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: Features on Page 4:
Arts & Entertainment on Page 5:
Hurst Fall Ball mimics the ‘Great Gatsby’
Women’s hockey player defies odds
Mercyhurst has ‘a Good Day’ Read more inside & online
The Merciad
Est. 1929 Vol. 88 No. 4
Mercyhurst university
Wednesday, october 1, 2014
Lakers slay Knights Students serve PA soldiers, sailors By Catherine Rainey Staff writer
Salina Bowe photo
Senior Camille Alvarez, no. 9 returns the ball with the help of Samantha Giardina, no. 4. Alvarez put up many points throughout the five games.
Mercyhurst conquers undefeated Gannon By Carly Contraguerro Sports editor
Mercyhurst women’s volleyball hosted a game against rival and undefeated Gannon University last night. Mercyhurst’s overall record going into this match was 9-4 and Gannon’s was 13-0. During the first game the score was constantly going back and forth between which team was ahead. The score was tied 27-27, before Gannon scored twice to win the match, 29-27. During the second game the Lakers’ started out on
top with the first point being scored by senior Camille Alvarez. Following that point the score again went up in favor for the Lakers by sophomore Sarah Wegrzyn to make the game 2-0 Lakers. Gannon was able to pull ahead after the score was tied at 8-8 to raise it to 10-8 Knights. The Lakers continued to score but were never able to get ahead and the score ended 25-23 Gannon. After Gannon took the first two games, the Lakers came back, playing harder to start the third game. The first point of the game was made off of a serve by
junior Kelly Vitt to put the Lakers on the board 1-0. Gannon responded right back with a point to make it 1-1. The Lakers took the lead back making the score 2-1 and never let Gannon get ahead of them throughout the remainderof the game. The Lakers took this game, 25-17, with the winning point scored by Alvarez. This win fired up the Lakers, who again scored the first point of the fourth game. This point was scored by Alvarez from Vitt. The Lakers pulled ahead quickly in this game with the score being 13-5 at one point.
Every player on the court was playing with power as the fourth game ended with a big Laker win 25-13. Again, the Lakers scored first for the fifth game with a point by Vitt to Stefanov. The score was close and tied many times throughout this game. The score was 14-13 until the Lakers scored one more point to make it 15-13 to take the victory. Points in this game were scored by Stefanov, Junior Karly Burns, Wegrzyn, and Alvarez. @TheMerciad
Eight Mercyhurst students will be volunteering at the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie this school year. Will DeFeo, August Mezzio, Maddie Riley, Amanda Salasek, Corey Sayles, Marta Timmerman, Rebecca Watts and Austin Wood attended an orientation on Saturday, Sept. 20, in which they learned about the services the home provides, were informed of the home’s rules and regulations and were given a tour of the facility. The home, one of six care facilities of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, offers a personal care unit, a nursing care unit and a Dementia/ Alzheimer’s unit for qualifying Pennsylvania veterans. It is located on the 500 block of East 3rd Street. Volunteers will be assisting veterans in several ways, including friendly visitation, assisting residents around the premises, participation in activities such as bingo and arts and crafts and taking take residents on field trips. Most of the students found out about the opportunity at the Mercyhurst Campus Involvement Fair, and wanted to volunteer for various reasons. “What really sparked me was being able to give back,” said Sayles. “To be able to just
be there and be able to relate to that individual because of my prior service, as the vice president of the Mercyhurst Veterans Association.” Sayles is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. “I was encouraged to volunteer with the Soldiers and Sailors home not only because I have felt an admiration and connection to our vets, but because the home offers a highly flexible volunteer program,” said DeFeo. “I personally plan on reading to the residents a few times a week.” One student, Mezzio, will be volunteering through Service Learning’s MUSCLE program, which stands for Mercyhurst University Scholars of Community Learning Engagement. “MUSCLEs are placed in a site in the community and it hopefully ties into their career aspirations. They are more than a work study, not quite an intern,” said Bethany Brun, Coordinator of Service Learning. “They are a liaison between that organization and campus.” The MUSCLE program runs as a volunteer basis. There is currently no scholarship for this program, but Service Learning is looking to fund one, according to Brun. (Continued on Page 2)
Civic Institute focuses on rising Erie poverty rates By Will Bickelmann Staff writer
The City of Erie’s poverty rate is the highest it has been since the early 1990s, with 30 percent of residents living below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Among minors, the poverty rate jumps to 48 percent, federal figures show.
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“While the rest of the country is recovering from the recession, Erie is still on hard economic times,” said According to Amy Eisert, director of the Mercyhurst University Civic Institute. The institute has been involved in several programs aimed at easing poverty in the Erie area over the past decade. “It’s really hard to pinpoint one cause of the poverty we’re
experiencing, but poverty can be caused by a variety of things, such as divorce, sickness or being laid off. These things have been happening, in addition to many businesses closing and young people leaving Erie and finding jobs elsewhere.” The federal poverty guideline from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for one person is $11,670 but a family of four’s
rate is $23,850. Eisert said that even if a person or family is not within these guidelines, they are likely struggling if their income is within 125 percent of these numbers. Even if a single person is making more than $11,670, if their income is less than $14,587 they are likely struggling. Income alone is not the only indicator of an impoverished area. Second Har-
vest Food Bank says it aids approximately one in four Erie families who are struggling financially, according to sociology and social work Professor Laura Lewis, Ph.D. Lewis, who works with a group dedicated to combating Erie poverty called Erie Together, added that a lack of relatively high-paying jobs drives the poverty rate, too. Eisert said it is likely there is
also a great deal of situational poverty going on in Erie. “Poverty is associated with every negative social factor, such as drug use, crime, hunger, poor education and even poor health variables,” she said.
@TheMerciad
Online Poll Results Are you planning on getting one of this year’s free flu shots? 50% Yes, I do not want to end up sick this flu season! 10% Only if my parents make me get it 18% No, I hate needles! 23% I don’t believe in immunizations
Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll: Are you planning on getting one of this year’s free flu shots?
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The Merciad
Page 2
News
North East transfers fall By Jose Nufio Staff writer
Transfers to Mercyhurst from the North East campus are declining due to a lack of programs focused on health care. With health careers taking over, many students are deciding not to transfer to the Mercyhurst Main Campus because their preferred major is not being offered, officials said “Our enrollment over the last couple of years has been on the allied health and nursing areas. It has been heavier on the occupational associate degrees and less in the liberal arts or business and criminal justice graduates,” said Travis Lindahl, Mercyhurst North East’s Associate Vice President of Enrollment. “Over the last five years, on average, our health-related population is about 55 percent of our student population, including students enrolled as liberal arts-science known unofficially as pre-health. “The numbers are skewed as we have added and subtracted programs over the last few years,” he said. North East has created completion programs for students who decide not to transfer to the Erie Campus. In 2009, a bachelor in Health Nursing program was created for anyone who decides to
Compiled by Jose Nufio
The above graph depicts the number of transfers from North East to Mercyhurst main campus. Figures provided by Mercyhurst North East campus.
finish their nursing degree at North East. Just last year, a bachelor in Health Care Science was created so that students who graduated in any of the allied health programs could come back and get their bachelors. These programs were created because of the high number of North East alumni coming out of the allied health programs. The degrees are also there for any students that decide to come back and get their bachelors. These classes are aligned to fit the schedule of students who are also taking classes in the Erie campus. “We know that any of those programs line up with the ones offered in the Erie campus, so students could do so in evenings and weekends here at North East,” Lindahl
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said. Regardless of the trend, each year graduating classes are different. If it is mostly nurses and allied health professionals that are graduating, they would not go to the main campus, because they do not offer those careers. If in a given year, more students graduate from North East with a liberal arts degree, the chances of them coming to Mercyhurst are far greater. Above is a chart of the last four years of internal transfers. A larger enrollment in 2010, led to a larger IT number. In any given year, North East anticipates 50 to 75 students, but it fluctuates over time. North East is a career driven school; a lot of students leave the school to get
jobs and many have no intention of getting their bachelor’s degrees. According to Lindahl, two-thirds of students would be defined as lower socio-economic, so many do not look forward to paying the tuition at the Erie main campus. That is just one of the many reasons a student might not go to the Erie campus. They might also not go there because they want to move somewhere closer to their homes. They may want to keep playing sports and they cannot play Division II in Mercyhurst or there is not room for them on the team. Lindahl says health degrees have always been popular and they willl continue to be. Even students from the Erie campus have reached out to these health programs. “Each year we get a number of students who transfer from Erie campus to North East to do some of the health care careers or even graduate with their bachelor’s degrees from Erie and come back to do one of our health care associates degree, because it leads to a better defined and better paying career,” Lindahl said.
@TheMerciad
October 1 , 2014
MSG for Sept. 29 Provided by: MSG
22 Senate Members, 6 Executive Board Members, and 1 Advisor were present Committees gave their first reports of the academic year Spirit Committee – Organizing the annual “Pie-theHomecoming Court event on Friday, Oct. 3rd from 4-5pm in Garvey Park. Residence Life Committee– Nothing to report this week Sustainability Committee– Working on ways of reaching out to the student body about ways to be sustainable and bring awareness Mission Committee – Looking for ways to partner with departments on campus for fundraising efforts. Facilities Use Committee– Contacting IT Department to follow up with them about Wi-Fi boosters in Zurn Hall, which was an initiative from the end of last year. President, Nick Latta attended University Council last week. Report from that is that Middlestates Assessments will be giving their final report in December on the progress made at Mercyhurst thus far. The report from the Culture of Safety Study should be finished in the coming weeks with hopes of having it in time for the next Board of Trustees meeting. Senator Maggie Matthews brought up the question of
why Mercyhurst has decided to bypass SAT & ACT scores starting this year for admission, and why the student body and the Mercyhurst Student Government were not informed prior. President Nick Latta will be following up with Admissions and administration to gain insight into this new methodology. MSG Distinguished speaker series hosted Breaking Bad star, RJ Mitte. 500 people were in attendance. MSG Events Coordinator, Megan Lawrence, is currently looking into a speaker for our series for the spring term. SAC and MSG held a Great Gatsby themed Fall Ball this past week, which was very successful. 250 people in attendance throughout the evening. Senators reported that the feedback was wonderful from the student body. SAC held Lip Sync competition with 6 competitors, and about 90 people in attendance. MSG & SAC released their annual Homecoming Calendar of events that is posted around campus and on our social media outlets.
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Students serve aging PA soldiers and sailors (Continued from Page 1) Through the MUSCLE program, Mezzio, a Sports Medicine major with a concentration in occupational therapy, will be able to complete clinical hours in occupational therapy at the home. He is also working with Ken Vybiral, volunteer resources coordinator, to develop a new orientation program that could potentially be implemented statewide. As of now, each state facility runs its own orientation program. Vybiral said he would like to focus on making sure certain essentials, such as learning how to properly transport a resident in a wheelchair, are covered and
build the rest off of volunteers’ experiences. “We don’t have to stay with the same tired and true roles. We can start to develop and create programs that they’re interested in. We can kind of work their volunteer experience around things that they’re passionate about. Ideally that’s the volunteer program I want to create. “If we continue to piece together the absolute necessities, as well as what we feel are the best qualities, presenting that to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, we can present it as a model for all the homes to use,” he said. This group of Mercyhurst students, as well as students
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from other area colleges such as Penn State Behrend, is one of the first major outreaches to the college age population the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home has undertaken, according to Vybiral. Volunteers have the freedom to go to the home when it is convenient for them, but to the veterans, consistency is what really makes a difference. “The lasting impact of having someone come in once a week or every other week, just to give them that thought and that feeling that someone’s coming to see me, you really can’t quantify that kind of morale boost a resident can have,” Vybiral said. @TheMerciad
October 1, 2014
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The Merciad
Features
Students attend annual ‘Fall Ball’ By Vanessa Steele Contributing writer
Flashing lights, loud music and feather boas surrounded students this past Friday evening, Sept. 26, as the Student Activities Council and Mercyhurst Student Government collaborated to put together their annual Fall Ball. Held in the Student Union Great Room, the theme this year was Great Gatsby, giving students a chance to attend dolled up in 1920s period clothing. They also made sure to get decorations that would tie into the theme, such as feathers, lights and sequins. SAC and MSG incorporated a few new features this that changed the formula for this year’s ball. MSG Events Coordinator Megan Lawrence said that they made the changes to draw in more students than in previous years. The event ended up attracting roughly 250 students through the course of the evening, according to Lawrence. Instead of incorporating the masquerade theme that they had done a few times before, they decided to go in a new direction with The Great Gatsby theme. “We made sure to ask the DJ for a green light,” Lawrence said, in reference to the significance of the green light in The Great Gatsby novel. While the dance had in previous years been a ticketed event, this year, students were able to just walk in. The event featured free food to entice people to come, as well as a photo booth. Students were encouraged to dress up with props such as sequined dresses and top hats and have their photos taken for free. @TheMerciad
Garrett Erwin photo
Students embrace the 1920s theme of Mercyhurst Student Government and Student Activities Council’s annual Fall Ball this past Friday evening.
Salina Bowe photos
Updates planned for Mercyhurst’s Hammermill Library By Karah Hollis
Contributing writer
Mercyhurst University’s Hammermill Library is making changes this year to keep up with the fast growing world of research technology. Using just computers for research, Darci Jones, director of University Libraries
and Online Learning, said that knowledge, such as looking at how many times a source has been cited, is lost. “Everyone has to use information. How you research makes the difference in the level of quality,” Jones said. To bring back this interaction, the library is trying to implement a new course that teaches students how to effec-
Movie club starts By Lucero Mendoza Contributing writer
Movie lovers are being offered a new club on campus this year. The Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club (MMCC) has recently been brought to life by Walker School of Business Professor Kris Gossett and senior Accounting major Dennis Arthur, who is now president of the club. Gossett, the club’s faculty advisor, wanted to give students the opportunity to engage in discussion about modern films. “The idea for the club was based on my love for movies; specifically modern cinema,” Gossett said. The main purpose of the club, according to Gossett, is to discuss aspects of film, including the creation of cinema. The topics of discussion range from direction, acting, score, cinematogra-
phy, production, design and marketing. The club also plans to engage in activities outside of discussion. For the past three weeks, the club has been meeting to focus on activities in which members would be interested in taking part. Because Gossett attends the movie theater with frequency, the club goes to Cinemark Tinseltown 17 to watch movies every weekend. Members of MMCC are also planning to throw an Oscar party for the student body this coming February. In addition to the Oscar party, members are hoping to attend to one of the major film festivals in 2015. The Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club meets Thursdays in Hirt 209 at 7:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to join and bring ideas to the club. @TheMerciad
tively research. They are hoping to create a 100-level course that would teach students what databases are and how to cite sources, among other research tools. “We understand that students are frustrated when a librarian comes in for the fifth time in class,” she said. After taking the freshman research course, a J-Term 400-
level course would be offered for upperclassmen to provide them with tools that they could use after graduation. However, faculty support for these courses, according to Jones, is sparse. A tutorial video is also an idea the library is looking to implement. The video would focus on “a basic introduction to the library and leave class-
room instruction for more detailed research,” Jones said. Regarding structural changes, this year the library removed the magazine shelves that once lined the walls of the library’s Weber Hall. Jones said that the library would also like to have group study rooms integrated with technology in them and charging stations placed
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around campus. The library is a public service, according to Jones, and its purpose is to “provide the best service for students.”
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Page 4
Features
October 1, 2014
The Merciad
Sharing the pride
Mercyhurst ROTC cadets part of Pride of PA Battalion
By Jordan Lyon
Contributing writer
On Saturday, Sept. 27, the “Pride of PA Battalion” assembled at Penn State Behrend to conduct land navigation, team building exercises and to increase their domain knowledge. Cadets from Gannon, Mercyhurst and Penn State Behrend arrived at 5:45 p.m. The three schools were briefed by their senior leaders, then given maps, protractors, a compass and five coordinates which they were instructed to find. The juniors from the three schools were being graded on this task as it will count toward their Order of Merit List (OML), which will later help decide their future position in the Army. Once cadets arrived back to the starting point from land navigation, they split off into three separate squads. Each squad then rotated between three half hour long stations, where the seniors taught basic first aid, drill and ceremony movements, and how to conduct pre-combat checks.
After the stations were completed, cadets were given 30 minutes to eat their Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), provided by the battalion, and interact with one another. MREs are prepackaged meals that come with all your daily nutrients and vitamins. Finally. the cadets entered the final phase of the day’s training: the team building exercise. The schools were integrated then split into squad size elements and assigned leaders. The cadets were given 3 points: a casualty evacuation point, a water drop-off point, and an end point. Points ranged from 800 to 1,000 meters apart and had to be navigated tactically through campus. As cadets moved, they had to carry a litter with another cadet lying on it and a filled 5-gallon water jug, along with their gear and a dummy rifle. The lab ended with the swearing in of Cadet Irwin who had just recently contracted with ROTC. This is a tradition that has been long honored by all armed forces in the United States military.
Photo at top: Cadets Palanca, Perz, Brooks and Gleason instruct cadets how properly apply a tourniquet to a wounded soldier (Gleason holding the slides, Perz instructing, Palanca demonstrating, Brooks as the wounded soldier). Photo at right: Cadets take time to plot points prior to heading out to the Land Navigation course. Photo at lower right: Cadets take time to plot points prior to heading out to the Land Navigation course. Photos by Jordan Lyon
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October 1, 2014
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Page 5
Arts &
Entertainment
‘It’s Gonna Be a Good Day’ release Mercyhurst University gets its very own theme song By Timothy Reed Contributing writer
When you think of university songs, you typically believe them to be fight songs, which a school band will play at football games and other sporting events. However, the new Mercyhurst University theme song, created by junior communications major Alan Abramek is very different. The song opens immediately with an upbeat rhythm, combining a symphonic mix of piano, strings and guitar, all followed by uplifting vocals. It can instill an immediate mood change, in a good way, and make you want to get up and dance, hence its title, ‘It’s Gonna Be A Good Day’. The song’s compositional efforts combine many of Mercyhurst students all overseen by Junior Alan Abramek. Originally, Alan did not intend for this song to be such a major project. He was writing the song when he decided to make it a
collaboration project among the community. “It was so cool because it was pushed by the students. It wasn’t homework, we weren’t ordered to do this from somebody, and we did it because we love music,” said Abramek. Alan credits the Mercyhurst University campus, as well as the general community for inspiring him to write this new theme song. He loves Mercyhurst and all the different talents that people have on campus. Alan began this project by first creating everything on his laptop, followed by finding other people to collaborate with. Alan studies communication but many of his friends study music. This project did have many stressful moments. “It was all about finding the right people to play and sing, and then get all those people into the studio. All this followed by recording, editing, and making changes to parts that didn’t fit. All of this can become very stressful, espe-
Ashley Favata photo
Junior communications major Alan Abramek collaborated with other Mercyhurst students, and spent over eight months in the studio, to produce the first ever Mercyhurst University theme song, titled ‘It’s Gonna Be a Good Day’. From left to right: Michael Hibbler II, Alex McLaughlin, Bobby Lucas, Dillon Shidemantel, Alan Abramek, and Brandon Miller.
cially when you have other commitments such as class and homework,” Abramek said. Alan says that when it comes to music production, many people view it as much
easier than it really is. “A lot of people believe that there is a ‘magical app’ when it comes to producing and composing electronic music, but there is actually a whole lot more to it,” said Abramek.
It took them up to eight months to complete this song from start to finish. “It’s a long process. I’m constantly learning to put songs together, and to compose. This is my first big release. I
love producing and composing music. It’s fascinating to me,”Abramek said. Alan and his team have even bigger aspirations for their project, by making an Instagram campaign related to this song. They are going to pick a hash tag and encourage students to take pictures of what makes them happy and moments on campus which make them feel good. Ultimately, they hope to create a music video out of all the pictures. Alan hopes this project inspires other universities to make their own theme songs. “It could become a trend at other universities. I haven’t heard of a college taking a project like this to a professional level. Imagine if we got a lot of people involved in it. This could branch to other schools if we are successful.” In the meantime, if you have not listened to “It’s Gonna Be a Good Day,” Alan invites you to do so. @TheMerciad
‘Rob the Mob’ showing at Taylor Little Theatre By Naomi Greenstein Staff writer
This past weekend, the Mercyhurst students and Erie community enjoyed a showing of the iconic film “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the Taylor Little Theatre. This weekend, however, the theater will be playing a much different film, in a setting slightly more modern. The movie being played is called “Rob the Mob’, and is set in New York City in 1991 and is based on true events. The two main characters of the movie are Tommy and Rosie, a couple of small-town crooks who are head-overheels crazy for each other. Together, they team up to con and steal, and eventually end up getting caught by the police while robbing a florist’s shop on Valentine’s Day. The offense lands them each with a prison record, and
scares Rosie enough to want to put an end to their criminal behavior. In an effort to stay on the straight and narrow path, Rosie finds a job at a debt-collection agency. She persuades Tommy to go with her and work for the company, but he soon finds something more interesting than his job. Soon, Tommy is skipping shifts and not going in to work, instead spending his time attending the landmark trial of Mafia hit man Sammy “The Bull” Gravano. Gravano’s case is a serious one, and his graphic testimonials could finally bring down the Gambino-family boss, John Gotti. When Tommy hears from Sammy about a Mafia-owned social club, he gets the idea to rob the place. Thus begins a series of stickups of mob hangouts around the city, with Tommy
miac photo
Taylor Little Theatre will continue its Sunday afternoon movie series this week with the showing of the film “Rob the Mob”, following the story of Tommy and Rosie, two reformed criminals as they attempt to take down a member of the Gambino family.
shooting the gun and Rosie driving the getaway car, caus-
ing enough hubbub to catch the attention of the FBI.
But, during one of their heists, Tommy and Rosie
stumble upon a Mafia secret that is so closely guarded that many of the higher-up mobsters did not even know of its existence. For the FBI, it is the key to dismantling New York’s mobs once and for all. The film stars actors Michael Pitt and Nina Arianda as Tommy and Rosie, as well as Academy Award nominee Andy Garcia and Golden Globe nominee Ray Romano. Directed by Oscar nominee Raymond De Felitta and produced by William Teitler, the film is based on the true story of Thomas and Rosemarie Uva. The film will be shown at the Taylor Little Theater on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $1 with a Mercyhurst student I.D., so come out and enjoy the presentation of “Rob the Mob”, a film so good, it should be criminal. @naomiruth29
All Around Erie ‘Killers’ coming to Mercyhurst By Megan Pacileo
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Sleepy Hollow: A Musical Tale
Online
The Erie Playhouse Youtheatre opens its 2014-15 season at the Erie Playhouse with the hilariously haunting musical “Sleepy Hollow: A Musical Tale”. This adaptation brings new life to the classic tale, as three trick-or-treaters find themselves transported to colonial New York as the tale of Ichabod Crane unfolds around them, including run-ins with the Headless Horseman. The show runs from Oct. 17-19, and from Oct. 24-26. All tickets are $13.50. The Erie Playhouse is located at 13 W. 10 Street. Any questions, contact the box office at (814)454-2852.
Theresa Live!
Caputo
Theresa Caputo, the psychic medium and star of the TLC show, Long Island Medium, will be appearing at the Erie Insurance Arena. Theresa has been a practicing medium for 10 years, helping people cope with the loss of loved ones. She will give interactive readings to participating audience members, and will also share personal stories about her life and her very unique gifts. Theresa will appear on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. Ticket prices start at $39.75 and can be purchased at erieevents.com. Questions, contact the Erie Insurance Arena box office at (814) 452-4857. @MeganPacileo
Full list of events can be found on the PAC website
By Kevin Thomas Staff writer
The MIAC will welcome a one-man show titled “Mercy Killers”on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. The show focuses on a patriotic man named Joe, whose view of life is changed forever when his uninsured wife, Jane, is diagnosed with cancer. Joe struggles with the American experience of losing your health in the land of plenty. This show has played at numerous other venues, with many praising its honest look at the health care system, as well as the inner turmoil of a man who is losing faith in his country. Writer/director Michael Milligan graduated from Julliard and has directed and
miac photo
The show “Mercy Killers” focuses on Joe, a patriotic man, who loses faith in America once his wife is diagnosed with cancer.
starred in a few shows on Broadway. He also portrays Joe, whose performance has also been heavily praised.
View upcoming performances: www.miac.mercyhurst.edu
Students should expect an honest, serious portrayal of how an individual can be affected by the present healthcare system.
A “making-of ” trailer for the show on YouTube suggests that it is well-written and will not pander to the audience, but rather be straight with them about the mental and emotional struggles people endure in similar situations every day. After the performance, a panel of public health professionals will sit down with playwright and actor, Michael Milligan, for a conversation on the importance of this piece of theatre. This event is being gifted in memory of Charlene M. Tanner by her partner Doris Cipolla, due to their shared interests in social justice, and their hope that this program will inspire others to create a better world. “Mercy Killers’ is playing in the Taylor Little Theatre on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment
October 1, 2014
The Merciad
Page 6
Opinion
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad Relay for Life successful or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Yik Yak app has become the gateway to bullying By Mackenzie Burns Staff writer
Yik Yak is a chat app with over 100,000 users that was designed to allow college students to interact anonymously based on their locations. According to ABC News, “‘yakking’ is the welcoming, authentic and anonymous version of tweeting.” However, psychiatrists are saying it is the “most dangerous app [they’ve] ever seen.” They also say “Yik Yak actually removes all pretense of being a person with empathy, genuinely connected to other human beings.” After students were posting rumors for a full day on
Yik Yak, a Massachusetts school was literally begging their students to stop yakking from its smart phones. There was no further punishment or deterrent put in place. A myriad of illegal acts are taking place through Yik Yak. Just because a drug deal is made through an anonymous app does not make it any less illegal. There have been numerous bomb threats on the app as well. Last year, a Massachusetts high school was evacuated twice for these anonymous threats. Schools in Chicago, California and Connecticut have received shooting threats on Yik Yak. It has been disabled by Lake
Forest High School in Chicago because of the bullying going on toward students and staff. Students at Colgate University have even begun protesting due to racist comments on Yik Yak. Here at Mercyhurst, there has been bullying and hateful remarks made through Yik Yak. Students at Mercyhurst have been yakking about their parties and then wondering why police are showing up. Anyone local is able to see these posts, including campus administration and Police and Safety. People believe that just because no one knows who posts, they can say whatever they want. What students
The Good...
don’t realize is that Yik Yak is not entirely anonymous. It is not hard to figure out who everyone is, especially when comments are extremely pointed.
Mercyhurst is getting ready to receive alumni and family for homecoming and family weekend. It is going to be a weekend full of activities. Mercyhurst Student Government and Student Activities Council have inflatables, popcorn, cotton candy, a pig roast, and more in store. Let’s hope the rain holds out.
The Bad... Whenever the library gets crowded, LakerVapor decides to slow down or even not load your pages at all. This issue should be addressed, as students are trying to get their work done and end up staying at the library much longer than necessary. @TheMerciad
Colleges are required to handle The Ugly... sexual assault cases on campus Pro
By Vanessa Steele Staff writer
When addressing the issue of sexual assault on campus, people often get a little uneasy. However, it is a very serious issue. Many people do not believe that it is the responsibility of the college administration to deal with it, but if the college doesn’t, then who will? Police stations cannot inves-
tigate on their own, and they need the cooperation of the college administration to determine what happened. Oftentimes people are too scared to report their sexual assaults, and the assailant goes unpunished. Since they go to school and often live in the same place, the victim can re-live the trauma every single time they see their attacker.
One student in particular, Emma Sulkowicz of Columbia University, has made the subject her senior thesis project. As a piece of performance art, Sulkowicz has been carrying her mattress literally everywhere she goes. Sulkowicz says she was raped by a classmate, and the school administration failed to address
Staff writer
security be affected? Will city or local police get involved, and if so, how greatly? Are colleges really equipped to handle this? Sexual assault is a punishable offense and letting campus security handle it could be problematic, even if
they are properly trained. Regulation over this could be a big problem—if each college or university is in charge for responding to the offenses, incidents could be treated in unlike and diverse ways. For example, a rape
Theresa Caputo, the psychic medium and star of the TLC show, Long Island Medium, will be appearing live at the Erie Insurance Arena. Fortunately, she will not be appearing in her spirit form. charge on one campus may be handled in a drastically different way than the same charge on another campus.
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The hidden truth behind fracking By Alison Hosko Staff writer
Online
I always rolled my eyes when my dad would go on rants about how terrible fracking is. I also used to roll my eyes when my dad would constantly ask where certain foods came from and what they were made with when we would go out to eat. But I don’t roll my eyes at either anymore, and for very good reasons. Fracking is simply the creation of large fissures in rock formations to allow more oil and gas to flow into wells and be extracted. So, why is it so controversial? Not only is fracking unhealthy for people, it also pollutes the water and air that supply human beings and the food sources of animals and plants as well. Frack-
ing adds to the already heavily chemicalized products animals are fed before being turned into food. Many Americans consume this food on a daily basis. These include milk, fish, certain vegetables and many United States livestock. As hormones, chemicals and preservatives in foods and beverages increase studies suggest that there is an increase in physical and mental disorders in children and overall health issues in the general population. I have noticed that the older I’ve gotten, the more sick most meats or foods containing chemicals, MGOs, heavy preservatives or brought in from polluted areas has made me. I now can only eat small doses of any meat every so often and it has to be hormone-free or completely
organic. Otherwise, I feel and even get sick. However, many natural gas industries or corporations in fracking and chemically-modified foods deny or ignore the health risk problems such actions pose. For example, Monsanto sprays an abundant amount of chemicals that pose major health risks on foods. Because it is practically a monopoly, they have a handful of important politicians in their pockets and are able to do whatever they desire to food. Another example is places like Cabot Oil and Gas and Consol. Although in 2010, the mayor of my hometown, Pittsburgh, signed a bill to ban fracking, struggling companies atop of prime spots for fracking are being offered large sums by gas companies for the land. Because of this,
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The Weird...
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Con
By Victoria Kreysar
Forced responsibility for sexual assault cases is a good idea, but it also may lead to some problems. Many questions come to mind, such as: how will colleges handle this charge? How will campus
the issue accordingly, as her attacker still attends school at Columbia. This is just one example of the situations students can be put in when colleges fail to take action against sexual assaults on campus.
Recently, students have been receiving system announcements on Blackboard about issues that they have been trying to fix. The first issue was related to the assignments feature, and now with interactive rubrics. Issues with Blackboard should be fixed soon, so that it can be running as usual.
in August of this year, Pittsburgh International Airport, which is close to my house, sold some of its land to Consol for fracking. Officials say it will bring in half of a billion dollars over the next 20 years. I guess my health, as well as the health of over 300,000 other Pittsburgh residents is priced at half of a billion dollars. At first, fracking and chemical pollutants only distantly affected my health and the food my family bought. Now it may affect my water and air, too – as well as of 300,000 other Pittsburgh residents.
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The Merciad Editors Zach Dorsch Juan Mendez Nathan Turner Ryan Kushner Carly Contraguerro Megan Pacileo Marcela Delgado Mary Barnes Sami Rapp Ethan Johns Will DeFeo Bill Welch
Positions @mercyhurst.edu Editor-in-Chief editormerciad managingmerciad Managing Editor News Editor newsmerciad featuremerciad Features Editor Sports Editor sportsmerciad A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Photo Editor photomerciad Web Editor ejohns89 Ad Manager admerciad Adviser wwelch
The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is (814) 824-2376. The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Write for The Merciad, email editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu
October 1, 2014
Page 7
The Merciad
Sports
Volleyball dominates during 8-game run, but falls to rival Edinboro in 4 sets By Karah Hollis
Contributing writer
Before this past weekend’s game, the Mercyhurst women’s volleyball team was on an eight game winning streak and crushing the competition. The Lakers dominated eight consecutive games, only losing one set in all eight matches. “Our team’s success has really come from a sense of confidence and consistency,” Lexi Stefanov, a junior middle blocker, said. Aggressive and consistent play carried over from game to game, leading to the eight wins, according to Stefanov. This also shows through the statistics. In their first win against West Liberty University, Mercyhurst stole the court. The Lakers only allowed WLU to score seven times in the first set and 16 in the second. The last eight games had high energy levels and a high level of teamwork. Seven of those eight games were shutouts. “The games have not been very close, but that is not necessarily to say that they were not difficult,” said Stefanov. “But, it proves how well we were performing.”
Each match, Mercyhurst showed its experience by controlling the pace of the game. The opponents, though having their own strengths, were not able to keep up, allowing the Lakers to dominate. One game in the series that really stood out to Stefanov was the match against Kutztown University. Coming back from a loss to them last year, the Lakers beat them in three straight sets. The only set that the team came close to losing was the third set, which ended 30-28. “We came out this year against them with so much contagious energy, and we just really controlled the match. It was awesome,” Stefanov said. Stefanov has had her own success. She racked 86 kills and 106 points so far this season. However, she attributes all of her success to her team. “With good passes come good sets, and with good sets come strong hits,” she explained. “Volleyball is such a team sport. Not one person’s stats could be possible without her teammates.” The postseason looks bright for the team, as long as they continue to be aggressive, consistent and focused,
Salina Bowe photo
The Mercyhurst volleyball team is currently 7-2 for the season. Pictured above is junior Lexi Stefanov (2) who has been an important contributor to the success of the team so far.
according to Stefanov. “It will be important to stay mentally strong as the season progresses and we go through the inevitable ups and downs that will come,” Stefanov said. Unfortunately, the team’s winning streak ended this past weekend with losses to Edin-
boro and Slippery Rock. The Lakers fell to Edinboro 3-1 in close sets. The team put up a fight against Slippery Rock as they fell 3-2 Saturday. Commenting on the Edinboro game on Friday, Stefanov said they lost because they “played differently” than
Deaf women’s hockey player debuts with goal, 2 assists By Tom Mills
Contributing writer
Kirsten Miller is an elite Division I athlete at Mercyhurst University with an amazing story of bravery, grit and determination behind her equally impressive talents on the ice. Division I athletes are considered the crème de la crème of young sports played by men and women from across the globe, Miller is no exception to this as the Ontario, Canada, native settles at the Hurst for her freshman year. The competition in Miller’s homeland between young women for places in Division I ice hockey programs is usually the largest obstacle for athletes at such a level to overcome. Some may argue it is the travel implications, the stress of leaving family and friends for significant periods of time or simply the immense demands that make hockey of one of the toughest, most draining sports, both physically and mentally at the collegiate
level. However, Miller had one more hurdle than most on her way to the exclusive DI club. Miller was born profoundly deaf, meaning she could not hear anything. She wore hearing aids up to the age of 8, whereby she underwent an operation to receive a cochlear implant; a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-ofhearing. It consists of an external magnetized portion behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. The surgery was a great success and true to her amazing character, Miller’s first words after waking from the operation were “Can I play hockey?” With English influence in her family, Miller had played a variety of other sports, including soccer and rugby. She was a relatively late starter in ice hockey, beginning at age 8. Evidently, this had no bearing on her
Casey Bleuel photo
Freshman Kirsten Miller, a native of Oakville, Ontario, is an inspiration both on and off the ice. As a member of the Mercyhurst women’s Division I ice hockey team she has had to overcome obstacles to get where she is today.
success in later life, as she is now competing as a freshman in the most competitive environment possible. Miller speaks of the early implications of the implant and playing her new found love: “Back when I first started playing hockey in the early 2000s, the foam in helmets was much thicker and would cause the magnet of my implant to fall off the side of my head. This was the first adversity I faced in the game. I remember the first time I went on the ice; I was crying because it kept falling off and I couldn’t hear anything.” This was the first true sporting test of Miller’s implant on the ice, and although it would have been a hugely intimidating setback and deterrent to many others, let alone a young child, Miller’s character and determination shone through straight away: “So what I did is I cut the foam out, in order for it to fit around the magnet and it worked!” She showed a true display of determination and will persevere regardless of anything that was put in her way, although Miller does not advise doing this now.” “Obviously doing that now would be a bad idea, with the level of concussions, but these days the technology is better and the foam is thinner.” Miller spoke of difficulties she faces today in the modern game with great disregard and inspiring irrelevance. “Sometimes the sweat or moisture can interfere with the implant or if a coach is calling me on the ice and I’m in another zone, sometimes it may be hard to pick up on what they are saying.” “But he’s [coach] unbelievable, great. He’s always said I
can talk to him whenever and I always go up to him. He’s amazing. And of course my teammates too,” she said. As a sports business management major, she has high hopes academically and hopes to perhaps one day work for an NHL team or in women’s hockey. Miller also has high hopes and expectations for her own team this year. “We definitely want to go all the way, win every game, and win the championship. I’m going in there accepting my role and whatever they want, I’ll be ready.” With two assists and a goal on her collegiate debut in an exhibition match earlier last week, Miller looks to be a hot prospect and future star of the Hurst women’s ice hockey team. Miller finished by offering these powerfully optimistic words of advice for any other student athlete or person facing some kind adversity: “From a young age, I have always said to myself and accepted that I will have to work harder than most, both on the ice and in school. It’s helped me with my time management, my discipline.” “I have friends who can study the night before for a test and get an A. But for me, I have to start a week earlier, longer than that. But you know what? So what. It’s what I have to do to be successful.” “Have fun. Find something that you enjoy. Get involved in something and make a name for yourself. Don’t be defined and don’t let people define you, as the kid with this or the kid with that. Be the kid who’s great at this sport, the kid who’s awesome at that sport,” she said. @TheMerciad
they recently had. “I don’t think we lost because Edinboro is the better team. I think we lost because Edinboro was on their ‘A’ game while we most definitely were not.” Yet, the game was not a complete flop. The team came back from being down
23-20 in the first match to win 25-23. Although this weekend proved to be difficult, the Lakers eight-game winning streak showed their capabilities of being a dominant team. @TheMerciad
Softball defeats North East in scrimmage
Jake Lowy photo
Mercyhurst softball team started their pre season scrimmages with a 7-2 win over Mercyhurst North East on Friday Sept. 26.
By Tim Reed
Contributing writer
On a Friday afternoon of sunny and 80 degrees the Mercyhurst women’s softball team traveled to North East for the first scrimmage of the year. Senior Alex Puckly is a pitcher who transferred from North East after her sophomore year there. Also, the team’s graduate assistant Kayleigh Milliman is a transfer from there. While errors and miscommunication played a big role in this game, most of it came in the Lakers favor. Mercyhurst scored right away in the first inning, as Khyshwaunna Nance danced across the plate on a missed pop fly near second base. The Saints also were able to score by taking advantage of an error in the second inning. Things slowed down for a while as things stayed tied at 1-1 until later in the seventh inning when North East put another point on the board with a base hit.
However, the Lakers ended up taking advantage of many more errors and were successful in putting up four more unanswered points beating North East 7 to 2. “The games in the fall help prepare us for the spring because it allows us to see a lot of our team in different roles,” said Coach Leanne Baker. “It gives each player a chance to showcase how they can help the team when the games matter the most; in the spring.” Though the Lakers do not play a regular season game until February, they are looking to improve off a 15-win and 26-loss 2014 season. “I always tell the team we will be as good as they want to be. Right now we have a good chemistry and work ethic and the goal is to keep in going into the spring. We have started strong, now we want to finish strong when it matters the most,” Baker said.
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Page 8
October 1, 2014
The Merciad
Laker
Living Geek Weekly:
By Zach Dorsch Editor-in-chief
Microsoft has officially unveiled the name of its next operating system during a small presentation. The new operating system will officially go by the name of Windows 10. Why they skipped 9 will go down in history as one of the great mysteries of modern time. This time around, Microsoft has set out to make its next operation system run on a wide variety of devices, from smart thermostats to servers, devices that have a 4-inch touchscreen to an array of screens, and can interact with anything from touch to a mouse and keyboard. You could say that Microsoft is setting out to create one OS to rule them all. Windows 10 overall design looks a lot like Windows 7; Microsoft did this as a way to get the millions of people still
Because seven eight nine
using Windows 7 to make the switch to Windows 10. Though the overall design looks like Windows 7, Microsoft is still going to use features from Windows 8, such as the Microsoft store and the apps that go with it. Microsoft is removing the full sized “Metro” start screen and instead is combining the live tiles with the traditional start menu to form a blend of classic apps and universal apps. Windows is also working on improving simple tasks like multitasking. Users will now be able to snap up to four apps per screen, and switch between multiple desktops. Microsoft is also looking to please those using touch or convertible devices. This will be done through the use of the new “Continuum mode” that aims to make the frequent switch between table mode and laptop mode more of a seamless experience. Microsoft will be launching its
Beauty Talks: By Marcela Delgado Opinion editor
Have you thought for a second that the deodorant you are using might be causing harm to your body or the environment? Well, the truth is that deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum. This toxic chemical is associated with neurotoxicity, allergies or immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity, enhance skin absorption and bioaccumulation and persistence in the environment. Aluminum has also been linked to breast cancer, which today marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can prevent causing harm to your body and the environment by trying this recipe as a deodorant alternative.
TheVerge.com photo
Windows 10 merge feartures form both Windows 7 and Windows 8 to create the new Start menu.
“Insider Program” tomorrow that will give its most enthusiastic and vocal users a chance to try out the new operating system and help developers make changes to it before it gets released to the general public in the end of 2015.
DIY Deodorant
This week’s recipe comes from Wellnessmama.com and can also be found on the Freshfaceforward.org website: Ingredients: 6 tbsp of coconut oil ¼ cup of baking soda ¼ cup of arrowroot or cornstarch Essential oils (optional)
Microsoft also said that this presentation today was only the beginning of the features that will be unveiled as they move towardthe operating systems official launch. @beanhead43
it on your underarms. Once it is in the container, it is ready to use. For more recipes and healthy beauty tips, do not forget to find Fresh Face Forward on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Also, visit our brand new website Freshfaceforward.org for information all year long.
Directions: Microwave coconut oil to make it easier to mix. Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Continue to add a few drops of essential oil at a time until you are satisfied. For convenience, you can use an old deodorant container instead of scooping from a jar and putting
@freshfacefwd
Banana Nut Muffins
Sami Rapp Why I like this recipe: I found this recipe while I was in Taos, New Mexico. These are the best banana nut muffins I have ever had! The molasses helps to keep them moist and adds a nice flavor to them. Ingredients
3 cups sugar 2 cups butter 8 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/3 cups molasses 4 cups banana 6 cups flour 3 cups walnuts
4 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cardamom 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin pans. 2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. 4. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and mix in the molasses and vanilla. 5. Add the banana mixture and cream until combined. 6. Then mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and the spices. 7. Mix until everything is combined. Fold in the walnuts. 8. Pour the batter into the muffin pans. 9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.