Vol.84, No.4/9/29/10/Free
IN PEN WE TRUST Pair of campus counterfeit incidents spur detection measures Read the story on Page 2 BELOW: Senior Ciarán Doherty, a Mercyhurst College Bookstore employee, holds up one of the pens that offices on campus are now using to prevent counterfeit incidents.
NEWS
FEATURES
OPINION
SPORTS
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Kimballs add Hours of key College to reach Introducing this university status year’s Homecoming campus locales new element to ‘Hurst-GU rivalry by next fall royalty questioned Page 2
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NEWS
Counterfeit incidents: detection pens used By Kelly Luoma Managing editor
After two counterfeit money incidents occurred on the Mercyhurst College campus, employees who handle money have been encouraged to use counterfeit detection pens. The first counterfeit incident occurred in the spring. Purchasing Clerk and Cashier Corrine Cassa said by the time she realized the $50 bill was counterfeit she was not able to find out where the money came from. Even if she knew where the money came from, there’s a chance the person who used the counterfeit money had no idea he or she was doing so. “The person passing it may not even know,” Cassa said. “We’re not accusing anyone.” The second incident occurred this month. Police and Safety received a counterfeit $50 bill. Chief of Police and Safety Robert Kuhn sent an e-mail to all staff and faculty to tell them about the counterfeit incidents on campus and to encourage them to check money with counterfeit detection pens. Each place on the Mercyhurst campuses that deals with money, such as the bookstore, the athletic department, the C-store and Laker Inn should start using counterfeit detection pens, Cassa said. “As they bring the money to me, I’m checking to see if they used the pen. If not, then I contact them and use the pen,” she said.
It is the responsibility of each department to provide their own pens. Kuhn said it costs about $40 for a dozen pens. “A dozen is cheaper than getting taken by a $50 bill,” Kuhn said. Kuhn said the $20 bill has been the most commonly counterfeited bill in the past because it’s a small amount, which makes it easy to pass around. Now counterfeiters are making fake money in larger amounts, he said. Kuhn recommends using the pens on $50 bills and higher. Cassa said she hopes Mercyhurst employees check $20 bills as well. “There are too many $20 bills to check them all,” Kuhn said. If a college department turns in counterfeit money to Cassa, she will deduct it from their deposit. “We can’t bring the counterfeit money to the bank,” she said. “We’ll lose out on money. That’s why we use the pens.” In regard to the two counterfeit incidents that occurred on campus, Cassa said, “I’m hoping it won’t happen again.” There is a chance that it will, though. According to both Cassa and Kuhn there have been recent counterfeit cases in Erie County. Cassa said she has heard of a few incidents occuring at the casino in Erie. Therefore it’s important for employees that handle money to take the advice to use the counterfeit detection pens. “That’s why they were warned,” Kuhn said. “They should use them just to be safe.”
September 29, 2010
Mercyhurst expecting to reach university status by fall 2011 By Jennifer McCurdy Staff writer
The college administration has been working hard to gain university status for Mercyhurst College. Monsignor David Rubino, Director of Administration, said, “We already function like a university. We now want to formalize that.” Along with Rubino, Director of Assessment Amy Danzer and several other staff members have compiled a “data dump” document of approximately 600 to 700 pages filled with course catalogs, budgets, faculty resumes, policy manuals and other institutional data. “It includes everything from the number of students to the number of square feet,” Rubino said. Part of this document will be released on the Mercyhurst Portal within a few weeks. The administration hopes to present the data to the Board of Trustees on Thursday, Oct. 28. The community will be able to examine the document. The data would then be delivered to Harrisburg in December, at which point the process will be out of the administration’s hands. After the data is delivered, a review team will visit the campus sometime this winter, and if Mercyhurst receives a clean report, Harrisburg will post the university status request on the Pennsylvania Bulletin. At that point, anyone can object to the university status change, although few people have ever exercised that right. From there, the governor would confirm the university status. “I’m firmly convinced that we can have this done by May,” Rubino said. While Mercyhurst cannot control when the review team arrives, the
college anticipates a celebration of the name change next fall. “I thought they’d get it done by this school year,” sophomore Giulia Parli said. Sophomore Elizabeth Lerch reacted with enthusiasm. “Writing that we graduated from the University of Mercyhurst will look better on a resume,” she said. Once the administration submits the application for the university status change, Mercyhurst only has to prepare for the review team’s visit, at which point the college would make available staff, faculty and students for questions. “It’s a very open process,” Rubino said. He said he sees no reason that Mercyhurst would not attain university status. “The most important thing for the community is the rationale for doing this,” Rubino said. The main purpose for the change is clarification of operations. The university status would help clarify and organize relationships between the different campuses, as well as graduate and undergraduate studies. The change would also improve the international reputation of the Mercyhurst community. Even so, the change will not affect daily student interaction. “A sense of depersonalization is never going to happen here,” Rubino said. He said that creating an impersonal learning environment would work against the mission of the Sisters of Mercy. “The same warmth will still exist,” Rubino said. The biggest remaining concern, according to Rubino, is that the marketing and public relations department will “go crazy” figuring out how to change signs, letterheads, athletic uniforms and everywhere else the Mercyhurst name is found.
Online Article
Penn State Behrend ponders doubling enrollment to 10,000 students
Read at merciad.mercyhurst.edu/news
NEWS
September 29, 2010
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Officers receive Speaker discusses aggression in children upgraded titles By Stacy Skiavo
By Kelly Luoma
Being pushed on the playground, refusing to share toys and stealing snacks from another are all common scenarios children experience. On Wednesday, Sept. 22, Dr. Jamie Ostrov explained his study on the “Flourishing Child” and types of aggression experienced through children to the Mercyhurst College Community. As an associate professor of psychology and director of the Social Development Laboratory at the University of Buffalo (UB), Ostrov and his team conducted several studies to analyze this trend and ways to prevent it. The study’s main goal was to observe and improve the quality of life. In order to resolve the aggression one needs to intervene, which is where the UB Early Childhood Friendship Project comes in. It first took a gender-balanced approach to see if different genders display different outcomes. There was a substantial difference in terms of relational aggression. This refers to using removal of the relationship as means of harm in such acts as spreading gossip or social exclusion. “The study of relational aggression is a much understudied topic, which is why I was interested in this study. There seems to be an absence of this type of work in literature,” Ostrov said. It was found that girls have much more relational aggression than boys do. Even so, physical aggression is much more prevalent in boys rather than girls. Another aspect of the study was media violence compared with relational and physical aggression. Children were studied that watched television with violent media exposure such as “Star Wars” compared to those who viewed education media exposure such as PBS.
Mercyhurst College’s Police and Safety has been changing recently. The biggest change has been Robert Kuhn becoming Chief of Police and Safety at the start of this academic year. As police chief, Kuhn has given a title promotion to two of the men working for him. Sergeant Roy Ridondelli will be promoted to deputy chief and Corporal Matthew Platz will be promoted to lieutenant. Ridondelli is a retired West County Police Chief. He has worked for Mercyhurst Police and Safety for about 12 years. Some of Ridondelli’s job responsibilities include being in charge of the officers, reviewing parking tickets and citations and writing criminal reports. “I can’t even keep track of everything I do,” he said. Platz has worked for Police and Safety for seven years. He graduated from Edinboro University with a major in communication. He worked as a cook prior to coming here. “This is my first real job,” Platz said. As corporal, Platz’s job responsibilities include being the technical adviser for the officers. He works with the cameras, radios and other technological equipment. “Being a little younger, I’m more familiar with the technology,” Platz
Contributing writer
Managing editor
Tyler Stauffer photo
Dr. Jamie Ostrov spoke at Mercyhurst College on Wednesday, Sept. 22, as part of the “Flourshing Child” series. Results found that children that watched programs such as “Arthur” on PBS showed signs of relational aggression. Further research concurred that children younger than the demographic ages of seven to nine couldn’t comprehend the end lessons and only picked up on the initial problems of the storyline. Sophomore Adam Burks was surprised by all of the outcomes from the study. “Dr. Ostrov’s presentation was very informative and enjoyable,” he said. “The study’s results were unexpected and very relevant to everyday life.” It was found that once this aggressive behavior is spotted one should intervene. Ostrov used a tactic called reinforcement of behavior. This was a six-week program where puppets were used to identify good friendship skills and made sure comprehension is achieved.
“The most interesting thing I found was that the children that are aggressive become victims, and the victims also become the aggressors,” Ostrov said. The event ended with questions taken by the audience, and there seemed to be very positive feedback from the crowd. “Dr. Ostrov was very excited and passionate about his work and findings, so it was easy to stay engaged in the lecture, not to mention some of the correlations that I definitely did not expect,” sophomore Lauren Fraser said. Ostrov’s studies will not conclude with the “Flourishing Child.” He plans on looking at the link of biological process and aggressive behavior in the future. Dr. Elizabeth Dohrn will be the next speaker in the “Flourishing Child” series. Her discussion will take place on Thursday, Sept. 30, in Walker Recital Hall.
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said. “I inform these guys what the options are.” Besides working with technology, Platz is in charge of the work study students and general patrol on the Mercyhurst campus. With his rank promotion, Platz will be third in command. Ridondelli’s job will not change, but Platz will take on more responsibilities. “I’ve picked up a few more responsibilities,” Platz said. This will make him more involved in the “day-to-day operation,” he said. “I’ll be doing anything else that these guys ask me to do, too.” These changes in titles and responsibilities for the two officers do not come with a salary raise. Kuhn explained the reasons behind the title changes. These changes came about “due to merit,” he said. “These guys deserve this. They put their heart and soul into this school.” A need for structure is another reason for the title change. “There was no structure here,” Kuhn said. “We didn’t have a chain of command before.” The new title changes will add structure because the chain will start at the top with chief and go down to deputy chief, then lieutenant. “The title changes are more consistent with how other stations run,” Platz said. “Sergeants and corporals wouldn’t normally be doing the things we are required to do.” These title and responsibility changes will take effect on Friday.
Class of 2011 seniors who are planning on graduating with a degree in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Science need to turn in their Declaration of Graduation forms to the Registrar. These are due Friday, Oct. 1, in Main 106.
FEATURES
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September 29, 2010
Presenting your 2010- 2011 Homecoming King and Queen By Lynn Dula
Contributing writer What do you study here at Mercyhurst? Dave Williams: “I’m a finance major with an economics minor.” Amber Kissman: “I’m a biology major.” What clubs or organizations are you involved in? Dave: “I am in the business club, the Leadership Certification Program and I was the Student Chair of Summer Orientation and Welcome Week.” Amber: “I am a member of the Student Ambassadors, as well as a freshmen area RA. I’m also in the fencing club, the astronomy club and Tri-Beta (National Biological Honor Society).” What are some of the hobbies and activities you enjoy? Is there anything special you like to do in your free time? D: “I love health and fitness. Working out is fun to me and I love reading about it and writing programs for myself and
other people. I also like to sing, play guitar and play intramural sports.” A: “I enjoy scrap booking! I also enjoy insect collecting, yoga, spending time at Presque Isle, and the performing arts.” How does it feel to be chosen as the Homecoming King and Queen for this year? Were you surprised? How did you react when they announced that you won? D: “It feels great to be chosen as the Homecoming King; it really is an honor, and I want to thank everyone who voted. “My dad was the Homecoming king at Hiram and my brother won it two years ago here, so it’s pretty cool that we all got to win it. “When I found out that I won I think I was just laughing at my friends in the stands because they were providing some great ‘support.’” A: “It felt amazing! I was very surprised when it was announced that I won homecoming queen. I had no idea that many people knew who I was! “It is such an honor to be chosen
as homecoming queen! It’s all been such a cool experience! Thanks to everyone!” As a senior, graduation is just around the corner. What are your plans after graduation? D: “After graduation I really don’t know what I want to do. I have thought about moving to Denver to be a personal trainer for a couple years. I’ve also thought about joining the Marine Corps through the OCS program to be an officer.” A: “I would like to attend graduate school somewhere in Ohio to study entomology (the study of insects).” Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? What do you hope to have accomplished? D: “In 10 years, I just want to be living and working somewhere where I feel like I really belong. After that, everything else will fall into place.” A: “In 10 years, I hope to have earned at least my master’s degree in entomology and hope to have landed a groovy job at an environmental center or natural history museum where I can teach people of all ages about bugs.”
Nick Glasier photo
Students voted Amber Kissman and Dave Williams as Homecoming Queen and King for the 2010-2011 school year. Looking back over your time at the ‘Hurst, what is one of your best memories? D: “It’s hard to pick a favorite memory here. I would just say those random, uneventful nights that just end up being epic. I think we’ve all
been there.” A: “I especially enjoyed performing in “Seussical the Musical” my freshman year. I had the role of Jojo the Who. I was also really excited about getting a “B” on a calculus test!”
Videogame of the week:
City of Wonder By Charlie Wheaton Staff writer
Pros: Brings a strategy element to Facebook games, good graphics, moderately easy to play, free. Cons: A little slow and glitchy. Limited in how far you can play. Do you want to play a modernized game that is similar to Farmville? Then City of Wonder is the game you have been looking for. City of Wonder is a free game that you can find on Facebook made by Playdom. City of Wonder is fairly straightforward. You start with a portion of land and build a city on it, while
at the same time expanding your culture, economy, and military while gaining money, experience or citizens. When you build more cultural, economic or military buildings, your standing in that area improves and allows you to do better in player versus player (PVP) situations. Whenever you improve your research you gain more buildings so your city can advance into the modern era. City of Wonder brings a whole new way of strategy gaming to Facebook. It takes all the things that are good about Farmville and puts them into a more interesting context as opposed to just farming. To read the complete version of this article, visit www.merciad.mercyhurst. com/features.
September 29, 2010
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Homecoming concert Book Review: ‘The Bolter’ showcases talent By Sarah Mastrocola Staff writer
“An Evening of Music and Dance,” the annual Homecoming performance presented jointly by the music and dance departments, was again a success this year. The concert, which took place Saturday at the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, featured the many talents of Mercyhurst students and faculty, as well as local artists. This unique medly of talents ensured there was something for everyone. The performance allowed parents and alumni to experience the work that the music and dance departments are doing now and how the current students are growing through the program. “The show was great. It brought back lots of good memories of being part of the department,”
dance department alumna Amanda Fisher said. One of the highlights of the evening was the lithesome and energetic choreography for “This Little Light of Mine,” danced by seniors Christine Wilbur and Lindsey Smith of the Liturgical Dance Ensemble. This debut was particularly exciting as Wilbur and Smith will be traveling to Sydney, Australia, in October where they will present their work at the Project Dance festival. The Mercyhurst Dancers’ performance of Bruce Marks’s “Fragments” was a memorable piece on the program as well, with beautiful pas de deux (step for two) work and patterning within the choreography, as well as a mournful, pining quality that stuck with the viewer. Superior technique and talent were also exhibited by the Music department faculty members, who opened the show with a rendi-
tion of Beethoven’s Piano Trio in C Minor, Opus 1, No. 3. The music students proved their virtuosity in presentations of operatic singing. Senior Kathleen Reveille brought out her inner diva in her performance of a piece from “Carmen,” and the duet and trio that followed were beautiful in tone and delivery. The dance department likewise presented pieces of a virtuoso nature, with freshman Rachel Bauer sparkling in her performance of a variation from “Sylvia” and junior Anna Daught nimbly traversing the stage as the Cupid from “Don Quixote.” SoMar Dance Works also performed strongly in “Tailspin Tango,” a piece that originally debuted at the Erie Festival of Dance in 2009. The innovative modern dance troupe brought lots of interesting partnering and a good degree of sass to close out the evening.
shows insider’s perspective By Alaina Rydzewski Staff writer
Selected as a “terrific read of the year” by “O, Oprah Magazine,” “The Bolter” tells the story of Idina Sackville, a woman who went through five husbands in her lifetime, not settling on any of them yet not wanting to be alone. The scandal she brought upon herself and her family name still affects her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren today. This is enough to warrant this narrative from the unbiased point of view of her greatgranddaughter Frances Osbourne, who doesn’t protect or judge Idina but merely tries to explain her. Speaking to women of all ages, Idina’s life at first glance seems as if it can be taken from a feminist perspective. She separated from and divorced all of her husbands in the mid 1900s because she did not want to be held down by them and be under their control. However, this feminist perspective is not the case. Idina was searching for someone who would always be there for her; someone she could always count on for love and affection. Her first husband, Euan Wallace, seemed to be this person; the two were deeply in love and crazy about each other. But when Idina becomes sick and is bedridden during Euan’s few weeks of military leave, things do not go well. Euan strays from Idina throughout his leave, and although Idina recovers, she develops a wandering nature herself to combat the absence of her husband’s love and fidelity. The couple divorces and Idina parted ways with not only Euan but also her two toddler sons. She quickly remaries soon after her divorce from Euan. With her second husband (and each husband after), Idina moves
to Kenya and builds a farmhouse in hopes of also building a lasting relationship with her current husband. Each marriage lasts approximately three or four years, and after each divorce Idina returns to England to see her third child, Dinan. However, she eventually ends up back in Kenya, building a new farm with a new man. As if this was not enough scandal to keep her busy, Idina also has wild parties with her friends and their husbands, at which they play games and swap spouses for the night, among other activities. Finally, after each of her ex-husbands is either dead or forgotten, Idina arranges to meet her sons, whom she has not seen since they were two and three years of age. Here at last she finds that love she was looking for, —the love of her children. Unfortunately, this is not meant to last, as World War II takes both of her sons from her. Broken, alone and ill, Idina dies shortly thereafter, leaving only her final Kenyan ranch and her legacy behind. For a fleeting moment, Idina can be thought of as a strong woman who knew what she wanted and did what she could to get it, although she never achieved her goal. On the other hand, the Idina painted by Osbourne is a character who ran from the things she couldn’t control and feared most, instead of facing them with a tough heart and courage. Although Osbourne’s writing is at first hard to understand, with long sentences and expressions not often heard in American English (Osbourne is British), one soon overcomes this and is able to enjoy her straightforward and unbiased writing style. The reader is therefore able to focus on what she is really writing about—her great-grandmother, Lady Idina Sackville, the Bolter.
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OPINION
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September3,29,2008 2010 September
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.
Hours create problems
Why offices need to cater to students’ schedules By Kathleen Vogtle A&E editor
In my three years at Mercyhurst College, I’ve heard many people say the exact same thing – they love everything about the school, except for the inaccessibility of some of its departments. Nearly every office has come under the same critique of not being open when students need them. Take the mailroom. Its hours are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. As one of my roommates has said multiple times, the majority of students are in class or at extracurricular activities during this time frame. How are we to send or receive packages in a timely manner? Extending the hours from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. would make a
huge difference. The Laker Inn is an even better example. Its hours advertise that it is open in the afternoon and evening on the weekends. However, each time I’ve gone there this year during that interval, it has been closed. The bookstore, which is perhaps one of the most popular study spots on campus, especially among upperclassmen, closes at 8:00 p.m. on weekdays. This is incredibly frustrating for those of us who like to study late in a comfortable, quiet environment, away from the distractions of the apartment and with a cup of coffee to keep us going. At least there’s Café Diem. Oh wait. That is rarely open either! In the same area, the library doesn’t open until 8:00 a.m. on weekdays. This can create problems for students needing to print a paper due at the start of an 8:00 a.m. class.
By far, though, the office that I have heard the most complaints about is Student Financial Services. It holds the same seemingly inadequate hours as the mailroom and still manages to not provide any service. Every person I’ve talked to during my time at Mercyhurst has had a bad experience with financial aid: it has been described as being uncooperative, unknowledgeable and confusing to anyone not pursuing a degree in accounting or finance. On the other hand, one office has consistently stood out on the opposite end of the spectrum. The OneCard office almost always provides quick and helpful quality service. The people there seem wholly dedicated to helping students, faculty and staff alike as much as possible. It would be a real pleasure to experience these qualities in some of our other campus offices for once.
Turning flaws into strengths How to have an optimistic perspective on life By Mary Nolte
Staff writer I did something this week that was kind of a big deal: I declared my major. I’m a sophomore, and I have known that I wanted to be an English major since I started here freshman year. So, you may be wondering why it has taken me this long to declare. The answer is quite simple – I hate making decisions. I never really know what I want, and I am always worried about making the wrong decision and regretting it later. To be honest, I didn’t even know
what college I wanted to attend. My mother put the deposit down before I had even decided. She wanted to make sure I got into Warde Hall, the best dorm on campus. I guess she knew what college I should go to before I did. Now, this has always been something I thought was a flaw of mine. I always tell people that I’m indecisive and never know what I want. Truth be told, this was one of the things I hated most about myself. However, my new English advisor, Dr. Jeff Roessner, recently put something into perspective for me. If I continue to be uncertain and have no interest in changing that characteristic, I must have some sort of value in the trait. Maybe I like being indecisive
because I like keeping all of my options open. Or maybe it’s important to me because I like having a world of possibilities in front of me. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though. In fact, it can be really good. Everyone should take something that they don’t like about themselves and look at it a different way. It’s possible they might end up liking it. If you think you’re impulsive, maybe you’re just spontaneous. If you think you’re lazy, maybe you’re just laid-back. If we all take Dr. Roessner’s advice, we can definitely carry a more positive outlook on life. I know I do.
More Online... Tasers remain an issue
Devin Ruic counters Kathleen Vogtle’s disapproval of Tasers
The Good
Rec Center staff replaced previously broken treadmills. Students no longer have to worry about finding the functional machines before everyone else. For The Bad and The Ugly, visit us online.
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If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen. Editors Ethan Magoc Kelly Luoma Alex Stacey Victoria Gricks Nick Glasier Kathleen Vogtle Samantha Williams Tyler Stauffer Ethan Johns Chrissy Mihalic Max Rivera Bill Welch Brian Sheridan
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The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College. 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 e-mail at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
September 29, 2010
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September 29, 2010
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Sports
Kimball family adds a wrinkle to rivalry By D.J. Haurin Staff writer
The Mercyhurst College football team faces off against its rival, the Golden Knights of Gannon this Saturday. For two local players, this game means more. Bryant and Connor Kimball grew up around football. Their father coached it, and it came natural to them This weekend, these young men will be defending their schools against one another, for the last time; Connor plays for Gannon and Bryant plays for Mercyhurst. Both are sons of Mercyhurst’s own athletic director, Joe Kimball. Kimball coached the Mercyhurst football team for nine years, posting an overall record of 41-46-1. However, Kimball enters this weekend not as a coach, but as a father and athletic director. Being an athletic director is only one of the hats Kimball wears, but it’s not always the one that comes first.
“You’re always a dad and want nothing but the best for your kids,” Kimball said. “The father hat always prevails.” When it comes to his kids, Kimball wants nothing more than for both to succeed. But when it comes to a specific school, he wants Mercyhurst to win. “I want Connor and Bryant to both have great games defensively, but for Mercyhurst to win the game.” It’s hard enough having two sons playing on two different teams in Erie. Add in their youngest Colin playing for McDowell High School on Friday nights, weekends get pretty hectic. “It’s tough knowing that one of your sons is playing and you can’t be there,” Kimball said. “My wife goes in one direction and I go in another, so we are (both) somewhere in the state of Pennsylvania watching football.” This rivalry is no stranger to Bryant and his brother Connor. Both have formed a little rivalry of their own the past couple of years playing against one another.
Nick Glasier photo
Mercyhurst College Junior safety Byrant Kimball, son of Athletic Director Joe Kimball, looks to keep Gannon’s wide receivers in check. “We keep it in perspective,” Bryant said. “Living at home in the summer, there are some heated
Nick Glasier photo
Junior Gerald Anderson hopes to spark the Lakers offensive. Last season Anderson ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns against the Golden Knights.
arguments over football, but we try to keep it in perspective, which keeps the rivalry fun and fresh.” Mercyhurst has an overall record of 3-1, 1-0 in the west division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The Lakers are coming off a dynamic win against Lock Haven University this past Homecoming Weekend. The Lakers scored 41 points against the Eagles, setting the tone for this week’s contest against Gannon. “Last weekend was a big win,” Bryant said. “We struggled a little bit in the first half, so we will take those mistakes and learn from them.” The Golden Knights enter this weekend with an overall record of 2-2, 0-1 in the PSAC’s west division . This past weekend they lost to another local rival, Edinboro University, 13-0, and are looking to bounce back this week as they host the Lakers. The Laker defense is a strong point of the team this year. They have 12 interceptions for a combined 101 yards, holding opponents to an average of 281 yards of
total offense per game. The Golden Knights have a pretty good running game, averaging 135.5 yards per game. Still, this should be no match for the Laker run defense, as they have held opponents to an average of 72.2 yards per game and, forced six fumbles. For this weekend to be a success, the Mercyhurst pass defense needs improved. The Lakers have only been able to hold opponents to an average of 208.8 yards per game in the air. This number proves to be high among other members of the PSAC’s west division. The Golden Knights pass defense hasn’t been much better, holding opponents to an average of 212.2 yards per game. The Lakers lead Gannon in their overall series 9-3-1. Last season the Lakers defeated Gannon 27-17. As with any rivalry, statistics don’t count. Whoever has the most heart and passion will prevail. The next showdown between these rivals will begin on Saturday, at 12 p.m. at Gannon University Field.