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Mercyhurst enrollment breaks records

Mercyhurst College expects a banner year in enrollment when it opens its doors for the 70th year in September. "It is going to be a record year for the college both in terms of quality and quantity," said Dr. William P. Garvey, who begins his 17th year as president of Mercyhurst. "We expect over 1,000 new students, which will push our student body to an all-time enrollment figure of more than 2,700 students. This certainly is a very positive note on which to open the college," Garvey said, reflecting on the college's first-year enrollment in 1926 which numbered 25 students. Mercyhurst's burgeoning student body forced college officials in mid-July to limit further fall enrollments to local students, adult students and McAuley Division students, or to qualified out-of-town students who did not need campus housing. "Housing is at capacity this fall," Garvey explained. "We do not have an empty bed on either our Erie or North East campus for the fall term. "Our freshman class will be 90 percent residential, which has been characteristic of the admission picture at the college for the past five years," Garvey said. He noted that while 20 percent of the freshman class still come from Erie County, about half of them choose to live on campus. Andrew Roth, dean of enrollment at Mercyhurst, and who has headed the Mercyhurst admission office for the past 15 years, said the Class of 2000 is expected to come in at a record-breaking 442 traditional-aged students, which is 70 more than last year's class of 372. This year's Mercyhurst freshmen were selected for admission from an unprecedented application pool of 1,753. The enrollment dean also expects 133 new upperclass transfers, 182 new students at the Mercyhurst-North East extension center, 141 new students at the Mercyhurst-Wayne extension campus, and approximately 107 new adult students who will be seeking their four-year degrees. Two of Mercyhurst's high profile and unique majors - anthropology/ archaeology and the research intelligence analyst program - are among the most popular majors chosen by the freshman class. "These programs have attracted 60 new majors," Roth said, "and they consistently attract some of the brightest of the new incoming students." He added that these two programs also draw students from all over the country, thereby broadening the geographic diversity of the freshman class to more than 30 different states.

Mercyhurst
/ \ / \
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s\

V O L .

13,

N U M B E R

2,

S U M M E R

1996

FEATURES
The Pride of Mercyhurst
Champagne and tuxedos signal the elegance of the event. Mercyhurst dedicates its new Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center at the 20th Year Finals of the D'Angelo Young Artist Competition.

Campaign Tops $12 million

Continuing the Dream raises almost twice its goal.

The Heart a n d Soul of Mercyhurst

Christ the King Chapel is restored to its original beauty.

Passing t h e Torch of Health a n d Fitness

Twelve new graduates of the Mercyhurst Physical Therapist Assistant Program go to the Olympics.

Profile of t h e Mercyhurst President

How the teacher-coach climbed his way to the presidency of Mercyhurst College.

The Wearing of t h e Green

Mercyhurst Student Ambassadors proudly don their green blazers.

That Thing You Do!

The Mercyhurst banner and the old gym survive final editing of Tom Hanks' November release.

Strike Up t h e Band
New pep b a n d rocks the house and rolls the Lakers to victory.

Salvation t h r o u g h t h e Classics
*t

Strengthen the mind and many of our worst problems will die."

Writing for Focus

Writing across the curriculum is introduced as part of the mathematics curriculum at Mercyhurst-North East.

Stepping Out of Mercyworld

Mercyhurst graduates its largest senior class at the 68th commencement.

Remember When...The Big Boy Heist

Elby's Big Boy tries out college living for a night in 1974-

Laker Lacrosse Goes Division I

Mercyhurst's newest varsity sport competes against high-profile teams in Division I.

ETC.
1996 b r i n g s r e c o r d e n r o l l m e n t Inside front cover Mascot has n o mercy Page n Mercys e l e c t n e w l e a d e r Page 16 Lakers n e w f o o t b a l l f i e l d Page 20 Arts S E n t e r t a i n m e n t Inside back cover An Old F a s h i o n e d Fourth of July Back cover

The Mercyhurst Magazine is published twice a year, in the winter and summer. by the Office of External Affairs. The Magazine has a distribution of 10.800. It is published as a companion piece to Mercyhurst Today issued in the fall and spring. The Magazine is produced to showcase faculty talent and to spotlight new programs and unusual and interesting aspects of Mercyhurst College. The Magazine's address is: 501 E. 38th St.. Erie, Pa. 16546 Telephone (814) 824-2285 E-mail address: mdaly@paradise.mercy.edu Send change of address to: Mercyhurst Magazine Mercyhurst College. Erie. Pa 16546 Attention; Karen Enslish

Chairman of the Board Atty. William C. Sennett President Dr. William P. Garvey Editor Mary Daly '66 Editorial Assistant Angela M. Sulivan

Feature Writers Dennis Condon Mary Daly Ed Hess Jr. Don McQuaid Michael Plasha Angela Sullivan Circulation Coordinator Gary L. Bukowski '73

Cover Photo: John Fontecchio

Mary

D ' A n g e I o

F Lx L- O Lx Lvl I K G

m i R ( t ii o M i

i i i i n i f

BY

DON

MCQUAID

The (enter is a bold and ratturin? statement of the future of the arts at fflerqhunt, the health of the college as a whole and the cultural aspirations of the pater Erie com munitg.
It was one of those rare moments when major forces within the life of the college, all of which had achieved great momentum on their own, came together in a single event to create a surge of pride in Mercyhurst unmatched perhaps since the founding of the school itself seven decades ago. It was, to use Catherine McAuley's term for an impressive event, "an occasion. The three forces that converged on the evening of April 20, 1996, were the gala dedication of the $3.6 million Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center, the 20th Year Finals of the D'Angelo Young Artist Competition and the official conclusion of the Continuing the Dream capital fund drive. Although it had only been seven weeks since the Center made its debut with a performance by acclaimed pianist Andre Watts, already the imposing new facility showed signs of becoming to the Erie area what Lincoln Center is to New York City and the Kennedy Center is to Washington, D.C. Designed by the Erie firm of Evans/Salata Architects, the center seats 824 and has a performance stage of 3,400 square feet. As such, it is the only facility between Erie and Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Cleveland capable of handling the technical requirements of the most elaborate productions, including ballet and opera. Created specifically as a showcase for the performing arts, the Center is a bold and
it

reassuring statement of the future of the arts Westman, 24, from Stratford, Ontario, secat Mercyhurst, the health of the college as a ond place, with a $5,000 cash award; and soprano Lynette Tapia, 22, of San whole and the cultural aspirations of the Clemente, Calif., third place, with a $3,000 greater Erie community. cash award. In his remarks at the dedication of the The tall, athletic Turay is only the second Center, Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. tenor in the history of the D'Angelo Garvey said that while most citizens of Competition to win first place. northwestern Pennsylvania connect the name D'Angelo with lifesaving cardiovasHe received his B.A. degree in music cular surgery, "at Mercyhurst the D' Angelo from the University of Kentucky, where he name stands for music, which can also heal is presently working on his master's degree. the heart." He has performed with the Eugene Oregon Opera, the St. Louis Opera and the "George and Mary D'Angelo have left Kentucky Opera. He was the winner of the their mark on Mercyhurst by raising our Young Concert Artist Competition and took consciousness of the fine arts which, in the second place in the McAllister Awards turbulent 70s in America, took a back seat competition. on most college campuses to various forms of popular culture," Garvey said. "Together For Turay it was a major step in the George and Mary have enriched the Erie launching of his career. For those who community through their leadership in the attended the entire event, it was an evening Erie Philharmonic and later at Mercyhurst to remember for a lifetime. For Erie it was by underwriting the major prizes in the the social event of the year. And for the colD'Angelo Competition and then as major lege it was an opportunity to project as benefactors for our School of Music and never before its commitment to the perPerforming Arts Center." forming arts as a vital component of the Following his remarks on the D'Angelos, nationally known Mercyhurst of the twentyfirst century. Dr. Garvey announced the final $12.3 million total for the Continuing the Dream capital fund drive (see story on page 4). The collective gasp of surprise and delight elicited by the announcement seemed to hover in the air in the dazzling new facility throughout the finals in voice that followed. The jury for the 1996 competition in voice, the most illustrious in the 20-year history of the D' Angelo Competition, was comprised of Carlo Bergonzi, Gail Robinson, John Wustman, Dame Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Home and Yelana Kurdina. The finalists at the competition were drawn from across the U.S. and Canada, and included two sopranos, a mezzo soprano, two baritones and a tenor. Because of the unique nature of this competition, the audience itself, with men in tuxedos and ladies in evening wear, gave an Mary D Angelo, for whom the Performing Arts Center is named. added dimension of elegance to Grand Prize Winner Gregory Turay, and Dr. George Dy Angelo the event, as did the champagne served at intermission. Following a competition marked by numerous moments of artistic excellence and enthusiastic outbursts of appreciation from the audience, the prestigious adjudicators announced the winners: tenor Gregory Don McQuaid is a Turay, 23, of Raymond, Wis., first place, regular contributor to with a $10,000 award and contracts for two the Mercyhurst performances at the Mary D'Angelo Magazine. Performing Arts Center; baritone James

i m

Mercyhurst Campaign Tops $12 Million

In what Gary Bukowski, architect of Mercyhurst's recently completed capital fund drive, likes to refer to as a blitzkrieg campaign, the college raised an unprecedented $12.3 million in just 18 months and entirely within the Mercyhurst Family. Mercyhurst officials had originally hoped to raise $6.2 million in-house when the campaign was announced in 1995. The total raised in the Continuing the Dream Campaign is the largest amount of money ever raised in so short a time in Erie and represents the most successful fund-raising endeavor in the 70year history of the college. The singular success of the drive made possible the recent opening of Mercyhurst's $3.6 million Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center as a debt-free facility. It will also make possible a $1.5 million Phase I addition to the college's library. Ground is expected to be broken in the spring of 1997 for that structure which will house the new computer system, a Great Reading Room, and a new entrance incorporating the circulation desk and automated catalog. According to Bukowski, the vice president of institutional advancement at the college, the proposed three-storied, gabled roof structure will add 7,200 square feet to the existing Hammermill Library, and when coupled

Gary Bukowski, vice president of institutional advancement

The total raid in the Continuing the Dream Campaign is

with

ments to the existing structure, will double the library's capacity to r 300,000 volumes. Other projects supported by the drive include $6.1 million for the endowment and $300,000 for improvements in the departments of science, human ecology, culinary arts, and in Christ the King Chapel. One of the reasons for the success of the Continuing the Dream drive perhaps the single most important reason was the level of giving by the Mercyhurst College board of trustees who contributed $7.8 million to the campaign. Alumni, parents and friends of the college also made significant gifts to ensure the success of this effort.

f ;7;

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"

the largest amount of money ever raised in so short a time in Erie.

Four of the major gifts during the drive were million-dollar gifts. The top trustee gifts included a gift of $2.5 million, one of $1.2 million and a third for $1 million. A fourth million-dollar gift was in the form of a Charitable Remainder Trust established by retired AMSCO executive Herbert Hafenmaier and his wife, Catherine. The campaign was called Continuing the Dream to honor the vision of the Sisters of Mercy who founded the college, believing that someday Mercyhurst would become a great institution. Thanks to the generosity of all who contributed to the campaign, their dream is coming true.D
Amounts Raised by Categories
Category Concert Hall Library Endowment/Business Chair Culinary Arts Science Equipment Human Ecology Offices Chapel Improvement Goal vs. Amount Raised Goal $3,000,000 $1,750,000 $750,000 $450,000 $150,000 $50,000 $50,000 S6,200,000 Donations $3,250,000 $2,189,000 $6,167,000 $525,000 $149,000 $50,000 $50,000

$12,380,000

[ i ( v II y i s T m n u z I i E

BY

-MARY

DALY

hen alums of at least 10 years return to the college, they are usually awestruck at how the campus has spread to the west and to the east and to the south. "It's not the campus we knew, but it's beautiful," are words often heard at Homecoming. But then comes the question of concern: "You didn't touch the chapel, did you?" And until the past two years, college officials hadn't. In fact, the chapel had not been painted since 1977, and no one is quite sure when major repairs were last done to the Chapel of Christ the King, which is so much a part of every Mercyhurst student's experience. And so there is good reason why college officials are more than a bit excited to welcome back alums this year to showcase the heart and soul of the campus. While much of the work done to the Chapel is not readily visible to the untrained eye, nor should it be, over $80,000 has been put into its restoration and that of the small mortuary chapel called the Queen's Chapel. Of that total, $50,000 was pledged by an anonymous donor to the Continuing the Dream Campaign, and almost $15,500 was contributed by alumni, current and past parents, and friends of the college. The bricks on the outside were repointed, soffit work completed, and window frames were restored and repainted. All of the casings for the stained glass windows were repaired, prompting students to happily point out, "the windows actually stay open now!" Inside, all the pews were removed, and the marble floor was stripped and then given 12 coats of wax the way the young Sisters of yesteryear did each summer. The deep golden walls of the chapel were painted a creamy yellow, the sanctuary was carpeted in deep green, and the Queen's Chapel was carpeted with a deep burgundy. And while a new altar

for today's liturgy and a matching lectern were purchased, the original marble altar and storybook mural above it both remain intact. The sound system in the chapel was enhanced with antiphonal speakers, and a $38,000 Rodger's organ, powerful and rich in sound, was purchased and placed at the left front of the chapel where four side pews were removed for its inconspicuous fit. The original pipe organ remains in the choir loft, but the cost to bring it up to standard is estimated at over $75,000, which would only be the beginning of costly annual repairs that it would need. By all accounts, a great deal of work was done to preserve the chapel as alums remember it. That was the challenge of the project and it is the beauty of the finished product.

of Mercyhurst

k been put intotorestoration and that of the small mortuarij chapel called the Oueen i (hapel.

s u m fll E R 1 9 9 6

Passing the Torch of Health and Fitness

r

QCO

Twelve recent graduates of Mercyhurst's two-year-old Physical Therapist Assistant Program were among health-care professionals who passed the torch of health and fitness to 10,788 Olympic hopefuls this summer. Over 50,000 people applied for the volunteer positions including 4,100 sought for medical and health-care assistance. The Mercyhurst crew was chosen for their expertise in the areas of injury prevention and treatment and therapeutic massages. "We were pleased to have a highly skilled group of PTAs provide specialized support," said Pressley Harris, Olympic spokesperson. "They were a wonderful resource, and they assisted our athletes to be at the top of their form. We couldn't have done it without them." The Mercyhurst crew worked at one of the 121 athletic aid stations scattered throughout the Olympic Village. "To be able to work with other professionals from all over the world and know that what you do can make or break an athlete's career is an extraordinary responsibility," said Chris Opladen, academic coordinator of clinical education of the PTA program, who organized the trip to Atlanta and was a chief athletic trainer at the Olympics. "It helped the new graduates to grow as highly skilled professionals and it was great exposure for Mercyhurst." Opladen assisted the sportsmedicine director by coordinating

Atlanta 1996
all administrative, personnel and logistical operations at the station as well as provided physical therapy. The volunteer trip began when outgoing PTA Club President Margaret Magovich read an article about Olympic volunteers and contacted the Olympic staff. The acceptance process included two application forms, phone interviews and a security check. Dressed in official Olympic polo shirts and shorts, the Mercyhurst team worked with the gymnastics, basketball, archery, diving, kayaking, track and field, and soccer teams. It took an almost decathlon effort of fund raising activities to afford the $6,000 needed for the 18 days in Atlanta. The months preceding the Olympics were spent working at massage-a-thons, and selling cookbooks, T-shirts and mugs. Mercyhurst provided the ground transportation and gave the students $1,000 which the group used to pay for their housing at Emory University, where

the U.S. women's gymnastics team also stayed during their gold-medal Olympics. The rest was up to the students to raise or to underwrite personally. The old adage, "No pain, no gain," certainly described the pocketbook pinch to the Mercyhurst volunteers, but despite the cost per person, the lucky dozen agreed the experience was priceless. "Potential employers will appreciate having employees who have worked at the Olympics," volunteer Joe Gehringer said. "It is an impressive credential to have. It was a great professional experience. No doubt about it." The two-and-a-half year associate degree program began in September 1994 to meet the occupational needs of area physical therapists. The current director, Glenn Labrozzi, was appointed in November 1994. At that time, there were only six PTAs in the Northwest Pennsylvania region. On May 19, 1996, 28 students graduated from the first class and have already secured positions with health-care facilities. The program was accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association and the State Department of Education in January 1996. Approximately 30 students are enrolled in the program each year; however, the Class of '96 will always be remembered for achieving Olympic heights in their profession. Not a bad way to start a career.

III E It ( V

R S T

n i n i i:

in the Making

BY

KATHLEEN

LINSE

e loved sports, but was short and slight with average talent. So he put his passion into coaching instead of playing and pursued another love: history. The boy who was "too small" now enjoys stature as a renowned historian, educator, community leader and college president. But ask Dr. William Garvey of Mercyhurst College about his long list of accomplishments and there's no hesitation: "My best experiences have been in coaching; there's no stronger influence, no stronger impact." His passions have made Bill Garvey our top "history coach" and his best game was the Erie Bicentennial: the greatest celebration of community spirit Erie has ever seen. Born of his conviction that this was a wonderful occasion to gain a sense of who we are by understanding what we came from the Bicentennial was truly a gift to the people of Erie. He is quick to emphasize, "Our children are losing their past and being robbed of their heritage. The Bicentennial was the ideal way to re-discover our history and bring it to life for all of us."

And the man who loves bringing history to life takes pride likewise in the biggest birthday bash ever enjoyed in Erie Mercyhurst's Old Fashioned Fourth of July festivities. His inspiration? He recalls being in Philadelphia on July 4, 1976. The Marine Band was playing in Independence Hall; the fireworks were illuminating the night sky. "It was so dazzling and patriotic and I thought: What are we doing in Erie? Nothing! You know, John Adams wrote of July 4: The future generations must celebrate with ceremony so that America never forgets."' But Bill didn't want a scattering of smatterings; he wanted to re-create the Philadelphia Fourth! So he did. "It's getting scary," he chuckles, referring to the enormous crowd that grows each year and he regrets he can't control the weather. But he is pleased. "The people of Erie have responded tremendously! They are learning to appreciate, with pride and enthusiasm, all that we have." When Erie's history coach isn't re-creating, what does he do for recreation? Bill admits to constant reading, for both pleasure and his profession. "Reading is the

best way for me to relax." He "indulges" in fiction and enjoys biographies especially those of the Greeks and Romans because "They have so much to teach us. There are amazing parallels between our history and theirs." So what keeps a coach like Bill Garvey fueled for the game, since he can't live on books alone? He confesses to a fondness for fresh lemon or graham cracker cream pie. He returns to history as his day wraps up: "One of my favorites is Cicero I admire him as a great patriot and a speaker of such eloquence. I would like to have been Cicero in my previous life." Then he laughs, referring to his love of lemon pie: "And I would look great in that toga! I was born for a toga!"D
Kathleen Linse was a faculty member at Mercyhurst College for seven years teaching in the Mercyhurst College Career Institute and later for the freshman studies program. She is now the managing editor of Lake Erie Chautauqua Magazine where this story first appeared.

9 9 6

The Wearing of the Green

Michael Fuhrman, second from the right, with the 1996 Ambassadors

he "wearing of the green" has taken on new meaning at Mercyhurst. No, there aren't leprechauns hiding in the Grotto or Garvey Park. Instead, forest green jackets bearing the Mercyhurst crest are proudly worn by members of the Student Ambassador Club. You can spot them giving tours, taking tickets at the Mary D'Anselo Performing Arts Center and greeting visitors at a variety of campus events. What is a little harder to spot is the thorough training they receive in order to become official representatives of the college. The organization was formed in the fall of 1992 to assist the admissions department with providing tours of the college for prospective students. Michael Fuhrman, formerly the coordinator of fine arts recruiting and now director of the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center, is the founding father of the Ambassadors and has been their guiding light for the past five years. He trained the students and developed lectures and tour experiences to inform potential Ambassadors of the history of the college and its plans for the future. It was also Fuhrman who insisted on high standards and professional attitudes which gave the Ambassadors a sense of elan. On close observation, an Ambassador's training becomes apparent. If you were on a scavenger hunt and needed to know who built the Grotto, how Garvey Park got its name, or which Russian composer's work is on the design of the windows in the D'Angelo School of Music, a leprechaun's magic would pale in comparison to the stories the students in green can spin.
8

According to Andrew Roth, dean of enrollment services, these stories have given the admissions department a big boost. "The Ambassadors are a terrific addition to the admissions office," he said. "They have professionalized the tours by increasing the quality of information provided to parents and prospective students, enabling the admission counselors to utilize their time with families more effectively." But so rigorous is the training to become an Ambassador, that out of a class of 70 who begin the two terms of training, only

with people than just selling." Other Ambassadors who proclaim the merits of the club are Kodi Marx and Lisa Stafford. Stafford, a double major in art therapy and psychology and vice president of the Ambassadors, said that the club is nurturing her professional skills. "I have gained confidence in speaking to individuals and groups and my leadership and timemanagement abilities have improved," she said. "But most importantly, as a tour guide we are part of the first impression of the college, and it is very satisfying to me when I see some of the new students in the club and remember taking them on their initial tour of Mercyhurst." Marx, a sportsmedicinc major, shares

The Ambassador Oath

I pledge to be a true representative traditions competence, of Mercyhurst in the best of the college and will always seek to act with class, and with the Sisters of Mercy concern for the wellI am committed to serve the which

being of others. As an Ambassador, college with generosity, characterizes

professionalism,

and grace Diem.

the true meaning

ofCarpe

10 to 15 stay the course to be inducted each spring at the Ambassadors' Investiture Ceremony. It takes a major commitment to get to that point, but those who do, reap what they sow. "During tours a genuine relationship develops that is honest and is based on the guide's experience of the college," Ron Rambally, president of the Ambassadors, said. "It is more about the art of interacting

Kodi's sense of pride. "The college has such a rich tradition and history," she noted. "I feel fortunate to have been able to get to really know the heart of the college." She added, "The training was intense, but I'm glad I did it. When I wear my green jacket I feel a sense of pride in my accomplishments."

ill E R ( Y II 0 n

I fll M

I) Z I II E

BY

MICHAEL

PLASHA

That Thing You Do/

Little did Gloria Sedney and Lois Hoffman, physical education teachers at Mercyhurst in 1964, know that their small linoleum gym would be the setting for a key scene in the new Tom Hanks' movie, "That Thing You Do!" Written and directed by Hanks, it will be released in October 1996 by 20th Century Fox. In it he plays the manager of The Wonders, a pop band from Erie, who begin their journey to fame at a battle of the bands music competition held at Mercyhurst. According to Nancy Home, assistant to the producer, the scene will be set entirely in a small gym specially created to look like a Mercyhurst facility in that era. Mercyhurst will be identified once in the dialogue and by a Mercyhurst banner hanging in the gym. However, the school colors were changed by the production designer to better complement the overall design of the movie. Exterior shots of the campus and any other reference to Mercyhurst were cut in the editing process. The Wonders compete against a folk act and a brass band. After winning the contest, they play at a fictional Italian restaurant near the Erie airport before traveling to California to begin a recording career. The movie depicts their rise and fall in the music industry, while capturing what life was like in Erie and the rest of the country in 1964. How well the movie portrays that year and the flavor of Erie at that time will no doubt be judged against the screen of our own memories. "Hello Dolly" and "Fiddler on the Roof were smash hits on Broadway. "Goldfinger" and "Mary Poppins" were popular at the box office. "Games People Play," "Herzog" and "Corridors of Power" were on the bestseller list. Teenagers were dancing to the Watusi, Frug, Monkey, Funky Chicken and various versions of the Twist. Cassius Clay won the world heavyweight boxing title from Sonny Liston, and the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series. The cultural mood was upbeat. "There was a lack of cynicism," said Hanks in an interview. "In 1964, everybody still believed in the carousel of progress." It was perhaps that sense that anything was possible that inspired the campus aspirations of Joyce Savocchio '65 and JoAnne Courneen '64. Both recently reflected about that era and agreed that life on campus and in the world was changing in a positive way. "There was a true spirit of adventure and Mercyhurst was filled with lively, upbeat people," said Sister JoAnne Courneen, newly elected president of the Sisters of Mercy. Sister JoAnne finished her senior year at Mercyhurst in 1964 in the cadet teaching program. "The college was beginning to break out of the mold of formal etiquette and was on the verge of great change that happened five years later when Mercyhurst went coeducational." Savocchio, now Mayor of Erie, began her leadership climb in the spring of 1964 when she became the first commuter student to be elected senior class president at Mercyhurst. "I felt the change firsthand and I knew things were different," said Mayor Savocchio. "Back then it was unusual for someone who was coming from a public school tradition as well as being a day student to become class president." Both Courneen and Savocchio have a special interest in Hanks' upcoming movie. "The Sisters who founded the college would be delighted that Mercyhurst has made it 'big time' in more ways than one. We are honored that Mr. Hanks liked the name 'Mercyhurst' so much that he wanted to use it in his film." For Savocchio, she is doubly excited to have her city showcased as well as her alma mater recognized. "Opening night is going to be tremendously exciting for us," she said, adding, "We realize that other towns will also be featured in the movie, but we are the opener. "I remember that linoleum gym," she mused. It was right outside of the students' lounge where some people say I took up residence and became quite the pinochle player!" No doubt about it, for people with Erie or Mercyhurst ties, seeing the upcoming film is definitely going to be that thing to d o O

ii m m t

9 9 6

Strike up the Band!

Ewri] time the hand plat]ed at a haietha p e last tjear, the Laken won.
They come from several states and their majors range from interior design to pre-med, but one thing they have in common is a love for music and school spirit. This energetic feeling is being expressed in the bouncy melodies and rousing rhythms of the D'Angelo School of Music Pep Band. And it is being heard in the joyful sounds of enthusiasm trumpeted by students, faculty, alumni and athletes. The result: every time the band played at a basketball game last year, the Lakers won. Attendance and support at games reached new crescendos. Interest in the instrumental program at the D'Angelo School of Music has grown. And perhaps most importantly, the pep band is providing students with another opportunity to prepare for meaningful careers after graduation. "My career goal is to teach music in a high school, start my own pep band, and work with the school orchestra and marching band," said Mary Zelenka, music education major and a 1996 graduate from Berea, Ohio. "In addition to playing violin in various school of music programs, the pep band was a very fun place where I could conduct, play my trombone and support the college." Zelenka had played the trombone in high school and during summer breaks from Mercyhurst, but didn't have any opportunities to play on campus until the pep band formed. She feels the experience strengthened her ability to obtain a teaching position.

BY

MICHAEL

PLASHA

For sophomore music education major Jim Foley, playing in the pep band is continuing his dream of eventually becoming a divisional music director for the Salvation Army. "My father is a minister in the Salvation Army, and I learned how to play tuba in their brass band," he said. "The pep band is more along the style of the Salvation Army bands and Steven Lyons (head of the music education department) is teaching me a lot of the skills Til need to conduct and arrange their music. Plus it is a blast! I didn't think it would be accepted as much as it was, but even during our first game students sat behind us and supported us. It has been a very welcome surprise." These comments and experiences are very gratifying to Lyons who formed the pep band in September 1996. "We thought it would be important to the school atmosphere," he said. "We don't just play tunes, we motivate the audience and get them involved." Even though the band is the musical equivalent of cheerleaders assisting the Laker mascot with his antics, their biggest cheerleader is probably Head Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director Karl Fogel. "Without question they added a great deal to the atmosphere and made it a great place to play college ball." he said. "It pumps the players up to have so much support. Our home record was much better than our away record, and they helped make the difference. I'd like to take them on the road with us next year."

10

E K( VI I M T

(I I I II t

Mascot has no mercy!

The popularity and success of the pep band is also assisting the D'Aneelo School of Music with enrollment and academic goals. 'The band is primarily D'Angelo Music School students," Lyons explained. The 1995-96 edition had 22 members, and those who did not graduate in the spring are coming back in September. "We are also reaching out to high school students who may enroll here in the future," Lyons said, "and the band has become so popular that even some of our vocal majors are dusting off their old instruments and playing with us. It has definitely increased interest in our instrumental program. Next year I would love to see alumni dig up their instruments and join us." The song most associated with the pep band is the Mercyhurst Fight Song composed by Shannon B. Roberts, a composer and arranger at the University of Utah where Lyons is a doctoral student. The next project will be a Mercyhurst College Song. But for now, the pep band has its hands, fingers and spirits full playing such popular songs as Story In Your Eyes, Tequilay Another One Bites the Dust, Respect and YMCA. Regardless of what they play, each song is the sound of joy bringing a new spirit of energy and excitement into Michael Plasha is a campus life and to the freelance writer from dance moves of The Old Erie, PA. Man in the Sea.D Twenty-five years after Laker athletics began, the teams finally have a mascot. Called "The Old Man in the Sea," the costumed character has a repertoire of shenanigans bringing the crowds to their feet with side-splitting laughter and heartwarming cheers. The seafaring mascot in his nautical clothing was the awardwinning design submitted by Hockey Coach Rick Cotkin, who had the drawing in his files since he came to Mercyhurst in 1988. Naturally the original drawing had skates, a hockey stick and gloves, but Kevin Segedi '98, a graphics design major, modified the sketch to give it universal use for all Laker sports. Suited up in a blue, green and white team uniform, with a Laker jersey number 00, the mascot's costume has an enlarged sculpted head weighing 15 pounds, and is caricatured with a jutting chin, an oversized nose and a no-nonsense grin. Three Mercyhurst students went down in Mercyhurst history as the first to fill the Old Man's shoes. Winning the honor at a student rally organized by Student Activities Committee Chairman Brian Marshall '97 and held on January 25, 1996, were Jeffrey Dulemba '96, a recent graduate of the hotel, restaurant institutional management program, Jennifer Feser '97, a social science education major, and Jennifer Houck '99, a biology education major. Whether he's on the ice at a hockey game or in the stands at a basketball game, the Old Man kindles the fires of Lakermania without any mercy.

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99

V A T I O N
f-V'-'." i-"'"''* ,

CLASSICS
few ,>>-:

roc/: the following from a book: "A prevalent notion is that the great mass of people cannot understand and cannot form an independent judgment upon any matter; they cannot be educated, in the sense of developing their intellectual powers, but they can be bamboozled. The reiteration of slogans, the distortion of the news, the great storm of propaganda that beats upon the citizen twenty-four hours a day all his life long mean either that democracy must fall a prey to the loudest and most persistent propagandists or that the people must save themselves by strengthening their minds so that they can appraise the issues for themselves."

12

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1 i|ou instill courage in the student, leavin? no proposition unquestioned or unexamined, the intellect will thrive"
Is this the latest condemnation of public education by Sowell, Bloom or any number of self-praised neo-conservative intellectuals? No. It is from the preface to "The Great Conversation," written half a century ago by Robert M. Hutchins. The state of education has not progressed since then. In fact, it has fallen. Hutchins foresaw what has happened to the American school, given the persistent efforts among educators to propagate ideas which bear little relevance to education and academics. We have put our trust in the school system to teach our children. That trust has resulted in increased illiteracy, aimlessness and dependence on authority. Johnny can't read, but, worse, Johnny can't think. He can't, as Hutchins wrote, "Form an independent judgment upon any matter." As a tutor, I see what's happening. A student of mine claimed her teacher told the class she didn't fully understand the concept she was teaching. Nevertheless, she went ahead and taught it as best she could. It gives a new twist to the expression, "The blind leading the blind." My evidence of what's happening comes not only from my observations, but also from those of friends who teach. One told me she is going back for a master's degree in a new field, away from secondary education. "You've heard the stories about these schools," she said. "They're all true. They can't read, they don't understand. It's exasperating." There is other evidence of this decline, but the obstacles raised by bad education can be overcome. How? Firing incompetent instructors only begs the question: How did they get there in the first place? We could restructure teacher certification to weed out the incompetent. Certification does attract those with the least ability, but you also need to attract the best and brightest weeding out the worst doesn't guarantee the best. I have a simpler solution: Return to a liberal education. Bring back the classics, develop the curriculum around the great thinkers and great ideas of the West, and cut out the extracurricular nonsense. Concentrate on one language. Develop empathy between dissimilar students based on the intellect, not on race, creed, or gender. Teach the history of the world and of ideas, the great as well as the wretched. The minds of children are pliant. If you instill courage in the student, leaving no proposition unquestioned or unexamined, the intellect will thrive. Too simplistic? Some may charge me with trying to drag students back to some Golden Age when the schoolmaster drilled his pupils till their eyeballs sprawled lifeless on the desk and their lips dribbled and murmured. But just look to Kenneth Brannaugh and others who would revive the classics in a palpable and interesting way. Let's take them as our guides. While Homer, Aristotle, St. Aquinas, Dante, Rabelais, Shakespeare, Montaigne, Locke, Jefferson, Shelley, Dostoyevsky and the like are challenging, they have been the wellsprings of Western thought for more than two thousand years. The difficulty will rest squarely on educators. To develop the liberal curriculum, educators must read their writings and learn to express their ideas. No harm can come of this. But harm will come to us if we do not address the academic needs of our children. It takes no great mind to notice the rise in cults, rash causes and political demagoguery that have gripped our nation. We are reaping the seeds we sowed decades ago, seeds of destruction and despair planted long before Hutchins wrote: "Strengthen the mind and many of our worst problems will wilt and die."D

Stephen Mclntyre is a freelance writer from Omaha, Neb. His article first appeared in The Reader and is reprinted with permission.

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In the Mathematics Classroom

Writing for Focus
Teachers are fountains of information, constantly willing to gush on about their various disciplines. In mathematics and science especially, it seems that educators tend to assume that the whole reason for our existence is to impart the arcana of our subjects. We are well-prepared with the information itself, but perhaps not so well-prepared to develop teaching processes that enable our students to integrate and react to that information. I want to share with you some of my attempts at developing alternative teaching processes. Writing Across the Curriculum, seen by many of us as primarily a way of improving the students' presentation of knowledge, could instead be one of the teaching processes which enables students to integrate and react. Perhaps more attention should be paid to the powerful role which language plays in the production of knowledge. Writing Across the Curriculum will almost certainly improve students' writing, but will writing improve students' learning? It is this shift in emphasis that has led writing teachers such as Bard College's Paul Connolly to suggest that "Writing Across the Curriculum" be replaced by the phrase "Writing to Learn." Arthur Powell in his article in Research and Teaching in Developmental Education (fall 1993) writes "...both writing and mathematics are instruments for ordering thoughts about things and thoughts about thoughts. Reasonably, therefore, we can imagine mathematics educators...exploring ways of employing writing as support for mathematics learning. Process-product writing encourages students to express their responses to mathematics and prompts students to write and analyze their mathematical autobiographies. These writing activities focus on the intellectual and emotional energies of the students." The writing activities I have tried in my classroom are similar to the process-product approach outlined by Powell in his article. But while Powell would have "...writing activities focus on the intellectual and emotional energies of the students," my approach is to attempt to use writing to focus the energies of the students. In other words, students are "Writing for Focus." I have categorized the writing done in my classroom into two areas of intent: writing to focus the students on their immediate personal goals in the mathematics classroom, and writing to focus on historical
BY DENNIS CONDON

developments in mathematics and on present-day applications of mathematics. In the first category, dealing with immediate personal goals, students write their mathematical autobiographies, they write their expectations for the class itself and for themselves in the class, and they pre-write daily on their academic progress, study plans, etc. The autobiography is used as a means for the instructor to get to know the student and, more importantly, as a method for the student to recognize and deal with any background problems or math phobias that might be impeding his or her learning. Students take the autobiographies very seriously. They are obviously concerned that I be made aware that they are starting

their careers with me burdened by some very definite handicaps. Excerpts from some biographies include: "/ have not been in school since 1972. I expect to personally overcome my fear of failure in this class. I have always had a stigma toward the subject because of early failures." '7 took Business Math in high school and took Basic Algebra here at Mercyhurst last fall. I understood it but failed the final test and had to repeat it. I guess you could say I have a math phobia." "...in my school we only had to have two math courses. I took General Math and Business Math. I feel I am fine at everyday math but algebra is too abstract."

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 "This will be a personal challenge with a hope of conquering the brain damage done by years of marriage, motherhood and the insufferable unbalanced checkbook. " As you can see, a good autobiography can also tell me something of the students' sense of humor. Next the students write expectations for the course: What do I think this course is about? Is it going to be difficult for me? What grade do I want? How hard am I willing to work for the grade I want? This particular section is an important part of writing for focus because it is here that the students set goals and do some very important self-evaluations. These expectations are updated periodically so the student can reassess and re-focus. A typical student's journal reads: Man 9:1 was under the impression from the opinions of others who have taken this course that it is quite difficult. I'm expecting to probably get a C but would like to do better. Apr. 20: At this point I have reached my goal as far as the letter grade, but still feel I could do better. My priorities seem to be in different areas this term whether right or wrong, I don't know. I need to make some adjustments. Another student wrote: Mar. 9:1 struggled with Basic Algebra but have come into this class with an open mind. Vve decided to take one day at a time and have also made a goal for myself of a B in this class. Apr. 20: So far I am very pleased with myself and this class. I am maintaining a B but that could change. I have so little faith in myself when it comes to math, but I find this class very interesting. I was really stretching it when I hoped for a B, but I guess I can do it. In both these examples it is interesting to note that the students seem slightly surprised that they actually attained their goals as far as letter grades were concerned. In the third writing in the category dealing with immediate personal goals, students are given several minutes at the beginning of class and/or at the end of class to freewrite on what is crucial for that day: Am I prepared for this class? If not, what more could I have done to be prepared? Are there questions I need to ask? Writing at the end of class, the student might ask: How did I do today? Did I understand what went on in class? If not, were there questions I might have asked to make things clearer? Was I a player or a spectator? Along these lines students have written: "I'm not real sure how to do the problems that we had on the quiz- My room-

Uli) approach h to attempt to w writing to focus the energies of the students.

9
mate has been helping me but I'm still kind offuzzy on it. I'm going to Mr. C Monday morning for help. I think writing before and after class is good because it gives me an idea of what is wrong. " "Well first off I'm going to talk to Ms. Gates about a tutor. Then I'm going to work on quadratic equations. I need to know the steps to follow, and I have to work through the problems. I REALLY need to practice." The objective of this pre- and post-writing is to increase the students' awareness of what is happening in the classroom and to make them realize that success demands involvement. It is done to encourage students to become active participants in the learning process and to help them acquire a personal ownership of that process. Done regularly, it becomes an instrument through which students reflect on what they have done, center themselves on what they are about to do, and propose strategies that will help ensure success in the mathematics classroom. This free-writing does consume a considerable amount of time I estimate a total of two class periods in a term but I feel it can be justified. It gets students settled and focused so much more quickly that I think it is "cost effective." In the second category appreciation of historical developments in mathematics and present-day applications of mathematics students write more formally and for credit. My course syllabus requires a brief summary on the historical material in each chapter and a report to be written and presented in class on an historically significant person or topic in mathematics. Some of the papers done were on Renee Descartes, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), the Hindu-Arabic influence in mathematics, cartography, Isaac Newton and craps: the probabilities. The intent here is to let students see that mathematics was developed by real people, and that it is used in real-life situations. Also, I had hoped that the summaries and reports would be a means of getting nonmath-oriented students involved in, and

appreciative of, mathematics. These writing for focus techniques have been used with two groups of "at-risk" students the first group being traditional first-year college students in the Foundations of Education program at Mercyhurst/North East, and the second group being non-traditional students in oneand two-year programs in the McAuley Division. The students in the first group are defined as being at-risk because they are coming to college with records of poor achievement in high school. The students in the second group are defined as at-risk because they have been out of the educational system for periods ranging from two to twenty years. All the writings the students have done have been productive in varying degrees between the two groups. Both do well writing the autobiographies. I feel they are generally honest about their mathematical histories, and as a result, I am able to deal more realistically with the various learning problems we encounter throughout the course. The traditional-age students seem to benefit more from the daily few minutes of free-writing than do the non-traditional students. Adult students generally have little need for the motivation provided by the daily free write. These people come to class prepared, alert and ready to work. When historical summaries and oral reports become due however, the non-traditional students really hit their stride. Their papers are thoroughly researched and wellwritten, and their oral presentations are generally excellent. It is not at all unusual in this group for the oral reports to provide springboards for valuable class discussions. Some of the ideas put forth here are mine; some have been adapted from other educators who, like me, are fumbling to develop alternative teaching processes processes which hopefully will enable students to integrate and react to the information we bombard them with in every class. I am convinced that Writing to Learn can be a valuable tool in the mathematics classroom, and further, that Writing for Focus can be a worthwhile part of Writing to Learn.
Dennis Condon is an instructor of mathematics in Mercyhursfs McAuley Division.

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Mercys Elect New Leader

A hundred and sixty-five years may have passed since Catherine McAuley began her ministry by reaching out to the homeless of Dublin, but judging from the enthusiasm and commitment of Sister JoAnne Courneen, newly elected president of the Sisters of Mercy, it could just as well have been last year. "Much of my volunteer work in recent years has been with the homeless, and I will continue to be involved with them as president of the order," Sister said. From 1984 to 1988, Courneen and Sister Patricia Whalen were early members of Help House on West Second Street in Erie, the forerunner for the Mercy Center for Women. "The plight of the homeless is symptomatic of the lack of a strong family unit," Courneen said. "We've seen a marked increase in the number of homeless in the Erie area in recent years," she added, "and one of the problems facing them is the number who have been involved with substance abuse." A native of Union City, Pa., Courneen received her B.S. degree in elementary education at Mercyhurst, a master's in administration and supervision from John Carroll University and through a National Science Foundation grant in math and computer science undertook further studies at Shippensberg State College, Gettysburg College and Georgetown University. From 1963 to 1967 she taught and served in administrative positions in Erie area Catholic schools, and from 1987 to 1996 she was president of Mercyhurst Preparatory School. She is a member of the board of trustees of Mercyhurst College and the Mercy Center for Women and is chair of the Diocesan Committee for the Tri-Conference Retirement for Religious. In her new leadership post, she succeeds Sister Maura Smith who provided the leadership of the Order for eight years. Asked what her vision is for the Sisters of Mercy, Sister JoAnne replied, "I hope to provide the type of leadership that will enrich the individual lives of the Sisters and empower them to continue in the ministries that are such an integral part of our lives. That means working together to find ways to strengthen what we believe are already wonderful ministries. "The goals of the Order are set by the community it is the job of leadership to carry them out. Mother McAuley was always interested in working with lay people, and so are we. She looked around and saw what the needs were and found ways to respond to them, just as the Sisters in Erie are doing today."D

From the beginning, she was there

Early alums remember her as the Sister of Mercy who was responsible for the pomp, circumstance and elegance of the college's May Day pageantry. Alums from the 60s remember her as the nun with the stage whisper who worked in the periodicals in the Weber Library. The Sisters remember her as the gifted young religious who Mother Borgia Egan depended on to bring a sense of artistry and panache to graduation, Christmas festivities and state dining room dinners. In addition to having a distinctive flair for putting on events, she was an exceptionally talented musician who once headed the college's music department. At the peak of her professional life, her hearing deteriorated which forced her to choose another career. She became a periodicals librarian. Mercyhurst history will remember her as the Sister of Mercy who set the standard for doing Mercyhurst events with elegance and elan and who helped create the early image of the college by her distinctive flair. This gifted woman, Sister Jane Frances Raffetto, the last living charter faculty member of the college when it opened seven decades ago this year, died on May 9, 1996. Sister was 95.

"The nab of the Order

are set bij the com muniti)

it Is the job of leadership to carry, them out"

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Senior Awards
Carpe Diem Award, Jessica Cuffia; Mother Frances Warcle Adult Student Award, Patricia Titus; Bishop's Award for Academic Excellence, Mary Zelenka and Amy Lombardo; Sister Carolyn Herrmann Service Award, Theresa Schroeck; Sister Eustace Taylor Leadership Award, Gagan Suri. Also President's Associates Achievement Award winners Matthew Kinnear, anthropology'/archaeology; Janice Hill and Samantha Peterson, business; Joy Dlugost education; Gregory Hischuck and Karen Weston, hotel, restaurant & institutional management; Tamara Valovich, human development; Megan Circle, humanities; Kristin Balon and William Sauve, natural sciences and mathematics; Faith Lifshen and Kirill Kalmykov, performing arts; and Kathleen Fox, social sciences. Graduate program award winners: Michelle Garvey, James V Kinnane Award in the Administration of Justice, and Sister Michele Marie Schroeck, Outstanding Graduate Student in Special Education.

Stepping out of
We had done it 67 times before. The first time there were only four students, but this time there were 424 of them. The college had grown, the faculty had grown, and the 68th graduating class had hit an all-time high. So had the weather. The sun shown brightly on May 19 with record-high temperatures that day and for the graduation awards dinner the night before. The heat may have dampened their clothes but not the spirit of the Class of 1996 who cheered on the senior award winners. Sunday morning after Mass and brunch the graduates and their families made their way downtown to the Avalon Hotel to lineup for the academic procession. Barry McAndrew had been part of the academic procession 31 other times. But this year was special. For the 1996 Teacher of the Year, it was a day that would recognize and celebrate his career as one of Mercyhurst's finest. For Patricia Titus, a mother of seven, the day marked the fulfillment of a dream. For Jessica Cuffia, the Carpe Diem Award winner, it was the concluding moment as the college's first woman Student Government president in 22 years. And for Mary Zelenka and Amy Lombardo, it was a triumph of excellence. The colorful pageantry of the graduates, faculty and trustees walking down State Street to the Warner Theatre was punctuated by blue, green and white ribbons on the lampposts signaling to Erie that this was Mercyhurst's Day. Many years ago, these graduates, then infants, took their first step into life. It was a moment filled with anticipation and excitement for their families. Now it was time to take another first step in life. The graduates were ready, the families were filled with pride, and the cameras were focused this time to capture the moment the Class of 1996 stepped out of Mercy world.

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R E M E M B E R

W H E N

BY

MARY

DALY

y office was tucked in a little cubby hole to the right of the Preston entrance to Old Main directly in line with the corridor which led to the men's dormitory. The nuns had moved out of their Preston Hall convent and the college had converted the tiny stark rooms to double occupancy and made the wing into the first men's dorm. It was 1970 and the dorm was filled with the young and the restless, the Preston Bandits, great guys, chock-full of personality and raging testosterone, and always getting into trouble. One of my favorites was John Wojdyla from outside Pittsburgh. He was a handsome kid with a John Travolta smile. Somehow I inherited him as my work study. It was during that time that I learned about "great lungs" and why Charlie Rufo was always drinking Donald Duck orange juice. I was a big sister to some of those first guys. Only four years out of college myself when they came as freshmen, I was Mercyhurst's public relations director and hardly an administrative threat in those young men's eyes. There had not been a dull moment since they arrived on campus and over the next four years, they became a part of my life. I still treasure the picture of us together in the '74 yearbook at the college Christmas dinner. They were seniors now with only two months till graduation. It was March 27,

1974, and the guys were living in the new Sesler Apartments which had opened that fall. John stopped by to change the recording on the Mercyhurst information hotline. "Hey, Mar, did you hear the news about the Big Boy?" I was almost afraid to ask. "What about it?" "Someone stole him, what a heist!" After a few more questions, John told me that the story was all over the afternoon newscasts. Someone had actually taken the seven foot, 150 pound Big Boy that stood holding his sandwich at Elby's 38th and Peach streets restaurant. "Do they know who did it?" I thought I'd ask. "Naw, they don't have any idea," he grinned. That was the tip-off. "John, you didn't happen to have had anything to do with it, did you?" "Not me, Mar. How could you ever think that?" His boyish grin gave him away, "Then, you know who did, John, I can tell. Was it Sport? Don't try to pull another one on me like you did the last time," I warned.

"Would I do that?" he laughed. I knew the answer to that. As a Preston resident, John had come hobbling on crutches into the office, his leg in a cast up past his knee. The story was that he had fallen down the steps the night before. But later that day I heard a different story from Bill Kennedy, dean of students. Wodillie, as the guys called him, had broken it on a dare going down the Sisters' old laundry chute. "Level with me, John, where is it? I want to know, now." Sure enough, he told me that in the wee hours of the morning, the young and the restless pulled their best prank ever, captured the Big Boy and were holding him hostage in one of the Sesler Apartments. That afternoon "The Simple and Easy to Please Liberation Army," as they identified themselves, phoned JET news and offered as ransom: Big Boy sandwiches and cokes that Saturday for every Mercyhurst student with ID. John was one of Larie Pintea's boys on.

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our first crew team. And if John knew something about the story, Lane's "peck of trouble" was somehow involved. There was no doubt about that. By night Pintea was the managing editor of the Morning News paper, but by day, he was the Jack Riley '74. Gene Egan, Sport Collins '74, Dan Egan coach of the crew team and a member of the "Wooooooooooooo, the little lady's hot, Mercyhurst board of advisors. I'm out of here!" and away he darted across He was a hard core newsman, the campus. a former police reporter, the I burst into laughter as I watched him consummate journalist for whom the story head over to the apartments, but I never was everything. But he had a great love for cracked a smile in front of him. The Big the college and its former President Sister Boy heist was safe with me. I didn't tell my Carolyn Herrmann, and he turned out to be boss or Kennedy but I immediately called a real friend of Mercyhurst, particularly Larie. "You had better get up here, Coach, when it meant suppressing the shenanigans it was YOUR guys who took the Big Boy!" of our first men students. "I knew it!" he roared, "I just knew it!," This wasn't the first time the pioneer he repeated, laughing hysterically. "Where men got themselves into a jam. When trouis it?" ble brewed we could count it as a sure bet: "They have him over in a Sesler apartLarie's boys would be at the heart of it. ment." By the same accounting, his boys always "Do Garv and Kennedy know? Did you knew they could count on him to run intertell them?" Larie needed to know. ference, after all, he was their "Coach." "No, I don't want the guys thinking I And he never let them down. squealed on them. This WILL be the last I couldn't wait to tell the Coach about straw with Kennedy, he's about had it with this latest escapade, but before picking up them and it's only eight weeks until they the phone, 1 said to John, "Wodillie, go tell graduate. your buddies to get that thing out of there. I "Will you please come up here and take don't know how you got it here and I don't care of things," I pleaded. And then I added, care how you get it back. Just do it before "You won't put it in the paper, will you?" you guys get caught. This is serious!"

And so, once again, it was the Coach to their rescue. He talked to Dean Garvey and Mr. Kennedy and kept me out of it entirely. Later Larie talked to his friend Police Chief Sam Gemelli and to the manager of Elby's. Charges would be dropped if the Big Boy was returned. The next day, Wodillie came in grinning like a Cheshire cat, "Good one, huh, Mar? We really had you going there, didn't we!" A few years ago, Elby's brought the Big Boy back and along with him came a showcase of promotional items. I bought a small replica of the Big Boy and sent it to the Coach as a souvenir of the heist that took place 20 years earlier. No card seemed necessary. By that time, he had retired after over 40 years at the paper and from his coaching duties at the college. But he remembered the heist all right, and echoed Wodillie's words in the message of thanks he left on my voice mail, "Good one, Mar, good one!"D
Mary Daly '66 is now vice president of external affairs at the college. John Wojdyla '74 lives in Champ/in. Minn., with his wife. Cathy and two daughters Megan. 15. and Angle. 14. He's been a carrier for Federal Express since 1982. Dave "Sport" Collins '74. one of the perpetrators of the Big Boyheist, became a top salesman and today owns his own company. Alpine Books in Brookfie/d. Wis., where he lives with his wife. Deborah. John and Dave have remained best friends through the years. Their wives say they have heard about the Big Boy heist more times than they care to remember.

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HD

HESS

J R

Football Comes Home

Since the inception of the Mercyhurst College football program in 1981, two facts have remained constant. The first is that the Lakers have played every one of their home games at the 10,000-seatErie Veterans' Memorial Stadium. The second is that there has always been constant exploration into the Quarterback Matt Golga '97 concept of playing games on campus instead of at the municipal stadium. There was no reason to think that the 1996 season would be any different than the previous 15 years. Then came the announcement by the Erie School District that the stadium would be closed this fall to all activities due to renovations to its artificial turf. With this decision, the college administration was forced to immediately turn the concept of playing games on campus into a reality. The Sisters of Mercy granted the college permission to convert one of the three athletic fields into a football field, and the board of trustees approved the funding for the project. Now residential students will no longer have to travel to "home" Laker football games. With the field located on the south end of campus, most students will walk about the same distance they do for classes. The field will be a modest facility with improvements considered on a yearly basis. A scoreboard, goalposts, fencing, pressbox and bleachers with a seating capacity of 1,100 will all be part of the field for the 1996 season. The Lakers play four home games this season Robert Morris College on Sept. 7; St. John Fisher College on Sept. 28; Monmouth University on Oct. 5; and the Homecoming game against Gannon University on Oct. 12.

Lacrosse Goes Division I

The Laker lacrosse program begins a new era in athletics at Mercyhurst and in Erie sports as it travels into the uncharted waters of Division I competition. Laker lacrosse will be the first sport in the local area to ever play exclusively at the Division I level and be classified as such. But this is just the latest innovation the college has undertaken in the sport of lacrosse. Mercyhurst is the first area college to offer women's lacrosse. The women's varsity squad completed its first season last spring and the men's lacrosse team will make its debut in the spring of 1997. 'The NCAA allows a Division II member, like Mercyhurst, to reclassify in one men's and one women's sport with the exception of football and basketball." according; to Pete Russo, director of athletics at the college. "We have petitioned for reclassification with the NCAA in men's and women's lacrosse, and when it is approved, we must conform to all Division I requirements for two years before the sport is officially certified. That approval is expected in September 1998." Russo said that at the present time the college does not wish to elevate its entire athletic program to the Division I level, however, lacrosse will give the college a taste of Division I play against highprofile academic and athletic institutions. "We think it is a great move to take advantage of the NCAA single sport provision while developing Mercyhurst lacrosse as a highly visible sport," Russo said. With the new Division I status, Laker lacrosse will play teams like Ohio State University and Duke University as part of the 1997 spring schedule. Coach Peter Ginnegar has been hired as the new head coach of the Laker men's and women's lacrosse teams. Ginnegar comes to Mercyhurst from Cornell University, where he was the assistant coach of the men's lacrosse and men's soccer teams. Both of those squads were ranked among the top 10 in the nation, and both garnered spots in the NCAA playoffs in 1995. Ginnegar, who holds a master's degree in athletic administration from Springfield College, has coached for 16 years on the collegiate level as a head coach or assistant. Before his coaching stint at Cornell, Ginnegar spent two years as the head coach of the men's lacrosse team at the University of California-Santa Barbara. His wealth of coaching experience on the Division I level should lend immediate credibility to Laker lacrosse, the newest varsity sport at Mercyhurst.
Eel Hess '92 is the sports information director at Mercyhurst.

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September
17

Lawrence Otis Graham September 17

Lawrence Otis Graham lecture "Harlem on My Mind," 7:30 p.m., TLT

The author of 11 nonfictional books and stories on race/ethnic relations, Graham will discuss civil rights and diversity.

23 29

Squonk Opera, 8 p.m., T T L Quartetto Celato, 2:30 p.m., PAC

Featuring an exciting mix of classical favorites, operatic arias, traditional melodies, tangos and gypsy fiddling.

October
James Hollis lecture "Psyche and Soul: The Enactments of Soul through Myth," 7:30 p.m., TLT
This Zurich-trained Jungian analyst, author and international speaker will discuss mythology and active imagination for those new to the journey of Jungian psychology as well as the experienced traveler.

Yesterday October 5

Yesterday...A Tribute to the Beatles, 8:30 p.m., PAC

Considered the most authentic, visual and exciting imitation Beatles act to date, this group of "lads" will lead you through the 60s from the mop-top era to Sergeant Pepper. 12

"Hooley," 8:30 p.m., PAC

Celebrating the Irish roots of Mercy hurst College, this multi-talented group of musicians, singers, songwriters and dancers will perform traditional Celtic music.

15

"Lethal Viruses, Ebola, and The Hot Zone," 7:30 p.m., TLT
Colonels Nancy and Jerry Jaax are among the world's leading specialists on "hot" (extremely infectious) viruses and high-hazard biological research.

New York Wind Soloists October 2 7

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Ceraldine O'Crady, violinist, 8 p.m., TLT Cregory Norbert, guitarist, 7:30 p.m., PAC New York Wind Soloists, 2:30 p.m., PAC
Fresh and innovative programming by five well-known solo artists on flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn.

30

"The Meeting" (drama), 7:30 p.m., TLT

A powerful drama about the lives, philosophies and times of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

The Meeting October 30

November
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Films for Discussion

Featuring unique works by students and faculty of the Mercyhurst Dance Department. Discussion at 7:15 p.m., Film at 7:30p.m. in the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center

Blue Jeans, Ballet Bolero, 8 p.m., PAC Blue Jeans, Ballet Bolero, 2:30 p.m., PAC Percussion Ensemble, 7 p.m., T T L
Spotlighting the talents of students of the D'Angelo School of Music.

Sept. 18 Welcome to the Dollhouse

Sept. 25

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Dee Stewart, trombonist, 8 p.m., TLT

II Postino (The Postman)

Oct. 9

December
3 Jeffrey Bimbaum lecture "Madhouse The Private Turmoil of Working for the President," 7:30 p.m., T T L
Bimbaum provides a fascinating look at the Clinton White House through the years of six top staffers.

Shanghai Triad
Oct. 23

PAC Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center TLT Taylor Little Theatre

For ticket information call (814) 824-3000.

Anne Frank Remembered Nov. 6 When Night Is Falling Dec. u Crumb Dec. 18 I Shot Andy Warhol

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501 E. 38th St. Erie, PA 16546 Forward and Address Correction

As the fireworks lit the night sky over Mercyhurst College, Dr. David Kruszewski was one of many who couldn't describe the brilliant fireballs any other way. "Awesome," he said. And he wasn't the only one. "Awesome" was Scott Pohl's description of the celebration during an interview with a local reporter. And the same word was on the lips of those who enjoyed the organ recital by world-class recording artist Hector Olivera. "Awesome," they described him. For the 13th year in Erie and the fifth year in North East, Mercyhurst College welcomed the community to its campuses where the area's largest Independence Day celebrations are held J at Mercyhurst's Old Fashioned Fourth of July. In addition to providing a place for the Erie and North East communities to come together to celebrate our nation's independence, the Old Fashioned Fourth of July is a splendid way for visitors to see the beauty of the Mercyhurst grounds. When the bands struck up Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" launching the fireworks on both campuses, a sea of flags waved on the ballfields in a salute to Old Glory. It was you guessed it awesome.