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8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 16, 2009
1/12
An engaging sound is about to arrive
at the Mary DAngelo Performing Arts
Center at Mercyhurst College the sound
of acclaimed jazz violinist Regina Carter.
Lauded as wonderfully listenable, prob-
ingly intelligent and, at times, breathtak-
ingly daring...taking the listener into the
future of jazz, by Time magazine, Carter
is known for her interesting combination
of the African Diaspora and more standard
jazz sounds.
Regina Carter first pursued a career as a
jazz violinist against the wishes of her par-
ents, who were concerned for her financial
future.
She earned a Bachelor of Ar ts degree inPerformance with a double major in clas-
sical music and African American music,
studying at both the prestigious New Eng-
land Conservatory and Oakland Univer-
sity.
She then forged ahead with her career,
carving a path for herself within a difficult
field.
Among her many varied accomplish-
ments, she was the first jazz musician and
African American to play the Guarneridel Gesu, the renowned violin owned
by Nicolo Paganini, and she has played
alongside jazz legends like Ray Brown and
Dr. Billy Taylor and popular musical icons
Dolly Parton and Billy Joel.
Carter is known for giving riveting
performances and has ambitious national
and international touring schedules.
Since her arrival on the music scene,
Carter has had success that shows no indi-
cation of ending.
Downbeat magazine named Carter
the worlds greatest jazz violinist for four
straight years.
The album Reverse Thread, a collec-
tion that offers a contemporary interpre-
tation of African folk music, is Carters
newest work.
This album is set to be released in 2010
and will feature the talents of accordion-
ist Will Holshouser, kora player Yacouba
Sissoko, bassist Chris Lightcap and
percussionist Alvester Garnett.
When asked about the upcoming perfor-mance, Music Department Chair Louisa
Jonason said, Regina is a jazz artist,
although classically trained. I look forward
to hearing her.
Talented violinists really impress me
because the violin is so hard to play, junior
Leah Kroll said when discussing Carter.
The performance is Friday, Oct. 2, at 8
p.m.
Tickets are available at the PAC box
office or by calling extension 3000. Tickets are $15 with a Mercyhurst stu-
dent ID.
More information on Carter is available
at reginacarter.com.
NEWS SPORTSFEATURES
Regina Carter jazzes up PAC
OPINION
Page 11Page 4
Professors
teach to empty
seats Dec. 21
Jeffrey Pollardfinds strengthfrom teammate
EXCLUSIVE:
Off-campus
policy eased
for juniors
NEWS SPORTSNEWS
Page 12
Tapping intofaith at theCornerstone
FEATURES
Page 4
Vol.83,No.10/12/16/09/Free
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 16, 2009
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NEWSPage 2 December 16, 2009
Christmas on Campusbrightens childrens holiday
As part of Mercyhurst Col-
leges annual Christmas prepara-tions, the college hosted children
from the Erie community for a
day of fun and holiday cheer.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, approx-
imately 100 children visited
Mercyhurst for Christmas on
Campus.
The children were each
assigned a Mercyhurst student
as their buddy for the day. Stu-dents helped the children carry
around bags full of Christmas
goodies, decorate cookies and
make various crafts.
The children participated in
activities such as face painting
and paper hat making.
Santa and Mrs. Claus, played
by freshmen Braiden Ross and
Miranda Flores, presented a giftto each child.
The children were provided
snacks, including pizza, candy
and cookies.
Campus Ministry provided
entertainment for the children
by dressing as various childrens
television and movie charac-
ters. The costumes included
Cinderella, SpongeBob, Winnie
the Pooh, Piglet, Pocahontas,
Buzz and Woody.
The crafts were provided by
various clubs on campus.
Seeing all the little kids was
great, freshman Giulia Parli
said. They were so cute and
so excited for Christmas.
Christmas on Campus has
been a fixture of the holi-
day season for the past seven
years.
By Kelly DempseyStaff writer
Santa delivered gifts to children at Christmas on Campus.
Tyler Stauffer photo
Johnson & Johnson
PropertiesRental Houses
available
for next year -
call now
to lock yours up!814-860-8817
Comedian covers contemporary issues
Comedian Patrick Garrity entertained the
Mercyhurst College community on Friday, Dec.
11, by telling jokes that covered many different
topics.
His comedic act covered topics such as travel-
ing, being broke, being single, television, siblings,
parties and police officers.
Garrity made jokes about some controver-sial issues, as well. These controversial issues
included race, the military and religion.
Why do we train the military with bayo-
nets? Garrity asked. You have to run and
scream with them. Like the enemy wont see
that coming.
He made controversial topics funny and fun
to talk about, freshman Rebecca Conley said.
One of Garritys jokes was about the
current economic situation. He said the eco-
nomic problem is a big deal because the rich
people are becoming poor.
During one of his routines, he discussed the
differences between a shy guy asking a girl out
and a stalker asking a girl out.
There is a thin line between stalker and shy,
Garrity said.
Garrity went on to explain the shy guy can
appear to be cute when he stumbles over his
words, but the creepy guy who just stares can
come across as a stalker.Garrity made facial expressions, crazy move-
ments and sound effects to go along with his
jokes.
It was very original, freshman Jennifer
McCurdy said.
It was thrilling, freshman Molly Beichner
said.
Garrity performs at college campuses and
clubs throughout the United States.
By Chelsee CallahanStaff writer
Comedian Patrick Garrity performed at Mercyhurst College
on Friday, Dec. 11. Besides telling jokes, he entertained the
audience by making facial expressions while doing celebrity
impersonations.
Ethan Magoc photo
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NEWS Page 3December 16, 2009
Trustees vote against
certification of Warde
The Mercyhurst College
Board of Trustees voted unani-
mously against the pursuit
of Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)certification for Frances Warde
Hall during their meeting on
Thursday, Oct. 29.
According to the motion
passed by the Board of Trust-
ees, The $85,000 needed to
embark on Phase II in LEED
certificationwould be better
spent to support future green
initiatives on campus.
Rather than spend moneyon LEED certification, which
proves the sustainability of
the building without necessar-
ily improving it, the Board of
Trustees developed alternative
plans to use the money.
These plans include the devel-
opment of a solar composter,
solar and wind energy sources
for the Mercyhurst West County
campus or a project to convertfat and oil used in the cafeteria
into biodiesel fuel.
Members of the board partic-
ularly favor the idea of building
a green roof in Zurn Hall. The
building needs to replace one
roof in the near future, and the
construction of a green roof
would both boost Mercyhursts
environmental efforts and pos-
sibly provide research material
for the biology department.
LEED certification, which
rates how green a building is
according to third-party com-missioners, provides proof to
the public that a building has
been designed to increase
profitability while reducing
the negative environmental
impacts, as reported by the
Natural Resources Defense
Council.
State and local governments
may provide incentives as well,
but for the most part, certifica-tion acts as a status symbol or,
as Executive Vice President for
Administration Thomas Billing-
sley said, a badge to carry.
Warde Hall may be eligible for
LEED certification. Buehler &
Associates, Inc., who designed
the student housing project with
its sustainability in mind and
later donated the $12,400 fee
to the college, achieved 26 outof 69 possible credits toward
certification, meaning that Mer-
cyhurst achieved the minimum
number of credits required for
certification.
The Board of Trustees ruled
against certification due to the
cost of the application process.
Depending on commissioning
fees, the estimated total LEED
cost could amount to over
$85,000.
Furthermore, the subjective
process does not guarantee cer-
tification despite the fact thatthe college met minimal require-
ments.
While the (LEED) certifica-
tion would have been a good
public relations move for the
schools reputation as a green
campus, its true that the money
can be put to better uses that the
school has proposed, Green
Team Student President senior
Zoey Alderman-Tuttle said.Working on other green proj-
ects is good, freshman Sacha
Chadwick said, but having that
LEED certification shows that
the first project is complete.
Amidst diverse student sen-
timents, the Board of Trustees
released this statement: The
committee is satisfied that the
college, architects, developer
and committee practiced duediligence to produce a sustain-
able building on the Mercy-
hurst campus in line with the
core values of the college. No
memorialization of the effort is
needed.
By Jennifer McCurdyStaff writer
Larceny/ theftSaturday, Dec. 5
Larceny/ theftSunday, Dec. 6
Criminal mischiefto vehicle
Saturday, Dec. 5
3808 Briggs AvenueCollege discipline
Zurn HallClosed
Briggs AvenueReferred to other agency
Liquor law violationWednesday, Dec. 9
3925 Lewis Avenueclosed
Dec. 5 - 12, 2009
Liquor law violationThursday, Dec. 10
3809 Briggs Avenueclosed
Liquor law violationFriday, Dec. 11
Wayne Street ApartmentsCollege discipline
Disorderly conductSaturday, Dec. 12
Outside Warde TownhousesCollege discipline
Hammermill Library Christmas Break HoursTuesday, Dec. 22:8 a.m. 5 p.m.
The 24/7 Study Lounge will only be available during these hours.
Wednesday, Dec. 23:
8 a.m. 4 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 24:
8 a.m. 12 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 25 -
Saturday, Jan. 2: Closed
Sunday, Jan. 3:
1 p.m. 1 a.m.
Monday, Jan. 4:
Resume Regular Hours
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NEWSPage 4 December 16, 2009
Professors teach to empty seats Dec. 21
As Mercyhurst Colleges stu-
dents and faculty prepare for the
holiday season, one date seems
to have surpassed Christmas as
the hot topic of conversation:
Monday, Dec. 21.
Despite the difficulties
imposed on the college com-munity, the college scheduled
class four days before Christ-
mas in order to get the required
number of class hours.
Only 25 percent of students
who responded to an online
survey plan to be in class on
Monday.
Senior Ray Horton said, It
doesnt make a lot of sense. Im
an RA in Warde and I have maybethree residents in my wing stay-
ing until Monday. Professors will
be teaching to an empty room.
Many professors made atten-
dance optional, cancelled class
altogether or found alternative
ways of holding class. Sopho-
more Tyler Stauffers art educa-
tion class will be held via Skype
and live blogging.
Having class online is a good
alternative to actually going to
class. You can go home but still
attend class, Stauffer said.
Vice President of Academic
Affairs Phillip Belfiore encour-
ages faculty and students totalk to each other about issues
concerning Christmas break.
Faculty are generally good and
compassionate people and will
work with students.
However, 12 percent of stu-
dents who responded to The
Merciads poll said their profes-
sors made attendance mandatory.
My one teacher is making it
double attendance points, but allmy other classes are cancelled.
Its pointless, senior Lacey
Neugebauer said.
Several professors made off-
record comments stating the situ-
ation is unfair to teachers without
tenure, as these professors are
more afraid of receiving reper-
cussions from canceling class
than professors with tenure.
This may be the reason senior
international student Michelle
Simpsons professor refused to
reschedule her quiz. Simpson
said her plane ticket to Jamaica
would be $400 less expensive if
she could leave on Dec. 19.The extra day of classes puts
a burden on students who live
far away from campus. Inter-
national students are a big part
of the campus population.
They should have taken us into
account when they made the
schedule, Simpson said.
Assistant Vice President for
Academic Services Michelle
Wheaton is responsible forcreating a tentative academic
schedule for final approval by
the college council.
Wheaton said this year was
a challenge because of the way
the holiday fell. I apologize for
the way the calendar worked out
this year... Truly, we understand
the challenges students are faced
with, but we have to at least have
it on the books that way.
The Pennsylvania Department
of Education requires we hold 40
contact hours per term for semes-
ter credit, Wheaton said.
Another concern among stu-
dents is the lack of a reading dayor a weekend between the end
of the term and finals. As the
schedule stands, classes will end
on Tuesday, Feb. 16, with finals
beginning the next day.
While senior Adam Olszewski
said, I dont have enough time
to drink before finals, fresh-
man Tori Spada is concerned
she wont have enough time to
study. Im a little overwhelmed.A lot of freshmen took a heavy
course load this term, including
me, and I think itll affect our
finals, Spada said.
English professor Heidi Hosey
said, I think its more pressure for
the faculty to grade finals... Grades
tend to be due fairly quickly, often
as early as Monday.
Wheaton said the alternative to
the current schedule was to hold
classes on Martin Luther King
Day, but the administration was
reluctant to cancel the celebra-
tions planned for the holiday.
Senior Sherette Almandez par-
ticipated in Martin Luther KingDay events last year. I guess in
that respect I could understand,
but maybe they could have taken
a couple of days off Thanksgiv-
ing break, she said.
By shortening the time between
terms, however, Wheaton worried
students would not have enough
time to recuperate before starting
a new term. There is not much
wiggle room when youre work-ing with a trimester, she said.
There is a light at the end of
the tunnel: Next year students
will have all of Christmas week
off, according to Wheaton.
By JoEllen MarshEditor-in-chief
Off-campus policy eased for juniors
More students returning
to Mercyhurst College means
current freshmen and sopho-
mores will be allowed to live off
campus when they are juniors.
The decision not to implement
the new policy, which required
students to live on campus untiltheir senior year, was made at a
presidents staff meeting held in
early December.
According to Vice President
of Residence Life Gerry Tobin,
the large freshman class and
the high sophomore retention
rate would have caused housing
congestion for upper classmen
by 2012 had the college imple-
mented the policy.
Sophomore Matt Cirell isamong the students happy with
the decision. We are no longer
children; we are adults, he said.
If we are expected to take care
of ourselves in the real world, we
should at least be able to choose
our own college living space.
This past year we were able
to offer a number of triples, and
students have responded very
positively to that living environ-ment, Tobin said.
With the current mix of triple
and quadruple occupancy, the
capacity of the upper class area
is 1,303 and current occupancy
is 1,255, according to Tobin.
If juniors were required to live
on campus in the 2012-13 school
year, residence life estimates the
capacity would remain at 1,303
but they would need to provide
housing for 1,408 students.This would force the Briggs
and Lewis Avenue apartments
to revert to quadruple occu-
pancy. We dont want to revisit
that again if we can help it... We
hadnt implemented the policy,
so it made sense to delay it until
we figure out how to expand
capacity, Tobin said.
Expanded capacity could
come in the form of a newresidence hall, depending on the
outcome of a new study.
The study is focused on the
needs of upperclassman stu-
dent housing and the feasibility
of making repairs to the worst
buildings (especially Highland
Square) versus building a new
residence hall.
The administration has not
given up on the idea of making
all juniors live on campus, butcurrent freshmen and sopho-
mores will not have to worry
about the policy.
Sophomore Courtney Clair
said, Its a big step for juniors to
be able to live off campus Its
another way to live on your own,
a bigger leap into the real world.
I think that it still would be
a very good idea for students to
live on campus. Its a safer worldand its a good opportunity, we
just have to have the right envi-
ronment to be able to do that,
Tobin said.
The new environment cre-
ated by the addition of Warde
Hall has increased freshman
satisfaction, and may be a good
indication that the retention
rate will continue to increase.
Approximately 81 percent of
the class of 2012 returned thisyear as sophomores, a six per-
cent increase from the previous
years class, according to Tobin.
Mercyhurst has a strategy
for increasing retention. The
college has really aggressively
looked at students who have
not registered on time, (and)
instead of just letting them sit
out, Tobin said, the school is
looking to assist them, whetherthrough the help of academic
counselors, academic support
or financial aid.
The key to retention ulti-
mately does not lie with the
college, Tobin intimated. Its
one of those things where you
can offer the program and the
opportunities, but its up to
the students in the end to avail
themselves, Tobin said.
By JoEllen Marsh
Editor-in-chief
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Features Page 5December 16, 2009
By Jennifer McCurdyContributing writer
PRSSA connects students, professionals
The Public Relations Student
Society of America (PRSSA)
recently accepted Mercyhurst
College into i ts membership.
The goal of PRSSA is to
create relationships between
students and professionals in
the field of business, com-munications, marketing and
public relations.
According to its official
Web site, the PRSSA began
with nine alpha chapters on
November 11, 1968. We have
since grown to include 284
Chapters and more than 9,600
members across the nation.
Members of PRSSA haveaccess to many benefits such
as competitions, national
and regional conferences,
job boards and scholarships.
Members of the Mercyhurst
College PRSSA will also have
opportunities to network
with professionals from the
Erie and Pittsburgh Public
Relations Society of Amer-ica (PRSA) chapters.
The goal of these activi-
ties is to support students in
their efforts to network and
develop professional skills.
Faculty adviser Meghan
Corbin said, We started the
Public Relations Student Soci-
ety of America because net-
working in todays job market
is essential; 80 percent of job
seekers say networking has
enhanced their search or got
them their job. The PRSSA
offers students this advantage
by connecting them with indus-
try professionals and providing
the students access to the latest
industry information.
Freshman communicationmajor Danielle Battaglia said, I
did not see the point in joining
when Im a freshman since it
doesnt really benefit me yet.
Battaglia also mentioned
her reluctance to pay the
fees, which amount to $75 to
become a national member
and receive full benefits.
I think it might be worth it
to a senior or upperclassmen
when they start searching for a
job, but I dont see a freshman
getting much out of going to
these meetings besides free
food, she said.
Another freshman, Chelsee
Callahan, disagreed.
I actually (think joining
is) a good i dea. Its an oppor-tunity to meet people in your
field and toss around new
ideas, Callahan said.
Students interested in the
PRSSA should contact senior
Brittani Devore, the groups
president, or check out prssa.
org for more information.
Just south of the hubbub, the
traffic, the crowded streets of
the city of Erie lies a stretch of
land unknown to some, a trea-sure to others.
Some hunt or fish for trout
in the clean and clear bodies
of water there, while others
simply drive down the almost
nine mile road that leads into
the country, lined with trees.
Lake Pleasant Road isnt just
another stretch of pavement.
It doesnt seem to belong any-
where near a city.Houses sit sporadically, people
are sometimes seen tending to
their gardens or children playing
in acres of grass.
Roughly halfway down Lake
Pleasant Road sits a dirt race
track, set a quarter of a mile
back in a clearing.
Prior to the race track is a
mini golf course and driving
range, lit up on summer nights
with a sign advertising special
deals and ice cream.
Seven miles down Lake Pleas-
ant Road is West Greene Road,
and on the corner sits Tri-State
Taxidermy, a small shop with a
self-explanatory name.
Other than these threeestablishments, not much
other than houses and barns
line the road.
Lake Pleasant is an escape
from reality, one Mercy-
hurst senior who travels the
road often to relax said. The
energy there is completely dif-
ferent than on campus. Its
serene and calm. You can hear
yourself think.Its not uncommon to drive
behind a tractor on Lake Pleas-
ant Road, said senior Piasha
Chanda, a frequent Lake Pleas-
ant Road driver.
My favorite thing about Lake
Pleasant Road is Lake Pleasant
itself she said.
Just under a half a mile long
and a quarter of a mile wide,
Lake Pleasant is a small freshwa-
ter lake located eight and a half
miles outside of Erie on Lake
Pleasant Road. A few houses
dot its edges, surrounded by
greenery. Its easy to imagine the
serenity of living in such a quiet
location, away from city life.
I like to climb the trees onthe roadside and sit with my
friends, talking about life,
Chanda said.
At night, the stars shine
bright and can be seen with
clarity, another Mercyhurst stu-
dent said. A fan of Lake Pleas-
ant Road said he and his friends
went to Lake Pleasant in the
past week to take pictures of
fall foliage.On sunny days, Lake Pleas-
ant Road is busier than usual.
Not only do college students
unfamiliar with the area and
looking for a simple escape
enjoy the seemingly foreign
stretch of land along Lake
Pleasant Road, but longtime
Erie residents also enjoy the
road, which makes it one of
Eries natural treasures.
Lake Pleasant Road: Enjoy an Erie Treasure
Senior Piasha Chanda climbs one of the many trees liningLake Pleasant.
Contributed photo
By Katie Atkins
Contributing writer
O
nli
ne
... An Erieite
Appetite:Joe Roots Grill
The Original
Erieite
Merciad.
Mercy-
hurst.edu/
Features
Merciad.
Mercy-
urst.edu/
eatures
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 16, 2009
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 6 December 16, 2009
Dancer profi le: Mastrocola dances own song
Sarah Mastrocola is a juniordance major with a minor inEnglish.
What made you decide to
major in dance?
I have danced for as long
as I can remember, and I havefound that I truly love it. Thus, I
knew that I wanted to continuedancing, but as a senior in highschool I was not yet ready toseek professional employment
in a dance company. Being acollege dance major seemed likethe best option for me.
What is your favorite part
about the dance department?
I love how close-knit the
department is and all the goodfriends that I have there. I also
like that the department is heav-
ily based in ballet, as that is wheremost of my training has been aswell. I appreciate the opportuni-ties that I have had to choreo-
graph within the department aswell, as choreography is anotherartistic outlet that I enjoy.
What do you hope to do
with your dance degree?
My hope is to secure a job
as a dancer with a professional
dance company. I also wantto continue choreographing,
whether during, after or in placeof a performing career.
Are you going to be audi-
tioning this year? If so
where?
As I am currently a junior, I
intend to audition a few times inthe spring/summer, mostly forpractice. My main auditioning I
am planning for my senior year. I
have several possible companies,
but I am mainly interested in look-ing for a company that is basedin ballet but also works heavilywithin a contemporary vein.
What is your advice for
incoming freshman dancers?
The advice that I have some-
what jokingly given to fresh-men for the past two years isto always set two alarm clocks.
I would also advise them to not
be afraid to try new things andto develop interests outside the
dance department. College canbe a great opportunity to dis-cover oneself as well as learning
academically, and so integrity tooneself and openness are defi-nitely key!
What do you like to do in
your free time?
I really love to sing and I also
like baking and doing crafty
things (knitting and such).
Are there any particular professors here at Mercy-
hurst that have influenced or
inspired you?
I have gained a lot of valuableexperience and knowledge frommany of my professors, both in
and out of the dance depart-ment, but I have an especiallystrong connection to Ms. Par-
tusch. I feel that we understand
each other very well, and shehas been one of the most help-
ful and caring professors withwhom I have had the honor of working, both in an academic
and personal setting. I definitelyattribute much of my progressand growth to her teaching and
dedication in and out of theclassroom.
An unabridged version ofthis profile can be found online.
By Emma Rishel
Staff writer
A&E onlinemerciad.mercyhurst.edu
MET simulcast Hoffmann tellstales of romanceThe opera Les Contes dHoffmann will be streamedto the PAC on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 1:00 p.m.
Hurst choir sings Vivaldi, carolsThe colleges choir sang at the PAC and at ImmanuelLutheran Church on Sunday, Dec. 13.
Joyeux Noel rejoices
Christmas in wartime
Lets face it: In this day andage, its often difficult to find
the good in many situations. Butevery so often, usually when we
least expect it, an illustration ofhumanity will show itself. Per-haps the most obvious of theseexperiences occurred on Christ-
mas Eve, 1914.Most, if not all of us, have
heard this story through our
various history classes, how inthe midst of World War I aninformal truce was called and
Christmas was celebrated amidst
the warring factions. This weeks segment of the
Guelcher Film Series, JoyeuxNoel, lends a reality to thisevent which no history book
could ever hope to capture.
Joyeux Noel focuses onone particular stretch of thefront lines and the experiences
of several individuals. Sprink(Benno Furmann) is a Germantenor who left the opera to serve
the military; Jonathan and Wil-liam (Steven Robertson, RobinLaing) are two Scottish brothers
who joined the army to accom-plish something with their lives.
The boys parish priest, Father
Palmer (Gary Lewis), is presentas well, lending his services as astretcher bearer.
On Christmas Eve, the Danishsinger Anna Sorensen (DianeKruger) is brought in to sing for
the German officers, but insistson being taken to the front linesto sing for the troops and, hope-
fully, to see her lover Sprink. The events that follow are
inherently sentimental, keptfrom going overboard by thepoignant humanity which is dis-
played and the knowledge that in24 hours these men will be killingeach other again. Soldiers tenta-
tively gather in No Mans Landto listen to Sorensen and Sprinksing duets, to admire the thou-
sands of Christmas trees set upby the Germans, to share storiesof home and to bury the dead.
Viewers could easily be seenas overly optimistic, except
that these events actually tookplace. With the world we live in,such reminders of the good of
humanity are more importantthan ever, especially at this timeof year.
Joyeux Noel shows in theMary DAngelo PerformingArts Center today at 2:15 and 8
p.m. Tickets are free for Mercy-hurst students with ID.
An unabridged version of
this profile can be found online.
By Kathleen VogtleStaff writer
Mastrocola is a junior dance
major with a minor in English.
Tyler Stauffer photo
Joyeux Noel documents the actual events of Dec. 24, 1914.
pac.mercyhurst.edu photo
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September 3, 2008OPINIONPage 8 December 16, 2009
@mercyhurst.edu
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The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstCollege. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of
finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is(814) 824-2376.
The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signedand names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the
letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Lettersare due Mondays. by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit
letters to box PH 485 or via e-mail at [email protected].
If you dont want it printed . . . dont let it happen.Editors
JoEllen Marsh
Kelly Luoma
Javi Cubillos
Jordan Zangaro
Nick GlasierAlaina Rydzewski
SamWilliams
Tyler Stauffer
Ethan Magoc
Ethan Johns
Gaby Meza
Kyle King
Bill Welch
Brian Sheridan
Positions
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
Features Editor
Opinion Editor
Sports EditorA&E
Graphics
Photographer
Multimedia Editor
Web Editor
Advertising Manager
Copy Editor
Adviser
Adviser
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the v iews of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciador the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to [email protected].
OnlineOpinion Articles...
visit merciad.
mercyhurst.edu
For many Americans the
images of last weeks paid
advertisement for MTVs
SpringBreakMax.com are
normal. There was no blatant
nudity and no one can prove
what was in all those plasticcups. I deeply admire many
staff members of the Merciad.
JoEllen, you make me so proud
to work at Mercyhurst: for the
compassionate person you are
and the many fantastic causes to
which you dedicate yourself.
However, including this
advertisement was a very
poor decision. Mercyhurst
should in no way condone thebinge drinking and hooking
up culture which has been
portrayed and defined by MTV
for decades.
When I told this to a faculty
adviser for the Merciad, he
responded that three things
worry him concerning what
should be advertised: (1)
promoting alcohol, (2) messages
contrary to Catholic values
and (3) particularly sensitive
political issues. Apparently this
advertisement did not qualify.
Did I miss something? From my
perspective, to quote the band
Meatloaf, Two out of threeaint bad.
Across the world, womens
dignity is being systematically
threatened (through slavery,
prostitution, pornography,
domestic violence and policies
intended to keep women in
their place).
This sexist attitude begins
with the wet t-shirt contestants
lined up in the background of aphoto on the SpringBreakMax.
com advertisement and in
the banana eating contest
publicized on the Web site.
There is a distinction
between what students write
in the Merciad and what
advertisements are placed inside.
Advertising for MTV Spring
Break does not necessarily
mean that we condone this, but
it says (unequivocally) that we
do not oppose it. I do oppose it,
along with the Catholic Church
and the Sisters of Mercy. If
you know me, you know that I
am not a moral prude. I simplybelieve, as a husband, father and
proud Catholic Christian, that
every human is created with
profound, inherent dignity.
When anyones dignity is
demeaned, I am demeaned, and
so are you.
How much money did we
receive from MTV for these
advertisements? Is it enough to
justify the prospective parentand student who were handed
a copy of the Merciad during
their campus tour?
Does it distress anyone
that the Sisters of Mercy will
see this?
By Greg Baker
Director of Campus Ministry
Response to the MTV Spring Break Ad
Overcoming lifes obstacles Victoria Gricks shares a fearful
experience with us. Read to see how
she overcame her panic and what she
gained from the situation.
The Merciad staff apologizesto anyone offended by last
weeks advertising promoting
SpringBreakMax.com. We in
no way condone the binge
drinking and hooking up
culture represented in the
advertisement, as Mr. Baker
asserts, but we do believe in the
advertisers rights to control
advertising content.
The Merciad is funded inpart by advertising profits. We
need advertisements for our
production, including weekly
printings and online updates
which brings important news
to students, faculty and the
community. As Mr. Baker must
have seen, we ran a March
for Life advertisement in last
weeks issue without comment
from those who disagree
with the moral beliefs impliedtherein. We trust that Merciad
readers can distinguish between
our published news and
advertising content.
We pride ourselves on a
standard of journalism that
intentionally avoids the tabloid-
style gossip prominent in todays
mass media. Whereas other
campus newspapers feature
sexual how-to columns and he-said, she-said slandering, we try
to bring to light in a fair and even-
handed manner all the source-
based news we can. We want to
point out that we regularly cover
such spring break alternatives as
Habitat for Humanity service
trips and rowing and tennis
athletics campaigns. We believe
our newspaper is written very
much in the spirit of Mercy and
are especially proud to haveadded a Green page concerned
with promoting environmental
sustenance to our usual
sections this year. We follow
Pennsylvania law in that we
do not permit advertisements
for Pennsylvania-licensed
establishments to sell alcohol
and refuse to promote any on-
campus consumption of alcohol.
Decisions beyond that lie in ourdiscretion. While we wish we
had paid more attention to the
photos in the SpringBreakMax.
com advertisement, we find it
a slippery slope to equate the
advertisement to the Merciads
condoning of womens
subjugation and diminishment
and hold ourselves in no way
responsible for the Web content
of our advertisers.
Merciad staff responds to Bakers assertions
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Opinion Page 9December 16, 2009
There are some traditions
my family has that drive me
up a wall. I cannot tell you the
number of times I have rolled
my eyes at my mom when she
makes my three siblings and me
come downstairs and decorate
the Christmas tree.
We each have our own bin of
ornaments collected over the
years; most of mine are horribly
embarrassing homemade
ornaments with unfortunate
pictures of my years in the
middle.
Every year we all complain
about being too old and too
grown upevery year the living
room seems to get smaller as
we all point out that my mom
makes us decorate, and then
the minute were all in bed, she
moves everything around to
make sure it looks beautiful and
the way she wishes.
It happens every yearexcept
this one.
I was on the phone with mymom this past Sunday and she
was just calling to check in and
to let me know she, my dad, my
younger brother and older sister
were decorating the tree.
I found myself upset, whichshocked me. I found myself
saying, You guys couldnt have
waited until I got home next
week?
Of course, when my mom
said no I couldnt tell her that
I was upset. I immediately felt
older than I have ever felt before.
I couldnt believe traditions I
once hated were continuing on
without me there. It made me
feel homesick which I never
feel.
As I go home for my last
Christmas break, I am hoping
I find a new appreciation for
all the small traditions, the
stressful family events and the
overwhelming full house that
usually makes me insane. I think
that I have finally realized thatI dont know where I am going
to be or what I am going to be
doing next year, and I may miss
these things more than I was
ever willing to admit.
Perhaps this Christmas, while
the presents are being given, or
the Christmas music is on the
radio or your family is bundling
up for church on Christmas
Eve, you will take a minute andbe thankful and appreciative and
let the little stressors go for the
time being.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
By JordanZangaro
Opinion Editor
I believe in loyalty. Loyalty
is a devotion or allegiance to
someone or something and
should be expressed in both
thought and action. I think of
one who shows loyalty as one
with strength of character,
sound will and someone to be
depended upon.
People have many things on
which they focus their loyalties.
In my life, I believe in loyaltyto God, country, family, friends
and self.
I declared my faith in the Lord
when I was 11 years old and I
was baptized. I was young, some
say too young to make such a
commitment. But some of the
experiences I had had so early
in life made me realize what was
important, and I felt the need
to make an affirmation of faith. Although I have changed a lot
since then, I believe that once a
vow is made, it should never be
broken.
God is one who provides,
supports and loves, through
the good and the bad, and my
declaration and faith is a simple
task compared to that.
We live in the greatest nation
in the world, and loyalty issomething I feel very strongly
about in this time of economic
and social strife. It is hard when
I do not always agree with
government policies
and politics, but this is
still our country, and
we must be faithful.
I took an oath in
September of this
year to uphold the
Constitution and
defend this country
against all enemies,
foreign and domestic.
It was the hardestdecision I have ever
had to make, but I
know it was the right
one. I trust that God
is putting me on the
right path. It will be
challenging, but my
declaration to pronounce my
loyalty to this country outweighs
all of the fear and uncertainty
that comes with this vow.My family and friends are
the ones who support, love,
guide and help me, through the
tough times and the bad times.
They are the people for whom
I would lay down my life. They
may frustrate or anger me at
times, but I would do anything
for them. They have raised and
taught me to be the best that
I can be, and I will forever begrateful and loyal to them.
Finally, I believe in being loyal
to ones self. Everyone develops
the morals and beliefs that shape
their characters throughout
life. It is necessary to make the
decisions that will benefit me
the most in the long run. I have
not always made those right
decisions, but I pray that I have
learned from them, and will
forever remain loyal to what I
believe to be true and honest.
Brittany Wzontek is currently
a junior at Mercyhurst majoring in
Intelligence Studies with a minor in
history. She is originally from Buffalo,
N.Y., and upon graduating will enter
service in the U.S. Army as a second
lieutenant seeking to work in militaryintelligence. Her favorite things about
Mercyhurst are its small, close campus
and the uniqueness of the Intelligence
Studies program.
Lost traditions makestudent appreciative
Power through faith, devotionand commitment
Christmastime may very well
be my favorite time of year, for
any number of reasons. It is
doubtless that almost everyone
gets in the mood to be merry,
and the decorating helps us all
become a little brighter during
the season part of the reason
I go crazy with decoratingevery year. If you could see my
apartment, youd probably think
I was a little crazy. Heck, you
might have even seen the tree
for a club of mine, the MSBA.Its the belligerently patriotic
tree in the union.
Actually, its the work that I
had our members do on that
tree and for our club that brings
me to the interesting part of this
article. There are plenty of trees
in the student union, and most
of us walk around without a care
as to who made them, instead
simply admiring the fact that somany students got their clubs in
gear to spread some Christmas
cheer. From abolitionists to
archaeologists, theres no doubt
that Mercyhurst is excited forthe holidays.
As a matter of fact, it would
appear that there are even more
students excited than we usually
talk about here. One night last
week I was plugging in our
club tree when I noticed there
had been addition. I only really
noticed because the tree was so
much different, a shorter, potted
tree sitting on a table when I walked in. On my way out, I
took another glance and was
quite surprised at what I found.
Well, now the tree has been
moved, and sits by a window,but the RMB written on the pot
is still quite visible. Aside for the
letters, the red monkeys abound
as ornaments they do quite
astound.
Another trifle some of the
members of MSBA did find, is
when they went to hang posters
last night. If you look around,
apparently youll find, a poem
with much rhyming muchbetter than mine. A story of
Christmases past, present, and
future, with Saint Nick himself
- perhaps an English major, or
even an elf.Now stopping this travesty, I
do end this soon, thereby saving
us all from my own impropriety.
Im not sure that made sense,
you can ask a friend; Im done
with College Writing, and have
become quite dense.To wrap all
this up, it does indeed appear,
that when Christmas is near,
Rho Mu Beta is full of good
cheer.Merry Christmas, everybody.
By Devin Ruic
Staff writer
Student rhymes about secrety societys holiday spirit
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SportsPage 10 December 16, 2009
Lakers offense red hot
Mercyhurst College junior Jason Snow dribbles past a Virginia Union defender in the Lakers
73-61 victory on Saturday.
Tyler Stauffer photo
The season is looking bright
for the Mercyhurst College
mens basketball team, as their
extraordinary efforts pay off
on the court.
Last week, the Lakers picked
up three consecutive wins,
making their record 6-2 overalland an undefeated 3-0 at
home.
The men started off their
week with a game against Man-
sfield University of Pennsyl-
vania, where the Lakers made
a comeback to take the win,
90-87.
The previously undefeated
Mountaineers thought they
could defeat the Lakers, but
thanks to their performancefrom the free-throw line and a
season-high of 10 three-point-
ers, Mercyhurst was able to
close an 18-point deficit for the
victory.
Next on the schedule for
the Lakers was the Mercyhurst
Holiday Tournament, which
they hosted this past weekend.
Their first match-up was Vir-
ginia Union University, whomthe Lakers dominated from the
start in a 73-61 victory.
The team was led by career-
high scoring from senior
Ryann Bradford, who scored
18 points, and junior Heiden
Ratner, who put in 21. For the
last game of the tournament,
the Lakers met Washington
Adventist University in what
would be a game for the books
for Mercyhurst.With the Lakers 101-59
victory over the Pioneers, the
Lakers scored triple digits for
the first time under head coach
Gary Manchel and for the first
time since Dec. 2002, when
Mercyhurst defeated Point Park
University, 102-68 in his largest
margin of victory ever.
Seniors Elliot Englemann
and Nnamdi Nnadilli finishedwith 19 and 17 points, respec-
tively. With less than a minute
and half left to play, Bradford
dunked the ball to push the
mens basketball team into
triple digits for the first time in
seven years.
The men will be back on
the court after a two-day rest
to host Urbana University on
Wednesday, Dec. 16.
By Samantha SellingerContributing writer
The Lakers evened their record to 3-3 this past week. To see
more photos, go to merciad.mercyhurst.edu to view a slide
show of the womens win over Wheeling Jesuit.
Ethan Magoc photo
merciad.mercyhurst.edu/sportsOnline sports articles......................
Womens hockey rolls against St.LawrenceWomens hockey makes a huge statement with asweep of St. Lawrence.
Womens basketball evens recordWomens basketball evened its record with a winover Wheeling Jesuit.
The great goalie debateColumnist Devon Swanson discusses who thegreatest NHL goalie ever is.
Winter Classic losing luster?Columnist John Baranowski questions the NHLsdirection with this years Winter Classic.
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 16, 2009
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Sports Page 11December 16, 2009
Survivor fi nds strength from teammate
For most college students
these four years are the last
years of their lives without
tremendous worry. At least that
is how it is supposed to be.
On Sept. 16, 2007, Mercy-
hurst Colleges then-sophomore
and current senior Garrett
Kensy had his world turned
upside down as the days of
being a carefree college student
went out the window.
That day the doctors
informed Kensy that he had
testicular cancer, and the shock
began to set in for Kensy and
those close to him.
When I heard that Kensy
had cancer, I was completelyshocked. Its hard to believe
someone that takes such good
care of their body like Garrett
did could get such a thing,
head coach Marty Schaetzle
said.
Garrett came back to Buf-
falo, where he went through
surgery in order to remove the
tumor, but he was not out of
the woods yet.
After the surgery it wasdiscovered that the cancer had
spread and I needed to go
through chemotherapy, Kensy
said.
Despite being in Buffalo
most of his winter term going
through the chemotherapy, at
Mercyhurst Garrett was still
fresh on everyones mind.
Back at Mercyhurst some of
his teammates shaved Garretts
number into the side of their
heads.
We tried to step up as a
team and give him the spiritual
support that he needed during
those tough times, Schaetzle
said.
Everyone was great at Mer-
cyhurst, especially the teachers.
They were very understand-ing with me and really made it
easy for me to attempt to keep
up with classes while I was at
home, Kensy said.
The reaction to my situation
around campus was great and
people really made it easy for
me to get through it, Kensy
said.
Kensy was free of cancer
during spring after the longtreatments of chemotherapy
and has then stayed cancer free
since.
However, two years later
another Mercyhurst football
players life was affected by
cancer in an eerily similar way.
On Jul. 10, 2009, sophomore
Jeffrey Pollard was diagnosed
with testicular cancer.
Four days later Jeffreyunderwent surgery in order
to remove the tumor, but as
with Kensy, they later dis-
covered that the cancer was
more aggressive than previ-
ously thought. He too had to
undergo chemotherapy.
When Kensy heard of
Jeffreys diagnosis, the memo-
ries of his ordeal and the shock
of Jeffrey having cancer set in.I was completely stunned
about Jeffrey and really felt the
pain he was going through. I
called him immediately after I
heard, so he knew if he needed
anything that I would be there,
Kensy said.
For the rest of this story,
visit merciad/mercyhurst.
edu.
By Nick GlasierSports editor
Sophomore Jeffrey Pollard and junior Garrett Kensy meet in front of the football offices before
a meeting. They look forward to next season, when both are expected to play big roles.
Tyler Stauffer photo
Zapolski leads mens hockey to AHA lead
The Mercyhurst College
mens hockey team tacked on
three points via a win and a tieto move to a conference record
of 9-5-2, good enough to move
into a first-place tie with the Air
Force Academy Falcons.
Mercyhurst and Air Force
both have 20 points heading
into the second half of the
season.
The Lakers can attribute
their recent success to junior
goaltender Ryan Zapolski.
Zapolski has amounted a 2.47
goals against average and a .925
save percentage for the season.
Over the weekend Zapol-
ski saved 85 shots from the
Falcons and only allowed four
goals.He credits his success in goal
so far to the play of his team-
mates.
The team has been doing a
great job at limiting the other
teams scoring chances lately,
and weve been scoring a lot
of goals, which takes some
pressure off of the defense,
Zapolski said.
Mercyhurst took a six-game
winning streak into Colorado
Springs, Colo. to take on the
Falcons. The first night, the
teams split at 3-3, each earning
a point. The Lakers rallied from
a two-goal defecit, with junior
Mike Gurtler and sophomoreDerek Elliot scoring to erase
the Falcons early 2-0 lead.
Junior Scott Pitt added another
tally to give Mercyhurst the
lead, but Air Force struck back
and scored one of their own,
giving the game its 3-3 final
score.
Ryan Zapolski faced 52 shots
in the game, blocking 49 of
them.
The Lakers and Falcons
faced off again on Saturday,
with Mercyhurst walking away
with a 3-1 victory over Air
Force. Juniors Brandon Coc-
cimiglio and Steve Cameron
scored the first two Laker goals,with Derek Elliot adding a late
score in the third period. Air
Force only managed to score
one, and Mercyhurst earned the
two points necessary to tie the
Falcons for first place.
This weekends wins
have proven to be the type
of hockey the Lakers have
been trying to play, with new
offensive sparks and a steady
defense. Conference rivals Air
Force and Rochester Institute
of Technology are proving to
be the main contenders, along
with Mercyhurst, to capture the
conference title.
We just need to remain con-fident in ourselves, stay focused
and keep working hard every
dayif we do that then hope-
fully we can get another shot at
a (conference) championship,
Zapolski said.
Mercyhurst has the next few
weeks off before heading to
Burlington, Vt., for the Cata-
mount Cup tournament on Jan.
2, against Minnesota-Duluth.
By Steve Bukowski
Staff writer
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 16, 2009
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