Torch 3-31

TORCH GRAPHIC/ KERI DODGE

WHAT’S INSIDE News......................2-4 Features.............10-11 Opinion..................6-7 Entertainment....13-16 Comic........................8 Sports.................20-24

MOVIES If You Could Turn Back Time...

Inferno speaks to Craig Robinson and Clark Duke about their “Hot Tub” experience.

ENTER RTAINMENT Pg. 14

TORCHONLINE.COM

Last week’s poll results Are you voting in the SGI elections?

88% Yes 12% No Check out our new poll every Wednesday “Think Outside. . .”

2

Directory Managing Board LXXXVII

CHRISTINA HEISER, Editor-in-Chief EVERTON BAILEY, Managing Editor NELL O’CONNOR

BILL SAN ANTONIO

MARK MCDONALD

News Editor

Sports Editor

General Manager

JUSTIN THRIFT

LAURA AMATO

MALLORY TOKUNAGA

Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor

Chief Copy Editor

PATRICE BENDIG

KERI DODGE

ELIZABETH MILLER

Features Editor

Art Director

Layout Editor

ADELLE PLATON

JOSÉ SILVA

ELLEN CAREY

Entertainment Editor Online Editor

Advisor

Business (718) 9906756 Advertising 990-6756 Editorial Board 990-6444

Features 990-6445 Letters 990-6445 News 990-6444 Sports 990-6444

Special thanks to Richard Rex Thomas for assisting in the design of The TORCH

Music

By Word of Mouth McDonald’s calls on Brooklyn rapper Wordspit to star in their latest commercial.

Inferno Pg. 15

Features Women and Numbers St. John’s math program is led by its female students.

Features Pg. 10

Men’s Basketball Next In Line Steve Lavin signed a sixyear contract to become the men’s basketball coach.

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Members of the CM Performing Arts Center put on the Stations of the Cross in St. Thomas More Church on Monday.

NEWS

Sports Pg. 22

Briefs: Upcoming Events ILLUSTRATOR’S CORNER OPINION PG. 6

NELL O’CONNOR

torchonline.com

The TORCH

31 March 2010

News Editor

FOR MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: 718-990-6756 The TORCH is the official student newspaper of St. John’s University. The Torch is written, edited, designed and produced by students of the University. All contents are the sole responsibility of the editors and the editorial board and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of St. John’s University unless specifically stated.

To contact The TORCH by mail: The TORCH, St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway Queens, NY 11439

The TORCH is typically published on Wednesdays, approximately 20 issues throughout the academic year. Circulation per issue is 3,500 copies distributed free on campus.

This copy of The Torch is worth $ .75.

The Institute for Writing Studies (IWS) will host the first St. John’s Bread and Life Soup Kitchen-Community Center reading on Tuesday, April 13 at Common Hour.

Guests of Bread and Life will read short stories, poems and other works that they have written in the workshops facilitated at the center by the IWS. The workshops, which are open to all who visit Bread and Life, have been running for he past three years.

Tom Philipose, associate director of the Writing Center, said that the workshops are used to help guests of Bread and Life with any type of writing, from short stories and poetry to resumes and cover letters.

“The workshop guests come from all different types of backgrounds, have led amazing lives, and are often dealing with adversity most of the STJ community could hardly imagine,” he said.

The event will be held in the Institute for

Writing Studies, which is located on the first floor of St. Augustine Hall. * * * Friday, April 2 is the University’s annual 5K “Walk for the Homeless.”

Held every year on Good Friday, the walk is sponsored by Campus Ministry and the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

The walk begins with a prayer service at St. Thomas More Church at 9:00 a.m.. Members of the St. John’s Community will then walk to the American Martyrs Church on Bell Boulevard, then return to the University by 1:00 pm.

Anyone interested in participating should arrive at St. Thomas More for registration before 9:00 a.m. * * * “180 Days,” a one-woman show, will be performed tomorrow in the Little Theater.

Taren Sterry brings her off-Broadway show about working with hospice patients to St. John’s University.

The performance is free for all University members. RSVP on St. John’s Central.

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The newly elected SGI executive board after the results were released.

Tami Telford (left) awaits election results with Patrick Brewer (right).

SGI executive board winners announced SARA CAHILL MARRON Staff Writer

NEWS 31 March 2010 The TORCH TORCH PHOTOS/LAURA AMATO

Andre McDonald celebrates being voted the new SGI treasurer.

torchonline.com

For the second year in a row, the newest Student Government, Inc. board will be made up of students from opposing tickets.

The UNITE ticket took four positions and the Progressing in Academics Revamping Traditions and Enhancing Your Experience (P.A.R.T.Y.) ticket took three.

From the P.A.R.T.Y. ticket, Patrick Brewer won President, Tami Telford won Vice President and Tiffany Marmol won Junior Senator.

From the UNITE ticket Dan LoBrace won Secretary, Gerard Murrell won Senior Senator, Andre McDonald won Treasurer, and Bill Conallen won Sophomore Senator.

According to Chenele Francis, chair of the SGI Elections Committee, there was a 14.6 percent voter turnout. Of 10,351 potential student voters, 1,619 participated in the election.

“There was definitely more involvement with students than last year, but I wish there was better voter turnout,” said senior Cheryl Robinson after the elections statistics and results were announced.

Candidates sat together as the results were announced, some holding hands in anticipation.

“When we were waiting for the presidential announcements, I was gripping onto Patrick for dear life,” Tami Telford, vice-president-elect said.

Elected Sophomore Senator Bill Conallen shook hands with members of his party as well as his opponents with a huge smile on his face saying he felt “speechless.”

“It’s still sinking in!” Conallen said.

“I’m very excited to be given a chance to represent the sophomore class.”

Once the results were revealed, the elected candidates hugged, shook hands,

and seemed relieved. In tears, PresidentElect Patrick Brewer described his outlook for the upcoming year.

“I am beside myself right now, it’s a good group of people and we’re going to make it work,” he said. “I’m most excited to bring a lot of new people into SGI next year, we’re going to have a lot of fresh eyes.”

Christina Zaccarelli, a senior and current SGI Vice President, described her view of the election’s turnout.

“The most challenging thing is going to be bringing these two tickets together.

But for right now, there’s a lot of emotion in this room,” Zaccarelli said.

The split of the two tickets furnished mixed opinions from the candidates and students in attendance.

“My anxiety is finally over but I’m disappointed my whole ticket didn’t win,” McDonald said.

Senior Megan McMahon said she voted even though she was not going to be at St. John’s next year.

“Even though it won’t affect me, I think the best people for the positions were elected,” McMahon said.

Darren Morton, assistant vice president for Student Affairs talked about the challenges that SGI will face next year, as well as the positive aspects of the split results.

“I’m always happy for the student elections and this year was a good, close race. The good thing is we are seeing that students are voting more for individual candidates instead of just along ticket lines,” Morton said.

“The challenge for Student Government will be, once again, for them to come together under one leadership.”

Patrick McBurney, a senior and current SGI President, watched as the candidates celebrated their victories.

“We’re excited to be ending our year and transitioning to the next group.

Hopefully the new e-board will heed our success and learn from our mistakes,” McBurney said.

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STJ tackles homelessness Speaker encourages students to take initiative NELL O’CONNOR News Editor

torchonline.com

The TORCH

31 March 2010

NEWS

St. John’s continued its efforts to fight homelessness with a lecture on the problems of the shelter system.

In Dr. Heidi Upton’s Discover New York class, students had been reading “A Shelter Is Not A Home… Or Is It?,” by Dr. Ralph Nunez, who runs Homes for the Homeless, in an effort to understand the issues facing children in homeless shelters in New York City.

Upton invited Nunez’s organization to speak to her students, as well as other University members, on his book and the work they have been doing.

Aurora Zepeda, executive vice president of the organization, about the work that is being done and what outsiders need to understand about the homeless problem.

Zepeda, who has worked with Homes for the Homeless for more than 20 years, spoke about how she personally became involved in working for the cause, something she never expected to be interested in.

While studying for her Master’s in Public Policy at Columbia University, she realized that she was interested in “following the money” when looking to solve society’s problems.

“It’s really easy to sit in an office pushing paper somewhere saying ‘Oh, it would be nice if they did something about that,’” she said, encouraging students to take initiative.

Having worked with Nunez since their overlapping time at Columbia University, Zapeda made repeated references to his book and the research they have been doing at the organization’s Institute for Children and Poverty (ICP).

Much of the work has to do with

TORCH PHOTOS/NELL O’CONNOR

Aurora Zepeda talked about the work of Homes for the Homeless and what students can do to get involved. homeless children of New York City, which according to Zapeda, make up the largest group of homeless people.

“What people don’t know is that the typical homeless person in America is a child,” she said. “Our missions to bring that fact to life, that homelessness is a children’s problem.”

The ICP and Homes for the Homeless have extensively researched this theory, and have begun presenting their ideas through speeches like this.

Students in the audience interacted with Zapeda, responding to her questions and posing their own. Many had spent

time working with the City’s homeless population Meredith Leverich, a junior, reflected on her own personal experiences in working with the homeless. She had spent time working with the children in the nearby Briarwood Family Shelter, a branch of the New York City Department of Homeless Services.

“I was really struggling with the fact that I knew that their educational experience was not the same as mine,” Leverich said. “But I really didn’t see how they will survive with the resources they have been given.”

Understanding the immigrant LIAM LA GUERRE Staff Writer

Dr. Rafael Javier, a professor of Psychology at St. John’s University, spoke to students, faculty and members of the community concerning strategies for successful immigration on March 27 in Marillac Hall.

The workshop, entitled “Understanding your Context: Psychological Strategies for Success,” was hosted by the Committee on Latin and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) as part of a series funded through a three year state grant from the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development in Adult Literacy.

Dr. Javier discussed immigration, the types of immigrants and how immigrants function in a new society.

“The ideal are immigrants who allow themselves’ to get into a new society

without denying their past” said Dr. Javier.

Dr. Alina Camacho-Gingerich, the CLACS chair and project director, attended the workshop and said, “It has been proven the more languages and cultures you know the more successful you’ll be.”

Dr. Javier introduced the reasons for immigration, which range from economic, political, professional, and educational.

“Immigrants should take control of their life and make sure to stay focused on their goals,” he said. “When people immigrate they must have determination, coping skills and hope. Individuals who come with success in mind, have determination.”

Dr. Javier added that, while one should remain focused on your goals and discussed some of the dangers that immigrants may face.

His main piece of advice is for immigrants to “maintain a positive outlook about the experience, develop

a social network in the adopted society, and become culturally competent in the adopted society.”

Dr. Javier said that sometimes children born of the new society are at odds culturally with their parents.

Children may not share the same goals as their parents and this could cause disagreements.

“I think it depends on the individuals,” Shirley Cisneros, a student, said, “One reason why I go to school is for my parents.”

Professor Pratt Johnson, who attended the workshop, believes that immigration is a positive.

“People are born where they are born by accident, when they see the opportunity to succeed; opportunity for a better life, then they should be allowed to immigrate,” he said.

Dr. Camacho-Gingerich added “[Immigration] is a good thing, the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, and each group contributes to the cultural fabric of the U.S.”

A professor’s poetry of law JUSTIN THRIFT Editorial Page Editor The St. John’s College English department hosted American poet Lawrence Joseph on Monday for a reading of his poetry.

Joseph, a professor at the St. John’s University School of Law, has had six volumes of his poetry published in addition to a book of prose called Lawyerland.

In a 45-minute reading, Joseph read an assortment of poems from some of his books, including the volume Shouting at No One, which won the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize in 1983. The reading was followed by an open question and answer session.

The chair of the English Department Dr. Stephen Sicari said the event was a great success.

“We were very happy with the turnout of students and teachers,” said Sicari. “It was the largest turnout of any lecture or reading since I came here in 1996.”

Sicari also mentioned the high turnout of students and professors from the law school community.

“It was also good to bridge the gap between the law school and our English department.”

“ ” He speaks in a way that gets to the core of what he’s trying to say.

-John Nance

Many of Joseph’s poetry deals with the dual life of a lawyer and poet, a topic Joseph spoke about extensively on Monday.

When asked after the event what was the harder profession, Joseph answered without hesitation — the poet.

During the question and answer session, Joseph was particularly keen on fielding student questions, encouraging a response from the students in attendance.

English graduate student John Nance felt the poet was impressive.

“His poetry is charged with color and empirical account,” said Nance, who asked the first question of the Q&A. “He speaks in a way that gets to the core of what he’s trying to say.”

In his career as a poet, Joseph has received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2006, Joseph received the New York County Lawyers Association’s “Law and Literature Award.”

He has also served on the board of directors for the Poets House and Poetry Society of America, as well as working on the International PEN Events Committee, a worldwide association of writers.

Lawrence Joseph has taught at the St. John’s law school since 1987 and was named the Reverend Joseph T. Tinnelly, C.M., Professor of Law in 2003.

Can’t get enough TORCH news?

Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com

6

Editorial Board LXXXVII

Illustrator’s Corner:

CHRISTINA HEISER Editor-in-Chief EVERTON BAILEY Managing Editor NELL O’CONNOR News Editor JUSTIN THRIFT Editorial Page Editor

FLAMES OF THE TORCH

31 March 2010

OPINION

SGI election raises questions The 2010-2011 Student Government representatives were elected on Tuesday with 1,619 undergraduate students voting. This is a major increase from years past — back in 2007, only 450 students voted, double the amount of students who voted in 2006.

But while voter turnout in this year’s election reached a recent high at 1,619 students, this is still under 20 percent of the University’s total undergraduate population, which is 10,351. So while the reaction from the newly elected students and their supporters was joyous in the Student Activity Lounge of the D’Angelo Center, it seems the majority of the University heaved a heavy sigh of indifference.

Even though there has been improvement in the number of students casting ballots, the question still arises: why such a low percentage of participation? Why is it, year after year, that only a small number of St. John’s students care enough to cast their votes for who will represent them in student government?

One thing that cannot be attributed to the low percentage turnout is the accessibility of voting. Students had the opportunity to vote Monday and Tuesday in the D’Angelo Center, as well as online. For interested students, the opportunity to cast their votes was ample.

Still, while voter turnout has increased over the past five years, it seems to have become stagnant this year. In last year’s election, a similar 1,617 students decided to vote. This means the voter turnout has increased since last year by a whopping two students.

This is a problem that Student Government will have to grapple with going forward. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a surefire way to cure apathy in the student body. It’s an unfortunate mystery that seems to be unanswerable.

At the TORCH, the question of low voter turnout from year to year has led to much discussion. In the newsroom, much has been debated over the reasons for why less than 20 percent of students care about who their SGI representatives are.

Our minimal coverage of the campaigning has come under question, and the same question perpetuates: are people really interested in following the SGI election? Based on the turnout, it looks as if most students aren’t.

But, when considering the platforms that comprised each ticket, a possible reason arises for the low student interest.

Both tickets’ campaigns were based on seemingly meaningless promises. For example, the P.A.R.T.Y ticket promised to do such things as “Progress Academics,” “Strengthen Advisement,” create “Better Representatives,” and “Taking Academic Concerns to the Highest Level.”

On the other side, the UNITE ticket promised to “Improve the commuter experience,” “Utilize student feedback to enhance campus life,” and “Increase student engagement through weekend programming.”

All of these things sound like great ideas that could improve the student experience, but what exactly do they mean? More importantly, how do they propose to do these things?

Right now, it appears that many students do not have much faith in the power of Student Government. Considering this, maybe the best way for SGI to achieve more votes would be to demonstrate the power they do have and show students the things that have been accomplished in the past.

We’ve seen some improvement in recent years, but more is needed for SGI to fully be a voice for the student body.

torchonline.com

The TORCH

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of The TORCH. Columns are the opinions of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of The TORCH. Opin-

ions expressed in editorials, columns, letters or cartoons are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or administrations of St. John’s University.

TO CONTRIBUTE Mail letters to: The TORCH Letters, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamaica, NY 11439 E-mail letters to: torcheditorials@gmail.com

Please include your full name, year, and college (or department). Letters should be no more than 350 words and may be edited for content, grammar, or space. Unverifiable or anonymous letters will not be published.

All letters are subject to the approval of the Editorial Board of The TORCH.

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/MIKE MONTIJO

Letters to the Editor To the editor: I was very moved by the St. John’s Chappell Players’ production of The Laramie Project. This production holds a very symbolic meaning for St. John’s University. The Laramie Project is a very heartfelt play sending a message that hate cannot be tolerated, portrayed through the tragic hate driven murder of Matthew Shepard.

However, for St. John’s there is an even larger message accompanying this.

I have spent over a year at St. John’s, along with my fellow students, advocating for the rights of our LGBTQ students. I am moved and very proud to see our campus host a production that speaks to the very core of LGBTQ issues and addresses hate and bigotry head on. This is a very large step for our university to have this production on campus. As many will recall, a mere 4 years ago our administration refused to allow a production of the Vagina Monologues on campus, and we came very close to that happening with the Laramie Project. When I first heard that the Chappell Players were considering doing Laramie Project, I immediately voiced my support and offered any and all assistance I could provide, worried that the administration may again prevent this production from appearing on campus. And, unbeknownst to many, the administration reviewed this play during a run through, but days before opening night, to, indeed, decide if the production would be allowed to go forward.

Not only was the play allowed to go forward, but there was a twist. Satur-

day evening’s performance came with a scheduled protest from the Westboro Baptist Church and Fred Phelps. For those of you who may not know, Fred Phelps is a character in the Laramie Project due to the protest he and his church, which operates the website God Hates Fags, held at Matthew Shepard’s funeral. To me, this demonstrates a very strong message from our University, in that this production was allowed to go forward, while at the same time another “church” had planned to protest this production. The larger message we are all left with is how far we as a university have come in the last year. This production symbolizes for me, and I hope for everyone else, that even as a Catholic University we cannot allow for hate, discrimination and inequality. In one short year, our University has come out of their own closet to allow this very strong message to ring clear through Laramie Project, and through the many other changes going on behind the scenes at St. John’s.

The same weekend as Laramie, our University held the first run through of a training session for St. John’s first ever Safe Zones Program, which will provide a long overdue resource for our LGBTQ students and allies. And our University is continuing to move forward every day. Seeing all of this progress, I am proud to be a St. John’s Student. Thank you to everyone who came to see the Laramie Project and to all of those involved in making this production a reality.

Kyle Collins Class of 2011

Some candidates for a quality commencement

RAMIRO FUNEZ Staff Writer The importance of freshmen student involvement on campus is mentioned throughout summer orientation, repeated throughout the fall activities fair, and emphasized in the second half of the academic year.

Opportunities to involve oneself in Greek life, Student Government, athletics, multicultural organizations, media outlets, and scholastic societies are almost thrown at freshmen. Students even have to pay an activities fee every school year.

Yet with all of this in mind, many St. John’s freshmen remain uninvolved in campus activities.

Oftentimes, freshmen resident students only leave their dormitories to go to class and to get meals. Many commuter freshmen act similarly, attending their classes and leaving immediately after.

In effect, many of these students miss out on career-building opportunities that serve as excellent resume boosters upon entering the postgraduate world. By not involving themselves on campus as freshmen, these students set themselves behind the well-established students who have made excellent networking contacts since their first semester of college.

In addition, freshmen who fail to involve themselves in different organizations on campus never earn the experience of meeting and working with new people from different walks of life. Interacting with such a diverse group of students at St. John’s would be beneficial to any student’s college experience, and make it more exciting and interesting.

St. John’s should hold discussion panels between upper-classmen and freshmen, so that the new students would be more likely to realize the significance of gaining extracurricular experience. Talking to students who have gone through the same situation would provide a more personal impact for the freshmen.

While St. John’s does have a rewards system in place, the MVP Rewards Program, the University should give freshmen more points to spark incentive and recognize freshmen who are significantly involved on campus. Many other colleges like Baylor University and Villanova University offer prestigious scholarships and rewards to freshmen who demonstrate leadership skills and experience on campus.

Some experts have recognized this issue and have approached it with research and inquiry that has led to some interesting findings on student engagement. According to nationallyrecognized professor Richard J. Light, author of Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds, first-year student involvement in extracurricular organizations is among one of the most crucial factors towards academic and professional development.

Professor Light also writes that students who involve themselves on campus early on in their college careers are more likely to earn higherpaying jobs than those who don’t have as much valuable organization experience.

The bottom-line is that freshmen at St. John’s need to further recognize the importance of involvement on campus in order to ensure a successful academic, professional, and spiritual college experience that will carry on to their post-graduate careers. In order to accomplish this, both the students and the University must meet halfway and work together.

STUDENTSPARKS: SGI Elections What do you think of the student government campaign efforts?

They have been good, a lot of information was good so everyone knows it’s going on.

They get annoying, they get on my nerves.

Kristen Brocavich Freshman

Silas Havard Sophomore

It was overwhelming with people coming to my table while I eat lunch. They where friendly at first.

A whole new level, I like [the candidates’] enthusiasm and the fact that they where going around and talking to everybody.

Victoria Batts Sophomore

Patrick Schuster Freshman

31 March 2010 The TORCH

COMPILED BY THOMAS CARNEVALE

torchonline.com

Christina Heiser is a senior English major.

She can be reached at: torcheic@gmail.com

Getting involved leads to success

OPINION

With my graduation now less than two months away, I’ve started wondering: who will give the commencement address at St. John’s this year?

Although I know I won’t be as lucky as the students at the University of Michigan, where President Barack Obama is speaking, or even as the students at NYU, where actor Alec Baldwin will address the crowd, I have hope that St. John’s can attract someone who is well-known and respected in whatever field he or she is in.

While an official announcement won’t be made by the school until the week of April 12, I’ve compiled a list of the top four people I’d like to give the commencement address at my graduation this year. The four people I’ve chosen are all big names, but not too big that they’d be completely out of the question to speak at St. John’s.

That being said, here are my top four choices for the 2010 commencement speaker: Michael Bloomberg: Who better than the mayor of New York City to speak to the diverse group of students graduating from St. John’s? I remember when Bloomberg took office back when I was in the eighth grade—it’s now almost a decade later, and Bloomberg could easily give an inspiring speech about how New York has changed over the last 10 years, resonating with students and their parents.

For this year’s graduating class, Bloomberg will have been the mayor the entire time they were in college, and he has actually worked with St. John’s students through his PlaNYC environmental initiative, which he started in 2007. With this connection to St. John’s, and St. John’s commitment to “going green,” Bloomberg is a natural fit to give the University’s commencement address.

Nicholas Kristof: Back in October, Kristof, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist, spoke at St. John’s about his latest book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, which he cowrote with his wife Sheryl WuDunn. The book chronicles the couple’s journey to parts of Asia and Africa where women have very little, or no rights at all.

I think Kristof’s dedication to human rights across the globe really gels with St. John’s Vincentian mission, and his lecture at the University last semester attracted a large crowd with many raving about him afterwards. As a commencement speaker, Kristof is someone who could definitely inspire a new generation of human rights activists and humanitarians.

Andrew Cuomo: The current New York State Attorney General is a prominent Catholic politician and a Queens native who has had a successful career in politics over the last two decades.

With many saying he will enter the race for New York State Governor, giving the keynote address at the St. John’s commencement ceremony would be a great way for Cuomo to get back into the spotlight and attract some new voters, too.

Cuomo’s father, Mario, is former governor who graduated from St. John’s with both his bachelor’s and law degrees. With a family connection to this borough and this university, Cuomo is someone who could relate to this year’s graduates in a way that few other speakers probably could.

Diane Sawyer: As someone interested in pursuing a career in journalism, I’ve always admired Sawyer’s work as a female in a predominantly male field. Her job as an anchor on Good Morning America made her a household name, and she recently became the anchor of ABC World News.

TV news anchors are popular commencement speakers (CNN’s Anderson Cooper is speaking at Tulane University this year), and since ABC World News tapes in New York City, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that Sawyer could make a possible commencement speaker at St. John’s. She has had a long, fruitful career in broadcast journalism, and would be able to impart a lasting impression on all of this year’s graduates.

Each of my top four choices has unique ties to New York City, and would generate excitement among those attending the long commencement ceremony on May 16. While I’m not sure if any one of my top four will be the chosen commencement speaker, I hope that whomever St. John’s choice is someone who can inspire the crowd.

7

TORCHCOMICS

I can’t draw Alex Reyes

Controlled Chaos Catharine Corrigan

Pam’s World

Michelle Alerte

1-800- ARMSTACO

Jonathan Roman

31 March 2010

10

Think Outside...

Features

3

Section

Closing the gender gap Female students make strides in mathematics CHRISTINA HEISER

torchonline.com

The TORCH

30 March 2010

FEATURES

Editor-In-Cheif

The face of mathematics is slowly changing. Although women continue to lag behind their male counterparts in terms of achievements both in and out of the classroom, new research finds that this gender gap is starting to close.

At St. John’s University, however, such a gap does not exist. Instead, things seem to be quite the opposite: in recent years, there have actually been more female math majors than there are males.

According to the Office of Institutional Research, female math majors outnumber males 21-19 on the Queens and Staten Island campuses combined for the 2009-10 school year. And while the women have only a slight edge over the men in the small department, it’s still a significant finding.

“The girl math majors are strong,” said Dr. Charles Traina, chair of the math department. “Some of them seem to have much better analytical skills, some of them have a better work ethic. In some cases some of them are very, very efficient and very conscientious.”

Traina noted that many of his female students hold leadership positions in the Math Club at St. John’s and Pi Mu Epsilon, a national math honor society, as well as serving as representatives at the University’s Open Houses, where prospective students have the chance to speak with students and professors from many departments.

“They seem more [willing] to come to bat,” he said.

Over the years, Traina, chair of the department since 1996, has had many of his female students move on to PhD programs in mathematics at rigorous universities like NYU and Columbia, while others have pursued law degrees or careers in actuarial science, using their sharp, analytical skills to their advantage.

One of Traina’s former students is Joan DeBello, who currently teaches mathematics and computer science in the College of Professional Students at St. John’s, and is going for her PhD. “What made me stay in the program [is that] I always had good role models,” said DeBello, citing Traina and another math professor, Dr. Theresa Barz, as positive influences on her in college.

During her time as a student at St. John’s, DeBello was a member of Women in Science, a program at St. John’s that encourages women to take classes in math and science-related subjects.

DeBello said she is hopeful about the state of women in mathematics, despite the existing stereotypes.

“The stereotype is that math is too hard [for women].

You don’t always see a successful female out there,” she said, “but companies are starting to hire more females as CEOs.” And this “stereotype” DeBello mentioned is one that even high-profile professionals have perpetuated.

For instance, back in 2005, Lawrence H. Summers, then the President of Harvard University, provoked an outcry when he said that so few women were successful in the math and science fields because of an intrinsic, biological reason, rather than societal or environmental influences.

Sarah Nelson, a junior, is a shining example of a current female math major poised to break down any preconceived notions one might have of a female’s ability to distinguish herself in such a male-dominated field. Nelson was one of 12 students accepted into a competitive summer research program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. While there, she’ll study mathematical finance and computer programming.

“I’m hoping to get some real research experience and to discover something on my own,” she said.

Nelson said she really became interested in the subject back in high school, when she began studying more

TORCH PHOTO/ BRIAN LOPEZ

Junior Sarah Nelson is one of the 21 female math majors at St. John’s. theoretical math concepts. Now, she said she enjoys doing computations, learning techniques and solving problems, calling the art of mathematics “really beautiful.”

Traina credits Nelson’s quiet disposition as one of her best qualities as a student.

“Sarah’s very, very good,” he said. “She’s very quiet about it, that’s the nice thing. She’s a very good student, she’s a good worker, but she doesn’t boast about it.”

Many experts claim that the disparity between boys and girls in math starts in elementary school, but new research from the Center on Education Policy, a national, independent advocate for public education, seems encouraging. In an article entitled “Are There Differences In Achievement Between Boys and Girls?” released in March 2010, the CEP stated that girls did “roughly as well as boys” on standardized math tests in elementary school during the 2007-08 school year.

Not having someone to look up to may also influence a young girl’s attitude towards the subject.

“The lack of a role model and positive influence is what steers people away,” said DeBello.

DeBello also noted that the media’s portrayal of young boys and girls can also influence the way they tackle math. She said that Teen Umizoomi, a cartoon that premiered on Nickelodeon in February, features both a boy and a girl solving math problems, which may have a positive impact on the way young girls view the subject in school.

In the New York City area, Allannah Thomas is helping women achieve their fullest potential in mathematics in a practical sense. In 1999, Thomas founded Helicon Inc., a non-profit organization specializing in math instruction for low-income women who want to obtain their GEDs and pursue jobs in the electric, plumbing and carpentry fields, among others, offering test preparation courses for pre-employment exams.

Thomas works with various organizations like STRIVE (Support and Training Result in Valuable Em-

ployees) in Harlem, Brooklyn Woods, which prepares the unemployed for jobs in carpentry, and PSE&G, a New Jersey-based gas and electric company.

While the majority of her students are women, Thomas said that about one quarter of her students are men.

She also stated that women fail the GED at a rate of 51 percent, while men fail it at a rate of 34 percent, calling it a “math issue,” and saying that there is “not one program in the entire city that just addresses the math issue.”

“Everybody keeps talking about literacy,” she said, “and it’s not about literacy for everyone.”

To combat this “math issue,” Thomas has started what she calls a “Day of Remediation” and a “Day of Memorization,” where her students must be able to show that they know their basic times tables, something she said is often glossed over in elementary schools these days, even though knowing these basic skills is a necessity in order to move on to more difficult concepts. She said that while she isn’t doing anything “spectacular,” her methods work, prompting more and more companies to want to use her services to find skilled employees.

Thomas explained that oftentimes, it is harder for women to get jobs because they may decide to start families and simply do not have the time to work full-time.

She also noted that at companies like PSE&G, wages for technical trades jobs that are held predominantly by men, are much higher than wages for clerical jobs, which are held predominantly by women because the pre-employment exams for the technical trades jobs features many more difficult math problems.

While Thomas is dedicated to imparting math skills to her female students so that they can obtain employment opportunities, she also said that part of her job is being a cheerleader, encouraging her students to succeed.

“Everybody needs to learn that women can do this stuff,” she said. “First and foremost, women need to understand that.”

11

Female empowerment on campus CAROLYN WARGULA Assistant Features Editor St. John’s University held its second Women in Leadership Conference, encouraging women to take higher levels of leadership on campus. The event, part of Women’s History Month, was sponsored by Student Affairs and took place Saturday, March 20 in the D’Angelo Center.

The Women in Leadership Certificate Program was developed in 2006 to encourage female St. John’s University students and alumni to make a strong impact through leadership. The program’s main goals are to help women understand the importance of leading, skillbuilding in projects and improving female empowerment.

The conference began last year to teach students how to improve their local and global communities.

“The purpose of the St. John’s University’s Women in Leadership Conference is to inspire leaders to become more consciously aware of their potential in taking the

lead in their community, organization, and in their personal and professional lives,” said Natalie Maio, the associate director of Leadership Development.

Students were excited with the numerous activities planned for the entire day. Maio said that they were most excited in the wide range of topics the conference addressed, including how to find successful careers and overcoming the fear of failure.

Students were able to choose which workshops to attend depending on their personal and professional needs.

Student Affairs invited Paul Wesselmann discussed the importance of leadership as the keynote speaker of the day. Wesselmann graduated from McKendree College and completed his master’s at Bowling Green State University in Psychology. Since moving to Wisconsin, Wesselmann has volunteered with Madison’s AIDS Network, providing emotional support to those combating HIV and AIDS. Since 1990, Wesselmann has devoted his time to organizing workshops and training individuals into leadership positions. As of 1999, he created the Ripples Project. What began as a Monday morning e-mail to all

PHOTO COURTSEY OF DESHANDRA BRATCHER

FEATURES

Students attend a workshop session conducted by Paul Wesselmann, where they learned about developing leadership skills.

of his friends to encourage them throughout the week, turned into an enormous effect where thousands became involved in his mission by sharing inspirational quotes through a newsletter to encourage each other.

“Paul Wesselmann was wonderful. He spoke to us about seeking comfort and seeking challenge, and that a balance between these is necessary for learning,” said freshman Alyssa-Rae Hug, who is also a member of the Women in Leadership program.

“During the conference, we discussed applications of leadership skills even in other ways such as with sports and religion. General leadership qualities for every facet of life were the focus of the event.”

Hug spoke about what she liked best about Wesselmann’s speech.

“He shared personal stories, some incredibly moving, and showed us the strength of the human spirit to overcome hardship in life,” she said.

“He is an example of how one can overcome this hardship, then turn the energy usually put into being hurt into positive energy which can be used to be a great leader and help others.”

Other speakers included professors Joan Ball from the Tobin College of Business, Ruth DeRosa from Student Affairs, Angela Seegal from Campus Ministry, and Michele Canning and Courtney Curby from the Athletic Department who highlighted the women’s soccer team and shared thoughts on their high achievements in the 2009 season.

Freshman Rob Kerns was one of the few males at the conference. However, he still felt he gained from the experience.

“The universal themes of leadership and goal-reaching stretched past gender lines and made the conference relatable to men too,” said Kerns.

According to Maio, numerous students felt empowered after the conference and wanted to share their new knowledge with their peers. Many students commented that the conference far surpassed their expectations. They were encouraged, like Hug, by Wesselmann’s powerful message about personal and professional growth.

“After a tremendous amount of positive feedback from St. John’s students, faculty members, administrators and staff, as well as alumni, the Department of Student Life has decided to make this conference an annual event to serve the University community members,” said Maio.

Being a woman in a leadership position can be stressful, yet Hug said she hopes more women will be inspired to impact the world in significant ways.

“Leadership is multi-faceted. There are a lot of different methods, styles, and ways to approach it within oneself and towards others. As women, we have such wonderful potential to approach both which is a special character unique to us,” she said.

Summer study aboard trips expanding Staff Writer

see” while visiting a foreign country.

Many students, however, said that they would rather study abroad during the semester. Freshman Matt Dueringer said that his decision would be influenced by the courses offered.

“I would rather go during the semester,” Dueringer said. “You can only take certain classes in the summer.”

Freshman Josh Ramirez felt similarly.

“I would rather go for the semester,” he said. “It has to do with financial aid.

There is more [financial aid available during the semester]. Also, I could enjoy the country for the entire semester.”

Dueringer said he could understand why the summer might be a better option for some students.

“If you’re going to study abroad for a summer, you have less time to get distracted,” Dueringer said.

“It would be easier to get focused.

You also miss college life if you go during the semester.”

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In spite of the lack of financial aid, Barone encouraged students to try anyway, and that the financial situation may work out.

“All of these programs are very worthwhile,” she said.

“The faculty work very hard and students should try to take advantage of that.

It really makes a difference. There may be more financial aid being offered [in the future] for the summer.”

One example of the improving financial situation is a tuition incentive offered

by Global Studies. According to Barone, students who take two or more classes abroad get a $1,000 tuition discount. Barone noted that “it really does help in the recruiting” since it was implemented last summer.

Students could see the benefits of studying abroad during the summer rather than during the semester.

Freshman Shamim Hossain said that the summer probably offers “better weather and more of the stuff you want to

The TORCH

Summer sessions abroad give students more options when deciding whether or not to study long-term overseas.

In addition to semester programs and winter intersessions abroad, the Office of Global Studies also gives students the opportunity to take classes during the summer. According to Marisa Barone, coordinator of academics for Global Studies, summer sessions are a better option for some students.

Global Studies has responded to this need by “expanding the options” when it comes to studying abroad for a summer.

While a semester abroad primarily focuses on core classes, summer sessions may have a narrower focus, such as ecological trips for biology majors or mass media classes in Russia for communications majors.

Barone explained that summer ses-

sions are able to be so focused because they are taught by St. John’s faculty from the New York campuses.

“The summer programs are facultyled,” Barone said. “Semester programs are taught by local adjunct faculty.”

The summer sessions also offer more varied locations. While semesters abroad typically focus on the Rome and Paris campuses and sometimes Dublin, Ireland or Salamanca, Spain, summer sessions may occur almost anywhere that a professor decides to teach it.

Summer sessions may run a few weeks long and may begin anywhere from the end of the spring term until August.

While students seem to like summer sessions abroad, it does present a problem with financial aid. “[Semester and summer sessions] are both popular,” Barone said. “Summer is different, though, because financial aid isn’t as available. Students can carry financial aid over to study abroad [if they travel during the semester].”

31 March 2010

RICHARD MILLER

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PHOTO COURTESY OF USHERWORLD.COM

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The TORCH

The latest album from the King of R&B is a battle against himself

31 March 2010

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ENTERTAINMENT

Raymond V Raymond

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Mastering the Art of Rejection INFERNO SPEAKS WITH THE CREATOR OF THE INFAMOUS REJECTION HOTLINE KARLA RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

I

nferno spoke with Jeff Goldblatt in a phone interview about his popular project, the Rejection Hotline.

“Hello, this is not the person you are trying to call…Unfortunately, the person who gave you this number did not want you to have their real number. We know this sucks, but don’t be too devastated.”

If this sounds familiar, then you have either rejected someone or have been rejected through the Rejection Hotline. Either way, you are one of millions of people to have experienced a huge pop culture phenomenon.

Jeff Goldblatt created the Rejection Hotline in 2001, born from a private joke between he and his friends.

When asked how he came up with the idea, he explained that one day while visiting a bar he witnessed an awkward encounter where a man approached a strikingly beautiful blonde young woman and failed to get her number. He used this scenario as his inspiration to begin the Rejection Hotline, a fake phone number that pick-up victims can use as a subtle way to reject those they are not interested in.

This hotline was created to provide pure entertainment for people. But in 2002, the humorhotlines.com Web site turned it into a business, establishing the RH Brands, LLC. It immediately started a nationwide buzz.

Originally from Framingham, Mass., Goldblatt attended Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., and graduated with a degree in Journalism and Creative Writing. Like many college students, he was not sure what he wanted to do with his life post-graduation. He knew that he refused to be one of those people who hate their jobs.

“I was pretty fortunate to find something that I enjoy

PHOTO COURTESY OF AAF.ORG

Jeff Goldblatt was inspired by another man’s rejection to create the hotline many use today. doing, something I was able to make a career out of,” Goldblatt said.

In the early stages of the hotline enterprise, Goldblatt received no profit from it. After four years of being the self-proclaimed “America’s Worst Entrepreneur,” he realized that it was time to fire himself and hire someone

Turning Back Time INFERNO PARTICIPATES IN A COLLEGE CONFERENCE CALL WITH CRAIG ROBINSON AND CLARK DUKE LENELI LIGGAYU

H

ot Tub Time Machine can be described in one eternal question: “What happened last night?”

John Cusack, along with co-stars Craig Robinson, Rob Cordry and Clark Duke make their return to the ’80s in this movie about four out-of-the-ordinary friends in search of a good time in 2010 but find it in 1986.

In the film, the actors are experiencing different moments in life. Adam (played by Cusack) has just been dumped by his girlfriend. Lou (played by Cordry) is the guy who loves to party but can never find one. Nick (played by Robinson) has been wrapped

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31 March 2010

ENTERTAINMENT

Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOTTUBTIMEMACHINE.COM

A ski resort hot tub give its stars a chance to change their futures by traveling back in time to 1986 after a crazy night of drinking.

around his wife’s controlling finger. And lastly, Jacob (played by Duke), the youngest, is the video-game obsessed kid who never leaves his basement. In the quest to have some fun, they wind up in a ski resort hot tub.

In a 30-minute college conference call, Clark Duke and Craig Robinson spoke to several students from more than 10 colleges to discuss their characters and the film.

“Fun!” Craig Robinson exclaimed when he had read the movie’s title. When asked what audiences can expect, Robinson added, “Laughter—serious laughter.”

But just because it’s a fun movie to watch, it doesn’t mean the actors didn’t face real-life challenges. Duke revealed that some of the hardest acting he had to do was wearing uncomfortable boots.

The four had great chemistry on and offset. Filming in a remote section of Canada, they didn’t have other people to hang out with so most of their time was spent singing karaoke at a Japanese club and visiting restaurants. “The first seven days were fun and the last seven days were like The Shining,” Robinson joked.

When asked about their co-stars, Duke disclosed that several of the scenes cut from the film were directly aimed at Cusack’s movies from the ’80s and were “trying to bring the trench coat back.”

Robinson laughed that it was unfair from the beginning because Cordry’s character, Lou, had no rules.

However, the four different comedic talents blended so well that they were encouraged to improvise.

But don’t be fooled. Like other movies based on characters revisiting times of yore, Robinson ensures that this one is “way funnier.”

At the end of the film shoot, Robinson declared that he loved hot tubs even more and enjoyed the pleasures of ordering room service from it. Duke was humbled by the experience of working with people he watched growing up.

Duke assured that viewers will be entertained by saying, “People are going to enjoy the ride.”

with more experience, thus handing over the CEO title to his friend and business partner Brian Kujawski.

Goldblatt could not be more proud of his company.

He has facilitated millions of pranks across the country and has been the cause of the laughter of millions of people.

“I would much rather have millions of callers than make money,” he said. “I believe that it is important for people to have a sense of humor and a smile on their face at all times.”

The company has expanded by creating three new hotlines a month. Some include the It Could Always Suck More Hotline, the Psychiatric Hotline, and the Angry Santa Hotline, which all started receiving millions of calls. Since most of the new hotlines have nothing to do with “rejection,” which was the original idea behind the Rejection Hotline. The company has since developed into a full humor company.

Goldblatt is looking forward to surpass the number of callers they had last year on April Fool’s Day, when they received millions of phone calls making it the busiest call logging days of the year.

Goldblatt said that his hotlines make pulling pranks easy for those who are not naturals at it.

When asked what his advice for the novice prankster was, Goldblatt stressed to keep it simple.

“It is essential to make sure that you do not do too much because pranks can always back fire on you,” he said. “Remember to plan for all the worst case scenarios and just allow the humor hotlines to take care of it for you by delivering the news.”

For a quick April Fool’s Day prank, call the assistance hotline at (413) 497–0033.

But callers can still enjoy and utilize the original Rejection Hotline by calling (212) 660–2245.

For more information, visit www.humorhotlines.com and spread the humor.

Now Showing Comedy HOT TUB TIME MACHINE SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE OUR FAMILY WEDDING THE BOUNTY HUNTER Romance REMEMBER ME THE LAST SONG Thriller REPO MEN GREEN ZONE Drama BROOKLYN’S FINEST THE RUNAWAYS CHLOE Family ALICE IN WONDERLAND HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

The

BLAZE First Listen

THE HOTTEST TOPICS IN ENTERTAINMENT SQUEEZED INTO ONE COLUMN

15

INFERNO PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON UPCOMING ARTISTS MARIA YAP Contributing Writer

ADELLE PLATON

Entertainment Editor

“BACKSTREET’S BACK, ALRIGHT!” Just when you thought the boy band craze was a thing of the past, the Backstreet Boys make another comeback (third one to be exact) with a nationwide tour in promotion of their seventh album, This Is Us. Set to kick off on June 1 in Orlando, Fla., the tour will feature only four of the “boys” including Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean.

The band will debut their next single “Bigger” April 14 on the Bonnie Hunt show, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll make it “huge” like they did when I was in junior high.

NOT THAT TIME OF THE MONTH YET Apple fanatics will have to wait a little longer for their preordered iPads. Scheduled for release on April 3, the company’s newest device is having trouble meeting high demands.

Pre-ordering the sleek tablet began on March 12 and promised customers that it would be shipped by the time it hit shelves throughout the U.S. However, Apple sold out its initial inventory and pushed back its shipping date to April 12 for those who placed orders. The iPad is a larger iPhone with a 9.7-inch screen that allows users to surf the Web, play games and partake in all types of media. I guess the Aunt Flo of technology will have to take a rain check.

B

rooklyn has bred some of the finest rappers the hip-hop game has heard and continues to do so. Wordspit, an emcee who hails from Brooklyn, recently gained national exposure through the new McDonald’s ad campaign, Brooklyn Dollar Van Demos.

Before his big break, Wordspit, whose real name is Christopher Dupree, was a regular in the open mic circuit. This allowed him to gain experience, a chance to network with other rappers and expand as a hip-hop artist.

After his run in the open mic circuit, Wordspit started performing in solo shows in early 2009. With over a year under his belt as a solo artist, he’s been featured by major hip-hop Web sites such as TheSource.com, AllHipHop.com, HipHopDX.com and other music blogs.

Wordspit has also been featured as an artist to watch out for in the L Magazine’s “25 under 25: Young New Yorkers Who Are Better Than You” and URB.com’s “Next 1,000.” With an extensive fanbase via the Internet, Wordspit has been able to attract a wide range of listeners and fans from all over.

For Wordspit, music was always a part of his life. Dupree’s father was a musician as well.

At an early age, he would go to his father’s music studio and freestyle in the booth for hours and started considering a career in rap at the age of 16.

Last summer he released his mixtape The Coolest BBoi Stance, further developing and showcasing his talent. With tracks such as “Hello, Good Morning,” “Joystick Madness,” and “Poet’s Haiku,” Wordspit speaks boldly about experiences he’s had in life and has no fear in showing emotion.

Coming into the hip-hop game with this wave of newcomers such as Drake and Kid Cudi, it’s important to learn to stand out and be appreciated for being different and Wordspit does just that.

Hip-hop wasn’t always about party music and “beef” between rappers. Wordspit brings back the art of lyricism and makes it something the listener can enjoy.

Listeners can expect another mixtape release, more shows and charity events from the rapper, as he continues to appear in the McDonald’s commercial.

Many still say that hip-hop is dead, but with artists like Wordspit, the genre has only evolved.

To view behind-the-scenes from the McDonald’s commercial featuring Wordspit and listen to his latest tracks, visit: myspace.com/wordspit and youtube.com/wordspit

ENTERTAINMENT

ASK ME ANYTHING...JUST NOT DIRECTLY

31 March 2010

As if this generation didn’t have enough to update with Facebook statuses, Twitter tweets and Tumblr posts, now Formspring is causing a “secret” stir in the social networking world.

Formspring takes the stalker approach to a different level by allowing anonymous users to ask a person various questions about anything they wish.

The upside is the no-holds-barred interviewing. It is the perfect alternative for the geeky nerd who wants to ask his popular crush what she thinks of him without sacrificing his identity. The shy people can openly speak their minds without hesitation.

The downside is that Formspring creates another barrier to interpersonal communication that discourages people from putting in some effort to really getting to know someone.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEHINDTHEHYPE.COM

Wordspit was handpicked by McDonald’s representatives to rap and star in the Mickey D’s Dollar Van Demos commercial, praising the delicious franchise.

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With April starting tomorrow, students are wondering who will rock the Carnesecca Arena this spring.

One clue was released in an e-mail from Roc Nation/ Columbia Records listing the college tour dates for rapper J.Cole, who will be making an appearance at St. John’s on April 23.

The emcee is a North Carolina native and former St. John’s student, who is featured in XXL’s “10 Freshmen for ’10.”

Is J. Cole the only artist slated to appear for our annual Spring Fling concert? With previous concerts from Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., Maroon 5 and Gym Class Heroes, you know the University has high standards to maintain, but only time will tell.

The TORCH

THE SPRING FLING LINE-UP?

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Hit - or - Miss BRITTIANY CROOM Contributing Writer USHER Raymond v. Raymond (R&B/Hip-Hop)

1/2 OUT OF 4 STARS

R

&B veteran Usher is back with his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond.

At the time of his 2004 Confessions album, the drama surrounding his breakup with singer Chili of the former R&B group TLC, is what enticed buyers then. So will his recent divorce prove to be beneficial to sales as well?

This time around, the singer does not saturate his album with tracks devoted to his lost love, except for his first single off the album, “Papers,” which is a song that expresses his feelings about his divorce.

The sadness is short-lived as Usher devotes the rest of his album to celebrating his single status with a lot of feel good tracks that stay true to his grown and sexy style, including “Pro Lover” and “There Goes My Baby.”

However, songs like “So Many Girls,”

“She Don’t Know” and “Monster” are unsuccessful attempts at club bangers.

Usher tries too hard to sound like other male R&B artists of his generation. The easy sing-along lyrics might make them potential radio killers.

Usher’s most popular tracks from the album include “Lil’ Freak,” featuring female rapper Nicki Minaj and “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home),” which are both catchy singles that will have any listener’s head bopping along.

With “OMG” featuring Will.i.am of the group Black Eyed Peas, Usher goes in a different musical direction by using club music/techno to create a dance track.

The one constant that appears on Usher’s albums is romance. “Making Love (Into the Night)” is a track reminiscent of singers from the late ’80s and early ’90s.

Usher does not disappoint with “Mars vs.

Venus,” as it is the perfect mood setter that every R&B album should have.

In Raymond v. Raymond, Usher chooses not to use his breakup to sell his album, but instead pits his experiences of manhood against each other, either as the divorced father or charming bachelor.

The album’s main downfall is that a majority of the songs conform to what younger R&B males are doing at present.

Usher does not offer much of his old element of emotion that many of his fans know and love. It seems like he delayed the release of this album so that he could make a highly anticipated comeback and regain his throne as the king of R&B. Even with a couple of solid tracks, this album does not meet expectations.

EVERTON BAILEY Managing Editor ERYKAH BADU New Amerykah, Part Two: Return of the Ankh (R&B) 1/2 OUT OF 4 STARS

E

rykah Badu’s follow-up to 2008’s New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War has recently been garnering a lot of buzz, but not necessarily for the music.

The attention given to Badu’s latest effort, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh is due to the video from the album’s lead single, “Window Seat”.

The video features the R&B/NeoSoul singer stripping nude and simulating getting shot near the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

But despite the video’s controversy, Badu’s fifth studio album is engaging and musically refreshing.

The vibe from the second installment of New Amerykah is toned down significantly from it’s predecessor, where Badu trades in her radical approach for romance.

On a whole, the album has a smooth, funky, and jazz-infused sound and goes heavy on the instrumentals.

Drums, pianos and strings accompany Badu’s soulful and soothing delivery for the album’s 11 songs.

Despite the lyrics not being as controversial as the video, “Window Seat” is one of the album’s standout tracks.

Falling in line with the record’s love theme, Badu croons “I need you to want me/I need you to miss me/I need your attention/I need you next to me,” to the background of rhythmic stomps and claps.

Another one of the album’s gems is “Turn Me Away (Get Munny)”, which features Badu sampling and putting her own twist on Sylvia Striplin’s “You Can’t Turn Me Away”.

“Umm Hmm”, “20 Feet Tall” and “Love” are also tracks where Badu shines.

Return of the Ankh is definitely an enjoyable, 50-minute experience that should soon be gaining recognition for more than a music video.

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20

Baseball swept by Pitt to open conference play

SPORTS

MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer

The St. John’s baseball team opened conference play by dropping three straight on the road over the weekend to Pittsburgh.

After averaging more than 13 runs per game on their five game homestand last week, the Red Storm (12-9, 0-3 Big East) struggled at the plate, scoring only five runs in the three game series. Their struggles were compounded by the quality of pitching they saw. The three Pittsburgh starters they faced are a combined 15-0 and all have ERAs under three.

“They’re tough,” said Head Coach Ed Blankmeyer. “But it’s nothing we haven’t seen and nothing we haven’t been around.

We didn’t swing the bats and didn’t make adjustments.”

Friday’s game featured strong outputs from both starting pitchers.

After giving up a two-run home run in the first inning, St. John’s senior starter Bruce Kern settled down, giving up just one run in the next 5 2/3 innings.

He was outpitched, however, by Pittsburgh starter Corey Baker. Baker, who improved to 6-0 on the season with the win, went seven innings, and allowed just one run on five hits.

The Johnnies’ best chance to get to Baker came in the first inning. They loaded the bases with nobody out with sophomore shortstop Joe Panik at the plate. Panik hit a sacrifice fly and Baker struck out the next two batters and St. John’s came away with just one run.

Baker shut out the Johnnies for the rest of the game and the Pittsburgh offense provided just enough offense to give him a 4-1 victory.

Saturday’s game, a 13-1 rout, got out of hand early. Pittsburgh scored

three runs in the second inning, aided by a balk by St. John’s freshman Kyle Hansen with runners on first and third.

A solo home run in the third inning

by Pittsburgh first basemen David Chester pushed the lead to 4-0.

In the fourth, the Panthers broke the game open with five runs on six hits.

They sent 11 men to the plate and scored all five runs before making an out.

Pittsburgh starter Mark Iannazzo went seven innings, giving up one run on five hits. He did not allow a run until the seventh, well after the game was decided, when freshman left fielder Jeremy Baltz led off with a home run.

Sunday’s tilt was moved from its original noon start time to 11 a.m. to try to avoid the rain that was passing through the area. But even with the early start time, the teams still could only get six and a half innings in before the game was called due to rain.

Freshman Matt Carasiti attempted to be the stopper on Sunday. But after cruising through the first two innings, he lost control in the third. He gave up three runs on three walks, a single and three wild pitches while only retiring one batter before being lifted in favor of sophomore Stephen Rivera.

“That’s been the story of our team right now—the walks,” said Blankmeyer. “We’ve got a lot of young guys.

Sometimes they just can’t find the rhythm and they walk batters.”

St. John’s showed some life late in the action. Down 5-1 in the top of the seventh, they loaded the bases with nobody out. After two RBI groundouts closed the gap to 5-3, senior right fielder Jimmy Parque grounded out to end the threat. The game was stopped after the inning, and called shortly thereafter.

St. John’s plays its Big East home opener tomorrow as part of a doubleheader against Seton Hall starting at noon at Jack Kaiser Stadium.

TORCH FILE PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Joe Panik’s sacrifice fly brought home the Red Storm’s only run during the first inning of Friday’s game, a 4-1 loss.

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The TORCH

31 March 2010

Lavin will have to prove whether his name is enough St. John’s wanted a name. It got just that.

Sure, it took a name that hasn’t been relevant at the coaching level since 2003, the last time he graced the sidelines coaching a UCLA team that had its first losing season since 1948, but the school got a name it could stand behind.

Steve Lavin is his name.

You’ve probably seen him on ESPN sitting alongside Doug Gottlieb and Jay Bilas and Dickie V. But what’s in a name if there isn’t a reputation to go with it? John Calipari is a name — the richest in college basketball—but his name is usually chased by words of NCAA ? violations at two different schools. Rick Pitino is also a name—one of college basketball’s most respected coaches—but his name is chased by

stories of a Louisville restaurant bathroom in 2003 and an abortion he helped finance.

Steve Lavin? You won’t hear those stories with him.

In fact, you’ll probably hear that he’s a lot like the man he replaced, Norm Roberts.

You’ll hear he’s got a strong moral background and does things the right way. You’ll also hear talks of five Sweet 16s and an Elite 8 appearance without a single NCAA violation in Los Angeles.

You’ll hear the man can flat out coach.

And after all, that’s what

St. John’s was looking for all along, a coach they could pour their resources into without the slightest hesitation— one who could ultimately get the Red Storm over the hump in the Big East. The school wanted a man who could hold the local college basketball landscape on his shoulders and make New York City nationally relevant in the college ranks again.

Turns out that’s what Lavin was looking for, too.

Lavin left coaching for the bright lights and cameras of ESPN after he was fired from UCLA in 2003 and, though he had received offers over the years, he waited for the right moment to return to the bench. He told the New York Post Monday that St. John’s was “a unique situation for me to put the armor on one

more time.”

Now his name is associated with the seventh-winningest program in men’s college basketball history, and it’ll be put to the test. He’ll have to square off against names like Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Jamie Dixon, John Thompson III, Bob Huggins and yes, even Pitino, starting this fall.

If that’s not enough, he’ll have to compete against them for recruits, too. It’s a good thing our society operates in the age of television, because kids are glued to ESPN and are able to see Steve Lavin and know his personality and get a glimpse of his basketball I.Q. The coming years will test just how relevant the name Steve Lavin is in college basketball. St. John’s has nine scholarships freed after the 2010-11 season, and he’ll

have the chance to build the program his way—with his own recruits. There has already been anticipation of the hiring of an all-star cast of assistants, people who know the New York City landscape and can help Lavin pluck local players.

That is practically necessary, because Lavin’s going to have to learn some names of his own. There’s plenty of turnover throughout amateur basketball, with high school and AAU coaches emerging annually, and sources have told the major local newspapers that the times have changed dramatically since Lavin last coached.

That is to say that even if Lavin’s got the name St. John’s was looking for, he’ll need to recreate the reputation for which he was hired in the first place.

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Softball suffers setback at CCU tourney MIKE GURNIS Staff Writer

The St. John’s softball team went 1-3 during the Coastal Carolina Tournament over the weekend.

The Red Storm split the first two games on Saturday, falling to Kent State before defeating Siena. On Sunday, they would be routed by Coastal Carolina in five innings and lost to Kent State again after rallying from a seven-run deficit.

The Red Storm left the Coastal Carolina tournament with an overall record of 11-14, which was not what head coach Amy Kvilhaug was looking for.

“Obviously there’s no getting around the fact that we had a tough weekend,” she said. “I think you can always learn from adversity and a lot of times it can make you stronger.

“People just need to work on their individual issues and, in turn, it will make our team better. I have all the faith in the world that that’s going to happen and we’re going to be just fine,” Kvilhaug said.

The Red Storm got into an early hole Saturday in their first game against Kent State, falling behind 6-0 in the second inning. St. John’s starter Kat Lawrence did not record an out in the second inning as but struck out the side in the first. She allowed six runs (four earned) in 1 inning pitched.

Linzee Sumrall relieved Lawrence and kept the Red Storm in the game, as she pitched 5 innings and did not allow a run, striking out ten batters.

Freshmen Amber Curry and Chrissy Montez both went 1-for-3 with solo home runs, and Chelsea Durning went 2-for-3

PHOTO COURTESY OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Kacee Cox’s three-run homer against Kent State on Sunday capped an offensive burst that just fell short. in the 6-3 losing effort.

Later on in the day, the Red Storm bounced back with a 5-2 victory over Siena. Sumrall was once again dominant in the circle, pitching a complete game while only giving up two runs to pick up her fourth win of the year.

Sumrall got plenty of run support, as the Red Storm took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a Kacee Cox RBI single. The offense broke out in the fifth inning, as they scored four runs to take a 5-0 lead. Cox went 2-for-4 with

two RBI, while Julia Sanchez went 1-for-3 with two RBI as well.

On Sunday, the Red Storm began their day by getting blown out by Coastal Carolina 15-2 in five innings. The Chanticleers scored ten runs in the second inning and did not look back.

St. John’s trailed 15-0 before they finally got on the board in the fifth inning, as they scored two runs on an RBI double by Durning and a groundout by Curry.

The Red Storm finished out the

weekend by falling 11-7 to Kent State once again. Kent State had a 9-2 lead in the fourth, but the Red Storm would fight back into the game by scoring five runs in the inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Cox. Kent State padded its lead in the bottom of the fifth by scoring two runs and kept St. John’s off the board for the rest of the game.

St. John’s softball returns to action today as they travel to play Fordham at 4 p.m.

Homer, Israelian win individual NCAA fencing titles

Sophomore Daryl Homer won the individual NCAA championship in sabre. beat Daniel Bak by the same score in the finals to win his first individual championship.

Israelian, who came in fourth at the regionals, went 19-4 to earn the top seed in the final epee bracket. He earned a 15-9 victory over Columbia senior Dwight Smith in the semifinal and then outlasted Air Force

senior Peter French 14-10.

Israelian’s win was an upset.

Wayne State senior and fellow Israeli Slava Zingerman had won three individual epee championships in a row and was favored to be the first person to win four straight.

But Zingerman finished seventh and failed to make the

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After an almost perfect performance in the regionals on March 14th at Brown, he picked up right where he left off at Harvard. He earned the second seed in the final bracket in the sabre competition with a 20-3 record.

In the semifinals, he beat Notre Dame junior Avery Zuck 15-10. He then moved on to

The TORCH

PHOTO COURTESY OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

31 March 2010

The St. John’s fencing team came in second place overall with two individual national champions at the NCAA championships at Harvard on Sunday.

It was the fifth time the Red Storm had finished second and the first time they finished that high since 2007.

The Johnnies were led on the men’s side by sophomore sabre Daryl Homer and sophomore epee Marat Israelian, who both won individual NCAA championships.

The second place finish continues St. John’s string of impressive finishes. They have finished sixth or better every year since 1993, including a national championship in 2001 and second place finishes in 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2007.

In addition, freshman sabre Sean Buckley, senior foil Alexis Landreville and sophomore foil Nicholas Vomero all earned All America honors.

Homer led the way throughout the day for the Johnnies.

final bracket, giving Israelian the opportunity to continue his country’s streak.

On the women’s side, five Johnnies garnered All America honors. Junior sabre Dagmara Wozniak, an alternate on the United States Olympic team in 2008, finished third for the second straight year.

A trio of freshmen women earned All America honors. Foil Evgeniya Kirpicheva placed third in her national debut while epee Sanne Gars came in fifth and foil Irina Koroleva finished ninth.

Junior sabre Martyna Wieczorek was the fifth All-American woman, placing tenth.

The women put the Red Storm in the lead after the first day of competition. They won 58 bouts on the first day which put them four ahead of eventual champion Penn State.

They kept the lead through the third day of competition with 152 victories, compared to 150 for Penn State, but the Nittany Lions roared back on the fourth and final day to finish with 191 victories, nine more than St. John’s 182. It was the second straight national championship for the Penn State team.

SPORTS

MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer

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They got their man Lavin, St. John’s agree to 6-year deal to become men’s basketball coach BILL SAN ANTONIO Sports Editor It took nearly two weeks of searching, but it appears St. John’s has finally found its next men’s basketball coach.

Steve Lavin, former UCLA Coach and ESPN analyst, finalized a six-year deal to coach the Red Storm, a contract reportedly worth $9-9.5 million, according to the Daily News.

The News also reported that he’ll have an expendable budget to use toward hiring assistant coaches.

Multiple reports Monday said that Athletic Director Chris Monasch met with Lavin Monday night at a restaurant in Tribeca and had “a very positive dialogue,” sources told the Daily News.

It was also reported that Lavin expressed interest in the St. John’s job as early as last Friday, when the team was in the process of interviewing now former Boston College Coach Al Skinner, who was fired Tuesday after 13 seasons with the team.

“I haven’t gone on wild-goose chases,” Lavin told The New York Post.

“It’s going to take a unique situation for me to put the armor on one more time. St. John’s is a tremendous opportunity: a great city, a great conference, a great talent base, great academics.”

Lavin coached at UCLA from 1996-2003, compiling a record of 145-78, reaching the Sweet 16 five times in six seasons and the Elite 8 in 1997, the same year the Bruins won their only Pac-10 title during his tenure at the school.

The deal comes just days after Seton Hall announced that former Iona coach Kevin Willard would replace Bobby Gonzalez as its Head Coach, who was fired on March 17, and about a week after Fordham announced that former Hofstra Coach Tom Pecora would become its next Head Coach.

The Red Storm were reportedly interested in Florida coach Billy Donovan, although conflicting reports surfaced that St. John’s offered him a contract worth $3 million. St. John’s also reached out to Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt, who rejected an offer made by the University on March 25.

Tracking the Storm: Steve Lavin Record as a Head Coach: 148 - 78 SPORTS

NCAA Appearances: 6 Sweet Sixteen Appearances: 5 Elite 8 Appearances: 1

31 March 2010

Conference Championships: 1 PHOTO COURTESY OF UCLA ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Steve Lavin signed a six-year, $9-9.5 million contract on Tuesday.

Stevens, McManmon recognized in State Farm festivities

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The TORCH

MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer The St. John’s women’s basketball team had their best season in 27 years this year, winning 25 games and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

They are getting some recognition for that success, courtesy of State Farm Insurance.

Sophomore forward Da’ Shena Stevens was one of 40 finalists for the 2010 State Farm Coaches All America Team and senior guard Kelly McManmon was selected to compete in the

State Farm 3-Point Shootout.

Stevens, last season’s Big East Freshman of the Year, was one of six Big East players to be nominated to the All America team. She was also named first team All Big East this season for the first time in her career.

During the season, she was named to the Big East’s weekly honor roll five times.

Stevens led the Red Storm in scoring and rebounding this season and had six double-doubles.

Her 14.3 points per game were good for eighth in the Big East while her 7.6 rebounds per game were ninth. In the Red Storm’s two NCAA tournament games,

she averaged 16.5 points and eight rebounds per game.

McManmon, a 3-point specialist, averaged 7.6 points per game. She was fourth in the conference with 2.2 3-pointers per game and hit 44.5 percent of her attempts, good for ninth in the nation.

Of the 244 points she scored this year, 217 came from behind the arc. She hit 46 of her 69 threes during Big East play and shot 54 percent from behind the arc.

McManmon broke the St. John’s women’s all time three-point record on Jan. 10 against Seton Hall and finished her career with 219

made attempts.

Now, she will get an opportunity to display her three-point prowess on a national stage. The shootout will be held in Indianapolis as a part of the week-long celebration of the men’s Final Four. It will air on ESPN on Thursday at 9 p.m.

“It is an honor to be selected to compete against some of the top players in the nation in this competition,” McManmon said. “I am really excited to be a part of this, and I am looking forward to showcasing my skills while representing St. John’s University.”

Stevens and McMan-

mon were integral parts of a St. John’s team that exceeded expectations in the Big East. Picked to finish 12th in the preseason coaches’ poll.

The Johnnies compiled a 12-4 conference record and earned a double bye in the conference tournament as one of the top four teams.

After losing in the quarterfinal round of the Big East tournament to No. 4 Notre Dame on March 7, the Red Storm received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

Playing as the sixth seed, they defeated No. 11 Princeton before losing in overtime to No. 3 Florida State.

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TORCH SPORTS

LACROSSE

STORM

CAST

Leavin’ their Mark A Red Storm in Jersey City The St. John’s women’s tennis team defeated St. Peter’s 4-0 but lost to LIU 4-3 on March 27 in Jersey City, N.J. Against St. Peter’s, The Red Storm only surrendered three points in four matches. Ira Aleksova won in No. 1 singles against Krysten Chen scoring 6-1, 6-0, while Joanna Zwirbulis beat Joniesa Williams, 6-0, 6-1 and Ece Firat was victorious against No. 3 Linnea Enoh Janasson, 6-0, 6-1.

In doubles, Joanna Zwirbulis and Ksenia Mikhaylova won against Jessica Nowodrozki and Andrea Collomb, 8-0.

At LIU, Aleksova fell to Selma Babic in straight sets, while Zwirbulis defeated Linn Sjorgen 6-3, 6-3 for her 12th win of the season. After Firat lost to Aleksandra Pavlovic, the Red Storm made a comeback with Mikhaylova earning the No. 4 spot and Nakita Austin winning her match against Stephanie Elie 6-1, 6-1, but Alyssa Liantonio fell to Dara Lahens in the third set, giving LIU the win.

Blowin’ in the Wind

TORCH FILE PHOTOS/LAURA AMATO

Garrett Mitchell extended his consecutive goal-scoring streak to eight games Saturday against Penn State.

Lax loses for fifth time in six games The St. John’s men’s lacrosse team will be heading into the Big East conference play on the wrong foot.

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ST. JOHN’S

11

scored three goals while having an extra man in only three minutes. They clinched the game with just over than two minutes remaining, capitalizing on an empty net.

The Red Storm will begin the Big East regular season when they travel to Rutgers this Saturday at 3 p.m.

”

-New men’s basketball coach Steve Lavin tells the New York Post about coaching the Red Storm

Headin’ this Way Red Storm home games

Softball: Apr. 27 Seton Hall

12 p.m.

Apr. 27 Seton Hall

2 p.m.

Apr. 27 Seton Hall

12 p.m.

Softball: Apr. 10 Providence

1 p.m.

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Baseball: Apr. 1 Apr. 3

Seton Hall

12 p.m.

Seton Hall

TBA

Seton Hall

1 p.m.

Apr. 27 West Virginia

3 p.m.

Apr. 27 West Virginia

1 p.m.

Apr. 27 West Virginia

12 p.m.

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After leading for almost the entire game, the Red Storm (3-5) fell to previously winless Penn State 13-11 last Saturday at College Park, Penn.

Penn State (1-6) rallied in the fourth quarter by scoring six goals to take the lead for good.

The underclassmen were refreshing for the Red Storm. Freshman Alex Lagodich scored a team-high four goals, including two in the third quarter.

Lagodich’s performance marks the highest goal mark of the season for any St. John’s player.

Sophomore Charlie Holenstein, redshirt sophomore Ryan Herits, and freshman Tyler Novotny each scored one goal.

Once the Nittanny Lions tied the game at nine apiece in the fourth quarter, Red Storm midfielder Garrett Mitchell ran down the left sideline and fired a shot. The ball barely escaped Penn

31 March 2010

PENN STATE

State’s goalkeeper. The goal extended Mitchell’s goal-scoring streak to eight games and gave St. John’s a 10-9 lead with 12:34 remaining.

For the rest of the quarter, however, Penn State was able to take advantage of numerous face-offs and penalties.

At one point, the Nittany Lions

SPORTS

DYLAN KITTS Staff Writer

“

St. John’s is a tremendous opportunity: a great city, a great conference, a great talent base, great academics.

SPORTS 31 MARCH 2010 | VOLUME 87, ISSUE 20 | TORCHONLINE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF UCLA ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

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Da’Shena Stevens and Kelly McManmon will represent St. John’s at the State Farm All America celebration.

The lacrosse team lost for the fifth time in six games against Penn State on Saturday.

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