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8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
1/24
Clinton talks on
economy, education
Bishop boycotts
graduation
College looks into
political policies
NEWS 2 NEWS 3 NEWS 3
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
2/24
NEWSPAGE 2 April 2, 2008
Hillary Clinton speaks at Hurst
Students had the chance to
write themselves into Mercy-
hurst Colleges history books
this week.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clin-
ton (D-N.Y.) addressed over 3,000
members of the Erie community
Tuesday evening in the Mercy-hurst Athletic Center (MAC).
The Rocky theme song played
as Clinton climbed onto the stage
to cheers and applause from the
crowd.
Her talk, Solutions for the
Pennsylvania Economy, lasted
no more than 45 minutes. During
her time on stage, she highlighted
her plans for education, the
economy, the environment andthe War in Iraq.
It took a Clinton to clean up
after the first Bush and its going
to take a Clinton to clean up after
the second, she said. And Im
excited about doing it.
Clinton addressed the dif-
ficulties the average American
family faces in order to survive
in todays economy.
She said she plans to bring jobsback into the U.S. by eliminating
the benefits companies receive
when moving their business
outside of the States.
First we are going to return
fairness in America... she said.
We need to use our money to
help create jobs right here in
the U.S.
Clinton assured the crowd
that she was the person to make
the effective changes in the U.S.
economy.
We need a president with a
plan, she said. A president who
will ask everyday, What have we
done to create jobs in Erie or
Jamestown or wherever?
The presidential hopeful said
one way she will improve the
economy is by bringing home the
troops and cutting the funding for
the War in Iraq.Its time to put an end to the
blank check that George Bush
has been given to fund this war,
she said.
One way Clinton plans to
increase our national security is
by ending our addiction to oil,
she said.
Clinton plans to eliminate our
reliance on oil by finding clean,
renewable alternative energysources.
She specifically addressed the
ideas of utilizing solar energy,
increasing research for biofuels
and harnessing wind energy,
something she joked, Should be
no problem for Erie.
Two major issues of the Clinton
campaign are the affordability of
healthcare and higher education.
How do you put a price ongood health, she asked. How
do you put a price on a good
education?
Clinton addressed the increasing
number of uninsured Americans
as well as the increasing number
of insured Americans who are still
unable to pay medical bills.
Clinton said she wants to make
healthcare more affordable now
with the future goal of a universalhealthcare program.
Throughout her speech, the
cost of higher education was
continually addressed.
If you want to come to a great
college, a college like Mercyhurst,
than I want to help you afford to
go to that college, she said.
Clinton said she wants to
increase the number of pre-kin-
dergarten programs in order to
produced better-prepared grade
school students.
We need every child to be
prepared to start school so they
wont be so far behind by third
grade that theyre ready to drop
out by sixth, she said.
Addressing the young people
in the crowd, Clinton said, For
me, this is not just about the nextelection. This is about the next
generation. I want you to havethe same opportunities that I had
and that your parents had in this
great nation.
She told the audience, This
is the story for AmericaWe
are the people who are looking
to make tomorrow a better day
something she promises to do
if elected.
A long line
Some students waited in aline that stretched as far as the
Audrey Hirt Academic building
for over seven hours to hear
Clinton talk.
We were the first people to
get here, at 11 in the morning
and it was worth it, said junior
Jon Tirk. I wanted to be able to
meet her, shake her hand and get
an autograph.
Sophomore Ian Michalski said
he wanted the best seat in the
house.
Ive not made a decision on
who Im voting for, he said.
So, I hope this will help make
my decision.
Sophomore Nadine Beres said
she felt the same way.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity, said sophomoreNadine Beres. College students
need to be informed. Were sup-posed to be educated and well-
rounded students through a
liberal arts education, so we need
more opportunities like this.
A grand welcome
After a series of introductions,
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Ren-
dell and President of Mercyhurst
Young Democrats junior Tim
Knecht, joined Clinton on stage
to chants of Hillary from theaudience.
If its change you are looking
for, look no further, said Knecht.
Sen. Clinton is a remarkable
woman who will make a remark-
able president.
Hursts historic moment
I think this is a historic moment
for the country and a great oppor-
tunity for the students, said
Mercyhurst College President Dr.
Thomas Gamble.
Erie Press Secretary for Hill-
ary Clinton Kamyl Bazbaz said
many sites were considered, but
Mercyhurst presented the best
atmosphere.
Mercyhurst offered a venue
that is intimate but still can pack
a lot of people, he said. She
wants to be able to connect withthe audience but still get her mes-
sage out.Bazbaz said he is aware of the
controversy with Bishop Donald
Trautman, who is now refusing
to attend Mercyhursts gradua-
tion due to their acceptance of
Clintons invitation to speak.
We respect the bishops view
and what he has said but we
understand that the college wants
to offer students an amazing
chance to take part in a historicalelection, he said.
We really just want to give the
Erie community a chance to hear
first-hand what Sen. Clinton has
to say, said Bazbaz. Whats most
important, and our goal, is that
Sen. Clintons message is heard
loud and clear.
Erie County Executive Mark
Divecchio said Clintons visit
demonstrates her dedication.
Hillary coming to Erie, or
Mercyhurst, just shows her com-
mitment to the campaign, the
working class people and the
small communities, he said.
It is a great way for her to ener-
gize the people in the Erie com-
munity and other small commu-
nities not just the big cities where
all the political focus tends tobe placed.
By Casey GreeneManaging editor
Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke Tuesday evening to over 3,000 people in the Mercyhurst Athletic
Center, focusing on the Pennsylvania economy.
Scoot Williams photo
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
3/24
PAGE 3NEWSApril 2, 2008
Bishop boycotts
2008 graduation
Erie Catholic Bishop Donald
Trautman will not attend Mer-
cyhurst Colleges graduation
ceremony this year in protest
over Democratic presidential
candidate Hillary Clintons visitto campus on April 1.
In a statement issued by Traut-
man, he says by allowing Clinton
to speak, the college is taking a
pro-choice position concerning
abortion.
I am disappointed in Mer-
cyhurst College for not reflect-
ing the pro-life stance of the
Catholic Church regarding
abortion. As tangible expres-sion of my disappointment,
I have notified (Mercyhurst
College President Dr. Thomas
Gamble) that I will not be
present for Mercyhurs t s
graduation, he said in a state-
ment issued Monday. I am
open to meeting with Dr.
Gamble in the future to ascertain
how the Catholic identity of
Mercyhurst can be better clari-
fied.
Diocesan spokesman Msgr.
Tom McSweeney could not be
reached for comment.
Gamble said that while Traut-
mans absence will be missed,
the college must act in a way that
will meet the educational needs
of the students.
While we respect Bishop Trautmans decision, we are
saddened by it and will deeply
miss his presence at gradua-
tion, he said Monday. Our
mission counsels us to educate
our students in an environ-
ment where faith and reason
flourish together, and toward that
end provide opportunities for
our students to be well informed
politically and religiously.Students said they have mixed
opinions on the bishops absence
at graduation.
Senior Phyllis Roman said
she will not miss Trautman at
graduation.
If he doesnt want to come
to our graduation, its his loss,
she said. I dont think many
people will be traumatizedI
mean, were supposed to belearning and supporting voting
and civic duties.
Junior Dan Racitano said he
did not support Clinton coming
to campus, and even more so
now that the bishop is not
attending graduation.
I kind of feel with Hillary
(on) campus and this being a
conservative campusthat
this is a negative side of her
coming, he said. I thinkwe
should have thought about
having Hillary come before
we went ahead and invited her
hereit goes against our Catho-
lic ideals.
Racitano said though its
beneficial to have a potential
presidential candidate come to
campus and speak, the college
should not shy away from its
Catholic faith.
Im against Hillary coming
here, and if he (Trautman) is
going not (to attend graduation)
out of protest, then I think
its a wrong move on the col-
lege.
Kamyl Bazbaz, Clintons Erie
press secretary, said the campaign
recognizes the bishops view.We greatly respect the
Bishops point of view on the
subject, and also appreciate(d)
the opportunity to speak to stu-
dents and the Erie community
in this historic election, he
said.
Gamble said the college will
keep with the Catholic tra-
dition by planning to host a
forum before the general elec-tion about the Responsible
Catholic and the 2008 Elec-
tion.
Father James Piszker, the col-
leges chaplain, said Trautmans
protest raises concerns about a
pertinent subject.
I think hes expressing his
concern about a very important
issue to the Catholic church,
which is connected to the
Catholic identity of a college
like Mercyhurst, he said.
Gamble said the college
does reflect its religious roots and
plans to meet with Trautman.
We look forward to engaging
in conversations about the most
authentic way for Mercyhurst
to meet both its religious and
its educational obligations,
he said.
By Joshua WilwohlEditor-in-chief
School looks at
political policies
Roughly a week after Mer-
cyhurst College President Dr.
Thomas Gamble stated that he
will look into a policy regardingthe presence of political can-
didates on campus, the college
announced it would be the venue
for Sen. Hillary Clinton for her
Solutions for the Pennsylvania
Economy address Tuesday
evening.
Gamble, however, said the
college still has plans to develop
the political policies.
He announced the formationof two committees that will look
into two separate policies.
The one, headed by Associate
Vice President of Advance-
ment Dr. David Livingston, is
in charge of recommending
guidelines for the presence of
political candidates and related
activities on campus.
The other committee, chaired
by Vice President of StudentLife Dr. Gerry Tobin, plans
to recommend a policy that
will address the types of paid
advertisements, including politi-
cal advertisements, the Merciad
should accept.
Since there is no specific policy
governing paid political adver-
tising, Gamble said the college
is temporarily suspending the
placement of such advertise-
ments until the committee makes
its recommendation.
The questions about the policy
were brought to light when the
Merciad ran a paid political
advertisement for Obama for
America.
According to the Erie Catholic
Diocese, political advertisements
are prohibited in any of its pub-
lications because, as a non-profit
entity, the Merciad would have to
accept advertisements from all
candidates, including those who
support abortion.
Tobin said that the college
considered Clintons visit as an
opportunity for Mercyhurst to
engage students in an educationaland political dialogue, and is in
no way similar to a paid political
advertisement.
Tobin says that the differ-
ence between the allowance of
advertisements and someone
speaking is that there is a ques-
tion and answer session that gives
students the chancefor dialogue,
versus a paid printed political
advertisement that does not.It is by no means an endorse-
ment of the candidate and their
views, said Tobin.
He said the college sent all
political candidates an invitation
to use Mercyhurst as a venue
if they planned to make a stop
in Erie.
Clinton was the first to answer
the invitation, issued three weeks
prior to the Merciads running ofthe Obama for America adver-
tisement, said Tobin.
Once the invitation was
extended, we werent inclined to
rescind the invitations, he said.
Tobin said Clintons visit
should in no way affect the com-
mittees views on the separate
policies.
It does not influence my
objective, he said. I hope were
all open minded enough to go
into the committee with a good,
clear thinking that will help guide
us now and into the future.
Tobin said the committees
plan to meet by the end of this
week.
Gamble said he expects the
committees to make recom-
mendations to him in the next
two weeks.
By Ashley PastorStaff writer
Erie Bishop will not attend graduation ceremony
in protest over Clintons pro-choice stance and
appearance on Hursts campus Tuesday evening
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
4/24
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Hurst students crack methamphetamine case
Two Mercyhurst College intel-
ligence studies student interns
received praise from the Penn-
sylvania Attorney General Tom
Corbett after helping the Bureau
of Narcotics Investigation and
Drug Control dismantle a massive
methamphetamine case.Juniors Samantha Shelnick and
Justin Zabiegala analyzed over
35,000 lines of data gathered
from various pharmacies across
Pennsylvania and Ohio.
They pinpointed 29 individu-
als who were involved in what
is being called the oldest-known
methamphetamine manufac-
turing operation in north-
west Pennsylvania.
Director of the investigation
and 1981 graduate from Mer-
cyhurst, Dennis Tobin, credited
Shelnick and Zabiegala for dis-
covering patterns and trends
indicating criminal behavior.
By analyzing data, Shelnick and
Zabiegala identified red flags, or
customers who bought multiple
boxes of pseudoephedrine in the
same day.The most difficult aspect of
the internship was how tedious
it was to input and analyze the
logs; but obviously that work is
very necessary and worth it in the
end, Shelnick said.
Guiding Shelnick and Zabie-
gala through out the case, faculty
advisor David Grabelski said,
The data lines that were exam-
ined were names of individuals
who bought pseudoephedrine
products.
The difficult part was analyz-
ing the data to determine further
relationships that were useful,
such as who is shopping with
whom, the area where theyre
shopping and if they are shop-
ping in more than one location
every day, Zabiegala said.
Shelnick and Zabiegalasefforts led agents to connect the
accomplices or pill shoppers
to the operation leaders, Robert
and James Frey.
Attorney General Corbett
said investigators believe broth-
ers Robert and James Frey from
Albion, Pa., were the organizers in
the operation for 14 years.
Investigators seized 9.6 pounds,
or $142,000 worth, of meth and
meth oil from the Frey brothers
home.
The investigation, Operation
Family Cook-Out, began in
March 2007.
Three interns before Shelnick
and Zabiegala also helped and
contributed with the investiga-
tion.
They (Shelnick and Zabiegala)
put the final touches on the inves-tigation, said Greblaski.
Shelnick and Zabiegala saved
the citizens of Pennsylvania a
significant amount of money by
dismantling the meth operation.
They did the work load of one
police officers annual salary for
free, said Greblaski.
Neither Shelnick nor Zabiegala
were paid while interning.
The most challenging part of
the internship was balancing the
different projects I was assigned,
specifically when were right in
the middle of a big case like the
Frey case, Zabiegala said.
In a given day, I might come
in to simply update our master
database, but then I might be
tasked to do work on a current
investigation, said Zabiegala.
And if we are close to makingarrests or executing search war-
rants I might be tasked to gather
information to facilitate that
process.
Shelnick said the internship was
somewhat challenging, but that
his training from Mercyhursts
intelligence really gave him the
tools needed to be helpful in this
investigation.
By Liz MaierStaff writer
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
5/24
PAGE 5NEWSApril 2, 2008
Life after graduation
It is the home stretch of the2007-2008 school year.
With about a month and a
half left in the spring term, its
a busy time for students and
employees.
Everyone is working hard
for finals, making their summer
plans and, for some, getting
ready for the Europe trip.
But for the seniors, they are
making the most important plansof all: preparing themselves for
their graduation.
Preparation for the com-
mencement ceremony is a year-
round project, starting in August
when the potential graduates are
contacted.
In February, Sr. Pat Whalen
and the Registrars office go
through all the applications and
make sure each student has 120credits, the minimum required
to graduate, and to make sure all
core classes have been taken and
to check if there are any incom-
pletes or courses missing.
This is a courtesy to the
seniors because we are making
sure they can graduate, Whalen
said.
The time leading up to gradu-
ation is a very busy time.
Several special events are set
up for the seniors as they wrap
up their college journey.
Events include the senior
dinner dance, which will be heldon Friday, May 9 and the senior
outing to Splash Lagoon on
Thursday, May 15.
There is also the dedication
of the senior gift, and an alumni
reception on Friday, May 16.
The senior picnic, sports awards
banquet, academic awards dinner
and, for the first time ever, Mer-
cyhurst will host its own ROTC
Commissioning Ceremony takingplace on Saturday, May 17.
Sunday, May 18at 2:00 p.m. the
official commencement ceremony
begins, with a farewell reception
afterwards.
Tickets are not required for
friends and family to attend.
General seating is available.
With such a busy schedule
for the last remaining weeks of
school, what are the seniors doingto prepare?
Honestly, Im not really doing
anything to prepare for gradu-
ation. I know where I am living
next year, and since I am taking a
year off before graduate school,
I have a lot of time to figure out
most of the details of my future,
senior Tricia Dallas said.
Im just enjoying what time
I have left with all of my friends
and making sure I am making the
most of it.
Senior and forensic science
major Kyle Scully said he wants
to go to graduate school, and iswaiting on responses from the
ones he applied to and is just
having fun.
Senior and Intel major Chad
Tilburg is spending his time
interviewing with government
and private agencies in hopes of
finding a job.
I plan to move to Washington
D.C. and work in a national secu-
rity-related profession, Tilburgsaid.
Although it may be a stressful
time of the year, seniors should
enjoy their last trimester at Mer-
cyhurst College.
Succeed in your coursework,
appreciate your final days in Mer-
cyhursts education system and
enjoy yourself, Whalen said.
Whalen also encouraged seniors
to periodically check WebAdvisorand look under course evaluation
just to double check the number
of credits they have, if their core
has been met and if there are
any incompletes or courses not
taken.
Jeff Cagle, 2007 alumni, said,
Dont slack off. Its really easy to
just kick back with friends, but the
last thing you want to do is have a
bad last term, grade wise.
By Emily GrabowskiContributing writer
Mercyhurst College class of 2008 students will soon thow their caps in the air tosymbolize the end of their undergraduate studies and the next step in their adult l ives.
Contributed photo
For students interested in giv-
ing to others then Dr. Stephen
Post is sure to intrigue them.
Post, a famous biochemist will
come to Mercyhurst College on
April 3.
Post will speak about his newbook, Why Good Things Hap-
pen to Good People.
The book and the topic of his
presentations will focus on the
idea of giving.
Post will talk about how it
is important to be generous
person and Post will also focus
on how giving is beneficial to a
persons health.
Post has developed a scale formeasuring how a person gives
and how they can improve their
ability to give to others.
Post was contacted to speak
by religious studies professor
Dr. Daniel McFee, who said
Post was thrilled to have the
chance to come to Mercyhurst,
having been a teacher at a Mercy
university for years.
There will be two opportuni-ties for students and the general
public to listen to Posts pre-
sentation.
The first is a roundtable dis-
cussion in Mercy Heritage Hall
on April 3 at 4:15 p.m.
This roundtable discussion
will focus on Altruism and the
Shaping of Our Lives and will
have five students from McFees
Social Ethics class dialoguingwith Post about the topic.
McFee believes that students
can greatly benefit from this
opportunity.
He said that Posts inter-
disciplinary work will inter-
est students from all fields,
including psychology, religion,
ethics, gerontology and other
disciplines.
Dr. Posts interdisciplinary
approach allows readers to visu-
alize the nexus between his ideas
and their own fields of interest,
McFee said.
Sophomore Nadine Beres be-
lieves that this discussion will be
interesting and beneficial.
I volunteer a lot and give
a lot back to the community,
so I think it will be interest-
ing to see where he is comingfrom. I also sometimes wonder
the same thing about why cer-
tain things happen to certain
people because I believe that
sometimes bad things can hap-
pen to good people as well,
said Beres.
McFee also believes that stu-
dents will leave these discus-
sions feeling empowered.
Posts basic points focus ongenerosity, giving, and how to
lead a good life. I find myself
empowered by his overwhelm-
ingly positive approach, he
said.
McFee believes that even stu-
dents who disagree with Posts
approach or arguments can still
feel moved in some way by his
presentation.
Sophomore Carly Rae Eisen-hauer agrees that this approach
will probably strike a chord with
some people.
I think that some people will
definitely change their view-
point about giving to others af-
ter hearing a presentation about
this topic, said Eisenhauer.
Junior Erik Penn believes that
his views may be challenged by
Post.I dont necessarily believe
that good things always hap-
pen to good people, however I
do think that good people give
back. It will be interesting to
hear what Dr. Post has to say
about this idea, said Penn.
Students and the general pub-
lic will also be able to hear Post
speak on April 3 at 8:15 p.m. in
the Walker Recital Hall.
By Julie HranicaStaff writer
Biochemist to speakabout generosity
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
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NEWSPAGE 6 April 2, 2008
Beautify Erie: anti-graffiti project
Mercyhurst College students
are taking a stand on the war
against graffiti.
The city of Eries anti-graf-
fiti squad is now active and
helping to put an end on the
vandalism.
Headed by Eries third WardDistrict Judge Tom Carney; the
group uses a multitude of dif-
ferent skills and techniques to
tactically remove and suppress
the graffiti.
Other members of the group
include Christopher D. Hitz,
president of Advanced Drying
and Restorations; Dennis
Braendel II, vice president of
Braendel Painting and Services;John Tretter, business agent for
Laborers Local 603; downtown
businessman Tom Tippy
Dworzanski; Wally Brown, coor-
dinator of the Little Italy Neigh-
borhood Crime Watch Group;
David J. Grabelski, assistant
professor at the Institute for
Intelligence Studies and Maria
L. Garase, assistant professor
at Gannon Universitys criminaljustice program.
Along with this team are
Mercyhurst students who play
a critical role in the intricate
process.
Their job is to map out
and record graffiti sites around
the city so the team can ana-
lyze the data and effectively
respond.
Back in January of 2008Mayor Joe Sinnott made an
announcement about the
task force and I wondered if
students could help, Gra-
belski said, Once I heard
this, I called Judge Carney and
of fe r ed s tuden t invo lve -
ment.
A f t e r a m e e t i n g w i t h
Carney discussing the potential
role students would play in
the force; the involvement
was approved by Mayor Sin-
nott.
Graffiti is a hard problem
to deal with, but weve got to
start dealing with it and do the
best we can to stay out in front
of it and combat it Sinnott
said.
With the force in place, it
was time to put the students
to work. Taking into account the
amount of buildings vandal-
ized, the square footage, specific
taggers and the communitys
perception of these crimes the
team can determine hotspots
around the city that would yield
the most positive results when
cleaned.
We need good analysts to
help find solutions to this prob-lem, said Grabelski, So far I
have had good help.
Each term new students are
hired to intern with the team
and put their analytical skills
to work.
Grabelski said that this is a
long-term program he hopes to
see grow stronger.
Currently we have two
undergraduate students and onegraduate student helping; there
may be more in the future,
Grabelski said.
Junior Intelligence Studies
major Ryan Heise said that he
believes the program would
give students excellent field
experience and a feel for what
that type of work would con-
sist of.
Also as a local resident,Heise would like to see the
city cleaned up and put back in
better shape.
The first project was com-
pleted on March 20; remov-
ing graffiti on a wall near the
northeast corner of State Street
and the Bayfront Parkway.
We have the equipment,
we have the knowledge and
we have the staff to be able to
take care of these problems to
be part of beautifying the city,
task member Christopher Hitz
said. Were going to be doing
a lot more in the next couple
months.
Several students outside of
the Intelligence Studies pro-
gram feel that this is a great
opportunity to get involved and
make the community better as
a whole.
When you walk across
campus and see graffiti on
benches and trash cans, you
wonder what is being done to
stop it, said Sophomore Josh
Nordin. Now Mercyhurst stu-
dents are helping to clean up our
city and hopefully clean up our
campus next.
Nothing we do here is going
to stop graffiti; all you can do
is minimize it. said Grabelski.
This program is a win-win for
the city, state and college.
With the experience and com-
mitment from the Mercyhurst
community, major changes are
in our future.
By Tim HuckoStaff writer
Graffiti can be seen all over the United States in both rural and urban areas. Mayor Joe
Sinnott wants to clean it up, starting with Erie.
Contributed photo
The city of Eries anti-graffiti squad is now active and helping to put an end on
vandalism found throughout the city.
Contributed photo
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
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NEWS PAGE 7April 2, 2008
The Career Services office, located in 201 Old Main, can help Mercyhurst College students
find a variety of different summer jobs.
Contributed photo
Career Services helpswith summer jobs
For incoming freshmen and
future sophomores, summer
will be a relaxing break from the
stress of college.
But for most juniors and
seniors, this is the time for
summer jobs and internships.
Elise Zigrossi, a junior major-ing in Art Therapy, will be stay-
ing in Erie this summer.
She will be interning for
LArche, a community for men-
tally and physically handicapped
people, as a relief aid.
Im exited to finally be using
my school knowledge out in the
real world, I really feel like Ill
make a difference in the Erie
community, said Zig rossi.Career service director, Bob
Hvezda, said that students usu-
ally do internships for college
credit but that it is also a great
learning experience.
It looks great on a resume
and for them to market them-
selves to employers for full time
jobs as well as get one or several
letters of recommendation,
said Hvezda.
Mercyhurst provides students with a variety of ways to find
jobs and internships in different
majors as well as helping them
with their resumes.
Career Services has a bulletin
board outside of their office
in Main 201 where they post
summer jobs and several helpful
web pages.
There is also a binder in the
office that students can ask forand review.
Mercyhurst also provides
students with the possibility to
be interns in the college.
There is usually an average
of 250 students from all majors
doing summer internships at
Mercyhurst.
Over the last two years, Mer-
cyhurst has had interns from 24
different states and five differentcountries, said Hvezda.
Some students rather intern
or work at home.
Junior Matt Campanelli, for
example, is going back home to
Elmira, NY for the summer.
He is a dual majoring in crimi-
nal justice and sociology and will
be working at the Elmira Water
Board. He will also be doing an
internship in the police depart-
ment of his town.I look forward to my intern-
ship this summer, itll be fun,
said Campanelli.
International student Sebas-
tian Thais will also be going
home this summer. He is a
junior majoring in Political Sci-
ence and hopes to get a job in
his home country of Peru.
I dont have an internship
yet mainly because I am tryingto get one back home working
for a congressman, hopefully Ill
get good news about that soon,
said Thais.
Another poss ib i l i ty for
spending the summer is stay-
ing on-campus taking some
courses.
Mercyhurs t offers var i -
ous summer sessions where
students can earn three creditsin three weeks or up to six
credits in six weeks.
This is a good option for stu-
dents who are behind or want
to get ahead in their work in
order to alleviate the class load
of the school year.
Summer classes are demand-
ing, but at the same time they
allow students to have free time
to enjoy the sun.
By Javiera CubillosStaff writer
The applied forensic science
department has been receiving
recognition lately.
Dr. Steven Symes, an applied
forensic science professor, has
received the lifetime achievementaward and students have been
presenting papers at national
association meetings.
The undergraduate program
consists of four specialized con-
centrations which are foren-
sic anthropology, criminalistics,
forensic wildlife investigation, and
forensic chemistry.
According to Dr. Dennis
Dirkmaat, department chair andprofessor of applied forensic
sciences, there are 140 to 150
students in the undergraduate
program.
The program and curriculum
focus on presenting state-of-
the-art techniques in forensic
science and crime scene recovery
in the classroom while providing
a variety of practical, hands-on
opportunities both in the fieldand in the laboratory.
A few advanced juniors and
seniors do have the opportunity
to work at actual crimes scenes
and all students gain experience
through classroom projects.
According to Dirkmaat, the
forensic and biological anthro-
pology graduate program at
Mercyhurst College is the best in
the world. The graduate programaccepts about seven students in
the program each year.
Graduates will have the skills
needed to conduct search, docu-
mentation, and data recovery
exercises involving a variety of
outdoor, fire, and mass fatality
scenes as well as conduct prelimi-
nary analyses of human remains
recovered from a wide variety of
forensic scenes.
Many graduate students will be
presenting papers at the 77 annual
meeting of the American Associ-
ation of Physical Anthropologist
in April and other students have
presented papers at the American
Association of Forensic Sciences
60 Anniversary Scientific Meeting
in February.
Krya Stull, graduate student inthe Masters of Science forensic
and biological anthropology
program. Stull said the best part
about the graduate program
at Mercyhurst is the hands on
experience.
The professors of the applied
forensic science department come
from a variety of backgrounds.
Dirkmaat received his doc-
torate in Anthropology at theUniversity of Pittsburgh and has
been a professor at Mercyhurst
since 1991 his specialization is
outdoor crime scenes.
He has worked on many plane
crash scenes in Pennsylvania and
elsewhere.
Symes has been a professor at
Mercyhurst since 2002.
He earned the prestigious
Thomas Dale Stewart Award forlifetime achievement, the highest
honor offered by the Physical
Anthropology Section of the
American Academy of Forensic
Sciences (AAFS).
The award recognizes Symes
enduring contributions to the
field of forensic anthropology
and a career marked by accurate,
detailed scholarship and remark-
able productivity.Symes is one of the countrys
leading experts on trauma to bone
and an authority on saw and knife
mark analysis.
Other professors in the depart-
ment are Dr. Ousley andLuis
L. Cabo-Perez from Spain. Dr.
Ousley developed a computer
program that can determine
the sex and ancestry of skeletal
remains.
By Sarah GerardContributing writer
Forensics dead set
on winning awards
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
8/24
PAGE 8 FEATURES April 2, 2008
THE LAKER
Spring Term
Galley Grill
Lunch:M - Club SandwichT - Chicken CaesarW - Chicken QuesadillaTh - Breakfast for LunchF - Tuna Melt or Grilled
Portabella SandwichS - Sloppy Joe
Board SpecialsLunch $4.75Dinner $5.50
Dinner:S - Turkey BurgerM - General Tsos Chicken over rice w/ broccoliT - Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes andveggiesW - Veal Parm over pastaTh - Buffalo chicken sandwichF - Fish Sandwich or Grilled PortabellaSandwich
S - Pepperoni Pizza Sub
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sunday 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Look for New Menu Items!Mac & Cheese Bites Black Bean Burger
New Salads:Chicken BLT-Veggie(no cheese)-Spinach-Asian Chicken-
Greek-Caesar
Subconnection6 Sub $3.75 Combo $4.75
12Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75
Baja and Buffalo Chicken Subs:6 Sub $4.00 Combo $5.25
12 Sub $6.00 Combo $ 7.00
Special FeaturesWrap combo-Veggie $5.59
other wraps $5.79
Wrap It Yourself- Veggie $3.99
other wraps $ 4.19
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Laker ExpressBoard Equivalency Available:
11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Board Specials
Lunch $4.75
Dinner $5.50
Look for Laker Express
Minute Meals!
Hours of Operation:
Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Friday 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday Closed
In this fast-paced world, wehave seen time-saving adjust-
ments taking place on a regular
basis.
Fast food chains and coffee
shops have implemented drive-
thru services, and many restau-
rants are now equipped with
curbside pick-up.
One can even have movies sent
to them via the United States
postal service.All of these efforts have been
made to cater to the needs of the
average American with too much
to do during their day.
Recently Pizza Hut launched a
delivery service that goes above
and beyond pizza.
Many locations, including the
one on East 38th Street, have
altered their delivery services to
include new options.
Pizza Hut now offers pans
of pasta with bread sticks for
only $11.95 that are available
for delivery.
The pasta trays feed six peopleand are available in marinara and
alfredo sauces.
This service will be helpful
for catering purposes as well as
effective in limiting gas use for
families who are trying to save
money.
Competitors say that they are
unimpressed with this idea, say-
ing that Pizza Hut is trying to
convert into a restaurant ratherthan a pizza shop. But others
have different opinions.
Not only is this idea good for
when you are short on time,
sophomore Conor McKenna
said, it gives you a less greasy
alternative for a quick meal.
A Pizza Hut representative
said that if the process is done
correctly, pasta could become 15
percent of the total sales.
By Nicole McIntyreStaff writer
Pizza hut offerspasta delivery
Pizza Hut is now offering pasta choices for delivery.
pizzahut.ca/files/images/ChickenPomodoro
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
9/24
PAGE 9FEATURESApril 2, 2008
Celebs make presidential endorsements
Roll out the red carpet.
Hollywood has spoken and the
race to the White House is on.
With the 2008 presidential
election in the spotlight, celebri-
ties are endorsing their favorite
political candidates.
While U.S. Senators HillaryClinton and Barack Obama vie
for the Democratic nomination,
John McCain seems to hold the
ticket for the Republican Party.
Whether a celebritys support
will help or hinder a presidential
candidate remains to be seen.
Boston Red Sox picher Curt
Schillings endorsement for
McCain came early, as it did for
President George Bush in 2004.Support from Barbara Strei-
sand could help Clinton, while
Oprah Winfreys endorsement
may prove effective for Obama.
One never knows.
According to The Pew Research
Center for the People & the
Press, 69 percent of people
surveyed say political endorse-
ments generally have little impact
on voter preferences.On the other hand, nearly half
of the young people surveyed say
Oprah Winfreys opinion would
affect their vote choice.
Mercyhurst College students
were asked if celebrity endorse-
ments have the potential to sway
voters decision at the polls.
Senior Stacey Minchin said
there is a possibility for celebrity
impact.
Seeing Oprah endorse Obama
could result in the Oprah Effect,
in which everything Winfrey isinvolved in becomes a success
due to her popularity within the
public eye, Minchin said. It
is understandable for people to
consider all the factors includ-
ing the celebrity endorsements
for each candidate, but when it
comes down to the polls, votes
should be cast based on what
you think of the candidates
opinions in every issue, insteadof the money and stardom that
surrounds their campaign.
As an aspiring journalist,
Minchen is accustomed to gath-
ering all of the facts.
Celebrity endorsements tend
to result in voting based on
popular opinion rather that on
research conducted, she said.
Junior Ashley Brudy agreed
with Minchin.It is a good thing to get the
candidates noticed, but bad in
the fact that they are using Holly-
wood to get ahead in the game,
said Brudy.
Brudy said she will not use
endorsements as a factor in her
decision for president.
A celebrity could not gear my
decision a certain way, because
this is too much of an important
election for our country, said
Brudy.Mercyhurst College freshman
Justin Mando also agreed.
People may go along with
their favorite star if they dont
know enough about a candidate,
said Mando.
Instead, Mando encourages
people to trust in themselves.
A voter who is swayed may
not value or trust his or her own
opinions, he explained.
Junior Linnea Larson said it is
important to focus on the realissues and get all of the facts by
November.
Not everybody chooses to go
along with celebrity opinion,
said Larson. My own personal
beliefs and morals will influence
my decision.
It seems Mercyhurst students
will not be swayed despite cel-
brity involvement.
Along with research and reflec-
tion, they have education and
common sense to help themchoose the right candidate for
president in 2008.
By Carla HartStaff writer
Oprah Winfrey is one of many celebrities who are endorsing their favorite candidates.
graphics8.nytimes.com
Candidates and their celebrity supportCelebrity endorsements for
John McCain include:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sylvester StalloneTom Selleck
Burt Bacharach
John Ondrasik
Joe Eszterhas
Celebrity endorsements for
Barack Obama include:
Scarlett Johansson
Will Smith
Robert Deniro
Oprah Winfrey
Ben Affleck
Eddie Murphy
Maria Shriver
Hulk Hogan
Jennifer AnistonJackson Brown
Ben Stiller
Morgan Freeman
Tom Hanks
Tobey Maguire
George Clooney
Halle Berry
Leonardo DiCaprio
Matt Damon
Jamie Foxx
Stevie Wonder
Celebrity endorsements for
Hillary Clinton include:
Angelina Jolie
Danny De VitoHugh Hefner
Madonna
Eva Longoria
America Ferrara
Elton John
Jerry Springer
Martha Stewart
Barbara Streisand
Jack Nicholson
Rosie ODonnell
Stephen Spielberg Arnold Schwarzenegger is backing John McCain.
hollywoodhiccups.blogspot.com
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
10/24
FEATURESPAGE 10 April 2, 2008
Students create Earth Week projects from recycled materials
The Green Teams Earth Week,
which will be held April 14-18, istitled Seeds, Soil and Soul.
Among other things, this years
Earth Week will be focused
on a reduce, reuse and recycle
theme.
In honor of the upcoming
Earth Week, students and staff
members of the Mercyhurst
community are creating clothing
and accessories out of recycled
materials.Analida Braeger will head up
some of the activities of Earth
Week.
The recycled and creative
nature of the items that will
be on display will illustrate the
theme, she said. Just as the soil
recycles itself year after year, so
do we as we recycle materials to
fashion them into new things.
Sophomore fashion merchan-
dising major Marissa Stuart is
taking part in organizing and
contributing to the display case.
I like the fact that I can take
something old and turn it into
something new, Stuart said. Ithink the display will be really
interesting to visit and hope-
fully it will encourage others
to perhaps remake something
themselves.
So far, contributions have been
fashioned out of items like old
T-shirts, fabric remnants from
the schools sewing lab and even
newspapers.
Two surprising items foundin the exhibit include a paper
Mache bustier and a skirt made
out of old Merciad newspapers.
The display will also feature
a variety of recycled fashion
accessories.
Items already fashioned for the
display include a tote bag made
out of an old T-shirt and a LP
album-cover purse.
The accessory genre is one area
of fashion that has seen a major
increase in the area of recycled
materials.
Nike has created a basketball
shoe made almost completely of
Nikes factorys waste.The shoe was created for Steve
Nash of the Phoenix Suns and is
called the Nike Trash Talk.
The outer portion of the shoe
is made from scraps of leather
found on the factory floor and
secured together by zig-zag
stitching.
The middle sole is comprised
of scrap-ground foam that once
was considered waste from theproduction of other goods.
Accessories designer Eleanor
Salazar utilizes pool balls to
create one of kind rings and
bracelets.
Each ball she utilizes in her
designs was once used and each
piece of jewelry is hand crafted.
Due to this, it is not surprising
that her unique designs ring in at
a hefty price of $150.00 and up.
All in all, one can deduct that
cultivating awareness on impera-
tive issues like our environment
is necessary on a local level
and larger domestic or global
outreach.On a grassroots level, Mer-
cyhurst students and staff are
positively contributing to raise
awareness on the crucial issue of
the health of our ecosystem.
Creations from the project will
be displayed in Zurn Hall April10 to 16.
Eleanor Salazar creates rings from used pool balls.
www.etsy.com
By Sandy WatroStaff writer
Clinton sticks to what works best
Hillary Clintons pantsuits have been spoofed in the media.
Contributed photo
As Sen. Hillary Clinton said
Tuesday night at her rally in the
Mercyhurst College Athletic
Center, It took a Clinton to
clean up after the first Bush. It
will take another to clean up after
this one.
Well, whether she gets the
presidential nomination or not,
Clinton sure does take cleaning
up seriously in the fashion
sense, that is.
After being spoofed in the
media several times for continu-
ously wearing pantsuits, Clintons
fashion sense has begun to
broaden, even if its just in the
use of color.
The pantsuit is the definition
of leadership, experience, and
change, said Kamyl Bazbaz,
Hillary Clintons Erie Press
Secretary. Hillary is proud to
represent the pantsuit because it
challenges convention.
At Tuesday nights speech,
Clinton donned a familiar pant-
suit, albeit a flattering one.
The bright pink color of the
single-breasted blazer high-
lighted her facial complexion,
leaving a glow that was only
more enhanced by her mega-
watt smile.
Instead of a dated look, Clin-
ton appeared modern and con-
temporary.
The jacket was accentuated by
a slightly popped collar and a
nipped-in waist.
Paired with traditional black
dress slacks, the waist-length
blazer gave a very flattering and
lengthening silhouette.
By wearing straight-leg, but not
tapered, pants, Clinton created a
becoming shape and profile on a
woman who represents the aver-
age size of American women.
Simple, classic earrings and a
pink and black scarf topped off
the ensemble nicely.
The truth is, Hillary Clinton
is not a contestant in a beauty
pageant.
Perhaps what ought to be more
important than her day-to-day
outfits is for what her campaign
stands.
Bazbaz summed it up when it
comes to Clintons buzzed-about
wardrobe.
I would hope that viewers
would vote based on policy, not
clothing, he said.
By Jen GildeaFeatures editor
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
11/24
PAGE 11FEATURESApril 2, 2008
Dancing vs. Idol: Whos your favorite?
Features editor Jen Gildea introduces all the top contestants
The Top 9 contestants sing every Tuesday night on FOX.americanidol.com
Simon and Ryan are making nasty
jokes about each other, Paula is
rambling in an un-recognizable lan-
guage and Randy is calling everyone
dawg.
Sounds like its Idol time again.
With the shows cult-like following
among teens and adults alike, the con-
testants are catapulted into stardomthat some never expected.
But just who are these young people
with the talent to become tomorrows
newest superstar?
Brooke White, 24, is from Mesa,
Ariz., and has been dubbed the next
Carly Simon due to her raspy and
soulful voice.
San Diego resident Carly Smithson,
24, is native to Ireland. Her powerful
voice allows her to tackle songs fromartists like Mariah Carey and Whitney
Houston without missing a beat.
The youngest in the race for the top
is 17-year-old David Archuleta from
Murray, Utah. Picked as the winner by
Simon Cowell, Davids voice is so pure
and on pitch, even if he occasionally
forgets the lyrics.
David Cook, 25, from Blue Springs,
Mo., is the rocker of the group. His
interesting and brave take on Michael
Jacksons Billie Jean put him in the
race for the win.
Country crooner Kristy Lee Cook,
24, is from Selma, Ore. Although
being in the bottom three for several
weeks in a row, her chance to stay in
the competition relies on whether
or not she can diversify out of thecountry music genre.
Twenty-year old Jason Castro, from
Rockwall, Texas, is the most mellow
contestant. From his dredlocked head
to his relaxed take on song choice, he
sails through every week.
Ramiele Malubay, 20, from Miramar,
Fla., may be playing shy when talking
in interviews. Her soft-spokeness is
completely forgotten when she belts
out her songs.Michael Johns, 29, from Buckhead,
Ga., is the oldest contestant, but hes
right in the running for the lead with
his bold song choice of Queens We
are the Champions.
Finally, 21-year-old Syesha Mercado,
from Sarasota, Fla., is among the
judges top picks. After battling bron-
chitis recently, shes come back strong
to wow the judges and viewers.
Dancing with the Stars airs on Monday and Tuesdays on ABC.
abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars
Shaking booties and passionate
tangos comprise the other popular
reality show currently on TV.
Judged on creativity, personality and
actual talent, the celebs must continu-
ally push it to the max in an area where
most have little-to-no experience.
This season, contestants range from
young to old, tall to short and rhythmicto clumsy.
Television and radio personality
Adam Carollas lack of dance expertise
has resulted in some harsh comments
from the judges, but his quick, witty
responses make viewers laugh.
Cristian de la Fuente is an interna-
tional film star. Paired with two-time
winner Cheryl Burke, Cristians chance
of being a top contender is boosted.
American Pie alum ShannonElizabeth has shown decent talent this
season. Her physical physique gives
her flexibility and poise.
Steve Guttenberg is the oldest con-
testant on the show. After hitting it big
on TV and in the movies in the 80s,
hes making a comeback as the most
cheerful, lovable contestant.
R&B singer Mario is a fan and judge
favorite due to his undeniable talent.
His youth, paired with smooth moves
get the crowd going each week.
Oscar winner Marlee Matlin brings
a whole new challenge to the dance
floor. As a deaf woman, she cannot
hear the music. Communicating
through sign language and with the
help of a translator, shes still incred-
ibly talented despite her disability.Legend Priscilla Presley is step-
ping out of her usually quiet life as a
surprising contestant. The widow of
Elvis is honing in on her sultry side to
produce quite a tango.
Jason Taylor is NFLs man of the
year, but on the dance floor, many
were worried about his height. Sur-
prisingly, his moves arent too shabby
and fans swoon over his bald head.
Marissa Jaret Winokur is best knownfor playing the lead role in Broadways
Hairspray. Despite being the only
plus-size contestant, her bubbly
personality and never-ending smile
outshine every performance.
Finally, Olympic champion figure
skater Kristi Yamaguchi is the leading
female among the judges and viewers.
Skating has given her a natural advan-
tage to moving with the music.
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
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PAGE 12 FEATURES
Food FixWithMegI
ERI
Get to know...
Zach Pekor
Turkey Panini
Directions
Ingredients
Wings and more are hits at Elis House of Wings.
Contributing photo
April 2, 2008
1.) Assemble as a normal sandwich,and butter the outside of the bread.2.) If you would like, add season-
ings to the outside of the bread forextra flavor.3.) Grill the panini in a hot skillet
until the cheese is melted and thesandwich is heated through.4.) Serve with a hot bowl of soup or
a salad, or another favorite side dish.
2 slices Italian breadShaved turkey (as desired)2 slices tomatoLettuce2 slices cheddar cheese
Italian dressingButter
There are a lot of restaurants
now that serve gourmet-style
sandwiches but they often cost
a lot, especially when you are on
a college students budget.
So I am offering you a recipe
for a fancy Panini-style sand-
wich that you can easily make
at home.
There are a lot of ways that
you could vary this recipe to fit
what you have around the house,
as well as to what will fit in your
budget.
My favorite additions to this
sandwich is cranberry jelly and
leftover stuffing; it tastes just
like Thanksgiving dinner on a
sandwich.
You can put anything in the
sandwich, including vegetables
for any vegetarians.
It is so quick and easy to make
and at much lower cost than go-
ing to a fancy sandwich place.
-Meghan Dolney
Crunch on Elis House of Wings
Chicken wing lovers unite atElis House of Wings located at
1002 West 26th Street.This corner bar is home to 57flavors of wings with attitudeand many more dinner items.
Owners Mighty Mike Maggioand Randy Crawford have beenserving up huge chicken wingswith expert flavor.
Favorite flavors range fromHoney BBQ to Cajun Parme-san Jerk.
Cranch, another favorite,mixes Cajun spices and ranchsauces to create a fun, newflavor.
Along with the original fla- vors, any wings can be madeextra special with dry season-ings sprinkled on top for anextra kick and layer of taste.There is a minimum order of
eight wings at a cost of $.50per wing.On Mondays, stop by for $.35
wings in-house only.Crisp veggies and bleu cheese
or ranch can be ordered on theside to accompany your order.
For those ladies that have aboyfriend who can dominate30 wings in one sitting, dontworry; wings arent the only
items on the menu.Munch on appetizers like
deep-fried pickles or Frenchfries and waffle fries with your
choice of seasoning.Chicken sandwiches and
several burger styles are alsoavailable, ranging from $3.25to $5.50.A word to the wise if youre
looking for a quick stop to getwings: This is not the place forultra-quick service unless youhave called ahead your order. Appetizers and fries will
come out before your orderof wings, which take about 30minutes or more.
Stomachs may growl for afew minutes, but believe me, itis worth it.
Kitchen hours are Mondaythrough Saturday from 4:30p.m. to 12 a.m., and the bar isopen until 2 a.m.
By Shelley TurkStaff writer
Name: Zach Pekor
Year: Junior
Major: Environmental Intelligence StudiesHometown: Plum Borough, Pa.
Favorite thing about Mercyhurst: The really awesome
people and friends I have made
Least favorite thing: The endless amounts of snow and
rain
Campus activities: MSG, Tri-Beta, Ambassadors, RA,
Student-Run Musical, Green Energy Review Board
Anything else interesting about you: I am in Urban
Dictionary; look it up. I hope I become a household name.
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
13/24
PAGE 13ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
tHeBuZz
MARCH 3. Dolly Par-ton. Benedum Center,Pittsburgh.
MARCH 3-9. DancingQueen. Fallsview CasinoResort, Niagara Falls,Ont.
MARCH 3. Dionne Warwick. Seneca EventsCenter, Seneca NiagaraCasino, Niagara Falls,N.Y.
MARCH 4. Down. TownBallroom, Buffalo.
MARCH 4. The Hush
Sound. Mr. Smalls The-atre, Millvale.
MARCH 5. Bon Jovi,Daughtry. Mellon Arena,Pittsburgh.
MARCH 5. Henry Rol-lins. Rex Theatre, Pitts-burgh.
MARCH 7. Bruce Spring-steen and the E StreetBand. HSBC Arena, Buf-falo.
MARCH 7. Adrian BelewTrio. Beachland Ballroom,Cleveland.
MARCH 8. Bob MouldBand. Grog Shop, Cleve-land.
MARCH 8. DisneysHigh School Musical:The Ice Tour. MellonArena, Pittsburgh.
Courtesy of Goerie.com
April 2, 2008
The curtain is about to go up
on a classic.
Tennessee Williams A Street-
car Named Desire is a Pulitzer
Prize-Winning play. It also won
the New York Drama Critics
Award for Best Play and is an
integral part of American lit-
erature.
The play takes place in New
Orleans and highlights the char-
acters struggle for happiness
and sanity in an atmosphere of
aggressive love and violence.
Former Erie Playhouse direc-
tor David Matthews is directing
this Mercyhurst College produc-
tion of Streetcat.
Williams is Matthews favorite
playwright and has directed all of
his major works.I love this [play] the best. I
thought it would be a real chal-
lenge to the actors and the audi-
ence, said Matthews.
While the play is a classic
Matthews feels the themes have
lasting relevance.Even though the play is
60- plus years old, it speaks to
todays generation, I feel, Mat-
thews said.
Junior Megan Farber is eager
to see the play.
Im excited to see something
on campus that is a classic and a
little more relatable than Shake-
speare, Farber said.
Junior Randy Tucker agrees.I
think its cool to see my peers
on stage and being familiar with
the play will make it that much
better, Tucker said.
Senior Joe Zamora is play-
ing the famous role of Stanley
Kowalski.
I couldnt have picked a
better play to be my last show at
Mercyhurst. Im glad I got thisopportunity, Zamora said.
Senior Jessica Hudack will por-
tray the tragic character of the
troubled sister, Blanche Dubois.
This show is definitely a chal-
lenging experience. There was so
much work to be done in such
a short time and it really flew,
Hudack said.
Junior Amanda Valauri is also
excited for the show and will playStella Kwalski.
This has been my favorite play
since I read it in high school. Im
thrilled that I got to actually be in
it,Valauri said. There is a lot of
action in the play which makes it
fun to perform.
The play will come to life from
Thursday, April 3 to Sunday,
April 6 at 7:30 p.m. and the
Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. inTaylor Little Theatre.
Tickets are for sale at the
door.
By Mason LorekStaff writer
American classic Streetcar to hit Taylor Little
Apparently the fall of 2007
occurs in late March of 2008. At
least that is the impression Panic
at the Disco (PATD) has.
Their too long awaited sopho-
more record was slated for a
release date in the fall of last
year. Alternative Press took
that projection to the bank by
putting the new album on their
Most Anticipated Albums of2007 list.
Well finally the Las Vegas boys
decided it was finally time to con-
tinue their stint in the music busi-
ness and actually release a new
album. Pretty. Odd. hit store
shelves and online music data-
bases on March 25, making the
gap between their debut album
A Fever You Cant Sweat Out
and the overly anticipated new
album two-and-a-half years.
While fans were stuck sing-
ing along to the painfully radio-
friendly hits off Fever, theband was supposedly busy writ-
ing their new record. After a few
headlining tours and a brief visit
to Europe, the band seemed to
get their act together and wrote
the 15-track album.
The band also decided to
overhaul the sound so many
fell in love with in 2005. The
new record relies not on studio
production and massive amountsof electronic effects, but on real
instruments and actual perfor-
mance.
The songs still maintain
a dance-pop feel to them as
Fever made famous, but the
band takes their sound and
regresses to early influences of
The Beatles, ragtime and big-
band jazz ensembles.
The first single off the new
album, Nine in the Afternoon,
was released on the bands
MySpace page and iTunes on
Jan.28. PATDs new musicaldirection will no doubt change
the demographics of the listen-
ers. With influences your parents
grew up on and still love, they
will probably take a liking to the
new Panic at the Disco.
Musically the album is astro-
nomically better than A Fever
You Cant Sweat Out, both in
arrangement and performance.
The band learned that electronicsimulations of instruments never
sound as good as the instruments
themselves, and enlisted the helpof studio musicians to playeverything from trumpets toaccordions.
The 20-something year-
olds in the band chose Danny
Elfman to produce Pretty.
Odd. Elfman, a Grammy and
Emmy award winner, mixed
the album at the famous Abbey
Road Studios where bands like
The Beatles, Pink Floyd and U2
recorded some of their definingrecords.
The record sounds as if it
is torn between two eras; the
modern era of experimen-
tal rock, and the classic era of
simple song structure and thin,
flat sounds.
Thanks to the help of Elfman,
Panic at the Disco managed to
seamlessly blend the two vastly
different eras into one solidsound.
Considering Pretty. Odd
took over two years to write
and produce, the quality of the
album is very lack luster.
It feels as if the band forgot
about their contract and had to
quickly write a record in a few
months.
Overall the album is disap-
pointingly mediocre.
By Greg SummyStaff writer
Junior Amanda Valauri and senior Joe Zamora with sopho-
more Jessica Hudack, right, in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Contributed photo
Panic at the Disco album: Pretty Odd indeed
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPAGE 14 April 2, 2008
Observe the beauty andpower of the MetropolitanOpera at The Mary DAngeloPerforming Arts Center con-tinuing with one of the worldsmost famous operas, LaBohme.
Told through the eyes of agroup of young bohemians,La Bohme is often referredto as the quintessential operaof romance and tragedy. This
famed story of love, loss andsurvival has gone on to inspiremany productions, includingJonathon Larsons modern-daymusical Rent.
Set in the slums of Paris,painter and poet Marcello andRodolfo, roommates and bestfriends, try to keep warm theonly way possible by burningpages from Rodolfos latest
drama.Their friends Colline, a young
philosopher, and Schaunard, amusician, also struggle to sur-vive. To all of their wonderful
surprise, Schaunard has landeda job and brings food, fuel andfunds to add to the warmth andhelp survive this bitter winter.
While trying to celebratetheir unexpected fortune, thelandlord, Benoit, arrives tocollect the rent, which they donot have. Showing no respectfor Benoit they mock him, andthen throw him out.
The friends depart withhope to continue their celebra-tion at the nearby Caf Momus.Rodolfo stays behind but prom-ises to join them soon.
There is another suddenknock: their neighbor, Mim,says her candle has gone out onthe drafty stairs and she appearsfaint and shivering.
Offering her wine, Rodolforelights her candle and helpsher to the door. Mim realizesshe has dropped her key, andas the two search for it, bothcandles are blown out. In
the moonlight the poet takesthe girls shivering hand, tellingher his dreams. From there,the romantic tragedy beginsto unfold.
Mercyhurst College joinsover 600 venues in 13 countriesacross the world in broadcast-ing this iconic production.
The broadcast is made pos-sible by a dozen of strategically-placed cameras offer brilliantclose-ups.
The close-ups reveal thedetails of costumes and facialgestures, and capture sweep-
ing wide angles of dance andpanoramic spectacle.
La Bohme will broadcaston Saturday, April 5 at 1:30 p.m.
Student tickets are $15.
By Jordan ZangaroStaff writer
Mercyhurst Performing Arts Center to broadcast opera La Boheme
This weeks film is one that
Ive been looking forward to
since I learned that it was sched-
uled to be shown. It didnt get
the attention that Atonement
and No Country For Old Men
did but, given the subject of the
movie, anonymity is fitting.
The film is called Control
and is a biopic on the life of Joy
Division singer Ian Curtis. Based
on the book Touching From a
Distance, written by Curtis wife
Deborah, shows the sad, intro-
verted teenager that was, accord-
ing to Bono, the best frontman in
rock until his suicide at 23.
Roger Ebert gives the follow-
ing synopsis.The movie is quietly, superbly
photographed and acted. It is in
black and white and gray, of
course, and we sense Ian was a
man who dreamed in shadows,
not colors. He is played by Sam
Riley, who makes him seem
always alone.
There is a lot of performance
footage, but Riley sees Ian not
so much performing as func-
tioning.
His bandmates sometimes
look at him with that inward
expression people get when they
wonder if they have enough gas
to get to the next gas station.
Much of the film focuses on
Curtis affair with Belgian jour-
nalist Annik Honore.As in the book, this is shown
as an example of one of Ians
enablers and Ebert speculates
that love didnt so much mean
what he felt for a woman, but
what she felt for him.
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone
agrees with Ebert: Shot with a
poets eye in a harshly stunning
black-and-white, who cuts to
the soul of Ians life and music.
You dont watch this movie, you
live it.
Control will be shown at
the PAC at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 2. Tickets are
free for students with an ID.
By Mason Lorek
Staff writer
Control is based on Touching From a Distance.
Control, biopic film on Ian Curtis to show at PAC
PAC photo
Lake Erie Ballet Company presents 50th anniversary gala
Lake Erie Ballet (LEB), a
small professional ballet com-
pany composed of Mercyhurst
dancers, presents its 50th anni-
versary gala performance.
The performance consists of
several works that will be danced
by the LEB company members.
Concerto for Two Violins,
choreographed by LEB artistic-
director Lesley Bories-Scalise,
is a ballet in three movements
that somewhat mimics the Bal-anchine style.
Another piece, created by
Alethea Bodine, is a more con-
temporary ballet on pointe.
The creation process for this
piece also involved collabora-
tion between the dancers and
Bodine, as the dancers offered
choreographic input.
Mercyhurst College dance
instructor Michael Gleason has
also choreographed a piece for
the gala, titled Suite Roman-
tique. This work is a Romantic-style ballet with opening and
finale, variations, duets, trios,
and pas de deux. SoMar, the
Erie-based modern dance com-
pany directed by Mercyhurst
professors Mark and Solveig
Santillano, will also present two
works at the LEB gala.
Mercyhurst student and LEB
company member Lauren Sten-
roos said, The show should be
very diverse and exciting, fea-
turing many different styles of
pointe work.It will also be a nice experi-
ence for the Mercyhurst dancers,
who through this performance
will get the chance to perform in
the Erie community in a venue
outside the Mercyhurst Dance
Department.
The 50th anniversary gala per-
formance is on Saturday, April
5 at 7 p.m. at Villa Maria High
School, located on 2403 W. 8
Street.Prior to the performance,
there will also be an Infor-
mance reception at 6 p.m.,during which portions of dance
works will be shown and the
public may talk to the dancers
and choreographers. Refresh-
ments will also be served until
7 p.m.
Tickets for the LEB perfor-
mance cost $15 for adults and
$10 for students and seniors
and may be purchased by calling
814-871-4356 ext. 101.
By Sarah Mastrocola
Staff writer
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
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PAGE 15ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTApril 2, 2008
I thought it was a pretty origi-nal decorative idea this fall whenI decided to forego the usual
purchasing of Scarface post-ers and sports heroes to linethe walls of the bedroom in my
apartment.Instead I decided to cut up
most of the liner notes from my
CDs and paste them up aroundmy bed and desk.
I kept most of the sheets from
each band together: REM andBen Folds (with or without theFive) around the dresser; Match-
box Twenty and Train alongsidemy bed and Dave Matthews(solo and with DMB) above my
computer.
However, that did leave oneprivileged position remaining.
What would go on the door lead-ing into the room?
My choice was Third EyeBlind, the only band I saw live
in concert this summer. They played a venue called
Newport Music Hall, adjacent
to the campus of The OhioState University in Columbus.Its also the first place U2 played
in the States.It was a total of 10 hours
driving for me and three of my
friends from back home, but itwas well worth it.
The San Francisco alt rock-
ers made it big in the late 90swith a number of hits off theireponymous first album, includ-
ing Losing a Whole Year,Graduate, Jumper, HowsIt Going to Be, and Semi-
Charmed Life.Their next album, Blue, did
modestly well and includes a few
songs that still get some radioplay, Never Let You Go andDeep Inside of You.
Their third album, Out of the
Vein, was a commercial flop ,asElektra Records crumbled and
the band received little PR.However the album still had
quite a few worthwhile songs,
including Faster, Blinded,Crystal Baller and the bonustrack, Another Life.
Recently they released ACollection through RhinoRecords that includes all of
their hits and some other lesswell-known tracksMy Life inExile (originally only a Japanese
release), Tattoo of the Sun (anever-before released single) andMotorcycle Drive-By, many
hardcore Third Eye Blind fansfavorite song.
This is all important for only
two reasons: first, Third Eye Blindis coming to Penn State Behrendthis Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m.
Doors open at 7p.m., andthere is also an opening act yet tobe announced. Tickets are $20
and can be obtained by following
this link: http://www.erie.psu.edu/NewsCal/news2008/feb-
3eb.htm.Secondly, the band is planning
on a new studio release some-
time this summer named after aC.S. Lewis novel, The HideousStrength, which means that the
show this weekend could be anopportunity to hear some newsongs before they get released,
in addition to all their hits. The band is really electric
on-stage. Stephen Jenkins, the
front-man, is wildly charismaticand entertaining.
Leo Kremer has recently
become a full-time member ofthe band, taking on the bassistrole due to the personal drug-
and-alcohol demons Arion Sala-zar has been going.
Tony Fredianelli also plays
drums and does some back-upvocals, and drummer Brad Har-greaves really holds down the
beats admirably well. He can play
a mean solo, too.3eb functioned really well
in the low-key, 1500-personformer-ballroom where I sawthem.
At one point they brought outa couch and bongos in order toconvey to the crowd the process
by which some of their songs arecreated, and kept the crowd intoit, allowing them to sing choruses
to some of their major hits. They played an encore that
included God of Wine and
Slow Motion, a song releasedonly as a beautiful piano instru-mental on Blue but with the
disquieting lyrics on A Collec-tion.
It acts as a satire on the hip-
hop image creation from whichmillions of inner-city lives arelost while corporations and
individuals profit mercilessly,and the crowd was chanting forit between songs within six songs
into their set list.
By Kyle King
Contributing writer
Blues, folk and gospel collide
when Grammy nominee EricBibb, The Campbell Brothersand Eries own Martin Luther
King, Jr. Gospel Choir take thestage for an electrifying eve-ning at the Mary DAngelo Arts
Center of Mercyhurst College The godson of Paul Robe-
son, the nephew of John Lewisand the son of Leon Bibb, EricBibb grew up in the New YorkCity folk scene of the 1950s and
60s.Given his first steel-string
guitar at age seven, Bibb was
born into what he calls a magi-cal world that he never left.Influenced by the sounds of his
father and family friends such
as Bob Dylan Odetta and Joan
Baez, Bibb recounts that therewas nothing more alluring than
actually playing and singingand decided to turn his passioninto a career.
Nearly four decades later,
Bibb has performed in morethan 130 shows across threecontinents and has recorded an
astonishing 15 albums.Bibbs live performances are
truly an enriching experience,
both musically and spiritually.
With his soulful and gospel-infused style, Bibb has brought
what the Dayton Daily Newscalls grace, elegance and gen-tleness to the stages of such
legendary events as the Glaston-bury Festival in the UK, Austra-lias Port Fairy Folk Festival and
Canadas Edmonton Folk Festi-val and to venues such as the BBKing Blues Club in New York
City.
Bibb and Company will takethe stage on Friday, April 4, at
8 p.m.Bibb will also provide a
unique experience for Englishmajors in Dr. Brian Reeds Afri-
can-American Literature classon Friday, April 4 at 11:30 p.m.to discuss his experience as an
African American singer/songwriter.
Following Bibb is a soulful
group that get your heart beat-
ing and your hands clapping. The Campbell Brothers
have performed for thousandsof fans in venues across the world including the Kennedy
Center, the Hollywood Bowland at events such as the annualBonnaroo Arts and Music Festi-
val in Manchester, Tenn, whichrepresents the whos who in themusic world.
The steel guitar-wielding
gospel group emerged from the African-American Holiness-
Pentecostal Church, where theyhave been an integral part ofworship for more than 60 years.
The Campbell Brothers have
brought the soul-stirring soundsof what is known as the SacredSteel repertoire to concert halls
and festivals around the world.Playing to these audiences has
allowed The Campbell Brothers
to share their music with both
the devoted and rocking.Included in the group, which
has been playing together fornearly two decades, are pedalsteel guitarist Chuck Campbell
and his lap steel guitar-playingbrother, Darick.
Noted as two of the finest in
this tradition, Chuck and DarickCampbell have earned criticalacclaim, leading Andy Grigg of
Real Blues to praise Chuck as
the Jimi Hendrix of the steelguitar.
Making up the high-energyrhythm section of the groupare brother Phil Campbell onelectric guitar, his son Carlton
on drums and bassist MalcolmKirby.
To finish the evening, Bibb
will return to the stage to play with The Campbell Broth-ers and Eries own 50-member
Martin Luther King, Jr. Gospel
Choir for a performance that issure to blow the roof off the
Mary DAngelo PerformingArts Center.
For information or tickets
about Friday nights show, callthe Mary DAngelo Performing Arts Center box office at 824-
3000. Tickets for Mercyhurst stu-
dents are $10 with a Student
ID.
By Jordan ZangaroStaff writer
Spiritually enriching African-American groups to electrify PAC
Behrend hosts alternative rockers Third Eye Blind
8/6/2019 The Merciad, April 2, 2008
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PAGE 16 OPINION
The Good
March is going out likea lion, which means Aprilshould come in like a lamb:Hello spring!
Hillary Clintons rallyhas drawn support of thelocal community as well asnational news coverage.
March Madness may bealmost over, but open-ing day of baseball haspassed, leaving sports fanssatisfied.
The Bad
The REC, among manyother facilities, were inac-cessible for an entire daydue to Hillary Clintonsvisit.
We have to wait untilnext week for the nice
weather to kick in, unfor-tunately.
The Ugly
Seniors, if you want abig kid job but are stillwithout one, you officiallyhave less than 50 days tosecure one.
One of the gates nearEgan Hall that blocks offthe semi-circle drive, seemsto have been the victim ofa hit-and-run because it isall smashed up.
Please e-mail any suggetions to
opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
The GB&U is a compilation of
student opinions.
The Good,the Bad &
the Ugly
April 2, 2008
This past weekend I had the,
well say the experience, ofwatching the A & E documen-tary called Jesus Camp.
While slightly disturbed I wasalso happy for people who havefound reasoning in religion.
The documentary centered ona pentecostal camp, evangelicalin nature, for children in North
Dakota. The video showed children
proclaiming themselves to God
and to Jesus Christ. At one point, the youth are
bowling and the girl, Ruth, is
praying that she gets a strike asshe rolls the ball down the lane.
Praying, speaking or reflecting towhatever higher power you mayclaim, is a deeply spiritual and
personal ritual.As I watched the film, I could
not help but think these kids are
making out wish lists for Jesus.The basis of the mission is to
maintain America as a Christian
country. The youth pastor that is a
character in the film goes on to
justify the targeting of Christianchildren because she explainedthat children of different faiths,
i.e. Islam, also target their youthfor extremism and dedication.
As such, any message that is
instilled in children before eight
years of age is likely to stay withthem for most of their lives.
This is true in our own cul-ture.
Many people at this college
were raised Catholic or someother Christian denomination.
In many of these churches,
children are not given the chanceto decide.
Through baptism, churches
are able to ensure their numberspractically at birth.
With regard to the Catholic
Church, the Pope is supposed tovisit the U.S. for the first time atthe end of April.
Thus, there had been concernover Catholic colleges hostingPresidential candidates.
Mercyhurst was fortunate
enough to host Hillary yesterdayand overall serve the community
by allowing people to see a can-didate face-to-face.
Colleges should be allowed to
make their own decisions regard-less of what the Pope says.
Yes, we all believe in the same
doctrine, but students are trainedto be independent thinkers andresolve their own political ideals.
By the time students arrive atcollege, it is more than likely theircore values have already been
instilled since youth.If Catholic-affiliated colleges
are not allowed to diversify their
guests and host people with dif-ferent ideals, we can only hope tofurther the Evangelists mission
of a polarized Christian state.
By Ellen
KoenigStaff writer
As I walked into my apartmenttoday, my roommate attackedme with a sarcastic smirk and
some new information that sentme on a slight vent session.
She informed me of somegood luck that had just beenbestowed on one of my exesin the job department. She
informed me how I could havehad all of my dreams come true
and would never have had towork again had I made differentdecisions in my life.
To that comment, I respondedwith Why do I need a guy witha good job to get everything
Ive ever wanted? Is our soci-ety really still that backward thatwe, deep down, still think that
women need men to be finan-
cially secure?I am not trying to sound like
a feminist who puts down guysor knocks down dreams ofbeing a professional housewife,
but seriously, I just spent close
to four years of my life work-ing my butt off so that whenI graduate I could have a good
job and be successful.Im pretty sure my parents
didnt send me to school and
pay thousands of dollars eachyear for me just to find a hus-band.
I mean, I dont think that they
would mind that either, but it isnot the
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