The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-merciad-feb-4-1999 1/8

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999


* .

PAGE 2 TH E MEROAD FEBRUARYS 1999

II

CAMPUS NEWSN e w j d e a d E n e s ; f o r financial a i d a n d t u i t i o n p a y m e n tBy David Hermenau

Merciad writer**SK ;3 > * *

Mercyhurst students and theirparents will soon face changes inthe financial aid, pre-registrationand payment processes.

These changes, primarily newdeadlines, will attempt to solvethree problems that have plaguedregistration and financial aid inthe past. According to AndrewRoth, dean of enrollment, everyyear, 200 to 300 students whoregister for classes do not returnto Mercyhurst which createdproblems that the old system wasincapable of overcoming.g The students leavingMercyhurst were tying upfinancial aid that could havebeen made available to returningstudents who were in need of aid.

In addition, many of,the nonj

returning students would registerfor-fall classes during springterm, closing some classes. $

Added to this was the fact that30 to 40 percent (of the students)do not apply for financial aiduntil the summer, Roth said.f* 'That made it almost impos-sible for the financial aid officeto give students quality servicebecause it all happened at once,"he added.

The college is now movingthe deadline for students to filefinancial aid applications andrequired documents from early •summer to April 15. Roth said hehopes the change will improve

the quality of service that thefinancial aid office is able to giveto students and their families.The earlier deadline gives the

office more time to processapplications/ -

Students will not be allowedto pre-register for fall termclasses during the spring term iftheir financial aid packet has notbeen filed.

There are also new.deadlinesfor tuition payments. Bills for thefall term will be m ailed to allpre-registered students July 1,and payment or some otheragreement between the student

and student accounts office willbe due Aug. 9.

When M ercyhurst receivespayment, the students will bemoved from pre-registered toregistered status. If by Aug.-h 5the students have not paid theirbills, they will be dropped fromtheir classes. Students may re-register upon payment of their^bill, however, the classes forwhich they pre-registered maynot be open.

The object here is tostudents who have finanthat aren't coming back their aid can be allocatedstudents in need," said RT h e big change is Apripre-registration. The stuwho are coming back, reneed to focus on April 1

work with their parents tsure that everything (thepleted financial aid appliand packet) is filed."

Seniors ^plan to Renovate Grotto brid

J< # * * i t .• » # * - m » * *

i * • * • *" • * - *

i • * • - V v t t t* » * * * • ' * •

educationmepmmem mmamm— • % * p • • • • » * • • * • • • • • • • • • • • * * < ft • * I B * ft •

• •ft w 9 » • • * P * . • 4 • • *P T # - _ - p * * • • fc • * ft 4 ft * » - • ' • * P W 0 t P

1* • P "*

fe^Theêducationdepartment will'hold a foriintfOfaltercation '$&* * t f * * * t » * * * • P » P * I %• * P * t ^~* P P P * • P • • • P P • P P • • » _ _ - * P P P • P P « * P P # • * ftft P • * * # • * P • « • *. P • t t t P tp ft

&&majors Thursday^Feb> H-at8p.m- inZuirh:lI4Thefdrumwill•:•!* 4 » ft • ftJ t f* " • • < • P * V P i I

P> ^ / w t I * * • - » P • • P i i P • * P ft ft # ft ft • P * f » « » * • P P * P • - • ft « ft v ft P - » _ - ^ y - » * »

' ft P ft P • ft ft ^ T ft P • A f t > P P • « _ * * * P P ^B • * a P f t P ! • % • * * ! » * P f t f t * * P t • « _ * _ _ • - _ • • • P . P I i t I • * * • * * • * ft * t P p * * P P tf P * P P P P P

_ _ _ - _ _ — _ _ _ __ _ — _ &. & _ - k- - A _ _ _ * _ A S m f t . - _ • > . = _ * _ _ A _ _ i A J - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T T _ - _ . _ . -ft » m * *

iiiiK* -#« fl • P P t P t P PVPPP P ftft P- » - T ^ * ' ' * *_____£c "P V> * * P f ft"** r Y^ l ftj

address concerns.;Pizza and refreshments

By Mike TannerMerciad writer

It has been tradition for each. class graduating from 4

Mercyhurst to give a parting giftto its alma mater. The class of1999 plans to restore the bridgebetween the cafeteria and Grotto.

Senior Heather Beckey, vice*}chairperson of the project, said,

, "We realize the Grotto bridge£ has great historical importance,

but is one of the only, landmarkson campus that is neglected." ?

The bridge will have its woodreplaced and m asonry work willbe completed on the existingstones". According to Beckey, ifenough money is remains, a roseor wildflower garden will beplanted near the bridge,

1 ¥

The committee is asking eachsenior to donate $40 or w hateveramount they can afford to cover

the $3,000 to $4,000 price tag.Each contributor will have his/her name engraved on a plaquethat Will hang on the bridge. 1

This year, seniors are permit-ted to make their donation out oftheir housing deposits, Beckeysaid."It'sa lot easier to donatemoney that you forgot you had.Already, $13 00 has beenraised," she added.

The committee hopes to havethe bridge ready for unveiling atthe senior picnic; which is heldin the Cfrotto each year. * ^j

Senior gift campaigns havesuffered in the past The class of1998 had planned to build a *coffeehouse in the Hammermi11

Police and*SafetjÎncidenuLog* * _ • * W * • J > P ft x * * i P * * P P % "•

P•

P£ *« •• • • • ** • * J * M P P P

- - ft— 1 « f - w • — ftP

P ft * * • • ft • P-P

*P

ftk * • • • • • ' * - rf ft • • « • * ft • % * ' " * •

::::^:;:The chemwfe,:W(Khenuj9try.:and physics departments v&MM•«:>-____i-_- . «L__^^; :^^^

:^ i_ i^^:^^f <&î^^teÂti&

- . . # , - . * P 1 » * p < < P * •

t • P * i • » * - - - - « • * » » • * * * ft »,fc

1 " B " i a • 1 ' •' j j ^

• ' p * " • <P

p * • • p p * • * ^ * • » • * T i f t j f * _ » a

* t _ - j _ _ _ r - r * » P - 1 * • • • • * * *

_ _ * * f t f t '

Campusk - Pft * f t f t - •

< - . P ft ft • » ]

n:/.:!*:

The Wealthy UMtyfesioWffiit tefeia^^tati^ c f f M .b o $ M $ ^

fe > ^ : • wlunteenng can sign up at the student union UCSK. ^ :: :.v :: :- ' > - ! _ - ' - - " > - - - - - - _. ^ ^ - _ ^ _ - - - - - - -- - - - - - — - - - -- - - - - - - - _ _— _ _ j ^ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jan. 22 Theft from AutoBaldwin TownhousesUnknown person(s) removed aCD case containing 50 CD'svalued at $ 1,150 from a 1989Chevrolet Blazer. M inor damagewas done to the interior of thevehicle. %

Jan. 23 Underage DrinkingDuval Apartm ents '.X'Several underage drinkers wereloud and disorderly. The partywas broken up by securityofficers and numerous beerbottles and cans were confis-cated.!' VJan. 23 Disorderly Conduct

Briggs Avenue ApartmentsA large disorderly underagedrinking party was broken up bysecurity officers after receivingcomplaints from an R.A. Thematter was resolved and referredto judicial review.Jan. 23 Defiant TrespassMc Auley HallTwo 15-year-old female run-faways were apprehended bycampus police and securityofficers after being reported asmissing persons to local authori-

ties. The City of Erie andMi11 creek Police departmentswere involved.Jan. 24 Criminal MischiefLewis Avenue ApartmentsA confrontation over harassingphone calls prompted one of theresidents to rip off a handrail inthe stairway. Two visitors*-involved in the confrontation leftwithout further incident*Jan. 25 HarassmentEganHall - >Two residents received severalobscene and thrcateni ng phonecalls from off-campus individu-als. .Jan. 25 TRefft \ 'Athletic Center Parking LotUnknown persons removed aPennsylvania state license platefrom a 1998 blue van registeredto the college.Jan . 25 Suspicious PersonBriggs Avenue ApartmentsA white male, 35-40 years old,short dark gray hair, beard, }glasses, wearing a trench coatentered apartments attempting tosell the occupants imitationcologne and perfume.

Library. The coffeehousehave been installed as thebut funds were insufficie

class collected a record lOther gifts from past include the stained glassdows in Mercy Heritage the Carolyn Herrmann StUnion, and the gazebo othe union mailroom. The1997 collected $4,000 to the creation of Munson PI "Our goal is to be ableshow our future graduatethose of us that have beefor four years appreciate weVe gotten out of the cand we are proud to be abgive something back,*' Bsaid. . * •_

JAMAICARcm$399MartegoBay

MEXICORon$399AapilooC&naii J

FLORFrcm

DaytonaRsnam

Call today! Space is li

1800648-48www.stttravel.

T R A V E L_ S E R V I C E

.{ A M T W I #! S M M I 1m Opft

On-campm rtps needed! (a n for

• V,h

• : • »

http://www.stttravel.com/

http://www.stttravel.com/

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999


FEBRUARY 4,1999 THE MEROAD

ARTS&

ENTERTAINMENTConcert choir* travelsto Dartmouth

*•

By Heather CvitkovieMerciad editor

On Friday, 50 members of theD'Angelo Concert Choir and eightmembers of the D'AngeloOrchestra will travel to DartmouthCollege to perform a conceit withthe Dartmouth Glee Club.

The concert is part of anexchange program that began lastspring when Dartmouth Glee Clubtraveled to Mercyhurst andperformed with the D'AngeloConcert Choir.

This year it's Merc> hurst's turnto travel to Hanover, N.H., a 10 to12 hour trip by bus, to sing onDartmouth's campus. So the

"D' Angelo Concert Choir, underthe direction of Rebecca Ryan,will load onto a bus and head toNew H ampshire, w 3 *

Not only is the choir going toNew Hampshire but they are alsostopping in Albany, N.Y., on £Friday to perform a concert at flAlbany High SchoolkJ25^Bffi£|~ At Dartmouth* the two groups i

will perform Dvorak's "StabatMater" in a conceit Saturdayevening. Three soloists fromMercyhurst will perform in theconcert along with several soloistsfrom Dartmouth.

The Mercyhurst soloists aresenior voice performance m ajorKaren Jones, junior voice m ajorJulie Mason and senior musiceducation major John Taylor.

Jones said, "The trip toDartmouth is a great opportunity jfor the choir. We'll get to meetstudents from another college andblend our voices with them. I t'snot an easy task since we don' t get]to rehearse with them. It workedout very well last year, though."

Mercyhurst students will bestaying in dorm rooms withDartmouth students, giving them achance to socialize and meet*people. After theconceit onSaturday night, the col 1ege isthrowing a reception party for thetwo groups.• 'The trip should bea lot fun,"said Ryan.

PAJ*NMA CITY BEACHil h O r l *

F ^ | M - 1 * 1.

2 OUTDOORlHEATsED POOLS WNDOOR HEATED POOLa HUGE BEACH FfcONT HOT TUB . ^ p * ™ *

LAZY RIVER RtPE • $UITE« UP YO 10 PERSOSAILBOAT* - TIKI BEACH BAR • JET SKIS - PARASOLS £1

H O M E OF TH E WORLD'S LONCEST KEC PARTY

FREE DRAFT BEER ALL WEEK LONfrCAIA FOR INFO! J

1-800-488-8828

wvvw.sandpiperbeacon.com (*rates per person) p

1 7 4 0 3 F R O N T B E A C H R O A D • PA N A M A C ITY.B E A C H , FL 32413

, ft fc

Zeppelin meets classical music at the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center on Sundayp.m. when the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet takes the stage. The group, known as LAGQ,combine their own works with concert m asterpieces to bring a new look to past music. Tperformance is part of the 1998-.99 Qreaf Performers Sdrtes. The remaining event in-theis the 1999 b'Angelo Young Artists Competetion on Saturday. Aprj) 24, tt 7 p.m. $.*

Golden Globes fashion show

Spotlight on

fashion

Heather Cvitkovic

Awards shows these days are nolonger just about the winners andthe awards, but rather the spotlighthas fallen on what the Hollywoodplayers are showing up in. <

The Golden Globes on Jan. 24was no exception. Designersscrambled to persuade stars towear their designs to the big event.

And why not? It's one of the

cheapest forms of publicityaround. A major player inHollywood is seen in one of thei r /

designs and suddenly they are thehottest designer to hit Tinseltown.Did you know, though, that it is

the movie studio that pays the highprice for those designer wares? %.That's right, he stars don't dishout a cent But they also are notallowed to keep the clothes. Whowould want to , though, after all ofAmerica saw them in it already?

Gwyneth Paltrow was the hit ofthe night in a steel gray and blackCalvin Klein dress with a cardiganworn over it.She had long blondextensions in her hair, and with herminimal amount of makeup, shelooked more glamorous than most

any supermodel. *-.. *So did a number of oth

actresses, including Cam

in Chloe, Julianna Margnavy Oscar de la Renta aWilson in Gucci *s new bfringed hippie pants.

Armani had the biggesof the night, dressing MiPfeiffer, Jodie Foster, AnBening, Warren Beatty,Ben Affleck, Matt DamoKeri Russell from the sh"Felicity." *

The Golden G lobeswaprelude of what is to comOscar night in March. Dare already begging starstheir creations on the bignominations are announcstakes get even higher.

1For Great Local fCoupon' Savings, log on to

•

i

iiiii

Online February 61

http://wvvw.sandpiperbeacon.com/



8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999


* - « 1.

PAGE 4 TH E MERQAD FEBRUARYS 1999

OPINIONEditorialPerpetual inconsequenceRecently, greater efforts havebeen made to encourageMercy hurst students to becomemore involved in campus life andactivities — all of which are non-alcoholic, of course.

Multiple signs have beenposted detailing the several *clubs, organizations and specialevents akin to the college*,

MS O has re-instituted thePresident's Club, held studentforums and even designed a Webpage outlining Mercyhurst'sextracurriculars,all in order tobetter inform the students ofwhat this school has to offer.

Professors have also attemptedto entice students to certain ^]events through extra creditoptions.

Yet despite these efforts, agreat portion of the student bodyremains uninvolved.

The most recent effort, the*mandatory freshmen meeting,basically bribed students to ibecome involved by giving awayfreeT-shirts, gift certificates tothe book store, movies, a televi-sion and popcorn. P

While the initiativeof thosewho planned the eve nt is ? ^remarkable, how successful Will

this attempt prove to be?Such unequivocal idealism is

refreshing, but it will only go sofar. IÂdministration, faculty and %student representatives mustrecognize that perhaps this lackof participation is due simply tothe nature of the students whoattend Mercy hurst. > ' *

The school cannot hold ourhands forever. The desire toparticipate and explore all theenriching options the college hasto offer must com e from within^the students themselves.""

Safety at the cost of freedom

v

The'1Chtinera ?*»*>

L

Bill Melville

Making people feel safe hasbecome a big business inAmerica. Wherever one looks inAmerican culture someone isattempting to make ev erythingseem safe for everyone else.

Getting on an airplane w ithoutbeing bombarded with dozens ofdifferent safety points is impos-sible. Buy a coffee at a fast foodrestaurant and emblazoned on theside of the cup there is a warningabout the hot contents within,g But how much effect d o theselittle warnings and lectures reallyhave on our safety?

Most of them are in place justto prevent people from doingincredibly stupid things and thentrying to build a lawsuit out of it.

For example, M cDonald's hadto place the label on those coffeecups because a woman suedthem after she spilled the coffeeon herself and felt it was too hot.

Interestingly enough , I haveheard the woman w as drivingwith the coffee cup restingbetween her legs. Call me crazy,but that docs not seem like thesoundest place to put something

so hot. -:•"<rhe problems I have with the

increasing safety and needlessregulations are simple: they*restrict the control we ha\ c overour lives and create an unneces-sary atmosphere of worry. As

long as people are desperate tomaintain an appearance ol safety,they are willing to sacrifice alittle freedom to do.so .

Once that freedom Has beentaken away, it will never bereturned. People, however, tendnot to think about the long-termresults. If we looked back atinstances where we gave up Ifreedom for safety (the ^McCarthy era springs to mind),we might gain some perspectiveon what has been lost.

Telling an airline clerk that I

did pack myown bags and didnot take any packages given tome by strangers does not makeme feel any safer. I imagine I •have a better chance of gettinghit by a lightning bolt than dyingin an airplane crash.

Of course some regulations are

well-founded; I really do not |believe I should be able to drinkeight pints at the bar and thendrive myself hom e. That is anissue of common sense, notfreedom. £ &:

I guess what I am trying to sayhere is that little things add up.Trying to feel safe in a worldbui 11 on unpredictability isludicrous. I could choke whileI m eating dinner tomorrow,accidentally step into oncomingtraffic on a busy street or d ie inany number of ways. : w

If any of these things happen,J3they happen. I would ratherenjoy myself and not w orryabout safety every instant of theday than sit around my housewaiting to die from naturalcauses.

Have Mercy!

CAMPUSQUESTISON

"Yes. I think the college does agreat job of promoting andsponsoring Black History Month.SAC and the MulticulturalAssociation do all that they canto highlight this month. In fact,

on Wednesday a local Erie bandcalled One World Tribe will beplaying. They played at the UnityRally we hosted in N ovember."Chris Coan •Senior, Math Education

V - ;

"Does Mercyhurst actually doanything? I didn't even know thatthe college recognized themonth. I know that the elemen-tary schools I work in do a lot for

it." I - f • | |Dave Adams cSophomore, Elementary Educa-tion

"Heidi Hosey's Women of Color^class will be putting on apresentation Feb. 10 to honorBlack History Month. One groupwill present literature andanother will present poetry. I amglad that I get to be a part of this.I think the school does a goodjob of highlighting this month."Karl RepenningSenior, English

"It seems like Black History,

Month is not promoted enough. &Maybe that is because of thesmall percentage of African-American .students who attendMercyhurst 1 think that weshould all get more involved."Craig Toth | <F ' j*Sophomore, Criminal Justice

The inquiring campuasked students iftheyfMercyhurst adequatean d sponsored BlackMonth,

"Honestly, I have not sanything at al 1 that haremotely publicized thdid not even know thaBlack H istory M onth. things will pick up latemonth."Laura Sm ith <lJunior* Elementary Ed

"Mercyhurst does not pBlack History Month ait? If you did not alreadwas Black History Mocertainly would not knothis campus. The schoonitely should d o more tthe month." *Joe GregorySenior, Anthropology

"It is a travesty that wehave Martin Luther Kinoff. Ins disrespectful theven have to go to clasday. You can't expect ado much for Black HistMonth if they don't eveyou Martin Luther Kingoff." *> -' f * Gerret BaurSenior, R/IAP

"No, it doesn't. We shoMartin Luther King Dayof respect. The school cdoesn't promote this mo

better. Even though thea small number of blackhere, the school shouldto recognize the importthis month."Thierry GaspardJunior, HRIM •

B y I JbhtiumtaE J-. t

uc£: __

* » * :

MATHThe customer 5«

^fituM I t e r YouR

t

i

• x

V

v v \ » s - * » 1 *

> v . •

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999


FEBRUARY 4,1999 THE MERCIAD P

Good enough?Plugged

Jessi Gentile

Lately, much of the talk aroundcampus has been centered •-around grades.

First, students were in an

uproar over the issue of gradeinflation. Now, however, thecause of most unrest is not thedistribution of "A's," but thenumber of students on aca-demic probation.

Indeed, this is quite a touchysubject. No one likes to admitthat he or she has earnedprobationary status. But upon acloser examination of the issue,one discovers that academicprobation begins at a 2.0, which(at least according to mystandards) is not a shabbyaverage. I- Just what exactly does all ofthis mean for Mercyhurst?

Some administrators andfaculty members have told methat the probationary grade

I point was determined to helpstudents before their grades fellany lower, beyond help. While Ithink it is a novel idea, I just donot understand the rationalebehind it In fact, I see determin-ing academic probation at sucha high standard as a negative. JProfessors cannot tell theirstudents that "C" work is *

average if it is consideredfailure by administration."Administration is telling

students that a "C " averagemerits probationary status whilesubsequently recommending therestriction of "A's." ^ ^

I a m flabergasted. I guessMercyhurst is just a "B" collegewhere greatness has beendeemed unobtainable* '

I wonder if administration is .happy with simply being labeleda "good" institution of higher, learning. That is certainly w hatthey are promoting.

Do not misunderstand mypoint A "B " is certainly a goodmark, but that is all that it is —good.

An "A" is the sign of truegreatness. I guess we will all

just have to be content with B's.B V l SfiawntafL J2 . <zHownia

jprt ivrf

N

\X or4\ \v QUESTIOMINI

n v• • • UH, ARE YOU SUBE tfou

wM T To GO THR0U6tfV A J I T H T W S ?

/w

«*i

; «

r/

%

s

A

A

sV

VlEROADJessi GentileCarr ie TappeStephen NolanBill Melville]Heather Cvltkovlc

Kar i Wells tJessica RussellMandy FiesShawntae Howard

Editor-in-ChiefNews EditorSports EditorFeatures EditorA & E EditorSenior WriterPhotographyCopy EditorCartoons

Th e Merciad is the student-produced paper of Mercyhurst

College. It is published weekly throughout the school year with the

exception of mid-term and finals weeks.

The Me rciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters mustbe signed, but your name can be withheld on request undercertain conditions. Letters are due on theTuesday before

500

letters should besubmitteg to Box 161.

Portland case sets standards

Haver

Kari Wells

This week, I want to writeabout a very sensitive issue —one in w hich almost everyonehas a strong o pinion, abortion.Believe me, it was hard for meto finally decide to address thissubject, but the news in the lastfew days has finally compelledme to do so.

On Tuesday, Feb. 2, a jury inPortland, Ore., awarded $107million to abortion doctors w howere found to b e illegallythreatened by two anti-abortionorganizations and 12 individu-als who are activists. The anti-abortion groups had postedwanted posters and lists ofdoctors who perform a bortions,

comparing them to Nazi warcriminals on the Internet Thelists were viewed as "hit lists,'*and some included the homeaddresses of at least 200doctors. Names of doctors thathad been killed, such as BarnettSlepian of Buffalo, had beenvisibly crossed off of the list.

Planned Parenthood lawyersare now looking at ways inwhich they could get the Website shut down. The defendants^will most likely challenge this,claiming that the site is pro-tected as free speech.

However, many are looking atthe case of "Brandenburg vs.

Ohio" (1969) in which the U.S.Supreme Court ruled that govern-ment cannot punish speech;promoting illegal action unlessthose actions have producedlawlessness or are "likely to inciteor produce such action/1

jThe court this week must haveviewed the escalating amount ofviolence and murder connectedwith these organizations to beenough to find them guilty ofirresponsible speech leading to theloss of or possible loss of life.'

I have always been a strongadvocate of free speech, but whenspeech leads to violence and thetaking of someone's life thenprecautions and laws must be

* established to protect those whoare n danger.

John Stuart Mill writes in "OnLiberty" abou t different types ofactions — self and other regardingacts. A person is entitled to their

opinions, but when their behavior|jthreatens individuals then it is nolonger acceptable because itinfringes on the rights of others.Anti-abortion activists are free totheir opinions, can publiclyexpress them and can choose notto have an abortion. However,they have no right o threaten thelives or well-being of doctors or

:'v '

women receiving abortions.The women who choose to have

an abortion are also protected bylaw. They have the choice to dowhat is best for them and theirpotential offspring.

Though anti-abortion activistsare entitled to their beliefs, it ]

Fed up with f inalsSkedaddle

Barb Tompko

It is oneof those completelyorthodox insignificances westore in the back of o ur mind,smashed up alongside laundryday and taking down theChristmas tree.

They a re the things we knowwe must do, but do not relishdoing. In this ever-expandinglist, I have recently ordainedcollege finals.

When you look at them froma logical, stress-free angle (atthe start of the ten-week term),finals really do not give off theaura of a nightmare. Perhaps,even for a second, you imagineyourself intensely absorbingeach class and reviewingphysics notes .until 4:00 a.m.This is because none of usgointo a class fully confident of

failure (exempting a personalexperience — statistics, third timeis a charm).

To make a long, venting story*less long, I will argue the point offinals tersely.

Cramming. What is that goodfor? T he headaches, .musclespasms and self-induced fevers aredevoid of purpose. Deep down,are wenot all procrastinators?

Rationally, how much knowl-edge do we really acquire? W illthe majority of things we learnever be applied to practical usage?

I know, for example, that

throwing water on an electricalfire is bad — I just do not carewhy.

There are some students whohave three finals in one day. Ithink it.should be permissible tospread your finals out and takethem at your own leisure; whenyou are most prepared to excel. Ofcourse, this is recommendedprovided that they will be com-pleted by the end of finals week.

Seriously, this is a problem.

enrages me when they attforbid legitimate medicalpractices by claiming it isTo me this usually shows deal of hypocrisy. These ausually the same people wnot want sex education or control in school as prevenmeasures, and they do nosupport welfare so many wwho have babies would hatrouble supporting them ogiving them a decent standliving.

They value the life of anunborn fetus but not the dperforming a legal medicaprocedure or that of his/hefamily. They also do not rthe reproductive ri ghts ofwomen. If women are notallowed to have this procedone in a clinic they will fother ways which may nosafe.

I adm it that many anti-aactivists are tarnished andstereotyped because of theextremist views and actiontheir counterparts, and thiunfortunate.

Ourgovernment must bpass laws to protect the livdoctors and women by;Wthe Web for death threats upgrading security at cliniactions of these organizatiand activists must be takeseriously to protect the reptive rights given to women20 years ago, I jg.- f £

Students are digesting threfour subjects at the same tand discovering it difficultdevote adequate concentrathe elements (most of whiwere rushed through in ordaccommodate the nature otrimester system) of each c

In many way s, this new could no t only increase finscores, but also reduce thenegative consequences of

cramming.I am not challenging the

themselves, but rather theoverabundance of intricate

details embedded w ithin thRandom tests of comprehsion or a greater number oexams pertaining to a fewchapters or sections couldpossibly enhance studentperformance.

As a result, students wousimply toss information inshort-term memory but woretain and understand thematerial. Jt

» *> ** -

/ / . v V v . v . • • ; • ' •i •

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999


PAGE 6 THE MEROAD FEBRUARYS 1999

FEATURES —The graduate school dilemma

Students fight forspots in an evertighteningeducation market

By Bill MelvilleMerciad editor

Looking for a job in the lastmonths before graduation can bea grueling affair. But for anothergroup of students, the worst part

. about the coming months is $waiting for replies from graduateschools. With today's increasingcompetition for. slots at graduate

t schools, the wait becomes more• * grueling by the day. **"Having a sense of direction

for graduate school is absolutely; • > essential, because you have to do

. research to discover what you'reinterested in ," Dr. Joseph GowSr;vice president of academic • Jaffairs^said. t >

; j ; - ; J ^ y students might loo£atC>;^3M^choo] as>th*?»anjk,* ft5^Ff>rocess

s students face wnenT M

applying to college out of highschool. But students applying tograduate school must face a newset of pressures. .•* •

Anyone applying to graduate

schools must put down hundreds-of dollars for standardized tests.Students applying to law:and *medical schools must join

•organizations before they evenapply. In such a competitive^,-,educational market, everyone issearching for that little some-thing extra to make his or herapplication stand out.

For senior biology major MattJohnson, the lack of spare timeduring senior year made it moredifficult. • . fc

"Just trying to find the time tocomplete applications,takeStandardized tests and gatherrecommendations made theprocess difficult,'*he said.

Among tfce interviewed^*^

students, there seems to be a(Ticonsensus that Mercyhurst needsto pay more attention to students

^ in the graduate school track;Ânthropology major Joe Gregory• 'believes students should beâdvised about these choices

Jj$earlier in their undergraduate' ^careers. . . fj? •^C.,-rf People entering majors shouldrtaftfe told,up/roui wjia$4he#can do

J»Twith the-degree and whaj5T

* ^competition they will face wnenithey apply to grad schools. Also,

I most oithe information on

graduate schools,came from.

professors," he said. >Research/Intelligence Analyst -jProgram major Gerret Baur, whois hoping to attend law school inthe fall, said he feels M ercyhurstneeds to compile a c lass ranklisting, because many schoolsexpect it to be included inapplication material.

*1 feel the whole situationcould be improved if theschoolcould offer a graduate school fairto help students look at differentpossibilities," he said.

Ultimately, students can only*prepare and hope for the best,because everything is in the .hands of the graduate school!

"All my applications and othermaterials are in, sothere's not alot I can do except wait until theyreply," Eric Mi lie, a sports jmedi cine/pre-med major, said*

According to Goweri somechanges are in .store for studentslooking at graduate schools,including better informationabout fellowships, pre-law andpre-med preparation and morefocused counseling for potentialgraduate students? '*?* fi• *VVe need to help our students

have high aspirations," Gowersaid

Erie School District implements new policyBy Karl RepenningMerciad writer ,%

Unless Mercyhurst educationgraduates plan to enroll inmaster's programs next fall, theywon't be' teaching in the City ofErie School District.£ New requirements have beenmade in Erie regarding the hiringof educators in the Erie SchoolDistrict, and education majorswho plan on teaching in Erieafter graduation should rethinkpost-graduate work.

The resolution was approvedOct 14,1998, by the district'sboard of directors and went intoeffect the second semester of the

1998-1999 school year.The guidelines require all newprofessional employees in thedistrict to have either a master'sdegree or be enrolled in amaster's program. All newemployees must have a profes-sional certificate, which includescertification in a particulardiscipline focus, such as math orEnglish. **i

Teachers interested in Erie'spublic schools must havemaintained a 3.0 grade pointaverage or better in their under-

graduate studies. Lastly, all newprofessional employees musthave instructional experience inan urban setting.t>« This is quite a change from theresolution passed in 1985 whichmerely required that applicantstake the Praxis series, theNational Teachers Exam, or thePennsylvania Teacher Certifica-tion Tes t Also, interestedpersons were required to •.complete Core Battery and oneSpecialty Test

For some students, this newrequirement raises the standardsfor teachers in the district andkeeps teachers from putting offtheir graduate education.

Heather Beckey, an Englisheducation major, said, "1 think itis a great idea because hiringhigher quality teachers means ahigher quality educa tion.n *.

Not all students believe this isthe best decision for all prospec-tive teachers, because getting amaster's degree can quicklybecome an added burden.

"It can be difficult for severalreasons. Not everyone has themoney to pay for additionaleducation right after graduation,and not everyone can get

accepted into a graduate programstraight out of college,* JessicaRussell, a senior educationmajor, said. f

According to Dr. PhilipBelfiore, director of the graduateprogram in special education,even those who are not planningto teach in Erie should considerpostgraduate work because manyother states, including NewYork, are considering a verysimilar requirement #

"At Mercyhurst,we havealways encouraged a dualcertification (in a specific area), jWe have always been aware ofthat priority," he said. S

Belfiore also said that majorsshould know there are a number

of graduate assistantships *available at Mercyhurst Theseclasses are held at night so it ispossible to w ork, substituteteach, complete an assistantship,hold down a household and bedone in one year.

"In the past it was easier tofind a job as a teacher simplybecause having a master's placedyou on a higher pay scale andmany districts hired those whocan be hired for less money,"Belfiore said. < <•

Seminar to examine eadisorders and habitsBy Bill MelvilleMerciad editor

While eating disorders and poornutrition are common amon gcollege students, the issues arerarely discussed outside ofserious instances. By sponsoringa pair of seminars next week, theCounseling Center and CohenHealth Center hope to raise thoseissues for discussion.

According to Dr.Gerry Tobin,director of counseling services, fl18 is one of the most commonages for eating disorders tostrike. Since 18 is also the mostcommon age for college enroll-ment, these seminars are impor-

tant for creating discussion on atouchy subject before problemsemerge. £• *

"These disorders are usually r •secret problems and people withthe disorder don't try to seekhelp. Most people who sufferfrom eating disorders are 'perfectionists, so outward signs,such as poor grades, are hot afactor. Jn fact, eating disorders is ja misnomer, because they arealmost never about eating," gTobin said*U Jean Kennedy Keck from SaintVincent Health Center willpresent at this seminar, sched-uled for Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 8p.m. in theTaylor Little Theater.

In addition, several people whohave had eating disorders willalso speak.

Tobin said that even thoughwomen develop these disordersmore frequently, men should not

feel excluded from thtion,

"Men are still affeceating disorders. Thelearn.and understandcontributing to the cudilemma of eating dissaid.

The second seminaaddress the issue of phabits among Mercyhstudents and ways inhabits can be improve

"Lots of students livapartments and if It wRamen noodles, thesehurst students might sTobin-said, adding th

expects students to cocated meals, butone cand not spend a lot offood.* ; ^

Rather than leave sthe dark on how to finrecipes, die seminar wcooking demonstratioducted by Hotel RestaInstitutional Managefaculty, who will showsimple some meals ar

"When you combineating habits with alcyou have the ingrediepotentially serious heproblems. How one eone's performance inof life&" Tobin said*'

The eating awarenewill be held Wednesdat 8 p.m., in the upperthe cafeteria. Both semfree and open to all st

•*

Air ForceUP TO $9,000 CAS

ENLISTMENT BON(If you qualify)

a

\%>

« can help youjeach you• a>free information packecall 1-800-423-USAF

*

*1$^&J&&^

W W W

. , , , .

\*-» * •»

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999


S PORTSA T H L E T E Hockey-siOF TH E WEEK Peter Aubry

Freshman goaltender Peter Aubry was named Eastern College i*Athletic Conference Goaltender-of-the-Week for his performances

m

against Benlley College this past weekend at the Mercyhurst Ice ' •Center. ' $5 . -1 '. •

l ^ * '\ [,}Aubry, a native of Windsor, Oritario, has earned this honor for the

second time in three weeks. He stopped 19 shots for the 5-0 shutoutagainst Bentley College on Jan 30.

fflg4801 Peach Street

866 - 6698tat Dtlhrciy • Open 7 Dafi a WctltSuftfa • Ihindsy t I am • 11 pm • Mdi* k Stiurdiyl 1 in • 1 w»

We deliver great tasteto your dorm! P#

l n»trtl W M J V WW • Minitfu** del *«rr l i £0h i : •• . , i i . 1 I - - H l * - « 0 > V t T V P C I C O * K i l l

J

* «

Best Value!

» land two cans of soda%.Small 1 -topping piziaand one can of soda

3. Two orders of wingsf1 and two cans of soda4. One order of wings

two cans of soda

it*J

Ho c o u p o n necesuiy .imW.

FEBRUARY 4,1999 THE MERCIAD P

Two, losses, one win for men's b-baThe men's basketball team facedanother setback last week with a85-7 5 loss to Findlay University

on Jan. 28. The Lakers trailed by12 at the half, and despite cuttingthe Oilers lead to just five withfour minutes left, couldn'tovercome the deficit.

Three starters finished indouble figures: Brent Swain(17),JoelBurgei(13)andRichard Bradley (13) whileJamal Hoi ley contributed 17points off the bench. Findlay outrebounded Mercyhurst 46-30.

Mercyhurst ended the monthwith a 71-57 win over HillsdaleCollege at the MercyhurstAthletic Center. The L akers ledby 10at half ime and Hillsdalewould get no closer than seven inthe second half. Jeff Woleben led

Mercyhurst with 16 points whileSwain had 14 and H olley scored12. Swain also pulled down 12 <rebounds, giving him his fourthdouble-double of the season. The6-foot-10-inch sophomore centerblocked four sho ts, giving him44 for the year and within 20 of anew one-year.highi .....,,... ' J

The L akers then traveled tot

Ashland University for a 90-86loss Feb. 1. Jody Crymes andWoleben each scored 23 points.Swain had 19 and RichardBradley scored 13 points.

Mercyhurst was 32 of 61 fromthe field and outhit Ashland 10-1from the three-point territory asCrymes and Woleben each

canned four from beyond the arc.Crymes also was credited w ithnine steals and four assists;

A

* yX "•" ? * ' ? : , Jessica RusseH/MertiadSophomore center Brent Swain battles with a Hillsdaleplayer for the board. The Lakers easily defeated Hillsda30. ;xJ T

m* -*-

Swain the top boardman for theLakers with nine.

This loss leaves the Lakerswith a 10-10 record, 4-9 in theGreatLakes Intercollegiate

Conference*"The two clubs will mee

this Saturday at the MACp.m.

1

Planstfbr Lady Lakers' hockey underwayPlans to bring ice hockey toLady Lakers' sports have cometo fruition. ' \

The program will be classifiedas NCAA Division I along sideits male counterpart. M ercyhurstwill seek membership in theEastern

Conference women's league. Theleague currently includes rPrinceton University, HarvardUniversity, Brown University,Cornell University, BostonCollege and Yale University.

The team's office and lockerroom will be in the Mercyhurs

Ice Center. $ <A thletic director Pete R

hopeful the program will next year if a coach, a schand interested student athcan be obtained.

Men's v-ball drops two over weekendBy Colleen PazderskiMerciad writer

Th e men*s volleybalI team H

played Ohio State University onJan. 27 in the M idwest Intercol-legiate Volleyball Association(MI VA) at St. John Arena inColumbu s, Ohio. The Lakerskept it close for most of thegame, but were unable to pullout with a victory. The L akerslost 15-4, 15-13 and 15-10.

When asked about the matchsenior captain Adam Tokashreplied, "we didn't execute ouroffense. We did however havestrong play off the bench with asolid performance by juniorTodd Ledoux." •

On the day, OSU hit .415 to. 168 for Mercyhurst and con-trolled the net with 12 blocks totwo.

IndianaUniversity-Purdue

University at Fort Wayne gavethe Lakers their third consecutivedefeat. Th e Lakers lost in threegames 15-7,15-10 and 15-11 onJan. 30.

"We just didn't pass well andwhen a team doesn't pass wellthey have no offense. W e had no.offense," Ledoux said.

Tokash had 14 kills while JohnKrugh registered 38 assists. *

The Lakers now have a 3-3record, 0-3 in MIVA play.

The L akers hope to chalk up aconference w in this weekend at

the M ercyhurst Athletic Ctaking onlPFW on Fridap.m., and Loyola U niversSunday at3 p.m.

CanCUflda*iaicaBahamas

.-•

1-800-234-70www.endlesssiliniiiertou

• t • iM l IJj • I i

http://www.endlesssiliniiiertouiv.coni/

http://www.endlesssiliniiiertouiv.coni/

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999


PAGE 8 THE MERCIAD FEBRUARYS 1999

LAKER

SPORTSH o c k e y s p a r k s o f f n e w rivalry a g a i n s t ( B e n t l e y C o l l e g e

By David Le beringMerciad writer c,

Mercyhurst and Bentley College,future rivals in the Division IMetro Atlantic Athletic Confer-ence Hockey League, got ftogether at the Mercyhurst IceCenter last Friday and Saturdayfor the third and fourth time thisseason. The Falcons escapedwith identical 6-5 overtime winsin Massachusetts in early <November, so Mercyhurst washoping to even the score.

Friday night, Bentley raced to a3-1 lead after a period thanks to apair of goals and an assist byforward Brian Gangemi. TheLakers* only goal came fromLouis Ooulet on a power play.

Mercyhurst stepped up thepressure in the second period andcaught the Falcons at 4-4 late inthe stanza on power play goalsby Paul Colontino, TomMcMonagle and Eric Ellis. ButBentley captain Shawn Smithscored with less than a secondleft in the period to give B entleya one-goal lead entering the final20'atihjjtespkks$e m •-;-- MWJ ipfc~ With-a* Stoppage in play and theFalcons still ahead 5-4 late in thethird, Laker head coach RickGotkin asked referee BrianPanek to check the stick of

Bentley freshman defenseman 3.Steve Toblo. The stick was foundto have an illegal curvature. TheFalcon player was penalized, andMercyhurst tied the game 5-5 ona power play goal by Tony {•Borgford. Neither team was ableto score in the five-minuteovertime. Mercyhurst outshotBentley 40-18. The Lakers'Ashley Stevens and Bentley'sRay fie Vincent were thegoal tenders of record.

Saturday's game featured |excellent goaltending by fresh-man Peter Aubry as Mercyhurstdefeated Bentley for the firsttime 5-0. Aubry stopped all 19shots as Mercyhurst once againdominated that category by firing48 times at Falcon s' netminderJoe Cullen. Culled w asn't beaten

until the second period, however,when Aaron M orrison's shotfrom the right point through ascreen reached paydirt

Goulet scored his second goalof the weekend later in the periodas Mercyhurst left the ice after40 m inutes with a 2-0 lead. Itwas all Mercyhurst in the third.McMonagle found the back ofthe net at 7:47 followed-by^power play goals from BobAtkin and Brad McDonald.

Bentley's sixth-year headcoach, Jim M cAdam, was

The woes of Mo ProfitBy Stephen NolanMerciad editor

The basketball season is wellunderway, and the Lakers havehad their ups and downs over thepast few months. One of thegreatest "d owns" has undoubt-edly been the loss of Maurice?"Mo" Profit. 1 /

Profit, w ho graduated in 1998,returned to the Hurst to partakein the organizational leadershipgraduate program and, of course,to play basketball. But, his dreamof gracing the court of theMercyhurst Athletic Center wastaken from his grasp by thediscovery of a heart problemwhich prohibits him fromplaying.

Profit explained that he hasweakened heart m uscles whichget weaker as he exercises andresults in shortened breath andenergy loss. Although he cannotplay at the moment, he is hopefulthat this condition has not endedhis career completely^* g

"I definitely came back to playbasketball. I value my educationand I have had every i ntention of

Petting my master's degree," .8rofit said .£ ? 3 S ^When something a person

loves doing is taken away it canaffect even the toughest person •Profit tries to put into words Iwhat he is feeling, "I am upset, Ihurt, disappointed and a lot of Idifferent things at the same time.

"It is hard to put into wordshow I feel, I try to stay so

positive on the outside, but onthe inside, every second of theday, I am concerned about myheart and I wish I could be on thecourt," he continued.

The job of head coach KarlFogel is to put out the bestpossible team he can, and theloss of an influential player likeProfit does not make his job anyeasier.

"It is a huge loss as faras hisproductivity as a basketballplayer goes, he is obviously oneof our best players.- Added on toall that he is such a leader, on thecourt, in practice and off thecourt. He is such a great person,to lose him and just to talk aboutbasketball is not fair to himbecause we lose him as a person,a leader and a role model for our

younger kids. He is irreplace-able, Fogel said. \i Asked about the team'sperformance this season, Profitsaid, "The team is doing well thisyear, especially with all the•adversity', which is the wordcoach likes to use, that we have

had this vear. We have lost twostarters from last year, Matt(Thiclker) and myself and thathas put a lot of pressure on thef resnmen and sophomores. Ithink we are doing as well as canbe expected this year."

gracious in de featTo nig ht was the second-worst

game we've had since I've beenhere. We couldn't do anythingright and Mercyhurst couldn't doanything wrong. vtercyhurst is avery good and very well-coachedteam. It will be a good rivalry nthe MAAC," he said.

For his part, Laker coach RickGotkin was disappointed histeam d idn't win both.; •;*

**We played very well tonight,but I thought we played wel1Friday night, too. Theguysstayed focused tonight (Satur-day), put forth a great effort, andwere rewarded for all that hard •work," he said. ?

All that hard work, however,also resulted in season-endingknee injuries last weekend to

center Jeff Gould anddefenseman Paul Colontino.With Bentley come and gone,

Mercyhurst must ipw prepare forfive Eastern College Athletic jConference West games beforeending the regular season. TheLakers, 1-0 in the conference,will travel to El mira College fora 7:30 p.m. game Friday beforeinvading Geneva, N.Y., to playHobart College on Saturday at 4p.m. ^

Jessica Russell/Merci

Senior Kevin Rawlick and sophomore Mark Stamp bthe puck against Bentley College over the weekendLakers tied the first game Friday 5-5 and won the seon Saturday 5-0. "3 f

Women's b-ball down Ashland byBy Lynn BurnsMerciad writer

After coming off a two-gamewinning streak, the women'sbasketball team hosted GreatLakes Intercollegiate AthleticConference front-runner FindlayUniversity on Jan. 28, thentraveled to Ashland U niversityon Feb. 2 where they looked tokeep their playoff hopes alive.

Behind shooting 45 percentfrom the field in the first half, (heLady Oilers jumped out to a 37-23 half-time lead. The leadproved insurmountable despitethe Lady Laker defense holdingFindlay to 28 second-half points.Despite the Lakers' bettersecond-half performance thescore ended 70-55.

Rebecca Sandor continued herpotent offensive output as shedropped 17 points and pulled *down six rebounds. Jodie Maximadded 15 points and ninerebounds in the losing effort

Next, the Lady Lakers traveledto Ashland University. In anoffensive shoot-out that con-sisted of 14 lead changes, theLady Lakers pulled off thevictory 88-86. Meredith Koncsolhit a jumper with one second leftin regulation to nudge out thewin. The Laker offensive scoringwas balanced as players, Sandor,

f i Jessica Russell/Mercia

Head coach Jm Webb instructs hs team during a tiagainst Hillsdale College on Jan. 30.Koncsol, Amy Gal la and KristaUsher scored in double digits,with Maxim leading the waywith 20 points and dishing outnine assists. {

The women's record stands at

8-12 and 4-9 in GLIAa home rematch agaion Saturday at 1 p.mtraveling to city rivaUniversity on Monda6 p.m.

Documents

The Merciad, Feb. 4, 1999