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NEWSPage 2 January 23, 2013

New study abroad trip availableStudents expand their horizons in Cuba

Has the thought of traveling to theCaribbean ever crossed your mind?

Thanks to Natasha Duncan, Ph.D.,of the Political Science Departmentand Peggy Black, Ph.D., of the Sociol-ogy Department, this dream trip

could be crossed off your bucket list.I teach a course on Latin Ameri-can politics and wanted to add a travelcomponent to the course since it

would allow students an experientiallearning opportunity, said Duncan.

I spoke with Dr. Black who wasfascinated by the region because ofthe political and social differences

which appealed to he r from a socio-logical perspective. We felt the FSATcourse was a good opportunity forstudents to expand their worldviewand examine a region so close to ourborders but yet has distinct experi-ences from the U.S., Duncan said.

We wanted to a unique FSAT class

that would explore the political andsocial environment of the Caribbean

region, Black said.The professors were not initially

focused on traveling to only Cuba,but also to Trinidad and Tobago as

well. The two destinations would haveallowed for students to experience and

study the diverse political and socialarrangements within the Caribbeanregion. The cost of visiting the twolocations did not permit, however.

They chose Cuba instead of Trini-dad and Tobago because of the degreeof contrasts it affords and the allure ithas because of its strained relationship

with the United States.For me, I wanted to expose stu-

dents to a different political system

from which they are familiar in theUnited States, said Duncan. Also, Ithink studying and visiting Cuba willdemystify U.S.-Cuban relations.

Students will explore Havana andOld Havana, but as noted in the itin-erary, the group will travel the lengthof Cuba from Havana to Santiagoand experience the diversity within thesociety of this island country.

We have had interest by over adozen students, but only a few firmcommitments, said Duncan. Weneed at least 10 students confirmedfor the course and travel experience tomake this trip a reality. We arent therejust yet.

There will be lectures on topicssuch as race in Cuba, the recentchanges in the Cuban economy andsociety, since the recent economicreforms made under Raul Castrosadministration. Students will visit thesite to observe and learn about howsocial problems such as povert y, child

welfare and healthcare are managed.Trips will be made to the nationalmonuments significant in the 1959

revolution as well.Most importantly, noted bothDuncan and Black, students willhave the opportunity to interact withCubans and Cuban society and learnfirsthand about politics and life under acommunist regime. As with any traveloutside of ones home, students willhave a cultural experience.

The professors have preliminarydetails in hand (course ideas, readingmaterial, connections with CommonGround Travel, etc) and an informa-tional meeting will be Wednesday, Jan.23, at 4:30 p.m. in Old Main 211.

By Jaslyne Halter

Staff writer

Students will tour places like Cubas capital, Havana and Old

Havana.

Contributed photo

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Page 3January 23, 2013 NEWS

Friday, Jan. 18

Larceny

Egan Hall

Referred for discipline

Sunday, Jan. 20

Liquor law violation

3923 Briggs Ave.

Referred for discipline

Sunday, Jan. 20

Possession or use of controlled substance

3810 Lewis Ave.Referred for discipline

Mercyhurst

University

Police & Safety Police Log

Sunday, Jan. 20

Public drunkenness/college violation

3940 Lewis Ave.

Referred for discipline

Annual Taste or Waist

gives healthier options

On Wednesday, Jan. 16, the CarolynHerrmann Student Union was buzzingas students and faculty attended theannual Taste or Waist food fair.

Assistant Professor of Sports-medicine Tim Harveys Nutrition for

Health Professionals class, along withthe Campus Involvement Center andHuman Resources, put on the event withthe help of the sports medicine students.

This event is held every year. Itsgoal is to show the community how tomake classic dishes healthier by simplyswapping a few ingredients. The timingof the event is well thought out, withmany people only a few weeks intotheir New Years resolution.

The event helps promote eating, in ahealthier way. The sports medicine stu-

dents made various dishes, one regularand one healthy. Attendees tried bothoptions, and then voted on which theythought was healthier and which onetasted better.

Its amazing, the food tasted almostexactly the same, said senior BridgetFinn. It really makes you think about

what you are eating.Junior sports medicine major

Amber Penna explained that in pastyears almost 65 percent of attendees

voted that the healthier option was the

tastier of the two dishes.In order to participate in the tastings,

students brought either 50 cents or acanned good, with all donations andproceeds going to the United Way.

The event drew a crowd of almost250 people and left attendees with ahealthier mindset to start the new yearoff right.

This years event featured an array ofappetizers, soups, entrees and desserts.

Buffalo Chicken Dip, quesadillas, chickenclub wraps and Reeses Bars were just afew of the menu items featured.

Students who helped to prepare thedishes explained that they took theoriginal recipe and replaced certainingredients with healthier alternatives,

which helped to reduce the fat and cal-orie content but not the taste.

Another factor to the challenge wasthat the healthy dish must have thesame texture and taste but appear iden-tical to the original dish.

By Abigail RobinsonStaff writer

Pre-Law club raises funds

Clubs on Mercyhurst campus offerstudents chances to assist their com-munity every day, just what the Pre-Law Society club did for Legal Aid

Volunteer Attorneys (LAVA) with theirrecent sweatshirt fundraiser.

The Pre-Law Society club, advisedby attorney Meredith Bollheimer,assistant professor of business, andattorney Tina Fryling, chair of crim-inal justice, is a student RecognizedStudent Club/Organization (RSCO)of about 20-25 active members.

They decided to run a sweatshirtfundraiser in order to advertise their clubas well as donate the remaining moneyafter costs to a deserving organization.

LAVA is an organization that assists

low-income Erie community memberswho need an attorney but may notbe able to afford one. This organiza-tion provides pro-bono work to thesemembers and is a critical part of thecommunity.

We decided that instead of justselling sweatshirts and then havingour club keep the money, we wouldrather donate it to a local legal aidgroup, said Bollheimer. We felt this

was important because it reflects themission of the university and we rec-ognized the importance of this work

that LAVA does.Twenty-three sweatshirts were sold,

with a total of $250 donated to LAVA.The club donated the money on

Friday, Jan. 18, with several memberswere present for the occasion.

The sweatshirts look great and aresuper comfortable, said Alyssa Ross,secretary and vice president of the Pre-Law Society Club. Having club mem-bers wear them around really bringssome attention to a long-standing aca-demic club that rarely gets any hype.

Vice President of Communicationand Marketing Brooke Miller designedthe sweatshirt while Ross assisted byproposing the option of hoodies andcrew necks. Next year, the club plansto continue the sweatshirt fundraiser.

The plan is to keep the logo thesame but change the color. This yearscolors were navy and forest green.

Treasurer Jake Jaskiewicz is pleasedwith the turnout of the fundraiser.

Im glad to see that small groupson campus could make such a contri-bution, Jaskiewicz said.

There are about five to 10 sweat-shirts still available for purchase.

Currently, the club only accepts cash,but will eventually be able to take checksaddressed to Mercyhurst University.

To purchase one of the remain-ing sweatshirts, see Bollheimer in heroffice, Preston 303, during the fol-lowing hours: Monday 9:30-noon,

Wednesday 9:30-noon and Thursday9:30-10:30a.m.

Currently the Pre-Law Society clubis unsure of where they will donate thesurplus money from next years fund-raiser, but they have expressed a desireto continue donating to deservingsocieties as they have done this year.

By Kierston BromleyStaff writer

Students Alyssa Ross, Megan Helton, Jake Jakiewicz, LAVA Attor-

ney David Baxter and club adviser Meredith Bollheimer pose for

photo after the donation was presented to LAVA.

Contributed photo

Frozen Putt-A-Thon approachesThe Mercyhurst University Chapter of the Public Relations Student

Society of America (PRSSA) is hosting the annual Frozen Putt-A-Thon on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the HarborView Miniature GolfCourse.

The event consists of a classic game of miniature golf, but in aslightly colder climate than usual..

The course is located at 36 State Street and guests can play fromnoon until 5 p.m.

The greens will be thoroughly cleaned off from the snow and readyfor proper game play.

Tickets are $3 per person and proceeds benefit Mercyhursts

PRSSA activities fund and the Erie City Mission.For more information visit www.frozenputt.com or contact PRSSA

President Joseph Pudlick at (814)-602-0993 or prssa@mercyhurst.edu.

News Brief

Students made reduced calorie

desserts like chocolate cake.

Mercyhurst photo

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FEATURES Page 4January 23, 2013

Strict dress code

enforced in 1960s

Most Catholic high schools andgrade schools have a school uniformthat is mandatory for each person to

wear everyday, but to think of a collegehaving a dress code is pretty bizarre.

Not too long ago, in the 1960s, ourvery own Mercyhurst implemented adress code for the students. At the timeit was an all girls school.

The 1961 Mercyhur st StudentHandbook gave some examples of

what the g irls h ad to wear to class ona regular basis like, sport dresses,suit skirts, and blouses; sweaters andblazers make the proper attire forclass.

Imagine being handed this book onyour first day of class as a freshman.

Today these standards are obviouslynot held high and we do not have adress code.

Styles have changed a lot sincethe early 1960s and the existence ofa dress code restricted people fromallowing them to have their own per-sonal sense of style.

Students in 1961 were permitted towear styles such as slacks, and Ber-muda shorts, and kilts may be worn atpicnics and hayrides or by decoratingcommittees and stage-craft crews incarrying out their work.

This section is referring to casualdress for everyone in 2012 currentlyon campus.

Ladies would have to wear a skirteveryday to class, and I know for somepeople that would not go over very

well today, especially to 8 a.m. classesduring winter term.

Sneakers may not be worn onSunday, unless they are worn for a picnicor for tennis, stated the 1961 handbook.

This restriction of shoes would causemuch controversy on todays campus,because everyone wears sneakers,

whether or not they are athletes.Today, having a list of rules of what

we could wear would make some girlswant to rebel against the rules.

It is hard enough to decide what towear everyday to cla ss, but girls in the1960s were used to being told what to

wear everyday. If uniforms were the

norm, we would probably be moreaccepting of certain rules.

The rest of the rule book hadfeatures on what girls were allowedto wear in the dorms and even offcampus.

The styles would obvious ly notbe relevant in todays society, but ifthere were a list of restrictions ondress for todays campus, like thestrict rules of the 1961 MercyhurstStudent Handbook, students wouldgo crazy.

By Isabella Cardina

Contributing writer

Alums Mary Margaret Dill, Ronnie Sikora, Lee Stanford and Diane Marino practice for upcoming

performance in the 60s.

Staff photo

Celebrities flaunt

fashion at theGolden Globes

While most were tuned in to the

Golden Globes to see the winning actors

and actresses in movies and television, it

was also a night of glamour and fashion.

The popular colors seen on the red

carpet this season were dark reds, classic

blacks and blush tone nudes. Some stars

shined while others did not.

There was a lot of controversy going

on involving actresses, such as winner

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Couture,

Jessica Chastain in Calvin Klein and

Kerry Washington in Miu Miu. While

fashion critics seemed to favor Law-

rence and Chastain and oppose Wash-

ingtons sheer gown, viewers seemed to

be the opposite.

Popular favorites consisted of winner

Anne Hathaway in Chanel, Emily Blunt

in Michael Kors and Nicole Kidman in

Alexander McQueen. These three looks

succeeded because the outfits were

flattering to their bodies and were age

appropriate.

Anne Hathaway lit up the red carpet

in her white gown with her new short

hair cut, and Emily Blunt added a con-

trasting color of pink with her golden

glitzy cut out dress. Nicole Kidmans

black McQueen dress, a very popular

color, was original and unique with the

boning cut out on her ribs, and gold

accents on the top.

Some other worst dressed outfits con-

sisted of Halle Berry in Versace, Lucy

Lu in Carolina Herrera, Eva Longoria inPucci and Amanda Seyfried in Givenchy.

Stars that didnt get the recognition

they deserved were stunners Jennifer

Garner in Vivienne Westwood, Naomi

Watts in Zac Posen and newcomer

Olivia Munn in Armani.

Since the dark red, classic blacks and

nude tone colors were the most popu-

lar here are the best dressed in each of

those categories: in black Amy Poehler,

actually wore a very chic suit made by

Stella McCartney.

Best red, Marion Cotillard in anasymmetrical and modern dress in Raf

Simmons for Dior.

Isla Fisher was the winner wore the

best blush colored dress of the night

in Reem Acra.

Overall, most fashion that hit the

red carpet was more successful than

expected.

By Isabella CardinaContributing writer

1960s alums Norma Jean Pavolic, Beth Campbell and Marilyn Sulli-

van model appropriate outfits for the Junior Prom.

Staff photo

Amy Poehler, Isla Fisher and Marion Cotillard were best dressed at

the 2013 Golden Globes.

www.goldenglobes.org photo

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5January 23, 2013

Online Full list of events can be

found on the PAC websiteView upcoming performances:

www.pac.mercyhurst.eduwww.merciad.mercyhurst.

edu/arts_entertainment

Winter Cabaret exhibits outstanding talent

With theater on the rise on campus,

its no wonder the Theater Apprecia-

tion Club (TAC) is kicking off their

first premiere event with style.

A tremendous amount of hard

work, time and effort has been given

toward the success of the club. The

TAC will be hosting its first event, a

cabaret, Thursday, Jan. 24.

The event was cleverly given thename of Our Song because of the

recent revamping of the TAC and the

importance of individualism. It was

organized under the concept of new

beginnings and individuals staying true

to themselves, despite the odds.

Brett Johnson, Ph.D., and the exec-

utive board of the TAC primarily orga-

nized the event.

Members of the club suggested

the theme Beginnings for the cabaret

because of the new year, the new pro-

gram, and the newly organized club,

Johnson said.Thursday night will feature a col-

lection of musical selections ranging

from Sweeney Todd, Cinderella to

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

The cabaret will feature a little over

an hour of music performed by the

Theatre Appreciations Club members.The evening will begin with a quar-

tet of auditioned vocalists who willperform The New World, from

Songs for a New World.

This exciting and upbeat musicalselection gets the ball rolling for an

excitement-filled night of extremely

talented students.

Senior Katie Cecchetti will be givingher energetic rendition of Here I

Am along with other students who

will showcase strong, empowering and

well-known tunes complemented by ahandful of introspective and somber

songs.

The cabaret provides our perform-

ers with an opportunity to practice

their craft as actors and singers, which

is vital to the pedagogical mission of

the club, said Johnson.

But it also enriches the cultural life

of our university by exposing audi-

ences to selections from American

musical theater, which is one of our

few indigenous art for ms.

The event will feature the musical

expertise of sophomore Ian Gayford

on the keyboard, as well as a total of

10 equally talented vocalists. The night

will end with an ensemble rendition of

Somewhere from the hit Broadway

musical West Side Story.

Tickets will be available at the door

of Taylor Little Theatre for $5 per seat.

The performance will start at 8 p.m. on

Thursday, Jan. 24.

Dont miss this great opportunity to

experience quality music from fellow

students that wouldnt have had the

opportunity to be seen on stage before.

By Mathew Anderson

A&E editor

Students have prepared a selection of music from both contempo-

rary and classical musical theater for their first performance.

Contributed photo

Death Cab vocalistreleases solo album

Leader singer of Death Cab ForCutie, Ben Gibbard, is known for

writing bitter songs, full of beautiful

imagery.After 15 years writing for with

Death Cab, he has acquired 12 songsthat didnt fit with the reverb heavysorrow that Death Cab songs so oftenhave.

He kept these songs tucked awayuntil last October when he released his

first solo album, Former Lives.Former Lives had been written

over the last eight years of Bens life.During this time he saw three rela-

tionships including a divorce withZooey Deschanel, moved to new loca-

tions twice and give up on drinking.These moments are the fountain of

Former Lives.

At first, I was a little unsure aboutthe album. I had a hard time separatingBens voice from the musical elementsof Death Cab.

This album has a stripped down feel

with much shorter songs.The album has a much happier

sound overall.

It offers a mix of acoustically strongsongs as well as electric tracks with

many complex layers.My favorite track on this album is

Bigger Than Love. This track blends

Bens voice with singer-songwriters

Amiee Mann.Duncan, Where Have You Goneoffers a little variety to the album with

warm over-reverberated vocal harmo-nies supported by soulful instruments.

Another shock to this song was the

guitar solo. It is a rare oddity in anysong Ben writes to have a guitar solo,and even though it is short, it is won-

derfully warm and feels very naturalfor this song.

The last track on the album, ImBuilding a Fire, is exactly why I love

Ben.He has the ability to write beautiful

lyrics that are also very somber. Hesings over a hollow guitar Im build-ing a fire / to keep you warm / long

after I retire / Cause this body is /

bound to expire tonight, tonight.

If you like Death Cab or just want

a good album full of every emotion,

check out this album.Who knows, Bens lyrics may even

help to heal some of your FormerLives.

By Zach DorschPhoto editor

Met HD Live - Rigoletto by VerdiSaturday, Feb. 16, at 12:55 p.m. in the

Mary DAngelo Performing Arts Center

Director Michael Meyer has placed his new production of Verdis

towering tragedy in Las Vegas in 1960. In this production, inspired

by the antics of the Rat Pack, Piotr Beczala is the womanizing Duke

of Mantua, Zeljko Lucic is his tragic sidekick, Rigoletto, and Diana

Damrau is Rigolettos daughter, Gilda.

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT January 23, 2013Page 6

Director of the Sullivan Conserva-tory and Director of Choirs Rebecca

Ryan encourages her students to travel

abroad and creates opportunities for

international travel.

In the past, she has taken students

to places such as Spain, Ireland, Hon-

duras and most recently, Italy.

During last years trip to Italy, the

concert choir had the honor of singing

during a Mass in the Vatican as well as

participating in the Chianti Festival and

a concert in Monte Carlo.

This year, her concert choir hasreceived a very unique and special invi-

tation that could not be overlooked.

The Polish government has invited the

Mercyhurst University concert choir

to Poland as special guests to sing this

coming May.

A total of 21 people will be flying

to perform. This includes 13 stu-

dents, three Mercyhurst graduates and

five adults consisting of parents and

invited guests.

Before departing, however, the

Poland group will participate in the

adult and baccalaureate graduation

ceremonies for Mercyhurst.

Along with many other choirs from

around the world, they will be singing

in the 1st Lublin Festival of University

Choirs from Lublin Sister Cities.

Over the course of three days, the

choirs will work on music selected for

the festival by the administration in

Poland.

The music has not been disclosed

yet, but the choirs will give an immense

concert at the Lublin Cathedral on the

third day.

I am very excited to be going to

Poland, said junior voice performance

major Kathleen Reveille. It is a placeI never thought I would go to in my

lifetime. Im looking forward to learn-

ing about the history, culture and one-

fourth of myheritage. And, of course,

sing and share a great experience with

friends.

Throughout the eight-day trip, the

Mercyhurst choir will also be giving

several concerts and singing for Mass

at various churches in Lublin.

The choir will be giving outdoor per-

formances at places such as City Hall,

the Old Town and the Maria Curie

Sklodowska square in front of the

University of Maria Curie Sklodowska.

Ryan has volunteered to arrange a

solo concert featuring her students by

having them perform duets, solos or in

small groups pieces.

After the Polish festival is over, they

will travel to Krakow where they will

shop, sight-see and visit the famous

Wieliczka Salt Mine.

They will also travel to Warsaw

to see the Polish Uprising Museum,

which opened to memorialize the 60th

Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising

of 1944 during World War II.

All of the students selected to

attend are ecstatic to travel to Poland.

I am very excited to visit the under-ground salt mine in Krakow. Being

able to sing in many different churches

around the world is such a great

opportunity, said Marisa Jacobson, a

junior music education major who also

went to Italy with the group last year.

Compared to past trips, this one will

have a more vigorous singing schedule

and itinerary for the students, but they

are very excited and honored to have

been invited to partake in such a spe-

cial event in Lublin.

By Kayla ReharContributing writer

Concert Choir invitedto Poland for festival

A select chamber group for the Mercyhurst Concert Choir have been selected as guests of the Polish

government to give a stunning concert at a national Polish festival.

Contributed photo

Langer Film Series: ArgoFriday, Jan. 25 - 2:15 p.m. & 7:15 p.mTaylor Little Theatre

Based on true events, Argo chronicles the life-or-

death covert operation to rescue six Americans which

was unknown by the public for decades. As the Iranian

revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the

U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage.

Faculty recital, a

display of talent

Mercyhurst students and the Eriecommunity were given a great treat last

Thursday, Jan. 17, as piano professorShirley Yoo, Ph.D., gave a recital onthe stage of Walker Recital Hall in the

Audrey Hirt Academic Center.Yoos show featured a number of

virtuoso pieces that included her col-league and friend, Stephen Buck, Ph.D.

Buck is an active performer, ped-agogue and chamber musician whostarted out his impressive career as amusician at a debut performance atCarnegie Hall in 2006.

He is now employed by the StateUniversity of New York Purchaseand Hoff-Barthelson Music School inScarsdale, N.Y. and has obtained hisDoctorate of Music Arts degree from

Yale University School of Music.Yoo and Buck showed incredible

versatility by starting out the perfor-

mance playing on two grand pianosthat were facing each other.

As the concert progressed, the twomusicians then moved to repertoirethat required four-handed piano,

which means that they were using thesame piano.

This often meant that Yoo and Buckwere reaching over, around and acrossthe other player, which not only isincredibly difficult, but gave the per-

formance that extra wow factor aswell.

The recital consisted primarily ofBrahms pieces arranged for both twopianos and four hands. They selected

Variations on a Theme by J. Haydn, op.56b to begin the recital.

The pianos were set up next facingeach other, perpendicular to the audi-ence, with Yoo on the left side andBuck on the right. They proceeded toplay two movements from Oliver Mes-

siaens Visions de l Amen.The next three pieces were arrangedfor four hands. Brahms Sixteen

Waltzes, op. 39, selections from Jtkokand Brahms Hungarian Dances Book1, Wo01 nos. 2-5 composed the secondhalf of the recital.

One of the movements fromJtkok, titled Hand in Hand, wasdefinitely one of the most interestingpieces of the evening. In order to playthe piece, Yoo and Buck were requiredto play with their hands overlapping.

The left hand would play a set ofkeys and the right hand would play theblack keys in between them, hence themusicians were playing literally hand-in-hand.

The performance was much antici-pated by the DAngelo Department ofMusic. Yoo and Buck displayed a fan-tastic skill set for the students, show-ing not only phenomenal mastery overtheir art, but also exemplifying thatmusic can be fun as well.

By Jared HancockContributing writer

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

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OPINION Page 7January 23, 2013

Editors

Alicia Cagle

Stacy SkiavoKayla Kelly

Caitlin Handerhan

Joe Chiodo

Mat Anderson

Chelsea Schermerhorn

Samantha Link

Zach Dorsch

Ethan Johns

Will DeFeo

Bill Welch

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News EditorFeatures Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports Editor

A&E Editor

Copy Editor

Graphics

Photo Editor

Web Editor

Ad Manager

Adviser

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The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstUniversity. It is published throughout the school year, with the exceptionof finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is

(814) 824-2376.

The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signedand names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit theletters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Lettersare due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submitletters to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

If you dont want it printed . . . dont let it happen.

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad orthe Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

After the fire alarms went

off for 12 minutes in Hirton Tuesday night, students

and faculty were forced toevacuate the building. Well,most folks just remained in

the lobby because of thefrigid temperatures. Wecan be grateful, however,that the alarms work and

that campus remains safe.

The snow has takennumerous casualties, asstudents forget how to

function in real snow. Thenumber of people fallingand slipping shows us thatclearly last years winter

was entirely too kind to us.

Despite the claim that therewould be more advertising

for MSGs 4-1-4 Forum,many students have onlyjust begun to hear word ofthe event. Is this lack of

student interest or lack of

MSG advertisement?

Lists complicate simplicity

It was in April of last year when I

started to form my bucket list: a com-

pilation of about 30 things that I want

to do before I die.

I started listing things like visit

China, run a half and full marathon

and jump into Lake Erie in the middle

of winter.

As I was on one of my runs this

weekend I was wondering whether my

bucket list was a good idea.

Sure, having goals in life is great; I

have so many that I probably couldnt

name them all if I tried. However, I

question the value of having such a

list.

I made my list so that I could imag-

ine and look forward to a life filled

with adventure and bliss.

But then I began to wonder what

would happen if I were to not com-plete that list.

Would I feel like I missed out on

parts of my life? Would I feel like my

life lost a sense of meaning?

As Confucius said, Life is very

simple, but we insist on making it com-

plicated.

This is fitting because by making

a list of things that we would like to

achieve, are we not making things

complicated?

I think that overly planning is a huge

issue in our country. We need to plan

on days to visit friends and family or

plan on saving money to take a trip

somewhere.

What happened to the days when

you could just show up at someones

house and it would be perfectly accept-able for you to be there?

Its truly a shame that nearly 75 per-

cent of my bucket list consisted of

needing to save up thousands of dol-

lars to make myself happy.

So I threw out that list.

Money does not dictate my happi-

ness, so why should I let it dictate the

things I want to do before I die?

I decided instead, to act more spon-

taneously. In a world of planning, Im

finding it rarer to be able to do what

I want.

Sure that comes along with going to

school and working, but it still drives

me crazy.

Anyways, the point I just wanted to

get across, is why not open your life up

and let the adventure come to you?I honestly believe that life is what

you make it; if your life is an everlast-

ing to-do list, you are doing it wrong.

So, since you chose to go to Mercy-

hurst, land of opportunity and service,

why not take advantage of it and do

something new?

If you open yourself up more, allow

more diversity into your world, per-

haps then your bucket list will come

to you.

By Jaslyne Halter

Staff writer

Mali conflict exposesWestern flaws

The current debacle in Mali isdemonstrating, once again, how little

Western governments learn from the

past.

Again, the Wests foreign policy has

resulted in disaster. How long will it

take for the U.S. government to learn

that you cannot simply go around

bombing and killing all over the world

without consequences?

The debacle in Mali in which the

West is becoming embroiled in is

entirely the result of Western interven-

tion in the first place.The rebellion is a by-product of

colonialism, and rather than admit a

mistake, France has charged in to keep

two separate peoples together.

The most direct reason for the

rebels swift advances is all the fault

of the West. Even Kofi Annan, the

former head of the UN, acknowledges

this.

Al-Gaddafi, the former dictator of

Libya, employed many Tuareg peo-

ples as mercenaries. When the Libyan

rebels were able to execute Gaddafi in

the street, all made possible by Western

air strikes, these mercenaries returned

to Northern Mali with all of their

weapons and training.

With these heavily armed and

trained reinforcements, the Tuaregs

were able to advance rather rapidly as

the Mali government experienced a

coup and blundered around.

While originally secular in nature,

the Tuareg rebellion became hijacked

by radical Islamists who became rad-

icalized in Libya. Now, thanks to the

West, they are back home and causing

trouble.

Already, not even a month into the

intervention, we have witnesses repri-

sals.The Algerian hostage crisis, which

came to a very tragic end, is a direct

response to the intervention. How

long until these terrorists attempt to

strike in France itself?

Read the full article at

www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion

By Zachary Yost

Staff writer

Are bucket lists really necessary?

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 23, 2013

8/8

September 3, 2008SPORTSPage 8 January 23, 2013

Four Lakers receive preseason honors

The 2013 Mercyhurst Universitybaseball teams season is just aroundthe corner.

During the offseason, the Amer-ican Baseball Coaches Associations

released their Preseason All-Americanlist. Four Lakers were named to thatlist: senior Ben Rawding, sophomoresDan Altavilla, Kolin McMillen andRyan Siegel.

Rawding has been a part of a lot ofthe Lakers success these past four sea-sons. Last year, Rawding finished theseason with a 9-0 record, 2.78 ERAand struck out 79 batters in 77 andtwo-thirds innings pitched.

Last season, Rawding won ECACPitcher of the Year, ABCA/Rawlings

Third Team All-American, Honorable

Mention All-American by the NCBWAand ABCA/Rawlings Atlantic RegionPitcher of the Year.

Rawding recognizes his teammates

significance in his All-American rank-ing.

Its an honor, and I wouldnt havegotten the recognition without myteammates, Rawding said.

Altavilla and McMillen made a hugesplash as freshmen last season. First

year jitters did not seem to show withthese two.

Last season, Altavilla representedthe ABCA/Rawlings Atlantic RegionFirst Team, NCBWA Atlantic RegionFirst Team, PSAC West First Teamselection and the Daktronics Atlantic

Region Second Team.Altavilla sees his preseason ranking

of All-American as powerful motiva-tion.

Its great being recognized and setsthe pace not only individually but as ateam for the season, Altavilla said.

McMillen finished last season with a.380 batting average, led the team with27 walks and a .457 on-base percent-age. McMillen received many post-sea-son accolades; as part of the ABCA/Rawlings Atlantic Region Second

Team, NCBWA Honorable Mention

selection, and was named to the All-

PSAC West First Team.McMillen is humble about his

All-American preseason ranking.Its a nice honor, but with it comes

responsibilities. Individual honors arenice, but we need to continue to push

each other to make each other better,

McMillen said.Siegel was a transfer from Coastal

Carolina University last season. Healso made a huge splash on the team

until he broke his wrist late in the

season when hit by a pitch. Siegel led

the Lakers in batting average with a.389 average, second on the team inslugging percentage and steals.

Siegel is appreciative of the presea-son All-American ranking, but wont

let it get to his head.Its an honor to be on a list with

such talented players. However, base-ball is a team game played on the field,not on paper, Siegel said.

The committee also releases play-ers to watch and newcomer to watch.Senior Zak Blair is on the Player to

Watch list and Junior Braedon Pen-nington is on the Newcomer to

Watch list. The Lakers will open the2013 campaign with a weekend seriesagainst Chowan University Feb. 9 and10 in Murfreesboro, N.C.

By R.J. NiedzwieckiContributing writer

Mercyhurst University baseball will kick off their season against Chowan University Feb. 9 and 10.

Brian Vail photo

Trio nominated for Hobey Baker

The Hobey Baker Award is a yearlyaward which recognizes the top

NCAA mens ice hockey player in theUnited States.

Fifty-eight college coaches fromdifferent schools vote for the top tenplayers in the nation, who then faceanother round of voting to determinethe top single player.

This season, three Laker soph-omores have earned a spot on the

voting ballot for the 2013 Hobey BakerAward: Ryan Misiak, Chris Bodo andDaniel Bahntge.

Misiak notched a goal and an

assist in the Lakers game this pastSaturday, Jan. 19, against the Uni-

versity o f Connecticut, making it hi ssixth game this season in which herecorded multiple points. The vic-tory puts the Lakers at a solid recordof 11-9-1 overall.

First off, its just an honor to be

acknowledged along with all of the

phenomenal players on the list, includ-ing two other Laker teammates, saidMisiak. I could not be more humbledby the nomination.

Misiak is determined to continue

working hard for his team.Hockey is a team game and I have

the privilege to play with great play-ers, said Misiak. I do believe I canbeat the marks I put up last year, and

would be proud to do so, but all that

matters is I do whatever I can to helpour team win.

Bahntge was also nominated for a

spot on the 2013 Hobey Baker Awardballot.

Bahntge has 14 points this season,tied for third on the team. Bahntgerecorded the second hat trick of his

career against American Interna-tional back on Saturday, Dec. 8.

After my first collegiate hat trick, Ifigured it was a one-and-done kind ofthing, Bahntge said. The first time

was definitely an exciting accomplish-ment, but not something you think will

be repeated. It felt just as exciting as

the first time.Bahntge is ecstatic about beingnomination for Hobey Baker Award.

The thought that I have beennominated for this years HobeyBaker Award is something surreal to

me. Being on this years ballot is reall yan honor and a privilege. I am thank-ful, and I feel more than blessed tobe among the few chosen for such a

prestigious award, Bahntge said.The Hobey Baker Award is one

the greatest collegiate athletic awards

that every hockey player knows aboutwhile growing up. It is great thatBodo, Misiak and myself are able torepresent Mercyhurst University onsuch a national level, Bahntge said.

Bodo is excited to be considered forthe 2013 Hobey Baker Award.

Its a great award that will even-tually be given to a great player, saidBodo. For Misiak, Bahntge, andmyself to be recognized around theleague and nominated for this award is

an awesome feeling.

Bodo leads the Lakers in goals this

season with 10.I have gotten a lot of g reat passesfrom my teammates, which has allowedme to score as much as I have been,Bodo said.

Additionally, Bodo is tied for themost power play goals in the nationthis season.

To be tied for the most power

play goals in the nation is a bigaccomplishment for myself, andit feels good being at the top of a

nationwide list. I wouldnt be tied forthis if it werent for my line mateson the power play that have given mebackdoor passes all year long, saidBodo. It is easy when I have goodplayers to play with that can see theice well and that can find me at thebackdoor.

The first phase of voting for the2013 Hobey Baker Award will runthrough Sunday, March 10, and inter-ested voters can make their selectionon the Hobey Baker website.

By Joe ChiodoSports editor

Men and womens basketball

will travel across town to facehometown rival Gannon Univer-sity on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

The struggling lady Lakers(5-10) will face the surgingGannon (16-2) team at 5:30 pmin Hammermill Center.

Following the womens game,

the men will hit the floor at 7:30p.m.

With the PSAC season in earlystages, both teams look to this

game to cement a favorable posi-tion in the Western Division.

The men have won the last twogames theyve played at Hammer-mill Center, although Gannon isthe PSAC leader in outscoring

teams by 14.2 points per game.

Lakers,

Knightssquare off