March 13, 2012

Viewfinder:Students Travel to White House

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Instress magazine editors grade the work...P2 Healthy eating key to student athlete’s success...P4

New Dorm Ready for AugustBy Jake Rakestraw, Reporter Unseasonably mild weather is keeping construction of the newest campus dormitory on track. According to A.J. Nudo, Assistant Director of Resident Life, the facility will consist of 25 separate dorm rooms. “There will be 21, five-person apartments and four three-person apartments,” said Nudo. He said one will be accessible for people with physical disabilities. Nudo said the new building’s amenities include apartment style living. “This is going to be more of a townhouse-Gildea hybrid,” Nudo said. “It will have a full kitchen and bath-room in each apartment.” The new facility will also be multi-use, housing three classrooms on the first floor and student lounges on the 2nd and 3rd floors. A resident assistant will be assigned to each floor and one residential director will preside over the entire building. Progress is moving quickly. “You get one piece and that al-lows you to do so much more,” said Nudo. But progress is raising park-ing concerns among students. “I understand why the new building is being built, but there is barely enough parking

now for students and it seems that this new building will cause the parking issue to get worse,” said senior Gabrielle Gattuso, a commuter. Senior resident Mike Pená shared this concern. “Now that the new building is up, the university must compensate with the students bringing cars that will move into that building as well,” he said. Robert Zavada, Associate Director of Campus Safety, is confident that the new dorm will not present parking woes. “The amount of parking spots we are currently without because of construction is less than the amount of new students who will live in the dorm,” Zavada pointed out. “There’s a formula you go by when doing construction.” Nudo expects the building to be finished by July, and it will be fully furnished and in move in condition for students in August. Interested students must apply in groups, he said. Interested student trios and quartets can find information on the Room Lottery under Campus Announcements below the Announcements tab on the e-MU home page. The lottery began March 1 and runs until March 29.

By Shawn Kellmer, Reporter Pennsylvania legislators enacted a new anti-texting law that went into effect on March 8. The new law prohibits anyone driving from using a hand-held texting device. Motorists caught texting while driving face a $50 fine. The new law prohibits all driv-ers from using an interactive wireless communication device to send, read or write text-based messages. The illegal use includes instant messag-ing, email or other written communication. The law does not include talking on hand-held devices or the use of GPS devices, systems physically or electronically integrated into a vehicle, or a communications device that is affixed to a mass transit vehicle, bus or school bus. “I feel it is a very appropri-

ate law. It’s very dangerous to text and drive. I’ve driven and texted and drove like I was drunk,” said Stephanie Sher-man, a sophomore at Luzerne County Community College. “I try not to text and drive. It won’t particularly deter people from texting and driving just like speeding.” “I think it’s a good ban,” said Matt Powell, a junior at King’s College. “I admit that I’m guilty of texting while driving and even got into an accident once because of it. I only hit a curb but imagine if it was a person.” According to Distraction.gov, the official U.S. Government website for distracted driv-ing, over 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving accidents in 2010. The website also states that since 2008 of-

ficials have held two national distracted driving summits, banned texting and cell phone use for commercial drivers, encouraged states to adopt laws, and launched campaigns to raise public awareness. Not everyone believes that this is going to change people’s habits right away. “I feel that it is a very good law with very basic safety concerns, but I feel, that for a while, it’s going to be very hard to enforce especially among young people,” said junior Louie Bronstein. “After the law has been in effect for a while people will probably ad-just to it but the initial phase will be hard to enforce.” “People aren’t good at adjusting. They’re just not. People that do have the habit of texting [while driving] will

be the hardest to change or to get to adjust,” said Bronstein.Sherman and Powell feel that the problem will be with enforcement, “You can get a ticket but what are really the odds of a cop fining you for texting? I’ll bet the cops text too while driving,” said Sherman. “I do not think it will significantly lower the death toll by much but if it saves one person, it’s worth it. It also needs to be very enforced. Nothing is real unless it happens to you.” “I don’t think the ban itself caused me to stop but the accident did. I think that’s a good enough reason to stop. The only way I think it will work is if it’s enforced,” said Powell. “We supposedly have a law where you can only use a hands free phone while driv-ing but I see people talking on their cell phones every day on my way to school.” Bronstein believes the low fine amount will not discour-age drivers from texting. “I think if you’re going to hold somebody culpable for texting, I feel that a $50 fine is not enough,” said Bronstein. “This fine might be aimed at teenagers who will have to face the responsibility of a fine instead of carelessly texting and driving, which means the law is not about the severity of the fine but is about safety concerns.” Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed the anti-texting legislation November 09, 2011 after lawmakers passed it a week earlier. The bill was unanimously approved for legislation by The Senate Transportation Committee April 28, 2009. It would have made texting while driving a secondary offense if a motorist has been cited for another violation, a

Continued on page 4

The Week in PhotosSubmit on campus photos to

highlandernews.net to see your work displayed on the web!

Student media staffers ventured to Washington D.C. to explore museums, monuments and Obama’s house.

Metz dining hours temporarily extendedBy Ellen Hoffman, Print Editor

School officials will run a two-week trial period of extended dining hours in the Metz dining hall. The decision comes after students voiced their concerns at a February meeting. The trial period will give students a chance to experience the new hours, which are set to begin in fall 2012. Originally, Metz Food Ser-vices wanted to move forward with the plan at the beginning of this semester, but officials decided to hold off. Sr. Jean Messaros, Vice President of Student Affairs, said “a lack of thorough understanding” between students and officials led to the delay. Messaros feels the dining hall schedule change is neces-sary to accommodate a grow-ing student body. “The reason to move forward with this plan is because of the increase in our numbers, and so to offer extended dining hours gives the vast majority of students the opportunity to come into the dining hall.” Dining hours will change from the current 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. schedule to 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Equivalency will only ex-ist in Passan Hall. Takeout boxes will be available during extended hours, and students will be free to fill boxes with their choice of foods for the price of a regular meal. The dining hall will also offer a more extensive variety of lunch and dinner choices. A full salad bar and soup station are two of the perks Messaros said students can look forward to. Sophomore Alyssa Gotzman

feels the take-outs are a good idea that will benefit students. “I like that I can go in and get whatever I want and it will only cost a meal swipe. It’s better than with Equiv where you had to pay for each item individually. I feel like now I am getting more for my money.” Student Government As-sociation President AJ Heintz has worked closely with Metz and Messaros throughout this semester to find a solution that fits everyone’s needs. An 11-member committee was formed after the question-and-answer meeting earlier this semester. Faculty, staff and students on the committee re-viewed the concerns and came up with a plan that will best fit the community’s needs. “Metz heard the concerns of the students that there are just so many people in the cafeteria at one time and there are so many people that are at ‘Equiv’ at one time and they needed to alleviate both of those pressures,” he said. “They figured that if they extended the times and added some of the things from the Den this will hopefully solve the problem.” Senior Jonathan Weis, a member of the Extended Din-ing Hours Review Committee, thinks expanding the hours in the dining hall can only help. “It will benefit the students because it will give them a view of what’s going to happen next semester. I definitely think for the students going through it for the two weeks it will give them a chance to give feedback on the situation.” The review committee will meet at the end of the trial Above, sophomore Kenny Ferrier attempts to text and drive at the Distracted Driving stand in the

Banks Student Life Center February 22.

PATRICK HUNTER/THE HIGHLANDER

Above, construction of the new dorm continues outside of the Anderson Sports & Health Center on Tuesday, February 28.MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER

TWD results in minor fines

Look Back atMAC Championships

Pages 4 & 5

Cougar basketball teams end seasons with new records and memories of the NCAA Tournament

Continued on page 6

March 13, 2012highlandernews.net2

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INTEGRITYThe Highlander works to produce up-to-date, clear, accurate reporting. If any information is inaccurate or not covered thor-

oughly, corrections and information will appear in this area. Opinions and views expressed in The Highlander in no way reflect those of Misericordia University or the Sisters of Mercy. The Highlander Staff welcomes students, faculty and reader response.

The Highlander reserves the right to edit submissions for grammatical errors and length. All submissions must be signed. Letters to the Editor and/or materials for publication may be submitted by any reader. Items can be sent via e-mail.

Katlin Bunton - Editor-in-ChiefEllen Hoffman - Print EditorApril Dulsky - Web EditorJulia Truax - Content Manager

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Dallas, PA 18612

Mary Bove - Photographer

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CONTRIBUTORS

News

Dominick DellosDave DillonMichele DragoJames FisherBrittany HayesJosh HortonPatrick Hunter

Shawn KellmerKayla KubbishunGabrielle LengyelGia MazurJake RakestrawGrace Riker

Senior Shana Weinstock has been performing in musicals since she was 10 years old. The lauded actor has taken classes at Wilkes University for 22 semesters and has a scholarship in her name. But there is one achievement that has eluded her: She had always wanted to portray Velma Kelly in the musi-cal Chicago. “Obviously, the show is very risqué, so we didn’t do it, but for my last voice recital I sang, “All That Jazz.” So that was my big thing,” said Weinstock. Her stage dreams came true in January when The Little Theater of Wilkes-Barre announced it would be putting on Chicago this spring. Weinstock went out for the show and after three rounds of auditions, she won the role of Velma Kelly. She thinks her background in dance helped her to nab the role of the vaudeville vixen. “I’ve been taking dance since I was 3,” said Weinstock. “Almost 18 years. So, dance is obviously my strongest point. So, I think I had really had a plus from the other girls at the audition because Chicago is all [Bob] Fosse.” Chicago is a musical about Roxie Hart who is on trial for murdering a man. While in prison, Roxie meets Velma Kelly, a vaudeville performer who is charged with murder. Billy Flynn, the best defense

attorney in the state of Il-linois, takes on the women’s cases while they each hope to capitalize on pre-trial public-ity to become famous. Weinstock researched her role by watching the movie over and over and watch-

ing clips on YouTube of the various actresses who have played the role of Velma. She even went to see the show on Broadway. Weinstock feels this is the best way to deepen the relationship she has with her character. “Every time I go to the the-ater I try to leave everything behind that’s Shana. I try to make Velma my own little person,” said Weinstock. “I just got the wig and it’s like, once I put the wig on, I am

instantly in character.” Weinstock has performed in numerous shows with the LTWB including West Side Story, Sweet Charity, Rent, and most recently Footloose in which she portrayed the female lead, preacher’s daugh-

ter Ariel Moore. Weinstock says Chicago will hold a dif-ferent meaning to her. “This is probably going to be my last show for a while, because I want to go to law school,” said Weinstock. “It’s going to be a bittersweet feel-ing when we close.” Weinstock isn’t the only member of the MU community to perform. Madison Bradley, Janelle Nemetz and Catherine Steinhoff will also don their sequins and fishnets for the

show, as will faculty member Scott Woolnough. “He’s amazing. [It’s amaz-ing] how he can sing that high,” said Weinstock of Wool-nough’s portrayal of female journalist Mary Sunshine, who is revealed to be a man at

the end of the show. Weinstock explains that the LTWB’s version of Chicago will be differ-ent than the 2002 film version and the Broad-way production. “We’re doing the vaudeville, so it’s com-pletely different from the Broadway show,” said Weinstock. “It’s more of a vaudeville mu-sical from the 1920s.” The show will feature a minimalistic set like the Broadway show and include an 11-piece onstage orchestra, she said. Weinstock hopes to continue performing in the future, but as for now, she’s very happy

with this moment in her life. “It’s like a dream. It’s per-fect. It’s my last show. It’s my favorite show that I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. Performances of Chicago will be at The Little Theater of Wilkes-Barre on 537 N. Main Street in Wilkes-Barre on March 24, 30, 31 at 8 p.m. and March 25 and April 1 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased by calling (570)-823-1875.

By Gia Mazur, Reporter

Senior performer prepares to take on the role of Velma Kelly in the upcoming musical Chicago at the Little Theater of Wilkes-Barre.

Seasoned senior sings ‘All That Jazz’

Above, Shana Weinstock, left, and Deidre Lynch pose as Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, respectively, for their roles in the upcoming musical Chicago: A Vaudeville Musical from March 24-April 1, 2012 at The Little Theater of Wilkes Barre.

DAVE DILLON FOR THE HIGHLANDER

Instress editors make the gradeBy Gabrielle Lengyel, Reporter

Instress staff members grade each selection for the spring publication.

Instress staff members are busy at work selecting content for this year’s edition of the 45-year-old campus literary magazine. Two of the magazines litera-ture editors, senior Andrew Corbett and junior John Meholic, are wading through literary submissions, prose and poetry, and grading each piece with a rubric. “If opinions are mixed we will talk about it, what we thought was good and what we thought wasn’t good,” Corbett said. If the piece has an overall good grading after discussion, editors select it for publication. Photography editor and junior Heather Marsicano is evaluating photography. Mar-sicano rates the photographs and decides which ones make the cut. “I think I’m a little bit of a snot about it, but I have a degree in photography so I feel like this is kind of my forte,” Marsicano said. She uses a letter grading system of A to F, and the overall quality and grading of each photograph determines whether it will run, she said. Junior Matt Wielgopolski is this year’s chief layout de-signer. Wielgopolski’s job is to take all approved content and lay it out in the magazine’s format. Wielgopolski said the magazine is full color, stan-dard eight-by-eleven inch size. There is no set limit for the magazine’s length. He said he is using Adobe Creative Suite InDesign, a page layout program. “It’s going to take a

lot of coffee, a lot of sleepless nights, and a lot of hours in MEZ5,” Wielgopolski said. The staff believes the hard work is worth it—and they hope to garner some publicity. Editors will select the best of each category—prose, poetry, artwork, and photography—and choose the best of each category based on a 10-point grading scale. The staff nar-rows the winners by rounds until they pick the top four. Winners are awarded with $50 or $100 prizes, and they will present their work at the “Journey Through the Arts” ceremony. Simko said he would like to hold a cover-to-cover read-ing of the magazine, possibly in the Blacktop Lounge. “I’m going to get as many people as I can to join us, and literally read the magazine cover-to-cover,” Simko said. The staff hopes these events will help increase the maga-zine’s profile. “I hope it grows. Misericordia isn’t necessarily known for its arts, but there are a lot of talented people on campus,” Meholic said. Corbett is also pushing for an online issue to make it more accessible to the campus community. Marsicano hopes the magazine will someday be printed in hardcover. The staff encourages others to join the publication. If students want to get involved Wielgopolski said to look for informational flyers around campus or on e-MU for Miseri-Minute. Simko added anyone can email him personally or instress@misericordia.edu if they are interested in joining.

By Brittany Hayes, Reporter

The Crimson Lion, a hookah lounge, and cafe proves popular for area college students.

Students roar for Crimson Lion The Crimson Lion Hookah Lounge and Café in Wilkes-Barre is quickly becoming one of the trendiest places for col-lege students to socialize and embrace multiculturalism. Hookah lounges features the communal enjoyment of flavored tobacco, a practice that dates back centuries in many civilizations throughout the world. The Crimson Lion offers high-quality hookah, a café that serves up lattes and regular entertainment. “I thought that this idea would really work because Wilkes-Barre is a college town and the main demographic would be 18-20 year olds who don’t really have a lot of options when it comes to late night hang-outs. It would also appeal to the 21-30 age group because it is a good alterna-tive to the bar scene,” said Pasquini. “We apply to college kids, of course, but we get local professors, free think-ers, artists, and musicians as well,” said manager Josh Karis. The menu features cappuc-cinos, lattes, drip coffee as well as two specialty drinks, Butterbeer, the drink made famous through Harry Potter, and Birthday Cake, a new spin on hot chocolate that includes whipped cream, sprinkles, and Lucky Charms Marshmallows. The Lion focuses on local foods. “It’s really great to keep things local. We get our milk from Hillside Farms,

coffee from Caffe Fresco, baked goods from Sweet Little Things by Maria Bernardo, and Baklava from Pete’s Place Middle Eastern Restaurant , which is right next store. By getting all of these locally we have a good bond within the community, no middle man, and everyone we work with aren’t just interested in only getting the job done, they are interest in giving us the best stuff they possibly can,” said Karis. Pasquini got the idea for the place when an out-of-town friend wanted to go to a local hookah lounge. “There were none around at the time. So I got to thinking it would be a good idea to open one. I was in a job where I had a lot of free time, so I used that time to create my business plan,” said Pasquini. The Lion is not only a place for smoking, Pasquini said. “We have open mic night every Thursday as demand requests. We have had comedy nights in the past with local comedians, book club meet-ings, and usually one Sunday per month we have shows that are set up by Eric Davis of Get Cryptic who has connec-tions from Philadelphia and New York City and has gotten some really good bands to play at the lounge.” The Lion also has a vast collection of books and board games, and it offers free Wi-Fi for customers. Pasquini expended upon the theme when a friend who

worked in a top-rated New York café introduced the idea of opened that part of the business. The friend returned to his native Wilkes-Barre to help set up shop. “He did research on coffee forums to try to find the best roaster and we came across Caffe Fresco, which was extremely highly rated, and run out of Jenkins Township – only one town over,” said Pasquini. The Crimson Lion is uncon-ventional for the area, but it has been very successful. “It works really well because it’s an opportunity for customers to experience our two prod-ucts, coffee and hookah, and they are both of the highest quality,” said Karis. The Crimson Lion carries Starbuzz shisha, including flavors such as Pirates Cave, which tastes of lime, Code 69, which is cherry flavor, and blue raspberry flavored Blue Mist among many others. The Lion also carries Staruzz Bold shisha in a bubblegum flavor, and Nakhla and Al Fahker, traditional Middle Eastern brands. Prices vary from $9 for a one hose order to $22 dollars for a three hose hookah, which includes a refill. Patrons can smoke out of regular ceramic bowls, or an exotic carved fruit bowl. Patrons can even choose to add bubbles to blow with their smoke. Pasquini opened a second Crimson Lion in Bloomsburg late last year. “I was con-

sidering expanding and was approached by two customers who actually found a location in Bloomsburg for me and they now run the place.” This location is about three times the size as the Wilkes-Barre location and offers events that include a Rave Night the last Saturday of every month. The Crimson Lion is located at 37 East South Street in Wilkes-Barre and is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., and is closed on Sundays except for shows which are announced weekly. Patrons must be 18 years of age to smoke. IDs are required.

Top, the editorial board for the campus literary arts magazine meets to discuss and grade the submissions before editing can begin. Above, professor and advisor of Instress Thomas Simko directs questions to the editors during a Tuesday meeting.

MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER

The Crimson Lion

37 E South StreetWilkes-Barre

(570)208-2909

Hours:M-F 10 am - 1 amThursday Night: Open Mic Night

Saturday 6 pm - 1 am

To secure a seat, call ahead for reservationsPrices range from $10-

$30

March 13, 2012highlandernews.net 3Arts & Entertainment

CAPSCORNER

At The Counseling & Psychological Services Center (CAPS), support is available and no concern is too big

or too small. Counselors are available to support you in a non-judgmental way using a holistic perspective - attend-

ing to mind, body and spirit. Our hope is that through counseling services you are able to create more balance,

peace and serenity in your life.

We invite all students to utilize CAPS Center services including individual therapy, group therapy, consultation services, referral services, psycho-educational programs

and/or crisis intervention. Services are free and available to all full-time matriculated students. For more informa-

tion about the CAPS Center and resources visit us on the e-MU tab “Campus Life.”

Are you interested in exploring health, happiness, and well-being? The CAPS Center is running a personal growth group that will run for six consecutive weeks.

The group will be open for 6-8 people, membership will be on a first come, first served basis, and the time of the group will be determined based on the members’ schedules. This group will focus on the needs of the members in relation to

increasing health, happiness, and well-being.

If you have any further questions or are interested in join-ing, please email Megan at mtucker@misericordia.edu.

Idea Exchange & Hot Chocolate/Coffee StationsMarch 15th from 5-6pm

Peer Advocates will be in residence hall lobbies and com-muter space inviting students to offer their input about what kinds of concerns and ideas they have regarding

campus life and their University experience.

Maintaining Healthy RelationshipsMarch 20th McHale, Fireside Lounge 8-9pm

Sexual Assault Facts & Education Peer Educators will be offering an interactive workshop on healthy relationships. They will also discuss how to help someone who has been

sexually assaulted. Location: McHale Hall, Fireside Lounge 8-9pm on Tues-

day, March 20th. Food and snacks provided.

Awareness FairApril 11th from 11am to 1pm

Expand your awareness about organizations and oppor-tunities that support our global interconnectedness by

stopping by the tables that will be set up in the dining hall on this date. 

CAPS Day TuesdayApril 17th 11-1:30 pm

Join the Peer Advocates, Sexual Assault Facts & Education (SAFE) Peer Educators, Healthy Options Peer Educators

(HOPE), Substance Abuse Peer Educators and Active Minds in Banks Lobby on CAPS Day

STOP BY in The CAPS Center OPEN HOUSE for food, beverages and some special surprises. Students who stop by the CAPS Center will be entered in a drawing to win 2 Round Trip Tickets to NYC courtesy of Martz Trailways.

3rd Annual Active Minds ScreamfestApril 18 at noon - National Stress Out Day!

Join Active Minds at Noon in Rosenn Plaza (near Mc-Gowan Hall) for this 3rd annual screamfest. All faculty,

students and staff are encouraged to come out and scream for 10 seconds. Also stop by Banks Lobby from 11-1:30 pm to get information on National Stress Out Day and

Active Minds! This is a fun event covered by local media so stop by and have a SCREAM!

Sexual Assault Awareness WeekStarting Sunday, April 22-Friday, April 27

The Sexual Assault Facts & Education (SAFE) Peer Educa-tors & Peer Advocates will be working together to pro-

mote Sexual Assault Awareness on campus throughout this week. Please show your support by attending events that affect so many people. Statistics highlight 1 in 4 college

women are sexually assaulted during their college career; 1 in 33 men are sexually assault during their lifetime and

80% of Sexual Assaults involve alcohol.  A list of Sexual As-sault Awareness events will be available on Channel 10 and other campus media. Please attend and show your support for sexual assault survivors and their families and friends.  

Mercy Kids Spring Day April 22nd

Peer Advocates will host 20 to 25 children (from Mercy Services in Wilkes-Barre) on campus for a day of fun. This

yearly event also exposes disadvantaged children to the idea that college could be a possibility for them in their

future. The children also are exposed to some positive role modeling from the Peer Advocates as well. (Some of these

same children were recipients of the gifts from the Wish Upon A Star program in December).

UPCOMING EVENTS

COM students visit Obama’s house

First row left, communica-tion, history and English majors toss pennies into a fountain outside the Natiot-nal Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. Right, a student snaps a shot of a carousel in front of Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C. during the student media trip on March 2. Second row left, the stage at the National Press Club. Right, senior Michele Drago tweets a photo of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Inagural Ball gown in the National Museum of American His-tory. Third row senior Julia Truax, sophomore Catie Becker, Drago and sopho-more Ellen Hoffman walk around the National Mall before touring the White House on March 2. Left, members from the communi-cations trip stand outside the White House after touring inside.

MARY BOVE & APRIL DULSKY/THE HIGHLANDER

March 13, 2012highlandernews.net4 Sports

Continued from page 1Dining hours, cont’d

Junior Sean Bieski doesn’t own a Ferrari. If he did, he would fill the tank with the highest quality fuel to maxi-mize its performance. The same goes for his body. As a guard on the MAC Champion Men’s basketball team, Bieski keep himself vig-orous for games and practices by choosing to eat healthy foods at the Metz dining hall. “If you’re a high quality athlete, you have to put in high quality things in order to compete and to recover,” Bieski said. The ding hall has been under criticism for a soon-t-be-enacted schedule changes via their Facebook wall, but students complaints quickly turned toward what they called ‘sub par” food for Equiv meals. With 13 different sports at the NCAA Division III level, athletes say it is necessary to have the nutritious food in the dining hall so they can perform at their peak. “There’s a variety of op-tions,” says Chris Gray, strength and conditioning coach and offensive line coach for the university’s new Foot-ball team. “The main entrée usually provides your protein. There’s always a vegetable, and there’s a deli and a salad bar where you can create something healthy.” In a nutrition packet Gray distributes to players, he informs athletes that they

should aim for meals consist-ing of 55-65% complex carbo-hydrates, 25-30% protein, and 10-15% fat. Gray said quality meals are available in the dining hall.“It takes more time, effort, and discipline,” Gray says. “People just want to point fingers. It’s really easy to walk up to that grille, but, it’s up to you.” Men’s soccer player Junior Nick Ferguson said J. Clarke’s Grille is a choice to avoid for healthy food. “Most of the time it’s really greasy,” Ferguson says. “The food there could improve.”Bieski says, “I try to eat sal-ads, wraps, and a meat, vege-table or pasta from the entrée. You can make it work.”Baseball pitcher junior Mike Pena said he eats at J. Clarke’s Grille despite other options. “Not everyone can eat what they want,” Pena says. “But you can be selective and know how much is good for your body.” Perfect nutrition is diffi-cult to obtain at any level of sports, let alone in college, but Coach Gray encourages ath-letes and non-athletes alike to stay aware of their health. “It is vital to be cognizant of what you are putting into your body,” Gray says. ““To maximize your sports perfor-mance there are a lot of things that need to be done from the likes of film study, technique

work, strength training, con-ditioning, and practice time. One component often over-looked is nutrition.” Gray, whose uncle was strength and conditioning coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League, has been a useful resource among all athletes since his addition to the football pro-gram’s staff. His tailor-made workouts help a variety of teams in addition to football. “Different sports require dif-ferent skills,” Gray says. “My goal is to just help athletes understand how to do things the right way. Knowledge equals power.” Chances are if you spot a sports team working out in the weight room, they’re performing a workout made by Gray. “We’ve been doing things in the weight room with high pace and tempo, our circuit workouts are created to build stamina, speed, and strength,” Ferguson says. According to Ferguson, eat-ing properly leads to the best physical results. “The main factor in my workout performance is prop-er nutrition,” Ferguson says. “Without it you won’t have the energy to do what you want. If you don’t eat right it will show.” With the basketball team in season, Bieski says it is important to stay strong, but not overdo it

“It’s important to just stay using your body weight, do-ing things like push-ups or sit-ups,” Bieski says. “Stay away from heavy weights to just keep the same strength. You want to be agile when you practice and have stamina when going through a season.”Pena engages in a unique lifting regimen for pitchers, which balances rest periods with pitching outings. Pena has worked with Gray to per-fect his training. “Pitchers are a lot different from even position players in baseball,” Pena says. “When we don’t pitch we may do squats or other things to keep our legs strong. In season we do a lot of high repetition, low weight in order to keep the muscle memory in our arms.”Pena said hydration is also important for peak perfor-mance because baseball play-ers battle high temperatures in the later months of the season. “Hydration can help avoid muscle injury with such explo-sive sprints and movements required in baseball,” Pena says. Gray said the key to opti-mum results is to stay on the program. “If you make an effort to do things right, and you do it long enough, you will see re-sults,” Gray says. “Everything is a progression.”

By Dominick Dellos, ReporterAthletes maintain their health by eating right and resting in order to be at their best come game time.

Athletes maximize health in game planperiod to create a survey to seek student comments and feedback. Weis asks students to contact a committee mem-ber with any concerns, and said Metz will also appreciate feedback on their Facebook page. Heintz stands by the idea of extended hours, and he en-courages everyone to keep an

open mind. “If you go in with a blank slate you might not like it, but at least at the same time there are no expectations for it to live up to and it can be beneficial for everybody. It’s going to help everyone in the long run. It’s just that people have to come in with a mind set that this is here to help them.”

By Jimmy Fisher, ReporterStudent athletes explain how balancing school and sports can be rough.

Time management, prioritizing key for multi-sport athletes

Most college sports involve training all year round and athletes like senior Jeff Sla-novec can manage their time and balance two sports with academics. Slanovec plays basketball and baseball and has through-out his collegiate career. He admits it’s not an easy home run. “It’s pretty difficult,” Slan-ovec said. “You have be able to have really good time manage-ment skills and you have to be able to prioritize and look ahead to see when you’re going to be on the road [for games].” In high school Slanovec said he played golf, basketball and baseball, but he said main-taining the balance was a bit easier. Many college teams require year round condition-ing and practice, which makes being a multi sport athlete a lot tougher. Basketball and baseball seasons run back-to-back, and baseball requires year-round practice. Slanovec admitted that it’s a challenge to prepare for baseball once his basketball season is over. “It makes it more difficult for baseball,” said Slanovec. “I have to do a lot of preparing for the [baseball] season on my own outside of basketball, hitting and throwing on my own as well as have time for my classes.” Stress comes being a college student. Studying, classes, and homework pile on top of the commitment the student ath-letes make. Slanovec, though, has never had a problem with his grades. “I told myself before I came here, was that as long as my grades weren’t going to slip, I’m going to do both sports,” Slanovec said. “I’ve been able to do both without any nega-tive impact on my grades.” Slanovec’s family and closest friends make time to see him perform for two sports as well. “Because I play both sports I can see them more,” said Sla-novec. “My relationship with my family has pretty much stayed the same or gotten better because of the games they’ve seen.” While Slanovec has been a multi sport athlete his entire

collegiate life, junior Caitlin Sweeney is just beginning her run. Sweeney has been a mem-ber of the women’s basketball team since her first year, and she joined the women’s soccer team as a junior. Sweeney admitted that she does not find balancing two sports to be difficult. Sweeney said her coaches help her get by. “Having a coach to push you to strive for good grades re-ally makes you want to study because if you risk getting bad grades, you might eventually get kicked off the team,” Swee-ney said. “Our coach sets up study halls that we can attend to help us get better grades.” Time management is some-times hard enough to college students who do not play any sports. With only 24 hours in a day, Sweeney says she knows exactly how to manage those hours to keep her grades up, stay and shape, and eat the right food. “When it comes to sleeping I get about eight hours a night,” Sweeney said. “I think from going to class and working out during the day make me more tired so I am able to fall asleep earlier instead of being up all hours of the night. I try to eat healthy and stick to salads and fruits so I can stay in shape.” With soccer having a regu-lar fall season and a spring season, Sweeney said that the sport presents more challenges than her basketball schedule does. “Soccer is more difficult to prepare for because we basi-cally are playing year round since we have the regular season in the fall, and we also have a spring season,” Swee-ney said. “While I’m in bas-ketball season they are doing winter workouts as a team, so I try to do both basketball practice and soccer workouts on days when I don’t have a basket ball game.” Like Slanovec, Sweeney has home support. “It’s not difficult for my fam-ily and friends to come to my games,” said Sweeney. “They enjoy coming out and support-ing me and my teammates.”

Changing coaches is hard, but changing coaches half way through a season is even harder. Dave Martin, interim head coach of the women’s basket-ball team, has done the impos-sible: Not only did he step in as coach midseason after the abrupt resignation of former coach Tom Griffith, he led the team to their first ever berth in the NCAA Division-III bas-ketball tournament. The team only has three losses with Martin as their coach, and ended the regular season 17-10. The women went undefeated at home—7-0. The team went on a win-ning streak early in the season with six games in a row, then again later in the season with four in a row. Martin credits the players. “What this team has accom-plished is a direct result of what these ladies have done, and they are fantastic, and have done a great job.” With their regular season behind them the girls showed up in their 4th consecutive playoff game since enter-ing the MAC conference four years ago. Along with that, their appearance in the MAC Championship game for the second year made an impact. Loosing in the championship game last year meant beat-ing Kings College this season was the ultimate revenge. Not only did the women get a MAC Championship; they made the first ever bid into the NCAA Tournament for the school. “I think this group is spe-

cial,” Martin said. “I think we have good leadership, I think it’s a close knit group, and I think they care about each other, and when things get tough those come into play.” Martin has a widespread basketball background. He spent five years as an Assis-tant Coach at Wilkes Univer-sity, and 14 years as the MU men’s basketball coach which prepared him for his current position as athletic director. “From my perspective it couldn’t have gone any better” said Martin, “It really is just attributed to the girls and the assistant coaches.” Martin’s coaching philosophy may help the team as well. When Martin stepped in that last thing he wanted to do was overhall the program. He just followed to rules, he said. “We are going to guard people, and we are going to play defense, and it doesn’t matter who scores as long as we score.” The team followed his lead, and they have averaged 64.7 point a game. Martin said his players set the tone. “It’s a lot easier for on one person to adjust to 17 people then it is for them to adjust to me.” Martin’s next step is to conduct a national search for permanent head coach for the Lady Cougars. “I think the key is to find the right person to fit Misericor-dia,” he said. “I think that the key is to try to find the person that is the right fit for our situation as well as someone who can lead and roll model for our young women.”

By Kayla Kubbishun, ReporterWomen athletes overcome obstacles and end their season with a MAC Championship.Women’s team dominates season

Student Success Center Presents:

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Top, junior Hannah Seely takes a free throw during a home game against King’s College. Above, the team celebrates a home win against King’s College during the regular season. Right, senior Jesse Robinson takes a free throw against King’s College. The women’s team defeated King’s 68-56 during regular play.

MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER

March 13, 2012highlandernews.net 5Sports

Wilkes-Barre Scranton Night Out is THE premiere website for planning your evening.

Whether you want to hit the clubs, catch a concert, see a movie, or just chill at a bar:

Check out WBSnighout.com for entertainment listings!

Don’t forget to browse our weekly contests! By entering our contests you have chances to win dinners,

trips, concert and sport tickets and more!

Also, check out the column, How to Survive College Life by Misericordia’s April Dulsky. The column features col-

lege tips and tricks!

MU basketball teams had stellar seasons and made leap-ing strides, both within school records and D3 basketball. Men’s head coach Trevor Woodruff summed up the 2011-2012 men’s basketball season best following the Cougar’s 84-65 NCAA Tourna-ment opening round loss. “There are some people who would say making the NCAA Tourney and losing by 20 isn’t a great year,” Woodruff said. “But we did things this year that we have never done at our school. We had something special, which makes it even more difficult to see it end. They are great, great men and I am proud to be their coach.” Forget the score, the fact that the team made the NCAA Tournament is all proof of a significant achievement. The team had never made the NCAA Tournament. This year, they did. It was far from an easy road for the Cougars en route to

their first NCAA Tournament bid. Not many teams open conference play by losing three of four and go on to win the conference. MU did. They had the perfect balance of senior leadership in Jeff Slanovec, Ethan Eichorst, and Chris Undersinger. In addi-tion, junior Steve Artzerou-nian, sophomore Matt Greene, and first years Joe Busacca and Cael Evans also had ter-rific seasons for the Cougars. It is easy to notice just how well this team plays together. There were no ego issues, everyone played their part and it ended up being a special season. “The guys really enjoy each other. They play well together and share the basketball. They are all committed to the same goal and I think they really enjoy seeing their teammates succeed, which isn’t always the case,” Woodruff said. “So when you have that, talented guys that play together, play

with enthusiasm and play for one another, you’re a threat to beat anybody you play.” They didn’t beat New York University, but they did cham-pion many other teams – 21 of them—a school record. Seniors Ethan Eichorst and Jeff Slanovec both finished their careers with a bang as they flew past the 1,000-point mark. The women also end with notable firsts. They defeated Kings College and also took a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Like the men, they too ended up losing in the opening round. The Lady Cougars traveled to Medford, Massachusetts to take on the Tufts Univer-sity Jumbos. Despite a late game run, they ended up losing the game 61-57. Most impressive is how resilient and hard working both teams were throughout their entire seasons. Not many basketball teams

have been through more chal-lenges than the Lady Cougars: Midway through the sea-son, former head coach Tom Griffith resigned his position, and athletic director Dave Martin became the team’s in-terim head coach. He brought an enormous amount of bas-ketball knowledge, intensity and passion to the bench and the team bought in quickly. A game-winning match against King’s College Lady Monarchs proves it. MU’s Christine Marks became the all time leading scorer in the history of women’s MU women’s basketball, Jesse Robinson finished her stellar career, and Tyann McDaniel is now the best three point shooter in school history. The achievements brought sports fans to the games. At a school where most people go home on weekends, the Anderson Center was filled to capacity—on a Saturday—for the MAC Championship game.

By Josh Horton, ReporterBoth the men’s and women’s basketball teams ended their seasons with record-breaking performances.

Cougar basketball breaks records

Look Back: MAC Championship Cougar Hoops

Top, the student section rushes the court after the men’s basketball team defeated Wilkes University and advanaced to the NCAA Tournament. Middle, the Cougars celebrate as the seconds on the clock tick down. Above, coach Trevor Woodruff takes the last cut of the net to celebrate advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Right, senior Jeff Slanovec blocks out a Wilkes player to save the ball.

MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER

GRACE RIKER/THE HIGHLANDER

March 13, 2012highlandernews.net6 Arts & Entertainment

Eww Yaboo, a local “gutter-pop” band from Wilkes-Barre, recently signed a publishing deal with Los Angeles-based company Benair Churchill and these fellows have wasted no time using this opportu-nity to their advantage. Two thirds of Eww Yaboo, Nate Andreoli and Drew Carsillo, are y proud of the progress they’ve made and are excited to see what the future holds for them. Nate Andreoli said of the publishing contract, “Any-thing that we record as a band can be licensed through Benair-Churchill to be used for things such as movie soundtracks, commercials, etc.” Benair-Churchill has been known for publishing underground, yet beloved art-ists such as – Rubblebucket, The Van Jets, and Light FM to name a few.

Eww Yaboo signed this contract in later January. “We signed this so we can get paid for the music we are making. We want to use it to give the band more exposure and rec-ognition,” said Carsillo. “We want this publishing deal to help us to be able to play music full time, to make a liv-ing off of touring around,” said Andreoli. Eww Yaboo will already have a song featured on the upcoming Twilight “Breaking Dawn Part II” soundtrack this year. The guys hope to one day make the band a career. “We expect to have to con-tinue having day jobs, but the ultimate goal is to continue recording and playing shows until we reach the level that we won’t have to have a day-to-day job,” says Andreoli. Eww Yaboo was formed

in winter 2008 when both Andreoli and Carsillo were living in Brooklyn, NY. The two have been friends since middle school. “We have both been in bands together on and off since we were 14,” said Carsillo. Soon after the formation of Eww Yaboo the guys moved back to the town they call home for the majority of their childhoods. “We moved back to Wilkes-Barre in the sum-mer of 2009 and just spent the year writing and recording songs until we solidified the lineup. We started playing local shows in the summer 2010,” said Andreoli. Eww Yaboo’s style is unlike many local bands. “Our friend Eric Davis dubbed us ‘Gutter-Pop,’ It’s more so of an aggres-sive style of pop, but not quite pop-punk,” says Andreoli.Their music is upbeat and

danceable but still stays true to their punk roots. “I think we are everything that’s great about music today,” said Car-sillo. The group draws influence from many different sources, musically and beyond. “I think we’re mainly influenced by bands such as The Wipers, Television, the list goes on,” said Andreoli. “I’m really influenced by a lot of differ-ent things. Nikki Sudden is definitely a big one. Just all of the greats. I also take inspira-tion for music from not just bands and artists, but also comedians – Mitch Hedberg for instance is a big influence on my life and my music,” said Carsillo. Eww Yaboo put out their first EP on Halloween of this past year entitled, “Yeah, What?” released by Sum-mersteps Records based out

of Scranton. The guys are looking to put out another EP by late summer or early fall of this year. “Yeah, What?” is available on seven inch vinyl or digital download on iTunes. “We’re currently trying to find a new bass player, work-ing on getting another EP out in the near future, and writing more songs,” said An-dreoli. The music catalog for the band is growing at a rapid pace. “As of right now, we have about 30 songs written, but a set of about 12 complete-ly finished ones. We have a lot of songs that we are working on,” said Carsillo. Their ambitions for the near future include a few “mini tours” and just playing around. “That is, if we don’t self-destruct by then,” joked Carsillo. Eww Yaboo has played in almost all of the ma-

jor cities in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and surrounding states. “We’ve played at Death by Audio in Brooklyn and at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadel-phia,” said Andreoli. “The out of town shows are always a lot of fun,” added Carsillo. Eww Yaboo still holds home as a special spot. “We love playing at The Crimson Lion Hookah Lounge in Wilkes-Barre. All of our friends come out and it’s a great time,” Andreoli said. “We’re just determined to stick with this and just do it. I mean, we have no serious ca-reers or intentions on having one. We play music and this is really all we’ve got. We are not going to give up on this,” said Andreoli.

By Brittany Hayes, ReporterA local band breaks into the music industry after being featured on the upcoming Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 soundtrack.

Twilight takes bite out of Eww Yaboo

$100 fine. The website also states that the law supersedes and pre-empts any local ordinances re-stricting the use of interactive wireless devices by drivers.According to www.pasentat-egop.com exceptions to the new law will include drivers contacting 511 service, 911 or wireless E-911, when a vehicle is stopped due to traffic obstruction and the vehicle is in park or neutral, operators of emergency vehicles, coro-ners, or volunteer emergency responders while engaged in their official duties, and ama-teur radio operators. Pennsylvania is the 35th state to have passed such a law banning the practice of texting while driving.

Continued from page 1TWD results in minor fines, cont’d

Right, students test out the driving simulator in Banks Student Life Center while an administrator looks on.

PATRICK HUNTER/THE HIGHLANDER

Anti-Texting Law Quick Facts:

• The law prohibits as a primary offense any driver from using an interactive, wireless communication device (IWCD).

• IWCD includes a wireless phone, personal digital assistant, smart phone, portable or mobile computer or similar devices.

• IWCD does not include the use of a GPS device, a system or device that is physi-cally or electronically integrated into the vehicle.

• In 2010 there were 13,790 crashes in Pennsylvania where distracted driving played a role.

• Nationwide 34 states and the District of Columbia have already banned texting while driving. For more information go to pa.gov.