Features

NEW AT HURST

Contributed photo

By Victoria McGinty Features editor

“Hurst is Home” reigns as one of the leading mottos that best represent the university. Of the many alumni reintroduced to the Hurst this year is Kristian Biega.

Biega graduated from Mercyhurst in 2020. The Pittsburgh native spent her undergraduate career as an English and Marketing double major and was very involved on campus. She was involved in a variety of campus activities which include being the News Editor of The Merciad, a leader in Campus Ministry for Carpe Diem 11/ MYRACLE, President of Sigma Tau Delta and part of the Mercyhurst Concert Choir. “I really liked the fact that I could get to know my professors and classmates so well too,” said Biega.

Following graduation, Biega ventured back to Pittsburgh to earn her M.S. in Marketing Science from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business.

Now, the Mercyhurst community has welcomed Biega back to campus as an asset to the Marketing Department as a Marketing Coordinator. Her job keeps her busy as the department is always taking on a new set of projects. “My work as marketing coordinator is very writing-heavy-- I am the editor for The Morning Tide email newsletter, I write for various mailings, emails and articles for the Mercyhurst Magazine, and help in the copy editing process for a lot of different projects,” Biega said. “I also really enjoy working with everyone in the Marketing Department. Our different strengths play well together as a team and we also have fun in the office as a group.”

Biega is thrilled to be back on campus. She was drawn to the campus’ sense of community initially and she feels it holds true today. “The community we have here is special. As a former student and now employee, I feel cared for and glad that I work with a community of caring and open-minded individuals who only want the best for the school and its students,” said Biega.

While Biega is no longer a student at Mercyhurst, she is still active on campus as one of the Advisors for the Merciad. She enjoys still taking part in campus life such as Hurst Day and attending MIAC shows. In her free time, Biega enjoys a variety of hobbies including theatre, reading, bullet journaling and watching Marvel movies.

Mercyhurst is grateful to have Kristian Biega back on campus. If you knew her as a student or have had the opportunity to meet her this year, she is a wonderful asset to the Laker community. She is always willing to talk with current students or just say “hello.” You can find her in the Marketing Department located in Old Main 204.

MU honors Veterans with memorial celebrations

By Samantha Weber Managing editor

Veterans Day was celebrated on Nov. 11. Mercyhurst University certainly had a lot of ceremonies to celebrate the holiday.

To kick off the day, the ROTC students who are in the Color Guard raised the flag as part of Reveille at 7:45 a.m. Even though this is early in the morning, there was a great turnout to start the day off by honoring the Veterans.

Erie News Now was even there capturing the beautiful ceremony. Sophomore ROTC Cadet, Bethany Jentz, is a part of the Color Guard and loves being involved in it.

“I enjoy being part of Color Guard because it is another way to show my love and appreciation towards the military and my country. I like the structure and ceremonial aspect of the Color Guard,” Jentz said.

The second ceremony of the day was the Ceremony of Valor at 3:30 p.m.

“As the person who planned the Veterans Day events here at Mercyhurst, I thought all of the events were equally great! If I had to pick a favorite, though, it has to be the Celebration of Valor,” said Chris Constantine, Mercyhurst’s Veterans Services Coordinator, said. “This yearly event brings our Mercyhurst family together to honor our veterans, past and present, in a moving ceremony. I love how our Army ROTC Cadets run the ceremony and how our students within the Music Department willingly participate, too.”

To begin the Celebration of Valor, a local music group called “Music for Veterans” began playing at 3 p.m. for attendees who arrived early. To begin the ceremony, a few of the ROTC Cadets in the Color Guard did the Presentation of Colors. The ceremony consisted of President Getz giving a speech about how veterans and Veterans Day are important to Mercyhurst.

ROTC Cadet Ryan Morrissey introduced Mr. Robert Hill, who is a Purple Heart Recipient and

Contributed photo

The Veterans Day observance began with a flag raising at 7:45 a.m.

Commander of the Erie Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Hill discussed the history of the Purple Heart award and how it all began with George Washington wanting to honor three soldiers in a different way than the other military awards in 1782.

“When I asked Mr. Hill if he would be willing to speak, he was very excited for the opportunity! His Chapter of the MOPH is not as large as it once was, and I thought maybe having him as our guest speaker would give the group some good exposure,” Constantine said. “He and his group have been meeting on a monthly basis in our Veterans Lounge here on campus. Mr. Hill was instrumental in having Mercyhurst designated a Purple Heart University in 2018 (at that time, we were the second designated Purple Heart University in PA).”

At one point, ROTC Cadets freshman, Alexander Matusiak, and sophomore Theodore Counihan explained the Fallen Soldier’s Table, also known as Missing Man Table. This tradition is meant to honor and remember those who gave their lives to protect their country and its people.

To conclude the ceremony, Major Kawlinowski played “Taps” on the bagpipes and then those who attended were able to enjoy some light refreshments and some cookies.

To conclude the day, the Color Guard lowered the flag that they had flown earlier in the day in a ceremony called Retreat. This took place at exactly 4:57 p.m. and it was the final event Mercyhurst did to celebrate Veteran’s Day.

Some people might have a personal connection to Veterans Day maybe through family or friends but it is always important to celebrate no matter if you know anyone who has been in combat or not.

“I really enjoy celebrating Veterans Day every year. It’s the one day each year that I try to connect with all my friends that were (or still are) in the military & thank them for their service. I also like to take a few moments to reflect on my time in the Air Force,” Constantine said.

Jentz agrees with Constantine’s view.

“Veterans Day is extremely important to celebrate because we are honoring all of the men and women who have served to protect our rights and freedoms in the United States,” Jentz said. “Anyone who serves in the military makes sacrifices of some capacity for the good of the country and everyone in it, so they deserve to be honored and celebrated.”

RSCO FEATURE

THE VETERANS ASSOCIATION

By Laren Reesman Staff writer

Last week marked the anniversary of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, commemorating all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

The civilian campus community may be surprised to know there is an active Veterans Association on campus with upwards of 70 members.

The Mercyhurst Veterans Association (MVA) currently accepts full-time undergraduate and graduate activeduty or veteran students. The group seeks to help these students acclimate to university and civilian life in general.

The MVA also has a commitment to the Erie community veteran population and hopes to become more involved in volunteer and outreach programs. President of the MVA, Sterling Vahey, says to reach out to him or any other officers to be involved in community outreach activities geared toward veterans. In fact, they are promoting participation with the Veteran’s Service Organization in Erie for the holidays.

In collaboration with Wreaths Across America, volunteers will lay wreaths on the graves of over a thousand fallen soldiers across Erie. Each Remembrance Wreath will be placed on a grave while announcing the soldier’s name. Wreaths Across America will visit the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home on Dec. 18 and are seeking wreath sponsors and volunteers to help lay the wreaths starting at noon. So far, only 111 have been sponsored for Erie’s 1,332 fallen soldiers. The most common donation is $75 for 5 wreaths with each one priced at $15 per wreath.

Vahey says this will be the MVA’s main activity this semester aside from normal meetings, but they hope to increase community-centered opportunities as the pandemic continues to wane. Vahey stresses the MVA’s importance as a place where members can bond as an older student population as well. Many veteran or military students start school after entering the military and serving for a time, meaning they are often older than those who come to the school immediately after graduating high school. Vahey says the MVA’s members are very academically focused and often receive scholarly accolades and other recognition while in school. Veterans are an integral part of the Mercyhurst community as students, faculty and alumni.

Even after service, they look for ways to serve those around them, whether it be in teaching, sharing expertise or connecting civilian students to future employers. Civilian students can also do more to recognize and honor those who have fought for them.

Vahey says an easy way to honor veterans and active-duty students is to attend campus events like the flag raising and awards ceremony on Veteran’s Day every year or other larger events throughout Erie. He also says that simply stopping to thank a veteran and even asking about their experiences is another way to show interest and honor their service.

While civilian students may not be MVA members, pay attention to the Laker Launchpad for upcoming events and volunteer opportunities for everyone, and do not be afraid to thank Mercyhurst veterans for their sacrifices. Honoring those who have served or are serving in the military goes beyond one or two days a year. Remember them during the holidays as many cannot go home and remember the freedoms they fight for to protect Americans.

Laker Side Hustle: Quality Chatter

By Frankie Divincenzo, Victoria McGinty Staff writer, Features editor

While the pandemic has been somewhat of a negative experience, one of the many reasons one can be grateful for the experience is due to the allowed free time to tap into our creative mindsets.

Like many of us who have taken on a new project over the past year, students at Mercyhurst are always taking on astounding passion projects. From mask chains to keychains our Lakers are hard at work trying to leave a lasting impact on the world even in a pandemic. While many students are starting businesses, some are hard at work publishing meaningful content. Junior history and political science double major Lily Smith dedicates her free time to her new passion project: “Quality Chatter: A Podcast.”

Smith is a long-time podcast fanatic and she was first inspired to create her own podcast upon listening to “The Skinny Confidential,” a podcast dedicated to lifestyles and honest conversations. “There is so much value to people’s experiences and I want to share that same perspective with people. Working on this passion project will give insight into things that any person can go through,” said Smith.

“Quality Chatter” will be split into episodes with each one featuring a person in Smith’s life. Each episode will highlight her guest and highlight the individualities and experiences of the person.

Smith is currently planning to do an introductory episode where she introduces herself and what she plans to highlight over the course of the podcast.

In the first “official” episode Smith is planning to interview an old friend of hers who is a first-generation college student with a rich Italian cultural background. This episode will discuss Smith’s guest’s heritage, her experiences and how her culture impacts her family and the individual on a day-to-day basis. Smith plans to interview her friends and those with different backgrounds and universal perspectives.

“My goal of these episodes to highlight well-rounded experiences of those around me,” said Smith.

Aside from the personal interviews, Smith plans to discuss a variety of topics over the course of this podcast. As a humanities major, Lily plans to shed light on issues and controversies within the fields of history and political science. She also wants to discuss social issues and “down-to-earth” topics similar to the honest nature of her favorite podcasts.

While Smith is currently in the earlier stages of her podcast she is hopeful to turn this project into something bigger than herself. She is currently in the planning and recording stage of the process, but she has big plans for the project once the semester settles down.

Once established, Smith plans to create her platforms and create a semi-regulated schedule of publication “but it’s all up in the air at the moment” as Smith said. Smith plans to publish her podcast on various streaming services such as Spotify, Overcast and Apple Music.

Smith provides some insightful advice for anyone considering a passion project.

“Just go for it. Even if you don’t know a lot about what you want to do, life is too short to not express yourself. Remember that everything starts out small but, things happen in time,” said Smith.

Be sure to look out for “Quality Chatter” on all of your favorite podcast streaming services.

If you have a small business or know a friend who has one and want to have it featured in The Merciad’s “Laker Side Hustle” section, email merciad@mercyhurst. edu or message @merciadmu on Instagram to have your business featured.

Contributed photo

The official logo for Smith’s podcast “Quality Chatter”

LAKER MOMENT

Contributed Photo On Nov. 16 The Roost hosted a pretzel-eating contest for the first time since the pandemic started. The contest was limited to five entries and was met with a great turnout. With the winter season quickly making an appearance on campus be sure to drop in The Roost for a delicious pretzel. Be on the lookout for any more contests hosted by Parkhurst around campus!

HURST CLASS CATALOG

WORLD MUSIC/JAZZ HISTORY

By Sarah Beck Staff writer

Music majors, you are going to want to read this. MUS207 is a world music and jazz music history class that will get you jamming and grooving.

This class is taught by Dr. Allen Zurcher Instructor of World Music and Jazz Music History who previously taught at Mercyhurst from 1987-1990 and recently rejoined the faculty in 2006. One of Zurcher’s favorite parts of teaching is interacting with the students.

Students’ testimonies indicate that Zurcher seems to be an amazing and interactive professor. Junior music major Willow Lapp said, “What further brought me excitement [to take world music/jazz history] was knowing that Dr. Allen Zurcher would be teaching the course. Dr. Zurcher is an incredibly talented saxophonist and someone I have looked up to throughout my time here at Mercyhurst. It has been a pleasure to be in his class and get to learn from him.”

World music and jazz music history is taught every fall semester and is open for any music majors who would like to take this class. The course itself is split into two parts: world music history and jazz music history.

The first half of the semester is typically focused on world music history. During this portion of the semester students take time to examine a wide variety of cultures and their different musical forms from all around the globe. Zurcher said that the emphasis for this portion of the course is on, the cultural significance and performance practice of music from specific ethnicities.

The lateral half of the semester is focused on jazz music history. During this section of the class, students learn all about the origins as well as the evolution of jazz from the Civil War to the present day.

While learning about the evolution of jazz, there is also a large emphasis on specific significant individuals in the world of jazz music that students get to learn all about.

“Currently we are in the Jazz History portion of the course, which is something I have definitely been excited to take as a collegiate Jazz musician myself, specifically on saxophone,” said Lapp.

Zurcher is a strong believer that historical context is very important, but that students should also be able to develop abilities that allow them to analyze as well as discuss music with a common understanding. “I approach this course from a performance practice perspective,” said Zurcher.

This class truly emphasizes the growth of these two skills throughout the entire semester. Hayley Ripple, a senior Music Education Major with a concentration in voice said, “I really enjoy that this class focuses on music other than the culturally accepted styles that our Western Music has to offer. The class has given me plenty of opportunities to partake in the music of other cultures, including creating a muk’yu (pronounced Muyu), which is a Chinese poem or traveling song that was used to communicate stories between migrators to the United States.” All in all this class is an amazing opportunity for music majors to gain a valuable overview of world music and jazz history as well as offering an opportunity to gain a broader understanding of various differing cultures and their music from all over the world.”

Parkhurst Dining gears up for a festive Thanksgiving Feast

By Hannah Brooks Staff writer

In what seems to have all occurred within the blink of an eye – the fall semester is beginning to wrap up, snow is starting to fall in the city of Erie and the holidays are no longer just approaching; the season is now.

As the year wraps up and is headed into another cheery season to end what has been a very long year. And what better way to wrap up this year with a festive, themed dinner right here at Mercyhurst?

Parkhurst Dining will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving dinner for students on Thursday, Nov. 18. Since it is one of the biggest themed dinners that Parkhurst puts on all year, it is certainly one you won’t want to miss out on.

The tradition of Parkhurst’s Thanksgiving is going into its twelfth year. The tradition started back in 2009 when Parkhurst Dining started doing food service at Mercyhurst, according to Arthur Catrow, Parkhurst’s Chef de Cuisine.

Catrow says that the dinner has evolved greatly since it first began back in 2009.

The dinner boasts many traditional Thanksgiving staples, such as turkey (arguably the main feature of Thanksgiving), stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, root vegetables, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls.

There will also be a southern focus at one of the stations offered, which will include homestyle favorites such as slowcooked greens, baked macaroni and cheese, bourbon-glazed ham, black-eyed peas, cornbread and deviled eggs.

While your mouth is already watering at the mention of these homestyle foods – don’t deny it – the desserts are going to have you in a rush to be first in line as soon as the food starts being served.

The food is delicious and lots of hard work goes into planning the meal. According to Catrow, there is a lot of planning involved, as well as ordering the products, preparing and executing the dinner. He says that the entire process takes about three to four weeks total. He adds, however, that although there is a lot of work that goes into this dinner, it is very rewarding and the end result makes it all worth it.

“It is very detailed, time-consuming and logistically challenging, but it is also very rewarding to the soul. What better way to feel accomplished than by providing a delicious, well-planned and well-received meal that brings joy to everyone involved,” said Catrow.

Parkhurst’s Thanksgiving Dinner will take place in both the Grotto Commons and Ryan Hall’s 501 Grill. There will be a plethora of stations with a multitude of delicious foods for students to choose from.

The Parkhurst staff puts a lot of work into this well-loved and respected Mercyhurst tradition.

Make sure you come out to support the staff in their efforts to prepare a delicious meal for the students and faculty of Mercyhurst University.

Besides, what better way is there to wrap up a semester than with a hearty meal with your friends?

Social work students conduct research project on AIM program

By Mackenzie Zent Staff writer

Each year the senior social work majors are required to complete a senior project. This year the nine seniors are focusing on the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst (AIM) program. The goal is to get the Mercyhurst community’s thoughts, opinions and feelings on the program.

There is a Google survey that Mercyhurst students and faculty can take to see what they know, what they would want to know more about and their overall general attitudes toward the AIM program.

With such a small group of nine seniors, each of them will be able to get more involved in their senior project.

There is also an Applied Sociology and Social Work club at Mercyhurst, which is very involved in planning advocacy events on campus. The club includes everyone in both social work and sociology majors and is great to be a part of for students who want to make a difference and help other people.

“We are still in the works of partnering with a Mercyhurst sports team to plan an AIM advocacy and inclusion game,” said Mary Bauer, senior Social Work major and President of the Applied Sociology and Social Work club.

“Our goal is to have this game by the end of the semester,” said Bauer.

Contributed photo The official QR code to access the social work AIM survey

The details of this are still being worked out, but the Mercyhurst Community will definitely be hearing more about this event once everything is finalized.

The game will be an exciting and fun way to help advocate for inclusion as well as diversity in the Mercyhurst community.

The nine social work seniors are excited about their project and want to encourage everyone at Mercyhurst to take a few minutes to fill out their survey.

The survey only takes about two minutes to complete and it is completely anonymous, so everyone is encouraged to fill it out!

The link to the survey can be found on the Mercyhurst Social Work’s Instagram (@mercyhurst_socialwork). In addition, one can scan the provided QR code to participate.

It is important for a large amount of the Mercyhurst community to fill out this survey so that the seniors can understand what needs to be done to help improve the program. With the information gathered from the survey, the seniors will be able to advocate better for both the program and the students who are a part of it.

Hurst History Professor to present at Blasco Library

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Mercyhurst has always prided itself with having students, alumni, faculty, staff and everyone in between make names for themselves and influence others through their work outside of Mercyhurst’s campus.

Benjamin Scharff, Ph.D., Chair of the History Department, is no exception. On Nov. 17., he will be giving an important presentation at the Blasco Library.

Scharff’s presentation is titled “To Pursue Happiness in Their Own Way: Indian Removals and the Failure of the American Promise.”

With his specialty being in Native American history, Scharff’s research has been ongoing for years.

“I haven’t conducted extensive new research for this presentation, but instead have drawn upon research I’ve conducted for my own works along with that I do for my normal courses, most significantly when I offer my Native American History course and my Early Republican America course,” Scharff said.

The title of the presentation just goes to show just how important the topic Scharff is covering is.

“The first part of this title is a quote from Andrew Jackson in support of his Indian Removal policy,” Scharff said.

“I see it as a play on the Declaration of Independence’s ‘promise’ of the pursuit of happiness for all Americans, and the corruption of that promise with regards to our nation’s Native American policy.”

Scharff believes strongly that this is a crucial topic to cover and discuss. “Jackson claimed that, once removed, native peoples would be free to pursue happiness ‘in their own way’ outside the boundaries of the nation, rather than be included within it,” Scharff said.

“I will cover a longer history of removal that predates this seminal event, dating back to prehistory.”

Scharff is not just excited to be teaching about such an important topic; he is also very glad to be doing it in person in front of a live audience.

“As a public historian, I’m looking forward to engaging the public (my expected audience) in a spirited, if difficult, discussion about our nation’s history,” Scharff said. “I’m also very excited to engage in an in-person event, something that I’ve not been able to enjoy in a long while.”

Over the past year, Mercyhurst has had a lot to be proud of in regards to the History Department. Chris Magoc, Ph.D., worked alongside Preservation Erie last year to create the African American Shared Heritage Trail. Averill Earls, Ph.D., was just awarded the Judith R. Walkowitz Prize for the Best Article in the History of Gender and Sexuality by the North American Conference on British Studies.

And now, Scharff is here to make history students, faculty and alumni alike proud.

This is an extremely important topic to cover and the Mercyhurst community is incredibly proud of Scharff for doing so.

Hurst announces renovations to the Student Union

By Hannah Brooks Staff writer

Over winter break, the Student Union will be receiving updates, including new furniture, new activities and an overall new feel to the entire area.

The updates will be completed while students are away from campus, so no interruption in services will be noticable. Some of the many pieces of furniture being added include a large sectional couch; coffee tables; a tall gathering table; shorter cafe-style tables, which will be perfect for studying socializing and playing games; leveled window seats; soft pod style chairs with attached side tables; and small pull-up side tables that are able to be moved around the room if and when needed. “All of the furniture is fairly easy to move around so that the space can still be used for a programming space and so students can rearrange furniture to where it suits their needs,” said Steph Przepiora, Director for Campus Involvement.

Additionally, the air hockey table in the great room will be moved to McAuley Hall and the Great Room will be receiving a new foosball table.

Przepiora said that there have been many board games ordered specifically for the Great Room, as well as two HDMI cables that can be used with the televisions on the South Wall.

Adirondack chairs and two hammocks were already added to the patio off of the Great Room at the beginning of the semester.

“These spots will be great places to hang out when the weather becomes nice again,” said Przepiora.

Upstairs in the Half Moon Lounge, new cafe tables; a taller bar-style table; and pod chairs have been added. Campus Ministry will also be receiving some new renovations, such as new chairs for the Prince of Peace chapel to give that area a face-lift. In the Mercyhurst Student Government Chambers, dry erase tables will be coming to replace the old tables that are currently in this area. These will be great for collaborative work for MSG, clubs/organizations and students who simply need a place to study.

Additionally, MSG has partnered with the University to receive updated lighting in the Student Union, which will help brighten up this space more.

With the new furniture and updates, the Student Union will have a modern-lodge vibe, according to Przepiora. It will be cozy and the cheerful earthy blue and green tones of the furniture will add to this look, as well as playing off of Mercyhurst’s colors.

“We want to bring students over to the Union and make it a hub of student activity, as it should be,” said Przepiora. She added that with more functional, nice-looking, comfortable furniture and a new variety of activities, the Student Union will hopefully attract students to visit and use these spaces more.

The Student Union is open Monday-Thursday until 11 p.m., and later on the weekends along with the Roost, which is located downstairs.

According to Nick Brodfuehrer, Intelligence Studies & Political Science major and President of the Mercyhurst Student Government, funding for this project came from an excess of leftover money from student activity fees from the 2020-21 school year.

The student activity fee is a fee that is included in each student’s tuition every year. And since COVID prevented many activities from being held that year, there was a lot of resources to be utilized this year. Renovating the student union will be beneficial to all students.

Students will experience no disruption to utilizing the Student Union unless they stay on campus during Winter Break.

The opening date is Jan. 20., 2022.

Be sure to check out the Student Union once it is finished for the spring semester and utilize it as the hang-out spot that it is meant to be.

By Hannah Brooks Staff writer

Historical Event: Nov. 11 1918

History.com photo

On Nov. 11 1918, also known as Armistice Day, World War I came to an end at 5:00 a.m. Germany was faced with invasion and signed an armistice agreement with the Allies outside of France. According to History.com the war left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded.

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