Merciad

Vol.82, No.20/4.8.09/Free

Semester in
Shanghai
Sophomores Jonathan
Arellano and Carson Loveday
get immersed
in Chinese culture.
Read more on Page 5
Page 2 NEWS April 8, 2009

Students dance, donate at charity ball

By Kelly Luoma
Staff writer

Mercyhurst College students contributed to a charitable cause

when they spent their Friday night dancing at the Masonic Tem-
ple Ball Room.
The annual Spring Charity Ball was held on Friday, Apr. 3.
The event is sponsored by Mercyhurst Student Government
(MSG) and Student Activities Council (SAC).
Students dressed in cocktail attire.
The theme was a Black and White Tie Affair.
The tickets cost $10 per student.
The price of the event covered transportation to the Masonic
Temple, a buffet dinner and night of dancing.
The dinner consisted of salmon, stuffed chicken breast, pasta,
cheddar mashed potatoes, salad and desserts.
MSG voted to donate the money raised to Mercy Beyond Bor-
ders.
“This is a charity in which the money goes toward war affected
regions of the world where women and children are displaced
and left widowed or abandoned,” SAC Chair Vicky Fleisner said.
“The money will provide these women and children with food
and education.
Around $1,500 was given to this charity.
“The Charity Ball is a great event, because it gives students the Kelly Luoma photo
opportunity to have a fun time while raising money for a chari- Mercyhurst College students spent the night eating and dancing at the Spring Charity Ball on
table cause,” Fleisner said. Friday, Apr. 3. The proceeds went to Mercy Beyond Borders.
About 100 students attended the event.

’Hurst art students use Bucket Brigade

technology to teach
By Kelly Luoma
Staff writer
Mercyhurst College Art
Education students presented
at the third annual Consor-
tium for Computing in Under-
graduate Education (C-Cue)
Student Technology Forum at
Edinboro University of Penn-
sylvania.
C-Cue is an association
working to expand the use of
technology in education.
Freshman Tyler Stauffer and
sophomore Meredith Stalker
presented “Wiki Spaces in
the Classroom” on Monday,
March 30.
Stauffer and Stalker
explained how wikis can be
used in the classroom, and
they focused on art educators
making use of them.
“Our objective was not only
to promote wikispaces, but to
show how we are using them
for research purposes as well
as classroom work,” Stauffer
said.
Their presentation used
Skype technology.
This allowed them to pres-
ent to educators from Pitts-
burgh.
to save the planet
The students presented to
a group of about 25 people
Volunteers needed April 17-26
from universities and colleges.
“I was the youngest pre- Mercyhurst orientation
senter that day at age 19, and Wed., April 15
Meredith was second youngest at 7 p.m. in the
at 20,” Stauffer said.
Their presentation can be
Herrmann Student Union
found at tstauffer.wikispaces. on second floor
com.
“It was a great learning expe-
rience, not only because we
To get involved contact Tom
were teaching to students and
professors, but also because it
Fuhrman at lercerie@gmail.com
gave us experience present- or 814.824.2407 or visit
ing to groups of people with
related interests,” Stauffer bucketbrigadegiving.com
said.
April 8, 2009
Scoot Williams created a Firearms Awareness Club for
students at Mercyhurst College.
MSG to decide
on firearms club
By Alaina Rydzewski
Staff writer
Looking for a new and excit-
ing club to participate in?
The Firearms Awareness
Club could become the newest
edition to Mercyhurst College’s
extensive list of extracurricular
activities and clubs.
Mercyhurst Student Govern-
ment decides if they will ap-
prove the club next week.
Daniel “Scoot” Williams, its
creator and a campus leader for
another group called Students
for Concealed Carry on Cam-
pus, explained why he thought
the club would be a good idea.
“There is a strong anti-gun
mentality on campus and there
is no opportunity for students
interested in shooting to do so,”
Williams said.
The club is for anyone who
can legally possess a gun, hasn’t
been convicted of a crime and
wants to learn how to safely
Contributed photo
handle and fire a gun.
All students are invited to join
or at least learn about the club
before they determine their feel-
ings about it.
The adviser for the club is Art
Amann, the director of the Pub-
lic Safety Institute at the North
East campus.
Williams thinks this is a good
choice of adviser, because he is
in charge of the police academy
at North East and has firearm
instructors who might be able
to teach some classes if there is
enough interest.
“Basically what the club
is going to be doing is taking
students to local gun clubs to
get them acquainted with fire-
arms. For the more advanced
students we may have some de-
fensive pistol classes,” Williams
said.
Students with questions or
comments can contact Scoot
Williams at dwilli05@mercy-
hurst.edu or Art Amann at aa-
mann@mercyhurst.edu.
NEWS
Think Tank saves money, energy
By JoEllen Marsh
Managing editor
An interdisciplinary mix of
students at Mercyhurst College
is putting their heads together
to start a green revolution on
campus.
“The Green Energy Think
Tank is a group of professors
and students who have concerns
about sustainability, energy effi-
ciency and waste management.
It also wants to promote inno-
vation and educate people about
green awareness,” according to
graduate student Bruno Ost, the
founder of GETT.
GETT members hope to pin-
’Hurst students interested in astronomy
By Kelly Luoma
Staff writer
With the warm weather,
spring term is the best time for
star gazing. Now, with the cre-
ation of the Mercyhurst College
Astronomy Club, students can
star gaze with others who share
similar interests.
The purpose of the club is to
learn about and get other stu-
dents interested in astronomy.
The club intends on participat-
ing in events like meteor show-
ers and eclipses.
The Astronomy Club had
its first meeting on Thursday,
April 2.
“I absolutely love astronomy,
and I want to learn a lot about
it,” coordinator of the meet-
ing, sophomore Erica Brubaker
said.
Thursday, The Community Blood Bank is holding
April 30 the last blood drive of the school year
Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least
Photo ID 110 pounds and be in good health.
No appointment is necessary to donate blood
required
point problem areas, save stu-
dents money and revolutionize
green efforts on campus. GETT
will test their plan on the library,
which uses more energy than any
other building on campus.
“To me, it”s mostly about ef-
ficiency and money. I don’t like
paying over $30,000 a year, even
minus grants and scholarships, to
go to school here, and I am look-
ing for any way I can to make my
tuition or housing lower,” junior
Andrew Flugher said.
One difference between GETT
and other green organizations on
campus seems to be the variety of
students who get involved.
“I am not an environmental-
ist, but a realist. Energy efficien-
The club is interested in trav-
eling, Brubaker said. Members
of the club would like to visit
museums, planetariums and sci-
ence centers.
The Great Lakes Science
Center and The National Air
and Space Museum are two
places the club especially looks
forward to traveling to.
Besides traveling, the mem-
bers of the Astronomy Club are
interested in stargazing, learning
about constellations and camp-
ing.
They plan to have barbecues
and movie nights.
In addition to having fun,
the group wants “to spread
the awareness [of astronomy],”
Brubaker said. “It’s a big part of
our life.”
In order to spread the aware-
ness, the Astronomy Club would
like to visit schools to teach stu-
Page 3
cy has real world value to me,”
junior Matt Visco said.
“I’m not going to take the
enviornmental-nut tree-hugger
route here. I honestly believe that
we can start to save money with
energy conservation,” sopho-
more Tom Hermanowski said.
Biology professor Dr. Mike
Campbell gave several examples
of wasteful uses of energy, in-
cluding refrigerators with dusty
coils, half-full dishwashers and
dryers used with tiny loads.
“We need everyone to help by
being more conscious of what
they do to waste electricity,”
Campbell said.
To get involved, e-mail jcamp-
bell@mercyhurst.edu.
dents and excite them about as-
tronomy.
“This club has really been a
dream of mine since I started
here,” the advisor of the club,
Dr. Clint Jones, said.
The students at the meeting
elected an executive board.
Brubaker is the president
of the club. Sophomore Ryan
Miller was elected vice presi-
dent.
Sophomores Alicia Grasso
and Eve Klajbor will share the
responsibilities of secretary. Ju-
nior Kerri Maselko was elected
treasurer.
“I think this [club] is a re-
ally good idea,” Miller said. “I
think we’re going to have a lot
of fun.”
The club plans to meet again
in a few weeks.
Thirty-nine students attended
the meeting.
11 a.m. - 5
p.m.
Herrmann
Student Union
Great Room
Page 4 NEWS April 8, 2009

Job seekers hunt for career possibilities

By JoEllen Marsh
Managing editor

At least 10 students from

Mercyhurst College attended
the Western Pennsylvania
Career Services Association
(West PACS) Job and Internship
Fair in Pittsburgh last week.
Representatives from over 100
companies were there to find
employees and interns. Some
of the companies included
AFLAC, Comcast, Enterprise,
MetLife Financial Services and
the Central Intelligence Agency. in Cheswick, Pa. look at it soon.’ I liked how Contributed photos
Junior John Lorenz was very Attendees were shuttled from people got back to me really Representatives from companies search for employees and
satisfied after attending the the Pittsburgh mills in order to quickly.” interns at the West PACS Job and Internship Fair in Pittsburgh.
career fair, which he learned of make parking easier. Career fairs are one way to
through flyers on campus. As a marketing major, Lorenz find job offers and internships offers, Lorenz thought the “It gave me a lot of oppor-
“This one was a lot better took interest in several direct in a declining economy. experience helped him under- tunities to commute,” Lorenz, a
than other career fairs I’ve been marketing companies and has “One, you never know what stand more about the interview native of Pittsburgh, said. “It’s
to. I got calls from seven dif- interviews scheduled with Sage you’re going to get, and two, a process. “I stayed for a good always good to find something
ferent companies the following Point Financial and other com- company may want you. It’s a two hours seeing what kinds of close to home.”
day,” Lorenz said. panies. good networking opportunity,” people they’re looking for, what Students may contact career
The career fair was held at the “A lot of employers say ‘if Lorenz said. attributes they’re searching for,” services for more information
Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena you go online and apply, we’ll In addition to getting job Lorenz said. on career fairs.

Earth Week 2009 Schedule

Monday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday:
Robert Bullard The Jazz Mandolin Bring you own Local Product
Panel Discussion Project item to tie-dye Festival
and Green Raffle
3:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. PAC 4 p.m.
Mercy Heritage Room Briggs Avenue Pavilion 11 a.m. -4 p.m.
See page 11 in Garvey Park
for more details
Sister Maura Smith
Earth Day Lecture
7:30 p.m. Saturday:
Taylor Little Theater
April 20-25 Hike for Haiku in Winter-
green Gorge
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. PAC

How much land does

Presentation by Anne
Chen and John Vance Kids N Sibs
seed planting

a man need?
7:00 p.m. Taylor Little
Theatre 1 -4 p.m. Garvey Park
April 8, 2009 FEATURES Page 5

Destination China
Two Mercyhurst students take their studies to Shanghai
By Jenna Golden
Contributing writer
Two Mercyhurst College
sophomores, Jonathan Arellano
and Carson Loveday, are
currently studying abroad in
China through the Cultural
Experiences Abroad program.
The students left for
Mercyhurst in mid-February
of this year and will be there
through September 2009.
Sophomore Jonathan Arellano poses with some classic
Chinese sculptures shocwased on the streets of Shanghai.
Both students are attending
Shifan Da Xue (Shanghai
Normal University) in Shanghai,
China.
Arellano and Loveday are
majoring in International
Business and plan on getting a
minor in Chinese.
Arellano said he is having a
great experience.
“China is amazing and I
absolutely love it. I ended up
here out of sheer luck, because
I was bored at the marketing
Contributed photo
firm I was working at and did
research and applied to the CEA
program,” he said.
Even though both students
had taken Mandarin for two
terms while at Mercyhurst, they
agree that China has been a little
overwhelming.
“I knew very little Chinese
when I came and it took some
time to adjust. Our first day of
school our teachers spoke 95
percent Mandarin and only five
percent English,” Loveday said.
In addition to the language
barrier, Arellano said the culture
is different as well.
“When I first arrived, it was a
huge culture shock, but as each
day went by I loved it here more Contributed photo
and more,” Arellano said. Arellano and Loveday took two Chinese courses before
Despite the initial culture heading off to China. Shown here roaming Shaghai’s streets.
shock, the boys have made some
great friendships along the way. at their disposal to show them “The night life is amazing and
“After about a week or two, around Shanghai and other his [Loveday] job also helps him
Jonathan (Arellano) and I had places tourists don’t usually get to meet new people,” Arellano
built a solid group of friends to know. added.
from all over the world,” Loveday said his best Loveday said the only
Loveday said. experiences have come from downfall of the trip was,
The students also got jobs in touring around different parts “the slow movement towards
Shanghai. of Shanghai. understanding the language. It
Arellano is working as a “Whether it is overlooking is very tough to master.”
promoter for a nightclub and the bund or going to the old For more information about
Loveday is teaching English in a districts where government studying abroad in 15 different
Shanghai middle school. officials lived, it has been a countries, visit www.gowithcea.
The boys have a tour guide blast,” he said. com.

Chip Magalhaes chips away at ice sculptures

By Kelly Luoma
Staff writer
Not only is ice good for keeping drinks
cold, it is great for sculpting.
A new ice sculpting/carving class will
be offered for students at Mercyhurst
College and chef instructor Chip
Magalhaes will be teaching the class.
Magalhaes is the Executive Chef of
the Grotto Dining Room.
He teaches Food Service Management
I and II, and International Cuisine.
Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional
Management (HRIM) students will
be able to enroll in the Ice Sculpting/
Carving class.
It has not yet been determined if other
students will be able to sign up for the
course.
Magalhaes said that teaching ice
sculpting to HRIM students will expand
the students’ knowledge from food to
ice.
He was asked to teach the course after
the HRIM program received a grant
from the Statler Foundation.
He responded to this offer by saying,
“Absolutely, my skills are not polished in
ice sculpting, but practice makes better.”
According to Magalhaes, ice sculpting
is an important part of the HRIM
industry.
Ice sculptures add decoration to many
formal events, like weddings.
Numerous shapes can be carved out
of ice such as “fish, dolphins, eagles [and]
baskets for shrimp cocktail,” Magalhaes
said.
These carvings are sculpted with the
help of a chainsaw and precision tools.
“Ice carvers, when the sculpture is
good, can make an excellent living as
long as the demand is there,” Magalhaes
said.
Las Vegas ice sculptors can earn about
400,000 dollars a year, Magalhaes said.
The course will be offered during
the fall and spring terms, because these
times of year provide ideal weather for
ice sculpting, Magalhaes said.
Magalhaes said he and HRIM
instructor, Peter Zohos, expect many
“new courses such as Ice Sculpting to
raise the bar here at Mercyhurst.”
Page 6 FEATURES April 8, 2009

Restaurant Review
French Street Café offers food, study area
By Amanda Valauri
Staff writer
It’s spring term and by now, all possible
combinations at the Subconnection have
been exhausted and the Egan Cafeteria
has run out of creativity.
Fear not, there is a new joint in town to
cure your food boredom.
The French Street Café, located in
downtown Erie at E. 4th Street and
French streets, has a delicious breakfast
and lunch menu to spice up your week.
The Café was opened as quick and
delectable alternative to the historical
Pufferbelly Restaurant, and it offers a
large variety of soups, salads, sandwiches,
pastries, desserts and specialty
beverages.
Who loves pizza for breakfast more
than college kids?
This is no Papa John’s though.
The breakfast pizza at The French
Street Café is topped with scrambled
eggs and cheese with a choice of veggie
and meat toppings for under $5.
Their breakfast sandwiches and
burritos are paired with their gourmet
coffee selection with flavors like Snicker
nut and white chocolate truffle for just
$1.50.
With a generous bowl of broccoli
cheddar soup at just $3.29 including a
fresh backed roll, it beats Panera in price
and portion.
Creative salads like the pasta chicken
artichoke selection can be more exciting
and healthy than the old stand by sizzle
salad from the Laker Inn.
The French Street Café menu has
a variety of grilled Panini sandwiches,
flatbread pizzas, wraps and a daily quiche
special all under $7.
If you left enough room for dessert do
not over look their mammoth muffins
and pastries all under $2.
The chocolate mocha muffin can easily
be a sweet breakfast or mid-day treat.
While the Café is limited in space, not
having to stand in a long line of college
students comes as a welcome break.
While they don’t have Wi-Fi yet, it still
can serve as a nice alternative to studying
on campus.
The French Street Café is open
Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3
p.m. and has daily specials. Scoot Williams photo
For a full menu with prices visit their The French Street Café has a simple
Web site at thepufferbelly.com/cafe. décor with a French influence.

Grilled Portabella Mushroom

Sandwich
Black bean burgers
Hummus Platter

Chicken BLT-Veggie
Lunch $ 5 Lunch $ 5 (no cheese)
Dinner $ 5.50 Dinner $ 5.50 Spinach-Asian Salad
11:30 a.m. -8 p.m.
6” Sub $4 Combo $5
12” Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75
M Caesar Salad Lunch $ 5
T Steel City Sandwich Dinner $ 5.50
W Chicken Quesadilla
TH Gen. Tso’s Chicken
F Portabella & Red pepper Wrap
S BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger

S Meatball Sub
M Meat Raviolo
T 2 slices pizza
W Potato Bowl
TH Sizzle Salad
F Baked Fish
S Chicken Finger Sub
April 8, 2008 FEATURES Page 7

Shields takes cover, pins down all rivals

By Carolyn Carlins
Contributing writer
Mercyhurst College sophomore Josh
Shields won first place in this year’s NCAA
II Wrestling National Championships,
making him Mercyhurst’s first national
champion in wrestling.
Shields, 165 pounds, is the fourth
Laker to reach the title match, but the
only one to win.
This year the championship was held
March 13-14, and was hosted by the
University of Houston in Houston,
Texas. Shields defeated University of
Nebraska at Omaha’s fifth-ranked Aaron
Denson, 5-0 during a suspenseful title
match.
He ended the season with 21 match
winning streak and a 29-3 record, earning
his second all-American certificate.
Mercyhurst has had at least one all-
American since the program’s inception
in 2001 and at least two all-Americans in
the last seven years.
Shields, along with his teammates,
Andy Lamancusa and Payne Lint, who
also won all-American awards and placed
third and eighth, respectively, have
Josh Shields stands with trophy and brackets in hand. He is Mercyhurst’s first
national wrestling champion.
contributed to giving Mercyhurst one of
its best years in the record book.
Contributed photo
Shields said winning this championship
had been his goal ever since his senior
year in high school, and he has worked
hard to make his goal a reality.
“I just kept working hard and believing
that I could win,” Shields said.
The road to this year’s championship
proved to be difficult at times.
“There were some pretty close matches
at Nationals,” Shields said.
“In the quarter finals I was down by
two with 60 seconds left. I ended up
taking him down and pinning him. That
was pretty scary, but I knew me winning
was meant to be. My coach [Mike
Whehler] and I knew we did everything
right to win.”
In addition to this record breaking
event, the Lakers also set the single-
seasons win record.
Shields attributes his winning to the
hard work spent training with his practice
partners, Michael Baxter, Jordan Shields
and Pat Carter, and to the unyielding
support of the coaching staff and
Mercyhurst Athletic Administration over
the past two years.
Shields said he is very proud of his
accomplishment and hopes his success
continues to follow him throughout his
wrestling career.
(See related story on page 18.)

Sister Sullivan keeps the ’Hurst singing

By JoEllen Marsh
Staff writer
Over the course of 51 years,
Sister Helen Jean Sullivan did
a lot to keep music alive at
Mercyhurst College.
She began teaching voice,
piano and organ at Mercyhurst
in 1954 and stayed until her
retirement in 2005.
“I’ve been around music since
I was about three. My parents
would take me to church choir
practice,” Sullivan said.
She entered the Sisters of
Mercy at Titusville on Sept. 8,
1947, made her first vows on
June 21, 1950, and made her
final vows in 1953.
Sullivan left all her music at
home, but found out quickly
that music would still be a part
of her new life.
“We had a song fest the
first night before we’d been
received,” Sullivan said.
“The community decided
that because I’d had piano, I’d
continue with music.”
After studying for two years
at Mercyhurst, she was sent to
the New England Conservatory
in Boston to earn her bachelor’s
degree in voice.
Sullivan was the Director of
the Music Department until
1973, when Dr. Louis Menini, a
native of Erie who retired from
Eastman School of Music, took
over the department.
With the help of Sullivan,
Menini convinced the college
president Dr. William Garvey,
to allow a preparatory school
for young people to be created
with a connection to the
Music Department, a school
now known as the Sullivan
Conservatory.
Sullivan stopped teaching at
Mercyhurst to become director
of the new conservatory, a
position she kept until her
retirement in 2005.
“They said they wanted to
name it the ‘Sister Helen Jean
Sullivan Conservatory’ and I
thought, ‘Oh my, it’ll take them
the whole envelope to write the
address,’ so I said ‘well, maybe
the last name if that’s what you
want,” Sullivan said.
The Conservatory went
through a rocky stage for several
years after Sullivan left.
Rebecca Ryan recently
decided to take on the role of
director.
Ryan believes the conservatory
is flourishing now.
“I hope to continue
[Sullivan’s] spirit of generosity Tyler Stauffer photo
and excellence,” Ryan said. The Mercyhurst College Sul-
“If I had one word to say for livan Conservatory of Music
my life, it would be gratitude. I is named after Sister Helen
could never thank God enough Jean Sullivan, pictured above.
for all the people He has brought She was the conservatory’s
into my life,” Sullivan said. director until 2005.
Page 8
’Hurst students march among monks, soldiers
By JoEllen Marsh
Staff writer
Que queremos? Justicia!
Cuando? Ahora!
This was the chant of over
300 Amnesty International
(AI) members rallying for
immigrants’ rights in Boston,
Mass. the weekend of March
28-29.
On Thursday night Campus
Ministry’s Greg Baker, four
girls and I loaded into a van
for a weekend at the AI Annual
General Meeting.
On the first day, there was
a rally at Boston City Hall for
immigrants’ rights.
Marching prominently in this
crowd of people who ranged
from student activists and
hippies, to soldiers and monks
was my group from Mercyhurst
College’s local Amnesty
International chapter.
“It was truly inspiring to see
hundreds of people together
marching in solidarity for human
rights, trying to make the world
Mercyhurst students went to a rally for immigrants’ rights out-
side Boston City Hall during the AI Annual General Meeting.
a better, more peaceful place,”
freshman Rachel Brown, who
attended the event said.
For some, the immigrants’
rights rally was their first
exposure to real, immediate
activism.
Being at the conference
with hundreds of AI people
and marching right next to AI
Executive Director Larry Cox
gave us so much inspiration and
ideas for our club.
Never have I heard as many
depressing things and been so
empowered at the same time.
I talked to a Zimbabwean
woman who had to choose
between letting her children
starve and being killed for
leaving her house.
A man who was an
interrogation officer in Iraq
spoke at the torture plenary.
“You go in with a mind and a
heart, and that’s all you need to
have a successful interrogation,”
he said.
State Radio’s Chad Stokes
played an awesome concert on
Friday night.
Contributed photo
FEATURES April 8, 2009
He played some new songs
(Mr. Larkin, Calling All Crows),
a few old Dispatch songs (Elias,
The General), but they all had
more meaning for me when
I learned he wrote them to
support things like prisoners of
conscience in Zimbabwe and
abolishing the death penalty.
“Hey hey ho ho arbitrary
detention has got to go” had a
definite cheesiness factor (and
way too many syllables), but all
the people at the conference
genuinely cared about the issues,
whether they’d been fighting for
human rights in Zimbabwe for
10 years or had just signed their
first petition last week.
“The whole weekend I never
stopped learning,” Brown said.
“I became more know-
ledgeable on the issues that
already mattered to me and
became passionate about new
issues I had not previously been
informed about.”
I would love to meet more
people at Mercyhurst who are
passionate about turning the Contributed photo
world into what it should be. Rachel Brown chanted along with other Amnesty International
members in support of immigrants’ rights.
Three-bedroom, 1,500 square
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Call Jon Connole:
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APRIL 8, 2009 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 9

English Department to host Literary Festival

By Kyle King
A & E editor
Inspired by the renowned
reading series at the University
of Notre Dame and wanting to
bring such a tradition here, Eng-
lish Department Chair Dr. Jef-
frey Roessner collaborated with
Dr. Kenneth Schiff in 2003 to
bring the Mercyhurst College
Literary Festival to life.
Kicking off the seventh
annual festival celebrating con-
temporary literature is poet
Sonia Sanchez, a pioneering
black feminist who was a key
figure in the Black Arts Move-
ment, which created a distinctly
black poetry to explore the Afri-
can American experience.
She will speak at Taylor Little
Theatre on Thursday, Apr. 16, at
8:15 p.m.
Sanchez has written more than
16 books, including “Homecom-
ing,” “We a BaddDDD People,”
“I’ve Been a Woman,” “Under a
Soprano Sky,” “Like the Singing
Coming off the Drums” and,
most recently, “Shake Loose My
Skin.”
She has earned numerous
awards, including the 1985
American Book Award for
“Homegirls and Handgrenades”
and the Langston Hughes Poetry
Award in 1999.
“Does Your House Have
Lions?” was a finalist for the
National Book Critics Circle
Samuel Hazo was named the first State
Poet of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania in 1993, serving until 2003.
Award.
Samuel Hazo will speak the
following Thursday, Apr. 23, at
8:15 p.m. in the Taylor Little
Theatre.
Hazo is the founder and direc-
tor of the International Poetry
Forum. He is also McAnulty
Distinguished Professor of
English Emeritus at Duquesne
University, where he taught for
43 years.
He was the featured speaker
at Mercyhurst’s first annual liter-
ary festival in 2003.
Hazo was chosen the first State
Poet of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania in 1993 by Gover-
The capstone event of the
Literary Festival is the unveil-
ing of “Lumen,” which will take
place in Taylor Little Theatre on
Thursday, Apr. 30, at 8:15 p.m.
Copies will be available during
the event and will be available
afterward from Schiff at his
office in Preston 214.
The entirely student-pro-
duced creative arts magazine
will include an accompanying
interactive CD for the fifth year
incorporating student submis-
sions in the fields of fiction,
poetry, photography and art-
Promotional photos courtesy of Ken Schiff work.
Sonia Sanchez is a poet, activist, professor and Senior John Ladd is editor-
international lecturer on black culture and litera- in-chief of the 2009 edi-
ture. She will speak at Taylor Little Theatre on tion. Junior William Cundiff
Thursday, April 16, at 8:15 p.m. Her speech is designed the print version and
presented in conjunction with Mercyhurst’s year- the Flash interactive CD, whose
long ‘Beyond the Dream’ lecture series. designs explore themes of light
and luminescence playing off
nor Robert Casey, a position he Hazo was a National Book the magazine’s name.
served in until 2003. Award finalist in poetry for his During the unveiling cer-
Some of his recent books of 1972 collection “Once for the emony, awards and cash prizes
poetry are “A Flight to Else- Last Bandit.” will be presented during the
where” and “The Song of the “I think that these are two reception to the top three works
Horse: Selected Poems, 1958- outstanding figures in the field included in “Lumen.”
2008.” of contemporary poetry and I In addition, the P. Barry
Among his other publications think it’s important for the stu- McAndrew Award for the
are the fiction works “Stills” dents to come and hear their best essay in literature will be
and “This Part of the World;” voices, what they have to say,” announced.
the dramas “Feather,” “Mano Schiff, director of the English Students will have the chance
a Mano” and “Watching Fire, Department’s creative writing to read their work in front of an
Watching Rain;” the essay col- program, said. audience after the unveiling.
ections “The Power of Less: “In addition, there will also “I think the Open Mic is one
Essays on Poetry and Public be a creative wriring workshop of the best parts of the pro-
Speech” and “Spying for God;” with Sonia Sanchez open to gram, because it gives students a
and the memoir “The Pittsburgh select students in the creative chance to present their works in
That Stays Within You.” writing program,” Schiff said. a public venue,” Schiff said.

‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ Guelcher film focuses on upbeat teacher

By Kyle King
A & E editor
As part of its Guelcher Film
Series, the Mary D’Angelo Per-
forming Arts Center will screen
of the 2008 English comedy
“Happy-Go-Lucky.”
“Happy-Go-Lucky” centers
on the character of Poppy, a
cheery, colorful, 30-year-old
London schoolteacher whose
optimism tends to exasperate
those around her.
Poppy is played by Brit Sally
Hawkins, who took home the
2009 Peter Sellers Award for
Comedy at the Evening Stan-
dard British Film Awards and a
nomination for Best Actress at
the British Independent Film
Awards for her role.
The film is a slice-of-life
exploration honing in on scenes
in school; with her flatmate Zoe,
a long-time friend; her two sis-
ters, though she is only close
with one; driving lessons with
a grumpy instructor; flamenco
dance classes with a Spaniard;
and conversations with a social
worker about a student’s aggres-
sive behavior.
The film examines the root of
Poppy’s happiness and questions
whether her buoyant behavior
leaves her susceptible to personal
harm.
“Happy-Go-Lucky” will be
shown at the PAC on Wednes-
day, Apr. 8, at 2:15 and 8 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for
seniors and students, $3 for Pres-
ident’s Card holders and free for
students with Mercyhurst ID.
The Guelcher Film Series
selection for Wednesday, Apr. 15,
is the Swedish vampire film “Let
the Right One In.”
Page 10
Learn the ABC’s of unknown musical artists
By Casey Harvilla
Staff writer
Finding 26 bands in different
genres from A to Z is a feat for
anyone.
I decided to go a little fur-
ther, offering you 52 unsigned
and/or unknown bands and art-
ists, all of whom are currently
recording or touring.
I hope you enjoy learning (and
hopefully listening to) a new and
more interesting alphabet: The
ABC’s of Unknown Artists.
This week will feature letters
A-E.
A is for And Then There
Were None & Alesha.
And Then There Were None
(ATTWN) was formed in 2003
by a group of five friends. They
are signed to Tooth & Nail
Records, a company which they
say helps them spread their
music and their message.
ATTWN’s sound is best
described as new wave punk
with an overlay of euro-dance
beats and lyrics promoting
positive social action.
myspace.com/andthentherewerenone
And Then There Were None’s
CD, “Who Speaks for Planet
Earth,” is in stores now.
Alesha Dixon, a former
member of the now defunct
girl group Mis-Teeq, is a British
singer with a lot to say.
Her second solo album, “The
Alesha Show,” was released in
the UK last November. Her
first single charted in 14 coun-
tries, including Japan, Ireland
and the Netherlands.
Her first two singles hit top
ten status on the UK Singles
chart.
Alesha is joining Enrique
Iglesias on his upcoming world
tour.
B is for Backseat Goodbye
& The Beat Poets.
Backseat Goodbye is the solo
project of Chad Sugg, a 22-year-
old from Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Since starting Backseat Good-
bye in 2004, Sugg has played
with The Format, Hellogood-
bye and Third Eye Blind.
Backseat Goodbye also played
a showcase at this year’s SXSW
(South By Southwest) music
festival.
BG’s songs are simple and
catchy, with an overall goal to
make the listener happy.
The Beat Poets are the next
big thing to come out of Ire-
land.
They have been compared
to U2 and Snow Patrol, and
have shared the stage with
Sonic Youth and The Chemical
Brothers.
Needless to say, for a band
that self-released their album,
The Beat Poets are in very good
company.
Their highly anticipated
single, “Staring Stars Down,” is
now available on iTunes.
C is for Cavashawn &
Clayton Senne.
Cavashawn is made up of a
group of friends who have been
playing music together since
high school.
They describe their sound as a
blend of early Maroon 5 (think
Kara’s Flowers) and Jack’s Man-
nequin.
Over five years and 800 shows
later, Cavashawn is making a
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
name for themselves with their
debut EP.
They have opened for such
diverse acts as OneRepublic,
Jon McLaughlin, Jason Mraz
and Better Than Ezra.
Their self-titled EP is avail-
able on iTunes now.
Clayton Senne grew up in a
musical family in Kansas, so it
was no surprise to his parents
when he decided to become a
songwriter.
He has been playing piano
since kindergarten and wrote
his first song when he was 18.
Five years later, Senne is now
living in Orlando, Fla., and tour-
ing across the country with art-
ists like Stephen Kellogg & The
Sixers and Vertical Horizon.
His debut EP, entitled “Won-
derland,” is available to purchase
online.
D is for Daylights & Dam-
nwells.
The Daylights formed in
2004 in Los Angeles, Cal.
The band is made up of
brothers Ricky and Ran Jack-
son and Svend Lerche.
The Daylights have released
two EPs to date, including
2008’s “Sans Radio,” and are
currently recording their debut
full-length album.
They cite Led Zeppelin and
Radiohead among their influ-
ences and have toured with the
likes of OneRepublic.
The Damnwells formed in
2001 with a base of alt-coun-
try and alternative pop/rock
sound emanating from all of
the members, especially singer
Alex Dezen.
The band was signed to Epic
Records in 2003 and released
their debut album.
They were dropped by Epic
in 2005, and after a lackluster
sophomore album release in
2006, the original core dis-
banded.
April 8, 2009
In 2008, Dezen joined forces Warped Tour.
with Andrew Ratcliffe, Adrian Eliot Morris was not always
Dickey and Freddy Wall and into the whole “music thing.” In
released a free digital download fact, Morris did not even pick up
of their new album, “One Last a guitar until high school, when
Century,” through Paste Maga- he started playing and writing as
zine. an emotional release.
Although his sound and writ-
E is for Escape Frame & ing style has been compared to
Eliot Morris. those of John Mayer and Gavin
DeGraw, Morris said he would
The Escape Frame was rather write about the deeper
founded by Dustin Phillips and things in life than relationships.
Chris Harvey in 2005.
They recorded their debut
album in 2007, and released it
on Immortal Records, gaining
exposure and a following.
Later that year, they spent five
weeks recording a sophomore
effort, but decided to sign on to
the End Sounds label, postpon-
ing the release. eliotmorris.net
The Escape Frame’s second Eliot Morris has toured with
album was finally released to the likes of John Mayer and
concertgoers at the 2008 Vans Gavin DeGraw.
DOWNLOAD
The Damnwells “Tonight and Forever”
This melodious ode’s smooth rhythm and
reassuring lyrics leave one thinking of a
simple time with a loved one: “I’m calling
you to say / That I’m going to be / Anywhere
you want / Tonight and forever.”
The Beat Poets “Staring Stars Down”
Though they resemble Kerouac
and Ginsberg in no discernible way,
shape or form, The Beat Poets do
have a sound reminiscent of The
Strokes or The Libertines.
Cavashawn “Out of My Mind”
The comparisons with an early, rawer
Maroon 5 are apt, especially in
spiralling lyrics like this: “I stop and I
think about / The life that I could live
without / Watching another, follow the
other / Blind faith, that’s the way it is.”
April 8, 2009 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 11

PAC welcomes The Jazz Mandolin Project

By Hazel Jennings
Staff writer
The Jazz Mandolin Project,
a unique and multi-media pro-
duction focused on environ-
mental issues, will come to the
Mary D’Angelo Performing
Arts Center as part of the “PAC
Series” on Wednesday, Apr. 22,
at 8 p.m.
James Joyce once said the
short story “How Much Land
Does a Man Need” by Tolstoy
is the greatest tale the world of
literature has ever known.
The Jazz Mandolin Project
decided to build an entire pro-
duction from it.
Tolstoy’s plot follows a man
urged by the Devil to acquire
so much land that he dies of
exhaustion in a land very distant
from his home.
Though it was written 120
years ago in Russia, the themes
remain pertinent.
So the Jazz Mandolin Project
pairs music with video mon-
tages of American lifestyles and
landscapes to shoot the message
to the contemporary audience.
The developing experiment
has been forming and improv-
ing since its first debut in 1993
on the coffeehouse circuit in
The Jazz Mandolin Project, which bases its production on the Leo Tolstoy short story “How
Much Land Does a Man Need,” is coming to the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center as part
of the ‘PAC Series’ on Wednesday, April 22, at 8 p.m.
Vermont.
Now an internationally tour-
ing production and frontrunner
in the realm of multi-media per-
formance, The Jazz Mandolin
Project pushes the boundaries
of literature, sound, instrument,
video and the way all of these
parts can come together.
Experts in their field, the
group has recorded six albums
to critical acclaim.
The Project are comprised
of leader Jamie Masefield,
Grammy-winning pianist and
accordion player Gil Goldstein
and upright bassist Greg Cohen,
who can claim Tom Waits as a
former performance partner.
Music critic Philip Booth pro-
claimed that The Jazz Mando-
lin Project “may constitute the
world’s most creative and most
unusual power trio. Acoustic-
Electric funk…Celtic Folk…
Quiet balladry…What creative,
improvisation-minded musician
wouldn’t want to spend time at
play in the fields of these ambi-
tious, unclassifiable composi-
pac.mercyhurst.edu
tions?”
Audience members are also
flocking to their fields, as they
perform in acclaimed and
diverse venues like the Bonna-
roo Music Festival.
The musicians, music, mes-
sage and main stage production
are completely impossible to
categorize as they put a tradi-
tional folk instrument, the man-
dolin, into a new age of jazz,
put classic Russian literature in
a music show and use rough
hand-cam video footage as not
only a performance enhancer,
but a storyteller.
Though they use their many
media to give a particular mes-
sage, they are by no means a
musical.
One juxtaposition of their
performance, however, is more
familiar; these musicians are
masters of mixing composed
and improvised music.
The Jazz Mandolin Project
holds a jam band status ensur-
ing they never give the same
show twice.
The Jazz Mandolin Project
cannot be classified, much like
their audience.
Performing at independent
venues, colleges, famous music
festivals and everywhere in
between, the music and produc-
tion has been well-received from
all age levels, political view-
points and music preferences.
They are sure to shock as much
as they impress and turn each
audience member’s perceptions
of the world and boundaries of
music, performance, literature
and message around or at least
raise them up for reevaluation.
Tickets are $20 for adults,
$17.50 for seniors, students and
President’s Cardholders, $12.50
for youth and $10 for Mercy-
hurst students.

Opera ‘Don Giovanni’ stars local talent, ’Hurst students

By Kyle King
A & E editor
The Mercyhurst College
Music Department, led by
Louisa Jonason, a former inter-
national opera star who has
been directing operas at Mercy-
hurst since 1992, in conjunction
with the After-Dinner Opera
Company, staged the opera
“Don Giovanni” last Friday
night and Sunday afternoon.
Dennis TeCulver, starred as
the title character, a charismatic
womanizer whose list of con-
quests comprises nearly 2,000
women spanning most of con-
tinental Europe and the British
Isles.
Featured as his love interests
were Rebecka Bani Kerr, who
played Anna; Danielle Wright,
who played Zerlina; and adjunct
faculty member Lydia Howery,
who played Elvira.
Receiving some of the most
applause of the evening was
Don Giovanni’s sidekick,
Leperello, played by Erie’s Eric
Marshall.
“My favorite character was
Leperello,” junior Mary Spinelli
said.
“He brings a lot of comic
relief to an otherwise dramatic
opera. We want to root for him
because of his glimmers of
morality, and it’s so rewarding
that he survives through the end
of the opera,” Spinelli said.
“My favorite scene was Don
Giovanni’s death. I thought the
lighting and the dry ice gave a
great illusion of his freezing
to death rather than burning
in Hell, which is how it usually
ends,” Spinelli said.
In addition to singing roles,
three Mercyhurst dancers,
freshman Isabel Milkovich,
sophomore Bridget Toms and
freshman Kelly Clymer, starred
as The Fates, who oversaw the
opera’s action and pass judg-
ment on the characters.
“I thought the production was
very riveting for never having
seen an opera before,” junior
Zoey Alderman-Tuttle said.
Furthermore, a number of
Mercyhurst students served as
pit musicians, led by Stephen
Colantti and assisted by strings
professor Dr. Samuel Rotberg.
The opera will travel to Hondu-
ras to perform two concerts with
the Honduras State Orchestra
this summer.
Page 12
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciad
or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Horrific killing leads to discussion of death penalty
How putting a criminal on death row could be an easy way out
By Hayley O’Hare
Staff writer
By now I am sure you have
heard about the tragic events
that took place in Pittsburgh on
Saturday, April 4.
Three police officers were
shot and killed after answering
a domestic dispute call from
a woman in an argument with
her son.
Richard “Pop” Poplawski,
23, shot the three officers. They
were led into the house by his
mother with an AK-47 assault-
style rifle.
Poplawski attended the same
Obama failing to live up to high Visitation restrictions
expectations of country in need leave students irritated
By Amanda Valauri
News Editor
We are into day 79 of the
first 100 days of the Obama
administration.
“
So far, Obama (also
more fondly known in my
townhouse as “Giggles,”
coined by Michael Savage)
has a cabinet made up of
criminals and lobbyists
that don’t pay their taxes,
he has a stimulus bill with
millions of dollars in
wasteful spending and a horrible
derogatory comment toward the
mentally handicapped.
For an amazing orator, he is
not good on the fly.
At least when Bush made up
words, it was only insulting to
his own intelligence.
He has been seen at some
of Washington D.C.’s most
expensive, upscale restaurants
about three times a week dining
high school as me, and although
I didn’t know him as more than
a face and a name, this informa-
tion was even more shocking
to me.
The news coverage surround-
ing the tragedy has been littered
with other faces and names
I recognize, bringing it even
closer to home.
I have been listening to and
reading everything I can about
what happened early that morn-
ing, and many issues arise.
What was going through his
mind? Why did he have so many
weapons and ammunition?
Why did his mother tell
police there were no weapons
with his wife. His inexperience
is showing, and he thinks he is
on vacation.
I will say his trip abroad is
having a positive impact for our
international public relations
(minus the embarrassing
The recession will be
his legacy if the
economy remains
this way while he is in
”
office.
Amanda Valauri
multiple snubs to the British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
and his family) but, other than
the warm-fuzzies, we have yet
to see any actual policy change.
I struggle to think of a good
thing he has done within the
borders of our country yet.
Within the first 100 days he’s
already broken promises as to
be expected by any president,
but when our national debt is
OPINION
in the house? Could this have
been avoided? What should his
punishment be?
It has been reported Poplawski
had strong beliefs about the
state of the economy and Presi-
dent Obama’s views on instating
a ban on guns.
He vehemently believed in his
right to bear arms.
It is alarming to know a
young man with two ‘protection
from abuse’ orders against him,
a dishonorable discharge from
the Marine Corps and fearful
neighbors, was in his mother’s
words, “stockpiling guns and
ammunition, buying and selling
the weapons online.”
so far in the red, closing your
eyes and signing a stimulus
package because it was “needed
immediately” was a huge waste
of money we don’t have. What
needed to happen was a carefully
analyzed plan.
We have seen one good day on
the Dow since the package and
other than that there has been
no change. This recession will
be his legacy if the economy
remains this way while he is in
office. He also needs to stop
saving companies and let them
get what they deserve.
He is setting a precedent for
more and more CEOs to get away
with crimes with the continuous
government bailouts. Obama
needs to put down the bowling
ball, the fancy, knife and log
some serious hours fixing his
fiscal policy.
Get your butt back here and
start figuring out how to help
the millions of your fellow
Americans who need you.
September
Many are arguing whether
Poplawski should be given the
death penalty, although the state
of Pennsylvania has not exe-
cuted a prisoner in years.
Due to the events that
took place this weekend and
the suspect previously men-
tioning he was going to
kill himself, leaves me with
one thought.
If this person was consider-
ing suicide, and took the lives
of three people, he should be
given life in prison and not the
death penalty.
In my opinion, to give a
person the death penalty is an
easy way out for them.
By Kelly Luoma
Staff writer
It was a Friday night. My
homework was finished but I
couldn’t go out because I don’t
have a car on campus.
I’m under 21, so the
Cornerstone wasn’t an option.
My first thought was to go to
my boyfriend’s room in McAuley
Hall to play video games. I have
become quite addicted to Grand
Theft Auto.
This, of course, was not
an option, because visitation
is banned in McAuley due to
residents damaging property.
Of course, it is not all of the
residents who behaved in this
manner but, all of them are
being punished.
If I lived in McAuley, I would
be outraged.
For the amount of money
we pay to live here, it is not
right that we should also have
APRIL
8, 2009
3, 2008
I understand that out of anger
and sadness some people may
want to see a murderer given the
death penalty.
However, if killing another
person is wrong then how can
you justify ending another life,
even if they are a criminal.
The heartbreaking deaths of
the three police officers will
not be reversed if Poplawski
is dead.
It is my hope for the future,
no matter how long it may take,
he will realize the implications
of his actions, get help with his
own disturbing ssues and live a
long life tortured by the guilt of
what he has done.
to “pay” for problems that
others cause.
I do not think it is fair for
everyone in McAuley to be
disciplined, because a few
people behaved poorly.
I am affected by this, and
I don’t even live there. The
administration at Mercyhurst
College has a very misguided
interpretation of what fair is. I
expected to have more freedom
at college.
I am away from my parents
for the first time, but I have
found that I am granted many
more privileges and freedoms
at home.
We are adults. Here, I expected
to be treated as such.
I quickly found out the school
does not believe its students are
able to make good decisions, so
they think we need to be treated
as children.
I am surprised we are not
given a curfew and told what
time to go to bed.
April 8, 2009
Taking lessons of past into future of gun control
By Thomas Kubica
Contributing writer
Over 200 years ago, when the
revolutionary generation and
the Founding Fathers drafted
the Second Amendment, no
one questioned the need for
private gun ownership.
The framers considered
private firearms to be essential
to protecting personal liberty
as a means of opposing
foreign threats and as a
check against excessive
government power.
The framers were passionately
devoted to the idea that a self-
sufficient, armed citizenry
was the best means of
preserving liberty.
When it comes to freedom,
we cannot afford to forget the
lessons of the past.
The history of gun control
teaches us there is a terrible
price to pay when we lose our
right to keep and bear arms, and
the government has a monopoly
on weapons.
In 1929, the Soviet Union
established gun control. From
1929 to 1953, 20 million
dissidents, unable to defend
themselves, were rounded up
and exterminated.
In 1911, Turkey established
Technology provokes distraction for impolite audiences
Glowing cell phone screens disappoint performers on their big night
By Alexandra Stacy
Contributing writer
As a performer, I have
had many encounters
with audiences.
Whether I am sitting in the
audience watching or watch-
ing them from where I am on
stage; one thing I have noticed
is people in our society today
don’t know how to be a polite
Human skulls from the killing fields of Cambodia
gun control. From 1915
to 1917, 1.5 million
Armenians, unable to defend
themselves, were rounded up
and exterminated.
Germany established gun
control in 1938 and from
1939 to 1945, a total of
13 million Jews and others
who were unable to defend
themselves were rounded up
and exterminated.
China established gun control
in 1935. From 1948 to 1952,
20 million political dissidents,
audience member.
People are texting, getting up
and leaving and generally loung-
ing in their seats.
That kind of behavior is not
only rude, but very distracting
to the performer.
I was a part of the opera,
Don Giovanni this weekend
held in the PAC and I can’t tell
you how many glowing faces I
saw from people using their cell
phones. It just isn’t OK
OPINION
Stock.Xchng image
unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and
exterminated.
Guatemala established
gun control in 1964. From
1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan
Indians, unable to defend
themselves, were rounded up
and exterminated.
Uganda established gun
control in 1970. From 1971 to
1979, 300,000 Christians, unable
to defend themselves, were
rounded up and exterminated.
Cambodia established
“
One thing I have
noticed is people in
our society today
don’t know how to
be a polite audience
member.
Alexandra Stacy
People need to learn how to
sit and devote an hour or two
gun control in 1956.
From 1975 to 1977, one
million “educated” people,
unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and
exterminated.
Defenseless people rounded
up and exterminated in the 20th
century because of gun control:
56 million.
Now consider Switzerland,
the most heavily armed citizenry
on the planet where there are
roughly three million privately
owned firearms, 1 million being
Sig 550-type assault rifles.
This is in a nation of only
7 million people. It has one
of the lowest crime rates
on the planet and near zero
gun crimes.
Then consider Australia and
the U.K. whose authoritarian
governments are banning
personal gun ownership and
thereby a right out of existence.
In the first year after the ban,
Australia’s homicide rate went
up 3.2 percent, assaults went up
8.6 percent and armed robberies
went up 44 percent.
In Victoria alone, homicides
with firearms went up 300
percent.
You won’t see this data on
the U.S. evening news or hear
politicians disseminating this
to watching what is going
on onstage.
I understand sometimes
you aren’t thrilled to be sit-
ting at an opera or a con-
cert, but just be polite, for
the performers’ sake.
When a performer comes
”
out onto the stage and sees
people sitting in the audi-
ence, it is a rush.
That is their goal: to get
people to watch them.
Page 13
information since all corporate
news in this country is idiotic
and rarely gets to the truth
of matters.
Guns in the hands of
honest citizens save lives and
property and yes, gun-control
laws adversely affect only the
law-abiding citizens.
If officials want to challenge
the Second Amendment,
they should do it by proper
debate and by amending
the Constitution.
They shouldn’t be waiting
until their party is in power,
circumventing the Constitution
and then trying to ram
unconstitutional fascist, rights-
stealing legislation down
our throats.
The history of government
is one of usurpation of people
into slavery. Examine the
Declaration of Independence
and understand, “the
people” declared themselves
independent of government,
never to be told again they are
not to have the means to insure
their freedom.
When people are disarmed,
their slavery is guaranteed by
government, it’s just a matter
of time.
With guns we are citizens,
without them we are subjects.
But when you see the glow
of a cell phone on someone’s
face or you see people getting
up when it isn’t quite appro-
priate, it really makes you
feel second rate.
All I ask is for people please
turn off their phones and
sit quietly.
Watch and
ate what performers have
appreci-
spent so long preparing for
their audience.
Page 14 OPINION April 8, 2009

Columnist against G-20 conference on economy

By Jerrod
Markle
Staff writer
A group of people, the
G-20, met last week to solve
the “global economic crisis” by
implementing policies consis-
tent with the institutionalized
ideas of the European Union,
the IMF and Central Bankers.
This meeting of the minds
may have been soothing for
many people, desperately
clinging to faith in the hier-
archal ordered global reality,
but by remaining unaware the
perception is distorted by the
false myths of empire, we only
deceive ourselves.
Presuming restored hope
through the unholy medium
of President Obama, people
willingly and often with
smug smiles surrender their
freedoms to the authority of
government they falsely believe
will do more good. All this
happens while we ignore and
tread on the Global South, the
Non-Aligned Movement of over
116 members, 55 percent of the
worlds population.
This ignored element of the
global family is disregarded,
because they are the people
exploited, killed, starved and
raped in order to expand the
empire propagated by the
Council on Foreign Relations,
Bilderberg and the Trilateral
Commission, which have help
build presidential cabinets for
30 years, including now. The last
30 years under this cohesive,
tyrannical, power control have
seen both great improvements
and drastic deteriorations.
The paradox identified with
progress are great strides in
technology with the Internet,
iPods, cell phones, and GPS
while real communications
and just relations have deterio-
rated with rates in depression,
divorce, environmental degra-
dation, disenfranchisement and
dehumanization increasing at an
rapid speed.
We can learn to
appreciate reality, each
sacred moment and our own
perceptions as we real-
ize people wrote the myths,
perpetuated alienation and con-
trol the system.
A wise Charlton Heston,
while acting, once said, “Soylent
Green is People” referring to
the corporation-approved and
manufactured food.
Fortunately for us, HR 875
has not yet been passed and we
still have the opportunity to eat
real, organic food, not made
from cloned animals or people.
Now our metonyms for
people are citizens, tax payers,
consumers, objects, commodi-
ties, celebrities, politicians,
bureaucrats, kids, one-worlders,
democrats, fascists, adults,
students and professors.
We need to drop these replace-
ment dividers, these false con-
structions. People are people,
nothing more nothing less.
People enjoy the potential
to be good or evil and an ele-
ment of the divine, but most
importantly people need
people, because people are
ideas and myths, the metonyms
we forget.

Applying ‘stranger danger’

to downtown Erie night life
By Jordan
Zangaro
Staff writer
This past Thursday night, one
of my roommates dropped a
few of us off downtown for a
night out.
We got out of the car and
a man approached us crying
and upset. He said he was just
released from the hospital after
being brutally attacked.
His hand was wrapped and
a contusion covered a portion
of his head. He only had half
the money he needed for a bus
ticket home.
While all of the chaos
was going on, another man
approached us and told us how
he was going to file a lawsuit
against a gas station around
the corner.
While the second man was
telling us his story, I was looking
at the injured man deciding how
much money I was going to
give him. I could tell two of the
girls standing next to me were
uncomfortable and nervous. last night?
We expressed our concern for The bottom line is my initial If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen.
what the second man had told reaction was right. Editors Positions @mercyhurst.edu
us, and then I walked past the No matter what the answers Casey Greene Editor-in-Chief editormerciad
first man and gave him some are to those questions in my JoEllen Marsh Managing Editor mgeditormerciad
money in hopes it would help head, the money was not a big Amanda Valauri News Editor newsmerciad
him make it home. One of the deal. I was taught to help those Javi Cubillos Features Editor featuremerciad
other girls did the same. when I can. However, while I am Heather Donovan Opinion Editor opinionmerciad
Right after I put my wallet not upset at the loss of money, Brad Moehringer Sports Editor sportsmerciad
away, my roommate glared at I am worried about the potential Sam Sellinger Sports Editor sportsmerciad
me, shook her head and said, danger I could have been in. Kyle King A&E entertainmentmerciad
“He is lying. He is on drugs and I realize writing a stranger Scoot Williams Photographer photomerciad
most likely preys on young girls danger article would be a waste Tyler Stauffer Photographer photomerciad
to give him money.” of time. But, I am one of the Caitlin Bly Advertising Manager admerciad
As I walked away, the young most paranoid people in the Gretchen Yori Copy Editor copymerciad
man yelled, “God Bless.” I just world and when I was in the Ashley Pastor General Assignment apasto22
let it go and said to my room- actual situation it never even Bill Welch Adviser wwelch
mate, “Oh well. No big deal.” crossed my mind. Brian Sheridan Adviser bsheridan
She laughed and made a joke, Realistically, a call to the
hoping he was not God testing police should have been my The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst
her, and she just failed big time. first instinct. Heed my warning College. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception Of
Later on, we found out the men because these men might still finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is (814)
were there last week, too. be out there roaming the street
824-2376.
It was not until the next looking for naïve people.
morning I started thinking I hope my initial thoughts
about the whole situation again. were true, and I hope my money The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed
Am I too naïve? Did those men helped the man get home. and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the
see me coming and think they But, if I am wrong and for letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters
could get money from me with some reason the con-artist is are due Mondays. by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit
ease? Was giving him the money reading this article… you owe
letters to box PH 485 or via e-mail at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
a huge mistake? Was I in danger me money.
April 8, 2009
Reflecting on complete devotion to faith
Writing about belief is tricky,
because it is so personal.
How could I attempt to
unravel the strands that weave
the fabric of my life, turn them
into words and expect to dupli-
cate them with the same fervor
and conviction with which they
grip my own heart?
But however feeble the prod-
uct, the attempt must be made.
I am motivated and inspired
by a number of ideas, causes
and interests all worthy of
discussion.
But as I seek to cut to the
heart of the matter, I immedi-
ately return to the centrality of
my faith.
This faith is the main pillar
Uncertain future stresses soon-to-be graduates
By Caitlin Bly
Advertising Manager
The future is always a matter
of uncertainty, but with the
economy in the state it is right
now, college graduates face
the greatest challenge among
Americans everywhere, finding
a job.
Like fellow seniors on the
verge of graduation, my future
is unclear and the stress of
not finding my dream job is
beginning to take its toll.
Come May 24, 2009, I will
most likely be unemployed like
the rest of them.
In today’s society, a bachelor’s
of my ethos and the
focal point by which
my worldview is ori-
ented.
Anyone who
knows me well could
tell you that I am a
passionate, devoted
follower of Jesus
Christ. I believe that
no part of my life is
more valuable than
my relationship with
Christ. You may be thinking,
“Great, another proselytizing
religious fanatic.” Believe me, I
understand.
Just by putting the words
“passionate” and “Jesus Christ”
together, I have already evoked
all kinds of terrifying associa-
tions. Televangelists with wild
eyes and weird haircuts asking
you for money. Hypocrisy,
scandal and intolerance. Not to
mention the crusades and the
current army of cultural fun-
damentalists who would rather
stamp their feet and shout about
why everyone else is wrong than
offer any beneficial answer to
society’s troubles.
degree is equivalent to a high
school diploma.
Basically, we have spent the
past four years pulling all-night
study sessions, barely making
project deadlines and writing
ridiculously long essays, so
when I am up against a high
school grad for a position with
a company, he or she can slide
into home without even blinking
an eye.
How fair is that?
Businesses and companies are
downsizing. This is the reality we
have to face. College graduates
need to prepare themselves for
mediocre jobs until the economy
gets its feet back on the ground
and can afford to have us on
OPINION
I concede that the Christian
religion has not always run the
greatest public relations cam-
paign over the past 2,000 years.
Frankly, having to navigate
my way around these precon-
ceptions can be difficult and
embarrassing.
But this is where my views on
faith take a radically different
turn. It seems to me we always
want to imagine the Christian
faith within the context of a
highly organized, structured and
dogmatic institution.
But what if faith, at its deepest
level, was something personal?
What if God exists entirely out-
side of what other people say or
do about him? I believe my own
desire to know my creator tran-
scends any attempt to narrow
him down to a political state-
ment or a cultural crusade.
As I see him in scripture and
as I have perceived his hand
at work in my own life, I see
vaguely, but with ever increasing
clarity, the one who I call God
is worthy of my whole-hearted
devotion.
His love has set me free, and
their team.
I hear McDonald’s is hiring.
Why not put that English
major to good use flipping
burgers down the street? I think
I speak for the seniors when I
say; I want to get out into the
world and see what it has to
offer.
I am sick of being a poor
college student and working a
part-time job to pay my bills.
I want to make some real
cash. I want a grown-up job and
to run away from my minimum-
wage sales position at Victoria’s
Secret and never look back.
There are the ever-dreading
student loans looming over our
heads, and we are all looking
Page 15
his grace and kindness give me a
reason to live. “I have come that
they may have life, and have it to
the full,” (John 10:10).
This promise of life is what
gets me out of bed in the morn-
ing, and as I seek him day by
day, I see this promise fulfilled
Students who have forged
in everything I put my hands to.
through 40 days and 40
I look to Christ because I find
nights may breathe easy
that he is the only answer that
come Easter Sunday. The
makes sense; that he offers rel-
Lenten season has come
evant faith for an incredulous
to an end, so pick up those
generation; that in his hands
chocolate bars and let out
there is healing for a broken
those swear words.
world.
Ray Horton is a junior majoring in
English. His plans include, “going to
graduate school to pursue my M.A. in
English. After that, I will either study
to enter full time ministry, or I will con-
tinue in graduate school to pursue my
Ph.D in English, in order to teach at
the college level.” His favorite aspect
about Mercyhurst College: “I love the
‘Frank and Cam’ did a
strong sense of community the campus
number on the car on the
environment affords its students. It’s
top of Lewis Ave. Finding
very easy to get involved, interact and
your car covered in Saran
make a difference in your own area of
wrap and feminine hygiene
interest while forging close friendships
products can’t be a good
and rewarding acquaintances along
the way.” start to your morning.
forward to paying off for the
next thirty years.
I postponed my search for
a potential job. Instead, I am
looking at graduate schools as
an option, because I do not want
to wear one of those silly visors The staff of The Merciad
the workers at McDonald’s have discovered how gullible
to wear. My ears just aren’t cut a majority of our fellow
out for that kind of hat. classmates are as student
A lot of college graduates after student fell for the
are looking at other schooling McDonald’s April Fool’s
options like me, because there is joke. P.S. Dr. Gamble was
nowhere else to turn right now. duped too.
The hopes for the future are big
Please e-mail any suggestions to
with the new president in the
opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
house, but until we see some
The GB&U is a compilation of
change, college graduates better
student opinions.
have a Plan B come the day
after graduation.

Perfection ends against Gannon
By Katie Waldin
Staff writer
This past week the Mercyhurst
College Lakers were bumped up
to the No. 3 seat for the Division
II Women’s Lacrosse rankings
nationwide.
With an undefeated season so
far, the Lakers could not be too
surprised at the move up within
the ranks.
Despite the boost in overall
national ranking, when the
pressure crept up over the
weekend against cross-town
Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference rivals Gannon
University, the Laker perfect
record slipped away.
Earlier in the week the Lakers
trampled over Seton Hill 20-3 in
another great success, moving
their record to 9-0-0.
With nine different players
contributing to the goals against
Seton Hill, the Lakers are
abundant with talent and are
playing well together.
The 13-8 loss against the
Knights came as a shock to
many fans with Mercyhurst
being ranked No. 3 and Gannon
ranked at No. 6 in the country.
“We were all pretty
disappointed after the Gannon
loss, but it was a reality check
and made us realize that we
are now one of the teams that
everyone is going to want to beat
because we are at the top.” said
Sophomore Kim Masterton.
With an 8-4 advantage at half-
time, Gannon’s defense kept the
Senior Beth Neil goes on the attack in a loss against Gannon
University 13-8.
Lakers out of their half of the
field pushing back towards the
Lakers goal.
“We lost not because they
were the better team, but solely
on the fact that things just
weren’t clicking for us.” said
senior Katy Miller.
With the loss behind
the Lakers, the women are
reevaluating their style of play
and figuring out together what
can get them back on their
winning track.
“Saturday was a huge mental
game for us. Unfortunately
we did not show up 100% on
Saturday and we didn’t get
the outcome that we wanted.
Regardless of the games
outcome, we win and lose as
a team and we pride ourselves
on that.” said senior Elizabeth
Scoot Williams photo
Wagner.
Senior Breanna Haggerty
commented on the game, “I
think our loss to Gannon was a
reality check for us. We definitely
didn’t play our game and that
hurt us. It’s a tough thing to
beat a team twice, especially
when they are your rival.” said
Haggerty.
“We lost to Gannon this time,
but were glad it happened now
rather than in our post season.
Not being undefeated anymore
takes a little pressure off us as
a team and it’s easier to go into
a tournament with a loss or two
under your belt.” said Haggerty.
As the Lakers move
forward towards the national
tournament, they must take the
season game by game and look
to beat Slippery Rock this week.
Baseball........................................................Mar. 31, W 7-4, Wheeling
Mar. 31, L 7-5, Wheeling
Apr. 4, W 6-0, Lake Erie
Apr. 4, W 8-5, Lake Erie
Apr. 5, W 18-0, Lake Erie
Apr. 5, W 10-5, Lake Erie
Softball........................................................Mar. 31, W 10-1, Edinboro
Mar. 31, W 5-4, Edinboro
Apr. 5, L 9-1, Slippery Rock
Apr. 5, W 10-0, Slippery Rock
Men’s Lacrosse..........................................Apr. 1, W 14-8, Seton Hill
Apr. 4, W 16-4, Dominican
Apr. 5, W 20-4, Grand Canyon
Women’s Lacrosse....................................Apr. 1, W 20-3, Seton Hill
Apr. 5, L 13-8, Gannon
Women’s Water Polo......................................Apr. 4, L 11-7, Indiana
Apr. 4, W 10-4, Gannon
Mercyhurst hockey teams honored by Erie
Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams were honored by Erie
City Council members for their successful seasons on April 1 at
the Municipal Building in downtown Erie. Women’s coach Mike
Sisti and men’s coach Rick Gotkin were presented with certificates
to honor their seasons and deep runs into the playoffs. The men’s
team finished with an overall record of 22-15-3 before bowing out
to Air Force in the Atlantic Hockey Association Championship
Game. The women recorded their first ever 30-win season and
made it to their first ever Frozen Four and National Championship
game before being defeated by the University of Wisconsin. They
finished with an overall record of 31-6-0.
Michelle Schmitz-Softball
Mercyhurst College sophomore Michelle Schmitz was named
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Softball Athlete of
the Week. Schmitz batted .583 for the week and accumulated a
.917 slugging percentage, one double, one home run and seven
RBIs for the week.
Steve Grife-Baseball
Mercyhurst College junior pitcher Steve Grife was named Pennsyl-
vania State Athletic Conference Western Division Pitcher of the
Week. Grife threw his first no-hitter as a Laker in a 6-0 victory by
the Lakers over Lake Erie College. Grife has complied a 4-1 record
with a 2.95 ERA on the year.
April 8, 2009
Lakers win despite weather Rowing kicks off
Softball splits series with The Rock in rain-soaked week
By Sarah Powell
Staff writer
Heavy rains last week caused
some problems for the Mercy-
hurst college women’s softball
team.
Thursday’s game against Slip-
pery Rock University of Penn-
sylvania was postponed until
Sunday and Saturday’s game
against Gannon University is
postponed until tomorrow Apr.
9.
Having two big games post-
poned in one weekend can put
a damper on a team, especially
when one of those games
is against cross-town rival
Gannon.
“After two days of games
being delayed we had a rough
game coming up against Slip-
pery Rock. I was very proud of
the team coming out the second
game and fighting back for a
huge win against The Rock.”
sophomore Michelle Schmitz
said.
“After only scoring one run
in the first game, it was nice to
Sophomore Michelle Schmitz homered and drove in four runs against Slippery Rock University
on Thursday.
see the bats light up and score
10 runs in the second game,”
Schmitz said.
“Of course the Gannon game
is huge, so the anticipation for
the game is huge and despite
the delays, the team can’t wait
to take it to them on Thursday,”
added Schmitz.
The Slippery Rock game
showed everyone the Lakers
are a great team when they play
hard and work together.
After losing 9-1 in 5 innings,
the Lakers turned it around to
win 10-0 in five innings. Schmitz
and freshman Emily Redig each
homered in the first inning of
the second game and gave Mer-
cyhurst the boost they needed.
The Lakers’ record now
stands at 13-14.
Mercyhurst has an intense
schedule this week. Today, they
will be traveling to Clarion Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania for a 3
p.m. game.
Thursday, the Lakers will
travel cross-town to take on
Gannon. Friday, the Lakers will
have their second meeting with
California University of Penn-
SPORTS
sylvania.
In the first meeting between
the two teams, Mercyhurst went
0-2, losing the first game 0-8
in five innings, then 0-2 in the
second game.
The final doubleheader of the
week will be played against West
Chester University on Saturday.
Three out of the five double-
header games will be played at
Mercyhurst.
Currently in the Pennsylva-
nia State Athletic Conference
Western Division, the Lakers
are ranked No. 3. California
(Pa.) is leading the division with
a perfect record, followed by
Slippery Rock with a record of
3-3, Mercyhurst with a record
of 3-3, Edinboro is at 2-4 in the
conference and Gannon rounds
out the poll at 0-4.
Only two of the five double-
header games Mercyhurst has
this week are PSAC West con-
ference games, but it is impor-
tant for the Lakers to improve
their record to continue on to
their goal toward a bid in the
conference tournament at the
end of April.
Jim Cooper photo
season in New Jersey
By Anne Sobol
Staff writer
Mercyhurst’s rowing teams
will kick off their 2009 spring
season this weekend at the
Knecht Cup in Camden, N.J.
Coming off a fifth place finish
at the 2008 NCAA National
Championships, the women are
heading into the weekend with
a No. 4 spot according to the
U.S. Rowing/Collegiate Rowing
Coaches Association polls
released on March 25, ahead of
their nemesis Dowling College.
Western Washington won
gold for the fourth consecutive
year and is currently ranked No.
1, while U.C. San Diego is sit-
ting at the three spot after their
second finish as runner-up in as
many years.
Dowling and Philadelphia
took 3rd and 4th place at the
championship respectively.
While Dowling began the
month of March ranked at No.
2, they have since dropped from
the polls.
Instead, that spot was taken
by Philadelphia University who
will also compete this weekend.
The Lady Lakers will face off
in the Club Eight event with
We need writers!
If interested in covering
Mercyhurst sports next year.
Contact
sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
PAID positions available!
Page 17
Philadelphia, Dowling, Lafay-
ette, Penn State and Barry Uni-
versity, which is hanging onto
the 5th and final spot in the
polls.
Last year, the women took
third in this event behind
Dowling and Philadelphia and
just ahead of Lafayette by one
second, so this match-up will
definitely be a nail-biter.
The women’s second boat to
compete will be a four, which is
also sure to be a highly adrenal-
ized race.
As for the men, they have
entered five boats in four races.
These include A and B boats
for the varsity pair race, a fresh-
man four, and a four in each
of the varsity and lightweight
events, both of which they
swept with gold at last year’s
Cup.
They are expected to make a
strong showing for themselves
as usual.
Page 20:
Junior Steve Grife (14) deliv-
ers a pitch in Grife’s no-hit
performance in a 6-0 victory
over Lake Erie College at
Mercyhurst Collge on Apr. 4.
Page 18
Josh Sheilds wrestled all the way to a national championship as he compiled a 29-3 record this
season.
National champion on the mat
Just an ordinary kid on campus
By Devin Swanson
Staff writer
When he’s not winning the
D-II national championship
in wrestling, sophomore Josh
Shields enjoys being a normal
student at Mercyhurst College.
Get him inside the boundary
line, however, and chances
are when the match is over he
comes out on top.
Shields proved this in his
last match of the season at the
NCAA Division II National
Championships Festival in
Houston, Texas.
Held over a five-day period
in mid-March, the tournament
became one for the history
books at Mercyhurst when
Shields defeated the University
of Nebraska at Omaha’s Aaron
Denson in a 5-0 decision
to become the Hurst’s first
wrestling national champion.
“It was a pretty great feeling.
[Denson] was a tough kid and
definitely had the right to be
there,” Shields said about his
championship match.
Though not a major decision,
Shields’ five-point margin was
the largest of any championship
match, most coming down to
one point or overtime.
How does one prepare to
wrestle for the national title?
Shields said he gets ready the
same way before every match,
including never taking his shorts
off before his shirt.
“I’ve been wearing the same
socks for every match since
12th grade,” Shields said.
It certainly works, because
after he lost to Denson on Jan.
10, Shields went on a 21-match
tear, during which he beat then-
No. 1 Kyle Keane of University
of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and
surged into the national final
without a loss.
Stomping Denson in the
championship match, which
included an escape point, three
near-fall points and a riding
SPORTS
Scoot Williams photo
time advantage point, was not
only fitting, but also extremely
satisfying for Shields.
“It definitely added a little
fire to my fight since he beat me
once before,” Shields said.
Shields’ championship caps
another extremely successful
year for the Laker wrestling
team.
This year three wrestlers,
junior Andy Lamancusa, senior
Payne Lint, and Shields earned
All-American honors.
Coach Mike Wehler said “the
guys who made All-American
were consistent all year and
really deserved to be where they
were.”
Wehler preaches hard work
and commitment as the keys
to success in his program, and,
with his results, who can argue?
See related
story on Page 7
Laker’s offense heats up
By Gary Coad
Staff writer
Men’s lacrosse continued its
winning ways this past week
with three victories.
Roll might not be the best
way to put it, perhaps steam
rolled would be more appropri-
ate as the Lakers outscored their
opponents by a total of 50-16
during the week.
The first game was against
Seton Hill University and this
proved to be the biggest test for
the Lakers.
A red hot start gave the
Lakers a 6-0 score to work with
and they never looked back.
The final score was 14-8 as
sophomore Cameron McLean
and junior Tyler Burton com-
bined for nine goals in the
game.
Junior Michael Sciulli did his
best to facilitate the offense
dishing out four assists.
Seton Hill came into the game
ranked ninth but was no match
for the fifth ranked Lakers.
Cameron McLean followed
his big game against Seton
Mercyhurst College senior Mike Thorn takes a shot in the
Lakers 20-4 victory over Grand Canyon University.
April 8, 2009
Hill with a career day against
Dominican College as he posted
seven goals.
Lead by McLean, who single-
handedly outscored the opposi-
tion, the Lakers cruised to a 16-
4 win to improve to 8-1 on the
season.
Using a goaltender-by-com-
mittee system the Lakers limited
Dominican to only four goals,
three of which were when the
Lakers were in a man-down
situation.
Also contributing to the vic-
tory was Senior Mike Bartlett,
who added two goals and three
assists.
Next for the Lakers was the
Grand Canyon University.
Grand Canyon’s defense had
Grand Canyon-sized holes as
the Lakers won 20-4.
Twelve players added goals in
the blowout and it was a great
showing for the whole team.
The Lakers now have a short
break before continuing their
season on April 11.
They currently sit at No. 5 in
the polls with a at 9-1 overall
and 3-0 in the conference for
the season.
Jim Cooper photo
April 8, 2009 SPORTS Page 19

Buy me some peanuts

MLB opens season over weekend
By Samantha Sellinger
Sports editor
Baseball fans, dust off those
caps and get those mits ready to
catch some fly balls, because it
is Major League Baseball time
again! This past Sunday, April
5, 2009, MLB started off the
season.
For some teams, such as the
New York Yankees, the season
is off to a rough start.
All the Cracker Jacks in the
world can’t cheer up the fans
who watched their team lose to
the Baltimore Orioles in their
season opener. Incidently, the
Orioles finshed last in the league
Scoot Williams photo last year.
Mercyhurst College hitters tore through the Lake Erie College pitchers as the Lakers hit 42 After spending over 400 mil-
runs in their weekend sweep of the Storm. lion in the off season signing
free agents, seems like a waste to
The Yankees didn’t just
acquire new players, though.
They look forward to play-
ing in the new state-of-the-art
stadium, deemed the “New”
Yankee Stadium.
“The new stadium looks
pretty awesome, although the
old one will be missed for all
its memories,” Tucker said.
“It looks pretty freakin cool
though!”
Last season’s World Series
Champions, the Philadelphia
Phillies weren’t proud of their
season opener either.
They lost to the Atlanta
Braves at the Phillies’ World
Series celebration game.
While some fans are lament-
ing their team’s losses, others
are rejoicing at success.
The Pittsburgh Pirates came
back against the St. Louis Car-

Lakers navigate through the fans who are dissppointed with

the outcome of last weekend’s
game.
dinals in the top of the ninth
for their first win this season on
Monday.

Storm with Stoll at the helm “I was dissappointed they

By Nick Glasier
Staff writer
The Mercyhurst College baseball team entered
the weekend looking to jump-start an offense
which sputtered the weekend before.
The Lakers accomplished this with a 42-run
offensive explosion, as they obliterated Lake Erie
College in a sweep of the Storm.
The “Big Three” who propelled the Lakers
this year were led by senior Jeff Stoll. He batted
.500 for the weekend, with two home runs and
10 RBIs.
Sophomore Craig Denman rebounded from
a cold weekend at the plate against Lock Haven
University of Pennsylvania by hitting .416 against
Lake Erie with six RBIs and one grand slam.
Freshman Ethan Santora was held to one hit as
the Storm’s pitchers pitched around Santora and
put his chase for the home run record on hold.
Senior Jamie Walczak batted .500 and scored
seven runs in the series to add to the red hot
Laker offense.
The Lakers at home on Saturday defeated the
lost opening day, especially after
spending millions of dollars
Used to dealing with defeat,
Pirates fans are hoping to have
a season to celebrate.
Storm 6-0 in game one and 5-5 in game two. on new players,” senior Randy But the fact of the matter is,
The Lakers’ performance was highlighted by
Tucker said. “But hopefully there is still a long way to go in
junior pitcher Steve Grife who tossed his first they’ll be able to turn the season the 162 game season, and any-
no-hitter as a Laker. Junior Trey Bennett paced around.” thing can happen.
the Lakers offensively in game one with a grand
slam.
In game two, the Lakers rallied with a four-run
sixth inning to defeat the Storm 8-5.
The Lakers traveled to Eastlake, Oh. to play at
Johnson & Johnson
Classic Park, a minor league baseball field, to play
the Storm.
In game one, the Lakers bludgeoned the Storm
Properties
with a 18-0 performance as the Lakers one-hit the
Storm with five different pitchers.
Stoll hit two home runs in the game, one out of
the park, and added six RBIs.
Craig Denman added a grand slam to the
Lakers’ hit parade. The Lakers went on to win
game two 10-5.
HOUSES FOR RENT
The Lakers improved their record to 21-12 and
third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
West Division.
Starting June 1, 2009
The Lakers will be back in action against
second-place Slippery Rock University on Friday,
Apr. 10.
814-860-8817
 Laker Sports

Grife
tosses
no-hitter
Junior Steve Grife no-hits Lake Erie College on Apr. 4
<< Page 19

Scoot Williams photo

Caption on page 17