24 minute read
News
To the Mercyhurst Student Body
To the Mercyhurst Student Body,
Advertisement
On February 9, 2022, we read the Merciad article, “What it is really like being a Black student at Mercyhurst.” We were deeply moved. So much so, we want to make sure you hear, publicly, from the elected representatives of the faculty senate (now), and then more from the wider faculty in short time.
We hear you. We thought we were listening, but we weren’t listening. Our classrooms must never be places for words of hate, places that you fear. Our classrooms must be as intended at Mercyhurst University: spaces of learning and dialogue. Sometimes the things we study will make us uncomfortable, but no one should ever be made to feel unsafe. We can promise you that we are listening. Anti-racism requires more of us as a collective group of faculty. Anti-racism requires us to be persistent and always attentive. Anti-racism requires us to listen and acknowledge our mistakes so that we can learn from them. We’re listening, and we acknowledge the important role that faculty have in correcting these wrongs. We can’t control everything, but we can control the language we use in our classes. So, too, we want you to know that the faculty senate will be drafting a resolution of anti-racism—one that recommends actionable steps, and one which will provide the wider faculty an opportunity to sign their name and support. Sincerely, The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, Dr. Richard W. McCarty, President Dr. Alice Edwards, Vice President Dr. Michael Elnitksy Dr. Averill Earls Dr. EmmaLeigh Kirchner Dr. Phil Belfiore
By Hannah Brooks Features editor
A Mercyhurst student has made a very honorable and exciting accomplishment. Devon Daniels, senior Risk Management and Finance major, has earned a scholarship for an internship this summer in London.
Daniels was chosen by the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) as the J.H. Blades Scholar for 2022.
According to the WSIA website, the organization is a “worldclass member service organization representing the entirety of the wholesale, specialty, and surplus lines industry.”
In addition to Daniels’ studies and hard work in his classes, he also is a part of the hockey team at Mercyhurst. In 2019, he was recognized as an Atlantic Hockey (ACHA) All-American Student Athlete of the Year.
Additionally, he was named the Presque Isle CPCU Society Chapter Scholar for 2019 and 2021. Daniels enjoys playing on the team and will continue to play hockey after graduating as well.
“I plan on pursuing my hockey career post-graduation,” said Daniels. “Many of my most notable experiences that I have had during my time at Mercyhurst include all the time spent on the rink and playing hockey with my teammates.”
Daniels is also the president of the Risk Management & Insurance Club at Mercyhurst. Per the Mercyhurst website, the purpose of the RSCO is to “promote, encourage, and sustain student interest in insurance, risk management, and actuarial science as professions; to encourage the high moral and scholastic attainments of its members; and to facilitate interactions of educational institutions and industry by forecasting research activities, scholarship, and improved public relations.”
In addition to his skills on the ice rink, Daniels also works hard in all of his classes and focuses a lot on his studying, which did not go unnoticed by the professors who worked with him.
“He is always very well-prepared and does well in class,” said Mark Simpson, professor and program director of the Finance program.
“What impresses me most is the project performance. He is very meticulous about completeness, timeliness, and accuracy, most of the time with very little guidance.”
“I found Devon to be persistent and determined,” said Mahtab Athari, Ph.D., assistant Finance professor.
“He was motivated and focused during class, and he recognized the importance of a strong work ethic and intellectual inquiry.”
Daniels also added that he also enjoyed having the opportunity to work with Gary Sullivan, Ph.D., who was the former director of the F.W. Hirt Erie Insurance Risk Management program at Mercyhurst.
The award was an honor for Daniels to receive, and he recognizes the work and dedication that he put in.
“I was truly honored and proud to receive this award,” said Daniels. “I put in a lot of hard work in school and through the summer internship.”
Daniels also recognizes the people and experiences that he had along the way that helped to get him to where he is currently. He notes that his professors, classes, and experiences at Mercyhurst helped pave the way and give him valuable knowledge both for his internship, and after graduation.
“I am extremely grateful for the experiences and people I worked with, especially my mentors and WSIA for their guidance and support,” said Daniels.
Daniels’ internship will take place in London, England on a three-week, all-expenses-paid trip abroad. Daniels’ accomplishment is one that is honorable and deserves to be applauded, and his accomplishments and hard work as a student are a huge honor to Mercyhurst.
Contributed photo
Devon Daniels was just awarded a scholarship and summer internship in London.
Laker Leader applications open now
By Maiya Harding Staff writer
Laker Leader applications opened Feb. 14 and with more than ample time to apply, it is important to consider doing so.
Those selected to be an RA for the upcoming semester, may not want to read on; the dates are conflicting, and students are not able to be both.
For everyone else, Laker Leaders are essentially Mercyhurst’s welcome committee for first year students. As a Laker Leader, your responsibility is to assist with summer orientation and New Student Welcome. This involves getting to know incoming students and making them feel like Hurst is Home immediately through games, activities, small group discussions, ice breakers and more.
Additionally, Laker Leaders are responsible for helping a faculty member teach an Intro to Mercyhurst (or IMU) class in both the Fall and Spring semesters.
Occasionally, they are asked to do additional activities through the Division of Student Life, to further welcome new students to campus.
Those interested should show strong school spirit and embody what it means to be a Laker. In addition to loving our campus, ideal candidates are those who show enthusiasm and dedication not only to schoolwork, but involvement outside of the classroom.
Basic requirements are: being a full-time, undergraduate student, having a 2.75 or greater GPA, and to be in good conduct standing with no serious sanctions, and to attend all meetings, trainings, and retreats.
Students applying should also have a foundation of leadership skills, be committed to Mercyhurst’s values and mission, be able to work in diverse groups effectively, and have a desire to help other students.
Through the training and experience, students will further their leadership and interpersonal communication skills. It is an overall rewarding experience to make students feel comfortable in a new environment.
If this sounds interesting, the first info night is March 3 at 6 p.m. The final application is due March 16 by noon.
The application itself is easy and can be completed quickly. Students will need to provide two Mercyhurst faculty or staff members names as references, so be sure to ask a professor. It can be found by clicking the Laker Leader flier on the main student hub page.
Current Laker Leader and junior, Curtis Elder, spoke highly of the program. He is relatively new to the program, becoming a Laker Leader just last Fall. In that short amount of time, he has assisted in New Student Welcome, orientation, Casino Night, and worked with the director of the Honors Program and Writing Center, Justin Ross, Ph.D., and the director of Alumni Engagement, Lindsay Frank in hosting IMU classes.
He originally decided he wanted to be a Laker Leader to “develop public speaking and leadership skills.” This has helped him during his time as a cadet in Mercyhurst’s Army ROTC program where he will become a second lieutenant upon graduation.
Since being selected as a Laker Leader, Elder has found it to be a great “opportunity to branch out and help others.”
This is what he is most passionate about, and he highly recommends the experience to everyone.
Even if you are only slightly curious about it, be sure to attend the info night, which might be just enough to sway you to apply.
Senior dance majors prepare for Raw Edges performance
By Sarah Beck Staff writer
Those who have not heard about the Dance department’s major Spring performance, settle in.
Raw Edges is an annual event completely created by senior dance students with the guidance of faculty and advisors. This is the 24th showcase of this student-led production and is a performance one surely should not miss!
The show consists of 8-10 minute pieces choreographed and created by the senior dance majors. These pieces are part of these students’ senior capstone projects, a very in-depth project that spans for over a year.
Essentially, each of the dance majors selects a topic or an area of interest to focus on. They submit three project proposals during their spring semester junior year in preparation for the fall semester.
Once they begin their senior year, the research also begins. Each senior researches their individual topics, decides on a piece of music and requests the rights to the chosen song, plays with different desired movements, as well as hosts auditions to cast dancers for their choreography.
Once all of these tasks have been completed, the dancers begin their rehearsals in the spring semester in preparation for the performance.
There is a lot to the process, but Jenna Fritts, a senior Dance major with a minor in Business Administration, said, “the department does a terrific job of giving us experience and a sense of the ownership and responsibility that will come after graduation in the professional dance world while still being there to guide us as we are still students for a few more months.”
Fun fact about Fritts, she is oddly good at mini golf and desperately wants to become diver certified and yoga certified.
Fritts stated that her dance titled “Crimson”, “...is about females in espionage who have had an immense impact on the world because they weren’t viewed as capable of being spies simply for being women and how they didn’t let society determine and confine what they were capable of.”
Fritts said that one of her favorite books as a child was a historical biography by Aline Griffith which describes Griffiths time spent infiltrating the Spanish high society as a spy in Madrid during WWII. This was the basis of Fritts’s piece and the abstract Spanish-inspired, Modern, Ballet infused movements that she created.
Be sure to look out for the awesome costuming and props that Fritts intentionally chose to tie the overall theme together. Fritts’ advisor is Solveig Santillano, associate professor of Dance, who she said has truly helped to support her and push her throughout this process.
In reflection of the project so far, Fritts said, “I enjoy tailoring the dance to best highlight those cast in my piece so that has been a huge influence in shaping the piece. Dance, like everything, is the summation of all one’s individual experiences and learnings so every encounter, teacher, peer, and my own history has shaped who I am and thus, what I create.”
Elizabeth Bullinger is a senior double major in Dance and Dance Education.
Bullinger said her piece, “specifically surrounds the topic of dance injury, and more specifically how injury can impact the way that dancers perceive themselves.”
Bullinger has had numerous injuries in her past and truly wanted to focus on how injuries impact individuals who use their bodies as a form of education, self-expression, and performance, as well as a source of income.
Maya Richards is a senior double major in Dance and Mathematics. Richardsis also a member of her dad’s drum group, Yume Daiko, based in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition, Richards was born and raised in Japan until the age of 8, which is where her inspiration stemmed from when creating her piece. Richards really wanted to focus on her personal heritage and background when creating her dance.
When Richards and her family lived in Japan, her father and brother were members of a Japanese Taiko drum group. The Taiko drum is a specific type of drum originating in Japan and in the past was mainly used for communication, although it has evolved into performance art. Richards said, “For my piece, I am bringing my drum group to perform music live on stage with the dancers. I am looking to showcase some aspects of Japanese culture through the drum/ drummers, movement motifs, and costuming.”
Her piece features six dancers and mainly utilizes the modern dance style while also tying in some contemporary dance movements.
A major piece of the senior dance majors capstone project is a research component that is paired with an extensive paper that the students write. Richards found that there is not an abundant amount of long-term research that speaks to the specific subject she is exploring, therefore, she took it upon herself to do her own research.
Richards went through an IRB proposal where she submitted paperwork through the Internal Review Board at Mercyhurst to ensure ethical research. She has administered confidential interviews with dancers in the Mercyhurst dance department as well as former and current professional dancers currently in the field as a means of conducting meaningful research for her project.
Richards’ piece features fourteen dancers performing contemporary movements.
Her cast is the largest group in the performance this year and she said that “It’s refreshing to work with that many dancers since our numbers were very limited during the COVID restrictions last year, but it’s also a challenge since I’ve never worked with such a large group.”
Nevertheless, Richards is extremely pleased with the community present in her rehearsals, “I love the welcoming environment we have created that allows for fun, laughter, and conversation in addition to working on the material.”
Richards has truly appreciated and enjoyed the process especially, “Being able to choose a topic that is so personal to me and many others in our department while also bringing more research to the field of dance has been rewarding thus far and will continue to be through this process.”
Although she cannot wait to see her hard work come to life on stage in April, she is making sure to appreciate every moment that leads up to it.
These are just a few spotlights on the pieces that will be present at the Raw Edges performance. Be sure to attend one of the performances to see these pieces come to life as well as to support the Dance Department and these talented creators.
There will be three total performances, a debut on April 29 at 7 p.m., April 30 at 2 and 7 p.m., as well as a performance on May 1 at 2 p.m.
Contributed photo Contributed photo
Dancers practice on Jenna Fritts’ piece with props. Maya Richards directing her dancers through her choreography.
Merciad IN A MINUTE
Study Abroad applications
It’s always a good idea to start planning early for study abroad.
The application deadline for Summer or Fall 2022 is mid Spring.
Contact the Study Abroad Office for an Advising Appointment.
Studyabroad@ mercyhurst.edu.
Visit the study abroad website by going to the Student Hub - Academics - Study Abroad
Lunch & Learn with BIPOC Coalition
Campus Involvement is hosting a Zoom event called “Lunch & Learn with BIPOC Coalition.”
The even will be from noon until 1 p.m. on Feb. 24.
Those who join can eat their lunch while learning about how to make a better environment for people of color in Erie County.
RSVP on the Laker Launchpad.
Fashion Council hosts Boho Basement
The Mercyhurst Fashion Council will be holding a “Boho Basement” event on Feb. 24 from 4-7 p.m.
It will be held in the Waterford Room and includes a presentation from a local alum.
There will be a popup shop after the presentation.
Be sure to support the Fashion Council at this event!
MSG Speaker Series presents Rachel Lindsay
Mercyhurst Student Government continues its speaker series with guest speaker Rachel Lindsay.
Lindsay is an attorney and American personality.
She will be speaking on March 1 in the Performing Arts Center.
Doors open at 8 p.m., and if you’re of the first 50 to arrive, you will receive a ticket for a meet and greet after her talk.
Mercyhurst alumna works with U.S. olympic figure skating
By Frankie Divincenzo Staff writer
One of the many interesting aspects of the Olympics is learning about the people who work behind the scenes. One of these important people supporting the athletes is a familiar face to Mercyhurst University.
Gretchen Storm Mohney is a 1997 graduate of Mercyhurst with a degree in sports medicine, who is working with Team U.S.A. in the Olympics for figure skating.
While the pandemic was hard for many people, something great came out of it for Mohney.
According to an article on the Mercyhurst website, “When the pandemic hit in 2020, Mohney’s Olympic role morphed and she was asked to manage COVID-19 protocols for the U.S. skaters, a job that included learning COVID requirements in real time across states and countries, coordinating testing, and ensuring the athletes were healthy.”
Here at Mercyhurst those working in Athletics have had to learn, adapt and manage COVID-19 restrictions in order to keep Laker athletes safe, and Mohney has had to do that on a much larger scale, tracking the restrictions of multiple countries all over the world.
Growing up, Mohney always wanted to be a part of the Olympics. As a child, she figure skated competitively and practiced in any open rink in town. Little did she know that when she came to Mercyhurst her housing would be right across from the ice rink.
While she practiced as frequently as she could in the Mercyhurst Ice Center, like any other student, academics came first.
Mohney also decided to pursue other athletic interests outside of the ice rink. While at Mercyhurst, she decided to join the rowing team and was very successful, winning a gold medal at the Champion International Collegiate Regatta in 1995.
Who knew that years later she would be helping Olympians get their gold medals?
Today, Mohney is the Masters Director of Sports Medicine at Wayne State University.
Mohney was quoted in the Mercyhurst University article and said, “While assuming these different roles inevitably enriches the clinic practicality for my students at WSU, it often requires late nights, early mornings, vacations, and what should be downtime for fulltime jobs.”
She said the late nights and early mornings do not bother her because she knows young athletes have a short window, one shot of getting to the Olympics.
However, she is not the only Mercyhurst alum who has been a part of the Olympics. There have also been student athletes who have competed.
Although the U.S. women’s figure skating team did not win medals, they won hearts.
It is not all about the medals; it is about the heart of the sports and showing your skills.
If you missed the original airing, be sure to find some videos of this years’ skaters online to enjoy the incredible athleticism these young competitors display in their performances and know that one of our own Lakers is behind the scenes supporting them.
Photo credit: Mercyhurst University website
Gretchen Mohney is working with Team U.S.A. in the Olympics.
Photo credit: teamusa.org
Team U.S.A. standing together at the Olympics on Feb. 7.
Students nominated for Goldwater scholarship
By Libby Bullinger Copy editor
Last week, Mercyhurst announced the nomination of two students for the national Goldwater scholarship. The nominees are junior environmental science student Erin Smith and sophomore biology student Collin Olson.
The Goldwater scholarship is a national award given to undergraduate students, specifically those in the natural science, math and engineering fields of study. Various college institutions around the country can nominate students who are in these fields and are interested in pursuing a research-oriented career.
Mercyhurst has not nominated students for this award in several years, so this year the Honors department and Rajinikanth Mohan, Ph.D., professor of biology and campus representative for this particular scholarship, got together to create a list of potential student nominees.
They eventually decided on Smith and Olson as the two Mercyhurst students whose names and research would be submitted to the national Goldwater Scholarship.
Taking a closer look at the two nominees, it is clear that they both display the kind of talent and drive that Mercyhurst instills in students and allows them to reach impressive goals and accomplishment while still studying in undergraduate school.
Smith is a junior with a major in environmental science, but the focus of her project pairs with her minor in geology. Smith was nominated for the award by Nick Lang, Ph.D., geology professor, due to her prior research in water filtration.
Smith’s research in this area has already been published in a newsletter for the Geology and Health Division, and Smith was able to present her project at a Geological Society of America Conference back in October 2019.
This scholarship nomination is just another step on her journey toward a career in environmental engineering and sustainability, where Smith hopes to obtain a master’s degree and eventually her Ph.D.
In a separate but just as vigorous project, biology major, Olson took inspiration from a class project assessing soil samples in the Erie community to assess pollution levels. From this project stemmed his own individual research which revolves around the study of fluorescent capabilities of Pseudomonas bacteria.
Olson notes that he finds this research particularly interesting with the hopes that it could help pathologists identify infections in patients. Since Mohan was the professor that worked with the initial group project that sparked Olson’s research, he was the faculty member that nominated him for the scholarship. Olson also expressed interest in obtaining a Ph.D. in his future.
Both Smith and Olson expressed their extreme gratitude toward both professors that helped them along the way and the general Mercyhurst programming and student-focused atmosphere.
Olson specifically mentioned professors including Mohan, Michael Foulk, Ph.D. of the biology department and Ronald Brown, Ph.D. of the chemistry department as “some of the most genuine and hardworking individuals on campus.”
Olson said that these professors are “natural mentors who ignite interest in students, making jumping into research very easy.”
On a similar note, Smith recognized the unique range of classes offered in the environmental science program, with courses including the natural sciences, public health and even economics.
To finish it off, Smith said, “I might be biased, but I think I have had some of the most supportive professors since day one at Mercyhurst.”
If you see either of these two students around, make sure to congratulate them on their nominations!
Man fights to keep pet pig
By Vydalia Weatherly Staff writer
A fifty-four year old man is currently fighting to save his emotional support pig in New York.
Wyverne Flatt got the emotional support pig, named Ellie, in 2018 to help him cope with the death of his mother and his divorce, which both occurred apart from one another in a small window of time.
Ellie is a black-co Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Flatt told AP News that when he received Ellie in 2018, she was “about as big as a shoe.”
Today, Ellie weighs approximately 118 pounds and is kneehigh in length.
Although many may not think of pigs this way, “she’s very smart. She’s more intelligent than my dogs. I think she can kind of hone in on you when you’re feeling bad because she’ll want to come in and snuggle with you,” said Flatt.
In 2019, Flatt and Ellie moved from South Carolina to the village Canajoharie, located by the Mohawk River in New York state. While Flatt sees Ellie as “family,” not everyone feels the same way. Some view Ellie as simply a farm animal and a possible food source.
In October 2019, Flatt was told by the village code officer during an inspection that he was illegally housing Ellie. A local code in Canajoharie bans anyone from having a farm animal in the village.
Despite being told not to, Flatt continued to keep Ellie at his home. Flatt was not formally notified that he was violating the city code until six months later when other residents reported seeing Ellie walking around.
An attorney for the village wrote in a court filing that Ellie “is a potential health hazard” according to AP News.
The attorney for the village stated in the court filing that if “every citizen were to openly scoff at the Village zoning codes ... we would live in a lawless society.”
While current guidance states that reasonable accommodations, or exceptions to things such as village codes, in order to keep Ellie, Flatt will need to prove that she provides emotional support for a disability- related need.
While Flatt’s attorneys argue that he meets the standard, representation for the village disagrees. The attorneys representing the village also argue that Flatt got Ellie registered as a service animal online for a small fee as opposed to a more formal legal procedure.
While Flatt has received offers from multiple people to house Ellie in areas where it is permitted to do so, Flatt remains in Canajoharie with Ellie, hoping to fight the dispute and win. Now, the two sides will have to battle it out in front of a court.
At the moment, Flatt currently faces a misdemeanor under New York state law for violating a zoning code. Flatt was originally scheduled to appear in court on March 22 of this year. However, the trial was delayed with no official news of when the trial will be rescheduled.
If Flatt is convicted, he faces losing Ellie for good as well as some jail time.
MSG News
Register for CD 18
By Libby Bullinger Copy editor
It is that time again. Time for “the weekend you didn’t know you needed!” That’s right, the 18th session of the Carpe Diem Retreat is happening on March 25-27.
For those who are not aware, the Carpe Diem Retreat is a Mercyhurst tradition dating back years in the university’s history. This retreat is organized by Campus Ministry but is open to all faith backgrounds, not just Christianity.
Although most of the retreat is kept a secret in order to encourage all Mercyhurst students to attend at some point in their time as Lakers, the retreat does guarantee fun, games, conversations in small and large groups, storytelling and more. Over the years the retreat has garnered top-notch reviews from students, many of whom return to become leaders in following years.
One unique aspect of the retreat is that it is completely run by student leaders. All of the student leaders on the retreat have gone to a previous Carpe Diem experience as an attendee and then go through an application and training process to become retreat leaders.
Student leaders are currently working on getting to know one another as they will be working closely together for the weekend of the retreat. These leaders are also spreading the word about the event and encouraging registration.
Julianne Johnstone, a junior forensic science major, is one of the handful of student leaders going on Carpe Diem 18. Johnstone first attended the retreat in the fall 2020 semester during her sophomore year and this will be the first retreat she is a leader on. As is common with most students who attend the retreat, Johnstone mentions how amazing of an opportunity the experience is.
“My favorite thing about my retreat that I went on was getting to meet new people and connect with them over the course of the weekend. For students who are thinking of signing up I say do it, you will not regret it. It truly is the weekend you didn’t know you needed.”
Johnstone also mentioned that her favorite aspect of being a student leader is planning the event with an incredible team.
There certainly is a lot of work to be done to get students prepared for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, so the student leaders are hard at work ensuring everyone has just as amazing an experience as they did on their own first times.
The retreat is set to be held at Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer, located about 40 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Students attending the retreat as well as the student leaders will be bussed to this location and will stay overnight for two nights during the retreat.
The cost of the retreat is $20, but there are student scholarships available. Students interested in attending this campus tradition for the first time are encouraged to fill out an application, which can be found on the Campus Ministry page on the student Hub.
Remaining questions about the retreat can be directed to Michelle Scully at mscully@mercyhurst. edu. STUDENT GOVERNMENT
This weekend’s campus events
