They’re quite cozy. 19%

I have seen better. 19%

I swear it was like that when I moved in. 9%

I think I may be dying from

the mold. 53%

Total votes: 32

ONLINE POLL RESULTS

Children receive

bearsPage 2

‘Tis the Season’ debutsPage 5

Wrestlingplaces

sixthOnline

READ THE STORY ON PAGE 2

NEWSPage 2 December 12, 2012

Teddy Bear Toss provides

This year’s Teddy Bear Toss was held Friday, Dec. 7, in the Tullio Ice Center.

James Oefelein, president of the Mercyhurst Veterans Association (MVA), helped to organize the event.

Oefelein got involved with the Teddy Bear Toss through friends on the hockey team, namely Pat Goebel.

It was Goebel’s idea to start the toss and Oefelein asked if they could give the toys collected to Toys for Tots. Goebel agreed. The Mercyhurst Veter-ans Association then ran with it from there and the results were surprising.

“I asked Pat the fi rst year if we could donate to Toys for Tots, because as a former Marine, it is one of my favorite charities,” Oefelein said.

With Toys for Tots the donations that people give stay in the local com-munity.

With the economy the way it is there are “a lot of kids in Erie who can ben-efi t from the amazing generosity of the Mercyhurst and Erie community,” said Oefelein. “This is something that is very near and dear to me and I’m so happy that I can play a small part in contributing to it.”

“Last year’s Teddy Bear Toss was comically successful in that we col-lected many stuffed animals. We didn’t do an exact count but we were really happy with it being our fi rst year,” said Oefelein. “The comical part was that a lot of fans didn’t show up early enough and the boys scored early so we did it for the fi rst and second goals.”

“It’s a great community event. Because it is something simple and relatively inexpensive, more people are willing to do it,” said sophomore Jacob Middlesetter. “And who doesn’t

like throwing stuff out onto the ice rink. Feels like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be.”

This year’s goal was to grow the awareness in the Erie community at large. There is a great hockey commu-nity in Erie and with the NHL lockout Oefelein thought that many people are looking for good hockey to watch and our Mercyhurst Lakers could provide that.

Oefelein is thankful for the support this initiative has received.

“The Veterans Association is greatly appreciative of the support they have received from the Mercy-hurst hockey program, the Mercy-hurst Student Government, and the Mercyhurst administration, especially Deb Morton, for their support of this event and the Association in general,” said Oefelein.“We are truly indebted to these people for helping us accomplish our missions.”

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

toys for local children

Changes cometo radio station

A committee of members of the communication department and the university administration have been meeting regularly for months to dis-cuss a format change for the campus radio station, 88.5 Jazz FM.

In March of this year, “Captain” Dan Geary, veteran Erie radio personal-ity, took charge of 88.5 Jazz FM in addi-tion to his position managing 1530-AM WYNE on the North East Campus.

Over the summer, Geary migrated the operations of WYNE to the facil-ities on the Mercyhurst Main campus.

Since about July, WMCE and WYNE have both been operated on the main campus. It was about this time that Geary started entertaining the idea of changing the music format for WMCE.

“All of the jazz programming will be moved online,” said Geary. “88.5 and WYNE will be simulcast playing primarily oldies.”

The simulcast will provide a much wider listener-range, by greatly increas-ing the reach of the station. In addi-tion, students will have the opportunity to produce and host their own “spe-cialty programming” playing songs of their choosing.

Students interested in hosting a specialty program will be required to submit a proposal to Geary, as well as go through general training.

All student-produced specialty programming will be recorded and produced ahead of time. As of now there are no plans for live, student produced programming.

“We believe that the jazz format has not been able to get students and fac-ulty involved to the level that we would like to see – a format that procures a large amount of listeners provides them with opportunities that are more extensive,” Communication Depart-ment Chair Meghan Corbin said.

Currently three specialty programs are already in the early stages of pro-duction. They include sophomore Sarah Mohan’s “Love Songs with Sarah,” senior Brady Greenawalt’s “Brady’s Bar-gain Basement” classic rock show and “Into the 80’s” by junior Sam Giddings.

Several faculty members also have programming on the station, including Dennis Lebec’s “Choice Cuts.”

The resource of the radio station is not only reserved for communication students.

“All of our communication students should at least have working knowl-edge of a radio station,” said Corbin. “We hope and anticipate that students and faculty from across the university will want to be involved.”

The station is not just an oppor-tunity for those hoping to be on-air either; it also offers opportunities for people with interests in advertising, business, graphic design and much more. Currently the graphic design department is holding a logo contest for the radio stations re-branding, the fi rst prize is a $50 VISA gift card.

The format change is planned to for Monday, Jan. 7.

For more information on how you can get involved email Dan Geary at dgeary@mercyhurst.edu.

Brady Greenawalt will be part of the stu-dent staff on WMCE.

By Brady GreenawaltStaff writer

Students now can create their own radio shows at 88.5 Jazz FM, located in the lower level of Baldwin Hall.

Alicia Cagle photo

Home recipient sends gratitude to House the ‘Hurst BuiltHouse recipient Rosemary Anderson sent a letter of gratitude for all of the hard work from

House the ‘Hurst Built.

“Dear Dr. Gamble,My family and I would like to thank you and all the students, staff members, directors and board mem-

bers at Mercyhurst who contributed their time and effort to help build our new home. I am extremely grateful and would like to extend my gratitude to you. Mercyhurst has made my dreams come true! You have made my burdens a lot easier. This is a life changing opportunity for my children. I can never thank you all enough.”

Page 3 December 12, 2012 NEWS

Wednesday, Dec. 5Possession of drug paraphernalia

McAuley HallRes-life incident

Saturday, Dec. 8Liquor law violationDuval Apartments

(16) Students referred for discipline

Saturday, Dec. 8Criminal mischief to vehicle

Lot #1Referred for discipline

MercyhurstUniversity

Police & Safety Police Log

Monday, Dec. 10LarcenyLot #12

Theft of tra� c signs

Committee begins plans for senior gift

It’s been decided. The Class of 2013 will be donating a greenhouse to the university.

The location where the greenhouse is to be built is yet to be determined. Three locations have been proposed, but the ultimate decision is up to Mer-cyhurst President Thomas Gamble, Ph.D.

The greenhouse will allow research opportunities for science students, fresh herbs for culinary students and a place for refl ection and relaxation for all of the Mercyhurst community.

The senior class hopes to raise approximately $15,000 to go toward the construction of a fully functional greenhouse. The greenhouse will serve as a small botanical garden and will be fully stocked with plants, along with a watering and heating system.

The Senior Gift Committee came up with fi ve gift ideas and proposed

them to the senior class to vote on their top choice.

Mercyhurst prides itself on “being green” and implements sustainable practices throughout everyday life. The greenhouse builds upon this already instilled value and enhances Mercy-hurst’s commitment of environmental responsibility and sustainability.

Senior Gift Committee Chair Rhona Boyle shares her feelings on the gift.

“The Senior Class Gift Committee wanted to leave a multidisciplinary gift that would benefi t as many students as possible,” said Boyle. “I think it’s brilliant that biology, hospitality man-agement, campus dining services, sus-tainability and service learning can all utilize the greenhouse.”

“Now that we are a university, I think that it is important that the department has more resources avail-able to them for research opportu-nities as well as hands on learning,” senior biology major Gabriela Mat-amoros said.

“The Mercyhurst farm at Girard has been a huge success,” said Boyle.

“It shows that Mercyhurst students are really passionate about global responsibility and being green. The Senior Class Gift Committee recog-nized this and felt that an on-campus greenhouse, directly accessible to all students, would be received just as well.”

Fundraising efforts have already begun with the completion of the Senior Disorientation Bar Crawl and the planning of Senior Week activities.

Senior Week is the week of Febru-ary 4-8 and is a week-long celebration of senior status. The committee is planning different events to take place each night, leading up to the 100 Days until Graduation Party on Friday, Feb. 8.

All of these events are fundraising efforts brought to the class by the Senior Gift Committee.

If you would like to contribute to the class gift you can fi ll out a pledge card, which you can get from one of the committee members, or go online to https://hurstalumni.org/class-of-2013-senior-gift/.

For more information about the upcoming fundraising efforts or for more information on the gift, you

can also visit www.facebook.com/groups/MU2013.

By Abigail RobinsonStaff editor

100th class graduates

Celebrations will soon take place for the 100th class graduation of the Mercyhurst University Munici-pal Police Training Academy for all of their time, effort, hard work and achievement.

The Academy will be celebrating its 100th class graduation in a ceremony on Friday, Dec. 14, at the Mary D’An-gelo Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Mercyhurst Main Campus. Pennsylva-nia State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan and Mercyhurst President Thomas Gamble, Ph.D., will speak at the ceremony.

The ceremony is usually held at the North East campus, but was moved to the PAC to accommodate additional guests for the event.

Almost 3,000 alumni will be joined by the 33 cadets of the 100th class to be honored for their achievements at the academy.

The academy has been training cadets since 1977 with its 21-week program.

Academy Director Walter (Bill) Hale has overseen the academy since the previous director retired and will

also be at the ceremony. Hale had fi ve years of municipal police experience before taking over the position at the academy.

According to Hale, the graduation ceremony will be like other gradua-tion ceremonies. Certifi cates will be handed out to the cadets in physi-cal training, fi rearms and academic areas.

Gamble will present the Pres-ident’s Award to the overall best cadet at the ceremony. A reception after the ceremony will be prepared by Mercyhurst Hospitality and Culi-nary students.

“Since 1977, Mercyhurst has oper-ated one of only 16 regional police training academies in the Common-wealth and trained the majority of active police offi cers in our region,” Gamble said.

The program, which Hale says was started in Erie, was moved to North

East in the 1990s. Cadets in the program endure a

grueling course load that is both aca-demic and physical in nature. They learn all about the rules of criminal law, history of policing and ethics, as well as fi rearms training, hands-on tactical self-defense and motor vehi-cle operation among other challeng-ing subjects.

“[Current training] is well over 700 hours and will soon be over 1,000 hours,” Hale said.

The 100th class of cadets started last July in various stages of physical fi tness, wondering what the program was about and how it would proceed.

Over the following weeks, Hale and other trainers got the class into physical and academic shape as they taught them how to survive in many different situations throughout their training.

In regards to the work Hale has done with the cadets, Gamble said, “It is through their leadership, and that of their predecessors, that we honor you today knowing full well that we have done our best to pre-pare you for your future careers in law enforcement.”

By Kierston BromleyStaff writer

Police Academy celebrates

Displayed is a model of the Senior Gift greenhouse that will be built on campus for next year.

Contributed photo

It is through leader-ship...that we honor

you today.

Thomas Gamble Ph.D.”

“

FEATURES Page 4December 12, 2012

AIM plans to conquer the Grand Canyon

Want to travel and help others simultaneously?

The Asperger Initiative at Mercy-hurst (AIM) is set to have a unique experience to raise money and aware-ness for their program.

The program will hold a trip throughout the state of Arizona and the Grand Canyon from May 20-24, for 15-20 students, faculty and staff members who may be interested in experiencing the Grand Canyon and its surroundings.

A few spots are also open to any members of the public who wish to go along.

“Conquer the Canyon” is an agency in Arizona that helps non-profi t pro-grams raise money and awareness. The agency does this by holding hiking adventures for groups and individuals.

Most of the people the agency does this for are those who suffer from things such as genetic disorders, home-lessness, diabetes, poverty and cancer.

The trip is being led by AIM Direc-tor Brad McGarry.

McGarry thought it would be a

great idea to hold a trip like this for students who are a part of the AIM program after having the experience himself back in 2010 with his 9-year-old son Connor, who suffers from a rare genetic disease called angelman syndrome.

According to McGarry, the experi-ence was very rewarding.

“The reason we do this is to raise awareness for the asperger programs here at Mercyhurst, get youths and college students away from technology and back into nature, and get some exercise,” McGarry said. “We’re also

making this a social skills venture for people who are fund-raising in a dif-fi cult and awkward situation because social interaction is diffi cult from an autism and asperger point of view.”

AIM will host several fundraisers in order to raise funds for the Conquer the Canyon trip. One fundraiser was held at Bob Evans restaurants in Erie on Dec. 8 and 11 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Bob Evans will donate 15 percent of its sales from those who came in with a Conquer the Canyon fl ier.

AIM will also host Night at the Erie Bayhawks on Monday, Jan. 28. A per-centage of the ticket sales from that game will go towards the trip.

Individuals may also sponsor and donate money to anyone who goes on the Conquer the Canyon trip. If there isn’t a specifi c individual you would like to send money to, you can still donate to the trip in general.

Please visit the following web-link if you would like to do this: http://hurstalumni.org/conquer-the-can-yon/.

If you would like to know more information about the Conquer the Canyon trip, please contact Brad McGarry at (814)-824-2451 or bmc-garry@mercyhurst.edu.

By Daniel TarrStaff writer

WWD available to students

The Hammermill Library has a new resource available for students. Thanks to a conjunct effort between Ham-mermill Library and the Fashion Mer-chandising Department, students now can enjoy unlimited access to Women’s Wear Daily (WWD).

WWD is a fashion-industry trade journal, referred to as the “bible of fashion.” It delivers information on breaking news and upcoming trends in the world of fashion, beauty and retail.

Although WWD readership is composed largely of members in the fashion industry, including retailers, designers, manufacturers, marketers and trend makers, any consumer trying to keep up-to-date with the retail busi-ness can fi nd it useful and intriguing.

Prior to having the journal available on the Hammermill Library website, the fashion department received a daily print copy of WWD. However, the mailing process entailed receiv-ing the copies a few days later from its date of publication. Moreover, the library databases only enabled access to WWD abstracts, not full articles.

In an industry where being attentive

to the latest and most current news is pivotal, the situation was less than ideal. Today, students can browse the journal on a daily basis for fashion trends, features and scoop as easily and quickly as walking to a newsstand and picking up a physical copy.

Fashion Department Chair and Assistant Professor Amy Weaver-Kau-lis describes the endeavor as the “best of both worlds.” She asserts it is a phenomenal asset and support to the Fashion program. It is a research tool that enables students to search for both past and current articles without the hassle of having to graze through newspaper copies.

Currently, only a limited number of users are able to access this resource at the same time. The subscription to Women’s Wear Daily is paid per seat. Due to the expensive cost of the sub-scription, the Hammermill Library only offers entry to two viewers at once.

Librarian Penny Wise states, how-ever, that the online subscription is still in a period of trial. Depending on usage statistics regarding the number of turnaways, the decision to fi nance more seats might be taken. Regardless, WWD is a valuable resource for stu-dents interested in the fashion, retail or beauty industries.

By Alejandra ZeronStaff writer

Social media sites connect Mercyhurst How do you get your news about

Mercyhurst University?Check the bulletin boards around

campus? Receive information from the gossip chain?

Chances are you do all those, but you also hear it through social media sources, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Plus, Pinterest and Instagram.

Who monitors these conversations that are taking place across the differ-ent platforms? Mercyhurst University Social Media Director Chris Norris oversees these outlets and is responsi-ble for the majority of the content on these sites.

Norris explained these ever-chang-ing technologies.

The Facebook, Twitter and You-Tube accounts were created a few years ago, but the Facebook account had to be re-launched when Mercy-

hurst changed from college to univer-sity status.

On the other hand, the Instagram, Pinterest, and Google Plus accounts were created less than a year ago and are just now being integrated into the social media mix.

Norris uses different accounts for different reasons.

For example, Twitter is used like a mass text message. It is used for short conversations and updates in which followers can hold conversa-tions with other students, prospec-tive students, or faculty and staff at Mercyhurst.

“If anyone says ‘Mercyhurst’ we see it. If it’s good, we re-tweet it,” Norris said.

In addition, Mercyhurst has an Ins-tagram account.

“Instagram is the place we go for campus pictures, YouTube for a hodgepodge of information, and Pinterest for Mercyhurst related content. The only blogs that Mercy-hurst uses are links to student blogs,”

Norris said. Pinterest is Mercyhurst’s newest

addition. It is “image heavy,” which is good

because “we live in a place where people like to see [things],” said Norris. “It is a good place to showcase ath-letes, art, even student life. It helps because we have a beautiful campus with lots going on.”

Pinterest is a new fad for business and college and what makes it differ-ent than other platforms is that it was designed for tablets and phones, not the other way around.

Although none of the accounts themselves are connected, Mercy-hurst uses Sprout Social, a social media control platform to manage all of the posts. Once Norris does that, he posts between three and four posts a day.

Norris tries to make the posts all different by using the “Share, Pro-mote, and Engage method,” as he calls it.

One day, he might share a student

blog, promote an article about the Intel department in the New York Times and ask followers a question about their favorite classes.

To gain followers, Mercyhurst does extensive advertising on its website and social media sites.

The target audiences for the sites are “mostly students, but it depends on the platform. We want students to engage with each other, that’s the main goal,” Norris said.

With prospective students, Norris explained his goal is for them to see our pride and “get a sense of the stu-dents at the school they want to go to. We want to get conversations started” between students; staff, departments; the Erie community.

“We want the community to see that,” Norris said.

We live in a time where social media is the fi rst thing we do when we wake up, the last thing we do before we sleep and during many spare moments in between.

So make sure to check out Mercy-

hurst’s social media sites to share and connect.By Katie Felong

Contributing writer

Social Media Director Chris Norris keeps Mercyhurst con-nected through various social media sites.

Contributed photo

Brad McGarry hikes the canyon with his son.

mercyhurst.com photo

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5December 12, 2012

‘Tis the Season’ delighted PAC audience members of every age with a number of high energy, festively themed dance routines.

‘Tis the Season’ puts audiences in the holiday spirit

Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre came to the stage with toy guns blazing for last weekend’s performance of “Tis the Season,” a holiday treat for the whole family.

The mood was set both festively and eloquently as freshman music major Khylinn Hayes played festive tunes on his violin. The Dance Departments’ newest faculty, Melissa Bobick, cho-reographed the fi rst piece that was a re-envisioned rendition of the classic “Babes in Toyland.”

Telling the story of two sisters who leave their parents for a trip to the mys-tical Toyland, freshman Elaina Sutula and sophomore Kelsey Sawyer played their roles of the two sisters perfectly.

Every movement and bit of chore-ography really gave the audience the feeling that they were two young girls receiving presents from their parents.

The girls get transported to a magi-cal place of marionettes, hobbyhorses and a beautiful ballerina doll, which junior Emily McAveney portrayed in the story.

McAveney’s performance was

especially captivating; her technique was spot on and there wasn’t a single moment when a smile left her face.

After spending some time with the toys in their mystical land, the girls decide that although toys and dolls are fun, there isn’t anything quite like spending time with family on Christ-mas.

The scene was incredibly captivat-ing; every person on stage brought an individual energy with them that cre-ated an ambiance that was certainly greater than the sum of its parts.

The second piece took a religious turn with “A Multitude of Angels,” with visually stunning choreography by Associate Professor of Dance, C. Noelle Partusch.

Featuring a peaceful blue backdrop and fl owing, beautiful costumes for the dancers, this section was set to J.S. Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio,” which gave it the appropriate mood, and still tied it into the holiday season.

The effect created by this piece was moving and gave the audience a sense of warmth. The dancers moved together, which created an effect of unity that added to the piece.

The third and fi nal set of scenes took the audience through a joyful

thrill ride and gave an inside look on the organized chaos of toys and frantic elves that is the North Pole two weeks before Christmas Day.

Choreographed by Associate Pro-fessor of Dance, Mark Santillano, “Santa’s Toy Shop” included seven separate scenes and a menagerie of recognizable tunes such as “My Favorite Things,” March of the Toy Soldiers,” and a fun twist on a popu-lar Christmas Tune, “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer Mambo.”

The whole show popped with piz-zazz and energy, providing true enter-tainment for an audience member of any age.

Associate Professor of Dance, Mark Santillano provided narration in verse between acts.

Not only did this provide the time necessary to change the elaborate scen-ery, but also gave the audience come-dic relief with fun and witty rhymes.

Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre certainly deserves recognition for the constant stream of brilliant performances they provide.

The atmosphere of the event was astounding. “Tis the Season” is just what was needed to make this holiday season feel truly complete.

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

Mercyhurst Concert Choir performs ‘The Messiah’

The Mercyhurst Concert Choir will be putting on two separate concerts of Handel’s “The Messiah” next week. Both concerts will feature hand-se-lected soloists along with the full glory of the choir to tell the story of “The Messiah.”

When many musicians think of decking the halls and good tidings, G.F. Handel’s “The Messiah” comes to mind. The choir will be perform-ing the fi rst section of the oratorio, ending with the well-known “Hallelu-jah Chorus.” The concert will follow the story though emotional solo pieces ending in the popular choruses that are one of the reasons the piece is so well

known today. Conducted by Director of Choirs Rebecca Ryan, the concert will feature full orchestra accompani-ment and will be perfect for getting into the holiday spirit and reminding us why it is that we celebrate this time of year. The concert held at the North East campus will also include a sur-prise for the audience.

Before the performance of “The Messiah,” the concert choir will sing “Ave Maria” in Russian by Sergei Rach-maninoff. The whole concert will end with the “Hallelujah Chorus,” which is always a crowd pleaser. Most people know that it is tradition for everybody in the room to stand when the choir sings this momentous piece, but not everybody quite knows why they stand.

Part of the tradition to stand could be explained as respect toward the Lord and church, but it is actually

because of something much more basic. When “The Messiah” was per-formed for the fi rst time for the King George II in 1741, it was also one of the fi rst times trumpets were used in a sacred piece. The king became so excited that he rose to his feet, and his court followed suit. So, to this day, it’s tradition to stand during the singing of the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Free and open to the public, the performances will take place in two separate venues. The fi rst will be in the Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. The concert in the Chapel at Mercyhurst North East’s campus will be performed on Wednes-day, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss this wonderful oppor-tunity to hear this timeless piece performed live with full choir and orchestra.

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

Onlin

e Full list of events can be found on the PAC website

View upcoming performances:www.pac.mercyhurst.edu

www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/arts_entertainment

Met HD Live presents:Aida by Giuseppe Verdi

The Metropolitan’s unforgettable production of Verdi’s ancient Egyptian drama stars Liudmyia Monastyrska as the enslaved Ethi-opian princess caught in a love triangle with the heroic Radames, played by Roberto Alagna, and the proud Egyptian princess Amneris, sung by Olga Borodina. Fabio Luisi conducts.

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 - 12:55 p.m. in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 6December 12, 2012

Langer Film Series: ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’

This psychological thriller tells the story of a young woman unraveling amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life after fl eeing from a cult and its charismatic leader. Martha is unable and unwilling to reveal the truth about her disappearance, but when her memories trigger a chilling paranoia that her former cult could still be pursuing her, the line between Martha’s reality and delusion begins to blur.

Taylor Little TheaterFriday, Dec. 14, 2012 - 2:15 p.m. & 7:15 p.m.

$6 for adults, $5 for students/seniors, $4 for presi-

dent’s card holders and FREE for Mercyhurst students.

pac.mercyhurst.edu photo

Erie architecture exhibit in Cummings Art Gallery

The City of Erie holds a variety of wonders and architectural achievements. The powerful photographs in this exhibit paint an image of Erie that is crumbling, historic and elegant.

mercyhurst.edu photo

Although Erie may not be as glam-orous as the cities we see on TV and in movies, there is no denying that there are a few spots that are still breathtak-ing in their own way. “A Second Look – Architecture of Erie” recently made its way to Cummings Art Gallery, and will be on display through Sunday, Jan. 20.

The City of Erie was quite an indus-trial power, but has since moved on. This is apparent when one enters cer-tain parts of the city and is greeted by massive iron buildings and towering smoke stacks.

Erie’s past is not completely indus-trial though. The exhibit also fea-tures photography of beautiful brick buildings and mansions. One in par-ticular would be the beautiful 1891 Watson-Curtze Mansion, which is listed on the National Register of His-toric Places.

Located on Erie’s “Millionaire’s Row on West 6th Street,” it was built at the height of industrialism in Erie. This was a time when 19th century gentle-men wanted to prove just how wealthy they were and a number of grand man-sions sprung up around the city.

The exhibit features the work of several artists who have utilized their creative abilities to give new insight to crumbling parts of Erie that have been long forgotten. The gallery also fea-

tures photography of remarkable Erie landmarks at their fi nest.

Gary Cardot, an assistant professor of photography at Mercyhurst, came up with the concept of showing Erie’s transitional state through powerful photography for an exhibit last year, and has continued it through to this art showing.

The exhibit will host a celebratory reception on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.

The show is in Cummings Art Gal-lery and will be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 2 to 5 p.m. Gallery hours are by appoint-ment from Friday, Dec. 21, through Sunday, Jan. 6, during the university’s Christmas break. For an appointment, please call 824-2092.

By Mathew AndersonA&E editor

The Black Keys to BlakRoc

The Black Keys’ album BlakRoc mixes the band’s “electric, down-home blues-rock” with hip-hop.

viz4u.net photo

The award-winning group The Black Keys has really made a name for themselves in the music industry with their electric, down-home blues-rock.

This two-person group, made up of vocalists and guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, has always been know for their innovative sound.

In 2009 they took innovation to a new level when the duo decided to pro-duce a rap-rock album titled BlakRoc.

This album is structured with The Black Keys doing the production work on the album (sorry they don’t rap) with a wide variety of MCs including Mos Def, Ludacris and the surviving

members of the Wu-Tang Clan.The production work on this album

is really unique for a rap album of today’s standards. All of the produc-tion work was recorded live by the Keys without the use of sampling.

This album also shows how versa-tile the Keys were musically, besides having the warm guitar tones and Carney’s pounding beats, it also hosts a wide variety of other instruments including vintage synthesizers.

Each of the MCs featured on this album were hand-picked by the Keys and most of them are not well-known.

The album starts of with Mos Def on the track “On the Vista.”

This track can only be described as smooth. Mos Def ’s voice blended with the smooth blues of the Keys make this one of my favorite tracks on the album.

“Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)” is by far the best track on the album. This song features Jim Jones and Auerbach, with their delta blues voices, on the chorus and Mos Def working the verses.

The best part is how well all the ele-ments blend in this song. The vintage synths in the production mixed with the fuzzy bass line to create the perfect soundscape for Mos Def to build his rhymes. The chorus hits and you feel like you’re listening to an old R&B album.

This is one of my favorite rap albums. I would suggest it to anyone who has a love for The Black Keys or hip-hop in general. The variety in this album will also cater to all hip-hop fans whether it is old school or new school.

So do yourself a favor and check this album out if you haven’t already.

By Zach DorschPhoto editor

OPINION Page 7December 12, 2012

EditorsAlicia CagleStacy SkiavoKayla Kelly Caitlin HanderhanJoe ChiodoMat AndersonChelsea SchermerhornSamantha LinkZach DorschEthan JohnsLaura FiegelistBill Welch

PositionsEditor-in-ChiefNews Editor

Features EditorOpinion EditorSports EditorA&E Editor

Copy EditorGraphics

Photo EditorWeb Editor

Ad ManagerAdviser

@mercyhurst.edueditormerciadnewsmerciad

featuremerciadopinionmerciadsportsmerciad

entertainmentmerciadcopymerciad

photomerciadphotomerciad

ejohns89admerciad

wwelch

The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst University. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is

(814) 824-2376.

The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters are due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit letters to box PH 485 or via email at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen.

The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

With Christmas break just around the corner, stu-dents are preparing to leave campus on Dec. 21, that is, assuming the world does not in fact come to an end next Friday.

Despite being in conten-tion for grant money to provide violin lessons for children at the Carpe Diem Academy, students seem apathetic about it and few are actually taking the time to vote for the university’s cause.

The Mercyhurst radio sta-tion, 88.5 Jazz FM is at the center of controversy on campus, with some stu-dents complaining about the genre choice and call-ing for a more contempo-rary playlist for the station.

Student defendsradio station

I found Stacy Skiavo’s Op-Ed about 88.5 Jazz FM to be surpris-ingly close-minded for someone who claims to be “pretty accepting of most genres.”

As a music major, I think people should be exposed to a wide variety of styles of music.

I imagine if you turn on the radio, you would probably find a 5:1 ratio of pop music to jazz music.

As a result, I am certainly glad that the University sponsors a sta-tion that aims to introduce the public to jazz, and to provide a ser-vice to those of us who enjoy jazz.

The author says that “I have never had the desire to listen to 88.5 Jazz FM, nor do I know anyone else that has either.”

Well, in the same manner, all of my friends enjoy jazz, and I have never known anyone to be opposed to having a jazz station on campus.

If the author does not enjoy jazz, she can tune in to countless other stations.

Those of us who enjoy jazz don’t always have that option.

In closing, I believe that there is a place for all different kinds of music in everyone’s life.

So don’t advocate taking away a cultural treasure from those of us who enjoy diversity simply because you won’t change the dial to the nearest non-jazz station.

By Ian GayfordContributing writer

Editor rebuttal

Food stamp program vital

According to the Economic Pop-ulist website, as of August 2012, 1 in every 6.7 Americans is on the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), better known as food stamps.

With that number being so high (about 15 percent of the American population) Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker is taking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) challenge: He has pledged to eat for a week on what the poor in this coun-try are allotted by the government for food assistance under SNAP, roughly $4.30 per person per day.

In his “A Movement Toward Food Justice” blog post under his LinkedIn profi le, Booker states, “Undertaking what is referred to as the #SNAPChal-lenge began with a social media-based conversation on Twitter.

A Twitter user tweeted me her opin-ion that ‘nutrition is not the respon-sibility of the government.’ This

comment caused me to refl ect on the families and children in my community who benefi t from SNAP assistance and deserve deeper consideration.”

However, some individuals are questioning whether or not this is actually raising awareness for the cause or whether it is simply a challenge that Booker is taking to prove a point.

“It’s not meant to be your only calorie intake source,” said CNN’s Christine Romans. “’Supplemental’ is the key. The government designs it so this is on top of what little money you might have, food pantries, soup kitch-ens.”

Though there is validity in Romans’ statement, I think that attention, whether good or bad, is raising aware-ness for the cause.

Find the rest of this article and more from

this section onlinemerciad.mercyhurst.edu

By Jaslyne HalterStaff writer

First and foremost, Mr. Gayford has missed my entire point.

The article was not bashing jazz music, but rather stating that the radio station is not being used by the stu-dents, mostly because the majority of the campus does not enjoy jazz music.

I guarantee if the study body was surveyed, the vast majority would cer-tainly not consider jazz music as one of their favorite genres; therefore, most of the students are not listening to the station.

Perhaps your background as a music major has biased your opinion.

The station is such a valuable resource for students to gain experi-ence, but with its lack of popularity among the students, it was going to waste.

The point being, the choice to only

play jazz music is killing the station as a whole.

When asked about the station, many students reply that they didn’t even know we had a radio station on campus.

As previously mentioned, many of those same students stated that they listened to Gannon’s station, though, since their music is appealing to the vast “majority” of students our age.

However, do not fear jazz lovers, because jazz can still be accessed 24/7 online, so the diversity of our school can still be maintained.

As a communication major, I am thrilled to hear that students are get-ting involved with the station since the change and hope the station continues to grow.

Hopefully, one day students will be swayed from Gannon’s station and lis-tening to our new and improved one.

By Stacy SkiavoNews editor

September 3, 2008 SPORTSPage 8 December 12, 2012

Former Laker signs contract with ECHLEvery hockey player dreams of

making it to the National Hockey League.

This dream is coming true for former Mercyhurst men’s hockey goal-tender; Ryan Zapolski. Zapolski, who graduated in 2011 with a BA in biol-ogy, is making his way up the hockey ranks.

Playing in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) brings him one step closer to fulfi lling his dream.

He recently signed a contract with the South Carolina Stingrays, the NHL affi liate of the Boston Bruins.

Signing a contract in the ECHL is not a guarantee, making it quite differ-ent from an NHL contract.

“Contracts in the ECHL are techni-cally only 24-hour contracts, meaning you can be released from your contract at any time,” Zapolski said.

Having this pressure makes Zapol-ski work even harder to prove he is worthy to compete in the league. Being able to showcase his skills in the ECHL will hopefully prove to the Bruins he has the ability to play at the next level.

Zapolski is very happy to be playing with an affi liate of the Bruins.

“It’s a good situation for me to be in because we only have one affi liate, and will only get one NHL contracted goalie sent down to the ECHL,” Zapolski said.

Being placed in a situation with one goalie sent down allows Zapolski to get more playing time and oppor-tunity to improve his skills. He has to compete for the job against one other goalie instead of a group of multiple players competing for the same spot on the roster.

At the Hurst, Zapolski appeared in 109 games and posted a record of 48-43-11. Since signing with the Sting-rays, he has appeared in nine games and has a 5-4 record; a save percentage of .948 and posted one shutout.

The ECHL releases the Reebok Hockey Goalie of the Week award to the goaltender who shows outstand-ing performance during the week. Zapolski received the award during the weeks of November 26 and March 11.

Currently, Zapolski leads the league in goals-against average with 1.58 and a .943 save percentage.

By R.J. NiedzwieckiContributing writer

Ryan Zapolski gets ready to block a shot by a University of Anchorage opponent back when he was a Laker.He has signed a contract with the South Carolina Stingrays.

Sydney Cuscino photo

Ciampa named CHA goaltender of month

The Mercyhurst women’s hockey got off to a great start of the 2012-13 season, winning nine games in a row until a tough face-off with Robert Morris. The Lakers are making their presence known off and on the ice.

With a record of 14-3-1, a 7-1 win-ning streak on their home games and fourth ranked, the Lakers are a team to look out for this season.

Senior goal tender Stephanie Ciampa has been rising to the challenge this season so far, and was named College Hockey America Goaltender of the Month announced Tuesday, Decem-ber 4. This is Ciampa’s second straight goaltender of the month award.

Starting in a total of 10 games so far, allowing for only 11 goals, with 185 saves, Ciampa is at the top of her division as goalie.

“That award has a lot to do with the way the team plays as a whole. We had a good stretch of games last

month playing together well and when the people in front of me do their job it makes it a lot easier for me to do mine,” Ciampa said.

With a save percentage of .944, Ciampa is at the top of her game.

“We got off to a good start this season much like we did last year. We have a lot of big games coming up after the holidays, so hopefully we can play well to start off the New Year,” Ciampa said.

After a two straight losses against Robert Morris this past weekend, the Lakers are looking to regain their momentum to have another unforget-table season.

“There are a couple games we would like to have back, but we have also done some really great things so far this season. At the same time we know that we need to focus on the second half of our season,” Ciampa said.

The Lakers’ next game is Thursday, Jan. 3, against the Buffalo Bisons. The Lakers take on the Bisons at the Tullio Ice Center at 7 p.m.

By Samantha BanteStaff writer

Stephanie Ciampa rejects a shot from at the Robert Morris Island Sports Complex on Friday, Dec. 7.

Sydney Cuscino photo