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Villella receives award

Erie optometrist presented with 26th annual Romero award

Kristian Biega photo

Erie optometrist, Doug Villella, accepts Romero award which honors him for his work with those in underdeveloped nations.

By Kristian Biega Staff writer

The Mercyhurst community was proud to award Doug Villella, O.D., with this year’s Archbishop Oscar Romero Award on March 23, for his work with the poor of Latin America. This is the 36th year that the award, which seeks to honor those in the Erie community who have exemplified the Mercy tradition, has been presented by the Religious Studies department. “This award is a way for us to enact the Mercy core values and mission through the recognition of the people in our community who are doing these amazing works,” said Robert von Thaden, Ph.D., chair of the Religious Studies Department. “We honor people we see in the community or in the world living out a call of social justice.”

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The Romero Award is named after the Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated in 1980 due to his dedication to the poor of the country. After spending time with the most impoverished citizens of El Salvador, he was inspired to give all he could to protect and aid the less fortunate. This service is now known as “preferential treatment for the poor,” meaning that it is one’s duty to use what means they possess to help the poor and vulnerable. “We’ve been focusing lately on Erie,” von Thaden said. This year’s recipient, Villella, exemplifies the model of service put forth by Romero. Villella is an optometrist in the Erie area who founded “Vision for the Poor” — a sustainable eye care clinic for underdeveloped nations. He was appreciative of the honor and hopes this will help sup-

“

This blind man made the problem of suffering personal for me. Was it ethical to give sight to some and not others?

”

Doug Villella, O.D.

port the cause to end poverty in developing nations. “If you ask me, it makes no qualitative difference whether the physical healing of blindness comes from a miracle performed by Jesus or by a compassionate eye doctor in Guatemala,” said Villella on Thursday evening. “In the end, we are all called to bring light into the world.” During his lecture, Villella talked about first experience in Guatemala that changed his life forever. He and several colleagues traveled there in 1994 to help provide eye care to the community. During the week, an old campesino man came to his clinic in serious

need of eye surgery. It broke Villella’s heart to tell the man that he could not help him because he and his team were not equipped to perform such a task due to their short stay. “This blind man made the problem of suffering personal for me,” Villella said during the lecture. “Was it ethical to give sight to some and not others?” He mentioned a “dark side” to mission work in the fact that often missionaries go to poor countries to help, but only for a few weeks. When the missionaries return to their home countries, the poor nation is still in need of more help all other weeks of the

year as well. “This message isn’t to dismiss those who go on mission trips and give what they can; every bit helps,” said Von Thaden. “The thing that his kind of setup does is makes it less about charity and facilitating people, but gives them tools to help their communities.” Since that trip, Villella has dedicated his life to tackling the issue of eye care in poor countries by giving the people there the ability to have sustainable eye care. With the help of many colleagues, benefactors and primarily his faith and trust in God, he founded Visualiza care clinic in Guatemala. Today, the clinic provides 30 percent of the nation’s eye care. “Vision for the Poor” is only continuing to grow through the support of others. Villella is very thankful for some of the unexpected help the orga-

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nization has received over the years, including in a grant writing, and funding. “Vision for the Poor” has helped to build nine eye care hospitals in Guatemala, Haití, Nicaragua, Peru and Mexico. von Thaden said he is proud to have the Romero award recipient be someone so close to the Erie community. “People do amazing stuff here, and most of them are just doing it quietly,” said von Thaden. “It is nice to see someone doing such exemplary things that many people know within the community.”

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Page 2

News

I AM and ice-breakers By Melanie Todd Staff writer

Making friends in a completely new atmosphere can be difficult. Mercyhurst’s Multicultural Activities Council (MAC) is working to bring students together through their events. I AM ... Breaking Boundaries is one of many events designed to help unite the campus community. “The event is focused on the actual breaking of boundaries,” Kay Mattena, MAC Event Planner, said. The organizers planned icebreakers and activities for people to get to know each other to start the event. The event also included an idea that is actually based on a similar event conducted in Belgium. Mattena said the organizers planned “boxes laid taped out and words projected on the screen. If you identify with that word, you stand up.” The activity helps to point out similarities individuals have with one another, despite some

Amber Matha photo

Students get up close and personal with peers during the human knot activity, part of the MAC’s I AM ... Breaking Boundaries event.

of their differences. “No matter what background you come from, we all have similarities and we can all get along. We all have stereotypes associated with us, but

there’s so much more,” Mattena said. The event also included team-building activities such as Loop-de-loop, where participants link hands and pass a hula

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hoop, and the human knot. “We are focused on helping people step out of their boundaries, their comfort zones. No matter your color, ethnic background, monetary background,

age group, we all have similarities. The I AM campaign works to help students identify with all aspects of themselves so that they can reach outside of themselves and find similarities

with people they wouldn’t have thought they would connect with,” Mattena said. The second half of the event was planned in conjunction with the Video and Tabletop Game clubs to allow people to get to know some of the people they just connected with. Refreshments catered by Coffee Culture helped complete the event and encouraged mingling among individuals. The event is meant to help foster new friendships. April will bring more I AM campaign events specifically targeting stereotypes. “We’ll have actors and they’ll portray the reversals of (stereotypes),” Mattena said. MAC, created in spring 2015, is a relatively new council on campus. MAC, and specifically the I AM campaign, works hard to promote unity throughout the student body and the campus as well. The events are enjoyable, educational and help foster respect among the Mercyhurst community.

Status updates for 2017 senior class gift By Melanie Todd Staff writer

This year, the Class of 2017 will gift an after-hours coffee bar to the university, providing much-needed pick-me-ups for late night studying and group projects after the bookstore coffee shop closes. The coffee bar will be in the 24/7 student lounge in the Hammermill Library. Students will be able to buy coffee, tea, pastries and other goodies. “So far we’ve raised $6,000, not including anything from the spring bar crawl sign ups or the Students vs. Staff Basketball Game,” Cailey DeWaine, marketing co-chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee, said. The overall goal is to raise $12,500 for the coffee bar and have at least 65 percent of the Class of 2017 contribute. “The 65 percent participation rate can come from buying a bar crawl shirt, any

contribution toward the date auction, making any dollar amount of a donation,” DeWaine said. Having more participants not only helps raise more money for the gift but also helps individuals make a contribution to a lasting effect on the university. “Seventy percent was the highest ever participation by the Class of 2014. Past years have had around 63 percent participation rate,” said DeWaine. “We aren’t sure of our participation rate yet because the bar crawl and basketball game hasn’t been totaled yet. However, we are right on track to meet our goal.” Upcoming events include the spring senior bar crawl on May 6, among others. Members outside of the Mercyhurst Class of 2017 are also welcome to participate. “We’re considering events such as a Frogurtz fundraiser, a cocktail and color event, and for $25 students can submit a

photo of themselves or with friends to be under the glass of the coffee bar. We are open to all suggestions from students as well,” DeWaine said. The committee has worked incredibly hard to not only raise money for the class gift but also put on events for the Class of 2017 to enjoy together. The fundraising events provide an opportunity for the class to come together before graduation. Many friends will be spread across the country and across the globe after Mercyhurst. The senior year events help provide opportunities and activities that will create lasting memories of their time at Mercyhurst. “It’s been really rewarding and a lot of fun meeting more of the senior class,” said Alyssa Archer, chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee. “I have really enjoyed the committee and am excited to finish out strong.”

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Last Tuesday kicked off Mercyhurst’s 2017 Literary Festival. Kelly Armor, of the Erie Art Museum, presented her work on ethnic music and the culture the music came from. Armor started the Folk Art Program at the museum, and has received nothing but positive responses. The program is based on building traditional artists within the Erie region and helping them continue their art. Erie is home to some 10,000 former refugees who have had to flee their homeland, come to a strange new country and become self-sufficient in a matter of months. Armor took into consideration the fact that there are more artists in the refugee population who have a desire to continue sharing their culture than in the general population. “These people have so much

world knowledge it would be a waste not to tap into it,” said Armor. “These people have an incredible world view, while ours sometimes is so specified.” From that sparked the FolkArt Program called “Old Songs New Opportunities.” The program includes any refugee women who wish to share and preserve their traditional children’s songs and games, and the program provides these women with childcare training. “A lot of women when they come here stop singing to their kids, but this program has helped them continue to sing,” Armor said. Armor brought with her to Mercyhurst a former refugee woman named Mishu, who is from the Republic of Congo. Mishu shared her story with the students and taught multiple traditional songs from her culture. “Singing in my culture is so incredibly important because it makes you happy to sing if you are sad,” Mishu said.

She and Armor shared many songs with the audience and got every student involved Although at the beginning, some participated more willingly than others, by the end every student was up out of their seat clapping and singing along. Armor stated that here in the United States, we often are too caught up in the mindset that we cannot sing because we are not talented or famous. “Other cultures embrace singing because it brings wealth and, well, frankly, everyone can sing,” Armor said. Overall, Armor informed the group that this program not only highlights the importance of preserving traditional music, but also makes hundreds of former women refugees finally feel like they are at home. “The songs are like little passports,” said Armor. “It gives you an intuitive sense of culture that is really hard to get any other way.”

March 29, 2017

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The Merciad

Features

Morris to be Poli Sci chair By Abigail Rinard Staff writer

Joseph Morris, Ph.D., will be replacing Michael Federici, Ph.D., as the chair for the Political Science Department in the fall of 2017. Morris is originally from the suburbs of Los Angeles, California, and received his undergraduate degree in Political Science, with a minor in Philosophy, from San Diego State University. After realizing his interest in environmental politics, he attended the University of Montana for his master’s in Political Science. Morris then went to Idaho State University (ISU), where he got his master’s in Public Administration, as well as his doctorate. After finishing, he taught at ISU for a year as a visiting professor. “Political science was a discipline that I didn’t find to be confining. The beautiful thing about it is that if you have an interest in the environment, you can study environmental politics, as I did. If you have an interest in animal rights, you can be a political scientist and study that,” Morris said. Morris came to Mercyhurst in 2001. He served as the director of the Honors Program for a little over four years, as well as the interim Political Science Department chair for

Chelsea Guida photo

Joseph Morris, Ph.D., earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, two master’s degrees in Political Science and Public Administration and his doctorate in Political Science.

a year and a half. He was quick to express his appreciation for the department that he has spent 16 years in. “I have wonderful colleagues. I discovered that my colleagues were not only wonderful faculty members, but wonderful people,” said Morris. “I fell in love with Mercyhurst and the Mercyhurst tradition.” Morris founded the Center for Applied Politics in 2010, and has served as its director since then. He has worked with over a thousand students in the Center, making calls and taking public opinion polls. The work conducted in the Center has been published

in every major newspaper in Pennsylvania, and has been featured on National Public Radio. Most recently, its work appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball” with Chris Matthews. Morris has taught more than a dozen different courses at Mercyhurst, all within the realm of domestic politics. “My favorite part of teaching is having the chance to help students think about things in ways they haven’t thought about before. The people I have most admired in my life have all been teachers. They’ve all been able to make me think about things in different ways, or introduced me to a new field of thought or

field of study,” said Morris. “I hope to be able to do that for other people.” For Morris, however, teaching encompasses a great responsibility. It is not just to give students an education, but to help them become citizens who are capable of responsibly participating in American democracy. “What drives my teaching is the need this nation has for citizens. Part of being a citizen is having knowledge necessary to make decisions and form decisions, but also the virtue necessary to set your self interest aside in pursuit of the public good,” Morris said. Morris thinks of his job as creating citizens that the country needs. “I look at all of my classes as the opportunity to create the type of citizens our democracy demands,” said Morris. “I’m not training future political scientists or public administrators; I’m training citizens.” The addition of department chair to Morris’s list of duties will change his job dramatically and increase his responsibilities on campus. “It’ll change a lot, but it’s all good,” said Morris. “It’s a new challenge and new challenges keep you inspired and motivated and thinking.”

Digital storytelling through podcasts

Contributed photo

Junior History majors Sydney Van Leeuwen, Andy Gebauer and Jake Smith record their podcast.

Dan Macey and Frankie Stark, Hospitality majors, brainstorm ideas for their podcasts.

By Elizabeth Shewan Staff writer

This semester, Averill Earls, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of History, is teaching a class called Digital History: Storytelling. Students have been researching and compiling information on local history, which they have presented in the form of a podcast, “Hurstories.” The class, which consists of 20 students of a variety of majors and graduating years, is project-driven, rather than content-based. “Hurstories” is the first of three major projects for the class. The other two will have students contributing to a blog and creating a family history documentary. “Hurstories” is part of an emerging trend toward the resurgence of oral storytelling as a means of passing knowledge. With the growing popularity of podcasts and the increasing availability of the internet, storytelling has become popular and possible again. “I love the concept of oral storytelling,” said Earls. “Communicating history through oral narration and the challenges that presents,

Contributed photo

Claire Werynski, Sydney Van Leeuwen, Andy Gebauer and Jake Smith work on their podcasts.

like: how do you write for the ear? And how do you edit so it sounds natural, but measured and keeps the listener interested throughout?” Students, working individually or in small groups, were able to pick their own topic for an episode of the podcast. Based on what interested

them, they compiled information, recorded their voices and made creative decisions, like whether to use music and sound effects. For freshman Claire Werynski, a Social Work major, an important part of this process was editing. “The editing stage of the

podcasts was something I really liked, because I really like digital music and editing music. I was kind of nitpicky about how I was getting my final copy done. I probably focused more on that than other parts of my project, because that’s what’s important to me,” Werynski said. Sydney Van Leeuwen, junior Public History major, minoring in Documentary Film, said she felt the course was a perfect fit for her and for what she wanted to do. “The podcasting project was my favorite so far, because the podcast is very similar to projects I’ll have to be doing in the future,” Van Leeuwen said. The course is the first of a three-part series that Earls plans to offer. The next will be offered in the spring of 2018. “The main goal, for me, is for these students to really develop digital literacy, knowing the tools that are available,” Earls said. In the class, the students learn the basics of using editing software and HTML. “Ultimately,” said Van Leeuwen, “you come out with a project that’s something that you’re really proud of, and that you could show to anybody and say ‘look, I did this.’”

Asking Mia Anyone have a problem that they need help fixing? Ask for Mia’s advice at: askmia.merciad@gmail.com ******************* Dear Mia, Scheduling for classes is coming up soon and I don’t know what to do. My friends are all planning to take one of the same classes together and they haven’t asked me to join them. I’m always there for the conversation, but no one has asked me personally. I feel like I’m being left out and it really hurts my feelings. What should I do? Sincerely, All By Myself Dear All By Myself, Have you tried telling your friends how you feel? Since you were there for some of the conversations, it’s possible they just assume that you know you’re invited. Don’t feel like they are not including you for a certain reason. They are planning this out around you, so they want you to be with them. They are your friends; I don’t think they’re being malicious on purpose. It seems like it was more of a group-made plan, so they probably didn’t think about asking you personally. It may help and make you feel better if you sit down with one of your friends and ask them if they want you to be in the class with them. Try not to think about it too much. I’m sure your friends would love to have that class with you. Although, you also need to consider how taking a class with all of your friends will go. If you are a person that needs to study on your own, it might be better for you if you are not in a class where they will expect you to study with them and do every homework assignment together. In my experience, taking a class with friends is hard, because you can love them outside of the classroom, but once you are trying to learn and they want to goof off, it gets hard to separate school and being friends. Lastly, is this class they plan to take together one you need to take? If you have already filled that requirement, they might not be including you because they know you don’t need to take the class they want. Sincerely,

Mia

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Features

March 29, 2017

The Merciad

Mayoral candidates discuss faith at ’Hurst By Mathew Jury Staff writer

For the first time in 12 years, Erie will have a new mayor due as Mayor Joe Sinnott’s final term ends. With seven Democrats and two Republicans running for his position, Mercyhurst University ran a forum on Monday evening for the Erie faith community in the Performing Arts Center. Titled “Erie’s Next Mayor: Candidates Respond to Voices of Faith,” this allowed the different religious communities of the city and the Mercyhurst student body the opportunity to have their voices heard about their concerns regarding the future of the city. “The purpose of the event was for Erie’s religious communities to be able to meet the candidates and see them as potential moral leaders. In addition, the different groups offered priority statements to express their concerns,” Greg Baker, director of Campus Ministry, said. Baker explained that the admissions committee and President Michael T. Victor felt that the Performing Arts Center would be a good venue due to location and size and that it would bring positive attention to the school. “Erie has a lot at stake,” said Baker. “Erieites would value bringing religious concerns on morality to the public forum.” Four representatives of various faith communities in Erie offered their statements to the candidates, listing their concerns. Rev. Charles Mock of the African American Concerned Clergy; Benedictine Sister Anne McCarthy; Niken Astari of One-Table, an inter-religious group concerned with multicultural

Mathew Jury photo

From left to right, Jay Breneman, Rubye Jenkins-Husband, John Persinger, Bob Merski, Joe Schember, Steve Franklin, Jon Whaley, Lisa Austin and Almitra Clerkin.

affairs; and Zachary Irwin, Ph.D., president of InterChurch Ministries, were the four that the community elected to have represent them. All expressed the common concerns of strained relations between minority citizens and police, collapsing city schools, need for a community college, lack of jobs that can sustain a family, gun and drug violence and the influx of refugees. Erie Playhouse Executive Director Almitra Clerkin offered her statement first. Citing her faith as a driving force in her life, she argued that the crime epidemic has its roots in drugs and hatred. She touted her charismatic leadership skills as a strong point and that she would work with the community to restore hope. “Crime occurs when hope is lost,” said Clerkin. “I pledge to move Erie from the dark to the light.” Steve Franklin, retired public servant of 30 years, offered himself as a voice in harmony with the city people. He pressed for a need for public safety personnel to build its trust in the community and to increase the hiring of minorities in public service. His platform was to reform

the police department by setting up new policies to increase supervision of officers to make sure they do exactly what is needed in a situation and to break down the barriers between communities through the schools. Jon Whaley, one of two Republican candidates, asserted that the division between Republicans and Democrats is not as big as often perceived; being united is most important. Whaley argued the common adage that actions speak louder than words. He volunteers every summer for ServErie, an organization that remodels Erie schools and vows to place the citizens of Erie as top priority. He attacked what he perceives to be the status quo and complacency attitude permeating the city. His leadership goal is to attain Erie’s renaissance through economic opportunity and development. Joe Schember regularly participates in One-Table community events where it is commonly asked, “Who is at One-Table?” Ultimately, he asked the city of Erie if they are involved. “My goal to bring diversity to Erie’s government and to open more police positions to

attract more minorities to the force, while cementing Erie’s place as a sanctuary city for refugees,” said Schember. “I hope to restore Erie schools, bring in a community college and add sustainable jobs for families.” Rubye Jenkins-Husband had previously served on City Council. In the late 1990s, she helped revive a block on Parade Street, a high poverty area in the center of the city, which is now being heavily invested in by business. At the time, she met with citizens to gain some input. She said hopes to do the same thing for the entire city. “Nothing should happen in the neighborhood without the neighbors,” Jenkins-Husband said. John Persinger, the other Republican candidate, discussed growing up in a heavily faithful family and furthering his faith development in Notre Dame Law School. He served as a White House aide and as a Chief-of-Staff on the U.S. Embassy in Australia. He pledged to clean up the city by restoring neighborhood safety, rebuilding local education and increasing job availability. “Will you get Erie working again?” Persinger said to

the audience as he closed his speech. After an intermission performance of a Nigerian prayer dance recalling the story of Adam and Eve, Bob Merski, ’99, spoke. He referenced a course taught by professor of Catholic Studies, Mary Hembrow Snyder, Ph.D., director of the Center for Mercy and Catholic Studies. This class inspired him to dedicate himself to educating the impoverished youth of Erie, while serving on City Council. Merski admitted problems plaguing the city (and the entire country) including systemic racism, lack of quality pre-K programs, lack of arts and music in schools and stagnation in diversity. He argued that solutions to these problems above will work best as prevention to crime. Jay Breneman ’11, another Mercyhurst alumnus, served in the military for seven years right after September 11, 2001, including 2.5 years in Iraq. He struggled seeing many of his comrades fall in combat, but said his Catholic faith allowed him to continue in life. Boldly calling out the current mayor for lack of regard for the state of Erie schools, Breneman pledged to bring

a community college for job training, reform secondary schools and increase the presence of community centers to prevent the vulnerable from falling through the gaps. He hopes to bring upon Erie’s “New Deal.” Lisa Austin, the last candidate to speak, spoke of her experience with poverty. She was fortunate enough to be raised in privilege, although living in Taiwan gave her firsthand experience in witnessing poverty. She pledges to create green areas to address climate change, create a safe city with no drugs, restore local grocery stores, reach out to the rest of Pennsylvania for ideas to clean up the education system, train youth and immigrants in vocational work to fix the blight of Erie’s neighborhoods, engage the public in service, collaborate with other leaders and “change the narrative of the city.” She discussed the urgency of the state of the Erie School District. “In order to fix the future of Erie, there is a need to fix the schools,” Austin said. Overall, the local religious communities and the candidates brought about important points regarding what they hope to bring to Erie. Each candidate cited the need for reducing gun and drug violence, restoring the faltering schools and increasing public trust in police. It is important that the people of Erie, Mercyhurst community or not, are informed on the issues so that we may be able to determine the fate of this beautiful city. This event provided the student body that chance.

MEOW celebrates women Beautifying Erie County who have succeeded By Cheyanne Crum Features editor

By Jordan Pendel Staff writer

The large pay gap between genders can affect how women feel about entering the work field, hindering their desire to achieve their goals. The Mercyhurst Equality of Women Club (MEOW) is holding a new event called the “Successful Women’s Seminar” as a way for students to feel more comfortable in striving for success in their field of interest. This event gives students an opportunity to listen to professionals in various fields talk about their experiences and accomplishments. Abigail Armstrong, secretary of MEOW, encourages everyone of all genders to attend. This seminar will also allow the professionals to offer advice to young women in their same fields. There are some professors who are unable to attend the event, but are very interested. “(The professors) are willing to participate in the next one if we wish to do it again,” said Armstrong. “Hopefully, this will become an annual event.” MEOW has not only asked Mercyhurst professors to speak at the event, but-off campus professionals as well. The professors set to speak include Janelle Newman, Ph.D., instructor of World Languages and Cultures; Sarah McCool, M.P.H., M.H.A.,

Contributed photo

Janelle Newman, Ph.D., (left) and Marnie Sullivan, Ph.D., (right) are two professors set to speak as successful women.

instructor of Public Health; Alice Edwards, Ph.D., instructor of Spanish; Mary Hembrow Snyder, Ph.D., professor of Catholic Studies and director of the Center for Mercy and Catholic Studies; Allyson Minor, Ph.D., instructor of Hospitality; and Marnie Sullivan, Ph.D., visiting professor of English. Political consultant, Caitlin Handerhan, an alumna of Mercyhurst and former Merciad opinion editor, and businesswoman Susan Lux will also be speaking. “Seeing successful women within a wide range of fields is helpful because the students are able to see different genders and races in successful positions and understand that it is possible,” Armstrong said. The officers of MEOW are hoping that the students will feel comfortable in having conversations with the professionals after they speak. Tea and biscuits will be also be served at this time. The officers want to make this event a place where students can feel comfortable to

ask questions on their future endeavors and gain advice on their professional journeys. A concept similar to the “Successful Women’s Seminar” was thought of previously, until it eventually developed into the event. “Not in the time I have attended Mercyhurst have we had an event similar to this one, so we thought it would be beneficial,” Armstrong said. The “Successful Women’s Seminar” is a way for students to counteract any discouragement they may have received towards achieving success. Having an event like this is a great way to encourage young people to be as successful as they can in their field. Armstrong would also like to add that the MEOW is welcome to everyone and they are open to working with other clubs on exciting events in the future to help bring about acceptance and celebration of diversity. The successful women will be in Hirt 212 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 1.

Nine members of the Erie County community have come together to help Mercyhurst alumna Brittany Prischak Keep Erie County Beautiful (KECB). Prischak is currently the sustainability officer for Erie County, as she used to be at Mercyhurst. This advisory committee is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful (KAB), a nationwide program centered on ending littering, improving recycling and beautifying communities, according to their website. The members of the committee were selected from all over Erie County. The nine categories being represented are: neighborhoods, cities, townships, non-profits, schools, industry, colleges and universities and the county as a whole. At this time, they are still looking for a member to fill the state as a whole position. “The nine-member committee helps to represent different sectors of the county, by that I mean interest groups, not necessarily certain areas of the county,” said Prischak. “So they help us know what is happening throughout the county with different organizations.” Sarah Bennett, M.S., Biology lecturer, was selected to represent the universities and colleges in the county. “At our first meeting in May, we will discuss our strategies.

As a KAB affiliate, we want to accomplish their goals with litter, recycling and overall beautifying,” Bennett said. The meeting is open to the public, but will be focused on strategic planning for the committee. “Our priorities haven’t necessarily been set yet. That will happen during the first meeting. The focuses of any affiliate of KAB include: awareness and education or implementation of projects relating to recycling and waste, litter and illegal dumping and community beautification,” Prischak said. Erie County is a trial run for one of the big programs that KAB would like to implement to lessen cigarette litter. “KAB would like to have the city of Erie be the pilot city for a cigarette butt receptacle program. They’re going to be electronic and have little polls you can take when you put a butt into it, like ‘Who’s your favorite cartoon character?’” Bennett said. To prepare for the upcoming events, each of the committee members attended a training with a member of KAB. “This committee (purpose) is really to focus and get started on the goals that KAB has. Our overall goal is not only to clean up Erie, but to change the behavior so it eventually won’t be necessary,” Bennett said. Another way that the committee prepared for KECB was through a litter audit. Bennett said that they split

the county into five different watersheds to complete the survey of how much litter was in each area. Since Bennett is the liaison for the Erie County colleges and universities, it is obviously a question of how involved Mercyhurst is going to become in the endeavors of KECB. “I would like to get the Service Learning department involved and include the Day of Service that the freshmen have to do in this. Whether it is just helping identify projects that need done or becoming involved with projects,” Bennett said. Along with the involvement of the college, Prischak said the committee hopes to increase schools’ recycling and recycling education, decrease the number of dump sites through clean-ups and enforcement and work with neighborhood groups to assist with vacant lot programs. Each of the members of the committee has been selected to be the liaison of a division of the county and each of them are set for the job. “The people on the committee are all very active in the community, the energy is just contagious. Having so many people willing to help makes it better as well,” said Bennett. “This is a really great time for Erie to get involved in this. There just seems to be more of a willingness to participate and change, which is the ultimate goal.”

March 29, 2017

The Merciad

Arts &

Page 5

Entertainment

‘Miss Firecracker Contest’ to light up Taylor Little By Kristian Biega Staff writer

The Mercyhurst Theatre Program is known for putting on fantastic productions that showcase the unique talents and dedication of its students. This year, Brett Johnson, Ph.D., head of the Theatre program, chose Michael Rowe, senior Intelligence major, as student director to put on a play called “The Miss Firecracker Contest.” This is the second year Mercyhurst has done a student–led production. Last year, nearly 30 students were involved in the department’s One-Act Festival. Rowe directed his first short play there called “’Dentity Crisis” by Christopher Durang. After the huge success of last year’s showcase, the program wanted to continue that slot every year. “The Theatre Program has grown to the size to support things like this,” said Johnson. “We have so many students who are auditioning who want practical experience.” “The Miss Firecracker Con-

test” is a play by Beth Henley that tells the story of Carnell Scott, an orphan living in Brookhaven, Mississippi. She is determined to rid herself of her tarnished past by entering and winning the title of “Miss Hot Tamale” in the town’s Miss Firecracker Contest. Johnson describes its genre as a show of “Southern Gothic absurdism meets melodrama, meets broad comedy.” Johnson chose this play for the students and still is ultimately overseeing the production of this show. “Henley’s play is really focused on character and posed a real challenge for the cast, not only to develop dynamic characters, but to really understand the crazy world of this play,” said Johnson. “I thought it would challenge not only our student director, but all of our student cast.” The transition from actor to director came as a bit of a challenge to Rowe as he stepped out of his comfort zone to direct a full-length show.

Rebecca Holt photo

From left to right: Katie Kruszynski, Owen Hitt, Abby Larimore, Cole Lowe, Erin Fink and Charity Ludwig.

He took on the show with optimism and gratitude for the mentorship and guidance of Johnson. “I knew that all I had to do was rely on what I have been taught and I would be fine,” said Rowe. “I have been mentored through this process by the director of the Mercyhurst Theatre Program, Dr. Brett D. Johnson, and his advice has been invaluable. “He has helped guide me through this process and what it takes to successfully direct a show.” This cast is unique because there is also a student set designer, stage manager, backstage crew and Bethany

Sulecki, senior Music Education major, as student dramaturg. “It’s really encouraging and fulfilling to see our upper class theatre minors who have fulfilled the coursework and have gained the resume take a leadership role,” Johnson said. Sulecki’s role involved collecting research about the play itself, its author, time period and help the actors, directors and crew achieve that world on stage. “It gives them an idea on where these characters come from, what they are like and what influenced Henley while she was writing the play,” Sulecki said.

“The director, Michael Rowe, and I also worked on analyzing the script together to discover the themes and the message of ‘The Miss Firecracker Contest.’” Both Rowe and Sulecki have been involved in every Mercyhurst production in some capacity since they were freshmen. Their involvement has helped them gain invaluable experience as they saw growth and improvement within the close-knit cast and their own abilities. “I feel like once you have been acting in enough productions and learning the material, you start to develop an instinct for directing,” said Rowe. “You start to figure out what stage pictures look nice, the different tactics used to convey tension or oppression and how to put everything together.” “As a senior,” said Sulecki, “I think the most rewarding and exciting thing about being in the Theatre (Program) is watching my peers grow as artists and people.” The process of putting on a

show comes with great reward for the director, especially as they see the entire production come together. “It is very rewarding seeing the characters and quality of the show grow throughout the process. It means I did something right,” said Rowe. “These actors respect the process and are fully committed to helping me create a great show.” Johnson said he is extremely proud of Rowe, Sulecki and the entire student-led cast of the “Miss Firecracker Contest.” “It is really exciting to see Michael find his voice as a director and having myself simply facilitate that process instead of doing it for him,” said Johnson. “The best way to learn is by doing.” “The Miss Firecracker Contest” will be presented in the Taylor Little Theatre on April 6, 7 and 8, at 7:30 p.m. and April 8 and 9, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students and $5 for Mercyhurst students and youth. @TheMerciad

Art museum features Cardot By Carlena Bressanelli Staff writer

Contributed photo

The Mercyhurst Concert Choir will perform in the Performing Arts Center this Sunday at 4 p.m.

Concert Choir celebrates the Easter season spirit By Eleanor Hein Staff writer

The Mercyhurst Music Department is proud to present the Mercyhurst University Concert Choir. Directed by the talented Rebecca Ryan, director of the Sullivan Conservatory and director of Choirs, the concert features pieces from “Mass in D” by Antonin Dvorak and “Lux Aeterna” by Morten Lauridsen. In the spirit of the upcoming Easter season, it is natural that the choir should open with a requiem. The “Faure Requiem,” a shortened version of the full Mass, was written by Gabriel Faure in 1887. A requiem is a musical composition used in a Mass (especially in the Roman Catholic Church) for the repose of the souls of the dead. Ryan explains that it is

appropriate for a requiem to be sang before Easter, which is “right around the corner.” Ryan chose the piece not only to honor tradition, but also for its “beautiful and hopeful message through memorable melodies and elegant harmonic progressions.” Ryan selected “Lux Aeterna” as a contrast to the Requiem in that its “emphasis textually is on ‘light’ as it pertains to many aspects of our lives based on Sacred Latin texts.” Lauridsen composed the piece in 1997, following the death of his mother who he considered the “muse” that introduced him to music. Coincidentally, the “Faure Requiem” was also written after Faure’s mother’s death. While Faure insisted that his Requiem was written for fun, Ryan says many believe that the loss of their mothers influenced the resulting works. Given that possibility,

one may hear the works as an example of contrasting responses to death and the grief that follows. The “Faure Requiem” includes the famous soprano solo entitled “Pie Jesu,” which will be performed by senior Voice Performance major Victoria McIlvain. The piece will also feature junior Voice Performance major Jake Shearer in the demanding Baritone solos. “Lux Aeterna” contains multiple a cappella sections that “come out of nowhere,” thereby highlighting the choir’s vocal expertise. The Concert Choir will be accompanied by a chamber orchestra and directed by Ryan. The performance will be in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on April 2 at 4 p.m. General admission is $5 and $2 for students, faculty and children 12 and under.

The Erie Art Museum is featuring Gary Cardot, assistant professor of the Art department and director of the Photography Department. On display are 14 of his large digital paintings. The digital paintings are composed of collage media of 10 to 15 images each, computer generated in full color. They measure out to be about 16 by 24 inches. They are very unique with the pictures being taken within

the last year. The pictures that he took were taken at places like religious shrines, amusement parks, county fairs, cemeteries, parades and festivals. Some themes he explores in his works are sexuality, Romanticism and the retrieval of memory. Cardot likes to photograph isolated subcultures and trades because he is fascinated by people and their talents in their life and outside their workplace. He likes to show a voice for both cultural narrative and free association while using

traditional photography and some new technology in his digital paintings. Cardot has studied digital painting. This process makes a painting effect from photographs. The Erie Art Museum came in contact with him about having an exhibit in the museum after seeing two of his digital paintings at a Juried Art Show there in their spring show in 2016. The exhibit is currently displayed in the Ronald E. Holstein Gallery at the Erie Art Museum from Feb. 17 through June 24.

Roche presents Dr. Lane By Jeanette Fournier Staff writer

On Monday, the Roche Guest Artist Series welcomes Deforia Lane, Ph.D., who will give a lecture at 8 p.m. in Walker Recital Hall. Lane is an acclaimed music therapist and the director of the Music as Medicine program at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, a program that Lane also founded. Lane originally planned to pursue a career as a singer, and she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Vocal Performance, as well as a Ph.D. in Music Education. She is board certified as a Music Therapist, and she is also certified by the American Music Therapy Association

for Faculty Administration. In addition to the lecture, Lane will also hold a workshop on campus for the Music Therapy students. “In the workshop and lecture, she will discuss her role as an innovator of Medical Music Therapy, how to design research and collect data and building specific interventions for hospitalized patients,” said Craig Stevens, MA, MT-BC, NMT, director of Music Therapy. “She will also discuss her research, which details how Music Therapy sessions have proven to boost the immune system in cancer patients.” Mercyhurst Music Therapy students are very excited to meet Lane and learn from her. “I am totally psyched to learn about music therapy

from a medical/hospital standpoint. I do clinical in a hospital, but that is from a palliative-care standpoint. They are so similar but different,” said senior Music Therapy major Sarah Whitaker. “It’s always so great to hear different perspectives.” “I’m looking forward to hearing about any new intervention techniques she might have to share,” said sophomore Music Therapy major Katey Mihailov, “as well as any new music studies she’s worked on.” Meredith Beals, freshman Music Therapy major, is excited to ask “what her biggest struggles are in being a music therapist and if she has any advice for people currently in the major.”

Literary festival continues with Eibhear Walshe By Naomi Greenstein Staff writer

Online

The students and faculty of the English Department at Mercyhurst pride themselves on the literary festivals they put on each year. Sponsored by “Lumen,” the fine arts and literary journal, the annual literary festival begins in the spring semester around March.

It generally consists of three or four events that lead up to the unveiling of “Lumen,” which is entirely student-run. The events usually feature speakers that are published authors or poets who come to Mercyhurst to share and present their work with the student body. Past speakers have included such renowned writers and poets like Peter Coyote, Robert Bly, Sonia Sanchez and

Full list of events can be found on the MU website

Karen Joy Fowler. This year, more specifically on Thursday, the literary festival will be welcoming Eibhear Walshe, Ph.D., an Irish novelist and professor of English at University College Cork (UCC) in County Cork, Ireland. In addition to the numerous academic essays he has written over the years, Walshe has also published several edited collections including “Ordinary

People Dancing: Essays on Kate O’Brien,” “Sex, Nation and Dissent” and “Elizabeth Bowen Remembered.” In 2009, his memoir “Cissie’s Abbatoir,” which carefully crafts the experiences of his childhood spent in his hometown and around his spunky grandmother Cissie and her abbatoir, was published by Collins Press. Later in 2014, his first novel, a work of historical fiction,

View upcoming performances: www.mercyhurst.edu/events

“The Diary of Mary Travers,” was published and shortlisted for the 2015 Kerry Fiction Prize and longlisted for the 2016 Dublin International Literary Award. Walshe’s knack for capturing the essence of Irish language and culture is what sets him apart from other authors of his time. While visiting Mercyhurst, Walshe will also be conducting workshops with Creative

Writing majors and minors of the English Department, giving students the opportunity to interact personally with a published author and professor well-versed in both creative and academic writing. The presentation will take place at 8 p.m. on Thursday and will be followed by a book signing with Walshe. The event is free and open to the public.

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March 29, 2017

The Merciad

Opinion

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

Movie location questionable By Jordan Pendel Staff writer

I was walking out of class one day and saw a sign that the Student and Multicultural Activities Councils (SAC/ MAC) were showing “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” I thought about how perfect that was since it has been out for months, and I still haven’t gone to see it. Then I saw where they were showing it. I have mixed feelings about the event. Pros: The movie. Cons: The location. To do my best in not offending anyone, I will start with some pros. The movie choice is great. Everyone loves Harry Potter, so the spin off was the perfect thing to show. Why not sit around with some other muggles and watch witches

and wizards do magic? Although the location choice seems odd, it is nice that they are giving away blankets and cotton candy to people. The movie showing gives students something to do on a Saturday night without having to spend a ton of money on tickets and candy. Movie theaters can be expensive and we are college students. We can’t be throwing out $5 on a small popcorn. To me, the Student Union Great Room seemed like an odd place to show a movie, let alone a very popular movie that many people are probably going to go see. The Great Room isn’t necessarily a large room to hold a ton of people. There’s what, a couple of couches and some chairs already in the room? SAC/ MAC would have to bring a lot of chairs to hold all the

people attending. Unless they don’t bring chairs and make the students sit on the hard floor. If that’s the case I would need to bring a lot of blankets to make that space more comfortable. It seems like more of a hassle to the planners if they bring in chairs to set everything up. Of course, maybe this does not bother them since they have to set up other weekend events. I’m just trying to look out for you guys. Why not show the movie in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) or a lecture room, somewhere that has permanent seating and a lot more room than the Student Union? The PAC would be the perfect place to hold these movie events. The seating is a lot comfier than the floor and the screen is probably a lot bigger too.

I don’t know the rules in securing these rooms, or if it is even possible, but I think it’s something they could consider. SAC/MAC would save time from setting up and putting away all the seating for students. I haven’t been to one of the events where they show a movie in the Student Union, but it just does not seem like the best location choice. SAC/MAC probably has an estimate of how many people usually attend movie nights like this, so maybe the location is dependent on that. I did not know they showed movies for events, and definitely think they should do this more often. The location is just what seems like an odd choice to me. Overall, great movie choice, but maybe consider other locations?

Good The Merciad is going to be more sustainable by partnering with the Green Team. The Green Team will collect unused newspapers to recycle for compost.

Bad The vending machines haven’t been refilled in a while, making it hard for students to get snacks between classes.

Service learning makes a difference By Amber Matha Opinion editor

Service is an integral part of any Mercy driven education. So it is no wonder that students have to do some sort of service learning during their time here at Mercyhurst. As a student in the Honors Program, I have to log 50 service hours by the time I graduate next spring. My freshman year, I was able to log a whopping 40 hours. I determined that this year was the year that I was going to get my last 10 hours. The question remained, how was I to do it? In high school, I participated in Academic Decathlon, and at the local level it is called Academic Sports League (ASL). ASL was fun because it was a competition that required me to study material and use that knowledge to do well on tests. When I heard that the middle schoolers at my mom’s

school were studying for their ASL competition, I knew I had found my service opportunity. During my time with the kids I helped sixth, seventh and eighth graders learn subjects like algebra, trigonometry, chemistry and nuclear chemistry. These subjects, especially the chemistry, were not only well above the level of most of the eighth graders, but were also some that I did not see until college. The day of the competition came and I arrived to the public event with a knot in my stomach. I hoped that I had helped the students in a way that they remembered the material. I wanted all nine of the students on the team to get at least one medal each. The coach, a teacher at the middle school, was nervous about the strength of his team. Two of the participants had been recruited at the last minute so might not have had studied as much as their teammates.

At an ASL competition there is an event called the Superquiz Relay, which is a quiz bowl-like competition where three sets of three students from each team answer 10 multiple choice questions, for a total of 30 questions. Each question must be answered in 10 seconds after it is read. Sitting in the audience I tried my hand at answering their questions on a sheet of paper. Woodrow Wilson Middle School not only got first place in this part of the competition with a score of 20, but also beat my individual score of 19. The most rewarding experience for me was during the awards ceremony. There was one seventh grader who got a silver medal in math, and three students got gold medals in science. The team scored second place overall, to the shock of the coach of the team and myself. Seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces when their names were called was some-

thing that I will remember for a long time. This was a team that had doubted their abilities, a team that had signed themselves off because they thought they weren’t smart enough to win. When they won second place, I saw a spark in their eyes that had not been there before. It is a motivation to go for the gold next year and sweep the whole competition. I told this story because I believe that every student at Mercyhurst should participate in some form of service learning. We all have to do the Day of Service as freshmen, but I think it is even more important to do volunteer work for fun. When you do something because you want to, and you don’t feel forced to do it, that is when the real impacts of the work are felt. That is when you know you have done some good. @TheMerciad

SAC/MAC event speaks to student By Deanna Callerame Contributing writer

Online

Over the weekend I went to the Student and Multicultural Activities Councils (SAC/ MAC) event, “I AM… Breaking Boundaries.” The event began with students awkwardly huddled in groups based on graduation year lining the edges of the Great Room in the Student Union while everyone was waiting for the last few stragglers to join. After everyone arrived, the SAC members led an activity with about three-fourths of the group (the other students were playing card games and chatting amongst themselves). We held hands in a circle while using teamwork to move a hula hoop around the human chain. Surprisingly, the time to get around the circle was 57 seconds.

The group was still warming up to one another, but the next event allowed people to be up close and personal: the human knot. We formed a circle, took a few steps in, and reached across to join hands with another person. It was after the first failure when we realized that two people cannot hold hands with the same person, creating a circle of three people inside of the knot. About 28 minutes later, we were able to untangle ourselves. During the strategizing process, students were neither rude nor sassy; everyone was open to listening to different ideas that arose, and we usually gave them a try. Even if people were not used to being touchy with strangers, the feeling of working as a team made it easy to relax and make jokes with one another.

After the knot was untied, the SAC members set up coffee, hot chocolate and pastries. The group I was with decided to play Cards Against Humanity, and the nature of that game allows people to bond very quickly. I did not learn the names of everyone there; however, I could be myself and enjoy the company of other openminded individuals. After going on the famous Carpe Diem 6 (CD6) retreat through Campus Ministry last year, I was genuinely stoked for this event. When kind-hearted, sincere people gather in one place to create a true judgement-free zone, my love for humanity becomes restored. We students can easily fall into societal norms of gossip, even if we do not intend to harm others. Once a person has been in a place with such an uplifting, tranquil aura, it