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NEWSPage 2 September 12, 2012

Hurst gives back to community

The House that Hurst Buil t is ablitz building project taken on byMercyhurst University and Habi-tat for Humanity. The four-weekbuild began Monday, Aug. 27, and

continues until Saturday, Sept. 22,of homecoming weekend.

The House that Hurst Builtinvolves Mercyhurst faculty andstudents from every major, cluband athletic team from the Maincampus as well as North East. Inorder to complete the project ontime, volunteers have been excellentin turning out and working through

weather conditions such as rain on

the rst day of the build.

After becoming a university inearly 2012, Mercyhurst decided totake on a project that would provetting to one of the Universitys

core values service.The House that Hurst Built is

a great way for Mercyhurst to giveback to the community in a way

that is consistent with our missionand values of service and compas-sion, Associate Vice President forEnrollment Management Christo-pher Coons said.

To fulll this mission, the Uni-versity has teamed with Habitatfor Humanity to build a home forRosemary Anderson and her family.

Anderson is a Liberian refugee whoed her war-torn country with her

seven children.

She spent 16 years in a Ghanarefugee camp before coming tothe United States in 2006. Whileat the camp, Anderson learned

valuab le construction skills whichshe uses in her job with the main-tenance department of the ErieHousing Authority. In 2011,

Anderson became an ofcia l U.S.

citizen, and eventually qualiedfor the House that Hurst Builtproject.

The purpose of the House thatHurst Built is three fold. The rst

goal is a community goal, bondingstudents and faculty members asthey put in hours of labor towardthe completion of the project.

The second goal is a communityneed, providing a home for Ander-son and her family.

The nal goal is a service goal:by Mercyhurst University givingback to the community in a mutu-ally benecial arrangement.

I truly think this project is whatour school is all about, said juniorand member of the Habitat forHumanity Board Amber Penna.Being able to see the progress,from ground level to a completedhouse, is so fullling. To provide

that joy to the family is unbeliev-

able.Director of Service Learning,

Colin Hurley expects the projectto meet its deadline. Even so, there

will likely be little things, such aspainting, that Anderson will com-plete herself as part of the sweatequity, a required 300 hours of

work the family must complete in

order to qualify and receive theirhome.

Hurley gave his thoughts onthe faculty and staffs support:

I am overwhelmed by Mercy-hursts support and commitment

to the project, and thrilled that it isapproaching completion.

Work on the House that Hurst

Built is ongoing. Anderson andher family will be presented withthe key to their house Saturday,Sept. 22.

For more information about theproject visit http://mercyhurst.edu/hursthouse or email hurst-house@mercyhurst.edu.

By Kierston BromleyContributing writer

Notice from Chief KuhnWith a new academic year under way, Chief of Police Robert Kuhn

would like students to direct their attention to the Police & Safetyalerts on the portal.Alerts will contain important information students must knowabout campus including local criminal activity.To access the alerts, go to http://portal.mercyhurst.edu. The Police& Safety section can be found under the Services tab.

Students work together on the outside of the house.

Sami Rapp photo

Students, faculty collaborate to build house for refugee family

Harassment/disorderly conductSunday, Sept. 2

BurglarySaturday, Sept. 1

Warde HallReferred for conduct

3807 Briggs Ave.Closed

False IDSaturday, Sept. 1

McAuley HallRes-life incident

Harassment

Monday, Sept. 3

3924 Briggs Ave.

Closed

Aug. 30 -Sept. 5, 2012

LarcenyWednesday, Sept. 5

Rec CenterClosed

Bad ChecksThursday, Aug. 30

BookstoreClosed

HarassmentThursday, Aug. 30

Lewis AvenueClosed

Mercyhurst University

Police & Safety

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Page 3September 12, 2012 NEWS

MSG revamps for new academic year

Even though students are onlya few weeks into Fall Term, theMercyhurst Student Govern-ment (MSG) has been busy withrestructuring, planning and coor-dinating events for the studentbody.

With newly renovated ofces,

a new hands-on approach toschool spirit and working towarda greater student-outreach initia-tive, this years MSG ofcers are

already making changes that theyhope will benet the campus as a

whole.The Carolyn Herrmann Student

Union houses the Laker Inn, theGreat Room and many of the stu-dent life ofces so that everything

is in a centralized and easily accessi-ble location for students. The MSGofces were located in a small hall-

way on the top oor, but this yearthe ofces have moved next to the

Laker Inn.A lot of people didnt even

know that the ofces were there

before, said MSG President Rich-ard Molloy, So the whole idea ofmoving downstairs was for acces-sibility. People can stop in and see

what we are all about.The new location of the ofces

is much more accessible for stu-dents to stop in and chat with MSGmembers about various issues andevents.

I only quickly saw the newofces, but they look nice and

feel much more welcoming, alongwith the new ofcers, said juniorHeather Christensen. I applaudthem for all of the hard work thathas been done so far, and I cant

wait to see what this year has tobring.

Aside from the Welcome Week

activities for the freshmen, MSGalso sponsored an Upperclassman

Welcome Back Barbeque that had aturnout of 200-300 upperclassmanstudents.

MSG Events Coordinator, JennaDascanio designed the magnets thatstudents received on the doors of

their housing, as well as the pop-corn given out to raise awarenessfor the DVD rentals available in thelibrary.

Along with the new ofcesand various events that MSG hasplanned for the upcoming year, thegroup is also taking a new approachto campus spirit. With many stu-

dents voicing their concerns aboutMercyhursts lack of school spirit,Molloy and Vice President BrianLombardo, with the help of fellowMSG executives, have made it apoint to start new traditions inschool spirit with the release of thenew spirit shirts.

The purpose of the shirt is tohave a unied sense of spirit andstart traditions.

If we can go to a football game

and see the entire student sectioncovered in these green shirts, it willsimply show unity within our stu-dents, Lombardo said.

Spirit shirts are at the Mercy-hurst University Bookstore andcost $5.

MSG has open forums Mondaynights at 8:30 that students areencouraged to attend, make sug-gestions and learn what is going onaround campus. Meetings take place

in the MSG chambers located onthe top oor of the Student Union.

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

Golf team honors Evann Parker at Light the Night Walk

The new MSG ofces are located on the bottom oor of the Student Union next to the Laker

Inn. Students are invited to stop in any time.

Zach Dorsch photo

New ofces, shirts, ideas created for student body

Former Mercyhurst student EvannParker will have a team participate in herhonor at a walk for leukemia research laterthis month.

Parker attended Mercyhurst from 2009until she was forced to withdraw at th e endof her sophomore year to seek treatmentfor leukemia. During her time here she wasa member of the golf team. She lost herbattle with cancer and died in August 2011.

The golf team has organized a team that

will walk in memory of Evann at the 13thannual Leukemia and Lymphoma Societys

(LLS) Light the Night walk, which will taketakes place at Jerry Uht Park on Tuesday,Sept. 18.

Brenda Youmans is the Campaign Coordi-nator for the walk.

What makes it worth being a part of forme is listening to the stories from the patientsand their families about how LLS has helpedthem in so many ways, said Youmans. Thatmay be nancially or through new medicaloptions that have become available throughthe research that is funded through the walk.

Senior Andrea Carneval was a close friend

of Parkers and an important part of organiz-ing the team in her honor.

Evann and I both came in as freshmen onthe golf team in 2009 to Mercyhurst. She wasonly at school for a year and a term, but I feelthat I became as close to her as I could in hershort time here, Carneval said.

Carneval saw the Light the Night walk asboth a great way to honor her friend andbring the golf team together.

We wanted to walk and raise money forher to bring our t eam closer, she said. She

was a gir l with so much drive and spiri t thatwe nd it hard not to l ive for her ever y day,

every golf tournament, and in everything

we do. We obvious ly think about her andmiss her everyday, but its something that

helps us to become stronger as individualsand as a team.Carneval also organized a fundraiser for

Evann at the Cornerstone Bar and Grill onSept. 10.

The team for Evann will be holdinga gold balloon during the entire walk tohonor her.

Students can get involved in the team forEvann by contacting Carneval at acarne38@lakers.mercyhurst.edu.

By Brady GreenawaltStaff writer

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FEATURES September 12, 2012Page 4

West Nile Virus, a tropical disease

brought to the United States in1999, has hit an all-time high, with

breakouts starting in Texas and

other Southern states this summer.

Normally, West Nile starts in

August with its peak of attack usu-

ally in September. However, with

our recent winter being so mild, the

mosquitoes have had the chance to

breed earlier and longer.

Mosquitoes are usually the cul-

prit in spreading West Nile Virus,

but the start of the spread occursin birds. Mosquitoes often prefer

birds to humans so when the bird

they feast on happens to have the

virus, it then gets transmitted to the

mosquito itself.

Traces of West Nile were recently

found in Erie by the Health Depart-ment after examining dead birds in

the area. The birds that contracted

the virus may have passed it along

to mosquitoes or humans. Since

the virus is hard to diagnose, many

people will not even realize they

have West Nile until it worsens.

According to the director of the

Mercyhurst Institute of Public

Health, David Dausey, Ph.D., stay-

ing away from stagnant/standing

water helps ones chances of notbeing infected with West Nile and

any other diseases that mosquitoes

may carry because stagnant water is

a breeding ground for the bugs.

Other tips to stay safe from West

Nile would be to always have a

screen in windows when open andto avoid having them open at night

since mosquitoes are more active

at that time. Wearing bug repellent

with DEET in the ingredients will

help repel them as well.

Taking all precautions could be

necessary during the month of Sep-

tember as Dr. Dausey states that

even though only about 1 percent

could die from the virus, it only

takes one bite.

By Samantha LinkContributing writer

West Nile Virus attacks

Commonly she is known as theDirector of the Graduate Program,but here in the world of journal-ism, Jane Blystone is known as anextremely accomplished, award-

winning teacher and pioneer.Blystone has been honored the

National Scholastic Press Associ-ation Pioneer Award, which is thehighest honor of the organizationand recognizes contributions toscholasticism. Blystone and fourother national journalism leaders

will receive the award at the JEA/NSPA national convention thisNovember in San Antonio, Texas.

This is not Blystones rst nationalaward: She has also received awardsfrom the Columbia Scholastic Press

Association, the Journalism Educa-tion Association and the NationalCouncil of Teachers of English.

To Blystone, however, these are theleast of her greatest accomplish-ments.

I think the greatest accomplish-ments that I have had as a journal-ism educator have been helpingstudents nd their lifes passion injournalism, said Blystone.

When I read a local paper andknow that one of my former edi-tors is now the editor of a profes-sional paper, that is inspiring, justas when I see one of my formerstudents is broadcasting a story that

makes national news.Journalism ensures that the people

can express their First Amendmentrights to freedom of speech andfreedom of the press.As Blystone put it, journalism is

the frontline of history is one ofthe pillars of democracy.

Not only can individuals voicetheir opinions, but also collectively

the people can voice their opinionsthrough the media, and thus, hope-fully come to a place of cooper-ation.

Blystones clear passion for jour-nalism has been an evolutionthroughout the years and started atquite an early age when her eighthgrade teacher advised her to jointhe school newspaper. On top ofthat, she was a news carrier forthe Erie Morning News, and wasaddicted to reading it every day

before school.

Blystone went on to earn

advanced degrees in English as wellas a K-12 principals certication.She is a Master Journalism Educa-tor through the Journalism Educa-tion Association and serves as theDirector for the Northeast region.

Before her career began hereat Mercyhurst, Blystone taughtEnglish and Journalism at NorthEast High School in North East,Pa., before retiring in 2008. In 2009,she became a member of the NorthEast School Board, never losing her

continual devotion to students andthe learning process.Blystones advice for students

interested in writing and journalismis to, Read, read, read and write,

write, write.She insists that one must con-

stantly know what is going on bothlocally and globally in order tounderstand and interpret events, as

well as understand the power ofstory in decision-making in a globalsociety.

When asked why she was so pas-sionate about journalism, Blystonerecalled when her students live-streamed media stories on 9/11 forthe rst time.

Journalists were the ones whotold us the moment-by-momentdetails of the terrorism we werefacing, said Blystone. Never inthe past did we know so much soquickly. That is what journalism is

the power of the people. Whenpeople have no power, there is no

democracy.

By Jade Gelsimino

Contributing writer

Blystone honored by NSPA Mystery of the

Mch Man

If you have recently walked through Preston Hall and have been spookedby a colorful papier mch man, you are not alone.

Last spring, sophomore Rosemary Moore constructed and decorated apapier mch man for an art class. While the students creations were ondisplay for the Mercyhurst community in Zurn Hall last year, Moores piecehas recently become a topic of discussion on campus.

I thought it was thrown away at the end of the term last spring, Mooresaid.To this day, it is still uncertain who moved Moores piece into Preston and

the reasoning behind it. Moore is excited to have people interested in herpiece, as long as they dont do anything too inappropriate to the project.

It was just a class assignment and to have people interested in it monthslater is exciting, Moore said.The mch man, whos name is unknown, has been an inhabitant of the

Criminal Justice Department in Preston Hall for the past few weeks.Shirley Greene, administrative assistant of the depar tment, said that the

man has become part of the family.Everyone comes in each day, wondering where he will be next, Greene

said.The professors on the oor have played practical jokes on each other,

placing him in ofces so he scares the occupants when they walk in, pastinga picture of Dr. Benekos face on the man and taping a chili pepper to hisright hand.

Students responses vary inregards to the papier mchman. However, each studentquestioned about the mysteryman was intrigued, and all triedto personalize him, giving theman names and various person-alities.

Moore is pleased with the lifethe community has given to herart.

Art is supposed to be enjoyedand if this is the publics way ofenjoying it then Im happy.

By Abigail RobinsonContributing writer

Jane Blystone awarded the

National Scholastic Press Asso-ciation Pioneer Award.

Sami Rapp photo

The mystery of the mch man continues, and he is found relax-

ing in President Gambles ofce.

Sarah Hlusko photo

Mch man lounging on a benchin the hallway.

Caitlin Handerhan photo

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5September 12, 2012

New York dazzles for spring fashion weekBy Juan Mendez

Contributing writer

Liturgical Dance Ensembleperforms at traditional Mass

Although many changes areunder way for Mercyhurst, last

Thursday was conrmation thattraditional values are still alive and

well at our university.The Mass of the Holy Spirit is a

tradition that dates back centuriesmeant to celebrate the start of anacademic year.

If you were able to attend the

Mass, you had the opportunity toexperience the artistic displays ofthe Liturgical Dance Ensemble andthe Mercyhurst Concert Choir.

The choir performed a handfulof selections throughout the Mass,

including Come, Holy Spiritwhich was used as prelude music

to set the mood as students, facultyand guests made their way into theChapel.

The concert choir also had thehonor of singing Ubi Caritas forthe Communion Meditation por-tion of the Mass.

During the choirs performancein the middle of the program,Come, Holy Spirit Come, theLiturgical Dance Ensemble gave astunning performance.

The dancers seemed to oat

down the center of the chapelthrough the introduction of thepiece, and then moved gracefullyinto place before starting their rou-tine.

Dressed in conservative whitecostumes with peaceful blue

accents, the performers dancedwith accuracy and precision, butwere also elegant and uid.

Within the performance theyconveyed traditional religious ideas,hands raised to the Heavens andfaced pointed upward, representingthe acceptance of God.

The Liturgical Dancers looked asthough they were genuinely enjoy-ing themselves, smiles on every facethroughout the duration of the per-formance.

All who were in attendance ofthe Mass seemed to have enjoyedthemselves. Spirits are high andlooking bright for the start of thisbrand new year.

By Mathew Anderson

A&E editor

O

nline

Upcoming events at the PAC:

On Screen/ In person: Gen SilentFriday, Sept. 14

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

Langer Film Series: The GuardFriday , Sept. 21

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

Voxare String Quartet Meets

Man with a Movie Camera

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

After a few runway shows, theworld of fashion had its biggestnight on Thursday, Sept. 6.

More than 500 retailers acrossNew York City and the biggestnames on the entertainment indus-try reunited for a night of shoppingon Fashions Night Out.

Musicians, fashionistas, artistsand celebrities converged togetherto mark the fourth year anniversaryof the event.

The runway dazzled withthe designs of both major andup-and-coming wearhouses for theseveral days long event.

Students from the Academyof Art University as well as someof the participants on this seasonof Lifetime Televisions ProjectRunway got to showcase theirtalent, standing as some of thehopeful names in fashion.

Rebecca Minkoff, who had

received praise on her Fall-Winter2012 collection last fall, fell short

with her Spring 2013 collection,created to imagine the glamorouslife, but set 50 years later, in the

words of the head designer.Her designs were criticized by

the blogging community for beingall over the place, using white asan anchor color as opposed to theoral prints she had used to blend itall together last fall.

She failed to showcase any of thekey spring pieces such as the maxidress, replacing it for ill-tting over-alls and sloppily-tailored jackets inbold colors.

However, others did not disap-point, and consistently presentedjaw-dropping collections for thespring.

Personal favorites includeMonique Lhuillier, whose use oforal prints in burgundy, maroonand poppy seed t perfectly into thesiren-like silhouettes and structuredcuts. His details in leather and gold

had a combination usually suitedfor the fall; a risky choice, but a

delightful execution.Chadwick Bells use of simple

cuts and neutral colors worked wellfor the winter season, but the lackof color and the poor use of neu-

tral accessories proved to be a missfor him this time around.

One of the biggest statements

imposed for this season is skin. Atrend that is usually part of summer,

but made its way to the breezy days,accompanied with strategic cutouts.Deep necklines and an array ofbra-style tops delivered impeccablyby Victoria Beckham in her Spring2013 collection is also in style.

Other contributors to the trendwere Derek Lam, who showcasedan edgy but chic kaleidoscope ofcolors, fabrics and patterns.

In addition, Alexander Wang,whose collection featured black-and-white pieces combined withparkas and tops inspired by sportsjerseys put against elegant halterdresses and other pieces that turnedto glowsticks when the lights wentout for the nal walk along therunway.

Penned to close the ceremoniesbefore the event moves to otherfashion capitals are crowd favoritesZac Posen, Ralph Lauren, Caro-lina Herrera, Vera Wang, BadgleyMischka, Michael Kors and CalvinKlein. These prominent names infashion will be showcasing their

collections throughout the remain-ing week.

Young and upcoming models strike a pose for fashion week

held in New York City.

Hufngton Post photo

Discussion, interaction

expected from new PAC

series

Look for a full calendar of

A&E Eventswww.merciad.mercyhurst.

edu/arts_entertainment

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September 3, 2008ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPage 6 September 12, 2012

Your Sisters Sister was shownFriday, Sept. 7 at the Taylor Little

Theater as par t of the Langer FilmSeries.

In just an hour and a half, thelm comprised of various emo-tional levels.

At rst it was sad, then extremely

funny, but the very end took a turnfor the awkward.

I would say that most peoplewere drawn to the movie becauseof big name Emily Blunt, whoplays Iris.

Iris tells her friend, Jack, to stay ather fathers island house. When hearrives he nds Iriss sister Hannah.Hannah and Jack proceed to bondover hard times and a bottle oftequila, which never ends well.

I must admit that this scene was

one of my favorites as the two havea hilarious, drunken time.

To Hannah and Jacks surprise,Iris shows up at the house thenext morning and the rest of thelm surrounds the unfolding of anot-so expected secret.

One viewer, Thomas Hall said,It was a great story about notletting hurdles in life prevent youfrom being happy.

Throughout the movie, the char-acters exchange delightfully wittybanter, which gives a sense of real-ism to the movie.

I thought the script wasextremely well written because thelines were not forced or fake. Icould see myself being friends withIris and Jack.

The characters nd humor inreal life situations. For example,Hannah makes a batch of veganpancakes and the other two pretendto enjoy them when in reality theyare disgusted by them.

Speaking in terms of relation-ships, the lm was able to accu-rately portray love in various forms.Iris and Hannahs relationship as

sisters made me want to immedi-ately see my sister.

You can tell the two are close andeven though they make mistakes,they love each other anyways.

Jack and Iris are a hysterical pair.The two feed off each other andmake the viewers root for themuntil the end.

Lastly, Hannah and Jack have justmet but the two manage to have acomical drunken night, an awkwardsexual encounter and an overall

uncomfortable story line.Although their time together

might not be perfect, it was stillenjoyable.

Overall, My Sisters Sister wasa good lm. I would suggest seeingit when it comes out on DVD, butbe prepared.

I dont want to spoil the plot, soI am just giving a warning; there isa deeper storyline that gets uncom-fortable.

The jokes are funny and theactors are great, so please dont letthe warning scare you off.

Faculty Art show open to the public

In 2004 the song, Mr. Bright-side brought the little-known,Las Vegas band, The Killers intomainstream success. Now eightyears later, this same song may leadanother band into its mainstream

success.Monsters Calling Home is a Los

Angeles based band comprised ofsix Korean-American musiciansthat include Daniel Chae, JohnChong, Jennifer Rim, Sally Kang,

Joe Chun and Alex Hwang.The rst thing that caught my

attention about this band was thecover for Mr. Brightside.

The best way to describe thiscover would be that it was strippeddown, but not in any way lefthollow.

The albums title track, Mon-

sters Calling Home, really showsthe skill of this band when it comesto composing a song, with slow har-monized male and female vocals inthe beginning, to the explosion ofthe entire band during the chorus.

The last song that really caughtmy attention was GoodnightMoon. The song is surprisinglyhappy, attached with a folk song

feel. It was written for lead singer,Alex Hwangs family.The only issue I have with this

album is the phrasing used on Mr.Brightside. It felt a little choppy onsome parts. Despite that small issue,this is a great EP considering it isthe bands rst.

It boasts enough variety in thesongs so that they dont blendtogether and Alexs creative lyrics

will keep you pondering whatmorals or meanings are hidden

within. So I suggest everyone oughtto check it out.

By Zachary DorschStaff writer

Your Sisters Sister anemotional roller coaster

Upcoming band

uses The Killers in

rise to the top

The public is invited to visitthe Cummings Art Gallery for the

Annual Faculty Art show, throughSept. 23.

The gallery features works frommany of Mercyhursts own, as wellas a few guest works contributed byalumni including Annoel Krider 77.

Art was contributed from faculty

members, such as Daniel Burke,Tom Hubert, Jodi Staniunas-Hop-per, Gary Cardot, Robert Tavani,Mary Elizabeth Meier, Jamie Boro-

wicz and Patricia Tomzcak-Czule-wicz.

Alumna Krider, who holds an arteducation degree from Mercyhurstexhibits large colorful weavings

with warm colors and bold shapes.She has traveled from Pittsburgh

to Mexico, to New York to studyher artistic tapestry. Kriders art-

work is featured in both public andprivate collections alike throughoutthe world.

Her public artwork includes con-tributions to IBM, Robin Williams

and Kelly McGrillis, as well as amultitude of other venues.

Tom Hubert features a coupleceramic teapots, including a lovelystriped one, and a jar with a platter.Hubert has taught on Mercyhurstscampus for 32 years. He has wonawards in national and regionalexhibitions.

Jodi Staniunas-Hopper holdsan MFA in advertising/ designfrom Marywood University. Now aGraphic Design Program Director,

she unveiled a series of masks madefrom lace and feathers.Included with these masks are

photo representation of the worksin use, atop a subjects head. Hop-pers work Mascara took secondplace in an art show held at theDelaplaine Visual Arts EducationCenter.

A doctoral candidate at Pennsyl-vania State University, Mary Meierearned her M.S. and B.S. in art edu-cation from Florida State.

A brand new faculty member forthe art education program, she wasnamed Outstanding Elementary

Art Educator by the PennsylvaniaArt Education Association and will

begin a two-year term in October aspresident of that group.

Meier presented works on ofcechairs, having them seemingly com-municate between one another. Herart work is captivating, and has aquality that draws one in.

Patricia Tomczak-Czulewicz hastaught art in Erie for more than 30years.

She is currently working ona couple of ne art books thatdocument small towns around

Pennsylvania. Tomczak-Czulewiczgraduated from the Cleveland Insti-tute of Ar t with a degree in paint-ing.

The paintings that I create arean honest response to the beautythat I see every day. My work rep-resents images that are often over-looked in search of somethinggreater than the ordinary, shesaid.

Cummings Gallery, located in thelobby of the Mary DAngelo Per-

forming Arts Center at Mercyhurst,is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from2 to 5 p.m. For more information,please call 814-824-2092.

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

A sample of each persons work was featured in the

announcement for the faculty art exhibit.

Sarah Hlusko photo

By Caitlin MacBrideContributing writer

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OPINION Page 7September 12, 2012

Editors

Stacy Skiavo

Alicia Cagle

Kayla KellyCaitlin Handerhan

Joe Chiodo

Mat Anderson

Chelsea Schermerhorn

Samantha Link

Zach Dorsch

Ethan Johns

Courtney Hartline

Bill Welch

@mercyhurst.edu

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The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper ofMercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year,with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B.

Our telephone number is (814) 824-2376.

The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must besigned and names will be included with the letters. Although we

will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trimletters to fit. Letters are due Mondays. by noon and may not be

more than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485 or via email at

opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

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

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News Editor

Features EditorOpinion Editor

Sports Editor

A&E Editor

Copy Editor

Graphics

Photo Editor

Web Editor

Ad Manager

Adviser

In 2008 at the DemocraticNational Convention many statedelegates planned to unite behindPresident Obama before the rollcall of the delegates votes werecast.

During the actual roll call theDemocratic Party came together

when California passed with its 441votes of leverage, Illinois passed,New Mexico yielding back to Illi-nois and then yielding to New York

and history was made as HillaryClinton entered onto the oor andrallied the convention behind theirleader President Obama.

The Democrats had their eyesset rmly on the future, in unity, agoal of victory, faith in party andcountry Clinton said, as the Con-

vention passed an Acclamation tonominate its leader. The rest is his-tory.

Unfortunately, Republicans havenot fostered a spirit of unity but

rather have encouraged disrespect,corruption, violation of their own

rules and violating peoples hardwork and rights.

Before the roll call of votes,

two rules were put to a vote, xingfuture delegate outcomes at con-ventions by binding delegates tostate caucus and primary results,stripping away hard-working dele-gates such as those of Ron Pauls

who were present at the Conven-tion.

The other rule changed thenumber of states needed to placea name in nomination for presidentfrom only ve to eight states. Theteleprompter for Chair John Boeh-

ner (House majority leader) alreadyhad the results scripted on it as thedelegates voted from the oor forthe rules change.

The ayes have it, was on theteleprompter before the vote wastaken. Is that democratic or some-thing else? Ill let you decide.

To continue readingthis article, please visitmerciad.mercyhurst.edu

By Travis LindseyContributing writer

RNC nomination processquestionable, possiblyhypocritical in nature

DNC delivers a better narrative

For the past two weeks, politi-cos from sea to shining sea havebeen tuning into C-SPAN to watchunadulterated footage of theRepublican National Convention(RNC) in Tampa, Fla., and Demo-cratic National Convention (DNC)in Charlotte, N.C.

These conventions are basicallya policy wonks Olympics, Oscars,and Victorias Secret Fashion Showall rolled into a span of three days.

With the aid of social media,even those who hate politics wereexposed to the events; both con-

ventions lled up Twitters trend-ing topics list each night they were

televised. With so many eyes on theconventions, the political partieshad to present their best faces tothe public.

Regardless of your political ori-entation, you have to admit, theDemocrats presented their narra-tive better.

The atmospheres of the twoconventions couldnt be more dif-

ferent; the only common elementwas that they were both about Pres-ident Barack Obama.

Sure, the RNC pulled togethera roster of excellent speakers.Theyspoke about overcoming personaladversity through hard work, and

why another four years of PresidentObama could be dangerous for theUnited Statesbut none inspired arallying cry around the Republicancandidate, Mitt Romney.

As Rachel Maddow pointedout, [New Jersey Governor ChrisChristie] waited 1,800 words intoa 2,600-word speech to even bringRomney up. The conventions key-note speaker didnt even talk aboutRomney. The entire conventionseemed more like a platform for2016s prospective candidates toshine, than a call for unication.

In contrast, the DNC was allabout Barack Obama. The speak-ers wove personal stories into theirspeeches, but focused more on thepartys platform and the accom-plishments of the president. Theirspeeches and enthusiasm remindedme of Friday Night Lights, cleareyes, full hearts, cant lose!

The Democrats effectivelyrebutted all attacks made againstObamas presidency throughout

this campaign season, from JohnKerrys zinger of ask Osama binLaden if hes better off than he

was four years ago to Bill Clin-tons off-teleprompter speech thattook on every single argument theRomney campaign made.

The overwhelming messagethroughout the DNC was, changeis slow, but weve made progress

and we cant go back. I think thatwas just enough to revitalize the2008 voters disillusioned by theslow pace of change. I believe theDNC solidied the election forPresident Obama.

If anything, we will get tosee more Clint Eastwood versus

wooden chair conversations.

By Zainab JavedStaff writer

The Center for Academic

Excellence is open and stu-

dents are enjoying the awe-

some walls, which are all

dry-erase boards. Too bad

the marker doesnt erase

very well, giving the clean-

ing crews fts.

The Mercyhurst University

Class of 2016 is comprised

of 677 freshmen, with the

total number of new faceson campus reaching 799,

one of the highest num-

bers of incoming students

in Mercyhurst history.

Police and Safety will be

ticketing cars without

parking permits beginning

this week. Students must

go through multiple steps

online and in person in

order to pick up their hang-

ing tag, another hassle

busy students dont need.

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

7/29/2019 The Merciad, Sept. 12, 2012

8/8

Sports September 12, 2012Page 8

Mercyhurst University footballhasnt fallen to 0-2 since 2006. So,after losing their season opener to

Notre Dame College on Aug. 30,59-42, the pressure was on to wintheir next game, which took placethis past Saturday, Sept. 8th againstthe Millersville Marauders.

The Lakers showed up in fullforce, crushing the Marauders in a45-7 victory. The game was won onthe ground, with 379 rushing yards.Overall, the Lakers averaged 7.4yards per carry on a total of 51 runsagainst the Millersville defense.

Running backs freshman Bran-don Brown-Dukes and junior Allen

Jones II both had career record dayson the eld. Brown-Dukes becameone of only ve players in Mercy-hurst history to rush for more than200 yards in a single game, while

Jones II had a career-high 132-yard

game and a touchdown.Additionally, junior Steven Wake-

eld booted a 77-yard punt, thesecond longest in school history.Furthermore, Wakefeild kicked a46-yard eld goal, breaking his pre-

vious record of 35 yards.

With all of these impressive run-ning stats, its hard to forget theother positions that are necessaryto make such results possible. Theoffensive line is often overlookedin regards to recognition, but theirrole is vital to the offenses ability tomake plays happen.

Senior offensive lineman KevinPoropat wasnt surprised by the

win against Millersville, but he isrelieved.

It feels good to bounce back,especially after last weeks game,Poropat said.

As a senior, Poropat knows hisway around the offensive line. Asa freshman, I was playing righttackle. Sophomore and junior yearI switched over to left tackle, and

now I play left guard. Ive been allover the place, Poropat said.

Poropat was recently awardedtwo All-American honors from theUSA Football Freedom Bowl andthe D2 vs. NAIA Bowl. Poropatknows the importance his teamplayed in him receiving All-Ameri-can recognition.

Im honored to be named anAll-American; not many people cansay that, said Poropat. I owe it to

my teammates, they help me a lot.Expectations are high this year

for the Lakers, and Poropat canthelp but desire a repeat of their2010 season, when the Lakers wonthe PSAC (Pennsylvania State Ath-letic Conference) Championship.

We denitely want to get backto the top of the PSAC, were opti-mistic. Our rst goal is to win the

West though, said Poropat. AllI care about is doing my job and

helping my team win ball games. Itis all I care about.

The Lakers will make their rsthome appearance this Saturday,Sept. 15 against the Clarion GoldenEagles on Tullio Field.

By Joe Chiodo

Sports Editor

Lakers run over Millersville MaraudersFootball nds redemptionin 45-7 win over Marauders

Kevin Poropat (right) practices blocking drills with teammate

Joe Coyne (left) in preparation for the home opener this Satur -

day.

Lindsay Beers photo

Womens volleyball explodes to 7-1Coach credits maturation, determination for teams success

After dropping their rst contestto Northern Michigan Universityin the Ferris State Tournament, the

Hurst has rolled to a seven-gamewin streak. The most notable ofwins came over Ferris State Univer-sity which was ranked 14th in thenation at the time.

The ve-game thriller was led bysenior Kiera Rebert with a career-high 41 assists and senior Elyse

Texido with 35 digs. Texidos digswere also a career-high and themost by a Mercyhurst libero since2004.

After the upset win, the Lakers

picked up three more wins duringthe Mercyhurst Gannon Invita-tional. All matches were won infour sets or less.

The team of 19 is led by a power-house packed upperclass. The 2012Lakers have seven seniors and vejuniors. This experience has fueledthe teams exciting run.

Maturation that comes withage has made a big difference sofar, said Head Coach Ryan Patton.Specically, there seems so far tobe a determination to buckle downand do the extra things that goodteams do.

Senior Katie Powell agrees.We have been playing together

since we were freshmen and nowthat we are seniors we have a lot of

experience, said Powell. Becauseour senior class is large, we havebeen able to lead the underclassmenby example.

The Lakers have reboundedfrom the 2011 season, nishing theyear with a 14-18 overall record.Only losing seniors Chelsea Hen-nigan, Kelsey Richardson andMegan Riske has allowed the teamto use their existing chemistry tofuel their 2012 run.

It is the little things that haveimpressed Coach Patton. Coveringattackers and playing solid defensehas been our strongest points, thismay be the best team Ive ever hador seen at it.

As the PSAC (Pennsylvania StateAthletic Conference) approaches,

the Hurst eyes on being a top con-tender.

We need to improve our inten-sity, said Powell. Usually by thethird set we lose a little momentum,and we need to be able to rally andnish the game.

Patton feels this team has put itall together. We nally have goodcompetitive aggression pointed atpeople in other uniforms, an under-standing of all the extras it takes tobe good instead of ok, and a senseof urgency that successful teamsfeel.

The Lakers added four newcom-ers in 2012, Kelly Vitt, Erin Byrnes,Karly Burns and Lexi Stefanov.

These freshman have used experi-ence from upperclassmen to nd

their place on the roster.Seniors Kiera Rebert, Amanda

Balasko, Becky Smith, BeckyLeusch, and Elyse Texido havebeen leading the stat column.

Most of these seniors have beenin their position since freshman orsophomore year making each oftheir roles difcult to ll. Rebertand Texido are off to career startsand will be tough roles to ndreplacements in 2013. Rebert has237 assists on the year, and Texidohas 132 digs.

The 2012 Lakers have set thepace for a memorable year, and

will open home PSAC play Oct. 5against Kutztown at 2:30 p.m. in theMAC (Mercyhurst Athletic Center).

By Lindsey BurkeContributing Writer