THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MERCYHURST COLLEGE SINCE 1929 A&E SPORTS Academy Award Lakers defeat nominations Knights announced Page 9 Page 12 i.jubii.dk ECODEMIA See inside Vol. 80 No. 13 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie Pa. 16546 January 31, 2007 Students react to 4x1x4 Gamble’s e-mail encouraging students the term system that we have now was By Joshua Wilwohl to contact him with their thoughts. one of my reasons for coming to Mer- Editor-in-chief Gamble said he has not seen the site, cyhurst,” she said. but knows a petition exists. Freshman Libny Tobar said she sup- The possibility of switching academic Gamble, however, voiced concern ports the change to the 4x1x4 semester calendars from trimesters to 4x1x4 that students do not understand that system. semesters has raised eyebrows with the recommendation of switching “With the change, I will have a better many students. calendars is only the beginning of a opportunity to go home for the holi- Sophomore Steve Faber is an advo- process. days,” she said. “And this will be similar cate of the trimester calendar and began “This is not the end,” he said. “The to other schools.” a Facebook petition against the 4x1x4 next stage is to have the board do a plan Sophomore Maria Morocco said the semester system. to implement (the new calendar).” 4x1x4 semester system is better for Faber says he sees many potential Student opinion on the topic, how- Mercyhurst in the future. problems in switching calendars. ever, varies. “I think it’s good for Mercyhurst in “I don’t think it will be beneficial to Junior Dan McNulty does not see the the long run to get off trimesters, but the college’s appearance as a whole,” reason for changing calendars. I don’t want it to change my senior he said. “I think having it (the calen- “Personally, I don’t see why we year,” she said. dar) switch will affect graduation that need to change the current trimester Senior Jeff Cagle said there is no need year.” system,” he said. “One of the reasons for a calendar change. Faber, who took two months off I came to Mercyhurst was because of “I think trimesters are working out battling cancer, is suppose to graduate trimesters.” well,” he said. winter term 2009 if the school keeps McNulty said he does not see a ben- Cagle noted that administration needs the trimester system. efit in switching to the 4x1x4 semester to focus on more important issues. If a switch to the 4x1x4 system system. “I feel, ultimately, the administration occurs, Faber says he will not graduate “I fail to see how the 4x1x4 gives us and board are really just out of touch until spring 2009. more academics because everything is facebook.com with students and don’t really recognize Faber’s Facebook petition currently the same,” he said. “The January term is The Facebook petition against the 4x1x4 currently has 558 members. our needs,” he said. has 558 members. On the petition’s utterly ridiculous, and is the worst time Cagle also said that administration Web site, Faber stresses students let for people to be in class.” not understand how the system would more efficient to have classes for 14 should get the opinion of the college their opinions be known. Junior Chris Geer shares McNulty’s work. weeks compared to 10. We wouldn’t community before making decisions. “We feel that the decision to move opinion. “It doesn’t make much sense at all,” have to run through things as quickly,” “It would have been nice if the admin- to any semester system, for reasons of “I think that the change to the 4x1x4 she said. “If they are going to change she said. “And we would have a longer istration had asked as many students accommodation to other schools, is system is something that is favored only it, they should just do semesters like Christmas break.” as possible about this idea, along with absolutely PREPOSTEROUS,” states by faculty and a few select students,” he other schools.” Junior Colleen Murray said she does professors, staff, and even alumni to the site’s description. said. “Any student I know is more than Junior Jessica McNurlen said she is not understand the need for such a get as many perspectives as possible,” The petition’s site also gives Mer- happy with the trimester system.” for the change. change. he said. cyhurst College President Thomas Junior Amanda Kaiser said she does “I think it would be a lot better and “I don’t really agree with it because Please see Students on page 3 MC takes next step in Strategic Plan of information about Mercyhurst Col- Gamble, President of Mercyhurst By Jessica Kocent lege from a number of constituencies, College and Dr. Barbara Behan, Vice News editor including faculty, staff, alumni, students President of Academic Affairs. All six and community members. academic deans were also present, in The Visioning Conference was held The purpose of this conference was addition to Dr. Randy Clemons, Dr. on Jan. 28-29 at the Renaissance Quail to take all of this information and David Livingston, Dr. Mary Ann Owoc, Hollow Resort in Painesville, Ohio. decide what plans and strategies should and Dr. Leanne Roberts, all faculty rep- This Visioning Conference was the be implemented to better Mercyhurst resentatives. Dan Schuler, Ryan Palm, next step in the Strategic Planning pro- College and what resources will be nec- Elise Yablonsky and Christina Coovert cess, which began at the beginning of essary to make these plans a reality. represented the student body. the 2006-2007 academic year. “We hope to further the strategic dia- There were also a number of rep- This site was chosen in order to give logue and to move the college forward resentatives from Mercyhurst North the participants a chance to focus on the toward the development of a concrete East present. tasks at hand, without being bothered Institutional Strategic Plan,” said Dr. with their day-to-day affairs. Heidi Hosey, Vice President of the Thus far, the Strategic Planning Strategic Plan. Please see Conference on page 3 Committee has gathered 5,000 pieces Those present included, Dr. Thomas Andy Finkel Photo Students make their phone calls in the Tullio Room. Campus news briefs Compiled by editorial staff/from mercyhurst.edu Phon-a-thon raises Intel faculty, students was funded by a Mercyhurst College Spurred by the popularity of the attend conference on Academic Enrichment Grant. smash television hit, which pairs ‘ethics and intelligence’ professional dancers with celebrities $55,406 so far Three faculty members and six Murder mystery dinner in a challenging dance competition, “make a phone call.” These phone calls students from the Mercyhurst Col- SAC will host a Murder Mystery the students will begin their eve- By Kate Collins are different. lege Intelligence Studies Department dinner on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in ning with a seven-course supper in Contributing writer They are geared toward obtaining a recently traveled to the Washington, the Egan Cafeteria. Mercyhurst’s Grotto Dining Room at donation for the school so they must D.C., area to participate in the Second 5:30 p.m. and follow it with a grand Each year, Mercyhurst College puts be conducted properly. Zinram stressed International Conference on The Dance competition ball – An Evening at Lake Como – in on an annual phone-a-thon. This year that he does not script the calls. They Ethics of National Security Intelli- SAC will host the Wade Robinson the Carolyn Herrmann Student Union has been no different. are written in a “cheesy” manner to get gence. The conference was organized Project dance contest on Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. Started by Gary Bukowski in the fall a point across. by the International Intelligence Feb. 3 at 9:30 p.m. in the Walker of 1980, Mercyhurst’s advancement “If you were to call me and read this Ethics Association (IIEA). Recital Hall. ‘Shadowing’ program set office has sponsored this yearly event. word for word, I would not donate,” Department chair Jim Breckenridge for Groundhog Day The phon-a-thon kicked off on Jan. he said. The script really just provides a presented “Teaching Ethics and Intel- ‘Dancing stars’ from On Groundhog Day, Friday, Feb. 2, 21 and is expected to run, at the latest, guideline for students to start a friendly, ligence,” assistant professor Stephen Iroquois High waltz onto Mercyhurst College will give a group until Feb. 6. conversational phone call that will put Marrin presented “Ethics, Profession- campus of Erie middle school students the So far, $55,406 has been raised. the receiver at ease. That’s important. alism, and Codes in the Intelligence A sure-footed group of Iroquois chance to predict something far more The night begins with a 30-minute You want to “talk to the caller” and Community,” and assistant professor High School students will put two important than the weather – their training session led by Steve Zinram, start a conversation. David Grabelski presented “Local months of ballroom dancing les- own futures. Director of the Annual Fund. The training session ends with a ses- Policing and Intelligence Ethics.” sons, a seminar on etiquette and a Nearly 25 seventh- and eighth-grade The training session includes a brief sion in how to fill out all the proper The students, who served as record- lesson on dressing dos and don’ts students from Jefferson Elementary background and history of what the forms and thank you letters that donors ers for 30 different discussion sessions, to the ultimate test when they unveil School, who have researched careers phon-a-thon really is, its purpose, its will receive at the end of the process.