7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

1/8

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

2/8

NEWSPage 2 December 12, 2012

Teddy Bear Toss provides

This years Teddy Bear Toss washeld Friday, Dec. 7, in the Tullio IceCenter.

James Oefelein, president of theMercyhurst Veterans Association(MVA), helped to organize the event.

Oefelein got involved with theTeddy Bear Toss through friends onthe hockey team, namely Pat Goebel.

It was Goebels idea to start the tossand Oefelein asked if they could givethe toys collected to Toys for Tots.Goebel agreed. The Mercyhurst Veter-ans Association then ran with it fromthere and the results were surprising.

I asked Pat the first year if wecould donate to Toys for Tots,because as a former Marine, it is oneof my favorite charities, Oefeleinsaid.

With Toys for Tots the donationsthat people give stay in the local com-munity.

With the economy the way it is thereare a lot of kids in Erie who can ben-efit from the amazing generosity ofthe Mercyhurst and Erie community,said Oefelein. This is something thatis very near and dear to me and Im sohappy that I can play a small part incontributing to it.

Last years Teddy Bear Toss wascomically successful in that we col-lected many stuffed animals. We didntdo an exact count but we were reallyhappy with it being our first year, saidOefelein. The comical part was that alot of fans didnt show up early enoughand the boys scored early so we did itfor the first and second g oals.

Its a great community event.Because it is something simple andrelatively inexpensive, more peopleare willing to do it, said sophomore

Jacob Middlesetter. And who doesnt

like throwing stuff out onto the icerink. Feels like Im doing something Ishouldnt be.

This years goal was to grow theawareness in the Erie community atlarge. There is a great hockey commu-nity in Erie and with the NHL lockoutOefelein thought that many people arelooking for good hockey to watch andour Mercyhurst Lakers could providethat.

Oefelein is thankful for the supportthis initiative has received.The Veterans Association is

greatly appreciative of the supportthey have received from the Mercy-hurst hockey program, the Mercy-hurst Student Government, and theMercyhurst administration, especiallyDeb Morton, for their support of thisevent and the Association in g eneral,said Oefelein.We are truly indebted tothese people for helping us accomplishour missions.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

toys for local children

Changes cometo radio station

A committee of members of thecommunication department and theuniversity administration have beenmeeting regularly for months to dis-cuss a format change for the campusradio station, 88.5 Jazz FM.

In March of this year, CaptainDan Geary, veteran Erie radio personal-ity, took charge of 88.5 Jazz FM in addi-tion to his position managing 1530-AM

WYNE on the North East Campus.

Over the summer, Geary migratedthe operations of WYNE to the facil-ities on the Mercyhurst Main campus.

Since about July, WMCE and WYNEhave both been operated on the maincampus. It was about this time thatGeary started entertaining the idea ofchanging the music format for WMCE.

All of the jazz programming willbe moved online, said Geary. 88.5and WYNE will be simulcast playingprimarily oldies.

The simulcast will provide a muchwider listener-range, by greatly increas-

ing the reach of the station. In addi-tion, students will have the opportunityto produce and host their own spe-cialty programming playing songs oftheir choosing.

Students interested in hosting aspecialty program will be required tosubmit a proposal to Geary, as well asgo through general training.

All student-produced specialtyprogramming will be recorded andproduced ahead of time. As of nowthere are no plans for live, studentproduced programming.

We believe that the jazz format hasnot been able to get students and fac-ulty involved to the level that we wouldlike to see a format that procures alarge amount of listeners providesthem with opportunities that are moreextensive, Communication Depart-ment Chair Meghan Corbin said.

Currently three specialty programsare already in the early stages of pro-duction. They include sophomore SarahMohans Love Songs with Sarah,senior Brady Greenawalts Bradys Bar-gain Basement classic rock show andInto the 80s by junior Sam Giddings.

Several faculty members also have

programming on the station, includingDennis Lebecs Choice Cuts.

The resource of the radio station isnot only reserved for communicationstudents.

All of our communication studentsshould at least have working knowl-edge of a radio station, said Corbin.We hope and anticipate that studentsand faculty from across the university

will want to be involved.The station is not just an oppor-

tunity for those hoping to be on-aireither; it also offers opportunities for

people with interests in advertising,business, graphic design and muchmore. Currently the graphic designdepartment is holding a logo contestfor the radio stations re-branding, thefirst prize is a $50 VISA gift card.

The format change is planned to forMonday, Jan. 7.

For more information on how youcan get involved email Dan Geary atdgeary@mercyhurst.edu.

Brady Greenawalt will be part of the stu-dent staff on WMCE.

By Brady GreenawaltStaff writer

Students now can create their own radio shows at 88.5 Jazz FM,

located in the lower level of Baldwin Hall.

Alicia Cagle photo

Home recipient sends gratitude to House the Hurst Built

House recipient Rosemary Anderson sent a letter of gratitude for all of the hard work fromHouse the Hurst Built.

Dear Dr. Gamble,My family and I would like to thank you and all the students, staff members, directors and board mem-

bers at Mercyhurst who contributed their time and effort to help build our new home. I am extremelygrateful and would like to extend my gratitude to you. Mercyhurst has made my dreams come true! Youhave made my burdens a lot easier. This is a life changing opportunity for my children. I can never thank

you all enough.

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

3/8

Page 3December 12, 2012 NEWS

Wednesday, Dec. 5

Possession of drug paraphernalia

McAuley Hall

Res-life incident

Saturday, Dec. 8

Liquor law violation

Duval Apartments

(16) Students referred for discipline

Saturday, Dec. 8

Criminal mischief to vehicle

Lot #1Referred for discipline

Mercyhurst

UniversityPolice & Safety Police Log

Monday, Dec. 10

Larceny

Lot #12

Theft of tra c signs

Committee begins plans for senior gift

Its been decided. The Class of 2013will be donating a greenhouse to theuniversity.

The location where the greenhouseis to be built is yet to be determined.

Three locations have been proposed,but the ultimate decision is up to Mer-cyhurst President Thomas Gamble,Ph.D.

The greenhouse will allow research

opportunities for science students,fresh herbs for culinary students anda place for reflection and relaxation forall of the Mercyhurst community.

The senior class hopes to raiseapproximately $15,000 to go towardthe construction of a fully functionalgreenhouse. The greenhouse will serveas a small botanical garden and will befully stocked with plants, along with a

watering and heating system.The Senior Gift Committee came

up with five gift ideas and proposed

them to the senior class to vote ontheir top choice.

Mercyhurst prides itself on beinggreen and implements sustainablepractices throughout everyday life. Thegreenhouse builds upon this alreadyinstilled value and enhances Mercy-hursts commitment of environmentalresponsibility and sustainability.

Senior Gift Committee Chair RhonaBoyle shares her feelings on the gift.

The Senior Class Gift Committeewanted to leave a multidisciplinary giftthat would benefit as many studentsas possible, said Boyle. I think its

brilliant that biology, hospitality man-agement, campus dining services, sus-tainability and service learning can allutilize the g reenhouse.

Now that we are a university, Ithink that it is important that thedepartment has more resources avail-able to them for research opportu-nities as well as hands on learning,senior biology major Gabriela Mat-amoros said.

The Mercyhurst farm at Girardhas been a huge success, said Boyle.

It shows that Mercyhurst studentsare really passionate about globalresponsibility and being green. TheSenior Class Gift Committee recog-nized this and felt that an on-campusgreenhouse, directly accessible to allstudents, would be received just as

well.Fundraising efforts have already

begun with the completion of theSenior Disorientation Bar Crawl andthe planning of Senior Week activities.

Senior Week is the week of Febru-ary 4-8 and is a week-long celebrationof senior status. The committee is

planning different events to take placeeach night, leading up to the 100 Daysuntil Graduation Party on Friday, Feb.8.

All of these events are fundraisingefforts brought to the class by theSenior Gift Committee.

If you would like to contribute tothe class gift you can fill out a pledgecard, which you can get from one ofthe committee members, or go onlineto https://hurstalumni.org/class-of-2013-senior-gift/.

For more information about theupcoming fundraising efforts or formore information on the gift, you

can also visit www.facebook.com/groups/MU2013.

By Abigail RobinsonStaff editor

100th class graduates

Celebrations will soon take placefor the 100th class graduation ofthe Mercyhurst University Munici-pal Police Training Academy for allof their time, effort, hard work andachievement.

The Academy will be celebrating its100th class graduation in a ceremonyon Friday, Dec. 14, at the Mary DAn-gelo Performing Arts Center (PAC) onMercyhurst Main Campus. Pennsylva-nia State Police Commissioner FrankNoonan and Mercyhurst President

Thomas Gamble, Ph.D., will speak at

the ceremony.The ceremony is usually held at theNorth East campus, but was moved tothe PAC to accommodate additionalguests for the event.

Almost 3,000 alumni will be joinedby the 33 cadets of the 100th class tobe honored for their achievements atthe academy.

The academy has been trainingcadets since 1977 with its 21-weekprogram.

Academy Director Walter (Bill)Hale has overseen the academy sincethe previous director retired and will

also be at the ceremony. Hale had fiveyears of municipal police experiencebefore taking over the position at theacademy.

According to Hale, the graduat ion

ceremony will be like other gradua-tion ceremonies. Certificates will behanded out to the cadets in physi-cal training, firearms and academicareas.

Gamble will present the Pres-idents Award to the overall bestcadet at the ceremony. A receptionafter the ceremony will be preparedby Mercyhurst Hospitality and Culi-nary students.

Since 1977, Mercyhurst has oper-ated one of only 16 regional policetraining academies in the Common-

wealth and trained the majority ofactive police officers in our region,Gamble said.

The program, which Hale says wasstarted in Erie, was moved to North

East in the 1990s.Cadets in the program endure a

grueling course load that is both aca-demic and physical in nature. Theylearn all about the rules of criminal

law, history of policing and ethics, aswell as firear ms training, hands- ontactical self-defense and motor vehi-cle operation among other challeng-ing subjects.

[Current training] is well over 700hours and will soon be over 1,000hours, Hale said.

The 100th class of cadets startedlast July in various stages of physicalfitness, wondering what the program

was about and how it would proceed.Over the following weeks, Hale

and other trainers got the class into

physical and academic shape as theytaught them how to survive in manydifferent situations throughout theirtraining.

In regards to the work Hale hasdone with the cadets, Gamble said,It is through their leadership, andthat of the ir predecessors, that wehonor you today knowing full wellthat we have done our best to pre-pare you for your future careers in lawenforcement.

By Kierston BromleyStaff writer

Police Academy celebrates

Displayed is a model of the Senior Gift greenhouse that will be

built on campus for next year.

Contributed photo

It is through leader-

ship...that we honor

you today.

Thomas Gamble Ph.D.

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

4/8

FEATURES Page 4December 12, 2012

AIM plans to conquer

the Grand Canyon

Want to travel and help otherssimultaneously?

The Asperger Initiative at Mercy-hurst (AIM) is set to have a uniqueexperience to raise money and aware-ness for their program.

The program will hold a tripthroughout the state of Arizona andthe Grand Canyon from May 20-24,for 15-20 students, faculty and staffmembers who may be interested inexperiencing the Grand Canyon andits surroundings.

A few spots are also open to anymembers of the public who wish togo along.

Conquer the Canyon is an agencyin Arizona that helps non-profit pro-grams raise money and awareness. Theagency does this by holding hiking

adventures for groups and individuals.Most of the people the agency doesthis for are those who suffer fromthings such as genetic disorders, home-lessness, diabetes, poverty and cancer.

The trip is being led by AIM Direc-tor Brad McGarry.

McGarry thought it would be a

great idea to hold a trip like this forstudents who are a part of the AIMprogram after having the experiencehimself back in 2010 with his 9-year-old son Connor, who suffers from arare genetic disease called angelmansyndrome.

According to McGarry, the experi-ence was very rewarding.

The reason we do this is to raiseawareness for the asperger programshere at Mercyhurst, get youths andcollege students away from technologyand back into nature, and get someexercise, McGarry said. Were also

making this a social skills venture forpeople who are fund-raising in a dif-ficult and awkward situation becausesocial interaction is difficult from anautism and asperger point of view.

AIM will host several fundraisers inorder to raise funds for the Conquer theCanyon trip. One fundraiser was held atBob Evans restaurants in Erie on Dec.8 and 11 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.

Bob Evans will donate 15 percent ofits sales from those who came in with aConquer the Canyon flier.

AIM will also host Night at the ErieBayhawks on Monday, Jan. 28. A per-centage of the ticket sales from thatgame will go towards the trip.

Individuals may also sponsor anddonate money to anyone who goes onthe Conquer the Canyon trip. If thereisnt a specific individual you wouldlike to send money to, you can stilldonate to the trip in g eneral.

Please visit the following web-link

if you would like to do this: http://hurstalumni.org/conquer-the-can-yon/.

If you would like to know moreinformation about the Conquer theCanyon trip, please contact BradMcGarry at (814)-824-2451 or bmc-garry@mercyhurst.edu.

By Daniel TarrStaff writer

WWD available

to studentsThe Hammermill Library has a new

resource available for students. Thanksto a conjunct effort between Ham-mermill Library and the Fashion Mer-chandising Department, students nowcan enjoy unlimited access to Womens

Wear Daily (WWD).

WWD is a fashion-industry tradejournal, referred to as the bible offashion. It delivers information onbreaking news and upcoming trends inthe world of fashion, beauty and retail.

Although WWD readership iscomposed largely of members in thefashion industry, including retailers,designers, manufacturers, marketersand trend makers, any consumer tryingto keep up-to-date with the retail busi-ness can find it useful and intriguing.

Prior to having the journal availableon the Hammermill Library website,

the fashion department received adaily print copy of WWD. However,the mailing process entailed receiv-ing the copies a few days later fromits date of publication. Moreover, thelibrary databases only enabled accessto WWD abstracts, not full articles.

In an industry where being attentive

to the latest and most current newsis pivotal, the situation was less thanideal. Today, students can browse thejournal on a daily basis for fashiontrends, features and scoop as easily andquickly as walking to a newsstand andpicking up a physical copy.

Fashion Department Chair andAssistant Professor Amy Weaver-Kau-lis describes the endeavor as the bestof both worlds. She asserts it is a

phenomenal asset and support to theFashion program. It is a research toolthat enables students to search forboth past and current articles withoutthe hassle of having to graze throughnewspaper copies.

Currently, only a limited number ofusers are able to access this resourceat the same time. The subscription to

Womens Wear Daily is paid per seat.Due to the expensive cost of the sub-scription, the Hammermill Library onlyoffers entry to two viewers at once.

Librarian Penny Wise states, how-ever, that the online subscription isstill in a period of trial. Depending onusage statistics regarding the numberof turnaways, the decision to financemore seats might be taken. Regardless,

WWD is a valuable resource for stu-dents interested in the fashion, retail orbeauty industries.

By Alejandra ZeronStaff writer

Social media sites connect Mercyhurst

How do you get your news aboutMercyhurst University?

Check the bulletin boards aroundcampus? Receive information from thegossip chain?

Chances are you do all those, butyou also hear it through social mediasources, such as Facebook, Twitter,

YouTube, Google Plus, Pinterest and

Instagram.Who monitors these conversations

that are taking place across the differ-ent platforms? Mercyhurst UniversitySocial Media Director Chris Norrisoversees these outlets and is responsi-ble for the majority of the content onthese sites.

Norris explained these ever-chang-ing technologies.

The Facebook, Twitter and You-Tube accounts were created a fewyears ago, but the Facebook accounthad to be re-launched when Mercy-

hurst changed from college to univer-sity status.

On the other hand, the Instagram,Pinterest, and Google Plus accounts

were created less than a year ago andare just now being integrated into thesocial media mix.

Norris uses different accounts fordifferent reasons.

For example, Twitter is used likea mass text message. It is used forshort conversations and updates in

which followers can hold conversa-

tions with other students, prospec-tive students, or faculty and staff atMercyhurst.

If anyone says Mercyhurst we seeit. If its good, we re-tweet it, Norrissaid.

In addition, Mercyhurst has an Ins-tagram account.

Instagram is the place we gofor campus pictures, YouTube fora hodgepodge of information, andPinterest for Mercyhurst relatedcontent. The only blogs that Mercy-hurst uses are links to student blogs,

Norris said.Pinterest is Mercyhursts newest

addition.It is image heavy, which is good

because we live in a place wherepeople like to see [things], said Norris.It is a good place to showcase ath-letes, art, even student life. It helpsbecause we have a beautiful campus

with lots going on.Pinterest is a new fad for business

and college and what makes it differ-ent than other platforms is that it was

designed for tablets and phones, notthe other way around.

Although none of the accountsthemselves are connected, Mercy-hurst uses Sprout Social, a socialmedia control platform to manage allof the posts. Once Norris does that,he posts between three and four postsa day.

Norris tries to make the posts alldifferent by using the Share, Pro-mote, and Engage method, as hecalls it.

One day, he might share a student

blog, promote an article about theIntel department in the New York

Times and ask followers a questionabout their favorite classes.

To gain followers, Mercyhurst doesextensive advertising on its websiteand social media sites.

The target audiences for the sitesare mostly students, but it dependson the platform. We want students toengage with each other, thats the maingoal, Norris said.

With prospective students, Norris

explained his goal is for them to seeour pride and get a sense of the stu-dents at the school they want to go to.

We want to get conversations startedbetween students; staff, departments;the Erie community.

We want the community to seethat, Norris said.

We live in a time where social mediais the first thing we do when we wakeup, the last thing we do before we sleepand during many spare moments inbetween.

So make sure to check out Mercy-

hursts social media sites to share andconnect.By Katie Felong

Contributing writer

Social Media Director Chris

Norris keeps Mercyhurst con-

nected through various social

media sites.

Contributed photo

Brad McGarry hikes the canyon

with his son.

mercyhurst.com photo

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

5/8

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5December 12, 2012

Tis the Season delighted PAC audience members of every agewith a number of high energy, festively themed dance routines.

Tis the Season puts audiences in the holiday spirit

Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre came tothe stage with toy guns blazing for last

weekends performance of Tis theSeason, a holiday treat for the wholefamily.

The mood was set both festively andeloquently as freshman music majorKhylinn Hayes played festive tunes onhis violin. The Dance Departmentsnewest faculty, Melissa Bobick, cho-reographed the first piece that was a

re-envisioned rendition of the classicBabes in Toyland.Telling the story of two sisters who

leave their parents for a trip to the mys-tical Toyland, freshman Elaina Sutulaand sophomore Kelsey Sawyer playedtheir roles of the two sisters perfectly.

Every movement and bit of chore-ography really gave the audience thefeeling that they were two young girlsreceiving presents from their parents.

The girls get transported to a magi-cal place of marionettes, hobbyhorsesand a beautiful ballerina doll, whichjunior Emily McAveney portrayed inthe story.

McAveneys performance was

especially captivating; her techniquewas spot on and there wasnt a single

moment when a smile left her face.After spending some time with the

toys in their mystical land, the girlsdecide that although toys and dollsare fun, there isnt anything quite likespending time with family on Christ-mas.

The scene was incredibly captivat-ing; every person on stage brought anindividual energy with them that cre-ated an ambiance that was certainlygreater than the sum of its parts.

The second piece took a religiousturn with A Multitude of Angels,

with visually stunning choreographyby Associate Professor of Dance, C.Noelle Partusch.

Featuring a peaceful blue backdropand flowing, beautiful costumes forthe dancers, this section was set to J.S.Bachs Christmas Oratorio, whichgave it the appropriate mood, and stilltied it into the holiday season.

The effect created by this piecewas moving and gave the audience asense of warmth. The dancers movedtogether, which created an effect ofunity that added to the piece.

The third and final set of scenestook the audience through a joyful

thrill ride and gave an inside look onthe organized chaos of toys and frantic

elves that is the North Pole two weeksbefore Christmas Day.

Choreographed by Associate Pro-fessor of Dance, Mark Santillano,Santas Toy Shop included sevenseparate scenes and a menagerieof recognizable tunes such as MyFavorite Things, March of the ToySoldiers, and a fun twist on a popu-lar Christmas Tune, Rudolf the RedNosed Reindeer Mambo.

The whole show popped with piz-zazz and energy, providing true enter-tainment for an audience member of

any age.Associate Professor of Dance,

Mark Santillano provided narration inverse between acts.

Not only did this provide the timenecessary to change the elaborate scen-ery, but also gave the audience come-dic relief with fun and witty rhymes.

Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre certainlydeserves recognition for the constantstream of brilliant performances theyprovide.

The atmosphere of the event wasastounding. Tis the Season is just

what was needed to make this holidayseason feel truly complete.

By Mathew Anderson

A&E editor

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

Mercyhurst Concert Choirperforms The Messiah

The Mercyhurst Concert Choir willbe putting on two separate concerts ofHandels The Messiah next week.Both concerts will feature hand-se-lected soloists along with the full gloryof the choir to tell the story of TheMessiah.

When many musicians think ofdecking the halls and good tidings,G.F. Handels The Messiah comesto mind. The choir will be perform-ing the first section of the oratorio,

ending with the well-known Hallelu-jah Chorus. The concert will followthe story though emotional solo piecesending in the popular choruses that areone of the reasons the piece is so well

known today. Conducted by Directorof Choirs Rebecca Ryan, the concert

will feature full orchestra accompani-ment and will be perfect for gettinginto the holiday spirit and remindingus why it is that we celebrate this timeof year. The concert held at the NorthEast campus will also include a sur-prise for the audience.

Before the performance of TheMessiah, the concert choir will singAve Maria in Russian by Sergei Rach-maninoff. The whole concert will end

with the Hallelujah Chorus, which isalways a crowd pleaser. Most peopleknow that it is tradition for everybodyin the room to stand when the choir

sings this momentous piece, but noteverybody quite knows why they stand.

Part of the tradition to stand couldbe explained as respect toward theLord and church, but it is actually

because of something much morebasic. When The Messiah was per-formed for the first time for the KingGeorge II in 1741, it was also one ofthe first times trumpets were used ina sacred piece. The king became soexcited that he rose to his feet, and hiscourt followed suit. So, to this day, itstradition to stand during the singing ofthe Hallelujah Chorus.

Free and open to the public, theperformances will take place in twoseparate venues. The first will be in thePerforming Arts Center on Sunday,Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. The concert in theChapel at Mercyhurst North Eastscampus will be performed on Wednes-

day, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.Dont miss this wonderful oppor-

tunity to hear this timeless pieceperformed live with full choir andorchestra.

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

Online Full list of events can be

found on the PAC websiteView upcoming performances:

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

edu/arts_entertainment

Met HD Live presents:Aida by Giuseppe Verdi

The Metropolitans unforgettable production of Verdis ancient

Egyptian drama stars Liudmyia Monastyrska as the enslaved Ethi-

opian princess caught in a love triangle with the heroic Radames,

played by Roberto Alagna, and the proud Egyptian princess

Amneris, sung by Olga Borodina. Fabio Luisi conducts.

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 - 12:55 p.m. in theMary DAngelo Performing Arts Center

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

6/8

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 6December 12, 2012

Langer Film Series:Martha Marcy May Marlene

This psychological thriller tells the story ofa young woman unraveling amidst her attemptto reclaim a normal life after fleeing from acult and its charismatic leader. Martha is unableand unwilling to reveal the truth about herdisappearance, but when her memories triggera chilling paranoia that her former cult couldstill be pursuing her, the line between Marthas

reality and delusion begins to blur.

Taylor Little TheaterFriday, Dec. 14, 2012 - 2:15 p.m. & 7:15 p.m.

$6 for adults, $5 for students/seniors, $4 for presi-

dents card holders and FREE for Mercyhurst students.

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

Erie architecture exhibitin Cummings Art Gallery

The City of Erie holds a variety of wonders and architectural achievements. The powerful photographs

in this exhibit paint an image of Erie that is crumbling, historic and elegant.

mercyhurst.edu photo

Although Erie may not be as glam-orous as the cities we see on TV and inmovies, there is no denying that thereare a few spots that are still breathtak-ing in their own way. A Second Look

Architecture of Erie recently madeits way to Cummings Art Gallery, and

will be on display through Sunday, Jan.20.

The City of Erie was quite an indus-trial power, but has since moved on.

This is apparent when one enters cer-tain parts of the city and is greeted bymassive iron buildings and toweringsmoke stacks.

Eries past is not completely indus-trial though. The exhibit also fea-tures photography of beautiful brickbuildings and mansions. One in par-ticular would be the beautiful 1891

Watson-Curtze Mansion, which islisted on the National Register of His-toric Places.

Located on Eries Millionaires Rowon West 6th Street, it was built at theheight of industrialism in Erie. This

was a time when 19th century gentle-men wanted to prove just how wealthythey were and a number of grand man-sions sprung up around the city.

The exhibit features the work ofseveral artists who have utilized theircreative abilities to give new insight tocrumbling parts of Erie that have beenlong forgotten. The gallery also fea-

tures photography of remarkable Erielandmarks at their finest.

Gary Cardot, an assistant professorof photography at Mercyhurst, cameup with the concept of showing Eries

transitional state through powerfulphotography for an exhibit last year,and has continued it through to this artshowing.

The exhibit will host a celebratoryreception on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7p.m.

The show is in Cummings Art Gal-lery and will be open weekdays from 9a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 2 to5 p.m. Gallery hours are by appoint-ment from Friday, Dec. 21, throughSunday, Jan. 6, during the universitysChristmas break. For an appointment,please call 824-2092.

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

The Black Keys to BlakRoc

The Black Keys album BlakRoc mixes the bands electric, down-

home blues-rock with hip-hop.

viz4u.net photo

The award-winning group TheBlack Keys has really made a name for

themselves in the music industry withtheir electric, down-home blues-rock.This two-person group, made up of

vocalists and guitarist Dan Auerbachand drummer Patrick Carney, has alwaysbeen know for their innovative sound.

In 2009 they took innovation to anew level when the duo decided to pro-duce a rap-rock album titled BlakRoc.

This album is structured with TheBlack Keys doing the production workon the album (sorry they dont rap)

with a wide variety of MCs includingMos Def, Ludacris and the surviving

members of the Wu-Tang Clan.The production work on this album

is really unique for a rap album oftodays standards. All of the produc-tion work was recorded live by theKeys without the use of sampling.

This album also shows how versa-

tile the Keys were musically, besideshaving the warm guitar tones andCarneys pounding beats, it also hostsa wide variety of other instrumentsincluding vintage synthesizers.

Each of the MCs featured on thisalbum were hand-picked by the Keysand most of them are not well-known.

The album starts of with Mos Defon the track On the Vista.

This track can only be described assmooth. Mos Def s voice blended withthe smooth blues of the Keys make thisone of my favorite tracks on the album.

Aint Nothing Like You (HoochieCoo) is by far the best track on thealbum. This song features Jim Jonesand Auerbach, with their delta blues

voices, on the chorus and Mos Defworking the verses.

The best part is how well all the ele-

ments blend in this song. The vintagesynths in the production mixed withthe fuzzy bass line to create the perfectsoundscape for Mos Def to build hisrhymes. The chorus hits and you feel likeyoure listening to an old R&B album.

This is one of my favorite rapalbums. I would suggest it to anyone

who has a love for The Black Keys orhip-hop in general. The variety in thisalbum will also cater to all hip-hop fans

whether it is old school or new school.So do yourself a favor and check

this album out if you havent already.

By Zach DorschPhoto editor

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

7/8

OPINION Page 7December 12, 2012

Editors

Alicia Cagle

Stacy SkiavoKayla Kelly

Caitlin Handerhan

Joe Chiodo

Mat Anderson

Chelsea Schermerhorn

Samantha Link

Zach Dorsch

Ethan Johns

Laura Fiegelist

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

@mercyhurst.edu

editormerciad

newsmerciadfeaturemerciad

opinionmerciad

sportsmerciad

entertainmentmerciad

copymerciad

photomerciad

photomerciad

ejohns89

admerciad

wwelch

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.

With Christmas break just

around the corner, stu-dents are preparing toleave campus on Dec. 21,that is, assuming the worlddoes not in fact come to anend next Friday.

Despite being in conten-tion for grant money toprovide violin lessons forchildren at the Carpe Diem

Academy, students seemapathetic about it and feware actually taking the timeto vote for the universitys

cause.

The Mercyhurst radio sta-tion, 88.5 Jazz FM is at

the center of controversyon campus, with some stu-dents complaining aboutthe genre choice and call-

ing for a more contempo-rary playlist for the station.

Student defendsradio station

I found Stacy Skiavos Op-Edabout 88.5 Jazz FM to be surpris-ingly close-minded for someone

who claims to be prett y accep tingof most genres.As a music major, I t hink peopl e

should be exposed to a wide varietyof styles of music.

I imagine if you turn on the radio,you would probably find a 5:1 ratioof pop music to jazz music.

As a result , I am cert ainly gladthat the University sponsors a sta-tion that aims to introduce thepublic to jazz, and to provide a ser-

vice to those of us who enjoy jazz.

The author says that I havenever had the desire to listen to 88.5

Jazz FM, nor do I know anyone el sethat has either.

Well, in the same manner, all ofmy friends enjoy jazz, and I havenever known anyone to be opposedto having a jazz station on campus.

If the author does not enjoy jazz,she can tune in to countless otherstations.

Those of us who enjoy j azz dontalways have that option.

In closing, I believe that thereis a place for all different kinds ofmusic in everyones life.

So dont advocate taking away acultural treasure from those of us

who enjoy diversit y simply becauseyou wont change the dial to thenearest non-jazz station.

By Ian GayfordContributing writer

Editor rebuttal

Food stampprogram vital

According to the Economic Pop-ulist website, as of August 2012, 1 inevery 6.7 Americans is on the SNAP(Supplemental Nutrition AssistanceProgram), better known as foodstamps.

With that number being so high(about 15 percent of the Americanpopulation) Newark, N.J. Mayor CoryBooker is taking the SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

challenge: He has pledged to eat for aweek on what the poor in this coun-try are allotted by the government forfood assistance under SNAP, roughly$4.30 per person per day.

In his A Movement Toward FoodJustice blog post under his LinkedInprofile, Booker states, Undertaking

what is referred to as the #SNAPChal-lenge began with a social media-basedconversation on Twitter.

A Twitter user tweeted me her opin-ion that nutrition is not the respon-

sibility of the government. This

comment caused me to reflect on the

families and children in my communitywho benefit from SNAP assistance

and deserve deeper consideration.However, some individuals are

questioning whether or not this isactually raising awareness for the causeor whether it is simply a challenge thatBooker is taking to prove a point.

Its not meant to be your onlycalorie intake source, said CNNsChristine Romans. Supplemental isthe key. The government designs it sothis is on top of what little money youmight have, food pantries, soup kitch-ens.

Though there is validity in Romansstatement, I think that attention,

whether good or bad, is raising aware-ness for the cause.

Find the rest of this

article and more from

this section online

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

First and foremost, Mr. Gayford hasmissed my entire point.

The article was not bashing jazzmusic, but rather stating that the radiostation is not being used by the stu-dents, mostly because the majority ofthe campus does not enjoy jazz music.

I guarantee if the study body wassurveyed, the vast majority would cer-tainly not consider jazz music as oneof their favorite genres; therefore,most of the students are not listeningto the station.

Perhaps your background as a musicmajor has biased your opinion.

The station is such a valuableresource for students to gain experi-ence, but with its lack of popularityamong the students, it was going to

waste.

The point being, the choice to only

play jazz music is killing the station asa whole.

When asked about the station,many students reply that they didnteven know we had a radio station oncampus.

As previously mentioned, many ofthose same students stated that theylistened to Gannons station, though,since their music is appealing to the

vast majority of students our age.However, do not fear jazz lovers,

because jazz can still be accessed 24/7online, so the diversity of our schoolcan still be maintained.

As a communication major, I amthrilled to hear that students are get-ting involved with the station since thechange and hope the station continuesto grow.

Hopefully, one day students will beswayed from Gannons station and lis-tening to our new and improved one.

By Stacy SkiavoNews editor

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2012

8/8

September 3, 2008SPORTSPage 8 December 12, 2012

Former Laker signs contract with ECHL

Every hockey player dreams ofmaking it to the National HockeyLeague.

This dream is coming true forformer Mercyhurst mens hockey goal-tender; Ryan Zapolski. Zapolski, whograduated in 2011 with a BA in biol-ogy, is making his way up the hockeyranks.

Playing in the East Coast HockeyLeague (ECHL) brings him one stepcloser to fulfilling his dream.

He recently signed a contract withthe South Carolina Stingrays, the NHLaffiliate of the Boston Bruins.

Signing a contract in the ECHL isnot a guarantee, making it quite differ-ent from an NHL contract.

Contracts in the ECHL are techni-cally only 24-hour contracts, meaningyou can be released from your contractat any time, Zapolski said.

Having this pressure makes Zapol-ski work even harder to prove he isworthy to compete in the league. Beingable to showcase his skills in the ECHL

will hopefully prove to the Bruins hehas the ability to play at the next level.

Zapolski is very happy to be playingwith an affiliate of the Bruins.

Its a good situation for me to bein because we only have one affiliate,

and will only get one NHL contractedgoalie sent down to the ECHL,Zapolski said.

Being placed in a situation withone goalie sent down allows Zapolskito get more playing time and oppor-tunity to improve his skills. He has tocompete for the job against one othergoalie instead of a group of multiple

players competing for the same spoton the roster.

At the Hurst, Zapolski appearedin 109 games and posted a record of48-43-11. Since signing with the Sting-rays, he has appeared in nine gamesand has a 5-4 record; a save percentageof .948 and posted one shutout.

The ECHL releases the ReebokHockey Goalie of the Week award tothe goaltender who shows outstand-ing performance during the week.Zapolski received the award during the

weeks of November 26 and March 11.Currently, Zapolski leads the league

in goals-against average with 1.58 anda .943 save percentage.

By R.J. NiedzwieckiContributing writer

Ryan Zapolski gets ready to block a shot by a University of Anchorage opponent back when he was a Laker.

He has signed a contract with the South Carolina Stingrays.

Sydney Cuscino photo

Ciampa named CHA goaltender of month

The Mercyhurst womens hockeygot off to a great start of the 2012-13 season, winning nine games in arow until a tough face-off with RobertMorris. The Lakers are making theirpresence known off and on the ice.

With a record of 14-3-1, a 7-1 win-ning streak on their home games andfourth ranked, the Lakers are a team tolook out for this season.

Senior goal tender Stephanie Ciampa

has been rising to the challenge thisseason so far, and was named CollegeHockey America Goaltender of theMonth announced Tuesday, Decem-ber 4. This is Ciampas second straightgoaltender of the month award.

Starting in a total of 10 games sofar, allowing for only 11 goals, with185 saves, Ciampa is at the top of herdivision as goalie.

That award has a lot to do withthe way the team plays as a whole.

We had a good stretch of games last

month playing together well and when

the people in front of me do their jobit makes it a lot easier for me to domine, Ciampa said.

With a save percentage of .944,Ciampa is at the top of her game.

We got off to a good start thisseason much like we did last year. Wehave a lot of big games coming upafter the holidays, so hopefully we canplay well to start off the New Year,Ciampa said.

After a two straight losses againstRobert Morris this past weekend,the Lakers are looking to regain theirmomentum to have another unforget-table season.

There are a couple games we wouldlike to have back, but we have alsodone some really great things so farthis season. At the same time we knowthat we need to focus on the secondhalf of our season, Ciampa said.

The Lakers next game is Thursday,Jan. 3, against the Buffalo Bisons. TheLakers take on the Bisons at the TullioIce Center at 7 p.m.

By Samantha Bante

Staff writer

Stephanie Ciampa rejects a shot from at the Robert Morris Island Sports Complex on Friday, Dec. 7.

Sydney Cuscino photo