8/6/2019 The Merciad, Jan. 25, 2011

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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

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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 ataagnew@mercyhurst.edu.

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

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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.

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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

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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

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September 3, 2008OPINIONPage 6 January 26, 2011

@mercyhurst.edu

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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 opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

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

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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 opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

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

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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