h e M e rc i a d

T Vo l .
84 , No . 20 /03 /30 /11
,F RE E

CAR EM?
PE BRE W
Biology student to begin
brewing beer in fall Read the story
on page 2.

MORE INSIDE AND ONLINE

Tuition Jazz FM offers ‘Complexions’ Pair of ‘Hurst
increases to unique presents students box in
keep college work-study dichotomy of Golden Gloves
operating opportunity dance matches
Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 8
Page 2
Biology student to begin brewing beer
By Kelly Luoma
Managing editor
Sophomore biology major Drew
Spacht will begin brewing beer as
part of an independent study in the
fall.
This project, which involves
growing barley and hops on the
Mercyhurst College west campus,
serves as a learning experience that
could potentially involve the entire
campus.
“The idea is to eventually, hope-
fully, sell it here on campus,” Spacht
said.
Spacht first heard of the idea
of brewing beer on campus when
biology professor Michael Camp-
bell, Ph.D., mentioned the idea in
Spacht’s freshman interdisciplinary
course. Spacht then expressed inter-
est to Campbell during the middle
of winter term this year.
Campbell is assisting Spacht in
experimenting with the ingredi-
ents involved in beer making, and
Campbell noted there is much to
learn about brewing beer.
Despite his idea to brew beer
as part of a learning experience,
David Whyte shares poetry, wisdom
Poet David Whyte spoke at Mercyhurst College on Sunday,
March 27, as part of the annual Literary Festival.
Sophomore Drew Spacht will be brewing beer as part of an
independent study in the fall.
Campbell said he does not endorse
selling beer on campus.
“The idea of selling alcohol is a
whole other can of worms,” Camp-
Jill Barrile photo
NEWS
Jill Barrile photo
bell said. “We can’t just distribute
alcoholic beverages on campus
without having a state license.”
Campbell has not discussed
By Christopher James
Contributing writer
The first of three events for
Mercyhurst’s ninth annual Literary
Festival took place Sunday, when
poet David Whyte not only recited
poetry but also spoke words of
wisdom to the audience.
Whyte described his childhood
and how he became a poet. He
began writing poetry at age seven.
“I was searching for a way of
trying to be equal to the world. I
would stare at the stars until I got a
headache,” Whyte said.
For 10 years, he studied marine
life and spent two of those years
doing research in the Galapagos
Islands.
“When I got there, none of the
animals had read any of my biol-
ogy books,” Whyte said. “When
an animal would do something that
it was not supposed to, I found
myself turning away.”
the idea with college administra-
tion because they are years away
from being able to sell or market
a beer on the Mercyhurst campus,
he said.
Despite needing to research
Liquor Control Board laws before
being able to sell alcohol on
campus, Spacht discussed why he is
interested in brewing beer and the
prospect of selling it.
“Beer has pretty much always
been a part of my life in a positive
way,” Spacht said.
His grandfather owned Grape
City Beer, and his father, who has
done home brewing, refers to him-
self as a “beer snob.”
“I came to love and appreciate
different beer types and complexi-
ties of beer,” Spacht said.
He said homemade beer tastes
better than beer purchased from a
distributor.
“When you actually make some-
thing, it’s really good,” Spacht said.
Gerard Tobin, Ph.D., vice presi-
dent of student life, said the col-
lege would not be opposed to the
marketing and distribution of any
college-branded product, including
alcoholic beverages.
After spending time in the Gala-
pagos Islands, Whyte had a desire
to describe the things that he had
seen, but “scientific language was
not precise enough to describe
the world” he had experienced, he
said.
Freshman Tye Schreiber was
impressed with the transition Whyte
made.
“It was pretty cool how he went
from a marine zoologist to poet,”
Schreiber said.
At the event, Whyte recited
his own works as well as works
of other poets such as Dante and
Shakespeare.
Freshman Aaron Gomes enjoyed
the variety of poems Whyte
recited.
“He was very good, and he had a
lot to offer,” Gomes said.
Whyte’s writings were on various
topics, but the poems he recited
stressed the self. He discussed
undergoing hard times in life and
gave advice about dealing with
these tough times.
March 30, 2011
The administration would,
however, have to examine the
legal and mission-related con-
cerns involved.
“It’s not unheard of for religious
organizations to have distilleries,”
said Tobin, citing groups like the
Abbey Beverage Co. run by Bene-
dictine monks in New Mexico. “We
would just need to closely consider,
‘Is this something in line with the
college’s mission?’
“We could sell tires if we wanted
to, but would that be consistent
with the mission?”
Spacht’s goal of making a sus-
tainable beer would fit in with part
of the college’s mission.
“We want it to be a sustainable,
organic beer, if at all possible,
which so far, it looks pretty good,”
Spacht said.
The barley seeds are organic, and
both the hops and barley will be
grown organically, he said. The beer
will be produced locally.
As of now, there are no name
ideas for a beer produced at Mer-
cyhurst, but the creators do have a
slogan idea.
“Carpe Brewem,” Spacht said.
“Seize the beer.”
“I could hear echoes of great
writers in his work,” chair of the
English department Jeffrey Roess-
ner, Ph.D., said. “He had a ter-
rific emphasis on delivering lines
of poetry so that the audience
caught every word. He intently
focused on connecting with the
audience.”
Whyte defined what being a
poet means to him. He said a poet
is someone who can see reality for
how it truly is.
“One of the difficult arts of both
life and writing is meeting reality,”
Whyte said. “The way we learn is by
going through periods of visitation
and absence… Knowing and not
knowing.”
At the end of the event, Whyte
left his audience with a question.
“Will you turn your face back
to the next great step in life?” he
asked.
The next Literary Festival event
takes place Thursday, April 7, when
poet Gary Myers will read his works
in Taylor Little Theatre at 8 p.m.
March 30, 2011 NEWS Page 3

Career Fair shows Tuition increases to keep

Mercyhurst students
are qualified, prepared
By Kelly Luoma
Managing editor
Students met with employers,
handed out their resumes and dis-
cussed career and internship oppor-
tunities at last week’s annual Career
and Job Fair.
From a total of 518 students who
attended the event, 402 of them are
from the Mercyhurst main campus,
according to Executive Director of
Experiential Learning Kyle Foust,
Ph.D.
This is an 11 percent increase
over the number of students from
Mercyhurst who attended last year’s
career fair.
“We are very pleased with that,”
Foust said.
Many students who attended
the fair found it to be a helpful and
positive experience.
“I think it’s going great,” gradu-
ate student Jimmy Strand said. “I
think they have a great selection of
companies, they certainly tried to
cover all their majors, and I think
the school has done a good job of
letting the students know about the
fair.”
Senior Kelton Macke went to the
fair looking for a local internship.
“It’s been very helpful actually,”
she said.
Out of the 74 companies that
were present, senior accounting and
finance major Tyler Rowley said he
couldn’t find any that appealed to
him.
“No one has anything to offer in
my major,” he said.
In order to cater to students who
are undeclared, Academic Support
from Mercyhurst was present at the
fair. Retention Specialist from the
Student Academic Support Office
Justin Ross said the office was there
because the fair was a great oppor-
tunity for undeclared students.
He said the career fair was help-
ful for students to connect employ-
ers with skills they would need for
the future. This could then help
them decide on a major.
Ross said he was pleased with
the number of undeclared students
who attended the fair.
“We had a great turnout,” Ross
said. “I wish all of them would
show up.”
The employers at the event told
Foust the students were qualified
and presented themselves well. The
employers’ comments show that
Mercyhurst has properly prepared
its students, Foust said.
Foust is working on survey-
ing the representatives who came
to the fair as well as students who
attended in order to get feedback
about the Career Fair.
Mercyhurst operating
By Mike Gallagher
Staff writer
As it does every year, Mercyhurst College’s tuition
will increase for the 2011-12 academic year.
According to the minutes from the Jan. 27 meeting,
the Board of Trustees “approved an overall increase
of 5.17 percent (blended rate), representing a $1,839
additional cost for a resident student to attend Mercy-
hurst College Erie campus during academic year 2011-
2012.”
The board minutes broke down this percentage into
what each additional expense will be.
This overall increase in tuition brings “tuition based
on flat-rate billing to $25,860 (a 4.92 percent increase);
mandatory fees to $1,782 (a 4.96 percent increase);
room and board to $9,738 (a 5.91 percent increase); for
a total cost of $37,380 for a full-time resident student
to attend Mercyhurst College in Erie during academic
year 2011-2012.”
Mercyhurst Vice President for Finance and Trea-
surer Jane Kelsey said the total cost for a full-time
resident student who attends Mercyhurst next year is
$35,541.
This cost, though, is only the standard cost, which
varies with housing and meal plan selections, she
said.
As large an increase as this may seem, “compared to
last year’s total cost increase of 5.48 percent, this year’s
increase is 5.17 percent. The increase is lower compared
to last year,” Kelsey said. “Tuition only was increased
by 4.92 percent compared to an increase of 5.00 per-
cent last year, and an increase as high as 7.61 percent
in 2007-2008.”
Kelsey compared this increase to tuition increases in
the past.
“The total cost increase is an average of 6 percent
over the past 21 years, so we are under our historical
average with a total cost increase of 5.17 percent for
next year,” Kelsey said. “The administration worked
hard to keep it below the historical average due to the
economy and financial struggles of our students and
their families.”
Tuition increases every year because it “costs money
to run the college, and a lot of it goes towards student
scholarships,” she said.
The excess money gathered from the tuition increase
goes toward “increased utility costs, a very modest
salary increase for faculty and staff and other operating
costs,” Kelsey said. “Running a campus of this size is
almost like running a city.”

News Briefs
Student threatened with knife
A female student was threatened with a knife on Sunday,
March 27, at approximately 4 a.m. when she was walking
toward Warde Hall. A dark green car approached her, and a
white male asked if she had a cigarette. The male then showed
the student a large kitchen knife and ordered her into the vehi-
cle. The student ran into her residence hall, and the man drove
away. This incident is similar to a report earlier this school year
when a female student was threatened by a male with a kitchen

knife. This incident occurred in the CVS parking lot.
Summer employment available for students
Students interested in summer employment at Mercyhurst
College can pick up applications at the HR Office in Weber
Hall. Applications must be returned by Friday, April 15, to be
considered for the first round of job assignments. Students
who work at least 180 hours during the summer qualify for a
50 percent reduction in their summer housing.
Correction
The March 23 issue of The Merciad contained incorrect information about Mercyhurst’s
Equestrian Club. While the Equestrian Team currently competes regionally against 16 schools with
two members, the Equestrian Club has a 2010-11 membership of 17 students. Additionally, Chad
Redmond, Ph.D., founded the club in 2004 with the help of students at the time. Current club adviser
Mary Ann Owoc, Ph.D., succeeded him in 2005.
Page 4
’Hurst to host second Relay for Life
By Alicia Cagle
Staff writer
The second Relay for Life at Mer-
cyhurst College will take place out-
side the Hermann Student Union
from 1 p.m. Saturday, April 30 to 1
a.m. Sunday, May 1.
Students will walk in teams for
the American Cancer Society for
12 hours, raising money for cancer
awareness and research.
In 2010, Relay for Life was the
largest student-run philanthropy
event at Mercyhurst. Junior Ethan
Johns plays an important role as co-
chair of the event along with junior
Katie Pieh.
Pieh is planning events that rep-
resent Relay for Life and its new
Jazz FM provides entertainment, opportunity
Freshman Ashley Ayers above, and senior Lisa MacDonald are
two of the students who work at Mercyhurst’s Jazz FM.
affiliation, Colleges Against Cancer.
Johns became involved in Relay
for Life after he was diagnosed with
cancer.
“I was invited to Relay in the
spring as a survivor and realized
it was a great way to recognize
all that the Mercyhurst and Erie
communities do to support those
with cancer, aim to prevent cancer,
and ultimately fight for a cure,” he
said.
There is hope that Relay for Life
will become an annual event for the
Mercyhurst College community.
As a graduate of Mercyhurst Prep,
Johns would like to see more par-
ticipation from the high school and
also from the Sisters of Mercy.
Sophomore Kaleigh Hubert is
another student participating in
Ethan Magoc photos
FEATURES
Relay for Life as a member and cap-
tain of the Honors Program team.
“I participate in Relay for Life
because I want to make a differ-
ence, and I find it to be a very fun
and rewarding event,” Hubert said.
“There are a number of students
interested in walking and helping
out, and because Relay for Life hits
home for a lot of people, I truly
expect that we will gain a great deal
of support from our program.”
Hubert participates because her
grandmother is fighting liver cancer,
and her grandfather overcame pros-
tate cancer a few years ago.
“I walk for the two of them and
for everyone else who is and was
affected by this awful disease in the
hopes that someday, a cure will be
found. I have been participating in
By Christopher James
Contributing writer
Mercyhurst College offers plenty
of options for students to have their
voices heard by the college and the
Erie community.
Through shows produced in the
television studio to stories in The
Merciad, students can add their
contributions and learn new skills
that will help prepare them for life
after college.
At WMCE, Mercyhurst’s jazz
station, students are finding more
opportunities for their voices to be
heard while honing important skills.
“The students help with every-
thing from public service announce-
ments to CD categorizing,” said Mike
Leal, Jazz FM director of broad-
casting. Students are also given the
opportunity to work on “Top Jazz”
and “Jazz at the Hurst,” the station’s
two shows, that air each week.
“Jazz at the Hurst” plays each
Wednesday at 3 p.m., and currently
has three students take turns creat-
ing the show each week. “We try to
rotate hosts because students don’t
normally have the time to do it
every week,” Leal said.
Senior Lisa MacDonald and
freshman Ashley Ayers are two of
the hosts. Their work with WMCE
has taught them skills that will help
both in the future.
March 30, 2011
Relay for Life for the past few years, What are you
including last year when Mercy-
hurst hosted its first Relay for Life
looking
on campus,” Hubert said.
This year, Johns and the com-
forward to
mittee, which in addition to Pieh
also includes Lorraine Frownfelter,
this term?
system/domain administrator and
their American Cancer Society rep-
resentative, are planning to raise at
least $25,000 in order to beat last
year’s amount.
Johns said they also want to
increase the number of teams and
participants. There were 32 teams in
2010, and there are 32 teams signed
“The fact that this is
up for this year’s Relay for Life with
hope for more. my last term before my
For more information or to sign senior year-this term is
up for this year’s Relay for Life, go one of the last speed-
to relay.mercyhurst.edu. bumps before
graduation.”
-Tim McAndrew,
junior
MacDonald is a biology major
who has been working at the radio
station since her freshman year.
Since last winter, MacDonald has
done about 20 shows of “Jazz at
the Hurst.” Though MacDonald
does not intend to pursue a career
in radio, she recognizes the advan-
tages it has given her. “The thing I’m looking
“I’ve become comfortable with forward to this year
the sound of my voice, and I com- is �inishing and �inally
municate better,” MacDonald said.
showing this year’s
Ayers, a communication major, is Communiaction movie,
also seeing the benefits of working at
“Diary of Sarah Lucas.”
the radio station.
We have all worked so
“I love working here. Mike’s such
a nice guy, and it’s nice to get familiar
hard on it and I’m really
with the equipment,” Ayers said. excited to �inally share
She, too, feels more comfortable it with everyone on May
and confident with her voice.The 8 in Taylor little Theatre
radio station can be heard throughout at 8 p.m. It’s going to be
the Erie area, but Ayers thinks more
a blast.”
Mercyhurst students should tune into -Leah Hubbard, senior
the station.
“I wish that more students would
listen, because a lot of people put
hard work into this,” Ayers said.
Leal plans to get a fourth host for
“Jazz at the Hurst” next year, and
“the door is always open for students
who would like to be here as a work
study or volunteer to help continue “I am looking forward
with the jazz format,” Leal said. “We
to the warm weather
would really be struggling without the
help of our work-study students.”
and day-long ‘study’
Any students interested in work- sessions at the beach.”
ing at the radio station can contact -Amanda Crago,
Leal. For everyone else, don’t forget
freshman
to tune into 88.5 Jazz FM.
March 30, 2011 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5

‘Complexions’ presents the dichotomy of dance

By Sarah Mastrocola
Staff writer
The Complexions Contempo-
rary Ballet performance on Sunday
in the Performing Arts Center
can really only be described as a
visual fiesta of beauty and ath-
leticism that left the audience very
impressed.
The dancers moved with sinu-
ous grace and utter control while
also incorporating raw ferocity and
a degree of ruggedness in many of
the pieces.
Freshman Emily McAveney
described the performances as
“the perfect combination of pure
athleticism and exceptional art-
istry.”
The performance featured the
choreography of Dwight Rhoden,
a lauded dance figure and co-direc-
tor of the company along with Des-
mond Richardson.
The evening began with “Moon
Over Jupiter,” a piece memorable
for its lighting as well as the danc-
ing.
The hazy lights created an atmo-
sphere in which it seemed almost
like the dancers were dancing on a
moon.
The choreography for this piece,
with its many duets and solos inter-
twined with group dancing, success-
fully showcased the many talents of
both the men and women of the
company.
Next came “Spill,” a pas de deux
(dance for two) performed in tan
costumes that made the dancers
look almost nude.
This shorter piece incorporated
continuous motion that kept the
eye busy to the very last second.
Though less memorable than
some of the other pieces on the
program, “Spill” displayed the
impressive partnering skills of the
two who danced it.
“On Holiday” gave some variety
to the concert as it featured more
jazzy movement elements and
women in ballroom heels rather
than pointe shoes.
The piece included a series of
pas de deuxs which ended with an
especially raw, heated duet.
Music included jazz pieces like
Dancers from Complexions Contemporary Ballet dance a pas
de deux titled “Spill.”
“Come Rain or Come Shine” and
“My Man.”
Another portion of Act II,
“Moody Booty Blues,” began with
Tyler Stauffer photo
a riveting trio of males jumping
with great vigor that melded into
vivacious dancing with two female
members of the company.
This piece also had a bluesy, jazz
influence.
Finally, the performance ended
with “Rise,” a high-energy and
intensely riveting piece set to music
by U2.
The combination of rock con-
cert-like lighting, red costuming,
and the dynamic performance by
the dancers ended the evening with
a definite bang.
One of the most visually appeal-
ing aspects of the whole perfor-
mance was the way in which the
choreography and lighting accentu-
ated the exceptionally well sculpted
bodies of the dancers in the com-
pany.
“They utilized dynamics to
emphasize their extreme lines and
articulate bodies,” said freshman
Eliza Davidson.
All in all, the Complexions per-
formance left many impressed and
excited by the energy of the eve-
ning.
“Their attack is so amazing
but they still have perfect con-
trol over their movements,” said
freshman Emily Reed. “They are
fierce.”

Singers perform poetry in ‘Matchbook’

By Natalie Pertz
Staff writer
This past Friday, the Erie com-
munity gathered for a collaborative
performance of original poetry and
classical music compositions.
“Matchbook: An Evening of
Poetry, Music, and Song” began at
8 p.m. in a well attended Walker
Recital Hall to an eager audience.
Sponsored by the Poet Laureate
Initiative of Erie County, the con-
cert featured the poetic work of
Beth Gylys set to the musical com-
positions of Dan Welcher.
Gylys, an award-winning author
and English teacher at Georgia
State University, formerly served on
the faculty of the English Depart-
ment at Mercyhurst.
The concert began with a wel-
come and introduction of Gylys by
her husband, Thomas Forsthoefel
Ph.D., a Mercyhurst professor of
religious studies and the 2010-11
Poet Laureate of Erie County.
Gylys read a selection of her
additional poetic work prior to the
actual “Matchbook” performance
commenced.
The poetry in her chapbook
“Matchbook” became the inspira-
tion for Friday’s song sequence.
Gylys says she “had always had
a fascination for the concept of
personal ads in which people would
summarize themselves and what
they were all about in a few, short
sentences.”
When making her “Matchbook,”
Gylys thought of every individu-
al’s personal ad as a character and
wanted to bring that character to
life in their poem or in this case,
their poetic song.
The poetic song came to life
through the dynamic performances
of singers from the D’Angelo
Department of Music under the
direction of Louisa Jonason.
The student performers included
Andrea Baker, Sara Maitland, Brit-
tany Barko, Katie Wagner and
Nathan Stern.
After seeing her peers perform,
freshman Kathleen Reveille said
“it was nice to see my friends per-
Tyler Stauffer photo form the songs of a well established
Sophomore Sara Maitland performed“Reubenesque.” poet.”
Although the performance was a
delightful experience for the audi-
ence and performers alike, junior
Katie Wagner, who sang “Luscious
Latina” in a fun, feisty characteriza-
tion, said, “the songs were difficult
to learn, but we all (the perform-
ers) managed to have fun with our
characters once we got the music
down.”
The concert was an enjoyable
blend of original, witty personal
ads such as “Filthy Rich, In Search
of a French Maid,” “You Smell of
Money,” and “In Search of Under-
taker’s Daughter” and upbeat, clev-
erly composed music.
The singers were able to bring
Gylys’ characters to life through
individual performances that
brought smiles and laughter to
those who attended.
Sophomore Sara Maitland per-
formed a piece titled “Reuben-
esque.”
“It was a wonderfully refreshing
opportunity to sing a such a modern
original work like this,” she said.
“It was difficult on a certain level
because I wanted to give justice to
the true essence of the poem.”
Page 6
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.
Water crisis remains
Why the situation should be addressed
By Kathleen Vogtle
Staff writer
Our planet is faced with various
crises, many of which are far-reach-
ing or long-lasting. It often feels as
though new situations are springing
up daily.
Wars are waging; people are
starving or have nowhere to live; the
AIDS virus thrives in Africa; social
injustices and prejudices affect the
way we see the world.
These challenges, among others,
are what most people tend to think
of when evaluating society’s situa-
tion. They are very bold, in one’s
face and immediate.
But the sheer weight they carry
often causes a shift in focus away
from other problems which might
present equal, if not greater, issues
Uncovering the X-Files
An online look at the FBI’s cover-ups
By Mike Lado
Staff writer
This week, I’m going to take a
break from politics and social issues
and talk about something fun.
I was recently on my favorite fan
site for the “X-Files,” a show from
the mid-1990s about a team of FBI
special agents who investigated
paranormal crimes and phenom-
ena. The show revolved around two
agents named Mulder and Scully.
Mulder believed that the paranor-
mal was real but Scully was a skep-
tic. By the time the show ended in
2002, it had a large and dedicated
fan base.
In the “X-Files,” the govern-
ment was always covering up much
of the work Mulder was doing in
in the future. One of these is the
water crisis.
Water has been of great impor-
tance since before biblical times. It
has been the basis of migrations
and allowed for the building of
civilizations. Crops are planted and
harvested based on aquatic rhythms.
Water is the world’s greatest creator
and also one of its greatest destruc-
tive forces.
The World Water Council reports
that one billion people live without
clean drinking water and many lack
adequate sanitation. Nearly 4,000
children die every day from water-
borne diseases.
The daily per capita use of water
in residential areas is 350 liters in
North America and Japan and
200 liters in Europe, compared
to 10 to 20 liters in sub-Saharan
Africa. Additionally, more than
260 river basins are shared by two
order to prevent the truth about the
paranormal from getting out to the
public. Besides the flying saucers
and little green men, the “X-Files”
was a humorous yet dark show that
turned out to be one of the best sci-
fi shows ever.
What if I told you there really
were “X-Files” in the FBI’s proces-
sion?
In reality, there is no special team
dedicated to investigating the para-
normal. The FBI occasionally does,
and has in the past, investigated
paranormal phenomena. You, too,
can view these case files. In 1998,
the FBI declassified many of these
files and has them available on its
website courtesy of the Freedom
of Information Act.
There is a larger collection
of files dealing with conspiracy
topics such as UFOs, cattle muti-
OPINION March3, 30,
September 20082011
More Online...
The Good...
Penn State Behrend will be hosting the
or more countries, mostly with- region’s second career fair. All Mercyhurst
out adequate legal or institutional students are welcome to attend.
arrangements. For Bad and Ugly, go online.
If allowed to continue
unchecked, many scientists and
historians believe that it could trig- Mercyhurst men: Find Your Manners
ger a third world war. The obvious Lindsey Crosby reveals the lack of
hope is that the issue can be ade- chivalry that exists on campus.
quately addressed before this point
is reached. Battle over unions
The question ultimately comes For opinions on unions, read Thomas
down to who has access to fresh
Snippert and Caitlin Handerhan’s columns.
water, who controls it, and how it
is distributed.
Both writers shed light on the current battle
As one of the primary hold- waging in the political realm.
ers and consumers of fresh water,
it falls on this nation to begin the
movement of raising awareness
of the water crisis and propel the
attempts to rectify it.
With World Water Day having
just passed on March 22, we are
presented with the perfect oppor-
tunity to begin this mission before
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March 30 2011 Page 7
March 30, 2011
Mercyhurst students step into Golden Gloves ring
By Matt Cirell
Staff writer
Two Mercyhurst students com-
peted in their first Golden Gloves
boxing matches Sunday at an Erie
east side church social hall.
Doug Kaluhiokalani, a wel-
terweight (141 pounds), won his
match against Keegan Lupori of
South Park. He advanced to a fight
in two weeks in Pittsburgh.
Andrew Barninger, a light mid-
dleweight (152 pounds), was not
as fortunate, as Bobby Osterrieder
of Butler defeated him in the third
round on an RSC (Referee Stopped
Contest).
Barninger competed and
perservered but it was not quite
enough in his first bout.
“I felt like I won the first round
because I had longer reach than he
did—kept him away. I just kept jab-
bing and jabbing,” said Barninger,
who then fell behind to Osterrie-
der’s second and third-round whirl-
wind attacks. “I just wasn’t ready for
that. It’s hard to deal with.”
Kaluhiokalani’s victory at Holy
Trinity Catholic Church’s social hall,
2220 Reed St., was a storybook,
come-from-behind win. Lupori
Women’s water polo continues strong season
By Spencer Hunt
Sports editor
Water polo is somewhat of a for-
gotten sport at Mercyhurst. With no
pool on campus, it fits the definition
of out of sight, out of mind.
If fans want to see the Lakers
play, they have to travel to Gannon
University, Mercyhurst North East
or Penn State Behrend, to name a
few recent sites of men’s and wom-
en’s water polo home games.
This is the first challenge Mercy-
hurst water polo seeks to overcome
each year.
The next challenge is the division
Mercyhurst plays in. The Lakers
are in the Western Division of the
Collegiate Water Polo Association,
which is unlike the PSAC where
most Mercyhurst teams call home.
The PSAC is comprised of only
Doug Kalukiokalani, left, and Andrew Barninger, right, competed in the Pennsylvania State
Golden Gloves Competition Sunday in Erie.
took control of the first round,
firing lightning-quick punches and
jabs left and right.
In the second round, Kaluhioka-
lani became angry.
“I was nervous, but when he
Tyler Stauffer photo
Senior Rachel Griepsma
leads an experienced Mercy-
hurst team this year.
Division II schools and features
schools of relatively similar size like
Edinboro and Slippery Rock. In the
Western Division, there are both
Division I and Division II schools.
Mercyhurst will have to face rival
Sports
started punching me, I was like this
(guy) is going down,” Kaluhiokalani
said. “Technique won that fight.”
He patiently waited for the right
time to throw his punch and finally
connected with a murderous right
Gannon as usual, but also Division
I powerhouse Michigan. In the divi-
sion, three teams are ranked nation-
ally.
In order to prepare for this level
of competition, smart scheduling is
key. Robinette does his best to mix
the Division I powers with other
Division II schools for non-confer-
ence games.
“We start at a disadvantage in the
division, so we need to skew our
expectations a little bit,” Robinette
said.
Despite the challenges facing the
Lakers, they have still competed
well in the division this year.
The men’s team posted a pro-
gram-best 18 wins in the fall, while
the women’s team holds a 9-7 over-
all record just past the halfway mark
in the schedule.
Since the team practices and has
its home games at Gannon, the
Ethan Magoc photos
hook which threw Lupori off his
focus. In the third round, Kaluhio-
kalani’s victory became apparent, as
he connected with quick punches
until the official stopped the fight
and named Kaluhiokalani the
Lakers have one advantage after all.
This pool at Gannon is smaller than
those at the larger schools, and with
a smaller pool, teams cannot space
out like they traditionally would.
The Lakers can use that to their
advantage.
“Our practices mimic game situ-
ations to help prepare the mental
side of the game,” Robinette
explained.
Rachel Griepsma is one of 10
upperclassmen on a team of 18.
This type of experience is a major
contributor to the team’s success.
“You can’t teach maturity and
experience,” Robinette said.
The Lakers hope the experience
and leadership from Griepsma and
other upperclassmen pays off.
Penn State Behrend is next up
for Mercyhurst—this Saturday at
10:30 a.m. at Gannon.
Page 8
victor.
Nola Hessom, assistant direc-
tor of Mercyhurst’s mixed martial
arts program, enjoyed watching
Kaluhiokalani’s first bout.
“Doug did really well. He was
very tactical and structured. We
teach a tactical defensive technique
called ‘Crazy Monkey,’ and he had
his head in the fight and waited for
the perfect time to strike,” she said.
The two Mercyhurst fighters
had been training hard for this
event and will continue to hit
the gym for fights in the future.
Barninger has aspirations of fight-
ing again and Kaluhiokalani has
qualified for the Pittsburgh tour-
nament. He will compete for the
Western Pennsylvania Sub-Novice
Championship.
“They learned they have some
things to still work on in the gym,
but neither one embarrassed them-
selves,” said John Bruno, director
of the college’s MMA program.
“There aren’t too many people on
the planet who know what it’s like
to step through those ropes.
“But I told these guys, ‘If you
want to do it, do it. You’re still
young. You don’t have to become a
boxer, but you’ll know what it feels
like.’”
Check out stories
online at:
merciad.mercyhurst.edu
Featured this week:
Junior Ally Keirn
and the women’s
lacrosse team are
rolling through the
first half of the
season.