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An engaging sound is about to arrive

at the Mary DAngelo Performing Arts

Center at Mercyhurst College the sound

of acclaimed jazz violinist Regina Carter.

Lauded as wonderfully listenable, prob-

ingly intelligent and, at times, breathtak-

ingly daring...taking the listener into the

future of jazz, by Time magazine, Carter

is known for her interesting combination

of the African Diaspora and more standard

jazz sounds.

Regina Carter first pursued a career as a

jazz violinist against the wishes of her par-

ents, who were concerned for her financial

future.

She earned a Bachelor of Ar ts degree inPerformance with a double major in clas-

sical music and African American music,

studying at both the prestigious New Eng-

land Conservatory and Oakland Univer-

sity.

She then forged ahead with her career,

carving a path for herself within a difficult

field.

Among her many varied accomplish-

ments, she was the first jazz musician and

African American to play the Guarneridel Gesu, the renowned violin owned

by Nicolo Paganini, and she has played

alongside jazz legends like Ray Brown and

Dr. Billy Taylor and popular musical icons

Dolly Parton and Billy Joel.

Carter is known for giving riveting

performances and has ambitious national

and international touring schedules.

Since her arrival on the music scene,

Carter has had success that shows no indi-

cation of ending.

Downbeat magazine named Carter

the worlds greatest jazz violinist for four

straight years.

The album Reverse Thread, a collec-

tion that offers a contemporary interpre-

tation of African folk music, is Carters

newest work.

This album is set to be released in 2010

and will feature the talents of accordion-

ist Will Holshouser, kora player Yacouba

Sissoko, bassist Chris Lightcap and

percussionist Alvester Garnett.

When asked about the upcoming perfor-mance, Music Department Chair Louisa

Jonason said, Regina is a jazz artist,

although classically trained. I look forward

to hearing her.

Talented violinists really impress me

because the violin is so hard to play, junior

Leah Kroll said when discussing Carter.

The performance is Friday, Oct. 2, at 8

p.m.

Tickets are available at the PAC box

office or by calling extension 3000. Tickets are $15 with a Mercyhurst stu-

dent ID.

More information on Carter is available

at reginacarter.com.

NEWS SPORTSFEATURES

Regina Carter jazzes up PAC

OPINION

Page 11Page 4

Professors

teach to empty

seats Dec. 21

Jeffrey Pollardfinds strengthfrom teammate

EXCLUSIVE:

Off-campus

policy eased

for juniors

NEWS SPORTSNEWS

Page 12

Tapping intofaith at theCornerstone

FEATURES

Page 4

Vol.83,No.10/12/16/09/Free

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NEWSPage 2 December 16, 2009

Christmas on Campusbrightens childrens holiday

As part of Mercyhurst Col-

leges annual Christmas prepara-tions, the college hosted children

from the Erie community for a

day of fun and holiday cheer.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, approx-

imately 100 children visited

Mercyhurst for Christmas on

Campus.

The children were each

assigned a Mercyhurst student

as their buddy for the day. Stu-dents helped the children carry

around bags full of Christmas

goodies, decorate cookies and

make various crafts.

The children participated in

activities such as face painting

and paper hat making.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, played

by freshmen Braiden Ross and

Miranda Flores, presented a giftto each child.

The children were provided

snacks, including pizza, candy

and cookies.

Campus Ministry provided

entertainment for the children

by dressing as various childrens

television and movie charac-

ters. The costumes included

Cinderella, SpongeBob, Winnie

the Pooh, Piglet, Pocahontas,

Buzz and Woody.

The crafts were provided by

various clubs on campus.

Seeing all the little kids was

great, freshman Giulia Parli

said. They were so cute and

so excited for Christmas.

Christmas on Campus has

been a fixture of the holi-

day season for the past seven

years.

By Kelly DempseyStaff writer

Santa delivered gifts to children at Christmas on Campus.

Tyler Stauffer photo

Johnson & Johnson

PropertiesRental Houses

available

for next year -

call now

to lock yours up!814-860-8817

Comedian covers contemporary issues

Comedian Patrick Garrity entertained the

Mercyhurst College community on Friday, Dec.

11, by telling jokes that covered many different

topics.

His comedic act covered topics such as travel-

ing, being broke, being single, television, siblings,

parties and police officers.

Garrity made jokes about some controver-sial issues, as well. These controversial issues

included race, the military and religion.

Why do we train the military with bayo-

nets? Garrity asked. You have to run and

scream with them. Like the enemy wont see

that coming.

He made controversial topics funny and fun

to talk about, freshman Rebecca Conley said.

One of Garritys jokes was about the

current economic situation. He said the eco-

nomic problem is a big deal because the rich

people are becoming poor.

During one of his routines, he discussed the

differences between a shy guy asking a girl out

and a stalker asking a girl out.

There is a thin line between stalker and shy,

Garrity said.

Garrity went on to explain the shy guy can

appear to be cute when he stumbles over his

words, but the creepy guy who just stares can

come across as a stalker.Garrity made facial expressions, crazy move-

ments and sound effects to go along with his

jokes.

It was very original, freshman Jennifer

McCurdy said.

It was thrilling, freshman Molly Beichner

said.

Garrity performs at college campuses and

clubs throughout the United States.

By Chelsee CallahanStaff writer

Comedian Patrick Garrity performed at Mercyhurst College

on Friday, Dec. 11. Besides telling jokes, he entertained the

audience by making facial expressions while doing celebrity

impersonations.

Ethan Magoc photo

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NEWS Page 3December 16, 2009

Trustees vote against

certification of Warde

The Mercyhurst College

Board of Trustees voted unani-

mously against the pursuit

of Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design (LEED)certification for Frances Warde

Hall during their meeting on

Thursday, Oct. 29.

According to the motion

passed by the Board of Trust-

ees, The $85,000 needed to

embark on Phase II in LEED

certificationwould be better

spent to support future green

initiatives on campus.

Rather than spend moneyon LEED certification, which

proves the sustainability of

the building without necessar-

ily improving it, the Board of

Trustees developed alternative

plans to use the money.

These plans include the devel-

opment of a solar composter,

solar and wind energy sources

for the Mercyhurst West County

campus or a project to convertfat and oil used in the cafeteria

into biodiesel fuel.

Members of the board partic-

ularly favor the idea of building

a green roof in Zurn Hall. The

building needs to replace one

roof in the near future, and the

construction of a green roof

would both boost Mercyhursts

environmental efforts and pos-

sibly provide research material

for the biology department.

LEED certification, which

rates how green a building is

according to third-party com-missioners, provides proof to

the public that a building has

been designed to increase

profitability while reducing

the negative environmental

impacts, as reported by the

Natural Resources Defense

Council.

State and local governments

may provide incentives as well,

but for the most part, certifica-tion acts as a status symbol or,

as Executive Vice President for

Administration Thomas Billing-

sley said, a badge to carry.

Warde Hall may be eligible for

LEED certification. Buehler &

Associates, Inc., who designed

the student housing project with

its sustainability in mind and

later donated the $12,400 fee

to the college, achieved 26 outof 69 possible credits toward

certification, meaning that Mer-

cyhurst achieved the minimum

number of credits required for

certification.

The Board of Trustees ruled

against certification due to the

cost of the application process.

Depending on commissioning

fees, the estimated total LEED

cost could amount to over

$85,000.

Furthermore, the subjective

process does not guarantee cer-

tification despite the fact thatthe college met minimal require-

ments.

While the (LEED) certifica-

tion would have been a good

public relations move for the

schools reputation as a green

campus, its true that the money

can be put to better uses that the

school has proposed, Green

Team Student President senior

Zoey Alderman-Tuttle said.Working on other green proj-

ects is good, freshman Sacha

Chadwick said, but having that

LEED certification shows that

the first project is complete.

Amidst diverse student sen-

timents, the Board of Trustees

released this statement: The

committee is satisfied that the

college, architects, developer

and committee practiced duediligence to produce a sustain-

able building on the Mercy-

hurst campus in line with the

core values of the college. No

memorialization of the effort is

needed.

By Jennifer McCurdyStaff writer

Larceny/ theftSaturday, Dec. 5

Larceny/ theftSunday, Dec. 6

Criminal mischiefto vehicle

Saturday, Dec. 5

3808 Briggs AvenueCollege discipline

Zurn HallClosed

Briggs AvenueReferred to other agency

Liquor law violationWednesday, Dec. 9

3925 Lewis Avenueclosed

Dec. 5 - 12, 2009

Liquor law violationThursday, Dec. 10

3809 Briggs Avenueclosed

Liquor law violationFriday, Dec. 11

Wayne Street ApartmentsCollege discipline

Disorderly conductSaturday, Dec. 12

Outside Warde TownhousesCollege discipline

Hammermill Library Christmas Break HoursTuesday, Dec. 22:8 a.m. 5 p.m.

The 24/7 Study Lounge will only be available during these hours.

Wednesday, Dec. 23:

8 a.m. 4 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 24:

8 a.m. 12 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 25 -

Saturday, Jan. 2: Closed

Sunday, Jan. 3:

1 p.m. 1 a.m.

Monday, Jan. 4:

Resume Regular Hours

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NEWSPage 4 December 16, 2009

Professors teach to empty seats Dec. 21

As Mercyhurst Colleges stu-

dents and faculty prepare for the

holiday season, one date seems

to have surpassed Christmas as

the hot topic of conversation:

Monday, Dec. 21.

Despite the difficulties

imposed on the college com-munity, the college scheduled

class four days before Christ-

mas in order to get the required

number of class hours.

Only 25 percent of students

who responded to an online

survey plan to be in class on

Monday.

Senior Ray Horton said, It

doesnt make a lot of sense. Im

an RA in Warde and I have maybethree residents in my wing stay-

ing until Monday. Professors will

be teaching to an empty room.

Many professors made atten-

dance optional, cancelled class

altogether or found alternative

ways of holding class. Sopho-

more Tyler Stauffers art educa-

tion class will be held via Skype

and live blogging.

Having class online is a good

alternative to actually going to

class. You can go home but still

attend class, Stauffer said.

Vice President of Academic

Affairs Phillip Belfiore encour-

ages faculty and students totalk to each other about issues

concerning Christmas break.

Faculty are generally good and

compassionate people and will

work with students.

However, 12 percent of stu-

dents who responded to The

Merciads poll said their profes-

sors made attendance mandatory.

My one teacher is making it

double attendance points, but allmy other classes are cancelled.

Its pointless, senior Lacey

Neugebauer said.

Several professors made off-

record comments stating the situ-

ation is unfair to teachers without

tenure, as these professors are

more afraid of receiving reper-

cussions from canceling class

than professors with tenure.

This may be the reason senior

international student Michelle

Simpsons professor refused to

reschedule her quiz. Simpson

said her plane ticket to Jamaica

would be $400 less expensive if

she could leave on Dec. 19.The extra day of classes puts

a burden on students who live

far away from campus. Inter-

national students are a big part

of the campus population.

They should have taken us into

account when they made the

schedule, Simpson said.

Assistant Vice President for

Academic Services Michelle

Wheaton is responsible forcreating a tentative academic

schedule for final approval by

the college council.

Wheaton said this year was

a challenge because of the way

the holiday fell. I apologize for

the way the calendar worked out

this year... Truly, we understand

the challenges students are faced

with, but we have to at least have

it on the books that way.

The Pennsylvania Department

of Education requires we hold 40

contact hours per term for semes-

ter credit, Wheaton said.

Another concern among stu-

dents is the lack of a reading dayor a weekend between the end

of the term and finals. As the

schedule stands, classes will end

on Tuesday, Feb. 16, with finals

beginning the next day.

While senior Adam Olszewski

said, I dont have enough time

to drink before finals, fresh-

man Tori Spada is concerned

she wont have enough time to

study. Im a little overwhelmed.A lot of freshmen took a heavy

course load this term, including

me, and I think itll affect our

finals, Spada said.

English professor Heidi Hosey

said, I think its more pressure for

the faculty to grade finals... Grades

tend to be due fairly quickly, often

as early as Monday.

Wheaton said the alternative to

the current schedule was to hold

classes on Martin Luther King

Day, but the administration was

reluctant to cancel the celebra-

tions planned for the holiday.

Senior Sherette Almandez par-

ticipated in Martin Luther KingDay events last year. I guess in

that respect I could understand,

but maybe they could have taken

a couple of days off Thanksgiv-

ing break, she said.

By shortening the time between

terms, however, Wheaton worried

students would not have enough

time to recuperate before starting

a new term. There is not much

wiggle room when youre work-ing with a trimester, she said.

There is a light at the end of

the tunnel: Next year students

will have all of Christmas week

off, according to Wheaton.

By JoEllen MarshEditor-in-chief

Off-campus policy eased for juniors

More students returning

to Mercyhurst College means

current freshmen and sopho-

mores will be allowed to live off

campus when they are juniors.

The decision not to implement

the new policy, which required

students to live on campus untiltheir senior year, was made at a

presidents staff meeting held in

early December.

According to Vice President

of Residence Life Gerry Tobin,

the large freshman class and

the high sophomore retention

rate would have caused housing

congestion for upper classmen

by 2012 had the college imple-

mented the policy.

Sophomore Matt Cirell isamong the students happy with

the decision. We are no longer

children; we are adults, he said.

If we are expected to take care

of ourselves in the real world, we

should at least be able to choose

our own college living space.

This past year we were able

to offer a number of triples, and

students have responded very

positively to that living environ-ment, Tobin said.

With the current mix of triple

and quadruple occupancy, the

capacity of the upper class area

is 1,303 and current occupancy

is 1,255, according to Tobin.

If juniors were required to live

on campus in the 2012-13 school

year, residence life estimates the

capacity would remain at 1,303

but they would need to provide

housing for 1,408 students.This would force the Briggs

and Lewis Avenue apartments

to revert to quadruple occu-

pancy. We dont want to revisit

that again if we can help it... We

hadnt implemented the policy,

so it made sense to delay it until

we figure out how to expand

capacity, Tobin said.

Expanded capacity could

come in the form of a newresidence hall, depending on the

outcome of a new study.

The study is focused on the

needs of upperclassman stu-

dent housing and the feasibility

of making repairs to the worst

buildings (especially Highland

Square) versus building a new

residence hall.

The administration has not

given up on the idea of making

all juniors live on campus, butcurrent freshmen and sopho-

mores will not have to worry

about the policy.

Sophomore Courtney Clair

said, Its a big step for juniors to

be able to live off campus Its

another way to live on your own,

a bigger leap into the real world.

I think that it still would be

a very good idea for students to

live on campus. Its a safer worldand its a good opportunity, we

just have to have the right envi-

ronment to be able to do that,

Tobin said.

The new environment cre-

ated by the addition of Warde

Hall has increased freshman

satisfaction, and may be a good

indication that the retention

rate will continue to increase.

Approximately 81 percent of

the class of 2012 returned thisyear as sophomores, a six per-

cent increase from the previous

years class, according to Tobin.

Mercyhurst has a strategy

for increasing retention. The

college has really aggressively

looked at students who have

not registered on time, (and)

instead of just letting them sit

out, Tobin said, the school is

looking to assist them, whetherthrough the help of academic

counselors, academic support

or financial aid.

The key to retention ulti-

mately does not lie with the

college, Tobin intimated. Its

one of those things where you

can offer the program and the

opportunities, but its up to

the students in the end to avail

themselves, Tobin said.

By JoEllen Marsh

Editor-in-chief

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Features Page 5December 16, 2009

By Jennifer McCurdyContributing writer

PRSSA connects students, professionals

The Public Relations Student

Society of America (PRSSA)

recently accepted Mercyhurst

College into i ts membership.

The goal of PRSSA is to

create relationships between

students and professionals in

the field of business, com-munications, marketing and

public relations.

According to its official

Web site, the PRSSA began

with nine alpha chapters on

November 11, 1968. We have

since grown to include 284

Chapters and more than 9,600

members across the nation.

Members of PRSSA haveaccess to many benefits such

as competitions, national

and regional conferences,

job boards and scholarships.

Members of the Mercyhurst

College PRSSA will also have

opportunities to network

with professionals from the

Erie and Pittsburgh Public

Relations Society of Amer-ica (PRSA) chapters.

The goal of these activi-

ties is to support students in

their efforts to network and

develop professional skills.

Faculty adviser Meghan

Corbin said, We started the

Public Relations Student Soci-

ety of America because net-

working in todays job market

is essential; 80 percent of job

seekers say networking has

enhanced their search or got

them their job. The PRSSA

offers students this advantage

by connecting them with indus-

try professionals and providing

the students access to the latest

industry information.

Freshman communicationmajor Danielle Battaglia said, I

did not see the point in joining

when Im a freshman since it

doesnt really benefit me yet.

Battaglia also mentioned

her reluctance to pay the

fees, which amount to $75 to

become a national member

and receive full benefits.

I think it might be worth it

to a senior or upperclassmen

when they start searching for a

job, but I dont see a freshman

getting much out of going to

these meetings besides free

food, she said.

Another freshman, Chelsee

Callahan, disagreed.

I actually (think joining

is) a good i dea. Its an oppor-tunity to meet people in your

field and toss around new

ideas, Callahan said.

Students interested in the

PRSSA should contact senior

Brittani Devore, the groups

president, or check out prssa.

org for more information.

Just south of the hubbub, the

traffic, the crowded streets of

the city of Erie lies a stretch of

land unknown to some, a trea-sure to others.

Some hunt or fish for trout

in the clean and clear bodies

of water there, while others

simply drive down the almost

nine mile road that leads into

the country, lined with trees.

Lake Pleasant Road isnt just

another stretch of pavement.

It doesnt seem to belong any-

where near a city.Houses sit sporadically, people

are sometimes seen tending to

their gardens or children playing

in acres of grass.

Roughly halfway down Lake

Pleasant Road sits a dirt race

track, set a quarter of a mile

back in a clearing.

Prior to the race track is a

mini golf course and driving

range, lit up on summer nights

with a sign advertising special

deals and ice cream.

Seven miles down Lake Pleas-

ant Road is West Greene Road,

and on the corner sits Tri-State

Taxidermy, a small shop with a

self-explanatory name.

Other than these threeestablishments, not much

other than houses and barns

line the road.

Lake Pleasant is an escape

from reality, one Mercy-

hurst senior who travels the

road often to relax said. The

energy there is completely dif-

ferent than on campus. Its

serene and calm. You can hear

yourself think.Its not uncommon to drive

behind a tractor on Lake Pleas-

ant Road, said senior Piasha

Chanda, a frequent Lake Pleas-

ant Road driver.

My favorite thing about Lake

Pleasant Road is Lake Pleasant

itself she said.

Just under a half a mile long

and a quarter of a mile wide,

Lake Pleasant is a small freshwa-

ter lake located eight and a half

miles outside of Erie on Lake

Pleasant Road. A few houses

dot its edges, surrounded by

greenery. Its easy to imagine the

serenity of living in such a quiet

location, away from city life.

I like to climb the trees onthe roadside and sit with my

friends, talking about life,

Chanda said.

At night, the stars shine

bright and can be seen with

clarity, another Mercyhurst stu-

dent said. A fan of Lake Pleas-

ant Road said he and his friends

went to Lake Pleasant in the

past week to take pictures of

fall foliage.On sunny days, Lake Pleas-

ant Road is busier than usual.

Not only do college students

unfamiliar with the area and

looking for a simple escape

enjoy the seemingly foreign

stretch of land along Lake

Pleasant Road, but longtime

Erie residents also enjoy the

road, which makes it one of

Eries natural treasures.

Lake Pleasant Road: Enjoy an Erie Treasure

Senior Piasha Chanda climbs one of the many trees liningLake Pleasant.

Contributed photo

By Katie Atkins

Contributing writer

O

nli

ne

... An Erieite

Appetite:Joe Roots Grill

The Original

Erieite

Merciad.

Mercy-

hurst.edu/

Features

Merciad.

Mercy-

urst.edu/

eatures

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 6 December 16, 2009

Dancer profi le: Mastrocola dances own song

Sarah Mastrocola is a juniordance major with a minor inEnglish.

What made you decide to

major in dance?

I have danced for as long

as I can remember, and I havefound that I truly love it. Thus, I

knew that I wanted to continuedancing, but as a senior in highschool I was not yet ready toseek professional employment

in a dance company. Being acollege dance major seemed likethe best option for me.

What is your favorite part

about the dance department?

I love how close-knit the

department is and all the goodfriends that I have there. I also

like that the department is heav-

ily based in ballet, as that is wheremost of my training has been aswell. I appreciate the opportuni-ties that I have had to choreo-

graph within the department aswell, as choreography is anotherartistic outlet that I enjoy.

What do you hope to do

with your dance degree?

My hope is to secure a job

as a dancer with a professional

dance company. I also wantto continue choreographing,

whether during, after or in placeof a performing career.

Are you going to be audi-

tioning this year? If so

where?

As I am currently a junior, I

intend to audition a few times inthe spring/summer, mostly forpractice. My main auditioning I

am planning for my senior year. I

have several possible companies,

but I am mainly interested in look-ing for a company that is basedin ballet but also works heavilywithin a contemporary vein.

What is your advice for

incoming freshman dancers?

The advice that I have some-

what jokingly given to fresh-men for the past two years isto always set two alarm clocks.

I would also advise them to not

be afraid to try new things andto develop interests outside the

dance department. College canbe a great opportunity to dis-cover oneself as well as learning

academically, and so integrity tooneself and openness are defi-nitely key!

What do you like to do in

your free time?

I really love to sing and I also

like baking and doing crafty

things (knitting and such).

Are there any particular professors here at Mercy-

hurst that have influenced or

inspired you?

I have gained a lot of valuableexperience and knowledge frommany of my professors, both in

and out of the dance depart-ment, but I have an especiallystrong connection to Ms. Par-

tusch. I feel that we understand

each other very well, and shehas been one of the most help-

ful and caring professors withwhom I have had the honor of working, both in an academic

and personal setting. I definitelyattribute much of my progressand growth to her teaching and

dedication in and out of theclassroom.

An unabridged version ofthis profile can be found online.

By Emma Rishel

Staff writer

A&E onlinemerciad.mercyhurst.edu

MET simulcast Hoffmann tellstales of romanceThe opera Les Contes dHoffmann will be streamedto the PAC on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 1:00 p.m.

Hurst choir sings Vivaldi, carolsThe colleges choir sang at the PAC and at ImmanuelLutheran Church on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Joyeux Noel rejoices

Christmas in wartime

Lets face it: In this day andage, its often difficult to find

the good in many situations. Butevery so often, usually when we

least expect it, an illustration ofhumanity will show itself. Per-haps the most obvious of theseexperiences occurred on Christ-

mas Eve, 1914.Most, if not all of us, have

heard this story through our

various history classes, how inthe midst of World War I aninformal truce was called and

Christmas was celebrated amidst

the warring factions. This weeks segment of the

Guelcher Film Series, JoyeuxNoel, lends a reality to thisevent which no history book

could ever hope to capture.

Joyeux Noel focuses onone particular stretch of thefront lines and the experiences

of several individuals. Sprink(Benno Furmann) is a Germantenor who left the opera to serve

the military; Jonathan and Wil-liam (Steven Robertson, RobinLaing) are two Scottish brothers

who joined the army to accom-plish something with their lives.

The boys parish priest, Father

Palmer (Gary Lewis), is presentas well, lending his services as astretcher bearer.

On Christmas Eve, the Danishsinger Anna Sorensen (DianeKruger) is brought in to sing for

the German officers, but insistson being taken to the front linesto sing for the troops and, hope-

fully, to see her lover Sprink. The events that follow are

inherently sentimental, keptfrom going overboard by thepoignant humanity which is dis-

played and the knowledge that in24 hours these men will be killingeach other again. Soldiers tenta-

tively gather in No Mans Landto listen to Sorensen and Sprinksing duets, to admire the thou-

sands of Christmas trees set upby the Germans, to share storiesof home and to bury the dead.

Viewers could easily be seenas overly optimistic, except

that these events actually tookplace. With the world we live in,such reminders of the good of

humanity are more importantthan ever, especially at this timeof year.

Joyeux Noel shows in theMary DAngelo PerformingArts Center today at 2:15 and 8

p.m. Tickets are free for Mercy-hurst students with ID.

An unabridged version of

this profile can be found online.

By Kathleen VogtleStaff writer

Mastrocola is a junior dance

major with a minor in English.

Tyler Stauffer photo

Joyeux Noel documents the actual events of Dec. 24, 1914.

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

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September 3, 2008OPINIONPage 8 December 16, 2009

@mercyhurst.edu

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The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstCollege. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of

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 the

letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Lettersare due Mondays. by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit

letters to box PH 485 or via e-mail at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

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

JoEllen Marsh

Kelly Luoma

Javi Cubillos

Jordan Zangaro

Nick GlasierAlaina Rydzewski

SamWilliams

Tyler Stauffer

Ethan Magoc

Ethan Johns

Gaby Meza

Kyle King

Bill Welch

Brian Sheridan

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News Editor

Features Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports EditorA&E

Graphics

Photographer

Multimedia Editor

Web Editor

Advertising Manager

Copy Editor

Adviser

Adviser

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the v iews of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciador the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

OnlineOpinion Articles...

visit merciad.

mercyhurst.edu

For many Americans the

images of last weeks paid

advertisement for MTVs

SpringBreakMax.com are

normal. There was no blatant

nudity and no one can prove

what was in all those plasticcups. I deeply admire many

staff members of the Merciad.

JoEllen, you make me so proud

to work at Mercyhurst: for the

compassionate person you are

and the many fantastic causes to

which you dedicate yourself.

However, including this

advertisement was a very

poor decision. Mercyhurst

should in no way condone thebinge drinking and hooking

up culture which has been

portrayed and defined by MTV

for decades.

When I told this to a faculty

adviser for the Merciad, he

responded that three things

worry him concerning what

should be advertised: (1)

promoting alcohol, (2) messages

contrary to Catholic values

and (3) particularly sensitive

political issues. Apparently this

advertisement did not qualify.

Did I miss something? From my

perspective, to quote the band

Meatloaf, Two out of threeaint bad.

Across the world, womens

dignity is being systematically

threatened (through slavery,

prostitution, pornography,

domestic violence and policies

intended to keep women in

their place).

This sexist attitude begins

with the wet t-shirt contestants

lined up in the background of aphoto on the SpringBreakMax.

com advertisement and in

the banana eating contest

publicized on the Web site.

There is a distinction

between what students write

in the Merciad and what

advertisements are placed inside.

Advertising for MTV Spring

Break does not necessarily

mean that we condone this, but

it says (unequivocally) that we

do not oppose it. I do oppose it,

along with the Catholic Church

and the Sisters of Mercy. If

you know me, you know that I

am not a moral prude. I simplybelieve, as a husband, father and

proud Catholic Christian, that

every human is created with

profound, inherent dignity.

When anyones dignity is

demeaned, I am demeaned, and

so are you.

How much money did we

receive from MTV for these

advertisements? Is it enough to

justify the prospective parentand student who were handed

a copy of the Merciad during

their campus tour?

Does it distress anyone

that the Sisters of Mercy will

see this?

By Greg Baker

Director of Campus Ministry

Response to the MTV Spring Break Ad

Overcoming lifes obstacles Victoria Gricks shares a fearful

experience with us. Read to see how

she overcame her panic and what she

gained from the situation.

The Merciad staff apologizesto anyone offended by last

weeks advertising promoting

SpringBreakMax.com. We in

no way condone the binge

drinking and hooking up

culture represented in the

advertisement, as Mr. Baker

asserts, but we do believe in the

advertisers rights to control

advertising content.

The Merciad is funded inpart by advertising profits. We

need advertisements for our

production, including weekly

printings and online updates

which brings important news

to students, faculty and the

community. As Mr. Baker must

have seen, we ran a March

for Life advertisement in last

weeks issue without comment

from those who disagree

with the moral beliefs impliedtherein. We trust that Merciad

readers can distinguish between

our published news and

advertising content.

We pride ourselves on a

standard of journalism that

intentionally avoids the tabloid-

style gossip prominent in todays

mass media. Whereas other

campus newspapers feature

sexual how-to columns and he-said, she-said slandering, we try

to bring to light in a fair and even-

handed manner all the source-

based news we can. We want to

point out that we regularly cover

such spring break alternatives as

Habitat for Humanity service

trips and rowing and tennis

athletics campaigns. We believe

our newspaper is written very

much in the spirit of Mercy and

are especially proud to haveadded a Green page concerned

with promoting environmental

sustenance to our usual

sections this year. We follow

Pennsylvania law in that we

do not permit advertisements

for Pennsylvania-licensed

establishments to sell alcohol

and refuse to promote any on-

campus consumption of alcohol.

Decisions beyond that lie in ourdiscretion. While we wish we

had paid more attention to the

photos in the SpringBreakMax.

com advertisement, we find it

a slippery slope to equate the

advertisement to the Merciads

condoning of womens

subjugation and diminishment

and hold ourselves in no way

responsible for the Web content

of our advertisers.

Merciad staff responds to Bakers assertions

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Opinion Page 9December 16, 2009

There are some traditions

my family has that drive me

up a wall. I cannot tell you the

number of times I have rolled

my eyes at my mom when she

makes my three siblings and me

come downstairs and decorate

the Christmas tree.

We each have our own bin of

ornaments collected over the

years; most of mine are horribly

embarrassing homemade

ornaments with unfortunate

pictures of my years in the

middle.

Every year we all complain

about being too old and too

grown upevery year the living

room seems to get smaller as

we all point out that my mom

makes us decorate, and then

the minute were all in bed, she

moves everything around to

make sure it looks beautiful and

the way she wishes.

It happens every yearexcept

this one.

I was on the phone with mymom this past Sunday and she

was just calling to check in and

to let me know she, my dad, my

younger brother and older sister

were decorating the tree.

I found myself upset, whichshocked me. I found myself

saying, You guys couldnt have

waited until I got home next

week?

Of course, when my mom

said no I couldnt tell her that

I was upset. I immediately felt

older than I have ever felt before.

I couldnt believe traditions I

once hated were continuing on

without me there. It made me

feel homesick which I never

feel.

As I go home for my last

Christmas break, I am hoping

I find a new appreciation for

all the small traditions, the

stressful family events and the

overwhelming full house that

usually makes me insane. I think

that I have finally realized thatI dont know where I am going

to be or what I am going to be

doing next year, and I may miss

these things more than I was

ever willing to admit.

Perhaps this Christmas, while

the presents are being given, or

the Christmas music is on the

radio or your family is bundling

up for church on Christmas

Eve, you will take a minute andbe thankful and appreciative and

let the little stressors go for the

time being.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

By JordanZangaro

Opinion Editor

I believe in loyalty. Loyalty

is a devotion or allegiance to

someone or something and

should be expressed in both

thought and action. I think of

one who shows loyalty as one

with strength of character,

sound will and someone to be

depended upon.

People have many things on

which they focus their loyalties.

In my life, I believe in loyaltyto God, country, family, friends

and self.

I declared my faith in the Lord

when I was 11 years old and I

was baptized. I was young, some

say too young to make such a

commitment. But some of the

experiences I had had so early

in life made me realize what was

important, and I felt the need

to make an affirmation of faith. Although I have changed a lot

since then, I believe that once a

vow is made, it should never be

broken.

God is one who provides,

supports and loves, through

the good and the bad, and my

declaration and faith is a simple

task compared to that.

We live in the greatest nation

in the world, and loyalty issomething I feel very strongly

about in this time of economic

and social strife. It is hard when

I do not always agree with

government policies

and politics, but this is

still our country, and

we must be faithful.

I took an oath in

September of this

year to uphold the

Constitution and

defend this country

against all enemies,

foreign and domestic.

It was the hardestdecision I have ever

had to make, but I

know it was the right

one. I trust that God

is putting me on the

right path. It will be

challenging, but my

declaration to pronounce my

loyalty to this country outweighs

all of the fear and uncertainty

that comes with this vow.My family and friends are

the ones who support, love,

guide and help me, through the

tough times and the bad times.

They are the people for whom

I would lay down my life. They

may frustrate or anger me at

times, but I would do anything

for them. They have raised and

taught me to be the best that

I can be, and I will forever begrateful and loyal to them.

Finally, I believe in being loyal

to ones self. Everyone develops

the morals and beliefs that shape

their characters throughout

life. It is necessary to make the

decisions that will benefit me

the most in the long run. I have

not always made those right

decisions, but I pray that I have

learned from them, and will

forever remain loyal to what I

believe to be true and honest.

Brittany Wzontek is currently

a junior at Mercyhurst majoring in

Intelligence Studies with a minor in

history. She is originally from Buffalo,

N.Y., and upon graduating will enter

service in the U.S. Army as a second

lieutenant seeking to work in militaryintelligence. Her favorite things about

Mercyhurst are its small, close campus

and the uniqueness of the Intelligence

Studies program.

Lost traditions makestudent appreciative

Power through faith, devotionand commitment

Christmastime may very well

be my favorite time of year, for

any number of reasons. It is

doubtless that almost everyone

gets in the mood to be merry,

and the decorating helps us all

become a little brighter during

the season part of the reason

I go crazy with decoratingevery year. If you could see my

apartment, youd probably think

I was a little crazy. Heck, you

might have even seen the tree

for a club of mine, the MSBA.Its the belligerently patriotic

tree in the union.

Actually, its the work that I

had our members do on that

tree and for our club that brings

me to the interesting part of this

article. There are plenty of trees

in the student union, and most

of us walk around without a care

as to who made them, instead

simply admiring the fact that somany students got their clubs in

gear to spread some Christmas

cheer. From abolitionists to

archaeologists, theres no doubt

that Mercyhurst is excited forthe holidays.

As a matter of fact, it would

appear that there are even more

students excited than we usually

talk about here. One night last

week I was plugging in our

club tree when I noticed there

had been addition. I only really

noticed because the tree was so

much different, a shorter, potted

tree sitting on a table when I walked in. On my way out, I

took another glance and was

quite surprised at what I found.

Well, now the tree has been

moved, and sits by a window,but the RMB written on the pot

is still quite visible. Aside for the

letters, the red monkeys abound

as ornaments they do quite

astound.

Another trifle some of the

members of MSBA did find, is

when they went to hang posters

last night. If you look around,

apparently youll find, a poem

with much rhyming muchbetter than mine. A story of

Christmases past, present, and

future, with Saint Nick himself

- perhaps an English major, or

even an elf.Now stopping this travesty, I

do end this soon, thereby saving

us all from my own impropriety.

Im not sure that made sense,

you can ask a friend; Im done

with College Writing, and have

become quite dense.To wrap all

this up, it does indeed appear,

that when Christmas is near,

Rho Mu Beta is full of good

cheer.Merry Christmas, everybody.

By Devin Ruic

Staff writer

Student rhymes about secrety societys holiday spirit

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SportsPage 10 December 16, 2009

Lakers offense red hot

Mercyhurst College junior Jason Snow dribbles past a Virginia Union defender in the Lakers

73-61 victory on Saturday.

Tyler Stauffer photo

The season is looking bright

for the Mercyhurst College

mens basketball team, as their

extraordinary efforts pay off

on the court.

Last week, the Lakers picked

up three consecutive wins,

making their record 6-2 overalland an undefeated 3-0 at

home.

The men started off their

week with a game against Man-

sfield University of Pennsyl-

vania, where the Lakers made

a comeback to take the win,

90-87.

The previously undefeated

Mountaineers thought they

could defeat the Lakers, but

thanks to their performancefrom the free-throw line and a

season-high of 10 three-point-

ers, Mercyhurst was able to

close an 18-point deficit for the

victory.

Next on the schedule for

the Lakers was the Mercyhurst

Holiday Tournament, which

they hosted this past weekend.

Their first match-up was Vir-

ginia Union University, whomthe Lakers dominated from the

start in a 73-61 victory.

The team was led by career-

high scoring from senior

Ryann Bradford, who scored

18 points, and junior Heiden

Ratner, who put in 21. For the

last game of the tournament,

the Lakers met Washington

Adventist University in what

would be a game for the books

for Mercyhurst.With the Lakers 101-59

victory over the Pioneers, the

Lakers scored triple digits for

the first time under head coach

Gary Manchel and for the first

time since Dec. 2002, when

Mercyhurst defeated Point Park

University, 102-68 in his largest

margin of victory ever.

Seniors Elliot Englemann

and Nnamdi Nnadilli finishedwith 19 and 17 points, respec-

tively. With less than a minute

and half left to play, Bradford

dunked the ball to push the

mens basketball team into

triple digits for the first time in

seven years.

The men will be back on

the court after a two-day rest

to host Urbana University on

Wednesday, Dec. 16.

By Samantha SellingerContributing writer

The Lakers evened their record to 3-3 this past week. To see

more photos, go to merciad.mercyhurst.edu to view a slide

show of the womens win over Wheeling Jesuit.

Ethan Magoc photo

merciad.mercyhurst.edu/sportsOnline sports articles......................

Womens hockey rolls against St.LawrenceWomens hockey makes a huge statement with asweep of St. Lawrence.

Womens basketball evens recordWomens basketball evened its record with a winover Wheeling Jesuit.

The great goalie debateColumnist Devon Swanson discusses who thegreatest NHL goalie ever is.

Winter Classic losing luster?Columnist John Baranowski questions the NHLsdirection with this years Winter Classic.

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 16, 2009

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Sports Page 11December 16, 2009

Survivor fi nds strength from teammate

For most college students

these four years are the last

years of their lives without

tremendous worry. At least that

is how it is supposed to be.

On Sept. 16, 2007, Mercy-

hurst Colleges then-sophomore

and current senior Garrett

Kensy had his world turned

upside down as the days of

being a carefree college student

went out the window.

That day the doctors

informed Kensy that he had

testicular cancer, and the shock

began to set in for Kensy and

those close to him.

When I heard that Kensy

had cancer, I was completelyshocked. Its hard to believe

someone that takes such good

care of their body like Garrett

did could get such a thing,

head coach Marty Schaetzle

said.

Garrett came back to Buf-

falo, where he went through

surgery in order to remove the

tumor, but he was not out of

the woods yet.

After the surgery it wasdiscovered that the cancer had

spread and I needed to go

through chemotherapy, Kensy

said.

Despite being in Buffalo

most of his winter term going

through the chemotherapy, at

Mercyhurst Garrett was still

fresh on everyones mind.

Back at Mercyhurst some of

his teammates shaved Garretts

number into the side of their

heads.

We tried to step up as a

team and give him the spiritual

support that he needed during

those tough times, Schaetzle

said.

Everyone was great at Mer-

cyhurst, especially the teachers.

They were very understand-ing with me and really made it

easy for me to attempt to keep

up with classes while I was at

home, Kensy said.

The reaction to my situation

around campus was great and

people really made it easy for

me to get through it, Kensy

said.

Kensy was free of cancer

during spring after the longtreatments of chemotherapy

and has then stayed cancer free

since.

However, two years later

another Mercyhurst football

players life was affected by

cancer in an eerily similar way.

On Jul. 10, 2009, sophomore

Jeffrey Pollard was diagnosed

with testicular cancer.

Four days later Jeffreyunderwent surgery in order

to remove the tumor, but as

with Kensy, they later dis-

covered that the cancer was

more aggressive than previ-

ously thought. He too had to

undergo chemotherapy.

When Kensy heard of

Jeffreys diagnosis, the memo-

ries of his ordeal and the shock

of Jeffrey having cancer set in.I was completely stunned

about Jeffrey and really felt the

pain he was going through. I

called him immediately after I

heard, so he knew if he needed

anything that I would be there,

Kensy said.

For the rest of this story,

visit merciad/mercyhurst.

edu.

By Nick GlasierSports editor

Sophomore Jeffrey Pollard and junior Garrett Kensy meet in front of the football offices before

a meeting. They look forward to next season, when both are expected to play big roles.

Tyler Stauffer photo

Zapolski leads mens hockey to AHA lead

The Mercyhurst College

mens hockey team tacked on

three points via a win and a tieto move to a conference record

of 9-5-2, good enough to move

into a first-place tie with the Air

Force Academy Falcons.

Mercyhurst and Air Force

both have 20 points heading

into the second half of the

season.

The Lakers can attribute

their recent success to junior

goaltender Ryan Zapolski.

Zapolski has amounted a 2.47

goals against average and a .925

save percentage for the season.

Over the weekend Zapol-

ski saved 85 shots from the

Falcons and only allowed four

goals.He credits his success in goal

so far to the play of his team-

mates.

The team has been doing a

great job at limiting the other

teams scoring chances lately,

and weve been scoring a lot

of goals, which takes some

pressure off of the defense,

Zapolski said.

Mercyhurst took a six-game

winning streak into Colorado

Springs, Colo. to take on the

Falcons. The first night, the

teams split at 3-3, each earning

a point. The Lakers rallied from

a two-goal defecit, with junior

Mike Gurtler and sophomoreDerek Elliot scoring to erase

the Falcons early 2-0 lead.

Junior Scott Pitt added another

tally to give Mercyhurst the

lead, but Air Force struck back

and scored one of their own,

giving the game its 3-3 final

score.

Ryan Zapolski faced 52 shots

in the game, blocking 49 of

them.

The Lakers and Falcons

faced off again on Saturday,

with Mercyhurst walking away

with a 3-1 victory over Air

Force. Juniors Brandon Coc-

cimiglio and Steve Cameron

scored the first two Laker goals,with Derek Elliot adding a late

score in the third period. Air

Force only managed to score

one, and Mercyhurst earned the

two points necessary to tie the

Falcons for first place.

This weekends wins

have proven to be the type

of hockey the Lakers have

been trying to play, with new

offensive sparks and a steady

defense. Conference rivals Air

Force and Rochester Institute

of Technology are proving to

be the main contenders, along

with Mercyhurst, to capture the

conference title.

We just need to remain con-fident in ourselves, stay focused

and keep working hard every

dayif we do that then hope-

fully we can get another shot at

a (conference) championship,

Zapolski said.

Mercyhurst has the next few

weeks off before heading to

Burlington, Vt., for the Cata-

mount Cup tournament on Jan.

2, against Minnesota-Duluth.

By Steve Bukowski

Staff writer

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