A&E

Mercyhurst Jazz Band dazzles campus with big-band concert

By Victoria McGinty Features Editor

One of the many things society has missed during the pandemic is the ability to enjoy a live performance.

Live art is one of our campus’ most valuable attractions due our array of incredibly talented students and professors alike.

Fortunately, with the slow process of returning to normalcy, concerts and live performances are starting to be held again.

Of the many activities slowly making a comeback, Mercyhurst is thrilled to hold live performances yet again, especially in the various departments whose purpose is to perform.

On Nov. 13, the Mercyhurst Jazz Ensemble held its fall concert in the Taylor Little Theater at 7:00 p.m.

The concert titled, “It Doesn’t Sound Little,” featured a variety of arrangements that the “smallbut-mighty” ensemble was able to showcase their talents with.

Associate professor of Music, Scott Meier Ph.D, was incredibly humbled to direct the showcase of students in front of a live audience yet again.

Due to his students’ incredible talents, Meier was able to choose some difficult and impressive pieces.

Meier was eager to feature the following students and their musical talents yet again.

The saxophone section featured Willow Lapp (alto saxophone), Dennis Whalen (tenor saxophone) and Cooper Hicks (baritone saxophone).

The trumpet sections featured Kirk Morrison and Austin Aldrich with Rebecca “Becky” Ferguson on the trombone beside them.

A hearty percussion section rounded out the ensemble featuring Jacob Perry (piano), Shawn Preston (drums), Camryn “CC” Smith (percussion) and Emily McGarvey (bass).

The ensemble took on an array of selections with the intent of highlighting the musicians both as a group and for their individual strengths and talents.

This is a luxury afforded by the individual talents that each performer possesses.

The concert began with Rick Stitzel’s arrangement of “Birdland,” an upbeat, well-known jazzy arrangement that featured Lapp, McGarvey and Perry on their respective instruments.

The second piece, “Dat Dere,” was first made famous by Bobby Timmons in 1960.

The ensemble chose to play the Mark Taylor arrangement, which highlights the arrangement’s elements of swing and mystery. This piece featured the remarkable talents of Perry on the keyboard.

The third piece, “Speak Low,” which was originally made famous by Kurt Weill in 1943, works with sound dynamics.

The Chuck Israels arrangement that the ensemble played highlighted these dynamics perfectly and featured Ferguson, Whalen, Morrison and Perry on their respective instruments.

The fourth piece, “Sea Breeze,” was the most laid-back of the arrangements in the ensemble’s repertoire.

It was a nice change of pace from the rest of the concert, so it felt well-placed.

This Douglas/Norman composition featured Morrison on the trumpet and demonstrated the variations of dynamics and mood that jazz can take on in many forms.

The fifth and sixth arrangements, “Afro Blues” and “The Other Brother’s Mother’s Blues,” however, reintroduced the audience to the other side of jazz, known as blues, that also holds a unique place in music’s history.

These arrangements featured Perry, Whalen, Morrison and Ferguson.

The concert concluded with John Mills’ arrangement of “Two Finger Punch,” which is a lesser-known piece, but nonetheless a fantastic arrangement to conclude a concert.

This enthusiastic piece did not feature any students but demonstrated the talents of each student combined as an ensemble.

Meier was humbled and excited to interact with his students and the audience.

At many points during the performance, he consistently exclaimed to the audience his gratitude to showcase a concert in a live setting again.

“My job is music, and I have the profound privilege to make music every day with amazing students and colleagues. I am deeply enriched by what I get to do and share with others,” wrote Meier on the concert’s playbill.

His students also share the same gratitude. Morrison said, “This performance really demonstrates how tight playing can make a jazz combo sound like a full big band and I am thrilled to share that with an audience again.”

The concert was successful and was met with a solid turnout and the audience was responsive to the arrangments and the comedic remarks from Meier.

If you missed this concert, the Music Department is always hosting something amazing that you can experience.

In the near future the deparment has many events to look forward to. The Small Ensembles concert is set for Dec 1. Follwed by a Mercyhurst Christmas Gala on Dec. 5 and a senior voice recital by Senior Voice major Hayley Ripple to close out the semester on Dec. 12.

For more information on what is in the future for the department visit the events page on the university website or reach out to Meier at smeier@mercyhurst.edu.

The 814: Give a Crepe La CrepErie

By Mackenzie Zent Staff Writer

Located at 2431 Peach Street, Give a Crêpe La CrêpErie is a great place to stop for breakfast, brunch or a quick snack!

Not only is their name creative, but they have a great selection of food, too.

They offer a variety of delicious crepes on their menu, both sweet and savory.

They currently offer seven savory crepes and five sweet crepes, as well as an option to create your own!

You can choose your “base” of Nutella, caramel, whipped mousse or fruit du jour, and then decide what other toppings you want such as strawberries or bananas.

Each sweet crepe is then topped with powdered sugar to finish it off.

Something I was intrigued by is that they make their own homemade cinnamon caramel sauce and homemade lemon curd. A lot of businesses will just buy sauces and things like that pre-made, but knowing they go the extra mile to give their customers the best experience shows that they care.

I wanted to try the banana and caramel crepe, but they were out of bananas when I went; so, I had the Nutella and strawberry crepe instead, and I really enjoyed it.

When you order, they ask if you want them to be vegan or gluten-free, which is great for customers who may have allergies or dietary restrictions.

From what I understand, every crepe they serve can be made to be gluten-free or vegan.

Unlike most restaurants, they have gluten free and vegan batter available all the time, so this makes Give a Crêpe more unique and more accommodating for people who may struggle eating out with dietary restrictions.

They even take measures to avoid cross contamination, so people with Celiac and similar conditions are still able to get a delicious crepe.

The inside is set up so customers can watch the employees make their crepes right in front of them, which is really cool.

While customers are waiting for their crepes, they can browse through other items they sell like shirts and sweatshirts with their logo on them, organic soap, lip balm, lip scrubs, stickers and more.

One downside to the restaurant is that there is nowhere to eat inside.

Customers have the option to either take their crepes to go, or they can take their crepes to the coffee shop next door, The Tipsy Bean.

When you take their crepes to The Tipsy Bean, they are on disposable plates, which isn’t great for the environment, so that was a little disappointing.

Another thing to keep in mind is their hours. They are only open from 10a.m. until 2p.m. (every day except Monday).

When I found this out, I thought it was strange that a breakfast place is only open for four hours of the day and not any earlier than 10a.m.

All of the employees were really friendly and made me feel welcome. They are excellent with customers and are willing to go above and beyond to make our experience memorable.

I noticed that a lot of customers were regulars, as the employees knew their orders already.

It was nice to see how much they cared about their customers and how kindly they interacted with them.

Give a Crêpe La CrêpErie has something everyone will like!

It is a fun experience getting to watch them make your food in front of you, and it is a great breakfast restaurant to try if you are gluten-free or vegan.

Make sure you stop in and try it for yourself!

For more information about Give a Crêpe La CrêpErie you can visit their website of follow them on social media @giveacrepe.

Mackenzie Zent photo

Nutella and strawberry crepes from Give a Crepe La CrepErie.

Dance Department debuts production of ‘Swan Lake’

Left to right: Kara Hallstrom, Jak Gauker, Gabi Harris, Mia Semieraro, Jillian Pohl and Megan Wade in their Swan Lake costumes.

Photo taken by Nadine Fox

By Nadine Fox Staff writer

The Dance Department at Mercyhurst University has recently debuted their opening performance of Swan Lake on Friday, Nov. 12.

It was a really beautiful experience to see the creative process and watch the ballet come together.

To say the least, the show is absolutely thrilling and stunning.

It was truly inspiring to watch all of the dancers’ hard work and efforts pay off as they brought the classic ballet to life.

The Mercyhurst Dance Department’s production of Swan Lake could not have been done without Noelle Partusch, Chair of the Dance Department, and Jennifer McNamara and Matthew Christensen, two instructors on the dance department faculty who partnered as Artistic Directors of the production.

The ballet was also in collaboration with the Mercyhurst Civic Orchestra conducted by Jonathan Moser, which brought a whole new level of liveliness to the theatre.

“I am most looking forward to performing on stage again after two years. Due to COVID-19, most of us have not been on a real stage in front of an audience since the pandemic started. Being able to perform in a safe way, with testing and vaccinations, has been very exciting,” said Gabrielle Harris, a freshman dance major who performs as a Lady in Waiting and a Waltz dancer in the production.

The Mercyhurst Dance Department is also in partnership with an organization fundraiser called Safe-Net, which works in raising awareness towards ending domestic violence. The proceeds from the donations given at the shows will go to Safe-Net and the dance department’s Jenni-Lyn Scholarship, which benefits senior dance majors by providing them funds to travel for job auditions.

Swan Lake is an iconic, classical work and the ballet still contains all of the recognizable elements of the original choreography, but with a unique, modern twist in an attempt to deconstruct some long-held assumptions about the implications of the original ballet (and the conventional expectations of classical ballet, as well).

For example, the antagonist, Sorcerer Von Rothbart, who is typically played by a male dancer, is danced by a female, Emma Devore. Additionally, the Jester, typically cast as a male dancer, will also be danced by a woman, senior dance major Maya Richards. There is also a male swan in the swan corps who is played by Ramani Rosa. “One of the highlights of Swan Lake is being able to see the gender fluidity of the roles, such as Von Rothbart, the Sorceress of the storyline. Normally played by a male, this lead relies on the idea that men hold the power. However, in this production, this role is played by a female and is used as more of a guide to each of the characters,” Harris said. “Being in a production with this representation is important to a new age of the dance world, where gender fluidity is more represented. Though putting on a fulllength ballet can be stressful, the Mercyhurst Dance Department has done an amazing job.”

If you did not get the chance to make opening weekend, you can buy your tickets for the second weekend of performances taking place Nov. 19-21 at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

“If you did not come see the show just yet, I highly encurage you to do so I promise you won’t regret it,” said Devore.

Be sure to come out and support the dancers in their final show of the fall semester!

Hurst Hot Take: ‘Desperate Housewives’

By Victoria McGinty Features Editor

Television has been the center of our society’s entertainment for decades now. There are television shows that have been easily forgotten, but then there are those that have solidified themselves as classics in our society’s cultural vault.

Television shows from the early 2000s, for example, have been resurfacing in our culture amid the streaming service phenomenon.

Of the many beloved shows that have made a reappearance in our culture (and in our hearts), the one that needs to be discussed more is the 2004 classic, Desperate Housewives.

Desperate Housewives is a dramedy (drama and comedy), mystery, soap opera that follows the lives of four women in suburbia following the death of their good friend, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong), who commits suicide in the opening of the pilot episode.

The eight seasons follow the lives of her friends: Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross), Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) and the women’s families.

The show highlights the lives of these women, their families and their relationships. The show mainly takes place on Wisteria Lane, the fictional street where each character lives.

While the story is mainly comedic, there is some element of mystery in the earlier seasons and themes of family, love and death that linger throughout each season.

One of the best things about this television show is how it views cliche elements of suburbia and elements of the friendship the women have with one another and as a group.

The show is narrated by the late Mary Alice Young as she watches over the women and the life she has left behind on the Lane; Young’s commentary provides input to what each woman is going through.

One of the unique properties of this show is the way it portrays each woman and their individual struggles. Although the show focuses on the four women, it is also skilled at highlighting the relatable struggles of their families, romantic lives and the other neighbors on Wisteria Lane.

Another critical element to the show, especially the earlier seasons, is the element of mystery.

Following the events of the pilot, the mystery of the first season is devoted to what led to Mary Alice killing herself.

The second season raises the question: “How much do we know about our neighbors?” The remainder of the show shifts to focus on the evolution of the women’s families on the progression of life on Wisteria Lane.

Desperate Housewives was created by Marc Cherry, who is a respected writer and producer known for creating theatrical shows.

Since this show Cherry is still active in the industry and has since created Why Women Kill, a unique show that is very similar to Desperate Housewives due to its whimsical themes and symbols of suburban life.

This 2004 favorite was once raved about by wine moms and critics alike. It first premiered on ABC on Oct. 4, 2004, and reoccurred every Sunday night at 9 p.m. for its entire eight-season, eight year-run on-air.

Totaling 180 episodes, Desperate Housewives was a critical success, and its pilot episode pulled in 21.64 million views according to the show’s Wikipedia page.

Over the course of the eightyear run, the show would win a total of 71 awards and would be nominated for various awards a total of 273 times.

Today, Desperate Housewives is still heavily respected as a prodigal of classic 2000s television and still has a following to this day.

For example, Meryhurst’s organization MIAC hosted a concert by Vanessa Williams who held a starring role on the series in the seventh and eighth seasons.

“Wisteria Gays” and “Tales From Wisteria Lane” are two active podcasts that watch and review the show respectively.

Numerous Instagram accounts are dedicated to actresses of the show, and the show itself (which can be binged on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu).

If you are looking for a show that is light-hearted, mysterious and a great look into early 2000s suburbia, then Desperate Housewives is the perfect match for you!