!i- V I * & W *Sk*-0&. . • •v •• THIRD SPRING ENROLLMENT SOARS TO 3,000 page 2 MARY D'ANGELO PERFORMIN ARTS CENTER SPARKLES page 1: 5 ' D G E TO THE Pictured clockwise: 1999 Carpe Diem Award winners, Ryan Kennis of Mercer, Pa. (seated) and Melissa Lang of Pittsburgh; and the Mother Frances Warde Adult Student Award winner, Randy Hilliard of Erie. For the past decade, the senior classes have left a legacy gift to the college — something by which each class would be remembered. In doing so, they picked up a forgotten tradition of the 60s when the graduating classes ceremoniously would plant a tree as part of Senior Week as their gift to the college.Today those trees provide much of the beautiful fall foilage around the campus. From this renewed legacy gift-giving, begun by the Class of '89, has come, notably, the stained glass window of the college seal in the Mercy Heritage Room, the gazebo behind the Carolyn Herrmann Union, the stained glass window in the Student Government Chambers, a baby grand piano for the union, Munson Plaza and class scholarships. The Class of '99 chose as its senior project the restoration of the landmark bridge on the part of the campus known as the Grotto. The stone and wooden bridge dates back to the early years of the college when Msgr. William Sullivan created the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and its surrounding area. All the wood has been restored on the bridge, the stones re-pointed and two granite plaques carry the names of the 89 donors from the Class of '99 who pledged $3,475 toward the project, the second largest amount contributed by a class. Atty. William Sennett, chairman of the board of trustees, told the graduates at commencement, "You have the distinction of being the last class to graduate from Mercyhurst in the 20th century. Your class is a bridge between all that Mercyhurst has been and all that it will become in the next century. We are now part of your history just like the bridge is part of ours." VOL. 16. NUMBER 1, FALL 1999 F E ATU RE S Third Spring: Shaping a New Mercyhurst As the college enters its 20th year under the leadership of Dr. William P. Garvey as president, Mercyhurst hit a milestone when enrollment shattered the 3,000 mark. The Third Spring, now in its autumn years, have been vibrant years at Mercyhurst and the momentum continues. 7 Damien ... The Voice of Mercyhurst Soon to celebrate her 60th year of religious life, Sister Damien Mlechick finds time to help the needy each year between her cowbell-ringing shenanigans at Laker sporting events and her day job answering the phone with the everfamiliar, "Mercyhurst campus switchboard, may I help you?" Habitat for Humanity: "It takes a Good Work Ethic and a Positive Attitude" For the past seven years, Mercyhurst students have been giving up their Florida spring breaks to build the framework of homes at Habitat sites across the country. Forty students joined forces this past spring to participate in the "Collegiate Challenge" in Tallahassee, Fla. Chairman of the Board Atty. William C. Sennett President Dr. William P. Garvey Editor Mary Daly Vice president of communications Editorial Assistants Margaret Closson Danielle Murphy Hermann Contributing Writers Mary Daly '66 Amy Douglas Danielle Murphy Hermann Scott Koskoski '00 Yvonne Maher '93 Don McQuaid William Melville Jr. '99 Craig Rybczynski '95 Circulation Coordinator Gary Bukowski '73 Cover Photography Paul M. Lorei 9 Design 11 Then & Now: Jim Lanahan When Jim Lanahan came to Mercyhurst in 1970 as director of admissions to recruit the first seven classes of men, he faced the "challenge of a lifetime," so he thought. But 20 years later, he returned to the college to face another daunting challenge — opening the college's branch campus, Mercyhurst-North East. For Jim and his family it's been a good journey, 12 Sights & Sounds of the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center Now in its fourth season, this star venue showcases six crystal chandeliers, replicas of those at The Met, and a silent heating and cooling system that guarantees the only sound you hear is music. GraphicDesign Printing Printing Technologies ETC IFC 4 5 6 10 21 22 IBC Bridge to the Future In the Line of Fire Irish Politics: John Deasy '90 Way to Go, Jenny Celebration of Freedom & Love Football's Tremendous Twos Alumni in the News Arts & Entertainment 14 Mercyhurst Civic Institute: Creating a Better Community "We will transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us." These words of Pericles from the Oath of the Athenian CityState chart the course for the latest initiative of Mercyhurst College, its Civic Institute. Four centers focus on improving the life of the community in the areas of education, health, justice, and child and family well-being. The Mercyhurst Magazine is published by the Office of Communications. Its companion piece, "Mercyhurst Today" is published late January. The magazine spotlights new programs and initiatives of Mercyhurst College and human interest/feature stories about Mercyhurst people and alums. Distribution 13,000. The Magazine's address is: 501 E. 38th St., Erie, Pa. 16546 Telephone (814) 824-2285 Send change of address and alumni news to: Mercyhurst Magazine Mercyhurst College Erie, Pa 16546 c/o Tammy Roche Gandolfo '76 Send comments to the editor:
[email protected] 19 New Ice Age at Mercyhurst Since the 1998 Nagano Olympics, women's ice hockey has become the fastest growing collegiate sport in the country. The enthusiasm and excitement for the sport has also spread to Mercyhurst. The Lady Lakers take to the ice for the first time this fall. BY MARY DALY AND DANIELLE MURPHY HERMANN • i. It is called Mercyhurst's 'Third Spring — a time for renewal and reinvigoration, a period to prepare Mercyhurst for a new century with bold new ideas, strengthened resources and courageous vision. A time for inspiring leadership that would take a young Mercyhurst to the forefront of higher education in the region and eventually the nation. As this period enters its 20th year under college president Dr. William P. Garvey, the autumn years of the Third Spring are marked by continued excellence and prosperity. Growth in its physical plant and growth in enrollment are but two yardsticks measuring the Mercyhurst that has emerged al the dawn of the next century, When the college opened its gates for its 73rd year Sept. 8, it entered a year marked by record-breaking totals across the board. Notably: • Mercyhurst hit a milestone in enrollment when it welcomed 3,026 students to its Erie and North East campuses — a marker that has more than doubled over the past 20 years. • Received a record 1,850 freshman applications for the main campus which resulted in a historic 532 traditional-age freshmen (compared to 308 in 1980) from 28 states and seven foreign countries and 265 first-year students at Mercyhurst-North East. • Generated more than $2 million in annual fund raising for the fifth consecutive year compared to a modest $140,000 raised two decades ago. Concluded a $30 million decade of expansion that has transformed both the Erie and North East campuses into "things of beauty" as well as institutions of quality. WING m wn IDMIUlffl During the same time, annual alumni contributions rose from $12,839 in 1980 to an impressive $395,152 at the end of the college's 1999 fiscal year, becoming the largest amount recorded in the college history. • Reported a balanced budget for the 19th straight year, and an operating budget over $39 million this year compared to $6 million in 1980. • Grew its college endowment to almost $10 million compared to a scant $100,000 two decades ago. Boosted its faculty from 70 in 1980 to 125 this academic year, and its total workforce to 424 employees. More than doubled its library holdings from 75,000 in 1980 to 168,000 this fall Ranked for the fourth consecutive year as one of the top 20 liberal arts colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges Guide " While all these facts are impressive by themselves, they reflect only a tip of the iceberg of the Mercyhurst that has emerged during the 90s. Alums expected, someday, to find the $2.9 million Carolyn Herrmann Union, a stunning facility built in 1990 that had been promised to them for 20 years. They hadn't counted on, however, returning a year later to find the $1.4 million ice rink for the only hockey team among the Mercy colleges. In 1996, they came home to the remarkable $3.7 million Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center. Two years later, alums drove up the college boulevard to be greeted by the new gabled roof of Hammermill Library that replaced the front campus "sore thumb" as part of $4 million in improvements and renovations to the facility. And last fall, they returned to watch the Lakers do battle on the $ 1 million Astroturf covering at Tullio Field that quickly became recognized as the best collegiate field in the region. For Garvey, who has overseen the development of more than 70 percent of the Mercyhurst campus, the Carolyn Herrmann Union, the extensive renovations to Hammermill Library and the construction of the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center are among the achievements that make him most proud of his two decades in the Mercyhurst presidency. • M R H U M I N "Each building is both an architectural gem and a center of activity that is vital to the life of the college," Garvey said. And each summer, the college adds a new and equally exciting chapter to its story of expansion. This year, Mercy hurst completed the library's $650,000 fourth floor — a stunning showplace for the college — which concluded the two-year Hammermill renovation project. Its massive windows provide a breathtaking northern view that stretches across the treetops and homes of Erie's east side to the high-rise towers and cathedral peaks of downtown Erie and the blue-green stretch of Lake Erie. The floor provides an impressive board room for college trustees, a graduate seminar room named for late Erie mayor Louis J. Tullio, an honors seminar room and a suite of offices for institutional advancement. Alums returning for Homecoming '99 found a new soccer field and press box just west of the Tullio gridiron. They were also surprised by the $150,000 face-lift given to the Egan cafeteria and they enjoyed the comfort of the new blue, green and white bleachers in the Athletic Center, as well as the additional seating on both the home and visitors' sides at Tullio Field. But the Erie campus isn't alone in campus improvements for the new school year. Nearly a million dollar's worth of improvements and additions were completed at Mercyhurst-North East this summer, including the construction of eight threebedroom townhouses in the FrenchNormandy style of the sylvan campus. Construction at North East also included new offices and the renovation of the cafeteria and admissions area. The highlight of the fall 1999 season at Mercyhurst-North East will come in November when the col- lege celebrates the "burning" of the North East mortgage by paying off the facility 18 months before originally planned. While the physical changes to both campuses are the most noticeable to visitors, particularly to returning alums, Garvey is quick to point out that it is those less tangible developments that prepare the college for success in the new century. "Our most important accomplishment has been driving the college to higher ground in terms of academic reputation and recognition," Garvey said, adding that the college's ranking among the top 20 liberal arts colleges in the North is evidence of its growing reputation. "Each year, Mercyhurst improves its showing in U.S. News & World Report, but before the third spring is over," he added, "I hope to see Mercyhurst among the top 10 regional liberal arts colleges, if not among the national institutions. The college is now in a position to make that leap, and we must continue the momentum of the past two decades. "My other role as president, however, has been just as significant. I have always tried to keep Mercyhurst true to its mission, to its heritage and to the values of the Sisters of Mercy," Garvey explained. It's a role he has made a priority. Throughout the growth and development of the past 20 years, Mercyhurst has retained its commitment to the liberal arts and its family feeling of gentility and civility instilled by the Sisters of Mercy more than seven decades ago. "It is the class, dignity, demeanor, values and beauty, not just the physical aspect, but the atmosphere here at Mercyhurst that I like best," he said. "We've tried to enhance the beauty of the college significantly during the Third Spring while remaining true to its academic mission. You need substance with beauty, and Mercyhurst, we believe, has attained that combination." • Carrie Tappe '00, editor in chief of The Merciad, contributed to this story. N THE LINE BY DANIELLE MURPHY HERMANN I'm looking at Buddy right now," said Dan Carbonetti as he began talking about his job with the first family. Buddy, the Clintons' playful chocolate lab, he said, was wrestling with a tennis ball on the White House lawn. Watching the president's dog, however, is hardly part of Carbonetti's job description. A 1994 graduate of Mercyhurst's criminal justice program, Carbonetti is pursuing a career most people know about only from what they've seen in Hollywood movies starring Wesley Snipes or Clint Eastwood. Part of the Secret Service uniformed division tactical team assigned to the White House, Carbonetti, like federal officers in the movies, wears the ear piece (which is a "pain"), black combat boots and a tactical vest, and carries two firearms and two radios. "Right now I'm assigned to the emergency response team, which is much like a police SWAT team," Carbonetti said. "We're basically here to prevent someone who jumps over the fence from getting into the White House. We're also organized to defend against a terroristic attack on the White House. When the president and his family are home or during high international tensions, the tactical unit is assigned more 4'T' S s — manpower and longer hours, Carbonetti said. During the U.S. bombing of Iraq, he worked 12 to 14 hours a day, six to seven days a week. For the most part, though, his eight-hour shifts are usually quiet. "We've had a few (incidents) here and there. Nothing I've been involved in, and no major threats," he said. Carbonetti, who has been at the White House for three and a half years, joined the Secret Service a few months after graduation. Retired Mercyhurst security director Bud Dever suggested that he apply for a Secret Sendee position, he said. Interviews, skills tests, background checks and medical exams followed, and Carbonetti then completed six months of training in Georgia and Maryland. "I enjoy it sometimes; it's got its pros and cons. But you're basically waiting for something to happen. I would rather be proactive than reactive," he said, adding that he may someday pursue a career in investigation, an interest piqued by his college internship with the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Whatever avenue of law enforcement Carbonetti chooses to pursue, he will find success, according to the faculty and administrators who remember Carbonetti as an industrious, goal-oriented student. Shirley Williams '86, '88M, assistant director of law enforcement training at Mercyhurst-North East, remembers Carbonetti as an "affable young man who took responsibility for reaching his goals, academically and professionally." "Dan could always be counted on for taking the responsibility to get a job done as well as the initiative to meet whatever challenges arose," said Williams, who worked on the Erie campus during Carbonetti's college years. "He is truly an asset to the Secret Service; he is versatile, skilled and flexible. I'm sure, however, that he would find success in any of his endeavors." S3 1 I IRISH POLITICS BY DON MCQUAID Talent, integrity, destiny. These are the qualities that come to mind by four members of the Mercyhurst family who knew John Deasy '90, the student, as they reflect on his recent success in Irish politics. achievements, the magazine repoorted, "Deasy finds himeself in (America) in a tradition-rich profession, government, but in a decidedly new-fashioned way. He got his jobs by the dint of talent and hard work rather than connections to a ward heeler." JOHN DEASY '90 ... He's on his way (HUM! £ • I ao "Spectacular Debut for John Deasy" cried the headline in the Dungarvan Leader of June 18, 1999. In his first run for public office, John was elected a member of both the Waterford County Council and Dungarvan Urban Council and was the top vote-getter in both races. John's father, Austin Deasy, has represented Waterford in the Irish parliament for 25 years and served as minister of agriculture for Ireland. A native of Dungarvan, John was one of four Irish students who entered Mercyhurst in 1986 as recipients of John F. Kennedy Scholarships. And like young Irish before him, he came to America toting dreams of opportunity and prosperity and eager to make a contribution before returning to his homeland. After receiving his bachelor's degree in history/communications in 1990, he remained in the states for eight years, working as legislative assistant to the late Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.), as legislative assistant to Congressman Ron Machtley (R-R.I.) and as manager of legislative affairs for the Chicago law firm of Gardner, Carton and Douglas. In a 1994 article in the magazine, "Irish Echo Supplement," Deasy was spotlighted as one of Ireland's young success stories in this country. Referring to his Talent and hard work also made the difference when John returned to Ireland and made his first run for public office. "John and I were recruited by Andy Roth and were the first Irish students to come to Mercyhurst in a group," said head soccer coach John Melody '90, who went through school with John in Ireland. "John was adamant from day one that he would get his education here, stay for awhile, then go home and try to follow in his father's footsteps. I think he'll do an excellent job because he's in politics for the right reason — to improve the lives of his constituents." "John is a great Mercyhurst success story and part of the evolving success story of our Irish scholarship program," said Dr. Andrew Roth, vice president of enrollment. "He's a classic example of what Mercyhurst does best: he left here a more accomplished, well-rounded person than if he had gone to a bigger, less personal school. When he's elected prime minister, I'm looking forward to having dinner with him at Leinster House" (the building where the Irish parliament meets). Retired Mercyhurst history professor Richard Kubiak remembers John as an intelligent, innovative student who had a wonderful sense of humor. "He'll need the humor if he's going to survive in politics," Kubiak noted wryly. "John and I used to talk about his going into politics, and I suggested that he consider law school before throwing his hat in the ring. I was thrilled to hear that he only has a year to go before he gets his law degree from University College, Cork." Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. Garvey, who was John's adviser, was delighted to see him win in his first try at elective office. "It's the first step in what I'm sure will be a long and productive career," Garvey said. "John was a very promising student with a very independent mind. We tried to nurture and polish it. He grew enormously while he was at Mercyhurst. We always knew he would go back to Ireland — that's where he can do the most good. I told him we expected him to be prime minister someday, and if anyone can accomplish it, he can." How does John feel about his victory? "It was very hard work ," he said. "I campaigned for three months, knocking on doors and asking people for their vote. Everyone has issues and you have to deal with them right there on the doorstep. By the time the campaign was over, I was probably the fittest man in Ireland." Asked if Mercyhurst helped prepare him for his career and for life in general, John said, "Mercyhurst is a secure environment, but you have enough freedom to make the kinds of mistakes you have to make in order to mature. When I had my first interview in Washington, Senator Heinz's chief assistant didn't ask me about politics or academics. We talked about things in general so he could determine whether I could associate with people on an everyday basis. Mercyhurst made me a well-rounded person. Everything about my experience there was incredibly positive." What's the next step in John's political career? "I plan to run for parliament in two years," he said firmly. And after that — if his alma mater has anything to say about it — the first Mercyhurst graduate to become a head of state. F A L L 1 9 9 9 1 I S ^ BY DON MCQUAID enny Kwitowski '99 was understandably excited when she learned that she was one of 10 finalists chosen from more than 3,000 contestants nationwide in Stouffer's "Real Home Cooking Recipe Contest." But when the finalists gathered at Stouffer headquarters in Cleveland to learn who the winner was, officials and onlookers alike were struck by how calm Jenny was. "People came up to me afterward and asked how I could stay so calm waiting for the winner to be announced," Jenny recalled. "Because the recipe I entered was one of my grandmother's, who has passed on, I wore the watch she left me as a remembrance and for good luck. As I sat waiting, it felt like she was right there with me, and a very peaceful feeling came over me." When contest officials announced the winner by bringing out a huge check for $10,000 made out to the winner, Jenny had to look twice because it was her name on the check. As part of her prize, the winning recipe, "Grandma's Country Chicken Casserole," will be in store freezer cases across the country by January, and Jenny's picture will be on every package. "I love to cook, and I'm the main cook in our family now," said Jenny, both of whose parents work and whose brother is a student at Penn State-Behrend. "We always used to come home to one of my grandmother's wonderful home-cooked meals, and I guess I'm trying to keep that tradition going." Jenny got her first taste of being a celebrity as a guest on the "Crook and Chase" talk show on the Nashville Network in February. Articles on her have appeared in USA Today and Jane magazine, and a story is planned for Good Housekeeping magazine. At the end of May, she flew to Atlanta to have photographs taken for use on the Stouffer package and in the national ad campaign for the new dish. Pretty heady stuff for the new biology graduate from Erie who said, "I was one of the shyest people in my class in high school, and I'm still basically a quiet person. Winning the contest, though, forced me to come out of my shell, and it actually feels pretty good." But for Jenny the most important thing about winning is that it is a way to honor her grandmother, the late Mary Kwitowski, who tausht her how to cook. "My grandmother lived with us for as long as I can remember," Jenny said, "and she cooked dinner for our family every day. She put a lot of love into her cooking — it was one of her ways of showing affection to family and friends. After she passed away, I made a collection of recipes from her recipe box. Her Country Chicken Cheddar Casserole has always been one of our family's favorites, and I thought it was the perfect choice to submit to the contest." With Jenny receiving all this attention for her culinary pursuits, one might think that she would contemplate a career in that field, but she has other plans. "I am now attending the school of medical technology at Saint Vincent Health Center so I can work in their laboratories," she explained. "But as one of my Mercyhurst professors, Dr. Michael Campbell, pointed out, cooking up something in the lab isn't that much different from cooking up something at home." M H U Grandma's Country Chicken Cheddar Casserole INGREDIENTS FOR BROTH: 4 pound chicken roaster 3 cups water 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/4 Lsp. thyme 1/8 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. paprika r •*£<£, INGREDIENTS FOR CASSEROLE: 1/2 cup milk 11/2 cups crushed seasoned bread crumbs 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup sliced carrots 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup peas 3 cups of instant rice 1/4 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 tsp. pepper dash of paprika 1/8 tsp. sage 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning 2 tbs. lemon juice 2 cans (10.75 ounce) cheddar cheese soup DIRECTIONS: 1. Place chicken in a 4-qi. Dutch oven and add 3 cups of water and seasonings. 2. Bring to a simmer and cook approximately 45 minutes. 3. When chicken is done, remove it from the pot and place on a dish. Place the stock remaining in the pot into a gravy separator; strain to remove any undesircd particles and fat from getting into the stock. 4. Add water to the stock until you have 4 cups of liquid. Place stock back into Dutch oven. 5. Add onion, carrots, celery and peas to the stock; cook about 20 minutes (less if using frozen vegetables). 6. After 20 minutes, stir in 3 cups of rice and return to a boil; remove from heat and cover. 7. Now. return to the chicken. Discard the skin, remove and shred the chicken meat and place it in a large mixing bowl. 8. Add to the chicken the salt, pepper, paprika, sage, poultry seasoning, lemon juice, milk, eggs and cheddar cheese soup. Mix well. 9. When the rice has absorbed the water, add the rice and vegetable mixture to the chicken in the mixing bowl and mix until the rice and vegetables are distributed evenly throughout the dish. 10. Put the casserole mixture into a 9- by 11-inch pan. sprayed with vegetable spray. 11. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the mixture and place in a 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not cover. 12. Five minutes before the end of the baking time, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the lop of the casserole and return to the oven. Makes six to eisht servings. R M G I N s he was born a coal miner's daughter, too. But for the infant girl baptized Elizabeth Marie Mlechick, the road would lead, not to Nashville and stardom and a life of country music fame, but instead to God and children and a life of teaching, compassion and service. Life's journey would carry her from St. Adrian's in DeLancy, to the convent, to teaching Catholic children at every level, to becoming a companion to an elderly woman and finally to her present-day role as the "Voice of Mercyhurst College." F A L L 19 9 9 ...The Voice BY JEFF PINSKI AND JACK GRAZIER She would become the trusted confidant of homesick freshmen and a wildly cheering, cowbell-ringing fan of every Mercyhurst athletic team. And once a year, on the first Friday of December, she would pull a Times Old Newsies stocking cap over her veil and an Old Newsies apron over her habit to raise money for local needy families. She is the popular Sister Damien — an honest-to-goodness institution at the campus on the hill. Sister Damien's long voyage to Mercyhurst began many years ago — she won't say how many, and it's pretty difficult to be a pushy newsman with a nun. When Sister Damien took over the Mercyhurst College switchboard 14 years ago, nobody suspected she would one day become an institution there. Even Mercyhurst's president, Dr. William Garvey, acknowledges Sister Damien is unofficially 'The Voice of Mercyhurst College." "I enjoy helping people, the students and the callers," Sister Damien said. She remembers, "One call stands out in my mind. A father was upset at not being able to get through to a certain office. "He was very upset because he was getting answering machines. He was shouting, T don't want a machine! I want a person! I want a BODY!' 'Well,' I said, T m some-BODY.' As angry as he was, he had to laugh." How does Sister feel about today's college students? "They're great! They are very respectful toward me. I tell them they can come to me for anything." Then, with a grin, she adds, I tell them the only things I don't have are money and good looks!" Shortly after Sister took over the switchboard at Mercyhurst, she was approached by Larie Pintea, now retired managing t000*~* editor of the Morning News and a mem^ - " - r \ - Y\^s \ k e r of the Times Old Newsies, who rt "ftV \^y^** asked her to help him collect money at ^ ^ - ^ — - • * • Mercyhurst for the annual Needy Fund. Ever since 1984, Sister puts out her wicker basket, distributes her "special edition" papers and Times Old Newsies tags to students, faculty and administrators as they pass the switchboard. At the noon hour she sets up shop in the cafeteria in her quest to help the needy. In nickels, dimes and quarters, she raised more than $200 that first year and last year she raised over $1,000. She is getting ready to set another record in a few months. "The Times Old Newsies do great work and I think it's wonderful that they have continued it for 42 years. In my own family we always helped the poor and it's what the Sisters of Mercy are all about — helping the poor and those who are mentally and spiritually hurting. People can't do much if they're hungry." "I tell them (the students) the only things I don't have are money and good looks." Sister Damien Sister was honored for her 14 years of service of collecting thousands of dollars for the Times Old Newsies Needy Fund and named an Honorary Life Member. The night was made even more memorable when Dr. Garvey accompanied her to the awards banquet to see her recognized. But Sister Damien is known for more than this annual tradition. Her cowbell also has become another Hurst tradition. She tells the history of her now famous bell. "I was shouting and carrying on at a hockey game with our archrival Elmira. The father of a Mercyhurst student, a girl from Elmira, told me I needed a bell. When he saw his daughter wasn't using the bell he had made for her out of old airplane parts, he had her bring it to me. He said I could have the bell, just as long as when he came to hockey games, he could root for Elmira. I've had the bell ever since." Life has come full circle for Sister Damien, who will celebrate her 60th year of religious life with her community on July 29, 2000. When Sister was a young nun at the convent, she thought nuns spent most of their time in the chapel "pray^ ing and meditating and looking at God " "Throughout my career, I thought I would like to someday get to the point where I could just spend a lot of my time looking at God. Now, here I am at the switchboard in the foyer of the chapel. I just wanted to look at God, and now I can do it every day. He granted my wish " There can be no kinder, richer reward for such a woman of God — still at heart simply a coal miner's daughter. • Jeff Pinski is the reader's advocate editor for the Times Publishing Co. and Jack Grazier '7/ is a senior reporter. Photos and excerpts from their articles about Sister Damien are reprinted in the Magazine with the permission of the Times Publishing Co. The full articles appeared in the Erie Times-News Sept. 27 and Dec. 4, 1998, respectively. 8 M R Y H U R M I N H A B I T A T F O R H U M A N I T Y "You just have to have a good work ethic and a positive attitude." BY DANIELLE MURPHY HERMANN J odie Polk '99, like a growing number of Mercyhurst students, skipped spring break on Florida's beaches or Colorado's ski slopes. Armed with a hammer and tool belt, Polk instead spent her last three spring breaks helping families realize their dream of home ownership as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity International. "It makes everything you do that much more worth it when the family is alongside you working. You realize that you aren't just building a structure, but a home that will warm and protect them," she said, beaming as she talked about her three-year involvement with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps low income families become homeowners. "It makes you wonder why more people don't do it," she continued. "You have to just get out and do it. And then you'll understand." Each year, more and more students are "doing it." Mercyhurst students since 1993 have joined Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge, an annual endeavor that offers students opportunities across the country to help build new homes and refurbish dilapidated dwellings during school breaks. Mercyhurst last year sent a record-setting 40 students, including three from Mercyhurst-North East, to a Habitat site in Tallahassee, Fla. "It's grown from about five or six students to an interest of about 201 students," said Michele McGill (Wander) Garvey '92, who was adviser to Mercyhurst's Habitat for Humanity volunteers. "Unfortunately we're limited in how many students we can take by where we go. They have a maximum amount of people per site, and Tallahassee had the largest number we could take." Although Mercyhurst is limited by how many students can take part in Alternative Spring Break, Habitat for Humanity provides year-round opportunities for volunteers to paint or refurbish area homes, or work on local construction projects. Garvey said campus ministry has about 60 students who are active year-round in Habitat for Humanity projects. Also, the college's Service Learning Program has about 15 student volunteers, according to Sister Carol Ann Voltz, director of the Service Learning Program. Students paid $230 each to attend Alternative Spring Break in Tallahassee. Mercyhurst's volunteers received donations that helped decrease their travel and lodging expenses. During the trips, students stay in retreat homes or in housing provided by the sponsoring college or university. During the most recent trip, students stayed at a campsite owned by sponsor Florida State University and meals were provided by local volunteers. Since Mercyhurst's spring break is among the earliest of all colleges and universities, Hurst students often tackle the daunting task of raising the house frame and beginning the roof. Students from other colleges complete the remaining construction throughout the six-week Collegiate Challenge, Polk said. "We always get to do the framework, which is kind of neat," she said. "You kind of feel like you're laying the groundwork for this house." Polk is quick to note that construction knowledge or burly muscles are not necessary for Habitat's projects. When she signed up as a sophomore after seeing an Alternative Spring Break poster in the Carolyn Herrmann Union, she knew nothing about construction, let alone building a house. "I had no experience," she admitted. "You just have to have a good work ethic and a positive attitude. There's an experienced construction foreman who takes you step by step through construction. "It's like construction work for dummies," she joked, referring to the popular series of how-to books. Mercyhurst is attempting to join Habitat for Humanity's 1,300 active affiliates across the country. Polk and co-chair Anthony DePinto '99 wrote the college's proposal to become an affiliate. As such, Mercyhurst will be able to host an Alternative Spring Break and will be one of the first colleges to choose a site outside of Erie. Garvey said the affiliate will be known as Giving In Fellowship Together, or GIFT, a name chosen by students. "We'll have a tri-fold responsibility as an affiliate. We'll need to help with public relations for Habitat for Humanity. We'll also do some fund raisers," Garvey said. "Mercyhurst will really be more than just getting out and building homes, but mainstreaming with (the Habitat for Humanity) families. Among those projects, our hope is to use the business students to help the families get on a budget and stay on it." Polk, who graduated in May as a biology major and received the Leadership Award for her work with Habitat for Humanity, will not be on campus to work with the new affiliate chapter. She will, however, take that untiring spirit for volunteerism to AmeriCorps, a volunteer organization similar to a stateside Peace Corps. She began work on Oct. 5 in Charleston, S.C., where she will be doing natural disaster relief and providing other personal needs to people and places from Louisiana to the Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico. "Habitat for Humanity opened doors that I didn't know existed," she said. "I enjoy manual labor. I didn't mind being tired and sweaty. It made me realize that what I wanted to do was more work like this. "With AmeriCorps, I'll do some of the same kind of things. I want to leave my mark." 1 9 9 9 MERCYHURST'S OLD FASHIONED FOURTH OF JULY cmc BY AMY DOUGLAS WITH INTRODUCTION BY DON MCQUAID we In the classic film "An Affair to Remember," released in 1957, Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr fell in love and made a pact to meet six month later, on a certain date and at a certain time, at the top of the Empire State Building. As a result of the heart-wrenching movie, the location becomes imprinted in the popular mind as a quintessential site for romantic rendezvous. The association was reinforced by the 1993 movie, "Sleepless in Seattle," in which the lovers actually do get together at the top of the skyscraper, and live happily ever after. Although Erie is not Manhattan, and the tallest building at Mercyhurst is the bell tower on Old Main, the college's annual Old Fashioned Fourth of July was the occasion for a romantic moment second to none — on the screen or in life. Here in her own words is Amy Douglas' account of what was for her an unforgettable event. Amy's story first appeared as a feature in the Times-News August 1, 1999. The 15th annual Fourth of July was the lucky day for me and I will remember it the rest of my life. It was the day David Ruland asked me to marry him. We started our holiday together by going to the Erie Zoo. Since I am originally from the Pittsburgh area, I had wanted to go to the zoo because I knew that they had river otters there, and otters are my favorite animal. After walking around the zoo for about an hour and watching the otters play, he took me to the Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration at Mercyhurst College. We toured the campus hand in hand, enjoying the activities and each other's company along with the excellent funnel cakes and homemade lemonade. As the night began to creep up on us, we went back to his car to get some blankets. We then found a secluded area on the grounds where we could relax and wait for the fireworks display and anticipate the grand finale. When I sat down on the blanket and he wrapped his arms around me to keep me warm, I never felt more safe and more loved. As the fireworks began, Dave began squirming around, reaching into his pocket. He then asked me if I wanted any Blistex for my lips. I was in the process of turning toward him to say, "I'll just get some from your lips," when I looked to see the most beautiful diamond ring in his hand. He looked into my eyes and said, "Amy, you bring sparks into my life. I love you with my whole heart and soul. I would be honored if you would one day become my wife. Will you marry me?" My eyes instantly filled with tears, and I said yes with no hesitation. He then slipped the ring onto my finger and kissed my left hand. The diamond sparkled very brightly as it reflected the I colorful fireworks shooting I into the sky above. ' I cannot even begin to describe the feeling of love and excitement that was racing through me at that moment. Dave later told me he wanted to propose to me at the Mercyhurst celebration because he thought the big event would help make the occasion more memorable, and we would recall that day every holiday thereafter. He had carried the ring loose in his pocket the whole night, without the case, so it would be less noticeable, he said. He kept one hand in the pocket most of the time, checking to make sure it was there. He thought I might have noticed and asked me about it afterward, but I never suspected a thing. We plan to be married Oct. 23 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. For Amy and David, the fireworks at Mercyhurst's Fourth of July celebration reached as high as the Empire State Building, and their reflection in a diamond was more beautiful than the view from the top of any skyscraper — thoughts for future lovers to keep in mind. • Amy Kay Douglas, 21, is a management trainee at Teletron Marketing Group Inc. in Erie, and David Ruland, 23, plans to begin college in January as a criminal justice major. ©Times Publishing Co., Erie, Pa. 10 M R H U R M I \ M LANAHAN BY MARY DALY & BILL MELVILLE ow. . . Jim Lanahan was a 26 yearold eligible bachelor when he arrived on the Mercyhurst scene in 1970 to follow in the footsteps of Sister ' Marcia McDonald as director of admissions. Sister Marcia had taken a shine to the young Bonaventure counselor when she and Mary Ann Caruso '63 were on the road recruiting for Mercyhurst as a women's college. He was a free spirit with a sense of humor (or full stock of blarney) who won friends easily. He loved a good party and had the gift for embellishing any story. He also was adventurous enough to come to Mercyhurst to recruit the first seven classes of men after Mercyhurst went coeducational. And so the story begins. Jim didn't have much of a product to sell men in 1970 other than the college's undisputed academic reputation. There wasn't a male dorm, or a "real" student union, or a campus center, or an ice rink; there were no men's sports, no artificial turf field, and no one had even heard of soccer. But there was Old Main, the enchanting gates and a promise of great things to come. Jim was undaunted in his task and wasn't afraid to push the envelope or to make promises that the college then had to hurry and keep. But without him to see it all as a "challenge of a lifetime" combined with a bit of folly and great story material to spin some day, Mercyhurst could have been one of the sister colleges that never quite made the transition to coeducation, and certainly not to the extent of success Mercyhurst has long enjoyed. Jim made a difference during those transition years at Mercyhurst, along with his Irish Mafia buddies who reigned at the college: Garvey, Bryan, Kennedy and Monahan. Rarely did you see one without the other not far behind. You never quite knew what they had up their sleeves. It could be a great idea or a practical joke. But as the years wore on, the Irish rogues did quite well for themselves: two become presidents of colleges, two became college vice presidents, and Lanahan became a dean and director of operations. Jim left Mercyhurst in 1977 and returned in 1990 to face another almostas-daunting challenge as his first job at Mercyhurst. This time he was tapped to open the branch campus of MercyhurstNorth East. It wasn't a job for just anyone reading the classifieds in the Chronicle of Higher Education. It was going to take the likes of a Lanahan to make it work — one who would rush in where another man or woman might cautiously pause to consider. But now he was settled comfortably just outside of Philadelphia, married to an admissions counselor, Jule, who won him over during their recruiting years, and they were the parents of three teenagers, none of whom wanted to leave their friends in the upper-class suburb of Cherry Hill, N.J. "All he could do was say no," recalled Dr. William Garvey, Mercyhurst president, when he talks about calling Jim in the summer of 1990 to invite him to Erie to see the new promised land. The buildings at the just-purchased 84-acre MercyhurstNorth East had been vacant for five years and were in tremendous need of restoration, but Garvey could see the possibilities and Lanahan could see the challenge. "Mercyhurst-North East reminds me of Mercyhurst in the 70s, which was a revolutionary time for the college. The same atmosphere is present today at North East," Lanahan said. "We take it for granted, but those were the great days. And they were ones that would have never happened had the college not responded boldly to change to keep pace with the times " Jim Lanahan's name has been connected with Mercyhurst history for nearly three decades. But no longer is he the lone Lanahan in the college directories. Now there are four of them. Kristin is beginning her sophomore year as an elementary education major. David is a senior marketing major with a minor in hotel-restaurant management, and Brian graduated with a sports management degree in May. While the senior Lanahan feels his children have accomplished much on their own, his children feel the Mercyhurst experience has been enhanced by their father's role. "It has meant a lot to come here because my dad has been part of this place for so long. He helped lay the foundation for men to get into Mercyhurst," Brian said proudly. For Kristin, attending Mercyhurst was made more comfortable by her father's position at the school. "He's dedicated to Mercyhurst and is a prime example of what it means to be a Mercyhurst person," she said. But it is David who best summed up the feelings he and his two siblings had about attending Mercyhurst. "It was a difficult decision, but the place kind of draws you in. There was a support system already here for us. We grew up knowing all the Mercyhurst people and many of them as friends." While several families have histories tightly intertwined with Mercyhurst, few have been present for historic points in the development of the college. For the Lanahan family, some points in Mercyhurst history are nearly indistinguishable from their own. It's been a good journey for all of them, but especially for Jim. Now beginning his 10th year at Mercyhurst-North East, he continues his work at the burgeoning branch campus with the same kind of zest, energy and love for the institution that made him an icon in Mercyhurst history. His twinkling eyes and quick wit, his dimpled smile and easy laugh remain the signature charm endearing him to so many for so long. • Mary Daly '66 is vice president of communications at Mercyhurst and Bill Melville '99 was a classmate of Lanahan's three terrific kids — his proudest legacy. 1 9 9 9 11 OF HE MARY D GELO Star Venue Sparkles BY YVONNE MAHER It has been affectionately dubbed the miniature "Met" of Erie, referring to the superb acoustics, unique interior design, and the caliber of musicians who have taken center stage over the past couple of years in this 825-seat performing arts venue. The Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center on the Mercyhurst campus is starting its fourth season of providing a broad variety of quality entertainers to the college and Erie communities. Always a visual breath-taker, the Center sparkles just a little more brightly. With the addition of six commissioned chandeliers, which hang above the stately boxes on the north and south walls, the Center now has become even more reminiscent of the "Grand Poobah" of performing arts centers. The chandeliers have added a truly cosmopolitan flavor to the Mary } D'Angelo Center. These chandeliers are replicas of the 12 mobile starbursts designed in 1966, for the Metropolitan Opera House and it was the sons of the original designers, LobmeyrZahn of Vienna, who created the chandeliers for "^^^i this young performing arts center of Erie. ' ^ They look like large pieces of kryptonite adding a "celestial" ceiling to the elegant boxes of the center. The central element is built of a heavy ball made of hollow cast brass. From this ball, polished brass sticks protrude with two kinds of crystal elements which carry small balls with clear beads on each spoke, like small starbursts. Larger crystals are mounted to the stems. The cost for these gems was about $50,000, donated by Dr. and Mrs. George D'Angelo, benefactors of the college and the arts in Erie and whose names are carried on the college's D'Angelo ^^ School of Music and Mary D' Angelo Performing Arts Center. Great expectations produce great results, and the success story of the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center continues to evolve on the hill. But who would have believed that Mercyhurst would one day consistently host the same caliber of artists in its Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center as its mentor "The Met" or ever expect that scaled chandeliers duplicating those of the Met would be part of this star venue. Perhaps only our beloved Mother Borgia, who would instruct the early sisters that when it came to Mercyhurst, they should think big, settle for only the best and always dare to dream. Yvonne Maher y93 was the first publicist of the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center. She is now director of public relations at Berkshire Community College (Mass.) Photo by Rich Forsgren '84. A, Q&lmtf (f the Qfbeascm. 9 » {see inside back cover for fall/winter season) Eddie Palmieri Salsa and Latin Jazz October 16 Natalie MacMaster Canadian Celtic Country Fiddler October 22 River City Brass Band America's premier professional band October 24 Erie Ballet Theater Spectacular 25 years of dance at Mercyhurst November 6 & 7 Lester Lynch, baritone Winner, '99 D'Angelo Young Artists Competition November 14 Handel's Messiah D'Angelo Concert Choir with Chamber Orchestra December 12 Vienna in Erie III Strauss Family Music January I Chamber Orchestra Kremlin One of Russia's leading ensembles January 16 Philadanco Innovative works by American choreographers and dancers January 22 Irish Extravaganza IV John McDermott, Irish tenor March 4 Sleeping Beauty Opera April 1 & 2 D'Angelo Young Artists Competition In strings April 15 D'Angelo Symphony Orchestra Annual Concert May 14 n tlie IIG Screen... Gods and Monsters The General The Dreamlife of Angels Central Station Comedian Harmonists Down by Law Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Dec. 1 Dec. 8 For more information, call the box office (814) 824*3000 12 M H U R M G I N PERFORMING ART ENTE GeoExchange ... the Only Sound You Hear is Music BY DANIELLE MURPHY HERMANN A performance of "Chopin Waltz in B Rat Major" by assistant professor of music Lorraine Min on the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center's Steinway grand piano is a fitting opener to a showcase of the center's pristine acoustics and sophisticated beauty. Her December performance, however, was recently used to provide the perfect prelude to a video highlighting Mercyhurst's use of geothermal heating and cooling. "Mercyhurst has a really interesting story to tell," explained Sara Quinn, communications director for the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of GeoExchange heating and cooling systems. "Mercyhurst's performing arts center is one of the first in the world to use geothermal heating and cooling " Mercyhurst was one of five U.S. schools featured in a recent video teleconference on energy efficiency in schools that was broadcast via satellite from Washington, D.C., to over 500 sites in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The teleconference, the ninth in an annual series that promotes GeoExchange heating and cooling, was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, GHPC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Electric Power Research Institute and the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. The college has used GeoExchange since the opening of its $3.7 million Mary D'Angelo Center in 1996, and a year later, it retrofitted Hammermill Library with a geothermal system while renovating the then 44-year-old building. A geothermal heating and cooling system consists of a series of underground wells that tap constant underground temperatures of about 52 degrees Fahrenheit to transfer heat into structures in the winter and remove or "pump" heat out in the summer. Mercyhurst's part of the teleconference was an approximately four-minute video package that included Min's performance, the D'Angelo Center, exterior shots of the campus, Hammermill Library and its Walker Reading Room. Interviewed for the package were Thomas Billingsley, exec- utive vice president of administration; Dr. Roy Strausbaugh, serving as dean of libraries; and Michael Fuhrman W 9 1 , director of the D'Angelo Center. Each praised Mercyhurst's decision to use the geothermal systems as cutting edge technology. "We looked at two high schools in Canada, a facility in New Jersey and a store in Meadville, all of which used GeoExchange," Billingsley recalled. 'There were some concerns about it being such new technology and not meeting the sound requirements of the performing arts center, but those concerns were unfounded. In fact, the geothermal units have surpassed our expectations." The geothermal system, which turns on and off without the familiar clanking and humming of traditional heating and cooling units, make it especial- ly attractive to the patrons and world-class performers of the D'Angelo Center. 'The system is extremely quiet. The acoustics in the theater (remain) pristine," Fuhrman said. Geothermal heating and cooling is also well known for its cost-savings benefits, said Quinn, noting that schools typically save from 30 to 60 percent in heating and cooling bills by using GeoExchange. "We're hoping to use Mercyhurst's experience with GeoExchange as a case study for other colleges and universities to show that they, too, can benefit from the cost-saving practices Mercyhurst has used," Quinn said. "Bard College in New York is currently looking at Mercyhurst's success in the performing arts center as it considers using GeoExchange in its new performing arts building." Billingsley said the college would consider using GeoExchange in future construction, including the proposed academic building on Briggs Avenue. "I think the most impressive result of geothermal that we did not realize going in was the comfort level it provides " Billingsley said in the teleconference video. "It's been safe, quiet and low maintenance. It's almost imperceptible when it's heating or cooling. It just seems to be natural air. This is particularly noticeable in our performing arts center where the only sound you hear is music." 5" 3 £ 1 9 9 9 13 We will strive for the ideals and sacred things of the city. both alone and with many; r We will unceasingly seek to quicken the sense of public duty; f We will revere and obey the city s laws; We will transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better, and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us. yy a From the Oath of the Athenian City-State BY DANIELLE MURPHY HERMANN "The last three lines say it all," remarks Dr. William P. Garvey, who chose the quote from the Athenian leader Pericles to describe the Mercyhurst Civic Institute, a remarkable and promising partnership of higher education, citizens and private and public organizations who strive to create a better community. "The whole purpose of the Civic Institute is to make Erie County greater, better and more beautiful, or another Athens." While Pericles's ideal of civic responsibility played an inspirational role in designing the mission of the Civic Institute, the institute's actual roots can be traced to more recent developments. Notably, the success of Mercyhurst's Institute for Child and Family Policy, which has spotlighted some of Erie's most troubled urban areas and garnered unfaltering financial support from the community. Adding to the momentum was the college's desire to help propel Erie into the 21 st century. "The college was looking for a role to play in the growth and development of the community that was consistent with the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, which was always to take care of and enlighten 14 M E R H U K the community," Garvey said. "But it was also in response to Penn State-Behrend, our neighbor to the east, who had launched Knowledge Park to address the economic needs of the community and provide a resource for local industry. What could Mercyhurst do to strengthen civic life while Behrend was concentrating on Erie's economic needs?" Another factor spurring the Civic Institute, said Garvey, was the increasing interest in urban initiatives and the role colleges and universities play within the communities in which they reside. Dr. Theodore Hershberg, who spoke on regionalism at Mercyhurst for the 1998 V vft Fai" PresQu* /st SUte Par* Pen in suI Louis J. Tullio Memorial Lecture Series, stressed at that lecture the vital importance of improving town-gown partnerships. "When Hershberg analyzed the vitality of a community, he was not just talking about children and family, he was talking about health, education, family, safety and social concerns — a much broader perspective of human needs," Garvey said. "That's when the idea began to expand from the Institute for Child and Family Policy to the Civic Institute." Garvey, with Dr. Thomas Gamble, who was then director of the Institute for * Child and Family Policy, began planning the Civic Institute basing the blueprint somewhat on the center's structure and on similar organizations across the country. Cleveland, St. Louis and Charlotte, N.C., are among several metropolitan areas with college-based "civic institutes" committed to community revitalization. Neither Garvey nor Gamble expected as grand a Civic Institute as what followed, but neither would now advocate narrowing its scope. The Civic Institute that emerged is comprised of four centers: the Center for Child and Family Policy, which Gamble . M A G A Z I N E continues to direct in addition to his duties as director of the institute; the Center for Justice Research and Policy with Dr. Peter Benekos as director; the Educational Leadership Forum under the > direction of Dr. Philip Belfiore; and the Center for a Healthy Community, headed by Dr. Mark Levine. "All of those areas that make up human or civic development are a part of the institute" Gamble said. "We can't just focus on children because you have to look at their parents, at education, at health, at safety and justice." The Civic Institute, as described by its founder, is a perfect fit for Mercyhurst. The institute's centers conduct research, present their findings and serve as a resource for objective, quality information — all roles that a college can perform well, as evidenced by the success of the Center for Child and Family Policy. The information gathered by the centers will be maintained in a community database, funded by a $15,000 grant from the GTE Foundation. The database will be accessible through the institute's Web site which is expected to be up by late 1999. Providing quality information is an important tenet of the institute because, as Garvey points out, a decision is only as good as the information on which it is based. "While the Civic Institute is primarily a research institute, it can also prescribe paths to follow," Garvey explains. "The institute also intends to provide a community forum to discuss issues and solutions." Main principles driving the institute, according to the mission statement drafted by Gamble, are: 1. Facilitate citizen participation in decision making, 2. Provide quality, objective information to decision makers, 3. Convene community forums to encourage public discussion of issues and 4. Foster human networks that enhance communication, link "If we expect our graduates to act on the tenet that service is an integral part of citizenshipy then we, as an institution, should be willing to take our resources off the hill and put them at the disposal of the city and the region" — Dr. William Garvey Mercyhurst's undergraduate students will also have research opportunities through the institute. The institute as a whole shares a common administrative core headed by Gamble. Center for Justice Research and Policy ...to improve the safety of the community The goal of the Center for Justice Research and Policy is to ultimately create a safer community by making the criminal justice system more effective, explains Benekos, who also heads the college's criminal justice program. By gathering timely and useful information and making available its resources, the center in essence will help the criminal justice system do its job better. One job recently undertaken by the center is a feasibility study of a proposed Erie County drug court. The study is one of the first steps toward establishing the court, which would consist of one judge hearing solely the cases of nonviolent drug offenders. Punishment for those convicted in drug court would combine treatment and jail. resources, strengthen community participation and build social capital. The final principle, fostering human networks, is among the primary goals of the institute, according to Gamble. "You need a vibrant citizenry — people who care about their neighbors, who care about their community, and who feel connected and vested. They have a stake in what's going on," he explains. "If you have that — good education, strong families, safety and good health — the community will thrive." To realize the vision of a connected community, Gamble said the institute will target those areas, both urban and rural, that are most deprived of support networks and most impacted by poverty, crime and broken families. "Erie can't succeed unless its most deprived areas become healthier, so we have to look at all those factors that comprise a healthy community," he said. "The center seeks to act as the 'research and development' arm of the local criminal justice system. yy — Dr. Peter Benekos "We've been evaluating the number of cases before Erie County judges that would be eligible for drug court, and we'll soon report our findings," Benekos said. "Once the court is open, the center will continue to evaluate its effectiveness." The center will also be involved in evaluating the effectiveness of intermediate punishment, where convicted criminals Centers of the Civic Institute Each center is headed by a director and staffed with a graduate assistant to help with collecting data, preparing reports and fielding requests for information. 19 9 9 15 are returned to the community with restrictions such as electronic monitoring. In addition, the center is studying the effectiveness of the county's current work-release program as county officials debate the need for a new facility. "By assessing the outcome of programs and strategies already in place in the county, the center seeks to act as the 'research and development' arm of the local criminal justice system," Benekos said. Arthur Amann, who most recently served as director of corrections/warden for the Erie County Department of Corrections, will join the center as director of community justice planning in November. He will be responsible for planning, research and evaluation of criminal justice programs throughout Erie County. Other plans for the center include coordinating the efforts of criminal justice agencies and departments, disseminating information on criminal justice among local legislators and policy makers, and hosting community forums. The center will also provide information on crime, program effectiveness, funding resources and workshops. The GE Fund's involvement primarily consisted of paying for consultants from Civic Strategies in Boston, Mass., to provide leadership training in Erie. During that first year, Civic Strategies created a focus group to assess what the community expected from Erie's public schools. Garvey was a part of the focus group and as the project developed, he offered to house what has since become the Educational Leadership Forum at Mercyhurst. Orchard B The Educational Leadership Forum is a unique collaboration of business, higher education and public schools. Dr. Philip Belfiore, director of Mercyhurst's graduate program in special education, joined the project in early 1998. The forum is increasing its involvement and in spring 2000, is expected to assume Civic Strategies' leadership role. The leadership project, dubbed Schools Organizing to Achieve Results, or SOAR, by the Erie School District, involves developing goals for the district's 21 elementary, middle and high schools and indicators to determine whether those goals have been reached, Belfiore said. The goals are divided into three areas: academics, such as improving reading and math scores; improving participation among students, teachers and parents; and increasing teachers' professional development. The forum will play a key role in the final goal by providing in-service workshops to keep teachers up to date on the latest teaching methods. "We spent last year planning what we're going to do and this year we'll plan how we'll get there," Belfiore said. As the academy and district develop a benchmark to gauge the success of Erie's M A G A Z I N schools, they are also creating a template that can be applied to other districts in the county and eventually the nation, he added. Center for a Healthy Community ...to improve the health of Erie's citizenry Dr. Mark Levine, director of Hamot Medical Center's family practice residency program for the past nine years, joined the Civic Institute to lead the Center for a Healthy Community. He will split his time roughly in half between the institute and guiding Hamot's young residents. "I've always had a significant interest in community health, and I consider a part of family practice to be improving community health," said Levine. As its title suggests, the Center for a Healthy Community's mission is to improve the overall health of Erie County residents. The center is not a health-care provider and will not open neighborhood clinics, but will partner with various organizations and agencies and private individuals to become a resource and facilitator of community health improvement. "My initial efforts are going to be to define a community health improvement process," Levine said, adding that to do that he will form a committee comprised of representatives from social service agencies, business, health care and private Educational Leadership Forum ...to improve public education The Educational Leadership Forum is a unique collaboration of business, higher education and public schools. The Erie School District and General Electric Co., through the GE Fund, formed the initial partnership in 1997 to develop a national model of leadership training for school principals and administrators. Avonia 16 Franklin Corners H U R "Much of community health improvement can be traced to individuals improving their own well-being." > — DK Mark Levine citizens. That group will look at the information available on the health of Erie County's residents and determine what issues need the most attention. Those issues will be translated into goals for improving the community's health. "The idea here is to take the information we have about the community's health, find it if we don't have it, feed it to community-based agencies and stimulate action around that information," Levine said. "We're trying to focus our resources on the concerns that are really important based on existing evidence, then find the right people or agencies to address the problem." Health issues that may be addressed by the center will range from the physical, such as deaths among minority women with breast cancer; and the social, such as teen pregnancy rates; to mental and spiritual health, possibly including bereavement after-care. Information and resources available in these areas will be open to the public and health-care professionals through a developing Web site, conferences and reports. "There are two levels here. Not only what kind of health-care policies we need, but also what information citizens in the community need to improve their own health," Levine said. "Much of community health improvement can be traced to individuals improving their own well-being." The center is currently involved in the institute's neighborhood improvement efforts. Also, the center is working with the Erie County Network for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention to develop educational programming. Center for Child and Family Policy ...to improve the wellbeing of children Formed in 1995 as the Institute for Child and Family Policy, the center is the most recognizable unit of the Civic Institute. The center's 1998 report, "Directions: Understanding the Well-Being of Children & Families in Erie County," prompted a series of stories in Erie's newspapers on poverty among rural residents, minorities and children. It also led to a number of grants such as a $250,000 grant from the Erie Community Foundation for a neighborhood revitalization project targeting one of Erie's troubled urban areas. "The center's primary mission is to improve the well-being of Erie County's children and families by providing information and support resources to public, private and grass-roots community leaders," Gamble said. He added that the center has confined its scope to three areas: early childhood development, juvenile delinquency and justice, and child welfare issues. Among its current projects, the center will be assessing school readiness among Erie's pre-school children and is tackling a report on child welfare in Erie County. Areas in the study include child abuse and the need for children to have a permanent home. The center is continuing its reports on juvenile delinquency. The center also hopes to emerge as a resource and support entity for Erie County families, providing information on what children need to be prepared for school, how parents can foster their children's social and cognitive development and how to respond to a child's diagnosis of attention deficit or a hyperactivity disorder such as Tourette's Syndrome. • "The center's primary mission is to improve the well-being of Erie County's children and families. ..." — DK Thomas Gamble Dr. Thomas Gamble Director of the Civic Institute and Center for Child and Family Policy Dr. Peter Benekos Director of the Center for Justice Research and Policy Dr. Philip Belfiore Director of the Educational Leadership Forum Dr. Mark Levine Director of the Center for a Healthy Community 1 9 9 9 17 "As the century draws to a close, it becomes evident that we should assess our strengths to determine how Mercyhurst can best meet the needs of the region" Dr. William Garvey "We want to be an informational support resource for parents and families," Gamble said. "We can do that by providing quality information in a variety of publications, conferences, seminars and other resources for the community and private citizens." TAKING THE REGIONAL APPROACH BY DON MCQUAID The Future "I see the institute evolving into a regional asset. It's going to begin with the city of Erie and Erie County so initially its geographic focus will be narrow," Garvey said. "But I believe that over time it will become a regional asset for northwest Pennsylvania. That's how it should evolve." While he expects the institute to expand its focus, Garvey hopes it will remain on the hill, becoming the Northwest Pennsylvania Civic Institute at Mercyhurst College. The institute, whatever its geographic focus, he notes, is obviously not a panacea for all the concerns of Erie County's citizens. It is, however, a step toward a successful Erie. It was the French writer Victor Hugo who said, "More powerful than all the armies is an idea whose time has come" While not yet as tangible to the average person as the precepts of environmentalism or the proliferation of high technology, regionalism is clearly one of the most powerful forces at work at the dawn of the 21st century. Mill Village « "There are no magic bullets when it comes to the complex challenges that face every region of the country — especially older ones like ours " Garvey said. "But if we expect our graduates to act on the tenet that service is an integral part of citizenship, then we, as an institution, should be willing to take our resources off the hill and put them at the disposal of the city and the region." • Danielle Murphy Hermann is director of media relations at Mercyhurst. 18 M R H U R But what, exactly, is regionalism? Economists, sociologists and historians alike agree that the defining phenomenon of the last quarter of the 20th century was the emergence of a global economy. Strategic thinkers are now asking how best to adapt to this new world marketplace that is driven by free trade, international capital markets and extraordinary changes in communication and information technology. "America cannot behave in the 2000s as it did in the 1960s, adopting policies that led to throw-away cities, throw-away suburbs and throw-away people," says Dr. Theodore Hershberg, professor of history and public policy at the University of Pennsylvania. "The future of our nation's cities is tied to the health of their regions, and the success of regions in the global economy depends on the health of their central cities." In other words, regionalism is a response at the "local" level to the mega-phenomenon of globalization. In a talk titled, 'The Case for Regional Cooperation," given in February 1998 as part of the Louis J. Tullio Memorial Lecture series at Mercyhurst, Hershberg focused on strategies and incentives for global competitiveness and urban reform needed to build cohesive and competitive regions. That theme was echoed by Neal Peirce, who gave the fifth Tullio Memorial Lecture in February 1999. As he has done in other communities across the country, Peirce, the author of 10 books including "Citistates"^* spent several weeks in Erie observing the city and its environs and meeting with community leaders and citizens' groups. The results of the study, funded by Erie's Regional Government Opportunities Task Force, were published in Erie's newspapers and may be viewed on the Internet at <GoErie.com>. The report was comprehensive, dealing with such topics as the work force, government, shared services, transportation, revenue sharing and land use, all of which must be re-examined from a regional perspective. The commodity at the top of Peirce's list, however, was knowledge. "Knowledge is the new world currency," he said. "Regions that encompass a hothouse of people and talents, clustered businesses, universities, telecom- * munications, research laboratories, all yielding higher innovation and productivity, seem to represent the alchemy of the new age." As both repositories and incubators of knowledge, institutions of higher learning can play a key role in the transformation of the areas in which they are located into healthy, competitive players in the national and global arenas. "As Neal Peirce has observed, colleges cannot remain islands of green in a sea of urban decay " echoed Mercyhurst president Dr. William P. Garvey. 'Too many colleges and universities relate more to the state or national level. As the century draws to a close, it becomes evident that we should assess our strengths to determine how Mercyhurst can best meet the needs of the region." • M A G A Z I N WOMEN'S HOCKEY ' ' 3 BY CRAIG RYBCZYNSKI When Tracy Logan was 9 years old she made an easy decision, trading her figure skates for hockey skates. Nine years later, Logan was faced with another decision about her future on the ice. That process proved just as easy for the 18-year-old, as Logan decided to become one of the first women to play hockey at Mercyhurst College. "1 was given the opportunity to be part of a new program," she said. "It's pretty exciting." *19 F A L L 19 9 9 It is a great opportunity to start something and watch it grow," Coach. Michael Sisti t wasn't long after the U.S. women's 4-1 win over Team Canada in the championship game at the Nagano Olympics, that the Mercyhurst board of trustees voted to add women's hockey as the college's 22nd sport. The new team takes to the ice for the first time this fall in the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Women's hockey has become the fastest growing collegiate sport. Mercyhurst becomes the 40th college/university with women's hockey and the 11th added since the United States women won the gold medal at the 1998 Olympics. Not even Tricia Dunn, who played for the '98 U.S. women's team, could have envisioned the explosion of the sport following the gold medal game. "It was overwhelming emotionally," she said, remembering the moments following the American victory. "I was very surprised by the reaction. When we arrived at Logan Airport there was a huge celebration. "It gives young girls something to look forward to," said Dunn. "They can say: T want to be Cammi Granato or Sarah Tueting.' A lot of young players are getting involved and staying involved." The enthusiasm and excitement for the sport not only spread throughout the country, it also spread throughout the Mercyhurst campus. The college made headlines when Michael Sisti was named women's head coach last spring. Sisti had served as the men's associate head coach for four seasons and as the assistant during his first two seasons with the Lakers. He played college hockey for the Canisius College Ice Griffs, where he was team captain for two years and is still ranked third on the all-time scoring list. He graduated from the Buffalo college with a degree in marketing in 1990. From there, he served as an assistant coach for the Ice Griffs before joining the Lakers in 1993. "We are obviously very happy to have a person with such impressive credentials as Mike's," said Pete Russo, director of athletics. "He knows Mercyhurst, he knows the game, he's proven to be an excellent recruiter and has done an outstanding job overseeing our ice center. I have every reason to believe he'll do an excellent job in starting our women's program." Sisti was faced with recruiting players and assembling a competitive Division I schedule in only six months. "Since Mercyhurst announced the start of women's hockey, there has been tremendous interest in the program, not only here at Mercyhurst but also regionally and across the country," he explained. "We were able to attract 18 players in three months." Ten recruits are from Canada, including two from British Columbia; five from New York state, two from Michigan, and one from Erie — Mercyhurst Prep graduate Bridget Lane who played youth hockey with the Buffalo Bison. "Although the squad will not boast pure Division I talent from top to bottom, it will consist of a strong, hard-working group of student-athletes who should make our first team very competitive," Sisti added. I $ I As the men's team prepares for its first season in the Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Hockey League, the women will play a 30-game independent schedule this season as a Division I team. The 1999-2000 schedule includes the likes of the University of Vermont, Hamilton College, St. Lawrence University, Penn State, Niagara University, Holy Cross, Sacred Heart University, Manhattanville College, which is also boasting its first-year women's team; Union College, Wisconsin-Superior, Williams College, Wayne State University and the University of New Hampshire. In 1998 New Hampshire won the national championship and advanced to the finals in 1999. The University of Findlay has also been added to the schedule for '99-'00, a team that Mercyhurst has played on the men's side since 1996. "Every time they play it is a battle," said University of Findlay first-year women's head coach Adam Brinker. "There is the proximity and it is a GLIAC school. There is a natural rivalry." The new Mercyhurst program plans to apply for admission into the Eastern College Athletic Conference the following season. The league includes such teams as Princeton, Harvard, Brown, Providence, Dartmouth, Cornell, Yale, Maine, Boston College and Niagara University. Sisti plans to establish Mercyhurst as a premier women's hockey college. "It is a great opportunity to start something and watch it grow, " he explained. His players also see it as a great opportunity. In fact, two players from Ontario cannot wait to play their first games as Mercyhurst Lakers. "I am dying to be on the ice," said forward C.J. Ireland from Capreol, Ontario. The scoring leader for the London Devilettes, Ireland has been skating since she was 4 years old and playing college hockey allows her to do something she truly enjoys. "I play hockey for . one reason, because I absolutely love the game," she said. "Since my very first day on the ice until now, that has not changed." Ireland's former teammate, Tracy Logan, has similar feelings about the first season she plays for Mercyhurst. "I think I'll be a little nervous/' said Logan. "But it will be a lot of fun. One way or another our team will be a first." • Craig Rybczynski '95 is the former assistant sports information director at Mercyhurst. He is the new media relations coordinator for the Rochester Americans and Rochester Nighthawks. 20 M R H U R S M N LAKER \ \ FOOTBALL'S § 3 r m It is often said that the second year of an infant's life is the most stressful one for parents. The magic and innocence of newborn life suddenly turns into the "Terrible Twos," where oft-relentless mischief can easily turn a parent's hair gray. Such is not the case for the still-developing Mercyhurst Laker football program. In only their second year of life as an NCAA Division II scholarship team, the Lakers have shifted the eyes and ears of the college football world toward Louis J. Tullio Field. After recent upset wins at home against perennial Division II football powerhouses. the '99 Lakers are turning the Terrible Twos into the Tremendous Twos. And that couldn't make the college any prouder parents. Mercyhurst welcomed the Edinboro University Fighting Scots to Tullio Field for an independent matchup Sept. 20 before 3,500 sun-drenched fans, a record crowd for the sparkling four-year-old facility. The Scots spewed out plenty of talk in the days leading up to the game, mostly relating to the sure embarrassment the Lakers would feel after getting whitewashed in front of their home crowd. After all, it was Edinboro that outscored Mercyhurst 112-21 in their first two meetings during the Tony DeMeo era of 1982-83. Leave it to the resilient Lakers, however, to hit the ground running. Feeling the inspiration from an emotional pre-game pep talk by head coach Joe Kimball (Syracuse '75), the Hurst used the home crowd to its advantage, overcame a 14-0 first-quarter deficit and rallied to a commanding 34-20 victory over the Scots. That's right, a 14-point win over the same school Mercyhurst voluntarily stopped playing in the 80s because of its inability to compete. If the Lakers could hang with one traditional football power, why not two —just a week later? Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival University of Indianapolis Greyhounds bussed their way into Tullio Field and 3,100 Homecoming fans Sept. 25. Last year, Mercyhurst was trounced by the Hounds on the road by a 31-6 count. With most of their lettermen returning, it looked like the Lakers wouldn't be serving any more of their patented 'Hurst Upset Special. But on a beautiful sunny day that must've been special-ordered by the nearby Motherhouse, the Lakers came out fighting. Senior quarterback Matt Kissell threw for three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth as Mercyhurst clawed at the Greyhounds all afternoon, prevailing 27-20. It was an unprecedented victory for Kimball's troops; not only had the Lakers avenged last year's 25-point loss, but it marked the first win over a D-II nationally-ranked opponent in the team's 19-year history. Even more impressive is that Mercyhurst only turned D-II scholarship a year ago. Until Kimball has time to recruit more players at this level, the Lakers continue to play with only a handful of scholarship players, as they've done the past two seasons. Still more convincing, Mercyhurst's star players came to the hill before Laker football turned scholarship, making them true student-athletes attracted by the total Mercyhurst, not just the football program. Perhaps the most moving aspect of the '99 Lakers is not the two recent upset wins, but the way in which they were won. Mercyhurst may not have other teams' size and strength, but the Lakers possess incredible guts, play intelligent football and seem to feed off the energy of the never-tiring Kimball. Junior wide receiver Ed Bailey summed it up best after the Indianapolis victory: "They came at us hard, they hit us hard, but we just have it in here," he said, pointing to his heart. Wherever the Lakers have it, it's working like a charm. • Scott Koskoski '00 is the sports editor for The Merciad and radio voice of the Lakers. 1 9 9 9 21 Alumni Class Notes Judy Young Crews '64, Tallahassee, Fla., retired from teaching secondary art after 33 years in June 1997. She is currently a permanent substitute teacher at Leon High School. Virginia Gorsak DeGironimo '65, Whitesboro, N.Y., has retired from her teaching career. Susan Marker Sharp '65, is an educational consultant in Midlothian, Texas. Sr. Christine Vladimiroff, OSB '65, Erie, was presented the third annual Archbishop Oscar Romero Award by Mercyhurst College. Karen Green Antalek '66, McKean, Pa., opened a bakery in the family business, Frank's Farm Market in Erie. Christine Czapleski '66, a mathematics teacher at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, has been named both the Richard King Mellon Chair in Mathematics and a Tandy Technical Scholar. Marikae Sorvelli Moraski '67, Bellevue, Wash., now works in the development office for the Catholic Schools Department of the Archdiocese of Seattle. Mary Ann Coppola Chernowski '68 is now director of life-long learning at Trocaire College in Buffalo, N.Y. Mary Cornelia '40, Beachwood, Ohio, has retired from teaching foreign languages in Euclid, Ohio. Dr. Marjorie Williams Laughlin '55, Simi Valley, Calif., was recently recertified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. She was also granted the status of life fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and is "still practicing ER medicine full time at age 65." Anne Pierotti '55, Greenville, Pa., has retired from teaching physics at Greenville Area High School. Joan Clancy Clinginsmith '56, Woodstock, 111., and her husband, Jim, are partners/co-owners of Jim Clinginsmith Associates. Carol Kelly Hession '56, Swoyersville, Pa., is a certified addictions counselor for Women Indeed, Inc., in Wilkes Barre, Pa. Susan McCartney Horowitz '59, Iowa City, Iowa, past Iowa City mayor, is now working as a community volunteer. in the News Barbara Kaminski Marple '81, Fairfax, Va., is a performance consultant for the Central Intelligence Agency. Beth Paletta, Esq. '82, New Kensington, Pa., is a partner with Paletta & Pagliari, LLP, in Pittsburgh. Diann Petula Buckingham '82, Scottsdale, Ariz., is principal at Villa De Paz Elementary School. Mary Finn Essig '83, Conyers, Ga., is a professor at Georgia State University. Marilyn Moore Dombrowski '84, Erie, recently completed her master of science degree in counseling psychology at Gannon University. Marshall Lillie '84, Greenville, Pa., contributed a chapter on the Campus Security Act for the newly-published "Campus Security and Crime Prevention: A Guide for College Administrators" by the American Society for Industrial Security. Carla Peebles '84, San Diego, is director of sales at Pala Mesa Resort in Fallbrook, Calif. She recently received the President's Award for her contribution to the success of the resort as leader of their sales effort. Teresa Thompson Baker '85 is vice president of human relations for Fiserv in Pittsburgh. Jean Moniewski Malthaner '85, Erie, is working for the Millcreek Township School District as a special education teacher. Grace Ann Ricci '85, Rochester, N.Y, was named 1998 New York State Recognized Youns Dietitian of the Year. She is chief dietitian at St. John's Health Care Corp. Geralynn Hardner '86, Arlington, Va., was recently featured in a "They Started Here" biographical article in Erie's Sunday TimesNews. She is human resources manager for the U.S. Bureau of Census. Cynthia Ferraro Smithtro '86, Brockway, Pa., is a layout advertising designer for Courier Express. Kathryn Heintz '73, Erie, continues to be active in the diocesan Cursillo Movement and was part of the team presenting the first Kairos weekend to women inmates in Cambridge Sprinas in April 1999. Sam Veneziano '75, Germantown, Md., is vice president of owner services for Marriott Lodging in Washington, D.C. Timothy Burrows '76, Paducah, Pa., is director of supply chain management for York International in York, Pa. Renate Ferro '76, Ithaca, N.Y, spent some time in Barcelona, Spain, in September 1998 thanks to a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. Her works can be found in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States, as well as France, Germany and Canada. Corinne Bush Wieczorek '76, Erie, has been nominated three times for Who's Who in American Teachers. She is chairman of the business department for the Erie School District. Richard A. Guzak '76 is now employed with Bank One in Westerville, Ohio. Judith Przybyszewski Sipple '76 and her husband, Doug, are now self-employed, managing Doug Sipple Antiques in Waterford, Pa. Robert Dubik '78, Syracuse, N.Y, is assistant superintendent of curriculum and instructors for Waterloo General Schools. Sharon White Vento '78, Carmel, Ind., works as a senior administrator systems for GTE Supply. Susan Rote-Cason '79, Erie, is employed as training coordinator for Carlisle Engineered Products. Melissa McMurray Northey '79, Brookville, Pa., is owner of My Mother's Treasures Antique Mall and Henry's Car Wash. Christine Bogdanski Finnegan '70, Harrisburg, Pa., is managing editor for Morehouse Publishing. Judith Cromie Swenson "64, Anaheim, Calif., has retired from teaching at the Lampson Grove Day School in Garden Grove, Calif. Margaret Kovacs, Ed.D., RNC '70, Miami, is director of cardiovascular research and disease management at the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute Baptist Health System South Florida, where she is a certified professional in healthcare quality. Gloria Leon Sertzen '71, Harleyford, Conn., is now working for Litton PRC as a business systems analyst programmer. Gary Bukowski '73, Erie, has been re-appointed to the Metro YMCA Board for a second term, and will also begin a second term on the advisory board of the Glenwood YMCA. It's news to us Classnotes will be accepted through Dec. 4 for the Alumni in the News section of "Mercyhurst Today." Publication date: January 2000. Submit news and photos to: Tammy Roche Gandolfo '76 Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie, Pa 16546 Mary Russell-Gutwill '80, Bay Village, Ohio, is working for Bayer Pharmaceutical as a diabetes sales specialist. Matthew Deibert '89, Smithville, N.J., is a full-time firefighter in Atlantic City, and also works part time for Majesco Graphics as a graphic artist. 22 M R H U R M / I N Paul Mocho '89, Cleveland, is manager of suite sales and service for the CAVS/Gund Arena Company. Brian L. Skelly '93, Erie, is an income maintenance caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Scott C. Bruce '94, North East, Pa., received his associate degree in culinary arts C.C.A.C. irTl998 and is currently a'la carte chef at the Lakeview Country Club. Gregory Clarke '89 and Shelli McGowne Clarke, Erie, a son Brett, born Jan. 9, 1999. Dr. Douglas Lichtinger '89 and Barbara Przestrzelski Lichtinger '89, Erie, a daughter, Rachel Ann, born March 10, 1999. Paul Mocho '89 and Kathy Mocho, Cleveland, a son, Peter James, born Aug. 30, 1998. Ken "Breeze" Walker '90 and Helen Walker, Erie, a son, Luke Daniel, born Oct. 2, 1998. Charles Wertz '90, Philadelphia, Pa., a daughter, Megan, born Jan. 3, 1998. Gabrielle Bogdanski Sterner '91, Eagle River, Ala., a daughter, Samantha Sarah, born July 30, 1998. Christine Bonadio Gignac '91 and Rick Gignac '91, Warren, Pa., a daughter, Peyton Grace, born Sept. 25, 1998. Sherrie Mishrell Sonnenberg '91 and Dale Sonnenberg '91, Erie, a daughter, Kalie Sue, born Aug. 6, 1998. Keith Ostrowski '91 and Kelly Ostrowski, Eaton Rapids, Mich., a son, Jacob William, born Sept. 22, 1998. Beth Casteel Harrington '93 and Thomas Harrington, Moon Township, Pa., a daughter, Ashley Lauren, born June 7, 1998. Tricia Kuyar McCormick '94 and James McCormick, Pittsburgh, a daughter, Moira Joy, bom June 22, 1998. Michael Kieklak '95 and Susan Leretsis Kieklak, Berea, Ohio, a son, Logan Michael, bom June 15, 1998. Jennifer Lowe Blalock '95 and Mark Blalock, Long Beach, Miss., a daughter, Bailev. bom Oct. 7, 1997. Andrea Colaruotolo '92 married Dennis O'Neill on April 18, 1998, in Fairport, N.Y. Michelle Sirak '92 married Rodney HritzonSept. 19, 1998, in Rockey River, Ohio. The wedding party included '92 classmates Laura Rhea and Becky Schmidt Leandro. Amy Bules '93 married Daniel Olson on Oct. 24, 1998, in Christ the King Chapel. Christina Bengtson '95 married David Sahloff on June 27, 1998, in Woodstock, N.Y. Jennifer Croushore '97 married Michael Poulson on Oct. 17, 1998, in Erie. Jennifer Doolittle '97 married Trevor Thompson on Oct. 24, 1998inWattsburg,Pa. Suzana Kukovec '97 married Ryan Krasnicki on June 20, 1998, in Aurora, Ohio. Julia Metzler LeVan '97 married Steven G. LeVan on Aug. 8, 1998, in Wooster, Ohio. Natalie Neumann '97 married Kenneth Tharp on Jan, 2, 1999, in Mentor, Ohio. Jamie Papinchak '97 married Rebecca Zawacki '98 on Nov. 1, 1998 in Bradford, Pa. Ken "Breeze" Walker '90, a state trooper in Meadville, Pa., returned to Erie with his family. Daniel Appolonio '91, Springfield, Va., is general manager of the Hampton Inn. Gabrielle Bogdanski Sterner '91, is working as a physical therapist in Eagle River, Ala.. Kelly Booth-Hoster '91, Dallas, Texas, is senior sales manager for the Hyatt Regency Dallas. Nancy DiLoreto '91, Twinsburg, Ohio, is a registered dietitian at Arbors of Fair Lawn. Christopher Niebauer '91, Rochester, N.Y., is employed by Dirigo Rowing Shells, continuing his interest and involvement in the sport of rowing. Mary Lynne Shingle Snyder '91, Erie, is a supervisor for the claims validation section of Erie Insurance Group, where she has been named an associate in underwriting, insurance services and personal insurance. Karianne Huther '92, Verona, Pa., is claims manager for CIGNA Group Insurance in Pittsburgh. Andrea Colaruotolo O'Neill '92, Fairport, N.Y., is now vice president of research and development for Casa Lorga Vineyards. Julie Gettinger Silverman '92, Flagstaff, Ariz., received her master's degree in psychology from Northern Arizona University and is certified as a professional counselor by the state of Arizona. She works as a family specialist, offering aid to families adopting special needs children. Beth Casteel Harrington '93, Moon Township, Pa., recently received her master's degree in counseling psychology from Gannon University. Ann Marie Cheavacci '93, Akron, N.Y., received her MBA from Niagara University, and is working as a reimbursement accountant for Kaleida Health. Collette Hessley '93 is back in Erie working with the therapeutic support staff at Community Integration, Inc. Lynne Ann Nalducci '93, Hollidaysburg, Pa., is an employee assistance counselor at Hytle Behavorial Health, and is working toward certification as a holistic lifestyle educator through Mr. Nittany School of Natural Health. Dennis DeLavern '94, Tacoma, Wash., teaches grades kindergarten through sixth at Elk Plain School of Choice in Spanaway, Wash. Jennifer Ziemski-Houdyshell '94, New Berlin, Wise, is manager of the Wyndham Milwaukee Center and was recently named manager of the year. Christian Tierno '94, Austin, Texas, is a sales representative for Pepsico. Brian Dloniak '95, Pittsburgh, is working for regional inside sales in the mid-atlantic region for Fore Systems in Warrendale, Pa. Kelly Higgins '95, Laurel Hill, N.C., received her Professionally Recognized Special Educator Certificate through the Council for Exceptional Children in the fall of 1998. She is working as an exceptional children's facilitator in Gibson, N.C. Joyce Kannenberg '95, Erie, works as a wrap around coordinator at Community Integration, Inc. Dr. Michael Kieklak '95, Berea, Ohio, is a chiropractor. Jennifer Lowe Blalock '95, Long Beach, Miss., is academic adviser for arts and sciences at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her husband, Mark, is a petty officer in the U.S. Navy. Deaths Alumni Catherine Egan Phelan '35 Patricia E.Scalise'38 Virginia Hileman Woods '40 Nora Jean Stephens Downey '43 Gloria Heberle Sullivan '44 Margaret Johnston Evans '44 Mary Jean Broscoe Rowe '54 J. Bruce Fenstermacher '78 Husband of Elizabeth Fitzgerald Ashton '47 (Harvey L. Ashton) Ruth Morey Griswold '48 (James Griswold) Joann Weaver Johnson '53 (George W. Johnson) Barbara Sislowski Ester '58 (Gerald R. Ester) Marilyn Smith Pluta '64 (Donald Pluta) Diane Fitzgerald Kramer '70 (Richard Kramer) Mother of Margaret Phelan O'Connell '51 (Elsie Phelan) Dr. Marjorie Williams Laughlin '55 (Margaret Williams) Jeanne Boes Morehouse '61 (Olga Boes) Donna Schleuterman Sivak '65 (Anna Schleuterman) Marlene Smith '73 (Kathryn Smith) Sheila Sullivan Coon '72 (Gloria Sullivan '44) Maureen Sullivan Maus '73 (Gloria Sullivan '44) Mary Ann Sullivan Hathaway "88 (Gloria Sullivan '44) 1 9 9 9 Births Mary Pat Fink MacMurtrie '78 and Michael MacMurtrie, Erie, a daughter, Meghan Elizabeth, born Oct. 26, 1998. Beth Pasquale Hill '84 and Larry Hill, Rockville, Md., a daughter, Sierra Emella, born Oct. 3, 1997. Cynthia Ferraro Smithtro '86 and George Smithtro, Brockway, Pa., a son, Nathan Ross, born June 18, 1998. Narda Gatgen-Smigel '87 and William Sinigel, Jamestown, N.Y., a son, Mitchel John, born July 11, 1998. Denise Berdis Wilkerson '88 and Michael Wilkerson, Winston Salem, N.C, a daughter Anna Claire, bom July 3, 1998. Sheila Bond Goldberg '88 and Daniel Goldberg, Pompano Beach, Fla., a daughter, Amanda Leigh, born Jan. 25, 1999. Weddings Mary Jane McWilliams '75 married W. Gary Brown on Oct. 9, 1998, in Frederick, Md. Joel Miller '76 married Tiffany Prescott on Aug. 15, 1998, in Erie. Christopher Hagerty '79 married Jennie Buffalari on June 26, 1998, in Christ the King Chapel. Randall Williams '86 married Robyn Braunroth '95 on Sept. 26, 1998, in Christ the King Chapel Noralynn Jenkins '91 married Tony CutulionOct. 17, 1998, in Pittsburgh. Christopher Niebauer'91 married Teresa Bamman on Oct. 17, 1998, in Christ the King Chapel. 23 Nola Weingard Lyons '80 (Thelma Weingard) Robert Dumeyer '84 (Dorcag Dumeyer) Catherine Misfeldt Dickey '58 (Margaret Misfeldt) Father of Regina O'Connor Ferguson '80 Kathleen O'Connor Holland '84 Robert Causgrove '97 (Paul M. Causgrove) Alice Flanagan, student account representative (John Karwiec) Rev. Eldon Somers, counselor/ retention services Jerry Weinheimer, MercyhurstNorth East Dean's Council member Sister and brother of Sr. Damien Mlechick, RSM '56 (Anna Mlechick Tucci and Thomas Mlechick) Grandmother of Krisztina Korossy '96 (Margit Keresztesy) Friends of the College Paul B. Anderson Jr., Laker Zambonni driver Eleanor Brinchi, wife of Fred Brinchi, former maintenance employee Anthony DeMeo, father of Laker founding football coach Tony DeMeo Jean M. Forsyth, former chairman of the physical education department and first coach of men's golf John F. Jageman Dr. Carl A. Karsh, North East physician for whom Karsh Hall at Mercyhurst-North East is named Jennifer Lynn Kerr, daughter of Larry Kerr, housekeeping manager Catherine Snyder Mucha, aunt of Dr. Mary Hembrow Snyder Sr. M. Martina Prevish, RSM, aunt of Dr. Helen Fabian Mullen '47 Thomas P. Byrne, brother of Corrine Ertl, accounts receivable and purchasing clerk John R. Hyland, father of Dr. David Hyland, assistant professor of anthropology and biology Sister Angelica Cummings, Mercyhursts "First Lady of the Arts," left some mighty big shoes to fill when she retired in 1971. She had headed the art department since the early years of the college. She was multi-talented, incredibly generous, and never lost her endearing young charm. At his retirement luncheon, her successor, Dr. Joseph Pizzat, brought a treasured picture of a young Pizzat with the unforgetable Angelica. REMEMBERING... BY DON MCQUAID He was a quiet man who was modest about his own achievements, a man deeply committed to the artist's journey. Although in some ways he was reserved, Ernie Mauthe had a tremendous sense of humor and was respected and loved by virtually all of his students. In his 30 years at Mercyhurst, Ernie became a mainstay of the art department. "He always looked at the bright side," said Ernie's long-time friend Ed Gallagher, professor of education, "and his concern for his students went well beyond the call of duty." Ernie lives on in his artwork, which has been featured in exhibits across the country and is included in private collections in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. We remember Ernie, a devoted teacher, a richly talented artist and a true and loyal friend. Ernie Mauthe Professor of art Joined Mercyhurst 1969 Died June 1,1999 In her capacity as night supervisor at McAuley Hall, then at Baldwin and for the last two years at Mercyhurst-North East — Shirley Stebell was known by most of the college's resident students of the past 17 years. "Shirl," as she was fondly called by students, greeted each of them by name. She was there for them when the pangs of homesickness struck and when they needed someone to proofread a paper or give pointers on how to conduct research. She received both her bachelor's and master's in criminal justice from Mercyhurst as an adult student, and she loved being part of the college family. Always a song in her heart and on her lips, we remember Shirl for her kindness and her trademark turtlenecks, blue eye shadow and black leather coat. Compassion for her was a way of life. Shirley Stebell 79, '83 M Night desk supervisor McAuley, Baldwin, Mercyhurst-North East Joined Mercyhurst 1980 Died July 7, 1999 Jimmy Dixon Sr. Painting supervisor Joined Mercyhurst 1981 Died Aug. 23, 1999 He may have worn a painter's hat most of the time, but Jimmy Dixon Sr. was also known as a job consultant, a teacher and a natural philosopher. His workplace expertise and congenial manner will be missed by the many people he came in contact with in the 18 years he worked at Mercyhurst — as football equipment manager, bus driver for the Laker athletic teams and as supervisor of painting for maintenance. "In everything Jim did, he stood for high-quality work," said Tom Billingsley, executive vice president of administration. "I regarded him as a philosopher and as a great member of the Mercyhurst community." Bill Kerbusch, director of the physical plant, said, "I considered Jim an adviser. If you had questions about a job, he could steer you in the right direction. Every summer he taught students how to paint, and the kids who worked for him thought a lot of him. Everyone who knew Jimmy loved him." EARNING THE GOLD W\TCH Tucked away on the bottom floor of Hammermill Library for 18 years, Sister Virginia worked quietly and diligently at cataloguing every book that came into the library. Before starting work at the library in 1974 and she taught Spanish and Latin at Mercyhurst from 1947 to 1968. "The best part of my job was the people on the library staff," she said, "and the next best thing was handling every book that came into the library." Sister may teach Spanish to sisters who attend meetings of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and may also work in the archives at the Motherhouse. When she looks down at Mercyhurst from the Motherhouse, Sister Virginia marvels at the growth of the campus. "There was only Old Main and Egan when I came here in 1938," she said. "Mother Borgia would be pleased because she was a woman of vision." Sister Virginia Bernhardt Technical librarian/cataloger Retired May 1999 46 years of service Dr. Joseph Pizzat believes that art is the fourth "R" in the basics of learning and that it involves becoming personal about what art is and trying to have people respond to this. No one who has had contact with him in the 28 years he had been an art professor at Mercyhurst would doubt that he has a special gift for blending the artist and the person in himself. Joe, who became director of the art department in 1971 when its founder, Sister Angelica Cummings, retired, also served as chairman of the creative arts division. His works, many of which have a Christian theme, have been exhibited at galleries across the country. Reflecting on his years at Mercyhurst, Joe, who will continue teaching part-time at the college, said, "It's been a remarkable journey." So it has, and we are all the richer for it. DK Joseph Pizzat Professor of art Retired May 1999 28 years of service H U R 24 M R M A Z I N Calendar of Events - October through January 2000 Venue: Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center except where noted otherwise Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Sat, Oct. 16 - 8 p.m. D'Angelo Mixed Chamber Ensemble Tues., Nov. 16 - 8:15 p.m. (Taylor Little Theatre) Natalie MacMaster Canadian Celtic Fiddler FrL, Oct. 22 - 8 p.m. Lublin Choir Polish Christmas Carols FrL, Dec. 3 - 7:30 p.m. River City Brass Band America's premier professional band Sun., Oct. 24-2:30 p.m. Handel's Messiah D'Angelo Concert Choir with Chamber Orchestra Sun., Dec. 12 - 2:30 p.m. D'Angelo Symphony Orchestra Thurs.t Nov 4 - 7:30 p.m. (Christ the King Chapel) \jk 1 III Vienna in Erie III Strauss Family Music Sat., Jan. 1 - 3 p.m. Rashomon Theatre production Thurs-Sat. Nov. 4-6 7:30 p.m. Sun., Nov 7 - 2:30 p.m. (Taylor Little Theatre) Chamber Orchestra Kremlin One of Russia's leading ensembles Sun., Jan. 16 - 2:30 p.m. Philadanco Innovative works by American choreographers and dancers Sat., Jan. 22 -8 p.m. Erie Ballet Theater Spectacular 25 years of dance at Mercyhurst Sat., Nov. 6 - 8 p.m. Sun., Nov. 7 - 2:30 p.m. Ned Roren Composer Sun., Jan. 23 - 2:30 p.m. (Taylor Little Theatre) Lester Lynch, baritone Winner, '99 D'Angelo Young Artists Competition Sun., Nov. 14 - 2:30 p.m. Celi Rain Celtic Rock Band Thurs., Jan. 27 - 8 p.m. (Taylor Little Theatre) For ticket information, call the box office (814) 824-3000 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Erie, PA Permit No. 10 501 East 38th Street Erie, PA 16546 www.mercyhurst.edu Address Service Requested a -Ci Taking the traditional walk down State Street *- L ,<• Shaping the new Mercyhurst Eh: William Garvey began his 20th year as president ofMercyhurst College thisfall The college's Third Spring, as he named it, has been the most prosperous time • in Mercyhurst history. Giant strides have been made in enrollment, physical expansion and academic reputation, (p. 2) a, i a a: g *** "JV •V .11»-^- / , *1 ^ A new tradition was born with the Class of '90, when the college moved its commencement offcampus to the historic Warner Theatre in downtown Erie. As part of the pomp and circumstance ofthe ceremony begun that year andco)Uinued each year thereafter, the city's main street is dosed off for two blocks and spectators line up to watch the colorful academic procession of ^ \Mi graduates on their way to becoming alumni ofMercyhurst College* Commencement '99 marked several firsts. The 455 Mercyhurst graduates represet ~We largest baccalaureate class in the school's history; Mercyhurst-North East, the college's branch campus held its own graduation for 64 two-year degree students: and main aimpus graduates participated in a natio)iwide movement called the Graduatio?i Pledge Alliance, wearing a small green ribbon to show their participation. Their pledge ofsocial and environmental responsibility read: "Let us choose work that will benefit others, protect our environment, and let us use our education to make our world more healed a?id whole, a more just andpeacefulplace. Let us through our words and actions promote the values oftruth, individual integrity, human dignity, mercy, peace and justice" At the heart of the college: Sister Damien You hear her when you call Mercyhurst. You see her at every men's and women's game. You notice her at every play, ballet performance, art show or academic honors induction. She's Sister Damien, the colorful, spirited, spunky Sister ofMercy who loves God and Mercyhurst students, (p. 7) i Mercyhurst... the second time around When Jim Lanahan came to Mercyhurst in 1970 as director of admissions to recruit thefirstseven classes of men, little did he think he'd return 20 years later to open the branch campus of Mercyhurst-North East. But Jim's story became a family story the second time around with his three children attending Mercyhurst. Brian 99, David W and listen '02 are pictured with their dad. (p.ll) i Aspiring professionals polish social skills Eh'essed in their best dark suits, their hair coifed and with the style and class of which Mercyhurst prides itself students took a break from cafeteria fare for an evening of etiquette, manners and social graces at the end of spring term. The event was sponsored by the Walker School of Business, the hotel, restaurant institutional management division, and the office of career services. Following a presentation by certified image consultant Valerie Weaver, the aspiring professionals were treated to an elegantfourcourse meal to test theirfreshly-polished social skills. While much about society has relaxed over the years, good manners, social skills, and proper dining etiquette will never go out of style. Being taught the right thing to do in a social setting as part of the classroom experience builds confidence inPictured: Business management studefits Jeffery Oros '01 of Richfield, Ohio and Sheryl Meulman W from Portage, Mercyhurst graduates as they enter the workforce. Mich, with image consultant Valerie Weaver (center). 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