THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929

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Student Women’s hockey
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MERCIAD
Vol. 79 No. 12 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie Pa. 16546 January 25, 2006
THE

Repeated heists hammer Hirt

Thousands of dollars worth of equipment and personal items reported stolen
By Joshua Wilwohl
Editor-in-chief
Reports of theft over the past year
in the Audrey Hirt Academic Center
are raising concerns with departments
housed in the building. Police and Safety
Chief Ken Sidun said the case is under
investigation.
Sidun confirmed Tuesday that a
private detective has been hired to
investigate.
The communication and graphic
design departments were struck the
“I spoke with (the detective) about
the incidents, but I have heard nothing
yet,” said Pittman.
Sidun acknowledged hiring a private
detective. “We were granted a request
for an investigator on a part-time basis,”
he said. “He investigates serious crimes
and we are using him a lot.”
The investigator, Dennis Donovan,
is an adjunct professor of forensic
science at Mercyhurst College and a
retired Pennsylvania State Police inves-
tigator. “With his help, we have solved
more crimes on campus,” said Sidun.
Donovan could not be reached for Katie McAdams/Photo editor

most so far with nine and eight items
stolen, respectively. The Center for
Instructional Technology (CIT) division
also lost two items.
According to Communication Chair
The CIT department has had video equipment stolen. Brian Sheridan, the communication
department was robbed of technology
equipment during the 2004-05 school
year. Included among the stolen items
were studio microphones, a DVD
player, battery chargers and a video
camera. The total value of the equip-
ment stolen is around $1,500, said
Sheridan.
Graphic design professor, Jodi Stani-
unas-Hopper reported thefts from the
graphic’s department beginning in the
comment. Jacque McCarty practices Arabic.
The thefts also plagued the college’s
student-run yearbook office on the Conversational
lower level of the building. Junior
yearbook worker, Gina Christoffersen, courses offered
said they reported bake sale goods and
over $120 worth of art calendars stolen
in the past month. Christoffersen, who
in foreign tongue
regularly works in the office, said she
By Stephanie Williams
no longer feels safe leaving anything
Contributing writer
behind for a night.
“I would never leave anything in the
yearbook office,” she said. “I just don’t On Jan. 16th the Mercyhurst Adult
feel it would be safe to do so.” and Graduate Center began its 12-week
Other students who frequent the courses in conversational Arabic, Chi-
Hirt building share Christoffersen’s nese and Russian for those who have a
opinion. basic proficiency.

summer of 2004 when the Pennsylvania
Governor’s School of the Arts used
the facility.
According to Staniunas-Hopper, only
a video camera was stolen during that
time, valued at about $500. “There
was a lot of talk about the theft being
a Mercyhurst student or a governor’s
school student,” she said. Staniunas-
Hopper noted the governor’s school
Nine items were stolen from the communications department. replaced the camera, but not with the
original.
Over the 2004-05 school year, Sta-
niunas-Hopper reported an additional
five items stolen. The missing items
include: two student book bags, an
X-Box video game system costing
about $180, student books, a camera
tripod and fundraising items from the
ADpro club. Staniunas-Hopper said
she informed Police and Safety on the
issue. “Police and Safety have taken
reports, but I have heard nothing back
yet,” she said.
The Merciad lost a 256 megabyte photo
memory card and card reader to thieves
in December 2004, valued at $200.
Director of CIT, Barbara Pittman,
informed security in October 2005 of
the theft of two video cameras, valu-
ing at $1,200, she said. According to
Pittman, campus security has hired a
Numerous items have been taken from the yearbook office. detective to investigate the matter.
Katie McAdams/Photo editor
“
I would never leave
anything in the
yearbook office. I just
don’t feel it would be
“ languages more thoroughly. Classes are
safe to do so.
- Gina Christoffersen
Sophomore and Communication
Board Secretary Megan Shoup said she
would not consider leaving any personal
items in the communication office for a
night. “The thefts made me reconsider
leaving stuff behind and, as a result, I
will never leave anything there, ever,”
she said.
Junior and graphic design major
Andrew Kochirka does not normally
leave any items behind in the graphic
design department; but, after discover-
ing two issues of his “Print” magazine
were stolen at $20 an issue, he reconsid-
ered leaving anything overnight. “The
thefts have caused me to leave nothing
behind,” he said.
Sidun vows to continue the investiga-
tion until Police and Safety apprehend
the perpetrator. “We will not give up
until we have the person in custody,”
he said.
These courses are intended to facili-
tate conversation in an informal and
supportive environment for those
who wish to explore one of the above
open to both students and the general
public.
Nikki Caserta, a local Erie resident
enrolled in the 12-week program.
She explained that she read about the
opportunity in the Showcase section of
the Erie Times News.
When asked why she signed up for the
course Caserta said that she, “wanted to
be exposed to other cultures.”
The three courses mark the begin-
ning of an innovative program that
will offer opportunities to anyone
interested in learning less commonly
taught languages.
“There is a shifting interest in lan-
guages,” said Alice Edwards, Ph.D, chair
of the world languages and cultures
department at Mercyhurst.
“Something hits the news and every-
one says ‘Wow, we need to learn Arabic.’
Colleges have trouble responding to
that,” Edwards said.
Therefore, in response to the recent
interest in unusual languages, Mercyhurst
College has approved the informal
Please see Language on page 2

Athletic teams searching for a place to study

By Sarah Sheehan
Contributing writer
There has been a rumor on camus
about athletic teams no longer being
able to have group study sessions in
the library because of an incident that
occurred. The rumor is wrong.
Ken Brundage, the director of the
library, described in detail the actual
situation.
Three years ago, there had been
multiple complaints about the athletic
teams’ group study sessions disrupting
other students’ personal study time.
Instead of enacting a policy, retired
President Dr. William Garvey insisted
that athletic teams have their own
assistant coach be present during group
study sessions.
Now that Garvey is retired Brundage
brought up the issue with the MSG
library representative. Therefore, there
was no incident to bring this matter into
the limelight.
The main issue is concerned with
a lack of space in the library and on
campus for group study sessions.
Brundage wants to work with MSG
to help the athletic teams have group
sessions within the library but hopefully
make more space for other students.
Another issue centers on the fact that
a coach must be present during a study
session.
This is sometimes a difficult task for
the coaches of smaller teams because
the group sessions which occur three to
four nights a week.
The coaches of these smaller teams
brought this to Brundage’s attention.
Brundage approached MSG about
enacting a written policy regarding
group study sessions not only for the
athletic teams but also for any student
organization wishing to have group
study sessions.
Brundage is not sure what the end
product of the policy will be but he
wanted to gather student opinions
before creating a policy.
Last Monday, at the MSG meeting
the idea was brought to the board of
representatives and they had last week
and have this week to gather student
Katie McAdams/Photo editor

classroom and that either a coach or an they do not have the necessary time for Please see Students on page 2 Students utilize all the space provided in the Walker Reading Room.
PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD January 25, 2006

NEWS To contact: newsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Making political advances

World Briefs Political science department hires a new faculty member for the fall
International news

Compiled by
Bolivia president
Corrie Thearle
Bolivian President Evo Mo-
rales has named his cabinet, with
ministers from a range of differ-
ent interest groups.
By Jessica Nulph
Contributing writer
For several years, the political
science department of Mercy-
hurst College awaited permission
from the administration to hire
“
three candidates, Dr. Chris Lee,
Dr. Jamie Jacobs and Dr. Mi-
chelle Crumley, all specialists in
Comparative Politics.
Clemons and Federici decided
to hire Crumley, who currently
teaches at the University of
Tennessee.
women with Ph.D’s in political
science are rare and seem to be
attracted to the most prestigious
We know that colleges.
Recently, however, Clemons
she will add a lot to commented that it was simply
our department and a matter of selecting the best
person for the job.
the college.

On his first full day of work, he
appointed 16 ministers, among
them four women, farmers,
business leaders, miners and
indigenous representatives.
One of the key appointments
was that of energy analyst and
journalist Andres Soliz Rada as
hydrocarbons minister.
Mr. Morales has vowed to “re-
cover” the country’s natural re-
sources by renationalising them.
Correspondents say the ap-
pointment of Mr. Soliz Rada
could signal a tough fight for the
multinational gas and oil compa-
nies operating in Bolivia.
But Mr. Morales’ choices ap-
pear to have been welcomed
by many elements of Bolivian
society.
Kuwait emir abdicates position
The new emir of the Gulf state of Kuwait has agreed to abdicate
in order to resolve a constitutional crisis in the royal family, officials
say. The ailing Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah, who became emir
on Jan. 15, will step down in favour of PM Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad
al-Sabah.
Parliament was to consider a government request on Tuesday for
the removal of the emir on health grounds.
a new faculty member. Their re-
quest was granted last spring.
The political science depart-
ment has grown popular over
the years. With only four current
faculty members, the department
was unable to provide enough
classes for the increasing student
population.
Those current members took
on further responsibilities, short-
ening the number of classes they
could teach. The department
knew they needed help, fast.
About 120 professors from
across the country and a few
from outside of the United States
applied for the position.
Dr. Randall Clemons, chair and
professor of the political science
department, and Dr. Michael
Federici, professor of political
science, held pre-interviews for
25 candidates at the American
Political Science Association in
Washington, D.C. at the begin-
ning of September.
Two of the top six candidates
were chosen in that session, and
the others were selected from
interviews held at the college.
The list was then narrowed to
She will begin teaching at
Mercyhurst in the fall of 2006.
Her responsibilities will be the
same as the current professors,
teaching, advising, representing
the department at various events
and doing her research, as well as
many other tasks.
Clemons hinted that she also
might lead a study abroad trip
in the future and is very eager to
find other projects to take on.
Clemons commented that
though it was difficult to choose,
Crumley seemed like the best
choice.
“Everyone who heard Michele
lecture, read her vitae and met
with her when she was here
agrees she was a great choice
and a great fit for Mercyhurst.
We feel very gratified that our
search was so successful and
know that she will add a lot to
our department and the college,”
Clemons said.
Clemons added that all three
of the final candidates were very
talented and accomplished. The
department even suggested that
the college hire two of them, but
they had to settle on one.
”
- Dr. Clemons
The political science depart-
ment now hopes to offer more
sections of classes. This would
allow for more students to take
advantage of the expanded
program.
Crumley will be able to offer
new classes as well. While noth-
ing is confirmed yet, Clemons
suspects Crumely will offer class-
es on Contemporary Russia, the
Central Asia/Caucus area, the
Middle East, Women in Develop-
ment and Ethnic Conflict. None
of these classes have ever been
offered at Mercyhurst before.
As of now, Mercyhurst has
never had a female faculty mem-
ber in the political science de-
partment.
When asked why this may be,
Clemons responded that many
things may have affected the
outcome, most commonly that
“When both Dr. Ripley and
Dr. Morris were hired, they were
simply the best candidates avail-
able. In fact, the other candidate
we brought in when Dr. Morris
was hired was a woman.”
Crumley has a Ph.D. from
the University of Connecticut,
specializing in Comparative
Politics, International Relations
and Russian and East European
Studies.
She has an M.P.I.A. in Interna-
tional Affairs from the University
of Pittsburgh; a certificate in
Soviet Studies and a B.A. in Po-
litical Science and Russian and
East European studies at the
University of Tennessee.
Crumley did field research in
Russia twice, interned at St. Pe-
tersburg and organized a study
abroad course there.
She had an article published in
the East European Quarterly, has
made seven national and interna-
tional conference presentations,
and several regional presenta-
tions. Crumley is also fluent in
both Russian and Spanish.

Balkan train crash

At least 39 people were killed
when the brakes failed on a
President’s office relocating
packed passenger train and it Gamble also hopes to extend
By Jonelle Davis
jumped the tracks, sliding into a the admissions space. “I am in-
Contributing writer
ravine in mountainous Montene- terested in exploring whether or
gro on Monday. not we can have a patio built by
A total of 135 people were One of the first major changes the old president’s office so when
injured, 75 of them children, the that Dr. Thomas J. Gamble has there are receptions, people can
government said. decided to make as the eleventh go out there and into the quad,”
Trees caught the plunge of the president is to change the loca- he said.
front coaches 40 yards from the tion of the president’s office. Right now, the new office is
river below. Gamble’s new office will be only in the planning phase, but
Army and police helicopters located in the Bishop’s Parlor, construction will start soon in
hovered over the site as rescuers which has been used by the order to have the office ready to
climbed down the steep slope in admissions office as a recruiting go by March 1.
darkness to reach those trapped spot since 1990. Along with the president re- Katie McAdams/Photo editor

in coaches below.
They began smashing the win-
dows to extract survivors from a
coach lying on its side.
Kenyan collapse
A four-story building being
built in the Kenyan capital,
Nairobi, has collapsed on top
of scores of people, leaving at
least seven dead. Kenyan TV said
200 people were in or around the
building when it fell. Rescuers
have been digging through the
rubble with their bare hands to
save those trapped inside.
A doctor at Kenyatta General
Hospital said 75 people had been
admitted with chest, leg and
abdominal injuries. The hospital
appealed for people to go to the
hospital to donate blood, while
police called for people trained in
rescue operations to make their
services available.
Conservatives win Canadian elections
According to Gamble, he want-
ed to change offices for a couple
of reasons. “The office will
symbolize the new start with new
association. Also, everything we
do has to be connected to our
heritage. The current president’s
office used to be the south parlor,
which was used as a reception
area. The space will once again
be a reception area,” he said.
Language program offers global perspective
Continued from page 1
language program. The forma-
tion of this program was initiated
by intelligence studies graduate
student Diane Chido.
“I thought something like that
would be valuable for students
in general, but primarily for the
Students lack study room
Continued from page 1
locating, his secretary Sue John-
son will follow. In order to
accommodate this, part of the
renovation will include creating
a doorway in the interior wall,
connecting the two rooms.
As far as the décor of the office
goes, Gamble said he’s only mar-
ginally involved. “My wife and
Sue are working on that part,”
he said. “The only rule I have is
Intelligence Studies students so
they could have a greater under-
standing of the languages and
cultures of a range of countries,”
Chido stated.
Jacque McCarty, an intel studies
major, explained that she signed
up for the program to prepare for
any professional experiences she
long-term solution and they
The Bishop’s Parlor will soon be the president’s office.
that it’s not too expensive.”
Overall, Gamble is excited for
his new office. “I spent so much
time in the old presidents’ office,
not as the president, that it will be
nice to have a new office as the
president that is my own,” said
Gamble. Most students also seem
to support the move.
may undertake abroad.
“I wanted to become profi-
cient in other languages so that
I would be able to interact with
people from other countries,”
Line said.
The cost for the program was
$139 for Mercyhurst students
and $399 for the general public,
MERCYHURST COLLEGE
Senior Ambassador Kathryn
Reeners thinks moving the presi-
dent is a great idea. “A bigger
reception area would be good
because it would allow for admis-
sions to grow and expand. Plus
that area is more centrally located
in Old Main and stands out.”
in addition to books and study
materials. There will be no grades
or transcripts issued.
The classes are held three
nights a week from 6:30 to 8:30
p.m. in the language lab at the
Hammermill Library. The les-
sons will end the week of April
10.

Canada has swung to the right in a general election after 12 years opinions about what should be
of Liberal rule increasingly overshadowed by allegations of corrup-
tion. Conservative Stephen Harper is set to succeed Paul Martin as
done about the policy.
Last year some athletic teams
prime minister, but will need partners to govern. studied in the MSG chambers,
“Tonight, friends, our great country has voted for change,” Mr which seemed to work out well.
Harper said in his victory speech, pledging to lower taxes and root out This may be an option for
corruption. Mr Martin said he would step down as Liberal leader. some larger teams who are
Results indicated that the Conservatives made significant gains in known to be noisy.
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, and in the Francophone Other teams through the years
region of Quebec. have taken over the second floor
computer lab in Zurn.
D.C. abortion rally However, this did not seem
to work because there were
On the 33rd anniversary of complaints that the athletes
Roe v. Wade, abortion oppo- were rude, disruptive and other
nents gathered at the foot of students found it impossible to
Capitol Hill Monday to urge work while they were there.
Congress and the Supreme Court Two sophomore football play-
to reverse the 1973 decision that ers suggested that the Old Main
legalized the procedure. computer lab be used because it
Supporters of abortion held is rarely used unless for class and
a rally on Sunday and urged the it is out of the way.
Senate to reject the nomination Apparently, football players
of Judge Samuel Alito. They held are now remaining in the locker
a candlelight vigil in front of the
court, waving signs that read:
rooms to hold their group study
sessions.
“Alito No Justice For Women.” Unfortunately this is not a
should have a better location
to study.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Other resolutions discussed
were having team captains pre-
OPEN HOUSE
side over study sessions instead Get the information you need about:
of coaches.
Many students expressed con- Spring and fall admissions
cerns at the meeting that the ath- Full time and part time degree programs
letic teams were being shunned Teacher certifications for college grads
from the library for doing noth-
Graduate assistantship opportunities
ing.
Group study sessions are man- Day, evening and weekend schedules
datory for freshmen. It is easier
to have the study sessions in the � Organizational Leadership
library so the students can use � Administration of Justice
the resources of books, comput- � Special Education
ers, the writing center and the � Forensic Anthropology
math lab. � Applied Intelligence
Being pushed into a dark cor- � On-line Non-Profit Management
ner of campus is not seen as an
acceptable solution and Brund- February 4, 2006 � Noon– 2:00 pm
age would agree.
He wants students to study in RSVP today!
the library and is trying to make
that possible for everyone by (814) 824-2270
working with MSG to implement
a new policy.
www.mercyhurst.edu/graduate
January 25, 2006 THE MERCIAD PAGE 3

A healthier column
You borrowed your room-
mate’s notes from World His-
tory so that you could fill in a
couple of missing years in your
essay. You bought some anatomy
flashcards from the bookstore
instead of trudging your way to
a lab in Zurn. You even searched
frantically online for Sparknotes
on the “Blithedale Romance”
before attempting to decipher
chapter one yourself.
If you made it through mid-
term last week without having
Midterm and final’s weeks can
leave us feeling mentally drained,
but if we do not physically treat
our bodies well, they won’t be
performing their best. Conve-
nience foods are full of sugar
and fat, while lacking vitamins,
minerals, and long-lasting en-
ergy and they leave you craving
homemade comfort food by the
end of the week.
We crave heavy homemade
meals so much when we’re away
because they are filling, tasty and
Using whole wheat pasta will
be more filling than eating the
usual white macaroni shells like
the ones that come in the blue
Kraft box. This is due to the
fiber, which will also help keep
your digestive system moving
after eating the cheese.
Please don’t consider the onion
your serving of vegetable for
the evening. I enjoyed stirring
in some broccoli cooked in the
microwave, and the next day I
added a fresh chopped tomato
To contact: featuremerciad@mercyhurst.edu
FEATURES
with Jen
ing notes for another 30 minutes
before it comes out of the oven.
The dishes can wait until later, so
even on the most hectic night you
can spare the 30 minutes for this
nutritional and filling meal. Share
the dish with your roommates
and neighbors when you get
your grades back
this week, and Photo courtesy of Debbie Dalsin

a breakdown, I’m sure you are familiar. This recipe will definitely for a different flavor. Having be comforted Josh Long, Kristen McCarty, head trainer Mary Ann Love,
familiar with at least one of the satisfy all of your needs and even some steamed carrots on the side – you’re half- Jessica Oste and Debbie Dalsin were the lucky athletic
above shortcuts. However, in leave you with leftovers so you do with a small spoonful of brown way through trainers who experienced the Cactus Bowl.
addition to academic shortcuts, not need to cook tomorrow! sugar might actually be a way the year!

Hands-on experience
you probably filled your tank The recipe is not packed with of getting your vegetables
with Arbys, energy bars, potent fat and calories because the cot- that you won’t mind.
coffee, and whatever you could tage cheese stays thick and cheesy The time for preparing will
swipe your card for in a vending
machine.
while acting as a substitute for
some of the cheese.
be about 30 minutes, and then
you can sit back and finish tak- at the Cactus Bowl
athletes.
By Debbie Dalsin
Easy & Comforting Macaroni & Cheese Contributing writer
Much work was to be done
during the two-a-day practices
and the actual game. Mercyhurst
Ingredients During the first week in Janu- students quickly became famil-
Half a box of whole wheat macaroni (8. oz) ary, four of the senior athletic iarized with Kingsville’s unique
1 cup plain bread crumbs training students at Mercyhurst approach to athletic training.
1 tsp. olive oil College flew to Texas for an They were introduced to the
1 8 oz. container reduced fat cottage cheese amazing opportunity. exciting culture of Southern
3 cups skim milk Supervised by head athletic Texas through the hospitality
¼ cup all-purpose flour trainer Mary Ann Love, Debbie of the hosting athletic training
1 Tbsp. mustard (yellow or stadium) Dalsin, Josh Long, Jessica Oste students.
1 medium onion, chopped in small pieces and Kristen McCarty arrived in Some highlights of the week
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese Kingsville, Texas, and prepared included the meshing of cross-
to assist with the athletic training cultural attitudes towards medical
Directions services for the Cactus Bowl. treatment, trying authentic Mexi-
The Cactus Bowl is the NCAA can cuisine, venturing across the
1. Preheat the oven to 350F, spray a 13 x 9 baking dish
Division II All-Star game in Mexican border by foot and a
with non-stick spray.
which the top players from tour of the world famous King
2. Follow instructions on macaroni box and cook until soft but with a little resistance,
around the country face off in Ranch, which is the largest work-
also known as al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
front of scouts from every NFL ing ranch in the country.
3. Mash the cottage cheese with a fork for a minute.
team, in addition to several thou- After a week of double practice
4. Whisk ½ cup of the milk, flour, and mustard in a small bowl until smooth.
sand fans. The host school of sessions the players took the field
5. Heat olive oil in a large pot, preferably one with a thick bottom. Add onions and cook (stirring often)
this game is the Kingsville branch for the Friday night kick-off. Af-
for 7 minutes.
of Texas A & M University. ter a well-fought game the West
6. Add remaining milk, and heat until simmering (some steam will begin to come off of the milk, do not
A generous invitation was team proved to be too much for
continue until boiling). Make sure you stir during this step so that the milk will not burn on the bottom of the pan
extended to Mercyhurst’s head the visiting East team to handle,
7. Whisk in the flour mixture, and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the mixture thickens a bit. Remove the
athletic trainer as well as the with the final score of 49-28.
pot from the heat.
Mercyhurst senior athletic train- With all the talent displayed in
8. Whisk in the cottage cheese, Cheddar cheese, and some black pepper to taste. Stir in the macaroni
ing class. Throughout the course the game there are sure to be
and combine everything well. Pour from the pot into the 13 x 9 dish, and sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top.
of the week, the visiting students several Cactus Bowl participants
9. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.
used their skills and knowledge competing in the NFL in the
10. Enjoy with your roommates, this recipe will feed four of you for 2 meals each.
to provide care to the all-star years to come.

iPod craze takes ‘Hurst students take on FBI We were the second team to

on new niche By Jacqueline McCarty

By Merissa Frank
Contributing writer
For many young adults, music
is like coffee. They crave it in any
form possible. Our generation is
one that loves music, that lives
for music.
Electronics companies have
taken note of that need for
music. From Dell to Sony, they
have gone from traditional to
unbelievable in the inno-
vations that have been
devised to transport
music anywhere
you go.
Portable mu-
sic got its first
go with Sony
and the Walk-
man. Today,
a company that
has been out of the
spotlight for some years is mak-
ing a comeback, and making it
huge.
iPods are the latest and greatest
creation from Apple. Of those
students you pass who are con-
nected to their own worlds via
headphones, you could bet that
the majority of them own an
iPod MP3 player.
MP3 players have made it pos-
sible to carry thousands of songs
with you anywhere on a device
smaller than an average wallet.
How has Apple upped the
ante for its competition? With
its very own new line of cloth-
ing, designed specifically for the
iPod owner.
Not yet in stores, Apple has
developed this high tech line of
clothing for the avid iPod fanatic.
Check out the Website shopping.
com. They are featuring acces-
sories and the clothing.
Burton Snowboarding has
bought into the craze. They have
a jacket, the Burton Shield iPod
Jacket, which allows you to con-
trol your Pod from the outside
of your jacket. So not only can
you snowboard, you can listen to
your iPod fearlessly, without the
thought of dropping your MP3
player into the snow.
How convenient is it that you
can listen to your iPod worry-
free now? It’s amazing. But such
technology comes at a
price. The Burton jacket is
selling right now for
$379.90, though
o n s h o p p i n g.
com there is a
sale price of
$303.92.
Yikes!
T h e
g round-
break-
ing new
apparel costs m o r e
than your iPod. The newest form
of iPod is the iPod Shuffle, which
costs $99.99 at bestbuy.com. Is
such technology savvy clothing
worthy of the high cost?
Many Mercyhurst students felt
that such clothing to protect an
iPod is “unnecessary” and “stu-
pid.” But there has to be at least
one person who sees eye to eye
with Apple.
Jay Yankosky, a sophomore
business administration major, is
that student. He said, “It’s a good
idea. It could find a niche.” Sure,
it’s overpriced right now, but
Yankosky went on to say that “it’s
not going to come right out and
catch on. It’s going to take some
time to find a market and Apple
is good at finding a market.”
How desperate will Mercyhurst
students become for their musi-
cal fix? Will Apple eventually find
its niche here at the Hurst?
Contributing writer
As we were boarding the plane
many emotions were running
through our minds – excitement,
nervousness and anticipation.
Were we really going to be brief-
ing the FBI?
Myself, as well as senior team
leader Ryan Ross and sopho-
mores Ashley Scheid, Brittany
Monteparte and Kevin Szcz-
epanski traveled to Washington
D.C. as one of the top three
finalists in the FBI’s first National
Case Study Competition.
We began the competition
in mid-October, pitted against
another team from Mercyhurst
also comprised of intelligence
studies students. The focus of
the competition was to develop
a strategic plan to help the FBI
in its new role in intelligence and
counterterrorism.
We discussed ideas that includ-
ed a cultural gap between special
agents and intelligence analysts,
how the FBI does not have a cool
celebrity spokesperson, like the
CIA has Jennifer Garner from
Alias and also how intelligence
analysts are not respected, and
are basically used to take out
the trash.
We addressed all of these issues
in our proposal which involved a
three-tiered plan. The first was to
form a joint special agent\intel-
ligence analyst training program,
which allows for close collabo-
ration and builds relationships
between agents and analysts.
Second, was to revamp the
public relations of the FBI by
hiring a celebrity spokesperson
and gearing recruitment to the
college market.
The final part of our proposal
was to reorganize the FBI’s 56
field offices that can be found
all over the nation. This reor-
ganization would be achieved
Ashley Scheid, Jacqueline McCarty, Brittany Monteparte,
Ryan Ross and Kevin Szczepanski comprised the team.
through our proposed creation
of a directorate of field offices,
which would help to ensure the
FBI’s priorities and polices.
Word came in December that
we had been chosen as a final-
ist in the competition, and the
nights of meetings and practic-
ing continued. It seems that we
were hardly back from Christmas
break before we landed in Wash-
ington D.C. to present.
As we landed we were met by
representatives from Edven-
ture Partners, the organization
responsible for running this
competition for the FBI.
We settled into our hotel rooms
and did a little sightseeing before
meeting for dinner with the two
other teams of finalists and Ed-
venture Partners representatives.
As we mingled and talked with
the other teams it hit me that the
next day they would become our
competitor.
Bright and early on Friday, Jan.
13th, the day we all had been
waiting for, we finally had the
chance to brief the FBI. As we
walked toward the FBI Head-
quarters those feelings of excite-
ment and anticipation began to
reemerge.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Ross
Once we were cleared to enter
headquarters we were escorted to
the Flag Room where we were to
make our briefing and go down
in history as the first to win the
FBI’s National Case Study Com-
petition.
Before the judges entered
the room, we had time to get
acquainted with the room and
make final preparations for
our presentation. The panel of
judges consisted of five high
ranking executives in the FBI
such as, supervisory special
agents, intelligence, counterter-
rorism and language specialists.
We were impressed that they
sent such executives to judge the
competition.
The first team to present was
from the University of St. Thom-
as from St. Paul, Minn. Their
proposal was to shift the FBI’s
focus to strictly domestic terror-
ism issues and let the CIA handle
all of the international terrorist
threats that were under the FBI’s
jurisdiction.
They also proposed moving
the FBI from under the authority
of the Department of Justice to
under the Department of Home-
land Security.
brief, giving a 20-minute presen-
tation and then handling almost
30 minutes of questions, which
was 15 minutes longer then al-
lotted. During this session the
judges asked many detailed and
in-depth questions about our
proposal and much to our sur-
prise parts of them were already
in the planning stages of imple-
mentation.
The last team to give their
presentation was from DeSales
University. Many of their ideas
in their presentation were similar
to ours, but also included an idea
of an ROTC-style special agent
recruiting program for colleges
and universities.
After all three teams were fin-
ished the judges exited the room
to make their decisions. We all
waited in anticipation. Then the
door opened, the judges filed in
and we all took our seats as the
room fell silent with nervous
anticipation.
The third place winner was
announced: it was the Univer-
sity of St. Paul, and we let out
a short sigh of relief before the
next announcement. Then De-
Sales University was announced
as the second place winner. At
this point we sat composed but
excited at the same time. They
named Mercyhurst as the 1st
place winner and we went to the
front to accept our award.
To witness the historic day
of the FBI’s first Case Study
Competition and in the Depart-
ment of Intelligence Studies was
faculty advisor David Grabelski
and Mercyhurst College Institute
for Intelligence Studies director,
Mr. Robert Heibel.
As well as claiming this pres-
tigious honor we also received a
$3,000 grant for the Intelligence
Studies Department. Senior team
leader, Ryan Ross, sums it up the
best, “We did what we do best.”
PAGE 4
OPINION
Critics of Big Oil likely
to howl when companies
report 4th-quarter profits
By J. Bennet Johnston
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Ferocious natural disasters and
soaring federal budget deficits
notwithstanding, 2005 was a
robust year for the U.S. economy
as most fourth-quarter earnings
reports undoubtedly will confirm
in the days ahead.
At the same time, it’s easy to
predict that the good news of
strong profits for America’s
energy companies will be vir-
tually drowned out by critics’
accusations that Big Oil is “price-
gouging” and “making obscene
profits.” And once again, many
of the critics will call on Con-
gress to enact a windfall profits
tax and, perhaps, even institute
price controls on the alleged
miscreants.
I’ve heard the name-calling
and cries for retribution many
times before especially in elec-
tion years.
Before rushing forward in a
vindictive lather, the critics and
their allies on Capitol Hill need to
take a deep breath and consider
the facts.
The peak gasoline prices of
last summer have plunged by
an average 75 cents as refineries
and pipelines have come back
on line.
Yes, many Americans espe-
cially in the Northeast are paying
more for heating oil and natural
gas to warm their homes and
workplaces this winter, but this is
a consequence of many factors,
not corporate greed.
Consider for a moment what
determines the price of fuel
and how global energy markets
work. Not surprisingly, about
half the retail price of a gallon of
gasoline is the cost of crude oil
itself, money that goes directly
to suppliers in the oil-producing
countries.
Today we import nearly 60
percent of our crude oil from
30 countries on six continents.
An additional 20 percent to 30
percent of the pump price pays
for refining, distributing and mar-
keting of the gasoline. Federal,
state and local tax collectors get
most of the remainder about 20
cents on the dollar.
Oil companies in recent months
have been keeping about a dime
a gallon. That’s a lot of money
because Americans buy far more
gasoline and drive far more miles
than any other nationality.
To satisfy millions of individual
and mutual fund shareholders
and stay in business in a fiercely
competitive global marketplace,
the oil and gas companies must
plow much of their profit back
into finding new petroleum re-
serves often in dangerous parts
of the world.
Basic research and capital in-
vestment in new refineries, tank-
To contact: opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
ers, trucks and pipelines require
additional billions.
In addition, energy prices are
variable and often volatile.
Crude oil is bought and sold in
a vast worldwide marketplace. Its
value can change dramatically on
any given day by a wide spectrum
of factors ranging from weather
to world politics.
We all know the havoc wreaked
by Hurricane Katrina.
The emergence of full-throttle
economies in China and India,
nations whose peoples account
for a third of the Earth’s popu-
lation, has ratcheted up demand
and prices.
Investors know that the mere
threat of an Iranian oil cutoff
can send global stock markets
into a tailspin.
Yet overall, the actual profit
of the U.S. oil and natural gas
industry amounts to less than
eight cents per dollar of sales or
roughly the same percentage as
all U.S. industries combined.
The disruption of supply by the
one-two punch of Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita last summer
caused pain at the pump for every
American motorist. Thankfully,
the pain was temporary for most
because the crude oil market
reacted as markets are supposed
to do: supply shortages produced
temporary high prices and some
momentary cutbacks in con-
sumer demand until resurgent
market supplies and reallocations
adjusted for the situation.
We avoided the prolonged
energy crisis generated by the
1973-74 Arab oil embargo and
the 1979 shut down of Iranian
oil. There were no lines at neigh-
borhood gas stations, no “odd-
day, even-day” pump rationing
schedules, no widespread fuel
shortages.
Four months later, retail pump
prices have returned to pre-hurri-
cane levels, and they have done so
without relying on federal price
controls or new taxes on energy
companies.
By contrast, the windfall profits
tax of the 1980s proved harmful
to U.S. energy supplies and con-
sumers in many ways: reducing
domestic oil production, increas-
ing oil imports and depleting
investment revenues for future
energy production.
Artificial price controls and
windfall taxes on domestic en-
ergy producers are an unnatural
intervention. They proved to be
a bad idea when they were tried
in the past.
They are still a bad idea now.
A vibrant economy is a shared
national asset. Let’s allow the
markets to work the way they
are supposed to, according to
the natural laws of supply and
demand.
We will all benefit as a result.
THE MERCIAD January 25, 2006
The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly Pittsburgh:
By Allison Moore I love it
Opinion editor
Recently, while reading friends’
Instant Messenger profiles and away
messages, I’ve confronted with
The Good phrases like “proud to be from Pitts-
burgh” in black and gold. In the last
MSG is hosting its first murder mystery dinner in place of the beloved formals. While few weeks Pittsburgh pride has been
many students are upset that formals are no longer an option (which is completely under- on the rise due to the resurgence of
standable after the fall term fiasco), MSG deserves some credit for coming up with such a the Steelers; a revival that is carrying
creative alternative. them to Superbowl XL.
Attending Mercyhurst, I realize
The Mercyhurst Website has adorned a new look this past week. The new style displays that not all people on campus are as
more campus information with a sleeker format. excited as Pittsburgh natives. Amid
of all the Pittsburgh cheering there
The Gannon/Mercyhurst basketball game is this coming weekend. While the outcome has also been the usual Pittsburgh
could be good or bad depending, the event itself is a great opportunity for students to go bashing. My hometown doesn’t mind
out and express their school pride with the exctiting backdrop of a timeless rivalry. Go out being the butt of jokes; chances are
and support the Lakers! we have a whole other level of dislike
reserved for your city too.
The Bad Pittsburgh has its own charm; its
own persona. For those of you that
One of the multiple complaints regarding the new Webmail system is its inability to no- have never experienced it or do not
tify the user when his or her mailbox is full, leading to undelivered emails. With all of the wish to, I’ll try to sum it up.
problems with the new Webmail, one must wonder why the powers that be didn’t make the I love Pittsburgh because we’re a
switch until the end of the 2005-06 academic year. no-nonsense, in-your-face kind of
town. Denver columnist Bill Johnson
The hyped “new and improved” brunch in the Egan Cafeteria doesn’t live-up to all the
talk. While some minor changes have been made, like available soups and a more convenient
set-up, overall the “new” brunch closely resembles the original.
Allison
The Ugly Moore
The classes being offered spring term are lack-luster at best. The choices are few and far
between with little sounding desirable. The religion section is truly pathetic. With students Opinion editor
having to take two religion courses, some variety would be nice. Some seniors are outraged
with the religious selections after being promised Marriage and Family early in the year.
called Pittsburgh a “butt-ugly” city,
Accepting that promise, some seniors waited to take their second religion only to be denied
sparking an outcry. No response,
their preferred class. Remember that old adage “don’t make promises you can’t keep?”
however, embodied Pittsburgh more
Maybe Mercyhurst should adhere to that.
than one man’s at a tailgating party,
“His mom’s butt ugly.” Now that’s
Pittsburgh.
Pedestrians have right of way I love Pittsburgh because we have
our own language. Grammar there is
less than perfect. Despite their crass
While crossing Lewis Avenue the other day, I the street voluntarily, and for those people I am nature, words like “yinz” and “n’at”
was almost run down by two, I am assuming stu- grateful. have become second nature and a
dents, in recent model, beige Ford Explorer. Even on the main campus, cars speed along source of amusement to many; even
Being in the crosswalk, I was entitled to the the roadways. Next to the Hirt parking garage Pittsburghers like to poke fun at their
right of way. Although common sense told me to between the library and Taylor Theater, cars ridiculousness.
get out of the way when a 4 ton vehicle travel- zip along in utter disregard for the students and I love Pittsburgh because I love
ing down the street at a rate of at least 45 miles faculty that compose the pedestrian traffic. Even Heinz Ketchup. I mean come on,
per hour is so, I am amazed that Erie Parking Authority who doesn’t?
coming is able to make it out every Tuesday to ticket I love Pittsburgh because football is
straight at students’ cars that are parked on the wrong our passion. The energy created dur-
me. side of the road, while at the same time drivers ing the Steel Curtain, four Superbowl
Students Ellen are free to speed up and down the road ways at era of the 1970s has never died. We
and com- Koenig their leisure. are not fair-weather fans. Football is
munity There is no posted speed limit sign on the the only topic of conversation from
members streets, and since Mercyhurst College is not August until March. Fans booed an
alike race responsible for the roads, the city of Erie is in injured Jacksonville player for inter-
up and
Contributing writer charge of maintenance and law enforcement rupting the Steelers’ momentum on
down Briggs and Lewis Avenues at all hours along the roadways. a drive.
of the day. In many residential areas around the United The waiting list for season tickets
Walking back from morning practices at 7 or States, speed bumps have been implemented to is 10 years long. Security had to ask
7:30 in the morning, commuters going to work prevent speeding. Steelers fans to exit Invesco Field in
seem to have no regard that this is in fact a col- I feel that Erie’s city council should be peti- Denver after the game: they wouldn’t
lege campus where many students live. tioned to have such means installed on Lewis leave. Football is a religion in Pitts-
In order to get to the main academic build- and Briggs Avenues. burgh, not a sport. We recognize the
ings we must have access to these streets. We Police and Safety should have some jurisdiction short-comings of our other teams, a
should not have to live in fear of being hit by over such incidents. And I feel that cars should negative remark about our Steelers,
a vehicle. be forced to stop at the crosswalks for students warranted or unwarranted, will earn
Pennsylvania law only protects pedestrians on their way to classes in the mornings and you a swift fist to the face.
who are in a marked crosswalk. There are four throughout the day. Even if this means bringing But most of all, I love Pittsburgh
of these along Lewis Avenue, although the paint back the crossing guards that I have not seen because it becomes a part of you,
is fading and there is no indication for drivers to since grammar school. no matter where you end up in life.
know that they are there if visibility is blocked As I am writing this article I can hear a car Whether you find yourself eating
by snow or rain. Really, the only time drivers whisk by the apartments and I am just waiting Heinz Ketchup somewhere across
stop for pedestrians is if forced to by walkers for that one incident which will involve a scream the country, saying “yinz guys” at a
half way through the street, the driver is made and sirens to follow. business meeting or waving a Ter-
to bring the car to a halting stop and act as if it A note to drivers, please SLOW down, I really rible Towel at a party at Mercyhurst,
is a burden to actually abide by the law. do not want to visit one of my friends at St. the effects of the ‘Burgh will never
Occasionally, there is a good Samaritan who Vincent’s due to a traffic incident. fully leave you. At least I know they
is kind enough to stop for pedestrians crossing won’t for me.
The
Joshua Wilwohl
MERCIAD Editor-in-Chief editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Corrie Thearle News Editor newsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Melissa Jack Features Editor featuremerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Allison Moore Opinion Editor opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Ryan Palm Sports Editor sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Melissa Brandt A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Katie McAdams Photo & Production Editor photomerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Melissa Brandt Advertising Manager admerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Chelsea Boothe Copy Editor copymerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Emily Crofoot Graduate Assistant ecrofo81@mercyhurst.edu
The Merciad is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College.
It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of midterms
week and finals week. Our office is in the Old Main, room 314. Our telephone
number is 824-2376.
The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and
names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters
for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are due the
KRT Thursday before publication and may not be longer than 300 words. Submit
letters to box PH 485.
PAGE 5
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Enron’ film reveals the inside of corruption
Documentary ‘Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,’ shows the means and the methods behind the lies
By Christina Ferranti
Contributing writer
Lester Pimentel of PopMatters.
com superbly capsulizes the doc-
umentary “Enron: The Smartest
Guys in the Room” and places it
in the context of the times.
“A kind of quasi-apocalyptic
zeitgeist took hold in America in
the waning months of 2001.
“It seemed that major institu-
tions came under assault when,
on the heels of 9/11 and the
Catholic Church’s sexual abuse
revelations, Enron suddenly
imploded.
“More than the other events,
it was the extraordinary fraud-
ulence of that once mighty
company’s hierarchy that most
unsettled the American psyche,
since it shrouded in shame our
national preoccupation with
obtaining wealth.
“The mordant documentary
‘Enron: The Smartest Guys in
the Room’ cleverly deconstructs
the men who reminded us of
the dark side of the American
dream,” says Pimentel.
“Enron” unmasks the inside
story of one of history’s greatest
business scandals where a few
designated men almost walked
away with over a billion dollars,
leaving investors and their own
employees with next to nothing.
People lost retirement plans,
pensions, nest eggs, etc., all at
the cost of two greedy men. This
is the story that will divulge the
schemes and marketing strategies
that these brilliant men utilized to
Artist You Should Know:
Fugazi proves status as serious band
By Erik Haak
Contributing writer
Fugazi is a band that has
been too productive to single
out one CD to review.
The now questionably retired
band (they haven’t released an
album since 2001) was a fixture
in the punk and post-hardcore
movements of their day.
Fugazi was composed of
vocalist and guitarist Ian Mack-
aye, drummer Brendon Canty,
bassist Joe Lally and Guy Pic-
ciotto who joined the band lat-
er as a guitarist and vocalist.
Fugazi could be viewed as
a sort of post-hardcore indie
supergroup in two ways.
Experienced, post-hardcore, indie group Fugazi plays live at the Sylvan Theater.
maintain the immense profit they
were racking in.
The two men talked about,
Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skill-
ing, controlled the increasingly
impressive rise and tumultuous
fall of Enron. According to
Pimentel, they were “incredibly
intelligent men felled by their
own hubris.”
The film introduces the back-
ground of these two men and
how each moved up the societal
ladder.
It also provides an insight into
the intensive manipulation and
fierce domination that occurred
within the expanding energy
business.
It depicts how this Texas-based
company flourished from Ken
Lay’s gamble on energy deregu-
lation in 1985 and became the
seventh largest corporation in
2000.
Both Lay and Skilling were
credited for introducing a new
business model, trading kilo-
watts of energy, which became
the master plan to the deviant
and conniving development of
what American corporations can
potentially stray towards.
Director of the film Alex Gib-
ney, comments on the making of
this movie and how he gradually
displayed an interest in how the
networking of Enron actually
worked and how Lay and Skill-
ing could deceive the world for
as long as they did.
“It was a human drama with
the emotional power of a Greek
tragedy—yet tinged with the
blackest humor imaginable.
First of all, many of the
band members played in other
important bands.
Ian Mackaye was a member
of Minor Threat, the Teen
Idles, and Embrace.
Minor Threat is probably
the most well known of these
bands and responsible for the
straightedge movement, which
is probably Ian Mackaye’s only
mistake.
Picciotto and Canty were
both members of “Rites of
Spring,” another band that
everyone should listen to.
Rites of Spring and Embrace
would become important again
a decade later as the bands
helped birth the modern day
“screamo” movement.
Photo Courtesy of www.dischord.com/bands/fugazi
THE MERCIAD
To contact: entertainmentmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
“I felt that the film would
give me an opportunity to ex-
plore some larger themes about
American culture, the cruelty of
our economic system, and the
way it can be too easily rigged
for the benefit of the high and
mighty,”says Gibney.
He based this documentary
on the book written by For-
tune Magazine, writers Bethany
McLean and Peter Elkind.
McLean delved into the case
even before the scam was un-
veiled, throwing the entire cor-
poration in the spotlight.
He encouraged people across
the United States with stock in
the company to conduct their
own investigations.
Several people were involved
in this case and all of the infor-
mation that could be revealed is
still looming in the minds of the
executives.
This documentary unlocks the
many secrets Lay and others en-
deavored so ardently to hide.
It proves to be an insightful
look into corporate America
today, and instills in the audience
the warning that as corruption
like this has already happened,
what could stop it from happen-
ing again?
This film, which is the first in
the PAC film spring season, is
playing at the Mary D’Angelo
Performing Arts Center on Jan.
26 at 2 p.m. and again at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices include: Adult: $5,
Senior/Student: $4; and Mercy-
hurst College students enter free
with student IDs, limit 1 ticket
per ID.
While influences from these
bands would obviously be ap-
parent in Fugazi’s material, the
band quickly formed its own
identity.
This identity would make
them a supergroup in another
manner. “Fugazi” quickly be-
came as famous for its political
and social ideas as for its musi-
cal prowess.
The band was actively anti-
violence, performing shows
to support Amnesty Interna-
tional, Campaign for Tibet,
Food Not Bombs, and similar
groups and efforts.
The band has also refused to
give interviews to most major
publications.
Money is obviously not
January 25, 2006
ARTS &
Photo Courtesy of the PAC
Ken Lay, Enron ex-executive, under arrest for his corrupt business practices.
Math Lab
Located: CALL:
much motivation for the band
as they became famous for the Library Ext: 2078
charging only five dollars for
their shows and 10 for CDs.
For more information on the
band’s politics and philosophy,
304 A & B for exact
interested people should check
out the documentary video
hours
“Instrument,” filmed by indie-
film maker and band friend
Jem Cohen. OPEN: TUTORIAL
More important than any
band’s image and beliefs is HELP
their musical ability. Listening
Sundays
to any of Fugazi’s six full- FOR ALL
length albums is proof enough
that this is a talented band. YOUR
The band’s music is full of
through
energy and diversity. MATH NEEDS!
Songs like “Exit Only,” the
opening track from “Steady
Thursdays
Diet of Nothing” have an
almost industrial feel accom-
plished through repeated syn-
copated bass but are then fol-
lowed by a more experimental
feel as in “Reclamation.”
The band’s post-hardcore
stylings are apparent on the
fast paced and energetic song
“Public Witness Program,”
off of “In On the Kill Taker”
while “I’m So Tired” off of
the “Instrument Soundtrack”
illustrates the band’s emotional
and cathartic roots.
The piano driven song har-
kens back to the band mem-
ber’s days in Embrace and
Rites of Spring.
Other highlights from the
band include “Long Divi-
sion,” “Returning the Screw,”
“Arpeggiator,” “Latin Roots,”
“Instrument” and numerous
others.
People interested in being
introduced to the band should
probably look into the albums
“Steady Diet of Nothing,”
“The Argument” and “In on
The Kill Taker.”
These albums are probably
the band’s most diverse and
accessible works.
The “Instrument” docu-
mentary is also a wonderful
resource for people familiar
with the band but interested in
learning more about Fugazi.
Any fan of post-hardcore
or screamo should recognize
their roots and give Fugazi a
listen.
January 25, 2006
ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT
tHe
BuZz
JAN. 26-28. Gordon Light-
foot. Avalon Ballroom,
Niagara Falls, Ontario.
JAN. 27. Whole Wheat
Bread, Know How. Agora
Theatre, Cleveland.
JAN. 27. Lakewood Proj-
ect. House of Blues, Cleve-
land.
JAN. 28. Low. Grog Shop,
Cleveland.
JAN. 28. David Allan Coe,
Kentucky Headhunters.
Agora Theatre, Cleveland.
JAN. 29. Moe. House of
Blues, Cleveland.
JAN. 29. Laura Cortese.
Walker Recital Hall, Mer-
cyhurst College.
JAN. 31. Toasters, Go
Jimmy Go, Gelatinus Cube
and Jolly Rodgers. Odeon,
Cleveland.
JAN. 31. Sevendust, Non-
Point, Wicked Wisdom.
House of Blues, Cleve-
land.
FEB. 2. Lonestar. Warner
Theatre, Erie. $35.
FEB. 2. Aimee Mann. Cen-
ter for the Arts, University
of Buffalo, Buffalo.
FEB. 4. Stylistics, Chi-
Lites, Bloodstone, Heat
Wave, Main Ingredient.
Palace Theater, Cleveland.
FEB. 4. Sugar Magnolia.
House of Blues, Cleve-
land.
FEB. 7. O.A.R. A.J. Palum-
bo Center, Pittsburgh.
FEB. 8. Less Than Jake,
Rock & Roll Soldiers.
House of Blues, Cleve-
land.
FEB. 9. Bob Pollard (ex
GBV). Beachland Ball-
room, Cleveland.
FEB. 9. Blue Oyster Cult.
Denny’s Bar and Banquets,
Edinboro.
FEB. 10. Rascal Flatts,
Blake Shelton, Jason Al-
dean. Bryce Jordan Center,
State College.
FEB. 10-18. Opera. “Ro-
meo et Juliette.” State The-
atre, Cleveland.
FEB. 10. Green 17 Tour
with Flogging Molly. House
of Blues, Cleveland.
FEB. 11. Black 17 Tour
with Flogging Molly. House
of Blues, Cleveland.
FEB. 12. Sigur Ros. Allen
Theatre, Cleveland.
FEB. 13. Black Rebel Mo-
torcycle Club, Elephant,
Morning After Girls. Ode-
on, Cleveland.
FEB. 14. Matt Pond Pa.
Grog Shop, Cleveland.
FEB. 14. Isaac Hayes.
House of Blues, Cleve-
land.
FEB. 15. Hinder, Rev-
elation Theory, Faktion.
Odeon, Cleveland.
FEB. 17. Motley Crue. Tul-
lio Arena, Erie .
FEB. 18. Zoso. House of
Blues, Cleveland.
Courtesy of GoErie.com.
Dance department keeps you on the edge ...
of your seat, during the eighth annual presentation of student-produced “Raw Edges.”
Briana Sullivan in mid-pose, practicing for “Raw Edges.”
‘Lights and Sounds’ is more than bells and whistles
By Joe Fidago
Contributing writer
Anyone who has looked in the
Sunday advertisements the past
month have seen the depress-
ingly small amount of new CD’s
released.
Have no fear, however, as Yel-
lowcard has come to pull every-
one out of the winter slump.
One of the first things that
should be said about “Lights
and Sounds” is that this is an
entirely different sound than
Yellowcard’s previously recorded
“Ocean Avenue.”
The fast-paced songs are still
here and guaranteed to satisfy
fans who love them, but there
are also songs that sound compa-
rable to “Empty Apartment” and
“Twenty Three” as well.
The songs are much more in-
trospective this time around.
“Two Weeks from Twenty” is
a song that seems like it should
be matched up with Green Day’s
video for “Wake Me Up When
September Ends.”
It tells the story of a boy who
(presumably) goes to Iraq, and
then his mother gets word that
he died, just two weeks shy of
his 20th birthday.
‘Hostel’ horror invades college student lives
By Melissa Brandt
A&E Editor
“Hostel” will make you re-
think any plans you may have
had to backpack across Europe.
In fact, it may make you re-think
leaving the country altogether,
boarding a train, viewing an art
show or indulging hedonistic
desires.
If you are brave enough to
breach the U.S. border, after
watching this movie one thing is
certain: You won’t step within a
1,000 feet of a youth hostel.
Unless, of course, you don’t
mind losing body parts to a
crazed European who has ter-
rible problems keeping a steady
hand.
Horror genre director Eli Roth
is responsible for “Hostel,” al-
though he claims it is based off
true events.
The film is set briefly in Am-
sterdam, where two college boys
and a drifter, Oli, are in the pur-
suit of drugs and “love.”
When a local youth informs the
To contact: entertainmentmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Photo Courtesy of Mark Santillano
The song goes on to say that
even though all these soldiers
are dying, the man to blame still
feels no shame, ‘cough’ Bush
‘cough.’
“Rough Landing, Holly” and
“Waiting Game” are two songs
that will definitely bring back
memories of “Ocean Avenue’s”
title track.
“Rough Landing, Holly” is
about finding someone who
makes you feel like you are flying
high, but knowing that in reality
you should let it go. Ultimately,
nothing good is going to come
from the situation.
The lyrics state it’s better to
let go right away and “come to
a rough landing” rather than
endure the situation until all you
end up doing is crashing and
burning.
“Game” is somewhat the same,
in the sense that it is another song
about relationships.
This song relates how two
people feel as though if they
threw away their relationship
during a bumpy period, it would
be a tragedy.
No matter what the cost, if
everything comes together in the
end, it will have been worth the
wait and all the games.
I don’t see this album being as
travelers of a hostel in Slovakia
that will fulfill their needs, they
don’t hesitate to find it.
Clearly the movie immediately
poses an interesting question,
which is scarier: college boys
loose in European cities, or tor-
ture and death.
As a horror film, “Hostel” eas-
ily fills the quota for gore.
According to the International
Movie Database (imdb.com) over
150 gallons of blood were used
in the film, which is three times
the amount Roth used on his
previous set for “Cabin Fever.”
If rating the movie on a ten
scale, in the category of sus-
pense, “Hostel” would only get
a three.
Of course this is only an opin-
ion, but there was really no
particular part of the film that
induced the “uh-oh” tension that
feeds the horror genre appeal.
Although, what “Hostel”
lacked in suspense, it made up
in cleverness and humor.
As might be expected from a
director who asked the President
of Iceland for an official pardon
THE MERCIAD
By Jessica Ciccone
Contributing writer
On Feb. 4 and 5 in the Mary
D’Angelo Performing Arts Cen-
ter, the Mercyhurst College com-
munity will get the chance to see
yet another stunning show pre-
sented by the talented and highly
acclaimed Mercyhurst College
Dance Department.
The show is titled “Raw Edges
Eight,” and, as stated in the press
release, it will be sure to keep you
“on the EDGE of your seat!”
The “Raw Edges” series has
been performed every spring for
the past eight years.
It is a very extraordinary dance
show as it consists of imaginative
new works choreographed and
performed entirely by Mercy-
hurst’s own students.
This allows the students to
challenge themselves, dedicate
their time and put all of their
effort into every aspect of the
show. The result is always a bril-
liant program that leaves a lasting
impression on the audience.
The pieces in the show are cho-
reographed by students enrolled
in the Choreography II and III
courses.
These aspiring choreographers
oversee every aspect of their
production, from costuming and
lighting, scheduling rehearsals
and choreographing the dance
itself.
Check out Yellowcard’s new CD, ‘Lights and Sounds’ released this week.
big as their previous effort, but
that’s not to say in any way that
it isn’t a good CD.
When “Ocean Avenue” came
out, it fit perfectly into what was
big at the time.
for making Icelanders look like
“drunken sex maniacs” in “Hos-
tel” with the character of Oli.
Roth also issued a formal apol-
ogy to the Icelandic Minister
of Culture, for all the damage
“Hostel” may cause to Iceland’s
reputation.
If you see the movie, you’ll
realize why it’s warranted.
Of course, the humor inherent
in the film is a bit more sadistic
and ironical than any of Roth’s
publicized antics.
One scene includes a formi-
dable gang of local Slovakian
children ready to maul anyone
who doesn’t give into their de-
mands for…bubble gum.
Somehow the scene meshes
perfectly with the rest of the film
and only adds to the intrigue.
I recommend “Hostel” to
anyone who enjoys a plot with
their bloody horror scenes, a
movie that feels like it has come
full circle and to those that can
tolerate nudity (because there is
certainly a lot of it).
If you’re into gruesome and
twisted, it’s worth the $6.50.
Choreography III students are
also required to collaborate with
one other person on their pieces,
and so the skills of students from
many different fields are brought
into use.
Communication, fashion, and
music students’ skills are also
used in conjunction with the
skills of the dancers and cho-
reographers to create a series
of wonderful numbers that will
be sure to impress everyone
present.
Some of the pieces to look
forward to include freshman
Lauren Stenroos’s piece that was
choreographed to music, a piece
featuring classical ballroom danc-
ing blended with contemporary
style.
Another piece answers the
question, “What do animals in
the zoo do after hours?” Another
piece, choreographed by sopho-
more Dana Swisher, is based on
the music of Philip Glass.
This particular minimalist num-
ber is also going to be preformed
at the American College Dance
Festival in Columbus, Ohio in
March.
According to the Artistic Di-
rector of the program, Mark
Santillano, a “variety of styles”
will be showcased.
This will include everything
from classical ballet, to ballet
preformed to a rock beat and to
pieces featuring modern dance.
With the wide range of dance
Sum 41 was still in the spot-
light, as well as Blink 182, etc.
This album might not get the
attention it needs and deserves,
but don’t let that stop you from
giving it a spin.
Quentin Tarantino presents, Eli Roth’s horrifying ‘Hostel.’
PAGE 6
techniques being offered, the au-
dience can be assured that there
will certainly be something for
everyone.
Santillano, who has been coach-
ing the student dancers and
choreographers, says the show
is “strong and interesting, and it
will leave a lasting impression on
the audience.”
He also says that the “Raw
Edges” series is one of the big-
gest highlights for the dance
department, and it is always
fascinating to see what the young
choreographers come up with.
Working on projects like this is
an integral part of the learning
process, and Santillano remarks
on how fascinating it is to watch
students transform “from friends
into leaders.”
The show is sure to be a breath-
taking adventure into the minds
of the aspiring choreographers
at Mercyhurst.
It will be performed Saturday,
Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and
Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. in the
Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts
Center. With student ID, tickets
are only a dollar and can be pur-
chased at the door.
Don’t let this excellent chance
to experience the majesty and
beauty of the art of dance pass
you by.
Experience “Raw Edges VIII”
and show your support for the
Mercyhurst Dance Department.
Photo courtesy of yellowcard.com
People always say that from
one album to the next, a band’s
sound should progress in some
way. If you are one of those
people, “Lights and Sounds”
won’t disappoint.
Photo courtesy of www.hostelfilm.com
January 25, 2006
Men’s hockey sweeps AIC
Lakers extend conference lead to five points over Sacred Heart
By Chris Van Horn
Contributing writer
Homecoming is always nice.
The stands are full, the fans are
loud and there is that added
boost of adrenaline that gives the
home team the extra edge.
Even though it wasn’t the of-
ficial homecoming for the men’s
hockey team, a return home was
kind to the Lakers this weekend
as they swept American Inter-
national College in consecutive
home games.
“It was great to be back in front
of our home fans. They were
loud and active and really gave
us an extra boost,” Coach Rick
Gotkin said.
The Lakers won by scores of
7-2 and 7-1 to extend their win-
ning streak to four games and
their conference record to 14-4,
and they now have a five point
lead in Atlantic Hockey.
Mercyhurst is now the top scor-
ing team in all of Division I with
105 goals scored, one more than
Minnesota.
This weekend, the Lakers were
led by their own version of the
“Legion of Doom,” not to be
confused with the NHL’s Phila-
delphia Flyers fantastic trio of
the early to mid 1990’s.
Junior Jamie Hunt, senior Dave
Borrelli and junior Scott Cham-
pagne combined for 12 points to
continue the Lakers hot-streak.
The high scoring coupled with
freshman Tyler Small’s outstand-
ing play in net resulted in back-to
back weekend sweeps for the
Lakers.
Between Hunt, Borrelli and
Champagne, the trio has now
accounted for 103 points for the
Lakers this season, and all three
players are in the top 12 in the
country for individual scoring.
Hunt has racked up 37 points
while Borrelli and Champagne
have tallied 33 points apiece.
“All three are having breakout
years. Jamie is having a career
Women’s basketball
drops a pair in Michigan
By Brady Hunter
Contributing writer
This week saw the women’s
basketball team drop its fourth
and fifth straight in a frighten-
ing losing streak that has seated
them at 6-13 overall and 2-7 in
GLIAC play.
Thursday, the Lakers competed
with GLIAC rival Ferris State,
and emerged with a humbling 72-
47 loss as Mercyhurst shot just 32
percent from the floor.
From behind the three-point
line, only senior Mary Clare
Harlan found any success, mak-
ing two of her four attempts.
Harlan sits at second on the team
in three-point percentage.
The Lakers were unable to
click on offense in general, with
only two players reaching double
digits in scoring.
Junior Julie Anderson finished
with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and
six steals (leading the team in
each category).
Anderson’s 3.3 steals per game
are tops on the team for the sea-
son. Junior Priscila Nasimento
also chipped in 11 points.
Junior Erica Elliott matched
Anderson’s team high 11 boards
and Harlan added five more.
Unfortunately for the Lakers,
their opponent shot 81 percent
on their 36 free throw attempts,
which provided more than the
margin of victory.
Mercyhurst, on the other hand,
reached the line only six times,
and sank only one of their char-
ity attempts.
The ‘Hurst did gain an early
lead (2-0 to start the game), but
finished the first half down 33-
21. At one point in the second
Junior Jamie Hunt looks to move the puck up the ice against American International.
year and Dave is one of those
guys that I feel is very underrated
in terms of his skill and Scott is
having a great season as well,”
coach Gotkin said.
The Lakers came out with
a high intensity level in both
games and it showed on the
scoreboard.
“American International isn’t
necessarily a bad team, but we
sure made them look bad,” Got-
kin said.
Mary Clare Harlan is second on the team in three-point
percentage at 31 percent.
half, the Lakers were behind by
27 points. In the end, however,
they managed to finish with more
rebounds than Ferris State (42-
36).
On Saturday, the Lakers had
to face an even more formidable
foe: 18th ranked Lake Superior
State.
Despite their national ranking
within Division II basketball,
Mercyhurst hanged with Lake
Superior until the Lakers gained
a 6-5 advantage.
At that point, the home team
ran off 13 straight points and
never looked back.
Lake Superior State (14-3 over-
all, 7-3 in the GLIAC) held
Mercyhurst to numbers similar
to Thursday’s matchup.
The Lakers finished shooting
28% from the floor, and only two
of 21 from three point land.
The ‘Hurst did improve con-
“We played great, especially
when attacking on offense. We
capitalized on the chances that
were given to us. AIC had their
share of chances but Tyler did a
great job in goal for us to shut
them down,” said Gotkin.
As the season gets shorter and
shorter, each remaining game
counts more and more toward
determining the post-season
seeding.
Mercyhurst holds a five-point
Katie McAdams/Photo editor
siderably in the free throw area,
however. This time the team
reached the line 12 times, con-
verting seven of those attempts.
It wasn’t enough, though, as Lake
Superior led 42-25 at intermis-
sion.
Anderson once again led the
charge, with 11 points and nine
rebounds. Senior Cassie Seth
also contributed 10 points and
had a game-high two blocks.
At one point in the second
half, Lake Superior State led by
33 points.
This was, in part, due to their
complete dominance of the
board-they outrebounded Mercy-
hurst by 20 boards (48-28).
The Lakers hope to show that
Saturday’s loss was the last in a
five-game streak, as they take on
their biggest GLIAC rival (Gan-
non) at home this Saturday at
6:00 p.m. in the MAC.
THE MERCIAD
To contact: sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Katie McAdams/Photo editor
advantage over Sacred Heart
while Holy Cross sits in third
place with 21 points.
Next weekend presents a tough
challenge for the Lakers.
They will travel to Sacred Heart
for a pair of games and which
gives the Lakers a chance to put
some distance between them-
selves and the rest of the pack.
They lead Sacred Heart by five
points in the Atlantic Hockey
standings.
Wrestlers finish
4-0 at East
Coast Duals
By Matt Jackson
Co-Sports editor
After 47 days of scattered
away matches and tournaments,
the Mercyhurst wrestlers will re-
turn to the Mercyhurst Athletic
Center for a match Friday and
two matches Sunday.
In those three matches, the
Lakers and the fans will get
to see a little bit of everything
- a top notch Division II team
(Ashland), an inexperienced
Division II team that was just
formed last year (Limestone),
and a mediocre Division III
squad (Heidelberg),
It is more than safe to say
that the match Coach Tony Ci-
pollone really wants is Friday’s
match against Ashland.
Ashland, ranked sixth nation-
ally according to Interamt, is
the one team that Cipollone
has been unable to beat since he
started the wrestling program at
Mercyhurst in 2001.
Unfortunately, this may not
be the year.
The practice room is filled
with talent after a couple of
good years of recruiting, but
the problem is that much of it
is young talent.
The Lakers have had to throw
freshman wrestlers into the mix
all season long. Most matches
you can expect to see at least
three Mercyhurst freshmen, but
they have started as many as six
in their 31-7 loss to Pitt-John-
stown at the National Duals.
But then again, the Eagles also
are loaded with young talent,
but both seniors on their roster
have played a pivotal role in their
team’s success this year.
Ashland has four wrestlers
ranked individually, two of
whom should provide for some
interesting rematches.
Page 7
LAKER
SPORTS
Pete Carnabucci is ranked
eighth at 157 and should match
up against Will Tedder. Tedder
is unranked, but holds a 10-5 de-
cision over Carnabucci in Ash-
land’s Simonson Invitiational.
The Eagles’ Eric Lakia is ranked
sixth at 165 and will get yet an-
other chance at top-ranked Zach
Schafer. Schafer has beaten
Lakie numerous times in the
past few seasons.
The other two ranked Ash-
land wrestlers are Matt Allen
and Ryan Kirst at 184 and 197,
weights the Lakers have shuffled
various wrestlers around all
season, including Paul Bergman,
Frank Zatta, and Rich Froats.
After this weekend though it’s
tough to count the Lakers out
completely.
Mercyhurst traveled to Ship-
pensburg for the East Regional
Duals and left with four con-
vincing wins and a good idea of
where they stack up against the
competition in thier region.
How dominant were the Lak-
ers? Well, in their wins over
Carson Newman, North Caro-
lina-Pembroke, Newberry and
Anderson, Mercyhurst won 34
of the 39 contested bouts, out-
scoring the four teams 151-18.
Don Cummings, Tedder,
Schafer, Hudson Harrison,
Paul Bergman, Payne Lint, and
J.J. Zanetta all went 4-0 on the
weekend to help improve their
team’s overall record to 9-7.
Tedder and Schafer are both
just one win away from 20 at 19
while Zanetta sits at 18 wins.
Six matches remain before
the Division II East Regionals.
Of those six matches, four are
against nationally ranked teams.
On that list besides Ashland
is No. 3 Pitt-Johnstown, No.
7 Shippensburg, and No. 15
Findlay.
 PAGE 8 THE MERCIAD
LAKER
SPORTS To contact: sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Laker Sports “Quick Hits” Men’s volleyball opens 0-2
This Weeks Results... By Ryan Palm
Women’s hockey........................................Jan. 21, W 2-1, Niagara Sports editor
Jan. 22, W 3-1, Niagara
The men’s volleyball team has
Men’s hockey....................................Jan. 20, W 7-2 American Intl.
opened their 2006 campaign on
Jan. 21, W 7-1 American Intl. a sour note, dropping a pair of
Women’s basketball........................Jan. 19, L 72-47, Ferris State games last weekend.
Jan. 21, L 72-41, Lake Superior State On Jan. 18 the Lakers traveled
to Medaille College for a non-
Men’s basketball.............................Jan. 19, W 61-59, Ferris State
conference match-up. Medaille,
Jan. 21, L 96-94, Lake Superior State the No. 8 team in Division III,
Wrestling.................................Jan. 20, W 32-12, Carson-Newman avenged a 3-0 lost to Mercyhurst
Jan. 20, W 46-0, UNC Pembroke last season by defeating the Lak-
ers 3-2.
Jan. 21, W 37-3, Newbury
The game seesawed back and
Jan. 21, W 36-3, Anderson forth, with Mercyhurst taking
___________________________________________________ the first and fourth games, and
Medaille winning the second,
third and fifth.
Freshmen Tim Wagner and
In the news... Chad Proudman paced Mercy-
hurst in kills, tallying 19 and 15
respectively.
Athletes of the Week Mercyhurst struggled hitting
wise, averaging just .394 as com-
The Mercyhurst College pared to Medaille’s .441. Senior
Athletic Department setter Dan Kick contributed 56
announced that men’s
basketball player Avi Fogel
Women’s hockey sweeps Niagara
and women’s hockey defender
Danielle Ayearst are this
week’s Athletes of the Week.
Fogel made news by notching
By Ryan Palm
the first triple-double for the
Sports editor
men’s basketball team since
the 1996-97 season. He
tallied 30 points, 11 rebounds, The women’s hockey team
and 10 assists in Saturday’s File Photo swept CHA-rival Niagara this
loss to Lake Superior State. Junior Avi Fogel past weekend on the road to up
their overall record to 16-6-2 and
Ayearst played a big role in 7-0-1 in conference play.
Saturday’s 2-1 road win against Niagara. She assisted on the With the sweep the Lakers were
first goal which tied the game, and then beat Niagara goalie able to maintain their No. 6 spot
Ashley Rutledge in the third period to win the game for the in the USCHO.com rankings
Lakers. released Monday.
On Saturday, Jan. 21, Mercy-
Men’s wrestling was named the team of the week for their 4-0 hurst dominated offensively,
performance at the East Coast Duals. They defeated Carson- out-shooting the Purple Eagles
Newman 32-12 and UNC-Pembroke 46-0 on Friday. They also 59-10 in shots on goal.
edged Newbury 37-3 and Anderson 36-3 on Saturday. The Lakers struggled, however,
to get the puck past Niagara ju-
nior net-minder Allison Rutledge
Men’s hockey remains ranked during the first two periods,
trailing 1-0 after the first two
periods.
The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team is ranked No. 19 in
Freshman Valerie Chouinard
the USA Today poll and No. 28 in the USCHO.com poll.
got the Lakers on the board in
the final period when she scored
Mercyhurst secured their position with a sweep over her team-leading 14th goal of
Atlantic Hockey conference foe American International. the season.
The USA Today poll receives input from all six NCAA Defenders Ashley Pendleton
Division I conference as well as officers from American
Men’s hoops split pair of road games
Hockey Coaches Association.
The USCHO.com poll features 40 voters including 28
college coaches and 12 writers from across the country.
Andy Tait
One move of interest in Atlantic Hockey circles is that Contributing writer
Holy Cross leaped ahead of Mercyhurst, now earning six
votes compared to the Lakers’ three. This past week’s games for the
men’s basketball team proved
that you cannot take anything
Women’s hockey stays put for granted.
The Lakers traveled to Michi-
gan to face two teams from
The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team secured is sixth place
opposite ends of the GLIAC
standing in the USCHO.com poll with a pair of wins over
spectrum, and they turned in two
Niagara this past weekend.
Jekyll and Hyde performances.
Thursday night the team was in
The poll changed a bit, however, ahead of the Lakers.
Big Rapids, Mich. to take on the
Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota split a series, and that
No.1 team in the conference.
coupled with a loss by St. Lawrence shook up the top-five. The
Going into the contest, Ferris
top-ten is listed below:
State University was the only
remaining unbeaten team in the
1. Wisconsin (21-2-1)
conference, leading the GLIAC
2. New Hampshire (19-2-1)
north with a 7-0 record.
3. Minnesota-Duluth (17-4-1)
However, the Lakers put an end
4. Minnesota (16-7-1)
to this record, thanks to a great
5. St. Lawrence (18-3-2)
team effort. The Lakers stunned
6. Mercyhurst (16-6-2)
FSU, 61-59.
7. Harvard (10-6-2)
The Lakers trailed by 10 points
8. Princeton (11-5-4)
at one point during the first half,
9. Clarkson (17-7-1)
27-17.
10. Providence (13-7-4)
However, a Lakers faught back
in the final two minutes of the
Mercyhurst Spirit Club first half, left them only four
points behind at the interval,
The Mercyhurst Spirit Club, a committee of MSG, is hosting 27-23.
a tailgate party prior to the Mercyhurst-Gannon basketball The Lakers stepped their game
games this Saturday Jan. 28. up in the second half, with Rich-
ard Field and Andy Kubinski
The tailgate will include free pizza, supplies for poster-making, at the forefront of the team’s
and best of fall, free face painting! efforts.
Field, a junior forward, scored
The tailgate starts at 4:30 in order to give you plenty of time a game high 15 points, with 13
to get there, get pumped and covered in paint, and then get to of them registered in the second
the girls basketball game which tips off at 6:00 p.m. half.
He was on fire at the beginning
Come wearing green and bearing cowbells! of the second half, notching nine
consecutive points, on four suc-
Be sure to bring your ticket with you, as IDs will not get you into cessive possessions to give the
the game without a ticket! Lakers their first lead.
Quick hits are compiled by sports editor Ryan Palm. Any- However, this was to be short-
thing worthy of being a “quick hit” should be e-mailed to lived and the lead would change
sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu. hands 11 times throughout the
assists in the game.
The Lakers played their first
home game two days later against
East Stroudsburg, also a non-
conference opponent.
Oddly enough the match went
in the exact same sequence as
the season opener, Mercyhurst
coming out strong but ending up
short in the end.
Wagner again led the Lak-
ers with 25 kills, with seniors
Justin Waas and Nate Keegan
contributing 13 and 11 kills re-
spectively.
Kick notched 53 assists and
freshman libero Kyle Miller tal-
lied 13 digs.
“I think it went well, we real-
ized things about our team that
we need to realize early in the
year,” said Wagner.
“Even though we lost Friday,
it was good to get that five-game
experience for upcoming confer-
ence play,” he said.
The team will open Midwest-
ern Intercollegiate Volleyball
File Photo
Freshman Valerie Chouinard
and Danielle Ayearst were cred-
ited with the assists on the goal.
Ayearst was not done scoring
on the night, with her next point
being a big one.
With just five minutes left
remaining Ayearst beat Rutledge
with the eventual game-winner.
Ayearst’s first goal of the sea-
son was assisted by Chouinard
and senior captain Samantha
Shirley.
Sophomore Laura Hosier
remainder of the contest.
The important thing for the
Lakers that finished up in their
hands. The win gave them their
first, in-conference road win of
the season.
For the second game running,
senior, center, Jeff Daisley had
the team high in rebounds with
nine, he also recorded eight
blocks.
Kubinski picked up where Field
left off, scoring seven of his nine
points in the final four minutes
of the contest.
The senior’s hot streak gave the
Lakers a five-point lead with just
over a minute left in the game.
The Lakers lead was cut to
just two points, following an
FSU three, and they were able
to get one more chance to tie
the game with only 19 seconds
left to play.
Then up stepped Andy Kubin-
ski to steal the ball with only two
seconds left to play and stretch
his multi-steal games to nine.
Fogel and Smith joined Field in
double figures for contest, with
11 points each.
Junior, guard, Mitch Brennan
said, “We put in a good team
performance, the whole bench
was into it and our coaches had
us doing the right things.”
On Saturday afternoon the
Lakers faced Lake Superior State
University (2-15, 1-9 in GLIAC)
in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
The Lakers, 1-3 on the road in
conference matches this season
and unfortunately, this record
was about to get worse. Facing
the conference’s last placed team
and following the Lakers win
over FSU; it looked on paper an
easy win.
In a seesaw battle, LSSU upset
the Lakers 96-94 in overtime.
Senior Dan Kick sets for a middle-hitter.
Association (MIVA) play next
weekend when they travel to
Loyola-Chicago and Lewis.
The Lakers failed to beat either
stopped nine of the 10 shots
she faced in picking up her 10th
win.
“Another gut-check time,” said
Michael Sisti, “Allison (Rutledge)
played great, but we were able to
find a way to win.”
Sunday’s contest was a little less
stressful, with a different Niagara
goalie proving to be no match for
the Lakers.
Chouinard was all over the
scoreboard again this day, tallying
a pair of goals to raise her season
tally to 16.
Niagara scored at 5:53 of
the second to get the game to
2-1, when freshman goaltender
Courtney Drennan surrendered
a goal.
Freshman forward Robyn Law
moved the Lakers back ahead 3-1
when she posted her third goal
of the season at the 18:27 mark
of the second period.
The Lakers are now 9-0-1 in
last 10 games, including three in
a row. Up ahead for Mercyhurst is
a tough road trip Jan. 27-28. On
The Lakers registered their
highest number of points this
season but it was not enough to
keep the winning run going.
“We are one of the lowest
placed teams in the country when
it comes to scoring,” said Bren-
nan. “Our coach places a lot of
emphasis on defense and if we
want to win games, we have to
play at both ends.”
On the back of two big perfor-
mances last week and picking up
ECAC player of the week, junior,
guard Avi Fogel turned in two
more stellar performances.
The San Diego, Calif., native
had a triple-double, the schools
first in almost 10 years. Maurice
Profit was the last player before
Fogel to record such a feat; he
had 27 points, 12 rebounds and
10 blocks in 1996-97.
Fogel had 30 points, 11 re-
bounds and 10 assists in the
game. He and sophomore Terry
Smith combined for 59 points
but their efforts could not pre-
vent a devastating defeat.
“The loss really hurts because
the effort was there, we just didn’t
perform on the defensive end,”
he said.
“We didn’t play to our full
potential and despite having
lots of opportunities we just
couldn’t capitalize on them,”
added Fogel.
Despite some unbelievable
LSSU offense, the Lakers only
trailed by three, 78-75 with under
a minute remaining.
The Lakers were not finished
yet and Kubinski for the second
time this past week drained a
huge three, which sent the game
into overtime.
LSSU could have wrapped
things up moments earlier, but
Mike Rader missed one of his
January 25, 2006
Katie McAdams/Photo editor
team in four chances last year,
and looks to better their luck this
weekend.
Friday the Lakers will visit No.
2 New Hampshire in a crucial
non-conference contest.
This game represents the last
ranked opponent Mercyhurst will
face in the regular season.
It also represents a chance to
draw attention from the poll-
voters, given an upset of New
Hampshire will potentially help
the Lakers move up a notch
in either of the national polls.
There was a slight shakeup in
the USCHO.com poll this past
weekend.
Minnesota and Minnesota Du-
luth split a series on Friday-Satur-
day, which moved Minnesota up
a notch ahead of St. Lawrence.
Playoffs are not far away, with
the conference championship,
which the Lakers have won for
three consecutive years, sched-
uled for Mar. 11, 12, 13, 2006 in
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Should the Lakers keep their
No. 6 ranking, they will make a
return trip to the NCAA Play-
offs.
two free throws, giving Kubinski
his chance. It was Kubinski’s first
field goal attempt of the game.
The Lakers would need yet
another comeback in overtime,
as they trailed 92-84 with only
28 seconds left on the clock. This
lead would prove to be too much
for the team to overcome.
And so what could have been a
great week for men’s hoops end-
ed on a dour note. It has left the
players with plenty of time for
reflection; ahead of next week’s
big game against Gannon.
“It doesn’t matter what your
record is, you have to come out
to play because they are always
close games,” said Brennan.
“I cannot wait to play in it,”
said Fogel. He will appear in his
first Mercyhurst- Gannon game,
along with fellow newcomers
Field and freshmen Stu Anglum
and Kerry Wilkinson.
Despite Saturday’s setback
Fogel remained optimistic and
confident in his team’s abilities.
“I have a lot of belief in this
team and the great thing is we
all believe in each other,” said
Fogel.
With the Lakers backs against
the wall, the only way to respond
is to come out fighting and that
is exactly what Fogel believes will
happen. “We have the heart and
will to do it, but it is not going to
be easy, we have a battle on our
hands,” said Fogel.
The Gannon game is scheduled
for Jan. 28. at 8 p.m. at the Mer-
cyhurst athletic center.
Tickets will go on sale Wed.
Jan. 25, starting at 9 a.m. in MAC.
Tickets are priced at $4 for adults
and $2 for students. They will be
available to purchase from 9-12
and 1-4 each day, until they are
sold out.