News On Page 4:
Mercyhurst’s new school: Tom Ridge School of Intelligence and Information Science
Features on Page 2:
Forensic Anthropology students aid in recovery of badly burned gas well worker
Arts & Entertainment on Page 6:
Audience impressed at Hurst Idol performance Read more inside & online
THE Merciad MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY
EST. 1929 VOL. 87 NO. 16
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014
No glass slipper?
‘La Cenerentola’ opera gives new look to classic fairy tale By Garrett Erwin A&E editor
This weekend, the Performing Arts Center (PAC) will host the Mary D’Angelo School of Music’s annual spring opera. This year, the school has decided on the well-known fairytale, “La Cenerentola.” Although most people are more acquainted with the English translation of the title, “Cinderella.” Treated like a servant by her ridiculous father and stepsisters, Cenerentola eagerly awaits the day that a prince will come to sweep her off her feet and free her from her life as a maid. With a little help from both the prince’s tutor and his valet, Cinderella and her prince live happily ever after. La Cenerentola is full of laughs, using cleaver composing, Giaochino Rossini allows the audience to hear each character’s story while never losing sight of the well-loved story. Composed by Rossini, the tale follows the basic story line we are all familiar with; however, it contains a number of small, yet important details that have been altered. Rossini greatly preferred story lines that focused more on earthly, natural elements rather than focusing on all the enchantment and magic that the original story contains such as the fairy godmother, glass slipper or a magic pumpkin. In Rossini’s “La Cenerentola,” the evil stepmother is replaced by a stepfather and the fairy godmother is changed to a character named Alidoro, who acts as Prince Ramiro’s tutor and a philosopher. The last major change to the story is the glass slipper. Rather than a slipper, Cenerentola presents Prince Ramiro with one on her bracelets, telling him that if he searches for and finds her, and he still loves her, she will be his. The production will feature a combination of Mercyhurst students and faculty along with veteran vocalists and instrumentalists from the Erie community. The cast consists of 15 members, only two of which are hired from the Erie area. The orchestra contains a healthy combination of Mercyhurst University students and hired professionals. Senior Kathleen Reveille plays Cenerentola as the chorus announces the arrival of Prince Ramiro.
Ashley Favata photo
(Please turn to P. 6)
’Hurst considers arming police officers By Nathan Turner Staff writer
Dane Rimko photo
Patrolman Farrell is one of the many Police and Safety officers who will be trained and armed in case of emergency. Here she holds a baton.
Merciad Index Features Features News Opinion A&E Sports Laker Living
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The Mercyhurst University Board of Trustees may decide at its May 31 meeting whether to approve issuing firearms to the university’s Police & Safety officers. At its Feb. 22 meeting, the board opted not to make a decision on the matter, saying it needed more information about insurance liability and to have campus-wide forums on the matter. The board will also open that meeting to hear from Police & Safety officers who wish to make their case to the trustees. For now, many students remember the Sept. 20 incident on campus when a mentally-disturbed individual
came onto campus and shot himself with a rifle in front of Old Main. Some students asked what could have happened if the man actually went into one of the buildings and started shooting. The question of whether or not Police & Safety should carry firearms has gone on for years. Gerard Tobin, Ph.D., who is leading the study for the Board of Trustees, revealed one incident that occurred in 2012. During a live exercise simulating a bomb threat at the CAE, “our Police and Safety officers (brought the emergency responders) to the building and (Police & Safety) were not permitted to enter the building because they were unarmed. And the emer-
gency responders had to go in blind.” Tobin said the administration began to realize its strategy of how Police & Safety responded to emergencies needed serious re-evaluation. It then began evaluating the need for firearms for campus officers. “The trend for colleges since 2007 is, if you have a sworn police force, to arm them,” he said. Sworn officers would be better trained than many departments. “By law, a sworn department has to qualify (on firearms) once a year,” said Chief Robert Kuhn. “I’m going to do it four times a year, twice with live fire, and twice with a firearms training simulator” which would simulate scenarios
which would require “shoot or don’t shoot” responses and would test the officers’ judgment skills. The highly-trained and highly-educated Police & Safety department (Kuhn has two degrees; several of his co-workers have master’s degrees, and all are police academy graduates) exists to serve the student body. Tobin said survey data shows that 91 percent of traditional students favor Police & Safety having some sort of access to a firearm, whether as a traditional sidearm or within a locked cabinet in the police vehicle. These figures are higher among associate degree students.
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Online Poll Results
What do you think of the new State Street Smoothies at the Laker Inn? 35% It’s exactly what campus has been missing. 17% My life is now complete. 33% Call me when they have more flavors. 13% This should stop that gout problem I’ve been having.
Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll: How do you feel about Police and Safety officers carrying firearms?
merciad.mercyhurst.edu
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March 26, 2014
The Merciad
Features Forensic Anthropology students uncover gas well fire remains By Casey Bleuel
Contributing writer
On Tuesday, March 4, 19 Mercyhurst graduate and undergraduate students led by Dennis Dirkmaat, Ph. D., and Heather Garvin, Ph. D., recovered human remains from a gas well explosion in Greene County, Pa. The explosion occurred Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, when natural gas leaked from one of the wells. The explosion ignited a fire that burned for five days at about 2,000 degrees Celsius, killing 27-year-old contractor Ian McKee. According to Dirkmaat, the combination of intense heat, explosive force and five-day duration, resulted in the most extreme case of burning with which he has ever worked. Coroner Greg Rohanna of Greene County called the Mercyhurst Forensic Anthropology Department
to excavate what was left of McKee’s body at three locations around the site. The remains were brought to Mercyhurst for analysis. Students at Mercyhurst have a rare opportunity to work on real cases and apply their skills in the field. Mercyhurst is often called in to recover or identify remains. This gives students a chance to get hands-on experience, which Chair of the Department of Applied Forensic Sciences Dirkmaat said is vital. “The key thing about this is that the students get an opportunity to work on a real forensic case,” he said. Even undergraduates have the chance to work on cases. In this particular instance, undergraduates Jacob Griffin and Sara Rapp got the opportunity to assist with recovery and analysis. Mercyhurst works on about 90 to 100 cases every year, five to 10 of those being recovery cases.
Students help identify the individual and determine sex, age, height, stature and bone fragments. Their first step in a case is to determine whether found bones are human or animal. Only after determining any remains are human would students begin to attempt identifying the person. In a burn case like this one, it was particularly difficult to determine what a charred object was, especially since there were other burned items such as parts of a truck nearby. Students must source the bones, excavate, take pictures, inventory findings, detail their work in the field and lab, and submit reports. In this case, the department plans on submitting the report to the coroner in approximately two weeks so the remains can be given to the family of McKee. @TheMerciad
MAI photo
Dennis Dirkmaat, Ph. D., led a team of students that examined the remains of a gas well fire.
Students attend Conference Board By Nathan Turner Staff writer
It’s not very often that students get the opportunity to present their work before a top executive in their field. It’s even rarer that they get the opportunity to present to 20. Several graduate intelligence students, in conjunction with Professor Shelly Freyn did just that recently when they presented for the Conference Board, Council on Competitive Intelligence. According to the Conference Board website, they are “a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. [Their] mission is unique: To provide the world’s leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society.” This organization helps direct the Consumer Confidence Index, which reveals the optimism of Americans towards the economy. Their research and expertise
is what guides some of the world’s largest corporations. Second-year grad student Nick Walker said the companies in attendance were all major players. “There wasn’t a single lame duck in the room,” he said. Freyn, the Competitive Intelligence professor, originally got the call from a leading member of Rockwell-Collins, one of Boeing’s biggest competitors, asking if she would come and give a presentation about how best to communicate data to decision-makers. Freyn said she did not want to be the one to present. “I think we’ve got some very talented graduate students out there and some really great projects they’ve done. So I offered her the idea of a few grad students coming down and presenting data visualization, and various tools from national security and law enforcement and other Intel methods,” she said. Angela Anderson, a second-year graduate student, presented on using Intelligence Preparation of the
Operating Environment (IPOE), a mapping tool, to determine the most effective and secure locations to operate hotels in Mozambique. “It’s something that’s more of a military methodology, but I tried to find ways to tailor towards a more business, competitive intelligence environment,” Anderson said. She also made the effort to bridge the gap between military and business thinking, making a translation page which contained a military term paired with a comparable business term or definition. Walker presented on a common tool in the intelligence field, but is often neglected by businesses. “I took ACH [Analysis of Competing Hypotheses] and applied it to the problems we face with data visualization and being able to lie with statistics, lie with graphs,” he said. The benefits of these presentations go beyond the average resume boost. Networking with such high-level managers “puts
you on a whole different level of having some connections,” according to Walker. Both he and Anderson are currently in correspondence with members of the Conference Board and are working towards employment with these companies. The benefits from this conference are far-reaching for competitive intelligence, too. “Intelligence has always been thought of in the national security and military realm. It is a big growing field and in business, they’re really open to even some of the older techniques which have never been creatively applied to business. I think intelligence and business is an amazing opportunity down the road. There’s an enormous interest there,” Freyn. The work of the Mercyhurst grad students has certainly increased and encouraged that interest.
Sami Rapp photo
On March 18, the Wednesday Night Fellowship Group, led by Campus Ministry, along with the MSG Mission Committee worked to make a mural for the International Institute of Erie. This mural will be placed on a cinder block wall, both brightening out the space and adding texture. The mural features some 3D elements, allowing people to interact with the art. The two groups had fun as they used their art skills to paint unique puzzle pieces for the mural. The Wednesday Night Fellowship Group meets weekly as an ecumenical fellowship group at 8:30 p.m. in the Prince of Peace Chapel.
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MSG
Senator Spotlight
Hello, my name is Angela Sbroglia and I am a senior Political Science major with a concentration in Pre-law and a minor in Law Enforcement. On MSG I serve as a senior class senator and the chair of the Facilities Use committee on campus. Aside from MSG, I am the president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the president of Mercyhurst Equality of Women, and Pre-Law Society; and I am an active member of Alpha Pi Sigma, Colleges Against Cancer Club, and Habitat for Humanity. I love helping people, laughing, athletics, music and art. If you see me walking the campus, approach me your concerns or just say “Hello!” Remember “We’re Your Voice!”
March 26, 2014
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The Merciad
Features Olszowka attends CIC seminar By Jose Nufio
Contributing writer
Mike Murphy photo
John Olszowka, Ph. D., attended a seminar by CIC.
A Mercyhurst professor has been selected to be part of a history seminar in Chicago this summer. Associate Professor of History John Olszowka, Ph.D., was chosen by The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) as one of the 28 history professors to lead the seminar, “The Creation of the Modern American City: Chicago from 1830 to 1910.” Prior to being selected, Olszowka was nominated by the Office of Academic Affairs because of his expertise in 19th and 20th century urban American history. Afterwards, the CIC, which consists of more than 700 national and international
private universities and colleges, invited him be one of the 28 history faculty. They will meet from June 16 to June 20 at Northwestern University in Chicago. Olszowka believes Mercyhurst had an important role in the process. He claims the opportunities the university has given him led to this invitation, including the permission to start his own class, Making Modern America. “I am fortunate more than anything,” said Olszowka. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities to begin to explore different areas that I am interested in and this is a class I develop uniquely to Mercyhurst. It allows for this class to develop and develops my understanding and at that point it makes it easier for me to apply for a grant
or receive a grant like this.” Olszowka knows little about Chicago. Regardless, he expects to acquire valuable information that will improve his knowledge as a teacher and an overall historian. “I have little background on Chicago. I am more of an industrial historian. I am more into labor and working class history. Chicago is within the context of that. So I am excited about the ability to learn and take what I learned there and seeing on how does it fit to Erie, Buffalo, Cleveland and other areas,” Olszowka said. Olszowka’s goal for the seminar is to learn more about Chicago’s architecture. Learning about this will improve his class, Making Modern America. “I do a lot with the urban
landscape architecture and I am hoping to develop my foundation of knowledge in that area with the idea that I can take and apply it to the classroom not just with Chicago but with other urban areas,” Olszowka said. Chicago was considered a microcosm for urban change from the 19th to 20th century. The seminar is expected to explore the city’s chronology along with important topics about its development. The week-long event will be hosted by Henry Binford, associate professor of history and urban affairs and Carl Smith, professor of English, American Studies, and history at Northwestern University. @TheMerciad
Mindful Communication class does a ‘Tech Timeout’ By Amanda Moore Contributing writer
Imagine going three days without most technology. That is what Communication Professor Brian Sheridan’s Mindful Communication class is doing from March 30 through April 1. For three days, the class will participate in Tech Timeout. The students will have to use land line phones and give up video games, GPS
and computers. The exercise is meant to teach students to be present in the moment and to be mindful about using technology going forward explained Sheridan. Sheridan got the idea for the Tech Timeout from the documentary “Sleeping with Siri.” “The documentary ‘Sleeping with Siri’ is so funny and so pertinent to the way people live their lives today– these devices and technology are impeding our human
interaction,” Sheridan said. Even so, Sheridan does not think technology is a bad thing. “This is a time out. Let’s assess how much we rely on it and we use it and how much we don’t often need it. That way, when we go back to using it, doing it in a mindful manner,” Sheridan said. He said this might be a struggle for students in the beginning. Some students have already voiced concerns
about being lost without a GPS or being unable to do projects for other classes. Angela Przepierski, a sophomore in the class, agreed that it will be difficult to adjust. “I’ve grown up using technology. It’ll be weird not having it for the first few days,” Przepierski said. However, junior Shelby Kirkland thought the program would make a serious impact. “I believe the Tech Tim-
eout will be life changing in the sense of showing us that we can live without our phones and social media,” Kirkland said. Sheridan agreed with Przepierski but added that it will be easier to go without communication over time. “I think at first it’s going to feel like someone cut one of your arms off,” said Sheridan. “But once you live through that first day you may start to realize that you don’t need to be as con-
nected as you think you need to be.” Sheridan has been in touch with the founder of Tech Timeout, Michael Stusser. They are hoping next year the entire Communications Department will join in. Mercyhurst would be the first university to participate in this program.
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March 26, 2014
The Merciad
News
Mercyhurst announces new school Intelligence, communications, math/computer science comprise Ridge School By Nathan Turner Staff writer
Mercyhurst University will announce its sixth academic school in April -- the Tom Ridge School for Intelligence Studies and Data Management. The new school will include the Intelligence Studies Department, Math and Computer Science Department, and Communication Department. “[This] has never been done before,” Tom Gamble, Ph.D., proudly stated, talking about the monumental move. “[The idea] came from Gamble and Jim Breckenridge, Ph.D., the department chair of the Intelligence Studies Department” according to Phil Belfiore, vice president of academic affairs. Intelligence Studies ...“currently sits within the School of Social Sciences … and they have somewhat outgrown the Social Science school,” Belfiore added. “Also, the opportunity to attract external funding made it interesting to propose this school.” Belfiore and Breckenridge included the Math and Computer Sciences Department in order to focus on the opportunities for the intelligence and math/computer disciplines available in the area of “big data analytics.” “[The Intelligence Studies] program has grown by leaps and
bounds … including in the trends of data management which are coming at us right and left,” Breckenridge said. “So, it made sense to take the Department … and bring in some folks who are deep into information science. The logical people to do that, that’s Math and Computer Science.” Chad Redman, Ph.D., the department chair of Math and Computer Science, also submitted letters to Gamble, stating that this move would aid his department in pursuing new projects. “We have a leading program in Intelligence Studies and data science is the quantitative heart of intelligence. So, if anyone should be getting involved in data science, it’s us,” Redman said. Breckenridge has also stated that bringing the two departments together would enable the new school “to be more agile and more creative” and grants them “more ability to respond to the current information environment.” The increased agility can be seen in possibilities mentioned by Redman on the creation of a Kaggle team, which would consist of students and faculty and would allow massive companies to contact Mercyhurst in order to find yet-unknown solutions to data problems they experience. “Participation on such a
team would give the students some excellent real-world experience and really polish their skills,” Redman said. In a recent interview, Gamble said the largest growth in the school may come “on the Math and Computer Science side,” with the capacity to invest in the emerging trends of information science. He said that a recent development included the addition of the Communications Department to help advance opportunities in studying the effects of social media.
In the process of creating the new school, the idea was run past the Faculty Senate and Board of Deans of Mercyhurst. The concerns While the response was overall positive, several concerns were voiced. “The formation of another school, and, in fact, [I] think the pairing with Mathematics and Computer Science makes sense at several levels,” Randy Clemons, Ph.D., dean of the School of Social Sciences, said. Even so, he said, “across campus there have been some concerns raised about the chance, for example: access to math and computer courses for students in terms of both the sciences and core, students and faculty becoming more isolated, [or] students losing
one of the edges they have had since the program’s founding in terms of being more broadly trained in the liberal arts than their competitors.” Another professor, Chris Magoc, Ph.D. of the History Department and an Associate Dean of the School of Social Sciences, voiced similar praises and concerns. “The closer association of the Intelligence Studies program with computer systems and mathematics in the new school will serve students of the program very well. “I do have some concern that the program’s separation from the School of Social Sciences might lead to a degree of isolation from the disciplines of political science and history that have long been essential to the academically broad training of effective intelligence analysts,” he said. Despite these concerns, though, both professors have made it clear that they approve of the formation of the School and that they have faith the University and Breckenridge will continue guiding the program for, as Magoc said, “continued national leadership in the field.” In response to these concerns, Breckenridge said the Intel students are still required to be part of the Common Core Curriculum which the rest of the university follows,
but also that within the Intelligence Studies requirements “are courses in history, political science, the languages, criminal justice. So we’ve included in our curriculum opportunities to be instructed by liberal arts professors. So we’ve not abandoned anything.” Emphasis on Ethics The other aspect of the curriculum the new school will emphasize is ethics. “Given all the things that have happened over the past decade since 9/11 we want to make sure that our students leave here with a foundation for integrity and a strong ethical foundation.” This drive for ethics is in response to “Snowden, Manning, and Intel failure in general, which overall comes about from not looking for the truth in the right way,” Breckenridge said. The new school will seek to continue improving the discipline of Intelligence Studies, Breckenridge said, and improve the opportunities available for students, even those who are not on campus. The plan is, within 10 years, to have all courses in Intelligence Studies available online, both in undergraduate and graduate programs. And the Ridge School also seeks to expand its ability to help graduates gain employment in all areas, including the fields of
Big Data and Data Analytics into which the School is currently expanding, and also to expand on a global scale. “This opportunity presented by combining data mining and big data analysis with intelligence analysis on both national security or the competitive intelligence front is very important for our students, and for United States businesses’ competitive position,” Gamble said. This will also include study abroad opportunities for students. The goal is that students will not only have the ability to study abroad in Ireland like all Mercyhurst students, but anywhere in the world, according to their education and desired field of work. Choice of name Naming the School after Tom Ridge seemed “the sensible thing to do, given his career, the first Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States and being from Erie,” Gamble said. He also emphasized that while Ridge and his supporters have donated to Mercyhurst in the past, and will hopefully continue to do so, such donations were not the main reason for naming the school after him. The Ridge-Mercyhurst is already strong, with his and Mrs. Ridge’s archives resting at the University, and will likely grow stronger.
Students divided over Evive Stations removed Low Impact Thursdays By Melanie Todd Staff writer
By Naomi Greenstein Contributing writer
Low-Impact Thursdays have made a huge impact with the Mercyhurst student body, but not quite in the way the dining services expected. A recent survey, conducted by Egan Dining Hall, indicates that many students would like to eliminate Low-Impact Thursdays entirely. Low-Impact Thursdays are described as the lunchtime meals that are served in the Egan Dining Hall each Thursday afternoon. The meal options are served mostly in the sections of Spoon and Fork, Bravisimo, and The Grille. Other options are presented atop tables in the center of the dining area and can have themes varying from pots of hot soups or an array of taco ingredients. According to Dean Schoenfeldt, general manager of the Mercyhurst Dining Services,
“the low impact is about creating awareness of locally-sustainable organic products; farm-based, local-based, plant-based foods.” Considering that students may not like the extent of plant-based and vegetable options offered on Low-Impact Days, Schoenfeldt also added that even though these meals “tend to be viewed as vegan,” they do offer proteins and meats as well that encompass the theme of local-based foods. When asked his opinion about why students are unhappy, Schoenfeldt said, “I think it is about perception, and what we’re trying to do is educate them on why we do it. This is a college program that was initiated by Mercyhurst; it was requested by the university on a sustainability standpoint.” Schoenfeldt went on to explain that Parkhurst, the dining services provider, supplies at least 30 percent of
Egan’s products in the local circle, meaning within 150 miles of Mercyhurst. As many students who voice concerns for Low-Impact Thursdays, Schoenfeldt states that there are just as many who enjoy it. One of these students is freshman Shelby Maberry, who says that she likes the low-impact concept because “it branches out from the everyday Egan food…there are more options to choose from.” She also likes the fact that the food is locally grown, because that usually means it is fresher. Lucky for students like Maberry, Schoenfeldt has said that Egan will continue with the Low-Impact Days in the coming years, because as previously stated, “there is as much of a community that likes this meal as there are those who are concerned with it.” @TheMerciad
Graduates score higher By Will Bickelmann Staff writer
Mercyhurst athletic training majors have an average pass rate of 96.97 percent on the Board of Certification (BOC) exam during the last three years, higher than the average of 80 to 82 percent. The Board of Certification exam is what allows an athletic training major to become a certified athletic trainer. Without passing, this exam students would be unable to get jobs as athletic trainers. “We try to have our students take this exam before they graduate, so about 80 to 90 percent of students take it by
the end of their senior year,” program director Suzanne Gushie. “I think what sets our program apart from other schools is all of the clinical experience our students get.” Mercyhurst athletic training majors are a required to have 75 hours which they observe an athletic training environment. Students are required to have hands-on experience in an athletic training environment. “At Mercyhurst, we have our students do seven clinical rotations whereas most schools only require about four,” Gushie said. A rotation or a clinical experience is when a student works
with a local university or high school working with a clinical supervisor on injuries of varying degrees. “These experiences help our students apply what they learn from the classroom in a real-world environment,” said Gushie. The test is based on decision-making, making hands-on experience crucial. “Another thing that helps our students so well is the ability of our faculty to communicate with our students so well and the attention to their feedback to improve the program,” Gushie said.
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A new business model for the company Evive Station has led to its removal from Mercyhurst University. When the station was installed over the summer, the agreement was that Evive would own and maintain the station costing the university only minimal installation costs. The profit for the company only came from the displayed advertisements. However, under the new business model anyone wanting to use the station would be required to pay a monthly fee of $4 or yearly membership fee of $40. Brittany Prischak, the
sustainability officer for Mercyhurst University, said, “Students already have so many fees as it is. We just didn’t think it made sense especially for how small of a university we are.” For some businesses and larger universities it may still be beneficial but Mercyhurst did not wish to continue in the Evive program. With only one station on the second floor of Old Main, the Evive Station was not the only place to fill up a reusable water bottle. “Maybe the water fountains aren’t the best on campus but we could go there eventually,” Prischak said. The lack of filtration in the water fountains is concerning for some, however in Egan Dining Hall as well as the
Laker there are opportunities to refill a reusable water bottle until an alternative to the Evive Station is presented. “We are going to try alternatives,” said Prischak. “There are refill hydration systems that fit on top of an existing water fountain.” With the summer to research alternatives and submit a proposal to the Student Sustainability Fund, the soonest a new filtration system would be put in place would be this upcoming winter or spring. For all those who did purchase an Evive reusable water bottle, at least it is still a durable water bottle that can still be used. @TheMerciad
March 26, 2014
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The Merciad
Opinion
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad Relay for Life successful or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Mercyhurst needs to re-evaluate The Good... its criteria for award recipients By Nathan Turner Staff writer
Mercyhurst has been no stranger to controversy, but it seems that its decisions on whom to honor for activism, or social justice are incredibly misguided. This year’s recipient of the Archbishop Oscar Romero award is Sister Simone Campbell, the architect of the “Nuns on the Bus” tour and the author of the “Nun’s Letter” in support of Obamacare. Former recipients include the Rev. Daniel Berrigan, who was formerly on the FBI’s Most Wanted List for making homemade napalm and destroying federal property, and the Rev. John Dear, who was recently kicked out of the Jesuit Order for “being obstinately disobedient”. Campbell has an acute passion concerning immigration and economic reforms, but has also
spoken out in favor of issues which fly in the face of Catholic doctrine. When the Vatican cracked down on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in 2012 in regards to concerns over “serious doctrinal problems,” it named Campbell’s group NETWORK in its report. NETWORK has been silent on issues such the right to life from conception to natural death, the Church’s teaching on homosexuality, and the ordination of women priests. LCWR, one of the organizations with which NETWORK works closely, was noted when one of its leaders actively supported the ordination of women priests. Now, Campbell has taken an incredibly narrow view of Catholic history, and made statements in an NPR interview, responding to criticisms by saying that she and her fellow women religious minister to people who are discriminated against and are
suffering everywhere “without asking to see a baptismal certificate.” Excuse me, if I would like to take a broader view of Catholic history and say that so did St. Damien, who ministered to lepers on Molokai (eventually dying of leprosy himself); so did St. Elizabeth Ann Seton who set up the first free Catholic school in America for the poor of Baltimore; so did Mother Theresa, whose ministry and care for the people of Calcutta are well-known. She’s also stated the Vatican “doesn’t know how to deal with strong women.” Again, I beg pardon for looking to the likes of St. Joan of Arc; St. Catherine of Siena, who helped sort out the crisis of the Anti-Popes in the Medieval Church; or even the Blessed Virgin Mary, who stood at the foot of the Cross as her Son died a horrible death. These women, whom the Vatican has honored for centuries, are not strong? I think
Campbell may have spoken a bit misguidedly. Finally, she has stated that the bishops who have criticized her are concerned with orthodoxy she “can’t understand,” and so she chooses to ignore. That orthodoxy is the Catholic Faith. Our faith is based upon tradition, which we cannot ignore. To ignore the writings and the teachings of our predecessors is to butcher it. You cannot focus on one aspect of the faith while ignoring everything else. You can’t say you spread the Gospel while supporting things which fly directly in the face of it. Nor can you honor people who do so. By honoring this woman, this institution is giving assent to her actions. And it can no longer call itself “Catholic” if it wishes to do so.
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Immigration restrictions in the U.S. deny human beings their rights By Zachary Yost Staff writer
Last Sunday March 16 was Open Borders Day. Unfortunately this day was marked by all too few people. The immigration policy of the United States and every other state is atrocious and all decent people around the world should be striving to eliminate one of the largest abominations facing mankind. Why should billions of people be trapped in dangerous poverty stricken environments from which they are prevented from escaping all as a result of borders and immigration policy? The very concept of borders makes no sense. What separates those of us here at Mercyhurst and the people on the other side of the lake? Are they strange extra-terrestrial beings who transform into humans only after having some forms stamped by some government bureaucrat? What is so magical about lines drawn on a map that keep people divided and separated? What gives government officials the right to
regulate the relationship between billions of people and the people who happen to live inside some lines drawn on a map centuries ago? What right does anyone have to interfere with voluntary interactions simply because one of the parties was born outside of some imaginary lines? I do not have the space to go into the arguments regarding rights and why borders are a made up fantasy in great detail and can only mention them in passing but hopefully I will be able to persuade you on a more personal level. March 17 was St. Patrick’s Day, a day celebrated by the approximately 50 million Americans of Irish descent (and everyone else too since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day). I myself am of partial Irish descent as are many people from this region of the country. Historically Irish people had been coming to America for decades to escape poverty and oppression back in the homeland. This can be seen most clearly in the time of the great Irish Potato Famine. Even today Ireland has not reached pre-famine population levels.
I ask what would have been the fate of the millions of Irish who left Ireland over the decades if they had been prevented from coming to America? Quite simply they would have starved and died and the 50 million people in the US who are of Irish descend would not exist. I would not exist right now had the immigration laws we have in place today been in effect a century ago. My ancestors would have either starved to death, or had they survived their descendants would not have married my ancestors and produced my genetic code. I urge you all to look at your family’s lineage. Would you be here today if your ancestors had been prevented from leaving their original place of habitation and coming to America? Fortunately for me and the majority of the US population there were virtually open borders for the majority of the country’s history otherwise I would not. And I think it is obscene to deny the same opportunities granted to my ancestors that allowed them to live and by extension me to exist to the millions of people
trapped in the exact same or even worse situations that drove my ancestors here in the first place. I hope that thinking about those sorts of things made you pause some but just in case you are still not convinced by the thought of the millions of people languishing in poverty and trapped in war as a result of evil immigration laws I want to make it even more personal. If you still believe that immigration restrictions are necessary and the US government needs to keep people out for whatever reason I want you to tell your friends who are foreign exchange students that you think they are subhuman, because if you strip away a person’s most basic rights that they possess by virtue of their human nature simply because they were not born within a certain set of longitude and latitude coordinates written down by men who died centuries ago that is what you are saying.
@TheMerciad
Flight MH370 is an ongoing mystery By Marcela Delgado Staff writer
Online
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 departing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia headed to Beijing, China, has been hitting the news for the past two weeks. The controversy arose on March 8 when the plane lost contact and disappeared off the radar. On board were 239 people, 12 crew members, 15 nationalities, which the majority was Chinese. The youngest passenger on board was just two years old. According to CNN, a military radar tracking showed that the plane changed altitude after a sharp turn over the South China
Sea when it was heading to the Strait of Malacca. In my opinion, the people behind the terrorist attack of this plane must have had this carefully planned. They landed the plane somewhere in the world and have taken care of the situation in an intelligent way, such that even major countries in the world with the best technology have been unable to find it. This demonstrates that even if you have the best military, intelligence force, and other aspects that build up the powerful countries of the world, does not mean that you will always figure things out. I feel extremely sad for the people aboard the plane because
they are innocent and are not guilty for whatever reason the attack was intended. Why harm innocent people who were just trying to perhaps go back to their families or begin a vacation? What concerns me the most are the two children aboard the plane. God knows in what conditions these innocent people are now. Even if conclusions drive towards the plane to have sunk in the ocean. I still think this is a cover-up. Why are the cellphones still ringing when passengers’ families are calling? “The Chinese news media have reported that there have been some instances of people calling cellphones of passengers of the
Read more at
merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion
missing flight and hearing ring tones, sometimes days after the plane disappeared,” The New York Times affirmed. I guess my conclusions were prove wrong on Monday, March 24, when Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean. The remains of the plane and the passengers are yet to be found. It is surprising to me how much time it took to find the plane. My condolences are with those who lost their loved ones. Let God be with the passengers and their families.
The Docucenter will print 20 free copies of your resume on high quality paper to help prepare you for the Career Fair on April 4. The Career Fair itself is a good thing. Every student should attend. Every student.
The Bad... Two very popular State Street bars, The Cell Block and The Crooked i, are closing their doors. For students who have danced, sang, drank, vomited, flirted, cried, drank, joked, begged, posed, and drank some more, the loss is beyond words.
The Ugly... People for Life, a local organization that seeks legal protection for the lives of all human beings, will conduct a demonstration to protest abortion-neutral comments made by Sister Simone Campbell, recipient of the Archbishop Oscar Romero Award, at the university’s main entrance at 6 p.m. today. Is that really necessary?
The Weird... People passing through the open area at the Hammermill Library building side of the bridge to the CAE have been mystified at the appearance of what looks like a big wallmounted TV there. For all intents and purposes, it is a computer monitor to detail many aspects of the life’s work of Mercyhurst alumna Sister Joan Chittester, an outspoken leader in the Benedictine community for years. The area, once completed, will offer multiple opportunities to learn about Chittester and her accomplishments.
The Merciad Editors Mathew Anderson Zach Dorsch Juan Mendez Daniel Tarr Samantha Bante Garrett Erwin Alejandra Zeron Leann Krysiak Jordan Power Nicole Lawrence Sami Rapp Ethan Johns Will DeFeo Bill Welch
Positions @mercyhurst.edu Editor-in-Chief editormerciad Managing Editor managingmerciad News Editor newsmerciad Features Editor featuremerciad Sports Editor sportsmerciad A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Graphics photomerciad Photo Editor photomerciad Web Editor ejohns89 Ad Manager admerciad Adviser wwelch
The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is (814) 824-2376. The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
@TheMerciad
Write for The Merciad, email editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Page 6
March 26, 2014
The Merciad
Arts &
Entertainment
No glass slipper? Continued from page 1 Make no mistake, though, what this show lacks in ‘magic,’ it certainly makes up in pure comedy, both through the writing of Rossini and the brilliant stage direction of adjunct faculty member James Bobick. Bobick has worked extensively with the students of the music department to make each of their characters a real person with real emotion. What has come of this is a collection of moments ranging from heartwarmingly sentimental to downright hilarious. “The opera has been an incredible challenge, but the payoff has been even more than worth it,” said sophomore chorus member Elizabeth Klucher. “I’ve learned so much more about opera, about the people I’ve been lucky enough to
work with and myself. Each and every person involved has brought so much to the table . . . it’s unreal.” The cast includes both students and two guest artists. Senior Kathleen Reveille plays the title role of Cenerentola. Playing Cenerentola’s stepfather is guest artist John Myers. Her two obnoxious stepsisters are Clorinda, senior Devon Meddock, and Tisbe, junior Alexa Zeremenko. Cenerentola’s prince, Don Ramiro, is played by senior Mathew Anderson. Ramiro is aided throughout the show by his valet, Dandini, played by guest artist and Mercyhurst Alum Gabriel Borrero and Ramiro’s tutor, junior Tyler Drew. The chorus members in the show act as both a chorus and Alidoro’s henchmen—toying with the main characters and then watching the fireworks.
The chorus consists of sophomore Elizabeth Klucher, senior Marika Koch, freshman Christina Cacchione, freshman Shelby Maberry, sophomore Jared Hancock, sophomore Brandon Miller, sophomore Maxton Honeychurch and freshman Luke Ballantyne. “Everyone has exhibited extreme professionalism both on and off the stage, bringing the story to life. Lively and dramatic—this will be one to remember,” Ballantyne said when asked about the rehearsal process leading up to this weekend’s show. Scott Tomlison, Ph.D., chair of the department, conducts the orchestra, which is made up of both university students and hired professional musicians, with harpsichord accompaniment by Louisa Jonason, assistant professor of Voice.
Ashley Favata photo
Guest artist John Myers plays Don Magnifico, the wicked stepfather, chastising his daughters Clorinda (senior Devon Meddock) and Tisbe (junior Alexa Zeremenko).
“La Cenerentola” will be running for two performances this weekend. The show dates are Friday, March 28, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets for this event are
$15.50 for adults, $12.50 for seniors and students, $7.50 for president’s cardholders, $5 for youth (12 and under) and $5 for Mercyhurst University students with valid Student IDs. Tickets can be found at
the PAC box office at the door and are also available by pre-order at the door, at miac. mercyhurst.edu or by calling (814) 824-3000. @TheMerciad
Idol competition impresses Taylor Little audience By Mary Barnes Staff writer
Online
The second annual Hurst Idol performance took place Saturday, March 22, in the Taylor Little Theater. All audience members were welcomed to the event with customized shirts and many with “Golden Tickets,” granting them seats in the front of the auditorium.
On a campus with such talented students, it was guaranteed to be a fantastic performance, and this year’s participants did not disappoint. The show started off strong with student Stephanie Molnar belting out Martina McBride’s single “Independence Day,” winning her the Judge’s Choice Award. Molnar, along with the other five acts, had great stage
Full list of events can be found on the MIAC website
presence and truly entertained the audience. Sophomore Austin Hembree, this year’s People’s Choice winner, belted out an acoustic version of LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” stealing over the hearts of both the student audience and the judges. Songs also featured include Mandy Moore’s “Only Hope,” Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning,” Amy Winehouse’s “Val-
erie” and a duet to A Great Big World’s “Say Something.” While voting was taking place via text, the event’s hilarious host AJ Zahuranec kept the audience busy with jokes and fun facts, adding to the exciting atmosphere of the night. Also to keep the energy up while audience members voted, last year’s winner, sophomore Dori Webb performed Lorde’s “Royals” as a final
View upcoming performances: www.miac.mercyhurst.edu
performance before passing the title onto Molnar and Hembree. Constructive criticism and many praises came from the judges table, featuring current MSG vice president and next year’s MSG president Nick Latta, current MSG president Amber Penna, Residence Life employee Michael Grasso and Art Professor Patricia Czulewicz. Everyone involved in the
event contributed to the “American Idol” type feel, especially the occasional jab from Mercyhurst’s own “Simon Cowell,” junior judge Nick Latta. Overall, the event was a fantastic opportunity for Mercyhurst students to showcase their talents to the student body, and once again, they did not disappoint. @TheMerciad
www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment
March 26, 2014
Page 7
The Merciad
Sports
Men’s hockey ends season in double OT By Samantha Bante Sports editor
The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team ended its season Friday evening during, double overtime game against Canisius, with a score of 5-4, in the Atlantic Hockey Association semifinals at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N. Y. “I thought the game against Canisius went very well. Sure we lost in double overtime, but that’s hockey. We played well as a team, competed hard; it just wasn’t in the cards for us that night,” said senior Daniel O’Donoghue. The Lakers ended their season with a 21-13-7 overall record. The game featured 109 total shots on goal, with the Lakers outshooting the Golden Griffins by a 62-47 margin. “I think our mindset going into the weekend against Holy Cross was where it needed to be. We prepared well physically and mentally and were well rested due to our first round buy. I believe that week
Ed Mailliard photo
Junior goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant led the AHA’s major awards on Thursday by winning the league’s Player of the Year honors.
off and playing on home ice helped us greatly,” said O’Donoghue. Redshirt freshman Alec Shields scored a pair of goals and O’Donoghue finished
his Laker career with a goal and an assist in the loss. It was O’Donoghue who sent the game to overtime when he beat Canisius’s goaltender Capobianco with 8:12 left in
regulation. “I thought our team had an amazing season. We won our first regular season title in school history. I think that alone speaks for itself. We had
a great team but unfortunately just came up a bit short in the end,” said O’Donoghue. Leading the season to the end was Matthew Zay with 131 shots, 43 point, 17 goals and 26 assists. Followed by O’Donoghue with 89 shots, 46 points, 15 goals and 28 assist, and junior Ryan Misiak with 94 shots, 38 points, 13 goals and 25 assists. Along with junior lead goaltender Jimmy Sargeant who had 1,013 saves for the Lakers and received the AHA’s Player of the Year and earned the Goaltender of the Year honors. It marked the first time since the league’s inception in 2003-04 that a Mercyhurst player garnered the Player of the Year award. “We had a lot of guys step up for us this year on and off the ice. I would say Jimmy Sarjeant was our catalyst for success this year. He was our conference MVP, goalie of the year, Mike Richter award nominee, and Hobey Baker nominee. He had an amazing year for us this year and was a major reason why we were so successful,” said O’Dono-
ghue. Also, senior defenseman Nick Jones was a multiple-award winner, claiming the league’s Best Defenseman Award and earning a share of the league’s Sportsman of the Year honors. O’Donoghue was also named the AHA’s Top Defensive Forward of the Year. “Being that my career at Mercyhurst is now finished and I’m moving on in my hockey career, I will take all the friendships and memories with me the rest of my life. This has been the best team I’ve ever been a part of and it’s not just because we won a regular season title. It’s the guys in that lockerroom that made this a special year,” O’Donoghue said. Mercyhurst was presented with the AHA’s Regular Season trophy for the first time since the inception of the league. It was the Lakers’ first regular season crown since the 200203 season as a member of the MAAC Hockey League. @TheMerciad
Women’s hockey ends season during Frozen Four By Carly Contraguerro Staff writer
The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team advanced to the Frozen Four after defeating Cornell University with a 3-2 score on March 15. Out of these three goals scored, two points were made on a power play. This put the Lakers in third place for best power plays. The Lakers were ranked the seventh seed going into the NCAA Frozen Four and played against the third seed Clarkson University on Friday, March 21. “Making it to the frozen four is an indescribable feeling that I cannot put into words. Hearing our name being in the NCAA tournament with the final eight is an accomplishment of its own; winning that final eightgame is one of the best feelings I have had in my hockey career and would not trade it for the world,” senior Christie Cicero said. Although falling to Clarkson, 5-1, the Lakers still finished their season with a record of 24-9-4. “Regardless who is on our
team, we always strive for excellence and set the highest goals for our teams, so essentially, one of our goals was to make it the NCAA Frozen Four,” Head Coach Michael Sisti said. The Laker’s end of the season record for home games was 12-4-3 and away games was 12-4-1. “We have gone through extreme pushes as a group and from the beginning to the end of the year it is night and day. We struggled in September and October, but we knew what goals we needed and wanted to accomplish, and the struggles could not happen any longer,” Cicero said. Sisti commented on the team’s performance throughout the season saying, “We had a young team that needed to learn how to compete at this level, so all year we continued to improve in key areas of our game and the players realized why we were working so intensely.” Another ranking for the Lakers was that they were ranked sixth in the final USCHO.com Division I women’s hockey poll. “I think that being ranked
Contributed photo
Sophomore Jaclyn Arbour scores during the first period against Clarkson at the 2014 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four.
six out of seven is a blessing. I, personally, love to be the “underdog” and take great pride when teams are “shocked” or “surprised” we beat them. We are sometimes
an underrated team, and that makes our wins that much better because we know we are better than how people may write us off ” Cicero said.
This season’s end was bittersweet for the women’s hockey team as they overcame much adversity and many challenges to achieve a successful season.
“I am very proud of my staff and players for being undeterred in our commitment to win our league and make the NCAA tournament. We will miss our three seniors and appreciate everything they have done to help our program. I also, appreciate all our loyal fans who have supported us in many ways over the years,” Sisti said. Cicero is one of the seniors who will be leaving Mercyhurst. She is sure that the team’s accomplishments will be a stepping stone for teams in the future. “We have come so far and have achieved more than any one thought we could. I personally do not regret a single decision here, and am happy I can say my career ended at the Frozen Four.” “Everything during my senior year has had an extra special feeling to me, and this just topped off my career: last weekend of hockey and I can play on the biggest stage in college. It doesn’t get any better than that,” Cicero said. @TheMerciad
Women’s lacrosse begins season with strong standing By Carly Contraguerro Contributing writer
The Mercyhurst University women’s lacrosse team ended their spring break road trip games with two wins after beating Tiffin University 16-5 and University of Findlay 25-9, giving the Lakers a 3-1 overall record. “It’s always nice to come back with a bunch of wins at the beginning of the season to keep us accountable for the team. It’s nice knowing our pre-season has paid off,” senior Anna LeGrett said. “Since these were non-conference games a lot of girls got to play.” Coming back from those wins even stronger, the lacrosse team increased their overall record to 4-1 after beating Lake Erie College on March 19, 24-3. The Lakers were on a scoring roll as they were already leading the game, 17-1, by
halftime. This included a goal by Taylor Ventre just 29 seconds into the game with LeGrett assisting. “Already winning by that much at half time really showed our strengths throughout the whole team and not just the starters, since everyone got to play. We were able to keep up the intensity the whole time,” junior Rebecca Himes said. The first PSAC game of the year was played on March 22 against Millersville at Tullio Field. Leading the team to their victory was Himes with seven goals. “We were really excited to start our conference games because that is where the road to playoffs starts. We have practiced playing against Millersville’s defense so we were prepared for the game” LeGrett said. Mercyhurst turned the game around quickly after trailing 7-1 at the beginning of the game. During the
first half, the Lakers scored six goals within a close time range to bring the score closer and make it a 10-7 game. “We have been aggressive all over the field. Our defense really steps up for our offense when needed and they switch roles when our defense isn’t stepping up,” Himes said. The second half of the game was dominated by the Lakers which brought them to win, 20-13. “We are excited to start playing big games like West Chester, IUP, and Bloomsburg. The games that won’t be huge blowouts and we can show what our real potential is,” Himes said. Mercyhurst advanced to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the PSAC. The Lakers will travel to East Stroudsburg and Westchester for two PSAC games on March 28 and 29.
Ashley Favata photo
@TheMerciad
The Lakers will travel to East Stroudsburgh and Westchester for two PSAC games on March 28 and 29.
Page 8
The Merciad
Laker
March 26, 2014
Living Geek Weekly: Fixing that slow computer By Zach Dorsch Managing editor
After a few years of use most Windows-based computers will start to slow down. This is caused by installing and using different programs on your computer. This causes your hard drive to get loaded with temporary files that don’t always get removed. Another factor could be practicing unsafe browsing that caused you to get malware on your computer. The good news is you don’t have to be a computer genius to get your computer running it tip top shape again. Just follow these steps. 1. Download the free version of Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. Malware can quickly cause your computer to slow down to a halt. Malwarebytes’ is created using industry-leading technology to detect and remove malware affecting your com-
puter and it does a great job. 2. Stop all applications you are not using. If you look on the right side of your taskbar you will find little icons. Each of these icons represent a program that is running in the background. These programs will take up space in your memory, take processing power and drain your battery. By simply closing these programs, you free up those resources. 3. Uninstall all applications that you no longer use. Even new computers come loaded with software that you will never use. Uninstalling programs frees up space on your hard drive and will help to speed up your computer, especially if the programs that keep trying to run in the background. To uninstall these programs open up your control panel
located on the start menu. Locate the sections that reads “Add or Remove Programs” then right click on any program you don’t want or use and click uninstall. 4. Sometimes your hard drive will get damaged files on it that can cause slower drive access speeds. One way to get rid of these damaged files is to run “Error Checking” on your hard drive. To do this go to “My Computer” and right click on it, then select “Properties” followed by “Tools”. Click on “Check now…” to begin the scan. 5. Another hard drive tool you can use to speed up your drive access speed is running a “De-fragment.” Follow the steps from suggestion 4 to get to the hard drive “Tools” tab. From there click on “Defragment now…” Defragging causes
your read and write speeds to increase significantly. This process should be done every other week to ensure that your computer stays running fast. 6. If you do this and it is still running sluggish and the computer is more than five years old it may be time to come to terms that maybe your computer is just old. If your computer is just meeting the Minimum Requirements for most of the software you are using your computer may continue to run slow due to outdated parts.
@zdorsc22
Beauty Talks
Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub By Leann Krysiak Copy editor
Spring is right around the corner, I can feel it. Not really, but I do dream of warm 50 degrees days. Is that so much to ask? While my summer vacation getaway to the Outer Banks isn’t until July, this tropical scrub will tide me over until then. The recipe calls for lime essential oil, but you can use lime extract instead. Lime extract is not as strong as essential oil, so add a few drops more or you can experiment with a teaspoon of lime juice and a teaspoon of the grated lime peel. This week’s recipe comes from the Idearoom.net:
Need help finding the ingredients? Check out the ingredient guide on Fresh Face Forward’s Recipe page.
Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub: 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) 1 cup white sugar 1 tbps shredded coconut 6-8 drops of Lime Essential Oil
Did you like it? Love it? Tell me what you think on the Fresh Face Forward’s Facebook page or send your comments to freshfaceforward@gmail.com.
First, melt coconut oil in microwave then mix in the sugar until blended. Add shredded coconut and essential oil and mix again. Some say to use the scrub when your skin is dry then shower, others use the scrub after their skin is damp in the shower. Either way will get you smooth skin.
@LeannKrysiak
Diffic
Prep
Homemade Granola Bars
ulty: E
Time:
Total T
Yield:
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20 mi
ime: 4
10 ba
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nutes
0 min utes
By Sami Rapp Photo editor
Ingredients
Directions
• •
1.
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1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds, loosely chopped 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
Optional additions: chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, banana chips, vanilla, etc
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Toast your oats in a 350 degree oven for 15-ish minutes or until slightly golden brown. Place oats almonds in a bowl – set aside. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars.) Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden. Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn’t necessary.
@srapp93