i *- V
Vr • I • XvVi
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929
^ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT
Four-day Mingus
festival at the PAC
page 3
* » * » ^
4T^
Vol. 74 No. 5
O p e n doors threaten 'security of residents
By Heather Cvitkovic
Merciad writer
Students leaving apartment doors propped
open are asking for trouble. Such was the case
in an adjoining apartment building on Briggs
Avenue where a theft occurred Oct. 1.
The resident of the apartment woke to find
that someone had entered the apartment. The
resident later found that several items had been
removed from the apartment.
^According to the victim of the October inci-
dent, thefrontdoor of the apartment building
was not left open. The victim also said that,
upon going to bed, the inside apartment door
was also locked. Upon investigation, however,
police and safety found that the adjoining
building's door was open. L J
Part of the problem with incidents such as
this is that the front doors to many campus
apartment buildings are being held open by
various means. Students often leave them
open, sometimes all night long, which is an
invitation for anyone to enter the building.
(ETlra serious security problem and one
ofthe biggest problems we have,** said Ken
Sidun, chief of police and safety. "It gives ac-
cess to anyone coming in off the street.'*
"Sometimes I will be going down Briggs and
see a door propped open and I'll shut it. I come
"I think God can explain ..."
Waymon Boone, lead singer of Splender, rocks Mercyhurst's Faff Fest
Saturday* Oct. 14.,An estimated crowd of 300 attended the event.
Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St Erie, Pa. 16546
back 10 minutes later and the door is wide open
again,'* Sidun added. $
He warns students to keep the inside doors
to apartments locked as well. |
There were also some similar incidents this
summer. Items were removedfromapartments
when no one was in the apartments. These in-
cidents, along with the Oct 1 incident, are still
under investigation.
All security reports pertaining to significant
crimes are entered into the crimeglog in the
police and safety office and eventually become
part ofthe annual security report in accordance
with both the state and federal Geary Act,
explained Rodger Gregorich, dean of public
safety. .
The Jeanne Cleary Disclosure of Campus
Security Police and Campus Grime Statistics
Act, better known as the Cleary Act, a federal
law passed in 1990 and revised in 1998, man-
dates that all colleges and universities com-
pile information regarding campus security
policies, procedures, programs and crime sta-
tistics. This information is to be made avail-
able to the public and college population.
™ The Pennyslvania Cleary Act also requires
campuses to report crime statistics to the Pe nn-
sylvania State Police in accordance with the
Uniform Crime Reporting Act. In addition to
the state act, the federal act requires that re-
Annie Sitter/Merciad Photographer
« t *
i • i & l :
m 1
it
r^r>
SSftfe^K
Leaving doors propped open creates a serious security problem, making campus
apartments easy targets for break-ins.
ported crime statistics must be provided to the
U.S. Department of Education on an annual
basis. —-----••-•>••- • •••4t -»• - - •
Everyone is entitled to see the college's se-
curity procedures and policies, as well as any
crime statistics that are available, provided the
crime has been reported to a campus security
authority but not necessarily investigated by
Recycling off to slow start
By Kate Cy winski
Merciad writer
The recycling program that was implemented
at Mercyhurst In March 2000 has seen some
obstacles in its first few months. Miscommu-
nication, lack of student awareness and not
enough bins seem to be the main problems,
according to Dave Adams, a senior who has
been instrumental in starting the program.
' With greater support from the maintenance
department and administration, these obstacles
should be taken care of soon though.
Adams said students had been trying to get
a recycling program started since he was a
sophomore. Their efforts were ineffective until
Dr. Chris Magoc, an assitant professor in the
history department, got involved and contacted
the maintenance department and administra-
tion.
"The recycling program made great strides
last year,* but it faced obstacles such as mis-
communication and lack of bins," said Magoc.
"Before we began last year, there had been
no recycling program since ECCO three years
ago," said Adams. "This school year recycling
began at a slow pace the first week of Octo-
ber." Despite thist-slow pace, Adams said,
'•right now, I'm really proud of it.** f complex.
There has been a problem with much of the
recyclable material being mixed in with the
garbage. Two areas Adams identified as most
prone to this problem are the Herrmann Stu-
dent Union, where recycle bins are used as or-
dinary trash cans, and the freshman dorms,
where the bins are too small to support the
w
Laker Hockey
Preview
page 7
October 18,2000
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Annie Sitter/Merciad Photographer
1
the police and safety department. I 1 *
The 1999 annual security report (1999 being
the eurrrent statistics) for bom Main and No
East campuses can be found at the college
internet site <www.mercyhurst.edu>. Click on
"Student Services'* and then click on "Camous
Police & Safety'* to view a copy of the annual
security report. •£ J A
& § *4 See Break-ins/ page 2
quantity of material..
Recycled material is taken to two dumpsters
specifically for recycled goods located by the
maintenance building and behind the Mercy
apartments. Waste Management then picks it
upfromhere.
''Many people use them as regular dumpsters
simply because they don't know that they are
only recycle bins," explained Adams.
Magoc suggested that florescent labels be
made for the bins, in an effort to prevent acci-
dental misuse. v §
With the support of the administration and
by working with the maintenance department,
Adams and Magoc have taken steps to address
the problems facing the recycling program.
"An efficient recycling program on campus
requires communication, cooperation and ef-
fort on the part of the entire Mercyhurst com-
munity," according to Adams. "Our focus is
on education. We are going to plaster the cam-
pus with information," he said, referring to the
fact that if students don't know how and where
to recycle, the effort is futile.
Last year, bins were placed throughout the
academic buildings. Maintenance recently or-
dered 110 30-galIon bins that will be distrib-
uted to the townhouses and every apartment
I
Maintenance has increased its work-study
positions from two to four students who are
responsible for collecting the recycled mate-
rial. Currently Adams and Steve Justi are the
collectors. The other positions will be filled
when the new bins arrive.
According to Magoc, the administration
- See Recycling/page 2
 PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD OCTOBER 18. 2000

CAMPUS NEWS—-
Botulism killing Presqueflsle gulls
By Sarah Crawshaw
Merciad writer
Mercy hurst students in Dr. Michael
Campbell's lymnology class are testing the
waters of Presque Isle to try to find what is
killing the seagulls along Lake Erie. The
study is being funded by a mini grant from
the Pennsylvania Sea Grant Association.
.This is the problem that has been occur-
ring at Presque Isle State Park along Lake
Erie. Many dead seagulls have been found,
and it has been discovered that they are *
dying from a form of avian botulism. This
form of botulism also claimed the lives of
birds and fish all along the shores of Lake
Erie near Cleveland, as well as along the
Canadian shoreline. | the grunt work for their labs, Dr. Larry £
Members Campbell's class have been
cataloguing facts and samplesfromPresque
Isle to help out. "Our goal is to betterl |
understand exactly what's happening, by
finding out how the birds are coming in
contact with the disease and if there is a link
between this and the dead fish that have
been found," he said.
According to senior biology major Thorn
Reznik, a member of the lymnology class,
there are two groups in the class that are
working on the project. The first group
studies the dead birds as well as their J
feeding habits and locations in order to
pinpoint what is occurring, said Reznik.
The second group is taking samples of
every possible part of the environment at
Presque Isle, such as the lake water, the
bottom of the lake, plankton and the beaches
as well as the carcasses themselves.
"We're trying to get an overall picture of
Presque Isle as a whole by sampling random
intervals all the way around," said Reznik.
If we find something that is only by the
entrance to the park and nowhere else, then
that might be a reason for the botulism."
In addition to the lymnology class doing Annie Sitter/Merciad Photographer
To expand the recycling program on campus 110 more recycling bins have been
Gauriloff is culturing the botulism to find
out where it is coming from. I ordered and are to be placed in every townhouse and apartment complex.
As for the students, Reznik said that they
are just happy to have the opportunity to be
helping out in some way. "Now we can continued from page ft
always say that we helped work on the
Presque Isle avian botulism, even if what we
rind is taken by someone else and they run
with it," he said. -h
Recycling:
has been very receptive to Adams's ideas. "Dr. education," he said. "Unfortunately, it doesn't

Changes in store for Hurst Rock Cafe
By Julia Wanzco
Merciad writer
For the past three years, every weekday
from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mercyhurst
students would gather in the communica-
tions department in the basement of Baldwin
tfPaJl JQcreatea live encode of Hurst^ockg
TCafieYa student-produced television lallf J*" •
fc:>>>M i- > , ; more formal tharflast year, but I'm looking
rsnow'' '""*"^';- "' -' *"'-' -'—•••- ;
5The show was characterized by a laid back
atmosphere with two hosts who basically*
just talked about the events of their days.
Campus news was reported as well as
various sports briefs. Occasional guests
would appear though there was no set
schedule.
Can Mercyhurst students expect another
year of this type of Hurst Rock Caffc? Will
last year's hosts Steve Torriero and Sarah
["Foster grace our television screens again this
year? Steve has graduated, but Sarah is still
around. As for Hurst Rock Cafe, it won't bel
quite the Hurst Rock the Mercyhurst
community has seen in years past.
Viewers will see a variety of changes in
[} the programming of Hurst TV. Hurst Rock
Cafe" is currently undergoing a major format
change. Hurst Rock Cafe will now run under
the programming known as a magazine
format. This type of television format can
be compared to NBC's Today Show.
According to Dr. Richard Welch, director
of the communication department, Hurst TV
is planning to expand its target market to
* Jl
include not only Mercyhurst students, but -
members of the Erie community as well.
This is one reason the show will be changing
its format. Each show will consist of Erie
community and Mercyhurst campus news,
sports, guests and reviews.
Hurst Rock Cafe will no longer be live,
but instead tape delayed. » Adams feels that the majority of students
hg-'Tm excited for the new seasoiu It will be
forward to seeing bigger ratingsfromthe
Erie community," said Sarah Foster, host of |
last year's show.
Foster also said that new ideasfromall
students are welcome. Students do not have
to be communication majors to participate in
Hurst Rock Cafe or Hurst TV. * f regularly and is readily available to the
Before any of this can happen, the goal for
the students behind the show is to get Hurst
Rock Cafe up and running again. The show
is tentatively scheduled to be back on air in
late October or early November, tInitially, it»
may only appear once a week on Fridays
from 5 p.nwto 5:30 p.mlon Erie Cablevision
channel 19, but, the ultimate goal is to
produce five shows a week.
"Hurst Rock Cafe is making improve-
ments that will allow the show to be more
organized and place it at a greater profes-
sional level," said communication major
Debbie Osry. "The changes are challenging
and it will be a slow process. However, I i
am confident that the final product wil 1 be
good/' k%
Gower couldn 't have been more positive about
it. There is no resistance, just a matter of get-
ting bins and making sure that material goes
to the correct place."
The College Senate passed recycling as part
of Mercyhurst's vision in accordance with the
Environmental Sustainability program
adopted by the Sisters of Mercy of the Ameri-
cas. $
seem to be willing to (;ooperatejJf''I am very
optimistic that cooperation will increase with
Break-ins:
In addition to the annual report, the act
requires that a crime log is kept and updated
general public. This crime log lists legiti-
mate crimes (violations of the law), and each
crime is reported in the log within 48 hours
of the occurrence.
The Geary Act also states that crimes on
campus must be reported to the campus*.
population, students and faculty in a timely
manner. That means reporting in such
publications as The Merciad, Monday
Morning or postings in individual apart-
ments.
"We have done everything and anything
possible to let every student, every em- \
ployee know about this act," said Gregorich,
Announcements
take many to ruin the program. If the
dumpsters are misused, Waste Management
will stop coming." >
Recyclable materials include paper, card-
board, glass, number one and two plastics, and
all cans and bottles.
"Everyone needs to realize that very little
is actually trash, and recycling should become
a daily part of our lives" stated Magoc.
"This campus is our home and our lawn
and it is the students' responsibility to keep it
clean," he said, j
whose job was to compile the information
for the annual security report in accordance
with the Geary Act.
Mercyhurst College employs seven full-
time and six part-time officers who are on*
duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who
are on hand to answer calls and investigate
complaints.
Any and all crimes and/or suspicions of
crimes are to be reported to the police &
safety office. Any information that is given
is confidential* Names are never entered into
the crime log. In addition, if there are any
questions regarding compliance with either
the State or Federal Campus Security Acts,
contact the police and safety department at
824-2104 or 824-2304. W 1

Mercyhurst College Police and Safety Log MSG is'jlooking to fill a senior representative
October 1,2000 f W McAuley Hall — Several students
Briggs Avenue — Suspects entered were using marijuana in their room position. Applications must be submitted to thi
the victim's apartment and removed Drugs confiscated, students re- MSG office located on the third floor of
approximately 100 CDs, a lava ferred.
lamp and two Sony Play Station UnionlbyfMonday, Oct. 23.
games. J| » October 8,2000
Mercy 200 ^j* Theft by known
October 2,2000. * studentfromstudent who was j Dean's List Dinner I f
Mercy 200 — Female victim sleeping. Acted on admitted of- be|held Sunday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m
slapped across the face by another fense.
female. the upper level of the^Egan Dining
October 9,2000 * Jail. The featured speaker for the
October 6,2000 Baldwin Hall — Harassing phone eveningfisJGlemKwok
Bnggs Avenue -*j Intoxicated calls were made because of a male/
student tried to enter police vehicle female domestic quarrel.

Four days with the giant of Jazz
By Brandon Boylan
Senior Writer
From the time of his birth in 1922 until his
death in 1979^Charles Mingus accomplished
several musical achievements, surpassing
those in historic and stylistic meter of any
other jazz figure.
Undoubtedly one of the greatest jazz musi-
cians, Mingus shared with his audience his
talent as a bassist, composer, arranger, leader,
author, pianist and vocalist. As a double bass
player, he commanded an awesome technique
and was thoroughly skilled with all styles of
jam existing during his lifetime.
He developed a new conversational ap-
proach to the double bass, as found in his
songs, "What Love" and "Epitaph," and also
a softer approach that simultaneously com-
bined the bass line, inner harmonies and im-
provised countenmelodies, as?found in
"Stormy Weather."v J | g ' ;;
Soon after, he toured in the big .bands of
Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton. Re-
cordings were made of Mingus working with
jazz greats like Billy Taylor, Duke Ellington,
Stan Getz, Art Tatum, Bud Powell and Charlie
Parker. Reported as the "smokingest big band
on the planet" by Jazz Times, the Mingus Big
Band will be coming to the Hurst this week
as part of a special Charles Mingus celebra-
tion.
Kicking off the four-day special, a documen-
tary film titled "Charles Mingus:/Triumph of
the Underdog" will be shown on the life of
bassist, Charles Mingus^exploring his work
as a musician and composer. According to
<cultureventure.net>, a Web site specializing
in art and music criticism, "You cannot help
reacting sympathetically to Mingus himself,
a photogenic, funny and hard-hitting man who
always told it, and played it, as it was." The
documentary will be Oct. 18 at 8 p.m., with a
short seminar preceding it at 7:30 p.m. in the
Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center. Tick-
Adam andiEvelget into the mood at Taylor Theater
By Sarah Cra wsh a w
Merciad Writer
If students who *plan 'on attending
Mercyhurst's production of "The Diary of
Adam and Eve" are expecting to see nudity
and fig leaves, they will be in for a surprise.
The play is based on a story by Mark Twain
and is from Broadway's "The Apple Tree," a
musical that is broken up into three one-act
plays, rather than a full musical. The "Diary
of Adam and Eve" is the first play and is the
longest of the three, being an hour long;
"There's nothing religious in the play, and
it's one of the most delightful hours in a mu-
sical* The musical construction of the play is
incredible," said D.J. Maloney, director of the
musical theater program. He said that the play
merely takes the parable ofAdam and Eve and
follows them throughout their lives.
Maloney chose this play due for its sim-
plicity, and because he knew that he would be
able to cast Adam and Eve from the college
community of Mercyhurst, which was impor-
tant to the speed with which the production
MERCYWORLD
Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog-film at the PAC Oct. 18 at 8 p.m.
Andrew Homzy-lecture on Mingus at the Taylor Little Theater Oct. 19 at 8 p.m
Mingus Big Band-jazz and big band music at the PAC Oct. 21 at 8 p.m.
Tokyo String Quartet at the PAC Oct. 22 at 2:30 p.m.
Coffeehouse: Magic and Mystery at the Union Oct. 21 at 10:30 p.m.
OCTOBER 18, 2000 THE MERCIAD PAGE 3
ARTS&
—4 ENTERTAINMENT
Dinner and a movie!
99
Smugglers Wharf "Meet the Parents
Check, please Just the ticket
By Leslie Echan By Brandon Boylan
Merciad Writer Senior Writer
File Photo
Smugglers Wharf, a restaurant at Dobbin's When dopey Greg (Ben Stiller) decides he
Landing, was established in 1976 and could wants to marry his beautiful girlfriend, Pam,
ets for seniors and students are $3 and $4 for definitely settle the craving for a good filet
the remaining public. (Teri Polo),;he concludes he should ask her
mignon. =| father, Jack, (Robert DeNiro) for his permis-
The second day of the event will be a lecture
At least it did for me, but not my bank ac- sion. So after a stressing flight, the couple ar-
by Andrew Homzy, professor of music at count. Fortunately for my account, my dad
Concordia University. Nominated for a 1999 was my date. He saved me from the salty caf- rives at Pam's house in New York for Greg to
Grammy for his liner notes, "Charles Mingus: eteria food when he was passing through Erie meet her parents and attend Pam's sister's wed-
The Passions of a Man, the Atlantic Record- on his business trip from Cleveland to Buf- ding which is being held the same weekend.
ings^ 95 6-1961," Homzy will speak on falo. If the male nurse wasn't anxious about be-
j[. |
Mingus* influence on the jazz world and his ing with his girlfriend's odd family, he will be
contributions to the music industry itself. This We went to Smugglers Wharf, my choice after his girlfriend's cat-loving, brassy father
event, in the Taylor Little Theater at 8 p.m., is because I wanted to show him the view of puts him on edge the entire weekend. Posing
also free. Lake Erie from this side of town. We sat at a
table by the window watching the sun set over as a retired florist, Jack makes Greg feel less
The final act of the Mingus special will be Presque Isle. Which I do have to admit, no than comfortable at his home by spying on
held Sat., Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. The 14-member matter how "dreary" the Erie weather can be, him, interjecting threats at him, and bullying
Mingus Big Band will perform compositions the sunsets make up for it. him into obeying house rules.
ofthe man himself, as well as big band arrange- Scared of Pam's over-protective father when
ments of works by Steve Stagle, Ronnie Cuber, I would suggest the wonderful restaurant for
a "special" date. The prices are too high for he first thought he was a florist, Greg stumbles
Jack Walrath and more. According to Don on a secret room, finding out that Jack is actu-
Heckman, a writer for Herbert Barrett Man- struggling college students, unless you go for
just desserts, which are all under $4. ally a retired spy investigator for the CIA.
agement in NYC, "The band can generate an Short of losing his mind, Greg spends the en-
intermittently—a sense of collective, let's-all- 1 The waiter was friendly and straight to the
point while listing the dinner specials, which tire weekend apprehensive and disturbed and
join-in creativity that reaches far beyond the
written notes." The concert will be held Satur- all sounded delicious. Though the. menu had managing to almost destroy Pam's sister's
a variety of seafood, pasta, meats and sand- wedding.
day night in the Mary D'Angelo Performing
Arts Center, with a pre-show talk at 7:15 p.m. wiches, it was hard to choose which plate it's good to see DeNiro Stretching his acting
would settle my craving for good food. *
Seniors and students are $12.50, and SI 5 for range in the last couple of years? Noted for
all others. For more information, call the Mary I started with Portabello mushrooms as my being an intense, intolerant mobster-like char-
D'Angelo Performing Arts Center box office appetizer. Pine nuts, artichokes, onions, to- acter actor in the '70s and '80s, DeNiro has
at Ext. 3000. ? f r matoes and olive oil were mixed together to shown remarkable talent as a comedian in the
enhance the fantastic flavor. The appetizer was '90s. With films like "Mad, Dog and Glory,"
XThis article is based in part on "Destina-definitely a healthy portion for two?
tion: Culture, " a publication of the Mary "Analyze This" and now "Meet the Parents,"
For my entree I ordered the 6 oz. ($15.95) he has immensely expanded his film range and
D 'Angelo Performing Arts Center. * Queen's filet mignon with bearnaise sauce. repertoire. His ability to channel his tough-guy
My dad ordered the 8 oz. with Texas chili but-
ter ($17.95). After eating your main meal, you
image into comedic characters, especially in
the role of Jack, is eminent. Ben Stiller is as
do feel like you ate a royal feast.
was taking place. funny as ever, portraying yet again another
While we were finishing dinner, we noticed
The play is double cast, which Maloney said a Christmas-lit paddle boat coming into dock. romantic yuppie exasperated with the compli-
that he never does, but each cast will perform Unfortunately we could not enjoy the variety cations with relationships. Following up such
two nights. Nicholas Polino and Justin Moore of desserts while enjoying the view, We were movies as "Reality Bites," *There's Something
are playing Adam, and Bridie Carrol and Jen- tOO full. '% I I I' * J $ y W J | About Mary,*' "Flirting with Disaster" and last
nifer Buosievie portray Eve. The character of For reservations, call 1-814-45-WHARF, or year's "Keeping the Faith," Stiller has had full-
the snake remains the same, played by E.J. check out their Web site coming soon at, fledged emergence from his father Jerry's
Arriola. <www.smugglerswarf.com.>*I recommend shadow.
Maloney is hoping for a big turnout for this this restaurant for anyone with a large appe- Though the film is constantly overplaying
"inaugural production of the new musical the- tite and wallet! Lunch is served Wednesday the awkwardness of meeting the in-laws, es-
ater department." The department has been through Sunday 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. and pecially by condensing all mischief into one
18 years in the making, and as the first pro- dinner 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., Friday and Satur- weekend, it's exceptionally fun to watch and
duction, it is important that there is support day dinner is served until 10 p.m. easy to laugh at*DeNiro and Stiller's chemis-
from the college campus. .
try makes up for what the script lacks. New-
Since the department is in the early stages, comer Teri Polo is perfect as the flatline,
there, is no technical crew to work on sets and
people-pleasing woman caught in between her
lighting, so the actors and the other musical
theater majors have been working 14-hour days lover and father. The film also stars Blythe
in order to get everything done. Danner as Pam's mom and Owen Wilson as
The play opens Thursday, Oct 26 at 8 p.m. Pam's ex-boyfriendjl gave it a B-. "Meet the
in the Taylor Little Theatre. It will.run at the Parents," rated PG-13, is playing at Tinseltown
same time on Friday and Saturday nights and daily at 1:20 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 7:20 p.m. and
at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Students and faculty 9:50 p.m. J
can attend for free and there is a $7 charge for
others.
By Kristin Elizabeth Purdy
AROUND TOWN
Misery-play at 652 W. 16th St at Popular Oct 19-21 at 8 p.m.
Funny Girl at Erie Playhouse Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20-21 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 22 at 2:30 p.m
Haunted House 7195 West Ridge Road Oct 20-21 at 7:30-midnight
Russian Romantics-Erie Philharmonic at Warner Theatre Oct. 21 at 8 p.m.
Tripping
ceo
PAGE 4 THE MERCIAD OCTOBER 18. 2000

OPINION /

THE GOOD ...

• Hurststock was a success of enormous proportions. Students behaved themselves in
Changing of thelguard:
grand style, there was plenty to do, Mother Nature provided a beautiful day and Splender
was awesome. Thank you, Rob Kosko, for all your hard work getting us a good band and When* leadership changes hands,
SAC for providing a fun weekend activity that appealed to many students.

• Congratulations to the staff of The Freedom Zone. The MSG-sponsored paper came out
so does the editor's mission
last week. The paper takes a different approach than The Merciad, focusing more on Imagine my surprise when I was informed
opinion, which will appeal to many students. The paper looks good and has some interesting that Dave Hermaneau was resigning as the
articles in it Keep up the good work. .-» ^ paper's editor in chief of The Merciad after Leftpo write
only two issues,. >*
• Congratulations to the Laker football team for the awesome win this past weekend. The I was even more shocked when I was asked
only complaint is that it couldn't have been at home, because we all would have liked to see by the paper's advisers, Mary Daly and Paul Zack Venable
the Lakers kick some butt. M Reichart, to step up to the plate. | |
I took the position, knowing full well that ing. Such activities are counterproductive and
• At the Oct. 12 Board of Trustees meeting, the board approved beginning wrestling as a do not represent the true purpose of journal-
varisty sport. This is partly in an effort to attract more men to the campus. Really, ladies being editor in chief was. not going to be an
easy task. I was to oversee the production of ism.
isn't that all they needed to say? f
the paper and make sure that everything ran By the same token, we will not stand idle
THE BAD ... as smoothly
Here we
as
are
possible.
at the fifth issue and things are
on a
right
particular issue if we know we are in the
• The library is a place to study, right? So why do some students feeV it is necessary to
bring cell phones into the library? They not only bring them in, but leave them on and not as bad as I had thought they would be. ^Lastly, The Merciad is a newspaper for and
receive phone calls. If you are waiting for a call that is that important, you should be at Yes, there have been some problems and about the college. We are not a mouthpiece
home. we've made a few mistakes, but we're still for the administration. Their only involve-
gelling as a totally new staff. ment is to ask two professionals to help this
• Everyone knows that if you are in the Great Room in the library you can hear every i Overall, the transition has been positive and new staff learn the ropes. They are here with
thing that is going on in Taylor Little Theater. Most of us have accepted that fact* But does we are eager as a staff to make our mark. I us every Tuesday night even if it is until 3
it have to occur during mid-term week? Couldn't people practice in the Green Room? It's credit both the current staff members and ad- a.m. Mary and Paul challenge us all to be bet-
hard enough to concentrate over the people that insist on talking and its even harder with visers for this. Without their time, talents, per- ter writers, researchers and reporters.^
all the commotion going on downstairs. severance and patience there would certainly My standards, goals and ideals for this
be no Merciad. publication run along the» same line as Dave
• The women's soccer team is ranked sixth in the nation and first in the region, but even So, it comes to the point where I explain to Hermaneau's did .We have a new format and
that cannot seem to draw many fans to their games. Last weekend only a few diehard our readers my approach as an editor and es- the paper is now totally produced electroni-
lacrosse players and several of theirfriendsshowed up for the game, making the student tablish what direction I would like to see the cally. This is a quantum leap compared to the
count like 15 at the most. With such a high-ranked team, shouldn't we be showing the ladies
more support? paper take this school year. way the paper was done before.-:
First and foremost, I will make an aggres- The Merciad is a paper for everyone, espe-
sive effort to present the most accurate news cially students. We write articles about de-
THEiUGLYi.« available and to correctjt when ifcjs not. There partments, sports teams, on-campus organi-
• Ugly are thelines at.the'Police & Safety Office as student contest parking tickets are not just two sides* but many sides to a zations?* professors,' graduate students, tradi-
received this weekend. Students are complaining that they were not properly informed as to story. I will make it The Merciad's task to get I tional students, non^traditional students, and
where to park, despite the fliers that were put on cars. So who really is to blame here? all the aspects of a particular situation. employees of the college.
Secondly, I want our readers to understand Everyone deserves equal coverage and this
• After a beautiful weekend, it stinks to wake up Sunday morning to rainy, crappy that The Merciad is a paper produced by stu- will happen. We are part of a diverse com-
weather and it does not help prepare you for the week to come. But we all might as well dents in an academic setting, and therefore, munity on and off this campus, all seeking to
get used to it, as the good old Erie winter is just around the corner. we will not lower the status of its content to better ourselves in some way or another. I
the level of today's tabloid media. want The Merciad to be a.vehicle for this ba-
• People's attitudes toward Police & Safety are getting uglier and uglier. These officers We pledge to produce a newspaper that is sic, yet all-encompassing'idea. I want this
are held to a certain set of rules and standards that they must abide by to keep their jobs.
Granted, they don't always act appropriately, but do we always need to treat them with such both informative and readable without stoop- year's paper to be better than any since 1929.
disrespect, even when they are trying to show us respect? k ing to the level of petty rumors and mudsling-
Zachary Venable is a senior forensic anthro-
pology majorfromSummit Hill, Pa. He can

The hunt for a job and the quest not to be poor be reached at Ext. 2376% or at
docbones 77@yahoo.com.

OK, I know that the first term of school isn't
even over yet, so why are people pressuring
me to start looking for a job?
Is anyone else experiencing this problem?
Parents calling you, sending you e-mails and
letters and always asking the same question.
Have you started looking for ajob, yet? I don't
know about anybody else,"but I am not ready
to start looking for a job. I'm not ready to enter
the real world because I'm not sure if it is
going to meet my standards;!
I just returned to Mercyhurst after a year in
Hew York City, where I did face some of the
harsh realities of the real world, like not be-
ing able tofinda reasonably priced place to
live, extreme job competition and a high cost
of living. I hadfriendswho lived in New York
who struggled to stay afloat and they had ca-
reers that were supposed to be so promising.
I, too, ended up struggling at the end of the
year. I cannot even begin to tell you how poor
I was, and how much I hated it.I knew that I
never wanted to be poor like that again. But
to remain out of what I consider to be pov-
erty-like standards I would need to either
marry a man with tons of money or get my-
self a job that pays well.
Since the man with the money seems to be
a dream that is destined to never come true, I
Famous last words
Heather Cvitkovic
have begun to focus some of my attention on a
job. I tell my parents this. I tell them that I am
at least thinking about what I want to do and
how much money I want to make, but it doesn't
fcto be good enough for them.
K I feel like I just got back to school from a
summer of nothing but work. I feel like I just
got really settled into my apartment. I have had
tons of work and have just been trying to get
into a groove that works for me. I have not
really had much time to devote to resume writ-
ing and job searching. &L
Another reason is that I am a little bit fright-
ened. I'm not ashamed to admit th is fact I prob-
ably speak for a lot of people when I say that.
I'mfrightenedof entering the real world, not
so sure that I am going to be able to cut it I
think to myself, "what if I am poor, what if I
don't get a good job or find a nice place to
s here so that maybe I could go and work on my
live." All these "what ifs." ^ ™
I like the security that I have now — if I
bounce a check, which I sometimes do, or can't
pay my credit card bills, my dad will either
take care of it for me or, at the very least, help
me out. But once that diploma is my hand, my
dad is cutting the strings and is not going to
htoncE
bail me out of all the trouble that I seem to Students' bills not
have a penchant for getting into. I will be on paidiii full by
my own. And that is a very scary thought.
But my biggest problem in this quest for my October 20th
career is that I have very unrealistic expecta-
tions when it comes to pay. I tell anyone who wip bejplaced on
asks that I will not accept anything less than "l&sinessjtiold" by
$32,000. And why should I? When I graduate
I will have not one but two degrees, one from thetstuSent accounts<office
a very prestigious school. So why can't they
offer me that much? |This means that students
Everyone tells me that I am crazy and I am wiji a $hold" will not be
not going to make that much money to start
fallowed to registerforWinter
out, but I don't care.;If I set myself a goal,
through hard work and perseverance I can usu- 2001 glasses until the ac-
ally achieve it. And this is one goal that I am count is cleared through the
not going to back down from. My parents student accounts office.
would like it if my goal was to merely find a
job.
Payment|may be made by
So I guess that with all these goals hanging cash* check, Visa,
over my head and the fact that I do not want to MasterCard or Discover in
be poor for the rest of my life, I better start at theljoffice (Main 115) Mon-
the very least looking for a job. So let me end day through Friday between
resume. But wait... Dawson's Creek is on. Oh, 8:30 a.m. and
I'll do it later. 4:30. p.m.

» *• XHVW
 m '
* • »
I

OCTOBER 18. 2000 THEMERCIAD PAGE 5

CAMPUS
QUESTION
How dofyou feel about
the recycling situation on campus?
* Administration is lying to us, saying that
they're protecting the environment when
they're not even recycling" 1 and vicariously live out the rock lifestyle. * %
— Sarah Laub, freshman
II Kina or aeieats tne purpose ot having
bins in the first place if you are not going
to recycle what people put in them."
— Jen Onufer, sophomore I but the leather-pants-wearing, ragged,
^f Students are willing to put forth
the effort to recycle and save the "I think recycling is a very good idea. I'm
environment^hen Mercyhurst from New York and we have mandatory
should meet those efforts by ac- recycling of different things. It's some-
tually recycling." thing Pennsylvania should look into."
— Amandaf Brensinger, sopho- — Nate Goodrich, senior
more
*T see the blue recycling boxes around
campus but I know for a fact that the stuff
in them is thrown out with the garbage."
— Heather Applegate, juniorP f
Rock and roll on
"I plan on recycling this bag of
Rold Gold pretzels, even though
I'm not sure if it can be recycled.
But I don't want anyone to say
that I am not doing my part."
— Heather Cvitfcovic, senior
13 To live out your own fantasies of being the
w ®#**^£ttmfa *
13K
OPINION
I HoUornot?
Megan Cvitkovic
Rock and roll is here to stay, and so is the
glamorous, bedazzled wardrobe of the
quintessential rock star.
Now you, too, can become a punk rocker
Although this is not a trend that has been
visible on the runways, it is a definite street
style that is being quickly adopted by both
the average Joe and celebrities alike.
Rock stars have obviously played thein
part in conveying the rock look, of course,
rugged look of yesterday has evolved into a
more sophisticated, flashy facade for today's
rockers.
While leather pants are still hot on the
rock scene, embellished leather is more
fitting of today's musicians. Rock stars are
also wearing anything that is glittered,
goldened, spangled or sparkled in some way.
next Christina Aguilera or N' Sync member,
try things like leather items, studded tops,
cutouts, crystal tattoos and even baby tees
that have rock bands on them.
Music's influence on fashion can also be
seen in the techno and house music scene.

Ravers have adopted their own style scene

'1 always recycle paper, I consider
the trees to be my friends, and you
wouldn't murder your friends,
would you?**
—Adam DuShole, junior
**What recycling program?" with baggy pants, chunky plastic bracelets,
George Fernandez, junior '*ui ••W4
tiny tops, visors and those crazy, slightly*
annoying glowsticks. 4 v . | y ^ . ^
But either way you decide to rock, make
"If we had recycling bins I'd actually re- sure you reserve these looks for the night
cycle ... we should support the *can man' "Recycling would be a really scene, as studded leather tube tops are
who digs throughJthejgarbage every good idea —if you recycle, you generally not appropriate for your religion
week."* can raise'money which can be class, t*.
— Jon Martin, freshman* used for something else." And for more rocker fashion looks, check
— David Fredrick, freshman t

out the VH1/Vogue fashion awards this

Friday, where designers will strut their styles
to today's sizzling music.\ \

The church and RU- 48 6

^MEPOAD ft

Against Ithe sin, not thel sinner

The recent approval by the FDA of RU-486
for use in the United States has created not Questioning faith
only news magazine cover stories, but con-
Zack Venable Editor in Chief * troversy as well.
Heather Cvitkovic Executive & Administrative Editor The drug, known in the media as the abor- Fr. Jim Piszker
Sara Seidle Managing News Editor tion pill, has been used in Europe for some
Kristin Purdy Arts & Entertainment Editor time now. It was banned,, by the Catholic
Adam DuShole Features Editor Church from the very beginning because it is excessive bleeding, the potential for heart at-
Annie DeMeo Sports Editor in a class of drugs called "abortifacients." tack and rupturing of the uterus. Coupled with
Annie Sitter Photography Editor | This means that the drug is specifically de- this is the fact that if these drugs are ineffec-
Leslie Echan Copy Editor signed to terminate a pregnancy by chemical tive, which does occur, a woman must go
Brian Costelloe Advertising Manager means, as opposed to a contraceptive, which through a standard medical abortion.
Stacy Norris Regional Exchange Editor is designed to stop the pregnancy from hap- There is also no mention of the psycological
Local Exchange Editor pening to begin with.$^ 1 | effects of being involved in this process, which
Mike Tanner can be«deep,>long term and potentially
Senior Writer IRU-486 should be seen as nothing more than
Brandon Boylan a chemical abortion and in addition to that, devasting.
Staff Writers one that has the potential for significant dan- It is important to understand that the church
Kate Cywinski 1 Stacy Norris ger to women's health. condemns the sin of abortion, but NOT the
The reports on the drug, however, indicate sinner.
The Mercian" is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College. It that it is not used alone but in conjunction with Women (and men) who have gone through
another drug called misoprostol or Cytotec. this tragic process many times have long-term
is published throughout the year with the exception of mid-term and final This drug actually induces labor after the RU- needs to process their feelings and emotions.
weeks. Office at 314 Main. Telephone 824-2376. Fax 824-3 249. E-mail 486 has been administered. The church has attempted to help with the
<merciad@mercyhurst.edu>. Misoprostol's manufacturer has contended healing process through programs such as
that it never gave approval for the drug to be Project Rachel and through spiritual counsel-
The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed, used for any other purpose than originally in- ing and reconci 1 itation. $ i
but your name can be withheld on request under certain conditions. Utters tended, which is merely to induce labor in le- Both Sister Geri and I are available here at
are due on the Monday before publication and should be no longer than gitimate births under doctor supervision. Mercyhurst to help anyone along in this heal-
500 words. All letters should be submitted to Box 485. : Side effects from the process can include ing process. tM

* *
».T v
 PAGE 6 THEMERCIAD OCTOBER 18. 2000

FEATURES %

T r a d i t i o n a n d c o n t e m p o r a r y c u l t u r e c l a s h r j ;vers j f y
Robert Mirabal's music reflects a\ culture's in transition
By Sara Seidle
Merciad writer
dent culture". Another member of his group
said, "We have all the exact same problems as
everyone else in the world, we are just close
Diversify
On Saturday, Oct. 14, Robert Mirabal, a Na- knit. This makes it seem worse." & By Adam DuShole
tive American musical artistfromTaos, N.M., According to Winters, "The tour is a way of Features Editor
brought his ensemble to Mercyhurst College. breaking awayfromthe boxed way of think-
All in attendance experienced the music of ing for us. We are grateful for being raised tra- Everyone could use a little diversity in their
Mirabal's traditional culture intermixed with ditionally, but we want to go against the re- lives, right? Just how many times as children
his contemporary influences. strictions of our culture." did we hear from our parent or teacher, "
The unique sound produced by his combi- Mirabal said he is often criticized for "not wouldn't it be boring if everyone was just like
nation of bid and new musical methods is more being Indian enough." He said that this is just you?" ]{g. % ± i if
than just artistic ingenuity though. It depicts an idiosyncrasy developed out of the fear of Erika Brown, a junior, is that thought-pro-
something much deeper. Mirabal's music is change. Winters added that, "The government voking parent and we& Mercyhurst, are that
representative of the ongoing struggle between has such a fear of change." She said, "Change child.
contemporary society and traditional culture is a very powerful thing that lives within each Though it has been known by a variety of
for the people of the Taos Pueblo in New of us. Rather than trying to repress it, I'm try- other names, the newly dubbed Diversity 101
Mexico. file photo ing to go with it, to break out of that isola- club represents a growing and promising trend
Listening to Mirabal and other members of Robert Mirabal as pictured on his new al- tion." I 1 | $ 'j I toward ^acceptance, tolerance and multi-
the group talk about their unique experiences bum, Taos Tales. Winters said that the majority of people cultural ism. t 1
on the reservation, it is'apparent that this in- "What I do out here is being an artist. This would rather not see this happening, but adds Brown, president of Diversity 101, as well
termixing of old and new is more than just an is just who we are as a new generation," said that, "It is something we believe in. We are as other members of the club, staged a dance
artistic technique, but something that is deeply Mirabal. "We aren't going to blame another going to do it no matter what people say. Ac- recently in an effort to raise awareness of the
rooted in all of them. It is a reflection of the culture for our problems." cording to Mirabal, "We just do the best we diversity on our own college campus. "It's al-
struggles they have dealt with in the past and For April Winters and Michelle Lee, two of can and don't want to judge anybody." ways a good idea to broaden people's cultural
continue to contend with today. the dancers in Mirabal's ensemble, being Mirabal and his band has received much ac- awareness, I love it," Brown excitedly ex-
"The dancing and singing - its who we are," women makes this struggle even more diffi- claim for its work all over the nation^ They plained.
said Mirabal. But, as much as the music and cult. According to both Winters and Lee, have'been featured on PBS as part of John The dance was advertised at other local col-
singing is who they are, it just as much allows women have no voice on the pueblo. Winters Tesh's "One World" special and are currently leges as well, producing a/espectable turn-
them to break away from their traditions and says, "We walk in two worlds, but our place is on a U.S. tour. Mirabal has also recently es- out The funds collectedfromthe dance were
culture. taking care of the family as a whole. We are tablished the Middle Road Foundation, a non- donated to Mercyhurst students recently vic-
Mirabal says that although some of his looked upon as being incapable of leading our profit organization aimed at bridging the tran- tims of a house fire.
people accept the changing times, to others, people." Z sition between the Native and contemporary
anything new is controversial "We have been Mirabal said, "When you come out of the world for Native youth. Mirabal is also cur-
judged by a lot of people for wanting to try
something different," said Mirabal. He con-
reservation, you realize how fragile life is. It
is a homogenized community, and you don't
rently working on his next show that he says
will be, "darker and deeply related," further
^%ifs always a
siders himself tlje "minority of the minority.
But, to him, it does At really matter.
»*
learn this until you move out of it." Mirabal
describes the Tabs Pueblo as an "interdepen-
exploring the struggle he and his people are
facing. good idea td
Mercyhurst says "Farewell broaden people's
cultural aware-
J Glen Kwok «wJ.P. Cooney ness, I lov&At!*''
QsvoJOKj lo>na famecu&ecta*a/ida&tod/a'}UfMOfe6dc&o&me zJ 'Qfflnae/o
QfcJzooiofQ/vluUo, na& acee/i/eda Aotofion as !w*ec£b& otwQfwe&tt-
—Erika Brown
Aside from dances, Brown and the other club
' a^/^Qyjt/er/ta/iorta/ I ic/tn \£<}m/i4rfif!o>fo M(^*KU![W$GM».
members have a cornucopia of activities
Kfo&ri&u na6 i&yvea ws co/leae a& atb a<%»u66iO'n6 cow/tee/or planned for the rest of the year. Including, but
not exclusive to, NAACP members drive, a
tetwea*aau!ifi-na from''Qwtercu/tuKfitt 4338\Q/tetvi/foeleavinato-
coat drive, Kwanzaa celebration, as well as
f e
futMHte a career in ia/e* toi/a me C£$?n4&ica<ti, ^yo/f^ <^i ho^a^io'H ia activities planned for Women's History month.
Brown, who hailsfroma rural area of Penn-
sylvania, witnessed prejudice in its many
forms. Rangingfroma seemingly endless sup-
Indiana family goes thej distance for 'Hurst weekend ply of Confederate flags to racist comments
made by her own teachers. "It's mainly due to
By Brian Costelloe and her parents drove down State Street and Saturday morning the Davises went to see ignorance thatpeople are like that," Brown
Merciad writer got to see much of greater Erie before settling the ballet show which was going on in the noted.
down to eat at the Waterfront restaurant on PAC. Meredith, a former dance major, really "I encourage people to get involved with a
it
Upon hearing the words "Parents Weekend," Dobbin's Landing. enjoyed it and her parents were also impressed club like this because it gives them an oppor-
many students first think of filling their fridge After going out to eat, they ventured back to with the show, even though Mrs, Davis had to tunity to learn about other cultures and it gives
with free groceries, or getting some extra Mercyhurst and went to see Astonishing Neil keep off the stage for this performance. them an opportunity to meet other students on
spending money from their sympathetic par- a hypnotist that performed at the D' Angelo Later in the day, Mr. and Mrs. Davis took campus; and it's fun!" said Brown.
ents. Performing Arts Center Friday night During their daughter food and clothes shopping. Later Students interested in Diversity 101 can visit
. For some students, however, this weekend the show, Davis' mother ventured onto the that night, Mrs. Davis cooked everyone a meal their recently acquired office located at 3809
provides a reason for their parents to travel stage with a group of others in order to be hyp- and then they went out to see a movie, appro- Briggs Ave., Apt. or contact Erika Brown at
long distances to see them. For these students, notized. priately enough the movie was Meet the Par- 824-2925. i I I
this time is one of only a few throughout the Throughout the duration of the show, many ents, staring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller.
school year when they get to see their parents. people were sent back to their seats while Mrs. The next morning they went to breakfast at
Also, most of the other occasions are holi- Davis and several others remained on stage. Perkins and after many good-byes, Mr. and Students for Animal
days that tend to be too hectic to allow for a The longer she stayed on stage, the more hyp- Mrs.'Davis headed off on the long drive back
tour of our scenic campus,. For many students notized she became. to South Bend. Rights I
it can be refreshing to see their parents in a At one point during the show the hypnotist Reflecting on the weekend, Meredith said
non-holiday atmosphere, allowing for a more convinced her that she had a pet cat with her, that it "was a great excuse for my parents to
relaxed visit and an opportunity to show their then told her that the cat had ran off and she come and visit" ^ Weds 25th @ 8p.m. In Zurn 11
parents where they spend much of their year. was to go look for it. She ran frantically around All in all, this weekend was, at least for this For further
One such student is Meredith Davis, a sopho- the auditorium looking for her cat, running up family, about more than just free food and
more biology major. Davis*parents made a and down the aisles and crawling under clothes* Rather, it provided them with an op- Information contact:
long, six-hour car ride from South Bend; In- people's legs so that she could see if the cat portunity to have a good time and for parents Gary Cardot 824-2529
diana to see her for Parents Weekend. had run under their seats. All the while, Davis to gain some insight as to what life as a
On Thursday night her parents arrived in Erie and her father laughed at the show Mrs. Davis Mercyhurst students is like*-
and stayed at a local hotel. The next day, Davis was putting on. Jill Boefim 864-0189

V
/

MWomen c y ath u r s t i c e r s o p e n 2 0 0 0
e r open
U. of Wisconsin
By Annie DeMeo
Sports Editor
This weekend the Lady Lakers got a taste of
the tough task that is before them for the
2000-2001 season. The women's hockey
team traveled to the University of Wisconsin
to take on the nationally ranked Badgers in a
two-game road stint. * J
The atmosphere was a little different from
the MIC that the ladies are used to: the team
competed in a 17,000-seat arena this
weekendfHowever, the Lakers were
anything but intimidated in this intense |
environment despite dropping two games.
The ladies lost 5-3 Saturday night and were
buNshot by the Badgers 33-17. On Sunday,
the Lakers demonstrated that they would not
be defeated easily. The game was an intense
defensive battle with Mercyhurst sophomore
Tiffany Ribble playing inside the net
extremely well. With less than three minutes
left, the Badgers' Stephanie Miller scored,
putting Wisconsin ahead 1 -0. The Badgers
slipped another one into an empty net with
25 seconds left to seal the win. 2-0.
This type of tough competition is just the
beginning for the Lady Lakers. The hockey
team will face a full Division I schedule this
^ear,3complete with games against defend-
ing national champion Minnesota and
proven Ivy League powers Brown and
Princeton^, i £
*We are scheduled to play against the top
schools in the country," said head coach
Mike Sisti. "We have what shapes up to be
arguably the toughest schedule in the
country."
The Laker program is still young, and the
players will likely struggle to compete with
some of the competitions' seasoned veter-
ans. J Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer p.m.
"Most of the schools we play have 2-5
Are you ooking for a job that oners:
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING
i FRE^MEALS
FREEfUNIFORMS
* | $ 6 PER HOUR ,
* SCHOLARSHIP S
Worn
kday
m
4316 Buffalo Rd 4319 Pitch St
Erie, PA 16510 Erto, PA 16509
(614) 6664865
(614) 6964 III
The Mercyhurst men's hockey team opened their season with two exhibition I }
victories over Brock University. (Above) Freshman AdamTackaberry battles for the
puck. (Below)Marty Rychley (#7) and Peter Rynshoven(#23) attack the goal.
players on the U. S. national team or the j
Canadian national team," said Sisti.
In its second year of existence, the
women's hockey team is comprised of 14
sophomores, nine freshmen and a lone •
senior who transferred in this year.
"We don't have the depth that the schools
we playhave. We rely on our freshmen to
step up," remarked Sisti.
Things get very challenging in coming
weeks for the young team. Next weekend
the hockey team will be on the road facing
St. Lawrence University, ranked eighth
nationally. The following week the ladies
come home and will host Northeastern
(ranked fifth nationally).
The youth of the team combined with the
opposition that Mercyhurst will face will
challenge the hockey team to prove them-
selves on the Division I level.
cferMriighrs
7855 Hny Highway
Erto, PA 16506 (1-90, exit 7)
(614) 866 3596
OCTOBER 18, 2000 THE MERC IAD PAGE 7
LAKER
—SPORTS
season
Men\openregular
season this week
By Annie DeMeo
Sports Editor
The men's hockey team opened the 2000
season with two victories in exhibition
games against Brock University this 4
weekend. The regular season begins on the
road this weekend. f* • '«f
Mercyhurst's hockey team is a member of
the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
This year the conference champion will
receive an automatic bid to the NCAA
Division I National Championships.
Mercyhurst, last season's MAAC runner-up,
was picked to finish second in the preseason
poll. This positioning sets Mercyhurst up as
a prime contender for an automatic bid to
the prestigious national tournament. W
Annie Sitter/lMerciad photographer
In addition to the positive preseason, the
Lakers have a strong core of returners to
help Mercyhurst battle through their tough
D-I schedule.
Junior forward Louis Goulet, a second-
team all-conference pick last season, returns
for the Lakers in 2000. Picked as a second-
team MAAC preseason selection, Goulet
was an offensive leader for the team, leading
the Lakers in goals and points.
Senior forward and captain Eric Ellis was ^
named to the presesason first team after
finishing the 1999-2000 season as a second-
team selection. Ellis, as a captain and senior
will undoubtedly provide leadership for the
Laker icers. He led the team in assists last
year.
The combination of the Lakers' talent and
the conference's fierce competition should
provide an entertaining season for the
Mercyhurst community and possibly post-
season play, the Lakers first regular season
home game is Friday, Oct 27. Mercyhurst
takes on the Crusaders of Holy Cross at 7:30
Ice Hockey teams provide
exposure to elite schools
As a senior in high school I went through the
same thing all graduating students go
through. I had to answer the dreaded
Sidelined
question; "So, what are you doing next
year?" fp \ ' Annie DeMeo
Why the adjective "dreaded" you may be
asking yourself? Well, as a graduate of room even after a tough loss.
Hayden High School in Topeka, Kan, telling Having Division I sports teams gives our
members of my community (who often could school the opportunity to rub elbows with g
care less) that-1 was going to Mercyhurst Ivy League schools and mingle with Big 10
College wasn't always pleasant. No one had powers. With continued administrative
heard of our fair little school and even when support of the "premier" sport, there's no
I qualified my choice with "in Erie, Pennsyl- doubt that in years to come young women
vania" I could see people fumbling with their with phenomenal hockey playing skills may
mental maps to figure out where exactly this apply to Princeton, Brown and Mercyhurst,
state is. I And then actually decide to come here.
No fear, the school's name is getting out, Perhaps this sounds preposterous to you.
possibly more than it has been before. The Perhaps since hockey is not in the vocabu-
women's hockey team (though possibly lary of Kansans my state will remain
unbeknownst to them) is spreading the unenlightened. Perhaps the administration!
foreign name of Mercyhurst among the will pull in the reigns and prevent our school
collegiate elite. Last weekend the ladies from reach ing this level, but perhaps they
traveled to Wisconsin where they exhibited won't. Perhaps you should get yourself to a
class on and off the ice. They conveyed hockey game and see the types of schools
"Mercyhurst" as comprised of persevering, Mercyhurst hockey players are surrounding ^
smart individuals who pick up the locker themselves with.

PAGE 8 THE MERCIAD
LAKER
SPORTS —
Lady spikers drop 3 over weekend
By Jessica Kapusta
Merciad writer k
This past weekend Mercyhurst women's
volleyball faced off against three GLIAC
competitors from Michigan: Michigan Tech,
Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan.
These three games were very important
matches in the girls season. Prior to this
weekend, the team had only one win in their
conference against Ashland and their overall
,record stood at 8 and 13. Mercyhurst needed
'to pick up a win or two but was once again
unsuccessful.
On Friday night, the Lakers were up
against Michigan Tech University. The girls
started off slow offensively with the team
accumulating 11 errors in 36 attempts. Play
continued in the same fashion and the
The football team picked up Its second win of theseason this weekend: (Top) The
offensive line's Steve Pickard helped open up the running game against Ferris
State. (Left) Senior wide receJverEd Bailey led the team in receptions this week-
end. (Right)Vinnie Corasaniti kicks off for the Lakers in their Parent's weekend loss. competed at the C.R.A.S.H.-B.'s, the indoor
Football picks up second victory
By Annie DeMeo
Sports Editor
The number of wins in a season defines how
good a team is too often.
There have been some negative comments
made about the Mercyhurst football team in
recent weeks. TTiey have ranged from theft
decidedly pessimistic premonition, "we're
gonna lose** to the blunt, "we stinkj M
Hopefully the win this weekend will
change all of the unwarranted chatter. (Yes,
you are reading correctly, the WIN.) The
Lakers defeated Ferris State % 1 -10 on the
road. The win got a couple of pesky mon-
keys off the backs of the football team. The
win was the elusive 100th for the nearly 20-
year-old program, it snapped a five-game
losing streak;
Ferris State finished second in the GLIAC provided momentum that will likely carry
last year and at the start of the season was
billed by coaches and players as one of the
toughest challenges of the fall. Ferris State
didn't get worse; and though it may sound
WRt f • V
OCTOBER 1812000
Lakers dropped game one 6-15. Game two of 15-7, dropped the second and the fourth
and finally finished game five with a loss; a
was also won by Michigan Tech, ending in
the same score, 6-15. Hie girls rallied back heartbreaking score of 15-17
and won game three by a small margin (15- The third opponent from Michigan arrived
at the MAC on Sunday. Northern Michigan
12) but the comeback was only momentary.
Game four was claimed by Michigan Tech University, which is 8-4 in the GLIAC, was
a powerful competitor and proved that on
University and the Lakers dropped their first
match of the weekend/ \ the court. The Lakers played a valiant match
with Jenn Barba hitting impressively with a
Saturday, the girls played an outstanding percentage of .423, but Northern Michigan^
game against Lake Superior State Univer- was just too much for the girls. With the
sity. Four of the Lakers, Kristen Anderson, ladies outmatched offensively, they went
Sarah Antonette, Jenn Barba and Leslie down in three games with the scores 2-15,
Macko, had hitting percentages above .300, 6-L5 and 8-15. \ W®%, ••*
respectively. The team also played very well
defensively, accumulating 98 defensive digs. With these three losses, the ladies record
fell to 1-11 in the GLIAC and 8-16 overall.
Standouts included Missy Miller, Leslie St i Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer
The Lakers next game is tomorrow at home,
Macko and Kristen Anderson with 16 digs Junior setter, Sarah Antonette plays
against Wayne State, 7 p.m.
and Shauna McMahon with 21. The ladies tough this weekend at the MAC.
took the first game with an impressive score
New coach improves oarsmen
By Mike Tanner
Merciad Writer
If too many cooks spoil the broth, too many
coaches spoil the program. After four years
as oarsmen for the Mercyhurst Lakers, the
seniors on the rowing team are working with
yet another coach. That's four in as many
years. But it seem as if Veronika Platzer was
meant to be here all along.
Born in the former West Germany, Platzer
moved to Colorado and became a natural -
lied citizen when she was 9 years old. As a
freshman at Grinnell College she placed
second in the NCAA track and field
championships for discus. Second didn't suit Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer
her too well, though. Platzer won the next Veronika Platzer is the men's rowing
three NCAA championships. Her junior assistant coach.
year, she managed the national indoor title champ in '00.
as well? She is a 10-time All-American Ben Foster, the Hurst men's coach hired
(track and field has an indoor season as two years ago, is a good friend of Platzer
well) and was the first female inducted into and suggested she start coaching at the
the Grinnell College Athletic Hall of Fame. collegiate level. He suggested Mercyhurst.
Her collegiate achievements earned Platzer Foster told head coach Adrian Spracklen of
the title of NCAA Athlete of the Decade her skills and she got a call the next day.
nnie Sltter/Merclad photographer from 1980 to 1990. I f f* ?. After her interview, she decided that she'd
Platzer was introduced to rowing through join on to help the Lakers. When the new |
a friend. She spent three months on an ergo- Rec center is complete, she also will take on
meter (an indoor rowing machine) and the role of facility manager.
Senior oarsman Jeremy Wozniak speaks
rowing world championships. She finished very highly of his new coach. "Veronika
fifth in the international open women's
division, something unheard of for a novice.
The U. S. women's coach asked her to come
had real passion and commitment, things
lacking in our last three coaches," he said.
"She's been here only a month, and already
strange, Mercyhurst didn't get better. The ft train with his team. He taught her the basics the team is turning around."
Lakers just finally got the whole package of rowing and she spent the next few years , Platzer's long-term goals include bringing
together, and played as they've been capable racing around the country with Ivy League the men's team back up to par, matching the
of playing all season. grads in a quad (four person boat, each reputation of the extremely successful
The defense forced turnovers, including a I utilizing two oars). She won so many women's program, as well as raising the
single-game record six interceptions. Senior prestigious regattas that US Rowing, the overall feelings on Mercyhurst throughout
defensive back Steve Hill picked off three national governing body of rowing, granted the rowing world. Her short-term goals call
balls, also a single-game record. her elite status. i for the immediate establishment of credibil-
The offense controlled the lock and gave Platzer won a spot on the U.SI national i ity and respectability.
the defense a break. The Laker offense had a team for the '93 World Championships butjg Sunday, Platzer and her squad showed
balanced attack, rushing for 168 yards and was disappointed by the lack of unity and they meant business at the Stonehurst
getting 186 yards in the air. Phil Provenzano national pride. She came back to the states Capital Regatta in Rochester, N.Y. Competi-
led the rushing attack, racking up 72 yards and continued rowing but was hampered by tion included Harvard, Yale, Syracuse and
on nine carries. Ed Bailey, Mercyhurst's back injuries and severe illness. Determined several other Ivy League schools. The
individual reception leader, reeled in five to make a comeback, she spent the next five varsity men defeated Colgate University by
passes for 62 yards. ' years training for the world championships open water in the afternoon races. She said
The talent of the Mercyhurst football team and Olympics, living in Australia a while, of the victory, "I was very pleased and
was evident in Saturday's victory. It may but always fell short at the speed orders. In encouraged with their determination to
have been enough to cease the negative
1998, she moved to New Zealand where she implement the game plane, to trust me to do
buzz. The cohesive play of the weekend| joined their national team a strength and what I ask of them. This allows me to lead
conditioning coach. Along with the national them to the new and improved program.
over to Saturday as the football team hosts 1 team, she coached Rob Waddell, the world That's what winning is." f £
Grand Valley State University at 1:30 rxm^J singles champ in '98 and '99, and Olympic^