:Features On Page 3:
Arts & Entertainment On Page 5:
Mercyhurst Rugby
Danny Elfman
Club teams up
creeps into
with Gannon
Erie
Sports On Page 7: Golf teams place at PSAC finals
The MERCIAD
Read more inside & online
Mercyhurst university
Est. 1929 Vol. 90 No. 6
Wednesday, october 26, 2016
PA driver’s licenses won’t be federal IDs By Melanie Todd Staff writer
Beginning on Jan. 30, 2018, residents will no longer be able to use their Pennsylvania driver’s licenses to enter federal facilities. Pennsylvania had 11 years to comply with the Department of Homeland Security’s federal ID requirements. They will make an exception for people entering federal facilities to apply for Social Security or veteran’s benefits. Beginning in January 2019, people will not be able to use their Pennsylvania driver’s licenses to board commercial airplanes. “I’m frustrated that they had 11 years to do this and they didn’t,” said David Rinderle, Mercyhurst senior and Pennsylvania resident. The 2005 REAL ID Act passed as a response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack in the United States. There are five states that have not complied yet. “Beginning three years after the date of the enactment of
Contributed photo
Pennsylvania state driver’s licenses can no longer be used for travel starting in 2019, yet the New York license can be used.
this division, a Federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver’s license or identification card issued by a State to any person unless the State is meeting the requirements of this section,” states the REAL ID Act of 2005. The law gave a three-year grace period in 2005. How-
ever, it has now been 11 years and Pennsylvania still has not complied. “In Pennsylvania, which has issued about 9 million driver’s licenses and another 1.4 million photo ID cards, officials estimated five years ago that it could cost $250 million to $300 million to replace those
licenses,” said the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. The act requires security features for the new license, such as anti-counterfeiting provisions. Additionally, the state must store the photographs and other ID information in a federal database. Pennsylvania State Sen.
Mike Folmer, who was the chief sponsor for Pennsylvania’s REAL ID Nonparticipation Act of 2011, spoke with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette further on this matter. “I just believe the feds are wrong here (on the need for a uniform license for all states). It’s an unfunded mandate that
we can’t afford at a time when we are having budget problems of our own,” Folmer said. Folmer commended Pennsylvania’s current system for identification of an individual when they apply for a license or identification card. “Making states share that kind of information with federal officials is encroachment on my freedom that the state shouldn’t allow,” Folmer said . “It will be very inconvenient. I feel bad for people who don’t have a passport and will need to spend $70 to get one to even travel within the U.S.,” Rinderle said. The Department of Homeland Security issued many extensions for states to comply with the act since 2007. However, last week ,letters informed officials in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maine, Oklahoma and South Carolina that no more extensions will be given unless steps are taken to comply.
@TheMerciad
Election 2016: Inside the Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics By Bernard Garwig Staff writer
Under the direction of Joseph Morris, Ph.D., director of Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics, students have had the opportunity to be a part of a call center involved in polling registered voters throughout Pennsylvania, in what has shaped up to be an election year that sharply contrasts any previous one in recent memory. “The first poll for this academic year was a statewide poll of all registered voters in Pennsylvania,” Morris said. “From that list of all registered voters, we randomly selected voters that we would interview.” The poll of 420 voters was conducted from Sept. 12-23. Morris stated that this sample size allowed for a margin of error of 4.8 points. The MCAP 2016 General Election Poll shows the race divided between Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, with each getting 42 percent, 41 percent, 4 percent and 3 percent, respectively, of the vote. The poll states that “the commonwealth is among the most important battlegrounds of the 2016 presidential elec-
tion.” Pennsylvania itself is worth 20 electoral votes, which is tied with Illinois for the fifth most in quantity. Although historically a Democrat state, the Trump campaign has appealed to many blue collar voters who have seen their industrial jobs go overseas or eliminated entirely. Morris highlighted the importance of this poll. He particularly injected that mid-September “was an absolutely horrible time for Hillary Clinton and probably the highpoint of the Donald Trump campaign. As opposed to polls conducted just two weeks earlier by other organizations showing a 7-9 point lead for Hillary Clinton, our poll found that Donald Trump was losing to Hillary Clinton by only one point.” The poll also asked voters a few other questions, such as the Senate Race between Republican incumbent Pat Toomey and Democrat Challenger Katie McGinty, as well as their thoughts on Barack Obama’s presidency, with questions about foreign policy and the economy for example. Toomey leads McGinty by only one point, and Obama was given a “C” on his report card by polled persons. Junior Alex Yacobozzi is a student project manager
Chart Title
Merciad Index
that is heavily involved in the MCAP. “We are one of the top 20 biggest polling stations in the United States, and in the top 10 for Pennsylvania,” said Yacobozzi. “We’re not too big; we have 35 tables here, but we do really good research.” Yacobozzi, a Hospitality major, does polling as a work study, but explained that students do not have to be Political Science majors to be involved. Students in American Government and in the Road to the White House classes also get involved as poll operators for class credit. Pollsters begin by randomly selecting people that are on the registered voters list. They then call these people and begin their questioning, using a computer-based questionnaire as their script. Respondents are asked about their enthusiasm to vote, for example, and are given a range of options when answering questions. Respondents are allowed to omit themselves from answering questions on matters such as personal finance. Students are given an hour training session a week prior to polling. When polls are conducted, students report from 6-9 p.m. Monday
Contributed photo
Students taking calls for MCAP election polling.
through Friday for two weeks. Yacobozzi made it clear that MCAP is a recognized agency in the field. “Usually we get picked up by the Philadelphia Enquirer, we get picked up by the Huffington Post, we’re in the Erie Times, we’re in the Harrisburg paper, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.” The biggest honor, according to Yacobozzi, was
being picked up by “Hardball” with Chris Matthews on MSNBC. A Pennsylvania primary voter poll by Mercyhurst was used back in March by the network to show how the many candidates at the time were polling. Interestingly, as Yacobozzi notes, MSNBC chose to leave out the group’s data on Bernie Sanders, instead show-
ing Clinton in the matchup with front runner Trump, and Trump vs. Ted Cruz and John Kasich. This was in light of the fact that Sanders was beating all of the Republicans by huge numbers - even Kasich, who polled above Clinton in a general election result. Margaret Hackney, sophomore Intelligence Studies major, is the other project manager, which means coordinating over 100 students, assisting in survey design and “performing data management and dissemination to major news outlets.” Her favorite part of the job is being a part of the election in real time and affecting the course of history. “We had John Kasich retweet our poll last spring,” Hackney said. The MCAP ran its first poll in 2010. Since then, it has run a range of polls on subjects varying from elections to the people of Pennsylvania’s thoughts on a variety of topics, such as ISIS, ebola and fracking. All of the group’s polls are available online on the Mercyhurst website under the Political Science tab. The clip of Mercyhurst’s poll being featured on Chris Matthew’s “Hardball” can be seen online on the Mercyhurst You Tube Channel.
Online Poll Results
How do you feel about having classes canceled for Advising Day this year??
News Features A&E Opinion Sports Laker Living
1-2 3-4 5 6 7 8
I think advising will be much smoother and more efficient. (56%) It means more time to sleep and catch up on homework! (40%) Another day of canceled classes? Seems like a waste. (4%) I probably won’t get into the classes I want anyway. (0%) 1
2
3
4
Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll:
What do you think about the newly installed anchor? merciad.mercyhurst.edu
October 26, 2016
The Merciad
Page 2
News
Haunted ’Hurst is bringing scares to campus By Alexandria Albano Staff writer
Credit Cheyanne Crum
Old Main and Egan are transformed into a haunted history tour on Halloween weekend.
MU Shaping Tomorrow for Erie By Melanie Todd Staff writer
The Erie Community Foundation, Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority and the Hagen family presented a grant of $4 million to Mercyhurst University to establish a Downtown Erie Innovation District. “The overarching goal of this project is to establish and develop an innovation district in downtown Erie focused on safety and security,” said David Dausey, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “This innovation district will create an urban innovation ecosystem with economic, physical and networking assets and will foster synergistic relationships between a broad array of firms, institutions and organizations ranging from universities to corporations.” Mercyhurst will serve as the lead organization for the overall project. The university’s particular programs, such as data science and intelligence
studies, helped set it apart from other applicants. “The fact that Mercyhurst had programs in data science and intelligence studies were factors that were considered. However, these weren’t the only factors. Mercyhurst has long been known for its reputation as an innovative and entrepreneurial university,” Dausey said. The project has three main goals. “The project aims to address three critical community needs: stop brain drain and enhance brain gain, replace low wage jobs with family sustaining jobs, revitalize downtown Erie,” said Dausey. This project was specifically created for the city of Erie. “The project is funded by regional funding organizations that have a vested interest in the Erie region. The project is currently funded for three years. Our hope is to use the project to leverage additional funding opportunities and to develop strategies to make the innovation
district self sustaining over time,” Dausey said. The funding for this project comes directly from businesses in Erie as well. “Mercyhurst applied for a “Shaping Tomorrow” grant through a joint funding initiative from the Erie Community Foundation, EGCRA and a significant gift from the Hagen family. It was a competitive grant. I served as the PI (principal investigator) and principal grant writer,” said Dausey. Mercyhurst itself will benefit directly from their participation in this project. “Mercyhurst faculty and students will be involved in the effort andwill have the opportunity to work with corporate partners and communityleaders on a project designed to have a dramatic positive influence on our region,” Dausey said.
@TheMerciad
Thrills, chills and scares will race through the ’Hurst this Saturday with SAC’s haunted Halloween celebration. Mercyhurst University will host Haunted ’Hurst on Saturday. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m. in the Student Union Great Room. During Haunted ’Hurst, students will be frightened throughout campus with decorations and actors. There are other activities students can take part in while
waiting for their haunted tour. These activities include pumpkin painting, mask decorating and drinking hot cocoa. This event brings together many on-campus clubs and organizations. . The student ambassadors participate by scaring students on each tour. “It’s nice that all of our organizations collaborate together. This is an SAC event, but MAC also helps to coordinate and plan the event,” Shannon Holley, president of Student Government, said. Old Main and Egan are transformed into a haunted house with terrifying ghost
stories. “This is one of the biggest events we have on campus and most of the students who go on tours say that this is their favorite event of the year,” Austin Shinhearl, junior Hospitality major, said. Senior Social Work major Colin O’Connor, this event is a great opportunity to tour Mercyhurst as well as learn about the university’s eerie past.
@TheMerciad
’Hurst hosts summit By Leighann Sallick Contributing writer
This year, Mercyhurst University is proud to announce that it will be one of the locations hosting the Jefferson Educational Society’s Global Summit Speaker Series. The Global Summit is a monthlong event that consists of multiple speakers. These lecturers give talks on a “broad range of globally important issues.” This event has been going on since November 2009, and has been a big impact on the awareness of global topics. These topics range from wildnerss preservation to space travel. The first speaker at Mercyhurst is Fred Barnes on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Barnes is an American political commentator who is the executive editor and co-founder for “The Weekly Standard”, which has been praised by various critics and is known as the “the gold standard for political coverage with a con-
servative slant.” The second speaker at Mercyhurst is Doris Kearns Goodwin on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Goodwin is a presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of six critically-acclaimed and New York Times best-selling books. Her books that have been awarded the Pulitzer prize include “Wait Till Next Year” and “No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II” and so on. Goodwin will have much insight and commentary over the presidential race. The third speaker at Mercyhurst is Antoine Willem van Agtmael on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Agtmael serves as the president, chief executive officer, and chief investment officer of Emerging Markets Investors Corporation. He is also the founder of Ashmore EMM, L.L.C. Agtmael will be speaking on the topic “Smartest Places on Earth: Why Rustbelts are the Emerging Hotspots of Global Innovation.”
During his lecture, van Agtmael will “examine the changing dynamic and the transformation of former industrial centers of the U.S. and Europe into ‘brain belts’ of design and innovation.” The last speaker at Mercyhurst is Tom Ridge, who will be speaking on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Ridge has had much success in his life, which include graduating from Harvard, and serving as 43rd governor of Pennsylvania, fthe irst Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, six-term former U.S. congressman and the CEO of Ridge Global, LLC, a Washington D.C.-based security consulting firm. The talk is entitled “The Digital Forevermore: Are We Ready?” He will be discussing solutions to cyber security, international security and risk management issues. Tickets to attend all these speakers can be found in the PAC center, and they are free for Mercyhurst students with their student ID.
Mercyhurst sends aid to Hurricane Matthew victims By Melanie Todd Staff writer
Mercyhurst’s Students of the Caribbean Association raised $149.18 for CARE, an organization helping those affected by Hurricane Matthew. The category 5 hurricane hit Haiti on Oct. 4 and left nearly 900 dead and thousands more homeless, according to Reuters reports. Originally, the hurricane was projected to hit Jamaica, which brought to the attention of the student organization.
“Knowing the strength of the hurricane and anticipating its effects, we continued to monitor it though its path had changed,” said Janelle Campbell, president of the Students of the Caribbean Association. “Upon realizing the destruction in Haiti, places becoming inaccessible, destruction to property and the growing death toll, we knew we had to do anything possible to help our neighbor.” Initially, the students sought to send supplies to the victims of the hurricane, but understanding the distance between Erie and the Caribbean, that
plan quickly changed. “We began looking into organizations working to collect monetary donations for Haiti’s hurricane relief and settled on CARE. A lot of thought was put into making the decision as we even had the organization vetted by accredited sources,” Campbell said. CARE ultimately seemed to be the best fit for the Students of the Caribbean Association to partner with. “CARE assists by providing aid in times of conflict and disaster so that those impacted can rebuild their lives,” Camp-
bell said. Students developed a fundraising campaign “We stand with Haiti” for the week of Oct. 17 to collect donations. Students stopped by offices of staff members and manned a table in both the Student Union and Zurn so that students could give their donations. “The goal was to raise at least $200. However, we raised a total of $149.18 by the end of our collection period. Despite not reaching our goal, we do consider it a success,” Campbell said. Even from a distance, stu-
dents from Mercyhurst University showed they care by supporting the campaign. “Altogether it was a team effort, from those directly involved in planning to those who showed their support. We take the time to say thank you,” Campbell said. This particular project was very personal for Campbell because she has lived through the destruction of a hurricane. “Personally, I was driven to do the collection because despite not being from Haiti or having connections there, I know that as a region it’s important that we are our
brother’s/sister’s keeper. I’ve experienced a hurricane before and I understand the severity of the situation though my experience is incomparable to what they are now experiencing. “I do realize that several other places, even within the region, were affected; however, Haiti suffered the brunt of it. It could have been my country and I’m certain that it would have been a major setback, so I know that at this time they need all the help they can get,” Campbell said.
Hurst Crime Log Incident
Date
Location
Harassment
Oct. 22
Lewis Ave.
Liquor law violation
Oct. 23
Warde Hall
Sexual assault
Oct. 23
Off campus
Larceny
Oct. 23
Lot 23
October 26, 2016
Page 3
The Merciad
Features
Social Work class mentors sixth-grade students By Cheyanne Crum Features editor
This semester, Mercyhurst is offering a class called Leadership through Mentoring in the Social Work department. Throughout the course, the students go to Joanna Connell Elementary to mentor a sixthgrade class. This group of mentees was chosen to be in the program by the teachers and the school counselor, who felt the kids would benefit from having a caring adult in their life. “These are kids that might come from homes that have some challenges. Some of these kids are really good students, some of them are notso-good students. It’s for the kid that is exceptional in academics, but they’re super shy and never talk. It’s to build confidence,” Laura Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor of Sociology and Social Work, said. Lewis is involved with Erie Together, an organization that works to make Erie a com-
munity of opportunity where everyone can learn, work and thrive. “It really started as ‘how do we better address poverty?’ and one of the key ways to address poverty is really make sure kids get a good education, graduate from high school and know that there are opportunities beyond that,” Lewis said. Erie Together started a mentoring program last year with Penn State and a school in Girard. Lewis decided that it would be a rewarding experience for Mercyhurst students as well. “Listening to the kids that went through it at Girard and listening to the mentors and what they got from it, I just felt that for Mercyhurst this would be a win-win,” said Lewis. “We could be doing something positive out in the community and making a difference in the life of these kids and our students would be getting a great experience, too, because they would learn a lot.” The first five weeks were
spent in the classroom learning how to mentor. “We covered what mentoring is, what a mentor does, some of the skills needed to be a mentor. We’ve done some skill development and we’ve looked at what we are going to do when we’re with the mentees,” Lewis said. The mentoring class is learning about the importance of having a consistent, positive influence while growing up. “We do not know if the kids from Joanna Connell have the positive influencers in their lives or not, but we are trying to implement this either way,” Colin O’Connor, senior Social Work major, said. For the first few weeks that the students were mentoring, the focus was on relationship building. “We do this icebreaker every time, it’s called One Up, One Down. Basically the kids go around and talk about anything that is going really well for them and any kind of challenge that they might be having. It’s just a quick way to
try to get to know each other,” Lewis said. Now that the students are the mentors, the activities are going to be more intentional. The focus is on building trust and working to set goals. “(Last) week we (were) focusing on trust, so what activities can we come up with, using the curriculum guide to work with the kids to help develop trust. So we do a trust walk and talk about the steps to becoming a trustworthy individual,” said Lewis. “Rather than just talk about trust, we do activities that give the kids time to process it and think about it.” This week the mentors will be helping the kids to set some goals. They will be determining what a goal is and then the mentors will help the kids meet those goals. “The whole idea behind the class is that these kids can have someone in their lives that they can talk to as a friend, without having to worry about anything that was talked about being made public,” Sarah Hershey, sophomore Social
Work major, said. The class is very student-driven; every Tuesday the class meets to talk about what happened during the session the previous Thursday. “We talk about what we might want to change for the next week,” said Lewis. “There’s been some time spent planning for the next session. The students take some time to plan the next activities.” Katherine Appell, junior Public Health major, agreed that Lewis allows the students to have a direct role in the class and what they do leads them to have a more closeknit class environment. The students in the mentoring class have committed to a year of mentoring, even after the class ends in December. “I’m excited to see what happens throughout the year in terms of how close we all get to each other, both mentees and mentors alike,” said Hershey. “It’s a great class to take because not only do we get to form new relationships with the mentees, but we also get to make new relationships
with our classmates here at Mercyhurst.” There are hopes that even after the year is up that the students will continue with this program by being leaders for the class next year. “What I would like to see is the students that go through this year, if they could become the leaders to help prepare future students to become mentors. The point of this class is to teach our students to develop leadership skills,” Lewis said. Lewis makes it very clear that this class is not just for Social Work majors. This year’s class has Social Work, Sociology, Criminal Justice and Public Health majors. “Next year, I would like to open it up because I don’t think that it should be limited to just people who we typically think are going to go into that type of profession. Whether it’s Business, Intel or Fashion Merchandising, I think there are lots of people that would love to participate in something like this, but we needed to start small,” Lewis said.
McCool to travel to Haiti with class Piano and string students coming to Mercyhurst By Jordan Pendel Staff writer
Sarah McCool, Ph.D., instructor of Public Health, has recently returned from a three-month fellowship in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she worked on a community-based tuberculosis program. This fellowship was through the United States Agency for International Development, funded by the U.S. government. “Indonesia is one of the highest burden countries in the world for tuberculosis,” McCool said. There are 22 high-burden countries worldwide, and these countries account for about 80 percent of the world’s tuberculosis infections. “The rate is about 650 per 1,000 people (in Indonesia),” McCool said. Indonesia is a lower mid-
dle-income economy where the gross national income per capita is between $1,026 and $4,035. To compare it with the United States, we are a high-income economy where our GNI per capita is $12,476 or more. “Indonesia is not completely devoid of resources, but they do have resource issues,” said McCool. “One of the problems with tuberculosis is that there’s a stigma against it, and people may not want to get tested.” They may fear that they are going to lose their job, or they are unaware of the threat of tuberculosis. The goal of this program at the community level is to get education, get people tested, make sure they comply with treatment and that they are cured of tuberculosis. McCool is still doing research with the people in Indonesia, and will return in the future. For now, McCool is going
to lead a class to Haiti in the spring. They will go to a rural part of Haiti at the end of May for seven days to learn the Haitian culture. Before the class goes, they will take an eight-week mini course called Haiti, Poverty and Global Health. Non-majors are allowed to take the course and attend the trip. The cost of the trip will be about $2,400. McCool described how many people think of these situations as going to a poor country and doing things for other people, but that is not the message that she wants to be sent. “We cannot go into somebody’s home and tell them how they should be doing things because the way they do things is fine, and we can learn a lot from them as well,” McCool said. “Volunteers may help with education and getting resources, but the narrative of Westerners going to poor
countries to save people is wrong,” she said. The experience should allow a shared learning experience. “They’re capable of doing it themselves and they should be doing it themselves,” McCool said. While public health is the conditions in which one grows, lives, works and plays that influences one’s health, the students will not be doing anything explicitly related to health in the traditional sense. They will be able to see and observe the social determinants of health in the everyday life of the Haitians. They will see the conditions of the world that too many people live in, and they can think about what they can do to try to change some of that. “The trip will be a really eye-opening experience for students,” said McCool. “It’s completely different seeing something on TV than seeing it with your own eyes.”
Rugby Club teams up with Gannon By Melanie Todd Staff writer
The Mercyhurst Rugby Club is now playing league rugby games alongside our traditional rival, Gannon University. “We began with pick-up rugby games that were co-ed and just Mercyhurst students. “This year we reached out to Gannon Rugby Club who was looking for players for their fall season. We were able to combine with Gannon to play club league games,” Kelly Peters, Mercyhurst Rugby Club president, said. Mercyhurst’s club team overall has very little experience in the sport. “Some of the Mercyhurst girls who play with the Gannon team had no rugby experience before this August and have been very successful picking up the sport so quickly. I am so proud of them. Really anyone can play. We are always looking for more people to share the sport with. You really don’t need any experience, just a willingness to learn,” Peters said.
Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Kelly Peters, Mercyhurst senior and Rugby Club President, dives for a loose ball.
Hannah Mayes, Mercyhurst junior and a first-time rugby player, takes the ball.
So far the Mercyhurst girls have played in two games with two more scheduled before Thanksgiving break. “Being new to rugby, I wasn’t sure what to expect at first but I absolutely love it. The teamwork, athleticism, tackling and adrenaline have given me a strong passion for the game. Nothing better than tackling people in the mud,” Hannah Mayes, Mercyhurst junior, said. Mercyhurst hopes to grow the team so that it can have
an official team for the school and play in the league. “We are extremely grateful that Gannon allowed us to combine with them, but our main goal is to have an established team at Mercyhurst for league games,” Peters said. In the spring of 2015, Mercyhurst University officially recognized the club. “Myself and a few other students who shared an interest in the sport wanted to establish a team because we didn’t have one yet. We (Mercyhurst)
have Irish roots. We needed a team,” Peters said. Peters played for three years in high school and led her team to two state championship tournaments. “The sport makes me feel really strong. The women play by the same rules as the men. It’s full contact. The women’s rules aren’t played down,” Peters said. In rugby, unlike other sports, the rules are exactly the same for the men’s and women’s teams. “It’s actually really nice to scrimmage and play pick-up games with the guys because they really help you learn,” Peters said. This spring, the Mercyhurst men will be combining with Gannon as well to play league games. “It is really one of my passions and I really wanted to be able to share my love with as many people as are interested,” Peters said.
@TheMerciad
Elizabeth Shewan photo
Mercyhurst’s Music department will host its second annual Piano and Strings Day on Oct. 29.
By Elizabeth Shewan Staff writer
For the second year in a row, Mercyhurst’s D’Angelo Department of Music will host piano- and string- instrument playing students in grades six to 12 for an all-day music workshop. The workshop will take place on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. This program is designed to give students an early opportunity to learn and perform music in a collegiate environment. It also gives the participants a chance to receive individual attention from Music department faculty and majors. Nathan Hess, D.M.A., chair of the D’Angelo Department of Music, is excited to be able to make this an annual event, after being pleasantly surprised by the response to the event last year. “It’s a great recruiting event for us, to show people how great a department we have here, show off our faculty and our facilities and our program,” Hess said. The morning will include group and private lessons, a music theory class and a practice time that will be supervised by Music majors. The practice time is a great opportunity for the students to get feedback from people studying music. This also gives Music and Music Education majors experience with teaching.
The group will break for lunch and optional campus tours before the students will return to listen to a lecture about the aspects of music. The lecture will include things such as a career in music, practice tips and how to prepare for auditions. At the end of the day, there will be a recital for all of the students in the Walker Recital Hall. “It’s a lot of work for a one-day event because there’s so many different aspects to it that have to be in place,” said Hess. “We have some great student planners that have been helping us out: Kayla Bravchok and Mariana Mathewson, both string majors here, music ed.” The Music department is expecting around 16 participants, a small number, but Hess feels that it is OK. “It’s a nice amount for us to really offer some individual attention (and) personal mentoring,” Hess said. Piano and Strings Day is certainly a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved. Participants can learn about music and their instrument in an intimate environment. Music majors get teaching experience, and Mercyhurst gets to show off its Music Department. All the students and the faculty will be working together to make this a successful day. “It looks like it’s going to be another great year,” Hess said.
Page 4
Features
Sights ‘AIM’ high with conference By Kristian Biega Staff writer
Mercyhurst University’s nationally recognized Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst (AIM) program has been working to raise awareness for students on the spectrum as they continue to seek higher education and vocational opportunities. On Nov. 1 and 2 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center, Mercyhurst will present the conference on Autism in Higher Education. Brad McGarry, director of AIM, allowed this conference to take off. It was McGarry’s personal connection through his child’s Angelman syndrome and passion for advocating and educating that he acquired contacts with so many major leaders in the field. Over the years he has collaborated with many of these experts who were willing to help this conference become a reality. “These heavy hitters believe so much in what
Brad (McGarry) and Paulina (Wielandt) have implemented, that they want to collaborate with us just as much as we want to collaborate with them,” Holly Deitrick, AIM administrative assistant, said. This conference is proud to be hosting some of the biggest names in autism, including internationally celebrated author, activist and spokesperson on autism and professor of animal science, Temple Grandin, Ph.D. Having autism herself, she has paved the way for major strides in research and awareness within the field. Along with Grandin, Stephen Shore, Ed.D., will be giving a keynote speech during the conference. Shore is also on the spectrum and has become an extremely successful professor, researcher and advocate for autism through his hard work. Other speakers coming to the conference will be writer Steve Silberman, Ph.D., psychologist Robert Naseef, Ph.D., and Mercyhurst’s AIM director McGarry and assis-
tant director Wielandt. Every speaker coming to this event is an expert in their field and is truly passionate about the work involved in this growing program, not only at Mercyhurst, but all over the nation. Conferences like this not only bring awareness to the community, but also nationally to other colleges to help them cultivate programs such as these to support students on the spectrum who are looking to further their education, become self-sufficient and find a vocation. Everyone is encouraged to attend this unique conference that Erie and Mercyhurst are proud to host. Deitrick emphasizes that this it is a great opportunity and that is a “one-of-a-kind conference.” The conference is not exclusively for individuals on the spectrum, or even those directly impacted by autism, but anyone who wishes to gain awareness about autism in higher education. Employers and educators from across the nation are expected to
be in attendance to become aware of the next generation of employees and leaders of the nation. “The conference is really bringing everybody together,” said Wielandt. “On an employment front, on a higher education front and a family front.” She hopes it will start the conversation and get people asking, ‘How else can we make a difference?’ There are still tickets available for the conference at a reduced rate of $89 for students, alumni and staff of Mercyhurst. These tickets provide admission to both days of the conference and all of the speaker sessions. Separate tickets can be purchased for $20 for admission to only the evening keynote speakers. Wielandt hopes that this conference will only enforce that belief and make an impact in the autism community. “Everybody has abilities to do everything,” Wielandt said.
@TheMerciad
Students attend Science Consortium By Mathew Jury Staff writer
The Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle is hosting the twelfth annual Research Symposium. This year’s seminar will take place from Nov. 2 through 4 and will feature studies from the science community in Erie, including Mercyhurst students and professors. This event is being sponsored by the Regional Science Consortium, an organization of scientists from schools mainly in western Pennsylvania that collaborate to share their progress on any research they have conducted and, quite simply, to have a dialogue. One of those presenting is J. Michael Campbell, Ph.D., Biology department chair. “I will be collaborating with Dr. Rick Diz of Gannon University while advising students in presenting research funded by the Pennsylvania Sea Grant on the topics of harmful algal blooms and an overview of his plankton research,” Campbell said. “Although research through the RSC tends to focus on the ecology of Lake Erie, the seminar welcomes individuals conducting research in medicine, neuroscience, chemistry
Amber Matha photo
The head of a mosquito larva that the Public Health presenters observed while doing their research.
and even geology,” Campbell said. One of the Mercyhurst students presenting at this symposium is junior Biology major Molly Mills, working with Thomas Cook, Ph.D., from the Public Health Department. Their project is studying the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) in Erie County from mosquitos. “A common source of mosquito population growth includes illegal dump sites where tires are improperly stored such that water can collect,” said Mills. “The students involved in the mosquito project are all working from a public health perspective, but from different angles. The big question is what predicts an
increase in the production of mosquito larvae” In this study, the group is comparing mosquito data from 10 years ago to today to determine if there are changes in the waste disposal habits of people living in the area and how it influences the growth of mosquitos, and therefore, the spread of WNV. Mills has seen all sorts of things dumped illegally, including deer carcasses, tires and possible products of drug production. “This entire project consisted of weekly travel throughout the area and observing mosquito activity at dump sites,” Mills said. She explained that at this symposium, there would be
poster sessions with the students and five-minute speed presentations, encouraging students to give a brief summary of their studies. “I will be presenting my research in a 15-minute-long presentation, while the other public health presenters will be doing various other types of presentations, including a poster,” Mills said. The project involves four students, including a Public Health major, a Biochemistry major, an Environmental Science major and herself as a Biology major. She emphasized that this study was to allow four different pieces of a study to fit together like a puzzle. The purpose of the consortium is to share ideas and to show progress of research in an informal way. “I like that the conference has an informal nature. The point is to present pure, unpolished data to the science community and to share ideas,” Mills said. Mills is planning on conducting further studies with disease control through graduate studies. She will be presenting at this conference with other students and faculty members, including Sara Turner Ph.D., and Darlene Melchitzky, M.S.
LAKER MOMENT The Biology National Honors Society, Tri-Beta, took a trip to the Erie Zoo on Oct. 23. Pictured: (front) Zarah Pratz, Tri-Beta secretary; Erica Robinson; Julia Martino; Megan Stubbs, president; and Lan nhi Phung, vice president. (Back) Rachel Noel; Rachel Dunmire; and Nora Wagner. Contributed photo
October 26, 2016
The Merciad
Asking Mia Need advice? Have a problem that needs fixing? Mia is here to help. Email askmia.merciad@gmail.com for help. ******************* Dear Mia, My friend of four and a half years does not know that I am bisexual. I am afraid to tell them. This friend is very religious and even though they accept people who are homosexuals, they sort of don’t know how to behave around homosexuals. I fear that if I tell them I am bisexual they will begin to see me differently and I’ll notice a change in their behavior when around me. But also what I’m fearing the most is telling them that I am also agnostic. I neither believe or disbelieve in God. I found this out recently myself and trying to tell them this is even harder to do. I’m always having such anxiety over this. What should I do? The Agnostic Bisexual Dear The Agnostic Bisexual, Hiding your sexuality from your friend is hard to do, and I’m glad you’re comfortable with yourself to share it. It’s very hard knowing exactly how someone is going to react to this kind of information. You both have been friends for so long, your friend should accept who you are. I think it’s important that you tell them you’re bisexual. It doesn’t change who you are as a friend. Hopefully they can understand this, but if not they may not be a friend you need right now. It may take time for them to understand your sexuality since they are so religious, but you shouldn’t have to hide who you are. If they start to change their behavior around you tell them you’ve been bisexual around them for four and a half years so they really shouldn’t act any different. Again, you’re still the same person as you were before, and I hope your friend can realize that. How they handle your sexuality may be a good indicator on how and when to tell them that you are also agnostic. If they’re totally cool with your sexuality then I would tell them about your religious beliefs at the same time. This way you won’t have to stress about that one at a later time. If you don’t discuss both at the same time that’s OK. When you do find the courage to tell your friend that you are also agnostic explain exactly what it means to you. Since you do not believe nor disbelieve maybe ask them what makes them believe in God. If you really do not feel comfortable telling them, then you don’t have to. Find a good time for you. These things are bothering you and creating unnecessary anxiety so the sooner you can discuss it the better. I know it’s hard and scary but you need to trust yourself and everything will be OK in the end. I really hope your sexuality and religious beliefs don’t affect your relationship. Good luck! Sincerely,
Mia
October 26, 2016
The Merciad
Arts &
Page 5
Entertainment
What’s this? Elfman concert in the air? By Caitlyn Lear Staff writer
The Erie Philharmonic is bringing Halloween early to the city of Erie. On Saturday at 8 p.m., the music of Danny Elfman will be showcased at the Warner Theatre. Elfman is most famously known for musical collaboration with Tim Burton for Burton’s films. Elfman was born and raised in Los Angeles. He did not discover his composing abilities until his brother started a band, known as Oingo Boingo. He then met Burton, who was a fan of the band. He began composing for Burton’s films, the first being “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” They went on to do projects
like “Batman,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and more. Elfman has received four Academy Awards, a Grammy, an Emmy, the 2002 Richard Kirk Award and the Disney Legend Award. He also wrote the theme song for The Simpsons that has been used since 1989. The performance on Saturday night will include music from many of Elfman’s most famous compositions. Some of the pieces that will be showcased include “Beetlejuice Suite,” “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure Suite,” “Edward Scissorhands Suite,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas Suite,” “Sleepy Hollow Suite” and “Batman Suite.” There will also be music featured from other composers; “Danse macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns, “The Seventh
Voyage of Sinbad” and “Vertigo Suite” by Bernard Hermann and “Funeral March of a Marionette” by Charles Gounod. The Erie Philharmonic will be conducted by Daniel Meyer. Meyer is a graduate of Denison University, where he recently received the Distinguished Alumnus Citation and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He received the Orchestral Conducting Honors Award from Boston University, and in May he received an honorary doctorate from Edinboro University. Meyer has conducted at the Erie Philharmonic since 2007. The Erie Philharmonic Chorus, directed by Gabrielle Dietrich, D.M.A., will be featured in a few pieces, as well
as Ken Johnston, principal violinist, and Eden Dolanc, soprano. Johnston will be featured in “Danse macabre” and “Edward Scissorhands Suite,” while Dolanc will be featured in “Sleepy Hollow Suite.” The Erie Philharmonic Chorus will accompany the orchestra on “Mars Attack!,” “Edward Scissorhands Suite,” “Sleepy Hollow Suite” and “Beetlejuice Suite.” Audience members are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to the performance; there will a costume contest. Tickets can be purchased on the Erie Philharmonic website or at the Warner Theatre box office. Student tickets are $10, and for anyone without a student ID, tickets start at $22.
Walt Disney Studios
“Nightmare Before Christmas” is one of Tim Burton’s signature films to be featured at Saturday’s performance.
It’s up to you to solve the mystery By Naomi Greenstein Staff writer
MIAC photo
Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller as their alternating role of Frankenstein’s creation.
Get a ‘charge’ before Halloween By Rachel Sobina Staff writer
Are you ready to get into the spirit of Halloween? Then come to the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Oct. 30, at 1 p.m. to see “Frankenstein” presented by National Theatre Live. The National Theatre Live is a unique way to view a play as it is performed in real time without traveling very far or paying high rates for tickets. The production performance is live in the United Kingdom and it is transmitted to theatres and performance spaces throughout the world, such as Mercyhurst University. In the production, based on the novel by Mary Shelley,
Victor Frankenstein is a young man looking for the secret of life. He becomes so obsessed with his desire to find a secret formula that he spends months creating a human out of odd body parts. When the monster unbelievably comes to life, Victor goes to tell a friend, and when he returns, the monster is gone. Shortly after, Victor receives a letter bearing sad news of his youngest brother’s untimely death. Convinced his horrific creation is behind the crime, Victor vows revenge. The play continues, with an unusual relationship forming between Frankenstein and his creator.
The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating roles as Victor Frankenstein and his creation, Haydon Downing and William Nye as William Frankenstein, Andreea Padurariu as the female creature, along with several other cast members playing other roles. The play is directed by Danny Boyle. If you are looking to get into the Halloween mood, then come to the PAC on Sunday to see “Frankenstein.” Tickets are $18 for adults and are free for any Mercyhurst student who shows their ID at the box office.
It’s that time of year again– time for the Mercyhurst Theatre Program to dazzle us once again with one of their brilliant musical performances. This year’s production is more unique than ever; “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” a Tony-award winning musical, is not an ordinary show. It is a solve-it-yourself musical that emphasizes, even relies, on audience participation, because it is the audience that chooses the ending. “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” takes place in the era of a Victorian music hall, yet breaks down the fourth wall by featuring a rowdy group of actors who mount a staging of Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel. Each person on the stage is a possible suspect in the disappearance of the young Edwin Drood, and it is up to the members of the audience to choose the killer. The quirkiness of this production comes from the postmodern twist on an unfinished Charles Dickens tale and the fact that each performance ends quite differently, depending on what the audience decides. Brett D. Johnson, Ph.D., director of the upcoming production and the Mercyhurst Theatre Program, says, “The
The cast of the musical “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”
pleasure of pointing an accusatory finger at the culprit is only one of the many delights of the show. You have the giddiness of the framing device – that of a veteran troupe of music hall players bickering, leering and scavenging for laughs as they perform a stage version of Dickens’ tale – and Rupert Holmes’s timeless pastiche of a score, including the soaring ballad ‘Moonfall,’ the patter song ‘Both Sides of the Coin,’ and the operatic ensemble number ‘No Good Can Come From Bad.’” After its initial Broadway premiere in 1985, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” won five Tony Awards and became the very first Broadway musical to have multiple endings determined by the audience. Don’t miss your chance to
Rebecca Holt
play a role in this quirky and fantastic show. Performances are Nov. 3 to 5, at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 5 to 6, at 2 p.m. in Taylor Little Theatre on the Mercyhurst campus. Single tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for senior citizens and students, and $5 for youths and Mercyhurst students with ID. All performances are general admission, with doors opening 30 minutes prior to curtain. Reserve your tickets today at miac.mercyhurst.edu or 814-824-3000. Tickets will also be on sale at the theatre beginning one hour before curtain. Cash only. For more information, visit miac.mercyhurst.edu.
Photography students celebrated the festival of Holi By Carlena Bressanelli Staff writer
Online
Down the hallway, connecting the Performing Arts Center to Zurn, your eye will probably wander to an assortment of photographs. The photographs were taken by Gary Cardot’s Art 305 Digital Photography class at New Vrindaban, Moundsville, West Virginia. Cardot took them to The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) also known as the Hare Krishnas. The pictures are in the
Gary Cardot
From left to right: Yeshey Tsogyal, Ashley Podrasky, Carley Moynihan, Jeff Annunziata, Naomi Greenstein, Megan Pacileo and Kelsey Mader.
display cases along with an explanation of the ISKCON movement and the pho-
Full list of events can be found on the MU website
tographers include: Ashley Podrasky, Kelsey Mader, Jeff Annunziata, Carley Moynihan
and Yeshey Tsogyal. The photos are from the festival of color, named “Holi,”
View upcoming performances: www.mercyhurst.edu/events
and it was part of a documentary study for the class. They photographed the temple, the “Palace of Gold,” the grounds, festival, concert and the people chanting the holy names of God. According to the information you can find in the display cases, ISKCON began in 1966 when several people went to the East Village and taught hippies the religion of Krishna consciousness. Swami Prabhupada promoted principles of asceticism in the avoidance of alcohol, gambling, meat eating and sex outside of marriage. The Hare Krishnas began
evangelizing in the ’60s with dancing in the streets, chanting and singing “to cleanse the world of all evil.” Their temples are located in over 50 countries and the religion is a branch of Gaudiya–Vaishnava (monotheistic) Hinduism which has been in existence in India since the 15th century. They believe in several doctrines such as the soul never dying and reincarnation. It is estimated that nine million people worship in ISKCON temples each year.
merciad.mercyhurst.edu/category/arts_ entertainment/
Page 6
October 26, 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.
Parking on campus is a challenge By Caitlyn Lear Staff writer
Every student knows the feeling of trying to find that last open parking spot in the morning before classes, weaving through every aisle until the treasured spot is found. Then you check the clock and realized you have less than thirty seconds to get to class. As an on-campus student, parking was not a huge problem for me but for commuters, finding a spot can be a struggle. The university attracts a lot of local students who decide to commute to save a few extra bucks. Then every morning, after avoiding the students walking to classes, they have to fight one another for the sparse spots available to them to park. To add to the struggle, any lot that commuters have access to are shared lots.
Residents have seven lots available to them, and visitors and faculty each have two lots just for them, yet commuters have no lots specifically designated for them. So where commuters can park, the spots are normally overrun by faculty, residents, visitors or those who park without a pass. If you have a class any later than 8 a.m., then the struggle is even more real. You might manage to catch someone leaving for the day, but chances are, you might be circling the parking lot, or parking across campus just to get a spot. If you forget to bring something along with you to campus, say a laptop charger, it is an internal struggle between a dying computer or losing the sacred spot secured earlier that morning. Finding a spot is not the only issue with the parking. During the winter, some parking lots can become dangerous. I lived in Duval as a
sophomore and had to park on the top of the parking garage. I understand that the maintenance team works very hard to keep the snow clear for students walking around campus, but sometimes the parking lots seem to be forgotten. There were days that I had to shovel my way out of the entire parking garage just to get to work. Even when it was plowed, they ended up taking up half the parking spots with the snow or plowing me in. It seems that pushing the snow onto the grass, where it would not be in the way, would not be the most difficult of tasks. Yet it always ends up in the corner of a lot somewhere, taking up a dozen or so spaces. Since the garage is raised and has no solid ground below it, the ground ices over very quickly and makes it very slippery. There were multiple times last year that the top of the
garage and the stairs leading to it were not properly salted. I fell on at least half a dozen occasions, and watched many people come crashing down as their feet flew out from underneath them. There is the option to park underneath the parking garage, yet it comes at a cost of $200 per year, and spots are limited. On top of that, snow ends up covering some of the spots underneath in the winter because of winds and plowing. So, in reality, it does not make the spots any more ideal or safe than the ones above. Needless to say, the parking situation on campus could use some updating. Especially with the large freshman class that will soon be able to have cars on campus, parking lots will become even more crowded.
Staff writer
November 1 is Advising Day. This is the first year that there is going to be an entire day set aside just for advising, but what does this mean for students, specifically freshmen? As a freshman this is the first time that I get to schedule my own classes and the lack of information has left me and many other freshmen confused.
A lot of us do not know what Advising Day actually is. Many freshmen seem to think that advising day is the day that we schedule our classes. Some have also thought that we scheduled before advising day and did not know that your advisers have to sign off on your classes. This confusion seems to come from the lack of information that is being given to the freshman class. Our first semester of college was scheduled for us by our advisers. Not having scheduled our first semester of classes ourselves leaves us
with nothing to work with in regards to how this process is supposed to go. Luckily for me, I am an honors student and because of that, I was assigned an upperclassman mentor. We were able to go over some scheduling details that I was confused about and now things regarding WebAdvisor and the scheduling process make a little more sense. I think a session about scheduling and Advising Day can and should be incorporated into the iMU classes to make sure that every freshman will at least have some understanding of what to
The Class of 2016 senior class gift, the anchor, was installed outside of the Audrey Hirt Academic Center on Oct. 25.
Amber Matha photo
Bad
@TheMerciad
Advising Day is a gift for freshmen By Lauren Abbott
Good
expect when it comes time to plan for spring semester. While it may be confusing, I am happy that we get the day off from classes. Not only can we meet with our advisers, but it also allows more time to catch up on work and assignments. We are being thrown into trying to figure out how to schedule on our own for the first time without having all of the information of what is expected of us and the steps we need to take to ensure that we are properly setting ourselves up for success here at Mercyhurst.
Halloween is on a Monday, and we have class. The only saving grace is that Nov. 1 is Advising Day and classes are canceled.
Weird It is almost Halloween and nothing weird is going on around campus, to the knowledge of the Merciad staff. That in itself is weird.
Living green in Green and Blue Nation By Sarah Miller
Contributing writer
Online
Of the many obstacles aggrieving our world today, none is more urgent than humanity’s incessant demands on the Earth’s resources. Though saving the environment always ranks high on surveys and polls—proof of our recognition that we need to change our lifestyles—a considerable gap exists between our good intentions and reality. College students can have the final say when it comes to decisions, even for sustainability, on campus. As the next voices of our nation, we have to learn to be environmentally friendly in using natural resources like water, air, forests, agriculture and wildlife without damaging them. As a student body, we need to push for more environmental awareness and innovation on campus. Colleges must be initiators of change, working in broad strokes to achieve victories for humanity and the planet we call home. However, administrators will be slow to minimize our campus’ ecological
footprint if we, the students, do not voice our wishes to make a change. I implore you to take initiative here at Mercyhurst to get involved with sustainability and the Green Team or at least begin to think green. Do not wait for someone else to do the hard work because then we will all be looking around asking, “Why didn’t anyone do something?” when it is already too late. If we do not care about the environment, who will? You can easily conserve energy on campus by washing clothes in cold water whenever possible, and use a drying rack or clothesline to save energy. Try to limit the use of air conditioning and heating. This means setting your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs. Also, unplug appliances when you are not using them. There are easy things you can do around campus to help reduce, reuse and recycle as well. For example, do not litter; it is not difficult to find a trash can or recycling bin. Dispose of harmful materials properly, re-use or recycle
things you no longer need and place recyclables in proper bins for pick up. Our dining hall coffee cups, for example, can go in the trash. However, the lids and sleeves can be recycled! Think of all the forests and we can save from deforestation or contamination. Imagine all the habitats of innocent animals that we are destroying by being irresponsible and neglectful. Take reusable bags to the store with you to grocery shop instead of opting for paper or plastic. Take notes electronically rather than in notebooks when allowed so you do not waste paper. Lastly, be mindful of where your products come from. If you eat meat, consider adding one meatless meal a week. The livestock industry contributes more greenhouse gas emissions globally than the transportation sector, and the ecological footprint of vegetarians is estimated to be around half that of meat eaters. Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. Look for
Read more at
merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion
products and brands that are responsible in their production and cruelty-free. Only buy used items and shop at thrift stores. This is an inexpensive, relatively effortless way to save the environment one piece of clothing at a time. Even though it is important that individuals have the knowledge for going green, this alone will not be enough. In order actually make a difference, we all need to be willing to trade off immediate gains for long-term sustainability. Making these choices requires connecting daily decisions to long-term consequences that all of society will have to face. By advocating sustainability, we can not only contribute to the long term livability of the planet, but also save on operating costs and ultimately provide a better learning environment for all students. The impact of what we are doing to our planet needs to be addressed and acted upon. Individual efforts can also make a major impact, so do what you can every day to make your life greener.
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 26, 2016
Page 7
The Merciad
Sports
Football bested by Seton Hill University By Bernard Garwig Staff writer
The Mercyhurst football team squared off against the Seton Hill University Griffins in Greensburg Oct. 22, as a part of the latter’s Homecoming celebration. Despite being able to chip off a significant chunk of a huge deficit in the second half, the Lakers ultimately were unable to overcome the Griffins, who made a stand after running over the Lakers in the first half. The Griffins ended the first quarter up 14-0. Khalil Howard, scorer of the second Griffin touchdown, would end the game with a single game record of four touchdowns. Griffin quarterback Christian Strong also had a big day, going 28-46 for 458 yards and four touchdowns. The second quarter only saw the Griffins build their lead, with the score at the end of the half being 34-7. The lone Laker touchdown of the quarter came at the 10:51 mark, with Mercyhurst quarterback throwing a 2-yard pass to receiver Brad Novak. Entering the second half, the Lakers faced quite an uphill battle. After a field goal by kicker Dylan Kondis, the Griffins responded with another touchdown to make the score 41-10. It was after this however, that the Lakers started chipping away, with a run by Doug Altavilla and a pass on the next drive to tight end Bryce Mostoller that made the score 41-25 (Mostoller also caught a pass for the extra point play). The Griffins would score again, but the Lakers were also able to put up another touchdown at the 1:04 mark to make the score 48-32 with a catch by wide receiver Danavian Clay While the Griffins scored early in the fourth to make the score 55-32, it would be their last of the game. Running back Richie Sanders took it all
PSAC finals: Men’s Golf places 4th; Women’s 5th Overall By Bernard Garwig Staff writer
Hurstathletics
Wide receiver Danavian Clay had two touchdown interceptions throughout the game. The junior was an important asset for the Lakers with 10 catches for 114 yards.
“
We left a lot of opportunities out there, especially in the first half, only scoring seven points, that’s not something we like to do as an offense.
”
Quarterback Doug Altavilla
the way for a 66-yard touchdown return, but Kondis missed the extra point. At this time, there was still 5:11 left, but the Lakers were still down by 17 points. The Lakers were unable to score again until the 0:58 mark, when Altavilla threw a 7-yard pass to Clay to make the score 45-55, Griffins. Altavilla threw for 406 yards and was 27-57 passing and had four touchdowns and three interceptions. Sanders ran for an all-purpose total of 351 yards and had a touchdown, Clay had 114 yards and two TDs, wide receiver Clay Waldron had 94 yards and
receiver Brian Matthews also recorded 74 yards to lead the offensive stats. Novak also had 54 yards and a touchdown, and Mostoller added one to the total. On the defensive side, the Lakers saw six tackles each by D-backs Tarique Ellis and Rocky Owens, linebacker Kazimer Struna and defensive lineman Ryan Carroll. Defensive back Akeel Marsh led the squad with seven total tackles. A fumble was forced by defensive back Dorian Stevens as well, and defensive lineman Theophilus Blackston III recorded the lone Laker sack of the day. Altavilla, when asked about the end result had this to say.:“We left a lot of opportunities out there, especially in the first half, only scoring seven points. That’s not something we like to do as an offense,” say Altavilla. The Lakers went four and out four separate times in the game, and were only three of 17 on
third down. “Our coaches do a great job scouting throughout the week. The game plan was spot on, but they (Seton Hill) are a great team, and they played to their strengths, blitzing a lot,” elaborated Altavilla. The Griffins recorded six sacks on Altavilla. The Lakers (2-6) will return to play California University of Pennsylvania on Saturday at Tullio Field. On the subject of California, which is currently 7-0, Altavilla said that “it’ll be a tough football game,.We got to play smart, do the things well that we’ve shown to do throughout the season and just play hard.” California was ranked eighth in a American Football Coaches Association poll taken Oct. 17.
@TheMerciad
From Oct. 15-16, both the men’s and women’s golf teams competed in Hershey for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s Championship Tournament. At the tournament’s conclusion, the men finished fourth in a tie with Millersville University while the women finished fifth. The two teams faced competition from seven other schools for the men and eight other schools for the women ,respectively. In the first round for the men, the Lakers were in a three-way tie for first with California and West Chester, each with a score of 304 (+22). On the women’s side, the Lakers finished with a score of 334 (+53) and were in fourth. For the second round, the men scored 307 for the round and 611 (+43) for their total to finish in fourth behind California (606), West Chester (605) and IUP (603). The Lakers also tied with Millersville University. For the women, the Lakers finished fourth with a round score of 346 and a total score of 680 (+112) overall and placed fifth. Gannon took first in the Women’s Tournament, and was followed by California and Kutztown in second and third place, respectively. Moreover, West Chester finished fourth. Leading the men’s in individual score was freshman Adrian Larsen with a score of 150 (+8) overall. Larsen tied with four other golfers for sixth place. Sophomore Harrison Laskey was the next best tied for 14th with a score of 152 (+10), followed by senior Chris Kupniewski (153, +11) in 16th, senior Zach Miller in 23rd (158, +16) and senior Ryan Mehnert (159, +17) in 25th. The Lakers women had
freshman Bridget Merten lead the team, finishing 11th individually with a score of 162 (+20). Freshman Abigail Vietmeier was next in 16th place (167, +25), followed by freshman Sage Avery in 23rd (175, +33), freshman Victoria Ortiz in 27th (179, +37) and freshman Michaela Thomas in 29th (181, +39). Prior to the tournament, Kupniewski named PSAC Athlete of the Week after finishing as the tournament medalist in Gannon’s Howard Elwell Tournament held Oct. 2-3. “We were expecting to win it, but a few of us had rough days both days and we couldn’t put a good round together,” Kupniewski said. Last season, the men’s team won the tournament. Despite not winning the tournament, Kupniewski highlighted the team’s successes in the fall season as a whole. “We almost led every tournament at some point,” said Kupniewski. “If we keep playing the way we have, we should have a good shot in every tournament we play in, especially for NCAAs.” Merten spoke positively about the fall season. “I feel our fall season went really well considering that we have introduced five freshmen on the team this year,” Merten said. “I feel that since we know what we need to work on over the winter that we will be able to have a successful spring season.” The women’s team competed in the tournament with an all freshmen squad. “I strongly believe that a lot of our mistakes on the course were due to our anxiety of being a group of five freshmen coming into a big tournament and also because of our lack of knowledge about the course,” Merten mused.
Boston winds blow Lakers to end of the Charles river By Karah Hollis Editor-in-Chief
The Head of the Charles Regatta — a fitting name for the two-day competition held on the Charles River in Boston this past weekend. Mercyhurst University women’s 8 placed ninth out of 28 crews this year. Mercyhurst finished the winding, three-mile course in 18:58.532 while fighting the Boston winds. “If it wasn’t the Head of the Charles, races could have been canceled or delayed because of the wind. Because it’s such a big race, you can’t cancel it. It’s like canceling the Oscars of rowing,” Chelsea Guida, coxswain of the women’s team, said. The three-mile upstream course begins at the Boston University Boathouse and ends near Herter Park. However, the weather New England poses can be more challenging than the winding course. Winds up to 20 miles an hour can easily blow the boat off course. “The wind affects the way we row. The boat is light and we have long oars. It affects the way we row by making it harder to steer,” junior Leah Griffin said. Griffin is a vet-
eran on the course, placing second with the team last year and competing again this year. There are many turns on the HOCR course. If the wind is blowing in the opposite direction the boat is turning, it is more difficult to turn quickly. “What made it difficult is you start in a ton of wind, then it dies down, and then it picks back up again. So, you end up having to adjust the stroke a lot,” Guida said. Dealing with the wind is only one of the challenges of this regatta. There are other boats on the water at the same time, trying to navigate the corners of the river. Sometimes, it can get congested and the coxswain is forced to make difficult decisions. The coxswain is the leader of the boat. He or she coaches the team through the course from the head of the boat. If another team makes a move on a boat in front of them, the boat has to move out of the way so the other boat can pass. “Another team was coming up on us, but they didn’t tell me to move. If they did tell me, I could only move one way which actually gave me the faster line,” said Guida. “We got really close but I just continued and made the turn as planned.”
The goal of this race is to finish in the fastest time, which means taking the course in the least amount of meters as possible. Taking wider turns leads to more meters and a slower time. “Because I held my line, I was able to take the turn in the least amount of meters,” said Guida. “The announcers even talked about it, calling me a very aggressive coxswain. People onshore thought we collided, but we just made it.” Another aspect of this race is that other boats cannot penalize each other. In regular-season regattas, boats can penalize each other for collisions and other fouls. This leads to unseen penalties going uncalled, sometimes giving the advantage to other boats. “You can’t have penalties in this race. Only officials onshore can penalize boats,” Guida said. To prepare for the regatta, the team traveled to Presque Isle where the weather presents similar challenges as in Boston. Griffin also said they practiced long rows on the rowing machines indoors. “We always want to place, but we just want to have a good race, a good row and work together as a team,” Griffin said.
Contributed photo
Mercyhurst University women’s 8 placed ninth, despite the wind. They finished the course in 18:58.532.
The HOCR is a unique race as anything can happen on the water. There are more factors teams must deal with than in common regattas. “Seventy-five percent of the race is how you deal with the Charles (River): all the turns, more boats racing together, collisions, mess-ups and the weather,” Guida said.
“Having a good coxswain is very important--it can make or break the race. That’s why it’s called the coxswain’s race.” Although the race is challenging, it is the most popular and well-known race in rowing. Teams compete by invitation only, including the best teams in the world. Olympic rowers can even be
spotted on the water. “It’s probably my favorite race I’ve ever rowed in. It’s very exciting,” Griffin said.
@TheMerciad
Page 8
October 26, 2016
The Merciad
Laker
Living
’Hurst Hacks: Failure 101 Miranda L. Miller Copy editor
Failure is a facet of reality, which many people today are wildly uncomfortable. Everyone fails, and when I say fail, I mean catch-the-kitchen-on-fire, break-a-Ming-vase, accidentally-call-your-professor-“Dad” mistakes. College culture today insinuates that if we are not in 15 extracurriculars, do not have a 4.0 GPA, are not published in every publication in our field and have not had a personal letter of recommendation from Gandhi, President Barack Obama and Oprah herself, we are failures. Young adult culture shoves beautiful Instagram posts of people on holiday, people with perfect bodies,
people with expensive clothes and some kind of black magic called an “açai bowl” in the faces of college students, insinuating that this is success. We are reminded by some in previous generations that they believe that we are lazy, that we do not work as hard and that we are simply not as good as they were when they were children. How can one human live up to all of these expectations? Do you not sleep? Do you lie or cheat? Do you sell your soul to some demon whose name you had to use Siri to pronounce? Short answer: you don’t. Long answer: striving to achieve other people’s definitions of success will never lead you down a fulfilling path. You have to decide what means success to you. You will absolutely fail
on the way, and you will absolutely make mistakes, but that does not mean that you are the human embodiment of a walking tire fire. That means you are human, which is great! Welcome to the club! Failure is stigmatized so heavily today that it creates a miasma of anxiety over many people who are trying to achieve anything from opening their own business to nailing their golf swing. Failure is not the end of an adventure. Failures are what pave the streets of your adventures. It feels like the end of not the world, not the universe, but every thing that has ever been and ever will be when you mess up. Your palms sweat. Your knees shake. Your stomach decides it wants to be a trapeze artist when it grows up
and the best time to practice is right now. But my grandma always told it to me like this: will you be the only one who remembers this in a year? In five years? In ten? In most cases, probably. You also don’t have to give yourself ulcers trying to find solutions to mistakes. Apologize to the offended. Replace the broken. Learn from your transgressions. If none of these things are applicable, complain to your friends until you feel better. Sometimes, there just aren’t actions to perform to make them better. Go home, yodel until your throat gets sore and release the frustration. Once you move on, mistakes will seem smaller and less like the worst thing on the planet.
Game Zone
Way back When... The Merciad presents articles from yesteryear in their original form, including headlines. This week, our blast from the past is from February 1930.
A Hurricane in Florida Crash! Bang! Lightning! Weird noises! Rain, steadily falling, the sound of its downfall drowned out by furious wind! What a night! My cousin and I had driven to Tampa for the week-end. We noticed during the late afternoon that the ocean drive was exceedingly windy, and waves were leaping high over the beach. The wind seemed to be increasing steadily, and the rain began to saturate us in our open roadster. Suddenly my cousin screamed in my ear, “Look! The Hurricane flag is out!” I looked up at the building and there it was flapping a grim warning to us all, the flag that sends panic stricken people scurrying in all directions. After that, we lost no time at all in getting back to the home of our hostess. Before we were in the house, it had begun to get dark. A worried family met us at the door. The first thing
I noticed was candle light. Excitement? I had always wanted to be in a hurricane, anyway! I didn’t have to wait long. All the street lights went out. Glancing out of a window I saw that everything was hidden from view by the blackest night possible. Trees were falling, and the crash was deafening. The windows rattled incessantly. All night long the storm kept on. We expected the roof to go any minute, but we were lucky. It was the end of the storm that had hit Tampa. It caused much devastation, however, in other places near to us. It even took several lives. It was a terrible, and yet a wonderful experience. Never again do I want to hear the wind scream and whistle. For it means one thing, the Hurricane is at its full height. —D.J. Hastings, ’33.