the merciad, september 11, 2013

7/29/2019 The Merciad, September 11, 2013

1/8

MORE INSIDE

& ONLINE

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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3/8

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


Thursday, Sept. 5Harassment

Lewis Ave.


Mercyhurst

University

Police & Safety Police Log

Saturday, Sept. 7

Liquor law violation

3939 Briggs Ave.


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


4/8

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


5/8

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


6/8

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


7/8

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.


8/8

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

the merciad, september 11, 2013

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