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January 21, 2014 highlandernews.net
By Ellen Hoffman, Editor-in-Chief Editor’s note: This story is the first of a three part series examining the construction of a new traffic pattern at the five-way intersection in the heart of Dallas. Senior history major Catie Becker remembers eagerly waiting for the traffic light to change at the bottom of Lake Street last spring. After leaving upper campus with what she said was plenty of time to get to her babysitting gig, she feared she might end up late because of the long line of traffic on Lake Street and other ends of the five-way intersection. Becker said leaving directly after class when both students and teachers are trying to get home is when the traffic really backs up. After a 10-minute wait, which seemed like an eternity, she said, Becker drove through the intersection. “I ended up being on time for babysitting, but I felt really rushed and frustrated since I had left early,” she said. Becker, Student Government President, is one Back Mountain resident who feels a scheduled traffic change at the busy intersection will be for the better. “The lines get to be ridiculous at the five-way intersection, and the lights take forever,” she said. “Since there’s no way to effectively get rid of that intersection, this seems to be the most apparent way to make it more efficient.” PennDOT officials plan to restructure the five-way intersection at the bottom of Lake Street in Dallas to create a roundabout, a traffic pattern that keeps vehicles moving in a circle, enabling them to travel onto one of the streets without stopping. The project, known as the Dallas Five-Leg Intersection Improvement Project, is scheduled to be finished in 2016,
and work has already started. The project is in its final design stages with a bid date scheduled for June 2015, according to Debbie Noone, a PennDOT Assistant District Executive for Design. “Some utility work will need to be performed ahead of the actual
tion of the roundabout project will begin. Becker thinks the result of the roundabout could benefit students, especially at busy hours of the day such as lunch and dinner hours when she says students now wait 10 or 15 minutes to get
and bicyclists, minimize impacts to the environment and cultural resources and develop a cost-effective design with the maximum use of funds, according to the project’s website. Noone said officials and engineers “used sophisticated simula-
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pleted in 2016. construction and would most likely be accounted for in the beginning of the construction schedule,” she said. This utility work includes improvement to the Upper Demunds intersection and the intersection of PA Route 415 and PA Route 309. The improvements are scheduled to be completed before construc-
through the intersection, whether they are coming to or leaving campus. “With a roundabout, I would hope that this congestion could be alleviated and traffic could flow more smoothly,” she said. Officials believe the project will improve traffic flow, provide safety, mobility and access for pedestrians
tion software to demonstrate and model how the traffic will flow under different scenarios.” Becker understands construction may take time, but she thinks that if work takes place during the summertime, when school is not in session, the bulk of students should not be too concerned. “I think many students and locals
see this as a negative because they think about the construction, which will likely take a while. However, if they wait until schools are not in session and work quickly, I don’t think it will be too big of a headache,” she said. “It’s just something people will have to tolerate for a while.” While Becker is keeping an open mind, some homeowners and downtown Dallas business owners reject the idea of this major change. Norm Tomchak, a 39-year Dallas resident, said roundabouts are challenging for drivers. Tomchak worked as a salesman and regularly traveled to New Jersey for business purposes and he said roundabouts were very common. He does not understand why officials would want to bring this type of traffic pattern to the Back Mountain. “Go back a little in time, and these things were very prevalent in New Jersey. I found them very difficult to negotiate and difficult to navigate,” he said. “As the years moved on I noticed that they started to disappear. That’s why I was kind of confused as to why they would bring one here.” Noone said roundabouts are a good and safe alternative to traditional intersections, and they are effectively used in other regions. “Roundabouts have been successfully built in other districts,” she said. “They eliminate the necessity for traffic signal maintenance as well as move traffic more efficiently and reduce the number and severity of crashes.” The official project website compares traffic circles, like the WilkesBarre Public Square, to modern roundabouts, such as the one in the planning process for Dallas.
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Winter Weather Threatens Campus Safety By Courtney Garloff, Print Editor With winter break over and two months of winter remaining, the threat of severe weather is still looming. While many students are concerned with buying books and starting new classes, Campus Safety is preparing for winter storms. The threat of snow, ice and freezing rain has campus on alert to prepare for winter weather woes and reduce the risk of injury. “We prepare for the worst,” said Associate Director of Campus Safety Robert Zavada. Campus Safety works around the clock to monitor the weather and try to combat the threat of severe storms. “We could certainly have a mild winter. We would be neglectful in our duties if we didn’t prepare for what could be a major snow storm or an ice storm or other conditions involving sleet or even torrential downpours that could result in flooding in areas.” On duty Campus Safety officers experience and react to the weather conditions outside; they don’t rely on weather reports alone. “Just because the Weather Channel says that there is going to be an inch of snow, up here on our hill at Misericordia we might get five inches of snow. We have to be the ones who see exactly what it looks like,” said Zavada. Campus Safety has officers patrolling campus 24 hours a day to get the most accurate idea of what the weather is really like outside. “Our guys are out there in the middle of the night looking at conditions as they happen and then coordinating with the other departments on campus to help
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Above, a photo illustration of a student salting the sidewalk. take care of the hazards,” he said. Zavada feels that having officers continuously on patrol is a real advantage for the university when combating winter weather. “Right on scene, that is the biggest advantage of having 24 hour Campus Safety department that can observe these things,” said Zavada. “We work very closely with [the grounds department], but of course we are the ones observing what is happening.”
Viewfinder: Cheerleading Check out photos of the cheerleading squad performing a dress rehearsal of their routine for the national competition in Orlando, Florida.
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Despite the university’s cautious approach, sophomore Gildea Hall resident assistant Mike Punuski is often worried that students will take chores such as salting the sidewalks into their own hands. “I help salt because I’m concerned for other students’ safety while they are going to class.” Punuski and other resident assistants spread salt to help keep their other students safe and to try to help lighten the grounds
crew’s workload in the event of bad weather. “I feel like I’m helping out around campus,” said Punuski. Campus Safety said every little bit helps when it comes to winter weather safety. “We appreciate the help. If you go out and spread some salt, you might have helped prevent your fellow student from slipping and falling,” said Zavada. After the snow falls, Campus Safety has the job of clearing parking lots for them to be plowed. In the event of significant snowfall, students may be asked to move their cars to different lots. “One of our obligations is to keep the lots clear, and this means getting a lot of corporation from students and faculty,” said Zavada. If needed, students will be notified by an e-MU alert through text or email. Failure to follow instructions will result in a non-appealable $100 fine and the possibility of having a vehicle towed out of the lot. “We need to keep the lots cleared because they are used by a variety of different people,” said Zavada. The Science lot and the North Gate lot are more likely to be evacuated due to the high volume of cars parked in those lots. “We ask people to relocate so that our crews can go through there from the grounds and facilities staff,” said Zavada. The most common foul weather injury on campus is slipping and falling on ice, Zavada said. “We are very conscious of that. This is why we ask people to really pay attention to these notices and to corporate with us so that
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we can get the most heavily used areas safe for people walking and driving,” said Zavada. During the winter season Campus Safety also has to monitor conditions that aren’t normally thought of during the wintertime. “You might get a bad snowstorm and then it gets warm, and you get a melt and then you end up with not necessarily flooding because we are on a hill, but we can get a lot of accumulation in a lot of different areas, some areas that are not commonly seen by students,” said Zavada. Snow melt can lead to water seepage into the boiler room and rooms that house the electrical systems, which can lead to mechanical problems. “Everyone is accustomed to the icy patch in front of their dorm room, but that is not the only danger possible due to weather conditions,” said Zavada. Cold conditions can also cause winter woes. During the winter break deep freeze, only one pipe froze, he said. “One leaky pipe could cause flooding that would come from your own water system, just from a tiny cracked pipe,” said Zavada. Zavada reminds students to dress warmly - don’t forget gloves and hats - and wear the proper footwear during bad weather. “If you go outside to clean your car off with high heels on, you are going to be at risk of slipping. So if you have to put your combat boots on, that might not look the most fashionable, we want you to do that,” said Zavada garloffc@misericordia.edu
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MU IS MILITARY FRIENDLY By Nick Vitale, Reporter Misericordia is giving veterans a big salute, a hearty thank you and a mighty opportunity to reach their full potential as civilians. Beginning this semester, the university will officially become a military friendly university, which basically means that Misericordia will offer financial and other benefits to veterans who enroll. The designation comes from GI Jobs, an organization that helps veterans secure employment. The group sends a 90-question survey to every institution of higher education in the nation, and based upon the results, determines if schools offer services to veterans that would qualify them for the military-friendly designation. “[G.I. Jobs] comes out with a magazine every year that talks about the other military friendly schools,” said Executive Director of Enrollment Management, Jane Dessoye. “When the magazine actually comes out, this will be the first time that Misericordia has ever been included in it.” Dessoye said the university has been working to win the designation for three years. “It is part of our military friendliness to have special services that we intend to offer to veterans, so we want to do a veterans-specific portion to our website, so we are working on that as we speak.” Dessoye said the university’s designation is a result of its commitment to veterans. “We were the first school in the area to sign on to the Yellow Ribbon Program. [The program] provides added financial support to veterans, but the finances come out of Misericordia’s offers. So, it is a financial commitment that we made to participate in Yellow Ribbon.” The new designation means Dessoye is adding another title to her job description. “Right now I am in the process of developing a job description for Veterans Affairs Coordinator, which will add to my current responsibilities.” she said. Dessoye looks forward to continuing to serve veterans already attending and those of the future. “We have such a liberal policy,” said Dessoye. “If a veteran gets deployed after a semester begins then we meet with the veteran in conjunction with the faculty who are teaching that veteran and our Vice President of Academic Affairs. We come to a consensus with the veteran on what would be in their best interest.” For example, if a student veteran were to be deployed at the beginning of a semester, he or she could withdraw and receive a 100% tuition. Similarly, if the semester is coming to a close, faculty might give the veteran an incomplete or provide the opportunity for distance learning. “[This is] so that the entire weeks that they spent leading up to deployment are not wasted,” said Dessoye. “Also, if a veteran comes back from deployment and they still want to finish their education, Misericordia will accept them back with open arms.” Dessoye said veterans who choose to attend MU will receive $2,500 each year for their military service. Dessoye also has plans to create a veterans’ club and perform a special orientation for veterans when they arrive on campus. She said she wants to bring veterans together in any way possible so
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By Mary Bove, Multimedia Editor Whether the result of a tumble down the stairs, a slip on the ice or a simple sports injury, crutches and casts are a common thing to see around campus, so there is a need for accessibility so everyone, including people with disabilities, can get around, in and out of buildings with ease. Junior accounting major Alexa Cholewa was on crutches for over a month due to surgery on her foot before the start of the fall 2013 semester. “Even when I was off crutches, I still had to wear my boot and I had a really hard time walking,” said Cholewa. First year business administration major James Hawk had mobility challenges due to a fractured fibula. “Good thing it’s a small campus because if I was at Penn State [Main Campus], I would have been [in even more trouble],” said Hawk. Simple things, such as walking to lunch, going to a class or even mailing a letter can be a hassle for a person with an injury or disability. “In order to get to classes, instead of taking a direct route, I always had to go around,” said Cholewa. An example is the route from Gildea Hall to Banks Student Life Center. A person on crutches or a wheelchair would have to either go around the back of Gildea Hall, down an incline and around the side of Banks, or go all the way around the library to the front of the Banks to enter the building. “For the amount of money we pay to go here, it should be accessible to everybody, no matter who you are and no matter your condition,” said Cholewa. She was thankful that some people offered a helping hand.
“I would leave super early. It’s tough because I have classes backto-back, so it took me a long time. I had help sometimes, obviously in the cafeteria people would carry my food for me.” Hawk agreed that everyone
Despite some sluggish elevators, or one that is out of service once in a while, almost all of the buildings on the main part of campus are fully accessible. According to Paul Murphy, Director of Campus Safety and Facilities,
seemed willing to help. “Everyone was really nice. If they saw me coming on crutches, they’d open the door for me and a lot of people helped me with my books. Everyone was really friendly.” But the hilly terrain of campus can create some challenges. “I know some of the areas are flat. However, it’s a pain in the butt,” said Cholewa. “I would have to leave for class a half an hour early just to get there in time and [then I’d] have to wait for the elevator.” Sometimes even leaving early for class does not cut it, she said. “Well, I had to miss two classes because the elevator over in Mercy Hall was broken at one point, and my classes were up on the third floor,” said Hawk. “There was no way I was going to crutch up three flights of stairs.”
were not required to be accessible, according to Murphy. “Mercy Hall is handicapped accessible. All the other buildings are, which means there is an automatic door opener so somebody can go up to that door, press that button, and the door will open for them, and they would be able to enter that building and use the elevator to get to various floors.” Automatic door openers may seem like a lifesaver for those who need them, and Murphy warns able-bodied students not to abuse them. “One of problems we do have is that students will use the handicapped NICOLE BATTISTA/THE HIGHLANDER opener, and the excessive use the only non-accessible buildings of them causes them to break. So on the upper part of campus are when a student, or anybody, with the townhouses. Some buildings a legitimate disability approaches on the lower campus that are not a door that’s broken, they won’t accessible are Rosary Hall, The Yelbe able to use that opener,” said low House and The White House. Murphy. “Please only use that feaSenior communications major ture of the door if you absolutely Bryce Edwards, who injured his need it.” femur during a skiing accident two Not only does overuse cause the years ago, lived in the townhouses opener to malfunction, and somewhen he was temporarily disabled. times break, it costs a pretty-penny “I actually was lucky enough to be to repair. living in the handicapped town“It’s very expensive to have house, and if I wasn’t living in the them fixed or replaced, and in the handicapped townhouse, I would meantime, a person with a dishave had to move buildings while ability doesn’t have access to that I was injured, which would have particular door,” said Murphy, and been a pain. I just moved rooms [in that’s not fair.” my townhouse],” he said. Murphy said that there are no The reason the townhouses, and plans to change or add accessibility some other lower campus buildfeatures to campus buildings. ings, are not as accessible as upper bovem@misericordia.edu campus buildings is because buildings built before a certain date
have all of these secrets displayed so that people who might be sitting in shame in their dorm rooms, or their houses if they’re commuters, can sort of come to the exhibit and say, ‘Hey, I’m not alone. I’m connected. There are all these people who have the same secret as me, or secrets like me.’ That’s where we can make that conversion happen between shame and ‘Okay, I’m connected. I’m not alone in this,’” BurgessMichak said. She felt that it was important for CAPS Day 2014 to focus on some element of mental health as opposed to just health or wellness as in years past. This may have to do with the prevalence of serious mental health issues among college students. Burgess-Michak said CAPS wanted to find a way for people to eliminate shame from their lives. “So our students aren’t walking around in that mode and maybe, by doing that, this would lead to better functioning, better health, you know, just that process of letting go so that they could move forward and do what they needed to do,” said Burgess-Michak Though the event is focused on the physical, mental and emotional health of its anonymous submitters, it is also a way to promote counseling services that
the CAPS Center offers, according to Dr. Cindy March. “Each year, we plan for CAPS Day, you know, our annual open house that we do, and we always try to think of a particular bent or theme or something like that we can focus on. So, each year we try to think of something that might, first of all, capture people’s attention because we definitely want people to come in and see our Open House.” March said the Open Houses always seem to be eye-opening to people who have never visited before. “For our Open Houses, we get people who have never set foot in here and they’re like, ‘It’s so nice in here. I didn’t realize how nice it is,’ and this is why we do it. To show that it’s not a scary place, that it’s a nice place to come in,” she said. March said that the anonymous NOTE-A-SECRET event isn’t scary, either. “What we’re hoping is people realize that we’re honoring the human spirit in a very reverent kind of respectful way.” said March CAPS Day 2014 will be held April 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the CAPS Center. The display is open to the public and refreshments will be provided. smitha10@misericordia.edu
By Arthur Dowell, Web Editor Campus Ministry staffers said growth in the number of male students on campus is not leading to more male volunteers. Of the 57 student volunteers expected to travel to Rhode Island, Florida, New York and Philadelphia for spring break service trips, only seven are men. The problem does not only affect spring break service. The Jamaica trip last winter had only two men aboard, and trips to Guyana and Peru this summer have only three male student volunteers so far. Christine Somers, Director of Campus Ministry, believes sports commitments are at least part of the reason for the lack of men in service programs. “Much of the males are here for sports and dedicate much of their time to training, practices and games,” said Somers. “When they get a break, I’d imagine many of them would just like to go home and spend time with their friends and family.” Both the men’s lacrosse and baseball teams are known for taking out-of-state trips during spring break. Other teams, including track and field, are known for reserving the week to themselves, and through the years many players have volunteered their time. Though it is not certain what is to blame for the lack of volunteering, Habitat for Humanity student coordinator and senior student Danny Price believes it could be because the university is still increasing the number of male students. “The school is still trying to grow its male population with the football team and majors that seem male-dominated such as sports management and GLNS [Government Law and National Security].” Somers believes the lack of male charisma in Campus Ministry might also play a role. With only four male students serving, Somers thinks men might perceive Campus Ministry as a group reserved for students who are
spiritual, and perhaps they don’t think about the service opportunities Campus Ministry offers. Fr. Don Williams was famous in Campus Ministry for reeling in people with his friendly outreach, and many students often returned to visit him. Now that he has left the university, Somers is adding clubs to help attract male students. “We hope that more guys come around the office and get involved with the smaller, less costly ministries,” said Somers. “We think this could break down the stereotypes, and more males would look into service trips when offered in the fall, spring, and summer times.” Price supports any new initiatives to bring in more male students. As coordinator of Habitat for Humanity, he expected more men to apply for the hands-on trip. The stereotype that power tools are a man’s domain does not apply here: Only four men of the 19 total volunteers expected are set to work over spring break. “I was expecting more males to volunteer this year with us,” said Price. “Last year there were eight of us, and I expected the number to grow a bit, but instead we got half the number.” Price said women’s volunteer work is equally valuable, of course, but he feels disappointed to not have more men participating in both the work site and off site events the team enjoys throughout the week. While trip announcements are posted on Campus Ministry’s Facebook, in students emails and on the campus announcement tab on the e-MU homepage, Price and Somers both believe the lack of male participation is the result of students simply ignoring the messages because their friends are not going, or they want to stay home. Somers and Campus Ministry staffers said they won’t give up their efforts to recruit more men. dowella@misericordia.edu
By Alexandria Smith, Web Master The Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CAPS) is offering a way for community members to relieve their secrets with the NOTE-A-SECRET event. Very similar to the popular community art project called PostSecret “where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.” According to the website NOTEA-SECRET also involves the sharing of secrets on blank cards that can be found around campus along with boxes to put them in. However, instead of placing the secrets online as PostSecret requires, the on-campus event will be an exhibit of the anonymous secrets which, depending on submissions, will be sorted by category. According to the targeted announcement on e-MU, this kind of display is intended to promote “healing, acceptance, freedom and connection” through the sharing of experiences that may disconnect a person from their family, friends, or peers. Courtney Burgess-Michak, MS, LPC, who has been responsible for other CAPS Center events, feels that an exhibit may be what certain community members need to “let go” of whatever shame they may be feeling. “The purpose of the exhibit is to
Interested in participating? 1. Pick up a CAPS Center NOTE-A-SECRET card note. They are available on campus at a variety of locations such as the Banks Student Center, The Henry Student Lounge, The Student Success Center, The CAPS Center. 2. Write down your anonymous secret on the card. Feel free to be creative or not but, please be HONEST! All secrets will be accepted and the secret you submit is up to you. You can also submit more than one. 3-Mail or drop off your secret note card anonymously. Mail to the CAPS Center or place secret note cards in drop boxes located outside the MU post office or Student Success Center waiting room during office hours.
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Contact Burgess-Michak at cburgess@misericordia.edu or call at 570-674-6318.
of their stops on their service trip.
INTEGRITY STAFF
CONTRIBUTORS
Nicole Battista Ellen Hoffman - Editor-in-Chief Daniella DeVivo Courtney Garloff - Print Editor Rob Evans Arthur Dowell - Web Editor Donya Forst Mary Bove - Multimedia Editor Leigh Hillman Alexandria Smith - Web Master Tori Dziedziak - Content Manager Alexa Cholewa - Business Manager Gabriella Lengyel - Social Media Manager Melissa Sgroi - Advisor
CONTACT US
Josh Horton Joe Longo Taryn Talacka Nick Vitale Maria Weidemoyer
Misericordia University 301 Lake Street Dallas, PA 18612
The Highlander works to produce up-to-date, clear, accurate reporting. If any information is inaccurate or not covered thoroughly, corrections and information will appear in this area. Opinions and views expressed in The Highlander in no way reflect those of Misericordia University or the Sisters of Mercy. The Highlander Staff welcomes students, faculty and reader response. The Highlander reserves the right to edit submissions for grammatical errors and length. All submissions must be signed. Letters to the Editor and/or materials for publication may be submitted by any reader. Items can be sent via e-mail. The Highlander is a free, biweekly publication produced in conjunction with MU Communications Department. Any full-time student is encouraged to join the staff. We are a member of the American Scholastic Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.
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PICASSOS COMING Students Bring On TO GALLERY Highlander Staff Reports
By Alexandria Smith, Web Master The Pauly Friedman Art Gallery continues to show that it is more than your average gallery with its wide and ever-changing selection of shows - including works of Pablo Picasso this spring. Established in 2009, the 2,700 square foot space has been the home of several circulating
Dona went to Stockbridge [Mass.] with her late husband on a trip and she saw the magazine covers. She came back and told me. Well, it had been so many years since I was there – I don’t even remember. The museum’s been remodeled and enlarged. It has to be thirty years since I was there,
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displays of paintings, sketches, prints, and photographs. The most recent, abstract paintings from David Klevinsky and a photography series from Philip Dente, represents a small percentage of the gallery’s features, according to art gallery director Brian Benedetti. “We don’t care for sameness [in our displays]. You, know, we try to break it up so it’s not monotonous. It keeps an interest in the audience, in the people coming [to the gallery]. So, the show before this was a very traditional realism exhibition, and this one is totally opposite – and even the photographs. The subject matter is recognizable. It’s a little bit more simplistic and shape oriented and not detailed. So we’re trying to have a variety of presentations,” said Benedetti. The gallery does not have a commitment to one genre, which allows for presentations that are historical and local/regional while maintaining a sense of professionalism both in selection and arrangement of pieces. Not all art is selected by Benedetti and gallery assistant/curator Dona Posatko. Artists often seek out gallery personnel to have their work exhibited. Benedetti said an artist interested in having work featured in the gallery will often send a letter of intent with samples, philosophies of their work and a resume with a history of their exhibitions. It is from there that Benedetti and Posatko review the work in person before the final decision is made. However, not all of the displays come to the director’s attention this way. The Norman Rockwell exhibit of the artist’s many magazine covers was the result of a happy surprise. “Each exhibition kind of has its own unique history,” said Benedetti, “For the Rockwell show,
and so I said, ‘Well, call them. See if we can get them.’ So she made the initial contact, and we started trading and bartering back and forth and we ended up with them. One of their people came out to do lectures and it was very well attended.” Some collections don’t come from artists or museums, like the Rockwell collection, but from individual collectors across the country. “In May, we’re going to have a Picasso exhibition. We’re going to have 25 years of his limited edition ceramics here, which is a really big show – and it’s going to be up for a long time because it’s a major show. So, we have specific presentations. There are going to be wall mounted cases that won’t be able to be pulled from the wall, and obviously the gallery will be under heightened security. You know, everything is always insured but it varies from collector to collector.” Gallery assistant and senior Kendall Keller, who has been helping with the gallery since her sophomore year in 2011, said everyone who visits can learn and enjoy. “I feel that the gallery’s selections can speak to anyone. From sculptures and photography, wellknown artists to student media, there’s something for everyone to enjoy and the wide variety of selections the art gallery holds shows how diverse we are as a community here at Misericordia,” said Keller. The gallery is located in the first floor of Insalaco Hall and has exhibits year round, which can be viewed Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. smitha10@misericordia.edu
Sophomore speech language pathology major Rachel Bossler thinks new year’s resolutions are very important to keep, but she said it is more important to set reasonable goals rather than jump head first into something new. “A new year’s resolution is a goal or objective that you set for yourself,” said Bossler. Bossler’s resolutions are to volunteer more and lend her spare time to those who need. “I plan on working on this goal not just now but always. I also want to strengthen my relationship with God,” she said. Another student planning to work toward fulfilling a long-term resolution is senior early childhood and special education major Kirsten Fisher. She thinks if a person is determined to change, they can do it any time of the year, not only when the calendar says so. But she said it all depends on individual goals and life perspectives. “Some people are truly happy with where they are in life, while others may not be,” said Fisher. Fisher said the new year is a time to set personal goals for things to achieve in the immediate future or for the long run. “I don’t really have one, but if I were to make one it would be to train hard and run a good half marathon, become a better me in all aspects of my life such as faith, school, teaching, friendships and family, attitude, etcetera,” said Fisher, who is also an active member of Campus Ministry. Dr. Margaret Ann Rapp, Associate Professor of Social Work and Chair of the Behavioral Science Department, said one should be committed to a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle without looking at the calendar. While she does not make new year’s resolutions, she said if people want to make a change the new year can be a good time
to choose. She said it completely depends on the individual. “I guess it would be what some people want to commit themselves to as a life change,” she said Rapp said if students make smart choices for themselves and others, they don’t need resolutions to live a healthy lifestyle. According to USA.gov, the most popular new year’s resolutions include losing weight, volunteering to help others, quitting smoking, saving money, getting fit and eating healthier food, in 2014. highland@misericordia.edu
Tips to Keeping Those Resolutions 1. Start Small Make resolutions that are reasonable. For example, if a resolution is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. 2. One at a Time Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Don’t jump into trying to change five different things. Stick with one until that change is comfortable for your lifestyle. 3. Talk About It Share experiences with family and friends. Having someone to share struggles and successes with makes a journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating. These tips and other information can be found at the American Psychological Association.
CAPS CORNER CAMPUS PEER ASSOCIATE RECRUITMENT Campus Peer Associates (CPAs) is the umbrella name for the Peer Advocates and Peer Educator groups sponsored by the University Counseling Center. Peer Advocates are students who are generalists in Educator groups do. Each fall semester they focus University and college life itself (through FYE and other programs). In addition, throughout the year they participate in service and offer programming (for their peers of all awareness of relevant issues to college students, service and advocacy. Peer Educators are students who are members of the Sexual Assault Facts & Education (SAFE) Peer Educators, Substance Abuse Peer Educators (SAPE), and HOPE (Healthy Options Peer Educators), which focuses on body, mind, and spirit. These groups are committed to educating and raising their peers’
Beginning Monday, January 20, applications for CPAs (which includes all of these groups) will be pus Services and then under the CAPS Center, click the link for Campus Peer Associates). The deadline to return applications is Friday, February 7. Any questions can be directed to Dr. Cindy March, Coordinator of the Campus Peer Associate Program,
EATING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR Tuesday, February 12, 2014 in the CAPS Center
STUDENT ON THE STREET MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER
The nominations for the 2014 awards season have been announced. We asked students in Banks Student Life Center who they thought should take home an Oscar. If you have a question you would like us to ask, email the newspaper editorial staff at
in the Cougar’s Den
“I want Leonardo DiCaprio to win because he is one handsome man,” said first year, Savannah Schools.
“I think Frozen should win everything,” said first year Drea Molitoris.
“Wolf of Wallstreet was a cool story so I think that should win,” said junior Marissa Harris.
“I thought Frozen was a really cute movie,” said first year Alyson Clegg.
“Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated for the past couple years so he should definitely win,” said first year Jacob Ross.
“Gravity, because I like space,” said junior Alex Psomas.
MILITARY FRIENDLY, CONTINUED Continued from page 1 that they can get to know one another and talk about their military experiences. Sophomore physician’s assistant major Frederick Allenbaugh is helping the university to better serve the new veteran recruits. Allenbaugh, a retired First Sargent with 23 years of service, took up the Financial Services Department on their offer to be a military work study. “I was initially asked to help because the Financial Services Department mentioned that they were looking for a work study through the military because they were getting more military people coming in,” said Allenbaugh. “I wanted to do that because I wanted to help veterans.” “I’m preparing a job description for him, and we’re going to submit that to the Veteran’s Administration for a position that they have in colleges throughout the country, “ Dessoye said.
“We are going to hire him as soon as I get the job description together,” she said. Allenbaugh wants to help ensure that word about the university’s military-friendly services gets out to veterans. “I am interested in contacting anybody who is going to Misericordia if they have questions. That way I can assist them in any way that I can,” said Allenbaugh. “I want to make sure that people who are coming in know what benefits are available to them. There’s a lot of stuff out there, and it is going to be increasing.” He said the services will be a draw to student veterans. “In the bigger picture, we have more veterans coming back and more veterans using the G.I. Bill. With this being known and being put out there, you are going to have more veterans coming to Misericordia.” vitalen@misericordia.edu
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Comedian Aaron Kominos-Smith performed for students in the Cougar’s Den on Thursday Jan. 16. Kominos-Smith has performed at colleges across the country including Harvard University and the University of Iowa. On Friday Jan. 24 mentalist Mark Piazza will take the stage in the Cougar’s Den at 9 p.m.
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January 21, 2014
Cougar Practice
By Josh Horton, Reporter Senior point guard Matt Greene is wrapping up his final semester of school, and quite possibly his final season of competitive basketball – as a player. Greene knows the game inside and out, similar to quarterbacks and catchers in their knowledge of their chosen game. In basketball, a point guard is often described as a floor general. They call the plays, change direction on the fly and essentially serve as the coach’s voice on the floor. So, the expertise of a good point guard can make him or her particularly qualified to coach - a title that might be in Greene’s future. He may become even more similar to his look-a-like brother Jason who is an assistant basketball coach for the University of Maryland Baltimore County Retrievers. “I have been thinking about what I wanted to do lately once basketball was over,” Greene said. “There is no doubt in my mind coaching is a great possibility. I don’t think I’m ready to give up the game just yet.” Greene, who is the youngest of three, always looked up to his older brothers. He and his brothers Jimmy and Jason were threesport athletes in high school. Matt says he has been blessed to be part of many winning basketball, baseball and football teams. Basketball was, and remains, his favorite of the three. He said growing up with two older brothers made him better both on and off the court. He was always ahead of the game because he said he watched and learned as his brothers went through challenges and situations. Early on, he realized he had quite the basketball IQ. “Growing up and being around basketball my whole life, I was able to learn a lot about the game at such a young age. I was able to use that towards my advantage on the court,” Greene said. “I was always told by all of my coaches growing up that I had such a great IQ and feel for the game.” The high basketball IQ is rare in today’s game. The coach can’t physically be on the court to be in his players’ ears, especially if the play is happening on the far side of the court. Coaches have used Greene’s knowledge and love for the game to their advantage. He has been their voice on the court ever since he was a kid. “They basically asked me to lead the team and coach everyone on the court while still playing the game,” he said. “I noticed that our teams were always successful and that kind of inspired me to pursue
MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER
a coaching career.” His brother Jason feels Matt has the potential to be a very good basketball coach because Matt’s knowledge of the game is above the Division III level. “He’s an inspirational players to watch and play with. He puts his teammates before himself and plays with a big heart and for the name on the front of the jersey and not the one on the back,” Jason said. “There is no doubt in my mind that he can continue his basketball career as a coach and mentor.” For now Greene’s focus is on the present. The Cougars have half of the season left and they need their point guard to be focused on the task at hand – winning a Freedom Conference Championship. There’s no doubt that’s all that is on the senior point guard’s mind. He wouldn’t want to end his career any other way. hortonj@misericordia.edu
Upcoming Men’ s Basketball Games 1/22 Desales 8 p.m. at Home 1/25 Delaware Valley 3 p.m. at Home 1/27 Lebanon Valley 7 p.m. at Home 1/29 at King’s 8 p.m. 2/1 FDU-Florham 3 p.m. at Home MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER
2/2 at Desales 3 p.m. 2/5 Wilkes 8 p.m. at Home 2/12 Eastern 8 p.m. at Home 2/15 at Delaware Valley 3 p.m. 2/18 King’s 8 p.m. at Home
Snowball
By Taryn Talacka, Reporter Yoga can do more than create a lean body; it can help college students clear their minds and handle stress more productively. Dina Stewart, a certified yoga instructor at Balance Yoga and Wellness in Kingston, Pa., said by participating in yoga classes, students can become more present in their college classes and in their everyday lives. She said certain poses and breathing techniques can relieve stress and keep them calmer during difficult situations, such as final exams. Exercises can be done at home or during a yoga class. “Everybody needs it in their life,” said Stewart. “It’s helped me to be a better person.” Stewart said students can practice Ujjayi Pranayama breathing, which is inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth while keeping the length of the inhales and exhales the same. She said that eventually, the mouth will close, but the same action should be kept in the throat so an audible “ha” sound can be heard. This exercise is used to calm the body in demanding circumstances. An exercise called standing forward folds allow the hamstrings to be opened. Stewart said flexibility in the hamstrings can prevent lower back problems later in life and bending at the waist to touch one’s toes is one way to perform it. “It effects your core, and you need your core to stand and sit and balance,” Stewart said. Stewart recommended the downward facing dog as another pose to rid the body of stress. She said the pose in an inversion of a handstand and headstand. To do this, place your hands shoulderwidth apart and your feet hipwidth apart, and raise your hips to
the sky. She said downward facing dog helps with moving fluids throughout the body. “With the hips higher than the heart and lungs, the fluids flow more effortlessly towards the heart and lungs,” said Stewart. “It keeps you energized for recirculation and detoxifying.”
and teach the body to be calm.” Szatkowski said it may come as a surprise that many men have taken up yoga. She said women usually take classes for physical and mental reasons, while men come for physical benefits. Men may want to heal an injury or grow flexibility, and Szatkowski
because it can make them stronger and better athletes. Yoga can improve one’s mood, too. Szatskowski said she has become happier since she began practicing yoga a few years ago, and she can notice a decline if she goes without practicing for a while. Stewart said she began yoga to
COURTESY OF JOE LONGO PHOTOGRAPHY
Demetra Szatkowski, a junior psychology major and certified instructor at Balance Yoga, said that yoga poses useful challenges. She said when students are able to do a pose they never thought they could, the accomplishment translates into their schoolwork and the rest of their lives. “Sometimes something’s really easy, but sometimes it feels awful,” Szatkowski said. “You’re holding a pose that’s very difficult for you, and in that pose, when you’re in such a state of stress, you’re still able to keep your breath steady
said flexibility is especially important in men. “I think boys like to lift and get bigger, and they don’t realize that while they’re doing that, they’re decreasing their flexibility,” said Szatkowski. She recommends stretching while building strength. Stewart said men who work out need to focus on flexibility and mobility. She said yoga or stretching keeps men’s muscles pliable. Szatkowski said yoga has other benefits - it can strengthen muscles. She said athletes should look into taking a few yoga classes
get rid of baby weight and look better, but she soon changed her eating habits and began to live healthier. “After a good yoga practice, it’s not like you’re aiming to go grab a cheeseburger from your favorite burger joint,” said Stewart. “You’re more apt to get a smoothie or a bottle of water.” Stewart’s lifestyle change didn’t happen overnight. It took time for her to realize that there was room for improvement in her diet. “Once you start to feel better physically from your physical
practice of yoga, you tend to want to start to take better care of yourself,” said Stewart. “It’s all encompassing.” Sometimes people take yoga classes to get in shape, but Stewart said significant weight loss won’t come from attending only a few classes. “You can lose weight and get trim with your yoga practice,” said Stewart. “Eating correctly in moderation will change your body as well.” Szatkowski said yoga even helped her through the stress and anxiety of a family tragedy when a family member was hospitalized after an accident. “It helped me incredibly,” said Szatkowski. “That summer, I did my teacher training.” Szatkowski practices yoga about four times a week, while Stewart has a daily practice. Practicing two times a week is recommended for those who are interested in beginning yoga. Szatkowski said having a private session with an instructor can help those who are new to yoga because a one-on-one meeting allows beginners to learn basic poses. “I think a private session is a really good idea,” said Szatkowski. “That really helps people be comfortable because I’m able to show them each pose and make sure they’re doing it safely and correctly.” Stewart and Szatkowski said no one should be afraid to give yoga a try. She said showing up on one’s mat for class and participating without judgement is a great way to start. “Don’t be intimidated,” Stewart said. “Everybody can do it.” talackat@misericordia.edu
February 1 6 p.m. until Midnight At Genetti Hotel & Conference Center 77 E. Market St. Wilkes-Barre Tickets on sale now until Tuesday January 28 in Banks Student Life Center. Tickets on sale Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 4:30 in Student Activities. Transportation is provided for first year students only for a $5.00 deposit.
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January 21, 2014 5
Sports
TRAFFIC, CONTINUED Continued from page 1
By Rob Evans, Reporter CrossFit, the strength and conditioning program that has gained steam in recent months from gym enthusiasts around the country has found its way to Northeastern Pennsylvania - and several students are jumping on the fitness craze. According to CrossFit’s official website, the workout regimen is used by many police academies, tactical operations teams, champion martial artists and professional athletes to improve their strength and conditioning. Brandon Higgins, head CrossFit instructor at Rock Solid Fitness in Luzerne, PA, believes CrossFit is much more than a way to improve a person’s physique. At the core of CrossFit is family. “It’s a community, really,” Higgins said. “This whole thing, and one of the reasons why people call it a cult, is because it’s basically a family that we get in here. One of the reasons why it works so well is because we push each other.” Higgins, who became a certified CrossFit trainer in late 2012, cites the improvements of the people he teaches and the ability to pick his staff as two of the reasons instructing CrossFit has become such a great job. “There are good people here and being one of the head guys here, I got to pick the coaches, too. So I have a big say in who is here, and they feed off my energy and I get to see that all the time and I love that. And you can see the differences in people from months of work put in, and it’s awesome.” Higgins said CrossFit was put on the fitness map in large part due to CrossFit Games, which have been shown on ESPN’s affiliated networks in recent years. Despite the surge in popularity, the concept of CrossFit has been a staple in the weightlifting community for quite some time. “I think cross-training in general has been around forever. It’s not just like it happened out of nowhere and people started doing it. It got big because of
those CrossFit games. People were seeing some of these studs. So I’d say it was about five years ago. But those guys are unreal. They’re the top of the top. I think that’s when it started to blow up.” Although CrossFit has featured professional athletes and diehard patrons of the sport, people of all shapes and sizes make up the majority of CrossFit community.
Ashley Allen, a senior nursing major, says CrossFit provides a challenge, but it can be adjusted to cater to the pace of the participant. “CrossFit is hard, but every move can be scaled, so you can make it as easy as you want or as hard as you want.” Allen said. “So it depends on your level of fitness I guess, but there’s room to take it down or go up.” Allen, who has been a CrossFit regular at her local gym in Scranton, says she first gave CrossFit a try at a friend’s request. “My friend Christine goes to [The University of] Scranton and she wanted to do it, but she didn’t want to go alone. She asked me if I wanted to do it, and I said sure. I heard about it before, but I never really knew there were any gyms
around here, actually.” She has been a regular participant since her first session, and Allen attests to the family-like atmosphere that CrossFit offers. “That’s the one thing we like about it. At first, we walked in and everyone was kind of like, ‘Who are they?’ But once they knew we were new, they all shook our hands and looked for us to
that you don’t even need to worry about throwing everything away traditionally.” Higgins said. “Everyone thinks that as soon as you start CrossFit that it’s just CrossFit. If you think that there’s only one way to get fit, then you’re doing it wrong in general. There are multiple ways to still do it. It’s just something that you can do because its functional movements, and its going to help your body out in general so every aspect is going to help you and benefit you in the long run.” Higgins said CrossFit will stay in his workout routine, not just because it benefits him, but because of the people he coaches. “I’m a wrestling coach, too. That’s why this gym is here, because of wrestling and that’s what I’m all about. This CrossFit thing kind of fell into me. But like I said, it’s a good stepping stone for other things and it’s really helping our gym out and wrestling is getting better from it. That’s LEIGH HILLMAN FOR THE HIGHLANDER where I see the most benefit. I’d send the kids through CrossFit come the next day, and we ended workouts, and I’d get compliments up staying a half hour past our from everybody from everywhere workout because everyone’s just I go about from what my kids look chit chatting. It’s like a really tight like. That’s why I really stick with family.” this, is because of that.” In addition to her new friends, Rock Solid Fitness offers a “colAllen has gained endurance and lege student semester discount” strength. membership for students inter“As a typical girl, I didn’t really ested in CrossFit. Students who incorporate a lot of weight trainwant more information about ing into my workouts. I would CrossFit can visit Rock Solid just run or do simple weights. Fitness on Facebook (facebook. Then they show you how to do all com/rocksolidfitness) at www. kinds of different things, and I rocksolidfitnesspa.com. incorporate those parts into my Other CrossFit studios in the workout and it really made a difarea include NEPA CrossFit in ference.” Wilkes-Barre, CrossFit Scranton, Higgins feels making the transiKeystone CrossFit in Dunmore tion from a traditional lifting and Brown’s Gym and Family Fitroutine to CrossFit is something ness in Clarks Summit. that is not as dramatic as some evansr4@misericordia.edu people make it out to be. “I would tell you specifically
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Traffic circles have a larger diameter to allow for higher speeds of travel, while roundabouts have a smaller diameter where cars would travel at lower speeds. In traffic circles, the right of way is given to entering traffic, while the roundabout provides circling traffic with the right-of-way. Public Square allows for pedestrian crossings within the roadway, while the soon-to-be roundabout would not allow for that and create a more safe traffic flow. Tomchak said a problem with the existing intersection is the lengthy stop lights. “I’ve been at the bottom of Lake Street where the light only lasts for six seconds. Not too many cars can get through a traffic light in six seconds,” he said. He believes that tweaking little issues will resolve the traffic snarls better than a roundabout will. Parts of the five-way intersection will be closed during the construction process, and Tomchak is concerned about traffic that will pass in front of his home on Country Club Road until the work is finished. “I can just foresee the amazing amount of traffic that is going to line up in front of my door for some time because of the closing of those roads. So all the traffic is going to come right in front of my home – buses, trucks, everything.” While Tomchak lives in Dallas, he said traffic from Harvey’s Lake piles up, especially during the summer when people travel to the lake. Becker does have one concern with the roundabout – how large trucks and buses will navigate the circle. “My concern with creating the roundabout is that with large trucks carrying wind mill supplies, or pipeline materials, I’m not sure how they’ll fit. While I’m sure they have some engineer who knows much more about this than me, it just makes me nervous.” Dominick Fino, owner of Fino’s Pharmacy on Main Street in Dallas, fears the roundabout will crush his business and others. He said if customers cannot easily access his pharmacy, his sales will diminish. “Once you lose a customer it’s hard to get them back.” He says he could even make a guarantee that some businesses will be forced to close or move to stay afloat during construction.
Fino said in the 50 years that his business has been in downtown Dallas, there have been a handful of accidents in that intersection, if that. “They [PennDOT officials] were selling the safety aspect,” he said. “If anything, there is going to be more accidents with the addition of this roundabout.” He also said emergency vehicles may also be unable to travel safely. “How long will it take emergency vehicles to get where they need to go? There is no way to stop traffic with the roundabout.” Fino and a number of other businesses owners tried to submit a petition to the PennDOT group in charge of the project. “Business-wise everyone was against it,” he said. “But, they kept going through with it and there was nothing we could do. Everyone I’ve talked to is flabbergasted this is going through.” Bob Besecker of Besecker Realty is also against the roundabout installation. “I’ve made myself quite clear about it and I don’t think it will work. I don’t think that it will work as a one lane traffic pattern,” he said. Besecker said officials claim cars will be traveling the roundabout at 15 miles per hour. He thinks there is no way someone who is late for work will drive that slowly. “I say more like 50 miles per hour,” he said. Besecker said his businesses parking spaces will not be greatly affected, but he said other businesses that need walk-in customers will be the ones hurt. “I don’t get much walk-in traffic in my business, but others do and they’re going to suffer,” he said. “They [officials] are only listening to the borough council and they voted 100% for it.” While Tomchak has never attended a formal project meeting, he has talked to a number of residents in his community, 250 to 300 people who he says are all against the major change. “Not a single person has indicated that this is the right idea.” hoffmae3@misericordia.edu
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Arts & Entertainment
January 21, 2014
The beginning of the gins with students showing
or tech accessories and
Bove photographed stu dents with their presents
iPhone 4s phone case fea turing professional soccer
shows off her new tat too. Marsicano’s father paid for her new ink, a
present.
cuddles up with her new electric blanket while
decked out in new apparel:
now owns all three of the lections along with other
received PT books and an before his grad school
shows off her four silver
various people including and sister.