See Journeys of the Heart, paae 12

What's In A Name?
When Mercyhurst became a Mercyhurst facsimile having coeducational institution in been re-created 3,000 miles 1969, there was a measure of from Erie. Scenes taking place pressure from some factions at at the college were shot in midthe college to change the December. school's name. Mercyhurst, they The movie is about a small reasoned, was too widely identi- town musical group, The fied as a 'girls' school and Wonders, who, in the summer of many worried that men 1964, cut a demo of the song u would never opt to That Thing You Do!," which x hits the charts and changes attend a college lives. with that identification. Twenty-six years later, The adventure begins in the everyone on campus is group's hometown of Erie, breathing a sigh of where their first success is at a relief that the college college music competition. name remained as the That's where Mercyhurst comes founding Sisters in. From there the film follows intended. For it is the band members as they learn because of its name to cope with the demands of life that Mercyhurst will on the road, performing on the soon be coming to state fair circuit before finally a theater near you, as a arriving in Hollywood and featured location in the current appearing on television. filming of Tom Hanks * new Unprepared for sudden fame, movie, "That Thing You Do!" The Wonders' popularity is short-lived. Their hit single According to the film's publislides down the charts as rapidcist, Marsha Robertson, the ly as it once rose to the top. selection of Mercyhurst as the site for some of the movie's Now that we know why early scenes is due almost Mercyhurst was selected, the entirely to its name. "(Tom larger question is, why Erie? Hanks) was given a list of the The answer to that is almost as colleges in Erie and it was he simple. "Tom thinks Erie is who chose Mercyhurst, " she indicative of a certain middle explains. Hanks is not only the American, industrial town; it film's star, but also its writer has the feel of the time," and director, and so the decision Robertson explains. "And he was ultimately his. remembered driving through once on his way College officials were first from Cleveland to informed of Hanks' interest somewhere." when representatives of Twentieth Century Fox contactHe may have ed Dr. Joseph Gower, vice presi- only passed dent of academic affairs, through, but requesting formal permission to something here identify Mercyhurst by name made Hollywood's and to use the college's biggest star want to put Erieinsignias in the film. and Mercyhurston the cinematic map. The film is being shot almost entirely in California, with a

Mercyhurst
I hA S\ <3

ET\

VOL.

13,

NUMBER

1, WINTER

1995-96

FEATURES
Intelligence Analyst Program
by Don AAcQuaid

The Best Trained Cooks in Town

by Rhonda Mahoney Schember

Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center

by Don McQuaid

Continuing t h e DreamThanks a Million!

by Mary Daly

Education in Democracy
by Dr. Michael Federici

Mercy Values a n d Contemporary Culture

by Dr. Mary Hembrow Snyder

Raising t h e Level of our Public Debate: Euthanasia a n d Doctor-Assisted Suicide

by Dr. Thomas Donahue

Coming HomeJourneys of t h e Heart

by Don McQuaid, Yvonne Maher S Mary Daly

Remember When...The Roost

by Larie Pintea

The Meryhurst Magazine is published twice a year in January and August. The Magazine has a distribution list of 10.000. It is a published as a companion piece to Mercyhurst Today issued in October, March, and June. The Magazine is produced as a showcase of faculty talent and a spotlight on new programs and unusual and interesting aspects of Mercyhurst College. The Magazine's address is 501 E. 38th Street, Erie, PA 16546. Telephone (814) 824-2285. Send change of address to: Mercyhurst Magazine Mercyhurst College, Erie, PA 16546. Attention: Karen English

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

About the Cover: Mercyhurst's

Old Main at dawn on December 29. 1995. Photographer Paul M. Lorei.

ETC.
What's in a n a m e . . . EVERYTHING! Inside front cover Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center Season Schedule Page 20

Yvonne Maher '93 Circulation Coordinator Gary L. Bukowski '73

ON THE CUTTING EDGE

Intelligence Analyst Program
In the fall of 1992, the crisp red and gold leaves weren't the only things that were rustling across the Mercyhurst campus. There was a brand new program at the college, the Research/Intelligence Analyst Program (R/IAP)the only one of its kind in the world. And the rumors as to what it was, who was in it and who was behind it, were flying thick and fast. "I heard it's some kind of school for spies," was the comment most frequently overheard at the Laker Inn and other spots where students congregate. "Yeah, I heard the CIA's behind it," was a typical response. "I read somewhere that the guy who's running it was one of the FBI's top agents in counter-terrorism. Wonder if he still carries a gun to work." Despite a concerted effort by R/IAP director Robert Heibel and the college's public relations department, the James Bond image of the program persisted for most of that first academic year, helped along no doubt by the media's references to that pop culture icon. "Inaccurate as it was, we more or less anticipated that kind of initial reaction to the program," said Heibel, a retired FBI agent who served as the Bureau's deputy chief of counter-terrorism. "The first thing most people think of when they hear the word 'intelligence' is the cloak and dagger aspect of it," Heibel added, "while in reality only about 20 percent of all intelligence is gathered through clandestine means. "This is not to say, however, that the work of the intelligence analyst is lacking in excitement. To the contrary, it is on the cutting edge of both the intelligence field itself and the whole realm of information technology, which is revolutionizing every facet of our society." For the record, then, an intelligence analyst is not an agent, not a spy. He or she is a highly trained professional whose job, whether related to national security, criminal investigative activities, or the corporate sector, is the preparation of assessments based on the collection, correlation and analysis of information from diverse sources. Eighty percent of the raw data with which analysts work is gathered from "open" or non-classified sources, such as newspapers, periodicals, professional jour-

BY

DON

MCQUAID

[ R ( ! I H i I

mU ( ZI I E 1 I

nals and, increasingly, information available on the Internet. Last year, R/IAP entered an agreement with IBM Federal to develop a national

The lames Bond imas>e of the program persisted for most of that first academic tjear, helped alon? no doubt by the media's references to that pop culture icon.
intelligence laboratory and testbed at Mercyhurst, where the tools of the intelligence process can be developed, evaluated and demonstrated. As its part of the arrangement, IBM provided the operating platform and operating system for the test bed. "One of the primary goals of this relationship is to develop an environment where an analyst can sit at a computer work station that is capable of addressing each phase of the process/' Heibel said. "Our goal is to mirror the highest levels of capability within both government and the private sector. Students in our program will be trained in a real world environment, which will give them a tremendous advantage when they enter the job market." Another feature of the Mercyhurst program that will help to ensure employment for its graduates is an internship with a suitable organization which all seniors must successfully complete. "Since the program's inception, we've been in contact with major organizations that employ analystsnot just in the area

of national security, but also in law enforcement and the corporate sphere," Heibel said. "We're confident that we'll be able to provide good, valuable internships for all our students who qualify." Last year, the first undergraduate internship in intelligence analysis ever offered by the United States Secret Service was filled by Steven J. Brenden '95. In addition to the ongoing Secret Service internships, new internships were developed with the Office of Naval Intelligence, National Drug Intelligence, the Library of Congress, the Pittsburgh Police Department Intelligence Unit and with a violent crime task force. Heibel said the goal of the program is to produce a graduate who is qualified for entry level employment and has the following skills: The ability to read one foreign language (Mercyhurst is now offering Mandarin Chinese, for example). A broad understanding of U.S. and world history, government, political philosophies and the roots of religious conflict. A proven ability to produce written and oral reports and assessments, based on research, correlation and analysis. A familiarity with the computer as a tool in the intelligence process. A general understanding of statistical methodology and macro-economics. A successful completion of an internship. To date, four students have graduated from the R/IAP program. Steve Brenden '95 is slated to become an analyst with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in El Paso, Texas. Todd D. Palmer '94 is an analyst with the Kroll & Associates in Vienna, Va., while two others of the first graduates joined the U.S. Army as 2nd LieutenantsJohn W. Cegielski, Jr. '95 is with the Army Military Intelligence at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona and James Van Slyke, '95 is an infantry officer

who will be joining the Adjutant General corp. Currently 40 Mercyhurst students are enrolled in the R/IAP program. These students range in age from 18 to 47 years, have average SAT scores of 1100 plus and carry an average grade point average of 3.3. Despite the vital role of intelligence analysts and an increasing demand for their skills, until the launching of the Mercyhurst program, there was no program outside of government designed to prepare students for entry into this fascinating career field. And while it is not a "school for spies," Mercyhurst's Research Intelligence Analyst Program is, in fact, the only undergraduate program in the world that combines a solid liberal arts education with the highly specialized training required of intelligence
a n a l y s t s .

Don McQuaid is a writer for the external affairs office and is editor of the weeklycollege publication "Monday Morning"

WINTER

1995-96

Steve Fernald, director

of the newly formed Culinary and Wine Institute

So, after getting a eep in the bachelor's degree, the heart of wine Pittsburgh native startcountry, ed over and enrolled where autumn harin the apprenticeship vests meet lakeshore program at Allegheny winds, an innovative BY R H O N D A MAHONEY SCHEMBER County Community idea rides the crest of College for an associa brisk breeze. ate's degree and evenBuoyed by commutually became a certified chef de cuisine. nity support and embraced by the educational community, the Culinary and Wine Institute of Mercyhurst College has become a "After spending seven years with the American Culinary reality. Federationfirst as director of the National Apprenticeship Program and then as director of education and accreditationI Tucked behind the majestic granite walls of the college's North saw this job as an opportunity to be more directly involved with East campus, where the seminarians once studied for the priesthood the educational process," the 43-year-old father of two explained. and German nuns prepared their meals, 15 students enrolled in the Although his audience no longer numbers in the thousands inaugural year's culinary program hope to become the best trained from all corners of the country, he is able to work with students cooks in town. individually in an instructional kitchen for the first time. At the helm of this historic venture is chef Steve Fernald, a 25"The food service industry is looking for people who are better year veteran of the food service industry. Having spent the last 14 trained. If a chef doesn't know what he's doing or how to manage years in St. Augustine, Fla. working for the American Culinary a kitchen, a business can lose a lot of money," Fernald acknowlFederation, the largest professional organization for chefs in the edged. country, Fernald was looking for a new challenge as well as a new job earlier this year and found the local opportunity too good to So, dressed in chef's coats, black checkered pants and pure pass up. white toques blanches (cook's hats), these students will learn how to be good cooks. As director of the newly formed Culinary and Wine Institute (a "And when they're done (with this program) it will be a natural division of Mercyhurst's Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional link to the four-year Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management Department), Fernald is building the foundation of Management Program currently offered at the main campus," he what he hopes will be "an innovative program in a burgeoning field." And he's working at it from the ground floor up. added. Course work will focus on such culinary foundations as the With three state-of-the-art kitchens installed in Karsh Hall, the principles of cooking vegetables, starches, potatoes, wing of the former St. Mary's Seminary that housed the and eggs. Then it will move to soups, stocks, meats, German sisters' convent and chapel, Fernald is busily Rhonda Mahoney Schember sauces, baking and butchering while stressing nutritransforming century-old rooms into a high-tech culinary received her bachelor's tion and sanitation throughout. school. degree in home economics Referring to the adage that the best way to judge from Mercyhurst in 1971. Having initially obtained a degree in studio art from the quality of a restaurant's food is by sampling the Originally from North East, the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., Fernald soup, Fernald said "A good soup is usually an indidecided in the '70s "that the jobs just weren't there. And she is one of six children from the Mahoney family cator that there is a good cook in the kitchen." that's when I realized that every job I ever had and who graduated from enjoyed, was in a kitchen."
Mercyhurst. She is a freelance foods columnist for the Erie Dailx Times.

The Best Trained Cooks in Town

EUJMMI

n G fl Z I H E

Mary

D ' A n g e l o

BY

DON

M C Q U A I D

ith every brick of the new Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center that was laid during the fall and early winter, expectations for the grand opening of this dazzling addition to the Mercyhurst campus continued to rise. Not since the building of the Carolyn Herrmann Student Union in 1990 has the construction of a building on the campus generated such excitement among the college community. The performing arts have a long tradition at the college, going back to well before the building of the D'Angelo School of Music in 1988, Zurn Recital Hall in 1968 and even the Little Theatre in 1953. But it became apparent in recent years that existing facilities simply could not keep pace with the accelerated growth of the college. 'The largest performance facility on the campus was Zurn Hall, with a seating capacity of 250, and it was built when Mercyhurst was an all-women's school with an enrollment of 600," said Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. Garvey. "There was no question that if we were to continue our long-standing commitment to the performing arts, we had to have a facility that could handle a considerably larger audience and in which we could mount first-rate productions," Garvey added. According to Sam Rotman, assistant professor of music and director of the music department, the idea of a multiple-purpose-centerone that could handle the specific needs of all types of musical performances, as well as opera, musical theatre and dancehas been in the works for the past seven or eight years. "The original idea was to build a new concert hall with a music department wing," Rotman said. "But mainly because of budget problems it was decided to forego the concert hall for the time beins and build an entire music school, not just a new wing." Rotman said that after the completion of the music school different ideas were examined, including a freestanding concert hall not connected to Zurn Hall and one adjacent to Zurn going out toward Baldwin Hall. Finally, the decision was made to re-do and greatly expand the Zurn Recital Hall. The new center will seat 875. This includes six boxes with four seats each,

a balcony with over 200 seats, a back section on the first floor of 226 and a front section of 391. "There won't be a bad seat in the house," Rotman said enthusiastically, "and the combination of the height of the hall and other features, like the 24-feet high proscenium and the relatively high placement of the balcony, create a sense of grandeur normally associated with larger halls." Befitting the inauguration of such an imposing facility, Rotman has lined up a truly star-studded first season for the Mary D'Angelo Center. In the spotlight at the dedication concert on March 2 will be internationally acclaimed pianist Andre Watts. The next weekend on March 10, pianist Andre Shibko, winner of the 1995 D'Angelo Young Artist Competition, will be featured with the D'Angelo Symphony Orchestra. Shibko, who studies at the Moscow Conservatory in Russia, will make a second appearance in a recital on March 17. Following later in the month will be the D'Angelo Opera Theatre's production of Madama Butterfly featuring Louisa Jonason as Butterfly; and the renowned Juilliard String Quartet. In April, to commemorate the 20th annual D'Angelo Young Artist Competition, the vibrant new hall will ring with the sounds of eight former first place winners and the 1996 D'Angelo competition in voice. The Great Performers Series resumes on April 28th with renowned soprano Kathleen Battle and concludes on May 5th with one of the world's great cellists, Janos Starker. "One of our primary goals in putting together this first season was to showcase the center itself," Rotman said. We now have a facility that is a suitable setting for the greatest artists and the grandest works in each of the performing arts disciplines." The Mary D'Angelo Center has many years and untold performances ahead of it, but for sheer excitement and the sense of being part of a grand new venture, none will rival its stellar inaugural season. As Mercyhurst nears its 70th year of existence, the Mary D'Angelo Center for the Performing Arts stands as a bold
c

testimony to a potential that has been realized, a promise kept. All performance sites are subject to change pending completion of the building. Ticket information on the inaugural season at the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center may be obtained by calling (814) 8242364. See page 20 for the 1996 schedule.

\\ I II T E R

I H

5- U

oyvtiyzvuiyv^
ir&cuyw
BY MARY DALY

In Walt Disney's wonderful classic Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket ends the timeless musical fantasy singing, "When your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme." When Mercyhurst College embarked on its ambitious $6.2 million Continuing the Dream Campaign in "blitzkrieg" fashion 14 months ago, there were some who thought we were singing the Jiminy Cricket lyric with cockeyed optimism. Dreams do come true, but it takes more than "wishing upon a star." It takes hard work and tenacity and the Continuing the Dream Campaign is proof of the pudding. At the end of December, the college had surpassed its initial campaign goal with totals reaching over $8.5 million. "This is a very gratifying moment," said Dr. William P. Garvey, as he told the college community at the President's Annual Christmas Party that the campaign had reached $8,513,247the largest amount ever raised in Erie in such a short period of time. "It is even more heartwarming to tell you that one-half of that total was given by the trustees of Mercyhurst College. There are still gifts coming in as the year ends, and we expect to be able to announce the conclusion of the campaign sometime in the early months of 1996," Garvey said. The college launched its campaign in October 1994 to build a new Performing Arts Center, endow a School of Business, expand its Hammermill Library and human ecology facilities, and to provide scholarship endowment and resources for improved science equipment. Midway into the campaign, two other donor categories were added for a new culinary school at the Mercyhurst-North East branch campus and for much need improvements to Christ the King Chapel. "In almost every category we've met our goal and in one category, scholarship/endowment, we surpassed our totals in stunning numbers," Garvey explained. "This is one of our finest moments and a great accomplishment that we should all be proud of because each of us has played a part in its success," he added. "To our Trustees, our President's Associates, our Alumni, Parents, the immediate College Family, and to our close friends in the community who so magnanimously supported this drive, we extend our heartfelt thanks." Like Disney's Pinocchio, which carved an honored place for itself in motion picture history, the Continuing the Dream Campaign has etched an honored place for itself in Mercyhurst history as the college's most successful fund raising effort.

THANKS A MILLION
Mercyhurst received its fourth $1 million gift in 14 months, thanks to the generosity of one of our young alums7parents. Herbert and Catherine Hafenmaier, whose daughter Leslie earned degrees from Mercyhurst in 1987 and 1994, set up a $1 million irrevocable Charitable Remainder Trust naming Mercyhurst College the beneficiary after the life of the couple. The Hafenmaier gift will then be used to endow the college's education department, which has 200 majors and was one of the original majors at the college. Dr. William P. Garvey, president of the college, stated that for many years, Mercyhurst's reputation was based primarily on the exceptional teachers it produced. "Teaching is one of the missions of the Sisters of Mercy, and this gift will ensure that their mission at Mercyhurst will be enhanced for the 21st century," he said. "Our education department was a natural giving opportunity for them," Garvey explained, as their daughter Leslie received her master's in special education at the college. Leslie is married to atty. David Armstrong '86, director of the annual fund and alumni relations. The Hafenmaiers lived in the Erie area for 17 years but moved to Texas in 1992, where they reside just out-

"Amounts Raised To Date by Categories

Category Concert Hall Library Scholarship/Endowment Culinary School Business Chair Science Improvements Human Ecology Expansion Chapel Improvement Goal vs Amount Raised To date
"Amounts as of December 15, 1995

Goal $3,000,000 $1,750,000 $250,000 $450,000 $500,000 $150,000 $50,000 $50,000 $6,200,000

Raised $3,104,389 $1,750,000 $2,486,386 $450,000 $505,943 $124,549 $41,980 $50,000

Mary Daly is vice president of external affairs at Mercyhurst.

side of Houston.

$8,513,247

E K f i i n i

II Z I II E

BY

MICHAEL

FEDERICI,

P H . D .

Education in
Christopher Lasch has published a book entitled, The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy. It is a fascinating commentary on the state of American culture. Our culturethe common attitudes, traditions, and customs that make us what we areis the foundation for our system of government. It is inconceivable to think that the American political system could have been created apart from the culture of 18th century America or from the culture of Western Civilization more generally. The current state of our culture, as Merit would be the only qualification. This idea was the culminaLasch points out, seems unable to support our political institutions. tion of a political, social, economic, and philosophical evolution Crime, drugs, corruption, teenage suicide, illegitimacy, and a host that had been taking place for centuries in Western Civilization. of other problems call into question the viability of American This elite class is important because it provides leadership. It democracy. provides examples of human character that will be imitated by These are not the symptoms of a disordered culture, they are the disordered culture. The crisis of American culture and, more broad- thousands and even millions of people. Reality and experience teach us that all societies have and need elites. Our culture and polly, of Western culture, are widely acknowledged. Concern is found itics are in the state they are in because we lack leadership. We in a variety of political, ideological, religious, and social circles. lack good elites. We are beyond the point of denial. Our culture and politics are in Cynicism regarding our leaders is common. It is also common to need of serious reform. On this point a consensus has been reached. Our political system has only a faint resemblance to the one cre- conclude that elites are inherently corrupt and that they should be ated by the American Framers. It is not possible to restore the polit- replaced by empowering the people, i.e., more democracy. It is thought that the people are the salvation of the nation. Populism, ical system to its original state, as our culture is incapable of supfor example, has become a major ideological force in American porting such a system. politics. Its goal is to tear down elites and let the people literally What is the cure for these cultural and political maladies? On govern themselves. this question there is no consensus. One thing, however, is quite I strongly dissent from this view. I believe that what is needed is apparent. If America is to recover from its "malaise," to use Lasch's word, education will have to play a prominent role. It must, not to replace the old elite with the masses but to replace the old elite with a new elite. The question, therefore, becomes not whether in fact, rebuild the American cultural foundation. we will have elites, but rather what kind of elites we will have. Education in democracy is important for a number of reasons, As teachers and educators, the test before us is to challenge but rarely do we hear anyone mention one of its primary purposes: today's Mercyhurst students to become leaders of the next generato create a ruling elite. Instead, we shy from discussions about elites and are even cautious about using such language. "Elite" car- tion, to develop them as America's new elite. The responsibility to others begins with an obligation to self. The prerequisite for servries a negative connotation for most Americans because we are, ing others is to put our own house in order so that we may become after all. "democratic" and we value its promise of "equality." We an example worth emulating. This is the essence of leadership. consider it a sacrilege that in a democracy social classes would exist. We must continue our mission of providing Mercyhurst students with the opportunity to achieve academic excellence. This includes The American Framers were well aware that education was necinstruction in the lasting values of the liberal arts. We must give essary to provide a ruling class. By "ruling class" I don't just mean them both the tools and the talent needed to lead. And we government officials, but also, the leaders in art, music, scimust be sure that their talent is tempered by character. ence, education, sports, literature, religion, business, and in Di: Michael By doing so they will be a source of pride to our colevery other aspect of life. lege, to their communities and to their country. To do anyThe Framers called this class the natural aristocracy. The Federici is an assistant professor thing less, would be to fall short of doing our part to difference between the American elite, or a democratic of political science rebuild America's cultural foundation. JL elite, and previous class systems was that our ruling class at Mercyhurst. would not be limited by birth, wealth, or any other factor.

WINTER

1995-96

and Contemporary
"... one do not have to be a

recognize the pervasive punitive attitude toward the anawim that has become

n the prologue to his most recent book, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, the preeminent biblical scholar, John Dominic Crossan, reproduces an imaginary dialogue he had with the historical Jesus which previously appeared in the Christmas 1991 issue of the Christian Century. The dialogue is pertinent to what I have to say about Mercy values and contemporary culture. The dialogue begins with Jesus remarking: I've read your book, Dominicy and it's quite good. So now you're ready to live by my vision and join me in my program? I don't think I have the courage, Jesus, but I did describe it quite well, didn 't /, and the method was especially good, wasn't it? Thank you Dominic, for not falsifying the message to suit your own incapacity. That at least is something. Is it enough, Jesus? No, Dominic, it is not.

While Crossan may not have 'falsified the message of Jesus to suit his own incapacity,' I am wondering if the same could

be said of us with regard to the torical aberrations that led to such denigraMercy charisma and the institu- tion and distortion of this aspect of ourtions of higher education which selves, but its cryptic presence, particularly we claim uphold it. Thus, let in academia, endures. me rephrase the question: Contempt for the spiritual dimension of Have we falsified the meshuman being has also spawned a second sage of Catherine McAuley, value of our contemporary culture, namely, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, a self-absorbing preoccupation with securiand Frances Warde, American ty. We are an insecure people who have founder of the Sisters of Mercy, come to idolize a "predatory individualto suit our own incapacity given ism." We spend our lives building barriers the cultural milieu in which we instead of bridgespolitical, social, psyare living? chological, emotional, and religiousbarriers that succeed in preserving our power, To respond to this question, first, I will present three charac- our prestige, our property, and our prejudices. teristics of contemporary culture which I think may be contributing to our incapacity We are afraid of differences and afraid to be true to their message. Second, I will of transformative change. Our colleges offer three countercultural values that mesoften reflect this by discouraging genuine sage gave birth tovalues which I believe dialogue, diversity, collegiality, and institushould permeate Mercy institutions of high- tional honesty, in myriad ways. This is quite er learning. contrary to the expansive risk-taking and courage exercised by Catherine McAuley Initially, I submit that contemporary US and Frances Warde who unashamedly cenculture worships, among others, the followtered their personal and institutional securiing values: ty in God. 1) A contempt for the spiritual dimension of human being. Finally, one does not have to be a devo2) A preoccupation with security, and, tee of Rush Limbaugh to recognize the per3) A punitive attitude vasive punitive attitude toward the anawim that has toward the anawim. become culturally fashionable One of the cultural corruptoday. Eight years ago, in their tions resulting from the failure pastoral letter on the econoof the Enlightenment Project my, the bishops warned us not has been the deification of reato succumb to this. It is blason and, therefore, a sweeping tantly anti-evangelical and rejection of all things connectblatantly anti-Mercy! ed with religion and the Spirit. Faith in science and technoloBiblically, the anawim gy thus replaced faith in God. refer to widows, the orphans, The spiritual dimension of the strangersthose without human being, in ensuing dualvoice and without power istic thinking, was relegated Mother Frances Warde who live precariously at the to the world of women and edge of the community. And it clerics. Authentic religion and spirituality is these voiceless and powerless "non-perare just beginning to recover from the hissons" who have always been at the center

EKHIIMI

MUZ

!.

BY

MARY

HEMBROW

SNYDER,

PH.D

Culture

of the Mercy charisma. Undoubtedly, these contemporary cultural values stand in direct contradiction to the message of Catherine McAuley and Frances Warde. Succinctly, that message was: union with God and service to God's poor. sick, and ignorant. Three contrasting values their message gave birth to include: 1) A contemplative vision of reality. 2) A commitment to life long conversion, and, 3) A radical compassion for the anawim. Catherine McAuley and Frances Warde were deeply contemplative women. By that I simply mean that their lives were centered in God. And, like Jesus, their intimate relationships with the Holy One enabled them to grasp deeply what the reign of God was all about. The heart of their legacy to us, then, is the recognition that the deeper our union with God, the deeper our consciousness of what the reign of God demands of us. Without this union we are vulnerable to betraying their vision. Being brilliant administrators and creative educators is not enough; good works alone will not sustain their vision. As women and men of Mercy we are responsi-

Have we tarred our heritage of compassion in the name of expediency and conformity to the conventional wisdom of the daij?
ble for more. And that more is the countercultural practice of the presence of God in all we undertake. Unapologetically, unequivocally, unashamedly. The second countercultural value bequeathed to us by Catherine McAuley and Frances Warde was a commitment to life long conversionthe opposite of the self-serving security our society cultivates so extensively. Conversion is a very com-

plex phenomenon. It is a the kinds of students we permanent process of both recruit, the quality of the turning away and turning support services we offer towardturning away from them, and the values we all that intellectually, moralemphasize through our core ly, and spiritually keeps one curricula? To the way we mired in abusive relationnegotiate complex issues ships characterized by dombetween faculty and adminMother Catherine McAuley ination, intimidation, fear, istration? To our policies or dishonestyand turning toward the toward the less professionally trained who unlimited grace of God ever calling us to labor in our institutions? Or, influenced by relationships characterized by mutuality, a culture that is increasingly corporate and respect, courage, and truthfulness. classist, have we betrayed our heritage of Their personal and professional commit- compassion in the name of expediency and ments reflected such ongoing conversion. conformity to the conventional wisdom of Both constantly turned away from fear and the day? refused to be either dishonest or intimidatThus, as women and men committed to ing in their exercise of authority. They and responsible for the message of Mercy treated all people, whether beggar or bishhanded down to us, we must ask ourselves op, with profound respect and dignity. if our incapacity to be faithful to the spirituWhen their vision of what could be was al legacy of Catherine McAuley and misunderstood, or perhaps incomplete, they Frances Warde has led us to falsify their were open to dialogue, challenge, and adap- message? The cultural temptations to do so tation. abound. I have only cited three. Finally, a radical compassion permeated What are we soine to do about this? their ministries to the anawim. Sr. Carmel Clearly, we must help one another be Bourke testifies to this when she refers to accountable. Otherwise we may betray their Catherine as, "a woman of great compasvision and dishonor their message because sion of heart, whose compassion deepened we have too uncritically accommodated as her work among the poor grew..." ourselves and our Mercy institutions of higher learning, to the unspiritual, self-serving, hard-hearted values of our age. If we do this we will have forfeited our opportunity to make a unique historical and spiritual contribution to our cultural conAnd of Frances Wardens compassion Sr. text. May we have the courage to embrace Kathleen Healy writes: "No woman foundtheir breadth of vision and to cultivate their ed personally more convents and institubreadth of soul! 9 tions for the service of the poor, the sick, Carpe Diem! <dto> Dr. Mary Hembrow the illiterate, and all those in need...Perhaps Snyder is the director no woman ministered more to suffering of the department of humanity in America." philosophy and Consequently I ask: does such compasreligious studies at sion mark our Mercy institutions of higher Mercxhurst. learning in every respect? With regard to

W I n T ER

9 5-96

BY

THOMAS

DONAHUE,

P H . D .

Euthanasia
Ta

Doctor
Assisted

Suicide

I do not know anyone who is satisfied with the level of our current public discourse. Numerous complaints have been raised about the lack of civility and good sense which seem to characterize our efforts as a society to reason together. Actually, therein lies the problemwe aren't reasoning together in the sense of reasoning with one another. On the contrary, we are reasoning (or at least talking) at one another and past one another, thereby generating a lot of heat but very little lightand even less consensus. Extreme advocacy untempered by basic standards of rational thought has led to incivility and is now beginning to lead to violence. The only viable solution, short of virtually universal agreement on fundamental beliefs and values (which is not likely to be forthcoming in our diverse and pluralistic society), is a reassertion of the importance of genuinely rational thought and reasoned debate. This is not just a matter of theoretical concern. It is also of great practical importance. If we were to have a reasoned debate in which the reasons on both sides were put forward and then fairly considered even by people on the other side of an issue, it would then be possible to view one's opponents as reasonable people sincerely arriving at and advocating their positions on the basis of reasons which have at least some plausibility. Surely, we can do better than to engage in a style of public discourse which needlessly fans the flames of conflict and hatred,

undermines cooperation on vitally important issues and renders us unable to prove anything on any issue. The importance of the major issues of our day demands that we move beyond such one-sided and destructive rhetoric. One of the issues which dominates the headlines and inflames partisan passions is the topic of euthanasia/doctor-assisted suicide. Unfortunately, the gravity of this life or death issue is often betrayed by a less than dignified public debate. Our society has arrived at a consensus on the issue of passive euthanasia, i.e., on the moral legitimacy of withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining care when such intervention is merely a pointless prolonging of the dying process. After all, a mentally competent adult has a legally protected right to refuse medical care even when this will inevitably hasten death. Many states, including Pennsylvania, allow individuals to set into motion the decision not to employ life-saving medical treatment should they become irreversibly ill and incompetent via advance directives (a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care). An intense and bitter controversy, however, still rages when we talk about active voluntary euthanasia (the active killing of a patient by another person at the competent request of the patient) or doctor-assisted suicide, (the self-killing of a patient with the competently requested assistance of a physician who makes available lethal instruments of death to the patient). Active

voluntary euthanasia is illegal in all 50 states and doctor-assisted suicide is legally prohibited in most of the states of our country. When there is a controversy or a clash of contending opinions, you can show your view to be the rationally superior one only by thoroughly and fairmindedly laying out the reasons on both sides and then revealing why the reasons on your side outweigh those on the other side. Obviously, this can't be accomplished if you never fairly consider your opponents' reasons. People who oppose active killing of the terminally ill insist that we "can't play God"that human life is sacred and, therefore, should never be intentionally terminated and that such deliberate killing of the innocent (even when the patient competently and earnestly wants to die) will create a "slippery slope" of growing disrespect for human life (leading eventually to the killing of those who don't really wish to die). The proponents of active voluntary euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide contend that our overriding duty in such tragic cases of agonyfilled terminal illness is to

-: i
10

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compassionately assist suffering people in retaining some measure of control, autonomy and human dignity by helping them to fulfill their wish for merciful release from what they believe to be needless and pointless suffering. Under other conditions, such a sincere difference of opinion could be the occasion for an enlightening and noble debate about profound human questions. Questions such as: What makes human life valuable? Is it the fact of human life itself or the existence of a tolerable quality of life which makes possible human fulfillment and human dignity? How can we best show our respect for the terminally ill, suffering person, who competently requests active assistance in dying? Is it by granting their wish out of respect for their right to autonomously determine their own fate, or by refusing to participate in terminating their life out of respect for the infinite value of their life itself? In the current context of uncivil and poisoned debate, however, such momentous dilemmas are reduced to festivals of malicious and simplistic sloganeering and thereby debased. For example, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, whose concern for the suffering and the autonomy rights of the terminally ill is attested to by his willingness to risk

considerable legal punishment, is labeled, of legalizing active, voluntary euthanasia and/or doctor-assisted suicide, we would do "Dr. Death." Evidently, his critics choose to ignore his so in a careful way which would minimize the chances of sliding down a "slippery apparently sincere commitment both to the fundamental value of compassion and to the slope" of disrespect for human life. inalienable right of the individual to freely Wouldn't it be much better if all parties conduct his/her own life without undue to this controversy honestly conceded the interference from the Statecommitments relevance and importance of the reasons on which many of these very same critics both sides and then began to conduct an trumpet in other contexts as being essential informative debate on the issue of which of to Christian values and to the American our fundamental values (human life itself or way of life. quality of life and personal autonomy) ought to take precedence in those tragic Why not call Dr. Kevorkian, "Dr. cases of incurable suffering and terminal illCompassion" or "Dr. of Personal ness, when not all of these value commitAutonomy" or "Dr. Mercy"? The reason is ments can simultaneously be fulfilled? cleardesired rhetorical and political advantage. Such unfair name-calling debasAt the very least, we would be provoked es what could be a serious and searching into conducting a thoughtful examination of human inquiry into a crassly opportunistic what makes human life valuable and how spitting contest. we can best show respect for the terminally ill. Moreover, what better way could there On the other side of the issue, there are be to prevent a "slippery slope" disaster serious pro-life people who are earnestly than to reaffirm our common agreement on committed to their belief in the infinite the value of human life and the value of value of human life and who are genuinely worried about any change in our law, public personal autonomy? policy or societal moral code which could Such a reformed debate might even further erode respect for human life. uncover some practical common ground, This is not a frivolous concern, for in for example, on the imperative of uniting to many quarters and on many issues, respect petition the medical establishment to take for life has already been compromised. much more seriously the often neglected Whether we are considering issues of aborarea of pain management. What could be a tion, suicide, workplace safety, crime, the better testament to our mutual commitment tendency to prematurely use deadly force to to the value of human life, to the imporsettle international disputes or our reticence tance of quality of life and to the imperative to assist the oppressed (e.g., those who are to improve the options and autonomy of being "ethnically cleansed"), one cannot patients, than to earnestly lobby the medical help but think that respect for the value and establishment to provide merciful release the dignity of human life is not what it from pain short of taking life? could or should be. The sad fact is that many doctors who When the proponents of active, voluntary treat the terminally ill are not adequately euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide trained to control and manage pain. Surely, dismiss this concern and portray the pro-life all parties to the euthanasia/doctor-assisted advocates who raise it as nothing but consuicide debate would agree that there is a trol-freaks who are merely trying to arbiclear moral imperative to do better on the trarily impose their values on others, we issue of preventing avoidable agony. Sadly, have yet another example of unfair characour poisoned and mutually denigrating terization and debased rhetoric. Sometimes, debate prevents us from seeing, much less such criticism takes the form of thinlyworking, to promote this common purpose. veiled anti-religious bigotry. The philosopher George Santayana Instead of realizing that there are good defined a fanatic as a person who redoubles and serious reasons on both sides, instead his efforts while forgetting his original aim. of conceding that both human life itself is Unfortunately, this definition finds all-tooprecious and that merciful release from suf- frequent application in our current debate fering and personal autonomy over one's over active, voluntary euthanasia and docown life are desirable, partisan advocates tor-assisted suicide. demonize one another and treat the thinking Those who are suffering from painful of their opponents as trivial or dangerous. terminal illnesses deserve much better. It is This unhappy situation preour responsibility, as people comeludes the creation of a mutually mitted to both compassion and Dr. Thomas Donahue is respectful dialogue which might rationality, to see that an associate professor uncover some common ground, they get it. J^ of philosophy at or, at the very least, ensure that if Mercyhurst. we were to embark on the course WINTER 1995-96 11

BY

DON

MCQUAID,

YVONNE

MAHER

&

MARY

DALY

ome of them have been gone for only a few years, many for 10 to 20 years, and several for as long as 40 years. All returned, in a different role, to the place where they had learned to study and to struggle for a sense of themselves and to dream the dreams that students need to grow. They are "the grads who came back, "former Mercyhurst students who, following graduation, went off to pursue their personal goals to work. Taken together, their professional achievements and life experiences constitute a reservoir of knowledge, wisdom, skills and contacts from which the college draws as it seeks to realize its visions for the future.
12

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Journeys of the Heart

Dr. Barbara Behan '64
Director of mathematics/computer management information systems and associate professor of computer systems

Patricia Liebel '53

Director of alumni services

I came back to Mercyhurst in '85 after working for the aerospace division of General Electric, teaching a year of senior high mathematics, serving for 11 years as director of the computer center at Edinboro University and working at Hammermill as a systems analyst for the corporate treasury department. I knew I really wanted to be back in education, so when there was an opening here, I applied. My work experience enables me to give students insight into what work in the computer field is like, and my contacts in business and industry are helpful to students in terms of setting up interviews and mentoring-type relationships. Computer Management Information Systems is the type of program where you have to meet the challenge of new technologies and employment needs. I wasn't from the era of the hat and white gloves at Mercyhurst, but I started college here not long after that, so I've seen tremendous change at Mercyhurst. Despite all the change, I feel the college still reflects the ideals and excellence in academics instilled by the Sisters of Mercy.

I'm a people-oriented person, and the many contacts I developedboth in the Erie community and beyondin my work with the city of Erie, in the mayor's office in particular, has proven very helpful in my work in alumni relations. You can't work in municipal government for as long as I did without becoming knowledgeable about the needs of community, and I think this enables me to help the college meet those needs. Although there has been tremendous change at Mercyhurst since I was a student here, the college has never forgotten the mission of the Sisters of Mercy to provide a quality education and to instill values that are applicable over the course of one's life.

Matthew Whelan '86

Director of admissions

James Lieb '74

Associate director of finance

Although I started working at Mercyhurst in 1976, my affiliation with the college goes back much further. My mother, who graduated in the class of '42, worked here in the development office for many years. I grew up on 33rd and Parade and worked for the Mercyhurst maintenance department during my freshman year in high school. Through an instructor I had at the college, I got a parttime job with Root Spitznas and Smiley certified public accountants, then started full-time with them following graduation in June of 1974. I stayed with them until 1976, when I saw an ad for an assistant controller at Mercyhurst. Although I eventually realized that I was not cut out for public accounting, working as an auditor in an accounting firm gave me the background I needed to pursue a career in finance. The atmosphere at Mercyhurst is friendlier and less stressful than it is in the business world, which is a factor in my staying here. One of the great strengths of Mercyhurst has been its ability to change with the times. The kinds of changes we've experienced in the past decade are necessary to our survival in these highly competitive economic times. Even with the changes, however, there is a continuity made possible by a core of people who have been here for years.

I was away from the college for five and a half years before returning this past fall. It's amazing how the physical plant has changed! When I started at the college in 1982, the Briggs Avenue Apartments were still owned by Baldwin Brothers, the Student Union and Ice Center didn't exist, neither did Sullivan, D'Angelo or the third floor addition to Preston Hall. I had stayed on after graduation as an admissions counselor at Mercyhurst until 1990, when I returned to my homestate of New Jersey where I was the director of alumni and admissions at a local college. And while that school had everything it needed in terms of resources, budget and access to the latest technologies, the admissions process was so automated that there weren't enough opportunities for personal interaction with students. It certainly was not what I was used to from my years at Mercyhurst. It feels good to be back. There's a real sense of community here and I've always liked the personal attention we give our students. Now days, y prospective students I access the Mercyhurst admission office through E-mail and the World Wide Web. It's a whole new world out there and Mercyhurst is keeping pace.

WINTER

1995-96

13

Journeys of the Heart

Dr. Helen Fabian Mullen '47
Dean of graduate programs and chair of the Walker School of Business

Phyllis Aiello '65

Director of transfer student services

Dr. Garvey asked me if I'd take a couple years after I retired to work with the two-year programs in Mercyhurst's McAuley Division. That's how I came back three years ago. I retired from Robert Morris College after a 28 year association. When I began there it was a twoyear college. I worked on its transition to a four-year institution, so I had much to offer in guiding Mercyhurst's McAuley Division. It was all so familiar to me that I thought it would be a comfortable way to spend my early years in retirement. One year later, however, while the college was looking for a successor to Academic Dean Michael McQuillen, Dr. Garvey asked me if I'd accept the job on an interim basis. Year three finds me as dean of the graduate programs at the college and head of the Walker School of Business. In some respects Mercyhurst is a very different college from the one I attended, but the spirit of the school has endured. I see that in the kinds of programs we offerfor example, philosophy and theology, which I think are essential to the development of the whole person. The influence of the Sisters is still felt today because they are active on both the board of trustees and the staff of the college. My heart never left Mercyhurst, so I didn't have to be asked twice to come home.

My relationship with Mercyhurst College is different and maybe unique. I've been associated with the Sisters of Mercy since 1954, because at that time I was a Sister of Mercy. I came to the college in September 1973 as an instructor in French and as a Hall Director in Egan. I've seen two really significant changes since I've been here. The first was when we changed from being an allwomen's college to coeducational in 1969. The second is the tremendous growth of the collegenot only in the number of buildings and students at the college, but also in the atmosphere among the students. Mercyhurst College means tradition. My current position as director of transfer student services allows me to continue the traditions established by the Sisters of Mercy. By dealing one-on-one with these students, I am carrying on the concern the Sisters had for the individual student. Mercyhurst College has always been there to meet the needs of the students and we've changed when we've needed to. The college is a living, changing entity, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Randall Rinke '88

Staff accountant

Jay Kirk '77

Instructor in dance

In college you get the idea of the work ethic, but it can't teach you everything you need to know. In the field of dance at least, there's nothing like on-thejob training to polish your skills to a professional level. I've found that my experience as a performer with professional companies gives me credibility with the students and helps them know what to expect. I try to instill in them the idea that a college education is something to fall back on. I know many dancers in their thirties and forties who have to keep on performing because they don't have other options, and it's a terrible situation to be in. I'm doing exactly what I want to do at this point in my life, and I try to share as much of my experience as possible with our students so they won't have to go through quite as much as I did.

I started working at General Electric in Erie as an intern while at Mercyhurst. After graduation, I took a full-time position there as a specialist in customer billing, and later worked in accounting services as a customer account specialist, returning to Mercyhurst as an employee in '92. In addition to getting me my job at GE in the first place, I feel my liberal arts education helped me deal more effectively with the variety of people you encounter in the workplace. My experience in the business world has helped me in my present position at the college by enabling me to understand and empathize with the challenges confronting the businesses we deal with. I love working at Mercyhurst. Even with all the growth in recent years, we've managed to keep a small college atmosphere. There's a lot of cooperation between departments, and people don't get lost in the shuffle. I plan to work in my present position for a few more years, but eventually I'd like to teach in the business division here.

14

E R C V I U R S T

II G A Z I II [

Journeys of the Heart

Dr. Vivetta Petronio '58
Director of foreign language and culture department and professor French

John Leisering '8i

WMCE manager and director of veterans affairs

After graduating from Mercyhurst, I had a Fulbright year in France at the University of Lyon. Then I taught a year at Strong Vincent High School in Erie. Toward the. end of that year, Sister Gabriel Koch asked me to come to Mercyhurst to teach French and English on the condition that I begin graduate study that summer. I've had the fascinating experience of seeing Mercyhurst go through many changes. From a good college for women (with several finishing school touches), it became an active, involved 60s college, then a coeducational school, later a virtually open admissions college and, finally, a college again aiming for excellence. But through the years there has always existed what we called the "Mercyhurst Mystique." It's a feeling of belonging to a place that has class, high ideals and high potential. It's feeling committed to the institution, not just to teach your classes well, but to go beyond to do more than what's expected because of the spiritual identity of the school and the need to contribute to its survival.

My association with Mercyhurst began in the late 70s when I announced some men's basketball games while working for a commercial radio station in Erie. I was so impressed with the college and its people that I decided to finish my college education here while still under the GI Bill. I graduated from the college in 1981 and five years later, I was offered a full-time position with the college and I've been here ever since. I've learned a lot about myself over the last ten years and I've had some wonderful moments. The hours have been both long and erratic at times, but I take a great deal of pride in educating and training our students for life after Mercyhurst. I believe in the things for which the college stands, so it's easy for me to promote Mercyhurst in the Erie area and elsewhere. The dramatic increases in enrollment and new buildings over the past 15 years are evidence of Mercyhurst's growing reputation and popularity.

Lillian Egnot Cohen '61

Guidance and counseling coordinator, McAuley

Gary Bukowski '73

Vice president of institutional advancement

When I came to Mercyhurst I was with 11 other pilgrims, so to speak. Other men came as transfers, but we were the originals. When we came in 1969, there weren't any athletic teams or recreational activities for men. The student union consisted of a jukebox in the basement of Zurn and our bookstore only sold books! It makes me laugh today when I hear the students say that they have nothing to do! Annual giving at the college has grown phenomenally in the past years. This is due to the dedication of the department, the forward momentum of the college, the positive image Mercyhurst projects in the community and the dedicated donors. I thoroughly enjoy my job and I thrive on the challenge. It feels great knowing that I'm contributing in some way to making our institution a better place.

Whether you come through the impressive front gates as a student or as an alum, the very special feeling Mercyhurst exudes is evident. I graduated from the college in 1961 and moved to Memphis, Tenn. and later to Sioux Falls, S.D. I moved back to Erie because of my husband's job. We bought a house close to the college where we still live. When my children were in school, I would spend some of my time meandering through the college grounds or visiting the library and chapel. It was on one of these walks that I came upon a posting for a position in the career planning and placement office, and my heart took a leap. I applied and got the job. One of my fondest memories of the college is that of the late Sister Gabriel Koch, who was the treasurer of the college when I was a student. She took me under her wing when it didn't look very promising that I could complete my education because of financial reasons. Sister Gabriel exemplified the wonderful philosophy of the Sisters of Mercy "to stay the course" and instilled in me the spirit of "never giving up, : ever." I don't know how she did it, but she arranged a loan for me so that I could graduate. That's a memory that will remain with me, and for which I will be grateful the rest of my life.

f*\t>*-fr

WINTER

9 9 5-

15

Journeys of the Heart

Mary Ellen Dahlkemper '73
Director of the Adult College

Tom Hubert '77

Director of the art department and assistant professor of art

I'm strongly rooted in the liberal arts tradition. Everything I learned at Mercyhurst as a student was somehow applicable to the business world in which I worked for more than two decades. My college education made me more flexible and adaptable in the rapidly changing and increasingly complex business world. With 25 years of hands-on experience in business management and organizational development, I was able to bring these skills to Mercyhurst and my work here in adult education. There is an entrepreneurial spirit here that I can really relate to. Mercyhurst is a progressive institution and is right on top of things.

John Melody '90

Manager of the Laker Inn and assistant men's soccer coach

I was one of the pioneer students who crossed the waves from Ireland to America to attend Mercyhurst College. After graduating from the college in the spring of 1990 with a degree in hotel, restaurant management, I stayed an extra term to complete a minor in business and played one more season of soccer. I then went back to Ireland for Christmas and shortly after the new year, my bags were packed again and I was on my was to Antigua, an island in the British West Indies, where I was the general manager of a 26-room resort hotel for three years and played semi-professional soccer. During that time, I kept in touch with the college because I loved the years that I spent there as a student. On one occasion, I heard that Mercyhurst had an opening in its soccer program, so I applied. The gods were smiling on me, because I later learned there was an opening as manager of the Laker Inn in the new Student Union. I wanted to keep up to speed on both aspects of my career, and while some people may call it the 'luck of the Irish,' I got both jobs. I am very happy being back at Mercyhurstit's like having the best of both worlds.

I was raised a block away from Mercyhurst College on Sunset Blvd. When I enrolled at the college as a student, Sister Angelica was exactly what I needed at the time: strict, demanding, energetic, yet supportive and approachable. She was a great woman and it is very humbling to think that the responsibility for the department which she founded and so capably headed for so many years, is now in my hands. After receiving my M.F.A., from Rochester Institute of Technology, my wife and I moved back to Erie and rented a house where I set up a studio and started working as a potter. During graduate school I visited Ed Higgins, my former ceramics professor at Mercyhurst, who had been instrumental in getting me interested in ceramics. I mentioned that I was available if any part-time teaching positions opened up. I was hired the next term as an adjunct professor and for 12 years I worked parttime at the college. As a student, I remember Ed Higgin's small office in the ceramics lab as his special place filled with numerous treasures representing his years at the college. Sixteen years later, it's my office and I've filled it with my own wonderful memories as a teacher of the discipline I so love.

Matthew Nesser '87

Assistant men's basketball coach

Following graduation, I moved to Florida, where I accepted a job as an account executive for a radio station. After working there for about a year and a half, I went into business for myself by starting the Showtime Ice Cream and Yogurt Store. I sold the business after two years and returned to my home town of Rochester, N.Y. to take a part-time coaching job at Monroe Community College. While I was there, I heard of a full-time assistant coaching position at Mercyhurst, so I applied and got the job. In addition to the expertise I gained in basketball while a student at Mercyhurst, the liberal arts background I acquired here helped me to deal with the diversity of people I found in Florida. The experience I gained in the different jobs I held in the five years I was away from the college broadened my outlook and strengthened my people skills. I love what I'm doing now and think our basketball program has great potential. There's still nothing quite like the Mercyhurst-Gannon game. The college's new pep band is a terrific addition at our games this season. We even have a fight song!

16

m[ R( y 1n 1 1

H H I II E

Journeys of the Heart

Beverly Heintz DiCarlo '67
Associate professor business of

Michael Fuhrman '85

Director of the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center and director of fine arts recruitment

I left Mercyhurst College in 1980 to start a one year sabbatical that would stretch into an 11-year hiatus. At the time, I was teaching typing, shorthand, office practice and observing the business education student teachers. Our business lab was an old storage room tucked under the eaves of third floor Old Main. The heat was poor at best and many times, the students wanted to type with their gloves on! The newest typewriters were IBM selectrics and we had a total of 25 plus six adding machines, a mimeograph machine and an off-set printing press. When I returned to Mercyhurst in the fall of 1991, the changes were impressive. The Business Division had its own floor on the third floor of Preston Hall which houses large, modern classrooms that have heat as well as air-conditioning, and those old typewriters have been replaced with computers! The business curriculum has expanded and I now teach classes such as labor-management relations, human resource management, and compensation and employee benefits. New majors in advertising, finance, sports organization management and business/chemistry have been added. There are now about 450 business students. The equipment might have changed, the environment might have changed, but some things have not. Mercyhurst is still the same caring, helping, growing, succeeding institution I knew as a student and as a young teacher.

Mercyhurst College offered me the opportunities to bring out the best in me. The nurturing, challenging academic environment mixed with that distinct sense of class, characteristic of Mercyhurst, stimulated me to grow beyond all expectation. I went from being a football player to a ballet dancer, to a teacher, and currently an administrator. After two and a half years in Europe, I returned to Erie as the principal dancer for Lake Erie Ballet Company. When I retired from dance as a performer, I returned to the Hill to mature my love of literature and to pursue a profession in higher education. The first class I took upon my return was Shakespeare with Sister Eustace Taylor, who is the embodiment of a classically trained mind. For me, the tradition associated with Mercyhurst and the history of the college make me realize how fortunate I am to be associated with the school.

David Armstrong '86

Director of alumni relations and annual giving

Rodger Cregorich JJ
Director of public safety programs, Mercyhurst-North East

My decision to retire from the Pennsylvania State Police after 26 fulfilling years was difficult, but the challenge of directing the public safety programs for my alma mater was too exciting to ignore. I believe my experience as both a line officer and as an administrator for the State Police has prompted me to ensure that credibility, integrity and professionalism is inherent in all training provided by the Mercyhurst Municipal Police Training Academy. The college has grown immensely since I was a student here. I can honestly say it's a joy coming to work everyday at the beautiful North East campus. I made the right decision in coming back to Mercyhurst.

When I was six years old, I knew I wanted to be an attorney. After graduating from Mercyhurst, I pursued that dream and went to Cleveland Marshall Law School in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where I followed in my uncle's footsteps and received my juris doctorate in 1989. While prosecuting cases in Cleveland and coaching high school football, I discovered that I could make a difference in a young person's life as a coach in a much more positive way than I could as a prosecutor putting them behind bars. That was a turning point for me. While I still love the practice of law, the rewards of coaching energized me and drew me like a magnet. I had played football for Mercyhurst and wanted to be part of the program again. To do so, I took a job at the college in 1989 as an academic adviser in the ACT 101 program and was the director of the McAuley men's dorm. That led to a coaching position with the Lakers as the offensive assistant and head jv coach. I just finished my last season on the coaching staff as the offensive coordinator and moved over to a full-time position in the institutional advancement office. Mercyhurst is 75% larger than it was when I was a student and the campus is much more beautiful. The institution as a whole has certainly become more respected in the higher education community and certainly more well known than it was during my college years. I feel that in coming back to Mercyhurst I accepted the challenge of the Carpe Diem Award which I received at graduation. I seized what has been a wonderful opportunity for me by following my heart.

See Part II of Journeys of the Heart in "Mercyhurst Today" March 1996 issue. H TER 1995-96
17

R E M E M B E R

W H E N

BY

LARIE

PINTEA

When Sister Ligouri Robinson dispatched the last clutch of Rhode Island Reds from her campus chicken coop to a dining room dinner, she had no idea her poultry domain would become another landmark in Mercyhurst College history. It was the depths of the Great Depression in 1933, when a small delegation of women students somewhat cautiously asked to talk with Mother Borgia Egan, the president of Mercyhurst College. All proper young ladies, they had a petition to present. Would it be possible, they pleaded their case, to have a properly designated place on the Mercyhurst College campus where they could smoke cigarettes without being chastised? It is reported that there was a long silence while Mother Borgia looked from one to another of the young ladies, none of whom, by the way, would have given the smallest consideration to wearing jeans, blue or otherwise, to class or on campus. There were some things unacceptable and smoking and wearing jeans were pretty near the top of the list in the 1930s as the school was finishing its first decade of existence.

Sister Ligouri was a chicken farmer by avocation. Her real job was as librarian of the college. Can you imagine her sigh of relief when it was decided to buy eggs and chickens at the market rather than to raise them in the chicken coop located in the area now the parking lot immediately behind the Zum building? The coop was closed, swept out and used as a storage area. Mother Borgia surprisingly indicated she would give real consideration to the unusual idea of Mercyhurst students smoking somewhere on campusbut certainly not in the main building! Marjorie Alge '37, one of the nervous petitioners, remembers their great satisfaction on being told they could have the old chicken coop to use as a campus lounge, if they would clean it, paint it, decorate it and make it generally safe enough to light up a Chesterfield. Smoking for women was encouraged by the liberated women of the time and the ladies of the Silver Screen of HollywoodMyrna Loy, Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburnhad a great deal to do with young ladies sitting with a lighted cigarette

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poised properly between two fingers, puffing with a certain social aplomb. It was immaterial whether they inhaled or not. Smoking was the "in" thing to do. Given the opportunity as they were by Mother Borgia, it didn't take the students long to remodel and redecorate the [ 1 r old coop complete with proper plumbing, a snack bar and even a fireplace with a roaring fire (their description in a subsequent yearbook.) Such was the beginning of the first student union at Mercyhurst, although it was a stretch, Sister Carolyn Herrmann, who was in the convent at that time, remembers. "Young ladies did not smoke," she smiles now recalling the time. "Certainly it was a departure from the norm, a major change on campus. But Mother Borgia was far more flexible than she appeared to be. Having a place to smoke on campus was a great social change in those early Mercyhurst years," Sister Carolyn said. Given its chicken beginnings, Mercyhurst's first smoking lounge was called "The Roost," and for at

least a decade, it served its purpose well until the day finally came when it was decided to move the students' smoking lounge to the basement of Old Main where it remained for three decades. There was no signage on the door, but an

Would it be possible, they pleaded their case, to have a properly

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feipted place on the fkqhiint (olle?e campus where theij could smoke cigarettes without bein? chastised?

heavy blue haze marked the roomnow mostly unoccupied and located across from the Print Shopas the site where students would congregate between classes for a cigarette and a game or two of bridge or pinochle. The Roost burned down a few years after the smoking lounge had moved to the main building's basement. But the stories of its beginning linger on in the folktales of Mercyhurst history. Six decades later, with smoking now taboo in many areas of the college, it is getting more difficult to remember the urgency to puff a Lucky Strike in the RoostBette Davis, not withstanding, and alums of that time to the contrary.

Larie Pintea is an oral historian at Mercyhurst and a frequent contributor to the "Mercyhurst Magazine. "

From the 1937 Praeterita

The Roost Club

During the autumn of J 936, several of the most enthusiastic Roosters decided to band together, redecorate the interior, and establish the Roost on the basis of an organization, the Roost Club. Mother Borgia, heartily approved of the ideay stimulated our interests, and donated the striking red and black linoleum for the floor. We all worked hard. Cans of black and red paint, brushes, mops, and yards of chintz flourished for the entire week preceding Alumnae Weekend, for which occasion our work was completed. The result was stupendous! Recreation in a rustic yet modern environment was made possible. A great fire roared in the white-washed brick fireplace. Red chintz curtains hung at the windows, and lamps of all types illuminated the beamed ceiling. Patsy Morin decorated the walls with pastel profiles of the members. The alumnae were charmed and the Roosters preened their feathers. Officers were elected, rules and memberships established, and committees designated. The Roost Club become one of the most popular and progressive societies at the college.

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March
2 10

Pianist Andre Watts March 2

Andre Watts, pianist, 8 p.m. D'Angelo Symphony OrchestraAndre Shibko, pianist, 1995 D'Angelo Competition Winner, 2:30 p.m. Andre Shibko, pianist, 2:30 p.m. D'Angelo Opera Theater, Madama Butterfly, 2:30 p.m. Juilliard String Quartet, 2:30 p.m.

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April
1

Robert Crayson, tenor, 8 p.m. D'Angelo Young Artist Competition 20th Annual Celebration Four former first place D'Angelo Winners, 2:30 p.m. D'Angelo Young Artist Competition in Voice Four former first place D'Angelo Winners, 8 p.m. Finals of the D'Angelo Young Artist Competition In Voice Wind Ensemble, 2:30 p.m. Ian Hobson, pianist, 8 p.m. Concert Choir, 8 p.m. Kathleen Battle, soprano, 2:30 p.m.

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Pianist Andre Shibko March 10 & 17

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Juilliard String Quartet

March 31

May
Janos Starker, cellist, 2:30 p.m. 10-11
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Mercyhurst Dance Department, Giselle, 8 p.m. D'Angelo Symphony Orchestra, Gala Final Concert, 2:30 p.m

Kathleen Battle, soprano

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All performance sites are subject to change pending completion of the building. Alternate sites will be announced, if necessary. For ticket information, availability and cost, call the D'Angelo School of Music (814) 824-2364. Tickets can be ordered by phone weekdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Credit cards required for telephone orders. Tickets can also be purchased at the D'Angelo School of Music on the Mercyhurst College campus.

Janos Starker, cellist May 5

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'THOMAS JEFFERSON WISHED TO 1 J BE REMEMBERED MORE FOR THE FOUNDING OF A COLLEGE THAN THE FATHERING OF A COUNTRY.
Close to the stockade walls of the American
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fort near the new village of Erie, there stood a log cabin school where the idea of Erie education was born and thrived with each new generation. p It took a century and a quarter for Erie's classrooms to reach the ridge crowning the city. In 1926, Mercyhurst College opened its doors on a wind-swept hill overlooking Lake Erie, just twelve blocks away from the city's south boundary. * From its humble yet inspired beginnings, shaped by the hands and minds of the Sisters of Mercy, the college has become a major ingredient in the city's educational ambitions. From that first year, Mercyhurst College has been aware of its responsibility to the community that helped create it and to the wonder of opening young minds to new ideas and old moral values. W Like the college's 7,100 alumni, today's Mercyhurst students have the opportunity to dis-

cover themselves through an education grounded in the liberal arts and taught by faculty members chosen for their ability to convey ideas, information, and beliefs, ? Wars, hunger and pestilence our graduates of past generations have dealt with them all fortified by moral convictions, a belief in God, and an understanding that dignity, class, and a concern for others is why people such as Thomas Jefferson, Catherine McAuley, and the Sisters of Mercy believed that founding a college was as important as founding a country. Armed with these convictions, Mercyhurst students will seek the good life and the pursuit of happiness in the 21 st century.

MERCYHURST COLLEGE
The Mercy College of Northwestern Pennsylvania

Mercyhurst
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REF

RENCE

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Erie, PA 16546 Forward and Address Correction

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G O I N G UP Construction Is Well Underway On Mercyhurst's New Performing Arts Center

Mercyhurst has long dreamed of an enlarged concert hall to enhance the cultural activities of the college and soon it will be a reality. The S3.5 million Mary ] D'Angelo J Performing I Arts Center is under conI struction on the back campus where it will blend with two existing facilitiesZurn 1 Hall to its north and the D'Angelo School of Music to its east. The 875-seat facility has been designed for music, dance productions, films and lectures. It will open in 1996 in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the D'Angelo Young Artist Competition with a week-long music festival in the facility. Gary L. Bukowski '73, vice president of institutional advancement at the college, is pictured at the construction site enjoying the fruits of his labor, the Continuing the Dream Campaign, which made this facility possible.

See related stories on pages 5 and 20