Postcard Confessional...P3
Grad Students Take Bat...P4
April 23, 2013 highlandernews.net
Technology Preparing Future Nurses By Morgan Harding, Print Editor
Investment in the nursing department is yielding big payoffs as the department is honored with awards and recently graduated nursing students have surpassed both the state and national averages for pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Recent BSN graduates achieved 98.3 percent pass rate for firsttime test-takers who took the NCLEX-RN examination between Oct. 1, 2011 and Sept. 30, 2012. Graduates surpassed both the average national pass rate of 92.07 percent and the average pass rate in Pennsylvania of 90.79. This is the second year in a row that the nursing program’s pass rates exceed the state and national averages. The NCLEX-RN was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to ensure the public’s protection. To receive a permanent certification, a nursing candidate must pass an examination that measures the competencies newly licensed, entry-level nurses have to perform safely and effectively, according to NCSBN. “The more rigorous standards are a sign of the times in health care. Nurses are tasked with added responsibilities in hospital and clinical settings, so the licensure examination reflects those added challenges,’’ Cynthia Mailloux, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Nursing, said. Misericordia has invested significant dollars into technology, specialized instruction and labs for nursing students, according to Mailloux.
The nursing department, housed in John J. Passan Hall, features a third-floor suite with the stateof-the-art Erwine Nursing Lab and Classroom with eight hospital
science and medical science majors in the new Patient Assessment Laboratory in the Passan Hall Annex. “Our students’ pass rates are a
Junior nursing majors Tamara Bradley and Marissa Ewing feel the Sim Labs are important resources for students studying to become nurses.
COURTESY OF MU MARKETING DEPARTMENT
Dr. Cynthia Mailloux, Ph.D., left, provides instruction to nursing students in the Erwine Nursing Lab and Classroom in John J. Passan Hall. beds and high-tech bedside technology, including health-care informatics. Future nurses also gain handson experience in two simulator labs that feature a full-size SimMan and SimBaby. Additional laboratory space is available to nursing students and all health
direct reflection of their hard work and determination, and the university’s investment in our program. The program’s curriculum has also been revised in recent years to reflect trends in health care, changes in accreditation standards, and the integration of technology,” said Mailloux.
“Sim lab allows us to experience a hands-on situation where you can learn how to work with more critical patients without the fear of making a mistake,” said Ewing. Sim labs are not only useful for those participating in them. They also provide a unique learning experience for those watching from
another room. “There is so much technology that is involved in a Sim lab. It’s amazing to think that we can perform all necessary nursing skills on SimMan. It’s experience that would be hard to have otherwise. I’m glad Misericordia offers this experience,” said Bradley. In addition to a higher then average pass rate, the nursing department has been recognized by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The award recognizes outstanding work of AACN member schools to re-envision traditional models for nursing education and lead programmatic change. Winners receive a $1,000 monetary prize. Members of the nursing faculty strive for innovative ways to present key topics in nursing education and being a member and participating with the Northeast Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition Summit is one way staff members help students meet the Institute of Medicine’s objectives of collaborative and interdisciplinary health care initiatives, according to Mailloux. “Our students get to apply relationship-building values to learn how to work together as a team of health care providers in order to deliver safe and effective treatment over several disciplines,’’ said Mailloux. “In addition to this experience, Professor Sheikh also provides a second Interprofessional Education experience to our nursing and speech-language pathology students by introducing concepts of pharmacology to both CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Everyday Superheros Team Up, Fight Cancer By Tori Dziedziak, Reporter
Superheroes participated in the annual Relay for Life festivities held in Anderson Sports Health Center on April 12. The superheroes are the hundreds of students, staff and faculty members who contribute to the American Cancer Society each year by raising funds and awareness, said Relay for Life staffers. First year occupational therapy major Quinn Fohlinger relays because of a family member’s winning battle with breast cancer and in honor of the mother of a friend who struggled with lymphoma. “It’s not just an event I go to. I’m personally connected with it,” Fohlinger said. Fohlinger’s close relationships with people who have struggled with cancer have inspired her to work passionately for this cause. This year she raised over $1,500, and her team, “Hunt for a Cure,” raised about $2,300. Relay for Life is an event held around the globe to supports the fight against cancer. This year’s Relay theme at MU was superhe-
roes. Teams were encouraged to camp out at the Relay location, which, is at the track in Anderson. Each team was asked to have at least one member walking the track at all times, because cancer never sleeps. First year occupational therapy major Morgan Reed grew up participating in Relay for Life with her father and the people with whom he works. “My sister and I at first kind of just thought it was something fun, “ she said, but soon after a close family member was diagnosed with the disease, Reed said. Reed continues to Relay in support of other family members who also struggle with the disease. Reed previously participated in Relay with her youth group and swim team in high school. She is part of the MSOTA Relay team, which consists of occupational therapy students at MU. Reed stayed involved with Relay for Life in college for a few reasons, partly to become involves on campus during her first year,
but also because Relay means a lot to her. “I want to do it here to get involved. It’s a good cause,” Reed said. “You get to have fun and hang out while raising money and helping people.” The Relay for Life ceremony began with a survivor lap in which cancer survivors take a walk around the track. The second lap was dedicated to those who have given care to cancer patients, and all teams were encouraged to join together in walking the third lap, which is called the opening lap. Relay for Life staffers donated many hours to raise money and finish preparations, which included booking a Relay site, contacting sponsors, encouraging participants, and hiring a staff of Relay members to make sure the ceremony runs smoothly. The money raised is dedicated to cancer research and the search for a cure. It is also used to provide free information and services to patients and caregivers. Fohlinger is a Relay team
captain as well as part of the Luminaria staff in which she serves as chair, just as she did during her high school Relay experience. The Luminaria dedication during the Relay ceremony involves lighting candles and placing them into white paper bags. Each bag, which is inscribed with a name, is dedicated to someone who went through a battle with cancer. The white paper bags were arranged in order to spell out words relevant to Relay for Life, such as “faith,” “hope” and “love.” “It’s to remember the ones we have lost,” Fohlinger said. Reed said her favorite Relay for Life experience involved the Luminaria ceremony. She and her sister dedicated luminarias to members of their family, and at the Relay for Life event Reed attended near home, her family members’ names were displayed with the names of everyone affected by cancer for all to see at the event. “It was emotional, but it was a good thing because it’s in memory or honor of them,” Reed said. “It was really moving.”
Students do not only support the American Cancer Society by asking for monetary donations or selling t-shirts, or even by selling tie-dye socks, like Fohlinger’s team did. They also participated in plenty of activities. On ceremony day, the track is filled with teams participating in games, bake sales and fundraisers. A deejay keeps people awake, energetic, and entertained. A $10 registration fee granted entry into Relay. The Relay for Life event at MU grows each year as the school expands and more people become involved. Fohlinger said cancer is a touchy subject to most people. “Usually people are afraid to talk about it, and it’s become such a stigma,” Fohlinger said. Fohlinger wants people to understand that if more people become aware of cancer and learn more about it, conversations can turn positive and spread awareness and gain more support for the fight against cancer. Dziedzit@misericordia.edu
AP DROPS DEBATED TERM
By Ellen Hoffman, Editor-in-Chief
The Associated Press made a significant change to its journalistic style guide by dropping the term “illegal immigrant” in early April. “Our goal always is to use the most precise and accurate words so that the meaning is clear to any reader anywhere,” said AP’s Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carrol in an article in The Huffington Post. The choice to drop the term came after years of objection by immigration rights advocates and Latino media organizations. The groups feel the term is offensive. The updated style guide says, “Except in direct quotes essential to the story, use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant. Except in direct quotations, do not use the terms illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented.” Maria Cabrera, Multicultural Student Outreach Coordinator, thinks AP’s decision helps move the country in a positive direction. “If you’re saying that they are ‘illegal’ I think the term just has a negative connotation,” she said. “Or when they used to say ‘illegal alien’ it just dehumanizes the person.” Cabrera felt the terms “illegal” and “alien” treated individuals as criminals and labeled groups with stereotypes. “It makes it more of a political agenda in a way of how you name a certain group that comes from another country because it makes it seem like they’re doing something to the population of that country for the worse and they’re treated as a criminal because they decide to seek a better life for themselves instead of committing crimes,” she said. “I think it’s a good change because it changes the way and the why the people come from another country.” She has first hand experience with the controversial terms because she was called an “illegal immigrant” for much of her life. Terms like these made it difficult when Cabrera applied to college. She said many people grouped her into the stereotypical category when she was young so it was hard, at first, to understand why she was categorized differently even though she was born in the United States. Thankfully, she said, the status of her documents changed in time for her to apply to college and move past the label that followed her throughout her adolescent years. “I don’t know what I would have done if our documents didn’t come at the time that they were supposed to come,” she said. She said she feels for anyone who has been called an “illegal immigrant” because she was once in that situation. “I think that I wouldn’t want to be known as an ‘illegal immigrant’ because I haven’t done anything wrong. It just touches home for me because I was in that situation before and I wouldn’t want my sibling to be called an ‘illegal immigrant’.” Cabrera thinks the decision to drop the controversial term was a long time coming. While the U.S. continues to change and develop, language and attitudes change as well. “I think it is a good thing that we are taking notice, that we should not be writing these things in those terms because it makes the human less valuable,” she said. She commends the AP for makCONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Viewfinder: Everyday Superheros Look for photos of students and community members walking to fight cancer at the Relay for Life in Anderson Sports and Health Center.
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April 23, 2013
News
Super seniors waiting to leave Viewfinder: Everyday superheros By Shawn Kellmer, Web Editor
More students are taking longer to get through college, although most do not take seven years like Chris Farley’s character in the movie “Tommy Boy.” “Super Senior” is a label for a particular student subset: one who takes longer than the traditional four years to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Super senior and communications major Colleen Dean will graduate a year later than originally planned when she walks across the stage next month. MU did not accept all of the credits she attempted to transfer from Penn State University Worthington, and this caused her to finish school after the fall 2012 semester like she had originally planned. “I took biology at Penn State, but when I got to Misericordia I find out it was different and I had to take their bio. I thought I had to just take the communication classes and graduate on time, but I had to take classes I already took,” Dean said. Dean’s finances and graduation plans were further complicated when she discovered she was missing required math credits. She had to return for the spring semester for a statistics class. “It kind of hurt me because I had to pay for it,” Dean said. Approximately 58 percent of students entering college with the goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree within four years do so,
according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The other 42 percent graduate in five or six years. At MU the rates are much lower than the national average with 12 percent of students graduating in more than four years. These numbers can be confusing because they only represent students who start and finish at a higher learning institution. They excludes transfer students and older, non-traditional students. “When you see graduation rates published, you will see four-year, five-year and six-year rates. These are the rates we are required to report to the federal government. They reflect persistence to graduation for students who start at the institution as full-time freshmen,” said Sharon Hudak, Assistant Director Institutional Research. Registrar Joseph Redington said he doesn’t think Misericordia has a super senior problem because many of the university’s programs are cohorted. “In a lot of majors you have to do things in a certain order in a certain way to graduate. The order of that curriculum is such that it’s designed around a four-year completion,” Redington said. “We don’t have a lot of programs that have more than 120 credits. Therefore, students don’t have to take excessive course loads to graduate in most of the programs.” He believes that larger univer-
sities have a super senior issue because of a lack of advising services. He said the university has less of a problem because it is proactive with seniors who might have a course credit issue. “We tend not to have students take the wrong classes because of the quality of the advising we have and the quality of control that the programs take to try to make sure their students do graduate in the appropriate time,” Redington said. One way the university is proactive is that they are willing to work with seniors who may be short credits. “We always add extra sections of courses for seniors. We always make sure that if seniors, for some reason, have a conflict or a priority, they have an option. An online option for example, that wouldn’t normally be available to a traditional student, we would let a senior take the online class,” Redington said. “We provide many avenues to avoid the super senior problem because that ultimately causes problems for us.” Dean said had to put her life on hold so she could go to college for an additional semester. “I was supposed to move to New York because I had a potential job offer. I wound up not getting it because I wasn’t graduating yet and they wanted somebody immediately. I couldn’t do that,” Dean said Kellmers@misericordia.edu
ing with station manager Gia Mazur and radio advisor Dan Kimbrough to book the artists. Cheyne Kulessa, junior sports management/PT major, is the headliner of the event. He goes by Cheyne Michaels on stage when performing his dub step beats. “He’s like our sort of headliner, and we’re hoping we get a lot of students on campus who like him coming to the event,” Kimbrough said. Kulessa is excited to provide his skill for the benefit concert and perform in front of his peers and the MU community. “Listen, I’m all about that,” he said about headlining. His background is in electronic music, and he said he looks for-
ward to being able to share that with his audience. Mazur is looking forward to playing with him with her band, 1 Hot Mess, with which she performed at last year’s concert. “He’s really well known on this campus for his DM [dub step] music,” she said of Kulessa. “He’s really awesome and just a really cool kid.” Other artists include Terror on the Screen, Who Are We, Chris Fields and YAK. A showcase many different musical talents so there is something for everyone to enjoy. Beats for a Benefit will be held from noon to 7 p.m. in the Wells Fargo amphitheater. Fluegelj@misericordia.edu
dia University.” Cunfer said students from all regional colleges and universities serve their clinical experiences at some of the same hospitals, including Geisinger Wyoming Valley and Moses Taylor Hospital. Clinical placements, which may be at medical/surgical or specialty sites, start in a nursing major’s junior year and continue until they graduate. Specialty sites include obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatric mental health, and the community. Students who serve the community are encouraged to wear khaki pants and a blue polo top with the Misericordia logo embroidered on it. “When they go to the community, most of those agencies, those nurses don’t dress as nurses you would see in the hospital, so they wear khaki pants and a polo top like a golf shirt,” said Cunfer. Medical imaging students are required to wear uniforms according to the placement site. Their scrubs are not imprinted with any university logos because students wear name tags that identifies the students’ schools. “Yeah, last year I was at WilkesBarre General and had to wear
black bottoms with a grey top. This year I was at Hazleton General and had to wear all blue,” said junior medical imaging major Kathleen Lord. “Other places have different dress codes as well. I also need a separate outfit for when I
COUGAR RADIO READY TO ROCK By Jevin Fluegel, Reporter
Local artists will have their chance to take the stage at Cougar Radio’s Beats for a Benefit concert during Spring Weekend April 27. This marks the second annual concert hosted by Cougar Radio to support local artists and charities like the Magnolia Project, Boys and Girls Club, Wyoming Children’s Association and the Luzerne Autism Coalition. “So all the charities revolve around children because I just thought that was a good angle to go with, because who does not love children and who doesn’t want to help children,” sophomore communications major Gabriella Lengyel said. Lengyel is responsible for the concert promotions and is work-
Clockwise, participants of Relay for Life check-in at the Anderson Sports and Health Center lobby on April 12. Members of Hunter’s Praying Angels walk a lap with Hunter Wesolowski (center), younger brother of Santina Wesolowski, MU junior. Junior Cheyne Kulessa blasts some beats as participants walked throughout the night. Junior Amanda Lee sets tea lights in the Luminaria before the memorial lap.
Special dress code required for health science majors By Brittany Lovette, Reporter
Many health care majors have to spring for special duds to wear during clinical placements. Nursing, medical imaging, physical therapy and occupational therapy majors are required to wear special uniforms when they go out into the field or complete placements. According to Audrey Cunfer, MSN, RN, Wilkes University, Luzerne County Community College and Misericordia University are asked to buy their own scrubs for their placements. The colors of the scrubs are based on the colors of the school. Wilkes nursing students wear royal blue scrubs and Misericordia students buy navy blue or white. “Wearing a uniform with Misericordia identification distinguishes them from other students also doing clinical in our local hospitals, presents them as soon-to-be professionals in their field and demonstrates to the employees at the facilities who they are and which institution they represent,” she said. “May patients complain that everyone looks the same in the hospital. Our students’ uniform clearly distinguishes them as nursing students from Misericor-
OT students do not wear scrubs for their placements. They are encouraged to wear shoes that have a grip and a name tag. “Field work depends on upon where you are. It’s usually a relaxed dress code, especially in
ELLEN HOFFMAN/THE HIGHLANDER
Scrubs hang color coordinated at Med Plus in Wilkes-Barre. go for out-patient care in which case I wear khakis and a polo top.” Lord said she has to buy her scrubs at different times because she doesn’t know where her future placements will be.
schools, or it would be khakis and polos or a sweater,” said junior occupational therapy student Christina Tucci. “You can certainly dress up more, but you need to have shoes that have a grip so you
can do things with your patients.” Since OT students don’t wear scrubs, they have to purchase clothing that will fit the dress codes of their placement sites in addition to name tags. Tucci said uniforms aren’t too costly because clothing can be interchangeable. “I know a lot of kids reuse theirs they just interchange a shirt or a pair of pants and stuff, and they get clothes that they can keep re-wearing and change it up,” said Tucci. “For me, I went to a private school and we to wear a uniform, like a dress code and stuff, so I had all dress clothes prior to coming to school.” PT students who are placed in hospitals are more likely to wear scrubs. “Or any sort of inpatient, not necessarily a hospital,” junior PT major Hailey Buxton said. “It can even be a rehab hospital or it can be like a nursing home, assisted living and stuff like that. But if it’s an outpatient it varies. “I went to a PT place where I could wear yoga pants and a t-shirt, staff shirt, or you can have times wear you have to wear khakis and sneakers and like professional or business casual, I should say.”
MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER
According to Buxton, the PT club sells clothing for the students to wear. “The PT club sells polos, which do have the MU PT logo, but most places it’s like any field work you’re going do. You get a name tag that says “physical therapy student” and has the school name on it and the logo, as well as your name,” Buxton said. Cunfer said she recommends students going to Med Plus in Wilkes-Barrel to buy scrubs and other items nursing students are required to have because scrubs must have the Misericordia logo embroidered on them. Cunfer said the price of scrubs changes each year. “Every year, the prices go up a little bit. So we don’t have the current yearly pricing yet, but I would say they are no more expensive than if you just had to buy them for work anyway,” said Cunfer. Cindy Nardi and Cunfer, who is the nursing lab manager, clinical coordinator and simulation coordinator, are in charge of students’ placements. The two find placements as soon as they receive the number of students who are ready. “So I have to either meet with or CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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Ellen Hoffman - Editor-in-Chief Nathan Brown Morgan Harding - Print Editor Tori Dziedziak Jevin Fluegel Shawn Kellmer - Web Editor Matt Hiscox Mary Bove - Multimedia Editor Arthur Dowell - Web Master Brittany Lovette Alexandria Smith - Content Manager MU Athletics Alexa Cholewa - Business Manager Gabriella Lengyel - Social Media Manager Melissa Sgroi - Advisor Misericordia University 301 Lake Street Dallas, PA 18612
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CORRECTION
In “Housing Changes Spark Anger”, an article published in the April 9 edition, it stated that Misericordia officials purchased properties at Nittany Commons on PSU WB grounds. The properties were not purchased, they were leased to MU to house students for the 2013-2014 school year.
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Students make confessions via postcard By Alexandria Smith, Copy Editor
Students can anonymously profess - confess - their most intimate secrets by writing them on 4-by-6-inch cards and dropping them in a “Post Secret” box provided by Multicultural Education. The post secret phenomenon, which has grown to become a website and five-book series, is a community art project that enables people to express secrets without judgment, said Multicultural Student Outreach Coordinator Maria Cabrera. “I think I wanted to do it to give people the forum to express themselves anonymously if they wanted to. I think a lot of people were experiencing a lot of things about bullying and just self-discovery, and also doubt, and I think it was a moment of uncertainty,” said Cabrera, who put out the box following the Bullying Truth Talks series during the fall semester. But Cabrera also believes that being able to share a secret can be beneficial particularly during college, when students feel many
April 23, 2013 3
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changes in their lives. “I just wanted to put a box out there where people can anonymously put in their thoughts or whatever they were feeling, or something that they thought made them feel different, and that they could express themselves and somebody would be witness to what they had to say, even if they don’t know,” said Cabrera. Sophomore computer science major John Whitesell believes the confession box will be helpful to students. “I think it’s a good thing to be able to get that kind of stuff off of your chest because, even sometimes, when you have like a Facebook or a blog, there are people you know in your life who would follow that kind of thing. You might not even feel comfortable putting your secret on there because – who might be following you? Now, if you have a completely private place to put your thoughts, it could be really beneficial to get that out,” White-
sell said. Students submissions include prank “secrets” which consisted of movie lines, comments about religion and serious illness. Some said they feel lost. Cabrera said students expressed many things and she feels the frankness and raw honesty of many submissions is normal. “Sometimes it’s easier for people to tell their whole life story or something about them to a complete stranger rather than somebody that they’re close to,” said Cabrera. “I think it’s easier for people to tell things about themselves to someone who they don’t think would judge them because they don’t know who they are. They don’t have that history with them, and that’s what I kind of wanted to do with the Post Secret Box. I wanted people to say something or be completely themselves and have no limitations in what they could say.” Whitesell considers a Post Secret submission could be someone’s
the United States,” said Cabrera. “Some of it is was about the gender misrepresentations and also some of the injustices that kind of still happen today not only with females but also the LGBTQ community as well.” On Tuesday, students watched the documentary “Youth out Loud,” which addressed LGBTQ issues and bullying in schools. Cabrera said the film focuses on the experiences of high school students from the LGBTQ community. On Friday, ALLY hosted a day of silence to remember those who have been silenced due to bullying. Hilary Hoover, ALLY student coordinator, said students participated in a silent lunch, which was followed by a breaking of the silence in Rosen Plaza. Later that evening, there was a peace vigil in the Wells Fargo Amphitheater for a memorial and reflection on those who have been silenced by bullying. “ALLY week is just basically to showcase that there are still things happening in the U.S. that aren’t completely fair, if you say, as an institution that wants to be fair and has those charisms,” said Cabrera. “We respect human dignity, so I believe that regardless of the status we still have to respect humans in general and give them the quality of life they deserve.” Another goal of ALLY week is to spread the visibility of ALLY on campus to get more students involved with the program. “I think that most of us are trying to be part of a movement
that maybe is more inclusive for them. So I think it’s slowly moving toward the positive place,” said Cabrera. “I don’t know how the reaction of the student population is going be up to this point. I’m thinking positive things for the club.” Hoover said she wants to use ALLY week to create a safe space for people of the LGBTQ community on campus. “I think it’s just a fundamental human right that we all have the same rights and that you treat everyone with the same dignity and respect that they deserve,” said Hoover. “I think it is important to have ALLY on Misericordia’s campus because there are definitely those who adamantly do not believe in such a safe space environment for everyone. So I want to make sure that someone can come here and feel safe.” Cabrera said the university is Catholic, but it’s also an institution that provides education. “It is our duty to educate people about a group of people that they might work with in the future and to understand that these are the issues that are happening in the United States, whether you stand in for that lifestyle or you don’t, but you still have to be kind of conscious about what is going on in the world around you,” said Cabrera. “So we have to be very careful about the things that we do because we as an institution do not promote a certain group, but we do believe that education is a priority.” Lovetteb@misericordia.edu
first step toward seeking assistance. “It might be a good first step for them, like even saying that you have a problem is the first step, for something that you might need help with, so it might be a good jumping point to just get it out of your head first and going from there, whether it’s therapy or being able to talk about it later,” said Whitesell. Cabrera feels even one submission in the box is a success. “I think if a person wanted to write something and put it in there, it takes a lot of courage because they had to do it when the building was open. So, for them to, like, look around and see that nobody was watching them and they can out it in there, or if anybody came in here and wanted to put one in there [the box], that’s success because they wanted somebody to see it. They wanted somebody to see a secret about themselves.” Smitha10@misericordia.edu
ALLY week offers hope, tolerance, education
CAMPUS CORNER CAPS Center: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month! April 24 5:30 p.m. Marches will start from Kings Student Center and Wilkes Student Center 6:00 p.m. Rally at the Victims Resource Center. April 30 “Destress with Mess” Day 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bank Center and Lawn
By Brittany Lovette, Reporter
ALLY members hosted the group’s annual ALLY week April 15 to 19 to help educate students about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning [LGBTQ] community and address bullying and gender equality issues. ALLY week included seven different events to meet each member’s goal to “end oppression/discrimination of the LGBT population in his/her personal and professional life through support of and as an advocate with and for the LGBT population,” according to the ALLY page on the university website. “So ALLY week is a week that ALLY puts on to kind of bring awareness to LGBT issues in the United States and to bring awareness to some of the injustices that are happening [that impact] human dignity and the experiences of the community,” said Maria Cabrera, Multicultural Outreach Coordinator. On Monday, ALLY created a tree of life in Banks Student Life Center to represent the diversity on campus and hosted the film “The Kids are All Right” with the Library Club and held a discussion on family dynamics. A coffee and conversation night took place Tuesday during which students heard personal coming out tales. Cosponsored with MU/ME, ALLY hosted a Truth Talks event in which gender equality in the workplace was discussed. “We’re talked about some of the legal and the work environment aspects of the workplace in
GLBT Facts: GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered] persons are a part of every occupation, geographic region, economic class, ethnic group, race, religion, age and lifestyle. Homosexuality is not a mental or emotional disorder. At least 10% of the general population are gay and lesbian. Perhaps as many as 40% of the population have had gay, lesbian, or bisexual experiences.
What’s SGA Up To? Keep an eye out for Spring Fest events in late April! Wing eating contest, Hillside ice cream, stuff-the-van, overnight dance, salon-a-thon, movies & prizes!
Student on the Street
The semester is coming to an end. To celebrate the impending summer season SGA is throwing Spring Fest. We wondered what Spring Fest activity students are looking forward to the most. If you have a question you would like us to ask, email us at Highland@misericordia.edu.
“I’m going home and visiting my family,” said sports management major William Stagitis.
“I will be studying my life away,” said nursing major Natasha Felclt.
“I will be studying for finals,” said nursing major Nicole Knizek.
“I’m goint to be supporting the radio station at the Beats for a Benefit concert,” said communications major Emily Zavada.
“I’m going to the president’s volleyball tournament,” said business adminstration major Nyasia Owens.
“I’m goint to the pool party and helping with the marker chain,” said early childhood/special ed major Courtney Bieber.
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MU/ME, admissions aim to diversify By Jevin Fluegel, Reporter
The Admissions office is working to bring different cultures to campus with special programs to enhance student diversity. Admissions office staffers plan to use multiple special campus events, offer multilingual recruiting materials and provide in-class programs to help increase campus diversity. Multicultural Student Outreach Coordinator Maria Cabrera said to increase diversity is to embrace it and to maintain it. Cabrera said she helps provide support to minority students and her office offers many programs for them. “We go out to different high schools in Pennsylvania with a group called Meet the MAC. We are a couple of schools that are liberal arts, smaller institutions, we go out to these high schools and we talk to mainly minority students who might want to see a familiar face, and then they talk to us about different aspects about our universities.” Cabrera focuses on programs that will engage current students from every background. “I offer support to a lot of minority students, offering some type
of monitoring, advice, some type of help with maybe a resume or recommendation,” she said.
campus. “We try to make our internal atmosphere as welcoming as pos-
MORGAN HARDING/THE HIGHLANDER
MU/ME coordinator Maria Cabrera works in her Henry Student Lounge office. Admissions Director Glenn Bozinski said the incoming MU class brings in about six to seven percent minority students. He said the national average is over 10 percent. “The diversity on campus from an admissions perspective pretty much mirrors the greater community around Northeastern Pennsylvania,” he said. Bozinski said admissions aims to make university members feel as comfortable as possible on
sible to all students, to make it a place where any student is going to feel comfortable and we like to think we’re doing a good job with that but we can always do better. You could always be more aware, more sensitive and more focused on these issues,” said Bozinski. Cabrera said about 75 percent of her work is to create programs for minority students and to educate the campus and community about different cultures or global issues. Cabrera said she also has high
hopes for the future president because he has ideas about recruitment strategies to increase the diversity with his great deal of experience at previous schools. “I am hopeful for the increase of diverse students on campus and that doesn’t only include background but also geographically. You have to take in consideration that we are a smaller U, and we have to be mindful of other students,” said Cabrera. While Cabrera is looking to the future, Bozinski focuses on his current work to recruit, and solicit support from everyone to help bring interested students to MU. “We rely heavily on staff, be it athletics staff, student support staff, from the Student Success Center, the Insalaco Center. Faculty is also heavily involved in recruitment for us. They will meet with prospective students,” he said. “This comes directly from Dr. MacDowell when he came here. He likes to see all some 400 employees of the university recruit where they can. If you meet a kid in the supermarket who is looking for a college you might want to talk up the institution.” Fluegelj@misericordia.edu
Nursing, continued Continued from page 1
groups of students.’’ The Northeast Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition is a regional collaboration of 14 colleges and universities in northeastern Pennsylvania that fosters collaborative relationships among educational programs in various health care professions, including nursing, physician assistant, speech-language pathology, medical imaging, physical and occupational therapy, and more. “It is an honor to be recognized by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, especially since they are our national accrediting body,’’ said Mailloux, who, along with Kathy Sheikh, M.S.N.,
C.R.N.P., assistant professor, received the award. “The nursing faculty is dedicated to educating and developing clinically proficient nurses who also provide compassionate care to their patients and their family members.’’ Misericordia has the oldest nursing program in the area and graduates more students in the health sciences than any other college or university in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is regionally acclaimed and nationally recognized for its dedication to training eminently qualified practitioners in myriad fields. Hardinm2@misericordia.edu
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Sports
April 23, 2013
Graduated from class, not field Viewfinder: LAX men fall to King’s By Josh Horton, Reporter
First semester Doctor of Physical Therapy student Caitlin Cromley crushed two home runs, leading the Cougar softball team past Delaware Valley College April 4. Luckily for Cromley, and the Cougars, the game fell on a Saturday, meaning she wouldn’t have to worry about missing the game to take a test like she has had to do twice this season. “In my undergrad days, I was able to make all of my games with no problem at all. In PT school, it’s a doctorate program, so you’re no longer in undergrad,” Cromley said. “They treat you like graduate students. They don’t move tests around, because if they did that for you then they would have to do that for everyone.” It would have been easy for Cromley to forgo her final season of eligibility and focus solely on her first semester of graduate school. However, as a team captain, the ace of the pitching staff and a key piece to the Cougar lineup, the decision was easy. She wasn’t ready to leave her softball family just yet. “It’s tough, because you want to be there to support your team, especially because I am a captain and I want to be there to support my team,” Cromley said of what it’s like to miss a game. “Your team is a family, and you want to be there for every inning.” Cromley said there is a reason the word student is in front of
Top, junior Jeff Antonucci goes for a ground ball off a face off on Mangelsdorf Field.
athlete in the phrase studentathlete, a sentiment that is echoed by coaches and players alike at the division three level. “For me personally, as I continue with my education, I am starting to turn my focus more on my future and working as a PT and making it through grad school,” Cromley said. “As much as I would
focus on the day’s game. “It’s rough because instead of being able to relax and focus on the game, you are stressing out about a paper that is due pretty soon,” Gonzalez said. “It’s just brutal. It takes a lot to get used to, but you have to do what you have to do.” A typical day for Gonzalez involves waking up very early and going to sleep very late. “Baseball takes up at least five to six hours, between practice, weight lifting and stuff like that,” Gonzalez said. “I wake up, work on a paper all morning, go to practice and then go right to night class. It’s a busy day. It’s a COURTESY OF MU ATHLETICS lot different from love to be able to make a living undergrad.” playing softball, I know that’s just Like Gonzalez, Cromley admits not how it works.” sleep is not at the top of her priorLike Cromley, organizational ity list. behavior graduate student Andy “As a student athlete, sometimes Gonalez, also feels the effects of you have to give up some sleep trying to play a college sport and in order to get everything done,” excel in the classroom. Cromley said. “On a good night I Gonzalez said organizational get to bed at 12:30 at night, get behavior class work is based more up at seven and go about my day. on out-of-class paper assignments Sometimes if you have an assignas opposed to in-class assignment and you need to stay up and ments, unlike DPT course work. sleep goes by the wayside.” “It’s a lot more papers and there For both Gonzalez and Cromley, are no participation grades,” Gonthe second week of May can’t zalez said. “I have to make sure I come fast enough. However, they am getting these papers done and do admit the semester flew by. it leads to doing a lot of work on “For me, I am so busy I don’t the bus to away games.” have any time to think about how Gonzalez isn’t used to writing many days are left in the semespapers, and he is particularly not ter,” she said. “I would say it is the accustomed to writing them on a fastest, most challenging semester bus. He admits the nonstandard I have ever had. Hands down.” workspace hinders his ability to Hortonj@misericordia.edu
Antonucci takes a face off at the start of the game as the Kings College Monarchs look on. First year Mason Quickel throws a pass away from the Monarchs. The referee interrupts a scuffle between the Cougars and the Monarchs on the field. Junior Sean Forsyth hops over a Monarch to continue down the field. The Cougars lost the game 7-11 during the match against Kings College on April 11. MARY BOVE/THE HIGHLANDER
March contest renders winner By Jeremy Way, Reporter
The 2013 men’s NCAA basketMichael MacDowell and the MU Touhey described FGCU as a ball tournament concluded with community in hope of earning John Wooden nightmare but an crowning the Louisville UniverCoca Cola prizes. exciting team to watch. sity Cardinals as champions, and The top five placing contestants “I also didn’t think that Syracuse participants in bracket challenges received Coca Cola prizes. would go as far as they did, but have claimed their share of that Krsulic found out about the MU I was glad they did because I victory. Bracket Challenge through the like watching them play,” said Students participated in the E-MU portal, he said. By the end Touhey. “When that 2-3 defense is March Madness chaos as they of the competition he was in tenth executed correctly it’s a lot of fun filled out their predictions as to place, which was just a few places to watch.” who would win each round and ulshy of earning prizes. The final winner of the MU timately be crowned the National “I expected not to do so well Bracket Challenge on ESPN was Champion. since the tournament was so wide junior physical therapy major, Senior sport management major open,” said Krsulic. “The pick that Corey Reviello. Jeff Huss was one of many stuwas most devastating to me was “I feel pretty good about windents to join in the competitions. picking my favorite team Villaning the bracket challenge. It’s Huss entered 20 brackets into nova to lose to North Carolina.” always nice to win those kinds of competition, including several on Although Krsulic didn’t win the competitions,” said Reviello. “I fill ESPN.com. MU Bracket Challenge, he enjoyed out a bracket every year and to “The tournament this be able to finally win year was very entertainsomething is cool.” ing, and I even called the The winnings upset of Ole Miss winning included various Coca over Wisconsin.” Cola prizes such as Huss’s favorite team a t-shirt, cooler, ice to win the tournament scraper, cases of prodwas the Cardinals with uct, and a Powerade the team’s leading point sports bottle. guard Peyton Siva, said Reviello said he Huss. enjoyed the National Huss’s aspirations for Championship game his favorite team came and he is grateful it true when the Cardinals turned out the way went on to beat The it did because if it University of Michigan hadn’t, he would’ve Wolverines in the Nataken third in the tional Championship with challenge, he said. an 82-76 final score. “I thought I had a deLouisville went on to cent opportunity, but win the title after the didn’t really think I dramatic and gruesome would end up winning leg injury to player Kevin the MU Bracket ChalWare only two games lenge,” said Reviello. “I before. actually almost didn’t The road to the chamenter a bracket, but pionship was entertainmy roommate kept ing, students said. Many telling us to enter one, higher seeds upset lower so I finally did one the seeds to advance in the night before it had to bracket, and stun the be entered, and obviCOURTSEY OF MARKETING DEPARTMENT ously it was a great experts. Fifteen seeded Florida Gulf Coast Uni- Junior Corey Reviello poses with his Coca Cola winnings. idea.” versity advanced to the Reviello may have Elite Eight and defied the odds. the competition. won the MU challenge, but other First year Ross Baver was enthu“It was entertaining to see who students who participated in siastic about FGCU’s play early in would win because it was so wide multiple competitions harvested the tournament. open,” said Krsulic. rewards. “I never heard of them before, Dr. Patrick Touhey also had an “Of the 20 brackets entered, I but I went to their first round entry in the challenge in which he did get third place in one,” said game which was an upset, and had Wisconsin winning the title. Huss. they turned out to be an exciting Touhey said he avoided obvious Louisville University’s victory team to watch,” he said. “You alpicks. dance came as no surprise as the ways have to cheer for the under“I thought about Duke or Gonteam entered the tournament dog, that’s why I was so enthusias- zaga but figured lots of people ranked number one out of the tic about them for the rest of their would use them as long shots,” Midwest pool. time in the tournament.” said Touhey. “I wanted to pick a “Louisville deserved to win but Other upsets included the apreal shocker, but unfortunately I’m not a big fan of Pitino, and the pearance of nine seeded Wichita I didn’t know that was Wichita affair in the Louisville restauState in the Final Four and the State’s nickname.” rant has seemed to disappear victory Ole Miss claimed over With much of his bracket dead from sports consciousness,” said Wisconsin. early due to the fact that he was Touhey. “Anyway I’m betting that First year MJ Krsulic said his going for upsets, Touhey quickly his Cardinal tattoo will be of the favorite upset was Wichita State lost interest in the standings. temporary variety, but I could be making the Final Four. “Like lots of people, I was rootwrong about that too.” MU hosted its own bracket ing for Florida Gulf Coast,” said This National Championship challenge on ESPN.com in which Touhey. They play a good discimarked the Cardinal’s third in students, faculty, and staff made plined, well thought out brand of history. entries online to take on President basketball.” Wayj@misericordia.edu
Ladies grab pigskin for powder puff By Christa Porasky, Reporter There’s another new football team on campus. The class of 2015 will host a girls-only powder puff football game during Spring Weekend. Class president Johnna Miller said she hopes to get everyone involved in the playful sport. Because this year marks the first for the MU all-male football team, Miller thought a powder puff game would allow the girls to participate. “I did powder puff for two years in high school, and over fall break I went back to school and I watched a powder puff game. We have a football team, so why can’t it be the first year for powder puff as well?” Miller said she’s heard a lot of talk on campus by students who support the game. “I know a lot of girls have mentioned it before in getting involved with it, so I thought, why not?” She said she worked with class advisor Bruce Riley to tackle the project. “She had come to me, about a month or two ago with the idea of powder puff football, and she had some experience that she brings and thought it would be successful,” Riley said. Mixed teams of juniors and seniors will face off for the win.
Although sign ups aren’t plentiful as organizers had hoped, they hope the game will catch on and generate more turnout next year. Organizers say coaches and team captains are in place. “It’s unknown and it’s a little bit scary at first because you’ve never done it before, but I think at the same time there’s a feeling of excitement with that because you’re doing something that the students have never done, and it gives them something else to do,” he said. “The sky’s the limit with how big it can get, and how successful it can be, so there’s a lot of excitement that goes along with the nerves.” Miller hopes the powder puff game will become an annual event and even grow into a tradition. “We still have two more years after this to bring it back, so I’m hoping it’ll be coming back bigger and better each year, along with bigger and better ideas, expanding it to involve all different kinds of clubs and organizations, so we are really excited to see how it goes.” Registration is $10 and includes a free t-shirt. Forms are located outside of the SGA office. The games take place April 28. Poraskyc@misericordia.edu
Powder Puff in Context
The first Powder puff football game was played on October 20, 1945 at Eastern State Teachers College in Madison, South Dakota. Many universities across the country have powder puff teams, including Lehigh University, Wheaton College and Shippensburg University. Powder puff games are often an annual event and in many cases raise money for a chosen cause.
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CONTEST GROWS MADDEN EXCITEMENT
By Nathan Brown, Reporter
Students and faculty are taking part in the democratic process - by voting in the Madden 25 Cover Vote. The famous Madden football video game hosts an annual bracketformed tournament to have fans decide who will be featured on the cover each year. Every year there is a player in the bracket who people select for the cover. Peyton Hillis and Calvin Johnson have been on the last two covers. The contest is not only a campus event – it’s a worldwide trend. First year nursing major David D’Achillie has made his pick. “Adrian Peterson, simply because he is a tank,” D’Achillie said. Adrian Peterson is the overwhelming worldwide favorite to win the cover vote. In his previous three match-ups in the bracket, Adrian Peterson - nicknamed AD, which stands for “All Day” - received 70 percent of the vote. All students and faculty interviewed for this story support Peterson. “I like Adrian Peterson because
April 23, 2013 5
Sports
he is a classy guy,” said Dr. Pat Touhey. “He was raised without his father and still is one of the classiest guys in the NFL.” Adrian Peterson fell just eight yards shy of breaking the single season record for rushing yards. He did this following a torn ACL and reconstructive surgery. He had what most people call a “freak” recovery. Peterson’s fast rebound after surgery made him a pick, as did his National Football League’s Most Valuable Player award last season. “I also like the way he runs,” Touhey said. “He doesn’t run outof-bounds.” Sophomore physical therapy major Ross Baver had his own reasons. “I voted Adrian Peterson because he won the MVP last season.” Freshman sports management major Ian Silkworth also voted Adrian Peterson because of his MVP award and heroic recovery. The bracket is divided into “Old School” and “New School” sides, and Peterson is listed on the “New
School” side. It is unclear whether an “Old School” and “New School” player will share the cover or if winners of both sides will face off in the finals. However, there has been interest in the dual-player. On the “Old School” side of the bracket, Jerry Rice faces off against Barry Sanders. The trend on campus seems to be leaning toward Jerry Rice. “Jerry Rice because he is the greatest of all time at the wide receiver position,” said Silkworth. On a recent ranking of the NFL’s greatest players on ESPN.com, Jerry Rice received the first place position as he was deemed the NFL’s greatest player of all time. “I like the concept of the old school guys being able to be on the cover,” said Touhey. “I believe that they should have gone further back and included some of the game’s original greats.” It’s hard for students to understand the “Old School” players and that side of the bracket because many never watched these alltime greats in action. However, students say they understand the
MU Exposure: Rumba, Zumba
importance and impact of some of the all-time greats on the game. Each side of the bracket began with 16 players. In a typical oneon-one voting concept, the player with the highest percentage of the vote advances to the next round. After four rounds of voting, each side is reduced to two players. On the “New School” side, the favorite Adrian Peterson faces off against fourth seed Arian Foster. On the other side, favorite Jerry Rice faces off against third seeded Barry Sanders. Madden, which is named after John Madden, former NFL head coach of the Oakland Raiders, was the world’s second leading sports video game sold in 2012. The 2014 release of the game will be named Madden 25 because the year marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most popular video games of all time. Finals for the Madden 25 cover vote will be released April 17 at 11:59 p.m. The winner was not announced at press time. Brownn4@misericordia.edu
Off-season soccer players ready to score By Lindsay Usarzewicz, Reporter
The women’s soccer team is training hard during the spring season to stay in shape and prepare for the fall season. “This gets the girls back into that 90 minute game fitness that they need to be at by August,” said head coach Mark Stauffer. The team gets about a month to play and practice before players end spring training with a play day, which consists of three 45 minute games between teams from multiple schools, Stauffer said. This is only the second year that Misericordia is hosting the annual event, Stauffer said. King’s College, Wilkes University, Mansfield University, Marywood University, and Juniata College attended the play day on April 21. Games began at 10 a.m. and ran until 3 p.m. on Mangelsdorf Field. The play day helped to show the team’s strengths and weaknesses and helped determine areas of improvement that players must address, Stauffer said. Stauffer uses the play day as a way to get the current players in shape before incoming first years join the team in the fall. MU decided to host a play day on their home turf because Stauffer realized there was not an event
like this in the area for local colleges and universities. “I think that play day is a great idea,” said first year Devin Simpson. “It gives us a chance to get together as a team and play against our competition.” A benefit to the event is that players are able to play against unfamiliar teams instead of each other, Simpson said. The senior players graduating in May did not participate in the event, giving the remaining teammates a chance to prepare for the fall season on their own and get acquainted to a way of playing without their support. It’s also a fun way to end the year with fellow teammates before summer vacation, Simpson said. The team ended the event with a tailgate near Mangelsdorf Field. Usarzewl@misericordia.edu
Top, sophomore Lindsay Hoover dribbles the ball down the field in hope of scoring during a practice on McGeehan Field before the play day on April 21. Bottom, junior Kelly Mott tosses the ball away from the goal during the women’s soccer team practice on April 17 on McGeehan Field.
MATT HISCOX/THE HIGHLANDER
Junior education major Kirsten Fisher takes a zumba class in the Anderson Sports and Health Center on April 14. The class was to benefit students going on the Guyana trip this June through Campus Ministry. Entrance fees were $2 and two classes were held at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., open to all students. ELLEN HOFFMAN/THE HIGHLANDER
Scrubs, continued Continued from page 2
call Cindy Nardi who is the secretary. She does a lot of that work as well. She does contact through the Internet and contacts them that way,” said Cunfer. “Sometimes we have to go meet them, but we get the sites where the students have to go and figure out how many students there are and figure out how many sites we need and set that up.” Cunfer said nursing students are sent to several area hospitals as well as local schools and health agencies. “In our program, they go to Wilkes-Barre general and Geisinger Wyoming Valley and sometimes we got Moses Taylor, which is in Scranton,” said Cunfer. “For community, which is in the senior year, they go to a variety of com-
munity agencies, which could be a health agency, could be a hospice agency. It could be a school.” Because scrubs are the required uniform, students wear them as they are entering the professional work force. “I think any teachers, anybody that has to go out, then they are expected to dress professionally or dress like their professions dress,” said Cunfer. “While it is an expense, in college everything seems like an expense, because you have a limited income and you’re paying a lot of money. I think it’s kind of educating. You know how it’s going to be in the real world.” Lovetteb@misericordia.edu
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INTERNSHIPS PREPARES FOR FUTURE By Taryn Talacka, Reporter
Many students are looking for summer internship opportunities, but they may be difficult to find unless students are well prepared. Bernadette Rushmer, Director of the Insalaco Center for Career Development, said the job market is aggressively competitive. She said many students are doing internships that comply with their majors, so it is a good idea for every student to do one. “I think having an internship experience is essential. It’s still an extremely competitive job market out there, and to not have an internship is a disadvantage.” Rusher said experience in one’s field is of the greatest importance to employers. “Certainly there are a lot of things – involvement in clubs and activities, athletics, taking up leadership roles – that will build a solid resume, but having that hands-on work experience is really essential,” said Rushmer. “It’s something that student’s can use to set themselves apart when they’re applying because internship experiences can vary greatly.” The process of finding an internship opportunity can be tricky, but Rushmer said there are many resources available to students at the university. She, among others in the Insalaco Center for Career Development, assist students with developing their resumes and practicing interviews. The Center can find internships that work with a student’s needs, no matter the students year. “Sometimes I’ll meet with a student, but we look in our database and we don’t see anything that matches exactly what they want,” she said. “Then we go out and make outreach to employers that might be able to be a better fit.”
Rusher said the location of a student’s potential internship can determine whether they apply. A local internship may not be the best choice for one student, while an out-of-town site may not be right for another. “When students choose to do something during the semester, often they’re looking for local because they may be taking classes as well as doing an internship,” she said. “If they’re looking over the summer, they may want to go back home, where ever home may be, or they may have a relative somewhere that they can open up the opportunity.” Rushmer said the application process for internships varies depending on the employer. While some ask for a cover letter and a resume, others may ask for a sample of the student’s writing or a letter of recommendation. Once students apply, Rushmer said some employers do oncampus interviews with perspective interns. Students usually hear if they got the internship or not after a week or so without an oncampus interview. Mary Bove, sophomore communications major, landed a summer internship this year after hearing about it from the Chairperson of the Communications Department, Melissa Sgroi. Bove plans to intern at The Standard Speaker in Hazleton, PA. “I’m looking to gain more knowledge with photography, especially in the photojournalism field, because I think that is where I’m heading with my life,” she said. “I would like to gain another big internship under my belt and another experience so I can apply to a bigger internship next summer.” Bove said she plans to apply to
both The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times next year. She hopes the experience she gains during her internship at The Standard Speaker will make her more desirable to the larger newspapers where internship placements are highly competitive. The Standard Speaker is not Bove’s first internship. She said she did an online, unpaid internship with online fashion blog, CollegeFashionista, last summer. “For my internship experience, I think it’s really good and it helps you with deadlines. I don’t know if it goes for every internship in every field, but in communications, deadlines are deadlines.” Not all students complete internships. Some major departments require them and have students complete an application and interview process. “For those students who are in majors that do not, I would just really like to encourage them to do an internship.” Rushmer said sometimes internships have a downside. If the work is not what a student expected it to be, the experience could be unpleasant, but she stressed that students can learn many things, including conflict resolution in a less-than-ideal internship placement. “That’s going to happen in any job,” said Rushmer. “There might be elements of it that you don’t like as much or you may encounter a co-worker that you just don’t get along with that well, so look at it from a practical perspective.” Rusher said the Insalaco Center for Career Development encourages students to speak with staffers or their faculty advisors. Talackat@misericordia.edu
April 23, 2013
MU Exposure: Playin’ with Pups
TORI DZIEDZIAK/THE HIGHLANDER
First year Meghan Stack volunteers with Blue Chip Farms with other students from Misericordia on April 14. Students enjoy volunteering at the shelter and being with the animals.
AP drops term, continued Continued from page 1
ing this choice, and she suspects it was driven by the increasing population of Hispanic and Latino immigrants in the U.S. “I think the recent economic change and the recent high school graduates that have been undocumented is increasing and the population is also increasing. I think that it was a combination of all those things that are happening, and finally, I guess The Associated Press took the initiative to make those changes because I think they understood that [the term] was dehumanizing the person.” Cabrera is not the only one taking notice of the AP’s decision.
Local newspapers are already using the newer terminology. Kevin Donlin, news editor at The Citizens’ Voice, says he knows the AP has been trying to get away from terms like “illegal immigrant.” He noted that the AP updated in 2011, saying the language evolution has been an ongoing process. “For us, I mean it is just follow the style that is set forth by the AP and it’s an effort to get away from labels. I know they have been trying to get away from label type stuff and not describe the person but the activity.” Donlin said the change is already impacting headlines.
“This will be a challenge to avoid this term,” he said about coming up with creative headlines. “There have been some arguments that it’s political correctness and I can see that. It’s really to describe the activity rather than the person itself. I can see both sides of the argument.” Donlin believes the elimination of the term is a step toward improved newspapers and other media outlets. “I think it’s a move to try to get better reporting because you can’t sum it up in just this term anymore.” Hoffmae3@misericordia.edu