THE WOOD WORDMarywood University’s Official Student Newspaper

Communication Arts Department

October 2012

Learn more about the presidential race - pgs. 8 and 9

Marywood prepares for November election

Bob Hannon/Wood Word

News 3 2 News

New dean brings experience and enthusiasm to CLAS

Autumn GranzaCommunity Editor

Since the start of the school year, the Marywood University Col-lege Democrats (MUCD), which had been in existence since 2008 but was inactive, came back in full swing just in time for election season. “It just so happened that everything fell into place with logistics this year as opposed to the year prior when I tried to gather interest,” stated President Bill Loughney, sophomore pre-med major. As president, Loughney is re-

sponsible for keeping the club uni-fied and organizing its activities. The MUCD’s duties include knock-ing on doors in campaigning efforts, participating in a phone bank, regis-tering voters in the community as well as on Marywood’s campus, and driv-ing the elderly to the polls on Election Day. The major tasks the club has been doing are registering people to vote. “[The club’s] responsibilities are to be a strong, focused, and healthy representation of the Democratic stu-dents on campus,” said Chris Carl, graduate assistant for student activi-

ties and leadership development. “It must be open to all students on campus but can maintain its Democratic ties.” The MUCD, however, has no counter-part. While a constitution for a Republi-can club was approved in the fall of 2010, it is not active at this time, stated Carl. “It is not a prerequisite for a club to have a philosophical counter al-ready active on campus. We merely are a group of individuals who con-sider ourselves members of the Demo-cratic Party,” stated Loughney. “We even have several students in the club [who] consider themselves Republi-

cans. We are open to all students inter-ested in the political process and have an opinion that they want to be heard.” Voter registration, which is spon-sored by the MUCD, is available twice every week at various locations on cam-pus until the deadline, Tuesday, Oct. 9. All students interested in poli-tics are invited to attend meetings held every other Friday at 3 p.m. in the Liberal Arts Center, Room 114. The next meeting is Oct. 19. The club plans to remain active even after the November election.

Elysabethe BrownNews Editor

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has a new dean.Dr. Frances Zauhar has filled the position formerly held by Dr. Mi-chael Foley, who retired in June. Zauhar, originally from New-port, Rhode Island, graduated from Seton Hill University, and earned her Master’s and Doc-toral degree in American Lit-erature from Louisiana State. Dr. Laurie McMillan, asso-ciate professor and chair of the English department, as well as a member of the search committee in charge of recommending can-didates for dean, said that Zauhar has experience being at a Catholic

school and “knows what it means to have a Catholic identity.” Zauhar’s first job was as a professor at Gustavus Adol-phus College, a Lutheran school in Minnesota. She later moved on to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. where she remained for 15 years, spending 10 of them as chair of the English depart-ment. She taught courses such as literature and environment, women and literature, literature and spirituality, and literature and contemporary and future cultures--a course taught on Star Trek. As department chair, Zauhar enjoyed being able to recognize what a good English major stud-ies and the things that aren’t part

of the study of literature, but would be important to the major. “One of the ways depart-ments get to do cool things is if you show that it’s effective and you do that by taking surveys and keeping track of data and writ-ing reports. Somebody needed to do that stuff and so I did it.” Because of her administra-tive experience, she wanted to coordinate work from different departments and moved on to the position as Humanities Divi-sion Chair at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, but ap-plied at Marywood because she missed a church-oriented school. Zauhar said that she appreciat-ed Marywood’s attention to their mission and core values. “That’s just a different way of thinking about why what you do is valu-able and how what you do is of service to the people you work with and the students you work with. And I really liked that and wanted to be a part of that again.” She went on to say that Marywood really resonated with her because “it felt like this was a place where I could learn a lot but also contribute. And that’s what I’m hoping to do.” Other faculty and staff agreed that Zauhar is a per-fect match for Marywood. “She just gave very practical and measured answers that were just smart and interesting and thought-ful. And those are the kind of things you want to see in a dean,” said Dr. Erin Sadlack, associate professor of English, who was able to give the search committee feed-back as to who she, and other fac-ultywanted to see as the new dean. McMillan said that Zauhar does a good job at balancing her own experiences, but also hearing what others have to say. “When she visited, she was a good lis-

tener. She wanted to know more about Marywood and give insight about her own ideas as well. So it wasn’t one way or another.” As far as bringing something new to the university, Zauhar hopes to show that she has expe-rience, evaluation and assessment and the know-how in developing

different kinds of new programs. “I think what I bring to Mary-wood is someone else who knows how to go through the process of making a change when it’s needed but can also be comfortable with things the way they are if that’s the best way for them to be,” Zauhar said.

Survey results reveal students’ perceptions of religious climate

Democrat Club revived in time for election

Sarah E. CruzAssistant News Editor

Findings from last spring’s Campus Religious and Spir-itual Climate Survey sug-gest that while students have grown in their appreciation for other faiths during their time at Marywood, they don’t actually know much about them nor do they feel challenged to explore the reasons for their own faith. Dr. Ellen Boylan, direc-tor of institutional research and assessment, said that out of the 1,104 surveys sent to all undergraduates, 114 were completed in full. She stated that even though the response rate was low, suggestive data can still be derived from it. The outcome of the 208-question survey shows that students find campus to be welcoming. “There’s a sense of calm and ac-ceptance [rather than] a sense of threat felt by the students in regard to what-ever they profess as their worldview,” Boylan said.

Boylan assured that stu-dents responded saying that various beliefs such as Buddhism, Mormon-ism, Evangelical Christi-anity, atheism, and Islam, had good principles. “It was very encouraging that there was a mature accep-tance of others,” she said. Sr. Catherine Luxner, di-rector of campus ministry, said that while the survey shows that there is open-ness to other faiths, a small percentage of respondents indicated that they did not know much about them. “One of my hopes for this interfaith activity…would be that we develop at least a fundamental literacy about world religions,” she said. At a university where 60% of students identify themselves as Catholic, some students believe that Marywood should be more proactive in the ser-vices it provides for those of other faith and non-faith traditions. “I feel like Marywood is diverse, and

they like to be that way, but they don’t always fol-low through completely,” said Kayla Janus, a first-year physician’s assis-tant graduate student. “I think they could do more. If they’re going to have students of different reli-gions, they should at least accommodate,” she added. Luxner admitted that it is difficult to accom-modate the multitudes of faiths that Marywood students might have. “The reality is we have Catholic religious services on campus, [but] we don’t have other religious services. It’s not that we try to exclude them, but we can’t provide for everybody,” she said. Boylan said another major finding was that stu-dents reported they had rarely felt discriminated against for their worldview, “although at times they’ve heard insensitive comments from friends or peers or in classroom discussions.” Sarah Yeust, senior

mathematics secondary education major, said that while she believes that Marywood is accepting of individuals with diverse worldviews in general, she has had experiences in classes where her world-view was criticized not only by peers, but profes-sors as well. “Even if there is a little indication that there are instances where people felt they weren’t accepted for their beliefs, [the university should] use [the information] to deter-mine why because even on a small setting, it’s still occurring,” said Yeust. “The best way to [promote acceptance] is to provide an environment where people can explore and discover and learn,” Luxner stated. Boylan and Luxner said that they are uncer-tain what will be done with the survey findings since they are still being evaluated and distributed.

As Dean, Dr. Zauhar oversees eight departments within the three divi-sions of the college.

Graphic Credit: Diana D’Achille

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4 News

Lecture explores election impact on Muslim world

Elysabethe BrownNews Editor

On Oct. 30, the department of social sciences will host its sec-ond lecture in a series of events focusing on the Middle East. This lecture will explore the importance of the United States presidential election and the im-pact it has on the Muslim world. “It’s not an election for the U.S. only; it’s an election for the world,” said Dr. Erkan Acar, project coordinator of “Election 2012: The Impact on the Mus-lim World,” academic advisor for international students, and a Marywood alumnus. “It’s not choosing the president of the United States. It’s choosing not the president of the world, but someone who is very, very im-portant for the world as he is going to take the role and ev-erybody is watching what is go-ing to happen.” He added that the importance comes from our president’s decision on the rela-tionship that we will have with the Middle East. Sr. Margaret Gannon, I.H.M., professor of social sciences, who helped and advised Acar

through the planning stages of the lecture, stressed the impor-tance of learning about differ-ent cultures, such as Middle Eastern, especially with such a unique opportunity as to learn about it from someone native to that culture. Acar said that Haroon Mo-ghul, the speaker from the “Isla-maphobia” lecture, revealed that 50% of people in Afghanistan knew nothing about 9/11. “Peo-ple should know some statistics and information about others. That’s why we are trying to or-ganize such lectures including political issues [and] historical issues,” he said. Dr. Shamshad Ahmed, as-sociate professor of psychology and counseling, said that the sharing of faiths not only goes along so well with Marywood’s mission and core values, but it is also important because of the media’s tendency to show only one aspect of the Muslim reli-gion. “By maintaining the Catho-lic identity, they are telling us who they are. Catholic identity means respect for each other, service to others, and excel-

lence. So this is what they have been preaching, as well as prac-ticing,” Ahmed said. Sr. Gannon said that this is a wonderful opportunity for the Marywood community because as Americans we still have to deal with other countries, even if we say we are the number one country. “We have to know the truth about other [nations] and you can always challenge it and you should. But first you have to learn it before you challenge it,” said Gannon. Ahmed agreed saying she feels safe and welcomed at Marywood. “[This] tells us that they are opening their arms to people of all races, color, reli-gion, and ethnicity.” “Election 2012: The Impact on the Muslim World” is being presented by Marywood’s De-partment of Social Sciences on Tuesday, Oct. 30 in the Latour Conference Room in the Naza-reth Student Center at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow at 6:30 p.m. where refreshments will be served. For more information contact Erkan Akar at eacar@m.marywood.edu.

THANKSGIVING ADOPT-A-FAMILY- Thursday, Oct. 18, 8 a.m. to Monday, Nov. 12, 5:00 in the Swartz Cen-ter for Spiritual Life Campus Ministry in partnership with United Neighborhood Centers is inviting Marywood to sponsor a family. All baskets must be delivered to families by the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Monetary donations made payable to Marywood University Campus Ministry are also accepted and appreciated. For volunteer oppor-tunities and basket guidelines please contact Sr. John Mi-chele, IHM, assistant director of campus ministry, at (570) 348-6211 extension 2413 or southwick@marywood.edu.

MARYWOOD MADNESS- On Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. in the Insalaco Arena, Student Activities will host its annual event to celebrate the beginning of the univer-sity’s basketball season, other sports teams and athletes.

FALL FLEA MARKET- Friday, Oct. 19, in the La-tour Room, Nazareth Student Center, Campus Ministry will sponsor a fall flea market. Items can be donated for the flea market by bringing them to the Campus Min-istry Office, Swartz Center for Spiritual Life. All pro-ceeds benefit Marywood Campus Ministry service trips.

RAPE AGGRESSION DEFENSE (R.A.D.) CLASS- A free 12-hour course will be available to any interested fe-male student or employee. The classes are taught by certi-fied instructors in the Campus Safety Department and are located in the Hall of Fame Room in The Mellow Center for Health and Wellness. For scheduled class dates or to find more information please contact the Department of Cam-pus Safety via email at campus-safety@marywood.edu.

BOOK SWAP AND SALE- On Thursday, Nov. 1, in the Fireplace Lounge, Nazareth Student Center, the English Honor Society will host a book swap from 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Swap or buy paperbacks for 50 cents and hardbacks for $1.00. All proceeds benefit the English Honor Society.

FREE BUSINESS ETIQUETTE DINNER- On Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 6-8 p.m. in the Upper Main Dining Hall of the Nazareth Student Center, Robert Shutt will host a business eti-quette dinner. Reservations are required because space is lim-ited. Professional dress requested. For more information, or to sign up for the event, visit the Career Services webpage at www.marywood.edu/careers. Deadline for registration is Nov. 1.

MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY ENTREPRENEUR SPEAKER SERIES- The Business Faculty of Marywood University is hosting a Wednesday Night Entrepreneur Speak-er Series. The first event will be held in McGowan Center, Room 1059 and will be occurring every Wednesday night. All events unless otherwise noted will begin at 5:30 p.m.. Res-ervations are required and can be made by contacting Ma-rie Griffin at 570-348-6274 or at mariegriff@marywood.edu.

News Briefs

Mandy ScritchfieldAssistant Community Editor

Marywood held its annual Family Weekend on September 28-30. The event is held each year as a way for students and their families to come togther on campus. The weekend kicked off with the world-re-nowned Improv Asylum from Boston, Ma in the Nazareth Student Center. There was also a plethora of events to partici-pate in, including a fall carnival, various athletic contests and a casino night with a Mardi Gras theme. The 2nd Annual Nick Ferrante Men’s La-crosse Alumni Game also took place on Saturday, along with a performance from the Marywood

University Dance Team. A Marywood favorite, musician Dave Binder, also performed. Kristen Dougherty, freshman undecided major, said that she thought the purpose of Family Week-end was for students and parents to spend time to-gether, whether they are residents or commuters. The weekend came to a close with the liturgy service and a family brunch. Many students found this to be a nice way to close the weekend out, by relaxing and spending some time together with their families. “To me, the purpose of Family Weekend was fulfilled. Being a commuter, I didn’t do as many of the activities, but what I did do was really nice and lots of fun. I would definitely go again next year,” Doughertry said.

Students and families celebrate Family Weekend

Opinion 5

The Wood Word Editorial Board

“The willingness of the journalist to be transparent about what he or she has done is at the heart of establishing that the journalist is concerned with truth.”

This quote, from Kovach and Rosenstiel’s book, “The Elements of Journalism” highlights the importance of transparency in the pursuit of truth.

But transparency is a principle that extends far beyond journalism. Transparency is a principle that can be applied in almost any arena, and implies openness, clear communication,

and accountability.While The Wood Word does

its best to be transparent about its pursuit of truth, the same can not always be said for those on whom we report. When Wood Word news staff went looking for answers about why there was a sudden jump in the Student Activities fee, Marywood administration would not provide information about where that extra $50 per student would be spent.

As stated in the September issue of The Wood Word, Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development, Carl Oliveri, was not even informed of the increased fee. This strongly

suggests that both students, faculty, and staff are not being informed of major decisions happening at the university--especially decisions related to University finances.

And, this isn’t the first time The Wood Word has been turned away when looking for information on University affairs. Our administration tends to shy away and not be forthcoming with information. It’s a perfectly legal reaction. But is it ethical? And, does it reflect our core values?

Students have a right to know where and how their tuition money is being spent, regardless if we agree with it or not. As

students, we should have the right to question our university and get answers from our administration.

Our duty as journalists for the university’s newspaper is to inform not only students, but also the faculty, staff, alumni and the greater Marywood community of what is happening in our university. This is what’s known as the “watchdog” principle, referring to the duty the press has to “watch over” and monitor those in power and to make sure the public is aware of what is going on in its communities.

If our administration was more willing to be transparent about their decision-making process, they could benefit from

student feedback, which could better the university. It would also offer more credibility to the university; students would be able to trust the university and perhaps be more involved in decisions, thus increasing student involvement.

Google said it best in their transparency report: “We believe that more information means more choice, more freedom and ultimately more power for the individual.”

We agree, and we hope Marywood can become more transparent and willing to answer to students because it can benefit everyone in the long run.

Marywood students deserve transparency

Robert SmithOnline/multimedia editor

It seems now that most Americans own a high definition TV, and the old days of the cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions, (the ones before flat-screens that could weigh about as much as a refrigerator) are gone.

They have been replaced by sleek liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma screen TV’s. Thinner than your average college textbook and maybe only slightly heavier, these devices usher in a new era of picture quality. However, this era may too be coming to an end as three manufacturers have unveiled TV’s that will make your brand new flat-screen look…dated.

This year, Sony, LG, and

Toshiba unveiled the highest resolution TV’s ever offered to consumers. The resolution is called 4K, which refers to the nearly 4,000 horizontal pixels that are packed into these displays. For comparison, the top TV’s today can only display 1,920 horizontal pixels. To make room for all those extra pixels, the displays revealed by Sony, LG, and Toshiba range from 55 to 84 inches. These behemoths aren’t cheap either, with the LG and Sony 84-inch models bearing a price tag of over $20,000.

Assuming you’re willing to sell your car and take out a loan to purchase one of these beauties, you may want to think twice. While the idea of ultra high

definition (UHD) television in the home is exciting, it doesn’t exist yet. There is no TV show, Blu-Ray movie, or online video that has a resolution even close to 4K.

In fact, the only way to view 4K content right now is at the movie theater. These new sets have an up-convert feature that scales 1080p video up to 4K, but the results aren’t spectacular, and certainly not worth a small fortune.

So what is the point of releasing the pinnacle of home entertainment if you can’t even take advantage of it? Well, it’s mostly just a promise of what’s to come. Now that more cameras capable of recording 4K are becoming available, we may start to see some content recorded in

the new resolution and delivered to the home in the future.

Boosted resolution is only part of the recent advancements in TV technology, and most of

them are being taken advantage of right now. The backlights in LCD’s have been replaced with tiny LED’s (light-emitting diodes), giving you a 45-inch TV about as thick as your thumb, and with better viewing angles. Google is teaming up with manufacturers to create smart TVs that let you search for movies and TV shows not only on networks and on demand video, but also the entire internet.

So even though 4K content may not be available for the average American, we still have plenty of exciting new TV’s with even more ways to rot our brains. For now, those UHD goliaths will remain but a reminder of the future of TV.

Electronics Extraordinaire: 4K, the new definition of HD

Graphics credit/ Shannon Atwell

Opinion 6

The Wood Wordthewoodword.org

thewoodword@m.marywood.eduMolly BoylanEditor-in-chief

Elysabethe BrownNews editor

Sarah CruzAssistant news editor

Kelly Rickert Opinion co-editor

Vikki HartOpinion co-editor

Autumn GranzaCommunity editor

Ashley PadulaAssistant community editor

Mandy ScritchfieldAssistant community editor

Autumn GramignaArts & entertainment editor

Owen KaroscikAssistant A&E editor

Erica NealonSports editor

Holly DastalfoDesign editor

Diana D’AchilleAssistant design editor

Melissa FolignoAssistant design editor

Shannon AtwellAssistant design editor

Robert HannonPhotography editor

Joseph Petro Photography editor

Robert SmithOnline/multimedia editor

Natasha LeeAssistant online/multimedia editor

Janice RichardsonCopy editor

Kelsey HealeyCopy editor

Monika LoeffladCartoonist

Caitlyn CusterAdvertising manager

Dr. Lindsey L. WotanisAnn L. WilliamsFaculty Advisers

Joseph PetroPhotography Editor

The first debate of the 2012 presidential race was anticipated to be electrically charged and would have been a great opportunity for either candidate to set the tone for the race. However, neither candidate effectively did so.

On Wednesday, Oct. 3, President Barack Obama and his opponent Governor Mitt Romney went toe to toe in the first presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle at the University of Denver.

This year, each debate is scheduled to last roughly 90 minutes. There will be six 15-minute segments with two-minute answers for the first question, then open discussion for the remainder of each segment. A single moderator also moderates the debate this year. On Oct. 3, PBS’s Jim Lehrer, who has now moderated 12 presidential debates, had the privilege of moderating the first presidential debate between Obama and Romney.

The candidates battled over health care issues, social security, and economic issues in the first debate. The debate captured no real memorable events for those who watched. Both candidates gracefully attempted to civilly address issues such as tax policy, social security, and the economic budget. However, many might have found it difficult to decipher their key points on any particular issue.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina reported to ABC News the following: “Gov.ernor Romney attacked pretty well. We understand that’s what he had to do tonight, but he didn’t lay out where he wants to take this country. The president did win this debate.”

Although the debate did not have any memorable moments pertaining to hard hitting issues, the Internet was set on fire by one comment made by Romney to cut Big Bird‘s funding.

During the debate Romney stated, “I’m going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS, I love Big Bird. Actually, I like you, too (referring to Lehr). But I’m not going to keep on spending money on things that we have to borrow money from China to pay for.”

Although this comment

and many others Romney made were witty and off the cuff, it was clear it was a way for Romney to throw a few jabs at his opponent and even moderator Jim Lehrer. Romney presented himself as being civil, but in the aftermath we can see that most of what he said was

to provoke a rise out of Obama.On the other hand President

Obama seemed to keep his composure and not feed into Romney’s argumentative style. However, Obama while addressing key issues stammered and seemed to lose his train of thought.

Twitter announced shortly after Wednesday’s debate that it had been the most tweeted event in U.S. political history with 11 million comments and the fourth most tweeted telecast of any kind.

The first presidential

debate may not have lived up to the anticipated battle we had come to expect and the candidates’ performances were mediocre at best.

The next presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 16. Hopefully, both

candidates will learn from their errors from the first round and offer Americans more to contemplate than the potential defunding of Sesame Street.

On Nov. 6, it’s your opportunity to cast your vote in order to decide in what direction our country will venture.

Fueled by news: Denver debate ends in disarray

Garphics Credit/ Shannon Atwell

Have an opinion you want to share? Submit a letter to the editor: Letters must be 300 words or less. The Wood Word reserves the right to edit letters for length. Send name, title, and a phone number where you can be reached for verification to: thewoodword@m.marywood.edu.

Community 7

Club Spotlight: Volunteer Club in ActionStephanie Santore

Staff Writer

Volunteers in Action, a spe-cial interest club at Marywood University, is looking for fresh faces to join their efforts in giv-ing back to the community. Various projects are completed both on and off campus.VIA meetings are held every other Monday throughout the aca-demic year. Current members encourage all those interested to attend. The meetings allow students to gather together, learn and sign up for upcom-ing service opportunities, and help with future event planning. Jennifer Rojek, graduate stu-dent in Counseling, participated

on the Honduras service trip last year. “I never knew helping others with their lives would change mine so much. It’s im-portant to acknowledge that just as people in the U.S. need help, people need help all over the world as well,” said Rojek. In 2011, some of the VIA service projects included the Thanks-giving Adopt-A-Family Food Drive, the Kidstuff Carnival, and a Zumbathon sponsored by the Autism Speaks Foundation. VIA President Claire Werner said that VIA is open to any-one interested in service, even those who have never partici-pated in projects before. “We have opportunities for every interest: animals, the elderly,

children, hunger, and homelessness, you name it. Meet-ings are extremely informal and you can sign up for as much or as little as you would like. This is your chance to give to those who truly deserve it and make a dif-ference,” Werner said. The next two VIA meetings are Oct. 8 and Oct. 22 at 9:00 p.m. in the Fireplace Lounge, Nazareth Student Center. The 2012-2013 student of-ficers are as follows: presi-dent; Claire Werner, vice president; Valerie Hughes; vice president for on-going service; Lauren Olsen, sec-retary; Andrea Fritchey and Treasurer; Jessica Manning.

Kate O’Connor, assistant profes-sor in the School of Architecture,strives to center her design around an integral philosophy known as“socially responsible architec-ture.” Recently, she had to use this philosophy to better the lives of some non-traditional clients. O’Connor is working on a project to design housing for the chickens that survived the Interstate 81 accident on Sept. 6. The chickens, head-ed for slaughter, fell from the truck, and many were injured in the accident. The chick-ens are top heavy, lack an ef-ficient immune system, and have various special needs. “Whether I am design-ing something for a chicken, a pig, or a family of five, it is the same learning experi-ence,” said O’Connor. “You are always learning about individual behaviors, in-dividual needs, and howto accommodate them in your design whether they are human or animal.” “Socially responsible architec-ture” is practiced by many otherdesigners. It is architecture that understands human needs, has social consciousness, and provides a balance of design with environmental awareness. “It is a grassroots philosophy that all people deserve good design regardless of socioeco-nomic status,” O’Connor said. The chicken project was not O’Connor’s first designs for animals. Two 1,300-pound pigs named Duncan and Nugget now find refuge at Indraloka Ani-

mal Sanctuary in Mehoopany, after O’Connor and volunteer students from the Marywood University School of Architec-ture designed and built a struc-ture made from sustainable ma-terials that is able to withstand their strength and house their enormous size comfortably. Joe Savo, a fourth-year stu-dent of architecture and vol-unteer in the build, talked about his experience with O’Connor. “She is a profes-sor you can relate to. She is really dedicated to her work and her students,” he said. O’Connor said she hopes to in-spire her students in the School ofArchitecture to look at things dif-ferently, whether it is somethingthat already exists, or a future de-sign. She wants her students not to be afraid to make mistakes. “It builds character,” she said. “Youlearn, and you become a better person from it.”

O’Connor builds homes for I-81 chickens

Stephanie SantoreStaff Writer

Bob Hannon/ The Wood Word

In the September issue Coney Island’s address was listed wrong. The correct address is: Coney Island address: 515 Lackawanna Avenue

Scranton, PA 18503We apologize for the error. Molly Boylan, Editor-in-Chief

Photo courtsey/VIA ClubPictured above is Volunteers in Action Club members on their service trip to Honduras last year.

Correction:

New faculty member Kate O’Connor focuses on “socially responsible architecture.”

2012 Presidential Debate

Economy: Education:Health care:

Mike Magistro - Sopho-more

“I am concerned about Responsible Student Act which cuts funding for Liberal Arts Majors.”

Lee Leibert - Senior

“When I leave college, what will I do for a job?”

Brian Nargi - Junior

“I want to have a job when I leave Marywood. I don’t want to be 26 years old living in my childhood bedroom staring at a faded poster of Obama.”

Brooke Beppler - Sopho-more

“I believe Obamacare does great things for women who cannot afford necessary health care. Barack Obama supports middle class who don’t have affordable cover-age by giving them health care, especially women.”

Deanna Cavallaro - Sopho-more

“I believe that everyone who needs health care should have it and people who don’t necessarily need health care should choose whether or not they want it.”

Kristen McAndrew - Sophomore

“Romney is more prone to cutting welfare programs than Obama. I am a social work major and this would harm my future job in social work. It would take away from me helping clients get welfare programs because the bud-get would be cut so much.”

Marywood students express their concerns:

ObamaThe Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) strives to prevent insurance companies from dropping cli-ent’s coverage while they are sick. For those us-ing Medicare, the program will work toward lower-ing costs on prescription drugs and premiums. Also, the act will prevent insurance agencies from charg-ing women more money than men for the same care

RomneyRomney wants to issue an executive order for the federal government to give Obamacare waivers to each of the 50 states. Instead of Obamacare, Romney wants to enact pol-icies that will allow each state to have a health care reform plan that best suites each citizen. His goals include restor-ing state leadership and flexibility, promoting free markets and fair competition, and empowering consumer choice.

ObamaObama has passed Wall Street reforms to ensure that American taxpayer’s money would not be used to fund bank bailouts. To bring jobs to the U.S., President Obama eliminated tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. Also, he created incentives for businesses keeping or bringing their businesses back to America.

RomneyRebuilding the economy with goals of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation are key parts to Romney’s plan. He aims to reduce taxes, spending, regulation, and even government programs. He also has goals set forth to increase trade, energy production, and labor flexibility.

ObamaObama’s plan gives each state the flexibility to cre-ate their own education reforms, relieving them of No Child Left Behind. To ensure that everyone who works hard can get ahead, Obama will invest in community colleges to provide education and career-training pro-grams. Also, President Obama fought to prevent in-terest rates from doubling on federal student loans.

RomneyRomney aims to tie federal funds to dramatic reforms in order to expand parental choice. He also wants to invest in innovation and reward teachers for their results. He will make sure students have diverse and affordable op-tions for higher education. Romney hopes to provide stu-dents with affordable options for higher education. He wants to ensure that graduates will find employment in ar-eas that reflect positively on their educational investment.

Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney

Cover photo- From left to right: Brooke Beppler, class of 2015, Jessica Manning, class of 2013, and Heather Kees, class of 2016. Graphic Credit/ Holly DastalfoPhotos/ Autumn Granza

10 Community

Student Spotlight

Q: We heard your goal is to make people aware of the rich history of Green Ridge. What made you so passionate about the importance of local history?A: Through my parents’ love for Scranton I found a passion for local his-tory. I love to learn about the history of Scranton, and I love to share that history with others in the hope that they will see how important it is to preserve the past so it will not be forgotten in the future.

Q: What made you want to give the tour of Green Ridge and will you be dressing for the part?A: After researching Green Ridge, we really wanted to bring more aware-ness to the neighborhood with a free event that anyone can come to. Yes, we are going to be in period clothing for the event. The tour is going to be the history of the neighborhood and will feature the homes of some prominent sites of Scranton’s past. It will also include Green Ridge’s vari-ous churches, schools (including Marywood), and St. Joseph’s Center. The Green Ridge Tour will be held on Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.

Q: I understand that your mother has written a book, “Green Ridge.” Can you tell me how Marywood University is incorporated into the book?A: The I.H.M Sisters scanned and wrote a chapter for the book. It goes through the history of the sisters at Mt. St. Mary’s, which was their origi-nal mother house, that also housed Marywood Seminary in 1902, and then included Marywood College in 1915. We were so grateful that the I.H.M sisters gave us such amazing information, and I’m so glad that we were able to honor them in the book.

Q: What other events do you and “Azzarelli Family Historical Pro-ductions” take part in?A: We work with the Triboro Historical Society that meets at the Taylor Community Library every third Tuesday of the month, and on Oct. 7 from 1 to 2 p.m. there will be a tour at the Taylor Memorial Cemetery.

Marnie Dee AzzarelliYear: 2014

Major: EnglishHometown: Scranton

Bob Hannon/ The Wood Word

Autumn GranzaCommunity Editor

“Each person has inside a basic decency and good-ness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most.” -- Pablo Casals Many of you have heard of two events coming up this month that help us to live out the quote above. We are preparing for the season of Thanksgiving and then later the season of Christmas. On Oct. 18, we begin the Adopt-a-Family Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive. This is an event

that you, your clubs, classes, families, friends, teams or any group can come together to put a food basket together and de-liver it to a family in Scranton in need, at this time of year. Details of this event will be posted around campus and will be posted on the Campus Ministry webpage with the forms needed to participate. Maybe you can get your “wild and precious lives together and make a dif-ference” to a family in need. Now, I want to help you with your Christmas shopping while helping people in need in third world countries. We are having a Fair Trade Sale November 6 and 7 in the Fire-

place Lounge. We have hand-made crafts, jewelry, house-hold items, coffee, choco-late, and tea, that have all been made or crafted by ar-tisans in Africa, Guatemala, and India. The profits from these sales go directly back to these artists to help them make a decent living, and not to some huge corpora-tion. That is why it is called FAIR Trade and not free trade. May your “wild and pre-cious life” make a real differ-ence through these two events. “If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” -- Budda

Sister John Michele Southwick, I.H.M.

Special Contributor to The Wood Word

What does peace look like? The International Club is challenging professional and amateur photographers alike to submit their photos of peace through a contest they are calling “[Peace] in a Frame.” The image must reflect an in-dividual portrayal of peace and peace-building either on a lo-cal or global scale. Marywood students,faculty, staff, and alum-ni are eligible to submit photos. Select works will be dis-played during the upcomingpresentation, “Election 2012: The Impact on the Muslim World” on Thursday, Oct 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the Latour Con-ference Room, Nazareth Hall. This competition is joint

sponsored by the Golden Generation Retreat Center, Peace Islands Institute, Zum-rut Marble and Granite, theTurkish Student Association at Marywood University, the Public Policy Club, Ebru TV,and the Lehigh Dialog Center. Dr. Erkan Acar, academic advisor for international stu-dents, and coordinator of the contest, said he expects a great turnout for the “Election 2012: The impact on the Mus-lim World” lecture, where thephotos will be displayed. “I as-sume that there will be more than 150 people for the lecture. We will display some of the pictures including the winners of the contest during the re-ception and many people willhave the chance to see those works while they are there.”

Elysabethe Brown, a junior journalism major and contestant, said that the contest is a great way to represent peace because pictures are like a uni-versal language.“It sounds cli-ché to say “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but even as a journalist I honestly feel like sometimes words just don’t do my stories justice. You can describe something, but a lot of the time it is the pictures that really stick with people.” Potential winners will be no-tified by email or phone on or around Oct. 20. Winners will be announced on Oct. 25, and the Awards Ceremony will be on Oct. 30. Awards for first, second, and third places will receive $1,000, $750, and $500, respectively. Honorable mentions will receive $200.

Stephanie SantoreStaff Writer

Club captures [Peace] in a Frame

SR. JOHN SAYS: Make a difference this season

Melissa Foligno/Graphic Designer

Entertainment 11

Ashley PadulaAssistant Community Editor

Pumpkin carvings, hay rides, candy apples, scary costumes, trick-or-treaters, candy, candy corn, “Hocus Pocus,” bobbing for apples, black cats, ghosts, and skeletons are usually the first few things that come to mind when someone mentions the word Halloween. However, most people do not know the his-tory behind this spooky holiday. According to history.com, this popular holiday dates back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. More than 2,000 years ago, the Celts lived in the area that is known today as Ireland, northern France, and the United Kingdom. They celebrated their new year not on Jan. 1, but rather on Nov. 1. This particular day was important to them because it signified the end of the summer season, including the end of their harvest season. While the start of their new year welcomed the winter season, it also welcomed a time that was associated with human death. Celts held the notion that the night of October 31 was when the people that had died would return to the earth. While believing these ghosts would destroy their crops, they also felt as though their presence would help the Celtic priests form predictions about the future. On this night, they would build bonfires where people would come together to burn crops and animals. This would be thought of as an act of

sacrifice for the Celtic gods. The Celts would wear costumes con-sisting of animal heads and skin while they would discuss their fortunes. The Halloween holiday was not celebrated as much in colonial New England primarily because of the beliefs of the Protestants. However, it was more popular in the southern colonies. Customs from each of the European eth-nic groups, as well as the Ameri-can Indians, had come together and more of an American form of Halloween started to become established. Halloween activi-ties that were held consisted of many of the same customs as the Celts, which included exchang-ing stories and fortunes. New immigrants coming to America mainly helped to dis-perse the Halloween customs. Costumes originated from the traditions of the Irish and Eng-lish being blended together. As referenced on history.com, the idea of trick-or-treating is thought to have come from the All Souls’ Day parades which occurred in England. American immigrants would wear cos-tumes and go from one house to another while asking for food or even money at each person’s door. This act of asking for food or money is what started the tra-dition today known as “trick-or-treating.” The people answering their doors would give out soul cakes in exchange for the citi-zens to pray for their family’s relatives who had passed away. Here at Marywood, students

will engage in a variety of Hal-loween traditions. Sophomore Kristen Delfing, music therapy major, will be going to St. Jo-seph’s Center to help bag candy for trick-or-treaters with dis-abilities and helping at their Hal-loween party. “I love seeing the residents dressed up in their cos-tumes and having a good time,” she said. According to Yahoo! News, the estimated number of trick-or-treaters in 2011 was 41 million children ranging in age from five to 14.

The value of pumpkins that are grown and picked for Halloween throughout the six highest pump-kin-producing states- Illinois, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan- was $113 million. Americans spend an estimated amount of $6 billion each year on Halloween. Whether participating in the trick-or-treating or handing out candy, students look forward to Halloween. Freshman Stephen Trygar said, “I look forward to helping my grandmother give candy to the trick-or-treaters and

The hair-raising truth about Halloweenseeing the excitement that all the kids have when they perform and then when they get their candy.” So, next time you are shopping for a Halloween costume, keep in mind that if you lived 2,000 years ago, you would not have had as many choices. Your only option would be to wear the skin and head of an animal! Happy Halloween!

Entertainment 13

batcandycarvingcatcemeterycostumedraculaghoul

goblinhalloweenmummynightoctoberphantompumpkinrip

scaryskeletonspookytrickwerewolfwitch Bob Hannon/The Wood Word

Soprano Wendy Grice sings Il Bacio during the faculty recital at Marywood on Sunday, Oct. 7. She is accompanied by Rick Hoffenberg on piano.

Halloween Word Search Marywood Faculty Recital

12 Entertainment

Haunted HappeningsDracula’s Forest- Open every Friday & Saturday (6:30-10:30 p.m.) &

Sunday (6:00-10:00 p.m.). Location: 2828 Rock Dr. Clarks Summit (Ransom Township).

Reaper’s Revenge- Open every Friday & Saturday (6:00-11:00 p.m.) & Sunday (6:00-10:00 p.m.) through Nov. 3. Location: 456 Swika Lane, Scott Township. Tickets are $25 for all three attractions.

Gravestone Manor- Open every Friday & Saturday (7:00-11:00 p.m.) & Sunday (7:00 -9:30 p.m.) in October. Location: The Trion Warehouse at 1095 Highway 315 Plains.

Haunted!-Mind Mysteries & The Beyond- Events run from Columbus weekend through Oct. 31 BY RESERVATION. Call (570) 383-9297 for reservations. Location: 1433 N. Main Ave. Scranton.

Stephanie Marie SantoreStaff Writer

On Oct. 17, season two of American Horror Story pre-mieres on FX at 10:00 p.m. Have not seen an episode from last season? No worry. That is the beauty of this show. Its creators, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have planned each season to have a different storyline, with a new beginning, middle, and end. Cast members from season one

will return, but their character roles will change playing along-side the newcomers to the show. Season two is set in 1964 New England at a Catholic run institution for the criminally in-sane. The theme this season is insanity and there will be Nazis, aliens, and a serial killer who wears a mask of human skin. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan Murphy com-ments, “I think people want to be scared. I’m just writing what

I would like to see. So it’s the perfect stew of horror and fear.” In an exclusive interview with online horror film critic, Brian Juergens for afterelton.com, Falchuk comments, “Your main goal is to scare people. You want people a little off bal-ance afterwards. You want to deliver iconic images that will stay with them.” Each year, Falchuk and Murphy present a fresh haunting in a new location to shock and disturb viewers.

This year, the creators are adding to the cast front man Adam Levine from Maroon 5 who also commented on the show in Entertainment Weekly exclaiming that the show this year is, “absolutely terrifying, very gruesome.” Other new cast members include, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Chloe Se-vigny along with returning actors Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, and Zachary Quinto. According to the Nellie An-

dreev, from Deadline Holly-wood, last year’s finale drew in 3.2 million viewers, earning 17 prime time Emmy Award nomi-nations, and setting a record for the most nominations of a mini-series in basic cable history. Still not convinced? Tune in to FX to check out this unique and equal-ly disturbing horror series. As the season two American Hor-ror Story slogan teases, “Enter the asylum and get committed.”

American Horror Story Preview

• Haunted Hayride- $15 per person. Rides begin at dusk.

• SHOCKWALK!- $7 per person. The SHOCKWALK! is comprised of four tractor-trailers placed side by side to create a maze with 12 rooms of numerous animatronics and props

• Little Screamers- $7 per person. Only available Sundays in October from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Less scary version of the Haunted Hayride.

• Haunted Hayride- For the longest 30 minutes you’ve ever imagined, Grimm’s soul-searching creatures and a blood thirsty zombies will provoke your inner fears.

• Lost Carnival- This walk through the fog will lead you straight into the horror of the wan-dering souls of The Lost Carnival. If you’re lucky, you may reach the Tunnel of Love….BUT WILL YOU COME OUT???

• Pitch Black- No one knows what hides within this indoor maze of Blind Darkness. Real terror awaits around every corner.

• Gravestone Manor is a theatrical presentation, where the audience joins the cast - traveling through an elabo-rate set. More akin to a play than a traditional haunted house, there are still plenty of scares. Gravestone Manor is not intended for children under 8 years of age. Tickets are $10 for all ages at the door.

• A special series of shows will take place evenings at Scranton’s Houdini Museum. Haunted! is the world’s longest running paranormal psychic & seance event. A 3 to 4 hour presentation of the tale of the hauntings of the three people who died in the very area the event takes place. Deaths by murder, suicide and electrocu-tion! The event features paranormalist and mentalist Dick Brookz and psychic investigator Dorothy Diet-rich. Tickets are $35

SPORTS 15

Erica NealonSports Editor

People from all over the world will come to Scranton on Oct. 7 to run the 17th annual Steamtown Mara-thon. This year, a Marywood Univer-sity student and faculty member will be among the thousands of participants. Sophomore Steve Skierski is step-ping up to the plate, running the 26.2 mile race this year. Skierski ran the “Run for the Red” Marathon in the Poconos in May and has trained for similar marathon events before. “In my prime training, I like to put in 8-10 miles per day, six days a week,” Ski-erski said. About four months from the race, Skierski said his training schedule shifts substantially. “Instead of running a good volume every day, you run long once every other week and do relatively short runs on all the other days. You do it that way to prepare your body for the strain of running 26.2 miles at once.” Skierski added that it is important not to wear yourself out before the race. “Pace doesn’t matter on long runs; time on your feet is the most important factor.” Many runners seem to follow Skierski’s routine, incorporat-ing one good, long run a week and several shorter distance runs. Philosophy professor Dr. Sarah Kene-han is also running in the marathon this year. Kenehan runs every day and likes to include weight train-

ing and yoga in her workouts. The start of race day is like the start of any other day before her once a week long runs. “I get up and prepare for my run in al-most the exact same way that I would prepare for a long training run; race day is not the day to experiment with a new routine. So, I get up, have some coffee, eat the same thing that I have been eat-ing every Sunday since I started training for this race,” Kenehan explained. “My main focus is to stay relaxed and loose.” Cross Country coach Kevin Borrelli is no stranger to the Steamtown Marathon. Borrelli actually won the race in both 2008 and 2009. “The first time I won (2008) was a very overwhelming feeling. It was my second marathon ever and I had such con-fidence in my training. I don’t think I ever worked harder at something in my entire life than I did building up for that mara-thon,” Borrelli said. “It was such a great feeling to have all the hard work pay off.” Borrelli will not be participating this year, as he will be joining WNEP-TV’s Ryan Leckey and supporting Ryan’s Run in the ING NYC Marathon on Nov. 4. “Its hard to say no to a marathon in your own back yard but I got an offer I couldn’t refuse,’” Borrelli explained. “I thought about running Steamtown as a tune up but I knew that if I stepped on the line up at Forest City I wouldn’t be able to help but try and win. So

I’m putting all my efforts into run-ning the New York Marathon this year.” The Steamtown Marathon is not ex-actly held to NYC marathon standards, but is still widely recognized. In 2009, the Steamtown Marathon ranked 6th best overall marathon in the country accord-ing to a Runner’s World survey. About 25 percent of all finishers hold quali-fying times for the Boston Marathon. The race begins at Forest City High School and and passes through 13 com-munities before finishing at Courthouse Square in Downtown Scranton. The Steamtown Marathon benefits the chil-dren and residents of St. Joseph’s Center.

Marywood runs at the Steamtown Marathon

Steamtown

Graphic Credit: Diana D’Achille

Steamtown top finishers:Matt Byrne Scranton, Pa

Time: 2:29:06

Heidi Peoples Scranton, Pa

Time: 2:50:01

Sports 14

With a passion for the game, she soared from the high school basketball courts of Northeastern Pennsylvania to the professional basketball courts of England. Now, Carrie Bowen Toomey, the art director at Marywood Univer-sity, is being inducted into the Northeast Pennsylvania Hall of Fame. “It feels great. I’m really proud,” Toomey said. “I really love the game of basketball.” She began playing basketball with the neighborhood boys at a young age. “I played as a favor to my mother because my dad had no sons and she wanted me to just try it,” Toomey explained. “I just was good at it. It just came naturally.” Toomey played high school basketball for Dunmore, where she hit the 1000-point mark and is still its all time leading rebound-er, with 1,020 career rebounds. Robert Walsh, president of the NEPA chapter of the Hall of

Fame, grew up with Toomey’s fa-ther. “I saw her play. I followed her from Dunmore to Franklin and Marshall,” Walsh said. “I got a first hand look at a fabulous basketball player.” She went on to Franklin and Marshall College, a Division III school, where she was in the starting line-up all four years and was selected for the Franklin and Marshall All Time Women’s Bas-ketball team in 2003. Her team was also the MAC Southwest League Champs for three years in a row. “When I went there I just felt like it was the place I should be,” said Toomey. “I wanted to play. I didn’t want to sit on the bench at a Division I program.” Toomey decided to go overseas after college. She played profes-sionally for the Avesta Sheffield Hatters in the English National League. “It turned out being the most bizarre and the best year of my life,” said Toomey. “They were the best team in England. It was so much fun, a great experience.”

After returning from England, Toomey took some time off from the game until the assistant coach position at Bishop O’Hara opened up. Hesitant at first, Toomey de-cided to go for it. “Once I got back into it, it all came back, and I’m still coach-ing,” she said. Toomey continues to pass on the knowledge she’s learned from the game of basketball to her two daughters and the young girls she now coaches in Dunmore biddy basketball and with the NEPA Flames. It’s all about “working hard to-gether toward something and just finding a way to work with people and being confident in what you can do,” said Toomey. She says it’s important to develop “a pas-sion for something. If you’re go-ing to do something, do it right. Always give 100 percent.” Toomey will give a short speech at the induction ceremony at 5 p.m. on Oct. 14 in the DeNaples Center at the University of Scran-ton.

Art director inducted into PA Hall of FameErica Nealon

Sports Editor

Photo Courtesy/ Carrie Bowen ToomeyToomey playing with her team, Avesta Sheffield, in the European Cup against Portugal in 1993 at Ponds Forge, England.

Fitness Class ScheduleMonday

4:30-5:30 p.m. Basic Combina-tion Aerobics, Pam Leombruni

5:30-6:30 p.m. KickBoxing, Katie Aunchman

8:00-9:00p.m. Pilates Barre-A- Alyson Reilly

Tuesday 12:00-1:00p.m. Fitness Boot-camp, Danielle Piepoli4:30-5:30 p.m. Basic Com-bination Aerobics, Pam Leom-bruni6:30-7:15 p.m. Aqua Zumba, Amy Sekol8:00-9:00p.m. Yoga, Megan Cerco9:00-10:00 p.m.Zumba, Mi-chelle Wroblewski

Wednesday 12:00-1:00 p.m. Fitness Boot-camp, Danielle Piepoli

2:00-3:00 p.m. Active Yoga, Molly Westbrook

5:15-6:00 p.m. Aqua Zumba, Amy Sekol

5:30-6:30 p.m. Zumba, Laura Comstock

Thursday12:00-1:00 p.m. Pilates, Dani-elle Piepoli

4:30-5:30 p.m. Basic Combina-tion Aerobics, Pam Leombruni

5:30-6:30 p.m. Kickboxing, Katie Aunchman

8:00-9:00 p.m. Zumba,Gianna Muracco

Saturday1:00-2:00 p.m. Zumba, Gianna Murraco

16 SPORTS

Erica NealonSports Editor

Bob Hannon/The Wood WordGraphic Credit: Diana D’Achille