The GwynmercianVolume 60, No. 2 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

GMC Welcomes Holocaust Survivor By Shadia Arouni ’09

You are given forty-eight hours to leave your home, and you can only take one small bag with you; what do you take? This is a decision that many Jewish families were forced to make in the 1930s. Some people do not believe that the Holocaust ever happened, and I would have to challenge that idea; I got the chance to meet one of the few Holocaust survivors. Gwynedd-Mercy Col-lege was very happy and honored to have guest speaker David Tuck tell his story. Throughout his lecture, Tuck repeated, “Until this day I don’t know how I survived.” The Holocaust is not something that will ever be for-gotten, but for a man who has gone through so much turmoil, it was sur-prising to see how healthy he looked and how well he told his story. In 1939, his family and about 12 other Jewish families were forced to move into a small ghetto in Poland. After being lied to about their desti-nation, Tuck and his father went to a labor camp. Their menu for the next five years consisted of a slice of bread and tea in the morning, and soup and bread in the evening. Since his diet was so limited, Tuck liked the job of collecting trash; he could eat as he picked the food from the garbage. (Pg. 4)

Holocaust survivor David Tuck speaks with students and veterans af-ter his Common Hour presentation in Julia Ball Auditorium.

Rosella Clemmons Washington in Song!Read more about her spectacular performance on Pg. 6.

Valentine’s Day Themed Bingo is Big Success with StudentsBy Beth Harrison ’12

On February 5, the Student Activities Committee sponsored a Valentine’s themed Bingo in the Downtime Den in Gustav Mar-tin. The room was decorated appropriately, in pink and red with pretty heart designs. There were delicious candy and refreshments, and every person who wore red or pink got a free Bingo card. About thirty people arrived to par-take in a fun-filled hour of excitement and the chance to win money. As each number was called, the anticipation of the inevitable “BIN-GO” built within each participating guest. There were many cash prizes, including $5, $10, $30, and the grand prize of $80. Kris-tin Martino, who was the lucky recipient of the grand prize, had a shocked and enthusiastic re-action. According to Martino, at the time she

noticed her BINGO she was thinking, “Oh my goodness! I actually had the right numbers!” and then when she found out there was an $80 prize, she said she was speechless. The commit-tee of Jacqui Gatto, Bridget Dwyer, Francesca Catalano, Mike Prykowski did a great job setting up and working the event. Francesca Catalano called the numbers, Bridget Dwyer wrote down the numbers and checked them once someone called “BINGO,” and I made sure every win-ner received his or her cash prize. At the end of the night, it was apparent that everyone en-joyed the festive occasion and the chance to relax during the game. GMC students showed their Valentine’s Day spirit that night by com-ing out and having a fun time with friends.

Contents:

Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 2 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg. 4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 5 Cultural Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 6 Editorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg. 7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 8

Inside this Issue:

Cheap Spring Break Ideas. . . . . . Pg. 2 Interesting Heart Facts. . . . . . . . Pg. 3 A Week in the Life. . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 4 CD & Movie Reviews. . . . . . . . . Pg. 6 Philly Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 8

Did You Know...By Marie DelloBuono ’09 Did you ever happen to notice the benches scattered throughout Gwynedd-Mercy’s campus? Did you know that one of the benches, located near the Julia Ball Auditorium and St. Bernard’s Hall, was built in honor of two very important members of the college community? On November 14, 2000, Dr. Ed Miller, a professor of Religious Studies here at the College, helped dedicate this bench to the late Professor Ben Haines and Mrs. Josephine Connelly. Professor Ben Haines taught the ESL program (English as a Sec-ond Language) and was once the chairperson of Faculty Council. Mrs. Connelly was the wife of John Connelly, one of the most prominent benefactors of Gwynedd-Mercy College. Below is the prayer of dedication, given by Dr. Miller, in memory of these two extraordi-nary people.

We ask your special blessing, O God, on the occasion of dedicating these campus benches. The image of sitting has been lifted up into describing your graciousness and hospitality. Your risen Son sits at your right hand. As a mark of eternal life, you call us to sit at your Messianic Banquet, O gracious and hospitable Host. May your blessing linger in this place of memory of Ben and Josephine. May people sit here and find peace. May the friendship of friends grow on these benches. May those who disagree find, when sitting on these benches, openings to understanding and softening of bruised feelings. May the tired of limb find rest and renewal. And, above all, may someone who is lonely and adrift, find on one of these benches a companion who becomes for him or for her the angel you sent to be with Tobias. Sedes Sapientiae [Seat of Wisdom], ora pro nobis [pray for us]. Amen.

TravelPage 2 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

Affordable Spring Break GetawaysBy Shadia Arouni ’09 With Spring Break just around the corner, many college students are looking for cheap, but fun vacation deals. Because of the economic dif-ficulties in the U.S, college students are finding it hard to plan a fun-filled Spring Break. Students are already on a tight budget, but with the loss of so many jobs, their budgets are becoming tight-er. Although the economic situation is troubling, it does have one positive side: cheap flights! Surprisingly, it is not too costly to get away for a couple of days. Some of the most popular spring break locations include Mi-ami, Jamaica, and Cancun. Since a lot of stu-dents fear high travel costs, they shy away from traveling to these places. With numer-ous travel websites, and companies eager to make a sale, traveling now is not too pricey. Websites like expedia.com offer great va-cation packages that include flight and hotel. A lot of the hotels, where students tend to stay during Spring Break, offer free meals and free entrance

to local events or theme parks. If students travel in larger groups, traveling away will cost even less; numerous places offer discounts for group travel. If students are on an extremely tight bud-get, or unable to get away, they can still enjoy their Spring Break. Locally, there are many great places to take day trips. With Philadelphia being such an historical city, students can find endless things to do during the day or night; it is not hard to catch the train into the city, and once you get there, you can walk around or catch a cab. Travel to NYC may cost a little more, but it is also just a train or bus ride away. In NYC, there are so many Broadway shows, and a lot of the TV shows offer free admission to the tapings. So, just because you are on a tight budget, or cannot travel too far away, there is a lot of local fun just around the corner. See the chart below for reasonable travel ideas.

MIAMI CANCUN JAMAICAHotel Indigo Miami Dadeland

• Round trip flight and hotel stay for 5 days• 4.3 Star Hotel• 10 miles from Miami International Air port• Sites and attractions no more than 13 miles away• Outdoor pool, sun deck, fitness center, flat panel TV, wifi, complimentary shuttle within a 3 mile radius, and many more amenities

(4 people-$301 per person)

Terracaribe

• Round trip flight and hotel stay for 5 days• 4.1 Star Hotel• 15 miles from Cancun International Airport• Outdoor & children’s swimming pool, poolside bar, complimentary bottled wa ter in room, onsite restaurants, compli- mentary shuttle to and from beach club

(4 people-$347 per person)

The Wexford

• Round trip flight and hotel stay for 5 days• 4.1 Star Hotel• Complimentary shuttle to and from air- port• AquaSol water/sports park (nearby), private beach, Ironshore Golf & Coun try Club, Rooms have French doors to a private balcony/patio with an ocean or garden view

(4 people-$513 per person)

San Juan Hotel

• Round trip flight and hotel stay for 5 days• 3.1 Star Hotel• 12.5 miles from Miami International Airport• Sites and attractions no more than 6 miles away• Beach directly across street, nearby: golf range, windsurfing, personal wa- tercraft, surfing, full service health spa, onsite swimming pool

(2 people-$376 per person)

Terracaribe• Round trip flight and hotel stay for 5 days• 4.1 Star Hotel• 15 miles from Cancun International Airport• Outdoor & children’s swimming pool, poolside bar, complimentary bottled wa ter in room, onsite restaurants, compli- mentary shuttle to and from beach club

(2 people-$351 per person)

Toby’s Resort• Round trip flight and hotel stay for 5 days• 4 Star Hotel• 1 mile away from Montego Bay Sang ster International Airport• Private Balconies, two swimming pools (one with a waterfall), game room, wifi, nearby beaches, golf club, onsite res taurants

(2 people-$512 per person)

Deals found on expedia.com

The Gwynmercian Staff

Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437Volume 60, No. 1 February 2009

Editor-in-Chief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willow WilsonNews Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shadia Arouni & Marie DelloBuonoWriters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sean Carchidi, Maureen Curcio, Beth Harrison, Tina Kane, Dan Schultz Faculty Advisor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Lisbeth ChapinThe opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the same as those of the college or the student body. Comments, questions, and letters to the editors are wel-come. Letters should be signed by the writer; may be witheld. Address letters to Dr. Chapin, 119 Connelly Faculty Center, or email Chapin.L@gmc.edu.

Health Beat Page 3 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

Body Image: Concerns and AdviceBy Willow Wilson ’09 With the warm weather coming up, many students are thinking ahead to shorts, tank tops and flip-flops. Some are even considering bath-ing suits. For many people, spring is a time to get outside and get active, and almost every-one is at least a little more aware of his or her own body image. But for some students, body image isn’t just about shedding a few pounds or looking better in a bikini. Body image can sometimes bring with it real concerns or even eating disorders. February 4th’s Common Hour on Eating and Body Image Concerns addressed many of the issues that come with body image. Amy Poppel, Founder and Director of The Athena Center in North Wales, spoke to a group of GMC members, including students, faculty and staff, on what body image is, how to look for signs of eating disorders and what this means to the person(s) being affected by negative body image. Poppel received her so-cial work degree from Bryn Mawr College and is a licensed clinical social worker who founded The Athena Center to help encourage health and healing for women. Her discussion was infor-mal and conversational, encouraging those at the Common Hour to participate and ask ques-tions. Poppel reasoned that a negative body im-age and subsequent eating disorders (whether they be over-eating or under-eating) are just a mask for the real problem, and The Athena Cen-ter works to help women with the issues facing them, as well as giving a non-diet approach to weight management. “It doesn’t matter what others think of your body, what you see yourself as is very real,” Poppel said. Because of this, the Center doesn’t focus on the women’s bod-ies, but rather how to help them help themselves.

Poppel also pointed out the incred-ible stress and developmental crises that col-lege students face that can contribute to eat-ing disorders. Young adults are transitioning into adulthood, many times away from parents and/or family, trying to balance academics, sports, health and a social life. This can be-come tremendously difficult for some students, and food becomes a “solution” to the prob-lem. Poppel gives these tips for diagnosing and helping others with negative body image:

• Look for body-checking (people that constantly look at themselves in mir-

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. February is heart awareness month, and the goal is to make people aware of heart disease and prevention. In honor of heart awareness, here are some interesting facts about the human heart:

a woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s;

the human heart weighs less than a pound;

the first open heart surgery was performed by Dr. Hall Williams in 1893;

the human heart beats about 35 million times a year;

in a lifetime, the heart pumps out about one barrel of blood;

the human heart can create enough pressure that it could squirt blood at a distance of thirty feet.

Three years after a person quits smoking, thechance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked before.

In 1967, the first successful heart transplant was performed in Cape Town, South Africa

Scientists have discovered that the longer a boy’s ring finger, the less chance he has

of having a heart attack.

When you are exercising, it takes about 10-12 seconds for your blood to go from your heart to your big toe and back again.

The heart is the first organ to begin functioning during embryonic life.

The word “cardiovascular” comes from the Greek word cardiac meaning heart, and the Latin word vasculum meaning vessel.

The cardiovascular system comprises the heart and blood vessels, arteries, veins and capillaries

A broken heart can be more serious than you think. A break up or news of a family death can cause serious stress on your heart, literally .

This trauma can heighten the risk of a heart attack as well as trigger the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream.

The result is that it can temporarily stun the heart, mimicking symptoms similar to that of a heart attack.

The good news is these symptoms generally resolve themselves with time.

Have a heart-healthy life, this month and every month!

Interesting Heart-Filled Facts for Heart Awarness Month

rors or compare their bodies to everyone else) • Notice if someone has lost or gained a noticeable amount of weight in a short time • If someone pushes their food around but doesn’t eat, or makes trips to the bathroom immediately after eating

• If you think that someone has a disor-der, use observation, compassion, and non-judg-ment in addressing the issue. Tell your friend that you notice that there seems to be a problem, that you are concerned, and that you are there to help no matter what. Be sure to assure them that there is nothing wrong with who they are as a person. Poppel concluded her talk with the statistic that diets have a 95% failure rate, and that people should embrace food in moderation. The Athena Center is also having an open house on March 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

OTHER SIGNS OF EATING DISORDERS

Anorexia: Drastic weight loss and weight is still dropping Constant excuses for not eating Feelings of guilt after eating

Bulimia: Binging and purging Secretive eating/missing food Excessive and compulsive exercise regimes--despite fatigue, illness, or injury

Binge Eating: Rapid weight gain Eating large quantities of food when not hungry Frequent weight flutucations

A compassionate friend is often the first thing that someone suffering from an eating disorder needs, and a compassionate friend will always encourage that person to get the best help available and get it soon.

By Shadia Arouni ’09

FeaturesPage 4 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

(HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, continued from pg. 1) Every morning he awoke at 4am and had to take a shower; the Germans feared that if anyone got sick, they would in-fect others. Afterwards, there was roll call, and you only survived by looking healthy. Surviving the journey to Auschwitz is still surprising to Tuck. Tuck compares his train ride to Auschwitz like being on a cattle wagon. In order to have water to drink for the next seven days, he had to attach a string to a red cup, put it through the bars, place it in the snow, and wait for the snow to melt so he could drink water. He had no food. May 8, 1945, Turk and other Jewish prisoners were freed. Throughout his imprisonment, Tucks struggled with his faith; one day he would beg, “God choose somebody else,” and the next day he would “thank God for letting me see the day-light.” After being released, Tuck waited seven-ty-eight months for an American Visa. Instead he decided to go under the alias “Marco Tucci” and move to Italy for seven months. After meeting his wife in Italy, they both traveled to America. Tuck says, “Giving speeches doesn’t

make money, I just want to tell people that it really did happen and it could happen again.” He has been giving speeches for about thirty years; he seems to take a lot of pride in it and does not want anything out of it. He just wants to tell his sto-ry, and it is one worth telling.

A Week in the Life of a Nursing MajorBy Shadia Arouni ’09

Stethoscopes, scrubs, symptoms, di-agnosis, medication, early morning clinical, and nail biting tests…seem overwhelming? It can be, but that is part of my life as a nursing student. Being a nursing student at Gwynedd-Mercy College, or anywhere for that matter, is not easy; it keeps you extremely busy. If you ever wondered what it is like to be a nursing student, here is a quick look at a typical week:

Monday: Maternal Child Nursing: 9:30am- 11:20am Newspaper internship: 11:30am- 1:45pmTuesday: Clinical day at a hospital: 6:45am- 1:00pmWednesday: Behavioral Health Issues: 9:30am- 11:20am Newspaper internship: 11:30am -1:45pmThursday: Clinical at a hospital: 6:45am- 1:00pm Work: 2:30pm-12:00amFriday: Work: 12:00am-10:00am Nursing Transition and Role Develop ment: 12:30pm-2:20pm Work: 3:00pm-11:00pm Not all nursing students have the same exact schedule -- some may have even more classes -- but the class regimen is very similar. Some students work full-time, part-time, or do

not work at all. Balancing a full-time job, go-ing to school full-time, and trying to breathe in between it all is excruciating, but it can be done. Being a nursing student is stressful, but in the end, the late night study sessions and ear-ly morning clinicals make it all worth the ride. If anyone were to ask, “Would you en-courage someone to study nursing?” I would say, “Absolutely YES!” Despite the hectic schedule and anxiety about passing tests, I do not regret one moment of my decision. But I would tell those considering a nursing career to mentally prepare for the journey, stay focused, and most of all, make sure you have a passion for nursing; if there is no passion, you may lack the motivation to stay focused and succeed in your academic nursing career. And remember, in between all the studying and stress, do not forget to squeeze in a little time for yourself. Trust me, you will need it!

David Tucks: Holocaust Survivor in Julia Ball Auditorium

Do you want to tell others about your major?

If so, why not do it through the student newspaper?Individuals interested in writing for the school newspaper should contact Dr. Chapin at Chapin.L@gmc.edu. (All ma-jors welcomed)

COMING UPIn the Next Issue...

Financial Aid Workshop

Job Search Workshop

Philly Highlights

St. Patrick’s Day Dance

Grey’s Anatomy Night

EntertainmentPage 5 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

Movie Review: My Bloody Valentine 3D So-SoBy Tina Kane ’10

Keeping in touch with friends when you’re in college or just graduating is ex-tremely important to maintaining friendships throughout the years. So what better way to get together than at a dinner party? With res-taurant prices rising, and college budgets slim-ming as our economy limps along, staying in is a great way to save money and have fun. There are a few different ways to arrange food-centered get-togethers – you can go for potlucks, appetizers and dessert nights, or full-fledged dinner parties. No matter how you choose to orchestrate your bash, there are a few rules you should follow to maintain a basic form of et-iquette – even though these guests are your buds:(1) Ask about food allergies - you might al-ready know about your friend’s allergy to pea-nuts, but what about her aversion to arugula? Ask about favorite dishes so you can make sure you can accommodate your guests adequately.(2) Send out invitations in advance – formal invitations are not necessary, but a Facebook invi-tation at least a week or so in advance will give your friends an ample chance to clear their schedules.(3) Specify whether your friends can bring guests – some friends, bless their hearts, just have too many friends, so make sure they don’t show up with a bus-load of pals when you’re not expecting extra guests – you’ll feel uncomfortable and so will everyone else.(4) Be hospitable – they call people “hosts” and “hostesses” for a reason. Even though these are your friends, make sure to offer them the basic comforts – like offering to take their jackets, offering them a drink and a seat, etc.(5) Don’t ask for donations – this may sound

ridiculous, but there are those out there that will hint that they’d like you to contribute to the “pot.” If you’re really not able to pay for the party, ar-range something where everyone brings a dish so that this awkward situation doesn’t happen. So, what about the food? That’s the REAL issue here. Getting supplies for your party does not mean draining your paycheck. Shop at places like Costco™ if you’re hosting a bunch of guests. Making frozen appetizers or using prepared meals is not a travesty nor any less posh. If you’re really tight on funds, keep your menu to appetizers or desserts – cheese and crackers, bruschetta, simple soups, and light sal-ads are perfectly fine. As for the main course, don’t be afraid to try something new, but stay away from anything that uses selective ingre-dients – these can get expensive very quickly, and your friends might not appreciate them. Buying those frozen entrées and spiffing them up with simple garnishes is probably a better idea. Some great dishes to use include: ravioli, chicken marsala, and lemon pasta for instance, which can be bought frozen or made easily and inexpensively with fresh ingredients. The Food Network’s show “Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” has a fantastic collection of easy recipes like these that require little cooking technique and are based on a shoe-string budget. Most important, make sure the night is fun. Don’t be concerned with the little details or if your food doesn’t taste like five-star restaurant cuisine. The most important part of host-ing a dinner party is that everyone enjoy themselves, so make sure to have some fun games to play and a group of friends that you

know will be happy you made the effort. The best ingredients for a terrific dinner party are good friends, good food, and someone willing to help clean up afterwards!

On a College Budget: How to Make a Dinner Party Feasible!By Maureen Curcio ’10

CD Review: The FrayBy Marie DelloBuono ’09

Released February 3, The Fray’s self-titled second album has hit number-one on the Billboard charts. The album includes ten tracks of the piano-based melodies that fu-eled the band’s instant popularity with its first album, How to Save a Life. The catchy first single, “You Found Me,” was debuted to the public on the season five trailer of the hit televi-sion series Lost and quickly began regular rota-tion on the country’s major pop radio stations. The deliberate drum beats and slow, haunt-ing vocals of singer Isaac Slade mark The Fray as one of the bands to be aware of in 2009, although this CD contains an intense quality of sadness not present in their first album. Stand-out tracks in-clude “Enough for Now” and “Never Say Never.” However, if you were looking for a progression or departure from the last al-bum, this record will be sure to disappoint you. It is frustratingly reminiscent of their first CD but with an almost boring arrange-ment of one down-beat ballad after another. Overall, The Fray has delivered a me-diocre follow-up to their very successful debut album, although it could certainly be appre-ciated for its honest and simplistic melodies.

Join GMC for Movie Marathon!

Where: Ambler TheaterWhen: March 27, 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.What: Supports Juvenile Diabetes ResearchGreat movies and prizes!

My Bloody Valentine in 3D is a moderate-ly frightening film, where weapons, flames, and blood jump out at you from the screen. However, it was not a very unique plot, nor was it deathly scary. My Bloody Valentine tells the story of Harry, who goes crazy while trapped in a mine with his co-workers under an avalanche of boulders. When the rubble was removed, all were-found dead but one: Harry. It was later found out that the others didn’t die from the impact of the explo-sion, but were murdered by none other than Harry. From then on, he goes on a ram-page and kills 22 people. This rampage, later known as the Valentine’s Day Mas-sacre, was unbearable to Tom Hanniger, whose father owned the mine. Tom was nearly killed by Harry in the mine but escaped when the deputy shot the killer. Ten years later, Tom returns to his hometown to find himself being accused of the murders. No one believes he is innocent except for his old girlfriend Sarah. The story ends in a surprising twist, unlike the origi-nal My Bloody Valentine, released in 1981. This film is chock full of blood and guts and definitely justifies itself in being called a thriller.

I give it three and a half out of five stars.

Cultural EventsPage 6 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

Rosella Clemmons Washington in Song at GMCBy Marie DelloBuono ’09

A local vocalist performed in the Ju-lia Ball Auditorium on February 6th in honor of Black History Month. Rosella Clemmons Washington, a classically trained arranger, composer, and vocalist teamed up with some of Philadelphia’s most established jazz musi-cians to provide a culturally-rich experience to students, faculty, and the general public. Carol Evans, the music director and Voices of Gwynedd director here at the Col-lege, gave a brief introduction to Clemmons, a personal friend and former colleague of hers. The concert began with the smooth and elegant sounds of Clemmons’ accompaniment – a jazz quartet consisting of piano, drums, bass, and electric trumpet players. Each musician dis-played his own talent with solos that made up the first twenty minutes of the overall performance. Clemmons made a much-anticipated ap-pearance after the first instrumental and began speaking with the audience, providing a friendly and interactive experience for the listeners. Be-ginning with a version of “Handle’s Messiah,” Clemmons quickly demonstrated the sultry and effective vocals that make her worthy of acclaim. What ensued were song styles ranging from clas-sical to Motown; the performers even put a spin on popular songs such as Etta James’ “At Last” and the late Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” The finale was a Christian spiritual

Rosella Clemmons Washington and a jazz quartet perform at the Black History Month concert and cultural celebration on Friday, February 6th.

“Laughs for Lives” Gives Laughs for a CauseBy Marie DelloBuono ’09

(Above) John Kinsel, a Philadelphia local, opens with his act.(Below) Headliner Paul Lyons performs at “Laughs for Lives” comedy show.

song in which the vocalist invited the audi-ence to sing along and get completely in-volved in the performance, allowing ev-eryone to leave the concert in high-spirits.

C e l e b r a t i n g Music at GMC

Gwynedd-Mercy College hosted a comedy show in the Waldron Board Room on Thursday, February 19th to help support “Cru-sade for Care,” an organization that assists cancer victims at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Local comedian Jon Kinsel opened his set with his fast-talking, relatable humor, followed by headliner Paul Lyons, who was fea-tured on Comedy Central and the hit television series Everybody Loves Raymond. With a five-dollar donation, guests were provided with light refreshments as well as free Philadelphia soft pretzels and bottled water. The dim lighting, round tables, and intimate setting contributed to the comedy club-style atmo-sphere. Each person received a Crusade for Care informational flyer which included the beneficiary’s mission statement and background information. Created in 2006, Crusade for Care is an organization that aims to support the spiritual and emotional needs of cancer patients and their loved ones. The group provides inspirational and relaxation items, including CDs, DVDs, books, and journals for the cancer patients so that they may be filled with hope and a healing presence. Because of events like “Laughs for Lives,” Gwynedd-Mercy College is the most active community in supporting Crusade for Care.

The Gwynmercian

staff would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe

Spring Break!

EditorialsPage 7 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

The New Helpdesk: Helpful or Not?By Tina Kane ’10

The IT Helpdesk has undergone some drastic changes in the last year. Not only are there more services, but there are also new staff members, and the office has a sleek, pro-fessional look. Besides these changes, there are new, larger signs indicating the location of the help desk (to the right when you are going down the stairs in Saint Bernard Hall). Also, the staff tends to classroom requests quickly. If the Smart Board is not working properly, an IT staff member is there within minutes to fix the problem. In addition, staff courteously alerts students when the network is experienc-ing problems and usually repairs it in no time. Another helpful change is IT’s updat-ed website. It offers many more options and is helpful and informative. It even provides visual aids to guide students through their problems. Lastly, the student staff members are very accommodating and go out of their

way to help other students. The IT student staff members demonstrate Gwynedd-Mer-cy’s mission statement by being competent, community-oriented, and service bound. Still, there are some changes that need some getting used to. For example, students can-not leave voice messages for the IT desk, which can be inconvenient. However, contacting the IT desk through e-mail is available. Another change from last year is the availability of media equip-ment to students. Last year, students could simply call the Helpdesk and request to use a video cam-era for a school project. Now the Helpdesk is no longer responsible for loaning media equipment. This is confusing at first since most students are used to calling the Helpdesk for such inquiries. Nevertheless, the IT Helpdesk is an in-tegral part of the Gwynedd-Mercy commu-nity and its upgrades are definitely worthwhile.

Spring 2009 Accelerated Course: March 2-April 24BIO 101: Fun experiments, exciting class discussions, a general overview of biology, things you always wanted to know about the human body but were afraid to ask! Prof. Sharon HartranftMW 8:00-10:20 p.m.

Summer Session I 2009: May 18-June 26ENG 437: Shakespeare for the Classroom is a course designed to explore a variety of pedagogical methods used to teach and analyze six of the most commonly taught of Shakespeare’s plays; designed especially for teachers of grades 9-12. Prof. Lisbeth ChapinTR 4:30-7:10 p.m.

Summer Session II 2009: June 29-August 7ENG 286: The Literature of MedicineThis course explores the complexities of cancer and AIDS in fiction, poetry, and drama.TR 9:00-12:15 p.m. Prof. Lisa McGarry Fall Semester 2009 ENG 413: Twentieth-Century American Poetry. This course emphasizes major movements in modern and postmodern poetry: Varieties of Mod-ernism, Confessional Poetry, the Beats, the New York School, and the Black Mountain Poets. Prof. Donna AllegoTR 10:00-11:15 a.m.

ENG 299: Prison Literature. This course explores the theme of imprisonment as it appears in a variety of literary works from ancient through mod-ern times; it may be of special interest to those in the Criminal Justice and Human Services programs. Prof. Carol BreslinW 4:30-7:10 p.m.

Exciting Courses Coming This Spring, Summer, and Fall!

IT Mostly Delivers

Do you enjoy writing?

If so, why not write for the student newspaper?Individuals interested in writing for the student newspaper should contact

Dr. Lisbeth Chapin at Chapin.L@gmc.edu

SportsPage 8 Gwynedd-Mercy College February 2009

Off-Season Reports: Eagles and PhilliesBy Dan Schultz’10

After suffering their fourth NFC Cham-pionship loss in five years, the Eagles enter this off-season with some major concerns. Can they re-sign veterans Williams Thomas, Jon Runyan, and Brian Dawkins? Thomas has only missed eleven starts in his ten-year career with the Eagles, Runyan has started an impressive 212 consecutive games, and Dawkins led the NFC with six forced fumbles. The bigger question the Eagles must answer is on the future of Quarterback Donovan McNabb. Over the last three years, rumors have been swirling that McNabb could be on his way out despite his success, which includes five NFC

Griffins Strive for Three-PeatBy Sean Carchidi ’10

The Gwynedd-Mercy baseball team is looking to win again in the 2009 season in the newly formed Colonial States Athletic Confer-ence (CSAC). The Griffins have won back to back championships in the former Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) (2007, 2008) and hope to make it a three-peat. The 2007 season saw the Griffins (33-12) dominate in the regular season before losing their first playoff tournament game, only to come storming back with a pair of wins against Wesley, 9-4 and 10-1, in the finals. In 2008, it was the exact opposite for a young Griffins (22-20) team. A mediocre regular season, featuring a roster with 18 freshmen, fol-lowed by an explosive playoff run capped off an exciting season. They finished off newcomers to the league Centenary, 14-1, in the championship game to earn their third straight NCAA tournament appearance and back to back conference titles. Paul Murphy is in his 11th season as head coach of the Griffins. He has four cham-pionships and will definitely be looking to claim a fifth in 2009. Murphy graduated from St. Joseph’s University and has the talent and determination to take this team well beyond the conference and into the NCAA tournament. The Griffins open up their season in Virginia against Lynchburg College on Febru-ary 14, before embarking on their Spring Break trip to Florida to play high-caliber nationally ranked teams. On February 28th, they open up

against Farmingdale State in a doubleheader. The Griffins begin CSAC confer-ence play at home on Saturday, March 21 with two games against Philadelphia Bib-lical University starting at 12:00 pm. The Gwynedd-Mercy Griffins base-ball team gives the impression of being a very promising team in the 2009 Spring Base-ball season. I sat down with some return-ing members of the baseball team to discuss their expectations for the upcoming season. Senior captain Ryan McNamara says the team has lofty goals in 2009: “We expect to win the [CSAC] conference, and our goal is to win the [NCAA] region and ultimately play in the College World Series.” Senior Pat Rider and Junior Tom Weiss wholeheartedly agreed. Their opinions of the starting pitching staff this season was positive. The team has four definite starters who held the team togeth-er as they vied for their past championships. McNamara (3-2), Senior Sean Mid-dleton (3-4), Sophomore Andrew Ball (5-0) and Senior Tim McMenamin (1-1) threw well enough to produce crucial wins last season. Senior Ed Windhaus, Weiss and Rider are prominent members of the team’s relief corps. Although there is inexperience mixed into this group this year, the young tal-ent on the team should help bolster the bull-

pen and the back end of the starting rotation. The infield looks strong this year with the addition of transfer player Nick Goetz (Arcadia). He plays second base and will re-inforce the middle infield while Mike Albert will jump to third base and McMenamin will hold down the other corner. A host of other young Griffins will try to contribute as well. Junior Dan Strack, off his recent co-MVP championship game, returns to the out-field stronger than ever while Austin Ley, also a transfer from Arcadia, hopes to solidify the centerfield spot while several other Griffins will fight for the remaining spot in the outfield. As catchers are concerned, Senior Nick DiEnno competes for his third cham-pionship in four years. He will be backed up by transfers Jim Harris and Todd Budweg. The Griffins fiercest competition this year will be from Keystone College, an NCAA tournament qualifier in 2008 and a new-comer to the league. The Griffins split a non-conference double-header matchup in 2008. McNamara really wanted to stress how much he, and the rest of the 8 se-niors on the team, want to win this year and be competitive on a national level.

G o G r i f f i n s !

title games and a trip to Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. After tying the Cincinnati Bengals and be-ing benched for the second half against the Bal-timore Ravens, it seemed like McNabb’s days in Philly were numbered. But after bouncing back and finishing the season with three wins in the final four games, including a 44-6 disman-tling of the Dallas Cowboys, followed by a trip to the NFC Championship, McNabb may have secured his job. Despite a report by the NFL Network’s Deion Sanders, McNabb has made it clear that he wants to retire an Eagle and hopes get a new contract signed during this offseason. Meanwhile, the 2008 World Champion Phillies entered this offseason with eight players eligible for arbitration: Cole Hamels, Joe Blan-ton, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, Greg Dobbs, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard. The Phils have been able to sign seven of these players to new contracts, most notably Cole Hamels who signed a new three year deal worth 20.5 million dollars. Hamels has been the ace of the pitching staff over the last two seasons and was named the World Series MVP for his remark-able performance throughout the playoffs which included a record of 5-0 in five starts, allowing just seven runs in his thirty five innings pitched. The only player the Phils have yet to sign is first base slugger Ryan Howard. In 2008, Howard set a MLB arbitration record by ask-ing for and being awarded ten million dollars. This year Howard is seeking $18 million which

is the second highest arbitration request second to Roger Clemens $22 million request in 2005. Howard is under contract till 2011 but is eligible for arbitration after each season if the Phillies are unable to sign him to a new deal. Since being called up to the Phils in 2005, Howard has been named Rookie of the Year, MVP in 2006 and finished second for MVP in 2008 to St. Louis’ Albert Pujols. Howard led all of MLB in 2006 setting a Phillies franchise record with 58 home runs and 149 RBI’s and in 2008 Howard again led all of MLB in home runs with 48 and RBI’s with 146.

One thing is for sure -- there are still plenty of fans that hope both teams make it to the championships next year!