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The Merciad
Est. 1929 Vol. 88 No. 10
Mercyhurst university
Wednesday, noveMber 19, 2014
’Hurst football Mercyhurst takes 1st wins 7th straight place at Model UN By Catherine Rainey Staff writer
Salina Bowe photo
Senior RJ Miller (25) powers through four defenders to run the ball for a Mercyhurst touchdown on during Saturday’s game against Shippensburg University. He scored two touchdowns and ran for 90 yards. See the full story on pg. 7.
Freshmen fill service event By Nathan Turner News Editor
A service experience offered on Nov 11 with the Second Harvest Produce Express, a refrigerator truck servicing up to 160 families in Erie every month, has shown an above-average interest in service opportunities among the class of 2018. Second Harvest began the Produce Express in January to enable increased access to nutritious food among families otherwise unable to afford it. Bethany Brun, the director of service learning, sent out an email to approximately 100 students through Campus Ministry asking for assistance. The responses quickly filled the 14 slots available to help
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with the project, and leaving her with an excess of over 20 students who responded, but not soon enough. The response rate, according to Brun, was above average, and about “80 to 85 percent of the ones I reached out to were all freshmen. And the majority of the ones who responded were freshmen.” Two freshmen, Jacob Chichester and Michaela Gerrace, who helped with the project gave their reasons for responding to Brun’s request and giving their time to this opportunity. Chichester’s reasons spanned from his involvement with the cross country team in high school and at Mercyhurst, which helped form “a passion to help people,” he said. “Whenever
I got the opportunity, especially in high school and now, I always felt the need to help those less fortunate than I was, or giving other people better opportunities in life.” Chichester’s ambition to serve others drove his choice to major in psychology in order to become a psychiatrist. “I feel like that’s the best way to help people,” he said. “Because even if they don’t have the same opportunities as others, you can still understand them.” Gerrace’s interests lie with helping the poor, as well as with the work she does as part of her public health major. “I want to make a difference,” she said. The experience was eye-opening for Gerrace, who learned first-hand about
the issues which are often only discussed. “Some of the families [who received food from the program] received an income of less than $700 a month,” she said. “You hear about these problems, but you actually don’t understand until you actually volunteer.” Brun is looking to accommodate the desire of members of the class of 2018 to engage in service learning. “I’m already looking into a couple of opportunities in early December before they get started on finals, that I think I’m going to push out to that same group if not try to expand it.”
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Mercyhurst’s Model United Nations team brought home a first place trophy from the 21st annual Lake Erie International Model United Nations (LEIMUN) Conference held in Huron, OH, Nov. 6 through Nov. 9. The team was comprised of student volunteers and students from Mercyhurst’s International Organization and Diplomacy political science class taught by Lena Surzhko-Harned, Ph.D., which requires conference participation. Surzhko-Harned is the team advisor. Students represented various countries and bodies of the UN at the conference. According to Surzhko-Harned, there are six committees at each conference, including two to three security councils, a historical security council or crisis committee, two to three ad hoc committees, two to three regional bodies, a Delegate A-Team and a Delegate Press Corps. Each committee contains approximately 15 to 30 countries. “What you do is research the country, determine their policies, and develop an understanding of their parliamentary procedure so you can represent the views of those countries in a specific body,” said AJ Zahuranec, senior Intelligence Studies and Political Science major. “You have to motion to speak, motion to vote. There’s a long series of rules and procedures.” Zahuranec was on the “Mystery” Security Council, which consisted of 15 states. Students did not know which country they would receive when entering the body, so they had to research all 15 beforehand. Representation can change during the conference, according to Zahuranec, who began representing Argentina, but ended representing China. The LEIMUN Corporation appointed committee chairs who evaluated the participants for performance
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in portrayal of their country, caucusing and resolution writing and debate parliamentary procedure. Teams were then given an overall score based on members’ performances. “I love the competitions,” said Zahuranec. “They are a really phenomenal way to learn about public policy issues, gain understanding about issues around the world, and also gain interpersonal skills.” Senior Stefani Baughman, Intelligence Studies and Political Science major with a concentration in international relations, is in the International Organization and Diplomacy class. She represented the Russian Federation for the UN Security Council at the conference. According to Baughman, Surzhko-Harned signed up for certain countries and councils at the conference and students on the team were able to pick among those. “I really like these conferences because you get to learn in a different setting than the classroom,” said Baughman. “Participating in these types of conferences adds a competitive element and makes it more interesting. No two conferences are the same, that’s for sure.” Surzhko-Harned said Model UN is beneficial to students with an interest in international relations and diplomacy or those who want to learn about global issues and international law. “This conference also allows them to hone a whole bunch of other skills: research, writing, speaking, interactions with others, trying to build coalitions, trying to work towards solutions, problem solving,” said Surzhko-Harned. “These are all very important skills that students can take into any field that they decide to pursue as a career.”
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Page 2
November 19, 2014
The Merciad
News
J-Term offers increased FSAT opportunities By Jose Nufio Staff writer
This year, increased study abroad options will be offered during the J-term giving students the opportunity to travel to other countries at a cheaper rate than last year. Mercyhurst worked to create a shorter and cheaper study abroad experience for the students during the J-term in response to the interest shown in semester-long study abroad trips. Students will study on campus for one or two weeks out of the J-term before spending the remaining weeks in whichever country they are going to be studying. There will be classroom preparation ahead of time, where students will be learning about the things they are going to see
when they are over abroad. Then they will take the trip and go to different sites that are relevant to their subject matter. “Part of the reason behind it is because we are making the J-term an experience where the students can have something unique and different that you normally wouldn’t get throughout the whole course of the year,” said Assistant Vice President of Academic Services Michele Wheaton. Wheaton describes traveling abroad as an expensive experience. If the students do a smaller, shorter trip during the J-term, it becomes more affordable, because they are not looking for housing for an extended period of time. The university is offering scholarships to help students afford these opportunities.
Mercyhurst offered the “Mercy Travels” study abroad scholarship for the J-term and spring term of 2015. Two anonymous donors offered ten scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 for students who have been accepted to the Mercyhurst University Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program (FSAT). This will provide the students with the opportunity to travel, even if they cannot afford it. “[J-term] abroad should be beyond what you normally get in the classroom in the regular 14 sessions,” said Wheaton. “If you do something new, different and innovative, students will get excited about learning something different and they will get an awareness of other cultures and what’s out there in the world, because unless you travel you
really have no clue.” Currently all courses are full. Last April was when the classes were first announced and reached capacity soon after. The study abroad classes for the 2016 J-term will be announced this upcoming March. Heidi Hosey, Ph.D., who is in charge of the FSAT programs and will be taking a group of students to Spain, encourages other students to be on the lookout on when to register for the next J-term. The courses offered include “Narrative, Film & Spanish Civil War” and “Intro to Spanish Civilization,” in which students will travel to Spain for nine days, three days in Portugal and one day to Morocco. “We are focusing on the different ways that the Spanish civil war was talked about: in literature, in media, in film.
We are going to read a lot and watch some movies, but we are also going to look at the various sites where a lot of the battles took place and follow General Franco’s conquest of Catalonia,” said Hosey. The other classes include, “Learning Guyana/Society and Culture” who will be taught by Peggy Black, Ph.D., in which students will engage in various types of community work, all while learning about the society, culture and people of Guyana. Campus ministry has taken students here for the past 11 years, but it is the second time students are going in as a class. Students will be volunteering at the local orphanage. “We are really going to be working with the people, it’s not just learning about the country, but we are going to
be working with the families and the children in particular and organizations in Guyana that are helping the poor,” said Black. “Our students will provide support for the mission that’s there.” There is also the “Travel & Tour Design/Theater in Context” in Ireland with Jodi Staniunas-Hoper and Brett Johnson, Ph.D., “The Mayan or Aquatic Ecology & Lab” in Belize with Sara Turner Ph.D., “Haiti Public Health & Medicine” in Gros Morne, Haiti with Thomas Cook Ph.D., “Volcanos & Lab” class in Costa Rica with Nicholas Lang, Ph.D., and Tauna Hunter will teach “Dance Appreciation Paris” in France.
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MSG votes to make treasurer appointed position By Nathan Turner News Editor
Mercyhurst Student Government (MSG) voted to change the position of Treasurer from an elected position to an appointed position at its weekly meeting on Nov 17. Under the recommendations of an auditor for the school, MSG brought up the issue of making the treasurer a position filled through an appointment rather than through an election as it was prior to Monday. MSG passed the motion with 22 votes for, 6 votes against, and 1 absten-
tion. In addition to making this change to the Treasurer position, MSG agreed to split the president and vice president ticket, allowing the student body to vote separately on candidates. One of the primary concerns for the decision was ensuring that an individual holding the treasurer position was sufficiently qualified, according to MSG President Nick Latta. The treasurer is handling the finances for all MSG functions, as well as the Student Activities Committee (SAC), “so it’s a big task that requires people to have some skill or some knowledge of
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the issue,” Latta said. The appointment process, which will includes a series of interviews, allows the president and vice president to “be more selective” in choosing the treasurer. “In elections, people get the credentials, but not everyone reads and is an informed voter,” Nick said. The interview process will examine the background and credentials of each candidate. “With an interview process, we could decide, with our advisors, who is the best person for the job,” MSG Vice President Caleb Ohmer said. The president, vice president, the advisors from MSG
and SAC, and the Registered Student Clubs and Organizations (RSCO) liaison would be a part of the interview process. The decision was passed with 6 senators voting against it. One of the senators who voted against the motion was Dylan Radtke, the senator from the School of Intelligence Studies and Information Science. While he acknowledges the benefits of the decision, he said it is clear that the decision reduces the ability of the student body to voice their opinion. “It’s a degradation of democracy,” Radtke
said. “Having an appointed position removes the student body’s input from who will be placed in that position.” Another senator, Jennifer Cotto-Ecklund, proposed an alternative to appointing the position. She suggested an interview process to select the most qualified individuals and then hold an election for the students to select from that group. In a question regarding this proposal asked after the initial interview, Latta said that there was a time constraint on enacting it due to the set election and appointment dates on the calendar.
“The Executive Board proposed the idea of having an appointed position to allow for more students to hopefully apply for the position. The original proposal of an appointment out-weighed the proposal of an interview and then running an election considering the amount of involvement that is offered for students at Mercyhurst on top of their academic schedules.”
implement this. The second initiative is the Affirmative Consent Policy. “This is the idea that we all grew up with where ‘No means no’ but this is taking it to the next level where ‘Yes means yes.’” Bollheimer said. “If someone is too intoxicated to give affirmative consent, then there are severe consequences with the most severe being expulsion.” In closing remarks Bollheimer said, “We can’t do anything about it until we know about it. We don’t want this [gender discrimination] in our culture and environment and have the ability to eradicate it.” With much debate, MSG decided in a 22-6 vote with 1 abstention, to move the MSG Treasurer position from an elected position to a position appointed by the President and Vice President, who will now be elected from a split ticket. 6 of those in-favor votes came from the current executive board including the current Treasurer. The driving force behind this change was to ensure that the Treasurer is fully qualified for the responsibilities of the positions. However, there were many concerns with this fundamental change to the MSG structure. Senator Dylan Radtke said, “I see an issue with the Treasurer having no accountability to the student body as an appointed position.” Brinsley
Maughan-Evanson said, “I feel like our student body voices are being shut out.” The current Treasurer, AJ Zahuranec said, “The split ticket will help balance the appointment and a large portion of colleges do it this way.” Several Senators also pointed out that, the purpose of the election debates is for candidates to show their qualifications to the voters. Senator Jennifer Cotto-Ecklund suggested, as an alternative to appointing the treasurer, “We could have an interview process, select the top qualified candidates then have the student body vote on those.” The MSG Executive Board quickly stated that due to time constraints this would not be a viable option. Student body opinions on the standardization of the Mercyhurst grading scale were also discussed. Senator Mary Barnes said, “I got a lot of people saying they would prefer individual departments be standardized.” Senator Bridget Egan said, “I got a lot of No’s for standardization because people thought it would decrease their GPAs.” As students it is important to think of these possible impacts. The current sophomore class will be the trial year for whether standardization is successful or not.
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MSG Report Nov 17 By Melanie Todd Staff writer
Meredith Bollheimer, the Title IX Coordinator for Mercyhurst, informed MSG of general Title IX policies, procedures and recent changes from the federal government in terms of school reporting. “Most of you will think of athletics when I say Title IX,” Bollheimer said, “but it is about any gender discrimination, harassment and violence.” Bollheimer said, “There’s a perception that… this is a problem that is not being handled, but I have been here for 9 years and here at Mercyhurst, that’s just not the case.” All Title IX cases in universities across the country are required to hold its standards to a preponderance of evidence. “This means that it is more likely than not that the thing that allegedly happened, did happen… with 51 percent of the board’s vote,” Bollheimer said. Mercyhurst has two upcoming initiatives to help curtail this issue. “The bystander initiative is to encourage bystander intervention so that when you see something that is turning toward a bad situation, to stop it from progressing,” Bollheimer said. There will be a workshop later in the year to further discuss ways in which students can
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Admiral Laker’s Police Brief
Admiral Laker had a rough week. Mrs. Laker stole his Saturday by pressing him into servitude into an ever-growing “Honey-Do List.” After all that, Admiral Laker just wanted to relax, but the ‘Hurst cretins were out in full force. Our first baddie was caught with a controlled substance in McAuley Hall on Nov. 13. There was a liquor law violation in
McAuley the next night. There was a second liquor law citation in Lot #7 on Nov. 16. On Nov. 15, another underager was cited for a third liquor law violation on Briggs Avenue. Apparently this ne’er-do-well also hates Mother Earth because he/ she was also cited for “scattering rubbish.” Lastly, also on Nov. 16, a student was cited for crim-
inal mischief on Briggs Avenue. Hopefully Admiral Laker can get some much-needed rest over the Thanksgiving break. But justice never sleeps and if you miss the tryptophan hangover and attempt to wreak some havoc while the rest of us are stuffed on turkey, know Admiral Laker will be watching.
November 19, 2014
The Merciad
Page 3
Features
Department promotes ‘Giving Tree’ Student By Amanda Moore Staff writer
With the season of giving just around the corner, the Education department is doing its part with their annual Giving Tree project to promote donations to underprivileged children in the Erie area. The Giving Tree is a Christmas tree with cutout construction paper ornaments located in the Education Department. Each of the ornaments has written on it a specific age level of children to donate
presents to this year. Students are encouraged to pick an ornament from the tree to purchase a gift for this Christmas season. Started in 2002 by Education Department graduate student Kim Schmitt, the Giving Tree tradition has been passed down to each graduate student in the program. This year, graduate assistant Carolyn Nicholas is running the event. The Education department, as it has in previous years, will partner with the Kid’s Cafe after school program for underprivileged children.
The process is simple, according to Nicholas. To get involved, visit the Education department on third floor of Hirt. There, a signup sheet keeps track of all participants who pick tags that specify which age range to buy gifts for, the youngest age group being six years, and the oldest being 15. There will be a wish list that includes a mix of toys and basic goods for each age group, such as school supplies, clothes and personal hygiene products. Nicholas said it has been successful in past years and
is confident that it will be this year as well. “This year, we have about 100 tags for kids and about 50 for the adults. They put up the tree Oct. 31, and as of now, 15 [tags] have already gone,” Nicholas said. Employee of the Kid’s cafe, Margaret Kloecker, has been in charge of this event from the start. Originally, she wanted to create a grocery store setting where kids could pick out what they wanted. However, the children did something no employee expected. “We found that, even though there were toys and
games in the store the most popular items were cereal, toiletries, toilet paper, snacks and school supplies. Toys, surprisingly, came in last,” Kolecker said. According to Kolecker, even if the children buy for themselves, they still like their presents to be wrapped. She said that witnessing the selflessness of children is the best part for her, since most children have been known to exhibit selflessness and give their donated items away to their family members.
Creative writing program plans for the future By Kevin Thomas Contributing writer
Students worried about the future of the Creative Writing concentration can rest easy. Despite the retirement of long-time English and Creative Writing professor Kenneth Schiff, Ph.D., at the end of this academic year, the Creative Writing concentration is not going away. Jeffrey Roessner, Ph.D., head of the Creative Writing concentration at Mercyhurst, said that the department has big plans for the upcoming academic years.
“We want to find innovative ways to expand it.” Jeffrey Roessner, Ph.D.
“Creative writing is the strongest concentration that we have in the English Department,” said Roessner. “We want to find innovative ways to expand it.” Specifically, Roessner says the department would “love to be able to add a digital or new media element to the program.” The search for a replacement is also currently underway. @TheMerciad
Alison Ockasi photo
Panelists open up about mental health at the “Open Minds, Healthy Minds” event organized by the Active Minds club this past Friday evening in Zurn Hall.
Club hosts ‘Open Minds’ Panel By Jade Gelsimino Contributing writer
Mercyhurst University’s Active Minds club held a panel this past Friday, Nov. 14, entitled Open Minds, Healthy Minds with the goal of bringing faculty, staff, and students together to see mental health in a different way. The panel was held in room 314 of Zurn Hall of Science and Fine Arts and was attended by roughly 25 students and staff. According to the club’s president, Autumn Walter, the event was organized in order to help eliminate some of the stigma behind mental health on campus. “Everyone is impacted by mental health,” said Walter.
“One of the best ways to combat the stigma that comes with this is to speak about it directly. Our goal is to give the audience a new perspective on what it means to live with a mental health disorder, and to let them know that if they are dealing with this that they are not alone.” The panel featured five panelists; one teacher, one staff member, and three students. Each panelist shared his or her own personal experience with mental health. “Any mental illness is just that, an illness,” panelist Sara Mills, a junior Chemistry major said. For some, mental illness means dealing with their inner critic, for the feeling that they must live up to the expecta-
tions of family or friends, and for others ending a life really does seem like a logical and rational solution. David Hyland, Ph.D., a professor of Archeology and Biology at Mercyhurst and panelist at the event said of this issue that some 20 percent of people will experience suicide in their immediate family. Previously, Active Minds hosted panels bringing alumni and current students together to talk about how mental health impacted their lives. The club decided to reach out to current students with the Open Minds, Healthy Minds event. “We were absolutely overwhelmed by the number of students and faculty willing to share firsthand and sec-
ondhand accounts of mental health in their lives,” said Walters. “Because we had such a large number of students willing to share their personal experiences, we decided to make the panel centered on student’s and faculty’s personal stories about living with mental health issues.” The theme of the event was that people “have to be open” and talk about their problems, according to one of the panelists said. “What makes us human is that we all have stories,” said Hyland, “and when we can’t tell them, that’s when things get dicey.” @TheMerciad
club to recruit By Jose Nufio Staff writer
Mercyhurst’s Equestrian team has been on the mission of attracting more members. Currently the team is made up of sophomore Intelligence and Business Marketing major Rachel Betzner and sophomore Exercise Science and Pre-Physical Therapy major Molly Card. They have been on the search of bringing new members after two people quit the team. “Nobody knows about us and we’ve been trying to get our name out there,” said Betzner. She recently created a website and Facebook page to promote the club. This year, the team has been part of five competitions in different college campuses in the area, including Slippery Rock University, Seton Hill, Bethany College, West Virginia University and Grier. The club has accumulated two first place and three second place awards, including a special high point award. Given the success they have had at competitions, Betzner and Card have been working to try to expand the team. “People just don’t know that we exist,” said Betzner. “If you have a big team and you have people place in different divisions, at every show there is a high point team and we could get a high point team if we have people on each division do well. We can never achieve that, because it’s only the two of us.” Betzner and Card believe that there are other people in Mercyhurst that might be interested in joining the club or even team. “We are completely accepting of everybody, you don’t have to have experienced. It’s okay for anyone to do it,” Card said. Betzner has been riding for six years and Card has eight years of experience. They practice at Brenric Stable which is on a 100-acre farm, four miles up north of Edinboro. The facility has both an indoor and outdoor riding arena, where riding lessons are also offered. Lessons and lease options are available for Mercyhurst students on the team. @TheMerciad
Williams designs website By Amanda Moore Staff writer
Salina Bowe photo
Recent Mercyhurst University graduate Aaron Williams was commissioned to help redesign the university’s website.
The Marketing and IT departments, along with a few faculty members, have collaborated to create new tools for potential incoming students. This past Monday, Nov. 17, the Mercyhurst North East website got a major facelift. IT and the Marketing departments have been working since April to make this a reality. Aaron Williams, who graduated from Mercyhurst this past spring, is in charge of the IT portion of it. Williams said one of the main goals of the project is to make sure the website shows every side of the community. “[The goal is] making it so more people are involved. I don’t know what goes on in Financial Aid or the Intel Department. People who are
involved in those departments are better suited to write content for that website than I am,” said Williams. “I got my degree from here, so hopefully I can represent the student voice as well, being that I just graduated.” Chris Norris, social media director for Mercyhurst, also wants the website to be reflective of all the different aspects of campus. “If you look at the home page, we want it to tell a story of Mercyhurst North East on first impression. So we want to show a lot of diversity in its students and what we offer them,” Norris said. The new site will have several new functions, including a Twitter feed, pop up YouTube videos, and links to different pages which show localized information such as the police academy, a Veteran in the navy becoming a chief, and a
dining series the culinary students host. The Mercyhurst Main Campus website has been running these functions for the past three months with much success. “For the past almost three months, the university site has been performing very well. The analytics have been very good, people like it, but the North East site has not been transferred over yet from the old look to the new look,” Norris said. All of the departments involved hope this new look will help become a recruiting tool to bring more students to Mercyhurst.
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Page 4
Arts &
The Merciad
November 19, 2014
Entertainment
Ben Sollee to play at Mary D’Angelo By Naomi Greenstein Staff writer
Mercyhurst University will be welcoming guest artist Ben Sollee to the stage as he gives an up-close and personal performance for an on-stage audience. Recently seen at Carnegie Hall paying tribute to one of his main influences, Paul Simon, Ben Sollee shares himself completely with his audience members. Sollee is known for his thrilling cello-playing that incorpo-
rates new techniques to create a unique mix of folk, calypso, bluegrass, jazz and R&B. Sollee possesses roughsmooth-smoky vocal stylings and a knack for intricate arrangements that have brought about comparisons to artist Sufjan Stevens. He first gained notice with his debut, “Learning to Bend,” which led NPR to call him one of the “Top Ten Great Unknown Artists” of the year. Sollee has been touring with multi-Grammy winner Bela Fleck and has collaborated with “My Morning Jacket,”
Abigail Washburn and Jordon Ellis. The Heliotropes will be performing before the show to set the tone of the evening. Lavery Brewing Company will be in the lobby serving complimentary beer tastings. The event will be held in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. This showing features special on-stage seating, helping the audience to become a part of the music they hear.
kdhx.org photo
@TheMerciad
Musician Ben Sollee will thrill audiences with his unique cello stylings and smooth-smoky vocals.
‘Shaping the Future’ show now on display in Cummings Art Gallery By Emma Knavel
Social Media editor
Pennsylvania’s art educators are sculpting, painting and carving the path to a brighter future. “Shaping the Future: Pennsylvania Artist Educators” in the Cummings Gallery features pieces of artwork by
Pennsylvania’s own educators. Artists drew inspiration from a variety of sources, and for some educators, from students in their classroom. Educators demonstrate the potential art has, as each painting and sculpture utilizes techniques unique to the artist, breathing life into their work. Some artists created pieces
out of wood or through using acrylic paint, while others used steel, ink, or digital illustration among other methods, proving there is no one way of creating meaningful compositions. The “Shaping the Future” exhibit, through the compositions of the pieces, shows a connection between us, art and the dependence on each
person to shape the future. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Art Education Association. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. The exhibit comes to an end Jan. 10. @TheMerciad
Ashley Favata photo
48 pieces from Pennsylvania art educators are now on display.
‘Il Barbiere’ promises comedy Lumen looking for submissions By Sarah Licata
By Naomi Greenstein
The MET’s lively production of Rossini’s classic comedy, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” (The Barber of Seville) comes to Mercyhurst University Saturday afternoon and invites everyone to attend. The show is debuting on Sat, Nov. 22, at 12:55 p.m. in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office. Rossini’s opera deals with the plan of Count Almaviva to woo Rosina and win her hand in marriage with the help of Figaro, the barber. Rosina’s guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who also wants to marry her, is tricked by Almaviva
As the school breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas are quickly approaching, so is the deadline for submissions for Mercyhurst University’s fine arts and literary magazine, Lumen. Any submissions have the chance to win prizes of monetary value up to $250. The unveiling of Lumen in the spring semester is the final, climactic event of the Literary Festival. The Literary Festival, which consists of other events such as poetry readings and presentations given by various poets, writers and other reknown literary artists. In the past, speakers including slam poet Mohja
Contributing writer
Staff writer
miac photo
Rossini’s comedic opera is sure to charm audiences with its wit.
through his many disguises. Almaviva does everything in his power to make sure he is the one who marries Rosina. Featuring some recognizable melodies and conducted by the talented Michelle Mariotte, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” is sure to thrill audience members with its humorous situa-
tions and chamring personas. Starring Isabel Leonard as Rosina, Lawrence Brownlee as Almaviva, and Christopher Maltman as the barber, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” is an unforgettable experience you do not want to miss. For more information, call 814-824-3000.
Kahf and PEN/Faulkner award-winning author Karen Joy Fowler have stood on the stage of Taylor Little Theatre and shared their work with the audience of students and Erie community members. Each year, the staff of the magazine accepts submissions, ranging from short stories to poetry, and chooses what is to be added to the final published version of the literary magazine. The staff began officially accepting submissions in September of this year. Students whose works are chosen to be featured in Lumen will not only have the honor of being published in the magazine, but a chance to win money for their writings. The three best submissions will receive cash prizes of
$250 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place. The awards will be given at the magazine’s unveiling reception on Thursday, April 23. Afterwards there will be an open mic held for anyone wishing to share their work. Last year’s Lumen was the best to date, and the staff hopes to keep improving the magazine every year with new and exciting student works. All submissions should be in a Microsoft Word document and sent as an attachment to the Lumen staff ’s email, lumen@mercyhurst. edu. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 5. @TheMerciad
All Around Erie: Theatre edition Innaritu delivers with ‘Birdman’ By Megan Pacileo
Arts and Entertainment editor
Erie Art Museum. For more information, call (814)580-6608.
FILM at the Erie Art The Pajama Game Museum
Online
The Erie Art Museum continues to show artisticallymoving films. This week, it will be showing the movie “Life Itself,” about the life and career of renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert. The film focuses especially on the highlights of his lenghty career, his battle with alcohol and his occasionally ruthless rivalry with fellow critic Gene Siskel. Using footage and interviews during the final months of his life mixed with interviews of his friends, colleagues and family, the film provides a behind-the-scenes look at Ebert’s life. The film shows how Roger ultimately came to transcend film criticism to become an influential cultural and political voice. “Life Itself ” will play at the Erie Art Museum on Wed., Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the
The McDowell Center for the Performing Arts is proud to perform the hit musical comedy “The Pajama Game.” Conditions at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory are anything but peaceful. Sparks are begining to fly between superintendent, Sid Sorokin, and Babe Williams, leader of the union grievance committee. Their stormy relationship comes to a head when the workers strike for a pay raise, setting off a conflict between management and labor and a battle of the sexes as well. “The Pajama Game” is filled with songs and dances that have become musical theatre standards, including “Steam Heat” and “Hernando’s Hideaway.” The show runs from Nov. 20-23, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the McDowell Center for the Performing Arts webpage. For more information, call (814)836-6925.
Full list of events can be found on the PAC website
PACA presents “Venus in Fur” The Performing Artists Collective Alliance is proud to present the play “Venus in Fur.” This play-within-a-play is an adaptation of the novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. The play beings with Thomas Novachek, the writer-director of a new play, complaining about the inadequacies of the actresses who auditioned for the lead. At the last minute, a new actress, Vanda Jordan, bursts in to his office. It’s hard to believe she will please the very particular writer/director as she’s brash and unschooled. She convinces him to let her audition where she shows astonishing insights into the novel and her character. They both become caught up in the characters they are reading for. The show runs Nov. 20-22 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the PACA website. For more information, call (814)434-0687. @MeganPacileo
By Dennis Arthur
Cinema Club President
I usually try to refrain from labelling films masterpieces after the first viewing, but after seeing “Birdman,” I cannot resist. Director Alejandro Innaritu’s new film, which stars Michael Keaton, is a witty, thoughtful and dazzling satire of the film and Broadway industries. Deep down however, it is an intelligent character study of one man trying to relive the glory days of his youth. The film follows the life of former cinema superhero, Riggan Thompson (Keaton), a washed-up movie star who decides to write, direct and star in a Broadway play of his own creation, hoping his creation will prove he is a real artist and not just a used-up former movie star. The road to achieving this is paved with major problems with his daughter, co-star and most importantly, his inner demons. Michael Keaton, who stole everyone’s hearts as Batman in 1989, gives a bravura performance in this role. One interesting fact about
View upcoming performances: www.miac.mercyhurst.edu
movienewz.com photo
Director Alejandro Innaritu delivers a witty and intelligent film about a washed-up actor trying to relive the days of his youth, while focusing on the self-delusions of achieveing celebrity status.
this film is that its concept is loosely based on Keaton’s real-life career. From his performance, it is very clear that the subject hits home with him. This is a career peak for Keaton, and I am truly confident that come awards season, he will be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.
Edward Norton, who plays a pompous, insolent stage actor, is also one of the best parts about the movie, delivering a powerful performance. The film is packed with so many existential themes and symbols, and it elevates the film to the pantheon of modern masterpieces. Innaritu does a masterful job of examining the self-delusions of achieveing celebrity statue and the basic human need to be loved and feel important. The film is also surprisingly funny for the most part, and there are certain real-life references and meta-jokes that will leave you snickering. Overall, this movie exceeded every expectation that I had. Starring talents such as Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis and Naomi Watts, “Birdman” is a cinematic tour-de-force, and it is ,in my opinion, one of the best film of 2014 thus far. Expect to see this film rack up a lot of Oscar nominations come February. I give this film a rating of 10/10. @TheMerciad
www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment
November 19, 2014
The Merciad
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Opinion
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad Relay for Life successful or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Registration becomes student nightmare By Mackenzie Burns Staff writer
Registration time is chaotic enough, but it seems nearly every Mercyhurst student had to jump through hoops to register for spring and J-term. First of all, the times listed for each student are not entirely correct. A student cannot register until two minutes after the listed time. Some students were given registration times while they were in class, or very soon after. We are anxious enough about registering as soon as possible to ensure we get into the classes we want. No student wants to rush back to their room after class just to register right at their time. At least this year there appeared
to be a sufficient number of J-term classes, whereas last year there were not. After becoming very familiar with the dreaded “error” screen, several students, including myself, had to continuously jump back and forth between computers in order to complete registration. Freshman year is supposed to be the most difficult in terms of scheduling. For starters, many freshmen did not know exactly how to register. Some students’ advisers did not clear them to register right away. This seems to happen most often with freshmen. Luckily, most advisers sent emails to their freshmen advisees to schedule meetings. Also, the freshmen Resident Assistants have been very helpful.
In Warde Hall, the RAs had nights where they showed their residents how to register through WebAdvisor. Another problem that affected students was that certain classes were only available for students with certain majors. A myriad of students and advisors were not aware of this until they were actually registering. Those who are a part of the Learning Differences program were able to register first and athletes and honors students registered with the seniors. However, some athletes were not scheduled to register at the appropriate time, which added additional stress. Honors students also had some issues. Honors Prepa-
ration Year students were told they could only have early registration if they were registering for an honors class. This was not entirely true, but these students did have to ask for early registration, so several students were not able to take advantage of this. Most of these problems might be solved if registration was done on paper instead of through technology. Regardless, this crazy time has now come to a close, and hopefully administration will make it easier to schedule for terms to come.
Staff writer
The initial introduction of pesticides and preservatives into foods and crops was not highly debated or tested. However, as time went on, the use of both types of chemicals increased. According to takingcharge. org, since the heaviest use of pesticides began in 1950 and the heaviest use of preservatives began in around 2000, the large-scale and possibly irreversible risks to people and the environment have become more clear. Now in 2014, it looks like the use of pesticides and preservatives is a black swan event – or an unexpected, high-magnitude event that is beyond what society could have predicted. In 1950 and 2000, scientists and society did not predict the negative effects both could have. Preservatives in food have many negative effects. These
include breathing difficulties, behavior changes, heart damage and even cancer. Aspartame, sulfites, benzoates and yellow dye number 5 are known to exacerbate breathing problems in people with asthma and cause shortness of breath and other breathing problems in people without asthma. According to livestrong. org, in 2003, there was a heavy increase in the number of diagnosed cases of asthma. The heavy use of “approved” pesticides began around 2000. Do the math. Each year after I was diagnosed, I knew more and more kids being diagnosed with asthma as well. Pesticides are no chemicals to shrug off either. Pesticides, especially xenoestrogens, are linked to headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, skin rashes, cancers, reproductive health problems and digestive problems. Chronic migraines are being diagnosed more and more, and pesticides may be to blame.
It is also no secret that since the introduction of pesticides, infertility has increased, as well as cancer and digestive problems. One example of a digestive problem is acid reflux. Acid reflux was considered uncommon when I was younger. I only knew one person with acid reflux in 2001. By 2003, I was also diagnosed with acid reflux. Now in 2014, about two-thirds of my friends have either diagnosed acid reflux or acid reflux symptoms that they take overthe-counter medicine for. While preservatives and pesticides may affect us, they also affect the environment. Pesticides and preservatives poison plants, soil and animals. These toxins cause “dead zones” in bodies of water, meaning that the water cannot house or sustain any living creature or plants. One such area is the Gulf of Mexico. Pesticides disrupt animal hormone systems, causing developmental and reproduc-
tive issues. They also cause plants to produce less phytochemicals, which are healthy for humans to ingest and when a plant has less of them, allows more harmful bugs to destroy the plant. What we put into our environment, we eventually take back in. Pesticides and preservatives not only harm the environment, but they harm us. We depend on our environment, as the toxins from pesticides and preservatives build up in our environment and in us, the effects of them are becoming less and less reversible. If we do not take action now to lessen and eventually stop their use, the negative consequences and health effects will soon affect everyone – even those who have yet to be born.
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Are troops worthy of the support they receive from US Citizens? By Zachary Yost Staff writer
With the recent passing of Veterans Day social media, TV shows, commercials and Google Doodles were singing the praises of the brave men and women who defend America. Reading or listening to some of the praises heaped upon them, one would think that America would long ago have been overrun by barbaric hordes intent on enslaving and pillaging the entire country. Yet, such statements betray a lack of critical thinking on the part of those from whose lips such profuse praise pours forth. When people thank soldiers for their service, does anyone stop and ask what the service being rendered is? Are the soldiers stopping hosts of invaders from sweeping in and
destroying life as we know it? Rather, these soldiers are either on garrison duty domestically, deployed internationally to maintain the United States so called strategic interests in places such as Germany, Japan, Korea, Bahrain or Italy or they are fighting insurgencies in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen, in order to spread American global hegemony. The story goes that the troops are hunting down dangerous terrorists and enemies of the United States who would attack us here at home. Yet, why would people want to attack us? If confronted with this question many people would simply reply that terrorists (communists, fascists, whoever else needs to be fought) hate us for our freedoms and our ways of life. However, like most things in life, the truth is more dif-
ficult than an easy falsehood. The truth is that very few of the people who wish to harm the inhabitants of the United States wish to do so because of the supposed freedom said inhabitants supposedly enjoy. However, people are willing to die to defend themselves, their families and their society when they perceive it to be under attack. It is very clear that many of the people who wish to harm the United States perceive themselves to be under attack. The people of the United States do not truly know their enemy, and for the most part they do not truly know themselves, the government’s foreign policy has been nothing but one long stream of disasters after another. If you really care about someone, you tell them the truth. And the truth is that rather than protecting America, soldiers are making Amer-
Thanksgiving break is right around the corner. This will be a great opportunity for students to relax before final exams and projects are due. Others might also use this time to get ahead on their final projects. Use your time wisely, Lakers. The Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club is providing transportation for those who want to go to the premiere of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1,” on Nov. 21. This would be a good opportunity to take a break from classes and enjoy a good movie.
The Bad... Campus has been like a winter wonderland the past few days, but it has also been like an ice skating rink. Students were slipping and sliding around campus with the black ice on sidewalks.
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Pesticides and preservatives affect more than we thought By Alison Hosko
The Good...
ica less safe by carrying out the self-serving foreign policy of the ruling class. This cycle of violence benefits no-one but the special interests who profit from war and the political lap-dogs the special interests support. That is the hard truth people must face if they really want to support the troops. The truth is they are not making America safer. The hard truth that the soldiers who have died, have died in vain, for no purpose other than to continue the cycle of violence in order to profit the special interests of the ruling class. Unless people are willing to accept these hard truths and do something to change them, American soldiers will continue to have their lives stolen from them so that the few may profit at the expense of the many.
The Ugly... Heaters in Sullivan Hall seemed to be turned off or not working at all this week. Students were freezing and had to wear their coats inside. Hopefully, this issue gets solved before students freeze in other classrooms.
The Weird... Traditionally, the Wednesday Thanksgiving dinner is held at Egan Dining Hall. It is always packed and people as like if it were the Hunger Games in order to get food or a table. This year, the dinner will be held at Egan and The Laker. For those going to the Laker, it might feel a little weird to not follow the usual tradition.
The Merciad Positions @mercyhurst.edu Editor-in-Chief editormerciad Writing Coach *jpower57 News Editor newsmerciad featuremerciad Features Editor Sports Editor sportsmerciad A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Photo Editor photomerciad Ad Manager admerciad Adviser wwelch
Editors Zach Dorsch Jordan Power Nathan Turner Ryan Kushner Carly Contraguerro Megan Pacileo Marcela Delgado Mary Barnes Sami Rapp Will DeFeo Bill Welch *@lakers.mercyhurst. edu
The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is (814) 824-2376. 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 to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
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November 19, 2014
The Merciad
Sports Men’s soccer advances in NCAA By Haleigh Giebel Contributing writer
T h e M e r c y h u r s t m e n’s soccer team captured a win on Sunday, Nov. 16, against Notre Dame College to advance to the third round of the NCAA Division II Soccer Tournament. The score of the game was 1-0. The Lakers will face the No. 1 ranked University of Charleston on Thursday, Nov. 20, at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts at 3:00 p.m. Mercyhurst is going into this game with a 19-2-0 record and a 15 game winning streak. The University of Charleston is coming into the game with a 19-0-1 record.
During Sunday’s game to make it to the third round, Mercyhurst was ranked 7 and Notre Dame was ranked 22 going in. The Lakers had the lone goal of the game. 12 minutes and 10 seconds into the first half of the game, junior Sten Marcson scored his third goal of the season to give Mercyhurst the win. His goal was assisted by redshirt sophomore Jack Watson. This marked Marcson’s third goal of the season and Watson’s ninth assist. The boys have fought hard all season and in the PSAC Tournament, earning their spot in the NCAA Tournament. Last season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Lakers had beaten
Notre Dame of Ohio 1-0 in double overtime. Mercyhurst captured 16 wins during the regular season and only 2 losses. Those two losses were given to Mercyhurst by the University of Charleston and the West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The men lost to University of Charleston 1-4 but are hoping to redeem themselves during the third round game. The winner of the third round will play either LIU Post or host Merrimack.
hurstathletics.com photo
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The men’s soccer team beat Notre Dame College of Ohio 1-0 on Sunday, Nov. 16, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The third round will be played against University of Charleston on Thursday, Nov. 21. Pictured above, junior Sten Marcson (14) scored the Laker goal.
Football sinks ‘Ship’ in finale Men’s hockey splits series with Bentley By Haleigh Giebel Contributing writer
Jake Lowy photo
The Mercyhurst football team played their final game of the season against Shippensburg on Friday, Nov. 15. The Lakers ended their season on a high note with a 42-21 win. Pictured above is redshirt senior R.J. Miller (25) who scored two touchdowns.
By Tim Reed
Contributing writer
In their last game of the season, the Mercyhurst football team hosted the Shippensburg University Raiders on Saturday, Nov. 15 .and won with the final score of 42-21. This was another record-breaking game. Redshirt junior quarterback Brendan Boylan broke three records during the game, including season mark of 3,105 yards of total offense, the number of touchdowns per season with 29 after throwing five on Saturday’s game and the single-season record with his fifth 300-yard passing game of the season. Senior Colin Kimball had a 100-yard return for a touchdown which was the longest return in school history. Kimball also broke the record for number of interceptions with 15 in his career after getting two this game. The game opened with Shippensburg scoring on an 11- play, 80-yard drive when quarterback Chris Lawshe
found wide receiver Mike Brown for a 23-yard touchdown. The Lakers started off a bit slower offensively, but answered with twelve 12 minutes left in the first half when Boylan connected with redshirt junior fullback Donny Holl on a three-yard strike. With a little over seven minutes left in the half, Lawshe found the end zone again when he ran for a two-yard touchdown putting the Raiders up, 14-7. But, to end the half, the Lakers marched downfield as Boylan threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to an open junior Dylan Bongorni, tying the game at 14-14. This marked Bongorni’s first career touchdown. The third quarter is when the Lakers began to truly find their rhythm, outscoring Shippensburg 21-0. Boylan connected with redshirt senior tight end R.J. Miller twice, first for a 21-yard touchdown pass, and then for an eight-yard strike to the end zone. The offensive explosion was finished off by a
toss to Holl, making it a 35-14 Mercyhurst, heading into the fourth quarter. Boylan completed 26 of 38 passes for 409 yards and five touchdowns, adding up 20 yards on the ground. Redshirt senior Stephen Yarbrough led the Lakers in receiving, catching six passes for 165 yards. However, the most exciting play of game came from the Laker defense. With Mercyhurst up seven, Shippensburg had possession near the Laker goal line, and was looking to tie the game. But Kimball read the offense, picking off a pass from Lawshe and returning it 100 yards for a touchdown, giving the Lakers a 28-14 lead. With this interception he tied the record for career interceptions at 14. Later in third quarter, Kimball broke the interception record with 15. “It was a great way to finish. I get nervous before games, but coach puts us into great situations at practice to get prepared for these types of moments,” Kimball said..
Alongside Kimball’s defensive performance was redshirt senior Michael Foster who collected a career-high 16 tackles in his final collegiate game, and senior defensive back Deonte Huggins who grabbed a third interception for the Lakers. With this win, the Lakers finished the season on a seven- game winning streak, after starting 0-4. This put the Laker football team at a 7-4 overall record, and gained them their third straight winning season. During this senior day game, Mercyhurst honored 16 senior members of the football team as well as the senior members of the cheerleading squad. “It’s bittersweet. I’m very excited about the win and season, but I’ll miss all the guys and miss college football. The whole program top to bottom is amazing and I’m very proud to have played for Mercyhurst,” Kimball said.
The hockey team, with the Erie County Convention Center Authority announced in October that the game would be played at the Arena instead of at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The event will take place on Friday, Jan. 2, and Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, at Erie Insurance
Arena. Face off Friday is 7:05 p.m. and Saturday is set to start at 2:35 p.m. The Snowtown Throwdown will be sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings and proceeds from the two-game series will benefit The Warming Center hosted at the Mental Health
Association of Northwest Pennsylvania. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Erie Insurance Box Office or at the Erie Events website. Direct links to this website and the box office phone number can be found on
@TheMerciad
The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team picked up a tie and a loss on the road this weekend at Bentley University to make their record 5-41. On Friday, Nov. 15, the Lakers went into overtime ending the game in a 4-4 tie and on Saturday, Nov. 16, they lost 4-5. During Friday’s game, Bentley started off the scoring early on and scored the only goal during the first period. Just 47 seconds into the second period, Bentley’s Matt Blomquist acquired a five minute penalty for boarding and Mercyhurst was able to take the lead on it. One minute and 29 seconds into the power play senior Zac Frischmon capitalized on a pass from redshirt senior Kyle Just and freshman Jonathan Charbonneau for his second goal of the season. 33 seconds later, still on the power play, sophomore Kyle Dutra scored his third goal of the season from senior Mathew Zay and senior Chris Bodo to take a 2-1 lead over Bentley. Bentley came back to tie the game at two and sophomore Spencer Bacon took over in goal. Mercyhurst freshman Jack Riley captured the lead back with his first collegiate goal as a Laker from senior Daniel Bahntge and sophomore Stephen Hrehoriak. Bentley again came back at the end of the second and beginning of the third person to take a 4-3 lead over Mercyhurst. At 10:19 in the third period, Bodo tied the game with a goal from Riley, sending the game into overtime. During overtime, neither Mercyhurst nor Bentley could
score and the game ended in a tie. Bentley out-shot Mercyhurst 33-22. During Saturday’s game, Bodo started off the scoring with a goal from Zay and Bahntge while on the power play. Going into the second period, Bentley had a 2-1 lead over Mercyhurst. In the second period, Mercyhurst scored three goals to take a 4-2 lead. While on the power play, seniors Ryan Misiak and Frischmon set senior Tyler Shiplo up to score and tie the game. Misiak captured his 100th career point as a Laker with the assist on Shiplo’s goal. Misiak is the 18th player in Division 1 history and the second player of this season at Mercyhurst to achieve 100 points. Zay scored his 100th point on Oct. 24 against Merrimack College. Senior Grant Gettinger scored next goal with assists from junior Alec Shields and Bahntge. Mercyhurst went on the power play again and took advantage of it with Dutra scoring from junior Anthony Mastrodicasa. Bentley then scored three unanswered goals, one of them being the overtime game winner. Bentley out-shot Mercyhurst 36-17. Mercyhurst’s next game will be played at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday, Nov. 21 against Canisius College. On Saturday, Nov. 22, Mercyhurst will travel to Canisius College and play them on the road. Canisius over-all record is 4-5-3.
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Men’s hockey to host Snowtown Throwdown By Carly Contraguerro Sports editor
The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team and the Ohio State hockey team will be playing each other in the first annual Snowtown Throwdown.
hurstathletics.com under the men’s hockey tab. Tickets can be purchased in either single-game or twogame packages. They are $10 for adults and $6 for children (16 and under) and senior citizens. Two-day packages are $15 for adults and $10 for children
and senior citizens. Following the game on Saturday at 7:00 p.m., the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters will be facing off against the Windsor Spitfires.
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November 19, 2014
Page 7
The Merciad
Sports
Upcoming Kimball breaks interception record games and matches
The men’s basketball team will face California University of Pennsylvania away on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. This is the first PSAC of the season for the team. The Lakers are 0-2 and Cal. U is 2-1.
The women’s basketball team will be traveling to California University of Pennsylvania to face Cal. U on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. The Lakers are 0-2 and Cal. U is 2-0. This is the women’s first PSAC game of the season.
Jake Lowy photo
Senior free safety Colin Kimball (26) broke Mercyhurst’s career interception record this season with 15. He had five of those just within the Lakers last three games. His last two interceptions were made during the Lakers last game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 15. Kimball’s first interception of the game was made at the Laker goal line which he returned 100-yards for his second pick-six of his career. The 100-yard return for a touchdown was the longest return in school history. His second interception that broke the school record was made in the third quarter. Kimball also broke school records for most interception return yards in a game with 120 yards, in a season with 184 yards and in a career with 335 total yards. This week, Kimball earned the Division II National Defensive Back of the Week by Beyond Sports Network (BSN). This is the second consecutive week a Mercyhurst player has gotten an award. Last week, redshirt junior quarterback Brendan Boylan was named Division II National Offensive Player of the Week. Written by Carly Contraguerro
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Men’s hockey will face Canisuis College on Friday, Nov. 21, at the MIC at 7:05 p.m. The men will travel to Buffalo, NY the next day to face Canisuis away. This is a CHA conference game. The men are 5-4-1 overall. Women’s hockey will play at home against Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday, Nov. 21, at 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 22, at 2:00 p.m. This is a CHA conference game. The women are 10-2-1 overall.
Men’s soccer is advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. This will be played at Merrimack University against the University of Charleston on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 3:00 p.m. The Lakers will enter the game with a 19-2-0 record ranked No. 7 and the University of Charleston at 19-0-1 and ranked No. 1. The women’s volleyball team enters the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 20. They will face California University of Pennsylvania at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virgina. The game is set to start at noon. The Lakers overall record is 18-2 and Cal. U has a 28-8 overall record. Wrestling will travel to Parkersburg, WV to participate in the Ohio Valley Tri-Meet for their next match. On Saturday, Nov. 22, the Lakers will wrestle against Ohio Valley University at noon and against Wheeling Jesuit University. The time is yet to be announced. This will be the start of the team’s 2014-15 dual schedule.
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November 19, 2014
The Merciad
Laker
Living
Geek Weekly: Top Tech Gifts By Zach Dorsch Editor-in-Chief
With the Christmas season quickly approaching, the age old questions come to the heads of million people. “What do I get for that beloved nerd in my life?” Most of you know that they would love something techy, but may be uncertain of what the best tech for your nerd is. Well here are some suggestions of some of my favorite items that will surely bring a smile to their faces. For the Computer Nerd in Training: Raspberry Pi Model B+ The Raspberry Pi Model B+ is the newest version of the Raspberry Pi single board computer. The little circuit board is about the size of a pack of cards and is able to run on a variety of Linux operating systems. The board has 512MB of ram, 4 USB Ports, 40 GPIO Pins and an Ethernet Port. In translation, it is not the most powerful computer, but based on its size and flexibility to be programed to carry out a large variety of functions, your computer nerd will love it. Raspberry Pi’s are also a great gift for younger people to learn about computer hardware and to start learning a programing language such as Python. Price: $39.95
For the Smartphone Photographer: Olloclip OlloClip is the perfect gift for that Instgramer or weekend warrior who loves using their smartphone as a camera. Starting as a KickStarter Olloclip is now making camera lenses for both iPhone (models 5 through 6) and the Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5. The units come in a set of lenses that include Fisheye, Wide Angle, Macro 10x and Macro 15x, all of which are mounted to a clip that you simply flip around to change lenses. Be warned though, the iPhone 6 Lenses are still on pre-order with expected shipping date of late November. Price: $79.99 For the Always Connected: Pebble SmartWatch With their wide variety of colors and materials to choose from, Pebble SmartWatches have as much fashion sense as they do function. The watch is waterproof and can connect to both Android and iOS devices, so if you ever switch phones, you won’t have to worry about buying a new watch. The watch is convenient for ensuring you never miss an important notification, phone call and control your music without needing to pull out your phone. On top of this, Pebble has an app store with more than 1,000 applications and a wide variety of downloadable watch faces to match your style. Price: $99.99
For the Netflix Junkie: Roku A Roku will allow you to turn any TV into a Smart TV and allow you to watch Netflix or any one of your favorite streaming services right from your TV. Set up is a breeze and the devices are extremely small so they will not take up a lot of room on your TV Stand. The Roku comes in 4 different models that start at $49.99. Each upgraded model adds a set of features to the device. Price: $49.99
These gifts ideas will surly bring a smile to those beloved nerds in your life.
Web photo
Beauty Talks: What you didn’t know about Triclosan By Marcela Delgado Opinion editor
We are exposed to chemicals that are dangerous for our health and the environment on a daily basis. Most of the time, we are the ones exposing ourselves to these harmful chemicals through the hygenic and comsmetic products we use. The issue is very few know what the names of these harmful chemicals are or what products use these chemicals. One example of a harmful, but commonly used, chemical is triclosan. Triclosan is a chemical found in antibacterial soaps, detergents, toothpaste, tooth-whitening products, antiperspirants/ deodorants, shaving products, creams and color cosmetics. Some of the health concerns associated with triclosan are endocrine disruption, allergies, organ
system toxicity and irritation. Why would we expose ourself to such a harmful chemcial. Before buying the products listed above you should take the time to read your label and make sure your products are free from chemicals like triclosan or any others that may be harmful to your health and the environment. Another solution would be using EWG’s Skin Deep App available for iPhone and Android. This app allows you to scan a product’s barcode. It then displays the “harm level,” telling you its effects on the body. This way, you can make more educated decisions about the products you are purchasing and avoid choosing ones that could be causing your body harm. You can also look for safer or natural alternatives to those harmful products. Most natural alternative can be created with ingredients that you have at
home. Don’t forget to visit Freshfaceforward.org to learn more about safer products and what to avoid. Also, find Fresh Face Forward on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest so you can get tips and recipes all year long.
@freshfacefwd
Game Zone By Sami Rapp Photo Editor
Last Week’s Answers