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NEWSPage 2 October 10, 2012

Liquor law violationFriday, Sept. 28

Lot#8Referred for discipl ine

Public intoxicationThursday, Sept. 27

Briggs AvenueState citation issued

LarcenyFriday, Sept. 28

3809 Briggs Ave.Closed

Sept. 27 -Sept. 30, 2012

Public intoxication/

vandalismSunday, Sept. 30

Lot #1State citation issued

Mercyhurst UniversityPolice & Safety

Christmas on Campus

traditions to change

Christmas on Campus, an event thatMercyhurst has sponsored for the pastdecade, is getting a makeover.

Like many events on campus, withthe new university status and the

changes the 4-1-4 calendar are going tobring to the academic calendar, rumorshave been flying everywhere about theevent being canceled.

Upon hearing the rumor that theevent was canceled, many students

were outraged.Senior Jeremy Dickey said that,

Yet again we see a very good serviceopportunity taken away from Mercy-hurst. Just like the removal of Relayfor Life, by removing Christmas onCampus we are limiting service, out-reach, and charitable giving, something

the university prides itself on.I think its surprising that the yearof University also ushers in a year ofstinginess towards others, Dickeysaid.

I am disappointed with all of thenegative changes coming along withthe positive ones, said senior DakshaCrdova.

Junior Katey Keiser said, We saythat we are a Catholic school that livesin these beliefs, but all of a sudden we

become a university and its almost asif those core values have taken thebackseat.

With so much backlash, MercyhurstStudent Government President Rich-ard Molloy stepped in to voice theconcern of the student body.

Having seen the news explodeon Facebook I went and spoke withSarah Allen about the concerns of

the student body and showed her thefeedback that was being posted, saidMolloy. I urged her to reconsider herdecision and instead of cutting theevent all together to perhaps investi-gate different alternatives.

Director of the Campus Involve-ment Center Sarah Allen respondedto Molloys thoughts by reconsider-ing and stating that, Christmas onCampus will not be held in its tradi-tional sense. We plan on working witha smaller constituency of non-profitorganizations.

This years event will be smaller inscale and has yet to be named.In years past, the Leadership Cer-

tification Program students predomi-nately staffed the event, but this yearthe event will be open this to thegreater campus community, allowingmore students to get involved.

Activities and Spirit CoordinatorPreston Reilly will be coordinator forthis years event and hopes to work

with both the Service Learning Office

and Campus Ministry to assist in thiseffort.

Dont be discouraged by thischange, as the University grows anddevelops new programs and efforts,you may see changes like this takeplace. Change isnt always a bad thing,Reilly said.

That being said, some of the agen-cies that used to be invited to the

Christmas on Campus festivities aregoing to be left out.

I would encourage students whowould like to be in contact with theagencies that will not be invited thisyear to stop by the Campus Involve-ment Center, as we would love to getthem in touch with these organiza-tions, Allen said.

Christmas on Campus is justanother example of how Mercyhurstembraces its heritage and belief inservice.

Although not all of the children

that students used to help will bepresent, some children in the Eriearea will once again benefit fromgenerosity and kindness of the Lakercommunity.

For those that are interested in vol-unteering, the Campus InvolvementCenter will be releasing informationonce the event is planned and detailsare finalized.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

Universitys new

website readiedfor launch

A new website is in the works aspart of Mercyhursts transition from a

college to a university.Currently, the website at www.mer-cyhurst.edu has the updated Mercy-hurst University logo in the corner,but Web Coordinator and ContentManager Chris Norris says there isa lot more involved in the transitionthan that.

The entire Mercyhurst communityhas changed identities, said Norris.We want the university website toreflect all of the changes weve seenover the course of the last year.

Norris continued, The new web-site will feature a new look and will becompletely rebuilt from the groundup. Were moving to a new platform,a new content management system, anew look and a new feel.

A preview version of the new sitehas already been released to facultyand staff for feedback.

Upon peoples feedback we real-ized that we cant just launch it tomor-row, because it needs a lot of work,said Norris. A majority of our feed-

back has been that the content is out-dated.

A major part of the developmentof the new site will involve talkingto department heads and other staffmembers in order to make sure that allof the information is up-to-date.

The main purpose of the site isto market Mercyhurst, said Norris.We want it to stand out to a 17- or18-year-old kid whos probably visitedhundreds of college websites. We wantours to stick in their head.

Part of achieving that goal forNorris involves having an up-to-dateand accurate website.

The Erie-based web market-ing company FH group has been at

work building the new site for severalmonths. The entire transition pro-cess has been going on for at least sixmonths.

There are thousands of pages,if it was as easy as clicking a buttonand making them all university that

would be great, said Norris. Get-ting the content revised is a big pro-cess.

Currently, there is no official launchdate on the public version of the newMercyhurst University site.

By Brady GreenawaltStaff writer

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Page 3October 10, 2012 NEWS

Hurst sports med challenges spinal injury protocol

The risk of injury in practices and

games is common among all levels offootball, but in the case of the rarecervical spine injury the actions takenby medical staff immediately followingan injury could mean the differencebetween paralysis and full recovery.

Proper on-field management ofsuch situations is critical, and that isexactly why Mercyhurst UniversitySports Medicine Department Bradley

Jacobson and graduate student JacobGdovin decided to make it the focusof their research.

Jacobson and Gdovin challenged the

all or nothing endeavor, or the posi-tion statement of the National AthleticTrainers Association that dictates ifyou have to remove the helmet to gainaccess to the airway, then the shoulderpads should also come off.

They found that their method ofpack and fill, which avoids removalof shoulder pads in on-field care,reduced movement of the spine andneck, which decreased the risk for fur-ther injury to the athlete.

The project started with Gdovins

baccalaureate research project forhis undergraduate program in sportsmedicine and pre-med, and it grew toinclude collaboration not only from

Jacobson, but also from the motionanalysis lab at Erie Shriners Hospital

for Children and Mike Cendoma fromSports Medicine Concepts.

Jacobson described Gdovins workon the project as above and beyondthe expected research required in theundergraduate projects.

With their research, Jacobson andGdovin aimed to make on-field carebetter in treating potential cervicalspinal cord injuries.

Cendoma, who runs educationalprograms for football teams of alllevels about how cervical neck inju-ries should be managed on-field, asked

Jacobson and Gdovin to work withhim and Sports Medicine Conceptsover the summer. This gave them theopportunity to work with NFL teamsand help present the results of theirresearch.

They helped educate the neurosur-geons, orthopedic doctors, athletictraining staff and paramedics thatcomprise NFL medical teams.

Jake and I have thoroughly enjoyedthe opportunity to go to NFL teamslike the Colts, the Giants and the Jets,

Jacobson said.Both Jacobson and Gdovin drew

interest in the project from theirown experiences playing football, butone incident stood out to Jacobsonas he recalled his motivation for theresearch.

In 1983, his first year as athletictrainer in charge of medical servicesat Mercyhurst, Jacobson encoun-

tered a cervical neck injury thatenlightened him on the preparationthats needed and the proper proto-col thats needed to handle a situa-tion like that.

Though the player did not sufferany permanent damage, Jacobsonrealized that the lack of standards andconfidence in on-field care left a lot ofroom for improvement.

From that point on, it sparked aninterest in this topic, he said.

Though rules have been imple-mented through the years to dis-courage dangerous helmet-to-helmetcontact between players, some includ-

ing Jacobson and Gdovin creditimproved on-field care techniques withthe decrease in catastrophic spine andspinal cord injuries.

Gdovin commended the NFL,saying, the fact that these injuries aredecreasing says a lot about the workthey are putting into trying to keepthese athletes safe.

Both Jacobson and Gdovin foundthe experience immensely rewarding,and they were thankful for the specialopportunity to teach and work withNFL medical staffs.

They recently received confirmationthat their findings were accepted forpublication in the Journal of Athletic

Training.Mercyhurst students and faculty

continually aim to make a positiveimpact in their respective fields.

Jacobson and Gdovin are noexception, as they are looking for-

ward to continuing their work inimproving on-field care and miti-gating the effects of cer vical spineinjury.

By Stefani BaughmanStaff writer

Jacobson and Gdovin used their spinal injury research to help NFLteams such as the New York Giants.

Contributed photo

ACHA hockey show airs for fifth year

The ACHA Hockey show on Lak-erTV is on air for its fifth consecutiveyear.

The hockey show consists of foot-age and commentary of the Mercy-hurst University American CollegiateHockey Association (ACHA) hockeyteam.

The show began with alumnus JohnBaranowski when he was a sophomore

at Mercyhurst and is now run by seniorbiology major Seth Pezar.

Last year, Pezar began working withthe ACHA team and its media. Thisyear he is officially the team media pro-ducer.

LakerTV adviser and Communica-tion department lecturer Brian Sher-idan sees the steady continuation ofthis show as a demonstration of stu-dent initiative.

The communication departmentprovides the necessary equipment and

airtime to Pezar to produce the show.(The hockey show) is a great exam-

ple of students passion for a subject,said Sheridan. If you want to do aspecial show, we give you the tools and

resources to do it.Pezar sees the show as something he

does for fun.Hockey forced me to take a break

from school work, he said.

Pezar is involved in many aspects ofthe show including production, editingand commentary.

In the future, Pezar hopes to includeplayer interviews, coach interviews and

weekly reviews.Sheridan wants students to know

that using LakerTV is not somethingthat is limited to communication stu-dents.

This is a campus resource that isnot specific to a major, said Sheridan.Students get exposure to (televisionproduction) in high school and cancontinue that here.

The hockey show airs on LakerTV,channel 19, Tuesday and Thursdayat 10 a.m., Wednesday and Friday at11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at7 p.m.

If you are interested working withthe hockey show, contact Seth Pezar atspezar75@lakers.mercyhurst.edu

If you would like to get involvedat LakerTV, contact Brian Sheridan atbsheridan@mercyhurst.edu

By Alicia CagleNews editor

Update: ID not

required for election

Commonwealth Court Judge

Robert Simpson ruled that thevoter ID law would be fullyimplemented next year and thatvoters are not required to haveID for the upcoming election.

At poll ing locations in Penn-sylvania, voters may still beasked for identification but will

still be able to vote if they donot have it.

Since this ruling can still beappealed to the Supreme Courtof Pennsylvania and possiblyoverturned, the MercyhurstUniversity OneCard Office will

continue to provide voter IDsfor student voters registered inPennsylvania.

For more information on theID law and voting in Penn-sylvania, go to http://www.votespa.com.

Pezar (right) and junior Ryan Cherry create commentary for the

show each week.

Contributed photo

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NEWS October 10, 2012Page 4

Andrew Forsthoefel completes

4,000-mile cross country walk

Andrew Forsthoefel packed hisbags and set on a transcontinental

walk across the United States, travelingaround 4,000 miles in 11 months.

Forsthoefel is the 23-year-old sonof Professor of Religious Studies

Thomas Forsthoefel, Ph.D., and agraduate from Middlebury Collegeborn in Chadds Ford, Pa.

Walking to Listen, the blog wherehe recorded all of his travels in theform of text and audio posts, as wellas pictures and video, was the begin-ning stage of his project, which is nowbeing worked into an audio documen-tary and a book.

In his blog, Forsthoefel talks abouthis quest, saying, I wanted to dosomething that would both affectothers in a positive way and satisfy myown need to explore the worlds insideand outside of myselfI began this

listening walk as a way to try and makethis happen.

Forsthoefel began this journey

wanting to know America and Ameri-cans in general in a more complex, richand directly personal way, as opposedto reading about them in books ormagazines.

He wanted to set one foot in frontof another in order to encounterpeople and diversity and gain a deeperknowledge of what it is to live in thisnation.

Dr. Forsthoefel thinks the biggestlesson anyone can take out of his sons

walk is the bountiful goodness ofpeople, the generosity and kindness of

Americans, and the encouragement todevelop a vision and see it through, nomatter what.

The walk began Oct. 14, 2011, as heleft his home in Chadds Ford, Pa., andcontinued all across the country, southto Atlanta, Ga., and west through Ala-bama, Texas and New Mexico, all the

way west to San Francisco, Ca.One year later, Forsthoefel thanks

everyone who helped him in hisadventure, either by giving him a storyor allowing him to pitch a tent in their

property, as they gave him the strengthto go on.

This marks a separation from one

phase of his life into the next one,said Dr. Forsthoefel, who supportedhim from the very beginning.

As his dad, Im amazed. I love myson dearly; Im amazed at his gifts, butthis is astonishing, Dr. Forsthoefelsaid.

Forsthoefel had to face challenges,from finding people to let him pitch atent in their homes to walking acrossDeath Valley, where the temperaturescan reach up to 134 degrees Fahren-heit, forcing him to walk at night.

I got to see the goodness in Amer-icans and it convinced me that it is

whats underneath all the bad stuff,said Forsthoefel. Thats the foun-dation. To be out of the flow of mynormal life, literally be out there, it gotme thinking a lot about what I wannado and how I wanna be.

He added, We all have a story, wereall human, we all have our chaptersof joy and triumph and sadness andsorrow, and thats incredibly importantto remember.

More about his travels and encoun-

ters can be found on his blog, http://www.walkingtolisten.com.

By Juan MendezStaff writer

News Briefs

Model IO Team wins scrimmageMercyhurst Universitys Model International Organization team

hosted a scrimmage Saturday, Sept. 29.Members of the team competed against students from Cleveland

State University, Lakeland Community College, Duquesne Universityand St. Bonaventure University in a simulation regarding the civil warin Syria.

The team from Mercyhurst came in first place.

Seniors Lucas Sageot and Caitlin Handerhan received individual

superior awards and senior Mark Vidunas and sophomore AJ Zahu-ranec received individual excellent awards.

Flu shots available from Health Center

The Cohen Student Heal th Center is o ffering free flu shots to

students, faculty, staff, spouses and trustees.Flu shot clinics will be Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and

Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 3:30 to 5:30p.m. Clinics will take place inthe Faculty Dining Room in Egan Hall.

For more questions call the Health Center at 814-824-2431.

Behrend students confronted by gunmanAt approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4 two Penn St ate

Behrend students were walking to their Perry Street residencewhen one of the students was confronted by a hooded gunmandemanding money.

The other student t ried to inter vene bu t was hi t on the head andface with the assailants weapon.

The commotion resulted in people coming out side wh ichcaused the assailant to flee west toward Mercyhurst University.

Police describe the suspect as a 510 white male who was wear-ing a dark sweat shirt with most of his face covered.

The victims were re turning from the Cornerstone Bar & Grill atthe time of the incident.

Mercyhurst University Chief of Police Robert Kuhn is urgingstudents to use extreme caution when out at night, especially untilthe suspect is apprehended.

Students should be aware of their surroundings and travel ingroups. If students are out at night and do not feel safe walkingback to their place alone, then call Police & Safety at 814-824-2304 and an officer will escort you to your destination.

Students approached by suspicious male

Two female Mercyhurst University students were approached by asuspicious male late Monday, Oct. 8, near East 41st Street and BriggsAvenue.

The man said he was a freshman student who was having troublemeeting people.

The students were suspicious because the individual looked olderthan he said and because he kept reaching into his waistband.

The man fled when more students showed up.

Police & Safety report that upon further review, the facts seem toindicate that the man meant no harm to any students.

Students should always remain cautious when walking on campus.If students see anything out of place or suspicious, call Police &

Safety at 814-824-2304.

MEOW event to addresswomens issues in news

Just because the campus-wide-year-long gender symposium is over,doesnt mean the Mercyhurst Equalityof Women (MEOW) is no longer active.

Fresh off of the heels of a wellattended lecture in September dis-cussing the imprisonment of Russianpunk band Pussy Riot, MEOW willbe featuring a local speaker to address

national political issues.MEOW will be hosting a dinner anddiscourse style event Tuesday, Oct. 16at 7:30 p.m. at Molly Branigans. Atthe event, students will discuss current

womens issues in the news, includingthe controversial, and often debatedGrand Old Party (GOP) war on

women.This first event features guest

speaker Tina Mengine, currentvice-president of advancement atEdinboro University.

Mengine, a Pittsburgh native and

graduate of La Roche College hasmade a career in politics.Before taking a position at Edin-

boro, Mengine served as the chief ofstaff for U.S. Representative KathyDahlkemper.

Mengines political prowess andexpertise will be brought her presen-tation on women and politics, an issuemany in the g roup are eager to discuss.

Freshman MEOW member DevinFirestone weighed in the upcomingevent and its relevance.

Womens rights should be a part

of our political discourse. The factthat the Republican party continues toadvocate for policies contrary to wom-

ens rights is abhorent, Firestone said.MEOW adviser Lena Surzh-ko-Harned, Assistant Professor ofPolitical Science, hopes everyone canmake it to the event, as it is a contro-

versial issue.Clearly this is a topic that solicits

many differing opinions. I look for-ward to a good discussion of all pointsof view on these important issues,Surzhko-Harned said.

For more information about theevent, contact Dr. Surzhko-Harned atosurzhkoharned@mercyhurst.edu.

Caitlin Handerhan is the currentPresident of MEOW

By Caitlin HanderhanOpinion editor

Correction

In the Sept. 26 issue of the Merciad, the article Relay for Life can-celed for spring term stated that Mercyhurst Relay for Life has takenplace for two years. This information was incorrect. Relay for Lifehas taken place for the past three years.

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FEATURES Page 5October 10, 2012

MacBride experiencedamazing internship

Weve all heard the phrase every-one wants to be in pictures. Luckily,for one Mercyhurst University student,that phrase became a reality.

Junior Communication major Cait-lin MacBride had a unique internship

over the past summer working behind-the-scenes with Ohio movie producer

Tyler Davidson.MacBride first gained an interest in

film and producing at a young age. Shehad always enjoyed editing, starting

with her 8th grade graduation pictureslideshow.

MacBride has also made homemovies in the past. However, this wasnot always her choice of career. Duringher freshman and sophomore years ofhigh school, MacBride had wanted tobecome a pastry chef and even looked

into some culinary schools. Her junioryear, she went on vacation with her

family and went on tour of a Holly-wood studio. While on tour MacBridesmom told her, You could work here!MacBride thought so too, and is nowlooking to have a career in the filmindustry.

So, how did MacBride get a chanceto do this unique internship? Hermom went to go see Davidsonsfilm Take Shelter when it first

came out. After seeing the film, shesearched for Davidson online, foundhis email address and passed it onto her daughter. MacBride then sentDavidson an email, and met with himin March.

MacBride mostly worked in a pro-duction office during her internship.

When she wasnt in the productionoffice, she was busy working on theset of Toys House, a comedy filmthat will be shown in film festivalslater this year. MacBride did a lotof sitting, driving, furnishing apart-

ments for cast and crew and bring-ing random parts to the set everyday.

She worked six days a week for 12-16hours everyday during this intern-ship.

MacBrides favorite part of herinternship was being on the set andpicking up cast and crewmembers.On the other hand, her least favoritepart was the amount of time she hadto work, which amounted to over 600hours.

MacBride said, There was even aday that I had to bring breakfast to setat 3:30 in the morning.

MacBride hopes to move to LosAngeles and find a job there in thefuture. She is also considering takingfilm classes in the future.

MacBride gave some advice forMercyhurst students interested in film.

Mercyhurst doesnt offer a lot offilm stuff. People who want to do thatare kind of stuck. However, even withthis limitation, you can still find oppor-tunities. Its all about putting yourself

out there and making the right connec-tions, MacBride said.

By Daniel TarrStaff writer

Parkhurst presentslow impact meals

If you have been feeling more upbeat and healthy lately, that may bebecause you have been eating a lowimpact meal at Parkhurst, that is nowbeing served at lunch and dinner every

Thursday in Egan.Low impact meals have tons of

great benefits. The meals are 80 per-cent plant based, and 20 perent meatbased, which in turn lessen the eco-logical demand and impact on ourresources. These meals can appeal to

everyone from vegetarians, vegans,ovo-lacto vegetarians and the majorityof us, carnivores. There will be at least10 main options for each meal andpossibly more. This is not includingthe salad bar and the three hot soups.

So whats so special about and80/20 diet, anyway? Eating mealslike the 80/20 plan can help preventcancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetesand obesity. It can also help avoid thefreshman fifteen.

One of the diets Parkhurst will be

adding is a Mediterranean diet. Thisdiet includes foods such as artichokesthat contain 20 essential vitamins andnutrients and olives, which can stopcancer cells from growing and evenprevents premature aging. This kindof diet also includes high amounts offiber, which help ones blood pressure.

In addition, hummus, which is richin protein, antioxidants and omega 3fatty acids all can help improve intelli-gence and maintain a healthy heart.

Not only does this new meal have

great benefits health-wise, but alsohas an even better advantage towardour environment. Amazingly, world-

wide only 2 billion people live on meatbased diets, where as 4 billion live onplant-based diets. A meat based foodsystem requires more energy, land and

water resources than a plant baseddiet. In fact, 17 percent of the U.S.production system is dependent onfossil energy.

Due to this, our food system, whichis primarily meat based, is not sustain-able for the future. In having a plant-based diet, there are less transportationcosts as well as utility costs, naturally

lowering the use of fossil fuels, allwhile providing a delicious meal.

It was the Mercyhurst Green teamwho raised the question of havingMeatless Mondays in the dining hall.

Though a daunting task, Parkhurstwas up to the challenge. AlthoughParkhurst did not take on a MeatlessMonday, they have added, perhaps, anever better option to appeal to all typesof hungry students and faculty.

Low impact meals will be availableevery Thursday for lunch and dinner.

By Jade Gelsimino

Contributing writer

Parkhurst provides fresh food

options for students.

Salina Bowe photo

Senior Caitlin Handerhan enjoyed blogging about her Haiti trip.

After a day of flights, I arrived in Santa Clara, Calif., ready to begin intern-

ing with Mercy Beyond Borders. Although my time in California was rel-atively short, I hoped to gain experience working under the direction ofMBB founder and executive director, Sister Marilyn Lacey.

On the flight, I began to reflect on the end of another year at Mercyhurst,

and how much has changed. This time last year I was gearing up for a threeweek jaunt across Europe with a Hurst FSAT trip to hit up all of the bigcities and flashy attractions across the pond.

Being a nave 20-something, I was nervous for my first experience in

Europe, and my first time dealing with a language barrier. Looking back

now, those anxious feelings toward what could be rightly termed a vacationin Europe seem so short sighted.

Dont get me wrong, I loved every minute of my FSAT trip and wouldcertainly do it again. I saw major areas of the world, experienced differentcultures, walked through historic landmarks, and lets not forget all of thegreat food and wine. Yet, I cant help but feel like this summer will not bequite the same.

While I am thoroughly enjoying the mountains, palm trees and sunnydisposition of California, I cant wait to get on that flight to Haiti.

Maybe many people would not be excited about traveling to a third worldcountry, armed with malaria pills and cholera medication, but I find it fas-

cinating. To experience a culture so different from our own, to be pushedso beyond the limits of your comfort zone to confront some of the worlds

worst areas of poverty and most deplorable treatment of women, some-thing about that draws me in. It is something that is much bigger thanmyself, and my sheltered American world.

I have been so very fortunate. I have a wonderfully supportive family,

great friends at Mercyhurst and have never been in want of material com-fort. While I expect this trip and internship to be difficult, I also think it will

be very rewarding. I realize the world cant be saved by one internship, orone trip to Haiti, but we all have to start somewhere.

I hope to use this blog to track not only my adventures in California andHaiti, but to track my own personal growthmy journey beyond the gatesof Mercyworld, and into the third world.

Stay tuned to learn mor e about Caitlins trip to Haiti in upcoming columns.

Hurst to Haiti:Handerhans adventure

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September 3, 2008 FEATURESPage 6 October 10, 2012

Students study, travel in Ireland

Many people would jump at thechance to get to travel and spend anextended period of time in anothercountry.

Juniors Catherine Costa, Clair Riley,and Hunter McCabe are among someof the students who took the opportu-nity to spend eight weeks studying andseeing the sights in Ireland throughMercyhurst Universitys travel abroadprogram.

Costa explained her reason for

deciding to study abroad in Ireland wasfor the experience itself.

Costa said, I am in Ireland, itdoesnt get much better than this.

Other reasons why students choseto go on the trip included the relativelyinexpensive price, compared to otherschool travel abroad programs andthe difficulties of coordinating a studyabroad program that gelled well withMercyhursts current trimester sched-ule.

While learning to balance studyingwith traveling Ireland, each student istaking a rigorous course load. Rileyis enrolled in a contemporary Social

Problems Course and English Lit-erature. Similarly, McCabe is takingComparative Social Problems, but alsoModern European Drama and Film,Biology, Irish Language and History.Costa is also studying in ComparativeSocial Problems, Environmental Biol-ogy and Modern European Drama andFilm.

The classes are challengingbecause it is hard to find a balancebetween doing homework and want-ing to go explore Ireland and Europeand see the different cultures, Costasaid.

But there comes a time to set asidethe books and have a little fun. Allthree students mentioned their tripto Dublin, where they were allowedto explore on their own, as one oftheir current favorite experiences inIreland.

They also met and had drinks withthe mayor of Ireland, and shopped onGrafton Street, a famous shopping dis-trict in Dublin.

Riley, in particular, fondly remem-

bers visiting Cork City, similar toDublin but much less crowded. Thereshe climbed to the top of BlarneyCastle to kiss the famous BlarneyStone.

McCabe explained the friendlynature of the people around Dungar-

van as a definite plus during his stayin Ireland. He also enjoyed biking tohigh points in the Irish countryside.

McCabe said, You can see for milesand miles, taking in all the beautifulscenery around you.

But McCabe said his least favor-

ite experience is the exchange rate

between the American dollar and theEuropean Euro, which is currently 1.3dollars to every 1 euro.

It may not seem too bad, saidMcCabe, but it really adds up.

Nevertheless, Costa, McCabe andRiley all recommend their experienceduring their trip abroad to other pro-spective students interested in visitinganother country.

Who knows what other time in our

lives we will be able to do this, saidRiley, After college, were broke so weneed jobs and from there it becomesdifficult to make time to travel. Doingit while we are young, I think, is alsoimportant.

Though eventually the students willhave to say goodbye to Ireland andreturn home, these experiences willstay with them for a lifetime.

By Kierston BromleyContributing writer

Food tips to help students ace tests

You are studying, but not really. Youcannot focus. You are hungry. You

want to be doing anything but prep-ping for midterms.

Many students face this problem;they cannot focus and start to pro-crastinate. Do not worry. There aremany foods you can eat to help youfocus and get you ready to pass yourmidterms.

First, always remember to eat break-fast. You should always try to eathealthy and include protein in yourbreakfast to ensure a good start to the

morning. Protein will give you a boostfor the rest of the day.

Michelle Tobin, who works in theMercyhurst Counseling Departmentsaid, Breakfast is essential.

Tobin gave a list of good examplesof healthy additives for any meal.

She said, I put ground up flaxseedand chia seeds in oatmeal, browniesand tacos. I used to add it to anythingand my boys had no idea.

Chia seeds help you feel moreenergized and also curb your appe-tite. This means you will not snack onunhealthy foods that will weigh youdown because the chia seed will fillyou up.

For a healthy but sweet and salty

treat, Tobin gives a recipe for a deli-cious trail mix.

I use Spanish peanuts, which arebetter for you than normal peanuts;pumpkin seeds (without the shells),

dried fruit, almonds and dark choc-olate M&Ms, said Tobin, Its sweetbut good for you.

If you still want your junk foods,Tobin suggests trying blue chips. Theyare more nutritionally valuable thanregular chips. She also said pizza ortortilla chips with fresh lettuce, cheeseand veggies are good.

Some students had suggestions forsnacks while studying that are healthy,but sweet as well.

Junior Kerry Roberts said, I like

pretzels, because they are easy and gowith anything.

Junior Ann Donnelly said, Bananasand chocolate, thats my thing.

For beverages to help you study,

Tobin said to drink plenty of water.She also condones drinking coffee andtea because they have antioxidants.

Antioxidants refresh the body andkeep you healthy. Some of her favor-ite drinks are kombucho and cranberryjuice mixed with limeade.

As for pop lovers, stray awaybecause Tobin said, That stuff is justbad for you.

How about having a beer to take theedge off? Most students rely on thisspecific drink to ease stress and relax.

Drink a beer as a reward, saidTobin. You can have one when youfinish studying, but dont drink toomuch because it will keep you up.

Another tip from Tobin is to get a

good night sleep. When you sleep, yourbody processes everything you learned

while studying. So if you cram, yourbrain does not have time to store allthat information.

If reading this made you hungry, trygoing to Wegmans. They have a greathealth food section or Whole FoodsCo-op on West 26th street and Brown

Avenue. Hopefully, these healthy foodtips will help you when preparing fortest time.

By Caitlin MacBrideContributing writer

Students enjoy the tour of the Guinness factory in Dublin, Ireland.Contributed photo

Students pose for photo outside of the Irish Parliament during an

educational trip.

Contributed photo

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 7October 10, 2012

The Voxare Quartet gave a thrilling

display of technical skill and musician-ship for the audience in the Perform-ing Arts Center, Wednesday night.

The group jumps on its music withall fours and makes the tussle worthhearing, said the Washington Post inFebruary earlier this year.

For this particular performance the

quartet decided to combine their skillwith a silent film called Man with aMovie Camera.

Originally filmed in 1928, the silentfilm features no actors, nor a plot line.

Those who found themselvescaught in the sights of this candid

video camera were ordinary Ukrainiancitizens who were going about theirday.

The avant-garde style highlightsthat this film can go anywhere from a

woman giving birth to beach-goers ona sunny day.

Although the documentary wascompletely silent, the perfect accom-paniment of Voxare gave the illusionthat what was played was the original

score.

The movements and selections thatmatched up so perfectly with what washappening on the screen must havetaken hours upon hours of editing andre-editing.

Since its formation in 2008, theVoxare String Quartet has receivedconstant praise over its attention todetail, passion, technical skill and itsinventive programming.

Voxare accompanied the silent filmwith a level of virtuosity that is rarelyseen on even the most prestigiousstages today.

At different moments in the film,Voxare coordinated motifs that helpedtie the whole production together. Forinstance, whenever the film depictedthe public riding a train or participat-ing in any form of travel, the quartetrepeated a passage that included aclose harmony that gave the listener asense of travel.

Although performing around thecountry in numerous universities andconcert halls, Voxare is the prestigiousquartet-in-residence at New YorksBargemusic.

The quartet studied repertoire withthe founder of the Juilliard StringQuartet, Robert Mann, along with the

Tokyo, Orion and Kronos Quartets.Unlike many quartets that simply

perform standard repertoire, Voxareencourages the performance of andinterest in contemporary music,including works with Pulitzer Prize

winning composers Ned Rorem andDavid Del Tredici.The Quartet consists of four play-

ers two violins, a viola and a cello.Emily Ondracek, violin, is a Chicagonative and started playing violin at theage of five.

At 16, Ondracek had her very firstsolo opportunity with the Chicago

Symphony Orchestra.Ondracek received her mastersfrom The Juilliard School and is a doc-

toral candidate at Columbia University.

She performs on a Parisian violin madein 1815.

Galina Zhdanova, also a violin-ist began studying at the age of five.

When she turned 15. In 2004, she wasappointed assistant concertmaster ofthe Bayreuth Festival Youth SymphonyOrchestra.

A graduate of St. Petersburg,Zhdanova plays with Josh Groban,Sarah Brightman, the Trans-SiberianOrchestra and Steven Tyler of Aero-smith.

Erik Peterson plays viola for Voxare

and is originally from Chicago. He hasplayed with the Cleveland, Milwaukeeand New World Orchestra. Petersonhas collaborated with the members of

Juilliard, Brentano and the ClevelandOrchestra.

Last, but not least, is Adrian Daurovon cello. Born in St. Petersburg,Russia, Daurov was awarded first prizeat the international music competitionin Bulgaria. A graduate of Juilliard, hehas recently performed the world pre-miere of The Epistle with the Rus-sian Chamber Chorus of New York.

The Voxare Quartet gave a stunningperformance and left the audiencebegging for more.

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

Voxare String Quartet stuns PAC audience

The Voxare String Quartet is one of the fastest rising quartets,

performing at venues all around the world.

Voxarequartet.com photo

Online Full list of events can be

found on the PAC websiteView upcoming performances:

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

edu/arts_entertainment

When Mumford & Sons came outwith their debut album Sigh NoMore, I thoroughly enjoyed it and fre-quently listened to it.

This British group put a new twiston folk influences and instruments,

while combining them with big sing-along choruses.

The lyrics in the first album weretouching and thoughtful.

One that is especially remarkable is,Her white blank page, a swelling rage,you did not think when you sent meto the brink, you desired my attention,but denied my affections, my affec-

tions. Truthfully, it is still one of my

favorite albums.Last month, Mumford released theirsophomore album Babel. Quitehonestly, I would rather listen to babybabble than this album.

It just doesnt have the feeling thelast album had.

The songs feel like they used thesame melody and tweaked it in dif-ferent ways, over and over again, untilthey had 12 songs.

The song I Will Wait was going tobe the albums saving grace.

It starts out with beautiful, strongharmonies that build up to this greatfolk sound and then the singer, MarcusMumford, hits you with this poppyrepeating vocal line that doesnt fit

with the song.

This band has so much internal

talent to offer, but I definitely did nothear it in this album.Throughout the album the band was

trying to explore different elementsfrom other genres. I support this whenit is done well. Lover of Light is oneof those songs that has some genreexploring in the mix.

The little addition of some jazzpiano in this song sounds nothingmore than misplaced.

I would not recommend this album,but then again I may just be a little toopicky. If you are a fan of Mumford &Sons then give it a listen.

You may find more merit to theirwork than I did.

By Zachary DorschPhoto editor

Mumford & Sons have SighNo More in their new album

Upcoming arts events:

MU Theatre Program Presents:Camelot: The Musical

Fri-Sun, Oct. 19-21Fri. & Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m.

Langer Film Series: The IntouchablesFriday, Oct. 26

at 2:15 and 7:15 p.m.

Bob Woodward Lecture

Monday, Oct. 29at 8 p.m.

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September 3, 2008

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 8 October 10, 2012

Mercyhurst introduces theInstitute for Arts and Culture

It all begins with a scene of brightblue waves and swirls of white foamflowing upward from the bottom ofthe movie screen. As the audience, our

senses become lost in the beautifulchaos of the open water we see.

We soon find that this opening shotbecomes a symbol for the main charac-ter of Paul Thomas Andersons latestfilm, The Master. Joaquin Phoenixstars as a man named Freddie Quell; analcoholic WWII veteran struggling tofind his place in society after returninghome from the war.

After losing numerous jobs due tohis abusive habits, Freddie stumblesupon the friendship of LancasterDodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman);

the leader of a philosophical move-ment labeled The Cause. Quell joinsthe movement and his recklessnessinspires Dodd to help him adapt to thephilosophy and shelter him from thejudgmental outside society.

The movie thus follows the friend-ship of the two and the development

of Dodds movement, or cult, as manyoutsiders in the film refer to it.Regardless of anything else, this

film is worth seeing simply due tothe Oscar-worthy performances of

Joaquin Phoenix and Philip SeymourHoffman. The visuals of the film areincredibly artistic. The camera angles,movements and editing are very wellstated and deliberate; evidence of

Andersons guiding hand is stampedthroughout. Many of the shots catertoward the lead actors, giving us close-ups that let us take in every aspect oftheir engrossing performances.

As an audience member, one isscared to look away from the screenand possibly miss one of the fantasticsubtle ticks that Phoenix brings to life,or Hoffmans steel gaze that seems tolook right through you. The score ofthe film, written by Radiohead bandmember Johnny Greenwood, is just as

superb, and adds a great deal of sus-pense and intrigue to the visuals.Tailored specifically for the film to

provide a mesmerizing tone, it morethan accomplishes its goal. The musicoften equals the mystery the audiencefeels as we attempt to piece togetherthe puzzles of Dodds movement.

Artistic merit aside, while the plotfeels like it is constantly changing and

we never quite get to a climactic ending.Dodds Cause remains shrouded inmore mystery than we would prefer,however, the ride as a whole makes thelackluster destination entirely worth it.

By Matthew TelehaContributing writer

The Master a captivating work of art

The Master is a fascinating new film written by renowned director

Paul Thomas Anderson.

Patheos.com photo

With the transition from college to

university, Mercyhurst inaugurated theMercyhurst Institute for Arts and Cul-ture (MIAC), which will oversee thearts programming in the Mary DAn-gelo Performing Arts Center (PAC).

The director for the MIAC, JamieGrady, looks to develop academicprograms in the various branches ofarts management while overseeing theplanning of the PAC events for eachseason. Although the 2012-2013 eventseason was programmed before theinstitutes inauguration, Grady beginshis administration of the MIAC with

world-renowned performers such asguitarist Pat Metheny, among others.

About the changes coming with theintroduction of the MIAC, Grady said,To the Erie community, little change

will be apparent; we will offer the sameworld-class performances expected ofMercyhurst University, but internallyour intention is to promote studentinvolvement and to create a greaterappreciation for the arts among them.

The program looks to increase stu-dent involvement and interest on theevents held at the PAC by means ofcontests, giveaways and the use ofsocial media outlets. With the intro-duction of the Mercyhurst Institute for

Arts and Culture, students who wish topursue careers in arts management or

theatre tech can earn credits for theirwork at the PAC, Walker Recital Halland the Taylor Little Theatre.

Vice President for Academic AffairsPhil Belfiore, Ph.D., said, Like any

successful organization, Mercyhurstis always looking to improve and tocreate opportunities to enhance thestudent experience.

Grady wants to work with the Mer-cyhurst community to make the artsmore accessible and entertaining tothe students, who frequently perceivethese performances as boring.

The environment should be fun,social and open to students curiosity,said Grady. I think once we get themin the doors, well be able to create life-long attendees of the arts.

By Juan MendezStaff writer

Langer Film Series: The Intouchables

An irreverent, uplifting comedy about friendship,

trust and human possibility, The Intouchables depicts

an unlikely camaraderie rooted in honesty and humor.

A true story of two men who should never have met,

and on the surface would appear to have nothing in

common.

Taylor Little Theatre

Friday Oct. 26, 2012 - 2:15 p.m. & 7:15 p.m.

Language: French (with English subtitles)

MIAC is enjoying an extremely successful first year, making many improvements around campus.pac. mercyhurst.edu photo

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9October 10, 2012

New faculty member

gladly welcomed intoDepartment of Music

With every new year comes new fac-ulty members.

This year the music department has

gained a spectacular string instructor,Mr. J. Kneer. He is an alumnus of theOberlin Conservatory in Ohio and thePeabody Institute of John HopkinsUniversity in Maryland. He is originallyfrom Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Kneers musical life began aroundage five with the violin. His first violinbelonged to his grandfather who was abarn dance fiddler.

Kneer learned the violin throughthe Suzuki method. Though the violin

was his first instrument, Kneer pickedup several more throughout his life.

He started playing the French horn

in fifth grade and played all throughmiddle and high school. During highschool, Kneer learned how to playtrombone and joined his schools jazzband.

When asked about how he likedMercyhurst so far Kneer replied, Ilove it. It is culturally like the midwest.

The people are sincere, friendly andwant to do well.

The music department was verylucky to hear Kneer early on in the fallterm. Students were able to attend afantastic faculty recital given by Kneer.His recital included works by Beetho-

ven, Faure and Kreisler. When askedabout his recital and the programminghe had done, Kneer explained he wasaiming for a lighter program withinteresting pieces that he found to bequirky.

He said, The Beethoven is not

played very often. Its a hidden gem.Though his recital did not includethem, Kneer divulged that three ofhis favorite composers to play areBach, Haydn and Stravinsky.

He also enjoys Bachs organ works.Kneer admitted that if he had to, hecould play Bach for the rest of his

life. He said that Bach is multifac-eted, as great music often is. Haydnis a favorite because he led a morenormal life. Kneer sees Haydn asfunny and creative and according tohim, the poor sucker is one of theleast appreciated.

Besides music, Kneer enjoys activ-ities such as ping pong, tennis andfollowing current events. We are verylucky to have such a wonderful, tal-ented and dedicated faculty memberjoining the ranks in the DAngeloDepartment of Music.

By Tanya ColemanContributing writer

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OPINION October 10, 2012Page 10

While students are loving

the new library entranceabove Taylor Little Theater,many are lamenting theloss of the fountain outside

of the theater entrance. Theonce beautiful fountain hasbeen replaced with faux

plants and a sitting area.

Laker Football will betaking on the GannonKnights this weekend at

Gannons downtown sta-dium. Coming off of a 5thstraight Mercyhurst win,chances are the Lakers will

crush the Knights.

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.

Weekends at the Lakerhave left many studentsless than satisfied, with

the service severly lacking.

Students have complainedthat food is never readywhen the Laker opens, andeven once the serving has

started, many items on themenu are missing.

Poor advertisingsends bad message

I was reading some of the posts onCollegeCandy.com when I came acrossa post that I found incredibly offen-

sive.The post went as follows: If youve

ever had an issue finding the perfectguy-friendly gift, G Spirits, a Germanspirit label, has developed the ultimatesolution.

After pouring the drink over a sexyplaymates chest, and then packagedalong with photos for sale to somelucky individuals, the product is bot-tled.

Booze. Boobs. Im pretty sure thisis the manliest, most macho conceptpossible (unless it included bacon).

This is a legitimate company, whichclaims to recognize a special type ofwoman with their liquors, but theprovocative question in the back ofmy mind is What are they thinking?

Why in the world does the conceptof booze dripped over a womans lady-parts sound appealing? I know that Idont have any desire to drink boozethat has been drizzled over a guyspartsseriously it just sounds patheticand incredibly unappealing.

But what about the concept of

objectifying womenin booze form?Why do men constantly feel the needto undermine women and treat us like

were some piece of property or some-thing to claim?

In this objectification, women aredepicted as the whole or a part of aninanimate object, the sweet burn of

alcohol that will make them so incred-ibly manly.

We all can relate to a guy nottaking us seriously for some reasonor another. Men are going to ogle asthough we, women, are blind as bats.

The source of this ogling comesfrom decades, centuries, hell, all ofhistory, of men who have ruled societythrough patriarchal eyes. Their eyes areall seeing and all knowing, apparently.

Men seem to think they have it right.However, they do not. They are miss-ing the teeny-weeny (pun intended,

guys) point where women are equals.We arent just some excuse for

you to dump your alcohol over andincrease the price because you can.

And to the ladies, play-matesas they were referred to, what in the

world made you think that this was agood idea? Have a little self-respectand a) keep your alcohol off your bodyb) dont let guys bottle said alcoholafter it has been on your body, and c)use your brain.

I honestly believe that just because

there is an incredibly low percentageof women that feel the need to riptheir clothes off and take pictures, orbe barely clothed and take pictures,that the entire gender loses respectbecause of crap like this.

We live in a world where women canbe whatever they want to be, well forthe most part, when cultural standardspermit it.

Stop objectifying yourself, and let-ting others objectify you.

Women are not alcohol filters,

nor do we want men to act in the samerule. Its not cute, its not sexy.

All I can think of are the germsthat go into that bottle, sit there, andare consumed by another. Its dirty. Itsgross.

Moral of the story: Just keep yourclothes on and forget about this fad.

Go do something with your lifethat doesnt involve spreading bacteriaacross bars everywhere.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

Have an opinion?

Want to make $10?

Write for

the Merciad!

Opinion writers wanted!

If interested, email

opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

DRAWN

OUTStudents drawout their

thoughts on thelatest issues.

This week, photoeditor ZachDorsch drawsout his thoughts

on presidentialcandidate MittRomneys pro-posed budget

cuts.

Submissions canbe sent to opin-ionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

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OPINION Page 11October 10, 2012The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad or

the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

Editors

Stacy Skiavo

Alicia Cagle

Kayla KellyCaitlin Handerhan

Joe Chiodo

Mat Anderson

Chelsea Schermerhorn

Samantha Link

Zach Dorsch

Ethan Johns

Courtney Hartline

Bill Welch

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News Editor

Features EditorOpinion Editor

Sports Editor

A&E Editor

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Graphics

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Adviser

@mercyhurst.edu

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The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst

University. 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.

Conservatives need the Libertarian vote

Even before the Republican con-vention ended a few weeks ago manyRepublicans and Conservatives weredemanding that Ron Paul endorse MittRomney for President.

To their dismay, he has refrainedfrom doing so. However that has notstopped them from harassing Liber-tarians and Ron Paul Republicans fortheir votes. Many of Ron Pauls sup-porters have switched their support tothe Libertarian Partys candidate Gary

Johnson and it has the Republicanshowling mad.

This years Republican primarywas very hard fought and in thecourse of the many, many debatesRepublicans repeatedly lambastedMitt Romney on everything from hisrecord as governor of Massachu-setts to how he operated Bain Capi-tal as its CEO.

And now that he i s the nomineeit seems that all of the Republicanspast reservations have all disap-peared.

Nearly everyone has begrudginglyor otherwise decided to throw theirsupport behind Mitt Romney in orderto defeat Barack Obama this Novem-ber. Everyone that is, except for Liber-tarians and in such a close election theRepublicans recognize that they willneed every vote.

Having realized that the Romneycampaign could really use the youthfulenergy and enthusiasm that definedthe Ron Paul campaign as well as every

vote they can scrounge up Republicansseem to have decided upon a mostunusual method of convincing the lib-ertarian vote to join them.

The abuses of the GOP establish-ment during the convention and pri-mary process are well known to allRon Paul supporters and will not beeasily forgotten.

In fact, these unnecessary actions

on the part of the Republican estab-lishment are what led to many Ronu-lans choosing to sever all ties to theRepublican party altogether.

Whether it was unseating delegates,vote counting shenanigans, or ignoringparty rules, all of it was unnecessaryas Romney would have won withoutcheating.

What does it say about a mans char-acter when he feels the need to cheateven when he will inevitably win?

To add insult to injury, Republi-cans and prominent conservatives likeGlenn Beck have the gall to stand upand not ask for but demand the Lib-ertarian vote.

On his radio show Beck called RonPaul supporters delusional for not sup-porting Romney and said that if saidRon Paul supporters are trying to senda message by voting for Gary Johnson

they are out of their mind.Beck then proceeds to explain howhe disagrees with Romney but that heis better than Obama and Obama mustgo. Becks words sum up the feelingsof many Republicans.

Some Republicans acknowledgethat Ron Paul was robbed at the con-

vention and throughout the processbut still they say that yes it was wrongbut you need to shut up and get in linebehind Romney because Obama mustgo.

What Beck fails to realize is that byvoting for Mitt Romney Ron Paul sup-porters would still be sending a mes-sage.

The message that would be senthowever would indicate to the Repub-lican establishment that no matterhow much the Libertarians are mis-treated they will still fall in line anddo what they are told when it comesdown to it.

This election demonstrates a keydifference between Libertarians andConservatives.

While the Conservatives clearly donot like Romney and think he has a badrecord they still support him becausethey view Obama as a worse choice.

Conservatives are willing to sacrificetheir principles in a vain attempt tosave their principles.

If you have to abandon your beliefsystem to attempt to save your beliefsystem perhaps it is not a system worthsaving.

Now contrast that with the Liber-tarians.

They recognize that Gary Johnsondoes not have much chance of win-ning this election.

They also recognize that to supportRomney would be to support the samebig government policies that Con-servatives so vigorously denounce inObama.

Both Romney and Obama supportthe National Defense Authorization

Act which allows for the indefinitedetention of American Citizens with-out trial. Both supported the bank

bailouts.Both support the failed policies ofthe Federal Reserve System that gotus into this economic mess in the firstplace.

Most disturbingly of all, MittRomney, like Barack Obama, believesthat the president has the authority tokill American citizens without trial ifthey are believed to be ter rorists.

When it comes down to the reallyimportant things, Romney andObama are very similar, which is whymost Libertarians are supportingneither.

Sometimes Libertarians are com-pared to the Black Knight from MontyPython and the Holy Grail who keepson fighting even after all his arms andlegs have been lopped off and he hasno chance of winning.

But perhaps the time has come totake a principled stand and stand faston ones beliefs even though it willmean losing.

Earlier this year Gary Johnson theLibertarian candidate for President

was interviewed on NPR.There he was asked if he was on a

torture rack and they were going to killhim unless he voted for Romney orObama who would he vote for.

Gary Johnson replied that he wouldrather die.

That same sentiment is shared bythe vast majority of Johnsons fol-lowers. Perhaps our nation would notbe in the dire situation it is today ifmore people stood firmly behind theirprinciples instead of compromising inorder to win.

When Republicans and Conserva-tives demand that Libertarians support

Romney in spite of him being anath-ema to them, they demonstrate howlittle they understand the libertarianmind set.

Libertarians are not members ofeither major party precisely becausethey believe that neither party aligns

with their belief system.While Libertarians do not like

Obama they certainly do not likeRomney and therefore shall not votefor either. If Republicans believe that

people should vote for a candidateeven though they do not like him orher simply because he or she has abetter chance of winning that is theirchoice.

It is time for the Republicans to rec-ognize that insulting Libertarians andthen insisting they support their candi-date will not work.

Perhaps because standing on ones

principles and beliefs is such a foreignconcept to the Republicans they donot recognize that is what prevents the

Libertarians from supporting Romneyand they assume they are being sorelosers because Ron Paul did not winthe nomination.

Whatever the case, if Obama isreelected in November, the Repub-licans and conservatives will have noone but themselves to blame.

By Zach YostContributing writer

Correction

In the Sept. 26, 2012 issue of the Merciad, The Bad discussed thenew MSG publication, The Weekender.

The weekender is not published by MSG, it is published by theCampus Involvement Center.

It is time for the Repub-

licans to recognize that

insulting Libertarians

will not work.

- Zach Yost

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SPORTS October 10, 2012Page 12

Football holds onto five-game win streak

After a hard fought 19-10 win overLock Havens Bald Eagles on Saturday,Oct. 6, the Lakers claim an impressive

win streak of five straight games.

With the win, the Lakers improve to5-1 overall. Additionally, the team istied for the third-longest win streak inteam history. Additionally, the 5-game

win streak is the best since the 2010PSAC Championship season, when

the Lakers won seven games straight.The Lakers have relied on their run-

ning game to put points on the boardall season. Running back BrandonBrown-Dukes entered the game onSaturday ranked 12th in the countryfor rushing yards per game. However,concentrated defense against Brown-Dukes held him to just 39 yards on 18carries.

Having Brown-Dukes restricted byLock Haven opened up opportunityfor fellow running back Allen Jones

II to flourish, rushing for 111 yardsand a touchdown. Jones performanceearns him a spot in Hurst history asthe 12th player to rush for over 1,000

yards in their career.Senior defensive lineman SergeAugustin and his defensive teammatesheld Lock Haven to only 219 yards on

Saturday, providing ample opportunityfor the offense to produce results.During the homecoming game

against Slippery Rock on Sept. 22,

Augustin recorded five tackles, two-and-a-half tackles for a loss, two sacksand a forced fumble. For his perfor-mance, Augustin was honored as

ECACs Defensive Player of the week.

Its a great honor to be namedECAC Defensive Player of the Week,its a blessing. A lot of people who getrecognized by the ECAC are reallysolid players, Augustin said.

After not seeing action last seasondue to a hamstring injury, Augustin isexcited to be back for his senior year.

It feels great to be back. I feel likeI should have been doing this for a

while. Im taking full advantage of get-ting a second opportunity to be on thefield, Augustin said.

It is hard not to anticipate anothersuccessful season such as the 2010season already, but the Lakers still havea long way to go. With four games leftin the regular season, the Lakers willhave to fight hard to keep their win

streak alive.If we continue to play Laker foot-

ball the way we should; physical onboth sides of the ball, coming out withenergy and going out there and havingfun, it will be a repeat (of the 2010season,) Augustin said.

The Lakers face hometown rivalGannon University next Saturday, Oct.13 at Gannon University.

By Joe ChiodoSports Editor

Serge Augustin barrels through the Bald Eagle offensive line in the 19-10 win.

David Leisering Photo

Lacrosse locker room receives an update

The former mens lacrosse locker

room was anything but fit for a nation-ally ranked team. Head Coach ChrisRyan knew it was time for an upgrade.

The old locker room was terrible.It was falling apart, the lockers wereold, they barely served their purposeanymore, the ceiling was falling downand it was just a mess. This was prettymuch an extreme makeover from what

we had before, Ryan said.The locker room was built in stages,

beginning in the summer. The ceilingwas torn out in June, followed by a

new one being put in during mid-July.The lighting and lockers were addedon Sept. 10, and the finishing touches

were added until Homecoming week-end for the mens lacrosse alumnigame.

This is 100 steps up from what wehad before. Its a project we had beenthinking about doing for the past 15years, We just had to get the timingright and we were waiting for the pro-gram to mature, Ryan said.

With the first undefeated record

in the schools history last season,the Lakers are hoping the new lockerrooms will set the bar for yet anotherunforgettable season.

I think this really sets the tone for

years to come. Youre going to findsomething like this for a DII menslacrosse team. It shows all the supportand interest in the program, especially

with the school and how they helped.It really speaks highly of the schooland what we have to offer, Ryan said.

With an addition of 15 new fresh-men, and two transfers, the team isnow up to 48 players and is looking tostand out more than ever before.

Its pretty much our locker room.There are exactly 48 lockers, and we

were able to sell every locker to analumni, meaning a graduated playerbought a locker for a current player,Ryan said.

Parents, alumni and various peopleparticipated in helping to raise moneyfor this project, said Ryan. We couldnot have done without all the supportthat we get with our program.

The annual alumni game on Sept.21, brought back over 40 alumni play-ers.

It has become a really big tradi-

tion for us as a team. We always havea great turnout. Yes, its a chance forus to evaluate our new players, but itsmostly about us all coming togetherand having fun, Ryan said.

Its been 15 years of success, sonow were trying to uphold the stan-dards and high goals that we have set.

Were in a new conference this yearand we have high hopes to be in the

playoffs again this year, Ryan said.The Lakers look forward to another

successful year with their new lockerroom.

By Samantha BanteContributing Writer

The new lacrosse locker rooms contain a locker for each player to store their equipment.Samantha Bante Photo