Students Smoked out Pushes for by Corrie Thearle News Editor Blue Light
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929 SUPPLEMENT SPORTS See the latest Win free tickets edition of to Fridays O� ers Ecodemia inside game. Page 12 Vol. 79 No. 10 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie Pa. 16546 January 11, 2006 THE MERCIAD MSG Students smoked out pushes for By Corrie Thearle News editor blue light As senior Chris Heisler walked into his house on the evening of Monday, special Jan. 2, his fi rst thought was that some- thing did not smell right. By Joshua Wilwohl Editor-in-chief His three roommates were watching football on the television with some friends in the front family room and The Mercyhurst Student Government were surprised when Heisler com- Health and Safety committee proposed mented that it smelled like pickles in to implement a series of 12 emergency the house. posts and six emergency boxes around Immediately following Heisler’s campus. observation the occupants of the house The units will serve as protection inhaled deeply and realized that it was for students and help improve current not the smell of pickles but of some- security measures. thing burning inside the house. In fact According to MSG Vice President the white addition on the brick house at Mike Nichols, the blue light system – as 3906 Pine Ave. was engulfed in fl ames it is called – will consist of “…poles and thick black smoke. An electrical fi re throughout campus that have blue lights had broken out in the back right corner on them and have intercoms as well that of the house around 9:30 p.m. and was go right to police and safety.” spreading rapidly. Police and Safety Chief Ken Sidun Heisler’s other roommates, seniors said the units will send an immediate Chris Williams, Drew Wagner and Justin response to the security offi ce when Waas, went to the back of the house to triggered. “What happens is that if locate the burning smell. Corrie Thearle/News editor someone would trigger a safety pole, When they opened the door to the Joe Mravintz, Justin Waas, Drew Wagner, Chris Williams and Chris Heisler stand in what remains of the then it would go to a board in police back of the house they were met with addition that took the brunt of the scorching, however, their spirits have not been dampened. and safety,” he said. a thick wall of black smoke which “The pole would then act as a two-way obscured their vision into the addition. harmed in the blaze. Despite the radio and we would fi nd out the infor- Waas immediately phoned 911 and the destruction caused by the fi re, Williams mation and send help right away.” rest of the seven occupants left the explained that they are all, “Thankful Nichols said the idea was thought of smoke fi lled house and went outside. that everyone is still alive.” fi ve years ago, but never given consider- They were amazed at the sight that The extent of the damage to the ation until now. “This issue came up in greeted them. Three foot fl ames were house is incredible. The back yellow 1999 and police and safety did research leaping out of the windows and black addition where most of the extreme for it, but MSG pulled out,” he said. smoke was everywhere. fi re damage occurred will be torn down “MSG is now much more for it than it Senior Greg Hoffman, a friend of the in the coming month. The back right was fi ve to six years ago.” tenants, tried to use the garden hose to room was currently used as storage Nichols said Penn State Behrend fi ght some of the fl ames but fi re trucks space. University and Gannon University immediately arrived at 9:43 p.m. Wil- Joe Mravintz, a junior HRIM major already have the emergency posts and liams and Waas directed the fi re fi ghters and close friend of the occupants, Mercyhurst’s proposed plan is to start into the house and towards the fi re in stored many personal belongings such in the summer and fi nish within a year the back addition. as clothes, books and a futon in the or year and a half. The raging fi re was under control by back room. All of these items were According to Nichols, the plan will 9:57 p.m. Erie Fire Inspector Thomas destroyed in the inferno. Corrie Thearle/News editor cost between $100,000 and $120,000. Testrake arrived at 10 p.m. to assess the The room directly across from the Joe Mravintz stands in the room where the fi re started, and where his He also noted the possibilities of receiv- cause of the fi re. Testrake explained storage space housed a couch and tele- personal items were being stored. ing grants to cover the costs. that an electric space heater in the back vision set which were also damaged. Please see Emergency on Page 3 right room was too close to combus- The television set was melted and black be professionally dry-cleaned to eradi- and the Residence Life Staff. Williams tible materials. This is where the fi re smoke has stained the walls. The third cate the smoke smell, along with many commented that he and his roommates started. room in the addition was also used personal items owned by the tenants. were, “Grateful for all the help Resi- Williams commented that all the as another sitting area and contained Currently, Heisler, Williams, Wagner dence Life offered immediately. Laura New grants occupants in the house were, “very a large couch. The walls and couch and Waas are waiting to receive infor- Zirkle personally came to the fi re on calm and cool, everything happened both sustained heavy smoke and fi re mation from their insurance company Monday night to offer us on campus so quickly, I think we handled it very damage. about the costs of the damage. housing.” The students stayed with proposed well.” The fi re spread so rapidly that The brick part of the house has suf- Currently these Mercyhurst seniors friends Monday night and moved into by the time they smelled “burnt plastic fered smoke damage and the basement are living at 3807 Briggs Ave. This their apartment on Tuesday. By Katie Walker Contributing writer and rubber” it was too late. was also fl ooded with water. Most of temporary living arrangement was Fortunately that night no one was the furniture in the house will have to immediately provided by Laura Zirkle Please see Blaze on Page 2 On Tuesday, Jan. 3, Mercyhurst Col- lege President Dr. Michael McQuillen announced a series of grants totaling Geography speaker broadens horizons $36,692 for 30 clubs and organizations on campus. Each grant will benefi t the America is the only place where you college by showing diversity in a series By Stephanie Williams can go from kindergarten to graduate of different ways. Contributing writer school without knowing anything about The largest amount of the grant and geography. Its importance lies in the went to Diversity 101, Residence Life Chelsea Boothe fact that America’s ignorance poses a and Student Conduct and the Student Copy editor threat to national security. Activities Committee for a series of DeBlij wants to stress the importance events regarding the birthday of Martin of Africa because it is where all human- Luther King, Jr. On Jan. 10, Dr. Harm deBlij, geog- ity began. Furthermore, unlike the rest The events will begin on Monday Jan. rapher extraordinaire, graced the Mary of the world, under the sub-Saharan 16, with the third annual Martin Luther D’Angelo Performing Arts Center with part of Africa there is no permeating King, Jr. Day breakfast for students, one of his world renowned speeches on state or religion which currently leaves faculty and staff in the Mercy Heritage “Why Africa Matters.” it susceptible to terrorist antics. Room. There will be two sittings for DeBlij is not only a professor and Knowledge is deBlij’s answer for the breakfast to accommodate different speaker, but used to be the geography America. Due to the fact that he was class and work times. editor for ABC’s “Good Morning born in the Netherlands, lived through The sittings will be from 9 a.m. to 9:45 America,” and won an Emmy award WWII in Europe, moved to Africa a.m. and the other will run from 9:50 for his short series on PBS, “The Power when he was young, went to school in a.m.to 10:30 a.m. During the breakfast of Place.” America, and is constantly teaching on there will be a performance by the Katie McAdams/Photo editor At the beginning of his lecture, deBlij the subject; he seems to be one answer Mercyhurst dancers and also Dr. King’s Dr. Harm deBlij spoke to a full crowd on Tuesday evening in the addressed a prominent crisis within for America’s large knowledge gap. famous “I Have a Dream Speech” will PAC. the educational system: the lack of be recited. emphasis placed on geography. He said Please see Diversity on Page 2 PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD January 11, 2006 NEWS To contact: [email protected] MSG lauches new Website World Briefs An innovative solution for reaching constituencies International news and posting discussion topics for By Carly Wamboldt students to comment on in the Compiled by Contributing writer blog section of the Website.” Corrie Thearle Alito hearing The Website will also offer Senate hearings on President On Jan.