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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929

M e r c y h u r s t s t u d e n t Ihad terrifying e x p e r i e n c e d u r i n g S e m e s t e r A t S e aB y A m y LandphairContributing writer

Special note from the editor:On Jan. 26 in the middle of the PacificOcean, a 50-foot wave crashed into the MV\Expforer, a "Semester at Sea" ship carrying68 1 college students.At the time the wave struck, the ship wasapproximate^ 1,600 miles from Honolulu.U.S. Coast Guard vessels and aircrafts weredispatched to help the ship.Mercyhurst students, Amy Landphair,CaitBnMiller and Laurel Dauphin are travel-ing on the Mv Explorer and experienced theterrifying eventThis article is a personal account of theexperience rom Amy L/mdpbctir.Experiencing the wave:Somehow every perilous survival storyhas a hint of irony. My story is not theexception.The night the 50-foot rogue wave pum-meled our ship had been the smoothestnight on the Pacific thus far.Many people have experienced drillsof one sort or another: tornado, ire andatomic bom b drills, to name a few of themost common.But few people ever perform the drillprocedures in the face of real danger. Iam one of those few who has. It hap-pened when I was a passenger aboardthe MV Explorer. ^ ^ 4This is my tale as I lived it on themorning of Wednesday, Jan. 26,2005.Our cap ta in , "Buzz ," made anannouncement Tuesday evening aboutthe ship's upcoming crossing of theInternational Dateline. He joked aboutfeeling a bump when w e crossed. Littledid we know what kind of bumps wewould experience within the next 12hours.

The captain's joking lifted spiritsthat were low from a straight week ofrough seas.Classes were being held in emptyrooms where students sat cross-leggedon the floor with their laps as the onlydesks that wouldn't fall over.Professors acted like practicing circusperformers, dancing to keep their bal-ance at the board. However, the usual 20-foot swellsvanished that evening as I crawled intobed around midnight.Approximately an hour and a halflater I awoke to things going bumpin the night. Not the dateline or thetypical loose book falling from the desk,but passenger's televisions and dressersbecoming dang erous projectiles.Drawers, once duct-taped, now slidfuriously open and closed. Books scat-tered here and there. Chairs tipped back and forth. Bedscrept away from the walls. Pots and panscrashed and slid across the kitchen onthe floor above us.I reached to the wall behind the bed

. \to flip on the light and found nothing!Stretching two feet farther I reachedthe switch; my bed had moved out intothe room.Getting up to secure moving itemson the floor, I began to feel more thanthe norm al rocking and rolling on wavynights. 4BS*The ship rocked deeply from side toside.So far to the side that standing unaidedwas impossible. While storing away mystray items, I tum bled to the loor, akinga hard hit in the ribs from a chair on myway down.I crawled back onto my bed; thesafest place.Trying to forget abou t the waves and

Photo courtesy of Amy LandphairStudents wait in life vests for further Instructions after being evacuated from their r ooms.the noise, I fell back asleep until 3 a.m.By this point, the ship was reallyrocking.The assistant dean of Semester at Seamade an announcement over the loudspeaker around 3:30 a.m.

He encouraged all passengers toremain calm, hold on tight and returnto or stay in their cabins.He informed us that the ship had comeupon an unexpected storm and the cap-tain was doing his best to get us out of

it. f Winds that night blew at 116 mph,comparable to sitting in a hurricane.

Please see Almost on Page 3.

W h o w i l l w i n t h e j t i t l e o f M r . M e r c y h u r s t ?By Ja ime MyersContributing writer

Knowledge, humor, school spirit.These will be the deciding factors in thecrowning of the first Mr, Mercyhurst onFriday nigh tThe M ercyhurst College Dance Teamis busy planning and promoting theevent, which is held on Friday night at8 p.m. in the Walker Recital Hall insidethe Audrey Hirt Academic Center. It isa fundraiser for the dance team.Ten Mercyhurst men will be compet-ing for the title of Mr. Mercyhurst

Events include formal wear, casual/summer wear and a question and answerround. But the most entertaining partshould be the talent portion of the com-petition. W ord going around is that thetalents range from Napoleon Dynamiteimpressions to eating talents."This competition is going to be alot of fun," said senior Robyn Mastwho is one of the seniors in charge ofthe event 4"The guys have been planning theirtalents for awhile, and Pm excited to seeevery one of them," said MastTickets are two dollars and are beingsold in the Student U nion all week long.

Tickets will also be sold at the door, butthere is a limited amount of space.There is also free food for studentsattending the event as well as prizesfor the audience members. Once yourbuy a ticket, you name is entered in thedrawing for a number of prizes and giftcertificates.The dance team is trying to raise fundsfor competitions as well as costumes.They thought it would be fun to havesomething where the school could getinvolved.

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PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD February* 2005

NEWS To contact newsmerciad@mercyhurst.eduBy Ashley BreenContributing writer

Students were unable to gainreal "iive" experience in frontof the camera this term, butwith the changes that have beenmade to the television studio inthe communication departmentstudents will gain a more realistictelevision studio experience.The television studio, locatedin the Audrey Hirt AcademicCenter, is in the process of un*dergoing some minor technicalchanges.According to Brian Sheridan,professor of communication,over time various wires through-out the studio had been changedand because of this the studiowas experiencing some minortechnical difficulties.

Sheridan said, "Coming fromthe profession, I understand howquickly the industry changes andthe standards that the industryupholds change. In order to givestudents the most realistic work-ing experience and idea of howthe equipment works we need tomake sure everything is workingproperly."

The decision to rewire the sta-tion came rom Dr. Melissa Gib-son Hancox, chairperson of thecommunications departmentAccording to Katrina Walker,student television station man-ager she hopes the updates willallow more opportunity. "Hope-fully onc e the updates have takenplace we will be able to offerstudents a m ore comprehensivelook at careers in television andalso be able to give the Mercy-hurst community some qualityprogramming that they will en-joy," said Walker. g ^

'Thanks to the addition ofBrian Sheridan to our depart-ment we were able to bring ina trained technician to performall the necessary updates thatneeded to be performed/' addedWalker. ' ^Mike Koblyka, a professionalengineer, who has been workingon rewiring the studio through-out the duration of winter term,expects the irstphase to be com-pleted in time for the beginningof spring term.Although studentswere as-signed to work in the televisionstudio this term, they were un-able to present the live television

The television studio will take on a new look for spring term. Katie McAdams/Photoeditorshows that are aired throughoutcampus and they were also un-able to gain experience doingtaped performances and tech-

nical projects like the BulletinBoard that airs on Channel 19.Sheridan said, "When all thetechnical aspects are correct.

and the rewiring is completed,students will have the opportu-nity to work in a reliable studio.It will be more beneficial for

students to work in a studio wheneverything is correct"Walker added, "TheTV stationis an important part of the com-munication department and n othaving shows this term has reallyput a cramp in learning how tooperate the equipment, especiallyfor those assigned to practicum.It is important to make thechanges to the Studio, though,because now studen ts will have achance to operate the equipmentwithout having to worry about ifit will work or no t"Aside from the technicalchanges that are being made,some cosmetic changes are alsotaking place. The studio will beredone to carry a more profes-sional appearance. The sets arebeing redesigned and improvedto give it a more realistic ap-pearance.

Though many students weredisappointed with not beingable to put o n various shows thisterm, m any are looking forwardto working in the improved sta-tion."Stay tuned for spring termand Hurst TV to see all the newchanges that will be taking place,"said Walker.

PhiiAlphaTheta seeks students V a l e n t i n e ' s raffleBy Corrie ThearleContributing writer

Do you possess a love for thepast? Would youlike to share thatinterest with fellow students oncampus? This winter MercyhurstCollege inducted new membersinto the Phi Alpha Theta Historyhonors society and is looking tocontinue to expand. ,' *f fjL' This organization's mission isto pr6mote 'the study of history

through the encouragement ofresearch, good teaching, publica-tion and the exchange of learningand ideas among historians. Itseeks to bring students, teachersand writers of history togetherfor intellectual and social ex-changes, which promote andassist historical research andpublication by its members in avariety of ways.This prestigious and vibrantsociety is, not limited to his-tory majors, but encourages and

welcomes students who havea minimum of twelve historycredits to join. Inductees mustalso maintain a 3.1 GPA in theirhistory courses and a 3.0 overallGPA. p [If you are interested in joiningthis organization on campus,please contact Dr. Colin-Bumsin the History Department byemail: ccolinburns@mercyhurstedu, telephone: ext 2331 or bystopping by her office in ^res-ton 121.

Continued rom Page 1.The basket is valued at over$80 and includes Mardi Grasat the Grotto, Sparkling Cider,Two Wine Glasses, HollywoodVideo Gift Certificate, FrankSinatra CD, Heart Note Pad,Russell Stover Large ChocolateHeart, Pulakos Chocolate, TwoTwo Russell Stover StrawberryChpcolates and a Valentine'sTeddy, Bear .' ? ' ^The basket raffle is not the

only fundraising being donefor the family, who currentlyfaces formidable expenses dueto medical costs, living expensesand missed work."The medical bills are just as-tronomical" Annan said, "Thewhole community has beenreally supportive about what'shappened with Zach,"J'"A Picnic for Zach" will takeplace at Elmwood Presbyterian

Church at 20 th and Elmwood inErie. The event will take placefrom 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb.27. Tickets are available at thedoor and cost $10 each. ElvisAppreciator Jim Moore, Dapperthe Clown and plenty of foodare amon g the festivities. Allfood, service and entertainmenthayp been dopated, so all moneyraised will go to help Zach andhis family.

Police and Safety LogUnder Age Consumption/!Disorderly ConductParking Lot 1515 January 2005Student was under the influence of analcoholic beverage while being underthe age of 21 years old and urinatingin public.

TheftStudent Union18 January 2005Unknown person(s) took theGrandfather clockfrom he GreatIRoom area. Clock recovered.Suspects questioned.

Criminal Mischief3945 Lewis Ave

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February 9, 2005 T H E M E R C I A D PAGE 3

To contact:newsmerclad@mercyhurst.eduN e w sP h o n a t h o n u p d a t e : d o n a t i o n s o n t a r g e tB y A s h l ey B r e e nContributing writer

Students and faculty continueto work hard at beating last year'stotal and meeting this years pho-nathon goal of $100,000.Each year, following a cam-paign to solicit donations fromMercyhurs t a lumni , s tuden tsand faculty make thousands ofphone calls to collect donationsto contribute to financial aid forstudents.

The phon athon began Jan. 23and will come to a close Thurs-day, Feb. 10.Last year 17 teams were ableto collect 2,006 pledges totaling$94,399. 'This year 14 teams have alreadycollected $76,040, and once againthe Am bassadors are in the leadof collecting the most donations.A first place prize will be awardedto the student who raises themost money.According to Stephen Zinram,

the head of the phonathon, theteams are right on target with lastyear, which is very impressiveconsidering how aggressive theprevious campaign was. Zinramsaid, "This year a lot of alumnithat are donating are asking ifit is ok to donate less than theydid last year because last yearwe were calling after a four-yearcampaign. Of course, it is anyamount of money they can do-nate we appreciate very m uch "I Many students do not realizethat the purpose of the pho-nathon is not just to call alumniand ask for money, but to keepthem connected with the currentevents going on in the Mercy-hurst community.

Zinram said, "It means a lotto the alumni to be able to talkto students on campus for a fewminutes. They spent four yearsof their lives here and they havea lot .of really great memories.It gives them time to reminisceabout when they were in col-lege"

Students call alum ni during the annual phonathon.The goal of $100,000 seemshard to reach, but Zinram reas-sures students that even if the

goal is not met, the studentsaren't going to be effected byit. He said, "When I told myM ark et ing Class p lays Ap pren t iceBy Josh W ilwoh lStaff writer

Fo r this Valentine's Day, menda broken heart by donating to theAmerican Heart Association, oryou may get "fired,"Jill Slomski's Principles ofMarketing class launched a seriesof donation campaignsTrump-style for the Heart A ssociationthis past week, reeling in morethan$l,8Q0.The class split into five groupsDenimVenom, Dyed Together,Flip Skip, Cap Stone and SpiroCorporation -*-and wasorf a hm -. 1 - . - * * : r ?-*i v I- ; .'"*,.--.*% r t xv MfiiA :iced, seven-day schedule to seewho could grab the most cashfrom organizations, businessesand students for the Heart As-sociation."I gave each group only $20in seed money and they have

far surpassed that amoun t," saidSlomski.Junior and leader of Flip Skip,Phou Daoreuang, said that histeam was constantly thinking ofinnovative ways to raise money."We planted the talents ofguitarist Mike Hogan in thecafe, Laker Inn and apartmentcomplexes on campus," saidDaoreuang. "Wealso sold about150 Toems by Phou* for dona-tions."

Senior David SchmidaPsgroup,Denim Venom, worked directlywith the Heart Association andsold wrist bands, pins and Val-entines. " Our biggest pitch wasWear Red for Women Day/"said Schmidal. During this day,students were to wear red torepresent a heart and support theHear t Association's cause.Cap Stone commander seniorShawn Mazur opted to gear his

group toward the Erie commu-nity. **We went to Elmer's FlowerShop and Pulako's ChocolateShop where they both donatedgenerously," said Mazur. "El-mer's contributed $100 in flowers, while Pulako's gave us 72candy bars."Mazur said that before hestarted, he knew they were go-ing to need more than $20. "Ifigured what they would do inthe Apprentice' and made mygroup the first out of the gates/'he said.Representative for Dyed To-gether, sophomor e Jessica Hale,said her group decided to gathergrab-bag baskets from all overErie. s *j

"We went to Best-Buy, Till-man Florist, Tinseltown MovieTheater and King's Jewelers,"she said."We received so many gifts.

Best-Buy donated a DV D player,Tillman's donated a gift certifi-cate and King's Jeweler's gave usa $300 gift set "The Spiro Corporation, rep-resen ted by Sophomore Dan

Zimmer, decided to stay aroundcampus. "We sold Krispy Kremedoughnuts to faculty and raffledoff certificates to the Corner-stone and Teresa's Deli/' saidMiller.The catch, however, to theclever marketing tool is thateach group must ultimately firea member.| Slomski says that even thoughone tnember"must (go" the classhas done an ou tstanding job."I am absolutely amazed," shesaid. "The teams were creative,innovative and resourceful...Igave them 20 bucks, and they re-turned unbelievable amounts."

Proposed*federal budget focuses onsecurity, cuts do m estic prog ram sB y R o n H u t c h e s o n 1Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Pres iden tBush on Monday sent Congress anearly $2.6 trillion federal bu dgetthat would boost spending fordefense and national securitywhile scaling back or eliminat-ing hundreds of domestic pro-grams.The 2006 spending plan callsfor the biggest cuts in domesticexpenditures since the Reaganyears, but would still result in a$390 billion federal deficit. ManyAmericans would feel a directimpact from the president's pro-posed cuts.Airline passengers would pay53 to $5 more each way to helpcover the cost of improved air-port security. Train passengerswould face higher ticket pricesor reduced service because Bushwould end federal subsidies for

Amtrak. Farmers would loseabout $587 million in agricul-ture subsidies. Military veteranswould pay more for prescriptiondrugs.Agencies targeted for some ofthe biggest cuts include the E n-vironmental Protection Agency,the Education Departm ent, theHeal th and Human Serv icesDepartment, and the Housingand Urban Developmen t De-partment.The president called his spend-ing proposal a "lean budget* thatfunnels tax dollars to the mostvital government programs.Overall spending for discre-tionary, governmen t programsc o ^ f e | ^ ^ < ^ n ^ a l b u d g e tproofs w>uid jricraase by about2.|Ler(&nt ? Rightly kelqw.thc

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PAGE 4 THE MERCIAD February 9,2005FEATURESTo contact: featuremerciad@mercyhursled u

G e t r e a d y t o s p r i n g b r e a k i t d o w nB y Christina Mo s c h e t t aContributing writer

The countdown is on.. .you aresitting in the library and lookingat the clock ticking away.Instead of counting the amountof hours you have to study forfinals, you can't stop thinkingabout the drinks you will be gulp-ing down on the whits sands ofCancun in a matter of days.Spring break, a tradition startedamongst the rowdy co-eds of the1960s, provided an extensionfor the stipulations of collegelife and provided a legitimateexcuse for excessive nakedness,drunkenness, and sex.But the idea of "spring break"carries a different connotation

depending on whom you aretalking to .J For students who have endureda tension-filled week of librarymarathon s, over-caffeinated all-nighters, and excruciating finals,this is the kind of release andpleasure equated with the SecondComing.However, for parents, teachers,senior citizens, and basically anydiscerning adult, spring break isviewed with the same fervor asClinton's stand on homosexual-ity in the military: Don't ask,

Miami Beach Is one location where MTV Is shooting some of their spring break pro-grams.don't tell.And we have MTV to thank forits universal justification whenyour mom sees you in compro-mising positions on the latestedition of Girls Gone Wild.You simply respond in a mantrafilled with candor: "W hat hap-

pens on spring break, stays onspring break!"So you have been in the gymnine hours a day since Christmastrying to uncover a six pack thatdoesn't com e in silver aluminumcans?Fabulous. Your mind and body

are ready to go, but you soonrealize tha t all of yo ur spare cashhas gone toward the trip, and youhave no budget for a new springbreak wardrobe.In a whirl of despair, you lookoutside to the snow flakes fall-ing lightly to the frigid ground

and think, "I wonder if I canwear wool sweaters on springbreak?"Don't fret because preparingfor the trip can be as easy as1-2-3! j *First, you need to know theclimate of your destination andpack accordingly.For tropical climates, you willmost likely need more in the wayof summer clothes and bathingsuits.

Can't afford those cute newcapri's you have been eyeing?No sweat.Take your worn-out jeans,cut them off, and add strategicholes for a cool, casual look thatis adorable paired with a bikiniand sandals ISecond, forget all of the coor-

dinated outfits that your m othercoerced you to pack for yourfamily vacations as a child.For the most part, you will be inyour bathing attire during the dayand semi-club wear at night forpartying and bar hopping.For daytime, take one or morebathing suits, flip-flops, sun-glasses, a large tote and beachtowel, and a cover-up.My favorite beach cover-up isthe 1970's jersey knit babydollreintroduced last season in avariety of luscious colors.

It is light and airy, but func-tional features like the sm ockingalong the bust line and the lengthallow for a comfortable, notscandalous look.For nighttime, pack ruffledskirts, tanks, halters, and tubetops for nighttime glam.Also, pack one pair of heels ina neutral like black or beige tha tcan be worn every night.When choosing your shoes,however, keep in mind that yourhealth may be at risk.A cute espadrille may be asuperior option to those tantaliz-ing stilettos that may result in afractured ankle after too manymargaritas.

Third, absolutely do n ot leavehome without protection.Ahem, I m ean sunscreen. Yourskin, especially after being shield-ed by the thick clouds of theErie weather, is hypersensitiveto UV rays.Regardless if you have beentanning, shield yourself with SP F30 and reapply frequently.A bad sunburn can ruin yourtrip as well as your friends' trip,so lather up!Have the time of your life andjust remembe r to spring BREA KIT DOWN!

M a k e s u r e y o u g e t y o u r d a i l y s e r v i n g o f v i d e o g a m e sBy Melissa BrandtContributing writer

Video games have provided asource of entertainment forvari-ous age groups since the dawn ofthe first Atari console.In the years that have followed,a great portion of society beganto view the games as distractions'from reality that deter personalcommunication.In a college atmosphere, videogame consoles are seeminglycommonplace.Gaming systems from PlayStation 2 to Gamecube populatedorm room s and apartments.But what effect do they haveon college life?According to survey researchby the Pew Internet and Ameri-can Life Project, (http://www.pewinternet.org/reports) theirinfluence is ultimately a positiveone.The survey polled a range ofcollege students to determinethe effect of video games onschedules and interpersonal re-lationships.The results were quite unex-pected. In contradiction to thebelief that video games seclude

players from actual life, on col-lege campuses, video gamingactually promotes social interac-tion, f"Sometimes a lot of guys gettogether and play," said Mercy-hurst sophomore [oe Fidago."Especially if the re's nothing elseto do or if there's down time inthe afternoon or something."The omnipotent presence ofvideo games seems to be dwarfedin the face of rom antic relation-ships also.Junior Jessica Zajac said thather relationship with her boy-friend has no t suffered as aresult of his penchant for videogames."He's actually very respectfulabout when we decide to spendtime together," she said. "Plus,I'm busy too so he plays then; itdoesn't really affect us."Also, it appears that at leastMercyhurst students value theirclasses over reaching the nextlevel in a virtual world.i? No one admitted to prevaricat-ing about the death of a greatgrandmother in order to avoidgoing to class because of a videogame.At the same time, however,video games do have an ability

Katie McAdams/Photo editorFreshman Chris Geer takes a little break from his studies to play some video gam es.to distract some students fromscholastic duties."I always get my homeworkdone, don't get me wrong there,"freshman Jo e Zamora said." Butthere are times when I probablycould have started homework a

lot sooner than I did."It appears as though videogames are perfect for procras-tination purposes, which verywell may be the extent of theirunfavorable qualities.The Pew Internet and Ameri-

can Life Project survey foundthat over 65 percent of collegestudents reported being regularor occasional game players.At Mercyhurst, video gamesseem to be a secondary recre-ational option.

"I don't play that much any-more," Fidago said. "On averagemaybe a couple hours a week,it just depends. If it's rainy orwe're all snowed in we'll all justsit down and play video games.It's better than sitting around andstaring at the walls,"Freshman Zamora said, "I playpretty much everyday, sometimesfor. a few-oiinutes, other timeslonger. It's not always because Ihave a burning desire, but some-times it is. Sometimes it's almosthabitual."Even with varying degreesof usage, it's clear that videogames, while popular and foundfrequently on campus, lack theability to pose a real threat tothe pursuit of collegiate goals orrelationship building.In fact, they promote socialactivity and have other scien-tifically proven benefits includ-ing improving manual dexterity,increasing hand to eye coordi-nation and speeding up neuralpathways.In itself, that may be reasonenough to explore the gamingworld, as long as it doesn't makeyou late for class.

T y p e , t y p e , c l i c k , ! r e t u r n a n d ! y o u h a v e w r i t t e n h o m eifi

By Andreea Ne aguContributing writer

The Internet has become sucha central part of everyone's lifethat it seems hard to imaginehow one w ould do certain dailytasks without it.It provides quick answers toalmost any question and givesinformation on any subject rightat the reach of your finger tips.Once time consuming taskssuch as finding the perfect tripdestination, checking a balanceon a bank account or spendinghours walking in stores to findthat perfect gift can now bedone in your bedroom.The Internet 's widespreadpopularity has made this inven-tion lose most of its novelty.However, over recent years, itseems that the spotlight is onceagain on the N et for adding onemore purpose to its list of attri-butes; it is the desired m eans ofcommunication for many.Few people write letters nowa-

days. It is much easier to jumponline and have a whole e-mailwritten out in a few minutes andon its way to the recipientAnd it seems even fewer,especially teenagers and collegestudents, use the traditional tele-phone to ge t a hold of friends.The idea of calling someoneand spending hours on thephone talking has been replacedwith the capabilities of onlineinstant messaging.This is offered nowadays bymany e-mail providers, such asYahoo, Hotmail and AmericaOnline (AOL).On the Mercyhurst campus,it seems that the most popularinstant messaging program usedis from AO L.Based on a survey done forthis article, it seems that a stu-dent spends on average close to]three hours talking to others viaAmerica Online's instant mes-saging program, AIM .Some students say that theyprefer AIM over phone con-versations because it is usefulin keeping in touch with friends

S P h o t o l q g y : h o n d jd w Instant MessageJJL...5S;~>*?**S^-...~^f fJL~

Photolggy What's up? !hondjdw: nada jhondjdw you? jPho to lggy : nuttm much just working on papers and a ipresenta tion that i have to give tomor row morning. ]hondjdw that sounds awesome \Phot olgg y oh yea you know it.. jPh oto lgg y i mean the only thing that i am glad that spring !break is coming because i am not sure about you but i can iuse a break 3m W.& eA m\ I

so, what are you up to this weeke nd?

jffipjt Iv &pm90Qf\9 Pa r t * * mVWto TilHftri.i n dKatie McAdams/ Photo editorSome students find Instant M essaging programs to be adistraction to their schoolwork.from back home, that it is lessexpensive than talking on thecell phone and it allows one totalk to more than one person

at a time-Freshman Pete Glumac said,"College students wouldn'tknow how to survive if they

didn't use it [AIM]. There are nobusy lines, no interruptions plusyou can express yourself in youbuddy profile"AIM also makes it easy toknow what everyone else isdoing when they are not by thecomputer by simply checkingtheir "away message".Another interesting aspectabout AIM is the varyingamount of imagination thatstudents put into creating theirscreen names.For most of the students inthe survey, their screen namewas related to their nick names,a favorite activity or sport, or acombination of their first andlast name with some numbersthat usually stand for a birthdayor graduation date.

Sophomore Emily Parise said,"My AIM name is just my namespelled phonetically combinedwith my favorite number."Sophomore Carrie Naccaratosaid, "My Instant Messangername comes from a nicknamethat my mom gave me when Iwas little, followed by the year I

was born."Freshman Rachel Meeks chosehe r name through somethingshe has been involved with inthe past."I chose my name because Isang all throughout high schoolin choir and with the ClevelandOrchestra Chorus. I was tryingto figure out something to dowith singing and that is what Icame up with."Identity is obviously not lostwhen there are infinite possibli-ites of names to choose.On the negative side of A IM,though, it tends to take a wayfrom the personal and humannature of communication.Getting a letter in the mailmeans that a person set aside anamount of time to write it. Also, nothing compares tohearing the voices of loved onesover the phone.It seems that AIM has createdsome tension in communica-tions between practicability andtime managem ent and nostalgiaand human touch,

http://www/http://pewinternet.org/reportshttp://pewinternet.org/reportshttp://www/

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February 9,2005 THE MERCIAD PAGE 5

To contact:featuremercl8d@mercyhurst.eduFEATURESG o b a c k i n t i m e w i t h t h e M e d i e v a l C l u bBy Mel i s sa BrandtContributing writer

There's a new club on campusthat hails its origins from anolden time.This year 'Hurst students areinvited to experience the dance,customs, food, clothes and musicof medieval Europe by attend-ing meetings of the MercyhurstMedieval Club.It primarily focuses on Euro-pean culture from the 14th -16thcenturies; but also incorporatesMiddle Eastern cultures."Anyone is welcome!/' saidsophomore and founder, Aman-da Pakutz. "You don't need toknow an abundance of infor-mation about the time periodor have the appropriate garb to

have fan"Pakutz has studied medievalreenactment independently forfour years and has taken manyclasses through the Society forCreative Anachronism (an inter-national organization dedicatedto researching and re-creating

the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe)."I miss the atmosphere somuch when at school , and Iwanted to combat that," Pakutzstates.After finding a student fol-lowing with similar interests, theappropriate steps were takento make the club official. Cur-rently, the club has abo ut 15 loyalmembers."People here are enthusiasticand interested in actually learningthings," says junior Maria Isaac.With the club's involved agend a,there's a lot to experience."There's something differ-ent each meeting," said Pakutz.Dance demonstrations and les-sons include a variety of EnglishCountry, French Bransle andItalian Renaissance genres that

are commonly incorporated intothe meetings."We have l i terature shares,costuming from the time period,cooking demos, a music guildand even medieval acting" Pa-kutz said.The Mummer 's Play was

The Medieval Club brings a new passion for old times to Mercyhurst.

iThe Lakers fall to 4-2 overall,and stand fifth in MIVA with a3-2 overall record.A weeks rest will hopefully dothe team good, as they travelto Ft Wayne, Ind. to take onfourth place IPFW on Saturday,Feb. 12. T | They return home next week,as they host D'Youvilic on Feb.15at 7 p.m.

Jody Mello/Conlrlbutlng photographerThe blocking o f the Buckeyet proved to be too much for the Lakers to handle.

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8/6/2019 The Merciad, Feb. 9, 2005

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PAGE 12 TH E MERCIAD February 9, 2005sWHTS 7b contact:8portsmerciad@mercyhurst.eduN o w restlers w in two in weekBy Chris Van H ornContributing writer

After an eighth place finishat the NWCA National Duals,the Mercyhurst Wrestling teambounced back strong with twovictories in the last week overteams ranked in the top-25 forDivision II.The Lakers downed No. 25West Liberty State 28-6 on Feb.2 and then polished off No. 10Shippensburg University 17-15on Feb. 5.Th e two wins improve the Lak-ers' overall record to 11-7.The team's 11 wins alreadymatches their win total from last

year, and the team still has twomatches left before Regionalsbegin on Feb. 25.Through Jan, 26, the Lakerswere ranked No. 8 in DivisionII, and Lakers head coach TonyCipollone believes his team iswrestling at their highest level ofthe season."As a team we're very confidentright now. Everyone on our ros-

ter, top to bottom, is wrestlingat a very high level right now,"Cipollone said.In the win over Shippensburg,the Lakers managed to pull outthe victory despite losses from A l l A &' T ' Isenior All-Americans RickyRandazzo, Ben McAvinew and

Justin Mautz.The victory was a display ofthe depth that the Lakers haveavailable late in the season.Big contributions came fromfreshman Don Cummings andsenior Angelo Caponi, whowon the decisive match againstShippensburg's Jared Dubbs.In the Lakers' victory over WestLiberty State, Mercyhurst got offto a hot start winning the firstfour matches, giving the team a13-0 lead. I I ^West liberty managed just twowins in 10 matches as the Lakersrolled to victory.The Lakers two remainingmatches are also against rankedteams.Mercyhurst will play host toNo. 11 Findlay on Feb. 11 at theMercyhurst Athletic Center.The Lakers will then close outthe regular season on Feb. 19against ivalGannon, ranked N o.16 in Division II.The Lakers have already de-feated Ga nnon on ce this season,a 35-6 triumph at the NationalDuals.Cipollone believes the teamhas only minor improvements tomake as the regular season comesto and end."We need to make sure that westay healthy, first and forem ostWe have a good chance to qualify10 guys for nationals, and that's

Katie McAdams/Photo editcxSophomore J J. Zanetta's win at the 133-pound weight class was the first win for the Lakers against Shippensberg.our top goal right now. I believethat we have the depth and theleadership to make a run andwin Regionals as well," Cipol-lone said.Qualifying 10 wrestlers forNationals would put Mercyhurstamong the top programs in the

country.However, the remaining match-es will be no easy task for theLakers.%[ Findlay has a deceptive record,* A *2-10 in duel competition, buthas a solid line-up from top to

bottom.

Findlay also has a score to settlewith the Lakers. Last season, theLakers scored the upset over aranked Findlay team.As for the match against rivalGannon, don't expect a secondLaker blowout of the GoldenKnights.

"We don't feel that we gotGannon's best when we playedat the duals. Obviously it's arivalry match, and in those kindof matches you can throw therecords out the window, becauseanything can happen," C ipollonesaid.Women hockey splits pair with ColgateBy Eric MeachamContributing writer

The No. 7 ranked women'shockey team extended theircurrent winning streak to eightgames before suffering a toughloss to the Colgate Red Raiders.Mercyhurst took to the roadas they began their six-game,non-conference streak againstEastern Collegiate Athletic Con-ference (ECAQ foes.On Saturday, the Lakers jumpedon the Red Raiders rom he dropof the puck, not allowing them toget any momentum going.Mercyhurst scored the firstfour goals of* the game beforeColgate finally busted the shut-ou t just before the end of thesecond period.The Lakers opened up thescoring midway through thefirst frame with a power playgoal by junior forward SamanthaShirley.Senior Sara McDonald got thelone assist on the goal.Senior Teresa Marchese addeda power play goal of her own

File PhotoSenior goalie Desi Clark has been nominated for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.with just under two minutes leftin the first period.Sophomore Ashley Pendletonand freshman Danielle Ayearstpicked up assists on the goal.Marchese's goal extended herscoring streak, giving her a pointin the last nine games. ,

Lakers forward Stephanie Jonesmade it 3-0 with 46 seconds leftin the first period, giving her 10goals on the year. Sophomoredefenseman Lesley McArthurtallied the assist on the goal.I Mercyhurst junior forward andcaptain Chrissy Yule widened the

lead to four, closing out the scor-ing for the Lakers.The assist on the goal was cred-ited to sophomore defensemanMichelle Bonello.Colgate got the final mark ofthe game, ruining the shutout,with a power play goal just before

the end of the second period.Mercyhurst senior netminderDesi Clark picked up her 12th winof the season, stopping 14 of the15 shots she faced."We were able to come outand dominate the first game,"said junior defenseman DanielleLansing. "But the second gamewas different We got in a holeand couldn't climb out of it"On Sunday, Colgate came outfiring and was able to shutoutthe Lakers for only the secondtime this year, beating Mercy-hurst 3-0.The Red Raiders opened up thescoring with two goals in the sec-ond period, one each by CherylSetchell and Am anda Bar re.Colgate added an empty netgoal to close out the sc oring with50 seconds left in the game.Colgate goalie B rook W heelerstopped all 43 shots she faced,while Clark turned away 14 of16 shots.| "We played well on Saturday,but Sunday was different," saidsophomore Jackie Jarrell.Jarrell, who has not seen ac-tion because of injury since

November 6, was one of theleading point getters, before go -ing down.. , .Despite the loss, Clark is hav-ing a great season and is beingrewarded for her success.She has been the only goalienamed to the list of finalists forthe Patty Kazmaier MemorialAward.The honor is given to the topNCAA Division I women's icehockey player each year by T heUSA Hockey Foundation.Clark leads the nation in goalsagainst average (1.32) and thirdin save percentage (.935).This was the first weekendin quite some time which sawCoach Mike Sistd only playingone goalie for the weekend, astime had been split betweenClark and freshman Laura Ho-sier, who is currently 6-0 on theseason.

Mercyhurst is now 18-6-2 and7-0-1 in College Hockey AmericaP ^ I | *The Lakers will try to reb oundon the road as they head toRhode Island to take on BrownUniversity this weekend.

W o m e n ' s h o o p s d r o p W a y n e S t a t e 8 7 - 8 1 i n O TBy Denis KirsteinContributing writer

It took 11 years and 45 min-utes for the Mercyhurst LadyLakers basketball team to defeatthe Women Warriors of WayneState, feThis was the irst ime the LadyLakers defeated the Warriorssince the 1998-99 season.It was a very interesting gamefrom the point of momentum."The game was goofy, they hadthe lead, then we had the lead,then vice versa and then we hadthe lead at the end, and that is allthat counts," said guard CassieSeth, a junior from Waterford,Pa . ; \ p^Seth contributed 16 pointsand 6 assists to lead the Lakersto victory.The Lakers were clicking on allcylinders, as they shot a seasonhigh 46 percent from the field.Their defense was not bad ei-

then clicked because of our greatdefense," said Seth.Mercyhurst had four players indouble digits for scoring.Julie Anderson dropped 18points and Mary Clare Harlanhad her first double-double ofthe season with 16 points and12 rebounds on a perfect, 4-of-4,night from behind the arc

One other player that helpedthe Lakers get the victory wasJessica Olmstead.Olmstead, a senior transferfrom Division I Youngs townState University, has been hob-bled by injury, but was able toconvert 24 points and pull downseven boards.This is a huge win for Mercy-hurst beca use it was believed thatOlmstead would be lost for theseason due to injury."Jess was back from a terriblefoot injury. She was able to proveeveryone wrong. She is a hugeasset for us as a team," Seth saidabout her teammate. "It is great

A playoff run is what Mercy-hurst has ahead of them.With the win versus WayneState, the Lakers have the op-portunity to make the playoffsif they are able to win their finalfive games, which are at the Mer-cyhurst Athletic Center.Al of their inalopponents arein the GLIAC South."Coach was extremely happywith this win, because that winputs us in contention to still makethe playoffs and with o ur remain-ing games at home, we have agreat chance," said Seth,The win marks the most winsby a Mercyhurst women's squadsince the 9-17 record the 2001-02 squad carried and the mostroad wins by the Lakers sincethe 1999-00 team went 9-7 on

the road.As the season finishes, lookfor the Lakers of M ercyhurst tocontinue the roll that they areon, which will propel them intothe playoffs and help them reach

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