the merciad, march 5, 2008

8/6/2019 The Merciad, March 5, 2008

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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


3/20

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


4/20

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


5/20

PAGE 5NEWSMarch 5, 2008

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


Parking Lot 1

Feb. 10

College discipline


Parking Lot 12

Feb. 10

College discipline


Sidewalk by maintenance

Feb. 15

College discipline

Controlled Substance

Mercy 300

Feb. 16

College discipline

Larceny/Theft

Athletic Center

Feb. 16

Closed


3909 Lewis

Feb. 16

College discipline


Mercy 300

Feb. 16

College discipline


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


6/20

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


7/20

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


8/20

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


9/20

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


10/20

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


11/20

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


12/20

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


13/20

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


14/20

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

[email protected]

Hurst: Beware

double standards


15/20

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.


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.


16/20

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.



17/20

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-

the merciad, march 5, 2008

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