:Features On Page 3:
Arts & Entertainment On Page 5: :
Sports On Page 7:
Drunken Pumpkin raises alcohol
Jazzy musical was
awareness
a hit in Taylor Little
Two records fall as Lakers triumph
Read more inside & online
The Merciad Mercyhurst university
Est. 1929 Vol. 89 No. 7
Wednesday, october 28, 2015
Audience anything but ‘Drowsy’ during musical
’Hurst raises funds for WQLN By Adrian Monty Staff writer
Sarah Paschal photo
Students in the Mercyhurst Theatre Program perform their production of The Drowsy Chaperone, which ran Thursday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 25, in Taylor Little Theatre. See Rachel Sobina’s review on Page 5.
Quickstarter launches four new campaigns By Melanie Todd Staff writer
Quickstarter, a grantfunded project through Mercyhurst that started last year to help crowd fund new business ideas, has grown from its beginning last year and continues to expand. “The goal is to take students who have skills and connect them with a campaign who needs skills to increase the success of the campaign,” said Professor Kristan Wheaton, who runs the Quickstarter program. There are currently four live campaigns. One of these, All Aboard Erie, is a rail route study that looks to identify how Erie will benefit from a rail speed railway. The project hopes to build a railway once the study is complete.
Another campaign, The Gunboat Schooner Porcupine seeks funds to finish building a replica of the 1812 boat. When completed, the boat will act as a floating STEM school ship. The new product campaign SleepPhones Effortless is a wireless headphone system that is also comfortable so that you can listen to music as you fall asleep. The last campaign, Unearthed, is a feature length horror film that shows the repercussions of oil drilling with the tagline “Be wary what you reap when your land is sown with secrets.” “These are not our campaigns. We are support. We are not running all parts of the campaign. We give the creators what they need,” Wheaton said. Some campaigns have a
more active role than others. “My job is to get people excited for the launch date,” junior Tyler Ennis, Intelligence Studies major and Project Manager for the All Aboard Erie Quickstarter said. Ennis started promoting the project a month before the launch through a campaign Facebook page that now has 2,500 followers. “I posted constant updates on the project and filmed public figure endorsements that were backing the project,” Ennis said. The crowd funding site Kickstarter used by these campaigns sets up a tier reward system for donations. For different levels of donations the backer will receive a specialized reward. “The reward tiers are all designed to get people excited
1-2 3-4 5 6 7 8
created. “I would love to have MU students who want to start a campaign. I keep waiting for students that have a body of work that they want to share with the world,” Wheaton said. The service is free for project creators and students are compensated by a grant from the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority’s Ignite Erie: Industry-University Business Acceleration Collaborative. “I am very proud. There are a lot of students involved. We have even worked with a few students from Penn State Behrend. All those student get to put real work on a resume,” Wheaton said.
@TheMerciad
Online Poll Results
Merciad Index News Features A&E Opinion Sports Laker Living
about it. We were able to get two signed CDs from the band Train. The lead vocalist is from Erie,” Ennis said. Ennis helped maintain 83 percent of the funds raised originated from the Facebook page. “Within the first three hours [of the launch] we reached our goal,” Ennis said. The campaigns function as an all-or-nothing fundraising technique. “If we had not made our goal, the backers would never be charged. It’s all or nothing.” However, the program does allow fundraising to exceed the goal. “For our project, every dollar donated over the $3,000 goal will go towards the actual building of this high speed rail road,” Ennis said. To date, the Quickstarter projects have been externally
Mercyhurst students, faculty and staff participated in the WQLN Collegiate Challenge on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to raise money for Erie’s public radio station and to promote the University. WQLN Radio, 91.3FM, relies on donations from the public. The Collegiate Challenge is an annual event to raise money which Mercyhurst has been involved in for many years. The challenge gives the people of the Mercyhurst community a chance to be on the air and share what the university is all about. One of the speakers at the event included Caleb Ohmer, senior Political Science and English major and president of Mercyhurst Student Government, who discussed the student life and events on campus including homecoming, welcome week and other events that have occurred this fall. “I wanted to highlight the new spirit surging through the veins of Lakers this year,” Ohmer said. Another speaker for the event was Michael Federici, Ph.D., Political Science Department chair. “It’s an opportunity to brag about my department and I think it’s good publicity for the university,” Federici said. The publicity that this event produces gives the citizens of Erie a different view of Mercyhurst and its various departments and programs that they may not have been aware of. Other Erie colleges who participated in the Challenge this year were Allegheny College, Edinboro University, Penn State Behrend, Gannon University, LECOM and University of Pittsburgh at Titusville. Last year, Mercyhurst raised $5,545. While pledging remains open until the challenge is complete, by Tuesday evening Mercyhurst had raised $6,208, surpassing last year. The challenge will culminate and winners will be announced on “Victory Day” at at WQLN Studios on Oct. 30.
What would you like this year’s senior class gift to be?
1 2 3 4
None of these. Bring in the dancing lobsters! (42%) The anchor sounds like a cool place for selfies. (33%) Charging station - I want to be able to charge while I study. (24%) The bench, depending on the location. (0%)
Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll: Do you plan to vote in Tuesday’s upcoming election?
merciad.mercyhurst.edu
October 28, 2015
The Merciad
Page 2
News
University unveils two new athletic buses By Erin McGarrity Staff writer
Mercyhurst debuted its two brand new university-branded buses in the front circle of campus on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 15. The 56-seat white buses are complete with bathrooms, Wi-Fi and television screens. They also feature spacious and comfortable seating, conducive to the frequent long trips that Mercyhurst athletic teams make. The buses are also fuel-efficient. The university previously rented its buses for games and other school events. After extensive negotiations with bus companies, Mercyhurst’s Chief Financial Officer, Hoa Nguyen, found that it is more cost-effective to lease, which is what the school ultimately decided to do. Laura Zirkle, the vice president of Student Life, estimates that leasing the buses, rather than renting them on an event-by-event basis, will save Mercyhurst approximately $45,000 this year alone. In addition to saving money, she says that the buses will also serve as a driving billboard for the school. “Before, our buses were
Meghan Maker photo
The new university buses, intended primarily for athletic teams, contain Wi-Fi, television screens and bathrooms.
very nondescript. Now, we have the added benefit of having our name out there. It’s a very good representation of what Mercyhurst is — and it gives us the chance to kind of show off,” Zirkle said. Mercyhurst’s Athletic Director Joe Kimball first proposed the idea of getting new buses two years ago. However, Zirkle said it was not until this year, when President Michael Victor entered office, that Kimball’s suggestion became
a reality. “As soon as we started looking into it, it clearly made sense,” said Zirkle. “President Victor enacted the idea, and we had Mr. Nguyen performing negotiations on mileage and costs. We didn’t expect to get such a great deal.” Although Mercyhurst’s athletes will get first priority when it comes to the new buses because of their frequent trips to other universities, they will be available for
other purposes as well. “We hope to not only have our athletes use them for more comfortable accommodations, but also to use them for things like admissions events, when we travel to local high schools,” said Zirkle. “Hopefully they can prove to be beneficial for recruitment.” The buses generated a lot of enthusiasm among students, faculty and board members, on Oct. 15, when they sat in front of Old Main. Zirkle said
Meghan Maker photo
According to administrators, the bold university logos will help with recognition and publicity.
she has heard nothing but positive feedback. “We have received virtually no pushback on this one. I think the athletes are particularly excited to start using them,” Zirkle said. Students have not ridden the buses yet, because the state of Pennsylvania needs to inspect the vehicles before
the school can take them on any long excursions. However, Mercyhurst expects these inspections to take place within the next couple of days, so the buses should be ready to use this coming weekend.
@TheMerciad
Public Health Club helps organize Halloween run By Lauren Murphy Staff writer
Mercyhurst Public Health Club teamed up with SafeNet to help organize a Halloween Boo Run at Presque Isle State Park. The run, which took place on Sunday, Oct. 25, was a fundraiser for SafeNet, which is an organization in Erie that offers services to those experiencing domestic violence. Seven Mercyhurst student and faculty members participated in the event, which drew over 100 participants overall, according to Thomas Cook, Ph.D., assistant professor of Public Health.
Contributed photo
Public Health Club students and professors dressed up for the Boo Run, sponsored by SafeNet.
The five students that were involved were Susan Baltes,
Michaela Gerace, Cassandra Passe, Molly Harrald and
Katherine Reisinger. The two faculty members involved
included Cook and James Teufel, Ph.D., assistant professor of Public Health. Susan Baltes, junior and Co-President of the Public Health Club, was a major proponent in gaining students’ interest in the 5K run. “It was our first benefit run for Public Health club so the turnout was pretty good. It was a great event to get involved in,” said Baltes. The goal of the event was to raise money for SafeNet to benefit the community, and have a fun and social activity for students and others to get involved in, according to both Cook and Baltes. “I wanted to include physical activity into our fall agenda
but I also wanted to raise money for a local organization,” said Baltes. The run was made Halloween themed because of its proximity to the holiday. Participants were instructed to come out dressed in costumes and prizes were given to those who had the best costumes. “Just about everyone was in the Halloween spirit,” Cook said. Cook won first place overall in the run and Teufel won second for his age group.
@TheMerciad
Cornell professor addresses Pennsylvania fracking issue By Brett Swan
Contributing writer
Time is of the essence when it comes to addressing environmental and energy concerns. “We no longer have 50 or 100 years [to address the issues of climate change]” Ingraffea said. According to him, the next 20 years will be vital. In front of a packed Walker Recital Hall, Anthony Ingraffea, Ph.D., addressed both regional and global concerns emanating from the development of shale natural gas and oil. The presentation, titled “The Science of Shale Gas and Oil: The Latest Evidence of Leaky Wells, Methane Emissions, and the Implications of Energy Policy,” sought to inform community members and students about the myths and realities regarding natural gas development. These include waste production and disposal, possible water contamination and the impact of increasing levels of greenhouse gases. Named one of Time Magazine’s “People Who Mat-
tered” in 2011, Ingraffea is the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering Emeritus and Weiss Presidential Teaching Fellow at Cornell University. A professor of engineering since 1977, Ingraffea is also the senior technical advisor for the Cornell Fracture Group. The presentation was courtesy of the Charlene M. Tanner Speaker Series and the Organizational Leadership Graduate Program. Ingraffea began his lecture with an explanation of the current state of unconventional shale drilling, more commonly known as fracking, within Pennsylvania. With the low price of natural gas, shale drilling is extensively inefficient, Ingraffea said. The profit from extracting is dwarfed by the fiscal costs. The speaker was quick to point out that this does not mean we should be unconcerned, but that Pennsylvania will be subjected to an increase in drilling once the price of natural gas rises. Bradford, Green and Susquehanna counties will bear the brunt of this boom. Ingraffea debunked the most prevalent myths sur-
rounding unconventional drilling. A common misconception is that gas wells do not leak. The reality is that leaking gas wells are a “chronic, ubiquitous, and well understood problem,” Ingraffea said. This leaking can result in the contamination of underground drinking water or the emission of methane. Within Pennsylvania, there are nearly 8,000 wells, all with increasing potential to leak over time. Myths centered around methane emissions were then addressed. “There is no such thing as
a clean fossil fuel,” Ingraffea said. Methane, from a climate change perspective, has been mistakenly viewed as clean. It is actually the dirtiest form of fossil fuel. Unconventional shale wells are of particular importance because they release both carbon dioxide and methane. Because the climate does not quickly respond to emissions regulations, the combination of greenhouse gases is quickly driving the climate toward a danger zone. This danger zone.
This danger zone is where the temperature rises enough to result in catastrophic and radical climate alternations. We can reach the danger zone as early as 2042 is emission levels remain the same, according to a computer simulation presented by Ingraffea. However, a to-do list was provided to attempt to stave off the effects of climate change. Drilling should be stopped where it has yet to happen and all emission regulations must be enforced to a greater degree.
Ingraffea advocated for individuals to position climate change as the single most important issue in terms of government policy. According to Ingraffea, we should have “science-based policy, not policy-based science.” Throughout his speech, Ingraffea imparted the message that how we treat the environment is important and quite possibly irreversible. “This is a one time experiment that we’re conducting on ourselves,” said Ingraffea. “There is no do over. We can’t reset the climate.”
Hurst Hooligans Incident
Date
Location
Vandalism
Oct. 21
Student Union
Possession of controlled substance and paraphernalia
Oct. 23
Warde Hall
Liquor law violation, possession of drug paraphernalia
Oct. 24
Warde Hall
October 28, 2015
Page 3
The Merciad
Features
Alcohol Awareness week kicks off By Brittany Smyth Staff writer
Mercyhurst’s annual Alco hol Awareness Week kicked off with the celebration of the “Don’t be a Drunken Pump kin” as the main attraction. This is the first year Mercyhurst is hold ing one major event for Alcohol Awareness Week. In the past, each of the sponsors would hold a small event each night of the week ending with the Drunken Pumpkin event. With students being so busy this time of year they decided to host a large event, “Don’t Be A Drunken Pumpkin.” “Alcohol Awareness Week is sponsored by Campus Involvement Center, the Counseling Center, Peer Men tors, and the Resident Life and Student Conduct Office,” said Michael Grasso, assistant director of residence life and student conduct. The third annual “Don’t Be A Drunken Pumpkin” event had many activities for attend ing students to get involved in, such as pumpkin painting,
Salina Bowe photo
The third annual “Drunken Pumpkin” event provided many activities for attendees including pumpkin painting and a costume contest.
a costume contest and the chance to ride an adultsize tricycle, wearing “drunk gog gles.” The “drunk goggles” gave each rider the vision level of having a blood alcohol level of 0.08. This was the club’s humorous way of giving stu dents an alternative set of activities to do on a Friday
night. The “Drunken Pump kin” event used to take place on Thursdays. Changing the date to Friday gave students an alcoholfree alternative to going out. From Oct. 23-30, the Stu dent Peer Mentor program will have tables set up in vari ous locations around campus, including Egan, the Student
Union and at sporting events to promote responsible drink ing. Students who approach the tables will have the chance to sign a pledge for responsi ble drinking. There will also be more information detailing how to become part of Mercyhurst’s bystander intervention initia tive, “Step Up.” This initiative
Salina Bowe photo
Sophomore Steven Martz guides Kelly Fergus around the tracks during Friday night’s event.
encourages students to step up when it comes to bullying and sexual harassment. Students who want to get involved can stop by one of the tables for more informa tion. After the pledging is done on Friday, Oct. 30, students will have the chance to trick or treat on campus during the day
and attend Haunted Hurst, a Mercyhurst tradition, starting at 8 p.m. Ambassadors will be giving tours of the spookiest places on campus. Tours meet in the Union. Alcohol Awareness week was created to educate stu dents on responsible drinking and reinform them on the dangers of binge drinking.
Meet the new Residence Hall Director By Rae Pollock Staff writer
New Residence Life Hall Director Lucy Harrington, is here to make sure students have a good year, but more importantly, their keys. Harrington is a graduate stu
dent who came to Mercyhurst for the archaeology graduate program, and to assist with ResLife. ResLife has recently undergone changes in its staff. “I really wanted to work with ResLife because I wanted to help students living in campus housing have a good experience,” Harrington said.
“I know that it can be hard to live away from home for the first time, and I wanted to participate in the process that helps students figure that out.” Harrington’s job as Hall Director means she handles situations that RAs cannot deal with alone. Harrington
Trang Nguyen photo
As a graduate student, Lucy Harrington is involved with many different aspects of this campus. In her latest endeavor, becoming the new Hall Directors Harrington hopes to help students succeed.
Advertisement
describes her position as the “Office” Hall Director, and says one of her biggest jobs is taking care of lost keys. “I’m the person who sits in the Main Office and answers general questions about Resi dence Life and housing. I deal a lot with people who have lost their keys! If you lose your key, you’ll probably talk to me about it,” Harrington said. Before joining the Mercy hurst family, Harrington had an internship with the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior in Colorado. Harrington also worked for a cultural resource management firm in Califor nia doing archaeology full time. “At the time that I graduated from undergrad, Mercyhurst didn’t have a full-fledged grad uate program in archaeology yet. I also wanted to get some work experience first. So I did archaeology for a few years, and then applied to graduate school,” Harrington said. Harrington came to Mercyhurst for the Archaeo logical Institute to work with
Dr. James Adovasio and she is expected to graduate this year. “I love Mercyhurst; MAI is an amazing program. I work closely with the archaeolo gists, geologists and forensic anthropologists. It’s really rare to have such a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to archaeology. I’m incredi bly excited to be here,” Har rington said. While she is excited about being at Mercyhurst, she has different feelings toward living in Erie. “I’m a little bit less excited about Erie! I’m from New York and did my undergrad in Los Angeles. I’m used to living in a bigger city, so moving to Erie has been a bit of an adjustment,” Harrington said. The ResLife department made some staff adjust ments this year, in addition to bringing in Harrington. One of them was the introduc tion of Sue Foster, the new Director of Residence Life to Mercyhurst. “[Foster] has a lot of expe rience working in Residence Life at other universities, and is extremely dedicated and
hardworking,” Harrington said. Harrington also notes that AD Jared Snyder left Mercyhurst for a job in Cali fornia. “Residence Life is currently working to find a replacement for [Snyder’s] position, Assis tant Director of Residence Life for the North Upper classmen Area. In the mean time, the other ADs have stepped up to handle his job load,” Harrington said. Despite changes in the ResLife Department, Har rington assures students that the staff is here to help with everything housingrelated. “The RAs, HDs and ADs are on campus to help stu dents have a positive experi ence living here,” Harrington said. “I want students to know that they can talk to any of the ResLife staff about any thing they are experiencing in their housing, and we are here to support them!”
@TheMerciad
LAKER MOMENT
By Margaret Urso
During World War II, Old Main was used as a convent. Legend has it that Old Main Tower is haunted by a nun who joined the convent after being told her fiance was killed in WWII. However, it turned out her fiance was still alive. He had come to bring her a ring and ask for her hand in marriage when the war ended. Unfortunately, the nun had already taken her vows, so she could not marry him. This caused her to go crazy, and she was locked in the tower of Old Main. Due to her confinement and misery, she killed herself. It is said the ghost of the nun is still up in that tower keeping an eye on all the students at Mercyhurst. The Merciad photographers were so frightened to go up to the tower, the picture had to be taken from outside the building.
Page 4
Features Haunted Hurst SAC to scare guests By Alexandria Albano Staff writer
A Mercyhurst tradition will take place again this Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. The Student and Multicultural Activities Councils will be presenting the event to Mercyhurst students. Student Ambassadors will take students on tours around the most notoriously creepy spots around campus and share the traditional ghost stories that have passed through generations of Mercyhurst attendees. In addition, pledging Ambassadors will act as “scarers,” adding to the overall feel of the event. Sophomore Dance major Kerry Shroeder worked as a “scarer” last year and views the event as both a fun and educational experience. “Haunted Hurst is a really fun night where campus is turned into a haunted house! Last year, I got to be one of the ‘scarers’ in Old Main and it was so fun. It was funny to see people jump in fright. They told stories that pertained to each area that we were in, as well.”
Those who went last year had positive remarks about their experience. Colleen Niebauer, sophomore Archaeology major, was not scared but still enjoyed the event. “It wasn’t that scary, but it was really entertaining. It was the first place I heard about nun stories, so it was informative. It made me jumpy and they took us all over campus,” Niebauer said. Tori Young, a sophomore Forensics student also enjoyed taking part of the event and acknowledged the hard work students put into it. “It was definitely creepy especially for being put on and done by students,” Young said. Student Activities Council Chair Sam Beckas has played a pivotal role in the planning of the event. She oversees the SAC programmers, making sure they stay on task and ensuring the event is a success. “It’s exciting to see the Mercyhurst community come out and celebrate an exciting holiday, while also celebrating a Mercyhurst tradition, which we hold so strong,” Beckas said. Last year, people waited in a long line for their specific time
October 28, 2015
The Merciad
slot to do the tour. Those who were waiting had many activities to do, such as making cookies. The Student Union was decorated with many Halloween decorations and there were many options for food, candy and cookie decorations. This year, in addition to the campus tours, there will be hot drinks and treats served, as well as pumpkin and mask decorating in the Great Room, providing activities to do throughout the night. All tours need to be previously reserved, prior to Friday night. To reserve a spot in the night’s event, come to the Student Union, beginning at 6 p.m. The first tour will begin at 7 p.m. and time slots are available between 7 and 9:45 p.m.
@TheMerciad
Oasis program receives grant By Emani Burton Staff writer
Mercyhurst’s continuing education program for adult special needs students, Oasis, has secured a $60,000 grant under the new Program Director, Jim Conroy. The grant money will help the Oasis staff provide housing accommodations to students. The Oasis program, currently in its fourth consecutive year, has undergone several changes. Despite a new director, new course offerings and new students, the program retains its original mission: to offer adult students with intellectual or developmental disabilities certifications and job training. “We want to help students gain employment and develop skills they will need later in life,” Conroy said. Despite sometimes being confused with the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst program, Oasis is considered a much different “ball game.” “The AIM program is great, but we serve different students and reach a different population. Our students are
Ambassadors club: on the process of pledging By Phuong Nguyen Staff writer
Mercyhurst University’s Ambassador Program is in its annual process of adding new members, with at least 60 student pledges in the process so this year. “This is slightly less than we had last year at that point, but it wasn’t a bad number to have,” Samuel Lioi, pledge chair of the Ambassador program said. Ultimately, those running the program expect to hit the usual number of 20 fully-accepted Ambassadors. Dana McMillin is one of two liaisons to the Ambassadors in the Admissions Office. She and Andrea Grady work closely with the students and oversee the Pledge Process. Although the committee does not have a set number of new Ambassadors, it is normally around 20 each year. What sets the Ambassadors apart from other clubs on campus is that they are essentially paid employees, as well as a critical component to the recruitment process of prospective students,” Mcmillin said. “Without the Ambassadors as a part of our recruitment team, the Admissions Office could not expose prospective students and their families to Mercyhurst’s campus and its culture, especially from a student’s prospective, which I believe is so important,” After the first meetings, an initial interview day took place to help current Ambassadors get to know the students, known as pledges, and see their potential strengths and weaknesses. After these interviews, the first cut was made. “Even though we had slightly less [pledges] to begin with, after this first cut, we cut down to about 48; which is the same number we had after the first cut last year,” Lioi said. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the pledges took their written test. More cuts took place after
Trang Nguyen photo
Phuong Vu gives a tour to prospective students and his or her families as an Ambassador.
that. Mary Catherine Nemecek, senior Hospitality Management major, has been mentoring for the pledges for the past two years. “I think the actual first cut came after the written test, because they evaluate your interview, how you are interacting with your peers and pledges committee and obviously how you did on the test,” Nemecek said. Not all of the 48 students went to the written test. Speaking about why some students dropped out, Lioi and Nemecek agreed on the reason: It is simply a rigorous program. “It’s a little intimidating, to be honest, having to go to the meeting, dressing appropriately and learning about the entire school, especially for those freshmen who barely know about the school. So a lot of the dropout rate deals with those reasons,” Nemecek said. Lioi claims that given the rigorous nature of the test, not everyone will do well, every year some pledges drop off throughout the process. “It is tough and it is a large time commitment that isn’t always easy to balance with all of the other busy aspects that come with being a student.
Plus, some people begin to go through the process and they realize being an Ambassador just might not be something they want to be,” Lioi said. “Our pledge committee, which includes Katie Kaminski, Amanda Beardi, Becky Schratz, myself and also our president, Meaghan Hubert, who oversees the process, are all very impressed with our current pledges. In the end it’s all about quality not quantity, and so far we have seen no problems with
“
I think [some pledges], just see it now like a way to put it on their resumes. But I also see the students who do well and do want to succeed in Ambassadors. I wish we had more
”
- Mary Catherine Nemecek quality.” Nemecek, however, thinks the smaller number of pledges might affect the quality of the overall program. “I think [some pledges], just see it now like a way to put it on their resumes. But I also see the students who do well and do want to succeed in
Ambassadors. I wish we had more,” Nemecek said. In order to get students interested in the Ambassador community, both current ambassadors think they need more advertisement. “There is something missing and I believe it’s advertising and maybe explain more for the kids about what it is might help,” Nemecek said. Additionally, Nemecek believes that getting students to see the value of the club can help to increase the pledge number in future years. She hopes other students will adopt the same passion she has for the program. “Particularly when I was a freshman, learning about the history made me love the campus so much more,” Nemecek said. “I love where I am. I will remember this for the rest of my life and I have so much respect for my school.”
@TheMerciad
not degree seeking, our focus is primarily workforce preparedness,” Conroy said. Oasis offers students the choice of three non-degree certificate programs, which include Culinary Arts, Hospitality and most recently, Early Childhood Development. “It’s really popular,” Conroy said of the newest certificate option. “A lot of parents, teachers and students are excited about it.” Oasis takes one academic year to complete, beginning in the fall semester. Students audit classes from the certification program of their choice, while receiving individualized “tutorial” sessions designed to enhance life skills. “We are committed to quality instruction,” Conroy said. He believes his graduate studies degree in Special Education will help him lead the program in the future. The $60,000 grant comes from the Dreams Realized through Educational Aspiration Model Partnership, a recognized Central Pennsylvania organization that advocates for college students with intellectual and developmen-
tal disabilities. Conroy hopes the grant will enable Oasis to reach beyond the Erie/North East location. “The residential opportunity is a good option for students who live away from the area,” Conroy said. Oasis staff and faculty have wasted no time putting the grant to use. The first residential Oasis student is currently living in Neumann Hall on the North East campus. Conroy is already reaching beyond the Erie area, focusing on the several transition opportunities designed to help intellectually and developmentally disabled families find the right path for the student. “In the past, we couldn’t draw students too far beyond Erie County because many rely on public transportation, family and friends to get them to campus,” Conroy said. “Now that they have the residential option, students can focus on their education.” Oasis has five students enrolled this year, two of whom are specializing in Early Childhood Development.
Tuzuner brings new perspective By Margaret Switzer Contributing writer
Musa Tuzuner Ph.D., comes to Mercyhurst straight from Turkey where he worked as the Founding Director of Intelligence Studies Research Center and Master Program for Intelligence Studies at the Police Academy. Tuzuner helped organize many conferences. At one of them, he met a faculty member from Mercyhurst who convinced him to travel across the globe and take the position of Visiting Assistant Professor of the Intelligence Department. Tuzuner comes to offers a chance for students to experience a different culture and mindset, and a plethora of knowledge on peace research, counterterrorism and intelligence studies. He will assist with the teaching of data sets, information sciences and even help open a potential doctorate program
in Intelligence Studies at the university “My background in counterterrorism and international perspective will be helpful for the students,” stated Tuzuner. “I hope to also broaden the mind of the university-show people what really goes on,”. This is not Tuzuner’s first time in the United States, however. He received his Ph.D. from Kent State University and so far prefers Erie and Mercyhurst over Kent State. He enjoys the beach, the lake and the small, intimate community Mercyhurst offers. His stay could be temporary, but after one year, he will decide what to do as part as his future endeavors. He believes his time at Mercyhurst will bring new ideas and perspectives to his students and fellow faculty.
@TheMerciad
Tung Vu photo
Musa Tuzuner has a background in counterterrorism and peace research. He hopes to bring a new perspective to his students.
October 28, 2015
Page 5
The Merciad
Arts &
Entertainment
‘Chaperone’ gets standing ovation
top left: The cast of “The Drowsy Chaperone” ends a big musical number with a comic pose. top right: (from left to right) Maxton Honeychurch, Cole Prots and Owen Hitt question the acting talents of Kitty, played by Jennie Cross. bottom left: The cast performs one of the opening numbers of “The Drowsy Chaperone” bottom right: (from left to right) Luke Ballantyne and Maxton Honeychurch talk of seducing the bride, Janet. photos by Sarah Paschal
By Naomi Greenstein Staff writer
Mercyhurst’s Theatre Program delivered several performances of “The Drowsy Chaperone” to packed audiences of students, professors and Erie community members in the Taylor Little Theatre. “The Drowsy Chaperone” is a musical comedy that captures the essence of 1920s theatre within the context of our modern society. The musical begins with the voice of the unnamed narrator projecting from the blacked-out stage. As the lights brighten, we see that the setting is the living room of an elderly musical
theatre aficionado. Since “The Drowsy Chaperone” is essentially a musical within a musical, the narrator’s running commentary provides the audience with hilarious background information on the fictional actors who originally played the characters. His narration, as well as his comical opinions, continues throughout the show as the characters and the plot of his favorite musical come to life in his living room. Directed by Brett Johnson, Ph.D., the Mercyhurst Theatre Program delivered flawless and stellar performances. Their actors represented their character brilliantly and brought theri own styles to the table.
Two of the actors that wowed the audience with their stunning comedic timing and character representations were Michael Rowe, who played Man in Chair and Luke Ballantyne, who played Aldolpho. Ballantyne’s character, Aldolpho, illustrates the 1920s musical depiction of a buffoon-like European. He is overly confident in all matters of life, including his ability to woo women and is oblivious to reality. As “The Drowsy Chaperone” is a parody of 1920s musicals, Aldolpho is an exaggerated representation of the racial and ethnic stereotypes those musicals perpetuated. Though writers in the ‘20s were ignorant to the offen-
sive nature of characters such as him, the writers of “The Drowsy Chaperone” purposely meant to make a satirical statement with this character, while also using him as one of the main comedic characters in the show. The show aimed to faithfully capture the vaudville vibe of old musical theatre. The show transported the audience back to those days and the kind of entertainment that the audiences back then would have appreaciated. The show also did many things that helped bring the production to life through the use of lights and sets. The musical starts with Man in Chair turning on an old record of “The Drowsy
Chaperone.” As the overture continues to play, and the static clears on the record, a portion of the wall of the set disappeared, revealing a real jazz band behind it. This unique feat of stage magic made the audience feel as if they were really a part of the action happening on stage. The cast and crew also made good use of the sparse set peices. With the main setting begin the living room of the Man in Chair, the set pieces had to coordinate with what would already be available in his apartment as the musical is coming to life. With interesting pieces that folded into and out of walls,
turned inside out to reveal something new, disappeared entirely or came flying down from the ceiling, the sets brought to mind the over the top nature of the old vaudeville acts of the 1920s. Overall, the cast, orchestra, production staff and guest artists who made “The Drowsy Chaperone” possible also made it impossible to leave Taylor Little Theatre feeling anything but delighted. Though the show represents some important aspects of stereotyping in old theatre, it also exhibits the qualities that musical fans miss from 1920s theatre, including its ability to transport the audience to an entirely different world of fun, laughter and excitement.
‘Malevolence’ for Halloween ‘Crimson’ fails to scare By Jenny Sabliov Staff writer
Online
New Years Day’s released their latest album, “Malevolence” on Oct. 5. New Years Day’s genre is self-proclaimed ‘hauntedmansioncore’ which is basically gothic rock. This album provides the perfect playlist for any Halloween type of activity you choose to do this year. The 12 track album is packed to the brim with hard hitting drums, chilling vocals, well-timed screams, catchy guitar riffs and pounding bass that easily reverberates through your chest. The album starts with the track “Kill or Be Killed,” which can be the perfect start to Halloween festivities. The slight synth beat can be heard underneath the layers of the hardcore instrumentation, giving it a very haunting feel. Ashley’s angelic vocals in this track are a stark contrast
to the meaning behind the lyrics she sings. The song “I’m About to Break You” gets in the listener’s face with guitar riffs that make them want to head bang along with Costello. “Alone” starts out slow, giving the impression that it will be a slower song but it kicks up right away when least expected. This is one of the songs on the album that makes you feel the blood and tears that were put into it. “Left Inside” is definitely one of the tracks that will be a necessity on all Halloween playlists as it starts out with a deep tone that builds into something more and delivers with well-timed screams and an explosion of instrumentation. “Relentless” and “Save Myself From Me” follow a signature method that is unique in their sound. “Anthem of the Unwanted” is the perfect anthem for rebels on Halloween night and is a must-have song because it was written to be as such with
Full list of events can be found on the PAC website
a catchy theme and an anthem anyone could scream along. “Scream” takes it down to a more seductive tone with Costello’s siren-like voice, enticing with the sexual lyrics and instrumentation. “Your Ghost” kicks it back up with the haunting combination of lyrics and instrumentation that is signature for this band. “Epidemic,” has ghoulishly delicious lyrics and is a perfect fit for the mood that is set throughout the album. Finally, “Malevolence,” the title track for the album, finishes off the album with a combination of Costello’s chilling voice and screams, haunting lyrics, ravenous guitar riffs and a sinister drum beat that gives the perfect Halloween aesthetic needed for this season. It is the ultimate farewell that makes you want to listen to the album again.
@TheMerciad
By Rachel Sobina Staff writer
If you love the creepy atmosphere of a good, old fashioned horror movie, then “Crimson Peak” is for you. With several jump-scares thrown into a chaotic, revenge-seeking plot, “Crimson Peak,” directed by Guillermo del Toro, is bound to keep the audience awake. It is easy to play with the cheesy trope of the “ghost” as it shows up only at night and whispers in a sing-song tone to its victim. This is what happens with the ghosts in the visually-stunning and wellacted, but disappointing and predictable haunted house movie “Crimson Peak.” When the main character Edith Cushing, played by Mia Wasikowksa, falls in love with a mysterious young man, Sir Thomas Sharpe, played by Tom Hiddleston, family and friends begin to wonder about the pair. When her father hires a
View upcoming performances: www.miac.mercyhurst.edu
private investigator to run a background check on him, he tells her to be careful. Although several people offer the same warning, she falls madly in love with the young Sir Thomas. Her father intervenes, deciding that Thomas is not the man he wants his daughter to be with, and he forces him to break Edith’s heart. The next day, Edith’s father, played by Jim Beaver, is preparing for his shower when a stranger enters behind him, and smashes Mr. Cushing’s face into a sink until it is unrecognizable. The couple reunites and are married shortly after the death of Edith’s father and move out of Crimson Peak Mansion, a house set atop a mountain made of blood-red clay, which offers the audience a hint to the mysterious and bloody history of the mansion. After many frightening experiences within the house, Edith realizes that something is not quite right.
Sir Thomas’s sister Lucille, played by Jessica Chastain, is living with them, and her changing attitude toward Edith begins to confuse her. After more unexplainable events happen, Edith realizes that Lucille has been poisoning her and tries to escape the mansion. While “Crimson Peak” is one of the most beautiful and striking horror movies to make its big screen appearance in the past few years, even the carefully orchestrated color schemes, dark corridors and red metaphors cannot speed up the slow patches or make the audience care about the lead characters. Unfortunately, the plot of “Crimson Peak” is not particularly original or chilling. By time Dr. Alan, played by Charlie Hunnam, arrives in an attempt to save Edith, the plot itself is beyond saving. While I would recommendseeing the movie for its stunning graphics, I do not suggest you make it a top priority to see this film.
www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment
Page 6
October 28, 2015
The Merciad
Opinion
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad Relay for Life successful or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Lack of respect between students Good and faculty needs to be addressed By Amber Matha Staff writer
More often than not, I feel disrespected by professors on campus. I understand that I am a student and I do not have the years of academic experience of a professor. However, I am in the process of gaining the experience I need, and that, I feel, deserves some recognition. In recent events, I have felt like my needs were being ignored, I have felt personally insulted and have been witness to my peers being disrespected behind their backs. To be clear, not every pro-
fessor is guilty of this disrespect and I have had many fond encounters with faculty, but the instances of disrespect make me less likely to go to these particular professors for assistance. I feel that the reason respect for students is on the decline is due to the equal lack of respect some students tend to have for our professors. I ran into an issue where a piece of my work was insulted by a professor who did not allow me to explain fully myself. I work very hard to produce the best end product that I can in all of my classes and extracurricular activities, and most people who know me know this to be true. I
take serious offense to insults on my work because of the extreme level of effort I put into what I do. Because of this incident, I have considered not putting in as much effort into my work where this situation occurred. However, that is not in my personality and I cannot bring myself to do so. Rather, I find that I am working just as hard in spite of this disrespect to prove that my work is above such a low criticism. I know that my mindset on being disrespected is not shared among most of my peers. Many students, when feeling disrespected by a faculty member, will reciprocate the action and the situation
snowballs into negative feelings between professor and student. I believe that there must be a unified effort to bring the level of respect for both students and professors back to a professional level. Students are here to learn from professors and to be raised up in understanding, not to be torn down for their ignorance. Likewise, professors deserve respect for spending their time enlightening students with their knowledge. We are all scholars and should treat each other as such.
@TheMerciad
So long, J-Term: Mercyhurst’s new academic calendar an improvement By Maggy Urso Photo editor
Saying goodbye to J-term is like saying goodbye to an old friend that you were only friends with because your parents forced you to be. It’s not that J-term was terrible, because it wasn’t. It actually helped out a lot of people, especially after the switch from trimesters to semesters. However, the time has come to turn on that one Green Day song and say “peace out, J-term.” I know there are many students who are emotionally-attached to J-term, and I am not one of them. See, the thing is, I started my college
career at a community college. At community college, we had what I like to consider a “normal” academic schedule: Two semesters, spring and fall, and then if you were one of those people who needed more credits or just really enjoyed school, you could take summer classes. I do not know why someone would do that for fun, but to each his/ her own. Last year, I honestly dreaded J-term a little bit. I had a friend who told me about one of her J-term classes from the year before. They had a quiz just about every day and a test at the end of each week for three weeks straight. All I could think was, “Who does that?” But, I guess when you have a class that is normally taught over a span of months,
you need to work with the time you’ve got. I will admit that my J-term last year was actually a fun class. But, I did not like the fact that I was sitting in my car trying to avoid ice and snow drifts on the way back to school, while my friends who went to other schools were still sitting next to the chestnuts roasting on an open fire or ringing in the New Year. I understand that I had the opportunity to go to one of those other schools, but I choose Mercyhurst to “Get the Experience.” Here’s the deal: Without J-term, students will be able to enjoy a longer winter break, which means more time to spend with family and friends at home. Now, I understand that some people like being
able to get away from their families after those few weeks of break. However, there is a solution: This change in the academic schedule will allow for two weeks during break where students can go on planned trips to further their education. All you will have to do is convince one of your professors to plan said trip. There is also the option of getting a job and telling your parents you have to go back early to work. Or, you can just go back early and binge watch Netflix, no judgment of course. You decide how you want to use this newly available time in the school year.
Opinion editor
Online
As many are already aware, there have been countless paranormal experiences at Mercyhurst University since its humble beginning in 1926. From the frequent appearances of mysterious images in Old Main, to a student purchasing a $50 textbook required for a core class, Mercyhurst has experienced glimpses of the “other world” in all forms and shapes (except rectangle). Questions regarding this “other world” continue to perplex us to this day. Do spirits exist there? Is there a way to communicate with it? Does it have an extra copy of the Research and Writing syllabus? The following instances are recent and previously untold (though absolutely true) cases of unexplainable events on campus: Case 1: May 11, 2004 On this date, sophomore
Biology major John Berts walked into the second floor of Zurn to find retired philosophy professor Ed Goldhoggen floating around on the ceiling. Police and Safety were summoned and ordered professor Goldhoggen to come down immediately. Goldhoggen refused, explaining that he was much more comfortable up there, and besides, kids don’t care about humanities anymore. Several former colleagues were called to help persuade Goldhoggen to come down, but ended up joining him on the ceiling instead. Police were instructed to come back during office hours and John Berts was given a D+ for the term. To this day the second floor of Zurn contains the distinct aroma of egg salad. Case 2: Sept. 29, 2014 Senior Business major Ellen Glessner was walking to her early morning marketing class in Old Main when she happened upon a spirit resembling her Great Uncle Marvin going around and clogging all of the building’s toilets while dressed as a poinsettia. Gless-
ner later described the tale in haunting detail: “I knew what Uncle Marvin was doing was wrong, but I’d never seen him look happier.” Case 3: 2006-2007 Junior History major Henry Tunst was known to have incredible psychic powers and could always tell whether or not he had studied enough for midterms. Students would often flock to hear Tunst’s predictions, many of which were related to his digestion. Several of Tunst’s astounding foresights survive to this day: “Mascot Laker Louie’s days are numbered and he will die at the hands of his people. He will be replaced by a large mammal, possibly a squirrel.” Amazingly accurate. Obviously Tunst was speaking of Luke the Laker. “Birds, birds, birds… I predict that one day Mercyhurst will become entirely a school for birds. And once this happens, the birds will demand universal healthcare…My cellphone is ringing. It is my mother. I should take this.” Astounding. Clearly, by “birds” Tunst was referring to
Read more at
merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion
Bad The Laker Inn’s new “Pizza Pick n Pack” option consists of a few slices of cheese, pepperoni, oranges and packs of saltine crackers. All for the attractive price of $5.95. Usually when the Laker attempts stick it to students with a bad deal, it’s a little less obvious than this small pack of disappointment.
Weird The Mercyhurst Theater Club is charging students $5 for the chance to get locked in a dark room and find clues to figure their way out. One thing participants definitely won’t be able to find in the room is their $5.
@TheMerciad
Confronting the paranormal at MU By Ryan Kushner
Mercyhurst’s Staff Senate is sponsoring a “Trick or Treat” event for students Friday, Oct. 30 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 18 offices and areas on campus. Look for locations with the below poster for a place to snag a Halloween goodie.
The Merciad
Salina Bowe photo
A half-moon is often cited as the primary reason spirits in Old Main gather to form a conga line.
Mercyhurst becoming a Catholic College of Distinction, an accomplishment that is quite a “feather” in its cap. Not only this, but the “ringing” Tunst mentions is obviously in reference to the unexpected resurgence of the Carillon Bells this year. “Mercyhurst will never change its academic calendar twice in a span of four years. No exceptions. I’m definitely right about this one.” Like many of us, Tunst was not perfect. @TheMerciad
Editors Sami Rapp Karah Hollis Catherine Rainey Jose Nufio Carly Contraguerro Megan Pacileo Ryan Kushner Mary Barnes Margaret Urso Victoria Kreysar Bill Welch
Positions @mercyhurst.edu Editor-in-Chief editormerciad Managing Editor managingmerciad News Editor newsmerciad Features Editor featuremerciad sportsmerciad Sports Editor A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Photo Editor photomerciad 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 110. 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 28, 2015
Page 7
The Merciad
Sports
Men’s hockey sweeps weekend By Haleigh Giebel Staff writer
The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team swept the weekend series against Army on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2324, winning the games 4-2 and 5-2. “Our team is in a good spot. We recognize that we have a long way to go and that we need to continue to get better each day,” Head Coach Rick Gotkin said. During Friday’s game, 1:44 into the first period, Laker freshman Derek Barach took a shot from the right wing and found the back of the net just under the crossbar. The goal was assisted by junior Philippe Drouin and senior Kyle Cook.
Army fought back during a power play and snuck one past sophomore goaltender Brandon Wildung to tie the game. Two minutes later, the Lakers got a chance at a power play. Senior Anthony Mastrodicasa, playing his first game of the season, scored when he shot the puck through heavy traffic. The power play goal was assisted by freshmen Taylor Best and Lester Lancaster. Just over a minute later sophomore Patrick Piacentini took a shot that went wide and ended up on sophomore Bryan Sienerth’s stick. Sienerth tucked the puck under Army’s goaltender to make the score 3-1 Lakers. Redshirt sophomore Jack Riley had the second assist on the goal.
Casey Bleuel photo
Junior Kyle Dutra (23) scored into an open net during the Laker’s 4-2 win on Friday, Sept. 23 for his first goal of the season.
Riley’s father is the head coach of the Army team. “I personally just wanted to play well against my Dad,” said Riley. “Whenever we
play them I always make sure to play my hardest because I know that’s exactly what he wants me to do.” During the tenth minute of
the third period, Army got another one past Wildung but it was not enough. Junior Kyle Dutra picked up the loose puck and shot it down the ice to give the Lakers their fourth win of the season. Senior Mychal Monteith assisted the goal. Wildung saved 37 of Army’s 39 shots to record his fourth win of the season. “Brandon has been very steady to this point,” said Gotkin. “He’s made some great saves for sure and he’s been really good for us so far.” During Saturday night’s game the Lakers got on the board first with freshman Chris Makowski’s first collegiate goal, assisted by sophomores Kane Elliot and Sienerth.
While on a power play, Army got one past freshman goaltender Adam Carlson to tie the game at one. Sophomore Jonathan Charbonneau recorded his fifth goal of the season off of a rebound from Drouin. Freshman Josh Lammon had the second assist on the goal. The Lakers then took advantage on a power play when Makowski recorded his second goal of the game by redirecting a shot by Monteith. Elliot had the other helper on this game winning goal. At 3:10 in the third period, Elliot and freshman Matthew Whittaker assisted Drouin, to give the Lakers their two goal lead back and 5-2 win. @TheMerciad
Men’s golf reaches program history in PSAC By Diego Himede Staff writer
The Mercyhurst men’s golf team made program history earning the title of both team and individual PSAC Champions on Oct. 18 at the Hershey Country Club. The Lakers stood out against their competition winning in both areas. The Laker golfers, led by Head Coach Ron Coleman, controlled the entire tourna-
ment, playing with concentration and passion. Although they have been close to winning in previous years, this year’s team proved to be different. With rough competitors in front, such as IUP, Gannon and West Chester, the Lakers had to level up their games in order to win. The individual section of the tournament was also dominated by Mercyhurst. Junior Christopher Kupniewski won the tournament, exhibiting
high-level golf through the entire tournament. Senior Blaze Hogan also performed incredibly, which led him to face Kupniewski in the finals. Both of these players made excellent representations of Mercyhurst University. According to Coleman, Kupniewski and Hogan are ranked first and second in the region, which includes two more conferences other than the PSAC. The success of
these two players has carried on through the season. They also ranked No. 1 and 2 in the Gannon Invitational. “They are both a big part of our success. They not only put up the scores and help us win these tournaments, but they also provided a lot of incentive throughout the whole team,” Coleman said. Behind every good team, there is a good coach, which is the case for this golf team as well.
Coach Coleman had a successful golf career himself, allowing him to better understand the game and give his players better advice. Coleman won a record eight Erie District Golf Association (EDGA) individual titles, five in match play and three in stroke play. “They’re obviously good players, and they take coaching very well. I had success myself which is something for them to see, so when I say
something it is believable,” Coleman said. Nonetheless, there were other golfers who showed a great level as well. Freshman Harison Laskey put up a strong second round in PSAC tied for seventh overall. With this win, the Lakers receive an automatic bid to the regionals play next spring.
@TheMerciad
Field hockey seeks to finish season on a postive By Marco Cicchino Staff writer
Mercyhurst field hockey Head Coach Stacy Gaudette stood on the turf of Tullio Field, drawing up her next play for the field hockey team’s practice. The team stood at an even 7-7, a game over the .500 mark in PSAC competition, knowing that the next two games would define the team’s standing in-terms of a modified postseason format. “We’ve been steadily improving over the course of the season and we’ve continued to get better as we go through,” Gaudette said. Unfortunately, the team was held scoreless over the games on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and
Saturday, Oct. 24. The two matches set the Lakers at 7-9 and 4-5 in conference play. They won four of their last six games dating back to Oct. 7, and can finish the season at an even .500 with wins in Indiana on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and at home on Saturday, Oct. 31. Gaudette, now in her 13th season as head coach, saw her playoff hopes first diminish with a 2-0 defeat against the third-ranked West Chester and witnessed her team get outshot 18-9 and out-cornered 13-7. The Lakers played their second consecutive offensive shutout in a frustrating 1-0 loss at home on Saturday against Bloomsburg. Combined with Shippensburg’s win at Seton Hill, the
Lakers were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The Lakers game against Bloomsburg on Saturday, Oct. 24, dropped the Lakers’ record to 7-9 despite a 1.77 goals-against average. “We still had some good things come out of that game. We played a tough team [Bloomsburg] and we just know we needed to finish our opportunities,” Gaudette said. Senior Sam Takac noted the difference in the Huskies’ strategy during the game compared to the Lakers. “They have all 11 girls in the defensive unit, so everybody that’s on the team plays defense altogether, and as soon as they get the ball, the forwards break and go forward. It’s hard to beat them
with only eight of our girls attacking,” Takac said. The Lakers roller-coaster began with losses in their first four contests while being outscored 12-4, then won three straight from Sept. 15-23, behind Mercyhurst freshman Jessica Brandon, who recorded a hat-trick in the team’s contest against Mansfield. They then held the top three teams in the conference, nationally-ranked Kutztown, Millersville and East Stroudsburg, to a combined five goals, but fell with a lack of support. Brandon recorded her second hat-trick on Oct. 7, against Indiana in a 6-4 home win, sparking another four-game winning streak. This includes the upset of Shippensburg and giving the Lakers their best offense of
the season at 14 goals in four games heading into the West Chester game. The losses to West Chester and Bloomsburg were not bad games. However, they simply came at an inconvenient time as Shippensburg followed their upset loss with a four-game hot streak and three straight shutouts before clinching a postseason spot with a 3-1 win at Seton Hill on Saturday. The secret to the Lakers offense is different for every game, successful on most occasions. “I think it’s just one of those things where we have a great attack, we have a great forward line. It’s just misfortunate that we didn’t get any goals, but I know that the next few upcoming games we’re
going to put it in the back of the net,” sophomore Amanda Frappolli said. Frappolli has seen limited but increased playing time in six second-half appearances, scored her first collegiate goal against Indiana on Oct. 7. Fourteen Lakers have scored so far this season. Six players have multiple goals this season including Brandon, sophomore Taylor Balser, freshman Katelyn Smith, senior Andrea Goldbach, freshman Kaitlyn Lechner and senior Amanda Schanz. Gaudette’s 100th career victory also came this season in the team’s win over Slippery Rock.
@TheMerciad
Football players delivering more than wins on the field By Brian Comey
Contributing writer
Before last Thursday’s victory over Edinboro, one may have thought the Mercyhurst football team had nothing to celebrate. The victories did not appear in the box score, they are engraved in the record books. However, historic performances in the month of October leave the three losses in the past. Zach Emerick, Joe Dever and Brandon BrownDukes all injected life back into the team with their performances. Redshirt senior running back Brown-Dukes knew exactly how many yards he needed to surpass Richard Stokes on the all-time rushing list. “I knew I was close because after every game, up until I broke the record, it was always written in the game recap on the Hurst Athletics page stating how far away I was from the record,” Brown-Dukes
Salina Bowe photo
Redshirt junior quarterback Zach Emerick (16) had 39 completions in the Lakers game against Slippery Rock, surpassing the previous school record of 37 complete passes.
said. In addition to the constant reminders from the Athletics Department, members of the Mercyhurst football team would not let Brown-Dukes forget how close he was. “My teammates were the ones that talked to me about it the most,” said Brown-Dukes when asked about the record breaking game. The number to beat was
3,381. Brown-Dukes ran right past the record on Oct. 3, with an impressive 100-yard performance to a strong Clarion team, putting him at 3,427 by the end of the night. When asked what goes through his mind while becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher, one would expect that he enters into a Marshawn Lynch “beastmode” state of mind. How-
ever, Brown-Dukes just said “music.” “During the game, there is always a song that pops up in my head and it’s usually a song that I would hear during the week before the game,” Brown-Dukes said. Sure enough, BrownDukes is humming along to a Beyoncé song as he barrels over defenders. “The most memorable song would have to be Beyoncé’s ‘Sweet Dreams’ remix, featuring Nicki Minaj,” BrownDukes said. Seeing that Brown-Dukes is a nightmare to opposing defenders, “Sweet Dreams” is a very fitting tune. The record books were rewritten just two weeks later when redshirt junior quarterback Emerick and senior linebacker Dever shared historic moments on Tullio Field. Emerick completed 39 passes for 412 yards against the defending PSAC champions, Slippery Rock. Although the Lakers did not win the game, Emerick
stepped up big in his first start of the season against a defense that has only been beaten once this season. After a rocky start, Emerick settled into a rhythm of around 10.5 average yards per pass. In a similar fashion, Dever lead the Laker defense with 18 tackles. Dever and Emerick are on the same wavelength during games. They both talked about reacting rather than thinking when suited up on game-day. “The games for me are mostly reacting to the other team and reading my different keys. On each play I am reading the formation and thinking about the different plays [the offense] can run from that formation and reacting,” said Dever. “The majority of the thinking for a defensive player takes place during the week in practice. Once the game comes around, you really don’t think as much and just react and play hard.” Emerick had a very similar response. His mind is focused on reading and reacting to
defenses. Meanwhile, BrownDukes is likely humming along to Rebbie Jackson’s 1986 hit song “Reaction.” “I was not aware of the record at all during the game and did not know until after the game when one of my teammates told me in the locker room,” Emerick said. The redshirt junior humbly credited the record-breaking performance to his teammates. “I would have to give the credit to my teammates, our receivers and running backs did a good job catching the ball and our offensive line gave us the time to throw,” Emerick said. These three performances turned out to be the silver linings in the October slump. The team showed up big against Edinboro on Thursday, Oct. 22, as the win broke a four game losing streak.
@TheMerciad
Page 8
October 28, 2015
The Merciad
Laker
Living
History in the Making By Victoria Kreysar Ad manager
Halloween is approaching and I thought we chould discuss one of the most frightening things in the world: relationships. When I was in seventh grade, I found my first literary love in the form of Rhett Butler and I quickly realized there is no such thing as normal when it comes to who you like. The list of my crushes, both real and literary, has grown but has certainly not grown more normal, including but not limited to essentially anyone with the qualifications of having a brilliant mind and being utterly unobtainable.. I am happy the year is not 1870 and I can show my ankles in public without a stir, or have drinks with a man without a chaperone being present, but I cannot avoid thinking about how things would have been much simpler back then. The awful, singular goal for women was a good marriage and honestly, I would probably be dead from
childbirth by now, but at least things would have been very clear because I’ll be darned the worst thing in the world is mixed signals. Sometimes, I think my life is a broken four-way stoplight with cars coming from every direction and all I can do is guess which signal to follow and watch the ensuing and inevitable crash. We live in a world where friendliness and flirting are often mistaken for the same thing. Smiling and chatting with someone opens the door to the possibility of something romantic, when maybe you really just enjoy talking to someone. On the flip side, smiling and chatting with someone because you like them and is one of the worst pains in the world. For example, when someone sits and talks about Ben Franklin with me for a half hour, I enjoy every second of it, but I have to wonder if they actually like Franklin or if they only like Franklin because I like Franklin and they simply want a reason to talk with me. I don’t care who you are, you
are lying if you say you never once grew interested in a topic because someone you had a crush on liked it. The “dating dance” is both disgustingly-fantastic and beautifully-repulsive. It can leave you with a broken heart, a bruised ego and a smaller bank account, yet we seem unable to stop ourselves because the hope, the flicker of the idea of sharing happiness with another person keeps us coming back time and time again. Dating is the new opium for the masses. Dating in college is brutal. The dance is maybe the most confusing during this time because no one shows up at your door anymore with flowers and the intention of a nice quiet dinner date. You end up watching Netflix and drinking cheap wine over Little Caesars pizza only to find out the person just wants to borrow your notes from class. Again, mixed signals run rampant, but I have yet to meet someone with a markless track record of correctly deciphering someone’s intentions. I think the biggest problem
is how often people are on different pages. Sometimes we might even be reading different books. You know the feeling— the realization that you have been waiting in the ballroom for hours, but Prince Charming is down the hall at the bar avoiding everything. Maybe you are the one leaving the ballroom, sprinting as fast as you can, making sure not to leave your shoe behind for someone to find. Sometimes, you meet someone on the dance floor but before the music even begins, you find out they are already supposed to be dancing with someone else. Maybe you like to salsa but they only enjoy classical ballet. Maybe we are all stuck doing the dating dance in some eternal waltz from hell. I for one am getting tired of dancing around discussions and flirting with fate. I am not a Navajo code talker and I am exhausted from deciphering the hieroglyphics of the subtext of discourse without a Rosetta Stone to assist me. So what are our options? Perhaps we should all make a poster or business cards we
can hand out that say exactly what we are too scared to say out loud. Even if you haven’t got the faintest idea of what you want out of life, that is still something. I struggled for two years with this concept— the idea that not knowing what you want is still knowing. It is OK not to know. In fact, you probably will never know for certain and that is fine. You are under no obligation to know, but by the same tone, you cannot carry on the dance, saying one thing but meaning another. Sometimes I think we should all just buy a dog or a cat (or both) and, working under the assumption they love us back, call it a day. But we are by our very definition too human to stop, so I suppose we dance on and hope for the best.
@tory_krey
Way back When... The Merciad presents articles from yesteryear in their original form, including headlines. This week, our blast from the past is from Oct. 31, 1946.
Another Autumn Autumn with all its beauty has leadped upon us. Shocked, one morning, we discovered that nature had that night changed her garments. Like a slim, graceful girl, she had slipped from her gown of green, and now stood in the radiant colors of brown tinted with red and gold beauty such as only God can produce. I walked aimlessly around drinking the pungent air. It brought so many thoughts of home. The rushing brook hurrying to escape winter’s cold winds. A little blue bird looked at me and seemed to say, “Don’t feel sorry for me. I know the leaves have left the trees and will not shelter me. Soon I shall be gone. Pity yourself, for you won’t hear my song nor will I interrupt your prayers in chapel; no, and no more will I dart about you as you walk.” I walked to the top of the hill and before me stood a tree, crooked and bent with age, its bare limbs reaching for the heavens. The rows, which a short time before had been green through man’s toil and nature’s good-
ness, now were brown and scorched; having yielded their fruit, they lay sleeping until spring. All around me was the hand of God. I sat there thinking of the old horsechestnut tress by the school back home and how we’d spend most of our lunch hour looking for chestnuts and the thrill we’d get when one would drop. A mad dash was mad to open its green shell and out would pop a beautiful brown, waxy chestnut. The smell of chili sauce and grape jelly mingled with the smoke of the burning leaves. How hard we’d work raking the leaves, oh not for the nickel, but the biggest pile. And Halloween with its tic-tacks and pumpkins and the sheet we’d borrow from mother just to scare the “kids” down the street. As I walked back to school, I thanked God for giving me another autumn.
-A. M.
Game Zone
Top 10 Places to study
1. The library 2. An empty classroom in Old Main 3. Benches outside when the weather is cooperating 4. The couches in Zurn’s basement 5. The third floor of the Laker 6. The bookstore 7. The 24/7 study lounge 8.The second floor Zurn study area 9. The lower level of Hirt 10. Egan’s diningroom