Sept. 23 Issue of the Merciad

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Features On Page 3: :

Sports On Page 7:

Arts : & Entertainment On Page 5:

Volleyball wins big Dogs Days event

Faculty art show

brings furry friends

captivates viewers

in PSAC/Mountain East Crossover

to campus

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The Merciad Mercyhurst university

Est. 1929 Vol. 89 No. 3

Wednesday, septeMber 23, 2015

Thomas Kubinek’s zany performance flies into PAC By Rachel Sobina Staff writer

Thomas Kubinek returned to the Mercyhurst stage after a 34-year space for a one- night spectacular event on Sept. 19 At the beginning of the show, Kubinek started out with a rather humorous number. After his first act, he took some time to tell the audience a personal history about his family and grandmother. He gave the audience a rather personal insight in an enjoyable way. Professor Kubinek, as he often referred to himself throughout the show, interacted with the audience in a comical fashion while tying magical fun into the performance. He pulled a man from the audience and gave him a brief tutorial on acrobatics. He then proceeded to give the man instructions on how to balance their weight together, and Kubinek climbed on top of the man’s shoulders until he was practically sitting on his head. The auditorium was filled with a thunderous round of applause as people tried to understand what they just saw. Later on in the show, Kubinek took flight as he soared around the stage. Unsuspecting members of the crowd got pulled into

Kubinek’s funny antics. One of the more interesting acts involved a young woman’s purse. Everyone thought they knew what would happen: the boring pull-the-rag-outof-the-bag trick, but Kubinek put his own twist on it. Not only did Professor Kubinek pull the rag out of the bag, he pulled the rag out of the lady’s wallet, which was inside her purse. Neither Kubinek nor the young lady had met before, which made the act even more mysterious and enthralling. Children, grandparents and people of all ages enjoyed the show as the acrobatic comedian captivated the crowd. After the show ended, feedback from audience members as they filed out the doors. included “great,” “comical” and “hysterical.” A few audience members said that they would come and see the show again. As people left the auditorium, there was a lot of discussion regarding favorite acts of the show and general laughter about different parts of the performance. Overall, the production went very well and most people who came to see it would agree it was a high-flying, fun and engaging evening. Photo by Sarah Paschal

@TheMerciad

Thomas Kubinek soared high above the audience during his theatrical performance in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Art Center.

Students to embark on pilgrimage to hear Pope Francis By Erin McGarrity Staff writer

Fifty-one Mercyhurst students will travel by bus to Philadelphia on the evening of Sept. 26, to attend Pope Francis’ World Meeting of Families Papal Mass on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 4:00 p.m. Registration for the trip, organized by Mercyhurst’s Campus Ministry and sponsored by Mercyhurst Student Government, opened in spring 2015, as soon as organizers received word that the mass would be in Philadelphia. Campus Ministry also sent out an email invitation to the incoming freshman class of 2019. Spots filled up almost

immediately, and there is an active waiting list. Greg Baker, director of Campus Ministry and the main orchestrator of the trip, has remained engaged with the students as the event approaches, with daily email countdowns, quizzes and virtual tours of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the mass will take place, and inspirational messages. His goal is to make clear to the students that this trip will not be easy. “We’re walking a total of about seven miles to get to and from this Mass, and I’m trying to get across the message that this is our own little pilgrimage, not just any ordinary road trip,” said Baker. He also wants to convey to students that there may be

some emotional trials on top of the trip’s physical strain. “We’re also going to be immersed in this sea of humanity - people from all walks of life that will represent the very diverse church we have. I’m trying to get the students to consider that this experience might have some physical and emotional challenges to it,” said Baker. Pope Francis has scheduled this visit to the East Coast around the triennial World Meeting of Families, an event that emphasizes the impact of families on society. He will also address Congress on Capitol Hill and the United Nations in New York City during his visit. Baker is particularly looking forward to hearing the Pope’s

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to witness history. Rarely do you get the chance to go to a Mass led by the figurehead of the Catholic Church with four million people,” said Matheson. “It will allow me to explore my own faith in the presence of Pope Francis, and engage in prayer with my peers and millions of others dedicated to the faith.” Matheson is looking forward to one aspect of the mass in particular - the homily. “I am excited to hear about Catholic principles and how they relate to the world today directly from the Pope himself,” Matheson said. Students will board the bus after the Mass and drive through the night to return to Mercyhurst. After the trip, Baker has high hopes regard-

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perspective on various ongoing issues and seeing how his unique religious standpoint grabs people’s attention. “I know he won’t shy away from his religious convictions in front of Congress. He has consistently drawn people’s attention to a number of political issues,” said Baker. “He’s very cautious of capitalism and the exploitation of the poor, and his most recent encyclical was about climate change. He probably has a lot of messages that are important for people to hear.” Tom Matheson, a junior Intelligence Studies major, shed light on why this excursion means more to him than just a road trip. “I decided to sign up for this trip because it was a chance

What do you want to do before it gets cold outside? 1 2 3 4

Nothing, I’m so ready for sweater-weather. (57%) Have a cookout. (21%) Go to the beach! (14%) Sunbathe in Garvey Park. (7%)

Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll: How well can you find parking on campus?

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ing what students take away from this experience. “The Pope is from Argentina, so we’re not even sure that he’ll preach in English. This is a good moment for us, and the Church, to recognize that we’re not the center. We’re looking forward to being part of the minority,” Baker said. After the trip, Baker hopes to organize a reunion to give the students a chance to reflect on their individual thoughts and discuss how they can share their collective experience with the rest of the school community. “Everyone will leave with some kind of story, there’s not a doubt about that,” Baker said. @TheMerciad


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