FEBRUARY 15, 2011

highlandernews.net

Ins ide

Barbershoppers give old-school flair a new swing Find out how at highlandernews.net

Profs Reflect Nation Divided on Health Care

Above, first-year students Kirsten Fisher and Kayla Darcey enjoy a meal during dinner equivalent in the Cougar’s Den located in the Banks Student Life Center.

Crowned Super Bowl champs have more than ‘Packing’ up their sleeves, page 4

RECIPE FOR DISASTER: Can’t cook? This column says its simple as pie PAGE 3

The nation’s new health care law may be just as controversial at MU as it was in Congress.

By Morgan HardingReporter

(Continued on page 4)

Boredom Busters: Sweets, treats sugar-up Valentine’s Day PAGE 3

Lettuce, Lunchmeat and Literature

The US House of Repre-sentatives voted February 2 to repeal recently passed health care reform, but the Senate voted 47 to 51, failing to forward any repeal to the President’s desk by a narrow margin of nine votes. How Americans pay for health care is one of the biggest changes in the law. Costs are covered by increased taxes on high cost medical plans, higher Medicare tax for individuals making more than $200,000 per year, and penalties paid by employers who do not provide coverage to employees, among other sources. “I think what some people object to is it’s too comprehen-

sive in how it tries to dra-matically change the way we pay for health care,” said Dr. Brian Carso, History profes-sor. Carso believes some people may not want to buy health care coverage, which is man-datory under the new reform. He said they may have money saved to pay for health prob-lems and therefore would not want coverage. Religious Studies professor Dr. Joseph Curran agrees that money is an issue surround-ing the call for repeal but in a very different way. Curran thinks the health care system in this country does not work. An inefficient system wastes money the government could

spend on those falling into ill health and dying, he said. Carso calls this repeal a demonstration. America elect-ed many new Republicans to the House because they opposed the current legisla-tion, and these new legislators wanted to show constituents that they were serious. This vote may not have the effect of changing the law, but it does give both the constituents back home and the veteran lawmakers in Washington a sense of the opinions of the new House members. “This particular legislation has a big symbolic component to it,” said Carso. Curran says any repeal effort will not go far. “The sen-

ate won’t even discuss it and the president will veto it,” he said. He believes the reason government officials will not repeal the legislation is purely political. “The idea that they were going to repeal the entire bill in one swoop was never going to happen,” said Curran. Curran predicts that some aspects of the legislation will be changed over time. He thinks some people do not like are the law’s requirements be-cause they see it as a restric-tion on the free market. “(It’s) standard back and forth argument,” said Carso. “This is legislation that is going to be modified.” Carso thinks Congress will be hammering out the details

The start of a new semester means brings new menu selec-tions in the Cougar’s Den. From daily specials to the 50 week variety of delicious sand-wiches, the Cougar’s Den is trying to attract more custom-ers and keep faculty, staff and students satisfied with savory food and speedy service. Daily specials seem to be a hit with students so far, especially Monday’s breakfast until noon and Thursday’s Wing Night. “Wing Night is a really good idea for students on campus and I like that I can use my points to pay for it. It’s a really good deal for students,” said freshman Kait-lyn Klemick. She appreciates the convenience of the Den’s new offers. “It’s so easy to bring back to our rooms and watch our Thursday night shows without having to go out of the way to get our food for the night.” Retail Marketing Man-ager Jan Sokolowski suggests people pre-order pizza and wings, so she has a better understanding of their needs and how much should be prepared each night. “Hav-ing the pre-orders down, I know how many we definitely have to cook and a lot won’t go to waste,” she said. “We had a bigger turnout than we originally anticipated on the

first night and we’re working through the kinks in order to prepare for next time.” The Den has another new addition – weekly sandwich specials, which are inspired by the novel, “American Sand-wich: Great Eats from All 50 States” by Becky Mercuri. Freshman Brittany Stine likes the idea of a different “themed” sandwich each week. “I’m excited to see what the other sandwiches are going to be. I think it’s a great idea for the Den,” she said. To kick off the beginning of the new specials, the first state was Pennsylvania featuring the famous Philly Cheesesteak. Before adding the new items, Sokolowski went through to see what could be eliminated from the regular menu. “We took off a couple sandwiches based on what the sales showed people weren’t ordering as much of,” Sokolowski said. “We just took things off that weren’t as popular but we’ll still run those things as specials.” After deciding what needed removed, staff added new sandwiches. Sophomore Josh Helwig likes the new spicy barbecue chicken wrap and says he would go back and order it again. “It’s good that the Den is coming up with new things

The Cougar’s Den offers up a new menu including items with a liberal arts twist.By Ellen HoffmanReporter

PHOTO BY ELLEN HOFFMAN / THE HIGHLANDER

Exclusively online

“Did the Media Contribute to the Tragedy in Tucson?” Debate

Wednesday, February 16 at 7 p.m.

Friends of the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library will host a welcome reception at 7:00 p.m. and the debate will

being at 7:30 p.m.

Insalaco Hall 216 and 217

Dr. Joseph Curran and Dr. Brian Carso

(Continued on page 4)

PHOTO BY MARK DESTEFANO / THE HIGHLANDER

FEBRUARY 15, 2011 highlandernews.net2

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Busters

Viewfinder

UGG! Slippers for slippery weather

CORRECTIONIn the February 1, 2011

edition, Dennis Bonvie’s last name was spelled incorrectly

in the Boredom Busters column on page 3.

Photographer Will McHale caught these unsuspecting students schlepping their way around campus in snuggly slippers. The editors are pondering the reason behind this perplexing foot phenomenon. Doesn’t this expensive foot-wear get ruined by the salty sidewalks?

Photos by Will McHale

FEBRUARY 15, 2011 highlandernews.net3

TALK

By MICHELE DRAGOFashion Columnist

LET’S

FASHIONBoredom

Busters

By AMANDA MERICLEEntertainment Columnist

PHOTO BY JAKE RAKESTRAW / THE HIGHLANDER

Although Valentine’s Day was yesterday, I can still feel the love. Sure, some lament February 14 as a pitiful plague of Hallmark-inspired woe, but not this girl. February 14 conjures up thoughts of hearts, roses and other symbolic sentiments of love. Valentine’s Day is the one day out of the whole year I don’t feel bad about indulging in one too many rom-coms or Milky-Way minis. Never one to turn down sweets, this year I added Truly Scrumptious café and bakery in Kingston to my menu of classic desserts. Aside from sharing arguably the best baked-goods EVER, Jake and I learned a little bit about love and the merits of following our hearts just in time for Cupid’s busiest season when we visited its new Wyoming Avenue location. Upon entering Truly Scrumptious, soft instrumental music filled our ears and a calming combination of sage green walls and dark brown interiors met our eyes. A mere second passed before we saw the glass display case filled with tempting treats like classic yellow cupcakes topped with icing and chocolate shavings. The woman responsible for our mouth-watering reactions, Cathy Reppert, owner of Truly Scrumptious, gave us a recommendation for the Valentine’s Day season - a new product called cake truffles. Reppert explains they are “cake with buttercream, dipped in chocolate, and they look like truffles.” Buddy Valestro, I think you have some competition from Reppert, who makes, among other things, a “mean carrot cake”. Reppert opened Truly Scrumptious at its current location in December, but has been baking all her life. Her passion started with simple kitchen lessons given by her mother and grandmother, who “let [her] have free reign in the kitchen” where she learned how to make her first baked confection, the fuss-free yet fantastic staple: a brownie. Her passion did not turn into a career until about eight years ago after she was laid off at her accounting job. This frustrating time turned into a blessing when Reppert realized she had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to

pursue her first love. Reppert remembers convincing her husband. “If it doesn’t work, I’ve lost nothing. If it works, I’ve gained everything,” she said. From that moment, she immersed herself in her passion - taking lessons, attending cake conventions, and spending hours practicing and slowly mastering artful skill. “One cake at a time - that’s all it is,” she said. She credits her husband’s support and love in helping her get through tough personal and professional times. “If it weren’t for him - I’d teach him everything after my classes. Side-by- side with me he kept the business going.” One of her favorite parts of her job is the sometimes bizarre cakes customers ask her to create. “I love it when people come in and they just want something crazy. In October, I did this wedding cake and it was a goth cake - it was crazy, black and red, crooked cake. I carved each tear. “ Reppert’s talent is definitely on display at Truly Scrumptious and after talking to her, we couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into some sweet-tooth-satisfying desserts! We shared a fluffy yellow cupcake, a huge brownie that was perfectly flaky and moist, and hot chocolate swirled with chocolate ganache that was rich and creamy. Sugar overload? Yes, but we weren’t complaining! Truly Scrumptious is a “little neighborhood place where you can go and hang out and have some baked goods,” as Reppert so accurately explains. Especially on a cold day, this café and bakery will take even the coldest of chills away with its serene atmosphere, delectable sweets and warm drinks. “One of the vendors that I do a lot of wedding cakes for said “You’ve carved out your own little niche,’ and I hope that’s true,” Reppert said. It is. Truly Scrumptious is located at 271 Wyoming Avenue, Kingston. For more information and to see pictures of their decadent offerings check out www.eatcakefirst.com. Next time, Boredom Busters is heading back in time as we take a short road trip to the Electric City for an afternoon of historical eats and adventure.

Can you make a cake in the microwave? With soda? It sounds like a terrible ‘50s jingle, a perfect recipe for di-saster. Generations of college students have passed down this odd recipe, but could it be successful or is it a half baked idea? We set out to the kitchen to find out. We divided the task in two: One cake would follow the recipe as specified and the other would at-tempt to make it edible - if possible. We ven-tured out on the icy road to Weis Market and picked up our supplies for under $5, then made our way back to headquarters. After giving the kitchen a good scrub, we be-gan our experiment like mad scientists. Upon combination of the Mountain Dew and white cake mix, the “batter” turned bub-bly and fizzed fiercely. Since one cannot put metal in the microwave without a spec-tacular light show and a pos-sibility of burning down the kitchen, we poured the batter into a Pyrex bowl. With great trepidation, we put it in the microwave for three minutes. We did not expect what hap-pened next. The batter began to grow and spilled over the

sides of the bowl like the at-tack of the Stay-Puft Marsh-mallow Man. It was still liquid in nature. After another two minutes, it congealed into a sticky, spongy abomina-tion that was very difficult to scrape off the microwave plate. The taste was similar to a regular white cake only with a texture and appearance akin to Spongebob.

We figured it couldn’t get any worse, so we followed the same process as the original Moun-tain Dew

cake recipe, except we used strawberry soda instead and baked it in the oven on 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Our result proved a warm, deli-cious pudding-like cake with a powdery aftertaste. A step up from failure. We really can’t say that it was a success yet we can’t trash it as failure, either. We did make a cake, but it did not rise to the standard of a Betty Crocker. This would be excellent paired with some ice cream like a rich brownie sun-dae or strawberry shortcake, but it cannot stand alone. If you’re feeling adventur-ous, this creative recipe can sweeten up a snow day and melt the winter blues.

The recipe:1 box of white cake mix1 can of Mountain Dew Microwave for 6 minutes.

A Collegiate

By CAESAR RIVERA and HILARY HOOVER

Culinary Columnists

Recipe for Disaster::

ColumnCulinary

Spring semester - a time for icy sidewalks, snow covered concrete and oh yeah, those special occasions that call for more than just baggy jeans and a tasteful tee – those oc-casions when only a dress will do. The only problem is that most dresses are more expen-sive than a Betsey bag, and that’s not cutting it for college students. I know when I go dress shopping, department store racks just don’t do and pricey places make me want to make a dress out of scotch tape --- a hot pink scotch tape dress would be fabulous --- for $3. So I trade in the designers at Dillard’s to the consigned couture of local shops. Believe me fashionistas, when looking for an affordable designer dress, don’t give up the search too soon because I have some tips to make it almost impossible not to find a daz-zling dress for cheap---just not as cheap as the scotch tape design. I went on the ultimate savvy search for dresses that cost less than a new pair of Jes-sica Simpson stilettos. First, consignment shops are totally in and key to cheaper chic and fabulous formal wear. My Teen’s Closet in Luzerne has adorable outfits for any occasion. The back of the store is jam packed with dresses galore. Short, long, and micro-minis. You name it, they’ve got it. And the magic number is between $40 and $75. Not too shabby for secondhand. “I think sometimes shopping consignment is the only way to go. Who wants to spend over $100 on a dress you’ll only wear once?” said sopho-more Tara Coughlin. Okay, so I know sometimes fashionistas are weary about wearing someone else’s style, so if you’re not feeling it check out designer stores that offer last season’s stuff. This fash-

ionista recommends TJ Maxx. Everyone loves a little black dress and they have so many to choose from---I wanted them all---for any occasion. I bought a Juicy Couture little black dress that I found right in the middle of a fully loaded rack. It was just my size and once I found it I felt like I won the fashion lottery. The regular price was $350, but I got it at TJ Maxx for $70. I don’t know if that was a deal or steal, but I’m all about it. And when TJ Maxx won’t do, the Lord and Taylor discount factory in Wilkes-Barre will. Okay so the store is huge and if you want a deal, you need to really search and it may take awhile. I know a fashionista who found another Juicy steal at Lord and Taylor for only $50. It may have been last season, but who can resist? Sometimes it’s hard to discount shop, so my advice is to check out the sales and if you’re lucky, that special sale will come your way. I went discount shopping in one of the hardest places to ever discount shop ---South Beach Miami. I was on a mission to find a silver mini at 50% off. It was a hard task to tackle, but I found the perfect silver mini for $35 at Bebe. Junior Jill Edwards says she usually has plenty of luck. “I always find cute dresses cheap at de-partment stores and I usually buy them just to wear under a cute blazer on the weekends,” she said. Next time you’re looking for a dress that’ll do, try my fashionista tips. If they don’t work, keep searching. I know one fashionista who searches for deals, dances at basket-ball games, acts in plays, and keeps her savvy style with a busy schedule. You’ll find out who --- next time.

Occasionally The Highlander prints new columns. Please send feedback

online at highlandernews.net or email The Highlander at

highland@misericordia.edu.

Mary Kintz Bevevino Library

Mon. – Thu.: 8 a.m.– 11 p.m.Fri.: 8 a.m.– 5 p.m.

Sat.: 10 a.m.– 7 p.m.Sun.: 11 a.m.– 11 p.m.

PHOTO BY MORGAN HARDING / THE HIGHLANDER

FEBRUARY 15, 2011 highlandernews.net4

BOILINGPOINTS

By JOSH HORTONSports Columnist

With the Packers 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Lombardi Trophy has returned home to Green Bay, Wisconsin and the team’s fans, a very unique breed be-cause of one thing: They own the team. When I fi rst heard this I laughed and thought to myself, fans don’t own teams. However, I did some research and after watching a video on CNNMoney.com I found out that the Packers are indeed owned by 110,000 members of their diehard base. According to website, the Packers were about to go bankrupt in 1923, and to keep the team afl oat, owners decided to sell shares of the team fans. The Pack-ers is the only publicly owned, non-profi t professional sports team in America - which means many people in the greater Green Bay Area can say they are part owners of the team that they live and die for every Sunday. Perhaps this is what makes the Packers franchise so great. Many people say their fans are the best in the league, but how many of us can say we stepped up and supported our teams dur-ing a time of fi nancial need? Chances are no one reading this column has a stake in a professional sports team. But it seems to be working for Green Bay. If the fi nancial rejuvenation didn’t happen, it is probably safe to say the Packers wouldn’t be playing in Green Bay at all. Let’s be honest, who goes vacation-ing in there? It isn’t exactly a place where you would take the family for a balmy break. A fall or winter vacation is a different story. Throngs of people fl ock to Lambeau Field to see their beloved Packers go toe-to-toe with other NFL foes. The Packers is rich in tradi-tion. Most people think of the

Pittsburgh Steelers or the Dallas Cowboys when try-ing to think of who won the most championships. They are wrong. The Packers have won 13, including fi ve Super Bowls. The team won in 1929, 1930, 1931 by having the best record in the league. The next six came by winning the NFL Championship. The fi nal fi ve were Super Bowl victories--I, II, XXXI, XXXII and most recently XLV. None of this would have been possible without 110,000 sharehold-ers. I am sure the Packers would have found some way to keep their team in Green Bay without the fi nancial sup-port of their fans. However, I think the fact the fans saved the team gives the Packers a bond that will never be broken within the passionate city of Green Bay. It would be awesome if more teams would try this., especially because owners and players are in a quarrel which that prevent next year’s NFL season from kicking off. The problem with sports today is it is too much of a business. There are players who will abandon a team they have been a part of for years just to gain an extra million dollars. Is it really worth it? More important—and most certain-ly in this case—is the owners who are in this profi t-making industry because it is just that—profi table. Make sure to check back next week when I dive into the hot topic of salaries in pro-fessional sports. In the mean time I hope you enjoy the next two weeks in the sports world. Just because the Super Bowl has come and gone doesn’t mean there is nothing great to watch. Catch a hockey game, college hoops game, or some NBA hoops. You won’t be missing out—even you have no money in it.

for us to try out,” he said. “I go to the Den a lot, so I notice what changes are made and when new things are added to the menu.” Aside from the wings and sandwiches, the Cougar’s Den is trying to accommodate everyone’s needs, which is why they chose Wednesday to have a salad special. “One of the things people said was that we needed healthier op-tions in the Den, as far as our specials were concerned,” said Sokolowski. “We added a spe-cial salad on Wednesday’s and we toss it for you and plate it just like we do in the cafeteria but for a lunch special.” Freshman Amanda Sut-ton has been a vegetarian for years now and loves the new Wednesday salad special. “I was really excited when I

found out there was some-thing different that I could eat in the Den,” she said. “Some-times it’s hard for me to fi nd other things that I can eat, but this is really helpful and it kind of surprised me.” On Wednesday’s in the Den, chefs specially make the salads for the customer so it is easier for people to get what they want. Another kink Sokolowski it trying to solve is the effi ciency in the Den. She said she un-derstands there are long lines during meal times, and she is trying to keep things moving smoothly. “I’m trying to make things as effi cient as possible with what we have,” she said. “We only have so much space, for so many people and I’m just trying to accommodate everyone.” A change made in the way of effi ciency was the

electronic menus. To make it easier for customers to read, the menu on the right is for food only, while the menu on the left contains the drinks and the specials. Workers in the Den are also confi dent in their service and hope students and faculty see a difference. Cashier Beverly Smith thinks the changes seem to be working and thanks customers for their cooperation. “The kids are really good with it,” she said. “They understand we’re working as fast as we can and they’ve been very cooperative. It helps make everything run smoothly when they cooper-ate.” Having the cash register at the end of the line seems to be speeding up the process as well. Sokolowski is interested in

feedback about anything at the Den, whether it’s the food or the service, good or bad, so she can make changes. Comment cards are available, but she prefers students go onto Facebook and leave their thoughts there. “On Face-book, people can leave their positive or negative criticism and I can answer it in a public forum,” she said. “I’m all about open communication. I want to hear the good and bad.” “I think things are going well,” Sokolowski said. “I’m trying to make things effi -cient, because that’s the big-gest thing, people just really don’t like the lines and I’m trying to fi x that.”

Lettuce, Lunchmeat and Literature, Cont’d.Continued from page 1

Above, fi rst-year students Elizabeth Graber and Sarah West pick up their orders in the Cougar’s Den.

PHOTO BY ELLEN HOFFMAN / THE HIGHLANDER

of health care for at least the next decade. Congressman Mark S. Critz (D-PA) voted against repeal because he feels Congress should spend time working on more important issues. “I believe that we should be focused on strengthening our economy and creating jobs, not playing politics with people’s health care. A blanket call for repeal, without any sort of alternative, is little more than a political stunt focused on the next election cycle rather than the best interest of the people we are supposed to serve,” he said. Curran likens the new health care to protection from violence. “Access to quality af-fordable health care is a basic human right not a privilege,” he said. Curran feels that it is not morally acceptable for only some Americans to have access to quality health care. “Health care is a basic right and it’s the government’s job to protect that right,” says Dr. Curran. To many MU students this is just another vote that does not really affect them, but it

does: Young people who are not offered health care from their employers may now be covered on their parents’ plans until age 26. This pro-vides gives extra time to those who may be searching for a job after graduation. Dr. Joseph Cipriani, MU Oc-cupational Therapy professor, believes there are many favor-able parts of this law for col-lege students. He remembers speaking with many people, including students, worried about not having health care coverage, and so from a health practitioner’s standpoint the reform offers improvements. “I think that most health care groups look upon [the reforms] as rather progres-sive. There is a bigger focus on prevention. There is a bigger focus on mental health. There is a movement to keep the elderly in their homes,” said Cipriani. “Repealing this bill has major repercussions.” While this issue may be laid to rest now that the repeal has been killed in the Senate, one thing is for certain – as Curran said, this country is divided.

Profs Refl ect Nation, Cont’d.Continued from page 1

FEBRUARY 15, 2011 highlandernews.net5

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SCENE ON CAMPUS

Above, students mix and mingle during the Speed Dating evening. Student Government Association sponsored the event held on Monday January 31 in the Metz Cafeteria.

PHOTO BY WILL MCHALE / THE HIGHLANDER

Campus Ministry is send-ing eight young MU student leaders and two faculty and/or staff to Ireland this year to participate in the “Conference for Mercy Young Leaders.” Or-ganizers aim to select quality students who show strong ties to the MU mission. Chris Somers, a Cam-pus Ministry staff member participating in the selection process, said selection criteria is clear. “In the application it will say we are really looking for quality students, students who live out the charisms, who are in service, justice, and spirituality, who are strong leaders,” said Somers. About 30 students had submitted applications before the Feb. 4 deadlines. Campus Ministry staffers are thor-oughly reviewing each appli-cation and will select the most qualified students to call for an interview. The August trip will cost approximately $2,000 per person. Students will par-ticipate in three or four man-datory pre-trip meetings to get students acquainted with one another and to explain more about what they will be doing. The trip is partially funded by a grant. Selected

students must fundraise $500 and contribute $500. Students will participate in the conference, perform some service work and also tour Ire-land. They are also required to blog and keep video diaries documenting their experi-ences. “We’d like to have them come back to campus and do something with what they’ve learned,” said Chris Somers. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors were urged to apply so that they can return to school the following fall semester to give presentations to the com-munity and have small group meetings to ensure they and the MU community will gain from this journey. Campus Ministry hopes these young leaders can help spread the Mercy mission. The “Conference for Mercy Young Leaders” runs August 10-12, but MU has an oppor-tunity to arrive in Northern Ireland August 6 and return to Dallas August 14. MU is one of seven Mercy Universi-ties in the United States to take part. Campus Ministry is still working with organiza-tions to plan the trip details. The group will begin their

trip in Northern Ireland, staying with the Commu-nity Foundation of Northern Ireland. They will tour and attend programs in which they will learn more about the peace process. Service work will also take place in North-ern Ireland, but Campus Ministry is still awaiting more specific information. Students will stay across the street from the Mercy Interna-tional Center where Cath-erine McCauley lived, ran an orphanage and founded The Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy is sponsoring the conference about Catherine McCauley, which will include presentations, reflection, prayer, and discussion. The international conference is open to high schools and col-leges of Mercy institutions, and students will travel from countries including New Zea-land, Australia and England. The university hopes to continue participation in this event for years to come. Campus Ministry is seeking other similar conferences so students can learn more about mercy, what they do, and how to be more aware of the world.

Future Ireland Trip for Standout Students

By Audra WehnerReporter

Don’t forget about MU student discounts!

Friendly’s - 10%•McDonald’s - 10%•Jack Williams Tire and Auto - 5%•Kost Tires - Call for discounts•Asaki - 10%•Peking Chef - 10%•Serenity Wellness - $30 massage (once/mo)•Snooty Fox Consignment - 20%•Verizon - 20% off accessories•Thomas’ - 5%•

Back Mountain Bowl - Monday •night $2/gameLehman Golf (Dallas) - $2 off •green fees (weekdays)Steve Shannon Auto - Call for •discountsLeggio’s - 10%•Best Western Suites - Call for •discounts

Eight lucky students to head to the Emerald Isle for Mercy Young Leaders Conference.

FEBRUARY 15, 2011 highlandernews.net6

YOUR LAST SHOT

Senior Rich Baldovin snapped this photo of Eric Dittelman, “Mind Entertainer.” Dittelman performed in the Cougar’s Den on Thursday, January 20.

SUBMIT YOUR OWN PHOTOSThe Highlander will publish original, undoctored photos submitted by students, faculty and staff in this section of the newspaper every two weeks. We reserve the right to reject any photo. If photos appear to have been manipulated, they will not be published. All photos must be accompanied by signed model clearances and captions.

Students ServiceinA CAMPUS COMPACT AMERICORPS PROGRAM

CapsCorner

Meditation MondayThe thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed

develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born

out of concern for all beings. –Buddha

This quote highlights the benefits of watching one’s thoughts with care and love for others. By meditating and being introspective one has the potential to

develop a positive character and change the world. Psychology Today highlights other benefits of meditation including: spiritual growth, stress management, lower blood pressure, improved sleep, pain management,

longevity and social connectedness. The CAPS Center is offering Meditation Mondays to support students’ growth and development as they juggle the

multiple responsibilities of college life.

The CAPS Center will start the Meditation Monday program on February 7, 2011 at noon in the CAPS Center. Additional meeting dates are as follows: February 14 & 28, March 14, 21 & 28 and April 4, 11 & 18. The Meditation

Monday classes will run 30 to 45 minutes in length and begin at noon. The CAPS Center will offer a variety of meditation practices so students can

experiment and find the best practice for them.

To learn more about specific meditation class offerings see below and adver-tisements posted on Channel 10. If you have additional questions, contact

Courtney Burgess-Michak at cburgess@misericordia.edu.

BUDHIST MINDFULNESS MEDITATIONMONDAY FEB. 28, 2011

You will learn how to stay focused on whatever you are doing and live each moment fully.

You will also learn to manage stress and anxiety with this practice.

MANTRA MEDITATIONMONDAY MARCH 14, 2011

A mantra is the repetition of a word or phrase. In this mantra meditation class, we will use one particular mantra

that if repeated regularly has the potential to boost your confidence and reduce anxiety. Students will also learn

additional Sanskrit mantras that may relate more specifically to their path of personal growth.

CANDLE MEDITATIONMONDAY MARCH 21, 2011

Relax your body and let go of your thoughts through the calmness of candle meditation.

JOURNALING MEDITATIONMONDAY MARCH 28, 2011

Come and learn how to use the practice of journaling to process your thoughts and feelings and gain new

insights about various areas of your life.

HELPS STUDENTS PAY FOR COLLEGE WHILE •PARTICIPATING IN COMMUNITY SERVICE MU WAS ON OF THE FIRST CAMPUSES TO HOST A •SCHOLARS IN SERVICE PROGRAMSTUDENTS MUST COMPLETE 450 HOURS IN OR-•DER TO QUALIFY FOR AN AMERICORPS EDUCA-TION AWARD OF $1250

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT KRISTEN SAMUELS IN THE CAMPUS MINISTRY OFFICE

570-674-6754

MU Shuttle Schedule

Tues 6-10

Fri 6-12 am

Sat 2-12 am

Sun 1-7

-Walmart

-Wyoming Valley Mall

-Movies 14

-Downtown Willkes-Barre

-Frances Slocum

COLLEGE MEDITATIONMONDAY APRIL 4, 2011

Through the use of various materials you will learn a different approach to be aware of and process various emotions

and experiences, such as happiness, grief, sadness, transitions, a new job, making new friends, romantic relationships, etc.

You can be as simple or creative as you want!

LOWER LEVEL MCGOWAN HALL