wellbeing of students.” These incidents could point to an increase in crime in the campus area, but Lieutenant of Police and Safety Matthew Platz has different thoughts.
for next year. The system has been used a few times this year, but it is hoped that increasing the service will decrease the crimes. The blue light service is also available to help students. Students in a dangerous situation can
“I’ve been here for eight years and I don’t think there is an increase of incidents around campus. Incidents do occur, but most crimes are just usually unreported. There is just an increase in reported crimes,” Platz said. In order to avoid these situations, Police and Safety recommends walking in pairs or even more than two. It’s always safer with higher numbers. If students think they may be in danger, they can always call Police and Safety for an escort. Even if students are underage and intoxicated, they will not receive punishment for requesting an escort. Safety is the number one concern, and at most, the student may receive a lecture about responsible drinking. Police and Safety officers are doing all they can to prevent these incidents. They plan to communicate with students, especially the freshman class, and promote the escort service
quickly press the blue light button, and Police and Safety will immediately swarm the area to help. The lights are frequently tested so they should always be operational. As far as further precautions to be taken for next year, more cameras will be installed around campus. “The increase in cameras could have been helpful to get the plate number of the man who tried to abduct the girl earlier in the year. The cameras will be positioned at all the exits around campus,” Platz said. Campus is also on patrol with at least four officers at all times, which is considered a suitable number for the campus size. “The chief of Police and Safety means well, and I can tell he takes his job seriously. I just think the people who work for him are not as committed to their work,” junior Mark Matash said.
College grants take hit from proposed state budget cuts
Student wins scholarship by writing review of college
Opinion: GOP hopefuls create amusement
Baseball team aims for PSAC championship
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By Stacy Skiavo Staff writer
This year, Mercyhurst College has had several reported crimes on and around campus that have stirred fear on campus. In November, two male freshman hockey players were charged by Erie Police with sexual assault. In December, a female student was nearly abducted on the corner of East 38th Street and Pine Avenue. The man had a knife and approached her as she was walking to her apartment; however, the female escaped. A similar incident happened months later, and eventually the man was apprehended. Other reports during the year included assault and theft. In April, a student was attacked walking on East 38th Street. The suspect stole the student’s wallet and fled, but not without injuring the student. These incidents have made students think about their safety. “In response to recent events concerning the safety of Mercyhurst students, innovative security measures should be developed that inspires nationwide campus security standards,” said junior Anthony Corso said. “This is a good opportunity to put Mercyhurst on the map and express a concern for the
Next year a possible launch of a program used in previous years called the Crime Prevention Program may be reinstated. This program spoke to freshmen about ways to prevent crime. Students have the option of filling out forms of their valuables, including serial numbers of electronics if their belongings were ever stolen. Paperwork for this service can be found online or at the Police and Safety office. Several announcements released from Police and Safety are on the portal to keep students aware. “Communication is the big thing; we try to do it in as many ways as we can,” Platz said. Student safety in their own apartments has also come into question, as the basement apartments are easily accessible from the ground floor. “I feel pretty safe in my apartment. I’ve never had an intruder problem and have never really been concerned,” sophomore Cassie Seligman said. “I have issues with broken sinks and toilets, but as far as the rest of my apartment goes, I feel like it’s secure and pretty safe,” sophomore Ryan Fragapane said. Students should know the number of Police and Safety at all times in case of an emergency. Police and Safety can be reached at extension 2304.
NEWS
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May 11, 2011
’Hurst takes hit from proposed state budget cuts By Joseph Pudlick Contributing writer
The 2011 Pennsylvania state budget proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett has created a stir in universities across the commonwealth and could reduce funding to Mercyhurst. Overall, schools in Pennsylvania were funded with about $11.5 billion during the 2010-2011 academic year, but Corbett’s new plan calls for a funding cut of about $1.5 billion. More than $650 million of that amount includes the cuts for Pennsylvania colleges and universities. With 17 state universities and over 25 additional semi-public universities, the majority of the cuts will affect these institutions. The additional more than 75 private colleges and universities, including Mercyhurst, will see very little change from these cuts as they receive very little state funding. Still, Mercyhurst may see an impact of up to $350,000. “Most of the aid that Mercyhurst receives from the state comes to our lower and middle income students in the way of PHEAA
grants,” said Vice President for Enrollment Michael Lyden, Ph.D. “This year, for example, about one half of our students on the Erie campus are Pennsylvania residents and the majority of these students received PHEAA grants totaling $1.7 million.” “It’s a misconception that private schools serve only affluent students,” President Thomas Gamble, Ph.D., said. Considering all of the budget cuts, the governor did not cut any money out of the PHEAA grant funds, nor did he add any money to those funds. “Governor Corbett has proposed ‘level funding’ for PHEAA grants in his budget,” said Lyden. “However, if the number of PHEAA eligible students in the state increases next year, the average grant will decrease.” In other words, the proposed level funding will not account for any change in demand for PHEAA grant money and could dilute the amount of money that students get from this year to next. Pennsylvania also provides money to private institutions through the Institutional Assistance Grant (IAG),
which is where Mercyhurst will see its loss in funding. “The amount is based on the number of PHEAA–eligible students who attend the College,” said Lyden. “In 2009, Mercyhurst received a $1.1 million IAG grant.” That was cut to $700,000 in the current year, and would be halved again to $350,000 next year under Corbett’s proposal, Gamble said. “These are funds that are used by the college to help cover its operating expenses and any reduction in the IAG grant will need to be offset by reductions in other areas of our budget,” Lyden said. Much of the money ends up in student financial aid packages to help offset tuition, Gamble said. When considering the budget cuts, Director of Admissions Christopher Coons is not worried about the effects it will have on attracting prospective students. “It will affect how we market and recruit students,” said Coons. “We’ll need to continue to highlight the quality and value of a Mercyhurst education and promote this message into all of our communication strategies.”
Mercyhurst admits students based on their academic abilities, not the ability to pay in what Coons calls a “need-blind” system. “Mercyhurst is a ‘need-blind’ institution, which means we don’t accept students to Mercyhurst based on financial ability,” said Coons. “We use the following factors when admitting students to Mercyhurst: high school transcript, ACT/SAT scores, college preparatory coursework, letters of recommendation and extracurricular involvement.” Students who receive PHEAA grants are concerned about the funding cuts and thinking of alternate plans to come up with the money supplied by the grants. Freshman Mike Pollard said, “It would be significantly more difficult to afford college without my PHEAA grants because Mercyhurst is such an expensive school.” Freshman Brett Ambrose said, “I will mostly have to work harder over the summer and pick up more hours during the school year to make up for the money provided by my PHEAA grants if they get cut.” Others are worried about the effect the lack of grant money
could have on their grades. “With the cut, I’ll have to work while in school, and with a hard major like biology, working while in school will sufficiently affect my grades and my GPA and possibly even my graduate school acceptance,” freshman Owen Corcoran said. The bottom line is not all students at Mercyhurst are from Pennsylvania, as admissions does recruit throughout the tri-state region and across the country. “We’ve hired a representative in the New England region who has done a good job promoting Mercyhurst and enrolling students from the area,” said Coons. “Additionally, we are enrolling students from Ohio, New York, New Jersey, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest and the West Coast.” With the tradition of Mercyhurst and the growing admission of students in and out of state, Coons remains confident in what they are doing. “If we promote the message that we are an institution of the highest quality with great faculty, great programs, great facilities, great athletics, etc… then I think students will continue to enroll here,” Coons said.
Students create anti-texting, driving businesses By Alicia Cagle Staff writer
Jill Barrile photos
Above: Junior Craig Small and seniors Lindsay Dorrion and Patrick Ellement created TTYL for the tradeshow. Below: Seniors Sarah Hricko, Kristen Grenga and Grazia Padgett created the business D-txt.
This year for the annual Communication Campaigns Tradeshow, students created a nonprofit organization based on the theme of antitexting and driving. The event is a part of the Communication Campaigns class. Students in the course team up to create their own businesses, which they unveil at the trade show. The Communication Campaigns Tradeshow took place Tuesday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Hermann Student Union Great Room. Each campaign focused on creating awareness of the dangers of texting and driving. Communication Department Chair Anne Zaphiris, Ph.D., said, “This year’s theme is very pertinent for young people.” There were five nonprofit organizations created and all were founded on personal experiences or tragedies involving texting and driv-
ing. The organizations were Focus, iTxtL8r, D-txt, Drive Smart: Don’t Text in Your Kart and TTYL. Each organization was judged by Erie professionals and Mercyhurst alumni in the field. Additionally, anyone who visited the trade show was asked to vote for their favorite booths. Winners will be announced later this week. Senior Kylie Rossler and juniors Katie Wagner and Spencer Hunt worked on the organization called Drive Smart: Don’t Text in Your Kart. Their campaign was an initiative that used Mario Kart characters. The campaign was simulationbased where individuals replicate the dangers of texting and driving by requiring gamers to text while playing Mario Kart. “I have found that, in order to work on my campaign, I have had to draw on almost every single class that I have taken up to this point,” said Wagner. “So it has really helped to show me the ways that I can put what I have learned to use.” “I think the trade show is a great way for the students to show off
what they are capable of doing,” Wagner said. “It has really been a lot of fun to do.” The trade show portrayed the dangers of texting and driving to attendees and those who were a part of the organizations. Junior Courtney O’Brien is the founder of iTxtL8r. O’Brien said the research done for their campaign opened up “a whole new perspective on texting and driving.” “I have noticed I’ve been cutting back on texting and driving,” said O’Brien. “I even tell my friends to put their phone away if I see them texting and driving.” Sophomore Abby Robinson attended the trade show and was impressed with what she saw. “One of my favorite booths was D-txt,” said Robinson. “I liked that you could write down your last text and it really made you think about whether the message was worth risking your life for.” “The groups did a fantastic job with their materials to make people aware of the dangers of texting and driving,” Zaphiris said.
NEWS
May 11, 2011
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Intel profs reflect on bin Laden’s death By Mike Gallagher Staff writer
Osama bin Laden’s death on May 1 proved a seminal event in the lives of most U.S. students currently enrolled in college. In many ways, 9/11 shaped us, and bin Laden’s violent death was self-ordained by the violence he unleashed upon the U.S. He was a fugitive who had been led by anger and ignorance to commit an act of violence, and he was caught by an intelligence network that was equally determined to find justice. Robert Heibel, executive director of the Institute for Intelligence Studies and a retired FBI agent who teaches the MCIIS class on terrorism,
said he is not sure bin Laden’s death will increase the rate of enrollment at the Mercyhurst College Institute for Intelligence Studies (MCIIS). But he went on to explain that “we can certainly characterize Bin Laden’s death as an intelligence success. There are people that have done nothing but work on this case for the last 10 years. In large part, the trail that led to bin Laden was intelligence. What finally got him was intelligence.” “Intelligence is a growing field. I see an increase in job opportunities within business and law enforcement intelligence, and I don’t think the fact that we got bin Laden is going to diminish the current level of effort our government and its allies are putting forth to gather intel and create actionable information on all terrorism,” Heibel said.
The thing about terrorism is that “terrorism is the magic tool to get publicity for a cause—it’s the magic bang for the buck tool because it demands attention and attracts media like a moth to a flame,” Heibel said. Terrorism is not likely to go away any time soon, and Heibel thinks bin Laden’s death will “give a new respect to the field of intelligence because it paints intelligence in a positive light rather than focusing on covert actions and dirty tricks. The modern intelligence professional produces actionable knowledge for decision makers, and this leads to concrete results.” After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there was an increase in the intel department’s enrollment, according to David Grabelski, director of undergraduate program of intel-
Historians relive the past
involved. I recall we once also talked about MCIIS alumni who were involved in creating the Deck of 52 top terrorists,” Grabelski said. Daniel Mulligan, an instructor at MCIIS and a graduate of West Point, said, “I hope it will give the public a little more confidence in our ability to do intelligence, even though it took 10 years to find bin Laden. Ultimately, as the facts of this case become known, it will be educational for the public.” “9/11 was similar to Pearl Harbor with the idea of ‘you punched us, you hurt us and now we’re going to hurt you back,’ and there was this huge spike in enlistment because people wanted to get into the fight,” Mulligan said. At Mercyhurst and in the U.S., the growing need for actionable intelligence continues.
News Briefs
Former students face trial on sex assault charges
By Chris Gaertner Contributing writer
Mercyhurst College hosted the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Association of Ancient Historians (AAH) from Thursday to Sunday. Visitors came from all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Europe and even from as far away as Saudi Arabia and New Zealand to share research on politics and war, two staples of ancient history. A member of AAH and Associate Professor of History Randall Howarth, Ph.D., has been planning to host this event for five years. The process to determine where the annual meeting will be held is a lengthy one. Each year, members of the AAH issue invitations to the rest of the group, citing their desires to host the conference. The group then votes on a location and the hosting organization begins to decide upon the topics and speakers for the meeting. The keynote speaker for this year’s conference was longtime AAH member Lawrence Tritle, prfessor of history at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Titled “War & Memory: Abusing the Past?,” Tritle spent the majority of his talk covering the topic of post-traumatic stress disorder
ligence studies and a retired Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective. Grabelski said he thinks that bin Laden’s death will not affect the department’s enrollment rate as much as 9/11 did because “after 9/11, we went from being a minor in history to a full department of studies.” As for how bin Laden’s death may affect the department, Grabelski said it “will make a great case study about how analysis-supported decision-makers led to a successful tactical operation.” As for any MCIIS alumni being involved in finding bin Laden, Grabelski said he doesn’t know and isn’t likely to ever know, but “with the number of alumni in the field I would not be surprised if some program alumni were in some way
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Lawrence Tritle was the keynote speaker for the Annual Meeting of the Association of Ancient Historians. and his fear that the retelling of ancient history will soon die out. For one hour, Tritle discussed how war affected the citizens of ancient times and how war was as real thousands of years ago as it is now. A strong believer that war was just as dangerous and prominent in ancient times as it is today, Tritle said, “War is the father of all things. The story of the human race is war.” He also talked in great length about the notion of post-traumatic stress and how there is clear evidence of the disorder in ancient times, even though many modern
historians tend to disagree with that idea. Overall, Tritle’s lecture was very informative and those who listened agreed. Freshman Chris Kessler said, “He was very thorough and descriptive in PTSD and how it related to the Peloponnesian War. He was also very informative with his topic and seemed very passionate about sharing his knowledge with others.” The conference lasted all weekend, with historians from all over the world coming to campus to discuss how ancient history themes are enjoying a revival in popular American culture.
Two former Mercyhurst College male freshman hockey players, Kyle Just and Jordan Tibbett, will face a trial later this year on sexual assault charges involving a Mercyhurst student. The two went before District Magistrate Joseph Lefaiver May 4 for a preliminary hearing. At the hearing, a freshman female from Mercyhurst testified in Erie County Central Court that Tibbett and Just made sexual contact with her after she told them “this is bad” and “stop” when she was at Tibbett’s apartment on Nov. 14. Following testimony, Lefaiver ruled that Just and Tibbett must stand trial against the charges of sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault. Their trial is not yet scheduled, but an aide from Lefaiver‘s office said that typically trials take place three or four months after the preliminary hearing. Tibbett and Just are both out on an unsecured bail of $10,000.
Phi Eta Sigma donates to Jenni-Lyn Watson fund The Mercyhurst College chapter of Phi Eta Sigma, the National Honor Society, will present a $500 donation to the Jenni-Lyn Watson Memorial Scholarship Fund. On March 19, Phi Eta Sigma held its annual talent show in Taylor Little Theatre. The various acts showcased many different talents among the Mercyhurst College community. The show was a huge success with a great turnout. This year society members chose the Jenni-Lyn Watson Memorial Scholarship Fund as a way to remember and honor the talent of one Mercyhurst’s own.
FEATURES
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May 11, 2011
Student’s college review pays off By Lynn Dula Staff writer
In today’s world, the cost of college tuition increases every year, while the economy remains in a slump. For college students, financial pressure is a burden. One Mercyhurst student, however, found a way to lessen the pressure of heavy tuition fees. Sophomore Adam Ferrari participated in the StudentAdvisor. com scholarship contest and won a $1,000 award. The contest, which was held from April 1-26, chose 24 students to win scholarships based on their review of their college or university. According to Ferrari, finding out about the contest was a random
chance. “I was on Facebook and it came up in my news feed,” said Ferrari. “A couple of my friends from other schools had completed it, and I thought it looked interesting, so I clicked it.” StudentAdvisor.com is a website that allows prospective students to get information about colleges from students who attend them. According to the website, the scholarship opportunity benefits both prospective students and current students who participated in the contest. The website states, “Our goal was to help college students and alumni pay for their education. We also wanted to help college-bound students decide where to go with school reviews from real students.” In order to enter the scholarship
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Sophomore Adam Ferrari won a $1,000 scholarship.
contest, the participants had to write a review of the college or university they attend, including pros and cons about the campus, the class sizes, the weather or anything else prospective students might want to know. As an Ambassador, Ferrari is especially well informed about Mercyhurst’s pros and cons, as well as its history. “Basically what I had to do was fill out and write a college review on my school. I figured, hey, if anyone can talk up Mercyhurst and rant about it for a little bit, it’s me,” he said. Like, a majority of other students, Ferrari is thrilled to receive a little extra help with college costs. “My summer job of working at an arts center is now a no-go thanks to unfortunate budget cuts in arts
funding. This extra money will help take the place of that,” Ferrari said. Ferrari is excited about more than just the scholarship he will receive, but also the great publicity Mercyhurst has received from the contest. “It really is great getting the scholarship, but what is even cooler is the fact that tens of thousands of people have now been exposed to Mercyhurst,” said Ferrari. “On the StudentAdvisor site, it has all the winners listed as well as their schools. So now Mercyhurst is on the list among some major schools across the entire country.” To see Adam’s review of Mercyhurst, as well as the other 23 winners, go to StudentAdvisor.com and click on “Meet the Winners of the $24,000 Scholarship Giveaway.”
Fencing club to host Living the values: Joe Howard Barbarian Bash By Liz Zurasky Staff writer
By Chris James Staff writer
Have you ever had the urge to club one of your roommates? With finals coming up, stress levels are high and everyone is eagerly anticipating summer vacation. The Mercyhurst Fencing Club will offer students a chance to give into their more primal urges by taking part in the Barbarian Bash. “The club likes to beat up on each other. Naomi Wasserman and Elisha Helgen were always fighting outside my door. I think that’s how the two of them came up with the idea,” club President Carolyn Carlins said. Besides the Barbarian Bash, the Fencing Club will hold a bake sale of baked goods and lemonade. There will even be a gumball machine. The event will be different from many other club events. Instead of selecting what treats they would like to purchase, stu-
dents will choose from a variety of bashing equipment including Nerf swords or dart guns. They will receive five minutes in the ring for 50 cents. Safety is an obvious concern, and the Fencing Club will have two people working each time slot in order to keep anyone from getting too rough. “We’re going to have Nerf weaponry and let the students bash each other,” Carlins said. The club decided Nerf equipment would be the safest for use in the Barbarian bash because of its durability while still keeping a foam texture. The Fencing Club hopes it will give students a chance to relieve some stress and have a lot of fun. “The goal is to blow off steam before finals, relieve stress and raise awareness about the club,” Carlins said. The Barbarian Bash will take place Wednesday through Friday in front of the Hermann Student Union from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will move into the Student Union Great Room if the weather is uncooperative.
The values stated in Mercyhurst’s mission have always been an important part of a student’s education, but the impact they make on lives continues long after graduation. Joe Howard graduated with a degree in sociology in 2003 and received his master’s degree in organizational leadership from Mercyhurst. He currently works as the Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. When asked why he decided to stay at the school as an employee after graduation, he said, “My education has blessed my life in numerous ways, and I genuinely enjoy being a part of an institution that is doing the same for today’s students.” Howard sees the college mission implemented in his daily activities and job in the Alumni Relations Department. “I have a deep appreciation for our values of mercy, compassion and hospitality. When the temptation to judge another arises, I try to remember Plato’s adage: ‘Be kind,
for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.’ It is a call to remember each life is complicated and that patience and understanding are worthy responses,” Howard said. The Alumni Relations Department takes many initiatives to reach out to alumni through a valuesdriven approach. One example is in the wake of the Haiti earthquake crisis last year, the department involved alumni in the fundraiser initiated by students and had an incredible turnout. During his undergraduate years at Mercyhurst, Howard was part of the Ambassador’s Club, which devotes much time to learning the college’s history. He believes this is a big part of maintaining our values. “We’re actively trying to preserve our legacy for posterity,” he said. Currently, the Student Alumni Association, led by Ryan Palm, is collecting information about history and traditions of the school to create a book to give to incoming freshmen. This is a project that Howard is very enthusiastic about. He and several of his colleagues
are researching alumni, including women who graduated in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, gathering their stories and plan on publishing them online for the public to access. “We want to make sure that the incoming class knows the impressive legacy they’re joining.” It is apparent that Howard is actively practicing the values that Mercyhurst instilled in him since his freshman year of college through the work he is currently doing for the school. “As the first in my family to attend college, Mercyhurst has and continues to be a transformational force in my life,” Howard said. “My life is markedly different than what would have been possible for me without my education and campus experiences. I’m a better person because of Mercyhurst, and the ‘Hurst has opened up possibilities that I could not have imagined as an 18-yearold. For the most part, I enjoy a blessed and fortunate life. I feel a responsibility to be a part of preserving and fostering that experience for others.” Faye Clark assisted with this story.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
May 11, 2011
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Student composers featured at Composers Concert By Natalie Pertz Staff writer
Last Saturday night, the D’Angelo Department of Music held its annual spring composer’s concert at 8 p.m. Presented in Walker Recital Hall, the repertoire of the concert consisted entirely of original pieces by Mercyhurst students. To have the opportunity to participate in such a concert, students must have previously participated in a composition class under the direction of Albert Glinsky, Ph.D., director of the composition program in the D’Angelo department of music. In a student-teacher collaboration, the program opened with “Five Variations on a Theme.” A transfixing melodic work conceived by student composer Lydia Struble, it was performed on the piano by Erik Meyer, a professor of music theory and solfeggio.
One of the benefits of an intimate collegiate music conservatory such as the D’Angelo department of music is that students receive numerous opportunities throughout the year to hone their craft. Sophomore Kirstan Orgel was “thoroughly impressed with the skills of both student composers and performers. The concert showcased the talent and versatility of our music students here at Mercyhurst. It is a privilege to study and grow alongside all of them,” she said. In “Daddy’s a Religious Man,” junior Marie Karbacka sang the prophetic aria from “The Divine Corruption,” an original opera in progress by senior Mary Spinelli. Spinelli details that the aria is “sung by the female protagonist whose father is abusive and uses religion as his justification. If she doesn’t pray every night, she is beaten.” When asked how it was to sing an original work, Karbacka explains that “it was a wonderful
Jill Barrile photo
Freshmen Ethan Dovensky and Beau Miller perform a selection by freshman Luke Allport-Cohoon.
benefit to have the presence of the composer (Spinelli) to work with and receive feedback from. It is unlike learning a piece without that creative element of interpretation,” she said. In their progressive study of the elements of classical music, students were able to make years of musical study applicable through the creation of their own original compositions. The concert conveyed diversity through the varying works by the different composers and artistry in the imaginative inspiration behind each work as each was unlike the one before it. Junior Lindsey Nikithser says the concert “displayed the talent here at Mercyhurst. The music was so diverse and enjoyable, there was never a dull moment.” The concert featured original pieces by student composers Luke Allport-Cohoon, Israel Jonatan Estrada, Nathan Katus, Kayla Marie Nash, William J. Petransky Jr., Mary Spinelli and Lydia Struble.
Jazz Ensemble showcases seniors By Chris James Staff writer
While the Plain White T’s kicked off Spring Fest last weekend in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center, Taylor Little Theatre was filled with the sultry and smooth melodies of the Mercyhurst Jazz Ensemble. Students, faculty and residents of
Erie attended the concert and were not disappointed by the pleasing melodies of last Friday’s concert. Junior Sarah Blair was one of the students who attended the performance. “The concert was really great. They did an excellent job of performing music that would please a variety of audiences,” she said. To read the full version of this article, please visit merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment
Online
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Senior Lauren Haines directs the Vocal Jazz group.
Acceptance experiences short succes with ‘Phantoms’
Choir concert highlights love songs
‘The Concert’ tells of determination against discrimination
OPINION
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11, 2011 SeptemberMay 3, 2008
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciad or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
GOP hopefuls create amusement By Caitlin Handerhan Staff writer
As another year draws to a close, students are looking forward to graduation, traveling over summer break or even an extended appearance of that ever elusive sun here in northwestern Pennsylvania. I completely agree, but there is one impending event that I absolutely cannot wait for: the 2012 GOP primary season. Once this show gets on the road, there will be an endless amount of enjoyment in watching the Republican hopefuls battle it out for the chance to be electorally crushed by President Obama. After Saturday’s attempt at a Republican primary debate in South Carolina (I say attempt because the candidates in attendance generally
lacked name recognition and support in the polls), it is becoming clearer that in the upcoming elections, we may not need Tina Fey to keep us watching this time. My personal favorites in the rumored GOP pool of candidates are Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump. As a writer and political guru, I know I shouldn’t go for the easy targets, but these are too good to pass up. Let’s start with the media darling herself: Sarah Palin. I sincerely hope she runs because then we will all be privy to more precious sound bites full of comedic gems. Putting aside the fact that she can see Russia from her house, is a reality TV star, casually referenced “blood libel” after the Arizona shooting, could not name a tenet of the Bush doctrine as a candidate in 2008 and refuses to take any hard line interviews,
Sarah Palin could still possibly be the most entertaining presidential candidate in this nation’s history. For example, upon hearing the news that President Obama decided against releasing the graphic postmortem photos of Osama bin Laden, Palin tweeted that the president should stop “pussy footing around.” As one interested in residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in the near future, that wasn’t a very presidential statement. As the pressure of the campaign heats up, I predict the frequency of Sarah slip-ups will, too. Another leading lady in the GOP field has also had her share of slipups. Representative and tea party princess Michele Bachmann has been dazzling audiences across the nation with her misinformed statements and flat out lies. Known for her far-right rhetoric, Bachmann
Putting positive spin on life By Mary Nolte Staff writer
Here’s something I’ve learned in the last couple weeks: putting a positive spin on life. Last week, I took a trip all the way from Ireland to Sweden by myself. I was slightly nervous, as it was quite a long trip and I was going without any help from someone. This is not something I would normally do. If you know me at all, you know I usually don’t trust myself enough to get along without help. I told myself this trip would be fine, though, and it was. On Thursday morning, I woke up and got on the bus to Waterford city, and then I took another bus to Dublin. I was picked up at the airport in Sweden and spent four wonderful days there. Everything went by without any problems – until I was on my way home.
To start off, my plane left an hour late. I sat around anxiously, worrying that I wouldn’t get back to Dublin in time to get down to Dungarvan. But when I got to Dublin, there it was – the bus to Waterford City. I hopped on, forgetting that there are two routes to Waterford. One takes about two and a half hours, and the other takes an entire hour more. Guess which one I got on. About halfway through the bus ride, everyone else on the bus had gotten off, and the bus driver came back to see who was left. I casually asked if I would get to Waterford in time to get back to Dungarvan. He thought for a moment before the realization hit him. “You won’t make it back in time for the bus to Dungarvan,” he told me. Normally, this would be the point where I would start freaking out. My hands would start sweating, my heart would beat faster and my eyes would start to tear up. I was stuck in
the middle of Waterford City with nowhere to stay and no way to get home. Usually, this would be a personal tragedy. But it wasn’t. I calmly picked up my phone and called someone to come and get me. That’s it. When the bus driver continuously apologized, strange and wonderful words came out of my mouth. “It’s perfectly fine. I get to see more of the country this way.” For the first time in my immediate memory, I unintentionally put a positive spin on something that could’ve been negative in my life. This whole notion was advice given to me by Fearghal, one of the friends of Mercyhurst here in Dungarvan. I sort of took it as a joke at first, but really, it’s an excellent way to look at life. There are always ways to look at something negative with a positive outlook. And if you do, it makes you enjoy every aspect of life instead of dreading some of it. Everything in life can be looked at as something positive.
For more columns, visit merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion.
has said that homosexuality could potentially be forced on youth, various members of Congress are anti-American, insisted that the founding fathers eradicated slavery in 1776 and didn’t get the state right when citing the start of the Revolutionary War in a speech. With all of these under her belt already, I can’t wait to see what SNL can do with her campaign speeches in 2012. And finally, Trump. He makes my list of top three most entertaining presidential hopefuls for many reasons, but most importantly because when he was given valuable air time to address pertinent issues facing the voters of this great nation in such perilous times, Trump repeatedly fell back to the only issue he
seemed capable of discussing last week: birth certificates. As a man who could potentially run for the White House, I feel safe knowing the only issue on his mind is the birther battle. Who cares about all of the conflict in the Middle East or gunfights in Libya, right? Given Trump’s ill-focused, albeit limited, track record in politics, any run he makes in 2012 will be worth watching. As the year dwindles to a close and the clock ticks down to the beginning of primary season, I am excited to watch the battles begin for the 2012 matchup. With such an animated cast of characters, who won’t be watching to see what they will say next?
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Sports
May 11, 2011
Page 7
Men’s lacrosse attempts to redeem loss to C.W. Post By Matt Cirell Staff writer
The Mercyhurst men’s lacrosse team earned a No. 3 spot at the NCAA Division II Tournament after they defeated Dominican 13-5. The Lakers are one of four teams selected to enter the semifinal round. The Lakers earned the at-large bid after finishing the regular season with a 12-2 record. The team finished in second place in the conference behind top-ranked C.W. Post, the team the Lakers are matched with for the first round of the playoffs. Junior Ian Wild, who scored three goals against the Dominican defense, commented on earning a spot in the final four. “It will be tough. C.W. Post has a good defense, so we all have to be on our game and take care of our own individual responsibilities.” Wild has been one of many bright spots this season. Coming off of a medical red-shirt season from a football injury, Wild has started 10 of the 14 games and scored 14 goals. Junior Gregory Bensman has
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Men’s lacrosse ended the season with a 12-2 overall record. In the first round of the PSAC tournament, the Lakers can redeem one of those losses, a 4-3 OT loss to C.W. Post. The Lakers will face C.W. Post on May 21. been hard at work trying to find weak spots in order to prepare himself for the up-coming opponent. “I go over my scouting report so
I know the opponents strengths and weaknesses. They have really good players, and I know that I have to position myself just right in order
to make plays,” Bensman said The Lakers know exactly what they are up against, but they remain confident in their ability to win. “I
am looking to get some revenge,” Wild said. “We all know we could have played better the last time we played (C.W. Post). We were all being selfish and taking careless shots. We will be ready to go out and win,” Bensman said. Bensman also explained how his mind set would filter into success. “We have been pretty confident in our play. Our defense is doing a good job this year. We haven’t let any team score more that eight or nine points on us.” The Lakers have not made it back to this tournament since 2007, and the team has shown extreme dedication to get there. “We work, weight train and condition all year to prepare for the season,” Bensman said. “Our goal has always been to win our league, and we all need to have a great team effort to do that. Everyone on the team is ready and willing to work hard and win games.” The Lakers will travel to Brookville, N.Y., to face C.W. Post on May 21. If the Lakers secure a victory over C.W. Post, they will travel to Baltimore to compete for a national championship.
Sports
Page 8
May 11, 2011
Baseball team aims for PSAC championship By Spencer Hunt Sports writer
The Mercyhurst baseball team is back in the post-season. The Lakers have spent three years in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, making the playoffs all three years. Following an excellent 35-10, the Lakers earned their second top seed in three years. The Lakers were runners-up in 2009, likely valuable experience for the team headed into this postseason. To end the regular season, the Lakers won 14 of 15 to enter the PSAC tournament on a torrid hot streak. The experience, coupled with the confidence from the last few weeks, could lead to a PSAC championship and an NCAA tournament berth. “To end the season like we did is definitely a confidence builder, especially since usually the best team in the playoffs is the hottest at the end of the year,” Thurman Schaetzle said. Schaetzle was a sophomore on the 2009 team. One wrench in the title run for the Lakers is that they didn’t know
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The Lakers head into the post-season with the No. 1 seed, 11 players earning PSAC honors and the coach of the year. who exactly stood in their way until 6 p.m. Monday. The PSAC tournament begins Wednesday. “We don’t know who we are playing, but we have a good idea of what’s coming,” Schaetzle said. East Stroudsburg is the East’s fourth seed, but they are not a typical low seed. East Stroudsburg went
25-16 on the season. “It doesn’t feel like there is a true four-seed. Any of these teams could just as easily be the No. 1 seed; no one just squeaked in,” Coach Joe Spano said. The PSAC tournament is doubleelimination, allowing room for one misstep. The Lakers plan to avoid
a letdown after such a successful end to the year. The coaching staff added one game to the end of the schedule to avoid an 11-day gap between games. “It was nice to get out of practice-mode and get everyone ready,” senior Adam Brentlinger said. Since the team only has two days
Women’s tennis finishes another strong season By Billy Colton Staff writer
Every athlete loves playoffs. It’s that time of the year when you know exactly what is at stake. Win and keep playing, or lose and the season abruptly ends with disappointment. Unfortunately for women’s tennis, it ended in disappointment last week. They were eliminated in the second round of the NCAA playoffs by national powerhouse California (Pa.) by a score of 6-0. The loss was even more depressing for graduating seniors Kelton Macke and Kim Ezzo, as it ends their Mercyhurst tennis careers. Macke, though, leaves with a lot of good memories.
“This was one of our best seasons,” said Macke. “The highlight was definitely beating IUP in a five-hour tennis match. Three of us went to (the third) set for singles and pulled it out with the win.” The lowlight, said Macke, was missing the PSAC tournament and then losing in the NCAA’s to the first-seeded Vulcans. The Lakers ended their season with a record of 18-6 and will now be preparing for next year. Macke believes she has benefited from being part of the tennis program and recommends it. “I feel my coach and teammates have been a great help not only on the court but more importantly off the court. Creating a strong bond between teammates has benefited Sports information photo Senior Kim Ezzo led the Lakers to another strong season, finish- me both as an athlete and as a student,” Macke said. ing with an 18-6 overall record.
to prepare, Brentlinger, the starting catcher, is under more pressure then usual behind the plate. However, the coaches call the pitches and help lower the burden on the catcher. “I feel like I know the pitchers’ routines by now, and we just want to keep it simple. My main job is to keep the pitchers calm,” Brentlinger said. Simple seems to be a common theme between the players and coaches. Since the preparation time is limited, the goal is to keep the game plan simple and stick to the fundamentals. The Lakers have had their fair share of tests throughout the year, but they still manage to remain upbeat. The team balances a lighthearted atmosphere with a more serious side. “We have guys who have been there before and can help the younger guys with the pressure and just set the tone,” Schaetzle added. The Lakers will play East Stroudsburg in the first round of the PSAC tournament on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in Jamestown, N.Y. If the Lakers win the PSAC, they could have the opportunity to host an NCAA tournament game.
Gillung named semi-finalist for top honor Senior Nick Gillung has been named a semi-finalist for the Tino Martinez award. The award is named after the former New York Yankee Tino Martinez. The award is given annually to the most outstanding player in Div. II baseball. Gillung is one of 46 semifinalists for the award following a dominant senior season. Gillung posted a 7-2 record with an ERA of 2.11. He also broke the Mercyhurst singleseason record for strikeouts with 85. The finalists for the award will be announced Thursday, May 19.