THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929 •_, ARTS&, f fej Er^irmTAiNMENT Get tickets for ' Hurst honors Burleigh dur- the big game. ing Black History Month. page 3 page 3 Vol. 74 No. 14 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie, Pa. 16546 February 7, 2001 Mercyhurst goes green Mercyhurst Green to conduct campus- wide study of environmental impact der to present the findings at .academic cel- By Zack Venable ebration. ^ Merciad writer Dr. Chris Magoc, assistant professor of his- tory and creator of the project, said that many In the spirit of this year's Academic Celebra- other colleges and universities have done simi- tion, Mercyhurst Green, the college's environ- lar studies. Penn State University has been mental awareness group, will be conducting a conducting one since 1998. "There are.sev- scavenger hunt to determine what Mercyhurst eral hundred schools around the country that is and is not doing in regard to the environ- have gone 'green.' Many of them have begun ment. The scavenger hunt was an idea that their work doing-a campus-wide environmen- came out of the "Greening the Campus" work- tal audit. Essentially, it acts as a baseline for shop held fall term. environmental performance for the college," Lisa Danko, biology lab supervisor/lecturer explains Magoc. and one of the organizers of the event, stresses There is added incentive for those who par- the importance of the endeavor for all who par- ticipate in the scavenger hunt. First, second ticipate. "The purpose of this is to change the and third-place cash prizes will be awarded to way we think on and off the campus. Ameri- those teams who produce the most thorough cans are so used to consumption. We need to reports and give the best presentations. Afterv realize that we cannot continue to throw away ward, all of the collected data will be included valuable resources/ said Danko. in a publication. "Students who participate will Students who register for the scavenger hunt become co-authors of this report. They will are to form teams of three to five people. The be producing one of the five c h a p t e r s on envi- teams will then scour campus, collecting data ronmental assessment here at Mercyhurst," that deals with environmental issues. says Magoc. J Things to be studied during the scavenger Students can use the scanenger hunt as a ser- hunt include, but are not limited to, paper us- vice learning experience or receive honors Zack Venable/Contributing photographer age, energy consumption, recycling programs, credits for it. The deadline to join the scaven- Every year on February 2, the world waits for a fuzzy little animal in Punxsutawney, carbon dioxide production and water usage. ger hunt is Feb. 7. Students are encouraged to Pa. to predict whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter or rf spring is just The goal of this project is to collect as much contact Lisa Danko as soon as possible at ext. around the cornerlUnfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this year, a information as possible on the subject in or- 2373 for more information. sign that there will be six more weeks of blustery, cold winter weather. I - MSG to hold town meetings The idea for the town meeting format was 'Insomniac' to air spring term By Sara Seidle proposed by senior representative Perry Wood and sophomore representative Kristen Brown. Sarah Foster," said Verdi. Merciad writer According to Wood, the town meeting format By Sara Seidle Because he will no longer be able to host originated during the founding of the colonies Merciad writer "Hurst Rock," Verdi is starting his own show scheduled to air at a later time that Mercyhurst Student Government has made a in America. Hurst TVs "Hurst Rock," a talk show better fits his schedule. The new show will few changes in the schedule and format of its Wood said, "The New England town meet- be entitled "Insomniac." Tentatively, the weekly meetings. On the first Monday of e a c h ing is a chance for the student government of produced, directed and cast by Mercyhurst students, will be losing one of its hosts show will be airing two nights a week, month, MSG will hold a New England town Mercyhurst College to reach out to its base Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11:30 p.m. to meeting ;n place of its regular meeting. Mon- and communicate more effectively with them. spring term. Junior Jeremy Verdi, co-host of the show midnight. day, Feb. 5 marked the first time MSG held The ability to share ideas in a constitutional According to Verdi, the show will follow a such a meeting. order is imperative." The entire MSG body along with Sarah Foster, who is also a junior, will no longer be able to fill t h e late night format similar to that of NBC's One of the reasons for the change is to in- voted on the proposal, officially amending its Conan O'Brien and CBS's The Late Show constitution to include the new format. position due to prior commitments. Verdi is crease student involvement. "Our meetings a member of Mercyhurst's cross country with David Letterman. He said it will have always been open to students, but we "The New England town meeting should be team which competes during spring term. "I combine aspects from shows like Saturday wanted to open them up more, make them an experiment in student involvement,** said love Hurst Rock, but I'm on scholarship for Night Live, The Daily Show and The Man more visible to students," said Tracy Fischer, Wood. He added that the new format should cross country. It is my first p r i o r i t y , " said Show, both on Comedy Central, and also MSG president produce in the students a feeling of duty and Verdi. i j . ' contain a segment similar to Jay Leno's The New England town meetings will be obligation to the college. Verdi will continue his involvement with "Jay-walking". held in the Student Union Great Room instead In the months that MSG holds a student fo- i t Hurst Rock" as executive producer, but is , Verdi said he will possibly have a sidekick of t h e MSG Chambers. Thetc will be a change rum, there will not be a New England town not able to be present when the show airs to host the show along with him as well as a in the regular agenda to allow students who meeting. According to Wood, "The New En- from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through live band. There will also be a new set. attend the meeting time t o voice their concerns, gland town meeting should function to bol- Thursdays. Verdi said that anyone interested in being a questions and ideas to MSG as well. "The ster constituency and student forums, not re- "I don't know who my replacement will part of the show, either on the air or behind meeting will be open to anyone just walking place them.** The next New England town be. We are starting to look for someone now the scenes, should contact him at ext. 3161. by,** said Fischer* meeting will be held Monday, March 5. Anyone who is interested should contact PAGE 2 THE MERCIAD FEBRUARY 7. 2001 CAMPUS NEWS Eriej C o u n t y Council to decide For your information sexual orientation issue Joe Clark lecture cancelled, "The absence of sexual orientation as a pro- MSG plans to reschedule By Ellen Learn tected group is not good law ... and this im- Merciad writer portant legal change needs to be made," said Mercyhurst Student Government apologizes for any inconvenience caused HRC President William McCarthy. 1 to students by the cancellation of the MSG Lecture by Joe Clark that was to The Erie County Human Relations Commis- Approximatly 70 people attended the meet- be held Tuesday, Feb. 6. Due to adverse weather conditions Clark was un- sion met recently and unanimously passed a ing. Some individuals that made statements able to make the trip from his homeun Newark, N.J. to Erie. MSG is in the resolution to include "sexual orientation" as a supporting the addition of "sexual orientation" protected category in the anti-discrimination included^Dr. Bob Cogan, a representative of process of trying to reschedule the lecture for sometime during the spring ordinance in Erie County. the NW PA chapter of the American Civil Lib- term. Mercyhurst student, Tim McNichol, said erties Union, Dorothy Stoner, OSB, a visiting "It's a very positive move. It would be really instructor of religious studies at Mercyhurst great to have sexual orientation included in College, and.Mary Louise St. John, OSB, Correction* [ f the ordinance just in case a problem did oc- Maureen Koseff, president of the Erie/ In the Jan! 31 issue of The Merciad a story on the Center City Child Learn- cur. It also brings awareness." McNichol was Crawford chapter of Parents, Friends and Fam- ing Center ran on the front page. The tone of the story lead readers to be- involved in Mercyhurst's Gay-Straight Alli- ily of Lesbians and Gays and Heather ance last year. Malobisky, co-editor of Pride News. Several lieve that the center was not open yet when in fact it is. The Merciad apolo- The current Erie County Human Relations members of the the community also attended. gizes for any confusion caused by the error. Anyone interested in obtaining Commission anti-discrimination ordinance In the York, P.a.