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On April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho gunned down 32
students in what is called the worst college shooting in
history. On Feb. 14, 2008, Steven Kazmierczak shot 22
students at Northern Illinois University, killing 5 before
taking his own life. The question is: Could such an
incident happen at Mercyhurst? Administrators say
anythings possible. But, is the small liberal arts college
on the hill prepared for such a tragedy? The Merciad will
explore, in a 3-part series, the security and safety of
Mercyhurst College, including interviews with
administrators and Erie police.Rescue workers carry a wounded student to a DeKalb Fire Department
vehicle after the Feb. 14 shootings at Northern Illinois University.
Northern Star photo
In the wake of the Northern Illinois University tragedy and the upcoming
anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy, the question on everyones mind is...
3-part series / This week: ResLife
Joshua Wilwohl reports on page 2
16
AGOSTA RISINGSophomore Meghan Agosta finalist for Kazmaier Award
HOW SAFE ISTHE HURST?
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NEWSPAGE 2 March 5, 2008
ResLife: College prepared for emergencies
Mercyhurst College students
have no need to worry about
campus safety say Gerry Tobin
and Laura Zirkle, the colleges
vice president and assistant vicepresident for student life.
The two residence life chiefs
said Mercyhurst has an emer-
gency plan ready for any disaster
that could occur on campus, such
as that which struck Northern Il-
linois University on Feb. 14 when
former graduate student Steven
Kazmierczak shot 21 people,
killing five, and then fatally shot
himself.We certainly have an emer-
gency response protocol that we
update, said Tobin.
Part of the colleges update
to the plan includes sending
campus-wide text message alerts.
That program was launched in
late August.
Tobin said the college con-
tinues to evaluate other updates
based on certain circumstances.He said the college, like North-
ern Illinois University, has the
capacity to quickly change the
school Web site to keep the pub-
lic informed of any crisis.
We have the capacity to im-
mediately get something on the
Web, he said.
Tobin also said most of the
colleges residence halls and
apartments are always locked to
ensure the safety of students.
But some buildings, such as
the Audrey Hirt Academic Cen-
ter and the freshman residence
halls, are open, he acknowledged,
but can be locked remotely from
the colleges police and safety
office.
The big effort is: How do you
alert people and can you keep ar-eas secured, Tobin said. Unlike
a federal government building
where you can lock down, a
campus is a small community
and we dont have the capacity
to guard every entrance.
Zirkle said the residence life
staff is highly trained and pre-
pared for any situation that
occurs.
The staff goes through ex-
tensive training on what to look
for, she said.
Tobin said Mercyhurst has a
unique community that helps
prevent problems before they
arise.
The best way is to create a
community where there are few
people that are unknown and aswe break down anonymitythe
person who is struggling with is-
sues is not out of concern from
getting help, he said.
Zirkle said the college con-
ducts tabletop exercises of the
emergency plan with the help of
the Mercyhurst Colleges North
East Institute of Public Safety.
There is a walkthrough of a
real scenario such as a student
with a gun, she said. It helps to
step through a timeline of people
involved and how such incidents
take place.
She said before the Virginia
Tech tragedy on April 16, 2007,
when student Seung-Hui Cho
killed 32 people and wounded
25 before shooting himself, Mer-cyhurst had not even considered
such an incident.
Zirkle said the college does not
need a plan that is as extensive as
larger universities such as Penn-
sylvania State University.
What Penn State needs and
what we need really is different,
she said.
Mercyhursts central core val-
ue of hospitality and Mercy
World, where those within the
community have a sense of safe-
ty, according to Tobin, is what
helps the college feel secure.
(These ideas) provide us with
a great sense of security without
being nave, he said.
Tobin emphasized the college
will not become a watchful eye.Were not interested in be-
coming Big Brother, he said.
And were not putting up gates
around the college or check-
points at certain places.
Next weeks preview: Police
and safety / Erie police
Tobin said Mercyhurst College
Police and Safety officers are not armed
with guns, but he said the college plans
to look into the possibility of arming
officers.
Mercyhurst is the only college in
the Erie area whose officers are not
armed.
Given the climate of the culture, I
think its a good question to ask and
I think its a timely opportunity to
discuss, he said.
In two weeks: Profilinga killer
Rescue workers move a wounded student to an ambulance after the Feb. 14 shootings at Northern Il linois University.
Northern Star photo
Three-part series explores safety concerns at Mercyhurst CollegeBy Joshua WilwohlEditor-in-chief
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PAGE 3NEWSMarch 5, 2008
laker briefs
Nominate your Choice for Senior Awards
The Senior Awards Nominating Process has gone green. Nomore paper nomination forms. Nominate your choices for the
Senior Awards today by visiting seniorawards.mercyhurst.edu.
Colloquism: Janisee RayWriter, naturalist and activist Janisse Ray will be the keynote
speaker when Mercyhurst College hosts its second Colloquium
on the Americas March 7 to 8.
Judge Dunlavey speaksErie County Judge Michael Dunlavey will speak about inter-
national and Middle Eastern relations on Thursday, March 6, at7:30 p.m. in Mercyhurst North Easts Alex Theater.
Romero Award and LectureKathleen Erickson, advocate for just immigration policy, will
receive this years Archbishop Oscar Romero Award from Mer-
cyhurst. Shell accept the award and deliver a lecture on The
Spiritual Challenge of Immigration on March 18 at 8:15 p.m.
in Mercy Heritage Room. Free and open to the public.
Coach CarterKen Carter, the inspiration behind the 2005 film, Coach
Carter, will bring his message of accountability, integrity, team-
work and leadership to Mercyhurst on Monday, March 10, at 8:15
p.m. in the Mary DAngelo Performing Arts Center. His speech
is free and open to the public.
Cellist, Pianist Stage RecitalCellist Jolyon Pegis, a member of the Dallas and Chautauqua
Symphony Orchestras, will be joined by pianist Joel Schoenhals
for a recital on Wednesday, March 5, at 8 p.m. in the Walker
Recital Hall.
Presidents ForumMonday, March 10, Mercyhurst College President Dr. Thomas
Gamble will speak to the entire college community - Trustees,
Sisters of Mercy, administrators, staff, faculty and students. The
forum will also be streamed to Mercyhurst North East and
Mercyhurst West campuses at 4 p.m.
War Reflections
The Mercyhurst Concert Choir, directed by Rebecca Ryan, willpresent a concert titled War Reflections on Sunday, March 9,
at 2 p.m. in Mercyhursts Walker Recital Hall.
Maureen Yuen RecitalMaureen Yuen, instructor of violin and viola at Mercyhurst
College, will give a recital on Wednesday, March 19, at 8 p.m., in
Mercyhursts Walker Recital Hall.
-lakernet.mercyhurst.edu
Career Services guides
graduating seniors
Graduation is less than fourmonths away.
For seniors, this might be
exciting, stressful, or worrisome
depending on whether they
have secured a plan to take after
graduating.
The Career Services office,
located in 204 Old Main, can
help direct students into the
professional world.
Director of Career Services,Robert Hvezda, said opening a
credential file should be a seniors
first priority at this time.
The credential file is a file of
recommendations from a variety
of sources.
We would encourage seniors,
even prior to opening up the file,
to start to think about who they
would use as a recommender,
said Hvezda.We would recommend that
seniors obtain three to five rec-
ommendations, and they could
include a letter or two from
faulty, supervisor from an intern-
ship, their work-study supervisor,
or a reference from a manager at
a summer job.
The credential file is an ongo-
ing resource for students.
As alumni, graduates can peri-odically update their file by faxing
or e-mailing references.
Whenever a reference is
needed, students need only to
contact Career Services.
The resum is another item on
the senior check list.
Its important that seniors
make or update their resum
if they haven t a l ready ,
said Hvezda.
Its important that they have
a resum whether they are going
for employment, graduate school,
law school, or a service corp.
Some students that go toCareer Services may be surprised
if their resum is presented to
them in two pages.
Although it may not be the
format that has been used in the
past, Hvezda emphasized that
Career Services would not lead
students astray.
I want to assure all of our
students that if they go onto a
second page, our staff will dothis because we find that our
students are doing more and we
do not want to sacrifice length
for substance, said Hvezda.
Where a problem could arise
is if someone starts to put fluff
into the resum to make it look
longer, Hvezda warned.
If there are two pages of real
information in the resume, it is to
the students benefit. I discussedthis with recruiters from some
of the best companies in the
world. They all said two page
resums of relevant information
are acceptable.
The old school thinking of
one page resums is becoming
just that, old school.
Marketing a college student
begins with a resum. So the
more power on paper, the more
competitive a student becomes,
the resum is an appetizer to the
interview, he added.
Students can also visit Career
Services for advice on interview-
ing techniques or materials on
proper interview dress.
Hvezda said a suit is not
optional anymore, its expected.
The traditional blues, blacks,charcoal grey, white shirt or
white blouse is appropriate.
If students need advice on
locating jobs to apply to, they can
use a variety of resources.
The Career Services Web sitehas job resources for students,
said Hvezda.
Students should also have
a geographical area in mind of
where they would like to work.
The chamber of commerce
in the area where the student
would like to work may have jobs
advertised. There are also job
fairs coming up, which students
can find out about on the CareerServices Web site.
Networking is another option
for students if they do not find
jobs on a Web site.
The three most popular
words in the job search today
are networking, networking,
networking, said Hvezda.
Those that are already in the
profession seem to enjoy broth-
ering or sistering those that arecoming up in the profession.
Dont be afraid to e-mail them
your resum, because they may
think of you when they hear
about an opening.
Hvezda emphasized that no
matter what path students have
chosen after graduation students
should answer any e-mails or
phone calls from Career Services
regarding their employment
status.
The information retrieved
is used to publish an annual
100-page study from the Career
Services Office.
As students or alumni of Mer-
cyhurst, services provided by the
Career Services Office are free.
Students should plan ahead
and make appo in tmen tspromptly.
By Jen HelbigStaff writer
Resum building, job hunting, networking
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PAGE 4 NEWS March 5, 2008
Alternative spring break inspires
While most college students
spent their spring break at thebeach or relaxing at home,several Mercyhurst College
students had alternative destina-tions all over the country.
They volunteered their ser-
vices to the homeless, impover-ished and sick.Group leader of the Urban
Challenge, Colin Hurley, said theactivities were headquarteredout of the Romero Center in
Camden, NJ.It was a retired convent that
had been converted into a center
for this type of mission work. Itwas the place where we ate, slept,
met and debriefed.During the day volunteers
served for four to seven hoursat homeless shelters, AIDS or
terminal illness food deliveryprograms, food banks, soupkitchens, nursing facilities, thrift
stores and elementary schools,said Hurley.
It is such a quality experi-
ence [Urban Challenge]. You
leave feeling changed in some
way for the better , saidHurley. Its an opportunityto experience life in the poorest
city with the highest unemploy-ment, but in the richest state.
The Urban Challenge bridges
this gap by taking college stu-dents out of everyday life; put-ting them on an unforgettable
journey for social justice in our
world, said Hurley.Sophomore Julie Hranica was
a volunteer for the trip.My favorite part about the
Urban Challenge was definitely
getting to meet so many inspir-ing people and really gettingto listen and understand their
stories, said Hranica.I loved that I was pushed out
of my comfort zone. It really
made us take a look at urbanpoverty.
Sophomore Nadine Beres
agreed.I loved going to the differ-
ent service sites and talking with
the homeless, hungry and thoseliving in poverty. The trip reallyhelped to break down some ste-
reotypes I had. Whi le Urban Chal lenge
volunteers were serving the
homeless in Philadelphia, anothergroup of Mercyhurst students were busy building houses in
South Carolina for Habitat forHumanity.
During the week of Feb. 23
to March 1, Mercyhurst vol-unteers boarded a bus to thelower, working class town of
Sumter, S.C.
Along with Sumters Habitatfor Humanity program, volun-
teers built the interior and exte-rior structure of two homes.
Mercyhurst volunteers met
the families and were able towork with them said sophomorevolunteer Joe Weidenboerner.
All the people we met werevery nice; we didnt meet anyonemean, said Weidenboerner.
No one wanted to leave.Senior Chris Kelly was also a
volunteer.
It was the most produc-tive and cohesive group I haveever worked with in the past
three years, said Kelly. Every-one gained something from itwhether it has been new friends,
conquering fears such as heightsor gaining new skills.
Senior volunteer Dustin Han-kinson said he would definitelytake another trip like this one.
It taught me a lot, not onlyabout another culture, but alsoabout the needs of those with
disabilities, he said.It was truly an eye opening
experience and one that everyone
should enjoy.Sophomore Sena Said agreed.My favorite part of the trip
was experiencing a new cultureand way of living, she said.I would definitely do it again
because I really bonded with thechildren and would love to seethem again.
By Liz MaierStaff writer
Several Mercyhurst College students spent their spring
break volunteering their services to the homeless, impover-ished and sick.
Contributed photo
Fashion for Hurst, books for Erie students
The Mercyhurst Collegechapter of this International
Honor Society in Education,Kappa Delta Phi (KDP) willhold a luncheon and fashion
show that highlights the dos anddonts of business attire.
The runway is lighting
Saturday, March 15 at 1 p.m. inthe Mercy Heritage Hall for apremiere fashion show. It will be
hosted by KDP to help supportlocal students in their quest forsuccess.
Tickets will be on sale for $8or $15 for two in the Herrmann
Student Union Tuesday, March4 through the 7 and again March10 through the 14 from noon to
2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Proceeds from the event will help fund KDPs annual
program, Reading isFundamental, which supplieslocal city schools with over
1,000 books to help studentsfurther their education outsidethe classroom.
The event will encompassa luncheon, fashion show andraffle all packed into 90 minutes
of high-fashion fun with senior
Mihailo Mixa Jovanovicemceeing the event.
Such an undertaking requiresmassive amounts of support andcoordination from numerous
retail stores, students, caterers
and committee members.We have almost everything
covered; all we need now aremodels to walk the runway,said junior event chair Lauren
Weisser. We would greatlyappreciate any students willingto help.
Clothing and accessories willbe provided by New York &Company, Payless Shoe Source,
Target, JC Penney, Macys, Eddie
Bauer and Sears.We are trying to show
students the best way to dress ina funny and light-hearted way,said Weisser. It is important
to look sharp and impress
everybody at the table.In addition to the show and
food, raffle baskets will bedrawn from throughout theevent for local hotspots such as
the Cornerstone, Teresas ItalianDeli, Dairy Queen and manymore.
KDP members are hoping forstrong support to achieve theirgoal of purchasing 1,000 books
for the local students.
There are hundreds of localchildren who have no books
on the shelves at home; this isa fundamental resource to helpeducate our youth, said Weisser.
The best way to help us is to
attend the show and have a littlefun while youre at it.
Any student interested in volunteering for the eventmay contact Jillian Perfetti at
[email protected] will be required
to attend two rehearsals
prior to the show. For moreinformation e-mail event chairLauren Weisser at lweiss90@
mercyhurst.edu.
By Tim HuckoContributing writer
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Burglars with a preference for
iPods have struck five times at
the Mercy Suites 200 since late
January, according to Mercyhurst
College Police and Safety.
We have not been able to
gather enough information to
develop a suspect, said Dennis
Donovan, the colleges police
and safety investigator.
Donovan said his office re-
ceived five confirmed burglary
reports that five iPods werestolen from various suites in
the 200 building from Jan. 21
to Jan. 25.
They varied in time of day
and there was no pattern or
specific similarities, said Dono-
van.
He said that all the victims
claimed their doors were locked
and there had been no signs of
forced entry.
No suspects in MercySuites burglariesFrom staff reports
The Merciad
Police log
Liquor Law Violation
McAuley Hall
Feb. 9
College discipline
Criminal Mischief
Parking Lot 10
Feb. 9
Pending investigation
Liquor Law Violation
Parking Lot 1
Feb. 10
College discipline
Liquor Law Violation
Parking Lot 12
Feb. 10
College discipline
Liquor Law Violation
Sidewalk by maintenance
Feb. 15
College discipline
Controlled Substance
Mercy 300
Feb. 16
College discipline
Larceny/Theft
Athletic Center
Feb. 16
Closed
Liquor Law Violation
3909 Lewis
Feb. 16
College discipline
Liquor Law Violation
Mercy 300
Feb. 16
College discipline
Liquor Law Violation
Lewis Townhouses
Feb. 24
College discipline
Controlled Substance
Mercy 200
Feb. 24
College discipline
MSG salaries change;
new positions added
Mercyhurst College Student
Government voted Monday
to decrease executive board
member scholarships, while
increasing the overall total line
item amount.
The vote comes after MSG
opted to add the MSG event
coordinator and the public rela-
tions coordinator positions tothe executive board.
The MSG body voted on two
options, deciding on option
one.
This will cut the amount of
scholarship money to the execu-
tive board almost in half.
It will drop the presidents
current salary of $12,000 to
$7,500 and the treasurers salary
of $7,500 to $6,000.It will also decrease the Stu-
dent Activities Council chair
scholarship from $9,000 to
$6,000.
The executive boards new
positions public relations
coordinator and MSG event
coordinator will each get a
scholarship of $6,000.
The vice presidents and sec-
retarys salary will remain thesame at $6,000.
The SAC board sa lary ,
however, will see an increase
by $3,000 from $24,000 to
$27,000.
This totals the overall line
item to $75,840, increasing the
line item by $8,140.
MSG President Marissa Starin,
a senior, said the line item increase
is possible because the FTE allot-
ment will increase. This, according to Starin,
means more students are coming
to the college.
We decreased our scholar-
ships so others can join high
positions, she said. Our hopes
are that well get people who
take these jobs seriously.
Students said that though
executive board scholarships
will decrease next year, theywould still consider running for
a position.
Freshman Alicia Danenberg
said the money does not make a
difference for her.
I have been considering it and
I would take the job because any
scholarship they give you should
be good enough, she said.
Junior Sandy Lambo said
money doesnt matter.
I would still run, she said.
The money wouldnt really
make a difference.Starin said the MSG body sent
out an e-mail vote to have a basis
on how much to decrease the
scholarships.
We wanted to get a basic
idea of percentage numbers on
the decrease of scholarships,
she said.
The results show 28 repre-
sentatives of the MSG body
voted in favor of keeping thepresidents scholarship 5 percent
above the rest of the executive
board.
Six voted to pay the executive
board the same amount.
Eighteen voted to keep six
executive board members, while
16 voted to keep the board as
four members.
The votes were split to increase
the amount of the SAC board.Fourteen voted to keep the SAC
board scholarship amount as is,
while 18 voted to increase.
It was an almost unanimous
vote to keep the committee
chair stipend at $150 per term.
Twenty-seven voted to keep,
while four voted to decrease
and one voted to get rid of the
stipend.
Starin said decreasing thescholarships will help find stu-
dents who care about MSG.
When youre in a role like
thisits a position that a lot of
people are passionate about the
job, she said.
Were hoping to get people
on this board who really repre-
sent the students and a way of
doing this is by increasing the line
item for scholarships.
By Joshua WilwohlEditor-in-chief
2008-09 salary breakdown
President: $7,500
Vice president: $6,000Treasurer: $6,000
Secretary:$6,000
SAC chair: $6,000
PR coordinator: $6,000
MSG event coordinator: $6,000
SAC board: $2,700/member
Chair stipend: $450/member
Senator stipend: $165/member
Total: $75,840
Scholarships cut almost in halfCurrent salary breakdown
President: $12,000Vice president: $6,000
Treasurer: $7,500
Secretary:$6,000
SAC chair: $9,000
SAC board: $2,400/member
Total: $64,500
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PAGE 6 FEATURES
Food FixWith Meg
Ingredients
Directions
Get to know...
Elysa Lagana
March 5, 2008
By Shelley TurkStaff writer
Taste of Italy at Arnones
Arnones Restaurant serves up Italian favorites.Contributed photo
Explore a taste of Italy at
Arnones Italian Restaurant, lo-
cated at the corner of 18th andCherry Streets.
About a 10-minute ride from
campus, the Italian eatery caters
to your taste buds and budget.
Arnones Italian Restaurant is
a smoke-free environment that
serves each visitor with a great
staff and a wonderful menu.
Those from Erie are probably
familiar with Arnones Bakery
and Deli, which serves up signa-ture pepperoni balls and bread,
and is located across the street
from the restaurant.
Both establishments are owned
by Anthony and Bernadine Ar-
none, who work with old family
recipes to serve up delightful
pastries and delicious entrees.
Head chef Nicolo Arnone, son
of Anthony and Bernadine, cre-ates wonderful dishes from the
freshest ingredients.
Appetizers range from $7 to
$10 and include selections like
bruschetta and mussels.
Pasta entrees include freshly
made raviolis, spaghetti and
meatball, lasagna and cheese-
filled manicotti.
Veal, chicken and beef entrees
range from $12 to $19 andinclude favorites like veal and
chicken parmesan.
Most all dishes are topped
with the family recipe sauce and
served with soup or salad and a
bread basket.
Be sure to save room for great
Italian desserts made in house
like tiramisu and the delicious
chocolate-dipped cannoli filledwith a sweet, creamy filling.
If youre looking for a great
place to take a date, to dine
with some old friends or bask
in the memories of two terms
past, then look no further than
Arnones Italian Restaurant for
your next I Heart Erie choice.
Hours are Tuesday through
Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m. and
Friday and Saturday 3 to 10p.m.
Arnones is closed on Sundays
and Mondays.
During Lent on campus there
is always the question in my
apartment, What are we going
to eat on Friday since we cant
eat meat?
One of our favorite solutions
to this problem is to make thisdelicious tuna noodle casserole.
A great thing about this dish
is that it is huge so it can feed all
four of us.
This recipe can be altered
many different ways and if you
look online you will find these
variations.
One great part about this
particular recipe, and one the
reasons that I chose it for col-
lege students, is that all the
ingredients can easily be found
around the house or are reallycheap to buy.
So if youre looking for some-
thing easy and quick, try this tasty
casserole to share with the ones
you love.
-Meghan Dolney
Tuna Noodle Casserole
1 cans chunk light tuna in water cup frozen peas cup frozen corn1 cups uncooked egg noodles1 can cream of mushroom soup1 cups milk
1 cup sour cream1 cup shredded cheddar cheeseBreadcrumbs
1.) Cook and drain the vegetables according to the
instructions on the package. The peas and corn can
be cooked together.
2.) In a saucepan heat the soup, milk and sour creamuntil heated through.
3.) Cook and drain the noodles according to the
instructions on the box.
4.) Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl,
including the tuna and the cheese, but leave out the
breadcrumbs.
5.) Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan and sprinkle the
breadcrumbs and some leftover cheese on the top.
6.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Name: Elyse Lagana
Year: Senior
Major: CommunicationsHometown: Geneseo, N.Y.
Favorite thing about Mercyhurst: The campus size, not too
big and not too small
Least favorite thing: Lack of student involvement and
support in Hurst TV; it has a lot of potential if given the
time.
Campus activities: Ambassadors Club, National Broadcast-
ing Society, Comm. Board, Radio Club, Hurst TV.
Other interests: Student-run musicals
IERI
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FEATURES PAGE 7March 5, 2008
In our technology-driven soci-
ety, it seems that we want to be
able to do more than just talk on
our cell phones.
Using mobile phones to send
various forms of data, includ-ing Web surfing, e-mail and the
ever popular text messaging are
becoming more and more impor-
tant to cell phone users.
Everywhere consumers look, it
seems there is a plethora of dif-
ferent rates and different charges
that apply to sending data by
using cell phones.
With all of the choices avail-
able, determining the best planfor each consumers budget is
not a difficult task.
Sprint recently upped the ever-
changing competition in the cell
phone world.
According to an article in the
USA Today Sprint is offering a
new Simply Everything plan
which includes unlimited voice
calls, text messaging, video, pic-
tures, Web surfing and e-mail for
$99.99 a month.
Freshman Pat Ellement is
interested in a new phone plan.
I would definitely look into
the new Sprint plan, Ellement
said. Its a lot of money, but
seems like less hassle, so it would
be worth it.
There are several additional
options that fall under theSimply Everything plan.
Users can have 900 anytime
minutes, unlimited messaging,
Web and e-mail for $89.99 a
month or 450 anytime minutes,
unlimited messaging, Web and
e-mail for $69.99 a month.
Finally, users can get unlimited
voice calls and messaging (which
is limited to just texting, no Web
surfing or e-mail) for $89.99 amonth, 900 anytime minutes and
unlimited messaging for $69.99 a
month, or 450 anytime minutes
and unlimited messaging for
$49.99 a month.
Freshman Alana Ortega found
the new plan interesting.
Ive been pretty happy with
my cell phone plan, but the new
Sprint one sounds pretty cool,
she said.
Sprints new plan includes many features for $99.99
www.engadget.com
Simply the best?Sprint offers innovative cell phone plan
THE LAKER
Spring Term
Galley Grill
Lunch:M - Club SandwichT - Chicken CaesarW - Chicken QuesadillaTh - Breakfast for LunchF - Tuna Melt or Grilled
Portabella SandwichS - Sloppy Joe
Board SpecialsLunch $4.75Dinner $5.50
Dinner:S - Turkey BurgerM - General Tsos Chicken over rice w/ broccoliT - Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes andveggiesW - Veal Parm over pastaTh - Buffalo chicken sandwich
F - fish sandwich or grilled portabella sandwichS - Pepperoni Pizza Sub
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sunday 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Look for New Menu Items!
Mac & Cheese Bites Black Bean BurgerNew Salads:Chicken BLT-Veggie(no cheese)-Spinach-Asian Chicken-
Greek-Caesar
Subconnection6 Sub $3.75 Combo $4.75
12Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75
Baja and Buffalo Chicken Subs:
6 Sub $4.00 Combo $5.25
12 Sub $6.00 Combo $ 7.00
Special FeaturesWrap combo-Veggie $5.59
other wraps $5.79
Wrap It Yourself- Veggie $3.99other wraps $ 4.19
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Laker ExpressBoard Equivalency Available:
11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Board Specials
Lunch $4.75
Dinner $5.50
Look for Laker Express
Minute Meals!
Hours of Operation:
Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Friday 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday Closed
By Carly LyonsStaff writer
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PAGE 8 FEATURES March 5, 2008
Students prepare for work world
After completing four years of
college and obtaining a degree,
many Mercyhurst College stu-
dents will enter the work place
for the first time.
The question on many minds is
simply, Are they equipped withthe knowledge and skills neces-
sary to feel successful?
Based on the report of U.S.
Secretary of Education Mar-
garet Spellings Commission
Regarding the Future of Higher
Education, Many students who
do earn degrees have not actually
mastered the reading, writing
and thinking skills we expect of
college graduates. Over the pastdecade, literacy among graduates
has actually declined.
Making higher education
more accessible, affordable and
accountable is proposed.
While accountability is critical,
education professor Dr. Phillip
Belfiore said he does not think
standardization is the answer.
This takes education out
of the hands of the college,Belfiore said. Students should
graduate with reading and writ-
ing skills.
He agrees with the commis-
sion on the importance of that
assessment.
Each department must have
some method to assess if each
graduate has mastered the
knowledge and action necessary
to compete and win in the mar-ketplace, Belfiore said.
Mercyhurst alumnus Jeffrey
Cagle graduated in 2007 and now
works for the PENNCREST
School District out of Sae-
gertown, Pa.
He is also an Americorps Vista
volunteer, serving the com-
munity.
Cagle said that in the end, col-
lege can only do so much.
We as alumni must take
responsibility for our actionsand blame only ourselves if we
come out of college feeling we
are not mature enough to handle
the work force, Cagle said.
Mercyhurst junior Nadine
Zinram said she feels confident
to enter the work place.
After her freshman year, she
obtained an internship for a
television production company
during the Soccer World Cup
2006 in Germany, her home-
land.
Overall she has six years of
experience in production.
TV is a very fast paced
medium, said Zinram. You
dont have time to think of
what you learned; you have to
know it.
She urges students to work
with the equipment in the com-
munication department as soon
as possible before entering theworkforce.
Zinram said many other stu-
dents will struggle once they find
out what the communication
field is all about.
Many people who have already
graduated told me that it was like
a punch in the face when they
started working out there and
they had to realize that college
pretty much keeps you in this
protected bubble, Zinram said.
Frank Rizzone, associate direc-
tor in the Office of Career Ser-
vices, highly encourages students
to obtain internships.
Your resume floats to the top
of the pile when youve gone out,
paid your dues and got your feet
wet, Rizzone said. Even if
youre not receiving credit for it,
get the experience.
Internships help evaluate inter-
est and direct or re-direct astudents decision regarding
coursework and career goals.
The picture comes in clearer
focus, Rizzone said. Doors are
also opened, resulting in posi-
tions approximately 40 percent
of the time.
Senior communication major
Jeffrey Stoll is confident he will
walk through the right door.
Although Stoll said he does
not feel as skilled as he thinks he
should be, he is optimistic about
entering the work place.
I feel I am a good worker and
will be fine wherever I end up,
said Stoll. No matter where you
work they are going to teach you
their way anyways.
Junior Grig Grigorich agrees
with Stolls positive attitude and
perception of the workforce.
Grigorich believes in knowl-
edge and education, but said self-educating is more important.
The degree guarantees noth-
ing, absolutely nothing, from
my stand point, said Grigorich.
It is simple disciplines that you
practice every day that bring you
success and knowledge of many
skills, not just one.
Grigorich said there is no
fixed definition of success and
the meaning is individual from
person to person.
For some it is financial inde-
pendence, he said. For others,
ability to help others, and for
some, life in nature.
As Grigorich quotes from well-
known business philosopher Jim
Rohn, Success is not something
that you achieve, it is something
you attract by the person you
become.
By Carla HartStaff writer
Patty Evanoff, (left), and Jodi Hautala, both senior graphic design majors, work on projects in the graphics lab located in
the bottom of the Hirt center on March 4. When asked about whether or not they felt prepared to enter the workforce, both
students agreed their portfolio development class was the most beneficial at turning around their feelings of unease.
Scoot Williams photo
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FEATURES PAGE 9March 5, 2008
Oscar fashions rock the red carpetBy Sandy WatroStaff writer
The 2008 Academy Awards
suffered the largest loss of view-
ers this year since the last low
of 2003.
Numbers totaled only 32 mil-
lion viewers, which was worse
than the last drop of 33 million
in 2003.Nonetheless, celebrities, actors
and actresses alike still put for-
ward their best fashion feet.
Miley Cyrus, better known as
Disney Channel duel personal-
ity Hannah Montana, looked
sophisticated at the age of 15.
Cyrus wore an age-appropriate,
deep red Valentino frock.
Unfortunately for her, Anne
Hathaway and Heidi Klum simul-taneously stole her thunder by
wearing almost the exact same
hue.
Klums bold and extravagant
dress was specifically designed
for her by John Galliano of
Christian Dior.
Klum is graciously auctioning
off the dress for charity after
the event.
Hathaway sported a red feather-trimmed frock created by a label
called Marchesa.
Pregnant Jessica Alba also
showed off a Marchesa gown;
the only differing factor was the
deep purple color trimmed with
feathers across its bust line.
Red was also popular with
Ruby Dee, Helen Mirren and
Katherine Heigl, who all donned
more vintage-inspired takes onthe vibrant hue.
Neutral shades are always a
classic favorite amongst the Hol-
lywood crowd.
Unfortunately, there are excep-
tions for this rule of thumb.
Marion Cotillard took home
the Oscar for Best Actress in La
Vie En Rose; however, her dress
outshined the golden trophy she
received.
Cotillard wore a white, cream
and silver sequined ankle-length
dress designed by French designerJean Paul Gaultier.
The dress was constructed
completely out of sequins, which
were formed into scales.
In the end, the design resem-
bled more of an albino, Japanese
coy fish than a famous French
frock.
Mercyhurst junior Jimmy
Mason is fond of watching the
red carpet fashion moments and
critiquing the gown choices.
I actually loved the dress, he
said. However, by enlarging thesize of the scales near the hem-
line it made the garment seem
more like a costume.
Surprisingly, there was a
drought in vintage designer
dresses, which are usually seen
in surplus for renowned award
ceremonies like this one.
Calista Flockhart strode against
the haute couture norm in a
vintage Valentino gown in a gray
two-tone color scheme.
This gown was a favorite of
junior Carly Emery.The colors and the drape of
the fabric is what make this dress
unique, Emery said.
This frost blue and chocolate
brown knit gown was eloquently
and intricately draped creating a
beautiful aesthetic.
Overall, reports noted that
home viewing of the awards was
low this year in comparison with
those past.
However, this statistic should
play a minimal role in the success
of the event, as the awards werecreated to celebrate and com-
memorate those who labored
toward the creation of the
films.
All in all the Academy Awards
sole purpose is not for one to
judge and critique the dress of
those who attend, but more so
to celebrate diversity, innovation
and creativity within the film
industry.
Marion Cotillard walked the red carpet in an off-white Jean
Paul Gaultier gown.
http://www.eonline.com/photos
Heidi Klums dramatic red gown was a fan favorite.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/images
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPAGE 10 March 5, 2008
SoMar Dance Works cel-ebrates its tenth season with a
new program titled A DesperateCry for ATTENTION.
As the title promises, the
program will explore the various ways people go about gettingnoticed with two Erie premieres
and nine world premieres.The need for attention is
universal, and it manifests itself
in a myriad of ways, said co-artistic director Mark Santil-lano. Temper tantrums, flashy
sports cars, low-cut dresses and
even suicide attempts are someexamples of how people cry out
for attention.Under the direction of Mercy-
hurst College dance professors
Solveig and Mark Santillano,SoMar Dance Works now hostsa roster of eight dancers and
is in residence at MercyhurstCollege.
SoMar was originally a duet
company. Expanding the rosterhas allowed for a full-eveningconcert.
This year, six Mercyhurstdance majors are company mem-bers.
Seniors Alyssa Marquez, DaraSwisher, Sarah Auge and NoelleLelakus are in their second year
with SoMar.Junior Nora Beckenstein and
sophomore Jennifer Mihu arenew to the company this year.
Mihu said working with thecompany was an honor.
Rehearsals are always filledwith hard work but lots of laugh-ter as well, she said. SoMar
definitely lives up to their motto,It wouldnt be SoMar unlesswere standing on our heads.
Mercyhurst jazz instructor
and Director of Erie Bayfront
Dance Nathaniel Johnson will
also be featured in a piece titledCrouching Tutu, Hidden DragQueen.
Regarding this piece, MarkSantillano said, You have to seeit to believe it.
The concert showcases thechoreographic talents of Solveigand Mark Santillano.
Both are known for theirartistry, physicality, wit and cre-ativity.
While a majority of the pro-gram is lighthearted, there isone piece that carries a more
serious tone.It addresses the epidemic of
school shootings, in response to
current events.Mark Santillano explained heheard about the most recent
shooting incident at NorthernIllinois University on his drivehome after a rehearsal for the
piece.Its a case of l ife-imitating-
art-imitating-life, he said. Its
so timely and yet so very, verysad.
Accompanying the choreog-raphy is eclectic music, includingworks by David Bowie, the GipsyKings, Tom Waits and minimalist
composer John Adams.In addition special guest artist
and flautist Anna Meyer will
again join SoMar, performing apiece by Astor Piazzolla.
A Desperate Cry for ATTEN-
TION! will be presented on
Saturday, March 8 at 8 p.m. andSunday, March 9 at 2 p.m. at the
Central High School Auditoriumlocated at 3325 Cherry Street,Erie.
Ticket prices range from $5to $15, and they will be availableat the door.
More information aboutSoMar Dance Works is availableat www.freewebs.com/somar-
danceworks.
By Nicole CerilliA&E editor
Megaphone in hand, Solveig Santilliano gives Mark Santil-
liano A Desperate Cry for ATTENTION. The majority of the
SoMar performances are lighthearted.
Contributed photo
The entirity of the SoMar performance is choreographed by
Mark or Solveig Santilliano. Both are known for their artistry,
physicality, with and creativity.
Contributed photo
Mercyhurst dancers give A
Desperate Cry for ATTENTIONWith the 2008 Pennsylvania
primary election coming up on April 22, Hurst TV wants to
keep students informed.Hurst TV, Channel 19 on
Eries Time Warner Cable, show
a two-part series of the hilari-ous documentary Anytown,USA.
The award-winning documen-tary covers a competitive racefor Mayor in Bogota, a small
town in New Jersey.All politics is local, accord-
ing to the documentarys trailer
and the comical stories of three
mayoral candidates.The locally hated and legally
blind Republican incumbentSteven Lonegan decides to runfor re-election and the town of
Bogota is in an uproar.Democrat Fred Pesce, whose
politics are comparable to Tony
Soprano, returns from retire-ment to share the ballot.
Former local football hero
Dave Musikant is the last candi-date on the ticket, stepping in asa long-shot independent.
Sight-challenged Musikantand legally blind Lonegan makesthe Bogota election the only
mayoral race where two of thethree candidates are blind.
The devious scheming of
Jesse The Body Venturascampaign manager gives the
audience a hilarious all-too-familiar look at the charade ofpartisan politics in our increas-ingly polarized nation, says its
Web site.Part one of the series airs
March 19 and March 21 at 8:15
p.m. Part two airs on March 26and March 28 at 8:15 p.m.
The film is made possible
through Hurst TVs affiliation
with ZILO TV network.
By Casey GreeneManaging editor
All politicsis local
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 11
tHeBuZzMARCH 6. The Stills.
Diesel Club Lounge,Pittsburgh.
MARCH 7. Bruce Spring-steen and the E StreetBand. HSBC Arena, Buf-falo.
MARCH 7. Saw Doc-tors. House of Blues,Cleveland.
MARCH 8. Bob MouldBand. Grog Shop, Cleve-land.
MARCH 8. DisneysHigh School Musical:The Ice Tour. Mellon
Arena, Pittsburgh.
MARCH 8. Adrian Belew.The Tralf, Buffalo.
MARCH 9. Buffalo BluesFestival with Latimore,Mel Waiters, Bobby BlueBland, Marvin Sease,Shirley Brown, ClarenceCarter, Floyd Taylor, SirCharles Jones. HSBCArena, Buffalo.
MARCH 9. The Donnas.Mr. Smalls Theatre, Mill-vale.
MARCH 10. JonathanRichman, Vic Chesnutt.Grog Shop, Cleveland.
MARCH 11. Gael icStorm. House of Blues,Cleveland.
MARCH 12. Comedy.Chr is Rock. SenecaEvents Center, SenecaNiagara Casino, NiagaraFalls, N.Y.
Courtesy of Rockerie.com
March 5, 2008
When was the last time youheard a brutal metal band opentheir album with an acoustic
piano and a voice almost identi-cal to Paul McCartney?
If you are a fan of Charlotte,
North Carolina outfit Betweenthe Buried and Me (BTBAM),when you opened your copy of
Colors, you heard just that.Foam Born: The Backtrack
opens with soft acoustic piano
in a slight minor key alongsidethe melodic voice of Tommy
Rogers. The song then enters into a
ballad-esque, full band arrange-ment with underlying guitar
solos. The song picks up in the
Between-the-Buried-and-Me
style with dissonant synthesizers,gut busting drums and guitarsand a growl that will wake the
dead.
Seamlessly t ransi t ioning
into the second track, FoamBorn: The Decade of Statues,
BTBAM forces the album intofull swing.
Unlike the bands last few
records, Colors incorporatesthe impressive range of Rogers
Beatles-esque voice, alongwith his legendary growls andscreams.
The third track on the album,
Informal Gluttony, is a tribaland Middle Eastern influencedtrack with brutal metal roots,
which surface after roughly 90seconds of impressive instru-mental introduction.
It is the first on the album to
feature the guitar skills of PaulWaggoner and Dustie Waring.
A heavy, grinding and ruthlessonslaught of guitars and drumsare at the foreground of the
11-minute fourth track on thealbum, Sun of Nothing.
This track portrays the metal
mastery Between the Buried andMe strives to create with everyalbum.
The song does however, settle
into a melody-driven bridgeabout halfway through, before
drifting into a soft vocal andguitar interlude.
Gradually, the band builds the
song back into a driving hardrock sound.
Ants of the Sky a song aboutdreams, reality and self-con-sciousness, fights within itselfmusically.
The mood changes frequentlyas the lyrics struggle with theunderstanding of Rogers dreams
- a very autobiographical trackfrom the vocalist and frontman.
The song also incorporates the
guitar influences of Waring andWaggoner, featuring solos much
like the 1980s hair metal bands,and blues-infused scales and licksthroughout the 13 minutes and
11 seconds.The album now turns a corner
to the era of stadium rock with
Prequel to the Sequel. Thetrack sounds like Bon Jovi sud-denly learned how to play their
instruments and write musically
solid songs.The guitar tones are huge, the
drums shake the ground and thevocals power the song to its fullpotential. While maintaining the
growling vocals, the bands soundis just as thunderous as its 1980s
influences, if not bigger.Before blowing your mind
out of your skull with its finaltrack, BTBAM takes a soothing
approach to Viridian, a songfocused on harmony.
The 14 minute, 13 second epic
White Walls closes the albumwith aggression, power and puremusicianship.
A classic BTBAM song struc-
ture takes form in this song; buildup, settle and sooth then blast
off again, only to fade out withpiano melodies that would calma crying baby.
Overall the album is the mostimpressive display of musician-ship and mastery of instruments
to come along in quite a while.Between the Buried and Me
can be heard at myspace.com/
betweentheburiedandme.
By Greg SummyStaff writer
The band Between the Buried and Me consists of front man Tommy Rogers on keys, Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring on
guitar, Dan Briggs on bass and Blake Richardson on drums.
Contributed photo
Charlotte bands fifth album proves colorful
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8/6/2019 The Merciad, March 5, 2008
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OPINIONPAGE 12
The Good
To toot our own horn,the Merciad placed amongthe top 10 four-year weeklytabloid format newspapers
in the Best of Showcompetition this past weekin San Francisco.
Clear your schedule onceagain; the writers strikehas ended and soon yourfavorite shows will beairing fresh episodes.
Wayne 200s finally have
enough hot water for morethan one brief shower.
The Bad
Pick up your mail. Themailboxes on campusarent conducive to oneslacker out of three.
Be prepared to lose anhour of sleep this week-end. Thats right, it is timeto spring ahead for Day-light Saving Time.
The Ugly
Re-registering our com-puters for what, the thirdtime this year, was fairly
annoying.
As if the potholes rid-dling the streets arent badenough, the perpetual saltis turning Erie into onegiant crater.
Please email any sugge-tions to [email protected].
The Good,the Bad &
the Ugly
March 5, 2008
Mercyhursts Ethical Reflection Committee has initiated This I Believe to foster reflection within the entire college community on the values by which we live.
We hope that these essays will inspire further introspection, thoughtful discussion, and innovative ways of integrating holistically some of the ideas and valuesexpressed here into our personal, academic, social, spiritual, professional and communal life.
For example, faculty might introduce appropriate essays into class discussion; students might initiate conversations in class and beyond; administrators and staff
might explore these with colleagues.Responses may be directed to the Merciad at [email protected] or to committee chair, Rev. Lyta Seddig at [email protected] how these thoughts have had an impact in your life!
Mihailo Mixa Jovanovic, from Belgrade, Serbia, serves as Vice President of MSG, an Ambassador and an RA. He is a junior business finance major witha marketing minor. His personal career goal is to become a financial consultant and help people manage their money better to make them wealthier. His favoriteaspect of Mercyhurst is the friendliness of people and the close relationships among students, faculty and administrators.
Very recently I learned thattwo friends of mine, Mike and John, who had not seen each
other since high school, weresitting at a bar, trying to reflecton the first two decades of their
lives.Mike was a successful com-
puter programmer working forHP, while John, on the otherhand, was unemployed.
How could these two guys
with similar backgrounds havecompletely different life stories?
Simply because all his life,
Mike was surrounded withsometimes unfavorable truthand honesty and John lived in
beautiful lies.
Based on his grades and SATscores, Mikes parents knew hewas not as smart as he needed to
be for acceptance to MIT. They were honest with him
and they told him that he did
not have the potential to goto MIT and become a nuclearengineer.
Mike accepted the truth, wentto a lesser known college, andearned his bachelors degree in
computer science. John was a student of thesame caliber, but Johns parents
did not want to disappoint andhurt John so they paid for hisMIT education.
John failed most of his classesand dropped out of college afterhis first year.
As I have reflected on this, Ihave come to believe that the
question all human beings shouldask themselves is: Should Ichoose to live in beautiful lies or
accept the sometimes inconve-nient truth?
Today, however, it is so
common to hear about a personwho says something untruthfuljust to make a loved one not
feel bad. Despite the intentionsnot to hurt the friend, harm isalways done.
People need to stay away fromthe illusion that lies are going tomake them feel better.
Lies usually come directlyfrom us or the ones to whomwe are closest, because these are
the people who care the most.However, I believe that every-
one should always be maximally
honest to themselves.In my opinion, we should tell
the ones we care about to do thesame.
I know it is better to hear the
truth from someone who lovesyou, than from random strang-ers who have nothing to lose
because they have no connec-tion with you.
Do not say that you are doing
a wonderful job if you are per-forming in a mediocre way.
Do not say you can do some-
thing if you are certain youcannot. It took John 20 years tofigure out that the beautiful lies
are truly damaging, while thereality comes with the some-times inconvenient truth.
Let us all be truthful to eachother, and stop trying to find anice way to say something.
Just tell it as it is, because Ibelieve truth hurts less!
By Mixa Jovanovic
Contributing writer
This I believe: Power of truth hurts less
Early March has once again
come with the start of the thirdand final trimester of this aca-demic year.
This term brings inflatablepools, Cornhole and the discov-ery of sunlight.
For seniors this is the lastterm to do what they have notbeen able to accomplish while
they have been a student at Mer-cyhurst College.
This can mean joining a club,
getting involved or maybe justgetting a little wild.
It can also be the foundationto last minute hook-ups.
Many closet crushes will come
out this term.
As I talk with my friends,many of them aim not to hold
back this term, to enjoy the lastweeks at the Hurst and possiblyhave a few random hook-ups.
This can be encouraged bythe lack of academic concern,and the relief of the gossip
channel that traditionally comeswith actions at this school.
Many seniors will realize that
soon they will be out of here
and could care less what anyonethinks.
This term can also be stress-ful for many students who arestruggling to gain employment
before they graduate college.
The truth will soon set inthat senior students will have
to decide what they want to bewhen they grow up.
The constant reminders come
when asked, Do you have a jobyet? by your peers, parents andprofessors.
For those who have beenhired, the stress of knowingwhere you will work and when
you will start can feel just as
nerve-racking.However the balance between
the stress of spring term andthe pleasure can be the key todelight.
The refusal to deny yourself
from pursuing the activities incollege you have always wanted
can be the base line to thisterm.
However remembering how
awful it is to live in your parentshouse after graduation can bea good reminder that employ-
ment is the key to your financialfreedom.
Let the sun come out and
bring the fun-filled spring term.
By BillSwaffordStaff writer
Seniors: Carry out last-minute desires
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR/OPINION PAGE 13March 5, 2008
Today was the first time in
a great while that I had thor-
oughly read the Merciad, only
to be appalled after reading an
article written by staff member
William Swafford.
I would not expect an article
of this nature in the Merciad or
let alone from a higher learning
institution in general.
It was completely stereotypi-
cal and narrow-minded. I would
expect much more from a pres-
tigious college such as Mercy-
hurst.
As Swafford states himself
in a separate article, Nonethe-less most of the students are at
the Hurst because of high aca-
demic marks.
With that said, how do people
as narrow minded and ignorant
such as Swafford have the honor
of writing for the school paper?
I understand Jerrod Markles
article is threatening due to his
undeniable intellect and abil-
ity to write from his heart, butthere is no reason for Swafford
to make a personal attack and
throw Markle into categories.
When Swafford makes the
claim, Jerrod should trade
his tie dyed shirts for designer
clothes and retire the VW van
for a Ford.
It reminds me of the poor
ignorance of our culture, evi-
dent even in those attending
college.
Mr. Swafford, can you allow
yourself to think just for one
second that not everyone is a
slave to commercial culture?
Maybe some dress the way
they do, not because monkey
see, monkey do as your sug-
gesting, but as individuals
making decisions for themselves
and doing what they think is and
looks right rather than what is
trendy.
There are other perceptions
besides that everyone should
drive a Ford and buy designer
clothing.
Why is it that people pay 50
dollars for a shirt with nothing
special about it except for theword Hollister, Abercrombie
& Fitch, and the like?
Although I do not under-
stand the logic that many have,
I respect it.
You need to understand
that we are all individuals, not
genres.
I have entered college think-
ing that name-calling would not
be nearly as prevalent as in highschool, but then you, Mr. Swaf-
ford, have proved me wrong.
If you say that your com-
ments are the majority consen-
sus, I would like to see some
evidence, because let me tell you
everybody at Mercyhurst Col-
lege does not feel the same way
as you.
In fact, I have yet to come
across a single soul who has dis-
played a negative energy as deep
as you have.
If you do your homework,
and do the hard work and
research, your perception of the
way things are may slightly
alter producing a more insight-
ful read for the student paper.
In addition, something you
might find valuable in the near
future is a book.
A book typically has two pur-
poses: To educate you about a
particular topic while at the same
time increasing your vocabulary
and writing skills. You cannot
let other writers such as Markle
blow you away due to your poor
vocabulary.
I am not saying I am the bestwriter of all time, because I am
not, but I truly admire Markle
for his ability and passionate
writing.
I strongly recommend you
read The Souls Code written
by James Hillman because I feel
you need to broaden your per-
spective in life
One last question I have for
you Mr. Swafford is, how youwould define a tree hugger or
a hippie, because I am trying
to get a deeper understanding
for these stereotypes and who
else to help me out but your-
self?
More so, just whom does
we represent when you claim:
we hate tree huggers? Please
clarify.
By Mary-CatherineMcCormickContributing writer
As an aspiring journalist, and
a contributing writer to the Mer-
ciad, I truly believe in freedom
of speech.
I believe that each and every
person is entitled to his or her
own opinion.
So, reading the paper week
after week I have bit my tongue.
I have read the ridiculous
opinion pages about what people
wear, popularity, drinking and
now the accusations of calling
the football players felons and I
have kept my mouth shut.
But then I realize, just as these
ever-so-considerate writers have
the freedom of speech, so do I.
So with the risk of being criti-
cized and even attacked for myviews, I will state my own opin-
ion.
We live in a world a war, pov-
erty, anxiety, depression and
many more traumatic problems.
We are the future of this
country and the only opinion
columns we can come up with
are what parties got busted and
stereotyping the football play-
ers?There are bigger problems to
face.
If you do have a problem with
people, lock your door or do not
throw a party if you dont want
people to show up.
Boys have been fighting for
years, this is not newsworthy.
In no way am I defending the
assaults and fights that were
broken out over the past couple
weeks; I obtain, what some staff
writers consider to be, hippieviews, views of which I am very
proud.
But hippie or not, I never think
violence will solve anything.
But to call out an entire team,
then target the underclassmen as
a whole just hit me the wrong
way.
There are very talented writers
on the staff of the Merciad, so
why waste your talents writing
things that are not only going
to start controversy, but could
possibly worsen the situation
of the fights that these so-called
felons have been engaging in.
Focus your attention on some-
thing that matters.
Spend your time on something
that can make a difference.
You are right. This school is very high
demanding academically, we all
know this.
So if these students only got
accepted based on their athletic
ability as you have presumed,
there is no way they would be
able sustain the pressures of
being a student-athlete.
It is not yours, or anyone elses
position to make accusationsabout a students level of intel-
ligence.
Use your education and your
talent to write something to
better the campus, not to bash a
team as a whole or to make hasty
allegations that the admissions
committee to this wonderful
establishment is letting students
in on athletics alone.
By Jordan Zangaro
Contributing writer
Writers: Too little genres,
too many individuals
Bigger problems to face
A shooting Monday at a Wen-
dys restaurant in West Palm
Beach, Fla. left two people,
including the gunmen, dead and
seven others injured.
While this may be yesterdays
news, it represents a larger trend
of violence in Americas day-to-
day functions.
In a similar circumstance,
Pakistan has experienced four
bombings in five days and the
development of a Palestinian
state looks dim.
This region of the world is
used to violence on a daily basis,
including random killings and
bombing attacks.
While the U.S. is not a con-
sistent war zone, over the past
several years there have been a
countless number of instances
where shootings in schools,
work places and now dining
facilities occur.
Random streams of violence
are often at the individuals ini-
tiative and motive.
In Pakistan, people live in fear
that the person next to them is
wearing a bomb.
Often terrorism is carried out
in the name of a cause.
In the U.S. the shootings tend
to be individually motivated and
cases of a random selection of
victims.
Yesterdays news conditions
us to live with day-to-day events
making todays news.
By EllenKoenigStaff writer
Yesterdays news represents larger trend of violence
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PAGE 14 OPINION March 5, 2008
Over the last few months,
while listening to countless
friends vent, it seems like the
infamous double standard has
been creeping into quite a few
relationships.
No matter how hard we try
to avoid this common problem,
sometimes it is almost inevitable
that one way or another, it will
weasel its dirty way into our
lives.
The biggest problem with the
double standard is when youre
on the inside, you dont realize
youre doing it and dont recog-nize how unfair or hypocritical
youre being.
Us outsiders, as well as the
victim, have a hard time dealing
with this issue.
For example, I was talking to a
friend a few weeks ago, discuss-
ing our plans for spring break.
She was debating whether
or not to go on a trip that her
boyfriend had asked her not togo on.
When I asked if she would be
OK with him going on such a
trip if the roles were reversed,
she responded with absolutely
not.
This took me by surprise
because in my eyes, this debate
had a simple solution consider-
ing how she answered my ques-
tion: If you wouldnt want your
boyfriend or girlfriend to do
something, dont do it yourself.
Its like the old clich goes, do
unto others as you would want
them to do unto you, or in this
case, not do.
This double standard has even
managed to stray away from just
relationships and shine through
friendships as well.
I knew a girl who was having
problems with her boyfriends
fidelity, but as many girls often
do, turned a blind eye to it and
pretended like there had been
no wrong doing.
When one of her friends
had the same problem, she
condemned the friend for not
breaking up with him when he
had done the same thing as her
own boyfriend had done.
Again, being the outsider, she
didnt see what she was saying
was absolutely hypocritical to
her very own actions.
Why is it that its so much
easier to tell someone else they
are wrong for doing something
that we are doing or have done
ourselves?
Its always so much more con-venient to point fingers and dis-
agree with others actions than
accepting that we, ourselves, are
in the wrong too.
I think that if you are going
to tell someone else not to do
something, or disagree with
what they are saying or doing,
make sure youre not contra-
dicting yourself and your own
actions first.
By MichelleLaSlavicStaff writer
Waking up this morning it
finally dawned on me, this will
be the final 10 weeks of my
undergraduate career.
I can barely remember my
first day at school where I
learned Id be serving a year-
long prison term in McAuley,
or all chicanery that followed
in that lovable, yet completely
depressing building.
With so little time left,
what do I really have to show
for my four years of school-
ing?
Would it be a damaged liver
and a penchant for whiskey?
The countless people I met
along this four-year journey
and the fun times we had?
Terrible eating habits due to
my inability to cook or options
available on campus?
The little bit of knowledge
I was able to absorb into my
already full brain?
From what I hear, college is
supposed to be the best time
of your life.
With my four years up Im
apparently resigning myself to
60 years of misery.
I really dont believe that.
To quote an ultra-clich aph-
orism when one door closes,
another opens; that is really
what is happening to us.
We may be departing the
Hurst but life goes on.
Hell, you might even keep in
contact with people you met
here.
It would be exactly like
the Bruce Springsteen song
Glory Days.
There is so much indeci-
sion clouding the near future,
which includes admittance
into graduate school, finding a
job or for some of us actually
graduating.
Wouldnt it just be for the
best if we all just relax, reflect
and enjoy the ones were
with?
By KeithNemethStaff writer &political analyst
Joshua Wilwohl Editor-in-Chief [email protected]
Casey Greene Managing Editor [email protected]
Amy Zielinski & Amanda Valauri News Editors [email protected]
Jen Gildea Features Editor [email protected]
Merissa Frank Opinion Editor [email protected]
Chris Davis & Brittany Jackett Sports Editors [email protected]
Nicole Cerilli A&E [email protected]
Scoot Williams Photographer [email protected]
Tiffany Cook Production Editor [email protected]
Leslie Ruchala Advertising Manager [email protected]
Noelle Lelakus Copy Editor [email protected]
Ashley Pastor General Assignment [email protected]
Lenore Skomal Advisor [email protected]
The Merciad is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College. It is
published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals week. 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 signed and
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. Letters are due the Thursday
before publication and may not be longer than
300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485.
Reveries of a soon-departing
senior: Relax, reflect, enjoy
WANTED
Advertising manager needed for 2008-09
Contact Casey Greene at
Hurst: Beware
double standards
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, March 5, 2008
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The Mercyhurst womens
basketball team ended its season
with a 95-66 loss to Gannon
during the colleges spring break.
The Lakers finish the season
with a 7-20 record overall and
2-15 in the GLIAC.
Gannon pulled ahead with
an early 12 point lead within
the first five minutes and never
looked back.
Gannon continued to push
the pace and were up by 22
points with less than six minutes
in the first half.
Sophomore guard Mara
Dreiser set the pace for a
comeback with a good lay up
which she followed by sinking a
good three pointer.
Junior guard Stephanie
Prischak would mirror those
buckets and freshman guard
Samantha Loadman contributed
two good baskets for six points
to end the half 30-48.
Gannon continued to
play solid throughout the
second half while the Lakers
uncharacteristically struggled
with shooting.
Mercyhurst entered the game
ranked second in the conference
for field goal and three point
percentage. However, the Lakers
only managed 36 percent from
the field for the first half and
28 percent on three pointers for
the game.
Loadman finished with a
team-high 21 points with help
from five good three pointers.Freshman Amy Achesinski
followed with nine points and
five rebounds while freshman
guard Kelsey Gordon added
six points and a career-high five
assists.
The game marked an
important beginning and end
for the Mercyhurst womens
basketball team.
The Lakers complete their
first season under head coach
Deanna Richard with the loss.
The Lakers also ended their last
season playing in the GLIAC.
The Lakers look to improve
next year as they debut in the
Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference next season.
The Lakers played three
PSAC schools during the2007-08 season defeating
both Lock Haven University
and Edinboro University
with just a single loss to
Slippery Rock University.
With no seniors on the team
the Lakers should return with a
strong core ready to play in the
2008-09.
SPORTS PAGE 15March 5, 2008
The womens basketball team will likely see improvements next year, as they do not lose
any players to graduation.
Scoot Williams photo
By Rhonda MarableStaff writer
Womens b-ball ends season to GU
By Andrew SchonhoffStaff writer
Water polo finishes fifth at ECAC Championship
Mercyhurst College womens
water polo had a busy week,
opening its season with a 3-1
record. The Lakers kicked off their
season with a 12-5 victory over
Division I Siena College.
The Lakers came out strong,
and at halftime held Siena
at a score of 6-1, a deficit
which Siena was never able to
overcome.
The win was a combined
offensive and defensive effort.
Mercyhurst scorers included
seniors Christine Somera, Carrie
Willison and freshman Rachel
Griepsma, who all scored four
goals each.
The Lakers defense was led
by senior goalie Gina Mieras,
who made 12 saves along with
two assists and two steals.Senior Rhonda Marable and
junior Chrissy Genian also
contributed to the defensive
effort with three steals each.
Over the weekend at the
ECAC Championships, the
Lakers came away with a record
of 2-1.
After a loss to Wagner,
Mercyhurst bounced back strong
with a win against Slippery
Rock and George Washington.
In a hard fought game against
Slippery Rock, the team came
away with 9-7 victory which
came down to fourth quarter
determination which accounted
for the Lakers the win.
The team was led by Somera, who had a phenomenal two
goals, three assists, three drawn
ejections, and three steals.
The win was a well-balanced
effort, with six different Lakers
contributing to the nine goals.
The next day, the Lakers
defeated Division I George
Washington University with a
score of 8-6. Freshmen Rachel
Griepsma had a spectacular
game putting in six goals and
adding four drawn ejections and
a steal. The Lakers defensive
effort was backed by Mieras,
who had a solid 14 saves in
goal.
Already at the beginning of
the season, the womens waterpolo team shows great promise.
The team is led by a strong
core of six seniors. Willison
and Somera, who were both
2007 picks for Collegiate Water
Polo Association All-Western
Division teams, have led the team
offensively for the past several
years and look to continue during
their senior year.
Leading the Mercyhurst
womens water polo program in
career and season saves, Mieras
looks to have another strong
season.
Griepsma also looks to have
a very promising future with
Mercyhurst, as she has already
tallied 14 goals in four games.Head coach Curtis Robinette
said, I am very pleased with the
start of our season. The wins
over Division I schools Siena
and George Washington will
give us confidence going into
our first conference weekend.
The Lakers begin conference
play, as they host Grove City
Friday at 7 p.m. at the Mercyhurst
Northeast pool.
-
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SPORTSPAGE 16 March 5, 2008
Womens hockey dominates RMU,
battles for NCAA playoff appearance
The Mercyhurst College wom-
ens hockey team closed out the
regular season on a high note
with five wins and one loss in
their last six games.
This allowed the Lady Lakers
to remain a solid seventh place
in the USCHO.com hockey poll
as they head into the College
Hockey America (CHA) playoffs
this Friday at Niagara.
The girls finished their home
season knocking off Robert
Morris 5-2 followed the next
night with a 5-4 overtime win atRobert Morris.
We are running out of
chances and at this point we cant
afford to have any lapses in our
play if we want to make a run
at the final 8 and Frozen Four,
said senior goalie Laura Hosier.
The Lakers have taken advan-
tage of every chance they have
had with 10 wins over their last
13 games.Coming off of a devastating
loss to Wayne State, it looked as
though all was lost for the Lakers.
What Robert Morris did not
know was that they were skating
into a brick wall in a very deter-
mined Mercyhurst squad. The
Lady Lakers took full advantage
of sharing the puck on Friday,
when five Lakers had the oppor-
tunity to score against the Colo-
nials of Robert Morris.
Freshman Geena Prough
kicked off the Lakers scoring
with her ninth goal of the year
followed by freshman Ashley
Cockells sixth goal of the year.
Senior Sherilyn Fraser capped
senior night with the game-win-
ning goal just 16 seconds after
Cockell. Junior Hayley McMeekin
closed out the night with her
eighth goal of the season on an
empty net.
Mercyhurst honored six
seniors before the game; all of
whom will be greatly missed. These seniors included Dani-
elle Ayearst, Kristen Erickson,
Sherilyn Fraser, Laura Hosier,
Jackie Jarrell and Stephanie
Jones.
I am so grateful to be a part
of such a great program, said
Hosier.
Ive seen the team grow and
change each year I have been
here and what weve accom-plished each year has been amaz-
ing. I am just happy that I can
leave my mark on a program that
has helped me grow so much
over my four years here.
All of the seniors honored
have made a large impact on the
success and growth of the team
and will be remembered for thegreat hockey they brought to
Mercyhurst.
The following night was
slightly tougher for the Lady
Lakers as the Colonials of Robert
Morris pushed Mercyhurst into
overtime. At three minutes and
ten seconds into overtime, soph-
omore Meghan Agosta took ashot after a pass from Jones and
Chouinard. The shot hit the back
of the net giving the Lady Lakers
a much needed victory.
We need to take it one game
at a time and control what we
can control, said Agosta. We
have made goals as a team and
will look to fulfill these goals aswe head toward the [CHA] play-
offs.
The Lakers battle Niagara
on Friday to kick off the CHA
Tournament this weekend at
Niagara. The victor will face off
against the winner of the Wayne
State and Robert Morris game.
By Kyle CraigStaff writer
Agosta is a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier award again
Mercyhurst College wom-
ens hockey player, sophomore
Meghan Agosta, is a top-10
finalist for the Patty Kazmaier
Memorial Award, which is given
to the most outstanding NCAA
Division I womens ice hockey
each season.
Mercyhursts Director of
Hockey Operations John Lei-
sering said the top three final-
ists, including the recipient of
the Patty Kazmaier Memorial
Award, are chosen by a 13-
member selection committee.
He said this committee is
comprised of NCAA Division I
womens ice hockey coaches, rep-
resentatives of the media and a
representative of USA Hockey.
I think Meghan is the best
player in the country when she
is going full throttle, Mercy-
hurst coach Michael Sisti said
to the Erie Times-News. With
Meghans injury, who knows
what will happen? I hope
people dont hold her injury...
against her.
The three finalists will be
announced March 12, and the
award will be presented March
21 in Duluth, Minn. Agosta was
the first freshman ever to make
the final-three last year.
Currently, Agosta is tied for
first in the nation in goals and
first in short-handed goals for
No. 7 Mercyhurst.
According to Leisering, the
Kazmaier Award is named in
honor of the late Patty Kazma-
ier-Sandt, a four-year varsity
letter-winner and All-Ivy League
defenseman for Princeton Uni-
versity. She helped lead the
Tigers to a league championship
in three consecutive seasons.
Kazmaier passed away at the
age of 28 from a rare blood
disease.
From staff reportsThe Merciad
Senior Sherilyn Fraser battles for a puck against Wayne States Tegan Schroeder during an
earlier loss this year. The Lakers hope to seek revenge in the CHA playoffs this weekend.
Scoot Williams photo
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, March 5, 2008
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Junior Brian Pogel and
sophomore Andy Lamancusa
proved their No. 1 ranking in the
NCAA Davison II East Region
was well deserved as they both
won their weight classes and
helped the Lakers to a third
place finish.
Lamancusa won his second
consecutive title at 157 pounds,
as he defeated Phil Bliss from
Belmont Abbey College 4-2 in
the championship bout.
Despite being a junior it was
Pogels first appearance at the
East Region and he made it
memorable by defeating Latra
Collick from Newberry College
5-2 in the finals at 149.
Joining Pogel and Lamancusaon the podium are three
others.
They are red-shirt freshman
Josh Shields who placed second
at 174 pounds, senior Hudson
Harrison at 165 who finished
third and junior Trevor Gallo
also placed third at 197.
Harrison believes the team
is ready for nationals, without
having the stress of too much
academic work.
For us were going to work
out pretty hard since were
just starting new classes and
everything, he said. We dont
have the stress of midterms or
anything else like some other
schools will have.
Right now were just
focusing on the last chapter
of this season, Hudson said.
Theres a strong desire to end
this season with a bang.
Junior Bryan Wolff also
placed fifth at 184, but will not
join the others at nationals.
Pogel had a close call in the
semifinals as he nearly escaped
with a 3-2 victory over West
Liberty States Kayne Melko.
However, Lamancusa got
revenge in the semifinals as
he defeated Mikel Bush of
Limestone, 9-4.
Lamancusa previously lost to
Bush in the final seconds two
weeks prior.
Gallo, Harrison, Lamancusa,
Pogel and Shields travel to
Cedar Falls, Iowa on March 14
to 15 to compete in the Division
II national championships.
PAGE 17March 5, 2008 SPORTS
By Kirk Campbell
Staff writer
Five wrestlers will compete at DII nationals
Five Laker wrestlers: Senior Hudson Harrison, juniors Brian Pogel and Trevor Gallo, sophomore Andy Lamancusa and red-
shirt freshman Josh Shields will compete at the Division II national championship on March 14 to 15 at Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Sports Information photo
Mens tennis ends three-