire to concert halls

and festivals around the world.Playing to these audiences has

allowed The Campbell Brothers

to share their music with both

the devoted and rocking.Included in the group, which

has been playing together fornearly two decades, are pedalsteel guitarist Chuck Campbell

and his lap steel guitar-playingbrother, Darick.

Noted as two of the finest in

this tradition, Chuck and DarickCampbell have earned criticalacclaim, leading Andy Grigg of

Real Blues to praise Chuck as

the Jimi Hendrix of the steelguitar.

Making up the high-energyrhythm section of the groupare brother Phil Campbell onelectric guitar, his son Carlton

on drums and bassist MalcolmKirby.

To finish the evening, Bibb

will return to the stage to play with The Campbell Broth-ers and Eries own 50-member

Martin Luther King, Jr. Gospel

Choir for a performance that issure to blow the roof off the

Mary DAngelo PerformingArts Center.

For information or tickets

about Friday nights show, callthe Mary DAngelo Performing Arts Center box office at 824-

3000. Tickets for Mercyhurst stu-

dents are $10 with a Student

ID.

By Jordan ZangaroStaff writer

Spiritually enriching African-American groups to electrify PAC

Behrend hosts alternative rockers Third Eye Blind


16/24

PAGE 16 OPINION

The Good

March is going out likea lion, which means Aprilshould come in like a lamb:Hello spring!

Hillary Clintons rallyhas drawn support of thelocal community as well asnational news coverage.

March Madness may bealmost over, but open-ing day of baseball haspassed, leaving sports fanssatisfied.

The Bad

The REC, among manyother facilities, were inac-cessible for an entire daydue to Hillary Clintonsvisit.

We have to wait untilnext week for the nice

weather to kick in, unfor-tunately.

The Ugly

Seniors, if you want abig kid job but are stillwithout one, you officiallyhave less than 50 days tosecure one.

One of the gates nearEgan Hall that blocks offthe semi-circle drive, seemsto have been the victim ofa hit-and-run because it isall smashed up.

Please e-mail any suggetions to

[email protected].

The GB&U is a compilation of

student opinions.

The Good,the Bad &

the Ugly

April 2, 2008

This past weekend I had the,

well say the experience, ofwatching the A & E documen-tary called Jesus Camp.

While slightly disturbed I wasalso happy for people who havefound reasoning in religion.

The documentary centered ona pentecostal camp, evangelicalin nature, for children in North

Dakota. The video showed children

proclaiming themselves to God

and to Jesus Christ. At one point, the youth are

bowling and the girl, Ruth, is

praying that she gets a strike asshe rolls the ball down the lane.

Praying, speaking or reflecting towhatever higher power you mayclaim, is a deeply spiritual and

personal ritual.As I watched the film, I could

not help but think these kids are

making out wish lists for Jesus.The basis of the mission is to

maintain America as a Christian

country. The youth pastor that is a

character in the film goes on to

justify the targeting of Christianchildren because she explainedthat children of different faiths,

i.e. Islam, also target their youthfor extremism and dedication.

As such, any message that is

instilled in children before eight

years of age is likely to stay withthem for most of their lives.

This is true in our own cul-ture.

Many people at this college

were raised Catholic or someother Christian denomination.

In many of these churches,

children are not given the chanceto decide.

Through baptism, churches

are able to ensure their numberspractically at birth.

With regard to the Catholic

Church, the Pope is supposed tovisit the U.S. for the first time atthe end of April.

Thus, there had been concernover Catholic colleges hostingPresidential candidates.

Mercyhurst was fortunate

enough to host Hillary yesterdayand overall serve the community

by allowing people to see a can-didate face-to-face.

Colleges should be allowed to

make their own decisions regard-less of what the Pope says.

Yes, we all believe in the same

doctrine, but students are trainedto be independent thinkers andresolve their own political ideals.

By the time students arrive atcollege, it is more than likely theircore values have already been

instilled since youth.If Catholic-affiliated colleges

are not allowed to diversify their

guests and host people with dif-ferent ideals, we can only hope tofurther the Evangelists mission

of a polarized Christian state.

By Ellen

KoenigStaff writer

As I walked into my apartmenttoday, my roommate attackedme with a sarcastic smirk and

some new information that sentme on a slight vent session.

She informed me of somegood luck that had just beenbestowed on one of my exesin the job department. She

informed me how I could havehad all of my dreams come true

and would never have had towork again had I made differentdecisions in my life.

To that comment, I respondedwith Why do I need a guy witha good job to get everything

Ive ever wanted? Is our soci-ety really still that backward thatwe, deep down, still think that

women need men to be finan-

cially secure?I am not trying to sound like

a feminist who puts down guysor knocks down dreams ofbeing a professional housewife,

but seriously, I just spent close

to four years of my life work-ing my butt off so that whenI graduate I could have a good

job and be successful.Im pretty sure my parents

didnt send me to school and

pay thousands of dollars eachyear for me just to find a hus-band.

I mean, I dont think that they

would mind that either, but it isnot the

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