FEATURES
PAGE 6
BUGS ON CAMPUS
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Erie Community raises funds to help Brad McGarry By Bella Lee
Staff writer
Contributed photo
By Ashley Barletta News Editor It was a Monday evening. I was returning from the Merciad office, exhausted and ready for bed. I walked into my apartment without paying much attention to anything, that is, until I got to my room. “What the hell?” I saw flies everywhere. Fruit flies were swarming the apartment, and there were too many to count. There was a cup of apple cider vinegar in the kitchen that I had put there a month ago. It was covered in flies, as well as a second bowl of apple cider vinegar my roommates had put out. I went into the bathroom, and there were flies all around the shower, the sink, anywhere there was moisture. I was thoroughly disgusted, but had no idea what to do except disinfect everything like a crazy person for the next hour. Even going to bed was stressful because I truly did not want to be in my apartment at all. The next morning, I had asked around to see if others in the building were having the same problem. They told me yes. Then they told me to use apple cider vinegar. By this point there were three bowls of it in the apartment. I am still racking my brain trying to think of what could be causing this, but upperclassmen living in the building seemed to know about it and even expect it. My sister, who had lived in the Briggs/Lewis apartments for three years, said that she didn’t really have a fly problem, but she did have an ant problem. On the third floor. When the weather gets colder, you might find an abundance of bugs in your building. If you’re cold, they’re cold, right? Have a bowl of apple cider vinegar sitting out, and expect your entire apartment to stink like vinegar. If you have ants, find where they are entering and sprinkle down some baking soda there. Other solutions to help with the fruit fly problem is to mix dish soap in with the apple cider vinegar to help the bugs stay stuck when they land. In addition to apple cider vinegar, students who are of age can use wine or any other sweet alcohol in a cup and cover with a piece of plastic wrap with pin holes in it. This attracts the bugs and gets them intoxicated and stuck under the plastic. If you have spiders in your apartment, you can utilize a mixture of water and peppermint essential oil or extract and spray around doors and windows to prevent spiders from entering your apartment. If there is an ant problem, you can spray them with white vinegar and also use that to repel them. Good luck in your battles against bugs, Lakers!
The Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst was founded in 2008 by Brad McGarry. Since then, he has served diligently as the program’s director, seeing AIM grow from a mere seven students to 77 and from being the only staff member to being one of seven faculty members. However, McGarry is going through a big fight, and the students and staff at Mercyhurst have rallied together to support him. In mid-May, McGarry was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This is a condition that attacks nerve cells, reducing functionality in muscles and progressively weakening the body. Those who have ALS lose the ability to use their body, rendering them unable to walk or write, and then they progressively get weaker, relying on technology to eat or even speak. Sadly, this disease always leads to death. This incurable condition has seen those such as theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg fight through. To help McGarry and his family be as comfortable as possible, AIM Student Support Coordinators Amanda Mulder and Liana Hicks teamed up to create a GoFundMe to go towards medical costs and other assistance. “Brad has good days and bad days as he battles ALS,” said Hicks. “On good days, he can use his arms and walk some. On bad days he often needs to rest, and his body does not cooperate with what he wants to do. For example, there are times when he needs his head propped because his neck muscles do not want to hold up his head that day.”
Contributed photo
The official QR code to donate to McGarry’s GoFundMe.
McGarry has been going through his condition for several months now, but it has taken its toll. At the beginning of his diagnosis, he lost the ability to use one of his arms, but has since been rendered unable to use either of his arms, relying on talk-to-text technology to send texts or emails and assistive technology to help him eat. Additionally, he is losing strength and function in his legs. On better days, McGarry can do a shuffle-like walk with the assistance of a walking stick, but on bad days, he relies on a wheelchair to get around. McGarry has had a profound impact on the Mercyhurst community and autism communities nationally and internationally. He has testified before Congress and has attended conferences all over the world to raise awareness for autism support. He has also raised awareness for Angelman syndrome, a condition that affects the nervous system. “He has dedicated his life to
helping others and continues to do so every day,” said Hicks. “Personally, Brad inspires me every time I am around him. He has an amazing gift to reach others like no one else can. He uplifts the people around him and brings so much joy to everyone he knows and meets. Not to mention, he is so fun to be around. We want to see Brad enjoy the rest of his time he has on this earth because he truly deserves it,” said Hicks. As of this writing, the GoFundMe fundraiser has raised over $20k out of a $100k goal. If you want to donate and/or share to help McGarry, you can scan the QR code to access the GoFundMe. McGarry has done so much for the Mercyhurst community, so it’s about time that we return the favor.
LAKER MOMENT This week Parkhurst dining hosted a Halloween dinner and lunch at Grotto Commons and the 501 Grill. They had spooky Halloween decorations and even gave out candy. All of the food they served had fun Halloween names like “We Are Not Alone Calzones,” and “Radioactive Punch,” which was really cool. This was a great way to bring the Mercyhurst community together and get everyone into the Halloween spirit! Mackenzie Zent Photo
Parkhurst set-up at the 501 Grille on Friday Oct. 29
