The Merciad, March 18, 2009

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Mercy Beyond Borders is a nonprofit organizationhelping the people of southern Sudan.

It was founded in 2008 by Sister Marilyn Lacey, aSister of Mercy, university professor and medicaldoctor.

Sister Lacey visited on Tuesday, March 10, andWednesday, March 11, at the invitation of Sister LisaMary McCartney, vice president of Mission Integration

at Mercyhurst College. Sister Lacy talked with studentsand faculty about her work and what the ordinary citi-

zen can do to help.Mercy Beyond Borders helps people in war-ravaged

Sudan, where one quarter of the worlds displacedpeople currently live.

The program focuses mainly on women and chil-dreneducating them and sending money to helpthe women start small entrepreneurial projects they

designed.McCartney said it was important for Sister Lacey to

come and speak at Mercyhurst because Sister Lacey

is doing in Sudan in the 21st century what CatherineMcAuley did in Dublin in the 19th century. It relates

to our Mercy traditions and heritage.

According to mercybeyondborders.org, their missionis to partner with displaced women and children in

ways that alleviate their extreme poverty.Laceys own personal passion is to help make the

world a more welcoming place for persons forced toleave their homelands because of extreme persecution.

She has worked in refugee camps and with programsthat help settle refugees in new countries.

She currently manages the operations for Mercy

Beyond Borders and believes that all the women needis a boost up in their economic situation to help thembecome successful in their lives.

For more information, see her book, This FlowingToward Me, which describes her experiences and all thegood things that have come of them. Another resource

is mercybeyondborders.org, which has a detailed accountof the program and its current projects.

To read about the experiences of another sister living

in Africa, visit mercyinsudan.blogspot.com, and to reada weekly commentary from Sister Lacey, visit mercybe-yondborders.blogspot.com.

For more information on how to make a differencefrom Mercyhurst, contact McCartney at extension 2572

or at [email protected].

High school seniors flooded Mercy-hurst Colleges campus Friday, March 13,

for the 29th annual Laker Live-In.Current freshmenn were encouraged

to be Laker Live-In hosts and have one

or two incoming freshmen stay withthem for the night.

Laker Live-In is held every year for

incoming freshmen. It was preceded bya day of activities including tours andinformational speeches, and followed by

Major Day on Saturday, March 14.The percentage of students who come

to Laker Live-In compared with the

percentage of whom actually end up at-tending Mercyhurst the following fall ispretty high although its hard to guess,

because some who came are alreadycommitted to the school, said Dana Mc-

Millin from the Admissions Office. Activities such as the mens hockey

game and Wild Wild Western WingNight took place throughout the night

and provided a glimpse of campus lifeon the weekends.

Wild Wild Western Wing Night was

held in the Herrmann Student Union

and had free pizza, wings and refresh-ments, as well as the chance to ride themechanical bull.

Laker Live-In gives incoming fresh-

men a feel for the campus that is unat-

tainable through a one-day tour.They get the chance to meet currentstudents in real situations away from

adults, giving them the opportunity toask questions on a more personal leveland express their fears, anxieties or ex-

citement.Paige Bosnyak, a Live-In from Pitts-

burgh, Pa., said I thought it would be agood experience before I came here to

get a feel for it.

Some Live-Ins were eager to makelasting memories before officially com-

ing, like Shana Brown, a Live-In fromJamestown, N.Y.

The Live-Ins werent the only ones

who gained lasting memories night.Freshmen Michelle Mula and Kaitlin

Badger hosted a Live-In.

Mula felt it was fun to be able toshow the live-in real college life.

Badger said she gained the experi-

ence of being able to give someone agood experience at Mercyhurst Collegebefore they actually come here as stu-

dents.

NEWSPage 2 March 18, 2009

By Alaina Rydzewski

Staff writer

High school seniors get a taste of life at the Hurst

By Alaina RydzewskiStaff writer

Sisters help women and children beyond our borders

These two orphans go to a Mercy Beyond Borders

school in Sudan

Contributed photo

Contributed photo

Excited Laker Live-Ins attended the mens hockey game last Friday with their

freshman hosts.


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NEWS Page 3March 18, 2009

Serve Erie through AmeriCorps

Amelia Diaz, a 2008 Mercy-hurst alumna, spent the 2008-

09 school year serving Mercy-hurst and the Erie communitythrough AmeriCorps VISTA.

AmeriCorps VISTA is anational program that works tohelp impoverished people and

communities.VISTA members commit

to serve full-time for a year at a

nonprofit organization or localgovernment agency, working tofight illiteracy, improve health

services, create businesses,strengthen community groupsand much more, Diaz said.

As a member of the Ameri-Corps VISTA working in theService Learning Office, Diaz

is responsible for organizingevents and programs such asservice learning, alternative

breaks and community projects.Diaz said being a member

of the AmeriCorps VISTA is agreat responsibility, but it gives

her a sense of fulfillment. The program is a stepping

stone between you graduatingand stepping into a long term

job, Diaz said.AmeriCorps VISTA provides

training in grant writing, net-

working skills, community orga-nizing and communication.

The program provides finan-

cial benefits as well. Members

receive a monthly stipend andtheir loans are deferred for one

year.According to Diaz, there are

about 30 AmeriCorps VISTA

positions throughout Erie andCrawford counties.

College students who want to

serve the community can applyto the Scholars in Service toPennslyvania (SISPA) program,

which is supervised by Ameri-

Corps VISTA. The SISPA program allows

students to choose a work studyoff campus at a nonprofit orga-

nization. Students are paid andreceive an educational scholar-ship for their service.

Diaz recommends SISPA for

students who have in interestin community service while inschool.

Students must apply by Friday,May 8, to be considered for theSISPA program.

Applications to become a part

of the AmeriCorps VISTA pro-gram will be available in April.

There will be informationalmeetings on Wednesday, April15, and Tuesday, April 28, at

8:15 p.m. in the Audrey Hirt Academic Center Building forinterested students.

For more information con-tact Amelia Diaz at extension2343 or e-mail her at adiaz@

mercyhurst.edu.

By Kelly Luoma

Staff writer

One small school is taking abig chunk out of landfills.

Thanks to the participationof students and a big push fromthe Mercyhurst College Green

Team, Mercyhurst currentlyleads the state of Pennsylvaniaand ranks 11th nationally in the

RecycleMania competition.I am truly amazed with theparticipation from the student

population. In monitoring the volume of trash and recycledmaterial, it is evident the majority

of the student body are enthusi-astic about landfill waste reduc-tion and increased recycling

efforts, Director of the PhysicalPlant Ken Stepherson said.

This is the first year Mercy-hurst has entered the competi-tion. Recycling efforts jumped

from 35 to 53 percent betweenthe trial period and the eighth

week of RecycleManiaBecause of Mercyhursts suc-

cess, WSEE TV interviewed

Magoc and senior Zach Pekor,sophomore Marcella Bunge andjunior Zoey Alderman-Tuttle.

The performance of the Mer-cyhurst community in the Recy-cleMania competition is quite

impressive, Green Team Faculty

Chair Chris Magoc said. Thiscompetition has allowed us to

reach our longstanding goal ofmore than 50 percent recyclingof our waste stream. I believe

that we will be able to sustain thatstrong recycling rate after Recy-cleMania ends in a few weeks.

In the per capita classic division,Mercyhurst is 20th with an aver-age of 19.65 pounds of cumula-

tive recyclables per person.For as small as Mercyhurst is, it

is pulling its weight in the gorilla

division with 102,656 pounds ofcumulative recyclables. Rutgers

University tops this categorywith 1,043,023 pounds of cumu-lative recyclables.

The competing school clos-est to Erie, is Allegheny College,which is in 56th place. With 49

registered RecycleMania colleges,Pennsylvania has more schoolsparticipating in RecycleMania

than any other state.

I think its great were doingso well. I wouldnt mind seeing

more time and money go towardprograms like this, senior JoeKrowsoski said.

Students have two more weeksto increase recycling before theend of the competition. Mercy-

hurst is 1.11 percent away fromseventh place and could easilypull ahead of several colleges in

the final weeks. To keep track of weekly

results, go to recyclemania.org.

By JoEllen Marsh

Managing editor

Senior celebration

raises money forlegacy of 2009

The Senior Gift Commit-

tee held the annual 100 Days toGraduation celebration at The

Cornerstone Bar and Grill onFriday, Feb. 13.

The event was held to raisemoney for the 2009 Senior Gift,

a Mexican restaurant being addedto the Herrmann Student Union.

About $4,500 was raised by the

230 students who attended. The celebration included a

cover charge to be admitted into

the basement, where there wasfree food, drink specials and danc-ing. Seniors had the opportunity

to purchase T-shirts to wear forthe celebration.

Senior Committee member

Vicky Fleisner helped plan the100 Days fundraiser.

The committee was really

happy with the turnout and themoney we were able to raise forthe gift so the event was success-

ful, Fleisner said. The committee will continue

fundraising activities throughout

the 2008-09 school year. Another fundraising event is

A Night of Music, with differ-

ent student bands performing. The event will take place on

March 31, at 8:30 p.m. in the Stu-

dent Union.Fleisner said students will still

be able to purchase T-shirts,

as well as donate their housingdeposits or any money they canto their school chairs.

LOST & FOUND ITEMS

There are many personalitems currently at the Lost

& Found in the library at theCiruclation Desk.

If you have lost any items of value,they might be at the library,

so make sure to check.

YOUniversity launchesMercyhurst video tour

Visit

youniversity.com/mercyhurst_college

to take the virtual tour and watch

interviews with faculty, administrators

and students.

By Ashley PastorStaff writer

Hurst leads in RecycleMania


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NEWSPage 4 March 18, 2009

Want to go to Europe? How

about Japan, China or Egypt?Mercyhurst College studentsand faculty go to places like this

every year.Faculty Led Study Abroad

(FSAT) trips happen immedi-ately after graduation and lastapproximately 12-13 days.

Students who want to partici-

pate have to take a class springterm to prepare for the trip, butthe class is often a core require-

ment, such as Origins of Chris-tianity, and the credits are free tothe student.

The only cost of the trip is

the travel expenses, which canbe covered by student loans.

Dr. Heidi Hosey of the Eng-lish Department is in charge ofthe trips, and said the FSAT is

a program where students takeclasses in spring term and thentravel with professors to various

places.It is an excellent way to expe-

rience the world at little or no

cost.This year there are three trips:

Egypt, Italy and Greece, and the

Galapagos Islands.

James and Mary Breckenridgeare leading the trip to Egypt,Dr. Jim Snyder and Dr. Daniel

McFee are leading the trip to

Italy and Greece, and Dr. RobHauf and Dr. Steve Mauro are

leading the trip to the Galapa-gos Islands.

The trips are announced every

April and the only requirementsare a GPA of 2.5 or higher, acourse enrollment deposit to

hold your spot in the class, andenrollment with the travel part-ner for the trips, Education First

Educational Tours.After the trips are announced,

students should contact Hosey

to express interest in the trip and

a place will be held for them. The spots are reserved on a

first-come, first-serve basis and

fill quickly, so if interested con-

tact Hosey as soon as possibleafter the trips for next year are

announced.Junior Jax Brown, who went

on the trip to Europe last year,

said she gained a sense of cul-tural enlightenment and appre-ciation for the historical, politi-

cal and artistic traditions thatenhance the diversity outside ofour borders.

Hosey can be reached atextension 2336 or by e-mail [email protected].


After a fatal plane crash inClarence Center, N.Y., just out-

side Buffalo, on Thursday, Feb.12, Mercyhurst College studentsand faculty assisted with the

recovery and identification ofremains from the scene.

All 49 passengers and crew

members of the Continental

Connection 3407 flight werekilled along with one person on

the ground.Medical examiner Dianne

Vertes, M.D. requested the assis-

tance of the Mercyhurst teamwho arrived around 2 a.m. at theErie County Medical Examiners

Office in Buffalo. The team consisted of a

research assistant, more than

a dozen graduate students andDr. Steven Symes and Direc-tor of the Applied Forensic

Sciences Department at Mer-

cyhurst Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat,

two of only 60 board-certi-fied forensic anthropologists in

North America and the only inPennsylvania,.

Dirkmaat previously worked

to recover remains from thecrash of Flight 93 in Shanks-ville, Pa. after Sept. 11.

Symes is an expert on trauma,including burned bone trauma,having recently co-edited a book

titled The Analysis of BurnedHuman Remains.

The Department of Applied

Forensic Sciences at Mercyhursthas provided forensic anthro-pology consulting services to

the Buffalo Medical Examinersoffice for the past six years.

According to the Erie Times

News, the Mercyhurst teamand other experts worked at

the crash site for five days.Dirkmaat said its likely theyrecovered all of the remains.

By Ashley PastorStaff writer

Anthropology

Departmentassists at N.Y.plane crash

Travel the world with FSAT

Dr. Joanne McGurk and students took a Faculty Led Study Abroad trip to Japan summer 2008.

Contributed photo

English professor Dr. Brian Reed and students

pose for a picture on their FSAT trip to Europe.

Contributed photo

Can you last the fast?

Contact Nicole Zehnderat [email protected] for more

information

Join Rotaract and Campus

Ministry for a 24-hour fastfrom 5 p.m. on Friday, March

20, until 5 p.m. Saturday,

March 21.


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NEWS Page 5March 18, 2009

Students teach at art, literacy fairs

Students teaching studentsprovides a great learning experi-

ence for all. The Literacy Fair was on

Thursday, Feb. 5, and the Art

Fair took place on Wednesday,Feb. 11.

Both events were held oncampus in the Herrmann Stu-dent Union Great Room.

The fairs were organized and

planned by Amelia Diaz, the AmeriCorps VISTA for ServiceLearning office.

According to Diaz, childrenfrom eight community partners,such as the Boys and Girls Club,

the YMCA Kids Club and the

Booker T. Washington Center, were given the opportunity toparticipate in the fairs.

The Literacy fair was part of aproject for Dr. Timothy FrawleysChildrens Literature course. Stu-

dents from his class chose chil-drens books and created an activ-ity to go along with the book.

The fair is an educational

event where the children are ex-cited to read and have fun, Diaz

said. The event benefited not only

local children, but Mercyhurst

students as well, because it gaveeducation majors an opportunityto apply their teaching skills, ac-

cording to Diaz.The Art Fair allowed the chil-

dren to show their creative side as

they were able to participate in 15different art activities. Includingdecorating door hangers, creat-

ing bracelets and making fingerimprints.

Children are excited to visit

the college campus and meet ourstudents, Diaz said. Mercyhurststudents are role models to the

kids and having them come over

is a great way for both parties tolearn and share with each other.

Both events were funded bythe Diversity Enrichment Grant.

Without their funds, we

wouldnt be able to do this, Diazsaid.

Overall, 48 children and 62

Mercyhurst students participatedin the two events.

By Kelly LuomaStaff writer

Mercyhurst College students read to children from the Erie

community at the Literacy Fair on Thursday, Feb. 5.

Contributed photo

Sing, read or relax at AmnesTEA

Musicians, poets and other creative students

have the opportunity to show off their talents atthe annual AmnesTEA event.

This coffeehouse-style open mic event spon-

sored by the Mercyhurst College chapter of Amnesty International will take place Thursdayfrom 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Herrmann Student

Union.Organic fair-trade teas, coffees and chocolates

will be available for donation or purchase in bulk

to support Amnesty International.The goal is to raise awareness of fair trade

merchandise in a fun environment . I feel like its

a good way to get a message across; its some-thing exciting, its not a boring lecture, Amnesty

International President freshman Rachel Brownsaid.

Amnesty members ask students to keep theevent green by bringing their own coffee mugs.

Sophomore Eve Klajbor, who went to Am-nesTEA last year, said, The atmosphere was real-ly amazing. The people who attended AmnesTEA

genuinely cared about where the money was go-ing. It was a wonderful time and I hope this yearsis just as great.

This year the purpose of AmnesTEA is toraise awareness about hunger and its relation to

Fair Trade products. Students who attend Am-nesTEA will have a chance to sign up for Fridays24-Hour Fast, sponsored by Campus Ministry andRotaract.

A lot of times coffee and tea farmers receiveunfair payment for their products, which canlead to hunger and other economic injustices. It

may cost a little bit more money for fair trade,but youre drinking it in good conscious, Brownsaid.

Students can sign up to perform an act in this

honors-certified event beginning at 8:30 p.m.This is a great opportunity to express yourself

in a friendly environment, so come out and showyour work, Brown said.

By JoEllen MarshManaging editor

Abe Lincoln livesin Second Life

For a day, Abe Lincoln experi-

enced modern life with the helpof Mercyhurst Colleges Art Edu-cation Program Director Camille

Nischal. She and Instructional Technologist, Dr. Mara Lina-berger, presented the avatar at the

Pennsylvania Educational Tech-nology Expo and Conference inHershey, Pa.

The presentation was calledAvatars as Historical Inquiry

and related to the Abraham Lin-coln project, also known as Sec-ond Life.

Through the Abraham Lincoln

Project, participants can learnfirsthand about Lincoln and hislife through his avatar, or second

life.Nischals presentation in-

cluded an overview of Abraham

Lincoln Magic, a Second Lifein-carnation of our 16th U.S.presi-

dent, exploring art and Web 2.0technologies to enhance and en-rich historical inquiry.

Freshman Tyler Stauffer saidit was the first time he presented

the project to an audience usingSkype technology.

I had to take a historical figureand put him in to our modern day

21st century world, visiting and al-lowing Abe to see what the worldis like today, Stauffer said.

This is just the beginning ofthe program, which will continueto embrace Web 2.0 technologies

to make history education more

interesting and exciting for stu-dents everywhere.

For more information on theSecond Life program, visit abra-hamlincoln.wikispaces.com for a

brief overview or abrahamlincoln. wikispaces.com/Second+Life toexperience the project firsthand.

To get involved, Nischal can bereached at extension 3656 or bye-mail at cnischal@mercyhurst.

edu.


MSG Happy HourIrish MeetnEat

Wednesday, March 18

4:30-5:30 p.m.

in the Student Union Enjoy Irish mocktails

and free food

Mingle with Dr. Gamble

and raise concerns

Talk to MSG Senators

and ask them questions

with the college president


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FEATURESPage 6 March 18, 2009

Lunch $ 5

Dinner $ 5.50 11:30 a.m. -8 p.m.

Lunch $ 5Dinner $ 5.50

Broccoli & Cheddar Bites

6 Sub $4 Combo $512 Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75

Make any sub a wrap for

no extra charge!

Wrap Combo- Veggie $5

Other Wraps $4

M

T

W

TH

F

S

Southwest Burger

Breakfast Sandwich

Sizzle Salad

Taco Salad

Goulash

Laker Burger

M

T

W

TH

F

S

Chicken Parm w/ Pasta

Philly Wrap

Gen Tsos Chix or Tofu

Pierogies

Buffalo Popcorn Chicken

Chicken Bacon Swiss

S Potato Bowl

Lunch $ 5

Dinner $ 5.50

St. Patricks Day was originally a re-ligious holiday as celebration of the

anniversary of St. Patricks death andbecame an official holiday in Ireland in1903.

Since St. Patricks Day occurs duringthe Christian season of Lent, Irish fami-lies would traditionally go to church in

the morning and enjoy celebration fes-tivities in the evening.

In the United States, people celebrate

St. Patricks Day to remember their Irishheritage and to eat, drink and be merry.

However, for some Irish students at

Mercyhurst College, it has a much richerhistory.

Louise Killeen, a senior from Dublin

Ireland, said her family has many tradi-tions for this special holiday.

At home, St.

Paddys Day ispretty relaxed ...

e v e r y o n ehas the dayoff from

w o r k , K i l l e e nsaid.

Killeensfamily gen-erally goes

to Mass inthe morn-ing and then

takes her youngerbrother and sister tothe parade in Dublin.

They have a family din-ner and then she goesout with her friends

but said, It is not a big

drinking holiday in Ireland, like

it is in the States.Ciaran Doherty, a

freshman from NewRoss, Ireland, saidmost people in his

hometown attend aparade and most Irishhave been in the pa-

rades as children asp a r t

of a club or school.

The parades are a huge tradition andthe pubs get a lot of business on St.

Patricks Day, Doherty said.He has many family traditions. His

family celebrates by having his father

pick wild shamrocks in a field the morn-ing of St. Patricks Day and attendingMass later in the day.

He said many people wear shamrockspinned to their shirts.

At home I never really paid much

attention to the holiday, otherthan that we had a day off

from school. You begin to

appreciate your heritage when you leave it, so Imlooking forward to Tues-

day, Doherty said.

By Jenna Golden

Contributing writer

No one celebrates like the U.S. on St. Pattys Day


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FEATURES Page 7March 18, 2009

In September of 1983, I

began my venture into higher

education at Mercyhurst

College.

After graduating from Erie

Technical Memorial High

School with a background inelectricity and electronics, I

enrolled at Mercyhurst to pursue

pre-law with an interest in law

enforcement studies.

My time at the Hurst was

a great year, to say the least.

Transitioning from high school

is a challenge, but the professors

I had were wonderful and

seemed to sense when students

needed guidance.One professor that stands out

in particular was Professor John

Nee.

He was a retired policeman

from the Pittsburgh area and

would use his experience as a

policeman to help educate his

students.

His classes were never boring;

they were like living a real-life

version of CSI for an hour.

To say that the classes I had

with Mr. Nee were invaluable is

truly an understatement.

Many of the things he said

were fatherly, and often got

many students to stay long after

class to find out his thoughts on

other topics.

What really sparked me as

far as interest at the Hurst was

politics. I am the youngest of

five children and my dad, the

late Bernard (Babe) Harkins wasa school principal by trade, but

was also first and foremost a

political animal.

He served on the Erie City

Council for 16 years, and ran

John F. Kennedys campaign in

Erie in 1960.

Growing up in a house where

I was always exposed to politics,

I had a passion for a good

debate. A Mercyhurst professor who

shared that passion was Dr.

Grossman, with whom I took a

government studies class with.

His oratory ability always

made for an interesting class

and he provided much more

than what was contained in the

syllabus.

A great aspect to Mercyhurst,

in my opinion, is the beautiful

campus.

The chapel, the football field

and the athletic facility were

some of my favorite spots.

The home games were always

a blast to attend.

That was one of the first

seasons for football at the

Hurst, and the coach was Tony

DeMeo.

I learned a great deal in the

one year I was at Mercyhurst

and met interesting people,both faculty and students, many

of whom I am still friends with

today.

I did transfer out to Penn State

Behrend the next year because

of my financial situation.

In my fourth year of college

I received an opportunity to

become a driver with UPS.

I jumped at the chance; the

money was good, it kept mein shape, and I figured I could

always finish school later (as of

this writing I have not finished

but recently when I was up on

the Mercyhurst campus, the

thought strongly ran through

my mind).

After 24 years with UPS I

decided to run for political

office.

In 2006, I was elected to

the First District House seat

in the Pennsylvania General

Assembly.

I am currently a member

of the State House Education

Committee.

I always feel proud when I am

around the state and MercyhurstCollege is mentioned.

I am honored to say I went

there.

My parents instilled in me

that you should always pursue

your dreams and never close

any doors.

The professors I had whileattending Mercyhurst reinforced

those ideals in me.

By Patrick J. HarkinsContributing writer

Life after HurstPat Harkins: member of the Pa. House of Representatives

Patrick Harkins is a member of the State House Education

Committee.

Contributed photo

Year: SeniorMajor: Sports Medicine and Fitness PromotionHometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.Favorite Thing about Spring Break:Bikinis and slip and slides in 60 degree weather.Best Mercyhurst Memory: When my roommates base jumped...out of my window.If you could meet any celebrity dead or alive who would it be and why:John Balushi because not only is he hilarious but hes my favourite actor.

Drew Pfeiffer


8/20


9/20

FEATURES Page9March 18, 2009

While spring break brought relaxation

and fun in the sun for some Mercyhurst

College students, others had alternative

spring break plans.

Three optional trips over spring break

this year were offered by Mercyhurst

College, included Habitat for Humanity,

Navajo Alternative Break and UrbanChallenge.

Amanda Zechman of Campus

Ministry led the Habitat for Humanity

trip and took a group of students to

Goldsboro, N.C. to help build a house

for a needy family.

Juniors Laura Stevens, Brittney Bucco

and Chelsey Crawford and seniors

Rachel Wojcik and Renee Kiefer not

only planned the trip but are also board

members for the Habitat for HumanityClub at the Hurst.

Sister Michele Schroeck led the Navajo

Alternative Break, taking seven students

to Fort Defiance, Ariz., the capital of the

Navajo Nation.

While there, the students worked at

St. Michaels Association for Special

Education which is similar to the

Gertrude Barber Center in Erie.

They were able to learn about Navajo

culture through attending activitiessuch as church services, visiting a

Navajo museum and hiking at Canyon

de Chelley.

Freshmen Taylor Murray, Amanda

Parrella, Natalie Grospitch, Lisa Rhein

and Monica Gehring, junior Jackie

Phillips, and sophomore Katarzyna

Michalkiewicz participated in the Navajo

trip.

Murray heard about the trip through

his friends, who convinced him to go.

He said his favorite part of the trip

was being able to get the experience

with special education kids.

Four students went on the Urban

Challenge trip to the Romero Center

with AmeriCorps VISTA Amelia Diaz.

Sophomore Blaire Murphy, junior

Nicki Ambrogi, senior Gretchen Yori and

graduate student Nordia Brusola took

part in a poverty and justice awareness

program.

They helped in soup kitchens, schools

and shelters during the day, and attended

speaches on poverty issues at night.Murphy said she was glad to help,

because it was obvious they had a

misconception about college students

and suburban teens in general.

...they were able to see that there were

people who caredit was learning for

both sides, she said.

Yori agreed and added that the help

was not only direct, but indirect also.

Just providing someone with a smile

or an ear to listen is enough, she said.She greatly encourages the trips. It is

an experience that cannot be replaced by

textbooks.

I learned about poverty first hand,

saw the hardships, saw how organizations

helping the people and situations are

struggling. I cannot explain in words

what this did for me and how it has

helped change my career path ideas.

These trips provide the opportunity

to help not only the victims but the

volunteers, too. As Murphy said, its

learning for both sides.

To get involved, contact Amanda

Zechman at extension 2549 or Sister

Michele Schroeck at extension 2471.


Breaking away from the usual spring break

Sophomores Meghan Warner and Beth Kostrencic, juniors Heather Buechner

and Chelsey Crawford, and freshman Abby Lillard working in Goldsboro, N.C.

Contributed photo

Sophomore Christina Casey and Katie Rissetto, and junior Chelsey Crawfordworking on the roof of a house.

Contributed photo

The final product of the Habitat for Humanity trip to Goldsboro, N.C. In oneweek, students raised the walls and the roof was nearly finished.

Contributed photo


10/20

Most people dont know

where their water comes from.

They just turn on the tap and

expect their water to be there.

These days are ending, begins

a trailer for this weeks Guelcher

Film Series offering, the

world-water-crisis documentary

Flow.

The focus of Flow con-

centrates on one all-consuming

question: How can anyone own

water?

The film examines how a

handful of private compa-

nies have managed to plunder

the natural resources of both

developed and Third World

countries.Whereas some in the United

States have fought back with

lawsuits and attempts to at

least create sensible contracts,

those in developing nations are

often left helpless, their health

extorted at the hands of their

greedy or needy government.

Such is the case in Bolivia,

where in 1997 the World Bank

insisted that short-term loans would be contingent on the

nations privatization of water.

According to an article by

Jim Shultz of zmag.org, The

private consortium that took

control of the water, Aguas del

Illimani, is owned jointly by the

French water giant, Suez, and

a set of minority shareholders

that includes, among others, an

arm of the World Bank.

California engineering firm

Bechtel raced in to the poor

city of Cochabamba and raised

rates by more than 200 percent,

far more than the impoverished

residents could afford to pay.

Eventually the group was

forced to leave, but rebut-

ted by filing a secret lawsuit in

a trade court to try to pick up

more than $25 million from

the already impoverished South

American state.

The result of increasing water

rates countrywide, tied to pri-

vate companies desire to switch

rates to the U.S. dollar and make

a profit, has forced many poorfamilies in Bolivia to attempt to

use well water, much of which is

polluted by industrial waste.

The cost of the privatized

sewage and water hookup costs

approximately six months worth

of wages for those families earn-

ing minimum wage.

Unclean water is a major

cause of child illness in Bolivia,

according to Shultz, wherealmost one in 10 children die

before reaching age five.

Beyond pointing the finger at

private corporations and capi-

talist institutions, which it does

extremely well (The market is

inherently amoral, one com-

mentator opines), Flow

attempts to track down exam-

ples of 21st century solutions to

the worlds water crisis.

These developing new tech-

nologies, the films Web site

maintains, are fast becoming

blueprints for a successful global

and economic turnaround.

In its joint focus on culprits,

crisis and solutions, Flow

follows in the footsteps of a

number of recent commercially

successful Guelcher Film Series

documentaries, including 2006s

humorous whodunit Who

Killed the Electric Car? and

Al Gores 2007 global-warming

foray into the genre, An Incon-

venient Truth.

Flow will be shown in

the Mary DAngelo Perform-

ing Arts Center on Wednesday,

March 18, at 2:15 and 8 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4

for seniors and students and $3

to Presidents Card holders.

Tickets are free to Mercyhurst

students with student ID.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 10 March 18, 2008

World water crisis runs deep in Guelcher Film FlowBy Kyle KingA & E editor

Flow won Best Documentary at the United Nations

Association Film Festival and was an official selection at theSundance Film Festival.

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo


11/20

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 11March 18, 2009

Bellinis most pastoral and

immediately successful opera,

La Sonnambula, is coming to

the Mary DAngelo Performing

Arts Center as a part of The

Metropolitan Opera: Live in

High Definition series.

La Somnambula will be

broadcast on Saturday, March

21, at 1 p.m.

Directed by Mary Zimmer-

man, the entire production mag-

nificently soars into superiority

as the contrasts of wakefulness

and sleep, and the differences

and similarities between their

literal and figurative meanings,

are illuminated in an eerie real-

ity. In this way, the 1831 opera

is staged in a contemporary set-ting.

La Sonnambula, or The

Sleepwalker, uses the clas-

sic plot of a woman wrongly

accused of unfaithfulness in a

startling new way, by using sleep

wandering as a deep and power-

ful symbol for the human con-

sciousness.

The strengths of this opera

go far beyond musical mastery,

but delve into a realm of philo-

sophical and moral controversy.

The title role of Amina is

known for its great difficulty,

but in the Mets production ofthis moving tale, Natalie Dessay

takes the challenge with beauti-

fully graceful success.

Singing opposite of Juan

Diego Flrez, the couple gives

an amazingly intimate stage

presence and chemistry, as this

is not the first time they have

played characters falling in love

opposite each other.

Dessay and Flrez have

already thrilled audiences world-

wide with their renditions of the

lead roles in La Fille du Rgi-

ment, and this performance

is only a strengthening of their

operatic partnership.

A perfect performance for

opera beginners and experts, the

modern setting, costumes and

staging delivers the early 19thcentury opera with compelling

reality to a wide-range of audi-

ence members. If youre wary

of digesting a classic opera, this

may be the perfect production

to break the ice.

Those familiar with the genre

will find this theatrical creation afresh and gripping experience.

A production pairing philo-

sophical anxieties and musical

mastery is a rare occurrence,

and La Sonnambula delivers

with perfection.

Now in its third season and

its second year at Mercyhurst

College, The Metropolitan

Opera: Live in High Definition

broadcast is made possible with

the help of a dozen strategically

placed cameras in the Metropol-

itan Opera House.

The cameras offer brilliant

close-ups, which reveal the

details of costumes and facial

gestures, and with sweeping

wide angles present a panoramic

spectacle that gives PAC viewers

an intimate advantage over thoseactually in the Met audience.

Tickets are $18 for adults and

$15 for seniors and students.

Front row balcony tickets are

$30.

By Hazel Jennings

Staff writer

Sleepwalking Somnambula to broadcast in PAC

Natalie Dessay walks off the deep end starring as the titular

sleepwalking somnambulist in The Metropolitan Operas

broadcast, which will air at the PAC on Saturday, March 21, at

1 p.m.

pac.mercyhurst.edu

Student-run Sweet Charity to be staged this weekend

This weekend in the Mary

DAngelo Performing Arts

Center, the Mercyhurst student-

run musical will present Sweet

Charity, a fun and unusual story

of a dance hall hostess who

wears her heart on her sleeve and

always seems to get mistreatedby love.

This musical is based on the

book by Neil Simon with music

by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Doro-

thy Fields and memorable chore-

ography by Bob Fosse.

The cast consists of approxi-

mately 45 Mercyhurst students

from a variety of majors and

experience levels.

Freshman voice performance

major Katie Wagner will por-

tray the peppy, but conflicted,

lead character of Charity Hope

Valentine.

Playing Charity has been fun

but also difficult because she has

to be a triple threat. Also, there

is a lot of depth to her charac-ter she is very outgoing, but at

the same time has no real confi-

dence, Wagner said.

Senior Kara Stadelman has

worked as producer for the show

with Chris Von Volkenburg as

musical director.

Junior Everett Olszewski has

acted as student director in con-

junction with professional direc-

tor David Matthews.Stadelman, who worked last

year as director for the produc-

tion of Seussical, said her role

this year is somewhat different.

I wanted to work with a dif-

ferent aspect and try producing,

Stadelman said.

Im very glad to have tried

this new position, and it has been

interesting dealing with the other

aspects of the show such as

advertising, as well as being ableto work with David Matthews

this year, Stadelman said.

Junior dance major Trevor

Sones has been working on the

choreography for this produc-

tion of Sweet Charity.

I have choreographed sev-

eral musicals before but never a

Fosse musical. It was challenging

because I wanted to stay within

the Fosse style but still make mychoreography original, Sones

said.

Overall, I am extremely

happy with the result, and I could

not have done it without such an

amazing cast and [sophomore]

Claire Hinde, my assistant chore-

ographer, Sones said.

The cast and directors seem to

have high hopes for the perfor-

mance.

Everyone has worked veryhard and everythings really start-

ing to come together. It should

be a great show, Wagner said.

The show is very funny with

lots of amusing little lines and

well as purely ridiculous parts.

The Rhythm of Life number

should be especially entertain-

ing, Stadelman said.

Sweet Charity will be per-

formed Friday and Saturday,March 20 and 21, at 8 p.m., and

Sunday, March 22, at 2 p.m.

Tickets are only $1 for Mercy-

hurst students with student ID.

Tickets are $12.50 for adults,

$10 for students and seniors,

$6.50 for Presidents Cardholders

and $5 for youths 15 and under.

To purchase tickets, call (814)

824-3000 or visit the box office

in the PAC lobby.

By Sarah MastrocolaStaff writer

Promotional photo


12/20


13/20

OPINION Page 13March 18, 2009The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the v iews of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciad

or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to [email protected].

Inbox:Where

readers share

their thoughts.

The

In the last edition of The

Merciad, I came across Seth

Hallams opinion piece, Mercy-

hurst making unfair judgments

in holiday choices.

I am all for the freedom of

opinion and the right to speak

out for ones view; however, Ifeel it necessary to set the record

straight on the historical refer-

ences cited in his article.

The Brown v. Board of

Education decision, which

Hallam states was the product of

a strong constitution, occurred

in 1954, 167 years after the con-

stitution of the United States

was adopted.

What were the 33 presidents

before Dwight D. Eisenhower,

the president at the time of theBrown decision, doing to allow

for the doctrine of separate but

equal to exist? For that matter,

did Eisenhower have much of a

bearing on the Supreme Court

decision at all in 1954?

The answer is, no he did not.

In fact, Eisenhower would

have preferred to maintain the

status quo and keep segregation

alive. I am not saying President

Eisenhower was racist in any

way, nor am I discounting his

efforts as Supreme Allied Com-

mander during World War II.

I am merely saying this does

not sound like a hero worth

remembering as President of

the United States of America.

Hallam insinuates the reason

for social change in America is

the American system of gov-

ernment and the leaders of that

government, the presidents. I

will not disagree that our consti-

tution allows for us, as citizensof the United States, to peace-

fully assemble and speak out if

we so wish against our govern-

ment among the many rights

and privileges it mentions.

I will say, however, even with

the rights that are bestowed

upon us through that social con-

tract, those rights are not always

defended by our government.

The Brown decision overturned

a previous Supreme Court ruling

saying separate but equal was

constitutional.

It is in times like those, we

must not look to the presi-

dents but leaders like Rev. Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., leaders

embodying the famous line of

the Declaration of Indepen-

dence, But when a long train

of abuses and usurpations, pur-

suing invariably the same object

evinces a design to reduce them

under absolute Despotism, it

is their right, it is their duty, tothrow off such Government,

and to provide new Guards for

their future security.

The United States of America

is a great nation, in part because

of its presidents, but mostly

because of its seemingly ordi-

nary citizens who rise to promi-

nence to fight for justice and the

good of all.

I am not underplaying the

importance or contributions of

our presidents; they should be

celebrated for winning the high-

est office in the land. However,

for every Washington, there is a

Van Buren, for every Lincoln,

there is a Harding and for every

FDR, there is a Nixon.

Given the choice for Mer-

cyhurst College to honor great

Americans for their contri-

butions to our society, MLK

should win hands down, not the

elected officials who created or

stood idly by the policies Kingfought against in the first place.

Matt Wallenhorst 09

The Transportation Security

Administration is on the job. Its

been several months since full-

body scanners were installed

in Reagan National Airport in

D.C., but since then they have

continued to spread around the

country.

The most recent location isTulsa, Ariz., where TSA employ-

ees may now look through pas-

sengers clothing to see if they

have anything objectionable

underneath.

Few privacy objections have

been raised by those subjected

to the revealing scan, probably

in part because a manual frisk-

ing, which could never be intru-

sive, is offered as an alternative.

Also in part because the TSA

has been so very reassuring:The images produced by that

scanner are not pornographic

at all, a Tulsa screener said. I

dont look at them as people.

I look at them as a thing that

could have something on it.

And so the things that could

have something on continue

on their way, not so much con-

cerned their Fourth Amend-

ment rights have just been

grossly violated but displeased

the process took so long.

As C.S. Lewis rightly said, Of

all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised

for the good of its victims may

be the most oppressive.Its a sad day when the TSA

depersonalizes security, no

longer are we people to them,

but just things and will be

treated with the respect and

attention things, rather than

people, deserve.

But just think of how much

safer theyre making us all!

Dont think of it as stealing

our freedoms so much as grant-ing us the liberty to be herded,

photographed in the nude and,

above all else, safe in our chosen

mode of transportation.

Dont worry; Big Brother

always has our safety and best

interest in mind And to reit-

erate the best for last, the quote

from an employee of the state,

in reference to the citizens: I

dont look at them as people.

By Thomas Kubica

Staff writer

Mercyhurst College has been

participating in a number of

recycling programs this year,

including the nationwide con-

test RECYLEMANIA.

The Green Team here has

been busy promoting recy-

cling by putting stickers on

light switches and recycling oldphone books, for example.

So imagine my surprise when

I pass the cleaning lady dump-

ing the contents of the recycling

bins at the end of my hall into

the garbage. Now, dont get me

wrong: the cleaning lady is very

sweet and well-liked.

I am in no way trying to get

her into trouble, but in order for

this school to become green

and energy efficient, everyone

has to participate in the recy-cling effort.

I know some of you may not

care, or think you dont have the

time or energy to recycle, but its

as simple as putting a bottle in a

recycling bin, turning off a light

or shutting off your computer

when youre not using it.

Try doing these three things

on a daily basis and pretty soon

they will become habit.In order to become green,

everyone on campus has to do

their part. Every person should

be a big fan of saving the envi-

ronment. Who doesnt like

breathing clean air, after all?

Students, faculty and staff

here should be proud their

school is trying to make a differ-

ence and help out by doing just

a little bit each day.

By Alaina Rydzewski

Staff writer

Senior sets record straight

Doing your partAlarming airport security: How much is too

much when it comes to passenger safety?

Dont worry, Big Brotheralways has your bestinterest and safety in

mind. Thomas Kubica


14/20

OPINIONPage 14 March 18, 2009

@mercyhurst.edu

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apasto22

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bsheridan

The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstCollege. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception offinals 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

Casey Greene

JoEllen Marsh

Amanda Valauri

Javi Cubillos

Heather Donovan

Brad MoehringerSam Sellinger

Kyle King

Scoot Williams

Tyler Stauffer

Caitlin Bly

Gretchen Yori

Ashley Pastor

Bill Welch

Brian Sheridan

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

News Editor

Features Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports EditorSports Editor

A&E

Photographer

Photographer

Advertising Manager

Copy Editor

General Assignment

Adviser

Adviser

I believe in the power of sung

prayer.

I spent the first week of

2009 in Honduras visiting my

97-year-old grandma, Fracisca

Coto de Medina. Even though

she is 97 years old and she can

no longer walk, her brain is still

in an amazing condition.

But I can tell from this last

visit that her mind is slowly

fading. Yet we could still spend

precious moments remember-

ing the past and celebrating the

present. We enjoyed each other

with the company of my wifeand kids.

I am the Director of Litur-

gical Music at Christ the

King Chapel.

I feel as if I have

been a church musi-

cian for as long as I canremember. Since my

mother Theresa (Fra-

ciscas eldest daugh-

ter) also is a church

musician, when I was

a child, she brought

me along for rehearsals and

church services.

As I recall our visit with

Grandma, the most remark-

able thing I remember is that

she asked me to sing a song

that I havent sung in years.

This song goes back to those

childhood days and the many

church services we used to

attend together.

The song is based on Psalm

91, which says, from the New

Living Translation:

1. Those who live in the

shelter of the Most High will

find rest in the shadow of

the Almighty.

2. This I declare about the

LORD: He alone is my refuge, my

place of safety; he is my God

and I trust him.I am reflecting now on the

power of those words, and

the meaning that they bring

to Grandmas heart. Now she

is not expecting anything else

from life; at 97 years of age,

she realizes she has lived a long

life. There is no more educa-

tion she would like to pursue,

not another college degree or

another job for which she would

like to apply. Even wanting new

shoes or clothes is not as impor-

tant for her as the words of

this Psalm.

Her mind and body might

be fragile and aging every day,

but her spirit is renewed every

day by the hope these words

bring. Through this I realize

the importance of worship and

sung prayer: It makes sense to

sing everyday to the Lord and

come to Him to renew our hope

in His love and care for us.

This is what I believe: Some

day this world will be trans-

formed into a better world, someday death will be no more. No

more hospitals, cemeteries and

rehab centers. No more nursing

homes and ICUs. No more pris-

ons and courts. So many things

will cease to exist.

But I believe sung prayer will

continue on. I believe worship

and adoration to our Creator

will never cease, and we will

sing the words of this Psalm in

His presence.

We will remember the hope

these words gave us, and we will

rejoice in the fulfillment of His

promise and in the rest that we

will finally and justly be receiv-

ing in Heaven.

Daniel Cabanillas is the PrincipalDesignated School Official for the

Foreign Student Compliance Office

of SEVIS and Director of Liturgi-

cal Music. He has been affiliated with

Mercyhurst for 14 years: four as a

student and 10 as an employee.

His favorite aspect about Mercy-

hurst: the sense of community and

belonging; we feel like it is our home.

In a way it is a small community

that surrounds us like belonging to a

family or a special group of humans

that cares about one single goal and

has a lot of things in common - such

as surviving Erie winters. It is, in

other words, Mercy World.

By SethHallamStaff writer

Gun control.

Anyone who regularly reads

this column would probably

know I would be against guns.

Specifically, the National Rifle

Associations illogical opinions

regarding gun databases andcomparing guns used in crimes

to known gun owners.

However, there are some gun

issues I have given a more mod-

erate approach, one of which

is Police and Safety having

guns. (And yes, I am aware that

this issue has been brought up

before, but with the wave of

gun crimes recently, from Ala-

bama to Germany, I think the

issue needs to be regurgitated).The goal of Police and Safety

is to protect the members of the

Mercyhurst community. This

goal doesnt seem attainable

since they are not armed.

If a crazy shooter man

comes to the Hurst, they can

do the same thing I can do, run

and call for help. Many times it

would seem they would just be

the middlemen.For example, crazy shooter

man comes to my apartment

and shoots my roommate. What

do I do? Call Police and Safety.

What do they do? Who knows,

but I know what they cannot

do: Come and shoot the crazy

shooter man, unless they are

going to bring out their Super

Soakers.

As a result they waste time

calling the Erie Police Depart-ment. By this time, crazy

shooter man has killed my

roommates and me. This is why

Police and Safety need guns.

Another thing requiring deeper

thought for all of the cocky

drunks out there: Would you be

more or less inclined to pick a

fight and mouth off to some-

one with a gun? Basic human

instinct would say you would beless inclined.

Dont read into this and think

I am a believer in Police and

Safety being competent enough

to have guns. My general obser-

vations are contradictory.

However, I am backing the

idea that competent (stress that

word) individuals of Police and

Safety should be armed to better

protect the student body.

Assessing the risk: Policeand Safety gun possession

Lasting memories in sung prayer


15/20

OPINION Page 15March 18, 2009

Spring term started underreoccurring sunshine, andthe long list of school-end-ing social events for seniorsare well underway. Pubcrawls and St. Pattys Day will lead to dinner dances

and commencement prepa-ration. So take a breath fromacademics every chance youget seniors, this is it.

Abusive relationshipsamong young people havebeen in the news. Mercy-hurst students most likelydont know Chris Brownand Rihanna Fenty, but theevent shines a tell-all lighton the scary subject.

Gaping holes around thecampus may remind stu-dents of the 90s TV showLand of the Lost, but weassure you theres no prehis-toric world at the bottom ofthese muddy holes. Cars arebottoming out and studentsare losing their footing fromLewis Avenue to ParadeStreet.

Please e-mail any suggestions to

[email protected].

The GB&U is a compilation of

student opinions.

By Jerrod

MarkleStaff writer

Engaging my political and

religious majors, I decidedto devote this column to theforceful coercion of students

into on-campus housing.This forceful coercion is not

only absurd in its nature, it has

recently increased from two

years to three years.Why does Mercyhurst College,

primarily Residence Life, feeland justify the insatiable desire

to control paying students?Surely the desire is rooted in

both economics and philosophy.It seems logical for the school todemand students pay for their

housing, because it increases theschools income, just like finingstudents for drinking charges

increases the schools income.The fine for offenses is more

attractive than the slave labor

alternative of wiping up otherpeoples sweat in the RecreationCenter.

The new residence hall offersa large fraction of students newhousing, as well as what will

soon be better food service.Thank God all these things are

being developed, but the pointof forcing students to live oncampus is contrary to a student

wanting to attend the school.Students should want to makethe free choice to live on campus

because of the incentives.Since I have been here, it has

been cheaper for me to live off-

campus, so why would I chooseto pay more money?

Maybe if Residence Life

corrected their fascist policies,allowing students a freer, saferenvironment to engage their

social relationships, morepeople would choose to live

on campus instead of beingforced to do so.

I must say it has been a

far better experience for meboth in personal and spiritualdevelopment while living off-

campus as compared to myforced time spent on campus.

I can only hope Mercyhurst

will cultivate an environmentstudents will desire, as opposedto the one causing students to

exit and further separate theirsimilar thoughts.

Free the reasonable adults.

As I was walking through

campus on a sunny day last week, I became strangelyaware of how little time I have

left here.The weather is warming and

the putting me in an end-of-

the-year, happy mood. But, as

I realize how quickly spring isapproaching, I am reminded it

also brings with it the end of theyearand college.

For those of us who are grad-

uating on May 24, and wont begoing on to graduate school,this last term will contain many

experiences and memories we should cherish. With thisrealization in the forefront of

my mind I have begun notingall the lasts we will experi-ence in the next nine weeks

until graduation.Of course we have already

registered for our last classes

and have a week of themunder our belt already. In a fewshort weeks we will be taking

our last midterms, which Imsure no one will be sad to say

goodbye to.

Some of us might be doing

our last group projects, lastpresentations and finally put-ting the finishing touches on

senior projects.Whichever you may be doing,

resist the temptation to rush

through just to be done andmake this term your best ever.

Aside from the academic lasts

we will encounter, there are alsothe simple but fond memories

we are making with our friendsthat are the most important.

There will be the last time youeat at the cafeteria, the last long

walks you take with your room-mates, the last Spring Fest week-end and our senior dinner dance.

These are the times we need tosavor, so remember to take it allin and pause to be thankful for

the people we have met and the

experiences weve had. We have been lucky enough

to go to a great school andhopefully have met friends wewill keep for a lifetime.

So my advice to all you seniorsis: Dont wish your time away,as much as we all want it to be

done. This is an important timein our lives that we can never getbackmake it worthwhile and

have fun.

By Hayley OHare

Staff writer

Forcing students into on-campus housing

Discovering relief Senior year: embracingthe end of an era

I will be completely honest. Istalk celebrities.

It is something I am proudof and something I think morepeople should do.

I have supported BritneySpears through every single

psychotic episode. I take greatoffense to anyone with doesntsupport her and I feel like I, too,have succeeded now that she is

enjoying her comeback.I boycotted Brad Pitt and

Angelina Jolie since they got

together and cried while watch-ing Hes Just Not That Into You because I didnt think

Jennifer Aniston should be in a

movie with a story line of a mancheating on his wife.

I can spend hours readingevery single article about prettymuch any celebrity. I refer to

celebrities by their first namesand insist on people around meto keep up with them as well.

My sister even text messagesme when Britney Spears updatesher status on Facebook. When I

heard about Chris Brown and

Rihanna, I was deeply affected

and have been religiously check-ing on both of them. I knowmost readers are guilty of this as

well and this isnt the most intel-ligent thing I could be filling myfree time with.

But, honestly, I could careless. People have told me whata waste it is and I could not

disagree more. It is my guiltypleasure and I encourage every-

body to find theirs. I have writ-ten countless articles about thestressors we all are facing and,as most students have figured

out, it isnt going to get anyeasier.

I may insist P. Diddy would

love to hang out with meandhe wouldand I should havemy own reality TV show.

I am fully aware neither of

the two is going to happen. But,its just one more thing I can

turn to in life that most likely isnot going to make me freak outabout the future.

Even if you dont love celeb-rities, maybe you watch realityTV or eat an absurd amount of

candy. Find an interesting guiltypleasure. You may be viewed ascrazy or imbalanced. But it is

worth it. Embrace the crazy.

By Jordan

ZangaroStaff writer


16/20

Mens Hockey...................................................Mar. 13,W 6-2, Army

Mar. 14,W 5-0, Army

Womens Hockey.................................Mar. 14,W 3-1, St. Lawrence

Baseball...........................................Mar. 14,W 14-0, W 5-1, Gannon

Mar. 15,W 11-2, W 9-6 Gannon

Softball.........................................Mar. 13, L 4-5, Salem International

Mar. 13,W 10-2, Davis and ElkinsMar. 14,W 12-1, West Liberty State

Mar. 15, L 2-3, Glenville State

Mens Lacrosse..........................................Mar. 14, L 5-11 Le Moyne

Womens Lacrosse .....................................Mar.10, W 12-11 Gannon

Mar. 14,W 20-9 Queens (N.C.)

Baseball Team Earns No. 7 Regional RankingMercyhurst Colleges baseball team earned a No.7 ranking in the

National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Atlan-

tic Regional poll. They gained this ranking after earning a weekend

home-and-home sweep of crosstown rival Gannon University.

Zapolski Named AHA Goaltender of the WeekMercyhurst Colleges mens hockey teams sophomore goalie Ryan

Zapolski earned Atlantic Hockey Association Goaltender of the

Week for the week of March 16. This past weekend Zapolski

stopped 55 shots and earned his fourth shutout of the season in

Mercyhursts weekend quarterfinal sweep of Army.

Josh Shields-Wrestling

Mercyhurst Colleges wrestler sophomore Josh Shields earned theLakers first wrestling national champion. Shields won his champi-

onship at 165 pounds in a 5-0 decesion over Nebraska-Omahas

Aaron Denson.

Meghan Agosta-Womens HockeyJunior Meghan Agosta scored the game winning goal over St. Law-

rence University as the Lakers won 3-1 to send the Lakers to the

Frozen Four in Boston. Agosta is a finalist for the Patty Kazmier

Award which is presented to the top player in womens hockey. This

is the third straight year Agosta has been up for the award and she

is the first player ever to accomplish this.

The best of the best, the

elite, the top four in the country,

all competing to be the best

NCAA Division I team.

The top four teams in the

NCAA will make their way to

Boston, Mass. to compete this

weekend in the Frozen Four for

the national title.

As the Lakers pack their bags

and get ready to participate

in one of the finest womens

hockey events of the year,

they are preparing and looking

forward to every minute of the

upcoming week ahead.

Being with the team andgetting to travel as one to the

Frozen Four is going to be an

excellent experience for me that

I will never forget, sophomore

Ashley Cockell said.

The Lakers have battled their

way through an excellent season

posting high scores against some

of the toughest competition.

This past Saturday the Lakers

hosted the quarterfinals againstSt. Lawrence University.

Despite nerves, the women

played very strong on the ice,

proving to those who have been

following them all year that they

truly have what it takes to win

the whole thing this year.

Its an honor to be a part of

the team this year, because weve

made history, and the team is

very excited to show the rest of

the nation what Laker hockey

is all about, freshmen Pamela

Zgoda said.Head Coach Mike Sisti

commented about the

performance during the 3-1

victory over St. Lawrence. I am

very proud of the girls. They

played with great passion, Sisti

said.

St. Lawrence slipped in an

early goal and the Lakers were

down for more then 20 minutes,

but the women gracefully placedthe puck in the back of the net

three times to secure their spot

in the Frozen Four.

Junior captain Meghan Agosta

gave the Lakers the 2-1 lead

pushing the momentum of the

game forward as they closed in

on the final period of the game.

Freshman Jess Jones scored

the third goal of the game to

give the Lakers the final edge.

I think that everyone came

to the game a little nervous and

excited to get the opportunity tohost a NCAA final eight games

Cockell said. But, everyone

played hard and wanted to really

win. Hillary (Pattenden) gave us

some great confidence going

into the game which was really

huge for us as well.

Moving forward to the

Frozen Four, the Lakers will

prepare to travel to Agganis

Arena in Boston. With justtwo more games left to win the

championship, the team could

not be more excited.

I am looking forward to see

what happens. Our chemistry

is awesome right now which

will help us on and off the

ice, Agosta said. I think that

we are going to be prepared to

do anything to get to that final

game on Sunday!

By Katie WaldinStaff writer

Hockey heads to Boston

Sophomore Vicki Bendus defends a St. Lawrence player at the

womens hockey quarterfinal match-up.



17/20

SPORTS Page 17March 18, 2009

The Lakers are already off toa hot start this year.

They sit at 2-1 overall withthe only loss to the No. 2 LeMoyne College, a team that has

been a real rival in lacrosse over

the past few years.The Lakers come in with three

players receiving preseason All-American honors and will lookto them to lead the team on the

field.Seniors Jason LaShomb and

Matt Spahr were named to the

first team, while senior Mike Thon earned a spot on the

second team.LaShomb, a goaltender

from New York, has already

lived up to the first team All-American nod by earning ECCGoaltender of the Week for the

week of March 2. LaShomb ledthe Lakers to a 9-6 victory over

Wingate to earn this honor.When asked about this award

he had very little to say abouthis performance in the game.

He focused on his teams greatperformance.

To be completely honest with

you, I was very surprised with

being given the honor of goalieof the week, LaShomb said.

Its a great honor, but I thinkthat my defense should be givenall the credit and recognition for

holding Wingate scoreless fortwo quarters. Those guys do anunbelievable job in front of me

and many times go unnoticedby the public. So they deserve

this recognition, not me.The Lakers look to improve

on their 2-1 start againstPace University and Adelphi

University in the next few daysand hope to see fans outsideenjoying spring and cheering the

Lakers to victory.

By Gary CoadStaff writer

Lax battles for victory

Two games into the season,

the Mercyhurst College womenslacrosse team has never lookedstronger.

Posting their first victory ofthe year against cross-town rivalGannon University put a smile

on each girls face as they walked

off the field.A 12-11 win to start the season

off against No. 12 nationallyranked Gannon helped boostthe confidence of the women as

they take the PSAC by storm.I think that we have a lot of

potential to work together and

accomplish all of our goals thisyear.

Beating Gannon in our

home opener definitely gaveus confidence that we can beatanyone when we all work as a

team, senior Kristen Toomeysaid. Everyone really hasstepped up so far, and I look

forward to the rest of theseason.

The women are working well

together as a unit and competing

with high goals and expectationsin mind as they enter the 2009

season. This past weekend the

Lakers took on Queens (N.C.)

in Arnold, Md. for the secondgame of the season.

Defeating the Royals 20-9

was another great boost for the

team moral and confidence as

the team begins their season.Last year we were pretty

successful, and we only lost

two seniors this year, so I amdefinitely looking forward tobuilding off of everything we

accomplished last year andhopefully making the NCAAtournament this year, junior

Meghan Dwyer said when askedabout the future of the team

this year.Everyone is looking ahead

with high expectations for theplayers this year on team.

We have such a good chanceon making this one of the bestseasons ever because of the

strong leadership positionsthat the seniors bring to thetable and also because we have

many returning starters and a very strong freshman class,sophomore Kim Masterton

stated. The women are looking

forward to the season ahead

as they move into the PSACalong with the other Mercyhurstteams.

Currently ranked No. 7 bythe IWLCA polls and chosen

to finish second in the PSACconference, the Lakers aremoving ahead training hardeach day for their upcoming

games. The Lakers will plays again

at home Thursday, March 18,

at 4 p.m. against Slippery RockUniversity.

By Katie WaldinStaff writer

Want to get paid to cover

Mercyhurst sports?

Paid editor and writer positions avail-

able for next year!

Contact:

[email protected].

Honored players lead LakersMens lax starts off season 2-1

Junior Trevor Rice (11) receives and protects the ball at the mens lacrosse game Tuesday,

March 17, against Pace University. The Lakers won 14- 3.



18/20

SPORTSPage 18 March 18, 2009

Mens hockey makes semifinals

The Mercyhurst College

mens hockey team entered the

weekend as the third seed in the

AHA conference tournament,

looking to defend their home

ice and earn a spot in the

semifinals.

Standing in their way wasthe sixth-seed Army Knights.

A sweep at the hands of the

Lakers offense sent the Knights

retreating back to West Point.

Friday, the Lakers looked to

start off fast and they did with

a power play goal by junior Matt

Fennel at 13:46 and another tally

by senior Matt Pierce at 17:01 to

put the Lakers up 2-0.

However, Army cut into

the lead with a goal at the end

of the first period, giving the

Lakers a 2-1 lead at the end of

the period.

The Lakers extended thelead to 3-1 in the second on

sophomore Jeff Terminesis

goal at 10:04.

The Lakers finished off the

Knights with three third period

goals.

The first two came back

to back by sophomore Dan

Bremner at 1:52 and senior

Brett Robinson at 2:29.

Army added a goal at 4:51,but the Lakers followed with

another goal by Fennel at 7:01

bringing the final score to a 6-2

Laker victory.

The Lakers finished off the

Knights Saturday night with a

5-0 shutout victory.

Fennel started off the Laker

rout with a goal at 7:50 in the

first. Junior Cody Collins would

score a goal of his own at 14:00,

followed by a goal by freshman

Phil Ginand at 16:15, as the

Lakers would go up 3-0 at the

end of the first.

The Lakers put the finishingtouches on the Knights with

goals by Matt Pierce at 14:01

in the second and an unassisted

goal by Brett Robinson at 8:21

in the third period.

Sophomore goalie Ryan

Zapolski earned his fourth

career shutout on a 27-save

performance and was 55 for 57

for the weekend.

The Lakers improved theirrecord to 21-14-3 and will

play Rochester Institute of

Technology in Rochester, N.Y.,

in the AHA semifinals on

Friday.

The Lakers were swept by

RIT in the regular season and

RIT will be playing a practical

home game in Rochester, but

senior Kirk Medernach said, I

think if we keep this style of play

and continue to be as focused in

Rochester this weekend we can

give ourselves a chance to beat

anyone.

By Nick GlasierStaff writer

Sophomore Ryan Raven (11) takes a shot at goal at the mens hockey game against Army. The

Lakers took the victory, putting Mercyhurst in the semifinals.


Lakers two wins away from conference championship

What could have possibly

come over the Buffalo Bills

front office in the signing of

Terrell Owens?

Did they think they were onelocker room cancer away from

the Super Bowl?

I cannot possibly imagine

their logic behind this.

The Bills leading receiver, Lee

Evans, averaged just under four

receptions per game last season.

Quarterback Trent Edwards

threw for 11 touchdowns last

season.

Terrell Owens scored 10.

The avid Bills fan would

probably say that would mean

somewhere around 21 passing

touchdowns for Buffalo next

season.

The average NFL fan realizes

that TO gets more upset every

time a player not named Terrell

Owens gets the ball.

If anything, it would meanthat production would go

down.

He has had no good

relationships on any of

the teams for which he has

played.

He cast plenty of doubts

about then-49ers quarterback

Jeff Garcia, causing a media

frenzy that has put a major

damper on his career.The 49ers attempted to trade

him to Baltimore, but in his

hatred of the city, refused to be

traded, complained to the point

where the 49ers gave up and

let the Philadelphia Eagles sign

him.

In Philadelphia, he had a

great season en route to the

Super Bowl, but then insisted to

have his contract renegotiated,

requested to play in the

Sacramento Kings summer

league (which was denied) and

made comments that began

the downward spiral of his

relationship with Donovan

McNabb.

He was very upset that the

Eagles failed to adequately

recognize his 100th careertouchdown and complained to

ESPN about it.

He then complained that

the Eagles would be doing

better if they had Brett Favre

as their quarterback, saying

that McNabb was not a warrior

(though he played through a

hernia).

He moved to Dallas, where

he insulted legendary coach

Bill Parcells and spit in the face

of Atlantas DeAngelo Hall,

causing nothing but problems

in the locker room for the

Cowboys.

The Buffalo Bills see

something good here?

He might have some attractive

statistics, but the Cowboys

didnt cut him in the middle ofthe night for nothing.

I realize that the games in

Toronto were not sold out.

I realize the Bills are having

some ownership issues, or will

in the foreseeable future.

This will put fans in the seats

and bring in media attention,

but at what cost?

I give him until Week 4 until

the problems truly begin.

By JohnBaranowskiSports columnist

Time out Buffalo

Whats up with TO?

Page 20

Senior Ryan Arnold (10)

controls the ball during the

Lakers 14-3 victory or Pace

University.


19/20

SPORTS Page 19March 18, 2009

HOUSES FOR RENT

Johnson & JohnsonProperties

Starting June 1, 2009

814-860-8817

Lakers smash Gannon with home runs for sweep

The Mercyhurst Collegebaseball team came into last

weekends series with rivalGannon University 8-7, butcame out 10-7 after sweeping

the Golden Knights. The Lakers had mixed

success at the beginning of the

season, but accomplished a veryimpressive 10-6 victory over thenations top ranked team, Lynn

University, during their tripsouth.

The victory was highlighted

by senior pitcher Ryan Schrieber who picked up a completegame victory in his first career

start and earned PSAC pitcherof the week honors for thevictory.

On the southern trip oneother player garnered PSAChonors. Senior Jamie Walczak

batted .500 and pitched twoinnings of scoreless relief.

The Lakers have been paced

offensively by Santora, whohas a .459 batting average, .984slugging percentage, 9 home

runs and 27 RBIs. The Lakers are also batting

.314 as a team.

The Lakers in their firstgame of the series pummeledGannon 14-0. The Lakers were

led offensively by senior firstbaseman Jeff Stoll who went 2-

for-5 with two home runs andsix RBIs.

Santora added two home runsof his own as he went 3-for-4

with three runs scored and fiveRBIs. Senior Joseph Furneradded a three-run blast as he

went 2-4 and finished with threeRBIs.

Junior Steve Grife pitched 5

1/3 scoreless innings against theGolden Knights as he improvedhis record to 3-0.The Lakers

won 5-1 nightcap with all theruns coming via the homer.Stoll hit a three-run home run in

the first and sophomore Craig

Denman hit a two-run blast in

the sixth-inning. SophomoreNick Gillung pitched a strongsix inning performance giving

up one earned run. The Lakers won the first

Sunday game 11-2. Furner added

two crucial RBIs in the game topace the Lakers offensively.

Senior John Mang earned the

win pitching five innings withthree strikeouts and gave up one

run in his victory improving hisrecord to 2-1.

The Lakers went into the lastgame looking to complete the

sweep at Gannons home field;however, this victory would bevery hard fought as the Lakers

would need extra innings todefeat the Golden Knights.

The game was all tied up

going into the ninth but Stollled off the inning, hitting adouble into the gap in left

center field.. Then Denmandrove in Stoll on a single in partof Denmans 4-for-5 and three

RBI performance.

Denman advanced to secondon a balk. Then junior AdamGrey drove in Denman on a

single then advanced to thirdhimself on a error. Grey wouldbe drove on a groundout to

bring the score to 9-6-- whichthe Lakers would hold on to endthe game in nine.

The Lakers, after the four

game sweep gained No. 7ranking in the NCBWA in theirregion.

They will face IndianaUniversity of Pennsylvania in ahome-and-home series with the

Lakers hosting IUP for a doubleheader on Friday and then theLakers will travel to play at

Indiana, Pa.

By Nick GlasierStaff writer

Junior pitcher Steve Grife (14) shut out Gannon at their game

Saturday, March 14, at home.


Softball enters PSAC play next week

After playing 10 games in

sunny Orlando, Fla. and fourgames in Glenville, W.Va., theMercyhurst College softball

team sits at a record of 7-7as they prepare for their first

season as a PSAC WesternDivision competitor.

The Lakers have one moretournament in Salem, Va. this

weekend before they beginPSAC play.

Senior Brittany Strier is

looking forward to the regularseason play. I am definitelyexcited about our move to the

PSAC, because we can still face

good competition with much

shorter bus rides. It will maketraveling a lot easier.

Of the 35 games the Lakerswill play this season, only eightof their games will count toward

the PSAC standings. The four other teams join

Mercyhurst in the PSAC

Western Division conference:Edinboro University of

Pennsylvania, Slippery RockUniversity, California Universityof Pennsylvania and GannonUniversity. The Lakers were

picked fourth in the PSAC Westpreseason poll, behind Cal U,Slippery Rock and Gannon.

Strier knows there will besome big games for the Lakersthis year, but knows her team

has the ability to come out on

top.

I think our toughest gameswill probably come against Lock

Haven. They are well known fortheir solid softball program, butI definitely think that we have a

talented enough team to comeaway with wins against them,Strier said.

As a team I think our maingoal for this season is to play

solid, consistent softball. If weplay consistently in all threeaspects of the game I foreseeus doing well and going far this

season.The Mercyhurst softball team

is hoping to surpass their record

of 25 wins, set in 2008, andearn a seed in the PSAC softballtournament.

The Lakers will play their

first PSAC West doubleheader

By Sarah PowellStaff writer

March 24 at California andare set to have their first

home game vs. Edinboro onMarch 31.

L k S


20/20


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