NEWS
Page 2
October 30, 2013
MAI celebrates life of pet By Sami Rapp Photo editor
On Oct. 25, the Mercyhurst community lost a very well known face from the archaeology department. Last Friday, Bosco the archaeology department’s resident furry friend, had to be put to sleep due to complications of diabetes and old age. Bosco, the cat, had been living in the department for the past 10 years. He had come to the department as a stray. Mia Bruno, former Executive Assistant to Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute and a Mercyhurst alum, had previously brought in other strays, but Bosco was different. He was never adopted and soon Mercyhurst became his permanent home. After a while, he became one of the most well known personalities in the archaeology department. Jeff Illingworth, the Director of Curation and Conservation in the archaeology department, was Bosco’s caretaker. For the first seven years that Bosco was here he lived in the Processing Lab and the main office before moving to Jeff ’s office where he lived for the rest of his
Jeff Illingworth photo
Bosco the cat will be remembered dearly by the archaeology department, including owner Jeff Illingworth, depicted in this photo. life. “Bosco was generally popular and well known. I had people coming to my office in the last few days who I’ve never met,” said Illingworth. It is quite evident that Bosco will be missed throughout the Mercyhurst community. A sign outside Illingworth’s door and Bosco’s former home read, “Thank you, all of you, for being Bosco’s friends.” Students have been expressing their
sadness. Some stating how weird it is being in the archaeology department hallway without seeing him. “The most depressing part is all the left over cat food,” junior biology major Justin Stewart said. Even with all the sadness surrounding his passing, it’s best to remember Bosco as he had been, an old man cat, lounging around on the couches and watching everyone as they passed, waiting for someone to come pet him.
’Hurst to play at Michigan Stadium By Conner Edgar
Police Log
Tuesday, Oct. 22 Vandalism Library Referred for discipline Tuesday, Oct. 22 Vandalism Briggs Pavilion Closed
Contributing writer
Next season the Mercyhurst football team will travel to the University of Michigan’s home field in Ann Arbor, which has one of the largest seating capacities of any college football stadium in the nation, to face off against Slippery Rock University in 2014. This unique opportunity stemmed from an interesting history between the University of Michigan and Slippery Rock University. It all began in the early ’70s when the University of Michigan became interested in Slippery Rock University because of their unique name. They began announcing “The Rock’s” football games and scores to the students. As Michigan’s interest increased, they invited Slippery Rock to play against Western Division rival Shippensburg University on Sept. 29, 1979, at the Big House in Ann Arbor. The Michigan staff organized a “Band Day” and invited all of the local high school bands to play before, during and after the game. Over 61,000 fans attended the game, which set a record for highest attendance for an NCAA Division II football game. In 1981, Michigan and Slippery Rock
Mercyhurst University Police & Safety
Friday, Oct. 25 Theft McAuley Hall Closed mgoblue.com photo
Mercyhurst will be playing Slippery Rock University in Michigan Stadium, one of the largest seating capacities in a college stadium. arranged a second game. Slippery Rock lost both games in ’79 and z’81 at Michigan. The 2014 football season will highlight a third visit to the Big House in Ann Arbor with Slippery Rock playing against the Mercyhurst Lakers, as their schedules already have them playing each other that same day. Mercyhurst Athletic Director Joe Kimball believes this is a great opportu-
nity for the school. “Mercyhurst University is excited and grateful to the University of Michigan and to Slippery Rock University for choosing them to play in front of thousands of fans in Michigan’s Big House,” he said. Since both teams made the decision recently, the game details are still limited but services for students should be included.
Friday, Oct. 25 Theft Lewis Ave. Closed Monday, Oct. 27 Liquor Law Violation 3907 Briggs Ave. State citation issued
October 30, 2013
Douglass lectures on JFK anniversary By Will Bickelmann Staff writer
Visiting author, peace activist and Catholic theologian James Douglass will be giving a lecture based on his book “JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters” Tuesday, Nov. 5. Noah’s Ark, a play inspired by Douglass’ book and written by Ginny Cunningham, will be presented on Nov. 6. Both events take place in the Taylor Little Theatre at 7 p.m. each day. When asked what students should expect when attending the lecture Professor Chris J. Magoc, History Department Chair said, “Students can expect a thoughtful, historically well-grounded address that speaks to the history about which Douglass has researched and written so brilliantly: John Kennedy’s evolving foreign policy from 1961-63 that promised a more peaceful world had he not been assassinated.” The play Noah’s Ark was inspired by Douglass’ award winning novel and is a dramatization of the same story
of the Kennedy foreign policy that avoided the escalation of U.S. military conflict in Cuba, Berlin and Laos. “This 50th anniversary may be the last real meaningful opportunity the nation has to probe the underlying issues of the JFK assassination. And in a time of an over-extended American military, the question of ‘what might have been,’” Magoc said. Douglass’s interest is less in Lee Harvey Oswald, on which most commemorative events prefer to focus, and more on the motive and the history behind the assassination. Magoc, who arranged for Douglass’s visit, shared his passion for the subject, which was why Douglass chose Mercyhurst for his lecture. Douglass is a scholarly writer of six books and a passionate activist of peace and social justice. The events are free and open to the public. Douglass is in the process of producing a graphic E-book adaptation of his book, which promises to be quite engaging. Douglass will be signing copies of his book, which will be for sale at both events.
‘Hurst Civic Institute hosts judicial forum By Ryan Kushner Staff writer
This past Monday night in Taylor Little Theatre Mercyhurst University hosted Republican judicial candidates Bill Kelly Jr. and Robert Sambroak Jr. for an open discussion with students. Both candidates will be running for a seat on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas. The event was sponsored by the Mercyhurst University Civic Institute whose mission includes promoting “awareness and data-driven practices within the community,” according to its director, Amy Eisert. Eisert said that the public forum was held at Mercyhurst due to the Institute and the school’s “responsibility to promote engagement in the election and voting process” as well as “civic engagement among the students that attend Mercyhurst.” Another important aspect of the forum was to get people more active
and involved in judicial elections, which, according to Eisert, are often overlooked. “Judicial races are always a little bit interesting because most people are very apathetic when they go and they see judges on the ballot,” said Eisert, noting that often “it’s not somebody that they identify as having impact on their daily lives.” The Civic Center will continue working on a number of other social service projects throughout the year, including Unified Erie. This is a countywide effort to reduce problem behaviors within the community” through “prevention, enforcement and reentry efforts to not only cub youth violence, but problem behaviors in general,” thus keeping with the Civic Institute’s function of promoting research, learning, teaching and service opportunities for the Mercyhurst community.
NEWS
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Club hosts movie night By Dan Tarr
Features editor In the words of Ghostface, “Do you like scary movies?” If you do, come to the National Broadcasting Society’s Scary Movie Marathon on Wednesday, Oct. 30, from 6-11 p.m. in the Student Union Great Room. Three classic scary movies will be shown. First, is the classic movie “Phantom of the Opera” (1925),
playing at 6 p.m. After that, “House on Haunted Hill” (1959) will be shown at 7:45 p.m. Finally, at 9:15 p.m., the classic zombie film “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) will be playing. The cost for one movie is $2 and admission to all three movies costs $4. Popcorn will be available for $1.00 per bag, and 50 cents for refills. Baked goods will also be available for 10 cents each. Free punch will be provided.
Those who pay for all three films will get their first bag of popcorn for free. Those who come in costume will receive a free baked good. There’s a chance to win other great prizes as well. The announcement of the best costume winner will be announced at 11 p.m. Come to the marathon, have a scary good time, and support the Mercyhurst chapter of the National Broadcasting Society.
FEATURES
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Business Club hosts graduate school event By Ryan Kushner Contributing writer
The Mercyhurst University Business Club will hold its fourth annual “Getting into Graduate School” event Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Sullivan Hall’s Mercy Heritage Room. The evening will focus on educating current students about the admission procedures, as well as the benefits of reaching out and applying to graduate schools and the potential rewards of furthering their education. Representatives from 10 regional graduate colleges will be there to answer questions “one-on-one” with interested students, according to the news release. The graduate colleges featured this year will be Clarkson University, Duquesne University, Niagara
University, Penn State Behrend, Robert Morris University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, University of Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh and of course, Mercyhurst University. The Career Development Center will be there as well to help inform students about different opportunities in order to help them make the decision that is right for them. Both the Mercyhurst Pre-Law Society and Business Club will be at the event to answer any questions students might have about becoming members. The event is free of charge and is open to students of all majors and academic years. If you have any more questions about “Getting into Graduate School” night, contact Assistant Professor of Business and Mercyhurst Business Club advisor Lee Anna Belovarac at lbelovarac@mercyhurst.edu.
October 30, 2013
Braymiller researches brain By Mary Barnes
Contributing writer A Mercyhurst senior psychology major was granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conduct neuroscience research as a team member at George Mason University. Jessica Braymiller applied through the APA Summer Science Fellowship and was one of the 12 chosen who were given the opportunity. She worked with the department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience on a study of brain activity while undergoing difficult discrimination tasks. The team measured the activity using an fMRI, or functional magnetic resonance imaging magnet. Braymiller learned how to use the machine and is now certified in its operation and safety, an advantage that she will have over other students when applying to further her educa-
Mike Murphy photo
Jessica Braymiller did brain neuroscience research. tion. The experience she had led her to pursue higher education in Cognitive Neuroscience in grad school, and someday wants to do research with adolescent neurodevelopment and its
effect on decision-making skills and risk-taking. In the meantime however, Braymiller is transitioning what she learned at George Mason and applying it to her ongoing research here at Mercyhurst. She is the research assistant of Matthew Weaver, Ph.D. in the Lab of Addictive and Impulsive Behaviors, located in the psychology building. Currently, she is applying her newly-developed skills in conducting experimental research and analyzing data examining the difference in smoking behaviors in dependent and non-dependent smokers. “I loved working with the fMRI magnet,” Braymiller said. The unique experience of working on such an elite team at George Mason and handling advanced technology like the fMRI magnet will help Braymiller continue to reap the benefits as she applies to PhD programs across the country.
Beauty Talks:
Apple conditioner By Leann Krysiak Copy editor
Fall is all about apples. Apple cider, apple pie, apple crisp and apple sauce are all yummy fall treats. Besides satisfying your tummy, apples can also help your hair. Apple cider vinegar is great for your skin and hair. It naturally removes buildup and adds shine. I know you’re thinking about what could possibly be in your shampoo that’s toxic. Shampoo can contain petrolatum. It is derived from petroleum (the stuff used to make fuel and tar) and is found in other products like conditioner, shaving products and tanning products. In addition, shampoo can also contain coal tar and coal tar dyes, products of coal processing, which are known to cause cancer. Crazy, right? I’ve read about the “no poo” methods and it just doesn’t work for me. “No poo” is when you wash your hair with just baking soda or aloe vera, anything but shampoo. So for my hair, I use Burt’s Bees Mango shampoo with a little bit of baking soda. For a conditioner, I use an apple cider rinse. Baking soda gives your shampoo some extra cleaning power and apple cider rinse is a perfect conditioner. This rinse comes from Naturemoms.com and requires two ingredients: apple cider vinegar and water. Apple Cider Rinse: 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 cup water Combine ingredients in a container that is easy to use for pouring. Shampoo as usual; pour a little of the rinse, making sure you coat the ends of your hair and avoid your scalp. Rinse as you would conditioner. This recipes is flexible, but try it just like this for now. You can make adjustments to it later. For me I like to use a ratio of one part apple cider vinegar to two parts water. Some people recommend shampooing only the roots and conditioning only the ends. I found success with shampooing all over before I condition my ends. If your hair comes out looking greasy or looks like it never dried, use less apple cider vinegar (I learned that the hard way). Need help finding the ingredients? Get the link at the bottom of Fresh Face Forward’s Recipe page at freshfaceforward.org/recipe-guide. Tell me what you think on the Fresh Face Forward Facebook page or send your comments to Freshfaceforward@gmail.com.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
October 30, 2013
Arcade Fire S.A.C. invites mixes rock with students to dance rhythms project runway By Marcela Delgado Staff writer
exclaim.ca photo
Arcade Fire released their new album, “Reflecktor” that has a unique mix of rock tunes with dance-worthy rhythms.
By Zach Dorsch Managing editor
Through rock history, bands have been releasing double EPs such as The Beatles White Album or Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti. These albums have stood the test of time as some of the band’s finest work. For Arcade Fire, their newest album Reflecktor continues the trend with their double EP being some of the band’s finest work. This album is broken into two disks and was first inspired by trips to Haiti as relief workers that band member’s Regine Chassagne and her husband frontman Win Butler took. The inspirations, mixed with several disco and dance rhythms, are used to create songs like “Here Comes the Night Time” or “We Exist” with its Billie Jean bass line. If the dance elements seem off putting to you don’t worry, Arcade Fire still can rock. Songs like “Normal Person” have a level of distortion that only Jack White has achieved. This song is also a prime example of Butler’s ‘uneasy about life’ writing style. He starts the song off with “Is anything as strange as a normal person/ is anyone as cruel as a normal person.” Disk one ends with “Joan of Arc,”
which starts off as a punk song set at a breakneck time signature which almost effortlessly turns into a stadium worthy rock anthem that replicates the work of U2. Disk two of the album focuses on another dominant theme of this album: the Greek myth of Orpheus and his love Eurydice (which is also depicted in the album artwork). The song “Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice),” which not only is one of the albums best songs, feels like the band decided that they wanted to make something that could stand up to “Hey Jude.” If you ask me, they sure came close to reaching that goal. It is then followed by “It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus),” which acts as Eurydice’s response to Orpheus. This song has a much more playful sound to it with its synth swells and Regine calling out “Hey Orpheus.” I was a little skeptical when Reflektor was called Arcade Fire’s version of Radiohead’s OK Computer. I wasn’t sure if the band was able to produce something as iconic as that album. After listening to this album just once, I can confidently say that they are not lying. This album is a piece of art the whole way through and will have you wanting to listen on repeat for days.
This upcoming Saturday, Nov. 2, Student Activities Council (S.A.C.) will be hosting Project Runway. The event will take place in the Hermann Student Union Great room, at 7 p.m. Students can compete in teams or individually for gift cards. They will have an hour to create an outfit out of different types of materials, such as trash bags, tablecloths, foil and other decorative items provided by S.A.C. The judges of this event will be student representatives from the fashion merchandising department who took part in the recent event of Rent the Runway. Programmers of the event are Allyson Gass, junior, and Hailey Meert, sophomore, along with the
S.A.C. members. “This event will give students an opportunity to show their creative side while having fun,” said Gass. “At Mercyhurst we are all about recycling and saving our environment. This event will not only allow students to be creative but it will also allow them to recycle while creating their outfit,” Gass said. This is an opportunity for students to show their fashion skills and be rewarded for creating the best and most creative outfit. Students are encouraged to participate either in teams or individually. Materials are also going to be provided and the only thing they have to bring with them to the event is their creativity and passion for design. For more information “like” the S.A.C.’s page on Facebook or visit the event page “Project Runway.”
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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30: 7 p.m. FILM at the Erie Art Museum The Descent Erie Art Museum FRIDAY, NOV. 1: 8 p.m. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Studio Theatre at Penn State Behrend SATURDAY, NOV. 2: 7 p.m. SAC presents: Project Runway Hermann Student Union SUNDAY, NOV. 3:
Monday, Dec. 6, 2013: Deadline for Submission
Thursday, May 1, 2013:
2 p.m. MIAC Film: Blazing Saddles Taylor Little Theatre
The Lumen Reception
For more information contact:
Kenneth Schiff Email: kschiff@mercyhurst.edu Phone: (814) 824-2461
2 p.m. Blasco Concert Series: The Gem City Concert Band Hirt Auditorium Blasco Library
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
October 30, 2013
Katy Perry shows her true colors By Juan Mendez News editor
Katy Perry is back at it with her junior album “PRISM,” an hour-long claim to be nothing like what her “Teenage Dream” looked like. From the previews for her “Roar” music video where she’s seen burning her “California Girls” wig to songs that are more experimental and less pop, Katy’s certainly stepping out of her shell with this one. The album starts out with “Roar,” its lead single. Her inner tigress runs weak and turns into a bore with the repetitive anthem structure of yet another motivational song. Where Perry shines with her choruses and vocal power, she loses in the prevalent single that serves as an anthem for the masses. “Firework” was enough, but “PRISM” falls victim to this abuse in more than one instance; first with “Roar” and later in the album with “International Smile” and “This is How We Do,” the latter being the only one that could actually be single potential
onlyfreewallpaper.com photo
without being redundant. Perry’s experimental effort is reflected the loudest on her musical arrangements, having worked with a variety of producers to come up with a variety of different sounds that beautifully blend throughout the duration of the album. From the peaceful ballad of “By
LAKER MOMENT As the days grow short and dark and the fallen leaves accumulate in the entryways of Erie, it may be more than the temperature that chills one’s blood this Halloween. Lately, the small army of sleep deprived and stressed out students have made campus appear to be more of a zombie hangout than a ghost town, but our university’s history is littered with supernatural activity. In order to explore the campus night life, or afterlife, this photographer and a small band from Baldwin’s third floor set out to explore Friday night, before all the living ghouls had a chance to set up Haunted Hurst. Our unofficial tour began with a visit to the statue of St. Anthony, nicknamed “the baby eating statue” by freshman Leah Miori. Looking up from the south side of Egan one can see the face in the window, standing silent vigil as it keeps watch on the walkway below. Wandering further upstairs, we stumbled upon a small darkened chamber with chairs scattered about at odd angles. If you went on a Haunted Hurst ghost tour, you know this area, minus the random chairs, as the place where a haunting rendition of “ring around the rosie” was sung. But before the creepy melody and strobe lights were in place, Alexa Reese, anthropology/ archaeology major, discovered that on the closet ceiling was written RED
poponandon.com photo
Katy Perry released her new album, PRISM, revealing an image that is very different and far more mature from her “Teenage Dream.”
RUM in capital letters. After the sighting it didn’t take long for our intrepid explorers to abandon the fourth floor in favor of more familiar ground. It wasn’t long before another incident added to the atmosphere. The band split into two groups, one checking out the posh bathrooms on the first floor, the other disappearing down the hall. Yours truly decided to be facetious and asked if Hanako-san was there. For those who aren’t familiar with Japanese urban legends, Hanako-san, also known as Hanako of the Toilet, can be conjured by knocking three times on the third stall and asking “Are you there, Hanako-san?” If she answers, the knocker has the option to enter. Here the story diverges; some say that opening the door you will simply see a small girl with bobbed hair and a red skirt who will disappear, others that if you aren’t quick enough, she’ll pull you into the toilet. Luckily for this adventurer, no one answered. Exiting the bathroom, we heard the old elevator banging and clanging away and gathered, ‘round to regroup with the others. The elevator continued to run, but lights never came on, and when we tried the door it was locked. Rather disgusted that the joke had been taken too far, we walked down the hall and around the corner only to discover that our companions
than a toddler’s birthday party, it is without doubt the album’s best song in terms of production and execution, making it an obvious choice for a possible single. “Legendary Lovers” is also a standout, following in the production steps of “Dark Horse” with a more vulnerable tone. Perry shines through her sped-up bridges, dropping her bars in true rap fashion, and continues to dazzle through the chorus of the song, begging her lover to say her name “like a scripture.” The last of these tracks is “By the Grace of God,” by far the most vulnerable song on the record and a perfect choice to close the standard version. In the slow ballad, Perry talks about picking herself up from a dark place and continuing to walk. Without trying, she provides the most inspirational song in the album, which only goes to say her best efforts are those where she tries the least. Her voice is magnificent and her notes are on point, giving the song a power otherwise unattainable. “PRISM” is a breath of fresh air for those left with a sour taste after the re-release of “Teenage Dream,” but certainly a step down from her previous work.
the Grace of God” to the ‘80s feel of “Walking on Air,” Katy Perry is ready to show the masses every color in the spectrum. Although Perry is known for being a queen of pop, her strongest songs this time around are the most separated from it. The first of these potential hits
is “Dark Horse” featuring rapper Juicy J, a luring symphony to a mystical love set against a background reminiscent of the upcoming trend of “trap music,” which features slowed down dubstep samples and heavy bass. Between the daunting sound and vocals that are better situated at a club
Eerie Erie
By Caitlyn Merkel, Contributing writer
had been outside the whole time. “Oh yeah, in the 1950s a girl burned to death in that elevator.” Vianna Quach, our expert in haunted ‘Hurstlore’ (she kept asking about it during orientation) told us. We finished our unofficial ghost tour with a visit to the chapel to look for the cursed ring. It seems the favorite legend on campus is that of the young woman who, upon hearing of her fiancé’s death in the Second World War, joined the order of the Sisters of Mercy and placed her engagement ring on the finger of one of the statues in the chapel. Some time later, when her former fiancé returned, battered by the war but very much alive, he found his love had already taken her vows. The distraught nun went mad, was confined to the Old Main tower, and eventually killed herself. The ring was allegedly taken some years later by a student hoping to get her boyfriend to commit, but either she or her anticipated betrothed, different versions disagree which, died on the way to the meeting. It is said that the ring is buried somewhere on campus, but it is rumored that it occasionally resurfaces to cause trouble. Standing before the altar in the darkened chapel, it’s easy to feel as if you are being watched from the shadows, especially when someone starts to play the opening bars of “Für
Sami Rapp photo
Here we see the doorway to the room of an old myth that a sister of Mercy took her own life years ago. Elise” without warning. We made it back safely, but if you ever have an appointment with Res Life, be sure to ask about the activity on Egan’s third floor. Residents from the time when Egan was a dorm have reported seeing nuns walk the halls, and “Old Hag” experiences, the feel-
ing of being held down in bed. With the stress of midterms only just lifted and the veil between the worlds drawing thin, having some fun and relaxing while you can is a great idea. But maybe save playing creepy hide-and-seek or the midnight game for another time, just in case.
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OPINION
October 30, 2013
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 Relay for Life successful the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Housing forum yet to address student concerns By Samantha Beckas Contributing writer
Urinetown: The Musical was a huge success, selling out on three of four nights
The academic schedule was just released it seems that few J-term courses are being offered for upperclassmen.
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Mercyhurst Student Government sponsored a housing forum open to the student body. The meeting was mediated by Student Government President Amber Penna along with a panel of five administrators, including Alice Agnew, Director of Residence Life, Laura Zirkle, Vice President of Student Life; Gary Brown, Chief Financial Officer; Sue Johnson, Director of Administration; and Ken Stepherson, General Manager of Facility
Something needs to be done about the 4-1-4 By Jared Hancock Staff writer
Something new went up Tuesday in front of Old Main. We are speechless.
With the 4-1-4 system, students were looking forward to having more time to complete a term’s studies, which should have allowed for a better distribution of homework for classes. What we all ended up getting in the transition, however, was a heavier workload accompanied by no significant stoppage in classes until virtually winter break. Students expected a better distribution of their workload throughout the term, even though class times were also reduced. Instead of distributing work over the course of the extra five weeks, many students are in classes where more work is assigned than last year. What many of us thought would help with our coursework is actually hurting us and causing more distress. The lack of any substantial break in this new schedule is also a huge drawback in the new calendar. The one-day “Fall Break” we received was hardly any break at all (in fact, it was a regularly scheduled and mandatory reading day). We had no
Online
We assume, the “meth lab” featured in the Academic Schedule is about methods not making crystal meth.
Services. Students had expected to receive feedback from the administrators with hopes of what they have planned for the future of residential and student life on campus. Some students felt as though the meeting served as more to take a list of current issues of only those who attended the meeting rather than all the other issues. This leads students to question the upkeep and maintenance methods taken during summer as well as where the value in amenities are for the price they are paying. The average sophomore pays relatively $6,000 per year for around an 8-month period of housing on
time to come up for air before midterms, let alone afterward, while other universities in Pennsylvania received at least a three-day break in classes. Students also find it absolutely absurd that the first day we are given off for Thanksgiving is in fact the day of Thanksgiving. How are students who live across the country supposed to get home in time when classes are scheduled the day before the holiday? If we had started classes for this Fall ’13 term between August 21-28, students would all have been given adequate time off to breathe from the heavy workload that is university-level class work. None of this can be changed for this year. However, the Board of Trustees, or whomever it is that works up the schedule for the school year, should keep these things in mind when making the schedule for the 2014-15 school year. Many students are struggling to keep their heads above water this year, and taking these ideas into consideration for next year will help immensely. Otherwise, this university would be better off back on a trimester system.
Read more at merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion
campus. If you split the $6,000 cost into eight months, that totals around $750/month per person. Average apartments are 3-4 people which adds up to relatively $3000 per month per apartment. This led students to question what amenities they were receiving based on what they would receive off campus. Other questions included topics such as: blue security lights; what upkeep on campus housing receives each year; inspections of the housing; bug-infestation; basic concerns of current residence and student life methods and personal housing issues in general. The housing forum served as a time for students to voice their
issues, in which the administration took notes to fix those issues. However, some were led to question what the panel plans to do about the rest of the housing of the students who were either not able to attend and/or were not aware of the forum. As for the blue light security system, the response as to whether they plan to add more on campus, the concern that some of the systems do not work, and what they would plan to do if someone did in fact need the system, the panel collaboratively responded that studies have shown that the systems are not used, therefore the need for more is non-existent.
If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen.
Editors Mathew Anderson Zach Dorsch Juan Mendez Daniel Tarr Samantha Bante Garrett Erwin Leann Krysiak Nicole Lawrence Sami Rapp Ethan Johns Will DeFeo Bill Welch
@mercyhurst.edu Positions editormerciad Editor-in-Chief managingmerciad Managing Editor newsmerciad News Editor featuremerciad Features Editor sportsmerciad Sports Editor entertainmentmerciad A&E Editor copymerciad Copy Editor photomerciad Graphics photomerciad Photo Editor ejohns89 Web Editor admerciad Ad Manager wwelch Adviser
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.
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SPORTS
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October 30, 2013 September 3, 2008
Martinez earns ECAC player of the week By Samantha Bante Sports editor
With a record of 13-3, the Mercyhurst men’s soccer team has been a power house this season, putting up a tough fight against every team that it has competed against. Mercyhurst University men’s soccer team, ranked No. 14 nationally, was recently listed second in the NCAA regional rankings announced last Wednesday afternoon. It came with the help of junior Fernando Martinez who was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. Martinez has scored a goal in the last three consecutive contests to contribute to the Lakers success. One of his most notable achievements was last weekend against then No. 8 Slippery Rock where he scored a goal and added an assist in the 2-1 win. “It’s nice to be awarded this again but I find it more as a team award, we all deserve it,” Martinez said.
Salina Bowe photo
Fernando Martinez leads the team in points with 35 on 12 goals and 11 assists in the season. “The team is doing great. We are 13-3 but besides the results, the way that we are playing is good and I know we still have room to continue playing better as the season goes on,” Martinez said.
Martinez leads the team with 35 points on 12 goals and 11 assists in the season. He averages 3.53 shots per game in 15 games played and is averaging 2.33 goals per game. The 2.33
goals per game makes him at eighth in the country. The recent win against Urbana in double-overtime proved the Lakers’ skill and athleticism. They ended the
contest with a 2-1 victory, with goals scored by Martinez and the game winning goal going to freshman Danny Deakin. “It was a tough game,” Martinez said. “It is hard to break down teams when they come to play us home because they usually stay back and wait. Luckily, we had the first goal then they tied and made it complicated because they laid back and defended again. At the end with Deakin’s goal we deserved to win because we had created more chances, we are happy about it,” Martinez said. Mercyhurst outshot Urbana for the contest by a 25-6 margin with a 10-2 edge in shots on goal. When asked about how he supports his team and pushes them forward, Martinez replied, “I just simply remind them to continue pushing themselves to improve each day, to know their role and always stay together as a team.” The Lakers compete against David and Elkins College on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m. in Elkins, West Virginia.
Carrig leads women’s golf team to PSAC By Katherine Donohue Staff writer
Online
The Mercyhurst women’s golf team finished the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships with a fourth place result. Junior Gaelin Carrig led the Lakers as she finished her match at third overall by shooting a 78 and 80 in her two rounds. This combined score of 158 was her best mark of the season. She believes the best thing for her was to just calm the nerves that makes the sport of golf rather difficult. “As the seasons have gone on, I have become more and more comfortable in tournament play. I have learned that to score well, you have to have fun and you cannot be nervous, but rather excited,” Carrig said.
The tough part for the ladies as they compete is the pressure to perform well on the second day of competition as much as the first. “Going into the second day, I told myself to have fun, and that’s what I did. The outcome was just a bonus, in what turned out to be a wonderful weekend,” Carrig said. Overall, the entire team was proud of the fourth place finish and the success of other young players that stepped it up by receiving season-best scores too. “I am very proud to be a part of this team. We all worked very hard in preparation for this tournament, and I think that this hard work was shown with our overall finish, and the many top 20 individual finishes.” “This tournament in particular demonstrated just how close we are to being one of the top teams in the conference,” Carrig said. Several younger
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players also stepped it up a notch on the weekend by receiving some season-best scores too. “Many girls on the team had their best scores of the season in this tournament and I think that’s all that coaches could ask for. We had continuous improvement throughout our seven tournaments and that is something very impressive for any team,” Carrig said. Not only did Carrig earn the best finish for the Lakers but she also won the PSAC Champion Scholar Athlete Award that rewards her efforts on the course and in the classroom. She has the highest GPA out of everyone that participated at the event. “School work has been important in my life, so I always make sure that I am balancing my time between golf and school work equally…seeing the results of hard work, in both golf and school, are what keep me coming back.”
Salina Bowe photo
Junior Gaelin Carrig led the Lakers as she finished her match at third overall by shooting 78 and 80 in her two rounds.
Email sportsmerciad @mercyhurst.edu for more info!
www.merciad.mercyhurst. edu/sports