Clinton talks on economy, education Bishop boycotts graduation
Transcription
Clinton talks on economy, education Bishop boycotts graduation
Clinton talks on economy, education Bishop boycotts graduation College looks into political policies NEWS 2 NEWS 3 NEWS 3 NEWS PAGE 2 April 2, 2008 Hillary Clinton speaks at ’Hurst By Casey Greene Managing editor Students had the chance to write themselves into Mercyhurst College’s history books this week. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) addressed over 3,000 members of the Erie community Tuesday evening in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC). The “Rocky” theme song played as Clinton climbed onto the stage to cheers and applause from the crowd. Her talk, “Solutions for the Pennsylvania Economy,” lasted no more than 45 minutes. During her time on stage, she highlighted her plans for education, the economy, the environment and the War in Iraq. “It took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush and it’s going to take a Clinton to clean up after the second,” she said. “And I’m excited about doing it.” Clinton addressed the difficulties the average American family faces in order to survive in today’s economy. She said she plans to bring jobs back into the U.S. by eliminating the benefits companies receive when moving their business outside of the States. “First we are going to return fairness in America...” she said. “We need to use our money to help create jobs right here in the U.S.” Clinton assured the crowd that she was the person to make the effective changes in the U.S. economy. “We need a president with a plan,” she said. “A president who will ask everyday, ‘What have we done to create jobs in Erie or Jamestown or wherever?’” The presidential hopeful said one way she will improve the economy is by bringing home the troops and cutting the funding for the War in Iraq. “It’s time to put an end to the blank check that George Bush has been given to fund this war,” she said. One way Clinton plans to increase our national security is by “ending our addiction to oil,” she said. Clinton plans to eliminate our reliance on oil by finding clean, renewable alternative energy sources. She specifically addressed the ideas of utilizing solar energy, increasing research for biofuels and harnessing wind energy, something she joked, “Should be no problem for Erie.” Two major issues of the Clinton campaign are the affordability of healthcare and higher education. “How do you put a price on good health,” she asked. “How do you put a price on a good education?” Clinton addressed the increasing number of uninsured Americans as well as the increasing number of insured Americans who are still unable to pay medical bills. Clinton said she wants to make healthcare more affordable now with the future goal of a universal healthcare program. Throughout her speech, the cost of higher education was continually addressed. “If you want to come to a great college, a college like Mercyhurst, than I want to help you afford to go to that college,” she said. Clinton said she wants to increase the number of pre-kindergarten programs in order to produced better-prepared grade school students. “We need every child to be prepared to start school so they won’t be so far behind by third grade that they’re ready to drop out by sixth,” she said. Addressing the young people in the crowd, Clinton said, “For me, this is not just about the next election. This is about the next Scoot Williams photo Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke Tuesday evening to over 3,000 people in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center, focusing on the Pennsylvania economy. generation. I want you to have the same opportunities that I had and that your parents had in this great nation.” She told the audience, “This is the story for America…We are the people who are looking to make tomorrow a better day” – something she promises to do if elected. A long line Some students waited in a line that stretched as far as the Audrey Hirt Academic building for over seven hours to hear Clinton talk. “We were the first people to get here, at 11 in the morning and it was worth it,” said junior Jon Tirk. “I wanted to be able to meet her, shake her hand and get an autograph.” Sophomore Ian Michalski said he wanted the best seat in the house. “I’ve not made a decision on who I’m voting for,” he said. “So, I hope this will help make my decision.” Sophomore Nadine Beres said she felt the same way. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said sophomore Nadine Beres. “College students need to be informed. We’re supposed to be educated and wellrounded students through a liberal arts education, so we need more opportunities like this.” A grand welcome After a series of introductions, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and President of Mercyhurst Young Democrats junior Tim Knecht, joined Clinton on stage to chants of “Hillary” from the audience. “If it’s change you are looking for, look no further,” said Knecht. “Sen. Clinton is a remarkable woman who will make a remarkable president.” ’Hurst’s historic moment “I think this is a historic moment for the country and a great opportunity for the students,” said Mercyhurst College President Dr. Thomas Gamble. Erie Press Secretary for Hillary Clinton Kamyl Bazbaz said many sites were considered, but Mercyhurst presented the best atmosphere. “Mercyhurst offered a venue that is intimate but still can pack a lot of people,” he said. “She wants to be able to connect with the audience but still get her mes- sage out.” Bazbaz said he is aware of the controversy with Bishop Donald Trautman, who is now refusing to attend Mercyhurst’s graduation due to their acceptance of Clinton’s invitation to speak. “We respect the bishop’s view and what he has said but we understand that the college wants to offer students an amazing chance to take part in a historical election,” he said. “We really just want to give the Erie community a chance to hear first-hand what Sen. Clinton has to say,” said Bazbaz. “What’s most important, and our goal, is that Sen. Clinton’s message is heard loud and clear.” Erie County Executive Mark Divecchio said Clinton’s visit demonstrates her dedication. “Hillary coming to Erie, or Mercyhurst, just shows her commitment to the campaign, the working class people and the small communities,” he said. “It is a great way for her to energize the people in the Erie community and other small communities not just the big cities where all the political focus tends to be placed.” NEWS April 2, 2008 Bishop boycotts 2008 graduation Erie Bishop will not attend graduation ceremony in protest over Clinton’s pro-choice stance and appearance on ’Hurst’s campus Tuesday evening By Joshua Wilwohl Editor-in-chief Erie Catholic Bishop Donald Trautman will not attend Mercyhurst College’s graduation ceremony this year in protest over Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s visit to campus on April 1. In a statement issued by Trautman, he says by allowing Clinton to speak, the college is taking a pro-choice position concerning abortion. “I am disappointed in Mercyhurst College for not reflecting the pro-life stance of the Catholic Church regarding abortion. As tangible expression of my disappointment, I have notified (Mercyhurst College President Dr. Thomas Gamble) that I will not be p r e s e n t f o r M e r c y h u r s t ’s graduation,” he said in a statement issued Monday. “I am open to meeting with Dr. Gamble in the future to ascertain how the Catholic identity of Mercyhurst can be better clarified.” Diocesan spokesman Msgr. Tom McSweeney could not be reached for comment. Gamble said that while Trautman’s absence will be missed, the college must act in a way that will meet the educational needs of the students. “While we respect Bishop Trautman’s decision, we are saddened by it and will deeply miss his presence at graduation,” he said Monday. “Our mission counsels us to educate our students in an environment where faith and reason flourish together, and toward that end provide opportunities for our students to be well informed politically and religiously.” Students said they have mixed opinions on the bishop’s absence at graduation. Senior Phyllis Roman said she will not miss Trautman at graduation. “If he doesn’t want to come to our graduation, it’s his loss,” she said. “I don’t think many people will be traumatized…I mean, we’re supposed to be learning and supporting voting and civic duties.” Junior Dan Racitano said he did not support Clinton coming to campus, and even more so now that the bishop is not attending graduation. “I kind of feel with Hillary (on) campus and this being a conser vative campus…that this is a negative side of her coming,” he said. “I think…we should have thought about having Hillary come before we went ahead and invited her here…it goes against our Catholic ideals.” Racitano said though it’s beneficial to have a potential presidential candidate come to campus and speak, the college should not shy away from its Catholic faith. “I’m against Hillary coming here, and if he (Trautman) is going not (to attend graduation) out of protest, then I think it’s a wrong move on the college.” Kamyl Bazbaz, Clinton’s Erie press secretary, said the campaign recognizes the bishop’s view. “We g reatly respect the Bishop’s point of view on the subject, and also appreciate(d) the opportunity to speak to students and the Erie community in this historic election,” he said. Gamble said the college will keep with the Catholic tradition by planning to host a forum before the general election about the “Responsible Catholic and the 2008 Election.” Father James Piszker, the college’s chaplain, said Trautman’s protest raises concerns about a pertinent subject. “I think he’s expressing his concern about a very important issue to the Catholic church, which is connected to the Catholic identity of a college like Mercyhurst,” he said. Gamble said the college does reflect its religious roots and plans to meet with Trautman. “We look forward to engaging in conversations about the most authentic way for Mercyhurst to meet both its religious and its educational obligations,” he said. PAGE 3 School looks at political policies By Ashley Pastor Staff writer Roughly a week after Mercyhurst College President Dr. Thomas Gamble stated that he will look into a policy regarding the presence of political candidates on campus, the college announced it would be the venue for Sen. Hillary Clinton for her “Solutions for the Pennsylvania Economy” address Tuesday evening. Gamble, however, said the college still has plans to develop the political policies. He announced the formation of two committees that will look into two separate policies. The one, headed by Associate Vice President of Advancement Dr. David Livingston, is in charge of recommending guidelines for the presence of political candidates and related activities on campus. The other committee, chaired by Vice President of Student Life Dr. Gerry Tobin, plans to recommend a policy that will address the types of paid advertisements, including political advertisements, the Merciad should accept. Since there is no specific policy governing paid political advertising, Gamble said the college is temporarily suspending the placement of such advertisements until the committee makes its recommendation. The questions about the policy were brought to light when the Merciad ran a paid political advertisement for Obama for America. According to the Erie Catholic Diocese, political advertisements are prohibited in any of its publications because, as a non-profit entity, the Merciad would have to accept advertisements from all candidates, including those who support abortion. Tobin said that the college considered Clinton’s visit as an opportunity for Mercyhurst to engage students in an educational and political dialogue, and is in no way similar to a paid political advertisement. Tobin says that the difference between the allowance of advertisements and someone speaking is that there is a question and answer session that gives students the chancefor dialogue, versus a paid printed political advertisement that does not. “It is by no means an endorsement of the candidate and their views,” said Tobin. He said the college sent all political candidates an invitation to use Mercyhurst as a venue if they planned to make a stop in Erie. Clinton was the first to answer the invitation, issued three weeks prior to the Merciad’s running of the Obama for America advertisement, said Tobin. “Once the invitation was extended, we weren’t inclined to rescind the invitations,” he said. Tobin said Clinton’s visit should in no way affect the committees’ views on the separate policies. “It does not influence my objective,” he said. “I hope we’re all open minded enough to go into the committee with a good, clear thinking that will help guide us now and into the future.” Tobin said the committees plan to meet by the end of this week. Gamble said he expects the committees to make recommendations to him in the next two weeks. NEWS PAGE 4 April 2, 2008 ’Hurst students crack methamphetamine case By Liz Maier Staff writer Two Mercyhurst College intelligence studies student interns received praise from the Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett after helping the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control dismantle a massive methamphetamine case. Juniors Samantha Shelnick and Justin Zabiegala analyzed over 35,000 lines of data gathered from various pharmacies across Pennsylvania and Ohio. They pinpointed 29 individuals who were involved in what is being called the oldest-known methamphetamine manufacturing operation in north- west Pennsylvania. Director of the investigation and 1981 graduate from Mercyhurst, Dennis Tobin, credited Shelnick and Zabiegala for discovering patterns and trends indicating criminal behavior. By analyzing data, Shelnick and Zabiegala identified “red flags,” or customers who bought multiple boxes of pseudoephedrine in the same day. “The most difficult aspect of the internship was how tedious it was to input and analyze the logs; but obviously that work is very necessary and worth it in the end,” Shelnick said. Guiding Shelnick and Zabiegala through out the case, faculty advisor David Grabelski said, “The data lines that were exam- ined were names of individuals who bought pseudoephedrine products.” “The difficult part was analyzing the data to determine further relationships that were useful, such as who is shopping with whom, the area where they’re shopping and if they are shopping in more than one location every day,” Zabiegala said. Shelnick and Zabiegala’s efforts led agents to connect the accomplices or “pill shoppers” to the operation leaders, Robert and James Frey. Attorney General Corbett said investigators believe brothers Robert and James Frey from Albion, Pa., were the organizers in the operation for 14 years. Investigators seized 9.6 pounds, or $142,000 worth, of meth and meth oil from the Frey brothers’ home. The investigation, “Operation Family Cook-Out,” began in March 2007. Three interns before Shelnick and Zabiegala also helped and contributed with the investigation. “They (Shelnick and Zabiegala) put the final touches on the investigation,” said Greblaski. Shelnick and Zabiegala saved the citizens of Pennsylvania a significant amount of money by dismantling the meth operation. “They did the work load of one police officer’s annual salary for free,” said Greblaski. Neither Shelnick nor Zabiegala were paid while interning. ook b t x e t a need t ’ n o d u o Y to tell you Toyota FJ Cr uiser e t u t i t s b u s O N s i e r e . h y t t i l a u q for , llege grad t co n e c e r a As for le ib g li e e you may b Toyota Yaris 0 0 4 $ “The most challenging part of the internship was balancing the different projects I was assigned, specifically when we’re right in the middle of a big case like the Frey case,” Zabiegala said. “In a given day, I might come in to simply update our master database, but then I might be tasked to do work on a current investigation,” said Zabiegala. “And if we are close to making arrests or executing search warrants I might be tasked to gather information to facilitate that process.” Shelnick said the internship was somewhat challenging, but that his training from Mercyhurst’s intelligence really gave him the tools needed to be helpful in this investigation. OFF Toyota Camry * in e ic o h c of your a t o y o T tives. n w e c in r any ne e h ot addition to r . fo details r le a e d a Toyot Se e your *NOT ALL CUSTOMERS WILL QUALIFY. CUSTOMERS RECEIVE $400 FROM TOYOTA TOWARDS LEASING OR FINANCING THE PURCHASE OF NEW UNTITLED TOYOTA MODELS THROUGH PARTICIPATING TOYOTA DEALERS AND TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. SEE DEALER OR VISIT WWW.TOYOTAFINANCIAL.COM/FINANCE FOR DETAILS. COLLEGE GRADUATE PROGRAM IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR TERMINATION AT ANY TIME. NEWS April 2, 2008 PAGE 5 Biochemist to speak about generosity By Julie Hranica Staff writer Contributed photo Mercyhurst College class of 2008 students will soon thow their caps in the air to symbolize the end of their undergraduate studies and the next step in their adult lives. Life after graduation By Emily Grabowski Contributing writer It is the home stretch of the 2007-2008 school year. With about a month and a half left in the spring term, it’s a busy time for students and employees. Everyone is working hard for finals, making their summer plans and, for some, getting ready for the Europe trip. But for the seniors, they are making the most important plans of all: preparing themselves for their graduation. Preparation for the commencement ceremony is a yearround project, starting in August when the potential graduates are contacted. In February, Sr. Pat Whalen and the Registrar’s office go through all the applications and make sure each student has 120 credits, the minimum required to graduate, and to make sure all core classes have been taken and to check if there are any incompletes or courses missing. “This is a courtesy to the seniors because we are making sure they can graduate,” Whalen said. The time leading up to graduation is a very busy time. Several special events are set up for the seniors as they wrap up their college journey. Events include the senior dinner dance, which will be held on Friday, May 9 and the senior outing to Splash Lagoon on Thursday, May 15. There is also the dedication of the senior gift, and an alumni reception on Friday, May 16. The senior picnic, sports awards banquet, academic awards dinner and, for the first time ever, Mercyhurst will host its own ROTC Commissioning Ceremony taking place on Saturday, May 17. Sunday, May 18 at 2:00 p.m. the official commencement ceremony begins, with a farewell reception afterwards. Tickets are not required for friends and family to attend. General seating is available. With such a busy schedule for the last remaining weeks of school, what are the seniors doing to prepare? “Honestly, I’m not really doing anything to prepare for graduation. I know where I am living next year, and since I am taking a year off before graduate school, I have a lot of time to figure out most of the details of my future,” senior Tricia Dallas said. “I’m just enjoying what time I have left with all of my friends and making sure I am making the most of it.” Senior and forensic science major Kyle Scully said he wants to go to graduate school, and is waiting on responses from the ones he applied to and is just having fun. Senior and Intel major Chad Tilburg is spending his time interviewing with government and private agencies in hopes of finding a job. “I plan to move to Washington D.C. and work in a national security-related profession,” Tilburg said. Although it may be a stressful time of the year, seniors should enjoy their last trimester at Mercyhurst College. “Succeed in your coursework, appreciate your final days in Mercyhurst’s education system and enjoy yourself,” Whalen said. Whalen also encouraged seniors to periodically check WebAdvisor and look under course evaluation just to double check the number of credits they have, if their core has been met and if there are any incompletes or courses not taken. Jeff Cagle, 2007 alumni, said, “Don’t slack off. It’s really easy to just kick back with friends, but the last thing you want to do is have a bad last term, grade wise.” For students interested in giving to others then Dr. Stephen Post is sure to intrigue them. Post, a famous biochemist will come to Mercyhurst College on April 3. Post will speak about his new book, “Why Good Things Happen to Good People.” The book and the topic of his presentations will focus on the idea of giving. Post will talk about how it is important to be generous person and Post will also focus on how giving is beneficial to a person’s health. Post has developed a scale for measuring how a person gives and how they can improve their ability to give to others. Post was contacted to speak by religious studies professor Dr. Daniel McFee, who said Post was thrilled to have the chance to come to Mercyhurst, having been a teacher at a Mercy university for years. There will be two opportunities for students and the general public to listen to Post’s presentation. The first is a roundtable discussion in Mercy Heritage Hall on April 3 at 4:15 p.m. This roundtable discussion will focus on “Altruism and the Shaping of Our Lives” and will have five students from McFee’s Social Ethics class dialoguing with Post about the topic. McFee believes that students can greatly benefit from this opportunity. He said that Post’s interdisciplinary work will interest students from all fields, including psychology, religion, ethics, gerontology and other disciplines. “Dr. Post’s interdisciplinary approach allows readers to visualize the nexus between his ideas and their own fields of interest,” McFee said. Sophomore Nadine Beres believes that this discussion will be interesting and beneficial. “I volunteer a lot and give a lot back to the community, so I think it will be interesting to see where he is coming from. I also sometimes wonder the same thing about why certain things happen to certain people because I believe that sometimes bad things can happen to good people as well,” said Beres. McFee also believes that students will leave these discussions feeling empowered. “Post’s basic points focus on generosity, giving, and how to lead a good life. I find myself empowered by his overwhelmingly positive approach,” he said. McFee believes that even students who disagree with Post’s approach or arguments can still feel moved in some way by his presentation. Sophomore Carly Rae Eisenhauer agrees that this approach will probably strike a chord with some people. “I think that some people will definitely change their viewpoint about giving to others after hearing a presentation about this topic,” said Eisenhauer. Junior Erik Penn believes that his views may be challenged by Post. “I don’t necessarily believe that good things always happen to good people, however I do think that good people give back. It will be interesting to hear what Dr. Post has to say about this idea,” said Penn. Students and the general public will also be able to hear Post speak on April 3 at 8:15 p.m. in the Walker Recital Hall. NEWS PAGE 6 April 2, 2008 Beautify Erie: anti-graffiti project By Tim Hucko Staff writer Mercyhurst College students are taking a stand on the war against graffiti. The city of Erie’s anti-graffiti squad is now active and helping to put an end on the vandalism. Headed by Erie’s third Ward District Judge Tom Carney; the group uses a multitude of different skills and techniques to tactically remove and suppress the graffiti. Other members of the group include Christopher D. Hitz, president of Advanced Drying and Restorations; Dennis Braendel II, vice president of Braendel Painting and Services; John Tretter, business agent for Laborers Local 603; downtown businessman Tom “Tippy” Dworzanski; Wally Brown, coordinator of the Little Italy Neighborhood Crime Watch Group; David J. Grabelski, assistant professor at the Institute for Intelligence Studies and Maria L. Garase, assistant professor at Gannon University’s criminal justice program. Along with this team are Mercyhurst students who play a critical role in the intricate process. Their job is to map out and record graffiti sites around the city so the team can analyze the data and effectively respond. “Back in January of 2008 Mayor Joe Sinnott made an announcement about the task force and I wondered if students could help,” Grabelski said, “Once I heard this, I called Judge Carney and o f f e r e d s t u d e n t i n vo l ve ment.” After a meeting with Carney discussing the potential role students would play in the force; the involvement was approved by Mayor Sinnott. “Graffiti is a hard problem to deal with, but we’ve got to start dealing with it and do the best we can to stay out in front of it and combat it” Sinnott said. With the force in place, it was time to put the students to work. Taking into account the amount of buildings vandalized, the square footage, specific taggers and the community’s perception of these crimes the team can determine hotspots around the city that would yield the most positive results when cleaned. “We need good analysts to help find solutions to this problem,” said Grabelski, “So far I have had good help.” Each term new students are hired to intern with the team and put their analytical skills to work. Grabelski said that this is a long-term program he hopes to see grow stronger. “Cur rently we have two undergraduate students and one graduate student helping; there may be more in the future,” Grabelski said. Junior Intelligence Studies major Ryan Heise said that he believes the program would give students excellent field experience and a feel for what that type of work would consist of. Also as a local resident, Heise would like to see the city cleaned up and put back in better shape. The first project was completed on March 20; removing graffiti on a wall near the northeast corner of State Street and the Bayfront Parkway. “We have the equipment, we have the knowledge and we have the staff to be able to Contributed photo Graffiti can be seen all over the United States in both rural and urban areas. Mayor Joe Sinnott wants to clean it up, starting with Erie. Contributed photo The city of Erie’s anti-graffiti squad is now active and helping to put an end on vandalism found throughout the city. take care of these problems to be part of beautifying the city,” task member Christopher Hitz said. “We’re going to be doing a lot more in the next couple months.” Several students outside of the Intelligence Studies program feel that this is a great opportunity to get involved and make the community better as a whole. “When you walk across campus and see graffiti on benches and trash cans, you wonder what is being done to stop it,” said Sophomore Josh Nordin. “Now Mercyhurst students are helping to clean up our city and hopefully clean up our campus next.” “Nothing we do here is going to stop graffiti; all you can do is minimize it.” said Grabelski. “This program is a win-win for the city, state and college.” With the experience and commitment from the Mercyhurst community, major changes are in our future. NEWS April 2, 2008 PAGE 7 Forensics ‘dead set’ on winning awards By Sarah Gerard Contributing writer Contributed photo The Career Services office, located in 201 Old Main, can help Mercyhurst College students find a variety of different summer jobs. Career Services helps with summer jobs By Javiera Cubillos Staff writer For incoming freshmen and future sophomores, summer will be a relaxing break from the stress of college. But for most juniors and seniors, this is the time for summer jobs and internships. Elise Zigrossi, a junior majoring in Art Therapy, will be staying in Erie this summer. She will be interning for L’Arche, a community for mentally and physically handicapped people, as a relief aid. “I’m exited to finally be using my school knowledge out in the real world, I really feel like I’ll make a difference in the Erie community,” said Zigrossi. Career service director, Bob Hvezda, said that students usually do internships for college credit but that it is also a great learning experience. “It looks great on a resume and for them to market themselves to employers for full time jobs as well as get one or several letters of recommendation,” said Hvezda. Mercyhurst provides students with a variety of ways to find jobs and internships in different majors as well as helping them with their resumes. Career Services has a bulletin board outside of their office in Main 201 where they post summer jobs and several helpful web pages. There is also a binder in the office that students can ask for and review. Mercyhurst also provides students with the possibility to be interns in the college. There is usually an average of 250 students from all majors doing summer internships at Mercyhurst. “Over the last two years, Mercyhurst has had interns from 24 different states and five different countries,” said Hvezda. Some students rather intern or work at home. Junior Matt Campanelli, for example, is going back home to Elmira, NY for the summer. He is a dual majoring in criminal justice and sociology and will be working at the Elmira Water Board. He will also be doing an internship in the police depart- ment of his town. “I look forward to my internship this summer, it’ll be fun,” said Campanelli. International student Sebastian Thais will also be going home this summer. He is a junior majoring in Political Science and hopes to get a job in his home country of Peru. “I don’t have an internship yet mainly because I am trying to get one back home working for a congressman, hopefully I’ll get good news about that soon,” said Thais. Another possibility for spending the summer is staying on-campus taking some courses. M e r c y h u r s t o f f e r s va r i ous summer sessions where students can earn three credits in three weeks or up to six credits in six weeks. This is a good option for students who are behind or want to get ahead in their work in order to alleviate the class load of the school year. Summer classes are demanding, but at the same time they allow students to have free time to enjoy the sun. The applied forensic science department has been receiving recognition lately. Dr. Steven Symes, an applied forensic science professor, has received the lifetime achievement award and students have been presenting papers at national association meetings. The undergraduate program consists of four specialized concentrations which are forensic anthropology, criminalistics, forensic wildlife investigation, and forensic chemistry. According to Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat, department chair and professor of applied forensic sciences, there are 140 to 150 students in the undergraduate program. The program and curriculum focus on presenting state-ofthe-art techniques in forensic science and crime scene recovery in the classroom while providing a variety of practical, hands-on opportunities both in the field and in the laboratory. A few advanced juniors and seniors do have the opportunity to work at actual crimes scenes and all students gain experience through classroom projects. According to Dirkmaat, the forensic and biological anthropology graduate program at Mercyhurst College is the best in the world. The graduate program accepts about seven students in the program each year. Graduates will have the skills needed to conduct search, documentation, and data recovery exercises involving a variety of outdoor, fire, and mass fatality scenes as well as conduct preliminary analyses of human remains recovered from a wide variety of forensic scenes. Many graduate students will be presenting papers at the 77 annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologist in April and other students have presented papers at the American Association of Forensic Sciences 60 Anniversary Scientific Meeting in February. Krya Stull, graduate student in the Masters of Science forensic and biological anthropology program. Stull said the best part about the graduate program at Mercyhurst is the hands on experience. The professors of the applied forensic science department come from a variety of backgrounds. Dirkmaat received his doctorate in Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh and has been a professor at Mercyhurst since 1991 his specialization is outdoor crime scenes. He has worked on many plane crash scenes in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Symes has been a professor at Mercyhurst since 2002. He earned the prestigious Thomas Dale Stewart Award for lifetime achievement, the highest honor offered by the Physical Anthropology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS). The award recognizes Symes’ enduring contributions to the field of forensic anthropology and a career marked by accurate, detailed scholarship and remarkable productivity. Symes is one of the country’s leading experts on trauma to bone and an authority on saw and knife mark analysis. Other professors in the department are Dr. Ousley and Luis L. Cabo-Perez from Spain. Dr. Ousley developed a computer program that can determine the sex and ancestry of skeletal remains. FEATURES PAGE 8 April 2, 2008 THE LAKER Spring Term Galley Grill Lunch: M - Club Sandwich T - Chicken Caesar W - Chicken Quesadilla Th - Breakfast for Lunch F - Tuna Melt or Grilled Portabella Sandwich S - Sloppy Joe Board Specials Lunch $4.75 Dinner $5.50 Dinner: S - Turkey Burger M - General Tso’s Chicken over rice w/ broccoli T - Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes and veggies W - Veal Parm over pasta Th - Buffalo chicken sandwich F - Fish Sandwich or Grilled Portabella Sandwich S - Pepperoni Pizza Sub Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m. Saturday 1:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. Sunday 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. Look for New Menu Items! Mac & Cheese Bites Black Bean Burger New Salads: Chicken BLT-Veggie(no cheese)-Spinach-Asian ChickenGreek-Caesar Subconnection 6” Sub $3.75 Combo $4.75 12”Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75 Baja and Buffalo Chicken Subs: 6” Sub $4.00 Combo $5.25 12” Sub $6.00 Combo $ 7.00 Laker Express Board Equivalency Available: 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Board Specials Lunch $4.75 Dinner $5.50 Special Features Wrap combo-Veggie $5.59 other wraps $5.79 ‘Wrap It Yourself’- Veggie $3.99 other wraps $ 4.19 Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Saturday 1:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Sunday 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Look for Laker Express Minute Meals! Hours of Operation: Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Friday 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday Closed pizzahut.ca/files/images/ChickenPomodoro Pizza Hut is now offering pasta choices for delivery. Pizza hut offers pasta delivery By Nicole McIntyre Staff writer In this fast-paced world, we have seen time-saving adjustments taking place on a regular basis. Fast food chains and coffee shops have implemented drivethru services, and many restaurants are now equipped with curbside pick-up. One can even have movies sent to them via the United States postal service. All of these efforts have been made to cater to the needs of the average American with too much to do during their day. Recently Pizza Hut launched a delivery service that goes above and beyond pizza. Many locations, including the one on East 38th Street, have altered their delivery services to include new options. Pizza Hut now offers pans of pasta with bread sticks for only $11.95 that are available for delivery. The pasta trays feed six people and are available in marinara and alfredo sauces. This service will be helpful for catering purposes as well as effective in limiting gas use for families who are trying to save money. Competitors say that they are unimpressed with this idea, saying that Pizza Hut is trying to convert into a restaurant rather than a pizza shop. But others have different opinions. “Not only is this idea good for when you are short on time,” sophomore Conor McKenna said, “it gives you a less greasy alternative for a quick meal.” A Pizza Hut representative said that if the process is done correctly, pasta could become 15 percent of the total sales. FEATURES April 2, 2008 PAGE 9 Celebs make presidential endorsements By Carla Hart Staff writer Roll out the red carpet. Hollywood has spoken and the race to the White House is on. With the 2008 presidential election in the spotlight, celebrities are endorsing their favorite political candidates. While U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama vie for the Democratic nomination, John McCain seems to hold the ticket for the Republican Party. Whether a celebrity’s support will help or hinder a presidential candidate remains to be seen. Boston Red Sox picher Curt Schilling’s endorsement for McCain came early, as it did for President George Bush in 2004. Support from Barbara Streisand could help Clinton, while Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement may prove effective for Obama. One never knows. According to The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, “69 percent of people surveyed say political endorsements generally have little impact on voter preferences.” On the other hand, “nearly half of the young people surveyed say Oprah Winfrey’s opinion would affect their vote choice.” Mercyhurst College students were asked if celebrity endorsements have the potential to sway voter’s decision at the polls. Senior Stacey Minchin said there is a possibility for celebrity impact. “Seeing Oprah endorse Obama could result in the ‘Oprah Effect,’ in which everything Winfrey is involved in becomes a success due to her popularity within the public eye,” Minchin said. “It is understandable for people to consider all the factors including the celebrity endorsements for each candidate, but when it comes down to the polls, votes should be cast based on what you think of the candidates’ opinions in every issue, instead of the money and stardom that surrounds their campaign.” As an aspiring journalist, Minchen is accustomed to gathering all of the facts. “Celebrity endorsements tend to result in voting based on popular opinion rather that on research conducted,” she said. Junior Ashley Brudy agreed with Minchin. “It is a good thing to get the candidates noticed, but bad in graphics8.nytimes.com Oprah Winfrey is one of many celebrities who are endorsing their favorite candidates. the fact that they are using Hollywood to get ahead in the game,” said Brudy. Brudy said she will not use endorsements as a factor in her decision for president. “A celebrity could not gear my decision a certain way, because this is too much of an important election for our country,” said Brudy. Mercyhurst College freshman Justin Mando also agreed. “People may go along with their favorite star if they don’t know enough about a candidate,” said Mando. Instead, Mando encourages people to trust in themselves. “A voter who is swayed may not value or trust his or her own opinions,” he explained. Junior Linnea Larson said it is important to focus on the real issues and get all of the facts by November. “Not everybody chooses to go along with celebrity opinion,” said Larson. “My own personal beliefs and morals will influence my decision.” It seems Mercyhurst students will not be swayed despite celbrity involvement. Along with research and reflection, they have education and common sense to help them choose the right candidate for president in 2008. Candidates and their celebrity support Celebrity endorsements for John McCain include: Arnold Schwarzenegger Sylvester Stallone Tom Selleck Burt Bacharach John Ondrasik Joe Eszterhas Celebrity endorsements for Barack Obama include: Scarlett Johansson Will Smith Robert Deniro Oprah Winfrey Ben Affleck Eddie Murphy Maria Shriver Hulk Hogan Jennifer Aniston Jackson Brown Ben Stiller Morgan Freeman Tom Hanks Tobey Maguire George Clooney Halle Berry Leonardo DiCaprio Matt Damon Jamie Foxx Stevie Wonder Celebrity endorsements for Hillary Clinton include: Angelina Jolie Danny De Vito Hugh Hefner Madonna Eva Longoria America Ferrara Elton John Jerry Springer Martha Stewart Barbara Streisand Jack Nicholson Rosie O’Donnell Stephen Spielberg hollywoodhiccups.blogspot.com Arnold Schwarzenegger is backing John McCain. FEATURES PAGE 10 April 2, 2008 Clinton sticks to what works best By Jen Gildea Features editor Contributed photo Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits have been spoofed in the media. As Sen. Hillary Clinton said Tuesday night at her rally in the Mercyhurst College Athletic Center, “It took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush. It will take another to clean up after this one.” Well, whether she gets the presidential nomination or not, Clinton sure does take “cleaning up” seriously – in the fashion sense, that is. After being spoofed in the media several times for continuously wearing pantsuits, Clinton’s fashion sense has begun to broaden, even if it’s just in the use of color. “The pantsuit is the definition of leadership, experience, and change,” said Kamyl Bazbaz, Hillary Clinton’s Erie Press Secretary. “Hillary is proud to represent the pantsuit because it challenges convention.” At Tuesday night’s speech, Clinton donned a familiar pantsuit, albeit a flattering one. The bright pink color of the single-breasted blazer highlighted her facial complexion, leaving a glow that was only more enhanced by her megawatt smile. Instead of a dated look, Clinton appeared modern and contemporary. The jacket was accentuated by a slightly “popped” collar and a nipped-in waist. Paired with traditional black dress slacks, the waist-length blazer gave a very flattering and lengthening silhouette. By wearing straight-leg, but not tapered, pants, Clinton created a becoming shape and profile on a woman who represents the average size of American women. Simple, classic earrings and a pink and black scarf topped off the ensemble nicely. The truth is, Hillary Clinton is not a contestant in a beauty pageant. Perhaps what ought to be more important than her day-to-day outfits is for what her campaign stands. Bazbaz summed it up when it comes to Clinton’s buzzed-about wardrobe. “I would hope that viewers would vote based on policy, not clothing,” he said. Students create Earth Week projects from recycled materials By Sandy Watro Staff writer The Green Team’s Earth Week, which will be held April 14-18, is titled Seeds, Soil and Soul. Among other things, this year’s Earth Week will be focused on a reduce, reuse and recycle theme. In honor of the upcoming Earth Week, students and staff members of the Mercyhurst community are creating clothing and accessories out of recycled materials. Analida Braeger will head up some of the activities of Earth Week. “The recycled and creative nature of the items that will be on display will illustrate the theme,” she said. “Just as the soil recycles itself year after year, so do we as we recycle materials to fashion them into new things.” Sophomore fashion merchan- dising major Marissa Stuart is taking part in organizing and contributing to the display case. “I like the fact that I can take something old and turn it into something new,” Stuart said. “I think the display will be really interesting to visit and hopefully it will encourage others to perhaps remake something themselves.” So far, contributions have been fashioned out of items like old T-shirts, fabric remnants from the school’s sewing lab and even newspapers. Two surprising items found in the exhibit include a paper Mache bustier and a skirt made out of old Merciad newspapers. The display will also feature a variety of recycled fashion accessories. Items already fashioned for the display include a tote bag made out of an old T-shirt and a LP album-cover purse. The accessory genre is one area of fashion that has seen a major increase in the area of recycled materials. Nike has created a basketball shoe made almost completely of Nike’s factory’s waste. The shoe was created for Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns and is called the Nike Trash Talk. The outer portion of the shoe is made from scraps of leather found on the factory floor and secured together by zig-zag stitching. The middle sole is comprised of scrap-ground foam that once was considered waste from the production of other goods. Accessories designer Eleanor Salazar utilizes pool balls to create one of kind rings and bracelets. Each ball she utilizes in her designs was once used and each piece of jewelry is hand crafted. Due to this, it is not surprising that her unique designs ring in at a hefty price of $150.00 and up. www.etsy.com Eleanor Salazar creates rings from used pool balls. All in all, one can deduct that cultivating awareness on imperative issues like our environment is necessary on a local level and larger domestic or global outreach. On a grassroots level, Mer- cyhurst students and staff are positively contributing to raise awareness on the crucial issue of the health of our ecosystem. Creations from the project will be displayed in Zurn Hall April 10 to 16. FEATURES April 2, 2008 PAGE 11 Dancing vs. Idol: Who’s your favorite? Features editor Jen Gildea introduces all the top contestants The Top 9 contestants sing every Tuesday night on FOX. Simon and Ryan are making nasty jokes about each other, Paula is rambling in an un-recognizable language and Randy is calling everyone “dawg.” Sounds like it’s Idol time again. With the show’s cult-like following among teens and adults alike, the contestants are catapulted into stardom that some never expected. But just who are these young people with the talent to become tomorrow’s newest superstar? Brooke White, 24, is from Mesa, Ariz., and has been dubbed “the next Carly Simon” due to her raspy and soulful voice. San Diego resident Carly Smithson, 24, is native to Ireland. Her powerful voice allows her to tackle songs from artists like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston without missing a beat. The youngest in the race for the top is 17-year-old David Archuleta from Murray, Utah. Picked as the winner by Simon Cowell, David’s voice is so pure and on pitch, even if he occasionally forgets the lyrics. David Cook, 25, from Blue Springs, Mo., is the “rocker” of the group. His americanidol.com interesting and brave take on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” put him in the race for the win. Country crooner Kristy Lee Cook, 24, is from Selma, Ore. Although being in the bottom three for several weeks in a row, her chance to stay in the competition relies on whether or not she can diversify out of the country music genre. Twenty-year old Jason Castro, from Rockwall, Texas, is the most mellow contestant. From his dredlocked head to his relaxed take on song choice, he sails through every week. Ramiele Malubay, 20, from Miramar, Fla., may be playing shy when talking in interviews. Her soft-spokeness is completely forgotten when she belts out her songs. Michael Johns, 29, from Buckhead, Ga., is the oldest contestant, but he’s right in the running for the lead with his bold song choice of Queen’s “We are the Champions.” Finally, 21-year-old Syesha Mercado, from Sarasota, Fla., is among the judges’ top picks. After battling bronchitis recently, she’s come back strong to wow the judges and viewers. abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars Dancing with the Stars airs on Monday and Tuesdays on ABC. Shaking booties and passionate tangos comprise the other popular reality show currently on TV. Judged on creativity, personality and actual talent, the celebs must continually push it to the max in an area where most have little-to-no experience. This season, contestants range from young to old, tall to short and rhythmic to clumsy. Television and radio personality Adam Carolla’s lack of dance expertise has resulted in some harsh comments from the judges, but his quick, witty responses make viewers laugh. Cristian de la Fuente is an international film star. Paired with two-time winner Cheryl Burke, Cristian’s chance of being a top contender is boosted. “American Pie” alum Shannon Elizabeth has shown decent talent this season. Her physical physique gives her flexibility and poise. Steve Guttenberg is the oldest contestant on the show. After hitting it big on TV and in the movies in the ‘80s, he’s making a comeback as the most cheerful, lovable contestant. R&B singer Mario is a fan and judge favorite due to his undeniable talent. His youth, paired with smooth moves get the crowd going each week. Oscar winner Marlee Matlin brings a whole new challenge to the dance floor. As a deaf woman, she cannot hear the music. Communicating through sign language and with the help of a translator, she’s still incredibly talented despite her disability. Legend Priscilla Presley is stepping out of her usually quiet life as a surprising contestant. The widow of Elvis is honing in on her sultry side to produce quite a tango. Jason Taylor is NFL’s man of the year, but on the dance floor, many were worried about his height. Surprisingly, his moves aren’t too shabby and fans swoon over his bald head. Marissa Jaret Winokur is best known for playing the lead role in Broadway’s Hairspray. Despite being the only plus-size contestant, her bubbly personality and never-ending smile outshine every performance. Finally, Olympic champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi is the leading female among the judges and viewers. Skating has given her a natural advantage to moving with the music. FEATURES PAGE 12 April 2, 2008 Food Fix I With Meg ERI Contributing photo Wings and more are hits at Eli’s House of Wings. ‘Crunch’ on Eli’s House of Wings By Shelley Turk Staff writer Chicken wing lovers unite at Eli’s House of Wings located at 1002 West 26th Street. This corner bar is home to 57 flavors of wings with attitude and many more dinner items. Owners Mighty Mike Maggio and Randy Crawford have been serving up huge chicken wings with expert flavor. Favorite flavors range from Honey BBQ to Cajun Parmesan Jerk. Cranch, another favorite, mixes Cajun spices and ranch sauces to create a fun, new flavor. Along with the original flavors, any wings can be made extra special with dry seasonings sprinkled on top for an extra kick and layer of taste. There is a minimum order of eight wings at a cost of $.50 per wing. On Mondays, stop by for $.35 wings in-house only. Crisp veggies and bleu cheese or ranch can be ordered on the side to accompany your order. For those ladies that have a boyfriend who can dominate 30 wings in one sitting, don’t worry; wings aren’t the only items on the menu. Munch on appetizers like deep-fried pickles or French fries and waffle fries with your choice of seasoning. Chicken sandwiches and several burger styles are also available, ranging from $3.25 to $5.50. A word to the wise if you’re looking for a quick stop to get wings: This is not the place for ultra-quick service unless you have called ahead your order. Appetizers and fries will come out before your order of wings, which take about 30 minutes or more. Stomachs may growl for a few minutes, but believe me, it is worth it. Kitchen hours are Monday through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., and the bar is open until 2 a.m. Get to know... Zach Pekor Name: Zach Pekor Year: Junior Major: Environmental Intelligence Studies Hometown: Plum Borough, Pa. Favorite thing about Mercyhurst: The really awesome people and friends I have made Least favorite thing: The endless amounts of snow and rain Campus activities: MSG, Tri-Beta, Ambassadors, RA, Student-Run Musical, Green Energy Review Board Anything else interesting about you: I am in Urban Dictionary; look it up. I hope I become a household name. There are a lot of restaurants now that serve gourmet-style sandwiches but they often cost a lot, especially when you are on a college student’s budget. So I am offering you a recipe for a fancy Panini-style sandwich that you can easily make at home. There are a lot of ways that you could vary this recipe to fit what you have around the house, as well as to what will fit in your budget. My favorite additions to this sandwich is cranberry jelly and leftover stuffing; it tastes just like Thanksgiving dinner on a sandwich. You can put anything in the sandwich, including vegetables for any vegetarians. It is so quick and easy to make and at much lower cost than going to a fancy sandwich place. -Meghan Dolney Turkey Panini Ingredients 2 slices Italian bread Shaved turkey (as desired) 2 slices tomato Lettuce 2 slices cheddar cheese Italian dressing Butter Directions 1.) Assemble as a normal sandwich, and butter the outside of the bread. 2.) If you would like, add seasonings to the outside of the bread for extra flavor. 3.) Grill the panini in a hot skillet until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through. 4.) Serve with a hot bowl of soup or a salad, or another favorite side dish. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT April 2, 2008 tHe BuZz MARCH 3. Dolly Parton. Benedum Center, Pittsburgh. MARCH 3-9. Dancing Queen. Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, Ont. M A RC H 3 . D i o n n e Warwick. Seneca Events Center, Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, N.Y. MARCH 4. Down. Town Ballroom, Buffalo. MARCH 4. The Hush Sound. Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale. MARCH 5. Bon Jovi, Daughtry. Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh. MARCH 5. Henry Rollins. Rex Theatre, Pittsburgh. MARCH 7. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. HSBC Arena, Buffalo. MARCH 7. Adrian Belew Trio. Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland. MARCH 8. Bob Mould Band. Grog Shop, Cleveland. MARCH 8. Disney’s “High School Musical: The Ice Tour.” Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh. Courtesy of Goerie.com PAGE 13 American classic ‘Streetcar’ to hit Taylor Little By Mason Lorek Staff writer The curtain is about to go up on a classic. Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” is a Pulitzer Prize-Winning play. It also won the New York Drama Critic’s Award for Best Play and is an integral part of American literature. The play takes place in New Orleans and highlights the characters’ struggle for happiness and sanity in an atmosphere of aggressive love and violence. Former Erie Playhouse director David Matthews is directing this Mercyhurst College production of “Streetcat.” Williams is Matthews’ favorite playwright and has directed all of his major works. “I love this [play] the best. I thought it would be a real challenge to the actors and the audi- ence,” said Matthews. While the play is a classic Matthews feels the themes have lasting relevance. “Even though the play is 60- plus years old, it speaks to today’s generation, I feel,” Matthews said. Junior Megan Farber is eager to see the play. “I’m excited to see something on campus that is a classic and a little more relatable than Shakespeare,” Farber said. Junior Randy Tucker agrees.“I think it’s cool to see my peers on stage and being familiar with the play will make it that much better,” Tucker said. Senior Joe Zamora is playing the famous role of Stanley Kowalski. “I couldn’t have picked a better play to be my last show at Mercyhurst. I’m glad I got this opportunity,” Zamora said. Senior Jessica Hudack will portray the tragic character of the Contributed photo Junior Amanda Valauri and senior Joe Zamora with sophomore Jessica Hudack, right, in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’ troubled sister, Blanche Dubois. “This show is definitely a challenging experience. There was so much work to be done in such a short time and it really flew,” Hudack said. Junior Amanda Valauri is also excited for the show and will play Stella Kwalski. This has been my favorite play since I read it in high school. I’m thrilled that I got to actually be in it,”Valauri said. “There is a lot of action in the play which makes it fun to perform.” The play will come to life from Thursday, April 3 to Sunday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. in Taylor Little Theatre. Tickets are for sale at the door. Panic at the Disco album: ‘Pretty Odd’ indeed By Greg Summy Staff writer Apparently the fall of 2007 occurs in late March of 2008. At least that is the impression Panic at the Disco (PATD) has. Their too long awaited sophomore record was slated for a release date in the fall of last year. Alternative Press took that projection to the bank by putting the new album on their Most Anticipated Albums of 2007 list. Well finally the Las Vegas boys decided it was finally time to continue their stint in the music business and actually release a new album. “Pretty. Odd.” hit store shelves and online music databases on March 25, making the gap between their debut album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” and the overly anticipated new album two-and-a-half years. While fans were stuck singing along to the painfully radiofriendly hits off “Fever,” the band was supposedly busy writing their new record. After a few headlining tours and a brief visit to Europe, the band seemed to get their act together and wrote the 15-track album. The band also decided to overhaul the sound so many fell in love with in 2005. The new record relies not on studio production and massive amounts of electronic effects, but on real instruments and actual performance. The songs still maintain a dance-pop feel to them as “Fever” made famous, but the band takes their sound and regresses to early influences of The Beatles, ragtime and bigband jazz ensembles. The first single off the new album, “Nine in the Afternoon,” was released on the band’s MySpace page and iTunes on Jan.28. PATD’s new musical direction will no doubt change the demographics of the listeners. With influences your parents grew up on and still love, they will probably take a liking to the new Panic at the Disco. Musically the album is astronomically better than “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” both in arrangement and performance. The band learned that electronic simulations of instruments never sound as good as the instruments themselves, and enlisted the help of studio musicians to play everything from trumpets to accordions. The 20-something yearolds in the band chose Danny Elfman to produce “Pretty. Odd.” Elfman, a Grammy and Emmy award winner, mixed the album at the famous Abbey Road Studios where bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd and U2 recorded some of their defining records. The record sounds as if it is torn between two eras; the modern era of experimental rock, and the classic era of simple song structure and thin, flat sounds. Thanks to the help of Elfman, Panic at the Disco managed to seamlessly blend the two vastly different eras into one solid sound. Considering “Pretty. Odd” took over two years to write and produce, the quality of the album is very lack luster. It feels as if the band forgot about their contract and had to quickly write a record in a few months. Overall the album is disappointingly mediocre. PAGE 14 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT April 2, 2008 ‘Control,’ biopic film on Ian Curtis to show at PAC By Mason Lorek Staff writer This week’s film is one that I’ve been looking forward to since I learned that it was scheduled to be shown. It didn’t get the attention that “Atonement” and “No Country For Old Men” did but, given the subject of the movie, anonymity is fitting. The film is called “Control” and is a biopic on the life of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. Based on the book “Touching From a Distance,” written by Curtis’ wife Deborah, shows the sad, introverted teenager that was, according to Bono, the best frontman in rock until his suicide at 23. Roger Ebert gives the following synopsis. “The movie is quietly, superbly photographed and acted. It is in black and white and gray, of course, and we sense Ian was a man who dreamed in shadows, not colors. He is played by Sam Riley, who makes him seem always alone.” There is a lot of performance footage, but Riley sees Ian not so much performing as functioning. His bandmates sometimes look at him with that inward expression people get when they wonder if they have enough gas to get to the next gas station.” Much of the film focuses on Curtis’ affair with Belgian journalist Annik Honore. As in the book, this is shown as an example of one of Ian’s enablers and Ebert speculates that love didn’t so much mean what he felt for a woman, but what she felt for him. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone agrees with Ebert: “Shot with a poet’s eye in a harshly stunning black-and-white, who cuts to the soul of Ian’s life and music. You don’t watch this movie, you live it.” Control will be shown at the PAC at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 2. Tickets are free for students with an ID. PAC photo ‘Control’ is based on ‘Touching From a Distance.’ Mercyhurst Performing Arts Center to broadcast opera ‘La Boheme’ By Jordan Zangaro Staff writer Observe the beauty and power of the Metropolitan Opera at The Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center continuing with one of the world’s most famous operas, “La Bohème.” Told through the eyes of a group of young bohemians, La Bohème is often referred to as the quintessential opera of romance and tragedy. This famed story of love, loss and survival has gone on to inspire many productions, including Jonathon Larson’s modern-day musical Rent. Set in the slums of Paris, painter and poet Marcello and Rodolfo, roommates and best friends, try to keep warm the only way possible by burning pages from Rodolfo’s latest drama. Their friends Colline, a young philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician, also struggle to survive. To all of their wonderful surprise, Schaunard has landed a job and brings food, fuel and funds to add to the warmth and help survive this bitter winter. While trying to celebrate their unexpected fortune, the landlord, Benoit, arrives to collect the rent, which they do not have. Showing no respect for Benoit they mock him, and then throw him out. The friends depart with hope to continue their celebration at the nearby Café Momus. Rodolfo stays behind but promises to join them soon. There is another sudden knock: their neighbor, Mimì, says her candle has gone out on the drafty stairs and she appears faint and shivering. Offering her wine, Rodolfo relights her candle and helps her to the door. Mimì realizes she has dropped her key, and as the two search for it, both candles are blown out. In the moonlight the poet takes the girl’s shivering hand, telling her his dreams. From there, the romantic tragedy begins to unfold. Mercyhurst College joins over 600 venues in 13 countries across the world in broadcasting this iconic production. The broadcast is made possible by a dozen of strategicallyplaced cameras offer brilliant close-ups. The close-ups reveal the details of costumes and facial gestures, and capture sweeping wide angles of dance and panoramic spectacle. “La Bohème” will broadcast on Saturday, April 5 at 1:30 p.m. Student tickets are $15. Lake Erie Ballet Company presents 50th anniversary gala By Sarah Mastrocola Staff writer Lake Erie Ballet (LEB), a small professional ballet company composed of Mercyhurst dancers, presents its 50th anniversary gala performance. The performance consists of several works that will be danced by the LEB company members. “Concerto for Two Violins,” choreographed by LEB artistic- director Lesley Bories-Scalise, is a ballet in three movements that somewhat mimics the Balanchine style. Another piece, created by Alethea Bodine, is a more contemporary ballet on pointe. The creation process for this piece also involved collaboration between the dancers and Bodine, as the dancers offered choreographic input. Mercyhurst College dance instructor Michael Gleason has also choreographed a piece for the gala, titled “Suite Romantique.” This work is a Romanticstyle ballet with opening and finale, variations, duets, trios, and pas de deux. SoMar, the Erie-based modern dance company directed by Mercyhurst professors Mark and Solveig Santillano, will also present two works at the LEB gala. Mercyhurst student and LEB company member Lauren Stenroos said, “The show should be very diverse and exciting, featuring many different styles of pointe work.” “It will also be a nice experience for the Mercyhurst dancers, who through this performance will get the chance to perform in the Erie community in a venue outside the Mercyhurst Dance Department.” The 50th anniversary gala performance is on Saturday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at Villa Maria High School, located on 2403 W. 8 Street.Prior to the performance, there will also be an “Informance” reception at 6 p.m., during which portions of dance works will be shown and the public may talk to the dancers and choreographers. Refreshments will also be served until 7 p.m. Tickets for the LEB performance cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors and may be purchased by calling 814-871-4356 ext. 101. April 2, 2008 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 15 Behrend hosts alternative rockers Third Eye Blind By Kyle King Contributing writer I thought it was a pretty original decorative idea this fall when I decided to forego the usual purchasing of “Scarface” posters and sports heroes to line the walls of the bedroom in my apartment. Instead I decided to cut up most of the liner notes from my CDs and paste them up around my bed and desk. I kept most of the sheets from each band together: REM and Ben Folds (with or without the Five) around the dresser; Matchbox Twenty and Train alongside my bed and Dave Matthews (solo and with DMB) above my computer. However, that did leave one privileged position remaining. What would go on the door leading into the room? My choice was Third Eye Blind, the only band I saw live in concert this summer. They played a venue called Newport Music Hall, adjacent to the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. It’s also the first place U2 played in the States. It was a total of 10 hours driving for me and three of my friends from back home, but it was well worth it. The San Francisco alt rockers made it big in the late ‘90s with a number of hits off their eponymous first album, including “Losing a Whole Year,” “Graduate,” “Jumper,” “How’s It Going to Be,” and “SemiCharmed Life.” Their next album, “Blue,” did modestly well and includes a few songs that still get some radio play, “Never Let You Go” and “Deep Inside of You.” Their third album, “Out of the Vein,” was a commercial flop ,as Elektra Records crumbled and the band received little PR. However the album still had quite a few worthwhile songs, including “Faster,” “Blinded,” “Crystal Baller” and the bonus track, “Another Life.” Recently they released “A Collection” through Rhino Records that includes all of their hits and some other less well-known tracks—“My Life in Exile” (originally only a Japanese release), “Tattoo of the Sun” (a never-before released single) and “Motorcycle Drive-By,” many hardcore Third Eye Blind fans’ favorite song. This is all important for only two reasons: first, Third Eye Blind is coming to Penn State Behrend this Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7p.m., and there is also an opening act yet to be announced. Tickets are $20 and can be obtained by following this link: http://www.erie.psu. edu/NewsCal/news2008/feb3eb.htm. Secondly, the band is planning on a new studio release sometime this summer named after a C.S. Lewis novel, “The Hideous Strength,” which means that the show this weekend could be an opportunity to hear some new songs before they get released, in addition to all their hits. The band is really electric on-stage. Stephen Jenkins, the front-man, is wildly charismatic and entertaining. Leo Kremer has recently become a full-time member of the band, taking on the bassist role due to the personal drugand-alcohol demons Arion Salazar has been going. Tony Fredianelli also plays drums and does some back-up vocals, and drummer Brad Hargreaves really holds down the beats admirably well. He can play a mean solo, too. 3eb functioned really well in the low-key, 1500-person former-ballroom where I saw them. At one point they brought out a couch and bongos in order to convey to the crowd the process by which some of their songs are created, and kept the crowd into it, allowing them to sing choruses to some of their major hits. They played an encore that included “God of Wine” and “Slow Motion,” a song released only as a beautiful piano instrumental on “Blue” but with the disquieting lyrics on “A Collection.” It acts as a satire on the hiphop image creation from which millions of inner-city lives are lost while corporations and individuals profit mercilessly, and the crowd was chanting for it between songs within six songs into their set list. Spiritually enriching African-American groups to electrify PAC By Jordan Zangaro Staff writer Blues, folk and gospel collide when Grammy nominee Eric Bibb, The Campbell Brothers and Erie’s own Martin Luther King, Jr. Gospel Choir take the stage for an electrifying evening at the Mary D’Angelo Arts Center of Mercyhurst College The godson of Paul Robeson, the nephew of John Lewis and the son of Leon Bibb, Eric Bibb grew up in the New York City folk scene of the 1950s and 60s. Given his first steel-string guitar at age seven, Bibb was born into what he calls “a magical world that he never left.” Influenced by the sounds of his father and family friends such as Bob Dylan Odetta and Joan Baez, Bibb recounts that “there was nothing more alluring than actually playing and singing” and decided to turn his passion into a career. Nearly four decades later, Bibb has performed in more than 130 shows across three continents and has recorded an astonishing 15 albums. Bibb’s live performances are truly an enriching experience, both musically and spiritually. With his soulful and gospelinfused style, Bibb has brought what the Dayton Daily News calls “grace, elegance and gentleness” to the stages of such legendary events as the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, Australia’s Port Fairy Folk Festival and Canada’s Edmonton Folk Festival and to venues such as the BB King Blues Club in New York City. Bibb and Company will take the stage on Friday, April 4, at 8 p.m. Bibb will also provide a unique experience for English majors in Dr. Brian Reed’s African-American Literature class on Friday, April 4 at 11:30 p.m. to discuss his experience as an African American singer/song writer. Following Bibb is a soulful group that get your heart beating and your hands clapping. The Campbell Brothers have performed for thousands of fans in venues across the world including the Kennedy Center, the Hollywood Bowl and at events such as the annual Bonnaroo Arts and Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn, which represents the who’s who in the music world. The steel guitar-wielding gospel group emerged from the African-American HolinessPentecostal Church, where they have been an integral part of worship for more than 60 years. The Campbell Brothers have brought the soul-stirring sounds of what is known as the “Sacred Steel” repertoire to concert halls and festivals around the world. Playing to these audiences has allowed The Campbell Brothers to share their music with both the devoted and rocking. Included in the group, which has been playing together for nearly two decades, are pedal steel guitarist Chuck Campbell and his lap steel guitar-playing brother, Darick. Noted as two of the finest in this tradition, Chuck and Darick Campbell have earned critical acclaim, leading Andy Grigg of Real Blues to praise Chuck as “the Jimi Hendrix of the steel guitar.” Making up the high-energy rhythm section of the group are brother Phil Campbell on electric guitar, his son Carlton on drums and bassist Malcolm Kirby. To finish the evening, Bibb will return to the stage to play with The Campbell Brothers and Erie’s own 50-member Martin Luther King, Jr. Gospel Choir for a performance that is sure to blow the roof off the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. For information or tickets about Friday night’s show, call the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center box office at 8243000. Tickets for Mercyhurst students are $10 with a Student ID. OPINION PAGE 16 April 2, 2008 Bad religion: ‘Jesus Camp’ is extreme By Ellen Koenig Staff writer This past weekend I had the, we’ll say the experience, of watching the A & E documentary called “Jesus Camp.” While slightly disturbed I was also happy for people who have found reasoning in religion. The documentary centered on a pentecostal camp, evangelical in nature, for children in North Dakota. The video showed children proclaiming themselves to God and to Jesus Christ. At one point, the youth are bowling and the girl, Ruth, is praying that she gets a strike as she rolls the ball down the lane. Praying, speaking or reflecting to whatever higher power you may claim, is a deeply spiritual and personal ritual. As I watched the film, I could not help but think these kids are making out wish lists for Jesus. The basis of the mission is to maintain America as a Christian country. The youth pastor that is a character in the film goes on to justify the targeting of Christian children because she explained that children of different faiths, i.e. Islam, also target their youth for extremism and dedication. As such, any message that is instilled in children before eight years of age is likely to stay with them for most of their lives. This is true in our own culture. Many people at this college were raised Catholic or some other Christian denomination. In many of these churches, children are not given the chance to decide. Through baptism, churches are able to ensure their numbers practically at birth. With regard to the Catholic Church, the Pope is supposed to visit the U.S. for the first time at the end of April. Thus, there had been concern over Catholic colleges hosting Presidential candidates. Mercyhurst was fortunate enough to host Hillary yesterday and overall serve the community by allowing people to see a candidate face-to-face. Colleges should be allowed to make their own decisions regardless of what the Pope says. Yes, we all believe in the same doctrine, but students are trained to be independent thinkers and resolve their own political ideals. By the time students arrive at college, it is more than likely their core values have already been instilled since youth. If Catholic-affiliated colleges are not allowed to diversify their guests and host people with different ideals, we can only hope to further the Evangelists’ mission of a polarized Christian state. Marriage not necessarily key for successful women By Michelle LaSlavic Staff writer As I walked into my apartment today, my roommate attacked me with a sarcastic smirk and some new information that sent me on a slight vent session. She informed me of some good luck that had just been bestowed on one of my exes in the job department. She informed me how I could have had all of my dreams come true and would never have had to work again had I made different decisions in my life. To that comment, I responded with “Why do I need a guy with a good job to get everything I’ve ever wanted?” Is our society really still that backward that we, deep down, still think that women need men to be financially secure? I am not trying to sound like a feminist who puts down guys or knocks down dreams of being a professional housewife, but seriously, I just spent close to four years of my life working my butt off so that when I graduate I could have a good job and be successful. I’m pretty sure my parents didn’t send me to school and pay thousands of dollars each year for me just to find a husband. I mean, I don’t think that they would mind that either, but it is not the only reason I am here. In this day and age, I thought we were growing away from the idea that women can’t support themselves. To be honest, and I know how it goes, “to each their own,” but I can’t stand the idea of women going to college, dreaming of having a career and being successful just to blow it off and throw it all away because they want to get married. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to get married eventually, but not for one second do I ever think that I need to in order to get the things that I want in life. And, with all of the opportunities out there today, I don’t think any girl ever should. Demand that student newspaper play ‘vital role’ It is the considered view of the Philosophy department that paid political advertisements appearing in the Merciad ought to be permitted. Any policy on this issue must take into account the college’s core values. Among these values are global responsibility, intellectual creativity and reflective awareness. These values are promoted by political advertisements, which motivate our students to become more involved in the duties of citizenship and more interested and informed regarding the issues of the day. Our College’s fundamental commitment to promoting intellectual inquiry and critical reflection demands that our student newspaper be allowed to play a vital role in that project. We understand the need for the Merciad to exercise a mea- sure of editorial control and judgment about advertising and its content. To that end, the editors of the Merciad might consider the creation of a review board which could advise them on potentially inappropriate advertising. But we feel that a blanket policy prohibiting ads of a political nature has the effect of both suppressing political content and of depriving our com- munity, whose primary purpose is education, from the pedagogic opportunity of critically examining candidate positions on today’s vital issues. Dr. Ludlow Brown, professor of philosophy Dr. Thomas Donahue, associate professor of philosophy Dr. James Snyder, associate professor of philosophy Dr. Kevin Sullivan, associate professor of philosophy The Good, the Bad & the Ugly The Good March is going out like a lion, which means April should come in like a lamb: Hello spring! Hillary Clinton’s rally has drawn support of the local community as well as national news coverage. March Madness may be almost over, but opening day of baseball has passed, leaving sports fans satisfied. The Bad The REC, among many other facilities, were inaccessible for an entire day due to Hillary Clinton’s visit. We have to wait until next week for the nice weather to kick in, unfortunately. The Ugly Seniors, if you want a “big kid” job but are still without one, you officially have less than 50 days to secure one. One of the gates near Egan Hall that blocks off the semi-circle drive, seems to have been the victim of a hit-and-run because it is all smashed up. Please e-mail any suggetions to [email protected]. The GB&U is a compilation of student opinions. OPINION April 2, 2008 PAGE 17 Hillary has arrived to impress Erie but not Democratic Party By Bill Swafford Staff writer The Pennsylvania Democratic primaries are in full swing as the Mercyhurst College community hosts New York Senator Hillary Clinton. As this interesting campaign unfolds, it is coming down to the wire for the Democratic nomination. Clinton initially set out to prove to the world that she had the ability to be the first female president. However, quickly after she announced her intention to run for office, the first black man with the ability to win the presidential nomination announced his intent to run. The heated race began and with time, turned into a twocamp race for the nomination between Sen. Barack Obama and Clinton. With time, the Clinton camp saw the retreat of large endorsements and even the turn of close Bill Clinton supporters to the Obama camp. So why is a highly educated, hard-working woman failing to gain the votes needed to receive the nomination? One might say it could be her failed healthcare programs, inability to focus externally on the issues that plague America’s security or the failure to follow in the steps of her once-successful husband. Her failure to stand by her decision to invade Iraq and yielding support of the troops, equipment and benefits they require adds to her list of downfalls. I can only think as to what Hillary Clinton would do if she was faced with being a uniformed member of the Armed Services. Clinton has failed to gain what are traditionally Democrats’ stomping grounds, the young vote, the black vote, the blue collar vote and even those who oppose the War in Iraq. She has also failed to keep her platform in one piece. Obama is now dominating the female vote, has picked up the labor unions and still clings onto the AfricanAmerican vote. Maybe Americans are mature enough to refuse to vote solely on the principle of gender or race and are haunted by Sen. Clinton’s past track record in Washington. As a registered Republican, I can sit in humor as I watch the Democrats destroy their almost guaranteed slot to the White House due to eight years of GOP control. Clinton might have had a chance against John Edwards, but the gender card only carries so far above the actual ability to run a country that is at war, has a failing housing market and immanent recession. Clinton might also have the ability to show up to Mercyhurst College and impress Erie voters and possibly win the state, but her ability to win the Democratic nomination is a presumed failure. Her speeches are false and are based solely on aspiration to become the next U.S. president. Her fake compassion and inability to describe changes that are attainable can make the American public run further Hillary lies: Wal-Mart stock crucial income By Jerrod Markle Staff writer It was hard for me to stand in line for three hours Tuesday with hope that I would get to ask Senator Hillary Clinton a question. It became even harder to hold back from directly addressing her during her speech, as people cheered and hung on her every word. It is disappointing that our college can fill support for Hillary when she is obviously a hypocrite. She spoke a lot about jobs and bringing jobs to the poor, when she represents topics such as Wal-Mart, Rupert Murdoch and the Council of Foreign Relations. Hillary sat on the board of Wal-Mart in 1986, when she was First Lady of Arkansas. In May 1992, as Bill’s presidential campaign heated up, she resigned from the board of Wal-Mart. According to reports in the early ‘90s, before Bill and Hillary moved to D.C., neither was raking in the big bucks, but prominent in their income were her holdings of between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of Wal-Mart stock. It’s hard for me to believe anything she says, especially with the fact that she is extremely wealthy but claims to represent and help the poor. Hillary also did not mention Peter Paul, who threw a fundraising Hollywood gala for the Clintons on Aug. 12, 2000. The Clintons then denied their friendship with Paul, who personally contributed 1.2 million dollars to Hillary’s Senate campaign. Hillary did not document this donation nor did she acknowledge that she knew about his contributions, even though there is video footage and phone call contradicting her denial. These actions, my friends, are indeed fraud and she should be held accountable, not cheered and applauded by our students, who apparently were unaware of these facts. My support for Hillary dwindles even more when you find out that she is supported by Fox News head Rupert Murdoch. More connected to the globalist society than all these sign-wavers care to know, she gave a congratulatory speech to Walter Cronkite on behalf of the World Federalist Association. In this speech she thanked Cronkite for his dedication and service toward World Government. This is the very man that is quoted as saying, “Our task is not to tell the truth; we are opinion molders.” Maybe knowing these types of facts about her past make me biased in regards to her blatantly hypocritical rallying calls of revolution as she has been serving selfish, greedy, powerhungry and globalist motives since she had the opportunity. I guess it works better for her campaign when she can dictate policy to her following sheep from her state of inflated selfworth and dementia. This way she will never have to answer questions from an aware, concerned public that would potentially degrade her campaign that so much money has gone to instead of it going to the people she claims to represent. away from her camp. Clinton’s speech last night at Mercyhurst can only make the mind wonder how hard it can be to change a town name in the midst of her public address. She speaks for most politicians who seek to relate with the common person in which she has never seen. However, I am now sure that if she was faced with a major crisis, she would do as she did with her husband’s infidelity, remain speechless in times of crisis. Thanks to Senator Clinton today, I was faced with seeing hippies in front of my beloved college, no parking and was not able to work out. I hope soon the nomination will be secured so America can push forward with the true question as to who will lead the U.S. toward success in 2009. Take a Facebook break. Catch up on news that isn’t featured on your Mini-Feed. See photos that say more than “I’m with stupid.” Avoid unsolicited application invitations. merciad. mercyhurst.edu OPINION PAGE 18 April 2, 2008 Students left by the wayside at Clinton rally By Kyle Scully Contributing writer Tuesday, April 1, 2008, Mercyhurst College hosted Senator Hillary Clinton, presidential hopeful. However, there is more controversy surrounding the visit than the potential for our school to be seen as a Clinton supporting institution. Poor planning and religious controversy also plagued this event. In poor planning and without consideration of the students, Mercyhurst College neglected to create a student section in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center where Clinton spoke. Instead, students were expected to stand in line for an event sponsored by their college, even if that meant skipping class or other obligations. Where do the school’s priorities lie? I understand by offering the opportunity to the community to attend Sen. Clinton’s speech we are providing them with a service but what about the students? Mercyhurst’s first responsibility should be to provide this opportunity to its students. Historically, other universities and colleges who hosted presidential events, like debates and speeches, have provided more than adequate student-reserved seating. This allows students to attend classes and other obligations without jeopardizing their opportunity to listen to a candidate speak. Mercyhurst’s failure to provide students with such seating leads me to believe that this event was not for the academic enrichment of its students, but rather for the community and the PR; Mercyhurst students were just a well-articulated afterthought. In response to the Clinton event, Erie Catholic Bishop Donald W. Trautman voiced his “disappointment” with Mercyhurst. He claims that the school is drifting away from its Catholic identity by allowing a candidate who supports pro-choice policy to speak. Yes, Mercyhurst College is a school founded on Catholic Christian morals, but it is a liberal arts college. Furthermore, the school is not recognized by the Diocese of Erie. The Mercyhurst community has historically looked to the Sisters of Mercy as our Catholic moral keystone and should continue to do so. In the past it was common practice of the college to bring presidential candidates to speak. As a gesture of his displeasure with Mercyhurst’s choice to host Sen. Clinton, the Bishop has stated he will not attend graduation on May 18. As a graduating senior I must say, this gesture demeans the graduating senior class. The presence of one man does not make my graduation. The four years of hard work, the friendships, the good times and bad will make my graduation. To think otherwise belittles everything the graduating class has done here. I applaud Mercyhurst for standing in the face of this offensive gesture and welcoming Sen. Clinton. It is my hope that in the future Mercyhurst College will continue to welcome all presidential candidates to speak to both students and the Erie community. By doing this Mercyhurst will continue to foster a community of informed individuals who can think for themselves about the issues and better decide who they believe should lead this country. However, in the future, student seating is essential. The school’s commitment must first be to its students, then to the community. Without the students, there is no Mercyhurst College. See footage of the Clinton rally merciad.mercyhurst.edu Roommates Wanted 3928 Lake Pleasant 3-bedroom house 2 bedrooms open June 1, for a 12-month lease All appliances, including washer, dryer, dishwasher. New furnace, windows, central air Male Intel student in house now Rent: $350/month plus 1/3 utilities Call Jon Days: 899-7602 x 314 Cell: 881-2087 Joshua Wilwohl Casey Greene Amy Zielinski & Amanda Valauri Jen Gildea Merissa Frank Chris Davis & Brittany Jackett Nicole Cerilli Scoot Williams Tiffany Cook Leslie Ruchala Noelle Lelakus Ashley Pastor Lenore Skomal Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Managing Editor [email protected] News Editors [email protected] Features Editor [email protected] Opinion Editor [email protected] Sports Editors [email protected] A&E [email protected] Photographer [email protected] Production Editor [email protected] Advertising Manager [email protected] Copy Editor [email protected] General Assignment [email protected] Advisor [email protected] The Merciad is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals week. 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 signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are due the Thursday before publication and may not be longer than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485. SPORTS April 2, 2008 PAGE 19 Cottreau shows success in AHL By Kenny Hunt Contributing writer This past week Mercyhurst men’s hockey captain Ben Cottreau signed his first professional contract. The Carolina Hurricane’s minor league affiliate, the Albany River Rats, signed Cottreau to a standard AHL contract for the remainder of the 07-08 season. Cottreau’s jump to the professional hockey level was no surprise for assistant men’s hockey coach Bob Ferraris. “He has always had pro interests; people always ask about him.” Ferraris said. “This started at the beginning of the year, a lot of teams saw Ben, a lot of teams liked Ben.” This season Cottreau notched 13 goals and 23 assists for 36 points in 34 games played. In his four-year collegiate career at Mercyhurst, Cottreau tallied 65 goals and 95 assists for 156 points in 132 games. The Albany River Rats contacted Cottreau last week, according to Ferraris “He got a call on Wednesday of last week, signed a contract that night and got on a plane,” he said. The River Rats, who are currently in third place in the east division of the AHL and hunting for a playoff spot, were set to play the WilkesBarre/Scranton Penguins on Friday of last week when Cottreau was set to start in his first professional game. The Albany River Rats’ website recapped Cottreau’s night. “Early in the second period, Cottreau collected a rebound in the low slot and fired a wrist shot into the open net at 2:03 for first career AHL and pro goal, assisted by Chris Blight and Mike Angelidis. But the dream start for the rookie was not done; two minutes later Cottreau found another rebound in his reach and this time he fired a scorching wrist shot into the top corner at 4:08. “Angelidis again assisted on the goal, Cottreau’s second Sports Information photo Ben Cottreau has had a strong start to his professional career in the AHL with the Albany River Rats scoring two goals in his first three games. goal of the game and his career, giving the River Rats a 3-0 lead.” Cottreau is the ninth Mercyhurst alum to play professional hockey following players such as: Jamie Hunt, who signed a contract in 2006 with the Washington Capitals and is currently playing for their AHL affiliate; T.J. Kemp, who signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2005, and Conrad Martin, who recently signed with the Montreal Canadians and is in their system in Hamilton. Cottreau and the River Rats are starting a seven-game road trip to make one final push toward geting in the playoffs with only 10 games remaining. The River Rats’ next game is Friday in Syracuse against the Syracuse Crunch. Women’s golf struggles during opening invitational By Kyle Craig Staff writer The Mercyhurst College women’s golf team kicked off its season in Northern Kentucky this past weekend in a 21-team tournament. The Lakers finished 20th out of 21 teams in the Northern Kentucky Spring Invitational at Perry Park Golf Course. Junior Caitlin Cummings led Mercyhurst just one shot ahead of junior Kaitlin Brody with rounds of 91 and 92. All five of the Lakers competing at the invitation finished within merely 12 strokes of each other throughout the two-day tournament. The Lakers opened the tournament with a 381 and followed the next day with 366, giving them a grand total of 747. Mercyhurst finished 126 strokes back of the invitational champion Grand Valley State and just 40 strokes back of 19thplace Gannon University. Furthermore, all five women competing for Mercyhurst at the invitational improved their rounds on the second day with freshman Arielle Chong making the biggest, gaining nine strokes. The Lakers will look to continue to improve as they head into the Ashland Invitational this weekend. Cummings, who led the Lakers this weekend, will look to continue to carry the team each week. Last season Cummings posted an average round of 88.7. She enters this spring season with one year of Division I experience, as she played one year at St. Louis University. She finished with medalist honors at the West Liberty Invitational as well as placing 10th at the Vulcan Invitational. Brody will also look to improve this spring season, as she finished with a 98.9 average just one season ago. Like Cummings, Brody finished strong at West Liberty State, placing third overall at the invitational with an 83. In addition, she led her team with a 183 at the Ashland State Invitational just one year ago. Freshman Arielle Chong enters the spring season with high expectations, having won the East Bay Athletic League Championship in 2003. She has also participated in several major tournaments throughout her high school career including the California State Golf Championship in 2004. Junior Alanna Kirwan finished her 2006-2007 season strong with a 275 at the GLIAC Championships to lead the Lakers. Kirwan averages a 93.97 and has participated in 30 rounds in her college career. Finally junior Mattye Laurer will look to make a big impact on the team this year with a career average of 97.36. Laurer’s best finish in 2007 came at the Mount Union Invitational, as she placed 19 out of 59 golfers. SPORTS PAGE 20 Rowing’s opening race still a question By Anne Sabol Staff writer Warmer weather swept into Erie’s corner of the Great Lakes this weekend, a welcome change for the men’s and women’s varsity rowing teams. Temperatures forecasted in the high 40s for the rest of the week give hope that the kick-off race on Findley Lake in New York will go as planned. Every year the teams struggle with Mother Nature at the start of the season, and last year’s home regatta was hosted despite the over six inches of snow blanketing the ground. A little crazy? Perhaps, but it makes life more interesting. It is best for them to take advantage of every opportunity for water time they get, because southern schools such as Barry and FIT have easily been on the water since the beginning of February. Head coach Adrian Spracklen offered some insight into what we can expect of the teams this season. Both teams enter the spring season with high expectations after solid winter training and spring break. On the women’s side, Spracklen said, “We have a good mix of experience and I think that will translate into good team chemistry.” Women’s team captain senior Melanie Peters is the last remaining athlete who competed in the 2005 NCAA championship, when the team came out with an honorable silver award. Anne Dinshah, assistant coach, referred to Peters as a “model of consistency and hard work.” Her positive attitude and commitment challenges her teammates every day to raise the bar. This year she will be assisted by Michele Handzel, a junior coxswain. Handzel is ultimately in charge of keeping the boat on course and motivating the athletes both in the erg room and on the water. As always, the women have their sights set on another NCAA bid to extend their short season. The lightweight men’s crew will be led this year by junior Kurt Boyd with hopes of leading his teammates to a first-place finish at the competitive Dad Vail regatta in Philadelphia. Last year the lightweights achieved first-place honors throughout the season until they finished third at Dad Vail. After losing some key members, they hope to step up to the challenge of continuing what the team began last year. This is a similar goal of the heavyweight men, headed by senior Tony Dorchak. After pushing themselves through the rigorous off-season, Dorchak said, “It’s easy to be excited about the spring when the guys worked so hard in the winter.” Miles Schwartz is the assistant captain for the heavyweights and feels that mental toughness will be their key to success. “It has been a critical element of our training this year and is something a rower cannot function without.” The status of Findley Lake, both in ice coverage and water level, will determine whether the regatta will indeed occur this Saturday, April 5, but it could be moved to Presque Isle. Check the Mercyhurst Athletic Web site later this week for the final decision. April 2, 2008 Tennis drops a pair By Christine Mersch Staff writer After a two-week break, the men’s tennis team was back in action this past weekend in Michigan for two GLIAC matchups against Northwood University and Wayne State University. On Friday, Mercyhurst faced Northwood and was defeated 8-1. Northwood (6-2, 4-0 GLIAC) is currently ranked No. 19 in Division II. Mercyhurst’s only victory came at second doubles. Sophomore Mijo Cotic and freshman Adam Marnik defeated Bertrand Vigouroux and Matt Tansil 8-4. “Mijo and I have been playing doubles together since the fall,” Marnik said. “We’ve been building our communication and are more experienced now as a team. We also build off each others’ energy well. They are ranked top 20 in the nation so to be able to get a win off them (at No. 2 doubles is great).” The third doubles team of sophomores Ronald Heurich and Kyle King almost upended Alex Minicozzi and Carlos Canudas at No. 3 doubles, but eventually fell 8-6. During singles play several Laker players had close matches. Marnik, playing No. 4, won the opening set of his match but lost the next two sets against his opponent in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 loss. Freshman Tim Hansson held strong against Peter Kazianschuetz at No. 1, but his opponent took the match 7-5, 6-4. Sophomore Mateusz Przybysz also played competitively at No. 2 singles but lost 6-4, 6-3. Next up for the Lakers was Wayne State on Saturday. Wayne State (6-3, 4-0 GLIAC) took the match 6-3 despite strong play from the Mercyhurst squad. Heurich won both his singles and doubles matches. He teamed up with King to pick up a 8-6 win at No. 3 doubles. His singles match went three sets with three tiebreakers before he defeated his opponent 7-6, 67, 7-6. “I just concentrated on keeping the ball in play and being consistent with my shots,” Heurich said. “I knew if I kept to that game plan, I would pull out the win.” Also victorious in the matchup was Hansson, who won his No. 1 singles match 7-5, 7-5. Hansson is currently 3-1 in conference play and 6-3 overall at No. 1 singles. This weekend the Lakers (5-6, 1-3 GLIAC) travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for matches against Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State. Men’s golf ready to begin season By Kirk Campbell Staff writer The Mercyhurst College men’s golf team starts its spring season this weekend as they compete in the Denison Invite in Granville, Ohio. The Lakers return much of their core from last season including their top performers, Steven Barr, Tyler Bidwell and Kyle Waddell. Mercyhurst added junior Matt Lundin and sophomore Kevin Oresick to the team to provide solid depth to the line-up. In the fall season, the Lakers struggled against their opponents except in the season finale at the Gannon Invitational in which they defeated a tough Gannon University squad to claim first place. When asked how the team is expected to improve from the fall season junior Derek Fisher said, “We expect lower team scores in order to be more competitive and possibly win some tournaments this spring. The easiest way to do this is to improve our short game. “Everybody can hit the ball well on our squad, but we all can improve our chipping and putting,” he said. “The greens are where we can make our move.” Mercyhurst will look to its five seniors to help have a successful spring season. Darragh Agnew, Barr, Ben Deets, Ryan McNulty and Waddell look to provide senior leadership for the Lakers. The Lakers are led by second year coach John Marchetti. Marchetti is a graduate from Providence College and was recently inducted into their Hall of Fame. He coached the women’s hockey program from 1980 to 1994 and had a record of 26269-15. Heading into the season, Fisher knows all of this year’s tournaments will be challenging but said, “Findlay, if I had to pick one, will be the toughest because of lack of course experience.” Mercyhurst’s only home match of the year takes place on April 27 at Harbor Creek in the Mercyhurst invitational. The next day the Lakers concluded their season against cross-town rival Gannon in the Gannon Invitational. SPORTS April 2, 2008 PAGE 21 Volleyball picks up first conference win By Samantha Sellinger Staff writer The Mercyhurst College men’s volleyball team won its first conference game of the season last week against Quincy. The next night they lost to Quincy, but overall it was a successful weekend. The Lakers’ record was raised to 5-16. “The combined results of the two matches virtually assure us that we will finish ahead of them in the standings which… made it a good series for us,” coach Ryan Patton said. The victory allowed the team to move up to sixth place in the MIVA with a 1-9 conference record. At Wednesday’s match, Mercyhurst beat Quincy 3-2 with scores: 24-30, 30-26, 2931, 30-24 and 15-9. After the Lakers had lost two of the first three games, and were struggling in the fourth, it looked like Quincy would take the win. Mercyhurst was able to get it together halfway through the fourth game. “We became assertive and were able to come back [in game four] and then win the fifth. [Juniors] Dave Newman and Dave Hatten got on a hot blocking streak, and then we stopped being passive and became the aggressive team,” Patton said. In game four, tied at 24-24, Mercyhurst won the final six points sending the match to a fifth game. In the last game, the Lakers scored nine of the final 12 points to break open a 6-6 tie and win the match. Thursday’s game went just the opposite, and Mercyhurst was defeated 3-5. The Lakers won two of the first three games but eventually lost: 22-30, 30-24, 22-30, 33-31 and 15-11. The Lakers cruised to early wins in the first and third games, but simply weren’t the better team in the last two. “We didn’t cause enough passing issues for them (with our serve) and their best guy got hot and willed them into being the more aggressive team,” said Patton. In game four, the teams exchanged points until the score was tied at 31-31. Two kills from Quincy’s Peter Coley won them the game. In game five Mercyhurst led briefly, but Quincy scored three straight to take a 10-6 lead before the Lakers called a timeout to regroup. Junior Jeff Hartman got the next point, which tightened the gap to three, but Mercyhurst was unable to get any closer before Coley’s 25th kill of the match finished the contest. While the team lost, some individual players had great games. Freshman Jon Gurr had a career-high 22 kills, and the team’s setter, Hatten, ended with a career high 61 assists, crushing his previous best of 49. Newman, who ranks in the top 15 in the country in attack percentage, hit .565. Scoot Williams photo Sophomore goalie Maeve McGoff looks to make a save during a game earlier this year. The Lakers have won five straight games. Lax women rolling By Samantha Sellinger Staff writer Women’s lacrosse had a victorious week, picking up three more wins. No. 8 Mercyhurst College defeated IUP, Pfeiffer and Belmont Abbey, advancing its record to 8-2. “Even though the games weren’t the prettiest games of lacrosse we’ve ever played, the heart and determination that all the girls showed was incredible and led to our great wins this past weekend,” sophomore attacker Kate Smith said. With Sunday’s victory over Belmont Abbey, the Lakers passed their win total from last season. At home, against IUP, the Lakers thrashed their opponent 20-4, and 14 players made at least one goal. Mercyhurst started a scoring streak just 47 seconds into the game when junior Breanna Haggerty scored the first goal. Over the next 22 minutes of play nine other players had scored as well, which gave the Lakers a decisive lead 13-0 over the Hawks. By the end of the first half, IUP had only one point on the board, making the score 13-1. In the second half, Mercyhurst slowed down the ball, but still scored seven goals, to IUP’s three. Haggerty led the team with three goals and a career high seven assists. On the road against No. 10 Pfeiffer, the Lakers defeated the Falcons 17-12. In the first half, after junior Alicia Guzzo won the first goal 57 seconds into play, Mercyhurst struggled to hold the lead but did so with a score of 8-6 at the half. In the second half, the Lakers focused on the offense and pulled out to a 15-7 lead by the middle of the period. The Falcons battled back but Mercyhurst got the win. Junior Page Christensen and freshman Kim Masterton led the team with four goals each. This game marked the second time the Lakers beat Pfeiffer in four years and the second time this season that the team defeated another ranked team. After a day’s rest, the Lakers traveled to Maryland to battle Belmont Abbey, where they won 12-11. In the first period, both teams struggled to find an opening for great offensive play, but Haggerty was able to weave through and score three goals in the first half. Mercyhurst managed six more goals by the end of the half, leading 9-4. In the second half of play, the Crusaders stepped up their game and began to close the gap. At five minutes left in the game, they were tied 10-10. Senior Courtney Olenvik and Haggerty each put another point on the board before two minutes were left. With the score 12-10 and 48 seconds left in play, Belmont scored the final goal of the game but did not have time to tie it up, giving the Lakers the win. Haggerty led the team with four goals. With this game, she has scored at least three goals in a consecutive 17 games and has scored in 37 of her 39 career games. Hoping to add to its fivegame winning streak, the team will rest for two weeks before hosting St. Andrews. SPORTS PAGE 22 April 2, 2008 Laker Sports ‘Quick Hits’ Softball goes 1-5 in GLIAC competition Last week’s results... By Rhonda Marable Staff writer Baseball……………………......…………...........................Mar. 29, L 1-0, Wayne State Mar. 29, L 6-0,Wayne State Mar. 30, L 3-2, Wayne State Mar. 30, L 5-2, Wayen State Softball………………………………………...............Mar. 29, L 9-0, Grand Valley State Mar. 29, L 4-0, Grand Valley State Mar 30, L 5-0, Ferris State Mar. 30, L 10-0, Ferris State Men’s lacrosse............................................................Mar. 29, W 9-3, Dominican Women’s lacrosse................................................................ Mar. 27, W 20-4, IUP Mar 28, W 17-12, Pfeiffer Mar. 30, W 12-11, Belmont Abbey Men’s tennis.................................................................Mar. 28, L 8-1, Northwood Mar. 29, L 6-3, Wayne State Women’s water polo...........................................................Mar. 29 L 20-13, Iona Mar. 29, W 12-5, Villanova Mar. 30, W 12-5, Utica Newman/Griepsma athletes of the week Junior Dave Newman of men’s volleyball led Mercyhurst to its first conference win in two years, as the Lakers defeated Quincy in five games this week. Newman had 19 kills and 10 blocks, posting a stellar .571 attack percentage in the win. Freshman Rachel Griepsma scored a career-high eight goals as the Lakers defeated Villanova 12-5 on Saturday. She also added seven goals earlier in the day in a 20-13 loss to Iona. Griepsma now has 51 goals in 13 games this season. Women’s lacrosse named team of the week Womens lacrosse earned team of the week honors after picking up three victories this week, including one over a ranked opponent, as Mercyhurst passed their 2007 win total of seven. The Lakers extended their winning streak to five games and improving to 8-2 on the season in defeating Indiana (Pa.) 20-4, No. 10 Pfeiffer 17-12 and Belmont Abbey 12-11. Men’s lacrosse jumps back into the top 10 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Team LeMoyne NYIT Limestone C.W. Post Dowling Merrimack Bryant Adelphi Wingate Mercyhurst Record 5-0 7-0 7-0 7-2 7-1 4-1 5-3 5-2 7-2 3-3 Points 89 (8) 82 (1) 69 68 54 39 36 27 21 5 Previous week 1 2 4 3 5 6 7 9 8 NR Women’s water polo moves up to No. 8 in CWPA poll Rank School Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 University of Michigan Hartwick College Indiana University Bucknell University Princeton University University of Maryland Brown University Mercyhurst College Previous poll 1 3 2 4 5 6 7 8 Points 100 95 90 84 80 76 70 65 Four men’s polo players named to CWPA All-Academic Team Four members of the men’s water polo team were named to the CWPA AllAcademic Team. These members receiving outstanding honors included were freshman Alex Moggridge and graduate student Ryan Holt. Junior Andrew Schonhoff received a Superior honor, and freshman Andy Sekulski earned an Excellent honor. After splitting a non-conference double header against Gannon on Wednesday, the Mercyhurst women’s softball team suffered four sweeps in Michigan. The Lakers went 9-0 and 4-0 against Grand Valley State on Saturday afternoon and couldn’t manage to score runs against Ferris State on Sunday, dropping two games, 5-0 and 10-0. With the losses, the team is now 11-13 on the season and 4-0 in the GLIAC. The Lakers’ only win of the week came in game two against the Gannon Golden Knights on Wednesday afternoon. After a hitless 7-0 loss in the opener the women came back to win 6-5. Freshman Kara Gorgos gave the Lakers their first run with an RBI triple scoring Schmitz at the bottom of the second. The Lakers extended the lead in the third. With bases loaded sophomore Amber Rapose walked to score senior Erin Ratajczak. To end the inning, junior Danielle Zubek singled for an RBI scoring sophomore Megan Houston to make it 3-0. Gannon worked for a comeback in the fourth and fifth innings taking a 4-3 lead but Rapose answered back with her second homerun of the season to tie the game. The lead changed again as Gannon scored another run from an RBI by Chastity Guerrero but the bottom of the sixth sealed the Knights’ fate. Rapose and Schmitz singled during their at bats to score Maier and Ratajczak, respectively, to win the game 6-5.The win was preceded by a 7-0 loss to Gannon earlier that day. Despite the win, the Lakers couldn’t use the momentum as they went into the weekend. Starting off the Lakers managed just four hits in two games getting swept by GVSU 9-0 in just five innings. As the Lakers dropped the second game they held GVSU to just four runs. The efforts of sophomore pitcher Carrina Crow kept Grand Valley off the scoreboard for five innings during the second game. Crow had an early streak, striking out four consecutive batters, including three in a row in the second, finishing with eight strikeouts. Senior captain Jessica McNurlen led the Lakers going 2-3 in game two. The following day the Ferris State Bulldogs blanked the Lakers twice, 5-0 in game one and 10-0 in five innings of game two. With just one win during the week, the Lakers are still optimistic about upcoming games. “Even though these two teams were close to the top of our conference they were still disappointing losses,” says Zubek. “I think our team can recuperate from that and come back this weekend with several wins under our belts.” Baseball gets swept by GLIAC rival Wayne State By Brittany Jackett Sports editor Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. The Mercyhurst College baseball team can only hope that this old saying is true. Over the past two weeks of play the team has played superb defense and has seen quality performances from nearly all of the pitchers who have taken the mound. However, also during the past two weeks the team has struggled to make contact at the plate and capitalize for runs. As a result, the Lakers suffered a four-game sweep this past weekend to GLIAC rival Wayne State. Despite a season plagued with injuries, six of the eight opening day position players are injured, the younger members of the team have jumped head first into positions on the field, as well as in the lineup to which they are unaccustomed, and have shown promise for the future. Head coach Joe Spano is confident that the underclassmen will be able to find success at the plate as the season progresses. “The more experience the younger guys get, the better they’ll become. Hopefully it just won’t come too late,” he said. “We still will make a run for the playoffs.” On the mound Mercyhurst has thrived, with key appearances coming from senior Eric Drobotij in game two on Saturday, and senior Wes Craig in game one on Sunday. Drobotij (1-1), according to Spano, had one of the best games of his career at Mercyhurst, allowing only four hits and one run over seven complete innings, but with the offense struggling to make contact suffered the loss. During Sunday’s 3-2 loss, Craig (2-2) made another strong start, fanning seven over six solid innings. Also having continued success is the Lakers’ bullpen. Senior co-captains John Morris and James Ludwig, who leads the GLIAC with 13 appearances, along with junior Ryan Schreiber have consistently been tough in the late innings. Schreiber, who came in to relieve junior John Mang in Saturday’s loss, pitched two innings and only gave up two hits. The Lakers look to get back in the win column on Wednesday as they take on Division I Cansius at 3:30 p.m. SPORTS April 2, 2008 PAGE 23 Polo goes 2-1 on trip to ’Nova By Andrew Schronoff Staff writer Don Eighmey photo Mercyhurst stepped up its defense as junior Jason Lashomb made five saves to help the men’s lacrosse team earn a 9-3 road victory over Dominican College Saturday Mar. 29. The Lakers look to advance their record during their home opener on Saturday at Tullio field. Men’s lax ends three-game losing streak to Dominican By Chris Davis Sports editor The Mercyhurst College men’s lacrosse team picked up its first East Coast Conference win defeating Dominican College in a 9-3 road victory on Saturday. The Lakers are now back to the .500 mark on the season, as they stand at 3-3. Mercyhurst held Dominican to one goal during the final 53 minutes of the game. “Our defense really came up big for us, and the offense showed some durability in having to battle back from an early [2-0] deficit,” said senior captain Scott Sullivan, who scored the Lakers’ first goal to cut the deficit in half, 2-1, with 1:27 remaining in the first period. “It was good to get back in the win column,” he said. “We will continue to keep working hard to build off of this.” Mercyhurst junior Mike Bartlett tied up the game at 2-2 with 12:39 remaining in the second period with an unassisted goal. The Lakers would not hold the lead for long, as Alex Jones gave Dominican a 3-2 lead three minutes later. That was the final goal Dominican would score, as Mercyhurst rattled off the final seven goals of the game. The Lakers tied the game 3-3 with an unassisted goal from junior Mike Thon with 8:41 left in the second period Mercyhurst sophomore Trevor Rice gave the Lakers the lead for good about two minutes later. Junior Aaron Manzer would give the Lakers a 5-3 lead heading into halftime. “It was good to see our offense come through with some goals,” said senior defender Karl Heinz. “It was a complete team effort.” Sullivan provided the only scoring in the third period, as Mercyhurst entered the final period leading 6-3. The Lakers sealed the win by scoring three fourth period goals. The Mercyhurst College women’s water polo team extended its record-setting season over the weekend, going 2-1 on its trip to Villanova. Earlier in the week, the Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 10 polls ranked Mercyhurst at No. 8, which is the best ranking in the program’s history. Senior Rhonda Marable says the team’s successes this year is due to unity. “We had great chemistry early in the season and with all of our conditioning we came out strong early in the season and set a good pace for ourselves,” she said. The team started off the weekend against the Gaels of Iona. During the game, the Gaels came out strong, outscoring the Lakers 5-3 in the first quarter, and continued to hold them off with an 8-5 lead at the half. The Lakers attempted to battle back, but the Gaels held them off and finished the game 20-13. In the game, freshman Rachel Griepsma led the team with seven goals. Senior Christie Haibach, junior Chrissy Genian and senior Christine Somera also contributed to the Mercyhurst offense. Senior Gina Mieras totaled nine saves in goal. Later that day, women’s water polo looked to counter the morning’s loss against Villanova. The Lakers had a strong start, and held Villanova by several goals the entire first half before blowing them away in the second. The game ended with a 12-5 victory. Leading the team’s offense again was Griepsma, putting in a career-high eight goals and making four steals. Somera also had an impressive game, as she made her presence known in all aspects. Somera totaled three goals, three assists, four drawn ejections and five steals. Haibach also notched another goal against Villanova. On Sunday, Mercyhurst faced Utica. The Lakers continued their habit of a dominant first half, putting in 10 goals before halftime. Utica tried to battle back, but the Lakers won by a score of 12-7. Somera led with three goals, while Carrie Willison, Griepsma, and Rachel Becks also put in two each. Cathi Korenich started in goal and made seven saves. Griepsma has continued to have an impressive rookie year, as she totaled 17 goals in just three games this weekend. She currently is the team’s leading scorer with 51 goals, which averages to just fewer than four goals a game. The team’s total record is now 9-4 as they return to conference play this weekend. Marable also added, “We hope we stay strong and pick up momentum as we finish with important conference games over very beatable teams. It’d be amazing if we had a chance to go to Easterns this year.” The Lakers travel to Slippery Rock on Friday night to play for the second time this season. In their last meeting, the Lakers pulled away with a 9-7 victory. On Saturday it’s back to North East to take on Indiana at noon and Gannon at 7 p.m. PAGE 24 SPORTS April 2, 2008 Laker sports Baseball drops weekend series to Wayne State >> Page 22 Scoot Williams photo
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