tsA V O L . 2 1 , I S S U E 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4

-from fKe. Editor

It happens every year.

That moment of clarity when I realize how much work behind the scenes has been necessary to fuel

Mercyhurst on a day-to-day basis, laying the foundation for this institution to evolve into exactly what it has

become.

Sometimes it strikes me when the finishing touches are being discussed at a planning meeting for com­

mencement, usually only days before the celebration begins and hundreds of family members flood through

the Gates.

Sometimes it happens as I look out over the crowds gathered for the annual Fourth of July event hosted

by Mercyhurst College, knowing that our maintenance and security staffs have been on the clock for hours,

and have little to no hope of going home any time soon.

Sometimes I am simply walking across our beautiful campus when I start thinking about the people who

keep the windows clean, the weeds pulled, our students in the right class with the right professor, and the

freshmen snuggled safely in their residence halls (and the RIGHT residence hall to boot).

I consider the students who dedicate hours organizing and supporting events such as Christmas on

Campus, the college's March of Dimes WalkAmerica team and fund-raisers like Rotoracfs 5K run.

The thought always brings a smile to my face, a mix of pride and awe at what we achieve every single

day.

To be honest, this year it took on new significance when, as a novice homeowner, I realized anew how

much effort is invested in keeping our campus functioning.

Worn out from the 30-minute shoveling job required on my own puny driveway one snowy January

morning, I sat in my warm, dry car at the stop sign in front of Old Main and marveled at the cleaned walk­

ways, the neat drives. Maybe the process isn't perfect, but I always wonder how early those nearly invisible

folks must get up before toiling away for hours to prepare our campus for those lucky enough to walk on

shoveled paths?

Rarely do we remember, in our professional lives or in our personal worlds, to say thank you to those

who labor behind the scenes.

Often, engrossed in our own lives, we also forget that our colleagues and friends are more than their titles,

and often have fascinating hobbies they nurture out of sight. What we'd learn if we all slowed down, watched

more, listened better.

So, in this Mercyhurst Magazine, Debbie Morton and I took a small step back, slowed down, watched and

listened, and now we want to share with you some of the delightful stories about the stories hidden behind the

neatly manicured hedges.

of (Sonfents

Manic for muskie: Pittman breaks stereotypes as thrill-seeking angler

It's a family thing: Behind the scenes with maintenance and housekeeping

Forensic Files draws 'Hurst into 'whodunit' genre

Working surreptitiously is alumna's approach to improving the community -

one victim at a time

'Hurst dishes out support for soup kitchen

Kathy Zurn ... more than pearls and pumps

Pizza, beer and bones ... students confront death to safeguard life

In his own words ... faculty Vern Wherry writes from new classroom in Baghdad

Raise $20 million plus - Check. Preserving the Legacy campaign success reverberates through campus

Building community keeps residence life staff on their toes

As good as it gets ... Intelligence studies basks in global radiance

Seeking solace on the slopes

Class Notes

Snap to, Shutterbugs!

Taking a swing at golf... on the Pilates mat?

Cool air blows through Old Main ... a history-making change

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10

12

14

16

17

Column: The Magnificent Seven in a Bob Heibel Production

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1 lv U

^£'

&

Issue Editor Gennifer Biggs Director of Public Relations and Publications gbiggs@mercyhurst.edu 814.824.3315

Contributing Writers Gennifer Biggs Deborah Wallace Morton, Assistant Director

of Public Relations

Photographers Gennifer Biggs Paul Lorei Debbie Morton Danielle Prokop '05

Class Notes Editor Tammy Roche Gandolfo 76 tgandolf@mercyhurst.edu 814.824.2004

The Office of Public Relations, a division of the Institutional Advancement Office, produces Mercyhurst Magazine.

Vice President of Institutional Advancement Gary L. Bukowski, CFRE 73

Director of Alumni Services Patricia Liebel '53 pliebel@mercyhurst.edu Telephone: 1.800.845.8568 Local calls: 824.2538 Fax: 814.824.2153

Send your change of address to: Mercyhurst Magazine Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th St. Erie, PA 16546 Fax: 814.824.2473

Sister Damien.. ,

Fo** wKom fke bell foils

^J^fkind of gets you in the gut. You walk into the O'Neil Tower and glance to your right, expecting her there, but she's gone.

Sister M. Damien Mlechick, RSM, '56, who would have celebrated her 20th year of service to the college at this year's Christmas party, died Aug. 20 at the age of 83.

Sister was like an old flannel shirt that you pull out of your closet on a brisk autumn day - familiar, warm, dependable; she aged, but she never seemed to wear out. That's why rounding the corner and not seeing her at her switchboard in the tower is still so unnerving. You never figured on life without her.

Affectionately known as "Damie" or "Auntie D.," she was, without a doubt, the Lakers' biggest fan and one of the college's most fiercely loyal supporters.

Each day, from her greeter's post outside the chapel, she showed her ability to make all human encounters, however ephemeral, feel both special and personal.

The characteristic Voice of Mercyhurst, she was like an unexpected spray of holy water on passersby, always finding favor, dis­pensing advice, and spreading goodwill. Although instantly recognizable, it was not so much the big voice as it was the little deeds that defined Sister Damien.

. At athletic events, there was no more effusive fan, and you knew she was there upon hearing the clang of her cowbell. At Halloween, she ladled candy into the wicker basket on her desk and urged everyone to indulge. At Christmas, she would don a Times Old Newsies apron over her habit and peddle memorial newspapers to benefit the annual Needy Fund.

She lived with a nobility of service that is the hallmark of the Sisters of Mercy, with whom she shared her life for 65 years. And, with that dignity came an immense vitality that, in the end, did not fail her. Hers was a great old age, not a stifled one. She remained young at heart, and the young themselves, the Mercyhurst students who so loved her and she them, sensed that.

For all the love she so unselfishly impart­ed, she did not hesitate to dole out construc­tive criticism when she saw fit. She'd champi­on the cause of a neglected flowerbed or a bathroom in need of housekeeping. Otherwise, she put everything in God's hands. Such was the abiding faith that let her live this life to the fullest in preparation for the next.

Perhaps no one put it better than Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. Garvey who said, "In many ways, Sister was the spirit of the college, and we deeply mourn her pass­ing. She represented the best ideals of the past, but she lived very much in the present. It is like the light has gone out in that front hall­way and it will be a long time before it is turned back on again." m b k ^ ^

N o M B E R 2 0 0 4

M awe tor mus I I I

Pittmata breaks stereotypes a s fKHll-seeki^vg arvg er

It's been said that no other ^ freshwater fish offers the combina­tion of size, strength, ferocity and "big game" appeal as the muskie.

The fact that the toothy leviathans have a super bad attitude makes them all the more enticing to die-hard muskie angler Barbara Pittman.

What's amusing, and Pittman is inclined to laugh along, is the sight of her elfin frame, at 5-feet 2-inches, 130 pounds; going head-to-head with a thrashing, gnash­ing 49-inch super-sized fish, the king of her collective catch so far.

Muskie are the largest member of the pike family, with maximum lengths and weights exceeding 5 feet and 70 pounds.

"They hit hard and there is this huge commotion and chaos on the boat when you are bringing them in," she said. "It is tremen­dously exciting."

What's even more incongruous, though, is that Pittman exhibits an almost docile

demeanor around the Mercyhurst campus, where she teaches writ­ing and western classics, and hardly looks strong enough to cast repeti­tively let

alone reel a muskie alongside her 16-foot aluminum boat.

But, in Pittman's case, what you see is

definitely NOT what you get.

Once inclined to yield to stereo­types, nowadays she'd rather blast the ^ smithereens out of them, and can be as obstinate in her tem­perament as the fish she hunts.

"My mother always told me I could do anything I wanted to do and, when I looked around, it was the men who were having all the fun," she said. "They were hunting and fishing and doing things that women typical­ly did not do in the '50s and '60s, before there was much impact from the women's move­ment."

That was then and this is now. A self-proclaimed feminist and late

bloomer, Pittman was 33 when she entered college as a freshman. In her late 20s, she learned how to hunt and, later, took up fish­ing with her husband of 13 years, Ted Phillips. Pittman is now in her early 50s and never felt so liberated.

But, the elusive muskie, known as the fish of 10,000 casts, can humble you very quickly once he takes your bait, so she lifts weights to maintain her strength, particularly for casting, which is the most popular tech­nique for catching the largest of the freshwa­ter predators.

When you're J

using a medium-heavy action 7-foot rod and casting 4- to 5-ounce lures for an average of six hours a day, your arms and shoulders feel it. Plus reeling in a fish that fights you every bit of the way is strenuous at best.

She stays educated about her sport, familiarizing herself with everything from weather conditions that impact muskie fish­ing to buying the right equipment.

Recently, she acquired a new $200 reel and regularly adds to her heavy-duty arsenal of lures, which can range from small 6-inch bucktail spinners to 14-inch jerkbaits. A tech­nology buff, she said she particularly enjoys experimenting with different lures to see how they react as she casts them out and reels them in.

After seven years of fishing, three of them for muskie, Pittman figures she's expe­rienced enough to tell a few fish tales of her

M E R C Y H U M Z I N

own and is a regular contributor to the online magazine WomenAnglers (www.womenan-glers.us). She is a member of Women in the Outdoors and hopes one day to teach a course on "gender and hunting" when a new gender studies curriculum, now under formation at Mercyhurst, is offered.

Meanwhile, a typical fishing outing for Pittman and her husband begins at sunrise, usually on picturesque Chautauqua Lake, where they trailer their Lund V-hull weekly They've got their tackle boxes, a picnic lunch, lots of SPF-45 sunscreen, and a tried-and-true

routine that thev drafted after a fish-ing trip turned bloody a couple years back.

As Phillips was attempting to net a 51-inch muskie, he

THEY HIT HARD AND THERE

IS THIS HUGE COMMOTION

AND CHAOS ON THE BOAT

WHEN YOU ARE BRINGING

THEM IN. IT IS

TREMENDOUSLY EXCITING.

- Barb Pittman, assisstant professor of English

got jammed by a couple hooks intended for his prey and a trip to the emergency room quickly followed. Right then and there, Pittman and Phillips decided that having the correct tools was a priority, not a luxury, so they invested in a better net, larger bolt cut­ters and something called a BogaGrip™, which locks around the fish's lower jaw while your hands are farther up the handle, and weighs the fish as you lift it.

They practiced and practiced until they found a system that would allow them to safely and successfully catch, weigh and pho­

tograph their fish before turning them loose. Since muskie are not abundant and are a species confined mostly to the Great Lakes region and lower Ontario, Pittman said she joins most other anglers in practicing "catch and release" for the betterment of the sport.

"For a muskie to grow even to a size that is considered small, let's say 30 inches, it might take up to 10 years," Pittman said. "So, fishermen catch and release them."

Besides, fishing for muskie isn't about what you keep. If s all about the chase. And as Pittman and Phillips agree, it does a mar­riage good, too.

"I don't think Ted would want to fish with anybody else but me," Pittman said. "We have similar likes and personalities and we really work well together. I know what to do the minute he catches a fish, and he knows what to do when I do. We are a good team."

Muskie fishing might not be all that romantic, but Phillips and Pittman agree: it sure brings excitement to a relationship.

By Debbie Morton

Contributed photos

Die-hard muskie angler Barbara Pittman, who teaches literature at Mercyhurst College, shows off a prize catch.

summed

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4

DYs a family ini^g .. . Behind me- scenes wiin maintenance ana

It's a family thing. Not many people know who changes

their light bulbs, or the name of the person who dusts their office.

But ask at Mercyhurst College, and chances are, you'll get an answer.

Dan. Barry. Carla. Larry Teresa. Ken. Mark. Dean.

Ask about the beautiful landscaping, and many on campus can tell you, by name, who does what to bring the grounds to life each spring.

That, said maintenance technician Barry Agostine, is a big reason that many on the maintenance and housekeeping staff have made Mercyhurst their home.

'Tt is like family here," said Agostine, who will reach the 13-year mark in spring. "Everyone is so polite, you usually get a big thanks, and almost everyone is on a first-name basis. That makes a difference."

Judy Horvath remembers when she would chat with Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. Garvey in the hall of Old Main back when she worked the night shift in her early years with the college.

"He is as easy to talk to as you or me," said Horvath, adding that perhaps that is the reason no one has ever made her feel second class in her 17 years with the college - they have a good example to follow.

"There are a lot of friendly people here, and they never act like, 'oh, there is the cleaning lady7," said Horvath. "I always tell new people to just ask for help, ask how to get places. Everyone will help them."

Perhaps it is the camaraderie of the col­lege's employees working together to get big jobs done that leads to the entire Mercyhurst community understanding what happens behind the scenes to accomplish the day-to­day Perhaps it is just the nature of Mercyworld. Either way, Ken Stepherson said it is a first for him.

IT IS LIKE FAMILY HERE.

EVERYONE IS SO POLITE. YOU

USUALLY GET A BIG THANKS,

AND ALMOST EVERYONE IS ON A

FIRST-NAME BASIS. THAT MAKES A

DIFFERENCE.

- Barry Agostine, maintenance technician

Left to right, Almas Bekan, Alija Fulurija and Ismet Fulurija, all groundskeepers at Mercyhurst College, are the hard workers behind Mercyhurstfs beautiful and often-admired landscaping.

"I get a lot of letters and comments from people here, and I always pass them on to my crew/' said Stepherson, physical plant director for Mercyhurst. "It is really strange; this is probably the only place I've worked where I get feedback from the end users. It is refreshing. People here really do appreciate what we do and let us know."

What they do is mind-boggling. Keeping Mercyhurst College running as

smoothly as possible, as efficiently as possi­ble, and on budget as much as possible isn't an easy task considering what it entails. The entire Mercyhurst physical plant includes 65 acres plus, 624,000 square feet of academic space and 581,000 square feet of housing area.

ouse

While Stepherson is armed with a skilled staff of nine full-time

maintenance technicians with specialties ranging from carpentry to heating and cool­ing to electricity, consider this: How much time and effort is invested in your own home - lawn mowing, gutter cleaning, spring plant­ing, fall raking, paint touchups, concrete repair, flooded basement, leaking roof? And how many acres and square feet is that?

Exactly.

So it is clear how, even with the assis­tance of 19 full-time housekeepers, the task is daunting, and often, just plain overwhelming when a special event such as graduation or the annual Old-Fashioned Fourth of July is looming on the horizon.

But Stepherson, who only assumed the responsibility of physical plant director in January 2003, and his crew of maintenance and housekeeping staff, do an amazing job.

"When I started, the knowledge base was here - these guys know the college and its ins and outs," said Stepherson. "They do whatever I ask of them, and I have a great deal of respect for them."

Agostine said he feels that because main­tenance and housekeeping staffs are consid­ered as much a part of the Mercyhurst com-munitv as facultv and students, they share the same pride in the institution. That goes a long way when asked to work the long hours of graduation weekend and other special events.

"It is a small college, and everyone knows everyone else, and we all know what we need to do," said Agostine. "We all just get it done. And we're treated well by the people we help, that makes a difference."

Horvath added that the students and their appreciation and affection make the dif­ference as well.

"Working with the kids is what keeps me here," she said, and it is especially true

M R C H U R S T M I N

for Horvath, who handles Baldwin Hall, the women's freshman residence hall. "You get to watch them come, and then grow up. I always get to know them personally -1 mean, you can't know every single one, but there are always those I do talk to all the time."

Despite seeing a bit of everything during her time with housekeeping, Horvath still laughs her way through a story involving the basement of Zurn Hall, a hole in the wall, a terrible odor and a hidden chicken carcass. But most days aren't that bad, and she admits that students and other members of the com­munity are always quick to say thank you.

"I think they understand how busy we

are and what we do." Busy is perhaps an understatement, but

either way, organization seems to be the key. Visitors to Stepherson's office can't help but notice the neat piles of information, the long-range planning board on the wall, the note­book nearly always at his fingertips.

"So many people only see us when we get a work order," said Stepherson, adding that the department handles about 40 stan­dard work orders a day during the school year. "But on a monthly basis, the five techni­cians in academics do more than 450 preven­tative work orders, which are very time con­suming, in those classroom buildings alone."

The combination of daily fixes, long-term upgrades and special projects - 36 this summer alone - means everyone has a full plate, admits Stepherson.

"But it is fun," he adds, a wide grin spreading across his face, "to cross stuff off the list"

Perhaps no one enjoys that step more than the two men who coordinate expansion,

renovation and maintenance efforts on the physical plant - Tom Billingsley, executive vice president for administration, and Tyrone Moore, associate vice president of administra­tive services.

"My hat goes off to that staff, they are who make this massive plant work, they are who manage the large and the small details of this institution and they do it in a seeming­ly seamless manner," said Moore, who meets on a nearly daily basis with Stepherson.

"They do so much without disrupting

the lives of faculty, staff and students." For example, many people never consid­

er how difficult it is to paint a college cam­pus. Sure, the students are on break in the summer, and faculty are here more sporadi­cally, but what about the other projects? Carpets are replaced, faucets serviced, and this summer, entire electrical, heating and air conditioning systems installed.

But... that doesn't mean everything doesn't need a fresh coat of paint.

Give Dave Inter and Don Dombrowski a

crew of students working summer hours and

it gets done. According to Moore, the crew painted, in

about eight weeks, all of the residence halls -Baldwin to Duval, Mercy Suites to the new Wayne Street apartments. Imagine the sore shoulders.

And then, they worked to catch up on other projects, pushing to finish just a bit more before the students returned in early September.

The key, said Moore, is communication, organization and professionalism, all of which the maintenance and housekeeping staff have in spades.

'If you consider what needs to be done

Tim Boucher works as part of the grounds crew to keep the college's physical spaces looking good.

on a day-by-day basis, that alone is enough to keep all of that staff busy," said Moore. "And we're particular about not just getting it done, but getting it done well."

That, he said, is where the difference is. '1 am so impressed and pleased to work

with such a professional team," said Moore. "We just simply have a great team in place."

Billingsley echoed that praise. "I believe that everyone here has a per­

sonal pride in the success of Mercyhurst," said Billingsley. "I think that the managers of that staff have stressed professional courtesy, and I think that has paid off because our maintenance and housekeeping staff reap the benefits."

Billingsley added that his respect comes from the level of work the staff does across the board.

"I think people would be surprised at how good a job those staffs do consistently," adding that it is difficult to communicate the scope of dedication the maintenance and housekeeping staff have.

"We genuinely appreciate them and the work they do to help us pursue excellence as an institution."

X k a r v k y o u . By Gennifer Biggs

Photos by Danielle Prokop '05

Tkank

Barry Agostine Daniel Barricklow

Almas Bekan Timothy Boucher

Joseph Brown Jacauelyn Carson

David Cherico Bobbi Crable

John Danielson

you — J\Aa\

Pamela Easton April Espy Chris Etzel William Fife

Pamela Flesher Kim Fontecchio Carla Forsgren Alija Fulurija Ismet Fulurija

\v\\e,v\anoe.

Teresa Giammario Darryl Grace

Mary Ann Hayes Mark Heglin Judy Horvath Tyrone Howze

Dave Inter Tammi Terrell Jones

Larry Kerr

and housekeeping sfajj 2004

Craig Koller Todd Landis

Linda Leonard Patrick Moloney Kenneth Mat tern Samir Medilovic

Donna O'Connell Gloria Orsini

Enver Rahmanovic

Dean Reed Joyce Sadcwski

Edward Schmidt Brian Sidun

Tom Skarupski Richard Smith Drago Soldo

Ken Stepherson David Weed

William White Loretta Wrotney

Part-time Joann Bishop

Don Dombrowski Debra Dominick Sherri Kavelish Don Barricklow

N O V M B R 2 0 0 4

orervsic \c Pi i I I I

draws vf"lui^sf info wkoduri i f ' genre

yp^( As deftly as an osprey swooping down on its prey photography director Jared Manders guides the long jib arm toward its target, zooming the camera in on Mercyhurst forensic anthropologist Steven Symes, Ph.D., as he examines knife marks in bone through the illuminating lens of an operating scope.

Steve Symes, a member of the forensic anthropology department at Mercyhurst College, worked under the hot lights when he completed an interview with a production crew from televisions ''Forensic Files"

This is no ordinary day in the bone lab at Mercyhurst's Zurn Hall, where a four-man video production team headed by independ­ent producer Scott Newell of Cleveland, Ohio, is on campus to shoot an episode of "Forensic Files," a critically acclaimed Court TV series seen in 142 countries around the world.

With cameras, monitors, softboxes, umbrellas, lighting, and audio equipment in position and cable snaked strategically across the floor, the lab has morphed from its sterile surroundings to a state-of-the-art remote pro­duction site.

In the middle of it all is Symes, who appears so nonchalant in his royal blue shirt, grey slacks and Vans sandals, as to seem scripted. He's not.

As a rule, he neither embraces nor shuns the spotlight, but as a leading expert on sharp force trauma, specifically saw and knife marks in bone, he is no stranger to this kind of fuss. He's testified at dozens of criminal trials, consulted and lectured worldwide, and figured prominently in other television docu­mentaries and true-crime dramas.

This particular episode of "Forensic Files" examines a case in which John David Smith III was found guilty of murdering his

STEVE'S ROLE IN THIS EPISODE

IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE HIS

SCIENCE IS SO UNUSUAL AND

THERE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE

WHO CAN DO WHAT HE DOES.

THE FACT THAT HE TESTIFIED AT

THE TRIAL AND MADE A

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION

TO ITS OUTCOME IS OBVIOUSLY

IMPORTANT TO THE PROGRAM.

- Scott Newell, television producer

ex-wife by a Wooster, Ohio, jury on July 18, 2001. Janice Hartman disappeared in 1974 and her remains were discovered in 1980 in a plywood box in Indiana. Her lower legs were

M R H U R M Z 1 N

missing, and have never been found. At the trial, Symes testified how

Hartman's legs were severed just below the knee by a serrated knife. He explained to jurors how the blades of different classes of cutting tool leave different marks on bone. It was that unique expertise that enabled him to identify the type of implement used to dis­member Hartman.

Newell now wants Symes to describe his findings in the Hartman case again, this time for "Forensic Files/' a fact-based, high-tech program that profiles the world of forensic science in the context of intriguing crimes and other whodunit scenarios.

"What we have here is basically a mur­der mystery," says Newell as he outlines the program's format. "You tell the story in a lin­

ear way so that viewers can essentially take part in the investigation. You don't know who did it when you start. You have to wait it out, and that makes it interesting."

NewelTs team, which, in addition to photography director Manders, includes sound man Thorn Shafer and production assistant Alex Cruz, was at Mercyhurst June 22. The episode featuring Symes aired on Sept. 29.

"Steve's role in this episode is important because his science is so unusual, and there aren't many people who can do what he does," says Newell, who covered the Smith trial in 2001 for ABC's "20/20" and witnessed Symes' testimony. "The fact that he testified at the trial and made a significant contribu­tion to its outcome is obviously important to the program."

Meanwhile, Newell interviews Symes on camera for just shy of an hour, skillfully extracting the key points necessary to illus­trate his role in the case. Symes, who had taken a mere 15 minutes to review his file and refresh his memory before the shoot, is direct and succinct in his explanations, Newell remarks.

Following the interview, the technical crew is unleashed to weave its magic, inte­grating innovative camera movements and

framing with creative lighting and audio techniques to yield a dramatic production characteristic of the popular "Forensic Files" format.

At the conclusion of the shoot, from setup to wrap a total of eight hours, Symes is asked if he enjoyed the experience.

"Let's put it this way," he says. "I have three cases that need tending to now and I expect more will be piling up."

New mysteries for "Forensic Files" per­haps?

"Well," he says, casting a wry smile, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

By Debbie Morton

Photos by Chris Rainwater, Debbie Morton and

Jared Manders

(L to R) Scott Newell, Jared Manders, Alex Cruz and Steve Symes discuss the taping of "Forensic Files."

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4

Won<iKvcj su^epti+iously is alumrvas app^oacK !o improving w\a community . . .

one vicfim a t a time

I There are career commitments, and then there are personal allegiances.

For Shirley Williams '86, '89, who over­sees the constables' training and education program housed at Mercyhurst North East and directs the Mercyhurst Center for Justice and Mental Health Issues, being immersed in the challenging world of law enforcement and social services is all in a day's work. Add to that her new role as a member of the steer­ing committee for the Pennsylvania

Governor's Council on Women, and one would think Williams would be more than busy.

But her passion for organizations such as SafeNet (domestic violence), and the Erie County DWI Program Inc. (alcohol highway safety education), stems from something more personal, and so she immerses herself as deeply in her roles as a vice president for the Erie Country DWI Program, and incom­ing president of SafeNet as she does in her

work with Mercyhurst. That her professional life intersects with

her more private commitments is merely chance.

'This really started when our criminal justice conference, which focuses on a timely topic each year that appeals to the law enforcement and social services population in this region, brought in as a keynote speaker -Susan Murphy-Milano - from Chicago to speak at a conference on domestic violence," explains Williams, sitting in her office at Mercyhurst North East.

Williams explained that Murphy-Milano devoted herself to speaking publicly about domestic violence after her father, a Chicago police captain, who abused her mother for years, killed both her and himself. Murphy-Milano may be best known for her ground­breaking book "Defending our Lives," and the domestic violence program she founded, Project: Protect.

8 M E R C Y H U R S T M A G A Z I N E

Shirley Williams '86, '89

Williams said the event galvanized her, and launched her immersion into the world of challenges faced by both victims and advo­cates working in the arena of domestic vio­lence.

'This is not a popular subject/' Williams said, adding that getting victims to seek help and talk publicly about their circumstances remains a struggle, even today - nearly 20 years later. "It is amazing how far we still have to go considering the fact that domestic violence is a community issue that stretches across every socio-economic level in Erie."

Williams' involvement only grew as she explored the ties between alcohol/substance abuse and domestic violence in her thesis, completing the final steps of her master of science degree in administration of justice at Mercyhurst College in 1989. Williams earned her undergraduate degree in criminal justice corrections and sociology in 1986.

"We need to look at the many aspects of the issue of domestic violence - healing the women, healing the children - we have to break that cycle of violence," said Williams. Joining Williams is her husband, Attorney Dennis Williams, who has long worked to provide legal counsel for battered women and men.

"There is no reason this needs to be a dirty, dark secret, hidden behind closed doors any longer," said Williams, who prefers to work behind the scenes, but doesn't shirk from the chance to talk about the issue when presented with a public forum.

That opportunity arrived in April 2004 when she was surprised with the Liberty Bell

Award from the Erie County Bar Association, an honor bestowed annually on a member of the community who has made significant contributions to the region. Adding to her appreciation of that honor was receiving the award from her mentor - Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. Garvey.

Despite being a "behind-the-scenes" type, Williams admits she doesn't mind the attention as long as her passion for fighting domestic violence gets to share the spotlight.

"It is so important to give back to the community, and there are so many people who need help, that letting people know they need to get involved and DO something is just as important as volunteering to me," said Williams, who in 1996 graduated from Leadership Erie, a program dedicated to the development of community leadership, com­munity involvement, and community cooper­ation in the Greater Erie area.

Urging others to tackle their anxiety about working with domestic violence vic­tims is another passion, and she said she truly believes that volunteering is the best option available for making the Erie commu­nity a better place to live for everyone.

WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE

MANY ASPECTS OF THE ISSUE

OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE -

HEALING THE WOMEN,

HEALING THE CHILDREN-

WE HAVE TO BREAK THAT

CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.

- Shirley miliums '86, '89

"SafeNet and so many other social serv­ice agencies are always short on funds, and they are constantly looking for volunteers/' said Williams, who implores both men and women to connect with and volunteer in sup­port of a cause that is as personally signifi­cant to them as domestic violence and sub­stance abuse are to her.

SafeNet also works closely with hospi­tals, schools, police stations, the courts, and other social service agencies to increase awareness and understanding of domestic

violence. After beginning nearly 25 years ago as

Hospitality House, an emergency shelter for battered women and their children, SafeNet now provides shelter - and much more, including counseling, legal advocacy, vio­lence prevention programs, transitional living programs and a 24-hour hotline.

SafeNet stands for the domestic violence "Safety Network" in place for everybody in our community.

To volunteer or learn more, visit www.safeneterie.org or call (814) 455-1774.

College President Dr. William P. Garvey present­ed Shirley Williams with the Liberty Bell Award from the Erie County Bar Association during the 2004 Law Day luncheon. The Liberty Bell is bestowed annually on a member of the community who has made significant contributions to the region.

SafeNet is an agency of professionals and volunteers working together to end domestic violence against women in Erie County. From every city and township in the area, women come to this agency seek­ing safety and shelter from physical abuse and threats of violence occurring at home. SafeNet opens its doors to hundreds of abuse victims each year, helping battered women develop the supports they need to break the cycle of abuse in their lives and regain a sense of their own dignity through a wide range of programs.

By Gennifer Biggs

Photos by Paul Lorei, Louis Colussi

N O V E M B R 2 0 0 4

v,Hui^sf diskes ov& suppor t yor soup kitcke^v

Brian Valero '05

When Brian Valero envisions his future, he sees himself in one of Manhattan's tonier restaurants - maybe someplace in trendy Tribeca or sizzling SoHo where upscale din­ers order mussel souffle and caviar parfait as if they were burgers and fries.

Growing up 15 minutes from Manhattan, just over the bridge in Elizabeth, N.J., Valero figured the dining capital of the world would be as good a place as any to cultivate his culinary aspirations once he graduated from college.

But, for now, the Mercyhurst senior, who will complete his studies in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management in May 2005, is perfectly satisfied with a less chic but nonetheless appreciative clientele.

For Valero, it all started last spring when Sister Michele Schroeck '88, '96, director of service learning at Mercyhurst, put out the

call for student volunteers to work Saturdays J

at the Emmaus Soup Kitchen in downtown

Erie. Emmaus is one of 70 sites in the Erie

community that benefits from Mercyhurst's service learning program. During the 2003-04 academic year, 2,301 students at the Erie and North East campuses completed 19,189 hours of service, according to a summary compiled by Sister Michele.

Valero is one student who answered the call to help at the soup kitchen and counts himself lucky that he did.

"You have no idea how much you have in life until you see these people, many of whom can't even afford to buy themselves a dinner," he said. 'They are the nicest people in the world. Most of them have just been unlucky."

For more than a decade, Mercyhurst stu­

dents like Valero and faculty/staff volunteers have teamed to keep the doors of the soup kitchen open on Saturdays. In doing so, they have provided meals to those who might oth­erwise go without and have allowed the operators of Emmaus Ministries, who staff the facility Monday through Friday, the chance for a well-deserved day off.

Sister Mary Miller, OSB, is director of Emmaus Ministries, a 30-year tradition of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie. The soup kitchen serves 1,200 hot meals each week and its food pantry distributes 50,000 food bags per year as the largest single on-site food distribution center in Pennsylvania. Emmaus also oper­ates Sister Gus' Kids Cafe, which provides recreational opportunities and a home-cooked meal to about 100 children a day.

Sister Mary said the day Mercyhurst College dispatched Saturday reinforcements

10 M E R C Y H U R S T M A G A Z I N E

in 1992 was an important moment in the pro­gram's-history.

"Our guests are so appreciative of the students being here Saturdays, especially during the cold, winter months/' she said. "Not everyone who comes to Emmaus is homeless. Some just come for the companion­ship and to hear a human voice while they are having their meal. But others would be without food Friday evening to Monday evening were it not for us opening our doors on Saturdays."

The college's alliance with the soup kitchen started as an offering of the Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management Program and, last year, was assimilated into the service learning department under the direction of Sister Michele.

"I think this program is one of the best kept secrets at Mercyhurst," she said. "With service, continuity is the key, and when you consider that Mercyhurst volunteers have kept this going month after month, year after year, when students were in session, it is real­ly commendable."

Zurn Hall faculty secretary Kathy Thornton, who helped coordinate the HRIM volunteer effort for many years, said the pro­gram has always been blessed with eager vol­unteers, over the years growing to encompass a broad cross-section of the Mercyhurst stu­dent population.

"Students would satisfy their service

hours commitment and then sign up to do it

OURGUESTSARESO APPRECIATIVE OF THE

STUDENTS BEING HERE SATURDAYS, ESPECIALLY

DURING THE COLD, WINTER MONTHS. NOT EVERYONE

WHO COMES TO EMMAUS IS HOMELESS. SOME JUST COME

FORTHE COMPANIONSHIP AND TO

HEAR A HUMAN VOICE WHILE THEY ARE HAVING THEIR

MEAL. BUT OTHERS WOULD BE

WITHOUT FOOD FRIDAY EVENING TO MONDAY

EVENING WERE IT NOT FOR US OPENING OUR DOORS ON

SATURDAYS.

- Sister Mary Miller, OSB, Director of Emmaus Ministries

again," she said. 'They enjoyed it that much."

And Brian Valero is a typical example. '1 kept going back because I established

relationships with the people there," he said. "I've talked to people who know a lot more about life than I do. One was a TV repairman and he told me all kinds of stories. Another had a little barber shop. Some of them are parents and they tell me about parenthood.

You have to give them respect because, in most cases, they are doing the best they can."

On his Saturday shifts, Valero, who last summer worked as dining room captain at the Athenaeum Hotel in the Chautauqua Institution, cooks the already-prepared food and delegates others to set up and serve. Students - about eight or nine of them - typi-cally work from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

"I was so nervous when I was told I'd be supervising the kitchen," he said. "But, as soon as the doors opened, a switch went on and I knew what to do. HRIM has taught me very well and the experience at the soup kitchen has helped me believe that when I graduate, I'll be ready."

Emmaus Ministries has been a favorite community service destination for many Mercyhurst students, including Campus Ministry volunteers who have been helping to serve guests at the soup kitchen on the first Tuesday of each month for nearly 10 years.

"For me, it all provides a great sense of hope that today's young adults, who have commitments up to their ears, come on a reg­ular basis, especially on a Saturday morning when they'd probably rather be sleeping in until noon," Sister Mary said. "It is a big com­mitment, and an experience that they will take with them when they go and make their way in the world."

By Debbie Morton

Contributed photos

Merajhurst's Dana Nagle and Amanda Bandurak volunteer at the Emmaus Soup Kitchen.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4 11

w .. . mot^e an peaHs an umps

.Mercykw^st trustee wo^ks beHind tke scenes to maKe. gooa tkings nappan

1 Not even the uncharacteristic image of

Kathy Cochran Zurn bounding out of a brawny Chevy truck in drab green utilities can diminish the soft-spoken warmth and poise that distinguish her as a member of the Mercyhurst College Board of Trustees.

This is dress-down day for the petite Zurn, who has packed her pickup with trow­el, shovel and assorted gardening hardware intent on planting an herb garden at the 116-unit apartment complex she owns on Erie's eastside.

"Many of the people who live here are older and my mission is to make this feel like their home and also to give them a sense of community/' she said, pointing a sweeping hand toward a swathe of land adjacent to the apartments. "I've told anyone who is interest­ed that they can have a section of the garden to plant, and what's left I'll tend to.

She points to an unkempt 3-by-4-foot rectangle in the midst of a manicured grid of plantings that include lavender, tomatoes, and an occasional rose bush.

'That's mine," she said, tugging at an obstinate weed. "I'm going to plant some herbs and put up a sign inviting anyone to 'help yourself.'"

It's the personal touch, the almost self­less "mothering factor," that is the common denominator in Zurn's everyday dealings with people and which also defines her sig­nature style as a member of the board of trustees at Mercyhurst as well as the many other community organizations with which she is affiliated.

"Kathy is always positive in her approach," said John T. Malone, president of Hamot Health Foundation, where Zum also is a trustee. "She has good business savvy, but she's also interested in the emotional side of business. In our case, she is a real advocate for the patient."

Zurn describes herself as a "mediator," which, she noted, is consistent with her posi­tion as the proverbial middle child of five.

"I don't think you can win by pressure," she said. "I think it is better to find the posi­tive in everyone's viewpoint and move for­ward from there."

No matter what her role: mother, busi­nesswoman, or community servant; Zum sel­dom seeks the spotlight and regards working

behind the scenes an often productive alter-jft native to navigating the front lines.

12 M Y H U S T M Z I N

Endorsing her as an effective "behind-the-scenes leader/' Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. Garvey further described Zum as "a valuable board member because not only is she intelligent, but she is pleasant and sel­dom part of a divisive faction.

"Kathy is the perfect board member in the sense that she is an old-fashioned kind of Roman leader who serves for the greater good and not with any personal agenda in mind/'

KATHY IS ALWAYS POSITIVE IN

HERAPPROACH.SHE HAS

GOOD BUSINESS SAVVY. BUT

SHE'S ALSO INTERESTED IN THE

EMOTIONAL SIDE OF BUSINESS.

IN OUR CASE, SHE IS A REAL

ADVOCATE FOR THE PATIENT.

- John T. Malone, president ofHamot Health Foundation

Well, that may not be entirely true.

"I have always been grateful to the Erie community for the success of my family/' said Zum, the youngest daughter of the late John Cochran, who founded Lyons Transportation Lines Inc., and who has four children with her former spouse, Roger Zum, whose family founded Zurn Industries Inc.

Mercyhurst College trustee Kathy Zurn on a trip to India.

"So, I have a sense of giving back to my community but, also, I'm hoping that one or more of my children will eventually come back to Erie and I'm working to make it the kind of place they would want to return to/'

Zum, herself a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in environmental design, has one daughter, Gretchen, of Califon, N.J., who works in marketing research and was married in September; and three sons, Mel, a stockbroker in Reston, Va.; John, a law school student at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; and Stuart, who is with United States Navy Special Operations in Coronado, Calif.

All of her children are within two years of each other in age so, for many years, Zum had her work cut out for her as a stay-at-home mom. Still, she managed to keep com­munity issues high on her radar and, during the 70s and '80s, volunteered on the boards of the YWCA of Erie, Junior League, Erie Philharmonic, Erie Playhouse, and Sarah A. Reed Retirement Center. Also, she was presi­dent of the Arts Council of Erie, chairman of the Carpe Diem Society at Mercyhurst, and was a charter trustee and, later, acting execu­tive director of Discovery Square.

In addition to being a Mercyhurst trustee, Zurn currently is a trustee for the Arts Endowment of the Arts Council of Erie, Hamot Health Foundation, Erie Cemetery Association and a charter trustee of the Erie County Library Foundation.

In 1998, she and her sisters, Peep Brereton and Bonney Daubenspeck, were col­lectively honored with the Edward C Doll Community Service Award.

Zurn's introduction to Mercyhurst was through her late mother, Carol Cochran '40, who attended the college at the same time as one of Mercyhursf s more beloved former teachers, Sister Mary Charles Weschler, RSM

'40. "Mom had quite an affection for the

school," remembered Zum, whose own rela­tionship with the college started as a Carpe Diem Society member, then as a President's Associate, and, now, a trustee.

Being a Mercyhurst trustee is particular­ly rewarding, she said, because "everyone on the board is mindful of the Sisters' commit­ment to serve a diverse student body. I am

Despite working diligently to better the community, Kathy Zurn values her time with family.

proud to be part of an institution that is doing so well and is increasingly recogiuzed for its excellence on a national level."

As an advocate of the underprivileged, Zum has taken her warmth and generosity as far away as India, where she spent a month in 2001 volunteering in a rural medical clinic founded by a group of Erie physicians, including Bob Guelcher, Dick Rahner, Kripa Singh and his son, Ravi Singh, of Rochester, N.Y., also a physician.

'India had a profound influence on me," Zum said. "We are such a consuming society and you go over there and see things that make you stop and think. I remember a little 6-year-old girl waiting at a train station and I watched as she jumped from the platform down onto the tracks to retrieve a plastic water bottle. Here was something we would toss away so thoughtlessly and yet she risked her own safety because it had value to her."

When she isn't working or volunteering, Zum stays busy by exercising at least three mornings a week. She also skis in the winter, bikes in the summer, and, as a less rigorous but nonetheless ardent pastime, enjoys col­lecting Rookwood American art pottery ... oh, and then there's gardening, of course.

By Debbie Morton

Contributed photos

N 0 M B R 2 0 0 4 13

Pi izza, Deer an db I I I

s+udenfs coK\p*oKvt dea+n to safeguard life

One after another, the images cascade across the screen. Skeletons strewn helter-skelter. Skulls cracked by bullet blasts. Jaws gaping as if still screaming.

Viewing the spectacle is an audience comprised largely of scientists, a preponder­ance being anthropologists or those studying to become such, and they are gathered tonight to consider forensic anthropology in the context of human rights.

The group, 20 students in Dr. Dennis rkmaat's 13th annual Death-Scene

•Archaeology Short Course: Field Methods in he Location, Recovery, and Interpretation of Human Remains from Outdoor Contexts (May 31-June 5), has been in the field all day unearthing skeletal remains in a mock recov­ery exercise. But, now, it's time to kick back and relax in the residence hall lounge where they spend their behind-the-scenes time.

Tonight there's pizza, beer and, once

again, bones. "I couldn't see us going through the

week without devoting at least one night to human rights," said forensic anthropologist Dr. Steven Symes, who is assisting Dirkmaat in this particular short course and who, him­self, has been active in training others in doc­umenting crimes against humanity through forensic science.

Four of the program participants are pre senting PowerPoints centering on the exhu­mation of mass graves in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Argentina and Chile. They speak deliberately, as scientists often do, of how they detect sites, excavate, photograph and map, recover evidence and attempt to identi­fy the tens of thousands of victims using bones, shreds of clothing, and other clues long since distorted by time and nature.

No matter how many times a mound of mangled bones flashes onto the

screen, no matter how clinical these scientists

Students work on excavating a 'grave' site as part of the forensic anthropology short course -Field Methods in the Location, Recovery, and Interpretation of Human Remains from Outdoor Contexts.

sound as thev describe their work, there is no escaping the fact that they are dealing in the depths - the depths of the earth, the depths of futility in what is a never-ending crusade to identify even one in several hundred vie-tims, the depths to which man can mistreat his fellow man, and the depths of sadness that not even the most dispassionate among them can escape.

Three Chilean women - Claudia Jarrido and Karla Moscoso, both dentists; and Marisol Intriago, an anthropologist; are here for the duration of Dirkmaat's summer short courses.

With participants spanning the United States and Canada, the Chileans complete a diverse group that Jarrido coins "the super international team."

14 M H R M A I N

They are the first of what Dirkmaat hopes will be many more international stu­dents utilizing his short courses to enhance their forensic science acumen, particularly as it applies to human rights investigations. Taking it a step further, he anticipates interna­tional student representation in a new mas­ter's program in forensic and biological anthropology that the college launched this year.

"The Chilean team represents the same type of international teams we are trying to attract/' Dirkmaat said. "I think we can do a lot for them. Many of them are well trained in hands-on application, but somewhat limit­ed in the number of academic classes focused specifically on forensic anthropology, and they want to raise the bar. We'd like to help them get advanced degrees, credentials, and accreditation in this field, and I think our pro­gram is well known and well thought of, so that if they have that affiliation after their names, it will help them in the work they want to do."

The Chileans are employed by a special human rights unit of the Forensic Institute of Chile in Santiago. They look to Mercyhurst for the education that will better equip them to identify victims of human rights atrocities that occurred in their country during the 17-year reign of General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, who rose to power following a bloody military coup on Sept. 11,1973.

"We have our own September 11,"

THEY ARE THE FIRST OF WHAT

DIRKMAAT HOPES WILL BE

MANY MORE INTERNATIONAL

STUDENTS UTILIZING HIS

SHORT COURSES TO ENHANCE

THEIR FORENSIC SCIENCE

ACUMEN, PARTICULARLY AS IT

APPLIES TO HUMAN RIGHTS

INVESTIGATIONS.

remarked Intriago as she proceeded with her presentation, which cited official statistics that nearly 3,000 people were executed, "dis­appeared" or died as a result of torture and

other kinds of political violence that occurred

during the military regime. 'The military would leave people dead

in the streets as a scare tactic, and then gather them up and bury them by numbers in ceme­teries," Intriago said. "There were also mass graves and some people were simply thrown out to sea."

Many victims, she knows, will never be found, let alone identified. For all then-efforts, some bones will never match up with the child-sized high-tops askew in the rubble, the blood-spattered jacket, or string of black prayer beads. But this is not a game of num­bers.

Forensic expertise in human rights inves­tigations serves four purposes: to help fami­lies uncover the fate of their loved ones, to document and set the historical record straight, to uncover legally admissible evi­dence that will result in the conviction of those responsible for the crimes, and to deter future violations by demonstrating through forensic means that those responsible will be held accountable.

"When we started a year ago March, there was no one to teach us," said Intriago. "We got some training from the University of Chile, but we were working and studying at the same time."

"We were self-made," Jarrido added. "We needed a formal education to make sure we were doing things the right way and our government agreed to pay for us to come to Mercyhurst."

Although they have much to learn, the Chilean team is intensely committed and never fails to remember that the bones they analyze day after day belonged to a son, a wife, a grandfather.

There's an undeniable sense of catharsis, they agreed, in bringing closure to someone's family, unearthing evidence to punish those responsible, and, to a certain extent, making sense of the madness.

As the Chileans seek a broad-based edu­cation, numerous participants in this week's short course are quite sophisticated and are here simply to fine-tune skill sets or share their expertise with others.

Among the more seasoned veterans are three other of the nighfs presenters: Greg Olson, a Toronto-area police officer and mem­ber of the only forensic response team among

Three Chilean women - Karla Moscoso, Marisol Intriago and Claudia Jarrido - spent a portion o the summer at the forensic anthropology short courses as part of their work with the special human rights unit of the Forensic Institute of Chile in Santiago.

the Canadian police, who has worked with the world-famous Argentinean Forensic Anthropology Team that investigates human rights abuses across the globe; Rick Snow, who works with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and spent eight months in Bosnia in 2001 with the International Commission on Missing Persons; and Tom Sprague, a retired United States Army pathol­ogist who lends his expertise to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and recently spent time in Iraq surveying mass grave sites.

"Meeting people interested in this kind of work is a very important part of our edu­cation here," Intriago said of her experience at Mercyhurst. "It helps to open communica­tion in our field and to develop better meth­ods of doing what we do."

In addition, their bonding, which is clearly evident tonight as they crowd into an overheated college dorm lounge for three solid hours of insight and introspection, is a vitalizing experience, particularly for those who apply their science to human rights. How else, if not inflamed by passion for their work, can forensic experts continue to exca­vate the world's mass graves? Surely, they know that as soon as they finish one, there will be another to move on to. And another.

By Debbie Morton Photos by Chris Rainwater

N O V E M B R 2 0 0 4 15

n his own woras I I I

J Many

•pculiy Vem W k e ^ y writes from rvew

/flcwZfy ta/fc f«g fa/fc, &wf Vernon

Wherry, associate professor of criminal justice, is

walking the walk after deciding to bring to bear his

experience as a police instructor in support of the

ongoing United States effort to bring democracy to

Iraq.

was boarding a plane, bound ulti­

mately for Baghdad, while the rest of the

Mercyhurst College community celebrated gradua­

tion, and today, armed with a lifetime of experience

in criminal justice, Wherry is training police offi­

cers in Iraq.

In a June letter, Wherry relates the challenges

of his current task.

June 30,2004

I left the United States on Mercyhursf s

graduation day and arrived in Springfield,

Va., where I spent two days prior to departing

for Kuwait. In Kuwait, 15 former police

instructors, including myself, were briefed on

our mission, issued equipment including

weapons, clothing and supplies, and then pro­

ceeded to Baghdad. We are working for the

United States Department of Justice through a

contract awarded to Scientific Applications

International Inc., which is headquartered in

San Diego, Calif. This is all part of the

Coalition Provisional Authority charged with

establishing a new government for the Iraqis.

Upon arrival in Baghdad, we took up

residence in tents located on the former palace

grounds once occupied by Saddam Hussein,

where we remained for a week. During this

period I was involved in teaching a "Train-

the-Trainer" course for those of us who would

be training Iraqi police officers. This lasted

five days, after which we were transported to

the "red zone" where we stayed in a military

compound with a military police detachment.

As such, we were subjected to rocket-pro­

pelled grenade and mortar attacks and small

arms fire.

classroom \v\ a gKd a

We just concluded a three-week basic

police course for new Iraqi recruits. The main

focus was on the principles of democratic pol­

icy. This was a departure from what the police

were taught under the former regime. Under

Hussein, torture and other human rights vio­

lations persisted. The Iraqi police recruits

were receptive to our concepts and training

principles; however, we had to accomplish

this through interpreters, which made for a

somewhat slow process.

In addition, our classes were punctuated

by power outages (so much for PowerPoint

presentations!), stifling temperatures (up to

125 degrees), and the frequent absence of our

translators and some class members who

were threatened with death for their partici­

pation. Despite those barriers, we graduated

250 new police recruits who will now proceed

to another eight-week advanced course.

I've just been informed that I will be

returning to the former presidential palace

where I will begin training senior Iraqi police

officials on the topic of police administration

and the necessity for change. Formerly,

Hussein put top police officials in place and

many were corrupt, brutal, and members of

his inner circle. This is an assignment that I

accepted inasmuch as it has always been my

feeling that any fundamental changes must

come from the top. If we are successful in

influencing these individuals, democratic

policing may become more of a reality.

Yesterday, the government was turned

over to the Iraqis and it remains to be seen

what, if any, positive changes occur.

Regardless, I feel that any contribution I can

make will provide input to their fledgling

government and enable me to enhance my

teaching through the experience. I intend to

remain in Iraq until the beginning of the

spring 2005 academic term, or until the organ­

ization for which I work pulls out of the

country.

I have received numerous e-mail notes

from my colleagues and friends at

Mercyhurst, all of whom have been most

encouraging as to my role here. For that I am

most appreciative.

I look forward to returning to

Mercyhurst, and would like to thank the fac­

ulty, staff and administration for keeping me

in their thoughts and prayers.

Wherry joined the Mercyhurst College facul­

ty in 1987 after more than two decades in law

enforcement. In 1968, Wherry earned his bachelor

of arts degree in law enforcement at Kent State

University in Kent, Ohio, and in 1975 and 1977,

earned two master's degrees from Rollins College

in Winter Park, Fla.

He put to the test what he was learning in the

classroom during those same years, working as a

police officer and detective in the Marine Corps, in

Oklahoma and

Florida. He fol­

lowed his formal

schooling with

more than 2,000

hours of training

in police and secu­

rity administra­

tion from certified

state and local

training institu-° Vern Wherry in Iraq

tons, the FBI, the J '

United States Fire Administration Academies, the

Southern Police Institute, the American Society for

Industrial Security and more.

He is a certified police officer and an accredit­

ed police training officer in five states, and has, in

turn, trained everyone from police recruits to FBI

agents.

If you would like to send greetings to Wherry,

his e-mail address is vwherry@mercyhurst.edu

Edited by Gennifer Biggs

Contributed photo

16 M R H U M A A I S E

Rai $20 million us Ck

p rese^vi ng \v\e. Legacy (Sampaign success ^everae rates +K ̂ OU campus p

For four years, and then some, Gary

Bukowski 73, vice president of institutional

advancement, lay awake at night, making

lists of ways to meet the college's fund-rais­

ing goal of $20 million in four years.

vHe deliberated about mailings, he con­

sidered fresh ways to approach nonprofit

foundations, he contemplated new methods

for the annual fund phonathon, he pondered

the trips he'd have to take to cities large and

small in his efforts to meet with alumni, cor­

porate donors, legislators and governors -

anyone who shared the vision of Mercyhurst

College and was willing to invest their hard-

earned cash in tomorrow's best and brightest.

But, for Bukowski, those lists seemed to

get longer, not shorter as the college broke

record after record in its push toward the end

goal of the Preserving the Legacy Capital

Campaign.

He chewed pencils as report after report

said that, nationally, alumni giving was down

due to the sluggish economy, then watched

anxiously as Mercyhurst alumni bucked that

trend, and, in 2003, the college was honored

by the Council for Advancement and Support

of Education (CASE) when it named

Mercyhurst among the most improved fund-

raising programs in the country, an award

bestowed on just 27 educational institutions

in the United States.

So, during summer 2004, Bukowski

finally got a full night's sleep - a rarity for the

fund-raising engine that has driven the

Mercyhurst capital campaign to success.

Now his lists have checkmarks, and new

goals are being set, but not before the college

celebrates this success, and the long list of

"checks" that have made it possible.

"Renovations to O l d J\Aam

^r In 2003, workers began pulling antique

windows out of the hallways and rooms of

Mercyhurst's beloved Old Main, filling the

hallways with

debris. Now,

il > idJk . more than 900

new energy-

efficient, ther-

mal-paned,

aluminum-

framed win­

dows, all cus­

tom-made to

fit 1926 archi­

tecture, have

been installed in the college's administration

building at a price nearing $1 million. In

addition, summer 2004 was spent with piles

of obsolete radiators stacked in the halls of

Old Main - removed to make room for new

heating and air conditioning systems

installed after a full electrical system upgrade

was completed in Old Main, Egan Hall and

Preston Hall earlier in the year.

While it was a rough summer for those

in Old Main, there was a nearly audible sigh

of relief when the $300,000 project neared

completion as the school year began in

September. Office after office welcomed its air

conditioning unit, and computers and other

electrical equipment hummed along without

interruption for the first time in the college's

history, all under it's newly refurbished slate

roof.

This summer's work is only part of the

ongoing efforts to refurbish Old Main, with

repointing work, and other renovations still

to come. So far, the centerpiece of the campus

has received new doors at its main entrance,

an overhauled elevator in O'Neil Tower, and

renovated classrooms that include "smart"

podiums similar to those found in the

Audrey Hirt Academic Center.

.Audrey \-\\Y\ .Academic (2>e.v\\e.v>

When plans were first made to add a

spectacular classroom building to the

Mercyhurst campus five years ago, little did

anyone know that by the time the doors on

that structure swung open in September 2002,

it would be a necessity and not a luxury due

to exploding enrollment on the Erie campus.

The building was officially dedicated on

Sunday, Oct. 27,2002, a day of celebration

capped with the grand finale: the inaugural

performance in the Dr. Barrett and Catherine

Walker Recital Hall by world-renowned

pianist Lorin Hollander.

Today, the Hirt Center remains one of

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4 17

Today the Hirt Center remains one of the most visible achievements completed as part of the capital campaign as classes hum along in the smart classrooms equipped with computers and projectors, the graphic arts students showcase their work in the lower level lab, the 'Hurst studios elicit groans of jealously from visiting media and the stu­dents have made their mark with posters about upcoming speakers, computers for sale and invitations to special events.

um "Hall U p g r a d e s

One of the busiest buildings on campus is reaping the benefits of an amazing last hour push to meet an incredible fund-raising goal.

On June 30,2004, the college community met the challenge by the George I. Alden Trust to raise $332,883 in seven months for the sciences, and earned a matching gift of $100,000 as its reward. Those funds are being used, along with capital campaign monies, to renovate Zurn Hall, which was dedicated in the spring of 1968 and has never undergone a major overhaul. Much work is needed to equip and upgrade the nearly 20 labs in the building, and work has already begun on a molecular and cellular biology lab that will be used by nearly every science discipline, but is especially key for the new master of science degree in forensic and biological anthropology.

Other upgrades to the building, which houses sciences in the west wing and arts in the east wing, include a refurbished roof and

ongoing efforts to upgrade the classroom and laboratory equipment used by archaeology, anthropology, biology, chemistry, geology and physics. In addition, an upgraded heating and cooling system is in the works.

^r Fueling every step of the Preserving the Legacy campaign was one ideal: provide Mercyhurst students, and prospective stu­dents, with every opportunity to learn. Therefore, one of the most important — and personal — goals of the campaign was enhancing the college's endowment. As Mercyhurst continues to attract attention on a national scope, it must be able to provide the necessary financial aid to students interested in a Mercyhurst education, and to do that, it needed to step up endowment efforts.

When the campaign launched in 2000,

the endowment stood at barely $11 million, just about half of its $19.4 million total today Raising money for that particular portion of the campaign proved to be emotional as alumni dug deep to offer today's students the opportunity Mercyhurst gave to them, some of them sharing memories of days decades past as they repaid the college for advantages they enjoyed.

For some, it meant raising money to endow scholarships named for family mem­bers lost, favorite professors of the past or as a class reunion project. For others, it simply meant remembering their alma mater in their financial planning.

Such was the case for Frances C. Malaney '38, a Yale University librarian who left Mercyhurst a portion of her retirement fund, and is being honored with an endowed scholarship in her name. She would undoubt­edly be proud to have been the one who pro­pelled the Preserving the Legacy Capital Campaign past its $20 million goal. Her gift of nearly $350,000 took the Legacy campaign to a total of $20,340,966 in gifts and pledges in June 2003.

Overall, 39 new scholarships were creat­ed as part of the Preserving the Legacy cam­paign, and 20 were enriched.

_ yVWcyku^sf A^oH-k £ a s t

When the Preserving the Legacy cam­paign kicked off, no one quite expected the enthusiasm and creativity that members of the North East campus and community would put into supporting that campus. Only

13 years old, Mercyhurst North East would leave its mark on the capital campaign.

For one, plans for a much-needed health and safety building at the campus came to fruition, with construction launched in sum­mer 2004, and an expected opening date of

April 2005. When the commonwealth of Pennsylvania delivered a check for $2 million in November 2002, the project was well on its way. When the doors open next spring, the campus will enjoy a new library, classrooms and a theatre.

Support for the North East campus expansion wasn't limited to the state. In December 2002, MNE was the recipient of an unprecedented $1 million grant from The Orris C. Hirtzel and Beatrice Dewey Hirtzel Memorial Foundation for creation of an insti­tute on aging that will serve as a regional resource. That gift represented the largest the foundation has ever given a college or uni­versity for undergraduate education in its 46-year history.

Then, in 2003, Pennsylvania Congressman Phil English visited Mercyhurst and handed over $400,000 in federal funding toward the construction of the health and safety building. Since then, another $300,000 grant has allowed the North East police acad­emy to expand its programs.

But the expansion at Mercyhurst North East isn't limited to the physical. Just as the endowment was an integral part of the Erie campus goals, so it was at North East, where a board trustee and North East resident put his money where his faith was, in Mercyhurst North East.

Just three years ago, one scholarship was available for North East students. Now, 11 endowed scholarships have been established. This magnificent jump in endowment — to $2 million — stemmed from the challenge that college trustee Robert Miller put before

Mercyhurst in 2001: Raise $1 million to endow scholarships at Mercyhurst North East and the Robert S. and Janet L. Miller Family Foundation would match it.

r I i ETPfri;

M

m

The college met the Dec. 31,2003, dead­line and Miller kept his word, providing end­less opportunities for students to enjoy the advantage of Mercyhurst North East.

Bukowski may have checkmarks next to his lists now, but he isn't ready to rest just yet. Work has already begun on the next proj­ect... and he is already walking the halls of Old Main, making new lists in his mind.

Bukowski thanks his staff, the college com­

munity, and endless donors for their hard work,

generosity and belief in preserving the legacy

launched by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926.

By Gennifer Biggs

Mercyhurst College file photos

N o E M B E R 2 0 0 4 19

Building community keeps residence life staff on tneir toes

/Ground beef - $1.59 a pound Shredded cheese - $3.39 a bag Taco shells - $2.29 a box Jar of salsa - $2.49 A 12-pack of Coca-Cola ™, on sale - $2.99

Sharing Sunday dinner with your

residents - priceless.

When Kristin Kriegbaum became the resident assistant in the Duval apartments her senior year, she was challenged to build community and connect individually with nearly 50 women and men, mostly sopho­mores and seniors.

A first-time RA, she wracked her brain

for ways to tackle the challenge. The sophomores, they were easier. "The younger ones would come and

hang out, ask questions, they weren't too hard," said Kriegbaum, who graduated in May 2004 with a degree in forensic science. "But the seniors were more difficult to get to know."

Soon, after it became a regular habit of residents to drop by for snacks at Kriegbaum's apartment, she happened onto a plan - Sunday dinners with her residents.

'It just seemed like a good idea," she said. "I love to cook, and people were always stopping by and eating, so I figured, lef s make it formal. I saw it more as cooking din­ner for my roommates and inviting some friends to join us."

Kriegbaum quickly found that for many of her residents, particularly the seniors, Sunday dinner was time out for them regard­less, and spending it in her apartment was a chance for them to connect with her.

'The seniors really came, they didn't just eat dinner, they opened up and relaxed," said Kriegbaum. "It was like they were at then-parents' homes."

That connection, and the respect for Kriegbaum that was built through those sim­ple dinners, helped her manage a sometimes-unruly group of football players.

"They were really good kids, but they did get in trouble a lot at first," she said. "Once I built a relationship with them, then I could handle them nicely, and it was more like asking a friend for a favor than enforcing the rules."

Talk to Kriegbaum, even over the tele­phone for a few minutes, and you can feel the enthusiasm, excitement and pride that pro­pelled her into the top ranks of RAs in only one year.

THEY WERE REALLY GOOD KIDS,

BUT THEY DID GET IN TROUBLE

A LOT AT FIRST. ONCE I BUILT A

RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM,

THEN 1 COULD HANDLE THEM

NICELY AND IT WAS MORE LIKE

ASKING A FRIEND FOR A FAVOR

THAN ENFORCING THE RULES.

- Kristin Kriegbaum '04, former resident assistant

That ability to communicate with other students, even those far different, is a skill. To have the pride in Mercyhurst to be truly offended when a building is damaged or rules broken, that is part of it, too.

"It would really bother me to go in the door and see damage, signs ripped down or a railing pulled out," Kriegbaum said.

The desire to instill in her "kids" that same pride guided her through her year as an RA, and she soon saw those incidents all but fade away

"I wanted to be an RA because I really wanted to help build a sense of community," said Kriegbaum, who admits a less-than-stel-lar residence hall experience of her own helped push her toward taking on the chal­lenge of a floor full of kids.

"I also really like to help people, so it

was a logical step," she added. Programming - building that communi­

ty and pride that Kriegbaum worked so hard for in her apartment residents - has always been an important part of any RA's responsi­bilities. But as Mercyhurst has grown, its stu­dent population becoming more diverse, the emphasis on programming has increased.

"We use programming to engage stu­dents with the college," explained Laura Zirkle, director of residence life and student conduct. Programming reiterates a message students start to hear their very first day when Dr. William P. Garvey, college presi­dent, encourages them during freshman con­vocation to dive into college - to find friends, to join clubs, to make the Hill their home.

Once that gauntlet has been thrown down for the students, it is up to Zirkle, and the 75 resident assistants, four hall directors, and five assistant directors under her direc­tion, to help resident students, nearly 2,Q00 in all, feel at home.

"When you ask students why they are leaving, it is often money and this vague notion of not fitting in," explained Zirkle. "Programming is geared to not have that happen; we want to help them get involved."

Sometimes that means making cookies for a holiday, sometimes delivering hand­made birthday cards, sometimes hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for those residents who are far from home.

"We spend a lot of time explaining why good programming is important, but it is hard to explain that it will make a difference across the board," said Zirkle.

20 M R H U S T M I N

After the 2003-2004 academic year, and extremely strong programming, discipline incidents fell by 50 percent, which helped the residence life staff focus their RAs on the importance of programming.

All RAs are responsible for program­ming — they must plan, advertise, budget and report on about 12 events each year.

Programs include lunch/dinner outings with residents, campus outings, community building programs, educa­tional programs and bul­letin boards. In all, that means nearly 600 offerings each year are organized by RAs. They range from watching "American Idol" as a group to more intense offerings, such as date rape information or credit card fraud presentations.

Hurdles along the way include older students who have little time for pro­grams; space limitations in areas without lobbies, such as the Lewis townhouses; and maintaining creativity week after week.

Perhaps the biggest challenge to the residence life staff, outside of disci­pline, is programming.

"We've always had great RAs, but we haven't always had great programming/' explained Zirkle, who shouldered the responsibility of residence life in fall 1999. "It is this staff that has pushed the RAs for creativity and a new approach."

Her staff of assistant directors - Justin Ross, Alice Agnew, Trina Williams, Sarah Allen, and Joe Howard - has a few secrets for pushing the envelope and challenging RAs to look at programming with fresh eyes.

"What would you have liked to do when you were a freshman?" - that, said Ross, is the best question to ask new RAs as they tackle their plans for their first year of pro­gramming. "From a question like that we have ended up with great Super Bowl par­ties, some outreach programs. A lot of good programming comes from what our RAs

would have liked for someone to do for them."

Agnew said her favorite idea for new RAs is to get them thinking about the Mercy mission and ways students can work togeth­er for a community goal - such as a food drive or selling raffle tickets to raise Christmas money for a needy family.

"They seem to really enjoy ownership of those programs, looking at what they have

adds that it can also be hard to gauge what will be a success and what won't.

"You can have an RA who puts his or her heart and soul into it and everyone will think it will be great and two people will show up," explained Allen. That is where the ADs come in, offering constructive criticism and a pat on the back.

"We don't judge a successful program by how many show up, we judge a successful

program by the planning, the implementation," said Agnew. "It can be hard on them, but we try to talk them through it and encourage them to try again."

Ultimately, if pro­gramming works, it makes other aspects of RA life simpler.

"When your pro­gramming works, your residents get to know their neighbors better, and they tend to make better choic­es, so the number of disci­pline incidents is down and RAs can spend more casual time with residents and that is a great benefit," said Zirkle.

Zirkle said that after Students enjoying something as simple as a back-to-school cookout are meeting new friends, finding their comfortable niche at Mercyhurst... and, well, enjoying a free hot dog!

done, which is very tangible, and being proud of that," said Agnew.

For Allen, assistant director, the key is looking at outside sources for assistance, such as organizing a Mary Kay party or having a bank representative talk about personal finances.

On the flip side, Howard said suggesting to RAs that they ferret out interesting campus sources has also been a success.

"We had someone from the fashion department come in and talk about how to dress for interviews," said Howard, who called that program extremely popular.

Other approaches included reminding RAs that even small gatherings, simple gath­erings, can build community.

"Something simple with three or four

residents can be a program," said Zirkle, who

many years of experience with residence life, she has

found a great combination at Mercyhurst. Tve worked with a lot of RAs at a lot of

places, but I haven't enjoyed working with a staff as much as here," she said. "I think they are so committed and really get it that a pizza party can be so much more than just dinner. They understand that all those little things go into building a community, and making our residents feel at home."

And ultimately, the connection works

both ways. "I do miss them," said Kriegbaum, more

than a little note of sadness in her voice. "I miss my kids."

By Gennifer Biggs

Contributed photos

N O V E M 8 E 2 0 0 4 21

;As cjood a s if gets . . .

jKvfelligence. studies ks i \n ooa\ tc\a\c\nce~

When "hen Bill Newton Dunn, a member of the European Parliament, wanted credible intelligence analysis on criminal activity in the European Union (EU), where did he go for answers? He came clear across the Atlantic, specifically to Mercyhurst College and its department of intelligence studies, home of the pioneering Research/Intelligence Analyst Program (R/IAP) for undergradu­ates.

What he got was top-rate intelligence that he used as the basis of a newly published policy paper for the Liberal Democratic Party espousing the formation of a European FBI. R/IAP is credited in the publication for pro­viding research.

When Ben Rawlence, adviser for foreign affairs and defense with the Liberal Democrat Whip's Office in the London House of Commons, wanted research done on an issue under consideration by the EU, he, too, queried Mercyhurst intelligence studies stu­dents.

When Northrop Grumman Corporation, a $28 billion global defense company, went in search of new employees to support critical programs in its Mission Systems' sector, where did it turn? Again, it was R/IAP, which furnished seven candidates, all of whom were offered positions at very compet­itive salaries.

When R/IAP founder and former FBI deputy chief of counterterrorism Bob Heibel launched his distinctive program at Mercyhurst College in 1992 with 14 students, did he know just how good it would get?

Even he admits to being a little surprised at the program's phenomenal success, a pro­gram that, by the way has mushroomed into a full-fledged department - the department of intelligence studies chaired by Jim Breckenridge - complete with a new master's program in applied intelligence that debuted this fall.

"From the beginning, I felt there was a

market and there was a need and that we

would produce graduates who would be attractive to potential employers, but I guess I didn't fully realize just how good we'd become at doing that," he said.

Today Heibel said R/IAP is placing 98 percent of its students in quality intelligence positions.

What makes it all the more satisfying is • that the students don't have to go knocking on doors for attention. They are thriving on their collective reputation, one that European Parliament member Newton Dunn decided he'd put to the test.

Thirteen graduate students in assistant professor Kris Wheaton's intelligence com­munications class spent 10 weeks researching Newton Dunn's request to identify trends in criminal activity and policing within the EU.

The European Union is an organization of 25 European countries dedicated to increasing economic integration and strength­ening cooperation among its members. The ' European Parliament is the representative

22 M R H U M N

Bill Newton Dunn, a member of the European Parliament, came to Mercyhurst for answers.

assembly, of the EU and the sole EU body directly elected by the citizens of its member states. Newton Dunn is a liberal democrat representing the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom.

At the conclusion of winter term '04, Newton Dunn arrived on the Hill and took his seat in a R/IAP classroom where he heard the results of the students' research.

'It was a high-quality presentation and very valuable to me/' he confirmed later that evening. "We have a growing problem with organized crime in the EU, and the students' information will help me make an even stronger case for dealing with it."

And, indeed, that is exactly what hap­pened. Newton Dunn used the students' research as the basis of a Liberal Democratic

Party policy paper advocating that EU mem­ber countries pool their resources and form a European FBI to fight organized crime. Presently, police forces and legal jurisdictions in Europe are national in scope.

"When you get right down to it, the job of intelligence analysts is to inform policy­makers, and we did it," Wheaton said. "The outcome simply couldn't have been any better."

The exercise not only provided Newton Dunn with an intelligence report on which to base informed decisions, it provided Mercyhurst students the opportunity to work for a bonafide decision-maker.

"I think we definitely gave him a differ­ent perspective on the problem," said grad student Brett Oswick of Cleveland, Ohio. "We were prepared and I think that worked to everyone's advantage."

Likewise, said grad student Maryam Tatavosian of Irvine, Calif., "I think we devel­oped a respect and understanding for what the decision-makers are like in Europe and what issues they are dealing with."

Included in the students' briefing were reports on police counterterrorism activities in Germany, cigarette smuggling in France, and a type of cyber-crime called "phishing," which Wheaton described as sending out bogus e-mails that appear to come from rep­utable Web sites in order to steal information like social security numbers.

WHEN BILL NEWTON DUNN,

A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN

PARLIAMENT. WANTED

CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE

ANALYSIS ON CRIMINAL

ACTIVITY IN THE EUROPEAN

UNION (EU). WHERE DID HE

GO FOR ANSWERS? HE CAME

CLEAR ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

SPECIFICALLY, TO

MERCYHURST COLLEGE AND

ITS DEPARTMENT OF

INTELLIGENCE STUDIES, HOME

OF THE PIONEERING

RESEARCH/INTELLIGENCE

ANALYST PROGRAM (R/IAP)

FOR UNDERGRADUATES.

Last spring, another group of Wheaton's students completed a research project for United Kingdom parliament official Ben Rawlence, who made the following observa­tion in a letter to Heibel and Mercyhurst President Dr. William P. Garvey:

"The research carried out by your stu­dents was first class, and has been of substan­tial use to members of Parliament... It was comprehensive, well sourced and intelligent­ly put together. I have no hesitation recom­mending it to our MPs and Lords in the same way that I recommend briefings provided for us by professional research organizations such as STRATFOR or the House of Commons Library."

For a program that grooms its students to work behind the scenes in national defense, its phenomenal success is thrusting Mercyhursfs intelligence studies into the glow of global radiance.

Story and photos by Debbie Morton

Among the intelligence students working with Bill Neioton Dunn, a member of the European Parliament, were Brett Oswick and Maryam Tatavosian.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4 23

solace on e slopes

\

j Buyce, Ph.D., is a quiet man. Tall and wiry, Buyce is probably best

known as the resident geologist at Mercyhurst College, the only full-time faculty in that department.

But behind his mild-mannered facade, there lies the heart of a competitor.

So, when the cold days of Pennsylvania winters arrive, Buyce slips out of his geolo­gist persona and takes to the slopes as an expert downhill ski racer.

"Skiing fast and well is one of the best feelings I've ever had in my life," said Buyce. "Some days the rush is so intense that it seems that it must be illegal. Needless to say, the surroundings are incredible. And the ulti­mate bonus: that the people who are captivat­ed by skiing are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet."

It comes as no surprise that Buyce grew up in a family where skiing was the norm, first hitting the slopes of the Adirondack Mountains surrounding his childhood home in Lake Pleasant, N.Y, at age 4 in 1943 at the instigation and tutelage of his older brother.

With both mom and dad employed on Ski Patrol at the Oak Mountain Ski Area, it wasn't long before the younger Buyce was doing the same, joining the Ski Patrol at age 13. The Ski Patrol handles skier safety, ren­dering first aid to injured skiers, such as splinting broken legs, and transporting them via toboggans down to emergency care.

In those days, Oak Mountain was a pop­ular destination for skiers of the New York City Athletic Club, and it wasn't long before young ski patroller Buyce was invited to run the downhill race course as part of the club's

annual contest and bested the entire field.

"They sent a special trophy to me/' said Buyce, "and a ski racer was born."

From that background, Buyce jumped into ski racing with both feet while studying for his bachelor of science in geology at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. Organizing a ski racing club there, his team faced off against skiers from Syracuse University, Rochester Polytechnic Institute and Hobart College.

Buyce continued his amateur ski racing after graduating in 1961, expanding his field of competition by racing in the United States Ski Association Class C level during his tenure with the U.S. Geological Survey in Great Falls, Mont., in 1964.

"We raced at places like Big Mountain in Kalispell, Mont., Missoula Ski Bowl in

24 M R H U M I \

Missoula, Mont., and Bridger Ski Bowl at

Bozeman, Mont./' said Buyce. Then, after returning to the East to finish

his master's at the University of Massachusetts and his doctoral degree at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., Buyce began racing for the Sitzmarker Ski Club of Albany.

"We would race in club-sponsored events in the Adirondacks and in nearby Vermont (such as Bromley and Snow Valley)/' said Buyce. "The best overall skiers were awarded trophies at the end of each sea­son and I managed to win that award a half dozen times between 1969 and 1979."

That success led twice to invitations to compete in Vail, Colo. "Unfortunately, I had to pass up the chances due to an infected fin­ger (he was sharpening skis) and then because of a torn ACL," explained Buyce.

Meanwhile, Buyce was also racing in a Veterans Race Circuit now called the Master's Circuit.

"It is for has-beens and never-were rac­ers including some ex-Olympians," said Buyce.

Included in his memories of those racing days is Olympic silver medal winner Brooks Dodge, who Buyce admits thinking was, at age 42, ancient. "We were all in our 20s and 30s," he adds.

"We raced in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire," recalled Buyce. "I raced one year at the national finals for that circuit and did pretty well in my age group, beating out an art professor from Dartmouth College as I recall. He won in another way later by having two sons who made it to the Olympic team."

While skiing, Buyce continued to work, first as a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey based in Albany, N.Y., and later as an environmental geologist with a private firm in Denver, Colo.

In 1984, he joined the Mercyhurst College community, and now serves as the sole full-time faculty in geology, pairing much of his work with the efforts of the Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute.

Once here, Buyce continued to pursue his fast-paced hobby, serving as mentor to the college ski club, and racing at Peek 'n Peak Ski Resort in Findley Lake, N.Y.

"We ski during winter term. The club goes to Peek 'n Peak on Tuesdays, leaving at 5 p.m. and returning to campus by 11 p.m.," explained Buyce. "While it's not a major time commitment, people have been known to study ... or prepare lectures ... at the lodge while waiting for the ride home after a cou­ple of fast runs down the race course."

It was only in recent years that the team racing Buyce knew so well was replaced with NASTAR racing.

Developed in 1968, NASTAR (NAtional STAndard Race) is the largest recreational ski and snowboard race program in the world. The goal of the organization is simple — to provide a fun, competitive and easily accessi­ble racing program that, through the devel­opment of a handicap system, allows racers of all ages and abilities to compare them­selves with one another regardless of when and where they race.

Buyce explained further: "Anyone can race and win bronze, silver or gold medals based on your performance relative to a local ski racer called a pacesetter. That skier goes to a pacesetting trial at a regional ski area and

SKIING FASTANDWELLIS I

ONE OF THE BEST FEELINGS

I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE.

SOME DAYS THE RUSH IS SO

INTENSE THAT IT SEEMS THAT

IT MUST BE ILLEGAL

- Ray Buyce, associate professor of geology

races against someone from the U.S. National Olympic team and earns a handicap, then each time we race against that pacesetter at the Peak, we are racing against his or her time adjusted by the national handicap so that we can compare our performance against the national team racer."

In 2000,2001 and 2002, Buyce qualified to go the NASTAR national finals competi­tion held out West, which meant racing for two days against the best citizen racers in the county, as well as against national ski team members A. J. Kitt and Peekaboo Street. Buyce placed fifth in his age group of 60-64.

In 2003-2004 alone, more than 100,000 individuals raced NASTAR, and Buyce is noted as an expert racer on the NASTAR Web site.

"My level of expertise has never been close to national or Olympic team levels, but I have always enjoyed ski racing competition and still do whenever I'm able and get the chance," said Buyce, who shares his passion for downhill ski racing with daughter Cindy '98, and many students on the campus over the last two decades.

"Students are a bit surprised to find I enjoy skiing," admitted Buyce, adding with a bit of chuckle: "But not as surprised as they are when they find out that they can't beat

me. tt

By Gennifer Biggs

Contributed photos

Ray Buyce, associate professor of geology, began his love affair with speed and the slopes at age 4.

N o E M B I; 2 0 0 4 25

a Notes

Xke Sixties

Joan Kostolansky Santangelo '60, Erie, and Frank Santangelo celebrated their first wed­ding anniversary in June 2004.

Janet Kuss Martin '60, Milton, Fla., has retired as full professor in the College of Business of Pensacola Junior College, Pensacola, Fla., after a 43-year teaching career. Her most recent endeavors included the development and teaching of computer applications courses over the Internet. During her tenure, Janet received many awards, including the "National Teaching Award" presented by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, "Outstanding Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year Award" presented by the Horida Business Education Association, and "The Golden Apple Award" as one of the "Teacher of the Year" recipients for Escambia County, Fla. Janet and her husband plan to spend their retirement enjoying their waterfront home and playing with their grandchildren.

Charlotte Weinert Kundrath '60, Clinton, Conn., earned the designation e-pro realtor, a National Association of Realtors designation in the use of technology.

XKe Sevent ies

Peggy Murrell Brace 71, Erie, has completed a Cleveland Institute of Art forensic facial reconstruction course. She was awarded resi­dency at the Vermont Studio Center Artists Community and is part of the art faculty at Mercyhurst.

Nancy Borowski Recker 76, Lima, Ohio, has been promoted to associate professor at Ohio State University.

Anne Schilling Detweiler 78, Uniontown, Pa., is the owner of Pepperberries, a shop for natural and artificial floral design, antiques and gifts, located in Uniontown.

JoAnn DeSantis-Barnes 79, Erie, is a senior human resources director for RentWay Inc., headquartered in Erie. She has recently been nominated for a board member position with Community Resources for Independence Inc., an organization that serves to support people with disabilities to become fully integrated into society. JoAnn is also a Realtor with Pro-Realty of Erie.

Roseane Law Paligo 79, Erie, has recently joined 1st Choice Community Federal Credit Union as their CFO.

XKe ficjlrtfes

Karen Claunch Coppola '82, Franklin, Mass., has been promoted to senior vice president, director of marketing for The TJX Cos. Inc. In her new role, she will oversee all aspects of marketing for both the T.J. Maxx and Marshalls retail chains, encompassing more than 1,400 stores.

Jane Cassano Culmer '83, Grove City, Pa., received state certification as an instructional technology specialist through Carlow College in Pittsburgh. She teaches all first- through fifth- grade technology for the Slippery Rock School District in Slippery Rock, Pa.

Tke A) irelies

Anthony Prusak '90, Cleveland, Ohio, is director of sales for the Sheraton Cleveland Airport Hotel. In addition, he is part owner of the 806 Wine and Martini Bar and Big Guys Pizza.

Richard Yarosz '90, Pittsburgh, Pa., was appointed director of sales for the Wyndham Pittsburgh Airport, responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, advertising and promotions.

Katherine O'Reilly '91, Dublin, Ireland, has returned to her native Ireland and is a lectur­er in medicine for the department of medi­cine and therapeutics at the Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research of University College Dublin.

Lynne Nalducci '93, Coraopolis, Pa., is work­ing as an employee assistance professional for 3M.

Kerry Erwin Roland '96, Syracuse, N.Y., is a pre-K special education teacher.

Rahsaah Roland '96, Syracuse, N.Y., is a pharmaceutical representative for Aventis.

Heather Winkler Pearson '96, Bellefonte, Pa., had earned a counseling license and is look­ing forward to opening a child therapy pri­vate practice clinic in State College, Pa. She also plans to have her therapy puppets patented to use with art therapy clients.

Ann Rzodkiewicz Badach '98, Erie, has accepted a position with Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Erie as the diocesan director of family ministries.

Mark Karpinski '99, Laramie, Wyo., complet­ed his master's degree in anthropology from the University of Wyoming in May 2004.

XKe A^ill^™^^

Jessica Potter '00, Erie, received her master of science in social work from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in May 2004.

Alexander Thompson '00, Erie, received his master of education in school administration from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in May 2004.

Andrew Wade '00, Boardman, Ohio, was recently appointed head sanitation engineer at the Polk Mental Institution in Franklin, Pa.

Erin Haas '02, Houston, Texas, is enrolled in the molecular and human genetics doctoral program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

26 M H U R M I \

Brittany Ordiway '02, Erie, is an associate

financial advisor with HBK Sorce.

Elizabeth Stroup '02, Erie, received her mas-ter of science in social work from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in May 2004.

Darren Forgea '03, Cummington, Mass., has accepted a position with the Department of Homeland Security as a uniform division officer with the U.S. Secret Service.

Michael Nagy '03, Apollo, Pa., is an associate

financial advisor with HBK Sorce.

Ashleigh Wehrle '03, Erie, is a retirement plan specialist for HBK Sorce.

August Costa '04, Cupertino, Calif., is attend­ing the Limpopo Archaeological Field School in South Africa, sponsored by the University of Wifwafersrand in Johannesburg, then going on to work on an "early man" site in Orde, Spain.

Beth Hurrianko Murphy '95 and husband Stephen had a daughter, Lily Grace, March 17, 2004.

Renee Masters Doody '97 and husband Michael had a daughter, Sierra Lynn, May 28, 2004.

Matthew Wilds '97 and wife Jackie had a daughter, Emily Marie, June 26,2004.

Melissa Morrison '99 and husband E.J. had a daughter, Maya Rose, March 18,2004.

Jenny Standfest Fiscus '00 and husband Jed

had a daughter, Anna Lynn, Aug.15,2004.

Wedding

Anthony Prusak '90 married Christy Wilson July 3,2004, at St. John Cantius Church in Cleveland, Ohio.

B i rtW Julie Zipp Burlingame '90 married Timothy Gottschling July 10,2004, at Sunset Inn, Erie.

Carrie Tovey '97 married Ron Leeds June 4, 2004, at St. Jude Catholic Church in Erie. The wedding party included Vanessa Pappalardo '97, Dana Gills Eder '97, Janel Metz '97 and Jennifer Fragle Pitrone '97.

Mark Karpinski '99 married Beth Pettit '01 June 12,2004, at St. Sebastian Church in Pittsburgh, Pa. Christina Pappas '01 was

maid of honor.

Georgann Butterfield '00 married Anthony Furs Aug., 7,2004, at Christ the King Chapel, Mercyhurst College, Erie.

Ruth Mudge '00 married James Daley July

24,2004, at Hudson Mills Park in Dexter,

Mich.

Jesse Wakeman '00 married Allison Oberle '01 April 17,2004, in Baltimore, Md.

Jessica Metzger Swiech '89 and husband

Craig had a son, Chaderick Aiden, April 8,

2004.

Gabrielle Blanchard Carneglia '91 and hus­band Michael had a daughter, Gianna Mary, July 18,2004.

Lewis McClain '91 and wife Reem had a daughter, Zoey Juliana-Lewis, Jan. 4,2004.

Charise Moore Scharfeld '91 and husband

Greg had a son, Davis Moore, July 24,2003.

Gregory Parsons '91 and wife Theresa had a daughter, Anna Lynn, April 19,2004.

Gerald Battle '94 and wife Mary Jo (Keister) '04 had a son, Trey John, Sept. 23,2003.

Toby Johnson '95 and wife Norma (Telega) '95 had a daughter, Julia Christine, July 19,

2004.

Theresa and Gregory Parsons '91 married

May 18,2002.

Paula Platek '93 married Alan Lewis Aug. 21, 2004, at Holy Trinity Church, Robinson Township.

Gerald Battle '94 married Mary Jo Keister '04 July 15,2003.

Daniel Carbonetti '94 married Laurel Stradtman May 22,2004, in St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Brunswick, Ohio.

Kerry Erwin '96 married Rahsaah Roland Sept. 4,2004.

Heather Winkler '96 married Jeremy Pearson in July 2001.

Kelly Wasko '00 married J. Scott Newton May 15,2004, at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Sharon, Pa. Attendants included Jeannine Gilmore '00 and Katie Conley Bunn '00.

Laura Chrulski '01 married David McCoy '01 Aug. 30,2003, at the Church of St. Clarence, North Olmsted, Ohio. The wed­ding party included Ruth Burgett '01 and Andrew Cieminis '01.

Michelle Sprowls '01 married James Brace April 24,2004, at Millcreek Community Church in Erie.

Beth Donner '02 married Jason Kikola June 26,2004, at Lowville United Methodist Church in Lowville, Pa.

Tracy Palmer '02 married S. Paul Hanna '02 June 25,2004, at St. Ursula Church, Allison Park, Pa.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4 27

Jeffrey Halladay '03 married Nicole Kuss

June 12,2004, at St. Francis of Assisi Church

in Buffalo, N.Y.

Beth Merritt '03 married Thomas Berlin April

3,2004, at the Waterfall Restaurant in Erie.

Katie Sweeney '03 married Cory Rush June

5,2004, at St. Luke Catholic Church in Erie.

Michelle Hawkins '04 married Chad

McKenery June 25,2004, at United Methodist

Church in Ripley, N.Y.

dond o\e.nce.s

Alumni Ethel Levick Shapira Silver '32

Jeanne M. Nuber Kennedy '38

Evarita Flaherty Chisholm '39

Mary Alice Kuhn Held Schultz '39

Josephine Murf Casavale '40

Burnham Nehin Cutler '42

Ruth Turner Brandschutz '43

Coletta Crawford Ginnard '49

Sister M. Damien Mlechick, RSM '56

William R. Rice '80

Linda S. Carlson '86

Father of

Gail Lewis '81 (Richard J. Lewis Jr.)

Mother of

Gary Shapira, President's Associate (Ethel

Silver '32)

Julia Cutler 76 (Burnham Nehin Cutler '42)

Son of

M. Eugenia Andrecovich O'Brien '39

(Michael O'Brien)

Shirley Sommerhof Colvin Baressi '48 (Paul

M. Colvin)

Brother of

Linda Colvin Rhodes 70 (Paul M. Colvin)

Sister of

Sister Timothy Kelley, RSM (Juliann Kelley)

Friends of the College R. Benjamin Wiley, GECAC Executive

Director

Snap to, Skuttemucj!

New buildings, new programs, more

students than ever - Mercyhurst College is

growing by leaps and bounds, and the public

relations and publications office is looking for

photographs of your favorite parts of our

beautiful campus.

So, starting now and continuing through

June 15,2005, we will be accepting entries for

our "Take Your Best Shot" photo contest.

Prizes will be awarded for first, $100;

second, $50; and third, $25, and the contest is

open to students, alumni, employees and the

community. (There is a 10-photo limit per

person.)

Images should reflect the values, campus

atmosphere, and mission of Mercyhurst

College, and the college will consider for

publication the most unique submissions.

Subject matter can be anything found on

the Erie and North East campuses of

Mercyhurst College.

Photos may be digital (minimum 300

dpi); color prints, or black and white prints.

All entries become the property of

Mercyhurst College and may be used, with­

out further compensation, for any and all

advertising and promotional purposes with a credit line given to the photographer.

Submissions will not be returned.

The contest will run until June 15,2005.

Winners will be announced in the fall edition

of Mercyhurst Magazine after notification via

e-mail/telephone.

£jgW KODAKS u you press the

butt, on.

we do the rest."

Seven Nem <*t.,i

K ee P in toucK coupon p Help us fill the Class Notes pages. Share your news of a NEW baby or marriage, promotion, trans­

fer, new job, award or honor, works published or new degrees. We also welcome professional photo­graphs and 35mm one-subject close-up snapshots. Photographs will be returned if requested. Information is used as space permits.

Mail your news to Mercyhurst Magazine, Alumni Office, Mercyhurst College, 501 E. 38th St., Erie, PA 16546; fax (814) 824-2153 or e-mail <tgandolf®mercyhur$t.edu>. Mercyhurst invites letters to the editor.

Name News item

Address

City State Zip

Phone

Maiden Name

Name of Spouse

Mercyhurst Class/Degree

E-mail

28 M E R ii U R M A G I N

TAK£ VOLAR BBST Sf \OX

Entry Form

Name

Citv

Address

State ZIP

Telephone (Daytime)

E-mail

(Evening)

Age

Number Of Entries (limit 10)

RULES

Prints must be 5x7 inches or 8x10 inches.

No slides or e-mail entries.

If you are submitting a hard copy of a digital photo, you must also submit the photo on compact disk.

Every image submitted must have a completed version of this form attached to the back.

Any person(s) or their guardian(s) appearing in the photograph must sign the entry form as a release.

The contest will be judged on theme, creativity and technical quality.

Entrants under 18 years of age must submit a release from a parent or guardian.

All entries become the property of Mercyhurst College and will not be returned.

I hereby certify that the photo I am about to submit is my original work and has never been copyrighted or, if copyrighted, that I am the sole copyright owner.

I am entering this photo as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it may be published as my original

work.

All entries become the property of Mercyhurst College and may be used, without further compensation, for any and all advertising and promotional purposes with

a credit line given to the photographer.

Submissions will not be returned.

I have read the contest rules and affirm that this entry is in compliance with them. I understand that Mercyhurst assumes no responsibility for the photos

submitted.

Signature of Contestant Date

If under the age of 18, Parent's or Guardians Signature

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4 29

Taking a sWmg a t golf . . . on fKe. Pilates mat?

Let ^o\\y\ J^Aanoney ;86 snow you kow.

Whack! The stunningly loud sound of a driver hitting a golf ball reverberated through the crowd gathered on the first tee at the Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pa.

But, the golfer intently watching the tiny white ball soar toward the first hole of the course wasn't quite what you might expect.

Instead of an adult male golfer, caddie in tow, cameras snapping all around the green, the toned, tan young athlete moving graceful­ly down the hill toward the first hole was a 15-year-old girl, and her first attack of the day left most adult golfers muttering about the strength of the next generation.

Among those admiring the strength and flexibility of the young woman, who was one of dozens of golfers who flocked to Erie Aug. 9 -15 for the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, was John Mahoney '86, for­mer Mercyhurst golf team member and expert Pilates instructor who returned to his hometown to watch a client, Lauren Mielbrecht, play in the tournament.

Mahoney, who along with siblings Rhonda 71, James 75, Judy 77, Leanne '83 and Trisha '83, graduated from Mercyhurst, admitted it was sort of unusual to stand on a hometown course he had once played - 20 years ago - under circumstances related not to family ties, but business ties.

"I am usually in town for visits with my family," said Mahoney, who tries to return to Erie twice a year. But this time, it was a client who was his focus, one of the many golfers who have made Mahone/s Delray Beach, Fla., Pilates studio a huge success.

'These young women are hitting better than many men, they are so much more physical," explained Mahoney, who credits Tiger Woods for bringing fitness into golf. "They work extremely hard to stay fit, but the golf swing is so bad for the spine, they usually still struggle with injuries."

That is where Pilates comes in. Described as a series of specific, often strenu­ous, movements that include highly coordi­nated breathing techniques, all designed to

strengthen the entire body, but especially the core. The training, named for founder Joseph H. Pilates, also focuses on flexibility, fueling its popularity among athletes.

Mahoney, who works with LPGA stars Beth Daniels and Meg Mallon, among others, said his specialty helps provide flexibility and strength — all wrapped up in a package the players can take on the road with them.

"Once thev learn the movements, all they need is a mat," said Mahoney, whose business, Pilates Off-the-Avenue, started as a home-based business that grew into its own space about two years ago.

Those who had Mahoney in class at Mercyhurst College might be surprised at the focused businessman of today; Mahoney admits to being a less than stellar student.

"I wanted to be a doctor," he said, explaining his biology degree, "but you have to study and do homework, and I didn't do that."

Instead, Mahoney went to work in a hos­pital in Arizona, realized medicine wasn't for him, and then eventually turned his interest to physical therapy after a knee injury put him in the care of a therapist. After graduat­ing from the University of Miami, Mahoney took his physical therapy skills on the road, working three-month contracts all over the United States. During those travels, he stum­bled upon Pilates, and eventually made his way to the original Pilates studio in New York, where he trained with Romana Kryzanowska, an 80-year-old who learned directly from Joseph Pilates. It took more than a year before he was a certified instruc­tor and struck out on his own in Florida.

"Some of that training was hard to swal­low," admits Mahoney, who said that Kryzanowska's instruction often flew in the face of his medical training. "But I had to trust that it worked for me, so I did it."

Mahoney said that the gift of Pilates is how it allows for a lifetime of fitness, often the last option for people who have suffered from chronic pain and exhausted other routes.

John Mahoney '86 stretches LPGA star Beth Daniels at his Pilates studio in Florida.

"Here is a something we can give people after they have tried everything else with no luck," said Mahoney.

Pilates is also perfect for those who strive to extract the best from their bodies, such as the dancers Mahoney works with at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Fla. Homage to the idea it is a small world, one of his clients, Sarah James, is now on the Mercvhurst dance roster under the tutelage of dance department director Tauna Hunter.

Considering how much success Pilates has brought to those Mahoney works with, it comes as no surprise how content the 40-year-old Mahoney is with his business, and a life packed with clients that range from future ballerinas to current golf stars.

'It is fun being on your own," admits Mahoney, who says the winter months are nearly overwhelmingly busy at the studio, so summer offers a welcome break. "If you don't have anything on the schedule, you can just hang the sign on the door that says 1?ack in an hour/ and head for the beach."

Given his success, Mahoney is looking forward to training a second instructor, and heading back to the links after a long absence.

"I hadn't played in years," said Mahoney, who was on the Mercyhurst team with current golf coach Dave Hewett in the mid-'80s. "But being around it all the time now, it has made my interest flair again."

For more on Mahone/s work with LPGA stars Meg Mallon and Beth Daniels, visit httv:llzvioio.lv?a.comlentertainment con­

tent.aspx?pid=2922&mid=3

By Gennifer Biggs

Photo contributed by LPGA

30 V B R C Y H U R S T M A G A Z I N E

c oo aw blows fk^oucfk O l d ]\Aa\n - - •

Remember the shirtless, swoon-inducing construction worker in TV ads for Diet Coke and the tender young females who couldn't resist gazing upon him? Cathy Anderson can relate.

As soon as the HVAC team converged on campus last summer, bringing the promise of cool, refreshing air to Old Main for the first time in its 78-year history, the associate VP of student development began eyeballing the crew.

"We all look longingly upon them," Anderson said from her third floor office one August afternoon.

But she could care less about six-packs and tight glutes. She was strictly into their pipes; the ones they were installing — and nowhere near fast enough, she figured — in Mercyhursfs historic building.

Like many in the college community whose workday home is Old Main, Anderson knew how summers without air conditioning could take their toll.

"I had been through summers where you were a dishrag by the end of the day," she said. "It had gotten to the point where I had central air put into my house because I couldn't be here all day and go home to more of the same."

But like other sweat shop troopers, Anderson let humor buoy her.

YV\C\ C Kang e

"Trying to stay professional in appear-ance without violating any wardrobe proto­col wasn't easy," she said. "At a certain age, nobody wants to see more of you than they have to."

Admissions secretary Shirley Britt could identify with the wardrobe issues.

"I'd walk down the hall holding my skirt out, and I know everybody was saying — There she goes again!' — but otherwise your clothes just stuck to you."

It definitely got clammy. Fans posed marginal relief, wafting the stagnant air across the office and sending papers swirling. As you grappled to keep them on your desk, they would "stick to your arms like flypaper," recounted Mary Daly '66, senior assistant to the president.

The industrious admissions team strived to make the most of their assortment of fans. Britt assembled as many as four in her office, including one strategically situated to hit the back of her legs.

Travis Lindahl '00 '03, associate director of admissions, jury-rigged an oscillating floor fan so that it fit into his office window.

'That worked pretty well until it fell out of the window and I had to go outside and retrieve it," he said.

A flyswatter, meanwhile, was as essen­tial a piece of office equipment as pen and paper.

Daly acknowledged that since the win­dows of Old Main were sans screens, open­ing them to get fresh air also provided easy access to flies, bees, and assorted insects. The long-anticipated debut of air condition­ing in Old Main is not welcome relief for everyone, though. Like her contemporaries, Sheila Richter 77, coordinator of institutional research, suffered from the oppressive heat, but coped by installing her own screens, drinking lots of ice water, and making fre­quent trips to the "caf."

"I love the new windows we've got, but I hate air conditioning," she said. T don't use it at home or in my car. It affects my sinuses."

As for Tom Billingsley, executive vice president for administration, the memories of those hot summer days in his Old Main office generate little more than a residual chuckle.

"All I can say is 'Some like it hot!'"

Story by Debbie Morton

N o M B E R 2 0 0 4 31

Co\ wmn . . .

~T\\e A^^g^ijic^^ Seven \v\ a B o b "Heibe

see The Magnificent Seven?" It seemed like an odd question, even

coming from Bob Heibel. But as the maverick founder of

Mercyhurst's intelligence studies program -who came, who saw, and who conquered -maybe Heibel's query wasn't so anomalous after all.

"You know, the movie, the legendary Western," he prompted.

"No, Bob, sorry; can't say that I've seen it," came my awkward reply, now just a smidge irritated by the disappointment in his voice.

Come on, I thought to myself, this is a col­lege PR office, not Reel Entertainment Video.

Still, as he pressed on with his mental picture - I'm thinking hallucination at this point -1 began to recall snippets of the flick's advertising blitz.

Posters. Yes, I remember them. Posters of seven broad-shouldered gunslingers, includ­ing that blue-eyed hottie Steve McQueen, out to tame the West.

Seven Men. One Destiny. "OK, Bob, now that we're on the same

page, or should I say screen, where to from here?" I asked.

Was he pausing for effect? "Bob?" "Howabout... R/IAP'sMAGNIFI­

CENT SEVEN," he suggested. I could feel his glee pulse through the phone line.

It took only a second to register. Surely he was referring to the seven students in Mercyhurst's Research/Intelligence Analyst Program who were wooed by $28 billion global defense giant Northrop Grumman Corp. last spring, with every single one of them emerging with job offers at starting salaries to die for. It was an unprecedented triumph.

Posters. Recruiting brochures. Fliers. Heibel wanted to capitalize on the coup, and he was thinking big.

JODI HAD HER WORK CUT

OUT FOR HER THIS WAS NOT

A GROUP OF ASPIRING

MODELS OR ACTORS WHO

EMBRACED THE LIGHTS!

CAMERA! ACTION! SCENE.

THESE WERE INDIVIDUALS

RELEGATED TO THE

CLANDESTINE PURSUITS OF

THE INTELLIGENCE WORLD

AND IT WAS THERE, BEHIND

THE SCENES, THAT THEY WERE

MOST COMFORTABLE.

Only Heibel didn't have the budget to think big. Ah-ha, that's why he was calling me.

"Any ideas?" he queried. "I'll spring for the Stetsons."

Enter Mercyhurst's graphic design genius Jodi Staniunas-Hopper, who agreed to lend her talents gratis.

A few days later, Heibel summoned his Magnificent Seven - Dave Del Vecchio, Josh Hack, Lindsay Eichenmiller, Carly Williamson, Brett Oswick, Johnathan Kowalczuk and Erin Cunningham - and sent them off to the yearbook office in the Audrey Hirt Academic Center for a photo shoot.

Jodi had her work cut out for her. This was not a group of aspiring models or actors who embraced the Lights! Camera! Action! scene. These were individuals relegated to the clandestine pursuits of the intelligence world and it was there, behind the scenes, that they were most comfortable.

Still, Jodi persevered. Amid nervous laughter and a few "you've got to be kidding me" remarks, she assembled the students against a dark backdrop, positioning them in a dramatic "V," just like one of the posters I remembered.

Heibel, meanwhile, was conspicuously absent, but his Stetsons - those icons of the great American West - were supposed to have been delivered earlier in the day. Scanning the room, all we saw was a tall stack of giant sombreros leaning precariously against a far wall.

True, one of the most famous Westerns in the history of cinema may have been set against the backdrop of a small Mexican vil­lage but, surely, this multi-colored fiesta-wear was not Heibel's idea of rugged toppers for his Magnificent Seven?

Quick. Improvise. We attempted to sta­ple the floppy brims flush with the head­pieces, fashioning our own cowboy hats, but the result was - in a word - goofy.

Now surprisingly, or perhaps not, those of us participating in this production had become protective of its outcome. No way were our Magnificent Seven going to look goofy. So, we banished the hats altogether, citing directorial discretion.

An hour later, Jodi and her assistant, Tracey Crumb '04, called it a wrap, and took their digital camera to the graphic design lab, where the real genius of the project unfolded.

There, Jodi superimposed the students on the front lawn of Mercyhurst College with majestic Old Main in the background and generated an amazing artistic landscape. It was the cover of dreams, the poster de resis­tance, a showpiece extraordinaire.

Now to pitch it back to "the idea man." As he viewed the end product, Heibel

agreed it was, indeed, a masterpiece. Why, then, did I get this sense that he

was backpedaling? After all the work that

32 M E R C Y H U R S T M A G A Z I N E

COLLEGE PRESENTS R .LAP * ^ *

had been done at his urging, shouldn't he have been more jubilant?

"Come on, Bob, 'fess up," I said. Well, apparently, somewhere along the

way, someone whispered in this former deputy chief of counterterrorism's ear that maybe showcasing seven in a program whose graduates all are success stories in their own right wasn't proper protocol. Hence, Heibel, the gung-ho guy, became Heibel, the gun-shy guy

Now, as the facilitator of this idea man's vision, I became defensive. Focusing on seven students whose accomplishments represent a truly unique story, I argued, did not diminish the success of R/IAP's other graduates, some of whom, as individuals, received equal, or perhaps better, job offers. This was, I insisted, a story of The Magnificent Seven.

"You remember The Magnificent Seven, don't you Bob?" I teased. "Seven Men. One Destiny"

Still, not wanting to offend anyone, Heibel turned to me with a counter-proposal.

"Maybe you could use the picture in a magazine story?" he muttered.

"Maybe," I said, as I felt the wind slip from beneath my wings.

At that point, I was certain of only one thing: the next time Bob Heibel came to me with visions of grandeur, I'd suggest he find another Tonto and go the way of The Lone Ranger.

Debbie Morton, assistant director of public relations

From left: Dave Del Vecchio, Josh Hack, Lindsay Eichenmiller, Carly Williamson, Brett Oswick, Johnathan Kowalczuk, and Erin Cunningham.

Tracey Crumb, photo, Jodi Staniunas Hopper, photocomposite.

501 East 38th Street Erie, PA 16546 www.mercyhurst. edu

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