ARTS&
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHUKM COLLEGE SINCE 1929
ENTERTAINMENT
Gorgons, manticores
and unicorns, oh my!
page 6
Vol. 75 No. 16
F o r u m addresses students' concerns
Administrators and students speak out to student government
By Kristin Purdy
Editor in chief
The first tradit i onal forum of the
school year was held Tuesday, March
19 at 8 p.m. in Mercy Heritage Hall.
This was the first time that campus
issues served as the issues for discus-
sion, since anthrax questions mo-
nopolized the student forum sched^
uledforOct. 30. * Rec Center, was that of employing a
Several of the same issues were
raised, such as parking and housing
maintenance problems, but there
were also some new issues addressed
by administrators at the forum.
Administrators in attendence were:
Dr. William P. Garvey, president of,
the college, Mr. Thomas Billingsley,
executive vice-president for admin-
istration, Ms. Jane Kelsey, vice presi-
dent of finance and Mercyhurst Col-
lege treasurer, Ms. Laura Zirkle, dean
of residence life and student conduct,
Mr. Tyrone Moore, associate vice-
president of administrative services,
Mr. Ken Sidun, director of security
services. Dr. Andrew Roth, vice
president for academic affairs and
dean ofthe college, Ms. Pat Benekos,
director of academic computing, Mr.
Matt Grimaldi, assistant athletic di-
rector, and Mr. William Kerbusch,
director of physical.
One of the most focused on topics
ofthe forum was improvements to
the Rec Center. Grimaldi addressed
many ofthe concerns ofthe students
and committed himself to looking
into them in coming days. Several
questions about the slipperiness of
•he floor were raised. Grimaldi ex-
Senior gifbto be donated to academic building
By Kelly Rose Duttine
Contributi ng. writer
As construction continues on the
new academic building, members of
the senior class continue to deliber-
ate over the senior gift. Plans re-
cently have been finalized for the
gift, which will leave the permanent
mark of the class of 2002 at
Mercyhurst.
The senior gift committee, which
includes seniors J.P. Ratajczak,
Aaron Hayes, Billy Byrnes, Megan
Verbanick, and Annie DeMeo, have
decided that the class gift for 2002
will be a Mercy Cross for the foyer
of the Audrey Hirt Academic Build-
ing. The cross will be built into a pil-
lar in the new academic building,
opposite from a picture and informa-
tion on Audrev Hirt.
.V. . w
Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St.'Erie, Pa. 16546
plained that the wrong cleaner was
being used on the floor by some
coaches, but now the problem has
been improved. Students persisted
claiming that even that evening the
floors were not proper for playing
basketball, and Bi llinglsey responded
by saying that the floors would be
cleaned more often than the regular
three days a week.
Another issue that arose about the
properly certified trainer to help stu- government will follow up on. Stu-
dents design a work out routine, and
also available trainers for students
injured while working out in the fa-
cility. Gramaldi said that they are
putting together a program for Fresh
'Start to make students aware of
proper techniques for working out.
Additionally, he said that they
• **There were a
lot of sugges-
tions thrown out
this evening that
student govern- WJJ- j * JJ
| is trying it out," said Roth.
m e i l t WilljOllOW
up on.} }
IA flTlie DeJ\fieO
would look into getting a personal
trainer for throughout the school year. read a comment from a student about
As for the issue of trainers assisting the efficiency and politeness ofhous-
all students, and not just athletes, ing maintenance, which usually bears
Grimaldi emphatically stated that all the brunt of student complaints.
students injured in the Rec Center Moore remarked that he was going
would have the necessarv services of to frame the notecard '
Connie Bisesi, Kristen Letts, and
Elaine HUfiker, three senior art stu-
dents, will make the 2ft.tall ceramic
cross. Under the cross, there will be
a bronze plaque, which will contain
the name of all seniors who helped
to donate to the class gift, as wel 1 as
a message. \
Committee member Billy Byrnes
is excited that the Mercy Cross will
be hung in the new building. "Since
there are only two other Mercy
Crosses on campus, the gift shows
that the legacy of the Sisters of
Mercy, which are the foundations of
the campus of Mercyhurst College,
will be preserved in the new aca-
demic building," said Byrnes.
So far, 104 Seniors have donated
to the senior gift, contributing
S3,355. The major fundraising event
was the 100 days 'Til Graduation
Party at Plymouth before spring
w
*
trainers made available to them.
Students also requested that the Rec
Center be opened earlier than the
current opening time of 10 a.m "Th is
is a common complaint among con-
stituents and there were Several
people who wrote forum questions
about the issues," said Annie DeMeo,
Mercyhurst Student Government
secretary who moderated the event.
nThere were a lot of suggestions
thrown out this evening that student)
dent government representatives will
work on getting together a petition
and perhaps we could convince the
director ofthe facility to allow there
to be a trial period to see how much
usage the Rec Center actually gets
from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m."
Another important issue addressed
by the administration was that of on-
line registration. Dr. Roth explained
to students that the goal was for on-
line registration to be a reality by
April of 2003, for registration for the
fall term of the 2003-2004 school
year.
"Web Advisor software has been
purchased and currently the faculty
Benekos explained that the soft-
ware will be used for a number of
[things. "Students will likely be able
t0 access
grades on-line as soon as
sometime during the spring term."
As the forum concluded, DeMeo
Gift moUClAss «I3KQ
_J
T :£££
File photo Lecture Series, drew an impressive crowd from the 'Hurst,
break. The committee has set the goal community. A packed auditorium hosted counterculture icon
of $5,000 donated by 170 Seniors, if Steve Hager, as well as former DEA agent Robert Strutman, both
you would like to contribute, please of whom made convincing arguments for their own side of the
contact a committee member.
Women's
water polo
wins first
game
page 8
March 21, 2002
M S G begins student elections
By Michelle Oelon .
has many other related responsi-
bilities including attending the
Contributing writer Board of Trustees meetings, Bud-
The time has come for the elections get and Finance Committee meet-
ings, and SAC Executive Board
for next year's Student Govern-
ment and the Executive Board. The meetings. The Vice-President is in
members of the Executive Board charge of all the elections, and
include the President, Vice Presi- plans and organizes the Lecture Se-
dent, Treasurer, Secretary, and ries. He or she also attends the SAC
SAC Chair. Anyone can run for Executive Board meetings with the
these positions, including students President.
who are not currently a member of The students who will be running
MSG. | | j \ for Treasurer are working to be in
Letters of intent for President and charge ofthe money related issues
Vice President, and the teams of for the student government. A fewj
examples ofthe treasurer's dutiesj
President, and Vice President, must
are that he or she facilitates the in-
have been submitted no later than
March 19. The primary election for take and distribution of Mercy hurst
these two positions will take place Student Government funds, and
on March 26. Letters of intent for writes weekly checks for all stu-
secretary, treasurer, and SAC Chair dent government activity and
must be submitted no later than Mercyhurst Student Government
March 27. The general election for funds. The Secretary's duties in-
clude organization of meetings an
the Executiv Board will take place
on April 4 and 5. The SAC Chair office, and organization of the
will be chosen on April 10.
The duties of the student that
|Homecoming elections and events.
The SAC Chair responsibilities in-
wins the position of President will clude the organization of all SAC
be to lead the MSG weekly meet-
ings, which took place on Mondays
activities and SAC related retreats.
The new Executive Board will be.
this year, and remain in charge of
MSG fundraisers and government
sworn in on April 15. Thef'MSG
representative elections will be
associated retreats. The President held on April 25 and 26.
Annie Sitter/Merbad photographer
March 12th's event, the last installment of MSG's 2001-2002
legalization of marijuana dialogue.
PACE 2 TH E ME RC IAD MARCH 21.2002

CAMPUS NEWS
Police and Safety Lo; No work' rule for Brown U. students sparks debate
Anna Subblefield Lisa Moran 'OS said she works for who want to work. Hoover said, "students start out at S9
February 15,2002 1 the minimum eight hours per week "If a student at Brown wants to an hour. Why cant we have this at
Brown U.
cashiering at Josiah's in order to buy work, mere are more than enough Brown?" % >
Briggs apartments
(U-WIRE) PROVIDENCE, R.L — plane tickets to travel home to Cali- jobs available, both on and off cam- The minimum wage Brown student
Three underage non-students went The recent decision to cut work- fornia and to cover her extra ex- pus,** Bartini said. workers can earn is $6.40 an hour.
into an apartment and began to study requirements for first-year penses. Income from these jobs, however, "No one at Brown says student
drink alcoholic beverages. Brown University students on finan- "A lot of student jobs on campus would be taxed by federal and state workers should be paid minimum
cial aid, beginning with the class of allow you to work while you study," governments, Bartini said. wage," Bartini said. * «
February 17,2002 2006, has sparked debate, with some Moran said. "Work-study during Although the Financial Aid Office "Employers are given guidelines to
Briggs apartments students and administrators praising your freshman year helps to relieve awards money to the families of stu- decide the wage each worker should
Threats made to students by other the policy and other student groups the stress ofpaying for things on your dents on financial aid, this money receive according to the value and
students expressing skepticism. own. This first year isn't stressful often does not trickle down to the stu- amount of work that they do. Wages
Although Michael Bartini, director enough academically for working to dents, said Elizabeth Hoover '02, are thus not stagnant amounts. Stu-
February 17,2002 of financial aid, said the Financial really become a big burden on top of vice president of Students On Finan- dents can move up the ladder.**
East Duval Aid Office is "optimistic and enthu- adjusting to Brown.** cial Aid. Administrators are optimistic in the
Students made an unauthorized siastic about Brown's hew 'no work* But not all students work simply Students from organizations like face ofcriticism. Bartini said students
entry into another student's policy," students expressed uncer- to pay for extra expenses. Some stu- SOFA said they are also wary of the must recognize the "no work** policy
apartment, started to fight, made tainty about the program's success. dent-workers depend on their pay- new no work-study policy. is part of a bigger package for Brown
verbal threats, and caused 1 Several University Food Services checks to help pay for books, living "The financial aid department is and forfinancialaid, giving first-year
dammage to the apartment workers said they are critical of the costs and tuition. notorious for underestimating how students a more relaxed transition
"no work" policy, which may hurt Bartini said there are still employ- much it costs to come here,** Hoover into college life.
students more than help them. ment options availableto first-years said. "At Harvard [University],
February 19,2002
McAuley Hall
I
Unknown person(s) discharged a
fire extinguisher in the hall.
Terrorism in
the ^classroom,
MOJO 210" Sub just
SK
February 20,2002 a
Mercy apartments ^ I Choose from Combo,
By Stacey Abbott Accepting j o b
Male student hit female student in Ham & Cheese, Turkey, 1
the face
Staff writer?? applications Meatball or Pizza '
In the six months that have followed With coupon—expires June 1,
September 11, we have all found
our own- ways to digest and deal Located at
Fire Watch: with the tragedies that resulted from
I that day. For many students, the
2618 Parade Street 15 Wings
Tips for preventing fire classroom has provided, and con- 456-4508 tTZJfP
tinues to provide, a venue for shar-
By Rick Sadlier ing thoughts and feelings, as well Monday - Thursday: 11:00am -11:00pm Hot, BBQ, Ranch, Butter
Fire Safety Officer as learning and processing informa- and Garlic wings available
tion related to terrorism and the Friday and Saturday: 11:00am - Midnight
Fires kill more Americans than all United States* response to the I Sunday: 3:00pm-11:00pm
natural disasters combined. Every events of September eleventh. With coupon - expires Junel
year more than 5,000 people die in These topics have come up in a
fires, over 25,000 are injured, and wide array of courses throughout
direct property losses are estimated the past six months, but perhaps
at over 59 billion.* Fortunately, most particularly for those students
these losses are preventable through enrolled in the Research/Intelli-
basic fire safely awareness. The ma- gence Analyst Program, which is a
jority offiresin the U.S. are acciden- department within the History ma-
tal, and thus largely preventable. jor offered here at Mercy hurst 0.
The leading cause offiresin the US R/IAP major Kelly Froehlick de-
is accidental. Fires like most scribed some discussion that took
accidents are largely preventable.* place during the fall term in a R/
LAP class entitled, "Terrorism." In
Some common causes of fires are: light of September eleventh, the stu-
• Unattended/careless cooking dents discussed thefinancialimpli-

PifRmco
• Open flame, typically smoking, cation of large-scale terrorism, as
candles and incense well as the links between terrorist
• Overloaded electrical circuits, un- groups. She felt that Jthe tragedies
w

safe wiring or misused or damaged of September eleventh were an "im-

extension cords and appliances portant, but extremely traumatic
• Poor housekeeping resulting in ac- wake-up call" for the United States.
Furthermore, Froehlick pointed out
see ani live
cumulations of combustibles
• Improper use of cleaning chemicals that intelligence organizations work (with special guest Dan Bern)
or flammable liquids perfectly the majority of the time,
• Improper use of decorative mate- and unfortunately only get attention
rials when they are unsuccessful. it
tuesday, april 2
Brandon M ahoney also took the
Fire can happen anytime fuel, air "Terrorism** course offered in the
and an ignition source come together. fall term, taught by Dr. Heibel, head
warner theatre
Fire safety begins with you. The Stu- of the R/IAP department. From
dent Handbook (p.43) contains fire their classroom discussions, he
erie, pa
safety regulations. These rules are gleaned that the U.S. had to respond tix: 814-452-4857
provided to make you, your building in a powerful way to the attack be-
and Mercy hurst College a safer, fire- cause we seemed to have stood qui-
proof en vironment etly by during other acts of terror-
ism committed in the past two de- •
monday, april 8
• Source; US FA-Fire Safety 10J pub-cades, such as the events in Beirut
lication in 1979, and 1993's first attack on
shea's performing
the World Trade Center. Mahoney arts center^
Easter Break Library feels that the*United States must
Hours begin to respond actively in order buffalo, ny;
to prevent the continuation of ter-
Thursday, March 28: 8 a.m.-7 p.m ronsm. tix: 716-852-5000
These students, and many others
Friday, March 29: CLOSED like them, are using their education revelling | reckoning
Saturday, March 30: CLOSED
at Mercyhurst to become more in- ani's latest available now
formed citizens, as well as a forum at your favorite *@
for the exchange'of ideas between www righteousbabe com
[Sunday. March 31: CLOSED peers and professors.

v&\w Vi\

The Cornerstone
By Justin Gorsage
Contributing writer
It's Saturday night and it seems as
if the entire campus has gone into
hiding. There are no good parties
going on, and watching the same
movies over and over has become
* *
tiring.
If this scene sounds all too famiU.
iai\ then you haven't been to the
Cornerstone Bar & Grill yet. John
Melody, the former soccer coach re-
cently opened the Cornerstone Bar
on the corner ofEast 38th Street and
Pine Avenue, across from CVS, and
so far business has been booming.
The mood once inside on a Satur-
day night is quite upbeat. On one
side of the bar, people can be found
playing pool or quarters, or danc-
ing on the dancefloorwhile the DJ
spins out a good mix of musical
genres. While on the other side, you
can find a table to sit at and grab a
bite to eat. Senior Bob Furgal said,
fit's very convenient and it's a nice
little gathering place."
Chris Zdunski, the general man-
ager at the Cornerstone said, "It's a
fantastic location because of the col-
lege being right here," Because of
its close location to the college, the
Cornerstone has already become
quite a popular destination for stu-
dents here at the Hurst. Junior Matt
Walle said, "I think the location is
nice, this way I don't have to catch
a cab back home."
For a lot of college students catch-
ing a cab can be a little more ex-
pensive than it's worth. John
Melody also has plans in the works
to open another bar downtown
called Molly Brannigans, This bar
having a fully authentic Irish theme
to it with a more historic feel than
the Cornerstone since the building
structure will be older. The Comer-
stone is open all week, 11 a.m. until
2 a.m., with happyhour specials
from five p.m. until seven p.m.
Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z 0 Q M Z 0 0 M
Rebate
PAGE 3 THE MERCIAD
FEATURES
Gifts for Kids
By David Portenier
Contributing writer
Slowly the screwdriver turns, pull-
ing the last screw out. The toy is
carefully pulled apart and the bro-
ken connection is revealed.
As toys are being repaired, Jan
Shaunessy overseas the craftsman-
ship of the volunteers. Jan does this
everyday because she is involved
with an organization called Gifts for
Kids. *| | | | | have enough."
Gifts for Kids is just one of the na-
tionally known organizations that
provides toys to less-fortunate chil-
dren. So residing in Erie, Gifts for
Kids workers and volunteers accept
the challenge to bring smiles to sad-
dened faces. Located in Downtown
Erie, Gifts for Kids was founded in
1985 by John Oaks, a retired Penn-
sylvania State Police Officer. For
years, John's organization has pro-
vided families and children with a
sense of hope and togetherness not
just through the holidays, but every-
day of the year. g|
This organization is operated in a
very unique way. Jan states her mis-
sion clearly, "In order to give toys,
we must have toys to give." Jan re-
;•*«•
ceives toys from manufacturers and
retail stores that provide toys that
*
have been returned or might not
have sold. % ferent sizes and trying to figure out
When Jan and Gifts for Kids re-
ceive toys that have been returned,
they are usually damaged, and that's
where the volunteers take over.
They try to fix the damaged toys the
best they can. Once a toy is repaired,
Gifts for Kids organizes the toys by
age group and gender and sends
them to a needy group, such as a lo-
cal church. There, people wrap and
distribute accordingly to how Gifts
for Kids sent them.
Contrubuting photographer Jan and her volunteers have a very
flawless method to organize toys.
Adam DuShole, Megan Eble and Leslie Echan are enjoying a drink For example, birth to ten years of
at the newllocal bar near Mercyhurst College's campus. j age is the first grouping oftoys, like
The bar has recently opened and has had a packed house every dolls and toy trucks. From there, the
Friday and Saturday nights. toy selection is increased in incre-
ments of five years, and it stops
around the age of twenty-five, where
— ~
Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M Z O O M
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MARCH 21. 2002
as electronics are used as toys. "We
have found this method to work and
the organizations we supply never
seem to have problems." All the or-
ganizations never request toys for
all age groups though. They usu-
ally only ask for toys ranging from
birth to fifteen years of age.
"We receive so many toys, that
sometimes we have too much and
too little time to fix them. And
sometimes, we run out of organiza-
tions to give them to because they
Gifts for Kids receives smal 1 toys,
like matchbox cars and big toys, like
playhouses or bikes. This past year,
they received a total of 26,000 toys.
And 90% of them came with their
original boxes, which makes it
easier for Jan and the volunteers to
sort and ship. And, the storage of
these toys is never a problem for Jan
because I hey have a storage facility
at their location. "With the excep-
tion of stuffed animals, we never
accept any clothes and just focus
mainly on toys."
Gifts for Kids knew they would
have problems accepting clothes.
The storage and the packaging in
dealing with a boy piece from a girl
piece and what the actual article of
clothes are, pants or shirt, would be
impossible. And also, a huge chal-
lenge would be categorizing the dif-
what organization needs what. "It
would be very time consuming and
require a lot more help."
Students from Mercyhurst Col-
lege play an important role in Gifts
for Kids. "I enjoy working with the
students. They are always in the
best spirits and eager to help more
than what they have too." The vol-
unteers do numerous tasks such as
repair gifts, load gifts onto trucks,
and help organize them into catego-
ries.
"I work with a lot of volunteers
throughout the year, but when you
guys come and help it really means
a lot. We get a majority of our tasks
done fast and its always handled
with the greatest care. We would
struggle without you guys."
Z O O M
M
 V7AV7^7Ty7r^rrr^:~r
PAGE 4 TH E MERC1AD MARCH 21, 2002
OPINION
A warrior for optimism
THE GOOD ... "What do you want to do when
school is done?"
Over the past weeks, I have repeat-
• Over the last few days, despite a few drizzles here and edly been asked this question and I
there, it was nice to see students out having fun on cam- answer it with the same sense of
pus, playing'frisbee and wearing shorts and t-shirts. Mer- fearful uncertainty. But when I hear
other kids answer with a similar "I
cyhurst is beginning to look like a fun campus again. don't know," I feel comfort in the
fact that I am not the only one who
feels his or hers college degree may
• Lucky kid? Oscar winners and spouses Billy Bob only serve as a really expensive
piece of paper.
Thornton and Angelina Jolie have adopted a baby from
But with that comfort comes a
Cambodia. Given Jolie's knife fetish and Billy Bob's fear sense of urgency, a sense of trying
of antique furniture, I feel really sorry for when this kid's to figure out just exactly what I want
buds come over.
•
to do for the rest of my life. It is also
scary that I use phrases as "rest of
my life" and/or "In my day." And
•Now that the Office of Student Financial Services has com- every time I say those things, I feel
bined Student Accounts and Financial Aid, things are run- that time isn't tapping me on the
shoulder, but breathing down my
ning much more smoothly than in the past. neck.
It's funny how in high school,
when asked what I was going to do
THE BAD ... after graduation, I could answer with
full confidence about what I was
going to do. Now, the words "for the
• For some reason, students think that whenever they rest of my life" carry more ambigu-
ity and importance than I want to
drink and decide to take their routine walk around cam- deal with right now. Not because
pus, they have to harass other students walking home. my inner procrastinator is eager to
Pure genius, especially when the aforementioned idi- acquire Senior-itis, but because, for
the first time in my adult 1 ife, I am
ots walk past security carrying a bottle of Jack and afraid of not what I will be doing,
answer "No** to the officer*s question of "Are you drink- but if anything will become avail-
ing?" . I i . I able for me to do what I want to do.
Sure, the assurances that come
from advisors, teachers and family
serve as a placebo for my uncer-
•There are 10-12 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medi- tainty, but only until I read in En-
cine students study^in 3R, taking up valuable space that tertainment Weekly about the latest
up-and-coming talentless film per-
students could be using, especially when midterms come sonalities who have found their
around. * ^^J^ JJ^ k lucky break courtesy of a random
finding by an agent in some mall. I
wonder why fate doesn't nudge me
in that direction. Then I consider my
location, Erie, and realize if warm
THE UGLY . . . weather rarely visits E-town, then
• What's up with the random odors around Old Main
this week? Onefloorsmelled of beef, and the area
around Preston wreaked of garbage and some girl's
Who was Oscar Romero?
Afaithjularchbishopkan ordinary man and an extraordinary leader
cheap perfume. Lysol, A.S.A.P.
Archbishop Oscar Amulfo Romero
was the leader of the diocese of San
•Now that the snow has melted, there are puddles of stand- Salvador during a period of political
ing water in the walkways. Seriously, aren't walkways upheaval and instability.
meant for walking on, not around? He was a good, pious, ordinary man
who was elevated to be bishop of an
area that was suffering greatly from
a civil war between factions of capi-
talism and communism.
Romero tried to remain benign in
the face ofwhat was going on around
Gat i him.
But, the realities of civil strife and
1
violence came too close to home.
As people he knew disappeared, as
co-workers were tortured and killed,
Romero could no longer stay above
thefray,and he felt compelled to act.
Because of the kind of person that
he was, Oscar Romero felt that God
was calling him to stand in compas-
sion with those who were suffering.
His is a modern story of conversion
that is real and very compelling. Once
^ he had made the choice to speak out
on behalf of those who were op-
pressed. £
He became the target for those who
wanted to maintain the status quo and
uml ignore the cries of the poor.
! » • *
Romero became more and more out-
spoken. He even challenged the Sal-
.com PHEAA requiring them to torture and murder
vadoran military to disobey orders
I . .* -' ! / I
hwa unarmed civilians.
And Another Thing...
Phil Pirrello
why would Fate or good luck?
But everyone blames Erie for ev-
erything, which makes me want to
actualize my El True Hollywood
Story even more. Being a Jedi of im-
I patience, I refuse to sit around and
. wait.
But how does one go about suc-
ceeding in a field whose only access
depends mostly on connections and
right place, right time happenings?
Well, they do so by adapting a cliche
as their personal mantra: "Be Opti-
mistic" or "Good things come to
those who wait."
Now, as anyone who reads my col-
umn knows that me and optimism are
about as bosom buddies as a hypo-
chondriac and a leper colony. But
lately, because more doors are clos-
ing than opening for me in my de-
sired profession, I am becoming a
warrior for optimism, war crying
fiercelyfromthe "I."|*
But, think what you want. Feel
what you want, optimism or other-
wise. But bitching and moaning
about how there is nothing to do in
Erie, or how blah Mercy world can
be at times, is not a solution. It is an
excuse.!It is an opportunity to pass
blame off on things we can't control,
in favor of not taking control. I hate
the constant cacophony of pessimism
in the air with every walk to the
Union or overheard conversation
about how crappy something is. Not
to get all preachy, but instead of com-
plaining, why notHno something'
about it?
tMake it a hobby, or a mission state-
ment, and rebel against conformity
by taking an individual's stance
against something. And what better
Questioning Faith
FT. Jim Piszker
He also called on the United States
to stop helping El Salvador's mili-
tary (which the U.S. was doing
through money, arms and the train-
ing of soldiers at the infamous
"School of the Americas"). Romero
would ultimately be called to lay
down his life for others.
On March 24, 1980, Romero was
gunned down while saying Mass in
a hospital chapel. His "radical" pro-
nouncements were too much for
those who benefited from his silence.
Romero exemplifies a model of
Lenten conversion.
The cries of the poor, the disad-
vantaged, those who have no one to
speak on their behalf are many and
they are here and around the world.
How can we be good, ordinary, pi-
ous people who don't desire to be
leaders or even challengers ofthe sta-
tus-quo respond?
Our baptism gives us the grace to
respond as Romero did, with the
compassion of Christ Romero under-
stood that love was stronger than vio-
lence when he said, "If they kill me,
I will rise again in the Salvadoran
-.v/.-.v.v.v.w.v.v.v.* >»«»».»».. • • • • • • •.'.-.• ' V,
thing to rebel against than self-defeat-
ing prophecies?
It is easier said man done. I know.
I am trying, very hard. But all of our
endeavors - levels of difficulty are in-
creased with every negative jab at the
system or cynical bitch fest. I have
always spoken my mind (shocker)
when it comes to getting the bum end
of the stick without any pre-lube. I
used to do so with such Oliver Stone-
esque vigor, that the end result turned
an ant hill of an issue into the El
Capitan of reform.
Lately, I have tried to discover the
middle ground between soap-boxing
and diplomacy.
That middle ground is optimism.
And it's hard to be an optimist. Hell,
the only thing I am 100% optimistic
about is the fact that -1 will always
approach new situations with a cer-
tain degree of pessimism. Such an
approach is conditioned within some
of us, after years of concealing aca-
demic success from the senior class
or going against the ebb and flow of
mediocrity.
I always found comfort in know-
ing that I'll someday pass these
people on their journey to the middle.
But when one sees the potentiality
of optimism as a revolutionary act,
then they are the ones opening doors,
even ones slammed in their faces.
At the end of this column, I am still
not sure what I am going to be.
But keeping my head up is helping
me, little by little, to see all the things
I can .do by ignoring all the stuff I
can't help but analyze too much
about.
J ° l most of us,, it's npt a question
of what opportunities are not going
to ptesent themselves, but rather
which ones are we not gonna let slip
through our fingers. The tighter one's
grip, the more optimistic the future
looks.
people."
And he has continued to speak out
against oppressive regimes and ineq-
uitable economic conditions through
all those inspired by his life and ac-J
tions.
To learn more about the man, see
the film about him, "Romero," star-
ring the late Raul Julia. Read his
homilies in the book, "The Violence
of Love." i b .•;••._.'•".. ••
Mercyhurst carries on his legacy
through the annual Archbishop Os-
car Romero Lecture.
This year, it will be held on Mon-
day, March 25th at 7:30 p.m. in the
Mercy Heritage Hall. John Dear, a
Jesuit, will speak on "Non-Violence
Amid Global Terror: The Relevance
of Radical Compassion."
Take heart in these words" spoken
by Oscar Romero: "We cannot do ev-
erything and there is a sense of lib-
eration in realizing that. This enables
us to do something and to do it well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a be-
ginning, a step along the way, an op-
portunity for the Lord's grace to en-
ter and do the rest" .'
As Oscar Romero once said, "We
may never see the end results, but that
is the difference between the master
builder and theworker."
j » . . . . . , . . ^K . . . . * .
 T
A V :' ^ U v r ^ ^ ; .

tA MJ%fi m ihi
MARCH 21. 2002 THEMERCIAD PAGE 5

OPINION
HIt|tin^jf(^^<£se^^^lu) frayed "I wish we could start later so I could
learn more at my internship over the
^Ashleyjjorett, juinior summer instead of concentrating on
Rfdob'flike the^fac|thaf^epll get "I dbift think they should start it then school."
fl Mnk ttsfiiotiia be a day oflemern^ eu| late^ no|tO'mention there will be because its my 21 st birthday." Keypx Dwyer, junior
brande,inot aray&f sbjfcyp- more 4nemorie$;o£th.e pastSvear.f — Jackie foliar, junior f
_MolIy Smith^junior --^ AiidreaJWaiEing$ f&staair- "The feet that we start later doesn't
pU don't think we should start school bother me, but Iflhink it should be
r | think the iummerwiltfcetoo ldngi ^thin&att majof&stltutibns should on thatgday, because we should^re- recognized as a dayjwe should be
: :
Kn&Me&t 'J^r ;it vAi be hard to get be closeo!, it should be aldaySof re- member those that died Instead of proud to be Americans."
summer employment^ l|^branee«and'reflection|& studying and classes." — Mike Coleman/junior
— Aunt DiSartolomeo, freshnui [Joe Yacpne,junior —*/Andy Masarik, senior
"It affects me because all my friends
"Hike flow the summer will be long, "It won *t affect me because I am Si don't like the .fact that we start so will be back at school already and
but it stinks for the seniors." \ graduating this year.| 1%
Whatjis your late, and I think it should be a day of next summer all the jobs will be
— Heather Richmond, junior — Dustin Arnheim, senior memory." taken."
reaction to Fall term —Alexis CandelaMreshman Luke Slater, junior
$L like it because I-witi be able to p think that we should start earlier, starting on
work longer." because we get out late enough as it| "It stinks because its my senior year "I think its too late because other
Justin Farione, junior ga/\.- • ffig I | |||. f I September 11th? and we graduate so much later than schools have already started and we
Denni Jurcevie, junior usual;" are the only ones left at home."
8 thinUffs fine, it no differ- Kerry Ryan, junior — Sarah Hojnacki, junior
ence to-mer
pfCerianne Lover, freshman

Life, liberty a n d t h e pursuit of d w a r f tossing

Matt Brophy
U. Minnesota
(U-WIRE) MINNEAPOLIS
Jimmy Leonard, a British bouncer
and truck driver, won the British
Dwarf-Throwing Championships by
tossing "Lenny the Giant," a 4-foot-
4-inch, 98-pound British dwarf, a
distance of 11 feet 5 inches at the
Worcester pub in Sutton.
It's no joke: Dwarf tossing is a
sport. There are competitions, con-
tenders and big money on the line.
Some dwarfs have made careers out
of it, reportedly earning up to six-fig-
ure salaries on tour.
Dwarf tossing is a contest in which
dwarfs wear harnesses and allow bar
patrons to pick them up and hurl them Florida's legislators that dwarf-toss- fines or revoke the liquor license of teed the rights to "life, liberty, and
through the air onto mattresses. This ing should be illegal. "Think of foot- establishments that host dwarf toss- the pursuit ofhappiness"—however
activity usually takes place in a bar ball," said Angela Van Ettan. "The ing contests. *g he or she might conceive it. This ban
or sports facility. Whoever throws the dwarf actually is the ball. He's the Challenging this ban as unconsti- on dwarf tossing is certainly uncon-
dwarf the farthest wins a cash prize object of the competitions ... being tutional, "Dave the Dwarf," a morn- stitutional and clearly politically mo-
or trophy as well as the admiration objectified and dehumanized." y ing talk-radio personality whose real tivated. The tyranny of the majority
ofspectators and fellow participants. Ernie Ott, a spokesman for LPA, name is Dave Flood, is currently su- shouldn't be able to keep the little
Even though dwarf tossing seems claims this deprecation extends not ing in a Florida circuit court to over- man down. As Flood declares, "I'm
like a positive sum game where ev- only to the individual, but to all little turn a law that bans dwarf tossing— a dwarf and I want to be tossed."
eryone wins, there are those who hold people: "Dwarf tossing may help fi- he is not suing for any damages. He The Florida court heeds to repeal
little tolerance of what they deem a nancially the person who does it... argues the law unfairly singles out their ban on dwarf tossing. If dwarf
"demeaning" pastime. The advocacy However, it tears down the structure people with dwarfism. Furthermore, tossing is outlawed, only outlaws will
group "Little People ofAmerica" ar- and the esteem that little people are he argues the state shouldn't be able be tossing dwarfs. If dwarf tossing is
gues dwarf-tossing encourages treat? trying to gain." LPA also argues to dictate how he earns his living. banned, then the terrorists have won.
ing dwarfs as objects. It's not clear if dwarf tossing is dangerous. Dwarf tossing is a relatively new Let liberty shine not only upon the
the advocates of LPA are grumpy or Motivated by vigorous lobbying by phenomenon, one obviously not fore- tall people, but the shorter ones as
dopey.'but they're certainly not LPA, a Florida court passed a law in seen by our forefathers. Therefore, well. Let these dwarfs go back to
happy. October 1989 that bans all forms of there is nothing in our Constitution work, earn a living and be able to
Robert and Angela Van Ettan, who dwarf tossing in pubs and bars. The that specifically covers dwarf toss- once again sing, "heave-ho, heave-
represent this group, convinced law empowers the state to impose ing. Little people should be guaran- ho, it's off to work I go."

Liquor stores!sueifake IDjusers

Students who buy booze illegally will pay the highest price
Bryan Nieder ing duped by underage patrons. local bars have begun using ID
U. Maryland Could this happen to underage al- scanners on random nights to pre-
cohol purchasers in Maryland? Ac- vent minors from entering. A po-
(U-WIRE) COLLEGE^PARK, cording to the Prince George's lice proctor facilitates the ID scan-
Md. — In some states, liquor dis- County Board of License, there is ning process, which also discour-
Kristin Purdy Editor in Chief tributors are armed with the abil- no law that allows alcohol distribu- ages underage drinkers from at-
PhilPirrello Opinion Editor ity to sue fake-ID users, -whose -i

tors to sue patrons for misrepre- tempting to get into bars.The scan-
Adam DuShole Arts & Entertainment Editor false representations can hit the senting themselves." In addition, ner reads IDs using a magnetic
Leslie Echan Features Editor % businesses with fines. Maryland Maryland liquor stores cannot buy strip reader that scans licenses' bar
alcohol providers cannot take such insurance to help alleviate fines codes to make sure cards are not
Mackenzie Dexter Sports Editor
actions, but feel lawsuits of this they may encounter in an alcohol fraudulent. Error messages appear
Scott Mackar Assistant Sports Editor
kind are unnecessary. violation. For selling to minors, i f the cards are fake* **
Annie Sitter Photography Editor
Billy Elliott V
Technical and Production Editor •A Newt Hampshire liquor store stores can face a $100 to $5,000 With a $3,000 price tag, the scan-
Megan Fialkovich Copy Editor sued University of New Hamp- fine and a possible liquor license ners do not come cheap and are not
Kristin Smith Copy Editor shire student Jeremy Reny in Feb- suspension or revocation. a panacea for fake ID usage. IDs
Megan Eble Advertising Manager ruary^for penalties incurred after Sgt. Jacques Croom, who super- with no magnetic strip, such as
Annie DeMeo Staff Writer selling the underage customer al- vises the alcohol initiatives unit for those from New Jersey, cannot be
Stacey A bbott Staff Writer cohol. Reny used false identifica- the Montgomery County Police, checked using the scanners.
tion to obtain alcohol at the guessed that half of underage high R.J. Bentley *s, Santa Fe Cafe and
Durham Marketplace, which re- school and college students have Cornerstone Grill and Loft employ
sulted in the liquor store being fake IDs. no scanners. Police officers spo-
The Merciad is the student-produced newspaper of Mercy hurst fined $250. \ \ < The large number of fake-ID radically bring them to the bars to
College. It is published throughout the year with the exception The Durham owner's unusual holders does not alarm the popu- scan for fake IDs.
of mid-term and finals weeks. Office at 314 Main. Telephone course of action left Reny with 30 lar local bar Santa Fe Cafe. % "Having a scanner is not neces-
824-2376. Fax 824-3249. E-mail <merciad@mercyhurst.edu>. hours of community^service, a "Our bouncers go through fairly sary," Sanders said. "With well-
settlement that helped him avoid a thorough training to prevent under- trained bouncers available, scan-
The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be jury trial and possible fines. The age kidsfromentering," said Greg ners just offer an extra expense and
signed, but your name can be withheld on request under certain lawsuit set a precedent in New Sanders, a Santa Fe Cafe manager. guest distraction. If a kid wants to
conditions. Letters are due on the Monday before publication Hampshire for alcohol providers "We have had no problems with risk a $500 fine then that's [his or
and should be no longer than 500 words. All letters should be wishing to take legal action in situ- the liquor board." her] decision."
submitted to Box 485. ations that penalize stores for be- To supplement skilled bouncers,

V\ % \ \ W . ".wiVv \ vX«
\
MARCH 21, 2002
ARTS&
E N T E R T A I N M E N T
Got Evil? Creative Arts division debuts show:
Ticket Stub
By Phil Pirrello
Opinion editor
It is a prerequisite that any time a
movie is set in a shady government
lab, it must be comprised entirely of
metal, and whenever it's metal doors
open, shut, or are in a resting posi-
tion, they clang. Anything vaguely
metal or glass in Paul Anderson's
Resident Evil clangs constantly, per-
haps to distract the audience from the
half-assed execution that this high
concept video game adaptation does
not deserve.
The Plot: Kinda hard to give a syn-
opsis when the lead character, effort-
lessly played by hottie Milla
Jovovich, is devoid of a name. IMDB
lists her with three different names,
so we'll just give her one that best
describes this broken rubix cube of a
plot: "Hot-chick-with-amnesia-who-
discovers-she-is-a-bad-ass-security-
agent-and-kung-fu -specialist-for-
the-hive." The Hive is conducting
viral and DNA experiments and one
of them releases a contagion that
turns the lab workers into zombies,
prompting "Hot Chick" and a group
of black jump-suited commandos
(lead by Girlfighfs Michelle
Rodriguez) to kill the undead and
escape before time runs out.
The Good: The movie really cap-
tures the subjectiveJP.O.V. of the
video game, complete with a digital
map that shows what level the play-
ers, err, actors are at, and a green digi-
tal clock counting down to "game
over.*' Those familiar with the game's
set pieces will be glad to see the ma-
jority of them intact, the best being
the preview's much showcased Ma-
trix-Vikt standoff between "Hot
Chick" and a pack of zombie dogs.
Such a scene would play almost
surreally comical if not for
Jo vovich's femme fatale machismo.
In a red mini-dress and leather jacket, many changes in terms of cosmetics
she promises that any bout between
her and Lara Croft would be a good
one. Standout scene: a sadistic com-
puter, The Red Queen, toys with our
commandos using a deadly geomet-
ric laser beam that slices and dices
with ultimate effectiveness.
The Bad: The film seems to have Pepsi as well as old favorites on the peppermint patty beverages.
been edited by the aforementioned
laser, substituting amateur CGI ef-
fects and not-very-threatening zom-
bies for artillery, hardware and close-
ups of actors we don't really care
about. And the gore factor is surpris-
ingly tame for this R-rated pic. The
supporting characters, save for those
played by Jovovich and Rodriguez,
retain their video game counterpart's
pop-up target sensibilities, wander-
ing about until the next zombie
munch fest.
As hackneyed and semi-disappoint-
ing as Evil is, it does redeem itself in
its middle and climactic sections, of-
fering a great apocalyptic ending that
is a sure set up for an already green-
lit sequel. But don't be so eager to
press "Continue" on this burgeoning
franchise, even if it promises more
creative ways to see Jovovich semi-
naked than it does shambling, undead
zombies.
THEMERCIAD PAGE 6
Gorgons, manticores and unicorns, oh my:
By Katie Putney
Contributing writer
On March 22, 2002, an artistic ex-
travaganza is set to debut at the Mary
D'Angelo Performing Arts Center at
8 p.m.. A conglomeration of the
Mercyhurst Departments of Music,
Dance, Drama, Art, and Communi-
cations will present Igor Stravinsky's
'The Soldier's Tale," and "The Uni-
corn, The Gorgon, and The
Manticore" by Gian-Carlo Menotti.
"The Soldier's Tale" tells the story
of a soldier who is on his way home
when he meets the Devil. He agrees
to exchange his violin with the Devil
for a book, in return for fame and
fortune. The Devil asks him to spend
3 days with him to teach him to play
the violin. The soldier agrees but 3
years pass before the soldier returns
to a town where no one recognizes
him. The soldier meets a princess and
they fall in love after he rescues her
from a deep sleep. The Devil is an-
gry at the soldier's happiness, and
Take chance and sieze the coffee:
CafeDierrifelebrate l year of espressos, lattes and cappuccinos
By Staeey Abbott
Staff writer?:
The beginning of Spring term marks
the one year anniversary for Cafe
Diem, the student run coffeehouse
located on the first floor of
Hammermi 11 library. Cafe Diem was
conceived by four Mercyhurst stu-
dents at the beginning of last year and
finally materialized on campus last
spring.
Over the course of their first year
in operation, Cafe Diem has made
as well as menu selection.
In addition to the standard coffee- caffeine buzz at Cafe Diem in the Hammermill Library.
house fare, new for this term they
have added a cold drink menu to ac- rocks such as iced mochas and lattes.
commodate warm-weather students,
which includes Italian cream sodas, panded to include such tasty items as der to serve up everyone's favorite
lemonade, iced tea, and flavored mounds bar mocha, choconilla and treats as well as new creations for
It's part performance car. It's part multipurpose carryall, it's part cutting-edge transportation. And it's all Toyota.
It's Matrix, an entirely new breed of vehicle — stop-and-stare good looks, standard air conditioning, up to 180 HP
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Test Drive Matrix AtYour
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threatens the couple with dire conse-
quences if they don't leave their
homeland. When the soldier returns
some time later for a short visit, the
Devil overcomes him.
"The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and
The Manticore" tells the story of a
poet who impresses his local town
with three separate exotic animals.
All of the local wives demand that
their husbands buy them similar ani-
mals because they are slaves to fash-
ion and status. The poet appears with
3 different animals and each time the
wives insist on getting one too. He
claims to have killed the first animal
in favor of the second. The towns-
people eventually go angrily to the
poet's castle when he has not been]
seen in the village for some time,
thinking mat he has killed all of his
animals. The poet lies dying but his
animals are alive and well. He criti-
cizes the townspeople for giving in
to the dictates of fashion to gain so-
cial acceptance and status, and speaks
of the symbolic price that it has for
society at large.
Jeff Fleegen, Niki Repass and Erika Schappest work up a nice y j
The hot menu has also been ex- a brand new espresso machine in or-
* M
"
Dr. Cerveris, the director of this
and Communication Departments are
production, and Chair ofthe Creative
also involved but are not included in
Arts Division at Mercyhurst College
this total figure.
says that there is a connection be- "The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and
tween the two stories. Both deal with
The Manticore" includes 12 singers,
['fantasy", and are concerned with
9 musicians, 3 dancers, and an inter-
"the fantastic and fables." active video. According to Dr.
Cerveris, his biggest difficulty in co-
-j— = ordinating the production was the
<A r
I/ ttl (2
7
Stl O IV l\ amount
°f people invol ved.
When over "60 people are in-
v olved ev n hs
demonstrate[s] , ' /T ft ° SWfe
I _: _ classes and schedules which made
what the Cre- times.
it difficult to schedule rehearsal
ative Arts Divi- co-coordinating this production since
Dr. Cerveris has been working on
sion can do as a few weeks ago.
September, but only began casting a
QVOUp. He explains that this particular
show was, "a way to demonstrate
what the Creative Arts Division can
Dr. Cerveris do as a group; music, dance, com-
munication, art and singing" are all
There are a total of 70 performers, blended together in a "collaborative"
comprised of singers, dancers, actors way. ^
and musicians. Members of the Art For tickets and information, call the
Box Office at ext. 3000, M I
chased under $2.00.
Physically, Cafe Diem is going to
be making some changes as well.
Since they opened their doors, they
have replaced the carpeting and re-
cently the lighting in the cafe. This
term, the staff is planning on refur-
bishing the tables with an eclectic
collage design to replace the match-
ing plaid table clothes. They also
hope to add a couch and coffee table
inside the entrance of the cafe.
Cafe Diem is staffed by 17 stu-
dents, most of whom are HRIM ma-
jors. These students can receive par-
tial work-study funding, as well as
fulfill some ofthe 240 required ser-
Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer
vice hours for all HRIM majors over
the course of their four years at
Mercyhurst. This year's managers
Cafe Diem has recently purchased are David Vitale, Josh Karney, Laura
Rowles, and April Pepe. Cafe Diem
is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.
- 10:30 p.m. as well as Sunday-
spring term, all ofwhich can be pur- Thursday from 7 p.m. - 12:00 p.m.
:\? rm
n
is Celebrfltmg its First
Attfaversary With A B-rfl^d
New espresso MAchlute!
Located O n The Mali*, Hoor
®TOYOTA of The Library.
Kse your Cflkvcpus Card!

1 —
Men's hockey loses championship g a m e 6-4 to
Goulet's centering pass behind the
By Mackenzie Dexter Connecticut goalie at 5:23. Junior
Sports editor defender Mike Muldoon converted a
Laker power play at 7:11 and the
Lakers led 2-0 after a period.' The
Mercyhurst advanced to the MAAC goals were McMonagle's ninth and
Hockey League Championship game Muldoon's fifth of the season. The
with a 5-0 shutout of Connecticut lead grew to 3-0 midway in the sec-
Thursday, March 14, but were de- ond when Goulet scored a short-
feated in the final round by Quinnipiac handed, unassisted goal at 10:24.
6-4 Saturday, March 16. Mercyhurst put the game away with
After MAAC Goaltender of the third period goals by sophomore de-
Year Peter Aubry stopped a UConn tender Nolan Brown, his second ca-
breakaway in the game' s first minute, reer goal, at 3:32, and sophomore
Mercyhurst scored twice within a two- forward Peter Rynshoven, a power
minute span later in the first period. play goal, his 13th score of the sea-
Senior-forward Tom McMonagle son, at 8:39. Mercyhurst outshot the
deflected fellow senior forward Louis Huskies 32-28 as Aubry recorded his
MARCH 21. 2002 THEMERC1AD PAGE 7
LAKER
S P O R T S
Quinnipiac
eleventh career shutout and only the play of both of the team's goalies. to the back of the net. Muldoon pulled
second in MAAC playoff history. Cifelli made 11 saves in the second, the Lakers within one with a goal that
Quinnipiac University became the Quinnipiac stopped 20 Laker shots came at 15:57 to make the score 5-4.
fourth different MAAC Hockey for a MAAC Tournament record in- Quinnipiac stopped the Lakers'
League Champion in four years Sat- cluding a breakaway shot by fresh- chance $of a«comeback whenjj they
urday afternoon as it defeated the man forward David Wrigley. Fresh- scored on Mercyhurst's open net with
defending champion Mercyhurst Lak- man forward Rich Hansen came out nine seconds remaining to win 6-4.
ers 6-4. Quinnipiac avenged a 6-5 in the third period and scored on a Mercyhurst's Goulet and Muldoon
loss to the Lakers in last year's cham- power play just 1:55 into the period. were named to the All-Tournament
pionship game. Quinnipiac answered with a goal less Team. The Lakers finish with an o ver-
Quinnipiac scored four unanswered than a minute later on the powerplay. all record of 24-10-3 and a confer-
goals in the first period on Laker The Lakers then began a comeback, ence record of 21 -2-3.
senior goalie Peter Aubry at 4:42, scoring three unanswered goals. The The Lakers will be losing six se-
10:48,15:52 and 18:14. Mercyhurst first was scored by Wrigley at the niors this yearJMarc Varteressian,
coach Rick Gotkin replaced Aubry 5:36. Less than five minutes later, Louis Goulet, Tom McMonagle, Brad
with sophomore Matt Cifelli after the Laker sophomore Adam Tackaberry Olsen, Brad McDonald and goalie
fourth goal. Neither team scored in scored on a goal that bounced off Peter Aubry.
the second period due to the excel 1 ent Quinnipiac' s goalie and found its way

Men's volleyball loses to Princeton, and St. Francis Softball finishes|Florida trip with
By Scott Mackar
Assistant sports editor
The Mercyhurst men's volleyball
team lost both games to Princeton
and St. Francis Saturday, March 16.
The setbacks dropped Mercyhurst to
4-15 overall on the season.
In the first contest, it took Princeton
only three games to defeat the Lak-
ers. Mercyhurst lost the games by
scores of 21-30, 23-30, and 24-30.
Junior Alex Laama and freshman
Austin Siewert led the Lakers with
ten kills apiece. Laama has 149 kills
on the season, while Siewert has con-
tributed 174. * Credited with shutting down the West Virginia Wesleyan Sunday,
In the second game, Mercyhurst
faced off against St. Francis.
Mercyhurst was swept in three close
fought games. They lost by scores of
33-31, 30-27, and 30-26. Freshman
two losses, ending a six-win streak
Pastva now has a total of twenty
By Scott Mackar strikeouts for the season.
Assistant sports editor j? Mercy hurst dropped the second
game to Augustina by a score of 8-7.
The Mercyhurst women's Softball Mercyhurst fell behind by a power-
team had a six-game unbeaten streak ful fourth inning by Augustana, and
end March 1, ending its Florida trip could never recover. Dayna She 1 key
with loses to Alma and Augustana. led the Lady Laker offense by
Mercyhurst began their five game homering and driving in three runs.
winning streak in Florida, which was The three RBI's increased her 2002
their longest since the 1998 season. total to 15, which currently leads the
In Friday's contest the Lady Lak- team. Marissa Bartholomew, cur-
ers lost to Alma 2* 1. Alma scored in rently batting ,455, went two for four
the bottom of the eighth inning to in the game driving in one run. The
Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer break the tie and win the game. Fresh- seven wins are two more than the
Sophomore Jim Ax and senior Eli Bupp collide as Bupp makes the man pinch hitter Hannah Cox drove entire team won in all of 2001.
divmg hit. The Lakers lost 3-0 to Princeton and St. Francis. in the only Laker run for the game. The Lady Lakers' contest against
Bill VanCise led the Laker's with kills on the season. Alma offense was sophomore pitcher March 17 was canceled due to rain.
eleven kills while freshman Dave The Lakers will resume conference Stacy Pastva who pitched five com- Mercyhurst will 'travel to
Schmidl added ten. VanCise has 50 play this week when Findlay and plete innings. She gave up three hits Shippensburg this weekend playing
kills on the season while Schmidl Clarke visit the H urst Saturday, March and one run while walking only one IUP Friday night and Lock Haven
leads the Laker team with 209 total 23 and Tuesday, March 26. batter and having? five strikeouts. and Millersville Saturday.
1

laker Bin Lunch

Monday
Bagel Sandwich
Fruit Cup
20 oz. Fountain Drink
Thursday
Taco Salad
20 oz. Fountain Drink \SSWL.
Tbesday Friday
Deli Sandwich Chicken N
Soup Small French Fries
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Wednesday Saturday
Sizzling Salad Combo Sub
20 oz. Fountain Drink Two Cookies
20 oz. Fountain Drink

Hours: Sunday 5 p.m. - 1 a.m.,

Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. -|1 a.m.,
Saturday 1 p.m. - 1 a.m.,
7:30 p.m.- 10 p.m. Convenience Items Only
Hair none Unlimited
Walk-ins welcome
10% off all ices
/i/*t>

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PAGE 8 THEMERCIAD
LAKER
SPORTS
Women's water polo wins first game in history
By Mackenzie Dexter
Sports editor
It took only three games for a group
of first-year women water polo play-
ers to record the first win in
Mercyhurst history.
In just their second game ever, the
Mercyhurst women's water polo
team fell to Perm State Behrend 13-5
Friday night, March.15. The Lady
Lakers received their first win ever
the next day against IUP, winning 11 -
6. Mercyhurst was then defeated for
the second time'this seasorfby-
Gannon 15-5.
In Friday night's game, freshman
Ann Markley scored all five goals for
the Lady Lakers including three in
the first quarter. Markley^ got
Mercyhurst on the board first with a
goal just 17 seconds into the game.
Penn State Behrend tied the game a
minute later. Markley scored again
to regain the lead with 4:53. left in
the first quarter to make the score 2-
1. Penn State Behrend scored two
more goals to take their first lead and
wouldn't look back. Markley would
score one more goal and Penn State
Behrend would score twice to make
the score 5-3 in favor of Behrend at
the end of the first quarter. Markley
would score twice more, once at 5:35
Women's lacrosse wins first Baseball wins three out of four
home game o# seasen*i4i By Scott Mackar
The Lady Lakers rank seventh nationally
In their first home game of the sea-
son^ Mercyhurst had no trouble get-
ting past Merrimack College. The
Lady Lakers scored early and often
with quick goals from junior Amy
Plumley, freshman Dara Liberati and
senior Vanessa Turner to jump out
to a 3-0 lead Plumley finished the
game with three goals and one as-
sist'while Turner and Liberati fin-
ished with two goals each.
The Lady Lakers took a 7-1 lead
into halftime and the second half
proved to be much of the same.
Freshman Kristen Jankowski scored
three of Mercy hurst's last four goals
and added two assists. Senior Bryn
Paisley also recorded two goals in
the second half while senior Laurie
Sienkiewicz notched her fourth as-
sist of the game.
Junior Jennifer Meyers and fresh-
man Jennifer Hines also added goals.
The Lakers unproved their record to
3-1 on the season with their only loss
coming in double overtime.
The Lakers axe next in action
Thursday, March 21 when they host
Geneseo.
Women's tennis ends seasonflosing to Carnegie Mellon and Niagara
Mercyhursfs #1 player, sophomore Alison Hughes* ends with a 21-8 singles recordLast Saturday the men's lacrosse
By Mackenzie Dexter
Sports editor
The Mercyhurst women's tennis
team lost a close 5-4 contest to
Carnegie Mellon at the Westwood
Racquet Club Saturday, March 16.
Sophomore Alison Hughes recorded
a 9-8 victory at the number one slot
winning a tiebreaker 9-7 in the final
MARCH 21.2002
Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer
Junior Sarah D'Emilio passes to a teammate over Sophomore Lindsay Spiegel plays strong defense Wingate on Tullio Field Sunday,
the outstretched arm of a Penn State Behrend Friday night against Penn State Behrend. Spiegel March 24 at noon.
player. The Lady Lakers lost -13*5 to Behrend.
in the second and again at 6:23 of the goals and two assists while junior the season and Spiegel added two ^ i
third. Sophomore Lindsay Spiegel
and junior Barb Bartoszek each had
two assists and sophomore Francesca
Ravasio added an assist. Junior
Michelle Mazur played the entire
game in goal and made 17 saves.
3Saturday morning the Lakers de-
feated IUP 11-6. Markley led the
Lady Lakers with four goals and
three assists. Spiegel contributed two
Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer
Junior defender Heather Enos
runs the ball iaway from
Merrimack's offensive end as
junior goalie Diana Rapacki
looks on. Mercyhurst defeated
Merrimack 14-3.
game. Freshman Brianne Petricone
recorded an 8-3 victory at the num-
ber two slot and freshman Joanna
Olmstead had an 8-5 win at the num-
ber three slot. Petricone and Hughes
combined for the only doubles vic-
tory of the day at the number one slot
with an 8-2 victory.
The Lady Lakers ended one of their
finest seasons in the program's his-
tory with a 6-3 loss to Division I
had four goals and four assists on the weekend.
Shannon Jacksy scored twice. Also
scoring for the Lakers were Ravasio
who added two assists/ sophomore
Cindy^Haibach and Bartoszek.
Mazur played the entire game in goal
saving 17 shots and allowing only six
goals.
In the afternoon game, the Lady
Lakers fell to Gannon 15-5. Markley
scored three goals giving her 12 on
Assistant sports editor
The men's baseball team defeated
Columbia Union twice Sunday*
March 10 with scores of 11 -4 arid 3-
0, respectively. The Lakers split a
doubleheader with Edinboro Tues-
day, March 19 to give Mercyhurst an
overall record of 7-9.
The Lakers had 22 hits during the
two games, including five doubles
and two home runs. Senior Tony
Cruz hit his fourth home run of the
season, while batting a healthy .396.
Also sophomore Dustyn Risner
blasted his first home run of the sea-
son for the Lakers. Sophomore starter
J.D. Roewer pitched five innings in
the first game to get his second win
of the season. Sophomore pitcher
James Sacramento threw a complete
game shutout in the second games,
only allowing six hits. Sacramento is
now 1-1 for the season. Senior out-
fielder Ryan Nietupski recorded his
175th career hit against Columbia,
moving him into third place on the
Mercy hurst's all time hit list He is
also holding a .426 batting average
for the season.
Sophomore Paul Baumert pitched
Niagara Sunday, March 17, at the
Westwood Racquet Club.
Mercyhurst started strong with two
solid doubles wins at the #1 and #2|
slots, but the Purple Eagles were too
strong in the singles, winningfiveout
of six contests. The setback dropped
Mercyhursfs record to 15-12 while
Niagara improved to 9-6.
Mercyhurst's #1 player, Alison
Hughes, a sophomore from Cleve-
Upcoming
'Hurst Sports
; SMen's Volleyball %
The men's volleyball team hosts]
Findlay Saturday, March 23 and
Clarke Tuesday, March 26. Both
games begin at 7 p.m. in the MAC,
Women's Lacrosse
The women's lacrosse team will
host Geneseo at 4 p.m. Thursday,
March 21 and IUP at 4 p.m. Tues-
day, March 26 on Tullio Field.
Annie Sitter/Merciad photographer
Men's Lacrosse
The men's lacrosse team hosts
Baseball
goals giving her six on the year. The baseball team hosts Saginaw
Mazur played the entire game in goal Valley State Saturday, March 23 and
and recorded 19 saves. Sunday, March 24. The teams will
The Lady Lakers will next see ac- play a doubleheader each day.
tion on Saturday, April 6' when they Saturday's contests begin at 1 p.m.
travel to Indiana University for three while Sunday's begin at 12 p.m.
games. The will play University of
Michigan, Washington & Jefferson
and Penn State Behrend. ) Softball
The softball team travels to
Shippensburg this weekend to play
IUP, Millersville and Lock Haven.
The Lady Lakers will play IUP at 4
p.m. Friday, March 22. Saturday
a no-hitter as the Lakers split a pair
of games with visiting^ Edinboro
will begin with a game at 9 a.m.
against Millersville followed by a
game at 1 p.m. against Lock Haven.
Tuesday, March 19. Baumert's gem
came in the first game, won by
Mercyhurst 9-0. He walked three and
struck out three in improving his Men's Tennis g* -J
record to 2-1. Mercyhurst scored five The men's tennis team will travel
times in the first inning, bunching to Michigan Tech Saturday, March
four hits, an Edinboro error, and a 23 to play at 11 a.m. The Lakers - <
passed ball to give Baumert an early travel to Lake Superior State Uni-
cushion. Seven different players versity Sunday, March 24 to play at
drove in runs for Mercyhurst. Cruz, 10 a.m.
Risner and junior Frank Rodriguez
had two hits apiece while junior Matt
King cracked a triple and sophomore £ Rowing
Paddy Relihan added a double. The men's and women's rowing
teams are traveling to Lewisburg,
Edinboro snapped the Laker's four-
PA Sunday, March 24 to participate
game winning streak in the second
in the Bucknell Invitational begin-
game, throwing a three-hit shutout as
ping at 3 p.m.
the Scots won 3-0. The game was
scoreless until fifth when Edinboro
had a bases-loaded single for a 2-0
lead. The Scots added another run in Golf
the sixth to win 3-0. Laker sopho- The men's golf team will be travel-'
more Jon -Roewer allowed only four ing to Leitchfield, KY to participate
hits himself in 5.2 innings, but took in the District IV championships.
the loss. Cruz and juniors Chris Allen The team will begin action at 9 a.m.
and Brad Pickering had the only both Saturday, March 23 and Sun-
day, March 24.
Mercyhurst hits.
Mercyhurst begins conference play
next weekend when Saginaw Valley
State visits for Saturday and Sunday
Men's lacrosse
doubleheaders.
team|loses 19-7
By Scott Mackar
Assistant sports editor
team lost to nationally-ranked New
land, Ohio, ended the year with a 21 - York Institute of Technology 19-7.
8 singles record. The team's 15 wins The eighth ranked Lakers fell to 3-
were the most in recent history and 1 on the season. Fourth ranked New
its seventh-placefinishin the GLIAC York Tech dominated the game by
was its best showing in five years. compiling 19 goals to only 7 for the
| The Lady Lakers will lose only se- Lakers. Troy Ledbetter led the Laker
nior team captain Colleen Sullivan offense with three goals. Ledbetter is
for next season. Sullivan pulled out currently the season leader for the
a great win in her final match as she Lakers with 19 goals.
defeated her Niagara opponent 6-7, Mercyhurst will host Winthrop
6-4, 7-6. Sunday on Tullio field at 12 noon.