Easter events abound at MU

Jordan Kessler, Staff writer

Easter is a very fun time of the year on campus. Different clubs, organizations and departments host and participate in many Easter activities.

Before break, several clubs on campus organized Easter egg hunts and other fun activities for students to enjoy before going home for the holiday.

Circle K hosted an Easter egg hunt for its club members several days before Easter break. In addition, they hosted an Easter Party the weekend of April 13. At the party, students gathered together to eat food, laugh and have a good time before going home for break.

The Bystander Intervention Committee hosted an Easter egg hunt from April 15-16. The committee utilized the assistance of the Crime Victim Center of Erie to spread awareness of sexual assault victims in an unconventional way.

“Participants were asked to complete the tasks they found in the egg to raise awareness for victims,” Christopher Lewand, Assistant Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct, said.
The egg hunt was for everyone on campus and all students were encouraged to participate.

Alice Agnew, Mercyhurst’s Title IX director, assisted with the production of the event as well as making sure it ran smoothly throughout the two days. The goal was not only to create more awareness about sexual assault, but to do so in a way where victims did not feel out of place when participating.

“Our hope is to continue this event in the future, since this was the first one,” Lewand said. It is hoped that next Easter the hunt can be outside, but with the weather in Erie, it is unpredictable.
In years past, Campus Ministry participated in its own Easter egg hunt; however, members did something different this year.

Throughout the entire season of Lent, the students of Campus Ministry got to enjoy some relaxing, spiritual activities. “We did art journaling, participated in the Stations of the Cross and practiced Taizé,” Maryanne Cantwell, a senior Intelligence Studies Major said.

Taizé is a prayer method using peace and ecumenical meditation. The members of Campus Ministry practiced this method while using singing repetitions as a form of prayer.
To serve the community during Mercy Week, the Ambassadors in Campus Ministry went to a Second Harvest Food Bank in Erie to package food for local families.

On social media, several departments of Mercyhurst posted well wishes for Easter break and wished students a Happy Easter.

The History department shared a flashback picture of Mercyhurst from Easter in 1933, by the Grotto. The History Club posted a picture of a decorated egg on Facebook, saying “Happy Easter!”
On the Mercyhurst World Language Department page, Professor Alice Edwards posted a link sharing the “World’s Most Beautiful Holy Week Celebrations.”

Hopefully, the joy of Easter celebrations can be continued in these last few weeks to help students finish strong.