The Merciad November 11 Issue

Merciad THE

MERCYHURST UNIVERSIT Y

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News ................2-5 Features...........6-9 A&E ............. 10-11 Opinion........ 12-13 Sports ......... 14-15 Laker Living.......16

W E D N E S DAY, N OV E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 2 0

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VOL. 94 NO. 9

To reduce the spread of germs, please take this copy with you or recycle after reading.

Ringing in the season with ‘Hurst for the Holidays’ celebrations PAGE 2

Online poll results

We asked: What is the best pie to have at Thanksgiving dinner?

Apple pie

3: Looking back on the year 2020

Pumpkin pie

6: History professor working on seventh book, charting “Truman to Trump” 15: Athletics Department launches ‘Hurst vs. Hunger’

Pecan pie

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Blueberry pie

This week’s

POLL

What holiday was the highlight of your winterbreak?

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

NEWS

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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Ringing in the season with ‘Hurst for the Holidays’ celebrations

By Rebecca Dunphy News editor

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with the bells jingle belling and Luke the Laker telling you “be of good cheer.” It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas came a bit early for Lakers this year in anticipation of their early departure for the end-of-semester break beginning Nov. 25. While traditionally Mercyhurst kicks off the festivities with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the end of November, this holiday season began with the Light Up Mercyhurst event on Nov. 5.

Christmas carols could be heard throughout the day in anticipation of the kick-off. Then at 4:30 p.m., members of the Mercyhurst community watched the lights decorating Old Main shine for the first time this season.

The event was led by President Michael T. Victor and MSG president, Lucy Belleau. Instead of having students watch in person, the event was live-streamed for all.

“Although it was not the typical experience, I am still so thankful to have been able to participate in our makeshift tree lighting. It may have been a little early, and a little warm, but we were able to uphold the spirit of the tradition and welcome the holiday season,” Belleau said.

The fun certainly did not end there. One of the most notable

Contribued phtoto

MAC/SAC programmers Joey Franz and Eric Olsen handed out s’mores at the first pop-up event of the season on Nov. 6.

additions to this year’s holiday lineup is the pop-up gingerbread house shed located at the center of Trinity Green.

To maintain social distance while still celebrating the holidays, Parkhurst is hosting a number of pop-up events throughout the rest of the month.

The first of these was held on Nov. 10 and featured s’mores

passed out by Parkhurst staff and MAC/SAC programmers Joey Franz and Eric Olsen. Christmas music was playing and inflatable snowmen ensured that everybody was in the holiday spirit.

“I think that this was just a fun, simple, easy event to get students in the holiday spirit before they go home for the semester,” Franz said.

In addition to the sweet treat, participants received a pin featuring Luke the Laker at the center of a snow globe.

The next of these events will be a hot cocoa pop-up on Nov. 12 and the final pop-up treat, Thanksgiving cookies, will be handed out in the same location on Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Nov. 12 Santa Luke will be

making an appearance at the gingerbread shed for pictures and free candy canes, from 10:30 to 11 a.m. For those who are unable to make the event, a second opportunity is available to take a picture with Luke on Nov. 18 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

The Roost is also getting into the spirit by hosting the Hurst for the Holidays Freeform Holiday Movie Series. Due to the new restrictions, students are encouraged to order take out from the Roost and then check out the classic Christmas movies being shown on the Freeform channel.

Students may even want to set up their own Zoom watch parties with friends to continue to spread holiday cheer from a distance.

The first film in the series was “Prancer Returns,” screened on Nov. 7. The next event will be a double feature of “Home Alone” and “Home Alone II” on Nov. 14 at 6:45 p.m. On Nov. 21 at 8:45 p.m., the final film, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” will be shown. It might even make viewers hearts grow three sizes.

Lakers should be on the lookout for more holiday events in the coming weeks including dining hall and retail specials, giveaways and more.

2020 has been a whirlwind of a year, so let’s all mask up and be merry.

Lakers return to online learning

By Payton Cook Staff writer

COVID-19 raised a lot of questions in regard to how to re-open Mercyhurst safely for the fall semester. To do so, Mercyhurst had to adjust class sizes and schedules, increase sanitary efforts, implement to-go options for the dining halls, make changes to athletics and much more.

The university did a great job with keeping our students and faculty healthy, which was evidenced by the low number of active positive cases on campus.

However, this changed the last weekend of October with a rapid spike in coronavirus cases. The first cluster of COVID-19 cases was identified on Oct. 30. From the week of Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, there were 36 new active positive cases, with four of those cases affecting employees. During that week, 34 new students were in quarantine due to known close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual.

Changes were also made to halt athletic practices, meetings and events to ensure that contact tracing could be properly

performed.

Unfortunately, the number of cases has only increased since then. The second cluster of cases was identified on Nov. 5. As of Nov. 9, there are 67 current active positive cases involving students and 6 current active positive cases for employees.

The number of cumulative positive cases for students is 98, while for employees it is 8.

Students that are identified with a positive coronavirus case are immediately sent to isolation, either in an empty apartment on campus or in an apartment at Mercyhurst North East.

Students are mandated to quarantine for two weeks, receive meals to their doors and are only allowed to be outside during a certain time slot.

Then, students are required to be tested again before returning to campus and in-person classes. Students that are labeled as a close contact are also required to quarantine and switch to remote learning for two weeks.

In response to the two clusters of cases, Mercyhurst implemented a period of a campus-wide expanded precautions from Nov. 5 at 9 p.m. until Nov. 11.

Some of these precautions

include classes going virtual, urging students and faculty to do take-out dining, prohibiting visitation in residential halls or campus apartments and limiting capacity in campus facilities.

Athletics are suspended until further notice, although the recreation center remains open with limited capacity.

COVID-19 positive cases are rising all over the United States.

Erie County is experiencing another record increase in positive cases and it is not just affecting Mercyhurst students.

According to Erie News Now, the Erie School District has also

made the decision to move to remote learning which will affect more than 12,000 students and families.

Students of the Erie School District will be online until Nov. 13. The superintendent of Erie schools said that the extension of online learning will be decided on a week-by-week basis, based on how many cases there are in the county.

This is a very difficult time for students and faculty. Finals are approaching and the sudden changes to campus-life and the switch to remote learning can be frustrating for everyone.

It is also almost time for the holidays. Therefore staying healthy is important to protecting those around you. At this time, it is important to think about your families, your classmates and your community for every decision you make.

For continued updates checkout the Mercyhurst COVID-19 dashboard at https://www.mercyhurst.edu/covid19/dashboard.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

NEWS

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Looking back on the year 2020

By Gillian Mazur Managing editor

To quote a fellow student, this year [2020] has been “a flaming dumpster fire.” Upon hearing this statement, I began using this phrase quite a lot because I have never heard anything truer. Both as individuals and collectively, this year has certainly been one for the history books. With ups, downs, twists and turns behind every corner, I thought it would be interesting to write a 2020 year-in-review article.

With so many major events, I am bound to miss some, but here goes nothing.

JANUARY

As soon as the New Year’s Eve ball dropped, everyone suspected the best year of their lives was starting. The Roaring 20s, here we come! Unfortunately, unbeknown to the world, this month was the start of a very long year. In foreign news, flash floods hit Indonesia in the early hours of the new year, killing over 66 people (Jan. 1). Rumors of WWIII breaking out also began to spark after Qasem Soleimani’s death was caused by an American airstrike (Jan. 3). While these whispers may not have come to fruition, it certainly seemed to have spread like wildfire on social media, in particular Twitter, where “ #WorldWarThree” began to trend. One event that occurred domestically was President Trump’s impeachment trial (Jan. 16). Later this month tragedy struck and basketball legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna and seven others (Jan. 26). For our southern neighbors, a deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Cuba (Jan. 28). Additionally, Brexit finally occurred for our European neighbors, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Jan 31). The year literally began in flames with the Australian bush fires that ravaged the country. In Mercyhurst news, this was one of the last “normal” months that occurred for most before the chaos of 2020 really hit.

FEBRUARY

Ah February, the long and eventful month of January was finally over. Time to really start the year, but wait, we are just getting started. Trump was acquitted (Feb. 5) but tension in this soon-to-be highly heated political year was just beginning. Primary elections began to show the true contestants for the Democratic party (Feb. 25). In foreign news, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China began to make its way into domestic news with the first death in the U.S. from the virus with no prior travel history (Feb. 26). In Mercyhurst’s world, this was the last month of big gatherings. Hollywood rapist and ex-film producer Harvey Weinstein also faced trial and was convicted of his crimes of raping and sexually abusing a TV and film production assistant, which was a huge step in the #MeToo movement (Feb. 24).

MARCH

Mar. seems to be the month where all went wrong and all hell broke loose. Globally, the entire world just stopped as more and more people began to get sick. Celebrities and regular folk alike tried to remain upbeat in a “we’re all in this together attitude.” Whether it was fighting for toilet paper in the grocery stores or the sudden realization of the lack of hand sanitizer, the entire world for once seemed to grind to a halt overnight. This immediate stoppage of all business ultimately led to the climax of the global stock market crash, also known as the Coronavirus Crash (Feb. 20- April 7). On Mar. 11, the World Health Organization officially declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic and, for weeks, nothing else seemed to matter. Businesses and schools transitioned to online learning, Mercyhurst being one of them. On Mar. 16, President Victor sent out a campus-wide email stating that Mercyhurst would be transitioning to online instruction for the rest of the semester. As Mercyhurst’s international students panic-packed and frantically said goodbye to their friends before borders closed, many local students chose to go home for what was supposed to be a two-week break.

APRIL

Four months into 2020 and it seems events of trial and tribulations are more common than not. After a few weeks in lockdown, it became apparent that some people care for others’ well-being more than thy neighbor. This is the month in which protests for the return to normalcy began. Masks became commonplace and social-distancing became a way of life. At the beginning of April, COVID cases hit one million worldwide and by the end of the month, the U.S. had over one million cases itself. After months of limited business operations, an unemployment crisis became apparent. With the first round of stimulus checks being sent out to people on Mar. 21, the amount of money was shortlived relief, since $1,200 can only stretch so far.

MAY

Another month of pain, this is the month that hearts were shattered and racial divides and differences in morals in the U.S. became abundantly clear. The floodgates opened with the death of one man, George Floyd, who was wrongfully murdered in an encounter with the Minneapolis police (May 25). The death was heard round the world; the Black Lives Matter movement took off, soaring to new heights. A reckoning for human rights was coming in cities and suburbs both large and small, all while the global pandemic raged on. In a clearly divided America, the Black Lives Matter movement became arguably one of the largest movements in U.S. history. Names such as Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahumad Aubrey and more circulated online and in the news as more and more stories of injustice surfaced, adding more fuel to the fire. Peaceful protests, dangerous riots and looting ensued. In addition to the fight for social justice and human rights, with COVID still looming on the horizon, a new addition of news of murder hornets entering the U.S. switched up the headlines. Two inches in length, these deadly Asian hornets were first seen colonizing in Washington state.

JUNE

Just because the calendar flipped did not mean that the events of the previous month ended. The events of May crashed into June as other countries continued to unite under three little words: Black Lives Matter. The people took change into their own hands and eventually talks of reform and better accountability began to surface in both the local and federal governments. With racial tensions at its peak, the Trump administration decided to host an in-person campaign rally in an already historically significant racially charged area: Tulsa, Oklahoma (June 20). With many people fighting the good fight, the Gen Z’ers of TikTok decided to take matters into their own hands. Bragging about over 1 million ticket reservations, users of the mobile app TikTok decided to organize a stunt to troll the President, and it worked. This proved not only the power of the platform but also how strong Gen Z and its allies are when they work together towards a common goal.

JULY

Halfway through the year, nothing too eventful happened. With racial and political tensions still at an all-time high, on the Fourth of July, “#AllCountriesMatter” was ranked third trending on Twitter. Post-trolling the President, this began the unofficial, yet official war between Gen Z, Trump and the uber-popular app, TikTok. This month the U.S. first looked to ban TikTok among other Chinese social media apps due to “security issues” (July 9). One happy thing that occurred is during the month of July is that Walt Disney World in Florida reopened to the public (July 11). Another celebrity to pass away during this month was Glee actress Naya Rivera. Her body was found after a six-day search, the seventh anniversary of the death of fellow Glee co-star, Cory Monteith, after her young son Josey was found on a boat alone at Lake Piru in Ventura County, CA (July 8).

AUGUST

To add more terrible tragedy to the year, in August the city of Beirut, Lebanon was struck to its core when massive explosions filled the air with the accidental detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, killing almost 200 people (Aug. 4). This month domestic news included Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, choosing his running mate and VP, Kamala Harris. This decision was historic because she is a woman, and a person of color of black and Asian descent (Aug. 11). To many shocked fans’ dismay, “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman also passed at age 43 (Aug. 28). Keeping with the “the world is literally on fire” theme from January, deadly wildfires erupted in California all the way to Washington State, torching millions of acres of land and displacing thousands of people (Aug. through Sept.).

SEPTEMBER

To add to the list of influential and powerful figures’ deaths, Supreme Court Justice and woman’s rights trailblazer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, passed at the age of 87 (Sept. 18).

As the second woman ever appointed to the high court, her death rocked millions as political tensions rose higher and higher. With the conservative administration in charge, many mourned as they worried about their rights being stripped away upon her death. Mercyhurst’s very own Black Students for Unity (BSU) organized a successful Mercy March for Black Lives in conjunction with Moralyzer to help spread awareness of the racial injustices many black Americans face (Sept. 21).

OCTOBER

On Oct. 2, Trump announced that both he and Melania as well as a good portion of the White House staff tested positive for COVID-19. After three days, he was discharged from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and sent to continue his recovery at the White House. In Mercyhurst’s realm, President Michael T. Victor announced his plans to the Mercyhurst community to retire upon the completion of the 2020-2021 school year (Oct. 19).

NOVEMBER

In Mercyhurst news, November was “Erie-ly” similar to March, the month that it all began. This month, the University announced a second big cluster of COVID-19 cases among the student body. In conjunction with the rising cases in Erie county, the University decided to implement additional precautions similar to the start of the semester effective at Nov. 5 at 9 p.m. until Nov. 11 (Nov. 5). From Nov. 6 to Nov. 9, the number of cases on campus spiked from 54 to 67 students and from 4 to 6 employees, which led to the decision to finish the school year with online remote learning (Nov. 9). In U.S. news, the very divided United States turned out in droves for the 2020 Presidential Election. Joseph R. Biden is now the projected President-Elect and Vice President-Elect is Kamala Harris (Nov. 7). Not only was history made by this announcement, but the glass ceiling was also shattered by Harris, becoming not only the first female VP to be elected, but also the first female person of color to take office in the White House. Trump’s campaign team held one last press conference, at the three-star Four Seasons Total Landscaping parking lot in Philadelphia, PA (Nov. 7). Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and BioNTech also announced very hopeful news this month, a COVID-19 vaccine proving to be 90% effective in preventing the COVID-19 infection based on data from an initial study (Nov. 9).

DECEMBER

With one final month before the year ends, one can only guess what major events will happen to round the year off. I can only hope that after the nightmare-inducing year that this has been that the light on the other side of this very long and very dark tunnel is bright. Cheers to a hopefully better and brighter new year, 2021!

NEWS

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Merciad IN A MINUTE Senior Class crowdfunding Check out the Senior Class Gift Committee’s crowdfunding page and help them reach their goal of $2,500 by the end of November.

All fundraising will go toward the “Beat the Odds” scholarship in honor of Kenny Robinson.

All donations are greatly appreciated!

Bookstore holiday sale The Bookstore is holding a 20% off sale for all clothing and merchandise through the end of the semester.

Now is the perfect time to pick up any Mercyhurst gear for friends and families as presents.

Kappa Delta Pi collection The education honor society Kappa Delta Pi is collecting diapers and baby wipes for Diehl Elementary families.

Donations are being collected through Nov. 13 and can be dropped off in the collection bin outside of Hirt 300A.

3k for Aidan running now Dr. Alex Regina’s social media marketing students have organized a virtual 3k for Dr. Anne Zapharis’ son who has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

Registration costs $5 and runners can participate any time through Nov. 13.

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

Email us at newsmerciad@ mercyhurst.edu

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Dan Laughlin re-elected to the PA State Senate

By Eva Philips Staff writer

Election Day on Nov. 3 was a whirlwind, but when the dust settled on Nov. 4, Erie County received the news that Senator Dan Laughlin won re-election. He will represent Erie County in Pennsylvania’s State Senate for a second four-year term.

Laughlin is a Republican hailing from nearby Millcreek Township. He won reelection by a significant margin over Democratic opponent Julie Slomski.

In addition to representing Pennsylvania’s Forty-Ninth Senatorial District, Laughlin serves on six State Senate committees.

He is the chairman of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee and maintains a position as vice chairman of the Banking and Insurance Committee. Additionally, Laughlin sits on the committees for Community, Economic and Recreational Development, Appropriations, Urban Affairs and Housing and Intergovernmental Operations. Laughlin also advises the Erie Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home as the Home’s senate representative.

Laughlin was born and raised in Erie. He grew up in a family of six and, prior to entering the political realm, owned and operated several small businesses, including Laughlin Builders construction firm and Laughlin Properties rental company, in partnership with his brother.

Because of his background in small business ownership, Laughlin has championed himself as a defender of the working-class and

of small business owners. He has professed a desire to make state government more accessible to the everyday citizen.

Laughlin also has sought to reform the government and increase transparency. For example, in May 2018, Laughlin introduced a bill to the Senate that would require the state Department of Insurance to provide detailed information about its spending on outside contractors. Though the bill was approved in the Senate, it stalled in the state House.

Laughlin has also supported outdoorsmanship and successfully advocated for expanding hunting to Sunday. Laughlin developed Senate Bill 147, which provided for hunting on three Sundays throughout the hunting season.

In 2019, Governor Wolf signed the bill into law.

During his 2020 State Senate campaign, he reminded voters of his support for a 2017 bill that increased funding for Erie’s public schools. His campaign claimed that he was the primary force behind the bill’s success, although opponent Julie Slomski disputed this claim and said that the bill was the result of a team effort.

The 2017 bill in question secured an additional $14 million in annual funding for Erie’s public schools, and the revisiting of this bill in 2020 made school funding a key issue of the race.

Laughlin’s support for the bipartisan Family Care Act was a defining feature of his first term as state senator. In 2019, he partnered with Democratic Senator Maria Collett of Pennsylvania’s 12th District to introduce Senate

Contributed photo

Millcreek native Dan Laughlin won his reelection to the PA State Senate representing the 49th Senate District, including Erie County.

Bill 580, also known as the Family Care Act. This bill would create a statewide Family and Medical Leave insurance program, enabling working parents to receive benefits while caring for a sick or new child or an elderly relative.

In a statement following his election victory, Laughlin reiterated his commitment to serving Pennsylvanians.

“I promise to be a representative of every citizen, regardless of their politics,” Laughlin said.

As for his agenda in his second term, he stated several key priorities.

“We need jobs, growth and op-

timism,” Laughlin said, adding that the coming months would be challenging due to the ongoing pandemic and economic troubles caused by it.

“My agenda for the coming term is at once plain and difficult,” Laughlin said.

He named two priorities: a City Revitalization Zone for Erie to create jobs and to revitalize struggling neighborhoods and the passage of the Family Care Act. Laughlin will begin his second term on Dec. 1. He will take the oath of office on Jan. 5.

Virtual Mass held to honor deceased women religious

By Christa Knipes

Arts and Entertainment editor

Each year, a Mass is held at Grandview, the Motherhouse for the Sisters of Mercy, in honor of deceased members of religious life.

This service specifically honors deceased religious women, clergy and members of the Serra Club.

The Serra Club is a Catholic lay organization focused on encouraging and supporting those who are called, or may be called, to religious life.

There are chapters all over the world. The Erie chapter was founded in 1960 and was 193rd of its kind to exist.

In general, typical Catholic Masses have resumed, albeit with some alterations, but most of the

attendants of this particular ceremony are considered high risk, due to age.

Rather than jeopardize the health of many in the name of tradition, the Erie diocese followed the recent trend of 2020: livestream.

For extra precaution in addition to the livestream, this Mass was held across the street from Grandview at St. Mark Catholic Center and was livestreamed from there onto YouTube on Nov. 2.

In the time since, the Mass has gained 250 views and has been uploaded to YouTube for subsequent viewing.

This Mass was offered by The Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, bishop of Erie.

Other integral members of the

Mass participated in the ceremony at a safe distance from one another, including readers, singers and musicians such as a pianist.

St. Mark Catholic Center has a larger space than the Motherhouse, which allows for safer social distancing.

There were individuals of the community who chose to attend the Mass in person, but for those who would be especially unsafe, the livestream was provided.

This change allowed members of the Erie diocese currently outside of Erie to also enjoy the Mass and honor those in religious life who have passed on.

The Most Rev. Persico discussed the importance of remembering and honoring the souls of those who are no longer with us.

“We gather as a local church to pray for those women and men that have died this past year. This Mass helps us to stay connected to those who have died and were a part of our lives,” said Persico in his homily.

“This Mass reflects something that is found in the hearts of all people of faith: that there is so much more to this world and our lives than what we can see or touch.”

Overall, the Mass was incredibly moving and more accessible than ever thanks to technology.

It can still be streamed on the Diocese of Erie YouTube channel.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

NEWS

Tasty Thanksgiving traditions continue

By Bella Lee

Staff writer

The fall semester is winding down and Thanksgiving and winter break are just around the corner. Traveling for the holidays may be much different, perhaps even nonexistent due to the pandemic, but Mercyhurst refuses to let this ruin our spirit.

Despite everything going on in the world, Mercyhurst is dedicated to bringing students the Thanksgiving dinner that everyone eagerly anticipates each year.

“We decided to continue this dinner even with COVID restrictions because it’s a Parkhurst tradition. How could we not do our Thanksgiving dinner?” said Marcy Fickles, executive chef for Parkhurst. “Some upperclassmen also approached us and requested that Parkhurst provide the same tradition that they’ve experienced for the past few years so that the newer incoming students could experience it as well.”

However, protocols are still in place to ensure maximum safety for all students and staff.

“This year, to keep our traffic manageable with social distancing, we are doing reservations

through the GET app,” said Fickles. “The reservations will start at 4 p.m. for both Grotto Commons and 501 Grille. Grotto Commons will also have a takeout option set up in the Faculty Dining Room for those who choose to dine out.”

This system will help to keep people safe, but as an added benefit, it may reduce the wait times that students experienced in prior years due to the popularity of the event.

“Reservations for the takeout dinner are not required. Grotto Commons will serve the Thanksgiving dinner from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the 501 Grille from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. This year our Thanksgiving dinner will not be buffet service; instead, it will be served by our team members behind the line to ensure safety,” Fickles said.

Even though the Thanksgiving dinner will look different from previous years, Parkhurst is still prepared to serve all the favorites.

“The culinary teams are passionate about providing that Thanksgiving experience that students can say is home away from home meal,” said Fickles. “We will be serving familiar foods such as roasted turkey with gravy, herb

stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, fall vegetables, cranberry sauce, honey glazed ham, macaroni and cheese and rolls with butter, as well as pumpkin pies and other cakes and cookies.”

Thanksgiving is a time that all students love and Parkhurst hopes to showcase this with their dinner.

“Thanksgiving is a time when all of campus comes together to break bread and share commonality,” said Fickles. “Thanksgiving is a time that we can all reflect on our blessings. It is a time that we begin the holiday season and share appreciation for each other.

The experience for myself, as the executive chef, is the great satisfaction of seeing the students from arriving on campus, to leaving for break, and the spring semester starting anew. That’s why we do Mercyhurst Thanksgiving as safely as possible.”

Whether this is your first Thanksgiving dinner or your last, this is a meal you should absolutely not miss. The dinner is set to be on Nov. 19, the week before Thanksgiving Day, so mark your calendars and be sure to be on the lookout for when those reservations begin!

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This week’s campus notices

Mercyhurst Emissary program starts up again

By Samantha Weber Staff writer

The Student Mercy Emissary Program at Mercyhurst began on Nov. 8. This an annual program in which students have the chance to learn more about the school’s history and the Sisters of Mercy.

The program has been running for six years, but it was only available to faculty and staff in the beginning. The student program was created last year, after students expressed a desire for their own program.

“We created the Mercy Emissary program because our campus community recognized that as fewer and fewer Sisters were working on campus it would take a concerted effort from other people at Mercyhurst to know and embrace the Mercy and Catholic identity of the institution,” Greg Baker, vice president of Mission Integration, said.

Baker recalls how the program got started.

“We worked with the Sisters to gain approval to adapt the Mercy Associate program—one that allows laypeople who are not Sisters to learn about and support the work of the Sisters—specifically for people connected to Mercy-

hurst University.”

This program is solely focused on the Mercy Charism and how it can be applied to everyday life. This program is not only for Catholics and it is not promoting the Catholic faith, rather it is simply acknowledging Mercyhurst’s Catholic heritage.

The program consists of six training meetings and each one is offered twice to help people be able to attend, even if they have a conflict with one of the time slots.

Training meetings will cover each of the following topics: Overview of the Program, Mother Borgia Egan and Foundations of Mercyhurst, Catholic Intellectual Tradition and Catholic Higher Education, Catholic Social Teaching, Current Works and Services of the Sisters of Mercy and a Mercy Spirituality Retreat.

This year, one of the meetings will always be over Zoom to accommodate those who cannot attend in person. Since Mercyhurst classes are going virtual temporarily, both the first meetings will be virtual.

The goals of this program include empowering students as guardians of Mercy and Catholic Social teaching, developing and embodying a whole new under-

standing of the Mercy mission, in order to strengthen your connection to Mercyhurst, our history and the Catholic intellectual tradition and to foster humble leadership in service of Mercy.

Baker talks about the response in past years.

“Students who completed the program last year shared that it allowed them to learn many new things about the Mercy tradition and to find much deeper meaning in what it means to be a student at Mercyhurst, and to represent the values and priorities of the Mercy tradition to the world,” said Baker. “It is also a unique opportunity for students to get to know each other as part of the sessions and to interact with a variety of employees who are Mercy Emissaries.”

In the past five years, there have been over 150 employees and 25 students complete the program.

This program is a great way to meet new people who have a passion for helping others and learning more about the history of the Sisters of Mercy. If you are interested in completing the program, email Bethany Woods at bwoods@mercyhurst.edu to sign up.

MERCYHURST CAMPUS

CRIME LOG Oct. 30: Drug violation at Wayne.

Oct. 30: Sex offense, non-forcible at Ryan Hall.

Nov. 1: Sex offense at Ryan Hall.

Nov. 3: Harassment at Baldwin Hall.

FEATURES

PAGE 6

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

History professor working on seventh book, charting “Truman to Trump”

By Eva Phillips

Staff writer

This year has undoubtedly been an eventful one. Long-time Mercyhurst history professor, Chris Magoc, Ph.D., is seeking to make sense of it with his upcoming book chronicling the United States’ history over the past 75 years.

The book, “Truman to Trump: A Progressive History of the United States Since 1945,” will be the seventh book in Magoc’s oeuvre.

The project is undoubtedly ambitious.

Magoc described it as “the story of this country in a hundred and fifty thousand words, from World War II to the present moment.”

Currently, Magoc is revising the twelfth and final chapter to reflect the results of the 2020 election. From there, he’ll move into the full revision process.

Given that the first draft measured an impressive 190,000 words, the revision could seem like a daunting task. Magoc has to trim off 40,000 words in order to meet the publisher’s length requirements. But, he’s approaching the task with optimism.

“Good writing is good revising, I’m glad for the challenge they’ve imposed on me to shrink this thing down to 150,000 words,” said Magoc.

Magoc initially began work on this book in 2012, for a different publisher. He put it on hold to write a four-volume encyclopedia on American expansionism and imperialism at that publisher’s behest. That project spanned three and a half years, and a year after its 2015 publication, the 2016

election prompted Magoc to resume work on his post-1945 chronicle.

A sabbatical in 2018 enabled Magoc to complete the bulk of the work.

The project was not without challenges, however. Due to changes in the original publishing company, including their requirement that Magoc trim 70,000 words off the first draft, Magoc searched for a new publisher.

He found a willing publisher across the pond — Britain-based Routledge agreed to publish the work, only requesting a 40,000word trim, and Magoc was back on track.

As an author with Routledge, Magoc finds himself in good company.

“They published Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein and a bunch of other huge thinkers of the twentieth century,” he said.

“I’m humbly in some pretty revered company. I’m pretty psyched.”

According to Magoc, teaching and scholarship projects such as writing books and papers go hand-in-hand.

“You never really know something until (a), you’ve taught it, and (b), you write about it,” said Magoc.

He’s grateful, he added, that Mercyhurst supports its faculty in their scholarly pursuits, since those pursuits provide instructors with essential opportunities for growth.

“To be forced by way of a scholarly project to really look at different aspects, different dimensions of a history you thought you knew, makes you a better instructor.”

Magoc is in his twenty-second year as a full-time Mercyhurst professor, and he has been teaching a class at Mercyhurst on

Contributed photo

Professor of History, Chris Magoc, whose remote teaching this semester has helped him find time to complete a seventh book.

American history post-1945 for even longer.

It was this class that inspired him to begin work on “Truman to Trump.”

In gratitude for the inspiration he’s received from the experience of teaching that class, Magoc will be dedicating his new book to the students he’s had over the years.

The task of revising the work to meet a June 2021 deadline would keep Magoc busy in itself. Still, he’s also planning to revisit a previous book — Yellowstone, on

the famed national park — in the coming months. Scholars at Montana State University are planning an event series on Yellowstone to celebrate the park’s 150th anniversary. In recognition of Magoc’s work on the topic, they invited him to participate in the events and write a piece for it.

All in all, it’s shaping up to be a busy year for Magoc, and though the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily life as we know it, it’s had one benefit.

“I’m teaching from home, so I’ve had a little more space and time to work through those revisions,” said Magoc.

But the constant developments in national news, including timely news regarding Trump, have posed their own challenges.

“I’m a little more easily distracted than I should be by the news of the day,” said Magoc.

Still, he’s on track to publish “Truman to Trump” in late 2021 or early 2022, just over a year from now.

When asked what guidance he’d give to aspiring writers, Magoc offered some advice.

“Read and write,” he said, “the more we read, the better writers we become.”

He offered inspiration, too.

“Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, never doubt that you might have something valuable to say.”

The Mercyhurst community is excited for Dr. Magoc, and we cannot wait to get our hands on the material upon publication.

MAC/SAC seeks new programmers

By Ashley Barletta Staff writer

As one walks around our stunning campus, they may come across the Student Union. This location has many great things, including the Roost. However, one of the most extraordinary things about the Student Union is that it is home to student activities every weekend.

The Multicultural Activities Council and the Student Activities Council, also known as MAC/ SAC, have been hosting free events each weekend for students can participate in. These activities need to be planned out and hosted by students who are willing to take on the task of providing fun and entertainment through social and sometimes educational events here at Mercyhurst.

This year has been especially challenging due to the coronavirus pandemic, and it took a very determined and hardworking team of people to make the most of our current situation.

MAC/SAC is now accepting applications for new programmers to plan and host weekend events throughout the school year.

“Programmers are responsible for planning and working our free campus events every Friday and Saturday night throughout the semester,” said Braeden Barnett, Student Activities Council chair.

MAC/SAC also works with the Mercyhurst Student Government (MSG) and other Recognized Student Clubs and Organizations (RSCOs) to get students involved on campus.

The job description is as follows: “A student leader who plans events every Friday and Saturday evening throughout the academic year. Most events are planned by two programmers, with the exception of some of our bigger traditions that require more help.

MAC/SAC programmers focus on events aimed toward the entire Hurst community, which include social/recreational activities, multicultural initiatives and spirit initiatives.”

MAC/SAC programmers will need to be able to work with groups and create an inclusive environment for all students. They will also need to be creative thinkers because planning events for an entire student body is not an easy job to do.

Contributed photo

MAC/SAC poster seeking for new applicants for programmers. The successful applicants will join the team for the spring and into next year.

“The process to become a MAC/SAC programmer is pretty simple. All it takes is to fill out the application posted on MSG’s social media. After that we will conduct interviews to get to know the applicants. Once those interviews are finished a collective committee will make final decisions and offers,” said Barnett.

Some of the students who have applied to become a MAC/SAC programmer will be chosen to have an interview once all of the applications are reviewed.

Interviews for a programmer position will be held from Wednesday, Nov. 11 until Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020.

Those hired for a programmer

position will join MAC/SAC’s planning session on November 20.

Barnett added, “Our programmers are students because they have the best pulse to what the student body would like to see.

We offer events for students by students.”

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

FEATURES

PAGE 7

Impact of COVID-19 on fine arts

By Bella Lee

Staff writer

In one way or another, classes have been affected by the onslaught of COVID. Whether it’s music classes being socially distanced or science labs being held outdoors, every major has felt the pandemic’s impact.

The different groups of art classes are no stranger to this.

From photography and art to dance and theater, these fine arts have been deeply impacted by the need to be online. Professional dance troupes and Broadway stars have been out of jobs for months now, but let’s not forget that students in these fields of study are also feeling the wrath of the coronavirus.

While there are cons to being primarily remote, there are also pros, and students are working to remain positive.

“My minor is unique because some of the classes are very much interactive and constructive and it is very nice to be able to be on stage for an acting class, but it’s not impossible to do so remotely,” said Braden Rosciszewski, a sophomore Sports Medicine major with a minor in Theater.

Rosciszewski most recently performed in the department’s online version of “The Canterville Ghost.”

“Then there’s classes like History of Musical Theater or Script Analysis which are more ‘classroom’ courses that can definitely be completed remotely. There are always changes that can be made to accommodate learning while still keeping everyone safe and I think that impacts how the classes function as a whole,” Rosciszewski said.

The theater community has been heavily impacted by the presence of COVID, with productions having to be held remotely.

Rosciszewski remains cautious-

ly optimistic. “There are definitely some benefits to the system we’ve adopted,” said Rosciszewski. “Some of these include being at home and seeing my family more, having a flexible schedule and trying new experiences. However, there are more negatives to this adaptation in my opinion.

The straight through schedule we have adopted is very draining and stress-inducing. The long days of synchronous Zoom classes are a breeding ground for fatigue and laziness in courses. I think we’ve done a good job creating a framework for what we need to do, but I also think we need to make some big changes to keep everyone’s minds as healthy as their bodies.”

However, some of the majors within the fine arts umbrella haven’t suffered too many changes due to our new reality.

“My field has not been changed that much by the new COVID rules,” said Hannah Wittenburg, a sophomore Studio Art major. “I still have in-person classes for my major. We do everything in class and make sure we wipe things off as we are told to and are wearing our masks all the time.”

However, just like any major that is transitioning towards being online and more socially distanced, not everything is perfect.

“The pros to having classes in person, are that in-person instruction helps me develop my skills better than being online does,” said Wittenburg. “The cons, I would have to say, are having to rely on Zoom to get me connected with class. It is hard to have connections with peoples’ faces when you cannot see them in real life.”

Some fields, according to the students involved in them, have changed much more than others. “My field I feel has changed drastically since COVID,” said Hannah McCall, a senior Graphic Design major with a Photo minor.

“A lot of art classes are in-person

Contributed photo

The Mercyhurst dance department performing during covid.

and very hands-on. Being an art major, visual and tactile learning are key elements in education.

We used to give critiques on all our projects in groups, which really helped us develop on our work. I have even heard now from people who have graduated that it’s harder to find graphic design jobs because the job itself is very personable, with meetings and client interactions. It’s important to follow the guidelines given to us in order to prevent the spread of COVID, but being an art major is interesting now because we have to get creative with our problem solving in order to still get enough out of our time and education.”

Even with all of the drastic changes, McCall has seen some benefits. “Some pros are keeping art spaces clean,” said McCall. “It’s very easy to let art spaces go because you can just let stuff kind of sit there, but COVID forced us to stay organized, which I think will benefit us in the long run. Some cons are the lack of critiques, lack

of art shows and galleries. We can’t go to museums, and we can’t contact clients outside of Mercyhurst for experience beyond Zoom calls.”

Something that can often be glossed over when it comes to the struggles of having an online education is that the teachers are affected just as much as the students are.

“The dance world itself is currently in flux,” said Jennifer McNamara, assistant professor of Dance. “Funding structures are dissolving – ticket sales are down because live performances can’t happen in the old way, and traditional grants and fundraising ventures are slowing as well. So, the idea of what it means to be in a dance company, or to be an independent dance artist or a dance teacher is shifting as a result. We’re trying to predict the curve of this evolution and get ahead of it, so our students are well-prepared for whatever the world looks like when they graduate.”

So much has had to be changed for Dance, but McNamara and the other professors and students have powered through.

“Over the summer we mapped the space in the studios, modeling our work after European dance companies, who were a few months ahead of us in this pandemic,” said McNamara. “Using their spatial models and noting the air turnover rate in the studios, each student has been allotted a 12’x12’ square in which to dance, to avoid moving into another dancer’s “jet stream” during class. This means we can’t practice the expansive, traveling sequences we think of as the epitome of dancing. Each of our dance studios has a maximum capacity of 12 dancers for each hour-and-ahalf class, and so that the dancers can practice in-person every day, which is critical in our field. Our larger classes are split between two studios, with the teacher monitoring both rooms simultaneously.

Any students who are attending virtually, for a variety of reasons, are streamed via Zoom.”

McNamara’s comments show the myriad of thought that has had to go into each aspect of dance this year.

“So much of learning in Dance is tied to visual cues; seeing how a step works on a different body, learning from others’ rhythm or timing or coordination and seeing others’ successes and valiant efforts which help you understand your own body.”

Those who work and study in the art fields have had to uproot their entire schedules to accommodate the changes, but near or far, they’ve managed to stick together and get through this pandemic.

Let us remember the value and dedication of the arts.

International students plan book swap

By Samantha Weber Staff writer

The International Student Association (ISA) here at Mercyhurst is partnering with Service Learning & Community Engagement to hold a book swap for students on campus.

This idea was originally started two years ago as an informal book swap among international students, in hopes of making their transition to school a little easier.

Senior Marina Boyle, an international student from Ireland and ISA president, describes how the book swap was run in previous years.

“Two years ago the International Student Association started a book swap between members as a

fundraiser for the club and a way to help international students get their books more cheaply. We gathered books from members and met in the Great Room to swap them at the beginning of the semester. This worked well for about four semesters, but now we have essentially run out of books and we want to get this initiative started again in a bigger and more formalised way, so that it can benefit as many students as possible,” Boyle said.

With COVID, the traditional way the of swapping books looks different, but it is an important program that will remain in place to help others.

“This year, I knew I wanted to do this event again in a COVID friendly way, and make sure that

international (and domestic) students were given a service opportunity. It has been harder to serve during the pandemic, but safely sharing a book by giving it to another person helps a fellow Laker and reduces the environmental impact of buying multiple books,” Boyle said.

Students can sign up to donate their books now, and physically donate them after break.

“What inspired the idea was simply making sure that with all the added stresses that international students have, getting textbooks would not be a cause for concern.

Donating a book to someone else is also an act of service that helps to build community,” Boyle said.

This idea of service is present in all aspects of Mercyhurst Univer-

sity and it is something that students can take great pride in.

Getting a book in exchange for another book that you donate is free, or you can get a book without donating in exchange for a monetary donation of $1 or more to the Emergency Book Fund.

The ISA is hoping to get as many students as possible involved, whether they are from overseas or not. Anyone who has a book to swap or a desire to help a fellow Laker is welcome.

Because donating a book is an act of service, Service Learning & Community Engagement were the perfect office to partner with for the ISA. They are also helping with COVID safety in terms of the event. Books will be left to quar-

antine before being passed to another student, and there will be no face-to-face interaction needed to donate or collect a book.

Through a form on their HUB page, students will be able to list what books they have to donate, and those who donate will have early access to the list of books available.

This program is a part of the Mercy Marketplace, an idea that will ideally extend beyond exchanging books into exchanging other things such as dining swipes or professional clothing to students in need.

Anyone willing to help should visit the HUB and begin posting their books!

PAGE 8

FEATURES LAKERS FOR LEARNING

Contributed photo

By Payton Cook Staff writer

Although there are many interesting courses to take at Mercyhurst, arguably one of the most unique courses being offered next semester is called Apocalypse to Zombie.

Apocalypse to Zombie is being taught by Robert von Thaden, Ph.D., a professor of Religious Studies. This course will compare different versions of “the end” by investigating the diverse ancient and contemporary cultural contexts out of which these imagined endings emerge.

Stories about “the end” have been employed by various cultures. The course begins by examining ancient Jewish and Christian apocalypses. This includes looking at the books of Daniel, Revelation, Ezra, and Enoch. From there, the class will then look at narratives of “the end” in contemporary novels and film.

These contemporary novels and films are not always about the end of the world, but express current fears and anxieties such as disease, racism, climate change, capitalist greed, imperialism and more. This course also explores indigenous points of view, and how the First Nations in North America have dealt with imperialism and effects of it.

The idea for this course originated from conversations von Thaden had with a friend from graduate school, who now teaches at Central Michigan University. Von Thaden said that he cannot take credit for the class, since many of his friends from graduate school teach similar courses. “It [the class] wrestles with deep questions that have sparked the imaginations of human communities, religious and not, from antiquity to today,” von Thaden said.

The only prerequisite to take this course is that you have already taken a RLST or CST course, which is a REACH requirement. This is to make sure that students already have an understanding of the academic study of religion.

This course is different from a REACH course in that it is an upper-level course, meaning that it is driven by student discussion and work. Students will share their ideas and research on deep questions proposed throughout the class. Students will also have a final project to complete on a topic they choose.

This course benefits both Religious Studies majors and non-majors alike. There are five required texts for the course and it is a great way to learn about other cultures, learn from fellow classmates and develop one’s own ideas about what “the end” might mean.

If interested in enrolling in this class, you can find it on Self Service, listed as RLST-390.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

RSCO Feature: Ski Club

By Alexis Lovewell Staff writer

The Campus Involvement Center manages all of the recognized student clubs and organizations (RSCOs) on campus, Ski Club included.

The advisor for Ski Club is Steph Przepiora, who is also the Leadership and Outreach coordinator for Campus Involvement.

President of the Ski Club is senior Business Economics and Finance double major, Andrew Hoover. Vice President is senior Biology and Forensic Anthropology double major, Kristina Croucher.

Both Hoover and Croucher work together to make the Ski Club possible for students every winter. Since both are seniors this year, they will be handing down both positions to rising upperclassmen students for next fall.

“Ski Club is an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to come together and spend time off campus at Peek’n Peak Resort in Clymer, NY,” Hoover said. The Club helps to make skiing, snowboarding and winter activities accessible to students, whether they need a ride, instruction or a ski pass.

In the winter, depending on weather, Mercyhurst’s Ski Club members are able to utilize their pass and spend the evening tubing, skiing or snowboarding.

This gives the students here at Mercyhurst the opportunity to get away from campus and schoolwork and have some fun in the snow.

Due to the COVID pandemic, there have been a few restrictions put on the club.

Croucher spoke on some of the struggles COVID has brought to the club.

“COVID has made it difficult for Ski Club. Normally in the spring semester the club members ride in a Mercyhurst van to Peek’n Peak every Thursday evening to ski, snowboard or go tubing for a few hours. Due to COVID, we are not able to transport members in the van, which makes it difficult for those without vehicles, such as freshmen,” Croucher said.

RSCOs were not able to travel at all during the fall 2020 semester.

Ski Club had some hope of potentially being able to travel in an official sense as for the spring semester, when they typically begin their season, but due to the new COVID clusters that have emerged, off-campus travel with clubs is highly unlikely this academic year.

Despite COVID, the club was still able to offer members a discounted pass which made it much cheaper for students to purchase a season pass and travel to Peek’n Peak themselves. While all members are responsible for paying for

their individual passes, the discount makes it a lot cheaper for college students.

Although the deadline to turn in the forms for the discounted price has already passed, students who are still interested in going to Peek’n Peak for fun this season can reach out to Hoover (ahoove34@lakers.mercyhurst. edu) or Croucher (kcrouc55@lakers.mercyhurst.edu) and they can help provide more information on regular season prices.

The club is great way for all students to have some fun outside during the cold season, and it can act as a great stress reliever to take one’s mind off of school.

“We both have greatly enjoyed the stress relief of hitting the slopes as a club in previous years and are eager to pass it on to other individuals who are as excited about the club as we are,” Croucher said.

While we all look forward to the end of COVID-19, we are hopeful that students can once again travel with their clubs to enjoy the many great locations in and surrounding the Erie area.

Even in the cold winter, outdoor activity is not only a good way to reduce the spread of COVID, but it is also great for the mind and body. Bundle up and embrace the winter!

LAKER MOMENT

Ashley Barletta photo

Whodunnit?

On Nov. 7 Mercyhurst’s MAC/SAC hosted a Virtual Escape Room. The event was murder mystery themed. Students could join themselves or play with friends, anytime between 8 and 10 p.m. Hosted on Zoom, students who joined were able to search through a variety of documents and evidence files to solve a fake case known as CSI Bonetti.

FEATURES

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

PAGE 9

Mercyhurst yearbooks digitized

By Marina Boyle Editor-in-chief

Each class that graduates from Mercyhurst is unique. Because each class is shaped by the events of their college years and their experiences and achievements at the Hurst, each class can be remembered in a slightly different way.

One way of commemorating the graduating class was, for many years, through the Mercyhurst college yearbook. Although students from each class might have had their own copy, copies were kept in the Hammermill library and these copies of every yearbook

are now available to the entire Mercyhurst community for the first time.

All the digitized issues of “Praeterita” and the Mercyhurst “Senior Annual” can be found online through the archives website, archives.mercyhurst.edu. Each copy from 1937 through 2009 is now available as a PDF. The digitized collection contains the “Praeterita,” from the years 1937-1998, and the “Senior Annual,” (a renamed version of the same type of yearbook) from 1999-2009. Also included is the 1929 “Pioneer,” Mercyhurst College’s first yearbook.

Contributed photo

“Praeterita” featured photos of campus life and activities, including students from the 1940s in this Home Economics class, tending to a baby at the “practice house” the Sisters ran.

University archivist Bryan Colvin headed the effort to get these unique pieces of Mercyhurst online.

“I decided to digitize the yearbooks because requests are made for them a lot. Family members of alumni who passed love seeing images of their loved ones,” said Colvin.

As well as photos of campus life, the yearbooks contain artwork, memories, poetry and reflections from the graduating class. Because the publications were edited by students, they vary a lot over the years, reflecting changes in culture and college life.

“I think the most interesting thing to me in the yearbooks is watching Mercyhurst grow and evolve over time,” said Colvin.

Volume 10 of “Praeterita” from the Class of 1946 compared the art of ballet to the refining of oneself that happens at college.

The yearbook featured student artwork and poetry about ballet, saying “one all the forms of dance, the most deliberately cultivated, the highest, is ballet. Between the ballet and college life there are many significant similarities.

College has its rhythm its accent, its narrative, its atmosphere, its theme. College life for every student involves the most deliberate

Contributed photo

The Class of 2006 went for a different look for their yearbook, with color pages and splatter paint designs.

cultivation of the self - a fine art.”

The 1937 edition prominently features “the Roosters,” the college students who had taken over the original Roost as a place of recreation for students to socialize and smoke. Later yearbooks feature the Corner Stone instead of the Roost, but many parts of the yearbook remain the same.

The 1993 yearbook notes “buildings stand, fads come and

go, but Mercyhurst College contains seniors, faculty, sports, activities and highlights. Events change our lives, but there are traditions that will never fade.”

The yearbooks offer a glimpse into college life during a different time. For those of us who might be nostalgic about life pre-pandemic, they are a perfect window to the joys of the past at Mercyhurst.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: HOLIDAY EDITION! November 1931: In the early years of the Merciad, poems by students were a regular feature of the newspaper. In November 1931 Elizabeth McDonald was writing about Thanksgiving Day and how we can bring gratitude into our lives.

Although there was much to be grateful for, Mercyhurst was top of the list.

December 1951: Christmas can be a hard time for families struggling financially, and this is something Mercyhurst students thought about as far back as 1951. In this “Personality Portraits” extract from the Merciad, four students were hoping to bring joy to the needy at Christmas time by presenting local families with gifts of food and clothing.

Mysteriously, one of the students was unable to be present for the photograph because she gotten lost in the Erie winter.

PAGE 10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Painter continues work despite ALS

By Bella Lee

Staff writer

It is well-known that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, can be extremely debilitating to those who suffer from it.

People who were once extremely active can be in a wheelchair and using a feeding tube in a matter of months.

Stephen Hawking lived for over 50 years with this disease, which often kills people within two to five years.

Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” died in 2018 after being diagnosed with ALS the previous year.

ALS is, in a sense, a death sentence for those who are diagnosed with it.

The same can be said for London-based artist Sarah Ezekiel.

She showed no signs of the disease until 2000, when she was 34 years old and pregnant with her second child.

She noticed some weakness in her left arm and slurring of her speech, and was diagnosed with ALS within months.

“My life was pretty normal before,” Ezekiel said. “I was a full-

Contributed photo

Sarah Ezekiel painting “Poppy,” created by tracking her eye movements with a computer.

time mom and used to cook, clean and go to the gym regularly.”

Now unable to move or even speak, Ezekiel uses a special technology called “Eye Gaze” that still allows her to pursue her passion.

She began using the device in 2012 and her first work, titled “Peaceful Warrior,” took its name from the title of a book by Dan

Millman.

“It was originally supposed to illustrate despair, but the finished result had a totally different feel,” said Ezekiel.

“Eye Gaze” is just one of many assistive technologies that have been used by those with ALS and other debilitating diseases. Stephen Hawking was able to control

communication software using an infrared sensor mounted on his glasses that detected movements in his cheek.

Ezekiel’s work has been displayed all across the United Kingdom and even as far as Qatar, but she says she is still learning and there are always new techniques.

“When I’m creating, I’m totally

focused on my work,” said Ezekiel. “All of my problems disappear.”

Computer-based art has dated back to the 1950s, and famous painters can now trade their paintbrushes or pencils for an iPad or computer and lose none of their flair. Ezekiel is no exception. “The odd thing is that my style hasn’t changed,” said Ezekiel. “My Eye Gaze work resembles work I did with my hands before.”

Ezekiel hopes that she can exhibit her works once again when the UK is free of the coronavirus, but until then she continues to sell her work online.

“Being an artist because of technology has totally improved on life and opened up many other possibilities for me,” said Ezekiel.

“I couldn’t create for years and it’s fantastic that technology has made it possible again.”

Having ALS for over 20 years, Ezekiel’s life expectancy with this disease has surpassed others by nearly ten-fold. Whereas most people suffering from this disease would want to throw in the towel from the moment they’re diagnosed, Ezekiel took this as an opportunity to create art in a way that has never been seen before.

Contributed photo

Image of a train that ran through the track barrier and was caught by a statue of a whale tail, saving a driver’s life in the process.

Whale tail statue saves lives

By Joey Talarico Staff writer

In the early hours of the morning on Nov. 2, the tail of a whale sculpture saved a metro train that was falling off the end of a railway platform in the Netherlands.

The train was going to De Akkers station in Spijkenisse, which is a suburb located south of the capital Rotterdam.

Instead of stopping at the end of the railway line, the Dutch train crashed through the buffer stop at the end of the platform.

“A metro shifted through the ending of the rail, smashing the

wood and concrete and ended several meters beyond the ending of the platform. A work of art saved it from falling down, saving the driver’s life,” witness Killian Lindenburg said, according to ABC News.

The train would have plummeted more than 30 feet from the platform, but luckily for the train and its driver, a stone whale tail was there to catch it.

According to Forbes, the incident occurred after midnight, around 12:30 a.m. The front of the train fell perfectly onto the top of the whale tail.

The sculpture contains two

whale tails emerging from a pool of water, and it was installed in 2002 to represent the end of the railway line. In fact, the sculpture was accurately named “Saved by the Whale’s Tail.”

ABC News reported that the Rotterdam police and emergency services responded to the accident and found no injuries at the scene.

The train had no passengers at the time, so the driver was the only person on board.

The driver was able to exit through the back of the train himself, and he was taken to the hospital as a preliminary measure.

Police are unsure as to why the

train crashed through the barrier, and investigations are ongoing.

They have also interviewed the driver as part of that investigation.

The train suffered considerable damage and was left balanced on the statue for the rest of the day.

The artist who created the sculpture, Maarten Struijs, was shocked it held up. Like something out of a movie, the artwork was perfectly placed, as if on purpose.

The following day, two large cranes used chains to hoist the front carriage off the statue and lower it to the ground.

ABC reported that the operation took the entire day, and it

required workers to remove the wheels off the carriage and cut it loose from the rest of the train.

A crowd of around 30 people watched and cheered as the train finally reached the ground.

In times of pandemic and difficulty, many of us turn to art for comfort, relief and entertainment.

Whether it was an act of God or a life-saving coincidence, this time art went above and beyond for humankind.

They say that art saves lives, but this time it was much more literal.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 11

Orchestra directors out of a job

By Joey Talrico Staff writer

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many professions. Countless businesses have either moved online, closed or have experienced drastic restructuring to compensate for the changing climate of the world.

The classic orchestra is one of the fields that has been considerably affected.

Most orchestras have had to cancel in-person performances, and have moved to an online setting. Many questions have now been raised about the necessity of various features of the orchestra, such as the music director.

The music director is the individual in charge of running and

presiding over the music for a performance. They are usually the chief director of the orchestra.

Recently the director has been increasingly responsible for other roles, such as making budget decisions, fundraising and managing personnel. According to the UK magazine “The Critic,” this has caused a decline in prestige associated with the position of music director. The pandemic might be the final nail in the coffin for this position in the orchestra.

When the coronavirus hit, many directors jumped ship. The New York Philharmonic’s Dutch director Jaap van Zweeden went silent and relocated to Hong Kong.

The Metropolitan Opera’s Yannick Nézet-Séguin, from Cana-

da has likewise remained absent.

Former Detroit Symphony director told “The Critic” that “I have been shocked at the lack of artistic statements by those that head up orchestras.”

This neglect has resulted in an increasing disconnect between the players and the music directors in the United States, as many musicians have grown bitter at the lack of communication from their leader – especially in times that are so uncertain to begin with.

The issue is less evident in European orchestras. For example, Berlin State Opera director Daniel Barenboim was able to restart his orchestra’s performances with relative ease.

Granted, there have been a few examples of music directors stick-

ing with their orchestra in America. Cleveland director Franz Welser-Möst received a special permit from the U.S. government to travel from his native Austria back to his orchestra. London director Simon Rattle ran his orchestra digitally from Berlin, and then reunited with them as soon as he could.

However, these directors are the exception, not the norm.

The lack of leadership and communication from directors has significantly hurt orchestras in the United States. Dismay and discouragement has caused many experienced professional players to retire.

The new players coming in to replace them lack the experience to work under pressure and adapt, especially without instruction

from a director. This has caused orchestras to become less cohesive and confident.

The growing disdain for the music director role may be irredeemable in the coming years, and the position might soon be endangered.

London director Mark Wigglesworth told “The Guardian” that the purpose of the director “is about connecting with a community, a community of musicians and a community of listeners.

Take those communities away, and the purpose of the role, debatable at the best of times perhaps, is non-existent.”

Athow and female team create Sudanese mural in Lake Erie International Market

By Samantha Weber Staff writer

Nialwak Athow was recognized as a master practitioner of henna in 2018 by the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts.

With her talent, Athow began working on a mural on the outside of the Lake Erie International Market in the City of Erie.

She and an all-female group helped assist in the making of this mural. This all-female team has just finished creating a mural celebrating women’s right to vote.

Athow has lived in Erie since 2002, but she is originally from Sudan. She wants to spread the culture of Sudan here in the United States, specifically in the use of

henna.

In Sudan and other countries in East Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, the temporary tattoo is a part of a celebrated tradition for the women. Specifically, a lot of women get henna for Mother’s Day, Eid celebrations and Christmas.

The most common event for henna, however, is weddings. In Sudan, if you are getting married, the bride having henna is as important - if not more important than the wedding rings.

Despite her notable experience in henna, this was still a new type of art for Athow.

When doing henna on people, there is a very limited space on which to work. The angles and

surface are also very different. This new project took place on an entire building.

In order to properly prepare, Athow had to learn from artists whose expertise was in the painting of murals. She listened to their advice while also not losing track of what she wanted to portray.

The owner of the marketplace, Shiekh Abdalla, is from Sudan himself, and was thrilled when Athow approached him with the idea.

Abdalla’s traditional store helps people keep their culture and express themselves when living in the U.S., so the mural was a nice addition to the property.

Since Erie has a high Sudanese population, henna represents the

culture of many immigrants to Erie. Abdalla was honored to be a part of it.

In addition to the mural on the building, Abdalla has wanted seating outside of his shop for some time.

At Abdalla’s behest, local woodworker Armando Reyes, proprietor of Lake Erie Woodworks and Lake Erie Drumworks, made a wooden bench for outside the store.

Athow took advantage of this addition and used it as part of her canvas space, adding a little bit of artwork to the bench as well.

This mural was made possible by the Erie Arts & Culture organization through a grant provided by the Doris Duke Foundation

for Islamic Art. The foundation has provided support in multiple projects that allow artists to portray their culture in new ways.

The Erie Arts & Culture organization encourages new Americans to create artwork that will help diversify the city of Erie in hopes of becoming a welcoming city through Welcoming America.

This organization aims to help more cities become inclusive toward immigrants and different cultures.

If you wish to go visit the beautiful mural, the market is located at the corner of Brown Avenue and Cherry Street in the City of Erie.

Faculty Fireside Chat

“There are only so many times we can say that everything on which we relied has been upended – a messy election, a reckoning with our country’s story of its history and a pandemic that just redirected us to deliver the remainder of the semester virtually.

Through all this, I’ve been considering toxic positivity and toxic empathy: it’s in my nature to push through and to make the best of a bad situation, and while I believe that resilience is born in these ideas, I am also cognizant of the fact that I sit in a place of privilege and can afford positivity, empathy and perseverance, because there are systems that support me. I am also aware that I stay obsessively busy as a shield against pain.

So, as we enter the last few weeks of the semester, my advice about maintaining healthy motivation tends toward listening – both inwardly and outwardly. Through our responses to ourselves and others, we can help shape the greater energy toward good; and as we shape this energy, it also shapes us toward good, but only if we are attentive to all the cues. When you need help, ask for it. When you can offer help, do. Move forward with open hearts, but also open ears and eyes. And trust yourself.”

- Jennifer McNamara, Associate Professor of Dance

UPCOMING EVENTS Nov. 12 @ 7:30 p.m. on Zoom: Rascasuelos Dec. 3 @ 7:30 p.m. on Zoom: Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy present “A Celtic Family Christmas” Dec. 9 @ TBD via Zoom: DREAMS Collaborative Art and Dance Showcase

OPINION

PAGE 12

GOOD US voter turnout was the highest it has been in 120 years!

SAD This is the last edition of The Merciad for this semester

PRESIDENTIAL Joe Biden is officially the 46th president of the USA

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Celebrating holidays during a pandemic

By Miriam Gildea

Staff writer

The aroma of turkey and ham filling the house, stuffing and stuffed people, Christmas carols on every person’s lips and congregations with candles.

There truly is nothing quite like the holiday season.

Collaborative joy marks many a tradition around this time from Thanksgiving Turkey 5Ks to Nutcracker performances.

The gift of the holidays for me has always been less about the physical gifts and more about the quantity and quality of time spent with friends and family, filled with traditions that often gave me hope and certainty of delight-filled times.

However, this year everything has changed.

Unification and community have been placed on the back burner to accommodate the new COVID world.

People have been banned from being within six feet of one another, and the smiles

once as white and bright as the snow dusting the earth are now hidden beneath masks.

Even so, it is our prerogative to overcome. Already we have sacrificed many a holiday and celebration to 2020; this upcoming season will be no different.

Grandma may not be able to bake her famous pecan pie or come to Thanksgiving dinner, but at least she can still FaceTime.

Congregations may not be able to join in person to warm the churches on Christmas Eve to celebrate our Savior’s birth, but at least we can worship from our homes.

Nutcracker performances may not be able to brighten the nation with beloved music and enthusiastic dancing, but at least recordings from the past can be played.

We have already come this far and adapted to the changing world. We have become more resilient and able to bear the burden of disappointment. Thus, what is a few months more?

The intention of these times is to be close to one another and

be in commune. Thus, it would not surprise me in the least if over the next two months we see a rise in COVID cases.

It is for this reason that I implore our community to mentally prepare for rising numbers and to try to combat this virus as they see fit.

For me, I know this will entail more time spent with immediate family and less time in large groups as I typically would prefer.

The challenge of this year will be to continually strive to seek out the blessings in the little things.

While much will be tossed away for a season, try to amplify the joy of less momentous occasions. Make a party out of dressing up the tree or step back and acknowledge the simple bliss of making a snow angel.

The nature of the holidays may change for a time; yet, this year does not have to be a waste.

We are more innovative and resilient than we realize, and this season is sure to require some creative thought, but has every potential to be equally as enjoyable as every other year.

US vs. Irish COVID protocol

The Merciad STUDENT EDITORS Marina Boyle............................ Editor in Chief Gillian Mazur ....................... Managing Editor Rebecca Dunphy .........................News Editor Victoria McGinty .................... Features Editor Michael Boylan ..........................Sports Editor Christa Knipes .............................. A&E Editor Quinn Gannon ......................... Opinion Editor Sarah Klein ...................................Copy Editor Steph Przepiora ...................................Advisor Contact editors at merciad@mercyhurst.edu

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.

across the world, but while Ireland is back in a Level 5 Editor-in-chief lockdown, the U.S. trudges on.

Who is doing it right?

Where do we draw the line between saving lives and learning The USA has had over 10 to live with the virus? million COVID-19 cases and Ireland has taken more of a 238,000 COVID-related deaths ‘save lives at all cost’ approach. so far. My home country of While I’m on campus with all Ireland has had 65,000 cases and of you, all of my Irish friends only 1,947 deaths. have been online all semester Now I know what you’re (although elementary and high thinking - we can’t compare schools are open), shops are numbers like that when the mostly closed and pubs and two countries have such vastly restaurants are take-out only. different populations.

Travel is restricted, gyms are That is fair, but even shut indefinitely and a 14-day with population differences quarantine is enforced for all considered, more than twice those entering the country. as much of the American Predictably, far fewer people population has been infected have died. when compared to Irish citizens.

The case is the opposite in the The reason for this is primarily U.S. As long as you have a mask, the severity of lockdown in you can do most of the things Europe over the U.S. you typically would before.

I’m not here to berate any Restaurants are open, you can one country’s handling of the get on a plane or go to the gym, COVID crisis, but it is thought- and although the experience is provoking to explore how vastly different, you can still go different responses on both sides downtown. of the Atlantic have shaped life In general, this approach is during a pandemic for millions far better for the economy and of people. probably better for people’s COVID cases are increasing mental health.

By Marina Boyle

As much of the world retreats back into lockdown, it can seem like the U.S. is doing something right. When time stands still in many places, life keeps moving in America.

However, for all those who have lost a loved one, it probably doesn’t feel that way.

Although my sister and her husband contracted the virus, I’m lucky enough not to have lost anyone I know to COVID. COVID response is in many ways about culture.

How much are we willing to sacrifice for the health of others?

Do we rank each life above the health of the economy, or is part of a capitalist system simply survival of the fittest? Is it the government’s role to force you to protect others, or should that be your own free choice?

Ireland has chosen collective decision-making focused on health, even if detrimental to the economy or leisure activities of the people.

Collectivism hasn’t worked so well across the pond.

For better or for worse, America is an individualistic nation. Its numbers reflect that.

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

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

OPINION

Netflix price raise is unethical college student I know, leech off my parents’ streaming services to keep myself Staff writer entertained, Netflix being among those services, but even I find this ridiculous.

In the time of COVID, Users are indubitably people have been flocking annoyed, but Netflix is to the streaming services standing their ground. to satiate their thirst for “We understand people normalcy. have more entertainment Whether it’s Netflix, Hulu choices than ever and we’re or Disney+, there isn’t much committed to delivering entertainment to be found an even better experience when the world is shut down, for our members,” said a so we must make do. spokesperson for Netflix.

Netflix is no stranger to “We’re updating our prices so the influx of users during that we can continue to offer quarantine time. When the more variety of TV shows and documentary series “Tiger films.”

King” was released shortly But has Netflix considered after the national emergency the fact that the prices may was declared, Netflix’s cost them customers? numbers exploded.

Before the price raises, the While Disney+, Hulu and plans were $13 per month HBO Max saw surges in their for the standard and $16 for popularity as well, Netflix has the premium. Even a couple continually remained on top. dollars can make a huge However, Netflix may be difference. letting it get to their heads.

If you do the math, the On Oct. 30, Netflix plans went from $156 per announced that they would year to $168 per year for be raising their prices. The the standard plan, while the standard plan would now cost premium increased from $14 per month, up $1 from $192 per year to $216 per last year. year.

The premium subscription While this is a good thing would go up $2 to $18 on Netflix’s part, since they per month. The basic plan would be increasing their remains unchanged at $9 per profits (their stock rose 5% month. following the news), over time I, like pretty much every it could negatively affect those

By Bella Lee

that use Netflix.

For many, Netflix is possibly the only source of entertainment they have, since they may not be able to afford cable or video games, and they may not be able to afford this price increase.

These couple of dollars could be put toward paying bills or putting food on the table, and families and those that live by themselves aren’t about to sacrifice that so that they can catch the latest episode of their favorite show or the release of a highly anticipated movie.

And as the icing on the cake, they’re doing this price increase during a pandemic, at a time where unemployment rates are at an all-time high.

That just seems a bit unethical on their part.

While I love getting a dose of my favorite shows and movies on Netflix just as much as the next person, there’s no way my family and I are willing to pay this, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones.

We’re already losing beloved shows like The Office next year. We really don’t need any more pain.

PAGE 13

HURST STUDENTS

SPEAK UP We asked: What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Ryan Rebmann, senior Finance/ Accounting and Sports Business Management major : “Turkey is my favorite Thanksgiving dish because it is the main dish and I will eat several full plates of it. “ RayLynn Chraston, sophomore Business Intelligence major: “Mashed potatoes is my favorite Thanksgiving dish because they are very creamy and delicious.”

Sarah Vosburgh, sophomore Psychology major: “Green bean casserole is my favorite Thanksgiving dish because my mom makes it and she’s perfect.”

Victoria Darling, sophomore Accounting/Finance major: “My favorite Thanksgiving dish is homemade mashed potatoes because my mom makes them even though it is time consuming, because she knows I love them.”

Compiled by Alexis Lovewell

Coronavirus outbreaks in Erie pandemic figures have logged several cases daily and people are dying from contact exposure.

Staff writer “Sunday is the sixth consecutive day of a surge that has seen at least 33 positive cases Students of Mercyhurst daily including 42 reported University are in limbo in the by the state on Saturday and a amount of active cases that are single-day record 53 reported plaguing this county. by the county on Friday” (Erie The institution first decided Times-News Staff). to go remote until Nov. 11 With the numbers of active to combat the spread of the coronavirus cases rising, students coronavirus pandemic once of Mercyhurst will not be more, but has since extended the coming back to the classroom policy through the end of the this semester. semester.

The active cases have put There have been a recorded a halt to commuter students 38 new cases, almost doubling as they have been asked to the amount of exposure from remain off campus as much as athletes on campus. 53 new cases possible. This includes limiting were reported by the county. physical contact with their The good news is that fellow residential peers as well as the negative test results are Mercyhurst faculty and staff. outweighing the amount of Those visiting home for the COVID-19 active cases in holidays must self-quarantine Erie County. There are 34,400 before re-entering the A/B individuals who have tested hybrid schedule that allows negative in Erie County. for students to be physically The bad news is that the state distanced.

By Ivory Easton

Visa students cannot come back to campus due to exposure, and airline travel is limited.

Pennsylvania’s total number of cases as of late: 209,936.

These odds are not in our favor. This pandemic has put an end to social, academic, and athletic life at Mercyhurst for both students and staff alike.

As always, Mercyhurst’s student body needs to follow CDC guidelines: frequently washing one’s hands and utilizing hand sanitizer when possible, remaining socially

distanced (6 feet apart) and wearing a protective mask/face covering that covers both the nose and mouth.

Additionally it is encouraged to limit the amount of activity spent outside one’s dorm and/ or home.

One should not risk their health and the health of others by going to bars and parties – places with high numbers of people.

Do not be ignorant to possible exposures and be aware of any possible unnecessary risks.

FOLLOW US!

These figures are scary, and people want answers.

By following state mandated guidelines and following regulations, it is possible and important to combat this pandemic.

These are not safe times and at many of us have active cases back home.

How can we be physically here, but emotionally at home when we hear about active cases?

Twitter: @TheMerciad Instagram: @MUMerciad Facebook: The Merciad

SPORTS Ice hockey alum in CBC figure skating show PAGE 14

By Maria Staggenborg Contributing writer

Mercyhurst graduate and ice hockey alumna Meghan Agosta is participating in this season of Battle of the Blades on CBC. The show brings in professional hockey players and pairs them with professional ice dance figure skaters. These pairs then compete with weekly figure skating routines to raise money for a charity of their choice. The pair can either compete for the same or separate charities, but the higher they place in the competition, the more money that is donated by the show.

Agosta, who graduated in 2011, was inducted into the Mercyhurst Hall of Fame in 2018. She is paired with professional ice dancer Andrew Poje for the competition. The pair will be competing to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital, a leader in pediatric care in British Columbia.

The pairs participate in figure skating routines that are scored by three judges on a 6.0 scale, adding up to a potential score of 18.0.

Just like an official figure skating competition, these scores are used

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

to determine eliminations in the competition. Viewer votes are also taken into account when determining the winners of the event.

When thinking of amazing athletes to bring to the show, Agosta certainly fits the bill. A four time Olympic medalist, Agosta has earned herself three gold medals and one silver from her time with the Canadian women’s national ice hockey team.

During her time at Mercyhurst, Agosta lit up the lamp 157 times with goals for the Lakers and finished her NCAA career with 303 points. Both of these achievements still remain as NCAA records. And, that’s with her taking a year off to train and compete in the Olympics.

Following her graduation, Agosta went on to play professional ice hockey for the Montreal Stars of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Agosta was a member of the Stars team that won the 2012 Clarkson Cup. Along with Agosta, two other participants in the show are former Canadian Women’s Hockey League athletes.

Jennifer Botterill has played

HurstAthletics photo

Meghan Agosta during her time on the Mercyhurst Women’s Ice Hockey team.

for both the Mississauga Chiefs and Toronto Furies, while Jessica Campbell played for the Calgary Inferno. These three athletes are skating both for the charities they represent and also to bring attention to women’s hockey and to inspire young athletes.

The Canadian Women’s Hockey League discontinued operations in 2019, and now the Na-

tional Women’s Hockey League is the only pro organization for women’s hockey in Canada.

The world of women’s hockey has taken a turn for the better recently. The 2020 NHL All-Star Skills adding the new element with the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 game. 10 players were invited from the U.S. and ten from Canada and Agosta had the opportuni-

ty to participate.

When Agosta isn’t on the ice or being a pioneer for the future of women’s hockey, she’s putting her Mercyhurst Criminal Justice degree to good use as a constable with the Vancouver Police Department.

Pittsburgh Steelers lead AFC North with undefeated record

By Bella Lee Staff writer

The Steel Curtain is descending upon the NFL once again.

In a year that has seen some changes to professional sports, the NFL has had a steady return to play. Apart from the lack of fans in stadiums and some games needing to be switched around due to players contracting COVID-19, the NFL has been able to maintain its season through nearly half its scheduled games.

At the halfway point of the season, only one of the 32 NFL teams has remained with an undefeated record. A team that hails from the

AFC North, a team that has not seen a Super Bowl victory since 2009 or the playoffs since 2017.

A team that, for the first time in their 87-year history, is 8-0.

Buckle your seatbelts, because Yinzer Mode has been activated.

In such an unconventional year, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team left in the NFL that have yet to lose a game.

Some of their games have been close calls, like the 27-24 win against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 or the 28-24 win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.

The victory against the Ravens marked the second time the Steelers made it to 7-0, the first

time since 1978. However, it was their 24-19 win against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 8 that solidified this team into the Pittsburgh history books.

It is thanks to a combination of fresh faces and veterans that the Steelers have achieved this much success this season.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin, with 141 wins since his promotion in 2007, officially has the most amount of NFL wins for any African American head coach.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a shoulder injury during last season, currently has an impressive 1,934 passing yards.

James Conner leads the Steelers

running game with 520 rushing yards. Rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool out of Notre Dame leads receivers with 444 receiving yards, just 5 more than teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The Steelers currently lead the AFC North followed by the Ravens (6-2), Cleveland Browns (53) and Cincinnati Bengals (2-51). The team looks to extend their record to 9-0 as they head into their Week 10 matchup against the Bengals on Nov. 15.

The Steelers are delivering hope to a city that saw several disappointing endings with other sports teams this year. The Pittsburgh Pirates ended their regular

season with a disappointing 1941, putting them in last place in the entire MLB. The Penguins lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the qualifying round, missing out on the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2006.

So celebrate, Yinzers. Whether it’s by blasting Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow,” waving your Terrible Towel for all to see or donning every single piece of Steelers apparel you own, show your pride. The Steelers are finally back on top, and you have every reason to celebrate.

New athlete profiles: Women’s bowling LET’S GO,

By Kenzie Schroeder Staff writer

The Mercyhurst women’s bowling team adds three new freshman athletes to the roster this year. As the team looks to enter their second year of competing, they plan to continue their development.

Please welcome the following athletes: Cara Bonavita, Arianna Clouse and McKenna Marchand.

Cara Bonavita Bonavita is from Huntington, New York where she bowled for her team at St. Anthony’s High School.

She is currently an undecided major.

Bonavita spoke to how welcoming the campus has been for her. “I have really enjoyed how friendly everyone has been to me during my first semester here at Mercyhurst. Everyone I have talked to and interacted with, fellow students and professors alike, have been extremely kind to me as I have adjusted to college life,” said Bonavita. “It has been difficult at times, as this is my first time being away from home, but the friends I have made here have really helped me, and I am beginning to feel like this place is my second home.”

She also shares excitement for the future of the program.

“I am looking forward to attending matches and watching myself improve over time as a

member of the bowling team,” Bonavita said.

Arianna Clouse Clouse is from Vine Grove, Kentucky where she bowled for Fort Knox High School.

She has a sister who also bowls for Morgan State University. Clouse is majoring in Applied Forensics.

M c K e n n a Marchand Marchand is a freshman from Dover, Ohio where she bowled for Dover High School.

Marchand is majoring in Early

Childhood and Special Education.

“The people and making new friendships is what I have enjoyed the most so far about Mercyhurst. The campus is also beautiful and every day I feel like there is something new and exciting,” said Marchand. “I am excited to be competing against other teams and pursuing bowling for the future, and keeping it in the family.”

LAKERS!

Womens ice hockey ranked 10th in USCHO poll Rec Center now open at 6 a.m. on weekdays

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

SPORTS

PAGE 15

Athletics Department launches ‘Hurst vs. Hunger’

By Ivory Easton Staff writer

The Mercyhurst Athletics department has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to put on the Hurst vs. Hunger Campaign.

The event aims to involve the Mercyhurst community in the fight against food insecurity within the Erie community this winter.

The event will be taking place from Nov. 2 to 16. Mercyhurst athletic teams are competing to see which team can raise the most amount of money for the event.

Teams are reaching out to friends, families and alumni for assistance towards their donation goals.

Donations of monetary and

non-perishable food items are welcomed from all Mercyhurst students looking to make a difference.

Collection bins have been set up at various points across campus in common places such as the Audrey Hirt Academic Center, Old Main and Zurn Hall.

If unable to make a donation in person, the drive is also accepting them online through the Mercyhurst website.

Food banks such as Second Harvest are a major resource for families across the country dealing with issues related to poverty.

Second Harvest serves 11 counties throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania in the fight against hun-

ger.

It is currently projected that roughly 27 percent of Erie residents are experiencing some form of food insecurity.

No donation is considered too small, as for every $1 donated Sec-

ond Harvest is able to provide six meals to those in need.

Through the partnership of this campaign, Mercyhurst students are able to live out the core values of Mercyhurst that are a fundamental part of being a Laker.

Members of the Mercyhurst community looking to join in the fight against food insecurity can make a generous donation by visiting the following link: https:// www.mercyhurst.edu/alumni/ hurst-versus-hunger

New athlete profiles: Men’s baseball

By Laren Reesman Staff writer

The Mercyhurst men’s baseball team adds 31 new athletes to the roster this year, including both freshmen and transfer students.

Please welcome the following athletes to our team: Ian Burgess A freshman from Tonawanda, New York who attended Sweet Home High School.

Burgess enjoys the closeknit atmosphere of campus.

Cole Hollins Hollins is a sophomore transfer from Indian River State College. Hollins feels Mercyhurst was the right choice for him.

Aaron Hair Hair is a freshman from Frewsburg, New York where he played baseball for Frewsburg High School.

Hair most enjoys the beautiful facilities and nice people here.

Mitchell Grosch Grosch is a freshman from Warren, PA where he graduated from Warren Area High School.

Grosch is eager to make history with the baseball team.

Zachary Cabell Cabell is a freshman from North Ridgeville, Ohio where he played baseball for North Ridgeville High School. Cabell has enjoyed the facilities and new friends and he looks forward to living up to the program’s past successes.

Michael Ferl Ferl is a freshman from Conneaut, OH where he played baseball at Conneaut

High School. Ferl loves the campus so far and how close it is to his church. He wants to rally the baseball team and plans to bring them closer to Christ over the next four years.

Alex Lloyd Lloyd is a freshman from Cleveland, Ohio where he attended Open Door Christian High School.

Lloyd looks forward to building solid relationships with his teammates.

Corbin Foy Foy is a freshman from Niles, Ohio who attended Niles McKinley High School. Foy enjoys the small-campus atmosphere and is eager to contribute to the baseball team and make playoff runs.

Brandon Arnold Arnold is a freshman from Warren, Ohio playing baseball at Warren G Harding High School. Arnold looks forward to growing as a person both on and off the field.

Ryan Rafalski Rafalski is a freshman from Warren, Pennsylvania who attended Warren Area High School. He is looking forward to being part of a great baseball program.

Michael Krauza Krauza is a graduate student coming from St. Bonaventure University.

Coach Spano’s track record of developing pitchers was a considerable factor for him joining the team.

Mason Bender Bender is a freshman from Fairview, Pennsylvania where he attended Fairview High School. He

received an All-Region outfielder title on his baseball team.

Christian Blatter Blatter is a freshman from Rochester, New York who graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School. He was a 2019 New York State Class AA State Champion in baseball.

John Bufford Jr. Bufford Jr. is a freshman from Cleveland, Ohio where he attended Benedictine High School. While in high school he was named an All-Ohio Team pitcher.

Matt Christopher Christopher is a freshman from Twinsburg, Ohio graduated from Gilmour Academy High School. He was a member of the state runner-up team in 2019 and an All-State honorable mention.

Cameron Depalma Depalma is a freshman from Trafford, Pennsylvania who attended Penn-Trafford high school. His father was also a member of the Mercyhurst baseball team.

Frank Fraschetti Fraschetti is a senior transfer from Harford Community College. He won a state championship playing at Neshannock High School in New Castle, PA. Brendan Freeborn Freeborn is a freshman from Ashtabula, Ohio who attended Edgewood High School. In high school he received a team MVP award for baseball.

Jarrett Heilman Heilman is a freshman who played baseball for Freeport Area High School. Heilman was named the Valley News High School.

Dispatch player of the year and earned the Freeport Teammate and Pitcher award.

Nathan Holt Holt is a junior transfer from Pennsylvania College of Technology where he was named to the All-NEAC First Team. He is originally from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Aidan Shephard Shephard is a freshman from North Huntingdon, PA who attended Norwin Korey Shoupe Shoupe is a redshirt sophomore transfer coming to the main campus from Mercyhurst North East.

Chase Stewart Stewart is a senior transfer from North Iowa Community College.

He is originally Nicholas from Abbostsford, Hussey BC, Canada where he attended This fresh- Yale Secondary High School. man from Warren, Pennsylvania John Susnik played baseball for Susnik is a freshWarren Area High man from WilSchool. He comes to Mercyhurst loughby, Ohio. He excited to begin his college baseplayed baseball, ball experience. basketball and football for WilLuke Jackson loughby South high school.

Jackson is a freshman who atDaniel tended McDowell Thomas High School right Thomas is a here in Erie, Pennfreshman who atsylvania. In high tended Chardon school Jackson was First Team High School in All-District and three times First Chardon, Ohio. In Team All-Region. high school he earned All-ConferNicholas ence and All-District titles.

Merriman Merriman is a Tyler Yauger freshman from Yauger is a freshPittsburgh, PA man from Erie, who attended Pennsylvania. He Quaker Valley attended Erie High High School. He was a three -year School where he letterman for his high school baseplayed baseball. ball team.

Tyler Zaluski Matt Shepard Zaluski is a gradShepard is a uate student transfreshman from fer coming from Erie, PA who atSeton Hill Univertended McDowell sity.

High School. He was named Regional Pitcher of the Year in 2019.

PAGE 16

LAKER LIVING

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your ruling planet, Mars, allows you to assume a sense of command that can help you turn a chaotic workplace situation into one that’s orderly, productive and, yes, even friendly.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Getting a relationship that’s been stuck in a rut up and running again depends on how far you want to run with it. Be honest with yourself as you consider which decision to make.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be wary of rumors that seem to be coming from everywhere this week. Waiting for the facts before you act means never having to say you’re sorry you followed the wrong lead.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A difficult personal matter might prompt you to turn to a trusted friend to help you sort through a maze of emotional conflicts. The weekend should bring some welcome news.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Some of the new people coming into the Lion’s life could play pivotal roles in future personal and professional matters. Meanwhile, an old friend might have an important message.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A delay in getting things moving on schedule can be a blessing in disguise. Use this extra time to do more research so you can buttress any of the weaker points with solid facts.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You might need to get involved in a personal matter before it becomes a serious problem. Also, be wary of someone offering to mediate, unless you can be sure of his or her motives.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Taking sides in a workplace or domestic dispute could prolong the problem. Stay out and stay cool. Then you can be friends with both parties when things settle down.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A friendship has the potential to become something more, and with this week’s aspects favoring romance, you might feel that this possibility is worth exploring.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) The new job you want might require you to relocate. If so, keep an open mind and weigh all the positives and negatives before making your decision.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A new relationship seems to be everything you could have hoped for. Congratulations. Meanwhile, it’s not too early to get some feedback on that new project you’re working on.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You might have decided to get out of the fast-moving current and just float around hither and yon for a while. But you might find that the new opportunity is too tempting to turn down.

BORN THIS WEEK: You believe in bringing out the best in people with kind deeds, loving words and recognition of their “special” selves. © 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.

HURST TOON Student-drawn cartoon by the Martian