Features

NEW AT HURST

By Maiya Harding Staff writer

Contributed photo

We are very fortunate to introduce our new Leadership and Outreach coordinator, Katie Neely. From Titusville, PA, Katie attended Slippery Rock University for her undergraduate degree, majoring in Sport Management with a minor in Business Administration. She decided to further her education and earned her Master’s in Recreation and Sport Administration with a concentration in Coaching from Western Kentucky University. Since then, she has interned at the Florida High School Athletic Association. She got to travel to the state planning state championships. She has also worked as the Assistant Volleyball Coach at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville and the Program Director for Clarion County YMCA.

When asked about why she applied to her position Neely said, “The university [Mercyhurst] has similar core values and I want to help students be the best versions of themselves.” Neely’s well-rounded, adventurous nature suits her position here at Mercyhurst. Although she has many tasks, one includes overseeing the Leadership Development Program (LDP). LDP is a three-level program that develops connections for students, while helping them discover their leadership style and skills through a variety of workshops, breakout sessions, and more.

In addition to helping turn students into leaders, Neely also coordinates all Recognized Student Clubs/ Organizations (RSCOs) and helps advisors and students with the process as needed.

She is also in charge of overseeing the Laker Leaders. Laker Leaders are an important part of Mercyhurst as they help freshmen transition to college life, and help to teach them to exemplify Mercyhurst’s values. They assist with orientation, campus events and Introduction to Mercyhurst (iMU) classes. In addition to all of her other roles, Neely will also be facilitating an IMU-102 this Spring. With registration coming up, be sure to look out for her course. Since she is new to campus, too, she has a unique perspective that could make new students feel even more welcomed here.

In her free time, Katie enjoys spending time with her friends, family and boyfriend. She loves exploring local restaurants, spending time outside and going to sporting events. If you see her around campus, make her feel welcome by recommending your favorite local restaurants or parks for her to check out and get a feel for Erie.

If you happen to be in the Student Union feel free to stop by and say hello, and welcome her to Mercyhurst!

Senior Class Gift Committee gears up for an exciting year

By Bella Lee Staff writer

With the 2021-2022 school year in full swing, the Class of 2022 is prepping for their senior year festivities. With graduation and many “last-firsts” in mind, the senior class is starting up the annual Senior Class Gift Committee once again.

From scholarships to the Sr. Damien Spirit Bell, each senior class has never failed to deliver on a spectacular class gift, and this year hopes to be no different.

“We have a great group on the committee this year,” said Lindsay Frank, director of Alumni Engagement and advisor to the Senior Class Gift Committee.

“I am most excited about some of the traditions that we host each year like the Senior Date Auction – it’s such a fun event for all classes to attend! It will be coming up in early 2022,” said Frank.

This year’s Senior Class Gift Committee is super excited about some of the events and fundraisers they have planned.

While the class committee is still in the earlier phases of planning for the year, they are nonetheless thrilled about the months ahead.

Of the many ambitious members on the committee, Dominic Fucci, senior Intelligence Studies major and Event Coordinator for the Senior Class Gift is looking forward to bringing back many in-person events.

“With some COVID restrictions being lifted on campus, we are looking forward to bringing back traditions associated with the Senior Class Gift Committee like the bar crawl. We also have a couple fundraising ideas working with students who own small businesses that we are all really looking forward to as well,” said Fucci.

The Senior Class Gift often involves events that draw in attention from alumni as well, especially the Senior Date Auction.

With homecoming weekend under their belts, the committee geared up for their next event-- the 3v3 basketball tournament.

On Oct. 4 the committee held a 3v3 tournament on the basketball court outside of Ryan Hall. The event cost $20 per team to participate and prizes were included for the winning teams.

The Senior Class Gift Committee is just as excited to show off what they have been working on as the rest of the community.

On Oct. 12, the committee announced via Instagram the cause for their class scholarship, which the committee will be diligently working to raise funds for throughout the year.

This year, the class decided to create the Patricia Jaskiewicz Scholarship. This scholarship is named for Mercyhurst’s beloved receptionist Patricia “Trish“ Jaskiewicz.

Jaskiewicz was informed that the scholarship was going to be made in her honor when seniors, Rhyan Komsthoeft and Fucci surprised her one afternoon and gave her flowers to congratulate her.

Jaskiewicz works in Old Main and is the first person people see when they come to Mercyhurst and often the first voice they hear when they call the school. She is always very welcoming to everyone.

Last year, Giving Day, also an important part of the Senior Class Gift, shattered their record of fundraising, giving this year’s committee a challenge to see if they can possibly further break this record themselves.

In a time where things are finally getting back to normal, the Mercyhurst community is eager to see what the senior class committee has in store for the remainder of the year.

Be sure to be on the look out for upcoming events to support the Senior Class Gift!

Contributed photo

The class of 2022 scholarship announced on Oct. 12

RSCO FEATURE

PUCK CLUB

Contributed photo

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Are you a fan of hockey? Have you diligently attended every Men’s or Women’s hockey game and want to learn what it’s like to be on the ice? Do you want a chance at your 15 seconds of fame? If your answer to any of these questions was yes, then you might want to consider joining the PUCK Club.

The PUCK, or Pick Up College Hockey Club, is open to any student that is interested in learning how to play hockey, regardless of if you are a pro at skating or need to cling to the wall in order to maintain your balance. “The group, which includes both men and women, are excited to be meeting again for some pick up hockey,” said Thomas McKinnon, head coach and director of Club Hockey and advisor of PUCK Club. The club meets up every other week at the Mercyhurst Ice Center for some fun games of pick up hockey.

“It’s a club for anyone who wants to play hockey to come out and play,” said Cory Scull, sophomore Sports Business Management major and president of the club. “All skill levels are welcome, beginner or advanced.”

Usually, members of the club are recommended to have their own equipment in order to get on the ice, but the club has ways to accommodate in case that is not possible. “When there are few people that don’t have full equipment, we just split the ice so they can come out and shoot around, but not play in a pickup game, so they don’t get hurt,” said Scull.

After being unable to host meetings last year due to COVID, the club was able to host their first two meetings on Oct. 12 and Oct. 19, with another meeting planned for Nov. 2. The club doesn’t have any special events planned for the future since they just do it for fun. “We just encourage members who have friends with equipment to bring them along if they want to skate,” said Scull.

Hockey is a beloved sport on campus and the Mercyhurst community prides itself on how much our Hockey program has grown over the years. Students looking to try hockey at a more casual level are encouraged to check out PUCK club. The atmosphere of the club is relaxed and is very welcoming of new students. If one is interested in the Hockey program, this club is a great way to get involved. If someone is an existing player on the team, this club is also a great way to encourage beginners.

Ice hockey is easily one of the most popular sports on campus, with students filling the stands at the Mercyhurst Ice Center to cheer on the Division I or club teams. For those whose dreams are not as ambitious as those hoping to play pro hockey or even in the NHL, PUCK Club is here to let you energize yourself through casual games of hockey. If you are interested in joining the club, reach out to Scull or McKinnon or watch out for anything happening at the Ice Center on Nov. 2.

MU Dining serves up smiles at annual themed meals

By Gillian Mazur Editor-in-chief

Each year Mercyhurst Dining hosts a variety of themed meals to excite and engage students in the dining experience beyond just the food.

Parkhurst general manager, Katie Boyd, works with her staff to plan each themed lunch or dinner meal to be a fun, nutritious and exciting meal that everyone can look forward to.

On Oct. 13, Mercyhurst Dining held an Oktoberfest lunch in 501 Grille in Ryan Hall. The event featured typical Oktoberfest foods such as bratwurst, root beer and of course — soft pretzels and beer cheese.

“Some of my favorite parts of Oktoberfest were the large amount of charcuterie board options such as mustard, meats, cheeses, pickles and olives. There were plenty of pretzel options such as pretzel buns and regular pretzels served with cheese. They also provided apple cider and root beer to finish off a delicious meal,” said senior early childhood and special education major Madison Byers.

Apple Fest was held on Oct. 21 in the Grotto Commons Dining Hall. Naturally this event featured a variety of apple-themed foods fit to put anyone in a fall mood. Apple cider, apple fritters, and even apple pizza were among some of the apple treats available for patrons to try.

“I really liked how you could go ‘apple picking’ right from the comfort of our own dining hall! I enjoyed collecting and trying a small assortment of different apples and apple-themed dishes,” said freshman dance major Gabrielle Harris.

This event excites more than just students - faculty and staff often look forward to having a special lunch from Parkhurst during the work day.

“One of the mainstays we’ve come to look forward to from Parkhurst is their various themed lunches throughout the year,” Enrollment Data Scientist/Web manager Kyndra Zacherl said, “There’s no better way to prepare for a holiday - or just savor the taste of apples - than to partake in a festive lunch in Grotto Commons.”

Those who have not attended any themed-meals may not know this, but Parkhurst employees enjoy these meals almost as much as the people they serve. They are often seen in fun costumes and love to dress up for any themed event.

During Apple Fest staff dressed up as farmers and during Oktoberfest one staff member was sporting traditional lederhosen.

Mercyhurst Dining is also known to use a wide variety of locally grown produce in their dishes, especially at “The Stand” often featured in Grotto Commons.

The Stand is a specialty popup food area that is also often themed with healthy dishes to encourage students to try new, locally-sourced foods. So far this semester, The Stand has presented pop-ups on stress-reducing foods such as leafy greens and even more fall flavors such as pumpkin and squash.

While some of the fun fall themed meals have already passed, there are many others to look forward to in the coming months. Halloween lunch, Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner - some of Parkhurst’s most extravagant events of the year - are still to coming up before the end of the semester.

The dining halls aren’t the only ones who have themed foods. For example, this month at the Starbucks Coffee Bar in the bookstore, they have featured fall and Halloween-inspired beverages such as the classic pumpkin spice latte, the “eerie fog” tea, and even a “Count Chocula Frappuccino.”

“The Count Chocula Frappuccino was awesome - I don’t usually drink coffee but the theme was so fun I gave it a try. I then told a bunch of my friends in my next class about it,” senior forensic science major Abby Springer said. Next time you visit one of the dining halls or coffee bars on campus on these special days, be sure to say an extra thank-you to the workers who put in the time, effort and enthusiasm to ensure a fun dining experience for everyone here at Mercyhurst.

Mercyhurst Dining photo

Mercyhurst Dining employees enjoy the fun fall festivities at Apple Fest on Oct. 21.

HURST CLASS CATALOG

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY

By Sarah Beck

Staff writer

Have you ever wanted to combine two of your interests into one class? Are you interested in the natural environment? What about U.S. history? If so, then U.S. Environmental History might just be the class that you have been searching for.

This class is taught by Chris Magoc, Ph.D, who has been a full-time professor of History at Mercyhurst since 1999. According to Magoc, U.S. Environmental History, “offers a wide-ranging, multiple-disciplinary examination of America’s relationship with nature and the environment, from pre-colonial Native American times to the present day.”

During this course, students will get the chance to analyze human impact on the natural world through topics such as deforestation, suburbanization, farming practices, modern consumer culture and much more. You will be able to observe these human impacts while also analyzing specific historical events that interrelate to these practices and the environment. This class also provides the opportunity to explore the cultural responses to nature in America through a variety of lenses, such as the Native Americans’ spiritual relationship to the world, the writings of Henry David Thoreau, the National Park movements and so much more.

In addition, this class allows you to examine political, legal and policy responses to environmental degradation by analyzing the environmental movement in multiple ways. Some of the responses that you will observe are the wildlife conservation efforts of the Progressive Era women, Rachel Carson’s confrontation of public health threats and present-day efforts working to address the climate crisis.

The class also includes unique aspects that Magoc tries to include. “The fascinating and fun look at pink flamingos, where else would you get that?” said Magoc. Another unique opportunity this class provides is the chance to read and discuss Nathaniel Rich’s book, “Losing Earth”. This piece of literature focuses on a few politicians from the late 1890s who failed the world by losing the bipartisan opportunity to fully address global warming before the threat was very large. This portion of the class is a great opportunity to stimulate well-rounded discussion among peers, of the climate crisis and ways that politicians, policies and more have failed and succeeded.

Specifically, one of Magoc’s favorite topics in U.S. Environmental history is when the class focuses on Yellowstone history. Magoc said, “[Yellowstone history] was the subject of my first book thirty years ago. And as painful as it is, I enjoy talking about the historical roots of the climate crisis, because I know students are concerned about it.”

So, who can take this course? Essentially all Mercyhurst students have the opportunity to enroll in this course because it can be taken as a class to satisfy part of the REACH core. As for students in the department, this course is a great option to satisfy a major requirement or elective.

U.S. Environmental History is also a required class for the Sustainability Studies minor. This course is a mix of history, political science, environmental science and sustainability studies which gives it an awesome interdisciplinary influence and is applicable to many fields of study across campus.

The biggest benefit to this course is the better understanding and appreciation for the natural world throughout American history all the way to the current day that you will acquire.

History Club embarks on Erie’s African-American heritage trail

By Laren Reesman Staff writer

African American history is not often thought of in relation to Erie, but it is in fact more significant than you would think.

On Oct. 11, the Mercyhurst History Club toured Erie Cemetery plots of particular significance to Erie history and part of the African American Shared Heritage Trail.

According to Chris Magoc, Ph.D., and professor of History at Mercyhurst, the plots toured were both people of color and European descent who worked to free and end slavery through work on the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves reach Canada and freedom.

One interesting grave holds Morrow B. Lowry, an abolitionist who owned the land Mercyhurst now stands on.

“It was really cool to learn this about our school, that it has the legacy of someone so devoted to fighting slavery,” said junior Lily Smith, president of the History Club.

Another significant site was the resting place of composer Harry T. Burleigh who was born in Erie, PA.

Magoc said Burleigh is internationally renowned for his compositions, mostly African American spirituals.

Smith said she has a personal connection to the works of Burleigh because her father sang many of them in his time as a professional classical singer.

Burleigh produced over 200 songs, including one of his most popular, titled “Deep River,” which has been sung by choirs around the world and arranged for many different groups.

Both Smith and Magoc agreed that being able to visit the graves in-person was an enriching experience for everyone and they received lots of positive feedback.

The History Club has upcoming trips planned for November to visit the Hagen History Center and the Erie County Historical Society.

One can also expect several more trips from the History Club in the Spring of 2022 as they continue to explore Erie’s history.

Even during the pandemic last spring, Smith and a club group provided video tours of several of these sites to supplement History Club’s usual in-person meetings.

The Shared Heritage Trail extends through all of Erie County and has 29 sites total and covers Erie’s involvement in Black history and civil rights since the first slaves arrived in 1619.

The Erie Cemetery was established in 1851, and in addition to Lowry and Burleigh, houses the final resting place of William Himrod, William Bladen and many Black military veterans from wars fought throughout history.

A few of the trail sites can be passed simply driving down State Street, including the Lawrence Music Studio and the John S. Hicks Home and Ice Cream Factory, which was one of the first to use steam power to freeze the cream.

Out of the 29 sites, 20 are clustered within the city of Erie.

The trail is a community-wide collaboration involving organizations such as Erie Yesterday, WQLN Public Media, Erie Arts & Culture, the Thomas B. Hagen History Center and Mercyhurst’s own Public History Center.

Magoc recommends visiting the website (sharedheritage.org) for more information, including site locations and an in-depth timeline.

The Mercyhurst History Club will continue to share Erie’s little known and sometimes surprising history, providing meaningful trips around the city in the process.

To join the History Club email Smith at lsmith37@lakers.mercyhurst.edu, Averill Earls, Ph.D, at aearls@mercyhurst.edu, or Treasurer Abby Cullen at aculle08@ lakers.mercyhurst.edu. Also check Laker Launchpad for their upcoming events.

History Club photo

History Club students at the event Oct. 11

LAKER MOMENT

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MSG Executive Board went with the theme “Shipwrecked” for their mocktail table. Pictured (left to right) Douglas Wilsch, Carissa Budday, Nick Brodfuehrer, Kailey Pisani and Janiece Withers. On Oct. 19 Campus Involvement hosted the annual Mocktail Hour event at the Student Union from 7:30-9:00 p.m. For this event, student leaders from different organizations and RSCOs are invited to create themed mocktails for their fellow peers. This event was one of the educational events held on campus during National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week which took place on Oct. 18-22.

“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event returns to campus

By Eva Mihelich Staff writer

“You’ll never understand someone until you walk a mile in their shoes.” This is a phrase that we were all taught growing up in order to get the point across that you never truly know what someone is going through, and you should try your best to sympathize with them in their pain despite your inability to fully feel what they do.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so to honor this saying in a literal fashion, Mercyhurst is hosting its annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event in order to gain greater awareness for sexual assault, and to show its active mission in promoting the end to assault.

On Oct. 26, the university held the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event in Ryan Hall. The event was successful and had a large turnout of students.

“It was a really good turn out and was really nice to see some of the guys here at Mercyhurst step up and actually ‘walk in her shoes,” Junior Special Education major Cooper Hicks said. “It was crazy how those shoes hurt even walking for just a little bit but it gives you just a little idea of the pain women have gone through for a very long time. I know it wasn’t a lot but it was nice to be able to go out and support a good cause!”

In this event, men on campus gather and walk in red high heels in order to quite literally walk in the shoes of those who have experienced sexual assault. They march around campus with signs of support for women in order to better promote a healthy culture where genders are looked upon with equality and respect.

Statistics of sexual assault are currently raging in the United States – this is not something that is taboo or an unnecessary subject to shine light on. Although there is more awareness about the cruelty of sexual assault nowadays, it is still an issue that is ever-present and will, sadly, most likely never fully go away.

Sexual assault, especially domestic violence, is still a present issue today. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 4 women have experienced severe intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking that has caused issues such as injury, fearfulness and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Twenty-five percent of women experiencing domestic abuse of some kind is a disgusting percentage, and it is something that people should be made more aware of. Being in a relationship does not justify forced sexual actions of any kind – consent is not a one-and-done agreement.

Events like this one are so vital in order to show solidarity and support among genders in a world where there is a growing fear of men among many women.

By walking around campus and showing support for women and upholding campus values, the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event is a popular and much needed movement that hopefully spreads around the message that you are not alone, and you deserve to be treated with nothing but dignity and respect.

Mercyhurst University offers counseling services to deal with any situation you might be struggling with regarding sexual assault, and the Title IX office is always available to listen to what you have to say.

A handful of students participated in the event. The lobby in Ryan Hall was lined with facts about facts of sexual assault and a runway that participating students walked. Many students volunteered to walk, sporting red high heels to support this wonderful causes.

This event has been an enormous success in the past, and the same could be said about the event this year. Many people gathered this year to show their support for the cause. A single event is not going to change the statistics, but it only takes a single match to start a fire.

Keeping the conversation going and showing your support for those around you who might be going through this without you even knowing. Walk a mile in her shoes.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

By Maiya Harding Staff writer

Historical Event: Oct. 18, 1867

The United States bought Alaska from Russia for less than $0.02 an acre. In total it cost them $7.2 million. It took 7 months for President Andrew Johnson to get congress’ approval and on this day 154 years ago, the purchase was finalized. Alaska brought wealth during the gold rush in 1896 and today they provide 25% of the United State’s oil and 50% of their seafood. Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959.

Top 3 Songs This Week: According to Spotify’s Global Charts 1. Easy on Me: Adele 2. STAY: Justin Bieber, Kid LAROI 3. Industry Baby: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow

On the Charts This Week 40 Years Ago: According to Billboards Charts 1. Best That You Can Do: Christopher Cross 2. Start Me Up: The Rolling Stones 3. Endless Love: Diana Ross, Lionel Richie

Top Grossing Films: This week: Halloween Kills Ten years ago: Footloose 2011

Top Artists Today vs. 40 Years Ago Male: Drake; Daryl Hall + John Oates Female: Taylor Swift; Sheema Easton

Hurst holds vaccine incentive program

By Hannah Brooks Staff writer

This past summer, Mercyhurst University offered a vaccine incentive program, also known as #ImmunityCommunity giveaways.

This program was a combined effort, which included collaboration between the COVID-19 Response Team, the Campus Involvement Center and the Office of Marketing and Brand Management.

All students who turned in COVID-19 vaccination documentation by the deadline of Aug. 1, 2021 were automatically entered into weekly drawings and grand prize giveaways.

The ultimate goal of the program was to raise awareness to the benefits of vaccination and Mercyhurst’s new COVID-19 vaccination policy, and also show how the vaccination rate could play a role in going back to “normal” for the fall.

Awareness was raised mainly through social media presence, which included videos from current students talking about why they are getting vaccinated and what prizes they hope to win, photos of students who won prizes and reminders for students to submit documentation so they can win prizes.

Many exciting prizes that were offered through this program this past summer, including SpringFest backstage passes, personalized hockey jerseys, $100 gift cards to the Mercyhurst bookstore, parking passes, $25 gift cards to Cornerstone Bar & Grill, $15 gift cards to Tim Horton’s and Mercyhurst t-shirt prize packs.

There were a total of forty-one randomly selected winners for prizes. One of the many winners includes senior, Austin Baroana, who was the winner of a personalized jersey from the incentive program.

All of the prizes offered were exciting and served as an added incentive for students who decided to get the COVID-19 vaccination.

Currently, 87.1% of Mercyhurst students have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, and 86.3% of students are fully vaccinated.

These percentages continue to climb throughout the semester, however. For the most up-to-date information on vaccination rates, students can go to the COVID Dashboard on the Mercyhurst homepage.

According to Laura Zirkle, Ph.D., and Kyndra Zacherl, Web and Digital Communications Manager, the Immunity Community vaccination incentive program seemed to help motivate students to get vaccinated, as well as to submit their documentation as soon as possible if they had already been vaccinated.

“We heard feedback from a number of students that they had done so because of the prize, in addition to wanting as close to a return to normal as they could get,” said Zacherl.

Additionally, the incentive program helped engage students across social media platforms as well as email signatures which promoted vaccination.

“We saw engagement with different aspects of the campaign from both students and employees that included Facebook frames, social media hashtags and posts and email signature graphics,” said Zacherl.

The CDC recommends getting fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Anybody over the age of 12 is eligible to receive the vaccination. The vaccine will not only help to protect individuals from becoming ill, it will help to protect others and build an immunity against the virus. For the most up-to-date information on vaccines, visit the CDC website.

If interested in getting vaccinated, it is to be noted that the vaccine is offered in many convenient locations, such as drug stores such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. It is also available in grocery stores such as Giant Eagle and Walmart Pharmacy, as well as most doctor’s offices and healthcare facilities.

If choosing to get vaccinated, be sure to call the facility beforehand to check for availability and consider talking to your doctor as well.

Mercyhurst University photo

Mercyhurst vaccine incentive program logo from summer 2021