Jan. 20, 2016 Issue of the Merciad

:Features On Page 3:

Arts & Entertainment On Page 5:

Sports On Page 7: Women’s field

Jurried Art Show

Surviving the snow:

hockey travels

accepting appplications

A winter how-to

to Argentina

The MERCIAD

Read more inside & online

Mercyhurst university

Est. 1929 Vol. 89 No. 11

‘Colorama’exhibit takes viewers back to 1960s

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

’Hurst Civic Institute tackles Erie gun violence

By Lauren Murphy Staff writer

Meghan Maker photo

Sophomore Charity Ludwig and freshman Cole Prots admire artwork in the show, Colorama, currently displayed in the Cummings Art Gallery. These photographs once graced the walls of Grand Central Terminal. Read more about Colorama on Page 5.

Recently, the director of the Mercyhurst Civic Institute, Amy Eisert, took a group of twenty people to Kansas City to learn more about the Kansas City No Violence Alliance, KC NoVA, in order to implement their strategies in Erie through Unified Erie.

By implementing KC NoVA’s strategies, Unified Erie hopes to reduce gun violence in Erie. The strategy consists of two parts and starts with a social network analysis.

“The social network analysis is created through official arrest data from the police, not by word of mouth,” Eisert said.

The social network analysis is used to find criminals involved in violent crimes and their connections. From these connections, the most connected individuals are invited to a meeting called a “Call In Meeting.”

In the first part of the meeting, the invitees are told that

violence will not be tolerated.

They are shown surveillance and are told that after the meeting, the first group to be involved in violence will receive the full attention of law enforcement.

In the second part of the meeting, the invitees are told that they have value and the leaders of the meeting offer support to them. Support such as housing, education and drug and alcohol help are offered as well. Victims’ family members and rehabilitated criminals talk about their experiences. After the meeting, a dinner is provided where the invitees get to sit down with public officials and talk to them face-to-face.

“The Call In Meeting is like a messenger meeting, and we hope that by inviting the most connected individuals, they will go out and spread the word,” Eisert said.

A major goal of implementing this strategy is to increase positive relations between the community and the police.

(Continued on Page 2)

Anchors aweigh: President Victor selects senior class gift

By Erin McGarrity Staff writer

This year, the senior class gift will be the Mercyhurst anchor. After considering proposals from the Senior Gift Committee for three potential gifts, President Michael Victor made the final decision.

Meaghan Hubert, president of the committee and member of the Class of 2016, weighed in on the meaning behind the anchor.

“The statue will be a feature of campus used to represent the strength and determination of Lakers everywhere,” Hubert said. “This gift is a way to boost morale and Laker spirit, as well as serve as a sign of athletic and academic luck.”

Hubert and the committee

Merciad Index News Features A&E Opinion Sports Laker Living

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also hope the anchor becomes a new hotspot for photo opportunities among both current students and alumni.

By donating $100 or more, any member of the Class of 2016 will see his or her name engraved on the statue. The committee’s goal is to raise at least $10,000 by getting as many seniors to participate as possible.

“

The gift is a way to boost morale and Laker spirit...

”

-- Meaghan Hubert

When asked how the experience has been, Hubert stated that “the whole senior gift

Chart Title

Tung Vu photo

The senior class gift committee came up with gift proposals, presents them to President Victor and plans funraising events.

process has been very successful so far. The committee has been working hard

in coming up with gift ideas, presenting our proposals, and now planning all of our fund-

raising events.”

Seniors should mark their calendars for Mercyhurst’s

annual Senior Week for Feb. 8 to 12. The week will include such traditions as the Senior Date Auction and the 100 Days Until Graduation Party at the Corner Stone Bar and Grille. The party will serve as a fundraising opportunity for the gift, and it will be exclusive to donors who give at least $20.16.

To donate to the project, seniors should visit www. hurstalumni.org/Classof2016.

It is also not too late to join the committee in its efforts to make this project happen.

Interested seniors should contact Meaghan Hubert at mhuber95@lakers.mercyhurst.edu and follow @ MUSeniorGift2016 on Twitter. @TheMerciad

Online Poll Results

Did you get into all of the classes you wanted for J-term and spring term?

Yes, and I’ve already Facebook creeped on all my classmates. (50%) No, I somehow ended up registering to hunt sea lions in the arctic. (35%) Yes, because I begged my professors to sign me in. (15%) No, because there were so many great courses I wanted to take! (0%)

Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll: 1

2

3

4

How do you enjoy the snow?

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

January 20, 2016

The Merciad

Page 2

News

Civic Intstitute Mercyhurst changes policy regarding ‘hoverboard’ devices works to decrease

By Catherine Rainey News editor

Any students who received one of the most popular Christmas gifts last year is out of luck: Mercyhurst recently banned the use and possession of hoverboards and recreational Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices in all campus buildings due to fire hazards.

Laura Zirkle, Ph.D., vice president for Student Life, sent an email to all students on Monday, Jan. 18, to inform them of this new policy, hoping to get the word out before all students return for spring term.

“Because of the batteries and their set up, they can spontaneously burst into flames and you can’t really predict it and you can’t really avoid it,” said Zirkle. “We knew that we had concerns about them being in our buildings.”

There were at least 11

Contributed photo

Hoverboards, which were a popular Christmas gift in 2015, have proven to be fire hazards.

reports of fires caused by hoverboard fires in 2015, according to a CBS News article on the devices. In most cases, the cheap lithium-ion batteries used in the hoverboards overheat, causing the board to combust.

Any student currently in

possession of a hoverboard on campus will not get into any trouble if they turn it in, according to Zirkle.

“We’re just asking that they get in touch with somebody in Residence Life. We’ll store it for them until they can take it home or off campus,” Zirkle

said. The batteries will be removed for safe storage.

“It’s really all about the fire safety threat, that’s really our concern,” said Zirkle. “This policy is being implemented at a lot of schools because of the fire hazard.”

Zirkle said the Division of Student life will reevaluate the policy in time, if and when the quality of hoverboards are improved.

“My guess is over the next year or two they’re working diligently right now to solve this problem. Once that gets fixed and they’re safe we’ll change our policy to address that,” said Zirkle. “But for right not they’re not allowed in any of the buildings on campus because of the fire hazard.”

@TheMerciad

gun violence (Continued from Page 1) “We are currently pursuing funding to hire case managers,” Eisert said.

Case managers will be used to direct individuals who seek help after going to or hearing about the meeting to the proper services and agencies that they need. The community programs that will be utilized in this strategy are the ones that Erie already has set up—drug and alcohol help as well as education and housing.

“The system can sometimes be very hard to navigate to find the right help, but the case managers will make this step in the process much more doable for those in need,” Eisert said.

Eisert first learned about this strategy at a conference at Michigan State University.

She relayed the information to Unified Erie and they decided it was worth using to reduce

Mercyhurst University photo

Amy Eisert is leading the effort to limit the amount of gun violence in Erie, taken from a model in Kansas City.

gun violence in Erie.

Eisert has worked for Unified Erie since 2010, when it was first established.

@TheMerciad

Notorious Archaeology Dept. cats looking for new homes

By Sami Rapp Editor-in-chief

There are more changes in the archaeology department. As of Saturday, Jan. 16, the two cats that lived in the Ceramics Lab of Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute have been relocated.

After five years of calling the Mercyhurst home, Herbert and Beano were evicted due to the request of the head of MAI and the dean of Zurn School of Natural Science.

The cats called Mercyhurst home after Allen Quinn, professor of archaeology and director of the Ceramics Lab, brought them to the school

hoping to get them adopted.

The two cats lived in a vineyard near Quinn’s old home.

“When I moved, I took them with me, they were feral cats that I fed and I knew they couldn’t handle the winters around here,” said Quinn. “I brought them here hoping to get them adopted but they never did.”

The cats were only supposed to live in the lab temporarily. However, after a year, they became feline celebrities both within MAI and throughout campus as many students spent time playing with the cats. The cats were even featured in an Erie Times-News article in 2013.

Many students voiced their

Sami Rapp photos

Herbert (left) and Beano (right) have resided in the lower level of Zurn for five years. They are currently in need of new homes.

sadness over their departure, including Jordan Pendel, a sophomore archaeology stu-

Students learn to identify suspicious behavior

By Melanie Todd Staff writer

More than 50 students from intelligence studies majors and criminal justice majors as well as forensic science majors spent their day off attending a presentation on identifying suspicious behavior.

The Law Enforcement Intelligence Club invited Frank Marsh, Department of State instructor with over 25 years of experience around the world, came to Mercyhurst to teach the 6-hour class.

Marsh has taught thousands of special agents, intelligence analysts, prosecutors, corporate officers and police officers around the world.

“We’ve had Mr. Marsh come teach for four years now and every time he brings new information to the table,” Aaron Henry, law enforcement intelligence club president said.

Last year Marsh taught on communication analysis. This year’s topic broadened to all suspicious behavior. The presentation included case studies, demonstrations, statistics and historical examples.

The material in the class is not only helpful for those looking for careers in law enforcement.

“What you don’t say speaks

volumes about you,” Marsh said.

Different behavior is expected in different situations, and there may be cultural differences in what behavior is appropriate.

“Some things are expected.

Some things are not. Pay attention to what is not expected,” Marsh said.

Whether a person is walking down the street late at night, or standing in a school cafeteria, identifying suspicious behavior could save their life.

“If you think or feel it is abnormal, an anomaly or suspicious it is worth your attention,” Marsh said.

One of the best things you can do in any situation

to protect yourself is to be aware. “Criminals prey on the unaware,” Marsh said.

“He showed not only the behaviors that could be suspicious but gave us insight as to why they are suspicious, what they may be hiding. The historical case studies really allowed us to use the information,” Karima Elsayed, a junior intelligence studies major said.

“In only six hours, you can learn information that many in law enforcement only gain from experience on the job.

Knowing the information beforehand can make all the difference,” Henry said.

dent. Jordan was one of the several students who was very attached to the two cats.

“Being away from my cats at home, it was nice being able to visit Herbert and Beano. I’m

so sad now that they’re gone because they were always so friendly and excited to see people,” Pendel said.

News of their absence spread quickly and many students have already noticed their absence and several of them have come up to Quinn to ask about their whereabouts.

The cats are currently looking for a home. Both are friendly but have feline AIDS and cannot be around uninfected cats.

If interested in adopting the two cats, email Allen Quinn at aquinn@mercyhurst.edu. @TheMerciad

MSG and MAC enact new feminine hygiene initiative

By Sami Rapp Editor-in-chief

Mercyhurst Student Government is taking a stand for women’s health.

MSG, along with the Multicultural Activities Council, has recognized the student concern for female hygenic products on campus. The organizations are working together to implement safe products starting in J-Term.

Free feminine products will be available in one woman’s restroom in every building on campus. Mercyhurst’s housekeeping will supply and refill the products.

“There was a need there, so we needed to fill it,” Collier said.

MSG and MAC look to team-up with the Health Center for informational nights. The initiative, according to Collier, was not only to make safe products available, but to also teach students about the benefits and consequences that follow all products.

Samantha Collier, chairwoman for the Multicultural Activities Council was part of the team that created the initiative.

“I noticed that there were a lot of students coming from countries that use different

female hygienic products than we are normally used to. One time, there was a conversation that brought up reusable pads,” said Collier. “Many of my colleagues from the United States were aghast.”

It is currently undetermined if this program will stay free. The month of January is being used as a test to see how people are adapting to the products. MSG wants to determine how many they will need to order.

“We hope students treat this new privilege with respect and care, as there are many students that cannot afford to purchase these products each month,” Collier said.

Hurst Hooligans Incident

Date

Location

Theft

Jan. 10

Warde Hall

Vandalsim

Jan. 11

Lot #2

Controlled substance and paraphernalia

Jan. 16

Baldwin Hall

Liquor law violations

Jan. 17

McAuley Hall and 3907 Lewis Ave.

January 20, 2016

The Merciad

Page 3

Features

Merciad how-to: Winter survival

By Cheyanne Crum Staff writer

The Erie weather we know and loathe has finally struck Mercyhurst. The campus looks like a snow globe.

It’s beautiful. However, the person that owns our little snow globe really needs to stop shaking it.

As the weather continues to grow colder, and the snow piles up, we say goodbye to the sun until the spring thaw.

Everyone has their own ways of dealing with the winter cold, most of them include bundling up and staying inside after dark.

Surviving Erie winters is a never ending battle, but we do it every year. There are many tips and tricks to surviving the cold on a college campus. One trick that I have learned is that there is no such thing as too many layers. I am not a person that stays warm once the heat is turned off or the blankets are gone while I struggle to get to that 8 a.m. class.

A t-shirt, hoodie, winter coat, hats, gloves and scarves

are always great options. This works well when it’s below zero outside and 100 degrees in the classroom--layers can always be taken off.

To melt off the chill of the day, everyone usually takes showers with hotter water in the winter, which can cause skin to get severely dry. Dry skin in the winter is prone to cracking, peeling and possible bleeding. Lotion is the key.

Make sure that your hands and face and any skin visible in the cold is hydrated to avoid the painful cuts and itching.

Lately, my hatred of the cold has gone to the next level where I have been trying to find ways to stay inside the whole way to class. Too bad Mercyhurst does not have any good secret societies, as they would have had all the cool underground tunnels like you see in the movies. I’ve even begun vividly daydreaming about digging the tunnels myself to avoid going outside when it looks like a frozen tundra.

The freezing cold would not be so bad if I had a decent pair of boots. I have spent

many years trying to find that one pair that does everything.

I have found boots that keep my feet warm but not dry, dry but not warm. How hard is it to find a pair of boots that do both? It is a struggle to find clothes that keep out Lake Erie wind, but it should not take years. Since this perfect pair of boots with this amazing combination still does not exist for me, it is always best to carry an extra pair of socks in your bag, just in case your feet get uncomfortably wet.

If you happen to be one of the unlucky ones with the 8 a.m. class, be sure to wake up early enough to grab that first cup of coffee at Egan or the bookstore. That burst of caffeine is great but having something to warm you up is even better while you are trying to focus in class.

A necessary, ancient trick to surviving the cold is of course, “always wash your hands” to prevent getting sick. In the winter, this is even more important, with all the colds, flus, and other diseases going around the student body. If you are as unfortunate as I am

Cheyanne Crum photo

The infamous Erie winter has once again brought pain and misery, with some beauty, to Mercyhurst students.

to get sick in the winter, try to plan ahead by buying cold medicine, cough drops, tissues and whatever else makes you comfortable when you are sick. The last thing that I want to do when I am holed up in bed with a cold is walk to CVS for medicine.

The last piece of advice I can offer is try to have fun!

Winter sucks everywhere,

and in Erie so much more, but grab a few friends and start a snowball fight, build a snowman, or buy some cheap sleds and sled ride down one of the many hills we have on campus.

We need sunlight; it makes everyone just a little bit happier. The months of winter can drag down everyone’s spirits, adding in all the classes

and homework, we can end up with some harsh months. Do not let winter get you down.

@TheMerciad

Magoc compiles encyclopedia on U.S. imperialism

By Victoria Kreysar Staff writer

Mercyhurst University’s Chris Magoc, Ph.D., Professor of History and Department Chair, has completed his sixth published book, this one an encyclopedia: Imperialism and Expansionism in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection.

Working as chief editor, Magoc produced the four-volume, 950,000-word encyclopedia, containing more than 200 primary source documents and 650 topical entries and sidebars from some 200 contributing scholars, centered around the topic of the history of American continental expansion and overseas imperialism since the nineteenth century. The entire project took over two years to

Nhi Tran photo

Chris Magoc was invited by the ABC-CLIO publishing company to write an encyclopedia on American imperialism and expansion.

complete “It began with a phone call I received about the project in July 2012,” Magoc said.

He had written a short essay about the Military Industrial

Complex for the publishing company ABC-CLIO, which had also published his previous book and they liked his work well enough to invite him to serve as the general

editor of the encyclopedia project.

“I was honored to be asked,” Magoc said.

“Although I did not consider myself an expert, I leaped at the opportunity because American foreign policy—in particular the history of American overseas intervention and global hegemony since the late nineteenth century—is a subject I have taught for many years and which is of profound importance in our own time.”

Although Magoc oversaw the entire project, co-editor David Bernstein edited the first two volumes, which focused on pre-colonial and frontier continental western expansion. Magoc’s primary responsibility were volumes 3 and 4, which begin in the 1890’s and extend to the present. The contemporary era includes such topics as the

oil industry, the rise of intelligence gathering, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, growing U.S. presence in Africa and drone warfare. Magoc wrote 25 entries himself, in addition to the historical overviews for each individual section.

Over the course of the nearly three-year project, Magoc invited other Mercyhurst faculty and students to contribute. Kristin Collins-Breyfogle Ph.D., contributed 4 entries.

Former History majors Chelsea Morris and Mohammed Al-Bidhawi served as research assistants; Keven Gregg contributed three entries and Kristin Apeck contributed one entry.

The subject of the book, while historical in nature, has grave implications for the present and future of the country.

“You see it in the candidate debates going on right now

with both incendiary and substantive rhetoric thrown about over the proper role of America in the world,” Magoc said.

“There is a growing recognition that America is an empire – an empire of a different sort than Great Britain or ancient Rome – but an empire nonetheless.”

Magoc hopes the encyclopedia sheds light on how that came to be and what it all means for, as he says, “a country whose Founders warned of imperial overseas adventures and even a permanent standing army.”

Magoc has donated an encyclopedia set to the Hammermill Library—“the least I could do,” he said, given the support he received from Mercyhurst in completing the project. @TheMerciad

In a library not so far, far away... LAKER MOMENT

By Amber Matha Staff writer

The Hammermill Library is home to an original piece of Star Wars memorabilia, a Star Wars Original Trilogy Laserdisc.

According to the library staff, Mercyhurst’s laserdisc is not worth as much as hoped or expected, with a retail value of no more than $50. However, since the new release of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens, memorabilia prices have skyrocketed.

Star Wars’ laserdiscs are being sold for over $300 on eBay. The laserdisc is not currently in circulation so it is unavailable to be checked out by students.

A laserdisc is an oversized DVD, about the size of a vinyl record with a 12-inch diameter. According to eBay.com the first Laserdisc was manufactured in 1977, the same year as Star Wars: A New Hope. Despite this, the first Star Wars laserdisc was not released until 1993, according to a review by Rolling Stone Magazine.

A disc can store 30-60 minutes of video information

Casey Bleuel photo

Librarian Joseph Kloss holds the Star Wars Laserdisc.

on each side. For one movie there is usually more than one disc, unlike the modern DVD. Rolling Stone Magazine reported that the trilogy required 18 sides.

Laserdiscs require a special player for viewing as they are too big to fit in a modern DVD player. The library does not have a laserdisc player to play the movie. Due to this, and to the misfortune of the Star Wars fans on campus, there will not be a Star Wars movie night using these discs

in the foreseeable future.

The laserdisc players require the discs to be in very good condition in order to be played correctly. It is unclear as to what condition the discs in the library are in.

The technology used to play movies was not the only thing evolving. The first Star Wars movie was groundbreaking in its quality and complexity.

It was one of the first movies to rely on computer generated imagery and it kick-started the movement toward special

effects. These special effects were better viewed at a higher resolution which made laserdisc the perfect medium for viewing.

Tom Gerencer from moneynation.com wrote that when adjusted for inflation, the Star Wars: A New Hope movie grossed $3 billion at the worldwide box office. The newest movie made $1.78 billion worldwide to date. It broke box office records by reaching $1.09 billion in the first twelve days of being released.

In total, the Star Wars franchise has made $29 billion to date, according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute.

George Lucas agreed to take a lower salary for his movies in order to have full rights over the money gained through the sales of toys and other forms of memorabilia and merchandise.

According to Gerencer, Lucas’ choice was the correct one as estimates show that $14 billion worth of official Star Wars products have been sold. @TheMerciad

By Karah Holis

Students attempted to make an igloo in front of Briggs 3907. With the recent temperature levels, we might all as well live in one.

Page 4

Features

January 20, 2016

The Merciad

Popular J-Term class may survive

By Marco Cicchino Staff writer

Scott McKenzie, Ph.D., teaches the Science on Display J-Term course, which revolves around museology and cultural-heritage laws. This has been one of the most popular J-Term offerings this year with the slots filling up quickly and providing students an opportunity to explore new worlds and ideas.

On Friday, Jan. 8, students toured the Cleveland Museum of Art with their professor as their guide. On Friday, Jan. 15, the class headed to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

Among the major sights was a statue termed the “Cleveland Apollo” which has its arms notably dismembered.

“For ancient art, the Cleveland Museum of Art is the place to go and it’s just a couple hours down the road and Carnegie is also close to Mercyhurst. We’re in a position where we can hit these different places in a fraction of a day and have a great time here,” McKenzie said.

However, with the end of the J-Term in Mercyhurst, McKenzie will have to make a decision regarding the course’s future. His goal is to turn the

class into a mini-semester course beginning in autumn 2016, with 50-minute classes and the potential for an associated lab period where he can schedule off-campus trips.

“We could actually expand the number of places that we visit, and that would be delightful,” McKenzie said.

McKenzie has been collecting all types of artifacts throughout the years. He routinely displays his collection to his students, along with the display of minerals and various animal records outside his classroom on the second floor of Zurn Hall. His primary objective is to present information and heighten awareness.

“I wanted to find a science course that covered a lot of issues that usually don’t get covered and be able to present it to a lot of students,” McKenzie said.

“The first thing is to present information for general education purposes. I think it helps us appreciate where we live more. A lot of times, people walk by some of these things and don’t notice them such as meteorites and fossils. Maybe after a class like this, you’ll start to notice the fossil on the side of the road, or you’ll notice some strange insect or an unusual artifact in

Marco Cicchino photo

Marco Cicchino photo

The “Cleveland Apollo” was one of the many artifact seen by students at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Mckenzie hopes to find students with strong interest in science and “win them over” into the geology and biology fields.

the attic…and get more enjoyment out of life in that way.”

In the first two weeks of the 3-hour class, McKenzie demonstrated several facets of the course’s central theme of museology. He led discussions centered around geology, archaeology and what McKenzie terms “cultural-heritage laws.”

McKenzie noted that a secondary objective for the course is a valiant attempt to “win over” prospective students to declare geology, biology, and other science majors.

“The thing is to direct people with strong interests in this stuff into fields that they

McKenzie holds an extensive collection of ancient bones. Here he holds the cross-section of the pubis from a T-Rex.

might really enjoy and find helpful,” McKenzie said.

McKenzie maintains the world’s seventh-largest collection of meteorites.

Marco Cicchino photo

@TheMerciad

Advertisement

January 20, 2016

Page 5

The Merciad

Arts &

Entertainment

Colorama encaptures attendees

By Amber Matha Staff writer

Meghan Maker photo

Sophomore Charity Ludwig and freshman Cole Prots look at the Colorama Exhibit in the Cummings Art Gallery.

The newest exhibit at the Cummings Art Gallery celebrates the iconic images that were described as the “World’s Largest Photographs.” Colorama, developed by the Kodak Company, are huge 18-by-60-foot images that were hung in Grand Central Terminal from the 1950s to 1990. These images quickly became just as famous as the terminal itself.

The images hung in the terminal as advertisements.

Only 565 full-sized Colorama photos were made between the 1950s and the 1980s. They were made of panels of transparency paper pasted together which were then lit up from the back so they could be seen at any time throughout the day.

The display in the Cummings Art Gallery show-

cases reproductions from the George Eastman House.

The curator of the exhibit, Alison Nordstrom, provided a booklet for the exhibit. It was reported that the vice president of Kodak told his staff, “You are here to promote photography… Talk photography first, Kodak next.”

This demand was followed through in almost all of the Colorama pictures. In all but one or two of the pictures a camera is visible but not showcased as a Kodak camera.

Colorama photographs portrayed the ideal family life.

Nordstrom states, “Families most commonly consist of attractive, athletic parents, with two children, usually a boy and a girl. If this family is expanded it includes one or more grandparents.” These families were portrayed doing many activities together, such as the one Colorama titled, Saturday Night Family Bath.

The major purpose of the

Colorama was to remind people then and now to pause and capture the present moment so that it can be enjoyed in the future.

Be sure to check out the Colorama photographs at

the Cummings Art Gallery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and weekends from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until Sunday, Feb. 7.

Meghan Maker photo

From left to right: Freshman Michaela Navone, a Forensic Anthropology major, freshman Katie Isaac, an Early Childhood Education major, and alumni Rebecca Christopher enjoying the pictures at the Colorama Exhibit in the Cummins Art Gallery.

Cummings calls for student art Sail over to the PAC for ‘Treasure Island’

By Jenny Sabliov

Arts and entertainment editor

Have any unique, inspiring and creative artwork to share?

Then the the Juried Student Art Show is for you. Students are more than welcome to enter up to any three artworks in any medium which include: drawing, painting, photography, computer-generated works, sculpture, ceramics and mixed media to the annual Juried Student Art Show. All artwork must have been created at Mercyhurst University within the past two years.

All entries will be accepted

on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and Wednesday, Feb. 10, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Cummings Art Gallery near the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center.

The jurying will take place on Thursday, Feb. 11, by Joseph Popp. Entrants will be notified of the results by email.

Joseph Popp is currently the Exhibit and Archives Specialist at Erie Insurance Group. He worked as the Master Framer at the Erie Art Museum for 23 years. He is also a visual artist who exhibits his mixed media works locally and regionally.

The exhibition will be on display in the Cummings Gallery from Monday, Feb. 15, through Friday, March 11. A special reception will be held for the artists on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, there is a Juried Student Art Show prospectus available in the Cummings Gallery during gallery hours which are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

@TheMerciad

By Amber Matha Staff writer

Who is interested in going on an adventure to the mysterious Treasure Island?

Now is your chance to experience the story by Robert Louis Stevenson without having to leave campus. Broadcast to us by the National Theater in London by live stream, watch Jim Hawkins search for buried treasure with the pirate Long John Silver in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 12:55 p.m.

MIAC photo

Arthur Darvill as Long John Silver in “Treasure Island”.

The show is directed

by Polly Findlay, who also directed the 2012 production of Antigone. Starring Arthur Darvill, known as Rory from the TV series Doctor Who, as Long John Silver, the produc-

tion is sure to thrill with sword fighting and treasure hunting.

Originally written in 1881 for a children’s magazine, the Treasure Island production is suitable for all ages 10 and up. In a story of mutiny and murder, what will become of Hawkins and will he find the coveted treasure?

Tickets for students who present their Mercyhurst ID are just $7.50, so sail over to the PAC and be prepared to go on an exciting pirate filled journey!

@TheMerciad

Puccini’s ‘Turandot’ slays the PAC

By Naomi Greenstein Staff writer

MIAC photo

Pictured above is Bryan Cranston as the main character Trumbo from the film “Trumbo”.

‘Trumbo’ rolls into Mercyhurst

By Rachel Sobina Staff writer

Online

Throughout history, we have seen people who have stood up for their beliefs and refused to back down.

“Trumbo” is an exemplary film of a man, Trumbo, who worked as a screenwriter for Hollywood. When he is questioned before the Supreme Court about Communist propaganda in recent films, Trumbo and a few others refuse to say anything. They are all put in jail for refusing to cooperate.

After being released from jail several years later, Trumbo is broke, blacklisted and struggling to keep his family together. He cannot find work since he is blacklisted, so he

goes to work as a low budget screenwriter. Trumbo receives help by getting his family involved in running the place, and he hires other blacklisted writers to help him.

After writing several low key screenplays, one of Trumbo’s later works received two Academy Awards, but he cannot claim them because Trumbo cannot let anyone know who is writing the films.

As the rest of the film world becomes outraged by the exposing screenplays, and try to figure out who is creating them, several other screenplay writers try to expose Trumbo, but fail, especially after President Kennedy praises one of Trumbo’s films.

“Trumbo”, directed by Jay Roach, details the struggles and hardships that Trumbo

Full list of events can be found on the PAC website

had gone through amidst all of his secrets in his era.

It also recounts the secret society that he was a part of that banded together to expose the wrongdoings that surrounded the Hollywood blacklist.

Furthermore, it details his unique use of words and intricate writing as he tries to evade the public eye in order for his works to not be discredited.

If the intriguing tale of a man fighting for his beliefs, and the tragic era of lies and deceitfulness of Hollywood films sounds exciting, then come join us on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m. in the Taylor Little Theatre. @TheMerciad

The beloved Met Live performances will return to Mercyhurst at the end of the month of January, starting with a live HD production of “Turandot” by composer Giacomo Puccini.

“Turandot” made its world premiere in Milan, Italy, at the Teatro alla Scala in April of 1926. It is easy to recognize the opera, with its unusual score and innovative choral and orchestral use, as a work of Puccini. Although, it was unfortunate that the final scene had to be completed by composer Franco Alfano when Puccini died suddenly.

Conductor Arturo Toscanini oversaw Alfano’s contribution

and led the world premiere.

Turandot is an epic fairy tale set in a China of legend, loosely based on a play by 18-century Italian dramatist Carlo Gozzi. In true fairy-tale fashion, the opera features a prince seeking the hand of a princess; however, any prince wishing to marry the Princess Turandot must answer three riddles.

If the princes fail, they must die at the order of the princess; this is how she exacts revenge on men as a result of the anger she has towards a prince who once abducted and killed one of her female ancestors.

Her beauty at the execution of her most recent failed suitor shocks a man in the crowd who then promises he will win her hand.

Christine Goerke, Lise Lindstrom and Nina Stemme, three of opera’s greatest dramatic sopranos, take turns in the title role of the proud princess of ancient China. Tenors Marcelo Álvarez and Marco Berti are Calàf, the brave prince who sings “Nessun dorma” and wins her love.

Franco Zeffirelli’s golden production is conducted by Paolo Carignani.

The Met Live in HD production will take place in Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 1 p.m.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors/students, $10 for children (12 and younger) and $7.50 for Mercyhurst students with ID. For tickets, call 814-824-3000 or visit miac. mercyhurst.edu.

MIAC photo

A screenshot taken from the Met Live in HD: Turandot, by Puccini that will be played in the PAC.

View upcoming performances: www.miac.mercyhurst.edu

www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment

Page 6

January 20, 2015

The Merciad

Opinion

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Relay Life Church. successful Merciad or for the Catholic Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

Mathematics: Banished to the top of the tower?

Good The Graphic Design Department hung beautiful new student projects in the lower level of Hirt. For their projects the students were told to create surreal portaits of themselves.

By Ryan Kushner Opinion editor

Sometimes math gets a bad rap.

Many students, particularly those in the humanities, have been known to cringe upon hearing terms such as “logarithm,” “calculus” and “2 + 7.”

I must confess that I, too, am among that sorry bunch that shies away from the F of X and the world of division, and struggle shamefully as I attempt to calculate my standard 5 percent tip while eating alone at Chuck E. Cheese’s.

Many a night was spent in high school sobbing gently over Khan Academy videos and hopeless scribblings on red, spiral-bound notebooks.

When I entered Mercyhurst and left my home still wet behind the ears (among other places), I was under the impression that I was also leaving my math troubles behind, and my mathematical ineptitude could be quietly swept under the rug along with all those ladybugs I killed over the years.

I was mistaken. The core had other ideas.

The horribleness and saving grace of the Mercyhurst common core is its exposure to multiple fields and ways of understanding the world.

Mathematics is, as it rightly should be, an integral part of the liberal arts, and is thus an integral and valued faction of Mercyhurst University, an institution which prides itself in providing a well-rounded education, along with quality facilities to learn in.

However, when it comes to space and quality, it’s clear that not all departments at Mercyhurst are treated equally.

Roughly two years ago, while still part of the The Zurn School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics run by the recently departed James Adovasio, Ph.D., the Mercyhurst Mathematics Department was officially moved out of

its offices in Zurn Hall of Science and Fine Arts, and shipped up (or banished?) into the cramped quarters of the attic in Old Main.

If you’re unsure of where exactly that is, just take the spooky 1920s-style elevator behind the reception desk in Old Main all the way up to the fourth floor.

As the elevator door slowly opens outward, you will notice chipped white paint and a short, narrow hallway leading to the center of the small, dimly-lit room (the ceiling fan appears to have only one working light bulb).

The professors in the department are not even given the respect of having their name plaques on the paintchipped doors of their offices, some of which have poor and uncontrollable heaters in them.

The small break room consists of a microwave on a foldout table and a printer with the broken door pieces of a previous department chair around it. The library space is a few shelves in a closet.

The department has apparently attempted to make the most of the inadequate space they’ve been given. They turned a wall into a large blackboard themselves and placed a round table and chairs as a small study space near a rusty metal ladder leading to the rafters of the building.

Now that Mathematics is a part of the Tom Ridge School of Intelligence Studies and

Bad Nhi Tran photo

Several pieces of what used to be a door are stationed near the department’s printer.

Information Science, one might think that they would be moved to a better facility or given a renovation (or at least name plaques for their offices that aren’t just pieces of paper). This has yet to be the case. The Mathematics Department remains sectioned off, out of sight and, perhaps for the higher-ups in the administration, out of mind.

What are perspective mathematics students to think when they tour Mercyhurst and see the facilities given to the Math Department by the University? It looks as if the institution is one with little appreciation for an essential field that should have it.

As a liberal arts school, Mercyhurst should take pride in and uplift all of the departments that make its education valuable and its students wellrounded. It shouldn’t feel as if you’re going to visit Quasimodo everytime you drop in on the Math Department.

News editor

Online

Christmas break is over.

Students moan with dread over the thought of a fresh semester to match the fresh snowfall. They can smell the stress ahead.

But wait — it’s only J-term!

With hours of free time every day, the ability to focus on one subject at a time and some seriously incredible travel opportunities, what more could a student want before the business of spring semester sets in?

It’s the perfect time to ease back into a school routine after the season of Christmas

parties and Netflix binging ends. (Okay, so maybe not the Netflix thing).

With a new academic schedule right around the corner, I think it’s time we properly mourn the passing of the J-term at Mercyhurst.

It’s been a great but shortlived three years. My personal J-term history includes having the chance to learn about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, discussing social problems on a global scale and learning the art of ‘adulting’ professionally (ie: how to land a job). It has helped me knock out some core classes, determine a minor and absorb some handy life skills, all in compact, three-week periods. I know the requirement for J-term was to take two

of them in four years, but I found myself coming back each time.

Though I was not personally able to study abroad during J-term, many of my friends and classmates have taken advantage of these one-of-a-kind opportunities.

This January alone, nearly 150 Mercyhurst students were able to travel the globe, visiting places including Peru, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Italy and Greece, and Germany and Switzerland. In many cases, these adventures were the perfect way to escape the Erie gloom and ice for a few weeks—not to mention making documentaries, visiting ancient ruins or kayaking through the Amazon.

A common criticism of

Read more at

merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion

The lower level of the Hirt Center was a veritable icebox the other night. Doors left open at the southeast entrance, and an automatic door that opens every few minutes, lets in a blast of cold air and then closes. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Weird

Ryan Kushner photo

The limited library space provided for textbooks for the Mercyhurst University Mathematics Department.

The professors deserve properly functioning heaters and painted doors. They deserve names on their doors.

@TheMerciad

J-term deserves to be mourned

By Catherine Rainey

Maggy Urso photo

Ryan Kushner photo

J-term is the three-hour classes every day. I admit, sometimes this can be rough, but I’ve found that most professors are willing to give students a break or two during class. In the big picture, this seems like a con that is outweighed by the list of pros.

For those students who really couldn’t stand J-term, here was the great part: it was partially optional!

As we say goodbye to this rare term, let us remember the good times (like sleeping in everyday if you were lucky enough to avoid an 8 a.m., or venturing outside to build an impromptu igloo) and hope for the best as we move into a new semester system next fall. @TheMerciad

The future is here. Well, almost. Mercyhurst now officially has a “Hoverboard Policy,” as outlined in a campus-wide email by sent out Monday

by Vice President of Student Life Laura Zirkle.

The policy bans hoverboards from campus due to potential fire hazards. But what good is a hoverboard if it can’t go out in a blaze of glory?

The Merciad Editors Sami Rapp Karah Hollis Catherine Rainey Jose Nufio Carly Contraguerro Jenny Sabliov Ryan Kushner Miranda L. Miller Margaret Urso Victoria Kreysar Bill Welch

Positions @mercyhurst.edu Editor-in-Chief editormerciad Managing Editor managingmerciad News Editor newsmerciad Features Editor featuremerciad sportsmerciad Sports Editor A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Photo Editor photomerciad Ad Manager admerciad Adviser wwelch

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 110. 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.

Write for The Merciad, email editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu

January 20, 2016

Page 7

The Merciad

Sports

Field hockey’s Argentina adventure

By Marco Cicchino Contributing writer

The Hurst field hockey Twitter account posed an interesting question on Dec. 17, asking its readers to observe three photos.

On the left was an image of a camera looking upward through some trees with a ray of sunlight coming through.

The second was a Christmas tree on the side of the road on a sunny day and the final image depicted a blizzard at night.

Through two hashtags, they told their readers: “Guess which one is Argentina and which one is Erie. You get ONE guess.”

If one were to correctly pick the first two images, they would immediately realize the unbelievable experience Stacy Gaudette’s team saw in the heat of the Buenos Aires summer.

The team embarked on their first international trip in four years, as allotted by the NCAA. The team last traveled to Barbados in 2012.

Senior midfielder and team captain Emily Koestler was active in the selection process.

“The seniors picked where we went this year, so I had a lot of say in that, and so did the other girls, and I just think it was a great experience.

We got to play amazing field hockey, we got to kill it and have fun,” Koestler said.

A central theme for the

Lakers was a spirit of team bonding on all fronts. The trip marked the first time since the end of the regular season the whole squad was together. Practices were held on Dec. 9 and 11, just before leaving in the wee hours of Saturday, Dec. 12. This was the first action for the team since defeating Limestone on Senior Day. “We were always together in close quarters,” said freshman defender Sara Scolnick.

“There was, at least, six or seven girls to a room [in their hostel] and we were all together, all the time. There were only two bathrooms, so we were together every second of every day and it was a lot of fun.”

The Lakers participated in several cultural activities off the field, immersing themselves in the local culture.

“It was really cool to experience the culture and the food, everything about it was so much fun,” said freshman forward Jessica Brandon on her first trip outside the United States. “Besides the whole field hockey part, we spent so much time together and hungout and it was great.”

A tour of the city began the week, with several other events interspersed within their leisure time. Highlights included a kayaking trip on the Delta de Paraná, a horseback-riding event on the Pampas, a water park trip, and a spiffy tango event on their last day, with several opportunities for the

Lakers to head out amongst themselves as well.

On the field, the Lakers enjoyed themselves equally and kept consistent pressure, but were unable to find results. They participated in three clinics designed to improve their skills, each hosted by players on Argentina’s national squads.

“The clinics were amazing,” said Koestler, “they did basic drills that we should be doing every day, a lot of passing, some shooting, but mostly passing and communicating.”

One of the clinics involved a competition among the Laker position players, where a point system was used for certain drills. Junior forward Alexandra Albright won this competition and was awarded a jersey.

The Lakers’ opponents were four of the top club teams in Argentina—Belgrano Athletic, GEBA (Gimnasia y Esgrima), Club Arquitectura and Liceo Naval.

Despite holding their own, the Lakers went ahead but fell by wide margins in the first three match-ups and 3-1 against Liceo. Scolnick was impressed by their style of play.

“They used space very well.

They did a good job spreading out and using every part of the field, and they always knew where their players were going to be. So it was not a lot of improvising,” Scolnick said.

Brandon was impressed by the Argentine attack. Bran-

don led Mercyhurst with eight goals and 19 points this past season.

“They pass a ton, and their passes are very accurate and very hard. They do a lot of drag-flicks and crazy reverse chip-shots. At the higher levels, you see a lot of that.

Their stick skills are more precise and honed down, they’ve worked on them so much,” Brandon said.

The Argentines are used to AstroTurf which allows for much faster gameplay, compared to Tullio’s FieldTurf.

“When you start [young], your skills develop much better, and Astro is the actual turf of field hockey. That’s the surface you should be playing on, and that’s why they’re so good. They had skills that we’ve never had because of FieldTurf. Astro is purely flat, it’s water-based or sand-based, and the game is so much faster on AstroTurf like that. And because it’s so much faster, your skills have to be faster and more tight, and growing up with that, that’s how they were so much better. They were unbelievable,” Burns said.

A major question entering the trip was a potential for replacements of the starters, but several Lakers maintained that the primary objective was not to win, but rather learn the sport better.

Contributed photo

The field hockey team traveled to Argentina to play against some of the country’s top teams and explore the culture.

Contributed photo

@TheMerciad

The team participated in three clinics to improve their skills and learn new drills to take back to Mercyhurst with them.

Men’s hockey splits weekend match-up

By Haleigh Giebel Staff writer

The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team split their weekend series with Sacred Heart University with a 3-2 win on Friday, Jan. 15, and a 6-4 loss on Saturday.

“We were tied in the standings coming into the games and it was a big weekend for both teams,” Assistant Coach Greg Gardner said.

On Friday, freshman Josh Lammon started off the scoring with 1:22 to play in the second period, when he deflected senior Anthony Mastrodicasa’s shot, to find the back of the net. Redshirt sophomore Jack Riley also picked up an assist on the play.

At 14:11 in the third period, freshman Wes Baker gave the

Lakers a 2-0 lead, with assists from freshman Derek Barach and sophomore Jonathan Charbonneau.

SHU put one home to bring them within one, but freshman goaltender Adam Carlson stood tall and gave the Lakers their 2-1 win.

“Adam is making all of the saves he is supposed to and is following the puck really well,” said Gardner. “He is a big part of our penalty kill and our defensive system and we are happy with the way he is playing.”

Both teams had six power play chances, but the penalty kill units stood strong.

“We have to give credit to our penalty kill, they did unbelievable,” said Mastrodicasa. “They blocked shots, got it down the ice and did whatever they needed to do to

Margaret Urso photo

Mercyhurst got on the scoreboard first in their 3-2 win over Sacred Heart on Friday with a goal by freshman Josh Lammon.

make sure they did not score.”

On Saturday, the Laker’s power play unit got to work,

but it was not enough to down SHU. SHU started off the scoring

just 3:54 into the first period.

The Lakers tied the game at one when junior Kyle Dutra scored on a power play, assisted by freshman Lester Lancaster.

“Sacred Heart has always been one of the fastest teams in the league and we knew we would have to match their pace coming into the weekend,” Riley said.

SHU took the lead again on their power play, but Charbonneau tied the game again at two. Charbonneau’s goal was assisted by Lancaster and Barach.

SHU scored two more goals to take a 4-2 lead over the Lakers.

Dutra scored his second goal of the game on the power play to bring the Lakers back within one, early in the third period. Mastrodicasa and

sophomore Patrick Piacentini picked up the assists.

SHU then made the score 5-3, but the Lakers fought back on the power play with a goal from freshman Taylor Best. Barach and Charbonneau recorded the assists on Best’s goal.

The Laker’s pulled Carlson out of the net to get an extra attacker, but SHU put the puck in the empty net to win the game, 6-4.

“We will continue to get better and find ways to pick up points,” Head Coach Rick Gotkin said.

Mercyhurst will return to action on Friday, Jan. 22, and Saturday, Jan. 23, in an away series against Robert Morris University. @TheMerciad

Coaching staff changes for women’s lacrosse team

Baseball ranked third in nation

Staff writer

Sports editor

By Diego Himede

The Mercyhurst women’s lacrosse team is experiencing major changes upon the start of their season with the coaching staff.

Head Coach Cecil Pilson, after 11 seasons as coach, resigned to become the new head coach of the Butler University Women’s Lacrosse Team, which is a Division I school. Jen Thomas, the former defensive coordinator, also left the team around the same time to take a head coaching position at Western Connecticut College.

This turn of events could have shaken the entire team’s

philosophy and motivation.

However, it appears that a new team has emerged with new goals just in time for important upcoming games.

“It was really shocking for us since it happened in the middle of the season. However, we all came together, we’ve been working really hard and we know will be okay,” senior midfielder Kyla Keefe said. Keefe added that the team remains confident knowing that they will make it to the NCAA championship this year.

The head coach position was quickly taken by former graduate assistant, Brigid Hurley, who has been working with the team for two years.

“I’ve done a lot of coach-

ing before, I have a great relationship with the girls on the team, so it honestly made us stronger,” Hurley said. Hurley wrapped up the start of the season with one sentence, “with big change, comes big opportunities.”

Senior midfielder Katrina Campbell supports Coach Hurley and her job as coach.

“She was a great graduate assistant. She has experience, she used to be a great player in college and we are really excited about her taking over,” Campbell said.

The chemistry and enthusiasm has never been more intense. In fact, the Lakers created a hashtag, #ClimbToDenver, to motivate themselves to obtain a goal they

have been trying to achieve for a while now: get to the NCAA championship.

Although the coaching changes were unexpected to the team, they all wish Pilson the best on his new journey, knowing that he will do an excellent job, as he did here.

Pilson left an important legacy at Mercyhurst as he had the most wins in Mercyhurst women’s lacrosse history.

However, the girls are ready for the new challenges knowing they have what it takes to overcome anything.

The team plays their first game on Feb. 20, against Saint Thomas Aquinas College. @TheMerciad

By Carly Contraguerro

After posting an outstanding 40-11 record last season, the Mercyhurst baseball team competed in the Atlantic Region Championship for the fifth time in the past seven seasons. But the outcome last season was different.

The Lakers became Atlantic Region Champions for the first time in school history, followed by their first trip to Cary, North Carolina for the NCAA Division II National Championship.

There, Mercyhust went 2-1 defeating Truman State University 3-1 on the first day before falling to University of

Tampa, who ended up winning the championship, and then to Cal Poly Pomona.

Mercyhurst received high recognition for their performan on the field from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll which ranked them third in the nation.

The Lakers gathered 623 points in the poll. The teams ahead of them are the defending champs, Tampa and runnerup Catawba College.

Mercyhurst is among two other PSAC schools, Millersville and Seton Hill, in the poll’s Top 40.

Also, Head Coach Joe Spano earned PSAC West Coach of the Year. @TheMerciad

Page 8

January 20, 2016

The Merciad

Laker

Living Victoria’s history: getting older

By Victoria Kreysar Ad manager

January is the month when fantastic people were born, and I’m not just saying that because I was born in January.

Both literary and real, some of my favorite men were born during this month including: Benjamin Franklin, Severus Snape, James May, Alexander Hamilton, Sir Isaac Newton, and Mozart. Harriet Tubman, Ellen DeGeneres, Betty White, Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Paul are some brilliant women born this month as well. It really is a star-studded list of people who look like they have their act together.

Turning 22 is strange--you no longer have the fun milestone birthdays like 21, and can now look forward to car insurance decreasing at 25.

Then I guess comes 30, and we just go by decades after that, so it is with some reservations and fear that I realize I’m older. But I always thought being grown up would feel different.

For the longest time, and I doubt I’m alone in this, it felt like I was playing pretend at growing up. But now suddenly I’m here, in my early twenties, still trying to figure out what is going on, wondering if I missed an important lecture on how to properly adult.

I’m someone who considers memorizing the entire Hamil-

ton soundtrack. When someone at a meeting suggests that I take charge because I am the adult in the room, I panic.

Sometimes I get this overwhelming feeling of underachievement. We live in a world obsessed with youth and giving prizes to people for all they can do at an early age.

The easiest way to impress the world is to be young; a genius at 70 is not as exciting as one at 7. In a world where you can achieve so much, we are truly impressed by how young you are when you do it. So, yes, I am panicking a bit about getting older.

But time is such a funny thing—man-made, yet unmistakable in its passing, ruinous even. It alters memories and

tricks events. It forces us to face our aging and assess the consequences of not only our own actions, but all those people who came before us.

Timing is such a tricky monster.

How many of us think “the British are coming” was a quotation from Paul Revere on his ride to warn of the redcoats? Henry Longfellow wrote his poem over 100 years after Paul Revere’s ride, and it only took 100 years from its publishing for many people to mistake his words for history.

Everyone, both soldiers and colonists, were considered British subjects—but so many of us have forgotten.

Think back to a history lesson you had years ago

about the events leading to the Revolutionary War—we like to think the founding fathers knew exactly where they were going with their ideas; that the Sons of Liberty knew the full consequences of burning effigies in front lawns; that the past colonists knew they could survive throwing off King George or that they even wanted to throw off the king.

As a nation, we rarely remember that there were a good portion of us who thought rebellion was a bad idea. Had it not been for taxes on sugar and stamps, the United States might not even exist.

Look at everything we take for granted. All these grand pillars of stability, the bedrock of society were, at one

point, just as foggy and uncertain as your schedule for next semester or your plans for the weekend. Given enough time, a thought can turn into a fact.

I like to think of that sometimes when I get worried about the future. No one really knows what they are doing beyond a shadow of an idea they have in their mind. I do still panic about the uncertainty and instability of what may come, but I find comfort in knowing no one has anything figured out and we’re all just sort of winging it.

@tory_krey

Way back When...

The Merciad presents articles from yesteryear in their original form, including headlines. This week, our blast from the past is from January 1931.

Rah! Rah!! Rah!!!

Team! Team!!

Team!!!

Game Zone

One of the latest sports that was taken up by the students of Mercyhurst, in the fall of this year, was field hockey. Although the girls had little practice along this line they managed to select a team and scheduled a game with the fine eleven of Edinboro State Teachers’ College.

After two periods of playing the score was 5-0 in favor of the Edinboro team.

Dorothy Cronauer was unanimously elected captain of the Varsity and had as her co-operating team mates: Nell Guilfoyle, Jane Turgeon, Jeanne Elliott, Jean Summers, Vera Anderson, Jane Mulheirn, Elizabeth Wilbert, Elizabeth McDonald, Kathleen O’Brien, Dorothy Mooney, Costella Ressler, Catherine Ryan, Ruth Anne Martin and Margaret Bacon.

We expect to get down to some real hockey playing in the spring when our field is in good shape once again, and shall come forth with a winning field hockey team. We have the material, now let us see what we can do!

This being the first year that the College has had an organized basketball team, some mention of it should be made. The season was opened with much enthusiasm, among the students, and this enthusiastic spirit is still felt.

At the first call for candidates many of the girls responded. After several tryouts and hard practices, Miss Heil picked a team. This team has shown great progress and is now ready for all games on its schedule. The line-up is as follows: Helen Huether, Nell Guilfoyle, Teresa A’Hearn, Jean Summers, Dorothy Cronauer, Costella Ressler, Dorothy Mooney, Jane Mulheirn, and Elizabeth Wilbert.

Dorothy Morard was unanimously elected manager of the team at the first meeting and Dorothy Mooney, captain.

Up to date the Collegians have played but two games, in both of which they have been victorious. The mid-winter schedule whill afford greater opporutnity for development in this line.

—Dorothy Mooney, ’34