The Merciad, May 2, 2006

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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929

A & E YEAR IN REVIEW

Page 10

Vol. 79 No. 22 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie Pa. 16546 May 3, 2006

MERCIAD T H ESee the stories that madethis years top headlinesin sports and news

Soulful SonyaKitchell singsat PerformingArts Center

DAngeloadditions

Corrie Thearle/News editor

Ofce of Academic Affairs

Major renovations in Zurn andthe Performing Arts Center

The DAngelo Performing ArtsCenter and Zurn Hall at Mercyhurst

College are in the process of receiving an expensive and expansive makeover. The Performing Arts Center is plan-

ning a complete revamp of the currentlobby, art gallery and box ofce. The plans, according to Vice Presi-

dent of Academic Affairs BarbaraBehan, will come with a price tag of $700,000. The construction, according to Behan,

will begin within the next two weeks. The new photography studio will

replace the current box ofce space andhave a total area of 953 square feet. The box ofce will go next to the

bathrooms located on the parking lotside of the arts center. The Cummings Art Gallery will

increase in current size by 500 squarefeet.

Behan noted all art classrooms,including the new photography labo-ratory, will include smart podiums forthe fall.

Art students, however, have mixedfeelings about the plans. Junior Andrew Lapiska said he is

happy about getting a new space, butdoes not see it as conducive to the artdepartment.

The proposed location brings theseparation already endured by the artdepartment to a new degree, he said.Our department lacks a central area toconvene, converse, and create all essen-tial elements in our eld. The proposedlayout and design seems ill conceivedand insufcient to facilitate instructionand study of photography.

He noted, however, he is glad to see

Please see Extensive on page 3

By Joshua WilwohlEditor-in-chief

Top: The front part of the Performing Arts center will be expanded.Middle: The blue print plans for the construction. Gallery (green),Lobby (pink), photography lab (blue), and box ofce (yellow).Bottom: The Geology Lab currently under construction.

Matt Seifert photo

Earth Week events culminate with KunstlerKunstler wrote, The Long Emer-

gency: Surviving the Converging Catas-trophes of the Twenty-First Century abook focusing on the shocking visionof a world without oil.

Kunstler spoke about this importantand engaging issue on April 25 in the

Walker Recital Hall. This topic was also the focus of a

roundtable discussion held on thatafternoon.

Dr. Brian Ripley, a political science

professor and part of the roundtablediscussion explained that, the panel

was a really useful way to digest someof Kunstlers claims, since we hada roundtable of experts from theMercyhurst faculty community offerdifferent reactions from the perspectiveof our disciplines (e.g. politics, chemis-try, economics).

It reinforces how valuable a liberalarts education is when confronting acomplex, multifaceted problem such asa dramatic energy crisis, he said.

During the lecture in the WalkerRecital Hall, Kunstler argued that the

world has taken the availability of non-

renewable fossil fuels for granted andtherefore will have trouble surviving thepost-oil world.

He claims that society has been focus-ing too much on entertainment andhas failed to see the true problems inthe world.

Kunstler also explained that peoplehave become bargain shoppers andhave allowed companies like Wal-Martand other corporations to take overevery facet of the economy.

Kunstler offered a very grim outlook for the future. He predicts that

Please see Surviving on page 2 Howard Kunstler spoke during a roundtable discussion.Joshua Wilwohl/Editor-in-chief

By Jessica KocentContributing writer

StudentsattendDarfurrally

On May 30, thousands of people,including over a dozen of Mercyhurst

students, gathered in front of CapitalHill in Washington D.C. to rally againstthe mass murder of the people in theDarfur region of Sudan.

Several high-profile speakers werepresent at the event such as actor,George Clooney, Sen. Barack Obama,D-Illinois, House Democratic leaderNancy Pelosi of California, NobelPeace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, Olym-pic speed skating champion Joey Cheek and Roman Catholic Cardinal

Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington.

Individuals from across the world who spoke out against the atrocities,spoke not as Republicans, Democrats,blacks, whites, Asians or Hispanics, butas members of the human race seeking

to protect their fellow man.Demonstrators who listened to thespeakers messages were prompted togo back to their colleges and home-towns to inspire and educate others toact out against this genocide. According to reports by the World

Food Program, the United Nations andthe Coalition for International Justice,3.5 million people are now hungry,2.5 million have been displaced due to

violence and 400,000 people have diedin Darfur thus far.

Please see Darfur on page 3

By Ashley Trevana and Adrienne AtrnesContributing writers

Merciadtakes 1st

The Merciad was awarded rst placeby the American Scholastic Press

Association in its annual newspapercompetition.

Newspapers were judged on contentcoverage, page design, general plan,art/advertising/illustrations, editing and creativity.

The Merciad received high scores ineach category, with a total score of 940points earned out of a possible 1000.

Staff reports

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PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD May 3, 2006

To contact: [email protected] NEWS

Compiled by Jessica KocentFrom BBC News

Sudanese rebels are coming under strong pressure to accept adeal to end the conict in Darfur,as Tuesdays deadline looms forpeace talks to end.

Senior U.S. and U.K. envoyshave gone to Nigeria, where thetalks have stalled. The Sudanese government has

agreed to sign the African Union-drafted deal, but rebel leaders say the document does not addresscrucial concerns.

More than two million peoplehave ed their homes during theconict, which the U.S. has saidis a genocide.

The alleged head of the Sicilian

maa, Bernardo Provenzano, hasmade his rst court appearancesince his arrest last month after40 years on the run.

Provenzano appeared via vid-eo-link from his jail in a trialconcerning Maa murders com-mitted in Italy in the 1980s.

He is being held in a high secu-rity jail in Terni, central Italy. Theprison is denying him access totelevision, radio or newspaper.

He was arrested last month ata small farmhouse near his hometown of Corleone in Sicily.

Police had followed fresh laun-dry sent by his wife to the farm-house.

The head of Hong Kongs Roman Catholic Church says the Vaticanmust halt talks with China because of its appointment of bishops

without Vatican consent.Cardinal Joseph Zen, who has been at the forefront of the move

to improve ties, said Beijing had imposed a fait accompli and hadbeen very disloyal.

His comments come just days after state-sanctioned clerics in theChinese city of Kunming ordained a new bishop. The Vatican had asked for the ceremony to be delayed, to assess

the candidate. But Beijing said the Vatican should not interfere inits internal affairs. Another bishop is set to be appointed in central

Anhui province without Vatican approval on Wednesday.

The French parliament is todiscuss whether to approve a new immigration bill which wouldmake it harder for foreigners to

work in France. The proposals, drawn up by

French Interior Minister NicolasSarkozy, demand that newcomerslearn the French language andculture. They also favor highly skilled

workers over those who are lessqualied.

Darfur peace talks

China-Vatican talks should conclude

Maa boss caught

The Scream theft

French immigration

The world is failing children by not ensuring they have enough toeat, says the U.N. Childrens Fund (Unicef).

It says the number of children under ve who are underweight hasremained virtually unchanged since 1990, despite a target to reducethe number affected.

Half of all the under-nourished children in the world live in South Asia, Unicef reported.

And it said poor nutrition contributes to about 5.6 million childdeaths per year, more than half the total. In total, 27 percent of children under ve in developing countries do not have enough toeat - around 146 million.

Three men have been foundguilty of charges relating tothe theft of the Edvard Munchmasterpieces The Screamand Madonna, which are stillmissing. The court in Norway acquitted

another three people. All six menhad pleaded not guilty. They faced various charges

relating to the theft of the paint-ings on August 22, 2004 from theMunch Museum in Oslo. The three convicted men re-

ceived prison sentences of be-tween four to eight years for theirrole in the theft.

Five of the men had beencharged with planning or taking part in the daylight robbery, andthe sixth had been accused of

World BriefsInternational news

History does not remain in the past. Itis constantly interpreted and analyzed by

historians and many other scholars.On April 26, historian Thomas Fleming spoke to an audience of 70 people in the

Walker Recital Hall.Mercyhurst students, faculty and residents

of the Erie community came to listen toFleming speak about his newest book,Washingtons Secret War. The lecture was part of the Teaching

American History Grant, under the directionof Dr. Michael Federici.

Federici explained that Fleming offered aRefreshing and meaningful analysis of theUnited States past.

Federici also went on to explain that Flem-ings books, do what the Teaching AmericanHistory Grant seeks t o accomplish, which isto compel readers to think critically abouthistorical documents and events.

Fleming began his lecture by directing theattention of the audience to a portrait of General George Washington that was dis-played on a screen onstage.

He described Washington as exhibiting anaura of toughness and resolve, traits thatshown through most importantly during the Revolutionary War and the events of

Valley Forge.Fleming went on to talk about how histo-

rians have depicted Washington incorrectly during the crisis of Valley Forge. Washington was not navely unaware of the

problems that the Continental Army facedduring the Revolution. The poor planning of the Continental

Congress was one of the main causes of the deaths and extremely harsh conditions

that soldiers faced during the winter monthsof 1777.Fleming explained that the Congress be-

lieved that patriotism would urge merchantsand farmers to provide the military withadequate supplies. This assumption proved false and had di-

sastrous results, especially at Valley Forge.Fleming titled his book, Washingtons

Secret War after the battle that Washing-

ton privately waged with the ContinentalCongress. Washington could not publicly announce

the statistics of the sad state of the Con-tinental Army because it would destroy morale and the reveal vital information to

the British.Instead, Washington dealt with the inef-fectiveness of the Congress and changedthe path of the Revolution by reversing themilitary strategy. According to Fleming, one of Washing-

tons most important qualities that helpedhim lead and train the army was his, in-stinctive gift on how to relate t o his fellow soldiers.

Following the lecture, Fleming met with-audience members and autographed books

that were on sale in the lobby of the WalkerRecital Hall. The Teaching American History Grant will

also fund another engaging historian to speak at Mercyhurst.

On May 12, Pulitzer-prize winning author Walter A. McDougal will conduct a lecture on

The American Civil Religion and the Civil War in the Walker Recital Hall. McDougal isa senior fellow at the Foreign Policy ResearchInstitute and co-chair of its Center for theStudy of America and the West.

McDougal is the Alloy-Ansin Professor of International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. The lecture is free and opento the public.

The press conference concerned immigration reform.Corrie Thearle/News editor

Immigration reform is a seriouscurrent issue in the United States.

As Congress is debating on theImmigration Bill, many protestsand boycotts have sprung upthroughout the nation.

Many organizations are con-cerned over some of the provi-sions of the bill because they aretoo stringent and harsh.

On April 28, the Erie Mercy Sisters also made an ofcial state-ment on immigration reform.

During a press conference that was held in the Sisters of Mercy Motherhouse, the Erie RegionalCommunity of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, declared

Thursday, May 4 as a day of prayer and fasting for compas-sionate immigration reform. Along with Vice President

Sister Lisa Mary McCartney,Sister Malou Serrano, the JusticeSpokesperson for the RegionalCommunity of Erie, encouragedcitizens to contact PennsylvaniasU.S. senators, Rick Santorum and

Arlen Specter.

Malou explained that the sena-tors need to Pass compassionateU.S. immigration policy which

includes a pathway to lawfulpermanent residence and citizen-ship, meeting immigrants basicneeds and encouraging family unity and reunication.

McCartney explained that TheSisters of Mercy are moved by the Gospel and by our heritageto stand with and assist those

who are forced to move fromtheir homelands and seek eco-nomic and physical survivalelsewhere.

McCartney explained that peo-ple need to try and understandthe immigration issue with ahuman face.

She explained that, Nobody wants to leave their homelandunless forced by a strong needfor survival.

On Thursday the sisters willhost the day of prayer in themotherhouses chapel, 444 EastGrandview, beginning with Massat 7 a.m., followed by the exposi-tion of the Blessed Sacramentthroughout the day and a closing prayer service at 4 p.m.

By Corrie ThearleNews editor

Sisters of Mercy ght forfair immigration reform

By Corrie ThearleNews Editor

World fails to aide starving children

Grant brings historians to campus

Historian Walter A. McDougal.File Photo

Continued from page 1

the administration aiding the artdepartment. It makes me happy to see the administration keeping its promise of a new space, saidLapiska. Junior Gina Christoffersen

shares Lapiskas opinions.The new plans dont seem to

help the art department, shesaid. What we really need is ourown building.

Lapiska agreed. In the perfect world, the art department shouldhave its own building, he said.It need not be fancy, just a large

warehouse-like structure with aclassroom surrounded by large,open studio space that could fa-cilitate large classes and the entiregamut of artistic medium.

Director of the Art Depart-

ment, Tom Hubert, however,said the plans have great po-tential.

We are denitely pleased withthe new plans, he said. We havegained space and the plans havemade us even.

Hubert noted, however, thatthe department is not receiv-ing more space, just getting moved.

Construction began in mid- April for Mercyhurst Archeo-logical Institutes (MAI) geology laboratory in the basement of Zurn Hall.

Initial value of the labora-tory was between $250,000 and$300,000 said Behan. A new price upon completion

is not available, said Director of Curation and Conservation forMAI, Jeffrey Illingworth.

The laboratory construction,said Behan, is commencing onthe weekends so as to avoid inter-rupting classes. According to Illingworth,

all demolition work, except forthe electric demolition (whichnecessarily had to wait until allother demolition was nished)is completed.

Construction of the new labo-ratory, said Illingworth, includedinitial plumbing work with pri-mary focus on the work, whichrequired excavating into and thenpatching the concrete sub-oor.

With the exception of its nalelectrical wiring, all of the water-proong system is complete,said Illingworth.

Additionally, shop-based con-struction of the laboratory andclassroom complexs casework

has also begun.Illingworth noted the electrical

demolition should be completedby the end of this week, and installation of the rough framing of the new walls will begin that

will allow the new plumbing andelectrical work to be installed.

We fully expect to be able tohave this construction completedand all of our teaching and researchmaterials emplaced and calibrat-ed in time for the start of the fallterm, he said.

This (lab) will greatly facilitatethe training of Mercyhursts nextgeneration of geologists, archae-ologists, and forensic scientistsand will also vastly improve theease and scope of the core geol-ogy classes offered to the Mercy-hurst student body at large.

Extensive construction set for PAC, Zurn

Mercyhurst College students will soon have a chance to gainrst hand experience in renewable energy use thanks to a grantfrom the Sustainable Energy Fund of Central-Eastern Penn-sylvania. This grant will bring solar energy to campus next year, and

students who become involved will be responsible for installing and maintaining the solar ray equipment.

Dr. Ronald Brown, associate professor of chemistry and chairof Mercyhursts chemistry and physics department said thatstudents will be involved in every step of the process to bring solar energy to Mercyhurst.

Interested students will be involved in researching informationon renewable energy sources. The SEF has provided online re-search sources to help students learn more about solar energy.

Students will then be responsible for installing, monitoring and maintaining the solar ray.

Eventually, students will be involved in this project as a labcomponent to a new Mercyhurst course, Energy Science. There

is even a proposal to develop Environmental Sustainability minor.

Hopes are to purchase the equipment by next fall and have itinstalled by the 2007-08 school year if not next spring.

This is a g reat opportunity for students to really gain experi-ence in renewable energy t echnology. This project really helpsstudents to see the issues of renewable energy sources that weare going to be dealing with in the future, Brown said.

Brown explained that they are still researching where exactly on campus the solar ray equipment will be placed. Possibilitiesinclude the roof of Zurn or a piece of open land on campus.

The solar energy grant offers us a tremendous opportunity to not only integrate renewable energy technology into the cur-riculum, but also to visibly demonstrate the strong, longstanding commitment of Mercyhurst College toward combating global

warming through various green energy technologies and smartconservation practices, said Dr. Chris Magoc on behalf of theMercyhurst Green Team. The grant of up to $15,000 plus matching funds from Mer-

cyhurst will provide the resources to provide a steady supply of three kilowatts of solar power to campus. The solar array that will be installed is capable of providing enough electricity to power three homes for a year. That electricity will be madepart of the power grid.

Magoc, Dr. Mike Campbell and Cathy Pedler are all involvedin the project and are credited for securing the SEF grant forMercyhurst on relatively short notice.

It has really been a team interdisciplinary effort to put thisall together, Brown said.

Solar energy topower up campusBy Lakyn BiancoContributing writer

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NewsMay 3, 2006 THE MERCIAD PAGE 3

To contact: [email protected]

We pay the most for your books!CASH for BOOKS

Sell them back at theMERCYHURST COLLEGE

May 15th thru May 17th(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

8:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 18th8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

BOOKSTORE

Students living in the apartments along Briggs and Lewis av-

enues who woke up Tuesday, April 25, to nd parking tickets ontheir windshields got a pardon of sorts from the Erie police.Police Capt. D.J. Fuhrmann said April 26 that the police would

void any tickets returned to the Erie Police Bureau.Mercyhurst Chief of Police and Safety Ken Sidun said he had

received nearly 50 of the 62 tickets issued April 25 and will returnthem to the Erie police today.

Fuhrmann acknowledged last week that the owners of thecars ticketed for parking on the west side of Briggs and Lewisavenues were following the spirit of the law.

He noted that the letter of the law requires cars to park thereonly from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays. The cars were ticketedbetween 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.

Had Fuhrmann not agreed to void the tickets, the car owners who received them would face nes of $25. The nes wouldincrease if the owners wait too long to pay them.

Cops cut students a break By Merciad Staff

Mercyhurst West will open its

doors in September to studentstaking one of four majors thenew campus will offer.

Marlene Mosco, chair of thecolleges board of trustees, an-nounced Tuesday that the college

was working on a deal to pur-chase the Faith Lutheran Churchat 824 E. Main St. in Girard, abuilding located a short distancefrom the 405 acres the collegepurchased in April 2005. The former church, a brick

building, will cost $280,000.Dr. Heidi Hosey, executive

vice president for Mercyhurst West, also has announced thatthe courses and majors for the

west county campus have beenchosen.

The college plans to offer fourassociate degree programs busi-ness administration, liberal arts,a hotel track in Hotel RestaurantInstitutional Management, and a

facilities management track in theHRIM. The college is awaiting formal department of educa-tion approval for the facilitiesmanagement track.

Eight courses will be offeredthe fall term, Hosey said. They include: College Writing I, Art

Appreciation, Computer Applica-tions, Public Speaking, Principlesof Management, Introduction toHospitality, Business Math andFacilities Management. A key factor in choosing pro-

grams for Mercyhurst West hasbeen sustainability, Hosey said.

She noted that the new campus will focus on programs ranging from facilities management toreal estate-related nance/bank-

ing to liberal studies.Mercyhurst West will establish

itself as a regional force in two-year, certicate and continuing education and be a source of

pride and energy as MercyhurstCollege continues to grow in thedecades to come, Hosey said. The vision for Mercyhurst

West will carry a strong focuson a sustainable environment,sustainable agriculture and re-newable energy, she said.

It is our belief that West canand will emerge as a center forinnovative programs in land,

water and building managementand their related technologies,she added. The facilities management ma-

jor will carry a strong emphasison sustainability, Hosey said. While original plans called for

ground to be broken for a new building this year, the college has

decided to delay that until 2007.We want to do this right and

come up with the right building for what Mercyhurst West willoffer, Hosey said.

To accomplish the vision heldfor West will take a flexible,deliberate planning process, sheadded. While four associate degree

programs have been selected tobegin with, more will follow inthe years to come.

What is required is deliber-ate, thoughtful planning, carefulanalysis of programming andbuilding requirements, and a

willingness to embrace a 21stCentury understanding of educa-tion that is vested in new tech-nologies, continuing education,ongoing career retraining and thechallenges of a changing globalemployment environment, shesaid.

By the Ofce of CollegeRelations

Mercyhurst West takes giant step forward

Continued from Page 1

The women of Darfur areraped and tortured as their chil-dren starve, and their husbands

and uncles are murdered. Notonly are these people physically abused, but the sanitation of their water is being contaminatedby the Janjaweed militia. Their

farmlands and livelihoods arebeing destroyed, giving them nomeans to survive.

Nations such as China andRussia have refused to send aidbecause Sudan is their main oilprovider. Other nations of the

world have simply stood idly by while their neighbors bleed.

Some of the students who were fortunate enough to attendthe event said they now feel itis part of their duty to not only take action, but to urge othersto as well.

One student, in particular, issenior social work major, Tracy Bender. It is now in our handsto contact our senators, con-gressmen, and president and letthem know that we will not juststand by while people are being systematically tortured, rapedand killed, said Bender.

Consistent themes throughoutthe rally included messages suchas never again, which referred

to the Holocaust, and not onour watch. After World War II, the world

said that we will never again letthe slaughtering of a peopleoccur while we stand by and donothing, but again and again,these events continue to occur. Ten years ago when President

Bill Clinton read about the suf-fering occurring in Rwanda he

wrote in the margins not onour watch. Yet nothing has changed and

our watches continue to tick.As one of the speakers pointed

out during the rally, It is timefor these words to be taken outof the margins and put into ac-tion.

For more information on thegenocide in Darfur, Sudan log onto www.savedarfur.org orplease see page 6.

Darfur receiving little assistance

Students attended the Darfur rally in Washington D.C.KRT photo

Continued from Page 1

prices of gasoline and heating oil will skyrocket. This willcause schools to inevitably failbecause they will not be able tofuel the buses to transport schoolchildren.

Kunstler also predicts that sub-urbia will begin to fail, because itis a living arrangement with nofuture. Although there will bea campaign to save it, this willtoo fail.

Lastly, Kunstler warned thatenergy is not technology, onceenergy is gone, there will be notechnology.

Freshman Payne Lint whoattended the lecture, said thatthe only thing he disagreed with

were Kunstlers thoughts abouttechnology. Lint explained, If technology improves, we cangure out more efcient ways tocreate energy.

In regards to Kunstlers vision,Ripley said that the post-oil ageis bleak and somewhat apoca-lyptic, but plausible. Kunstlerforces you to take stock of the

way we do most things: business,

agriculture, urban development,transportation, and ask how

would we function if there wasno more petroleum? To end his lecture, Kunstler

offered a few suggestions to cre-ate a better environment, eventhough the eventual outcome isunavoidable. He spoke about thealternatives to fossil fuels, such asnuclear power, however, noting that it too has limitations.

Kunstler also suggested that werebuild the railroad systems, takeagriculture more seriously, andreturn to the traditional townsand neighborhoods; but that inthe end, reality will require usto make other arrangements tosurvive. According to Dr. Chris Ma-

goc, advisor to the Green Team,James Kunstler has long been aprovocative, incisive critic of thefossil fuel-dependent civilization

we have created for ourselves. With the consequences of bothpeak oil and global warming upon us, his visit to Mercyhurstis timely indeed.

Surviving oil crisis

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FEATURESTo contact: [email protected]

PAGE 4 May 3, 2006THE MERCIAD

Ive always wanted to be a de-signer, a designer of something,anything really, but I never really got the chance. Dan Salupo, onthe other hand, did.

Salupo is a senior footballplayer here and recently won acompetition called The Real DealBusiness Plan competition. This was a business plan con-

test that allowed any studentenrolled in a college in Erie,

whether it be Mercyhurst, Gan-non or Edinboro, to participate.

Salupo introduced the idea of The Real Retro in this contestand, after winning a large sumof money, apparently impressedthe judges. But this wasnt thebeginning of the now ourishing student business.

Salupo rst got involved whileinterning for Wal-mart Corpora-tion Headquarters in Arkansas. While there, his roommate

from the University of Michi-gan was also interning, but forNike at the apparel and designdivision.

He had a good taste of how design worked and how to makeit happen so he started thinking.He showed Salupo the idea he

was playing around with.He showed me what he had

going on and I immediately knew it was big, Salupo said afterhearing about his roommatesdesign. The business was to be for any

students interested in designing apparel. The key is that its astudent business that is targetedto pay tribute to the fallen heroesof history.

The apparel is designed fordevotion and appreciation of historys most outstanding peo-ple. Whether ctional or real, these

clothes are designed to promotethe values of education and di-

verse intellectual background.Salupo said they call it their

starting line up. Youll nd a variety of different t-shirts onthe Website that look like a sportsjersey; number and/or logo onthe front with a number and thename of your favorite person inhistory on the back.

Choose from artists, think-ers, warriors, innovators, its upto you. The heroes range fromFreud, Aphrodite and Picasso,to Romeo and Juliet. This whole business is dedi-

cated to historys famous heroes.On the Website, they have asection they call Learn. Thisis a place where you can take theextra step in learning about yourfavorite hero.

It offers extended bios andquizzes along with their great-est achievements and whacky quirks. The Real Retro is always look-

ing for students to join in theirsuccess. Now as a part of theoperational components they aretrying to target big, inuentialschools such as Berkley.

They want to reach the presi-dents of fraternities and sorori-ties to spread the word in hopesof expanding even more. Wordof mouth is the most successfulform of communication.

Recently, this has been a hottopic so their goal is working.

The University of Nebraska, Virginia and Michigan have alljust released articles about thisgrowing student business. The company Website is striv-

ing to educate students on some-thing that they feel strongly about. They have made it easy to access information allowing anyone to learn more aboutthese celebrated heroes, how toget involved with the business ordesign, how to order their mer-chandise and how to learn moreabout the company. To learn more, visit the site at

www.therealretro.com.

Students enrolled in COMM392 Communication Campaigns

will present the 4th Annual Com-munication Department TradeShow on Tuesday, May 9, from 10a.m. to noon in the Great Roomof the Student Union. This years theme, All Natural,

All Organic, All Communica-tion, features student-createdbusinesses that revolve aroundthe theme of natural, organicproducts. Trade show boothsinclude hemp flip flops, petcare products, coffee, chocolate,beauty products, cleaning sup-plies and more.

The course focuses on themanagement of public relationsand the situations practitionersface in creating a communicationcampaign for an organization.Students apply the concepts of campaigns and special eventplanning through a hands-on,

comprehensive group activity which spans the course of theterm, said Anne Zaphiris, As-sistant Professor of Communi-cation. This extensive project allows

students to gain practical, pro-fessional experience. Studentslearn about budgets, creating andfollowing timelines, practicing their writing and design skills inthe creation of public relationsmaterials and how to build a tradeshow booth, she said. Juniors Michelle Ellia, Meghan

Smith, and Steve Sorefman havebeen working on different sec-tions for the last month. Withoutgiving too much detail away for

what their booth organic productis, Ellia describes it fun exciting and the winning booth. Junior Amy Carlson describes

the class: Its a lot of work done on your own; it is a class

where you put everything youhave learned, in classes prior, tothe test. This is a requirement course in

the Public Relations concentra-tion. This is a suppose to givestudents a hands experience,

which some might consider thisfor a real world job. This classhas made me consider eventplanning as a future career, saidEllia.

Everyone is welcomed to cometo this event, and is encouragedto come and support the studentsin there organic booths. One partof the judging will be based onpopularity votes, among otherspecied critiques. The students work will be

critiqued by a panel of judges who work in various aspects of communication throughout theErie community. They are Mark Dombrowki of Erie Insurance,Boo Haggerty of the HamotHealth Foundation, Bill Gondaof Engel, ONeill Advertising and Meghan Corbin of Mercy-hurst College. Lori Letender willserve as a student judge.

By Kate CollinsContributing writer

Buy shirts of your favorite historical gure

By Katie McAdamsPhoto editor

Michelle Ellia, Meghan Smith and Steve Sorefman work on their plans.Katie McAdams/Photo editor

Brent Scarpo, a Mercyhurst Alumni 84, will be ying fromCalifornia to give two presenta-tions for Communication Week.

On May 9 at 8 p.m. the Com-munication Department will

screen the movie Shawshank Redemption. Scarpo was thelms assistant casting director.

After the movie, he will discuss what it was like to work on thismodern classic. The next day at 8:15 p.m. in

Zurn 214, Scarpo will speak onthe Road to Hollywood, abouthow to get hired in the enter-tainment business. He will alsodiscuss other lms he has workedon including, That Thing YouDo and Air Force One. These events are open to all

majors. Scarpo has stressed thatthe industry is always looking for people from many differ-ent backgrounds. He studiedEnglish literature, theater andcommunication while at Mer-cyhurst.

Scarpo decided when he wasseven years old he wanted to bean actor. He wasnt interested ingoing to college. After graduat-ing from Warren High School inPennsylvania, he wanted to goto the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in Los

Angeles.His mother stressed the impor-

tance of going to college. She wanted her son to have some-thing to fall back on. Scarpo

wasnt at rst interested in Mer-cyhurst College. He applied toEdinboro University. However,his mom tricked him into taking a tour of Mercyhurst.

Scarpo applied to the collegebut still wanted to go to Edin-boro or to school in Los Angeles.However, after nding out thathe couldnt room with his bestfriend at Edinboro he was upset.But, that same day Mercyhurstsent Scarpo his acceptance let-ter. He said, I fell in love withMercyhurst the day my mom toldme I was accepted. After looking back, Scarpo has

no regrets about coming to Mer-cyhurst. He said he enjoyed hisfour years here once he started toget involved with campus activi-ties and his major and minor.

Scarpo said, It all happenedso organically. While he hadntpicked Mercyhurst himself, hismother paved the way for him.She even ended up choosing Communication as anothermeans of studies for him. Even-tually, Scarpo realized that this

was the right path for him.He got involved by joining Stu-

dent Government and was apartof the production of Guys andDolls his freshman year. He

feels his involvement and thegeneral attitude that Mercyhurstprovides helped him gain many of my leadership skills. After graduating from Mercy-

hurst he moved to L.A. to go tograduate school at AADA forone year. During his beginning time in L.A. he helped with mov-ies, commercials and did some

substitute teaching. In the early 1990s a friend of his wantedhis help as a casting director.Scarpo said, No! I want to bein the lm.

Shortly after turning down theposition, his friend needed anassociate to help cast roles forthe movie Shawshank Redemp-tion. He accepted and went toManseld, Ohio, to be an associ-ate casting director. After being involved with

Shawshank and having a greatexperience with real prisonersfor casting, he opened his owncasting company. After opening Brent Scarpo Casting Company,he cast roles for movies likeMatilda and Air Force One. An experience that Scarpo es-

pecially enjoyed was casting forThat Thing You Do. The movies action begins

in Erie, Pennsylvania. Scarpo wanted to be part of the experi-ence because, This is my life!

The movie scenes were actually chosen to be done at MercyhurstCollege as well. Scarpo said, It

was so surreal! It really was my life.

Eventually, after having moreexperience with casting and be-ing apart of the industry, Scarpoopened up New Light Media.He also started the Bettie ScarpoFoundation because he wanted tomake a social difference and giveback to the Mercyhurst commu-nity. He also has a scholarshipthat Mercyhurst students canapply for.

Scarpo understood the impor-tance of living by Mercyhurstsslogan, Carpe Diem. He really

wanted to seize the day. So hestarted to speak at colleges aboutnon-violence for seven years.

He also became a motivationalspeaker. I nd that the mostrewarding out of all the work Ivedone, he said. The most enjoyable part of my

job was when I had a Mercyhurstalumni e-mail me thanking mefor the inspiration I gave her.

It brought a tear to my eye,Scarpo said. She said that she hadseen my program and was inter-ested in coming to Los Angeles.Eventually she became successfulin writing for The Simpsons.She mentioned that if it werentfor him, she wouldnt have gonefor her goals.

By Amanda HarnoczContributing writer

Brent Scarpo,Hollywoodhotshot, Hurst

alumnus to tellstudents of lifeand the movies

Comm students think organically

Two Mercyhurst biology stu-dents and their professor willregularly visit Presque Isle StatePark this summer in search of

viruses. The Pennsylvania Water Re-

sources Research Center willhelp fund their visits, and moreimportantly, their research on the

water samples they gather fromall beaches on the park.

Dr. Steven Mauro, assistantprofessor of biology at Mercy-hurst, explained that the intentof the summers research is toisolate and identify viruses inthe water off the beaches of Presque Isle. Joining him onthe project are juniors JaymeDylewski and Cody Smith, bothbiology majors.

Were going to use state-of-the-art molecular techniques us-ing the equipment in the Alstadtlab, Mauro said. He was refer-ring to the Donald and Judith Al-stadt Laboratory for Molecularand Cellular Research. That labopened in October 2004.

Using the labs equipment,Mauro said, the students andhe will be able to take one pieceof DNA from a bacterium or a

virus and magnify it millions of times to identify it.

One of the advantages of theMercyhurst laboratory equip-ment is that it can give resultsve hours after processing be-gins, compared to the day-long

wait local health ofcials havehad in the past. The total federal grant award

is for $17,900, and non-federalcontributions make the projectstotal cost $74,000.

Students willconduct virussamplings of Presque Isle

beaches

- College Relations Ofce

8/6/2019 The Merciad, May 2, 2006

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GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH RED WINE, GARLIC AND HONEY GLAZE

Ingredientscup dry red winecup olive oiltablespoons chopped fresh oregano2 tablespoons minced garlic2 teaspoons red wine vinegarteaspoon saltteaspoon ground black pepper8 (1 to 1.25 inches thick) loin lamb chops (about 2.5 poundstotal), fat well trimmed2 tablespoons honey

Directions1. Mix red wine, olive oil, oregano, garlic, vinegar, salt andpepper in a large glass baking dish.2. Arrange lamb chops in single layer in dish; turn to coat.Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day, turning and basting often.3. Preheat grill to medium-high.4. Transfer lamb to a plate. Mix honey into the marinadein the baking dish. Grill lamb to desired doneness, turning and basting with marinade often, about 10 minutes formedium-rare.5. Heat remaining marinade in a medium skillet; bring toa boil, then cook until reduced by half. Drizzle reducedmarinade over lamb.* Yield, 4 servings

FEATURESTo contact: [email protected]

May 3, 2006 PAGE 5THE MERCIAD

A healthier column

Ingredients1 lb. Canadian bacon thick sliced

(no, its not bacon; its a healthier alternative thattastes like ham)

2 cans pineapple chunks

2 green peppers1 8 oz. container mushrooms12 shallots (little onions)2 Tbsp. lime juice1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro8 skewers

W i th J en After 28 weeks of studying, at-tending class, eating, sleeping andeven relaxing, the year is almostover. I hope that you have met

your health goals and practicedyour cooking skills, even if you were not healthy all of the time.

Im personally not feeling completely ready for bathing suitseason yet, but I am ready for theone that has already ar rived. Itsthe season of whife ball games,Frisbee throwing and most of

all: grilling.It is motivating and refreshing

to see so many outside, actively enjoying the weather. However,

I am always disappointed to seea spirited game of kickball fol-lowed by burnt hot dogs onavorless, sticky white buns. A game like that deserves a bet-

ter recipe, but not one that willdrain your energy. Heres a great,healthy and low maintenance rec-ipe which can be thrown together

earlier in the day and tossed onthe grill during your game. You can even try your own

variation of vegetables and

marinades; my theory is that anything grilledtastes great.

Hawaiian Kabobs

Directions1. If you have wooden skewers, soak them in a pan of water for a few hours before making recipe.2. Drain cans of pineapple, saving juice in a medium bowl.3. Chop Canadian bacon into 1 x 1 squares4. Wash green pepper thoroughly. Cut in half, rinsing seeds from inside. Cut into strips 1 wide and then again

so they are 1 x 1 squares.5. Wash mushrooms thoroughly and dry.6. Peel outside of onions off.7. On each skewer, alternate vegetables and meat until each is full except for 2 at either end. When full, place

onto a clean plate.8. Combine reserved pineapple juice with lime juice and cilantro. Mix well.9. Gently place kabobs on a medium-hot grill and brush pineapple juice mixture over entire kebob. Turn every

few minutes and brush with mixture each time. Continue until vegetables are browned, and enjoy with your friends!

Serves 4.

As a child, we all loved to rideour bike. The wind in our face,pedaling so fast our heart wantsto jump out of our chest, just theexcitement of feeling like we cany makes this childhood pastimea fun and easy way to meet anexercise goal.

Ready to ride?On average, a 40-minute spin

class is said to burn over 500calories. This high intensity, low impact workout is the great way to lose weight and have fun,

while going easy on the joints.Senior Kristen Lang is a spin

instructor at Mercyhurst. Av-eraging ve times a week, shehas been spinning for over fouryears and has been an instructorfor three.

As a freshman I took theclasses here at school, Lang said.They started announcing at theclasses that if anyone was inter-ested in becoming an instructorto let them know and they wouldgive them information on how toget certied.

My aunt is an instructor upin Boston. So she helped me

with my certication process,she said. As an instructor, Lang helps

newbies and others having trou-ble with their rst time attending class. She will help them adjusttheir seat to the correct height,show them how to adjust theirhandle bars, and remind themto go at their own pace so they dont get hurt.

There are many benets tospin, Lang said. Its a highintensity workout, but it is really easy on the knees, unlike running.Everyone can work at their ownpace and still get the benets spinhas to offer.

Constantly reminding everyoneto keep the balls of their feet tothe center of the pedal, checking their heart rate and keeping herclass pumped up are all thingsLang is required to do as aninstructor

I pick songs that correspond with my workouts for that day,Lang explained. I found that

when I do this, it helps motivate

my class. I choose the exercises Ifeel have the most benet. I alsotry to take into consideration

what my class wants. If they say they like a certain exercise I willuse it again. Most of all, I like

variety so I am constantly chang-ing my class.

Spinning has now become oneof the most popular classes atMercyhurst. A motivating envi-ronment, easy-to-learn movesand heart-pumping music keepthe students coming back formore week after week.

Senior Amy Hopta also hasbeen attending spin classes sinceher freshman year. She attendsclasses ve times a week along

with Bikini Boot Camp, anotherpopular new addition to Mer-cyhurst.

I love how I can work out withother people while going at my own pace. I am a very competi-tive person so having others inclass makes me want to pushmyself harder, Hopta said.

Compared to the conventionaltreadmill, spin seems to be sur-passing the traditional workoutcompletely.

I enjoy spin because of itshigh intensity and the class is only 40 minutes, explained Hopta.Since I have taken spin classesmy muscles have gotten strongeralong with my endurance. WhenI run I get really bad shin splintsbut with spin thats not a problemsince it is so easy on your body especially your knees.

Spin is overall so much fun. Itgives me great variety unlike thetreadmill which gets boring after10 minutes. I love going becauseof the people, the music, and thatI can work out with the class butat my own pace, said Hopta.

Regardless of your tness level,spinning will get your body mov-ing and your heart pumping atyour own pace. With so many benets, spinning is a g reat steptowards your tness goals for thesummer. All you need is comfort-able workout clothes, a waterbottle and a desire for variety inyour workout routine.

Spin is offered Monday throughFriday at various times. Theschedule is posted on the spindoor.

By Kristen PiquetteContributing writer

Spin your way to good health

Rachel Staley and Molly Santucci regularly attend spinningsessions.

Photo courtesy of Kristen Piquette

Consume chocolate, nuts and red wine. Who could argue withthat? According to the Alzheimers Association, such eating habits also

reduce your risk of developing dementia. The St. Louis chapter

of the Alzheimers Association has been holding an annual wine-tasting and auction as a fundraiser for three years, but this yeara brain ash swept the planning committee: Why not put theMaintain Your Brain recommendations into practice for thefundraisers menu? Wine was already an integral part of the event, and last year we

also had a small bit of chocolate, recalled Nancy Litzau, directorof communications and development for the St. Louis chapterof the association.

That was just a lucky coincidence, though. This year, we decided

to build the event around food thats good for your brain. The menu for this years event includes a chocolate tasting and

a hors doeuvres buffet that incorporates nuts.In addition, the Alzheimers Association provided Lets Eat

with brain friendly recipes that incorporate red wine, nuts andchocolate.Red wine, nuts and chocolate are high in antioxidants, which

appear to protect brain cells. But the Alzheimers Associationrecommends that they be consumed in conjunction with dietary guidelines to manage your body weight and limit foods high in fatand cholesterol. Supplements containing vitamin E, vitamins Eand C together, vitamin B-12 or folate also may be important inlowering your risk of developing Alzheimers disease.

STAYING SHARP : The four pillars of the Alzheimers Associations Maintain Your Brain program1. Stay mentally active. Mentally stimulating activities strengthen brain cells and the connections between them and may even createnew nerve cells.2. Remain socially involved. Social activity not only makes physical and mental activity more enjoyable, it can reduce stress levels, whichhelps maintain healthy connections among brain cells.3. Stay physically active: Exercise is essential for maintaining good blood ow to the brain and to encourage the creation of new braincells. Exercise also can signicantly reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, and thereby protect against those risk factorsfor Alzheimers and other dementias.4. Adopt a brain-healthy diet. According to current research, a brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease anddiabetes, encourages good blood ow to the brain and is low in fat and cholesterol. Research suggests that high cholesterol may con-tribute to stroke and brain cell damage. Like the heart, the brain needs the right balance of nutrients, including protein and sugar, tofunction well.

DOUBLE DARK CHOCOLATE WALNUT BARK Ingredients20 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted8 ounces white chocolate morsels

Directions1. Preheat oven to 250 deg rees.2. Line an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parch-mentpaper or foil. Sprinkle chopped dark chocolate evenly onlined sheet pan.

3. Place in oven just until chocolate is softened, about 5minutes. Remove from oven.4. Using rubber spatula or back of spoon, spread chocolateevenly on sheet to edges. Immediately sprinkle walnuts overchocolate; press gently.5. Place white chocolate morsels in a freezer-weight zip-topplastic bag; microwave until soft, about 45 seconds. Work the soft chocolate into one corner of the bag, and cut off a tiny tip to form a pastry piping bag.6. Gently pipe thin swirling circles of the melted chocolateover the walnuts to form a lacy pattern.7. Refrigerate until chocolate is rm, about 2 hours. Peel foilor parchment from back; cut chocolate bark into irregularbite-size pieces.

* Yield, about 30 servings

Chocolate and red wine: good eatingKnight Ridder Newspapers

Apartments for rent!

Two apartments for rent within walkingdistance of main campus on

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8/6/2019 The Merciad, May 2, 2006

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Do you remember what madeyou want to come to Mercyhurst?

Was it the brochure or the rep-resentative who visited your highschool? No matter what drew you to Mercyhurst, you mostlikely were able to take a tourand fall in love with the build-ings, landscape, the classroomsand the people. Amanda Zechman, Mercy-

hursts current VISTA volun-teer, has drawn a new groupof students to Mercyhurst toexperience a taste of collegelife in a program called MeetMercyhurst.

There are four centers in Erie where we are bringing studentsfrom, Zechman explained.Each center comes to Mercy-hurst four times, and each timeto a different place. The sites that are participating

include the Booker T. Washing-ton Center, the John F. Kennedy Center, the Boys and Girls Clubof Erie and the Trinity Center.

Each Thursday, one agency comes to Mercyhurst with 10 to12 kids for an after school pro-gram from 3:30 until 5:30.

Zechman said, The rst visit was for a tour of the campus anddinner. The Ambassadors aregreat, but we wanted the kids todecide where they wanted to go.

You wouldnt believe how muchthey loved the cafeteria.

One student, a tenth graderfrom a local Erie school was stillenthusiastic about the tour.

I loved the gym the most, shesaid. The campus is cool, butthe equipment in the gym was thebest. Then when we went to the

bookstore, they had the cutestMercyhurst shorts. The students had an option for

the location of the second visit.We let them choose between

a dance lesson and playing bas-ketball with the mens team,Zechman said. Two groups danced and the

other two chose basketball. Many of the students who were at theirthird visit last Thursday said thatthey participate in athletics attheir high schools.

We do cheerleading, saidone girl. Our practices are anhour and a half long, they really

work us.Others said that they run cross

country, throw with track, par-ticipate with the Step and Danceteam or play basketball. Thestudents said that it was interest-ing to see athletes at the collegelevel. The fourth and last visit will

be for a huge gathering. All fourgroups will come at the sametime to play a game called Ba-nanarama, where the students

will measure common objects with bananas. After the activity,and due to such high demand, thegroup will enjoy dinner at Eganfor a second time.

During the visit last Thursday,two art education majors showeda group of 9-11 grade studentshow to make pinch pots in theceramics studio.

Kelly Koble, a senior art majorhad already worked with a groupof students from second to sixthgrade, but did not know what toexpect with the older group.

We made pinch pots last time,and it was amazing to see thekids working. They dont alwaysget a chance to do these typesof activities, but when they geta chance, they are surprised with

what they can do. Being on a col-

lege campus gets them interestedand makes them strive.

Meet Mercyhurst has taken off with the organizational skills of Zechman and the help of many others. The program has drawnin students for service learning hours, and the work studies inthe service learning ofce alsoparticipate.

Theres lots of people in- volved, Zechman said. Theprogram is funded by the pres-idents ofce with the diversity grant.

Zechman said that the program was made possible by the $1,800grant provided for the food andsupplies.

I go around to these sites,so I have been able to build arelationship with them throughthose sites. We just started hear-ing them say When do we get togo to Mercyhurst? and thoughtit would be nice to give theman understanding of differentaspects of college. After the pro-gram so far, 1/8 of the studentshave expressed an interest inMercyhurst. Others are looking at going to college in general.

One student, in 11th grade, saidthat she likes science the best.

Other students around hererupted, claiming that math isthe greatest.

Oh, Im going to college forsure, said one while she paintedher clay pot. Im gonna be adoctor.

Mercyhurst already has 3,000motivated students. They canshare their experiences with oth-ers and provide inspiration thatcarries out the mission of mercy and dedication which the schoolprides itself upon.

F EATURESTo contact: [email protected]

May 3, 2006 PAGE 6THE MERCIAD

The door of apartment 4017 on Lewis Avenue has becomesomewhat of an attraction to students walking by espe-cially seniors. Not only is it creatively decorated, but it iscounting down to the day that every college student looksforward to graduation.

Jordanna Lehman, Mary Behrendt, Michelle Forney,Sarah Fedenets, Sarah Hagarty and Tere Miller-Sporrer arethe students behind the sign. They have been countingdown ever since the Cornerstones annual party: 100 DaysLeft Until Graduation.

Obviously this is a bittersweet occasion. Well be scat-tering across the globe, some of us not knowing wherewere heading or if well ever again see the people wevegrown to love within the last four years. However, like thegirls from 4017 said, Its also exciting because well bestarting a new part of our lives.

This next step is like college again only without the re-strictions of college life. Well be meeting new people andmaking new friends, deciding what is best for us and, mostimportantly, seeing what our education can do for us.

Yes, this is a bittersweet occasion, but one that everycollege student looks forward to no more papers, sense-less readings or studying for tests our only job is to dothe one were getting paid for.

With only 19 days left until graduation its time to live itup to the bittersweet end.

Meilssa Jack/Features editor

It was Saturday night at acrowded local bar. Everyone hada beer and a smile, without a carein the world.

Not Anna Clark.She thought of only one thing

getting aid for the desperatemillions in Sudan.

Would you like to donate tothe victims in Sudan? There ismass genocide going on over400,000 people have died already and millions more have beenforced from their homes. They are being mutilated, tortured andare dying of starvation. Thats the brief message Clark,

volunteer for the Sudan effort,had for the patrons.

Thats basically all peoplecared to hear or thats all they (wanted) to hear to donate atleast a dollar. According to UNICEF, more

than 3.4 million people have beenaffected by ethnic and politicalconict in the Darfur region of Sudan. For almost three years,marauding Janjaweed militiagroups have driven Darfur vil-lagers from their homes, killedan estimated 400,000 of them,mutilated and raped tens of thousands more, stolen their cat-tle, destroyed wells and burnedbuildings. Today, the threat of violence

continues to grow and villagers who are afraid to return homeare still flooding into tempo-rary refugee camps across theregion.

Unfortunately, the children of Darfur Sudan have to continu-ously bear the burden of severefood shortages and disease dur-ing this devastating conflict.

Without help these children will die.

When seniors Marisa Paoliniand Lisa Masciarelli learned of the devastation within Sudanthey instantly knew they had tohelp.

One day Lisa came home

from her Ethics class and foundme crying on the couch. Ihad been ipping through thechannels and stopped on thisChristian station. They weretalking about underground childprostitution/slavery (Theprogram also talked) about otherthings, too. Like in Sudan, Africa,the government is mutilating their people by cutting off theirarms, legs, lips, ears, noses etc,said Paolini.

I just couldnt believe every-thing that was going on and itreally upset me. So (when) Lisacame home from class and foundme crying, we began talking about what she learned in Ethicsabout Sudan. We decided thenand there that we need to dosomething. To get their efforts started

Masciarelli spoke with her ethicsprofessor, Edward Grode, about

where to begin and what to doabout the disasters in Sudan. Shestarted by gathering informationabout organizations that helpedthe victims of crimes similar tothose in Sudan.

He informed me that the bestorganization to go through wasDoctors Without Borders, saidMasciarelli. According to its Web site

Doctors Without Borders/Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF)is an international, independent,medical humanitarian organiza-tion that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armedconict, epidemics, natural orman-made disasters, or exclusionfrom health care in more than 70countries.

Every year doctors and nursesare joined by other experts, ad-ministrators, volunteers and over22,500 locally hired staff who goon more than 3,800 eld assign-ments to provide medical careto victims.

They (Doctors Without Bor-ders) give 86 cents of every dol-lar donated directly to the relief effort and the other 14 cents toexpenses, said Masciarelli. When the two students fi-

nally found the organization they wanted to aid, they sought helpfor the rest of the planning. Twoof their close friends, seniorsLauren Randall and Anna Clark became involved.

We wanted to get college stu-dents involved and we knew theonly way to do this was to makeit fun. We originally wanted tohave a bar crawl, but after talk-ing with the guys at GlenwoodBeer we decided on just a cover

charge, said Paolini.From there (Glenwood Beer)

contacted Star 104 and Fox 66and made t-shirts for us with

whatever we wanted on them. They made it extremely easy. Wehad to make up yers to helppromote it and a few other littlethings here and there but overallthey did a lot of the work, saidPaolini. This was the rst time they had

ever planned a fundraiser so they didnt know how much money toexpect to raise. However, they did know that they wanted tospread the word of the Sudandevastation.

We had no clue what we would raise, said Paolini.

We knew we wanted to donatesomething to the cause but alsoraise to awareness about thistragedy. The night of the fundraiser

plans changed due to a miscom-munication between the barsand instead of a 25-cent covercharge, the women took dona-tions. The last minute changedisappointed them, but to theirsurprise the fundraising nightturned out to be a greater successthan planned.

At rst Lisa and I were really upset by this (the cover charge

miscommunication) because wedidnt think wed make money,but it was really to our surprisehow eager people were to give. It really reminded me thatpeople are really good and docare. I also was so surprised,ecstatic, proud to see how allof our friends came togetherto help. They were really trying hard to get donations and madeit fun, Paolini said. The students rst fundraising

efforts made $950 from gather-ing donations from Calamaris,Cellblock and Papa Georges.

Their major sponsors GlenwoodBeers-Miller Lite, Star 104 andFox 66 also helped.

None of this would havehappened without the tremen-dous support from GlenwoodBeer and all of our friends thatgave up their Saturday nightand volunteered their time tohelp collect at all the locations,Paolini said.

It makes you realize that mostpeople care and want to con-tribute to a good cause, Clark added.

The world seems so depress-ing lately. Every time I turn onthe TV or look at the newspaperI feel overwhelmed with all theproblems in the world. As sad as

it all is, it motivates me to really want to make a difference, evenif its a small one, in my careeror in my life in general. As agraduating college student, I feel

it is our generations time to really care about these issues and do whatever we can to help; theseare our responsibilities now,Randall said about volunteering to help the Sudan fundraiser. Though the money was much

more than they expected, thetwo women were actually moreexcited about the awareness they raised.

I was amazed to see how many people didnt know where Sudaneven is, let alone the horriblethings that are going on there.Educating people about whatis happening in Sudan was themost gratifying aspect for me,said Paolini.

The students want to make surethat their efforts are as strong as they can be and that peoplelearned of the Sudan devasta-tion. So they tried again. OnSaturday, April 29, they set outagain to raise money for Sudan.

This time only Papa Georgesand Cornerstone would partici-pate. Combined with their rstattempt, they made over $1,000.

On Saturday we didnt evenmake one-third of what we madea few weeks ago but altogether

we made just over $1,000, which were really really happy about,said Paolini.

If you would like to make adonation you are encouraged

to visit the Doctors WithoutBorders Website and place yourdonation there.

The show that I watched in-spired me to do something andto see the impact that myself andLisa have made with that little bitof knowledge, I can only hopethat this has triggered something in others who have learned fromthis fundraiser, said Paolini. To nd out more about Doc-

tors Without Borders/MdecinsSans Frontires (MSF), go to

www.doctorswithoutborders.org/home.cfm.

By Kristen PiquetteContributing writer

Darfur refugees like these crowd camps.KRT Campus

Lisa Masciarelli and Marissa Paolini collect donations.Katie McAdams/Photo editor

Drinking beer helps to save Sudan

By Jen HelbigContributing writer

Students spend time making ceramics.Photo courtesy of Amanda Zechman

Hurst reaches out to local youth Inspiration is all that is needed to foresee a bright future for yourself and Mercyhurst students are spreading this to local Erie youth.

8/6/2019 The Merciad, May 2, 2006

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OPINIONMay 3, 2006 THE MERCIAD Page 7

To contact: [email protected]

Bob Ruggeri, senior, HRIM

What do you hope todo after graduating from Mercyhurst? And what will you

miss?

I am planning on going to London, Englandto endure a career in coaching lacrosse. I willmiss the spring term when everyone is outsidelaying out in their bathing suits!

I hope to travel the world and do things people wouldnt normally be able to do. I willmiss all the specials at all the bars!

I plan to be a drug rep for a pharmaceutical

company. Yes, I will miss all my friendsand the faculty.

I will be in lm school in Toronto for a year and a half. Then its off to NYC hopefully.Ill denitely miss the friends Ive made here.

I am moving to Chicago to work for theRenaissance Downtown Chicago. Ill missnot having any responsibilities.

I have to move back to Minnesota after gradschool and nd an awesome job that actually

pays money. Ill miss taking the drunk bus toState Street and the formals with all the other delinquents.

Jim Mullaley, senior, business marketing

Frank Zatta, senior, business marketing

Lindsay Kezlarian, senior, communications

Jill Natale, senior, HRIM

Debbie Dalsin, senior, athletic training

Campus Question

Move back to the city that is better thanPittsburgh . . . the home of the dawgs,Cleveland, and teach math. I will missdiving down the slip and slide at spring festyearly donning my green speedo.

Tommy Dwyer, senior, mathematics education

Do you ever wonder about follow-through, espe-cially after all-campus e-mails and related Merciad articles? Well, read on. You may remember such an e-mail and article

from before Easter break. Women of Spirit, anecumenical college womens group, requested that,

while at home, you rummage through your closetsfor prom dresses, tuxes, suits and ties and thenbring these items back to Campus Ministry tobe sent to Hurricane Katrina victims, specically high school seniors for their proms. Would you believe that, last week, Campus Min-

istry, with the help of Jean Coffey in the Mailroom,sent ve LARGE boxes of clothing? YES!!! And these boxes were packed with: 83 prom

dresses, three purses, three pairs of shoes, ve suits,ve jackets, two vests, four dress shirts, four pairsof pants, innumerable ties and good wooden andplastic hangers! These were contributed by students, admin-

istrators and staff, who, through their generousresponse, perhaps unwittingly embodied the Mercy qualities of compassion and service to others. We can only begin to imagine what this special

clothing will mean to those high school students who have lost so much.

We all may offer the donors a heartfelt thank you!

The Rev. Lyta Seddig Mercyhurst Campus Ministry

Cinderella project a huge success

Goodbye Mercyworld

Lewis Hine, a famous photographer, is noted forsaying, If I could tell the story in words, I wouldnot need to lug around a camera.

Many people at Mercyhurst have seen me with acamera in hand, or at least around my neck, on my

way to take a picture of something, somewhere.Over the past few years, I have had the priv-

ledge of being a part of Mercyhurst history. Forexample, I was present when Dr. Garvey resignedand was present for all frozen four fan bus trips. . . the longest one lasting 16 hours. All of theseevents have made a lasting impression on my lifeand will always be fondly remembered. I hope thatthese memories continue, with my last being menslacrosse winning a championship. With the weeks winding down, it is hard to imag-

ine that four years have gone by. It feels like only yesterday it was move-in day.

Seniors, I am talking about this being our lastcall here at the place we have called home for thelast four years.

Sooner or later, the end needs to come and weneed to move on. As many scholars have said,We need to embark on the new challenges thatlie ahead of us.

I am glad to see that my four years are starting to come to an end, but it denitely will be a bit-tersweet ending.

Of course, I am going to miss Mercyworld. Whois not? The constant wondering if it is going to snow

today, even though it could be 80 degrees one day and drop below freezing the next. The late night Laker runs, the all-nighters, the

early mornings and the constant writing assign-ments.

But most of all, you cant forget the countlesshours spent on Facebook, reading everyones away message on your buddy list, debating on what toput up as your away message and having an AIM(AOL instant message :-p ) conversation with yourroommate who is sitting right next to you.

I wanted to nd the perfect words to express tomy fellow classmates, professors, employees of thecollege to show how much I am grateful for all thatthey have done for me.

Not only did they share their incredible knowl-edge of the subjects they taught, but they also

taught priceless life lessons outside of the class-room. Their compliments and encouragement to con-

tinue my passion for photography has meant a greatdeal. I am a very fortunate person for getting toknow many people at this college.

Most people know that The Merciad became my life here.

Countless hours spent in the ofce working onthis or that, making sure it was hopefully going tobe awless for production night like that wouldever happen.

I have a newfound passion for anyone that every wants to be a true journalist. I have learned thatproduction night means, without out a doubt,youre not home before midnight, but I would notchange it for the world.

I have learned many lifelong lessons through my advisor, Bill Welch. Over time, he became thatfaculty member who, if I ever needed to talk tosomeone, was always there to listen. The memories while working on the newspaper

for four years will always be something that I holddear to my heart. This year in particular, I have learned something

that I thought people did not apply so much atcollege after they left home, and that is, of course,having my parents ght my own battles, but I guessit is alright if they need to call the school. At somepoint, you must learn to take control of your ownlife and problems. Life is complicated and yourparents wont always be able to bail you out. Col-lege is a good place to learn this.

Seniors, you should be proud of yourselves, look at what you have accomplished. You have come along way since move in day back

in September 2002. For most of us our destiny isunknown, but from what I heard that is alright. What I have gained from my experience at Mer-

cyhurst College may be difcult to put into words,but I can promise you it was all worth it . . . eventhough I am thousands of dollars in debt. Despitethe cost, I cant possibly put a price on a quality education and the experiences Ive had over thesefour years.

For the underclassmen that feel like graduationdoes not come soon enough, cherish each momentyou have here along with the weather. Before youknow it, one of you might be writing to your fellow classmates about your experience and it probably

will be 10 times better than mine.

The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly The Good

Mercyhurst is the recipient of grant money to design solar energy for the campus. Students willinstall and manage the solar equipment. This alternative energy source is welcome in a time of skyrocketing energy prices . . . a problem that appears to have a long life ahead of it.

On April 30, over a dozen Mercyhurst students traveled to Washington D.C. to protest thehorric killing in the Darfur region of Sudan. Several big names from the political, religiousand entertainment elds were on hand to speak and bring attention to the atrocities. Not only should the students in attendance be applauded for exercising their right to protest and petitionthe government, they should also be recognized as advocates for human rights and respect forthe entire human race.

The Merciad was awarded rst place by the American Scholastic Press Association. The Merciad received a total of 940 points out of a possible 1000. The staff works hard all year and the rec-ognition is greatly appreciated.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the end of the year is fast approaching. Anotheryear is coming to a close . . . a nal curtain call for seniors. Students are gleefully arranging theirsummer plans, vacations and adventures while looking forward to three months without academicdiscourse. For seniors, however, it is time to enter the so-called real world. Hopefully, for allthe money we dish out for our education, youll all be well prepared. Good luck!

The BadIn order for students to enjoy the freedom of summer, they must rst go through the agonizing

process of nals. Finals are a pain all the time, but the spring term is particularly painful. Withthe beautiful weather outside and freedom beckoning, many students choose sun-tanning overstudying . . . and who can blame them when the sun is so precious in Erie, Pa. To waste it wouldbe a crime.

The UglyStudents arent informed they owe the school money until its time for them to schedule. As a

result, students are unable to register for classes, which can be a problem. Also, seniors are stilltrying to gure out why they are charged $100-plus to graduate . . . a freedom tax perhaps?

By Katie McAdamsPhoto editor

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OPINIONPAGE 8 THE MERCIAD May 3, 2006

To contact: [email protected]

MERCIADJoshua Wilwhol Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Corrie Thearle News Editor [email protected] Melissa Jack Features Editor featuremerciad@mercyhurst .edu

Allison Moore Opinion Editor [email protected] Ryan Palm Sports Editor [email protected] Melissa Brandt A&E Editor [email protected]

Katie McAdams Photo Editor [email protected] & Production Editor [email protected]

Kristen Piquette Advertising Manager [email protected] Chelsea Boothe Copy Editor [email protected] Emily Crofoot Graduate Assistant [email protected]

The Merciad is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College.It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of midtermsweek and nals week. Our ofce is in the Old Main, room 314 Our telephonenumber is 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 lettersfor content, we reserve the right to trim letters to t. Letters are due theThursday before publication and may not be longer than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485.

The

Ask the MalarkysWhat grinds our gears, part III

With only 19 more days until graduation, many seniors are elated to nally receive their diploma.However, as the commencement approaches, I feelas if the senior class has been receiving instruc-tions from a drill sergeant instead of a graduationcoordinator. What really grinds my gears is that itis no longer the class of 2006s graduation, but theadministrations. Apparently, even though all of us are legally

adults, the college still feels the need to treat us likechildren. In order for the graduation ceremony tobe perfect we all need to dress appropriately.

Unfor tu-nately, eventhough se-n i o r s a r eq u a l i f i e dto graduatef ro m c o l -lege, we areno t s mar tenough toknow what dressing appropriately entails. Lucky for us, all the countless rules for what we must

wear for commencement have been handed downfrom above. All efforts are being undertaken to ensure that

absolutely nothing will damage the prestige and

honor of a Mercyhurst College graduation. If onegirl even thinks about wearing open-toed shoes, the

whole visual aesthetic of the procession will be ut-terly destroyed. Were not individuals, were part of the herd and we will do what were ordered to do.

Not only are bare toes repulsive, but any leg thatis showing without being covered by nylons is un-speakable. The shame that will be cast upon thecollege will be immeasurable if any woman walksacross the stage without tan nylons. Thankfully, in case anyone happens to temporar-

ily lose their mind and forget a pair, someone willbe handing them out at the ceremony. I dontknow what the graduates would do if there wasntsomeone willing to hold our hands through thisextremely complex event.

Do not fret in case it rains during the marchdown State Street. Black umbrellas will be providedto shield graduates from getting their heads wet.However, the umbrellas wont help prevent thecheap black dye from ruining your clothes under-neath or getting on your skin.

Im sure no one will notice the black dye on thegraduates legs since it will blend nicely with themandatory black shoes everyone must wear.

I wonder what would happen if every g raduate wore whatever shoes they wanted and no nylons?It is after all, our day to stand out.

Since it looks like we are still writing this column,Im going to talk about the status of bathroomshere at Mercyhurst College. As all students know, nding a decent bathroom

outside of your own on campus is often a daunt-ing task.

Often times their condition is so bad, they are used by the desperate student only as a lastresort.

Not all bathrooms on campus t this descrip-tion, so Ill start by cataloging what is by far thebest bathroom on campus.

It is at thispo i n t t hebest bath-r o o m o ncampus be-cause it is animpeccably clean, singleperson, joblocated be-yond the entrance to the PAC near what somepeople call the Green Room.

Perhaps I am ruining the secret by telling you where it is, but when you walk in its like nding amillion dollars, and if I found a million dollars I

would absolutely tell everyone I know.

What a glorious day it was when I came acrossthis WC freshman year. The vibrant blue tile, handicap capable sink and

the secluded location make me want to move inpermanently.

I can only equate it to the bathroom Harry Pottercame across in The Goblet of Fire. And as everyone knows, only good things hap-

pened to Harry once he left that bathroom!Ironically, by far the worst bathrooms on campus

are located under the same roof in Zurn.Oh Zurn, you are such an old building.

There are bathrooms on the second oor of Zurn near that cork board, the one that looks likeit could double as a r ock climbing wall.

There are the worst bathrooms on campus andshould be condemned per manently.

Not only are the walls a drab pink color, mostlikely because it once served as a girls bathroom,but upon walking in you feel like you are walking back to 1956.

Let me tell you something if you have never beenin that bathroom, 1956 smells like a nursing home,is always ten degrees hotter than it should be andis most likely out of paper towels.

If anyone wants to offer me feedback on this ar-ticle I can be found milling around near the PAC.

Ms.Malarky

Mr.Malarky

KRT

A students response to the FlasherFirst, hooray the Flasher is caught. Secondly, I dont buy into the timely notication not being

sent out until AFTER it was published in the Merciad . The thought that a asher did not warranta threat (according to Mercyhurst Police and Safety Chief Ken Sidun) in order to send out thetimely notication is absolute crap.

I sincerely believe that all females would feel a asher is a threat, perhaps not immediately to bodily harm, but fear for future safety, and security from Mercyhursts Police and Safety. We understandour campus is open, and that neighbors walk through our grounds, and we cant be completely tighton keeping those that should not be here out. HOWEVER, through doing a little research I havebecome more persuaded that Mercyhursts Police and Safety was in the wrong. According to the Jeanne Clery Act, which is why we get a timely notication, the school is required

to provide a timely notication when it is likely to affect the day-to-day lives of studentsHow many girls felt uneasy walking in the dark, or waited for a friend so that you could walk together? The act also says that the timely notication is limited to seven major categories, with some sub

categories, one category is Sexual Offenses. The webpage did not mention lewdness as a sexualoffense that needed to be reported, t hough that is a lousy excuse for not r eporting it.

Under Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 18. Crime and Offenses Part II. Denitions of Specic Offenses in Chapter 31. Sexual offenses Subchapter B. Dentions of offenses 3127.Indecent exposure is listed as a SEXUAL OFFENSE, which to me VERY MUCH WARRANTS

A THREAT. The ne for not complying to the Jeanne Clery Act is up to $27,500 by the U.S. Department of

Education. What if this man went further than exposing himself?

It was 42 days after the initial offense before we received this so called timely notication. SoMercyhurst may not be able to be held accountable, because laws are pretty black and white, butMercyhurst should be aware that this should NOT be tolerated ever again.

Even with this act not being part of the list of categories for notication, Mercyhurst still sent oneout, 42 days later. Previous timely notications were sent out a day after the incident, why wasntthis important until later? Sidun said he didnt feel the incident warranted a threat, but his mind waschanged after Merciad made a report.

Did some parents yell? Is that why? The timely notication that was sent to us (on April 17, 2006), THREE incidents and an article

later, stated directly that It is the subject may pose a threat to students and guests of the MercyhurstCollege community. It is the duty of this institution to warn of possible dangerous conditionson or near the campus; an afrmative duty exists to warn persons associated with the college of possible peril at the hands of a third party. Consider carefully whether your presence at or nearthis complex could place you in danger.

So why, Police and Safety, was it all of a sudden a danger to us? Because it was made publicknowledge and you wanted to cover your behinds. Provided you are law bound to inform of us of some things, does not mean you may ignore the other things, such as open lewdness, until youreconcerned for YOUR status, and YOUR accountability

I applaud Police and Safety for the efforts in surveillance; however, there are too many what

ifs for me to feel completely safe with the lack of information given to students, and the delay inreceiving that information. All seven members of t he police and safety management are men as listed on the Lakernets page

on police and safety. Im glad to know these men know what warrants us females to feel safe, andunthreatened. I thank you for catching him, but I refuse to feel safe on campus because of thisgross negligence.

Brittany Harger

FEMA: starting from scratch

EllenKoenig

It is true, in moments of crisis our beliefs becomeclaried.

Matters about politics, arguments and school do

not take top priority. Much rather when it comesdown to the wire, it is our friends, family and strang-ers that get us through a rough spot. You cannot prepare for a time of need; if a disas-

ter occurs there is no telling if everything will goaccording to plan. Recently an investigating com-mittee concluded the Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency be dismantled and a new emergency response department be created from scratch. The agency is blamed for inefciency, corrup-

tion, a lack of response andoverall an in-ability to act

whe re and when it wasneeded.

Both Dem-oc ra t s and

Republicanson the Senate committee agreed on the measure,the new agency would be responsible for respond-ing in times of natural disaster and terrorist at-tacks. FEMA and similar institutions standardizedand sterilized the process by which a disaster ishandled. The reality is, however, not every disaster or

public need for help is going to be the same, andthe 2,600 full-time employees of the agency arenot going to be able to follow the book for every circumstance that arises.

Last I checked, natural disasters generally do notfollow text book guidelines when they strike. In amoment of frenzy, peoples homes, loved ones andentire lives are swept away with the storm. They areleft with very little except for hope and even this issomewhat questionable.

In such circumstances when people have littlemore than the clothes on their backs, their basichuman needs are the rst to be met. Such needsgenerally include shelter over their head, food intheir bellies and the protection of their children.Matters concerning property rights, reconstruction,reemployment, the Internet and e-mail becomesecond nature.

For the assistance of such people, they needthese three basic elements answered. In addition,

they often need a warm face and a person whoacts humane enough to handle the withered andthe homeless.

Disasters are the harsh creatures in nature, rescue workers need not apply.

Overall, no matter what kind of institution is in-stilled to respond to disaster and matters of chaos,it is the people behind the branch of governmentand the facilities that make it function and makepeople feel thankful to be alive.

Government at such times needs to come off of its bureaucratic pedestal and understand the basicneeds of humans and families.

FEMA may be not be awless, but with hurr icaneseason only a month or two away, this is not thetime to be reorganizing.

KRT

Senate Homeland Security and Govern-mental Affairs Committee Chairman SusanCollins (R-ME), and ranking member JosephLieberman (D-CT) held a news conferenceApril 27, 2006, recommending the scrappingof FEMA.

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Faeries, changelings and spir-ited Athenians comprise thecast of this years spring play AMidsummer Nights Dream.

Shakespeares mystical tale of arranged marriages and meddling fairies is directed by Dr. Hillary Fogerty.

After Macbeth, a dark Shake-speare play, I wanted to do a funShakespeare, said Fogerty.

It will denitely be the fun-niest Shakespeare students haveever seen, guaranteed.

The drama guild has practicedgrueling hours to bring the play into fruition, and have sacricedtheir pride to bring the mysticelements to the stage.

I am one of the faeries, says Joe Zimora, who plays Puck,basically my costume is greenleggings and leaves.

Other students had to embel-lish their pride and personalpower play their characters, likeNadine Zinram, who plays an

Amazon Queen.Shes a strong woman, shes

not afraid of men, thats why I liked her, said Zinram. Atthe same time, shes a completestranger in this world. She addsa different aspect to the society.Shes not the typical woman.

But what do faeries and Ama-zon queens have to do with theplay? At the most base, Shake-speares play centers on a lovetriangle that becomes pervertedand misinterpreted.

Hermia, played by Natalie Vindivich, is faced with a bit of a problem. She has a choice be-tween becoming a nun, death ormarrying a man she doesnt love,

Demetrius (Ryan Heise).Hermia appears sweet,

said Vindiv