Mercyhurst Magazine Spring 2013
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MAGAZINE APRIL 2013 Making history Rowing team breaks two world records Inside this issue: Book tells Mercyhurst’s story Alum dives into drug research Student-athletes excel Alumni staf on world tour From the president Is Mercyhurst a liberal arts institution or one committed to professional preparation? If you immediately said “it’s both!” you truly grasp what Mercyhurst is all about. We don’t think it’s necessary to make “either-or” choices. We prefer the “both-and” approach. We don’t have to choose between valuing the liberal arts and providing career preparation; both have a role. We don’t have to choose between being a beautiful “ivory tower” and being engaged in the world; we can be both. We don’t have to choose between ofering world-renowned academic programs and providing opportunity education; there’s a place here for both. We don’t have to choose between arts and athletics – we can do both. Not only can we do both – we do both, in Erie, in North East, at the Booker T. Washington Center, in Corry, in Taos, N. M., in Dungarvan, Ireland. Everywhere Mercyhurst goes, you can see this “both-and” approach. It’s what makes Mercyhurst special, and it’s what makes Mercyhurst graduates special. Because of their professional preparation and their engagement in the world, they are ready to contribute on the job the day they are hired. Because of their liberal arts education, they can take a broad perspective and “see around the corner,” a crucial skill in the fast-changing work world. Because of the emphasis on service in their education, they take responsibility and demonstrate leadership. This is the vision of a Mercyhurst education. Everything we do is focused on the reconciliation of these apparent opposites to help create the well-balanced, thoughtful, vital and ethical leaders of tomorrow. The student-athletes who organized last month’s EnduROWthon are a great example. They study in some of our most demanding programs, and they compete successfully with top rowing teams at places like the Dad Vail and Henley regattas. But they went even further, meticulously organizing the 24-hour drive that set Erie’s frst Guinness World Records. In the process, they raised funds not only for their own trips, but also for the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation and Project Kenya. From the quiet overnight hours when the rowers doggedly pursued their goal to the raucous fnal hours when the whole campus was caught up in the quest, I couldn’t have been prouder of our students. But that’s just one example of what Mercyhurst students are doing. I hope you’ll read through this magazine to see what other students and alumni have been up to. Then please stay connected with us between issues by checking out our revamped website at mercyhurst.edu and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. God bless you, and God bless Mercyhurst. Thomas J. Gamble, Ph.D. President, Mercyhurst University 1 The Ofce of Marketing and Public Relations publishes In this issue Mercyhurst Magazine twice a year. Editor Susan Corbran ’73 1 From the president [email protected] (814) 824-2090 3 The Brotherhood of the River The Mercyhurst EnduROWthon Contributing Writers 6 From the alumni association president Abby Badach, Susan Corbran ’73, David Leisering ’01, 7 Double life Professor’s careers in classroom and in military Deborah Morton, Brian Vail 9 Playing it safe New tactics in sports injury treatment Art Direction/Design Jennifer Cassano 11 Sea change: New frontiers for drug research [email protected] (814) 824-3022 13 Foundations of a university The Mercyhurst story Vice President for 15 Spirits of the angry dead Rights activist seeks peace External Afairs Monsignor David Rubino, Ph.D. 17 Lakers excel as students and athletes [email protected] (814) 824-3034 18 Saints succeed Assistant Vice President 19 Alumni authors on shelves Books written by ‘Hurst graduates for Advancement Ryan Palm ’07 21 Campus news [email protected] (800) 845-8568 24 Alumni relations world tour (814) 824-3320 25 Alumni notes Director, Alumni Relations Tamara Walters [email protected] (814) 824-3350 Class Notes Editor Debra Tarasovitch [email protected] (814) 824-2392 We’d love to hear from you. Send your story ideas, suggestions and comments to [email protected]. Send changes of address to: read watch hear Get more of the story, watch additional video Mercyhurst Magazine content, check out photo albums and hear Mercyhurst University interviews online when you see this logo. 501 E. 38th St. more Go to mercyhurst.edu/more. Erie, PA 16546 mercyhurst.edu/more 2 The Brotherhood of the River One team, 451,879 meters and an extraordinary test of endurance Story by Abby Badach Two minutes remained between the Mercyhurst men’s rowing team and a world record. Hundreds of students rushed the stage, fooding the Mercyhurst Athletic Center stage with chants: “Row! Row! Row!” And row, these 10 student-athletes did – for 24 straight hours, all the way to an ofcial Guinness World Record. “I don’t know if my body’s ever been to this point before,” said senior exercise science major Jake Schuppe, who rowed the fnal 30 seconds. Schuppe is no stranger to endurance events. He’s competed in 24-hour mountain bike relays, but even that doesn’t compare. “With the atmosphere that my team created, we pushed ourselves so far past any perceivable limit we ever thought we’d even get close to,” he said. “My body is in shambles – but, you know what? It was phenomenal. And I’d happily do it again.” This a story of how adrenaline slays fatigue. This is the ultimate display of teamwork. 3 This is the Mercyhurst EnduROWthon. On March 7-8, 10 student-athletes from the mens’ rowing team rowed 451,879 meters to break a record for the greatest distance rowed by a lightweight mens’ small team on an indoor Concept II rowing machine in a 24-hour period. The previous record of 405,000 was set in December 2008 by a Hungarian club rowing team. Student organizers dubbed the event the “Mercyless EnduROWthon.” It transformed the MAC into a 24-hour madhouse of whirring ergs, cheering students and a tsunami of energy. In addition to setting a Guinness record, the mens’ team also set a record adjudicated through Concept II. “It was nuts. It was unbelievable,” said junior computer systems major and team captain Xavier Alexander. “I’’ m so glad I m a part of this team, and I’ m so proud of my guys.” To clinch the distance record, the mens’ team rotated on the erg for 30-second, full-intensity shifts. The machine’ s fywheel had to remain spinning for the record to be legitimate, so man-to-man transitions had to be fawless. After 4 minutes and 30 seconds to recuperate, each rower was back on the erg. The overnight shift allowed one rower at a time to take a 40-minute nap break, challenging the remaining nine to up their intensity. But they powered through for 24 hours to make history. “That was probably one of the most painful experiences I’ ve been in for a while,” Schuppe said. “But as soon as it was over, there was just a rush of emotions. The cheering from the crowd, all of my teammates slapping me on the back, hugging me, congratulating me – it was euphoric.” And as if one world record weren’ t enough, the EnduROWthon broke two. Across the stage from the men’ s varsity team was another rowing machine, on which 600 people took shifts to shatter the world record for most people to row 500 meters on a single erg in 24 hours. Mercyhurst students, faculty, administrators and staf – even Louie the Laker – hopped on to take a turn, as did people from the Erie community. For Jef Murt, a senior intelligence studies major and rower, the most powerful moment of the EnduROWthon wasn’ t with his varsity team. In the quiet depth of the overnight shift, a young boy with cerebral palsy got to do his part. The boy came with his mother at 4 a.m., took a seat on the erg and rowed his way into the record books. “His mother was in tears – it was a very powerful thing to see,” Murt said. “Honestly, even though the mens’ varsity team broke the record, giving that little boy a chance to be a part of something so huge, that made this whole thing worth it.” The EnduROWthon marked the frst time a Guinness World Record had ever been set in Erie, Pa. To achieve certifcation, the team kept a meticulous record of all the statistics and even few in a Guinness judge from England to oversee the event. 4 Nearly 300 people packed the MAC to cheer on all the rowers to the fnish – including Allan Belovarac, Ph.D., Mercyhurst history professor and a member and coach of the rowing team in its early years. Back in the 1970s, faces in the regatta crowds were “mainly parents and girlfriends,” he recalls. The EnduROWthon introduced hundreds of folks to the sport. But a rower doesn’ t count faces in the stands. He looks within himself. He looks to his team. “’You re kind of a part of this ‘brotherhood of the river’’ – it s almost like being in a fraternity,” Belovarac said. “All of these guys for the rest of their lives cross a bridge or come to a body of water, and one of the frst things to come to their mind will be, ‘That would be a great place to row.’ It gets in your blood.