8/6/2019 The Merciad, Aug. 29, 2007

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AUG. 29, 2007

Hurst athletics

switch fromGLIAC to PSACGamble approves change of conferences >> page 13

Text flashMercyhurst adopts emergencycell phone alerts >> page 2

HelpinghandsSpecial education

students aid in CA

>> page 7

FEATURESWhats Inside

Police log..........2

World news.......3

I HEART Erie......5

The Buzz...........9

GBU................12

Quick hits........15

SUITE

NEW LOOKMercy Suites freshman residence

hall renovation is complete>>PAGE 4

OPINION:Gonzalez resignation; PSAC worth a shot>>PAGE 11 & 12

Infant dies in Briggs Avenue apartment >>PAGE 2Vol. 81 No. 1

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Erie Police continue to inves-tigate the death of an infantfound on Aug. 12 in 3810Briggs Ave., Apt. 6.

Erie County Coroner LyellCook ruled the infants death ahomicide two days after police

discovered the body in a plasticbag.Cook said the baby was suf-

focated after being alive forabout 10 minutes.

Her lungs had been used,he said at a press conferenceon Aug. 14.

Cook said he is not surewhether the baby was suffo-cated by the bag or by hand.

The body was found afterpolice were called to the apart-ment to investigate a report ofa female student in need ofmedical assistance. According to the probable

cause affidavit attached to thesearch warrant filed for theapartment, Mercyhurst Col-lege Police and Safety werefirst called to the scene after

athletic trainer Brian Bentzsaid 18-year-old Teri Rhodeswas thought to possibly bepregnant. The warrant states that

Rhodes roommate, Julia Butler,reported finding blood in thetoilet and hearing grunts andgroans coming from Rhodes. According to the probable

cause affidavit, a Mercyhurst

College Police and Safety offi-cer, Bentz, volleyball coachRyan Patton and Butler went tothe apartment at 4:28 p.m. TheMercyhurst College Police andSafety officer then called EriePolice and Emergycare afterfinding what he describedas the body of an infant in aplastic bag in the (bath)tub,states the warrant.

Cook said the baby was about

39 weeks along.

Vice President for StudentLife Dr. Gerry Tobin saidRhodes underwent her routinephysical for volleyball on Aug.10 and was cleared to practiceby a St. Vincent Hospital physi-cian contracted by MercyhurstCollege.

Its not as uncommon aspeople might think (to miss apregnancy), said Tobin.

According to a search warrantobtained by the Erie Times-News, Rhodes was first deny-ing having been pregnant, readthe warrant. She did, however,eventually tell investigators andhospital staff that she was preg-nant and had given birth earlieron this same date.

Mercyhurst College officialssaid they did not know about

the pregnancy until aroundnoon that Sunday.According to the search war-

rant, Butler heard slappingnoises, the water turning onand off, and the toilet con-stantly flushing around 12:30 or12:40 p.m. The warrant also states

Rhodes asked her roommateto get her Midol from a drugstore.

Once Butler returned with

the medicine, she went into(Rhodes) bedroom (and) sawblood all over, states the war-rant.

Butler then sent an instantmessage to womens volley-ball coach Sarah King anddescribed what she had seen,according to the warrant. Kingthen contacted Butler via phoneand came to the apartment. At

Kings request, Rhodes cameout of the bathroom and leftfor the hospital with King at1:30 p.m.According to the Erie Times-

News, Rhodes later sent a textmessage from her cell phone toButler that said, Dont go inthe bathroom. Its a mess.According to the warrant, Lt.

Dan Spizarny then interviewed

Rhodes at St. Vincent Hospitallater that evening at around7 p.m. where she stated shegave birth in her apartmentand placed the child and theplacenta in plastic bags.

Erie County District Attor-neys Office is still deciding oncharges against Rhodes.

Mercyhurst College Regis-trars Office said Rhodes haswithdrawn from the college.

NEWSPAGE 2 Aug. 29, 2007

By Joshua WilwohlEditor-in-chief

Homicide shocks Mercyhurst

The infant was found by Mercyhurst Police and Safety

in 3810 Briggs Ave.

Scoot Williams photo

A text message alert system isbeing introduced to Mercyhurst

College students this year.This new system will notifystudents and faculty when thereis an emergency on campus.

During the first week ofschool, students will receive ane-mail to register for the textmessage alert.When students register for

the system they will receive acode on their cell phone. Once

students obtain their personalcode, they will have to typeit in the computer to be fullyregistered.

Coordinator of Student LifeJoe Howard says, Its a systemwe hope we never have to use,but its an extra tool we canuse.The Emergency Response

Team and others from Resi-

dence Life will have the abilityto take charge and text studentson campus when a situationtakes place.

Students who register forthe text message alert systemwill be notified about trafficaccidents, cancelled classes,emergencies and bad weatherconditions.

The text message will tell stu-dents what to do or where to gofor further information. The cost of each text mes-

sage will vary depending on thespecific cell phone plan.

I dont think people willmind paying extra money ifthey are safe, says Laura Zirkle,director of residence life andstudent conduct.

The more students whohave it the more studentsit will reach. Its not like youcheck your e-mail every 20minutes when a text goes toyour phone, you will check yourphone instantly, said Zirkle.

Were not using this lightly if you get a message fromus, you really need to knowits something you need to be

aware of.For further information about

the text message alert system,students can contact Zirkle.

By Amy ZielinskiNews editor

Texts to alert studentsof campus emergencies

Terroristic Threats

Lewis Apartments

12 August

Case closed

Larceny/Theft

Bookstore

15 August

Pending investigation

Criminal Mischief

Parking Lot #11

16 August

Case Closed

Liquor Law Violation

200 Mercy Suites

23 August

Pending investigation

Liquor Law Violation

Briggs Apartments

25 August

College discipline

Liquor Law Violation

Lewis Apartments

26 August

Case closed

Police and Safety Log

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PAGE 3Aug. 29, 2007 NEWS

ATHENS, Greece Firefighters rushed helicoptersand buses Monday to evacuatemore than two dozen villagesthreatened by towering wallsof flames that had killed 63people while ravaging swaths

of forest and farmland inGreeces worst wildfire disasterin memory.

Four days of devastatingblazes from the northernborder with Albania to thesouthern island of Creteunnerved and angered Greeks,drawing strong criticism ofthe governments responseand setting off widespread

suspicions and finger-pointing.

The government, whichdeclared a state of emergency,implied the destruction couldbe part of an orchestratedcampaign of arson. Butenvironmental expertsexpressed skepticism.

People used garden hoses,buckets, tin cans and branches

in desperate and sometimesfutile attempts to beat backflames and save their homes

and livelihoods.The destruction was so

extensive that authorities saidthey had not had time to tallythe amount of burned land or the number of peopleinjured.

Sixty-three people wereknown dead.

Fires engulfed villages,forests and farms and scorched

woodland around AncientOlympia, birthplace of theOlympic Games.

New fires broke out fasterthan others could be broughtunder control, leaving behinda devastated landscape ofblackened tree trunks, guttedhouses and charred animalcarcasses.

The destruction and deaths

infuriated Greeks, who alreadyhad been stunned by deadlyforest fires in June and July,and the disaster appeared likelyto dominate political debatebefore parliamentary electionsSept. 16.

Many people said thegovernment did not reactquickly enough.

After declaring a state of

emergency over the weekend,the government raised thepossibility of arson and said

several people had beenarrested.

On Saturday, PrimeMinister Costas Karamanlissaid it could not be coincidencethat so many fires broke outsimultaneously in so manyareas.

But it was not clear who if anyone was responsiblefor these fires.

An official of the WWFenvironmental group dismissedthe notion of an orchestratedarson campaign.

I think these are verydangerous assessments,particularly when the evidenceso far does not seem to backthem, said Theodota Nantsou,the groups conservationmanager for Greece.

Greeces few remainingpatches of forest were beingrapidly incinerated, and theenvironmental consequenceswill be dire, experts said.

The government hasbudgeted more than $274million for immediate aidto families, businesses andcommunities. Authoritiesalso appealed for help from

abroad, and 19 countriespromised planes, helicoptersand firefighters.

Greek fires kill 63By Elena BecatorosAssociated Press

Dr. David Livingston was named associate vice-president of developmentthis summer. Many facultymembers are pleased with Dr.

Livingstons appointment tothe position and expect him tobe a beneficial member of theMercyhurst community.

Linda Bennett, vicepresident of development, saidthat he brings to the position,an extensive knowledgeof Mercyhurst College.He also brings a profoundappreciation for the mission

of the college.Dr. Livingstons new post

will have him working onfunding for multiple academicopportunities offered byMercyhurst.

Through grants, donationsand other means of raisingmoney, he will work to raisemoney for various academicdepartments and activities.

Currently, Dr. Livingstonis working Professor Federici,a member of the PoliticalScience department. The twoare working to obtain a grantfor an American Constitutional

Studies center at Mercyhurst.New science labs are also

a focus of Dr. Livingstons work, although many otherdepartments will also benefit

from his employment, ashe continues to meet withprofessors and departmentchairs to discuss their goals.

Dr. David Livingston wasa former associate professorin the Religious Studiesdepartment. He has beenworking at Mercyhurst for 10years. He has also served aspresident of Faculty Senate.

Livingston commented,Knowing the school so wellgives me credibility. He alsosaid that it is this credibilitythat allows him to perform hisjob to the best of his abilities.

Dr. David Livingston

New appointment

will benefit HurstBy Gary WilliamsContributing Writer

P H I L A D E L P H I A Federal prosecutors on Tuesday filed a civil actionseeking the removal of postings

on an anti-abortion activistsInternet site that authoritiessaid exhorted readers to kill anabortion provider by shootingher in the head.

In the filing, U.S. AttorneyPatrick Meehan seeks to forceJohn Dunkle, 72, of Reading,to remove the alleged threatsfrom his Web page and prohibithim from publishing similarmessages containing names,

addresses or photographs ofhealth clinic staff members.

One posting, whichfeatured the providers name,

photo and address, stated thatWhile it does not sound goodto say go shoot her betweenthe eyes, it sounds even worseto say let her alone.

Dunkle said he did notwrite the message on the blog,but that he did post it. He saidthat, if asked, he would take itdown and identify its author.

If they tell me not to printit, I wont print it, he said.

Dunkle said he was not sure ifhe agreed with the statement.

Meehan said in a statementthat the postings constitute a

violation of the Freedom ofAccess to Clinic Entrances Act.

This type of intimidationand scare tactic, regardlessof ones beliefs or religiousconvictions, simply cannot becondoned, Meehan said.

Using a public forum,such as the Internet, to inciteand instruct people to killis tantamount to a form ofdomestic terrorism.

Activist blogs his mind on Web

Interested in writing for the News

section of the Merciad?

Are you up-to-date on world and national

news?

Do you pay attention to whats going on around

the Mercyhurst campus?

Contact Casey Greene or Amy Zielinski at

newseditor@mercyhurst.edu

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PAGE 4 Aug. 29, 2007NEWS

The freshmen are notthe only new addition tothe Mercyhurst campus thisacademic year. The MercySuites were newly renovatedthis summer.

Laura Zirkle, director ofresidence life and studentconduct, feels that the changes will benefit the needs of thestudents as well as parents ofstudents.

You probably rememberthe old, skinny, small, longroom, Zirkle said. I wouldtalk to students and parentsand they didnt understand why two people would be

put in that room when theother residents were morecomfortable.

The room was originallyintended to be a singlebedroom explained Zirkle.

The narrow bedrooms anddark storage closets have beenconverted into a fresh livingroom and study area.

We tore down the wall,

created a study where thecloset used to be and createda living room out of the oldsmall bedroom, Zirkle said.

Justin Ross, the associate

director of residence life,is also pleased about therenovation of the area.

The living room areagives students a place for

social activities, he said. Andthe addition of a study areademonstrates the importancethat we place on incorporatingstudying into the dailyroutine.

In addition closetorganizers have been added toall of the bedrooms during therenovation.

The bathrooms and other

parts of the bedrooms remainstructurally the same but eachbedroom now has three beds.Two beds are bunked and thethird is lofted with dressers

beneath it. The front living room

contains two wooden wardrobes for additionalstorage space. Updated coffee

tables, lamps and couches werealso added to the living room.Wed like upperclassmen

to know that we did take theirsuggestions seriously andmade the best improvementswe could., explained Ross.

Both Ross and Zirklecommended everyoneinvolved in the renovationincluding Tyrone Moore,

Tom Billingsley and campusmaintenance workers whoseimput contributed greatlyto the overall design of therenovations.

Suites looking sweetBy Jen HelbigStaff writer

The class of 2007 averagedthe lowest math and readingSAT scores since 1999, theCollege Board reportedTuesday.

Last springs high school

seniors scored on average 502,out of a possible 800 points,on the critical reading sectionof the countrys most popularcollege entrance exam, downfrom 503 for the class of2006.

Math scores fell threepoints from 518 to 515.

The declines follow aseven-point drop last yearfor the first class to take alengthened and redesignedSAT, which included higher-level math questions andeliminated analogies.

The College Board, whichowns the exam, insisted thenew exam wasnt harder andattributed last years dropto fewer students taking it a

second time.Students typically fareabout 30 points better whenthey take the exam again.

The College Boards report Tuesday noted that a recordnumber of students justshort of 1.5 million took thetest.

The cohort of test-takersalso was the most diverseever, with minority studentsaccounting for 39 percent:

There has been a persistentgap between the scores ofwhites and the two largest U.S.minority groups, Hispanicsand blacks.

They have taken a veryprogressive stand in trying toget more and more students togo to college, College BoardPresident Gaston Capertonsaid of Maine at a news

conference Tuesday morning.The larger the population youget to take an examination, itobviously knocks down thescores.

Average scores also slippedfrom 497 to 494 on the writingportion of the SAT, whichdebuted with the class of2006.

Many colleges are waiting

to see results from the first fewyears of data on the writingexam before determining howto use it.

By Justin PopeAssociated Press

SAT scores at

record low

The tearing down of a bedroom wall has created a new

living space in the Mercy Suites.

Scoot Williams photo

New Orleans marks second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS - Onthe second anniversary ofHurricane Katrina, anger overthe stalled rebuilding was pal-pable throughout a city wherethe mourning for the deadand feeling of loss for floodedhomes, schools, snowballstands, old-time hairstylists

and hardware stores doesnt

seem to subside.Hurricane Katrina made

landfall south of New Orleansat 6:10 a.m. Aug. 29, 2005, asa strong Category 3 hurricanethat flooded 80 percent of thecity and killed more than 1,600people in Louisiana and Mis-sissippi. It was the worst natu-ral disaster in the history ofthe United States.

On Wednesday, protest-ers planned to march from the

obliterated Lower 9th Ward

to Congo Square, a venerablespot where slaves were able to

celebrate their culture. Accom-panied by brass bands andwielding megaphones, they willagain try to spread their mes-sage that the government hasfailed to help people return.

People are angry andthey want to send a message topoliticians that they want themto do more and do it faster,said the Rev. Marshall Truehill,

a Baptist pastor and commu-

nity activist. Nobodys goingto be partying.

At Charity Hospital, a21-story limestone hospi-tal adorned with allegoricalreliefs, public officials willattend a somber groundbreak-ing for a victims memorialand mausoleum that will housethe remains of more than 100victims who have still not beenidentified.

Its an emotional time.

You re-live what happened

and you remember how scat-tered everyone is now. There

are relationships now that arecompletely over, said RobertSmallwood, a New Orleans writer. The city has beendying this slow death. In NewOrleans, you cant escape it.Its bad news everyday.

Churches will hold memo-rial services, including one atthe historic St. Louis Cathedralon Jackson Square, and ring

bells in honor of the victims.

By Cain Burdeau

Associated Press

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PAGE 5Aug. 29, 2007 FEATURES

By Shelley TurkStaff writer

Panos Restaurant offers a wide selection of breakfastdishes along with a full menufrom appetizers to salads, en-trees to desserts. Open all day,everyday, Panos offers a clean,

smoke-free atmosphere thathas many people coming backfor more.

Located at 1504 West 38thstreet across from the Valu Pla-za, Panos is a short drive awayfrom the Mercyhurst Campus.The Panos family has ownedand operated the restaurantsince 1956 making the dinerover 50 years old and a staple

in Mercyhurst tradition.

The menu includes personalomelets, a variety of breakfastdishes, salads, appetizers, en-trees, desserts, milkshakes andfresh brewed coffee.

Portions are big and price issmall at this greasy spoonrestaurant, a term used toclassify restaurants cateringprimarily to breakfast and lunchcrowds with these establish-

ments often located in low-to-middle class neighborhoodsand highway exits. Panos playsalong with the title by servingup traditional comfort foodwith a healthy approach.

Often associated with highfat content, this restaurantserves up their signature dishesby using soybean oil with notrans fat.

With its great location, yetsometimes limited parking,Panos caters to a variety ofpeople including early morningseniors, late night partiers andfamilies in between. It is oftenreferred to as the place to goafter a night out on the town.And do not forget your One

Card for Laker Loot is acceptedat all times.

Get an early start at Panos

Directions

Start by spreading some flour on thecutting board so that the dough does notstick to it. Separate your dough into twopieces and roll it out flat.

Put all of the fillings on, but only on onehalf of the dough.

Fold the dough over the fillings and pinchit tight with your fingers. Make sure that theyare closed or the fillings will ooze out.

Place on a baking sheet and brush a smallamount of olive oil over the top. Bake ac-cording to the directions that were on thepackage of dough. Normally, about 35 min-utes at 350 degrees.

For the first recipe of theyear I thought that I would doa take on the old college favor-ite: pizza.

Ordering pizza can get ex-pensive for a college student so

why not just make your own?This recipe can be great when

you are on the run because itmakes are more of a sandwichthan a slice of pizza.

These can be really fun tomake because you can easilyadd whatever you would liketo make them delic ious andpopular for everyone.

I have done this with ham

and cheese on the inside andjust dipped it in the pizza sauce,or you could make it a tacopizza with the appropriate tacofillings.

By Jen Gildea

Features editor

This summer Mercyhurstannounced that it was addingnew programs to the list of

available gratuate studies, whichis in a new location on East34th Street.

Beginning this fall there willbe offered a Master of Sciencedegree in secondary education with a focus on the teachingof science and math. Theprogram is designed to fulfillthe void of qualified scienceand math teachers, especially

in urban areas.Were aiming for people

with undergraduate degrees inmath and science. However,the program is also designedfor adults who have been inthe field for a while and wantto make a career change, saidDr. Phillip Belfiore, dean of theHafenmaier School of Educa-tion and Behavior Sciences,who designed the curriculum

for the new program.Dr. Karen Evans, who will be

directing the program, agreed.A good majority of youngpeople dont stay in the samecareer, she said.

She notes that the program

allows for people of diversebackgrounds to re-evalutatetheir careers towards teaching,even if they have no teachingexperience in an undergradprogram.This new curriculum marks

the only program of its kind inthe area, and the sixth graduatefield offered at Mercyhurst. As Mercyhurst continues to

expand its graduate programs,other schools are doing thesame.

Reasonings behind the ex-pansions point directly to thefact that more and more col-lege students are pursuingadvanced degrees than everbefore. Graduate enrollmentfigures nationwide keep risingeach year, due largely in partto the increase in women and

minority applicants.One of the major reasons

that students continue on tograd school is because an in-creasing number of future em-ployers are requiring employeesto have higher degrees.

College students are begin-ning to realize the advantagea graduate degree holds overthe competition in todays jobmarket. With the increase in grad

school applications and enroll-ment, it would be adventageousfor any college to expand itsavailable programs. Mercyhurstis expecting a smooth transition

for its new grad program in itsfirst year.There are currently five to

eight students enrolled in theprogram. With final approvaloccuring just a month ago,the department is planning toadvertise heavily and securemore students in the upcomingterms, as enrollment is availableany time of the year, rather thanjust in the fall.

New grad program for the Hurst

Food FixWith Meg

Ingredients

1 tube Pizza Dough(unbaked)

cup Pizza Sauce

package Pepperoni

Green Pepper

Onion

Flour

Olive Oil

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FEATURESPAGE 6 Aug. 29, 2007

I n nFall TermGalley GrillLunch:M-PierogiesT- Taco SaladW- BBQ Rib Sandwich

Th- Chicken Patty SandwichF- Sizzle SaladS- Southwest Burger

Board SpecialsLunch $4.75Dinner $5.50

Dinner:S-Grilled Chicken SandwichM- Mushroom & Swiss BurgerT- Crab Cake SandwichW- Ziti with Red SauceTh- Steak SandwichF- French Dip Sandwich

S - Finger Sub

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 8:00am-1:00 a.m.

Saturday 1:00pm-1:00 a.m.

Sunday 5:00pm-1:00 a.m.

Laker Express Sandwiches, Wraps,Salads, Ready MadeDinners

Hours of Operation:

Mon.-Thurs. 11:30a.m.-8:00 p.m.Friday 11:30a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday Closed

Subconnection

6 Sub $3.75 Combo $4.7512Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75

Baja and Buffalo Chicken Subs:

6 Sub $4.00 Combo $5.25

12 Sub $6.00 Combo $ 7.00

Special FeaturesWrap combo-Veggie $5.59

other wraps $5.79

Wrap It Yourself- Veggie $3.99

other wraps $ 4.19

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 11:30am-9:00p.m.

Saturday 1:00pm-9:00 p.m.

Sunday 5:00pm-9:00 p.m.

Board Equivalency Available:

11:30a.m.-8:00p.m.

Board SpecialsLunch $4.75

Dinner $5.50

Laker

Look for Laker Express

Minute Meals!

By Laura Pusateri

Contributing writer

Fall fashion at

affordable prices

Fall fashions are on the riseagain, despite the weatherremaining warm and sunny.

Retailers nationwide are pre-senting their fall lines, which

are sure to include a few newtrends, as well as timeless clas-sics.

One of the biggest trendsthat will be seen this fall isdesigner looks at affordableprices.

College females in particulartend to wonder, Why spend somuch money on a cute outfitjust to wear out on a Friday

night?Luckily in todays world of

fashion, there exist trendy looksfor prices even broke collegekids can afford.

Designer looks can be foundat everyones favorite store:Target.

Following the past successof other designer collabora-tions, Alice Temperley, stylist

for celebrities such as ScarlettJohansson and Mischa Barton,is the newest designer takingher turn at the mass merchan-diser, by creating a line exclu-sively for Target.

Her collection consists of thebasic pieces women need fortheir fall wardrobes.

Everything from ruffle frontand jersey dresses, long wool

sweaters, sailor pants, andstretch belts are all pricedbetween $14.99 and $49.99.

I wanted to take ideas fromthe casual pieces and makethem more accessible, Tem-perley has said about her trendyline for Target.

Her collection includes anarray of everything were seeingthat are must haves for fall,including twill jackets with

jewels and belted waist dresses,jackets, and coats.With the help of Alice Tem-

perley, women can look trendyand still have some extra cashfor the weekends.

Look for Temperleys line inTarget and target.com startingSept. 16.

Another low priced fashionoutlet to check out is at Steveand Barrys.

Most often noted as the des-tination store to find collegeapparel, the retailer is beginningto completely change its imageby creating lines by celebrities.

One of their most popularcollections is Bitten by SarahJessica Parker.

Parker created the low pricedline that includes everythingfrom tops and bottoms, shoes,and accessories, all retailing forunder $20.

Her catch phrase for the linesums up her creative image.

It is every womans inalien-able right to have a pulled-together stylish, confidentwardrobe with money left over

to live, she declared.With everything under $20,

even college students can affordtrendy pieces.

Steve and Barrys has alsoteamed up with teen actress Amanda Bynes to create aslightly less mature line calledDear by Amanda Bynes.

Geared toward a high schoolaudience, the collection con-

sists mostly of graphic T-shirtsand mini skirts.

Nonetheless, both of theseretailers have hit the jackpotwith providing trendy styles ataffordable prices.

Stop by and see the trendsthat will put wardrobes right onthe mark for the fall season. Whether young, old, short,

or tall, everyone is guaranteed astyle that will work for them.

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This summer eight studentsfrom the Special EducationDepartment accompanied byDr. Richard ODell traveledto Santa Cruz, California towork hands on with children at

Bridge School Institute. They worked directly withchildren with physical and com-munication disabilities, whileabsorbing technology andinstruction experience.The program consisted of 90

hours of pre-instruction for thestudents through Mercyhurstassignments followed by 60hours of direct training from

the Bridge School.The goal of the experience

was to build a stronger con-nection between the child andthe tools used to communicatewith the child, noted ODell.

The lucky eight students who got to experience thiseducational trip were: AmandaSandurak, Lauren Brant, StaceyClark, Peter Glumac, Jenna

Kuhn, Maureen Loftus, MeganJovanovich, and Janine Pizzo.

After nearly 18 months ofplanning and organizing, ODelland his students embarked onthe trip for the first time in thedepartments history.Arriving for the first day, It

was not what I expected at all,said Janine Pizzo.

Once the trip was over, I

realized that I learned morefrom these children than I evercould have taught them. It wasa life changing experience.

Some other l ife lessons

learned on the trip?Not to judge a book by

its cover and to treat peopleequally is what Pizzo tookaway from it.

Peter Glumac agreed.I learned that my life has had

an effect on the people there nomatter what I think.The Bridge School is an inter-

nationally acknowledged leader

in the education of childrenwith severe speech and physicalimpairments.

Its mission is to make surethese special individuals canachieve full participation intheir communities throughalternative communication,technology applications andinnovative life-long strategies.Their programs are unique

to any other schools, highlytrained and skilled profession-als as assistive instructors.The trip was an intensive two-

week experience from July 2-

16, and was helped funded by anumber of gracious sponsors.Truly, the fundraising helped

the students great deal, as theyotherwise would have beenpaying for the trip out of theirown pockets otherwise.

A total of 25 to 30 con-tributors sponsored moneydonations ranging from $18 to7,000, said ODell.

Next year, ODell hopesto have around eight or ninestudents travel with him toCalifornia.

One he can potentially counton is Pizzo.

I would definitely recom-mend the trip to other people.It was a lot of work and a verylong week but it was worth it. Imay even go again next year.

This summer, MSG PresidentMarissa Starin was prepared forher first term in office.

Mercyhurst students electedStarin into office at the end ofSpring term in 2007.

For the past three months,Starin has replied to emails,attended her first board meet-ing, gathered information andstatistics for upcoming proj-ects.

Starins major concern is alack of space for RSCO to holdmeetings.

Walking into the meetingwas intimidating, but everyone

was welcoming and ready tobegin another school yearshe said.

Starin presented importantinformation to the board soproposals can be made toapproach the situation. MSGis committed this year to takea more active role withRSCO.At the first MSG meeting,

which will be held MondaySept. 10 at 9:00 in the MSGchambers, each MSG repre-sentative will be responsiblefor a RSCO.

Starin says this is a key stepto help clubs become aware ofthe services MSG can provideto clubs, which include fundingand equipment.A very strong concern of

Starin and MSG is the Intramu-ral Sports Program on campus.Starin is currently working withadministrators to help the pro-gram reach its full potential.There are also makings of a

softball program that will takeplace this fall term of 2007.At the end of last year MSG

was approved for adding out-door balls to the RecreationCenter, including basketballs,

softballs, bocce ball and bad-minton.There may be some additions

to the Recreation Center.Students want TVs in the

rec, she said. Were work-ing on a cardio theatre for theupcoming year.

Important events on thisyears agenda include Fall Fest,which will be held the weekendof Sept. 14, with a feature con-cert by Money Shot.The carnival themed event

will have many games andinflatables to start the year offright.

MSG also plans to be moreactive during homecoming andis looking forward to goingout and meeting more peopleeveryday.Although the summer did

fly by Starin enjoyed it verymuch.

I came to the office, figuredout what needed to be done anddid it, she said.

Starin encourages students tocome to an MSG meeting orstop up at the MSG offices inthe Student Union.And be sure to keep an eye

out for the campus wide sur-veys sent from the MSG body.

Let your voice be heard onthe changes you want to see.

PAGE 7Aug. 29, 2007 FEATURES

By Shelley Turk

Staff writer

MSG president hasbig plans for 07-08

Education students learn lifelessons on trip to CaliforniaBy Amanda Antenucci

Contributing writer

Dr. ODell works with students at the Bridge School.

Contributed photo

Marissa Starin

Interested in writing for the

Features section of the Merciad?

Contact Jen Gildea at featuremerciad@mercyhurst.edu

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Aug. 29, 2007

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FEATURESPAGE 8 Aug. 29, 2007

Hurst welcomes new faculty members

By Sandy Watro

Contributing writer

Caesar MonteveccioFile Photo

Suzanne GodboldtFile Photo

Rondal TomlisonFile Photo

Dawn WozneakFile Photo

Along with a bevy of newstudents, Mercyhurst will alsowelcome seven new educatorsto campus this fall.These instructors have back-

grounds and expertises in vari-ous genres of concentration.

Some of which subsequentlycoincide with some of Mercy-hursts most popular, renowned

and unique courses of study. Altogether, the anthropol-

ogy and archaeology, business,criminal justice, hotel and res-taurant management, religiousstudies, intelligence studies andmusic departments will receivenew professors.The anthropology/archae-

ology department welcomesDr. Stephen Ousley, a physical

anthropologist.Ousley attended the Univer-

sity of Tennessee where hecompleted his graduate studiesand earned a Masters degree inanthropology.

It was there that he teamedup with a few collegues tocreate the FORDISC project.

FORDISC functions as com-puter software that identifies

and analyzes the componentsof human skeletal remains,specifically for the purpose of

identifying sex and gender.Most recently he workedfor nine years at the NationalMuseum of Natural Historyand Smithsonian Institution.There, he served in numerous

departments and the largestosteological repatriation docu-mentation program in the U.S.

In the Criminal Justice depart-ment, Dr. Suzanne Godboldt, a

previous resident of Nebraska,will join the staff.

Godboldt recently graduatedin 2007 with a Doctorate inCriminal Justice from the Uni- versity of Nebrasaka, whereshe also taught courses.

Her most recent studies wereconcluded in a dissertation, thatfocused on domestic violenceand branched off to further

elaborate upon the social disor-ganization theory and its rela-tion to the repeated and cyclicaleffects of domestic violence oncouples or partners.

Dr. Godboldt also has aMasters in criminal justice andcriminology from Sam Hous-ton State Uni versity, which islocated in Texas, as well as aBachelors degree from Florida

Southern College in Sociologyand Criminology.

Religious studies department

newcomer Caesar Montevec-chio enters the staff, recentlyfrom a position at Villa MariaAcademy.

Montevecchio, who is a localErieite, also taught in Cam-bridge, Massachusetts at aCatholic high school.While living there he assisted

in writing theology curriculumstandards for secondary schools

for the Boston Archdioese.He also attended the Harvard

Divinity School and received aMaster of Theological Studiesdegree, in addition to earn-ing his B.A. in theology andpsychology from GeorgetownUniversity.

Musically, Mercyhurst willreceive Dr. Rondal Scott Tom-lison, who taught as a profes-

sor of musical studies at twocolleges, located in Kansas andIndiana.

He served as the assistantprofessor of music, head ofmusic education, director ofbands, jazz ensemble conduc-tor, instrumental methodsinstructor and more.

He earned a doctorate fromthe University of Missouri at

Columbia, a Masters degree inmusic education from MurrayState University and a Bach-

elors degree in music educa-tion from Eastern KentuckyUniversity.

On a different note, DawnWozneak is a returning memberof the Mercyhurst community.She is an alumna who will teachfor the intelligence studiesdepartment.

She completed her Mastersdegree in administration of

justice along with a concentra-tion in applied intelligence atMercyhurst.

She also acquired her Bache-lors degree in interdisciplinarystudies and criminal justice atFredonia.

Ms. Wozneak also held posi-tions as an intelligence analystfor the FBI, police officer posi-tions at the Chautauqua and

Jamestown police departmentsas well as a deputy sheriff posi-tion in the Chautauqua CountySheriff s Department.

Each with his or her own spe-cialty, the new faculty memberswill be a great addition to thestaff at Mercyhurst.

Overall, the Mercyhurst com-munity welcomes and embracesthese newcomers as vital, inter-

gral and interconnected spokesthat will add to the uniqueand ever turning wheel, that

symbolizes the community ofMercyhurst.

Stephen OusleyFile Photo

NEW YORK - Jim Carreyhas made a straight-to-You-Tube video. And its not funnyat all.

The 45-year-old actor-come-dian - in rare serious mode- appears in a new public ser-vice announcement on behalfof the Human Rights ActionCenter and the U.S. Campaignfor Burma. The goal: To free Nobel

laureate Aung San Suu Kyi,who has been confined by theBurmese government for 11 of

the last 17 years.People around the world

need to come to her aid.Suu Kyi, who is under long-

term house arrest in the cityof Yangon, received the NobelPeace Prize in 1991 for hernonviolent efforts to bringdown the oppressive militaryregime that rules over theSoutheast Asian country.

Not-so-funnyJim Carrey

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 9Aug. 29, 2007

There was something

strange and different about the

summer of 2007.On the weekend of July 21,

kids were not playing in the

sun or escaping to the dark,

cool caves of movie theaters.

They were reading a book.

To millions of fans this past

summer was a Harry Potter

enthusiasts dream.

The fifth movie, Harry

Potter and the Order of thePhoenix, blasted into theatres

around the world and most

excitingly, the final and most

anticipated installment of the

seven-part Harry Potter series

arrived.

The books that had changed

the face of literacy finally came

to an end.

At midnight on Friday, July

20, millions of people with

lightning

bolts on their

foreheads and scarves of

scarlet and gold around their

necks waited anxiously to be

the first to purchase a copy.

J.K. Rowlings seventh book,

Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows, was fast-paced and

incredibly addicting from the

beginning.

There were seven little but

violent pieces of ones soul to

destroy, romances to rekindle.

In addition there was

vengeance to be claimed and a

maniacally evil dark lord, that

mades Darth Vader look like a

pussy cat to defeat.

There were few breathers

between the chapters to catch

ones bearings before the next

life-altering event took place.

Harry Potter, or more so

J.K. Rowling, was swamped.

Even though the book wasclose to 800 pages, there did

not seem to be a novel long

enough to quench the readers

thirst for the last glimpse of

Harry Potters world.

J.K. Rowling has a gift for

plot and the ability to keep a

reader enthralled for 800 pages

and then beg for more.

All the nagging questionsand bizarre theories fans

have accumulated for nearly a

decade were answered.

Readers have undergone

the same journey as Harry

Potter throughout the entire

series and in the final book

the readers matured alongside

him.

The beauty of J.K. Rowlingsstories wass that the reader gets

to grow up with Harry Potter

and vicariously experiences

the weight and importance of

doing what is right as opposed

to what is easy.

For those concerned about

the ending of the book, do notgo reaching for antidepressants

just yet. Although a large box

of tissues would probably be a

smart investment.

Rowling does not sugarcoat

the magnitude of Harry

Potters struggle, but she is not

cruel.

Truthfully the most

depressing aspect of the bookis that it is the last book in a

cherished series.

Therefore a final warning

goes out to parents, teachers

and therapists around the

world.

Beware, because an outbreak

of post-Potter depression is

sweeping the nation and, if

you are lucky, you could benext.

tHe

BuZzAUG. 29. Aly and A.J.,Corbin Bleu, Drake Bell,Bianca Ryan. Plain DealerPavilion, Cleveland.

AUG. 29. The Format. Agora Theatre, Cleve-land.

AUG. 31, SEPT. 1. RascalFlatts, Jason Aldean.Post-Gazette Pavilion,Burgettstown.

AUG. 30. The Bangles.House of Blues, Cleve-land.

AUG. 30-31. DonnyOsmond. Avalon Ball-

room Theatre, FallsviewCasino Resort, NiagaraFalls, Ont.

SEPT. 1. Hilary Duff.Darien Performing ArtsCenter, Darien Lake Theme Park, DarienCenter, N.Y.

SEPT. 2. Donny Osmond.Tower City Amphitheater,Cleveland.

SEPT. 6. Romantics, Ste-phen Kellogg and theSixers. Thursday at theSquare, Lafayette Square,Buffalo. Free.

SEPT. 6. Taylor Hicks.

Seneca Events Center,Seneca Niagara Casino,Niagara Falls, N.Y.

SEPT. 7. The Killers.Wolstein Center, Cleve-land.

Courtesy of Goerie.com

By Nora BeckensteinContributing writer

Deathly Hallows worth the anticipation

Photocourtesy

ofwww.mugglenet.com

In June, the After Dinner

Opera Company was reviewed

in The New York Times for

their performance of the

opera The Sin of Infidelity.

The opera was performed on

June 11, 2007 at the Leonard

Nimoy Thalia Theater at

Symphony Space in New YorkCity. Most of the singers were

students or recent graduates

of Mercyhurst.

Founded in 1950, the After

Dinner Opera Company

started as a showcase for

American opera composers.

The companys original goal

was to keep American opera

composers in the limelight.

The company is now in

residence at Mercyhurst under

the direction of Assistant

Chair of the music department

Louisa Jonason.

During the year voice

performance students make

up the companys membership,

but in the summer the members

are typically education students

and Mercyhurst alumni.

In the summer membershad an intense two-week long

rehearsal schedule that served

as their only preparation for

the New York performance.

Based on their review in the

New York Times, two weeks

worth of preparation and

artistic dedication was long

enough.

According to the review,

the best performances were

by Jaqueline Edford, Dennis

TeCulver, Kata Amatuzzo and

Mark Donlin.

The review also said that

Matthew Makay, Nicole Marie

Gasse, Rachel Myers, and

Scott Spinnato made strong

contributions.

Jonason said that it is

virtually unheard of for a

college to be reviewed in NewYork City, and that the review

of the Mercyhurst singers is a

very big deal, especially in the

music world.

Some professional singers

only get five or six reviews

in their entire career, said

Jonason.

Jonasons best guess is that

the provocative title of the

opera, The Sin of Infidelity,

is what drew attention to the

singers.

The performance was a

collection of several one-act

operas and short operatic

scenes written by Seymour

Barab.

The New York Times

wrote, Nothing gets an opera

moving like one of the seven

deadly sins, and if you canmake the sin comic rather than

deadly, so much the better.

Mercyhurst audiences can

look forward to an on-campus

performance by the After

Dinner Opera Company on

Halloween when they perform

The Medium on the PAC

stage.

Opera reviewed in New York TimesBy Nicole Cerilli

A&E editor

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Aug. 29, 2007

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The Mary DAngeloPerforming Arts Centercelebrates its tenth year with anew season.

Its here. Everything fromMexican folk dancing to jazzconcerts will be performed onthe PAC stage this year.

While some artists willmake their first appearanceat Mercyhurst, others will beperforming for a second time.

Ballet Folklorico de Mexicoperformed at Mercyhurst in1997. Now, ten years later,they will be back to dazzleErie audiences with their folkdancing, lavish costumes and

lively music once again. With the purchase ofa ticket for the danceperformance, complimentaryMexican food will be providedby the Mercyhurst Hoteland Restaurant InstitutionalManagement Program.

Ballet Folklorico de Mexicowill perform Wednesday, Sept.26.

YAMATO, the popular Japanese Drummers, willmake their encore appearancein November.

Superhuman feats, rhythm,coordination and Japaneseculture will combine to conveythe drummers belief that thedrum is the pulse of life.

YAMATO will performNov. 3 and 4.

In addition Pink Martini, asmall retro orchestra, will makea return to the PAC stage.

Pink Martini will bring theirjazzy instrumentals, sultry vocals and world rhythms tothe PAC stage March 2, 2008when they perform Rumbasand French Caf Music.

Aside from the returningartists, there are several other

exciting performances planned

for 2007-08.

Mark your calendars forApril 4, 2008, when Eric Bibband the Campbell BrothersBlues and Gospel group isscheduled to perform.

This unique group grew upplaying for services conductedby their father, Bishop CharlesCampbell.

Over the years the groupevolved and their music beganto attract the attention ofinternational audiences.

Now, the groups African-American Holiness-Pentecostal repertoire consistsof a blend of funk, blues, R&Band Jazz.

The highlight of thisperformance is Grammynominee Eric Bibb who will

open the show. The Paul Taylor DanceComapany, which is based inNew York City, will dance atMercyhurst Saturday, March29, 2008.

The dance company hasbeen around for over 53years, and has performed inmore than 500 cities and 52countries.

The San Francisco Chronicle& Examiner said that Paul Taylor is without questionthe greatest living Americanchoreographer.

Another highlight of theseason is something entirelynew and different to the PAC.

This year six operas will bebroadcasted live to theatersaround the world from the

Metropolitan Opera House.Metropolitan Opera: Live

in HD is made possible byten high-definition camerasplaced throughout the METin New York City.

Now, Mercyhurst will beable to view these broadcastsalong with 325,000 otherviewers around the world.

Other than Mercyhurst,

five additional colleges around

the country will be able to

experience the live METperformances, and most ofthose colleges are Ivy League.

This year six live operas willbe transmitted to Mercyhurst.

They operas are Romeo et Juliette, Manon Lescaut,Peter Grimes, Tristan undIsolde, La Boheme and LaFille Du Regiment.

In addition to these featuredpeformances, a multitude ofother artists are scheduled toappear on stage.

The peformances inSeptember will be by LesterLynch and Ballet Folklorico deMexico.

The Oberlin Fortepiano Trio and the Hugo WolfString Quartet will perform in

October. YAMATO, the JapaneseDrummers will be here earlyin the month of November.

In December Mercyhurststudents can look forward tothe Dave Stevens Big BandChristmas Concert before theholiday break.

The first concert in 2008will be the Vienna in Erie New

Years Day Concert.In February the Avishai

Cohen Jazz Trio and RebelClassical Baroque will bothhave concerts.

Do not miss Pink Martini,Tommy Flemming or the Paul Taylor Dance Company inMarch.

In the last stretch of theseason in April, Eric Bibb and

the Campbell Brothers will beat Mercyhurst.

Overall it looks as thoughthe Performing Arts Centerhas a spectacular array ofshows in store for the tenthseason.

Tickets for these showscan be purchased throughoutthe year at the MercyhurstPerforming Arts Center box

office.

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PAC announces a stellar seasonBy Nicole CerilliA&E editor

Photo courtesy of www.yamato.jp

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Aug. 29, 2007

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PAGE 11Aug. 29, 2007 OPINION

Joshua Wilwohl Editor-in-Chief editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Amy Zielinski & Casey Greene News Editors newsmerciad@mercyhurst.eduJen Gildea Features Editor featuremerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Merissa Frank Opinion Editor opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Chris Davis & Brittany Jackett Sports Editors sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Nicole Cerilli A&E entertainmentmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Scoot Williams Photographer photomerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Katie Diley & Tiffany Cook Production Editor prodmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Leslie Ruchala Advertising Manager admerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Noelle Lelakus Copy Editor copymerciad@mercyhurst.edu

The Merciad is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College.It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals

week. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B.

Our telephone number 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

letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are

due the Thursday before publication and may not be longer than

300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485.

Monday morning Inter-net feeds and news channels were buzzing with the newsof Attorney General AlbertoGonzales resignation fromthe Justice Department.

His resignation from theDepartment of Justice comesat a time when Congress is outof session and Gonzales canclaim he was not forced out ofoffice by political pressure.

Throughout his tenurein the Cabinet, and morerecently, his credibility hasbeen questionable and he hasbeen known for his partisan-ship in the hiring and firing ofJudicial Prosecutors in 2006.

As the frontrunner for Civil

Liberties in a country wherethey are ensured, the Attorney

General did much to developlegal tactics in the WhiteHouses War on Terror, includ-ing allowing the treatment ofterror suspects to the warrantless wire tapping surveillanceprogram.

Gonzales had openlyreminded the U.S. Attorneysthat they worked for PresidentBush.

In truth members of theDOJ work for the Americanpeople by upholding the lawsof the federal government.

By choosing a career ofpublic service, you ultimatelychoose to serve the public thatpays your salary through taxesand elected the officials thatput you in that position.

By pursuing his various

political policies Gonzaleshas helped to strengthen the

power of the executive branchby giving the President addedpower over the Congress andthe Supreme Court.

The President has gainedpower by bypassing variouscongressional processes andinternational treaties to imple-ment policy and power.

In 2002 Gonzales dismissedthe Geneva Conventions anddeemed prisoners taken inAfghanistan were not deemedprisoners of war.

As recently as January 2007he petitioned for the limita-tion of habeus corpus, whichallowed for the indefinitedetention of U.S. citizens asenemy combatants.

While it is important to

implement and seek out people

who are threats to America,the government must estab-

lish regulations that ensurecivil liberties to private citizensand maintain the privacy thatpeople expect.

In recent testimonies aboutthe firing of U.S. Attorneys, we have witnessed an actualconflict of branches, wherethe Executive branch is flexingits power and the Congressio-nal has called their bluff.

In his appearances beforeCongress, Gonzales has beensuspected of lying under oathin various testimonies to theextent that his credibility isquestioned.

Often when a person reachesthe extent of questionablecredibility, a persons charac-ter is degraded and essentially

devalued.

While it is important tobe loyal to the person who

employed you, in this casePresident Bush, sometimes anindividual should be sure what work they are doing and itseffects on themselves.

Overall Gonzaless resigna-tion signifies the power theexecutive branch has gainedand the extensive route theyhave taken to reach aims onthe infamous War on Terror.

Ultimately, the replacementof Alberto Gonzales will haveto weigh the low morale of theDOJ and hopefully resurrectthe image of the U.S. govern-ment prior to 2008.

If the recent administrationand its secretaries are unable toreverse the role, the winner in2008 will appear as a godsend

to the American people.

By Ellen Koenig

Staff writer

Gonzales resigns, good for Americans in 2008

NEW YORK - GillesMendel didnt know he was atthe right place at the right time

when, 25 years ago, he waseating gefilte fish and a pas-trami sandwich in Manhattansgarment district.

In fact, Mendel was feel-ing a little sorry for himself:He had come to the U.S. on atourist visa with a dream thathe would be the next featured

French designer on Madison Avenue, envisioning his nameup there with Hermes and

Chanel.But no takers. Just days before he was to

return home to Paris and thesuccessful family fur business,he met one of his fathersbusiness associates for lunchin an old Jewish restaurant andit changed his life.

Mendels clothes aselegant as his furs

Interested in writing asMr. and Mrs. Malarky?

Do you have a new opinion

every week?

Just interested in letting others knowwhat you think?

Contact Merissa Frank at opinioneditor@mercyhurst.edu

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Aug. 29, 2007

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OPINIONPAGE 12 Aug. 29, 2007

Its Saturday night. The Ulti-mate Fighting Championship74 is on Pay-Per-View. Im sit-ting at the bar enjoying myself watching the under-cardfights at Buffalo Wild Wings,just waiting for the marqueebouts.

And then the worst thingthat could happen to an MMAfan happened. Hometownfavorite Josh Koscheck, anEdinboro University graduate,entered the cage.

Every person in the bar whohad ever seen one minute ofmixed martial arts fightingbecame an expert.

A slew of drunken com-

ments on how he was going topummel his opponent as hiscareer heads to the top began.

In reality if they knew any-thing about his opponentGeorges St. Pierre (GSP),former welterweight cham-pion, they would have had the

same doubts about Koscheckas I did.

Needless to say GSP tookKoscheck down repeatedly,beating the former wrestler athis own game of ground andpound.

Coupled with St. Pierresseveral submission attempts,he earned an unanimous win.

Among the boos and jeersfrom the crowd, I couldnthelp but laugh. To exist in theMMA world, fighters like Kos-check can only go so far. Hisskill set is not suited for thefull contact arena.

Koscheck was undefeateduntil that Saturday, but if youlook at his previous fights,most have been won in thesame way.

He is an expert at taking

people to the mat and control-ling them there. Yet his skill set lacks one

vital component that anymixed martial artist must have:the ability to fight on his back.Its made or broken manyfighters careers.

Beside the fact that there isno pin in MMA, competitionshold a wealth of techniques.`

It was apparent by Koschecksinability to make separation inthe guard and his wild flailing

punches that he has spent littletime on his back.

Wrestling is a great tool formixed martial artists. It teachesthe ability to successfully takedown an opponent and gain adominant position.

Relying solely on wrestlingability with some striking canonly take one so far when itcomes to the big show.

The ability to adapt yourtraining is the key that Kos-check needs to excel.

He learned this the hard wayas he stared up at the lights while a well-versed fighterbeat him at his own game andhanded him his first loss.

In almost anything that onedoes, there is one solution thatturns out better than another. A small, Catholic college inErie, Pa., is looking to make

changes for the finest collegeathletes in town.

Mercyhurst College will bemoving a large majority of itsathletic teams to a new confer-ence in Fall 2008.

This new conference, Penn-sylvania State Athletic Con-ference (PSAC) just like anyother, has major advantagesand disadvantages.

Of the research I have done,

I came to the conclusion thatmany student athletes believethat it will be the better con-ference.

Almost 63 percent of theMercyhurst athletes surveyedbelieve that moving to thePSAC would be a better fit forMercyhurst. Twenty-six per-

cent believe that the move willbe a downgrade because ofthe weaker teams that make upthe PSAC.

The remaining memberssurveyed did not know enoughabout either conference tomake a decision.

The downside of negativesmoving to the PSAC includesmoving many of the teams

into a weaker conference.

Playing in the Great LakesIntercollegiate Athletic Con-ference (GLIAC) matchedmany of the Lakers teams upagainst the best competition inDivision II.

Moving this conference willmean we will not play theseteams unless we meet them

in a tournament or playoffgame.

Another negative aboutswitching conferences maymean less out-of-state athletes.A major reason why some ofthe athletes decided to comehere from out-of-state is thatthey would have the oppor-tunity to return to their homestate.

Some advantages will include

less time on buses; some longdrives are brutally tiring.

From my own experience,being on a bus for more thaneight hours can make anyperson exhausted.

Athletes will not have tomiss as many classes, makingprofessors happier. In the past

students have missed threeclass days in a given weekbecause of these long trips.

When you only have 11 weeks of class, the moreclasses a student misses, themore behind he or she falls.

Another advantage is thatthe team may get an opportu-nity to win more conferencechampionships.

I feel the PSAC will give

teams a better chance to winbecause they wont be playingbig schools.

Another reason the confer-ence will be much improvedis because the team will bemoving into a different regionand playing more schools fromthis area.

One final reason thatthis new conference will beextremely successful for Lakerathletics is that we will stillcontinue to defeat Gannon inevery sport.

We must wait till nextseason for all these conferencechanges to happen and thoughI will probably no longer behere to see them, as I will

hopefully graduate.

UFC know-it-alls

By Chris DavisSports Editor

PSAC better off in the long run for Hurst

Photo courtesy of ufc.com

The Good, the Bad & the UglyThe GoodThe football team won its first game of the season against Kentucky State.

The BadThe homicide in 3810 Briggs, apt. 6, that happened over two weeks ago.

The UglyThe monstrous green barricade called a fence that is surrounding the new recreation center

between Lewis and Briggs avenues.

By Sean OReilly

Contributing writer

St. Pierre and Koscheck fight at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Aug. 29, 2007

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PAGE 13Aug. 29, 2007 SPORTS

There is an old saying that

great teams know how to win

big games.In field hockey it is no

different, as No. 8 Mansfield

found a way to defeat

Mercyhurst as it scored the

sudden death goal in overtime

to defeat the Lakers 2-1 on

Saturday in the home opener

at Tullio Field.

Although the game

deciding goal came in thefinal seconds of the contest,

Mercyhurst head Coach Stacey

Gaudette believed the team

enhanced its play during the

course of the game.

Our young team showed

fight against one of the top

teams in the country, she

said.

We started off a little on

the sloppy side, but improved

considerably throughout, and

even though we didnt get the

big W, I am very proud with

the progress that was made as

the game went on.

After Mercyhurst fell

behind 1-0 the team continuedto fight and tied the score 1-1

with 2:21 showing on the clock

in the first half.

Freshman Sara

Wowkowych, who has already

received the nickname Wow

from her coach and teammates,

wowed the crowed as she

slipped a pass across the center

of the goal to Brittany Jeffords. Jeffords finished strong to

tie the score which silenced

the Mansfield spectators after

gaining an early lead.

It was the first goal for

Jeffords as a Laker and the first

assist Wowkowych has had.

Gaudette announced that

senior Erin Kelleher, who has

been a starter the past threeseasons, has been named the

captain. I feel because of her

hard work she deserves to be

the team captain, she said.

In the first half Mansfield

controlled the ball for a large

portion of the period, as they

attempted nine shots andseven penalty corners.

Mercyhurst on the other

hand only was able to take

three shots.

As the weather started to

heat up Mercyhurst picked up

their game. The Lakers not

only controlled ball possession

during the second half, but

also outshot the Mountaineers7-6 in the second half.

In goal Jennifer Coleman

was solid for Mercyhurst. In

making her first career start,

she kept the game tied by

making save after save.

Mercyhurst travels to North

Carolina this weekend where

they will take on Catawba

on Saturday and Division I

Davidson on Sunday.

The switch will bring new

excitement to all of our athleticprograms.

The average trip to a GLIAC

school is 427 miles, whereas

the switch to the PSAC

shortens trips to an average of

246 miles.

Mercyhursts Sports

Information Department

estimates the college will save

$250,000 a year on travelexpenses by switching to the

PSAC.

The distance of travel

not only saves money for

Mercyhurst but it also prevents

student-athletes from missing

as many classes from being a

member of the GLIAC.

Mercyhurst is not the only

school making the change.

Gannon will join the PSAC

for 2008-09, which brings the

PSAC total to 16 full-time

members.

The PSAC has made several

changes toward offering

scholarships. Previously the

PSAC had restrictions on

how many scholarships were

allowed per school but with the

addition of Mercyhurst andGannon, two private schools,

the restrictions will be lifted.

The PSAC will now offer

125 athletic scholarships

instead of the previous 70.

Joining the PSAC is not

only great for the college but

great for the student-athletes,

said Zac Wild a member of

the Laker football team.Being from Pennsylvania I

now will be able to play against

some of my high school

friends, while being a member

of the GLIAC I have not had

that chance.

The PSAC, now with 16 full-

time members, is tied for the

second largest conference in

Division II athletics; the Gulf

South Conference has 17.

On June 27, Mercyhurst

College President Dr. Thomas

Gamble announced the

schools acceptance to the

Pennsylvania State Athletic

Conference (PSAC).

Mercyhurst will be a full-

time member of the PSACbeginning in the 2008-09

season. This season marks

the 13th and final year the

Lakers will be member of

the Michigan-based Great

Lakes Interscholastic Athletic

Conference (GLIAC).

This move provides

benefits for our student-

athletes, coaches and

administration, Gamble said.

We already have developed

great rivalries with some of

the PSAC members, such as

Edinboro and IUP, and we

anticipate this move to enhance

that across the Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania.

Seventeen of the 25 varsity

sports are affected by the

switch of conference. The teams making the

move for the GLIAC to the

PSAC are baseball, mens and

womens basketball, mens

and womens cross country,

football, mens golf, mens

and womens soccer, softball,

mens and womens tennis and

womens volleyball.

Mens and womens hockey,lacrosse, mens and womens

rowing, mens and womens

water polo and mens volleyball

will remain in their same

conferences.

Being able to play games

closer to home allows us to

have larger crowds and shorter

away trips, said Matt McCall, a

member of the Laker football

team.

Field hockey suffers sudden-death loss

GLIAC to PSACBy Kirk CampbellContributing writer

Junior Haley Brochu prepares a shot against a Mansfield defender during the

teams overtime loss at Tullio Field.

Jason Knavel/Sports Information photo

By Chris DavisSports editor

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SPORTSPAGE 14 Aug. 29, 2007

Womens soccer starts season with victory

The Mercyhurst menssoccer team has returned thisyear with high hopes for the2007 season.

After a disappointingloss in the first round of theNCAA Tournament last year,the returning players are eager

to get back on the field andprove that they have what ittakes to build on their successfrom the previous season.

With 12 new additions, theyoung team looks to developplayers and utilize the differenttalents and strengths broughtto the field by new faces.

Although there are manynew, young players this year,

we are looking forward to a

successful season with theboys, said asssistant coachDale White.

There is a lot of talent and

ability within the new play-

ers but with only one seniorreturning this year the youngerplayers are going have to stepup and work hard.

Kyle Jackson will finish off

his Mercyhurst soccer career

this year as the only senior onthe team.

His experiences from pre-vious years and his leadershipon and off the field are impor-tant to the team this season.

Seven freshmen will jointhe Mercyhurst soccer teamthis year with fresh outlooksand great determination tomake an impact on the team.

Along with the seven fresh-men, four other new facesfrom all different corners ofthe world (Canada, Irelandand Honduras) will be joiningthe mens team.

These new players havemeshed well with the team andhelped lead to two ties and onewin during their pre-season.

This past weekend Mer-

cyhurst held the first game

of the season at home where

the Lakers suffered a 2-1 lossin overtime against SouthernIndiana University.

Although the game wasplayed well for 90 minutes, theEagles were able to slip in onelast goal to take the game inovertime.

After a hard loss to South-ern Indiana the team camearound and tied Kentucky

Wesleyan on Sunday 1-1.Despite their first game

loss the Lakers are keepingtheir heads up, as they lookforward to entering the rest oftheir season as the 25th nation-ally ranked team in the coun-try.

Mercyhurst travels to SetonHill today and then heads toIllinois to play Rockhurst on

Sunday at 1:30 p.m..

Mens soccer looks to build on last seasons success

The Mercyhurst womenssoccer team finished the 2006season with an astounding16-4-0 record, earning a spotin the NCAA playoffs.

With the loss of only fourplayers through graduation,the Lakers have most of theirstarting line-up returningfrom last year.

Most notable of lastyears seniors included FinellaAnnand, named second teamAll American, and Lisa Case-ment, first team All Regionand a consistent source ofgoals for the Lakers.

Coach Dale White has

recruited five new playersto an experienced team withhopes of going to the play-offs for the second consecu-tive year.

The teams home record in

2006 was perfect, winning allnine contests on Mercyhurstsoil.

They lost four games onthe road, which is where theteam looks to improve in2007.

The team began its seasonthis week with two games onthe road.

The first of these twogames served as a chance forthe Lakers to settle a score with Indianapolis, the teamthat ended their NCAA play-off run last year.

The Lakers showed justhow much they have improvedsince that game last Novemberand beat the No. 16 rankedteam in the nation 2-1.

Last years leading scorerSarah Powell, who regis-tered 18 goals and 10 assists,showed that she continues tobe a threat to the opposition.

She had three shots on the

day, two of which found theback of the net.

Her first goal came earlyas Mercyhurst put pressureon the Greyhounds defenseright from the start.

The Lakers were rewardedas Powell scored an unassistedgoal nine minutes into thegame.

Seven minutes later Mer-cyhurst had doubled theiradvantage and again it wasPowell who scored from anassist by sophomore KarlaVogt.

Indianapolis staged acomeback scoring after 33minutes but the Mercyhurstdefense tightened up and heldout for the win.

The 1-0 Lakers then con-tinued their road trip to playQuincy on Sunday.

This was another oppor-tunity for the ladies to beat a

nationally team.

Quincy had defeated theLakers 2-1 in last years seasonopener.

This years game looked tofollow suit when Jenna Boykoput the Hawks 1-0 up after 11minutes of play.

The lead would not lasttoo long as Mercyhurst foundthe net five minutes later.

Powell took her personaltally to three goals in the firsttwo games of the season asshe knocked in a LindseyMeyers corner kick to levelthe game at one.

This scoreline lasteduntil the 73rd minute whensenior Jacque Sluga scoredon a header with assists fromBraedyn Ordway and Jamie

Schroter, which gave theLakers momentum.The lead was cut down 16

seconds later, as the Hawkssent the game into overtime.

Quincy then ended the

contest with a goal scoredby Becky Flaming off arebound.

Senior Jacque Slugabelieves the team is comingtogether.

I thought we played reallywell together, the new playersgelled well with the returningplayers, she said.

Were a little disappointednot to come out of the week-end at 2-0 but we can build onthis weekends games.

The Lakers then traveledto Tiffin on Tuesday andshutout the Dragons 3-0 toimprove their record to 2-1.

Powell added her teamhigh fourth goal of the seasonto help lead the Lakers to vic-

tory. The Lakers travel toKansas City, Ill. on Sundayto play against Rockhurst in anon-conference contest.

Mercyhursts Kurt Young (6) attempts a shot as Tyler

Emerick (9) looks on.

Jason Knavel/Sports Information photo

By Stephen DugganContributing writer

By Katie WaldinContributing writer

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SPORTS PAGE 15Aug. 29, 2007

Two-and-a-half weeks of

grueling conditioning and

blazing Erie heat and humidity

could not prepare even the

toughest NFL players for what

Mercyhurst had to face Friday

in Kentucky.

With the mercury reaching

an unbelievable 92 degrees,the football team did not only

have to battle Kentucky State

but also the elements.

Even through the elements,

the offense was quickly able

to strike first with a 25-yard

run for a touchdown by Ben

Jennings that capped off an

impressive six-minute drive.

The defense was able to stave

off Kentucky State until the

offense put the game away

with a 13-yard touchdown run

by Richard Stokes.

The final dagger was placed

when Mitch Phillis threw a 32-

Laker Sports Quick Hits

This weeks results...

Football...................................Aug. 25, W 21-6, Kentucky State

Mens soccer................Aug. 24, L 2-1 (2OT), Southern Indiana

Aug. 26, T 1-1 (2OT), Kentucky Wesleyan

Womens soccer............................Aug. 24, W 2-1, Indianapolis

Aug. 26, L 3-2, Quincy

Field hockey........................................ Aug. 25, L 2-1, Mansfield

Womens volleyball..........Aug. 24, W 3-0, Alderson- Broaddus

Aug. 24, W 3-1, Houghton

Aug. 25, L 3-0, Westmont (Calif.)

Aug. 25, W 3-0, Point Park

Athletes of the week

Junior defensive end Zac Wild was a big reason why

Mercyhurst held Kentucky State without an offensive

touchdown in a 21-6 win in the teams season opener.

Wild came up huge as he had eight tackles, with four

being for loss, two sacks, three quarterback hurries and a

forced fumble on the afternoon. His play not only helped

Mercyhurst get there first road victory since 2005, butalso he helped them snap a three-year losing streak in

season openers.

Sarah Powell scored three goals in two games, helping

Mercyhurst womens soccer to a win over No. 16

Indianapolis in the season opener. Powell had both goals

as the Lakers beat Indianapolis 2-1 Friday and then

added another goal in the teams 3-2 overtime loss to No.

22 Quincy Sunday. Powell, an All-GLIAC member in 2006,

has scored 38 goals in 42 games during her career as aLaker.

Football named team of the week

The Laker football team opened its season with a 21-

6 road victory over the Kentucky State Thorobreds on

Saturday. As a team, Mercyhurst forced four turnovers

and held the Kentucky Wesleyan offense without a score,

giving up only a punt return touchdown.

Mercyhurst names new directors of athletics

Earlier this summer Pete Russo announced his

retirement as Director of Athletics (AD). Craig Barnett, the

Associate Director of Athletics, was named the new AD.

Tony Cipollone was named Associate Director of Athletics

and resigned his duties as the head wrestling coach.

Sarah Headley also added the title of assistant director of

athletics.

yard touchdown pass to Aaron

Haynes with 14:09 left on the

clock in the fourth quarter.The offense was led by Phillis,

who threw for 170 yards and

one touchdown. Jennings was

able to rush for 75 yards and

one touchdown.

The receiving core stayed

strong as well with Brandon

Hill netting 51 yards and

Aaron Haynes adding one

touchdown reception. The defense forced four

turnovers from the Kentucky

State offense.

Leading the way on defense

was Zac Wild with eight

tackles, three for a loss and

one forced fumble.

The Lakers are extremely

excited about their season

opening victory as it marksthe first time in three years

that the Lakers have won their

season opener.

Steve Kindler stated, We

started off slow but picked up

the offense in the second half.

It was our defense who really

stepped up allowing for good

field position for the offense.Phillis added, The offense

was able to control the second

half due to the offense line

opening up holes for the

running game.

The Lakers hope to carry

their momentum and solid

defense into their Great

Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic

Conference (GLIAC) openervs. Northwood on Saturday.

The Lakers were to

accomplish this with a plus

three differential in the

turnover battle.

As a team we need to remain

focused on our goals, which

are keeping turnovers on

offense down while stepping

up on defense, added Phillis.Look for the Lakers to be a

solid contender in this years

chase for the GLIAC crown.

The Lakers will try to begin

conference play this Saturday,

as they take on Northwood.

By Kyle Craig

Contributing Writer

Football wins on the road

winning history to lead ourteam, he said.

Our seniors are reliable and

have been since the coaching

change three years ago.

They have provided a steady

influence on our program. As

a coach, its rewarding to see

them at their best.

Already making a valuable

impact on the court is outside

hitter Kendall Ashworth, who,

following her first collegiate

action, was named to the

all-tournament team this

past weekend at the Roberts

Wesleyan Tournament in

Rochester.

Mercyhurst opened the

tournament defeating

Alderson-Broaddus 30-28,

30-28, 30-24 before defeating

The Mercyhurst womens

volleyball team found

themselves overwhelmed with

positive notes at the end of

last season when they defeated

GLIAC opponent Wayne State

in their final match.

Led by third-year coach Ryan

Patton, Julie Butler and Jenna

Matson will be leading the

team as captains.

Patton explained their impact

on this years squad.

Jenna and Julia have a lot

of wins in their background,

going back to their years

playing high school volleyball.

They use their experience and

Houghton 33-31, 26-30,30-19, 30-26. The second

day consisted of the Lakers

defeating Point Park 30-26,

30-28, 30-17 before losing to

Westmont 30-28, 30-20, 30-26

in the finals.

Based on the teams second

place tournament finish

Patton commented, Right

now we are a significantly

better team then we were last

spring.

With all the pieces starting

to fit, this years squad will

hopefully see more wins in

the GLIAC and earn much

success.

The Lakers are back in action

tonight in their home opener

against Indiana (PA) beginning

at 7:00 p.m. in the MAC.

By Christine MerschContributing Writer

Volleyball takes second place

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SPORTSPAGE 16 Aug. 29, 2007

Kentucky State