Homecoming kick-off event features TV producer Jon Stark This week: Phil Belfiore named dean of graduate studies September 24,2007 'Hurst chefs invited to compete in chili cook-off

Vol. 2 5 , No. 4 orning WEEKLY NEWS FROM THE 'HURST C^

First there was T-Rex, now there's JAWS Mercyhurst natural history collection goes gargantuan

Last year, Mercyhurst became home to a life-size specimen of a statues and carvings Tyrannosaurus Rex skull, thanks to the donation of a museum-quality natural from more than 60 history collection of casts and fossils. This year, Mercyhurst will go one better countries. when it unveils a set of shark jaws so enormous that people can lock arms Besides and walk through together. the cast "It's one BIG MOUTH/' said curator Scott McKenzie with a palpable sense of a T-Rex of glee. The cast of jaws belongs to the largest known predator in the ocean, skull, he added, an extinct relative of the Great White Shark. which It represents the newest of several recent additions to Mercyhurst's served as the collection and the centerpiece of the college's second annual natural cornerstone of the history exhibit, one that promises to educate and, at the same time, fire the collection last year, the Sincaks imagination. It runs Sept. 27 to Oct. 17 at Cummings Gallery. An opening donated casts of several other skulls of large reptiles from the Jurassic Period, reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held Thursday from 5 a two-ton section of petrified wood from Indonesia, a fossilized elephant to 7 p.m. specimen from Java, a dinosaur egg nest, a stalactite from China and more. The collection was introduced last year, a gift of Michael and Barbara This year, besides the 7 by 6-foot shark jaws, McKenzie said the collection Sincak, who have spent nearly 20 years traveling the globe to acquire will be enhanced by the Sincaks' gift of a freestanding, 3-D cast of a saber- specimens for their business and personal collections. The Sincaks own and toothed cat discovered in a Florida limestone mine, a new flying reptile "that's operate Treasures of the Earth Ltd., near Johnstown, Pa. The company deals pretty spectacular," and a meteorite from Argentina. in fossils, minerals, architectural pieces, petrified wood, shells, meteorites, McKenzie also said the new exhibit will showcase "the largest geode in the

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» » * o » In the spotlight: Betsy Frank, human resources

. • •-- *• "' • When the human Mercyhurst by its theater program. She was one of its last graduates, finishing resources department in 1 9 8 1 . moved to Weber Hall this One of her most memorable performances here was as Helen Keller in a fall, it was like coming 1980 production of "The Miracle Worker." home for administrative Said reviewer Robin Dile, "Although she speaks only one word, Betsy assistant Betsy Frank. Herzog is magnificently eloquent as Helen Keller. There's never a second's Betsy spent countless doubt that this college student is a tortured twelve-year-old trying to break out hours in the building and of her dark and silent prison." its Taylor Little Theatre To prepare for the physically demanding part, Betsy recalls, she spent as an undergraduate at about three weeks rehearsing in a blindfold so she could move convincingly Mercyhurst. as a blind person. Luckily, she was wearing kneepads when she confidently Aspiring actress Betsy Herzog An Erie native and Villa walked right off the edge of the stage. in a publicity photo Maria Academy graduate, The role won her a Bravo Award from the Erie Theatre Arts Institute as the Betsy Herzog was drawn to year's best actress. continued on p. 2 Spotlight... from p. 1 Happenings on the Hill

... Another BELFIORE NAMED DEAN OF GRADUATE in the Mercyhurst community who would noteworthy STUDIES: Dr. Phillip Belfiore has been like to enter a favorite recipe this year should performance appointed dean of graduate studies, effective contact Human Resources for an entry form. actually took with the fall term. Belfiore, who directs the There's no entry fee. On cook-off day, samples place in Penn graduate program in special education, will for taste-testing and judging will cost 25 cents State Behrend's lead the redesigned Graduate Council, which apiece with all proceeds benefiting the Erie Studio Theatre, develops and recommends policies and City Mission. Besides the title of "Best Chili where former processes relating to graduate faculty and on the Hill," prizes will be awarded for Best Mercyhurst graduate student life and the creation and Hot/Spicy, Traditional, Vegetarian and Most theater approval of graduate programs. The college Unique Ingredient. For details, contact Betsy professor administration expressed its appreciation to Frank at [email protected] or ext. 2279. Paul Iddings Dr. Frank Hagan for his service as graduate was directing dean during the past year. Dr. Missy DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI: Several "Tobacco Breckenridge will serve as interim dean of Mercyhurst graduates will be singled out Road." The show was Betsy's senior thesis the Hafenmaier School of Education and for special recognition during Homecoming performance. Behavioral Sciences. Weekend. Cyber crime expert Andrew She played Pearl Lester, a 12-year-old girl sold Macpherson '99 and hotel executive Sam into marriage for $7, in the story of a down-on- CHECKTHOSE WEB ADDRESSES! Before you Veneziano 75 will be named Distinguished their-luck ex-sharecropping family in Georgia publish information about your department Alumni, while Jakub Svoboda '94, a during the Great Depression. or program, please be sure to verify any Web Philadelphia oncologist, will be named Iddings' goal was to be completely realistic, to addresses that you reference. Information Distinguished Young Alumnus. Janet Price, the extent that he had red clay dirt from the South on the Web moves and changes all the time. the retired professor who helped found brought in to cover the stage. The characters, When that happens, Web addresses can Mercyhurst's sportsmedicine department, and too, had to be dirty. She remembers Iddings change as well. Our own www.mercyhurst standout baseball player '96 will commenting to her, "Betsy, you're not dirty edu is a prime example. If your publications also be inducted into Mercyhurst's Athletic enough yet." refer to pages that existed on that site before Hall of Fame. For information about the award When she wasn't acting, Betsy was also a it was overhauled this summer, please check winners or the homecoming celebration, visit 'Hurst cheerleader. that the Web addresses will direct your homecoming.mercyhurst.edu. Soon after graduation, Betsy headed to New audience to the correct pages. If you have any York and "the starving actress scene," auditioning questions, contact Amy Askins at ext. 2034. TUNE TO HURST TV: If you missed the for roles. Sept. 10 address by Cardinal Oscar Andres At her mother's suggestion, Betsy went to BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: The Autumn Rodriguez Maradiaga, you'll have two more Cleveland for a "Star Search" competition where "Eat-it-to-the Bottom" Chili Cook-Off returns opportunities to see it this week on Hurst TV. she won an audition for the soap opera "All to the student union on Wednesday, Oct.10, You can view it on Erie's Time Warner Cable, My Children." Although she didn't get the part from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. More than 16 Channel 19, today at 9 p.m. or Tuesday at 11 (lounge singer Liz Chandler, later renamed Skye scrumptious chilies were entered in last year's a.m. The show was produced by students of Patterson), she did get priceless experience by event, in which Dennis Donovan of Police Mercyhurst's Department of Communication attending "soap opera technique classes." and Safety was voted Best in Show. Anyone and Hurst TV. Later, back in Erie, she continued to act in commercial productions for a while, but she says she hasn't been involved in community theater for a longtime now. Stephen Martin, assistant professor of Betsy's husband, Tom Frank, was a basketball intelligence studies, was invited to speak player at Mercyhurst and graduated in 1985. at three conferences over the summer. He's a project manager for Caldwell Wingate in In June, he spoke on a panel addressing Manhattan. They have one son, Tommy, a senior the implications of intelligence analysis at Cathedral Prep. professionalization for intelligence Before returning to Mercyhurst in 2005, education at the annual conference of the Betsy worked in the advertising field, at Erie & Chautauqua Magazine, Ashby Advertising and International Association for Intelligence Sue Sutto Realtors, where she was advertising Education in Mclean, Va. In July, he spoke manager for 13 years. about the challenges of intelligence fusion at

In her off-work hours Betsy's passion is skiing. a workshop on "State and Local Intelligence" '<"*WPW Both she and her son are ski instructors at Peek 'n sponsored by the Center for Homeland Peak. In the summer the family enjoys sailing. Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif In Since Tommy took up lacrosse, Betsy can also August, be spoke about the U.S. approach to training intelligence analysts at a be found running the scoreboard. roundtable on analytic training sponsored by the CIAs Global Futures Forum and the Swedish National Defense College in Stockholm, Sweden. Actor, producer to speak about life in Hollywood

Erie native and Mercyhurst alumnus Jonathan the Crypt" and Mercyhurst has accepted an Stark likens himself to a tumbleweed - a man at the "Moonlighting." whim of the wind. Were it not for his willingness to As a writer offer to join the Pennsylvania change direction, at times impulsively, he may never he has worked State Athletic Conference have discovered life in the fast lane of Hollywood. on the series The executive producer of ABC's "According to "," "Bob" (PSAC), joining long-time rival Jim," Stark will return to the Hurst on Thursday to (Bob Newhart), Gannon in making the switch kick off Homecoming Weekend by sharing snippets "The Nanny," of his life, particularly the Hollywood years. The talk and "." from the Michigan-based Great in Walker Recital Hall at 8:15 p.m. is free and open He won an to the public. Stark will also spend Friday working Emmy award Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic with communication students, critiquing some of for his work Conference (GLIAC). Mercyhurst their projects. on that show's will begin full membership Stark graduated in 1975 with a degree in art coming-out education, but opted to steer off course and followed episode. Most recently in the PSAC in the 2008-09 his passion for acting to L.A. He'd previously he created the ABC show "According to Jim" with season, after competing for performed at Westlake and McDowell schools, and writing partner . He is also working then with The Mill Players, a youth theater group in on several screenplays. one more year in the GLIAC. Millcreek Township. Stark lives in Studio City, Calif., with his wife Baseball, men's and women's At Mercyhurst, he also gravitated toward the Linda and daughters Gracie, 14, and Ruby, 11. theater crowd, where he became friends with "I'm really looking forward to coming back to Erie; basketball, men's and women's Michael Patrick King, who went on to find fame it has a lot of memories for me," he said. "Out here, cross country, football, men's in New York City as the executive producer of it is just too dry, too hot and too hip. Erie is none of television's popular "Sex in the City." those things, and that's why I like it." golf, men's and women's Stark's acting and writing adventures started with Stark's friend Jack Riley 74, who now lives in soccer, Softball, men's and his membership in the famous "Groundlings" improv Michigan, helped coordinate Stark's trip back to troupe. There he worked with Lisa Kudrow, Jon Erie with Steve Zinram, Mercyhurst's director of women's tennis, and women's Lovitz and Will Ferrell. As an actor he's been featured development. volleyball will all move from in the films "Project X," "Fright Night" and "House For a complete schedule of Homecoming 2" and on the television shows "Cheers," "Tales from Weekend events, visit homecoming.mcrcyhurst.edu. the GUAC to the PSAC The

« » • * » field hockey, women's lacrosse We'd love to hear from you! and wrestling teams will no longei' be independent and Monday Morning is an internal publication published weekly during the academic year by Mercyhurst College. Contact Sue Corbran. editor, will also compete in the PSAC, at 824-2090 or e-mail [email protected]. while women's golf will move to independent status. Among the benefits to Mercyhurst are the Dr. Roy Strausbaugh, visiting professor of history, Williams' paper on "Practical Concerns for the presented a paper on the "Versailles Peace Treaty" at Teaching of Translation in the World Language creation of regional rivalries the national seminar of the Western Front Association Classroom," presented at the Maastricht Session against schools like Edinboro, at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., on of the 2005 Maastricht-Lodz Duo Colloquium on Sept. 9. Translation and Meaning in the Netherlands, was Clarion and Slippery Rock, and recently published. shorter game trips (the average Dr. Karen Williams, associate professor of Spanish, presented a paper at the 2007 international meeting Daniel Burke '69, professor of art, has his work drive to a GUAC school is 427 of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish "...of a feather" currently on display at the Southern miles, while the average drive and Portuguese held recently in San Diego. Her Alleghenies Museum of Art in Loretto, Pa. The recent paper was titled "Making It Matter: Using the 16 by 10 by 3 foot installation has more than 1500 to a PSAC school is 246 miles). Connections Standard to Reach Non-Majors in separate parts. The show runs thru Sept 30. Burke is the World Language Classroom." The focus of scheduled for a one-person show in the Cummings the presentation was the use of creative projects Gallery at Mercyhurst in January of 2008. designed to connect information learned in Spanish classes with knowledge that non-majors were gaining from their own fields of study. In addition, This Week at t h e Hurst! THE ARTS SPORTS AT HOME

BALLET FOLKLORICO DE MEXICO, FOLK DANCE WED., SEPT. 26 WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26, 7:30 P.M. Women's soccer vs. Pitt-Johnstown • 3 p.m. Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center Ballet Folklorico de Mexico's full-throttle choreography brings to FRL, SEPT. 28 colorful life the mythic and modern stories of Mexico in dazzling Men's soccer vs. Northwood • 4 p.m. movement, lavish costumes and magnificent music. Gold Circle $40; Field hockey vs. Bloomsburg • 5 p.m. adults $30; seniors/students/President's Cardholders $25; youths $15; Women's volleyball vs. Wayne State • 7 p.m. Mercyhurst students $15. Women's hockey exhibition vs. Vaughn Flames « 7 p.m.

___-____g__-^___ • L L \ SAT., SEPT. 29 For details on the rest of the PAC's 2007-08 season, visit mdpac.com.vS Women's volleyball vs. Hillsdale • Noon Football vs. Ashland • 1:30 p.m. 2ND ANNUAL DINOSAURS AND FOSSILS EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION THURSDAY, SEPT. 27, 5-7 P.M. SUN., SEPT. 30 Cummings Gallery Field hockey vs. East Stroudsburg • Noon The latest additions to Mercyhurst's collection of dinosaurs and fossils Women's soccer vs. Northern Michigan • 1 p.m - including a cast of a huge shark jaw - go on display this week, Men's soccer vs. Saginaw Valley State • 3 p.m. beginning with a reception that's free and open to the public. The exhibit continues through Oct. 17, with extended gallery hours: Tues.- Sat. 2-7 p.m., except Thurs. 2-9 p.m.; and Sun. 2-5 p.m. IN MEMORY

Condolences to: MEETINGS AND EVENTS Shelley Thayer, secretary at the Mercyhurst Civic Institute, on the death of her mother, Beatrice "Betty" Owens, 85, on Sept. 13 at Sarah MON., SEPT. 24 • 3:30-5 P.M. Reed Retirement Center after an extended illness. Mrs. Owens was COLLEGE COUNCIL MEETING also the mother of Judith Roth, wife of Dr. Andy Roth, former vice Alumni Board Room president of academic affairs, now president of Notre Dame College in So. Euclid, Ohio. TUES., SEPT. 25 • 8:30-10 A.M. Donna Malzewski, manager of the Erie Docucenter, on the death of RETENTION MEETING her mother, Anna Nies, 93, on Sept. 18 at Saint Mary's Home East. Alumni Board Room

THURS., SEPT. 27 • 3-7 P.M. MILESTONES OPEN HOUSE FOR THE COMMUNITY McAuley Center, 511 E. 34th St. Congratulations to: Amy Weaver-Kaulis, instructor of fashion merchandising, and her JONATHAN STARK LECTURE • 8:15 P.M. husband Kyle on the birth of their son, Ayden Weaver Kaulis, on Sept. 7. Walker Recital Hall

JAWS... from p. 1 tri-state area." A geode is a sphere-shaped rock that contains a hollow cavity the exhibit's duration. They are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 2 to 7 p.m., lined with crystals, in this case bright amethyst crystals. And - so as not to except Thursdays, 2 to 9 p.m.; also Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. Special tours for disappoint any dinosaur fans - the exhibit will feature a newTriceratops skull. school students are available by contacting the Mercyhurst Archaeological McKenzie called Mercyhurst's imposing collection "the largest of its kind Institute at 824-2545. in the area," and added, "This is such a great opportunity for Mercyhurst and Meanwhile, in making his generous donation to the college, Michael for Erie. People can come here with their kids and view a collection of natura Sincak expressed the sentiment that Mercyhurst "seemed like a setting that history materials that ordinarily they would have to travel around the world to would nurture and celebrate a collection like ours. And, maybe just maybe, it see. // will stir in someone their life's calling." Last year's inaugural exhibit was viewed by 3,649 individuals during a As curator of the collection, which he described as "a smorgasbord of life nine-day period. That's an average of more than 400 visitors a day. Because on Earth," McKenzie promised to live up to that charge. of the anticipated public appeal, normal gallery hours are being extended for