The Merciad, Oct. 26, 2011

Opinion: Kelly dodges straight answer at forum

Athletes get the spotlight in the classroom

Take our online poll on athletes registering early

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merciad.mercyhurst.edu

NEWS

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October 26, 2011

Winter athletes register with seniors Athletes cleared for early registration

By Kelly Luoma Editor-in-chief

A little less than 90 winter athletes registered for classes on Monday, Oct. 24.

This number includes senior, junior, sophomore and freshman athletes who were able to register for classes the same day as the rest of Mercyhurst College seniors.

The athletes cleared to register early were hockey players, basketball players and wrestlers.

According to Dean of Faculty Brian Reed, Ph.D., athletes were able to register for classes with seniors because athletes aren’t able to take classes scheduled later in the day.

This winter term is the first time

athletes had priority registration because it is the first term affected by the extended class times, which are in response to being out of contact hour compliance with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The later class times interfere with athletes’ practice, travel schedules and game times.

With the extended class times, athletes have fewer class time slots that fit in their availability.

“What we tried to do was make this schedule time bearable for athletes,” said Reed. “We didn’t want to do this, but it was going to be a problem.”

According to Andrea Barnett, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, allowing athletes to register with seniors “was a response

to a conflict that was brought to our attention.”

Reed emphasized that allowing athletes to register early was a decision made due to the change in contact hours. He said the calendar system, university status, the 2020 strategic plan and the core classes are being worked on at the moment.

“All this stuff is happening. It’s really exciting but also kind of crazy,” Reed said.

Athletes explained how the early registration is beneficial.

Sophomore Adele Campbell, a basketball player, said, “Registering early has made it less stressful, knowing I will be able to get into my first choice classes since the classes available outside of practice times are already extremely limited.”

She explained the difficulties of scheduling practices with the later class times.

“Having a team full of students with different majors makes scheduling practice around classes extremely difficult, especially with

the small size of Mercyhurst with a narrow range of classes offered each term,” she said.

Freshman Catherine Willard, a field hockey player, said, “As an athlete, I agree that they should be able to register first, since students have a more flexible schedule than I do, and I have to miss more classes.”

“

What we tried to do was make the schedule time bearable. We didn’t want to do this, but it was going to be a problem.

”

Brian Reed, Ph.D.

Barnett said athletic administrators met with the Office of Academic Affairs once the new class times for winter and spring terms were announced.

Reed explained the reason for the late notice of the change.

“It was done thoughtfully and because of that, it took some time,” he said. “It wasn’t done light heartedly.”

Faculty received notice of this decision Friday morning through an email.

Faculty then had about two days to advise their freshmen and sophomore athletes. Reed said juniors and seniors should have already advised for classes by this time.

Non-athlete students were not informed of the decision. Barnett said there wasn’t a lot of time to notify students. Also, students are not always informed of college changes.

When asked about whether this will affect registration for non-athlete students, Reed said, “My hope is that it does not.”

He elaborated saying, “My feeling is it’s not going to have a huge effect on how they prepare for registering. That’s my hope.”

Reed said he thinks there wasn’t much of an effect on non-athletes because even though about 90 athletes registered Monday, some were seniors who would have registered regardless.

“It’s not really that many in winter,” he said.

Even if the number of winter athletes isn’t very high, the number of spring athletes is about 50 more than winter athletes, Reed said.

However, when calculating the number of members on the baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s water polo and men’s and women’s rowing teams, the total number of players equaled 180.

Some students seemed to understand the need for athletes to register early, but they were concerned about how this change will affect them.

“Freshmen registering before upperclassmen is not fair,” junior Mark Vidunas said. “I don’t have to worry too much because I’m taking mostly political science classes. I understand why they’re doing it, but I don’t think it’s fair.”

Junior Trish Armstrong said, “A lot of my classes were filled, I think mostly because seniors are trying to fill their core classes. Yes, I understand the need, especially for upperclassmen athletes, but it does put a damper on those of us pursuing double majors or contract majors.”

Reed said he doesn’t think seniors were affected by this change, but he said he isn’t sure if the other classes will be affected.

He said upperclassmen were not likely affected because the freshman and sophomore athletes were not registering for upper level classes.

Barnett explained that even if athletes did not register with seniors, “You are not guaranteed you will get the class you want.”

“We recognize that all students have challenges when it comes to scheduling,” she said. The main goal of this change was to relieve the difficulty of registering for athletes and not to “be a detriment to the students.”

Other students didn’t think the change was fair at all.

“I didn’t have many expectations about my schedule, but this certainly doesn’t help. As a freshman, I expect to be unable to get every section but don’t feel it’s right that certain athletes get precedent,” freshman Leah Voit said.

One good piece of news for students who have trouble registering for classes due to the athletes registering early is that this isn’t necessarily a permanent change, and no decisions have been made for registration next year.

“We’ve committed to winter and spring this year,” said Reed.

Barnett said she welcomes feedback from students regarding the registration changes.

NEWS

October 26, 2011

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Campus panel deals with sexual assault

By JoEllen Marsh Staff writer

Sexual harassment and assault can be very traumatic experiences, but thankfully, there are many options for Mercyhurst College students dealing with these situations. One of those options for coping is Mercyhurst’s Sexual Harassment Grievance Panel.

The Sexual Harassment Grievance Panel sits for cases ranging from name-calling and harassment to indecent assault and rape.

The panel consists of two students appointed by Mercyhurst Student Government, two faculty members appointed by the Faculty Senate and two administrators. Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Tina Fryling is the college’s sexual harassment and affirmative action officer and also serves as chair on the Sexual Harassment Grievance Panel.

Fryling said the panel is very similar to the college’s judicial board.

Many cases dealt with by the panel are “he said/she said” incidents, and the panel members try to be

very sensitive to these situations and carefully consider the testimony of all parties involved.

Fryling can also direct victims toward support services and help make life easier for students after going through such a difficult experience.

“There might be certain options (the victims) didn’t consider,” said Fryling. “As sexual assault officer, I try to make sure that the victim isn’t in the same classes as the accused or living across the hall from him. It’s hard if they’re in the same major, but we do whatever we can to make it so they’re not in class together at 8 a.m. every day or a situation like that.”

Sanctions for sexual harassment and assault range anywhere from a fine and community service to expulsion. The panel has not had any incidents this year, but according to Fryling, the panel normally receives a maximum of one to two incidents per term.

However, this type of case is often underreported, and keeping this type of case a secret can be very emotionally damaging to victims.

“So often a victim won’t bring it up for several months until it’s

become a major problem in their lives. If something happens to you, tell someone you trust so that you’re not going through it by yourself,” Associate Vice President for Student Life Laura Zirkle said.

Fryling strongly encourages victims to go to Mercyhurst’s free Counseling Center and to talk to her as soon as possible.

“If it feels like you were the victim of sexual harassment, come talk to me. Don’t let someone tell you, ‘No, no, it’s fine,’ or ‘I think you’re overreacting.’ I’ll never think you’re overreacting,” Fryling said.

Zirkle said students should talk to a resident assistant, the Counseling Center or Police and Safety immediately after a sexual assault, even if the victims or their friends have been drinking underage.

“The truth is, in almost every case, alcohol is involved. In that situation, we’re not worried about the drinking at all,” Zirkle said.

Both Zirkle and Fryling emphasized that victims have full control over the situation and want them to know that coming forward will not create a snowball effect.

“It used to be the feeling was, you

What to do if you’re a victim of sexual assault: � � �

Tell someone: an RA, a parent, a friend–anyone you can trust. The sooner you tell someone, the better.

Call Police & Safety, inform them of the incident, and ask them to contact the emergency counselor. or go straight to Mercyhurst’s Counseling Center.

The counselor will be able to give you options, but it is in your control if you want to press charges or go to a rape victim’s center.

automatically go to the police and the hospital,” said Zirkle. “Now we strongly encourage this, but we bring in a counselor to explain those options before we do anything.”

Mercyhurst Police and Safety is able to connect students with the college’s emergency counselor 24/7 and will contact the Erie Police Department immediately if a student reports a rape or assault.

Mercyhurst College Chief of Police Robert Kuhn said misdemeanors such as nasty texts from an ex-boyfriend or inappropriate touching are handled by officers

within Police and Safety.

Kuhn said that even if victims don’t want to press charges, they should come forward in order to protect other students.

“If they are a victim of this crime, there’s a good chance that the guy that did it is going to do it again to somebody else,” Kuhn said.

If you have been the victim of sexual harassment of any kind, contact your resident assistant, the Counseling Center at extension 3650, or Police and Safety at extension 2304. All calls are strictly confidential.

Dangers of prescription drug use discussed

By Mike Gallagher Staff writer

David Dausey, Ph.D., a Mercyhurst alumnus who is now a professor of public health and director of the Institute for Public Health at Mercyhurst College, was recently quoted in the Erie Times-News regarding student abuse of Adderall and Ritalin in order to cram for exams.

Adderall and Ritalin are prescription drugs used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Dausey stated in the article that the untested presumption is that “these drugs that help kids with ADHD will also enable non-ADHD students focus better for exams, but that has never been proven.”

Dausey explained that “a lot of the research that’s been done out there on the prevalence of this practice has been done within big university settings, so how much of this actually happens at smaller liberal arts colleges...who knows, and that’s really part of the challenge here.”

According to Dausey, Ritalin and Adderall are drugs people can acquire more easily than illicit drugs and can sometimes be found in some homes or friend’s medicine cabinets.

“This is something that is sort of done in secret, and we don’t have any idea how much or little of it is actually being done,” Dausey said.

Dausey explained the use of Ritalin and Adderall as dangerous because they can cause many problems, such as cardiovas-

cular health issues.

The drugs, “can cause seizures, heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke and even death. Clearly, we need to be concerned about students who are doing this,” he said.

Despite the concern, there is no proof of students at Mercyhurst taking these drugs.

“There is a chance that none of this is happening at Mercyhurst at all,” said Dausey. “I’m personally unaware of any abuse cases, but that could well be because I’ve technically only been a full-time faculty member since Sept. 1.”

Ironically, Dausey said he hopes that media attention of the issue won’t have the reverse effect in that students, after hearing about the drugs, will want to partake in Ritalin or Adderall use for studying purposes.

Mercyhurst senior Jaclyn Ropelewski, who has a 4.0 grade point average explained her study habits.

“Studying for important tests can be a daunting task and for some students it involves last minute cramming and pulling all-nighters. However, I like to study for 1-2 hours every day about a week before the test,” she said.

She said that “following this study pattern has worked very well for me, and I never feel pressured to cram all night before a test.”

She also commented on students using prescription drugs and admitted that she has heard about the Ritalin and Adderall use by students wishing to stay up and study.

“I personally have never heard of this sort of drug abuse at Mercyhurst, but I am sure it happens at universities all across the country. If students really feel the need to stay up all night

and study, whatever happened to good old coffee?”

One Mercyhurst student said he uses Adderall because “it keeps me awake. I tend to put everything off until the last minute, and I’d rather be awake to get my stuff done. It’s like coffee.”

The student, who asked that his name not be used, said he doesn’t use Adderall more than once a term, if that, and mainly around finals time. “I know like 40 people who either use Adderall for studying or recreationally. I haven’t noticed a rise in the usage of Adderall from my freshman year though,” he said.

Social networks may also have a big role in the spread of prescription drug abuse.

Dausey said that “the problem is that abuse spreads through social networks as an OK thing to do, and just because someone else reacts to a drug a certain way doesn’t mean you are going to react the same way. This casual spread through social network is dangerous.”

Dausey gave his best advice. He said, “If somebody gives you a pill and tells you to take it… don’t. Don’t assume anything when it comes to those types of things. If you’re going to pull an all-nighter, stick to coffee.”

The best thing to do “is to keep up with things and don’t cram, or if you’re having problems, go to the health center and talk to Judy Smith and her staff,” he said.

Executive Director of Wellness Judy Smith, Ph.D., said, “While to the best of my knowledge based on what we see here at the Counseling Center and Health Center, I do not think that abuse of Ritalin or Adderall is prevalent on this campus. Educating people about the substances and their potential for misuse is always a good thing.”

NEWS

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October 26, 2011

Safety team formed to improve campus

By Stacy Skiavo Staff writer

Mercyhurst College has been taking extra safety precautions and has developed a safety team.

The idea was developed by the Human Resources Department, and from there a nine-person team was created this past spring.

The members of the team include employees, management and staff, which consists of Irene Boyles, secretary of the education department; Carl Voltz, laboratory manager of the chemistry department; Elizabeth Morgan, administrative assistant of the athletics department; Roy Ridondelli, deputy chief of Police & Safety; Rick Sadlier, fire safety officer; Michele Bille, administrative assistant from the human resources department; Jim Tometsko, director of human resources; Ken Stepherson from the maintenance department; and Larry Kerr from Aramark.

Bille said the team will be beneficial for the college in order

to “decrease the insurance rates and have a safer environment,” she said.

The team was trained under the instruction of an Erie Insurance representative to promote safety and health. The representative told the team about hazard investigation and safety inspection procedures.

The training involved informative processes and procedures lessons to help make the campus safer. The team learned how to identify hazards and how to conduct an investigation.

The team is in the process of certification through the Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Bureau.

The idea of the program is to look at ways to decrease injury and illness by doing investigations and looking at how to address the issues. With this kind of knowledge it will help keep students safer on campus. The team will also help give students better access to the buildings.

“We’re just getting started, but the potential is limitless,” Tometsko said.

Mercyhurst students seem to approve of the measure.

“I think the team is a great idea because the administration wants to keep the students safe and secure,” junior Kyle Lawton said.

Junior Kaylyn Stack said, “School safety isn’t something we give much thought about on a daily basis, so having a team looking out for us doesn’t alleviate all of my worries, but it definitely makes me feel more secure.”

Several projects to increase safety on campus have already been completed.

A sinkhole behind the Grotto was repaired to avoid the chance of someone tripping or falling, and the handicap ramp behind Old Main was fixed. Cracked and potentially hazardous sidewalks were fixed along with broken handicap buttons as well.

“As a member of this team, my training in hazardous materials handling, and lab safety protocol plays one part in the overall expertise of the team. It is the hope of the team that students of Mercyhurst will benefit from a safer school environment,” Voltz said.

Committee members will change annually, so new ideas and thoughts will be brought to the team each year.

Rep. Kelly partakes in student forum

By Alicia Cagle Staff writer

Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., addressed a full house during the town hall meeting Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Cummings Art Gallery.

Kelly was invited by the Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics (MCAP) to its Public Affairs Forum.

MCAP is divided into two parts.

Half is dedicated to polling and researching public opinion, and the other half is the Public Affairs Forum. The Public Affairs Forum is a non-partisan event in which students can hear from public leaders in the community.

Director of the Public Affairs Forum Brian Ripley, Ph.D., said, “I believe a respectful, open-minded exchange of political views is essen-

Jill Barrile photo

Rep. Mike Kelly visited the Mercyhurst campus Thursday, Oct. 20, to address students at a public affairs forum.

tial for the health of our political system, and we hope to model that kind of civility whenever we invite a speaker to our campus.”

Kelly is in his first term and is a Republican from the Third District of Pennsylvania. He serves on three committees and numerous subcommittees. The three committees are Oversight and Government Reform, Education and the Workforce and Foreign Affairs.

“I was delighted Congressman Kelly accepted our invitation and chose to make Mercyhurst one of his visits in the district,” Ripley said.

Mercyhurst College students were welcome to attend and ask the congressman questions about current issues. Students asked questions from an array of topics, including corporation regulations, tax increases, small businesses, education, same sex marriage and healthcare.

Kelly also presented some information about the debt and offered a small quiz about the government.

Junior Brian Lombardo and freshman Zainab Javed were two students who attended the forum.

“I went to Congressman Mike Kelly’s talk because I thought it would be interesting to see a point of view different than mine,” Javed said.

Lombardo added, “People were well researched and came in to the town hall with knowledge so they

wouldn’t simply just buy everything Kelly was saying.”

Ripley was also impressed with the students who attended the forum.

“I was proud with the quality of questions asked by our students: well-informed, penetrating and articulate,” said Ripley. “It was a good example of what politics can and should be about.”

There was also disappointment

among some of the students at the event.

“While I thought it was good the congressman came to listen to students’ concerns, I also thought he answered many of the questions in generalities and gave only his own opinion,” Lombardo said.

“Like any politician, he cited facts that could be taken in many other contexts and used them to support his ideas.”

Liquor law violation Sunday, Oct. 23

3937 Briggs Avenue College discipline

Possession of controlled substance Sunday, Oct. 23

Parking Lot #8 College discipline

Larceny/theft Monday, Oct. 24

REC Center College discipline

Oct. 23-24, 2011

October 26, 2011

FEATURES

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Center for Applied Politics gets statewide attention

By Brady Greenawalt Staff writer

The Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics has had its findings featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Lancaster Intelligencer and several other highly respected publications, but many Mercyhurst students don’t even know about the Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics (MCAP).

MCAP is a non-partisan political group on campus that works to spread political awareness.

“The idea is to give our students an opportunity to interact with political leaders and contribute in a positive way to public policy and debates,” Brian Ripley, Ph.D., said.

Ripley is in charge of coordinating political speakers who come to campus for MCAP. Recently, Congressman Mike Kelly participated in a town meeting at Mercyhurst thanks to MCAP. “We are non-partisan,” said Ripley. “We don’t endorse any candidates. The idea is to give our students an opportunity to interact with political leaders and contribute to public policy and debate.”

The center plans to have a few political speakers attend campus every term.

“We’d like Mercyhurst College to be known as a place where intelligent debate about political issues takes place,” Ripley said.

The other aspect of MCAP, the part that is getting mentioned in big name publications, is the opinion polling.

Since last year, student members of MCAP have been performing telephone research to gather opinions about important political issues from local residents.

“Major papers have picked up results from our research,” Ripley said.

The research is done solely by Mercyhurst students.

Junior Carrie Gambino has been involved with the MCAP opinion polling.

“We call Pennsylvania residents about information regarding issues in the state,” said Gambino. “Specifically this time, we asked about fracking, the economy and bullying.”

Students must undergo an orientation before they are able to start with the opinion polling, but Gambino recommends the experience.

“It’s definitely an interesting experience listening to people of different walks of life and hearing their opinions about controversial topics,” she said.

The Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics is associated with the political science department, but it is not just for political science majors.

All students are welcome to participate in the program after going through the orientation, and all students are welcome to attend the speakers that are brought to campus by MCAP. “We’re still new…” said Ripley, “but expect to be seeing more from MCAP.”

Zach Dorsch photo

Morewell Gasseller, Ph.D., was born and raised in Zimbabwe.

Teacher Feature:

Morewell Gasseller

By Brianna Carle Staff writer

Morewell Gasseller, Ph.D., is a physics professor at Mercyhurst College.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Gasseller came to the U.S. in 2002 to receive his Ph.D. in physics at Michigan State University.

He graduated in 2009.

He came to the U.S. with his wife and two children - both boys, ages 12 and 5 years.

Before his career here, he was a visiting assistant professor of physics at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“This means my American experience has been only in very cold places,” he said.

After living in Michigan for eight years, he said, “I still hate snow.

“I am already apprehensive as the snow season approaches.”

Eager to teach future courses, Gasseller says, “So far I am teaching general physics courses and labs (PHY 201 and PHY 203).

Next term I will teach the conceptual physics courses and labs.

“With time I will be able to teach all the physics courses offered here.”

Gasseller is proud of the work he has produced.

“Perhaps my biggest accomplishment was that when I was a gradu-

ate student at MSU, I designed and built a cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope that is being used to do some groundbreaking research,” he said.

He also adds that “so far two people have graduated with their Ph.D.’s using that instrument.”

Gasseller is a very enthusiastic educator.

When asked about what he likes most about teaching, he said, “to see my students succeed.”

He elaborates by adding, “There is nothing more satisfying than knowing/ hearing that one of your students has gone on to graduate school and has graduated with a Ph.D. or that one of your students is now the CEO of such or such organization.

Just the idea that I play a minor role in the development of my students is most satisfying.”

He is also more than happy to help students, should physics present a problem in their courses.

“Students should feel free to come to me any time or stop me in the corridors.”

He says that he “will be happy to help them with physics issues.”

Gasseller is hoping to start a small research group in the near future specializing in scanning tunneling microscopy.”

The advice Gasseller provides for students is, “get your education first and everything else will stick to you like dust.”

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FEATURES

October 26, 2011

Longnecker nominated DIY College Style: Newspaper Nails for local Athena award Senior Alex Stacey enjoys blogging about do-it-yourself projects.

I love having bright colors on my finger nails, and in browsing Pintrest lately, I have been seeing some really cool ideas. Pinterest is an online social photo-sharing community. I saw this photo a few months ago, and I knew I had to try it.

First I painted my nails. Most people recommend a neutral or pastel shade. I chose a bright, robin’s egg blue color.

By Kayla Kelly Staff writer

Junior Christine Longnecker was one of four candidates for this year’s local Athena Young Professional Award.

This prestigious award was established in 2007.

The Athena Young Professional Award is an extension of the prestigious Athena Award, which was established in 1982 and has been presented to more than 6000 women leaders.

“All of the local colleges chose a student to be represented, and I was lucky enough to be the student chosen from Mercyhurst,” Longnecker said.

There are several qualifications to be nominated for the award, and Longnecker demonstrates all of them.

Some of the qualifications to be nominated for the award consist of leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative.

Also, nominees must contribute time and energy to improve their community through service and serve as a role model for young women.

She met the criteria for the award and was nominated

by Assistant Professor Shelly Freyn.

Longnecker is an intelligence studies major, but there is much more to her than that.

She is on the dean’s list and participates in several extracurricular activities.

She was chosen to attend a conference in the summer in Washington, D.C., which focused on software for intelligence analysis. Longnecker is also among the authors of Insights and Analysis in 10 Minutes (or Less), a book published by the one of the intelligence studies classes.

Longnecker’s community service activities relate to her passion - the love of horses. Since 2007, she has volunteered for the Therapeutic Riding Equestrian Center (TREC), a local non–profit organization in Erie.

She assisted in horse care and helping with classes for the disabled. From 2008-11, she ran an annual horse show, The Ultimate Cowboy Race, raising over $2,000

Sarah Hlusko photo

Junior Christine Longnecker was one of four nominees for this year’s local Athena Young Professional Award. each year for TREC. Longnecker also is a distinguished expert marksman, one of only seven members in the Erie area, and one of only three women with this honor.

She shoots competitively, which is a unique trait, especially as a male-dominated sport. Her success helps empower women to learn the skill.

Overall, Freyn believes Longnecker is a role model and mentor for young women, constantly striving for excellence academically and achieving it.

Although Longnecker did not receive the award, being a nominee is a huge honor.

Longnecker said, “I could not have been more honored when I was selected as the nominee for the award.

I will continue to strive for greatness in all that I do, and I will continue to help empower other young women to do the same.”

Then it says to soak your fingers in rubbing alcohol, but I found it’s easier to just dip them. You just need to coat your nail. Then, press a piece of newspaper onto the nail so that the alcohol soaks it.

Peel off the paper gently, and then see how the newsprint transferred.

At this point, you can still rub the newsprint off, so you should cover it with a topcoat. This will make the words not as dark and may smudge them a bit.

This is an easy and subtle way to give your nails an enhanced look.

Everyone that has seen them has thought that they were those little Sally Hansen stickers. Same look, yet if you have the nail polish and get a newspaper, it costs nothing.

Contributed photo

Senior Marysa Casey, juniors Melba Martinez and Serge Augustin, Dennis Kennedy (Founder of the National Diversity Council), Assistant Professor of Business Kim Zacherl and freshman Tara Acharya attended the Annual Diversity and Leadership Conference in September.

For more DIY ideas, visit lavendersbluee.blogspot.com DIY College Style will be a weekly column featuring two college students’ blogs on quick and easy tips about crafts and food.

October 26, 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 7

Musical ‘Oliver!’ highlights students, community members in what proves to be a family favorite

By Emma Rishel Staff writer

This weekend the Mercyhurst Theatre Program presented “Oliver!” the musical. A wellknown novel by Charles Dickens with music by Lionel Bart, it is the perfect entertainment for the whole family.

There was an excellent turn-out with audience members of all ages.

The impressive cast included young children and Mercyhurst students acting together on the stage of the Taylor Little Theatre.

The children in the cast were excellent for being so young – some looked as young as 5 or 6. They knew where to go, what to say or sing and were convincing yet adorable orphans.

Ethan Craig, 13, played the role of Oliver. He did not look at all nervous or uncomfortable on the stage. He is no rookie to stage productions–he has appeared in many Erie Playhouse productions such

Jill Barrile photo

Sophomore Mathew Anderson played the role of Fagin. as “The Music Man,” “The Secret Garden” and “Tom Sawyer.”

As Oliver he was convincing and made those watching sympathize with the poor orphan. In his song, “Where is Love?” you could see the sadness and longing in his face as

Tony Bennett croons with the stars in ‘Duets II’

By Aaron Ullman Staff writer

At the ripe old age of 85 and with more than 70 previously released albums, Tony Bennett is still making great music.

His latest offering is the second album of his featuring various collaborations with other musical figures.

“Duets II” showcases 17 tracks with different big-name artists.

It should be noted that few, if any, of the renditions compare to the Sinatra versions.

The Chairman’s phrasing, intonation and mellifluous voice just cannot be surpassed. This, however, does not take away from Bennett’s talent at all.

The best track far and away is “The Lady is a Tramp” featuring Lady Gaga. She steps out of her usual cotton candy pop music mold and really shows off her talent.

The song has enormous swing and bravado from the opening “She gets hungry for dinner at 8” to the last “That’s why this chick is a tramp.”

Gaga and Bennett even throw in a few new lyrics midway through the song that vary from the original version. This, plus the playful interaction between the two artists, makes for an extremely enjoyable listen.

Following right on Gaga’s heels, is John Mayer’s cameo, performing a rendition of “One for My Baby” with Bennett. This track is substantially “bluesified,” yet it fits the song well. The lyrics allow for the mellow, coffeehouse feel that Mayer gives off.

Yet another incredible collaboration is “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” with Michael Buble. Both crooners feed off each other, giving the song an incredible amount of energy.

Read the full story at merciad.mercyhurs.edu/arts_entertainment.

he wished for a companion and a home.

Even though Dickens’ story of an orphan may not seem like a family-oriented show, the Mercyhurst Theatre Program made it work well.

Certain elements such as the relationship between Mr. Bumble and the Widow Corney, the orphanage caretakers, or the actions of The Artful Dodger made for a humorous side to the tragic tale.

The music was memorable and catchy. Both of the songs “Consider Yourself ” and the heartfelt “As Long as He Needs Me” stuck with me after the show.

“Oliver!” had two different leading casts, with one performing on Friday night and the Saturday matinee and the other performing Saturday night and the Sunday matinee.

In the Friday evening and Saturday matinee cast, Rebecka Bani Kerr played Nancy, the troubled yet kind barmaid who helps Oliver find his way to his rightful home even though it ultimately leads to her demise.

As the role of Nancy’s villainous boyfriend Bill Sykes, Matthew Tolbert was daunting and ominous, and his voice projected through the theatre in his song called “My Name.”

Katie Cecchetti had a clear sing-

ing voice and believable acting abilities as the role of the giddy Widow Corney.

The Artful Dodger, a likeable yet sneaky character, was played by Kristian Hill. He was eager and full of a sort of mysterious kindness.

Initially Oliver is not sure whether to trust him or avoid him.

The plot twist in the second act creates a suspenseful atmosphere.

As it turned out, Oliver’s long lost family member, Mr. Brownlow (played by Barry McAndrew), realizes Oliver is his grandson after seeing a locket that belonged to his daughter who died during childbirth.

Oliver is eventually reunited with his grandfather and is taken to a loving and safe home.

Sophomore Emily Reed said of the show, “I thought it was a wonderful display of the talent found not only here at Mercyhurst but also in the Erie community.”

All in all, “Oliver!” was a wonderful production, showcasing the singing and acting abilities of many students and community members.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Page 8

October 26, 2011

Pianist Yoo wows audience at Faculty Recital Series

By Mathew Anderson Staff writer

“Dr. Yoo’s recital was the perfect showcase for how incredibly talented the Mercyhurst music faculty is. Her performance was flawless,” said Lynn Dula, post-baccalaureate.

Jaws dropped and eyes widened throughout the piano performance in the almost packed house at the Walker Recital Hall on Thursday when Shirley Yoo, Doctor of Music Arts, showed us all what mastery of an instrument truly sounded like.

The Washington Post stated that Yoo is a pianist that has “extraordinary sensitivity and technical skill.”

Yoo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from John Hopkins University and later received her Master of Music degree at the University of Maryland.

After attending the Royal Academy of Music, she earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Peabody Conservatory.

She is a founding member of the Annapolis chamber players and the League of the Unsound Sound (LotUS), which is dedicated to performing contemporary and experimental music.

Highlights of her performance career include concerts at Steinway Hall, London; the Penderecki Festival, Banff; Tata Theatre, Mumbai; Societa Filarmonica, Trento; and Arts Centre, Seoul.

Yoo is now assistant professor of piano at Mercyhurst, and couldn’t be luckier to have such paragon of music as an educator of the Mercyhurst student body.

According to Adam Ferrari,

junior music education major, “She was fantastic through and through.

I had to stop a second at the end and just say, we know her…she taught me.

“It’s amazing because she’s just so crazy talented.”

For the music students, to be able to see the talent that their professors possess gives them a sense of respect for the people who teach them.

They see what can happen from years of hard work, dedication and practice.

The program itself opened with “Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland” (Come now, Redeemer of the Gentiles) composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.

What followed could only be described as the repertoire of a true master of piano, such as, “In the Mists” by Leoš Janáček, “Images” composed by Claude Debussy and “Image de Moreau” written by Louis Andriessen.

This magnificent recital was topped off by an absolutely breathtaking Beethoven Sonata, op. 57 (“Appassionata”) that left the audience speechless.

“Her performance was flawless, and she is an inspiration to all students.

“Watching her perform was an emotional experience, and the audience could definitely tell music was a passion of hers,” said sophomore music education major Marisa Jacobson after witnessing Yoo’s memorable performance.

This will certainly be a recital that will be remembered by all those who attended as one of the best they have seen or will see for years to come.

Read more online merciad.mercyhurst.edu/ arts_entertainment

Contributed photo

Eden Mishler loves to perform, but her true passion is choreographing different dances.

Senior dancer discovers passion for choreography

By Ashley Cook Staff writer

Like many dancers, senior Eden Mishler initially chose Mercyhurst because of the school’s distinguished dance department to further her ballet technique and grow as an artist.

Once she started at Mercyhurst, she soon realized she was also extremely passionate about choreography, the art of creating dances.

Ultimately, attending this institution enabled Mishler to discover an interest she hopes to pursue after graduation.

Prior to attending Mercyhurst, Mishler trained with the Johnstown Concert Ballet for 16 years in addition to taking classes at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) and the Allegheny Ballet Company.

In order to get to PBT, this dedicated ballerina commuted two hours each week.

Nonetheless, this intense commitment led Mishler to Mercyhurst, for the friendly and knowledgeable faculty in the dance department won her over.

Like numerous other students, Mishler was also attracted to the college for its Catholic background, since she had attended private Catholic school growing up.

As a dance major at the ‘Hurst, Mishler says that her favorite performance experiences were

“Giselle” during her freshman year and watching her own piece being performed in Raw Edges last year.

In regards to the latter Mishler claimed that after taking courses in choreography, she discovered that she had a natural talent for creating dances and thus decided to pursue the choreography track.

When asked what inspires her choreography, the artist stated that she, “loves watching Mark, Ms. Hay as well as my fellow dancers create dances.”

Needless to say, after graduating Mishler plans on becoming a choreographer, “preferably in New York City, after dancing with a company for a few years,” she said.

In regards to other favorite classes at Mercyhurst, Mishler was enthusiastic about her introduction to psychology class because “learning about the inter-workings of the mind was highly interesting,” as well as her global issues class because “it was helpful and informative to gain an awareness about the system of world politics,” she said.

Mishler was equally excited about sharing her thoughts on some dance related questions: What major challenge do you face as a dancer, and how has Mercyhurst helped you to overcome it?

“I have always suffered from back problems and I am also prone to injury, so learning how to properly align my body and having teachers who place a great emphasis

on proper technique in general has definitely helped out.”

What was your worst on–stage moment?

“One year when I was dancing in Waltz of the Flowers in “The Nutcracker,” the stitches on the back of my costume began to come undone. While dancing around in a circle formation one of my friends attempted to “fix” my costume malfunction… It didn’t work out.”

Do you ever get nervous before you dance, and do you have any pre-performance rituals?

“I personally do not get nervous before I dance, but I do when watching my choreography because it is out of my control. Being close with the department is very helpful because it makes me motivated to perform and creates a sense of connection within the cast. ” What would you do if you weren’t a ballet dancer?

“I would probably become a chiropractic doctor because my family has a long history of back issues, and I would enjoy helping others who have to deal with this issue.”

What is it that you will miss most about Mercyhurst and what advice would you give other students?

“I am definitely going to miss the faculty and the close friendships I have made. In terms of advice, I would have to say follow through with your goals and believe in yourself with whatever it is that you are trying to do.”

OPINION

October 26, 2011

September 3,Page 20089

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.

Librarian responds to criticism Library

By Darci Jones

Director of Libraries As Director of Libraries and a committed member of the college community for the past 20 years, myself and the entire library staff have strived to meet the wishes of all college constituencies and their needs for library services and resources.

That being said, economic challenges have required that the library do more with less as well as work to meet demands for services and content within the context of what can reasonably be achieved. Within that plan, we as an institution have been successful.

As with most goods and services today, costs are rising at a higher rate than funding can be allocated.

To that end, choices are made as to

which services to support.

In response to the lack of access to the New York Times, in the spring of this year (2011), the New York Times cancelled all institutional digital subscriptions.

All universities and colleges, except the very top tier, were left without access until such time as a new pricing model could be offered

by NYT. As with all academic libraries the loss of the institutional subscription was challenging. At that time, the library posted an announcement on the library homepage that access to the NYT was cancelled until further notice.

My decision at that time and the directive I prepared to the staff was to keep an eye out for the larger institutions, as they would certainly advocate for all libraries and work to negotiate with the NYT for resolution. Since that time, progress

has been made and access will be restored to the New York Times.

As for the Language Lab and its content, it is important for the college community to understand that while this building is primarily a library, we do house other services that do not fall under the purview of the library.

For example, the Center for Student Excellence “lives” in the library, yet it is not part of the library, and the same is true of the Language Lab. They are as I refer to them “tenants of the library.”

Your concerns about services and content will need to be directed to those who are responsible and I have every confidence that Mercyhurst will do everything within reason to secure the resources you are in need of.

Your comments about the age of the collection should be addressed

Discussions reveal major flaws in political process

By Jerry Johnson Contributing writer

Thanks to the efforts of Mercyhurst political science professor Brian Ripley, Ph.D., acting in his capacity as head of the Public Affairs Forum of the Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics, Mercyhurst College has recently been host to talks by Mike Kelly. The current U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District, which includes all of Erie County, joined one of his predecessors, Phil English in speaking to the college community this term.

The differences in style and substance of the two discussions, one from a former elected official and one from a current officeholder, both Republicans, were both revealing and illustrative of one of the flaws of our political process.

English, who served from 1995 to 2009, gave a talk on Sept. 17, in observance of Constitution Day.

He gave a frank and forthright talk, open to the general public, in which he discussed his time in office, what he has done since leaving office and the main topic of his speech, constitutional issues that the U.S. is faced with. For example, English openly acknowledged that since leaving office, he has been serving as a lobbyist for natural gas companies interested in the Marcellus Shale. He also provided thoughtful answers to questions posed by audience members.

Kelly, on the other hand, was very much the politician when he addressed his audience, restricted to Mercyhurst College students, faculty and staff, on Oct. 20.

In response to many of the questions posed to him, Kelly showed the political skill of avoiding a direct answer to the question or answering in such a way to tell the questioners what he thought they might want to hear.

A Mercyhurst graduate student asked about Republican attempts at repealing the 2010 healthcare bill,

which would revoke her ability to keep her health insurance as provided by her parent’s policy.

Kelly told her that he was in favor of people having health insurance but since graduate students often had difficulty maintaining their parentally-provided insurance, this would have little effect on the general public. While this may be true for the general public, it would clearly have an effect in her particular case.

This contrast in speaking styles illustrates a major flaw in the political process. It is in the best interests of politicians who wish to further their political career to keep their constituents pleased by attempting to convince them that the politician is always working in their best interests.

It is in the best interests of the general public to have forthright political figures who would plainly describe their own views and let the public choose, on that basis, whether to support or reject them.

in the following way. Libraries today are vibrant information centers that offer a wide range of services and content that are easily accessed and disseminated. Without having actual access to individual topics, it can be challenging to recreate a particular search.

I did however, go to the ’Hurst Search box, type in Arabic – limit it to the “catalog only – so I only search for books” and asked for the publishing date of 2005 to current.

My results came back with 145 titles in both bound and eBook form.

For future reference, the library has many places that can be accessed from our homepage where concerns and suggestions can be forwarded. If you feel so inclined please feel free to stop in for a chat.

My door is always open.

rebuttal

By Alicia Cagle Staff writer

While it is not specifically the fault of the Hammermill Library, the lack of services and current material is inconvenient for students who are trying to make advances in their education.

It is unfortunate that funding is not available, and I do hope that progressive steps can be made so our library can be something we can be proud of and that will complement our university status.

If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen.

Editors Kelly Luoma Alaina Rydzewski Liz Zurasky Caitlin Handerhan Spencer Hunt Alex Stacey Chrissy Mihalic Kaitlin Badger Jill Barrile Ethan Johns Max Rivera Bill Welch

@mercyhurst.edu Positions Editor-in-Chief editormerciad News Editor newsmerciad Features Editor featuremerciad Opinion Editor opinionmerciad sportsmerciad Sports Editor A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad copymerciad Copy Editor Graphics photomerciad Photo Editor photomerciad Web Editor ejohns89 Ad Manager admerciad wwelch Adviser

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.

OPINION

Page 10

October 2011 September 3, 26, 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.

Kelly dodges straight answer at forum

By Courtney Sullivan Contributing writer

Classes for this term are almost over, which would not be the case if we were on a semester system and stuck in the same classes until Christmas.

Despite much anticipation for the event, a performance by comedian David Sedaris was ill attended by students and resulted in some leaving the performance after being offended by his material, which was lost on a college audience.

Last Thursday Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa, spoke at Mercyhurst College as a guest of the Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics and its Public Affairs Forum. The event was advertised as a town hall meeting “exclusive to the college community.”

While I commend Mercyhurst for providing the opportunity to hear Kelly speak, I could only laugh as I read the criteria necessary to attend.

Soon after Kelly was sworn into office, he spoke to constituents at a town hall meeting at the Blasco Library in Erie. Unfortunately, I could not attend because a sudden snowstorm made venturing out near impossible.

Since that meeting on a cold, blustery morning in mid-February, Kelly’s local presence has been slim. But eight months after his first open forum in Erie, Kelly returned to speak at a (let’s face it) closeddoor, invite-only, ID-checked-at-

described life as a college graduate, unable to find a job in my field, waitressing and applying daily for jobs all over the country. Because of former Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, I was able stay on my parents’ health insurance during this transitional time. Dahlkemper was responsible for the article within the Affordable Care Act stating that dependents under 26 can remain on their parents’ health insurance plan.

I asked Kelly why, in his effort to repeal “Obamacare” as he so ineloquently and immaturely called it, would he want to take this opportunity away from my fellow students who could be in the same position next spring as I was this past year?

Kelly shot back by saying that he was not in Washington during health care reform. Had he misunderstood my question? I quickly clarified that I was referring to the current effort

by Congressional Republicans to repeal health care reform. That was the last clarification I could add.

Kelly continued on a seemingly endless preapproved speech about how health care reform may look good on the surface, but there’s nothing there. Really? There’s noth-

ing there? Because I recently went to the emergency room and if I remember correctly, the hospital accepted my insurance card.

Twice during Kelly’s response I tried to clarify my question to get a straight answer. How naïve of me. Kelly would not answer my question. And why, fellow Mercyhurst students, do you think that is? Because the current Republican agenda is to repeal health care reform, taking with it our opportunity to remain on our parents’ health insurance while we navigate the job market.

Not surprisingly, Kelly would not tell a group of students that he wants to repeal what may be our only option for affordable health care next year. Instead, he could only lambast the current administration and try to shock us with outrageously inflated statistics.

When I graduate next year, I’ll be 26 and will no longer qualify to stay on my parents’ health insurance plan. But to the hundreds of Mercyhurst students under 26 who graduate next year, wouldn’t you like to know who’s trying to take away your opportunity for coverage?

Casting light on dark superstitions

By Larae Tymochko Staff writer

In light of the holiday season, I wanted to cast a shadow on some of the darker elements of Halloween. I returned to my apartment the other night only to find a black cat bolting across the parking lot.

Now, for many this is a sign of bad

Online

Winter term athletes were eligible to register for classes, regardless of class rank. So much for upperclassmen and honors students having the privilege to register first.

the-door meeting.

Thankfully I am a graduate student with the necessary identification that made bypassing security a breeze.

Kelly began with a PowerPoint outlining what he thought were the major flaws in the current administration. Kelly was sure to emphasize the current deficit and even provided a terrifying graph of what we, as young, bright citizens, will eventually inherit if we don’t vote the Democrats out of office: an 800 percent increase in national debt.

Thank you, Congressman, for beginning your “meeting” on such a positive note. Since I have seen these Republican scare tactics too many times before, I sat patiently in the second row waiting for the opportunity to ask Kelly a question.

Kelly began the question-andanswer session with cheerful comments stressing his empathetic spirit and if students were prepared to ask a question, he would be more than happy to answer.

I chose to ask Kelly a question that applied not only to me, but to all the students in the room. I

luck, but I didn’t give it a second thought.

Superstition is any belief that is inconsistent with the known laws of science or with what is considered true and rational, such as a belief in omens or the supernatural.

I find these to be nonsense, and I do not consider myself superstitious.

Numerology has always fascinated me, but no number is more

feared than dare I say it – 13.

The fear of the number 13 is still common today and avoided in many different ways. Some buildings still do not have an official 13th floor, and many people avoid driving or going anywhere on Friday the 13th.

It is important to note that superstitions aren’t always about the glass being half empty.

You may find luck in carrying a rabbit’s foot around or finding

good ole Abe heads up in a parking lot – I pick up the pennies regardless, don’t you know they still spend the same?

Whether it’s omens or old wives tales, I like to stay grounded in the rational. So this Halloween, I’ll plan to keep my salt in the salt shaker, pet the next black cat that crosses my path and will continue to disregard superstitions.

Gender inequality rising in India

Reflection needed as troops come home

By Jaslyne Halter Staff writer

By Brian Lombardo Staff writer

Page 11

Sports

October 26, 2011

Men’s water polo making major strides

By Spencer Hunt Sports editor

There are many attributes that separate a good team from a great team.

A good team beats the teams they are supposed to and loses to the ones they aren’t. The great teams beat everyone, no matter who is favored.

The Mercyhurst men’s water polo team is currently in the good team category.

“We are right where we are expected to be, winning the games we are supposed to,” Coach Curtis Robinette said.

The part that is surprising about this Lakers team, currently 13-8, is that they are creeping closer and closer to the line that separates them from being great.

“We played three and a half really good quarters against a tough Brown team and were only one minute away from beating Harvard,” Robinette said.

Finishing games is something that will come with experience, something they lacked heading into this season. The team consists pri-

Sports Information photo

Sophomore Brett Luehmann continues to lead a young Lakers team as they head into the postseason. According to Coach Curtis Robinette, Luehmann is the team leader in points with 69 and is evolving into a leader both in the pool and out. marily of underclassmen, but they continue to perform well and are stepping into bigger roles as the season winds down.

“The younger guys are stepping into that leadership role and are becoming more vocal, especially after the tough weekend,” Robinette said.

Tough is a generous way of putting the weekend. The Lakers lost to Harvard 10-9 but were winning 9-8 with only a minute left.

However, the team was playing its second of three games in a two-day stretch.

The Lakers then fell to Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

13-5.

“Three games in two days can be tough, but after the Harvard loss we were spent both mentally and physically,” Robinette said.

But there could be a silver lining to the defeat, one that could help the team going forward.

“Hopefully, the sting of the Har-

vard loss will carry over,” Robinette said.

The Lakers only need it to carry over a few games.

The team just wrapped up the Division II Eastern Championships with a 12-2 victory over Salem and a 13-12 win over Notre Dame College later in the day.

“Going in as the number one, we expect to come out with the championship,” Robinette said.

The team had to worry about looking past Notre Dame College of Cleveland to their game against Johns’ Hopkins, which affects seeding for the Southern Championships.

After dropping 10-2 to Johns’ Hopkins, the Lakers need to focus on the Southern Championship Nov. 4-6. With a top-four finish, the Lakers would then qualify for the Eastern Championships on Nov. 18-20.

“We have never qualified for the Eastern Championships, but we know we can compete with these teams,” Robinette said. “The guys are pretty self-motivated.”

The team will travel to Princeton for the Southern Championship.

Athletes get the spotlight in the classroom

By Spencer Hunt Sports editor

Athletes do not always get the best reputation when it comes to grade point average.

Most athletes are judged more on completion percentage, shooting percentage or average yards per reception.

Just ask Maurice Clarett, Terrelle Pryor, Reggie Bush or any number of collegiate athletes who made bad decisions and failed in the classroom or in some other capacity. But there are others who are unjustly put into the same category. Most Ohio State Buckeyes would agree.

In the past few years, a few Mercyhurst athletes have been recog-

Sports Information photo

Junior Jake Pilarski accepts the inaugural PSAC Scholar Athlete award from PSAC Commissioner Steve Murray. nized for being outstanding both on the field and in the classroom.

These athletes cover a wide range of sports.

In 2010, women’s hockey player

Vicki Bendus won the Elite 88 award given to the player with the highest grade point average at an NCAA championship. Bendus earned her award, posting a 3.937

cumulative GPA while majoring in biology/pre-medicine.

Bendus began a string of winners.

Following suit was Bethany Brun and Ian Wild, from rowing and lacrosse respectively. Wild also earned the inaugural Pete Nevins Scholar Athlete of the year award in 2010 for football.

Brun was a religious studies and sociology major, while Wild is currently an international business major.

This string of recent winners shows Mercyhurst has not only excelled academically but has also improved in athletics.

These athletes would not have been recognized had their teams not made it to the championships in their sports.

A more telling statistic is that last season, Mercyhurst had 196 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar Athletes. This means that 196 athletes have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better, which is no easy feat considering their hectic schedules.

Another Laker can now add his name to the seemingly growing line of standouts in athletics and academics.

Junior Jake Pilarski, men’s golf, won the inaugural PSAC Champion Scholar award. The award is modeled after the Elite 88 award and is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at a PSAC championship event.

Pilarski boasts a 4.0 GPA as a political science major.

Maybe athletes have been given a bad reputation.

Sports

Page 12

October 26, 2011

Pattenden’s experience beginning to pay off

By Spencer Hunt Sports editor

Experience is always a key attribute when defining an athlete. The more experience athletes have, the more is expected from them.

Women’s college hockey is no different. Every year, the team is gauged on its junior and senior depth and how their experience will carry the underclassmen.

Senior Hillary Pattenden has seen both sides.

Pattenden came to Mercyhurst three years ago, skated to the net and has been posted there ever since.

The senior goaltender played in 29 games and started 26 her freshman season, helping the Lakers reach their first National Championship game.

For the next three years, she has had her fair share of ups and downs. Each year, criticism would be thrown her way but not necessarily for the right reasons.

When you are the last line of defense, there is always a certain amount of pressure to begin with.

But when your front line consists of a two-time gold medalist, a Patty Kazmaier winner and the eventual fifth overall draft pick in the Canadian women’s league, it’s hard to match up with that kind of talent.

Last season, the Lakers fell in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Blame landed just about

everywhere, including Pattenden.

This season is brand new, and it came with a different mindset.

“This is a fresh start, and we are focused on this season,” Pattenden said.

So far, Pattenden has shown the talent that made her the starter three years ago.

She currently leads the nation in shutouts with three in six games.

She has stopped 95 percent of shots, good for third in the nation.

These numbers are a jump from last year, when she was ranked in the middle of the pack most of the season.

“The season has gone pretty well so far, but personally I feel more comfortable and my confidence is up,” Pattenden said.

Her numbers are up, even though she has only two defenders returning in front of her.

“It’s a little different, but it doesn’t affect me too much. They are all talented and play the same base defense,” Pattenden said.

Even though the Lakers aren’t expected to make a run for a national title, like last year’s team, that doesn’t mean the current Lakers expect to lose.

“We just want to start with winning our league and hopefully move up the ranks,” Pattenden said.

The Lakers have bounced in the ranks between No. 7 and No. 10 but are currently holding at No. 8 in the latest polls.

Pattenden is also closing in on

Jill Barrile photo

Senior goaltender Hillary Pattenden continues to impress in her senior season, posting three shutouts in six games. She is only three shutouts shy of her total from 33 starts last season. a career record. She currently has 84 wins in her career, seven away from Wisconsin’s Jessie Vetter, who ended her storied career with 91.

Oddly enough, Vetter ended her career with a 5-0 shutout of the Lakers in the 2009 Championship game.

“It would be nice to beat Vetter, and it’s great to be compared to such a great goalie, but our team goals are more important,” Pattenden said.

Hopefully the Lakers can start chipping away at the record books beginning Oct. 28 and 29 against Lindenwood University in St. Louis.

Jill Barrile photo

Pattenden is currently seven wins shy of the all-time wins record, held by current Team USA goaltender and former Wisconsin star Jessie Vetter. Pattenden lost to Vetter and the Badgers in the 2009 title game.