The Merciad March 24 Issue

Merciad THE

MERCYHURST UNIVERSIT Y

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WEDNE SDAY, MARC H 24 , 2021

News ................2-5 Features...........6-9 A&E ............. 10-11 Opinion........ 12-13 Sports ......... 14-15 Laker Living.......16 |

VOL. 94 NO. 14

To reduce the spread of germs, please take this copy with you or recycle after reading.

MSG Speaker Series is a success PAGE 3

Online poll results

We asked: How do you

Photo Credits: Brittney Randolph

spend your days off?

Sleeping in and self-care

4: COVID-19 cases drop as vaccina-

tion is rolled out 10: Mercyhurst English Department announces Hemingway-inspired writing competition 15: Women’s lacrosse defeat Slippery Rock 16-22

Studying and working on assignments Catching up with friends

PAGE 2

Getting some fresh air and exercise

This week’s

POLL

How do you relieve stress?

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

NEWS

PAGE 2

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Congratulations to the 20212022 MSG Executive Board

By Bella Lee Staff writer

The votes have been counted and the results are in: we have officially introduced our new MSG Executive Board for the 20212022 academic year. With seniors leaving and new students entering, these new members are more than excited to give students a variety of fun opportunities every weekend they spend on campus.

Nick Brodfuehrer will serve as MSG President, with Doug Wilsch as MSG Vice President and Megan Krull as MSG Treasurer. Carissa Budday will serve as Public Relations Coordinator, Kailey Pisani will return to her position as Events Coordinator while Joey Franz and Janiece Withers will work hand-in-hand as the MAC/SAC Chairs.

A junior Intelligence Studies and Political Science double major, Brodfuehrer has big plans for the future.

“I am very excited to embark on a new chapter in Mercyhurst history,” Brodfuehrer said.

“As I begin my time as president, we also will be welcoming a new president of the university and many new members into our Mercyhurst family, such as new staff, faculty and more importantly, the class of 2025. Our incoming freshman class will be here until right before the cusp of Mercyhurst’s centennial. That is a huge responsibility as planning into that major year begins.”

Brodfuehrer also hopes that Mercyhurst will be able to plan events in a more normal setting as the COVID pandemic subsides.

“In terms of plans for the future of MSG, I am looking forward to Mercyhurst embracing this new normal post COVID-19 life,” he said. “Our lives will undoubtedly be changed forever, as will the way activities and events are held within a university. I look forward to when we can return to events such as Hurst Day, Spring Fest and Mass of the Holy Spirit,

among many other traditions we hold so near to our hearts. I also look forward to working with our new University President as we tackle some of what 2021-2022 has in store for us. As your President, I will defend the values of Mercyhurst University, as we enter an important transitional period. Embedded in our Core Values is the importance of service. All students become Ambassadors of Service while enrolled here. As the new President of the Mercyhurst Student Government, I will continue to embrace these Core Values, just as the Sisters of Mercy desire.”

Wilsch, a junior Intelligence Studies and International Relations double major, has similar aspirations.

“As VP, I am responsible for ensuring the business and management of the senate is being done efficiently while caring out tasks the President has set for me as well,” said Wilsch. “My plans for MSG this year are to continue updating COVID policies on campus and exploring new oppor-

tunities in a post-pandemic world to better school morale.”

Junior Accounting and Human Resource Management double major, Krull is just as excited as the rest of the board to get started.

“I am most excited to learn more about the student body and be a part of executive board,” said Krull. “My plans are to work alongside the e-board to create better ways to get the student body more spirit wear, be more efficient with our expenses and to focus more on sustainability.”

Sophomore Fashion Merchandising major, Budday has big plans to get everyone involved in new MSG and MAC/SAC activities by means of spreading the word.

“Personally, I am most excited to be able to share a lot more events and pop up to students on social media as we expand our in-person events for next year,” Budday said.

“I am also excited to work with everyone on our executive board.

I feel like we have a really diversified group of students with a lot of different backgrounds and unique

ideas as to what we want to do next year.”

Additionally, Budday hopes that the hard work the new e-board puts in next year will pay off.

“One of my biggest plans for MSG and MAC/SAC is sharing a lot more about what our senators and programmers are doing on campus,” she said. “We are the voice of the student body and I think it is important we start spotlighting all the hard work and effort everyone is putting in behind the scenes to help improve Mercyhurst’s colleges, clubs and student life.”

Sophomore Hospitality Management major, Pisani, wishes to bring the best and most exciting events students have seen in a long time.

“I am most excited to host bigger events in line with COVID-19 restrictions. I hope to get back to holding outdoor activities with catering, giveaways and activities that bring us all together as the Hurst community we know and love,” Pisani said.

Another role that Pisani has tak-

en on is that of the chair of the Mission and Sustainability Committee, and she hopes to implement that into future MSG and MAS/SAC events.

“My plans for our MSG future are to continue improving our sustainable habits, whether that be through giving out reusable cutlery sets, tumblers, shirts made from recyclable materials, etc.,” said Pisani. “We are a green university, and we, as students, have a responsibility to act accordingly.

MSG can be that role model and emphasize the importance of these environmentally friendly actions.”

Sophomore Communication and Media major, Franz already has plans lined up for how he will help lead MAC/SAC next year.

“One thing that I am most excited about is leading a team of people to plan and create fun and exciting events for students on campus,” said Franz. “One of my future plans for MAC/SAC is having bigger and more in person events if the state of the world allows us to do so.”

Junior Fashion Merchandising major, Withers is also excited to work alongside Franz and make future MAC/SAC events as exciting and enjoyable as possible.

“What excites me the most about this position, is being able to continue to provide students on campus with fun and COVID safe weekend activities to relieve the stress from schoolwork and what’s going on outside of our gates,” said Withers. “When I see the future events on campus, I see a larger variety of students enjoying the weekly events. It’s very important to me that all students feel represented and included.”

If you see any of our new Executive Board members around campus, be sure to give them a word of congratulations! They are all thrilled to assume their new positions and are looking forward to giving Mercyhurst a great set of MSG and MAC/SAC events next year.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

NEWS

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NFL officiate Sarah Thomas continues MSG Speaker Series

By RayLynn Chraston Staff writer

On March 22, Sarah Thomas, the first female referee for the NFL, shared her story with Mercyhurst through the annual MSG Spring Speaker Series. The turn out was great for her presentation and Thomas was very informative.

She made history this February for being the first woman to referee an NFL Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. However, the road to success for Thomas was not easy, as she had to overcome many obstacles and break the gender norms of her position.

Starting off the night, Thomas introduced herself with a little background as to how she grew up. Thomas made mention that everything in our lives plays a part in where we are now and where we will end up in the future.

She grew up in Pascagoula, Mississippi with her family.

During her childhood, Thomas and her brothers were very athletic. “Whatever season it was, we were playing that sport,” Thomas said.

Thomas has a very competitive

mindset. She was always taught to never give up and that once you start something you are committed to it.

When she was in the fifth grade, she made it onto a basketball team; however, this basketball team had an all-male roster.

Of course, it was a challenge being the only female, but Thomas took this obstacle and used it as an opportunity for something more because she wanted to keep doing what she loved (as well as being good at it).

The next year, while Thomas was in the sixth grade, she had faced another obstacle. Normally during this time for that basketball team you would move up from junior varsity to varsity.

However, for Thomas, she was not moved up.

Her parents were told that it was in the rule book that a girl cannot advance to varsity like the other male athletes could. At first this brought Thomas down, but quickly she would see that as an opportunity and capitalize on it.

Fast forward a few years and Thomas was attending the University of Mobile, where she earned a full scholarship to play basketball. During Thomas’s col-

lege career she was majoring in communication, and although she did not go down that career path, the major she chose has ultimately helped her so much with the journey that she is on now.

In addition to loving sports her whole life, she wanted to still be involved with them in some way after she graduated college. So she started off small, refereeing as many games as she could at the lowest levels.

Thomas mentioned how she had done this for 10 years and how important it is to start at the bottom and work your way up.

“If you truly work your way up then you can appreciate it,” Thomas said.

After 10 years of refereeing, she thought that she was done.

Thomas had three children and she wanted to take the time to be with them. However, during what she thought was going to be her last game, she had made a call that caught the eye of an NFL referee scout. A couple days after that game, Thomas received a phone call and was hired on the spot to become an NFL referee.

Of course, Thomas was excited to be noticed and have been given such an amazing oppor-

RayLynn Chraston photo

To celebrate first NFL referee, Sarah Thomas kicking off the MSG Spring Speaker series, dining halls throughout campus made special themed cookies to get students excited for the night ahead.

tunity, so she took it. Thomas mentioned how there was that pressure of being the first female referee in the NFL, because if she had messed up a call how would that affect all of the future women who want to enter this field of work?

However, this obstacle did not hold Thomas back and she has been working hard to be the best that she can be.

Closing the night, Thomas mentioned three important pieces of advice for all of the women, and/or men, out there who were listening tonight.

“Don’t do it to prove someone

wrong. Don’t do it for the recognition. Do it for the love of it,” Thomas said.

Thomas included many good pieces of advice that anyone can take and apply to their lives, especially all of the women out there.

Thomas is an amazing role model and she proves to girls and women that we are more than what society has to tell us we are.

Thomas broke the gender norms for the love that she had for refereeing and we can all use what she has done with her life and apply it to where we are and where we want to be with our lives.

Adult and associate degree tuition cut

By Samantha Weber

Staff writer

On March 11, Mercyhurst University announced a new initiative to cut the cost of tuition for two important groups in the MU community: associate degree program seekers and adult undergraduate program students.

The University has been working diligently to make a Mercyhurst education attainable for all types of students. More programs are being brought online and with the recent consolidation of the Mercyhurst North East campus, both bachelors and associate programs can now be found on the Mercyhurst main campus.

Director of Enrollment Services for Graduate and Profes-

sional Admissions, Travis Lindhal, describes the benefits of these most recent efforts to make programs more affordable.

“If we could make affordability one less thing to worry about, we felt we would have a better chance to enroll and retain these students,” Lindhal said.

Recently, the demand across the country for associate degrees has decreased. With this decline, Mercyhurst wanted to try and advertise their associate programs and make them appeal more to prospective students.

Arguably, the best way to make the two-year degrees more appealing to people is to lower the cost of attending.

By consolidating the North East campus with the Mercy-

hurst main campus, the savings from no longer operating the North East campus has allowed Mercyhurst to cut the cost of tuition for associate degree seeking students.

The new low rate for both adult undergraduates, associate degree-seeking students and certificate degree-seeking students is $555 per credit. This new price will be effective for the Summer 2021 semester.

Adult undergraduates are students over the age of 24 who are going to school to receive a bachelor’s degree. The adult undergraduate programs are ideal for someone local who is a little older than the typical college student, but who wants to gain a new degree in another major.

Vice President for Enrollment, Joe Howard, describes the decision to decrease the cost for these populations of students.

“We targeted student populations that aren’t eligible to receive institutional scholarships or grants,” said Howard. “Unlike our traditional bachelor’s degree-seeking students (who receive academic and need-base institutional aid), our associate and adult students aren’t eligible for those aid programs.”

In addition to cutting costs of associate degree seeking students and adult undergraduates, the Organizational Leadership (OL) graduate degree has also seen a price cut.

The recent decline in cost for the OL program makes it one of

the most affordable graduate programs in the country at $1,299 per course. The price cut in tuition comes after an increase in enrollment in the program when Mercyhurst lowered the tuition of the program for alumni.

In hopes of having the program grow even more, the price was decreased for anyone who is interested in receiving their master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Mercyhurst.

Both Howard and Lindahl agree that this new pricing and easy to understand payment plans will provide greater accessibility and increase the number of students who enroll in these programs. Carpe Diem to all those seeking an accessible degree!

NEWS

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Merciad IN A MINUTE Family Weekend Family Weekend is just around the corner with festivities running from March 26 to 28.

All events will be held virtually to connect students and their families through a number of exciting events including a magic show, alumni panel and bingo.

For more information and to register, visit the Family Weekend page on the Mercyhurst website.

Holy Week Mass times Mass will be held throughout Holy Week for students, faculty and staff to celebrate the season.

On April 1 and 2, a service will be held at 7 p.m.

On Easter, April 4, Mass will be at 11 a.m. and offered via livestream.

There will be no 7 p.m. service on this date.

2021 Senior Class Gift With less than two months until graduation, the senior class is only $1,100 away from hitting their goal.

The Senior Class Gift committee raised $13,900 out of their $15,000 goal through four different fundraisers. There is still one more fundraiser left, so get donating!

Bookstore sale continues March shenanigans are still underway at the bookstore with a 20 percent off sale being offered through the end of the semester.

With each purchase, shoppers are entered to win a $50 gift card that is being given away each week of this month.

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

Email us at newsmerciad@ mercyhurst.edu

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

COVID-19 cases drop as vaccination is rolled out

By Eva Philips

Contributing writer

It has now been over a year since the start of the pandemic, and no part of the United States has been left unscathed. Erie County is no exception.

In the span of the last year, Erie County has reported over 18,000 cases of COVID-19, with over 400 deaths.

In comparison to the rest of the state, Erie County has fared relatively well. Currently, Erie County is experiencing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases. The fourteen-day average for new cases has dropped below the county’s peak, which occurred on Dec. 25, 2020.

On March 15, the county reported just eight new cases. This is the lowest number of new daily cases reported in five months, since October.

These metrics all provide hope, but health officials still urge caution. Many mild cases may be going unnoticed, especially as allergy season ramps up.

Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Health recently identified Erie County’s first case

of the UK COVID-19 virus variant. Though not necessarily surprising, this does raise concerns, as the UK variant is more transmissible than the initial strain, and may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses.

Despite these lingering challenges, the rollout of vaccines provides reason for hope. Pennsylvania has been a leader in vaccine distribution, having already distributed roughly four million doses.

Erie County specifically has done well with vaccine distribution. Around 60,000 people have received at least their first vaccination, while over 30,000 are fully vaccinated as of mid-March. This puts the total of individuals who have received at least one shot at 21 percent — a fifth of the county population. Vaccination rates are highest among older individuals, aged 65 and up.

Thanks to vaccination initiatives, that figure is set to rise throughout the spring. Erie County is working to meet Governor Tom Wolf’s goal of having all Pennsylvania residents who meet requirements for Phase 1A

vaccinated or scheduled for vaccination by the end of March.

After Phase 1A vaccination is complete, those at lower risk of serious illness from COVID-19 will be able to register for vaccination.

Additionally, some of Erie County’s most essential workers have been prioritized for vaccination. Clinics throughout Erie County administered vaccines to teachers and school staff from the county as well as from neighboring Warren and Crawford Counties.

Within the city of Erie, the community is coming together to organize vaccinations. Recently, the Booker T. Washington Center partnered with Walmart to set up a clinic capable of vaccinating hundreds per day.

Rite Aid and other pharmacies, as well as local clinics and primary care providers have also been busy vaccinating. Even Mercyhurst was able to secure the vaccine for limited numbers.

For all those who have been vaccinated, whether through Mercyhurst or otherwise, you should use the form sent to students and staff to notify Mercyhurst of this by uploading a photo of your vacci-

nation record card.

Despite all these positives, the vaccination program has faced challenges. Within Erie County and across the state, many have put their names on vaccine waitlists and have been unable to schedule an appointment. This is due to inconsistencies in the supply of vaccine doses from the state of Pennsylvania.

However, the county expects an influx of vaccines within the next few weeks, with the hopes of continuing Phase 1A vaccinations and clearing out waitlists.

Though it is unclear when exactly vaccination will be available to all adults within Erie County, President Biden has urged that all states make this possible by May 1, 2021 so that all Americans can be vaccinated by May. In the meantime, all those eligible for vaccination under Phase 1A should seek out vaccination as soon as possible in order to do their part to protect their own health and the health of the community. We will hopefully all be fully vaccinated as a college and a country very soon.

Social Work dept. partners with UPMC for virtual conference

By Samantha Weber Staff writer

The Applied Sociology and Social Work Department partnered with UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor to offer the Suicide Prevention Advisory Board’s 2021 Virtual Conference Series. The conference occurred from March 15-19.

This partnership began through the efforts of an adjunct social work professor, Mandy Fauble, Ph.D., who also works as the Clinical Director at UPMC Hamot Safe Behavioral Health.

Fauble has worked in the Mercyhurst University Social Work Program for over a decade. She loves her students here and wants to help them succeed, and thus has created opportunities like this to foster interactive and collaborative learning.

Because of her other occupation, Mercyhurst was able to partner with the UPMC Hamot Suicide Prevention Advisory Board in order for this to conference to take place and be accessible to the Mercyhurst community.

The Board plans and implements a suicide prevention conference annually. Due to

COVID-19, the only option was to move everything online.

According to the Department Chair of the Applied Sociology and Social Work department, Laura Lewis, Ph.D., the decision was made to spread the virtual series across multiple days to raise awareness and allow for more opportunities for people to attend if they were not able to make just one day.

Everyday of the week included two webinar events. One was always in the morning and one was in the afternoon in hope that someone could fit one of them into their schedule, if not both.

On March 15, Clark Flatt talked about The Jason Foundation’s Youth Suicide Prevention. In the afternoon, Dr. Lisa May presented on “Supporting Older Adults Through the Pandemic.”

On the morning of March 16, Cory Watkins talked about “Suicide Prevention for Student Athletes: Training for Coaches and Athletic Personnel.” In the afternoon, Corissa Claar presented on “Substance Use During Adolescence: The Impact on Mental Health and Suicidality.”

The next morning, on March 17, Mary Anne Albaugh, Ph.D.,

Wendy Jacobs and Josh Karr talked about “Mental Health Procedures Act and the Age of Consent.”

In the afternoon, Conor Dawley and Patrick McKelvey talked about “The Telling is Hard: Supporting Ourselves and Children While Grieving a Death by Suicide.”

On the morning of March 18, Cassie Dundon and Steve Minick presented “Raising Resilience Through Intentional Self-Care.”

In the afternoon, Cory Watkins again talked about The Jason Foundation’s Youth Suicide Prevention, but also included a presentation on “First Responder Suicide Prevention.”

On one of the final days of the conference series, March 19, Patty Stubber and Ashok Gurung’s talk presented “Mental Health of Refugees: A Focus on our Bhutanese Community.”

In the afternoon, Everett Painter and Susan Higgins Packard’s talk presented “Bereavement Following Suicide: Helping Those Left Behind.”

To conclude the week, on Saturday, March 20, there was a film presentation of “Scattering CJ,” followed by a panel discussion.

“Scattering CJ” is a film that follows the efforts of CJ’s grieving mother, Hallie, who lost her son to suicide, to continue with her life.

To preserve his memory and honor his love of travel, Hallie scatters his ashes throughout the world while also speaking to others about suicide prevention.

“The film highlights how impactful suicide is, not only on the individual, but all those in the individuals life,” said junior social work major, Mary Bauer. “As a community with a student population, the film offers a sense of community for all those who view it.”

Bauer has been crucial to the execution of this series and describes the topics to be very important for a college community.

“College students are a high risk population for dying by suicide, which makes suicide education and prevention so important,” Bauer said.

Those who attended praised how organized the series was and how wonderful the students involved have been throughout.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

NEWS

Graduation awards still forthcoming

By Rebecca Dunphy News editor

Graduation is just under two months away and though things may look different than in years past, one constant is the recognition of seniors who have done exemplary work during their time at Mercyhurst.

Each year several baccalaureate graduation awards are given to seniors who have excelled in academics, extra-curriculars, service or other areas of campus life.

Full-time faculty, staff and administrators have the opportunity to nominate graduating seniors for the University’s top awards with divisional and departmental faculty nominating students for divisional awards.

“For graduating seniors, these awards are a visible sign that the university’s commitment to excellence is genuine,” said executive director of Operations, Karen Meyer.

“They demonstrate that good work matters and that the university community recognizes and rejoices in student success.

In highlighting extraordinary effort and remarkable achievement, the graduation awards celebrate students who have embraced the challenge voiced by Mother Catherine McAuley when she called on us ‘to resolve to be good today but better tomorrow,’” Meyer said.

The entirety of this process is overseen by the office of the Provost, but involves faculty, staff and administrators throughout the university.

“My role as the executive director of Operations for the Office of the Provost is to assist our Provost in committee selection that represents different constituencies across campus that review the nominations and select the winner,” Meyer said. “We also provide student information to all the college deans and associate deans to assist in selection of the individual school awards as well as the graduate program directors in their selection process. All University wide winners are reviewed through the Provost Council with the final approval through President’s Cabinet.”

For students to be eligible for these awards, they not only must exemplify excellence in their given field, but they must also complete all coursework by the end of the semester and be cleared by the Student Conduct Office as having no serious disciplinary write-ups.

Candidates for the university -wide awards may not have more than one year of transfer credits towards their 121 credit hours for graduation.

Nominations for the university-wide awards were due on March 12, those including the Carpe Diem Award, Sister Carolyn Herrmann Service Award, Frank Barry Leadership Award

and the Catherine McAuley Adult Student Award.

The Carpe Diem Award is the highest honor given to a traditional student on the basis of intellectual competency, personal integrity and leadership impact. It is awarded to the student to had the greatest positive impact on campus, exemplifying the motto “Carpe Diem.”

Beyond recognition of their work on campus, the recipient also has the honor of speaking at commencement.

As for the Sister Carolyn Herrmann Service Award, this award recognizes a student who exemplifies the spirit of former University President Sr. Carolyn Herrmann by selflessly giving their time, energy, loyalty and talents through service.

From service to leadership, the Frank Barry Leadership Award is named after one of Mercyhurst’s first male student government presidents.

The award is given to a student who has proven themselves to be an exemplary leader during their time at Mercyhurst.

The final of these university awards is the Catherine McAuley Adult Student Award, presented to an adult student who is found to be the most outstanding adult student in their class. This award is based not only on GPA, but also personal and professional achievements as well as family responsibilities, among other challenges.

The awards do not stop here with divisional/ departmental awards recognizing more specific populations of students.

Beginning with the Bishop’s Award for Academic Excellence, this award recognizes an undergraduate student who is considered the top scholar in their class based off GPA and program demands.

The Registrar’s Office provides the President’s Selection Committee with the names of the top five highest cumulative GPAs, one of which will be selected based off the given criteria. A unique aspect of the Bishop’s Award is that the winner also receives a cash prize from the Catholic Diocese of Erie.

Another award named after a former president, the Mother Borgia Egan Honors Award is presented to a “model honors student” who not only completed all the requirements of the Honors Program, but also demonstrated an appreciation for the cultural environment of the University, academic achievement, professional accomplishments and dedication to service.

Continuing with the theme of presidents, the President’s Award for Excellence in the Academic Colleges is awarded to one student from each of the four colleges at the university: Hafenmeier College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the Ridge College of

Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences, the Walker College of Business and the Zurn College of Natural and Health Sciences.

With the guidance of the college’s dean, three seniors are nominated for each college with the winner selected based on GPA and overall contribution to the college.

The deserving student who receives this award is considered to be the top scholar in their respective college.

The President’s Award for Adult Excellence is guided by the recommendation of the deans, with each nominating one adult student for the award. Much like the President’s Award for Excellence in the Academic Colleges, selection is based off GPA and university contributions, naming this adult student a top scholar of the university.

Another award based of the spirit of Mercyhurst is the Alumni Recognition Award, an honor granted to an undergraduate student who has shown strong ties to their alma matter with both love and spirit.

The final award is the Sister Eustace Taylor Graduate Student Award, of the seven graduate programs, one student is selected for their exemplary work in their program, GPA and overall contributions.

With nominations now all submitted, decisions about award winners will be made in the coming week.

Students should expect to hear these results sometime in the beginning of April.

An award ceremony is held closer to graduation for further celebration of students’ accomplishments.

While these are awards are exciting in their recognition of a job well done, their importance stems beyond prestige.

“The graduation awards, each in its own way, represent the values inherent in the educational commitment Mercyhurst makes to its students through its unique Mission and Core Values,” said Meyer. “From the academic excellence inscribed in the Bishop’s and President’s awards to the service acknowledged in the Sister Carolyn and Frank Barry, the graduation awards are explicit reminders of who we are as a university, a celebration of student success, and the recognition that it is our graduates who take the Mission into the world and continue the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy.”

With so many things different this year, seniors will still be acknowledged as normal in this special way.

Good luck to all seniors, and Carpe Diem!

PAGE 5

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

This weekend’s campus events

MERCYHURST CAMPUS

CRIME LOG March 6: Liquor law violation at Ryan Hall.

March 6: Larceny/ Theft at Rec Center.

March 7: Liquor law violation on Lewis Ave. March 14: Assault at Lot 22.

FEATURES

PAGE 6

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Senior Class Gift Committee hosts another successful date auction

By Grace Smrcka Staff writer

Hosted by the Senior Class Gift Committee (SCGC), one of the annual fundraisers turned exciting campus tradition is the Senior Date Auction. For many years, seniors have raised money to give a lasting gift to the university upon their graduation.

In 2018, it was decided that future gifts would now take the form of scholarships. When Marina Boyle was chosen to chair the Class of 2021 Senior Class Gift Committee with fellow seniors Grace Siwinski and Claire Orr, she immediately thought of Kenny Robinson and wanted to honor his legacy with the “Beat The Odds” scholarship. The award aims to help out a future Laker who embodies Kenny’s spirit and legacy in an inspirational and meaningful way.

On March 15, the Senior Class Gift Committee hosted their annual Senior Date Auction to continue to raise money in aid of the Senior Class Gift. Boyle shared a bit about this special fundraising event, noting that it was the first time this year that the committee has been able to host a major in-person event for seniors.

“The committee members source unique prizes from across campus and the Erie community which are then bid on by attendees at the event,” said Boyle. “This helps to raise money for the gift.”

Contributed photo

Dates from the event pose with members of the Senior Class Gift Committee following the events of a successful Date Auction.

Seniors participated in the auction by holding the items on stage, helping to create a personal connection to each item auctioned off.

Boyle stated that this year they “tried to pick seniors from a variety of groups and sports teams on campus to expand our reach and to honor the legacy of Kenny as an athlete.”

While on-campus events have been limited with the effects of COVID-19, the event still had an outstanding turnout.

“We were able to welcome every person who wanted to attend, whether that was in person or on Zoom,” said Boyle.

All prizes were kept COVID safe, and all attendees were required to wear a mask and social

distance throughout the event.

While each prize nearly doubled in its initial bid, there were a few prizes that sold for incredibly generous amounts.

Some of the most popular prizes were gift cards for local restaurants, a hand-knitted hat made

by Michelle Scully from campus ministry, Mercyhurst spirit shirts and the Mercyhurst flags from

Day of Service and Hurst Day. The highest selling prize was an overnight stay at Splash Lagoon for four people, with two day passes for the park and breakfast included. This was the most popular item and raised over $200 on its own.

The total amount raised at the Senior Date Auction was $1657.

The committee is now less than $1,100 away from their class gift goal of $15,000.

“The best part of the evening was that not only did we raise a lot of money for the gift, but we were also able to bring seniors together for a large in-person event for the first time since the pandemic began. Being able to gather to have some fun and honor the memory of Kenny Robinson is what this event was all about. I’m so thankful to all the seniors who attended and to everyone who donated a prize or bid on items to help us get closer to our $15,000 goal.”

Boyle said.

The Senior Class Gift Committee hopes to have one final in-person fundraising event before graduation to reach the $15,000 goal.

In the meantime, any senior can donate $100 or more to become a top donor and receive philanthropy cords at graduation, as well as a mention on the Class of 2021 Gift Plaque.

The Hurst gears up for Giving Day

By Annie Markel

Staff writer

One of Mercyhurst’s main principles is to serve others. The Sisters of Mercy, who founded the university, made a point to include giving to others as a core value within the university. There are many opportunities around Mercyhurst for community service.

Annually, Mercyhurst holds a 24-hour fundraiser called Giving Day. Giving Day is the main focus fundraiser for Mercyhurst Annual Fund (MAF). The Mercyhurst Annual Fund is an unrestricted fund that supports everything at the University. The funds help support the school’s functioning budget and funds student-faculty research. Additionally it keeps our campus looking beautiful as well.

The Mercyhurst Fund relies heavily on Giving Day for donations to complete its tasks. Giving Day also supports so many other programs and students at Mercyhurst University.

The donations from the fundraiser support the scholarship

fund and study abroad programs.

Funds are also used to support our many sports teams and campus facilities, as well.

So where do these donations come from? Donations are generously given by alumni, parents, trustees, and students. Every generation gets involved. By calling in to donate, everyone can make a difference and help all the programs that Giving Day contributes to.

“Giving Day brings Lakers from all areas of the world, generations, and backgrounds together to celebrate what it means to be a Laker with a gift to Mercyhurst,” said Annual Giving Coordinator, Mitchell Marsh ‘20.

Giving Day was started in 2014, making this Mercyhurst’s 7th annual fundraiser as a way to bring alumni together.

However, this year, Giving Day will proceed a little differently.

Due to COVID, this year, the 24hour fundraiser will be all online.

Another thing that will be different for the 2021 Giving Day is that we have an incredible anonymous donor who will be match-

ing every donation. This means every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000.

With the help of this generous anonymous donor, the impact of Giving Day can be doubled.

For those currently unable to donate, that is totally fine. To help in a non-monetary way, one can share and spread the word about Giving Day. Social media allows people to connect with each other, especially current students, alumni, and the greater Mercyhurst community.

On the Mercyhurst Giving Day website, there is also a Social Media Toolkit this year. This is a super easy way for those who want to help share make sure that the right information such as links, hashtags, and proper accounts are being tagged. The toolkit even provides social media icons, cover/ banner photos, and profile photos for the Mercyhurst community to use.

Every share, post and link matters and helps Mercyhurst to reach a bigger goal each year. By using the #HurstGivingDay and #HurstSocial, you can encourage

Mercyhurst Alumni Homepage photo

The official logo for the annual Giving Day 2021 festivities

engagement.

For those who can afford to donate monetarily, online payments are preferred through credit or debit card. However, people can mail their generous donation to the university as well but must be postmarked on Giving Day to receive the dollar for dollar match.

There will also be student callers working at the phone-a-thon to

call alumni and ask for donations.

“I am really excited to manage this campaign and so grateful for the support of all those making gifts throughout the day!”

Mitchell Marsh said, “We are really excited for this day and to see members of the Mercyhurst community come together to support our campus and our students.”

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

RSCO FEATURE:

FASHION LAW CLUB

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Are you interested in learning how legal processes work when it comes to fashion? Do you want to learn more about trademarks and copyrights when it comes to Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Chanel?

Do you want to learn what fashion law is in general? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Fashion Law Club might be right up your alley.

“The Fashion Law Club meets to discuss current news within fashion law, to have fun learning about how fashion law can apply to everyday life and to find new ways to apply fashion law to careers we may be interested in,” said Shannon Gotham, junior Political Science and Fashion Merchandising double major and president of the Fashion Law Club.

This is a club that anyone is free to join, regardless of their major.

“We love having group members from all majors and years to help bring different perspectives to the discussions we have,” said Gotham.

“The fashion law club aims to educate students on the realm of fashion law, including intellectual property law, patent law, copyright law and more,” said Sarah Fertal, junior Fashion Merchandising major and vice president of the Fashion Law Club.

While the club discusses some serious things about the topic, there’s always room for fun as well.

“We have had bingo games, movie nights, and talks about topics that interest the club,” said Fertal. “The club meets about once a month, and our meetings are a mix of fun, contests, and learning.”

Despite COVID attempting to ruin the plans of most clubs, the Fashion Law Club has a way of making things work.

“Since the start of COVID, we have had more trouble meeting, but we are hoping to meet 2-3 times this semester and pick up to once a month meeting again in the fall,” Gotham said.

The Fashion Law Club is the perfect place to learn about how important fashion can be in legal matters.

If you’re interested in fashion, law, or both, try paying a visit to a meeting of the Fashion Law Club!

FEATURES

PAGE 7

Nominations open for MU Teaching Excellence Award

By Victoria McGinty

Features editor

Mercyhurst University has recently opened the nomination form for the Teaching Excellence Award and asked students and fellow faculty to nominate those who should be recognized as excellent educators.

This annual award is meant to honor one of the University’s own staff members and is awarded every year to a staff member elected by students and peers.

Traditionally, the award is given to the esteemed faculty member at graduation and has become a highly anticipated portion of every spring semester. There is also a small monetary award.

This award was first given in 1990 and has been a part of the University since. The first recipient was presented to the late Ed Gallagher, who was a professor in the education department.

Over the years, the University has awarded many staff members across many departments. The most recent individual recipient of the award was given to James Synder, Ph.D., a professor of Philosophy, in 2019.

In 2020 the entire Mercyhurst faculty was given the Teaching Excellence Award, in recognition of their commitment during the

Mercyhurst University photo

Dr. James Synder, a the most recent recipient of the award.

early days of the pandemic.

The award is one-of-a-kind and can only be granted to a certain recipient once.

The award aims to select a professor who presents outstanding teaching effectiveness both within and outside the classroom, and who is an innovative leader, an intellectually rigorous teacher, and is someone who strives to integrate scholarship both inside the classroom and beyond the gates.

The person nominated should be a professor who has unselfishly given of himself or herself to students, and demonstrated the ability to impart knowledge while challenging his/her students, and encouraging independent inquiry and creative thought, as well as having a deep respect for and an understanding of our Mercy mission.

What is so unique about this award is that the candidate selection process is a community effort.

Students and fellow staff members are encouraged to fill out a nomination ballot and nominate a professor. The nomination ballot prompts students to nominate a singular faculty member and asks why he/she is deserving of the award.

At graduation, the winning recipient is granted a one-of-a-kind plaque and the pristine honor of being inducted alongside past winners.

This year, the application can be found on the student HUB page and is set to close in a few weeks.

If a certain professor is deserving of the award, students are encouraged to fill out the application as soon as they can.

Hurst continues to combat racism with frequent check-ins

By Alexis Lovewell Staff writer

At Mercyhurst, students, staff and faculty members are working together to help solve problems relating to racism here on campus and in the community. One way that students, faculty and staff have been going about this is having monthly meetings with a group on campus called the Anti-Racism Cohort. This group started over this past winter break after the group had a three-part discussion on the novel, “So You Want to Talk About Race.”

The University has had a meeting every month discussing various race-related problems to tackle and find more ways to help educate each other and the community on anti-racism efforts.

This group is voluntary and consists of over 100 members.

“Each member has a strong desire and commitment toward anti-racism initiatives and actions,” said a main member of the cohort, Mary Bauer.

At each session, the members check in with one another regarding their own personal and professional strides in their anti-racist journey and discuss various initia-

tives and actions being taken on campus to encourage anti-racism.

Every session is different, but the main objective of each meeting is to hold one another, and every aspect of campus, accountable in their anti-racism journey. Most of these meetings are heavy in discussion rather than trying to tackle specific objectives in each meeting.

“I think the check-ins help people stay up to date on current actions being taken on campus while also keeping anti-racism at the forefront of all our minds.

Having monthly check-ins encourages all participants to actively work toward making ourselves and our environment more equitable and inclusive” Bauer said.

This group also shows the campus community that there are people taking large strides in helping make this campus and community a better and more comfortable place for everyone.

This group helps shed light on a very difficult topic to talk about and will help future students and staff at Mercyhurst. Moreover, the group is always looking for more people to join and Bauer is in charge of keeping a running list of all those who attend the sessions.

When you attend a session or express interest in the group, she adds you to the list.

Once someone interested has been added to the list, they will be included in all communication that is sent out amongst the group. The group members truly believe that education begins with the willingness to listen or engage in these conversations.

“These conversations are very difficult, but necessary if we want to change the norm of society,” Bauer said. The Anti-Racism Cohort is very welcoming and encourages anyone who is even slightly interested to take a leap of faith and attend one of the meetings. “It is a great way to bond with various Mercyhurst community members and grow not only personally, but professionally as well,” Bauer said.

If anyone has any questions regarding this group or future check-ins, they are encouraged to reach out to anyone in the group, or Mary Bauer herself, as she is one of the main sources of communication for the group. You can also contact other group members like Garrett Freas or Kiara Booker.

FEATURES

PAGE 8

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Mercyhurst chapel hosts reflection hours

By Samantha Weber Staff writer

Campus Ministry announced on Feb. 22 that the Christ the King Chapel would be open Monday through Friday from 3 - 4 p.m. for quiet reflection time for all members of the Mercyhurst community. Students, faculty and staff are welcome to come for however long they please for a break from their busy lives.

During this time, anyone who comes can pray, meditate or simply use the quiet place to think and receive some clarity.

It is important for everyone to take a break from their busy day and take a moment for themselves and relax. With everything being virtual, it is easier to spread oneself too thin and feel like there is no time for a break.

Michelle Scully, campus minister, talked to the Merciad about the purpose of this quiet reflection time.

“We wanted to make sure that there was a space on campus especially set aside during the day with nothing going on, and no tours coming through, so that students can sit, disconnect and pray, meditate, or simply just be in some silence.”

“I think it’d be wonderful if we all – students, staff and faculty – got more intentional about setting aside some time in our lives to be in silence, and I hope this dedicated space will allow people to be able to do that,” said Scully, when asked about what she hopes students will get from this added time.

During this unpredictable pandemic time, it is important to remember to take a break every once and a while to ensure your mental health is still doing well and that you are not only focused on one thing.

Moreover, with the virus being a source of anxiety, people may feel more comfortable entering the chapel alone during this quiet time than coming to pray at a Mass when the chapel will naturally be more full.

In addition to this Campus Ministry update, Campus Ministry is also discussing the idea of removing the 7 p.m. Mass on Sunday from its schedule. This idea was thrown around after the attendance for this specific mass has been significantly less than in years past. This has only been worsened by the pandemic, which already changes how people may attend religious services.

Samantha Weber photo

Mercyhurst’s Christ the King Chapel, where students are encouraged to pray and reflect between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Scully talked about why there is a later Mass.

“We’ve liked to offer a second Mass for those who are not able to attend the morning one, in order to give them more choice and chance in worship.”

There is also a trend emerging over the past few years that students are attending fewer evening events, and that is even more true with the pandemic going on. Right now there is not a set decision to keep or remove the

Mass from the schedule, but the decision will be made after observations over a significant amount of time. It is likely that the Mass might not be fully phased out, if this is decided after deliberation, until 2023.

As of now, Campus Ministry is just looking for feedback from students about the 7 p.m. Mass time.

There is no intention of ending it abruptly or even this year.

The next two incoming freshman classes will even have a say in

this decision.

Once at Mercyhurst, if they as a class show more interest in Campus Ministry, then they will also be asked about their opinion about the later Mass time.

If anyone wants to give feedback regarding the 7 p.m. Mass, there is a form on the Campus Ministry HUB page (located under the “Mission” tab) that can be filled out and submitted. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

LAKER MOMENT Finding love can be hard, especially during a time when we’re supposed to stay six feet apart.

For loved-up Lakers, there is a new way to give a compliment to those you see on campus.

The “MU Missed Connections” Instagram page has been started by unnamed students and allows you to anonymously “shoot your shot” at a fellow Laker! Even if you haven’t got a message to send, who doesn’t enjoy the excitement of watching fellow Lakers look for love!

Marina Boyle photo

The official Instagram page for @mumissedconnections.

FEATURES

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

PAGE 9

Hurst prepares to celebrate 51st Earth Day with stewardship lecture

By Ashley Barletta Staff writer

Being an environmentally conscious institution, it is no surprise that Mercyhurst is hosting an Earth Day lecture. The Sister Maura Smith Earth Day Lecture occurs annually, with this being the 51st anniversary of the celebration.

The lecture will take place on April 22 at 7 p.m. this year. The event will be held over Zoom so that as many people as possible can attend while still maintaining social distancing. Father Daniel P. Horan, OFM, Ph.D. will be the guest speaker.

“We are very excited for this year’s annual Sr. Maura Smith Earth Day lecture, which takes place on actual Earth Day, April

22, this year,” said vice president for Mission, Greg Baker, DMin. “Care for the earth is a critical concern of the Sisters of Mercy and an institutional priority for Mercyhurst University. The Sisters are actively engaged in advocating for environmental protection and green practices across our country and across the world,” Baker said.

Fr. Dan Horan, the revered guest speaker, is a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province in New York. He also teaches systematic theology and spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he is the Duns Scotus Professor of Spirituality.

Fr. Dan was supposed to speak last year for the 50th annual Earth Day Lecture, but the coronavirus pandemic stopped that from occurring.

The lecture this year is titled “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Climate Justice: Urgent Explorations of Global Climate Change and the Consistent Ethic of Life.”

There will be a particular emphasis on how climate change affects all life on Earth. However, the environment does not ever seem to be at the top of our priority list as there is so much chaos going on in the world today.

Fr. Dan’s lecture will draw attention to the importance of taking care of the planet, both for us and for future generations.

“Each year the Sr. Maura Smith Earth day lecture draws attention to some aspect of environmental sustainability and many recent lectures have been more scientific and practical in nature. Those of us who planned this lecture

thought it would be valuable to step back and consider the moral and religious argument for why this is such a crucial issue. Issues of climate change and care for the earth are too often reduced to partisan political issues,” said Baker.

Fr. Dan, a Franciscan priest, is a prominent Catholic theologian who has very publicly argued that climate change is the foremost life issue for Catholics and for all people.

While sometimes people think that for Catholics to be pro-life means to focus on one or two specific moral issues, Baker noted that Fr. Dan expands what it means to be pro-life in ways that are very important.

If you are interested in attending the Earth Day Lecture, you must register beforehand at mhur.

st/earthday.

The lecture will be open to everyone, even those outside the Mercyhurst community, so it is a good idea to register soon and join like-minded students and Erie neighbors. The lecture will be held in the evening so that students and staff can attend after their classes and workday.

“We anticipate that many students, employees, alumni and friends of Mercyhurst will join to hear this gifted and engaging speaker address an issue that cannot be overstated. If we do not care for this vulnerable earth as the precious gift that it is, we will not be able to care about life in its other aspects,” Baker said.

FROM THE ARCHIVES October 1969: 1969 was the year in which Mercyhurst College welcomed its first male students.

Although probably surprising to us now, many students at the time felt “Mercyhurst” was a very feminine name for a college and would have to be changed in order to recruit and welcome a class of boys.

For some, the name was perfect because it reflected Mercyhurst’s atmosphere. But for others, the name connotated a female institution when Mercyhurst was no longer feminine.

Contributed photo

A snapshot of the Merciad column listing arguments from both sides of the renaming debate from a 1969 Merciad issue.

In the words of one student “It’s like calling all the men on our campus ‘Ann’.” The issue was debated enough to persuade the Merciad editors created a poll for students, but as we know now, Mercyhurst’s name remained.

PAGE 10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Mercyhurst English Department announces Hemingway-inspired writing competition

By Joey Talarico Staff writer

Mercyhurst’s English Department is participating in the Hemingway Creative Writing Contest, a local project looking for written work inspired by or written in the style of American writer Ernest Hemingway.

The English Department is working alongside WQLN, PBS’s local Erie branch. Mercyhurst received a grant from WQLN to help fund the contest.

English Department chair, Brian Reed, Ph.D., and dean of Hafenmeier School of Arts, Christina Riley-Brown, Ph.D., participated in the committee that organized the Hemingway writing contest. The English Department’s associate professor Greg Brown, Ph.D., was also chosen as a judge for the contest.

The Contest is open to all in the Erie community and the submission deadline is May 14.

There are three specific categories of work: fiction inspired by Hemingway, poetry inspired by Hemingway and open writing.

Each category will have their own winner and prizes.

Submissions should be emailed

to Hemingway@wqln.org.

After the awards are announced, the winners will be invited to attend a local panel of literary scholars who will discuss Hemingway’s style and legacy.

Writers are asked to limit their work to 4,000 words.

The website notes that writers should “keep in mind ‘inspired by’ includes economy of language, grace under pressure and travel/ war/outdoorsy themes.” Winners will be acknowledged and interviewed during a “Hemingway Online Screening & Chat.”

Of course, there are many other ways writers can creatively express Hemingway in their work beyond these themes. Over a forty-year career, Hemingway created a rich and diverse amount of work that writers can gain inspiration from.

His most famous works include “The Old Man and The Sea,” “The Sun Also Rises,” “A Farewell To Arms,” “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and a vast library of short stories.

Hemingway’s works include themes of masculinity, perseverance, courage, dignity and heroism. They usually take place in wartime, foreign lands, the wilderness or other challenging envi-

ronments.

His style was very unique for an American author. Hemingway wrote in a simple prose that spoke directly to the reader. He avoided the complex paragraphs and sentences filled with colons, adverbs and other literary devices that were common in his time.

Hemingway was one of the most successful and influential American writers of the 20th century. He won both a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Prize for Literature.

Besides writing, Hemingway was known for being a war correspondent, avid traveler, fisherman and big game hunter. Many of his experiences influenced his work.

Hemingway’s life was tragically ended on July 2, 1961, when he lost his lifelong battle with depression and committed suicide. He was 61 years old.

2021 marks the 60th anniversary of Hemingway’s death.

PBS is celebrating his life throughout the spring. Besides writing contests, PBS also sponsored virtual talks and roundtable discussions nationally to celebrate Hemingway.

Acclaimed documentarians Ken Burns and Lynn Novick created “Hemingway: A Film,” a three

Contributed photo:

Ernest Hemingway, famous novelist inspiring Mercyhurst’s writing contest.

part, six hour documentary series about Hemingway’s life for PBS. The series will premiere on April 5, 2021.

WQLN will also host a free online screening of the film.

Students who wish to inquire

further into the contest should contact the English Department, or check the contest website at wqln.org/community/hemingway.

A&E REVIEW

Marvel’s “Wandavision” premiers on Disney+

By Eva Philips

Staff writer

*This review contains spoilers for “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” though no major spoilers for “Wandavision” itself.* The coronavirus pandemic may have put Marvel’s plans for its cinematic releases on hold for a time, but fans were surely glad to hear that the Marvel Phase Four television shows would begin gracing their screens this spring.

The first of these was the much-anticipated “Wandavision,” ostensibly following the domestic lives of Wanda Maximoff and Vision, who became romantically involved following the events of 2015 “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

The catch? Within the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Vision has been dead for five years.

Naturally, the question on every Marvel fan’s mind upon learning about the premise of “Wandavision” was, ‘what’s really going on with Wanda?’

That question is at the heart of the show, which breathes new life into the Marvel Universe by

flipping the script on Marvel’s traditional action-cinema style, because “Wandavision” opens not as an action flick, but as a 1950s-style sitcom.

It’s an interesting move, and one that works flawlessly.

Every detail is perfect, from set design, to costumes, to the live studio audience present at filming.

The special effects rely more heavily on old-fashioned wires and levers than on modern CGI, at least in the early episodes of the show.

And perhaps most importantly, the chemistry between Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda, and Paul Bettany, who plays Vision, brings plenty of playful energy to the show.

Both actors are clearly having a great time, and their sense of fun is contagious. Ever watch “I Love Lucy”, or “The Dick Van Dyke Show”? “Wandavision” channels the goofy yet authentic romance of those shows, providing viewers with nostalgia aplenty.

It’s easy to relax and enjoy the banter and antics onscreen — but soon the show takes on hints of “The Twilight Zone” as it becomes clear that something is rotten

Contributed photo:

The first promotional poster for Marvel’s “Wandavision” on Disney+.

in the town of Westview, where Wanda and Vision have made their new home.

Soon, the classic sitcom recipe begins to incorporate sci-fi and horror undertones, presenting a mystery for viewers to uncover as each episode raises questions and raises the stakes.

And in typical Marvel fashion, there are plenty of clues to hint towards what’s really going on, for sharp-eyed fans.

The ‘commercial breaks’ with-

in the episodes contain some of the clearest Easter eggs, referencing past events within the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and hinting towards developments within the show itself.

As the show progresses, more and more familiar faces show up, as well as some new additions to the universe.

But, the show is also able to stand alone as entertaining in its own right, even for viewers with little or no knowledge of past

Marvel movies, and its unique sitcom style further establishes “Wandavision” as a fun and approachable installment of the Marvel Universe.

It’s also great to gain some character insight into both Wanda and Vision.

These characters, although two of the most powerful members of the Avengers, had not taken center stage in any of the previous Marvel films.

The massive casts of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” forced them, and many other characters, into a supporting role.

But “Wandavision” puts these two at center stage; a nice change and one that will surely allow fans to connect more deeply with these characters.

Hopefully, Marvel’s upcoming Disney+ shows, such as “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” which is set to premiere on March 19, will also give new insight into familiar faces.

All episodes of “Wandavision” are available now on Disney+.

The show released a total of nine episodes weekly on Fridays beginning on Jan. 15, 2021.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 11

A&E REVIEW

Ethiopian author reads to Lakers to begin Literary Festival

By Christa Knipes

Arts & Entertainment editor

The 19th annual Literary Festival at Mercyhurst has begun in earnest, beginning with the first reader, Bewketu Seyoum on Thursday, March 18, at 8 p.m.

His reading was hosted both on Zoom and on Facebook Live.

Seyoum hails from Ethiopia, and is not only a creative writer, but also an essayist and entertainer.

In his home country, he has been honored as Ethiopian Best Novelist of the Year and Best Young Author. He is also widely considered the leading poet of his generation.

He writes exclusively in his native tongue, Amharic, and translates his works to English with the help of a friend. Interestingly, Seyoum expresses little interest in gaining a world-wide audience and prefers for his work to simply

be for his people.

Although he is from Ethiopia and still writes for his fellow Ethiopians, Seyoum is currently a resident at City of Asylum Pittsburgh.

The City of Asylum program gives refuge to international writers for a period of two years.

However, not all writers qualify.

Only those who have been exiled from their home country can seek a home at the City of Asylum, a place where they can feel safe and work through any trauma with writing.

In the case of Seyoum, his common usage of thought-provoking themes of government corruption, police brutality and tribalism caused him to be attacked in his home country.

Despite his concerning experience in Ethiopia, he hopes to return permanently one day.

Seyoum’s loyalty to his country shows in his works.

During the reading, he read a poem and excerpts from two short stories. The poem he first read in the original Amharic. The language flowed like water, and although no one could understand the meaning, it was clear how masterfully the poem was rendered.

After reading his work in Amharic, Seyoum read it again in English. This time the political undertones were clear, and the beauty of the poetry was still captured.

The excerpts from his short stories were only read in English, but one can imagine how pleasant it would have been to hear them in the rolling Amharic tongue.

While both of his works were fictional, they took place in his home country and were based on his own personal experiences and observations. His vivid descriptions, even though they were not in the language originally intend-

ed, procured images of humanity as clearly as if they were on a television.

After the readings, assistant dean of Hafenmaier College, Jeffery Roessner, Ph.D., led a Q&A session.

Many students and faculty members had questions to ask, ranging from the translation process to what drives his inspiration as a writer.

In terms of how long it takes to translate his works, Seyoum explained that with the help of his friend, it doesn’t take a terribly long time. That said, it really depends on the work. The longer ones of course take more time, but sometimes it is challenging to get the translation exactly how he wants it, so that important points are not lost.

Seyoum speaks Amharic and English, so he has not translated any of his works to any other languages. However, he does know of

someone who translated some of his select poems to French.

Another student asked when Seyoum began considering himself a writer. He described a weekly reading event he used to attend in college.

“I used to send my poems and stories and they finally invited me to read,” said Seyoum. “I read one or two of my poems and there was a big applause from the audience.

That gave me a sense that I was born with a talent as a writer.”

Clearly, Bewketu Seyoum is an incredibly talented author and poet, and gave an equally incredible reading. He has sacrificed endlessly for his craft, and yet he continues to pursue his talents.

He asked for none of this, but he is embracing his strengths and living his life to the fullest.

“I think writing a lot of works makes me find my voice. I just happen to be a writer,” he said.

A&E REVIEW

D’Angelo faculty recital series continues

By Grace Smrcka Staff writer

Director of Sullivan Conservatory of Music, Rebecca Wunch, and D’Angelo Department of Music chair, Nathan Hess, DMA, shared the stage at Walker Recital Hall on Wednesday, March 17 to share an impressive array of works

by Martino, Mozart, Brahms and Paul.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the concert was livestreamed via YouTube. However, the musical performances were still deeply engaging, even through a computer screen.

Wunch performed on clarinet, and is an instructor at Mercyhurst for Clarinet, Theory/Aural

Skills, Woodwind Ensemble and Orchestral/Chamber Music, as well as the director of the Sullivan Conservatory of Music.

Hess accompanied Wunch on piano, and is not only the Mary A. Spadafor Endowed chair of Music for D’Angelo Department of Music, but also an associate professor and piano instructor for the music department.

Before beginning her performance, Wunch shared a bit of information on the first piece, “A Set For Clarinet” by Donald Martino, written in 1974. The work consists of three movements, “Allegro,” “Adagio” and “Allegro.”

“Allegro” and “Adagio, respectively, are in ternary form, while the final Allegro is binary.

It is always fascinating to learn about the intricate structures of such works, and then have the opportunity to observe and follow along as you listen.

The piece varied in tempo and style.

While it began with an incredibly playful sound, similar to that of a bird, it soon transitioned to a more somber, slow moving style.

Then again it transitioned - back to a quick pace but now more so with a sense of chaos. This intricate pattern continued throughout the work.

The second piece¸ “Sonata in B-Flat Major, K. 333,” was a solo performance on piano played by Hess.

The work was composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This piece was incredibly charming and lively. It felt almost as if you were being carried by the music, or floating along as he played.

After that, Hess accompanied Wunch as they played “Sonata In E-Flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2,” written by Johannes Brahms.

This work, to me, felt similar to that of a lullaby. It was blissful and calming to listen along to.

While the piano accompaniment complimented the clarinet line so beautifully, there was a sense of a playful back and forth between the two instruments.

The last piece was “Estilian Caprice,” and it was written by Gene Paul. This was such a joyful work to bring the concert to a close.

The intricate rhythms and waltz style of the piece made a true pleasure to listen to. This work made you want to get up dance around, and the bright tone of the clarinet was mesmerizing.

This was truly an exceptional recital, and a true joy to attend.

Both Wunch and Hess performed with such passion and grace. If you were unable to attend the concert, I strongly encourage you to search for it on YouTube or the D’Angelo Social Media pages and check it out.

The D’Angelo Music Department will have one more Faculty Recital this Spring featuring local musician, Dr. Allen Zurcher on the saxophone, which will also be livestreamed.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 1 @ 8 p.m. via Facebook livestream: reading by Stephanie Gorton April 7 @ 7:30 p.m. on Zoom: Chris Thile April 12 @ 8 p.m. on Zoom: Faculty Allen Zurcher April 28 @ 8 p.m. via Facebook livestream: Lumen unveiling and student awards April 23-25 @ time TBD on Zoom: Raw Edges

OPINION

PAGE 12

GOOD Students are ready for next semester after advising day!

BAD We’re over halfway done with the semester.

RECENT Last week we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day!

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Thoughts on MU course selection students are aware, during their first semester as a student, their Staff Writer schedule is pre-determined for them, but they are free to switch around their classes as they please.

For example, when I started at Advising Day just passed, Mercyhurst, I was undeclared, which means all students (apart but I declared my major shortly from outgoing seniors) spent thereafter. One of my pre-selected much of their most recent break classes was an introductory course day trying to figure out what on management, but that wasn’t classes to take next fall. Of necessary for my major, so I course, this requires the use of the changed it to an introductory course catalog if students want course on public history, which to know what classes to take for much better suited my major.

REACH, or for their majors, While this is the case for most minors or concentrations. undeclared students, they should This can be a tedious process, have the opportunity to select as students need to figure out their classes in their first semester what classes are available, if there just like they are able to for the are any prerequisites, any conflicts rest of their college careers. That with sports or jobs, if the class way, students still have a chance can take care of both REACH to shop around for classes that and major requirements and so might push them towards the much more. It’s a process that major that they are looking for. ultimately puts a lot of pressure Additionally, in Self Service, on students, and there should be there should be a way for an easier way that students can students to access the courses select their courses. that they have already taken so One major thing that should that they know what they need be changed about course selection to take next. In the course catalog involves the classes that students on Self Service, the courses for are selected for in their first each subject remain in numerical semester at Mercyhurst. As order, so it’s more difficult for

By Bella Lee

students to remember which classes they have and haven’t taken. If there was a way that the completed courses were placed in the beginning of the course catalog for each subject, that would give students an easier way of figuring out the classes they need to take moving forward.

While the current course selection process is still rusty, it has so far been quite effective for students that are looking for courses that interest them and are necessary for their degrees. It is also frustrating when classes are in the course catalog, but then never offered when you need them.

That said, all the system needs are a few more tweaks and it would be good to go.

Whether it’s by letting students pick their own classes from the very beginning or allowing access to the course catalog for the next semester earlier on, if these changes can be implemented in the future, students could be a lot better off as a result.

Thoughts on advising day

The Merciad STUDENT EDITORS Marina Boyle............................ Editor in Chief Gillian Mazur........................ Managing Editor Rebecca Dunphy .........................News Editor Victoria McGinty .................... Features Editor Michael Boylan .......................... Sports Editor Christa Knipes .............................. A&E Editor Zach Dumais ........................... Opinion Editor Sarah Klein ...................................Copy Editor Steph Przepiora ...................................Advisor Contact editors at merciad@mercyhurst.edu

The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year. Our office is in Hirt, Room 110.

The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor.

All letters must be signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit.

Letters are due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit letters via email at merciad@ mercyhurst.edu.

By Samantha

Weber

Staff writer

I think the idea of advising day as a whole is a great concept for college students. I think most of us need that guidance and most of the time there are a lot of questions regarding the courses needed to fulfill major requirements.

I am just a freshman, so I have only have had two advising days so far, but they have been both a rough one and a good one.

My first experience was very awkward- my advisor had forgotten about our meeting, so we had to reschedule for a different day. When we were able to meet, I had the intention of changing my major, but I had not officially done so.

When I told my advisor of my plans, there was not much that she could do for me as she was not certain about what I would need for that major.

My second experience was with my new advisor for my new major and that one went a lot

better. It also occurred not on the designated Advising Day, but I think that was due to the fact that I had only recently switched my major, so I did not have time to schedule a time to meet with my new advisor. Instead he just assigned me to one. That meeting was very brief and lasted a total of three minutes.

My two experiences so far have combined for a total of five minutes of meeting with my advisors, but the scheduled slots are 10 minutes long. It almost seems like the advisors just want to get the meetings over with, which I am sure having meeting after meeting for a whole day does get annoying, but it would be nice to not feel pressured to hurry up and end the call.

I think the intentions are all there, I just think that there are some execution concerns that should be looked at.

For example, both of my meetings so far have not been on the actual Advising Day, they have always been after. Of course, it is nice to just have a day off from classes and not have any meetings they need to attend, but it became another thing I had

to do on a day when I was not completely free of obligations.

I like the idea of giving students a day off so that they can focus on their meeting with their advisor, but if a student cannot schedule a meeting with their advisor on the designated day, it might add more stress for some students.

I think that if an advisor has too many advisees that they cannot have all the meetings in one day. They should not have to advise so many students and the school should try to divide the students more evenly among the professors.

I know the bigger schools are not as fortunate to have a relationship with their advisor like we do. So, I am thankful that we are able to have to opportunity to build a good relationship with our advisor.

I like having Advising Day because it is great to be able to talk to someone who knows your major and/or minor and you can ask them any questions you have and they can help guide you in the right direction, but it always seems very rushed.

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are welcome and can be emailed to merciad@mercyhurst.edu

OPINION

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

PAGE 13

Thoughts on Biden’s HURST STUDENTS first weeks in office Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act; and

By RayLynn Organizing and Mobilizing Chraston the United States Government Staff writer to Provide a Unified and Effective Response to Combat COVID-19 and to Provide It has now been two months United States Leadership on since Joe Biden was sworn in as Global Health and Security. the 46th President of the United Some things that I have States of America. During this heard people talk about when time, many individuals have discussing Biden’s presidency jumped to developing strong recently has been about the opinions about President Biden’s Syrian Airstrike, stimulus checks, time in office thus far.

COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and Personally, I can not say that I immigration. am particularly into politics, and These topics have been so it may be too soon to judge his important because they are performance in office because he either timely issues or items has only been in office for two that Biden discussed and vowed months so far. In addition, his to tackle in his presidential first weeks in office have been platform. during the pandemic which may For instance, the topics on be a lot to handle, no matter COVID-19 have stood out to who you are, because everything me because they are topics that I is so new. know more about and are topics However, doing some that affect my daily life right research, President Biden now. I think that it is good that had signed as many as 28 all those who want to get the Executive Orders by Feb. 2, vaccine are starting to be able to 2021. Some of these executive have the opportunity to get it. orders include: Guaranteeing An influential event to note an Educational Environment has been Biden’s efforts to rejoin Free from Discrimination on the the World Health Organization Basis of Sex, Including Sexual after Trump withdrew in July Orientation or Gender Identity; 2020, as well reinstating the US

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in the Paris Climate Agreement.

In an effort to distribute vaccines globally, President Biden aims to collaborate with the rest of the world in controlling COVID-19 outbreaks, and has donated vaccines to our neighbors, Canada and Mexico.

The Paris Climate Agreement has also sparked conversation as Biden hopes to avert global warming across the world.

According to The NY Times, “President Biden Jr. brings with him the largest team of climate change experts ever assembled in the White House.” During President Trump’s term, he claimed that global warming was a “hoax”, and the US withdrew from the agreement.

Conversation has begun to turn to the minimum wage, as Biden is yet to deliver on his campaign promises of a minimum wage of $15 per hour.

Again, I feel as though it is too soon to fully judge everything that President Biden has done thus far in office.

That being said, we will have to continue to keep up with his presidency to see if he is able to keep his word and uphold the promises that he has made.

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

SPEAK UP We asked: Do you think next semester will be similar to this one or more “normal”?

Michelle Benedetti, senior Business and Competitive Intelligence major: “I do think that next semester will be a more normal semester, especially due to the increase in vaccinations in the US.”

Alexis Lovewell, sophomore Cyber Security and Intelligence Studies major: “The gradual progressions that we have had since we were sent home in the spring of 2020 gives me hope for the next semester to become more normal.”

Sarah Vosburgh, sophomore Psychology major: “I think that we will be able to go back to a normal sports season and athletes will be able to compete against other schools more by fall.”

Victoria Darling, sophomore Accounting and Finance major:“I think that it will be similar, but the dining halls may increase to their maximum capacity next semester, and maybe we will even have a Spring Fest, because it is a year away and by then we will hopefully have herd immunity.”

Compiled by RayLynn Chraston

Reflection on COVID, one year on spreading like wild fire. The nightly news was scary to watch.

Staff writer People bought groceries as if the apocalypse was coming.

We worked and communicated through Zoom.

Well, here we are, one year Everything was sanitized. later. One year ago, we would Concerts and sporting events soon find out that our lives were cancelled. Netflix was would take an interesting turn. binge-watched.

We thought we would be doing Masks were mandated to be online school for two weeks, worn. We couldn’t see friends only to find out a few days later and family. Fear was instilled in that we would have to remove us all. our belongings from campus and Over this past year with return home for the rest of the COVID, we’ve been through semester. a lot. We lived with COVID The weather was turning nice, through all four seasons; tackled we had a few days off from wildfires on the West Coast; school, and we weren’t really sure protested for racial and genderof what was to come ahead. It inequality change; mourned the was like a second spring break, loss of key figures such as Ruth until things progressively got Bader Ginsburg, Chadwick worse.

Boseman and Alex Trebek; voted All of a sudden the world in a presidential election during shut down. This new virus was a pandemic; spent holidays

By Payton Cook

without our families and countless holidays on campus; and now finally, one year later,

“

If anything, this virus was a lesson for all of us. COVID taught us how to work together, whether it be helping a small business in your community, or one country providing aid to another.”

Payton Cook

we have the opportunity to get the vaccine.

Over the past year, COVID

has affected nearly every decision we have made. We had to adapt to this virus and change many aspects of our lives. We have had to live with so much uncertainty.

If anything, this virus was a lesson for all of us. COVID taught us how to work together, whether it be helping a small business in your community, or one country providing aid to another.

We also learned to never take anything for granted. You never know when the last time you’ll see your family or friends is, or the last time you will step foot on the field or on the stage.

We learned to appreciate what we have. No matter how much we complain about school or work, we realized that we need and have missed personal interaction. We are social beings who were not made to live only online.

We’ve come to appreciate the little things more, such as being able to go to the movies, gathering at restaurants and traveling. This year, full of COVID, we have been taught valuable lessons.

Now it is the one-year mark of the onslaught of COVID-19.

Things seem like they are slowly starting to get back to normal.

We have successfully almost made it through a full school year with some classes in person.

We are allowed to play sports, and recently the school has allowed for some spectators. Big events, such as March Madness, are happening. Restaurants are increasing their occupancy.

Hopefully, once most of the population is vaccinated, traveling will be more lenient, and masks will slowly make their exit. One year later, we are nothing but optimistic now.

SPORTS

PAGE 14

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Cross Country compete in PSAC Championship

By Laren Reesman Staff writer

This past weekend Mercyhurst Women’s and Men’s cross country competed in a 5k PSAC Championship meet— the first PSAC competition held in over a year.

Although no spectators could attend, this race set a hopeful precedent for a return to normalcy for PSAC cross country.

Freshman Alec Bidwell and junior Dennis Whalen expressed excitement at being able to compete in a PSAC Championship this year.

“It felt really good to compete in a PSAC competition. We were the first to represent Mercyhurst again,” Bidwell said.

“I am very appreciative to be part of the PSAC Championship, and I hope other sports get to have one soon as well,” Whalen said.

The Lakers ran Saturday afternoon at Lock Haven. The women’s team ranked 15th, and the Men’s team 11th overall.

Top five finishers for Mercyhurst in the men’s race include sophomore Joe Groth, Bidwell, Whalen, junior Benjamin Barnes and freshman Ethan Chadbourne.

As for the women’s race, junior Margaret Sutherland, sophomore Abbagail Anaya, freshman Eleanor Chuzie, freshman Madison Burncheck and freshman Emma Pringle finished top five for Mercyhurst.

Several runners raced personal records at the championship and look forward to topping these times during their next regular season. Newcomers also look forward to racing their first college 10k in the fall.

Bidwell noted being somewhat nervous leading up to his first official collegiate race. He also said the team’s positivity and shared goals to push one another and beat Gannon gave him comfort.

Cross country is typically a fall sport, and this season was like nothing the team had done before, according to Whalen.

The training season was hectic with Erie’s winter weather and short daylight hours. Snow was the biggest obstacle to training as the team could not run on unplowed sidewalks and instead had to run in the street.

The team trained for 5k races this season rather than the usual 8-10k. In spite of these changes, Whalen said, “the team still went 13 miles on our long runs like previous years.” He also mentioned practices remained consistent like a fall season amid all the obstacles.

This race was also Michael Williamson’s first PSAC Championship as head coach. Previously the assistant cross country coach here at Mercyhurst, Williamson became head coach last July and has since been leading the team.

“Practicing this semester was very taxing at times, and it is competitions like this that remind student athletes why they work so hard,” Whalen said.

Mercyhurst cross country had one meet prior to the champi-

HurstAthletics photo

Lakers freshman Eleanor Chuzie (left) competing in the 5k.

onship in early March, co-hosted with Gannon. The “Run in the Park” was a tri-meet between Gannon, Mercyhurst and Penn State Behrend.

The women’s team had two top-10 finishers at the Run in the Park: Anaya and Sutherland. The women’s and men’s teams ranked second and third, respectively.

Sophomore Joe Groth finished first for the Mercyhurst men and eleventh overall.

Cross country will begin training again in April for track season.

Their first meet is on April 25th at Penn State Behrend.

HURST RESULTS March 17: Women’s lacrosse vs.

Slipper Rock: 16-12, Lakers HurstAthletics photo

Head coach Robinette addressing the team during the doubleheader on Saturday.

Women’s water polo drop two to Salem and McKendree

By Sarah Klein

Copy editor

On March 20, the Mercyhurst women’s water polo team was on the road to Morgantown, West Virginia to compete against both McKendree University and Salem University.

The day began with a 3:30 p.m. matchup against McKendree University, during which the Lakers fell 16-10 against the Bearcats.

Senior Maddie Nye led with five goals for Mercyhurst, while junior Cassie Anderson netted two goals and had one assist. Sophomore Hanna Good, freshman Rachel Vliestra and freshman Sakura Gavin each added one goal for the Lakers. Senior goalie Sarah O’Keefe made 11 saves on the Bearcats.

The second matchup of the day, this time against Salem University, was a 12-9 loss for the Mercyhurst Lakers. Anderson, Nye and sophomore Ava Gebhardt each netted two goals for Mercyhurst. Senior Rachel Morris, junior Sara Marin and junior Alexa Anderberg each scored one goal. O’Keefe once again protected the Lakers’ net, stopping 12 shots from the Salem Tigers.

“Even though we ended in a loss, I thought the games went well. Our season has only just begun (as of last weekend), and these games were great learning experiences and gave us an opportunity to play together as a team,” Morris said.

“I am feeling very optimistic about this season!” said senior Isabella Morris. “We have a lot of

talent and everyone is excited and grateful that we get to play this season.”

With the rest of the season ahead of them, the team is looking forward to making the most of an irregular year. Despite the trials we have all faced over the past year, the water polo team is excited to get back in the pool.

“I am excited for our conference games because I think we have a really good shot at winning them and going far this season,” Rachel Morris said.

The Mercyhurst Women’s water polo team will be playing their first home games on Sunday, March 28. The Lakers play Austin College at 9 a.m. followed by Penn State Behrend at 5 p.m.

March 20: Cross country PSAC Championship; Men 11th, Women 15th March 20: Softball vs. IUP; 3-2, Lakers & 8-11, Crimson Hawks March 21: Baseball vs.

D’Youville; 12-2, Lakers & 19-2, Lakers March 21: Men’s Tennis vs.

Bloomsberg: 4-2, Lakers March 22: Men’s lacrosse vs.

Wheeling: 21-2, Lakers

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

SPORTS

PAGE 15

Women’s lacrosse defeat Slippery Rock 16-12

By Samantha Weber Staff writer

The Women’s lacrosse team remains undefeated after their win against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division opponent Slippery Rock on Wednesday, March 17. The match took place at Slippery Rock’s Mihalik-Thompson Stadium at 4 p.m. The two teams will meet again at Mercyhurst on April 10.

This was the fourth game of a fourteen-game season for the Lakers, making an undefeated 4-0 record following the game.

Prior to this game, these two teams have played once a season since 2009. Mercyhurst has won all but one of these games, giving them a 12-1 record in the past 13 years. Their only loss was in 2015 at Slippery Rock.

The Lakers had a rough start after they quickly fell behind after Katie Dlugosz of Slippery Rock scored within the first 15 seconds.

After this, Mercyhurst stepped up with senior Julia Rescott scoring the first two goals of the game for the Lakers.

Rescott was set up by freshman Gabby McGinn. Senior Molly Meegan scored the third goal and

senior Payton Cook scored the fourth, giving the Lakers an early lead and making it 4-1 after 7:13 into the first quarter.

The Rock came back after Emily Benham scored three in a row, tying the game at 4-4. The Lakers saw two goals contributed from Cook and Gina Perna, but each goal was answered by one from Slippery Rock.

The game was tied at 6-6 with two minutes of play left in the first half. The Rock gained their second lead of the game with one more goal, making it 7-6. Meegan scored a goal for the Lakers right before the buzzer sounded ending the first half. Going into halftime, the score was tied at 7-7.

With only 2:17 into the second half Paige Cocina gave Mercyhurst the lead again with one goal, making it 8-7. Julia Rusico received a yellow card which left the Lakers playing down a player for the rest of the game. The Lakers were able to score while down a player, contributed by the McGinn and Rescott duo. Rescott’s goal gave the Lakers a 9-7 lead.

For the Rock, Sam Barnhart was able to score, making the Lakers lead by only one with a score of 9-8. Rescott, Meegan and Cook

HurstAthletics photo

The Women’s lacrosse team celebrating a victory as the team remains undefeated this season. The Lakers will play again on March 27.

responded with three straight goals to give the Lakers a comfortable lead at 12-8, less than ten minutes into the second half. The Rock then scored another goal cutting the deficit to 12-9.

Out of the next four goals, the Lakers scored three due to Rescott and Perna. With 15 minutes remaining, the score was 15-10 in

favor of Mercyhurst. Slippery Rock scored two more goals and Rescott was able to get her seventh goal of the game, making the final score 16-12.

Rescott led the Lakers in points with seven, followed by McGinn who had six and Cook who had five. Rescott scored seven goals on just eight shots.

Baseball sweeps D’Youville this past weekend

LET’S GO, LAKERS!

By Gillian Mazur

Managing editor

On March 21 the Mercyhurst University men’s baseball team welcomed the D’Youville College Saints to Erie, PA for a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field.

Keeping with the weekend’s winning streak from the previous doubleheader versus the Salem University Tigers just the day before, the Lakers swept the Saints with double digits. The first game started at 11 a.m. and ended with a score of 12-2, while the second game started at 2 p.m. with a final score of 19-2.

Coming out strong in the first game, the Mercyhurst Lakers were able to gain a fast lead in the bottom of the second inning for a quick two runs. Freshman utility player Luke Jackson hit an RBI double sending senior infielder Matthew Gibson home.

In the bottom of the third, the Lakers furthered the score differential with senior utility player Philip Ferranti and redshirt senior infielder Luke Baranchak, bringing in two more points for a 4-0 score.

The team was able to add on three more points for a 7-0 score in the fourth inning. The runs were scored by senior infielder Casimer Sobaszek, redshirt junior infielder Troy Banks and senior infielder Josh Surowiec.

In the beginning of the bottom of the fifth, Jackson scored for

Laker goalie Kaitlyn Lippert had 16 saves on 28 shots. The Mercyhurst Women’s lacrosse team is ranked 22nd following the game.

The Lakers are set for their next game this Saturday, March 27, when they host Lock Haven University at 2 p.m.

Thursday 3/25: Volleyball @ Daemen College; 7 p.m.

Friday 3/26:

Baseball @ Gannon; 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.

Hurst Athletics photo

Graduate student outfielder Tyler Zaluski during the doubleheader. Zaluski had a grand slam during game one.

an 8-0 run. Later on in the fifth with bases loaded, graduate student and outfielder Tyler Zaluski hit the second grand slam of the weekend sending everyone home, with the score turning to 12-0.

At the top of the sixth, D’Youville finally managed to put up two runs, which were the last of the game.

Although D’Youville scored the final two points from the first game, they were unable to build off of that momentum. Mercyhurst came out swinging for the second game, putting four runs on the board in the bottom of the

first. Runs were scored by senior infielder Jack Elliot, Banks, Zaluski and Surowiec.

The Saints were able to hit one home in both the second and top of the third, but the Lakers retaliated quickly. Two homers were hit by senior centerfielder Jordan Zilka and Banks respectively for a score of 6-2, Mercyhurst.

The Lakers were able to hold off the Saints in the fourth, all while putting seven more runs into the scorebook for a 13-2 lead.

In the fifth inning Mercyhurst sent six more home for the final runs of the evening, ending the

game in a 19-2 total score. The score was advanced by Baranchak, Jackson, freshman center and pitcher John Susnik, redshirt senior Dominick Cecere, freshman outfielder and pitcher Matt Shepard, freshman infielder Matt Christopher and senior outfielder Logan Martella-Tasick.

The Lakers are back in action this upcoming weekend on March 26 and 27 for another four-game matchup. The games will take place at Gannon University’s McConnell Family Stadium and the Mercyhurst Baseball Field in Erie, PA.

Softball vs.

Edinboro; 2:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.

Saturday 3/27:

Field hockey @ IUP; 3 p.m.

Men’s lacrosse vs. Westminster College; 7 p.m.

Men’s soccer vs.

Gannon; 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.

PAGE 16

LAKER LIVING

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) With change dominant this week, don’t be surprised to find new facts emerging that could put another slant on a situation and offer you another choice.

Think it through before you decide.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) There could be some lingering problems from a previous matter that involved a decision you felt you had to make.

Resolve the situation with your strong Taurean no-nonsense approach.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) The Gemini’s carefully made plans could be undone by someone’s unexpected decision. Getting the full story behind that surprise move can help you decide how to deal with the matter.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Recently uncovered information might put a new light on a situation you thought had been resolved. Keep an open mind about possible changes that you might have to consider.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) With a potential revision of an old agreement, you can’t beat the Big Cat for knowing how to sharpen a “clause” to the best advantage. Someone close could have the news you’ve been waiting for.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Certain issues in the workplace could put you in the middle of a dispute you’d rather not deal with.

Express your honest feelings before the pressure to take sides builds up.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You might feel uneasy disagreeing with someone you’ve been close to.

But your relationship should be able to withstand and even thrive when confronted with your true feelings.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A romantic situation seems to be creating more confusion than you can handle. If so, own up to your feelings. The sooner you do, the better your chances are for working things out.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) With change directing the Archer’s aim, consider a second look at your plans and see where they might benefit from a revision. A workplace matter is close to a resolution.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) New contacts help you learn some important information about upcoming developments. The week calls for the Sea Goat to be more flexible than usual in a number of matters.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) With both change and uncertainty in your aspect, you might feel less confident in a previous decision.

That’s OK. Check it out and see where it could be modified, if necessary.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Old relationships that seemed to be sinking are buoyant again, and new relationships are benefiting from Cupid’s loving care. This could be a good time to make a major move.

BORN THIS WEEK: While you prefer to tread your own path, you’ll go out of your way to help someone in need. © 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

HURST TOON Student-drawn cartoon by the Martian