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NEWSPage 2 September 26, 2012

Liquor law violationSaturday, Sept. 22

Burglary

Friday, Sept. 21

Duval WestRes-life incident

Athletic Center

Closed

LarcenyFriday, Sept. 21

Tullio FieldClosed

Liquor law violation

Saturday, Sept. 22

3827 Briggs Ave.

Closed

Sept. 19 -Sept. 22, 2012

Criminal mischiefSaturday, Sept. 22

613 E. 38th St.Closed

LarcenyThursday, Sept. 20

Rec CenterClosed

LarcenyWednesday, Sept. 19

3939 Lewis Ave.Closed

Mercyhurst University

Police & Safety

Voter ID law causes confusion

With election day right around thecorner, many student voters in Penn-sylvania are asking what to do about

voter IDs.Last spring, the Pennsylvania Legis-

lature passed a law requiring voters tobring valid photo ID to prove they arethe voter they say they are when theyare at the polls.

Valid forms of identification includevalid U.S. passport; Pennsylvania photodrivers license or non-driver photoID; U.S. military ID (except veteranID cards because they lack an expira-tion date); photo IDs issued by the U.S.federal government or the Common-

wealth of Pennsylvania or a Pennsyl-vania county or municipal government;

photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania carefacility; or a photo ID from an accred-ited Pennsylvania public or private insti-tution of higher learning.

Names are not required to exactlymatch the name of ones voter registra-tion, but must be close. All forms of IDalso must include an expiration date.

And there lies the problem for Mer-cyhurst University students.

While Mercyhurst IDs do not havean expiration date, OneCard OfficeSupervisor John Patterson is workingto remedy this.

Patterson has created Voter Identifi-

cation Cards. These are official Mercy-hurst cards with an ID created for thesole purpose of voter identification.

Thursday, Sept. 20, PresidentThomas Gamble, Ph.D., approved thatall currently enrolled students on anyMercyhurst campus who request a stu-dent voter identification card from theOneCard office will be given a card freeof charge with no questions asked.

Gamble explained that he approvedthis so any obstacles when it comes to

voting can be removed.It is not our job to determine if

someone is eligible, just to make surethey are able to vote, said Gamble.(Providing voter IDs) will cost us afew dollars, but I think it is money wellspent.

There has also been discussion thatout-of-state students registering to

vote in Pennsylvania will be negativelyaffected in regard to financial aid,

insurance, taxes and car registration.This is not necessarily true.The Brennan Center for Justice

at New York University School ofLaw has examined all of these issues.

According to the Brennan Center, theonly thing students really need to beaware of is their drivers license andcar registration.

According to the Brennan Center,many states exempt temporary res-idents or students from this require-ment, but registering to vote, especiallyin a state where voter residency requires

domicile (Place to live) or something

close to it, can affect this exemption.Pennsylvania is one of the states

with the domicile requirement forthose wishing to register to vote.

This doesnt mean out-of-state stu-dents who register in Pennsylvania willbe required to change their license andregistration, but it is a possibility.

Federal financial aid and a studentsstatus as a dependent on the Free

Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA) will not be affected.

The students who will potentially beaffected are those with a private schol-arship meant for people in a certainlocation and those with state govern-ment aid. In this case it is best to check

with the distributor of the privatescholarship. As for the state aid, thereare only 10 states that allow a studentto use aid in a different state, so onlystudents from those 10 states would beaffected.

For tax purposes, parents are stillable to claim the student registered inanother state as a dependent.

Health insurance is closely related.As long as students are still listed astheir parents dependent, they are stilleligible for their health insurance.

Director of Campus Ministry GregBaker has worked hard researchingthe new Pennsylvania laws in order tobetter help students in the voting pro-cess.

Baker acknowledged the difficultiesthis election has presented, but said,

dont quit on getting registered to vote.

If you still need to register or aregoing to change your state registra-tion, be sure to submit the form ontime. Each state has its own deadlinefor voter registration forms to be sub-mitted, but those deadlines are quicklyapproaching.

The deadline to register in Pennsyl-

vania is Tuesday, Oct. 9.For more information on the voter

ID law, go to http://www.votespa.com.

For information about voting, go tohttp://www.rockthevote.org.

Mark Vidunas contributed to this article.

By Alicia CagleNews editor

President Gamble approves voter IDs for students

Campus Ministry offers classroom

voting presentations

Director of Campus Ministry Greg Baker and students are offer-ing 3-minute presentations during class time.

They will explain the voting process in any state, how to vote byabsentee ballot, explain the Pennsylvania voter ID law and answeradditional questions.

If you are a faculty member and willing to have a presentation inyour class, email Greg Baker and include the instructor name, dateof requested visit, specific time and location of the class.

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Page 3September 26, 2012 NEWS

Breckenridge takes intelligence on the road

Though the year has just begun,James Breckenridge, Ph.D., executivedirector of the Institute for Intelli-gence Studies at Mercyhurst Univer-sity, has been busy receiving honorsand invitations to be present at eventsin the intelligence community, includ-ing upcoming speaking opportunities

in Romania, Ireland and Washington,D.C.Breckenridge is a retired army offi-

cer with over 22 years of experience ina variety of operations involving intel-ligence and teaching assignments. Hehas served as a professor of military

science, a targeting intelligence instruc-tor and is a former faculty member inthe history department at West Point.

In addition to his administrative andteaching duties, Breckenridge teachescourses in Intelligence methods for theDepartment of Defense and the U.S.Department of State.

In October, he will travel to Bucha-rest, Romania, to chair a panel discus-sion at the International Conferenceon Intelligence in the Knowledge Soci-ety.

This years theme is Toward a Sci-ence of Intelligence at the Beginningof the 3rd Millennium.

Breckenridge said that at this con-ference there is a debate between

whether or not intelligence is an artor a science. Here at Mercyhurst we

teach both the sciences and the arts,but this conference focuses on the sci-ence aspect, and its my job to keep thedebate going.

In November, he will speak oninternational collaboration and infor-mation sharing at the Trans-AtlanticCyber Security Summit in Dublin, Ire-land.

He said that he is responsible fordiscussing Cyber Security and thecollaboration between academia andCyber Security practitioners.

In December, Breckenridge willspeak to over 300 police chiefs, specialagents in charge, U.S. attorneys, sher-iffs and other law enforcement leaders

who are part of the High IntensityDrug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) pro-gram.

He will be discussing the applicationof Intelligence in the national securityand law enforcement sectors of intel-ligence.

Mercyhursts Intelligence StudiesInstitute has been heavily involved insupporting the agencys efforts since2008 when it undertook a $250,000study for the Office of National DrugPolicy to examine how HIDTA officesuse Intelligence around the nation.

It is because of this relationshipBreckenridge said, That this confer-

ence is a great opportunity to see oldfriends, but to also make new ones,because it gets the university name outthere, and it helps to make connectionsfor our students.

Sophomore Jacob Middlesetter said,I think it is great. One of the things

that was made obvious from day one,was that Intelligence analysts are a nec-essary commodity, and there is a des-perate need for them in every part ofthe professional world.

For the Intelligence Studies majorsBreckenridge did caution that, Weshould expect at the beginning of nextyear right off the bat a cut in nationalsecurity field, but an increased oppor-tunity in the Competitive Intelligencefield.

As for his favorite part about having

the opportunity to speak at such con-ferences Breckenridge said, I like totravel, and I really love meeting newpeople and telling them all about ourprogram and what the students dohere at Mercyhurst in the department.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

Mercyhurst moves

up in US News rank

Mercyhurst Universitys work hasallowed it to move up on the U.S.News and World Reports 2013 rank-ings of Americas Best Colleges.

Last year Mercyhurst rested at 49thon the list, breaking into the top 50,and has moved up to 47 this year.

A university moves up through theranks two ways, peer review and sub-mission of university data report.

Some of the factors that make upthis ranking are Mercyhursts stu-dent-faculty ratio, alumni giving rateand student graduation rate. Thesenumbers are compared to other uni-

versity numbers, along with a reviewof Mercyhurst by other colleges, whichultimately produces the list of best col-leges.

According to Vice President forAcademic Affairs Phillip Belfiore,

Ph.D., Duquesne, La Salle and Villa-nova are other Pennsylvania univer-sities who made the list. These threeuniversities have strong academicprograms that Mercyhurst strives toemulate as the university goes into thefuture.

What is Mercyhurst doing to con-tinue climbing the list?

Mercyhurst isnt doing anything inparticular to continue climbing thelist, other than continuing business asusual. The good work of its students

and faculty members in making a qual-ity environment where both can inter-act and work well with each other is thereal worth of the university, accordingto Belfiore.

Reaction to the new ranking ismixed.

Its a superficial number. Thenumber may get students and parentsto come to Mercyhurst, but once heredo they stay? Belfiore said.

Belfiore thinks that the number

might get more people to notice Mer-cyhurst as a possible college to visitbut that it does not truly reflect howMercyhurst has gotten better year afteryear. A better reflection of improve-ment can be seen through the day-to-day work by students and faculty at theuniversity, in Belfiores opinion.

Sophomore Alexis Plastow is lessenthusiastic about the ranking.

We should be working on improv-ing internal classes at Mercyhurstbefore worrying about other things,Plastow said.

Kenneth Schiff, Ph.D., associateprofessor of English, has a slightly dif-ferent view.

As we focus on making Mercyhursta better university well continue tomove up in the rankings. Schiff said.

Schiff sees the ranking as a reflec-tion of the amount that Mercyhursthas improved, but hopes that the uni-

versity doesnt lose its sense of com-munity and commitment to each otherby focusing too much on moving upthe ranks.

By Kierston BromleyStaff writer

MSG instills spirit on campus

The first ever Spirit Week occurredthis year at Mercyhurst with eventslike Class Color Day, the Class Wars/Spirit Barbeque and the Running of theLakers to bring school spirit to campus.

The Spirit BBQ alone saw about 200students, who enjoyed the events cornhole, tug-of-war and music.

Four bookstore gift cards were raf-fled off and the official spirit shirt, also

known as The Shirt was handed outfree to all participants.The Shirt was also sold as a lead-up to

HurstFest and the homecoming game asan inexpensive way to show and gener-ate more school spirit. It was so popular,another order had to be placed.

Mercyhurst Student Government(MSG) Vice President Brian Lombardosaid, Were really excited about ourSpirit initiatives thus far this year. Wesee people getting really excited aboutMU again and this weekend was a tonof fun with HurstFest in the Union anda huge Laker win. So we definitely hope

we can keep the ball rolling, and arepositive were up to do the challenge.

These events were successful thanksto the work by MSG and were a heavilybacked project by the class senators. Thenewly formed Spirit Committee workedhand-in-hand with MSGs Events andpublic relations committees to plan andorganize the Spirit week events leadingup to the homecoming game.

As for HurstFest and the homecom-ing events, it was coordinated months inadvance by MSG Events Coordinator

Jenna Dascanio and Student Activities

Council (SAC) chair Adam Borgman.

They were responsible for theevents festivities like the inflatables,the petting zoo, stadium cups and theserving of many fall foods like the car-amel apples and hot apple cider.

The spirit continued in front of thestadium where beads, pins, face paint,inflatable spirit items and noise makers

were passed out to allow students to

cheer on their fellow Lakers at thegame and show their pride.

I thought it was great that a lot ofparents, students and alumni came outto the game to support the Lakers,senior Lindsay Ogden said.

Students also were given the chanceto try out the new Culinary Cab byreceiving a ticket to get one free itemin front of the stadium.

Despite the poor weather, therewas a strong turn-out from students,alumni, parents and siblings.

Overall, I was extremely happy with

the turn-out for our events this past

week, said Richard Molloy, MSG pres-ident. We are witnessing a lot moreattendance and student participationthis year as a whole. Its very encourag-ing and we hope to build upon this evenmore as they year continues.

MSG also ran the voting for thisyears homecoming court. After arecord-setting amount of votes in

recent years, and one member steppingdown from the court, the nine mem-bers of the 2012 Homecoming tookthe football field at halftime to see who

would be crowned King and Queen.The nominees for Homecoming King

were Adam Borgman, Jeremy Dickey,Adam Ferrari and Ben McCormick.

The nominees for Homecom-ing Queen were Adrianne LaGruth,Caitlin Handerhan, Kaleigh Hubert,Kelsey Trosch and Rhona Boyle.

Adam Ferrari and Kaleigh Hubertwere crowned this years Homecoming

King and Queen.

By Mark VidunasStaff writer

During Spirit Week students participated in a tug-of-war.

Salina Bowe photo

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NEWS September 26, 2012Page 4

Relay for Life canceled for spring term

Due to changes in policy there willbe no Relay for Life on the MercyhurstUniversity Main campus during the2012-2013 school year.

The relay, which is a fundraiser thatraises money for cancer research, hasbeen a popular event on campus duringspring term for the last two years.

The new policy dictates that therecan only be one relay hosted oncampus per term.

According to Director of theCampus Involvement Center Sarah

Allen, there has been an excessiveamount of requests from differ-ent clubs and organizations aroundcampus to host relays for a variety ofcauses.

All of these requests have an impacton maintenance and grounds crews,police and safety, the conference andevent management staff, said Allen.Therefore they must be limited.

It has not yet been decided which

organization will be hosting a relayon campus this year, but the CampusInvolvement Center has receivedrequests for relays that benefit causessuch as, The Leukemia and LymphomaSociety, The Diabetes Association and

Autism Awareness.Since the relay is unable to be

hosted on Mercyhursts main campusthis year, Chair Jennie Politano andCo-chair Caitlin MacBride of Relay forLife at Mercyhurst, have begun consid-ering alternatives.

We want to host it at Penn State

Behrend, Politano said. Its beensuggested that we host it at Mercy-hurst North East campus, but con-sidering that it is a half hour away

we migh t lose a major ity of our stu -dents.

Allen, however, would prefer to seeRelay for Life hosted at MercyhurstNorth East, this year is the year ofthe University it would be great that

we show that we are one unified insti-tution, all supporting one another inour efforts.

She has also responded to con-

cerns that holding the relay on some

other campus may be too inconve-nient for Mercyhurst students, aftermuch conversation with MercyhurstStudent Government, they havespoken about providing transporta-tion to the site of the relay so thatall students will be able to take partin the event.

Senior Jeremy Dickey is unhappyto hear Relay wont be on campus thisyear.

Its disappointing that one of ourcore values is to be ambassadors ofservice and we are limiting ways for

service on campus, he said.He also thinks the change of loca-

tion will keep him from attending therelay this year.

Sophomore Mikhayla Dolson dis-agrees with the new policy, but it wontkeep her from attending relay.

I would [still attend the relay]because I support the cause, but Istill think the more relays that areallowed to take place the better andmore beneficial it would be, Dolsonsaid.

By Brady GreenawaltStaff writer

MCAP poll shows Obamaleading Pa.

With the 2012 election only a fewweeks away, Mercyhurst Center forApplied Politics (MCAP) has justreleased its first Public Opinion Pollof the academic year.

With questions involving theupcoming presidential election, Senateelections, Pennsylvania voter law, reli-gion and several other topics, MCAPproduced their results without bias orissues.

MCAP began operations in July2010. Inspired by the mission of Mer-cyhurst and guided by the collegescore values, the center promotes rea-soned discourse about problems facingcommunities, states and nations.

The most recent survey includedpolling 522 registered voters fromSept. 12-20 by approximately 70 stu-dents in the new MCAP offices in the

Center for Academic Engagment.Some of the released information

regarding the presidential electionincluded that among those who saythey will vote for Obama, 63 percentsay they strongly support him; 17 per-cent indicate their vote is because theyoppose Mitt Romney.

Among those who will vote forRomney, 43 percent say they stronglysupport him; 39 percent indicate theyare voting for Romney because theyoppose Obama. This suggests thatmore of Romneys support may be

the result of voters dissatisfactionwith Obama than satisfaction withRomney.

The polls margin of error ended upbeing 4.29 percent.

I think our numbers for Obamaand Romney in Pennsylvania reflect

whats really going on, said MCAPDirector Joseph Morris, Ph.D. Barack

Obama is in a good position in thestate, but the race isnt over.

Rolfe Peterson, Ph.D., methodolo-gist for MCAP, said, If you look atRealClearPolitics.com, our estimateof 48 percent Obama and 40 percentRomney matches up very closely with

what they have with 49 percent forObama and 41 percent Romney. This

was very pleasing because if our resultsmatched with well-known politicalpolls, then we know we did somethingright.

Another topic for this poll was the

voter ID law issue. While majorities ofregistered voters favor voter ID laws,

views on their merits vary dramaticallyby the individuals partisanship.

According to the Mercyhurs t Uni-

versity news release, Morris notedthat this years presidential debatesare going to be pivotal. They willprovide Barack Obama with the

opportunity to remind people whythey voted for him four years ago,and offer Mitt Romney the chance toshow that he has what it takes to bepresident. In a close election like thisone, good debate performances maybe the difference between winningand losing.

MCAP plans to conduct more pollsthroughout the academic year, withtopics such as Senate elections andmore public opinion issues to be dis-cussed.

For more information regarding the

survey results, the full released docu-ment of results, including the ques-tions used, is available online for publicaccess.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

Poll examines candidates, ID law

Participants of the Spring 2012 Relay for Life event walk for those

diagnosed with cancer.

Contributed photo

Flu shotsavailable fromHealth CenterThe Cohen Student

Health Center is offeringfree flu shots to students,

faculty, staff, spouses andtrustees.

The first flu shot clinic

will be Monday, Oct. 1 from

4 to 6:30 p.m. at the FacultyDining Room in Egan Hall.

Additional clinics willtake place Wednesday, Oct.10 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. andWednesday, Oct. 17 from 3:30to 5:30 p.m.

Those who want a flu shot

do not need an appointmentand are welcome to walk in.

For more questions call theHealth Center at 814-824-

2431.

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FEATURES Page 5September 26, 2012

Homecoming Kingand Queen revealed

This year there were a recordnumber of nominations, for Home-coming King and Queen submitted to

MSG, which says a lot about the seniorclass.Homecoming proved to be a suc-

cess with the win of the football game.During halftime Adam Ferrari andKaleigh Hubert were announced asHomecoming King and Queen.

Profile on Homecoming King

Adam Ferrari:

What is your major?Music Education

Where are you from?Ridgway, Pa.

What activities are you involvedwith on or off campus?

Im a resident assistant, an ambas-sador and I also am very heavily com-mitted to anything and everythingrevolving within and around the DAn-gelo Department of Music here. It is ahuge part of who I am and so much ofmy time has been and is invested in it.

How do you feel about the nom-ination?

Well I cant say Im not happy. Itwas a great feeling... and hey, I have acrown. Itll be an awesome memory tohang on to.

What is your favorite thing aboutMercyhurst?

Well, its really hard to just pick onething. It may sound kind of generic...but I really do love that I can get all themajor perks of a university here, butin a small, intimate atmosphere wherethe professors know all of his or herstudents names.

What is an interesting fact about

you?Well, I am an opera singer. Its what

I want to do for the rest of my life andIm doing my best to get there. I also

work at Gap.

Profile on Homecoming QueenKaleigh Hubert:

What is your major?Biology and Psychology

Where are you from?Erie, Pa.

What activities are you involved

with on or off campus?I am president of Honors Coun-

cil, an ambassador Pledge Chair and

a Laker Leader, along with a numberof other clubs on campus such as Tri-Beta, Student Alumni Association andHabitat for Humanity.

How do you feel about the nom-ination?

I am absolutely thrilled to havebeen chosen as Homecoming Queen.I was honored just to be on the courtand was so surprised when I saw the

white balloon and heard my nameannounced on the loud speaker. Eventhough it was a bit rainy, it was defi-nitely an experience Ill never forget.

What is your favorite thing aboutMercyhurst?

I have met some of my best friendswhile at Mercyhurst, and the f riendlyatmosphere which occurs as soon asyou pass through the gates has made

my experience that much better.What is an interesting fact about

you?I guess I have two interesting facts.

First, I have been dancing since I wasfour years old and continue to do it asoften as I can now that Im in college.My other fun fact is my younger sister,Meaghan, is a freshman here, and Ialso have two cousins that go here as

well. I really like having family so close.

Congratulations to the 2012 Home-coming King and Queen.

By Abigail RobinsonContributing writer

Ferrari and Hubert were elected as Homecoming King and Queen.Contributed photo

Studentswelcome toBible Study

Religion is a major part of the Mercyhurst University tradition and mission.One unique way that students can contribute to this part of the tradition is byattending the student-led Bible study.

Leaders of the religous group include senior Kylie McCormick and RodneyDale, sophomore Rachel Cockerham and junior Drew Klobuchar.

The idea for Bible study was first suggested a few years ago. A group of stu-dents wanted to create a Christian-based group to build a bond between people

with all kinds of religious backgrounds.Bible study is also a great way to meet new people and take a much needed

study break.Campus Ministry has always felt a need to respond to student interest, and they

gave the go-ahead for the current Bible study.Other groups of Bible studies have come together in the past, such as the

Praise and Worship Bible Studies, but this is the first Bible study of its kind atMercyhurst University.

Each week, participating students gather in the Prince of Peace Chapel onthe third floor of the Carolyn Herrmann Student Union.

The sessions begin with one of the student leaders reading a specificpassage. Each passage reading takes about 15-20 minutes to read. After thereading of the passage, a discussion with questions is done for the rest ofthe session. Students answer questions about the passage and discuss theirthoughts.

Campus Ministry Director Greg Baker commented on how the Christian faithplays into bible study.

Christian tradition is diverse. Students of various Christian backgroundscome to this study. Its not trying to have a single area of Christianity. For somestudents, it is their first time to think about the Bible on their own, Baker said.

Student leader and McCormick believes that the Bible study is a good thing forstudents who cant always make it to Mass on Sundays.

McCormick said, Some people are afraid to attend Bible study or Massbecause they think their lives are very messed up. However, no matter where youare in life, you are always welcome to our bible study.

Dale also believes Bible study is a very cool experience because it brings peopleof various religious backgrounds together.

Bible study meets every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in the Prince of Peace Chapelin the Student Union. Students are encouraged to come at any time and bringfriends.

For more information, visit the groups Facebook page or contact KylieMcCormick at kmccor20@lakers.mercyhurst.edu or Greg Baker at gbaker@mer-cyhurst.edu.

By Daniel TarrContributing writer

Woodward tickets available Thursday

Thursday, Sept. 27, tickets for the Bob Woodward lecture willbe available for students. Tickets are free and can be picked upat the DAngelo Performing Ar ts Center (PAC) box office.

Starting Monday, Oct. 1, tickets will be open to the generalpublic.

Woodward is known for reporting the Watergate scandal andhe will be speaking Monday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. in the PAC.

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September 3, 2008 FEATURESPage 6 September 26, 2012

Mercyhursts own celebrity RhondaBlount brightens students days

Walking into the Egan dining hallhas the potential to be yet another

meaningless social interaction, oneof hundreds throughout the day. Yetbetween the hours of 7 a.m. and 2:30p.m., students are greeted by someonemuch different.

A woman with a Facebook fanpage, a beaming smile and more com-ment cards adorning the wall boastingher name than any other: It is RhondaBlount that makes all the difference.

Quite the celebrity on campus,Rhonda has been a fixture at theEgan dining hall for four years, greet-ing students, swiping ID cards and

manning the coffee bar as studentsenter. Rhondas smile and cheery dis-position make students from all walksof life feel welcome on campus, afeeling Rhonda strives to instill inthose she encounters.

They are all away from home,everything is so new how could Inot be nice? Rhonda said, with hertrademark smile and a chuckle as shedescribed what she liked best abouther job.

Being far away from home, likemany students are when they come toMercyhurst, is not an unfamiliar feel-ing for Rhonda.

Born and raised in a small town in

Maine, Rhonda hopped a Greyhoundbus and took off for California at age18 with two of her closest friends.

Recalling her days in Ventura, Cali-fornia, with a smile, Rhonda describedher time working on the West Coast,

saying that she may be a bit of areformed rebel.Her sense of humor and per-

sonality shining, she described hertime working far from home whereshe eventually met her husband.

This period of her life she jokinglydescribed as back in B.C. - beforechildren.

After the birth of their second son,Rhonda and her husband moved backEast to be closer to family, settling inErie, Pa.

When asked what she liked best

about Erie, Rhonda expressed her loveof the outdoors, saying that she spendsmuch of her time enjoying nature.

Whether enjoying the beaches ofPresque Isle, kayaking with her girl-friends or camping with her husbandand two sons, Rhonda leads an activelifestyle when not on campus.

When she explained her life outsideof Mercyworld, Rhondas face lit up

when talking about her fondness forkayaking, even describing an annualkayaking trip she takes down the

Allegheny River every June.Besides her active lifestyle, Rhonda

has two dogs to keep her busy, bothof whom she rescued from a shelter.

When talking about her dogs, Brookeand Evy, Rhonda described how whenshe gets up at 4:30 a.m. to come to

work, her beloved pets are right therewith her, even at the early hour.

Despite having to be up so early

to get to her job in the Egan dininghall, Rhonda said she wouldnt haveit any other way. Her great rela-tionship with students makes thejob well worth her while. Whenasked about her celebrity status oncampus, Rhonda simply blushedand said the students are just all sonice.

One student went so far as to paytribute to Rhonda by dressing up asher for Halloween last year, even bor-rowing her Parkhurst visor to com-plete the ensemble. Rhondas fandom

doesnt end with a Halloween cos-tume, with students going so far as toget her Mothers Day cards and creat-ing a Facebook fan page.

The good will and positive auraRhonda fosters is not only limited tothe students either.

General Manager of Dining Ser-vices Kim Novak was compelled toweigh in on Rhondas impact on staff.

Novak said, Everyone has a per-sonal life, but Rhonda leaves hers atthe door, and makes it all about thestudents.

With this being Rhondas fourthyear with Parkhurst, it doesnt looklike she will be leaving anytime soon.

By Caitlin HanderhanOpinion editor

Students look forward to Rhondas friendly greeting and smile

when entering Egan.

Salina Bowe photo

Dr. Lang receives grant to study Venus

Have you ever looked into the nightsky and wondered what else has yet tobe discovered?

Mercyhurst University AssistantProfessor of Geology Nick Lang,Ph.D., has always had this curiosity.Lang is so passionate about this sub-ject that he has now become a primarysource of discovery.

Lang recently received a $100,000research grant from NASA to studythe surface of Venus over the courseof two years.

This research, conducted alongside

Boston University Senior ResearcherBrad Thomson, will consist largely ofexamining small volcanoes on the plan-ets surface in hopes of unlocking thesecrets of its geological history and age.

Lang said, Impact craters providea way to obtain an absolute age for aplanets surface, but you need thou-sands of impact craters in order to dothat - this is how we can obtain agesfor different parts of the Moon andMars. Since Venus only has 1,000 cra-ters, we cannot get an absolute age forthe planets surface.

The low amount of impact cratersfound on Venus supplies the mysterythat fuels Langs research.

This abnormality suggests that agreat many craters have been erasedfrom the surface of Venus, and it isthe researchers mission to find outhow, when, and why this erasure hastaken place.

Much of the content for the studywill come from radar imagery of Venussurface collected in the 1990s fromNASAs Magellan mission; the mostrecent U.S. mission to travel to Venus.

This is the second research grantthat Lang has received from NASA.His first study was funded in 2008 andfocused on finding reasons for the

variance in volcanic styles on Mars.This is a great honor to receive

a grant from NASA. Both Brad andI are very excited. There is a lot of

work and effort that goes into writinga proposal with no guarantee it willend up being funded. To be awardedthis project is humbling because sofew proposals are chosen each time,said Lang.

Although he and his partner havealready begun their first stages ofresearch, Lang will also recruit thehelp of a Mercyhurst Universitystudent. The student will assist increating geological maps of Venus

volcanoes. This currently undeter-mined position will cover a 10 weekperiod in the summer of 2013.

By Matthew TelehaContributing writer

Lang looks forward to discover-

ing information about Venus.

Sami Rapp photo

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 7September 26, 2012

Online Full list of events can be

found on the PAC websiteMercyhursts visiting artist

series begins tonight at 7:30www.merciad.mercyhurst.

edu/arts_entertainment

Students and faculty across Mercy-hurst can delight themselves through

hallway art exhibitions of classprojects along the hallway that con-nects Zurn Hall and the Performing

Arts Center (PAC).Art and photography students can

have their work showcased for thepublic to see without having to waitfor bigger exhibitions. While there isno set theme, excellence and beautyare always constant in the pieces,

which span the entire hallway leadingto the PAC.

For the students whose art is beingshown, it is a fantastic opportunity.Sophomore James Conley said, Art isnot made to sit in someones closet orbe hidden out of sight.Teachers takenote of this, providing students withthe motivation to have their work ondisplay in the hallways.

Its nice to know that other majorsand departments, or whoever walks by,can see or at least get a peek into what

we do, Conley said.Exhibitions like Lets Go to the

Races, a compilation of digital artprojects for display on the digital gal-

lery of Presque Isle Downs Casinoallow for students to expand theirhorizons and come up with a varietyof colorful works, including originalpieces by Jeffrey Thiede and other artstudents.

Photography also makes a big partof the hallway exhibitions, with stun-ning pieces, both in black and whiteand color, taken by the students, span-ning a variety of themes and subjects,among which people and nature arefavorites.

Students are very pleased with the

opportunity to showcase their art.Photography minor Kelsey Elliottsaid, I believe that it is good to displaystudent artwork because it shows offthe talent of the students and inspires

other students, faculty and parentswalking the halls to be creative aswell.

Although there are no criteria nec-essary for showcasing these piecesbesides creativity, students enjoy therewarding sensation of having their

work exposed to the public.It is motivation to work hard

because the most creative pieces arepresented in the hallways, and whodoesnt want to show off their hard

work? Elliott said.Its nice to know that were not

just doing these projects for ourteachers eyes, but that other peoplecan see our work as well, Conleysaid, whose work is currently in dis-play in Zurn Hall.

New pieces are posted throughoutthe year and are always open to the

public to enjoy, whether they are stu-dents walking from one class to thenext or anyone with a curious eye.

By Juan MendezStaff writer

Hallway Art exhibitsbest of Mercyhurst

Mercyhursts finest artists collaborate to provide an impressive array of works that fill the halls of

Zurn and DAngelo.

Sarah Hlusko photo

Electronic music is becoming

more popular these days, thanks toartists like Skrillex and Passion Pit.They have virtually opened the

door for many other sub genres ofelectronica to be exposed to themusical world.

One of the bands seeking thatexposure is the Witch House, Cana-dian duo Purity Ring. Comprised ofMegan James (vocals) and Corin Rod-dick (production) the bands careerexploded after they posted a song to

YouTube.Their premier release Ungirthed,

went viral. The reason people liked itso much was because they had neverheard anything like it.

It has the drum machine elementsof hip hop, synth heavy chording,and with Megs pitch they editedghost-like vocals.

To put it in other words, the musicalmost sounds mystical in a wood-land, witch-crafty kind of way. Thismakes sense since Purity Ring comes

from a genre called Witch House.Their debut album Shrine

is as flawless and captivating asUngirthed. Each song keeps trueto that unique sound that only theyare capable of creating, and believe

me I have tried to find another bandlike them. The album is one that youcan listen to the whole way throughbecause it feels like each song is almostthe next chapter in a story.

The first song that really stood outwhen I first listened to this album wasFineshrine. Megs obscure lyricssuch as, Over the rocky cliffs that youleap, To peer over and not forget whatfeet are, Splitting threads of thunderover me, mixed with the hypnotizing,dream-like beats, made me want tolisten to it on repeat.

Another outstanding song isGrandloves which throws in somevariation by featuring the band YoungMagic, who almost raps between Megschoruses.

All and all, this album is flawlessand I recommend it to anyone who islooking for something new and differ-ent. So give it a listen. You wont bedisappointed.

By Zach DorschPhoto editor

Purity Ring

offers purelygood music

Upcoming arts events:

Voxare String Quartet MeetsMan with a Movie Camera

Wednesday, Sept. 26at 7:30 p.m.

Langer Film Series: Take Shelter

Friday, Sept. 28at 2:15 and 7:15 p.m.

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September 3, 2008ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 8 September 26, 2012

Jessica Chastain (The Help,Tree of Life) and Michael Shannon(HBOs Boardwalk Empire) star inTake Shelter, an independent filmreleased early last year.

Take Shelter is about Curtis, afamily man and construction worker,

who struggles with his familys historyof mental illness.

Through a series of visions, Curtisbegins to think that he has developedschizophrenia.

Curtis has premonitions of a largestorm coming their way.

In order to keep his family safe,Curtis has the idea to build a stormshelter in his backyard.

Tyler Davidson, the producer ofTake Shelter will be coming to Mer-cyhurst Friday. He will be speakingbefore the 7:15 p.m. showing, and thendoing a Q&A after in the Taylor Little

Theater. The movie is being shown aspart of the Langer Film Series.

Davidson has been making moviesfor over 14 years.

When Davidson started working inthe film business, he lived in Los Ange-les with his wife.

The couple felt that raising a familyin northeastern Ohio would be morepractical than in southern L.A.

Fortunately, he is able to make filmsin his hometown of Chagrin Falls,Ohio. The father of two is able to do

what he loves while being around hisfamily and friends.

Without Davidson, Take Sheltercould not have been made. The role

of a film producer is to get the projectgoing.

They must raise funds and gather acast and crew for the film. As the pro-ducer, Davidson was largely respon-sible for gathering funding for themovie.

Davidson and crew filmed TakeShelter around Grafton, Chardon andElyria, Ohio in the summer of 2010.

It went to several film festivalsincluding Sundance and Cannes.

The movie was also rumored to benominated at the Academy Awards,but unfortunately did not make thecut.

Take Shelter is a psychologicalthriller that keeps you on the edge ofyour seat. It wont disappoint and is amust see.

By Caitlin MacBrideStaff writer

If you didnt hear Andrew Jenksspeak last week you really missed out.If you dont know who he is, Jenks isan award-winning documentary filmdirector with a hit show on MTV World of Jenks.

On the show, Jenks goes around thecountry following people and docu-menting their lives.

In the last season of World ofJenks he follows a homeless girl, arapper and a boy with autism, amongother individuals.

During Jenks presentation here atMercyhurst, he discussed how film-ography inspired his life and career

choices. Jenks left NYU at 19 years oldto make a film about living in a retire-ment home.

The film Room 335 won a filmfestival award and led to many otherfilm prospects including a documen-

tary called The Zen of Bobby V. In The Zen of Bobby V. Jenks followsbaseball coach Bobby Valentine foreight months as he leads the Japanesebaseball team to series victory.

It was a very inspiring presentationabout doing what you love and makingcertain risks and choices to get whatyou want.

The new season of World ofJenks is coming soon and will have anhour time slot to dive into the lives ofthree individuals that will encompasseach episode.

By Kathleen ReveilleContributing writer

MTVs Andrew Jenkscomes to Mercyhurst

Film producer Tyler Davidson visits Mercyhurst for the showing of his film Take Shelter.

CoolCleveland.com photo

Film producer visits

for Take Shelter

Take Shelter

Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a younghusband and father questions whether to shelter his

family from a coming storm, or from himself.

The chilling genius of Take Shelter isnt thatthe threat is never specified, but that it doesnt need

to be. Ty Burr Boston Globe

Friday, Sept. 28,2:15 p.m. & 7:15 p.m.Taylor Little Theatre

Mercyhurst Dance Department:

Beyond Words IIMary DAngelo Performing Arts Center

Oct. 26 4:30 p.m. preview concert, $5.00

Oct. 27 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Oct. 28 2 p.m.

A presentation of classical and contemporarymovement dedicated to the uncensored freedomof expression.

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OPINION Page 9September 26, 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 Kelly

Caitlin Handerhan

Joe Chiodo

Mat Anderson

Chelsea Schermerhorn

Samantha Link

Zach Dorsch

Ethan Johns

Courtney Hartline

Bill Welch

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News Editor

Features Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports Editor

A&E Editor

Copy Editor

Graphics

Photo Editor

Web Editor

Ad Manager

Adviser

@mercyhurst.edu

editormerciad

newsmerciad

featuremerciad

opinionmerciad

sportsmerciad

entertainmentmerciad

copymerciad

photomerciad

photomerciad

ejohns89

admerciad

wwelch

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

(814) 824-2376.

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

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

Gamble, Tobin intercedeto set the record straightMU voter ID policy clarified, Patterson corrected

To say this past week has been a busyone in the Merciad newsroom would bean understatement. With three pieces inlast weeks edition of the paper focus-ing on the Pennsylvania Voter ID lawsand its impact on Mercyhurst students,much discussion about this issue hasarisen from both sides.

From students confused about the

laws, writers struggling to determinethe facts about what constitutes a validID, to the OneCard office refusing toissue voter IDs to out-of-state students,emotions ran high and much confusionensued.

As the Opinion Editor, I was thrilledthat there was discourse on this issue, asthe voter ID law is controversial in andof itself, not to mention the inadvertent

voter suppression being instituted bythe OneCard office not issuing studentsfrom out of state an ID to vote usingtheir college address.

To have a productive dialogue on

pertinent issues is what I strive for eachweek, and the Merciad as a whole seeksto uncover salient issues on campus.

After a few days of confusion, VicePresident of Student Life Gerry Tobin,PhD., with the approval of President

Tom Gamble, PhD., clarified the Uni-versitys stance on issuing ID cards.

Tobins policy proposal stated that allstudents are eligible to be issued a newcard for voting purposes, and no fur-ther questions pertaining to residencyor the surrendering of an out-of-statedrivers license would be asked.

This correction was directed at JohnPatterson of the OneCard office, who

wass not allowing students registeredwith their school address who hold an

out of state drivers license to be issued

a new Mercyhurst card, an issue of con-tention between Pattersons office andlocal voter registration effors.

In sum, it corrected the misinforma-tion the OneCard office was dissemi-nating to students, and corrected JohnPattersons actions.

As both a political science studentinvolved in voter registration efforts,and the Opinion Editor of the Merciad,I would like to thank President Gambleand Dr. Tobin for clarifying this policy.

Now students can exercise their rightto use their college address to vote, and

will no longer be denied a MercyhurstID with an expiration date needed inthis election.

The initative and leadership shownby Gamble and Tobin set not only agood precedent for a timely responseto current political issues facing thestudent body, but also for correcting amistake.

With many students, departmentsand administrators all weighing inon this heated matter, the leadershipshown by both in setting the recordstraight was much needed and much

appreciated.

By Caitlin HanderhanOpinion editor

Student addresses school spirit

Imagine a campus where schoolspirit is lacking, people complain-

ing about it everywhere with no endin sight. Then Richard Molloy andBrian Lombardo run for Mercy-hurst Student Government [MSG],making school spirit a point in theircampaign platform, and then onceelected, work to light the spark forthe 2012-2013 school year with anew spirit initiative.

As newly-elected president andvice-president, Molloy and Lombardo,worked to make changes in the Senateto help bring spirit to campus.

As stated in a prior article this year,

Lombardo believes that if we can go

to a football game and see the entirestudent section covered in these greenshirts, it will simply show unity withinour students.

The shirts kicked off their SpiritCampaign, as well as the several

events MSG coordinated for Home-coming Weekend, all starting with theSpirit Barbeque (with Clash of theClasses).

Some people at the event will havethe nerve to say that there was only asmall group that showed up, complainsome more about the lack of spirit andtry to say that MSG needs to do more.

The whole thing is, MSG is notresponsible for force-feeding spirit tothe campus; they took a common com-plaint and tried to jump-start the spiritspark that needed to be lit at Mercy-hurst.

For this being the Year of the

University and the first year thatMSG released a unified spirit shirtand having a direct Spirit Initiative,Im pretty sure that they have done aphenomenal job trying to bring stu-dents together with everything they

have planned and put into action.

Perhaps there was a relatively smallturnout for the Clash of the Classesbarbeque, but what about the peoplethat did show up?

You know those people who actu-

ally believe that we need spirit, theones that took the opportunity thatMSG gave us and had fun with it?

And what about every student whosat in their room, the ones that once

voiced their concern with Mercyhursts

lack of spirit; Where were they?What about the effort made by theuniversity community to incorporate aspirit band, you know, to make spiritmore predominant?

I firmly believe that Molloy andLombardo, as well as the rest of theMSG executive board and Senate,have done more than enough topropel campus toward a more spiritedplace.

If Mercyhurst students reallywanted to have spirit, they would makethe effort to show it.

I think that it was just anotherexcuse for people to complain about

how nothing on campus is goodenough.

Instead of sitting in your room onFacebook complaining you shouldappreciate the efforts that MSGand Mercyhurst as a whole, have

provided for you to be spirited andexcited about our sports teams andwhatever other even on campusdeserves spirit.

If you do not take advantage ofthe opportunities that the campushanded to you on a blue and greenplatter, you have a lot of nerve com-plaining about the lack of spirit oncampus.

As I said before, MSG lit thespark; it is up to everyone else tokeep the flame lit.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

MSG is not responsible

for force-feeding spirit.

- Jaslyne Halter

MSG doing its best to engage the student body with spirit initiatives

...setting the record

straight was much

needed and much

appreciated..

- Caitlin Handerhan

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OPINION September 26, 2012Page 10

Many students are grum-

bling about the new MSGpublication, The Week-

ender, with many sayingthat it comes too late in theweek for students to make

plans to attend the eventsadvertised. Perhaps a pub-

lication released no laterthan Thursday would bebetter received.

The Mercyhurst Center for

Applied Politics (MCAP)released another success-fully completed poll. With

previous polls drawingmuch attention from the

news media, MCAPs latestpoll focusing on the 2012Presidential race is sure to

be another popular one.

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.

Societal gender roles are an extreme double-standard

If you go on Facebook, you getrecommendations on products youmay like: foods, stores, newspapers,worlds cutest guy and girl, you name

it, you can like it. You go on Twitter,and everyone is sponsoring something.

You can read up on the most shockingnews and happenings across the world,all in less than 140 characters.

Social media has become the bestway for magazines, especially celeb-rity tabloids, to keep people updatedon what their favorite celebrities aredoing. Of course, this coverage is justas bad as regular tabloid press is.

About two months ago, social net-works were bombarded with newsof Kristen Stewart cheating on her

then-boyfriend Robert Pattinson withRupert Sanders. Pattinson was herTwilight co-star, and Sanders directedher latest film, Snow White and theHuntsman.

This man has a wife and children,and is 19 years older than her, and letskeep in mind the fact that he is a man.

In a very Victorian manner, thismale isnt the one painted as the villain.Even after it happened, I still find arti-cles about how Kristen Stewart ruinedthis mans marriage and this couldmark the downfall of her career as an

actress.Meanwhile, Rupert Sanders is

regarded as a victim, as if he fell forthis sirens spell unconsciously. Thereis absolutely no way he could be thehomewrecker, simply because hes aguy.

This slut-shaming isnt exclusiveto the United States, either. Recently,all hell broke loose because someonetook pictures of Kate Middleton top-less and sold them to the public.

Dont get all excited, you wont seethese pictures on the October issue

of Maxim or GQ. She wasnt gettingnaked for the camera. She went toplessin the privacy of one of their housesin France. A house that is surroundedby hundreds of meters of land, meant

to ensure the concealment of the royalfamily.

Heres where the punchline kicks in:British tabloids are all over her, criti-cizing her for taking her clothes off,in private. How unworthy of beingroyalty, said no one, except D-Listactress Emma Roberts, who tweeted,I love Kate Middleton...but when

youre a princess you shouldnt be top-less anywhere except the shower or thebedroom.

In 2012, ignorance still exists.Women are not only sought after forexpressing their sexuality, but some ofthem are also the attackers.

Case in point, Emma Roberts, whoseems to be blinded by her allegedpurity to mention that Kate Middleton

was actually going topless in her bed-room.

These pictures are not an act oflewdness. They are an act of invasion

of privacy.This would not be the first time the

royal family is caught in the middle ofa nudity scandal: recently, pictures ofPrince Harry naked in his hotel suite

in Las Vegas surfaced, and the reactionwas not nearly as close to that withKates pictures, even though no oneinvaded his privacy.

The pictures were taken by one ofthe guests, who may or may not havebeen naked as well.

The question is, when will thisdouble standard of human sexuality

stop? Will it ever be acceptable forwomen to express their sexuality with-out fear of being attacked or shamed?

Will tabloids stop criticizing womenfor doing things men do, but arepraised for doing?

In 2012, there may be a thousandways to see men as victims, heroes orcompletely acceptable womanizers, butthere are only two ways to see women:as pure, virginal saints or homewreck-ing, naughty sluts.

This is shameful. For guys, for girls,for any human being, this ignorance is

unacceptable. This stigma of femalesexuality is a shame, and it should bestopped.

By Juan MendezStaff writer

Male addresses feminist issue

Homecoming weekend eventspoorly communicated to students

I am all for this new, school spiritinitiative being headed by MSG andSAC, but when events are poorlycommunicated or all over the place asto time or location, what is the point?

I was impressed by the Upperclass-

men barbeque at the beginning of theyear and really enjoyed it, so I thoughtthat the Clash of the Classes would besimilarly enjoyable.

As a senior, even with my busyschedule, I felt like I should attendthese homecoming events and sup-port my university with my ownschool spirit.

At first, I was confused as to wherethe barbeque was happening. The

Weekender stated that the barbe-que would be at the Briggs and Lewis(only it was spelled Louis) pavilion,but the flyers and Facebook event

indicated the event was to be held inGarvey Park.

I was hanging around the StudentUnion at the time, so decided to stickaround. I asked someone from MSG

who was getting stuff ready, and theytold me it was moving to the Briggs/Lewis pavilion for a rain plan failsafe.

I decided to go back and drop offmy stuff at my apartment beforeheading to the pavilion, but no one

was there and it was past 6:00 already.I went back to my apartment, a

little bit disenchanted, and looked atthe event on Facebook, which said thebarbeque was moved to the pavilion,then moved back to Garvey.

Despite my frustration, I went,but the food wasnt ready and took a

while, and nothing seemed preparedat all, so a couple of my friends andI decided to meet up at the Corner-stone at 8:00 instead.

I figured it had just been a fluke,so decided to go to family bingo on

Friday night, and hopefully meet upwith some friends I knew would bethere.

Of course, it just so happened thatI showed up an hour late, apparentlybecause the information in The

Weekender was inaccurate again,listing 9:00 as the start time.

And I wasnt the only one. Anotherstudent walked in right before me,expecting the event to be just begin-ning, and asked me about it.

Saturday, I decided just to avoid

any more homecoming activities dueto my annoyance at MSG, SAC, andthe new Campus Involvement Center.

I am not sure if all of these miscom-munications are due to the changesmade to the Campus InvolvementCenter, but regardless, this doesntindicate that any of these changes areeffective at all. The Tuesday After-noon was more reliable and defi-nitely more timely.

By the time students receive theemail on Thursdays now, their plansfor the weekend have been made.The Weekender also eliminatesother events throughout the weekthat were there in the The Tuesday

Afternoon.I really hope that all of these prob-

lems are worked out in the end, butas of right now, my life is too busy tobother with events that arent going tobe communicated accurately.

By Chelsea SchermerhornCopy editor

Student confused by SAC/MSG activity schedule

...when events are

poorly communi-

cated...what is the

point?

- Chelsea Schermerhorn

Many students takeadvantage of the late night

bus routes on State Streeton the weekends. Whilethis is a great service to

students, what isnt sogreat is the mob mental-

ity surrounding the down-town bus stop, with manystudents pushed out of

the way and ultimately leftbehind.

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SPORTS Page 11September 26, 2012

Romanian native helps

mens tennis get winBy Joe ChiodoSports Editor

Moving over 5,000 miles away fromhome can be a challenging adjust-ment for any college athlete, and play-ing your sport in a foreign country

wouldnt make it any easier.

From Bucharest, Romania, fresh-man Robert Rizea picked up a tennisracket at a very young age.

When I was 8 years old, mymother saw something about tennisin the newspaper, and thought Ishould try it for something fun todo. It became a serious passion bythe time I was 12 or 13, Rizea said.

Rizea is having no issues using theskills he learned in Bucharest andassimilating to the fast pace of Mercy-

hurst mens tennis.Since we didnt have high school

tennis in Romania, I played for a club.The difference from there to hereisnt too much. I quickly got used tothe fast courts, I enjoy them, Rizeasaid.

Coming off of a great debut per-formance against Bloomsburg onSaturday, Sept. 15, Rizea is focusingon continuing one thing winningmatches.

My goal for the season is to winevery match, said Rizea. It feels

different to win in another country,another continent; to win not onlyfor you, but for the university. Its afeeling that motivates me.

Additionally, Rizea finds motiva-

tion in himself.I inspire myself, I have the moti-

vation to always do the best that Ican. I want to improve myself all the

time, and am never fully satisfied. Iwant to play better each time I get onthe court, Rizea said.

The Lakers traveled to West-minister on Sept. 19 to take on the

Westminister Titans, crushing them8-1. The win puts the Lakers at a1-2 record on the season. The team

will host Davis & Elkins at home onSept. 27.

Mens water

polo suffers firstlosses of seasonBy Madeline EricksonContributing Writer

Mens water polo competed in theNorth/South challenge Sept. 15 and16 in Cambridge, Mass. During thechallenge, the Lakers dropped thefirst two games to St. Francis and

Harvard, but bounced back to defeatIona.

These losses were the first two of

the season, brining the lakers to 6-2.The Lakers standout performance wasfrom junior Garret Schoeman, whohad a combined seven goals and 10assists in three games.

As a whole, we want to get toEasterns and bond as a brother-

hood, Schoeman said.The slow start to the North/South

challenge didnt get the Lakers spiritdown, according to Schoeman.

We had a slow start, but there are alot of new players. As time goes on we

will get better, we can always improve,Schoeman said.

The Lakers will remain persistent asthe season continues.

As a whole, we want

to get to Easternsand bond as a

brotherhood.Garret Schoeman

It feels different to win

in another country. . .

Robert Rizea

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SPORTS September 26, 2012Page 12

Patton sets Hurst career wins recordWith a win over Seton Hill last

week, womens volleyball head coachRyan Patton became the all-time winsleader in volleyball at Mercyhurst Uni-

versity. Patton has an impressive 120wins over his eight-year reign as headcoach, marking his place in Mercyhursthistory.

For senior Amanda Balasko, CoachPatton has undoubtedly played amajor role in shaping her volleyballcareer over the past four seasons.

Coach is very intelligent, he defi-

nitely knows the game, said Balasko.He develops smart, but hard, drillsfor practice to prepare us for our nextopponent.

Coach Patton took over the wom-ens program after coaching bothmens and womens volleyball at Mer-cyhurst. After the mens volleyball

program was cut a few years ago,Coach Patton focused all of his atten-tion and efforts solely on the remain-ing womens squad.

I needed more than 100 percentto coach two teams, said Patton. My100 percent couldnt be 100 percent.Once I was only coaching the womensteam, I was able to increase their abilityand give them more focus.

Patton attributes a major portionof his success to his wife and assistantcoach, Jenell.

She handles all of the day-to-dayrecruiting, among other things, and

without her, we wouldnt have the ath-letes we have, Patton said.

The Lakers have been on a roll thisseason with a 13-4 overall record.

Womens volleyball will be homeOct. 9 vs. Gannon at 7:05 p.m. at theMercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC).

Bristol stands out at PSAC championships

Having a smaller team can be astruggle for any collegiate sport ath-

lete, but junior Caroline Bristol is step-ping up to the plate for the Mercyhurst

womens tennis team and is making ahuge impact.

Their season is off to a promis-ing start with a record of 2-0 so far,

with a successful win again st Allegh-eny College and Robert Morris last

weekend.I ended up playing my best against

the second seat during singles, butlost against the number one seat inthe quarterfinals during our doubles

match. I have a feeling its going to bea great year, Bristol said.

Being only one of two juniors andholding a singles record of 2-0, anda record of 1-1 in doubles, Bristol isstanding out.

So far, I think I have reallyimproved. Were practicing really hardon the court, giving it 110% percent.I practiced on the court everyday thissummer that really helped in steppingup my game for this year, Bristolsaid.

During the match at AlleghenyCollege, the womens singles bracketstarted with 30 participants, but Bristol

was one of four players left, fighting

for a spot in the rankings.During practices we warm up, and

we match off against each other. Wework on volleying, short balls and

trying to focus on our techniques. I

usually try to work on g round strokes,serving, and my consistency, Bristolsaid.

The Lakers are working hard, prac-ticing hard, and with only nine players,

trying to make this season an unforget-table one.As a team I would like us to make

nationals. We were really close to it lastyear so that is just giving us motivationto work harder. Also, wed definitely

like to beat IUP and Slippery Rock,Bristol said.

Our competition is definitely

tough this year, but we have a reallygreat line-up and a lot of advantages.Our singles line-up is really tough allthe way through, rather other teamsget easier as it goes down after the first

and second seat, Bristol said.The Lakers play all the way until

April, so they are constantly challeng-ing themselves and reaching new goals.

Everyone is putting out a goodeffort. Courtney Thompson who isnumber two in singles is doing well.

The team is just playing really greatand we work so well together, Bristolsaid.

The next chance to see the Lakersplay in action is against Penn StateBehrend on Sept. 26.

Caroline Bristol returns a shot during the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships.

Sydney Cuscino photo

By Lindsey BurkeStaff Writer

By Samantha BanteContributing Writer

Coach Ryan Patton talks strategy with the womens volleyball team at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.

Sydney Cuscino photo