The Merciad April 28 Issue

Merciad THE

MERCYHURST UNIVERSIT Y

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WEDNE SDAY, APRIL 28 , 2021

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

VOL. 94 NO. 18

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

MSG Senate elections held PAGE 3

Online poll results

We asked: What is your

favorite ice cream topping?

Photo Credits: Contributed photo

2: Johnson & Johnson vaccine on recall 7: Seniors inducted into service honor society

10: Annual Raw Edges Concert reveals dance students’ talents

Hot fudge

PAGE 2 Whipped cream Sprinkles Cherry

PAGE 2

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

NEWS

Mercyhurst celebrates Earth Day

By Samantha Weber

Managing editor

This year, Earth Day was on Thursday, April, 22. To help encourage students to participate and learn more about the day, Mercyhurst University had events all throughout the week. Each of the freshman residence halls had events almost every day for the residents to participate in. Baldwin Hall had events every day of the week.

On Monday, students could make their own reusable grocery bags. On Tuesday, they learned how to make a piggy bank out of a plastic water bottle. On Wednesday, they offered to help students make their own recycled room decorations. On Thursday, students used recycled art to create masterpieces to use as decorations.

And on Friday, they used an old t-shirt to make dog toys that were donated to a local shelter.

There were also more campus-wide events that were open for all students to attend during the week. One of them was a campus cleanup sponsored by Habitat for Humanity, MSG and the Sustainability Club.

This event took place on Sunday, April 18, and it is the second weekend in a row that there has been a campus cleanup. If anyone is interested in participating in a campus cleanup, there is another on Sunday, May 2 and all you have to do is check-in outside of Old Main for a shift. The shifts are from 12-1 p.m. and from 1-2 p.m.

There was also a pop-up event hosted by the Sustainability Club on Tuesday. At this pop-up event, the club was handing out plant kits that contained everything needed to plant them.

Another campus-wide event was when MSG hosted a speaker on Monday. The speaker was biol-

ogist and wildlife conservationist, Jeff Corwin.

Sophomore, Kailey Pisani, played a huge part in getting Corwin to come and speak to the students of Mercyhurst. “We have the best agent. Even if I don’t know what topic I’d like to have someone speak on, our agent takes the time to brainstorm with me and see what I feel resonates with our student body,” said Pisani when asked about getting the speaker.

“When it came to deciding on Jeff Corwin, I knew I wanted us to have a speaker to kick off Earth Week.” During the call, Corwin showed the students a number of wild animals and taught us about each of them and how unique they are in their own ways.

Pisani said, “I told our agent we wanted someone who could speak on sustainability, environmental awareness, or another topic that was relatable, and Jeff was our number one choice! We knew his

presentation would be nothing like we had seen and would bring a new element to the series and make it feel like it was live!” when asked about how she decided on Corwin.

Parkhurst also had a stand in the Grotto Commons on Thursday where they showcase healthy foods from local producers. They talked with students about the importance of buying local food to help decrease the carbon footprint it would take to have the food shipped from far away.

“Our best chances of doing well by native animals is to support groups that are actively bettering their community. I think many of us would like to be the change and have the drive to help, but we sometimes just don’t know how.”

A scavenger hunt hosted by the MAC/SAC programmers took place on Friday, April 23. Students won sustainable prizes such as reusable sandwich bags and bamboo

toothbrushes. There are so many simple things we can all do to help protect the planet.

Besides drinking out of reusable water bottles (which we can’t really do right now because of COVID), there are many other ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

When possible, walk or ride a bicycle instead of driving. If you don’t already have one, buy a Brita filter instead of plastic water bottles; they save money and the Earth.

On laundry day, use cold water to wash your clothes, and shop with reusable grocery bags. It also helps to unplug your phone charger when you aren’t using it.

Recycle what you can, and use biodegradable materials when possible. These small everyday things can have a huge impact on the planet.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine on recall

By Bella Lee Staff writer

It’s official: every adult in the United States is now eligible to receive the COVID vaccine. While younger demographics still have to wait, everyone over the age of 18 can now receive the vaccine, whether it’s Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

Over half of Americans have now received at least their first dose of the vaccine, but there are still concerns that are in the air.

Recently, distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was temporarily put on pause after a few people that received it came down with a set of rare blood clots.

While uncommon, these blood clots have been seen in more than one occasion, with a handful of women in Australia developing

similar blood clots after being given the AstraZeneca vaccine.

In the United States, six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed blood clots after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

One person died and another is in critical condition, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

While the pause has since been lifted, some believe that an explicit warning should be administered to women under the age of 50, since this was the group that developed the clots.

Leana Wen, former health commissioner of Baltimore and contributing columnist for the Washington Post, is part of this group.

“I’m also a participant in the Johnson & Johnson clinical trial who was told that I’d received the placebo,” said Wen. “I then opted to get the Johnson

& Johnson vaccine. If I knew then what I know now, I would have chosen the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead.”

Despite the concerns, the clots are extremely rare, as over 6.8 million people have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

However, there have been no cases of these clots developing in people that received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

The six people that developed the blood clots began showing symptoms between 6 and 13 days after vaccination, according to the FDA and CDC. They developed a type of blood clot in the brain called a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, or CVST, as well as low levels of blood platelets.

Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are still advised to watch for side effects such as severe headaches, abdom-

inal pain, or shortness of breath.

Even with these precautions, Wen remains weary. According to her Washington Post article, if you broaden the amount of blood clot cases in the United States to include those with regular blood clots, there were a total of 15 cases among those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, all which were women under the age of 50.

“If there were no alternatives, the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would surely outweigh the risks. But that’s not the case,” said Wen. “Why not issue a warning that advises women under 50 to receive one of these two other vaccines instead?”

To Wen, safety is the more important thing to consider with these cases. “In many parts of the United States, vaccine supply al-

ready exceeds demand,” said Wen. “People should be empowered to decide which vaccine to get based on the risks, benefits and alternatives. For younger women, the CDC needs to be much more explicit to warn them against the Johnson & Johnson vaccine based on the very rare but very severe risk associated with it and, critically, to direct them to alternatives that don’t carry this risk at all.

After all of the emphasis federal health officials put on prioritizing safety, it’s what we should expect from them.”

If you have not received your COVID vaccine yet, be sure to look at your local health centers and find out when you can receive it. The second half of the vaccine clinic on campus will take place May 4, so do your part to get vaccinated so that we can get one step closer to a COVID-free world.

“Cupcake Wars” in CAE

Contributed photo

Pictured from left: Chef Meghan Mehler, Adriana Costanza, Irina Samusenko, Veronica Kibbe, Alyssa Jones, Genivieve Blachwiak, and Lauren Laveck. These are the culinary arts students who participated in “Cupcake Wars” on April 21.

Ashley Barletta photo

Cupcake flavors were Ice Cream Cone, Lemon Meringue, Blueberry Pancake, Strawberry Cheescake, Red Velvet Caramel and Chocolate Covered Raspberry. Lemon Meringue by Veronica Kibbe won.

Ashley Barletta photo

Each cupcake was rated from favorite to least favorite. The most points in the end won. Blueberry Pancake by Adriana Costanza won Best Design.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

NEWS

PAGE 3

Hurst Professor receives Teaching Excellence Award

By Bella Lee Staff writer

fessor McKenzie’s class cheered and showed their immense pride alongside Roberts and the other faculty members.

“The most enjoyable part of being at Mercyhurst is the people!” said McKenzie. “The students and the faculty, administrators and staff, I have been

he hits the stage in the classroom and laboratory—there, he is a true master,” said Roberts.

“Watching Scott teach is like Every year, the Teaching watching a live science docuExcellence Award is presented mentary.

His vast knowledge to a member of the Mercyhurst in subjects like oceanography, staff who has displayed above geology, astronomy, paleonand beyond work with their tology and other earth science students and the school. subjects shines through to his Previous recipients of the students.

His excitement about award include Dr. Alice Edthe subject matter is contagious wards in 2002, Dr. Joanne McProfessor to everyone. His presence and Gurk in 2008, Dr. Chris Magoc McKenzie is a confidence solicit one’s attenin 2012, Dr. Brian Ripley in tion. He has the wonderful 2013 and all Mercyhurst faculty quiet, unassuming ability to take complex informembers in 2020 in recogniindividual until mation and make it simple to tion of their hard work in the learn across diverse groups of midst of the pandemic. he hits the stage students. He will be the first to This year, the award was in the classroom tell you that he has one of the given to none other than Prolargest meteorite collections fessor Scott McKenzie, assistant and labratory– in the United States. In fact, professor of geology. there, he is a true he brings meteorite and rock McKenzie started teaching samples into the classroom and at Mercyhurst in 1987 before master.” laboratory to give students an returning in 2000 and has been Dr. Leanne Roberts, opportunity to connect with here for every semester since.

Provost and VP for the science at hand. Students’ He was previously nominated faces light up when they get Academic Affairs for the award in 2019, 2016, to hold and study these rare 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009 and objects. Professor McKenzie has 2008. Dr. Leanne Roberts, also provided learning opporProvost and Vice President for fortunate to have met so many tunities outside the Gates with Academic Affairs, worked with wonderful people here!

The his science displays involving the IT department in order main thing I try to do is to offer dinosaurs and unique geological to arrange a timed drop-in, or Mercyhurst students the kind of samples to the local community.

“Zoom bombing” to his Physclass that I would have enjoyed His students love him, no matical Geology class, where the when I was in college!” ter their major,” said Roberts. award was presented.

For students and faculty Students unanimously agree Roberts was joined by Dr. alike, McKenzie earning the that McKenzie deserves the Jim Snyder, Dr. Heidi Hosey, Contributed photo award was something that was Teaching Excellence Award for Dr. Randy Clemons and other all his hard work through the previous recipients of the award long overdue.

“Professor McKenzie is a quiyears. Congratulations, Profes- Professor Scott McKenzie is a beloved teacher here at Mercyhurst. to surprise McKenzie with the He received the Teaching Excellence Award on April 14. award. The 32 students in Pro- et, unassuming individual until sor McKenzie.

“

MSG Senate elections held

By Alexis Lovewell Staff writer This past week at Mercyhurst University, the Senator Elections took place for the 2021-2022 academic school year.

Students were able to vote for their chosen candidates from April 21 until April 23 on a link that was sent to their Mercyhurst University email. There were several different students that ran for the different positions on the board, but only twenty-two students were chosen.

In order to apply for Senate, you must first fill out an application, which includes selecting what constituency you would like to represent. This is either your class, club or college.

Next, candidates must write a 100-word paragraph about why they want to be a member of Mercyhurst Student Government. Candidates were able to campaign on social media in the

days leading up to the election by posting flyers on their Instagram or even just asking people to vote for them in their classes or even when walking around campus.

The ballot is sent out to Mercyhurst emails and then students have the opportunity to pick who they would like to represent that specific constituency.

The election wrapped up at the end of last week, and new senators will be sworn in on Monday, April 26.

Sarah Klein, current Vice President of the Mercyhurst Student Government for the 2020-2021 school year, spoke on the different responsibilities of MSG senators.

“Senators are responsible for attending weekly meetings, usually Mondays at 8:00PM. These meetings alternate between official senate meetings in the MSG Chambers and smaller committee meetings. In addition to weekly meetings, senators are

required to complete 10 event credits each semester. This is broken down into 5 elective event credits, 4 surveying credits, and 1 service event credit.”

The different breakdowns of each committee in the Mercyhurst Student Government are Mission & Sustainability Committee, Spirit Committee, University Operations Committee and RCR Committee. The freshman senators hold positions as members of either the Mission & Sustainability Committee or Spirit Committee.

Mercyhurst Student Government Senators play a large role in the different events and activities that are held on campus. They are responsible for making sure these events run smoothly and are exciting and memorable for the students.

The results of this year’s elections are as follows: The Class of 2022 Senators are Madeline Boorse and Varun

Tewari.

The Class of 2023 Senators are Cooper Hicks and Rumeysa Tuzuner.

The Class of 2024 Senators are Hunter Phillips and Katelyn McKean.

The Senators representing Hafenmaier College are Skyela Burgess and Kali Friends.

The Senators representing Ridge College are Julia Stranges and Evan Medvec.

The Senators representing Walker College are Alyssa Otto and Ellen Eisert.

The Senators representing Zurn College are Avery Corriero and Olivia Pericak.

The Academic RSCO Senators are Alexa Karner and Samantha Weber.

The Cultural & Diversity Senators are Lily Smith and Izabella Zenone.

The Recreational & Special Interest Senators are Genevieve Burgess and Mary Danko.

Lastly, Senators who will be representing the Service and Honors are Kaitlyn Low and Karlie Schnauber All of these students will begin their roles after they are sworn in on April 26.

As new members are being inducted, some of the senior members are retiring in their positions.

Sarah Klein, who is a senior in MSG is thankful for her time spend at Mercyhurst and in the MSG. “As I finish up my senior year at Mercyhurst, I’m thankful for my time spent on MSG. I highly recommend that anyone looking to get involved on campus should consider running for Senate.”

Congratulations to all of the incoming Senators. Mercyhurst University students and staff are excited to see what the Senators have planned for the 2021-2022 academic year.

NEWS

PAGE 4

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Motherhouse pending sale Merciad IN A MINUTE Report your vaccination Have you received your COVID-19 vaccine?

Make sure to report it to the school by visiting tinyurl.com/MUvaccine.

This form still needs to be completed even if you participated in the campus clinic.

Remember to still abide

by CDC and campus guidelines about mask wearing, social distancing and limiting contact, even if you are fully vaccinated.

Donations for migrant children Campus Ministry will be accepting donations from now until April 30 for the influx shelter for migrant children. They are accepting toiletry items, hair ties, socks, slippers, flip-flops, underwear, sweatshirts, jackets, and games. The items should be new and suitable for girls ages 7-12. Email Michelle Scully with questions.

“Watch Party” for art show The 2021 Patricia A. Yahn ‘50 Juried Student Art Show took place on April 23. Since Cummings Gallery was in use for socially distanced music classes, the student artwork was hung in the Zurn hallway opposite the danceSpace studios.

Students attended a virtual “watch party” where they were shown a slideshow of the art.

Bell ringing for COVID victims At 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23, Mercyhurst’s carillon rang for two minutes to honor the 455 lives lost due to COVID in Erie county since last April 23, the day the first life in Erie county was taken by the virus. Other institutions and churches joined in the effort and the bell ringing symbolizes prayers being offered for the lives lost.

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

Email us at newsmerciad@ mercyhurst.edu

By Marina Boyle Staff writer

Mercyhurst University and the Sisters of Mercy have, as of April 9, announced the pending sale of the Mercy Motherhouse at 444 E. Grandview Blvd. A space precious to many, the building sits just above the main campus and includes a residence for the Sisters, a chapel, a library, cafeteria, infirmary, garden/outdoor areas and space used by the Sisters for their various ministries.

Sadly, like most groups of women religious in the United States, the Sisters of Mercy are experiencing their numbers decline and their members are aging. As a result, the Mercy Motherhouse is underutilized by the Sisters alone.

The Motherhouse has, as a result, graciously opened its doors to use by the university more and more in recent years.

At one time, the Motherhouse housed 68 Sisters. Now there are

only 17 in residence.

Four years ago the university entered into an Agreement for Option to Purchase with the Sisters of Mercy, meaning the Sisters could open a conversation with Mercyhurst as to their desire for the future of the building, and how Mercyhurst might acquire it in time.

Mercyhurst’s need for academic space has grown at the same time that the number of Sisters living at the Motherhouse has declined.

The closing of the North East campus has added to the need for space in the past year.

Mercyhurst has promised multi-million-dollar investment in facilities upgrades on its Erie campus, particularly in the form of high-tech labs and classrooms for its expansive health care programming.

Following the university’s Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 27, steps were taken to move ahead to buy the Motherhouse and allocate

funds for renovations. Mercyhurst University has not purchased the space yet, but rather is in the process of leasing more of the underutilized spaces, and eventually purchasing it to lease it back to the Sisters for their needs.

As part of the plans, two ministries housed at the Grandview center have agreed to relocate – the Mercy Center for the Arts, and the Mercy Hilltop Center.

“We’ve been so grateful to these ministries for their cooperation,” said vice president for Mission Integration, Greg Baker, D. Min. “Our guarantee is that as long as there is one Sister of Mercy at the Motherhouse, they will have all the space they need in that area accommodated, including worship, community, office and dining space. That is our promise and key concern.”

At the same time, Baker noted how there are benefits to both the students and the Sisters in terms of sharing the space more, includ-

ing collaboration and renovations.

“The Sisters recognize they have more space than they need. This is the beginning of a change in who owns the building, but not who uses it,” Baker said.

Mercyhurst already leases some residential space at the Motherhouse, and currently 18 students are living there. With the natural transition toward buying the space, more connections will be made between students and Sisters there.

The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Erie in 1917 and in 1926 founded Mercyhurst University. In 1968, they relocated to the new Motherhouse on East Grandview.

This building has a special history which reflects the bond between Mercyhurst and the Sisters. In using, and eventually purchasing, the space, Mercyhurst is deeply committed to the tradition and legacy of the founding Sisters.

“Reproductive Injustice” discussed

By Ashley Barletta News editor Reproductive injustice is one of the issues that many women face yet is often overlooked or forgotten. It impacts many women, especially women of color and is a persisting moral issue as well.

The CTE (Center for Teaching Excellence) Book Club is reading and discussing Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth by Dána-Ain Davis.

Dr. Averil Earls, Assistant Professor of History and Director of the Mercyhurst Center for Teaching Excellence, said, “I’ve been trying to steer the CTE to more diversity, equity, and justice-focused programming.

With the ELIES (Evelyn Lincoln Institute for Ethics and Society) we have co-hosted a year-long faculty seminar focused on issues of diversity and inclusion in the classroom. We have held sessions during the semester open to all faculty and staff to address issues of microaggression in the classroom, pronouns for inclusivity, and how best to serve our students with autism.

For the book club, which I started last summer, our 2020-21 book selections have been focused on anti-racism in particular. Our faculty reading group has been small, but awesome! We read Kendi’s How to Be an Anti-Racist, Oluo’s So You Want to Talk about Race, Ward’s Men We Reaped, and Lewis’s Across That Bridge.

For our final read of the year, I pulled three potential titles, and Reproductive Injustice was the book that the most people voted for. The CTE has provided copies

of the book to all those interested in participating.”

The conversation about reproductive injustice began with a group of women called SisterSong. The group started in 1997 and has since grown. The movement surrounding reproductive injustice has helped many women and continues to do so.

Earls says, “SisterSong, the first organization dedicated to the Reproductive Justice movement, was founded in the 1990s by 16 women of color. Their mission is to ensure that every person is guaranteed the human right to ‘maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.’ The book that faculty selected for this week’s discussion investigates the barriers to reproductive justice. I think it will form the basis for a fruitful discussion and raise some awareness about the issues that people of color face when it comes to maternal and infant mortality, access to birth control and safe abortions and the racist policies that negatively impact Black parenthood in the United States.”

For more information on SisterSong, visit https://www.sistersong.net/.

The first step to resolving an issue is acknowledging it. A book club is a simple and effective way to educate both yourself and others about these types of issues.

Once the impact of these issues is learned, we can begin to form a solution to the problem.

“It is essential that faculty do the work to confront racism on our campus, in our classrooms, in our community. A book club is, of course, just a first step—self-ed-

ucating, and having those first hard conversations in a safe place, among colleagues. The better we understand the systemic nature of racism in this country, the better equipped we will be to dismantle it” said Earls.

Many teachers at Mercyhurst understand the need to have the conversation about reproductive injustice.

Christina Rieger, a professor in the Department of English, says, “I think that any of our instructors teaching medical topics should address the issues Davis raises. She is frustrated that many medical professionals interviewed refuse to address race. Doing so in our classrooms and public discourse would break this taboo and ideally lead to further research and better outcomes.

Since I research and teach in the Medical Humanities, I have found Reproductive Injustice very compelling. It addresses medical racism, pregnancy, and premature birth. Dána-Ain Davis provides sobering statistics. For instance, Black women in the U.S. are 3 to 4 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth or pregnancy than white women, and they have twice the rate of premature births than any other group. This disparity remains even when income or education level are considered. Beyond numbers, I found the interviews with Black mothers of premature babies most compelling. Some revealed that their doctors dismissed their concerns or employed racist stereotypes in responding to them.

Any woman can feel vulnerable during and after giving birth.

Having a premature child in an NICU for months would only add to that sense of powerlessness.

Contributed photo

The book Reproductive Injustice,

by Dána-Ain Davis.

Then, contending with racist attitudes would make the experience traumatic. Davis has written an important book that has opened my eyes to medical practices and attitudes that need reform.”

Reproductive injustice has been affecting women, especially women of color, for too long. Women should be able to safely have their children without feeling stereotyped or fearing racism. Starting a conversation to help educate others on it is the first step in making a change.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

NEWS

2021-22 housing selection

By Raylynn Chraston Staff writer

The housing selection for the 2021-2022 school year is fast approaching.

To begin the housing selection, you want to make sure that you are a part of a complete group. Your group size will determine whether you are able to pick during your selection time slot. The following group sizes that will be acceptable for the townhouse selection include groups of 4, groups of 5, as well as groups of 6. For other selections, the group sizes of 3 and 4 are acceptable.

Residence Life made sure to include that if you want to select a space but cannot fill it, they will work with you at a later date. An example of this would include wanting a Ryan Hall Quad but you only have 2 people in your group.

To check your group, visit the student hub, scroll down to the quick links and then go to your self-service. Once you get to the self-service, click on the housing forms. The housing contract can be found there. Once that has been selected, click the Room and Roommate Selection icon.

This is where you can add room-

mates or check your group. Next, click Roommates/Suitemates. You would then confirm the term you want, which would be Fall 2021 for next year.

Your group will show up here and each group member should check to ensure that there are not any issues. If you do not see your roommates, you are able to search for them under the Roommate Search icon.

After your group has been formed, you will receive an email with your housing points. This email will have detailed how many points you have received thus far.

These points are decided by your class status and whether you have been found responsible for any code of conduct violations this academic year. It is important to know that your points are what determine when you are able to select your housing for next year.

You will then be issued a number based on your housing points and will receive your priority number.

After all of this, you will receive an email containing the date and time that your group can log into the portal to pick your room.

Only one member of your group should pick a room. Once your time comes, a blue box will appear on your screen and then you will

be able to choose that icon in order to pick your housing. During this time, you will be able to filter by specific halls and/or just be able to find available rooms; all rooms that will house your group will show.

Once you have made a selection, you will use the drop downs to assign your group. You can tell Residence Life who is living there by doing this.

You will then see some text from Terms of Occupancy in the Housing Contract repeated below. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a “I Agree – Submit My Room Selection.” This is the final step to select your room. It is important to note that you have not secured the room until you have clicked that button. You must assign everyone in your group to a room/ bed before it will let you move past this screen.

Finally, you will see a new screen that should say, “Congratulations!

Your room selection is complete!”

This will also pull you out of the process, and you will not be permitted to select a different space.

You should receive an email confirming your choice, shortly after.

If you have any remaining issues, you must email reslife@mercyhurst.edu.

PAGE 5

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

This weekend’s campus events

Mercyhurst grad student named Fulbright fellow

By Libby Bullinger Copy editor

John P, “Jack” Kelly was recently announced as a recipient of a Fulbright award, an honor that will allow him to apply his Mercyhurst education in future research projects.

Kelly recently graduated from Mercyhurst’s Master of Science program in Applied Intelligence in December of 2020. As a recipient of a Fulbright award, Kelly will have the opportunity to pursue research in Brussels for nine months between Sept. and June.

The Mercyhurst Master of Science in Applied Intelligence builds off the university’s nationally renowned Intelligence Studies undergraduate program.

The master’s degree focuses on leadership skills needed for students to develop careers within intelligence analytics, law enforcement and federal and state agencies.

The program also emphasizes the development of critical skills such as research, writing and communication. The success of the master’s in applied intelligence speaks for itself with graduates working in companies ranging from the CIA and FBI to Disney and Nike.

Before coming to Mercyhurst, Kelly earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Stetson University located in Florida. In addition, he has been an employ-

ee of Bank of America in Jacksonville, Florida since 2017. Kelly’s work at this corporation integrated anti-money laundering and investigating criminal networks.

Throughout his time in the Mercyhurst graduate program, Kelly maintained a 4.0 GPA and was a model student.

Bill Welch, a professor in the Department of Intelligence Studies, describes the attainment of this award as “first and foremost, a reflection of Jack and his good work and diligence pursuing his topic.”

Welch was one of the professors that helped oversee Kelly’s application process for the scholarship.

Kelly’s receiving of this award shows the high caliber of the Mercyhurst intelligence programs and the faculty on campus and online.

Welch specifically mentioned the importance of the diverse curriculum that Kelly was exposed to as well as the phenomenal faculty he was able to form connections with throughout his time at the university.

Kelly’s thesis, inspired by his work with professors in the master’s program, focused on nuclear weapons, the Dark Web and tactics commonly used by terrorists.

Kelly credits his success to the flexibility of Mercyhurst’s programming, which allowed him to develop his niche thesis that caught the attention of the Fulbright scholarship committee.

The Fulbright program is a gov-

ernment sponsored international exchange program that connects students and young professionals from the United States to different nations around the globe.

The program provides individuals with grants to embark on individually designed research projects in their specific area of interest. Fulbright’s program allows grant recipients to interact with different cultures and host nations while gaining and sharing knowledge in their indicated area of study.

There are a multitude of different scholarships and awards within the program, and Kelly specifically received the Fulbright-Schuman Antall József Brussels Award.

To apply for the Fulbright Study/Research Awards, candidates must design a proposal for a specific country where they aspire to work and study.

Mercyhurst’s faculty representative for this process is Dr. Justin Ross, director of the university’s Honors Program. Kelly specifically thanked Ross for his mentorship throughout his application process.

In Brussels, Kelly will be exposed to the cultural aspects of the Fulbright program while continuing his work in applied intelligence.

MERCYHURST CAMPUS

CRIME LOG No crimes reported this week.

Good job Lakers!

PAGE 6

FEATURES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

HURST CLASS CATALOG Mercyhurst says farewell to

the classes of 2020 and 2021

By Bella Lee Staff writer

Are you a photography minor or someone interested in photo and want to learn about the history of photography? Then watch out for ART 224, History of Photography, which is available every spring.

Gary Cardot, Assistant Professor of Art and instructor of the course, is more than qualified to teach this class. “I studied under a famous photographer and theoretician, Alan Sekula, who was widely published and exhibited world-wide,” said Cardot. “He was a Marxist but taught and studied all branches of modern art philosophy and criticism and I learned a lot from him as a graduate student.”

Mostly sophomores and up can take the class, but Cardot has had freshmen photography minors who also enjoy the material. Anyone can enroll in the course, but Cardot recommends that you have a basis in history prior to taking it.

In the course, Cardot and his students are able to experience a lot of different media surrounding photography. “The course has a number of film classics that I screen including ‘Ordinary Miracles,’ which I was fortunate to be at the premier of in Manhattan in 2012,” said Cardot.

“I make sure I visit New York as much as possible to see the latest films and I research the latest documentaries online and in print. Photography has been the medium of documentation for two centuries, so the students learn a great deal about the development of this country in particular. I also have a master’s degree in History as well as Photography, so I push the study of history in all my classes, even the studio courses.”

While events such as museum visits were not able to occur this time around due to the pandemic, Cardot hopes he can resume these trips the next time the course is offered. “Because of COVID, we haven’t been able to visit museums this term, but I hope to resume that component of the course next Spring, 2022, when I teach photo history again,” said Cardot.

This is a course that Cardot and the students equally enjoy. “I think students enjoy this course because it allows them to study so many important photographers and their images, and it really highlights how our society keeps changing and using images in so many different ways,” said Cardot.

“I hope Mercyhurst will always include art history in the curriculum because it opens up so many worlds to students and there are so many different job opportunities in museum work, publishing and government for students who know art history. I’m so grateful that the art department can offer this course.”

Whether you are genuinely interested in learning the history of photography or just need to fulfill the art requirement for REACH, be on the lookout for History of Photography next spring!

Mercyhurst University photo

“Beat the Odds” is the scholarship created to honor the late Kenny Rogers who was a student from the class of 2020.

By Marina Boyle Staff writer

After what has been a long wait for the Class of 2020, and a strange senior year for the Class of 2021, Graduation Weekend is finally approaching. Mercyhurst University will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2021 in three separate in-person ceremonies on Sunday, May 16, while hosting a long overdue in-person celebration for the Class of 2020 on Saturday, May 15.

Graduation Weekend will start in earnest on Friday, May 14 when families and alumni will descend on Erie to prepare for the Commencement ceremonies.

On May 14 the Class of 2021 Senior Class Gift Committee will also present a check to interim president Joe NeCastro for their senior gift to Mercyhurst. The gift this year is the Kenny Robinson “Beat the Odds” Scholarship, in memory of Laker baseball player Kenny Robinson ‘20, who tragically drowned in May of last year.

Although the final amount raised by the class has not be released at the time of writing, the gift will be in excess of $16,200, surpassing the original $15,000 goal set by the class in the fall.

Given that the Class of 2020 were not able to formally present their Senior Class Gift check last year, they will also hand their gift over to NeCastro on May 14 in the Christ the King Chapel.

In doing so, they will honor late Mercyhurst Men’s hockey equipment manager, Mike Folga. Led

by Mitchell Marsh ‘20, Grace Simson ‘20 and Tricia Shullick ‘20, they will endow Mercyhurst with $16,856 for the Mike Folga Legacy Scholarship.

Also on May 14, winners of graduation awards will be honored in an in-person ceremony in the PAC at 3:30 p.m.

On Saturday May 15, both classes will be honored with an in-person and livestreamed Baccalaureate Mass at 10 a.m. in the Christ the King Chapel. The Class of 2020 Commencement Ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. in the Erie Insurance Arena downtown.

“We realize that many of our 2020 graduates are working or continuing their educations and can’t return,” said Director of Alumni Engagement, Lindsay Frank. “But, we wanted to do whatever we could to make an in-person ceremony happen for them.”

Chandler Brandetsas is one Class of 2020 graduate who is looking forward to returning for the big day.

“I am thrilled by the opportunity to have an in-person graduation ceremony. While it will be much different than past ceremonies, I think it is incredibly important that our class gets the recognition that we have rightfully earned over our four years.

Overall, I feel like it offers us a sense of closure on this chapter of our lives, and it will offer us just one more experience to add to our fond memories of our time at Mercyhurst.”

Of the 2020 graduating class,

262 are attending in person and 108 will participate virtually in Saturday’s ceremony.

On Sunday, May 16, the Class of 2021 will be celebrated in three separate in-person ceremonies.

Commencement will also be in the Erie Insurance Arena, at 9 a.m. for Hafenmaier College of Humanities, Arts & Social Science students and students in the Walker College of Business; at 1 p.m. for Ridge College of Intelligence Studies & Applied Sciences students; and at 5 p.m. for Zurn College of Natural & Health Sciences graduates.

Each graduate may have two guests attend in person. Those who cannot join in person may access the livestream on the day of the ceremony by visiting mercyhurst.edu/graduation. The ceremony will also be recorded.

“I’m happy to have graduation in-person because I believe it allows my peers and I to feel that all the hard work we’ve put into the past four years is being acknowledged and celebrated,” said Class of 2021 senior, Michelle Benedetti.

The Class of 2021 celebrates the accomplishments of 784 students, including master’s, bachelor’s and associate degree seekers.

Although this has been a different year, graduation will be as close to normal as possible, and for that we are grateful.

Congratulations, seniors, and enjoy your special weekend!

Interested in advertising in the Merciad? Or do you have article suggestions? We offer half-price ad rates for Mercyhurst events/promotions, and competitive rates for anyone in the Erie community. Reach out to Gillian Mazur at editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu for rates or questions.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

FEATURES

PAGE 7

Seniors inducted into service honor society

By Ashley Barletta

News editor

It is that time of year again where Mercyhurst recognizes seniors who are committed to serving others.

The Service Honor Society will be inducting its new members virtually this year on Wednesday, April 28.

Bethany Woods, Associate Director of Community Engagement, said, “throughout the month of March, students were nominated by peers, faculty, staff or themselves, and upon nomination were invited to complete profiles for the selection committee to review. The selection committee met in mid-April to review candidates and the inductees were chosen and notified of their acceptance into the Service Honor Society.”

The Service Honor Society began in order to honor graduating students who demonstrate Mercyhurst’s commitment of ‘Service to Others.’ They show this commit-

ment in numerous ways.

Collin Davis, a Hospitality major with a concentration in Hotel Management, as well as a Communications minor, is one of the many Service Honor Society inductees.

“The Mercyhurst University Service Honor Society was established in 2006 to honor graduating seniors who exemplify our mission-centered commitment to be an ‘Ambassador of Service.’

There are different criteria for this award that includes marketed achievement in leadership, meritorious academic achievement and lastly recognized integrity and commitment to excellence,” said Davis.

The factors taken into consideration for those being inducted are: “Significant and sustained service to the Mercyhurst University community and/or meaningful and mission-inspired service to the local community and/or larger world, marked achievement in leadership, meritorious academic achievement and recognized in-

tegrity and commitment to excellence,” said Davis.

To be eligible for consideration of induction, a student is required to: be a full-time undergraduate student, be a senior who is certified to graduate in the current calendar year and have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher by the beginning of the spring semester which the student is to be inducted.

In addition they must be recommended for induction through an official nomination form and complete all of the necessary materials for induction requested by the Service Honor Society Selection Committee by the deadline which they are to be turned in.

Chris Streibich, an Accounting major inductee, said, “the Service Honor Society is an award dedicated to leadership and service when on campus. Mercyhurst is very service oriented, so there are many opportunities for service.”

“I was a Laker Leader and went through the Mercy Emissary Program during my time here. I got

nominated by a staff member, but I filled out an application where I listed my involvement and wrote 350-400 words on what I have done, and they choose students based on the applications,” said Streibich.

Students can nominate others for induction as well as themselves.

The Service Honor Society Selection Committee will recommend inductees to the Committee Chair, who is in charge of approving the final induction list.

Induction recommendations are based on the “quantity and quality of a student’s record of service, the scope of the service activities relative to the student’s overall profile, the range of service activities, and the resonance of the student’s commitment to service with the Mission of Mercyhurst University and the service tradition of the Sisters of Mercy.”

Woods said, “Inductees traditionally have a sustained level of service to the community, are involved in sports, clubs and/ or

organizations around campus and have a 2.75 GPA or higher.”

While there is no limit to the number of students who can be inducted, we traditionally induct between 50-65 students each year.

“This year, we had 72 students nominated and of those, 63 were selected for induction by a committee of 12 staff and administrators from across campus,” said Woods.

Those who are inducted into the Service Honor Society will wear the green Mercyhurst University Service Honor Cord at their graduation.

If you know someone who has been inducted into the Service Honor Society, be sure to congratulate them on their achievement.

The Mercyhurst community is incredibly proud of the achievements of the class of 2021 and wish each member the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Office of Academic Support hosts online finals week seminar for students

By Sydney Dietz

Sports editor

On Tuesday, April 20, Mercyhurst Academic Support hosted an online seminar that gave students tips and tricks about surviving finals.

With finals approaching, these tips could be very beneficial.

The first tip suggested at the seminar was to manage your time.

Staying organized is important; therefore, gathering important dates and making a weekly calendar is a good way to prioritize the amount of time spent on each task.

The second tip that was given was to use your resources. Professors are always willing to discuss class material to help students, which means attending office hours are a perfect way to gain assistance and understanding of class material.

By discussing class topics with professors, not only will they explain material but they will also finalize assignments and due dates.

In addition, taking advantage of the tutoring center here on campus is also a great way to prepare for finals.

Some study tips stated at the seminar included creating flashcards and Quizlets along with rewriting notes and making your own study guide.

With a large amount of time being spent studying and preparing for finals, it is important to take

Sydney Dietz photo

An outline schedule provided by the Office of Academic Support to help students with finals week

time to care for oneself as well.

Making time for breaks, exercising, eating healthy and getting enough sleep are just a few examples of how you can take care of yourself while preparing for finals week.

Avoiding procrastination can

also help to relieve stress and better prepare you for exams.

It is recommended that students break up big projects into smaller tasks. This can make a big presentation or project seem less daunting than trying to complete it in one sitting.

Finding a place and time that works the best for studying is crucial as well. Different people work better in certain areas compared to others. For example, while one student may need absolute silence in their study space such as the library, others may work better

with background noise where The Grotto Commons or Student Union may provide a better learning environment.

At the seminar, tips were also given for taking tests. Some test taking strategies that were mentioned were “cycling through your test, examining test questions, managing your stress and reflecting on your work.”

These four strategies allow students to be calm while taking the test, which could also lead to better test results.

The best way to cycle through your test is to start with surveying your test. Next, answer questions you know right away and skip the ones you are unsure of. After, answer questions that may require more time and leave the questions you are unsure of answering for last. When reading the test questions, it is beneficial to take your time while reading each question to see what it is really asking and also crossing out choices to eliminate some of the possible answers.

At the end of the test, it is good practice to go back and reflect on your work. Review your answers and do not leave anything blank.

When you are confident in your work, you can turn the test in.

Finals week can be a stressful time for any student, but with the appropriate studying techniques and test taking tactics, finals week may not be as difficult.

Best of luck with finals week Lakers!

FEATURES

PAGE 8

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

RSCO Feature: Martial Arts Club

By Bella Lee

Staff writer

Are you a master in kung fu, taekwondo or Brazilian jiujitsu?

Do you want to learn self-defense mechanisms for if you were ever confronted by a danger? Do you want to be the coolest fighter in town, but you just don’t know where to start? If your answer to any of these questions was yes, then the Martial Arts Club is for you.

Revived back in 2016, the club has been working to incorporate the culture behind Martial Arts since.

“Martial Arts Club is a place for everyone whether you have years of experience or have never thrown a kick before,” said Julianne Johnstone, sophomore Forensic Science major and president of the club.

“The focus of the club is to teach martial arts. I draw from my background in Tae Kwon Do and teach what I can to new members.

This semester we have focused more on kicks and self-defense at our meetings. We cover basic kicks and combinations and we have done some work with evading and defending against punches and how to get out of certain

Contributed photo

A Martial Arts Club member demonstrates his knowledge in Walker Recital Hall in 2016 after its revival.

grabs,” said Johnstone. “I also like to incorporate games into the meetings because that can make everything more fun. One meeting we did a martial arts version of Simon Says and have also played some self-defense games as a form

of practice.”

Like many organizations, the Martial Arts Club has had to change their routines to accommodate for the pandemic.

“The club this year was small in numbers, but we have been

working on different ways to recruit members and keep them engaged in the club,” said Johnstone.

“We had two events that we did this year. Last semester we had a Zoom session with the kids at the JFK Center and it was really nice

to get to work with them and to show the students some different kicks and punches.”

“Then, this semester we partnered with MAC/SAC and did one of their weekend events. It was called ‘Kick It!’ and we demonstrated some different self-defense techniques and taught some other combinations of kicks and punches,” said Johnstone.

The Martial Arts Club hopes to continue their endeavors next semester and bring in new members in the process.

“As far as plans for the future, we hope to keep recruiting new members in the fall and to continue to have fun,” said Johnstone.

“I would also love to recruit members with different martial arts experience so that they could share what they know with the club and we could learn from each other.”

If you are wondering what clubs to join next year, keep the Martial Arts Club on your mind!

You can impress others with your newfound skills or use them to take down bad guys should you confront them. Be sure to reach out to Johnstone or Dr. Joseph Johnson, the club’s advisor, if you are interested!

LAKER MOMENT Students of Mercyhurst University took the opportunity to honor Earth with a variety of events. In celebration of Earth week and the anniversary of the first Earth day held in 1970, students across campus executed several events. Students in the Sustainability Club hosted Earth week by passing out lavender and sunflower plants for students to keep and nurture.

Samantha Weber photo

Sustainability club president/ sophomore Erin Smith and club member Jordan Buono passing out flowers.

FEATURES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

PAGE 9

AIM’s CREATE program plans for Summer 2021

By Ashley Barletta News editor

Like many other programs, CREATE’s summer program, run by the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst, or AIM Program, for high school students was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CREATE is an acronym for College Readiness Experience for Autism in Teaching Excellence.

The program had its beginning 12 years ago and has since grown.

Kolleen Sullivan, the Assistant Director and Career Path Coordinator for the AIM Program, said, “The CREATE Program is a college readiness program that exposes students who are interested in attending college to the college environment. This includes students living in a Mercyhurst residence

hall, eating in the college cafeteria, enrolling in a three-credit college course and interacting with fellow students in a variety of social activities and settings.”

This year, the CREATE Program will be able to hold the summer program where high school students who are part of the autism spectrum can experience life at college. It will occur in July this year and will have the highest number of staff with autism to date.

“The students also participate in the College 101 Series and the Mini Lecture Series that assist in orienting them to college offices and expose the participants to different faculty and lecture styles.

The program will give both the parents and the student an assessment as to what they need to work on to be ready for college and also give them a jump start with

a three-credit course that will be applied to their transcript.”

Sullivan said, “The CREATE Program began as a pilot project in 2009 with seven students. The CREATE Program operates this year from Saturday, July 10 to Saturday, July 31.”

Adapting to college life can be difficult at times. This difficulty is often heightened for people with autism because of the surrounding stigma among people who are on the spectrum.

The CREATE Program exists so that people with autism can enter college with the knowledge of their own abilities and strengths.

“There are a lot of different components when someone thinks about attending college to further their experience and education. It is important that the students on the autism spectrum realize their potential, under-

stand the different components related to changing, adjusting, understanding academically how college classes operate differently, building connections, living on their own and operating a college environment and its entities. Also, transition to higher education and adult life is often difficult for individuals on the spectrum. This program assists them with navigating that successfully.”

CREATE seems to have had an impact on the students who have been a part of it, since it has continued to help high school students for 12 years.

“It gives families hope and student’s confidence. The process can be very transformational. It gives opportunity to some students, who at one point thought college was not an option, to succeed and demonstrate their abilities,” said Sullivan.

The AIM Program was started in 2008 to support students with autism. It is crucial that these students are not stereotyped or stigmatized; that is not part of Mercyhurst’s goal.

The mission of the AIM Program is “to facilitate and support the successful adjustment and progression of college students on the autism spectrum in all domains of college life, thereby broadening their vocational opportunities, and enhancing social and community engagement.”

The AIM program strives to accentuate each student’s abilities within the academic, social, emotional and independent living domains while building new skills within the domains where the student may be deficient.”

As students, we all take part in this mission and it is important to remember that.

FROM THE ARCHIVES May 1980: Being a Merciad editor is not an easy job. For students of the 1980s, being Editor in chief of the newspaper might have been fulfilling, but it was also exhausting.

Spending countless hours editing, taking a week’s worth of time communicating with reporters and editors, and taking the time to make things look perfect was no easy task. This comic from 1980 marks the end of an era, and a transition of the student leadership of the Merciad.

PAGE 10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Annual Raw Edges concert reveals dance students’ talents

By Marina Boyle

Staff writer

The Mercyhurst University Dance Department has concluded its 2020-21 season with three performances of its Raw Edges concert on April 23, 24 and 25.

Raw Edges is an annual event, which allows the seniors to showcase their best choreography and to dance in pieces choreographed by their fellow seniors and friends.

This year marked the 23rd edition of Raw Edges. Due to COVID-19, no audience was permitted in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center; in a fun effort to combat this, the dancers filled the seats with balloons to represent spectators and give some semblance of an audience.

The shows took place as normal on the stage, and all three shows were livestreamed for the public free of charge.

Performances took place on April 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. and April 25 at 2 p.m. The livestream link was available on the Dance

Contributed photo

Raw Edges concert poster.

Department’s webpage, mercyhurst.edu/dance.

As always, the themes of the pieces varied widely and were highly personalized. For example,

Annie Browne’s “We Want Our MTV” was a fun flashback to the 1980s, with music by The Buggles, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson and a-ha.

Meanwhile, Austin Duclos focused on the grieving process with a personal narrative about his late grandfather. This was one of the saddest pieces, but it was beautifully accompanied by moving music and a very clever narrative.

Other students tackled topics including gender stereotypes, domestic violence, hierarchical structures that perpetuate sexism, homophobia, body discrimination, racism and more.

The 11 choreographers began working on their projects in the Choreography III class during Fall 2020 and polished the pieces during their Senior Capstone class this spring.

The dancers are responsible for the entire project, including choosing and researching a theme, selecting music, choreographing the dance, casting fellow students and supervising rehearsals.

The students worked with

Dance faculty members Noelle Partusch and Mark and Solveig Santillano, who acted as the executive director and artistic directors, respectively.

Senior Kaitlyn Culp is a dancer in the show for pieces by fellow seniors Rebecca Dunphy and Caroline Schroer.

“I’ve really enjoyed how different the two pieces I had the opportunity to dance in are. One is a musical theater piece about Bonnie and Clyde, and the other is a ballet piece that celebrates the unique differences in dancers,” Culp said.

“The process has definitely been different this year because of the commitment to following COVID protocols, but I’m so happy we found a safe way to share our work with everyone and reach a broader audience than we might have with an in-person audience. My favorite part of the process has definitely been getting to be on the stage again after more than a year with props and lighting and everything.”

In a piece using radio announce-

ments designed to recruit women to join the war effort during the 1940s, Haley Huntley choreographed “Conversations with my Radio,” while Margaret Vivian explored the concept of empathy and interconnectedness in “One Out of Many.”

“The dancers did a beautiful job telling the stories that the senior choreographers were trying to communicate. I loved it,” said junior Music Therapy major Rhyan Komsthoeft.

The performance was undeniably enjoyed by those in it as much as those who watched.

“It was really great to be able to perform on stage again for the first time in over a year, especially for those of us who are graduating,” Christina Milne, senior Dance major, said. “It was a wonderful weekend.”

The talents displayed at Mercyhurst never cease to amaze, and Raw Edges is no exception.

Bravo, Lakers!

Upcoming MIAC events Summer 2020

By Bella Lee Staff writer

in-person events.

Stokes has been performing with Broadway since the 1990s, and he won a Tony Award in 2000 for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Kiss Me, Kate.

His other Broadway performances include Ragtime, Man of La Mancha and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

He also has plenty of TV credits to his name, including Animaniacs, Frasier and Mr. Robot.

Matthew Morrison is best known for playing Will Schuester in Glee. He has two albums, Matthew Morrison and Where It All

Began, as well as a children’s album.

In addition, Morrison has a series of impressive credits in film, TV and theatre. He originated the role of Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray, and other popular performances of his include South Pacific and Finding Neverland.

His film and TV credits include What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Underdogs, American Horror Story: 1984 and Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical.

Betty Buckley originated the role of Grizabella in the Broadway

production of Cats, which won her the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

She also played Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in London and New York, which earned her an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical in 1995.

Buckley’s other Broadway credits include 1776, Pippin and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Additionally, she is a two-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee, a two-time Grammy Award nominee and a 2012 American Theater Hall of Fame inductee.

Buckley also played the gym teacher, Miss Collins, in the 1976 film Carrie. Some of her other film credits include Tender Mercies, Wyatt Earp and Split.

Whether you’re remaining on campus for summer classes or live near the school, be sure to check out these amazing performances when they come around!

More information can be found at miac.mercyhurst.edu, so check out their website to learn more about these exciting people!

From Sean Astin to Kristin Chenoweth, MIAC has given Mercyhurst its fair share of exciting and engaging events for students to attend, whether they’ve been in person or virtual.

This summer is no different as a variety of exciting artists will be making their way to Mercyhurst to entertain the community.

Mike Super will be appearing on June 16, followed by Brian Stokes Mitchell on July 11, Matthew Morrison on July 22 and Betty Buckley on Aug. 7.

Mike Super, from Clairton, Pennsylvania, a town just outside of Pittsburgh, is a magician who won the competition show Phenomenon on NBC and was a finalist on Season 9 of America’s Got Talent.

Super studied Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh before deciding to follow his passion full-time.

Some of his idols include Harry Houdini, Walt Disney, David Copperfield and Doug Henning.

He has also performed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and alongside famous magician duo, Penn and Teller.

Brian Stokes Mitchell was origContributed photo inally supposed to visit the Mercyhurst campus on April 1 of last Upcoming MIAC guest performers for the Summer of 2020 including (left to right) Matthew Morrison, Mike Supper, Betty Buckley and Brian year before COVID prevented all Stokes Mitchell.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 11

Contributed photo

Dr. Gregory Brown and student Megan Siegfried conversing over tea and snacks at the Victorian Tea event on April 21 at the Mercy Heritage Room.

Victorian Tea co-hosted by Sigma Tau Delta and Hafenmaier College

By Emma Coppolo

Arts & Entertainment editor

Throughout this difficult semester, very few in-person events have been possible. This has undoubtedly created a sense of disconnect between students and professors alike.

At this point in the semester, however, some socially-distanced events have been able to occur.

Last Wednesday, April 21, the Hafenmaier College and Sigma Tau Delta co-hosted a Victorian Tea pop-up event in conjunction with Parkhurst Dining.

This socially-distanced gathering allowed for a small semblance of normalcy in the form of good company and good snacks. Both students and faculty of the English Department were invited to stop by for a bite to eat and a friendly chat.

One student in attendance was senior Megan Siegfried. Siegfried is the President of Sigma Tau Delta and a student of the Hafenmaier College and was involved in the planning of the event.

“Dr. Rieger is teaching a course in Victorian literature this semester,” said Siegfried, “so it was her excellent idea to host a Victorian tea inspired event.”

After Dr. Christina Riley-Brown, Dean of Hafenmaier College, decided to sponsor a fun event for students, Dr. Christy Rieger suggested that a tea party would make perfect sense.

“There are so many rich and pivotal tea scenes in the texts, including Alice at the Mad Hatter tea party and characters’ social sparring in The Importance of Being Earnest,” said Dr. Rieger.

Both Jackie from Parkhurst and the Sigma Tau Delta officers liked

the idea.

Using this idea, Dr. Rieger was able to orchestrate a perfect event for her fellow lovers of literature.

The initial intent for the tea party was to have an outdoor social in Trinity Green reminiscent of a classic garden tea service. However, plans quickly had to change when a burst of snow covered Erie and an outside event became entirely out of the question.

Thankfully, the organizers of the event quickly took action and relocated the event to the Mercy Heritage Room. Everything was seamlessly edited, and the event endured regardless of the sudden challenge.

This small hiccup certainly did not douse the spirits of those in attendance.

“We had to move the event indoors because of the snow. Even though it did not take place as I

envisioned, it was so enjoyable,” said Dr. Rieger.

The new location served as an intimate gathering space that perfectly suited the theme of the party.

The biggest hit of the event was undoubtedly the table of refreshments.

“The cucumber sandwiches, plus special scones and tea cookies, were delicious,” said Dr. Rieger.

“My favorite part of the event, though, was seeing current students, English majors and faculty in a space outside of the Zoom/ classroom context. We had a chance to reconnect on a more personal level,” said Dr. Reiger.

“If there’s one silver lining to the pandemic, it is that it has shown me how important these types of gatherings are for our community.”

Siegfried agreed with this sentiment, “This semester has been difficult, and it hasn’t offered much opportunity for socializing, but this little get-together made things seem somewhat normal again. It was very nice talk to some of the English department faculty and students that I haven’t seen much this year.”

The tea party was certainly different than the organizers imagined, but, if this year has taught us any lessons, it is that we have to be able to adapt.

It feels like such a privilege to be able to have events like this again, and hopefully we will feel more of that next semester.

Here is to hoping that more events for students, faculty and staff alike will be able to return to in-person gatherings next fall!

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The Merciad

OPINION

PAGE 12

GOOD We are close to finals!

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The minimum wage should be raised raising the minimum wage are simply ludicrous. One argument against raising it says Staff writer that it should not be raised because it is not a livable wage.

The thing is, that is why The fight to increase the it’s called MINIMUM wage, minimum wage in the United because it is the minimum States has been an ongoing amount that people can live battle for years now. off of. Even then, it is barely While many states have enough. increased their minimum In 1980, the median asking wage, nearly half of the rent in the United States was states are still at the federal $308 per month. In 2018, that minimum of $7.25 an hour as amount exploded to $1,588 of January 2020. per month, which is over five Out of those that have times the amount in under 40 increased their wages, some years. barely scrape the surface, such Another argument that is as Nevada ($8.25 an hour) and often given is that minimum Montana ($8.65 an hour). wage jobs are not necessary.

Among the highest This is an insult to the fastminimum wages include food workers, janitors, trash Washington ($13.50 an hour, and recycle workers and other the highest in the country), jobs that had to slave over their California ($13.00 an hour), jobs during the pandemic and and Massachusetts ($12.75 an face harsh criticism from those hour). who believe that anyone with a However, those in minimum minimum wage job is beneath wage jobs are still fighting to them. Minimum wage workers increase the minimum wage should be praised for their to $15 an hour, something hard work, not scrutinized. that members of Congress are The United States should be fighting for and against as well. looking at other countries as Therefore, the question is: examples of the ethical way to should the minimum wage be treat minimum wage workers. raised nationwide? My answer Many European countries, is yes. for example, have minimum The arguments against not wages that are among the

By Bella Lee

BAD This is the last edition of the Merciad for the year.

HAPPY Next semester may be more “normal!”

highest in the world, with paid vacations and health insurance provided.

While some minimum wage jobs in the United States, such as fast-food restaurants, offer these benefits (and sometimes even scholarships), unfortunately it is not all places, leaving many people in minimum wage jobs struggling to pay bills or put food on the table.

We should not be attacking people for having minimum wage jobs if that is their only option in earning money and being able to survive.

Many people who are arguing against raising the minimum wage have taken their basic needs for granted and have even asked if those with minimum wage jobs even need to buy food, much to the chagrin of many.

Having food, clothing, and shelter are basic necessities that everyone deserves a right to, and the way to support that is to raise the minimum wage.

There should be no ifs, ands or buts with this situation: minimum wage workers are people too, and they deserve a decent living just like everyone else.

The Merciad Hopes for the next semester STUDENT EDITORS Gillian Mazur............................ Editor in Chief Samantha Weber ................ Managing Editor Ashley Barletta ............................News Editor Victoria McGinty .................... Features Editor Sydney Dietz .............................. Sports Editor Emma Coppolo ............................. A&E Editor Zach Dumais ........................... Opinion Editor Libby Bullinger ..............................Copy Editor Steph Przepiora ...................................Advisor Contact editors at editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu

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

The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor.

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

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

out on in our freshman year such as Hurst Day. I just hope that we can

By Samantha experience more of Mercyhurst’s Weber Managing Editor traditions as the year goes on.

I personally do not mind the hybrid-style classes, so I think it would be awesome if we had the The thing I am most looking choice to go in person or stay online forward to next year is simply some days. having more of the normal college There are definitely classes that I experience. would want to be in person every After my first year of college time, but it would be nice to have being controlled by COVID-19 and its restrictions, I am excited for the choice especially if you do next year and what it will look like. not feel it would be beneficial to you. I know this is probably very I am sure we will still have to unreasonable, but it would be a nice wear masks and social distance in aspect of this year to carry over to some cases, but I am hoping that those restrictions will become looser the future.

I think it would also be nice as the year goes on. to continue having the lectures I want to be able to have guests recorded and being able to on campus again and be able to look back on them while doing show my friends from back home what my school looks like and visit homework or studying. I have found this to be really useful if I do Presque Isle of course. not remember something that was I am hoping that my class will mentioned in class or if my notes be able to experience more of the community feeling here on campus. for one topic were not great.

I also really want to attend I can definitely still feel it, but there sporting events without worrying are certainly parts that we missed

about personally knowing someone on the team so they can put my name down on a list as one of the few guests each player can invite.

I love sports and was always at different teams’ games from my high school, and those are some of my favorite high school memories.

I was hoping to continue going to games with my new friends here, but unfortunately, it is harder to get into games than I would like.

Another thing I am looking forward to next year is living in an apartment. I love how the upperclassmen housing options have a kitchen in them, so we can make food easily without having to leave the apartment.

I personally love to cook and bake, and I have not been able to continue experimenting with new recipes since coming to school because the freshman halls do not have a kitchen in the rooms.

Overall, I want the world to return to some form of normalcy so that Hurst can truly feel like home.

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

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

OPINION

PAGE 13

Opinions on Russia HURST STUDENTS and Ukraine dispute SPEAK UP many more countries ended up developing campaigns to target U.S. elections using Russia’s Staff writer model.

In the wake of the 2016 interference, the U.S. took precautions to ensure the same For the past seven years, did not happen in the 2020 Russia and Ukraine have been election. The U.S. has accused involved in a protracted conflict their rivals Russia, China and over the Euromaidan protests Iran for attempting to influence and the overthrowing of former the election. Former president Ukrainian president Viktor Donald Trump’s talk with Yanukovych.

Ukraine to influence the election The war went into effect ultimately led to him facing his following demonstrations by first impeachment for abuse pro-Russian groups based in of power, for which he was the Donbas area of Ukraine. In acquitted. response to the conflict, the U.S. America’s relations with paid $1 billion in aid packages Russia, China, and Iran to Ukraine in 2014. Many could have been tense as the U.S. ask this question: what if the government has laid sanctions U.S. entered the conflict like for various malicious acts its what they did during the war rivals had done. This has led to against the Islamic State of Iraq historians coining the term Cold and the Levant in Syria?

War II to describe the political Many feel the U.S. could and military tensions involving enter the conflict, as Russia’s the United States and China, as interference on both the well as Russia in the post-Soviet 2016 and 2020 United States era. presidential elections constituted Ukraine and the United States an attack on American politics. have a strong relationship, Following the 2016 election, with one in three Ukrainians special counsel Robert Mueller approving U.S. leadership. initiated a two-year-long The U.S. officially recognized investigation to determine Ukraine following its what may have caused Russia independence from the Soviet to interfere with the operations Union in December 1991, and of the election, with the end established diplomatic relations result being in a “sweeping and a month later in January 1992. systematic fashion.” During The relations suffered a stint his congressional testimony in in 2002 following one of the July 2019, Mueller stated that recordings that were made

By Patrick Corso

during the Cassette Scandal, which revealed an alleged transfer of a sophisticated Ukrainian defense system to Iraq. Despite this, the U.S. supports Ukraine’s plan to join the North Atlantic Peace Treaty, or NATO for short.

In the current day, current Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with U.S. president Joe Biden about NATO speeding up Ukraine’s request to join the alliance.

Russia’s military movements in the country pose no threat, but warnings from Russian official Dmitry Kozak stated that if Russian troops try to defend Russian citizens living in Ukraine, the country could collapse from inside out. Ever since the conflict broke out, more than half a million people living in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s republic ended up receiving Russian passports.

If the conflict between Ukraine and Russia doesn’t stop, then this could be like The Troubles that plagued the United Kingdom and Ireland for three decades.

We asked: What is your favorite summer activity ?

Ethan Houk, freshman Cyber Security major: “My favorite summer activity is having picnics with my girlfriend because I love being outside, cooking lunch for us and spending time with her.”

Matthew Gildone, sophomore Cyber Security major: “My favorite summer activity is going kayaking and being outdoors. I love the nice weather and just getting to spend time outside.”

Erin Sopher, sophomore HR Management major: “My favorite summer activity is to go kayaking down the river. I like it because its something fun and relaxing that I can do with my friends, and just really relaxing to float down the river enjoy spending time with my friends.”

Amanda Nedell, freshman Forensics major: “I like camping because it gives me an opportunity to get away from technology and just have fun.”

Compiled by Victoria McGinty

Thoughts on Hurst fitness center writing this article. There are (some) weights. There are some lockers to store your Staff writer things. There are machines like treadmills and ellipticals that generally function. There is a If you’re searching for the roof and four walls. And last, campus community’s perception but certainly least, this facility of the Rec Center, then look no is available to the Mercyhurst further than its 2.2-star rating community as a whole. on the Vagaro app.

With the (arguable) positives Honestly, writing this article out of the way, I regret to inform feels redundant; patrons of you, dear reader, that there is the rec center have used this not enough space in this entire platform to voice their concerns newspaper to list the negatives. and displeasures.

But that shall not deter me However, I’ll reiterate them from trying to list some of the here in the hopes that the more pressing issues. For starters, administration may finally take I am fairly confident that many action if it’s published in its of the machines in the weight precious school newspaper. room are older than I am.

I’ll make my opinion clear There’s a poster in the old spin from the outset – the Rec Center room on heart rate targets that’s is a blight on campus, and while dated back to 1988. it holds promise, the neglect it Then there’s the issue of its has received over the past twenty atmosphere. I’m not expecting years has made it just another a three-story gym that takes up grievance of students. half of campus, but could we Let’s start with the positives try to get something other than as they exist at the time of artificial lighting in there? The

By Trey Catalano

“

The lack of windows, coupled with the musty appearance of the room itself, makes me feel like I went to someone’s basement gym in a house with flooding problems..”

Trey Catalano

lack of windows, coupled with the musty appearance of the room itself, makes me feel like I went to someone’s basement gym in a house with flooding problems.

And do not get me started on

trying to find something you may need. If you’re on a quest for an open space, the floor is totally crowded with virtually no room for students to stretch.

Do you need a 25-pound plate? Do not waste your time looking for one during your hour appointment since you’d have better luck going to the manufacturer’s factory and getting a new one.

The fact that there are no medicine balls is also a tough pill to swallow. It feels like I spend more of my time at the gym looking for the weights or a functional machine that I need than I do actually working out.

I’d like to reiterate that I only say this because I know how important a gym can be for college students.

After a long day of classes and work, we deserve to have a place where we can work out and enjoy doing so. And Mercyhurst absolutely has the power to make that a reality.

But instead it chooses to

settle for subpar, prioritizing a renovated Athletic Center that only some students can use as compared to the widely accessible Rec Center that is in desperate need of refurbishment.

Mercyhurst has a duty to do right by all its students by including the Rec Center in its future renovation plans, because the longer it waits, the deeper the dissatisfaction of its students grows.

SPORTS

PAGE 14

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Women’s soccer ties Gannon

By Zach Dumais Opinion editor

The Mercyhurst women’s soccer team faced off against Erie rival, the Gannon University Golden Knights, in a Thursday night doubleheader on April 22nd.

In the first game at 5:00 o’clock, neither team was able to score during the first half.

Gannon’s Golden Knights had the first two attempts, with one being a seventh minute shot inside the 18-yard box. Thankfully, freshman goalie, Maddie Elbro, was able to prevent it from going in.

The Lakers also would have various attempts at cashing in throughout the half. Emily Mijares had a shot in the 14th minute that deflected off of the crossbar while Taryn Baxter had a nice shot from a free kick which was saved

by Gannon’s goalie.

Mercyhurst had another chance off of a 30th minute free kick from Emma Scali. The ball had a chance as a few Lakers got their foot on it, but it ultimately did not result in a goal for Mercyhurst.

Mercyhurst freshman, Alyssa Poleski, had a nice shot on goal in the 36th minute, but this was also saved by the Golden Knights goal-

HurstAthletics photo

Taryn Baxter No. 5 goes to kick the ball while running away from her opponent during a tie game against the Gannon Golden Knights.

ie. That shot was the last scoring opportunity for either competing side in the first half of play.

Both teams had a rough start to the second half of the match.

It was difficult for both teams to keep possession of the ball. Emily Mijares had another great play in bringing the ball inside the 18yard box in the 57th minute. Mijares attempted to pass it to a Lak-

er that was flying down the field on Alyssa Otto. Unfortunately, the pass barely missed and ended up not resulting in a goal for the Lakers.

Mercyhurst may not have been able to cash in on any opportunities on offense for this game, but their defense was superb. As a testament to this, they made several key defensive plays at the end

to keep the match a tie. Maddie Elbro was forced out of the way by a Golden Knight attacker and the attacker was able to get a shot at the open net in the 70th minute of play. Fortunately, however, sophomore Madison Hoover was able to clear the ball away.

Only a few minutes later, Bethan O’Donnell made an incredible play, which was most

likely the play of the match for Mercyhurst. She was able to clear a shot that Gannon had put on goal that was only a few inches away from crossing the goal line.

Maddie Elbro also got her fair share of work in as she was able to make two late game saves. She made a diving stop on the first in the 79th minute and was able to stop the second one in the 83rd minute. This defensive effort was able to amount in a 0-0 tie.

The reserve team would then go on to play the Gannon Golden Knights immediately afterward.

This match resulted in a 1-1 draw.

Dani Hartman scored the lone goal for the Lakers off an assist from Emily Parker. Kaitlyn Low also played incredibly well in goal and saved 2 last minute shots in order to save the tie.

This was the second times the teams have tied this season. Mercyhurst is now 3-1-3 on the season and they will close out the Spring Season at Penn State Behrend on Saturday. The match began at 2:30 p.m. The Lakers beat Penn State Behrend 4-2. The Lakers record for the season was 4-1-3.

Women’s lacrosse wins away game

By Alexis Lovewell Staff writer

On Saturday, April 24, the Women’s Lacrosse team traveled to Charlotte Smith Field to play Lock Haven University Bald Eagles to continue their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division Play.

The Lakers were able to add another win onto their record with a strong second half performance that left Lock Haven scoreless in the last 22 minutes of play.

Paige Cocina was the first Laker to score against the Lock Haven defense. Soon afterwards Julia Rescott added another tally to the visiting Lakers board. This gave the Lakers a quick 2-0 lead and gave them the momentum early in the game.

The two sides went scoreless for about ten minutes in the first half of the game while both sides battled to claim another point to their board. Mercyhurst was able to then score four consecutive goals that were scored by Molly Meegan, Victoria Gottorff, and Payton Cook with two. This gave the Lakers a 7-4 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the first half.

Julia Ruscio believed the highlight of the game began in the second half as the Lakers left the Bald Eagles scoreless with their strong defensive structure.

Lock Haven came out of the

HurstAthletics photo

Victoria Gottorff No.27 with possession at a winning away game against Lock Haven

second half strong and was able to bring the score to 7-6 with only about two minutes gone.

Ruscio was able to get the next goal of the game to keep the Lakers ahead of Lock Haven.

Shortly after that LHU scored a goal but was met with an answer back from Julia Rescott to bring back a two-goal deficit as the score was then 9-7.

Cocina was able to get around the Lock Haven goalie and wall with her second of the afternoon.

Lippert was able to hold her own in goal and lead the Lakers to an 11-7 win over the Bald Eagles.

Payton Cook, a starter on the Women’s Lacrosse Team, believes the team worked very hard and

diligently together.

“Over half of our goals were assisted which shows that we worked together on the offensive end and set each other up for success. The entire game was close in score. At any moment it could have been anyone’s game. We did what we do best, which was keep our composure. Keeping our composure, not worrying about the score, and continuing to play how we’ve been playing allowed us to win the game”.

Ruscio gives a shoutout to their goalie, Kait Lippert, for having 11 saves in the last 22 minutes, which helped leave the Bald Eagles scoreless.

Ruscio also explains how Mercyhurst outworked and outhustled Lock Haven in the draws as Mercyhurst was able to gain 11 controls.

This win for the Lakers was huge because since they won, they have officially made it to the PSAC tournament, and they have a chance at winning the championship overall to be named the best team in the PSAC. This was the second time the teams have meet this season and Mercyhurst has come out on top both times.

The Lakers final game is April 28, against Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Their record so far this season is 8-3-0.

HURST RESULTS April 24: Womens soccer vs. Penn State Behrend; 4-2, Lakers April 24: Softball vs. Seton Hill; L 9-1 April 24: Football vs. Gannon; L 21-28 April 24: Women’s Water Polo vs Gannon, 7-6 Lakers April 25: Women’s Water Polo vs.

Fresno Pacific; 8-10, Lakers

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

PAGE 15

Hurst baseball plays a four game match up

By RayLynn Chraston Staff writer

On Friday April 23 and Saturday April 24, the Mercyhurst Baseball team had a four game match up with Seton Hill. The first match up of PSAC West Powerhouses the Lakers split their Friday doubleheader against No. 7 Seton Hill. During the first game, the Lakers took the win 7-6, while in the second they fell short of the win with the final score being 4-2.

To open the first game on Saturday, the Griffins struck first when they were able to execute a run, off of a SAC Fly with the bases loaded. The Griffins would then add three more runs in the third inning to make the score 4-0 after two and a half innings. The Lakers were able to come to the plate after two outs to open up the inning. Troy Banks, #2 a redshirt junior, was able to draw a walk during the inning to keep it going. Next up was Jack Elliott, #21 a senior, who ripped the ball to right center. Banks used his speed and was determined to make it to third. After he made it there the third base coach, Charlie Spano, waved him on, so Banks ran safely into home to make the score 4-1.

However, the Griffins soon made the score a 4-run lead again after a home run was made, which made

the new score 5-1.

In the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Lakers were able to make a comeback. Josh Surowiec, Tyler Zaluski, and Matthew Gibson were all able to make it to home plate, making the score 5-4, with Seton Hill still in the lead after the four innings. No runs were scored during the fifth inning, but in the sixth, the Griffins were able to gain another run. The Lakers came to the plate at the bottom of the seventh, and what brought the Lakers to victory was Surowiec’s second walkoff homer of the season. This brought the Final score to 7-6.

Graduate student Vincenzo Lucente, #18, got the ball in game for the Lakers and went four strong innings allowing just one run on two hits while gaining five strikeouts. The Griffins were able to get onto the board first in the top of the third inning, to take the lead of 1-0. The Lakers answered back when Luke Jackson hit a homer over the fence in the bottom of the third. Soon after, Elliott was able to make a second run for the Lakers. In the seventh, the Griffins were able to push their fourth run across to extend the lead to two.

The final score of the second game ended with a loss for the Lakers, being 4-2.

For the next doubleheader, the

HurstAthletics photo

Mercyhurst men’s baseball team celebrating after a 5-4 victory in Seton Hill

Lakers traveled to Greenburg to take on Seton Hill. The Lakers fell by scores of 6-4 and 5-4 against the No.7 ranked Griffins. During the first game, the Lakers were able to strike first in the top of the second inning as they were able to get the bases loaded, which led to Surowiec getting a run. Seton Hill then responded back making two runs of their own.

The Lakers were able to take back their lead in the top of the third as Surowiec hit his second

three run homer of the weekend.

The score was now 4-2. Seton Hill scored three more runs in the fifth and was able to add another in the sixth. Mercyhurst was unable to make a come back leaving the final score 6-4 with the Griffins take the win.

The last game of the 4 game match up ended in a loss for the Lakers. The Griffins were able to take an early lead in the second inning. While in the third, they were able to score again before taking a

4-0 lead in the third. The Lakers comeback started in the fourth inning, when they were able to put a run on the board. In the sixth inning, Zaluski homered in his return to Seton Hill, which drove in Ferranti to make the score 5-3. In the seventh the Lakers were able to tally one last run, finishing the game with Seton Hill taking the victory of 5-4.

The Lakers record is 20-11 this season and they have eight games left this year.

Women’s water polo competes in WWPA championship

By Gillian Mazur Editor in chief

This past weekend the Mercyhurst Women’s water polo team traveled to Lebanon, Illinois to compete in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championships. The Lakers fought hard and in the end, were able to take home the second-place ranking for their 2020-2021 season.

On April 24, the team played two games- one versus the McKendree University Bearcats and another versus hometown rival Gannon University Golden Knights. On day two the Lakers faced the Fresno Pacific University (Calif.) Sunbirds and the Salem University Tigers.

The first match began at 9 a.m. against McKendree University. Although the Bearcats fought hard, the Lakers pulled out a 7-6 win advancing them further in the Championship. The second game was played against hometown rival, Gannon University at 5 p.m. In a weird coinci-

dence, Mercyhurst also took home the win with a final 7-6 score which advanced them to the Semi-Finals on Sunday, April 25.

For the first game on Sunday, Mercyhurst faced Fresno-Pacific University.

The Lakers were able to take on the challenge of the Sunbirds for a win with a final score of 10-8. The win would lead the Lakers to face No. 25 ranked Salem Tigers.

Entering the match strong, not a minute and a half into the game, junior center Sara Marin scored giving the Lakers a 1-0 lead.

A minute later, senior Maddie Nye scored tearing one into the net. Nye also gave the Lakers their third point for the evening with four minutes remaining in the opening frame by scoring a penalty shot.

The Sunbirds had finally had enough and retaliated by scoring the next four goals. They kept the Lakers off of the board for eight straight minutes and took the lead 4-3 with 4:39 left in the second period.

Sophomore Hanna Good interrupted their run with roughly four minutes left by scoring on the power play to tie the game 4-4. Fresno-Pacific took back their power scoring two more before the end of the half to make it 6-4. The Lakers returned the sentiment with Good hitting the back of the net one more time with 51 seconds remaining on the clock. Her second goal for the game, and ending the score 6-5, Fresno-Pacific.

At the beginning of the third, the Sunbirds scored three more making the game 8-5. The fourth started with the Lakers down three, but 85 seconds into the period, Marin was able to bring the Lakers within two points. Riding off of Marin’s momentum, Nye scored with 2:43 remaining in the game making it 8-7.

Less than a minute later, Marin got a hat trick, tying the game at 8-8. Any good offense is just as strong as their defense. Defensive senior player Rachel Morris scored one more with 47 seconds remaining for a 9-8

total, Lakers. Nye would soon then complete her own hat trick scoring the final goal for the game with five seconds left.

Senior goalie Sarah O’Keefe continued with the Lakers’ great play in the cage making 11 saves and tallying a steal for the win.

Mercyhurst managed to outshoot Fresno-Pacific 3124 earning themselves the rights for the final game in the Championship against the Salem Bearcats.

Although the Lakers fell to the Tigers with a score of 8-4, Mercyhurst was able to take a second-place ranking in the championship back home to Erie, PA. The Tigers came out strong earning themselves a 2-0 lead in the first period. The Mercyhurst Lakers were able to outscore the Tigers in the second for a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Hannah Engquist put points on the board seconds into the second frame making it 2-1.

Freshmen Rachel Vlietstra was able to bring the score to a tie, 2-2, with less than five minutes remaining in

Hurst Athletics photo

Mercyhurst women’s water polo team prepares to compete in the WWPA Championship.

the second. Less than a minute later, Salem took back the lead 3-2, and then 4-2 with three and a half minutes left. With 34 seconds left in the half, Marin sent one into the back of the net scoring her first goal of the game bringing the score to 4-3. Despite many chances, the Lakers were unable to hit the net while Salem scored once more for a 5-3 lead heading into the fourth and final frame.

With a little over five minutes remaining in the fourth, Anderson scored a penalty shot. The Lakers eventually succumbed to the Tiger’s advances al-

lowing them to score three more for a final 8-4 score.

With 18 out of their 28 shots on target, they outshot the Tigers 28-22 overall with O’Keefe saving 8 in the net.

Although the Lakers did not bring home the big win, four Lakers ended the Championship in second and four players were named to both the Second and First All-Tournament Team. Nye and Marin were named to the Second Team while O’Keefe and Anderson were named to the First Team.

LAKER LIVING

PAGE 16

Merciad

SENIOR SENDOFF

This year, the Merciad has five editors graduating with the Class of 2021. We wanted to know their future plans and favorite memories in their time at the Hurst.

MARINA BOYLE Title: Editor in chief.

Future Plans: Working as a Financial Crimes Investigator with Key Bank.

Favorite memory: Meeting wonderful friends and mentors, and seeing a ghost in Old Main!

REBECCA DUNPHY Title: News editor.

Future Plans: Working for a government agency and teaching dance in Baltimore, MD. Favorite Memory: Being on the field during football games with the Dance Team.

SARAH KLEIN Title: Copy editor.

Future Plans: Attending the University of Toronto for a Master of Global Affairs Program.

Favorite Memory: Meeting a lot of great people over four years!

MICHAEL BOYLAN Title: Sports editor.

Major: Intelligence Studies Minor: Economics Favorite Memory: Being involved

on campus. I was a Laker Leader, the Football team Manager and a member of Phi Eta Sigma.

The upcoming 20212022 Editing staff and writers wish our seniors well in their future endeavors!

CHRISTA KNIPES Title: A&E editor.

Future Plans: Manager at Homeward Bound Pet Care back in Ohio, then I plan to go to graduate school for secondary education.

Favorite Memory: My friend and I climbed out a window in the dancespace because we decided to skip class at the last minute but didn’t want to make the walk of shame through the dance department lobby and past all of the faculty’s offices.

We also want to say a huge thank you and farewell to our senior writers! The Merciad would not be what it is without them!

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Temper your typical Aries urge to charge into a situation and demand answers.

Instead, let the Lamb’s gentler self emerge to deal with a problem that requires delicacy.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You are aware of what’s going on, so continue to stand by your earlier decision, no matter how persuasive the counter-arguments might be. Money pressures will soon ease.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) By all means, have fun and enjoy your newly expanded social life. But don’t forget that some people are depending on you to keep promises that are very important to them.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You need to wait patiently for an answer to a workplace problem and not push for a decision. Remember: Time is on your side. A financial matter needs closer attention.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) You now have information that can influence that decision you planned to make. But the clever Cat will consult a trusted friend or family member before making a major move.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Good news: You’re finding that more doors are opening for you to show what you can do, and you don’t even have to knock very hard to get the attention you’re seeking.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your gift for creating order out of chaos will help you deal with a sudden rush of responsibilities that would threaten someone less able to balance his or her priorities.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Congratulations. Your energy levels are coming right back up to normal — just in time to help you tackle some worthwhile challenges and make some important choices.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) The sage Sagittarian should demand a full explanation of inconsistencies that might be cropping up in what had seemed to be a straightforward deal.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A conflict between obligations to family and to the job can create stressful problems. Best advice: Balance your dual priorities so that one doesn’t outweigh the other.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Don’t guess, speculate or gossip about that so-called mystery situation at the workplace. Bide your time.

An explanation will be forthcoming very soon.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Boredom might be creeping in and causing you to lose interest in a repeat project. Deal with it by flipping over your usual routine and finding a new way to do an old task.

BORN THIS WEEK: You can warm the coldest heart with your lyrical voice and bright smile. You find yourself at home, wherever you are. © 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

HURST TOON Student-drawn cartoon by The Martian