The Merciad, Oct. 9, 1997

VOL. 71 NO. MERCYHURST COLLEGE, GLENWOOD HILLS, ERIE, PA. 16546 October 9,1997 T h i r d i y e a r s t u d e n t d i e s a t a g e 2 0 By Chris Wloch f Editor-in- Chief A funeral service was held on Saturday, Oct. 4 for Yvonne Anntoinette Ransom, 20, of 1107 East 4th street. The 1 p. m. service took place at M ount Ebal Baptist Church with the Rev. Willie Sanders officiating. Yvonne died Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Hamot Medical Center. The cause of death was undetermined, although Yvonne was admitted to the hospital after experiencing severe chest pains. Yvonne was born in Erie on Nov. 15,1976, the daughter ofWi 1 1ie Leroy and Cara Heidelberg Ransom. In addition to her parents, she is survived by a brother, Richard Darnell Ransom, and his wife Jennifer, both of Erie; her maternal grandmother Dorothy Ree Heidelberg of Erie; her paternal grandmother Sedera Ransom of Erie; and a niece. Yvonne graduated from East High School in Erie. She wa s a third year student at Mercy hurst who had majored in marketi ng and was also employed as an operator at Teletron Marketing. Yvonne's cousin, Suzie Dobbs, a sopho more philoso- phy major, transfer red to Mercy hurst this year. Suzie said that the first lime she saw her cousin on campus was the day before she passed away. Additionally, Suzie recalled that although Yvonne en- joyed her job talki ng on the telephone, she was a very quiet girl even around those whom she knew well. "At work she would do what she came to do and then leave." Yvonne Ransom 1976-1977 "Yvonne was the type of person who really spoke only when spoken to, even in a family setting," Suzie added. "We called her 'the fami ly churchmouse' because she was so quiet. She gave me my nickname 'Smiley' an d she always used to call me 'Little Red Riding Hood' because my mother would dress me in red at family gatherings when we were kids. Along with her older brothe r, Yvonne used to make me laugh all day. She had a great sense of humor." According to Su zie, Yvonne enjoye d good jokes, reading and music. "Her favorite gospel song was 'His Eye is on the Sparrow.' One of her close friends sang it at her funeral," Suzie said. This year is going to be especially hard, said Suzie, who is a month younger than her cousin, because thetwo girls would have celebrated their 21st birthdays together. "For me personally, he r passing was a recognition that tomorrow is never a promise to anyone," Suzie said. "You never really notice how much you miss someone until she's gone. Yvonne was such a sweet per son and a good listener, too. But you d idn't need to have a conversation with her to get a sense of the type of person she was." ^Ms. Betty Damper, Director of Act 101, who helped Yvonne register for classes several times, also remembers her as a shy, silent young woman. "Yvonne told me once that she was inspired by an aunt of hers, a professional who placed high value on education. Her aunt served as a role model to her," Damper^ said. jt Suzie said that at the funeral service on Friday , her cousin was described as "the angel who kept quiet, but will soon speak. Her halo is w aiting for her in heaven," she said. Library' s third flo or re-opens By Chris Wloch Editor-in-Chief On Monday, Oct. 7, the Ham- mermill Library reopened its third floor for use by patrons. Accord- ing to Dr. Roy Strausbaugh, dean of libraries, the majority of the "Students and faculty now have access to all of the library's mate- rials except for the oversize books which have not yet been unpacked. Most of the collection is now ready thanks to my hard-working | staff. Despite the construction, they have the place up and running." After the concrete is poured for the sidewalk during the middle of October, library patrons will be able to walk in the recently con- structed entrance, Strausbaugh said. "In three weeks students will be entering through the new door." By that time, the librarians will also be using the new round circu- lation desk which will be located to the left of the entrance. At the present time, construction crews are* also setting up new shelves in the space behind the desk. Several more reference com- puters will also be set up in the closed- off area which is now be- ing recarpeted. According to Strausbaugh, the Great Reading Room located in the area of Weber Hall that for- merly housed the dance studios should be open sometime in No- vember. Also, the education department's curriculum library collection will be moved over in the next month or two. College President Dr. Willia m P. Garvey said that some plans have also been decided for the fourth floor, which is still under construction. The upper level w ill include a language lab, a board room, the new Tullio room, and possibly the offices for the honors program, he said. The tower on the northeast cor- ner of the building will include a room for meetings, Garvey added. Additionally, a seven foot Celtic cross will be placed on the top and a large stained glass w indow with a design that prominently featur- es an "M" will be installed. "It will become the signature tower of Mercyhurst and will appear on the college's stationary in the future, he said. As a result of the construction, the library has increased in size from 40,000 square feet to 65,000. Because of this additional space, Garvey said that there are also plans in the works to increase the size of the library's collection. "Over the next decade we are going to increase the library's hold- ings by adding close to 5,000 books a year. Our long term goal is to raise the number of volumes from 150,0 00 to a quarter million," Garvey said. Parents' Weekend By James Gorman News Editor The weekend of Oct 10-12 is Parents' Weekend at Mercyhurst Col- lege. The purpose is to introduce the parents to a segment ofthe activities at Mercyhurst. They will be given a comprehensive tour of the campus and even get to try the cafeteria food. The Alumni offi ce has a whole lineup of activities and entertainment scheduled. Parents are instr ucted to register on Friday fro m 6-9 p.m. Hypnotist Mark Pittman will be returning to put on another dazzling demonstra- tion. This weekend will mark the sevent h year that Pittman w ill be performing during Mercyhurst's Parents' Weekend. According to Mercyhurst student Chris Coan, "Pittman usually has 20-25 students on stage in order to hypnotize them." ; i On Saturday Oct 11, there will be a breakfast held in the Egan Dining Hall at 8 a.m. Between 9 and 1 1 a.m. parents will be given a tour of the college and an opportunity to meet the faculty. Following lunch at 11:30 a.m. there will be a footba ll game between Mercyhurst andcross town rival Gannon University. Finally, on Saturday, a dinner will be held for the students and their families. Mercyhurst College President Dr. William P. Garvey will address those who attend the dinner. Parents may also visit the Cummings Art Gallery in the D'Ang elo Performing Arts Center on Friday and Saturday between 2-5 p.m. On Sunday, ther e will be a liturgy at 10 a.m. and br unch in the cafeteria from 10 a.m. to noon. This will conclude Parents' Weekend.

The Merciad, Oct. 9, 1997

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