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p , A R T S &ENTERTAINMENTMeet New Directorof Music SchoolOn Page 3 '

The Student Newspaper of Mercy hurst College85% 'HurstVetention!I I ratejcontinues torise Story Page 2

FeaturedAthlete: VBSetter SarahAntonette "

Vol. 74 No. 2 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie, Pa. 16546 September 20,2000O f f i c i a l s c r a c k d o w n o n p a r k i n g v i o l a t i o n s

. Annie Sitter/Merciad PhotographerOfficer Lawson of M ercyhurst Police and Safety puts a locking tire boot on anillegally parked vehicle in front of the Baldwin Townhouses last week.

By Heather CvitkovicMerciad Writer

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Students had better make time this week to "get parking permits or face citations andbooting of their vehicles.Come Friday morning we are going tobegin really looking and tagging cars thatdon't have permits and those parked inunauthorized lots or in restricted areas,** saidKen Sidun, director of security services.'T he tags are free for all Mercyhurststudents," Sidun explaned.While the school year is hitting trail-blazing levels in enrollment, security hopesto earn high marks for its newly imple-mented parking program.Each student receives a color-codedsticker which corresponds to a specificparking lot Each parking lot has a color keyto let drivers know if they can or cannotpark there. VFor example, commuters receive an grangg Sfjckej and are, therefore, permittedto park in lots that have an orange parkingsign. Those with blue stickers park in lotswith a blue sign. 1Failure to park in the assigned areas, and/or parking in restricted zones or otherparking areas not assigned to the vehicle

will result in a fine, vehicle booting and/ortowing at the owner's expense. This policyapplies to all members of the college.If fines are not paid or begin to accumu-late, police and safety reserves theright ouse vehicle immobilization, better known as"booting." This method has proven success-ful in the past in collecting unpaid fines. Itcan also be used to correct and controlundesirable parking habits.Citations will be issued as a first step,wheel boots will be the second step andtowing will be the last resort.Where a boot has been attached becauseof unpaid fines, the violator will have tomake financial arrangements to pay theunpaid fines with the business office, and beable to show proof of payment to police andsafety before the boot is removed. Theviolator will also be required to pay the bootremoval fee.Parking in the underground ramp next toOld Main is not permitted to students. vBetween 1 a.m. and 6 p.m., any vehicle^^^found in the underground parking ramp thatis unattended and does not have the properregistration will be towed at the owner'sexpense. The parking ramps on East Briggs

See PARKING/ page 2

Alcohol task forceffinds Mercyhurst 'typical'By Sara SeidleMerciad WriterIn November 1999, a group of MercyhurstCollege trustees, adm inistrators, facultymembers and students formed a task force toinvestigate Mercyhurst's party scene. In May2000 the group presented the results of theirresearch to Dr. William Garvey, MercyhurstCollege president. Their report concludedthat, when it comes to alcohol use oncampus, Mercyhurst is typical for a schoolof its size JDespite finding that Mercyhurst does nothave outrageous problem with alcohol oncampus, C atherine Anderson, dean of

student development and head of the alcoholtask force, said the report brought to theirattention that, "We needed refinement inpolicy and procedure and we needed toreally look at activities and support that areavailable."^Studentswill notice, if they haven'talready, that discipline procedures andcampus activities have been revamped to 1reflect the conclusions drawn by the taskforce. Some of these changes are stricterpunishments for alcohol offenses as well asmore Student Activities Committee eventson weekends. Weekend events will also beheld later at night, some until 2 a.m.

See TASK FORCE/page 2

'Hurst Pub to open and close on alumni weekendBy Zack VenableMerciad WriterJOn Homecoming weekend this year, faculty,administration and returning alumni canattend the newly established 'Hurst Pub, butstudents cannot. IThe grand opening takes place Friday at 6p.m. to m idnight and will be open again onSaturday from 9 p.m. to m idnight. The'Hurst Pub will be in Mercy Heritage Roomin Sullivan Hall. Described in the 2000alumni Homecoming Bulletin as "a greatplace for alumni, faculty and staff of

Mercyhurst to reunite," the Pub will beopen only on these two nights and will beserving a wide variety of beverages, such aswine, beer and flavored coffee, along with aselection of food and snacks.Response to the 'Hurst Pub has beensomewhat mixed. Robert Causgrove, aformer student of Mercyhurst and a facultymember of the Erie School District's GiftedProgram, thought that the pub was a goodidea, yet questioned why something like thiscould not be arranged for the 21-and-overgraduating seniors.See PUB/page 2

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CAMPUS NEWSRetention! rate s show ri]seMorestudents sticking around afterfirst yearBy Dave HermenauMerciad EditorIf you think campus is crowded now, justwait. J fOn top of welcoming the largestMercyhurst fresher class ever, administra-tion announced this fall that retention rateshave again increased.That means more students are venturingonto the hill than ever before and that moreare sticking around once they complete theirfirst year. |Increasing five percentage points over lastyear, 85 percent of last year's fresher classreturned for another go-around at theHurstthis fall. Retention rates measure the numberof students w ho return after their first year incollege and thus are good indicators of howinstitutions are treating their attendees.Monitoring the lives of Mercyhurststudents is the job of Catherine Anderson,dean of student developmen tAccording to Anderson, high retentionrates are a sign of good health for collegesand universities.66 It's the strongesttrend 11 ve ever

seen S>9Catherine Anderson"I think its just another indicator, likeblood p ressure and pu lse rate,** she said in arecent interview.Three years ago, the college was losingalmost a quarter of its freshmen class. Thatnumber was much too large for administra-tion who then set out to change things.College President Dr. William P. Garvey 'ssolution was to group all the student supportservices together and name Anderson tooversee the groups.

As dean of student development, Andersonoversees, among others, counseling services,academic supp ort, campus m inistry, thestudent union, and health servic es.'In the three years since mat grouping, theHurst's retention rate has jumped steadilyeach year. In the fall of *98, retention was at77 percent. Last year it jumped to 80 percentand now sits comfortably at 85 percent."It's the strongest trend that I've seen,**said Anderson who attributes the college'shigh retention rates to both improvedadmissions practices and increased attentionto the entire (not just academic) life of$.students.According to Anderson, numbers are nowindicating mat studen ts choosing Mercyhurst)are choosing it for the right reasons."Retention is about connection,*' sheadded.Anderson also sees the 2-year-old fresh-man year initiative course and ce rtainchanges to improve student life as contribut-ing to the better numbers.Garvey agrees with Anderson regardingthe roll admissions plays in keeping studentson campus.It's a reflection of good admissionstandards, he said. "There is a direct linkbetween the quality of the kids you bringand how much they stay.*'While administrators are enjoying betterretention num bers, they have no plans ofletting l5percent become the status quo.According to Garvey, the very top northern)liberal arts schools retain 85 to 88 percent oftheir students. Ninety percent, he said, isideal.For now, however, Garvey *s next goal setsthe standards a little bit higher than last year.The faculty and staff have the academic yearto convince 88 percent of thefresherclassthat Mercyhurst is indeed the place for them.

continued frontpage 1Pub:"Yes, it's great to host something like thisfor the returning alumni, but I think that anumber of students may feel some resent-ment toward it. Most senior-orientatedactivities usually are off campus andstudents are bused back and forth. It wouldbe nice if they could have something likethis here for the graduating seniors," he said.Carlos Zambrano, a graduate student fromthe U niversity of F lorida now attendingMercyhurst, said "Most colleges, like myold college, have similar functions for theiralumni. It is nothing new.*' Zambrano alsoadded "Yes, the 21 and over crowd might befrustrated with it, but it is not like it h asn'thappened before."Patricia Liebel, director of alumni ser-vices, said, "The *Hurst Pub would be agreat gathering spot for the alumni." BothLiebel and Ken Sidun, director of securityservices for Mercyhurst, assured that itwould be a controlled situation.Task Fo rce :Anderson said shuttle service is also beingconsidered. |According to Anderson, one of the mainconcerns of the alcohol task force was thatMercyhurst was offering few alternatives to

partying on the weekend. The change inweekend events is a response to this. "Wewant to encourage responsible decisionmaking," said Anderson. She said that to dothis it was necessary to offer more choicesto students.At the request of Dr. Garvey, the taskforce will be reconvening in October. "Wewill be looking at what we said needed donelast year, what actually got done and w hatelse needs more attention," said Anderson."We want to do more to make Mercyhurstthe kind of place we all want it to be,healthy, safe."The goal of the task force will be to lookat the college as a whole this year. "Bycreating a healthy com munity, every areawill be enhanced, spiritual, learning andrelationships," Anderson said.Parking:are only for students who have paid the $130fee and possess a blue sticker.During the hours of 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. thisarea, will be open for parking any vehicle.Anyone who is cited for a parking violationhas 72 hoursfrom he date of the violationto file an appeal or pay the fine at the policeand safety department. After 30 days theamount of the fine will be charged to thestudent's account.

ROTC takes on the rope s

A combined ROTC unitfrom Mercyhurstand Gannon participated in repelling andrope-bridge training last weekend. A gorge^located just east of North East, PA proved tobe a perfect location where students andArmy instructors could set u^rt20-fdotrepelling ropes as well as a waterway inwhich students could shimmy across on aconstructed rope-bridge.Senior ROTC cadets set up and taught!students how to repel as well as how toconstruct a rope bridge using knot tying.Junior ROTC cadets furthered their!*leadership skills by assuming leadershiproles over other cadets&.

Sophomores andfreshmenwere introfduced to basic military training. But aboveall, the training gave them an opportunity toleave the college environment, have fun andface their fears. | HkSenior Daniel Marsh stated, "It was greatseeing the younder cadets who were nervousfacing their fears and successfully repelingdown a 120-foot wall. They all had fun.'Students interested in ROTC or partici-pating in training like this can call 871-7524for more information.

Paul Ickes, Merciad Correspondent

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Anne Sitter/Merciad Photographer

Dance to be part of homecoming festivitiesBy Charon HribarMerciad W riterr!S

In participation w ith the Homecomingweekend festivities, the dance departmlwill perform On Your Toes 2000 this 1 5 |Saturday in the danceSpace. The homecom-ing performance w ill begin at 11 a.m. and isfree and open to all. On Your Toes 2000 willhost a variety of dance styles including gkcontemporary ballet, Negro spirituals, tap,and jazz. %The Homecoming performance will

include a series of experts from the upcom-ing concert, Al l American; Jazz, Tap andSwing, The audience will also be entertainedby Spirituals by Mercyhurst dance depart-ment director, Tauna Hunter; Joplin, bydance instructor Mark Schneider and by thework by Milton Tatum of Dallas BlackDance Theatre, which premiered last iFebruary in Raw Edges //, again will beperformed at Mercyhurst.i; On Your Toes 2000 Homecoming Perfor-mance will be a wonderful morning ofpremier dance works. Admission is free.. . . . . . tJV

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SEPTEMBER 20 . 2000 THE MERCIAD PAGE 3

ARTS&New talent and administrator at 'HurstBy Kristin Elizabeth Pu rdyArts and Entertainment EditorThe new chair of fine and performing arts aswell as director of the D'Angelo School ofMusic has arrived and is ready to begin a "newchallenge " Dr. Michael E. Cerveris has takenoverjGlen Kwok's position as director ofD'Angelo School of Music as well as Dr. Jo-seph Gower*s four-year position as chair offine arts."I am commit-ted to the idea that*in the contempo-rary arts world,the lines betweenthe disciplines areblurring,? and toprepare studentsfor the future, it isprudent to^makethat clear to them," said Cerveris.Cerveris brings his talents as a pianist andJ if "S i . . . .administrator, plus a particular interest inmu-sical theater, the newestfinearts program de-veloped at Mercyhurst College, i '"It is a reality that dem onstrates the p lural-ism and multi-culturalism of our societythrough a fluidity that encourages the blur-ring for the boundaries between music anddance, between dance and theater and betweenvisual art and performance,'* said Cerveris.Cerveris was the founding chair of the de-partment of interdisciplinary arts and perfor-mance at Arizona State University, a position

he held for a decade."I'm delighted to have an educator with hisexperience and vision," said Dr. Gower, vicepresident of academic affairs, h L &jHis background includes work as a directorof the Institute of the Arts at Duke Universityin Durham, N.C., Marshall University, Hun-tington, W.Va., professor of music at M arshallUniversity and Webster College, St. Louis, Mo."Cerveris has a deep background in admin-istration and strong commitments to work inthe arts," said Dr. Gower iCerveris began his musical education atJulliard School of Music, where he earned hisbachelor of science in 1959. Since then, hehas earned his master of arts at the CatholicUniversity of America, his doctoral degreefrom West Virginia University and attendedCincinnati Conservatory of Music and thePeabody Conservatory ofMusic."It is important to understand that, in addi-tion to shaping the arts here at Mercyhurst intoa comprehensive adacemic unit I also havethe responsibility of guiding the D'AngeloSchool of Music along its path. {This highlysuccessful and very visible department,whichowes so much to the generosity, thevision andnot to mentionfthe passion, of Dr. GeorgeD'Angelo, will be the centerpiece for the wholeconstellation of the arts at Mercyhurst."Kwok, remains affiliated with Mercyhurstuntil Sept. 29, when he will begin a new posi-tion as executive director of the InternationalViolin Competition of Indianapolis.

THE DIGITAL BITS: fD^Dk^Aiddfio Jiipvie reviewThe Conversation speaks volumes

By Phil PirrelloMerciad Writer .

For aspiring filmmakers seeking tips how tomake a simple, yet complicated movie, rentFrancis Ford Coppola's The Conversation. Itis an intricate thriller that ironically juxtapo -sitions how a man w ho watches for a livingcan live a life in a world that is suddenlywatching him. **THE PLOT : Gene Hackman portraysHarry Caul; a paranoid, isolated man who isinfamous in the world of free-lance surveil-lance, but a nobody in the world he survails.Harry has been hired to spy onjgtwo peopleunder "The Director's" employment. Oncethe job is complete, Harry goes to claim pay-ment for his servicesfrom"The Director, butis greeted by his assistant; played with vil-lainous glee by Harrison Ford. Harry declines

payment and delivery of the conversation un-til "The Director" can pay in person. Fordwarns Harry to be careful, prompting Harry towonder wh at's really on those tapes. Theplotthickens when Harry sees those he recordedworking in "The Director's" office. Harry lis-tens to the tapes and hears what one may inter-pret at a plan for murder. jjHaving his workharm others in the past, Harry vows not to letit happen again. It's a race against time asHarry tries to spy on those who are spying onhim. $ v I |jjTHE GOODtfEveiything. Coming off Th eGodfather\ Coppola writes and directs a techunder surveillance tone. Distorted soundsechoing over the soundtrack evoke a feelingof being watched^r Hackman goes against type w ith a subtle, yetcompelling portrayal of Caul. Harry's para-noia comes through what he does, not what he

ENTERTAINMENTDinner and fa movieWhat's in aname? (food)

By Annie DeMeoMerciad W riterAs I drove down State Street searching for anew, different, and possibly exciting place toeat, I came upon the new deli, Fat Boy s.I initially thought (in my most stuck up way)"I would rather eat at McDonald's than a res-taurant called Fat Boys." But then I started tothink or my stomach growled for an embar-rassingly third time since pulling out of thegates and I realized what the name entailed:huge portions. I put myblinker on and instan-taneously decided theplace wasforme.As expected, the restaurant satiated my ap-petite and I intend to return sometime soon.The restaurant itself is a cute corner streetdelfwith plenty of windows, a few tables andchairs and a full bar with nightly drink spe-cials. Themenu offered a large array ofchoicesbut my choice was simple and food was de-livered promptly without much moreembarassing tummy talk.There are two basic sandwiches at the deli.The Fat Boy, (for which the restaurant isnamed) and die Fat Chic^Each sandwich con-sists of grilled meat (steak for boys, chickenforchicks) sauteed mushrooms, green peppers,red peppers and onions piled high on a subroll. Then, provolone cheese is melted on top(Are you drooling? Because I am ....)

The restaurant also offers traditional colddeli sandwiches. Portions are definitely hugeand prices are relatively cheap ($6.95fora fullFat Boy) and half portions are Just $3.95 eachand are available for die appetite challenged.|Fat Boys is located at 1201 State St. andopened Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11a.m.- 1:30 a.m.

says. He quizzes ones motive for getting hima birthday present.\ He even spies on his girl,Teri Garr, for loving him m ore than he loveshimself. jThe plot and Harry work as one todeliver an unpredictable twist ending that leadsto an even more tragic denouement for Harry.The Conversation is one of the few films inwhich the plot is the twist, which serves morethan just shock value.THE BAD: The film ends.Just **watching" The Conversation is a cin-ematic injustice. It requires one to recognizethe symbolism in order to decipher what it iswe need to hearfromwhat we think weheard.

Native American art featured in Cummings Gallery to mid-OctoberBy Sarab CrawshawMerciad W riterMercyhurst's Cummings Art Gallery \fiopened on Thursday, Septjl 4 for its 2000-2001 season with "Haudenosaune e/ : anexhibit of Native American art.This exhibit features the work of threeartists: Peter Jemison, Peter Jones andCarson Waterman, who are all members of

the Iroquois nation and actively foster art onreservations. jpThe art itself is a com binationof drawings, paintings and ceramics.Each of these artists has been exhibitedwidely throughout the United States, inplaces such as the New Museum and StudioMuseum in New York City, the Institute ofAmerican Indian Art in Santa Fe and theSmithsonian Institution in W ashington, D.C."I think the work is very exciting. It's in

the vein of contemporary American work^and is very colorful and literal," said Dr.Michael Cerveris, the new director of thefine and performing arts division atMercyhurst"Haudenosaunee" will be exhibited untilOctober 15.

'Nurse Betty'Just the Ticket

Brandon Boy IanBetty (Renee Zellweger, "Jerry Maguire") isstuck in a DEAD END waitressing job andwants more out of her small town life.Married to an unfaithful car salesman, sheis waiting for something significant to changeher life.Two cocaine dealers (Morgan Freeman,"The Shawshank Redemption" and ChrisRock) arrive at Betty's house to confront herhusband on a drug scam. & *After some "words," Betty's husband getsscalped "Last of the Mohicans" style.All the while, Betty is watching her favoritesoap opera starring her most adored actor,Dave (Greg Kinnear, "As Good As It Gets'*)in the next room.*Oblivious at first, she notices the brutalitythat had just occurred in the kitchen a fewminutes prior, with no sign of the murderers.But here's the catch: Betty is so much in shockafter witnessing her hubby's murder, she es-capes into the daytime dram a's reality.She leaves her [dead] husband a little note,gets into herBuick and heads for Hollywoodto meet her soap star Dave,fe Sound weird? Try sitting through two hoursof it, wondering why you chose this insteadof "The Watcher."' w^Zellweger^vas Perfec* f r *he r l e a s de-ranged nurse Betty. Kinnear was phenomenalas the "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV,over-emotional, yuppie actor. That's about theonly good thing I can say about this inconsis-tent, overdone, delinear piece of film trash.Rock, surprisingly disappointing and incred-ibly unfunny in his role as one of the cocainedealers who chases Zellweger across America,obnoxiously overacted in every scene he wasin. *The audience doesn't even know where thefilm is headed by the middle of the movie, letalone cares by that poi nt Delusional and far-fetched, the film has no basis or reasoning toit, leaving its audience with an ending evenmore disappointing than Freeman's perfor-mance as R ock's partner/father. uThe plot was meandering, lacked a solidbase and was boring. Even for the non-traditional m ovie buffs, the film is a m ajorlet down. I gave it a D. "Nurse Betty,"rated "R," is playing at Tinseltown daily at1:50 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 10 p.m.

J*

MERCYWORLD AROUND TOWN"Soft Frui t* a film at the PACSept. 20 at 8 p.m.Lectures on Indian Philosophy and Religion in Heritage Room Sept 25-29 at 7 p.m."Any Given S unda y* at the Student Union Sept 22 at 10 p.m. and Sept. 23 at midnight"The Wa ter Boy* at the Student Union Sept. 22 at midnight and Sept 23 at 10 p.m.Tailgate Picnic in Garvey Sept. 23 at 11:30 a.m.-l p.m.

Digital Photography art exibit at Erie Art Museum Tuesdays-Saturdays 11 a.m.-5 p.mCollege ID Night at the King's Rook Sept. 20 starting at 7 p.m.ekoostic Hookah playing at Forward Hall Sept. 21 doors open at 7 p.mGerman Passions* Erie Philharmonic at Warner Theater Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.Gloss playing at the Wine Fest in Gibson Park in N. East Sept. 24 at 4-6 p n

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PAGE 4 THEMEftClAD SEPTEMBER 20 , 2000

OPINIONTHE GOOD ...

Ground m aintenance crews did a nice job covering up the cafeteria's grease trap o n thewest side of campus. The bushes surrounding the trap camouflage it nicely. Due in part to this column, Student Accounts has changed its policy on the All-Campus

card. Students can now put any amount they want on their cards, eliminating the $200minimum. T he new multi-purpose room in the Union is making the lunch hour a lot easier for manystudents by serving an express lunch. Students can come in and get their lunch withouthaving to wait in the lines downstairs. Pizza, bagel sandwiches and pretzels are just someof the items that are served. I The dumpster behind the Mercy apartments has received a fence-lift. A fence w as putaround the dumpster in the parking lot to hide it The dumpster behind the parking garagewill soon receive the same treatme nt

THE BAD .. .. . Desp ite a freshmen class of 18 students in the fashion merchandising major, theclassroom space h as not been improved in many yea rs. Several freshman girls enrolled inan intro class have to sit at sewing machines during class due to lack of space.

The sound system in the chapel is not up to par these days and it showed at the Mass ofthe Holy Spirit In the middle of Bishop Murphy's homily his voice become muddled andhard for the crowd to hear. Maybe someone should look into enhancing the system whenimportant people come to visit. >, Saturday's 14-6 loss to Edinboro was not a pretty sight. The Sco ts, our cross-countyrival; dominated m uch of the game, hardly leaving the Lakers any chance to move the ball.

THE UGLY. . . Despite the fact that cigarette bins are placed strategically around campus there arenone by any of the apartments on Briggs and that is where they appear to be needed most.The outside of several of these buildings is littered with cigarette butts, making the mulch |

look like one big ashtray.* ^ ^ ^ j * jMjgigj||g|'jgg^"TTge, red numbers have been posted to the sides of buildings on South Briggs, mostnotably the Baldwin Townhouses. These numbers are to denote parking lots and tohelp security in patrolling the parking situation, but did they have to be so bold and ugly?Couldn't we have used nice signs with scroll numbers? These numbers just don't fit inwith the rest of campus. '

Several signs from the front hall of Main have been removed or taken. If they can't bereplaced co uldn't the tape at least be taken off the walls?%