THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929 The MERCIAD Vol. 78 No. 16 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie, Pa. 16546 March 23, 2005 Tragic accident takes life of student about a month, when Milgate’s family By Kelly Rose Duttine and friends can attend. Editor-in-chief The family requested that memorial donations be made to the Golisano The morning after St. Patrick’s Day Children’s Hospital in Rochester or to had sobering effects on Mercyhurst the Rochester Youth Hockey Organiza- students when they learned that Mat- tion, instead of fl owers. thew Z. Milgate, 20, had been killed On campus, many students, faculty after being struck by two cars at the 500 and organizations paused to remember block of East 38th Street, around 11 p.m. Milgate on Friday and over the weekend. Thursday evening. Professors took a moment of silence Mercyhurst College administration, and offered their support to students faculty and students mourn the loss of during classes and the student-produced a student, classmate and friend. musical, “State Fair”, sang in tribute to Charges were recently filed by the Milgate before their performances this Erie Police for the two drivers involved weekend. Some athletic events also in the accident. Adell Gaines, 26, who paused for a moment of silence before was driving the Buick Regal that fi rst hit games. Milgate, was charged with an accident Laura Zirkle, Director of Residence involved death or personal injury while Life, and the Residence Life staff are unlicensed. saddened by the events of Thursday Douglas Bailey, the driver of the night. Zirkle said, “It is so sad any- second car that struck Milgate is likely time we lose a member of Mercyhurst to receive summary charges, according College family, but it seems especially to statements by police in a March 19 hard to lose one through such a tragic article in the Erie Times-News. Police accident.” also said that additional charges may “We are sad for Matt’s family and be fi led. friends and offer our sympathy and Mercyhurst Campus Ministry and support to them,” Zirkle said. MSG provided transportation to the Currently, Residence Life is trying to wake for Milgate on Monday in LeRoy, talk to as many students as possible. N.Y. and many students attended. “We want them to know that we are According to Milgate’s obituary on there for them now, or whenever they DemocratandCronicle.com, a Roches- need us,” Zirkle said. ter newspaper, a memorial service will Students who are grieving Milgate’s be announced at a later date, possibly death are encouraged to talk to their in May. Resident Assistant, the counseling Campus Ministry and Mercyhurst center or another Residence Life staff Katie McAdams/Photo editor Student Government are also interested member. Students show express their grief through a memorial placed near the site of the crash. in planning services in the future, in Please see Always on Page 3 No-bid contract causes uproar Sister Loretta McHale passes Lawmakers and critics question why Mercyhurst receives the contract By Jonelle Davis News editor Congressman Bennie G. Thompson of his top political supporters.” By Brent Vlcek The Mercyhurst College Community Contributing writer questioned the integrity of the con- U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, tract. Democrat of Mississippi and rank- lost a special member when Sister According to its Web site, the Center ing member of the House Homeland M. Loretta McHale died on Friday, The selection process that awarded for Public Integrity “is a nonprofi t, Security Committee, wrote a letter to March 18. Mercyhurst College the no-bid contract nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Sister Loretta was the sixth presi- to train intelligence analysts for the that conducts investigative research and Department of Homeland Security, dent of Mercyhurst and a former Department of Homeland Security reporting on public policy issues in the calling Mercyhurst’s contract with the superior of the Sisters of Mercy. (DHS) raised concern with at least one United States and around the world.” DHS an act of political patronage. She played a major role in the his- lawmaker. The latest press release from the “The news that a no-bid contract tory and development of the college, Critics of the contract hinted that Center for Public Integrity states a has been given by the Department touching the lives of the many stu- Mercyhurst received the contract as connection between Mercyhurst Col- to a college who is naming a building dents that attended the college. an act of political favoritism by former lege and former DHS Secretary Tom after Mr. Ridge and whose chairperson Gary Bukowski, vice president of Secretary of the DHS Tom Ridge. Ridge. once served as a top political supporter institutional advancement, was one of Tom Ridge is a former resident of “…further investigation by the certainly raises eyebrows. The Depart- the fi rst men to start at Mercyhurst in Photo courtesy of Mary Daly Erie County and governor of Penn- Center has revealed that Marlene ment cannot play patronage games 1969 and works at the college today. Sister Loretta McHale sylvania. Mosco, who was installed as chairper- when America’s security is in question. He remembers Sister Loretta and the Mercyhurst College denied the alle- son of the Mercyhurst College Board We will hold it accountable.” time he spent with her throughout the most for her work with Mercyhurst. gations with strong disagreement. of Trustees last year, is one of Ridge’s past 30 years. “I think she would want to be The Center for Public Integrity and oldest and best friends, as well as one Please see No-bid on Page 3 Bukowski recalls talking to Sister remembered for leading the charge Loretta early on. “I was a history of taking Mercyhurst into new devel- major and I talked with her a lot. Since opments. She had many accomplish- D’Angelo receives water damage repairs she was one of the founding Sisters, ments,” said Bukowski. she offered great insight to the history Bukowski added that Sister Loretta The project has been approved and section of Zurn. of the college,” said Bukowski. was responsible for forming the By Meghan Sullivan money has already been allotted in the Also, the skylights in the basement of “She was also always looking Arts & Entertainment editor college’s fi rst lay advisory board in campus-wide capital budget. D’Angelo will be resealed and caulked towards the future. She was very 1961, along with naming Sister Caro- Moore says this is a “large fi nancial to prevent further leakage and mold responsive to the changing times and lyn Herrmann the president of the Anyone that may travel through the move” and that the school has “tremen- growth. always willing to talk. She had a futur- college in 1963. Zurn, Performing Arts Center and dous plans” for fi xing the building. After the roofs are replaced the istic personality. She loved the college “It’s so important that we continue D’Angelo area will see some major Since awareness was raised about school will be installing a French drain- and wanted to take it to the next level to keep her spirit alive because she renovations to fi x the water damage the possible health issues of mold age system around the entire building. of excellence.” played a huge role in the creation and that has been an increasing hazard and fungi growing in the basement of A French drain is a small trench that According to Bukowski many development of the college,” said during this winter season. D’Angelo workers have painted the contains a perforated drainage pipe alumni of the college were fond of Bukowski. According to Tyrone Moore, Mer- walls, shampooed and disinfected the that is covered with gravel that allows Sister Loretta and always asked how In honor of Sister Loretta, the col- cyhurst has a three year plan to fi x the carpets and now come down weekly to surface water to drain away from the she was doing. “Sister Loretta always lege named the current distinguished drainage problem around the D’Angelo check the drainage and mold growth. building. had time for people. Folks always speaker series in her name, the McHale building. As soon as the weather breaks main- The building is already surrounded wanted to know how she was doing,” Distinguished lecture series. This “I don’t know if that building was tenance will begin their construction. by a French drain that was built years he said. series will present its next speaker, made on a river or something, but They will fi rst replace the roofs on ago. Bukowski feels that Sister Loretta Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on March 31. it can’t be put off any longer,” said the Performing Arts Center, the lower would want to be remembered the Moore. level of D’Angelo and the northeast Please see D’Angelo on Page 3 News Opinion Features Index The Arabic language in Refl ections on Matthew Milgate Have sex questions answered News.....................................2 demand, is Mercyhurst keeping and wrestling with the idea of your during sex week in the Union. News.....................................3 up? own mortality. Features.................................4 Page 2 Page 6 Page 4 Features.................................5 Opinion..................................6 It’s that time of year again. Opinion..................................7 Arts & Entertainment Sports A&E.......................................8 Housing sign-ups are just around Phantasm wins Rocket 101 battle Men’s hockey heads to NCAA play- A&E.......................................9 the corner. of the bands. Group wins $1,000 offs this weekend. Sports..................................10 and a Budweiser sponsorship among Sports..................................11 Page 3 other prizes.