Document

Volume 59, No. 2 Gwynedd-Mercy College March 2008

GMC Gets a Dose of New Orleans, Mardi Gras Style!

Inside This Issue:

By Maggie Zenner ’08

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Values Upheld TodayStudents, Faculty, Staff Offer A Day of Service to Community

The Gwynmercian

Leaders for Student Government 2008

President - Christine DevineVice President - Katie GoffredoTreasurer - Francesca Catalano Recording Secretary - Melissa DziedzicCorresponding Secretary - Eric Wielechowski

Congrats and Good Luck!

Dr. Luquet just can’t stop bringing us his New Orleans know-how! Born and raised in that city, Dr. Luquet is the perfect tour guide. Back in February he co-hosted a Mardi Gras party, along with the Mis-son and Values Committee, so students could experience some of the food of the city. He served Fried Alligator, Red Beans and Rice, and Shrimp Cre-ole. He even served King Cake and Bread Pudding. Students were given beads and had traditonal Jazz Music, played by the band JazzPlash. He also had balloon artists and Raffle Prizes. More important, each year he takes stu-dents to New Orleans for Spring Break. The students that went are part of the sociology class he teaches, entitled New Orleans History and Culture. The students get to learn more about the Culture when they venture to New Or-leans over Spring Break, this year, from

March 5th to March 11th. On the trip, Dr. Luquet has the stu-dents keep a daily journal. In the jour-nal, the students write what they have seen and learned and their reaction to the day. While in New Orleans, they get to experience many activites that show off different aspects of New Orleans Culture. Some of the biggest draws are Jazz, Mardi Gras, and the food. This year, they got to participate in tours of the French Quarter, the New Or-leans School of Cooking, the Audubon Zoo and flooded areas from Hurricane Katrina. They also went to Jazz clubs at night. They even participated in Habi-tat for Humanity as a service project. However, one of the things that really sealed the experience was the amount of history they brought back with them. They met a woman named Helen Arlt. She was respon-sible for bringing Louis Armstrong back to New Orleans in the 1960’s.

She was also the editor of The Second Line, which is a New Orleans Jazz Club Magazine. Amazingly, she gave Dr. Lu-quet every issue of the magazine. There are only sixty-four libraries in the world that have copies of these magazines, and now GMC is only library in Pennsylva-nia to have paper copies of the magazine. Dr. Luquet also received jazz cds of early New Orleans Music, given to him by the Historic New Orleans Collec-tion. These will soon be made available in the Library for the GMC community. The students that went are Ju-lia Cerzosimo, Daniela Coppola, Laura DiGiovanni, Amanda Hickman, Dani-elle Kohler, Michelle Offner, Nathaniel Rocque, and Elizabeth Walton. Through Dr. Luqiet’s guidance, they got to partake in so much of the rich New Orleans cul-ture while there. And now through gener-ous donations, GMC will be able to learn about some of the fascinating history that defined the greatest jazz of our country.

GMC Student Saves LifeHonorable recognition goes out to GMC Cardiovascular Technology sophomore Genevive Jordan for her quick thinking and responsive action in saving a man’s life at the Lamplight Tavern. Genevieve, who works as a waitress at the tavern, performed CPR on the man when he stopped breathing after choking on a piece of food. For more information, please visit Channel 6’s website, www.abcnews.com.

Spring Break Trips........................... p. 2

Voices of Gwynedd.......................... p. 3

Primary Elections: Know Your Candidates.................... p. 4 & 5

Editorials.......................................... p. 7

GMC Sports Update......................... p. 8

Francesca Catalano puts the prepared snack bags in a box so they can be delivered.

Students volunteer to decorate activity bags.

To commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, GMC sponsored a week of events to reflect on the values that the Rever-end shared with the world so many years ago. The school offered a Prayer Breakfast, which featured speaker Dr. Lina Buffington of Phil-adelphia Futures. There was also a Round-table Discussion based on the principles of Non-Violence. Finally, many students assem-

bled snack and activity bags for young children. Campus Ministry staff Christine Eberle and Betsy Stone Plummer provided ziplock bags and a variety of snacks to fill each bag. The food was then taken to children in after school pro-grams. Students also get to decorate lunch bags, with messages of inspiration. These bags are filled with little toys, such as stickers and puzzles. GMC creates this event each year, and those who volunteered remarked on its growing success. The Campus Ministry staff offered thanks to all.


Gwynedd-Mercy College March 2008

Trip to Ireland - Céad míle fáilte

New York, New York - The Mercy Wayalso had a college day on Wednesday for the Seniors. Janelle LaRule came that morning and provided the girls with a presentation and lots of information about Gwynedd-Mercy Col-lege. We also spent two nights with an orga-nization connected with the Sisters of Mercy. We visited Angel Guardian in Brooklyn, New York and Mercy Center in the Bronx, New York. Both organizations help their communi-ties by providing several social services. We also had the pleasure of spending every night with some of the Sisters of Mercy. They pro-vided us with wonderful meals our entire trip. As part of our service, we had reflection time each night. We took in our environment, what we were doing and how we were feel-ing. I hoped that what we had shared with the girls at Catherine McAuley High School would help them to believe in their hopes and dreams and to not give up on them. Laura LaJudice stated, “I not only feel that our retreat touched the girls that we were working with, but I was also touch by their maturity... growing up in the environment that they did and I learned a lot about myself as well from being around them.” I had mentioned that I was not sure what talent I could offer to the girls that would help them

When we arrived in NYC on Sunday, we spent the day touring the city. We had arrange-ments to meet Sister Margaret that evening to stay in the dorms at Catherine McAuley High School in Brooklyn, NY. Monday and Tuesday we had planned a retreat for the girls on the topic God is Love. We had three speeches: love one-self body & soul, love oneself to be a friend, and love oneself by making good choices. We

and I was not sure what to expect. However, if by sharing my story I was able to offer them hope, then I felt I did what I was suppose to do. Little did I know that what I left New York with is what I had hoped to leave the girls with. They inspired me to have hope even in difficult situations and I felt I got to know myself a bit more from this. The Students and Faculty on the trip were Chasity Wise, Brittany Smith, Cin-dy Labar, Laura LaJudice, Alicia Labus-ki, Fr. John Collins and Marie Shultz.

By Chasity Wise ‘08

(From left to right: Debbie Mattera, Professor Lisa McGarry, Meredith Collins, and Noelle Hartzell pose for a photograph in front of Nora Barnacle’s House while on their Spring Break trip in Ireland.

Ellen Smith and Will Davis on the Liscannor Bay in Lahinch, County Clare

Francesca Catalano and Christine Chamber-lin admire the Ireland landscapes.

The Group gathers together to take a photo before coming home from their retreat!

Students on the Alternative Spring Break trip to Laredo, Texas take a break from picking up

trash along the Rio Grande.


A thousand welcomes were given to our school when they ventured to a different country over Spring Break. It was the trip of a lifetime for many lucky GMC Students who traveled to Ireland. Planned by Dr. Lisa McGarry, Dr. Mary Reilly and Dr. Michael Clinton, the stu-dents went through several towns in Ireland and came back with new memories. Departing from JFK airport on Feb 28, they first arrived in Dub-lin. There they saw St. Patricks Cathedral and the Mercy International Centre, where Catherine McAuley first established the Sisters of Mercy. Also in Dublin they saw the Book of Kells and Kilmainham Prison. The next towns on the tour were Glendalough, New Ross and Cork. They saw an ancient monastic site, toured Dunbrody, a replica famine ship, and walked through town

centers. They moved on to Blarney Castle, then onto Galway to see Bunratty Castle. From Galway to Derry, they saw the Cliffs of Mo-her and the grave of poet William Butler Yeats. They went on to the Antrim Coast and Belfast. Finally on March 9th, they returned home, much more educated in the Irish way of life. The students on the trip were Francesca Cat-alano, Christine Chamberlain, Ashley Clemmer, Meredith Collins, Will Davis, Geoff Felsher, Noelle Hartzell, Debbie Mattera, Samantha Mc-Clatchy, Dan Ream, Katie Reilly, Gabrielle Ros-in, Meghann Ruhling, Megan Smakulski, Ellen Smith, Krista Somers and Amy Webb. Also from the faculty was Dr. Christian Hellings. Several family members of the faculty attended as well. A thousand welcomes back!


Voices of Gwynedd in High DemandSpirited Singers Perform Across the Commonwealth and in Ireland

By Jonathan Thomson ’11 The Voices of Gwynedd have been ex-tremely busy this year! This past January, the Voices of Gwynedd (VoG) performed in an Op-era North Production, “A Bayou Legend,” on January 5 at the Centennial Hall, located at the Haverford School. The 95-member choir has also performed at GMC’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast, which was held on January 21. On January 26, the VoG sang at St. Hillary’s Church for the 100th anniversary prayer ser-vice for unity. In attendance, among other im-portant figures, was the Bishop of Philadelphia. In February, the Voices of Gwynedd participated in “Vanqui,” an opera sponsored and produced by the Opera Company of Phila-delphia. Avery Brooks, of Star Trek fame, was the narrator. The opera was performed at the University of Pennsylvania’s Zellerboch The-

ater on February 9. Around campus, the choir performed their yearly “Singing Valentines.” In April, aside from the “Faculty Fol-lies” event, the Voices of Gwynedd will be pro-viding the music for Gwynedd-Mercy’s “Take Back the Night,” a program focusing on student safety and rape awareness, on April 2. Ten days later, on April 12, the choir will be performing “Blake”, an opera dealing with a pre-Civil War Southern American Slave’s experiences. From April 23-25 the choir will be starring in the an-nual spring musicale, “Never without a Song.” The musicale is to feature a wide variety of mu-sic that will accommodate many musical tastes. On May 5, the Voices of Gwynedd will be performing Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requi-em.” For Mother’s Day, May 11, the VoG will be singing on the steps of the Philadelphia Art

Museum for the 15th annual Susan B. Komen “Race for the Cure,” a breast cancer foundation. The chorus will also be singing at Gwynedd-Mercy’s graduation convocation, which is May 16. They will be performing for the Bac-calaureate mass on the following day, May 17. On June 7, the Voices of Gwynedd will be performing the ambitious “Egypt’s Night,” an opera based on “Egypt’s Night,” a novel written by Barbara Chase-Riboud. The opera was composed by Leslie Savoy Burrs, an inter-nationally-known musician. From June 29 to July 7 the Voices of Gwynedd will be conduct-ing their annual spring concert tour in Ireland. For more information about the Voices of Gwynedd, any interested party can contact (215) 646-7300, ext 144, or visit the VoG office located on the second floor of the Connelly Faculty Center.

Graduate School Preparation Takes Planning, Organization, Patience

By Tara Kline ’08

For many Gwynedd-Mercy College students, deciding to attend Gwynedd-Mercy College was a difficult process. First, you had to decide that you wanted to attend college, and then you had to talk to your high school career counselor (oh, those days), and then you had to decide whether you wanted to, as the typical teen would put, “get away from the ’rents,” or stay close to home sweet home. Then you had to research colleges, tour, apply, wait, interview, wait; the list goes on.

The Graduate School decision process, while somewhat different, is just as stressful. Career Services reminds us that it is important to consider various things before deciding on whether or not to attend graduate school. For instance, will graduate school help you attain your goals? Some occupations, such as lawyers, physicians and psychologists require an advanced degree, while others, such as certain business positions, may not require nor necessarily benefit from an advanced degree. To solve this problem, Career Services suggests talking to professionals in the field or consulting the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, which will provide the educational requirements of various careers. Another important factor to consider before settling on graduate school is considering whether you will be successful (and yes, this means being truthful with yourself regarding academic capability as well as allotted time and commitment). If you do decide to embark on the graduate school experience, choose your schools of interest wisely (Career Services suggests applying to five or six schools) and early (the end of your junior year). Factors such as curriculum, reputation, accreditation, faculty and resources should play a large role in what schools you choose to apply to, and more important, what school you ultimately choose to attend. Make sure that you are aware of each school’s requirements (standardized tests, application fees, letters of recommendation

and application essays), and give yourself enough time to fulfill these requirements. Obviously, these considerations can only get you started in the decision to apply to graduate school process. Additional inquiries about any portion of the process should be directed to Career Services, which can be reached at 215-646-7300, ext 230 or [email protected].

Tips presented in this article are borrowed from Career Services’ Graduate School Tips Guidebook.

For a complete copy, contact Career Services.

Common Standardized Tests:

- GRE (www.gre.org)- GMAT (www.mba.com)- LSAT (www.lsat.org)- MCAT (www.aamc.org/mcat)- MAT (www.tpcweb.com)

The most frequent reasons for dropping out of Graduate School include the following:

- Length of time required to complete degree - Poor preparation - Dislike of concentrated work - Expense - Academic Burnout

Make sure you will be succesful in Graduate School. Talk to your Career Services staffer today!

Additional Resources:

www.gradschools.comwww.petersons.comwww.usnews.comwww.gradschooltips.comwww.graduateguide/com

Do you need help writing your resume? Career Services can help!

Career Services is now offering Resume Critiques and Workshops:

March 26: Resume Workshop from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pmMarch 27: Resume Critiques from 10:00 am - 11:00 amApril 1: Resume Critiques from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pmApril 3: Resume Workshop from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pmApril 8: Resume Workshop from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pmApril 9: Resume Critique from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pmApril 16: Resume Workshop from 10:00 am - 11:00 amApril 17: Resume Critique from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pmApril 22: Resume Critique from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pmApril 24: Resume Workshop from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pmApril 29: Resume Workshop from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pmApril 30: Resume Critiques from 10:00 am - 11:00 am


John McCain Republican

A S t u d e n t ’ s C o m m e n t On April 22nd, we begin our civic duty in the 2008 Presidential election. The country is at a cross-roads, and we need to elect the politi-cian who will best lead our nation. In the last seven years we have witnessed reversed environmental protections, a weakened economy, education reform that works against its own ends, risk to the social security system, a rise in health care costs, and an expensive war, threatening the view of the United States in the global community. Both of the Democratic candidates promise change, but we must vote on the issues. By: Ken Mont ’08

Education •$4,000 college tuition for 100 hours’ public service a year. (Feb 2008) •Need after-school and summer programs with good parenting. (Jan 2008) •Nationwide program to reconstruct crumbling school buildings. (Sep 2007) •More teacher pay in exchange for more teacher accountability. (Oct 2006) •Free public college for any student with B-av-erage. (Jul 1998)

Environment•Promote green technologies and fuel efficiency standards. (Dec 2007) •Protect the Great Lakes & our National Parks and Forests. (Aug 2007) •Give Katrina contracts to locals, not to Halli-burton. (Jun 2007) •Scored 60% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007)

Economy•Protect consumers with Credit Card Bill of Rights. (Feb 2008) •More accountability in subprime mortgages. (Feb 2008) •Account for every single dollar for new pro-posed programs. (Jan 2008) •Save $150 billion in tax cuts for people who don’t need them. (Dec 2007)

Social Security•Stop any efforts to privatize Social Security. (Feb 2008) •Cutting benefits & raising retirement age are wrong answers. (Nov 2007) •The wealthy should pay a bit more on the pay-roll tax. (Oct 2007) •Raise the cap on the payroll tax on wealthy individuals. (Jan 2006) •Voted NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-

funding for Social Security. (Mar 2007)

Health Care•The problem with health care is about afford-ability. (Jan 2008) •Subsidies to people who can’t afford care--not single payer. (Jan 2008) •Bring GOP & Dems together to make health-care affordable. (Jan 2008) •Help young people deal with the cost of medi-cal education. (Oct 2007) •Morally wrong that terminally ill must con-sider costs. (Sep 2007) •Take on insurance companies; drive down health care costs. (Jun 2007)

War• Humanitarian aid now for displaced Iraqis. (Feb 2008) •Iraq takes our eye off al Qaeda & Afghanistan. (Jan 2008) •Get our troops out by the end of 2009. (Jan 2008) •Congress decides deployment level & dura-tion, not president. (Dec 2007) •We live in a more dangerous world because of Bush’s actions. (Jun 2007) •Open dialogue with both Syria and Iran. (Apr 2007) •We must make sure that Iraq is stable having gone in there. (Oct 2004) •Set a new tone to internationalize the Iraqi reconstruction. (Jul 2004)

Education •Believes in evolution, but sees the hand of God in nature. (May 2007) •Teach virtues in all schools. (Dec 1999) •Good teachers should earn more than bad law-yers. (Oct 1999) •Decisions on teaching evolution should be made locally. (Aug 1999) •Supports tax-free savings accounts for educa-tion expenses. (Jul 1999) •Supports at-risk programs; homeless educa-tion; anti-drop-out education (Jul 1999)

Environment •Economic & environmental interests not mutu-ally exclusive. (Sep 2007) •Scored 40% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007) •Preserve and help our National Parks. (Jan 2000)

Abortion•Abortion issue shows what kind of country we are. (Aug 2007) •Concerned if women undergo illegal danger-ous operations. (May 2007) •Supports federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. (May 2007) •Overturn Roe v. Wade, but keep incest & rape exceptions. (Jan 2000)

War & Peace •McCain Principle: Committing troops means completing mission. (Jan 2007) •Strategic bombing of Iran OK only if imminent threat. (Dec 2007) •Congress can only declare war; not microman-age wars. (Dec 2007) •“I would much rather lose a campaign than lose a war” (Oct 2007) •Reducing military presence has never in his-tory won a war. (Sep 2007)

FOR THESE SOURCES AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATES, VISIT WWW.ONTHEISSUES.ORG.

Be Smart, Vote Smart April 22nd The Primary Elections are quickly approaching - April 22 - and while most people realize that it is a priveledge to vote, many people fail to investigate the views of the candidates. Before you vote, you should recognize who and what it is you are vot-ing for. Study the view that each candidate holds on various issues such as Homeland Security, the environment, education, and the war in Iraq. The Republican candidate for this election is John McCain, and the Democratic nominees are Barack O’Bama and Hillary Clinton. Each candidate’s stance on different political issues is outlined below so you can VOTE Smart!

Photo by Google

Barack O’BamaDemocrat

Photo by Google


Collected by Maureen Curcio ‘09Source: www.ontheissues.org

Education•Universal pre-kindergarten; and make family the best school. (Aug 2007) •It takes a village; American village has failed our children. (Jun 2007) •Establish right to education from pre-school thru college. (Jun 2007) •More after-school; smaller classes. (Jul 1999) •Arts education is needed in our schools. (Sep 1998) •Allow student prayer, but no religious instruc-tion. (Sep 1996) •Character education: teach empathy & self-dis-cipline. (Sep 1996)Social Security

Environment•$5B for green-collar jobs in economic stimulus package. (Jan 2008)

•Overcome almost criminal indifference to Ka-trina rebuilding. (Jun 2007) •Launched EPA study of air quality at Ground Zero. (Jun 2007) •Scored 100% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007) •Stands for clean air and funding the EPA. (Sep 2000) •Voted YES on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)

Economy•Government action to tackle recession, not tax cuts. (Mar 2008) •The economy is not working for middle class families. (Jan 2008) •Freeze mortgage interest rates for five years. (Jan 2008) •Look back to 1990s to see how I’d be fiscally responsible. (Dec 2007) •Pay down debt & cut taxes within balanced budget. (Sep 2000) •Protect next generation by paying off national debt. (Aug 2000)

Social Security•Have a bipartisan commission on Social Secu-rity and its tax. (Oct 2007) •$1000 matching tax credit for first $1000 in 401(k) deposit. (Oct 2007) •Solvent until 2055 under Bill Clinton; now has lost 14 years. (Sep 2007) •Make sure nobody ever tries to privatize Social Security. (Aug 2007) •Social Security protects families, not just retir-ees. (Feb 1999) •Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-se-nior voting record. (Dec 2003)

Health Care•My health care program will cover everyone. (Jan 2008) •Universal health care is a core Democratic

principle. (Jan 2008) •No parent should be told ‘no’ for healthcare for their kids. (Sep 2007) •Electronic medical records save $120 billion in health care. (Jun 2007) •Fund teaching hospitals federally because mar-ket fails. (Sep 2000) •Be prepared with defenses against infectious disease. (Oct 1999) •Medicare should be strengthened today. (Sep 1999)

War•Calling for troop withdrawal pressures Iraqi government. (Mar 2008) •Withdraw all combat troops: one or two bri-gades a month. (Feb 2008) •After 9/11: Those helping terrorists would feel “wrath” of US. (Jun 2007) •2006 election: voters desperately want a new course. (Jun 2007) •Supports border security fence in Israel. (Oct 2006) •Ok to target Al Qaeda in Pakistan; we did that 10 years ago. (Jan 2006) •Cut off US aid if Palestine declares a state unilaterally. (Oct 2000) •Extend peace treaties to Palestinians, Syrians & Lebanese. (Nov 1999)

YOU OWE IT TO YOUR COUN-TRY TO LEARN THE ISSUES.

ONE OF THESE THREE CANDIDATES WILL BE OUR FUTURE PRESIDENT!

BE Smart - VOTE Smart

Hillary ClintonDemocrat

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Q and A: Learn More About the Political Process Our Editors Offer Their Answers and OpinionsQ: What is the difference between the political views of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party? A: Republicans are more conservative while Democrats are more liberal. A: A conservative would say that a proper role for government is to regulate and oversee issues of morality. Conservatives believe it is proper for government to ensure that people are punished for immoral acts (such as taking drugs), and that people should act appropriately in their marriages (They generally believe in banning homosexual marriage). A: A liberal would say that a proper role for government is to regulate and oversee the economy. Liberals believe it is proper for government to ensure that companies do the right thing (such as pay minimum wages), and to ensure that people act responsibly in their finances (such as required contributions to retirement savings).

Q: What is the point of the Primary Election? A: The Primary Elections give voters the opportunity to vote within their chosen parties (if a voter is reg-istered as a Democrat, he or she can only vote in the Democratic Primary Elections) to decide who will be the candidate representing the party in the General Election.

Q: When are the Primary Elections, and when are the General Elections? A: The Pennsylvania Primaries are on April 22, 2008 and the General Elections are on November 22, 2008. To be able to vote in the Primary Elections, voters must be registered by March 24, 2008.


The Gwynmercian StaffGwynedd Valley, PA 19437

Volume 59, No. 2 March 2008 Editors...............................................................................................Tara Kline & Maggie Zenner

Staff Photographers..........................................................................Ben Bowen & Maggie Zenner

Writers.................................................................................................Maureen Curcio, Alex Eliff, Ken Mont, Jonathan Thomson , Chastity WiseAdvisor...............................................................................................................Dr. Lisbeth Chapin

The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the same as those of the College or the student body. Comments, questions and letters to the editors are welcome. Letters should be signed by the writer;names may be witheld. Address letters to Dr. Chapin, 116 Connelly Faculty Center, or email [email protected].

The Griffin Wings Theater Club is now selling tickets for Aladdin, the Musical.

Show Times:Friday, April 4 7:00 PMSaturday, April 5-2:00 PM and 7:00 PMFriday, April 11 7:00 PMSaturday, April 12-2:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Ticket prices:Students $5.00Adults w/o Student ID $10.00VIP $15.00Children 4 and Under FREE

The Tribeca film festival was the clincher for both Anna Paquin and Breck-in Meyer, the stars of Lionsgate’s straight-to-DVD flick Blue State, released on Feb-ruary 12th. “It was my first time at any film festival. Someone said we had chem-istry - for once I agreed,” said Meyer, reminiscing about his time spent on-set in Winnipeg, Manitoba with co-star Paquin, “it was easy to argue with Anna.” Paquin agreed, reflecting on an episode when Meyer began doing a “cop walk” after watching “The Shield” religiously during

“Blue State” in Time for Presidential Elections Exclusive Interviews With Actors Shows Film’s Political Theme

By Maureen Curcio ’09

filming. “He had a cop walk, and I said ‘Michael Chiklis called – he wants his walk back.’” Their rapport was a plus, considering their characters’ tu-multuous relationship throughout the politically-spun romantic comedy. The film, produced by Paquin and her brother Andrew’s company Paquin Films, combines the excite-ment of road-tripping, radical po-litical ideologies and self-discovery with a plethora of comedic quips, including caricatured liberal Cana-

dian hippies. The film follows John Logue (Breckin Meyer) as he makes good on an ine-briated bet to move to Canada if John Kerry doesn’t win the 2004 presidential election. Paquin joins him as Chloe, an off-beat mis-fit who is apparently just along for the ride. Born in Canada and raised in New Zealand, Paquin maintains that while she is a liberal, she’s not American, has never voted and has never been especially politically active. How-ever, she does feel that the film is still relevant for audiences considering the impending 2008 elections and reminds them about their feelings since the past two elections. Meyer agrees that the film is still relevant but hopes that the mov-ie won’t change voters’ personal opinions too much. As for college students, both Paquin and Meyer agree that young people seem to be very impacted by politics, attributing this passion to the independence that students receive while being away from home; “whether it’s paying the bills or voting or making their first drunk-en promise, they can relate to it,” says Meyer. Both Paquin and Meyer note that while the film does have a political backdrop, the real focus is on the relationship between Chloe and John and their respective charac-ter growth. “John isn’t the perfect left-wing morat, he pouts out sound bites and may not always know what he’s talking about,” says Meyer. Paquin agrees that her character isn’t perfect either. “She’s not the most verbally competent or well-read…she’s not an academ-ic person; her opinions are based on real life and she has no time for those who are all talk.” As for Paquin’s role as a producer, she says that she enjoys being more involved in the whole filmmaking process, from cast-ing and finding crew members to having in-put on the final cut. “I would love to do it again,” says Paquin on her producing role; “I just haven’t found the right material yet…I need something to inspire me in some way.” “Blue State” ($26.98) is now available on DVD at major retailers and features a full-length audio commentary with writer/director Marshall Lewy.

“The film . . . com-bines the excitement of road-tripping, radical political ideologies, tenuous relation-ships and self-dis-covery”Photo by MGM Home Entertain-ment and 20th

Century Fox


EDITORIALSStudents opinions on issues of today

Ask most people if they are against littering, and they will answer yes. What about throwing a cigarette butt on the ground or out a car window? Most of us don’t think of that as littering. Why? I asked a few smokers and got the re-sponse: “Cigarette filters are biodegrad-able; they’re paper and cotton.” But I can’t just drop my empty milk carton out-side St. Bernard’s next time I’m done with it, nor would I toss my old t-shirt out the window as I change on my way to class. When I think about those items, I wonder how long it does take for ciga-rette filters to decompose. Up to eleven years, according to some studies! Even the British American Tobacco Group (owners of more than 300 brands) admits that it takes years for a filter to degrade: “We believe the best way to reduce po-tential litter problems is for consum-ers to dispose of filters and cigarette packs in a responsible way” (bat.com). Further, filters are not made of cot-ton as I thought, but of placticized triac-etin cellulose acetate fibres. Hmmmm.So, when a butt is discarded, where does it go? Most are washed into run-off drains, spilling the filters into our waterways and ultimately onto our beaches. Ac-cording to the Ocean Conservancy, in the year 2006 alone, more than one mil-lion, nine hundred thousand cigarette filters were collected from the world’s shorelines (oceanconservancy.org). So we should definitely dispose of our cigarette butts in the trash. Most smoking areas have trash cans, and almost every car has an ashtray. I think it is the responsibility of businesses and institu-tions to supply trash receptacles, but it is the responsibilty of smokers to use them. We need to keep our butts in line to help fight the pollution of our environment!

Grandmothers showed us the way to education

By Maureen Curcio ’09

Although I consider myself po-litically moderate, the fact that the 2008 election has a possible female nominee is something exciting to me. I think the fact that a woman coming close to the presi-dency, maybe a nomination, is pretty darn awesome. However, I think it’s more the fact that for a woman to be up there in the ranks with fellow big cheeses FDR and Lincoln is setting historical precedence. This idea got me thinking too – I mean if it’s possible now that an Amer-ican woman could become the presi-dent, what else can she do? More so, what can’t she do? When I look back on what my grandmother’s generation had to contend with and what my friends and I have to deal with now, I’d say we’ve come a long way. “Get your education,” are the words I will always remember as the most impor-tant advice my Nan has given me. There have been times when I’ve complained about homework or studying, and she’s heard the brunt of it. At those times I may not fully appreciate my opportunities, but when I hear her perspective on the matter, things just seem to make sense.

It’s 1956, and she’s just gotten married. At 21, she has a foreign hus-band in the American Army, a newborn child, and in a few months she’ll be mov-ing to a new country, leaving behind her family and the only home she’s ever known. Now to 2008: I’m six months shy of my 21st birthday, and I’m writ-ing this piece for my college newspa-per, and my life seems a lot simpler. I’ve concluded that my Nan was right: Getting an education is extreme-ly important. But it seems to me that a lot of people don’t appreciate the privilege of going to college anymore. It’s become a right to many people. But to me it isn’t a right, it’s some-thing that you need to work for and that we need to put more value on, espe-cially women. Not so long ago, in my grandmother’s time, being a woman in college was unusual. I’m not say-ing that we should withhold the experi-ence of college from people, but I think that we should be grateful and not so blasé about the opportunity. It should be challenging, and it should be hard work – otherwise, you’re not learning! Ultimately, my point is that we should be grateful, not because we’re women, but because we’re people with opportunities, futures, and willpower. Being a woman in the 21st century is great and exciting, but what’s it worth if I don’t take advantage and appreci-ate all the opportunities available to me? My grandmother’s was called “The Greatest Generation,” as in the book about them by journalist Tom Brokaw. We can only hope that they taught us well and that we make “the great-est” as proud of us as we are of them.

Maureen Curcio posing for a photograph with her grandmother

Butt Out! By Ken Mont ’08

Cigarette butts are a major contributor to pollution on the planet.

Do your part, and properly dispose of your cigarette butts!

MOVIE MARATHONWhen: Friday March 28thTime: 9pm to 5amCause: Juvenille DiabetesWhere: Julia Ball AuditoriumWhich Movies? I Am LegendThe Bee MovieNational Treasure 2P.S. I Love You

Call Tom Friel (ext 565) for infoTONS OF PRIZES AVAILABLE!

UPCOMING SENIOR EVENTS!

Etiquette Dinner - March 31, 2008 @ 8Cost: $10 Refundable Security Deposit

Last Lecture/Senior Toast - April 30, 20085-6pm, Keiss Gardens

Senior Happy Hour - May 13, 20085-7pm, Location TBD

Questions? Contact Marissa Turchi @ ext. 458 or at [email protected]


The Score on GMC Team Sports!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF OUR SPRING ATHLETES!!WATCH FOR SPRING TEAMS AND SCHEDULES ON www.gmc.edu -- LACROSSE, SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, OUTDOOR TRACK AND MEN’S TENNIS!

It was an exciting season for the GMC Men’s Basketball team. They had an impres-sive overall record with 21 wins and only 10 losses. They even went to the ECAC tourna-ment. Their coach John Baron even got his 100th career game win. On top of that, a few players even got recognized for their talent throughout the season. Tom Keenan was named to the PAC’s Weekly Honor Roll, Matt Johnson was part of an All Tournament Team and Dave Smith was also named to the Weekly Honor Roll. Great job guys and good luck next year!

CALLING ALL STUDENTS! PHOTOGRAPHERS AND WRITERS NEEDED! GET INVOLVED! JOIN THE GWYNMERCIAN!

CONTACT Dr. Lisbeth Chapin ([email protected], Maggie Zenner ([email protected]) or Tara Kline ([email protected]) about how to participate!

GMC’s Track team may not be a big team, but they are a force to be reckoned with. This season for the Indoor, they set new records and proved themselves. Sophmore Derek Lock-hart not only placed first in one meet for the high jump, but he also set a school record. Sophomore Dan Geary also set a new record for the 800m. Freshman John Watts broke the school record for the 5000m. On the women’s side, sopho-more Alycia Tranchitella continued to dominate as she continually beat her own records she set for the school. Freshman Quinny Moore also proved herself by breaking a school record in the 200m dash. Congratulations on a great season!

#23 Sophomore Kate Wisniewski (right) con-centrates on taking her foul shot.

Cheerleaders reach new heights with their impressive stunts and lifts!

#20 Freshman Jon Crabtree takes a foul shot, putting GMC ahead of the rest.

GMC Dancers have all the right moves this spring! The GMC Dance Team really knows all the right moves. With their high energy entertain-ment for halftime, they get the crowd pumping and excited for the rest of the game. Led by Captains Ellen Smith and Nicole Andreacchio, they turn up the volume, using songs such as Low by Flo Rida. With their awesome moves and smiling faces, its hard not to get up and start dancing yourself!

Captain Nicole Andreacchio really shows us how to show off our dance moves.

Led by Captains Chrissy DiOrio and Ashleigh Houck, the Gwynedd Cheerleaders are at every basketball game, supporting and cheering on fellow athletes. They also partici-pate in competitions as their season progresses. Some of the team even represented our school in a College Stunt Competion at Delaware Val-ley College.They train hard through workouts in order to send them really flying through the air.

SET NEW GOALS AND GET IN GOOD CARDIO SHAPE THIS YEAR!The Cardio Room and the Weight Room in the Fitness Center are open 7 days a week!

Monday-Friday 7am to 11pmSaturday - 7am to 5pmSunday - Noon - 11 pmFor more information, call the Athletic De-partment @ 215-641-5574

Congratulations to Jayme DiLeonardo (Sr., OF, Southampton, NJ) who was named the Pennsylvania Athletic Confer-ence (PAC) Softball Player of the Week for the week ending March 16th. DiLeonardo hit .529 (9-for-17), with eight runs, one home run, two triples, four walks, ten sto-len bases, and six RBIs, helping the Grif-fins go 4-1 (2-0 PAC) to start the season.

Nothing but Net

By Maggie Zenner ’08Dribble, Shoot and Score GMC Women’s Basketball had an impressive year, with two of their play-ers making the All-PAC teams, one of the two surpassing the 1000 point mark. Additionally, the team worked hard to make it to the ECAC tournament. Junior Kristy Cramp made Second Team All Pac, while se-nior Beccie Strohecker was honored with a position on the PAC All Sportsmanlike team.

Senior Karen Tierney made First Team All-Pac and got her 1000 point in the 87-75 win over Lake Erie. That win helped push the team to the first round of the ECAC tournament. The Women’s Basketball team ended their sea-son 22-7, making it a very successful year.

Faster than the Speed of Light

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