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MORE INSIDE
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Former Lakerplays at AA
level
Page 7
Freshmen dosand donts at
the Hurst
Page 4
What are your summer plans?
22% Attempting to find a job.
14% Absolutely nothing.
14% Sleeping under a bridge whileI work at an unpaid internship.
8% Traveling across the globe.
ONLINE POLL RESULTS
42% Wrangling llamas.
VOL. 87 No. 19/ 11 / 20133
F R E E Merciad
READMORE ONPAGE 3
Hurst evives recycling
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NEWSPage 2 September 11, 2013
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Page 3September 11, 2013 NEWS
Evive bottles refresh campus
As summer vacation ended andstudents returned to our university,there were a number of changes that
were evident around campus.One important change that sup-
ports Mercyhursts continuing effortto promote a more sustainablecampus environment, was the instal-lation of its first Evive Station. Thefirst station is located on the secondfloor of Old Main, with plans forinstalling many more around campus.
This addition represen ts a way todecrease the use of bottled water oncampus by providing a station thatboth fills and sanitizes reusable bot-tles.
The Evive unit has two sections.The first section will fill any sizereusable bottle with chilled, filtered
water. The other sect ion is designedexclusively for the Evive bottles. Thissection sanitizes the Evive bottle byusing UV light and then fills it withfiltered, chilled water. While this90 second process is occurring thestations screen will display campusnews, ask you survey questions anddisplay other useful information.
The Evive bottles are sold at the
Mercyhurst Bookstore and on themanufacturers website.
Student response to the Evive bot-tles has been positive. Art educationstudent Megan OPolka believes theconcept motivates people to join theinitiative.
Ive been using the Evive sta-tion since it arrived on campus this
summer. I think it is a cool conceptand I definitely drank more waterbecause of it. I hope they add morestations around campus throughoutthe year, she said.
These bottles are made of BPAfree plastic and have Passive RFID
Tags on the bottom. The tags allowyou access to the sanitizing sectionof the station. Evive also has a smartphone app that enables you to trackyour average consumption of wateras well as the estimate of the numberof plastic bottles that you have not
used.The Evive system is clearly a
better alternative to using and recy-cling plastic water bottles.
Some students, however, considerthe idea to be somewhat silly.
Junior Gar y Loo said, it is a veryridiculous idea. Its nice, but its just ahuge water fountain.
Plans have been made to addmore stations to the Mercyhurstcampus throughout the year, starting
with three new stations, tentatively
dated for installation by the end ofNovember at the latest.
For more information on thebottle system, visit www.evivestation.
By Zach Dorsch & RyanKushner
Managing editor & Staff writer
Welcome Week ushers
in new academic yearWelcome Week is a week set for stu-
dents coming back to campus to takethe first few days that they have offbefore classes begin and enjoy eventsthat are sponsored by various organiza-tions on campus.
This years welcome week includedevents such as the Blacklight Bash, day
of service projects, Toga Party, Minute-To-Win-It, Casino Night and the veryanticipated Hypnotic Intoxication.
A lot of the Welcome Week eventsare heavily attended by the incomingfreshmen, but most of the events arealso open to the upperclassmen.
Student Activities Council Chair Vic-toria Lewis could not have been happier
with how the activities went that weresponsored by the SAC. Welcome Week
was a huge success this year, and we
had a ton of energy from the freshmanclass and also the upperclassmen, saidLewis.
Along with the major events,the incoming freshman students sitthrough various presentations aboutgetting involved in campus life as wellas becoming the best well-roundedstudent that they can be. Following
Welcome Week is the annual CampusInvolvement Fair.
All RSCOs and organizations oncampus set up a table in and outside ofthe student union that give the oppor-tunity for all students on campus to
walk around and see what the campushas to offer to students looking to getinvolved.
Freshmen use Welcome Week as away to connect and form friendshipswith other students.
Freshman Taylor Rider, used theweek of welcoming to defuse theintimidation that some may feel at the
beginning of college. I was honestlyreally intimidated coming into college,but having a schedule of really fun andgreat events kept my mind off of beingaway from home and made the transi-tion much easier and more fun than Iever imagined, said Rider. I met allof my current friends through my Wel-come Week activities.
Welcome Week is always full of freeevents for new students and existingstudents on campus to take a shortbreak and relax before the pressure ofschool begins.
Often times, there are constant give-aways from the various organizationsthat work to extend their reach to thestudent body.
We love to see everyone on campusenjoying themselves and having a goodtime, said Lewis.
Welcome Week is an annual happen-ing and is open to all students as a wel-come back to campus.
By Garrett ErwinA&E editor
Students and faculty alike have
reacted positively to the Evive
bottle system.
Sami Rapp photo
Service project
helps community
Friday, Aug. 30Theft
Lot #5
Referred for discipline
Sunday, Sept. 1
Criminal Mischief
Lot #7
Referred for discipline
Thursday, Sept. 5Harassment
Lewis Ave.
Referred for discipline
Mercyhurst
University
Police & Safety Police Log
Saturday, Sept. 7
Liquor law violation
3939 Briggs Ave.
Referred for discipline
The freshmen class of 2017started off their experience at Mer-cyhurst with a service project onSept. 3, which involved volunteeringat 25 nonprofit agencies across Erie.
These jobs entailed many typesof service, ranging from cleaning upPresque Isle beaches, handy work atmany area farms and aiding Eriessenior citizens by spending timehelping the elderly in local nursinghomes with technology.
Though these jobs are simplein nature, the large scale efforts ofthe freshman class were gauged tohave $30,000 value equivalency from
volunteer time. Through the ser-vice project , 1,500 hours of serv icewere provided through the 750 vol-unteers (including staff, chaperonesand Laker Leaders that participated),over 2,000 pounds of produce picked
from Mercyhursts farm for SecondHarvest Food Bank of Northwest-ern Pennsylvania and over eight trash
bags worth of ga rbage were removedfrom Presque Isle beaches.
In order to reach out to the com-munitys elderly, volunteers were sentto local nursing homes and weretasked with aiding the residents withany technological difficulties. Prob-lems ranged from difficulty withthe television remote to inability touse certain applications on the latestiPhone were short work for Mer-cyhurst freshmen and provided anoutlet for assisting and socializing
with Er ies senior citizens.When asked about the student s
general reaction to the service proj-ect, Director of Ser vice-LearningColin Hurley stated, The students
were able to learn the joy of ser-vice and the most universa l r eactionof the students was regret that theywere only able to g ive two h ours ofservice.
For more information on thefreshman service project and otherservice learning opportunities, con-tact Colin Hurley at churley@mercy-
hurst.edu.
By Will BickelmannContributing writer
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FEATURES September 11, 2013Page 4
Fair encourages students to participate in various clubs
Students at Mercyhurst, both oldand new alike, were given the chanceto become a part of the manygroups and clubs on campus. OnFriday, Sept. 6, the Campus Involve-ment Fair took place outside of theStudent Union.
This was the first year the CampusInvolvement Fair took place on thefirst Friday of the year. In years past,the fair usually occurred after the firstfew weeks of the academic schoolyear. According to Leadership andOutreach Coordinator Kristy Jami-son, this change was made so thatincoming students could be involvedin the various RSCOs from the verybeginning of the year. She said it wasalso made so that RSCOs could startthe year off right, allow for a longerprogramming period, and so students
could create some early connections.Jamison had been given the job
of coordinating the fair two weeksbefore the fair was scheduled tohappen. Campus Involvement CenterDirector Sarah Allen was also anotherperson who was responsible for put-ting on the Campus Involvement Fair.
The goal of the fair is to g et stu-dents connected to the campus com-munity outside of the classroomsetting. It is also used as a way forstudents to meet others with similar
interests and show off the vibrantstudent life on campus, according to
Jamison.In addition to the many student
clubs and organizations being repre-sented at the Campus InvolvementFair, non-profit local services fromall around the Erie area had boothsrepresenting themselves at the fair.
Therewere approximate ly 36 localErie services at the fair. Director
of Service Learning Colin Hurleywas in charge of coordinat ing theappearances of the local services atthe fair.
The Campus Involvement Centerbelieves that the Campus Involve-ment Fair went very well. Jamisonsays that a good majority of theRSCOs representing themselvesat the fair were able to get a goodnumber of potential new membersfor their individual clubs and orga-nizations.
The good weather we got that day
really seemed to help a lot too, Jami-son said .
If you would like to know moreabout the many RSCOs on campus,please visit the Campus InvolvementCenter located on the top floor of theStudent Union. You may also contactKristy Jamison at (814)-824-2388 [email protected] and Sarah
Allen at (814)-824-2089 or [email protected].
By Dan TarrFeatures editor
Students, both old and new, ran and visited booths at this past Fridays Campus Involvement Fair.
Selina Bowe photo
Dos and donts for freshmenWith the start of a new year, an
incoming class of freshmen arrives atthe Mercyhurst campus ready to beginthe four-year adventure that will kickstarttheir careers.
But, not all of them will make themost out of the four years, and the nextthing they know, theyre picking up adiploma, wondering where their collegeyears went. Heres how to avoid that.
Involve yourself in campus activities.
Not only is it a great resume builder, butit also helps you meet people that shareinterests. There are a variety of clubsaround campus, so it is unlikely to notfind a club that revolves around at leastone of your interests. There are alsomajor-specific clubs, which allow you tomeet people who will be taking one ormore classes with you in the course ofthe following four years and serve as agreat networking activity.
One of the most important tools forthe classes you will be taking is goingto them. People will tell you not to, butthe best way to succeed in your collegecourses is by actually attending classes.Plus, it saves you time on studying fortests since you already know what wascovered in class.
Dont give into peer pressure. Collegeis a time of experimentation and self-ex-ploration, but it should always remainclear that you should not do somethingif you do not feel comfortable.
Most importantly, dont do anythingjust because someone tells you you
should or its cool. Not only could youget in trouble, but it could have a neg-ative impact on your life. Theres noth-ing wrong with saying no; people willunderstand and it wont tarnish your rep-utation in any way, shape or form.
Dont carry a full backpack on week-end nights when youre not going to thelibrary or any other place to study.
Dont feel the necessity to travel inlarge groups anywhere. Whether youre
going to Egan for dinner or to the parkfor some healthy fun, its unnecessaryand it clutters pathways.
Its perfectly fine to get food fromthe dining halls by yourself. It allowsyou to relax, think about stuff or doyour classwork and it removes the
whole social expectation from theeating process.
Try your hardest to make friends.Your college years are allegedly thebest years of your life and they allowyou to meet people from all walksof life and all places from the world.Making friends helps you broaden
your perspective, gives you a supportsystem and makes it convenient forthose lazy days where you just want to
watch movies with someone.Last, but not least, dont let these
four years go to waste. Enjoy your lifeto the fullest. Have fun. Get an A inevery class if you wish. Just make surethat when you graduate, your mem-ories of college are filled with greatmemories instead of what-ifs.
By Juan MendezNews editor
Freshmen are encouraged not to wear lanyards around their necks
or shoulders, unless they want to stand out.
Sami Rapp photo
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5September 11, 2013
The Cashore Marionette s are
known internationally for incred-
ible talent and engineering skills.
Now Mercyhurst University has the
opportunity to host not only one,
but two shows in the Walker Recital
Hall. The Cashore Marionettes,
created by Joseph Cashore, bring
enlightening themes to the stage.
Jamie Grady, the director of Mer-
cyhurst Institute for Arts & Culturesays, Many of the pieces are whim-
sical and funny while others can be a
bit more moving and thought provok-
ing.
Cashores interest in marionettes
began at a young age. He recalls
seeing a colorful pirate hanging from
the ceiling in a store he was in with
his parents when he was about 11
years old. Later in life, he studied at
University of Notre Dame, graduat-
ing with a bachelor in fine arts andcontinued to study portrait and figure
painting at Pennsylvania Academy of
Fine Arts. Cashore designs, molds
and paints all of his marionettes.
There is great detail put into his work
and the range of movement he can
portray is truly amazing.
The Cashore Marionett es were
brought here by Gradys interest
in the art of puppetry after work-
ing in Atlanta with the Center for
Puppetry Arts. It wasnt until he
was in New York City that he saw
the Cashore Marionettes and knew
they would be perfect to bring to
Mercyhurst. Grady further explains
that he thinks everybody who sees
the show will love it. There are no
spoken words but the shows bring a
theme of spirit and what it means to
be alive through the movement of
both humans and animals.The show is being performed on
Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
There will be a pre-show event
on Sept. 14 before the 2 p.m. show.
At the pre-show there will be face
painting provided by Erie Clown
College, music by WMCE, an art
show and sale by local artist Heather
Cash and Erie Experience Museum
will be playing movement games with
children. Tickets are $20 for adults,
$17 for senior citizens, and $14 for
students. The show is appropriate for
all ages and all are expected to enjoy
the rare art of puppetry!
For more information, contact the
MIAC Box Office at (814) 824-3000.
By Sam BeckasStaff writer
Ellie Gouldings career as a pop
star started out rather slow. Her first
hit single, Lights, arose in popular-
ity a whole year after it was released
in the UK. Once Lights caught on,
the whole world fell in love with this
British sweetheart. With the release
of her third album, Halcyon Days,
Ellie continues to show the world
why she deserves to be in the same
ranks of other big name pop stars.
Halcyon Days can be viewed as
a double EP. The first album is a
re-release of Ellies second album,
Halcyon. The second album, I have
dubbed Days, is chalked full of
new material from Goulding. Hal-
cyon is viewed by many as a very
dark album. The themes of most
songs talk about missed chances with
love, or future romance that will be
worth the wait.
The one thing I like about this
album is that it doesnt feel like a re-re-
lease. Halcyon now feels like a sampler
of what Halcyon Days was going to
contain. This album truly shows the
full potential of Ellies ability to dabble
in almost any genre she wants.
Songs can range f rom Halcyon
that features rhythmic acoustic folk
guitars with electronic back beats
to her newest number one single
Burn. This pulls heavily from elec-
tric dance music, a genre in which
Ellie features greatly in the second
half of Halcyon Days with songs
like Stay Awake and Flashlights,
featuring big name producers.
Though this album may seem
like a lot of commitment to some,the length of the album is 28 songs
long and spans almost two hours,
it should not be a deterrent. This
album is fully worth it with a mix
of familiar tracks you have already
grown to love, assorted with several
new refreshing tracks.
By Zach DorschManaging Editor
Cashore Marionettes will per-
form on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. and 7
p.m. in the Walker Recital Hall.
miac.mercyhurst.edu
Ellie Goulding lightsup with Halcyon Days
Marionettes set to string in crowd
Online
Full list of events can be foundon the MIAC website
View upcoming performances at:miac.mercyhurst.edu
www.merciad.mercyhurst.edu/arts_entertainment
ONE FOR YOU
AND A FRIENDTired of the crowded Student Center on campus?
Dont want every Tom, Jane and Harry from classwith their eyes on you while you work out? Cant
log the pool time you need?
For WAY LESS than your monthly data plan, you
and a friend can join the YMCA of Greater Erie!With the Glenwood Park Y location near thecampus of Mercyhurst, the Y is your one-stop
shop for popular group classes like: Bootcamp, X-
Bike, PiYo, Turbo Kick, ZUMBA and Holisticprograms such as QiGong, Reiki, Yoga, and more.
Plus, theres a Massage & Energy Center right in
our Y!
We have the latest cardio and strength training
equipment, personal training, sports and recleagues, swimming pools AND, opportunities for
community service, work-study jobs and
internships at the Y, we are building your bodyAND your resume.
Plus, when you are a member of one Y branch,you can use them ALL like something at one
then go for it!
Theres FREE WIFI in our lobby too!
YMCA YOUNG ADULT MEMBERSHIP BOGOGLENWOOD PARK Y located across from the Erie Zoo
YOUNG ADULT BOGO OFFER(18-24)!
Buy one 6 month young adult
membership and get one free Sept. 1-
Sept. 15 thats just $16/month foreach of you! * Told you it was less than
your data plan!
If you have CoventryCares insurance
ask us how you can earn a FREEmembership!
ymcaerie.org or find us on facebook
search branch name
The Glenwood Park Y is convenientlylocated on an EMTA bus route and has abike rack.
Ellie Gouldings newest album,
Halcyon Days shows why she
deserves to be in the same
ranks as other pop artists.
www.infectiousmagazine.com
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OPINION September 11, 2013Page 6The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst University, the staff of The Merciad or
the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be emailed to [email protected].
Editors
Mathew Anderson
Zach Dorsch
Juan Mendez
Daniel Tarr
Samantha Bante
Garrett Erwin
Leann Krysiak
Nicole Lawrence
Sami Rapp
Ethan Johns
Will DeFeo
Bill Welch
Positions
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
News Editor
Features Editor
Sports Editor
A&E Editor
Copy Editor
Graphics
Photo Editor
Web Editor
Ad Manager
Adviser
@mercyhurst.edu
editormerciad
managingmerciad
newsmerciad
featuremerciad
sportsmerciad
entertainmentmerciad
copymerciad
photomerciad
photomerciad
ejohns89
admerciad
wwelch
The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstUniversity. It is published throughout the school year, with the exceptionof finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is
(814) 824-2376.
The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signedand names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit theletters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Lettersare due Mondays by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submitletters to box PH 485 or via email at [email protected].
If you dont want it printed . . . dont let it happen.
Miley Cyrus Cant Stop, but she needs to
In this day and age, anyone could
come up with a thousand and one
ways to become famous. Through
websit es like YouTube and other
social media, you dont need to have
extreme talent to be famous.
All you n eed is a camera and som ecreativity and the stage sets itself. It
can be moderate or outrageous, as
long as its all in good taste. No one
relayed this message to Miley Cyrus.
In what could only be described
as the beginning of a downward
spiral, Cyrus has been making a
series of career choices that show
how mature and grown she is
now that shes left the fame of her
Hannah Montana days behind.
These actions, although meant
to symbolize her growth, have only
served to ridicule herself in the
media.
A couple of facts I need to clar-
ify before I go on, only for the pur-
pose of expressing my vantage point:
I am a fan of Miley Cyrus and her
music. Im guilty on 25 charges of
enjoying and listening to both We
Cant Stop and Wrecking Ball on
repeat.
However, my fanaticism did not
prevent the wave of embarrassment
that took over after watching both of
her music videos.
In a time period during which every-
one can become famous for being
themselves, cultural appropriation and
over-sexualization are not the way to go.
Im not saying that people are not
allowed to do as they wish, but there
should be a level of taste going into the
final product.
Miley Cyrus performing lewd acts
in front of millions of people
teenagers and children included in
the audience with a foam finger is
neither art nor tasteful.
Miley Cyrus shedding all her
clothes as she rides a wrecking ball in
the music video for Wrecking Ball
is not an artistic nude.
Its simply Miley Cyrus being
naked in front of a camera while
licking some seemingly unsanitary
construction work equipment.
Although she is free to be who
she wants to be and do the things she
wants to do, there should always be
a concern and a purpose of artistic
revelation in her work.
Nothing should be done for the
sake of selling sex. Miley has the
talent to sell the songs, which are
good, without the tasteless videos
that accompany it.
Running out of puns, I have to say
that the only thing that should come
in like a wrecking ball in her career
is her parents, telling her to stop.
By Juan Mendez
News Editor
This academic year, Mercy-
hurst has installed an allergy-free
station at Egan Dining Hall.
It is good to see the school
is making accommodations for
students with food allergies.
On another good note, Mer-cyhurst climbed from number 47
to number 37 in the 2014 edition
of Americas Best Colleges,
released by U.S. News & World
Report.
Although, Mercyhurst has put
a lot of focus on our university
status, the sign marking the west
entrance to campus still bears the
old college logo.
The iconic and historic gates
at the entrance to Mercyhurst
fell victim over the summer to a
branding effort that was not nec-
essary. Does anyone not know
this is Mercyhurst University
when they enter the campus?
Have an opinion? Wanna get paid?
Write for The Merciad
Email [email protected]
New water system rocks
If you havent heard about Evive
yet, youve been missing out. Over the
summer, Mercyhurst installed a new
water distributing system on the secondfloor of Old Main, located near Preston.
I heard about this new concept from a
few friends who had been on campus
over the summer, who all received free
Evive water bottles.
The bottles are $15 and are available
in the Mercyhurst Bookstore, across
from the Starbucks bar. Although you
may think that $15 is too much for a
water bottle, youll certainly make your
money back after a few times of filling
the water bottle for free at the station.
After you buy the bottle, you go to
evivestation.com and set up your bottle
from there, using a personalized code
and choosing your own pin number. The
website will give you another number to
verify your bottle at the Evive Station.
Once at the station, touch your bottle
to the machine, and itll automatically
detect the chip in the bottom of the
bottle. Verify your pin number, and
youre ready to start enjoying free, puri-
fied water. The water from the Evive
Station is chilled perfectly. This UV fil-tered, perfectly chilled water goes directly
from the machine to your water bottle.
But wait, theres more. This station
not only provides healthy drinking water,
but it also will clean and sanitize your
water bottle for free. Enter your pin
number and a hydraulic-controlled door
will open on the front of the machine,
revealing a compartment that will clean
and refill your bottle in the same process.
Not only is the Evive machine awe-
some to use, but youll also be doing a
little more to help the Earths ecosystemby reducing your plastic consumption.
By Mathew Anderson
Editor-in-Chief
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Former Mercyhurst student Jamie
Walczak, a member of the Cincinnati
Reds organization, has been selected
to play in the Arizona Fall League for
the Glendale Desert Dogs in the fall
2013 season.
Walczak played mostly outfield
during his time at Mercyhurst Univer-
sity from 2006-2009. He was a stand-
out of player, and only continues to
progress.
During his time here, he had 76 hits
during his senior season in 2009, and
currently is tied with Zak Blair and
Shane Latshaw for the programs all-
time record. He did not pitch until his
senior season and served as the Lakers
closer that year.
In 17 appearances out of the bull-
pen, Walczak went 4-3 with five saves
as well.
He started the season with Cincin-
natis Single-A affiliate and then movedto the Bakersfield Blaze of the Califor-
nia League.
The former Laker, standing at
6-foot-2-inches tall, has been makinghis way through the minor leagues
each year since he has been signed.
Since appearing in Double-A for
the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the
Southern League the former Laker has
pitched in 22 games.
Walczak was drafted by the Cincin-
nati Reds in the 15th round during the
2009 Major League Baseball First-Year
Player Draft.
He now plays at the double-A level
after starting his professional career
with Billings of the Pioneer League
right after signing with the organiza-
tion.Walczak is one of three former
Lakers currently affiliated with Major
League organizations. The other two
are David Lough who is an outfielder
for the Kansas City Royals and Zak
Blair plays for the Arizona League
Cubs at the rookie level.
The Arizona Fall Leagues first
game of the season is scheduled to
take place on Oct 8.The Desert Dogs roster holds
these minor league teams: Chicago
White Sox, Cincinnat i Reds, Los
Angeles Dodg ers, Miami Marlins and
Minnesota Twins.
Also, there are six teams in the
Arizona Fall League: the Scottsda le
Scorpions, Mesa Solar Sox, Salt City
Rafters, Phoenix Desert Dogs, Peoria
Javelinas and Su rprise Saguaros.
September 3, 2008SPORTSSeptember 11, 2013 Page 7
Former Laker Walczak selected to playBy Samantha BanteSports Editor
The Mercyhurst volleyball team traveled to West Virginia and
played four matches this passed weekend.
Contributed photo
Womens volleyball tries for PSAC tourney
In the 2012 season the womens
volleyball team went to the NCAA
Tournament for the first time since
its 2009 season. This year, the Lakers
are looking to build even more on
one of the best seasons in the pro-
grams history.
Losing a total of seven seniors, and
gaining eight freshmen, the womens
volleyball team is looking to take this
years season to a whole new level.
The freshmen are all adapting
really well to our program and col-legiate volleyball in general. said
senior Sarah Vick.
The transition from high school
to college sports is really tough, with
the higher level of play and bigger
time commitment, but they are all
doing great. All of the freshmen
work really hard and they really have
been pushing all of us returners in
the gym, every day.
This past weekend the Lakers vis-
ited Fairmount State and captured a
3-1 record during the tournament and
started off with yet another successful
season.We talked a lot about our goals
during preseason, and are focusing
our goals on improving as a team
every single practice and every single
game. said Vick.
We hope to have another great
season like we did last year, but our
goals this year are more centered on
the little things than the end result;
stuff we do every day and utilizing
every minute of gym time.
If we continue to improve as
much as we have been these past few
weeks, we will have an extremely suc-
cessful season, Vick said.
Some of the returning players to
look out for are junior Camille Alvarez
and senior Sarah Vick with combined
kills of 393 during last years season.
Along with sophomore Kelly Vitt who
had 301 assists and Nicole Texido with
262 digs.
This year we are more of a block-
ing team than last year. We have a lot
of height and are making blocking
more of a focus for our defense, Vick
said.
Last year the Lakers ended theirseason with 25 wins, the most the
program has had since 1993. The
team also had wins over every team is
the Pennsylvania State Athletic Con-
ference (PSAC) Western Division.
We have some new skills and
other technical volleyball things we
are focusing this year, but we are also
working on our mental toughness.
Volleyball is such a game of momen-
tum and so far we have been doing
really well with keeping our heads
where we need to be, Vick said.
The Lakers next match will be a
tournament hosted in Finlay, Ohio.
from Sept. 13-15, against University
of Southern Indiana, Rockhurst Uni-
versity, and Universi ty of Findlay.
By Samantha BanteSports Editor
Former Laker Jamie Walczak, shown pitching for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at the AA level.
Contributed photo
The freshmen are
all adapting really
well to our program.
Senior Sarah Vick.
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7/29/2019 The Merciad, September 11, 2013
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SPORTSPage 8 September 11, 2013
Field hockey aims for PSAC tourney bid
In 2012, the Mercyhurst field
hockey team captured a total of five
home game wins, setting itself up for
a strong 2013 season.
With losing only three players,
Meghan Richards, Jessica Richards,
and Tessa Ramsdell and gaining three
freshmen, the Lakers are off to a solid
start to this years season.
Weve gained three talented fresh-
men. Theyre fitting in perfectly withour team, and theyre quickly adjusting
to Division II athletics, said junior
Marissa Faso.
Emily Burns, Alex Albright, and
Kimberly Pflumm are going to have
an amazing freshman season. Theyve
worked so hard during preseason and
deserve to show off their skills in the
coming games.
Some of the returning players to
look out for are junior Marissa Faso
who lead the team with nine goals and
total of 23 points during last yearsseason. Senior Meghan Smith added
on an additional six goals, while soph-
omore Cayla Slade scored five times.Weve been doing extensive condi-
tioning, as well as fine tuning our stick
skills, said Faso.Team systems have been a reoccur-
ring theme for every practice to be sure
we are ready for anything in the 2013season. We had the opportunity to be
coached by Moses So from England.
He has helped bring us to that next
level with special skills that he has been
taught at the international level. Moses
promised to come back when we make
it to PSACs at the end of our season,
said Faso.
With a 2-4 loss during the season
opener against Millersville, the Lakers
are holding strong and are ready for
another unforgettable season.
Three-a-days are always stressful
and tough but the team bonds best
under tough conditions that we get
through together. Our team has comea long way since Aug. 18. Weve learned
two new complex defensive and offen-
sive systems, assimilated the three
freshmen into our team dynamic, and
our green versus white game proved
we are prepared for the 2013 season,
said Faso.
This season the Lakers have nine
games scheduled against teams ranked
in the National Field Hockey Coaches
Association (NFHCA) Preseason Poll.
The Lakers next home match will be
on Sept. 13 against Limestone Collegeat 2 pm.
By Samantha BanteSports Editor
Field hockey was voted eighth in the PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll for the 2013 season.Contributed Photo