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Vol 73 No. 8 urstCollege 501 E.38thSt. Erie, Pa. 16546

D i r k m a a t i n v e s t i g a t e s f a t a l E g y p t A i r c r a s hDecembHermenau[Features editor ^ ^11 was not a coincidence thatwhen a recent Monday Morninghighlighted the regional andnational prominence of thecollege's forensic anthropologyprogram, Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat,the program's director, wasnowhere to b e found. Instead,he was in Nantucket, R.I.assisting in the investigation of |the crash of EgyptAir Flight

990.The success of the forensicanthropology program is, nodoubt, a result of the projectsand forensiocases mat Dirkmaatgets his hands on. Many ofthose cases are of internationalimportance. In addition to theEgyptAiiLcrash, Dirkmaat alsoworked on the USAir crash inPittsburgh in 1994, as well as ona plane crash on the CaribbeanIsland of Guam in 1997.The crash of Flight 990early hours ofSunday, Oc t 31 . The Boeing767 took off from the JFKInternational Airport at 1:19a-m. EST bound for Cairo,Egypt At approximately 1:50a.m., three minutes after theplane's last radio contact, Flight990 dropped from 33 ,000 feetinto an up and down rollercoaster ride before crashing into

i *~o. KM , .^. Jk . A Gerrn Shuffstall/MerciadL to HL Clarissa Chnstensen, Jeff Cheramie, Dr. Dirkmaat, Tabitha Dyke and Joe Heft

the Atlantic Ocean off the coast cRhode Island. %Dirkmaat, a member of theDisaster Mortuary Teams(DEMORT), was asked to assistin the identification of remains.DEMORT is a federal agencyconsisting of anthropologists,

pathologists, ondontologists andfuneral directors who assist in theidentification of remains. Differ-ent regions of the country havetheir own DEMORT teams to callon in the case of mass disaster,however, Rhode Island's regionwas m issing an anthroplogist and

Dirkmaat stepped in to do theThe job of an anthropologistin a m ass disaster is to pickthrough the skeletal remains ofthe victims and determine the ^sex, age, gender, race and statureof the person and hopefully

identify who that parson was.fDue to their expertise in workingwith fragmentary bone remains,anthropologists are of invaluableimportance in sorting through theremains of a mass disaster. This,however, wasn't always so."It's a critical roll," said

DSrkmaat rf anuuop:w_er.working in any case where jskeletal material is all that is left tto indicate who the person wasand what happened in the lastmoments of their life. "Until fiveyears ago it wasn't a roll that wasreally recognized. Pathologiststried to do all the work."While Dirkmaat s work oncases such as the Flight 990 crashcirculate the college's name allover the countiy, it is his work onforensic cases in Pennsylvaniaand surrounding states thatbenefit students most Dirkmaat

works closely with polidepartments and investistatewide. If a body is fthe state, and all that remprimarily skeletal materodds are that Dirkmaat wthe case and that Mercystudents will be workinalong side him in the forprogram's lab in the basZurn Hall.?'"A lot of growth of thprogram is because we dof hands-on stuff,M saidDirkmaat "Especiallyatundergraduate level, nobany opportunities to be iin a forensic case like thhere. Dirkmaat argues thathand experience is neces-forensicanthropology. j? He also feels that throlirst-hand experience* stuget the opportunity to' gauabilities to do a job that isoften gruesome and em ottaxing. This experience,Dirkmaat argues, also cancome from a text book.Dirkmaat's forensic pris unique jn its ability to dthis. It is because of the gamount of first-hand expethat his students get and bof Dirkmaat's work on inttionally covered cases thyear-old program is slowlysurely beginning to receivnational acclaim.

H e r m a n a n d M o o r e a s s i g n e d n e w p o s i t i o n s a t M e r c y h u r sBy Jen Harwell f INews edi tor! jWhen veteran administrator IWilliam Kennedy transferredfrom the main campus to Mercyhurst-North East, it lefttwo important jobs wide openand big shoes to fi11. Thomas SjHerman, assistant football Hcoach, will take over the ^mposition of dean of discipline.Tyrone Moore, associate vicepresident of ad ministration, willalso incorporate student -^ ^ ^ |employment into his job, oncehandled by Kennedy. I ^MI For Herman, his job will be Iquite different from standing onthe sidelines. He realizes the fl

I

Thomas Herman, newlyappointed dean of discipline

differences he will have to adaptto with taking on this job."My primary job is to be deanof discipline," said Herman."Everybody (at Mercyhurst) hasmore than one job. If I can domore than one job, then I canhelp enhance the college."Herman will also be workingwith Laura Zirkle, dean ofresidents life, to ensure the safetyand well-being of all students."My job is really to helpstudents,*' said Herman. "Stu-dents grow through understand-ing. Unfortunately, sometimesgrowing involves being penal-ized for your actions."Herman and Moore areworking hard to fill the big shoes

Kennedy left behind. Hermanunderstands he has to gain*mastery in his position beforemaking changes."I have to learn itfirst,"saidHerman. "I want to make this jobvery consistent." *Consistency is just what thestudents need and look for withinevery individual in the staff andadministration."If you can handle each caseone at a time, treat each personas a person, and be consistent asyou do it, you'll still have someproblems. But you can sleep atnight knowing that what you aredoing is what's best for theindividual," said Herman.He also emphasized the impor-tance of his role of assistant

UTt

coach on the football teamBeing a coach for 25 yearsfootball is not something thHerman will easily retire. Ahis primary job, football conext -*I'll be less involved nowbefore, but my hobby is fooball,'1 Herman said. *Moore is also stepping innew position. Having workwith career services and houfor many years, Moore has ability to identify needs of tcollege in terms of work stuMoore also gives a tremenamount of credit to Kennedywho put together a good opeing system that Moore andHerman will work hard tomaintain.

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PAGE 2 THEMERCIAD DECEMBER 8,1999

CAMPU SNEWS Millennium BallHurs t ' s Chr is tmas on CampUS (last formal of the centurycelebrates with Erie children IBy Jen HarwellNews EditorThe annual Christmas onCampus will take place Saturday,Dec. 11. This Mercyhursttradition will help an estimated100underprivileged childrenhave a C hristmas to remember.Children from the Erie area,ages 3 to 9 years old will bepaired with a Mercyhurst"buddy." A full afternoon hasbeen planned, including 10different stations where the kidswill make crafts, ornaments andplay games.Santa, played by Dr. EricEaster (who has eaeerlv been

growing his beard for weeks),will make a guest appearance.He will be joined by formerMercyhurst staff member andalum Michelle Garvey who willplay Mrs. Claus.Each child will have thechance to have a picture takenwith Santa Claus and then havethe picture made into a button fora keepsake.Stephanie Trenn, chairpersonof Christmas on Campus, is busypreparing the last minute detailsto m ake Saturday run smoothly."I put hundreds of hours intoorganizing it, and it only lasts afew hours," laughed Trenn.This will be Tr ain 's third year

MY*.*

working on the event, andsecond year as chairperson.It's a lot of fun," said Trenn."People really enjoy workingwith the kids and have a goodtime. A lot of students volunteerduring their tour years.Over 100 students volunteer, asdo other clubs and organizationson campus.The day will be brought to anend with Barry McAndrew'straditional reading of "Twas theNight Before Christmas." Santawill then distribute a special toyor present to each child.

Police and Safety Incident LogNov. 2 Vandalism 7 *$ $Parking lot #1 1A female student reported thather vehicle was spray paintedwith a "peace sign" while it wasparked in the lot outside ofMercy 200. The incident hap-pened between 12:55 p.m. and2:40 p.m.Nov. 5 Natural G as LeakZurn 107 * jHousekeeping personnel found agas leak in Zurn 107 at 3:10 am.National Fuel Gas sent a repaircrew and found the leak was in aline underneath the lab desk.Nov. 6 VandalismBriggs A venueA student's car that was parkedon the street near 41st St andBriggs Avenue w as spray paintedwith light blue paint sometime **between Friday at 11:30 p.m. andSaturday at 8:30 am .Nov* 6 Domestic d isputeDuval ApartmentsOfficers were called to the DuvalApartments for afightbetween amale and female. The female

stated that she had afightwithher boyfriend and wanted him toleave. After determining thefemale was not injured, officersescorted the m ale off campus.Nov. 6 Underage drinkingMcAuley HallRAs asked officers to assist themin breaking up a party in asecond floor dorm room. The RAfound trash bags of empty beercans and took names/ages from13 individuals,Nov. 6 Burglary/unlawfulentry . South BriggsAn officer was dispatched toBriggs to take a burglary report.The residents state that itemswere stolen from their apartmentbetween 11 p.m. Friday night to f.5 am . Saturday. Items includewatches, golf clubs, clothing andcash.Nov. 7 Criminal mischiefvandalism . North BriggsAt approximately2:30 am . avehicle was reported to bedriving on the lawn are a WhenOfficers responded to the call, no

vehicle wasspotted. Later thevehicle was seen parked onBriggs Avenue, but no occupantswere found.Nov. 7 Criminal mischief/vandalism, McAuley HallAt approximately 12:30 am. anRA in McAuley Hall reportedthat a window on the secondfloor stairwell had been broken.Nov. 12 Vand alism ')North BriggsOfficers were called by the RAto take a repo rt for vandalismand a confrontation that occurredin an apartment An altercationbetween roommates resulted indamage to personal property.Nov. 16 Stolen p ropertyEgan Hall/CafeteriaA student reported with police/safety that his back pack and itscontents were stolen from Egancafeteria The backpack, clothingand school books are valued at$255.

Attention Seniors: Gifts are being collected for the Class of 2000$40. or whatever amounttowardHerrmann Student Union and LakerAdvancement

As Mercyhurst gets set to welcome the dawn of a new milMercyhurst Student Government will sponsor thefirstevernium Ball Friday, Dec. 10, from 7 p.m. to midnight at SabeUnion Station. Semi-formal dress is required.Tickets for the ball has been sold outThey include a bufThe buffet will consist of lemon ch icken, fettuccini with alred sauce, California vegetables and a tossed salad. A cashopen for those of age. Soft drinks are included in the costTransportation will be provided from campus to Sabellabuses will run from the townhouses, Baldwin Hall and Duvments.6:50 p.m.7:00 p.m.7:10 p.m.7:20p.m.7:30 p.m.7:4-5p.m.8:00 p.m.9:00 p.m.;9:30 p.m.10:00 p.m10:30 p.mll.OO p.m11:10p.mll:30p.m11:40p.m12:05 a.m.12:20 a.m.

77777

05 p.m15 p.m.25 p.m35 p.m.45 p.m.8:45 p.m.9:30 p.m.10:00 p.m10:30 p.m10:50 p.mll:20p.mll:20p.mll:50p.mmidnight12:20 a.m12:35 a.m

Seniors, looking for at for after graduationVisit the Office of Career Servicopen or update your senior fiCreate your professional resumesign up for on-campus recruiti

Upcoming On-campus recruitersSherwin-WilliamsCornell AbraxasNorthwest Tri-County I.U. #5Perseus HouseSodexho-Marriott Health CareNorwest Financial Pre-screeningoServiceMasterPA Civil Service CommissionHarborcreek Youth ServicesMarriott InternationalJ.C.Penney Co., Inc.Glen Mills Schools;Dietrich Industries

TBA12/14/9912/15/9912/16/991/13/001/19/001/26/002/4/002/10/002/16/003/9/004/11/004/12/00Sign up in Career Services today.

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DECEMBER 8.1999 THEMEROAD

What ? happening...Senior picturesSeniors who have not yet scheduled an appointment for their senior portraitcan do so by calling 1-800-OUR-YEARor by logging onto, school code 712.Hie portraits will be part of the S enior Annual yearbook. Seniors also havethe option of purchasing their pictures.1 Pictures are being taken by Davor' s Studio in the student union: W ednes-day from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 to 5 p m* Thursday from noon to3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to4 p.m.Seniors are required to pay a $5 sitting fee.Those not able to have their portraits taken can reschedule for January 18through January 21and must pay a $10 sitting fee. Males must wear a shirt,tie and jacket. W omen should wear a suit, blouse or sweater.Pictures will also be taken in yo ur academic attire (cap, gown, and hoodwhich are provided). i iEvents on campus: fWednesday 12/8/99Coffeehouse: Mason Dixon will be performing at 9 p.m. in the Laker Inn.Thursday 12/9/99 *Wcgman's Supermarket Sweep. Vans leave from the Union at 8 p.m.Friday 12/10/99 ] * * ? H P * * * ;;Christmas decorating party. 5 p.m. in the Great Room.Candlelight vigil to commemorate humanrightsviolations that occurthroughout the world, 5 p.m. Garvey Park.Saturday 12/11/99 * & * f * fChristmas1 on Campus '*** ' **M o n d a y 12/13/99 'Celebrate the Foundation Day of theSisters of Mercy with a special Mass,4 p.m. in the Christ the King Chapel Dr. Ralph Perrico will be theguest speaker and there will be a light reception in the Chapel foyer follow- !ing Mass.Tuesday 12/14/99 1$ %"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," 9 p.m. in theGreat Room.Wednesday 12/15/99 iCoffeehouse: Christmas cookie decorating, 9 p.m. in the Laker Inn.'Thursday 12/16/99 .Snow person building contest, 8 p.m. in front of the union.Annual Candlelight Mass:The traditional candlelight Mass will beheld Sunday, Dec. 12, at 10 p.m. inthe Great Room. The M ass is a beautiful celebration open to all religious denominadons. Students are urged to attend.Christmas sale in bookstoreThe bookstore will be open from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Dec.'15, for theannual Christmas sale. Selected items will be marked down.^Senior representative position!;Seniors who arc interested in a senior representative position with scholar-ship op portunities are encouraged to turn their letters of intent to the StudentUnion office by Dec. 13.Hurst Rock Cafe changing hoursThe Huist Rock Cafe, the student produced 30-minute TV magazine show, ischanging its hours. The new show time is 5 p.m Monday through Friday onEric Cablevision channel 62 or 19B. The hosts until Christmas break^areSteve Toiricro and M arisa Ortman with Mary Kathryn Hardcs directing. Allstudents are welcome to come on theshow. It is produced in the communica-tion s department in the basement of Baldwin Hall $M-v* icciie of The Merciad: Jan. 12,2000

7 CAMPUSNEWAdministrators expect minimal imfromiEx corde EcclesiaeThe National Conference of CatholicBishops' recent passage of Ex cordeEcclesiae, Pope John Paul H*sapostolic document o utlining hisvision for Catholic higher education,should not dramatically impactMercyhurst, according to collegeadministrators."Implementing the norms outlinedin Ex corde will not significantlyinterfere with the day-to-dayoperations at Mercyhurst/' said Dr.William P. Garvey, college presi-dent 'The Sisters of Mercy havealways emphasized the importanceof an ecumenical spirit that w el-comes all faiths and that will notchange nor is it expected to by Ex

corde. In fact, Mercyhurst's by-lawsalready commit the college toremain a Catholic institution in thetradition of the Sisters of Mercy andwe find little threatening or new inthe Ex corde stipulations.'*Ex corde, which will go into effectone year after it receives the ex-pected ratification from the Vatican,makes three main stipulations. Theyare that: 1. The majority of facultymembers and trustees of Catholiccolleges beCatholic; 2. Presidents ofCatholic colleges should be Catho-lic; and 3. Faculty members whoteach theology must be approved bythe local bishop. 'The documentcalls for a majority of facultyr.i.-

members and trusteesnot everyone. A majorfaculty and trustees areCatholic," said Dr. Josvice president of acadeFurther discussion ancorde, however, are neMercyhurst prepares tothe norms. "We* re planfaculty forum and faculto study the document,"And we will continue(Erie Catholic) BishopTrautman on how we ctogether on the implemDates and locations forand workshops will belater this month.Christmas concert benefits?Habitat for HumanitOn Saturday, Dec. 11, a benefitconcert will be held for the Habitatfor Humanity spring project inAnniston, Ala. The concert will takeplace in Christ the King Chapel at 7p.m. - *. ; IThe conceit will be performed by]faculty, alumni and students Louisa gJonason, Michelle G arvey, VenusSalinas, Karen Jones, Annie Onifrey,Dana Delaney, Ray F ritz, Daniel

Cabanillas, Glen Kwok, and RobertThomas.Every year during spring breakmany students give up their vacationto help build a house or makeimprovements to an existing housein order to eliminate the povertyhousing problemin our country. tf|Money is needed for travel s. .expenses and for fixing up the houseMercyhurst students will be working

on.A free will offering wat the concert to help thChallenge 2000 spring program that Habitat fosponsors. A donation isto payvoices and for the livesstudents and the needy enhanced by this oppor

la concert of b

T. CHRISTMAS SALEis BACK at theMERCYHURST COLLEGE BOOKSTORE

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ONE DAY ONLYWEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1516:00 p .m. until!! 0:00 p.m.

YOU WILL RECEIVE$3.00 OFF ALL CLOTHINGPRICED at $7.00 or MORE.THIS INCLUDES ITEMS ALREADY MARKED DOWN

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PAGE 4 THEMERCIAD DECEMBER 8,1999ARTS&ENTERTAINMENTFear, Loathing and

Phishing in RochesterBy Ken FronczekA & E editorWe w ere somewhere aroundBarstow, on the edge of thedesert, when the drugs began totake over..." (An exerpt fromFear and Loathing in LasVegas")* fOn the road the monotonousscenery passed thoughtlessly. Wedrove on, pedal down, eyes setupon the shifting horizon, enginegunning at 90 toward New York- Rochester to be more specific.My attorney Lily Von Stupp (Dr.Gonzo in disguise), along withtrusted sidekick Killer Kowalski,advised me to drive at top speedand maybe, somehow, someway,we could get there before I;turned into some damned wildanimal.Rochester, as we*d soon findout, was far more difficult tonavigate across without clear *directions than we had figured,but we made good time anyway.Is everybody in? Is everybodyseated? The show is about tobegin. $We stumbled and swayedamong thousands of other lost

souls in search of the spirit of anelder generation, in search ofmusic that is true and pure,awaiting the band ... Phish.For those of you unfortunateto have never seen Phish, theonly way to accurately describetheir music is as a cleansing toyour ears. Impeccable timing,precision, energy and deliveryprevails throughout their sound,which makes mem one of themost exciting and outstandingmusical acts ever. Last Sundaywas no exception.Phish opened with the gritty,Led Zepplinesque song "Carini,"and from there carried on a ratherunusual first set Unusual for thenumber of rather unfamiliarsongs they played. The first set -was good, but it just lacked thestrength of many other sets Ihave heard from the band. Thesecond set would change all of*1thaw i & RW iThe opening of the second, ^one hour, 36-minute long set wasmind-boggling to say the least Ariveting version of "Mike'sSong" ignited the audience andset the tone for the rest of theevening. "Mike's Song" went*

Heads will rollJust the Ticket

Brandon Boy IanWithout a doubt, Sleepy Hollowis one of my favorite films of thefall season. Several people have'iexpressed their disappointmentin the film, calling it "toopredictable" and "untypical ofTim Burton." However, 1 felt-that the magnificently craftedscenery emerging from a readihbuilt gothic town was a goodbasis loracinematie text. *|The story is loosely structuredaround Washington Irving's"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," jwi th a few minor changes to thecharacters. 1 think that thechanges helped the linear plotrather than hindering it from telling the actual story. Depp'scharacter, Ichabod Crane, arrives1to a desolate town called SleepyHollow (outside of N .Y.Q) inorder to solve some unusualcrimes. The victims of theHorseman are found beheaded,yet their heads are not found atall. W hile working on the case,

Crane*s standard methods ofsol vi ng the crimes are put to thetest. Investigating the murders,he meets the serene Katrina VanTassell (played by ChristinaRicci) with whom he falls inlove. |I loved this film immensely.Burton captured the juvenile,adolescent humor along with thegrotesque, squeamish content ofthe original story. The cast *couldn't be any more perfecteither. Alongside Burton, Deppand Ricci accompany the |&j |creepiest man in Hollywood,Christopher Walken, as the ,.noiorious Horsernan. &The story is very straightfor-ward, confusing at times, yetnonetheless, every question youhave about the film is answeredm the movie's final scene/Withthe impeccable cast, beautifully^construed cinematograph) andIrving and Burton's fantastyillusions, the film's clash ofblack humor and mystery make |it a impelling story full of ^intrigue w ith a curiously twistedvoyage into the secrets of theforest. I gave it a 9 out of 10.

straight into the new Phish dancecraze, "Meatstick," after someteases of the song "Simple."I "Meatstick," which is planned tobreak a Guinness world recordthis New Year's Eve in SouthFlorida for the number of peopledancing at once, went straightinto ""I am Hydrogen," whichthen flowed into an energeticallydelirious"Weekapaug Groove.*'These four songs in a rowformed one stellar movement ofsound that purely entranced thecrowd for nearly 40 minutes. Thesong "Brian and Robert"followed after a loud ovation,then Phish debuted a new songfor the crowd, "Jennifer Dances."The band picked the tempo backup with a crushing finishcomprised of the very popularsongs "Maze," "Fluffhead," "ChalkduBt Torture" and"Frankenstein." Exit stage left, ^another wild ovation, and then an11-minute encore/Tharacter*?Zero" kept the pace of the lastfour songs before an acappellaversion of "Hel 1o My Baby"completed the nightAll in all another great showdespite being indoors, and arather subdued first set Thesecond set is where Phish burneddown the house and churnedeveryone into a dancing frenzy.Next stop, Big Cypress andthe millennium. For the full setlist, showtimes, etceteras, contact

New millenniufashion tipsSpotlight onFashion

Heather C vitovikAs the millennium approaches itis ime o clean out your closetsof all those things that are too90s and prepare for the approach-ing new year. Here's a guide ofthings to ditch and things thatwill last into the new year.Gone for Good %* Fanny packs. Fashion gurooscalled this the utilitarian pack ofthe 90s but all it really is isa sad reminder of the worst of80s wear. Please getrid of thesebefore you become a touristat Disney World.* Spandex. Another reminder of -the 80s, but an even worse one.This is not a flatteringmaterial, in case you h adn'tnoticed. Try Lycra if you real 1yneed conforming clothes. It'smore breathable and a lot lessreflective of all your, urn, curves.* Handbags shaped like littleanimals. Bunny, bears, turtlesand bees in little bags are forlittle kids.* Baby backpacks, baby barettesand baby pacifer necklaces.Pacifer necklaces? What werewe thinking?* Acid wash. It was cool. Once.But i ts not corning back. Ever!* Overplucked brows. Pencil thinjust isn 't cool anymore. I'm notsaying let your unibrowgrow back in, but a little thick-ness isn' t bad.* High maintenance makeup.Just take a look at the runways.

Natural colors are back don't need to look like ygoing out for Halloweengood.* Lip liner in one shadein another. Gone are thebrown lip liner with amuch lighter glossy shalipstick. All the major ccompanies make lip linematch almost every shadlipstick that they make.* Big bangs, crunchy peskunk roots and the famFriends' cutKeep these around:* Jeans. Jeans will neveof style. They come i nshades and a m illion styThere is apair of jeans teverybody.* Your favorite little blaThis is an item that has baround forever and willNEVER go out of style.you feel sexy, which is oreason alone to keep it a* Bejeweled bobby pinsare pretty and feminine;look good with jeans anddresses. And they can tuhair day into a great one* Sequins. They have regotten big, but they are hstay. You can find themevery things from little tdresses. You can wear mwork, class as well as outhe town. You can even them yourself to old tanksweaters or jeans top to gyour wardrobe a little kic* V anilla Mint Lip BalmBath and Body Works. Iyour lips feel ing kissablsoft, which is great for wball drops. It tastes good2000 li ght-years away from Earth

On the LKen Fronczek

So, it's the last issue of theMcrciad for the millennium, ooh,please hold yourself together untilit's all over.*Therc arc a lot ofthings I wanted to do with mycolumn this week, but the right-wing forces that be said otherwise,as they found my humor toooverpowering. Instead, I'm goingto resort in telling you a little storyabout two heroes of mine.k First of all, let mc tell youhonestly, 100 percent true,someone, and I'm not going ID*name names, but their initials are j

Brian Hut tick, read my columna few eeks ago and actually,thought that Elvis and RonJeremy were shooting a realmovie together A nd no, he*wasn't drunk! The power of the^press at its finest. Onward.If this was a perfect world,Elvis would be Santa Claus, andof course, his best elf wouldhave to be Rockin' Rom The*two would drive a pink convert-ible Cadillac loaded with bumpsin the trunk and zebra interior.Instead of toys, they woulddeliver Chi vas Regal and MontyPython movies as they raced upand down street, knocking overgarbage cans as they sang adirty version ol the "Twelve

Days of Christmas." Whthey would bring to all oterrified children. I can asee a clay-animation cartbeing played on N ickeloInstead of 12 stinky rElvis and Ron would havLaker girls in the back sebearing gifts of their owncaravan would then stir uremaining members of thPranksters and finish thestyle - sipping kool-aid areading bete poetry beforretiring to Larry Flynt's min Beverly Hills.Wherever you are thisHoliday season remembeonly get to see the millenchange once, so go nuts!

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ARTS&PAC closes out 1999 scheduleTh e Maiy D'Angelo Perform-ing Arts Center will feature itslast performances of thismillennium when it shows themovie "Down By Law " on theBig Screen Wednesday, Dec. 8and the Christmas favorite,"Messiah" Sunday, Dec. 12.Described by director JimJarmusch as a "neo-bete-noir-comedy, part nightmare, partfairy tale," "Down By Law" isthe story of two born-to-losesad sacks who wind up in jailtogether. Their dead-end

existences are unexpectedlytransformed with the arrival of ahilariously guileless Italian touristwho leads his cellmates in anunlikely breakout inspired by theAmerican prison movies he hasseen. "Down By Law** starts at 8p.m. and is free to Mercyhurststudents..The D'An gelo School of Musicpresents Part the First of H andel's"Messiah" sung b y student soloistsand members of theErie commu- *nity and friends of the college,under the direction of Conductor

Rebecca Ryan. Come earlyand enjoy a pre-concert oftraditional Christmas cardsfrom Benjamin Britten's"Ceremony of Carols," sungby the Mercy hurst ChamberSingers. A children's choirwill entertain in the lobbyprior to the concertThe performance begins at2:30 and costs $ 17.50 forGold Circle seating, $10 foradults, and $8 for seniors/students. To make reserva-tions, call the box office at824-3000.Cum mings Art Gallery exhibit

By Sarah FosterContributing writerThe Cummings Art Gallery ispreparing for a new art exhibitthat will open Thursday, Dec.9, with a reception from 7 to 9p.m., and will run throughJanuary 13,2000. t * ^The art gallery, located inthe Mary D' A ngelo PerformingArts Center, will host an exhibitof artwork by The Lake ErieFiber Guild. The two mainorganizers of the group are JaneJenkins and PatKearney, whoformed the Guild after both hadattended a Surface Design

Association Conference at theUniversity of Kansas in 1997.Jenkins and Kearney saw a needexisting for a network that wouldafford fiber artists in this region ameans of getting together to shareideas and to obtain useful informa-tion. .,i The Lake Erie Fiber Guildprovides an opportunity for peopleworking in any fiber-related art toexchange philosophies, share \information about sources andresources, and seek venues to showtheir work. Currently there are 16members in the guild. Their regionsinclude Pennsylvania, New Yorkand Ohio.

This is their first groupexhibit and will show a varietyof fiber-related work, includ-ing art quilts, dolls, papermache pieces (includingfurniture), weaving, embroi-deries, wearables and fabricwall-hangings.The" Cummings ArtGallery hours are Tuesdaythrough Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.and Thursday evenings, 7 to 9p.m. There is no admission feefor the exhibits. For more /information call Gary Cardotat 824-2529, or the PAC boxoffice at 824-3000.

Bar crawl on for SaturdayBy Shaun NaveMerciad correspondentLooking for something fun andexciting to do after defilingyourself at the Millenium Ball?How does an old-fashioned barcrawl/scavenger hunt sound?On Saturday, Dec. 11, there willbe a sponsored bar crawl/scavenger hunt The cost is only$12 and includes a free tee-shirtas well as free food and %beverages at two locations.All participants will be ingroups of three to five, onebeing the necessary designateddriver, and will meet at Rosie'sSwinging Door Cafe, 145 E10th St., from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.,wheie there will be free foodand beverages. At 10 p.m.participants will leave Rosie'sfor the other 16participatingestablishments. At eachestablishment, one drink pergroup, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, must be purchased

with a signedreceipt o accom-pany. There will also be a particu-lar item at each place that you willneed to acquire from the bartenderfor bonus points. You do not needto make it to every establishment,only as many as you safely can.All participants will meet back atCalamarTs Squid Row , 1317 StateS t, at midnight where there willagain be food and beverages freeof charge.Based on a scoring system,winning teams will be decided bythe number of scavenger huntitems they recover, receiptsaccumulated, and for bonus points(i.e; a taxicab receipt). Prizesinclude gift certificates to variousrestaurants, T-shirts and hats.To purchase your T-shirtbeforehand, contact John Zagrockior Shaun Nave, Ex t 2996, orBrendan Huttick, Ext 3273. T-shirts will also be available topurchase at Rosie's prior to thescavenger hunt and at Calamari'safterwards.

I am a good, reliableand committeddrummer lookingfor anestablished band oranyone looking toform one.I don't have bighair or wear spandex.Country music makesme sick.I c an't play jazz.Call Brian today at

1-800-786-8937,Ext. 131. Please leavea message.

ENTERTAINMENDonna the? BuffaloForward HallWith more than 10yearsexperience of grassroots cam-paigning on the festival circuit,Donna the Buffalo (Sugar HillRecords) has become one of themost respected acts to emergefrom the old-time, folk rockworld. A unique sound mixedwith reggae, rock, cajun, country,zydeco and folk, Donna theBuffalo has become the latestshybrid act to cross from thetraditional scene into moremainstream rock clubs sinceDavid Grisman and 10,000Maniacs. This summer saw theband stay true to its roots with hitsets at the Telluride BluegrassFestival, North Carolina'sMerlefest and the Finger LakesGrassroots Festival.Unusual instrumentation A

iallows Donna the Buffalo todelve deep into the primordialcore of Am erican musicalhistory, mixing electric guitarswith washboards and Loweryorgan with accordian. Findinginspiration in ideas like commit-ment to community and personal

spirituality, Donna the Bdisplays a phenominal lthat feeds the ears, the mthe soul.Intense socio-politicacontent, brilliant melodishaking rhythms and unable dance grooves thatcrowds into a boogie frethese are the trademarksDonna the Buffalo, a banembodies the emotion anpassion of true Americanmusicians, {"In a perfect world, (In The W eary Land") woentering the charts at NoFrancis Hare, BirminghaWeekly (4 stars) ;Donna the Buffalo brtheir show to Forward HPeach St, Friday, Dec. 1p.m. Tickets cost $ 10 inor $12at thedoor. It is sa great evening for thosenot going to the MillennBall. ' \t%For more informationcontact Zachary Roberts

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OPINIONThe buzz around campus:GOOD . . .The Student Activities Committee sponsored a trip to New IYork City this past weekend Over 90 students traveled toRockefeller C enter on two chartered buses and spent the dayexploring the big apple. Everyone returned safely and had nothingbut good comments about the trip. Rob Kosko, Amy Mahle andKaren Jansen should be commended for planning such an excitingweekend event Thank you also to Melissa Waclawik for diaper- 1oning the event *As a direct result of the student forum held in November,residents of Mercy Apartments now have another parking lotavailable to them. Th e lot behind Baldwin is now open to thoseresidents to help the with the overflow of cars during specialevents in the Ice Center.B A D ..Many people are questioning why there is better attendance atmen 's club hockey games than there is at women's hockey gamesOverall, attendance is low at most all of Mercyhurst's sportingevents. Perhaps students are just too busy with classes andworking ou tside jobs to attend sporting events. Whatever the case,school soirit in these areas leaves a lot to be desired.U G L Y . . .Over the years, people have joked about ''taking out' the lighposts along the drive way leading from the front gates to OldMain because of the somewhat displeasing blue and greenChristmas lights. Wh ile these are the scho ol's colors, perhapsaren't as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of the campus.B O L D . . .A group of students were warned not to attend the men* s vanhockey gam es because of their rowdy behavior. In a school usports attendance is low, attendance should be welcomed, butstudents also need to be respectful while there.BEAUTIFUL!. . . ;Every year Mercyhurst's Old Main is decked out with Christ)cheer, but the lobby of Christ the King Chapel takes the cakeChristmas tree and decorations on the light fixtures m ake forbeautiful site as the entrance to Old M ain. 3S

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CX/SAPUSQJJ E S T I O NDo you like Mercyhurst being on three terms , or would yo u prefer se"This is my last term and I willbe done in February. I like terms.The classes don't have time tobecome mundane in this set up. Iattended a school that used thesemester setting and by the 11thand 12th week of the semester, Iwas usually begging the gods formercy.I feel that this system keepsthe learning fresh, and it givesme theopportunity to meet threenew groups of women each yearinstead of only two." Craig S mith, Senior

"I think that the system we usenow is suitable however theyshould do something to changethe term that is used. Trying to 1'explain to people outside thecollege that we're on terms that 1are actually quarters because ofthe summer term can get quiteconfusing.'' Doug Tidmare, Sophomorem\'Three terms because you canfinish classes in two and a half

months, so if you have a badclass, it's over in a short periodof time.'' * | Shannon Pietrasiewcz,Freshman'Terms because you are able toconcentrate on afewer numberLof classes rather than six or sevenclasses at a time.'I like the factthat we only have the class for 10weeks then we switch." Katie Whitman, Freshman"I love the terms system. Insteadof five or six classes, I have toprepare for four at most It isvery rare that after 10 weeks *I am not ready for a change." Jesse Wakeman, Senior"I prefer terms because youknow that the class will be oversoon. You have less classes soyou can concentrate on them.Pljis, the breaks are more tfrequent." * J ** Kelly Froelich, Sophomore

I prefer terms becauclasses don 't span ovtime like semesters ddon't like a class, youto put up with it for vJill Orlando, JuniI would prefer beingsemesters because ofbreaks at Christmas amore time to cover m Marlel Zummo,

"I like the terms scheformer student at IUPit's a lot easier to focumore successful in leahaving fewer classes terms, verses the normsix class schedule ofsemester program." Tracy Skorupski"I would prefer beingsemesters. I like the lbreaks that semester shave." >?; Kristin PaslowskFreshman

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The true spirit of Christmas 1As Christmas approaches, many people find this time of year a time to reach out to someone lenate, to reunite with family, to celebrate their religious beliefs, and for many children Sanwhat is the true meaning of Christmas? i *Many people get too "wrapped up" in the hustle and bustle of the shopping season, the lighdecorations, gift exchanges and the aesthetics of Christmas. If you take a step back and look apicture, that's not what Christmas i s all about. jjFor Christians, it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. God sent his Son to the world to helpfor a better life and to spread His good news. | Many people try to spread the good news to those who are less fortunate. Many students pChristmas on Campus. They touch the lives of a less fortunate child which often times never sClaus or received a gift on Christmas. Perhaps they have never heard Twas the Night BeforeOther students will make cards for or visit the elderly people at Saint Mary's nursing homepurchases poinsettias which members of the criminal justice honors society deliver next weekcompanies support toys for tots and giving trees.There are opportunities to volunteer in soup kitchens, at malls doing charity events such asgifts and through local organizations, including Campus M inistry;' It is through events such aspeople experience the true meaning of Christmas giving.In giving of our time to help someone in need, giving of our money to a charity in need, gia child who otherwise would not receive one on Christmas morning and in the giving of our lfamily and friends.| i have been lucky to grow up in a large and loving family where Christmas was always a gather the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and now even great-grandchildren together to cfamily bonds we all share. It is my Christmas wish this year that everyone be touched by thoseare more fortunate to be loved, clothed and cared for during the Christmas season.' I hope thatcan feel the joy of closeness with someone in their lives and truly appreciate everything they awith. jI Many people say that the magic i n Christmas is in children. I feel that the true magic in Chwhen you mature and realize that there is deeper meaning in the "sparkle season."Not far behind Christmas comes the long anticipated and somewhat "feared" New Year's Eone seems to be too concerned with the new millennium and Y2K and not how truly amazingYear's Eve will be. Despite the popular belief that the world may shut down at midnight, the ochaos will be caused by people who create the problem by over-reacting to the situation.t This New Year's will be one that we remember forever, and hopefully we'll live to tell ougrandchildren about it. In the spirit of New Year's, we should break tradition and actually keeyear's resolutions. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Carrie Tappe, Editor-in-Chief

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OPINIOT h e s e a s o n f o r ' d ^ o g d g p g M A I L B A G : I n r e s p o n s e t o W i t cQuestioning Faith

Sr . Ger i RosinsldNo, this article is not aboutmoney! Yet, "digging deeper"seems to be what many folks adoing around this time of year!With all of the traffic and parkedcars at the malls these days, it isobvious that many individualsare spending a great deal of time,energy and cash on their prepara-tions for the coming holidays.Are you caught up in this,too? Well, let 's take a moment toconsider the real reason for thisseason... the reason that hasnothing to do w ith your moneyand everything to do with yourheartThanks to M ary of Nazareth'swillingness to trust in themessage of God through the

angel, we have been blessed withthe birth and life of the Son ofGod, Jesus of Nazareth, amongus. Our Creator God so desiredto show us how much we areloved that the divine Son cameto earth, and became human, justlike us! This is an incrediblymomentous event for our humanrace!The four weeks betweenThanksgiving and Christmas, theseason referred to as Advent, area special time of grace to prepareour hearts for this blessed event,as well as our homes.

So, in the short time that Isleft, carve out a few m inutes ofprayer time with God each day.As you try "digging deeper" intoyour elationshipwith thisCreator who loves you more thanyou could ever imagine, yourheart will be blessed beyondyour wildest dreams. This is theseason for miracles, you know!

MAIL BAG: We need a dumpsterI have lived in the DuvalApartments for two years and Iwish we had a dumpster that wascloser than the one we currentlyuse. The closest dumpster is atthe northeast side of the mainte-nance shed. That is approxi-mately a 150-yard walk to thedumpster from west DuvalWhile 150 yards doesn't soundlike that far, try walking it with alarge garbage bag that weighs

anywhere from 15 to 25 lbs. Wecould use a smaller garbage bagbut if we did, we would need tomake more trips, so in the end itall equals out I was told thatthere used to be a dumpsterbetween Duval and the mainte-nance shed. If that statement is\,|true, can we get anotherdumpster put back into the sameplace? Gerrit ShuffstallMEIOADCarrie TappeJen Harwell ;*Scott KoskosklDave HermenauKen FronczekGerrit ShuffstallJennifer KelleyCarrie TappePublisher

Editor-in-ChiefNews EditorSports EditorFeatures EditorA& E EditorPhotographyCopy EditorAdvertisingThe Corry Journal

ovrention of midterm and finals weciu*. WK> rexception ui uuu ,-flect the opinions of The

signed, but your name can be w'thheidon cqconditions. Utters are due on

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FEATURES^S i s t e r D a m i e n , m u c h m o r e t h a n t h e ! " V o i c e o f M e r c y h u rStudents find friend, sports fan and school legend in Sister of MercyBy Dave HermenauFeatures EditorIn the mid 1980s, the administra-tion at Mercyhurst College beganinterviewing for a receptionistThe woman they chose would goon to personify the institution,the values of the Sisters of Mercyand be a friend to every studentto pass through the Hurst's gates.To different people within thecollege community SisterDamien Mlechick takes on manydifferent roles. To many she issimply the college's switchboardoperator, to her work studies sheis a boss and to the college's 500some student athletes, she is theirmost devout fan. Those who donot fit into these slim catego riescertainly still know her; if youknow the name Mercyhurst, theodds are you know the nameDamien.Sister Dam ien grew, up, oneof many children, in a largefamily in DeLancy, Pa. She wasinspired by her parents as well asby herfirstgrade teacher, SisterImmaculate. Sister Damien'sdecision to leave secular lifewouldfindher teaching Catholicchildren o f all ages, accompany-ing an older woman and answer-ing the phone at Mercyhurst JCollege. For the last 15 years, it

Gerrlt Shuftetall/Merclad photographerSr. Damien accepts a donation from Tomas Maher Friday duringthe Times Old Newsies annual fund drive.would have been easy enough forher to simply do her job, do agood job, and leave it at that, butnormalcy w as never Sister #Damien's way.Instead, the aging Sister ofMercy spends every homehockey game in a chilly ice rink,cheering for both the men's andwomen's hockey teams. Shecheers passionately for her teamwith a bell fashioned out of old

airplane parts by a formerstudent's father. Men's IceHockey Coach Rick Ootkin isfull of both admiration for '*Damien's heart and appreciationfor her support"She is absolutely one of themost amazing people I have everencountered in my short time onEarth,'' said Gotkin.Sister Damien's love ofMercyhurst sports extends far

beyond the ice rink."I attend because I think it isimportant to support the stu-dents," said Sister Dam ien,!whose five brothers all playedsports.Those students wh ose talentslay outside the arena of athleticsneed not worry, Sister Damiensupports them as well."I attend everything I can,"said Damien who also attendsplays and many other studentevents.Most importantly, for thosestudents who are not star athletesor artists, who may be strugglingthrough their first year at schoolor intimidated with the impend-ing difficulties of the real worldin their senior year, SisterDamien has a place in her heartfor them as well."She is one of the biggestsupporters of students," saidsenior special education major,Katy Wargo, one of SisterDamien's work study studentsfor three years. "She has alwaysbeen supportive of decisions thatI have made"!Though Sister Damien'sschedule may be jam packed, sheproves that her compassion andlove for all God's childrenextends down the hill and intothe Erie community. Ever since

she has been in control switchboard, Sister Damcollected money at Chrtime for the Times Old annual Needy Fund."Sister Damien has aimmense reservoir of goand that reservoir has nedry," said college presidWilliam P. Garvey.The majority of peopenter Old Main are destcross paths with Sister Dand to Garvey, there canmore fitting introductioncollege."She not only conveof what the school is, whschool with a spiritual bground, but she is such ahuman being that she alconveys the most positivthat kind of institution, tof human, 'down to eartfriendliness that is charaof the college and of theof Mercy," said GarveyAs the college, growsfaces constantly show upcampus. It is not too oftehowever, that a new persmakes the impact Sister has made. In under two dher heart and spirit haveher, in Garvey *s words,"Mercyhurst legend."!

Dance Dept hosts guest artist Ceremony recognizes World AIDS DaBy Charon HrlbarMerciad WriterThis w eek, the dance departmentwill host a guest artist with over20 years of experience. FromSunday, Dec. 5, through Satur-day, Dec. 11, the cnomographerof the Dallas Black DanceTheatre, Milton Tatum, will beholding master classes in Africanand Jazz dancing for dancersstudents at Mercyhurst. $During his visit, Tatum willalso be choreographing a Salsanumber that is scheduled todebut in the Mercyhurst CollegeDance Department's W interConcert. "Raw Edges II** Feb. 12and 13. Tatum, a native ofDallas, Texas, holds the currentposition as Touring Director &Company Manager for the DallasBlack Dance Theatre,Tatum is a graduate of theArts Magnet High School inDallas, Texas and continued histraining at the Dance Theatre o fHarlem, Alvin Alley Am erican

Dance Theatre, American DanceFestival. El Centro College, *Southern Methodist University,and the United States Interna- ^tional U niversity School ofPerforming and Visual Arts. Hehas danced w ith DancersUnlimited, the Dallas BlackDance Theatre and as a guestartist with Dallas Ballet, WichitaFalls Ballet, Bella LewitskyDance Company and in the 1984Olympic Arts Festival. Otherprofessional credits includeleading roles in "Porgy & Bess,""Reminiscing in Tempo," and"Deep Ellum Blues."Tatum has worked as ateacher and choreographer inCalifornia from 1989 to 1998.teaching at such institutions asCalifornia State University. 1 osAngeles and Scripps College,Presently, Tatum is a consultantand teacher for Ballethnic DanceCompany, Athens Clark CountyDance Ensemble both in Athens,Oa. and Inner City Dance inOklahoma City, O kla.

By Dave HermenauFeatures EditorLast year, approximately 5.8million people were infectedwith HIV, the virus that leads toAIDS. Last week, in recognitionof World AIDS Day, Dec. 1,Mercyhursfs Gay-StraightAlliance hosted a World AIDSDay Recognition Ceremony."Each day, AIDS claims16,000 lives,** said one of theevent's organizers, junior TimMcNichol. According toMcNichol, the 25-minute'ceremony aimed at bringingawareness and recognition to oneof society's biggest killers. Theevent incl uded a moment ofsilence, the lighting of a candleof hope, a presentation byMcNichol, a prayer conducted bythe Rev. James Piszker ofcampus ministry and wasfollowed by refreshments.

The ceremony, held in theGreat Room of the student union,attracted approximately 6 0people from the Mercyhurst andErie communities. At a timewhen AIDS is receiving lesscoverage from the popular mediathan earlier in the decade,McNichol was glad to have thesupport"We had very good support,faculty response was excellentand that is something for whichMercyhurst College should becommended,** said McN ichol.One of h is fears is that thedecreased media coverage willcause people to think that a curefor the epidemic is near. This isnot so. While better drugs have-come about in recent years thatdecrease pain for AIDS sufferersand increase life span, there isstil 1 no cure."AIDS needs to be kept in themedia,** said M cNichol, "people

need to be bombarded.**For many AIDS actianother aim is to humandisease and make peoplethat the disease has victimsexual orientations, gendsocial classes and races.With 33.4 million peoliving with HIV/AIDS, tis certainly not going awmuch work must inevitainto beating the killer. Mstresses that everyone cathis effort*T ask that everyone volunteer time to someonhas AIDS and in the battagainst AIDS,** said a paMcNichol.Editor** note: Statisticthis article arefrom heorganization, an educaresearch charity ightin

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DECEMBER 8.1999 THEMERCIAD P

FEATUREStudents risk imprisonment for beliefsy Dave HermenauFeaturesEditor IThe current generation of collegestudents is not known for itspolitical consciousness. FiveMercyhurst students recently !shed that apathy by attending ademonstration against the Schoolof the Americas (SOA) at FortBenning, Ga. When moststudents were heading home forThanksgiving break, thesestudents were preparing to standup for what they believed.The rally, held Saturday Nov.20 , and Sunday, Nov. 21 , ^mprotested the SOA. The U.S.-funded school trains LatinAmerican m ilitary members,many of whom have gone on to commit numerous human rightsviolations. For those whoattended, this type of behavior isunacceptable. T>Trip organizer DavidRobinson, program director forPax Christi USA and a Mercy-hurst graduate student inorganizational leadership, said, f*3"SOA represents an approach toUnited States foreign policies ***;that many people in this country

* I File PhotoMercyhurst students and Pax Christi members protest at the SOAprogram director at Pax ChristiUSA and two other civil rightsactivists from Pax Christi g |rounded out the group. The eightendured the 16-18 hour drive toGeorgia and arrived Thursday,Nov. 18.1 fc I W;While at the rally, the groupstayed at Koinonia Farms in 1Amercius, Ga. Koinonia is afarm and Christian organizationthat works to aid low-incomerural families and tfbite tor??** *?

are not accepting.It is the idea that one groupshould not be able to gain J Isuperiority by coercive meansthat the activists were protesting,explained Robinson. ' The group that representedErie at the even t consisted of fiveMercyhurst students: juniorsChristine Brown, Michael Jonesand Liz Kahn and senior Chris-tine Spikes as well as Robinson. ~JPaul Fes#eledtassistan#**#$

bridge gaps of race and class.Koinonia's past guests includethe likes of fallen human righ tsactivist Dr. Martin Luther KingJr. In addition to attending therally, the group also participatedin a national student meetingheld at Koinonia which wasorganized by Pax Christi.T he whole event culminatedin an organized line crossing inJwhich thousands of protestersignored trespassing signs andentered the U.S. militaryproperty at Fort Benning.Though the legal ramificationsof trespassing onto militaryproperty is a gray area, inparticipating in the act of civildisobedience, the protestersfaced anywhere from six days tosix months in prison. Penalties,i f enforced, how ever, areusually less stringent'The precedent that we haveseen in the past has been thatprotesters are given a ban andbar," said Robinson. .Under a ban and bar one ishotallowed to enter the pre- jymises for three to five years. NochafgeVTVertrpress6d against?]

any Mercyhurst students ana handful of demonstratorsprocessed overall in what wgenerally a peaceful protes"It was absolutely amazseeing those thousands of ppracticing civil disobediencbecause their hearts told thewas theright hing to do,**Brown of herexperience atrally.Both Robinson and Browwere impressed with the nuof students and young peopshowed their support againSOA at the event* WOne thing that stands ouBrown's mind is the commmade by an older gentlemeamong the hundreds Who lthe streets during the line cing. "Look,** he said, It isyoung people."Robinson noted, If wassecond year attending and Inoticed an explosion in thenumber of students who attand that is encouraging to shope that more Mercyhurststudents and students in genwill become active."

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PAGE HO THEMERCIAD DECEMBER 8,1999LAKERS PO RTS

Lady Lakersf national championship hopes end as Mercyhurst\draws red card in plaBy Scott Koskoski ^ ^Sports editorChristmas came early for theNorthern Kentucky Universitywomen* s soccer team.On a beautiful southern day jthat resembled nothing of thecold December holiday, theMercyhurst College women'ssoccer team received the biggestlump in its stocking that oPChinch could ever give. For thehost NKU Norse, Santa made aspecial trip to the Town andCountry Sports Complex just Wacross theriver rom Cincinnati.Lady Laker senior SarahHoppe's red-as-Santa's-suitcard 32.8 seconds before'halftime left Mercyhurst aplayer, and perhaps a dream, .short in the second half, North-ern Kentucky took advantage ofthe 11-10 player differential topull out a 3-1 win-before over700 fans in Wilder, Ky. Nov.21. ;* IjA red card on a day whenblue and green could'veprevailed ended Hurst's seasonat 16-6, including a 9-1 mark inthe Great Lakes IntercollegiateAthletic Conference (GU AC ).

A red card just when theLady Lakers had seen enough ofthe dreaded color. A weekearlier in Ashland, Ohio,sophomore Dawn Langevine'sruby penalty card leftMercyhurst a player shy for thefinal 23 minutes of its NCAAD-II first-round playoff gamewith the Eagles. Luckily,Mercyhurst led 1 -0 at the timeof its misfortune and playedwith reckless abandon to staveoff a mad Ashland comebackattempt.That's two playoff gam es,two red cards. Ironically, theywere the only two the Lady ILakers would see all season..Mercyhurst probably onlyshould' ve seen one card.Langevine's call came in themidst of a heated game withAshland in front of rowdy fans,and the game got more intenseafter the call. Somehow, .Mercyhurst survived everythingthe Eagles brought after the |jcard, including a thrilling (makethat frightening ifyou happen tobe 'Hurst goal tender MeghanFrey) Ashland penalty kick with2:49 to play. Frey fried theEagles' last attempt to tie the

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Down the field they go: Northern Kentucky University midfielders try to break throughMercyhurst defense during the first half of a NCAA D-ll soccer playoff game at Northtucky Nov. 21. From left, 'Hurst players Jessica Hoppe, N icole Miller, and Tuesday Kback to defense. Mercyhurst fell, 3-1. . \ game and the Lady Lakers wereon to Kentucky. iAnd on to another red card.Hoppe, a senior co-captain, put

coach John Melody's squad inhot water when she got boilingmad over a yellow card issuedto herat 44:28 in a scoreless tie.Just like in kindergarten artclass, H oppe watched as yellowturned to red and Melody's facesoon matched the shade. _Whether or not Hoppeshould've simply taken theyellow card, walked away andkept playing isn't even worthdiscussing, because she didn'tThe Lady Lakers turned tosenior all-everything forwardTheresa Roach to once againpull the team from the depths ofextinction. Even Roach, whoracked 22 goals and nine assistsin 1999, couldn't save the shipthis day. Sophomore defenderLindsay Cook's goal, hersecond of the season, midwaythrough the second half was theonly thing that got past theNKU goalie. Three balls

escaped Frey and thprevailed 3-1."We did everythcould, but to go a pthe playoffs is difficweek, nearly imposssecond," lamented Mthe loss. "I thought ascored once we coutheir goalie more thbut it just wasn't ourlost to a great team.Mercyhurst lost aas well. The 1999 eoutscored its opponeoutshot its opponent1, and notched 29 mthan its competition.the one statistic peopremember about thisthough, is the numbein two red cards.Don't talk to Melit, though. He's toopreparing for next se

^ ^ ^ ^ _ _ _ Gerrlt Shuffstall/MercladSenior forward Theresa Roach eyes the net during an earlier game this season. Roacher career with 79 goals and 26 assists, second all-time at Mercyhurst j

Editor's note: Mercyhurst loses three seniors romand will move on campus or ts games next fall. Hedoesn't take a national championship to draw ansmore on this game, see my "Overtime" editorial on

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DECEMBER 8.1999 THEMEROAD

| SPORTGotkin's Lakers? keep heat ingu p MAAC . . . and MIC

Gerrlt Shuffstall/Merclad photographerLaker junior defenseman Jody Robinson (6) gives chase to anAIC player during Friday night's 9-3 win at the Ice Center.

By Scott KoskoskiSports editorWhen you' re hot, you* re hot.Or is that cold?The Mercyhurst men'shockey team keeps chillin* at theMIC, sending teams from theMAAC burning after losses.The Lakers are so hot, it's awonder the Lakers' home iceisn'American InternationalCollege and the University ofConnecticut became the latestvictims over the weekend at theIce Center by scores of 9-3 and.5-3, respectively.The wins move Mercyhurst(11-2-3) to 8-0-1 in their firstyear of Metro Atlantic AthleticConference (MAAC) play,trailing only the QuinnipiacBraves, who despite their 8-1-2mark, have one more point thanMercyhurst (18 to 17).Coach Rick Gotkin's homewins come after a 5-2 loss Nov.30 against Ohio State University(4-11-1) on the road in the icepalace known as the Value CityArena in Columbus, Ohio.Before 6,903 fans, five differentBuckeyes scored as M ercyhurstLaker hoops begin conference play

By Scott KoskoskiSports editorYou could probably count onone hand the number of peoplein the world who have been *?struck by lightning twice in theirlifetimes.Add 12 to that listIn a game featuring a _ |fconclusion far more dramaticthan any "Who W ants to be aMillionaire?" show, the M ercy-hurst men's basketball team fellto Lake Superior State 61 -60 ona desperation half-court shot atthe final buzzer.This might happen to anyother team once per century.But the Lakers are not justany other team. M ercyhurst hasfelt the lightning strike twic e...not just in this century, but in thelast two years.What have the Lakers done todeserve such a fate Regis Phil binwould be proud of?The eerie loss capped an 0-2weekend for the Laker men (4-2overall) in thefirstgames ofGreat L akes IntercollegiateAthletic Conference (OLIAC)play. Head coach Karl Fbgel stroops got waxed by NorthwoodUniversity 96-68 Thursday nightin M idland, Mich, and couldhave phoned a few friends forhelp in solving that problem.

The Lady L akers needed nolifelines and swept aside twoleague opponents to start OLIACplay 2-0 (6-1 overall). Coach JimWebb's women put awayNorthwood 76-60 Thursday andrallied to edge the "other" Lakers70-64 Saturday afternoon inMichigan's Upper Peninsula.With the wins/the LadyLakers received seven votes inrthe USA Today/ Women'sBasketball Coaches Association(WCBA) national poll.Thursday's contest against theTimberwolves might have beenstaged in Northwood* s gym, butjunior forward Meredith Konscolwas downtown. Konscol drainedfour of five threes on the way toa 21-point night Junior guardJodie Maxim also hit for 21points (9-14 FOA). Mercyhurstled wire-to-wire and neversurrendered its 38-25 halftimeadvantage. The Timberwolves' $Lauren Metaj had 12 points.Despite 13 points fromsophomore guard Rich Bradleyand 11 more from junior forwardjoel Burgei, the Northwood menstumped the Lakers (Regiscouldn't even have helped) FiveTimberwolves scored doublefigures, including two off thebench, and the Lakers neverrebounded from a 48-29 halftimedeficit Mercyhurst shot an ice-

cold 36 percent from the floor ondie way to its first league loss.Down nine with eight minutesto play, the Laker women wentto work Saturday against LakeSuperior. Taking aTew lessonsfrom the men's hockey team, theLady Lakers used clutch freethrows by center Krista Usher topull off the comeback special 70-64, theirfirstvictory in six triesagainst LSSU since joining theOLIAC in 1995. The loss wasLake Superior* sfirstof the year.Before sophomore reserveBrandon Woodworth heaved thedesperation shot heard 'round theOLIAC to give the LSSU men animprobable victory, M ercyhurstnearly stole the game awaySaturday afternoon. Facing a 44-22 deficit at the intermission onthe road, this Laker team didwhat many others would onlydream abou t rally to take thelead, 59-58 with three secondsremaining on a free throw fromrookie forward Scott Melle.LSSU inbounded the ball.Woodworm took a step over themidcourt stripe, and in the wordsof Pat Benetar, hit the Lakerswith his best shot *Both Laker teams resumeconference play Saturdayafternoon at the MAC whenSaginaw Valley State comes totown.?

spent much of the first period inawe of the sparkling, mammothfacility. Laker rookie Marty *$Rychley notched hisfirstcareercollegiate goal in the game, andsecond-year forward TomMcMonagle top-shelfed Buckeyegoalie Ray Aho in the thirdperiod to complete Mercyhurst* sscoring. M ercyhurst netminderAshley Stevens put aside 31 of36 OSU shots. ftHow sweet home was for theLakers Friday night at the MIC.With their 9-3 trouncing of AIC(1-6-2), Mercyhurst moved itsconference unbeaten streak tonine games, a new MAACstandard. It was again the ?rookies' time to shine as P.J.Hiscock tallied hisfirsthat trickand freshman Adam Riversblasted home two goals. Sopho-more forward Brad Olsen addedtwo goals in support Sophomoretenders Pete Aubry and AdamShine combined for the win.Before a sparse crowdSaturday night versus UConn,second-year sensation LouisOoulet scored hisfirstcareer hattrick and earned the fans' tip ofthe hat to lead M ercyhurst to a 5-3 victory over the Huskies (2-4-

1). Senior Fedor Zakusjunior Mark Stamp notadditional goals and Stmoved to 4-2-1 with thnet Aubry is 6-0-2.Gotkin is now two wfrom 200 for his coachiThe 12-year Laker bossthe season 187-110-15 victories this season lea198-112-18. If Mercyhat Colgate Dec. 30 (Cocurrently ranked seventnationally), Gotkin cou#200 on Jan. 7,2000, aCenter against QuinnipLakers host the BravesJan. 8. TMAAC Standings QuinnipiacMercyhurstCanisiusSacred HeartHoly CrossBentleyIonaConnecticutAmer. Int.Fairfieldi

8-1-28-0-14-3-23-3-23-4-13-502-4-22-4-11-6-21-5-1Next Laker game: 12/3Colgate University (N.Y

Lady icers cruise toWait a minute. This is a FIRST-year program, right?" This is a group of women whohad never met each other, letalone skated together, before,say, this September? tWill someone please returnthe real M ercyhurst women'shockey team?\ At this point in the season, notmany observers expected theLady Icers to have twice as manywins as losses, especially in theirveryfirstseason of existence...and at the NCAA D-I level.After easy wins overManhattanville College (N.Y.)Saturday and Sunday afternoonsat the Ice Center and an easiertrashing of Union College athome Tuesday, though, Mercy- ihurst stands at 11-5 and earns an"A+++" at the halfway point oftheir season.Despite having a coachingstaff (Mike Sisti, Christine tPierce, Mike Masse) as nice ashumans come, the Lady Icerssure don* t extend the generousheart to their opponents. Oppo-nents, keep in mind, that manythought Mercyhurst would bowto all season long.

Instead, Mercyhurst10 of its last 11 gameslosing four of its irst iv\ i*i Saturday againstManhattanville, rookiedefenseman Randi Pilgetwice, including a powetally, on the way to a 5-Forwards K.C. Gallo anVinge and defensemanSchrembri also found thFreshman Tiffany Ribblgot the win in goal for MhurstManhattanville wokethe wrong side of the beSunday, as the Lady Iceprevailed 6-1. Vinge scotwice while Gallo, Schrefreshman forward (J.J. Iand co-scoring leader SeMurphy (11 goals) alsothe win. Junior Amber Nearned her fourth win inagainst three setbacks.Mercyhurst played hoUnion College Tuesday and cruised to a 15-0 romthe visi tors. Hat tricks wPilger and Vinge and vievery Lady leer was in oof the offensive action. Steam returns to action in

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 8, 1999

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PAGE 12 THE MERCIAD DECEMBER 8,1999LAKERS PO RTSH U ENUMBERS

Number of red cards the LadyLaker soccer team drew duringthe 1999 season.

Number of those red cards thatcame during the Lady Lakers'playoff games. Mercyhurst*stitle run ended when it couldlot recover from a Sarah Hoppcked card Nov. 21,

Number of times the Lakerme n's basketball team has beenbeaten by a half-court shot atSthe buzzer in the past two years.

Number of wins Laker men'shockey coach is away from #200for his career. Gotkin could icethe milestone Jan. 7 againstQuinnipiac at the Ice Center.

Number, in cases, of MountainDew Laker 6' 10" center BrentSwain reportedly drinks pe rweek.

A T H LETEO F THE?WEEK

Laker hockey's Louis Goulet

Deep in the heart of...Overtime

Scot t KoskoskiY'all come back now, ya hear?If Mercyhurst hadn't just beeneliminated from the NCAA D-IIwomen's soccer playoffs, theyjust might have.I'm talking about (or, in theirdrawl, "talkm* 'bout") Kentucky 1and a little soccer palace calledTown and Country deep in theheart of the Bluegrass State, or, ifyou prefer, a couple miles southof metropolitan Cincinnati.I was fortunate enough totravel with the Lady Lakersoccer team to a soccer field theyweren' t supposed to see, for agame they weren 't supposed toplay, on a weekend theyshould've been recovering fromfall term Finals instead ofpreparing for the biggest test ye t"* Just a week before, Nov. 14 inAshland, Ohio, Mercyhurstsnuck into the D-II playoffs asthe 16th and final women's seedand snuck out of there with an,unfathomable 1-0 upset win overan Ashland team that was betteron paper.

Apparently, Lady Lakercoach John Melody and his girlsread a different paper than therest of the soccer world.Melody's troops refused to quitand avenged an earlier 4-2 loss tothe Eagles despite playing thefinal 23 minutes a woman short,thanks to a red card given toDawn Langevine.Without Langevine, a soccerequivalent of "Stone Cold" SteveAustin (in intimidation factor,not physical appearance), Iwasn't sure about Mercyhurst'schances in their Nov. 21 second-round con test against NorthernKentucky University deep in theheart of... Cincinnati.

At a reception the nightbefore the game, Mercyhurstentered in sweats and windpantswhile the Norse countered with alook that left many from Mercy-hurst wondering if NKU wassponsored by Abercrombie &Fitch instead of Umbro or Puma.The two teams stayed onopposite sides of the room(similar to any middle-schooldance) for nearly a half houruntil the tension finally brokeand the hosts finally startedacting like it.Aside from the 3-1 loss thenext day, the trip was a greattime, and I came away withseveral observations. First, I'v etraveled with many teams at theHurst, and I can safely say thatthe women's soccer team eatsmore than any other. The '[quickest way to a Lady Laker* sheart is probably through herstomach, preferably with acherry or apple (or any other)pie. vNext, future coaches can learna lo t by watching and listening(although not to ALL the words)of Melody. Somehow, he mixesthe right formula of experience,X's and O's andflat-out nspira-tion in his players. He is truly theIrish Knute Rockne.Finally, the 1999 Lady Lakerslive the old disco song "We AreFamily." This is a team with noegos and a real sister-likerelationship among them. Heck,even the Bluebird bus driver Fprobably thought he could'vestrapped on some shinguards andpelted home a goal by theweekend's end.So Mercyhurst didn't win anational championship. That onlygives them something to workfor next year. That's plenty oftime for that bus driver to tuneup his skills and for Melody tobring in another class of youngersisters. I

Attention Pittsburgh Penguin Fans!The Pittsburgh Penguins, in conjunction with 105.9 FM 'The X"(Pittsburgh,Pa.), have announced the "Penguin Student Rush Pro-gram" exclusively for college students. The Student Rush includes allPenguin home games, including six over M ercyhurst's holiday break.Through Student Rush, you are provided the best available seats atPenguin home games at the Pittsburgh 's Civic Arena for only $16.Student Rush tickets can be purchased on game nights only at Gate 8at the Civic Arena. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m., one hour beforeface-off. Student who show their valid student IDs will get the bestavailable seats. Only cash is accepted. Tickets limited to one per ID.Featured games include:?Saturday, Dec. 18 vs. Florida Panthers .Thursday, Dec. 23 vs. Tampa Bay LighteningSunday, Jan. 2 vs. New York IslandersWednesday, Jan. 5 vs/NJ Devils *

THE LAKER LOGLadyjiLakers sign first hoops recruitThe' 1999-00 season is barely upon us, and already Mercyhuwomen's basketball coach Jim Webb has announced thefirsfor the 2000-01 freshman class. W ebb's recruit is Erie produFbgel, currently a senior at Villa Maria Academy. The $& " Fwill add depth at the point guard position, currently occupiedfreshman Katie Lorincz. Of his recruit, Webb said that "(Lesexcellent ball-handling and passing skills and we look for herprovide depth at the p oint " Fbgel is the daughter of Laker mbasketball coach Karl Fogel.

Women's soccer honors five times as sIf women's soccer coach John Melody can 't seem to find manplayers in the near future, it's probably because they are busyreceiving honors from the 1999 season. The latest awards besare from the National Soccer Coaches Association of Americafive Lady Lakers are recipients. Senior forward Theresa Roacgoals, nine assists), sophomore goalie Meghan Frey (11 shutjunior defender Jessica Hance (four assists) and sophomoremidfielder Tuesday Kastner (eight goals, one assist) earned GLakes Region First Team honors. Named to the Region's SecTeam was sophomore defender Lindsay Cook (two goals, twoassists). M ercyhurst ended the season 16-6 after a second-rouNCAA D-II playoff loss to Northern Kentucky U niversity No

Melody region's finest women's coachLady Laker soccer mentor John Melody is the Great Lakes ReCoach of the Year. The award was announced Nov. 22 by theNational Soccer Coaches Association of America and adidas.years at the Hurst, Melody's women have gone 43-13-2 and tseason advanced to the second round of the NCAA D-II playobefore bowing to Northern Kentucky U niversity. Melody is nothe running for national coach-of-the-year.Laker gridders earn^GLIAC honorsThe Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIACnamed two Mercyhurst football players to its First Team, two Second Team, and five to the conference's Honorable MentionJunior wideout Ed Bailey (Cleveland, Ohio) and linebacker ScPlatz (Chardon, Ohio) made the First Team while defensive staKevin Brubaker (Jr., Leetonia, Ohio) and Tom Palmer (Sr., Erearned Second Team status. Matt Kissel 1 (Sr. QB), Justin SiemWR), Garrett Patty (Jr. CB), Lou D' Ambrosio (Sr. NT) and BrMiller (Sr. DT) were named to the Honorable Mention team focoach Joe Kimball's Lakers, who finished 5-5 (4-5 GLIAC) inIntramurals go indoors for winter termIt was nothing but an exciting end to the fall intramural seasonMercyhurst. In the Super Bowl of IM sports, the flag football twas captured by the Hurst's own Maintenance Team, who puton their opponents and "cleaned up" the championship (sorry,to). Intramural director Joe Spano reports that a full slate of offare ahead for the winter term, including: co-ed volleyball (signdue 12/10), basketball (signups due by holiday break), and if thenough interest, a team will be entered in a local bowl ing leagContact Spano at Ext 2441 or visit the baseball office in the Mmore information.