Maintenance Gets a Makeover
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Features On Page 3: Arts & Entertainment On Page 5: Sports On Page 7: MSG President Theatre program Tennis starts off and VP election presents ‘A Man 2017 season with previews of No Importance’ a win Read more inside & online EST. 1929The VOL. 90 NO. 13 MERCIADMERCYHURST UNIVERSITY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 Maintenance gets a makeover By Melanie Todd Staff writer A new year and a new main- tenance director have changed the way Mercyhurst cares for the campus. With a historic campus and Erie weather, there are many maintenance challenges each year. “I’ve been the general man- ager for facilities for about nine months now. What we really started was we divided the needs of the school by seasons. Within those seasons we saw what we needed to be successful,” General Manager Forest Davis said. Winter in Erie has difficult weather conditions for main- tenance to handle. “Snow removal is the big- gest thing in the winter. We bought three new plows and developed a new snow plan to make snow removal more methodical,” Davis said. Each season has particular challenges. Summer is always a season of preparation for the next year to come. “In the summer months we have student turnover. We are able to fix a lot of the latent issues that, because of the weather, we just can’t get to in Casey Bleuel file photo the winter,” Davis said. Maintenance works on repairing the water main break on campus on Feb. 23, 2016. While some problems can be tricky to tackle, the staff is ing more on communication conducted a survey in order to fixing problems,” said Davis. issues that arise, but overall areas, especially academic working hard to actually solve with students and the univer- get students’ opinions on their “Sometimes we have to call in maintenance is working to areas, more comfortable for the causes of the problems sity. new approach. an outside contractor to help help prevent problems. students,” Davis said. that emerge. “We are moving to improve “The results are back with the plumbing, but that is “Last year, I saw a lot of While Mercyhurst’s historic “We are trying to stay away bedside manner. Since I’ve and they were fairly positive not always communicated to reactive issues, like putting out nature provides certain main- from slapping a Band-Aid or a been here the staff is working but with a little construc- the students and they are left a fire instead of preventing it. tenance issues, it is a truly new coat of paint on a prob- to be more approachable to tive criticism: the main thing wondering whether or not the A lot of what we are doing beautiful campus and mainte- lem,” Davis said. the students,” Davis said. being a lack of communica- problem was fixed.” is changing our operations, nance is working hard to pre- Maintenance is also focus- Last semester, maintenance tion with the students when There will always be some updating systems and making serve that. Immigration ban temporarily suspended immediately appealed the sometimes difficult to find the of the United States. is the intention of the ban to “Presidents have historically By Abigail Rinard issue, to no avail. On Feb. 9, balance between civil liberty “The big concern that I, and apply to Muslims differently been both moral and political Contributing writer a federal appeals court unani- and security — and either way many people have, is the mes- than non-Muslims? And is the leaders. They say who is good mously upheld the suspension the court rules would have sage that this sends to other effect to discriminate against and who is bad,” said Morris. The controversy surround- of the ban. great consequences. nations. Nations that have Muslims more than non-Mus- “I worry that it’s going to lead ing President Donald Trump’s “I think that’s a perfectly “If the court strikes down taken tens and even hundreds lims?” said Federici. “The real a nation to be suspicious of executive order banning refu- reasonable thing for the court the ban, and then a terrorist of thousands of refugees in. question, at the end of the Muslims in a way that isn’t gees from seven Middle East- to do, because there’s no comes through from one of We’re setting a double stan- day, is: is the security threat necessarily justified.” ern and African countries has imminent threat that makes those seven countries it would dard,” said Joseph Morris, great enough that it can justify When asked about the continued in court. On Feb. 3 it necessarily life and death,” turn public opinion in favor Ph.D., associate professor of the ban?” effect within the Mercyhurst James Robart, a federal judge said Michael Federici, Ph.D., of the ban and against the Political Science and director While there is legitimate community, Morris was appointed by George W. Bush, department chair and profes- court,” Federici said. of the Mercyhurst Center for concern about terrorism, the unconcerned. issued a temporary restraining sor of Political Science. With only eight justices, the Applied Politics. United States has the most “We’re a pretty darn inclu- order (TRO) on the ban. From a legal standpoint, the Supreme Court would need The domestic consequences extreme vetting system for sive place,” said Morris. “If The nationwide TRO is the Trump administration essen- a 5-3 ruling to overrule the are equally troubling. Because refugees in the world. It is anything, this is a time for result of a complaint filed tially has two options: appeal lower courts. the rhetoric of Trump’s cam- extremely unlikely, though still students to reflect on the core by the State of Washington, directly to the Supreme Court “It would be best if the paign was so hostile to Mus- possible, that a terrorist would values and mission of the joined by the State of Minne- or rewrite the policy. administration would rewrite lims, the executive order is pose as a refugee. school — and work toward sota. Both states argued that The constitutionality of the policy. I think it could be being perceived by many as Whether the ban is religious applying that in a mindful the ban caused harm to their the current policy is unclear, done in a way that is constitu- religiously motivated. discrimination or not, does way.” economies, as well as public though the Supreme Court tional,” Federici said. “It’s not technically a ban not necessarily affect its con- universities and other higher has a tendency to be fairly tol- The implications of the on Muslims alone, and it’s cer- stitutionality. It will, however, education institutions. erant with the presidential use ban, constitutional or not, tainly not a ban on all Muslims. have a big impact on Ameri- The Trump administration of international powers. It is extend far beyond the borders The question then becomes, can culture and society. @TheMerciad Merciad Index Online Poll Results What are your Valentine’s Day plans? News 1-2 Buying myself flowers and chocolate because I deserve it. (47%) Features 3-4 Romantic night with my significant other. (27%) Spending time with my friends (13%) A&E 5 Working, as per usual. (13%) Opinion 6 Sports 7 Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll: Laker Living 8 Do you think Mercyhurst should have Greek Life? merciad.mercyhurst.edu Page 2 The Merciad February 15, 2017 News Mercyhurst alumna runs for City Council degrees in English and Com- treated for mental health,” By Melanie Todd munication from Mercyhurst, said Crofoot. Staff writer Crofoot knows Erie and its Crofoot wants to try to needs very well. Currently, tackle as many of these issues Mercyhurst graduate and she is the program director as she can. Merciad alumnus Emily Cro- at the Ryan White Program, “Also, I want to work on foot is running in the Erie City an HIV clinic at Community getting kids in the community Council race as a Democrat. Health Net. more involved within the city Primary elections will be held “I think bringing jobs is in after-school programs, a on May 16. This is Crofoot’s an important aspect of being mentor program, volunteering first time as a candidate. on City Council. But with so with different organizations,” The City Council has four much already going on within said Crofoot. of its seven seats open in this the city, I think some things With her experience in election. Currently those seats need to be tackled as they are the nonprofit sector, Crofoot are all held by Democrats. escalating,” Crofoot said. is no stranger as to how to Curtis Jones Jr. cannot run Overall, Erie is struggling accomplish her goals. again due to term limits. Casi- on several scales compared to “I want to be a voice for all mir Kwitowski, Jim Winarski the rest of Pennsylvania and of the people. I want to speak and Dave Brennan, all whose the United States. to people in the city with seats are open, have not yet “Erie is one of the top changes they would like to see announced whether or not cities in Pennsylvania for and be their voice as well,” they will be running again, mental health and many are said Crofoot. according to GoErie.com. not treated. The local pov- Crofoot has a master’s In addition to Crofoot, there erty has increased and is now degree in Organizational have been four others who higher than Philadelphia,” said Leadership and has always had have announced that they will Crofoot. “We need to take an interest in politics in order be running: Brad Ford, a soft- care of and help the people to inspire change.