November 30th Issue of the Merciad

Erie company shows support for Ukraine

By Vydalia Weatherly Staff writer

Erie-based shipping and lo gistics company, Logistic Plus, recently opened a brand new of fice in the port city of Gdansk, Poland. Gretchen Seth currently works for Logistic Plus.

When asked why he chose to place the office in Poland, Seth had a logical response.

“We expect this to be part of the rebuilding in Ukraine at the end of the war,” said Seth.

As of February 2022, the company had approximately 50 employees located in Ukraine. Logistics Plus had previously do nated $500,000 to help support those employees in Ukraine.

Logistic Plus has already been playing a pivotal role in mov ing relief items into Ukraine through their warehouse in Rz eszow, near the Ukrainian bor der, and office in the west of Krakow in Katowice.

The company plans to help coordinate getting needed sup plies out of Poland and into Ukraine.

“This area is full of maritime traffic and so we feel we’re ide ally located to take advantage of this gateway into Poland and then across the border into

Ukraine,” Seth told reporters.

“We feel like eventually this conflict is going to end and when it does, we want to be in a good position to help right away so any kind of cargo you can think of: from humanitari an aid to big project cargo will be coming through this office,” Seth said.

The war in Ukraine has been going on since the neighboring country Russia launched a mili tary offensive on Ukraine’s Soil on Feb. 24, 2022.

As of Nov. 21, the Office of

the High Commissioner for Hu man Rights reported that 16,784 civilian casualties, including 6,595 deaths have been record ed.

However, the number is spec ulated to be much higher, and millions are still at risk. More than 7 million Ukrainians are internally displaced, while an ad ditional 7.5 million have fled the war-torn nation.

The war in Ukraine has result ed in the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two. Recently Russian has been fac

ing many setbacks, including not being able to fend off Ukrainian troops from liberating the city of Kherson.

The United Nations has at tempted to establish safe pas sage for life-saving medical sup plies and essentials throughout Ukraine.

For the first time since Rus sia’s invasion of Ukraine, hu manitarians from the United Nations were able to deliver es sential supplies to citizens living in Kherson on Nov. 14.

On the same day, the United

Nations General Assembly ad opted a resolution calling for Russia to pay war reparations to Ukraine. Ninety-four nations voted in favor of the resolu tions, 73 nations abstained from voting, and 14 nations voted against the resolution.

The World Health Orga nization has also come out to condemn Russia for violating international humanitarian and human rights law, accusing Rus sian of 703 attacks on health care sites since the beginning of the war.

On Nov. 16, Rosemary DiCar lo the United Nations political affair chair informed the secu rity council that some of the most intense bombardments in Ukraine have occurred in recent days. DiCarlo warned against the risk of spillover into other nations.

Despite preparation for the end, the war in Ukraine is still ongoing and should be closely monitored.

It is companies like Logistic Plus that offer a source of hope for all of those watching this war from a distance.

It optimistically offers help for the future, showing that the war will end even if it seems eternal right now.

New animals find a home at the Erie Zoo

By Eva Philips Staff writer

The Erie Zoo is one of the most popular attractions in the area, and its recent addition of several new animals makes it even more appealing for visitors of all ages.

The Erie Zoo acquired a female Père David’s deer, as a companion for the other Père David’s deer that the zoo houses. The deer are named Lisa and Tai Yang. They live in the same enclosure as the zoo’s mouflon sheep herd.

While the addition of these new residents is exciting, visitors to the zoo will have to wait patiently to observe the deer in their habitat until the spring when the Safaril and Train opens for the season.

In acquiring these Père David’s deer, the Erie Zoo is supporting efforts to conserve the species, which has been extinct from its natural habitat in China for over a century. Without organizations like the Erie Zoo, the species would be completely extinct.

Père David’s deer are also known as the milu or elaphure. While they appear similar to the white-tail deer common through out the northeastern United States, their thick antlers and shaggier coat set them apart.

The deer were not the only new additions to the Erie Zoo’s pop ulation.

Also joining the zoo are two

young red pandas, Lukas and Mi kah. Lukas and Mikah are brothers and previously lived at the Seneca Park Zoo. Their new home at the Erie Zoo is in the Asia Tower’s red panda exhibit.

Lukas and Mikah were brought in to replace Neo, Joe, and Pu mori, the previous group of red pandas at the Erie Zoo. These three red pandas were relocated to assist in breeding plans aimed at increasing the red panda pop ulation.

Red pandas are endangered, meaning that they face a high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.

If they became extinct, the only remaining red pandas on earth would reside in zoos and other organizations. Conservationists have worked diligently to ensure the continued survival of the red panda species.

Recently, red pandas have gained extra publicity due to the release of Disney’s “Turning Red,” a movie in which the main character unwillingly turns into a giant red panda. Red pandas are known for their charming appear ance, with a ringed tail, reddish coat, round face and pointed ears.

Finally, the population of the zoo grew naturally, with the births of two litters of naked mole rat pups. The naked mole rat exhibit is located within the zoo’s main building.

Also known as sand puppies, naked mole rats are native to the Horn of Africa. Unlike the Père

David’s deer and red pandas, na ked mole rats are considered a sta ble species and are not in danger of extinction.

They are notable for the bald appearance that gives them their name and for their reliance on their sense of smell, as they are virtually blind and deaf.

The Erie Zoo has a number of other exciting exhibits, home to exotic animals like lions, leopards, tigers, alligators and pythons.

The zoo opened in 1930 and has welcomed scores of visitors ever since. Its proximity to Mer cyhurst makes it a great destina tion for students looking for a fun weekend activity.

Though the zoo closes for the season on Dec. 1, be sure to mark your calendars for its spring open ing on the first day of March — it will certainly be worth a visit.

imals mentioned, so make sure to see the great variety offered.

Exhibits include monkeys, gi raffes, elephants and lions, so there are plenty of different ani mals for everyone to see.

The Erie Zoo is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Consider visiting these new exhibits and all the other exhibits once it reopens in nicer weather.

The Erie Zoo has plenty of other

besides the new an

exhibits

ajot.com photo

Katowice, Poland Team: Olena Popova, Katia Kyrylenko, Aga Adamus, Katia Markelova, and Ola Kenig.

GoErie photo

Two red pandas residing at the Erie Zoo (pictured), are now joined by two new red pandas, named Lukas and Mikah.

Are Twitter’s days coming to an end?

By Bella Lee Staff Writer

Twitter is a social media giant that has been around since 2006. It has seen the rise and fall of social media platforms such as Myspace, as well as the rise and continued growth of social me dia platforms like Facebook and Instagram. It has stood the test of time, but with Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform on Oct. 27, its reign might just come to an end.

Ever since Musk’s acquisi tion and abrupt policy changes, employees have been leaving in mass migrations.

In just over a month, between 1,000 and 1,300 employees have resigned, after Musk has imple mented schedules that have in cluded 80-hour work weeks and not allowing employees to work from home.

Additionally, Musk has not followed through with many of his promises to employees, with one former employee taking to Twitter to express his frustra tions. The employee was prom ised three months of severance pay if he were to resign, only to be suddenly fired shortly after and only being given four weeks

of severance pay.

This has been part of Musk’s ultimatum to either work the 80-hour work weeks (equal to approximately 11.5 hours of work per day) or quit with the three months of severance pay, to which fewer than 50% of the less than 4,000 workers left re maining have agreed on.

To add fuel to the fire, this was already after he laid off half of the company. This could mean that Twitter will lose up to an additional 2,000 workers if Musk sticks to this plan.

This all culminated on Nov. 17, the deadline for the ultima tum to be made, when all of Twitter’s offices abruptly shut down.

It is said that the closure oc curred in order to prevent phys ical sabotage while the company sorts out access revocations. In other words, it seems like Twit ter is concerned that its disgrun tled employees could wreak hav oc on their way out the door.

The offices closing and the throes of employees leaving have left many concerned that this is the end of the line for Twitter. While Twitter is not the largest social media platform, it is still a popular one.

Large platforms need teams of people working day in and day out to make sure they run as they should. Users now fear that the company simply will not have enough people left to keep it running—especially with Twitter offices closed.

With Musk’s new additions such as paying $8 a month to have the blue check mark of verification next to people’s us ernames, it is no surprise that this is a concern among users. As big as Twitter is, an actual shutdown is not totally likely to occur.

Peter Clowes, a senior soft ware engineer at the company who resigned earlier this month, took to Twitter to explain his frustrations and why he left the company in a long thread.

“If I stayed I would’ve been on call constantly with little support for an indeterminate amount of time on several ad ditional complex systems I had no experience in,” Clowes said.

“There was no vision shared with us...It allegedly is coming for those who stayed but the ask was blind faith and required signing away the severance of fer before seeing it. Pure loyalty test.”

Right now, Twitter users do not have to worry about the platform shutting down just yet, but in the event that it does, Twitter has many ways that you can download an archive of your accounts.

Hopefully Twitter will stick around for longer, but with what Musk has in store, we will not know until we see it for our selves.

PA approves $1 million fund for Julia House

By Vydalia Weatherly Staff writer

Pennsylvania has recently approved $1 million in funding for Julia House in an effort to ameliorate health care options for individuals suffering from serious illnesses in the Com monwealth.

Julia Hospice and Palliative Care is a non-profit organiza tion that offers hospice, palli ative, complementary and be reavement care for people in the Erie community suffering from terminal illnesses and their families.

Their philosophy of care includes three aspects: “Un derstanding the patient as the whole person behind their illness, partnering with the patient and all their caregiv ers including other doctors to facilitate true team-based col laborative care and employing personalized ‘holistic care’ that brings together both tradition al and non-traditional treat ments if it is beneficial to the patient’s well-being,” accord ing to the statement on the or ganization’s website.

There is an urgent need for hospice care in Erie County. The nearest residential hospice facilities are in Buffalo, Pitts burgh, Cleveland, Jamestown, Warren and Meadville.

However, the distance often prevents individuals from be ing close to their loved ones in their final moments.

“My dad would call in the middle of the night when my mom would be in terrible pain from advanced colon cancer. I would race over to their house and spend the night trying to provide some comfort. Then, in the morning it was back to my place to see my son off to school before going into work all day. I was exhausted and felt drained both physically and emotionally. A hospice home would have provided a safe, caring compassionate place for mom but such a place didn’t exist, until now,” Erie County resident Mary Schaaf said on the organization’s website.

Currently, there is a con struction plan in place for Julia House.

The current plan is for Julia house to be located in McK ean, near I-90 and the I-79 interchange, providing close proximity to the center of the county to allow all residents of Erie County to have access.

It will have 18 beds and 38 rooms. Each of the 18-bed suites will have a living space and include a wheelchair-ac cessible bathroom and shower facility.

The suites will be approx imately 300 square feet to accommodate loved ones to spend the night.

There will also be family spaces that include showers, bathrooms, lounges and kitch en facilities.

The facility will have com munity spaces available that in

clude childcare rooms, exercise rooms, gathering spaces and a multi-denominational chapel.

In addition to administrative offices, the facility will have two patient care units that in clude the only outpatient palli ative care clinic in the area.

The Palliative Care Unit will include a waiting room and three examination rooms.

Each examination room will allow for telemedicine to take

place. This will allow patients to receive medical help in per son within the facility or at their private homes.

According to their website, Julia House originally planned to break ground in 2022.

The organization also hoped to fully open Julia Hospice and Palliative Care open by the end of 2022. It is hoped that this recent funding will allow for these plans to become a reality.

Everyone deserves a com fortable end to their life, and Julia House will provide those suffering with just that.

Julia Hospice and Palliative Care has been a great part of the Erie community, and the addition of the Julia House is just another example of the great care that comes from their team.

Contributed photo

Elon Musk is the new owner of Twitter. Concerns arise about Twitter shutting down as employees quit by the thousands.

Corry Journal photo

Husband and wife team, Dr. Christopher Strzalka and Julia Strzalka, stand with the sign for Julia Hos pice and Palliative Care

Merciad

IN A MINUTE

Join Ski and Board Club

Interested in joining Ski and Board Club?

Email Emma Sayboldt (eseybo47@lakers. mercyhurst.edu) or MacKenzie Heasley (mheasl78@lakers. mercyhurst.edu) by Dec. 2.

Ski and snowboard at Peak’n Peak Resort in New York! It is not a long drive, making this club a convenient way for students to participate.

Free Flu Shots

Flu season is upon us. Take action now and prevent future sickness. Flu shots are available at the Cohen Student Health Center by appointment only.

Call 814-824-2431 to schedule an appointment.

Fundraiser

The Criminal Justice Honors Society, Alpha Phi Sigma, is hosting a poinsettia fundraiser through Friday, Dec. 2.

Small 6.5 inch arrangements are $15 and tall 8.5 inch arrangements are $20.

There will be a table set up with order forms in the Grotto Commons to order, and students will come around to offices to conduct cash and check sales.

Orders will be delivered on Friday, Dec. 9. Contact Dr. Adam Saeler, Jacob Yohman, or Kylie Essman with any questions.

Support Hurst alum GoFundMe

Alumnus Moe Diakhaby, was a victim of a hit and run by a drunk driver. He has been paralyzed from the waist down and is facing many medical bills alone.

Consider donating to his Gofundme and keeping him in your thoughts and prayers.

The donation link can be found in the @hurstmbball Instagram bio.

Have a tip for Merciad in a Minute? Want to tell others about your club’s events?

Email us at merciad@ mercyhurst.edu

Bookstore offers great holiday deals

By Eva Mihelich News Editor

The holiday season is finally here, and with the season comes the great joy—and stress— of gift giving. The Mercyhurst Bookstore has you covered.

The Bookstore is offering a gen erous 20% off sale for all clothing and gifts now until Dec. 21. Stu dents, faculty and staff have plen ty of time before Christmas break to grab their gear.

There is a large variety of items that can be purchased. There are warm blankets to keep cozy in the cold weather, available in many different colors.

There are many winter hats in a plethora of styles and colors to accommodate everyone’s tastes in fashion.

Walking into the Bookstore, you will immediately see the great number of hoodies, crewnecks and long sleeve shirts. Many of the hoodies and sweatshirts are lined with fleece on the inside, perfect for the snow that is always expected with an Erie winter.

For those who decorate Christ mas trees, there are a handful of ornament styles with the Mer cyhurst logo on them. You can

show your Laker pride, even on the branches of a tree.

Grace Mullins, a junior Dance major, works at the Bookstore. Mullins said that the items offered at the bookstore are plentiful, and students should definitely look for some of their gifts there.

“Whenever I’m working a shift at the Bookstore, I take a couple laps around just to see what we have in stock. I’m always tempt ed to buy things, especially now that it’s getting colder and we have so many cute hoodies and sweat shirts. I sent my mom a couple links to my favorite options, so I’m hoping I’ll add a few more to my collection,” said Mullins.

For those who are buying gifts from home, the Bookstore has a website where you can order your goods and have them shipped to you. You also have the option to buy things online and then pick them up in store.

The Bookstore staff encourag es you to look around and see if anything catches your eye. When you go home for Christmas break, wear your new gear to proud ly show everyone that Hurst is home!

MU Theatre presents one of America’s most famous plays

By Nadine Fox Staff writer

The Mercyhurst Theatre Pro gram celebrates the 125th anniversary of playwright Thornton Wilder’s birth with a production of his masterpiece, “Our Town,” Dec. 1-3, in Tay lor Little Theatre.

There will be a total of four shows the first week of De cember. Opening night will be Thursday, Dec.1 at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a show on Friday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 3, there will be two performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

“Our Town” is direct ed by guest artist Doug Pow ers, Ph.D., who has previously worked on the Mercyhurst The atre Program’s productions of “The Tempest,” “Dancing at Lughnasa,” “Dracula,” “Forbid den Broadway’s Greatest Hits,” “Anne of Green Gables,” “Through the Look ing-Glass,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“‘Our Town’ is the great Amer ican play,” Powers said in a Mer cyhurst press release. “Planted firmly in the cultural landscape, the play still resonates. It also still packs a devastating blow, as we journey through all the stag

es of living.”

“Our Town” takes place in Grover’s Corners and follows the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families.

The play is split into three acts titled: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.” The audience will watch the children fall in love, marry, and eventually, die.

The cast of “Our Town” in cludes Rondale Smith (Stage Manager), Michael Harper (Dr. Gibbs), Mason Reynolds (Joe Crowell/Si Crowell), Vanessa Nolan (Howie Newsome), Bella Lee (Mrs. Gibbs), Tori Altsman (Mrs. Webb), Braden Roscisze wski (George Gibbs), Faith Mackinnon (Rebecca Gibbs), Zach Hansen (Wally Webb), Ali Forsythe (Emily Webb), Ash Carr (Professor Willard), Ben Vacca (Mr. Webb), Katelynn Bizzarro (Woman in the Balco ny), Bridget Gedeon (Man in the Auditorium), Maureen Krihwan (Lady in the Box), John Carroll (Simon Stimson), Maya Dildine (Mrs. Soames), Sam Harnum (Constable Warren), Gabby Schmidt (Sam Craig), Cole Lowe (Joe Stoddard), Abigail Bend er, Abby Craig and Yekaterina Kanazin (People of the Town).

Adults tickets are $15, senior citizens and non-Mercyhurst

Students are $10 and youth and Mercyhurst students are $5 with I.D. Each ticket order is subject to a tax of $1.50 per ticket processing fee regardless of purchase or payment method.

The box office is open Tues day-Thursday, noon-5 p.m., and 90 minutes before each ticketed

event. Reserve your tickets on line at the MIAC ticketing web site, by phone at 814-824-3000 or at the PAC box office. All performances are general admission, with doors opening 30 minutes prior to curtain.

CJ Poinsettia

Contributed photo

‘Our Town’ is known as Thornton Wilder’s great masterpiece. It fol lows the lives of the Webb and Gibbs families.

On Tuesday, Nov. 29, the annual Christmas tree lighting occurred in Trinity Green. Students were encouraged to attend this annual campus tradition.

The choir sang a few Christmas carols at the beginning of the event and then Father Jim led the group in prayer.

The attendees were welcomed into the Great Room in the Student Union for hot chocolate and cake.

This is the second year that the tree light ing has taken place in Trinity Green. Prior to COVID-19, there was a giant Christmas tree in front of Old Main when you drove into the gates.

Freshman celebrated 100 days on campus yesterday as well and they could sign a banner, write down their favorite memory so far at MU and enjoy some cake!

FEATURES

LAKER MOMENT

Contributed photo

Mercyhurst Student Government posing together after the Christmas tree lighting.

Contributed photo

Mercyhurst Concert Choir started off the event by singing four Christmas songs to get everyone in the holiday mood.

Contributed photo

Luke the Laker signing the banner for freshman to celebrate their first 100 days of being on campus!

Contributed photo

The Christmas tree shines bright in Trinity Green.

RSCO FEATURE CRICKET CLUB

Public Health Club to sponsor blood drive

By Mackenzie Zent Opinion editor

Mercyhurst’s Public Health Club is getting ready to host a blood drive on Tuesday, Dec. 8, in partner ship with the American Red Cross.

The drive will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. so there will be plenty of opportu nities to donate. Anyone who donates blood will be entered in the raffle for a chance to win Chick-Fil- A and Amazon gift cards.

pital, many received blood transfusions.

However, since people were urged to stay home and six feet apart, the act of giving blood became more difficult and more of a risky task.

With the blood drive coming up next month, it is a great opportunity to give back to the community.

Mercyhurst hosts a handful of blood drives each year, and this will be the last one of the semester.

joining the club or want ing more information can contact the club president, Anne Machowski.

During this holiday season and time of giving, students can give the gift of life to someone in need.

That kind of donation carries a lot of significance, and while students may not know exactly who their donation is going to, they can know that it will not be going to waste.

By Samantha Weber Editor in chief

Are you looking for a fun way to stay in shape while at school? Cricket club might just be your best option!

Cricket is said to have originated during Saxon or Norman times by children living in southeast England. Nowadays, the sport is most popular in the Asian countries of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. There are an estimated 2.5 billion people who follow the sport around the world.

According to Mercyhurst’s website, “The purpose of Cricket Club shall be to encourage students of all skill levels to enjoy playing cricket together. The Cricket Club fosters a safe learning environment for any student that wishes to learn the sport of cricket.”

“I joined the cricket club originally because it was an extra credit option for one of my classes. Our professor, who is from India, told us he did this to give students the opportunity to learn about sports and traditions in other cultures. When I went, I had a lot of fun because it was really laid back and there was music and other students there who were also new to the sport,” senior Biology student Christina Judy said.

For those who are unfamiliar with the sport, it is similar to baseball in the sense that you have to hit a ball that is thrown at you with a bat and attempt to score runs after you hit the ball. Both sports are the best-known members of the bat-and-ball games family.

Of course, there are some differences between the two such as cricket only having one or two innings per match. There are also typically more runs scored in a cricket match than in a baseball game. A cricket field does not have any foul areas so the game moves more quickly than baseball.

“I enjoy how laid back the environment is. Most people come to cricket never having played before, and that is totally okay! We spend some time explaining the rules of the game and then we go through a practice game to make sure everyone understands. We also play with a tennis ball which is so fun because the bats are wooden and heavy so if you get a good hit off, the ball goes flying,” said Judy.

The club meets on either Sunday or Saturday for about an hour to an hour and a half. “We encourage anybody who is interested to join because it’s a great way to meet new people and have some relaxed fun on the weekend,” said Judy. “It is super fun to learn to techniques behind Cricket and it also connected us to a culture that we are not normally immersed in.”

The president of the cricket club is Kaitlyn Stroscio and the advisor is Rajinikanth Mohan, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biology.

Reach out to either the president or the advisor of the club if you have any questions or would like to join!

Every day there are peo ple that need blood trans fusions. These transfusions more often than not save their lives, which is why it is so important to donate blood if eligible.

If it seems like the Amer ican Red Cross is constant ly saying there is a blood shortage, that is because there is.

While there are so many people who give blood reg ularly, the supply just does not meet the demand.

The sad truth is that with out blood donations, people will die.

Additionally, the recent COVID-19 pandemic sent the need for blood dona tions through the roof.

With so many more peo ple in and out of the hos

The Public Health Club strives to engage students and the outside community in different activities sur rounding public health.

They also want to educate those who may not know much about it in hopes to educate them on the subject and why it is important.

They hope to improve the quality of life for others as well as help students do the same.

The club does this through community service and partnering with differ ent groups in the commu nity.

Such activities are a wonderful way for students to reflect on how they can become a more active part of the community, as well as how they can help others.

Anyone interested in

The idea of donating blood may scare some people because of fear of either blood or needles, but it is so worth it.

There is nothing like saving lives by doing some thing that will only take a few minutes. Plus, with the chance to win a gift cards, so it is a win-win situation!

Students planning on donating should make sure they eat and drink enough during the day if they plan to donate to avoid side effects.

Everyone is encouraged to come out and give back on Dec. 8!

windiescricket.com photo

cricket.

Students participate in a re

entry simulation at local jail

Vydalia Weatherly Staff writer

In recent weeks, several Criminal Justice students from Mercyhurst were able to partic ipate in a first-of-its-kind in this region reentry simulation. Mer cyhurst students were able to work alongside incarnated in dividuals during the simulation.

Maria L. Garase, Ph.D., associ ate professor of Criminal Jus tice and associate dean of the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences gave an interview to share more about the simulation.

Q: What is the Albion class and are there any special re quirements for students who want to participate?

A: “I teach the CRJS 305: Is sues in Criminal Justice course, which is an upper-level, elec tive, criminal justice course that is offered to Criminal Justice majors. The course is limited to ten university students per se mester who will take the course along with ten incarcerated stu dents; the course is located in a classroom at State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Albion. SCI Albion is a male, medium-se curity, state prison located 45 minutes south of campus. In terested students are individu ally interviewed and screened for the course to make sure they meet all security clearances and requirements per the Penn sylvania Department of Cor rections (PA DOC). The class is taught with the Inside-Out Prison Exchange pedagogy. Es sentially, university and incar cerated students meet weekly to discuss and reflect on contem porary issues in criminal justice and to work collaboratively on group projects focused on re entry programming.”

Q: Can you provide details about the reentry simulation?

A: “The reentry simulation is a program where participants, in this case, staff members from the PA DOC, simulate being a reentrant. A reentrant is a person being released from prison into the community. The “reentrants” are given a “life history” based on their offense as well as their individual needs in the community. They must complete tasks each week, in cluding finding employment, housing and groceries, check ing with parole, securing trans portation and much more. All of this is done on a tight sched ule and budget to mirror the experiences and challenges re entrants face in the community. Both university and incarcerat ed students in the Mercyhurst class were paired together to

staff stations around the room that represented the grocery store, medical center, identifi cation card facility, bank, court, pawn shop, and more. The “re entrants” had 15 minutes each round to complete all assigned tasks. This was the first time that this reentry simulation was done at SCI Albion and had both university and incarcer ated students staff the simula tion.”

Q: Did anything unexpected happen during the stimulation?

A: “As part of the simulation, “reentrants” have to complete certain proscribed activities based on the conditions of their supervision, as noted on their “life histories.” Some “re entrants” resorted to criminal thinking and skirted the rules and were sent to “jail” for vi olations of their supervision.”

Q: What did students think about the stimulation?

A: “In the debriefing, the stu dents noted that it was a valu able experience to be able to see first-hand the successes and challenges of reentry. Although the simulation was done in an abbreviated period of time, it was reflective of all of the tasks that individuals coming out of prison are expected to do suc cessfully. A student noted in her reflection that the simulation ‘helped me realize that I want to pursue a career in ex-offend er reentry services after I leave Mercyhurst in the spring…I believe that all criminal justice students—no matter their de sired profession—should be required to participate in this simulation alongside incarcerat ed classmates in order to open their minds prior to entering their criminal justice careers.’”

Q: What did the incarcerat ed individuals who participated think of the stimulation?

A: “In the debriefing, the in carcerated students remarked that this was an extremely valu able experience. One student noted that ‘This simulation was an amazing experience for me, and I am glad and honored that I got to be a part of it. This was definitely something that I’ll never forget!’ Another student stated ‘I learned a lot about my self as well as the reentry pro cess. I hope everyone can expe rience this process from both ends of the spectrum, instilling a sense of humanity in them when dealing with offenders.’”

Q: Is this the first year the class did the simulation? If you did it in the past, how was it?

A: “This was the first time that the PA Department of Corrections did the reentry simulation in a prison using incarcerated and university stu

dents in the Western District of Pennsylvania. More important ly, this setup allowed for a “role reversal” of sorts, where the incarcerated and university stu dent pairings represented the “social service providers” and the PA DOC staff represented the “reentrants.””

Q: Are there any additional comments or information you would like me to include in this article?

A: “Dr. John Olszowka, dean of the Ridge College of Intelli gence Studies and Applied Sci ences was able to observe the reentry simulation at the prison

and stated, ‘This was truly an incredible educational experi ence. It was impressive to watch the interaction between the Mercyhurst students and the Albion students as they led the reentry simulation. Even more inspiring was when the group came together after the simula tion as a class to debrief. To see the group share their ideas and experiences as one group free of their designation as Mercy hurst Laker or inmate was truly moving. Dr. Garase has created a unique educational experience that our students are fortunate to get to participate in.’”

Anyone with any additional questions or wants more infor mation on the stimulation can email Garase at mgarase@mer cyhurst.edu.

Contributed photo

One of the stations that the inmates had to practice using to get used to the regular world again

Contributed photo

A picture of one of the debriefing groups after the simulation.

Natural disasters strike the world once again

By Samantha Weber Editor in chief

There has been a series of pow erful natural disasters over the past few weeks.

The world’s largest active volca no erupted after being dormant for 38 years.

The volcano is named Mauna Loa and is located on Hawaii’s Big Island and is the largest active vol cano in the world.

The volcano takes up more than half of the Big Island. The erup tion began around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night and continued into Monday.

According to the U.S. Geolog ical Survey, the activity from the volcano is not a threat to populat ed areas as the lava was contained to the summit as of now.

Some of the lava has flowed from the summit to the northeast rift zone. Here, fissures are feeding multiple lava flows according to the USGS.

Some residents were warned that they could potentially be at possible risk from the eruption if it continues as it is right now.

The last time the volcano erupt ed was in March and April 1984. Volcanologists have been able to learn more about the volcano as it has erupted dozens of times since the 1880s.

Due to their past research, ex perts can predict that the lava flow will likely slow down as the initial eruptions are usually the heaviest.

In addition to the volcano erupting, there were a number of earthquakes in the region early Monday morning.

Due to the natural disasters, ships were told to avoid certain waterways or just stay docked for a few more hours.

Those with respiratory sensitivi ties were warned to take extra pre cautions to minimize exposure.

Throughout 2022, there have been a number of volcanic activ ities that have been recorded.

Just over a week ago, there were clouds of ash and lava that began spewing from two volcanoes on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

In July, Japan announced evac uation orders for people near the prefecture of Kagoshima in the southwestern part.

Just last week, marine geologists announced that the largest ever recorded eruption was from an underwater volcano eruption on Jan. 15 in the Tongan archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean.

In other news, forecasters warned of potential strong tor nadoes. They could stay on the ground for long distances in parts of the South on Tuesday.

More than 25 million people

were at risk for heavy rains and floods during yesterday’s storm. Those at risk for powerful torna does are located in the lower Mis sissippi Valley region and MidSouth.

Forecasters do not warn of ma jor tornadoes with the potential to have long-tracked damage, so residents in the way of the storm should have taken this seriously.

Additionally, there was a 5.6 magnitude earthquake that shook the island of Java in Indonesia.

This was one of the deadliest earthquakes the world has seen in a while and it left at least 321 people dead and over 2,000 in jured according to Smithsonian Magazine.

This was not the strongest earth quake the country has seen this year as there was a 6.2 earthquake in February. Yet not as many peo ple were killed in the more pow erful one.

The reason the earthquake last week was so deadly was due to its location.

Indonesia is no stranger to earthquakes as they are located in the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire where several tectonic plates col lide.

By Samantha Weber Editor in chief

Contributed photo

Picture of the Mauna Loa volcano erupting in Hawaii.

Has the sequel left us ‘Disenchanted’?

By Megan McKay Staff writer

Disney has recently released a long-awaited sequel to its fa mous fairy tale classic film “En chanted.”

The original film, starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, premiered in 2007 at the Lon don Film Festival.

The film was incredibly well-received and became very popular, earning around $340 million worldwide at the box office.

The musical romcom was praised by critics and earned a whopping 93% on Rotten To matoes.

Critics and fans alike recog nized the film’s unique concept and dazzling performances by Hollywood and Broadway royal ty, including stars such as Idina Menzel and James Marsden.

The original film was directed by Kevin Lima, who was shock ingly not asked to direct the se quel after producing a very suc cessful film.

Lima told the Hollywood Re porter that not being asked to direct the sequel was “Holly wood Politics.”

Lima admitted to being ner vous to see the new take, and his absence from the sequel may have altered the final production more than we could imagine.

After 15 years, the sequel, “Disenchanted,” was released Nov. 18 on Disney+.

The film currently has an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score of 40%.

The new film has not received nearly the same amount of pos itivity as the fish-out-of-water fairy tale comedy of the original.

The new storyline is definitely not as unique as the original, but it has an interesting plot about looking for long-lasting happi ness following a ‘happily ever after’ out of New York City.

I personally thought the be ginning was very intriguing despite many claiming that the film is not unique.

The songs are not as catchy, but I thought Maya Rudolph in an evil queen role was the per fect addition to the cast.

The duet between Rudolph and Adams was enticing and memorable.

The first film had three Oscar nominations, which highlights the memorable tunes’ impact.

The songs do not have the same story-building characteris tics as those of the first film.

However, I liked how Morgan, who was just a little girl in “En chanted,” is all grown up and has a storyline and personality of her own.

She has a significant role in the film, especially in a crossover with the animated land of An dalasia.

The strength of “Disenchant ed” understandably is this excel lent cast having a lot of fun with these exaggerated characters that take on classic fairy tale roles in the modern world.

I thought the cast was the best part of the film, but the story was just a little dragged out for my taste.

The film brought a magi

cal world into something more mundane in the sequel, which I thought was interesting because they spun off the idea of a fairy tale.

I like the references present from other Disney stories and how Giselle laments that she is becoming the villain to her own stepdaughter.

I believe many critics were too harsh on the movie.

For example, Forbes described the film saying, “‘Disenchanted’ is a little bit less than ‘Enchant ed’ in just about every way imag inable.”

It is true that it does not have the same originality and magic, but it still has many fun mo ments.

Some can argue “Enchanted” was one of Disney’s best movies of the 21st century, and it would clearly be difficult to surpass such an iconic film.

Admittedly,”Disenchanted” doesn’t compare to the original’s memorable choreography and songs.

The new, more modern sto ryline was a good take on the idea of fairy tales in the modern world; I personally just missed

the wittiness from the first that accompanied a princess in New York City.

“Disenchanted” is worth the watch for loyal Disney fans who are interested in the continua tion of its predecessor and a film filled with a lot of nostalgia.

Fans will truly fall in love with the characters even if they dis like the direction of the film.

Musk’s Twitter takeover self-implodes

By Vydalia Weatherly Staff writer

Tesla CEO Elon Musk pur chased the social media platform Twitter on Oct. 27 for $44 billion.

Musk’s purchase has been con troversial, resulting in many delet ing the app from their phones.

Between Oct. 27 and Nov. 1, Twitter lost over 1 million users due to Musk’s takeover.

Celebrities have been deleting their accounts since the takeover, as well.

Just two days after Musk of ficially closed on his purchase of the social media platform, Shonda Rhimes, creator of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” tweeted out to her roughly two million Twitter fol lowers that she was “not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned.”

Gigi Hadid has also deactivated her Twitter account and shared the news with her 76.3 million Instagram followers.

“For a long time, but especially

with its new leadership, it’s be coming more and more of a cess pool of hate & bigotry, and it’s not a place I want to be a part of,” Hadid wrote in part.

Before deactivating his account, Ken Olin, the executive producer for the NBC show ‘This is Us,” tweeted out to his approximately 293,000 followers a plea for kind ness and peace.

“Hey all- I’m out of here. No judgment. Let’s keep the faith. Let’s protect our democracy. Let’s try to be kinder. Let’s try to save the planet. Let’s try to be more generous. Let’s look to find peace in the world,” Olin tweeted, in cluding a blue heart at the end of his message.

Since Musk’s takeover, there has been an uptake of hate speech on the app.

Grammy-winning R&B star Toni Braxton tweeted about this issue to her nearly 2 million fans.

“I’m shocked and appalled at some of the ‘free speech’ I’ve seen on this platform since its acquisi tion. Hate speech under the veil

of ‘free speech’ is unacceptable; therefore I am choosing to stay off Twitter as it is no longer a safe space for myself, my sons and oth

Musk has come under fire for his plan to charge monthly for users to attain or keep their blue check mark verification status on the platform.

“$20 a month to keep my blue check?” horror novelist Stephen King tweeted to his 6.8 million followers.

“F— that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.”

With real celebrities leaving the platform and the new ability to pay for verification, there has been an increase in people creat ing accounts using fake identities, including those of celebrities and politicians.

An account pretending to be NBA star Lebron James tweeted out that he was requesting a trade to the Lakers.

Even celebrities have taken part in the impersonations.

Actress Sarah Silverman and former NFL punter Chris Kluwe are among those suspended from Twitter for impersonating Elon Musk.

Both changed their profile pic ture and name to Musk’s before sending out tweets that imperson ated him.

“I am a freedom of speech abso lutist and I eat doody for breakfast everyday,” tweeted out Silverman under the guise of Musk.

There is nothing better than waking up and enjoying a fresh, steaming cup of my own urine,” tweeted Kluwe. “Such a tangy way to start the day, and it’s scien tifically proven to help brain cells grow. If you want to be like me, drink your pee.”

er POC,” wrote Braxton. Despite the controversy sur rounding the purchase, some us ers have found some humor in Musk’s current dilemma.

The tweet received thousands of retweets before finally being taken down.

An account pretending to be Nintendo tweeted a photo of the beloved character Mario giving the middle finger.

These bans come just nine days after Musk announced that “com edy is now legal on Twitter.”

It appears the multi-billionaire is no longer laughing.

Contributed photo

The sequel to Disney’s ‘Enchanted’ features original star Amy Adams and introduces Maya Rudolph as the new villain in ‘Disenchanted.’

For a long time, but especially with its new leadership, [Twitter] is becoming more and more of a cesspool of hatred and bigotry.”

Gigi Hadid

“

Hurst Hot Take: “Wednesday” is a beautifully bizarre series

By Emma Coppolo A&E editor

Netflix has finally released the much-anticipated series follow ing the eldest Addams child, “Wednesday.”

The series features Gen-Z roy alty Jenna Ortega as the deadpan teen embarking on a new adven ture at a school for outcasts.

Nevermore is undoubtedly a dark place, but Wednesday quickly discovers that it is even more sinister than meets the eye.

After trying to escape, she re alizes that she needs to stay at the academy and uncover what ever nefarious forces are at play.

While the Dean and the local town’s sheriff work to deter her investigations, she enlists her new friends in her attempts to discover the truth.

Ortega had big shoes to fill following Christina Ricci’s icon ic performance as Wednesday in the ‘90s rendition of the “Add ams Family.”

Ricci perfectly embodied Wednesday’s spirit, and many

worried that 2022 would not find such a fitting actress.

However, Ortega has gone above and beyond.

Her death glare and quirky mannerisms truly encapsulate Wednesday’s spirit.

Ricci, who appears in the se ries as a professor, has given Ortega her blessing as the new Wednesday.

This show is both fun and dark, deadpan and comedic.

The diverse personalities of different characters highlight Wednesday’s traits, but they also provide her with some competi tion.

She is, after all, the weird girl.

Even in a school full of out casts, she draws stares and whis pers from her peers.

The viewer is able to love her and her quirky charm even if those around her are not.

The series is truly a mystery, and the viewer gets to try to solve it alongside Wednesday.

I find myself favoring certain characters and then questioning whether or not they can actually

be trusted.

Wednesday’s attitude is dif ficult to capture as she rarely shows emotions.

Ortega, though, is able to capture Wednesday’s essence through subtle eyebrow raises or lengthy stares.

Every episode matters; there are no fillers, which is a rare commodity in today’s television scene.

I usually play games on my phone during shows, but I find myself completely captivated by “Wednesday” for each second.

I cannot rave enough about this show, and I know that I am not the only person impatiently anticipating the second season.

It may be getting closer to Christmas, but “Wednesday” is a show for all seasons.

Don’t ignore the hype; stream “Wednesday” on Netflix today.

American Music Awards celebrate artists

By Bella Lee Staff writer

It is known without a doubt that the U.S. loves their awards shows.

From the Grammys and To nys to the Emmys and Oscars, it feels like it is always award show season.

This time around, it was the American Music Awards, or the AMAs, that took place on Nov. 20. Actor, comedian and singer Wayne Brady hosted the event, with Meghan Trainor, Liza Koshy, Ellie Goulding, Dan and Shay and Smokey Robinson be ing among the presenters.

Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons and Pink were some of the per formers over the course of the ceremony, with Pink doing a tribute to Olivia Newton-John and Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth doing a Lionel Richie trib ute. Richie would go on to win the Icon Award that evening.

Taylor Swift was this year’s gi ant at the AMAs, winning a total of five awards (Artist of the Year, Favorite Music Video, Favorite Pop Album, Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album).

This brings the total number of awards she has won to 40, nearly twice as much as Mi chael Jackson, who has the sec ond-most AMAs won with 26.

Other big winners this year included BTS, Harry Styles and

Morgan Wallen.

Dove Cameron, known for her roles in Disney shows like “Liv and Maddie” prior to her music career, won New Artist of the Year, beating out Gayle, Steve Lacy, Latto and Måneskin.

Coldplay, still popular since its formation in 1996, continues to win awards, taking out Bad Bunny, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Ed Sheeran to win Favorite Touring Artist.

Beating The Rolling Stones at anything is a feat, so it was un deniably a big night for the Brit ish band.

It was quite the interesting take that Swift won Favorite Fe male Country Artist, winning against Miranda Lambert, Mar en Morris, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson.

The win was a bit controver sial as Swift has not been in the country genre since the begin ning of her career while the oth er nominees have been in coun try their entire careers.

However, her talent is unde niable, and fans were excited nonetheless.

Other notable names that won in their respective categories in cluded Kendrick Lamar for Fa vorite Male Hip-Hop Artist, Nicki Minaj for Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist, Chris Brown for Favorite Male R&B Artist and Beyoncé for Favorite Female R&B Artist.

Chris Brown’s win was also met with controversy as many

people disagree with his inclu sion in the industry following his criminal activities in the past. However, he was awarded and had his moment alongside mu sic royalty nonetheless.

Beyoncé additionally won Fa vorite R&B Album for “Renais sance.”

Also, Machine Gun Kelly won Favorite Rock Artist, while Måneskin’s “Beggin’” won Fa vorite Rock Song and Swedish rock band Ghost won Favorite Rock Album for “Impera.”

Rounding out some of the popular favorites included Bad Bunny for Favorite Male Latin Artist, Marshmello for Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist, BTS for Favorite K-Pop Artist and El ton John and Dua Lipa for Col laboration of the Year for “Cold Heart.”

Overall, the AMAs were a sight to behold this year.

Taylor Swift’s music career is once again on the rise, proven by the sheer number of awards she won on this night.

A variety of artists were award ed, which provided an enjoyable event for fans of all genres.

Next year will hopefully be just as exciting, as new artists emerge and old artists make a comeback, like Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” being nominated for Favorite Rock Song over 35 years after its initial release.

Next year’s AMAs could not come any sooner!

Contributed photo

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday accompanied by Thing.

Contributed photo

Lionel Richie accepting the Icon Award.

Contributed photo

Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance.

OPINION

Thankful for fun travels this Thanksgiving

Only 15 days until Christmas break!

By Megan McKay Staff writer

American Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather around and celebrate each other. However, in my family we celebrate Thanksgiving a little differently.

Having parents who get little time off due to their jobs, the holiday is a great time to make the most of long weekends.

and decided to spend it in London.

We had an amazing time and specifically stayed in Covent Garden which is a surreal atmosphere just on the West End. The area was buzzing from the restaurants, Christmas markets, shopping and pubs.

A special part of the area is the location of the Peloton live studio where some of the most famous instructors put on live classes. I called this experience ‘Disneyland for fitness adults.’ The atmosphere was incredible, there was so much energy and kindness spread throughout the whole studio.

to watch USA vs. England face off against each other in the FIFA World Cup. Despite the game ending in a tie, standing in the jammed packed corner pub was memorable.

You certainly cannot visit London without seeing a play as well and visiting the theater district. One of the highlights of the weekend was seeing the musical “Moulin Rouge.”

The play was fantastic and was one of the coolest shows I have seen. The music and singing was phenomenal.

Finals are looming over our heads.

GOOD BAD HOPEFUL

Hopefully we can all make the most out of the last two weeks of the semester.

As a result, our Thanksgiving tradition has become a time to explore new destinations.

With my older siblings and myself in the past years we have never celebrated the day in our hometown of Indianapolis. In the past, we have spent the day in places like Turkey (ironically), Germany and in Nashville and New York.

This year for Thanksgiving my mom and I spent about half the holiday in Chicago with our extended family, before the rest of it was celebrated on a 8 hour flight to London, England.

Not being on call meant my mom and I had the whole weekend to pack in as much fun as we could

Being the Peloton enthusiast my mom is, she spent the weekend training with her favorite instructors, and bonding with them.

I was fortunate to get in with her for one of the live classes which was a blast. It was also a challenging workout to substitute for the tens of thousands of steps we were walking while touring and shopping.

Visiting the classic monuments is always a must when in central London from Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Kensington Palace.

For Black Friday we shopped in one of the most famous department stores in the world, Harrods.

We also made it to a pub in time

Although we didn’t get an official Thanksgiving meal, I’m incredibly thankful for the experience and that’s what the holiday is about.

My mom said when deciding to travel, “You only live once so I’d rather do something I want to do now before it’s too late.”

I was so grateful for the experience we had and was especially ‘thankful’ that throughout it all the travels went smoothly.

There are many Thanksgiving traditions within families. I know these experiences and traditions within our own family will last a lifetime.

Taylor’s ticket troubles

By Hailey Steidle Contributing writer

On Nov. 1, Taylor Swift swept the world again when she announced a stadium tour for the United States. The Swift’s Eras Tour is going to take place over the course of 6 months from March to August of 2023, spanning a total of 30 concerts in 20 different cities.

Tickets were announced to cost $49-$499 for standard tickets and $199-$899 for VIP passes. It was then announced that the first tickets being sold would go to a select group of individuals known as “verified fans” on Ticketmaster’s website on Nov. 15.

stadiums they had codes for in front of them. At the same time, they saw the seats filling they saw the same tickets being posted on resale sites like StubHub for upwards of 10 times the original amount.

Tour dates like the March 17 opening night in Glendale, Arizona have tickets being listed for as much as $17,010 for floor seats. Floor seats for Atlanta, Georgia on April 28 are listed for as much as $35,438. The MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ have prices of up to $21,600 per seat. The lowest ticket price available on StubHub is $350 which barely gets you in the door of the stadiums.

history, causing the site to slow down and almost crash entirely.

Due to Ticketmaster’s miscalculations on how many people were allowed into the presale, many fans never even got the chance to purchase a ticket after waiting hours in an online queue.

It was later announced that over 2 million tickets were sold in one day, making it the most tickets ever sold in a single day.

Companies like Ticketmaster and StubHub along with scalpers have made this tour and many others inaccessible to many fans.

The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year. Our office is in Hirt, Room 110.

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 via email at merciad@ mercyhurst.edu.

The issues with the sale began when the amount of “verified fans” went from a select few individuals to a million. On the day of the sale, roughly 3.5 billion total system requests made their way to Ticketmasters site, this would mean it was four times the site’s previous all time high.

As fans with presale codes waited in the randomly generated queue for hours at a time, they could see seats filling up in the

After the sale many fans did not even get the chance or opportunity to purchase tickets because Ticketmaster announced that they would be canceling public sales due to selling too many seats in the “verified fans” presale.

They also said that the site itself would not be able to withstand the demand of general sales.

After facing backlash, Ticketmaster made a statement saying that more than 3.5 million people had signed up for the “verified fans” program, which was the largest registration in

This leaves a risk of there being many potential seats available at concerts with no opportunities to fill them because fans cannot afford the outrageous ticket prices.

A lot of fans are rightfully outraged that massive companies who do this every day are letting this happen.

Fans can only wait and hope that ticket prices on websites like StubHub lower before the concerts.

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are welcome and can be emailed to merciad@mercyhurst.edu

How to combat stress before finals

By Mackenzie Zent Opinion editor

Every student has felt the overwhelming feeling of stress at some point this semester, but the end of the semester it is an elevated version of that.

The stress that accompanies the closing of a semester is heightened because it is more jam packed with assignments, assessments and high expectations.

There are so many loose ends to tie up, and preparation for final exams are icing on the cake for the bundle of stress in a college student. All these factors yield an important question for students, how do we handle the end of the semester stress?

Odds are we have heard this advice before: eating well, sleep a solid 6-8 hours per night, study a week out from your exam to maximize the retention of information and exercise to minimize stress levels.

But how do we make time for all of this while preparing for major, grade-determining exams?

One answer is to make the most of all your time. Set your priorities so that your health is first on the list. Ensuring you are healthy will allow you to have the energy to perform all of the necessary tasks needed to finish out the semester successfully.

One method of studying I have been trying recently is to set a timer for 40 minutes and work on one subject for that time period and do nothing else— no phones, no distractions.

After those 40 minutes, I take a small break then get right back into it. When I pull this off, I am more productive and consequently less stressed. It can be difficult to do this at times, but when you fully immerse yourself in the process you are more that capable of grinding out some solid work.

Another amazing way to manage the end of the semester stress is through movement or exercise.

This is an excellent stress reducer because there are so many ways to go about it.

Exercise does not just mean going to the rec center and pumping some weights. Exercise could be playing a game of basketball or volleyball with your friends. Or it could be something as simple as going for a walk.

Finding a way to move our bodies is so important for a host of health reasons but it also gives a refreshing feeling that is much needed while studying.

Getting a good nights rest is definitely a tough one. We are college students, which means it is no secret that we have so much running through our heads each day.

When we finally lay down it is difficult to calm down enough to fall asleep.

One thing that could help with

relaxing to get enough sleep is planning out your day the night before. Ensure that you make the time to study, exercise, get other homework done and all of the other everyday tasks that need to get done.

This can help you stay on track and eliminate other outside worries.

Being able to get into bed and know that you have been productive that day absolutely puts your mind at ease and allows your brain to wind down.

All of these habits are great to incorporate into your daily routine, but the most important factor to keep in mind is starting now.

Make time to go on a walk today, even if it’s only ten minutes, or go over notes that you took in a class.

Do something challenging today that will make tomorrow less stress-filled.

These final weeks of the semester are difficult for sure, nonetheless we are all capable of doing the work.

At the end of it all, we get to celebrate the holidays and get an entire month off from schoolwork.

HURST STUDENTS SPEAK UP

We asked: What is the most un derrated Christmas song?

Sarah Claire Steven, junior hospitality major: “‘Blue Christmas’ by Elvis Presley.”

Monika Benesh, freshman intelligence studies major: “‘Are You Coming Home (Silent Night)’ by All Good Things. It’s a bit sadder than most Christmas songs but it’s good.”

Reanna

Breathe in, finals week, breathe out, winter break

By Christina Judy Staff writer

Knowing that the stress of classwork and studying will come to a halt is a nice incentive to create the mental strength to finish out the year strong.

With the stressful days that lie ahead in preparing for finals, it will be exciting to have the business of this academic semester end.

I think this semester was wonderful in all the memories that were made and with having a long fall weather season. However, academics were really in full blast and the studying and coursework was constant. So, having the end of the semester nearby has felt like a relief.

The ending of the fall semester is always highly anticipated because the holidays that follow

are joy filled and relaxing.

The winter break gives students an opportunity to spend time at home and reconnect with old friends.

Although it is fun to be surrounded by people your age 24/7 on campus, it is equally nice to reminisce and recharge your social battery with your friends and family at home.

The work and hustle that college demands can get exhausting after months of being in it, I am certainly glad that this semester is almost completed.

Conversely, the end of this semester means there is one more semester behind me in college, which pushes me closer to the finish line, and that is definitely a scary thought.

It’s easy to think that you will experience another Hurst Day or sports event that you wanted to go to when you are living in the chaos of the semester. But taking a step back goes to show that that kind of thinking is not valid.

Circumstances could change very quickly and soon enough you realize that last Hurst Day was the last one you will experience as a college student. So, while it will be great to have schoolwork come to a temporary stop, it will also be sad to see all the good times turn into memories.

The bright side of it being the ending of the fall semester means we get to look forward to the Spring semester, which typically gives good weather after a month or so and we get Spring break!

The excitement of the holidays

is starting to set in which makes completing the academic part of this semester challenging. Seeing Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals was thrilling because it made me think about presents and being around my family very soon.

All of the relaxing and destressing that Thanksgiving break gave made it difficult to re-adjust to the demands of finals preparation.

While winter break is a time I am really looking forward to, I do not want to go through finals

week to get there. Professors have a tendency to assign a ton of projects within the last two weeks of school on top of studying for exams and lab practicals.

It takes a lot of will power to get through the last few weeks of school and that is why I am grateful that the end is near.

In case you are sad about the ending of the semester there is no need to worry, we have another semester ready for when we get back!

Deithorn, freshman applied forensics major: “‘Blue Christmas’ by Elvis Presley.” Mikayla Brinkley, junior applied forensics major: “‘Believe’ by Josh Groban (from The Polar Express).”

Compiled by Bella Lee

Men’s hockey celebrates two victories

By Sydney Dietz Sports editor

It was an exciting weekend at the Mercyhurst Ice Center as fans gathered in the stands both Friday night and Saturday afternoon to watch the Lakers battle against the Air Force Falcons.

The Lakers won both games leaving Mercyhurst fans and play ers elated. The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team is on a winning streak after defeating two games against Holy Cross on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.

The first game against the Air Force was on Friday, Nov. 25 at 7:05 p.m. and ended with a score of 5-3.

The Lakers started the scoring early in the first period with ju nior center Carson Briere skating down the ice and assisting the puck to senior forward Rylee St. Onge who shot the puck in the net resulting in the first goal of the game.

Shortly after, sophomore for ward Garrett Dahm scored an other goal that was assisted by St. Onge and senior defenseman Cade Townend. Although the Lakers dominated the first half of the period, the Falcons were able to get the puck in the net and score at 6:56 changing the score to 2-1.

However, with 4:54 left in the first period, junior forward Keanan Stewart scored the third goal for the Lakers. Dahm got the

assist and his second point of the night.

There was not much scoring during the second period, how ever after 16:48 in the period, Mercyhurst scored another goal. The goal was scored by junior for ward Kyler Head and assisted by sophomore defenseman Dustin Geregach, which was Geregach’s second assist of the season.

During the third period, the Falcons obtained their second goal of the game making the score 4-2. The Lakers followed the Fal cons goal by getting an empty net goal that was scored by junior forward Steven Agrogianis which was assisted by senior defenseman Adrian Bisson.

The Falcons scored another goal at the time of 19:12 resulting in a final score of 5-3 in favor of the Lakers. Freshman goaltender Owen Say was in net and made 35 saves.

The second game of the week end series was Saturday, Nov. 26 at 4:05 p.m.

The Lakers won once again with a final score of 4-2. The first peri od was quiet until the Lakers got their first goal late in the period. This goal was scored by senior for ward Gueorgui Feduolov and was assisted by junior center Marko Reifenberger.

After the players got a break in the locker room during the first intermission, they got back on the

ice and continued to score. Just one minute and 49 seconds into the second period, Agrogianis skated and found the back of the net resulting in the second goal of the game.

Agrogianis’s goal was assisted by Head and forward grad stu dent Eric Esposito. Soon after, Air Force scored leaving the score 2-1 with the Lakers in the lead. Although Air Force tried to make a winning comeback, the Lakers did not allow that to happen.

At 16:57, Reifenberger got his second point after scoring a third goal for the Lakers. This goal was assisted by sophomore defence man Jake Beaune and senior for ward Jonathan Bendorf.

During the first half of the third period Dahm got the puck in the net allowing the Lakers to have four goals. Joseph Maziarz earned the assist.

Before the final minutes of the game, the Falcons scored another goal, however, despite this goal, the Lakers still brought home a victory.

The Mercyhurst hockey team will play against Army next on Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10.

Michigan St. keeps undefeated record

By Vydalia Weatherly Staff writer

Thousands tuned in Saturday, Nov. 27 to watch No. 2 Ohio State play against their rival No. 3 Michigan State. Both teams were undefeated at the beginning of the game.

After a long game, the Michi gan Wolverines defeated the Ohio Buckeyes 45 to 23. This is the sec ond year in a row Michigan has won against Ohio.

Michigan beat Ohio 42-27 last year after an eight-year los ing streak. This is the first time in twenty-two years that Michi gan has won consecutive games against Ohio. This is also the first time Ohio lost to Michigan on their home field since 2000.

Michigan won the coin toss but decided to defer to the second half, resulting in Ohio starting with the ball. Ohio State’s offense got the best of Michigan State at the beginning of the game.

During the Buckeyes second drive, the Wolverine’s defense came through with a stop, attain ing the upper hand for the rest of the game.

Ohio State had a narrow lead entering the half 20-17. Michigan

scored 14 points in the second quarter alone. That lead did not last long. Despite being led by star quarterback C.J. Stroud, Ohio State’s offense was unable to hold back against Michigan’s defense in the second half.

Michigan scored seven points in the third quarter, while Ohio did not score at all. In the last quarter, Michigan managed to attain 21 points, while Ohio only got three.

Leading up to the game, many speculated that Michigan would not be able to defeat Ohio without their star running back Blake Co rum who had to sit the game out due to a knee injury he attained during a failed rushing attempt while playing against Illinois State the previous week.

Entering the game wearing a knee brace, Corum only rushed twice during the first three pass es before sitting out the rest of the game. Despite their star run ning back stuck on the sidelines, second-year quarterback J.J. Mc Carthy shined during the game throwing three touchdown pass es of at least 45 yards. This is the most scoring passes of 45 or more in the 105-year history.

Prior to the Ohio State game, McCarthy’s longest pass comple

tion was only 42 yards.

“He was just on fire in every way – throwing the ball, running the ball,” said Coach Jim Harbaugh.

Michigan won the Big Ten East and claimed a spot in next weekend’s Big Ten Championship Game against Purdue University.

When asked about the historic win, Wolverine’s Harbaugh said he “could not be more proud,” and he “knew the team was focused and determined as they have been all season. This is a locker room of heroes.”

“This is not the outcome we all envisioned,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after the game.

“I thought we had good prepa ration. I thought we were building toward playing well,” Day said.

The Buckeyes will now have to wait to see how Texas Christian University, University of South ern California and Louisiana State play next weekend in hopes they can sneak into the championship.

The fate of the Buckeyes now rests in the hands of the College Football Playoff Selection Com

mittee to see if they will send Ohio to the Championship this year or to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row.

Buckeyes wire photo

Ohio State 2nd year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. runs with the ball while Ohio State has possession during the highly anticipated undefeated Big 10 game.

Hurst Athletics photo

Senior forward Keanan Stewart celebrates with teammates senior Adrien Bisson and sophomore Garrett Dahm after the Lakers score a goal during a game on Saturday Nov. 29 against the Air Force Falcons.

By Megan McKay Staff writer

The Mercyhurst women’s bowl ing team’s season is underway and has gone very well. The team is made up of 11 bowlers coached by Michael Machuga.

The bowlers have had a strong start to their season after winning the Mercyhurst Invitational. The team secured the home victory by beating Duquesne, who is a top ranked team, with a final match score of 4-2. Following their home event, the team placed fifth in the Penguin Classic in Ohio. The team also participated in two other tournaments where they fin ished runner up in both.

Freshman Jenna Stretch shared her thoughts and said, “Despite not being able to finish out the championship matches we have been making ourselves known and even increased our national rankings.”

Stretch has also built up her own individual accolades too. She was named Mercyhurst’s Athlete of the Week and ECC Bowler of the week after her performance in the Brunswick Invite where she claimed second place at the tour nament.

As just a Freshman, Stretch has become a top bowler on the team with an overall fill percentage of 82.4%, which is tied for the sec

ond-highest on the team along side Samantha Strebel.

The team recently participated on Friday, Nov. 18 in the Hawk Invitational in Delaware.

Stretch described how it was a major learning experience for all the teams after the Lakers got off to a slow start. Despite the dif ficult lane conditions, the team overcame the bump from the first day after going 1-3.

The second day the team went 2-3 and on the final day the team

went 3-0 in matches. Senior Ha ley Youker and Freshman Nikki Lemponen led the charge for the Lakers in the tournament.

The Invitational was a great opportunity for the Lakers to face talented teams and grow as a team. The bowlers have proven their abilities to dominate in the future by ending the invitational strong.

Stretch shared the team’s goals for the remainder of the season. “Our goal as a team is to keep

growing and increase our posi tion in the rankings to hopefully reach the NCAA championship. We look forward to finishing out our last few tournaments to hope fully take home some wins,” said Stretch.

The Lakers have some time off from tournaments to hone in on their skills in practice.

Their next Invitational is Sat urday, Feb. 4 and Friday, Feb.17 back in Delaware in the Griffin Baker Classic and at Wilmington

University.

The bowling season has been nothing short of a marathon as the team will finish the remainder of their season in the spring.

The NCAA Regional bowling finals begin April 8 and if qual ified the team will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for the NCAA Championships.

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Every four years the World Cup occurs and gets fans excited on all sorts of levels. Aside from the Summer Olympics, there are not many events that soccer fans have, so the World Cup is a big deal.

Since the beginning on Nov. 20 in Qatar, there has already been a lot of excitement and upsets.

For the first time since its first tournament in 1930, the host country was eliminated after the first two rounds when Qatar lost 2-0 against Ecuador and then 3-1 against Senegal.

Many soccer fans made fun of Qatar over their defeat, especially in the wake of situations such as making a deal with Budweiser like all host countries do, then back ing out of the deal just 48 hours before the games began and not allowing vendors to sell beer in or around the stadium.

During Qatar’s match against Ecuador, Ecuadorian fans were chanting “we want beer” in Span ish in protest.

There has already been a variety of upsets that have occurred since the games began last week.

On Tuesday, Nov. 22, Saudi Arabia delivered a shock upset to Argentina by winning 2-1. Addi tionally, on Nov. 23, Japan upset Germany 2-1.

However, the Japanese team and fans alike stole the hearts of

fans by staying behind and clean ing the stadium following the match. The Japanese team addi tionally left the locker room spot less, leaving behind 11 origami cranes (a symbol of honor) and a note saying thank you in Japanese and Arabic.

Besides Qatar, Canada has now been officially eliminated from contention as well, having lost to Belgium 1-0 on Nov. 23 followed by a loss to Croatia 4-1 on Nov. 27. They still have one last game, against Morocco on Dec. 1, but it will not be enough to get them to qualify for the next round.

The biggest deficit in a score so far came from the Spain-Costa Rica matchup on Nov. 23, when Spain ran Costa Rica into the ground with a final score of 7-0.

The United States maintained a streak of never losing to England when their matchup ended in a draw on Nov. 25.

This also made England the laughingstock of soccer fans, espe cially those in the United States, since out of their three matchups (the other two being in 1950 and 2010), the United States has won once and there have been two draws.

This has led to jokes among soc cer fans that since England could not defeat the United States, it should now be called soccer since that is what the United States re fers to the sport as, instead of foot ball.

Overall, the World Cup has been a blast for everyone involved and for everyone watching. For tunately, it is not going away any time soon, since the final match is not scheduled until Dec. 18.

It is going to be a lot of fun wondering who will win the FIFA World Cup Trophy this time around!

Hurst athletics photo

Sophomore Sarah Kelly celebrates with teammates after bowling during one of the UMES Hawks Invitational.

LAKER LIVING

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your work requires increased effort during the next few days. But it all will pay off down the line. Things ease up in time for weekend fun with family and/ or friends.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your genuine concern for others could prompt you to promise more than you can deliver. It’s best to modify your plans now before you wind up over committed later.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A situation that seems simple at first glance needs a more thorough assess ment before you give it your OK. Dig deeper for information that might be hidden from view.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Careful: Right now, things might not be quite what they appear. Even the intuitive Crab could misread the signs. Get some solid facts before you act on your suspicions.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your energy levels are high, allowing you to complete those unfinished tasks before you decide to take on a new project. A social invitation could come from an unlikely source.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might think you’re helping, but unless you’re asked for a critique, don’t give it. If you are asked, watch what you say. Your words should be helpful, not hurtful.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your attempt at mediating dis putes might meet some opposition at first. But once you’re shown to be fair and impartial, resistance soon gives way to cooperation.

SCORPIO (October 23 to Novem ber 21) Go ahead. Reward yourself for helping settle a disturbing workplace situation. On another note: A person al relationship might be moving to a higher level.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A sudden change of heart by a colleague might create some momentary uncertainty. But stay with your original decision and, if necessary, defend it.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Rely on a combination of your sharp instincts along with some really intense information gath ering to help you make a possibly life-changing decision.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to Febru ary 18) Instead of worrying if that new person in your life will stay or leave, spend all that energy on strengthen ing your relationship so it becomes walkout-resistant.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A sudden financial dry spell could reduce your cash flow to a trickle. But by conserving more and spending less, you’ll get through the crunch in good shape.

BORN THIS WEEK: Your ability to keep secrets makes you the perfect confidante for friends, family and co-workers.

© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.