Hyek clashes

after classes
By Nick Glasier
view it as barbaric and all sorts of negative things,” Hyek said.
Hyek takes this criticism and relative negligence of his
Sports editor
career in stride and knows it will change if current trends in
the fighting world continue.
When most Mercyhurst students are partying or studying
“The fact is, people may not konw much about MMA now,
Friday night, George Hyek will step into a ring at the Avalon
but we are slowly but surely overtaking boxing, and many
Hotel, hoping to knock out the fighter standing across from
people in the fighting industry are really starting to embrace
him.
this fact,” Hyek said.
At 7 p.m. Hyek will square off against Jeremiah Gurley at
Despite opinions of his classmates, Hyek has made it to a
the 165-pound-weight class, looking to notch another profes-
very high level in his career as he looks toward his first profes-
sional win in mixed martial arts.
sional bout. The pressure is apparent, but a sense of hope is
Mixed martial arts (MMA) matches are some of the most
more evident.
intense, entertaining and brutal fights you will ever watch.
“All I am looking to do is go out there and knock this guy
Fighters pummel each other with fists, legs, knees and elbows,
out. There is no feeling like knocking someone out, and it
and that is just when they aren’t on the ground wrestling or
does pay extra,” Hyek said.
being put into submissions.
Hyek has it harder than most fighters in his quest for a
The other factor that makes being an MMA fighter tough,
knockout.
other than the physical punishment, is hte perception of the
Most of the fighters only have to fight one opponent at a
sport, especially on campus.
time. Hyek, on the other hand, combats two opponents for
“The culture around here about MMA is normally very neg-
every fight.
ative. People have told me how it disgusts them and how they Read more on Page 7
Page 2 NEWS September 16, 2009

Wecksell brings College comes

together for Mass
humor to ’Hurst
By Jennifer McCurdy
Contributing writer

Following his show in Taylor

Little Theatre on Friday, Sept.
11, comedian Evan Wecksell
tweeted, “I heart Mercyhurst.”
Apparently, Mercyhurst “hearts”
Evan Wecksell, too. Tyler Stauffer photo
“I’m a big fan of comedians The Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Smith walked into Christ the King
with guitars,” junior Amber Kiss- Chapel for the Mass of the Holy Spirit on Thursday, Sept. 10.
man said after the show. She thor-
oughly enjoyed the act, which
combined elements of comedy
and improvisation with music.
“He was very original,” junior
John Veltre said.
Wecksell, a native of Great
Neck, N.Y., created an act
inspired by the performances
of some of New York’s most
Tyler Stauffer photo
renowned comedians. After the mass, the Mercyhurst College community enjoyed
Wecksell has appeared on a picnic lunch in front of Old Main.
VH1’s “I Love the 80s 3D,” “I

Love the 70s II” and “I Love
Toys.” He has also released his
comedy songs to radio outlets
including the Dr. Demento
Radio Show, Sirius and XM.
Along with taping the fourth
season of “America’s Got
Talent” and working on his
first feature film, “Columbus
Circle,” Wecksell continues to
tour college campuses across
the nation.
Wecksell’s comedy highlights
the college experience.
In a new song which debuted
at Mercyhurst College, Wecksell
pokes fun at the college experi-
ence of drinking: “Staggering
drunk girl, a lightweight in every
sense, thinks the world revolves
around her, but that’s only diz-
ziness.” However, he warns of
the dangers of drinking halfway
through his song, cautioning that
“you do have to be responsible.”
Although Wecksell ad-
Comedian Evan Wecksell performed in Taylor Little Theatre
on Friday, Sept. 11. He combined elements of comedy and
improvisation with music.
libbed a fair portion of the
show, the comedian had obvi-
ously done his homework.
Wecksell visited the campus,
and after touring the new resi-
dence hall Friday afternoon, he
joked, “When I say Warde, you
say hotel.”
He also topped his list of
“Top Ten Things about Mercy-
hurst College” with, “You’re not
Gannon!”
The comedian supplemented
his act by pulling volunteers
onto the stage and holding a
contest inspired by fmylife.com,
which ended in one student
winning one of Wecksell’s CDs,
Contributed photo
titled “For The Mortgage.”
After the show, Wecksell sold
these CDs to raise money for
the New York City Marathon
for Fight for Kids, a charity
which attempts to prevent abu-
sive psychiatric treatment and
over-drugging of children.
For any new Wecksell fans, or
any of those who did not attend
the show but wish they had, this
fall the comedian will continue
to tour colleges not only as a
single act but also as a part of
“College The Musical: A Musi-
cal About College,” an original
musical comedy set to debut in
October.
Campus minister
position restructured
By Kelly Luoma
News editor
The Protestant campus min-
ister position, formerly held by
the Rev. Lyta Seddig, has been
restructured.
Director of Campus Min-
istry Greg Baker said, “The
model of a part-time campus
minister was not as effective
[as it could be].”
Seddig, who came to Mercy-
hurst College in 2001, worked
15 to 16 hours a week.
“Several people, including
myself, tried to look at the
effectiveness of the position,”
Baker said.
According to Baker, the first
priority of the restructuring
was to find someone who was
more accessible to students by
being available both mornings
and evenings.
The Rev. Christine Brother-
son was chosen as the full-time
Protestant minister.
The departure of Seddig did
sadden Baker, he said.
“It was not an easy transi-
tion for me, personally,” Baker
said.
However, Baker is pleased
with how the transition has
gone so far.
“I’m extremely optimistic
about our future and our min-
istries,” Baker said.
September 16, 2009 NEWS Page 3

Service Fair highlights local volunteer opportunities

By Kelly Dempsey
Contributing writer
The annual Service Fair makes
Mercyhurst College students
more aware of volunteer and
service opportunities available
throughout the school year.
Whether students are inter-
ested in volunteering simply to
help out or need service hours
for classes or major require-
ments, the Service Learning
Department dedicates one day
at the beginning of each aca-
demic year to educate students
on the different service organi-
zations available.
Mercyhurst’s annual Service
Fair, which hosts 26 local non-
profit organizations, took place
Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the Her-
rmann Student Union.
These nonprofit organiza-
tions include large, national
organizations such as Habitat
for Humanity and the Booker T.
Washington Center.
Organizations such as the
Ophelia Project and CHAMPS,
which emphasize mentoring, are
included as well.
Colin Hurley, director of
Service Learning, said the Ser-
vice Fair is important because
it helps students to know “how
and where to serve for service
learning classes, and how they
can make great connections for
future careers.”
Another service emphasized
at the fair was Americorps
VISTA, headed at Mercyhurst
by Amanda Hamorsky. Ameri-
corps VISTA provides such
services as transportation to
service sites and opportunities
for 24-hour service events.
“The service fair went well,
although we had less traffic this
year,” Hamorsky said.
Hamorsky believes attendance
was lower this year because of
the changes in the Laker Inn.
Students are no longer able to
use board plans at the Laker Inn,
and this has caused a decline in
student traffic throughout the
Student Union.
Alicia Cagle, one of the stu-
dents who did make it to the ser-
vice fair this year, said the Service
Fair was a “great opportunity to
find out how to get involved in
the Erie community.”
Students who are inter-
ested in serving others Tyler Stauffer photo
are encouraged to contact Freshmen Emily Salone and Andrea Lisowski spoke to
Colin Hurley in the Service Britney Cerrie from Habitat for Humanity at the Service Fair on
Learning office on the first floor Wednesday, Sept. 9. The annual Service Fair informs
of Egan. Mercyhurst students about volunteer opportunities in Erie.

Liquor Law Violation 3926 Briggs Avenue Police arrest suspect Ways to help
protect yourself:
Saturday, Sept. 5 College discipline
in armed robbery • Keep your vehicle
Liquor Law Violation Warde Hall locked at all times.
Sunday, Sept. 6 College discipline By Kelly Luoma
News editor • At night, try to park
in well lit areas.
Liquor Law Violation 3926 Briggs Avenue Erie police have arrested a suspect in the Sept. 9 armed rob-
Monday, Sept. 7 College discipline beries of CVS and Little Caesars. • If someone is
Erie police apprehended the suspect, Jayme Smith, on Friday, following you, create
3808 Briggs Avenue Sept. 11. According to Erie police, Smith, 31, of Erie, is charged a disturbance and run
Weapons/ with robbing Kmart, Tops, CVS and Circle K, and is under towards an open
Drug Violations Expelled/Pending Criminal Charges investigation for robberies at VIP Laundry and Dry Cleaning building.
Tuesday, Sept. 8 Police & Safety will not release and Little Caesars, police said.
Smith’s charges include robbery, terroristic threats, theft by • When leaving a
more information at this time unlawful taking and receiving stolen possessions, according to building, look around
Erie police. He was charged with the CVS and Circle K robber- the area outside
Liquor Law Violation 4009 Lewis Avenue ies on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
before exiting.
Sunday, Sept. 13 College discipline Some portions of the stolen money have been recovered,
police said. • Promptly report
No one was injured during any of the robberies. any suspected
Smith is currently in the Erie County prison in lieu of bail.
Sept. 5 - 13, 2009 Following the robberies, chain text messages and rumors
criminal activity to
drifted among students until Chief of Mercyhurst Police and the Police and Safety
Safety Ken Sidun sent a campus-wide email Thursday after- Department.
noon.
• Travel in pairs
“I want students to be aware of what’s going on in the neigh-
borhood,” Sidun said. or in groups.
Page 4 FEATURES September 16, 2009

Game of the Week: ‘Restaurant City’

Charles Wheaton’s weekly computer video game review
By Charles Wheaton
Contributing writer
Pros: Fun, free, simple,
social
Cons: Tends to glitch
Overall: 4 of 5 stars
Here is a small jewel you may
not have heard of on Facebook.
“Restaurant City,” made by Play-
Fish, is a fun little game about
restaurant management.
You would think that a game
about restaurant management
would be boring but, surpris-
ingly, it is very fun and it’s
FREE!!
After playing it, I found it is
a great game to pass the time in
your dorm room. I personally
am slightly addicted to it.
The restaurant practically
runs itself. All you really have
to do is make new combina-
tions of food and decorate your
restaurant as well as keeping
“employees” energized and cus-
tomers happy with your service.
The game seems to be a
mash-up of a massively multi-
player online role playing game
(MMORPG) and a strategy
game.
Because it is on Facebook,
you can play with any of your
friends. You can compare,
cooperate, and compete with
your friend’s restaurants.
You can also personalize your
“Avatar” (your character in the
game) to look as similar or dif-
ferent to you as you want.
The strategy in the game is in
how you set up your tables and
stoves. This determines how
well your restaurant will do.
A very spacious and open res-
taurant, for example, may make
your waiters take longer to get
to tables. This makes your
customers impatient and leave,
making your restaurant rating
go down and, of course, you get
no money.
You will also restrict how
many customers you can serve.
Potential customers will leave if
there is a lack of seating. Screen capture from Facebook’s Restaurant City
So the game is a little bit of This easy-to-play game on Facebook gets four stars from
a balancing act between what reviewer Charles Wheaton.
looks nice, what is practical,
what is too much, and what is best way to avoid this is to have right in front of them.
too little. a good Internet connection. If you want contact me, get
However, the downside to The game does not have the tips, tricks, or just meet other
this game is, because it is so best artificial intelligence (AI) people who have an interest
simple, it has a tendency to be so you will find yourself won- games, Go to the Mercyhurst
very glitchy at times and some- dering why your waiters won’t game geeks group on Face-
times it won’t work at all. The clean the table that is sitting book.

No car, no problem! EMTA rides through Erie

By Javi Cubillos
Features Editor
Did you dread that yellow school bus ride during
high school? Ever wish you had a car to get around
instead?
Well, if you’re a freshman, you can’t have a car yet,
but at least you can ride a bus that won’t make you feel
like a middle-schooler anymore.
Mercyhurst College provides students with an EMTA
shuttle that takes them to various places on Peach Street
and downtown.
With student IDs, Mercyhurst students can get free
rides on any of the EMTA busses.
Route 17 covers Mercyhurst’s main campus, the Sum-
mit shopping area and downtown Erie.
This means you can go to the mall, supermarket, the
movies, restaurants and more. You can catch connec-
tions to other routes at any of the other EMTA bus
stops.
Busses pass through each stop every hour on the
hour, so make sure you are waiting at the stop on time;
if you miss the bus, you’ll have to wait another hour
for pick-up.
I can tell you from personal experience that a bus
ride on the shuttle can sometimes be the highlight of
your day or night.
“I love the shuttle rides with my friends. It lets me
relax while getting to my destination,” junior Felicia
Guerra said.
As you will soon realize, unlike many other places,
owning a car at Mercyhurst College is not a necessity.
The shuttle provides transportation to students with-
out the hassle of having to get gas, getting directions
or having to find parking. This is quite a commodity
since parking is expensive and hard to find on-campus,
especially when it is snowed under.
Bus drivers are friendly and always ready to answer
any schedule or route questions for students.
Route 17 has daily rides to different locations. On
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, the bus
takes students to the mall, Target, Giant Eagle and other
stores on Peach Street. Night routes run Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturdays.
Javi Cubillos photo
For more information on routes and schedule, visit
www.emtaerie.com/routes.html. Wait for the EMTA buses at the stops marked by
these signs.
September 16, 2009
Beads, boxes recycled in faculty art
By Sam Williams
Graphics editor
Numerous styles that all art
students have to apply to their
work, such as Zeitgeist, content,
composition, technique and
craft were shown off at the Art
Faculty Exhibition now on dis-
play in the Cummings Art Gal-
lery at Mercyhurst College.
The exhibit, which opened
on Wednesday, Sept. 9, was
embraced by students, alumni
and community members alike.
They were greeted by a visually
appealing variety of thought-
provoking artwork.
Portraits made from iron-
on plastic beading are situated
next to a precious gem collage,
Wait is over: 3eb makes comeback
By Kyle King
Copy editor
The wait is over. Third Eye
Blind, the preeminent band of
choice on college campuses
nationwide, finally released
its long-delayed fourth studio
album, “Ursa Major,” on Aug.
17.
Playing on campus in May
as part of Mercyhurst’s annual
SpringFest itinerary, vocal-
ist Stephan Jenkins, drummer
Brad Hargreaves and guitarist
Tony Fredianelli tested some
of their new material, including
“Bonfire” and “Don’t Believe a
Word.”
The album has some of the
tenacity and aggressiveness
of earlier albums, especially in
the opening tracks, “Can You
Take Me” and “Don’t Believe a
Word.” The latter song follows
in the vein of the ever-popular
concert encore, “Slow Motion,” Third Eye Blind recently released their fourth studio album,
feigning irony and naivete about which is titled ‘Ursa Major.’
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
showing that different extremes
of media can still produce suc-
cessful art.
Jodi Staniunas-Hopper, assis-
tant professor of art and creator
of the beaded work, stated she
bought the beads at a garage
sale for a quarter and her por-
traits “prove that you can make
art from any object.”
Art Professor Daniel Burke
used familiar childhood board-
games and a few pizza boxes
to create his famous bird art-
work, often in display around
campus.
“The individual bird forms
are made out of cut-out and
recycled painted boards…I’ve
noticed that increasingly my
work relies on reclamation,
recycling and the reuse of mate-
the middle class’s fascination
with gangster life, explicit in
such lyrics as “We like thugs
when they attack / And we like
crime when it’s black on black.”
In other places, Jenkins’s
overtly political bias shines
Juniors Samantha Williams and Ryan Lanzel admire artwork in
the Cummings Art Gallery in Zurn Hall.
rials,” Burke said of the choice
of medium.
The diverse range of media
through. His ode to the working
class, “About to Break,” is a bit
overwrought, as is the charm-
ingly sad “One in Ten,” but
such silly stretching with lyrics
didn’t keep their single “Non-
Dairy Creamer” from becoming
Contributed photo
Tyler Stauffer photo
on display includes stone-
ware, porcelain, photography,
watercolor, ink, acrylic paints
a minor hit.
It comes as no surprise
when he croons about all the
things his loved one can’t be in
“Why Can’t You Be”: There’s
a generational gap too large to
bridge, the same bridge that
exists between Jenkins’s adroit
lyricism and what passes as
radio-friendly music today. Jen-
kins writes of ideals not highly
sought after in today’s culture,
associations with “art house
foreign movies,” “red balloons
and ennui” and “J.D. Salinger.”
Critics of Jenkins point out
that his narcissism sometimes
overwhelms his lyrical great-
ness. He is charismatic, but it’s
a self-indulgent charisma.
It’s still solipsism, but at least
Jenkins finally knows it. And
that, even if “Ursa Major”
doesn’t garner major airtime,
still constitutes something of a
‘minor’ breakthrough.
The full version of this
article can be found online.
Page 5
and other mixed media on
canvas.
The imaginative applica-
tion of these mediums is well-
developed in each work and
assists in the reflection of the
artists’ own individual sense of
design.
Many of the art students who
showed up to the opening were
not disappointed in their pro-
fessors’ work. Junior Ryan Mat-
thew Lanzel, a graphic design
major with a minor in photog-
raphy said, “The aesthetics of
the art work shows the diversity
and potential of the Mercyhurst
art program.”
Indeed, the art faculty rep-
resented the 4.0 quality of art-
work that all art students strive
for in their projects.
Fall term
dance
events
• Trey McIntyre
Project
Friday, Sept. 18 at
8 p.m. in the PAC
The Trey McIntyre
Project defies
classification of style
while they dance to music
from Beethoven to the
Beatles.
McIntyre uses classical
ballet to create emotionally
charged dances that
dazzle audiences.
The full version of ‘Trey
McIntyre coming to the
PAC’ can be found online.
• 35 Years:
A Celebration
Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2
p.m. & 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2
p.m.
Page 6 OPINION September3,16,2008
September 2009
The views expressed in the opinion section of The Merciad do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercyhurst College, the staff of The Merciad
or the Catholic Church. Responses on any subject are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to opinionmerciad@mercyhurst.edu.

Did Mercyhurst forget September 11?

By Victoria Gricks
Staff writer
I remember everything as if
it happened yesterday. I was 10
years old and in fifth grade. By
lunch, half of the kids in my
class had been taken home.
None of the teachers would
tell me what was going on,
but I could tell something
was wrong.
When I finally got home, I
asked my mom what happened.
Because she was crying, she
couldn’t respond. She grabbed
my hand and led me to our
family room. The TV was on,
and she pointed to the screen.
I saw the recurring video of a
plane flying into a tall building.
I glanced back at her,
because my adolescent mind
couldn’t understand what I was
seeing. She took a deep breath
before responding: “Honey,
some people don’t like the
United States…”
Even though she continued
to talk, I had already stopped lis-
tening and started to cry. I may
have been too young to grasp
the severity of the situation, but
I was old enough to know that
something awful had occurred.
It wasn’t until months later
that I fully understood the crisis
that later became known as the
September 11 attacks.
For the first anniversary,
every student in my middle
school decorated the halls
with red, white and blue stars,
showing their pride in being
American citizens.
For the second, we had a
moment of silence to honor
those that had died and those
that were fighting to defend
our country.
With each passing year, rec-
ognition was made for the
events that took place on that
fateful day.
But this past Friday, nothing
happened. In fact, had I not
looked at the date on my cell
phone, I would have looked right
past it, never have known that it
was the eighth anniversary of
the attacks. I was surprised that
our college, with its advocacy of
military science and the ROTC
program, made no mention of
the day.
I’m aware that an
announcement over a wake-up call that they need.
loud-speaker might not have
reached all students, but
something could’ve been done.
How about a bulletin through
e-mail? Or a posted tribute for
all fans on Facebook? If I can
think of ways for us to recog-
nize September 11, why can’t
Mercyhurst do the same? Maybe
next year the college will put
more effort into reminding us
to commemorate the men and
women who passed away, as
well as those who have gone to
war to protect America.
Hopefully, this article is the

Online Opinion Articles...

Time running out for RV crew tours
senior job search land of the free
was placed in front of me. If you don’t want it printed . . . don’t let it happen.
By Jordan Zangaro By Thomas Kubica
My confidence in my Editors Positions @mercyhurst.edu
Opinion Editor Staff writer
ability to write and produce has JoEllen Marsh Editor-in-Chief editormerciad
sky-rocketed as I deal with the Kelly Luoma News Editor newsmerciad
Since I was 16 years old, I two each day. I couldn’t wait to I recently had the pleasure Javi Cubillos Features Editor featuremerciad
knew I wanted to be a writer. go on interviews and find a job of viewing the wonderful Jordan Zangaro Opinion Editor opinionmerciad
I have worked hard and I have pursuing a career path that I freedom-seeking documentary, Nick Glasier Sports Editor sportsmerciad
seized every opportunity that love. Until this past Thursday… “The Motorhome Diaries.” It Alaina Rydzewski A&E entertainmentmerciad
is the story of three friends, SamWilliams Graphics photomerciad

Million-person tea party Jason, Adam and Pete, who hit

goes unnoticed
By Devin Ruic
Staff writer
Would you believe me if I told
you more than 1 million, some
say even near 2 million, people
marched on Washington, D.C.,
this past Saturday?
Glancing at the front pages
of The New York Times, The
Washington Post, MSNBC,
CNN and Fox News on Sunday,
you would not.
Read the full articles and “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
at merciad.mercyhurst.edu and click on opinion
Thankfully for the integrity
of The New York Times, you
would enjoy a wonderful story
about Federer, a professional
tennis player, and you’d hear
claims about U.S. military
contractors shooting in the
midst of Iraqi city streets
without regard for civilian lives.
The latter story is listed
directly next to an in-depth
investigative argument regarding
an interesdting, rousing pep talk
made to the Jets.
the road this spring to search
Tyler Stauffer
Ethan Magoc
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They chronicle their journey as Kyle King Copy Editor copymerciad
they travel throughout the U. S. Bill Welch Adviser wwelch
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at college campuses, businesses,
homes and organizations. The Merciad is the official student-produced newspaper of Mercyhurst
They unite over their desire
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September 16, 2009 Sports Page 7

Football...................................................Sept. 12, L 7-17 Bloomsburg

Men’s Soccer.............................................Sept. 9, W 2-0 Ohio Valley
Sept. 11, W 4-0 California (PA.)
Men’s Tennis............Sept. 12 L 2-7 Allegheny, L 1-8 Case Western
Water Polo................Sept. 12 W 23-18 OT Queens, W 9-6 Gannon
Field Hockey..............................................Sept. 12, W 3-0 Mansfield
Woman’s Soccer...............................................Sept. 8, W 2-0 Clarion
Sept. 12, W 3-2 California
Woman’s Tennis........Sept. 12, W St. Vincent, L 4-5 Case Western
Sept. 13, W 7-2 Baldwin-Wallace
Vollyball...............................................Sept. 11, L 2-3 Wheeling Jesuit
W 3-1 Anderson-Braddus
Sept.12, W 3-0 West Virginia Wesleyan

Tyler Stauffer photo

Mercyhurst College junior Michael De Rose fights for control of the ball from an Ohio Valley
University defender. To read more about the Lakers’ 2-0 victory, visit merciad.mercyhurst.edu
and click sports.

Hyek clashes after classes

Continued from Page 1
The more obvious of Hyek’s
opponents is the actual fighter
looking to take his head off
with every mistake or opening
that Hyek gives him.
Hyekalso contends with his
commitments outside of the
ring.
Hyek is a second-year intel-
ligence studies major and resi-
dent assistant at Mercyhurst and
Ethan Magoc photo has to divide his time between
these two commitments and his
Online game of the week professional career, which puts
him at a disadvantage in every
Mercyhurst College sophomore Courtney Conway and her fight.
teammates easily defeated Baldwin-Wallace on Sunday, “[With most] of the fighters
Sept. 13, at Penn State-Behrand, defeating the Yellow I face, MMA is their sole source
Jackets, 7-2. This week’s video online game of the week of income. They train six hours
will feature men’s water polo in their match versus Gannon a day getting prepared for any
University on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Mercyhurst North given fight because this is how
East Aquatic Center at 9 p.m. they put food on the table, but
for me it is totally different,”
Hyek said.
“Fighting is a hobby for me.
It just so happens I turned out
being pretty good at it,” Hyek
said.
Hyek transferred into Mer-
cyhurst last fall after two years
at Indiana University of Penn-
sylvania to pursue a degree in
intelligence studies.
Despite the transfer, Hyek
never considered dropping his
MMA career, even with some
underwhelming experiences.
“When I checked out Mercy-
hurst I looked into what I could
do here and how I could con-
tinue my MMA career. I was put
in contact with some individuals
at the college who promised me
a lot, but not much of it came to
fruition,” Hyek said.
“I essentially gave up on the
fighting until I got a call from an
old coach saying that he could
get me a fight in Virginia and
I took that fight and ended up
knocking out my opponent 40
seconds into the match, and
afterwards, we decided I should
go pro,” Hyek said.
“The nerves are there, but
being able to show all the hard
work out there makes it worth
it. Hopefully this can open up
some more doors for me, but
if not, my real goal is to get a
job in law enforcement intelli-
gence,” Hyek said.
When Hyek finally steps into
the cage Friday, it will be the only
time that he is truly only fighting
one opponent at a time.
For the full version visit
merciad.mercyhurst.edu.
Visit merciad.mercyhurst.edu

An Erieite Appetite: The Breakfast Place
Erie’s best shops and restaurants according to the Mercyhurst community
By Liz Maier
Staff writer
If you are new to Mercyhurst
College and unsure of what to
do in this small, soon-to-be-cold
city, I will be your guide to all
the hot diners, restaurants and
shops Erie, Pa., has to offer.
Over the course of this year, I
will be asking veteran members
of the Mercyhurst community
their favorite places to dine as
well as shop in Erie and then
personally critiquing each place
on the basis of price, quality and
service.
Since breakfast is said to be
the most important meal of
the day, I was recommended by
head softball coach and Associ-
ate Athletic Director Sara Head-
ley to The Breakfast Place at
2340 E. 38th Street.
“I love their pancakes and
their home fries,” Headley said.
“Their hash is pretty delicious
as well – although I try not to
eat it!”
Laker Life
Just over two miles from Mer-
cyhurst, The Breakfast Place is
an easy, five-minute drive down
38th Street.
Arriving at 9 a.m. on a Satur-
day morning, the parking lot to
The Breakfast Place was almost
completely full.
A line of hungry customers
waiting to be seated streamed
outside the door.
After about a 15-minute wait,
my friend and I were directed to
sit in a big booth.
Locally owned and operated,
The Breakfast Place has a small-
town atmosphere. Pictures of
local professional and college
sport stadiums, teams and play-
ers cover the interior walls. A
Mercyhurst College softball
jersey was framed above our
booth.
Starting off, we order coffee
and then glance over the menu.
Eggs, omelettes, breakfast
sandwiches, pancakes and more
were all priced below seven dol-
lars. I decided to take Headley’s
advice and order a half stack
of pancakes while my friend
ordered the Frittata omelette:
a scramble of three eggs, sau-
sage, pepper, onion, potato, and
mushroom topped with moz-
zarella cheese and banana pep-
pers.
My friend and I were very
impressed with the service
because the waitresses were
friendly and frequently asked if
we wanted refills. Additionally,
our food took less than 10 min-
utes to arrive.
Both of our meals were
extremely large, so make sure to Liz Maier photo
come with an appetite or order The Breakfast Place’s Frittata omelette consists of a scram-
small portions. ble of three eggs, sausage, pepper, onion, potato, and mush-
My pancakes were thick, room topped with mozzarella cheese and banana peppers.
fluffy and well worth their price This large sized portion is only $6.99.
of $2.35. Equally tasty was the
Frittata. Flavorful and filling,
the Frittata was priced at $6.99 To read the rest of
because of its large portion
size. these articles go to
Despite the somewhat long
wait to be seated, our trip to Merciad.mercyhurst.
The Breakfast Place was very
pleasurable. edu/features

Freshmen learn the meaning of college life

Part 2 of a 3-part series on students’ transition from high school to college
By Faye Clark
Contributing writer
Balancing the new curriculum with
all aspects of campus life is a challenge
many freshmen have already encoun-
tered in their short time at Mercyhurst.
The thrill of being on their own mixes
with the sudden weight of responsibil-
ity for both their possessions and their
school work.
“It’s college,” freshman Miranda Flores,
an archaeology major from South Lake
Tahoe, Calif., said. “It’s to be expected
to have a larger work load.”
Flores said she actually enjoys it,
because the subject matter is covered
much more thoroughly than in high
school.
An English major from Redwood City,
Calif., Katie Felong said she enjoys how
her classes have expanded on and added
to subjects she already knew something
about.
“It’s more conversational,” Felong said
of one of her classes. “The discussions
[aren’t] like in high school.”
While most freshmen are adjusting well
to campus life and were eager enough to
be away from their parents, they are find-
ing they still miss some of the comforts
of home.
“I miss my parents, more than I would
have thought,” Amanda Schmeltzer, an
interior design major from McMurry, Pa.,
said. Even though she said she is enjoy-
ing her classes, she said it is hard to be
away from home.
Also high on the list of missed com-
forts are pets. Students passing a pet
store in the mall will linger there, wishing
they could take one or all of them back
to their dorms.
Others have found the new indepen-
dence of college life restricting.
“[I miss] my car,” Sarah Judge, a social
work major from Scranton, Pa., said. “I
could go places whenever I wanted and
didn’t have to wait for the bus or walk.”
“I guess I’m still adjusting,” Felong
said.