8/6/2019 The Merciad, Oct. 6, 2010

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NEWS

Page 3 Page 4 Page 5

FEATURES ONLINEA & ECurriculum

revision

in development

Photo essay:Jazz legend

packs the PAC

Alumna visits,sheds light on

bipolar disorder

Voice youropinions on

the MyMail e-mailmigration in our

weekly poll

Locker areaadded to

Rec CenterRead the story on Page 2

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NEWSPage 2 October 6, 2010

Locker rooms addconvenience to gym

After a long exhausting workout at the gym, the firstthing on most minds is taking a nice long shower torinse the sweat and grime away.

This was not possible before the renovations ofthe Mercyhurst College Recreation Center lockerroom.

The previous open changing area locker room wasroughly 1,300 square feet but has been transformed

into separate women and men locker rooms with sev-eral added facilities.

The new and improved locker rooms now includefour showers, two toilets and three sinks in eachroom.

There are about 60 lockers where students can leavetheir stuff. Locks are not provided for the lockers. Stu-dents can bring their own locks if they choose to doso.

With gender-divided rooms, students are notforced to change in bathroom stalls as they didbefore.

The installment of showers allows students to shower

after their workout and is useful for those working outin between classes.

The new locker rooms are a lot more organizednow and very nice, junior Carly DiPasquale said.I like having the option of showering since I com-mute.

The construction for the project began July 12,and continued until roughly the first week of Sep-tember.

We all knew it was needed and was a wanted reno-vation for a long time, Director of Recreation TomHerman said. I met with the current student govern-ment president to talk about how showers and moreprivacy were needed.

With about 500 people using the gym each day,

having more options in the locker room is highlybeneficial.

The renovations cost about $215,400.No problems came about during construction,

and the end result appears to be a success. Only posi-tive feedback has been given about the renovationsso far.

They look really nice with all of the showers, lock-ers and stalls, freshman Brittany McCulloch said. Theimprovements all turned out looking great.

Herman is pleased with the renovations as well.It was an overdue project and goal to get new locker

rooms, he said. This was accomplished, so Im very

happy with the results.

By Stacy SkiavoContributing writer

Hurst builds second basket lab in the world

This week, Mercyhurst College will complete construction of theR. L. Andrews Center for Perish-ables Analysis and the Mercyhurst

Archaeological Institute ProcessingLaboratory.

While the renovations will affectonly a small percentage of the stu-dent population, the constructionrepresents Mercyhursts dedication

to providing quality education andresearch opportunities.

Contractors started constructionin Zurn Hall in June. The projectscost approximately $870,000.

The R. L. Andrews Center forPerishables Analysis, commonlyreferred to as the basket lab, isone of only two laboratories inthe world that analyze perishableartifacts. The other laboratory islocated in Holland.

Dr. James Adovasio, director of

the Anthropology and ArchaeologyDepartment at Mercyhurst Col-

lege, is one of the worlds leadingauthorities in the analysis of bas-

ketry, textiles, cordage and otherplant fiber-derived artifacts.

In a recent press release, he said,Perishables analysis is a small andrelatively arcane specialization. Typ-ically what we have learned aboutprehistoric civilizations comes fromthe study of durable materials, likestone and ceramics, when, in fact,95 percent of what people manu-factured prehistorically was madeout of perishable materials.

The newly renovated lab was

equipped with modern technol-ogy. This includes microscopesconnected to high definition videoscreens for viewing and measur-ing artifacts, and printers for imagecapture and the capability of imme-diately forwarding specimens to theconservation lab. The forwardingallows for a better interface betweenlabs.

According to Lab Supervisor Jeffrey Illingworth, who overseesthe daily operation of the basket

lab, the college will receive quitea lot of press coverage due to the

uniqueness of the facility.Illingworth, along with director

of the facility, Dr. Edward Jolie,manages work-study students andlaboratory projects.

The college hired constructioncrews to renovate the processinglab that neighbors the basket lab,

which is located on the first floorof Zurn Hall.

The processing lab, according toIllingworth, is the least glamorousand most important place in thedepartment.

Many anthropology and archae-

ology students receive their firsthands-on experience in this lab.

Every piece of material to beanalyzed must pass through the pro-cessing lab for cleaning, cataloging,labeling and preliminary analysis.

Renovations in the lab includedeasy-access storage facilities, a spa-cious stainless steel cleaning stationand a computer bank for encodinginformation.

Its been eight or so years ago thatthe school resolved to renovate the

college, lab by lab, Illingworth said.This year was archaeologys turn.

By Jennifer McCurdy

Staff writer

Laker TV strivesto entertain

Students tired of turning on theTV to find nothing entertaining ison should check out Laker TV, thelocal student-run television stationat Mercyhurst College.

This year changes are being madeto the way Laker TV is run.

Sophomores Victoria Gricks andAlex Keener are two students whohelp head the direction of Laker TVand are looking to make changes.

This year, programs on Laker TV will include some from past yearsand a few new ones.

Gricks and Keener are bringingback and revamping The Hol-lywood Buzz, MC Charts andHockey Week.

Possibilities for new shows includea prank show, Mercyhurst Cops, acooking show and a sports show.

We strive for a professionalatmosphere and are committed to

having entertaining TV, Grickssaid. We really want to create

something that students want towatch.

In order to gain more viewers,Laker TVs focus for the year is tocreate shows students want to watch.

Last week, students involved withLaker TV interviewed President Dr.

Thomas Gamble about the Mercy-hurst College change to universitystatus.

We want Laker TV to be some-thing we can look back and beproud of, Keener said. For me itis not about being on television butmaking great shows. We are looking

to create a foundation, an unprec-edented project we can really beproud of.

Keener and Gricks welcomeany student in any major to comeand help if interested. The experi-ence working at the station will begreat for any profession, and thereis always room for more help andideas, Gricks said.

Students who arent interestedin helping but wish to view theshows can turn on Channel 19 to

watch fellow Mercyhurst studentson Laker TV.

By Chelsee Callahan

Staff writer

Zurn Halls Processing Laboratory and a basket analysis lab

recently underwent $870,000 worth of renovations. Visit mer-

ciad.mercyhurst.edu/news to view an interactive panorama ofthe Processing Lab.

Ethan Magoc photo

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Page 3October 6, 2010 NEWS

Committee working

to revise curriculum

Winter registration is comingup soon for Mercyhurst Collegestudents. An important aspect ofregistration is taking the necessarycore classes required for gradua-tion.

There is currently an ad hoccommittee working to revise thecore curriculum required at Mercy-hurst. The current requirement forcore classes is about 15 years old.

Dr. Randy Clemons is the co-chair of the committee on corerevision.

The purpose of the commit-tee focus is not on core reduction,Clemons said. Reducing the sizeof the core is just one of the issuesthat has been raised.

The committee began its workby breaking into three subcommit-tees: best practice, core mission andskills/knowledge.

Each subcommittee focused ona certain aspect that is important

when determining what core classeswill be required.

The best practice subcommit-tee looked at what other schoolsare doing in terms of their coreclasses.

The core mission subcommittee

was responsible for determiningwhat Mercyhursts five core valuesmean in order to make sure the corecurriculum fits the mission of thecollege.

The skills/knowledge subcom-mittee focused on what classes stu-dents will need for their future and

what classes employers are lookingfor.

According to Clemons, rightnow employers prefer students to

take classes where they gain generalrather than narrow technical skills.Businesses want students who arecritical thinkers and proficient inreading and writing.

As part of phase one of thecore curriculum revision process,

which occurred last year, the com-mittee produced a document andsent it to the Mercyhurst commu-nity asking for feedback. The doc-

ument met with approval by theFaculty Senate, academic depart-ments, Academic Planning and

Assessment Committee, CollegeCouncil, the Board of Trusteesand Mercyhurst Student Govern-ment (MSG).

According to Clemons, right nowthe committee is working to comeup with a structural model that willdecide the number of core classesthat will be required and the namesof the different core categories.

This structural model draftshould be revised by the end ofFebruary. Once revised, the model

will be sent out to the entire Mercy-hurst community to work on waysto improve it.

Once the model is officiallyapproved by President Dr. Thomas Gamble, Vice Presidentof Academic Affairs Dr. PhillipBelfiore and the Board of Trust-ees, professors and departments

will need to propose classes, and

the course catalog will need to beadjusted.

Revising the core curriculum is along process that requires a lot of

work.For current students, theres not

a huge impact, Clemons said. Fallof 2013 would be the soonest it

would go in place.The class of 2017 would be the

first class that would be affected bythe core curriculum changes.

By Kelly Luoma

Managing editor

Students can provide feedback onMercyhursts Climate Action Plan.

Suggestions can be sent to Brittany Prischakat bprischak@mercyhurst.edu by Friday, Oct. 8.

The Climate Action Plan can be found onlineat green.mercyhurst.edu.

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FEATURES October 6, 2010Page 4

Yoga Club promotes health,relaxation and an open heart

Since last fall, the Merciad haspublished several articles aboutthe yoga classes offered by Betty

Amatangelo. These classes received much

participation from the studentbody as well as the community,and with the beginnings of the

Mercyhurst College Yoga Club,they can begin giving the relax-ation and peace of mind they havebeen cultivating back to the com-munity.

Their first meeting on Oct. 4 was to organize and elect mem-bers. They started the meeting

with a prayer, not in the traditionalsense, but a reading from a novelthat aligned with the theme of theclub and that touches on the higherpower that exists whatever one

may name it.Im not navigating, after this I

just want to be a strong, supportivepresence, Betty Amatangelo, theadviser said as the students beganelecting the officers for the club.

Many of the students wereattracted to yoga at first for thehealth benefits, seeing it as a g oodform of exercise, but for studentslike senior Grig Grigoryon, itbecame a way to relax.

You work muscles you didnteven know you had, senior ChelseaLammes said.

Senior Toni Novello added, Youreally do get more in touch withevery part of your body.

Its a way to balance your spiri-tual side and physical side together,said Novello.

I dont really know how tomeditate, but its a time to veg outyour mind. Lammes added, Its ajust a time during the week whenyoure told not to think. Being quiettransfers into other areas of life andsettles me.

We want to take yoga out intothe community, Amatangelo

explained as the students began dis-cussing possible service projects.

The students want to work withunderprivileged children, hoping toget them involved in physical activ-ity of a different kind, to promotemore than just physical fitness.

They also hope to organize acampus event for National YogaDay on Jan. 22, bringing in guestspeakers and organizing a massiveyoga class in the Athletic Center tointroduce students to the benefits

of yoga.Yoga is about a mix of physical

and spiritual wellness, but bake sales while profitable, are usually filledwith sweet food that conflict withthe health aspect of yoga and theimportance of moderation.

The yoga club wants to put a newspin on this idea, by fundraising fortheir trips by making scented eyepillows, and possibly even doinghenna art for students.

This is a way you can meet life

with dignity, Amatangelo said,with an open heart.

By Faye ClarkStaff writer

Mary Beth Sederburg performed a short recital, pausing for

short speeches about her fight with bipolar disorder.

Ethan Magoc photo

Alumna discusses bipolar disorder

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, alumnaMary Beth Sederburg gave a guestperformance and lecture to thestudents of the DAngelo Depart-ment of Music at Walker RecitalHall.

She performed during StudentForum, which is held weekly andis an attendance requirement for

music majors.Usually, Student Forum is a time

for student performance, but occa-sionally a guest is brought in toimpart valuable information aboutthe music industry and musicalcareers.

Past guests have included Mae-stro Daniel Meyer of the EriePhilharmonic, and Rusted Root, an

African drumming circle.Sederburgs performance-

lecture was titled Living With

Bipolar Disease and is part ofthe music departments focusfor the year on mental wellness,

while paralleling the colleges

year-long theme of the Flourish-ing Child.

Sederburg opened with a seg-ment of a dramatic reading thatdetailed her own personal expe-riences suffering from bipolardisorder. Interspersed betweenthe readings were musical selec-tions that embodied the emotionsdescribed.

At the end of the recital por-tion of the program, Sederburgpresented information on bipolardisorder in a question and answerformat, using her own personalexperiences to explain the truthabout the disorder.

She answered questions such asWhat is bipolar disorder? andWhat was the first indication youexperienced that you had the disor-der?

Sederburg first saws signs ofbipolar disorder during her junioryear of high school, but was notofficially diagnosed with the disor-der until age 29.

She stressed to the audience thatthe most important thing to do ifdiagnosed with this disease is totake the prescribed medications and

attend therapy.Bipolar is a disease that is with

you for life, and teaches you with-out a doubt that you have no con-trol over your emotions, Sederburgsaid.

She also stressed the impor-tance of spirituality in managingher disorder. She said, My hopeof the resurrection of Jesus Christhas held me back from the deepestdespair.

On a musical level, Sederburgwas both powerful and expressive,reaching her audience on an emo-tional level through her singing.

Senior music student Mary Spi-nelli said, Her story of recoveryis so beautiful, and she expressesherself so well within the musicalpieces. Her story is heartbreak-ing.

Sederburg is an Erie native, andgraduated from Mercyhurst in 1992

with a bachelors degree in MusicEducation and Piano. She is alsoa graduate of the opera programat Carnegie Mellon University, aswell as a former apprentice with thePittsburgh Opera.

As an opera singer, she per-

formed with After Dinner Opera,Opera North, the Opera Theaterof Lucca, the Erie Opera Theaterand the American Singers OperaProject.

Now, she is the founding Direc-tor of Undercroft Opera in Pitts-

burgh. She lives in Pittsburgh withher husband Neil. She maintainsthat her faith and taking medica-tion are the main factors that haveallowed her to lead such a full andsuccessful life while having bipolardisorder.

By Lynn DulaContributing writer

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5October 6, 2010

Dancer Profile:

Lindsey SmithLindsey Smith is a senior dance

major with a double minor in hotelmanagement and religious studies.She combines her many interestsin academics, liturgical dance andactivism with the wealth of activi-

ties in which she engages.Smith was accepted as a transferfrom Northern Virginia Commu-nity College, where she took col-lege courses during high school.She came to Mercyhurst becausethe school offered both dance andhotel management majors.

I had been planning all along tostudy both of these, so it was a per-fect fit, she said.

The religious studies minor wasnot part of her original plan but she

added it to her degree plan whenshe took religion courses and reallyenjoyed them.

It is interesting to learn aboutreligions from an academic stand-point, said Smith.

Smith is vice president of theLiturgical Dance Ensemble, and sheoften choreographs for the troupe.Most recently, her choreography

was performed by the Liturgicaldancers at the Mass of the HolySpirit.

I love Liturgical. It was excit-ing to me to find liturgical danceat Mercyhurst. I love dance and Ilove God, and so this is the perfect

way to blend the two together, saidSmith.

Smith will soon be traveling withthe Liturgical dancers to performin Sydney, Australia, at the ProjectDance festival, a conference wheredancers gather to perform, auditionand use their dance-related talentsand gifts to praise God.

I am so excited to go! saidSmith. I have wanted to go to Aus-tralia since I was a little kid.

Smtih also has experience cho-reographing the Mercyhurst danc-ers.

I really enjoy the whole processof choreographing learning to putphrases together, the excitement ofrehearsals. I really like working withthe dancers. I feel like choreograph-ing allows you to take whats inside

and bring it out in a very real, tan-gible way, said Smith. An extremely involved stu-

dent, Smith also initiated the cre-ation of Project Abolition, one ofMercyhursts Recognized StudentClubs and Organizations (RSCO).

The group raises awareness aboutmodern slavery through informa-tional meetings, showing documen-taries and other activities.

At least if people are aware,they can do something about it,

said Smith. As part of Project Abolition,Smith is working on an arts collabo-ration and benefit concert that willdeal with the slavery issue.

Smith is also an active memberof Nu Delta Alpha (NDA), a DanceHonor Society. Her article, titledDance and Religion: the ChristianPerspective, was published in theNDA journal, and won her the Stu-dent Literary Award.

Smith has also been invited by

NDA to write a book about liturgi-cal dance for publication and pre-sentation at an NDA conference.

Upon graduating from Mercy-hurst, Smith hopes to find a jobperforming with a Christian-baseddance company. Eventually, shealso wants to use her hotel manage-ment degree use as the owner of abed and breakfast. Smith hopes toteach dance and to continue cho-reographing.

By Sarah MastrocolaStaff writer

Lindsey Smith has combined

her love of dance in many

aspects of her life.

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

Jazz at Lincoln

Center Orchestra

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performed at the

DAngelo Performing Arts Center on Sept. 29

Contributed photo

Tyler StaufferTyler Stauffer

Tyler Stauffer

Tyler Stauffer photo

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September 3, 2008OPINIONPage 6 October 6, 2010

@mercyhurst.edu

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The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstCollege. 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 signedand 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. Lettersare due Mondays. by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit

letters to box PH 485 or via e-mail at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

If you dont want it printed . . . dont let it happen.Editors

Ethan Magoc

Kelly Luoma

Alex Stacey

Victoria Gricks

Nick GlasierKathleen Vogtle

Samantha Williams

Tyler Stauffer

Ethan Johns

Chrissy Mihalic

Max Rivera

Bill Welch

Brian Sheridan

Positions

Editor-in-Chief

News Editor

Features Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports EditorA&E Editor

Graphics

Photo Editor

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

More Online...

merciad.mercyhurst.edu

October raises awarenessMary Nolte explains why October

is the perfect time to wear pink.

Test-taking habits cause distress

Now that we are bravely enter-

ing the wonderful world of mid-

terms, it seems appropriate to

complain about a favorite topic

tests and the pet peeves that go

with them.

Aside from the obvious question

of why must we take the wretched

things to begin with, there is a cer-

tain test etiquette which unfortu-nately tends to fall by the wayside,

making an already nerve-wracking

experience worse.

Number one ta lking.

Teachers sometimes feel the need

to talk after the tests have been

distributed. People are looking at

the tests and trying to focus. In

an already uptight environment,

the last thing students want is the

teacher to continue talking about

it. This often just makes the wholesituation worse.

Number two asking questions.

This can indeed be helpful in

clearing up information or pro- viding some background if you

happened to fall asleep during the

previous lesson. However, if a

person were foolish enough to have

chosen to watch a season premier

over studying, this can be a nausea-

inducing wake-up call.

Number three random noises.

Unfortunately, Im one of those

people whose nerves tend to escape

through evil pen clicking. And as

much as it provides comic relieffor the Verizon default ringtone to

go off in the middle of a difficult

essay, trying to regain your train of

thought afterward is a right bear.

Number four people coming

in latewith coffee. As col-

lege students, most of us have

discovered the delights that

this legal addictive stimulant

can bring. However, when in

a middle of a multiple choice

section, someone walking in latecarrying a cup of coffee tends to

be a bit annoying.

It seems that the only reason

this person was late was becausethey stopped for the coffee, and

that is not a good enough reason

for concentration to be disrupted.

There is also the compulsion to

watch that person walk to their

seat, simply because it provides a

distraction from the drudgery of

the test.

Number five running out of

supplies.

Why is it that a pencil breaks or

pens run out of ink only duringa test? Then, you likely have to

disturb the class by rummaging

around in your bag for a new one

or by asking the person next to

you for a replacement. However,

I have found that this is a per-

fectly legitimate way to postpone

the abuse of your brain and your

hand.

Tests tend to bring out the worst

in us. Thankfully, in a roughly two-

hour time period, its all over.Until finals week, anyway.

By Kathleen

Vogtle

A&E editor

Parkhurst needs improvement

Have you eaten at Egan this

year? If the answer is yes, I feel

bad for you, because the quality of

the food and its hours have dete-

riorated.

Last year, when Parkhurst started

managing the cafeteria, the diningexperience was quite enjoyable.

Egan was remodeled, the food was

always fresh, desserts were plenti-

ful and I could grab a bite to eat at

11:30 p.m.

This year is a different story. It

is a struggle to eat their meals. The

food does not look or taste fresh,

and there is no variety.

This past Friday, a friend and

I ate at Egan and both got fried

chicken breast. Once my friendexamined the chicken on his plate,

he just threw it away.

I, on the other hand, decided to

give it a try. When I attempted to

cut a portion of the chicken to eat,

I was literally unable to cut through

it. There werent even knife marks

on the chicken where I tried to cut.

You dont have to just take my

word for it. I took a video of my

failed attempt, which is featured

on The Merciads Web site on the

opinion section.

I am not the only one dissatisfied

with the quality of food this year.

In fact, many people I have talked

to agree that the value has gone way

down.

Another complaint I have is

about the operating hours at Egan.

While it used to be open from

7 a.m. until midnight, closing time

is now at 10 p.m. Its true that you

can go to Egan in that period, but

Im not sure if you can get food at

all times.

When I enter Egan around

9:30 p.m., there is hardly any food

available, and they are normally out

of burgers and hot dogs.

I understand that the quan-

tity of food at that time will be

less than usual, but there should

at least always be pizza, a full

salad bar, and an open grill until

10 p.m.

The hours have already been cut,

so why cant they stay operational

until that time?

Despite my pessimism, I must

admit that the employees at Egan

are phenomenal, friendly and hard-

working.

Many of those who work at the

front desk even remember a lot of

the students names as they walk

into Egan.

But this fragment of positivity

and exceptional customer service

is not enough.

Part of Parkhursts vision is to

keep students, faculty, staff and

guests looking forward to their

next meal.

Based on that piece of chicken

that still remains intact, unfortu-

nately, they have not fully succeeded

this year.

By Andrew Mayher

Staff Writer

Letter to the editorSean Williams addresses Kathleen Vogtlesconcerns from a column that appeared

in our Sept. 29 issue about hours

of various campus locales.

Watch Andrew (not) cut chickenSee the cant- cut chicken on video

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Page 7October 6, 2010

Football team throws away Niagara Cup

The Gannon University Golden

Knights slipped by the Mercyhurst

College Lakers Saturday, scoring

with just two minutes left to solidify

the come-from-behind victory.

Both sons of Athletic Director

Joseph Kimball played big roles in

the game. Bryant Kimball stuffed

GU running back Tyler Batts on a4th-and-3 to force a turnover with

45 seconds left to give the Lakers

a shot at winning the game. On

the ensuing drive, brother Connor

Kimball intercepted a pass to seal

the Knights victory.

This game is only the third time

both teams scored 14 points or less.

As the rivalry stands, the Lakers

lead the head-to-head series, 9-4-1.

However, since the renewal of the

rivalry in 2004, when both joinedthe Pennsylvania State Athletic

Conferences west division, Mercy-

hurst leads the series, 4-3.

Both teams fought hard on Sat-urday, proving to be a precedent set

in the early 90s when this rivalry

started. Since then, the home team

hosting the game has only wonthree times, showing how hard each

team plays when the game matters

the most.

The Laker defense played hardfor the majority of the game, giving

the offense the best chance at scor-

ing points. The game was a battle

just like we expected it to be,

senior linebacker Tim Herbner said.

We played well defensively for 58

minutes, but couldnt get it done in

the last two minutes.

Although the defense played

well, the Laker offense failed to find

a rhythm and move the ball. Both

teams punted the ball a total of

17 times, proving that each teams

defense played an important role in

this game.

Its a hard loss, but we have to

put it behind us because we have

another huge game this week,

Herbner said.

The Lakers will travel to Indi-

ana University of Pennsylvania

(IUP) Saturday. A win here moves

the Lakers into the top three in the

PSACs west division.

The Lakers upset the Crimson

Hawks last year on Homecom-

ing, 20-16, but this year they face a

hungry team looking for redemp-

tion.

By D.J. HaurinStaff writer

Mercyhurst College junior Nick Jackson falls short of tackling Gannon University senior

quarterback Zach Boedicker in Mercyhursts 14-10 loss.

Ethan Magoc photo

Hockey is back

My previous post at The Merciad was covering our mens ice hockey

team, a job that I relinquished to take this one. However, one thing has not

changed, and thats the passionI have to write with about hockey.

Would it be too much to assume that Mercyhurst has been awaiting the

arrival of hockey season?

The first home game was a womens game against Wilfrid Laurier, an

impressive win for the No. 3 ranked Lakers.

This year is very important and exciting for the womens program, as

they welcome back two-time gold medalist Meghan Agosta for her senior

season with Mercyhurst.

The team has also brought back many familiar names as well as some

new freshmen who are eager to get things rolling at the Hurst, especially ina year when Erie will be hosting the NCAA Womens Frozen Four.

When asked about making this years team, freshman Christie Cicero said

its exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Coming to a team who is

on a completely different level of play is so exciting.

As a freshman, I couldnt ask for anything better. Im learning from the

best, and the Frozen Four will be an amazing experience in our home town

here. Mercyhurst womens hockey is a big time thing, Cicero said.

This is true, knowing that, Erie will indeed rally around its hometown

Lakers in hopes that the Mercyhurst women make it to the Frozen Four

this coming this March.

For the rest of this column go to merciad.mercyhurst.edu.

By Steve BukowskiColumnist

8/6/2019 The Merciad, Oct. 6, 2010

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Sports Page 8October 6, 2010

Mens tennis hurting

The Mercyhurst College mens tennis team pulled off a huge upset inpulling in a large tennis tournament last weekend.

This weekend, the United States Tennis Association/IntercollegiateTennis Association Mens Atlantic Region Championship competition washosted by Mercyhurst College at the Pennbriar Athletic Club.

Hosting the event was a big triumph for Mercyhurst as the event is nor-mally held at Bloomsburg. Head coach Ray Yost stepped in and convincedthe USTA/ITA to let Mercyhurst hold the event.

The tournament had traditionally been held in Bloomsburg but the

problem is that it is outdoors and the weather this time of year isnt sogood, said Yost. So I placed the bid for an indoor tournament, the tradi-tional problem of an indoor tournament was the cost, but we came up withsome ways to cut the costsa little.

The tournament turnedout to be a big success asthe location of the tourna-ment was a huge conve-nience.

It was nice for theplayers because they didnt

have to deal with the badconditions outside. Thelocation of the hotel wasalso close enough that allthey had to do was walkacross the street to getto the tournament, Yostsaid.

Injuries and recruitingproblems are posing prob-lems for the tennis team.

We had a few injuries

before the tournamentand we had a few recruitsend up not playing for usso we have had to have afew freshmen set in rightaway and play, said Yost.

These freshmen have toadapt to the level of play ofcollege tennis.

These freshman have a very high learning curve because the level ofcompetition in high school tennis in the area is not quite as good as thatoverseas, but they are really tr ying hard out there, Yost said.

This lack of experience in the Lakers lower pairs has caused a lack ofdepth for the mens tennis team.I have one of the best top two pairs of players we have ever had but

there is a lot of pressure on them to perform because of lack of experiencein our bottom pairs, Yost said.

The doubles consisting team of junior Keith Whittingham and sopho-more Jorn van der Veer made it to the finals match against the tournamentstop ranked pair from West Virginia Wesleyan College but could not mustera victory.

The Lakers despite, not winning any of the events, did come away withsome experience.

We played a lot of matches this tournament, and for sure there were

some matches we can learn from, said van der Veer.

By Nick Glasier

Sports editor

Mercyhurst College sophomore

Jorn van der Veer serves.

Tyler Stauffer photo

Mercyhurst College junior Keith Whittingham returns the ball in the USTA/ITA Tournament.

Tyler Stauffer photo