March 22 Edition of The Merciad

Features On Page 4:

Arts & Entertainment On Page 5:

Rwandan native

Literary Fest to

Senior signs

speaks on

celebrate Bob

contract with

diversity

Sports On Page 7:

Dylan

ECHL team

The MERCIAD

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Est. 1929 Vol. 90 No. 15

Mercyhurst university

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Ambassadors of service

By Kristian Biega Staff writer

Four groups of Mercyhurst students and faculty and staff took life-changing trips over Spring Break. Not to relax on the beach or spend time with family and friends, but to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.

Students traveled to Detroit, Michigan; Raleigh, North Carolina; and two separate places to Mexico.

After leading and organizing a pilot service trip in Valladolid, Mexico last year, Mercyhurst alumnus and athletic training instructor Scott Michel, Ph.D., and a team of 36 other students, faculty, and UPMC Hamot surgeons Contributed photo traveled there again for a trip founded in the Mercy Mis- Mercyhurst Spanish majors worked with children at the Nueva Vida daycare center in Merida, Mexico over Spring Break. sion.

“The Mercy Mission is incredibly important to me,” said Michel. “It’s why I came back after graduating. This trip truly embodies what the Mercy Mission is all about.”

The program began last year with Michel pitching the idea of a medical mission trip and taking a small group to the mission at Valladolid.

The experience was a success and Michel fell in love with the mission and the surgical center, seeing it as a great opportunity for Mercyhurst students.

This year the UPMC Hamot staff came aboard and the trip expanded, allowing students to interact with medical professionals and learn from their work in their fields. By the Contributed photos end of the week, the entire Habitat for Humanity traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, during spring break to The Service Learning Program took a handful of student to Detroit, Michigan, team formed close bonds and assist in rebuilding a recovering community. to help with repurposing land and houses in the community. learned a lot from each other.

The students had access was genuine compassion for The goal of this trip to tures live and interact,” Lowe moor” organization. This In the final two days Brun to observing orthopedic sur- others and an exchange of Merida was to connect with said. group provides the commu- and the students helped a gengeries done by professionals human love.” this sister diocese to Erie and Mission integration can nity with literal and figurative tleman in his newly purchased in Valladolid. There was also The team’s final day was a support their needs. Besides come from within one’s own tools to assist in repurposing farm and greenhouse that he a physical therapy clinic in “fun day” of exploring ancient the daycare center, the stu- country as well. Bethany the land and houses of the hopes to turn into an edible which the students observed Mayan ruins in Ekbalam. dents painted a medical dis- Brun, coordinator of Mer- hard-hit community. farm for the community. They conditions they would not Another trip over break also pensary and got to talk to cyhurst’s Service Learning One woman whom the also used this time to explore have typically seen, such as took on service to Mexico some of the doctors about the program, has enjoyed taking team worked with established the Motor City and even see cerebral palsy, stroke, quadri- as Spanish professor Alice needs of the community. students on alternative breaks a community kitchen and pre- a Ford F-150 be assembled plegia and MS. Edwards, Ph.D., and a group One of the most memora- to Detroit, Michigan, for the serving station for people to from the ground up on a tour Two days in Valladolid were of Spanish majors and minors ble parts of the trip was help- past four years. This year she, receive food and store pro- of the Ford Factory.

Cole Prots, sophomore spent in the village painting traveled to Merida, Mexico, ing the Sisters of Charity take Residence Life staff member duce they have grown themtwo houses for the commu- for the week. The students the elderly in their care to a Cariel Lewis and five students selves. The students assisted Graphic Design major, both nity. This was parlayed with an worked in a clothing bazaar small zoo in Merida. stayed with the Sisters of her both in this innovative enjoyed the trip and got a lot in-house doctor visit checking and Nueva Vida daycare Cole Lowe, junior Spanish Mercy in Detroit to work with kitchen and further gave back out of it. “It was a great expeup on a young girl who had center with children from Education major, expressed the people of the recovering by helping on her personal rience that allows you to be exposed to a new culture and surgery the week before. impoverished families. his love of service and travel community. home and greenhouse.

“Our days in the village “The kids at the daycare as he explained his reasons for “Detroit has been hit hard “Her house was practically clear stigmas against a growgave a great cultural immer- were all very loving and called coming to Merida. with the decrease in manufac- unlivable and she could not ing city,” Prots said.

Many people often judge sion aspect to our trip. The everyone Maestro (meaning “I want to establish class- turing,” said Brun. “They are a even use her land to farm,” students got to engage in “teacher”),” said Edwards. room credibility. I want to be very similar city to Erie and it said Brun. “We cleared tons Detroit as dangerous or the idea of compassion and “Kids are kids. There was no able to say ‘You can do these was important for us to recog- of glass out of the ground beyond help, but the students being vulnerable themselves,” reason for us to expect them things because I have.’ I love nize that.” from broken windows that that went saw something said Michel. “By learning to be well behaved based on Mercyhurst’s idea of service The group worked in the were not properly disposed more. the stories of others, both their situations. They were as mission integration and town of Brightmoor with the of. I had never seen anything Continued on page 2 people leave impacted. There just delightful.” understanding how other cul- “Neighbors Building Bright- like it.”

Merciad Index News Features A&E Opinion Sports Laker Living

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Online Poll Results

What are your Spring Break plans?

Going home to visit family. (48%) Trip with friends. (28%) Staying on campus and doing homework. (14%) Going abroad. (10%)

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

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March 22, 2017

The Merciad

Page 2

News Spring break service trips Continued from page 1 The Habitat for Humanity group also worked with a recovering community as Habitat for Humanity staff adviser Jeremy Hewitt and nine students traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the break. Raleigh has been hit with harder poverty levels this year and Habitat has been working to rebuild nearly entire communities.

During the course of the week, the Mercyhurst students worked primarily pre-building walls for two of the days.

Pre-building saves time for the construction process and builds a foundation. During the remaining days they repaired houses and cleared and replaced shingles on the roofs of community members.

“Habitat is special because as they like to say, ‘It’s a hand up, not a hand out,’” said Hewitt. “They allow people

who have seen hard times still work for and pay off their own home, while helping them along the way. It’s very inspiring to see that.”

Even though the students engaged in hard labor, they had fun while making a difference. The group got very close through exploring the city and playing nightly games of kickball.

“From a chaperone standpoint, I understand how important breaks are for students and it is inspiring to see them make that time in their busy lives,” said Hewitt. “It’s great to see the friendships form through the dedication to the mission of what they are doing.”

Each of the four trips were unique in their duties, size and goals, but every student who returned from these trips went for the same purpose: to give back to those who need it most.

Merciad writer receives PA press award Jeanette Fournier, staff writer for The Merciad, the student newspaper of Mercyhurst University, has won first-place honors in this year’s Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Student Keystone Press Awards.

The contest recognizes student journalism that provides “relevance, integrity and initiative in serving readers,” according to the Pennsylvania NewsMedia.

Fournier, a junior Music Performance major, won top prize in the “Review” category of Division II, which recognizes outstanding jour-

nalism at four-year colleges and universities with enrollment under 10,000. Fournier’s winning entry was an arts and entertainment review of adjunct professor Robin Hasenpflug’s cello concert.

This is the second year in a row that a Merciad staff member has received a Student Keystone Press Award.

Official Press Release from the Mercyhurst University Public Relations Office

Contributed photo

Immigrants from 19 countries take the citizenship oath at the Federal Courthouse during a Naturalization Ceremony on March 8.

New citizens welcomed

By Caitlyn Lear News editor

On March 8, 45 immigrants from 19 different countries took part in a citizenship ceremony at the Federal Courthouse in Erie. Some Mercyhurst staff and faculty were present for the event, as part of the Mercy Emissaries.

“The Mercy Emissaries are a group of employees (faculty, administration and staff) from the Erie and North East campuses who have committed to learning more about the history and charism of the Sisters of Mercy, of the University, of Catholic Higher Education, of Mercy spirituality and of the works of mercy and the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy,” said Greg Baker, director of Campus Ministry.

“While we had 10 employ-

ees and one student this time around, our goal in the future is to heavily involve students in these events, through classes, Beyond the Gates credits and other campus groups.”

39 employees were trained during the first year-long program, and an estimated 28 more are in training this year.

The Mercy Emissaries were the first group to support and witness these ceremonies, but getting involved is a university-wide initiative.

“We will be involved with many more in the months ahead, as there is usually one ceremony in Erie each month,” Baker said.

This month included people from Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Nepal, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China, Philip-

pines, Russia, Somalia, Spain, Tanzania, Turkey and Ukraine.

“We know that at least three of the new citizens at this one ceremony had strong Mercyhurst connections,” said Baker. “There was one current MU student there, originally from Tanzania, one employee, originally from Bosnia, and one former student, a 2010 graduate from Russia.”

The ceremony started out with a presentation of the U.S. flag by a local high school’s ROTC. Then the immigrants denounced all citizenship ties to other countries, which is a requirement in the United States, and took an oath of citizenship.

Other people, including Baker, spoke at the ceremony to offer words of welcome and encouragement for the journey that lies ahead for the new citizens.

“The ceremony was solemn,

celebratory and very moving.

I could see what a triumphant moment this was for many of these new citizens, many who originally came to the U.S. as refugees fleeing quite horrific conditions of violence, unrest and poverty,” Baker said.

One judge even talked about being the child of an immigrant herself.

“This was an incredibly positive event to celebrate what the U.S. has been about since its inception, offering a haven for opportunity for people from various countries,” said Baker.

@TheMerciad

High ranking for Education Department

By Kristian Biega Staff writer

On March 13, the Mercyhurst Education Department was awarded a ranking among the top 50 programs in the United States, according to The Community for Accredited Online Schools. The university and the Education Department are incredibly proud to have received such a prestigious recognition.

The Community for Accredited Online Schools releases a list each year of the top 50 four-year and two-year colleges in the United States.

The website uses criteria such as total programs, student-teacher ratio, graduation rates, financial aid, placement and support services offered, employment services and academic/career counseling services.

“This ranking is well deserved and well placed,” said Leanne Roberts, Ph.D., dean of the Hafenmaier College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. “We often get overlooked because we are such a small school.”

Mercyhurst gives students opportunities to earn clini-

Contributed photo

Jake Fuhrman, dual Early Childhood Education and Special Education major, works with a student at the Mercy Center of the Arts Preschool.

cal hours at the after-school Carpe Diem academy, earn a graduate degree with the 4+1 program and earn major or minor degrees in secondary education and special education.

There are nearly 900 teaching programs in the United States, and Mercyhurst was

ranked 32nd among them.

The ranking included many small schools, but also many large and prestigious schools such as Vanderbilt, New York University, Purdue University, Syracuse University and Duquesne University.

“Looking at the other schools on this list...we are

in very good company,” said Roberts.

However, Mercyhurst is the only school in the Northwestern Pennsylvania region to earn this high of a ranking.

Susan Johnson, ABD, Chair of the Mercyhurst Department of Education, is thrilled at the placement and proud of

the well-deserved recognition and believes that it shows the dynamic nature of Mercyhurst students and faculty.

“What sets us apart is our focus on evidence-based practices and actual clinical experience that students get to engage in with supervising faculty, said Johnson. “Being

excellent is not due to one simple factor or person. It is working together as a team.”

The department is known for the strong personal connections they make with students making it truly special.

“We take teaching very seriously and have a passion for teaching. I think that really resonates in our students,” said Johnson. “The students themselves come out of the program with knowledge of the world, human relationships and really wide perspective on what it means to teach.”

Celebrating these programs and recognizing their strengths allows for improvements, innovations and continual growth.

“With the state of education the way it is today, we don’t have the luxury of being mediocre,” said Johnson.

“Not every job gets to have the impact and personal relationships that we do.”

The department seeks to always maintain their standard for excellence in their programs.

“We are very proud of where we are but always want to get better and expand the program,” said Roberts.

March 22, 2017

The Merciad

St. Patrick’s Irish-ish history

By Jordan Pendel Staff writer

St. Patrick’s Day is a time where some people don their green attire, attend parades and drink green beer all day and night. On the other hand, maybe you like to relax and sit around watching “The Luck of the Irish” or the “Leprechaun” films. As this holiday is a feast day, and is on March 17 every year, do you know the reason why you celebrate this day?

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, and it was not made an official Christian feast day until the 17th century. It is celebrated on March 17, because this is his supposed death date, some time in the fifth century.

Many may not even know that St. Patrick was actually born in Britain and was not Irish at all. As a teenager, he was held captive in Ireland to work as a shepherd. During this time, he became a devout Christian.

After St. Patrick escaped back to Britain, he had a revelation telling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. For 15 years, St. Patrick began the religious training to become a priest. He was then sent to Ireland to minister to Christians already living in Ireland

Amber Matha photo

“St. Patrick” was at the annual Irish Festival in September 2016 outside of St. Patrick Parish in Erie.

and to convert the Irish, who were mostly Protestant. Some say he banished snakes from the land and used the shamrock to teach the Holy Trinity, but these are believed to merely be Irish folklore.

Now that he was back in Ireland, St. Patrick did not want to completely erase Irish beliefs. He was able to incorporate bonfires to celebrate Easter and introduced the Celtic cross so the veneration of the symbol would seem more natural.

Irish-American immigrants brought the tradition of St. Patrick’s Day to America.

However, St. Patrick’s Day is not recognized as a national holiday in the United States.

So, now you may know a little more about St. Patrick than before, but where did all of the typical St. Patrick’s Day traditions come from?

There are many celebrations and traditions on this date, but most of them were started much later.

St. Patrick’s Day parades, which you can find in any city, actually began in North America in the 18th century — in New York City to be exact. This tradition did not reach Ireland until the 20th century.

Most people think of corned beef and cabbage as the traditional Irish food on St. Patrick’s Day. This is actually more of an American

tradition than an Irish one.

When coming to America, many Irish immigrants had little money, and corned beef was more affordable than bacon and other meats.

When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, it is usually associated with the color green. It is an easy way to celebrate one’s Irish heritage. However, blue was originally associated with this day, and it did not change until the 17th century. Some associate the change in color with Ireland’s vast green landscape, and others to the fact that more and more people were wearing shamrocks on their chests to show the traditional connection to St. Patrick.

You may have believed in leprechauns when you were younger and would always have to protect your valuable belongings from these tricksters on St. Patrick’s Day. Wearing green made one invisible to these fairies. Have you ever been pinched for not wearing green? Pinching is used as a reminder that leprechauns will be able to sneak up on you, and is actually an American tradition.

Now, next year, when you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you will know where some of the traditions came from and why on March 17.

Mercy Week tradition continues

By Abigal Rinard Staff writer

Mercy Week has been a part of Mercyhurst traditions for about 10 years. While in the past it has also taken place as a “Mercy Month,” this year it occurs from March 19 to 27, and has events each day.

The week is being sponsored by the Mercyhurst University Mission Committee — a group that includes faculty, administrators and students.

Representatives from Mercyhurst Student Government have become very involved in the planning process and are incorporating social media activities and events into the week.

“The idea is to show that the Mercy tradition is living and active and not just historical,” said Greg Baker, director of Campus Ministry. “It’s a week to celebrate the fact that we do a lot of cool things throughout the year.”

The programs taking place this year are being driven by the critical concerns of

the Sisters of Mercy: immigration, earth, nonviolence, racism and women.

“These are things that are really crucial that we should be paying attention to,” Baker said.

The Ecumenical Prayer service — taking place in Christ the King Chapel at noon on Monday, March 20 — will focus on these critical concerns.

Students from North East were also incorporated this year. They were invited to a brunch and tour with the Sisters of Mercy at the Motherhouse this past Sunday.

There are many events taking place throughout the week. “Stuff the Shed!” is a campus-wide collection of items for the House of Mercy. It began Tuesday and continues until Friday. There was also a program on Tuesday that worked with refugee women to record traditional songs, as well as Encourage an Employee Day. “We definitely need to make sure that this week has both employee-centered and stu-

dent-centered retreats,” Baker said.

Another way in which the faculty and staff are involved is the Living Mercy luncheon, where both students and professors will discuss how their recent trips, programs and experiences have been a representation of Living Mercy.

The 2017 Archbishop Oscar Romero Award is being presented as a part of Mercy Week to Douglas Villella,O.D., at 7 p.m., on Thursday, in the Mercy Heritage Room. The award is being presented by the Department of Religious Studies.

Villella is an optometrist living in Erie, and is the executive director of Vision for the Poor. In addition to receiving the award, he will give a lecture on his work in Haiti and Latin America to develop eye care clinics for the poor.

On Friday, the Tuesday Night Catholic Devotions is sponsoring a 24-hour fast and retreat at the Miller estate in North East. There will be numerous activities, including Mass, Eucharistic Adoration

and various games. Students who are interested in attending can contact TNCD@mercyhurst.edu.

The closing event, on Monday is “Erie’s Next Mayor: Candidates Respond to Voices of Faith” at 7p.m. in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. The event is a forum in which each of the nine mayoral candidates will have the opportunity to respond to statements from four faith groups.

Baker also indicated that the events for Mercy Week are not specifically Catholic.

“We’re pretty intentionally ecumenical about it. The Sisters of Mercy have always understood themselves and this university as ecumenical,” Baker said.

Baker also stressed that this week merely highlights what Mercyhurst works to do all the time, exhibiting and celebrating its roots in the Mercy tradition.

“The nature of living mercy is that you don’t draw a lot of attention to it.”

Page 3

Features Asking Mia Need advice? Have a problem that needs fixing?

Mia is here to help. Email askmia.merciad@gmail.com for help. *******************

Dear Mia, I have been recently having a hard time in one of my classes.

No matter how much I study I never do well on the quizzes.

What can I do to make sure I do not fail the class?

Sincerely, C’s get Degrees

Dear C’s get Degrees, Try setting up a meeting with your professor to go over your notes and to try to understand why you keep doing poorly on the quizzes. They probably have a sense of what you are doing wrong, and can really help you when you begin to study for the next quiz. Don’t be afraid to try going to a tutor. Most classes have a few students available for tutoring, and they could really help you understand the material and give you some tips on studying for those quizzes. Each of the tutors have already taken the class and are more than willing to help. Also, don’t feel ashamed that you aren’t doing too well. You seem to be studying a lot, but something just isn’t clicking when you put pen to paper. Perhaps try studying multiple days in advance when you know a quiz is coming up, or start a study group with some of the other students in the class. Don’t give up, and it’s OK to ask for help once in a while, but always do it sooner, rather than later.

Sincerely,

Mia LAKER MOMENT

Pop-up shops are poppin’ up

By Melanie Todd Staff writer

Pop-up shops are a retail method to gain a customer base before establishing a storefront. Ben Hyman along with Mercyhurst’s Quickstarter project is testing the concept in Erie. The goal is to find a perfect home for Brainchild’s Wonder Factory, a store that will feature local art.

“It’s an experiment to get our audience. Pop-up shop helps us gain an audience before we open up a shop,” Emily Platt, manager of the Quickstarter and Mercyhurst sophomore Intelligence Studies student, said.

The store features local art-

ists selling their work. Products include Kristi Caflisch’s natural soy “ChinchillaMade Candles,” on-the-spot portraits by Todd Paropacic, clothing by Rachael Webb, Will Baldauf ’s original paintings and low-rez paintings by Chris Sexaur. Additional items include records, locally made puppets, t-shirts and more.

“With pop-ups you go to a business that already has a crowd. You pay that business and they let you take up shop for a day. We basically get to take over,” Platt said.

So far the Quickstarter held pop-up shops in Basement Transmissions and Urrano’s Art Gallery. In the past, areas such as restaurants that are only open for part of the

week have hosted pop-up shops as well.

“Right now we are still trying to figure out where will be and what our demographics will be,” Platt said.

The Quickstarter involves students from Mercyhurst, Gannon and Edinboro.

From Mercyhurst, senior Trang Nguyen, Communications major; and sophomore Michael Mongera and freshman Bernard Garwig, both Intelligence majors are assisting with the project. From Edinboro, Alex Hurley is helping with graphic design and merchandising. Currently, Platt is hiring a communications major from Gannon University to join the team.

“Part of the process is to

create social media and to gain an audience online. We are currently in the beginning stages for that,” Platt said.

This being her second Quickstarter, Platt is confident in what she needs to do and who she needs on her team to make this project a success for Hyman.

“For people doing their first business, it’s (pop-up shop) a sure way to figure out if your business is going to run smoothly. It’s definitely a good way for Erie to set up shop,” Platt said.

Location is key for any business and pop-up shop helps the business owner to find their perfect niche in the neighborhood.

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. Mercyhurst celebrated by covering the campus with yellow hands with various slogans and phrases.

A lot of them referenced ending the use of “the R-word” and listing www.

Rword.com.

The hands were formed into high-fives, thumbs ups, peace signs and “I-love-you’s.”

Page 4

Features Culture Corner

Ngabo on diversity

Editor’s note: Culture Corner is a feature showcasing the diverse nationalites represented at Mercyhurst.

Contributing writer

Contributed photo

Igor Ngabom, of Rwanda, is a senior Political Science major.

“The question of representation is one that politics has grappled with for a long time and will keep struggling with for many years to come. As Dr. Federici so eloquently puts it, ‘human nature is imperfect and imperfectable.’ Politics is unavoidably attached to human nature. We must be realistic about what it is that we can be achieved. Politics cannot create the perfect conditions; it is by working together and in good faith that we better our societies. Organizations can only do so much. Its people that make the change in politics. No one organization can make all necessary changes, either.”

Ngabo concluded this interview by stating how his experience in the United States has shaped who he is.

“I am humbled by the thought that we all have something to contribute; by the notion that we all have our own models of reality.

I am humbled by the idea that each of us, in our own way, fit somehow somewhere in the world; the idea that we are all pieces, part of a grand puzzle.”

Ngabo, acknowledges that being part of a diverse environment is a challenge and a learning experience to become better versions of ourselves.

“I have seen, talked and lived with people of different walks of life, different histories, backgrounds, who have different beliefs and hopes. And I am convinced that our strength lies in this diversity.”

BSU travels through history

By Ibukunoluwa Olaoye Contributing writer

History is said to be a thing of the past, yet it somehow repeats itself. As always, there is a lot to learn from past mistakes, personal or not.

Newly opened in September 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, located in the National Mall of Washington, D.C., symbolizes those mistakes and is the continuation of the fight for equality African Americans still fight for.

The truth in this museum begins from the bottom floor, Concourse 3, in which an elevator transfers you from present day to the beginning of these trials: the 1400s and the Atlantic Slave Trade.

There, you see the iron blocks they used to steady a large ship, clearly overcrowded with Africans who were forced to suffer side-by-side on the way to a new country where they would be no more than property to individuals who knew nothing other than the power of oppression.

Displayed also were the shackles that brought them into their new lives. It was shown that those that could not bear the inhumanity of the trip voluntarily jumped off the side of the ship to become nutrients for the sharks. The rest of the floor showed the people and tribes that endured the pain of the slave trade.

From that floor and up, you learned about the people that

DHS facilitates shooter exercise at Mercyhurst

By Abigal Rinard Staff writer

By Dayana Moncada Igor Ngabo is a native from Rwanda and an international student at Mercyhurst University. Igor is a current senior Political Science major.

“I came here looking for opportunity, in hopes of getting a good education,” Ngabo said.

He described his culture as the mechanism of informing his decisions.

“Rwanda is country that has suffered greatly. Out of this suffering we learned to enjoy those good moments in life.”

Ngabo shared his own story, where he comes from and what diversity means to him. “It was an exciting moment for me because I am passionate about finding equality in all settings, whether it is professional, academic or in any instance where more than two people interact, as well as the importance of being tolerant and respectful of others especially during turmoil.”

“I have learned that diversity is part of everything. It underpins all of it. I mean, think about it, life exists because of diversity. Different atoms joining together to create complex molecules, then molecules bonding to create slightly more complex organisms. These organisms in turn cohabitate to form complex ecosystems. Diversity is quintessential to the existence of life. I would even go so far as to say that the story of the universe is that of diversity.”

The fear of homogenization of a society is what brings people together to stop the polarization of ideas.

“We need diversity to survive, to evolve, better yet, to strive. We ought to embrace diversity in all its forms. At times some, if not most of us, fail to recognize its value. I think we fail to realize that diversity is part of our story. We fail grasp the notion that it is all around us and that diversity serves to increase our potential as a species and not diminish it.”

He pointed out the misrepresentation sometimes minorities experienced in the government, organizations and associations.

March 22, 2017

The Merciad

Contributed photo

Black Students for Unity visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

fought for their survival and recognition of their humanity, from Harriet Tubman and her displayed shawl and hymn book to the Obamas and their family legacy. There were statues of John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s historic 1968 Olympic black power salute and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” ensemble. The accomplishments and innovations of the African American community were brought to light in this Smithsonian Institution museum to be freely shared with the entirety of a nation that partook in the systematic suppression of an entire culture’s right to express and better themselves, to the benefit of the nation.

Going forward from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Black Students for Unity explored the National Museum of African Art, where the beauty of “the dark continent” shined through.

There we saw and learned the importance of water to many

African cultures, along with the true appreciation of the strength and history women possessed in all of them. We also visited the Museum of Natural History, where the beginning of humanity was explained and accepted. We learned from there that all humans are more alike than different and no science could deny we all come from the continent of Africa. There are no better qualities in African American than there are in Caucasians or Asians or Hispanics. We are all equal and should be treated as such.

As we, BSU, walked the around the capitol of the Unites States of America, we realized that knowledge is power no matter the direct or indirect relevance to one’s life. All who wish to move forward towards a better future for themselves and this nation would benefit from a trip to the National Mall, where the true history of one nation, good and bad, can be seen and aptly understood.

Over spring break, the Department of Homeland Security facilitated an Active Shooter Tabletop Exercise at Mercyhurst University. The exercise took place on March 8, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Center for Academic Engagement.

Bob Winters, a protective security adviser for the Pittsburgh District of DHS, ran the exercise. The scenario was that an active shooter was on campus, and the exercise provided the opportunity for Mercyhurst to practice its emergency response plan.

“We brought in some of our federal, county and local partners,” D.J. Fuhrmann, Mercyhurst police chief, said.

These partners included the City of Erie Emergency Management, Emergycare, Erie Fire Department, Erie County Sheriff ’s Office, Erie County Public Safety, the Erie Office of the FBI, as well as the Erie Police department, including both its SWAT team and bomb squad.

President Michael T. Victor also attended the training.

Various administrators and faculty attended as well, repre-

senting their particular departments.

“It’s good for us, not only for us, but for them too, to look at our processes and how we’re going to collaborate, should something like this happen,” said Fuhrmann. “It opened a dialogue between all the agencies in the room.”

Fuhrmann continued, explaining how each agency looks at the scenario from their own area of expertise, giving a multitude of perspectives.

“It gave a lot of good feedback on what we’re doing right and what needs to be improved,” said Fuhrmann.

“It was a good gauge for our readiness.”

The exercise itself looked at four separate components: the initial response phase, the tactical phase, the assessment phase and the post-incident phase. If a situation were to occur, Mercyhurst Police and Safety would have the initial response, and the other agencies would come afterwards and collaborate.

Part of this initial response includes sending out an initial text response to students, which is in the process of being reformulated to be more effective.

Though Mercyhurst has had

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somewhat similar exercises on previous occasions, it has not been done on this scale. The driving force behind the exercise was President Victor, and his commitment to campus safety.

The preparations for potential crises on campus is not likely to end with the Active Shooter Tabletop Exercise.

“We’re going to sit down and continue talking to Dr. Laura Zirkle,” Fuhrmann said.

Continued precautions may include ALICE training, a type of active shooter response training. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. Training in the future could also include more of the faculty and staff, as well as students.

Mercyhurst Police and Safety was confident in its abilities to handle a shooter on campus, should it happen.

“We do have a good plan in place,” said Fuhrmann. “It was good to get affirmation of things that we had in our emergency response team.”

@TheMerciad

March 22, 2017

The Merciad

REVIEW

Arts &

Page 5

Entertainment

Hess wowed the crowd at his recital

By Lauren Ganger Contributing writer

March 15 saw the delightful execution of the piano recital of Nathan Hess, D.M.A. Those who have followed the faculty recital series would have recognized Hess, who plays a prominent role in his colleagues’ recitals, but it is a rare treat for the Mercyhurst community to see Hess perform a solo program.

Hess began with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Sonata in B-Flat Major,” a piece written by the composer at the age of 19 that features a balance between playfulness and formality.

It was beyond a doubt the lightest piece of the evening, and the choice to play it as the precursor to the darker works on the program was inspired.

In starting with a piece written during a great composer’s youth and then turning to pieces written by other composers at more mature times in their careers (ending with

a piece written by Robert Schumann during a time of great frustration), Hess’s program, whether intentionally or otherwise, outlined a bildungsroman (or saga) of sorts.

The second piece, Frédéric Chopin’s “Barcarolle in F Sharp Major,” highlighted the dreamlike quality Hess’s playing can take on.

In the program notes, it was mentioned that the piece is meant to sound vocal, and Hess did a fine job of playing the melody as it might sound as a vocal line.

The most striking part of the performance, however, was the ferocity that Hess demonstrated several times during the piece, summoned from seemingly nowhere, and then just as quickly faded into a gentleness—almost a tenderness—reminiscent of the flowing water the piece’s title invokes.

The first half ended with another piece by Chopin, his “Ballade No. 3 in A-Flat Major.”

It began gracefully, with an

Jenny Sabliov photo

Nathan Hess, D.M.A., after his piano recital last Wednesday.

unapologetically sweet melody in the right hand accompanied by a left hand that seemed to drive most of the changes in dynamics and tempi.

As it progressed, it took on a more manic character, but it never completely seemed to lose itself.

Controlled even in the piece’s intense, almost chaotic, passages, the Ballade showcased Hess’s command over

A timeless tale remastered Contributing writer

It is a tale as old as time, and the magic of “Beauty and the Beast” returned to the big screen this past weekend in a live-action remake of the original 1991 classic Disney film. The beautiful and talented Emma Watson, of “Harry Potter” fame, took the role of Belle. Her other half, the mysterious and at times frightening Beast, was played

by Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey.

Other big-name actors also participated in the film by voicing and then playing the real-life versions of other lovable characters; Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson are just a few of these.

The story is well-known and beloved by millions—possibly billions—of people: French peasant girl, daughter of a kooky inventor, essentially enslaves herself to free said

father from the dungeon of a hideous beast.

This beast is really a prince, and only true love will save him and his entire enchanted castle from an eternity of damnation, but love is hard for him to come by. The French girl wins his affections, and she his, but they are almost cruelly separated by death when the girl’s creepy stalker kills the beast in a raid on the castle.

He is brought back to life, turned back into a man and they live happily ever after.

It is a beautiful love story, and my personal favorite Disney movie, which is why I was cautiously optimistic as I entered a sold-out theater on Saturday night.

If Hollywood ruined this movie for me, I was going to be crushed, devastated, destroyed—you get the picture.

However, not a minute into the movie, I fell hopelessly in love with “Beauty and the Beast all over again.”

The music was the same.

The dialogue stayed true to

the original. Major plot holes were filled in more than sufficiently.

New songs were added to make sense of the story where before only instrumental music had ushered audiences into the next scene.

Humor was added to make the story more relatable to the times.

Emma Watson made Belle so much more than some silly peasant girl—she made her a strong, beautiful heroine and role model for girls of a new generation.

The Beast’s behavior was better explained and he was developed more as a character, not just some crabby furball.

It was everything I had wanted and more.

If you are hesitant to see a remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” don’t be. Rush to the theater and get a ticket, provided the showing isn’t already sold out, and experience your childhood again.

It is a movie that you will not regret seeing, I can promise you. 11/10.

NTL presents: ‘Hedda Gabler’

By Eleanor Hein Staff writer

Online

Daughter of a general, wife of an academic and member of the aristocracy, Hedda Gabler’s life seems perfect.

Why is it, then, that she feels her marriage is so boring, even immediately after the honeymoon?

Why is it that her former love (Eilert Løvborg), an alcoholic who has married an old schoolmate (Thea Elvsted), suddenly has so much more going for him than Hedda and her husband, George?

At the same time that Hedda and George find themselves in a financial crisis that George says will mean Hedda will have to give up her luxuri-

ous lifestyle, the couple learns of Eilert’s upcoming sequel to a recently published bestseller.

Eilert credits his wife, Thea, for helping him create his masterpiece.

Hedda has never been given any such influence over George, and she becomes jealous. Her solution? She will try her hand at influencing people.

Will she use her influence for better or worse? Does playing God mean Hedda will be able to control the aftermath of her decisions, as well?

Find out on Sunday, when Henrik Ibsen’s famous playmade-film will screen in Mercyhurst University’s Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center.

Ibsen’s 19th century play

Full list of events can be found on the MU website

thinking of anything at all.

The entire recital was a success, with the performer’s taste in both his choice of pieces and their execution captivating the audience.

The different selections complemented each other well and showcased the different elements of virtuosity at Hess’s command—not the least of which, perhaps, was his ability to play the entire program with his eyes closed.

Across the board, Hess’s performance of each piece was marked by a masterful control of dynamics and the ability to elicit different tonal colors through the way he expressed contrasting moods.

The most wonderful part of the performance was that Hess never sacrificed the beauty of a piece for impressiveness, and as a result every piece was all the more impressive for its beauty.

@TheMerciad

Lit fest celebrates Bob Dylan

REVIEW

By Sydney Van Leeuwen

the instrument and the music as he drew back to bring out the dulcet melodies as they appeared.

Its abrupt ending was certainly a dramatic conclusion to the first half of the recital.

His final piece, which took up the entire second half, was Robert Schumann’s “Fantasie in C Major.” Hess spoke to his audience for the first time during the evening, explaining

that Schumann had taken two themes from pieces by Beethoven and inserted them into his Fantasie.

Hess demonstrated both at the piano and enthusiastically invited the audience to listen for them. The passion and the skill in the playing— the presence of both adding something new and exciting to the work—were such that it took conscious effort not to applaud between movements.

When watching Hess perform, one is faced with the hard choice between focusing on his hands or on his face.

Naturally, the hands are a point of interest as they fly across the keyboard, but his facial expressions cannot help but draw the eye.

He nods to himself, shakes his head emphatically and bobs his head as he tilts one ear to the piano.

With such animated expressions passing over his countenance, one cannot help but wonder what he thinks about when playing, or if he is so lost in the music that he is not

originally premiered in 1891 in Munich, and has been brought to life once again by Ivo Van Hove for National Theatre Live.

The new version of the play was written by Patrick Marber and stars Ruth Wilson (“Luther,” “The Affair,” and “Jane Eyre”) as the title role of Hedda Gabler Tesman, and Rafe Spall (“Black Mirror” and “The Big Short”) as Judge Brack.

Tickets are $10 for youth and $18 for adults. Students and seniors can get tickets for $15.

Mercyhurst student tickets are free.

@TheMerciad

By Jeanette Fournier Staff writer

The first event in Mercyhurst’s 15th annual Literary Fest is the Dylan Fest, coming up this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the Taylor Little Theatre.

Come enjoy the music of Bob Dylan, performed by faculty, students, staff and alumni of Mercyhurst, followed by a showing of the groundbreaking Bob Dylan documentary “Don’t Look Back” with a panel discussion of the film to follow.

Both events are free and open to the public.

“The idea for the Dylan Fest came from Dr. Kevin Sullivan,” said Jeffrey Roessner, Ph.D., associate professor of English.

“Kevin thought Dylan should be celebrated for his winning of the Nobel Prize.

Kevin looked for other academic recognitions, and no other school had done anything.”

The musical tribute portion of the Dylan Fest will feature covers including some of Dylan’s most popular work, such as “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The instrumentation is mostly acoustic, with no drums.

“It will be in the spirit of the early folk music jams,” Roessner said.

All of the musicians are

associated with Mercyhurst University in some way, whether they are faculty, staff, alumni or students.

Jim Tometsko, the head of Human Resources, will be performing with his folk band, Jim Tometsko & Friends.

Jimmy Cuneo, a local keyboardist and singer whose styles include a range from R&B to jazz, and Janelle Newman, Ph.D., instructor of Intensive English, will be performing, along with Josh Travis, a local folk artist, who will perform selections with an emphasis on Dylan’s protest music.

Also performing is the folk/ Americana band, The Barret Brothers, who include as one of their members Sullivan, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, on bass guitar.

Sullivan’s brother, the spoken word artist J.P. Sullivan, will perform as well.

Sarah Whitaker, a senior Music Therapy major, will be performing on vocals, piano and guitar.

Following the concert at 7:30 p.m., a screening of “Don’t Look Back,” a documentary charting Dylan’s tour of England in the spring of 1965 will take place in Taylor Little Theatre.

“The documentary consists only of what the camera has filmed without a commentary or voiceover; it’s as if the camera is just the viewpoint another person observing the action,” Roessner said.

After the documentary fin-

ishes, Roessner and Chris Magoc, Ph.D., department chair and professor of History, will host a panel discussion of the film focusing on the film and Dylan’s career as a whole.

“Dylan remains a cultural force,” Roessner said.

“Some of his songs are major works of 20th century American art, and the Nobel Prize recognizes that.

“His songs are not just for the ’60s; Dylan’s songs transcend context, status and time.”

Roessner also hopes that the Dylan Fest will be a good preview for a new class he will possibly teach this upcoming fall, which will explore the music of Bob Dylan.

The class will focus on Dylan’s protest music and the iconic songs from the ’60s, as well as exploring assorted songs from the ’80s and ’90s.

Whitaker shares Roessner’s belief that Dylan is an influential artist whose work still has meaning today.

“Bob Dylan is incredibly important to the history of popular music and songwriting, Whitaker said.

“He was one of the pioneers of popularizing folkstyle music in a mainstream sense in the ’60s, and his songs were also extremely important to the civil rights and antiwar movements.

“He is a brilliant poet; his use of free association, symbolism, and expression is so distinctive and poetic.”

Met live presents ‘Idomeneo’

By Steven Martz Contributing writer

It’s time for MIAC to bring another riveting opera from The Met to Mercyhurst.

MIAC is live streaming “Idomeneo” in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Saturday.

The performance will begin at 12:55 p.m. “Idomeneo” will last about four hours with two 35-minute intermissions.

View upcoming performances: www.mercyhurst.edu/events

“Idomeneo” takes place after the Trojan War on Crete.

The aftermath that is shown from the war is important to the story line and opera itself because it reflects the confusion after a shocking historical moment.

The Opera features a wonderful cast as well. James Levine is conducting, Nadine Sierra is playing Ilia, Elza van den Heever will be Elettra, Alice Coote will be Idamate, Matthew Polenzani is cast as

Idomeneo and Alan Opie is playing Arbace.

The librettist is Giambattista Varesco and the opera will be sung in its original Italian.

Adult tickets are $18, seniors and students $15 and youth tickets are $10.

Tickets are free for Mercyhurst students with their student ID. Don’t miss your chance to see a performance from The Met in NY here at the Hurst.

merciad.mercyhurst.edu/category/arts_ entertainment/

Page 6

March 22, 2017

The Merciad

Opinion

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

SpringFest artist is lackluster

By Amber Matha Opinion editor

I, for one, am disappointed by the selection of Mike Stud as 2017’s SpringFest artist.

First, how does one go from a successful Duke University baseball player to a “hip-hop” artist that has a sound like a love child between Lil Wayne and Drake?

Second, changing his last name to Stud as his stage name just sounds really gimmicky. Hopefully he can distract me from his music by being the eye candy that his stage name promises he is.

I enjoyed last year’s performance by Cassio Monroe, Daya and MKTO. I knew of Daya and MKTO and at least a couple of their songs.

Cassio Monroe even made

it entertaining because they played a couple of covers that people could sing along to even though they, as a band, were generally unknown.

This year, I have never heard of Mike Stud or Luke Christopher. I know the goal of the selection is to pick an up-and-coming artist.

This not only saves money but then we can boast like hipsters because these artists visited here before they were “cool.”

But Mike Stud and Luke Christopher, as far as I’m aware, are nowhere close to “cool.” Other than a small handful of people really into the hip-hop scene, many students I talked to have never heard of these two individuals.

I have no problem with the genre. I sincerely enjoyed myself at the T-Pain show.

The difference was the simple fact that I knew the artist

performing in front of me.

With subject matter ranging from getting drunk, high, and having promiscuous relations with women, it is difficult to find a song by him that I feel is appropriate for him to perform at this school.

I am not sure if he is going to censor the songs or rap right through them. I suspect his opener, Luke Christopher, is going to have the same problems.

I have listened to various songs recorded by Stud and I have not found a single song that is completely clean.

I must admit I do like the message behind his song, “Closer,” which basically is a message to all of the people who doubted him. It spoke to me because I am someone who is doubting him and maybe he will surprise me by giving a stellar performance that Mercyhurst can look back on and be proud of.

In the Feb. 22 edition of The Merciad, Gabrielle McGrogan was quoted saying that events hosted by Mercyhurst Student Government (MSG) are planned with the Sisters of Mercy in mind.

“We could have any of the sisters come in during any of our events and we don’t want anything that is going to offend them. We just think that they could stop by at anytime, so we think about that for every event. We are even cognizant of that for Springfest,” McGrogan said.

I do not believe that the Sisters of Mercy would be pleased with this years SpringFest artist, and I do not think they would be comfortable coming to his performance.

Good The Merciad is back after a whole month of no publications. Mercyhurst can rest easy because the newspaper is back and new editors are being selected for next year to ensure the survival of the news source.

Bad The snake in the Biology Department, Perseus, passed away March 11, during Spring Break.

@TheMerciad

Erie schools affect the rest of the city

By Lauren Abbott Staff writer

The Erie School District is being forced to make decisions that no one benefits from.

The lack of funding from the state has left Erie in a state of dismay as our schools are vastly underfunded.

Some may say that having four high schools is not necessary and that Erie can get by just fine with two.

Although that may be the only option due to the budget crisis, I believe that by closing any of the high schools, Erie will be losing important aspects of our culture.

Last year as a high school senior, I had the opportunity to visit all four schools with other high school students across the district.

We got a chance to tour each of the schools and every time we went to a new school, the students there got to showcase what they loved most about their school.

What I saw at these meetings was that even though the four high schools are widely different in terms of academics, sports and extra-cur-

ricular activities offered, the students that go to each school have so much pride in their schools.

At each school the students were so excited to show us what made their school unique and what made them proud to be a student there.

I know there are many different opinions and assumptions about the Erie high schools, but without these schools, Erie will have no chance of growing as a city.

By refusing to help Erie and implementing a fair funding formula, Pennsylvania is refusing to invest in its future.

Each school provides a unique aspect to Erie. Strong Vincent offers its proud alumni base and strong sports teams. Central Tech is the only technical school in the city and offers important skills to Erie students who are not necessarily interested in going to college. Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (NPCA) is ranked as one of the best schools in the state and was honored a couple of years ago as a Blue Ribbon High School. Last, East is accommodating to all students and has a very successful honors program.

Losing even one of these would be a great loss to Erie.

Recently, a proposal for financial aid was requested by the City of Erie School District to help renovate and maintain their schools. This request was shot down by Harrisburg.

The result of the new restructuring plan is the loss of two schools, Strong Vincent and East. This leaves no high schools on the east side of town except Collegiate Academy.

NPCA has worked so hard to maintain its top ranking spot on the U.S. News and World Report Best High Schools in Pennsylvania list.

If the honors students from both Strong Vincent and East were included at Collegiate, class sizes would sky rocket and test scores there might suffer. This would make NPCA lose their number four ranking.

When people are looking to move to an area, one of the first things people look at is the school district.

People want to know that they can raise kids in a reliable, well-developed school system where they can be sure that their children will get a quality education.

Right now, Erie does not offer any of these things and has no guarantee that the

problem will get better.

State Senator Scott Wagner a Republican from York, Pa., visited NPCA and Central Tech and called the state of the schools “disgusting.”

Wagner voted against giving the Erie School District the funds necessary to maintain their schools. With this making the news, what prospective movers would want to move to Erie?

This is a major problem for Erie County, just as businesses are looking to expand and invest in the area, this will be a major turn-off for any company or family looking to move into the area.

The population of Erie is already decreasing. I believe that closing two high schools would cause the population to decrease further.

Without good schools, Erie will not have a future. We need to invest in the education of the youth of this city and help them to grow to be responsible capable adults that can further help Erie grow and thrive as a community.

If we can’t put any faith in our public schools, Erie will be stuck in a rut that will be near impossible to escape.

Deafness presents a challenge

By Nonnie Maus Contributing writer

Online

College students have a lot to deal with before we fall into bed at night. We wake up, try and find some breakfast that’s a bit more than coffee, run to class, run to work, do homework and try and get a little social time into our day.

Some people, like me, have to do all of that without an even playing field. I am deaf.

I need to use lip reading to understand everyday conversation.

Sometimes that gets frustrating and has the potential to cause problems for me.

Classes can get difficult

unless a teacher uses slides to illustrate what they’re saying out loud. There are some terms that are difficult to understand, especially if I can’t snag a seat up front. Occasionally, I get due dates wrong or I read the wrong sections.

Many classes include films in the syllabus, but teachers rarely turn on the closed captions and I occasionally miss things and have to rewatch the film outside of class.

Sometimes I misunderstand my friends. There have been innumerable conversations where I think that my friends are saying something completely off-the-wall and I’ve been trying to divine meaning from them, when in

reality, they said something completely different. Most of the time we laugh about it, but it’s still mildly inconvenient.

I get told all the time that people wouldn’t know that I’m deaf. It’s not like I wear a tee shirt and I don’t wear hearing aids.

What does a deaf person look like, then? Why would my not looking like whatever concept of deafness a person has in their head effect the acuity of my hearing?

I end up not telling anybody about my hearing issues.

That’s why this article is anonymous. I’m worried that people will think of me differently or treat me differently because of it.

Read more at

merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion

This idea isn’t unfounded.

An interaction I had in a craft store this past month brought this point home. It came out in conversation with the cashier that I was deaf. She immediately raised her voice to a shout and spoke slower, as if I were Siri on a particularly surly day.

I’m sure that others with issues that aren’t immediately visible run into this problem as well. I hope that eventually, both myself and others will be less afraid to ask for what we need and that others will be more caring in providing it.

@TheMerciad

Amber Matha photo

Weird The fliers hung in the bathroom just got a little more interesting with a clever new title, “The Toilet Paper.”

The Merciad Editors Karah Hollis Catherine Rainey Caitlyn Lear Cheyanne Crum Diego Himede Jenny Sabliov Amber Matha Miranda L. Miller Chelsea Guida Victoria Kreysar Kristin Bowers

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

The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 110. Our telephone number is (814) 824-2376.

The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst. edu.

Write for The Merciad, email editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu

March 22 , 2017

Page 7

The Merciad

Sports

Lacrosse soars in home G-MAC opener

By Marco Cicchino Staff writer

Nearly 1,000 people packed into a wet and rainy Tullio Field for a 15-5 victory over Walsh University on March 18.

Mercyhurst’s squad has now won nine of the last 10 conference games dating back to last season.

“We were just staying confident with what we were doing…but we stuck to our gameplan that we normally do, and it worked out, and we came away with a nice win,” commented attackman Derek Richards.

After Kurtis Woodland opened the scoring just 1:19 into the contest, Bryan Crim sandwiched a John Plaskey tally 4:04 apart to even the quarter at two, leaving the door open for Benjamin Suchomma to defeat Matt Wells unassisted with seven seconds remaining on the first-quarter clock.

Wells’ defense pitched a shutout in the second and

used goals from three players to take a 6-3 lead into the half. Richards broke the ice 1:21 into the second, and Sam Crusha picked up his third of the season just 50 seconds later after Joe Cerio picked up his second of eight faceoff wins as part of a 16-8 draw-control advantage for the contest. James Crowe was next to join the box score, finishing off a run of three goals in 2:05.

It wouldn’t be until the 12:55 mark of the quarter that Richards found a loose ball and sent it past Dylan Ciolino three seconds later for his 11th goal of the season.

The two sides then traded faceoff wins goals at the start of the third, but another win from Cerio at the draw control led to a ground ball for Brandon May, and Plaskey found his second of the game at 4:49 of the third. Wells’ defensive line caused four turnovers in the ensuing 6:27, before an offside call against Alex Svarch’s squad led to the Lakers’ first of two power-play conversions at 12:56.

Hurstathletics

Senior Derek Richards had four goals and one assist against Walsh University on March 18.

Just 1:49 later, Oran Horn found a grounder and found McQueen as he picked up his second straight assist on Woodland’s second goal of the contest with 7.4 left in the third.

“We knew we could be them,

we were beating them in the first half [but]…weren’t scoring goals, and in the second half we started putting the ball high…and started shooting high and started scoring,” commented Richards.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers

fell victim to Ciolino’s butterfly and more similar deficits in the fourth, seeing two more of 16 turnovers in the first 3:34 of the fourth, the first of which led to the Lakers’ fourth straight goal, this one at 3:21 as Woodland finished

up his hat-trick after the shot beforehand went wide 13 seconds later.

After Colin Greenway caused a turnover at 1:32 off the Cavaliers’ Bryan Heisler, Joseph Plaskey found a grounder a minute later to finish off a clear for the Lakers, one of four in the quarter and 12 on the contest.

Horn picked up the power-play goal 25 seconds later for the Lakers’ fifth goal in a row. Richards finished up the run 53 seconds later to finish up his hat-trick.

The Cavaliers came within five seconds of their second power-play conversion of the contest, as Zach Macaluso found the loose ball and beat Wells at 8:04. The signs of life were short lived as Crowe recorded the Lakers’ third hattrick of the contest at 9:30, and Richards found his fourth with 1:57 left.

The Lakers return to action next on March 25, as the Lakers head to Greensburg for a 1 p.m. draw with 11th-ranked Seton Hill.

Men’s golf places 4th, women’s Undefeated weekend for MU 3rd at Browngolf tournament

women’s tennis

By Bernard Garwig Staff writer

From March 17-18, both of the Mercyhurst Golf teams competed in the Browngolf Invitational. The men’s team finished fourth overall and the women’s team finished third overall.

In the first round of the tournament, the men’s team recorded a score of 309 and finished fourth. The women’s team also finished fourth in the first round with a score of 347.

The second round saw the men finish with a 302 round score and a 611 (+35) overall score. They would finish behind St. Thomas Aquinas (588, +12), West Chester University (597, +21) and Millersville University (606, +30).

Mercyhurst women improved in the second round to third place with a score of 346 and a final of 693 (+117).

Leading off the men’s team for score was senior Chris Kupniewski, who finished with an overall score of 148 (+4). He tied with two others for third place out of all individual golfers. Kupniewski was followed by fellow Mercyhurst sophomore Harrison Laskey tied at 8th (150, +6), freshman Adrian Larsen tied at 32nd (156, +12), senior Ryan Mehnert tied at 38th (157, +13) and sophomore Jacob Blondell tied at 49th (161, +17) to round out the top five performers.

For the women, junior

By Bernard Garwig Staff writer

Hurstathletics

Men’s golf senior Chris Kupniewski tied for third place in the Indiana University of Pennsylvania-hosted tournament on March 17-18.

Georgia Capotis led with a score of 167 (+23). She tied with one other person for individual performance for seventh place. After Capotis came freshmen Abigail Vietmeier tied at 9th (168, +24), Saige Avery at 19th (178, +34), Victoria Ortiz tied at 26th (180, +36) and Bridget Merten tied at 47th (197, +53).

“The men’s team performed pretty well considering being first time out of the box,” said men’s Head Coach Ron Coleman in reference to the time gap. “Not easy to do that in golf.” Browngolf marks the first time that both teams competed in 2017.

Coach Coleman cited also that coming to North Carolina to play a tournament also has its own challenges. “The course conditions in the south make it even more difficult to come out of the winter to play your first round of tournament golf,” explained Coach Coleman. “It is difficult to adjust to the Bermuda grass.

Especially on the short shots that require precise touch.

Considering all those things I thought they did very well.”

Coach Coleman was pleased with the women’s third place finish. “The rest of the team has battled injuries… if we can get everyone playing together at the same time, I

think we’ve got good things coming,” said Coach Coleman. He then highlighted that the women’s golf team is fairly young with no seniors and five freshmen.

March 27-28 marks the next tournament for the men’s team. They will be travelling to the Coach Carpenter Classic in Crofton, Maryland.

“We’ve been there before… we did pretty well in it last year. The kids like the course a lot,” Coach Coleman said.

The women’s Team will compete the 26th and 27th at The Battle of the Bay tournament. That competition will be in Rising Sun, Maryland.

On March 18-19, Mercyhurst Lakers women’s tennis team won both of its competitions against Roberts Wesleyan College and Niagara University.

The Lakers, who are ranked 44th nationally for Division II, played at Pennbriar and Westwood Racquet Clubs in Erie against their opponents.

Against Roberts Wesleyan College of Rochester, New York, the Lakers took all scoring for the day, pulling off a 9-0 victory. Doubles saw victories for each of the Lakers’ pairs.

“If you come out in the doubles and play well, it usually carries over into singles,”Coach Jerome Simon said.

Kayla Frost and Adrianna Jeffress beat their opponents 8-4, followed by Annie Baich and Saioa Gomez de Segura (8-2) and Adina Spahalic and Alexia Nay (8-4).

Frost and Jeffress and Baich and Gomez de Segura are the second and third ranked teams in the Atlantic Regional.

Singles were also a sweep with Gomez de Segura (6-1, 6-2), Frost (6-2, 6-1), Mantecon Duro (6-0, 6-2), Nay (6-0, 6-1), Spahalic (6-0, 6-1) and Baich (6-0, 6-3) each taking victories against their Roberts Wesleyan counterparts.

The Lakers were similarly

successful against Niagara University, beating them 8-1.

“We came out, we swept the doubles again, and there were some very, very close singles matches… but the girls are really playing well,” Coach Simon stated about the victory.

Doubles wins came from Frost and Jeffress (8-3), Baich and Gomez de Segura (8-0) and Spahalic and Nay (8-2).

Wins in singles came from Gomez de Segura (6-0, 6-2), Frost (0-6, 6-2, 6-4), Nay (3-6, 6-3, 1-0 [10-5]), Baich (7-6 [7-5], 6-2) and Spahalic (6-0, 6-0).

The Lakers come off the weekend improving to 6-1 for the season. Currently the team is on a five-win streak.

“Doubles is so critical to college tennis,” said Coach Simon. Doubles, according to Coach Simon, give a good momentum to the team going into the singles matches.

Their next match will be on Wednesday in Olean, New York against St. Bonaventure University.

“We’ve never beat St. Bonaventure,” said Coach Simon. “It’s a good test for us, they’re Division I. We’ll see what we can do.”

@TheMerciad

’Hurst hockey’s Kyle Dutra signs with NHL affiliate

By Haleigh Giebel Staff writer

Mercyhurst senior Kyle Dutra has signed a Standard Player Contract with the Norfolk Admirals of the East Coast Hockey League. The Norfolk Admirals are affiliates of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League and the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League. The Admirals have 10 games left in the regular season.

“It was a great opportunity that presented itself after the

season,” Dutra said.

Dutra, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, scored six goals and tallied 11 assists for 17 points through 39 games this season. Three of his goals were on the power play and he blocked 39 shots in the defensive zone. Dutra held a fivegame point streak in which he scored fours goals and picked up two assists.

Throughout his college career, Dutra played in 147 games while recording 31 goals and 40 assists for 71 points. He served as one of the team’s alternate captains during both the 2015-16 and

2016-17 seasons.

During his freshman season, Dutra led all Mercyhurst freshmen in goals (7), assists (15) and points with 22 and led all Mercyhurst forwards with 34 blocked shots. He had two, 2-point games and tallied two game-winning goals during his sophomore year.

During his junior year he had four, 2-points games and tallied one shorthanded goal.

Dutra has played two games with the Admirals against the Reading Royals on March 17 and March 18. He scored his first professional goal on Saturday night which was the

game-winning goal.

“It was a surreal experience playing in my first pro game, but I had a blast,” said Dutra.

“College hockey really prepared me for the next level.”

Dutra will be joining six Mercyhurst alumni in the ECHL: Allen American’s Randy Cure ’14, Atlanta Gladiators’ Daniel Bahntge ’15 and Tyler Shiplo ’15, Rapid City Rush’s Ryan Misiak ’15 and Anthony Mastrodicasa ’16, and South Carolina Stingrays’ Adam Carlson ’16.

Sarah Hobday photo

Senior Kyle Dutra had 6 goals and 11 assists for the 2016-2017 season for a total of 17 points over the course of 39 games.

Page 8

March 22, 2017

The Merciad

Laker

Living

At the end of the rainbow “I dunno if they still have them, but that’s number Copy editor one on my list!” Another roommate overheard.

“Rainbow bagels?” She I’m an avid bagel fan. asked incredulously. “I I have a bagel for breaksaw those in a video on fast every morning, and Facebook this morning! enjoy a bit of scallion cream cheese and smoked How are they are on your bucket list already?” salmon, if available. For Facebook video? We me, a good bagel in the pull it up, and the video morning sets the stage for happily proclaims that a good day, along with a the bagels can be shipped giant cup of coffee. cross country.

With this in mind, it’s Eureka! I log onto the easy to see how I went a website with glee. I didn’t little crazy when I saw a even need to leave the rainbow bagel on Reddit house to get my rainbow one evening my freshman bagel fix!

The website year. lagged and sputtered from It was beautiful. It had the traffic, but I managed sprinkles in the cream to get a dozen bagels and cheese and everything! It was a bagel diva’s dream! one tub of rainbowfetti cream cheese into my I quickly looked up the store. They were stationed cart. When I got to the checkout, I was floored. in Brooklyn. My heart My total was $43. sank. By the time I would make it to New York City, That was nearly an entire the fad would probably be paycheck from my workstudy! I couldn’t justify over! paying an entire paycheck Being a can-do chickie for just a dozen rainbow with a Pinterest account, bagels. I investigated I looked up methods of further, finding that most making bagels. All of of the cost went into the them involved allowshipping so that the bagels ing the dough to rise in arrived in a condition that a warm and dry place, they could be eaten. boiling the dough in salt Back to square one. water, then baking the When I got a bigger scrumptious little guys. scholarship my junior That idea was just as year, I found that I was shot as actually going to thinking about the rainNew York City. As I was a freshman, I had no room bow bagels again. Were they still shipping? Were in my bedroom to keep a they even still making stock pot for boiling the them? bagels, trays for baking I looked them up with the bagels, the board and hope in my heart. slicer to cut to dough Unfortunately, my into dyable sections, the hopes were dashed upon ingredients for the bagels the ground. themselves, and the time They had shut down the to put them all together. website temporarily due I let Egan do all the to the backlog of orders. work for breakfast that At this point, these year. bagels were becoming a My sophomore year, a friend and I were discuss- bit of a legend. My friends began to tease me. Did ing our bucket lists. The they really exist? Would I very first thing I thought ever get to eat one? of were the rainbow Even I didn’t know for bagels.

“I want to eat a rainbow sure.

Fall semester of my bagel in Brooklyn!” I said.

By Miranda L. Miller

senior year rolls around, and I have yet to enjoy myself a rainbow bagel.

My roommates and I talked about going on a Spring Break roommate trip, and it had been so long since I thought about these bagels that they were like a childhood daydream.

We planned to go to Boston and relax at a lake house nearby. When we were driving there, I realized we began to pass signs that said New York City.

“Guys,” I said, far more excited than I should be for 2 a.m. “We could go to New York!”

I thought of Times Square, coffee shops, and the cute boutiques that were guarenteed to be there.

My roommates agreed that it would be great to visit. One of my roommates had a bucket list item that could be checked off in New York.

“Wait a minute,” my roommate said. “What about The Bagel Store?

Isn’t that in New York?”

That sealed the deal.

We got to The Bagel Store early on our way home from New England.

The store was packed.

My three roommates and I were jostled about as we took in the sights and smells.

When I got to the front of the line, I ordered the Rainbow Bagel Supreme.

It promised lots of rainbowfetti cream cheese and even cotton candy, and it was sublime. It was everything I ever wanted.

I also asked for an extra rainbow bagel, untoasted and unadulterated, for me to pack for my ride home.

We toured the city for the rest of the day. We rode the subway, enjoyed walking around. On our final subway ride, we were exiting the station on the stairs. My rainbow

bagel had been riding in a plastic bag with other lunch leftovers. Tragedy struck as the bottom of the bag ripped and I watched my rainbow bagel, it all its glory, bounce down the stairs that had seen the bottom of thousands of feet that morning alone.

My roommates and I decided we had to go back. It was 5 p.m., which would be a stretch for making it in time to get a breakfast food. I ran into the shop as my roommate tried to park the car.

“Can I just get a plain rainbow bagel, please?”

I asked the man at the counter, breathless. He was putting them in a large paper bag.

“Sure.Three dollars,” he said. I watched as he casually put three bagels into the bag. I handed him the very last of my change.

“Have a nice day!”

A nice day? I was going to have a nice life! Two free rainbow bagels! It was heaven! I felt like I was supposed to have dropped that first bagel, in order for me to have that moment in my life.

Through the four years that I pined for a rainbow bagel, I learned a few things. Firstly, don’t give up on your dreams. As corny as it sounds and as trivial rainbow bagels actually are, I learned that goals might take a backburner in order for them to be reached. I didn’t spend the last four years stringing yarn between photos of rainbow bagels in my bedroom. That would have been both creepy and counterproductive. However, in order to reach the goal of getting to enjoy a rainbow bagel, I would take any opportunity I could to get there.

You know, I heard that this one shop in California created a rainbow latte…

Game Zone

Way back When...

The Merciad presents articles from yesteryear in their original form, including headlines. This week, our blast from the past is from February 13, 1961.

To Diet Or To Fast—That’s The Question There are two ways of abstaining from food: fasting and dieting. The former was advocated by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, and the latter is advocated by woman’s magazines.

While fasting is done quietly and without show, dieting is usually accompanied by ejaculations varying from moans of hunger to murmurs of self-praise. Fasting is between the individual and God while dieting seems to be between the individual and anyone who will listen to him.

Another difference to be considered is the satisfaction derived from each.

When we lose weight by dieting, we have only the satisfaction of knowing we are becoming more attractive to our fellow man. But, when we fast we have the enjoyment of knowing that we are becoming a much better person in the sight of God. Fasting is a part of religion, but dieting has almost become religion itself. The dieters become almost fanatic as they compare notes on the

different methods and the merits of each. They become especially zealous when discussing the weight loss incurred and their present dress size as compared to that of the pre-diet period. They are ready to discuss these subjects at the slightest provocation— and the usually do.

The two differ, also, in the rules governing each.

Fasting is compulsory, dieting is brought about by a real or imagined obesity; fasting allows no snacks, dieting permits an occasional between-meal nibble; and finally fasting allows no meats, dieting encourages them.

The greatest and most important difference between the fast and the diet is the reason why they are done; one is for the body, the other is for the soul. Perhaps the world would be a better one if the emphasis were placed on the spiritual value of fasting rather than the material value of dieting.

—Karen Pierce

Jokes Harry Potter Jokes

Hagrid: You’re a horcrux, Harry.

Harry: I’m a what?

Hagrid: There I just saved you seven years.

Q: Why did Snape stand in the middle of the road?

A: So you never know which side he’s on.

Severus: Headmaster, I’m afraid the Dark Lord has returned.

Dumbledore: Are you serious?

Severus: No, I am Severus.

Q: Why did Barty Crouch Jr quit drinking?

A: Because it was making him Moody.

Q: How many centaurs does it take to light up a single wand?

A: Two... one to say the spell and the other to keep remarking how bright the wand is tonight.