THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929 A & E SPORTS Jazz singer Women’s volleyball Sara Gazarek to meets rival perform Saturday, Gannon Friday Oct. 21 in PAC Page 8 Page 11 Vol. 80 No. 5 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie Pa. 16546 October 11, 2006 THE MERCIAD Mercyhurst adopts plan to improve campus life ment Strategic Planning, a formalized and faculty. But with this new plan, student focus groups. These students If students are unable to come to this By Jessica Kocent ongoing professional planning process the Mercyhurst community will have were chosen completely at random and town meeting, they can also voice their News editor to make Mercyhurst College better. a say in what is changing from the are supposed to represent the mix and opinions on the Website at http.//sug- According to Dr. Heidi Hosey, Vice ground up. balance of the Mercyhurst community gestions.mercyhurst.edu. Are you a student living with fi ve President of Strategic Planning, the The fi rst step in this 14-month plan on three different campuses. Students will be involved in the entire other people in an apartment built for plan will “build out of the community is strategic dialogue. This fi rst stage is The next forum will be a town meet- 14-month process. So will faculty, four? Do you hate the food in the that lives it.” centered on hearing the ideas of those ing held in the PAC on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. administration, alumni, staff and com- cafeteria? Is there something about Mercyhurst College has had some who want change, including all of the The Strategic Planning group will be munity members. They will comprise a Mercyhurst you want changed? formalized planning before. However, students, staff and faculty. During the asking the students what the strengths part of the strategic planning commit- Well, the administration is listening. Hosey says the administration would week of October 9, Erie Consulting and weaknesses of Mercyhurst College tees and help to draft the plans. One of Dr. Thomas Gamble’s goals usually make plans fi rst, then gauge fi rm, an outside company hired to work are and what they want the campus to when he came to offi ce was to imple- the response from the students, staff on the process, will conduct 2 12-14 look like in fi ve years. Please see Plans on Page 3 Alcodemically Stop the Hate campaign begins Zirkle said. speaking By Sarah Caram Residence Life and Student Conduct Contributing writer held a poster contest for Mercyhurst Students to start off the campaign last Alcohol poses life- With the goal of making students year, which was very successful with aware of hate crimes and bias in today’s over 30 poster entries. “We encouraged society, Mercyhurst held its fi rst Stop students to submit posters that would the Hate campaign last year as a step serve as a visual tool to help educate and threatening risks to toward achieving this goal. inform individuals about the prevalence The masterminds behind the creation and danger of hate-related acts and of the campaign were Assistant Direc- crimes,” Zirkle said. college students tor of Residence Life and Student Celebrity judges chose the top three Conduct Dara Zirkle, along with other winners. According to a fl yer announc- By Joshua Wilwohl Security on Campus Inc. keeps col- Residence Life and Student Conduct ing the deadline for submissions of the Editor-in-chief lege campuses informed about rape, assistant directors who, through the posters, the celebrity judges included: she said. Diversity and Enrichment Grant, were Scott Wolf and his wife Kelley Limp, able to take their ideas and make them Jeff Probst, David Lewis, Renee Byrd- Recent alcohol-related tragedies on “We talk about the connection between alcohol and acquaintance a reality. Mullins and Sue Bea Montgomery. college campuses around the nation “The Residence Life & Student “Posters were judged based on the are raising concern about student rape,” she said. Bath stressed that most college campuses do Conduct Offi ce started this campaign expression of them, artistic merit, drinking. to educate college students about hate originality, relationship of (the) poster According an article in the Boston not address acquaintance rape. crimes and bias-based acts. The intent and message and visual impact,” said Globe, three students plummeted to their was to provide a way for students to Zirkle. deaths in the past three months. One According to the University learn about, respond to, and take a The winning poster would be used as fell from a roof, one fell off a bridge proactive approach in preventing these an inspiration to students. after trying to perform a handstand, of Buffalo’s Counsel- crimes,” Zirkle said. “It was our hope that the winning and another fell while trying climb a fi re According to Zirkle, the fi rst Stop the poster would innovatively and creatively escape. All were intoxicated. ing Ser- vices Hate campaign started in March 2005 express a message of tolerance and Catherine Bath, the executive director and ended on May 8, 2005. Residence community through an original artistic of Security on Campus Inc., a non- W e b site, Life and Student Conduct offi ces spon- medium,” said Zirkle. profi t agency in Pennsylvania, said sored this campaign “…in an effort The top three posters were announced that alcohol is a leading factor in to promote tolerance, foster dialogue, by Mercyhurst College President Dr. deaths on college campuses. and address issues of bias and hate,” Thomas Gamble. “Half of the student popu- said Zirkle. The artists of the winning posters lation (on college campuses) Residence Life and Student Conduct received a prize of cash, ranging from drinks to access,” she said. plans to add to the message this year. $500 for fi rst place, $200 for second “College campuses, on “While last year the overwhelming place, and $100 for third place, accord- some level, are dangerous message was focused on promoting ing to Zirkle. because kids are fi nally on tolerance campus-wide, this year we are their own.” taking it a step further and encouraging Please see Poster on Page 2 According to Associ- Mercyhurst to go beyond tolerance,” ate Vice President for Student Life and Director of Resi- Dying for Halloween dence Life Laura Zirkle, “Date Mercyhurst Col- rape and lege had one alcohol- acquaintance related death in the past 10 rape are forms of sexual assault involving coer- years. discipline.” cive sexual activities perpetrated by an Bath, whose son died from an alco- Bath stressed that the problem is not acquaintance of the rape survivor.” hol-related incident at Duke University, the people who have a few drinks, but Bath said only one in every 20 rapes says her organization works closely with those who have 10 or 15. is reported. colleges and high schools, constantly According to Bath, alcohol kills six Tobin said there are 100,000 cases a informing them about the affects of times as many people than any other year in which victims don’t remember alcohol. drug. if sex was consensual. “We support AlcoholEdu as the best Mercyhurst College Vice President According to a pamphlet by the tool to educate incoming freshmen,” of Student Life Dr. Gerard Tobin cited Community Oriented Policing Services, said Bath. “We also use college-trained statistics that there are 1,400 drinking- alcohol does play some role in acquain- peer educators that inform high school related deaths a year. tance rape. students on alcohol.” Alcohol-related tragedies, however, “Alcohol appears to play a large role in Zirkle says Mercyhurst uses similar extend beyond deaths alone. Alcohol acquaintance rape, although it is not the techniques to keep students informed. has a high connection to rape and other cause,” states the pamphlet. “Research “All incoming freshmen have to com- crimes. Bath said Security on Campus indicates that in over three-quarters of Chelsea Boothe photo plete AlcoholEdu,” she said. “We also Inc. puts out a newsletter that spends college rapes, the offender, the victim Senior Adam Hicks became one of the dead during his trip to Eden discuss information at building meet- three pages listing alcohol-related trag- – or both – had been drinking.” Run Farms for a Halloween hayride. Hicks shares his experience and ings, we hang up signs, and we deal with edies on campuses. Please see Alcohol on Page 3 anticipation for Halloween in his article “I Love Erie” on page 5. PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD October 11, 2006 NEWS To contact: [email protected] Police and Safety Log World Briefs October 2 October 7 International news Theft Liquor Law Violation Preston Hall 3830 Lewis Ave. Compiled by Somalia declares holy Open Closed Jessica Kocent war on Ethiopia Pending Investigation State Citation From BBC News Somalia’s Islamists have ac- October 3 October 8 cused Ethiopian troops of at- Theft Liquor Law Violation tacking a town and have vowed a D’Angelo Performing Student Union “holy war” in revenge. Arts Center Closed The town of Bur Haqaba lies Open State Citation on the road from the government Pending Investigation base in Baidoa to the Islamist- October 9 held capital, Mogadishu. October 7 Criminal Mischief Ethiopia denies that its troops Liquor Law Violation East 41st St. have crossed the border but does Lewis Ave. Open support the government against Closed Pending Investigation the Islamists. State Citation “Heavily armed Ethiopian troops have invaded Somalia,” said Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, seen as a moderate within the Contributed by Amy Zielinski Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). Students on study abroad trip pictured in front of the “They have captured Bur Haqa- International Mercy Center on Baggot Street.