October 5 edition of The Merciad

:Features On Page 3:

Arts & Entertainment On Page 5:

Sports On Page 7:

Erie Zoo hosts an

Hess promotes new

Women’s tennis

evening of beer

Erie Philharmonic

heads to PSAC

and bears

season

championship

The MERCIAD

Read more inside & online

Mercyhurst university

Est. 1929 Vol. 90 No. 4

Forsensics announces new science major

Wednesday, october 5, 2016

Black Students for Unity honors victims, calls for peace at vigil

By Catherine Rainey Managing editor

Contributed photo

The Foresnsics department announced its new major, Investigative Forensics. Students can learn more about it at the Majors and Minors Fair today at 3:30 p.m. in the Mercy Heritage Room. Read more about the major on Page 3.

2017 senior class begins gift discussions and early voting

By Melanie Todd Staff writer

Last week seniors had the opportunity to rank their choices for the 2017 Senior Class Gift. Several options were available including a bar counter for a new pub on campus, a coffee cart for the library, a statue of Sister McAuley on a bench, an update for the Student Union, a path from the laker, an update for the first floor of the library, and a communion rail for the Christ the King Chapel.

“We go with whatever the majority vote is. We come up with the ideas and the rest is entirely up to the Class of 2017,” Cailey DeWaine, marketing co-chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee, said.

The committee holds meetings every week to brainstorm the ideas.

“We hold meetings every

Merciad Index

Wednesday at 3 p.m. and we open it up to anyone who’s interested. We’ve had about 20 regular members. We brainstorm ideas of what the students want and their friends and then what the underclassmen want because they really are the ones who will get to enjoy it,” DeWaine said.

The committee also had ideas come in from the administration.

“President Victor has had a lot of inclusion too. He’s the one really pushing for the pub in Grotto Commons.”

DeWaine said.

The senior gift would not be able to fund all the aspects necessary to make a bar on campus a reality. However, the gift would entail a custom bar top comprised of pictures from the Class of 2017.

“I really like the pub idea.

Can you imagine a Sunday night watching football at a

Chart Title

“

I really like the pub idea. Can you imagine a Sunday night watching football at a bar on campus? It would be so nice.

”

- Cailey DeWaine

bar on campus? It would be so nice,” DeWaine said.

Many are skeptical as to why the university would approve of a bar on campus. Some believe it could be to better regulate drinking on campus or even to make it safer for those of age to have an occasional drink.

“I think it’s more about putting money back into the school. But think about it.

The Stone has really great specials, so they would have to compete with that. That would be great for the students,” DeWaine said.

The final decision will lie in the hands of the survey.

“It’s not about what the committee wants. It’s who we are representing,” DeWaine said.

The work of the Senior Class Gift Committee is far from over. Once the gift is decided they plan all of the fundraising to make that gift a reality.

“Next we’re planning the Christmas bar crawl and the senior date auction. It’s a lot of fun. All the money from those events goes into the budget,” DeWaine said.

@TheMerciad

Mercyhurst students came together last week to honor the victims of racial injustice and pray for peace and unity across the nation and withinthe local community.

Black Students for Unity hosted “Take Mercy: A Reflection of Current Events” on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the Student Union Great Room.

The event was a collaborative effort between various campus groups, including the Multicultural Center, Campus Ministry, Mercyhurst Student Government and the university’s administration.

A main component of the vigil was honoring people of color who have lost their lives to police brutality. Mercyhurst students took turns reading a portion of these victim’s identities and the stories of how they died.

Deja Santiago, president of BSU and resident of the Bronx, New York, came up with the idea for the vigil over the summer.

“The deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile’s death happened just days after the country celebrated its ‘independence.’ Their deaths after this day proved that not all people in America are free- and that was an unsettling thought,” Santiago said. “I lived in a city on edge, and I did not like the feelings of doom and anxiousness going around during this time.

People of color were very hyperaware of their surroundings, and being a person of color I felt unsafe at home.”

The rest of the vigil included an original poem written and performed by Santiago, a prayer for non-violence said

by Greg Baker, director of Campus Ministry; a prayer on mercy, lead by Sister Lisa Mary McCarthy; the music video for #WHEREISTHELOVE by the Black Eyed Peas ft.

The World, a remake from the Black Eyed Peas ft. Justin Timberlake’s song, Where Is the Love, originally released in 2003; and a short reflection and thank you from Petrina Marerro, director of the Multicultural Center and staff adviser for BSU.

“

I lived in a city on edge, and I did not like the feelings of doom and anxiousness going around during this time.

”

- Deja Santiago

While the inspiration for the vigil came from feelings of racial injustice toward black citizens, and still was able to embody that, the goal of the event was to create a sense of unity among all skin colors, backgrounds and types of people.

“In the vigil, I think they did a really good job painting a picture of it not just being a matter of being ‘pro-black,’ or ‘this is a black issue against a white issue.’ It painted more of, ‘this is a societal issue,’ where the people that are supposed to protect and serve us are actually the ones who are harming us,” Char Luton, member of BSU, said.

Santiago also said she sees the importance of being unified.

“We are stronger together than we are divided, and I think that unity is just something we should all work towards because we are more similar than we were different,” Santiago said.

In addition to those involved in the planning, many members of the Mercyhurst community were present at the vigil, including Donald J. Fuhrmann, chief of Police and Safety, David Grabelski, professor of law enforcement intelligence and David Dausey, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“I thought the vigil was thought out and was well coordinated. It was a good, peaceful outlet for students to show the Mercyhurst community how they felt about the events unfolding around them and the effect of those events on their lives,” Chief of Police and Safety Donald J. Fuhrmann said.

(Continued on Page 2)

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October 5, 2016

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Page 2

News

Student Opportunities ‘seized’ through crowdfunding group creates vigil for unity (Continued from Page 1) Fuhrmann said he and the entire department of Police and Safety are willing to be proactive about an effort towards unity on campus.

“Mercyhurst Police and Safety Department will continue to be visible at events on campus and open to meeting with any student or student group. We realize that every interaction we have with a member of our Mercyhurst community is important and an opportunity to build a trusting relationship with them.”

Santiago and Luton both noticed many raw and emotional reactions to the vigil.

According to them, there were some shocked faces and teary eyes in the audience.

“I think that the vigil helped people realize and acknowledge the severity of the context of the vigil’s main purpose: there is a problem with excessive use of deadly police force in America. Black men are being killed three times the rate more than white men.

White and Hispanic people make up the majority of deaths by police but the rate at which it happens to black individuals is much higher,” said Santiago. “This is a problem that is transcending skin color. We need to keep the people of America safe.”

“

We realize that every interaction we have with a member of our Mercyhurst community is important and an opportunity to build a trusting relationship with them.

@TheMerciad

thanks to 22 donors.

“All of these projects had support not only from our internal community but from alumni,” Pifer said. “The effort raised money, but also a level of excitement and collegiality among those who invested.”

Art Department Chair Jodi Staniunas Hopper agreed.

“MakerBot Mania provided us with an opportunity to reach out to our alumni through various social media outlets, email and phone and provided us with a chance to catch up with them as well as ask for support,” she said. “Many of the donors responded with how jealous they are that the students are going to be exposed to the technology and have the opportunity to work with the MakerBot 3-D printer.

Ultimately the hours of emails and phone calls paid off and we will now be equipped to integrate the technology into our foundation year 3-D course, computer illustration techniques and next year in a special topics class. This was a major step in keeping up with the technological advances happening in the K-12 grades, and I can’t thank our supporters enough!”

All told, the month-long crowdfunding effort raised $16,795.

Contributed photos

Projects like Portal to the Past at ExpERIEence Children’s Museum (top) and the 4th Vow Retreat, designed to immerse students in service, are part of the Seize Mercyhurst crowdfunding initiative.

fun and educational Portal to the Past exhibit at the ExpERIEnce Children’s Museum.

Sixty-seven donors contributed $4,420 toward a goal of $4,000.

Official press release from the Mercyhurst University Pubic Relations Office

A local service immersion experience for students also achieved its goal of $2,500,

@TheMerciad

Human Resources 4 + 1 program ranks high

By Melanie Todd Staff writer

”

- Chief DJ Fuhrmann

Entrepreneurs, students, filmmakers – it seems like everyone is into crowdfunding. So, it should come as no surprise that colleges and universities are trying their hand at financing campus projects through small donations from friends, alumni and those within the college community.

Locally, Mercyhurst University, through its advancement office, launched an inaugural crowdfunding platform (seize.mercyhurst.edu) last month to raise money for four mission-driven and university-supported projects.

The takeaway: each was fully funded and then some.

“Our office saw this as a way we could help our faculty, staff and students bring important projects to fruition,” said Caleb Pifer, vice president for external affairs and advancement. “Research has shown us that millennials are more likely to support specific causes and projects than they are to support a general non-specific donation.”

Thirty-eight donors contributed $4,500 to purchase a MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer for the graphic design department. Their goal was $4,000. Another overthe-top fundraising effort was achieved by the rowing team, which raised $5,375 toward the purchase of a wakeless training boat to replace the old aluminum boat currently used by coaches. That project was funded at 107 percent of its $5,000 goal, thanks to contributions from 41 donors.

Then there was a project of the archaeology and geology departments to create a

Human Resources is a position that spans all industries. Mercyhurst is helping professionals expand their credentials with 25 percent above average SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certification scores.

“We surpassed the national average by 25 percent. I believe that is why we were selected,” said Mary Breckenridge, Ph.D., dean of the Walker College and associate professor of Organizational Leadership in the Walker College of Business and Management.

The national average exam

pass rate is 60 percent but Mercyhurst’s students performed at an 85 percent exam pass rate.

Nearly every company and agency has a human resources department.

Mercyhurst offers SHRM-CP and SHRMSCP certifications and a master’s degree available as part of the 4 + 1 program as options for higher education for Human Resources.

“Our department [Organizational Leadership] is led totally by adjunct professors who are in the field. All of our faculty are leaders, attorneys, across the spectrum,” Breckenridge said.

Many people work in human resources without the certifications or master’s

degree. The prep course is designed to work around people’s schedules. It is a semester long, but offered during evening hours to accommodate traditional work schedules.

“It’s not necessary in all places, but in bigger corporations it usually is. We offer a prep course for the certification exam and we open that up to the community,” Breckenridge said.

Student research inspired the Organizational Leadership program, of which HR is a concentration.

“We actually had a student thesis that did research showing there was a need for this type of program,” Breckenridge said.

Mercyhurst attempts to be

as convenient as possible in higher education. Student can begin working on their master’s as early as the summer after their junior year of undergraduate.

“It was sort of a risk, a bit of an experiment. We thought they (undergraduate students) can’t do this. We were totally wrong. We were so surprised.

The 4+1 students we have are very strong; strong writers and strong contributors,” Breckenridge said.

The 4+1 program also provides a lot of opportunities to the students.

“It can allow student athletes to play an extra year. It can help international students who are interested in staying here longer,” said

Breckenridge. “It applies to any major.”

The 33-credit program can be completed online, enrolled as a full-time or part-time student. There are five concentrations of the Organizational Leadership Master of Science Program. Concentrations include accounting, higher education administration, human resources, sports leadership and strategy and innovation.

@TheMerciad

Hurst Crime Log Incident

Date

Location

Sexual assault

Sept. 18

Baldwin Hall

Theft

Sept. 20

Football locker room

Controlled substance, liquor law violations

Sept. 23

Warde Hall

Liquor law violation

Oct. 2

Warde Hall

October 5, 2016

The Merciad

Page 3

Features

New major: Investigative Forensics

By Melanie Todd Staff writer

A joint effort between Forensic Science and Criminal Justice, Mercyhurst is leading the way with a new major.

“We are not aware of any other programs that have this type of major,” Dennis Donovan, program director, said.

The goal is to cater to the group of students who are interested in applied forensic science and law enforcement so that they can have a career that encompasses both skills.

“Our department, Forensic Science, is pretty heavy- duty natural sciences. Almost like a pre-med program. It’s really for students who want to work in labs. This allows them to go into investigations, but not have to work in the lab setting,” Dennis Dirkmaat, Ph.D., Director of Department of Applied Forensic Sciences said.

This new major will prepare students for careers in law enforcement and forensic

Cheyanne Crum photo

Cheyanne Crum photo

Cheyanne Crum photo

Cartridge casing from Crimnalistics photography lab.

Crime scene set up for students to get hands-on experi-

Blood spatter in Criminalistics lab that allows students to gain practical experience.

science such as crime scene technician and death investigators.

“I teach in both departments and I saw there was a need for students in each major. It gives them flexibility when planning for a career,” Donovan said.

The major is currently available for all students. Students can change their major all together or add it as a double

major.

“We are not constructing new classes for the major. It’s a unique melding of the two fields. Most of the classes are criminalistics classes,” Dirkmaat said.

Now students have another option for those who enjoy forensic science but want less of a technical application of it.

“We think there is a cate-

gory of students that would be interested. Then, of course, there is always recruiting,” Dirkmaat said.

Mercyhurst is already wellknown for its Applied Forensics program.

“One of the high school seniors in last week said we were the only school she found that had the Forensic Science program she was looking for,” Donovan said.

Scaredy-cats beware of Ghost Lake

By Jordan Pendel Contributing writer

October. The spookiest month of the year, where haunted houses are finally open again. Do you have what it takes to make through “the largest, longest and scariest haunted attraction in the world?” For $25, visitors can face their fears and walk through the two-hour Ghost Lake 13 Levels Of Fear in Conneaut Lake Park.

It first came about after Dominic Baragona and his promotional company Mid America Events were invited to Conneaut Lake Park to consider a rib cook off event.

“But the minute I saw the dilapidated amusement park, I thought it would be a perfect haunted attraction,” said Baragona. “It looked like a Hollywood movie set right out of a Stephen Spielberg thriller

with its old rides and rundown buildings.”

When Ghost Lake began in 2008 it started out as the 8 Levels Of Fear, but has now grown into 13. Each year the company changes four to five levels after they brainstorm new ideas.

More than 160 monsters are located throughout the haunted attraction, and each level is just as scary as the next. As you buy your ticket, monsters greet you before you make your way through the first level “Front Gates of Hell.”

“Clowns Behaving Badly” is next followed by the “House of Coffins.”

The fourth, fifth and sixth levels have you “Panic Upstairs,” traversing through the actual haunted Hotel Conneaut, and avoiding “Scarecrows Revenge” as you escape a corn maze.

Can you survive “The

Purge” and make it through the seventh level? The “3D Carnival of Fear,” “Purple Haze” and the “Demon House” follow.

“Purple Haze” has purple lights all through it and a fog machine which makes it hard to see as scarers appear beside you,” Samantha Horodyski , junior Biology major said.

Props if you can make it thus far. Finally, the “Black Vortex,” “Devils Den” and the “Blue Streak Ghoster Coaster” round out the last three levels. The historic Blue Streak wooden roller coaster was built in 1937.

“It is super scary to ride in the dark, but that might be because it is so old,” Horodyski said.

All guests have to do is follow the tickets in the order of the 13 levels. Do not worry about getting lost because there are signs throughout directing the way. There are

even exits in each level in case one gets too scared to continue.

Like many other haunted houses, guests are not allowed to touch the monsters and monsters are not allowed to touch the public. Therefore, you may want to watch your reflexes when one of them jumps out at you.

Avoid becoming intoxicated to calm your nerves before entering otherwise, Baragona says you will not be allowed in. Signing a waiver is not required to enter, but there are multiple signs warning visitors of the scares that they will encounter.

Are you brave enough to enter? Ghost Lake 13 Levels Of Fear is open Fridays and Saturdays 7 p.m. to midnight and Sundays 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. until Oct. 31. $2 discounts are available at the counter in Country Fair.

Adding to the department and further encouraging the connection between the Forensic department and Criminal Justice as well as other departments on campus is very positive for the college.

“We’ve been kicking around the idea for about five years now. The official process has been about a year.

I’ve been talking to students in both of the sets of classes I

Cheyanne Crum photo

Thumbprint from fingerprinting lab in Criminalistics class.

teach saying it was a possibility. Now it’s a reality,” Donovan said.

Currently, they are working on spreading the word and updating information on Mercyhurst’s newest major.

“Once we get the exposure.

We’ll see it take off,” Donovan said. @TheMerciad

Asking Mia Need advice? Have a problem that needs fixing?

Mia is here to help.

Email askmia.merciad@ gmail.com for help. ******************* Dear Mia, I love going out with my friends and having a good time, but sometimes I feel pressured to drink with them.

If I don’t go out with them then I feel like I’m missing something. How do I tell my friends I don’t want to drink but still have fun?

Sincerely, Pressured Polly

Dear Pressured Polly,

LAKER MOMENT

Amber Matha photo

On Sept. 29, Mercyhurst hosted the first annual Zurn College Internship and Job Fair.

Among the recruiters present at the fair were the U.S. Navy, Presque Isle State Park, Meadville Community Health Center, the Sisters of Mercy and Interim Healthcare.

Attendance to the fair was slightly low, but hopefully it gains momentum as people hear more about it.

You don’t need to drink to have fun, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to do so. Your friends shouldn’t force you to drink with them either, and if they do, then they aren’t very good friends.

Friends should respect your decision. Don’t be afraid to tell them you won’t be drinking with them, everyone needs a break now and then.

You’ll still be able to hang out and make memories with them even if you’re not drinking. Now that one of you will be sober for the night you’ll be able to help take care of them if they need it.

If you are really worried about telling someone that you don’t want to drink, put some soda in a solo cup and sip! No one will ask, and you wont have to bring it up. Just remember, you make the fun, not whatever you’re drinking.

Sincerely,

Mia

Page 4

Features

October 5, 2016

The Merciad

Lions, tigers and beers at the zoo? oh my

By Erin McGarrity Contributing writer

On Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Erie Zoo will host its first adult-only fall event.

Erie Beer Co.is sponsoring the event, and there will be more than 12 breweries, both from Erie and from across the country, offering beer tastings throughout the zoo.

All attendees of the event will receive one sampling glass upon presenting their tickets at the gate, and they will be able to walk through the zoo to locate the different brewery stations. The zoo will be decorated for ZooBoo, the zoo’s annual Halloween event allowing kids to dress up in their costumes and trick-ortreat throughout the zoo.

Tickets for Lions, Tigers and Beers went on sale both online and at the zoo at the end of August, and they sold out within a matter of weeks.

They sold for $25 per person for zoo members and $35 for nonmembers. There were also “designated driver” tickets available for $20, and they did not include a sampling glass for alcohol.

According to Emily Antolik Erie Zoo communication and event coordinator, the zoo’s carousel will also be open for business during the event, and there will be several food trucks stationed throughout the zoo. A portion of all food sales during the event will benefit the Erie Zoo. The event coordination staff at the zoo, according to Antolik, was “thrilled” that the tickets sold out so quickly, and the hype already surrounding the event has everyone hopeful for more opportunities like it in the future.

Antolik said the event’s organizers are excited to start a possible new fall tradition.

Fundraisers like this make the

Cheyanne Crum photo

Cheyanne Crum photo

The first annual Lions, Tigers and Beers event will take place on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. It will include food and beer from local brewers stationed around the zoo, while adults can view the animals.

Cheyanne Crum photo

The Erie Zoo’s Bengal tiger hangs out on a hot day by the water.

zoo’s daily activities and operations possible. “(These events) are really important to the zoo. It’s a one-day event, and we make a lot of money that goes back into our general fund, so it goes into every aspect of the zoo, and that’s really helpful for us,” Antolik said.

This event is not the zoo’s first attempt at an adult-only fundraiser. Since 2005, the Erie Zoo has hosted GalapaZooza each June, and each year it remains one of the most sought-after ticket events in Erie.

The zoo hosts live music from various local bands and samples food from different restaurants around Erie.

Like Lions, Tigers and Beers, a portion of the event’s proceeds goes toward the operations of the zoo.

When asked what she was most looking forward to in terms of the upcoming event, Antolik noted that this type of event allows adults to have the same kind of fun on Halloween as the kids.

“It’s just really fun for the adults. It’s like trick-r-treating around the zoo, but for

Tickets sold out in the first few weeks of them being on sale.

Cheyanne Crum photo

The baby orangutan and its mom play in the Erie Zoo.

beers,” Antolik said.

Although Lions, Tigers and Beers is sold out, Erie residents should still visit www. eriezoo.org to keep an eye out for upcoming fundraisers and events.

@TheMerciad

Cheyanne Crum photo

Wallabies hop around the Kangaroo Crossing at the Erie Zoo.

Creative Corner I woke up in the middle of the night with no concept of time. I wish I could write or play; my hands are twitching in anticipation of a pen. My legs ache to, move but they explode when I do. I’m so sick of sleeping, I need to move. I can’t move, it hurts. Maybe in the morning they will take me outside. ****** “Kristen? You have a visitor.

He said he goes to school with you,” I heard Kate at my door I really hope it’s Caleb. The door opens, a boy says thank you.

“Taylor.” He looked at me, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard what happened, I wanted to make sure you were okay-“ “Why?” “I wanted-” he checked out the door to make sure Kate was gone. “I wanted to see what you remember. Morgan and Tony were there making up a lab and all I can think is what if it was one of them?”

“Well it wasn’t. You’re welcome for being the burn victim and it wasn’t one of your friends.” I tried to cross my arms but it hurt too much. “You can go now.”

“Please, just hear me out.

I want to know how they got

out before the fire started. The police said it started in the hall outside the lab.”

“If they made it out, you should be happy,” I pulled my hand out, blistered and black.

“They don’t have this, or anything wrong with them, I don’t even know if I’ll ever be able to dance again.” I thought I was screaming but I realized I was getting quieter.

“Young man, I think you should leave.”

“Please, just a few more minutes.”

“Now.” “I’ll be back tomorrow, Kristen. ” Taylor looked sad.

“Thank you, Dr. Hopkins.”

“Shh, don’t try to talk. You need to rest, I’ll get you some water.”

When he left, I took three sips of water and started crying, tears burning tracks down my face.

“Knock, knock,” It was Kate.

“I brought dinner and bad news. Your mom got asked to pull a double at the home but that guy, Taylor, he left you a present.” She gave me one of those friends-sharinga-secret smiles and dropped a basket on my bed. I slowly reach toward it. I see “The Great Gatsby” peeking out, my favorite book. A box of pens,

every color possible, catches my attention. Behind “Gatsby” I see a purple notebook, iridescent, changing green. Movies, “Despicable Me,” “Tangled,” “Alice and Wonderland” and “Peter Pan” among them.

There were boxes of candy too: Skittles and Reece’s and Sour Patch Kids.

“Wow, he seems to know you pretty well. Boyfriend?”

“I didn’t think he knew I existed. I’ve talked to him twice.”

“Well maybe while you were trying to ignore him, he was watching.” She smiled at me again. “Wanna watch the minions?”

“Yes, please,” I tried to smile.

For the next two hours, I was surrounded by my favorite things, I even tried to write a bit, it didn’t work out well.

Just as “Despicable Me” was ending, Taylor knocked on my door.

“Did you like the basket?”

He asked “How did you know all of my favorite things?”

“I know a lot about you.”

“How?” “Well, I could say I’m really great at details and know all this stuff about you and I really like you but I’d be lying,

about the first part anyway,” he smiled. “I called Caleb, and when he didn’t answer, I went by your house and spoke to your mother.” I rolled my eyes.

Did he just admit to liking me?

“I’m sorry about earlier Kristen, I wanted to know your side because I thought it could have been Tony and Morgan who set the fire, but, I didn’t want to ask them. By the way, Morgan is not my girlfriend.

We have just been friends forever and she has a crush on Tony.” He shrugs. “Well, enjoy the basket.” He makes a move to leave.

“Wait, do you want to stay?

My mom got asked to pull a double shift, I could use some company.” I think I smiled. He looked at his watch.

“Okay, sure, no school tomorrow anyway.” He laughed. I love his laugh.

We ended up watching “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

He ate most of the Skittles while I discreetly watched him, watched the way he ran his fingers through his shaggy blond hair, the way his happy blue eyes looked right into my dark green ones when I spoke. His toned, tan, linebacker’s body looking too big for the chair he was sprawled out in. He only caught me staring once.

“What is it?”

“Uh, nothing, I was just going to ask what time it was.”

“Oh, it’s four-thirty, why?”

“Caleb hasn’t been to see me, or even gotten ahold of me, and I’ve been here for two days.”

“Oh, uhm, do you want to call him? You can use my phone.” I used Taylor’s phone and got his voice mail. I left a message: “Hey, Caleb it’s me, Kristen, I haven’t heard from you. I would love it if you could come and see me, tomorrow, maybe? Bye.” After giving him back his phone and settling back into the movie, I feel Taylor staring at me.

“Yes?” “I was just wondering…

Why did you ask me to stay?

Did you actually want me here or did you want someone to replace Caleb for the day?”

“Replace Caleb? Can’t I have more than one friend?

We aren’t dating if that’s what you mean, we’ve just been friends forever.” Taylor looks at me, visibly relaxing.

“Oh,” I saw the smallest hint of a smile. The movie ended and Taylor asked what I would like to do next. He was also digging through the basket.

“I think cards would be hard one-handed, and you can’t

write unless you want me to, but my handwriting is chicken scratch.”

“Actually, could you do me a favor? Could you go ask Kate if I’m allowed outside? I’m so sick of sitting here, hospital smell and all.”

“Sure, be right back,” he got up, rushing to have something to do.

About five minutes later, Taylor and Kate returned, with a wheelchair.

“Why can’t I just walk?”

“Do you remember what your legs looked like yesterday?” Kate asked, “That didn’t go away overnight.”

Slowly and painfully I was moved from the bed to the wheelchair. The only thing that kept me from saying forget it was the promise of fresh air.

We wheeled down the hall, Taylor pushing me. At the elevator Kate tells us she has rounds and to go to the lobby and out the door marked: Courtyard. ************** If you have anything you would like to have published, please submit it to: featuremerciad@ mercyhurst.edu.

October 5, 2016

The Merciad

Page 5

Arts &

Entertainment

‘Dog Days’ features ’Hurst faculty

By Jenny Sabliov

Arts and Entertainment editor

Emmy Award winner James Bobick, baritone, plays the father, Howard, in the original cast for the opera “Dog Days,” which is set to release its record this month.

He is also the instructor of voice, opera and diction for singers at Mercyhurst University.

“Dog Days” is about a Post-Apocalyptic family that sees their world crumbling throughout the show.

Originally a short story

by Judy Budnitz, composer David T. Little and librettist Royce Vavrek used it as inspiration for the opera.

The show begins with a man dressed up as a dog who shows up at the family’s house and befriends the daughter.

Dressing and acting like a dog seems to be the man’s coping mechanism for the way the world currently is.

Bobick’s character is angry with this man for not dealing with the situation in a more “manly” way and presents that through his aria “Stand Up Like a Man.” Throughout the opera, it

Greg Grudt/Mathew Imaging

James Bobick as his character Howard in “Dog Days.”

is evident that the world is gradually getting worse as it is a martial state and by the last act, named winter, they are starving.

Robert Woodruff was the director for all of the productions.

“He really challenged me to go to places that I never thought I could go,” Bobick said about Woodruff.

Bobick loves all of his cast members and genuinely considered them a family.

“We took on the roles of our characters over the years and to be this broken man with the people I cared about was an incredible experience

and I give it all to Robert,” Bobick said.

The first rehearsal was about five weeks long, which allowed them to learn more about their characters.

“During the rehearsal process for the very first production, we had a doctor come in and talk to us about what physically would happen to you when you were starving,” Bobick said.

The role was essentially written for Bobick after he was asked to audition. After three auditions, they saw that he was able to fulfill this role, so it was set to his vocal range.

One of the things that he

Emmy Award winner James Bobick, baritone.

loves most about the opera and production is the music.

It was composed by a rock drummer and the music is a combination of classical operatic writing set to a non traditional orchestra.

“The music gives an otherworldly, broken essence as a backdrop to a story that is so real,” Bobick said.

“It is incredibly difficult,

Contributed photo

and in a weird way, allows me to take this broken journey with this man and his family.

I also have a wife and two young daughters and I really feel his pain and it is amazing to be able to have the opportunity to tell this story and ride this emotional journey through opera,” Bobick said.

The recording process for this opera was done live over

five production nights when the cast performed at L.A. Opera. This is because they did not want to record it in a studio.

“It was difficult because I broke a rib towards the end of the performance on the third night. Let’s just say that the next two shows were painful,” Bobick said.

All of the shows in L.A. were sold out during that run.

It was well-received for all of the performances except in Texas due to its content.

The record was released digitally on iTunes on Sept.

9; however, the record release party will have the first physical copies available. I will be on Oct. 16 in Brooklyn at a new venue called National Sawdust. The cast will be performing excerpts that night and will be accompanied by pianist James Johnston.

As a disclaimer, the opera is not for the faint of heart and can be very dark. There is a lot of profanity as well.

“It is a very adult show in the best possible way, not in a gratuitous way, but there is a reason that everything happens,” Bobick explained.

Hess helps Erie Phil Concertmaster to offer promote new season masterclass to students

By Naomi Greenstein

By Caitlyn Lear

Staff writer

Staff writer

On Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m., come down to see our very own Nathan Hess, D.M.A., with Ken Johnston of the Erie Philharmonic.

This performance is the precursor to the Philharmonic’s 2016-2017 Symphonic Series, and will be free and open to the public.

It will be a special performance featuring the concertmaster and principal violinist, Johnston.

This concert is a prelude for the rest of the Symphonic Series. The opening night for the series is on Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. at The Warner Theatre.

The Symphonic series itself does cost to attend; for students it is $10 per show or $45 for all five shows with a valid student I.D. The special performance on Oct. 10 will include pieces such as “Violin Sonata No. 3” by Brahms, “Suite in Old Style” by Schnittke and an unaccompanied solo violin piece composed by Bach and performed by Johnston.

Johnston graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s in violin performance from Cleveland Institute of Music.

He has taught violin and viola at Mercyhurst, violin at Ohio State University and Cleveland State University.

On top of being concertmaster for the Erie Philharmonic, he is also first chair of the Blue Water Chamber Orchestra of Cleveland and Acting

Contributed photo

Nathan Hess, D.M.A., left, and Ken Johnston, right, are performing in the Erie Philharmonic’s special event on Oct. 10.

Concertmaster for the Ohio Valley Symphony.

He has performed with Mark Kowser, the Cleveland Orchestra principal cellist and Noah Bendix-Balgley, the concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Hess will also be playing the celeste for the Stravinsky piece on Oct. 15.

This is Hess’s fifth year teaching piano at Mercyhurst and he is the chair of the music department. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from James Madison University, and earned both his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Cincinnati Col-

lege-Conservatory of Music.

He has performed in the United States and Europe in solo, chamber and concerto settings.

Hess and Johnston have known each other and collaborated many times in the past 10 years.

This event will take place in the Hirt Auditorium at the Erie County Library on East Front Street.

Do not forget to pick up tickets for the rest of the Symphonic Series either online, by phone or on the Erie Philharmonic website.

Do not miss out on this special event and the chance to support a member of the Mercyhurst community.

Online

In the Sept. 28 issue of The Merciad, an article for the new Cummings Gallery exhibit “Alternative Visions” stated Robert Bergman as one of the featured artists. It is William Bergman from Buffalo, N.Y., not Robert who is from New York, N.Y.

Full list of events can be found on the MU website

To promote the beginning of the 2016-17 season, the Erie Philharmonic will have two special events the week of the Symphonic Season opening night.

Concertmaster and violinist Ken Johnston will be coming to Mercyhurst University to present a masterclass on Oct. 12.

The class, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in D’Angelo Room 19, is free and open to the public.

The masterclass will feature a select few music majors.

These music majors are: Grace Ferrara, Kayla Bravchok and Leah Elberfeld.

Ferrara will be performing the first movement of Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major.”

Bravchok will perform the first movement of Viotti’s “Violin Concerto No. 23 in G Major.”

Elberfeld will play the

second movement of Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 4.”

It is a great chance to see the methodology in person that the concertmaster of the Erie Philharmonic employs when approaching various pieces through each of the students.

Mercyhurst often prides itself on employing talented faculty members that involve themselves in the community through the art in which they teach their students.

One Mercyhurst faculty member will be doing just that next week as part of the opening events.

Pianist and Mercyhurst Music Department chair Nathan Hess, D.M.A., will be playing the celeste in Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” during the Erie Philharmonic’s Symphonic opening night.

The opening night for the 2016-17 season will take place on Oct. 15 at the Warner Theatre.

Student tickets can be purchased for $10. The opening

night pieces consist of Russian composers.

“Petrushka” was a ballet commissioned by Diaghilev in 1911. The music brings a puppet to life during a Shrovetide Fair.

He falls for the beautiful ballerina, but certain circumstances keep Petrushka from realizing his romantic fantasies.

The music is said to be tender, violent and tragic.

Concertmaster Johnston will also be featured as a violin soloist in Glazunov Violin Concerto.

The evening will be brought to a close with selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Suite from Swan Lake.”

Hess will also be joining Johnston for an intimate recital as part of the Opening Night Symphonic Series week.

The recital will be hosted in partnership with the Erie County Public Library and presented in the Hirt Auditorium at Blasco Library on Oct. 10.

Wagner portrays love and death

By Rachel Sobina Staff writer

The Metropolitan Opera Live will be showing a performance of “Tristan and Isolde” at the Performing Arts Center on Oct. 8 at 12 p.m.

The Metropolitan Opera Live is a unique way to view a performance in real-time without traveling very far or paying high rates for tickets.

The opera performance is live at a different theatre, usually in New York, while it is transmitted to theatres and performance spaces throughout the world.

The Met puts on more than 200 opera performances a season in New York. More than 800,000 people attend

View upcoming performances: www.mercyhurst.edu/events

the performances live and millions more experience the shows in HD and through other televised broadcasts.

Mercyhurst University is lucky to be included on the long list of places where the Met Opera Live is utilized.

“Tristan and Isolde” is an opera that was composed by Richard Wagner in the 1800s.

It looks at death and life in a unique way.

The opera takes place on an Irish Sea, near Cornwall, which is located in southwest Britain.

It centers around many different themes including an evolved warrior code, magical ideas and a different outlook on the afterlife.

“Tristan and Isolde” holds a very special place in the opera

world as an awe-inspiring look on the balance between love and death.

The opera is a tragic tale of two lovers intertwined by love and magic.

Isolde is set to marry a king until Tristan, an old rival and source of misery for Isolde, enters the picture.

When one simple mistake, or possibly planned phenomenon occurs, the enemies become lovers and a different path of fate begins.

Throughout the story, magic and the power of true love is mixed in a dangerous potion of death and agony.

Tickets are $18 for adults and they are free for any Mercyhurst student who presents their ID at the box office.

merciad.mercyhurst.edu/category/arts_ entertainment/

Page 6

October 5, 2016

The Merciad

Opinion

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Relay Life Church. successful Merciad or for the Catholic Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

Upperclassmen should have their own version of C-Store

By Casey Montana Contributing writer

We all have fond memories of freshman year here at Mercyhurst and for many of us, a lot of those memories were based in Warde Hall.

Warde Hall is still new and has more amenities, like the C-Store, than the other residence halls.

As someone who lived in Baldwin Hall freshman year, I can comfortably say that the C-Store came in handy for almost every student. Even though I did not live in Warde, my Warde friends definitely reaped the benefits and typically never had to walk in the snow to get essentials at CVS. Most of the time, students would spend money on the bare necessities or on snacks for the late-night study session.

Now that I am a sophomore, I have realized that the upperclassmen do not have

anything like the C-Store. Just like the rest of the campus, we have CVS. As someone who frequents CVS and carries a CVS rewards card everywhere, I can definitely say that it is a great convenience living so close to one. But I also believe that it is a large distance of travel for those who do not have a car.

The upperclassmen housing on campus is already a few blocks away from classes and a good distance away from the local drugstore. So during the blustery Erie winters, it is quite difficult to trek from one side of the campus to the other.

Imagine getting sick in mid-winter and having to either walk from your apartment on upper Briggs to CVS to get some cold medicine, all in addition to going to class that day and being fatigued from the flu-like symptoms you have been experiencing.

Overall, that is not a pleasant experience.

While the distance itself is inconvenient, the prices at

CVS are significantly more than those at the C-Store.

The average college student doesn’t have the resources to spend $18 on cold medicine or $3 on a bottle of Pepsi.

For those who cannot afford some of CVS’s prices, the best option for them would be to go the C-Store. But because it is not readily available to those who are not freshmen, the C-Store is not even a valid option.

Although students who have a car have a significant advantage, the majority of people do not have the ability to pay for a car, so they would have to walk a significant distance from one side of campus to a store off-campus.

Even if students have a car, the price of gas takes a toll on their wallets so chances are, they would walk anyway.

While the placement may be tricky, there is most definitely an area on this campus where a small convenience store can fit and price accommodation would definitely help out a lot of the students in general.

Good

Somewhere in between main campus and the upperclassmen area would most definitely suffice and would help those who can’t really go the distance.

Overall, an upperclassmen C-Store would be much less of a hassle for majority of the students at Mercyhurst, especially the upperclassmen.

It would shorten the distance of travel during the winter or any kind of bad weather, and it would save the students a decent amount of money.

I believe that this small adjustment would save the upperclassmen energy and money, thus making the college experience more enjoyable and convenient.

The university already attends to almost every need the student may have, but one thing is truly missing and it is convenience.

@TheMerciad

Sports game etiquette is a necessity

By Leighann Sallick Contributing writer

Picture this. You are at one of the best football games you have ever attended in your life.

It is the fourth quarter, a few seconds are left and the game is too close to call.

Either your team will keep staying in the lead, or lose by a few points.

You are at the edge of your seat; you cannot keep your eyes off the ball. The last play is about to begin when, all of a sudden, the person in the seat right in front of you stands up.

You no longer see what is happening, the person in front of you cannot seem to move any slower and the play is over.

The other team has made a touchdown and your team has lost.

Today, we are slowly losing our respect toward sports.

People getting up in the middle of a game, talking loudly, not paying attention and other factors are signs of disrespect.

We must all be aware that there are sports fans who take time out of their day to watch the sport they love, and do not want to be interrupted by small things like this. Although they are small things, it is a distraction.

We must all learn what the proper etiquette is when attending a game.

When one is at a game, it is best to put your cell phone away. Even though we cannot “live without our phones” in today’s society, it is a nice and respectful gesture and it helps

you pay attention to what is happening in the sport.

If you do need your cell phone because of emergencies or anything, it is best to put your cell phone on silent.

Just by doing this can save a lot of distraction problems.

Another thing is staying in your seat. In the game, most people use halftime or any other breaks to go to the bathroom, buy something to eat and do other activities. Getting up from your seat in the middle of play not only distracts the person behind you, but the people all around.

What is seen as respectful is sitting and only getting up when there’s a break, or if it’s an emergency.

Another big factor is talking.

It’s nice to have a conversation with your seat buddy over the game, but once it starts going off topic, it’s lack of respect

toward the people around you, and the sport.

You pay money to go see these games. Make it worthwhile and talk about the game, and not what your plans are for the weekend. One last thing is leaving the game early.

It might be because you forgot you had to do something, or you just want to beat traffic, but it’s still unnecessary.

The team, the players, coaches, managers, everyone has dedicated their time toward the fans and watchers of the game. We should return the favor and watch the whole game.

The purpose of sports etiquette is not to nag people, but to teach them what the proper behavior standards are when watching a sport. @TheMerciad

Dining Dollars and Bonus Bucks should follow in Gannon’s footsteps

By Miranda Miller Copy editor

Online

As a senior, life gets busier and more complex. Not only do I need to keep track of school projects and papers (with varying degrees of success), but I need to keep track of when grad school applications are due.

Am I going to take the GRE? What are the essay requirements? Are there fellowship opportunities?

It’s enough to make a girl’s head spin! The last thing I need to be worried about is nourishment and medicine.

Life would be so much easier if I could just use the same currency on campus and

in places around the city, like the opportunity that Gannon students have with their GU Gold accounts.

According to Gannon’s website, students can use GU Gold in places like Eat’n Park and Tops, whereas our Dining Dollars and Laker Loot are only viable oncampus.

According to an article published in September 2011 in the Merciad, the OneCard office dissolved the off-campus partnerships due to a decline in usage and the fact that the program wasn’t even paying for itself.

I think restarting the program is worth another shot.

I use my refund check to pay my bills and buy my groceries for the semester, and the check comes well after I need to purchase groceries

and other household items.

There is almost a full month’s time that I need to wait to get groceries, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

My saving grace is the ability to put some of my refund toward Dining Dollars, which is available almost immediately after the semester begins.

However, eating every meal oncampus is hardly economical and it surely isn’t as healthy and wholesome as I’d like.

I’m sure there are also many parents who would prefer that they put money on the OneCard rather than in the checking accounts of their children.

Many parents may not have access to their student’s banking branch to make a deposit, and it takes a few days to process deposits anyway.

Some students may not feel

Read more at

merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion

comfortable giving their parents their routing and account numbers, and I don’t even want to fathom a parent mailing their son or daughter cash.

It would be much more secure to allow parents to deposit funds in an account that not only isn’t attached to the student’s other finances, but can only be used for groceries or for other household supplies.

Besides, Gannon kids can get burritos at Moe’s or Qdoba with their version of Dining Dollars.

Who doesn’t want their parents to help them get chips and queso?

@TheMerciad

Investigative Forensics is officially a major for students who are both interested in Criminal Justice and Forensic Science without wanting to take hard science classes or calculus.

Bad There was a scary clown spotted on campus by Baldwin, Warde and McAuley halls on Oct. 1 to get all of the freshmen in the Halloween spirit.

Ugly The right door as you walk into Zurn is still broken after signs went up on Friday to use the other door. Watch for traffic build-up between classes!

Weird The chipmunk that has been living in the Herrmann Student Union for the past few days was released back into the wild by a considerate student.

The Merciad Editors Karah Hollis Catherine Rainey Cheyanne Crum Diego Himede Jenny Sabliov Amber Matha Miranda L. Miller Chelsea Guida Victoria Kreysar Kristin Bowers

Positions @mercyhurst.edu Editor-in-Chief editormerciad Managing Editor managingmerciad Features Editor featuremerciad Sports Editor sportsmerciad A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Photo Editor photomerciad Ad Manager admerciad Adviser kbowers

The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 110. 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 Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst. edu.

Write for The Merciad, email editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu

October 5, 2016

Page 7

The Merciad

Sports

Women’s Ice Hockey falls to North Dakota

By Marco Cicchino Staff writer

Just four minutes into the first period on Sept. 30, the ice was already broken.

The sixth-ranked Fighting Hawks of North Dakota were peppering Sarah McDonnell left and right, weaving through the defense with such ease that quite a challenge for No. 13 Mercyhurst was brewing before it even fired up.

And three goals in the first period did not help matters.

But the Lakers responded after that barrage, holding the Hawks to just one goal over the remaining 125 minutes of hockey this past weekend at Mercyhurst Ice Center, salvaging a point in a 1-all draw on Oct. 1 after UND took a 3-1 affair on Sept. 30 in the Hawks’ first-ever trip to Erie.

“I thought (Mercyhurst) was a really great opponent, they worked really hard and they definitely gave us a really good first game,” commented the Hawks’ Halli Krzyzaniak.

“It was awesome for us to play against them because I’ve never had the opportunity … and I was very impressed with their work ethic.” Krzyazaniak was responsible for that first goal just 3:56 into the new season, beating last year’s CHA Goaltending Trophy winner from the point on the man-advantage.

After scoring just one goal on 27 shots on Sept. 30 and allowing all three in the first,

Hurstathletics

Freshman Sam Isbell scored the equalizer agaisnt No. 6 North Dakota, scoring her first goal of the season.

freshman Samantha Isbell beat Lexie Shaw immediately in front at 15:48 of the third on Oct. 1 for her first collegiate goal, allowing the Lakers to pull even and take a point from their first-ever series with North Dakota.

The Hawks got right to work on Sept. 30, as Brian Idalski’s squad didn’t miss a beat from last year’s campaign that ended in a loss to eventual national semifinalist Wisconsin, firing eight first-period shots at McDonnell and immediately taking advantage of mistakes and missed opportunities, including Michelle Robillard’s hooking only a minute before the

Women’s soccer bested Ohio Valley University

By Valeria Lopez Staff writer

The game took place in West Virginia on a court that the women are not used to play in because of the bad maintenance and uneven ground. The field barely had grass and had bumps everywhere. For them, this was the hardest obstacle to overcome and win the game.

“It was a totally different setting, it was hard to control the ball and make good passes on such bad ground,” freshman Jinan Abdalah said.

Two of the three goals scored in the Mercyhurst Women’s soccer team’s game agaisnt Ohio Valley University on Sept. 28 were by a freshman, Jinan Abdalah.

The other goal was scored by senior Rebekah Craig. Both of them said the team went to play against Ohio Valley with a mentality that they were going to win, and did not expect the field to be an issue. This gave them even more pride in winning.

“That was definitely the hardest part of the whole game, trying to make good passes in that terrain.” Abdalah said.

The women have only lost three outside games out of eight, and all of these wins are attributed to excellent teamwork. The seniors take the freshmen in and help them work with their game. They all take pride in having such a united team, because it translates to the field when it’s time to work together.

The manager of the soccer team, Paz Aguirre, who supports the women in every game and gives them constructive criticism says they were prepared for this game against Ohio Valley. They were taking advantage of the opportunities by making good passes and keeping their defense strong. The teamwork definitely stood out in this game.

“You could see a solid effort from all of the girls, and how they tried to include everyone when making a decision,” freshman Aguirre said.

first goal. Krzyzaniak caught a pass from Amy Menke as Lisa Marvin “took” McDonnell’s eyes off the play behind puck movement and some congestion in front of her, firing a wrist shot from the point through traffic.

The Lakers were then held to only one shot on three straight North Dakota penalties, and after Robillard was sent off for body-checking, negating a power-play and creating a 4-on-4 situation, Ryleigh Houston fired a hard shot that appeared to beat McDonnell above her right shoulder at 15:54. Amy Menke, the Hawks’ leading scorer last season, recorded her second

assist of the period on the play after recording 21 last year.

Things would only improve as Gracen Hirschy finished off McDonnell’s night just 1:58 later with her first of the season, scoring as she fell to the ice. “I think we got out to a really great start and it was good to get those three goals and give us … cushion going into the second.”

Meanwhile, on Oct. 1, Jessica Convery was able to keep the Hawks in check, allowing only a power-play goal at 15:47 of the first, this time from Anna Kilponen—the first of her career—with assists from Kayla Gardner and Jordan Hampton. The Fight-

ing Hawks went a combined 3-for-12 on the man-advantage in the two games, compared with 1-for-15 for the Lakers, but killed off all but one of their 15 shorthanded opportunities. North Dakota had two different streaks of three consecutive penalties, one of them in the second period of Oct. 1, but all six were killed, not to mention a 5-on-3 opportunity eight minutes into the second. But Convery did finish with 23 saves on the night, wrapping up her weekend with 40 stops and a .58 goals-against average—just one goal allowed in just under 104 minutes of action. Overall, the Lakers’ defense was just as effective as they were in the second two periods on Friday, killing off five of their six penalties and dominating the faceoffs for a second straight contest, holding a 36-16 advantage after a 31-20 margin on Friday.

The Lakers’ offense did all it could to find their groove in the third period, firing 13 shots on first-star Shaw, who made 26 saves overall on Saturday. After Menke was sent off for slashing at 13:08, seven seconds after Taylor Accursi was called for a high-stick, the Lakers used the momentum from the ensuing 4-on-4 to start an offensive rush.

The puck reached the stick of junior Brooke Hartwick as she circled around the point and found Isbell on the backdoor for the equalizer. “We were just watching Brooke

skate around, I thought she was going to score, and then (Megan) Whiddon came in for some support, and then luckily we got one in, so it’s good to get one goal in for sure,” commented the freshman from Thunder Bay, Ontario. The tally stood up after two late flurries from the Lakers—one each at the end of the third and overtime— failed and again caused Shaw, this time with 26 saves on the night, to lose her shutout in the third period. “It was pretty cool…we worked hard today, it was definitely a better game than yesterday. … I thought we put in a lot more effort in this game…so we definitely came out harder today, so it was (a) better overall effort as a team.”

Interestingly, both teams saw their positioning on the national polls fall as a result of this series. The Fighting Hawks dropped one spot to No. 7 in the nation and return to action on Friday in their WCHA opener against St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minn.

The Lakers, who dropped one spot to 14th, return on Oct. 14 when No. 3 Quinnipiac arrives at Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Bobcats moved one spot up from the preseason poll after dispatching Maine 5-4 and 3-0 in Hamden, Conn, over the weekend.

@TheMerciad

Mercyhurst women’s tennis to compete in PSAC finals

By Bernard Garwig Staff writer

On Friday, the Mercyhurst women’s tennis team will travel to Bloomsburg for the PSAC Single/Doubles Championships. The team will then compete the next two days as well to conclude the tournament.

The tournament was originally scheduled for the weekend of Oct.1, but concerns about weather led to the postponing of the event a week later.

So far, the women’s tennis team has had a great season.

The team won its match against Alleghany College on Sept. 14, and saw strong performances out of the players in the ITA Championships Sept. 17-19.

As a matter of fact, senior Annie Bach teamed up with Saioa Gomez de Segura to beat Kayla Frost and Adrianna Jeffress, another laker doubles team.

“I am very happy for my teammates Annie and Saioa,” Frost said regarding this game.

“I could not have wished for

Hurstathletics

Annie Bach and Saioa Gomez de Segura, ITA champions for doubles, are competing for the PSAC Championships

anyone else to have beaten me and my partner in the final.”

Baich was available to share her thoughts on the season and for next weekend. Baich is a part of a winning doubles duo with Gomez de Segura.

Gomez de Segura ended the season being ranked 24th nationally for NCAA Division II, and was first for the region.

The duo have had a winning streak in doubles stretching back to April. Their win in the tournament solidifies their trip to nationals as dou-

bles partners later in October, which will be held in Arizona.

“We have a really good chance of making it to Nationals this year,” Baich said. “We have the exact same players as last year, so instead of recruiting new players … what we are trying to improve our own tennis and can get better as a team just by practicing.” The team consists of two sophomores, four junior, and two seniors.

Gomez de Segura showed herself excited about these

upcoming finals.

“I’m really excited this year because it will be the first time I will get to play both singles and doubles finals at PSAC,” Gomez de Segura said. “I had the pleasure to win the singles finals two years in a row before, and with my good performance at the ITA, I think it would be great to add another trophy to my career.”

She later added that she has been really happy with her tennis level lately.

When it came to discussing the postponing of the tournament, Baich said it was fine, and that it gave “another week to practice” and prepare for competition. Baich cited that the team has a strong chemistry. “We’re all really good friends,” she clarified. “When someone is losing … we’ll pump them up by cheering for them.”

@TheMerciad

Mercyhurst field hockey falls to Kutztown in rematch “ ”

By Bernard Garwig Staff writer

The Mercyhurst Lakers field hockey team was unable to best the Kutztown University Golden Bears in their second contest against each other this season. This continues what has so far been a winless season for the Lakers, who have lost all eight games of the year so far.

The final score of the Sept.

28 game was 0-4, Golden Bears, who are currently ranked No. 8 in the PSAC. The game was held at Kutztown University.

We are learning to work with our system better.

Senior midfielder Emily Burns

The Golden Bears got off 24 shots compared to the Lakers’ three; 14 of them also being on goal. The Lakers’ shots were each attributed to Taylor Balser, Alexis Skibitsky, and Katie Lechner. On the goaltending side, Mercyhurst’s Sam Takac was able to contribute 10 saves against the

Golden Bears.

Senior Midfielder Emily Burns was able to comment on the loss. “It was really frustrating because we played Kutztown earlier in the season and we went into overtime… it was a way more competitive game than the game we played,” Burns said. “We are learning to work with our system better… What we really just need is better team chemistry on the field.”

The score of that earlier game, played Sept. 14 at Tullio Field, resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Golden Bears.

“I think they played well but I think we can totally match

them. They’re a talented team, but so are we” Burns stated when referring to the Golden Bears’ performance.

The Lakers’ next game was on Saturday Oct. 1, which was Senior Day against the East Stroudsburg University Warriors.

The Warriors are currently ranked No. 2 in PSAC for Field Hockey, deafeated the lakers 5-0. The previous contest against the Warriors ended 7-0, Warriors.

Mercyhurst field hockey’s next game will be on Oct. 8 agaisnt Mansfield University at Mansfield.

Hurstathletics

The Lakers fall to Kutztown 4-0, losing their eigth game this season. Alex Albright made her 11th appearance.

Page 8

October 5, 2016

The Merciad

Laker

Living

’Hurst Hacks: Plan for Success Miranda L. Miller Copy editor

Every day feels like the most important day in your life when you are in college.

One day may be a test that is the most important test in the class. The next may hold the most important paper you’ll ever write.

By Wednesday, your internship is demanding your attention, and internships are the most important thing you’ll do in college for your career ahead. Friday will absolutely have the most important social event of the century, but make sure to rest Saturday. Come Monday, you’ll have to do it all over again. Balance is key, but incredibly hard to attain and maintain. It is so easy to get

burned out.

Getting burned out causes you to perform at a level that isn’t anywhere near what you are capable of. The balance between achieving everything that you are capable of achieving and actually sleeping at some point during the day is surprisingly thin. The difference between falling off of that line could easily be deciding to style your hair in the morning one day or forgetting to dry your laundry one evening. To keep yourself in line and intact, you need to plan ahead.

Keeping a planner is the easiest and the most beneficial thing I do to keep myself in line during the semester.

To avoid double booking myself, I get one with the time of day written in for each day, and I pencil things

in like “Meeting with advisers” or “History class” or (only on Fridays) “Glass of wine.” I also make sure to take note of extra-long days that I might have, so that I can pack a lunch and keep my coffee travel mug close.

I also take note in the notes section of my planner when a friend asks to get coffee, or if there’s a non-pressing due date that I’ve recently been made aware of.

I also require that said planner is very aesthetically pleasing. I tend to use it more often if I enjoy how it looks and can decorate it to suit my own tastes! If you look on sites like Etsy, you can find plenty of items to decorate your planner with, from stamps to stickers to washi tape! Having three meetings and two classes in one day

is somehow less stressful if there is a small puppy wearing a pink bow sitting next to the date in my planner.

Don’t let a semester get the best of you. Channel your inner Rory Gilmore and remember, college is not just a crazy, wild, sleep-deprived hedonistic society. You work a little, you study a little, you have fun a little, and the culmination of these efforts is a new and improved version of you. Keep yourself balanced and keep yourself from getting burned out by staying organized. Nobody’s new and improved version of themselves is a charcoal briquette.

Way back When...

The Merciad presents articles from yesteryear in their original form, including headlines. This week, our blast from the past is from October 3, 1975.

’Hurst Folk Group Performs for TV

@TheMerciad

The Mercyhurst Folk Group will appear on WICU TV, Channel 12, singing the “Our Father” as the sign-off to programming every night. On most days, the station signs off at 2 a.m. The station will begin to use the new signoff in approximately two weeks.

The group consists of Cathryn Bern, a junior law enforcement major; Carmine DeCarlo, a sophomore biology major; Anita Seekins, a junior home economics major; Elizabeth Stage, a senior music major; Debra Stumpf, a junior humanities major, and David Blanchfield, campus minister. Father Guy Patrick intones the prayer between the body of the song and its ending.

Game Zone

Eric Johnson of WICU-TV filmed the performing group Sunday afternoon on the Mercyhurst Campus.

WICU had been looking for local group to replace the old recording of the Navy Choir singing the “Our Father” as their signoff. Johnson discovered the Mercyhurst group as a result of his attendance at Sunday morning mass on campus. He liked the song and the group and decided to use them.

Included in the film are shots of the interior of the chapel and of the college grounds.

The present Fold Group has been together for two years. In the fall of 1974 they performed at County Hospital.