The Merciad April 6 Issue

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

| W E D N E S D AY, A p r i l 6 , 2 0 2 2

| VOL. 95 NO. 16

Family Weekend 2022 is a success PAGE: 2

Online poll results

We asked: Did you watch the Oscars?

Photo Credits: Contributed photo

It's a tradition!

I thought I'd check it out

7: RSCO Feature: MEOW is back

I tried but I couldn't

PAGE 2 Absolutely not

11: The 814- PopLuck Popcorn 14: Men’s Baseball versus Gannon Knights

This week’s

POLL

What is your favorite outdoor activity to do on campus?

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

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NEWS

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Campus Involvement hosts Marsha P. Johnson documentary screening

By Mackenzie Zent

Staff writer

On March 31, the Multicultural Student Services, part of the Campus Involvement Center, hosted a screening of a documentary on Marsha P. Johnson. She helped lead the LGBTQ rights movement for over 20 years.

The documentary screening was followed by a discussion led by the Sexuality and Gender Acceptance Club (SAGA).

Johnson was a black transgender woman who was born on Aug. 24, 1945 and died on July 6, 1992.

Her life is extremely important; if it were not for her, the LGBTQ community might not have the rights they do today.

In New York City in June 1969, police were raiding gay and lesbian bars, the most famous one being The Stonewall Inn. They were violently assaulting and arresting people who cross dressed, and others who were involved in anything non-gender conforming or non-straight behavior. People finally had enough of this and decided to fight back.

Led by Marsha P. Johnson and other activists, riots broke out for five days which became known as the Stonewall Riots.

A year later on June 28, 1970, the first Christopher Street Liber-

ation Day happened. These events are what led to the gay liberation movement and why pride is celebrated every June.

As an activist, Johnson did a lot to help communities of people that were struggling. She advocated for homeless people, sex workers, transgender people and those who had been diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. In 1970, at just 25 years old, she co-founded STAR, which stands for Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. This was a homeless shelter for gay and transgender youth in New York City.

With her co-founder Sylvia Rivera, Johnson was able to fund this shelter through sex work.

During the day they wanted to teach youth how to read and write and other life skills at the shelter.

STAR was the first LGBTQ homeless shelter for youth in North America and the first organization led by transgender women of color in the United States.

These two women did much for others when they were both part of marginalized communities themselves. Marsha P. Johnson was such a prominent figure in United States and queer history, yet she is either not taught in schools at all or glossed over.

It is important to keep in mind that if you celebrate pride month,

remember that a black transgender woman, along with many other people of color, fought for the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Keeping pride intersectional and celebrating and including everyone is something we can do to honor those who fought for our rights before us.

Johnson was a trailblazer in activism in a time when it was not easy to stand up for certain communities.

Keeping her memory alive by educating others on her impact is a great way to celebrate her and bring awareness to issues that still exist today. Without her and the Contributed photo hard work of many others, life would look very different for a lot Marsha P. Johnson was a very important figure in the Gay Liberation movement. of people.

Ally Burrington photo

The Marsha P. Johnson documentary screening took place on March 31. Pictured (from left): Jessica Hubert, Multicultural & Inclusion coordinator and students: Mars and Gray

Family Weekend a success

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Over the weekend, you might have noticed that there was a lot more activity than usual on campus.

More notably, you might have seen a lot of students with their families. That’s because Family Weekend took place from April 1-3.

“Mercyhurst’s Family Weekend celebrates our Laker families near

and far!” said Cela Veitch-Beck, the Activities and Spirit Coordinator and one of the brains behind this year’s Family Weekend. “We were so excited to welcome everyone back to campus this year for a weekend of fun-filled events!”

The weekend was loaded with events for students and their families alike to attend. April 1 kicked off with dinner and bingo before a night of ice skating followed.

April 2 was a family game day, with Deal or No Deal being

Contributed photo

Students could enjoy a weekend of games and quality time with their families throughout Family Weekend 2022.

played in the Student Union Great Room and lawn games for everyone to enjoy at Trinity Green.

This was followed by a bonfire, where everyone was able to enjoy being with one another while enjoying cookies, hot chocolate and coffee.

April 3 was the chance for students and their families to enjoy Sunday Mass before heading off to brunch. All these events were open to all students, regardless of if their families were with them or

not. Hurst is Home, after all.

“We look forward to showing the families of our students why Hurst really is home,” said Veitch-Beck.

Family Weekend is reserved for current students and their families only, since alumni and their families have the chance to enjoy their festivities during Homecoming weekend. If you were unable to attend Family Weekend this year, do not worry.

“Students and families can

register for Family Weekend on the Mercyhurst website,” said Veitch-Beck. “The Family Weekend page is updated each year with information regarding the weekend’s events.”

It is not often that students are able to bring their families together to enjoy lots of fun on campus, especially if they live so far away.

Do not miss out on the next opportunity for Family Weekend in 2023!

Contributed photo

Luckily, the weather was nice enough during Family Weekend for some activities to take place outside.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

NEWS

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President Biden visits Poland

By Joseph Talarico

Contributing writer

President Joe Biden visited various European countries last week to reassure America’s allies as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its second month.

Biden’s tour began with a visit to Brussels on March 24. The Belgian capital hosts the NATO alliance’s headquarters and the European Council, the main body of the European Union.

Besides visiting these two organizations, Biden also held a meeting with the G-7 countries.

Biden stressed the importance of Western unity, saying that “the single most important thing is for us to stay unified.”

According to the Associat-

ed Press, Biden met with other Western leaders to help coordinate the West’s response to Russia’s invasion.

Biden announced that the U.S. would send an additional $1 billion of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and that the U.S. would accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a teleconference speech to NATO, where he implored the Western leaders for more military aid. Biden said more aid was on the way, but he provided no specifics.

The leaders also discussed the possibility of Russia using chemical weapons against Ukraine.

Biden said such an attack would “trigger a response in kind,” but

no specifics were provided. The Associated Press reported that according to an anonymous White House official, this did not mean military action.

On March 25, President Biden proceeded to Poland.

He first stopped at Rzeszów, a city along the Polish-Ukrainian border. He met with American troops stationed in the area.

The soldiers are part of NATO’s military deployments in eastern Europe. Their mission is not only to deter Russian aggression against Poland, but also to provide humanitarian aid to the thousands of refugees arriving from neighboring Ukraine.

Biden then traveled to Warsaw, the Polish capital. On Saturday, he met with Poland’s

President, Andrzej Duda. Biden also visited Ukrainian refugees in the city, according to CBS. Before leaving on Saturday evening, Biden delivered a major address at Warsaw’s Royal Castle.

In it, he highlighted Eastern Europe’s long struggle for freedom, and the renewed struggle that the world now faces. The new conflict, Biden said, is “a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, between a rulesbased order and one governed by brute force.”

Biden then went on to say how Ukraine was the newest frontline in the fight between freedom and repression.

Biden also detailed how the

United States has aided Ukraine by giving the country $1.35 billion in military aid since the invasion began and the widespread sanctions that have been imposed against Russia.

Towards the end of the speech, Biden made a seemingly unscripted remark about Russian President Vladimir Putin. “For God’s sake, this man cannot stay in power,” said Biden.

According to CNN, the White House later walked back this remark, saying that regime change in Russia was not the policy of the United States. On March 28, Biden said that he was expressing his outrage, and that it was not a change in government policy.

“In Conversation” presentation to be held

By Eva Mihelich

Staff writer

In 2014, Mercyhurst University began the Chittister Lecture Series at the same time the Helen Boyle Memorial Archive was dedicated in the Hammermill Library.

Both the archive space and the lecture series were endowed by the Boyle family. Helen Boyle was a good friend of Sister Joan Chittister, who will be hosting another guest speaker at the next lecture series.

Chittister will host Dr. Mary McAleese, Ireland’s former president from 1997-2011.

McAleese made history by being only the second female president of Ireland and the first president from Northern Ireland.

Now, McAleese spends her

time as a professor at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and the Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin. This is obviously someone who has had plentiful experience, so she has a lot to speak about. This is not a dialogue to be missed.

The “In Conversation” presentation will be held on April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

Students and faculty are buzzing about this presentation due to the intellectual richness of both speakers – Chittister has been an acclaimed speaker and author for 50 years, winning her many awards, and McAleese holds a master’s, doctorate and licentiate in Canon Law. Both women are passionate and vocal about social justice issues, particularly about wom-

en in the Catholic Church.

These two women have actually taken the stage together before in 2019 in a program titled “The Women the Vatican Could Not Silence,” where they “discussed their views on the many issues besetting the Catholic Church today and the possible solutions for change, particularly how to make the Church an equal place for women” according to the Mercyhurst website.

This was a largely popular program, leaving fans of both speakers anxious to find out what the women will discuss at this year’s lecture. With how fast the world is evolving today, there is likely much to be discussed about the state of women and the Church since the last time they hosted a dialogue about the issue.

Both women are faithful Catholics, but are also fierce feminists. They speak on the importance of both things, which is a very relevant issue today with the piercing divide between both groups that many people are trying to relinquish.

In their program, “The Women the Vatican Could Not Silence,” the two bright women shared their standpoints on women’s role in the Church, or lack thereof.

When asked about her view of women and the Catholic Church, Chittister said, “I love my church. I love the Jesus story. I am embedded in my community. I may be a radical, but I’m not a revolutionary... But at the same time, you have to wake up. You have to ask what you’re looking at and you have to say what you see and what I

see is that the Catholic Church for women is a totally owned subsidiary of pious males.”

After discussing this for some time, the mediator asked McAleese what her ideal church looks like, to which she responded, “Us. All of Us.” The “In Conversation” Lecture will likely give us more insight into their standpoints on the issue of women’s lack of inclusion in the Church, and what their solutions look like.

With what was seen the last time they took the stage together, McAleese and Chittister have an uplifting, hopeful, and inclusive outlook that should not be missed.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets will be available at the PAC box office beginning April 12.

Recycle your used PPE masks

By Ashley Barletta

cannot be accepted into the collection to be sent to LifeCycle Revive. The company website states that they can only Mercyhurst’s Sustainability Club re- accept non-contaminated medical waste.

The Sustainability Club plans to keep cently partnered with LifeCycle Revive, a Canadian company that recycles PPE the mask recycling box in its current location until it is full. waste.

Once the box is full, it will be shipped Studies show that 4.4 to 15.1 million tons of mismanaged plastic waste have to LifeCycle Revive, where the masks been generated since the onset of the will be broken down and turned into plastic pellets.

COVID pandemic.

The LifeCycle Revive website states The company not only recycles masks, but other types of medical and personal that the pellets can be used to create “nonwoven textile for masks and disprotection equipment.

The mask recycling box is in the lob- posable isolation gowns as well as injecby of Old Main behind the receptionist tion-molded items used in healthcare.”

The Sustainability Club works to desk.

To recycle used PPE masks, simply make Mercyhurst a more earth-friendly school, so be sure to keep an eye out for drop the mask inside the box.

Accepted masks include surgical any old masks that can be recycled into masks, N95s, KN95, and face shields. the collection box.

Cloth masks cannot be recycled.

Masks that have been heavily dirtied

News editor

Contributed photo

Used PPE masks can be recycled in the box on the right side of the critical concerns banner.

NEWS

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Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Students have “Dinner and Merciad IN A MINUTE Discussion” with Bishop Persico “Saturday Night”

The Mercyhurst Theater Department is preparing to put on the show “Saturday Night” from April 7-10.

Stephen Sondhiem wrote the music and lyrics for the songs in the musical, and the book was written by Julius J. Epstein.

Tickets are already available, so be sure to stop by the box office in the PAC to get yours.

Springfest tickets

By Ashley Barletta News editor

Some student leaders involved with Campus Ministry recently traveled to St. Mark’s Catholic Center for a Dinner and Discussion with the bishop of the Diocese of Erie, Lawrence T. Persico.

This is the first Dinner and Discussion that has been held since the beginning of COVID as larger gatherings were not possible until now. This made it especially exciting for those who had not attended a Dinner and Discussion prior to the pandemic, but also to those who had.

The purpose of this particular discussion was for young people in the Catholic Church to have their

voices heard by those who have a big influence.

Eventually, the discussion that took place will be shared with Pope Francis. His plan is to listen to as many people who are involved in the church as he can.

The schools that attended were those in the Erie Diocese; Mercyhurst University, Gannon University, Clarion University, Allegheny College, Thiel College and Penn State Behrend.

Students who signed up to go received a ticket and made their way up to St. Mark’s Catholic Center, located on Grandview Boulevard.

The Dinner and Discussion was held from 5-8 p.m. on April 1.

The evening began with a small prayer service where those attend-

ing could reflect on both themselves as people and themselves as members of the larger Catholic community.

Attendees were then led to the cafeteria where they could mingle with people from different schools.

Part of the point of having the discussion was to get to know people from other Catholic communities so that everyone could share their own experiences.

The other part of the evening was spent in small groups, answering some discussion questions.

The discussion questions revolved around the Synod on Synodality, a two year process of listening and dialogue with each individual diocese and church, according to the United States Con-

ference of Catholic Bishops.

After the discussion, attendees were able to ask questions to Bishop Persico. These questions could pertain to the discussion on the synod or any other arising questions that they may have had.

One student asked, “What can the Catholic Church do better?”

To which Bishop Persico’s answered, “I thought this thing ended at eight.”

He then gave a synopsis of what the church can do better, beginning with listening.

Listening was the biggest topic covered during the discussion because often people are in such a hurry that nobody will stop and truly listen to one another.

Springfest is upon us! It will take place on April 23 in Warde Hall Parking Lot. The concert will feature Bryce Vine as the headliner and an opener, DJ CA$H ERA. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and you will need your ticket to enter.

Tickets are being distributed in the Student Union throughout the coming weeks.

Unity Week Unity Week began on April 4, but there are activities to celebrate Unity Week happening each day.

Today, April 6, there will be a viewing and discussion on TED talks about identity, Critical Race Theory, inclusion, and more. It will be held in the MSG Chambers at 3 p.m.

Check out Laker Launchpad to find out what is happening the rest of the week.

Easter Egg Hunt The Hospitality Management Association and Professional Convention Management Association (HMA & PCMA) are hosting an Easter egg hunt on April 13.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., beginning in the Center for Academic Engagement (CAE) lobby and CAE field.

Treats will be included in the Easter egg hunt.

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

Email us at merciad@ mercyhurst.edu

Contributed photo

Campus Ministry’s Sister Natalie Rossi, Fr. Jim Piszker and Michelle Scully gave students the opportunity to participate in “Dinner and Discussion” with Bishop Persico.

Students play in disc golf tournament

By Sydney Dietz

Sports editor

Disc golf is a fun activity that many people enjoy. Especially in 2020 with the start of the COVID pandemic, disc golf became extremely popular and had a reported 84 percent growth in new members.

Although disc golf may seem like a hobby, it is actually a legitimate sport found at many universities, including Mercyhurst.

While many know the ins and outs of other sports, such as football and basketball, since disc golf is not typically reported on, people may not know the history of the sport.

The earliest record of disc golf in history was in 1926 in Baldworth, Saskatchewan, Canada. A group of elementary school students played a game involving throwing

tin lids into four foot wide circles that were drawn into sandy patches on the school grounds.

However, as time moved on, a standardized disc golf target, much like the ones that are used today, was developed in 1976.

Ed Headrick became one of the most significant figures in modern disc golf history. Headrick introduced the disc golf target with chains and a basket and he formed the Disc Golf Association and then later the Professional Disc Golf Association.

Because many people may not have much knowledge regarding disc golf, here are some rules explaining the game.

The main objective of disc golf is to play each hole in the fewest strokes possible. Disc golf is played like regular golf, but golf discs are used instead of clubs and balls.

A stroke, also known as a throw, is counted each time the disc is thrown. The player with the lowest total strokes for the entire course wins. The hole is completed when the disc comes to rest in a disc golf basket.

Associate Physics Professor Joseph Johnson, Ph.D. has been a long-time disc golfer. He loved the sport so much that he organized a Mercyhurst disc golf team for students to join.

Although disc golf is not an official club yet, Johnson is hoping to start one. In order for the disc golf team to be considered a clubs port through athletics, they were required to participate in an unsanctioned event.

On March 12, in Olean, New York, the disc golf team competed in the Twin Tiers Disc Golf Regional Tournament.

“I like to say that disc golf is like

going for a hike while playing a sport at the same time to keep you entertained throughout the hike,” said senior geology major Quinlan Hawkins.

“Playing disc golf has taken me to many different parks in Erie and other parks across the U.S. Plus, disc golf is much cheaper than regular golf. Discs are usually around $10 to $20 and there is no fee to play at most places. As spring is now here, go out and play, you won’t regret it!”

The disc golf team is growing and will be participating in more tournaments in the future. Johnson hopes to further expand the team and grow its status on campus.

Hopefully more students will join the team to allow for this growth.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

NEWS

April Steps Challenge begins for Mercyhurst faculty and Staff

By Nadine Fox Staff writer

The Faculty Development Committee and Staff Senate’s Social and Recognition Committee are teaming up for a Steps Challenge in April.

A step challenge is simply a challenge that tracks the number of steps a person takes from walking or running.

They can help create friendly competition in the workplace while also encouraging and implementing healthy lifestyle strategies inside and outside of the workplace.

It is also a really great way of increasing motivation and goal setting. You do not have to be a marathon runner in order to participate, just a small brisk walk can do wonders for taking some steps to improve your overall health and well-being, both mentally and physically.

Walking in general is super beneficial with reducing stress levels and with the year ending and everything starting to wrap, up things can tend to get more stressful.

Regular physical activity boosts your overall heart health and strengthens your lungs. It also helps strengthen your bones. This

reduces risk of developing osteoporosis, which is common as people get older.

This is a really great way to encourage elder staff to keep moving. Walking can also help build muscles, which can help us to have more endurance throughout the day and improve levels of concentration.

Walking encourages our brain to release endorphins, a neurotransmitter that boosts our mental health. It is also is effective at improving our cognitive function and your memory as you grow older.

Mercyhurst faculty and staff who participate are encouraged to take as many steps as they can throughout the month of April.

Participants must have a fitness or step tracker, access to a smartphone and a partner from faculty or staff.

This is a really great opportunity for our employees to bond and take the steps to reach their new fitness goals!

On top of that, it is really neat as students to get some insight to what some of our faculty are up to outside of educating us in the classroom.

Last year, Adam Saeler, Ph.D., in the Criminal Justice department hosted a steps challenge in

the month of April on behalf of the Faculty Development Committee. That opportunity was a lot of fun for faculty to team up with people across campus and encourage one another throughout the challenge.

Because of COVID-19, it has been a bit more challenging to host social events for staff, and so the goal was to create a fun event to tag team with the Faculty Development Committee to encourage people in different departments to walk or team up with other staff or faculty across campus for this year’s challenge.

“There’s a good mix of faculty and staff. We tried to mix up the teams as much as we could,” said Colleen Hordych, co-chair of the Social and Recognition Committee for Staff Senate.

“While I never actually walked through campus with my team, we had a group chat on our phone app called ‘Stridekick,’ where we cheered and encouraged each other to get our steps in throughout the month,” Hordych said. “I am hopeful that as the weather gets a bit nicer, that you may see groups or teams of faculty and staff taking more walks around campus for the challenge.”

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STUDENT GOVERNMENT

This weekend’s campus events

Holocaust survivors flee to Germany

By Hannah Brooks Features editor

Holocaust survivors in Kyiv, Ukraine have found themselves taking desperate measures during Vladimir Putin’s invasion of their hometown last month.

Survivors have recently found sanctuary in Germany, one of the only options that is safe for them at this time.

There had been approximately 10,000 Holocaust survivors living in Ukraine, and a portion of those survivors are now finding refuge in Germany, the country that, at one time, organized the murders of six million Jewish people across Europe.

Tatyana Zhuravliova, an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor was one who sought out shelter in Germany.

Zhuravliova shared her story with the Associated Press, noting that she felt “the same panic she suffered as a little girl when the Nazis were flying air attacks on her hometown of Odesa.”

“My whole body was shaking, and those fears crept up again through my entire body—fears which I didn’t even know were still hidden inside me,” Zhuravliova said in an interview with the Associated Press. “Now I’m too old to run to the bunker. So I just stayed inside my apartment and prayed that the bombs would not kill me.”

As the attacks began to increase in severity, including the demoli-

tion of multiple blocks of apartments, Zhuravliova realized that she had no choice but to evacuate and accepted help from a Jewish organization, New York based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (also known as The Claims Conference), which helped her to get out of Ukraine safely.

Per the organization’s website, they began in 1951 and have successfully helped survivors receive 90 billion dollars in compensation and restitution.

To this day, the organization continues to “negotiate for and disburse funds to individuals and organizations and seeks the return of Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust.”

The organization has organized the evacuation of multiple groups of Holocaust survivors, and Zhuravliova was part of the first group to escape.

The Claims Conference is currently working with another committee, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to safely evacuate as many Holocaust survivors from Ukraine as possible.

Around 500 Holocaust survivors in Ukraine are especially in need of assistance due to their health, and it was noted that their evacuation is currently a top priority.

The evacuations have been a dangerous process due to artillery fire and shelling.

The entire process also includes

finding medical staff and ambulances in multiple war zones, crossing international borders and also attempting to convince survivors, many of whom are unable to leave their homes without extra support due to their health, to flee the country and leave their homes during this dangerous and uncertain time.

“No one can imagine the nightmare the survivors have lived through during the Holocaust,” said Ruediger Mahlo, an employee for the Claims Conference in Germany, in an interview with the Associated Press. “Now they need to evacuate again—their security, all things familiar are again being stripped from them and they are forced to live with uncertainty and fear.”

Currently, the evacuated groups are living in Jewish or interfaith nursing homes all across Germany.

The 3,500 Ukrainian Jews have been offered an expedited path to permanent immigration, which is part of Germany’s continuing efforts to compensate Jews since the Holocaust.

Though the survivors had to endure long and frightening travels to get to safety in Germany, several of the survivors had remarked that they are grateful to be in Germany at this time.

“To me, it looks like the country has learned from the past and is trying to do something good for us now,” Zhuravliova said to the Associated Press.

MERCYHURST CAMPUS

CRIME LOG No crimes reported this week.

Good job, Lakers!

FEATURES

PAGE 6

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

“Mosaic of Life” art showcase returns to Mercyhurst this Spring

By Hannah Brooks Features editor

Amidst the semester wrap-up stress, it is very important for students to give themselves a break and do something interesting or different to keep from burning out.

One way students can do this, while also allowing themselves to appreciate the artwork and diversity of their peers is by attending The Mosaic of Life art showcase on Thursday, April 7. This will be the showcase’s third installment at Mercyhurst after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This event is a collaboration between the Art Therapy department and the Multicultural and Inclusion office at Mercyhurst.

This showcase strives to celebrate diversity as a whole in the Mercyhurst student body - in-

cluding race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion and socio-economic backgrounds. Per an article on the Mercyhurst website about the showcase, “the art exhibit will focus on images that make us unique and reflect our humanity as a Mosaic of Life.”

The Art Therapy department and one of the coordinators for the event, said that there was a variety of different types of artwork submitted, as well as a good number of students who participated in the event.

“We have a range of media on display, including paintings, collages, charcoal drawings, sculptures, mixed media, and a poem that was submitted,” said Heather Denning, art therapy program director. “This year we had about 20 individual students enter as well as a couple of group submissions.”

The artwork will be on display

Contributed photo

The Mosaic of Life Art Showcase will be returning to Mercyhurst after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

for students to walk through and look at. The event will also feature other activities for students to participate in, even if they did not submit artwork for the showcase.

Contributed photo

A piece of artwork created by students at a past Mosaic of Life showcase.

LAKER MOMENT

event and bringing it back after COVID. “We are very excited to host this show again for the third time after having to pause for a few years due to the pandemic. All students, faculty and employees are welcome to attend to enjoy the art and light refreshments,” said Denning.

“I have known Professor Denning since 2019 and have been working with her since last semester. Working with her has always been great and I appreciate her willingness to promote learning and creativity through events like these,” said Shaik.

The event will take place in the Student Union Great Room on Thursday, April 7 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. This week is also Unity Week and Mercyhurst has been hosting events all week.The MAC/SAC events for this weekend are also included in the Unity Week celebrations.

Be sure to attend to support your fellow classmates, learn more about diversity and view the work of talented Mercyhurst artists!

As a fun initiative to both promote quality family time and show parents what the Hurst is all about, Mercyhurst hosted a Family Weekend from April 1-3. There were many events offered for students and their families to enjoy, including ice skating, bingo, family game day and many more exciting events. On Saturday, April 2, MAC/SAC hosted a Family Game Day event. Many games were featured, including Survivor, “Are You Smarter Than a Ph.D.?” and Deal or No Deal. Students and their families enjoyed playing the variety of different games and even had the opportunity to win prizes! The event was a success - many students attended and a good time was had by all. Family Game Day helped to capture the true spirit of what Mercyhurst is all about. Be sure to keep an eye out on Laker Launchpad for other events similar to this one!

Contributed photo

Students enjoyed playing games with family and friends on Family Game Day.

“The event will also feature Henna painting, as well as a collaborative group quilt piece with the theme of diversity, inclusion, and community,” said Denning.

Jasmine Shaik, senior Art Therapy major, is working on the event along with Denning.

“I participated in this event in 2019, but this is my first time helping Professor Denning organize it,” said Shaik. “I designed the digital poster and certificates for the event, as well as collected art and attended meetings to organize the event.”

Shaik added that the event is important for students to attend, not only to appreciate the amazing artwork, but also as a valuable learning opportunity.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about diversity through art,” said Shaik.

“In addition to providing students with an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of cultures, this event encourages them to embrace differences as well.”

Both Denning and Shaik added that both the Art Therapy department, as well as the Multicultural and Inclusion office, which is headed by Jessica Hubert, are looking forward to hosting this

FEATURES

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

RSCO FEATURE

MERCYHURST EQUALITY OF WOMEN

Laker Major/ Minor Spotlight: Religious Studies Major

By Bella Lee Staff writer

MEOW photo

Members of MEOW made cookies together at their first meeting last Thursday.

By Libby Bullinger Copy editor

It’s back and better than ever. After dropping off during the remote period of COVID, the Mercyhurst Equality of Women, or MEOW, has made its return and is ready for students from all walks of campus to join.

The club is aimed at supporting women and acknowledging the hardships that this group has experienced throughout history. Sophomore English major Ashley Barletta is the current president of the club and the one who restarted it after the hiatus. Barletta is passionate about creating a space for all students to come together and learn about important female figures, both past and present.

Michelle Scully, campus minister, who serves as the advisor of the club, describes MEOW as “focused on women’s equality, empowerment and support. Ideally, these things are not just unique to the club, and exist in all avenues around campus. However, this group creates a specific space dedicated to these causes.”

Barletta has great hopes for the club, with great emphasis on inclusion and community. “A club should not be merely about the activities and the outer presentation or what we are doing, but about the people who are in the club. I am an advocate for women’s rights, and I think women should have the freedom to do what they want with their lives, whatever that may be, without being judged by one another. There are so many ways to be feminine, and it’s important for each woman to discover the ways in which she wants to be feminine.”

Similarly, the MEOW vice president Allison Siegmann, a junior double majoring in Intelligence Studies and Spanish, describes her main goal of the club as “bringing people together” because “interaction and creating community is the first step to enacting change.” The vice president notes that she has already made new connections with members of MEOW, even though the club has just gotten back on its feet. She is also grateful that Barletta took initiative to bring this community back to campus after several semesters off.

With advocacy and building community on their mind, the officers of this club are eager to raise awareness about their mission. MEOW hosted their first meeting last Thursday, March 31, which consisted of a baking night.

The club is a casual and judge-free environment for students to connect with one another and find support systems and friends on campus, and any student is welcomed and encouraged to join. Although women is in the name, students of any gender are able to come together through this organization to find connection through female empowerment.

Vice president Siegmann notes, “my favorite aspect of the club is that anyone can join to support. You do not have to be a woman to be a feminist and we want to make sure that students understand that. Anyone who would like to join the club is very welcomed, which adds to the sense of community regarding advocating for women’s rights.”

Students interested in joining the Mercyhurst Equality of Women organization can reach out to Barletta or any of the other officers. This is a great chance for Lakers to get to know others in their community and learn about the history and current aspects of powerful women around the world, and right here at Mercyhurst.

PAGE 7

Mercyhurst is known for having deep religious roots.

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926, Mercyhurst has prided itself in the core values and mission that the Sisters embodied then and continue to embody to this day. Currently, students are able to dig deeper into their faith in the form of the Religious Studies major.

The Religious Studies major allows students to open their eyes to a world rooted in faith and reflection.

From there, they can gain the knowledge of spirituality throughout multiple religions and platforms. “Primarily what students get out of a religious studies major is religious literacy, the capacity to understand and appropriately engage people they work with and for communities they engage in a core aspect of their identity,” said Verna Ehret, Ph.D., chair of the Religious Studies Department. “More broadly, what a student gains is the capacity to understand the breadth and depth of religious experience for people and the nuance and complexity of religion as a defining quality of individual, communal, and political life. Religion

is always more complicated than students initially think it is. In the process, students learn things about themselves, the accuracy of assumptions they have made about the nature of religion, and how religion has affected their lives, even when they do not consider themselves personally religious or participate in organized religion.

They learn that one does not have to be religious in order to understand religion or to be affected by it.”

The classes that students can take within Religious Studies have a very wide variety. There are classes on traditions including Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, as well as classes on religious experiences such as New Religious Movements, Death and Dying, Apocalypse to Zombie and Religion and the Environment.

Religious Studies majors tend to double major in order to gain access to many programs. Alumni of the major have gone on to work in national security, nursing, social work, education and youth ministry.

Today’s students within the major have been able to combine their experiences so that one can benefit the other. Josh Drabik, a junior Intelligence Studies and Re-

ligious Studies double major with a Psychology minor, knows that his background in religion will aid him in his future career. “Studying religion has been both a hobby and a personal endeavor of mine for many years now,” Drabik said. “I love learning why people do what they do and many underestimate just how much religion plays into that. I know my background in scholarly religious study will aid me wherever I end up in the intelligence field. One of my favorite parts about Religious Studies is how much I see it overlapping with issues of intelligence and national security – the sector I intend to eventually work in after I graduate. The RLST major or minor does well to complement really any other program we offer here at Mercyhurst, and Intelligence is no exception.”

The Religious Studies major can change the lives of anyone that comes across it.

Religious Studies is part of REACH, so if you haven’t fulfilled that credit yet, consider taking a class in RLST. You could end up majoring or minoring in this field.

Contributed photo

Members of the Religious Studies department presented at the 2022 Romero Award ceremony.

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FEATURES

PAGE 8

HURST CLASS CATALOG MUSIC AND MEDIA

By Sarah Beck Staff writer

Are you interested in either music or media? Do you need another course for REACH? Look no further, this is the class for you. MUS-114, Music and Media, is a class offered to all Mercyhurst students. Even if you do not have any prior musical experience or training, do not fret! Music and Media was designed as an entrylevel course for anyone who is interested in learning more about music in general and/or how it has evolved alongside popular media such as radio, film and even video games regardless of an individual’s previous musical background. This class specifically dives into the importance that music has had in correspondence to media throughout history.

Music and Media is taught by Alexander Woller, professor of Music, who has been teaching music history here at Mercyhurst since 2019. According to Woller, throughout the course, students have the opportunity to learn a variety of things such as “...the development of media technologies, how entertainers utilized different musical techniques to create long-lasting works of cultural importance, and get to experience many of these technologies and artistic landmarks first-hand through screenings and interactive ‘lab’ days.” This is one of the reasons that Music and Media is so unique, as this course is extremely experiential through many hands-on experiences. Students are able to build listening skills through analysis of historical radio broadcasts, as well as critically examine films and physically interact with video games. In fact, one of Woller’s favorite activities in the class are the “Game Lab Days” where video games are brought into the academic setting. Woller stated, “There are still charts to fill out, data to observe, and questions to answer, but there is an extra buzz on those days in class.”

Woller additionally said “I grew up in the late 80s and early 90s playing a lot of classic Nintendo games, and it is always fun to share those experiences with younger generations. Much of the music we hear in those games still resonates today.” A fun fact that Woller provided was that the Super Mario Bros. theme by Japanese composer Koji Kondo has become one of the most widely recognized pieces of music of the 20th century which goes to show you how strong the connection between music and media is from past to present!

Through activities such as the “Game Lab Days”, students are able to make connections between music and media from the past to the present. Woller said, “Students can begin to see how media from the past laid a foundation for the forms of media that we still consume today. For example, the radio broadcasts of the 1940s are often strikingly similar to the podcast formats that are so popular on streaming platforms today.”

This class truly allows students to build their critical thinking skills. Throughout the course, students are forced to take a step back to analyze how music and media have been an important and influential part of the present and past history. Music and media have a large role in society, but we oftentimes do not have the knowledge to fully understand how music is used and what it might mean in the media. This class is all about supplying students with the tools necessary for them to further appreciate music in any form of media that it might present itself.

Sound like something you would be interested in?

Make sure to write it down to add to your schedule in future semesters to come!

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

TREX initiative encourages plastic recycling

By Ashley Barletta News editor

Mercyhurst’s Sustainability Office and Sustainability Club have recently partnered with TREX, a company that recycles different types of plastic bags and packaging. The goal for Mercyhurst is to collect 500 pounds of plastic, which is the equivalent of 40,000 plastic grocery bags, for the initiative.

If this goal is met, Mercyhurst will receive a new bench that will be placed in the Sister Maura Smith Mercy Garden, located behind Warde Hall.

There are three collection boxes for the TREX initiative. They are located in the lobby of Old Main behind the receptionist’s desk, the Student Union beside Campus Ministry and in the Ryan Hall lobby.

Items that will be accepted into the collection are grocery bags, bubble wrap, case overwrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, salt bags, bread bags, cereal bags, Ziploc and other reclosable food storage bags, pallet wrap and stretch film, plastic shipping envelopes, and wood pellet bags.

The bags will be weighed by student volunteers throughout the month of April, and the weight will be recorded. Some items that should not be placed into the collection boxes in order to avoid contamination are: frozen food bags, candy bar wrappers, mulch or soil bags, lamination film, pet

Contributed photo

A flier for the initiative explaining which items can be recycled.

food bags, six-pack rings, pool covers, chip bags, hot dog or meat wrap packaging, shiny, crinkly films (like floral wrap), bedding or linen packaging, backyard ice rinks, vinyl shower curtains or tablecloths, net or mesh produce bags, pre-washed salad mix bags degradable or compostable bags or film packaging, or PPE gloves, masks, or protective wear.

If you are looking to get rid of your used PPE masks, they can be recycled in the LifeCycle Revive box located in the lobby of Old Main, behind the receptionist’s desk.

Colin Hurley, executive director of Community Engagement, said, “I’m noticing a trend that I

think the majority of us often fall into when it comes to recycling opportunities. I really want to stress this for us and our society: recycling bags, films, and wraps is a great action, but for the future generation it will take many people’s behavioral changes and policy changes to address the complex issue of why do we need or have these single use plastics in the first place? Can we REFUSE or REDUCE them as individuals? Can we collectively shift our ways as institutions, towns/cities, municipalities, and states toward a more post-single-use-plastics (i.e. away from the products that rely on fossil fuels) future that is better for living things and our earth and its atmosphere?”

Hurley additionally added that the challenge is one that will be beneficial to Lakers in more ways than just the recycling itself and the prize of a new bench. “This is a challenge for the Lakers who will be the leaders and shapers of our future policies, future products, and our daily routines. It’s a challenge that is ready for all of us, and the challenge starts today.”

Initiatives such as TREX remind us of our mission to be globally responsible as the Sisters of Mercy were and this is one of many ways the University can further promote the many missions that the Sisters stood for.

For more information, contact Colin Hurley or check out the TREX website at https://recycle. trex.com/view/educate.

“Passport to Graduation” prepares seniors

By Victoria McGinty Managing editor

With Spring beginning to bloom on campus, it is hard not to get excited about all of the festivities that come with the warm weather. SpringFest and the blooming of the magnolia tree are just two of many things to be excited about on-campus although, the most exciting of all is graduation.

Graduation season is slowly upon us and there are lots of things to keep in mind as the class of 2022 preps for their farewell.

On March 29, many offices within the university hosted Passport to Graduation, an event that prepares the graduating class for their departure from the university.

There were many offices involved with this event including Academic Support, the Alumni Office, the Bookstore, Campus Involvement, Graduate Admissions, the Registrar, as well as Residence Life.

Senior Intelligence major Brianna “Bri” Kurutz attended the event to learn more about what is coming up for her. “This was a great experience. I am lucky I was able to attend because I learned so much about what comes after Mercyhurst and to know that everyone here cares about me and

Contributed photo

“Passport to Graduation” logo

my life after Mercyhurst.”

While there, senior students visited each department’s table to ask questions and engage with the staff. The theme of travel was involved in many ways. For example, students could snack on peanuts or pretzels while walking around The Mercy Heritage Room engaging with each table. The students who attended also had a “passport” that was stamped upon their arrival at each station. At the

conclusion of the student’s “trip” around the room, they would submit their “passport” to be entered for prizes which included a free diploma frame from the bookstore, swag bags and padfolios. Winners included Alexa Vasko, Gabrielle Christello, Nicholas Brodfueher, Micheal Newell and Julia Ruscio.

The event had a successful turnout and was incredibly helpful for anticipating graduates. Senior Cyber Security major Matthew Gildone found the event beneficial for preparing for graduation. “It was very helpful. While I do not officially graduate until December, I still feel like I was able to ask questions and receive helpful answers,” said Gildone.

Most of the events seniors anticipate usually revolve around SpringFest or commencement, having an event like “Passport to Graduation” is a great addition to the list of events that occur in the spring.

While the event has already passed, seniors are encouraged to visit any of the offices that were involved with this event to get information.

For any additional questions about graduation or life after Mercyhurst students can reach out to Erica Cox from Academic Support at ecox@mercyhurst.edu

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

FEATURES

Student research will shine at Illumination research symposium

By Libby Bullinger Copy editor

As part of the Celebration of Research 2022, the Illumination Symposium is back at Mercyhurst. The Student Scholarship Symposium will take place this year on Wednesday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 4p.m., in the Waterford Room located in Ryan Hall.

Illumination is an annual event that showcases the wide variety of projects students take part in throughout the semester. From traditional research to service, internships and art, the symposium offers representation for a variety of subjects.

This year, Adam Saeler, Ph.D., assistant professor of Criminal Justice, is helping to organize the event. Due to COVID-19 and the ad-hoc nature of the committee, Saeler is currently the one in charge of the committee as a serving member and will be putting together the Illumination event this year.

Students from all over campus are both able and encouraged to submit their work for recognition.

Typically the Illumination event draws around thirty student presenters and is an excellent way for students to demonstrate

Editor in chief

If you are looking for a new pace to study where you will actually get work done, then look no further.

Academic Support has started a new study studio initiative to provide students a space to study “with the added benefit of accountability and structure.”

Zurn 313 is reserved for the rest of the Spring semester for students to come in anytime from 3 to 8 p.m., and stay for as long as they want.

For those who choose to attend, the Study Studio will be staffed with Peer Mentors who can provide study tips and general guidance.

The Peer Mentors are there to help students with time management skills, study tips and other various assistance regarding their studies. It will be nice to be surrounded by people who are doing work, but in a new setting.

Academic Advantage Program Coordinator Kseniya Kampova explained that there are many benefits to Study Studio sessions, and the experience can be beneficial to any student at Mercyhurst.

“Students are encouraged to collaborate with their peers or

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

By Sarah Beck Staff writer

what research they are doing in their studies.

All students who complete the application and submit a substantial project are accepted into the event, meaning that it is highly accessible for students.

Saeler notes that presenters hail from a wide range of the student body.

“Typically, the Honors Program and Sports Medicine department require seniors to have a presentation as a requirement, so we see a lot of those students.

But we also see any other student who completed research throughout the year,” said Saeler.

Keeping in the theme of inclusion and recognition of research, Illumination also offers students a platform for other mediums and is not exclusive to research presentations.

There is also an opportunity for students to submit other types of projects such as artwork to the symposium.

The poster calling for applications states, “because this is a chance for our entire community to see first-hand the kinds of scholarship that students create as part of their Mercyhurst education, we strongly encourage everyone involved in a significant experiential learning project to

submit a poster or similar presentation.”

This event is a wonderful way for students to share their skills— whether it be artwork or written research—and have a unique opportunity to share it with not only their fellow students and faculty, but also with the community.

The event is a great way for students to gain exposure and practice their presentation skills as well.

“The hard work of Mercyhurst students should be celebrated simply based on the effort. For many students, the research submitted and presented at Illumination is the culmination of their years at Mercyhurst in that many are submitting their senior thesis,” said Saeler. “All great effort deserves some form of accolade.”

Applications for the Illumination Student Scholarship Symposium are open until April 8, so there is still time for students to submit projects they may be working on.

Students interested in submitting their work can reach out to Saeler via email at asaeler@mercyhurst.edu.

‘Study Studio’ supports students for successful outcomes

By Samantha Weber

PAGE 9

use the space for quiet study time to get their work done independently. We also provide snacks, aka brain food,” said Kampova.

Kampova adds that the Study Studio can help a wide variety of students, regardless of their needs or current study habits.

“The Study Studio is ideal for students who might need additional support with assignment completion, time-management and self-discipline,” said Kampova, “however, anyone can benefit from attending a session.”

The Study Studio sessions are a great place to study, learn more study skills, collaborate with peers and get motivated.

Kampova explained that Academic Support started this initiative to create a different and unique environment for students to study in.

“We find that students get more work done when they’re not in their rooms. So, if your dorm is too distracting and the library is too quiet, come study with us,” said Kampova.

It is important for student’s to find the best study environment for them to be the most successful in their college career.

The majority of students at Mercyhurst right now have not had a normal college year

thus far, so going back to taking in-person tests is proving to be more difficult to some than they would like. Students want to get back to a normal life, but the transition from COVID-19 world back to normal that we have not seen in over two years is difficult.

“Our hope is that structured study time will motivate students to get their work done while fostering persistent study habits over time,” Kampova said. “We always encourage students to plan their study time, devoting at least 2 hours of studying for every hour of class. The Study Studio makes it easy to build studying into your routine.”

Study Studio sessions are an innovative concept, perfect for students regardless of their study habits. It may be helpful for students to switch up their study habits or environment.

Be sure to stop by Zurn 313 sometime soon on Mondays or Thursdays, when the Study Studio sessions are held, to see if the environment is a good one for you to be productive in.

If you have any questions about the Study Studios, please reach out to Kampova at kkampova@mercyhurst.edu.

Historical Event: April 2, 2005 St. Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005 at his home in the Vatican. He was the first-ever Slavic pope and was the youngest to be chosen as the Pope in 132 years. He was born in 1920 with the name Karol Jozef Wojyla in Poland. He became a highly educated individual and spent time studying philosophy, literature and theology at the University of Krakow’s Jagiellonian. He continued his education to complete two doctorates and become a professor of moral theology and social ethics.

In 1958, he was appointed auxiliary bishop and later became the city’s archbishop. He was an extremely active leader who spoke out for religious freedom when Catholicism was at a time of revolutionization. In 1967, Paul was made a cardinal.

When John Paul I died in 1978, John Paul II was chosen to step into the position of head of the Catholic Church. At the time of his death in 2005, over two million people gathered in the Vatican city for his funeral.

Top 3 Songs This Week According to Spotify’s Global Charts 1. “Heat Waves:” Glass Animals 2. “As It Was:” Harry Styles 3. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno:” Carolina Gaitlin, La Gaita, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz, Encanto cast On the Charts This Week 35 Years Ago According to Billboards Charts 1. “Licensed to III:” Beastie Boys 2. “Slippery When Wet:” Bon Jovi 3. “Graceland:” Paul Simon Top Artists Today Male: Lil Durk Female: Doja Cat Top Artists 7 Years Ago Male: Kendrick Lamar Female: Taylor Swift Top 3 Podcasts This Week According to Spotify: 1. “The Joe Rogan Experience” 2. “On My Mind with Ava Jules” 3. “Mr.Ballen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories” Top Grossing Films: This week: “The Lost City” Thirty Five Years Ago: “Blind Date” Top 3 TV Shows on Netflix This Week: 1. “Bridgerton” 2. “Coco Melon” 3. “Is It Cake?”

Top 3 TV Shows 10 Years Ago 1. “Scrubs” 2. “Fear Factor” 3. “Breaking Bad” In the News: 1. “Will Smith has resigned from the Academy following his actions at the Oscars” 2. “Scientists are seeing a dangerous shift in early Spring tornadoes” 3. “Russia drafts 134,500 soldiers but claims they do not plan to go after Ukraine”

PAGE 10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Willis retires after revealing shocking medical diagnosis

By Emma Coppolo A&E editor

Over the past week, more and more articles have surfaced discussing Hollywood icon Bruce Willis.

Willis is arguably one of the most famous actors of his generation, starring in hits such as “The Sixth Sense,” “Die Hard” and even the cartoon movie “Over the Hedge.”

Willis’ career has spanned decades, and his latest announcement shook the film industry and viewers alike.

Willis’ family has come forward with his aphasia diagnosis as it has gotten to the point that he cannot continue hiding it.

Aphasia is a condition usually resulting from a stroke or head trauma. The result is an inability to understand or formulate language. The afflicted person essentially loses the ability to communicate.

For obvious reasons, this is an incredibly difficult condition to have as an actor whose entire job is memorizing and reciting lines.

“As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” his family stated.

The news of his retirement is undeniably shocking but entirely understandable.

Many actors that have worked with Willis over the past few years have since admitted to noticing signs of his decline.

Scripts were changed to ensure Willis had fewer and fewer lines.

His lines were then fed to him through an earpiece as he could no longer retain them naturally.

The biggest issue that has arisen in the midst of this allegedly occurred about two years ago when Willis misfired a prop gun on set.

While this may seem insignificant as it was a prop rather than a real firearm, this mistake could have seriously hurt someone.

As seen in the incident with Alec Baldwin just a few months ago, prop guns can be incredibly dangerous and even kill people.

Following this incident, it is clear that this is a problem regarding both Willis’ safety and

Contributed photo

Bruce Willis with his daughter, Rumer.

the safety of those around him.

People within the industry have seen first-hand how changed Willis is from the man he used to be since his diagnosis.

While filmmakers did not want to discriminate against Willis, they also did not want to fail him after such a successful career.

He is a respected and accom-

plished actor, and no one wanted his current issues to affect his public perception.

His condition got to the point where it was difficult at best to ignore, and Willis simply seemed like a different person.

Filmmakers did not want to put him in movies and have him look bad, so some of them had

to make the difficult choice of ending their professional relationship.

This may or may not have led to the eventual announcement of his retirement, but it seems to be the best course of action for both Willis and his family.

Aphasia attacked the part of Willis’ life that made him who he is. It is impossible to imagine the impact that this is having on him and those around him.

While actors often share large parts of their personal lives with the public, situations like these make the public wonder what else is being concealed in Hollywood.

It appears as though a large portion of the industry knew of Willis’ condition while the public had no knowledge of it.

For this reason, the public needs to be more understanding and empathetic towards actors.

No one really knows what is going on in their lives, and that should be respected.

Hurst Hot Take: ‘Reminders of Him’

By Vydalia Weatherly Staff writer

Advising Day provided me the opportunity to do something I rarely get to do doing the semester: read for leisure.

I read the book “Reminders of Him” by Colleen Hoover.

It is one of her newer books and was highly recommended to me by my close friend, Elizabeth Bair.

The book follows Kenna Rowan, a woman who spent five years in prison prior to being released.

Rowan was charged with murdering her boyfriend Scotty in a car accident after she fled the scene instead of staying to help him.

The book revolves around Rowan’s efforts to meet her daughter, Diem. Because Rowan was pregnant with Diem in jail, she was not able to take care of her, and she had to relinquish her parental rights to Scotty’s parents.

Rowan arrives in the town where her daughter and in-laws live in an attempt to apologize, meet Diem and hopefully become a part of her life.

She knows that it will not be easy without a job or money. However, she meets a man named Ledger who offers her a job at the bar he owns.

Ledger also just so happens to be Scotty’s best friend, a caretaker to Diem and a family friend to Scotty’s parents.

Conflicted, Ledger does not know if he should keep helping Rowan because he knows the pain she has caused those around him.

However, he can also see how hard she is doing to be a part of Diem’s life.

This book is so interesting to me because of Hoover’s descriptions and talent in writing.

I found myself sympathizing with both Rowan and Scotty’s parents, and I kept wondering how their situation would resolve (or if it would at all).

I read through it very quickly because I wanted to know more. I especially wanted to know what actually happened the night of the car accident.

I will not spoil it here, so if you want to know what happened the night of the crash, you will have to read it as well.

Hoover really pulls the reader into her book and makes them feel so many emotions.

In the book, Rowan continues to write letters to Scotty, providing him with life updates.

Those letters were my favorite part of the book.

At the beginning, you kind of feel unsympathetic with Rowan when you learn about what she

did. As the book progresses and more and more is uncovered, you see what the truth really is.

Compared to other books written by Hoover, “Verity” for example, I found her writing styles to be similar. By this, I mean she is able to grab the reader’s attention from just the first chapter.

She develops the characters to the point that you know who they are in such a short time.

The details and descriptions are clear to make you feel like you are part of the book.

Each book has something special to them that separates them from another, but each one still each contains Hoover’s trademarks.

The only thing I did not like about this particular book was some points felt they were included for filler purposes and were not important to the plot at all.

I do, however, still recommend giving this book a read.

The book can be found on any website and it can also be downloaded on a Kindle if that is your preferred way to read books.

Once you start reading this book, you will not want to put it down, so keep it in your back pocket for when you need a new Cover of Colleen Hoover’s “Reminder of Him.“ book to read.

Contributed photo

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 11

The 814: PopLuck Gourmet Popcorn pops up in Erie

Contributed Photo

Advertisement for PopLuck Gourmet Popcorn.

By Hannah Brooks Features editor

When you think of popcorn, where does your mind go?

Perhaps you imagine the overpriced but delicious kind you get at a movie theater.

Your mind might go to good old Orville Redenbacher’s or the poppable bags you purchase in movie theaters.

But, did you ever stop to think about candy-coated, sweet-infused, seasoned assortments of popcorn? How about the kind made right here in Erie?

Well, now you have, and you have no choice but to read on and learn more.

PopLuck Gourmet Popcorn is located at 1535 West 8th Street in the Greengarden Plaza.

They have been serving up their sweet, salty and seasoned corn for five years now. Yet, they have undoubtedly become a staple in the Erie community and a

food establishment that the city did not even realize it needed until it came.

The first time I tried the popcorn from PopLuck was about a year ago when my name appeared on the “roll call” board.

I was tagged in a post on social media by friends because my name appeared on their board.

This meant that I got a complimentary bag of Generic Jenny (salted butter popcorn).

Of course, there was no way that I could leave without trying more.

I also got the Banana Split, which was popcorn accompanied with flavors of vanilla, banana, strawberry and milk chocolate.

I also picked up a bag of Jovial Rancher, which was popcorn candy-coated with cherry, watermelon, blue raspberry, green apple and grape flavors.

Both were gone within two days because I could not stop

eating them.

My personal favorites from PopLuck would have to be S’moreo and Buffalo Ranch.

PopLuck also offers a wide variety of flavors that change daily.

If you think that the flavors stop with candy coating and seasonings, you are wrong.

Have you ever tried chocolate peanut butter pie as a popcorn?

How about Banana Bread, Brownie Sundae in a Waffle Bowl or Oreo Shamrock Ice Cream Cone popcorn?

If you ever wondered, or are now very intrigued, PopLuck offers crazy flavors such as these and so many more.

If you do not necessarily have a sweet tooth when it comes to popcorn, they have other offerings with more spice to them.

Some past examples have included Irish Pub Floor, a flavor with cheddar pretzel ale, pub mix and hot fries; Cajun Garlic Parm and Fish and Chips pop-

corn featuring hot malt vinegar, potato sticks and goldfish crackers.

PopLuck is the perfect place to go when you need a break from schoolwork as well as a treat.

The staff is very friendly, and it is also very interesting to be able to watch (and smell) the popcorn being made right in front of you.

Although the flavors change up from day to day, there is always something that you will be able to enjoy.

The flavor combinations that they come up with will never fail to peak your interest!

There is no way that you will be able to check out the board without being amazed that a flavor can be turned into a popcorn.

Be sure to follow PopLuck on Facebook to keep up on flavors and the roll call.

If your name is on the board, you are able to go in and get a

complimentary bag of Generic Jenny popcorn.

If you would like to check out the gourmet popcorn but are unable to make the drive across the Bay front, don’t worry. You have the option to order the popcorn through DoorDash.

Additionally, PopLuck Gourmet Popcorn is sold at many Country Fair stores around the area.

This popcorn is unique and fantastic, no matter which flavor you choose.

Whether you have a sweet tooth or like something salty and spicy, they have something for everyone.

The plaza also has a variety of other businesses, including some that have previously been featured in the 814.

There’s no reason not to swing by and find something that you might love.

Be sure to give it a try—you will not regret it.

No joke: Styles breaks Spotify records

By Emma Coppolo A&E editor

On Friday, April 1, Harry Styles released his newest single, “As It Was.” Leading up to this, many fans worried that the release was an April Fools’ Day prank.

Styles has not released new music in a significant period of time, so this seemed too good to be true.

However, the song was released as Styles promised it would be.

The obsession with Styles is truly a cultural phenomenon at this point.

Everyone seems to know at

least “Watermelon Sugar” or One Direction classics.

This single, though, is the first to come out at such a peak in Styles’ career.

Because of this, an unprecedented number of fans flocked to their streaming services of choice to hear the song for the very first time.

Spotify is possibly the mostused streaming platform. It has featured and supported musicians for years, and its popularity grows constantly.

There is such a diverse range of songs for people to enjoy.

For this reason, making history for the service with a single song is undeniably difficult.

This, though, did not seem to be much of an issue for Styles on April 1.

Spotify boasts of hosting over 82 million songs on its platform. Of roughly 82 million songs, “As It Was” has already broken these two records.

Firstly, “As It Was” became the most-streamed song in a single day of 2022 on Spotify’s platform.

Additionally, it is now the most-streamed song in a single day in Spotify’s entire history.

Both of these accomplishment are incredibly impressive.

As time goes on, it is possible that it will break even more.

Styles recently announced

that he will also be releasing an album this year entitled “Harry’s House.”

After the unbelievable success of his previous album, “Fine Line,” it is likely that Styles will continue breaking records with his upcoming project.

The “As It Was” music video contains beautiful imagery with hidden meanings.

To enjoy the song for all it is, people should consider watching it.

They are sure to see Styles’ talent in both the video and lyrics.

Contributed Photo

Harry Styles in his “As It Was” music video.

OPINION

PAGE 12

GOOD Spring Fest is soon!

BAD It is still cold out.

HAPPY Easter break is next week!

The Merciad

The Oscars Slap running for Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Staff Writer Williams in King Richard.

He was attending the Oscars with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who had shaved her head due to You can’t have celebrities alopecia, an autoimmune without the drama. disorder that leads to hair Whether it’s cheating, loss. Chris Rock, making having a lot of kids, light of the situation, joked deaths, falling outs or by saying, “Jada, good to whatever the news happens see you, GI Jane 2, I can’t to be on that day, you can wait to see it,” referring never go a full 24 hours to the 1997 movie that without hearing some starred Demi Moore with a sort of scandal occur. The shaved head. According to incident that everyone is multiple accounts, Smith talking about right now laughed at the joke, but just happened on March following a glare from his 27 during the Oscars. wife, promptly walked The Oscars were already on stage and powerfully marred with controversy slapped Rock across the before the infamous face. He then sat back scenario took place. down and yelled, “Keep There was an awkward my wife’s name out of your conversation between f---ing mouth,” at Rock.

Lady Gaga and Caitlyn This incident has been Jenner that quickly made met with a variety of headlines, the performance reactions from fans, fellow of “We Don’t Talk About celebrities and critics alike.

Bruno” from Disney’s Rock’s comedy shows Encanto was less than have seen sales skyrocket satisfactory to viewers, and sell out. He has been the list goes on. However, interviewed on multiple it was the altercation platforms, discussing between Will Smith and how he is still processing Chris Rock that has been what had happened to circulating the Internet him. Smith has resigned globally. from the Academy of Will Smith was in the

By Bella Lee

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.

Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the wake of the situation. Multiple upcoming projects with him slated to star in them have been paused. Smith issued a public apology the next day, but many are still calling for Smith’s Best Actor Oscar, which he won only 20 minutes after slapping Rock, to be revoked. However, the main burning question is: whose fault is it?

Some say it’s Rock’s fault, since the joke he made was insensitive to those with alopecia. Others says it’s Smith’s fault, since he shouldn’t have assaulted Rock on live TV. A select few believe it to be Jada Pinkett Smith’s fault, since her relationship with her husband has been revealed in recent years to be toxic.

I just believe it to be a very unsure and foggy situation. I very much enjoy both Will Smith and Chris Rock and their performances. I can only hope that this situation is resolved quickly and in a way that no one is hurt or will be hurt in the future.

I love my family’s Easter celebrations

By Samantha Weber Editor in Chief

STUDENT EDITORS Samantha Weber .................... Editor in Chief Victoria McGinty .................. Managing Editor Ashley Barletta ............................News Editor Hannah Brooks...................... Features Editor Sydney Dietz .............................. Sports Editor Emma Coppolo ............................. A&E Editor Zach Dumais ........................... Opinion Editor Libby Bullinger ..............................Copy Editor Kristian Biega.......................................Advisor Steph Przepiora ...................................Advisor

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Easter is right around the corner and many families are getting ready to celebrate their annual traditions. Easter is personally one of my favorite holidays because I can spend time with all my family members that I do not normally see throughout the year.

To start the holiday, my family always decorates the house a few weeks before and we dye Easter eggs a few days before.

My family is Catholic, so we go to church for Easter.

We have been going to the Easter Vigil mass the past few years. Thankfully my church’s Easter Vigil mass starts at 10 p.m. and not midnight.

My family always spends the night at our house

for Easter and the night before we get to leave carrots out for the Easter Bunny. It was always so fun to see little bite marks out of the carrots the next morning. When we were really young, my parents used to put baby powder in our foyer and make rabbit prints in them.

Similar to what we do on Christmas, my siblings always wake each other up and then proceed to wake my parents up and they have to go downstairs first and make sure the Easter Bunny does not need their help to finish anything before we can go into the living room.

When we go downstairs, we each grab baskets to do the Easter egg hunt around our house and then trade candy when we all open them.

After the Easter egg hunt, my mom and I normally start cooking breakfast and our family tradition for Easter is to make monkey

bread on Easter morning.

While that is baking, all the kids open their Easter baskets and we all eat a ton of candy.

One of my favorite traditions that we did when all of us cousins were younger was a giant Easter egg hunt. Outside of my aunt’s house, there was a little island in her road with lots of trees and bushes and the parents would hide all the eggs and make sure all the kids got the same amount so no one felt left out. Since we are all older now we have not done it in a few years, but this tradition has some of my favorite memories with all of my cousins.

Now, we go to my aunt’s house just for dinner and not the Easter egg hunt.

And for dinner we always have ham, cheesy potatoes, and vegetables.

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

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

OPINION

PAGE 13

Attendance should not be mandatory I specifically have with

By Emma Coppolo this is how stringent some A&E editor professors’ policies are on missing classes. In some departments, students can miss what amounts Attendance should not be to weeks of class with no mandatory. questions asked. In others, One of the things that nearly no classes can be you hear most when missed without grades starting college is, “you’re being altered. Some classes adults, so we’re going to even have policies that treat you like adults.” only a single day of class In many aspects, this is can be missed without true. However, one thing the student’s grade being majorly impeding this affected. Even if the idea sentiment is the idea of behind this is to avoid mandatory attendance. students skipping, it Many colleges do punishes students that have not require attendance, good reasons for missing but ours does. While I class. understand the reasoning We’re in college; it’s of wanting to make sure supposed to be one of the we go to class, that’s also best times of our lives. our choice. They’re right: In my opinion, skipping we’re adults. That means class every now and then that we have to actively to take up an opportunity decide to invest ourselves in for a good experience is our education. If students well worth it. Many of us want to skip class, it should have had our entire college be their choice; after all, experiences dominated by they’re the ones paying to the pandemic. The world is go here. I have had so many finally starting to resume, friends sit through classes and we should get to take where there is genuinely no part in that. A lot of us are information being taught. such hard workers that we While their time could be miss out on a good deal much better allocated to of fun that we could be tasks that actually require having otherwise. While attention, they have to I’m not implying that we essentially wait-out a class shouldn’t be working hard, that isn’t advancing them I am saying that we deserve academically. occasional rewards for that The biggest problem that dedication. Missing a few

HURST STUDENTS

SPEAK UP

days of class should not be an obstacle if you’re able to make up the work you’ve missed.

Both myself and many friends of mine have missed class for “mental health days,” which I think is completely understandable.

College is hard, and sometimes we just need a day to take a breath. With modern technology, we’re never really away from school. On vacations, we’re answering emails. At one in the morning, we’re writing essays in a dark room lit up by a laptop. Missing a day of class to preserve your own sanity shouldn’t just be accepted but encouraged.

Burnout is harder to resolve than to prevent.

I think that our attendance policies are far too strict and students are the ones being hurt by it.

I truly believe that, if we are adults, this is a great life lesson in responsibility.

If attendance affects participation grades, I think that is totally fair. However, the way things operate now is simply ridiculous.

I encourage professors to consider this reasoning and revise their attendance policies.

We asked: Are you excited for Easter break?

Samantha Weber, sophomore Business and Competitive Intelligence Studies major: “Yes, I am very excited for Easter break because I get to spend time with my family!”

Ashley Barletta, sophomore English major: “I’m always excited for a break!”

Jack Wroblewski, senior Intelligence Studies major: “Yes! I’m excited to dye eggs with my family and take a break before final projects are due!”

Douglas Wilsch, senior Intelligence Studies major: “Yes! I’m excited for the quick break to go up and spend Easter morning with my extended family!”

Compiled by Zach Dumais

Advising day could certainly be improved is a required course for my major. My advisor checking Staff Writer over my schedule saved me a lot of future stress. I also had a couple of specific questions related to my credits and path If you are a planner like and he helped me to answer me, you already know exactly them. For these reasons, I which classes to take and would say that advising day, when so you can graduate at least this semester, was exactly when you want incredibly helpful for me and to. This would take away I have a lot of appreciation for the purpose of getting the my advisor. approval from your advisor.

As someone who has However, sometimes changed their major, I have advisors have inside had experience working with information to know that a couple of advisors. My a class will not be held a previous advisor claimed to certain term when the Course have around 120 advisees and Catalog says it will be. This would set up our meetings happened to me in planning over the entire week. This for next semester and my was nice because I would advisor was helpful in moving schedule mine on Monday ethics to the Spring and and have all of Tuesday off. In putting Con Law on my Fall this case, the meetings were semester schedule. If he had also incredibly pointless. The not done this, then I would advisor would have no time not be able to graduate when to be of much help to specific I planned because Con Law questions and was visibly

By Maiya Harding

frazzled. I felt as though I did not need someone to waste their time verifying my classes when that is all they did, and they were too busy.

In cases like this, I would see value in making advising appointments optional for students who feel they need them. Or even having them over the course of a few weeks leading up to registration and taking away advising day altogether. This would eliminate the stress of fitting everyone in within a day

and add in a day of classes that could be important to a course.

I also have issues with advising day on a Tuesday. It sucks. You get the weekend off, then a day of class, then a day off, then a few more days of class. It is confusing and it feels like another Sunday and throws off your weekly schedule. It would be ideal to have it on a Monday to be a three-day weekend or a Wednesday to break up the week. Additionally, M-W-F

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classes are held three days a week while T-Th are held only two days. Why take away from a class that meets less as it is?

All in all, I see some value with advising day, but I also see some downfalls with it for both students and advisors.

It sucks especially when some professors still hold class on our day off.

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

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SPORTS

PAGE 14

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Baseball faces Gannon Golden Knights

By Samantha Weber Editor in chief

On April 2, the men’s baseball team played a double header against Gannon University Golden Knights.

This set of games were played at Gannon University. Graduate student Josh Surowiec hit his seventh home run of the year in the top of the third inning and senior Casimer Sobaszek was also able to score on this hit.

Gannon responded in the bottom of the inning with two runs and in the fourth inning they took the lead on a wild pitch.

In the top of the seventh inning, senior Jack Elliott scored a run making the score tied at 3-3.

Gannon eventually took the lead and held onto it for the rest of the game from an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning.

For the Lakers, sophomore Jarrett Heilman started out pitching and was eventually replaced by freshman Jacob Bazala.

In the second game, the Lakers lost 1-0. Sobaszek and sophomore Luke Jackson had hits in the game, but were unable to score.

Graduate student Matthew Gibson and sophomore Aidan Morrison drew walks. Sophomore John Bufford Jr. was the starting

Hurst Athletics photo

Sophomore pitcher Daniel Thomas pitching the ball in a game against the Gannon Golden Knights.

pitcher and freshman Aiden Kelly took over in the sixth inning.

On April 3, the baseball team played another double header against the Golden Knights. The games were played at Mercyhurst,

giving the home advantage to the Lakers.

In the first game, the Lakers started off well when Surowiec drove in Gibson with a single.

In the bottom of the second, the

Lakers scored another run when senior Philip Ferranti scored on Gibson’s double to the left-center gap.

Gannon scored in the top of the third with a three run homer. In

the bottom of the third, the Lakers scored three runs too.

Ferranti drove in Jackson, and one batter later, senior Logan Martella-Tasick hit a double off the wall to bring in Ferranti and Jack Elliott. This was the Lakers last run of the game.

The Golden Knights tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning and they scored once more in the sixth inning, making the final score 7-5 in favor of Gannon.

The pitchers for the Lakers were graduate student Josh Greggs, Bazala and Kelly.

In the second game, sophomore Daniel Thomas started as the pitcher and he had no-hitter going into the fifth inning. This was his first career complete game and he struck out eight people in it.

The first run for the Lakers came in the fourth inning on an error when the Gannon pitcher overthrew to the first baseman on an attempted pickoff and Elliott was able to score on the play.

In the fifth inning, the Lakers had runners on first and second and Ferranti hit one that was dropped in right field and both runners were able to score while Ferranti made it to third base.

The Lakers shutout the Golden Knights 3-0 in the second game.

Get to know Mercyhurst tennis coach HURST RESULTS

By Libby Bullinger Copy editor

In 2011, Jerome Simon had just sold his family business with plans of retirement on this horizon. However, when the Mercyhurst athletic director called him with a request of finding a new tennis coach for the Lakers, it changed Simon’s plans for the future.

Simon had no intentions of coaching for Mercyhurst but has been here for over a decade and has helped change the atmosphere and record of the tennis team.

Simon had an interesting and motivating introduction to the sport of tennis. At 14, Simon’s father purchased a tennis racquet and entered his son in his very first tournament.

“Of course, I lost to my opponent and from then on, I told myself I would never lose to him again. So, I worked hard and kept that promise to myself,” Simon remembers.

Simon graduated from Edinboro University in 1974. During his undergraduate career, Simon served as team captain and secured a PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) title in addition to a multitude of team and individual titles in District 18 of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

Contributed photo

Men’s and women’s tennis coach Jerome Simon.

Later in life, Simon was inducted into his alma mater’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

Following graduation, Simon turned to building, running and even owning tennis clubs throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.

He first began at Westwood Racquet Club, which is a full circle moment for him as this is where the Mercyhurst tennis

teams practice and compete in matches.

Simon eventually returned to Erie, where he grew up, and established a new girl’s tennis program at Fairview High School.

This program was known for its no-cut policy, which Simon was very proud of.

This is Simon’s 11th year at Mercyhurst, and he is coming up on his 50th year as a member of

the US Professional Tennis Association. Simon has been coaching tennis for 44 seasons.

When Simon made his way to Mercyhurst, he recalls that the women’s team had a good record, but the men’s team needed some work, calling the men “not very good in spite of having the best players in the region and conference.”

Simon was determined to turn that record around. Although the men’s team only won a single match in his first year, the new coach was able to bring in new recruits and improve the overall culture of the team.

Clearly his methods were effective since just four years after his arrival the team won the region and qualified for nationals.

Outside of his work with the team, Simon enjoys spending time with his family, helping his son with his business, and playing on the golf course.

His future hopes for the Mercyhurst tennis teams are to win the conference, regionals and go to the national tournament, as both individuals and as a team.

He is optimistic about the future of the teams and loves spending time with the men and women involved in the tennis program, fondly referring to them as “his sons and daughters” on campus.

April 2: Women’s Lacrosse vs IUP: 11-12, IUP April 2: Softball vs Edinboro University: 4-3 Lakers April 2: Men’s Tennis vs Duquesne University : 2-5, Duquesne

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

PAGE 15

Women’s water polo splits two games On Saturday, April 2, the Mercyhurst women’s water polo team competed in the Penn State Behrend Invitational.

The invite consisted of two games. The first game was played at 10 a.m. against Penn State Behrend, and the second was played at 1:30 p.m. against Salem University.

The Lakers split the games, winning the first game against Behrend, but they unfortunately could not pull out a win in the second game against Salem.

The team’s win against Behrend allowed the Lakers to pull out of a losing slump.

In the first quarter of the first game, the Lakers pulled ahead with 5 goals, leaving the score 5-2 at the end of the first quarter.

Just 32 seconds into the game, the Lions scored, however soon after senior Sara Marin scored twice for the Lakers.

The scoring did not stop there, junior Hanna Good and senior Alexa Anderberg each scored for Mercyhurst, giving the Lakers a lead.

Behrend did not let the scoring streak for the Lakers last.

The Lions got a goal with 1:32 remaining in the quarter.

Junior Ava Gebhardt responded to the Lions goal and scored

Hurst Athletics photo

Sophomore Allie Dombkowski throws the ball to her teammate in a game during the Behrend Invitational.

for the Lakers leaving the score 5-2 going into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Lakers scored four more goals. The score after the quarter was 9-3.

Sophomore Rachel Vlietstra scored two of the goals along with additional goals from soph-

omore Emma Ruttinger and freshman Phoebe Saunders.

In the third quarter, Vlietstra scored her third goal resulting in a hat trick.

After Vlietstra’s hat trick, Berhend scored three goals in a row and dominated a majority of the third quarter.

The Lakers bounced back and Good stopped the Lions scoring with 43 seconds left in the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Lions went on a scoring run and scored four goals in a row. The Lakers scored twice after.

Vlietstra scored her fourth

goal of the night and sophomore Allie Dombkowski scored her first of the night.

The final score of the first game was 13-10, with the Lakers bringing home the victory.

Freshman goalie Marley Ramon played all 32 minutes and stopped 17 of the Lions shots.

The second game of the day was played at 1:30 p.m. against the Salem University Tigers.

Salem scored five straight goals before the Lakers could get a goal. Mercyhurst’s first two goals were scored by sophomore Sakura Gavin.

Gavin’s two goals allowed the score to be 5-2 in favor of Salem.

The Tigers finished the first half of the game scoring five more goals.

In the second half of the game, Good scored three goals allowing for a hat trick. Gebhardt scored her second goal of the day.

Despite these goals, Salem ended up winning with a final score of 17-7.

The women’s water polo team will participate in the WWPA conference weekend on Saturday, April 9, against McKendree University and Gannon University.

Erie native James Conner and his journey to the NFL

By Bella Lee

LET’S GO,

Staff writer

Most natives of Erie are well aware of the local celebrity that is James Conner.

A student of McDowell High School, Conner went on to go to college at the University of Pittsburgh before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2017 draft. Now a member of the Arizona Cardinals, the running back shows no signs of slowing down.

In just five seasons with the NFL, Conner has been a beast.

He has totaled 3,054 rushing yards and 1,338 receiving yards so far, an impressive feat for a young player.

In his rookie season, Conner did not fumble the ball once. He has since only fumbled the ball nine times in his career, contributing to the success of his teams.

He has so far spent four seasons with the Steelers and one with the Cardinals, and he just signed a 3-year-deal to remain with the Cardinals on March 14.

While attending McDowell, Conner had a formidable career.

As a senior, he rushed for 1,680 yards on 155 carries and 26 touchdowns.

He then committed to playing football at Pitt in August 2012.

During his freshman season in 2013, Conner was a force to be reckoned with. His extremely

LAKERS!

April. 9, Erie, PA @ 7:00 p.m.: Men’s Lacrosse vs Seton Hill University Contributed photo

Erie native and Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner.

successful season was topped off with being named the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl MVP following Pitt’s victory over Bowling Green.

His sophomore year saw him leading the ACC in rushing yards, with 1,765, and was named ACC Player of the Year.

Junior year was a bit of a setback for Conner, as he tore his ACL in the opening game against Youngstown State and was later diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but recovered from both during the off-season.

His senior year was also cut short, but because Conner chose to forgo the rest of the year to apply for early eligibility in the

2017 NFL draft.

When Conner was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, he was told he had tumors in his heart and was only given a week to live.

Conner got treated with chemotherapy. Although his cancer diagnosis prevented him from playing football, Conner stated the hardest part about fighting the illness was telling his friends and family.

“The hardest part about the whole thing was telling my bros,” Conner said. “I remember that like it was yesterday. How would they feel if their youngest brother died? I said, ‘I can’t do it. I can’t go.’”

Conner was lucky and can now call himself a cancer survivor. He became cancer free in 2016 and returned to Pitt for his senior year.

After battling cancer, Conner has been producing exceptional yards and has made a successful career out of football despite his health induced setbacks.

Conner has been a very exciting player these past five years.

At the age of just 26, he is not a player you want to mess with.

It is undeniable that he will remain in the NFL for many years to come.

All of us in Erie are so excited to see what’s in store for him.

April. 13, Slippery Rock, PA @ 4:00 p.m.: Men’s lacrosse vs Slippery Rock University April 15, Erie, PA @ 2:30 p.m.: Softball vs California University of Pennsylvania

PAGE 16

LAKER LIVING

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) The Lamb loves to be surrounded by flocks of admirers. But be careful that someone doesn’t take his or her admiration too far. Use your persuasive skills to let him or her down easily.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) This is a good time to begin setting far-reaching goals and connecting with new contacts. Aspects also favor strengthening old relationships — personal and/or professional.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A personal disappointment should be viewed as a valuable learning experience. Go over what went wrong and see where a change in tactics might have led to a more positive outcome.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Don’t leave projects unfinished or personal obligations unresolved, or you might find yourself tripping over all those loose ends later on. A relative has important news.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Expect a challenge to the usual way you do things. Although you might prefer the tried-and-true, once you take a good look at this new idea, you might feel more receptive to it.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Much work has yet to be done to polish a still-rough idea into something with significant potential. Expect to encounter some initial rejection, but stick with it nonetheless.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) There still might be some communication problems in the workplace, but they should be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, that “tip” from a friend should be checked out.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A new relationship appears to need more from you than you might be willing to give right now. Best advice: Resist making promises you might not be able to keep.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) That restless feeling encourages you to gallop off into a new venture. But remember to keep hold of the reins so you can switch paths when necessary.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A demanding work schedule keeps the high-spirited Goat from kicking up his or her heels. But playtime beckons by the week’s end.

Have fun. You earned it.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You’re beginning to come out from under those heavy responsibilities you took on. Use this freed-up time to enjoy some much-deserved fun with people close to you.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Before you get swept away by a tidal wave of conflicting priorities, take time to come up for air, and reassess the situation. You might be surprised by what you’ll find.

BORN THIS WEEK: Your leadership qualities are enhanced by a practical sense of purpose that keeps you focused on your goals. © 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

HURST TOON

Student-drawn cartoon by the Martian