KEEPING AN EYE ON P.I.

Mauro, students earn college $250k

grant to continue peninsula research
Read the story on Page 2

MORE INSIDE & ONLINE Tyler Stauffer photos

‘Hurst up Erieite Worldwide,

Photo essay:
against tough Appetite: people’s
P.U.C.K.
competition in Calamari’s voices need to
at ‘Hurst
RecycleMania be heard
Page 3 Page 4 Page 6 Page 8
Page 2
Mercyhurst College received a $250,000 grant to research contaminants in Presque Isle State
Park’s waters. Testing is done on Presque Isle Beaches One, Two, Six and 10.
’Hurst receives grant to research,
protect Presque Isle beaches
By Mike Gallagher
Contributing writer
Mercyhurst College Assistant Professor of Biology
Steven Mauro, Ph.D., recently helped the college secure
a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA).
He and a team of Mercyhurst students have
researched contaminants in Presque Isle State Park’s
recreational waters since 2006. The grant will enable
such research to continue.
“Over the course of the last five years, 26 students
have done summer research projects,” Mauro said.
A major portion of the sizable grant is used to pay
student salaries and purchase equipment the students
need to conduct their research. The remainder of the
money goes to giving the students opportunities to
present their research at scientific meetings.
“We do the research, but at the end of our process,
we submit our data to the health professionals, and we
provide suggestions on where contaminants might be
coming from based on the data that we have,” Mauro
said.
He and the students also offer possible solutions to
the contamination based on their results.
The remediation plans provide research-based sug-
gestions to government agencies and health officials.
Mauro explained what the students did during the
water testing process.
NEWS February 2, 2011
News Brief
Students help others during spring break
Several Mercyhurst College students will spend their spring
break in San Pedro, Honduras, helping children and youth
living with HIV and AIDS.
The students will help at the Casa Corazón de la Misericodia
(Heart of Mercy House) orphanage.
The orphanage was started by two Honduran Sisters of
Mercy in response to the urgent need to care for the increasing
number of children with HIV who were orphaned or aban-
doned due to the death of a parent from an AIDS-related
illness.
The students are seeking donations to help these children.
All donations will go directly to the orphanage.
To donate to this mission, e-mail Marta Baran at mbaran@
mercyhurst.edu.
Tyler Stauffer photo
Burglary 3808 Briggs Ave.
Thursday, Jan. 27 Closed
“We started off trying to determine what’s in the
waters in a faster way than it is normally done,” Mauro
said. Larceny Grotto Dining Room
Normally, water testing can take 24 hours or longer,
which means that people may be swimming in poten- Friday, Jan. 28 Closed
tially contaminated water for a day or more before
anyone is aware of it.
During the water testing, “we look for pharmaceu-
ticals that people may have flushed down the toilet”
Mauro said, “along with agricultural contamination, Liquor Law Violation 3926 Lewis Ave.
such as estrogen given to cows and Diuron, a chemical
which is a fertilizer, along with Fluoxetine, the active Friday, Jan. 28 College discipline
ingredient in anti-depressants.”
Some of these substances find their way into the
lake because Erie’s wastewater treatment plants elimi-
nate enviro-contaminants, such as bacteria and viruses,
but treatment does not get rid of all the chemicals that
find their way into the system.
Liquor law violation Duval Apartments
Once the student researchers find the likely source Saturday, Jan. 29 College discipline
of the contaminants, health officials use the research
results to prevent that source from further accessing
the waste treatment system.
Testing is done on Presque Isle Beaches One, Two,
Six and 10. Beaches One and Two tend to be more con-
taminated than the others tested. Jan. 27 - 29, 2011
Mauro explained how Mercyhurst qualified for the
EPA grant.
“We decided the project was doable and that we
could fulfill all of the grant requirements,” he said.
“We proposed a good project, and we know what
we’re doing.”
February 2, 2011 NEWS Page 3

’Hurst competes in RecycleMania

at the end of
By David Cullen the competi-
Contributing writer tion in order
to calculate
a recycling
The RecycleMania initiative is a rate, which
friendly competition in which col- will deter-
leges and universities across the mine Mer-
country seek to maximize recycla- cyhurst’s
ble waste, while minimizing non- place in
recyclable waste within a prescribed both state
time period. and national
In other words, we’re up against standings.
bigger schools to save as much as Gannon and Penn State Behrend
possible. are also competing in this year’s
The competition begins on Feb. RecycleMania competition.
6 and ends on April 2. Participat- The main objective of Recy-
ing colleges are required to provide cleMania is to promote sustain-
recyclable and non-recyclable waste ability practices and increase
weight totals prior to the start of students’ eco-awareness through-
the competition. out college communities across
Jill Barrile photo These weight amounts will be the nation.
Bins for recycling are located across the Mercyhurst campus. compared to the weight totals taken All members of the Mercyhurst
com-
munity are
encouraged to reduce
waste and recycle as much
as possible; including members
of the North East and West cam-
puses.
Any student or faculty member
seeking additional information
about RecycleMania and how they
can support Mercyhurst’s participa-
tion can contact Brittany Prischak,
Mercyhurst’s Sustainability Officer,
or the Green Team.
Page 4
Erieite Appetite: Calamari’s
By Liz Zurasky
Staff writer
With friendly service and fan-
tastic food, Calamari’s Squid Row
Restaurant offers an exceptional
eating experience.
The atmosphere is relaxed and
laid back, allowing customers
to walk in and seat themselves
wherever they would like. Within
Calamari’s offers an artichoke dip appetizer.
Groundhog Day provides students
with shadow opportunities
By Lynn Dula
Staff writer
Groundhog Day is upon us, and
people are eagerly waiting to see
if winter is nearing its end or if
we’ll have another six weeks of it.
Groundhog Day, held on Feb. 2,
originates from German customs
brought from Europe in the 18th
and 19th centuries.
The Mercyhurst College Com-
munication Department has come
up with its own way to celebrate
Groundhog Day—by having its
students participate in a shadow
day.
On Wednesday, a dozen commu-
nication students will be excused
from classes to shadow a local pro-
fessional working in the communi-
cation field.
30 seconds, a server appeared at
our table, ready to take our drink
orders and give us menus.
The menu has a wide variety
of foods, including flat bread
pizzas, salads, wraps, soups and
burgers.
A portion of the menu is
devoted to the Strip District
of Pittsburgh, with sandwiches
made in the style of Primanti
Brothers restaurants.
Liz Zurasky photo
“The communication depart-
ment chair, Dr. Anne Zaphiris,
pioneered this event three years
ago for her students to gain
hands-on experience in the com-
munication field,” said Hilary
Mando, the department’s gradu-
ate assistant.
“The date just happened to fall
during the winter term, which led
her to pair it with Groundhog Day.
Besides, what better way is there to
celebrate the groundhog seeing its
shadow?”
Students will be shadowing local
organizations and professionals
such as:
• Erie Community Access Tele-
vision’s (CATV) production coor-
dinator
• Erie Insurance’s Strategic Mar-
keting Department
• Mercyhurst College’s Public
FEATURES
I ordered artichoke dip as
an appetizer and the Keystone
Burger for an entrée.
After ordering, the appetizer
only took about 10 minutes to
arrive at our table, hot and ready
to eat. The creaminess of the dip
and the saltiness of the deep-fried
pita chips went well together, and
the burger had flavor to match.
It was cooked exactly the way
I asked and was smothered with
American cheese, bacon and bar-
becue sauce. The side of onion
rings were nicely breaded and
had a good crunch.
Throughout our meal, many
of the staff stopped at our table
to see how everything tasted.
They were extremely friendly and
seemed genuinely interested in
making our meal enjoyable.
The location of the restaurant,
however, is not the greatest.
Calamari’s is located at 1317
State Street, close to the Cell
Block. This can make it very dif-
ficult for carless Mercyhurst stu-
dents to reach the restaurant.
The location is the only off-
Relations/Marketing director
• The associate director of public
relations and the director of corpo-
rate communication at ERIEZ.
“We hope that it will ultimately
prepare them for the next step in
their careers,” Mando said. “This
is a great networking event for stu-
dents as well as a chance for them
to practice how to act appropriately
and professionally in a work envi-
ronment.”
The shadowing opportunity is
both an exciting and highly edu-
cational experience for communi-
cation students. They will have a
chance not only to experience what
it is like to work in the communica-
tion field, but will have a chance to
explore the area most interesting to
them.
One of the students participat-
ing, senior Kristen Ribelli, will be
February 2, 2011
How was spring
term class
putting aspect that I could find
about this establishment for registration for
college students. The food was
incredible and the service was
you?
unbeatable. I would highly rec-
ommend this restaurant to any
student on campus, provided you
can get there.
“I didn’t have any issues
registering; I actually got
into all my classes for
once.”
-Ann Marie Gibson, junior
Liz Zurasky photo “As one of the first stu-
The Keystone Burger entree is dents in the sophomore
offered at Calamari’s. class, I was immediately
blocked out of all my
classes, except my major
classes. Scheduling is
definitely not conducive
to a working student and
makes maintaining a job
difficult at times.”
shadowing at WJET-TV with week- -Joe Pudlick, sophomore
end Sports Anchor Ken Brown,
as well as the main Sports Anchor
Craig Smylie. Ribelli’s dream job is
reporting at athletic events, so the
shadowing opportunity was a par-
ticularly exciting one.
“We see the sports on TV, but
what really goes into it? I hope to
gain great insights and tips from “I didn’t have any prob-
professionals who have had experi- lems with registration. I
ence in this field and can teach what
went directly to WebAd-
goes into being a knowledgeable
visor and it all went very
sports reporter/anchor,” Ribelli
said. smoothly. I did have
Another participating student, to be signed into one
sophomore Aaron Loncki, will be
shadowing LECOM’s marketing
class after registration,
but even still, it wasn’t a
department.
“Classes only show you so problem.”
much,” Loncki said. “I don’t know -Kaleigh Hubert,
exactly what path I want to take, but sophomore
I’ll know it when I see it.”
February 2, 2011
Erie Festival of Dance creates sense of community
By Claire Hinde
Staff writer
Mercyhurst College hosted the
biannual Erie Festival of Dance this
past weekend.
The Festival of Dance is an Erie
Dance Consortium event founded
in 2000 to help bring the dance
organizations in the Erie commu-
nity together.
The festival certainly accom-
plishes that task. Currently under
consortium president Sarah
Purvis, the sixth dance festival
presented more than 20 local
groups in two onstage perfor-
mances and several other small
vignettes.
The two large performances,
which included a “showcase” mati-
nee and gala evening performance,
were held in the Mary D’Angelo
Performing Arts Center on Satur-
day.
Other small presentations were
given in the Cummings Art Gallery
during intermission as well as at the
VIP reception.
Haley Bradstreet, a Mercyhurst
dancer and administrative intern
for this year’s festival, praised the
consortium’s set up of the festival.
Orgel’s support from family takes her to the stage
By Natalie Pertz
Contributing writer
Kirstan Orgel, a sophomore
music performance major, is a
young woman trying to pursue
what she loves, with the undy-
ing support of both family and
friends.
“If my parents didn’t believe in
me in the beginning I don’t know
if I could believe in myself now,”
she said.
Orgel first began singing at the
age of three.
A well-rounded musician from
Geneva, Ohio, who loves every-
thing from opera to pop music,
Orgel became serious about singing
in high school.
She says she threw herself into
every music ensemble and show she
could get into.
The decision to major in music
in college was made, and it was
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Liturgical Dance Ensemble was one of many Erie-based groups to perform this weekend.
“I think — because it occurs
every other year — the festival is a
really special event,” she said.
“It brings all Erie’s artistic minds
together. Also, having a gala and a
showcase gives everyone a chance
to perform.
quite an easy one with the support
of her family and her passion for
music.
Through the recommenda-
tion of her voice teacher at the
time, Kirstan auditioned, and was
accepted to the D’Angelo School
of Music.
When asked how she balances
the stress of academics and her
musical development, Kirstan
responds saying “I do the best I
can, taking everything one day at
a time through the help of a few,
great friends.”
Tuesday at Student Forum,
Orgel performed a stunning
German art song titled “Auf die
Nacht in der Spinnstuben” (At
Night in the Spinning Rooms), by
Johannes Brahms.
Orgel says this piece was chosen
for her by her vocal instructor so
as to better familiarize herself with
singing in the German language.
At the recital her voice sounded
“It also gives performers a
chance to watch one another.
The little performances create
a whole day of dancing. It’s not
just a performance, it’s an event,”
she said.
Along with the local talents,
beautiful, light and innocent.
The piece told of longing for
love, loneliness and comparing
herself to other girls.
Throughout the longing felt
in the piece, it is difficult for an
audience member to believe that
this beautiful girl in her beautiful
red gown and wavy blonde hair
would be experiencing such feel-
ings.
But such is the beauty of the
stage when you can take on a role
completely unlike your own life
and make it believable to your audi-
ence. And this is exactly what Orgel
does.
And for Kirstan Orgel, her
family’s support has helped her to
become the performer that she is
today.
It is their help, her strong perse-
verance, and her love for music that
has brought her to the stage, and
molded her into the performer she
is today.
Jill Barrile photo
the festival featured Lehrer Dance
from Buffalo, N.Y. The dynamic
group took the stage with comedic
and athletic feats that dazzled all in
attendance.
Senior dance major Christine
Wilbur was particularly excited by
Kirstan Orgel (right) sang a piece by Brahms this Tuesday at
Student Forum.
Page 5
Lehrer’s presence at the festival.
“They were a great addition to
the festival. It opened up so many
more possibilities for all of us to
learn,” Wilbur said.
Lehrer Dance taught a master
class Saturday afternoon between
performances for all festival par-
ticipants.
More than anything, the festival
serves as a fun and strong bond-
ing experience for artists in the
Erie community. Solveig Santillano,
Mercyhurst dance professor and
co-artistic director of SoMar Dance
Works, said the festival really helps
her to build a community within the
arts.
Certainly the performances
were proof that arts in Erie are
flourishing. The performances
not only exhibited extraordinary
talents, but were very wide rang-
ing in style, including everything
from classical ballet to Indian
cultural dance, as well as swing
dance.
By encompassing all forms,
enabling social connection, and
exhibiting excellent artistic prow-
ess, Erie’s arts scene staged quite a
festival.
The Erie community has much
to look forward to from the con-
sortium in 2013.
Tyler Stauffer photo
Page 6
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciad
or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
Worldwide, people’s voices need to be heard
By Thomas Snippert
Staff writer
The ‘Jasmine Revolution’ in
Tunisia, the riots in Egypt and
other protests throughout North
Africa and the Middle East serve
as a reminder that repressive gov-
ernments and their business cro-
nies can only be tolerated for so
long. When people do not have an
outlet for their rage, this is what
will happen.
The civil unrest reached critical
mass only when the silent major-
ity could no longer tolerate low
pay, unemployment, corruption
and a general lack of development
in all spheres of the economy and
education.
In a speech a few weeks ago,
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton told an audience in Qatar,
Laker TV adds fresh comedy to lineup
By Brady Greenawalt
and Matt Teleha
Contributing writers
It all started back in September
2010 when we decided to make
a comedy show. Since that time,
the idea has evolved and taken
shape, and it eventually took on
a life of its own. The resulting
concept became something we
never anticipated.
One of the first decisions
made for the show was the name
“Organic Banana.” Humorously,
this was the very first title sug-
gested and we instantly thought
that it perfectly embodied the
spirit of randomness that we
hoped to inject into our show.
The format of “Organic
Banana” is a new concept, and
certainly new for Laker TV. It is
the first situation comedy in the
history of Laker TV. The show
takes place entirely out of the
studio, and it chronicles a fic-
“People have grown tired of cor-
rupt institutions and a stagnant
political order.” She was referring
to the Middle Eastern dictator-
ships, but she could very well be
talking about our own country.
We have many comparable, but
arguably less intense troubles, in
the U.S.
Many elected officials believe
that whoever receives the most
votes in any election has won the
“will of the people.” Whose “will
of the people” are these politi-
cians talking about?
On average, less than half
of America’s voting population
exercise its right to vote. The
typical winner takes home only
slightly more than half of the
vote. This means that the winner
of the elected office only has
support from maybe a third of
the voters.
The other two-thirds of the
citizenry are voiceless because
WHEN TO WATCH
If you want to watch
Organic Banana, tune in
to Laker TV, Channel 19,
each Tuesday at 8 p.m.,
as well as Wednesdays at 4
p.m. and Fridays at 7 p.m.
tionalized version of our lives.
Each episode has a plot that fol-
lows our adventures as college
students at Mercyhurst.
But “Organic Banana” is
not just a sitcom, it would
more accurately be classified
as a “skitcom.” It is part situ-
ation comedy, and part sketch
comedy. In each episode, the
plot is occasionally interrupted
by a comedic sketch. With this
format, you never really know
what to expect on an episode of
“Organic Banana.”
You may have seen some of
our work on the cooking show “A
Dash of Awesome” earlier this
year, which we completely pro-
OPINION February
September 2, 2011
3, 2008
their candidate lost or they opted If any government does not nobody can control it. This is
out of voting for one reason or listen to their public, which feels true “people power.”
another. Most elected officials powerless, then they will look at Our country is broken. If we
from both parties lack this per- other means to voice their con- do nothing about these prob-
spective. cerns. The power of social web- lems, then we all deserve the
It is understood that the elected sites, Twitter, cell phones, etc. can type of leaders that are put into
official speaks for a small percent- give the populace the outlet they power. We deserve them because
age of the most vocal part of the require. we allowed them to destroy our
population. Who speaks for those Information on these net- way of life.
that lost or didn’t vote? Should works spread like a virus. It Many people take a jaundiced
our leaders ignore the will of the created a groundswell of sup- eye towards politics and think
rest of people? port everywhere at once, just their vote doesn’t mean much.
Since the mid-1990s, our politi- like what happened in Tunisia I guess things will have to get
cal pendulum has swung back and and Egypt. That is what makes much worse for much longer in
forth between political extremes, mob rule so terrifying – the lack this country before we all get furi-
and people running from one side of leadership. Without a leader ous. We are not close to a boiling
of the room to the other in des- or some other political faction point, but things are beginning to
peration. instigating the civil unrest, the simmer.
Both political parties make government can’t destroy it and
promises only to fail repeatedly
because of the bureaucratic mal-
aise in Washington. Politicians are
just not willing to achieve deci-
sions on problems that will simply
get worse the longer we put them
off.
If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen.
Editors Positions @mercyhurst.edu
Ethan Magoc Editor-in-Chief editormerciad
duced ourselves, with Matt direct- Kelly Luoma News Editor newsmerciad
ing and Brady editing. You may Alaina Rydzewski Features Editor featuremerciad
have also seen our appearances in Victoria Gricks Opinion Editor opinionmerciad
the Parkhurst commercials that
Nick Glasier Sports Editor sportsmerciad
aired during each episode of “A
Dash of Awesome.”
Alex Stacy A&E Editor entertainmentmerciad
Kaitlin Badger Graphics photomerciad
With “Organic Banana” we
plan to capture the same comedic Tyler Stauffer Photo Editor photomerciad
energy of those commercials for Ethan Johns Web Editor ejohns89
an entire half hour of random- Chrissy Mihalic Copy Editor copymerciad
ness and hilarity. Daniela Carcamo Ad Manager admerciad
We’ve spent a great amount Bill Welch Adviser wwelch
of our free time on this show.
Brian Sheridan Adviser bsheridan
For the entire first half of this
school year, we have been per-
fecting the concept and devel-
oping our own unique style of The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst
comedy.
College. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of
Search “Organic Banana” to
like our page on Facebook and
finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is
keep updated on new episodes, (814) 824-2376.
behind-the-scenes footage and
special events. The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed
Be forewarned — in our
and names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the
screening tests, eight viewers
died. The cause is unknown, but letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Letters
it’s speculated that their minds are due Mondays. by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit
were blown.
letters to box PH 485 or via e-mail at opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.
February 2, 2011 Sports Page 7

Ezzo swings way through final Laker season

By Rachel O’Connor
Staff writer

In eight short months, Mercy-

hurst College senior Kim Ezzo will
be graduating from Mercyhurst as
an interior design major.
During her time here at Mercy-
hurst, the Youngstown, Ohio, native
has made her mark, and swung her
way into record books as a part of
the Lakers women’s tennis team.
As a freshman, Ezzo was named
First Team All-GLIAC, and led the
team with a 16-6 singles record.
Ezzo finished her sophomore
season 13-7, including going 10-6
at the No. 1 singles spot as well as
being named to the All-PSAC West
First Team.
As a junior last season, Ezzo
once again was added to the All-
PSAC West First Team and topped Ethan Magoc photos
the Lakers with a 21-5 mark, and Mercyhurst College senior Kim Ezzo hopes to lead the women’s tennis team to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight
helped the Lakers capture their first season. The Lakers reached the tournament’s second round before losing to Cal (Pa.). They finished with a record of 20-9.
NCAA Tournament victory over
East Stroudsburg. top position that has the record and In high school, Ezzo mainly trav- of coaching Ezzo is the knowledge for her sportsmanship and match
She spent her years as a Laker respect that she has throughout the eled to tournaments on her own. that she will spare no effort each attitude.
being a “real quite leader” as tennis conference,” he says. “I never really got to be a part of time she steps on the court. And in “Records are always there to look
coach Ray Yost says. After four years at the net, Ezzo a team, especially one with such tal- one word, he described her as reli- at, but people usually forget about
“She lets her racquet do the talk- says she “will definitely miss just ented players,” Ezzo says. able. the things that players really work
ing. I will miss having a player in the being part of a team.” Yost says the most rewarding part Ezzo wants to be remembered hard to control,” she says.

Think you know

about sports?
Write for the Merciad.
Get paid $10 per story to cover the
campus sports you love.
Proficient writing skills and reliability required.
For information, visit staff meetings Mondays
at 8:15 p.m. or e-mail sportsmerciad@mercyhurst.edu. Ethan Magoc photo
Ezzo, an interior design major, said she most enjoyed the team
aspect of her college athletic experience.
February 2, 2011 Sports Page 8

P.U.C.K. at ‘Hurst
Photo essay by Scoot Williams

T
here was skating and “P.U.C.K. is probably one of
music, but this was the largest clubs on campus—if
no Disney on Ice per- not this year, next year for sure,”
formance on a recent said Co-President Evan Christen-
January Friday night at the Ice son.
Center. This club is not just for the
Instead, it was Mercyhurst’s gentlemen.
newest club on campus, Pick Freshman Brittany Shavatt is
Up College hocKey (P.U.C.K.) an active member who can skate
playing pick-up games to some of circles around many of her male
today’s hottest club tunes. counterparts (bottom left).
The group began this fall when “I heard they were starting
freshmen Alex Neri, Evan Chris- a club and decided to join” she
tenson, Randy White and Drew said. Shavatt also plays for the
Klobuchar first met. Neri, one Erie Lady Lions, a traveling club
of the co-presidents, played high hockey team.
school hockey and wanted to con- P.U.C.K. meets once or twice a
tinue on the ice in college. week and requires participants to
When he found other freshmen have a helmet and gloves for safety.
who shared his love of hockey, an Beyond that, P.U.C.K.’s only other
idea was born. Although relatively requirements are skates, sticks and
new, P.U.C.K. has gained promis- lively music.
ing support with 32 active student If interested, e-mail Neri at
members and a number of faculty aneri62@lakers.mercyhurst.edu.
who join in the action.