MU celebrates Girls & Women in Sports Day

By Samantha Weber Editor in chief

National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is recognized on Feb. 1. This year marks the 37th annual celebration. Mercyhurst hosted its 10th Girls & Women in Sports day, which was one of over 1,000 events that occurred throughout the country.

were even some Girl Scout troops that came together to demonstrate the importance of female athletics from a young age.

character gained through sports participation are the very tools girls and women need to become strong leaders in sports and life.”

By Isabella Lee Staff writer

Are you a girl, female-presenting or non-binary individual that has an interest in coding, computers, and the field of STEM? If you are, there’s a new club at Mercyhurst that might just be for you.

Girls Who Code is a new club committed to “rais[ing] awareness and interest in programming and computer related careers, particularly among women who tend to be underrepresented in these field,” said Lauren Williams, Ph.D., Chair of the Mathematics Department and advisor of the club.

According to the Girls Who Code website, 24% of computer scientists were women, compared to 37% in 1995. “We acknowledge that historical and institutional barriers—particularly racial bias and discrimination—play a role in the widening gender gap in computer science and who has access to opportunities in these fields,” said the inclusion statement of Girls Who Code.

“Girls Who Code focuses our work not only on gender diversity but also on young women who are historically underrepresented in computer science fields, specifically girls who come from underrepresented minority groups, including African American/Black, Hispanic or Latina, Bi/ Multiracial, Native American/Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander; come from low-income backgrounds, specifically free and/or reduced lunch eligible; and have had a lack of exposure or access to computer science,” continued the statement.

“Girls Who Code has many purposes, centered around increasing and connecting women in programming and technological career fields,” said Sakura Gavin, junior Mathematics and Data Science major and President of the club. “The purpose of the club at this campus is to connect female-identifying or non-binary students in the technological majors, or others interested in joining those career fields. I found that there weren’t any clubs or programs made to help connect and support women in technology, and wanted to create a place where we can meet, share advice, and have fun.”

While the club is relatively new, with only two meetings so far, there are more plans to meet up, with the next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. and subsequently held biweekly.

“Right now, we have a plan to have a meeting where we will hold a small competition centered around members creating their own program, whether it’s a skit or mini game, on a website designed to introduce people to coding,” said Gavin.

“Students at Mercyhurst should join if they’re interested in connecting with others passionate about increasing and supporting women in technology,” said Gavin. “Our club is still at our beginning stages and would love for students to join, regardless of experience in programming.”

If this is a club that potentially interests you, reach out to Gavin or Dr. Williams! This is a new club, so they are actively welcoming new members!

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Mercyhurst hosted a day for young girls to come and interact with the women’s sports teams on campus.

“We are thrilled to salute the progress of girls and women in sports and encourage our student-athletes to share the benefits that sports and fitness activities can bring to their lives,” Bethany Woods, co-director of the event, said in a recent Mercyhurst press release. The teams that participated were Cheer and STUNT, Soccer, Dance, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Golf, Rowing, Bowling, Figure Skating and Equestrian.

“All the girls were very enthusiastic to be there and to try new sports,” said Veronica Kibbe, a junior member of the Figure Skating team. Each team had a station for the girls to try what their sport is like. There were a lot of girls who came to participate in the event and there

“It is important for these girls to come here and see us as role models, and knowing that this is something that could be in their future too, that sports are not just for men, but women can excel in them too,” said Kibbe. After the girls went around to the stations, there was a reception with pizza and treats for the girls to celebrate their hard work throughout the day.

The girls who participated then received free admission to the Women’s Basketball game at 5:30 that night. This was a great opportunity for the girls to see some collegiate female athletes as many of them probably want to play a sport in college.

“My favorite part was seeing how excited they were to try everything and the confidence they had in trying new things. I especially loved all the girls claiming they were going to come to Mercyhurst to be just like us when they were old enough,” said Kibbe.

According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, NGWSD “inspires girls and women to play and be active, to realize their full power. The confidence, strength and

NGWSD started in 1987 in Washington D.C., to recognize women’s sports. The first day also remembered Olympic volleyball player, Flo Hyman, for her athletic achievements and dedication to promoting equality in women’s sports; she passed away in 1986. Last year, the Women’s Sports Foundation had a year-long celebration of Title IX’s 50th anniversary.

NGWSD strives to, “honor the achievements of girls and women in sports and continues to Lead Her Forward by acknowledging the power of sports to unlock her limitless potential.”

There was even a commercial during the Super Bowl that showed the NFL supporting women who play football and flag football. The commercial featured current and former NFL players and at the end, there was a message that appeared on the screen that said the NFL can’t wait to see what they can do next.

The event was a huge success and everyone who participated in the event is excited about next year’s events

CLASS CATALOG: GEOL 101: DYNAMIC EARTH

By Bella Lee Staff writer

As all Mercyhurst students know, one of the requirements for REACH is a science with a lab. One can take various sciences to fulfill this requirement, ranging from Biology to Chemistry to Physics and much more.

Another option that is available is Geology, with one of the sciences with a lab being offered this semester being Dynamic Earth.

Scott McKenzie, Assistant Professor of Geology, teaches this course. For those that are interested in pursuing a degree in Geology or are interested in learning more about rocks and what forms the Earth, this is a great class to take.

“The significance of the rocks and minerals that form the earth; the plate tectonic processes that have built the continents and ocean basins; and the forces that shape them into their characteristic landscapes in the process of their creation and destruction” are what is taught in this class, according to the syllabus. “The basic understanding of earth processes for environmental reasoning and/or archaeological studies is emphasized.”

This is a great course to take if you want to delve deep into a topic that is commonly not discussed.

“Dynamic Earth deals with the science of the Earth including its structure, materials, and the processes acting upon them,” says the syllabus.

“This is a very broad topic, so, by necessity, this is a survey course. Topics we will cover include the Earth’s origin, meteorites and space, Earth’s internal structure, plate tectonics, minerals, gems, rock types and their origins, the rock cycle, glaciers, groundwater, geologic resources, mountain building, geologic time and life, and earthquakes. Much of the science of geology is directly relevant to our lives.

Consequently, in this class, you will learn fundamental concepts used by geologists to understand how the Earth operates. You will then use those skills to comprehend how geology impacts the world in which we as a society live.”

Dynamic Earth is open to everyone and is a required course for the Geology major. However, as this class will not be offered in the future, there are still a variety of Geology classes that one can take to fulfill their science with a lab REACH credit.

Geology classes offered in the Fall 2023 semester include Megafauna (offered in the first mini), Geomorphology and Energy and Environmental Justice. Be sure to keep an eye out for them if you are interested in fulfilling your science with a lab soon!