fllHri JVlEKdlMi

VOL. 70 NO. 8 MERCYHURST COLLEGE, GLENWOOD HILLS, EWE, PA. 16546 December 5,1996

Publishers,N o t Bookstore, Responsible forHigh Prices

By Michael J. Oppennan
Merciad Writer 1

The textbook Modern Physics

lose in price from $55.14 to
$5754, nearly a 5% increase, from
last term to the current term. Dan
Cullen, in charge of the book or*
dering at the Hermann Union
Bookstore, said that the price
changes originate with the pub-
lisher and that the Mercy hurst
College Bookstore is charging less
tfian most of the colleges in the
country.
According to Cullen, there have
been several recent trends in the
publishing industry that have se-
verely Impacted - thef prices
charged for textbooks, hard and
soft cover books, and mass mar-
ket or trade paperbacks (those
small, "cheap" books with the
glossy cavers that generally retail
for $3.99 to $7.99). The burgeon-
ing: used book commerce, in-
creased freight charges, and the
consolidation and takeover of
publ ishing com pa nies are a 11 forc-
ing book prices skyward.
Twenty years ago, trade in used
books was neither prolific nor
profitable, Cullen said. New Bookstore Manager Dan Cullen stocks the shelves.
•.Illlies were published and pur-
chased and publishers had to fuel charge in Florida would be can maintain a 20% margin (plus margin. A student buy ing this used factory" compensationforbooks,
worry little about competition in absorbed by the entire network $ 1 per text to cover theft) - instead book the next term would then other times the situation is sim il ar
the sales of textbooks. Now, stu- nationwide), Cullen said. of the 25% margin of most of the pay $29.75 for a book that is $40 to the buy back of ester's Mexi-
In response to an increasingly college bookstores in the nation, when purchased new.
dents can buy their lit:* s^^^^
used.
difficulty market, publishers are
cans. Since Follet has a large over-
Cullen said. Due to the perpetual reissuing stock of Mexicans, the business
Every used book bought equals a going out of business or being For example, the textbook In- of textbooks, the'bookstore is only pays $1 for the book which
new book that is not purchased purchased by larger publishers. I
troduction to Accounting is pur- unable to repurchase texts which I was originally retailed for $13.
from the publisher. These larger publishers review chased from the publisher for will not be used within the next Follet will then sell die book to
To ensure profit, Cullen said the texts issued by the smaller $5750 (in the spring, the pub- term. Cullen is currently holding college bookstores for 1/2 the
that publishers are doing two publishers th at they have acquired lisher charged $53, an increase of $715 worth of texts for a Medical cover price ($630).
things. Many textbooks are pack- and eliminate duplications. nearly 8%). With a 20% margin Terminology class which-was Buy back is limited to the Gist
aged with workbooks (to encour- Choosing only a few texts, these plus $1 to cover theft, the text- canceled. Fortunately, the books two weeks of a term and the last
age teachers to employ these larger publishing conglomerates book costs the student $66.25. If are new and will be repurchased week of a term. This is a book-
single-use texts) and computer funnel marketing money into Cullen were to use the accepted by the publisher. Shipping will, store policy intended to reduce
discs in the attempt to make new them. This marketing is mani- 25 % margin, this text would list however, need to be pa id to return the theft of booksfromthe book-
textbooks indispensable. Publish- fested intofreecopies for teach- at $70.75.1 Spread over several them and the publisher charges a store and within the student body.
ers are also printing new editions ers and paying sales representa- classes each term for four to five 5% "restocking fee." If the texts
more frequently (aboutevery two Cullen concluded by advising
tives (salaries and travel costs). years, the savings are remarkable. were used, he would have to rely
years instead of every Gve or six) the students to "buy used books
Inflation forces these expenditures Buy backs are another place in on the independable used book
to maintain dependable sales, he when you ca a." He said, T know
up. which the bookstore saves the stu- industry.
said. kids are swapping books out there.
The Mercyhurst bookstore has dent money. Cullen uses a stan- Follet, which is known for pay- I need mem to swap books. If I
Freight costs have also risen. made several decisions to keep dard (for college bookstores) ing "top dollar"forused books have leftovers [the result\of
Thefreightservices arc trying to costs down,* By joining the Na- method for buying back texts. For (according to the National Asso- overordering], I am tying up your
cover rising wages, insurance, and tional Association of College a book in good condition, he gen- ciation of College Stores), sets its money."
fuel charges. Increases tend to be Stores,freightexpenses are mini- own prices for buy-backs. Some-
spread across the country (i.e. a erally pa y s the student half of the
mized. Therefore, the bookstore list price and then uses a 33% times the students receive "satis-

Announcements
Service Learning BannerTaken from Egan
Sisters
To celebrate the founding of the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland
By Chris Wloch, "Serving^to Learn, Learning to * agreed to give it back as long as
on Dec, 12,1831, there will be a liturgy in the Christ the King Merciad News Editor Serve," he-she remained anonymous. The
Chapel on Thursday, December 12, nt 4 p.m. Last March, the banner was banner was placed on the wall by
All members of the college community (students, faculty, Sometime during the week be- made by senior art maj or Theresa the door of Voltz's office where it
and staff), are invited to participate. fore fall term finals, the Service Schroeck for the Service Learn- was left to hang, even at night,
Learning Banner, which was ing Program as a project for Inter* until it was taken again a little
hanging outside of Egan room 42 national Women's Week* over three weeks ago.
There will be a Pennsylvania State Education Association on the floor above the financial Sister Carol Ann Volte, direc- Voltz said that she hopes that
(PSEA) meeting on December 11, at 8 p.m. in room 114 Zurn. aid ha U, disappeared in the night. tor of the program, said that the whoever took the banner this time
it************** Thcbanner, valued at more than banner was stolen during the will sim pi y put it back where they
Anyone interested in snow shoveling for $5.00 an hour $75, is a six feet by six feet, tie- spring term of last year. It was got it from. "I just want it re-
dyed linen tablecloth with fringe returned by someone who saw it turned. No questions will be asked
should contact Bill Kerbusch of maintenance at 2273. on the borders. The design fea- at a party on campus and told one • about where it has been," she said.
tures four interlocking arms which
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

of the people who lived at the have had, it was a fun team to
MSO announces that the new 24-Hour quiet study room form a square with bands clasp- apartment that she was either go- coach and I really enjoy it It's a
is now open. The room is located in the Montgomery Room ing onto the wrists. At thetopof ing to take it back or turn in the nice place to bring the family up,
the banner is a slogan which reads: person who took itfeThe person
firstfloorof the library. the kids like it here very much,"
 I-' - - " • -

PAGE 2 THEMERCIAD December 5,1996

Mil MM
I^WMpS^^ -r 1 t*MM

F a c u l t y D i s c u s s e s "G r a d e I n f l a t i o n tf

By Chris Wloch |
MerciodNews Editor

Is there a practical valueforthe
grade received in a dass? What is
the difference, between a C+
earned by a Mercyhurst student
and the same grade received by
someone at a better known insti-
tution like Harvard? What is the
level ofintellectual challenge that
can be indicated by the work that
is required for a course?
During the month of Novem-
ber, questions such as these were
examined by Mercyhurst (acuity
members who met during a series
of discussions which examined
the issue of "grade inflation."
The term "grade inflation" it-
self is somewhat nebulous. Basi-
cally, it is an attempt to point out
the differences in requirements
and methods of evaluation be-
tween classes which make it easier
to earn a good grade in some
courses a nd harder to get the same
grade in others.
Alice Edwards, associate pro-
fessor of Spanish, said that the
topic of grade inflation "is one
which is being talked about cv-
erywhere—from Stanford to
Bucknell to Fredonia— and, espe- "normative sessions" in order ID
cially on the internet," with some determine what are to be consid-
people raising concerns and oth- ered die normative standards
ers adopting defensive positions within a particular department
about traditional ways of grad- According to Edwards, "grade
ing. I , inflation is not the central prob-
At Mercyhurst, the department- lem. The real issue here is course
wide discussions were sparked rigor." There are many factors
by a Nov. 4th meeting which was that need to be taken into consid-
very popular with the faculty. eration when looking at the issue,
There was a high turnout with she said.
more than 50 professors in atten- Some of these factors include
9
dance. students perceptions of the de-
The session was conducted by mands and rewards of a course
the Faculty Forum, a section of which are reflected on Student
the Faculty Policies Committee Evaluation Reports; the difference
(ETC) which organizes meetings in class sizes, whether the course
on faculty-related issues and con- is an introductory, upper level or
cerns. In addition to Edwards, who honors class; If it is primarily lec-
is the chairperson, the Forum is ture or performance oriented, and
comprised of Dr. Randall the possibility that the alleged high
Demons, Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat, number of A's and B+'s at
and Dr. Heidi Hosey. Mercyhurst may be due to better
Edwards said that the Forum instruction on the part of profes-
expects the FPC to form an ad hoc sors, improved study habits or
committee which will work with even the higher calibre of stu-
the administration to help estab- dents enrolling at Mercyhurst
lish guidelines and sponsor more Dr. Joseph Gower, Academic
inter-disciplinary discussions. Dean, likewise views the issue
This committee will a Iso conduct more in terms of academic rigor
which contributes to the overall
significance ofthe learning expe-
rience and a degree's reputation
and worth. '*
Addressing this concern would
involve evaluation of the stan-
9
dards for teachers expectations,
class requirements, and the as-
sessment ofstudent performance.
At die same time, it means exam-
ining the amount of reading and
writing and kinds of tests that are
part of a particular class and de-
termining whether or not they are
adequate.
MT*»
hard to make sweeping
generalizations about an issue like
this. We need to
recognize that disciplines have
different approaches and meth-
99
odologies, Gower said. At the
present time, a standardization of
the grading scale across depart-
ments is not even being consid-
ered because of the difficulty and
lack of a need for doing so.
According to Dr. Heidi Hosey,
associate professor ofEnglish, the
reasonforthis decision lies in the
fact that professors in a field like
• —
accounting, which stresses the
importance of accuracy, would
not be doing their students a favor
by awarding diem a grade ofA for
an overall average of only 94%.
In another major like, English,
the grades on papers are rarely
ever dose to a perfect 100%. As a
result, die grading scale can be a
little more flexible, Hosey said.
Nevertheless, consistency within
departments remains an impor-
tant conern.
During the next couple weeks
of the winter term, departments
and divisions will continue to meet
in order to come up with im-
provements in the way that stu-
dents are evaluated in terms of
grades.
"Whatever changes are made
have to be fair. This is not an
attempt to harm students. It might
mean increasing intellectual ch al-
lenge because of a commitment
to a cademic values,* Gower said.

LUMEN? CALL FOR Hot Water Shortage on Campus

By Todd Zielinskl
SUBMISSIONS Me rciad Writer
Affects Students
Lumen, the Mercyhurst Literary Magazine, is accepting submissions Two weeks before Thanksgiv- Terry Camp, head of housing lem, but as complaints started to
for the 1997 issue. Undergraduate studentsfromMercyhurst College, ing break, a shortage of hot water maintenance, explained mat of increase in frequency,Terry Camp
Cannon University, Edinboro University and Behrend College are began. Atfinalexam time, tilll die seven resident buildings in and staff had to look towards what
invited to submit their literary and artistic works. Poetry and prose plaints ofwater problems ranging question, only one hot water heat- seemed to be a more serious prob-
should be no longer than five double-spaced pages, and artworks from not having hot water to not ing system exists per building, lem.
should be photographed in black and white. Two short stories, five having water all together, were with no backups. The system is
poems, and two pieces of artwork will be considered per person. What theyfoundout, with the
heard campus wide. Stewart designed so hot water is continu-
Submissions must be received by December 11,1996, to be included help of a representativefromthe
Hogg, who lives in 3810 Briggs, ously flowing in a circular line
in the 1997 Lumen. Send works to: Lumen, M ercyhurst Coll ege, 501 gas company, was that water had
stayed over during the break and throughout the building. This ac-
E. 38th St Box 200, Eric, Pa. 16546. Any questions call 824-2461 or found a way into several of the
explained that the problem started tually gives hot water priority to
824-2584. gas pipes the gas company had
getting so serious that "we had to the apartment farthest away from
been working on. Wa ter in the gas
move out because we couldn't the hot water heater, apartment 7.
lines prevented the pilot lights
M S G N@WS§ Courtesy Phone perform simple tasks like wash-
ing the dishes orflushingthe tot
What has been happening as of
late is the fa Dure of pilot lights in from staying on for any duration
9
several of the buildings on a con- of time. The major cases ofwater
let* Sheila Parkinson and others
By Melissa Lang
Installed in; Old Main who decided to stay also fell vic- tinuous basis. Atfirst,re-lighting contamination were found to be
in apartment buildings 611,3808-
tim to some of the same hard- of the pilot lights served as die
MSG Secretary 3810,Duval.
ships. short term solution to the prob-
At 8:30 p.m., on Monday, Dec The issue should be out in publi-
2,1996 the MSG held its weekly cation before the Winter break.
meeting in the Student Govern- The MSG representatives passed
ment Chambers upstairs in the a motion to allow the FZ com-
Union. mittee to purchase a zip drive for
At the meeting the Winter For- the publication's computer, this
mal chairpersons were nomi- drive will allow for easier layout
nated and voted on, our 1997 and faster publication of the
Winter Formal chairpersons will magazine.
be Jenny eVetter and Emily Page. I President Stacey Fitzpatrick
Th e winter formal will be held on announced that the courtesy
January 24 at Sabella's restau- phone was installed in Old Main
rant downtown. try the pay phone. The 24 hour
MSG executive board will be study room in the libary is up and
meeting with the auditor on De- running, the computers have not
cember 10 to discuss the audit been ins tailed but should be added
report from last year's student sometime in the near future.
government A reminder to all students in
The Freedom Zone will be ac- the next few weeks there are
cepting submissions for its De- plenty of volunteer acthritces to
cember issue until Sunday night. participate in, your help is needed.

Atright,Mercyhurst students look over information at one of the

tables during the Career Fair on Thursday, November 7th.
 December 5,1996 THEMERCIAD PAGE 3

Entertainment
Erie! Playhous e revives a classic
By James Hain it presents the musical version.
MerciadA&E Editor Rich Tryzbiak stars in the
Jimmy Stewart part, with Hugh
The movie It's a Wonderful Rial cast as Clarence, the good-
Life was a box officeflopwhen it hearted angel in search of his
Was first released in? 1946, but wings. Alison OUinger splays
since then It has become as inte- Mary, the Donna Reed part, and
gral to the Christmas experience the musical co-stars Randy Tap-
as Christmas trees and drunken per and Kevin Feyas.
relatives. This happened largely The stage version was written
by accident by Sheldon {Fiddler on the Roof)
In 1974, Republic Pictures Harnick and Joe {Sesame Street)
forgot torenewits copyright on Raposo, and, according to Play-
the holiday chestnut, and it fell house? spokeswoman Wendy
into the public domain, meaning Dykhuizen, sticks dosely to the
that every one-camera UHF sta- movie script %
tion in the country could broad- The production, under the di-
cast the movie ad nauseum. rection of Richard Davis, runs
The misadventures of George Thursdays through Sundays until
Bailey have entered our national December 21. For tickets and
consciousness, and this Christ- other information, call the Play-
mas season, the Erie Playhouse house box office at 454-2852, ext
willrecapturethe fond memories 42. ' ' Hugh Rial (left) and Rich Tryzbiak (right) star in the Erie Playhouse production of "It's
ofthe Jimmy Stewart classic when
a Wonderful Life,"

Dave Calabrese islbass-ically a loner

By Shannon Hagan for their own life," he said. Addi- sportif costumes and props in-
and Chris Wloch, tionally, Calabrese says that his clude bandanas, fur vests, over-
Merciad Contributing Writers ultimate goal is;"to transform sized sunglasses, Power Ranger
human* experiences into some- masks, and homemade hats with
Next Thursday, Dec. 12, local thing I think that the audience mechanized rotating objects.
musician, performing artist and will enjoy." In the past couple of years,
comedian Dave Calabrese (a.k-a. I As a result, one of the most Calabrese has released" several'
Bassidy Alone), will be perform- J popular parts of Calabrese's live solo- records including "The
ing at SAC Coffeehouse in the performances comes when he Party* "fosta Fishole," "Sooth-
Laker Inn from 8:30 - 11 p.m. composes impromptu songs from ing the Exploding Warrior* and a
Along with the use of a single random topics and themes given single for 'Dennis Was A Disco
four-string electric bass guitar, to him by members of the audi- Dancer." He has recently com-
Calabrese has redefined the foun- ence. Calabrese's shows also fea- pleted the bass tracksfora spo-
dation of contemporary pop-mu- f ture mixed-media artwork con- ken-word album with two local
sical subconscious. He weaves sisting of wood engravings, post- poets entitled "Omen."
bass guitarriffsinto smart, eclec- ers and original T-shirt designs Following a brief career hiatus,
tic, and fun songs pulsing with > for purchase, as well as copies of Calabrese has played numerous
benign innuendoes and off-beat his tapes. Toys and bowling tro- shows in the past couple of
children's humor for adults. phies are sometimes given out as months, both by himself and with
Calabrese's musk is a combi- door prizes. other local musicians, at perform-
nation of funk, post-punk, jazz, With an uncanny resembl ance ing arts centers and coffeehouses
polka, pop-rock, disco, and folk to Paul Shaffer offrthe Dave such as Cup-a-cci no's,
blended with a variety of LeHerman Show, he has been de- Grasshopper's and The Blue
multicultural themes. In an inter- scribed as a cross between Primus Planet in Meadville. By booking
view, Dave described what he (the progressive rock band) and more region-wide gigs and pri-
does as "a representation of bu- Barney (the purple dinosaur). vate parties, Calabrese said that
rn an nature and how we think. It'sCalabrese*s style of appearance he hopes that his musical vision
self-help music I hope that people and staee presence is as singular will enterta in and enlighten stu-
will utilize the lyrics ofmy songs as Liberace and Elton John. His dents at Mercy hurst.

Q: Who was the only dog ever nominated for an Academy Award?
Dave Calabrese has a style all his own.

Captain^
- - * - — - •,-*,•

Where Else Out

Retail Store, Wiseguy's

2526 East Ave. at,East 26th St.
Stumper
G
20%
< *

• > f
© * *

< *
c*
\ O
%
* Entire Purchase . h«* •Ut&H 9tfl Wf $w\& Joj uoiuag yaqPH
Arrow With coupon only except new goods ^rs
w
ei sua*roBQoqx i p » * awmdaoot f«*tztA **\ «n *>* «*»• • * '^pwoWOTl * W P * V J M
9m V i
Aurapuv •» *>J l^tiupw" « * %*V** * U **°P ** J° * * » • • * WW* ***** mAuopn^sd am
tT 9
u* tf »upit<bj ««tpa» *n JJO uwpl *™« W P** «I * & (W6l) s*dv*VJ° f»<n *****!&raP™* ! ™*l
^fojs^jQ JOJ idfot «ni oi spam wSutuo m?M psdn oi sIM OUMOI y a p x mfimvttDS "* A "H"d *V
n iii'ilft 1 Donations Accepted
°Q/o free Pickups
oy fi

Uzsport 436-7362

I
PAGE 4
Dancers, Scholars and Community
By Amanda Smith and
Catherine Schaeffer
Merciad Contributing Writers
The month of November
proved to be an industrious time
for members of the Dance De-
partment Immediately follow-
ing the opening concert, "Blue
Jeans, Ballet and Bolero," danc-
ers were involved in a series of
community outreach perfor-
mances,.A/iiieradter rehearsals, an
audition for the student choreog-
raphy showcase, and the National
Collegiate Honors Conference.
The Mercy hurst da ncers balanced
die dosing of the fall term with
continued preparationforupcom-
ing events*
The Erie Ballet Theatre, spon-
sored by the Da nee Department,
presented a luncheon perf orma nee
for the Jewish Community Coun-
cil of Eric on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The program included a lecture
demonstration, the Erie Splash
Dancers, excerpts from the Nut-
cracker, and Waltzing Fool, cho-
HtJ phed by faculty member
Catherine Schaeffer. On the same
evening; the Erie Ballet Theatre
performed at die Warner Theater
for the Erie Area .Fund for the
a
Alts. Faculty members Jay Kirk,
Catherine Schaeffer, and adjunct
faculty, Christina Maria per-
formed with a cast of Mercyhurst
dancers.
I In addition to these commu-
SPLENDID! EAUTIFUl THEATRE
A SHEEF&fOY."
A d ? 6 s t a i c d PK?SR
iVAR^iHUMOHOUS, DEU&HTFUL:
I HEART!UTRBCOMMEND IT,"-*™*
«4|TjREASURE OF A PLAY!"
—a—
. ' «L Ctuifttfaf! ScfelM** fctenitwr
«A STORY OF WIT AMO PASSION...
A WARM, TENDER PLAY TO SAWS?
[•AND CHERISH. VERY MUCH
WORTH SEEING.*? .1 '~N.*.P««.
• I
1 ft
$3$@Sa
' . * .
Mm
?SZS@5
«tPMf
: 14S W M t i t f h ^ * ? & & »&
THEMERCIAD Decembers, 1996
E3BSiGBHBilSSI
Service
nity performances, four dance
majors were chosen to represent
Mercyhurst at die National Col-
legiate Honors Conference,
which was held in San Francisco
from Oct 30 through Nov. 3.
Stephanie Todd, Rachel Zak, Jen-
nifer Corneau and Theresa
LaComb presented papers on
dance-related topics. The impor-
tance ofdance in elementary edu-
cation and the urgency of NEA
(National Endowment for the
Arts) support was discussed in
one segment of die presentation.
Other topics presented Included
a psychology experiment deal-
ing with the process of skill ac-
quisition and stage digression, the
benefits of incorporating mental
imagery with physical practice,
and the study of links between
choreography and emotional re-
sponses. T h e conference pro-
vided a unique opportunity for
die exchange ofideas among col-
lege students from across the
United States," said junior Jenni-
fer Corneau.
The Eric Ballet Theater
continues to prepare for mis Dancers in 'Blue Jeans.- Bottom: Jocqueline Pescatore. 2nd ,ow (1 to r): Meghan Grant, Mary White,
year's production of The Nut- Maureen Cavanaugh, Kim Richards. Standing 0 to r): Heather Adams, Kristen Thorn, Heather Beckey,
cracker, which will be performed Jen Black and Kristy Sampson. f f l i f f Wf
at the Warner Theater Dec, 14 and
15. Tickets for this holiday fa-
vorite are available at student rates
and can be reserved by calling the
Erie Civic Center Box Office at
452-4857. If
Eveiytiring's coming up Dalmatians
By Carrie Tappe year, 101 Dalmatians leads the 101 Dalmatians the big craze
Merciad Staff Writer pack. again?
The Dalmatians craze has hit Disney has redone the anima ted
Every couple of months, Disney hardjust in time for the Christina s classic as a live-action film. The
new 101 Dalmatians stars Glenn
*
seems to introduce a new craze shopping season. Practically ev-
into the entertainment scene. Over ery store im aginable has some sort Close as Cruella DeVil, Jeff
the pastfewyeu&yAladdinyBeauty ofDalmatian gift. Hot items range Daniels, Joely Richardson, and
101 of those cute, cuddly Dalma-
and the Beast and The Lion King from bedsheets, pillows and sleep-
have caught die hearts of audi* ing bags to Dalmatian accesso- tians. The movie, which opened
ences everywhere. Last year, ries, dinnerware and alarm clocks. at #1 this week, is in theaters ev-
Pocahontas * Winnie the Pooh and There is Dalmatian paraphernalia erywhere.
—•—
Toy Story outhtoed merest This forpcoplc of all ages. But why is
Gibson and Sinise make this "Ransom" worth paying
By James Haln pers inform him that, unless they villain, back in top form after nicc-
Merciad A&E Editor receive $2 million, his son will guy roles in Forrest Gump and
never see the light of day again. Apollo 13.
Ron Howard is one of the few They e-mail him horrify ing im- Gibson is equally good in a role
actors who has ma de the success- ages of his son bound and gagged tha t requires strength a nd vulner-
1
Ail transition from acting to di- in a small dungeon, just so he
recting. The quality of his films knows they arcn't kidding around.
ability in roughly equal measure.
When his character makes a fate-
hasrisenimmeasurably, and with Even though he has been warned ful decision to turn the tables on
each project; he seems to top him- not to involve the feds, Gibson the kidnappers, Gibson runs the
aelC Last year, he struck gold and bis wife (Rene Russo) enlist gamut among a complex series of
with the box office and critical the help of the FBI, who set up emotions, and it's easy to see the
ftr_4 > . . * * $
smash, Apollo 13, and there was shop in the couple's home, await-1 anguish of a fattier who is only
seemingly nowhere to go but ing the kidnappers' next instruc- partially convinced that what he
&£
•::•• • ' :
down. But Howard has defied tions. is doing is right
!3*d
expectation and topped himself Ransom serves up a clever com-
The supporting cast, including
once again with the blistering plication early on, when we learn Russo, Delroy Lindo, Lili Taylor
thriller Ransom, After viewing that the ragtag band ofkidnappers and Liev Schrciber, is uniformly
J& Ttir*t&4fc'ySaritt lfeCIMit*g - ' •• $
this two-hour pulse-stopper, you is led by a disgruntled cop (Gary excellent, but it's ultimately
mayfindyourselfwondering what Sinise), who mumbles something Howard'a slam-bang direction
Howard has in store for us next. about "haves** and "have-nots* as that carries the film, especially in
I Ransom stars Mel Gibson as a his rationale. Sinise oozes evil as its surprisingly bloody finale*
self-made airline tycoon whose the dirty cop who has no qualms Ransom isn't for the faint-
ordered world crashes down about killing the child, even if the hearted, but it marks a departure
VJ
around him when h is son (Bra wley ifrcshing for Howard, whose next film
Nolte) is kidnapped. The kidnap-
great shew Id rea 11 y be someth ing to see
ti
 ^ • — 1 - •—rrrrr-m-Tr ..•••• _.

On The Ditch
By John Murphy
Must Remain Finn in War On Drugs
later evolved into legalized pot- The main focus in this debate is
session. Consequently, drug use what will happen to our children?
Editor in chief By Emilio Colaiacovo among, teens and young adults Are we willing to forsake our
Merciad Columnist doubled. On the international children for a joint? Are we will-
I have always been a bit of a 'Scrooge' around Christmas time, don't scene, Italy in 1975 liberalized its ing to fell! lider the for reaching
ask me why. Maybe it is because when I was a kid, the big fat guy in As a till irvativc, I lately ad- drug laws and now has the high-
the red suit never delivered what I askedfor.Furthermore, my parents repercussions of drug use? The
vocate government intrusion into est heroin-related death rates in answer does not lie in die Grate-
always took his side in my complaints against him. Indeed, I used to American society. As Thomas Western Europe. Evidently, le-
mink my father was on retainer by old Santa since his enthusiastic fid Dead Hippie Pot Lobby. It lies
Jefferson believed, I also feel that i galizing drugs does not deter far- in die homes of millions of con-
defense of him usually resulted in my receiving a kick in the butt government which governs less mer drug use, rather, it i^r * ^ ^ ^
Anyway, I've got my reasonsformuttering "bah, humbug." How- cerned Americans.
governs best However, after drugusc. J Drug use is immoral because it
ever, I am not quite sure what reasons the powers at Mercyhurst have witnessing a great liberalization In a USA Today poll, 88% of
for being less than charitable during this festive time. At least this is enslaves the mind and destroys
in narcotics policies by particular the American people reject legal- die soul Jsmcs Q. Wilson, Pro-
what I would be wondering IfIwere a full-time non-faculty employee states, I feel now more man ever, ization of drugs. Given what drugs fessor of Political Science at
at this college. IfI were a member of this group I would feel somewhat the federal government must take | are doing to our communities and UCLA, recently said, "Drug use
aggrieved by the fact that I would only have a total of four days off an active role to prevent drugs [irto our children, Ifindit astound- weakens and degrades the human
over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. from becoming legal, whether it singly naive and ridiculous how character. It makes people less
Like most students here, I have had my run-ins with the administra- beformedical or recreational use. anyone believes the legalization j than they should be by burning
tion, but despite our differences, I'd like to think that if in the position In tackling this explosive issue, of drugs is morally permissible. ; away a sense of responsibility,
to do so, I would grant them more than Christmas Eve and Christmas I understand I will probably sus- If drugs were legalized, it is al- subverting productivity, and mak-
day to be with their families at such a special time. tain a great deal of criticism from most certain that drug use would I ing s mockery of virtue. n
I accept that Mercyhurst is a professional institution in the business those who advocate the legaliza- soar. * 4

tion of drugs for selfish, recre- I People addicted to drug use for-
of supplying education, and requires a lot ofwork to run smoothly. As Many say that by legalizing
ational purposes. Regardless, the > get their responsibilities to God,
with most American businesses, time is valuable, and thus, staff drugs, crime rates would fall. Yet
battle over the legalization of family, and nation. Consequently,
holidays are costly. statistics, gathered by PAE Ser-
drugs should not be fought over legalizing drugs will only further
However, is Mercyhurst not also a Catholic college in the tradition vices show that criminals became 3
the petty issue of recreation, this' neglect Drugs undermine
of the Sisters of Mercy, a tradition based on charity and goodwill? It involved in criminal activities
rather, people must be made aware the necessary virtues that remain
is reasonable to assume that this Mercy tradition makes a decision long before they discovered the part of universal moral principles
granting out of town employees adequate time to travel and spend thefightto keep drugs illegal is a lure of drugs. However, liberals
4J

time with their famflieson the most celebrated of Christian holidays,
over a decision that might appear most cost effective on a balance
sheet
And so, at a time when people gather to celebrate traditional
Christian values, perhaps Mercyhurst should reflect on what values it
considers more important in the treatment of its administrative em-
ployees- those in the tradition of Corporate America or those in the
tradition of the Sisters of Mercy.
Egan Hall OrAkatraz?
By Mary Pike
Merciad Columnist
over want to live in a correc-
tional facility? Me neither, but it
seems as if I do. I live in the Egan
Dorm (above die cafe for those
who don't know) and in my opin-
ion the place is run like a state
pen. There are rules and regula-
tions about virtually everything
that can be regulated, and more
than one resident can be heard
grumbling about it in the hall-
ways.
Being a dorm, there are of
course visiting hours (much like
the mental institution it re-
sembles). After midnight on
weekdays (2 a.m. on weekends)
no one of the opposite sex \ is
allowed on thefloors. Sometimes
people of die same sex are not
even allowed on the floors after
hours as non-resident males have
been kicked off the boys' floor.
There is no check-in desk as in
McAuley or Baldwin, no work-
ers to take names and IDs. In-
stead, it is up to the RAs to en-
force this rule, a task they don't
really need as they are swamped
with duties as it is. This creates a upstairs for even a minute, you
certain amount of animosity be-
tween the residents and the RAs,
something neJtherfparty truly
wants or needs. We are all adults
here, and more than capable of
A+ijjAfag for ourselves who may the $25 replacement foe instead
visit our rooms and when they
can visit without administration
intervention.
•thing
Visiting ttli ^^^
to anyone who has spent some
time living in a dorm. However,
I
in the other dorms there are places
where students of both sexes can
gather at night under the watch-
ful gaze of the night desk worker.
McAuley and Baldwin both have
front lounges for this purpose,
not to ,mention T.V. rooms on
every floor for resident enjoy-
ment
Egan has only one lounge and
that is closed to everyone after
hours to prevent visitation viola-
tions. There is also a kitchen on
9 liberalization ofdrugs. Alaska was
die boys floor, but females arc
not allowed there after hours. In'
tact, there is nowhere on the Egan
dormfloorsto go after hours with
someone of the opposite sex, and
residents have resorted to late
night study sessions in the stair-
wells. For a dorm that is supposed
to be devoted to study, I find it
odd that there is noplace to do so
except the looms themselves. Of
course, for those of us with room-
mates this is not always an option.
To further combat the dreaded
uni-sex transgressions of Egan
residents, housing has installed
new locks on the main doors that
are to be locked at all times. This
means that to go into the hall, or
have to remember your key or be
locked out of your floor. If the
key is lost, you have to - notify
maintenance (always a reliable
source of kelp I'm sure) and pay
of buying that text book or the
shampoo you have needed for
about a week now. Imagine the
problems if the key is lost after 4
contd. on pg 7
battle to preserve the lives of chil-
are the first to cry there is not
dren and the virtues which are enough money devoted to social
quintessential^ American.
programs. But in the fight against
In the 1960's, the Age of drugs, Bill Clinton slashed the
Aquarius where peace guided the Drug Czar's office by 80% and
planets and love steered the stars, deeply cut the drug enforcement
fanatics rejected the language of capabilities for U.S. Customs and
morality. Since then, our nation the DEA. President Clinton obvi-
has paid dearlyforthe belief that ously has been quite lax in his
drug use was harmless, fin the
gressively fighting the drug prob-
fight against drugs.-His arrogant
1970's our nation, instead of ag- V attitude towards his dwn prior
drug use coupled with an ex- sur-
lem, turned away from the epi- geon general advocating the le-
demic and became complacent in galization of drugs is not, in my
the face of drug use. For ex- opinion, die proper strategy |a
ample, Dr. Peter Bourne, a psy- presidential administration must
chiatrist who served as President follow.
Carter's adviser on drugs, held Legalizing drugs is not a politi-
that "cocaine is probably the most cal question for the voters to de-
benign ofall illicit drugs currently cide. This issue is firmly en-
in widespread use." trenched in the moral battle
Such complacency in die face grounds of America. Many be-
of adversity is intolerable. As a lieve that legalizing drugs for
result of this cavalier attitude, medical purposes isfine.Yet, this
many states began to pioneer the will only pave the road to •AIJII
pi a cent policies directed towards
one of thefirststates to legalize drug use and eventually lead to
marijuana for medical use which full legalization.
The Merciad
VOL. 70 NO. 9
Merciad Editors
ohn Murphy Editor-in-Chief James Haia
c© tt Vance Sports Editor Jason Giffen
hrisWloch News Editor Michelle Mizia
rad Rybczynski Features Editor [Aaron Connell
an B ilflker Senior Writer Jerry Trambley
Merciad Staff
amzPorzio Jessica Russell Shawntea Howard
tepben Nolan Joe Wong Carrie Tappe
liD Melville Mindi McDowell Nicole Ponstingle
Zielinsld Mary Pike I Jody Washington
illy Green Kara dark Steve Torriero
icolc Esposbo Zoe Cohen Heather Cvitkovic
ic Merciad Is the student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst College, Box 161,
01 E 38th St., Erie, Pa., 16546. Phone 824-2376. *
e Merciad welcomes letters to the editor.
The Merciad's editorial opinion is determined try the Editorial Boardwith the Editor-in-Chief
holdingfinalresponsibility. The opinions expressed in The Merciad are not necessarily those of
The Merciad, its staff or Mcrcyhurst College.
which govern all citizens in the
moral community. I do not be-
lieve the Founding Fathers be-
lieved a citizenry induced in a
drag haze could prove true to rep-
resentative democracy. As Dr.
William Bennett said, "no civi-
lized society can be neutral re-
garding character, virtue and per-
sonal responsibility." k
This point cannot be debated on
Epicurean principles of pleasure
and pain. Rather, the American
people must realize that in legal-
izing drugs, we retreatfromthe
moral high ground. I think we
would be sending the wrong mes-
sage to the nation's children if we
become apathetic towards die
drug dilemma.
I think it would be selfish for
those on campus to believe their
recreational habits are more im-
portant than the lives of millions
of innocent children. This is a war
against drugs and it isfortime we
begin conducting a meaningful
campaign against this atrocity to
humankind.
December 5,1996
Ao^E Editor
Advertising
Copy Editor
Graphics*
Advisor
Tavis Overstreet
Emilk) Colaiacovo
Rich Costello
 PAGE 6 THEMERCIAD December 5,1996

lniQii
K£3£

Military Strength Needed to Raise Values of Persounnel

By Joe Wong*
Merciad Columnist
Recent accusations of sexual
harassment and rape by female
soldiers at the Aberdeen Proving
Grounds against superiors, both
enlisted men and officers have led
to more than 5,000 calls to an
army hotline, with 700 of the alle-
gations meriting further investi-
gation. A captain and two drill
sergeants from Aberdeen will now
race court-martials for crimes In*
eluding rape, sodomy, sexual as-
sault, and obstruction of justft%'M
1)11Je of the d iscuss ion following
the Aberdeen scandal, which has
spread to military posts across the
world, b as centered on whether
women should serve in the mili-
tary alongside men. That is ,an
interesting topic and perhaps could
be discussed in a future article, but
the roots of the current scandal are
much deeper, and much more dis-
turbing.
Jt seems the current sexual ha-
rassment scandal stems firom a
general lack of honor, ethics, and
sense of duty In die military as s
whole, but most important, r in the
officer corps.*The military is a
society in itself, and the officer
corps is a class within that society,
a class built on traditions, cus-
toms, etiquette, and more impor-
tant, honor and dignity. Officers
do not simply lead their troops,
they set examples for them with
their actions, speech, dress, snd
decorum. But that view of an of-
ficer is tainted almost irrevocably
by the scandals and indiscretions
ofrecent years. Sexual ha rassment
In the Navy erupted into the publ ic
eye with the 1991 Taflhook Con-
vention. Further sexual harass-
ment, cheating, and seven drug-
dealing have been uncovered at
the service academies, the foun-
dational core of our military's of-
ficers. The racism in the military
evidenced by the swa stikas painted
on the doors of black soldiers st
Fort Bragg in July can even be
seen here st Mercyhurst
The racist snd sexist comments
of some ROTC cadets on campus
is an ominous sign for the future of
the army. The ethics and sense of
honor that are lacking In the of-
ficer corps are sure to be repeated
in the enlisted ranks. The military
cannot revive its own honor snd
dignity until die officer corps s c-
compl ishes that goal firat tin
would aay what occurs in the mili-
tary is only s reflection of what
occurs in society. That may be
true, but it is not in excuse for the
disgraces that occur.
The apparatus for restoring the
honor in the military is already in
place, but is not being utilized.
the Uniform Code of Military
Justice, the laws that govern the
military, provide for harsh pun-
ishments for crimes, including
death for rape. A more positive
method for enhancing the ethical
values in military lies In the scad-
emies and die training of the offic-
ers. In recent decades, the acad-
emies have concentrated more on
the sdences and military training
required of an officer, and moved
away from the classics snd ethics
needed for the devdopment ofthe
whole individual, the "Renais-
sance Man."
The Naval Academy has made
an effort to correct this oversight
by appointing a professor to create
an ethics program at the school, to
"ensure that there is sdequate time
in the busy schedule of midship-
men to reflect about their core
values."
To some, discussing morality in
an organization whose function is
to kill can be pointless, but that
•4111irea the value of the military as
standard ofresponsibility, duty,
onor, and courage for the rest of
sodety. It is timeforthe military
to correct its spiral into a moral
and ethical void. Military punish-
ment; however harsh the general
public may view it, should be
strongly enforced as a deterrent.
The officer corps must be re-
vived into the exsmple of duty,
honor, country. In a speech to
West Point cadets, General
MacArthur explained: "Those
three hallowed words reverentl y
dictate what yon ought to be,
what you can be, what you win
be. They are your rallying point
to build courage when courage
to fail, to regain faith when
there seems to be little cause for
faith, to create hope when hope
becomes forlorn.^
As the morality of the country
dwindles in strength, increasing
morality and values in the mili-
Ury should provide the hope, die
beacon for a better society.

Helmet Salutes
Cleaning Ladies
By Dan Hilfiker
Senior Writer
There seems to be one thing that
nearly all Mercyhurst students can
agree upon after spending a little
time here. That is the fact that we
have a really beautiful campus. A
great deal of credit has to be given
ID the groundskeeping staffof the
maintenance departmentfortheir
ha rd work and dedication in keep-
ing this college as beautiful as It
is. As a matter of fact, this college
has even won awards for its
beauty. I think that is quite im-
pressive considering the fact that
•* a
dreary and gloomy most of
the year.
As I praise the work of the
groundskeeping sta ff, I think that
there is one area of the mainte-
naneedepartment tha toften seems
to be overlooked around this cam-
pus, snd that is the housekeeping
staff
I ha ve ha d th e pleasure of work-
ing with all these hard working
women on many occasions
throughout my college career and
have found that much of their job
is dirty, physically demanding,
and outright disgusting.
1 have also noticed that their job
is a very tha nkless one. How of-
ten do you see a housekeeper
cl ea ning out the dorms, or pulling
a vacuum cleaner up and down
Briggs Avenue in the cold ofwin-
ter and never say thank you? I
know that since I have worked
with these ladies, I have a
newfound respect for the job that
they do to keep this campus look-
ing beautiful*
Imagine if every time you went
into the Student Union to grab a
bite to eat, there was s giant mess
of papers and garbage strewn all
over the floor. Would you still
real 1 y want to eat there? Think of
all the pizza boxes snd beer cans
that would accumulate in the dor-
mitories if there were no house-
keeping staff to dean up after all
of us.
I remember when I lived in
McAuleyHall as afreshman.We
were all pigs. There used to be
garbage and trash all over the
place, not to mention die state of
our bathrooms, especially over
the weekends. It was!never all
that dirty for very long though,
because there was a housekeeper
there to take care of it
Imagine also what It would be
like if you moved into your new
apartment on Briggs Avenue in
September and found all of the
garbage that was left there from
the old residents piled up for you
to dean out I am sure that there
would be some nasty letters to the
Editor of the Merciad if some-
thing like that occurred.
These women do our campus a
great favor by keeping it looking
as beautiful as possible and re-
ceive little praise for it I think
that it is about time that their good
work snd dedication is recognized
and made public The thankless
job that they perform is greatly in
need of recognition snd I would
like to be the first one to say
"thank you" to all of the house-
keeping staff for their years of
hard work and dedication to a
very beautiful college campus. I
only hope that some of you out
there will do the same.
Live Hockey on WMCE 88
Mercyhurst VS. Niagara
Saturday, Dec. 7th at 7:20 PM
 PAGE 7
THEMERCIAD December 5.1996

Campus Question How did your first trimester as a

freshman go and were you satisfied? fi

GabeCdlinl nie Hitchcock Chrissy Logeman Travis Lindahl JennGroel

Management * •$
-Unlike highschool, I took I II
classes that were really interest-
ing. I felt I was really getting
something done by taking those
Elementary/Special Eduation
T h e first trimester waa fairly
easy. It waa an adjustment but I
think everything went really
Elementary/Special Education Business Early Childhood/Eled
"My first term waa extremely
"Myfirstterm went great I lo "I feel myfirstterm at Mercyhurst
demanding and definitely not like
having Professor McAndrew went pretty well and just consid-
high school.. I waa dissatisfied
English. My classes went f ering that Pm afreshman,I did
but now I have only myself to
•It"!

better than expected there's al-

classes. I had teachers that kept blame. 9 and I got good grades, so I'dl
to say, I'm pretty satisfied." ways room for improvement So
me focused and kept my atten- I did good." f if
tion.* I i
—:_

Janelle Kloss Kate Jezsu Justin Siemon Alexandra Turkas "J Brendan P ^ttick
Math Education Biology Undecided Early Childhood/Eled HRIM ?
The first term went pretty well. "Myfirstterm was difficult and I "I was satisfied with the first "I was nervous comming into the "I was satisfied first term at
Actually, it went a lot better than did not do aa well as I wanted to, trimester. My grades weren't to first term, but in the end I waa Mercy h urst and Mercyhurstgivea
I had anticipated." 9
but I think I understand what is bad and I didn't have to really satisfied with my grades.* plenty of help to students,that
expected from me now." study very hard." f f need it" .1 I i * ..
JUB

Country Displays theGood, {and the Bad ***FREE T&IPS & CASH!*** I
Find out how hundreds of student representatives
By Michael J. Opperman lize die United Nations aa a pup- sex marriages. I applaud you, Ha- are already earning FREE TRIPS and LOTS OF
Merciad Columnist pet organization for U.S. agendas. waii Fortunately or unfortunately, CASH v$th America's #1 Spring Break
Nice move, United States. What this is a secular society. In this company! Sell only 15 trips and travel free!
Well, here we are again. Con- else? \ time of tolerance (which would, Cancun, Bahamas, Mazaflan, Jamaica or Florida!
spicuous consumerism rides The International Human Rights ideally, be appreciation and cel- CAMPUS MANAGER POSITIONS ALSO
the tender back of Christmas and Watch has indicted the United ebration)-! am speaking ofChrist- AVAILABLE. Call Now! TAKE A BREAKjj
there are only 26 days (compared Statesforits lack of action in hu- mas, Channukah (even though it STUDENT TRAVEL (800) 95-BREAK!
to the 32 days and additional holi- man rights concerns. The U.S. la a minor holiday), and Kwanzaa */••• lEffltf^HUM^ i£ i _i_4£5_y_*jBM]

da y weekend of last y ear)between handling of China is a beautiful (even though it has only been
Thanksgiving and mat Christian example. China has had relative recognized in this countrybecause HELP WANTED
holy day. Shop away. Perhaps it is success in pressuring the United of die- opportunity for commer-
States to "decoupie" human rights cial exploitation) - this court case hen/Women earn $460
my cynicism that heightens both
appreciation and disgust at this and trade. is a single victory against intoler- weekly assembling
time of year. What do I mean? Let The United States has been ex- ance, ignorance, and moral arro- circuit boards/elec-
me tell you. tremely vocal in its opposition to gance. tronic components at
It 2a within the past weeks that Gall, but where is its voice in the I am done with my polemic and home. Experience
debate of China'a entry into the I will fold up my soapbox and go unnessary, will train.
this country has shown ^
World Trade Organization. If home for another week* This will Immediate openings 1n
the best and worst of itself. People money is to be the only motiv a lion
always want bad news first, *o for action, perhaps it would be be met with cheers in some qua r- your local area.
here goes. Boutros Boutros G al i is best to admit this and spend less ters and merely sighs of relief in Call 1-520-680-7891
up for another term as Secretary time and effort propagating the others. Enjoy this Grst week back
and ready your credit cards and extlC200
General of the United Nations. false image of protectorate.
The United States is the only coun- checkbooks for the holidays. J
Is it time for the good news?
try in the Security Council to op- Hawaii has distinguished itselfby
pose him. Why? Gali tends to re- recognizing the validity of same- \

sist the country's attempt to uti-

It is high time that we college i i
Plke I students were treated with the
contd. from pg 5 same respect and consideration
PM. weekdaya when the key that the test of the adult world r SNOW W W

maker leavea or on weekends ,ccervcs,allowedtomakeourown i

when there is no one around to decisions concerning such per- SHOVELLERS [ jsjne«_sZillWMWKWBMl
help. At these iimea you either sonal matters aa visitors. Other- I T ^ l
rely on a helpfiil passeMry with a wise, how will it ever be possible NEEDED
key, or not leave your room until for u^ to ahake off the chains of I Any one interested in|
the new one is ready. dependence and become com-
pletely aelf-telied. Perhaps that is
I snow shovelling at a rate I for free information*
These types of rules are meant
for our safety ami would notbe so I the point; perhapi aomeone does lof$5.00 an hour, contact j L • Not ore morelottfiife.
ffgtooc more grieving family.
had if they helped us rather than I not want us to become indepen- Bill Kerbusch at 2273.'
hindered us. They would at least
be understandable if the residents thoughts, actions and decisions. TueumJBTV

were children and not the adulta 1 Mlii

However,frith a*** * apecula-
that thev are. 1 & * tioo, isn't it? ]
 December 5,1996 THEMERCIAD PAGE 8

iiiiHi as

Dr. Belovarac's Award Brings

Brad Rybczynski
Features Editor
Prestige to History Department
By Brad Rybczynski
Features Editor
"Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in
the old mill's hat.." For some of you those lines may ring a very
familiar bell in your mind. Every Christmas season I sing those words Dr. Allen Belovarac has come a
in my mind. It is a very catchy tune and fun to sing. Ever since the first long way since his graduation in
grade I got a tremendous kick out of that song. diefirstcoed class of Mercy hurst
Hie song continue*,"l f you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, If College in 1973, when he gradu-
you h aven't got a ha "penny, God bless you." ated with a B.A. in History.
For many years the words really meant nothing to me. It was just After receiving his B.A.,
1 Belovarac went on to Case West-
another fun Yuletide carol to spout, no different from "Jingle Bells' or
em University and graduated with
"White Christmas." Rest assured, I was not so naive that I did not get
the message of charity in the song. an M A in History. He then went
to the University of Buffalo and
As I grow older, and yes, more cynical, I have begun to see the
earned his PLD. in Higher Edu-
hypocrisy in much ofwhat goes on around me. Some of this hypocrisy
cation.
is blatant to an extreme and unless you are completely sheltered and
Mind to the world, it is impossible to miss. While attending these other
schools, Belovarac's heart re-
I h a vc come to notice more covert and masked forms of hypocrisy. As
mained at Mercyhurst During
we are surrounded by .wreaths, ribbons and lights and carols are
his doctoral work at U of B, he
beginning to be played, one may question why I am choosing to delve
worked in various capacities such
into such a topic now. After all, this is the beginning of the season of
giving, charity, love and kindness. as Director of Institutional Re-
search, Registrar and Head Crew
Or is it? Now we all recognize that Hallmark is behind Secretary's
Coach at Mercyhurst
Day, Sweetest Day and Mother's Day. They may very well be worthy
In 1986, Belovarac was freed
days of thanks to people we appreciate, but come on. Hallmark can
with a decision. He was the Head
make only so much money peddling birthday, anniversary and wedding
Crew Coach and a pa it-time pro-
cards. There is a need to expand the market and we are all manipulated
fessor. The crew program was
to participate.
expanding and Belovarac had to
What does all of this have to do with Christmas? Could it be possible decide whether to stay on as a
that market shares and commercialism are at work in this wonderful coach or devote his time fully to Dr. Belovarac in his office
season? Would anyone dare exploit the birth "of Jesus for mere
his teaching duties as a full-time better enable him to help students of the History department, ex-
capitalistic gain and defile the meaning of one of Christianity's most
professor. He chose the "comfort here at Mercyhurst pressed his excitement over the
sacred holy days? 9
and warmth' of academic life. j< Belovarac completed the gradu- possibilities Belovarac brings
Wh at 's that you say? Christina s is about something more than giving For 15 years, Belovarac has been ate program in two years and re- with the completion of his work.
a*, and receiving. We all know it is better to receive than to give. OOPS,
teaching at Mercyhurst and has ceived \a Master of Science in This makes him moreflexible to
it YOU'llhave to excuse that Freudian slip. What I really meant to say is always been proud to be a part of
f Strategic Intelligence. Taking a teach a broader range of courses,
that it is better to give man to receive. " Yeah, that's it, that's the ticket die Mercyhurst heritage and tra- partial sabbatical last spring en- especially in the RIAP progra m,"
Anxiety has set in. I am so worried this year about where on earth I dition. On top of his many ac- abled him to complete his thesis Kubiak said.
am going to get die money to buy giftsformy family andfriends.I find complishments he has now given on Chinese Naval Power. Along Belovarac's award also adds
myselfwishing those three wise men would have made a wrong turn at Mercyhurst one more reason to with graduating with another prestige to both the History de-
Albuquerque. be proud of him. Master's degree, Belovarac was partment and the college. Accord-
Gifts, gifts and more gifts. For years I was so concerned with
Recently, Belovarac went back also presented with an award far ing to Garvey, "this award draws
everything under the- tree EXCEPT the manger. I would visit my
to school. He was afforded the "Outstanding Thesis on National the attention of the outside world
presents daily, inspecting them, shaking them and feeling their weight
opportunity to attend the Joint Security Policy." This honor dis- and is an indication of institu-
with the hope I could guess what was inside. I am actually so good at
Military Intelligence College in tinguished him from his fellow tional quality here at Mercyhurst
it that my mother will probably wrap the watch she bought me (see I
Washington D.C The Naval Re- 250 graduates of die program. The award will help to get better
already know one gift) in the biggest box she canfindwith tissue.
serves had taken Belovarac to Belovarac said that "the school 9
students and federal grants,* he
In all of mat time concentrating on boxes wrapped in beautiful paper
Saudi ArabiaforOperation Desert was very supportive in making said.
withribbonI lost something. I only thought ofJesus for about two hours 19
Storm and to Bosnia and now this possible, College President ;On a more personal level,
on Christmas when my family and I went to church. That is, if I did not
fall asleep during the homily. they were taking him to school. Dr. William Garvey, a member of Belovarac expressed great "inter-
Maybe it was more than just the allure ofthose magnetic boxes under Belovarac took the chance "to the History department, said of nal satisfaction in meeting a cha 1-
rekindle my academic engines. I Belovarac's work, "It is good to lenge and successfully complet-
the tree. It probably had to do with the sale signs in windows and
love learning and view myself as see our faculty do this kind of ing it" Kubiak added, "what is
count! ess hours spent in malls trying tofindthe best deal on the perfect n
much as a student as a teacher. work, we are very proud of his really important is that it made his
gift \ He also sought to improve his efforts." i
I can see Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, sleighs, candy canes, trees, but mother proud and that is a g • : • : •

own writing and research skills to Mr. Richard Kubiak. Director thingfora boy to do."
what about the real meaning ? The simple ness of Christmas is gone. I
no longer bake cookies with my mother or trim die tree with my father.
Those have become belaboring chores that must get done before die
24th. -a
Carlin Plugs Album in Erie
Images of Christmas savings dance in the heads of most people now. By Bill Melville ploring the little quirks of human to laugh. His crazed facial ex-
j Money concerns areforemostin the minds of most people I talk to. Merciad Writer nature which we all experience pressions and his even stranger
Corporate America has succeeded in taking over one of the most but still fear to discuss. By focus- body language play as great a part
beautiful holidays of the year. There has been a hostile take over of the On Sunday, Nov. 24,1996, co- ing on such subjects, Carlin has in his act as his words do. Whether
season, which begins the day after Thanksgiving (they will not even median George Carlin performed kept his routine fresh enough to he mocks people who try to act
give us a day of rest), by a fat jolly man in a red suit toting a huge bag his routine for an almost full house compete with comedians half his like professional directors when
of toys. at the Warner Theater in Erie. age. they record their children on
Let's keep up with the Jones' and buy the Super Dupcr Sega Genesis Carlin's current tour follows the Despite the appearance of close- camcorders or adults who still
with CD-Rom, or maybe it's the Baby Wets A Lot I do not know. recent release of his comedy al- ness with the crowd, something wear baseball hats backwards,
Somewhere, at some time, a collective madness consumed society bum "Back in Town." seemed amiss in Carlin *s act With Carlin adds a dimension to his
and everyone forgot that the season ofAdvent existed. lam sorry God, During his 90 minute routine, the exception of approximately live show that cannotbe preserved
but Advent has been replaced by shopping. Yes, I know Sundays are Carlin talked about such every- IS minutes of new material, all of
supposed to be a day of reflection and rest, but Sundays are oh such a on a compact disc.
day subjects as the types ofpeople Carlin's time was spent on mate- Though he may have done the
good day to shop, too. Decisions, decisions, decisions, what's a person he bates, how he feels the prob- rial from his most recent albums.
to do. same material a dozen times over,
lems of overcrowded prisons and Even in that material, Carl in made one cannot help but laugh when
I will give gifts. I will pour all ofmy money into Corporate America'a the national debt can be solved, little attempt to present it in a
coffers for yet another year. Mark my word though, I am going to try Carlin begins his 90 minutes of
inaccurate phrases which riddle fresh m anner. Granted, die m an is political commentary, everyday
to give more of myself this year. I think that maybe I know what the our language, and little things that promoting an album, but at times occurrences^and, at moments,
song at the beginning of this article might have been saying. Give all anger him. it seemed difficult to believe he raving lunacy. Carlin left the stage
you can. Granted, it uses money to exert the point, but hey, a penny Throughout his long career, wasn'tJust going through the after a piece on how much he
sounds more catchy than Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, which began more than 30 years motions to make,some quick despises Baby Boomers, and as j
please put yourself in the old man's hat Besides I do not think the old ago, Carlin has maintained a rela- money. he left, a majority of the audience
man would appreciate your ruining his hat tionship with his audience by ex- Still, Carlin makes it hard not rose to Simla 11H his MrAirMM^
 PAGE 9
THE MERCIAD December 5. 1996

esttiffes
Actors T a k e aTrip T o T h e M o o n

Tifftny Reid (left) *nd Aaron Connell and Courtney Nioolni (right) rehearse.
By Zoe Cohen
Merciad Writer
From Dec; 12 to Mat 8 pun. and
on Dec, 15 at 2:30 pjn., the col-
lection of short one act plays,
"Welcome to the Moon" by John
Patrick Shan ley, will be per-
formed by the Mercy hurst
Greensleevcs Play era In
Mercyhurst Ta yl or Little Th ea tcr.
The play is being directed by
Kim Mc of the Road house The-
ater. The cast consists of (in al-
ph a be tical order) Aa ron Connell,
~
Richard Costclloe, Melanie
Franey-Eberhard, Nate Mcintosh, I moon." She also said that she
Scott A.R. Messenger, Courtney
Nicolai, Tiffany Reid, Brad
Rybczynski, Joe Spusta, and
Amanda Stefik. B • I I I
The otherwise eclectic mix of
plays is drawn together with the
common use of the
image of the moon, hence the
tide. This is not a surprise to
those who are aware that the
writer, Shanley, also wrote the
screenplay for "Moonstruck."
Mc referred to this theme by say-
Jing that, "We're all under the same
preferred to not speak symboli-
cally, but insteadtolet the writer
speak for himself.
the common theme of
the moon, the plays are very dif-
ferent and cover a wide range of
topics. A couple examples of this
are that one portrays what hap-
pens when a skinny, emotionally
malnourished woman and a man,
who is plagued with ghosts and
monsters meet in a restaurant
ping away of everything that is
important to a poet (i.c- his li-
brary card, his hope of getting a
pencil) and how his soul is re-
stored. Each of these is different
in subject matter, yet it is
interesting how the tone and re-
peating elements tie them to-
gether.
Aaron Connell of the cast said,
The play itself is very interest-
ing. It's very differentfromany-
thing I have ever acted in. Re-
hearsals are starting to come to-
; gether. It should be a good show."
Courtney Nicolai said, I V e got-
ten to work with people I would
? have never had the chance to meet
< The rehearsals are going well and
/it should be a great show come
opening night.*
^ Despite the tact the I was un-
able to watch all of the short acts
Ithat V i n t [prise this play, it appears
e a very interesting, worth-
le way to spend the evening. I
i on going and I hope to see
there.

Inside Washington
By John Murphy
Editor in chief
On Tuesday night at the Taylor
Little Theatre, the Mercyhurst
community was treated to a lec-
ture about thefreneticworld of
Washington D.C's politics and
the characters behind it
Jeremy Birnbaum, author of
several books and a senior corre-
spondent for Time Magazine's
Washington bureau, is VM,'i!
as a lea ding political analy siat
an expert on the White House
has appeared on suet
• •
programs aa The 'Today Show"
and CNN's "Inside Politics" and
"Crossfire." ) serenity and smooth opera dons,
Birnbaum began his lecture by
comparing the political arena of
Washington to one ofsport, where
events are unpredictable and sur-
prises arefrequent.Based upon
his experience covering die Ross
Perot campaign in the recent presi-
dential race, Birnbaum was able
to assure his audience that the
public's perception of Perot as
being slightly crazy, was notalto-
gether untrue.
Commenting on Bob Dole,
Birnbaum painted a picture of a
man who had a mastery of the
inside dealings of Washington
politics. He praised Dole aa a very attending, but those that d\d show
capable politician who got things
done in a congressional setting.
However, Birnbaum said that it
was Dole's failure to make the
transitionfromprofessional poli-
tician to a man of the people,
resulted in his poor election per-
formance.
Turningtothe victor of the presi-
dential election, Birnbaum told
his audience that since Clinton
had secured his second term, he 10. Prune-eating Sumo wrestler.
was now a man playingtohistory
and not to the public In other I High-rise window cleaner
words, Clinton will be active in
implementing policies and creat- with bladder problem.
ing change in order to leave a
mark on history.
In the remainder of his lecture,
| Near sighted knife juggler.
Birnbaum shared his knowledge
of what goes on inside the White J Megalomaniac Third
House. Contrarytopublic bel ie fo,
the White House is not a place of World Dictators.
rather it is, as the title of his book
suggests, a "Mad House.**
6. Grown men named "Biff."
According to Birnbaum, White
House staff members have to de- 5. Heavily armed^hot dog
vote their whole lives to the presi-
dency. Their work consists of vendors.
dealing with one aeries of crises
After
and
another.
burnouts
Tensions
are
are
frequent
high,
m
4. Carsick brother in the seat
A lively question and
period followed the lecture, in
answer next to you. » I
which Birnbaum addressed such
issues as the President's charac-
I Brain surgeon with hiccups.
ter and the First Lady's
malignment by the press. , Anyone with aicrankyi
There was a poor turnout at the
lecture with very few students
disposition and a chainsaw.
up received an insightful account
on of the key issues and individu-
. People who offer you drugs.
als in today'* politics.
PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA
 December 5,1996
Christmas on Campus
By BiU Melville
Merciad Columnist
With Dec. 25 just around the
corner, the Mercyhurst commu-
nity is busy preparing for the 1996
Christmas On Campus, a charity
event organized by Mercyhurst's
Barrett C. Walker School of Busi-
ness. The event, which will be
held on Saturday, December 14,
from 1-4:30 p.m.tin the Great
V Room of the Herrmann Union,
involves pairing up approximately
100 underprivileged children
from various agencies with
Mercyhurst student volunteers.
Once paired, the children en-
gage in several activities, includ-
ing the chance to see and have
pictures taken with Santa Claus
and to try different crafts. Santa
CI a us also passes out gifts that are
donated by Mercyhurst faculty
and administration. Other activi-
"... The RAV4, Which Corners Better, Rides More Smoothly And Feels
More Nimble Than Any SUV Made*** -AutoWeek, June '96
The RAV4 Is A Fun-Junkies Dream Machine." i-Car And Driver, April '96
ties include a reading of "A Visit
From St Nicholas" by Mercyhurst
English Professor Barry
McAndrew.
As Christmas On Campus
Chairperson Becky Koren said,
"StudentsJ get involved with
Christmas On Campus because it
gives diem a chance to offer some-
thing to give back to the commu-
nity and also helps to put the
Christmas season into perspec-
tiveforthem."
According to Koren, Christ-
mas on Campus not only receives
helpfromMercyhurst student vol-
unteers but from a majority of the
clubs at Mercyhurst and the fac-
ulty and administraion, this year
being no exception. However, gift
donations are still needed for the
event
Christmas On Campus Mill
mittee member Kristen •It* stro
THE MERCIAD PAGE 10
earapl
notes that students can still sign
up to be paired with a child A
sign-up sheet is posted in the
Union. Students are also urged to
help out with the wrapping of the
gifts on Wednesday, Dec 11, at
8:15 p.m. in the Great Room of
the Union, or to help with the
decorating of the Great Room on
Friday, Dec, 13, at 8:00 p.m.
When asked about how Christ-
mas On Campus could be im-
proved in years to come, Koren
expressed that the participation
ofthe Mercyhurst community has
far exceeded all expectations. If
anything could be changed,
though, Koren suggests it would
be to offer more for the children
to do and more space for them to
do it in.Other than that issue,
Koren would like to see Christ-
mas On Campus continue in its
current state.
i t.
tS til t
Depression strikes millions-indiscriminately. Depression is simply a suppression
of brain activity that makes life unbearable. And even though depression is
readily treatable, only 1 in 5 ever seeks treatment. Why do so many Just.drag
| themselves along or eventually seek relief through suicide? First, there's the lack
of awareness of depression- as an illness and as the threat that it is to each and
every one of us. Second, there's the unwarranted negative stigma attached to it.
You know, the 'mental' thing. It's time to collectively face depression. To know it's
|. an illness, not a weakness. And it's a •; „. /MTpCJTrn
challenge that's long overdue. It's M 2 M__ S E — ^ — M L • -
taken too many of us already. i
. *. ^ #1 Cause of Suicide J y
Public Service message from SAWE (Suicide AwarenessWoices of Education) http://www.save.on
"Toyota's New RAV4 Seems To Bridge The Cast Casm Between Car And Truck. This
Little Wagon With Big Wheels Is A Car And A Truck." -Car And Driver, April *%
11
"Rally-Car Performance, Camry-Like Quality -Cor And Driver, My '96
 PAGE 11 ""A

THEMERCIAD
December 5,m 1996

St^Ill
fid

> - -vJvJ^ v x \ S ^ 3 ^

Men S o c c e r L o s e I n S e c o n d O v e r t i m e
f

By Nikki EsposRo
Merciad Sports Writer
While the majority of students
journeyed home for Thanksgiv-
ing break, the Mercyhurst men's
soccer team waited here on cam-
pus to compete in the Central Re-
gion Championship on Nov. 24
against the ^akland Pioneers. The
weekend before, the Pioneers beat
West Virginia Wesleyan to ad-
vance to this championship;
whereas, the Lakers received a
bye due to their top ranking in the
region.
The Lakers had three weeks to
prepare for the game. However,
the time off may have proved to
be more harmful than beneficial.
The Lakers started the game very
slow and couldn't match the
strength of the Pioneers through-
out tiie first halt Despite tills
overall slow start, the Lakers did
have some notabl e scoring oppor-
tunities upon which they couldn't
capitalize.
I The best of these chances came
when junior midfielder Shawn
Kroener had a strike on goal that
hit the chest of senior Glenn
Francis instead of the back of the
Jnct
Although Oakland dominated
the Geld, the Lakers defense stood
strong the entire first half. Senior
Captain Jimmy Reene played ex-
ceptionally wellt organizing the
back in spite of the steady Oak-
land pressure.
Defender Avery Jones said,
"Jimmy has consistently played
well all year; he played with all
heart for this last game."
After a half-time talk focused
on raising the tempo of the game,
the Lakers succeeded in switch-
ing the momentum in their favor.
Junior Mike Shields played a key
role in stepping up the level of
play. Shields added speed and
mobility, not to mention a fresh
pair of legs to a tiring Laker of-
fense. Throughout the second
half, the Lakers had at least five in overtime, an exhausted Laker
quality goal scoring opportuni- defense broke down. Oakland
ties, one ofwhich had been drill- right winger whipped in a cross
ing in practice. Captain Jimmy which bounced through a crowd
Reene placed a perfect ball onto of players. The mass of players
the Coot of leading scorer Barry obstructed the line of sight of se-
Allen who just missed over the nior keeper Darren Muarry. An
goal Oakland forward got a volley on
Regulation play ended with a goal which made its way into the
scoreless tie. The break before lower right hand corner ofthe net
overtime k provided just enough Disheartened, the entire Laker
time for Oakland to regroup and team played out the last minutes
once again control the game. After of the ga me, realizing it would be
already playing 90 minutes of the last of the season. Coach Ri-
soccer,tileLakers were unabl e to chard Harris;said, "I was very
keep up the pace which had previ- disappointed for the players that
ously helped create chances on they weren't abletoget the result
goal. I they deserved from the work that
With three minutes lefttoplay they've done all season."

By Scott Vance
Merciad Spots Editor
Since the last issue, the |
Mercyhurst hockey?team has
played five matches. The team is
stillfindingit hard to "play at the
consistently high level that we-^
are usedtohere at Mercyhurst
The Lakers faced the? tough
opposition of their nemesis
Canisius on Nov. 9, at the$l
Mercyhurst ice center . It was
John Evangelist* who lead the
Hurst to an 8-5 victory, as he scored
four of the team's eight goals.
The Lakers are currently 1-0 in
the E.C.A.C after their win over
Canisius.
Team Struggles To find Consistency
was ai" **ing that nobody got se- unrewarded as the Lakers allowed
riously hurt," said fhead Coach I St Norberts to tie the game at 5-
Gotkin. \ \ \ 5 in the last two minutes and went
Last weekend, the Lakers hosted on to score the game winner in
u
national powerhouse St Norbert overtime. We came away from
College, in a double header that the game feeling like we let it
provedtobe less than successful slip,-said Gotkin. | * '
fortiie Hurst The Lakers tied the The following night did not
first game after blowing a 4-1 provetobe any different for the
lead and lost the second game 5- team as they struggled tofindthe
4 \ % % form that wins hockey games.
Steve Torriero opened the scor- I The momentum seemed to be with
ing for the Hurst in thefirstperiod St Norbertrightfromthe start
of the game to give the team a 1- after their impressive come back
0 lead. Torriero took a pass at the the previous night
blue line and drove aggressively The early pressurefromthe
to the net and was able to pick up opposition paid off as they took an
his own rebound and put the sec- early 1-0 lead into the changing
ond shot into the opponent's net III) 11 sfter thefirstperiod. But,

The team then hosted Buffalo
State on Nov. 22 in what was a
sluggish gameforthe Hurst Re-
gardless, the team was able to do
enough to earn themselves a 5-1
victory, despite 53 saves by the^
impressive Buffalo State
goal tender.
The team then traveled to Os-
wego State in an effort to keep
itstwo game winning streak alive,
but they were unable to achieve
this feat as they were downed by *
a score of 5-2. It was a game
where .very few of the
referee's decisions went in favor
of the Hurst "The refereeing was
awful. That was a game that
really the referee had absolutely
positively no control over, and it
However, early into the second not for the first time this year, |
period, St Norbens leveled the Evangel is ta squared matters up
scoring with a well executed goal. with his ninth goal of the season.
It was at this point in the game Torriero fed the puck to
th at the Lakers begantotake con- Evangelists in front of the net and
trol. The team was able to score he was in the true sniper's posi-
three goals in succession in the tiontopoke the puck beyond the
opposing goaltender. A few min- KevinAer in fid! motion during the IhanhgMngb***
second period, courtesy of Mike
Masse, Scott Ludeviks, and Oto utes later, the Lakers found them- a 5-3 lead. Despite a goal in the I1 don't think that we're struggling
Hlincik. t selves 2-1 down after a St Norbert / J dying moments by Bobby Atkin, to a point where we're saying
Once again St Norbert's was goal, but once again the Lakers the Lakers felltoa disappointing we're not good. We have got a lot
abletocrawl their way back into were abletotie the game up with 5-4 loss. The Lakers have a win- of young people that are given a
the game and the scored three a goal from Trevor "Stinky" ning record of 5-4-1 thus far this lot off responsibility and all of
goals in five and a halfminutes to Brandt Russ Ciesielski gave the season, but they are finding* it that contributes to not being 10-
tie the game at 4-4. Then, up Hursts 3-2lead with his firstgoal difficult to find the consistency 0," said Gotkin
s I the impressive Ludeviks, to in almost a year. "I was happy as
• : • : «
and high playing standards that is The team plays Niagara this
score his second and most impor- hell," said Ciesielski associated with Mercyhurst weekend in what should turn out
tant goal of the game to give the The team let a lead slip out of ^ hockey. to be a very closely contested
lead back to the Lakers. their hands and St Norbert scored "I think that we're still a team that game.
9
Ludeviks m efforts went three goals in s rowtogive them hastolearn and find waystowin.

Great Start For Lady Lakers Basketball Team

By Maureen McMabon
Merciad Sports Writer
The Lady Lakers basketball
team is off to a successful start
this season with an undefeated
record offourwins and no losses.
Coach Jim Webb said his team is
doing really well so far, and that
the team is coming together as a
unit, and he is pleased with how
the team has played
As for thefirstthree games, the
Hurst has fa • / » • 1111
tion and has not yet played a full
40 minutes of solid basketball.
However, they have done well
enough to finish every game. With
this confidence and improvement
after each game, the Hurst baa-
ketball team is sure to be tough
and competitive this season.
Webb said, "All I ask is my play-
ers go out and play as hard as they
can, that is all lean hope for. This
m what our players have done so
far this year." '-
The first game of the year for
the Lady Lakers was a successful
one as they defeated West Vir-
ginia Wesleyan 101-60. They
played well offensively, shot the
ball well and ran the fast break
well," ••id Webb. A champion*
ship win versus California Uni-
versity 84*72 bought the Hurst
up two wins. Webb said, There
was great rebounding, the beat I
K«ve ever seen to a team." The
team totals 66 offensive rebounds
and 97 defensive rebounds. Their
third win of the seasonwas against!
Slippery Rock 82-51 and although
the Lakers suited a littleflatin
the second period they turned it
around to make it an easy win for
the Hurst
The fourth win of the season
wenttoour Lady Lakers as they
defeated the Daemen Lady War-
riors 7942. The leading scorer
for the gamewaa Lori Morth with
16 points. Overall, every member
of the team gets playing time,
making each win a team effort.
There are however, Ave Lakers,
Morth, Tanya Potcova, Connie
Ralston, Lonna Dunlap, and
Kristin'Molli, who average be-
tween 10 to 17 points per game.
Coach Webb said, "Any player on
any certain night will shine, be-
cause they are all key players."
As for the incoming freshmen
this year, he has a positive outkx
for the team. Point guard, Katie
Vogt has done a great Job for the
4
Lakers so rar this season, and She
haa great depth in the point guard
position," said Coach Webb. The
team's other freshman, Rcgina Ely
is " adjusting to the college game
and getting better by the da y," sa id
Coach Webb.
The Hurst has a positive out-
look for their season. They hope to
be involved in the GUAC cham-
pionship and win it Then the team
would like to proceed on the
NCAA. Since the team has not yet
faced a team in our league, they
will go Into their first game with a
dean slate. The Lady Lakers take
on Grand Valley, Thursday at 6
p.m. Coach Webb said, "Grand
Valley is a quick team that likes to
shoot the three. This team took us
out of the play-offs last year, and
this year we are seeking revenge.
Following that game, they play
Ferris State, and next Tuesda y at 7
o.m versus Indian University.
 December 5,1996 THE MERCIAD PAGE 12

Hi:
^^*_- <l|

M e n ' s H o o p s lose Tight g a m e s F o r a4-2
By Jean McFeery
Merciad Sports Writer
While thej majority of
Mercy hurst campus lies deserted
over Thanksgiving, the members
of the men' s basketball team was
busy jnafaf^nfug their training
and game schedule. They played
iix games over the break,
finishing up with an overall record
of four wins and two losses. On
Nov. 19, the men took on Roberts
Wesleyan College and had an
impressive victory. On Novem-
ber 22 and 23 they participated in
the Westminster tournament and
played Slippery Rock and
Sheridan College. I '
On Nov. 26, they traveled to
Daemen andfinishedup with a
score of 98-65. This past week-
end Mercyhurst hosted the
Knobloch Roundball Classic,
where they had the opportunity to
test their skills against Slippery
Rock and Alders on- Broaddus.
I Friday, Nov 29, the men took
on Slippery Rock. The Lakers
took a quick lead in the very early
stages of the first half, but this
lead was short lived after Joe
Lewandowski from Slippery
Rock tied die game up at 9-9 with
iUti
record
11:51 remaining in the first half.
After that, it was a back and forth
battle for points. The Lakers fell
behind for a while until Demond
crept ahead, and with 16:28 re-
maining the Lakers were down
by 12 with a score of 2 2 4 4 Jody
Crymes put the spark in the Lak-
ers play with a two point lay-up
and this began the gradual point
accumulation for the Lakers. Jim
Row m ade one ofhis famous three
pointers with 14:06 remaining and
that was followed shortly by a
lay-up by senior Will Stinson.
The Lakers continued to press
and with 5'35 remaining the score
was tied at 46 points apiece.
There was no s topping the Lak-
ers and thev continued to widen
the gap. With 33 seconds remain-
ing *VLtWf* were up by six with
a score of 56-50. In the last 30
seconds Slippery Rock's Donald The Lady Laker basketball team limber up before one of their Practice sessions. The team if currently 4-0
Burnettwas able to sink two three
pointers. Jason Clopollo and tied rightfromdie get go. Young 34-34, but die Lakers slowly fell ers were plagued by fouls and so
Thielker w o e able to make up the was the first to score on a jumper behind. Don Tillman of Alderson Tillman was able to monopolize
three points required to give the and then there was a seven point Broaddus made die two point shot on this, winning the game for
Lakers the win in a score 59-56. aweep by Profit and Crymes. that brought his team to a seven Alderson Broaddus with a final
Saturday, Nov. 30, the champi- These three were top scorers for point lead over die Lakers. The score of 70-75. The next game
onship game took place. It was the Lakers. At die end of the first Lakers continued to fall behind for the Lakers is Thursday Dec 5,
Alderson: Broaddus against the half the score was very dose, 32- until Profit tied the game at 70-70 against Grand Valley State. The
Mercyhurst Lakers. This game 31 for the Lakers, At 17:34 in the with a two point lay up. game begins at 8 p.m.
was also a nailbiter with the score second half the score was tied at In die last 54 seconds, the Lak-

Fogel Looks!Forward to Lakers Season »

Mass. and he's playing the point said Fogel. that's what we're trying to do right
Scott Vance guard position. He's had a very The team is led by tri- now. *
Merciad Sports Editor strong game so far against Slip- aptains, Craig Young, Darryl Fogel really enjoyed his Grst
pery Rock where he got 12 points •ancleave, and Will Stinson. year at Mercyhurst 1 liked my
Mercyhurst's head basketball in the second half which really However, they will be without first year very much. It was as said Fogel
coach Karl Fogel hopes that this [brought] us to victory. Those last year's Jtop scorer, Rahsaah good a coaching experience as I
year will be a very successful one have been the two newcomers Roland. "Well I think we're sorry
for the Lakers, as he and his play- that have done the best for us. In Roland is gone, he was our best
ers take to the court in an effort to time hell be a big scorer for us, player last year. He did so much
live up to the expectations ofboth he's getting better every day, ev- Dot only as a player, but he was a
themselves and their supporters ery game," said Fogel. real 1 eader and gave this real men-
alike. This years team seems to be tal toughness to the team thatwe're
The team was ranked 19th in the veryfocusedon their task ahead. trying to replace right now and it
country by one ranking poll and They are a very hard working hasn't been easy," said Fogel.
they were also ranked to finish group in practice. It's a good Despite, the absence of Roland,
first in their division. 'That waa group to work with. They're very Fogel still has a positive outlook
one poll. I think that people think co-operative and they work hard. for the upcoming season. "Our
that we're pretty good but I think I don't think we're really playing goals are to make the play-offs.
that was just one bunch of guys as well as we're capable right The top three teams in each di-
that rated us 19th," said Fogel. now because we're as mentally vision make the playoffs. We've
The team has one new fresh- tough and I don't think that we're got along way to go before we ta Ik
man to really watch out for, really doing the things we have to about those goals because we just
Demond Stewart "Demond is do to win. I don't think were haven't played well. We've got a
our best new commer. He's about playing as aggressively and as ways to go so far. We've got a
6'3." He plays the small forward physically tough on the court as long way to go to achieve any of
for us. He's from around j the we have to. It's something that the successes we had last year.
•Rochester Area in New York and we 're a ddr ess ing in pra cticc, hopc- We 're not pi a y ing with nearly the
he's a very talented athletic player. fully there's something that will type of chemistry or passion that
The other new player that's play- turn around for us. We lost to we pla yed with last year. Our job
ing a lot for us is Matt Thielker Slippery Rock in overtime, then is to try to improve every day and
who's a sophomore transfer from we lost to Alderson Broaddus," that's your job as coaching and KaHFogaisl #.~i:.f forward to the upcoming season

By Tom "Poop* Porubsky
Merciad Columnist
If there was one thing that I
learned over break it is that John
Cooper, the head coach of Ohio
State, needs to befiredfromhis
job aa soon as possible.
The top priority every year, no
matter how bad or good Ohio
State may be, is to beat Michigan.
The whole football season should
focus on three things, which are:
beating your rival, winning your
conference, and winning the na-
tional title.
Even though Cooper has had a
good record, he is 1-7-1 against
Michigan and 1 -6 in bowl games.
The one victory came against
BYU when the guy from BYU
dropped the winning touchdown
in the end zone.
He ca n bring in the best talent in
the world, but it is kind of a "what
ha ve y ou done for me latel y " situ-
ation and Cooperhasn'tdoneany-
thing but lose the big game.
On to other topics, I think al-
though it will never happen, Divi-
sion I college football. needs a
playoffsystem like all of the other
divisions. Th is year there are sev-
eral teams that are good enough
to win the national tide. Florida
State, Florida, Arizona State,
Nebraska, and Ohio State lead the
list of favorites for the title. All of
these teams have great records
one loss. The playofls would give
great matchups of thetopteams
and the teams could actually de-
cide the national champ instead
of some sports writer. I know that
this could never happen because
of all the money the bowl games
generate, but I could live without
the Carquest bowl and the Sun
Bowl, just to name a few of the
meaningless bowl games.;
Every other college champ ion-
bip is decided by having a tourna-
ment so why should football be
any different? Football is prob-
the first or second most popu-
lar college sport depending on
your opinion. Too many crazy
things can happen in a game, so
you havetodecade things on the
Geld to find out who is the best
Last year, Northwestern was one
disastrous quarter against Miami
of Ohio awayfromwinning the
national title. One bad quarter the
whole year kept themfrombeing
undefeated by Rose Bowl time. I
know that they lost the Rose Bowl,
but who knows what would have
happened if there were a playoff
system?