The Student Newspaper of Mercyhurst College Since 1929
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929 VoL7 The Merciad is also available at mercia&mercyhurstedu NEWS: Guerriero wins Eric Barr A w a r d for Phoneathon work. faculty. MSG PAGE 3 By Kelly Rose Duttine News editor Students FEATURES: and faculty The debate over semesters vs. tri- members Steven Porter running mesters is really heating up the cold may' soon for Congress in the winter days on campus lately. experience 3rd Congressional Last week, TheMerctodiL-ponedtimt a change in District of P e n n s y l v a - the Presidential Task Force had vot- the aca- demic cal- nia. ed on a plan to introduce a four-cred- it semester system as the best option endar. for the academic calendar at Mercy- The Arche- PAGE 4 hurst ology De- The Presidential Task Force was set partment up to investigate options for a new has con- academic calendar when the recent cerns about OPINION: Middle States report suggested that switching t o Mercyhurst switch from trimesters to semesters. semesters. Madam Malarky Many different faculty members and the drunken and different academic departments query. on campus have diverse opinions R e photo about the possible change. instead of eight provides more op- English department are not 100 per- calendars could happen as soon as Associate Professor of the Mathe- portunity to stay professional and be cent behind semesters, but that there Fall 2005, affecting more than half PAGE 6 matics and Computer Systems de- active within our own disciplines, and are many things to consider. "Switch- of the students currently on cam- partment, Dr. Charles Redmond, fa- then we can bring that excitement ing to semesters would b e a challenge pus and all incoming freshmen. Jun- vors the four-by-four semester sys- into the classroom," said Redmond. for us as well as other departments," iors and seniors will defiantly be un- tem. "That's easier to do when you are said Reed "There are many things to affected by the change, unless it is ARTS& "I see the four-by-four system as only teaching six courses." consider." necessary for them to come back to an answer to problems we have with Other departments and professors Reed himself is not opposed to the Mercyhurst for additional classes to ENTERTAINMENT the current system, because it offers feel differently from Dr. Redmond idea of semesters, but feels that it finish their degree, or if they plan Kevin De v i n e , lead efficiency and depth," said Redmond According to Dr. David Living- would be a challenge. on attending Graduate School at singer of T h e Miracle "Efficiency is the hallmark of the ston, President of t h e Faculty Sen- |i .Mercyhurst Student Government Mercyhurst. also responded to last week's article of 86, releases a four-by-four." Redmond would like ate, one department that has already MSG President David Del Vecchio the opportunity to get more in depth has concerns about the proposed by pasting this message on it's screen also said, "Student Government is new album. .with his .classes during the term and | c h a n g e is the Archeology Depart- |name, HurstMSG: "For everyone in the process of educating ourselves the extra time with a four-by-four ment that read TheMerctetdand is now con-on all the issues regarding the calen- PAGE 8 semester system would give him and The department did not wish to cerned about the semester dar, before we can effectively present other professors that chance. comment on a possible switch to system...CALM DOWN! People get the calendar issue to the students and Redmond believes that the four-by- four-credit semesters at this time so fired up. Student government will seek student input" four system would be more efficient because the issue is still very contro- take everyone's opinions and concerns This spring, the Presidential Task for faculty members because they versial and nothing has been final- into account, but since the change to Force will have a formal recommen- would b e teaching three classes while ized a semester system will not occur un- dation to make to the Board of SPORTS: still having two terms, instead of Another department that may pre- til a few years...when every current Trustees in the form of a proposal. teaching four classes, like on a typi- fer to keep trimesters is the English student here is already graduated..we Until then, students with consider- Women's hockey cal semester system. Redmond said Department due, in part, to their ex- are taking the process very slowly and ations should talk to their MSG rep- remains perfect in that it is not that faculty does not tensive number of core classes. As- very delicately. Trust us....it isn't the resentative or voice their opinions pressing issue that you think it is!" CHA. I want to teach more classes. sistant Professor Dr. Brian Reed to MSG at the weekly meetings on 'Teaching six classes [each year] said that some of the faculty of the However, the change in academic Mondays at 8:30 p.m. in MSG Chambers. PAGE 12 MSG diversity lecture raises controversy Upcoming C a m p u s Events you think that 95% of crimes are By J e n n y Alien committed by black people?" j Film: Monty Python and the Contributing writer He continued by saying, "If we Holy Grail | would get free of this racial profil- Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts There was clapping and cheering, ing we would see that we are all the Center but also some uncomfortable faces same. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 2 and 8 on Thursday, Feb. 12, in the Mary Dyson's next topic and the co-fo- D'Angelo Performing Arts Center as cus of his lecture was affirmative p.m. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson took the action. He did not limit he lecture stage to send a message of diversity to problems of African Americans Mercyhurst Jazz Ensamble to the students at Mercyhurst and the alone, though, he mentioned affir- Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts community of Erie. £ mative action with those who are Center 1 Though the crowd was sparse, those older, with women, with different who did attend could find a message ethnic groups, and young people. Thursday, Feb. 19,7:30 p.m. to any race, ethnic group, or person. "Affirmative action is about giving Dyson commanded the stage and someone a chance who deserves it," Food for Finals subject of diversity from a highly Dyson said. "We should love our Student Union intellectual standpoint brothers and sisters regardless of Sunday, Feb. 22,9 p.m. Dyson began his lecture saying, "if their color." y we are going to tell the truth about '.'It's about confronting real differ- diversity we must do it." He then ence and how America deals with Men's club hockey game proceeded to give his take on the is- that difference," Dyson said of di-| Mercyhurst Ice Center sues dealing with diversity and affir- versity and affirmative action. Saturday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. mative action. These topics are not ones that stu- Last home game of the season Diversity, according to Dyson, is a dents of Mercyhurst are used to problem dealing with "the narrow rig- dealing with and Dyson presented id definition of what it means to be them in a very direct manner that an American, to be a citizen of the brought a sense of reality to the sit- world." He said, "I'm talking about uation. The students who attended | diversity across the border and about were very receptive to his message Index our biases and bigotry." though. News A 1 "I'm not creating a problem, I'm Ricardo Aguirre was one student] National News 2 trying to reveal one," he continued. there who thought Dyson did a great "I'm just here to point these things job speaking. Although he said the News fe • y 3 out to you. lecture may have been unsettling for Features 4 The things Dyson pointed out in- some, "It was a real treat for me at Features 5 cluded the terror in America that is- least" $ * Dr. Michael Eric Dyson speaks to a sparse crowd at Mercyhurst on Opinion ..-• 6 sues of race have given rise to as "I was one of the very few who Thursday. His lecture was sponsored by MSG. well as the diversity problems in was able to see him before," Agu- Opinion. ' things such as racial profiling and irre, who had seen Dyson on televi- He added, "It made people aware of very energetic about the topic at hand A&E. •• 8 affirmative action. sion and read his works, said tilings they woulc I not normally think "l thought he had a lotxtf good things A&E. ;,. 9 In a staggering statistic related to Aguirre agreed with Dyson's beliefs about." to say," she mentioned. "1 thought it Another student attending the lec- was really cool how he put hip hop Sports. | , 10 the idea of r a c i a l profiling Dyson toldl and approaches but said, "With the 11 the audience, "I spoke in a prisonj situation we are in at Mercyhurst we ture was J e s s i e Verbic. She enjoyed into everything." Sports, yesterday that was 95% black. Do are not ready for a speaker like that" Dyson's lecture and thought he was Please see Dyson on Page 3. Sports. 12 \ 1 i PAGE 2 THEMERCIAD FEBRUARY 18,2004 NEWS To contact [email protected] Mexico City's 'Zona Rosa' is gay, lesbian district By L a u r e n c e Iliff ularity of A m e r i c a n culture and crimination.