News

Oct. 11 marks National Coming-Out Day

By Mackenzie Zent Staff writer

National Coming Out day is celebrated on annually on Oct. 11. Founded by Richard Eichberg in 1988, this is a day for people in the LGBTQ+ community to come out and share their identity with the ones they love.

Coming out can be the hardest thing someone ever does, but it is also one of the most liberating things as well. Being brave and vulnerable enough to open up to others about something so personal deserves to be celebrated.

It is also important to understand that coming out is not something that everyone in the LGBTQ+ community has to do.

The hope is that soon, it will be normalized enough where people don’t have to explain who they are to others, but will just be able to talk about their gender or who they like without having to worry about being accepted and loved.

For those who have not come out, National Coming Out Day can be difficult. There can be a lot of pressure surrounding this day to come out, but it is not a simple task.

Not everyone is in a safe environment to tell others who they really are, and some people just are not ready.

The LGBTQ+ community wants everyone to remember that people should not feel like they have to come out, but a reminder that whenever they’re ready, there is a whole community ready to support them.

Coming out should be something a person does for themselves, and only when they are ready to do so.

JoJo Siwa came out in January of this year, which has had an astounding impact on younger kids. Siwa’s brand is catered towards kids, so seeing someone so proud and happy to be themselves shows kids that it’s okay to be gay.

She is also making history on Dancing with the Stars as the first contestant to have a partner of the same sex.

It was only a few years ago when it was difficult to find gay and transgender representation in the media. Lack of representation makes people feel isolated, like they need to hide who they really are in order to be accepted.

Now that more and more celebrities are coming out, it will be easier for kids to accept and even celebrate who they really are.

Demi Lovato also came out in May of this year as non-binary. Lovato uses they/them pronouns, which is helping to normalize the use of non-binary pronouns.

The singer said that they have experienced times in the past where they felt they had to change who they were to make other people comfortable, but they are so happy to embrace who they are now.

Having a conversation about pronouns and gender is something that should be done more often so that the topic can become openly discussed.

Though these subjects may be uncomfortable to talk about at times, it is vital that everyone is willing to discuss them so that we can all become more comfortable about gender and pronouns.

Some resources for LGBTQ+ youth are The Trevor Project and GLAAD, which help support anyone who may be struggling.

National Coming Out Day is a day to remember that you are not alone, and you are so loved for being who you are.

Contributed photo

Students Holly O’Donald, Max King, Tessa Korchak, and Mikayla Sciortino pose at the MAC/SAC event.

Contributed photo

National Coming Out Day was celebrated on Oct. 11.

Photo by Megan Kantz

MAC/SAC held a Pride event on Oct. 9. They served rainbow cupcakes and held pride-related activities.

Leadership Development Program commences

By Nadine Fox Contributing writer

Do you have what it takes to be a great leader? Is developing management & communication skills something you are really passionate about? Would you like to work on becoming a better, efficient leader?

The Leadership Development Program had been taking Applications until Oct. 21. Although it is too late to join this year, this information is helpful to keep in mind for next fall semester when applications will be available again.

The Leadership Development Program is a non-accredited program that Mercyhurst University offers. It provides students with different levels of leadership skills.

This program is a high quality leadership training program that specializes in developing specific leadership skills geared towards students with a strong interest in becoming a better leader and developing their own styles and interests. This includes a variety of different learning opportunities with workshops, speakers and breakout sessions.

The program is divided into three levels beginning in the Fall semester and continuing on throughout the academic year. Each individual level has a primary focus centered around leadership and builds upon the previous level.

Students also have the opportunity to network with other student leaders, which helps establish a strong leadership component for their resume.

In addition, Mercyhurst greatly values and appreciates service & volunteer work. Each level has a service element in which students can help give back to their community.

This year, Level One members of the Leadership Development Program will focus on self-awareness and self-reflection.

Students will discover their strengths through reading “StrengthsFinder 2.0” by Tom Rath and use that knowledge in different workshops about Servant Leadership, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership and Vision.

Level Two is for students who have completed Level One and would like the option to continue building their leadership skills. This level focuses on interpersonal skills.

Level Two members learn about how to lead others, work with their peers, and professionalism. This level reads and reflects on “The Student Leadership Challenge” by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. In this reading, the young leaders will learn the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership.

After completing Level Two, members will receive cords to wear at graduation, symbolizing their accomplishment and commitment to leadership and development.

In Level Three, students who have completed the previous two levels will move on to a capstone leadership experience. These students will engage in different types of workshops that help prepare them to successfully branch out into the world.

Level Three members help plan and facilitate the Emerging Leaders workshop by using the skills they have learned throughout their experience in the program and give back to the program.

The Emerging Leaders Workshop is typically held in the fall semester and is a hands-on exploration that lasts for about three hours. The Emerging Leaders Workshop dives into being an effective leader and discusses personalities, communication styles and group dynamics.

Students are nominated for the Emerging Leaders workshop by faculty and staff who notice their leadership potential.

Steph Przepiora, the director of Campus Involvement said, “Although it is too late to join the Leadership Development Program this year, we encourage students to watch for applications at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester. The Leadership Development Program is a great opportunity to meet new people and build your resume and leadership skills. The Leadership Development Program meets about once a month, so even the busiest students can find time for it.”

Tower Gardens project a big success

By Abby Eyler Staff writer

Mercyhurst has recently welcomed a new sustainability initiative in the form of Tower Gardens. Through this initiative, students can see the growth of plants occurring inside the Audrey Hirt Academic Center. The tower gardens are a form of aeroponic growing, which means that the plants grow from mist and the air. They do not rely on soil, nor do they rely on a large amount of water, as is needed in hydroponic growing. The types of plants being grown include lettuce, kale, arugula and basil. Shannon Meyers, Mercyhurst alumnus from the class of 2020, is also the developer of the Tower Garden program at Mercyhurst. “While some plants that grow better outdoors in the dirt like peppers or cucumbers in comparison to the Tower Garden, but leafy greens like lettuce and kale thrive in the Tower,” said Meyers. While all types of gardening are important, one thing to note about the tower gardens is yearlong access. When considering the Erie climate, the ground freezes over in the winter resulting in a period of no agricultural growth, so the tower gardens are quite helpful. Another important element of the Tower Garden is that they are community supported agriculture (CSA). This means that the gardens are not only sustainable, but through community maintenance, they can continue to involve the Mercyhurst community. “What I love about the Towers is that at surface level, it seems like it’s only about public health or sustainability, but it’s so much more than that,” said Meyers. She elaborated by saying that business majors can learn about how to run a CSA, intelligence students can learn about the risks of climate change and how supply chains are in effect. Even art students can learn from tower gardens as there are currently art installations that touch upon food insecurity. The Tower Gardens represent sustainability and public health as a combination. Through the use of the tower gardens, one can grow vegetables while not taking up much space. “The Towers are the future of gardening as urban development becomes more of a problem.” “By growing vertically, taking up little space and using clean nutrients for proper growth, etc. that is sustainability. The towers promote public health in the sense that eating healthy is important for a long, healthy and happy life,” said Meyers. Particularly, in urban centers, community supported agriculture has been largely supported, seen through community gardens that are soil-based or hydroponic. The program has also started to venture outside of the Mercyhurst community through the Tower Garden Lending Program started by Meyers. Meyers said of the program, “The purpose of the lending program is to give an opportunity to city of Erie non-profit organizations and Erie County K-12 public schools to use Tower Gardens as a learning tool at an affordable price.” “In addition to borrowing one or more towers, organizations/ schools will have access to resources through the University to assist with the implementation of the program, set up, maintenance and facilitation of learning.” The Tower Garden program also helps Erie, as Erie is not only an urban center, but also has a shortened growing season. One of the important things to note is the separation between the CSA and the Grotto’s Tower Garden. While both are launched as sustainability initiatives, the food at the Grotto’s Tower Garden is used to cook with. When looking at the salad bar, it sometimes features a sign saying that an item was grown using the Tower Gardens. Meyers said about student involvement, “I would love to see more on campus and have more students get involved and take ownership of them.” Student involvement can always be used considering that Meyers along with one other person are in charge of the maintenance of the gardens. Meyers closed her interview by saying, “Everyone can learn something from growing plants and Tower Gardens.”

Art Therapy Club presents “Be A Part of the Bigger Picture”

By Nadine Fox Contributing writer

The Mercyhurst Art Therapy Club meets on Wednesday nights, at 8:30 p.m. in Zurn 121. Each week a new project is explained by one of the five board members at the beginning of each meeting. Together everyone participates in different kinds of activities related to the field of art.

The projects that they tend to focus on are usually based around wellness to help college students with maintaining their stress levels. The club is intended to be used as a safe place for artistic freedom. It allows many talented individuals to create an artistic vision and provide a release of any emotional tensions and frustrations through their artistry.

A few of the projects the club has done previously this year are “worry boxes” where students brought in different types of boxes, jars, or containers to paint and decorate. Another previous event the club held was making art out of shaving cream.

The Art Therapy Club also collaborates with a multitude of local and campus organizations on larger projects. They recently hosted a “Ceramics Night” event with MAC/SAC.

One of the most recent partnerships the Art Therapy Club hosted was an event called “Be a Part of the Big Picture” with Project S.N.A.P.

Project S.N.A.P is a nonprofit organization where artists can submit their artwork to celebrate and honor the caregivers at the AHN Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie. Saint Vincent was Erie’s first hospital and was founded in 1875.

Project S.N.A.P is a brilliant organization that brings people of all ages and backgrounds together to use their artistic self-expression and storytelling skills to create a positive impact in their communities. It is a platform that empowers artists to communicate issues and passions that are valuable to them.

The Organization’s four values are to share, nurture, act and preserve. They are really trying to encourage every individual to have a unique voice and collaborate with different perspectives and ideas.

Their slogan is, “Every voice matters and every person counts.”

The “Be a Part of the Bigger Picture” is a really unique project where they work together to help collect 10,000 artworks from all over the Erie community and create a huge mural of all the individual pieces in gratitude to all the healthcare workers.

The Art Therapy Club held a session on campus where students dedicated their time to creating one or two individual works for this project. This gave students the opportunity to have creative freedom and express their voice through their artwork to be included in the final mural.

Olivia Andazola, one of the Art Therapy Club presidents, mentioned that the Art Therapy Club was also looking forward to participating at the Mocktail Night Event with their drink being “Starry Night.”

The Art Therapy Club is super welcoming and open to all majors with any level of artistic abilities. So, if you are somebody looking for a way to relieve some stress and express your creativity, come join the Art Therapy Club on Wednesday nights!

Semi-annual Rent-a-Habitator set in motion for October

By Hannah Brooks Contributing writer

Mercyhurst’s Habitat for Humanity Club is hosting its semi-annual “Rent-A-Habitator” fundraiser during the month of October.

The fundraiser took place last weekend, on Oct. 23 and 24, and will also be taking place this upcoming weekend, Oct. 30 and 31.

For this fundraiser, faculty and staff members are given the opportunity to “rent” a student to complete housework, chores, and home improvements for them in exchange for a donation to the club.

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization which does work in local communities across America, as well as in 70 countries around the world.

The Habitat for Humanity website describes their vision as “a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

Mercyhurst’s Habitat for Humanity Chapter is a student-led organization that works with the local affiliate, other campus chapters, and the International headquarters on various sponsored projects.

The club works in cooperation with others to help people in need to create a better habitat to live in, as well as to work and provide social services to the community.

Rent-a-Habitator Coordinator, Erin Smith, said, “The fundraiser donations go toward our Spring Break trip so we can pay for students to go on a Habitat build. It covers some of the cost of traveling, the stay and a nice dinner at the end of the trip for everyone.”

Students are available to be “rented” for their services between the hours of 11a.m.-1 p.m., as well as 1-3 p.m. on both Oct. 30 and 31.

Though there are many things that students may do during this fundraiser, they often do yard work such as raking leaves, pruning, grass cutting, or mulching.

In addition to the Rent-A-Habitator fundraiser, the Habitat for Humanity Club offers ample opportunity for interested students to get involved and do service both on campus and in the community.

There is even an opportunity travel to other parts of the country to do service as part of the Spring Break trip.

Students are both welcomed and encouraged to take part in the club, which provides a great opportunity for service, but also to support a great cause and help others who are in need.

Students may also keep in mind that they are welcome to help out and participate in the fundraiser even if they are not a member of the club.

Anybody who is interested in participating in Habitat for Humanity Club activities can absolutely lend a hand and help.

Participating in this fundraiser is a way to not only support a great cause, but also to get the opportunity to meet other Mercyhurst students as well as faculty and staff members.

Students who are interested in joining the club or learning more about it can reach out to club President, Abigail Springer at asprin94@lakers.mercyhurst. edu.

Any student who is not a part of the club but is interested in volunteering this upcoming weekend can email Erin Smith at esmith98@lakers.mercyhurst. edu.

Merciad

IN A MINUTE Nacho Palooza

Mercyhurst Dining tweeted that if they can get 1,000 followers on Instagram, they will have a Nacho Palooza!

The Mercyhurst Dining page is a great way to find out whether they have any lunch/dinner specials at the Grotto or the 501 Grille.

If you aren’t already, follow @mercyhurstdining on Instagram!

Halloween Lunch/Dinner

Parkhurst Dining is hosting both a Halloween Lunch and a Halloween Dinner.

The Halloween Dinner will take place at Grotto Commons on Oct. 28 beginning at 5 p.m.

The Halloween Lunch will be held on Oct. 29 at the 501 Grille in Ryan Hall beginning at 11 a.m.

Be sure to stop by and join in the Halloween festivities!

It’s time to get spooky!

To celebrate Halloween, there will be a campuswide costume contest on Oct. 29 for all students and faculty.

Post your solo or group costume entry on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtag #SeizeTheScare to be entered to win a $50 Cornerstone gift card!

Remember to have fun during Halloween weekend, but also be safe.

Sabbath Week in Campus Min

It’s Sabbath Week, which means that we should take some time this week to rest.

Many Campus Ministry events, such as Tuesday Night Catholic Devotions, were cancelled so that students had more time to get their homework done and have a bit of a break from outside commitments.

Have a peaceful Sabbath Week, Lakers!

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

By Bella Lee Staff writer

**Trigger Warning: Domestic/ Sexual Violence**

When one thinks of the month of October, they generally think about the leaves changing colors, the weather getting cooler and preparing for Halloween. However, this is also a time to be especially cognizant of those who are subjected to domestic violence.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, first established nationwide in 1987.

Domestic violence comes in many forms, such as rape and stalking, and can affect many people, from adults to children.

The damage that can be done to victims of domestic violence ranges from injury and fearfulness to post-traumatic stress disorder to use of victim services and contraction of sexually transmitted diseases.

The statistics that have emerged from these cases, which are a result of nearly 20 domestic violence incidents occurring every minute, are extremely concerning and something that ought to have more widespread coverage.

On average, one in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking. Out of those numbers, one in three women and one in four men experience some form of physical violence from their partner and one in seven women and one in 25 men have been injured by their partner.

Additionally, one in seven women and one in 18 men have been stalked by a partner, all leading to a typical day seeing around 200,000 phone calls made to domestic violence hotlines.

Most concerningly, the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the chance of homicide by 500% and intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crimes that occur.

In the worst-case scenarios, domestic violence incidents can lead to homicide. Out of these intimate partner homicides, 20% of the victims were not the intimate partners themselves, but rather friends, family members, neighbors, law enforcement officers, bystanders or others that attempted to intervene in the situation.

Furthermore, murder-suicides can arise from domestic violence incidents. Seventy-two of these incidents involve an intimate partner, and 94% of the victims in these incidents are female.

The buildup of these incidents can take on victims and their loved ones physically, emotionally and mentally. One in 15 children are exposed to domestic violence situations and 90% of those children are eyewitnesses.

Between 21-60% of domestic violence victims end up losing their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse. Sadly, there has been found to be a relationship between domestic violence incidents and depression and suicidal behavior.

It is important to learn about domestic violence because it could, unfortunately, happen to anyone. One of the most important statistics to look at is how often men are affected by domestic violence.

Usually, domestic violence is associated with women being the victim, but men are almost just as often victims. What is worse is that these men are silenced because they’re “too strong” to be subjected to domestic violence.

If you suspect that you or someone you love is a victim of domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).

Ridge College and SEC advance partnership to benefit students

By Ashley Barletta News editor

The Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences and the Security Executive Council, better known as the SEC, have been in a partnership for the past few years. There has been a recent announcement that the partnership is advancing in order to provide better intelligence analysis on a corporate level.

The Security Executive Council is “the leading research and advisory firm that specializes in corporate security risk mitigation solutions, as stated on the SEC’s website.

Ridge and the SEC have been partners since 2019, beginning when strategic intelligence students were given a capstone project by the SEC.

“Upon the completion of the project, SEC was so impressed with our students and program, they asked how they could become more involved with providing opportunities for Ridge College students and how they could leverage the competitive business intelligence program and faculty capabilities,” Brian Fuller, Director of Operations at Ridge College said, “We thought the best avenue for accomplishing an Academia Partnership in meeting what the SEC was asking to do would be to go through the Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis and Training (CIRAT).”

After students went through CIRAT, the Academia Partnership Agreement was born. Now, the Security Executive Council as well as their client base find internship opportunities for students in Ridge College.

“These projects and internships have resulted in students being able to gain real world applied experience, build their resumes, and develop relationships with employers which have resulted in employment offers,” said Fuller.

The plan under the Ridge/ SEC partnership is to provide advanced security to corporations. Some of the businesses the SEC has worked with are Amazon, Pixar and even the FBI. Mercyhurst students will not be working directly with any of these organizations, but will be aiding in security operations which can in turn help organizations like these.

“Under our Academia partnership and in conjunction with SEC, we plan to advance intelligence analysis in corporate security by helping security operation centers in the private sector to develop and transition to Intelligence and Information Fusion Centers, developing processes and solutions for accelerating risk management operations in the ever changing threat environment and developing solutions with supply risk management needs,” said Fuller.

Bob Hayes, the Managing Director of the Security Executive Council is hopeful that the partnership will benefit many groups involved.

“Through this partnership we hope to rapidly advance the private sectors awareness, utilization and value from developing high quality programs with employees of the caliber that Mercyhurst provides,” said Hayes.

Hayes also sees the partnership as an opportunity to give students practical experience for future jobs and internships.

“Along the way we hope to ingrain student interns with what corporate security is and does with the hope they may someday be the next generation of CSOs (chief security officers),” said Hayes.

Broadly, the goal is to aid in the growth of intelligence and security, but specifically, Mercyhurst students and faculty are making security more efficient, which will in turn help the SEC with the bigger organizations they work with.

Fuller stated that Ridge faculty and students will be “increasing the flow, analysis and distribution of key intelligence and reports that are currently being stove-piped, compartmentalized or not reported.”

In order for Mercyhurst to fulfill its duties within the partnership, students and faculty alike will need to take on different roles.

“Overall, we are trying to increase the effectiveness in which private sector security centers can understand and leverage all information sources and capabilities available to them in supporting their company’s operational needs and decision makers requirements,” said Fuller.

In doing this, students will learn more about the advancement of security and make connections with businesses that offer jobs in security operations.

“Students will be utilized in filling the internship opportunities driven from this partnership,” Fuller said. “Faculty will serve as Principal Investigators on CIRAT projects, graduate students as team leads and undergraduates as project analysts, data scientists and cyber security analysts. Students and faculty will also continue to support through Capstone projects provided by SEC clients.”

The role of the SEC in the partnership is to work to bring opportunities in security operations to Mercyhurst students. The SEC then provides private sector security companies with advanced security systems.

“These security leaders would benefit from developing intelligence and business information analysis programs and we can assist in advancing this idea to the rest of the industry by showcasing their successes,” Hayes said, “The SEC will act as both the champion and the broker to pair needs with the solutions.”

It is amazing that Mercyhurst students and faculty are taking these steps to help the improvement of corporate security.

“We have always admired the work Mercyhurst has done and the quality of students they have produced in the intelligence community,” said Hayes.

Free Flu Shot Clinic for the MU community

By Ashley Barletta News editor

The annual flu shot clinic occurred on Monday, Oct. 25, but will also take place tomorrow, Oct. 28 in the Student Union. Lake Erie College of Medicine (LECOM) provided the flu vaccine to faculty, staff and students with no required appointment.

Strains of the influenza virus are constantly changing, so there is no guarantee that anyone will be safe against contracting it. Each year, a different vaccine must be developed to counteract the most prevalent strain of the virus for that season.

That being said, one flu shot will not protect you from the numerous strains that are circulating. To maximize your protection against the influenza virus, it is strongly recommended that you get the flu vaccine every year.

An email sent to all of the Mercyhurst community stated that “Some in our community have pre-existing health conditions that increase their risk for hospitalizations, other conditions associated with the flu (e.g., pneumonia), and complications believed to be associated with COVID-19. Your choice to obtain a flu shot is a preventive measure that helps vulnerable members of our community.”

Getting the flu vaccine not only helps you to put your own mind at ease, but it also decreases the chances of the virus spreading.

“Remember that masking, hand sanitation, and social distancing all help reduce not only the risk of COVID-19 but also the risk of flu and other infectious illnesses during the year,” said Judy Smith, Mercyhurst Executive Director of Wellness.

It is getting colder outside, so it is important to wear weather-appropriate clothing, which can also help prevent the contraction of the common cold, which is also constantly changing.

It is vital that as many people as possible get their flu shot, especially because we are still in a global pandemic. Many COVID-19 symptoms are the same as flu symptoms, so it is also important that we all take extra care to wash your hands and sanitize frequently-touched surfaces.

“The symptoms of each illness can overlap, and both can even occur at the same time, making it difficult to know what is really going on. The only way to rule out COVID-19 is to test for it once the symptom(s) appear–don’t wait for them to get worse,” said Smith.

If you feel yourself developing symptoms of a cold, the flu or COVID-19, get tested for COVID-19 right away. Since many of the symptoms for each illness are the same, it is better to know what your ailment is than to guess.

“Mercyhurst provides some on-campus testing Monday through Friday for symptomatic students who have a referral from one of the COVID-19 response team and/or Health Center staff,” Smith said. We can also help students locate testing sites in the community. Students can call the COVID-19 hotline at 814-824-3600 or contact the Cohen Student Health Center (open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) for more information. We do not advise relying on testing kits purchased in a drug store.”

If you are not able to make it to either of the flu shot clinics hosted by Mercyhurst, CVS also provides flu shots as long as you have insurance.

Mercyhurst students, please be safe during this time. Wash your hands, keep your surroundings clean and get your flu shot if you can!

“Launch” into a new club or activity with Laker Launchpad

By Bella Lee Staff writer

For the past few years, students who were interested in joining clubs or attending club meetings relied on information provided by the Student Hub in order to figure out where and when they needed to go.

This year, the school has introduced a new platform, Laker Launchpad, where everything they need to know can be found in one place.

“We chose to implement a student engagement platform in order to simplify the processes for our student leaders and also for students who are looking for opportunities to get involved and things to do on campus,” said Steph Przepiora, Director of Campus Involvement.

The Student Hub mainly relied on PDFs, Microsoft Forms, and Etrieve in order to register clubs and get them new meeting places and times every semester.

Fortunately, with Laker Launchpad, that can all be done in one spot, so club officers don’t have to worry about filling out so many forms.

“You can look at the Hub, bulletin boards, the website, Instagram, and it makes things complicated for students to find what’s going on,” said Przepiora. “So right now, we’re working on getting everyone involved with Laker Launchpad.”

There are many resources available through Laker Launchpad.

“Not only clubs and organizations, but Academic Support, Residence Life, Community Engagement and Campus Ministry are all in the process of adding their events as well,” Przepiora said. “We are hoping to make this a whole, comprehensive platform for student engagement.”

Laker Launchpad can both be accessed online at mercyhurst. presence.io, or by downloading the Laker Launchpad app. One can visit the Mercyhurst HUB and click on the linked image to access Laker Launchpad.

So far, the use of Laker Launchpad has garnered many positive reactions from club officers.

“Laker Launchpad is just the right platform that the RSCO executive board members have been waiting for,” said Ashley Kreeger, junior Intelligence Studies major and president of the Mercyhurst Law Enforcement Intelligence Club. “I believe it is a great platform because it allows us to have all documents, meeting dates, requests, and interactions all in one place. Submitting meetings is way simpler and every entity will be notified of the upcoming meeting. Also, more club members will be able to see when a meeting is being hosted, so they do not have to rely on emails or word-ofmouth.”

Alexa Karner, senior Public Health major and president of the Public Health Club, agrees.

“I think navigating Laker Launchpad is super easy. You can search clubs and events and even search tags (similar to Instagram hashtags) to see different clubs that might have tagged food, movies, etc. for their meeting so you know what the event will be like,” said Karner. In order to use Laker Launchpad on the computer or as an app, all students have to do is log in with their Student ID credentials, and then they can join as many clubs as they wish. While some clubs are still using emails as a way to perform outreach, Laker Launchpad also has that ability. “This is a great way to find out what there is to do on campus,” Przepiora. “Keep checking back for more groups to be added to Laker Launchpad and more events to show up in the app!” STUDENT GOVERNMENT

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