Mercyhurst College's art education major Kevin Salem volunteers at the Erie Zoo.

When zoo staff mentioned that they would like to have a mural painted, Salem soon got the Mercyhurst College Art Education Club involved.

The mural will be painted inside classrooms and stage at the zoo. The art, which will cover an astounding 1,000 square feet of wall space, will be divided into nine “windows,” each of which will be designed by a different artist with a unique style.

With graduation only a couple of months away, senior Maeve McGoff is taking an extra role as a movie producer to present her script as this year's Communications Department film.

Upon her script being chosen, McGoff has taken charge of the production, filming and editing, as well as managing the cast and crew.

With another thing to add to her busy schedule, McGoff said she tries not to focus on the amount of work.

Senior Chelsey Crawford and juniors Joe Krajcik and Kevin Finn work on the roof of a house in New Orleans.

Nearly six years after Katrina hit New Orleans, victims of the hurricane are still struggling, and Mercyhurst students were recently there to help.

Forty-one Mercyhurst College faculty members and students participated in alternative spring break trips this year, choosing not to party and to help the less fortunate instead.

The students who participated in the New Orleans trip explored the French Quarters, weatherproofed a Habitat for Humanity house, and helped complete projects around Camp Hope, a former school building where Habitat for Humanity provides low-cost housing for volunteers.

The “urban immersion” trips to Baltimore and Camden allowed students to provide hands-on service and empathy to “poor and marginalized people in a variety of settings,” according to Campus Ministry Director Gregory Baker.