: Sports On Page 7:
: Features on Page 3:
Quarterback Boylan
Christology classes
breaks 5 records
serve ‘the Other’ at
Arts & Entertainment on Page 5: ‘Frank’ features quirkiness in Taylor Little
shelters.
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The Merciad
Est. 1929 Vol. 88 No. 9
Mercyhurst university
A Ballet ‘dream’
Wednesday, noveMber 12, 2014
Course offerings increase for J-Term By Jose Nufio Staff writer
Ashley Favata photo
From left to right: Courtney Naughton (senior), Matthew Huefner (sophomore), and Hailey Meert (junior) grace the stage with a performance inspired by Shakespeare’s play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ Full story on page 7.
ResLife training program addresses LGBTQIA issues By Catherine Rainey Staff writer
A group of faculty and staff from three areas of the university have come together to offer a training program about LGBTQIA, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, or asexual education to students. Father Jim Piszker, university chaplain, Greg Baker, director of Campus Ministry, Trina Marerro, director of the Multicultural Center, and Dr. Judy Smith, director for health and counseling centers, will train all resident assistants (RAs) on how to become allies to the LGBTQIA community during their RA in-service training on January 27. The training program addresses how individuals who identify as LGBTQIA can find their place within the Catholic Church community. According to Piszker, a student came to him three years ago looking for a LGBTQ program, pointing out that surrounding colleges had such programs. Consequently, Piszker created one, starting with
Merciad Index
educating faculty, staff and administration that were interested. This is the first time for Pizsker, Baker, Marerro and Smith to reach out to the student population on LGBTQIA issues. They are working with Residence Life, using residence assistants as their target population. “We were trying to think of a constituency [to train] that would make sense as far as students were concerned and that’s when someone came up with the idea of RAs because they have contact with students all the time,” Piszker said. In the two hour-long presentation that the faculty gave to other faculty, staff and administration, Piszker discussed Catholic theology and its views on homosexuality; Baker talked about the pastoral, or spiritual, side of the church and how to accept people as individuals; Smith discussed the psychological components of homosexuality; and Marrero talked about sexual diversity and how to become an ally. “It is going to be manda-
tory for all RAs,” said Rhina Duquela, assistant director of Residence Life and Student Conduct. “It’s is a form of diversity training. It’s also for personal awareness.” The faculty panel presented the training to a small group of RAs and a few other students invited by the faculty in a focus group on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The faculty asked the students to evaluate the presentation to make sure it was appropriate for a student audience. Monique Litchmore, a senior RA in sophomore area, attended the first training. “I thought it was enjoyable,” Litchmore said. “Right now most of the allies are administrators so its nice to know students can have a student to go to.” John Hermmann, a senior RA in McAuley Hall, will receive the training at the in-service. “I understand why we’re doing it. We’re supposed to be trained in a variety of scenarios. However, I feel it should be a voluntary process,” Herrmann said. Amy Bishop, president of
the Mercyhurst LGBTQIA Equality Club said she was happy that faculty are conducting the training. “It’s exciting that they’re actually fulfilling more awareness,” Bishop said. Piszker said he is glad to be able to conduct the educational training for students. “We’re hoping to make this a safer environment, a more pleasant environment for everybody,” said Piszker. “That’s ultimately our goal.” Marerro is also pleased with the work they have accomplished and hopes to continue spreading awareness about the LGBTQIA community. “I think we’ve made a great impact. My hope for the future is that we reach the North East as well as the Booker T. Washington population because we are all Mercyhurst,” Marerro said. The North East campus and Booker T. Washington Center are branches of Mercyhurst.
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A new J-Term schedule will offer more opportunities to Mercyhurst students. This year the school expanded the course offerings, improving the selection of classes from last year.. Assistant Vice-President of Academic Services Michele Wheaton said the success of enrollment of last year’s J-Term will repeat itself this year. Students will have opportunities to study different subject matters. The philosophy department added a course to the core called “Philosophical Studies.” Robert von Thaden, Ph.D., of the Religious Studies department, is offering a class called “The Apocalypse to Zombie, A to Z.” According to von Thaden, the course aims to examine how “religious and non-religious literature about the end of the world has been used by various cultures as a means to reflect upon, critique, and explain current events.” This is also the first time von Thaden has taught a J-Term class. While students only had one option for study abroad last year, this year they can choose from programs in Belize, Spain, Costa Rica and Ireland. “There are more opportunities and many more students are taking the chance to study abroad and experience different cultures which is really good for them,” Wheaton said. Wheaton said the process this year has been relatively smooth. Teachers have been involved in coming up with courses that would be of interest to students. They have been looking for courses that students could use on their majors or could serve them as electives. After the registration for upperclassman is over, Student Services will offer the available, left-over seats to freshmen. Additionally, a few more 100 level courses will be
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added to give the freshmen more opportunities to register. “I usually go out and I recruit to the faculty and ask them to come up with other offerings. I anticipate that we will probably be adding other options in both J-term and spring, but they will be the lower level courses,” said Wheaton. “That’s just so that we can accommodate seats for all of our students, because that’s paramount to get a decent offering for them to choose from.” Wheaton takes on the job of finding classes for students who couldn’t find one on their own. If a student can’t find classes for the core, there is a possibility that there is something in their major that they are offering as well and that could also benefit them. All these arrangements are coming along, due to the success Wheaton saw in last year’s J-Term. She was surprised by the number of students who wanted to take classes during the J-Term, both in lower and upper levels. Students who took a class during the J-Term had an average grade of B+. “Honestly, it was all positive. I was so amazed. We had almost 80 percent of our students take the J-Term,” said Wheaton. “Even though seniors weren’t required to take it, they did take it because they thought it was kind of cool.” Wheaton hopes that for this J-Term, things will continue to be smooth. She anticipates more travel opportunities coming along in response to to the high student interest and hopes that all students will take the courses they need and are interested in. “We try to help as many as we can, we add whenever as we can. We normally can get students into the class of their choice or one that will work for them,” said Wheaton. “We don’t leave anybody hanging out. I will tell you that, I promise that we care about the students.” @TheMerciad
Page 2
November 12, 2014
The Merciad
News
‘Hurst vets serve Erie community By Karah Hollis Staff writer
Mercyhurst Veterans Association gives those who served their country an avenue to serve the local Erie community. The Mercyhurst Veterans Association (MVA) is a student-run club that offers veterans, who are also Mercyhurst University students, support needed for that transition. The association chooses an organization to work with every year. This year, the MVA
partnered with Boots on the Ground, which helps veterans affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and their families. This past Saturday, the MVA had its annual Teddy Bear Toss at the Mercyhurst University men’s hockey game against Army. The money raised went to Boots on the Ground while the teddy bears went to Toys for Tots. Another Teddy Bear Toss is planned for December at a Mercyhurst women’s hockey game. In the past, MVA has hosted off-campus picnics for
veterans and their families. On Sept. 11, the club had a flag ceremony in remembrance of the terrorist attacks. Corey Sayles, MVA’s vice president, became involved with the club right after his first meeting. “Hearing what the MVA stood for in addition to the possible missions it could accomplish, I immediately wanted to get involved,” Sayles said. Before attending Mercyhurst, Sayles served in the U.S. Navy during Operation Enduring Freedom, the
American military campaign in Afghanistan. Sayles is also involved in
“Hearing what the MVA stood for, in addition to the possible missions it could accomplish, I immediately wanted to get involved.” Corey Sayles
other service organization, such as the Soldiers and Sail-
ors Home. Although he has not volunteered there yet, he did attend the orientation process to become a volunteer. “I’m the only vet who has completed the process. So for the future, I hope to get more vets to volunteer their time to help fellow vets,” Sayles said. He also works with the Food Recovery Network, a group that collects left over food from campus and the community, and then donates it to the local soup kitchen and City Mission. Sayles said future food recoveries will be donated to the Liberty House
Sami Rapp photo
Corey Sayles, a student and veteran, continues to serve Erie through volunteer organizations.
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and a homeless shelter for veterans. However, the MVA is still an important organization to Mercyhurst veterans and to Sayles. “The MVA hopes to continue building a positive recognition on campus and extend it out into the community,” Sayles said.
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Casey Bleuel photo
Front row from left to right: Veterans Jayson Billstone, Shadya Maldonado, ROTC cadets LeeAnn Esford, Julie Brooks, veteran AJ Courteau, and Veteran Coordinator Stacy Smith.
MSG Minutes 11-10 By Melanie Todd Staff writer
Mercyhurst University is considering standardizing grading scales and in the future establishing a Minus System. The new grading scale would not take effect until after this year’s junior class graduated. Senior MSG Treasurer AJ Zahuranec said, “Currently there are 55 different grading scales for classes.” The starting average for an A can range from an 87 percent to 97 just within the Zurn school of sciences. The Senate discussion began against the idea of standardization. Bridget Egan, Sophomore Class Representative said, “I am concerned for the student body’s GPA being used as guinea pigs.” Other concerns included worrying that professors would not adjust their personal grading standards to effectively equate to the new scale and that it would alter the difficulty level of classes. However, many argued it would be helpful to be able to
equate their transcript letter grades to specific numbers when applying for graduate school and jobs. Other suggestions emerged such as a standardized core course grading scale or standardized grading scales for each department. In a placard vote, 14 were in favor of overall university standardization, 14 were in favor of standardization of the core courses, 18 were in favor of department standardization and 10 were opposed to standardization overall. It is important to note that these votes were taken separately. Each option had its own vote of “yay” and “nay.” MSG members will be seeking individual student opinions in the coming week to take back to the academic board. The Budget and Finance committee unanimously approved the $10,125 budget for Recognized Student Clubs and Organizations (RSCO). 65 clubs applied for budgets and this year has had a higherapproval rating than usual with 59 percent of requested
event budgets being approved. The weekend’s events were deemed successful. 80 people attended Flashback Friday where tie-dye shirts were made, along with flower crowns and throwback foods. Fight night attracted 70 people where students had the opportunity to safely release stress. Upcoming events include Fear Factor, which will bring a scary and exotic petting zoo to campus on Friday Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. Saturday Nov. 15 at 9 p.m., there will be a paranormal guest speaker, Jeff Belanger in the Taylor Little Theatre. Any RSCO interested in participating in the RSCO Annual Tree Decorating Contest is asked to send an email to MSG and reserve a tree. The first place winner will receive a $75 gift card to Papa John’s and the second place winner will receive a $25 gift card to Tim Horton’s.
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Admiral Laker’s Police Brief
Admiral Laker was looking forward to a quiet week. He planned on binging on the new Taylor Swift album and re-reading Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. But the reprobates of Mercyhurst were out en masse this week and instead of bobbing along to the melodious lyricism of T-Swift, Admiral Laker was meting out some nautical judicature. To get the mundane out of the way, Admiral Laker will begin with the standard liquor law violation. A Warde Hall student got pinched with some hooch on Nov. 9. This is a no brainer: you
booze underage and you’re going to pay the price. A student in McAuley Hall on Nov. 8 was caught with a controlled substance. Admiral Laker is devastated that students continue to eat the yellow Starbursts. Seriously, get help. A student on Briggs Avenue was cited for harassment on Nov. 1. Sorry for the delay, Constant Reader, but the malefactors was not cited until Nov. 4 and the record of this inglorious deed did not reach Admiral Laker’s vigilant ears until after deadline. Lastly, there was a theft in
Egan on Nov. 11. Admiral Laker knows what it’s like to hanker for a joint of mutton in the wee hours, but please refrain from removing the food from the dining hall, ya goobers. Admiral Laker hopes this next week is quieter so he can finally rock out to the pleasant mix of hope and heartbreak that is Taylor Swift’s art. If it’s not, Admiral Laker and the Mercyhurst community are going to have some “Bad Blood.” And trust me, Lakers, you’re Katy Perry. Mercyhurst had a bad week; “Shake it Off.”
November 12, 2014
The Merciad
Enough Club revives at ‘Hurst By Emma Knavel
Social Media editor
Awareness brings initiative, and with initiative brings change. The Enough Club at Mercyhurst is giving students an opportunity to come together and raise awareness of global issues and violations against human rights which plague the world today in order to help to make Mercyhurst a conflict-free campus. The Enough Club is a recent addition to Mercyhurst University and is also known as the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative. Kayley Dunn, a senior Secondary English Education major, has recently taken over the position of club president. Kenzie Stepanik, a junior Biology major, is the Financial Officer and Amanda Moore, a junior Communications major, is the Public Relations Director for the club. “The ultimate goal of the club is to raise awareness of global issues here at Mercyhurst,” Dunn said. The club will bring to light
issues happening around the world, such as corrupt governments in Africa, their control over minerals and diamonds for economic purposes and the violence which surround this effort. The goal of the club gives its members positive feelings for its future. “We feel that the club has so much potential to grow and attract more students,” Dunn said. By educating students on pressing global issues, the club hopes to help resolve the crises happening around the world today. “It is clear that the students here want to be involved whenever they are given the opportunity and we are certain that this will be the case with Enough,” Dunn said. Due to the fall semester coming to an end, club meetings will begin in January once student schedules begin to settle down. “When we do start having meetings, anyone is welcome to come and check it out,” Dunn said.
Seniors to host ‘family’ dinner By Melanie Todd Staff writer
Few things say “family togetherness” like sitting down to a big spaghetti dinner. The Mercyhurst Social Work department will host a Hurst Family Spaghetti Dinner on Sunday, Dec. 7, at Mercyhurst Preparatory School. Every year, senior Social Work majors develop a project, depending on the students’ particular interests. This year, the class, which consists of nine seniors, decided to host the Family Spaghetti Dinner in an effort to promote family togetherness. The proceeds from the dinner will go to help families in need in the Erie area. The dinner will be completely student-run, including the cooking and serving, according to senior Ashlynn Marchese. Doors will open at 4 p.m. and dinner will be served at 5 p.m. “On a college campus the majority of us are fortunate but some people won’t have a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner this year,” Marchese said. The students “want to give back to the community,” senior Kayla McMullen said. In order to further help these families, the department is holding a food drive on campus. Nonperishable items will be collected from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1. There are collection bins in the academic buildings throughout campus. “Think green beans for their holiday dinner, but anything will help,” Marchese said. All of the food collected will go towards “dinner baskets we will create to donate to families,” said Marchese. “The proceeds from the event will go to buying additional items to supplement the baskets.” Both Marchese and McMullen expressed how important it was for them to be part of a program that is dedicated to helping others. “A lot of people don’t realize there are so many things you can do with social work that are outside the realm of the traditional field,” Marchese said.
Tickets for the upcoming dinner are $10 for adults, $5 for children four to 10 years old and children under three eat free. Only 150 tickets will be sold in order to preserve the close family atmosphere. Tickets are available from any Social Work student or in Preston 108 and 111.
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Features
Mike Murphy photo
Robert von Thaden, Ph.D., has taught in the Religious Studies department at Mercyhurst for nine years. He will be teaching a course on Apocalyptic Literature this year in the J-term.
Von Thaden revamps class By Dalma Bordon Contributing writer
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Page 3
It has been nine years since Mercyhurst University welcomed Robert H. von Thaden, Ph.D., as a faculty member to the Religious Studies department. Since joining Mercyhurst, von Thaden has served two terms as Faculty Senate Vice President as well as published his first book, a revision of his doctorate dissertation, titled “Sex, Christ, and Embodied Cognition: Paul’s Wisdom for Corinth” in 2012. With a doctorate from Emory University specializing in Biblical and other sacred text, von Thaden said the reasons behind his career choice grew from an influential pro-
fessor he met during his time in college. “I had a great mentor in college in the Religious Studies Department and through discussions with her I became interested and decided to see what would happen,” von Thaden said. His first job out of graduate school was a teaching position at Mercyhurst University. Although he has been offered other jobs, he opted to stay at Mercyhurst in favor of its smaller classroom sizes. “It’s nice that I can talk to students in my office, know them and have that connection with them,” von Thaden said. Von Thaden teaches Introduction to Religious Studies and New Testament and Christian Origins.
Von Thaden will also be teaching a new class, Apocalyptic Literature, during the J-term this year. Students will read and analyze texts regarding the end of the world from both ancient and modern times. Through analysis, von Thaden explained, the class is “going to see the literary similarities and differences between the ancient world and modern world texts and what can they tell us about different cultures.” “Why does America love the Walking Dead for example? These are the things we will look at in this course,” he said. Von Thaden tells students who have not studied scriptures before that the challenge is just like every other class.
For students who have studied religious texts in the past, “the challenge is for them to learn how to think about the text in a different way,” said von Thaden. “The purpose is trying to get people to see things in a different light.” “When you see students have a moment when things click together about the world they never thought about,” von Thaden said, is the most rewarding part of his job. Outside of Mercyhurst University, von Thaden spends time with his wife, an associate professor at Edinboro University, his two cats, as well as running marathons in the Erie area.
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‘Hurst Christology class serves ‘the Other’ By Nathan Turner News editor
Sixty students from Mary Hembrow-Snyder’s, Ph.D., Christology classes recently worked along side Service Learning Office to provide home-cooked meals for the residents of the Emergency Homeless Shelter and the Lodge on Sassafras Street as part of the Community Shelter Services program in Erie. The service projects took place on Oct. 23, 24, 29 and 31 this year. The projects have been going on for over 10 years now, and have taken place through various classes. The project is geared toward the actual practice of what the students learn in class. It helps to make concrete and realize the theories and lessons of Jesus which the students learn in the classroom. The idea sprouted from a conversation between Hembrow-Snyder and Sister Michelle Shroeck. “We were trying to find a way to give the students some experience of working with people in Erie who for one or another reasons who were disadvantaged,” said Hembrow-Snyder. “We just started doing it, and we did not know what we were doing.” The students provided the drive to keep the project going, according to Hembrow-Snyder. Although they were originally hesitant to do it, eventually they “were so glad they did,” Hembrow-Snyder said. The entire project was student-run, with small groups
Contributed photo
Students from a Christology class taught by Mary Hembrow-Snyder, Ph.D., took part in a Service Learning project at the end of October. The class served dinners to between 25 to 30 residents at the Emergency Shelter and the Lodge on Sass.
planning everything from the menu to the decorations to cooking and serving the meal to the residents of the shelters. The most important piece of the project, according to Hembrow-Snyder, is that the students “sit down as equals with people who are looked down upon as ‘the Other’ by many people in the city of Erie.” For some students, it was the first time they had ever been in contact with people at that level of poverty and marginalization. The management of the project has also shifted to
include Bethany Brun, the Service Learning Coordinator, and Colin Hurley, the Community Outreach Director. Brun has been working with the project for the past four years. One of the aspects she has seen most is the positive outreach the project does for the university. “They absolutely love when we come,” said Brun. “Mercyhurst is very well represented. And the clients [at the shelter] are very grateful.” Projects like this, involving large amounts of people, are not without difficulties. “You’re going to run into
the issues of a group of students working together,” said Brun. “Within the group project, you are going to run into the dynamics. You’re going to get a couple of leaders and everyone else kind of following along. Some people are going to choose to put in a little more effort than others.” Claire Edmunds, a senior, was one of the team leaders for the project, and helped organize one of the meals at the Emergency Shelter. The benefits of the project, for her, were directed toward its ability to break down barriers between people. “I think it gave the students
a chance to better connect with a group of people that they probably don’t get to speak with much, or interact with much,” said Edmunds. “I think I saw a lot of attitudes change towards the issue of homelessness in general.” “It makes me wish I had taken Dr. Hembrow-Snyder’s class,” said Brun. As an Americorps VISTA and coordinator of Service Learning, working with poverty and poverty reduction, she sees these events as “a great way to see a need and meet a need.” @TheMerciad
Page 4
Arts &
The Merciad
November 12, 2014
Entertainment
‘Midsummer’ enchanted audience By Kevin Thomas Staff writer
Shakespeare wrote some of the most memorable plays in history, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a tale of romance, fairies, magic and intertwining love stories. First, there is Hermia, who, despite her father’s wishes, is in love with Lysander. Her father has arranged for her to marry Demetrius. Unknown to them, Helena is in love with Demetrius, and does everything possible to get his attention. Hermia and Lysander decide to run off to the woods to elope, while Helena tells Demetrius of their plans, hoping he will kill Lysander and fall in love with her. She follows Demetrius into the forest, making numerous advances that do not work. This gets the attention of Oberon, king of the fairies, who enlists the help of the devilish sprite Puck to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena by shooting him with
Cupid’s arrow. Unfortunately, Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius, and shoots him instead. This causes Lysander to fall in love with Helena, instead of Hermia. What follows is a heated love triangle that leaves no one unscathed. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is very hard to pull off given all the elements involved: fairies, romance, magic and more. That is made even more complex when it must be done without the use of dialogue, only dancing. For this, I applaud the Dance department for bringing the story to life. First, the choreography was complicated, yet brilliantly pulled off by the cast. It becomes complicated because there was not a moment where someone was not moving on stage. Some scenes required the exertion of huge amounts of energy and talent, yet the performers pulled the dancing off flawlessly.
Watching the movements was truly delightful, as everyone and everything seemed perfectly timed. If there was one reason to see the show, it was to admire the performers pull off the dancing. Another element that I liked was the design of the production’s backdrops. The forest back-drop was especially detailed. I never thought that anything seemed fake-looking or out of place, and that is something important in stage productions. The costumes also worked well, making it easy for the audience to believe that these are characters in a story and not dancers wearing costumes. The final positive element of the show worth mentioning is how well the performers did at conveying emotions without the use of dialogue. Their hand gestures and physical movements said a lot about what they were feeling. The romance between characters was convincing, given that the characters embraced
Ashley Favata photo
Above: The dance ensemble performs one of the production’s complicated dance numbers. Audiences were delighted to see Shakespeare’s comical play about magic and romance “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” come to life through the hardwork and talent displayed by the Mercyhurst Dance Department.
and carried each other in order to display it. Again, I must give praise to the actors here, as they made the material come alive.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was a well-put together, wonderfully-acted production that is made all that much better because of
how difficult it was to pull off. The show played in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center from Nov. 7-9.
‘Frank’ in Taylor Little Theatre Samite to play Walker Hall By Naomi Greenstein
By Megan Pacileo
Time to bundle up and settle down for another Sunday afternoon movie at Taylor Little Theatre. This week, the theater will be playing “Frank,” starring Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The acclaimed Lenny Abrahamson, director of the award-winning films “Adam & Paul” and “What Richard Did” directs this off-beat comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon (Gleeson). Jon, though wanting desperately to make it as a musician, finds himself out of his comfort-zone when he joins an avant-garde pop band led by the mysterious Frank. Frank (Fassbender) is a musical genius who hides himself inside a large, fake
On Friday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m., musician Samite will play at the Walker Recital Hall. The internationally celebrated musician comes together with Grammy Award Winner David Cullen for a show that seeks to bring two musical worlds together. This night concludes a week-long artist-in-residency program that brought Samite to Erie locations such as the Barber Center, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Mercy Center for the Arts, ExpERIEnce Children’s Museum, Music for Veterans and many more. Born and raised in Uganda, Samite’s grandfather was the one who taught him to play the traditional flute. At age 12, a music teacher placed a western flute in his
Staff writer
Arts and Entertainment editor
miac photo
“Frank” promises to be quirky and moving, with A-list talents.
head and plays with his bandmate Clara (Gyllenhaal). The giant head Frank conceals himself in adds to his uniqueness, because he plays only for the love of music and the joy it brings. As his influence waxes, creative tensions mount and the band’s entire raison d’être is called into question. The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 17. The consensus stated “Funny, clever, and endearingly unusual, Frank transcends its quirky trappings with a heartfelt -- and surprisingly thought-provoking -- story.” The quirky film will be shown at Taylor Little Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m.
almaartistbooking.com photo
Samite will blend musical stylings at the Walker Recital Hall.
hands, quickly setting him on his way to becoming one of East Africa’s most acclaimed flute players. He performed to enthusiastic audiences in Uganda until 1982, when he was forced to flee to Kenya as a political refugee before he immigrated to the United States in 1987,
where settled in Ithaca, New York. Today his vocals accompanied by the kalimba, marimba, litungu and various flutes, mesmerize audiences around the world. This show is sponsored by WSEE Media. Ticket are $10 for students.
All Around Erie: Medium edition ‘Interstellar’ impresses audiences By Megan Pacileo
Arts and Entertainment editor
Tr a n s - S i b e r i a n Orchestra
Online
With everyone gearing up for Christmas, it’s only appropriate that the Trans-Siberian Orchestra would be too, with their new rock opera, “The Christmas Attic.” Some songs off “The Christmas Attic” have never been played live, ensuring fans will enjoy their electrifying performance. The story will be begin on Christmas Eve, when a young girl sneaks into the attic and discovers a magical doorway in a trunk filled with ornaments and bundles of letters. The show will also feature fan favorites, such as “Wizards In Winter” and “Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12/24.” The Erie Insurance Arena will host one spectacular show on Friday Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Make-A-Wish and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Tickets can be purchased at the Erie Insurance Arena box office. For more information, call 814-452-4857.
For more information, call 814-580-6608.
FILM at the Erie Art Museum
Erie has played host to some unique events, but this one just might be the winner. Erie is proud to be hosting the Pennsylvania State Yo-Yo Contest at the Bayfront Convention Center. So, if you are a yo-yo aficionado or simply want to watch some talented people perform cool tricks, head down to the Convention Center on Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you would like to compete, do not worry. Registration is open until Nov. 15 at www.pastateyoyo. com. There is a fee to register, starting at $15. Admission is free for those who want to watch the competitions. For more information, contact Mark Jeanneret at Mjeanneret@visiterie.com.
The Erie Art Museum is excited to continue to show artistically moving films. This week’s movie is “The Tribe,” a 2014 Ukrainian drama. The film uses sign language only, with no subtitles. The film is set in a boarding school for deaf children, where a new arrival, Sergey, gets drawn into an institutional system of organized crime. He crosses a dangerous line when he falls for Yana, one of the girls to whom he’s assigned as a pimp. The film won the Gan Foundation Support for Distribution Award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the Erie Art Museum.
Full list of events can be found on the PAC website
PA State Yo-Yo Contest
@MeganPacileo
By Dennis Arthur
Cinema Club president
“You gotta admit one thing. You can’t beat the view.” This line is uttered by George Clooney’s character in the 2013 sci-fi hit “Gravity” and can be applied to “Interstellar” as well. Christopher Nolan’s cinematic foray into space and time boasts of wondrous visuals and admirable ambitiousness, but it is not without its flaws. Anyone who saw “Inception” and “The Dark Knight Triology” can attest to Christopher Nolan’s dexterity with finding an intimate story within the grandiosity of his set-pieces and visuals. In “Interstellar,” Nolan does exactly that. There are a few emotional and gut-wrenching scenes in the movie that had many audience members driven to tears. Did I mention the visuals? The visuals in this movie supersede those of any other film this year.
View upcoming performances: www.miac.mercyhurst.edu
I felt like an astronaut for the most part of its 3-hour run. An original, convincing narrative is one of the few things that this movie is deficient in. A skilled widower and father leaves his children to embark on a mission with the promise of being reunited with them soon. Sound familiar? The tone of disappointment in this review only stems from the fact that I expected a wildly original narrative from Christopher Nolan, one of the greatest auteurs of our generation and the inspiration behind a special group of movie-lovers known as Nolanites. Nevertheless, “Interstellar” is a masterfully-made film. Many directors would be begging to have this sort of film on their resumes. Last year’s “Gravity” had a similar narrative issue, but it still blew me away. This movie is a definite must-watch, because it is one thrilling ride into space that you may not get again.
comingsoon.net photo
“Interstellar” might not be director Christopher Nolan’s best work, but audiences will not leave disappointed.
“Interstellar” enlists A-list talents, including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine. I would rate this movie an 8.5 out of 10. @TheMerciad
www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment
November 12, 2014
The Merciad
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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.
‘Alex from Target’ took viral to a whole new level By Colleen Niebauer Staff writer
On Nov, 2. “YOOOOOOOOOO” was the only caption to the picture meme phenomena that blew up recently on Twitter. Twitter user “rims” with the username @auscalum took a picture of her cashier as he was bagging her purchase from Target. One can assume that from the caption and the picture, rims took the picture and posted it because Alex was attractive, possibly even because he looked like Justin Beiber, and she felt she needed to share this with the world. The tweet has received thousands of retweets and
favorites. The post spurred multiple “Alex from Target” spinoffs, such as people mimicking the same style pictures, along with the new trending hashtag: #alexfromtarget.
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The now famous ‘Alex’ was found on Twitter and gained thousands more followers.
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Colleen Niebauer
The hashtag became so spread out and known that even the Disney stars, the Spouse brothers, commented on the picture, jokingly claiming Alex to be their lost triplet. The now famous “Alex” was found on Twitter and gained
thousands more followers. Alex from Target has quickly become a meme, an easy task on the Internet when a tweet or a picture becomes so famous and widespread. Sites such as Twitter and Tumblr are taking Alex and making innumerable jokes about Alex’s good looks, about how people are responding and raving about Alex, and making multiple fandom jokes and references. However, this “harmless” tweet may not be so innocent after all. Many have been speculating whether or not this was something of a conspiracy started by Target. Target took the opportunity to use Alex’s trending as a marketing technique. Alex has even taken advantage of
his fresh fame, asking through Twitter “If we sold AlexFromTarget merch would you guys buy it?” the very same day the original tweet was posted; this only encouraging more rumors that the entire thing was a setup. So was it real or not? That most likely does not matter because, as they say, any publicity is good publicity and Target no doubt was granted much more business thanks to Alex.
@TheMerciad
Blackout on Halloween gave the holiday a different feel By Mackenzie Burns Staff writer
Halloween got a little spookier when the power went out on campus. The cause was a transmission substation fire that left over 15,000 people in Erie without power. An employee on site said that the transmission was new and when they put it into service it failed. The biggest issue with power outages on college campuses occurs when the outage takes place during the day when food is unable to be prepared or when heat
cannot function during winter storms. This blackout did not present any immediate danger to Mercyhurst students, nor did it last long enough to have any serious effects. For many, the only hassle faced was resenting clocks and thermostats. The blackout only lasted about half an hour.The problem is that a power outage causes additional concern for our campus. With no power, freshmen students are unable to get into the wings of their dorms without an R.A. Also, several students were stuck in the ele-
vators. This can cause claustrophobia due to being in pitch black tight quarters with no real form of communication to those outside the elevators. Emergency responders were sent to busy intersections to deal with traffic. Upper Peach Street had power restored within 20 minutes, and most of Erie was with power again shortly after. Penelec restored power to the rest of Erie by midnight. The irony of the blackout is that it occurred on Halloween. Most people were still able to handle themselves well, but there were a few students who
took advantage of the lack of electricity. Some students put on masks and walked around campus imitating The Purge: Anarchy. Others were attempting to scare other students who were afraid of the dark. Overall, the blackout did not cause many problems. Aside from many students now avoiding taking the elevator at all costs, a majority of students see it as just a funny story from Halloween 2014.
Staff writer
Last Tuesday was Election Day. It is hard to miss it what with all the celebrities blathering on about voting or dying and rocking the vote, not to mention the “I Voted” stickers people wear. For politics nerds such as myself, election days are usually full of speculation and even more exciting than usual C-Span coverage. Election Day is one of the few days of the year where the average person pays attention to politics. Yet among all of this hubbub and excitement, I did not vote. I am certainly an ideal voter since I am politically-aware and informed more so than the general public. I am registered to vote and I even walked over to the polling station to hand out books, so I am certainly not too lazy to vote. I run an active political club on campus that hosts educational events and work to distribute hundreds of educational books I have stacked in my closest, but I did not vote and since voting is portrayed as some kind of sacred duty in this country, I shall explain myself. My reasons for not voting are manifold but I will only
cover two here. At the most basic level, I did not vote because my vote is meaningless. The odds of my vote impacting the outcome of an election are small. As the recently-deceased economist Gordon Tullock said “It’s more likely that you’ll die driving to the polling booth than your vote will change the outcome.” The more people who vote, the less of an impact your vote has on any decision that is made. Often times voting is not portrayed as a way to make a difference, but rather as a patriotic duty that is every individuals way to make a difference and contribute to solving society’s problems. However, I contend that this mindset is harmful and contributes to the problems that society faces rather than does anything to solve them. The ability to vote comes with almost no responsibilities. One merely needs to register, show up, push a few buttons, and then go home. This means that everyone from Ph.D.s to the politically illiterate can show up to vote without any obligation to have any idea of what is going on in the world, let alone any sensible way to solve problems. Voting is easy. Voting costs very little. That is why there is a difference between voting
and actually doing something. Doing something is not easy. Doing something has a high cost. Doing something means becoming educated and informed about issues. Doing something means recognizing that problems cannot be solved by pushing buttons that send people to make decisions for you. Doing something is hard work.
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The odds of my vote impacting the outcome of an election are small.
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Zachary Yost
People have been voting in this country for quite a long time and where has that gotten us: an out of control federal debt that is leading the country to bankruptcy; a massive domestic surveillance network; pointless wars in the Middle East that just continue the cycle of violence; Economic busts. Would any of these problems really have worked out differently in the past or be solved in the future just if more people turn out to vote? Of course not. Voting is looking to politicians to solve our problems and if history has taught us anything, it is that politicians create more problems and make existing ones worse. Real social change comes
Mercyhurst thanks veterans on their day by posting experiences of Veterans that are part of the Mercyhurst community. This past weekend was a good weekend to be a Laker for Hurst athletics. The men’s soccer Team who won the PSAC Tournament Championship. And the football team had a record-setting win against California. Congrats!
The Bad... It is that time of the year again when registration for J-Term and Spring becomes a nightmare. From the students’ perspective, more thought should be put into scheduling of classes so that students have less conflict with classes that are required but offered at conflicting times.
The Ugly... Last Wednesday, a student parked her car outside Old Main. The student later entered Egan Dining Hall and when she returned, her car had moved forward, destroyed a “no parking” sign, hit a light and crashed into the bushes. This is certainly ugly for the student and her car, who according to her has apparently experienced this kind of incident before.
The Weird... Old Main never ceases to surprise with its unique and interesting art in the hallways. This week, the display that called everyone’s attention was the weirdlooking stuffed animals hung in the main hallway.
@TheMerciad
Elections are not embraced by all By Zachary Yost
The Good...
from changing the minds of the public through education. Real change takes time and is slow and bitter work. Real change comes from putting new ideas in people’s heads and getting them to change their minds about things. I did not vote because I know that my vote is meaningless. I did not vote because I know that actually doing something about the problems we face requires hard work rather than just pushing some buttons. I did not vote because I know that affecting real societal change is an organic process that can only happen by educating people and changing their minds. If you too want to actually do something to change the world rather than engaging in meaningless symbolic gestures like voting become educated. Pick up a book (the Mercyhurst Liberty League has hundreds if you need some.) The world is not going to get fixed by itself and it certainly would not get fixed by voting for incompetent, bumbling, ignoramuses every other year.
@TheMerciad
The Merciad Editors Zach Dorsch Jordan Power Nathan Turner Ryan Kushner Carly Contraguerro Megan Pacileo Marcela Delgado Mary Barnes Sami Rapp Will DeFeo Bill Welch
Positions @mercyhurst.edu Editor-in-Chief editormerciad Writing Coach *jpower57 News Editor newsmerciad Features Editor featuremerciad Sports Editor sportsmerciad A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad Copy Editor copymerciad Photo Editor photomerciad Ad Manager admerciad Adviser wwelch
*@lakers.mercyhurst. edu
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
November 12, 2014
The Merciad
Men’s soccer wins PSAC title By Carly Contraguerro Sports editor
The Mercyhurst men’s soccer team soccer team won the PSAC Championship on Saturday, Nov. 8, defeating Bloomsburg University 5-0 at the Mercyhurst soccer field. This is the second time the team has won the conference championship in three seasons. This win improved the Lakers’ record to 18-2. Last season, the Lakers lost in overtime 3-2 in the final game, so many of the men were eager to claim the title back this year. After winning Friday’s semifinal game against West Chester 2-1, the team had a drive to finish their PSAC season strong. “Our preparation for the games this weekend was just like any other game we play. We never underestimate our opponents. We knew it was a knockout tournament so we just had to win,” redshirt sophomore Jack Watson said. At Saturday’s game, Watson started the scoring for the game in the 20th minute off an assist from senior Ryan Lund. Again at the 37th minute,
Upcoming games for Lakers fall and winter sports teams The men’s basketball team will face Fairmont State University at Fairmont on Friday, Nov. 14. This is their first game of the season. In their 2013-14 season the Lakers had one of the best defenses and were ranked No. 2 in Division II. The women’s basketball team will travel to California University of Pennsylvania to face West Liberty University on Friday, Nov. 14, and Notre Dame University of Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 15. The Lakers were picked to finish sixth in the PSAC West Division Preseason Coaches’ Poll The football team will play at Tullio Field on Saturday, Nov. 15 at noon. The team is on a six- game winning streak. This is the last game of the season and will be senior day. Men’s ice hockey will travel to Waltham, Mass. to face Bentley University Friday, Nov. 14 and Saturday, Nov. 15. The team earned their first sweep of the season over Army this past weekend and are on a three-game winning streak. Men’s soccer will play at the Mercyhurst soccer field on Sunday, Nov 16. The men will face Notre Dame College of Ohio for the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament. Mercyhurst’s record is 18-2 and Notre Dame’s is 10-5-2. The time of the game is TBA. Wrestling will travel to East Stroudsburg on Nov. 16 to participate in the East Stroudsburg Open. The Lakers finished their 2013-2014 season with an 18-1 overall record, setting program marks for most wins in a season. This year, they are ranked seventh in the country.
hurstathletics.com photo
The Mercyhurst men’s soccer team defeated Bloomsburg University 5-0 in the PSAC Championship game on Saturday, Nov. 8. The men will advance to the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 16 to play Notre Dame College of Ohio.
Watson scored another goal from senior Dane Rimko to take the game to the half with the Lakers leading 2-0. “It was a relief to be up 2-0 at the half because it took us 88 minutes to finally score in the game before on Friday,”
Watson said. “To come out strong and score two goals was good for us because we knew once we were disciplined in the second half there was no way Bloomsburg could break our defense down. Our defense
has been so strong all year and don’t get enough credit for what they do.” The third goal for the Lakers was made by junior Sten Marcson. This was his second goal of the season. Senior Fernando Martinez
scored the next goal off of an assist from sophomore Danny Deakin. Deakin recorded another assist to junior Richard Vanhorne who increased the score to 5-0 Lakers and took them to the final.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nicholas Smith made four saves during the game and received his second shutout. Following the game, Watson was named tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP). He had three goals over the two games this weekend. He now sits at 22 goals on the year which leads the nation. “It’s great to be scoring goals because that is my job, but I wouldn’t be able to do that without the team. Again, the defense doesn’t get enough credit for what they do. They’re coming together and blending nicely and are very hard to break down. You need a strong defense to be successful. Offenses win games but defenses win championships for you,” Watson said. The Lakers will play next in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament. Mercyhurst will play Notre Dame College of Ohio at Mercyhurst soccer field on Sunday, Nov. 16.
@TheMerciad
Boylan breaks 5 records By Tim Reed
Contributing writer
In a shootout against California University of Pennsylvania, redshirt junior quarterback Brendan Boylan broke five school records. The broken records were the single game school record for completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offensive yards and total touchdowns responsible for. He led Mercyhurst to a 59-49 win on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Tullio Field. Completing 37 of his 49 passes, Boylan recorded 544 yards through the air and six touchdowns, while also adding 19 yards and another score on the ground. Boylan credits this performance to everyone being on the same page. “Everybody on offense stepped up, the o-line blocking, and running back’s reacting in split second scenarios, it was a great team win yesterday,” Boylan said. As a whole, the Laker offense put up arcade-like numbers, this time setting a school record with 640 total yards, breaking their previous record of 628 yards which was achieved against Gannon last season. However, Cal’s offense was on fire as well. Led by quarterback James Harris, the Cal offense scored 14 points early in the first quarter as Harris connected with Kowan Scott on a nine yard pass for a touchdown. Shortly after, Cal marched down the field for 77 yards followed by a Terrell Robinson 4-yard touchdown run. The first quarter was slow for the Lakers, as they were only able to put three on the board after a 29-yard field goal by sophomore Dylan Kondis. The second quarter is when Boylan began to answer with his stellar play, finding redshirt senior Stephen Yarbrough on a 3-yard pass to the end zone, depleting the Cal lead to 14-10. Mercyhurst gained the 17-14 lead after Boylan and the offense drove 80 yards down the field ending with a
Salina Bowe photo
Mercyhurst football’s redshirt junior quarterback, Brendan Boylan (13) completed 37 of his 49 passes and threw for 544 yards during Saturday’s game against Cal U. Redshirt senior Stephen Yarbrough (81) had three touchdowns and completed 238 receiving yards.
one-yard sneak by the quarterback himself. But with just 1:44 seconds to play at the half, Cal was able to drive 65 yards and take a 21-17 lead. Despite this, the Lakers came out after halftime confident. Boylan had three touchdown passes in the third quarter: The first to redshirt senior tight end R.J. Miller, the second to Yarbrough, and the third to Miller again, putting the Lakers up 38-21. However, California was not going out easy, as they were able to storm back in the fourth quarter due to huge plays from Harris and Garry Brown. This pair met for three touchdowns in the final quarter on pass plays of 76, 75 and 47 yards. The Lakers still prevailed in the end as redshirt freshman Alex Misterman recorded his first career rushing touchdown. Aiding Boylan’s stellar performance was Yarbrough. On just 12 receptions, Yarbrough racked up 238 receiving yards and three touchdowns. This broke the school record for most receiving yards in a
game. “We knew Cal was going to be a tough team, but we knew how to go out there and win,” Yarbrough said. “This offensive spurt has been all about coming together and working as a team, from the offensive line, to the quarterback, everybody has contributed to it.” Other contributors to Boylan’s record-setting day was Miller who had six catches for 82 yards and two scores, redshirt junior fullback T.J. Latimer who had six receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown, and junior Dylan Bongiorni who had four receptions for 93 yards. Senior Colin Kimball led the Laker defense, recording five tackles and two interceptions, Marking 13 total interceptions for his career. With this game in the bag, the Lakers gained their six straight win moving to a 6-4 record. Their last game is at home Saturday, Nov. 8, against Shippensburg University. This will be senior day for the players. @TheMerciad
Salina Bowe photo
Redshirt senior tight end R.J. Miller (25) above, scoring a touchdown during Saturday’s 59-49 Laker win. He scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and completed 82 receiving yards.
November 12, 2014
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The Merciad
Sports Opening Moves Men’s hockey sweeps Army By Haleigh Giebel Contributing writer
Jake Lowy photo
The Mercyhurst wrestling team hosted their annual Laker Open on Saturday, Nov. 8. Many teams participated in this event, including teams from all three NCAA divisions. Pictured above, redshirt junior Angelo Bortoluzzi won the 165 pound weight class at the match. The wrestling team is ranked seventh in the country according to NCAA Division II wrestling rankings. Five wrestlers are ranked in the top eight in their weight class including redshirt sophomore Willie Bohince (125), redshirt senior Ryan Bohince (133), reshirt junior Jeremy Landowski (149), reshirt junior August Mizia (174) and sophomore Andrew Welton (285). The Lakers travel for their next match to compete in the 48th annual East Stroudsburg University Open Wrestling Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 16. Written by Carly Contraguerro
The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team improved its record to 5-3-0 after sweeping Army at the Mercyhurst Ice Center last weekend. This was the team’s first sweep this season. On Friday, Nov. 7, the Lakers won 2-0 and on Nov. 8, they won 7-5. During the first period on Friday night, freshman Kane Elliot started off the scoring for Mercyhurst with his first career goal at 16:45 assisted by sophomore Philippe Drouin and junior Kyle Cook. Just 44 seconds later, senior Zac Frischmon recorded his first goal of the season from junior Alec Shields and freshman Jonathan Charbonneau. Senior Jimmy Sarjeant stole the game away from Army with a 39-save shutout, the second of his career. This game lowered Sarjeant’s goals against average to 2.71 and raised his save percentage to .926. Army out-shot Mercyhurst 39 to 27 during this game. During Saturday night’s game, Army started off the scoring early in the first period. Charbonneau tied the game
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at one with a goal assisted by seniors Daniel Bahntge and Tyler Shiplo. Sophomore Stephen Hrehoriak went to the penalty box seven minutes into the second period and Army took advantage of it, making the score 2-1. Army’s lead did not last long, though. Mercyhurst scored three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead over Army. Senior Chris Bodo started it off with a goal from senior Ryan Misiak and Shields. While on the power play, senior Kyle Just found the back of the net to tie the game at 3. His goal was assisted by Misiak and Charbonneau. Bodo grabbed his second goal of the game at 15:38 from Shields and Frischmon to give Mercyhurst their first lead of the game. During the end of the second period and beginning of the third, Army fought back and took the lead once again, making the score 5-4. Early in the third period, sophomore Spencer Bacon took over for Sarjeant in goal. Mercyhurst rallied after this change starting with sophomore Kyle Dutra tying the game at five. His goal was assisted by senior Matthew Zay and Cook.
Junior Anthony Mastrodicasa scored Mercyhurst’s second power play goal of the game to give them a 6-5 lead. His goal was assisted by Bodo and Zay. Army pulled their goalie and Misiak sealed the win for Mercyhurst with a goal from Just and senior Grant Gettinger. Bacon made 12 saves while in net which was every shot Army made on goal to capture his first collegiate win as a Laker. Mercyhurst out-shot Army 41 to 30. For the sixth consecutive week, the Lakers have received votes in the USCHO.com Poll. The men are on a three-game winning streak and look to increase their record to 7-3-0 this weekend. They will travel to Waltham, Massachusetts Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15 to take on Bentley University. Bentley’s current record is 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the AHA conference.
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Laker
November 12, 2014
The Merciad
Living
Analida’s Ethnic Spoon: Sweet Onion Quiche By Analida Braeger Guest Columnist
Sweet onion quiche or Zwiebelkuchen is a typical German recipe, that was given to me by my friend Angela. I told her I would give her a shout out, and she agreed to share this simple yet delicious recipe with me. Angela brought this delightful dish to my house for a party. One bite and I had to ask her for the recipe. Sweet onion quiche is another example of European frugality, and one that shows that you don’t need fancy ingredients to create a fabulous dish. Because you are using sweet onions, the taste is not overly “oniony” for lack of a better word. Angela uses sour cream in her Sweet Onion Quiche. This is a great addition to the recipe because it gives the egg mixture a really soft creamy consistency, almost like scrambled eggs. I also like that Angela confessed that she uses store bought crust (gasp) when she is in a pinch. This recipe also uses a small amount of “speck” a German ham similar to prosciutto, but different in that it is first brined and then cold smoked. It is fantastic. Angela says that you can use a wood smoked bacon if you are unable to find speck. The one ingredient that caught my eye was ground caraway seeds. To be honest with you I had never used caraway before in cooking. The amount the recipe called for was so small that I considered skipping it altogether. Holy cow, am I glad I didn’t skip it. Caraway (carum carvi) is popular in European and Mediterranean cuisine. It has
a warm, sweet and peppery taste and aroma. Believe me its subtle taste is felt on the palate even in small amounts. It comes from the same family as dill, anise, fennel and cumin. Caraway also happens to have some medicinal benefits such as anti-oxidant and digestive properties. Ingredients: 1 pie crust 1 large sweet Vidalia onion thinly sliced 1 Tbsp. olive oil 4 eggs 2 Tbsp. chopped speck 1/2 cup sour cream 1 cup half and half 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. ground caraway seeds 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika Instructions: Preheat oven to 350F. In a skillet on medium heat sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Reduce heat to low and allow onions to caramelize. Add paprika, salt and caraway. Roll out pastry dough and fit inside quiche pan (a pie pan will also work well) and using the tines of a fork poke holes in it. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of dough. Add pie weights or dry beans and blind bake for about 10 minutes and remove promptly. In a large bowl whisk eggs with sour cream and half and half. Add the onions and mix well.
Remove parchment paper and pie weights from bottom of crust and pour egg mixture over crust. Bake for about 20 minutes in the middle of the oven. Test for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester. Turn oven to broil and allow quiche to broil for about 2 minutes or just until the top starts to brown. Serve hot For more recipies go to: www.ethnicspoon.com (This recipe came from Analida’s Ethnic Spoon a blog created by Analida Braeger.)
www.ethnicspoon.com
Zwiebelkuchen is sweet onion quiche from Germany.
Beauty Talks: Mint Tea Toner By Marcela Delgado Opinion editor
Toner is a beauty product that has many benefits, but not everyone makes use of it. For those that do, it can be very expensive in cosmetic, grocery or convenience stores. Toners are good to cleanse and close the pores, but it may contain ingredients that are harmful for your skin. It may contain alcohol and parabens, which can leave the skin irritated and may induce allergic reactions. Knowing that commercial toners are dangerous to your skin does not mean that you should eliminate from your daily face cleansing routine. Instead, you should switch it for a safer and more natural alternative. This week’s recipe comes from momsgoinggreen.com and can be done with just two ingredients:
A handful of mint leaves 2 cups of water To start, boil the mint leaves in water. Hold leaves and pour water into a bottle where you want to store it for future use. Let the water cool and apply to a clean face with a cotton ball. The mint will have a calming and cooling effect on skin, so it will leave you feeling refreshed after application. Don’t forget to visit Freshfaceforward.org to learn more about safer products and what to avoid. Also, find Fresh Face Forward on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest so you can get tips and recipes all year long.
@freshfacefwd
Game Zone By Sami Rapp Photo Editor
Last Week’s Answers