the merciad, jan. 25, 2011
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
1/8
Mercyhurstranks high forinternational
studentsSee Page 3
Ethan Magoc photo
Dr. Peggy Blackleads extensive
sociology
departmentPage 4
Cavani teamswith Hurst art,dance, music
departmentsPage 5
Opinion:Generation Yfaces tough
economyPage 6
$150K softballfacility
upgrade
approvedPage 8
Worldwideacclaim
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
2/8
NEWSPage 2 January 26, 2011
Domenica Catelli, celebrity chefand frequent judge on Iron Chef
America, provided cooking tipsfor college students on Friday nightat the Taylor Little Theatre.
The presentation included acooking demonstration, audienceparticipation and a question-and-answer session. Afterward, students
21 years and older were invited to awine-tasting session in the FacultyDining Room in Egan Hall.
Catellis talk was sponsored bythe Mercyhurst Student Govern-ment (MSG) Distinguished SpeakerSeries. The annual event consistedof two speakers this yearCatelliand Steve Lopez, author of TheSoloist, this years freshman read-ing requirement. He spoke at theMary DAngelo Performing ArtsCenter in October.
MSG Event Coordinator ColleenOHara explained how this yearsspeakers were chosen.
(They) were both receivedas recommendations back in thespring of last year, she said. I hadreceived great interest from the col-lege community about Steve Lopezand continuous interest about ChefDomenica.
Unlike past MSG speakers,Catelli presented in the Taylor Little
Theatre rather than the Perform-ing Arts Center due to a schedul-ing conflict with the Cavani StringQuartets campus visit. The theatre
was half full.During the presentation, Mer-
cyhurst students cooking skillsimpressed Catelli. A quick pollrevealed that 75 percent of the stu-dent audience cooked at least oncea week, and several students cookedmore than that.
Nevertheless, Catelli challengedstudents to cook twice a week.She said that the small change canmake a difference in healthy eatinghabits.
We are watching food on TVmore than ever before and we arecooking less than ever before,Catelli said.
She said that she wants to remindpeople that preparing and sharingfood is something fun and easy.
Catelli recently released her firstcookbook Mom-a-Licious, whichteaches people to cook simple buthealthy recipes that she describes asfresh and fast. She signed copiesof her book after the talk.
Among other tips, Catelli toldstudents to take advantage of col-lege services such as taking theshuttle to Wegmans and eating atEgan Dining Hall, which is a phe-
nomenal cafeteria, she said.For the cooking demonstra-
tion, Catelli made a one-dish mealof chicken and vegetables usingchicken tenders from Wegmans and
vegetables from the cafeteria saladbar.
Catelli had help from two stu-dent volunteers, juniors ShannonKissel and Max Korczyk.
Catelli had the audience gigglingthroughout the demonstration.
Kissel said, It was really fun howshe had everyone interact duringthe presentation.
During the cooking time, Catellianswered student questions, whichranged from cooking pasta andsilicone cookware to Iron Chef
America stories and her favoritefood.
She gave away several cookinginstruments, including a cuttingboard, lemon squeezer and toasteroven.
Among many other tips, Catelliadvised students to cook meat athigh temperatures, salt pasta wateruntil it tastes like the sea, andheighten flavor without addingcalories by using fresh herbs andspices.
Korczyk said, I learned a lotactually, and I cook all the time.
An hour in, many studentsseemed eager to test out their newknowledge.
By Jennifer McCurdyStaff writer
Celebrity chef offers cooking tips for students
Residence Life hall directors and members of the mainte-
nance staff conducted health and safety inspections last weekat Mercyhurst College.
The goal of these inspections, which occur once a term, isto check that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectorsare working properly as well as look for potential safety issues,
Vice President for Student Life Dr. Gerry Tobin said.If thats not getting done, thats not a good thing, Tobin
said.Despite Tobins concern for the safety of students, not all
inspections were properly conducted. The inspection at senior Claire Hindes East 41st town-
house consisted of a hall director and maintenance staffmember asking if the residents had any problems that needed
addressed.They didnt even come inside, Hinde said. I could have
left my Christmas lights up. The staff conducting the health and safety inspection at
junior Chris Sands Lewis Avenue apartment went inside, butthey did not check the smoke and carbon monoxide detec-tors.
I think Residence Life and Maintenance failed to meet theobjectives of health and safety inspections, Sands said. Thehealth and safety inspections were pointless. They didnt reallycheck anything out.
Staff conducting the inspections should do visual checksfor items including candles, Christmas lights without the pro-tective covering, an excessive amount of alcohol, drugs andkegs, Director of Residence Life Alice Agnew said.
The staff also checks to make sure there is not a significantamount of trash in the apartments that would cause healthconcerns, she said.
The concern is, as you can imagine, is both for safety ofoccupants and the well being of property, Tobin said.
To be able to do a full visual check, these inspections shouldtake at least five minutes per residence and should cover every
room and floor of the residence, Tobin said.Even though every room should be inspected, the staff
conducting the checks will not open cupboards or drawers.The only instance they would do this is if they found some-
thing illegal. In this case, they would call Police and Safety andconduct a further search of the apartment.
I think its fair to say our goal is not to catch people,Tobin said. If our goal is to catch people, we wouldnt give aweeks warning.
The smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were checkedat junior Amanda Chances Highland Square apartment, but
when she told the staff that the outside door and bathroomdoor do not shut, nothing has yet been done to fix them.
This was not the first time Chance and her roommatesinformed maintenance about the issue with the doors.
Students who were not pleased with the effectivenessof their Health and Safety Inspection can notify Agnew [email protected].
We certainly want to follow up on that so we better under-stand whats going on, Tobin said.
By Kelly LuomaManaging editor
Inspections fail to please: Staff doesntuphold health and safety requirements
Celebrity chef Domenica Catelli offered cooking tips and
demonstrated making a one-dish meal to Mercyhurst students
in Taylor Little Theatre on Friday.
Tyler Stauffer photo
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
3/8
Page 3January 26, 2011 NEWS
Mercyhurst College enrolls oneof the highest percentages of inter-national students among the bestregional universities in the North,according to U.S. News & World
Report. At six percent enrollment ofinternational students, the collegehas tied for ninth place out of 172colleges that made the list.
Mercyhurst currently has 226international students from 46different countries. They comefrom countries such as Ireland,Poland, Vietnam, Nepal and manyothers.
Eric Evans, the director of inter-national admissions, knows why
Mercyhurst is such a popular choicefor international students whocome to study in the U.S.
Its really the same for inter-national as domestic students,Evans said. Quality education,
wonderful campus and affordableprice.
Information about Mercyhurst isspread internationally through thecollege website, word-of-mouth by
current and past international stu-dents and direct recruitment in thehome countries of the students,said Evans, who is now workingon recruiting students in Central
America.There are only a few people who
know better than Evans why Mer-cyhurst is one of the top choicesof international studentsthe
students themselves. There aremany reasons students from abroadchoose to study in the U.S.
The universities in Jamaicaare excellent institutions, how-ever there are very few of them,junior Nicole Pryce of Clarendon,
Jamaica, said.So many students opt to study
abroad. I chose the U.S. because Iwanted the experience of studyingabroad as well as the unique oppor-tunities that colleges here offer.
Junior Killian Bowe from Dublin,Ireland, is of the same mind asPryce.
I thought, Why not study inter-national business internationally?Bowe said. Also, going to anothercountry would help me broaden myhorizons and learn about a differentculture.
Many of the international stu-dents who study in the U.S. are
interested in not only earning adegree, but also learning a new lan-guage and culture.
I chose to study in the Statesbecause my bachelors degree willopen many doors and give memore opportunities in my futurelife, senior Srdjan Popovic ofMontenegro said. Also, I wantedto learn the language, experience
new places, meet other culturesetc.
Domestic students at Mercy-hurst also gain experiences fromhaving international students oncampus.
Were proud that students from46 different countries have chosento attend Mercyhurst College fromamong the hundreds of top-tierinstitutions in the United States,said Dr. Michael Lyden, vice presi-dent for enrollment.
These students find a welcom-ing environment here and contrib-ute much to the experience of ourdomestic students.
It seems international studentswho chose Mercyhurst are glad theymade the choice they did.
I think Mercyhurst is great,especially the people and the arrayof activities to take part in, Bowesaid.
By Lynn DulaStaff writer
Mercyhurst ranks high
for international students
Junior Nicole Pryce is a biology and pre-health major from
Jamaica. Senior Srdjan Popovic is a hospitality management
major from Montenegro.
Ethan Magoc photos
CorrectionThe Dec. 15 issue of The Merciad contained a
story titled, Cost of play: How Mercyhurst funds
its varsity athletics. In that story, several key figures
were incorrectly reported. Those false figures were
addressed in the Jan. 5 issue.
Additionally, an illustration on page two of theDec. 15 issue featured a breakdown of game-day
expenses by sport. The dollar figures for the mens
and womens lacrosse programs were inadvertently
switched. The mens lacrosse game-day expenses
were $91,200 in 2009-10, and the womens lacrosse
game-day expenses were $50,284.
The Merciad apologizes for this inaccuracy and
any confusion it may have caused.
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
4/8
FEATURES January 26, 2010Page 4
Internationalstudents: Why
did you choose tocome to
Mercyhurst?
I chose Mercyhurstbecause my best friendand I got basketballscholarships and wevehad a chance to study
and live together.-Srdjan Popovic, senior
I chose Mercyhurstbecause of the diverseand close community
atmosphere. The collegealso has a very strongIrish background.-Killian Bowe, junior
I like the small com-munity-like environment,ther student-facultyinteraction, and mostinternational studentsget really great scholar-ships, which is anotherincentive.-Nicole Pryce, junior
Teacher Feature: Dr. Peggy Black
Peggy Black, Ph.D., department
chair and associate professor of
sociology and social work, provides
her students with the tools to create
a better world, one individual at a
time.
Im passionate about social
work, and about creating a socially
just world, she says. I like to beable to give people tools to change
their environment.
An Erie native, Black earned
her bachelors degree in sociology
from Geneva College, her masters
degree in social work at Case West-
ern Reserve University and her
doctorate from the University of
Pittsburgh.
She also served as a clinical social
worker in a variety of hospitals and
nursing homes in Erie prior to join-ing Mercyhurst in 2001.
Blacks work focuses on the
needs of older adults who face such
issues as chronic illnesses and nurs-
ing homes.
She teaches several introductory
courses for sociology and social
work as well as higher-level courses.
Her teaching methods include role-
playing, simulations of situations
and discussion-based activities.
Black has earned several awards
in her career, including the 2002
Social Worker of the Year: North-
west Division of PA-National
Association of Social Worker and
honorable mentions for the 2006
and 2007 Mit Joyner Award for
Innovative Programs in Gerontol-
ogy.
She has also served as a Penn-
sylvania delegate and guided policy
about aging concerns.
Yet she remains humble with
each opportunity.
Working with families and alle-
viating their stress and trauma is
equally rewarding, she says.
We represent the mission state-
ment more than any other major at
Mercyhurst, Black says about the
sociology and social work depart-
ments. She says sociology students
learn to handle social problems and
give strength to people struggling
with illness, family issues and other
problems.
In other words, she gives stu-
dents the tools to transform into
successful and competent social
workers. She says, Its rewarding
to watch the transformation from
wanting to do something and being
able to do it.
She acts as co-adviser to the
Social Work Club and helps with
Flourishing Child, a series of pro-
grams that raise awareness of youth
social issues.
Black is active both on and off
campus. She works closely with
local social work institutions and
offers professional development
seminars.
One of my missions is to make
sure there are opportunities for
social workers to continue their
education, she says.
Black also makes sure her stu-
dents have a great start on the edu-
cation front. Sociology and social
work students who earn a degree
at Mercyhurst may have advanced
standing for masters programs.
Social work students can work in
almost any environment, Black says,
and the major is very marketable
since the need for social work will
never go away.
In her spare time, Black enjoys
reading, listening to music and
vacationing with her family.
By Jennifer McCurdyStaff writer
Horoscopes wont change yet, or ever
How often do you read your
horoscope?
Although I dont read mine
often, my mom swears I will be a
Gemini forever.
Geminis are curious, have a vari-
ety of interests and are good at
communicating. Geminis are also
quick, clever, impulsive and crave
novelty, which means they grow
bored easily.
Why were my mom and I even
talking about horoscopes at all, or
about the fact that I will always be a
Gemini? Well, if you havent heard, a
Minnesota astrologist, Parke Kunkle,
has found a new sign in the sky, called
Ophiuchus, the serpent holder.
After this began to get media
attention, people were in a huffno
one wanted to change their signs.
Turns out, there are actually two
different types of astrology: the
sidereal variety that does take theposition of the stars into account,
and the tropical variety. Most
Westerners use the tropical variety,
which does not use the position of
the stars in relation to the planet to
determine the astrological signs.
The precession of the Earth,
which is the incremental wobbling the
Earth does on its axis, is not believed
to change the Earths relation to the
constellations, especially since the
constellations had been named andfollowed for more than 2,000 years.
The Washington Posts staff
writes that the real significance is,
Your sign doesnt change when the
Earth wobbles.
Most astrologists would agree
that Kunkles theory doesnt have
merit, meaning that there are only
12 astrological signs, and no ones
sign will change.
So I am a Gemini, and always
will be a Gemini, no matter what anastrologist in Minnesota says.
By Alaina RydzewskiFeatures editor
Dr. Peggy Black is the sociol-
ogy department chair.
Jill Barrile photo
A Minnesota astrologist claimed there was a new astrological
sign, but other astrologists have since rebutted his claim.
istockphoto.com photo
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
5/8
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 5January 26, 2011
Cavani String Quartet mesmerizes
audience with collaboration piece The Cavani String Quartet per-
formance in the Mary DAngeloPerforming Arts Center (PAC) onFriday, Jan. 21, was well attendedand met with rave reviews from
audience members.The quartet members played withtechnical brilliance and passion.
It was impressive how animatedand lively the Cavani String Quartet
was, said senior Heather Gorres.The concert opened with a strik-
ing rendition of Antonn DvoksString Quartet No. 12 in F, Op.96, a composition in four move-ments. Next came MidnightChild, a bluesy piece by Charles
Washington. The highlight of the evening,
however, was the collaborative pre-
sentation that followed intermis-sion.
The Cavani String Quartetsrendition of Canandaigua Quar-tet, a score composed by Albert
Glinsky, Ph.D., was combined withartwork by professor Daniel Burkeand mesmerizing dancing by SoMarDance Works.
Dr. Glinskys score was amaz-ing, said senior Meghan Geci. It
was really impressive.Glinskys score takes its name
and inspiration from CanandaiguaLake in western New York and the
beauty of the surrounding scen-ery.
A new twist was put upon thisidea with the incorporation ofBurkes bird-themed art and bird-like movement within the SoMarchoreography that mimicked theart.
The art pieces were incorporatedinto the visual presentation in a
variety of ways. Some were carriedin by the dancers and hung in space,and others appeared in Santillianos
projected video montage. Addition-ally, birds were attached to PVCpipes and used by the dancers intheir movement.
The artwork was so detailed thatI wanted to get up onstage to lookat it closer. I always like to see theblending of various art forms and it
was a neat idea to have the dancersactually carry the art onstage, saidjunior Anna Daught.
The first movement of the piece,
titled Sundance, and the thirdmovement, called Spinout, wereboth lively and enthralling, withenergy built up by both the musicand the dancers.
The second movement, Noc-turne (West on 90), was softer andmore reflective with a beautiful,subtle sadness.
The Cavani concert proved to bevery special for the SoMar dancers, who dedicated their performanceto the memory of former SoMardancer Jenni-Lyn Watson, whosetragic November death has deeply
affected the members of the dancedepartment.
This feeling was most evident inthe second movement and made foran especially stirring performance.
Overall, the whole concert wasvery well received by the audience.
Junior Melissa Sheffield said,It was a great collaboration. TheCavani String Quartet played beau-tifully. I enjoyed the compositionby Dr. Glinsky paired with the art-
work. The SoMar dancers addedanother layer and danced beauti-fully, of course.
By Sarah MastrocolaStaff writer
Erie Art Museum offers exciting changes, classes
The Erie Art Museum has beenat 411 State St. since 1980, and fol-lowing recent expansion, is set to
continue as one of the main down-town cultural attractions.Plans to expand the museum
have been in the works since1992, with ground being brokenlast May on the $11 million proj-ect. What came out of this proj-ect were three times the exhibitspace (enough for 12 galleries),a new performance area and acaf.
I believe that the renova-tions to the Erie Art Museum
are extremely beneficial to theupcoming generations, said
Mercyhurst freshman Jordan Ste-venson.
Along with the new expansioncomes the distinction of beingthe first building in the region tobecome LEED certified.
One of the biggest benefits tocome out of the recent expan-
sion is a brand new performancespacethe backbone of the newOpen Stage Nights, the first of
which will take place Feb. 4 from6 to 9 p.m.
Theyre open to any artist.Visual artists can have their workprojected. Musicians are welcome,dancers, anything artistic, said
Art Museum Director of Mar-keting and Development CarolynEller.
Unlike traditional open mic
nights, Open Stage Nights are opento all kinds of performers. They are
free to both attendees and perform-ers.
In addition to Open Stage Nights,the Erie Art Museum continues tohost art classes open to the public.Classes are held for many media,including photography, painting,dance and clay.
Freshman Rodolfo Claros thinksthe classes the museum offers are a
value to young artists.Art takes practice, and I believe
these classes will help amateursbecome better artists, Claros said.
Classes have already started forthe winter quarter, but there is stilltime to register for the spring quar-ter starting on March 28. Classesare open to the public.
For more information on classesor Open Stage Nights visit the Erie
Art Museum website at erieartmu-seum.org or call 459-5477.
By James JacksonContributing writer
The Erie Art Museum has undergone extensive renovations,
and now offers many new services.
Ethan Magoc photo
Dancers used movements that imitated birds to complement
Burkes bird-themed artwork.
Tyler Stauffer photo
The multimedia presentation included the Cavani String Quar-
tet, SoMar Dance Works, Dr. Albert Glinsky and Daniel Burke.
Tyler Stauffer photo
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
6/8
September 3, 2008OPINIONPage 6 January 26, 2011
@mercyhurst.edu
editormerciad
newsmerciad
featuremerciad
opinionmerciad
sportsmerciadentertainmentmerciad
photomerciad
photomerciad
ejohns89
copymerciad
admerciad
wwelch
bsheridan
The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of MercyhurstCollege. It is published throughout the school year, with the exception of
finals weeks. Our office is in Hirt, Room 120B. Our telephone number is(814) 824-2376.
The Merciad welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signedand names will be included with the letters. Although we will not edit the
letters for content, we reserve the right to trim letters to fit. Lettersare due Mondays. by noon and may not be more than 300 words. Submit
letters to box PH 485 or via e-mail at [email protected].
If you dont want it printed . . . dont let it happen.Editors
Ethan Magoc
Kelly Luoma
Alaina Rydzewski
Victoria Gricks
Nick GlasierAlex Stacy
Kaitlin Badger
Tyler Stauffer
Ethan Johns
Chrissy Mihalic
Daniela Carcamo
Bill Welch
Brian Sheridan
Positions
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
Features Editor
Opinion Editor
Sports EditorA&E Editor
Graphics
Photo Editor
Web Editor
Copy Editor
Ad Manager
Adviser
Adviser
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the v iews of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciador the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to [email protected].
Generation Y faces unfortunate economy
Lets face it. We are the genera-tion of ent itlements. Our genera-tion is the one that helped BarackObama reach the White House in2008.
My intention is not to bashPresident Obama or the currentlevel of entitlements. Instead, I
want to give a realistic outlookon where we, Generation Y, aretaking this country.
Do you expect to retire at theage of 60 with full benefits, a pen-sion, Social Security and Medi-
care? If you do, I really feel sorryfor you. Unless you are Americasnext billionaire (you could be, younever know), you will most likelynot get any of these things.
Despite the great provisions inthe new health care law that endedmany discriminatory practicesof the insurance companies andemployers, we are still not goingto have a sustainable market forretirement benefits. Just about theonly people who retire with fullbenefits are union workers (andthat is going to change real fast).
Like I said, with the baby boom-ers retiring at a rate of 10,000 perday, this year and beyond, employ-ers who still offer retirement cov-erage for health benefits are going
to be hard pressed.Thats right. Because your par-
ents and grandparents decided toretire with full benefits, they willaffect your chances in the jobmarket. Employers will hire lessor just not offer health coverage.Both scenarios ar e likely.
Now, lets talk about pensions.Unless youre in a union Godhelp you if you are you will notbe seeing any kind of private pen-sion. Even the governments aremoving away from pensions.
What you will most likely haveis a 401K or 403B. 401Ks are themost popular type of employeeretirement accounts, because theyare basically an investment port-folio that you put money into, and
your employer often matches yourcontributions. These are becom-ing more popular alternatives topensions.
In regard to Social Security andMedicare, I really feel sorry for youif you expect to see these. Theyare unsustainable programs that
will be bankrupt in the comingdecades: Medicare by 2017, andSocial Security sometime in the2020s-2030s.
You all probably hate me forruining your retirement dreams.But hey, if you want to retire incomfort and style and be a socialparasite, why not head up to SovietCanuckistan where they have freeeverything?
This brings me to my last point.
Where are our jobs going to be? Well, well be working for thecommies. No, I mean it. At therate of Chinese investment in oureconomy, you can expect China tobe a major employer in this coun-try in the coming future. So getready to be reading Maos little redbook and singing Lenins favoritetune, the Internationale.
I know this sounds depress-ing, but we can prevent this. Mynext column will feature what youcan do to prevent your retirementdreams from going up in flames.
Dont worry. Ill tell you mystudent economic secrets so you
wont have to work as a greeterat Wal-Mart when youre 83 yearsold.
By Mike Lado
Contributing writer
News coverage is unsatisfactory
Whether you love or hater her,Sarah Palin is always in the news.
As someone best known for
her reality show, Twitter page andbeing a mama grizzly who is justone of the folks, Sarah Palin hasbecome a cultural phenomenon.
Given her rise in popular-ity since leaving public office,
why does Sarah Palin continueto remain as such an entrenchedfigure in our political culture?
Yes, Palin is a former governor(who resigned before the end ofher first term), and a former vice
presidential candidate, but whathas she contributed to Americanpolitical discourse that is any-thing of substance?
It seems that the amount ofnews coverage she has beenreceiving is not reflective of thesubstantive work she has doneas a politician. As someone whois the center of a speculationregarding a run for the White
House in 2012, what exactly isher vision for the country beyondconservative talking points?
All too often it seems thathard work and political prow-ess are often overlooked in themainstream media and pop cul-ture. Many public figures findtheir work overlooked due to
the attention we tend to pay tosensationalistic and controver-sial things, such as the Palin per-sona.
For example, why is it that littlehas been said about Sen. KristenGillibrand, who worked on therecently passed 9/11 Health andCompensation Act? How aboutSen. Olympia Snowe and Rep.
Tim Ryan, both of whom havebeen advocates of tougher trade
policies with China?Or what about Rep. Dave
Reichert, one of the few Repub-lican House members to defyhis party and vote for the repealof Dont Ask Dont Tell? Whyhavent these politicians pen-etrated pop culture and receivedthe mainstream attention their
work deserves?
With our news sources beinginstantaneous and continuous,the old adage, if it bleeds, itleads seems to hold true. Oursensationalistic culture calls themost shocking and controversialto the front, and self-promotingSarah Palin is just that.
Unless you are a total politi-
cal junkie, Im guessing you didnot pick up this weeks edition of
The Economist for your enter-tainment purposes.
The political game has itshighs and lows; at times it hasthe intensity and high dramato garner widespread attention.Unfortunately, much of politicsis viewed as mundane by themasses; therefore, due atten-tion is not paid to the progres-
sive and substantive work beingdone.
In a culture in which many areable to name all eight members ofthe volatile show Jersey Shorebefore naming eight members ofCongress, Sarah Palin will con-tinue to make the news, whetheryou love or hate it.
By Caitlin Handerhan
Staff writer
For more articles, visit merciad.mercyhurst.edu/opinion.
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
7/8
Sports Page 7January 26, 2011
Shields attempts to recapture championship
In 2009, Mercyhurst College
senior Josh Shields won an NCAA
wrestling title. He won it during his
sophomore season and remains the
only athlete at Mercyhurst to hold
an individual NCAA title.
Its an awesome feeling knowing
that the work you put in the past 18
years has paid off, Shields said. I
have worked almost my entire lifeto be an NCAA champion, and I
accomplished that goal.
Head coach Mike Wehler, who
has been coaching at the college
level since 2004, came to the Lakers
in 2007. He says that Shields is the
toughest kid hes ever coached, and
his mental toughness is unmatched.
I dont think you can top him
winning, Wehler said.
His winning capabilities is pos-
sibly the reason why Shields haslanded top five in the national tour-
nament each year he has been in
competition.
During his first year of competi-
tion, he wrestled in the 174-pound
weight class and placed 4th in the
national championships.
In 2008-09, Shields went to 165and since then has only lost to two
Division II opponents.
He makes my job a lot easier,
Wehler said. Hes the type of guy
that leads by example and is also
vocal.
For Shields, winning might notstop at one title.
I believe if I go out there and
put everything on the line, there is
no one in this country that can stop
me, Shields said.
For some athletes, the chance to
claim another title may seem like adaunting task. What may be intimi-
dating to others though is what
Shields uses to help him attack his
goal.
He also uses those emotions to
help get him through the tough
training his teammates and he
endure.
I know there are a lot of kidsout there that want to be an NCAA
champ, so to beat them I must out-
work them in the practice room he
said.
What motivates this champion is
his last name.
When I finish up my career and
people look back and see what I
accomplished, I want them to think
that kid gave it everything he had.
You have to have pride in what you
do.In Wehlers eyes, Shields is
unmatched. It is not just how hard
he works, but it is how he perfects
all the extra things the right way.
You always tell people what to
do to win championships but they
take shortcuts, Wehler said. Josh
doesnt take shortcuts.
Shields, a senior from Lower
Burrell, plans to graduate in May
with a degree in international busi-
ness and a minor in economics.After graduation, he plans to either
accept a job offer from Douglas
Labs in Pittsburgh or continue his
education at Mercyhurst while serv-
ing as graduate assistant for the
wrestling team.
By Rachel OConnor
Staff writer
Mercyhurst College senior Josh Shields is attempting to capture the schools second individual
NCAA title this season.
Ethan Magooc photo
Mercyhurst sophomore Jake
Schuppe traveled all the way to
Egypt and the Nile River to race in
a prestigious rowing competition
from Jan. 13 to 16.
Schuppe competed at the bowseat on the U.S. mens team, earning
a bronze medal.
The event featured such national
teams as Egypt, Algeria, France,
Germany and Sweden.
Egypt was the leading contender,
winning 11 gold medals, six silver
medals and two bronze.Tunisia was
second in the final rankings with
one gold medal and three silver
medals.
The U.S. team did not manage toget to the top three in the rankings,
but with Schuppes help, they were
able to acquire one bronze medal.
Schuppe, who is a sports medi-
cine major at Mercyhurst, earned
the Rookie of the Year title last year
while he competed in the five seat.
There, he helped the team win a
national championship in the mens
Lightweight 8.
Schuppe attended Middleton
High School in his hometown ofVerona, Wisc., where he was elected
captain his senior year for his lead-
ership skills and achievement.
Over the summer, Schuppe
attended a rowing camp in Phila-
delphia where he learned that a
U.S. mens rowing team was being
formed to compete in the Inter-
national Nile Regatta in Luxor,
Egypt.
This is a festival type race,
said Mercyhurst rowing head coach
Adrian Spracklen. It is an effort by
FISA to bring the sport of rowing
to countries where it is not very
popular.
In French, FISA stands for
Fdration Internationale desSocits dAviron, which trans-
lates to International Federation of
Rowing Associations.
It is a tremendous honor to
have Jake represent this team and
this school in Egypt, said coach
Spracklen.
The Egyptian government was
gracious enough to host the event
and make the athletes feel right at
home.
They paid for our equipment,travel, meals, hotel, everything,
Schuppe said. I had security guards
with me everywhere I went. I was a
little skeptical at first but I was hon-
ored and taken back when I got to
meet the Egyptian president.
Schuppe and the rest of the col-
legiate athletes from the U.S. com-
peted against the national teams
from Egypt as well as Germany,
France and Kenya.
The teams I competed against
had athletes with experience rang-
ing anywhere from competing in
national championships to the
Olympics, said Schuppe.
Being able to compete against
other national teams in Egypt was a
humbling experience for him.
Seeing the competitiveness of all
the teams gave Schuppe an inside
look into what lies ahead if he wants
to compete at a higher level.The coming years will be exciting
for the Mercyhurst mens rowing
team because it is no secret that
they will have athletes such as Sch-
uppe competing.
No matter what happens in my
career, I will never regret going to
Egypt and competing, he said. If
going to the Olympics is an oppor-
tunity that opens up to me, I will
not hesitate to take it.
By Matthew Cirell
Contributing writer
Jake Schuppe rows like an Egyptian
Sophomore Jake SchuppeSports Information photo
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011
8/8
Sports Page 8January 26, 2011
College to develop softball fi eld
The Mercyhurst College softball
team will have a new place to call
home in the near future.
The college recently informed
the softball team that it will build
the Lakers a new field at East 35th
and Wallace Streets. Construc-
tion could begin in early summer,
according to Sara Headley, assistantathletics director and head softball
coach.
Players and coaches have
described the teams current playing
field as being less than adequate for
a Division II program.
Most high school and junior col-
lege fields were in better conditions
than ours, sophomore Amanda
Walker said.
Headley agrees with Walker about
the state of their facility near SamJethroe Field at East 41st Street and
Old French Road.
We have traveled to some fields
over the years, and ours is by far the
worst I have seen, Headley said.
When other teams come to our
field, it is an embarrassment. A lot
of the teams actually jeer us about
our field.
Headley and her players said a new
field is overdue, though plans for an
upgrade have been in the works for
at least five years.
The college purchased the
land parcel at East 35th Street for
$232,000 in May 2005 from Saint
Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic
Church.
The fields construction would
cost approximately $150,000,
according to the athletic depart-
ment?
In the past 10 years, Mercyhursts
baseball, soccer, football and hockey
teams each saw improvements to
their facilities, while the softball
team has been stuck in limbo.
The City of Erie owns and main-
tains the current space near East
41st Street.
It has been a catch-22 for us, as
we do not own our current field so
we could not make any significant
improvements to the field, Head-ley said.
The fields condition often com-
promises recruiting efforts.
During the past few seasons,
players and their parents would
complain to the administration and
plead for an improvement.
A number of parents took an
active role in lobbying and writing
letters to the school administration
encouraging construction of a new
field, senior captain Kara Gorgossaid.
After much hard work, the Erie
Zoning Hearing Board approved
use of the area as a softball field at
its Jan. 11 meeting.
I was pretty excited. Im just
hoping that I will be able to use it,
junior assistant captain Jen Bower
said.
Headley said she thinks a new
facility would be a great help in
taking her program to the nextlevel.
The cost of the field for a sport
that generally doesnt bring in much
revenue might draw criticism from
some at Mercyhurst, but Headley is
not fazed.
If a school is offering a pro-
gram, it has to be funded properly,
she said.
By Nick GlasierSports editor
This snowy expanse at East 35th and Wallace Streets could become a softball field construction
zone as early as this summer.
Ethan Magoc photo
In the recent history of the Mercyhurst College softball program, the teams facilities have been subpar for the programs advancement. At left, the softball
programss field before 2005 was located in the current baseball fields right field At right, softball now plays at East 41 Street and Old French Road.
Ethan Magoc photoMerciad file photo