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NEWSPage 2 September 19, 2012

University status brings changes to campusAfter becoming a university last Jan-

uary, the Mercyhurst college commu-nity embraced the new title, and theclass of 2012 became the first class tograduate from Mercyhurst University.

Toward the end of last academicyear, the bookstore began printinguniversity merchandise, along with thecampus offices printing the new uni-

versity letterhead. Little did we knowthat a full-fledged university-brandingcampaign would soon take the campusby storm.

Looking past everyday life, brand-ng has made some changes for themerchandise sold at the bookstore,the cosmetic aspect of student IDsfrom the OneCard Office, and hasthe potential to affect college nights atocal bars.

Dan Cullen, the general managerof the campus bookstore said, The

new logo cannot be printed on cer-tain colors because it just doesnt makesense when you see the logo and it doesnot allow for proper branding.

Therefore, students should notexpect to see the university logo printedon neon, tie-dye, and similar colorsbecause of the clashing colors.

The biggest issue we have as faras production goes is with placement,especially zippers and embroidery, hesaid.

Cullen also said that the distressedlook that former merchandise featuredcannot be used with the new logobecause it isnt what the school wantsand just wont transfer well.

There is no difference in productioncosts, between the university merchan-dise and former college merchandise. Itis all a matter of determining what doesor does not look good.

Along with managing the mer-chandise the school has permissionto sell and change the ID cards fromsaying college to university. However,the changes in identification cardshave caused dissatisfaction amongstudents who received an acceptanceletter and ID card from MercyhurstCollege.

Junior Chris Gaertner said, I thinkthat the option to get a new univer-sity ID card for free should be given,instead of the usual game of lets see

how much money we can take from ourstudents today that the school usuallyplays.

Gaertner is referring to the $15charge for students to get a new univer-sity ID card.

According to John Patterson, direc-

tor of the OneCard office, there is acharge because this is the same fee as adamaged or lost ID card.

As for the new layout of the uni-versity ID cards, it features a largely

printed Mercyhurst University label atthe bottom.

Patterson said, The school told mewhat was required of the cards, butit was ultimately my decision for thelayout. The Public Relations Depart-ment and designer of the card, Steve

Perkins, made sure it was appropriate,and we came up with the card.Vice President for Advancement

David Livingston, Ph.D., explained thatbranding the university is an important

step in their competitive marketplaceof attracting new students.

The move to becoming a univer-sity is a unique event in the life of aninstitution as it can happen only once.

This is an opportunity to reinvigoratethe Mercyhurst name in the communityand the region, said Livingston.

Seeing the words Mercyhurst Col-lege seemed normal to everyone forthe past 84 years. Most of what is seen

with Mercyhurst University is the samethat was done last fall, but it had Mercy-hurst College on it and no one noticedthat, because that was normal. This isnew and so it is noticeable, he said.

Livingston added that they are con-tinuing to change signs and other mate-rials to read Mercyhurst University.

It is who we are now and as such Ithink we should embrace it as much aspossible, sophomore Andrew Shepardsaid.

Campus might be missing neont-shirts sporting the new logo andupperclassman may have a fee toupgrade their card to say MercyhurstUniversity, but so far the brandingof the university status has been wellreceived from both the campus andErie communities.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

Pep band debuts homecoming weekend

Mercyhurst University has not had apep band since 2009, but now the bandhas returned.

John Marszalek, Marching BandDirector at General McLane HighSchool, changed this. He was hired toput together a pep band at MercyhurstUniversity to raise school spirit.

Currently the band itself is com-prised of 25 students, though theband is in a continual state of recruit-ment. Various disciplines make up this

number such as music majors, non-mu-sic majors, freshmen and seniors.

The band is currently in rehearsal,putting songs together and recruit-ng members. They are set to debutat homecoming on Saturday, Sept. 22,

where they will play from the homestands on the football field.

Mercyhurst Director of Athleticsoe Kimball doesnt think the band is

ready yet to play at half time becausethey do not have enough members orenough practice. Nevertheless, the pepband will play the national anthem at

homecoming and will also play songsthrou hout the o enin ame.

Following homecoming, as long asweather permits, the pep band will playthe rest of the football season and atsome baseball games.

Theres a good cross-section ofstudents in the pep band, said Marsza-lek. Its very promising and Im veryexcited about the bands future.

What happened to the schools pre-vious pep band, though? MercyhurstUniversity had a pep band up until thebands director could no longer officiateas director in 2009. However, now thatincreased student interest has broughtthe band back, they hope to expand.

We hope to double the pep bandto 50 members by this time next year,

Kimball said.The bands ultimate ambition is to

form a full marching band. Such anevent would increase the size of thepep band to between 75 and 110 mem-bers.

It is expected to take four to fiveyears to see a full marching band cometo Mercyhurst.

The pep band is great for theschool, said Kimball, the school couldreally use a boost in school spirit.

Junior Nicole Popielarz agrees.Having a pep band is a good idea

because it will help raise school spirit at

Mercyhurst, Popielarz said.Freshman Alicia Eisenhardt also

thinks the pep band is a good additionto the school.

Having a pep band is a good thing

because it gives students a more diverserange of activities in which to getinvolved, she said.

In the future, band members planto create a Facebook page for the pep

band with contact information andother details.

For more information about joiningthe pep band, call Kimball at (814)-824-2559.

By Kierston BromleyContributing writer

Signs sporting the new university design are slowly appearing

around campus.

Zach Dorsch photo

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Page 3September 19, 2012 NEWS

News BriefStudents attend 2012 AnnualDiversity Conference

Assistant Professor Kimberly Zacherl in the Walker School of Busi-ness used a Diversity Enrichment Grant to take students to the 2012Annual Diversity Conference Thursday, Sept. 13, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Zacherl, junior Dan Tremblay, sophomore Dennis Arthur andsenior Menda Tenzing attended sessions including Bridging Culturaland Gender Barriers, Women Take Care and Men Take Charge, Multi-cultural Leadership and Its not the Glass Ceiling but the Sticky Floor.

The group also attended the Keynote Luncheon Address by SoledadOBrien, special investigation correspondent and host of CNNs InAmerica documentaries.

Bob Woodward to speak at Mercyhurst

Investigative journalist and author Bob Wood-ward, famous for breaking the stories on theWatergate scandal during President Nixons term,is coming as a guest speaker to the Mary DAn-gelo Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Monday,Oct. 29.

His talk, named Inside the White House:From Nixon to Obama with Bob Woodward andCarl Bernstein, is penned to be a part of theguest speaker series for the 2012-2013 academicyear.

Mercyhurst students and faculty will be able to

get their free tickets starting Thursday, Sept. 27 bypresenting their Mercyhurst ID.There is a limit of two tickets per person and

any remaining tickets will be offered to the publicstarting Monday, Oct. 1.

Born in Illinois, Woodward has received variousawards for his work in the world of journalism,such as a Pulitzer for his work for The WashingtonPost during both the Watergate scandals and hiscoverage of the September 11 attacks.

His work for the Post has been recognized forhaving remarkably reliable accounts and a strongtone, as well as attention to detail. ExecutiveDirector of The Weekly Standard, Fred Barnes,

called him the best pure reporter of his genera-

tion, perhaps ever.

Woodward is also a non-fiction author, with 12of his books gaining No. 1 New York Times Best-seller status, more than any contemporary non-fic-tion author.

One of his most notable publications, All thePresidents Men, co-authored with Carl Bern-stein, was adapted into a major motion picturestarring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as

Woodward and Bernstein.It depicts the events surrounding the Water-

gate scandal that led to the eventual resignationof President Nixon.

The film received excellent reviews and gar-nered some major accolades, including two Acad-

emy Awards.

The book chronicles the investigative journal-

ism on behalf of the initial report on the Water-gate break-in, detailing the events behind themajor stories the duo wrote, using sources thatremained anonymous for years and were finallynamed in the publication. In addition, it tells of aseries of audio recordings from the White Housethat further incriminated Nixon for covering upthe break-in.

Tickets can be reserved online at http://pac.mercyhurst.edu or at the box office.

For more information call the PAC box officeat 814-824-3000.

By Juan MendezContributing writer

Student unionundergoes changes

With all of the remodeling andrepurposing that took place this pastsummer, all three floors of the Caro-

lyn Herrmann Student Union look verydifferent than they did when studentsleft in May and the changes are not overyet.

Though plans for the renovationof the Student Union Great Roomhave been in the works since lastfall, the joint Senior Gift Committee

Mercyhurst Student Government(MSG) venture has taken longer thanexpected.

We are working very hard to makethe student union a more comfort-able space, Sarah Allen, director of

the Campus Involvement Center andadviser to MSG said.

When asked what still needed doneto the Great Room, Allen replied thatthere are still a lot of finishing touchesto be completed, including a gas insertfor the fireplace, connection to Direct

TV for the flat-screen televisions andthe addition of accessories such as arearugs and artwork.

I am so excited for it, said sopho-more Julie Smicinski. It sounds like it

will be a great place to hang out and dohomework.

Students have definitely takennotice of the division of the GreatRoom from the rest of the Union

which was completed over thesummer.

I like the enclosed commuterlounge, said senior and commuterBrittany Barko. Hopefully, this willbe the first of many changes geared

toward improving campus life for com-muters.

Sophomore Lauren Smith said,The fact that the Great Room is

closed off is awesome for studying,privacy and events held there. How-ever, I do wish the furniture took upmore room though; maybe they couldadd some comfy couches or some-thing.

Though the completion dateremains uncertain, MSG is planning

to hold an opening ceremony aroundmid-October. The goal of the ren-ovation is to make the Great Roommore inviting for students to hangout in.

In addition to the new decorationsand walls in the Great Room, severaldepartments have new locations withinthe Union.

Both the MSG and the SAC officeshave moved from the second floor tothe basement, located next to the LakerInn.

Since their new location typically

receives more student traffic than thesecond floor, MSG and SAC hope toachieve greater visibility to students.

The Campus Involvement Centerhas relocated from next to Campus

Ministry on the first floor to the officesvacated by MSG and SAC. Sarah Allensaid that the new location is bettersuited to the needs of the expandingdepartment and has been getting justas much student traffic.

Director of Service Learning ColinHurley and AmeriCorps member to

Service Learning Bethany Brun madethe biggest transition, moving from thefirst floor of Egan to the space rightnext to Campus Ministry.

Betty Amatangelo, Campus Minis-try secretary, thinks that the ServiceLearning departments new locationhas strengthened its relationship withCampus Ministry, especially wherestudent service opportunities are con-cerned.

It has really helped collabora-tion between the two departments,

Amatangelo said.

Overall, the many changes aim toadd to the convenience and appeal ofthe Union for students and staff.

By Stefani BaughmanContributing writer

Changes to the Student Union Great Room are a work in progress.

Finishing touches to the space have yet to be added.

Lindsay Beers photo

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FEATURES September 19, 2012Page 4

Culinary Cab servesstudents appetites

For those who have the late nightmunchies, the Culinary Cab is hereto your rescue, serving food aroundcampus.

Parkhurst thought of the idea afterseeing food trucks on other campusesand the Food Network. A truck waspurchased and over the summer theygot to work testing and improving theirlate night snacks.

Some of their choices include phillycheesesteak, pulled pork sandwich, buf-falo chicken sandwich and cab chips.

They have also begun weekend specialslike walking tacos and pitas. Food selec-tion isnt going to stay the same saidemployees.

Manager Robert Scott said, How

the students perceive foodwhat theywant and what they like is how itemswill switch up.

The food is something differentand it is convenient for those living onBriggs and Lewis. Parkhurst hopes thismakes life easier for students. The Culi-nary Cab takes dining dollars, money,and credit cards, but they do not takeboards from the meal plan.

As for other food ideas, FieldingCloud, supervisor of the Culinary Cabsaid, The students will dictate.

There are many ideas in the works

and they want to make it accessiblefor everyone. Similar to the Laker andEgan, suggestion cards will most likelybecome a way of communicating yourthoughts and ideas.

The Culinary Cab doesnt just pro-vide food to the student body, but italso creates a place to meet fellow stu-

dents. Cloud wants to make the Culi-nary Cab a place where friends cansocialize and others can come to meetsomeone they may not have had thepleasure of meeting before.

Cloud said, [The Culinary Cab] isnot just a food truck, its a novelty. Imjust happy to be apart of it.

Satisfying students is the key goal ofthe Culinary Cab and so far it has had apositive impact.

Junior Caitlin ONeil said, Thewaking tacos are delicious and theyhave convenient hours.

Its definitely one of the best ideastheyve ever had, sophomore DamianWalker said.

As the seasons are changing therehas been talk of hot apple cider and

hot chocolate coming soon for the coldweather. Cloud also had thoughts aboutusing the Culinary Cab to pass out

treats to kids on Halloween and men-tioned that big things would hopefullybe happening on that day for students.

Another big holiday for the CulinaryCab will be St. Patricks Day.

There are endless possibilities withthe truck, Scott said.

The team would like to extend busi-ness outside of campus. They havealready begun going to MercyhurstNorth East on Tuesday nights, and

would like to go to festivals over thesummer. Two possible events to joinare Celebrate Erie and Presque Isle

Days.The Culinary Cab runs Thursdaythrough Saturday from 11 p.m. to 2a.m. each week on campus.

By Caitlin MacBrideContributing writer

Homecoming weekend starts Thursday

Homecoming weekend is a time for students,family, alumni and faculty to come together to mixand mingle, and share in the ever-changing experi-ence of the new Mercyhurst University.

This year will feature several showcase eventsand activities throughout the weekend. All are

welcome to join Mercyhurst Student Governmentand Student Activities Council in these festivities.It all begins Thursday.

Spirit Week(end) starts then with class colorday and a class wars barbeque.

Fridays events include a softball alumni game,

which begins at 5 p.m.

The Friday Night Lights pep rally will alsooccur with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the ren-

ovated locker rooms. Athletic Director Joe Kim-ball and football head coach Marty Schaetzle willbe speaking.

At 9 p.m. there will be the student versusalumni lacrosse game on Tullio Field. If you arenot interested in the lacrosse game on Friday from9-11 p.m., there will be family bingo in the Recre-ation Center.

Senior cheerleader Alyssa Ross said, Home-coming is my favorite time of year, I love seeingall the school spirit, and I am so grateful to becheering on the football team for another year.

On Saturday, MSG and SAC have organizedthe Hurst Fest in Garvey Park. Like past years, theHurst Fest includes several fun activities. This yearthe events include a petting zoo, caricatures, inflat-

able obstacle courses, a photo booth, free stadiumcups, MU window decals, Mighty Fine Donuts,

caramel apples, cider and the Culinary Cab.Saturdays main event is the football game,which kicks-off with tailgating at 11:30 a.m. Thenthe football game starts at 1 p.m. versus SlipperyRock. At half time, the crowning of HomecomingKing and Queen will occur. Continuing with Sat-urdays festivities the Halfway to St. Patricks DayCelebration will start at 4:30 p.m.

When asked how this Homecoming would bedifferent than past years, in honor of the Year ofthe University, MSG Events coordinator JennaDascanio said, We eliminated the Hurst Fest shirtand decided to go with THE Shirt to keep ourspirit initiative going throughout the campus com-munity. Keeping that in mind, MSGs events/PRand spirit committees, have planned some extra

spirit events for the week leading up to HurstFest to pump up the student body for this years

Homecoming.This year there were a record-breaking numberof nominations for Homecoming King andQueen. The nominees for Homecoming Kinginclude Adam Borgman, Jeremy Dickey, AdamFerrari, Ben McCormick and Jacob Jaskiewicz.

The nominees for Homecoming Queen includeAdrianne LaGruth, Caitlin Handerhan, KaleighHubert, Kelsey Trosch and Rhona Boyle.

From the looks of it, this Homecoming willbe one for the books. Show your school spirit,and join in any of these activities. This is a timefor the entire Mercyhurst community to cometogether and celebrate all the reasons we loveMercyhurst.

By Abigail RobinsonContributing writer

We made it three weeks into the

school year, thats enough reason toparty right? MSG and SAC thought so.

Friday night was the ever so classyFall Ball. This is a chance for studentsto get all dolled up, eat some deliciousfood and dance all night long. Youcould say that it was the kickoff eventto Spirit Week; Fall Ball is our equiva-lent to a homecoming dance.

MSG put a lot of thought intomaking this event a classy and sophis-ticated night. With a black and whitecolor theme, appetizers and dessertscatered from Parkhurst and music by

DJ Henry GQ, their goal was definitelyaccomplished.Parkhurst catered the event with an

array of choices to please studentstastes. The food served at the eventincluded buffalo chicken dip, hot arti-choke dip, an assorted fruit and brus-chetta bar, applewood bacon-wrappedchicken, stuffed mushrooms, dessertshooters and chocolate covered straw-berries.

Hype was generated for this eventfrom eye-catching posters postedaround campus and with a Facebookevents page. MSG and SAC utilizedFacebook to get the message to studentsabout the event and post where studentscould buy their tickets. In addition, thesite was also a place for students toexpress their excitement, with one stu-

dent posting, So pumped for this!Their marketing techniques were

deemed successful with 150 ticketssold, which was a great turnout for theevent. Admission for each student was

$5.Events Coordinator for MSG, JennaDascanio said, We typically charge forthis event to raise some extra money,

which generally goes toward the SpringCharity Ball location or Spring Fest.

The small fee was worth it thoughbecause the Fall Ball was a huge suc-cess, and those who attended had agreat time dancing with friends.

By Abigail RobinsonContributing writer

Fall Ballsuccessful

Students party all night at Fall

Ball.

Salina Bowe photo

Culinary Cab travels around campus and serves food to hungry

students.

Sarah Hlusko photo

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5September 19, 2012

Online Music and Dance featured

Saturday at 7 p.m. in the PACLook for a full calendar of

A&E Eventswww.merciad.mercyhurst.

edu/arts_entertainment

Jon Lehrer, a respected danceinstructor, came to Mercyhurst earlylast week to give a master class thatgave a whole new outlook to move-ment and the way the body works.

Approximately 35 dance studentsand faculty filled the dance space in

anticipation for the master class.The group could chat, laugh and

stretch at their own leisure while a fewfaculty members help set up the equip-ment.

John Lehrer walked into the spaceand a sudden silence filled the room, anobvious sign of respect for the veteranperformer.

Raised in Queens, Lehrer took hisfirst dance class as a dare from his girl-friend at the time.

After receiving a passing grade in thecourse, he knew that dance was right for

him. He has his B.F.A. in Dance fromthe University of Buffalo, and in 1994received a scholarship to the JacobsPillow Dance Festival where he had thechance to study with highly revered fac-ulty including Carolyn Adams, Danny

Grossman and Mark Morris.Lehrers first professional company

membership was with the John Pas-safiume Dancers located in New YorkCity. In 1995, Lehrer was hired by therenowned Erick Hawkins Dance Com-pany and toured the world, performingmodern dance works for the next year.

Lehrer then auditioned and gotaccepted into Giordano Jazz DanceChicago (GJDC), the worlds most

prominent dance company.He quickly moved up the ladder and

became associate director of the com-pany. Along with his outstanding worksfor the GJDC, Lehrer has choreo-graphed works for many well-knowndance companies across the UnitedStates, as well as those in Mexico andRussia.

In 2002 and 2004, Lehrer was oneof four choreographers selected tolead the first ever Dance Chicago Cho-reography Project. He continues totravel the world to give master classes

to university dance companies. Lehreris on the Advisory Board of DanceSpirit Magazine and was featured onthe November 2007 cover of Dance

Teacher Magazine.Last here in 2000, Lehrer taught an

entirely new class of dance majors,although hes used to our facilities.

He was incredibly experienced in hisfield, displaying it through his teach-ings.

He held himself in front of thegroup, and also in the information hegave to the group.

There is no such thing as a straightline, but the body can grow and moveto give the elusion of a straight line,

Lehrer said, having the students stretchand go through routines of movement.

He went on to describe an idea hecalled Organic Athleticism.

This idea is to not go harder, fasteror stronger, but to promote flexibilityand fluid motion so that a performercould make themselves into a pretzelor a bow.

He used more mainstream terms inteaching the students to move fluidlysuch as release instead of relev,

which means to rise or a raising of thebody.

The big message of the class was tonot cut corners. Use momentum andthe bodys natural movement to keep ahealthy, breezy performance.

Jon Lehrer energizes

dance department

Jon Lehrer teaches the students of the dance students to move with motion and purpose. He tells them

to let momentum drive their movements.

Sarah Hlusko photo

That is right. One of the worlds big-gest DJs is coming to Erie on Oct. 3.

The Erie Insurance Arena is thevenue where he will play one of his leg-endary shows.

So grab your neon clothing, someshades and get ready to rage.

For those who do not know, Tistois a house music producer from theNetherlands.

He has been ranked best DJ by MyDJ Magazine for the past three years

in a row. He is well known for his liveperformances that can last as long as sixhours.

Tisto fills his show with heavy hit-ting beats and mesmerizing lights.

His signature trademark is to takepopular songs like Coldplays Para-dise or Goytes Someone That I Usedto Know and remixing them into

more danceable versions of the orig-inal song. Erie is Tistos second stopon his 15 day, Tiesto Club Life CollegeInvasion Tour.

If you have been waiting to see a DJperformance, then you do not want tomiss Tiesto on Oct. 3.

By Zachary DorschStaff writer

Tisto bringingclub life to Erie

Langer Film Series Presents:

The GuardThe Guard is a comedic fish-out-of-water tale of

murder, blackmail, drug trafficking and rural policecorruption. Two policemen must join forces to take onan international drugsmuggling gangone, an unorth-odox Irish policeman and the other, a strait-laced FBIagent.

The Guard is a pleasure. I cant tell if its really(bleeping) dumb or really (bleeping) smart, but itspretty (bleeping) good. Roger EbertChicago Sun

Times

Friday, Sept. 21at 2:15 and 7:15 p.m.

at the Performing Arts Center

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

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September 3, 2008ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 6 September 19, 2012

NYC fashion week bids farewell

Spring Fashion Week left New YorkCity last Wednesday, a spectacle of ele-gance and glamour that made the cel-ebrations close, not with a fizzle, but

with a bang.Before the event moved to London,

England, for its second week, designers

Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein show-cased the final statements in Americanspring fashion and, as usual, they didnot disappoint.

Ralph Laurens collection for theseason went a different direction thanthe usual array of plaids and stripes.

Instead it was taken south of thecontinent and delivered breathtakingpieces inspired by Latin American andSpanish toreadors and traditional gar-ments, featuring bold colors on tex-

tured pieces that blend perfectly intomore neutral tones.

Calvin Klein, however, decided toplay it simple, and delivered a veryelegant collection in a neutral palette,focusing more on fabric than on color.

Through smart use of lace and trans-lucent details on his pieces, FranciscoCosta may have scored one for Klein

with a collection that is underrated, butdelightful nonetheless.

By Juan MendezContributing writer

Upcoming events at the PAC:

Langer Film Series: The GuardFriday, Sept. 21

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

Voxare String Quartet Meets

Man with a Movie Camera

Saturday, Sept. 26

at 7:30 p.m.

Langer Film Series: Take Shelter

Friday, Sept. 28

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

On Screen/In Person: Runaway

Friday, Oct. 5

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

Fashion week concluded with a stunning display of the fall fashions that each designer had to offer.

Phillip Lim photo

This year is going to be very event-ful for the Lumen, starting Sept. 20 at

4 p.m. with a poetry jam in the Caro-lyn Herrmann Student Union GreatRoom.

Students from all disciplines areinvited to bring their own creative workto share with their peers.

The scope is not limited, however, so

students may also bring works to readfrom their favorite authors and poets.Everyone is also encouraged to bringinstruments and perform in prepara-tion for the Literary Festival that will becoming in the spring.

The poetry jam is a continuation ofthe 2011-2012 Lumen staffs attemptto give students a positive feedbackenvironment that will build confidencefor sending submissions to the maga-zine and garner attention to its ongoingsuccess year after year.

By Chelsea SchermerhornCopy editor

Homecoming Weekend Music/ Dance Activities:DAngelo Department Jazz Ensemble Presents:

All of MeA Night in Tunisia

Mercyhurst Theatre Ballet:Ave Maria

...I Used to Know

SoMar Dance Works:Zoom Tube

Swingin with the Summit

DAngelo School of Music 2012/13 Productions:

The Seven Deadly VirtuesIf Ever I Would Leave YouBlack Swan

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OPINION Page 7September 19, 2012

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

Editors

Stacy Skiavo

Alicia CagleKayla Kelly

Caitlin Handerhan

Joe Chiodo

Mat Anderson

Chelsea Schermerhorn

Samantha Link

Zach Dorsch

Ethan Johns

Courtney Hartline

Bill Welch

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News EditorFeatures Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports Editor

A&E Editor

Copy Editor

Graphics

Photo Editor

Web Editor

Ad Manager

Adviser

@mercyhurst.edu

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

(814) 824-2376.

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

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

No role model

I do not like Taylor Swift. It is notthat her music is not my cup of tea, it

is that I genuinely do not like her asa person. Why? Because I think shes aterrible role model. I think she sendsdamaging messages to women in whatshe writes about as an artist, and alsoin the way she carries out her life as aperson.

In her latest hit single, We AreNever Ever Getting Back Together,Swift writes about a boyfriend whokeeps calling it quits and then wantsto get back together. When I firstheard the song, I rolled my eyes atanother boy-crazy, sappy song, but

then I read an article describing thesong as a girl power anthem andfrom that indignation was born thiscommentary.

Swift is not in any way, shape or forma model for female empowerment. In

fact, she is the opposite. In this songslyrics, Swift writes of the exhaustingcycle of breakup and makeup, with herboyfriend making false promises andpicking fights in some kind of twistedgame that she cannot seem to figureout.

Are we supposed to stand in aweof your strength, self-respect andmaturity in finally telling whicheverof your boyfriends it was that we arenever getting back together, and justcompletely ignore that it was you whochose to keep taking him back in the

first place?And this is not her only song withthis theme of letting people takeadvantage of her see Dear John,White Horse and Fifteen to namea few.

Whats even worse, Swift herselfdoesnt even recognize that she is anagent of her own victimization, as shebelieves that it is she that leaves abusiverelationships with an upper hand, writ-ing lines like But I took your matchesbefore fire could catch me. Really?

Thats debatable at best.Of course, we all know about the

Kanye incident in which Swift wasinterrupted, undermined and humil-iated in front of all of her peers anda national TV audience, and insteadof defending herself, Swift waited forthen-boyfriend Taylor Lautner to comerescue her and let her cry on his shoul-der (see Back to December lyrics).

The message? Females, stay weakand silent and subjugated and just

wait for the men. Where was the girlpower then, and when it was arguablyneeded most in her career?

When music critics disparage hertalent, vocal abilities and song-writingskills, she replies not with intelligencein the form of an articulate and well-thought argument about her legitimacyas an artist, but with emotional, childishname-calling: Youre mean!

Swift is not a feminist. Swift is a

patriarchal enabler.In Swifts most recent album,

Speak Now (2010), only two outof 14 tracks are actually about a lifeother than Swift being obsessed withboys. Which begs the question: what

will Taylor Swift write about whenshe does finally marry someone?

What will her image revolve aroundthen?

Will her working girl career beover? Thats a patriarchal message ifI have ever heard one. A womans oneand only goal in life is to get married,

and any other interests leading up tothat, like a music career, are just astrategy for achieving that goal, andare to be put aside once that goal isachieved.

I strongly believe these messagesmake Taylor Swift even more damagingto impressionable young women thanthe blatantly questionable morality and

values of women like Kim Kardashianor Lindsay Lohan.

On account of the subtle natureof her lyrics, no questions are raisedand no critical thinking ensues the just

blatant acceptance of gender rolesand stereotypes: a pretty, boy-crazy,emotional woman-child exuding con-servative purity (and by association,passing judgment on any form ofsexual expression), weak-willed, pow-erless, complacent and forever seeking

validation from men.Taylor Swift is certainly no role

model for young women.

By Christy MooreContributing writer

The Center for Academic

Excellence has beenquite a focal point oncampus lately, drawingboth positive and nega-tive attention. Students

and faculty seem to lovethe new facilities, but thelack of vending machinesand coffee bar have left

many hungry and in needof a caffeine boost.

Homecoming weekend andHurst Fest are upon us, and

many students are eagerto welcome their alumni

friends back to campus.

John Patterson of the One-

Card office is following a

new policy of issuing school

IDs for students wishing to

vote. New cards feature the

coveted expiration date on

the front required for the

ID to be an eligible form

of Pennsylvania identifica-

tion. With many students

registering to vote in Erie

County, it is a disgrace he

personally refuses to issue

cards to the out-of-state

students who need it the

most.

This week I switched my voter reg-istration from Buffalo to Erie, at the

urging of Obama for America (OFA)volunteers on campus. Being that thisis the first presidential election I am oldenough to vote in, I was so excited tocast my vote. My excitement was short-lived when I learned that without aPennsylvania ID, I would not be able to

vote in my new district.While switching my registration

to Erie, I changed my address to theschools address, which I was told byOFA volunteers was a valid address touse. Since I am originally from Buffalo,N.Y., and as a result of my registration

switch, I now have no valid form of

identification that says I reside in Erie.Without a valid form of Pennsylvaniaidentification, I will not be able to castmy ballot in November.

I tried to remedy this by obtainingone of the voter ID cards that have

been promoted by the OneCard office.I was curtly informed, however, thatthe cards are only for in-state residentsat the college, leaving me even moreconfused than before.

I am utterly shocked by the completelack of information provided. TheOFA voter registration pushes over thelast few weeks gave no information onthe ID law.

Im frustrated by the misinforma-tion, conflicting information and totallack of clarity surrounding this issue.On Nov. 6, this voter may not cast aballot at all.

By Danielle VaccaroContributing Writer

OFA not clarifyingnew voter registration

requirements in Pa.Taylor Swifts lyrics send a negativemessage to young female audience

Swift is not a

feminist. Swift is a

patriarchal enabler..

- Christy Moore

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Sept. 19, 2012

8/8

Sports September 19, 2012Page 8

Former Hurst baseball player reaches MLBBy Samantha BanteContributing Writer

Coming from a Division II baseball team and going intothe major league would be a dream for most athletes, butformer Mercyhurst outfielder David Lough is making that

dream his reality.After being the 11th round draft pick for the Kansas City

Royals in 2007 during his junior year, Lough went to play forthe Burlington Royals in North Carolina, the Burlington Beesin Iowa, the Wilmington Bluerocks in Delaware, the North-

west Arkansas Naturals and the AAA Omaha Royals whichswitched their name to the Storm Chasers in 2012.

Finally, this September, he was called up to play for theKansas City Royals.

I always set goals for myself, and when I was a soph-omore in college I realized that I might have a shot in themajor leagues. Once I went pro, I set new goals for myself,always trying to accomplish them, making sure that I stayed

where I worked so hard to be, Lough said.In 130 games with the Royals Triple-A affiliate, Lough had

19 doubles, 11 triples and 10 home runs, leading the teamwith 26 stolen bases.

The major leagues a big transition, you see a lot of guys

who throw hard. With better command and hitting more,its a lot different. Its a learning process. Im still learning thegame even still to this day, Lough said.

With his game day debut on Sept. 1 in a doubleheaderagainst the Minnesota Twins, Lough became the fourth Royalin franchise history to score two runs in his major leaguedebut.

The feeling of being in the Major League is great. I wasso shocked in my first game; it is really awesome being part

of the team, it was just so eye opening. My family came whichmeant a lot to me because of all the support. It wasnt easy

working so hard to get here, but I am so glad that I did,

Lough said.Lough, 26, is the third former Mercyhurst baseball playerto reach the major league, joining pitchers John Costello andDavid Lee, both of whom are in the Mercyhurst AthleticHall of Fame.

Lough has played in eight games so far on the MajorLeague level, with 31 at bats and 8 hits, with one double andone triple, he is on his way to making a huge impact on theteam in seasons to come.

To anyone aspiring to make it all the way someday, Iwould say to just always set goals for yourself, and make suretheyre obtainable, said Lough. Work hard to reach them,and set more goals, and keep reaching them. Not only just insports, but in life too.

Pilarski carries mens golf to ninth place in Clarion

The sun is barely up, but senior JakePilarski is already on the green. Whileyou are still sleeping or rushing to your8 a.m. class, Pilarski is busy gettingready for his next tournament.

Pilarski is a senior International Rela-tions major with a minor in Spanish,but golf is his real area of focus. Everyday that he hits the greens, Pilarski is

focused on one thing going pro. Hisgoal is a difficult one, but Pilarski is up

for the challenge.I really want to be a professional

golfer. I havent really thought outsideof the whole golf thing, because men-tally, if youre out of it, youre out ofit, Pilarski said.

Like many athletes, Pilarski pickedup his sport at a young age. His grand-father was a major influence on his

understanding and appreciation for thegame.

My grandfather taught me how toplay the game when I was six years old.I looked forward to going to the golfcourse every Friday morning with him,it was the best, said Pilarski. Its mydream to make it into the PGA Tourand look up to my grandfather and say

You brought me here, you helped meget this far. It will always remain mymotivation every time I hit the course.

In the Clarion University Invitationalon Sept. 9 and 10, Pilarski led the golfteam to a ninth place finish, shooting a

combination of 150 during the series.Sophomore Cory Vinborg and juniorEvan Watkins also performed well,both scoring just +5 behind Pilarski.

Pilarski struggled during his first

round of the day, and relied on histeammates to get him back into thegame.I had a tough first round and couldnt

really get anything going. I had a coupleguys check my swing out, and by thesecond round I was ready to go andmake some moves, Pilarski said.

As an upperclassman, Pilarski under-stands his responsibility as a role modelfor his teammates. Being an example tothe younger players pushes Pilarski to

always be improving.If the younger guys dont have some-

one to look up to and see improvementthrough dedicated practice, then they

wont have anything to look forwardto, Pilarski said.Pilarski is optimistic about the rest of

the season.I want to win tournaments. The

teams game is there, we just need tomake sure we keep it together, Pilarskisaid.This past Monday, Sept. 17, the Lakers

placed 14th at the 39th Annual GuyW. Kuhn Invitational in Meadville.On Sept. 18, the team will travel toCoshocton, Ohio for the NCAA Atlan-tic Regionals.

By Joe ChiodoSports Editor

Pilarski ends a hole at the Clarion University Invitational.

Sydney Cuscino photo

Lough takes bat for the Kansas City Royals.

Ed Milliard photo