THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929
CAMPUS LIVING
Page 4
Vol. 80 No. 12
President announces
4x1x4 semester system
By Joshua Wilwohl
Editor-in-chief
The 4x4 semester system is “off the
table,” says Mercyhurst College Presi-
dent Dr. Thomas Gamble.
Gamble, instead, proposes a new
plan referred to as the 4x1x4 semester
system, or the intersession semester
system.
This plan, Gamble says, is the “only
calendar on the table.”
According to Gamble, either the
school votes for it or it doesn’t change
until the next constituent period in
about three to five years.
Gamble said the calendar vote would
occur sometime in the summer and, if
passed, would begin in the fall of 2008
or 2009.
Gamble also said he met with the Aca-
demic Affairs Committee of the Board
of Trustees last week and discussed the
4x1x4 system.
He also made a presentation to the
faculty senate on Wednesday.
“The 4x1x4 is a compromise between
the current trimester system and the
once-considered 4x4 semester system,”
said Gamble.
According to Gamble, the 4x1x4
would consist of two 14-and-a-half-
week terms with a three-and-a-half-
week intersession during January, and
the possibility of another three-and-a-
half week term during May.
During each of the two long terms,
students would take four classes worth
three credits each, said Gamble.
During the January term, students
would take one class worth three
credits.
Gamble said there are still ideas being
developed for the January session.
He said the short term could be re-
quired for freshmen and sophomores
Trimesters versus semesters detailed
Mercyhurst College is currently on the trimester system, but
President Thomas Gamble is now considering the change to a
4x1x4 semester system. In the past, Gamble also considered
the 4x4 semester system. Listed is a brief breakdown of each
different academic calendar.
Trimesters
• Three 10-week terms • Two 15-week terms
• Three to four courses per • Four classes per term
term • Four credits per course
• Three credits per course
Admissions on way to exceed goals for 2007
By Nicole Cerilli
Contributing writer
Mercyhurst College’s growing repu-
tation, strategic planning, and early
recruitment explain the increasing
number of applicants for the 2007-2008
freshman class.
So far, the number of applicants for
next year has already surpassed last
year’s total of 2,650 and is expected to
exceed 3,000 by May 1, 2007.
Right now, the Mercyhurst assessment
National celebrations
you’ve missed
Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie Pa. 16546
File photo
Dr. Thomas Gamble
and optional for juniors and seniors. He
also noted the possibility that it could
be optional for all students.
Gamble could not give details on the
May session except noting it would be
similar to the January session.
According to Gamble, class times for
the 4x1x4 system are “commensurately
shorter.”
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Dr. Barbara Behan gave an approxima-
tion of class times.
According to Behan, during the long
terms, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
classes would be 50 minutes to an hour,
and Tuesday and Thursday classes
would be 75 to 90 minutes.
Behan said that during the short ses-
sions, classes would meet four or five
times a week for two-and-a-half to
three hours.
Gamble assured that this system
would allow for graduation in four years
because the number of credits does not
change, but he said not everything is
fully worked out.
Gamble said the change to 4x1x4 is
not that dramatic, but needs to occur to
4x4 semesters
period is doing very well.
This can be attributed, in part, to
recent changes such as the college’s
new president, Dr. Thomas Gamble,
and the resulting change in the college’s
administration, but it is also the product
of ongoing planning.
Admissions director J.P. Cooney said
that currently, “there is a very good
buzz, if you will, about Mercyhurst in
the community.”
Mercyhurst’s location, medium sized
student body, academic programs, and
faculty are among the top features that
A&E
“Twelfth Night” to
open on Thursday,
Jan. 18 at the Taylor
Little Theatre
Page 8
January 18, 2007
Survey reveals opposition
address the problems of the trimester
system.
“I think 10-week terms are not the
best way to provide a college educa-
tion,” he said. “Ten weeks is too short
for creative pedagogy.”
Gamble also noted that 10 weeks
narrows the window for paper due-
dates and exams. He also said that if a
student falls behind in a class during the
10 weeks, it is hard to catch up.
Behan agreed.
“We can use the 4x1x4 system to
continue some of the benefits of a term
system,” she said. “Students will have
more time to rehearse material and use
critical thinking.”
Gamble said the switch will “…change
the pace of the institution and make it
similar to other institutions.”
He said other schools such as Wash-
ington and Jefferson College and Mid-
dlebury College use the 4x1x4 system.
Gamble said the switch to the inter-
session semester system would be easy
because the amount of credits, classes,
and class time are the same as they are
now.
“Not much of a change has to oc-
cur,” he said.
Gamble also said that students will
find the 4x1x4 system easier.
“I think students will see it easier
to hold four classes in 14-and-a-half
E-mail survey indicates students
want trimesters to stay
weeks,” he said.
He said the 4x1x4 calendar will also
benefit athletics and align the athletic
calendar with other schools. switching to semesters included wanting
By Chelsea Boothe
“Scheduling games will be easier,” more time in the classroom per class;
Campus Living editor
said Gamble. they don’t like the break during the win-
Though not every detail of the system ter term; think pace of class is currently
is worked out, Gamble said the 4x1x4 The Merciad e-mailed all students on too fast; and it currently doesn’t align
system is his final calendar plan. the main campus to ask whether or with certain sports’ seasons.
“There are enough problems with the not the students were for or against The majority of those responding to
trimester system,” he said. “We need to switching from the trimester system to the e-mail want to keep the trimester
see if there’s an option for switching.” a 4x4 system. because they enjoy classes that last only
The poll finished on Tuesday at 10 weeks; they like the longer Thanks-
noon with 752 responses. Of those, giving and spring breaks; they are glad
563 opposed any change, preferring they have the opportunity to take more
the trimester system, and 189 favored classes in four years than most colleges
the switch to the 4x4 system that was and university systems provide; and they
4x1x4 semesters under discussion at the time the e-mail
was sent.
think the course work is lighter.
To see more student response please
• Two 14-and-a-half week Students’ responses in favor of turn to Opinion on Page 6.
terms
• One three-and-a-half week
Campus news briefs
January term
• Possibly a three-and-a-half Compiled by editorial staff/from mercyhurst.edu
week May term Mercyhurst North East the weekend of Jan. 26-28. They’ve
• Four classes for long term to host identity theft chosen to set the play in the 1980s.
presentation Performances are scheduled Friday
• One class for short term and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday
Become informed about one of
• Three credits per course today’s most rapidly growing crimes at 2:30 p.m. in the Mary D’Angelo
at “Information on and Prevention Performing Arts Center.
of Identity Theft” on Wednesday, Jan. Tickets are $12.50 for adults, $10 for
24, at 7:30 p.m. at Mercyhurst North seniors and non-Mercyhurst students,
East, Miller Hall, room 116. $6.50 for President’s Cardholders, $5
Stephen Szwejbka, director of the for youths 15 and under, and $1 for
Mercyhurst students with ID. Call the
criminal justice program at Mercy-
entice prospective students to look at hurst North East, will explain what box office at 824-3000.
identity theft is and how you can
Mercyhurst. The top two applied-for
protect yourself from becoming a Open skate
majors are intelligence studies and
business. victim. The presentation is free and The Mercyhurst Ice Center will
One aspect of Mercyhurst admission’s open to the public. Call 725-6371 for be open after the hockey game on
str tegic planning is to advertise these more information. Saturday, Jan. 20 at 10 p.m.
features by expanding their outreach
regionally. Cooney said, “Although the Mercyhurst students Mascot name to be
college itself is not national, some of perform classic musical announced
the programs are.” Performers from the D’Angelo De- The name of the new Laker mascot
partment of Music and other students will be announced at the basketball
Please see Admissions on page 2 from Mercyhurst College will stage game on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m.
the popular musical “Bye Bye Birdie”
PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD January 18, 2007

NEWS To contact: newsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

World Briefs
International news
Compiled by
Jessica Kocent
Spanish PM makes
“clear mistake”
From BBC News
Spain’s prime minister says he
made a “clear mistake” by being
too optimistic about the prospect
of peace talks with the Basque
separatist group Eta.
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
said he had predicted an im-
provement in the peace process
the day before a bomb attack on
Dec. 30.
On Saturday, more than 200,000
people in Spain protested over
the bomb blast that killed two at
Madrid airport.
“Although it is not frequent
among public leaders, I want to
admit to all Spanish citizens the
clear mistake I made,” he told
Hurst TV airs
‘Digging for the
Truth’ Marathon
Hurst TV, the student-run
cable station of Mercyhurst
College’s Department of Com-
munication, celebrates the de-
but of the third season of the
History Channel’s “Digging for
the Truth” with an eight- hour
marathon on Jan. 22nd.
The marathon, featuring eight
episodes of the series from its
first two seasons, begins at 1
pm. It ends just before the one-
hour, third season debut of the
show on the History Channel,
and replays starting at 10 p.m.
“Digging for the Truth,”
Andy Finkel Photo
hosted by survival expert and
Rebecca Aaron works diligently in the admissions dept. adventurer Josh Bernstein, takes
the viewers around the world to
been called a “real-life Indiana
Jones.”
His show has been the high-
est rated program on the His-
tory Channel and is provided
to Hurst TV by its affiliate,
Zilo TV.
The Hurst TV marathon
shows a fresh and engaging ap-
proach to archaeology.
Bernstein digs for the truth
and goes to extremes to do it
whether it’s trekking through
Ethiopia in search of the lost
ark of the covenant, tackling the
mystery of Cleopatra’s death,
searching for the hidden trea-
sures of the Incas, or exploring
Easter Island. “Digging for the

Admissions still
Spanish PM Jose Luis a special session of parliament explore the myths and legends Truth” is educational and fun
Rodriguez Zapetero debating Spain’s policies. of archeology. Bernstein has for people of all ages.

Six accused of 2005 London bomb plot aiming for class

of 700 in 2007
Six men planned “murderous suicide bombings” on public trans-
port in London in July of 2005,” a court has heard.
The prosecution has told Woolwich Crown Court of their alleged
“extremist Muslim plot” targeting London two weeks after the July Continued from page 1 to maintain this diversity.
bombings killed 52. “Having a student body from
Muktar Ibrahim, Manfo Asiedu, Hussein Osman, Yassin Omar, Recruiting takes place from as around the globe enhances the
Ramzi Mohammed and Adel Yahya deny conspiracy to murder. far north as Massachusetts and college because it brings unique
as far west as Minnesota. As a and different perspective to the
Hussein’s two aides result, this year’s freshman class campus,” Cooney said.
alone represents at least 30 dif- The qualifications for prospec-
hanged & beheaded ferent states. tive students applying to the
Iraqi government officials Another goal for admissions college will remain relatively the
have shown journalists video of coordinators has been start the same.
the hanging of two of Saddam recruiting process for prospec- Although the average SAT
Hussein’s aides, during which one tive students earlier on than in score for students accepted into
of the men was decapitated. the past. Since one year ago, the the college is an 1100, and the
The film shows Barzan Ibrahim Mercyhurst application process average GPA is a 3.4, there is no
- Saddam Hussein’s half-brother has begun a lot sooner. single variable that stands out to
- and Awad Hamed al-Bandar It has become important for admission officers.
hanged side-by-side. the admissions coordinators to “To sum it up, we look for
Barzan, former intelligence make sure the information that unique students. An applicant’s
chief, and al-Bandar, former head prospective students want to high school curriculum, activities, Amnesty International

of Iraq’s Revolutionary Court, know is out there and readily and recommendations all factor Amnesty International is doing a lot in its first year here.

‘AmnesTea’ offers
were convicted over the killing available, especially on the In- into our decision,” Cooney said.
of 148 Shias in 1982. ternet so that it will show up in Despite the alterations made to
The government said Barzan’s online searches by high school the new SAT, recent applicants
beheading was accidental.
The latest hangings drew
expressions of concern from
students.
Cooney said that thus far, this
approach “has really paid divi-
have not really been affected.
The test results are treated ex-
actly the same as in the past.
entertainment
among the international com- Barzan was Hussein’s half- dends.” The college’s reputation Cooney said that the addition tion puts the focus on caring
By Elyse Lagana
munity. brother. has grown and the number of of the writing section to the SAT about people. Their methods
Contributing writer
applicants has increased. “is really just an extra piece of often deal with case by case
Currently, the college is as- data that Mercyhurst can use for scenarios which directly impacts
Somali broadcasters sessing a strategic plan to help placement purposes.” It is not The local Amnesty Interna- people who are in need of help”
increase the number of transfer used for admissions. tional chapter has many events said Evanoff.
ordered to close students for next year to 90 from Despite the growing number planned for their first full year Besides writing letters, this
Somalia’s main broadcasters last year’s total of 74. of applicants, Mercyhurst still since being reestablished. year Amnesty International has
have been ordered to close, One way that admissions de- plans to aim for a freshman The chapter was reactivated attended a protest in Harrisburg
shortly after the interim presi- partment plans to achieve this class of 700 for the 2007-2008 in spring 2006 by Patty Evanoff to protest the death penalty,
dent set up a new team to end is by targeting community col- school year. after being inactive for many taken part in the Million Faces
the “chaos” in the capital. leges. Because the college has rolling years. Campaign for control arms dur-
Three top Somali radio stations The enrollment in community admissions, applicants will be Amnesty International is a ing Peace and Love week, and
and al-Jazeera TV are affected. colleges has been continually accepted up until May 1, 2007. human rights organization, in- has also held a few fundraisers
They have been ordered to ap- increasing in recent years, which After that, applicants will be ad- dependent of any political or including a bake sale and a hug-
pear before the national security opens up the opportunity for mitted on a first-come, first-serve religious affiliation, which works ging booth.
agency. Mercyhurst to recruit second and basis due to housing limitations. worldwide to end injustices. “We try to make our fundrais-
A policeman was killed and third year transfer students from Currently, a strategic plan is “Once I found out about ing noticeable, but reasonable,”
a convoy of government and these colleges. underway to look at what the Amnesty, I had found something said Whaling.
Ethiopian troops attacked in Mercyhurst has become reputa- ideal size for the college’s student I could really feel comfortable On Jan. 20, Amnesty Interna-
overnight violence. ble for having a culturally unique body should be in the future, but about putting myself behind,” tional is hosting an “AmnesTea.”
The president returned to environment. At least 36 differ- until a decision is reached class said Evanoff. Free trade coffee, tea and snacks
Mogadishu last week, after Is- ent countries are represented on sizes will remain at about 700 Since then the clubs mem- will be available and an open
lamists were routed. campus, and the college strives students each. bership has increased from its microphone with student per-
Somalia has three major “The city is in chaos. It’s not original 10 to 20, piquing many formers.
students’ interest.
TV stations. safe,” he said.
Obama takes first step “I wanted to be a part of some-
Amnesty has many other events
planned, including, an outdoor
thing that made me feel good, benefit concert called “Jam-
Body parts sent through mail in China in White House bid doing my part in helping out the
race of our species and making
nesty,” with a variety of bands
from the Erie Area, will be the
A man and woman have been detained in China on suspicion of Obama, who has leapt to others aware of the problems biggest event of the year.
MCT Campus
murdering a man and mailing his body parts to three different cit- national stardom with dizzying within our world,” said junior Jamnesty is scheduled to take
MCT Newspaper
ies. speed, on Tuesday established Sean Whaling, place in mid-April.
Last week police in Qingdao city opened a package and found it a presidential exploratory com- “The nature of the organiza-
contained a human torso, the China Daily said. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s mittee that will further lay the
A few days later, a head and arms were reportedly found in parcels newly formed presidential ex- groundwork for a White House
sent to Beijing and Jiangyin. ploratory committee will work to campaign.
The man and a woman were caught on closed-circuit television, build a full-blown candidacy for Obama said that he will de-
mailing the three boxes from a Guangzhou shipping company. the Democratic nomination. clare his intentions Feb. 10 in
The packages were reportedly labelled as medicine and machine A presidential aspirant might Illinois amid speculation that he
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January 18, 2007 THE MERCIAD PAGE 3

To contact: newsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu News

Contributed by Courtney Stuempges Andy Finkel Photo

Blueprints show layout for the new ecology lab. The new ecology lab will provide “a better learning environment for students,” says Dr. David Hyland.

Zurn lab gets a much-needed makeover

Current lab becomes the fourth one to be updated with new lighting, ventilation, and equipment
By Courtney Stuempges
Contributing writer
The science department will be
getting a makeover in the near
future. The ecology lab will be
gutted and renovated in the Zurn
building.
The current lab will be updated
with new lighting, ventilation,
equipment and an all-around
friendlier environment.
The biggest change, three 180-
gallon aquariums, will be placed
in the lab wall.
Science professor Dr. David
Hyland said the first will be a
saltwater environment, the sec-
ond like Lake Erie and the third
similar to Elk Creek animal and
plant life.
These 6-by-2 foot tanks will
be located in the walls of the lab
and can be viewed by from the
hallway.
There will also be smaller
aquariums will be at each work
station for experimental pur-
poses.
Hyland is also looking forward
to the transformation.
“The lab is simply outdated
and the new lab should be a bet-
ter environment for students to
learn in.”
Hyland said there are hopes to
use grant money to purchase a
$35,000 Florence and Gas Ex-
change System.
This briefcase-size machine
detects the photosynthesis of
leaves and the gas exchange in
soil.
“There are only three used
in the world for education,”
said Hyland. “This would be
a new and interesting thing for
botany.”
The new lab will be a continu-
ation of the molecular lab, and
is planned to strengthen all areas
of the science department. The
new design and aquariums will
hopefully help with the marine
biology branch.
“This lab will be designed to
handle dirt and water to interface
between lab and field courses,”
said Hyland.
In the future, the department
will complete the renovation on
that side of the hallway, along
with new offices before starting
on the other half.
There is also potential of a
greenhouse to be installed. Work
on the new ecology lab will most
likely begin spring break of this
year.

NOW
Intelligence students Dance-a-thon fundraiser for AIDS
awarded for analysis On Friday Jan. 19 from 8
p.m. to 8 a.m. in the REC for a
dance-a-thon.
“Please come. It’s for a good
cause, and we’re raffling off
great prices. Even if you can’t
or show up with your money
at 8 p.m. on Friday. The music
is changing every hour and the

of Kosovo conflicts
It is $25 per entry and, while
this may seem steep for college
pockets, all of the proceeds go
the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric
AIDS foundation.
dance I promise you’ll have prizes are worthwhile.
a great time trying,” said se- If you have any questions
nior Colleen Lanigan who is in please email Colleen Lanigan at
charge of the dance-a-thon. clanig71@mercyhurst.edu.
You can sign up in the Union,

MONEY FOR COLLEGE

Gregg Bowen Bettie Cole James Kelly

cyhurst has ever received this said Cole.

By Nichole Rosewicz
Contributing writer
The Intelligence Program at
Mercyhurst has held a reputa-
tion as being one of the best in
the country.
Government officials look to
Mercyhurst Intelligence under-
graduates for continued research
and analysis on national security
and military initiatives.
Professor Kristan Wheaton’s
Strategic Intelligence class devel-
oped a 10-week group project to
be analyzed by the 66th Military
Intelligence Group.
Four of his students, James
Kelly, Bettie Cole, Anna Dunin
and Gregg Bowan have a lot
to be proud about. They were
awarded a prestigious certificate
of achievement for their final
analysis on the project.
It had to do with the impact
of the final status of Kosovo
on European stability in the next
3-5 years.
One of the students who
worked on the project, Bettie
Cole, said, “No one from Mer-
honor and it is actually a really
big deal for us.”
The project for Wheaton’s
class was a contract project with
the 66th Military Intelligence
Group.
“We had to create an actual
product for them, and then the
final product was passed on to
higher officials in the military”
said Cole.
The 66th Military Intelligence
Group serves as the United
States Army Europe Intelligence
Corps.
The students put a lot of time
and effort into this project. Over
the 10-week course, they spent
approximately 20 hours or more
a week. There was a long writ-
ten report followed by an oral
presentation on which all four
members consulted.
“It was about the final status of
Kosovo and their final outcome
relating on gaining autonomy
in conjunction with minority
nationalism. It will likely bear
on European/ international
stability from the perspective
of American national interest,”
Kosovo has encountered many
conflicts throughout recent years
and the Intel students predicted
what would happen if they be-
came an independent nation.
“The main problem we had in
gaining information was that the
news, especially from internet
sources, can be biased so we had
to make sure we found neutral
resources,” said Cole.
Mercyhurst plans on holding a
formal awards ceremony in the
near future to honor these four
students. It is even expected to
make the local Erie news.
“One thing I learned is that
the United States has it pretty
easy compared to other countries
regarding ethnic conflicts and
border disputes,” said Cole.
Kelly, Cole, Dunin and Bowan
now are looking at wonderful
prospects for job opportunities
as a direct result of this project.
U.S. Military Intelligence posi-
tions in Germany and Africa are
Because Aunt Joan needed more Botox®*.
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students.
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Teaching and Learning Expo

Kappa Delta Pi and the Coun-
cil for Exceptional Children are
sponsoring the Second Annual
Teaching and Learning Expo.
The Expo will take place on
Jan. 20, from 9:30 until 1:30 p.m.
in the Hirt Center.
The event offers a number of
essential workshops for educa-
tors, including creativity in the
classroom, interviewing well,
and encouraging good conversa-
tion in the classroom as well as
many other professional devel-
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The Teaching and Learning
Expo will feature Mercyhurst
professors, local educators, and
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PAGE 4
CAMPUS
Living
National celebrations you’ve missed
Most people only know the major monthly celebrations, but several items are celebrated each month.
By Chelsea Boothe
Campus living editor
What do oatmeal, dried plum
breakfast, gourmet coffee, hot
tea, wheat bread, eggs and fiber
all have in common? If you
guessed breakfast foods, you
are correct; however, interest-
ingly those are all also National
“blank” Month.
Everyone knows that Febru-
ary is National Black History
Month and March is Women’s
History Month. But in actuality
every month has several different
national remembrances.
In honor of the wide and
somewhat eclectic collection of
breakfast foods that are being
recognized this month, here are
a few benefits and suggestions
for fitting them into your morn-
ing routine.
Many people twist their faces
in revulsion when someone
presents them with a bowl full of
oatmeal; however, everyone on a
budget should reconsider. Not
only is a box of dried Quaker
Oats very cheap, it also has re-
deeming qualities.
Many students take back-to-
back classes, and most have
experienced that moment when
your stomach growls so loudly
that people begin to stare. How-
ever, had you started with a bowl
Gwyneth Paltrow in “Proof,” showing in Taylor Little Theatre Wednesday, Jan. 24.
Depression awareness
‘Hurst counseling center offers help for depression
By Jen Helbig
Contributing writer
Imagine feelings of despair
that overwhelm you as you try to
make it through the day.
Imagine feeling tired and not
being able to concentrate.
Imagine feeling irritable for no
apparent reason.
According to depression.com,
these, and other similar symp-
toms, may not be symptoms of
a bad day; they may be symptoms
of depression.
“Most people who have gone
through one episode of depres-
sion will, sooner or later, have
another one,” the Website added.
Early detection is key to learning
how to manage the symptoms
before they become too over-
whelming.
Unfortunately though, “Most
people with depression never
seek help, even though the major-
ity will respond to treatment,” the
Website explained.
If left untreated, depressed
people may hurt themselves or
others through their actions.
In order to increase awareness
about depression and its symp-
toms among students, Mercy-
hurst College Counseling Center
will host the screening of a movie
To contact: featuremerciad@mercyhurst.edu
of oatmeal, a food that sticks
to your ribs, those moments
would be few and far be-
tween.
Now, if the taste is what
bothers you there are many
ways to dress up the grains to
make them more appealing.
First, you could add rai-
sins or craisins; if you
boil them for a bit first
they will be even more
appealing.
Also brown sug-
ar and melted but-
ter add a smooth,
sweet taste.
If the idea of
hot cereal is sim-
ply not appealing,
you should tr y
oatmeal- choco-
late chip cookies;
they are always a
treat!
Next on the
list is dried plum
breakfast; howev-
er, if we’re talking
about dried plums
we should also talk
about fiber.
Fiber at the be-
ginning of your
day is always a
good idea. Rasp-
berries, strawber-
ries, blackberries, ba-
nanas, dried fruit, nuts,
as well as free depression screen-
ings next week.
All students are invited to
view the movie “Proof,” starring
Gwyneth Paltrow, at 8 p.m. on
Tues. Jan. 23 in the Taylor Little
Theatre.
Proof is a film about the dif-
ficulties of a mathematician’s
daughter after her father’s pass-
ing. Before he died, the father,
Robert, spent years in a cloud of
insanity. The daughter, Catherine,
is concerned that she has inher-
ited Robert’s madness.
To complicate matters, a young
mathematician, Hal, wants to
search through Robert’s note-
books to see if Robert had made
any innovative math equations
during a lucid time in the last
years of his life.
Eventually Catherine provides
him with information, but it truly
puts her own sanity at stake.
In addition to the movie, on
Wed. Jan. 24, the Counseling
Center will provide depression
screenings at the Cohen Student
Health Center between 10 a.m.
and 3 p.m.
Screenings will be free and con-
fidential, and they are a simple
step to take to pinpoint a seri-
ous problem and move toward
treatment.
According to the Website,
“women are almost twice as likely
to become depressed as men,”
which may partly be due to hor-
monal changes from puberty or
menstruation. Men’s risk for de-
pression may be lower, but “men
are more likely to go undiagnosed
and less likely to seek help.”
Depression can be multifactari-
al, but in any case, it is not entirely
the fault of the sufferer.
Genetic inheritance, trauma
and stress, a generally pessimis-
tic personality, a serious medical
condition, or other psychological
disorders can all contribute to the
development of depression.
In addition, even the time of
year can affect a person’s mood,
and a condition like seasonal af-
fective disorder has symptoms
that are common with any major
depressive episode.
If you feel that you might be
suffering from depression, take
one simple step and attend the
screening. Treatment is available
to make you feel better.
Do not diagnose yourself. Stop
into the counseling center on Jan.
24 and take a step towards better-
ing your own health.
For more information call the
Counseling Center at ext. 3650.
THE MERCIAD
cherries, whole-wheat
muffins and pancakes
are all great ways to
include fiber into your
culinary morning ex-
perience.
There does not seem to be
a particular recipe titled Dried
Plum Breakfast; however, reci-
pes that include these California
favorites are in pancakes, coffee
cake, parfaits or scones.
Next, and the writer’s personal
favorite, are the two bever-
ages being celebrated this
fine winter month:
gourmet cof-
fee and
hot tea.
For
those
who
claim
to like
nei-
ther tea
nor cof-
fee, I pity
your unfortunate
taste buds. For those of
you who appreciate and en-
joy the smell of rich, strong
coffee or bold, citrus tea, this
is the month to pamper yourself
Wish we had a winter wonderland this
year? Here are some snowless ideas
By Lakyn Bianco
Contributing writer
Thanks to changes in the
weather pattern, Erie is missing
a critical element that has always
defined the city’s winters—snow.
While some hope the snow stays
away, others are missing their fa-
vorite winter activities. Without
snow there is no skiing, no snow-
boarding, no snowball fights, no
snow angels, no snowmen and
no sled riding.
What is there to do in Erie
when there isn’t any snow?
One great way to beat winter
boredom is ice-skating. The
Mercyhurst Ice Center holds
open skates at various times
throughout the week. The times
for open skates are posted in the
Tuesday Afternoon. If you can’t
make it to one of those times
the J.M. Cochran Memorial Ice
Arena next to the Erie Zoo on
West 38th Street also holds pub-
lic skate sessions.
Family First Sports Park, lo-
cated on upper Peach Street, is
another place for indoor fun.
The park hosts an indoor driv-
ing range, indoor miniature golf,
a 16-foot rockwall, and a video
Earth democracy on campus
By Lindsey Bowler
Contributing writer
To most people, October
seems far away but for the Mer-
cyhurst Green Team and the
Office of Sustainability it is right
around the corner.
The Green Team and Office
of Sustainability will be offering
the Charlene M. Tanner Speaker
Series sometime in October
2007.
The three educational speakers
will provide an in-depth look at
Earth democracy and what sur-
rounds it.
Earth democracy is a world
view that everyone is a part of
the Earth, according to Cathy
Pedler, the director of the Office
of Sustainability. It is a commit-
ment to go beyond just helping
to save the Earth but to be truly
a part of the solution.
The first speaker on tap for this
informative event is Dr. Vandana
Shiva, a world-renowned scien-
tist and environmentalist.
Shiva has participated in the
program Navdanya, which is
with as many cupfuls as you can
handle. After all, it is a national
celebration.
As far as the benefits of cof-
fee and tea, they vary depending
on what issue the consumer is
trying solve. If you drag when
you wake up or fall asleep while
preparing for mid-terms both
beverages can offer a perky, caf-
feinated solution.
If you are trying to fight the
flu this season, black tea has
been known to help boost your
immune system.
However, perhaps you are
looking for an excuse to ask out a
pretty blond, or the tall, dark and
handsome man who passes you
everyday on your way to class,.
A coffee date is both informal,
relaxed and an excellent way to
get to know someone better.
Finally, keep in mind that both
tea and coffee come in many
varieties and forms. Any sweet,
tart, sour, lemony, bold, soft,
mellow, etc. taste you enjoy, tea
has the answer for you. Some
tea is used to calm your nerves,
others to help you sleep. Some
tea will help you stay alert, or
ease a sore throat. If all you’ve
ever had is English morning,
try branching out, you might be
surprised.
And as for the dark, sump-
tuous java concoction there
are as many combinations and
arcade center.
Across Peach Street from
Family First is Lazer Tag and
the Splash Lagoon Indoor Water
Park. Mercyhurst students may
also qualify for residential ticket
discounts at the water park.
Couples who are looking for
something fun to do together
can take ballroom dancing class-
es Wednesday evenings at the
Mercy Center for Aging on East
Grandview. The classes are open
to all ages and are $8 per couple
or $5 per person. To register call
824-2214.
For those looking for a more
relaxing time there is the Erie
Art Museum on State Street.
Aside from touring the gallery,
the museum offers classes and
workshops in pottery, painting,
photography, framing, drawing,
bellydancing, painting and more.
For more information check out
their website at www.erieartmu-
seum.org.
To learn more about the Erie
area, the Erie County Historical
Society has several museums and
a planetarium. Another place to
go to learn about Erie’s history is
the Erie Maritime Museum and
the U.S. Brig Niagara located at
the bottom of State Street on the
an Earth democracy research
program developed from the
Research Foundation for Sci-
ence, Technology and Ecology.
This program has revolutionized
India and India’s look at Earth
democracy.
Shiva preaches theories of
non-violence around the world
and establishing a “creative and
peaceful” lifestyle.
Secondly, the series will wel-
come Winona LaDuke. She is
the program director of Honor
the Earth and the founding
director of the White Earth
Land Recovery Project. With her
creative leadership and visionary
tactics, LaDuke has led many ini-
tiatives to change environmental
policy.
LaDuke was nominated in
1994 by Time Magazine as one
of America’s Fifty Most Prom-
ising Leaders Under 40 Years
of Age.
LaDuke has received count-
less other awards and has just
finished writing a new book
titled “Recovering the Sacred:
The Power of Naming and
Claiming.”
January 18, 2007
creations of coffee as any one
person can imagine. Whether
you want it sweet or bold, creamy
or powerful, coffee has it all.
Finally, the last two items on
the list are wheat bread and
eggs.
Wheat bread is high in fiber
and can be eaten as toast with
jam, French toast or in conjunc-
tion with the egg. One of the
best breakfasts is two pieces
of toasted bread with melted
Munster cheese and an egg. The
egg can be boiled and sliced,
scrambled, cooked over easy or
prepared as eggs benedicts.
Any way you enjoy eggs, the
egg sandwich in the morning is a
great way to celebrate its national
month and integrate fiber along
with other dietary supplements
into your diet.
Often students and professors
tend to skip breakfast because
when the alarm goes off more
sleep seems more important
than a fiber-filled breakfast, but
keep in mind this January, that
by eating some of the afore-
mentioned items you will display
your patriotism by partaking in
a food that is being nationally
celebrated.
It might seem corny, but drink-
ing a cup of coffee has never
meant so much.
water front.
If you are interested in spend-
ing some time in the great out-
doors, the Asbury Woods Na-
ture Center has roaming animal
encounters Saturday mornings.
Finally, enjoy what Erie is
best known for—Presque Isle
State Park. Visit the Tom Ridge
Environmental Center that fea-
tures interactive exhibits about
the peninsula, a Nature Shop,
an Art Gallery featuring the
work of local artists, a Big Green
Screen Theater and an observa-
tion tower.
Take a walk or go for a run
throughout the park. Check out
the Perry Monument Area or
bird watch at Gull Point.
Bad weather doesn’t mean
you have to stay in the house.
Explore Erie and stay active all
winter long.
To find out more about the
happenings around town, re-
fer to the Erie Times-News
Showcase section published
Thursdays or the “Things to
do” feature published Mondays
in the City & Region section. For
more information on Erie places
to visit and events going on all
year, visit www.visiteriepa.com.
She also teaches a course at
several universities on native
environmentalism. The final
speaker in the series will be Mr.
Derrick Jensen.
Jensen is an activist who speaks
all over the country. Jensen is
also an author, his books “A Lan-
guage Older Than Words” and
“The Culture of Make Believe”
have both been well received
by critics.
This multidimensional speaker
hopes to get the audience back
to Mother Nature and to help
do what is right for us and the
Earth.
If you are interested in attend-
ing the speaker series or looking
for more information contact
Pedler in the Mercyhurst Sus-
tainability Office (Old Main 314)
at (814) 824-2578 or by e-mail,
cpedler@mercyhurst.edu.
Also the Mercyhurst Green
Team always welcomes new
members so feel free to stop by
their next meeting or contact
them at greenteam@mercyhurst.
edu.
January 18, 2007
Living
Soul-warming recipes
Chili is a great way to warm up
your day in the winter months.
You can doctor up this basic
recipe anyway you want to and
make it your own.
The recipe is also very versatile.
Depending on who you are cook-
ing for or your personal prefer-
ence, you can make it spicier or
more mild.
You can add many ingredients
to chili to make it even tastier. I
Hot Chili
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion, green pepper
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of salt
Pinch of oregano
2 cans of kidney beans
Directions
1. Brown the ground beef with the onion in the large pot in which you are
planing on cooking the chili. Then drain the grease out of the pan.
2. Add everything except for the beans and stir together. Cover it and simmer
for about 20 minutes.
3. Add the beans and cook for about another hour.
I
ERI
By Adam Hicks
Contributing writer
The experience of other cul-
tures is crucial to developing a
full liberal arts education.
In order to develop a deeper
understanding of Middle East-
ern culture, coupled with great
appetizers and coffee, one must
look no farther than the Hoo-
kah Café at 129 West 14th.
Senior Andy Narusewicz said,
“I think the Hookah Café is a
great place to call my hangout.
It is a very relaxed atmosphere,
culturally rich, and a great place
to practice my Arabic. If you
want to listen to Arab music
and eat, drink and smoke tradi-
tional foods and hookahs, stop
down. It is the perfect place for
homework, too.”
A hookah, according to the
menu is, “a traditional Middle-
Eastern water pipe for smoking
tobacco filtered by water.”
The hookah pipe originated
in Turkey and then spread to
become an integral part to all
Middle Eastern culture.
According to owner Samer
Mustafa, who came to the Unit-
ed States from Syria, “Smok-
ing the hookah is used to get
together and talk; a social thing.
It is not a cigarette; it is a whole
prefer to put it on top of noodles
and add cheese, also called Cin-
cinnati Chili.
I love this recipe because it is
very easy to make and you can
easily double it and freeze the
leftovers for later consumption.
Chili heats up very well without
losing its quality or taste.
There are also many health
benefits to chili because of the
foods that it contains. The beans
Equipment
1 large pot
Utensils
Time to
embrace your
inner Middle
Eastern self
at the Hookah
Café
different idea.”
Traditionally, hookahs are
smoked after work, hence the
hours of operation from 5
p.m. to midnight Monday to
Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday.
The flavored tobacco is im-
ported from the United Arab
Emirates and comes in fla-
vors of: cherry, apple, grape,
mint, orange, peach and house
blends.
A single bowl is $6.99 and
a double bowl, for sharing
with another, are $9.99. All
hookahs come with disposable
mouth pieces to ensure they
are sanitary and all tobacco
and hookahs must be used on
the premises, which includes a
patio for warmer months. Mr.
Mustafa also informed me that
a single bowl usually lasts for
an hour and a half and that the
prices here in Erie are better
than in larger cities.
The store opened on June
3 and is the first hookah café
in Erie.
In addition to the hookah,
the café also offers appetizers
like hummus, baba ghannouj
and fattoush each for $2.99
per plate.
Desserts include bakalawa
($1.50) and knafa ($3.95), in
addition to Turkish coffee
($2.25), black tea ($1.79) and
cappuccino ($2.49).
To enhance the experience,
the store plays Middle Eastern
music and has a live satellite
feed to news from Syria. For
patrons’ convenience Mr. Mus-
tafa also offers free wireless In-
ternet and chess boards to pass
the time while smoking.
Junior Mike Cilladi voiced his
approval for the atmosphere,
are the most beneficial source
of nutrients and make chili a
very well-rounded dish. There
is also the meat, as well as any
vegetables that you might add
that are going to boost the nu-
trient level.
Putting it over whole wheat
pasta would also be a great ad-
dition of complex carbs that are
essential to a balanced diet.
Also, chili will keep you feeling
Photos by Adam Hicks
Rob Blackburn smoking at
the Hookah Cafe.
stating that, “The cafes an
amazing place. Perfect for chill-
ing with friends and taking in
some Arabic culture. The own-
ers are great guys; they help me
with my Arabic homework! It is
an overall chill place and perfect
for some homework or a game
of chess.”
Although there is a smoking
ban going into effect in Erie,
there is hope for the Hookah
Café, since similar establish-
ments are permitted to remain
open in New York, where a
smoking ban is successfully in
effect.
For anyone interested in a
new experience, I recommend
a trip to the Hookah Café. Ac-
cording to Samer Mustafa, “We
try to bring a new experience
to you. We are proud of being
the first and only Hookah bar
in Erie.”
THE MERCIAD
To contact: featuremerciad@mercyhurst.edu
With Meg
and Kyle
full for a long period of time so
that you eat less.
Any questions or comments
can be emailed to: hurstflavor-
fiend@yahoo.com.
Erie’s favorite fashion
season: the winter
By Jen Gildea
Contributing writer
As Erie temperatures begin to
fall, it’s time to start dressing for
the true winter to which north-
west Pennsylvania residents are
accustomed.
Many people think that it’s
hard to be fashionable in the
winter months; however, it’s
definitely not impossible. After
all, doesn’t everyone look for-
ward to slipping on their favorite
pair of jeans?
Fortunately, the trends this
season are practical and easy for
anyone to pull off.
One of the simplest ways to
update a wardrobe is to add new
colors. Red is a hot color this
winter, as it instantly gives some
punch to an otherwise somber
palette.
There are many different hues
and tints of red, each one com-
plimenting different skin tones.
If you have a warm complex-
ion, such as yellow undertones,
tanned skin or golden highlights,
opt for orangey-reds and cor-
als.
On the other hand, if you have
a cool complexion, typically
characterized by fair skin and
Bounce into spring break options
By Cara Nemanic
Contributing writer
Spring break is quickly ap-
proaching and students are
anxious to get away from the
cold weather.
Why not go on a trip to sunny
Florida or beautiful Cancun?
Sure, this sounds great, but how
much does it cost?
For those who are willing to
pay a little extra, a trip to Cancun
is in your future. With US Air-
ways, the estimated flight cost of
a round trip ticket is $576. Hotel
costs would add an additional
$80 per night at the Radisson
Hotel Hacienda Cancun (hotels.
com). The estimated cost for this
trip is $1,056.
A slightly cheaper option
would be to go to Daytona
naturally dark hair, the best reds
for you would include true red
and maroon.
If red is not the color of
choice for your wardrobe, it’s
simple to add its bold accent
instead in items such a shoes,
handbags and accessories.
However, don’t get too bogged
down in one color. Keep in mind
that blue is being projected as the
“it” color for spring.
Another way to look chic this
winter is to wear skinny jeans.
To the demise of many women,
this trend is not fading any time
soon. In fact, it’s a great way to
transition from fall to winter.
While it was popular to wear
skinny jeans with stilettos in au-
tumn, they’re now a convenient
way to prevent pants from drag-
ging in the snow. Simply tuck the
jeans into a pair of boots and
never worry about stepping in
rain or slush.
As we all know, temperatures
in our region tend to drop pretty
low during the winter months.
For that reason, many retailers
are forecasting their sweaters to
be major sellers.
This winter, the chunky cable
knit sweater is a popular choice.
Find it in turtleneck or crew neck
styles to suit your preference.
Beach, Florida. With Delta Air-
ways, a round trip ticket would
be around $330. Hotel costs
there are around $58 per night,
bringing the total estimated cost
to $678.
If beaches aren’t your thing,
why not spend some time in the
city? With Northwest Airlines,
a flight to Boston will run you
about $244. With the cheapest
hotel rate at Best Western at
around $66, the estimated cost
for this trip is $640.
Even cheaper, a flight to Chi-
cago is only $98. But with hotel
costs, this trip is a little more
expensive with a final estimated
cost of $560.
Don’t forget about food costs
as well as extra spending money.
For additional information about
hotel and flight costs, you can
visit Travelzoo’s Website.
PAGE 5
CAMPUS
This is a great way to stay warm
in the bitter cold.
With the weather on the cusp
of a downhill fall, many shop-
pers don’t want to face the cold
to hit the mall. Fortunately,
there is an alternative, which
comes into play greatly during
the winter.
A new trend of online bou-
tiques and fresh, new designers
is popping up on the World Wide
Web. If you’re sick of seeing the
same thing over and over again
in the mall, online shopping is
the way to go.
Up-and-coming designers are
discovering that selling online is
a good way to attract customers.
It’s refreshing to see new prod-
ucts and ideas from smaller ven-
dors instead of similar products
from the major retailers with
whom we’re all familiar.
With that, it’s important to re-
member to appreciate your own
sense of style and not feel forced
into trendy styles that will come
and go. Winter is a perfect time
to feel comfortable.
Grab an oversized, chunky
sweater (preferably red), throw
on a North Face, and slide those
skinny jeans into some fur-lined
Uggs. Now that’s Erie style.
Finally, some college students
choose to participate in the
growing alternative spring break
trend. Alternative spring breaks
are volunteer trips organized by
colleges, universities, charitable
organizations and religious or-
ganizations.
“It is a holistic integration of
culture, community and service
that becomes one of the most
life changing experiences you
will have at Mercyhurst,” said
Sister Michele Schroeck.
This year, the alternative spring
break program at Mercyhurst
will travel to the Navajo Reserva-
tion. The cost is $425. Unfortu-
nately, the Navajo trip is full for
this year.
Whatever your preferences,
the most important thing is you
must plan ahead for such trips.
PAGE 6 THE MERCIAD January 18, 2007

OPINION To contact: opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

Mercyhurst should stick with trimester system

Mercyhurst is losing its uniqueness. will be twice as long during the short term. The results show students want to keep the trimester system.
For the past several years, the college has tossed around the idea of The three-and-a-half week classes would meet four to five times a Seventy-five percent are in favor of the current calendar, while 25
switching the current trimester system to some form of semesters. week for two-and-a-half to three hours. percent want to see it change.
There was first the 4x4 calendar that called for two 15-week terms Some students have trouble sitting through two hours, let alone The Merciad’s e-mails flooded with revolt from students: “I am to-
where students would take four classes worth four credits each three. tally against it,” “NO! NO! NO!,” “Completely against!,” “I came to
term. Nevertheless, the main reason for the switch, according to President Mercyhurst because of the trimester,” and “Trimesters are better!”
Now the idea of a 4x1x4 se- Thomas Gamble, is because the 10-week term is not “…the best way It doesn’t come clearer than that.
mester system has come to the to provide a college education.” Gamble said, however, the switch will make Mercyhurst more like
forefront. This system calls for Hasn’t Mercyhurst been providing the best education on the tri- other institutions, but I thought Mercyhurst strived to be the unique
two 14-and-a-half week terms Josh mester system for the past 20 or so years? Catholic college on the hill?
with one three-and-a-half week Wilwohl I think so. Several student responses say the main reason they chose Mercy-
intersession in January, and pos- My mom and dad get Mercyhurst Magazine and tell me all the time hurst was because of the trimester system.
sibly another one in May. about the number of students who are featured as “success stories” Making such a switch to the intersession semester system would
Students would be required – and they were on the trimester system. simply toss Mercyhurst in the category as “just another college.”
to take four classes worth three Editor-In-Chief However, I understand the idea that the 14-and-a-half week terms And Mercyhurst shouldn’t be “just another college.”
credits each term, and may even would allow for more time to complete projects, papers and tests. I know there are a lot of details that still need worked out, but even
be required to take one class during the January session. But, I cannot help looking past the results of the student poll with the preliminary plans, it seems that a lot of work needs done to
Granted class times would be shorter during the long terms, they distributed Friday. ensure such a calendar is good for Mercyhurst.

Students weigh in on the fate of the trimester system

No, keep trimesters . . .
I think the set-up we have right now is working just fine. I feel the general student population is
very satisfied with the trimester system, but it’s the faculty that want the change. I love being able
to only have to take 3 classes at a time. It gives you so much more time to do other things such
as study or recreation. I think Mercyhurst’s students are happier, in general, compared with the
students from other schools because of this. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!
Mike Allen
Yes, it’s time for a change . . .
I would be in favor because many other extremely successful institutions have this type of system
and if they have success, then this could push Mercyhurst into the upper echelon of colleges
throughout the country. Also, it would give the students more time to truly get into a subject,
rather than being “hustled” through in 10 weeks.
Kyle Linehan 

I do not want there to be a change to the “4x4” system. I don’t understand why this keeps being
a recurring issue on campus, and I think it is ridiculous that Dr. Gamble is even making it an issue
AGAIN. No student I have talked to wants to do away with terms. Having terms is one of the
reasons I chose Mercyhurst, therefore if there were to be a change I would not hesitate to consider
changing schools.
 
Ashley Sayre
I am for the switch to the 4x4 semester system. It will give me a chance to actually take in some
information in class because I will allow for the professors to teach their lesson plans in a more in
depth manner. Also I would be able to enjoy my breaks a little more because my friends that go to
other semester schools will also be on break at the same time as I would. Thanks!
Kristen Stanopiewicz

I am against switching to semesters. I think this will hurt the enrollment of Mercyhurst, as I have
heard many say this is why they attend the college. I personally enjoy the trimesters, as it gives a
more vacation time between trimesters and causes classes to feel like they go by quickly and en-
courages students to keep pressing forward. It’s faster paced and more seems to get accomplished.
I am strongly for keeping the terms the way we currently have them.
Samantha Hedderick
I think that this system would be beneficial for the students because you are only taking 8 classes
instead of 10 during the school year. This will also allow for the teachers to develop topics instead
of cramming everything into a 10-week period. That usually includes the first week of introduc-
tions, midterm and testing days and the final exam preparation and exam. The instructional time is
so minimal that 15 weeks would help a lot.
Kenny Waszak

The trimester system was one of the reasons I came to Mercyhurst. I think it makes us differ-
ent from other small schools and helps to attract a lot of interest from students for this reason. It
is also a very good transition from the block scheduling that seems to be the trend in many high
schools.
I like change and it is just the right amount of time to get to change classes every 10 weeks. The
classes seem to hold your interest rather than just getting long at the end. It also forces you to stay
on top of your studies by eliminating the option of procrastinating. In 10 weeks you can’t get by if
you don’t plan your time and study throughout the term. The only class that I think would benefit
from the semester system is the ceramics class because you only have 7 weeks to work with wet
clay. Other than that I am totally against it.
Carolyn Fisher
I think that by switching to the 4x4 system it will give students a longer time to be able to im-
merse themselves in the material for each course without feeling rushed. Five extra weeks is a lot of
time to be able to acquire more knowledge in a subject area. I think that it would only benefit the
students at Mercyhurst and make us as a college more competitive against other area colleges.
Corey Spacht
Yes I think it is worth a shot. We can at least try it for a year. I really do not like the way our second
trimester is set up so that we go those two and a half weeks and then Christmas break. I thought
that it was pointless. Also, we had a short Christmas break for a college and homework on top of
it, where if we only had two semesters we would be done with classes, probably a longer break and
no homework to worry about. Most of my friends go to schools set up this way and I think that it
would be nice to try.

I think that it would be an awful thing to change to semesters. Yes, I do want to be on the same break Lauren West
as some of my friends; but school is more important. You should take into account the fact that many
individuals, including myself, decided to come to Mercyhurst in part because of the tri-mester system.
Being an athlete, I think that the trimester system is a lot more benifical for my schedule and for all sports I am FOR the semester switch, because I want to study abroad and it’s really difficult on the trimester
teams. PLEASE DON’T CHANGE! system, and I’m not a big fan of the break set up. I like being home when all my friends are home.
 
Lauren Rinaca Haley Martens

Ethanol’s insatiable appetite for corn could trigger food crisis

By Eric Peters
MCT Newspapers
Want a bountiful stock tip for 2007 that will make
you grin from ear-to-ear next December? Sock a
lot of your seed money into Kellogg’s, General
Mills, Beatrice Foods, Archer Daniel Midland and
Cargill.
Corn, once again is king!
The humble grain that has turned thousands
of hard-scrabble Midwestern farmers into mil-
lionaires over the decades is about to skyrocket in
both popularity and price because of the nation’s
suddenly insatiable thirst for ethanol.
That’s the word from Lester R. Brown, the chief
deep-thinker at the Earth Policy Institute, a little-
known Washington think-tank with an excellent
track record for spotting potential environmental
disasters.
Troubled by the dramatic increase in corn acre-
age devoted to ethanol rather than food, Brown is
urging a moratorium on new ethanol distilleries just
as Democratic congressional leaders are proposing
to tax Big Oil and divert the revenues to subsidize
more ethanol production.
Brown says a distillery moratorium is urgently
needed because new projections forecast that the
global auto industry’s appetite for corn-based fuel
will rival that of humans by 2008.
“The unprecedented diversion of the world’s
leading grain crop to the production of fuel will
affect food prices everywhere,” Brown said. As
world corn prices rise, he notes, so do those of
wheat and rice as consumers look for tasty substi-
tutes and farmers compete for increasingly scarce
croplands.
Brown says that investment in fuel ethanol
distilleries has soared since the late-2005 hike in
crude oil prices so much so in fact, that the federal
government’s collection of pertinent data has been
left in the dust.
A compilation by his Earth Policy Institute
showed there were 116 U.S. ethanol distilleries in
production using 53 million tons of grain annually
at the end of last year with 79 under construction
with a capacity to devour an additional 51 million
tons of grain.
In addition, designs for more than 200 new
ethanol plants were on the drawing board and 11
existing ones were being expanded.
Brown worries that the uncontrolled growth
of Big Ethanol will wreak havoc on the global
economy with near apocalyptic implications for
the world’s nearly 2 billion chronically malnour-
ished people.
The U.S. corn crop currently accounts for 40
percent of the global harvest, but a whopping 70
percent of the world’s corn exports.
Iowa alone exceeds the entire corn production
of Canada and so does Illinois, which ranks a
close second.
With corn supplies tightening fast, Brown says
rising prices will hit not only products made
directly from corn such as breakfast cereals, but
those from animals who rely on corn for their
sustenance including pork, poultry, beef, milk,
eggs and cheese.
The automotive demand for corn-based ethanol
is nearly insatiable. Filling a 25-gallon tank on one
mid-size vehicle consumes enough grain to feed an
Egyptian peasant for a full-year.
Yet converting the entire U.S. grain harvest
corn, rice, wheat, barley and oats to etha-
nol would supply only 16 percent of
America’s motoring fuel.
What’s worse, ethanol is
not even an effective sub-
stitute for gasoline
requiring
huge federal
subsidies to
compete
at the pump and
delivering only
70 percent
the energy of
an equivalent
amount of
gas. Brown predicts that the soaring food prices We need to make sure that in trying to solve
triggered by the ethanol splurge will spark urban one problem our dependence on imported oil we
food riots in many of the world’s smoldering do not create a far more serious one: chaos in the
tinderboxes, including Indonesia, Egypt, Algeria, world food economy.
Nigeria and Mexico igniting even more anti-West- Lester Brown’s sage words ought to be heeded by
ern sentiment. new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and new Senate
“The world desperately needs a strategy to deal Majority Leader Harry Reid.
with the emerging food-fuel battle,” Brown says. And the Earth Policy Institute’s new report ought
“As the leading grain producer, grain exporter to be distributed as “required reading” to those
and ethanol producer, the United States is in the members of Congress ever anxious to pander to
driver’s seat. the desires of Big Agriculture.
January 18, 2007 THE MERCIAD PAGE 7

To contact: opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
OPINION
Animal testing is necessary The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
Drugs and cosmetic testing has been conducted

“
on animals for years.
Products have been tested on animals to make By Editorial Staff and contributing writer
sure they are ready for the human market since The truth is,
1933, when a
woman used whatever ethical The Good
mascara to
darken her Ellen problem you may The talent show held last weekend at the Taylor Little Theatre raised about $1,000 dollars for
eye lashes and Koenig Pete Geddes son, who has a serious heart condition. The Phi Eta Sigma National Honors Society
experienced a have with animal hosted the event which packed the theatre and showcased Mercyhurst’s finest.
burning sen-
sation in her
eyes, later
experimentation, The Bad
Contributing writer
blindness and it is impossible to

then death due
to the product.
Soon after in 1938, the FDA passed the Food,
Drug and Cosmetic Act, protecting the public from
unsafe cosmetics and drugs.
Many of the procedures scientists perform while
developing medications, medical procedures, inten-
sifying age moisturizers and other consumer driven
goods, are conducted on animals.
Late last week at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland,
Ohio, a neurosurgeon reportedly demonstrated an
induced brain aneurism on a dog to demonstrate
a medical device to salespersons. The dog was
anesthetized during the procedure and euthanized
after. The Cleveland Clinic claims the act was un-
authorized and an investigation is pending.
Later that day, CNN was interviewing dog own-
ers who were discussing how horrible it was to
demonstrate on dogs. One woman was holding her
pet and was “shocked” at the news.
However, if people do not want medical ex-
periments conducted on dogs and other domestic
creatures, they should be against any sort of medi-
cal experiments on living animals in general. Some
”
This ‘Bad’ is for all the individuals who like to ride the bus back after a night of fun on State
Street. Frankly, many of us are sick and tired of being cut in front of after arriving early and
get away from. waiting for the bus. Those of you, and you know who you are, who think that being inebriated
or those who lack the proper clothing for standing outside in the cold, ladies, give you the right
to cut in line, you are sadly mistaken. Because of you thinking you can just waltz onto the bus
at any given time despite the people who have been waiting, legitimately, for the bus is ending in
people being left at the stop. In many instances, the people being left behind are the ones who
being tested on, then they should give up every have been waiting and are kind enough to let you on because you are either too drunk to know
cosmetic and medical procedure that has ever been better or you’re too cold to care (not good qualities ladies and gentlemen). In kindergarten, we
conducted on lab mice, rabbits and monkeys. learned how to stand in line and not cut, we are now in college, let’s please act like adults and
The truth is, whatever ethical problem you may apply what we already know.
have with animal experimentation, it is impossible
to get away from.
Many chemotherapy and cancer fighting meth-
The Ugly
ods have been tested on animals. Now stem cell
According to our survey, 75 percent of students polled are not in favor of changing the current
research and cloning are being pushed to fight
trimester system. The switch is sure to cause controversy with students, especially for freshmen
disease and human imperfection.
and sophomores.
If you want medical advancement to save lives
and rid the world of disease, some creature is go-
There were reports of stolen artwork from a ladies bathroom on campus . . . that is not only
ing to be subject to the pokes and prods of tests.
ugly, but just plain weird.
As horrible as it may be to see Fluffy subject to
numerous lab procedures, the truth is who would
you rather live? You or the dog.
Overall no matter what steps the Cleveland Clinic
does to apprehend the doctor, the American public

215 years after Bill of Rights,

families keep mice and rats as pets, in fact it is ar-
gued that rats may be more intelligent than dogs.
Let us remember that dogs in some cultures are
served as a meal.
If pet owners are going to complain about a dog
Bush’s new Iraq plan not settling well
By Michael Goodwin
MCT Newspapers
With his new Iraq plan, President Bush has united
the country. Pretty much everybody in America is
now against him.
With good reason. Bush’s plan was a first-class
blunder. The deal we send an additional 21,500
troops in exchange for Iraqis making the same
promises they failed to keep before deserves the
rejection it got in public polls and Congress. Bush’s
worn-out, beaten-down look in Wednesday’s prime-
time address was reflected in a plan that was short
on logic and long on hope.
The president needs a rest and we need better
ideas. If America were a parliamentary democracy,
we would have a no-confidence vote and a new
prime minister by spring.
Bush, already wounded, is now a virtual party of
one. When Secretary of State Rice went to Con-
gress to sell the Iraq idea, the only real difference
between Democrats and Republicans was that the
latter were more polite in leveling criticism. At
the end of the day, Senate Foreign Relations boss
Joseph Biden, D-Del., called the all-against-one
tone “profound.”
Indeed it is. Only last year, Republicans watched
in relative silence as his failure to change course
in Iraq cost them Congress. Now they will not
go meekly to the slaughterhouse if he is going to
destroy the party for a generation.
Another illustration of his isolation was an op-ed
column in Friday’s Wall Street Journal. Co-authored
by two likely GOP presidential candidates in
2008, Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, the piece
focused on rebuilding Iraq but never mentioned
Bush’s name! That could not have been an accident.
The turnabout is dramatic for Giuliani, who last
spring said “George W. Bush will be considered
should be thanking the animals that give their lives
to testing so that in case of an accidental aneurism
or life altering illness, theirs may be saved.
historically a great president.” Even then, the “great
president” line had to draw laughs in about 60 per-
cent of American homes. Absent a miracle in Iraq,
Giuliani won’t be saying anything like that again
unless he wants to commit suicide in 2008.
The mystery is why Bush failed to seize the
chance to unite the nation around a new course in
Iraq. The stage was set two months ago for him to
do just that and most Dems would have gone along
because it made policy and political sense.
Bush started right by dumping Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld the day after the elections. The
Iraq Study Group, led by family bailout specialist
James Baker, gave him more running room by
laying out some ideas he could accept, even if he
couldn’t buy into the whole package.
But Bush suddenly went haywire and reverted
back to stubborn type by putting all his chips on
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Just days after
an aide wrote that the chaos in Baghdad “suggests
Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, mis-
representing his intentions, or that his capabilities
are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions
into action,” Bush inexplicably dubbed Maliki “the
right guy for Iraq.”
It was all downhill from there. The decision to
send more troops and money is based on the need
to crack down on death squads. Yet it was Maliki’s
job and vow to do that. So we’re rewarding him
again for making the same promise twice.
Apart from the obvious desire not to see Iraq to-
tally unravel, the only explanation came from Rice.
She told the Senate Bush believes Maliki’s problem
is more one of capacity to do the job than will.
Fair enough, but that raises another question: If
the main problem is that Iraqi forces are so unreli-
able in the sectarian fight, how will 21,500 more of
our brave troops help?
They probably can’t, which is why a united Con-
gress must tell the president no deal.
freedom rings hollow in U.S.
By David A. Love
MCT Newspapers
On the 215th anniversary of the Bill of Rights,
freedom is on the retreat.
Congress adopted these first 10 amendments to
the U.S. Constitution on Dec. 15,1791, to prevent
the rise of tyranny by a central government.
The Bill of Rights protects the people and
limits the power of the federal government by
preventing Congress from abridging the freedom
of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the
press, freedom of assembly and the freedom to
petition. Further, it protects against unreasonable
searches and seizures, prevents cruel and unusual
punishment and self-incrimination and, guaran-
tees due process with a speedy public trial and an
impartial jury.
Unfortunately, in the land of the free, the con-
cept of freedom never really applied to everyone.
And its meaning has changed over time.
In 1791, freedom applied to white men only.
White women would not have the right to vote
until 1920.
And blacks had no rights of citizenship, a view
affirmed by the Dred Scott decision in 1857.
This ruling stated that slaves were property even
if enslaved in free states and territories and that
the court would not deprive slave owners of their
property without due process of law, as stated in
the Fifth Amendment.
Blacks and other disenfranchised groups have
served as the conscience of America, forcing the
country to expand the definition of liberty. Now,
with recent assaults on affirmative action and the
voting rights of citizens of color, liberty seems
tenuous.
The government has a history of giving freedom
and taking it away.
During the Civil War, it suspended habeas cor-
pus, which safeguards individual freedom against
arbitrary imprisonment.
During World War II it placed Japanese-
Americans living on the mainland in internment
camps.
And during the Cold War, the government, under
McCarthyism, ruined the lives of thousands who it
suspected of being communists and socialists.
During times of hysteria and national paranoia,
freedom fades.
Today, when Americans are told that terrorists
hate us for our freedom, some people are more
than willing to give up that freedom in exchange
for more security. They end up with neither.
In the land of religious tolerance and cultural
pluralism, Muslim-Americans and Arab-Ameri-
cans are held in suspicion and treated like second-
class citizens. When Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the
first Muslim member of Congress, decided that
he would carry a Quran rather than a Bible to his
swearing-in, his patriotism and allegiance were
questioned.
Meanwhile, in a nation where there is no official
state-sanctioned religion, Christian fundamental-
ism shapes policy on women’s reproductive rights,
same-sex marriage, stem-cell research and the
teaching of evolution in schools.
Under the Bush administration, the Bill of Rights
has taken a beating. In the name of the war on ter-
ror, the administration has suspended due process
and has approved abusive interrogations, illegal,
warrantless wiretappings, torture and indefinite
secret detentions for suspected terrorists.
The executive branch has placed itself above
the law, and Congress has given its rubberstamp
to this abuse of power.
Those who do not use their democracy will
surely lose it. America has squandered democracy
and allowed the Bill of Rights, an extraordinary
document, to go brittle and tear.
We must restore it and our freedoms before it’s
too late.

The
Joshua Wilwohl
MERCIAD Editor-in-Chief editormerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Jessica Kocent News Editor newsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Chelsea Boothe Campus Life Editor featuremerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Allison Moore Opinion Editor opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Ryan Palm & Matt Jackson Sports Editors sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Melissa Brandt A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Andrew Finkel Photographer photomerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Katie Diley Production Editor prodmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Melissa Brandt Advertising Manager admerciad@mercyhurst.edu
Noelle Lelakus Copy Editor copymerciad@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
Thursday before publication and may not be longer than 300 words. Submit
MTC
letters to box PH 485.
PAGE 8 THE MERCIAD January 18, 2007

ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT To contact: entertainmentmerciad@mercyhurst.edu

tHe
BuZz
JAN. 18. Cowboy Junkies.
Tralf, Buffalo.

JAN. 18. Sara Evans. State

Theatre, Cleveland.

JAN. 19. Ron White. State

Theatre, Cleveland.

JAN. 19. The Queers. Icon,

Buffalo.

JAN. 19. Iris Dement &

Band, Jason Wilbur. Beach-
land Tavern, Cleveland.

JAN. 20. Pat Dailey. House

of Blues, Cleveland.

JAN. 20. Rock Star: Super-

nova. Shea’s Performing
Arts Center, Buffalo.

JAN. 20. Lyle Lovett, John

Hiatt, Joe Ely, Guy Clark.
State Theatre, Cleveland.
Daniel Williams Photo
Matt Tolbert, Joe Will and Mike Humphrey in costume for the Drama Guild performance of William Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night.’
JAN. 20. Comedy. Capitol
Steps. Warner Theatre,

‘Twelfth Night’ debauchery

Erie. $25, $30, $42.50. On
sale at Tullio Arena box of-
fice, Ticketmaster outlets,
by phone at 452-4857 or
456-7070, online at www.
ticketmaster.com.
JAN. 20. O.A.R. A.J. Pa-
lumbo Center, Pittsburgh.
. speare never met a dirty joke
JAN. 26. Ted Riser. House
of Blues, Cleveland.
JAN. 26. Mayhem and
More with Paramore, the
Used, Pennywise. Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame,
Cleveland.
JAN. 28. Big Head Todd
and the Monsters. House
of Blues, Cleveland.
JAN. 29. Augustana. House
of Blues, Cleveland.
JAN. 31. Cradle of Filth,
69 Eyes. House of Blues,
Cleveland.
JAN. 31. Matt Wertz, Al-
ternate Routes. House of
Blues, Cleveland.
By Christina Ferranti
Contributing writer
Mercyhurst Drama Guild
proudly presents the classic
Shakespeare comedy “A Twelfth
Night,” or “What You Will,” a
twisted yet hilarious play about
shipwrecked twins, a gay pirate,
rebel-rousing gentleman, a sexu-
ally frustrated puritan, a duke
and a grieving pseudo-agora-
phobic.
Director Dr. Hillary Fogerty
and her brilliant cast designed
a revamped rendition of this
Shakespeare production, set in
the Jazz Age, inspired by a Belve-
dere Vodka advertisement.
You will recognize many faces
if you saw either “Macbeth” or
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
last year, but this one challenges
the actors with roles that are
over-the-top with a sense of
seriousness and underlying dirty
humor.
Fogerty explained that, “Shake-
he didn’t like, then use, then
refer back to six or seven times
throughout the same play with a
bad, yet witty, pun.”
This just adds to the excitement
and anticipation of portraying
these characters on stage for an
audience ready for a night of
laughter.
The play begins with twin sister
and brother, Viola and Sebastian
(played by Samantha Ketner and
Ryan Heise, respectively) who are
shipwrecked and separated, each
believing the other is dead.
The plot unfolds into several
twists and turns from here. In
the country of Illyria, Viola
boldly decides to dress and pass
herself off as a boy and become
a servant to Orsino, the Duke
of Illyria (played by Derek Der-
nosek).
Orsino instantly befriends
Viola, who is incognito as a boy.
Orsino sends his “boy servant”
to countess Olivia, who has
stolen his heart (played by Leah
Zahner).
Olivia wants nothing to do with
him as she is grieving the death
of her brother and is generally
not interested in the egotistical
Orsino.
A love triangle begins as Viola
falls in love with Orsino, Orsino
professes his love for Olivia and
Olivia falls for Viola, who is actu-
ally a boy.
The situation heats up as the
friendship between Orsino and
his “boy servant” escalates. As
if this is not enough confusion,
Sebastian turns up, much to
Viola’s surprise, and causes more
controversy.
Viola is also shocked to dis-
cover that her brother has been
frolicking around with a very
effeminate pirate.
That’s not all— Shakespeare is
known to create subplots.
He expertly interjects the fun
and folly of Sir Toby Belch (Matt
Tolbert), Sir Andrew Aguecheck
(Mike Humphrey) and Feste the
jester (Joe Will), who tear up the
scene with their wild parties and
tricks.
The character who is infuriated
by this vulgar behavior is Malvo-
lio (played by Cameron Sabel).
Malvolio desperately attempts
to quash the fun wherever it is
found, but ends up the fool as
he gets locked away, so as not to
pose a threat to society.
The cast are in the last prepa-
rations for the show and very
excited about portraying their
characters.
“Orsino is real over the top
and deep into himself. He finds
things to boast about himself, but
still remains the classy gentleman
type,” says Derek Dernosek, now
in his third Shakespeare play at
Mercyhurst.
Fogerty is very proud of the
cast.
“Everyone has worked re-
markably hard on this show. We
started rehearsals in October and
experienced some cast changes,
but overall everyone is 100 per-
cent dedicated.
“Though it has not been stress
free, we’ve been having a lot of
fun,” she said.
The show premieres Thursday
evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Tay-
lor Little Theatre and will show
again Friday and Saturday at the
same time.
Tickets are available for the
show at the Box Office in the
PAC (814-824-3000) and at the
door: $1 for students, $3 for
president’s card holders and $4
for all others.

FEB. 1. Dark Star Or-

chestra. House of Blues, Roadhouse premieres Simon classic
MATH
Cleveland.

FEB. 2. Jerry Seinfeld. place on the pull out couch. nection with. Too bad Irene only At least the second time around,
By Christina Ferranti
LAB
State Theatre, Cleveland. He goes about his routine so as yearns for cigarettes, whiskey and Barney brought cigarettes.
Contributing writer
not to disturb the perfect order a man (other than her husband) The third trial is by far the
FEB. 3. Justin Timber- of his mother’s apartment by put- to tear off her clothes. The m o s t ch a l l e n g -
lake, Pink. Quicken Loans “The Last of the ting his galoshes on newspaper, encounter between these two is ing, as Barney
Arena, Cleveland. Red Hot Lovers,” shutting the blinds, setting out wildly amusing as she tramples tries to have
by Neil Simon, newly purchased scotch glasses all over his sappy emotions, an affair
FEB. 3. Joe Bonamassa. describes the on the table, slathering old spice campaign- ing to just with his OPEN:
House of Blues, Cleve- frustrations over his hands to be rid of the get it done and friend’s
land. of a decent wife. Sundays through
man who Thursdays
FEB. 7. moe. Town Ball- wants to
room, Buffalo. bring a
little
FEB. 7. Asylum Street
Spankers. Beachland Ball-
room, Cleveland.
bit of
mysti-
cism
AS A COLLEGE GRAD , 2007
FJ
FEB. 7. Rock ‘N Roll
Mardis Gras with Cow-
YOU MAY BE Even
CRUISER
though af-
fairs are bad,
Library
304 A & B

boy Mouth, Ivan Neville’s
Dumpstaphunk. House of
Blues, Cleveland.
FEB. 9. Rodney Atkins.
House of Blues, Cleve-
land.
FEB. 11. Everclear. House
of Blues, Cleveland.
FEB. 14. Jim Brickman.
State Theatre, Cleveland.
FEB. 16. Rod Stewart.
HSBC Arena, Buffalo.
FEB. 16. New Edition.
Wolstein Center, Cleve-
land.
FEB. 18. Josh Groban.
Quicken Loans Arena,
Cleveland.
Courtesy of Goerie.com.
ELIGIBLE FOR
as an audience
member your
2007
and magic into his heart will go out
dull, but regular rou- RAV4
to the little adul-
tine, with sex. terer-that-could,
Directed by Kim Mc- b u t d o e s n’t …
Clelland and featuring twice in a row. Will Barney
the talent of Scott McClelland, finally succeed, or will his libido
Nicole Stewart Hand, Chrissy 2007
learn the excruciating virtue
Furyesz and Tina Halloran, the CAMRY
of monogamous everlast-
CALL:
“Red Hot Lovers” opens the dread- ing love?
Roadhouse New Year in the f u l f i s h
HYBRID “The Last of the Red Ext: 2078
year 1969. smell and ner- Hot Lovers” plays on For exact hours
With the dawning of the sexual vously paces as the first guest is over with. Fridays and Saturdays
revolution, Barney Cashman, a late to their appointment.
2007
After his first unsuccessful at 8 p.m. from Jan. 12 through
47-year-old man, is looking to The first woman he invites back encounter, Barney runs into a Feb. 10. YARIS
make the most of this new age. to the apartment is quite cynical nightclub singer in the park and You can get tickets to this event
Happily married for 23 years to and sarcastic. Her name is Irene. loans her 20 dollars. at the Box Office, located at 145
ANY NEW TOYOTA OF YOUR CHOICE
his wife Thelma, Barney, a sea- A character whose coughing He gives her his mother’s * West 11 St., between 2 p.m. and
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routine with the raunchy women The not-so-suave Barney is Much to Barney’s dismay, the seating: $12; Riser seating: $15 Tutorial help
of the new era. without cigarettes, charm or al- singer only performs the “tell” and VIP table seating: $20. Res- for all your
Barney sets out his plan to cohol variety. What he does have aspect to the show and tell stories ervations can be made over the math needs!
utilize his nit-picking mother’s is scotch, which Irene does her the woman tells him about crazy phone by calling the box office
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 January 18, 2007
Experience ‘Birdie’ updated
By Josie Cattron
Contributing writer
“We love you Conrad Oh yes
we do...We love you Conrad and
will be true...When you’re not
near us we’re blue...Oh, Conrad,
We love you!”
Does this song sound familiar
to you? If not, come Jan. 26, 27
and 28 you will not be able to
shake these catchy, if slightly an-
noying, lyrics from your mind.
The Mercyhurst College Per-
forming Arts Center will host
the fourth annual student-
produced musical, “Bye Bye
Birdie.”
Except at Mercyhurst, the
musical is will be performed
with a twist.
“Bye Bye Birdie,” originally set
in the 1950s, has been revamped
to fit present times.
Conrad Birdie, (played by
freshman political science ma-
jor Garrett Evans) normally
portrayed as an Elvis imper-
sonator, takes on the role of a
Clay Aiken-esque pop star in
the midst of “American Idol”
popularity.
Still, there is one common
thread between the two inter-
pretations: greedy music indus-
try agents.
The plot of the musical re-
volves around the complications
that arise when Birdie’s agent
stages a publicity stunt on “The
David Letterman Show” in
which he will kiss one lucky girl
(played by Amy Krebs) before
heading into the Army.
Other featured performers
Persuasive language and addictive ingredients
By Megan O’Hare
Contributing writer
Have you ever been to a res-
taurant or bar and come home
reeking of smoke?
Do you cringe every time
someone lights up a cigarette
walking in front of you?
Perhaps you have been dis-
gusted by this “bad habit” and
wondered why anyone would
continue to smoke.
There have been films in the
past that have addressed the life-
threatening effects of smoking
and tobacco use.
This film, however, gives au-
diences a backstage pass to the
world of big tobacco companies
and the methods they use to
attempt to persuade people,
especially teenagers, to start and
keep smoking.
Nick Naylor stars as a lobbyist
working for the Academy of To-
bacco Studies, who is also a role
model for his 11-year old son.
He has a way with words de-
fending the tobacco industry,
despite the evidence that to-
bacco is linked to lung cancer.
Naylor is an amoral man who
gets more people to start smok-
ing because it’s simply a job for
him. The film begins with his
Unique coloration exhibited at the Cummings Art Gallery
By Melissa Brandt
A&E Editor
This week the Cummings Art
Gallery is full of scenery from
Warren to Wales. Artist Thomas
Paquette’s works showcase a style
of painting known as gouache,
meaning the medium used to
make the art is opaque water-
color.
The paintings act as little win-
dows into the landscapes and
vegetation from the artist’s home
in Minnesota and a host of other
locations he’s visited all over the
world.
From his book, Paquette says,
“Originally I intended to use
gouache to make quick, throw-
away color sketches for my larger
Rehearsals are in full swing for the cast of the 4th annual student-produced musical ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ premiering on Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC.
are communications major
Joe Zamora as Albert, Birdie’s
agent and Emily Rose as Rose
Alvarez, Albert’s assistant and
love interest.
The student production team
is comprised of Jim Rudisill
director, Michelle Thompson
producer, Jessica Provenzano
choreographer and Mike Miele
music director.
The faculty advisor for this
year’s musical is Brent Weber.
When asked how they decided
on the show, Provenzano said
that the choice every year de-
Members of ‘Thank You for Smoking’s Merchants of Death, alcohol, guns, and tobacco.
guest appearance on a popular
talk show, The Joan Lunden
Show.
There, after being booed on
stage, Naylor announces that
the Academy of Tobacco Stud-
ies is launching a $50 million
campaign to get kids to stop
smoking.
However this is a completely
fictitious campaign that Nick
created to try to project a better
image of the tobacco industry.
As a way of getting back into
his boss’ graces, Naylor pro-
oil paintings…But from the very
start, I couldn’t let these little
‘color notes’ alone.”
Viewers might be surprised to
see that most of Paquette’s works
are only a fraction of what one
might consider to be a normal
painting. Most works are two to
five inches in length and roughly
the same in height.
Don’t let the size fool you,
however.
Each painting is packed full of
unique and impressive content,
especially color.
What creates such depth in the
gouache form of art? A combina-
tion of talent and technique.
“Though a gouache painting
may start its life on a cliff ’s edge
at sunrise, when I find it back in
my studio sometime later and far
THE MERCIAD
To contact: entertainmentmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
pends greatly on the group of
people who audition.
Since the turn out for males is
often low, they have to be care-
ful in that area.
Another huge factor they
have to take into consideration
is the cost of the production
including: buying the rights,
costume possibilities and set
construction.
With the success of the musi-
cal the past three years there has
been continued support from
the music department, and the
production team now has its
poses an idea that he believes
will get teenagers, the biggest
smoking demographic, to take
up smoking.
Nick believes that the first step
is to make smoking look appeal-
ing again by incorporating it
into every aspect of Hollywood,
especially movies.
Nick discusses his ideas with
his two best friends, who call
themselves the MOD (Mer-
chants of Death) Squad.
Holly, a lobbyist for the Al-
cohol Moderation Council and
from the site, it may have many
incarnations ahead of it still.
“And here we hit upon an odd
property – like gravity – inherent
in my studio: any artwork even if
it has been framed and exhibited
already, is likely to attract more
paint at any moment while in my
studio.
“Rather than a liability, I see
this process like a journey or a
fascination, ongoing dialogue I
have with my paintings, one that
I am intrigued to pick up again at
any time.”
The passion the artist has for his
work shines through in his art.
“Paquette’s work has great
strength,” says gallery director
Peggy Brace. “He is an extraor-
dinary colorist. The works are
very rich.”
ENTERTAINMENT
own budget.
After performing “Anything
Goes” in 2004 followed by
“State Fair” in 2005, Provenz-
ano said, “Last year’s musical
‘Grease’ had the second-highest
number of attendance out of all
the performances in the PAC.”
They are looking forward to
the same kind of support with
“Bye Bye Birdie.”
Everyone is extremely ex-
cited about this year’s musical,
including junior cast member
Alia Wells.
“The student-run musical is an
Photo courtesy of the PAC
Bobby J, the chief firearms lob-
byist, share the same merciless
attitude as Nick exhibits toward
tobacco.
As with every movie there is
always an opposition to what the
main character stands for.
In “Thank You for Smok-
ing” this character is Senator
Finistirre (William H. Macy),
who strongly opposes smoking
and tobacco use.
The senator wants to launch
a campaign that would require
all tobacco companies to affix
Color is so important to these
works, one of the Cummings Gal-
lery walls was painted to compli-
ment them. As this is something
new for the exhibit, reactions are
requested at the gallery opening,
where a special box will be set up
for comments from visitors.
Not only the wall is colored to
match the paintings, all the food
for the event (vegetarian, like
Paquette) is colored specifically
to match the art.
Try the delightfully colored and
tasty spread at the gallery open-
ing reception today at 5:30 until
7:30 p.m.
Paquette will be present at the
reception, and his book will also
be available.
The gouaches exhibit will be on
display until Feb. 18.
ARTS &
amazing opportunity that I am
glad to be able to participate in.
It is one last chance for me to do
something I love and may never
be given the opportunity to do
again,” Wells said.
All four members of the pro-
duction team are seniors who
will graduate in the spring.
They are currently looking for
shadows that will fill their shoes
once they leave, however, they
will never be replaced.
Senior music education major
and “Bye Bye Birdie” director
Rudisill says, “We’ve been work-
a Jolly Rogers symbol on every
cigarette package.
Meanwhile, Naylor is commis-
sioned by his company to start
the Hollywood campaign. He
travels to Los Angeles to pitch
the deal with head honcho, Jeff
Megall (Rob Lowe).
The chief of Entertainment
Global, Megall suggests that
they team up to release a ciga-
rette simultaneously with the
release of a new movie.
After returning from L.A., Na-
ler heads home to appear on a
t.v. interview with the senator.
While discussing their con-
trasting issues, a viewer calls into
the show and threatens Naylor
for how many lives have been
lost from tobacco usage.
Nick is shaken by this phone
call but remains calm until the
next day when he is attacked in
broad daylight and kidnapped.
The kidnappers put several
nicotine patches on his body
“giving him a taste of his own
medicine.”
Nick awakes to his family
standing at his bedside in a
hospital room.
The doctors tell him he must
quit smoking, otherwise his
body could relapse from his
injuries as a result of the use of
nicotine patches.
A little color change for a wall in the Cummings gallery.
PAGE 9
Andy Finkel photo
ing really hard, and I know it will
turn out well.”
The show premieres Jan. 26 at
7:30 p.m. There will be another
performance at the same time
Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on
Sunday.
Tickets are $12.50 for adults;
$10 for seniors and students;
$6.50 for President’s Cardhold-
ers; $5 for youths 15 and under;
and $1 for Mercyhurst students
with ID. Call the PAC box office
at 824-3000.
Throughout the movie, Nick
has a constant conflict between
his role as a father and his job.
His son, Joey, constantly looks
up to him and longs to have a
close relationship with his fa-
ther. Nick has constantly put
his job as his top priority over
his son.
In the end, however, Nick
turns down his previous job and
realizes that responsibility as a
father is more important than
paying a mortgage.
This movie definitely gives
audiences a look into the world
of Big Tobacco.
The employees seem heart-
less at times and have one goal
in mind: To sell cigarettes and
make a profit regardless of their
consequences.
The tobacco industry had
knowledge that tobacco us-
age was directly linked to lung
cancer and yet, they kept on tar-
geting more people to use this
product or to start smoking.
Thank You for Smoking
will be shown at the PAC on
Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 2 and 8
p.m.
Tickets are FREE for Mercy-
hurst College students with ID
(one ticket per ID).
Mel Brandt photo
 PAGE 10
LAKER
SPORTS
Antonio Pittman decided to enter the NFL draft and also decided to forgive his father.
Pittman joins Gonzalez
and Ginn in NFL draft
By Maria Ridenour
MCT newspapers
AKRON, Ohio - Antonio Pitt-
man was enveloped by his loving
cocoon as he announced he was
leaving Ohio State for the NFL
Draft.
The large group of friends
and family included his mother,
Valerie Pittman, three grandpar-
ents, two of his three sisters, his
girlfriend of four years, Kenya
Prade, their 5-month-old daugh-
ter, Keilyn, Buchtel High School
coach Claude Brown, even Buck-
eyes teammate Chris Wells.
But the only time the junior
tailback choked up during a news
conference at the Buchtel gym-
nasium was when he mentioned
his father, Marcus McKinnie,
who sat on one side of him at
the head table.
McKinnie, a standout at Bar-
berton High School and a free
safety at Purdue University, spent
most of Pittman’s college career
in jail. The only time McKinnie
saw Pittman play in person was
OSU’s 41-14 loss to Florida on
Jan. 8 in the BCS National Cham-
pionship Game.
After the game, they took off
together to “enjoy some makeup
time,” as Pittman said, driving
to the Grand Canyon, Sedona,
Ariz., and Las Vegas. McKinnie
said Pittman took him shopping
in Las Vegas, where they picked
out the long-sleeved Lacoste
shirts and matching caps, Pitt-
man’s red, McKinnie’s navy blue,
that they wore Monday.
“To see Antonio break down
today was heartwarming,” Val-
erie Pittman said. “He’s never
expressed how he felt about the
situation with his dad. I know it
Cummings, Schafer finish
3-0 at NWCA Duals in Iowa
By Matt Jackson
Co-Sports editor
The Mercyhurst wrestling team
travelled to Cedar Falls, Iowa for
the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen Na-
tion Duals Friday and Saturday
and left with a disappointing 1-2
record after losing in the consola-
tion second round.
The duals were set up in a
team-tournament format and
the Lakers drew Western State
(Co.), ranked No. 9 nationally, in
the first round.
Senior co-captain J.J. Zanetta
provided an early spark for the
Lakers with a 4-3 win over No.
3 Chris Freije, but Western State
scored bonus points at 184
pounds and 197 to pull out a
one-point win, 20-19.
The No. 17 Lakers bounced
back in the first round of conso-
lations with a 18-13 win over No.
19 Minnesota State-Moorhead
but were ousted from the event
the next round with a 22-14 loss
To contact: sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu
wasn’t a very comfortable one.
For him to tell his dad he’s not
mad and everything’s OK, that
meant a lot to me.”
McKinnie and Valerie Pittman
had five children, three during
his career at Purdue. Antonio,
their youngest, was born in De-
cember 1985, and the pair broke
up in 1990.
“When we split up, I went kind
of wild for a while,” McKinnie
said. “I didn’t get a lot of time in
with him. Growing up he’d come
to me, but I was so busy running
the streets.”
When Pittman was 14, McKin-
nie said he was imprisoned for a
year on a probation violation.
“I can remember when they
handcuffed me in Barberton, he
was looking at me through my
mom’s door and they’re taking
me away,” McKinnie said.
When McKinnie was released,
Pittman was a freshman at Bar-
berton and had broken his femur
in the second game of the season
against Garfield. McKinnie said
when he got home, Pittman tried
to jump on him despite his cast.
The real rift in their relationship
came in 2000 when Pittman’s
brother Anthony committed
suicide.
“I didn’t go to prison until
I was 39,” McKinnie said. “I
wasn’t gone a month and my
older son killed himself in my
mom’s house. Tony really got
distant because I wasn’t there, I
was in jail.”
When Pittman signed with
Ohio State and began classes in
the spring of 2004, McKinnie
couldn’t attend games because he
said he was taking anger manage-
ment classes at the University of
Akron on Saturdays.
McKinnie spent the final two
to No. 15 West Liberty State.
It was Mercyhurst’s second loss
to West Liberty this year.
The Lakers’ other co-captain,
senior Zack Schafer, and junior
Don Cummings were the only
Mercyhurst wrestlers to finish
3-0 in the tournament.
Schafer defeated No. 4 Tommy
Clark of West Liberty for the
second time this year, solidify-
ing his spot as the third-ranked
wrestler in the national rankings.
The two have wrestled three Senior J.J. Zanetta
times this year and there is a good
chance the two will meet again Brad Steinbach of West Liberty
at least once before the end of 5-2. Harrison was pinned in the
the season.
Cummings won all three of his
matches by decision, including a livan each won their only con-
4-3 win over Camille DuPont of tested bouts of the tournament
Western State.
Hudson Harrison finished 1-2,
but one of his losses was to re- Friday in the East Coast Duals in
turning national champion Nate Johnstown.
Baker, who defeated Schafer in
the national finals last season.
Harrison’s lone win avenged an at the duals.
earlier defeat. The junior defeated
THE MERCIAD
MCT photo
years of Pittman’s career in jail in
Mansfield after breaking proba-
tion on “domestic” charges.
But they talked every Friday
night, even a couple of times
when it took some wrangling
because the calls were blocked
from prison.
Even when McKinnie was
incarcerated, his family was
involved in Pittman’s life. McK-
innie told his brother, John, to
take care of Pittman, and John
McKinnie watched his games
from pee-wees on. Valerie Pitt-
man called her son’s grandfather,
also named John McKinnie, “the
backbone of the family.”
Valerie Pittman works two jobs
she delivers the Akron Beacon
Journal and is also employed
at Sterling Jewelers to help her
children attend college. But she
knew she couldn’t always give her
son what he needed.
“Me trying to be a mother
and a father to Antonio was a
hard job,” she said. “A woman
cannot raise a man. I feel great
that Antonio is not holding this
against his dad, that he can move
on. I don’t want him to take that
into the next level of his life,
contemplating `My dad wasn’t
there for me.’ Now he’s got an
opportunity to go head-on with
a clean state.”
Pittman said he’s forgiven
his father and “let bygones be
bygones.”
Their time together after the
championship game wasn’t as
strained as some might have
imagined.
“It wasn’t like it was a strang-
er,” Pittman said. “My father, I
respect him a lot, you have to
respect your parents. worse.”
File Photo
first contest between the two.
Kenny Bluska and Mike Sul-
at heavyweight.
The Lakers will return to action
Mercyhurst will wrestle UNC-
Pembroke and Carson Newman
Volleyball 0-2 after losses
to Nazareth and Medaille
By Chris Davis
Contributing writer
The Mercyhurst men’s volley-
ball team opened their season on
Wed. Jan. 10 and was defeated by
Nazareth College in five games
(30-23, 30-22, 22-30, 25-30, 15-
9) in front of 165 people at the
Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
During the match, the Lakers
came back to tie after being down
two games to none. The Lakers’
only lead during the first two
games was when they scored the
first point of each game before
Nazareth took control.
Instead of folding after falling
behind two games to none, the
young Laker squad regrouped to
force the match to five games.
After losing 30-23 and 30-22 to
the Golden Flyers in the first two
games, the Lakers came back to
win 30-22 in the third game and
30-25 in the fourth to give the
team an opportunity to get back
into the match.
After winning games three and
four, Mercyhurst had momentum
heading into the fifth.
However, the Lakers and their
youth started off the fifth game
trailing 7-1, as Nazareth had
blocks for three straight points.
The three blocks represented
half of the Golden Flyers’ total
for the match.
The Lakers eventually shaved
the lead to three, 12-9, before
Nazareth scored the final three
points of the match to wrap up
the victory.
Several Mercyhurst players had
career-highs during the match.
Three sophomore players in
particular stepped up with excep-
tional performances.
Tim Wagner played a crucial
role for the team, as he had a ca-
reer and match-high 20 kills. He
added five digs and two blocks
for the Lakers and led all players
with three service aces during
the match.
Laker Winter Term I n n
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January 18, 2007
File Photo File Photo
Sophomore Tim Wagner Sophomore Dave Newman
Dave Newman was another will get tougher as they start their
Laker who played well and picked conference schedule and team
up some career-highs during the will have to pick it up a notch.
game. Newman recorded career- “It is going from Double A
highs with 16 kills, second on the
team, and led the Lakers with
nine blocks. In addition, setter
to Major League,” he explained.
“We will have to show up and
play to a higher level because
Dave Hatten managed a career- every team in this conference is
high with 48 assists. very competitive.”
Coach Ryan Patton was im- The Lakers began a four-game
pressed with Nazareth’s team. road stretch with a loss to Divi-
“They were a pretty good sion III Medaille in Buffalo, N.Y.
team,” he said. “I was hoping Tuesday.
after we started making a run The match started off well for
during the match, that we would Mercyhurst as they took the first
pull out the victory.” game 30-28 to take a 1-0 lead, but
Patton thought his team came Medaille (2-4) won the next three
out sluggish during the first games (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) and
couple games of the match. the match.
“During the first two games, The loss to Medaille is not a
we played underwater. We were good sign for the Lakers.
playing in slow motion both The Mavericks were one of
emotionally and physically,” Pat- just three wins for Mercyhurst
ton said. last season.
However, Patton saw some The Lakers will begin confer-
positive signs throughout the ence play Friday when they travel
match. to Illinois to take on Lewis.
“We played well for two games,” They will continue their road
Patton said. “Anytime our volley- trip the next night with a con-
ball team plays in a fifth game ference match against Loyola
it will help the progress of our Chicago.
team to where we can grow both The Lakers will not compete in
fundamentally and physically.” another home match until Jan. 27
While Patton wasn’t completely when they host Rutgers.
disappointed with his team he The match against Rutgers will
wasn’t but wasn’t pleased either. be the first of six straight home
“It was a fine match, but over- matches that ends against IPFW
all, it shouldn’t take an hour to get Feb. 17.
everything started.”
Patton believes the competition
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January 18, 2007 THE MERCIAD Page 11

Women’s hoops downs Northwood
By Chris Davis
Contributing writer
The Mercyhurst women’s bas-
ketball team continued to show
improvement Jan. 11 as they
defeated Northwood 72-71 in a
thrilling overtime road win.
Two days later at Saginaw Val-
ley State, Mercyhurst ran into
a red-hot shooting team that
defeated the Lakers 76-55 in
University Center, Michigan.
After the weekend split, the
Lakers now stand at 6-11 overall
and 2-5 in the Great Lakes In-
tercollegiate Athletic Conference
(GLIAC).
Northwood fell to 7-7, (1-6
GLIAC) and Saginaw Valley
improved their record to 6-9 (3-4
GLIAC).
Just like previous games against
Northwood, Mercyhurst had to
battle back from being most of
the first half.
Their only lead in the first
half came when Julie Anderson
scored the first points of the
LAKER
To contact: sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu SPORTS
Northwood’s Anna Trim hit her
fifth 3-pointer of the contest just
10 seconds into the extra session,
which forced the Lakers to put
together another comeback.
Over the next few minutes,
Anderson scored three points
and freshman Paris Pugliese
made 1-of-2 free throws to tie
the game at 68-68.
After Northwood was unable
to convert on its possession with
less than a minute to play in over-
time, Anderson was fouled and
proceeded to knock down a pair
of free throws to put the Lakers
ahead 70-68.
Northwood was then unable
to score on its next possession
and Anderson made two more
free throws with four seconds
left to give Mercyhurst a four-
point lead.
Those shots became even more
important when Northwood’s
Sara Bilunes knocked down a
3-pointer as the buzzer sounded
to end the game.
Anderson ended with a game-
high 22 points. She also added Women’s basketball picked up a hard-earned overtime win against Northwood last week on the road. File Photo

game on a lay-up. a team-high eight rebounds and

The Lakers were down by as
many as eight points during the
first half, and were down by that
count when Katlyn Petit hit a
three-pointer at the buzzer to cut
Northwood’s lead to 34-29.
Mercyhurst battled back in the
second half as they have many
times this season.
During the start of the second
half, the Lakers went on an 8-3
run to tie the game.
After the Lakers tied the game,
Northwood went on an 8-0 run
with 15:14 to play, which gave the
Timberwolves a 45-37 lead.
The Lakers continued to battle
back throughout the second half
with scoring going back and
forth between the two teams.
The Lakers then tied the game
with 5:11 to play in regulation
on a foul shot by Stephanie
Prischak.
After the tie, the lead changed
several times before Anderson
made a lay-up with 43 seconds
left on an assist from Mara Drei-
ser to tie the game and help send
it to overtime.
In the overtime session, Mer-
cyhurst fell behind quickly as
added three steals. team did an excellent job battling freshman players and they are room ahead 41-22 behind 11 According to research from
In addition, Petit had a very back to get their first conference stepping up and making big plays points, five rebounds and eight the Sports Information Depart-
impressive second-half as she road win of the season by follow- when we need them,” she said. assists in the first 20 minutes ment, the 20-plus points scored
scored 15 points to end with a ing the game plan. “Everyone on the team has from Schroeder. by Anderson for the fifth straight
total of 18, which consisted of “Once again as a team we didn’t stepped up and made a difference Anderson scored nine for the game is the longest streak for a
making 4-of-6 three-pointers. follow the game plan,” Nasci- and that is what we need from Lakers in the first half. Mercyhurst women’s basketball
During the past three games, mento said. “When we finally now until the end of the season,” The closest the Lakers would player since Teresa Szumigala
Petit has made 52 percent (13-of- started to do it, we played with Elliot said. get in the second half was a 41- hit for at least 20 points in six
25) of her three-point attempts. more emotion, and we came back The Lakers also held the Tim- 27 deficit with 18:01 to play after consecutive games early in the
Prischak also came up big dur- and won.” berwolves to just 37 percent two free throws by Katlyn Petit. 1993-94 season.
ing the Lakers’ win, adding 16 Mercyhurst was out-rebounded shooting from the floor, includ- Saginaw Valley then went on a For the second-straight game,
points, along with a team-high 47-36 during the game, but ing just 2-of-12 in the overtime 16-3 run that built the lead to 27, the Lakers struggled on the glass,
five assists and a career high five forced Northwood into 25 turn- period. with 13:12 left in the game. and got out-rebounded 43-31 in
steals to help the Lakers prevail. overs. The Lakers shot well from the Mercyhurst ran into a hot the game. Latille Ross of Saginaw
Prischak believed that the road Erica Elliot, who grabbed six field, shooting 44 percent and shooting Saginaw Valley squad. Valley had a double-double with
win gave many of the players rebounds for the Lakers, thought made 5-of-9 three-pointers. The Cardinals shot 52 percent 12 points and 11 rebounds. The
some much needed confidence. that it was great to get their first On Saturday, Mercyhurst took during the game, including 58 Cardinals’ Valerie Smith also
“It was really good for our team big conference win of the year. an early 12-11 lead against Sagi- percent in the second half to put hauled in 10 rebounds.
to win on the road, especially “Road games are especially naw Valley after a jumper by the game away. Anderson led the Lakers with
in conference, because with so tough, so it felt great to win on Prischak in the paint. The Lakers shot just 33 percent seven rebounds.
many young players who aren’t the road, and to get over the first After the basket, the Cardinals in the contest. Even thought both teams com-
familiar with conference games game hump,” said Elliot. “Any then went on a 12-0 run to take Saginaw Valley received some mitted 23 turnovers, one of the
I think it helped to give all of kind of production that I can control of the game. outstanding play from Schroeder. major differences in the game
us more confidence,” said Pri- contribute to us winning is always Jenna Schroeder and Kara She hit 10-of-12 field goals for 22 was a 20-2 advantage in favor of
schak. a great feeling.” Kinzer each scored five points points, dished out 10 assists and the Cardinals on the fast break.
Pugliese came off the bench Elliot also thought that the for Saginaw Valley to stimulate had five steals for the Cardinals. Mercyhurst will return home
to finish in double figures with program is continuing to move the run, as the Cardinals claimed Julie Anderson and Stephanie to play their next three games,
10 points. in the right direction. a 23-12 lead with 6:36 left in the Prischak were the lone Mercy- with the first two taking place
Priscila Nascimento, who “We are making major strides half. Mercyhurst missed all seven hurst players in double figures. on Thursday against Ferris State
played only 20 minutes because for the women’s basketball pro- of its shot attempts during the Anderson scored 22 points and on Saturday versus Lake
of foul trouble, scored two gram. We have a large amount spurt. and Stephanie Prischak added Superior State.
points. Nascimento thought the of our minutes going to our Saginaw headed into the locker a dozen.

Men’s hoops loses pair on road Recruiting no longer

By Finella Annand
Contributing writer
The Mercyhurst men’s bas-
ketball team hit two stumbling
blocks this weekend as they fell
to Northwood and Saginaw Val-
ley on Thursday and Saturday,
respectively.
It was less than a month ago
that Mercyhurst dominated
Northwood at the Mercyhurst
tournament; however, the Tim-
berwolves brought a different
game to the court on Thursday
night, downing the Lakers 74-
66.
The first half started slow for
both teams, and Northwood
went into the break with an un-
inspiring 26-10 lead.
The half-time break appeared
to regenerate the players and
both teams came out in the sec-
ond half in an offensive frame
of mind.
Mercyhurst fought hard in the
second half to get back in the
game, but Northwood remained
one step ahead all the way.
The Lakers got closest to the
Timberwolves in the final five
minutes of the game when they
pulled the score back to 66-61.
However, Northwood hadn’t
forgotten the earlier champion-
ship game defeat and held out
convincingly to win the game by
an 8-point margin.
Despite the defeat Avi Fogel
continued his stellar run of
play this season, and finished
the game with 25 points and 5
rebounds. Both Richard Field
and Shelby Chaney ventured into
double figures.
Senior Avi Fogel (shown in previous game against Findlay) scored 24 points and had five
assists in the Lakers’ loss on the road against Northwood last week.
Mercyhurst has bounced back
from defeat a couple of times
this season with inspiring results;
however, the weekend seemed
destined only for disappointment
as the men lost their second
straight against Saginaw Valley.
The game was tight all the way
through, with Saginaw eventually
squeaking a 71-68 victory.
A 3-point attempt by T.J.
Mathis in the dying seconds
came agonizingly close to tying
the game for the Lakers, but for
the second time this weekend it
wasn’t meant to be.
Mercyhurst held a slim 25-24
lead at the half despite a com-
bined 4-of-16 shooting perfor-
mance from leading scorers Avi
Fogel and Chaney.
The Cardinals shaved the lead
to just one at the buzzer with a
three by Luke Laser.
Like Northwood in the game
before, Saginaw had an impres-
sive second half and shot 63
percent to seal the win.
Mercyhurst’s Shelby Chaney
also had a very impressive second
half and finished the game with
a season-high 25 points.
File Photo
Unfortunately, his efforts
weren’t enough to lift the Lakers
over the Cardinals, as Mercyhurst
fell just short of the mark.
The Lakers returned from the
road with two GLIAC losses
hanging over their heads. De-
spite their impressive wins this
season, Mercyhurst has an un-
representative 3-4 record in the
GLIAC.
They will look to return to
form on Jan. 18 as they start a
three-game home stead against
Ferris State.
just Pa.-based for
men’s basketball
By Nick Giallourakis
Contributing writer
When it comes to recruiting
for a small school, most coaches
stick to their local resources.
Coach Manchel did not. Man-
chel has three players from dif-
ferent countries and only two
players on the team are from
Pennsylvania.
The three men from other
countries are Mitch Brennan
from Australia, Roland Andris
from Germany and Ronnie Wil-
liams from Toronto, Canada.
“I felt really comfortable with
the coaching staff,” said Mitch
Brennan. “My parents really
felt comfortable as well with the
coaches and the campus.”
Mitch Brennan is one of the
top 3-point percentage shooters
in the GLIAC, hitting 48 percent
from behind the line.
Brennan is being recruited for
professional basketball back in
Australia for next season.
When it came to recruiting
inside the borders of the United
States, Manchel went after trans-
fers to help his high-powered
team.
Last season, he brought in Avi
Fogel from San Diego Univer-
sity and Richard Field from Mott
Community College.
Fogel was named All-GLIAC
South first team and led the
Lakers in scoring at 17.4 points
a game (second in GLIAC),
assists at 4.1 per game (fifth
in GLIAC), free throws made,
minutes played with 36.1 per
game (second in GLIAC), free
throw percentage at .813 (fifth in
GLIAC), field goals made with
172 and defensive rebounds
with 86.
Fogel is also atop the leader-
boards this season as a senior
leader of the team, averaging
18.8 ppg and four steals per
game.
“Mercyhurst and Coach (Man-
chel) was the only Division II
school to give me a call and I
didn’t want to sit a season out
since I was transferring from a
Division I school,” said Fogel.
This season, Manchel has
added two more transfer stu-
dents with tremendous talent
and leadership to the team.
Manchel brought in a player
from cross-town rival, Gannon
top big dog Shelby Chaney, who
was ranked 20th in rebounds in
the nation last year.
He also brought in T.J. Math-
ias, who transferred from Divi-
sion I Morgan State.
Mathias received several min-
utes at the Division I level and
is currently third in the GLIAC
in steals averaging about two a
game.
This season the Lakers re-
ceived votes in the AP Coaches
poll to be ranked in the top 25,
something that no Mercyhurst
team has accomplished at the
Division II level.
 S AKER Page 12 January 18, 2007

PORTS
Laker Sports “Quick Hits”
Lakers sweep Warriors
This weeks results... Women’s hockey remains unbeaten in conference play
Women’s hockey......................................Jan. 12, W 8-0, Wayne St.
Jan. 13, W 7-5, Wayne St. By Ryan Palm
Men’s hockey......................................................Jan. 12, L 6-3, Army Sports editor
Jan. 12, L 2-1, Army
Although the weekend might
Women’s basketball.........................Jan. 11, W 72-71, Northwood
not have gone just as the Lakers
Jan. 12, L 76-55, Saginaw Valley St.
would have scripted it, the Mer-
Men’s basketball.................................Jan. 11, L 74-66, Northwood
cyhurst women’s hockey team
Jan. 12, L 71-68, Saginaw Valley St.
returned to Erie with a pair of
Wrestling........................Jan. 13, L 20-19, Western State Colorado
wins from conference foe Wayne
Jan. 13, W 18-13, Minn. State Moorhead
State University.
Jan. 13, L 22-14, West Liberty State
The Warriors have proven
Men’s volleyball...........................................Jan. 10, L 3-2, Nazareth
to be a difficult opponent for
Mercyhurst in the past, including
a pair of ties between the two
In the news... teams in the 2005-06 season, the
only blemish on the conference
record for Mercyhurst.
The action started out quickly
Athletes of the Week on Friday night, with Mercyhurst
scoring four goals before the
buzzer sounded to end the first
A wrestler and a skater were named Athletes of the Week on File Photo
period. Sophomore Courtney Drennan (35) came in relief Saturday against Wayne State.
Monday by the college’s Athletic Department. Zach Schafer
The Lakers got two goals from
was named Male Athlete of the Week for his 3-0 performance
sophomore Valerie Chouinard before. victory. then got back on the ice as a team
at the NWCA National Duals this past weekend. He won
and sandwiched in goals from The Warriors scored three In the third Agosta scored on Wednesday, so we’re feeling
decisions of 13-2, 7-1 and 7-5 to finish the tournament
freshman Meghan Agosta and goals against junior goalie Laura again, her 18th of the season, pretty good,” said Chouinard.
unbeaten.
sophomore Natalie Payne as Hosier in the first 15 minutes of and Chouinard scored her sec- “I think we were ready for the
well. play Saturday. ond of the night and 19th on weekend, we were expecting a big
Valerie Chouinard was named the female Athlete of the Week
Juniors Danielle Ayearst and Once that third goal went the season. challenge so we played hard. We
for her high-scoring weekend in Detroit, Mich.
Jackie Jarrell each tallied a goal in in, Sisti decided he needed to Junior Stephanie Jones also knew it wasn’t going to be easy
the middle session to put Mercy- jump-start his team a little bit scored in the third, her seventh so we went out hard and finished
Against Wayne State Chouinard scored three goals on Friday,
hurst ahead 6-0 after two. and pulled Hosier and replaced marker of the year. out well,” she said.
and then added a pair of goals on Saturday to help Mercyhurst
The offensive attacked refused her with sophomore Courtney Agosta was named the College This upcoming weekend Mer-
sweep the Warriors. She currently leads the team in scoring
to let up in the third, getting a Drennan. Hockey America (CHA) Rookie cyhurst hosts UConn for a pair
with 19 goals on the year.
goal from Sherilyn Fraser and “At that point, I thought the of the Week for her play over the of games Friday and Saturday at
Chouinard’s third goal of the team needed a shakeup and for weekend, scoring three goals and the Ice Center.
Agosta Rookie of Week game in the third period to finish whatever reason, maybe it wasn’t adding three assists. UConn has been a streaky team
off the Warriors. Laura’s night. Certainly after that Drennan allowed two goals this season, at times being ranked
For the fourth time this season women’s hockey forward When the final buzzer sounded, we got going a bit. The key to while making nine saves during in the top-10 although they are
Meghan Agosta was named the Rookie of the Week by College Mercyhurst went off the ice with
the game was senior captain Julia the 45 minutes of work, picking not ranked in the latest poll.
Hockey America. Agosta returned from Germany in style, an 8-0 win, dominating the game Colizza who put the team on her up the win. “I think they are a legitimate
scoring three goals and adding three assists in the weekend from every aspect. shoulders,” said Sisti. Chouinard tallied five goals on top-10 team who has some
sweep of Wayne State. “It was one of those nights Mercyhurst bounced back and the weekend, and was named the stretches of great and not so
where we got off to a good start scored a late first period goal Mercyhurst female Athlete of the great hockey. Before Christmas,
She leads the Lakers in points with 39, coming from 18 goals and surprisingly they didn’t put from Colizza and notched three Week for her effort. UConn was the hottest team in
and 21 assists thus far on the year. She played last week in up much of a fight. They do second period goals to tie the She was one of five Lakers who the country, but then they went
the Air Canada Cup in Germany, where Team Canada went have a good team and they maybe game after two periods. experienced a bit of jet-lag after into a funk without their top
unbeaten to win the gold medal at the tournament. were shocked a bit, but we played The scores came courtesy of returning home to the U.S. after freshman and they had some
very well both offensively and Agosta, Chouinard and senior playing in the Air Canada Cup setbacks,” said Sisti.
Baseball noticed early defensively,” said Coach Michael defender Ashley Pendleton. last week in Germany. “We are going to have to play
Sisti. In the third Mercyhurst domi- Although a bit tired, Chouinard very well this weekend, they work
Three baseball players have received some early recognition by Game two was a different story, nated once again, scoring three appeard to be in game-shape extremely hard during a game, I
the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The publication listed David though, with Wayne State coming goals while only surrendering when the puck dropped. think it’s a perfect opponent to
Lough, Joe Luli and Adam Nine as preseason All-Americans. All out with a start that resembled one to the Warriors, which left “We had some recovery time bring out the best in us.”
three enjoyed very successful seasons in 2005-06, each earning that of Mercyhurst the night Detroit with a hard-fought 7-5 after we got back on Tuesday and
First Team All-GLIAC honors for their play.

Additionally, John Mang was named a Player to Watch by the

publication. Mang was a Second-Team selection as a freshman. Men’s hockey falls twice to Army
Junior Jeff Stoll was named a Newcomer to Watch, a transfer leaving the team.
from Pikeville College where he was First Team All-Mid South By Ryan Palm
Mercyhurst now has two goal-
Conference. Sports editor
ies on its roster, both seniors in
Wakefield and Mike Ella.
Women’s hockey still No.1 In a weekend that seemed to be Having lost their last nine
a role reversal, the Black Knights games, Mercyhurst will look
The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team easily held onto their from Army swept the Lakers of forward toward a weekend se-
No. 1 ranking this week in the USCHO.com and USA Today Mercyhurst 6-3 and 2-1 this past ries against Bentley, a team that
polls. Mercyhurst is 20-1-1 and stands 18 points above No. 2 weekend. the Lakers have yet to see this
Wisconsin (20-1-3). Army has traditionally been season.
one of the weaker teams in At- Mercyhurst defeated Bentley
Little changed inside the top-10, with Harvard moving up to a lantic Hockey in terms of wins four times last season, so the
tie for the No. 4 position with Dartmouth. and losses, which included a 13- Lakers will seek to better their
17-7 season last year. record against the Falcons.
Former Laker an All-Star In the Atlantic Hockey pre- Despite their poor ranking in
season poll Mercyhurst was Atlantic Hockey, playoff hopes
Former Mercyhurst men’s hockey defender T.J. Kemp has been picked to finish first, while Army are still alive for the Lakers.
named to the All-Star Team for the American Hockey League was chosen ninth. The Atlantic Hockey Associa-
(AHL). Kemp is on the Manchester Monarchs, where he leads What a difference four months tion does have an automatic bid,
all defenders in scoring with three goals and 17 assists. The makes, as Army currently sits in which means that the team which
Monarchs are a top-level affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. third place, only two points out wins the conference tournament
of first while Mercyhurst is in File Photo at the end of the regular season
The game will take place on Jan. 29 in Toronto, Ontario. Of ninth, only four points away from Senior goaltender Jordan Wakefield defends his goal with earns an automatic trip to the
the 394 players to play in the game since 1995, more than 90 last place. Nick Vandenbeld (10) following the puck. NCAA Championships.
percent of them have gone on to play in the National Hockey “Our effort has been good, but Once the regular season is
League (NHL). our execution and scoring timely goals with Mercyhurst finishing 1-8-1 on the season. complete, the teams will be
goals are the things that have 0-2 on the power play. Wakefield has been the starter seeded according to record and
Club Hockey Standings escaped us. We just have to keep Senior goalie Jordan Wakefield since getting a chance just before will then play a single-elimination
on working at this,” said Coach made 27 saves in the loss. the Christmas break, when Got- tournament to determine the
The club hockey season continues to progress, with the team in Rick Gotkin. Saturday’s match-up was a low- kin played musical goalies look- conference champion.
action most recently at Niagara University where they fell 3-2 in Things started off on the scoring affair, with the two teams ing for the right man between Gotkin realizes this, and hence
a shootout on Jan. 14. The team is back in action next at Ohio wrong foot for the Lakers Friday skating for nearly 25 minutes the posts. there is still much to play for this
University on Jan. 26-27. night, with Army scoring three without scoring a goal. Wakefield played well against season.
goals before Mercyhurst got on After an Army goal at 15:47 of some quality opponents, and has “As bad as things have been,
TEAM W L T POINTS the board in the middle of the the second, Ryan Toomey struck since earned the badge of start- it doesn’t really matter how well
Robert Morris University 7 5 2 10 second period. back at 2:33 of the third to even ing goalie for the Lakers. you do in the regular season. Our
Niagara University 7 5 2 10 Although Mercyhurst put up the game at 1-1. His competition for that po- goal has always been to be the
University at Buffalo 5 3 2 6 three goals throughout the rest The score remained that way sition was reduced earlier this regular season champ, but the
Mercyhurst College 7 3 4 6 of the game, Army responded for six minutes until Army lit month when sophomore Tyler bottom line is that you can still
Syracuse University 2 1 1 2 with a goal following each, and the lap again to take a 2-1 lead, Small chose to leave the team for get to the NCAA’s when all is
the Black Knights emerged with an edge which stood up for the personal reasons. said and done. For all the teams
University of Rochester 6 0 6 0
a 6-3 victory. remainder of the game. According to a press release on in our conference, the thing that
Quick hits are compiled by sports editor Ryan Palm. Any- Kerry Bowman, Brett Robin- Wakefield made 22 saves in the Mercyhurst athletics Website, really matters is to get that play-
thing worthy of being a “quick hit” should be emailed to son and Matt Pierce all scored goal for Mercyhurst, absorbing Small cited his heart not being off championship and go to the
sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu. for Mercyhurst, all even-strength the loss to drop his record to into it as his prime reason for NCAA’s” said Gotkin.