The Merciad February 10 Issue

Merciad THE

MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY

| W E D N E S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 1 0 , 2 0 2 1

News .................... 2-5 Features .............. 6-9 A&E .................. 10-11 Opinion .......... 12-13 Sports.............. 14-15 Laker Living.......16 | VOL. 94 NO. 10

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Returning to the MU winter PAGE 8

2: Anti-racism reflection and action cohort

Online poll

forming for campus change

7: Hurst goes green with tower garden project 15: Womens hockey sweeps Syracuse 2-0

This week’s

POLL

2 What’sPAGE your favorite thing to do in the snow? merciad.mercyhurst.edu

NEWS

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Anti-racism reflection and action cohort forming for campus change

By Alexis Lovewell Staff writer

Here at Mercyhurst University, a new cohort called “Anti-racism Reflection and Action” is starting to form. This group was established through the Office for Mission and is comprised of students, staff and faculty who are passionate about the topic of anti-racism.

The goal of this cohort is to educate the public on the topic of racism and how it affects this campus and broader community, as well as to help remove systemic, covert and unrealized racism from campus.

The group grew out of the university’s action plan for equity, inclusion and justice. Vice president for Mission Integration, Greg Baker, Ph.D., provided insight into the formation of this group.

“Sr. Natalie Rossi began discussing possibilities for deeper types of trainings and she quickly connected with the Script Project, an excellent local nonprofit that helps to facilitate this type of learning,” said Baker. “The final structure of

this cohort was formulated amidst discussions between Sr. Natalie, myself, Adrienne Riegle, Ph.D., the Social Work Department, who also works with the Script Project, and Dr. Janelle Newman from the Script Project.”

Anyone who is part of the Mercyhurst community can join this group. Other leaders of this group include graduate student Alexis Jones, officer for Equity, Justice and Inclusion, Sr. Natalie Rossi and sociology professor, Adrienne Riegle, Ph.D. They are encouraging any student, faculty or staff member who is truly passionate about the topic of racism to join this cohort. All you need to do is get in contact with any of the leaders mentioned above.

During this Spring 2021 semester, this cohort will be doing some self-guided readings and reflection, listening to speakers and viewing various resources that help unpack issues about anti-racism, white supremacy and other related topics.

Members of this group will be

reflecting on these various topics and what it means to them individually and as a Mercyhurst community.

By doing these various activities, the cohort would like to normalize talking about racism and to do better at taking initiative and making personal commitments to do their best to correct these injustices.

Riegle said she is excited to get started this coming week with the group.

“This week we’re rolling out the initial communication to the 26 people who signed up to be a part of it. They’re completing a brief, initial online survey to lay the foundation for customized learning based on the responses of participants,” Riegle said.

As all members of the Mercyhurst community know, Mercyhurst University does its best to fulfill the Mercy Mission in all they do.

Jones believes that this cohort truly does represent the core values of Mercyhurst.

“The core values of the Mercy

mission represent truth and unity. Many are looking for change relating to diversity, equity and inclusion within our university that will reach out into the community and the Mercy Mission gives us the tools and opportunity to express those core values,” said Jones. “I think it is important to be reminded of the core values and how they have become the definition of what the cohort is about.”

This cohort has made it a point that members of this group will be “acknowledged by the university,” according to group advertisements. Since this cohort is so important to these leaders, each member will be receiving a certificate of some kind.

The leaders are also exploring the idea of a small meaningful gift for each member of the cohort.

The leaders believe that the most important aspect of this group is that people are joining because they truly want to, and because they want to become better versions of themselves.

Baker believes that starting

these hard conversations now is important so the Mercyhurst community can grow as one and improve together.

“Everyone in the Mercyhurst community can help us to make this critical concern our critical concern as a campus community,” said Baker. “People need to be talking about anti-racism in the classroom, in the locker room, at clubs and organizations, in campus ministry, in residence halls and so on.”

The members of this cohort hope that the Mercyhurst community continues initiatives like this and gains more members.

Anyone can join this cohort, as mentioned above. To get more information, feel free to reach out to any of the leaders mentioned in this article by email.

It is important that we make these steps toward taking ownership of these issues on campus and in the community. We must take advantage of this cohort and take action in solving issues involving racism.

Mercyhurst mourns the loss of beloved physics professor Carrubba

By Rebecca Dunphy News editor

This week, Mercyhurst lost a dearly beloved member of the campus community, Simona Carrubba, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physics. The campus community was notified by Provost Leanne Roberts, Ph.D., on the afternoon of Feb. 6 that Carrubba had passed after a hardfought battle with lung cancer.

Carrubba received an undergraduate degree in physics and doctorate degree in engineering physics from the University of Cantania, Italy. She came to the United States in 2005 as part of a fellowship with Louisiana State University Health Science Center and Medical School where she worked in the biophysics laboratory of Andrew A. Marino, Ph.D. Here she focused on the effects of electromagnetic fields on the detection of neurological disease as the principle investigator in a series of research projects.

She is highly acclaimed for her work in the field, having published more than 25 papers in scientific journals, presenting to international meetings and working alongside government agencies such as Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and

Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health.

In 2011, she began as a Assistant Professor of Biophysics with the Department of Natural Science at Daemen College.

Beyond teaching, she continued her research at the Department of Neurology at Women and Children Buffalo Hospital and the University of Buffalo, Medical Dental School.

Six years later, in 2011, she joined the Mercyhurst Physics Department where she taught courses in general, medical and environmental physics, as well as biomechanics. She continued her research, having recently presented at the regional American Association of Physics Teachers conference.

As described by Roberts in the campus-wide email, Carrubba cared deeply about her students.

“In her short time at Mercyhurst she attracted many students to the physics major and minor,” said Roberts. “Her distinct and dynamic style, and the sheer excitement for teaching physics was hard to resist.”

This sentiment is echoed by Shawn Titus, senior physics and chemistry major.

“I was fortunate enough to be among some of the first students Dr. Carrubba taught at

Mercyhurst. Through her love for physics and her passion for helping students, I quickly became enveloped in the subject and actively engaged as she continued to push us beyond what we thought our limits were,” said Titus. “Were it not for her, I would likely not be a physics major today.”

Senior dance and occupational therapy major, Jessica Skinker, had the opportunity to work with her briefly in a research environment.

“She was very vibrant and passionate about her work and students,” said Skinker. “As someone who never had her for a class, I was treated with the same amount of enthusiasm and excitement as a student she worked with for years. This is a testament to how much she cared about her students and our research.”

Even though her time at Mercyhurst was cut short, Carrubba’s impact on the university was immense.

“Though she was only starting her fourth year at the institution, Dr. Carrubba certainly embodied the spirit of Mercyhurst,” said Roberts. “She recognized that education is the heart of an institution, and that you, the students are the heart

Contributed photo

Carrubba worked in the Physics Department for four years and touched the lives of countless students, faculty and staff.

of education – on a number of occasions, she could be heard reminding herself and others that what we do as teachers means nothing if we do not make you, the students the center of our classrooms.”

Students, faculty and staff alike feel the impact of this loss.

“Her vibrant presence will be

greatly missed and the hallways of Zurn will feel less bright. But in her passing, we can all come together and celebrate her life during the brief few years we had her at Mercyhurst,” Titus said. “I know there is one thing we can all do to keep her memory strong and alive: continue to love physics.”

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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Commemorate Black History Month through ongoing racial education

By Samantha Weber

Staff writer

The month of February is also known as Black History Month.

During this month, we recognize the hardships facing African Americans and their contributions to American history and culture.

The month starts out with National Freedom Day on Feb. 1. This date honors the signing of a joint Senate and House resolution by Abraham Lincoln in 1865 that abolished slavery, later becoming known as the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Originally, the celebration began in 1926, the same year as the founding of Mercyhurst, when Carter G. Woodson, a historian, felt that the history of African Americans was being neglected by many and he wanted to help educate others about this serious topic.

The week Woodson selected was the second week of February, with good reason. He chose this week because it contains the birthdays of two people who were crucial to the history of African Americans: Abraham Lincoln, born on Feb. 12, and Frederick Douglass, born on Feb. 14.

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves in 10 states and wanted

Contributed photo

emancipation to be a result of the Civil War. Douglass was a leader in the abolitionist movement after escaping slavery himself, as well as a prolific writer and orator who had a profound impact on black history.

To help spread awareness of Black History Month throughout Mercyhurst’s campus, Black Students for Unity President Janiece Withers, and Public Relations Communications Manager Sue Corbran, are publishing weekly bits of history on the school’s HUB page under the Cultural Awareness Calendar and in the Morning Buzz.

Withers has been excited about this project for a long time.

COVID Cleaning Update The Aramark cleaning staff was busy over the holiday break preparing for a safe and healthy semester, utilizing a topdown approach to clean the entirety of campus from classrooms, restrooms and lounges to stairwells and hallways.

Their efforts can be seen throughout campus in residential, academic and recreational buildings alike. In addition to cleaning surfaces, Aramark technicians also replaced the filters and upgraded HVAC equipment as necessary.

Now that students, faculty and staff are back on campus, their work continues with full cleaning of classrooms, locker rooms, restrooms and common areas. Custodians will also be making rounds throughout the day to disinfect high-touch surfaces.

Students and faculty can do their part by making sure to utilize hand sanitizer and clean off desks after use, the supplies for which can be found in every classroom. It is also important to keep personal areas clean and tidy, including taking trash to the nearest receptacle.

If you need additional help from maintenance or do not have access to proper cleaning supplies, visit the Facility Services Hub page or contact the COVID-19 Communications Team at covid19@mercyhurst.edu or 814-864-3600.

“I began to wonder about the lives of black students before I became a Laker. How did they fit in on campus? Did they celebrate Black History Month? Did the school show support back in 1969?” said Withers. “I was glad to see that there were images and articles about these students, and I wanted them to be seen so students who look like me can feel like Hurst is Home.”

Last week’s article on the HUB page was about the diversity here at Mercyhurst and when the demographic of students began to transition from almost all white to having black students and other students of color back in the 1960s.

Attached to that story is an article from a Merciad issue in 1968 written by Alicia King, co-founder of the Association of Black Collegiates, which helped black students on college campuses in the Erie area find community with one another.

Corbran also edits the Morning Buzz, which is a newsletter that is sent out to faculty and staff in the mornings. With the recommendation from Sarah Allen, Corbran highlights black student contributions throughout the month of February.

“Unfortunately, not much information about Black students has been compiled . . . I hope in the future other researchers will

be able to delve more deeply into the stories of our black students and share them widely,” Corbran said.

However, Corbran did know quite a bit about the first large group of Black women to attend Mercyhurst because she had researched and written a story about them for Mercyhurst Magazine previously.

The Black Students for Unity organization is hosting a series of events throughout the whole semester. All the events are part of a Black History Series and include watch parties, Family Feud, informational meetings, collaborations with other groups on campus and many more opportunities for students to get involved.

Additionally on the HUB, there are some suggestions from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) about how to celebrate Black History this month.

The list contains 28 ideas that you can try to become more immersed in understanding African American culture.

Some of the ideas include joining a black organization, watching a black film and reading a book by a black author. The latter two have some recommendations to get you started if you need!

“It’s on Us” PA grant awarded once again

By Ivory Easton, Rebecca Dunphy

Staff writer, News editor

Mercyhurst University recently received just under $30,000 through Pennsylvania’s “It’s On Us” grant to address sexual assault on campus and the development of healthy relationships.

In line with the national “It’s on Us” campaign, this grassroots awareness program strives to create a safe campus environment through education and activism.

The program has a presence in all 50 states, including 275 campuses and over 400,000 pledge signers.

The motto “It’s on Us” focuses on the responsibility of each member on campus to make colleges and universities safer.

In January 2016, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf launched “It’s on Us PA,” as a more local approach to the issue and to ensure that colleges and universities have the proper resources to

combat sexual violence, through prevention, awareness and response tactics.

Since its inception, 149 “It’s On US PA” grants have been distributed throughout the state, totaling more than $4 million spread across 80 institutions.

“Students, staff and educators across the Commonwealth have done tremendous work through ‘It’s on Us PA’ to protect learning environments and ensure they are free from sexual assault, harassment and violence,” Wolf said.

This year on Jan. 25, he announced 42 institutions were selected for the grant, including local schools Penn State Behrend, Point Park, Slippery Rock and Indiana University of PA. This is the fifth year in a row that Mercyhurst was awarded this grant.

“Each year we have had it we have been able to use the funds to develop projects like the Healthy Relationship Curriculum; special

student events, Coaching Boys to Men and more,” said Judy Smith, Ph.D., Executive Director of Wellness.

This money will go towards the Title IX Office and Counseling Center to support several initiatives including the development of a healthy masculinity curriculum, furtherance of the SafeNet and Crime Victim Center partnership and maintenance of the UASK Hurst App. Those looking for more information about how they can get involved with the “It’s on Us” campaign and make campus safer should go online to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.

Here, students, faculty, staff and community members can find information and resources that will educate them to be able to take a pledge to keep others safe from sexual assault and resolve to be part of the solution.

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Sustainability improves as Merciad IN A MINUTE Dance Team fundraiser The Mercyhurst University Dance Team is holding a fundraiser on Feb. 22 at the Chipotle on Peach Street. Simply visit the resturant between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. and mention that you are supporting the Dance Team. You can also support the team through mobile order by using the code ZML3ET4.

Note-takers needed The Learning Differences office is in need of note-takers for the Spring 2021 semester. This is a great way to make an extra bit of money, add to your resume and most importantly help other students. Information can be found on the HUB.

Event phase update RSCOs are now operating under the Phase 2 model for events, meaning that some in person events are allowed to occur.

Keep in mind that social distancing practices should still be continued.

For further details on how this may effect your club or organization, visit the RSCO page on the Hub.

Service fair FlipGrids live The Post-Graduate Service Fair is live on the HUB! If you are thinking about committing yourself to service after graduation, consider checking out the available FlipGrids to learn more about different organizations that could gladly use your help.

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

Email us at newsmerciad@ mercyhurst.edu

campus recycling resumes

By Elizabeth Nestor Contributing writer

As students move in and begin new classes, boxes and packaging flood trash rooms. New beginnings are wonderful, but more trash? Not as great.

Mercyhurst has taken a step toward lessening our environmental impact by re-incorporating a recycling program. The program was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk associated with students sorting through others’ trash.

However, recycling can play an integral role to solving the climate crisis. For most, there needs to be some instruction on how to properly recycle, but once you have the basics it is not difficult at all.

Before you throw out that food container from the Grotto Commons, make sure that it has the recycling triangle. Even with the

triangle present, it still may not be ready to be recycled. A crucial part to whether a good is recyclable is ensuring that it is clean.

No food waste should ever enter a recycling bin. If this is the case, some recycling posts will deem the entire bag trash and toss it.

This is a prime example of “one bad apple ruins the bunch.” Luckily, Mercyhurst has a back up plan built in to make up for those who inadvertently contaminate recycling product.

This plan is a program which entails emptying recycling bins and sorting through to find recyclable goods to eliminate unnecessary waste.

This program is headed by Colin Hurley, the executive director of Community Engagement and the Sustainability manager.

As of right now, there are four student workers, junior Environmental Science and Political

Science major Isabelle Brewer, freshman Anthropology major Catherine Segada, freshman Intelligence and Spanish major Allison Siegmann, and Elizabeth Nestor, who deal with the contents of the recycling bins.

While it is great that this program exists, the entirety of Mercyhurst recycling cannot rest on the backs of five people. This is where students and staff play an essential role.

Make sure the contents that are being thrown into recycling bins are clean; rotting food and sticky liquids are not fun to sort through. When you dispose of trash, remember that others must sort it, and deposit the right items accordingly.

On a lighter note, it is remarkable to see the effort being put forth by staff and students.

Mounds of plastic, paper and cardboard were saved from land-

fills thanks to campus efforts. It is imperative that the Mercyhurst community continues on this path of sustainability and rises to the challenges presented by pollution and excessive waste.

This pandemic has both helped and hindered our environmental efforts by reducing travel and pollution but increasing our need for single-use products. Through proper recycling etiquette, the Mercyhurst community can keep one step ahead in the fight for environmental justice.

Environmentalism is not about losing freedoms or enjoyment; rather, it is about being responsible and intentional.

For those who need an additional incentive, Lincoln Recycling, a recycling facility located on Selinger Ave in Erie, takes old aluminum cans for cash.

Why not get paid while reducing landfill waste?

One Card office helps Lakers to “Swipe Out Hunger”

By Samantha Weber

Staff writer

At the end of last semester, Mercyhurst University started a new campaign called Swipe Out Hunger. This campaign is helping combat student hunger and food insecurity on college campuses.

Swipe Out Hunger allows students to donate their unused meal swipes to other students who are in financial need, rather than having these pre-purchased swipes going to waste and expiring at the end of the semester.

When Mercyhurst switched to fully online classes toward the end of last semester, many students chose to go home early and finish out the semester remotely. Since many of these students had extra meal swipes that they were not going to use that semester, they were given the option to donate their extra meal swipes to the students who needed them and were still on campus.

“We have such a diverse meal delivery system on campus and honestly, there is a lot of waste in the dining plans. It’s not anyone’s fault, but students have no problem running out to get food from outside sources while letting their meal plan go unused,” said John Patterson, the director of the OneCard office.

Patterson designed the software for the campus to be able to implement this campaign.

Students are encouraged to download the GET app on their

phones. Through this app, students can keep track of their swipes, dining dollars and bonus bucks. It is also on this app where students can donate their swipes if they are not planning on using them.

Donations can happen at any time. However, for meal swipes students can only donate five at a time with a limit of 10% until the last two weeks of the semester, when students can donate however many swipes they want.

The only limitation with dining dollars is that they have to already be in your account before you are able to donate them.

When you donate a meal, they

all go to one account until they are needed and then they are dispersed into the proper accounts of students.

Patterson explained how he got involved in making this campaign. “ I attended a webinar on Nov. 14, 2019 and at the conclusion reached out to Emily Kass, the National Programs Coordinator at Swipe Out Hunger and told her I wanted to register Mercyhurst University with the program. I started working to build the infrastructure to make it work,” Patterson said.

He then reached out to organizational leadership associate professor Anne Zaphris, Ph.D.

because he heard her class was building a similarly-minded team for their class project. They set up a meeting and decided it would be a great fit for their project and would help a good cause.

When the campaign first came out, it was heavily advertised on Mercyhurst social media to help spread the word to as many students as possible. Last semester, when this program was first introduced, there were over 1,400 meals donated.

Keep this opportunity in mind to help other Mercyhurst students throughout the semester, and don’t be afraid to reach out if you are in need of a meal.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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New changes and This weekend’s additions to dining campus events STUDENT GOVERNMENT

By Bella Lee Staff writer

The spring semester is upon us.

It looks a lot different than this time last year, when we were able to gather with friends, eat together and attend classes without the need for face masks or Zoom.

Mercyhurst’s dining facilities are no stranger to these changes, but they are bringing some exciting updates this semester.

The Roost, everyone’s favorite on-campus pub, opened for dinein services again starting Feb. 8 at a 30-guest capacity. Two campus-wide favorites of the Roost, karaoke and trivia, are also making a comeback with trivia resuming on Wednesdays starting Feb. 10 and karaoke on Mondays starting Feb. 15.

The Bravo, a popular part of the Grotto Commons, is now open on Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The deli hours are now extended at the Grotto Commons from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday-Friday.

Waffles, which recently returned to the Grotto Commons, will now be returning to the 501 Grille as well. Seating at all indoor dining locations is at 50 percent capacity.

However, one major change that students might have noticed is the moving of the Laker Cantina from the Laker Inn to the Anchor Express.

“We know how much everyone loves the Cinco station on campus,” said Katie Boyd, general manager of Parkhurst. “We wanted to offer the Cinco Cantina at

the Anchor Express because of the extended hours they are open, which will give students more time to enjoy the station after class.”

Taking the site of the Cantina is the Laker Inn Deli, where students can get made-to-order sandwiches, wraps and flat bread pizzas. There are also gluten-free and vegan options that are accessible to students and over 30 items to customize your meal, which can also be made into a combo with the addition of fresh chips, two cookies and a fountain beverage.

Like its predecessor, the Laker Inn Deli will accept board swipes via the GET app.

Students can also look forward to a variety of dining events for the month of February. On Feb. 5, there was a Super Bowl lunch at the 501 Grille and the celebration of World Nutella Day at the Grotto. To commemorate this, Nutella is now offered every day at the breakfast station.

On Feb. 9, the Grotto is celebrating National Pizza Day by

serving mac and cheese pizza, which was a student request via Instagram. From Feb. 12 to Feb. 14, the Anchor Express will be offering heart shaped cookie cakes for Valentine’s Day. On Feb. 14, students can also head to the Roost where they can receive a free heart-shaped cookie with any purchase. The 501 Grille is having a “Thirsty Thursday” on Feb. 18, where they will be serving up root beer or orange creamsicle floats.

On Feb. 25, the Grotto will be celebrating National Chili Day for students to pack on the heat and see how much spiciness they can handle.

With the addition of these changes, students can have a sense of normalcy even with all that we’ve been enduring. Students can follow the dining services @mercyhurstdining to stay up to date with their events.

AIM program prepares students for cyber jobs

By RayLynn Chraston Staff writer

Mercyhurst University has teamed up with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in a unique program to prepare students with autism for high-paying cybersecurity jobs.

This partnership with PWC began through vocational exposure experiences in New York City and Washington D.C. Students in the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst (AIM) program were invited to meet with corporate leaders and to participate in vocational training while also gaining experience through this work.

The early partnership provided students with wonderful resources at PWC, which later evolved into this innovative program.

“We have been partnering with some great corporate partners that are doing great work in neurodiversity initiatives and wanted to

team up with the best to provide an opportunity for our students,” said AIM director, Bradley McGarry.

Through PWC and AIM partnership, students will be participating in standard degree requirements, which include completing a minimum of 121 credits in 100-level or above, non-laboratory courses. They will also be additional supports as well as gaining access to vocational training and opportunities through the cohort.

This program is mutually beneficial for all those who are involved.

Mercyhurst and its students are given the opportunity to gain access to a direct pipeline of excellent vocational opportunities working with a top international corporation. If a student takes on an internship with PWC, the corporation has the opportunity to gain additional access to quality candidates that have specific train-

ing and attributes they are looking for within their corporation.

Based on the benefits stated above, this program is a win/win for all those who are involved.

McGarry and his colleagues are looking forward to demonstrating that the model is replicable and can be utilized across multiple disciplines and companies.

McGarry holds an important role here at Mercyhurst in helping to build and sustain programming opportunities for students in the AIM program.

McGarry often serves as the connection between people to help make these types of opportunities come to fruition.

“I believe that one thing that has helped AIM in gaining and national profile is these innovative programs and opportunities that we provide for our students and our program,” McGarry said.

MERCYHURST CAMPUS

CRIME LOG Jan. 25: Harassment on Erie Campus.

Jan. 28: Liquor law violation on Lewis Ave. Jan. 28: Drug and liquor violation at McAuley Hall.

Jan. 31: Liquor law violation at Warde Hall.

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Students honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day with book discussion and panel

By Sarah Klein Copy editor

In the spirit of the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy, the past academic year has seen an increased effort to promote diversity, inclusion and anti-racism at Mercyhurst. As part of these efforts, there were several campus-wide events during January to foster dialogue around the systemic issue of racial inequality.

On Jan. 7 and Jan. 14, dozens of students, faculty and staff joined together virtually to discuss the book, “So You Want to Talk About Race,” by Ijeoma Oluo, in facilitator-guided small groups.

The idea for a campus-wide book discussion came from the “Mercy Mission Reading” OneBook series, which professor of English Christy Rieger, Ph.D., initiated and ran from 2008 to 2012.

Earlier this fall, a small group of faculty members strove to revisit the OneBook concept, focusing on dismantling institutional racism in order to become an anti-racist multicultural community.

In conjunction with the Equity, Inclusion and Justice initiative, under the Mission Integration Office, a central planning committee organized the “So You Want to Talk About Race” OneBook event.

Drs. Laura Lewis, Christy Rieger, Christina Riley-Brown, Adrienne Riegle, Verna Ehret and Averill Earls, and Activities and Spirit Coordinator, Sam Beckas, Diversity and Inclusion Coordi-

nator, Elle Simpson, and student representatives met several times from November to January to coordinate the details.

“I enjoyed being able to work alongside a diverse group of individuals. I thought the planning committee was skillfully organized, including those from all aspects of the Mercyhurst community. As a student, I was honored that I was given the opportunity to be a part of the committee and add a student perspective,” Mary Bauer, a junior Social Work major, said. Bauer was tasked with managing registration and was the main point of contact for participants.

Each participant was provided with a digital copy of the book, free of charge. During each of the January discussions, participants dealt with half of the book to allow for a more thorough conversation.

Facilitators led each Zoom breakout room, sparking conversations around ideas such as cultural appropriation, privilege, the school-to-prison pipeline, the racial wealth gap, intersectionality and more.

Andrea Barnett, Associate Provost, was one of the many participants who walked away from the event with an increased drive to further educate the Mercyhurst community.

“I wanted to participate in the OneBook discussion because I’ve spent my life thinking I wasn’t racist because I didn’t engage in racist behaviors, but I’ve learned over

the past couple of years that isn’t enough. It takes intentional efforts to educate oneself on the experience of others,” Barnett said.

Knowing that these two sessions were merely the start of a lengthy process of opening up dialogue and making intentional efforts

“

For years, many have honored MLK day as an observed ‘day off.’

However, this day is to be observed as a ‘day on’ for people of all races to commemorate and engage in activities to help receive answers to unanswered questions.”

Graduate student, Alexis Jones

to increase equity on campus, the OneBook planning committee decided to complement it with a Zoom panel to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Filling out the panel were Mercyhurst graduate student Alexis Jones and Mercyhurst alumnae Dinorah Sanchez and Niken Astari Carpenter, the New American Liaison of the City of Erie.

Joining them were moderator

and recent Mercyhurst alumna, Brittany Warren, facilitator, Adrienne Riegle, Ph.D. and Sr. Natalie Rossi, who offered opening remarks.

The event sought to focus on “Where Do We Go from Here?” as the Mercyhurst community continues the conversation about race.

The panelists discussed their lived experiences in Erie and beyond and answered questions from participants.

Following the panel presentation, event participants joined small groups to brainstorm concrete anti-racist actions for addressing racism both individually and collectively. These responses were collected by the planning committee and formally organized to be used to address issues on campus.

“For years, many have honored MLK day as an observed ‘day off.’ However, this day is to be observed as a ‘day on’ for people of all races to commemorate and engage in activities to help receive answers to unanswered questions,” said Jones. “Encouraged racial dialogue should always be welcomed by a university whose hope is to bridge racial divides among administration, faculty and students.”

“I was hoping that all those who participated would gain a sense of urgency and empowerment.

There is so much work to do when it comes to race and I hope through the readings and conversations that people were inspired

to do their part to actively becoming more anti-racist,” Riegle said.

As we continue into Black History Month, let us be reminded that dismantling deeply embedded societal issues cannot be solved all at once.

OneBook participants will again meet on Feb. 15 to continue the conversation about encouraging actively anti-racist actions.

Additionally, the university will continue to strive for equity, diversity and inclusion throughout all areas of campus.

“One of my strongest hopes for this effort and others like it on campus is that students and employees recognize the need for ongoing, critical reflection and discussion about race and anti-racism. These discussions cannot be saved only for MLK Day or Black History Month,” said Greg Baker, vice president of Mission.

“People often avoid difficult conversations about race over fears of feeling awkward or not knowing what might be seen as offensive.

These programs offered a great opportunity to begin the process of moving, with others, past these fears and finding proactive ways to become more anti-racist.”

If you are given the opportunity to participate in a similar event this semester, consider joining the community effort to create lasting change at Mercyhurst and beyond.

Hurst Class Catalog: The Turbulent Sixties

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Are you an avid fan of the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival or the Rolling Stones? Would you rather have peace than war? Do you wish that tie-dye shirts and bell bottoms were still in style?

If so, Dr. Magoc’s Turbulent Sixties class might be a class to consider in your coming semesters.

According to the class syllabus, the Turbulent Sixties course explores “one of the most transformational periods in American history.” The class examines thoroughly the tumultuous events that shook America to its core, from the JFK assassination through the urban explosions of the mid-decade, to the Vietnam War that tore the nation apart.

This class is taught by Chris Magoc, Ph.D., Professor of History.

It is admittedly one of his favorite courses to teach.

“Hopefully students can gain a

good understanding of the profound experience of The Sixties on our own time, including the decade’s impact on race relations, women’s lives, the American presidency and our foreign policy,” Magoc said.

Steven Mooradian, a senior Public History major, has already fulfilled his major requirements, so he is taking this class out of interest.

“America saw many social, political, cultural, racial, gender-based and national changes over the decade, including major assassinations, the Vietnam War, protests, the Civil Rights Movement, the rise of rock and roll and so much more,” said Mooradian. “While difficult to fit into one class, Dr. Magoc, as always, packs it in and does his best. Students can expect a rigorous, yet rewarding look at this period in American history.”

“The thing I most look forward to learning about is how the Vietnam War impacted everything in American culture, such as music,

right now is an especially fruitful time to be looking at the 60s, given our own extraordinary historical movement. Among other legacies, The Sixties remind us of the resiliency of our democracy. We have endured great trials in the past and emerged stronger on the other side. As we learned when ‘The Sixties’ ended, what unites us as Americans is stronger than what divides us.”

This class is offered every other spring semester, but there are still opportunities to take other classes with Dr. Magoc. His America Since 1945 class touches on the sixties, and he also teaches American Material Cultures, the American West and Environmental History, among others.

Contributed photo “Dr. Magoc is the resident 20th The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in February 1964. century expert, so his classes will cover more modern material if that is what you are interested in,” lifestyles, political alignments and students and the professor alike, it Mooradian said. more,” said Danielle Schoenefeldt, is a rewarding and engaging class.

This “groovy” class is definitely “It is one of my favorite class- one you should be on the lookout a sophomore History major who is currently taking the class. For es,” said Magoc. “It does seem like for in the future, Lakers!

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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PAGE 7

Seniors commemorate 100 Days to Graduation with class gift goodie bags

By Ashley Barletta Staff writer

Over the past weeks, the Senior Class Gift Committee has been working diligently to raise funds for the Class of 2021 Senior Class Gift, in preparation for the remaining months here at Hurst.

As part of the tradition of celebrating 100 Days to Graduation, which fell this year on Feb. 5, the committee has been selling 100 Days Goodie Bags, which could be purchased by a family member or friend for this year’s seniors.

On Feb. 5 the bags were handed out to seniors as a surprise to celebrate their final days at the Hurst.

60 goodie bags were sold at the cost of $15 each. Included in each bag were candy, snacks and coupons for places on campus such as The Roost and the Bookstore.

All profits from the bags go di-

rectly toward the Class Gift scholarship.

“We are super happy that the Mercyhurst community is coming together, especially through such trying times, for such a great cause. This pandemic has presented many challenges to us, and we have had to get very creative on ways to fundraise virtually. It is amazing how far we’ve come through and we are getting so close to our goal,” said Senior Class Gift PR coordinator, Claire Orr. In selling the bags, the Senior Class Gift Committee hopes to get closer to a special goal that they have been working towards.

The committee hopes to raise $15,000 towards an endowed scholarship. Should they reach this target amount, a Mercyhurst alum has agreed to donate another $10,000, totaling $25,000 for

the Senior Class Gift Committee “Beat the Odds” scholarship. The more people donate, the closer they are to reaching their goal.

Additionally, because this is an endowed scholarship, it will only continue to grow.

Marina Boyle, the Senior Class Gift Committee chair, is hopeful about reaching, and possibly exceeding the goal.

“At the beginning of the year $15,000 seemed like a very tall order, especially in these pandemic times. However, as Lakers do, so many seniors and their parents, friends and fellow alumni of the Mercyhurst family have come forward and been so generous in helping to secure Kenny’s legacy through this gift. As we pass the 100 Days to Graduation mark, we have already hit $10,000 in fundraising. This means that we will hopefully exceed our goal

and help many future students through the scholarship in Kenny‘s name in the future.”

The scholarship is named for Kenny Robinson ‘20. He was a Mercyhurst student, who, upon graduating in May 2020, tragically passed away. Kenny was an excellent athlete and a selfless teammate, both on and off the field. During his time at Mercyhurst, he was able to conquer his own personal obstacles and make change. The student who receives the scholarship will honor Kenny by “beating the odds,” just like he did.

“We are very thankful for anyone who has donated in any way.

It’s great to be a part of something that will help many future students of Mercyhurst, and to help keep Kenny’s legacy alive on campus,” Orr said.

The next big event for the Se-

nior Class will be the Senior Date Auction, to be held on March 15 in the MAC. Here students can bid on “dates” with a fellow senior who helps to auction off prizes in aid of the scholarship.

Online ticket sales for this event will begin next week and seniors can start signing up to be a date.

It was nice for seniors to receive these goodie bags as a small appreciation for everything they have gone through in the recent semesters.

The current state of the world is not pretty, and that is what the seniors will be facing upon graduation, so hopefully, in doing these little acts of kindness, we can remind them that no matter where they end up, Mercyhurst University will always be their home.

Hurst goes green with tower garden project

By Eva Philips

Staff writer

Though the weather outside is gray and dreary, it is easy to find some cheerful greenery around campus thanks to the new Tower Gardens project spearheaded by Mercyhurst graduate and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Shannon Meyers.

Meyers is leading the Tower Gardens project with the support of Community Engagement and the Public Health department as part of Mercyhurst’s Campus-Supported Agriculture initiative, which aims to decrease food insecurity and improve healthy food access in the Erie community.

“Tower Gardens are vertical aeroponic garden structures and three of them were purchased through the Mercyhurst sustainability fund. The goal is to use them on campus for students and staff to improve access to fresh and healthy produce. The longterm goal for the project is to use this program as a pilot to test tower gardens before implementing them in the program to fight a larger problem of food insecurity and food deserts,” Meyers said.

Erie County has 12 food deserts, or areas with insufficient access to healthy foods like fresh produce.

Of those 12, 10 are located in the city of Erie itself, which is where Mercyhurst’s Tower Gardens come into play.

“Once the farmers’ markets stop in the summertime, your only access to fresh produce is what you get at the grocery store,” Meyers said.

“There’s an interesting opportu-

nity to start growing year-round here and to get people healthier food but to also keep it within our ecosystem of Erie.”

The need is especially great due to the pandemic.

“The food insecurity problem has been exacerbated by COVID-19,” Meyers said.

“There are so many more people who are going to food banks and who have lost their jobs and now need help that they didn’t need before.”

Erie has many community-supported agriculture programs, or CSAs, working towards the common goals of eliminating food deserts and increasing food access.

Often, local farmers work with community partners within these programs. This maintains a local food ecosystem and fosters collaboration.

“You get out what you put in,” Meyers said of CSA programs.

“It’s a mutual relationship of helping each other.”

Mercyhurst has a total of three Tower Gardens, one of which is located on the third floor of Hirt.

The eventual goal is to keep two Tower Gardens on the Mercyhurst campus and loan the third out to schools and organizations in the community.

Each Tower Garden is a self-contained system, with growth lights and a watering mechanism.

Leafy greens grow especially well in the Tower Garden, but over 150 different types of fruit and vegetable plants can grow in the ecosystem.

In the Mercyhurst Tower Gardens, Meyers is currently growing a variety of crops: lettuce, kale, arugula, basil, cucumbers, peppers and green onions.

Eva Philips photo

The tower gardens project aims to transform Mercyhurst into a very sustainable campus and to generate healthy food.

The process can be a bit intimidating, she admitted, especially when it comes to timing the different harvests. But that has not kept her from looking to expand the project even further.

“I’m excited to start moving outside in the summer,” Meyers said, explaining that this will allow for more plant variety due to the access to natural pollinators.

The project is expanding beyond Mercyhurst’s campus, too.

Meyers is working with the local YMCA Teen Center to begin a Tower Gardens initiative there as well. The YMCA is looking to devote two full rooms to Tower Gardens.

“There’s a lot of possibilities of programming that can be done around that, like with cooking and gardening and the business side,” Meyers said.

The Erie Boys and Girls Club also has a Tower Garden and is

looking to take advantage of the greenspace on its grounds to expand programming by encouraging kids to try healthier food.

The prospect of inspiring youth to be interested in nutrition and gardening is one of the most fulfilling parts of the project for Meyers.

“I feel like we all have these little experiences of, ‘I planted this,’ or ‘I remember getting a sprig of this when I was little’ and I have this vision of, let’s put that universal experience that we all had and put it on steroids and have an indoor garden, and really go with it,” Meyers said.

Meyers also hopes to collaborate more with Mercyhurst students from a range of academic fields.

Already, students from the Chemistry, Public Health, and Education departments have incorporated the Tower Gardens initiative into their academics.

“I want students from any major, if they can integrate it into their classwork, to make it happen,” Meyers said.

Meyers will be working with the Sustainability Office work study students on the project in weeks to come.

In addition, CSA is open to new participants. Interested students can email Shannon Meyers for more information.

The Tower Gardens are certainly bringing a splash of new life to campus even in these winter months, but even more importantly, they’ll be helping an excellent cause in the community.

Overall, the project proves beyond a doubt that you can’t go wrong with going green.

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Laker Links provide company during quarantine

By RayLynn Chraston Staff writer

Because of the pandemic, more and more students are being required to quarantine if they are ill or are a close contact for COVID-19. Although quarantine is not something to be ashamed about, students can feel lonely and anxious during this isolating time. Because of this, Mercyhurst has created a program to help students who are quarantining.

This program is called the Laker Link Program. A Laker Link is a student who has volunteered their time to contact those students who are quarantining and who have elected to participate in the

program.

A Laker Link is not a counselor; however, they are another student here on campus who has offered to stay in touch with quarantined or isolated students. Depending on the student’s preferences, the amount of contact students receive from a Laker Link varies.

These students will get to know each other by connecting virtually through text, email or Zoom.

According to Sarah Allen, director of the Campus Involvement Center, the program has various aspects in order to make the students who are involved as comfortable as possible. Allen and the program strive to provide comfort through contact and supportive

aid to make sure students are still given the opportunity to attend events virtually.

When a student is quarantined, they will receive an email from either Allen, Steph Przepiora, Leadership and Outreach coordinator, or Jenell Patton, assistant director of Campus Ministry, letting the student know about this program.

It is important to know that this program is voluntary on both ends. Therefore, if a student is interested, they would fill out a form to be connected with a Laker Link. Also, if a student would like to volunteer to be a Laker Link, they would also fill out a form to offer their time.

Przepiora receives the forms and

matches the student in quarantine with a student volunteer.

“Many of these students are Campus Ministry student leaders, student government members, Laker Leaders or students in the Leadership Development Program, so you can trust them to be a good connection,” said Przepiora. “However, do not shy away from filling out a form if you are interested in becoming a Laker Link and are not one of those things.”

This program helps students who may just need an extra person to talk to while they are quarantined. Sometimes our friends and family members are busy when we are bored or maybe someone does

not have a large friend group on campus and just wants another person to talk to.

Being quarantined or isolated can be lonely, and that is why this program can help students feeling that way.

A Laker Link will also have the ability to access resources and will be able to contact Przepiora, Allen or Patton if they need help with things to do.

For instance, they have DIY activities that can be delivered to quarantined students and virtual entertainment ideas.

This program is beneficial on many aspects and the goal is to help students no matter what.

ISA and Community Engagement launch Book Swap

By Joe Talarico

Staff writer

The International Student Association (ISA) has successfully distributed books from the beginning of this semester’s Book Swap.

The ISA started the project a few years ago and this year has partnered with the Hammermill Library and Community Engagement to formalize and expand the program. Originally just focused on international students, this semester the project grew to open up the opportunity for donating or receiving books to the entire student body.

The International Student Association collects textbooks that are used for classes towards the end of the academic term. The books are then distributed to students that need them at the beginning of the term. Students do not have to be an international student to partake in the book swap.

Business and Competitive Intelligence major and senior Ma-

rina Boyle is president of the International Student Association and an international student from Ireland. Boyle said that the organization was “very pleased with how it went this year.” The book swap only received 35 books for this term, causing it to be smaller in size than previous years.

Despite the smaller scale this year, Boyle said “we were happy to get all those donations and it was a great way for people to get involved in service at a time when it’s difficult to serve others in person. We estimated that the book swap saved students about $192 this year.”

Students receive the textbooks for free, but they are asked to donate a textbook in return. Alternatively, if they do not have a book to give, they are encouraged to donate $1 to the Emergency Book Fund that Mercyhurst University manages for students who need financial aid for buying books.

The book swap will open for book donations for the next se-

Contributed photo

The ISA has been working dilligently to get the Book Swap up and running for the entire student population for some time now, especially as a form of service during the pandemic.

mester around April. Students who wish to donate a textbook will fill out a form that asks what class and professor the book was used for. They will also have to provide a photo of the book and state the condition it is in.

The ISA can then use that information to match the books

with those in need. The donation form will be posted on the Book Swap’s HUB page, which can be found under the Mercy Market area.

Students who donate books will drop off the book at the Hammermill Library, which has offered to facilitate the swap, and from there

another student receives it. Books are distributed on a first come, first served basis.

A list of donated books will be posted when the collection ends, but donors will get an early look at the list. However, all students will be able to access the list at the beginning of the semester.

In the past, the Book Swap has received many textbooks for history, political science, religion and intelligence studies courses. In the future, they hope to receive more psychology, science, and business textbooks. Boyle said that they would also like books for any REACH classes in general.

Of course, they accept books for any classes. Be sure to check the HUB page in April to participate in the swap.

This is a great opportunity for students to help their fellow Lakers out.

LAKER MOMENT On Feb. 6, RAs from the Lewis neighborhood brought residents outside for their “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” program.

Although temperatures were below freezing, residents had a great time creating mini snowmen behind the Wayne Apartments.

Students also got creative by giving snowmen little masks to cover their carrot noses!

Contributed photo

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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PAGE 9

Mercyhurst hits the airwaves with new university podcast

By Samantha Weber Staff writer

Ever wonder what campus life was like a few decades ago? Are the clubs we have now the same as what they had? What did the students like to do in their free time?

Or where are our alumni today?

And how do they see the future of Mercyhurst?

Well, now you can find out, by listening to the Mercyhurst Made Podcasts. These podcasts are stories from students, alumni, faculty and staff about how Mercyhurst has affected them both through their education and life.

The Division of Advancement, Department of Marketing and Brand Management and the Department of Communication all collaborated to make these podcasts possible. These podcasts were created through an initiative by an alumnus and former Mercyhurst employee, Ryan Palm.

Palm began hosting these podcasts and has since passed the torch on to Mitchell Marsh, Annual Giving coordinator.

Palm has hosted five podcasts since the first one was published on Dec. 4, 2020.

Contributed photo

The official logo for Mercyhurst’s new podcast.

“I’m excited to be jumping in to be the host of the podcast. It is something that I haven’t done before and I am excited to learn about it, and most excited to hear alumni stories,” Marsh said.

The first episode’s special guest was Joe Howard, vice president for Enrollment. Howard graduated from Mercyhurst in 2003. In the second episode, Mark Simpson, Mercyhurst graduate and current

faculty, and Drew Hoover, senior and club president, talked about their involvement with the Laker Asset Management club.

In the third episode, Jeremy Dickey, an alumnus who graduated in 2013, talked about his heavy involvement here at Mercyhurst and his early career working for the Sisters of Mercy in Washington D.C. In the fourth episode, Brooklyn

Kohlheim, Women’s basketball coach, talks about how she got into coaching and what it is like coaching at Mercyhurst during a pandemic.

Finally, in the fifth episode, Jason Staley, who graduated in 2005, talks about what he participated in during his time here at Mercyhurst and his career afterward.

The upcoming sixth episode will feature Brad Davis, director of Athletics, who will discuss Mercyhurst’s plans for athletic competitions this spring and his career experience.

All the podcasts are less than an hour, so they are a reasonable length and an episode can certainly be listened to within a day.

The plan for this semester is to upload about one per week and those will be published mostly on Mondays.

Marsh discussed what he hopes people would gain from listening to these podcasts. “I hope each episode leaves them having learned a bit more about what opportunities and experiences Mercyhurst provides.”

The podcasts can be found on Google Podcasts, or through this link: mercyhurst.edu/made.

Contributed photo

Mitchell Marsh, Mercyhurst’s Annual Giving coordinator and host of the Mercyhurst Made podcast series.

Guests come from different generations, locations and backgrounds, but share one thing in common - they are all Mercyhurst made.

These podcasts are a great way to learn more about past student life on campus and what some of the alumni have achieved after their time here at Mercyhurst University, beyond the campus gates.

FROM THE ARCHIVES January 1943 marked another year of a planet engulfed in World War II, but over at Mercyhurst students were using the snowy weather for escapism and winter sports.

The “Frost Frolic” was to be held the first snowy weekend after exams as a snow carnival for the campus community.

The “Frost Frolic” of January 1943 at Mercyhurst University

Contributed photo

PAGE 10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

REVIEW

The Weeknd rocks the Super Bowl

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Super Bowl LV was played on Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 to win their second title, their first since 2003. However, for those who are not avid sports fans, there was not just the game to look forward to.

When you do not like or do not pay attention to sports, there are two things to look forward to whenever the Super Bowl rolls around: the commercials and the halftime show. This year’s halftime show was performed by none other than The Weeknd.

The Weeknd is the stage name for one Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, who has won a notable three Grammy awards, alongside other awards like American Music Awards and MTV Music Video Awards.

The Weeknd was said to put in $7 million towards this show, which is extremely impressive considering he was not even paid to perform.

In an effort to maintain social distancing, he performed much of his show from a stage built toward the top of the stadium.

The halftime show opened with

Contributed photo

The Weeknd (center) and dancers on the football field at the 2021 Superbowl halftime show.

The Weeknd sitting in a convertible surrounded by a makeshift Las Vegas skyline, possibly alluding to his song “Blinding Lights,” which includes the lyric “Sin City’s cold and empty;” using the nickname for Las Vegas.

The camera then cut to the main stage, where dancers donned white robes and light-up masks, making them almost appear like

robots.

The Weeknd emerged, wearing a red blazer with a black suit underneath, as well as black leather gloves, and immediately jumped into his hit “Starboy.” He then gave the performance an edge by jumping into another popular tune, “The Hills.”

During his performance of one of his biggest hits, “I Can’t Feel

My Face,” The Weeknd disappeared into a gold maze that was underneath the stands, where he was flanked by backup dancers wearing the same outfit as him, as well as face bandages, which might have alluded to when he wore face bandages to the American Music Awards in November of 2020, causing a media storm.

Other well-known hits that The

Weeknd performed included “I Feel It Coming” and “Earned It,” which took the performance to the main field. There, surrounded by dancers, The Weeknd ended the performance with his iconic song “Blinding Lights.”

This year’s halftime performance was certainly different from those of previous years, and not just because a pandemic changed things.

Previous shows included massive stars known across generations, like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Katy Perry, Coldplay and Beyoncé, which all had a variety of special guests and explosive shows in general.

Of course, due to the pandemic, this could not happen, but The Weeknd managed to make it work by putting his own money into the performance and creating what some believe to be one of the best halftime shows in a long time.

Until Feb. 6, 2022, when the date of Super Bowl LVI, rolls around again, we will just have to wait for another exhilarating halftime show.

Could it be Imagine Dragons performing? Rihanna? Billie Eilish?

The Weeknd was announced as the headliner for the halftime show back in November, so we just might have to wait and see.

Tony Awards voting to take place in March

By Joey Talarico Staff writer

The Tonys are awards given to Broadway musicals and plays.

Officially the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, the more commonly known Tony Awards recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Manhattan. They could be considered the theater equivalent of the Oscars or Grammy Awards.

The 74th Tony Awards were originally scheduled to be held in June of last year. Like most events, this had to be postponed due to the coronavirus.

The Awards for 2021 are set to consider shows from the 20192020 Broadway season.

The 2020-2021 season will likely have no awards, and the 75th will be for the 2021-2022 season if Broadway hopefully opens again this year.

The organizations in charge of the Tonys recently announced that voting is supposed to take place from Mar. 1, 2021 to Mar. 15, 2021.

According to the New York Times, the Awards will be held in

coordination with the reopening of Broadway.

Normally, the Tony Awards would be hosted by a well known member of Broadway, who would perform a whole opening musical number. Previous hosts have included stars like James Corden, Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick-Harris.

For the opening number, they may take elements of shows being nominated and mash them together, or hearken back to the classics of Broadway. Whatever they do, it always includes flashy costumes, expert lighting, many jokes and a stage full of dancers and energy.

Celebrities can attend the Tony Awards ceremony to enjoy the provided entertainment and receive their awards in person.

This year, the entertainment factor of the Awards will not be possible. Even so, giving the awards at all is an improvement from this time last year.

For 2021, 784 voters will vote electronically to decide the winners of categories such as Best Play, Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical. Nominees were previously announced during last October.

The nominees for Best Play are Bess Wohl’s “Grand Horizons,”

Matthew López’s “The Inheritance,” Simon Stephen and Nick Payne’s “Sea Wall/A Life,” Jeremy Harris’ “Slave Play” and Adam Rapp’s “The Sound Inside.”

The nominees for Best Musical are Diablo Cody’s “Jagged Little Pill,” John Logan’s “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins’ “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”

“Jagged Little Pill,” which is about a family dealing with issues like addiction, leads with fifteen nominations.

“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” follows up with fourteen nominations.

“Slave Play” was given the most nominations for a play in the Tony Awards’ history, with twelve nominations total. The show is about the legacy of slavery in the United States, and this is explored in a rather unique setting in the form of an interracial couples’ retreat for sexual therapy. It uses modern day settings of therapy and flashbacks of the past to call racial stereotypes into question and explore the nuances of mixed race relationships.

The play sparked controversy when it was released for its portrayal of African-Americans, and a Change.org petition was even

started to remove it from Broadway.

Some critics complain about the pacing of the show itself, the lack of overall character development and the apparent disregard for an intermission.

However, many other critics gave it favorable reviews.

Overall, everyone seems to agree that it was a very creative endeavor.

With all of these awards up in the air, one winner is known for sure already.

Aaron Tveit is the sole nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his performance in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” The Musical is an adaptation of the 2001 movie “Moulin Rouge!”

The plot centers around a Parisian nightclub at the beginning of the 20th century.

Tviet has doubtlessly earned him nomination with an impressive history of roles such as Frank Abignale Jr. in the stage version of “Catch Me If You Can,” and Enjolras in the film version of “Les Miserables,” as well as recurring roles in popular television shows “Graceland” and “Gossip Girl.”

Winners of the last Tony Awards that were held in 2019 included Jez Butterworth’s “TheFerryman”

for Best Play. Anaïs Mitchell’s “Hadestown” won the nomination for Best Musical.

“Hadestown” won it’s nomination due to the artfulness of its retelling of the classical myth about Oedipus and Eurydice.

The New York Times reports that many producers on Broadway are hoping to reopen the theaters by September, and they predict that an Awards show could be held in June.

Even if an Awards show can be held later in the year, it will likely be riddled with restrictions and have far fewer attendants than ceremonies in the past.

Even so, the changing protocol for this event and others like it does not diminish the prestige associated with receiving a Tony Award.

In a difficult year for all artists, those who have been dedicated relentlessly to their craft deserve to be recognized.

In any case, at least hope is on the horizon for having a formal ceremony, although they are not committing to a specific date to present the Tony Awards yet.

Nonetheless, the long-awaited awards will be one step closer to completion come March.

Wednesday, February 10, 2020

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PAGE 11

MIAC events continue on Zoom

By Eva Philips Staff writer

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused many changes around campus, but they will not stop the Mercyhurst Institute for Arts and Culture from bringing new and exciting programming to the Erie region throughout the spring season.

MIAC has adapted to public health guidelines by shifting programming to a virtual experience.

Though this will be different from previous seasons, the virtual programming will be accessible from anywhere, making it possible to witness and celebrate artistic talent from near and far.

The spring season will kick off with a performance by the

British vocal a capella ensemble VOCES8, which consists of two soprano singers, two altos, two tenors, a baritone and a bass.

In addition to performing onstage, VOCES8 has a music education charity, the VOCES8 Foundation, to spread the love of music even further.

The eight-person group has performed in venues worldwide and has had many high-profile collaborations, including performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Academy of Ancient Music.

VOCES8 prides itself on its extensive repertoire of a capella and accompanied music and promises to inspire the audience through the art of singing.

VOCES8 will perform via a virtual Zoom event on Feb. 10 at

7:30 p.m.

The month of March will bring a presentation from Sean Astin.

Astin is an actor, director and producer whom many will recognize from his critically-acclaimed performances in iconic films like the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, in which he played the steadfast Samwise Gamgee, as well as his role as Bob Newby in the popular television show “Stranger Things.”

Astin, who is the published author of his memoir “There and Back Again,” advocates for important causes like volunteerism and mental health support, and his presentation is sure to inspire listeners.

Astin’s presentation will take place on Mar. 11 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The third and final event of the

spring 2021 season is certain to be a night of pleasant music and captivating talent.

Acclaimed musician Chris Thile, a mandolin virtuoso, composer and vocalist, will share his talents with the Erie community in a livestream performance.

Thile has won multiple Grammy Awards and gained fame from his time as a member of musical trio Nickel Creek.

He is also a member of Punch Brothers and a MacArthur Fellow, and hosts the “Live From Here” radio program.

Thile’s performance is set for Apr. 7 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

These three performances, spread throughout the spring, are certain to bring inspiration and cheer to viewers.

Admission for all three events

is free, and the virtual format of the events make them especially accessible even during the busy spring semester.

Each performance is limited to five hundred viewers, though, so it is important to act quickly to secure a spot.

More information on each performance, as well as registration, is available through the MIAC website.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of the importance of arts and culture, and with that in mind, Mercyhurst is looking forward to welcoming VOCES8, Sean Astin and Chris Thile to share their talents with us this semester.

Mercyhurst alumna paints conservationist mural for father and professor

By Ashley Barletta Staff writer

We as humans have the responsibility to keep the Earth beautiful. A former Mercyhurst student, Caroline Magoc, did just that by painting a 190 square-foot mural in the Belle Valley area as a gift for her father’s 60th birthday. Her father is known by many on campus, because he is Mercyhurst’s professor of History and Public History, Chris Magoc, Ph.D. Caroline Magoc attended Mercyhurst Preparatory School where she helped design “Chrysalis,” the school’s literary journal.

She graduated from Mercyhurst in 2016 with a B.A. in Art Therapy. During her time here, she served as a co-editor-in-chief for “The Lumen.”

She also worked for two summers at the sustainable organic farm, which at the time, was located at the North East campus.

Magoc went on to earn a M.A. in Expressive Therapy at Lesley

University in Boston. She currently works in the Office of Institutional Research at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I’d said that the mural was not a conservation piece, but that’s not entirely true,” said Magoc. “To be truthful, with everything I create and all I do I am thinking about our planet and the place and purpose of human beings upon it. To me, the question is not whether to conserve nature, but how we can live with ourselves as we pretend that the human species is not a part of nature long outgrown its apportionment of Earth. So ultimately, yes, you might call the mural I painted about preserving our world.”

The location of the mural is on the back wall of a shed in the Magoc’s garden, which is where Magoc’s parents asked her to paint it.

After preparations were made, it took her only six days to paint the mural itself.

Dr. Magoc truly enjoys his daughter’s beautiful artwork.

“

To me the question is not whether to conserve nature, but how we can live with ourselves as we pretend that the human species is not a part of nature long outgrown its apportionment of Earth.”

Caroline Magoc

“Painted on the backside of an old shed, a former chicken shack, the mural features a sequence of striking images: a monarch butterfly, bright red poppies, a large

black cat, a massive oak tree trunk that appears to grow right into the foliage of living oak trees in the background and mushrooms growing out of its branches — all against a bright blue sky,” Dr. Magoc said.

The Magoc family’s history with Mercyhurst University goes back to the 1930s, shortly after the school opened.

Caroline Magoc’s mother, Mary Ellen, had aunts who attended the college. Her father was taught by the Sisters of Mercy at St. George School and initiated the dental assistant program in the 1970s.

Dr. Chris Magoc began working for the University in 1998, and soon became friends with Sister Maura Smith. The two worked together to found the Mercyhurst Green Team.

To this day, the team works to instill sustainability on campus, including at the Sister Maura Smith Garden.

Caroline Magoc hoped that the mural would challenge rules of

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scale and perspective, showing a world of whimsy and psychedelia.

Part of what may have inspired her to paint the mural is that for many years, Mary Ellen raised monarch butterflies on the Magoc family acreage.

Magoc’s love for nature truly shines through, and shows us its beauty when it is properly cared for.

“The mural was a meditation on dimensions and imagination. I used elements of some of my (and my parents’) style and influence: psychedelia including the mushrooms and poppies, and the color scheme taken from the 1960s; an honoring of Sequoia sempervirens, the California redwood trees which are some of the oldest living beings on Earth; and an homage to my parents’ well-loved and lost cat Brego, as well as the monarch butterfly, whose security depends on people like my mother who support their habitat with care and devotion,” Magoc said.

OPINION

PAGE 12

GOOD Students returned to Mercyhurst!

Thoughts on the events that occurred on Jan. 6

By Bella Lee Staff writer

BAD The weather has been extremely cold!

HAPPY COVID-19 protocols have been eased on campus!

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

On Jan. 6, just two weeks before my birthday and two weeks before Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were to be sworn in as the United States’ new president and vice president, members of Congress gathered in the United States Capitol to officially cast the electoral ballots needed to solidify Biden and Harris’ win of the 2020 Presidential election.

However, things took a turn for the worse when thousands of Trump supporters, many whom had flown from other parts of the country, stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election that former President Donald Trump claimed was a fraud.

During the attempted coup, members of Congress were forced into a lock-down as the rioters entered the Capitol, stole items such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern, threatened the lives of members of Congress and much more.

However, their efforts were in vain, as the members of Congress came back together and worked until 3 a.m. the next morning to cast the electoral

votes.

By the time the violence died down, five people were dead, with at least two police officers committing suicide as a result and dozens more injured.

This is one of the first instances that I can say I was genuinely scared of what was going on.

I was scared for my family, who all voted for Biden in the election and have close family and friends that are strong supporters of Trump.

I was scared for my dad, who went on his weekly nighttime bike ride that evening and has been spat at before for being Asian.

I was scared for my community, since I live only about 30 minutes away from Washington D.C. It was undeniable; I was scared.

What happened that day was a riot. It was an attempted coup, but most importantly, it was an act of domestic terrorism.

Thousands of people entered the Capitol with a plan to hurt these members of Congress.

There were photos taken of rioters in the Senate chambers with zip ties in hand, willing to kidnap and potentially harm any member Congress that dared oppose them.

A young woman was able to locate her mother, aunt and uncle

among the crowds and criticized them for attending when they banned her from attending Black Lives Matter protests.

An American flag hanging from the side of the Capitol building was torn off and replaced with by rioters with a Trump flag.

Attendees donned flags bearing Nazi swastikas and Blue Lives Matter.

Seeing all of the photos and news emerge from this scenario made me sick to my stomach.

Those who tried to defend the riot claimed it was much more peaceful than the Black Lives Matter protests that have been going on for months.

While I in no way condone looting, I can say that the Black Lives Matter protests did not have an end goal of overtaking the government or killing people.

As a quote I read once said, “The same people that said, ‘You lost, get over it’ during the 2016 election stormed the Capitol because they lost, but they couldn’t get over it.”

The past four years have left our country more divided than ever, and this riot helped confirm that.

We are supposed to be the United States of America, but right now, we’re anything but united.

Hopes for the new year 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 Zach Dumais ........................... 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.

witnessed some troubles. A weird coincidence about all these events is that they all occurred on Wednesdays, so many people are Staff writer wondering what will happen next Wednesday.

2020 is finally over. I cannot With the first month of 2021 explain how happy people were behind us, it is evident that when the clock struck midnight something needs to change this on Dec. 31, 2020 and we entered year. I think the country needs to the first day of a new year. be unified in some sense.

Last year was arguably the I do not know how to do worst year the world has seen for that quite yet or to what extent a long time. Now, it is a new year the unification needs to be, but and a new start for most people. this constant divide between Many hoped the world would liberals and conservatives is not magically get better this year benefiting anyone or the country. since last year seemed to hold a If we want to see a change plethora of bad events. However, this year, both parties have to based off of the first month, this compromise on some of the year is not off to a great start. issues that are important for First, on Jan. 6, the Capitol them. was attacked. Then on Jan. 13, On Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil Donald Trump became the saw his shadow and predicted only president to be impeached that there would be six more twice. On Jan. 20, Joe Biden was weeks of winter. inaugurated as the 46th president Personally, I was really hoping of the United States. And finally, for an early summer as I feel on Jan. 27, the stock market everyone’s mood is just better in

By Samantha Weber

the summertime when we can be outside more, and the sun is constantly shining.

I hope that this year gives people the strength to carry on with whatever life throws at them because 2020 proved that it is so easy to lose motivation and not try as hard.

We have to be able to move past that and get ourselves back on track and accomplish everything we wanted to achieve in our lifetime.

Another thing I wish for this year is that there are fewer traumatic events that take place because for the past few years they have become so frequent it just seems like everyday life and we forget that there was a simpler time where not as many terrible events took place.

My hopes for 2021 are unrealistic because of all the horrible events that take place every day in the world, but a girl can dream.

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, February 10, 2021

OPINION

PAGE 13

Thoughts about a HURST STUDENTS new administration SPEAK UP One of President

By Patrick Corso Biden’s focal points of his presidency is to defeat the Staff writer coronavirus pandemic, with hopes of administering 100 million doses of the vaccine Joseph Robinette Biden by the end of April.

Jr.’s election as president As of this writing, over marked a few historical 40 million have been moments in American administered, and over history. the past two days, a record He is the first candidate number of vaccines have in more than a quarter of a been distributed. Former century to defeat a sitting President Donald Trump’s president, and his running mishandling of the mate Kamala Devi Harris is pandemic was one of the the first woman, as well as main reasons why voters the first African American favored Biden over Trump. and Asian American to be Biden is also the oldest vice president of the United person in history to be States. elected president, at the Due to heavy use of mail- age of 77. Due to his age, in ballots, we did not know it is very likely that he will who actually won until serve only one term, like four days later, when many how most presidents served outlets confirmed Biden’s their terms during the 19th winning of Pennsylvania century. and his number of electoral Many voters favored votes rising to 275.

Biden during the election During the time of after so many were sick of the election, Instagram Trump due to his conduct removed the ‘Recent’ tab and temper when he was in on all hashtag pages to help office. This was especially curb the spread of election true during the first debate misinformation, a move back in September, when that drew criticism from Biden told Trump to “shut several users. The tab did up” after being interrupted not actually return until multiple times.

Dec. 10, 2020, when the Many are glad that Biden Justice Department filed reversed many of the suit against Facebook for controversial orders Trump antitrust violations. made during his time,

such as attempting to ban immigration from several Muslim-majority countries to helping the U.S. rejoin the World Health Organization.

Biden may have a number of other challenges to tackle, but he is the first to sign a record number of executive orders within the first two days of his presidency.

One of those orders included federal mask mandate on government property, as well as rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. Since Biden is still new to the presidency and is currently in his 18th day, what he will face in the future is unknown at the moment.

We all know that every president has their criticisms, such as his sexual assault allegations during his time as senator and vice president. And as late President Ronald Reagan notes, they may sometimes be a little awkward at times, but they have the power to do their utmost best.

Everyone has their hopes that Biden can succeed in his presidency, unlike his predecessor, who made nothing but Saturday Night Live “great again.”

We asked: What were you most looking forward to by coming back to school?

Lauren Rogus, senior Early Childhood Education/Special Education double major : “I looked forward to student teaching and seeing my friends who I haven’t seen in a while.”

Trey Catalano, senior Political Science/ History double major: “I’m most looking forward to leading the Carpe Diem 16 retreat!”

Allyson Pfeiffer, sophomore Psychology major: “I looked forward to seeing my roommates again and meeting new friends.”

Kali Beutler, junior Integrated Media and Strategic Communications major: “I really looked forward to seeing all of the friends that I missed over break.”

Compiled by Gillian Mazur

Thoughts on university testing

By Elphena Elsar Staff writer

As snow falls, the cases of COVID-19 continue to plummet with which we feel confident to say this semester is off to a good start for us at Mercyhurst and we anticipate that the decreasing rate will be consistent.

The COVID testing procedures implemented this semester are far more strategic than last semester.

Last semester we were required to do both preand ongoing COVID screening questionnaires which had simple questions like “have you experienced a cough, cold, and/or fever in the last 24 hours?,” along

with the no visitor/guests rule and temperature checks.

Those regulations were only a start to tackling the spread of COVID-19. They may have been mandated last semester, but they were not strongly enforced, making it easy for many to break the rules which led to more incidences of COVID-19 on campus and the move to remote learning for the last few weeks of the semester.

But this spring semester we have mandatory precampus arrival testing, post-campus testing for on-campus students and ongoing testing required by students, faculty and staff members of Mercyhurst.

Some may view the preliminary actions as too drastic or unnecessary but being a public

health student here at Mercyhurst, I can say these mandatory actions are stronger preventative measures than what we had last semester when it comes to deterring the spread of COVID-19.

In addition to that, it’s because of those mandated actions we now have the COVID cases under control and more lenient regulations.

At the beginning of the semester before all COVID results were

completely processed, there were no visitors allowed in dorm rooms even if you were a resident of the building, but now things have changed. Students can now have visitors within dorm rooms but only if the visitors live on campus, which excludes commuters and other guests.

If the ongoing testing and other strict, safe practices continue to be put into place, we will

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have a smoother semester without the need to drastically transition to remote learning.

It’s only fair to say because of the dedication, collective efforts and consciousness of students, staff and most especially the nurses at the Mercyhurst’s Health Center we can now enjoy some sort of freedom on campus.

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

SPORTS

PAGE 14

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Buccaneers win Super Bowl in blowout

By Bella Lee Staff writer

The greatest of all time versus the greatest of this time. That’s what fans and sportscasters alike dubbed Super Bowl LV, held on Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

It was the first Super Bowl to have a team playing on their home turf, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers emerging as the NFC champions. Returning for their second straight Super Bowl appearance were the AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Considering the skill sets of both the younger Patrick Mahomes and the veteran Tom Brady, this was a game that was expected to be close. However, this was proved wrong when the Buccaneers took out the Chiefs 31-9 and won their second Super Bowl, their first since 2003.

Both teams had tough opponents to get through during their

chase for the Lombardi trophy.

The Buccaneers snatched a win in the Wild Card Round against the Washington Football Team before eliminating the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round and taking down the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship.

The Chiefs, who earned a first round bye due to having the top seed in the AFC, defeated the Cleveland Browns in the Divisional Round and ended the run of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship.

Heavily favored teams, such as the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated early in the playoffs which helped pave the way to the Super Bowl for both the Chiefs and Buccaneers.

This year’s Super Bowl was packed with records.

Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, becoming an inspiration for mil-

lions of girls everywhere. This was the first Super Bowl with a matchup between the two previous Super Bowl MVPs, with Mahomes taking the coveted title in Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and Brady winning it in Super Bowl LIII in 2019.

Bruce Arians, the head coach of the Buccaneers, became the oldest coach to hoist the Lombardi at the grand old age of 68. The Buccaneers had the most diverse coaching staff, with two women and four black men among their coaching team.

With this win, Tom Brady had his 10th Super Bowl appearance, 7th win and 5th MVP, the most in any of those categories for one person. He was not a force to be reckoned with during this game.

For those who are not interested in sports, there were still the commercials and the halftime show to look forward to.

This year’s halftime show was performed by The Weeknd, who

performed hits such as “Blinding Lights,” “I Can’t Feel My Face” and “Starboy.” Memorable commercials this year came from State Farm, Bud Light and Cadillac, with appearances from celebrities like Timothée Chalamet, Paul Rudd and Amy Schumer.

Both teams entered the season with promise, with the Chiefs fresh out of a Super Bowl win and the Buccaneers having ac-

quired Brady. Although the Chiefs fell short of their potential, Mahomes managed to play a decent game even while fighting turf toe.

Familiar faces from their previous teams assisted the Buccaneers in their win, like Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette.

Both teams will surely still be turning heads next season.

HURST RESULTS HurstAthletics photo

Junior Haley Youker bowling during the playoff rounds on Sunday. The Lakers were able to come out with an impressive third place finish out of the eight teams in attendance.

Women’s bowling take third place at Railsplitter Classic

By Mike Boylan Sports editor

The Women’s bowling team competed in their first official tournament of the year on Feb. 6 and 7. Making the trip down to Harrogate, Tennessee to participate in the Railsplitter Classic, the Lakers were able to come out with an impressive third place finish out of the eight teams in attendance.

On the first day of the qualifying rounds, the Lakers were unsuccessful in their opening matches against both Alabama-Birmingham and Tusculum.

The team was able to bounce back for victories against both Kentucky-Wesleyan 969-787

followed by a score 842-720 against Belmont Abbey. The team dropped their last game of the day to Kentucky-Wesleyan 852-904.

The Lakers continued into the second day of qualifiers on Saturday where the team once again went 2-3 in their matches.

The Lakers held victories over Valparaiso 979-842 and Spalding 920-774.

Finishing out the qualifiers, sophomore Samantha Strebel led the Lakers with a 184.4 average.

The team finished the qualifying round standing in sixth place.

The team stepped up to compete for the playoff bracket on Sunday, entering as the sixth seed but rounding out the event with a memorable third place finish.

With the first match against Valparaiso, the Lakers went fourone in the best-of-seven after dropping only the first game.

The Lakers had an off start against Kentucky Wesleyan for the second matchup.

The team dropped the first three games before making an impressive comeback going four games straight. The final matchup of the day was against Tusculum University, where the team took four of the six games played.

In just their second year, the Railsplitter Classic was a great opportunity for the eight athletes on the team to get more experience at the collegiate level.

Great job, Lakers!

Feb. 3: Men’s basketball vs.

Clarion University: 91-54, Lakers Feb. 3: Men’s hockey vs. RIT: 6-2, Lakers Feb. 6: Women’s basketball vs.

Cleveland State: 56-84, Vikings Feb. 6: Men’s Water Polo vs.

Mount St. Mary’s (MD): 7-10, Mountaineers Feb. 7: Women’s bowling @ Railsplitter Classic: 3rd Place Feb. 9: Women’s hockey vs.

Robert Morrison University: 2-3, Colonials

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

SPORTS

PAGE 15

Womens hockey sweeps Syracuse 2-0

By Annie Markel Staff writer

The Mercyhurst Women’s ice hockey team, now in the middle of their season, has seen equal parts win and loss. The Lakers were teetering on the edge of a 4-4-1 record prior to this past weekend.

Traveling to Syracuse to face the Orange in a two game match-up on both Saturday and Sunday, the Lakers were able to tip the scale in a positive direction for the season by securing both victories.

“They play a fast physical style of play and I expect a very competitive game,” said head coach Michael Sisti. “We are trying to improve our special teams and gain confidence as a team with each game we play.”

The Lakers were coming off another win just days prior on Feb. 2 against Robert Morris University. The team was able to outscore the Colonials and achieve a 4-2 win against them.

The first game against Syracuse on Friday resulted in a 5-2 win for the Lakers.

The first period saw freshman forward Chantel Ste-Croix score assisted by freshman forward Jer-

sey Phillips and junior forward Liliane Perreault.

Junior forward Emily Pinto scored her second goal of the season in the second period assisted by both senior forward Megan Korzack and freshman forward Sara Boucher.

Pinto would be on the board again with another third period goal assisted by K.K. Thiessen.

Junior forward Grace Nelles picked up her second goal of the season in the third period. Freshman Calista Rowbottom also was able to obtain her first career point in the third.

Sophomore goalie Ena Nystrom blocked a total of 43 out of 45 shots from the Orange throughout the game, making it a new season high for the Laker goaltender this year.

The second game was even more intense, with a buzzer beater score of 2-1 to finish. Unlike the first game, Saturday saw no goals from either team throughout both the first and second periods.

The Lakers were finally able to produce two goals in the third period, both by freshman forward Sara Boucher.

The first goal was assisted by senior forwards Alexa Vasko and

HurstAthletics photo

The Lakers in celebration during their recent game following a goal by freshman Sara Boucher.

Summer-Rae Dobson. The second goal was assisted by senior forward Megan Korzak and junior forward Emily Pinto.

Ena Nystrom continued her impressive performance into the second game with a total of 34

saves. The game was her third straight start of the season.

“We are happy our players have a chance to have a season. There were so many unknowns for them through the summer and in early fall,” said Sisti. “When our season

ended in March as we were boarding the bus for a trip to Cornell for the NCAA Tourney, everyone wondered when we would play again. Just having a chance to play is a blessing.”

HurstAthletics photo

Junior guard Miykah McIntosh mid-shot, dropping a season-high 25 points against Clarion.

Men’s basketball remains undefeated against Clarion

By Alexis Lovewell Staff writer

The Men’s basketball team hosted Clarion University on Feb. 3, taking the win with a score of 9154. Mercyhurst University now has a record of 7-0.

Mercyhurst came out with a slow start to the game, but they were able to overcome that gap late in the first quarter.

The visiting team showed a strong start, scoring eight in a row after Daniel Ogele scored the first basket. This put Clarion at an 8-2 lead over the Lakers. The Lakers then responded with an 11-5 push, tying up the score 13-13.

This rush included three of junior guard MiyKah McIntosh’s

four triples during the game.

This lead was not good enough to stop Clarion as they came back to tie up the game again 26-26 with eight unanswered baskets.

Eager to get ahead in the game, the Lakers took action and fought back the last six minutes of the first half. With help from Zach McIntire, Melkisedek Moreaux and Steve Cannady the Lakers pushed through their slow start and won the half with a score of 48-29 after a buzzer beater from Cannady.

Going into the final half of the game, the Lakers knew it was important to come out strong and that is just what they did. The Lakers maintained a 20–30-point lead for most of the half besides

a small hiccup after Clarion hit a 3 to cut the deficit to 62-43.

McIntosh, McIntire, Planutis and Gross all contributed in the last half to come back again with another 30-point lead after a basket

by McIntosh from Bradley. The Lakers then solidified their win with a score of 91-54.

Another noteworthy achievement of this game was McIntosh’s season high of 25 points. McIntosh went 9-12 shooting from the floor, which included a perfect 4-4 for his three-pointers.

McIntosh’s contribution to this game helped the Lakers get this impressive win over Clarion.

“I give all the credit to my teammates. They trust me to hit shots and know that I get in the gym

and get shots up. I get most of my confidence from them,” McIntosh said.

This goes to show the great chemistry the team has put together for this year on the court.

McIntosh is excited for the rest of the season and knows that head coach Gary Manchel will keep the team prepared for their upcoming games, whenever they may be.

“We stay prepared. We have been going hard since we could start practicing last fall, and we haven’t looked back once. We continue to improve every day in practice and in every game,” McIntosh said.

Junior Nicholas Lang was the second leader on the board against Clarion with 13 points and 4 as-

sists.

Lang is looking forward to the rest of the season and believes the team’s hard work will allow them to keep seeing similar results like this game.

“I think our chemistry has helped us have such a good start to the season. We returned most of our guys from last season and have been practicing for a while.

When we play games, we have a lot of confidence and trust in each other,” Lang said.

The Lakers look to continue their impressive start to the season when they host D’Youville College on Feb. 12 at 5:30pm.

PAGE 16

LAKER LIVING

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Doing something nice for others is typical of the generous Arian. But be prepared for some jealous types who might try to question one of your more recent acts of kindness.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You’re eager to take on new responsibilities. But before you do, you might want to check out exactly what would be required of you so that you don’t face any “surprises” later.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) It might be best to put off an important decision until a fluctuating situation becomes more stable. Recently received news could help resolve a long-standing family matter.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) If you still have a problem getting that information gap closed, you might consider asking a higher authority to resolve the matter, leaving you free to move on to another project.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) A family matter needs to be dealt with at the start of the week. Once it’s resolved, the Big Cat can devote more attention to that new opportunity that seems to hold so much potential.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Pay attention to those niggling doubts.

They could be warning you not to make any major decisions until you’ve checked them out — especially where money matters might be involved.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A business venture might need more of your attention than you are able to provide. Consider asking a trusted friend or family member to help you work through this time crunch.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A more-positive aspect helps you get a clearer focus on how to handle your time so that you can deal with several responsibilities that are just now showing up on your schedule.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A very close friend (you know who that is!) has advice that could help you work through a confusing situation. So put your pride aside and ask for it. You’ll be glad you did.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A workplace situation could turn a bit tense. The best way to handle it is to confront it and deal with it openly. Doing so can help reveal the underlying reasons for the problem.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A colleague’s remarks appear to be especially cutting. But don’t waste your time or your energy trying to deal with the situation. You have more important things to do.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Support for your work comes as a surprise from someone you thought was critical or, at least, indifferent. Your spouse or partner has big plans for the weekend.

BORN THIS WEEK: Your spiritual strength often acts as an inspiration to help others make decisions about their lives. © 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

HURST TOON Student-drawn cartoon by the Martian