TORCH PHOTO/ LAURA AMATO
WHAT’S INSIDE
MOVIES Shutter Island
News......................2-5 Features..............10-11
Inferno reviews Martin Scorcese’s latest psychological thriller.
Opinion..................6-8 Entertainment....17-19 Comics......................9 Sports.................24-28
ENTER RTAINMENT Pg. 18
TORCHONLINE.COM
Last week’s poll results Are you in favor of the new schedule change?
8% Yes 92% 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) 9906576 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
Arts Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Comic book covers and Archie fans find a little known haven in the city.
Inferno Pg. 19
Q&A Bakari Kitwana Hip-hop activist speaks to students about the importance of being politically active.
Features Pg. 10
Women’s Basketball Locked Up TORCH PHOTO/ALEXANDRIA NEASON
The women’s basketball team earned the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Big East tournament.
NEWS
Sports Pg. 26
Patricia Salgedo, a sophomore toxicology major from West Nyack, New York, got her head shaved on Tuesday, March 2, to raise money for childhood cancer research. This was part of the St. Baldrick’s Day Locks of Love event.
We Want You!
torchonline.com
The TORCH
3 March 2010
SCHEDULE CHANGE OPINION PG. 7
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 TORCH meets every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. in the D’Angelo Center, room 125. Stop by and talk to our editors if you’d like to join.
3
Hip-hop activist shares insights ALEXANDRIA NEASON Staff Writer
Bakari Kitwana, political activist, analyst, writer and hip-hop advocate, gave a lecture last Thursday detailing young America’s role in the new economy and their connection to hip-hop and politics. The event, which took place in the Little Theatre, was sponsored by Student Affairs as part of the University’s Academic Lecture series. This year’s theme is “Global Citizenship — Our Responsibility.” Kitwana, a Long Island native, offered dozens of statistics that illustrated the living environment college-aged people enter post-graduation. The country’s failing high school system, incarceration rates, government morality, job loss and the income gap were high on the list of his factors that contribute to our economic environment. “When he said over 60 million people were incarcerated…that’s a personal connection because both of my brothers have been locked up,” said Ashlee Chatfield, a freshman. Kitwana drew connections between hip-hop audiences and their concern for the economy, and its ability to motivate and help young people create jobs for themselves. In November 2008, Kitwana commissioned a study conducted by Knowledge Networks that examined the way youth feel about the economy. He said that the primary concern of college-aged youth during the presidential election was the economy. He offered the
election of President Barack Obama as proof. “They [young people] put him in office,” he said. Kitwana said the central problem in getting young people involved in economic and political endeavors isn’t bringing them on board, but keeping them on board. He said joining organizations and staying connected with like-minded people is an ideal way to keep students mobilized and prevent them from becoming stagnant. Kitwana said that young people could create job opportunities for themselves by striving to hold the president and other elected officials accountable for their actions, using hip-hop as a political catalyst. “The goal of my work is always to try to motivate,” Kitwana said. “We have to be engaged.” Kitwana detailed the global impact of hip-hop artists and their ability to push political messages to the masses. He praised the efforts of artists such as The Last Poets, Afrika Baambataa, and KRS-One who in the 1980s used ‘60s style politics to energize their audiences. “The power and reach of hip-hop is what’s exciting to me,” Kitwana explained. “I’m interested in tapping into the influence of Jay-Z.” Using current events and the interests of the hip-hop generation, Kitwana said songs like “Georgia Bush” by Lil ‘Wayne, and Jadakiss’ “Why” help hip-hop stay relevant. “It’s not predictable,” he said. “With the tools that come with trying to oppress people come the tools to liberate them.” For additional information about Bakari Kitwana, see the Q&A on Pg. 10.
TORCH PHOTO/ALEXANDRIA NEASON
Bakari Kitwana, hip-hop activist, urged students to become more involved in politics.
RICHARD MILLER Staff Writer
that there are still flaws to work on. “It is more efficient,” Wang said. “It’s more organized than before. I think it is unfair that if one person can’t meet the requirements, the whole suite suffers.” Informational packets were distributed to residents, but many students are reserving judgment until they experience housing selection this spring. “It seems like an improvement and less confusing,” freshman Nicole Horan said. “But I don’t really know about it.”
The TORCH Can’t get enough TORCH news? Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com
torchonline.com
can choose a room within a suite or they may choose to fill an entire suite or an apartment with people that they know.” Students have their own opinions about the new housing selection system. Sophomore Jeff Maiorino said he thinks that it is a feasible plan. “From what I could tell, [the old system] was room-based, not suitebased,” Maiorino said. “[The new system] seems reasonable. It also gives responsibility to someone in the suite.” Maiorino thought that “only time would tell” how students receive the new selection rules. Finkelstein also said that students can still enter general selection and allow Residence Life to assign them to a room. He also pointed out another addition to housing selection, which is online. “The other parts that are new to the process the online component for our application and roommate request process,” he said. “So students don’t have to fill out paperwork in advance and turn that in. Students will be able to follow a link and submit their roommate preferences.” Freshman Ariel Wang understands why the system was changed, but thinks
3 March 2010
New guidelines from the Office of Residence Life seek to get rid of long lines during housing selection season. According to Resident Assistant John Wilson, housing selection was a hectic process in previous years. He said that students would have to wait in long lines, causing many delays and students to miss their appointments. Reforms to the system include filling out forms online and changes to the suite selection process. In previous years, all students hoping to live in a suite of their choice had to attend a meeting at the Office of Residence Life. Scheduling conflicts made meetings difficult and congestion occurred as dozens of hopeful suitemates lined up to go to Residence Life. According to Wilson, if a group of students hope to organize a suite this year, they must appoint a “suite captain” to attend all meetings with Residence Life. The other students in the group must submit proxy forms to Residence
Life that formally allow the captain to make housing selections for them. Wilson said that now, a suite will be entirely eliminated from selection if one of the members does not meet housing requirements. The entire group will then end up in general selection. Despite this, Wilson said he is confident that the changes would be a step in the right direction. “It is more convenient, because the way that the online version is set up is a lot easier,” he said. “It just prompts you exactly what to put in. So when it asks, ‘Who do you want to live with?’ and then it will say ‘suitemate’ or ‘roommate.’ It literally will say word-for-word exactly what you tell it. It will say, ‘Where do you want to live?’ and you click the box.” Associate Director of Residence Life Eric Finkelstein noted that this year’s “suite selection” differs from last year’s “room selection.” “Students who went through room selection last year had the opportunity to choose a room within a suite or an apartment,” Finkelstein said. “This year we’re calling it “housing selection” so that students have more options. Students
NEWS
New housing selection guidelines in place
4
Wyclef inspires students to help Haiti nation. In a press conference prior to the event, Jean said that young people, including students, could be the key to Wyclef Jean is doing his part to help rebuilding Haiti and creating a better with the Haiti relief efforts. global society. Jean, a Grammy-award winning hip“Revolution always starts with the hop artist and youth,” he producer, said. “We can spoke to only go in one university Revolution always starts with direction right students on — Haiti the youth,” he said. “We can now behalf of his is going to be only go in one direction right rebuilt.” non-profit foundation, W h e n now — Haiti is going to be asked Yele Haiti on if he was rebuilt. worried about Feb. 18. J e a n , -Wyclef Jean, hip-hop the supply of who was slipping artist and activist aid born in Haiti, away and Haiti founded the falling back organization into it’s old in 2005 to patterns, Jean help the spoke of the nation move need for longforward on a long-term basis. Yele Haiti term projects and goals. is centered around a series of projects “We don’t only want it to sustain, we designed to boost the country’s economy want it to last,” he said. “We have to think and government while helping to support past sustainability and into the future.” its people. Students gathered in Carnesecca Recently, the organization has Arena to hear Jean speak, with many become involved in the ongoing relief Haitian students shouting out Creole efforts in Haiti following the devastating phrases in support of their national hero. earthquake in January. During the speech, Jean also spoke Jean’s visit to St. John’s centered about the history of Haiti, how it has around encouraging students to not only developed over the years and what it get involved in the relief efforts, but was like to grow up there. He stressed in continuing to help Haiti grow as a to students the importance of getting
NELL O’CONNOR News Editor
“
”
TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO
Wyclef Jean, Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and producer, visited St. John’s last Thursday, speaking about his charity Yele Haiti. involved and taking action, not just in Haiti but around the world. Students said they were motivated by Jean’s words, with many signing up to volunteer for Yele Haiti.
“I know Haitians that were affected so there was definitely a personal touch to it,” said Ellen Beebe, a junior. “It’s great to see a celebrity caring about something so deeply and doing so much.”
Faculty files grievance over new schedule
torchonline.com
The TORCH
3 March 2010
NEWS
NELL O’CONNOR News Editor News of a potential schedule change next semester has been met with objection by St. John’s faculty members. The Faculty Association, an organization designed to promote the interests of university teachers, laid out their issues with the new schedule in a letter sent out to all faculty members. The letter, dated Feb. 23, states that the University did not disclose the details of the schedule change prior to enacting it. According to the association, there was no communication between administrators and teachers, and the schedule change was a complete surprise. University President Rev. Donald J. Harrington announced the new schedule
on Feb. 8 in an internal e-mail sent to faculty and administrators. Since then, both students and faculty have been raising questions and concerns. The group also filed a grievance against the University, stating that “the proposal constitutes not only a change in working conditions, but it also is a violation of past practice.” Executive board members of the association have expressed concern for the welfare of the students, as well as the teachers. Several members said that they were under the impression that the schedule would be changed to a format different from the one set to go into effect in the fall. Joseph Marotta, vice president of the Faculty Association, said that the organization is waiting to hear back from the administration as to what will be
done. “We’re hoping that the administration will stop going forward with the new schedule and go back to the old schedule and take into account the problems it has created,” he said. In response to the concerns being raised, Student Government, Inc. sent out a survey on Feb. 25 asking students for their reactions to the changes. They asked if students believed that the new schedule would “benefit their academic experience” and explain why. They will also be hosting two events March 16 to give students an opportunity to express their views and concerns to administrators. The first will be an Academic Forum, where University provost Dr. Julia Upton and academic deans will be present. There will also be an opportunity for
some students to discuss the issue with faculty and administrators that night. The University declined to comment until the class schedule is set in mid-March. Chris Marino, a sophomore, said he thinks that the schedule will impact attendance and affect student performance. “It’s terrible,” he said. “Why would you want a three-hour class? That’s why people don’t take night classes.” Other students said they have concerns with the decrease in common hours. The new schedule limits common hour to once a week on Wednesday, a day when there are only three-hour classes. “People aren’t going to come to school on Wednesday just for common hour,” said Jenn Mavra, a junior. “I don’t think it’s going to work.”
University hosts body image awareness events NATASHA VELEZ Staff Writer The Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week at St. John’s shed light on serious issues plaguing many young people. Students said they learned a lot from the various events held during the week. “Anyone can have an eating disorder, not just skinny women,” said Kathy Alejo, a junior. “We just have to learn how to detect it before it takes over your life.” This year’s event was co-sponsored by various departments including Student Wellness, Residence Life and Campus Activities. The week kicked off Feb. 21 with a Women
Empowerment Luncheon, sponsored by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. On Feb. 23, Resident Advisors set up interactive art areas in the residence halls for students to explore their attitudes toward their bodies, celebrating all body shapes and sizes. At the event, students filled out a survey provided by the Screening for Mental Health Organization, a non-profit group that gives “educational screening programs for students to help them identify symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and anxiety” as stated on the survey. Donovan Hall community room was packed with students Wednesday Feb. 24, as Wellness Peer Educators; Mary Ellen Bingham, the Queens campus nutritionist; and Lori Marchessault, wellness education specialist, spoke about healthy eating habits. Bingham and Marchessault
spoke to students about the importance of embracing the bodies they have, regardless of the messages the media portrays. Bingham led another event called “Eat Better, Feel Better, Look Better” on Thursday, Feb. 25. Bingham spoke about the dangers of dieting in order to help students make better choices on what food they choose to put in their bodies. The Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week ended with a visit from Misty May Treanor, professional beach volleyball player, and Olympic gold medalist during the Women in Sports “Pink Zone” event Saturday, Feb. 27. Tickets from the event went to support breast cancer awareness efforts. Nick Kofteris, a senior said, “I really enjoyed the event with Misty May. I learned a lot from her and I’m glad I was there.”
5
Employees prepare for buyout deadline EVERTON BAILEY Managing Editor
With more than a week to go before the deadline to accept voluntary buyout packages, full-time University employees are still weighing their opinions. For some, like Marilyn Martone, an associate professor of theology and religious studies, the choice to accept the buyout was a “very easy decision.” “I was already thinking of retirement and my husband is already retired,” she said. “I’m just looking at this as the start of a brand new adventure.” Martone is one of the more than 1,700 full-time St. John’s employees who have been presented with Voluntary Separation Offers by the University. Of the more than 3,000 workers employed by St. John’s, more than 2,100 are fulltime. At the end of January, St. John’s faculty, administrators and staff were notified that VSOs would be offered in order for the University to maintain a balanced budget. The deadline to accept the offer is March 12. To determine eligibility, each employee was given a score based on a combination of their years of service and age to determine their eligibility. Faculty
members with a score of 65 or over fall under the eligibility list while 60 is the cut-off number for administrators and staff. “I’ve had a wonderful experience here and I guess I had to leave while the experience was still so wonderful,” said Martone, who has spent for 26 years at St. John’s. “But I know this has been hard for a lot of people because they feel their identity is tied to the University.” Some employees, like Chaman Jain, a professor in the economics and finance department, said they feel there are more reasons for them to stay than leave. “I was offered a good package but I don’t think I’m ready because I enjoy what I do,” he said. “To me, if I took that package it would be like the end of my life here. “I look forward to coming to the University and doing research, I’m even here on Saturdays. All that would end if I took that package and that’s not what I want.” Additional factors have contributed in others deciding to stick around. “I enjoy interacting with the students,” said Robert Mockler, a management professor who has been employed by the University for 47 years. “I’m also not thinking about retirement so I decided to not pursue it.” Harry Nagel, a professor in computer
information systems and decision sciences, said aside from still enjoying teaching, he could not afford to lose his employment benefits. “If I took the offer, I’d be losing my medical and dental coverage for my family,” he said. “The package covers health coverage for me but not my family and that would not work for me.” An administrative assistant, who declined to have her name published, said her family played a big part as to why she chose to accept a VSO. With her children already graduated from college and her husband in need of aid, she said the package offer for her was a bit of a blessing. “For me, the timing couldn’t be better,” said the 20 year-plus employee. “This gives me guilt-free freedom to stay with my husband and do some of the things that I’ve always wanted to do.” She said she looks forward to gardening, spending more time with her family and possibly skydiving in retirement. “I’m going to miss my friends here,” she said. “It’s definitely going to be transition, but I plan to keep myself busy.” M. Northrup Buechner, associate professor in economics and finance, said his incentive to leave is “very little to none.” “As long as I continue to enjoy it,
as long as I’m physically able to and my students don’t complain, I plan to continue to teaching,” he said. Buechner, who has been with St. John’s for 40 years, said he was a little surprised when he was notified of the VSOs. “We all got the message from Father Harrington that the University is struggling with the economic situation like everyone else,” he said. “But for the last 10 years, the University has been doing well. “On the other hand, I can understand why they’ve offered the packages. There are an awful lot of elder professors here.” Theresa Maylone, university librarian, said 10 percent of the library staff have accepted buyouts as of March 2. “No one is panicking, but I do get the sense that there is worry of what the University will look like afterwards,” she said. “This can be an opportunity to make a new start if you are looking forward, not backward,” she said. “We are living in different times and the University has to re-evaluate how they function and how they are structured in order to move forward. “Many studies and articles have been done that say higher education will have to restructure itself, St. John’s is not alone in this predicament,” Maylone added.
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
3 March 2010
OPINION
Lax admission standards at STJ When considering the St. John’s application process for out-ofstate students, the whole concept is rather interesting. In terms of recognition, St. John’s is almost surely in the mix of potential colleges for many high school students from the New York area. But what about the students who aren’t from the tri-state area, who have not grown up within the jurisdiction of the University’s influence? What is it about St. John’s, out of all the other schools in the country, that makes these students pack up, leave the comfort of their hometowns and come to Queens? If you ask many of these students this question, you’re likely to get the same kind of response: the school’s big city location and easy application process. St. John’s current admissions process poses one of the easiest and quickest applications amongst American universities. There is no essay requirement or mandatory letters of recommendation. The application can be completed fully online in less than 20 minutes and there is no application fee to apply. Once accepted, a staggering amount of students receive financial aid, and plenty of it. If you’re a graduating high school senior with a pulse, why wouldn’t you send an application to St. John’s? At other New York schools, the process is more what you would expect of a college. Hofstra University requires a personal statement and a $50 fee for applying online, $70 for applying by mail. City University of New York and Stony Brook also require application fees and an essay in order to apply. Quite simply, if the application process is more demanding at schools like CUNY and Hofstra, then St. John’s needs to re-evaluate their admissions requirements. Fordham University, one of the top
schools in New York State, also requires an essay and $50 fee, in addition to recommendations. In order to improve and grow as a school, St. John’s needs to emulate schools like Fordham, not fall short. In some ways, the St. John’s admissions process resembles convenience. Unfortunately, the school’s admissions process is designed to coax as many students into applying as possible with little regard to the caliber of students being accepted. There comes a point when the admissions process should become a little more demanding of students’ commitment. Every year St. John’s boasts its immense application rate, but these large numbers become obvious considering the lax admissions system. It should not be the case that students are being accepted without a writing sample and essay of academic intention. It is not acceptable that the school is placing more importance on quantity rather than quality. Meanwhile, at universities across the nation, admissions committees are doing the opposite of St. John’s, developing their procedure for learning more about the students applying to their schools. The admissions at Hofstra and Stony Brook represent the norm in college admissions. At Tufts University, the admissions board even encourages, in addition to a required essay, that students submit YouTube videos of themselves with their application. St. John’s cannot expect to grow and compete with top schools while their application is a weak way of filtering students. Large numbers of incoming applications doesn’t mean the school is attracting the best students, or even that they’re attracting students genuinely interesting in attending the school.
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/MICHAEL MONTIJO
Letters to the editor To the editor: Recent news about schedule changes and construction changes on campus have left me baffled over the University’s decision-making process. Provost Dr. Julia Upton recently told the TORCH that next year’s planned schedule change is “not a popularity contest” but, rather, “a decision based on what’s going to make a better university.” This sounds like a commendable policy. But what’s troubling is that the University is taking the opposite stance on construction. A TORCH article earlier this semester revealed that administrators plan on halting construction to the library and instead renovating St. John Hall. The new construction plan, Dr. James Pellow said, is a way in which the University is responding to student feedback. So, in other words, it’s the popular thing to do. Let me be clear: renovating St. John Hall is not “what’s going to make a better university.” The library has been under construction for nearly two years now and has an entirely gutted second floor. As a result, a good percentage of books are located in the closed stacks, locked away from students. Apparently, the library’s disarray has made it extremely difficult to find many of these books. More than half the time I’ve asked for books in the closed stacks, librarians have come back empty handed.
For students who are even remotely serious about their academics, the St. John’s library has become a joke. And, though St. John Hall could surely stand a few renovations (as could most buildings on campus), finishing the construction on St. Augustine Hall is undoubtedly “what’s going to make a better university.” It is inexcusable for an academic institution to have such a faulty, incomplete library. According to the TORCH, the plan to renovate St. John Hall will be brought to the University’s executive board in March. If the University wants to retain any credibility as an institute of higher learning, it ought to remain consistent in its decision-making policy and reject this new construction proposal, allowing the money to go towards adequately finishing St. Augustine Hall. Students of a respectable university should not be forced to travel to the New York Public Library during finals week. If we are to believe Dr. Upton, this school bases its decisions on what’s in the institution’s best interest, not just what is popular. For our sake, let’s hope she’s right. Gregory Leporati Former Torch Editor-in-Chief English Graduate Student
7
Leaving professors in the dark Faculty reacts to the University’s proposed schedule change
TORCH ILLUSTRATION/MATT BROWN
institution, and their opinions should be highly valued and taken into consideration. While the terms of the decision-making process aren’t clear right now, it is clear is that there is a lack of communication between professors and administrators. The Faculty Association has filed a formal grievance against the University regarding this situation and is investigating “whether or not the proposal, coming as it does before the deadline acceptance or rejection of the VSO packages, constitutes an unfair labor practice.” Announcing the schedule change a little more than a month before the deadline for the buyout raises the question: Does the University view the schedule change as something that will influence a professor’s decision to take the voluntary separation offer? If professors decide to take the buyout package because of their frustration regarding the new schedule change, how will that help the academic reputation of the University? Even though St. John’s is trying to cut back, academics should still be the most important area
because having strong academics is the only way to attract strong students. For all of these reasons, the University needs to address faculty concerns as swiftly as possible. If these concerns are not addressed soon, the transition to the new schedule is not going to be smooth, at best. Although Dr. Upton stated the decision to change the schedule was not based on a “popularity contest,” maybe it should have been. Professors are the one of the most important parts of a university after all, and their opinions deserve to be taken into account. Without professors on board with this proposed change, we’re all going to suffer.
Christina Heiser is a senior English major. She can be reached at: torcheic@gmail.com
What are your plans for the upcoming spring break?
COMPILED BY THOMAS CARNEVALE
3 March 2010
STUDENTSPARKS: Vacation
OPINION
Students aren’t the only ones having a negative reaction to the new class schedule changes, set to go into effect in September, The Executive Committee of the Faculty Association of St. John’s, A union for the University’s professors, recently sent a letter to all full-time and adjunct professors here stating they had not been informed that the proposed schedule change would taking place in the fall. The new schedule includes 90-minute classes that meet on Monday and Thursday, Tuesday and Friday and three-hour classes on Wednesday and Saturday. The Faculty Association claims that “no faculty body has had the opportunity to raise germaine questions.” According to the letter, the proposed schedule change was never put before the Faculty Senate or the Academic Planning Committee for deliberation, and that department chairs were never consulted about the change. However, in an internal e-mail sent out Feb. 8 to the University community, Father Harrington states that the schedule change “was endorsed by the Deans and Chairs as an opportunity to enhance pedagogy.” According to Dominic Scianna, the University will not comment on any questions pertaining to the schedule change until after classes have actually been set, which should be in mid-March. It’s one thing, though, to have input from deans and department chairs – but it’s the rank and file that bear the brunt of this decision. Professors usually teach anywhere from two to four classes a semester, while department chairs generally teach one, in addition to working on research assignments. And adjunct professors usually have to teach at more than one institution to make ends meet. A change in the schedule at St. John’s would affect their ability to work at other schools. For some professors, teaching classes on Saturdays might also conflict with religious observances as well. It is for these reasons that professors should have played a part in the decision to move to a new scheduling format. Professors are the core of any academic
The TORCH
Ana Pluchinotta Freshman
Studying, I have a big exam coming up.
I’m just going home to Washington, D.C. with my friends and family.
I am going to Atlantic City for two nights. I will also be working on a project.
Alex Robles Junior
Jazmyne Wade Sophomore
William Li Senior
torchonline.com
I’m going to New Orleans for the Freshman Plunge. I needed the community service hours and I wanted to meet new people since I’m a commuter.
8
An inevitable Avatar’s deeper political message truth of the college student’s life MARK PETERSON Contributing Writer
torchonline.com
The TORCH
3 March 2010
OPINION
JUSTIN THRIFT Editorial Page Editor When taking five or more classes, chances of completing every little thing that a professor’s syllabus calls for are slim, at best. Let’s be realistic — over the course of a week, there’s just not enough time to complete every page of required reading and studying that college level courses typically demand. Our homework can become an overwhelming mountain, and in an effort to do our best, choices must be made. For many students, it’s not just the reality of a full course schedule that competes for their time. Holding down a job, staying involved in campus activities and still making time to have a social life all vie for a student’s daily attention. It can be exhausting juggling essays with work, and finding time for exercise and downtime. It can be difficult to use the weekends for catching up on studying when friends are out having fun. But this isn’t one of those editorials you find all too often in college newspapers, complaining about the chaotic life of a college kid. There’s little use in lamenting lack of sleep and accumulating schoolwork. For students, these stresses are like death and taxes — inevitable. The lives we live may seem unmanageable at times, but these stresses are what make college, and life, worth living. Being busy means we’re making the most of our time, and try as you may, it’s completely impossible to have control over every aspect of your life. As college students, the sooner we grasp this concept, the better off we’ll be. It sometimes feels as if 168 hours a week are not enough to get everything done we need to. What’s essential to remember is that it’s not always about how much we accomplish, but rather how we accomplish it. Part of being a good student is finding time to keep up with course work, but sometimes it’s just as important to prioritize what’s on our schedules. It’s essential students recognize that much of what is learned during the college years takes place outside of the classroom. More than anything, it’s important that we, as college students, don’t lose sight of the things that make our lives infinitely more fortunate than many other people around the world. At the end of the day, no matter how hard sleep is to come by and regardless of the hours of work still to come, we’re in an opportune place to begin successful lives. We’re privileged to not be amongst the ruins of earthquakes and directly involved in the terrors of war. We’re lucky to be overwhelmed by an upcoming test, and privileged to be stressed about our jobs, friends and family instead of those who are without any of these things, wondering when and if the next meal will come. And while we love to stress out over the looming workload that awaits us in the morning, the reality is that that workload will never go away, despite how hard we labor, how well we organize. Unless we cut all ties and move to an isolated island, the demand will never cease. Why spend our time bemoaning the busyness of youth? What’s the worst that could possibly go wrong? Will the world come to a sudden end? Not likely. Instead we’ll live to see another day, and as long as we’re committing all of ourselves to what we’re doing, things will work out. During Conan O’Brien’s last show as host of The Tonight Show, he delivered a message to young people in which he ridiculed cynicism. “For the record, it’s my least favorite quality,” he told his viewers. “But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen. I’m telling you. Amazing things will happen.” College is a time to make the most of opportunities. We often have more on our plates than we can handle, and thank goodness for that. Can’t get enough TORCH editorials? Visit our Web site for online exclusives.
Over winter break, many of us trotted into theaters to don magic glasses and experience the sensational sci-fi epic Avatar. With a man-meets-alien theme that has forever fascinated our collective imagination, revolutionary filmmaking, and a compelling Romeo and Juliet-esque drama of interspecies love, it is no surprise that the film is currently the highest grossing film in the history of the known universe. But many who saw Avatar felt that the film’s surreal graphics, religious and cultural allusions and romance were greatly overshadowed by the mirror James Cameron holds up to the ever growing “Western” world’s philosophical relationship to a small blue planet called Earth — a web of life whose strands collapse right before our teary 3D-glassed eyes. With carefully embedded reference to the forbidden fruit (unobtainium) and the Garden of Eden (Pandora), Cameron’s film uses the wisdom of a ubiquitous religious metaphor to show a humankind barreling haplessly toward its collective doom in the pursuit of ever greater wealth and technical knowledge. References to colonial exploitation, ethnocentrism, and racism also abound, the deeper message is purely environmental. The film clearly draws a parallel between the indigenous understanding of nature as an integrated whole in which human life is merely a part, and the uniquely Western perspective of the natural world as a resource which is to be parceled up and brought to market. Though some of us may not express it, the Western tendency is to view the natural world as a thing distinct from civilization to be dominated. Cameron’s goal in Avatar was to bring the consequences of this perspective out of the shadows of the social subconscious. In the film, the deep physical and emotional connection that the Na’vi share with Eywa — the metaphysical equivalent of “the great mother” of some tribes indigenous to North America — is sharply juxtaposed to the brutal logic of corporate greed of Parker Selfridge and the rest of the “Sky People,” whose primary objective is the extraction of resources. And unlike many sci-fi films of the recent past featuring carnivorous, parasitic aliens,
if Avatar has a clearly defined antagonist it is earthlings. This is of no surprise given Cameron’s interest in environmentalism. When questioned about the central point of his film in a recent interview with London’s The Sun, Cameron remarked that “Science is unable to keep up with our industrial society. We are destroying species faster than we can classify them…The point is that we are devastating habitat and biodiversity at a terrible rate.” So by contrasting the sustainable nature-religion of the technologically pre-modern Na’vi with the disaster capitalism of the technically adept human invaders, Cameron’s message to the audience is that here on this lonely blue planet “underdeveloped” can no longer be viewed reasonably as a pejorative term. With humanrelated global climate change being a matter of international scientific consensus, as well as unprecedented loss of biodiversity, the film suggests we would be wise to humble ourselves before the wisdom of our scientists and peoples whose lifestyles put them in perpetual balance with nature. As planet Earth now strains under the weight of homosapiens, Avatar has come to remind us not how cool we are because we can make visually stimulating movies in 3D but that in the real world in which all human civilization is merely a breath, Eywa really does not take sides. The greater point of the movie however, was not simply to threaten capitalist civilization with climatic apocalypse for failing to live in perpetual balance with nature, or to salt the wounds of Western guilt for continuing colonial treachery. The point was to show that, like Jake Sully, we must defy convention and brave uncertainty if we are to stand on the side of bio-spheric truth. To do any justice whatsoever to the Earth, each one of us must make conscious sacrifices to reduce our individual consumption. We must drive less, consume less plastic, eat less meat. We can no longer afford to worship at the altar of self-interested materialism, holding those who consume conspicuously in high regard. They must be shunned, shamed and ignored. Only when the culture of greed becomes un-cool and we rise up against the gluttons among us with the same air of righteousness that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of social and economic injustice of the 1960s, will the political importance of Avatar be understood.
TORCHCOMICS I can’t draw Alex Reyes
Controlled Chaos Catharine Corrigan
I Want Your Soul
1-800- ARMSTACO
Keri Dodge
Jonathan Roman
3 March 2010
10
Think Outside...
Features
3
Section
Hip-hop and politics intertwined Bakari Kitwana encourages students to be politically proactive CAROLYN WARGULA Assistant Features Editor Political activist, journalist and author Bakari Kitwana spoke at the University on Thursday, Feb. 25, at his lecture “Young Americans in the New Economy.” These questions were asked after the lecture by the TORCH and students in attendance. ST. JOHN’S UNVERSITY: Do you have any suggestions for someone who would like to hold politicians more accountable for their actions? BAKARI KITWANA: I think that writing letters and calling the congressmen and senators has a huge impact, and I think people don’t do it as much as they should. In 2008, I did a national tour called “Hip-hop and the Presidential Election,” and there was a woman on the tour who started an organization in D.C. called Global Policy Solutions. She said to me that during the time she was there, the most powerful political moment came when people would call into those offices. So that’s something that has a big impact. I think we have to be operating on multiple fronts. We need to join organizations because organizations tend to have greater leverage than just individuals working alone. I think one of the problems with the 2008 election of Barack Obama was I think it fractured people more than it brought them together in their ability to organize separate from the campaign. So a lot of people got excited and mobilized, but they got mobilized around a campaign, and when the campaign was over, there was not anything to continue the time together.
torchonline.com
The TORCH
3 March 2010
FEATURES
STJ: What is your opinion on current hip-hop culture and the music specifically?
is not what people want to hear? KITWANA: As a person who’s been involved in politics, I think the mass penetration rather than the content is more important to me. I think the content is important, but I remember I was really excited when 50 Cent and Eminem both went platinum in less than a month. Because as a person who’s thinking about politics, I think, how many politicians have that much influence? Let’s say we had 50 Cent here today and we had Charlie Rangel here tomorrow. Who’s going to have the bigger audience? I just think the power and influence and the reach of hip-hop is what is exciting to me in terms of politics. I think that the content is important, but the most important content to me is that there is a range available, there isn’t just a monolithic message. Good music is, in part, about innovation and bringing something different to the table and not doing the same thing that’s been done like a formula.The problem with the music that we’re hearing in terms of the radio is the same thing. It’s all the same thing and you don’t see enough of a range. There has been, within hip-hop, a media justice movement. The problem is not those specific artists so much as that there is no other artist at the level to counterbalance. Currently, we don’t have any politicans or another artist to counter the negative or the same monolithic message. But in terms of politics, I’m interested in taping into the influence of a Jay-Z because I think that’s a starting point for a powerful conversation. When Lil’ Wayne did the song “Georgia Bush,” that was like one of the most powerful moments in hip-hop for me because you’re taking something that you think you know, you’re taking something that the system thinks it’s gotten all figured out, and then the revolution is right there. That’s what continues to make hip-hop relevant and powerful—it’s not predictable. STJ: Do you believe there is a level of control going on in the publishing and music industry with filtration and censorship at the institutional level?
KITWANA: There are ways that your generation is listening to music that is different than the ways we listened to music in the earlier generation. We listen to music on the radio, we listen to what we watch in the music videos and we didn’t have access to as many independent artists. Now, I don’t think people listen to the same stuff. People now listen to a much broader range. So I think it’s made music listening more democratic where before it’d be like three artists with an album out a year. I think the artist had more leverage and I think a lot of other things have changed. Artists used to come out and they’d be hot for maybe a couple years. It amazes me that Jay-Z can still go platinum. That’s just amazing to me. Because Jay-Z has put out 10 albums at this point, it’s like a different moment for hip-hop and before, and artist couldn’t last beyond a couple years. But it’s also a part of the energy hip-hop has lost because it doesn’t produce new artists. I think that there are refreshing things going on, and I think the music still has an impact, but I don’t think the impact is as great as it was before four or five years ago or more than that. I think that some of the content is problematic, but the ways in which we listen to music-the fact that music can be downloaded, the fact that people are generally downloading singles-I think all of that stuff moves the power from just those handful of people. As we talk about building political movements and the power and influence of hip-hop, I think the ways that music is being listened to has kind of change in the equation.
KITWANNA: I agree to some extent, but I think in the publishing environment people are more empowered because of the ways in which the Internet has a power to people. For example, you go on the Web site and publish your story and have a million and a half viewers and that could make people want to go and buy your books. That just didn’t exist for writers 10 years ago. At the same time, the power and ability of people to publish themselves is much more viable now then it was 10 years ago. So, the problem is I think these corporations absolutely dominate the marketplace. They dominate media on all levels. They have the ability to make your book a New York Times bestseller. I think the Internet is just a powerful place for writers. I think a lot of times we don’t see the power that we have because it’s not being broadcast. There’s power for writers in this moment. They may not get paid for it in traditional ways, but I think that the pay has to be seen in different ways. For example, I write for Huffington Post. I post an article on Huffington Post at 9:00 in the morning, within three hours, it’s probably on 50 Web sites around the world, not just here. That type of influence for a writer is much greater than writing a book and 15,000 people reading it.
STJ: Political hip-hop artists are not as popular as mainstream artists. As an activist, how do you use hiphop to motivate people politically when political music
KITWANA: I think one of the things that young people can be doing, and I petitioned the Obama administration to do this, is when we talk about job creation, one of the
STJ: What should we do to help young people get jobs?
TORCH PHOTO/ALEXANDRIA NEASON
Bakari Kitwana shares with students how to grow in the changing economy during his Feb. 25 lecture at the University. things that would be effective, in the 70s they had summer job programs to infuse capital into the community. We do something similar right now for young people where they could provide social networking and helping establish organizations and businesses. Currently, the health care industry, educational institutions, and even online industries are creating jobs. STJ: How should young people become more involved in politics? KITWANA: After the young voted for Obama, the energy fizzled. The young people mobilized Obama’s campaign and because of that, Obama was elected. Young people need to become involved in organizations and engage more than just vote. The administration has been ineffective at putting issues that were important during the election onto the agenda. Young people don’t care about health care. I think the administration is responding to those who give money; and since young people are not primary funders, their needs are not being met. Young people can’t wait for the president and they must push this president since they have helped his campaign. Historically, the young are downplayed and there is a de-emphasis on them so we need to change the way they are viewed. We need to rethink how to organize the young. This new jobs bill in congress that is requesting $700 billion is not enough just like many economists have predicted. We really need to mobilize young people especially with this education bill in order to make college more affordable.
11
TORCH PHOTO COURTSEY OF ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY
The SAA offers The Alumni Insider’s View program, a three day trip to Washington D.C. where alumni speak to current St. John’s students about their careers.
Once a Johnnie, always a Johnnie SARA CAHILL-MARRON Staff Writer
The Student Alumni Association (SAA) and the Office of Alumni Relations work actively to connect alumni with students through various networking opportunities. According to the Office of Alumni Relations, 82 percent of St. John’s graduates are located in the tri-state area, putting them in a viable position to assist current students with their goals. Andrea T. Papa, associate director for Student Engagement and Alumni Relations, said her office encourages alumni-student networking. “I understand the power of networking, and so do the alumni-they really care,” Papa said. “SAA is unique because students get a fast-track experience to the reality of having to leave school and enter the real world.” The association also offers a special program called The Alumni Insider’s View. Through the program, alumni speak to students with insights into their chosen profession or field. The programs include a three-day trip
to Washington, D.C. with private tours and face-to-face interaction with alumni who work as professionals in the District. Similar day trips to the New York State Capitol and Wall Street are also offered. “The trips are very popular, but we have limited space and while we would love to accept everyone, we always end up turning people away,” Papa said. Elsen Jacob, president of the association during the 2007-08 school year, said the alumni always spoke about the impact St. John’s had on their life. “As students, we got to hear from alumni on just how much St. John’s helps to shape a person’s life,” Elsen said. “The alumni we met really had a great appreciation for how St. John’s factored into their future. Whether it was the educational opportunities they received, the career paths that were shaped here, or even finding their spouses here, the alumni were always grateful for the University’s role in their lives.” Student service programs, such as the Career Center SHARE Program and Learning Communities, are also offered in collaboration with The Office of Alumni Relations and SAA. The Career Center SHARE Program allows students to shadow alumni in the place of business mid-semester
and during finals breaks, as well as during summer and winter recesses. Similarly, the Learning Communities Program allows students to be involved in an alumni’s place of business. This program provides position specific mentoring for the student. Additionally, the SAA and the Office of Alumni Relations work together throughout the school year to have a presence during events on campus. Representatives of two alumni associations are present during Accepted Students Receptions, Move-In Day and Commencement. “We want the students to know who we are before they graduate,” Papa said. Susan Jacob, publicity chair during the 2007 school year, spoke about the benefits of being involved with SAA. “Alumni would come in and conduct mock interviews and offer professional advice,” Susan said. “It helps you to grow as a professional. “Some of them would say it had an impact on the way to view life and approached things because of the Vincentian service aspect of the school. It was important perspective to take into the world.”
Professor shares passion for music RICHARD MILLER Staff Writer
3 March 2010 The TORCH PHOTO COURTSEY OF TIMOTHY CARTER
Dr. Carter is an esteemed cello player, as well as a biololgy professor at the University.
torchonline.com
Professor Timothy Carter is never shy in front of an audience, whether he is delivering a lecture on cellular communication or playing the cello. His actions give off a sense of practiced elegance, perhaps because he has done both many times before. Carter, who by day is a professor in the biology department, played in the first of three faculty-student concerts to be held this year by the Honors Program. Roman Markowicz, world class pianist and friend of Carter, accompanied him during the performance held in St. John’s Hall last Monday. Carter explained the difficulty with organizing cultural events like this on campus. “We benefit from being in New York City and we also suffer from it,” he laughed. “Because, if you want to go hear a concert, just go to Carnegie Hall. Why do you have to have an arts and lecture series on campus? And the answer is, well, it’s campus community.” He admitted that some of his colleagues attempt to organize similar events, and “struggle mightily” in doing so. It was “long overdue at St John’s” in Carter’s opinion, but he had always hoped to see a student-faculty concert at the University. “I’ve always thought it would be really nice if St. John’s would have an even more broad and vibrant cultural community to go with its diversity,” he said. He finally got his wish last spring when he was featured in the first student-faculty concert.
Carter decided that he would play chamber music, a variation of classical music which was played as entertainment centuries ago. As Carter explains, it is “designed to be played in living rooms.” Traditional chamber music was played using any instruments available, Carter added. With this in mind, he decided to go with an unorthodox instrument. “Traditionally, when these things were written, they were played in people’s living rooms for fun,” he began. “And on anything that was around. So I said, let’s do it on kazoos.” The event last spring was praised by many and it has returned this semester for three days. Monday was the first; the remaining two have not been set. Professor Robert Forman, head of the Honors Program, is in charge of organizing all of the concerts, which are open to the entire University community, as well as the public. “The person who was mainly responsible for putting these things together was Professor Forman,” Carter said. He sent letters to all the deans, who forwarded them to the faculty. There were certainly people there who were not associated with the Honors Program.” Carter maintained that the concerts are more than just a way for professors and students to show off. “It gets faculty, staff and students together around some common interest,” he said. And there will always be at least one person to play. “As long as I’m at St. John’s, and maybe even after I leave, I’ll certainly be available to play once during the year.”
FEATURES
Timothy Carter creates a more vibrant music scene on campus
17
torchonline.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF HORTONMOVIE.COM
The TORCH
Pg. 18
3 March 2010
Inferno visits Whoville in the latest musical from St. John’s Chappell Players
ENTERTAINMENT
Horton Hears A Who
18
A Shuttering Sight To See AUDIENCES WILL LOSE THEIR MINDS OVER MARTIN SCORSESE’S NEWEST HORROR-THRILLER JACOB SULEYMANOV Staff Writer SHUTTER ISLAND-
OUT OF 4 STARS
S
ENTERTAINMENT
hutter Island is a haunting psychological thriller from director Martin Scorsese. The film boasts a talented cast, daunting cinematography, and a mind-piercing story that will keep audiences intrigued until the very last shot. The story, based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, is set in 1954 and tells the story of U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his brand new partner Chuck Aule (played by Mark Ruffalo) who are called to investigate the escape of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane. The hospital is located on a land mass called Shutter Island. Daniels and Aule receive little compliance from the nursing staff as well as the shady psychiatrist Dr. Cawley (played by Ben Kingsley). Aule learns that Daniels might have ulterior motives for coming to Shutter Island. Meanwhile, Teddy begins to hallucinate and must solve the case and get off the island before he loses his grasp of reality. The actors are casted perfectly for their characters. DiCaprio is terrific as the protagonist, showing great range throughout his transformation as he slowly goes insane throughout the film. Kingsley almost overshadows DiCaprio with his chilling portrayal as the prison’s psychiatrist with controversial ideas concerning treatment of patients. Jackie Earle Haley has a short, but memorable role as an atrocious looking inmate who surprisingly wields good advice. The film’s acting is not the only visual accomplishment on the screen. Shutter Island is comprised of striking imagery that creates a gateway for the audience to enter Daniels’ conscience. Flashbacks of his involvement in World War II are interspersed in the film, providing insight into the way his mind works. Another arresting image is the visualization of the crime committed by the missing inmate, which appears to Daniels as he struggles to keep his sanity. Scorsese is known for expertly crafting a film, which is evident in Shutter Island. The movie has a deliberate pace, which moderately becomes more frantic as if synchronous with the protagonist’s mind. The island serves
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
Leonardo DiCaprio (left) and Ben Kingsley (right) play U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and psychiatrist Dr. Cawley who investigate the case of a missing prisoner at the asylum on Shutter Island. as the appropriate location for the film, and almost acts as a character itself, by holding all the inmates and anyone else who comes to the island captive. Unfortunately, the film’s ending will leave many viewers divided. The final act does not seem to live up to rest of the film, but the conclusion is not farfetched enough to ruin the movie. The musical score is annoyingly distracting throughout the entire film and should have been toned down to match the ominous imagery of
St. John’s Transforms to Whoville DR. SEUSS’ BELOVED CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE IN A MUSICAL VERSION OF HORTON HEARS A WHO! McARTHUR JOSEPH Staff Writer
The TORCH
3 March 2010
SEUSSICAL: THE MUSICAL-
torchonline.com
the island. Another problem lies in the imagery in the World War II flashbacks in that it is very graphic and may be offensive to some. Shutter Island begins as a crime drama but soon unravels into a psychological thriller that is entertaining and interesting enough to be seen on the big screen. If it were not for some tiny missteps, this could have been among Scorsese’s best films. However, it is still significantly better than most.
TORCH PHOTO/ ELIZA FARRELL
The Chappell Players embody the Whos with silly outfits and singsong tales that capture their audience’s imagination.
1/2 OUT OF 4 STARS
A snowstorm could not stop the St. John’s Chappell Players from bringing the beloved books of Dr. Seuss to life by putting on a production of Seussical: The Musical. The cast put on both an afternoon show and a night show on Saturday, Feb. 27 in the Little Theatre. The Chappell Players performed earlier that week exclusively for elementary school children. Seussical is a musical based on one of Dr. Seuss’ popular books, Horton Hears a Who! It also features one of Seuss’s most famous characters, the Cat in the Hat, who acts as the storyteller. When the lights came on, the audience was introduced to a cast wearing an array of vibrant colors and odd-looking clothing, such as mismatched overalls, skirts, shorts, layered tops and rainbow colored high socks and patterned tights. They sang joyfully about the world of Seuss that they invited the audience to enter. The jungle where Horton lives is filled with different characters, including big-voiced kangaroos, rambunctious monkeys with very stylish eyewear and birds with impeccable pitch and spicy Latin dance moves. It is not just the characters that made the story
but the high quality production value of this musical, especially for college theatER. The color-changing backdrop, beautifully constructed props and the amazing set helped draw the audience further into the story. The musical was filled with talented students who brought the beloved Seuss characters to life. Dylan Frisina, who played the Cat in the Hat, helped move the story along with incredible humor. Sarah Goncalves portrayed JoJo. also from Horton Hears a Who!, the littlest Who with the biggest imagination and a real sense of innocence. A big addition to the cast was Horton the elephant (played by Justin Phillips) who brought the house down with an incredible duet with JoJo called “Alone in the Universe.” Jessica Hutchison and Daria Coney played the contradictory birds, Gertrude McFuzz from Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories and Mayzie Labird from Horton Hears a Who! Amy Ziolkowski portrayed the sour kangaroo with the amazing singing voice. Gonclaves said it bes when she said: “To play Jojo my senior year has been a wonderful experience. The cast is made up of the most talented people I know, and I learned so much from sharing the stage with them. I’m so proud of everyone, especially since we only had a few weeks to get this show up and running.” This rendition of Seussical had several things working for it. There was love, laughs, and limericks. In the end, audience members walked out with the mindset that “a person is a person, no matter how small.”
19
Comic A Delicious Piece of Crepe Book Wonder
CREPE ’N’ TEARIA OFFERS A WIDE SELECTION OF DESSERT AND DINNER CREPES DESIGNED TO SATISFY ALL TASTES AMY SCHUESSLER Contributing Writer CREPE ‘N’ TEARIA-
ARCHIE MAKES A COMEBACK IN NEW YORK’S MOST GRAPHIC MUSEUM DANIEL SANCHEZ Contributing Writer MUSEUM OF COMIC AND CARTOON ART-
OUT OF 4 STARS
W
OUT OF 4 STARS
W
hen walking down Union Turnpike, it is easy to overlook Crepe ‘n’ Tearia. On the inside, this small but inviting restaurant is decorated in a modern and chic fashion. The whitewashed walls are offset by the mod furnishing and interesting artwork that decorates the interior. The whole décor of the restaurant is welcoming to a young crowd. Crepe ‘n’ Tearia has reasonably fast over-thecounter service that allows you to sit down and relax while your food is freshly prepared in front of you. The back of the restaurant offers a more comfortable lounge with a low set table and floor cushions to sit on. Seating is minimal, so on a crowded day, it may be a wait before you can find a place to sit. The menu offers a wide variety of dinner and dessert options. The two main types of crepes that you can choose from are sweet and savory. The sweet crepes are for those craving dessert, with chocolate, ice cream and fruit fillings as popular ingredient. If you are a chocolate lover, the banana and nutella crepe is a must-try item. The rich chocolate taste blends perfectly with the flavor of the banana. Other items on the sweet section of the menu include cheesecake, s’mores and peanut butter and jelly crepes. The savory crepes consist of either a meat or tofu filling. The “Cheese Lover” crepe is an exception, made with a variety of cheeses. The tofu crepes offer a nice selection of vegetarian options and they have whole wheat options for the health-conscious. All the portions are generous and make for a satisfying meal. One of the staple items on the menu is the popular drink bubble tea. The beverage originated in China and worked its way to restaurants and cafés in America, becoming a favorite since. It is known for the distinct tapioca balls in the tea and is surprisingly tasty and addictive. Crepe ‘n’ Tearia offers a wide variety of these teas which cost $ 2.50 for a small or $3.25 for a large. You can also choose to order a combination meal which includes a crepe and small bubble tea for $7-10. TORCH PHOTO/ ADELLE PLATON Whether you are looking to satisfy your sweet Crepe ‘n’ Tearia is a popular spot for St. tooth or eat dessert on a budget, Crepe ‘n’ Tearia creates a great atmosphere for friends and family to John’s students who also crave bubble tea.
3 March 2010 The TORCH
Upcoming Events:
Dash Shaw: Making the Abyss Artist Talk Tuesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOCCANY.COM
A portrait of a royal Archie greets visitors to the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.
torchonline.com
NeoIntegrity: Comics Edition Exhibit March 12-May 30
Ralph Bakhsi: The Streets Exhibition Friday, March 19 at 6 p.m.
ENTERTAINMENT
hen was the last time you read, or even thought about an Archie comic? Do you remember the eternal struggle between Veronica and Betty for Archie’s affection? How about Jughead’s remarkable ability to consume 20 hamburgers in a single panel? After 67 years of life in Riverdale High School, Archie and his entourage were finally paid their dues. For more than nine years, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) has hosted countless exhibits in homage to the most renowned and iconic figures in the world of comics. From Nov. 19 to Feb. 28, the museum has dedicated much of its limited space to the long-running Archie series. Located on 594 Broadway between Houston and Prince streets, the museum is crunched into a fourth floor suite of a nondescript building, which is easy to miss amid the chaos of crowds and window displays. Bright pink, orange and blue walls make up the interior of the MoCCA and upon entering one cannot help but embrace its cartoonish ambiance. The Archie exhibit begins with a large portrait of the red-haired and freckled comic book character, who is lavishly dressed as 14th-century English ruler, King Henry VIII. The exhibit takes the viewer on a chronological tour of the Archie series’ history starting from the 1940s to the present day. The walls are filled with original artwork and informative blurbs that detail how the creators of Archie have managed to appeal to readers of different generations. While the exhibit is informative, the knowledgeable staff can offer insight to broaden one’s appreciation for the art of the comic book. One staff member was eager to explain how the creators of Archie routinely addressed topical social issues. For example, Archie featured issues in the 1960s revolving around the Civil Rights Movement and in the 1990s, promoted environmentally conscious behavior. Although the gallery can be equally entertaining for both comic book enthusiasts and casual passersby alike, the exhibit only has about enough material to last you 30-40 minutes. Consequently, be sure to wander into a nearby café to discuss your newfound Archie epiphanies to anyone in your general radius who is willing to listen. In addition to the galleries, the MoCCA hosts frequent seminars and educational courses by comic book professionals who have written and illustrated for interpretations of the Spiderman, Batman, and X-Men series. Operation hours of the MoCCA are from 12-5 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday.
come together, hang out and enjoy tasty food! Crepe ‘n’ tearia is located on 177-07 Union Turnpike.
24
Storm squeezed by the Orange Men’s Basketball team allows ’Cuse to shoot 50 percent, score 85 points MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer
SYRACUSE
85
ST. JOHN’S
66
Four days ago, Pittsburgh came into Madison Square Garden and shot 51 percent against the Red Storm. On Tuesday, the Johnnies went into the Carrier Dome and saw No. 1 Syracuse Orange shoot 52 percent and beat them 85-66. St. John’s used a bigger lineup for the first time this season in an effort to neutralize Syracuse big men Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson. Junior center Dele Coker started his ninth game of the season while junior forward Justin Burrell was in the starting lineup for the eighth time. Junior swingman D.J. Kennedy came off the bench for just the second time this season. It was to no avail. Onuaku finished with a season-high 21 points on 10-of13 shooting, and Syracuse scored 46 points in the paint and never trailed after the first minute of the game. After a 3-pointer by Kennedy brought the score to 23-20 with 8:27 left in the first half, Syracuse went on a 17-4 run to go ahead by 16 with 3:03 left. Sophomore guard Scoop Jardine
The TORCH
torchonline.com
TORCH FILE PHOTO/LAURA AMATO
Paris Horne hit five of the Red Storm’s seven 3-pointers and scored a season high 18 points in Tuesday’s road loss to Syracuse.
Women’s, Men’s teams made progress this season
3 March 2010
SPORTS
For the second game in a row, the St. John’s men’s basketball team, who pride themselves on their defensive intensity, allowed their opponent to shoot more than 50 percent from the field.
and sophomore forward Kris Joseph each had six points during that stretch off the bench. The biggest story from the first half for St. John’s was the loss of junior guard Dwight Hardy. After hitting a running jumper in the lane with 9:40 left in the half, he collided with Jackson and landed awkwardly, hurting his left knee. He did not return and was seen on the bench with ice around his knee. Syracuse senior guard Andy Rautins also had an injury scare. He went down early in the second half with a twisted ankle, but returned to the game minutes later. He finished the game with 14 points on 5-10 shooting with seven assists. Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense shut down the St. John’s big men. Junior forwards Sean Evans and Justin Burrell were just 1-of-5 and 3-of-7 from the field, respectively, while senior forward Anthony Mason Jr. shot 1-of-6. On the other hand, junior guard Paris Horne found the gaps in the zone on the perimeter. He hit five of the Red Storm’s seven 3-pointers and scored a seasonhigh 18 points. Kennedy led the team in scoring with 19 points and Malik Boothe dished out a season high eight assists The loss drops the Johnnies to 15-14 and 5-12 in the Big East. They have lost four out of their last five and now sit in 14th place in the 16-team conference. With one game left in the regular season, they can now only look to match last season’s conference record of 6-12. They will try to do that on Friday when they travel to Rosemont, Ill. to take on last-place Depaul.
In sports, progress is generally determined by how a team responds to adversity and how much their record changes from season to season. The changes can be dramatic, such as a team going from finishing in the bottom of the standings to a sudden playoff berth, or gradual, like when a team drafts or recruits solid players and they mature into superstars. The Tampa Bay Rays come to mind, having suffered perennial last-place finishes in the American League East until their glut of young talent matured, and have since become one of baseball’s deadliest teams.
It is, however, also possible for the opposite to take place. The Oakland Raiders were once one of the NFL’s model franchises for consistency in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but as their players aged and their front office made poorer and poorer personnel choices, the team regressed to becoming a laughingstock. The regular seasons for the St. John’s basketball teams are coming to an end, with the women’s team wrapping its season at Pittsburgh yesterday and the men’s team traveling to DePaul Friday, and it’s time to evaluate what kind of progress each team made in 2009-10. The women’s team reached the WNIT tournament in each of the last few years and had coveted berths in the NCAA tournament. This year, the Storm went 24-5 overall and 12-4 during Big East play, earning the No. 4 seed in the Big East tournament and the No. 16 national ranking.
In addition, the women’s team adequately integrated all six of its freshmen into its rotation of players. Each of them played in at least 15 games and two of them, Nadirah McKenith and Shennika Smith, started in 23 games and 24 games, respectively. The team’s superstar, Da’Shena Stevens, last year’s Big East Rookie of the Year, has also shown signs of progression. She leads the team in scoring (14.2 points per game) and rebounding (7.7 per game), and was named as a midseason candidate for the Women’s Naismith Award, an honor bestowed upon the nation’s best player. In the case of the women’s basketball team as a whole, the progression is tangible. The team had a 20-plus win season, a Top 10 finish in conference play, and a national ranking. In all likelihood, the women’s team will reach the NCAA tournament and achieve the goal
it sets for itself every year. But for the men’s team, you’re going to have to look past the obvious numbers in order to locate where their improvements were made. The men’s team is probably going to finish near the bottom of the Big East in most offensive categories, and their sixth consecutive sub-500 conference record under head coach Norm Roberts is not what most were expecting from this group, one that had seven juniors who have played significant on-court roles since their freshman year. St. John’s wasn’t as bad as their 14 losses suggest, though. They led in seven of those losses at halftime and remained fairly close in most of the others. Remember last year, when they’d consistently fall behind by more than 10 points early in games and have to work to cut leads and stop runs? That trait has practically disappeared this season. The Johnnies conceded 80-plus
points only twice this season, on the road against Rutgers and Syracuse, and is renowned throughout the conference for its athleticism. And this year’s roster was deep. Led by D.J. Kennedy, whose 2011 NBA Draft stock has steadily climbed from a potential middle second-round pick to a high second-round pick, Roberts was not afraid to utilize every player on the roster. Most of the games the Red Storm excelled in where the ones where a plethora of players scored. So even though the progress looks dramatically different for each team, progress was made. The women’s team is one step closer to a run at a national title and becoming a perennial contender and the men’s team, although once again low in the standings, has played very competitive basketball for the majority of the conference schedule. Whatever happens next is, well, progress.
25
RED STORM STATISTICS MEN’S BASKETBALL
TORCH SPORTS
STORM
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
STANDINGS
CAST
STANDINGS
Team
Conference Overall
Team
Conference Overall
Syracuse Villanova West Virginia Pittsburgh Marquette Louisville Georgetown Notre Dame USF Seton Hall Connecticut Cincinnati St. John’s Rutgers
15-2 12-4 12-5 11-5 10-6 10-6 9-8 8-8 7-9 7-9 7-9 7-9 5-12 5-11
28-2 23-5 23-6 22-7 19-9 19-10 19-9 19-10 17-11 16-11 17-12 16-12 15-14 15-14
Connecticut West Virginia Georgetown St. John’s Notre Dame Rutgers DePaul Providence Syracuse Marquette USF Pittsburgh Louisville Cincinnati
16-0 13-3 13-3 12-4 12-4 9-7 9-7 7-9 7-9 6-10 6-10 5-11 5-11 4-12
30-0 26-4 25-5 24-5 25-4 17-13 20-10 16-13 20-9 15-14 14-14 16-13 13-16 11-17
Providence
4-12
12-16
Villanova
3-13
14-15
DePaul
1-15
8-20
Seton Hall
1-15
9-20
STATISTICS AS OF
1. Harangody, ND 2. Jones, USF Hazell, SHU 4. Peterson, PC 5. Reynolds, VU
1. Pope, SHU 2. Harangody, ND 3. Peterson, PC 4. Monroe, GU 5. Johnson, SU
10.9 10.0 9.9 9.4 8.7
Assists
Steals 1. Rautins, SU 2. Walker, UConn 3. Hazell, SHU 4. Jones, USF Hayward, MU
Scoring
Rebounding 24.1 21.4 21.4 19.3 18.9
2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.8
MARCH 3
LEAGUE LEADERS
LEAGUE LEADERS Scoring
Leavin’ their Mark
Rebounding
1. Moore, UConn
18.5
2 Charles, UConn 3. Rodgers, GU 4. Marandola, PC 5. Reid, Lou
18.2 18.1 17.9 17.4
5.6 5.3 4.8 4.8 4.7
1. Miles, WVU 2. Barlow, ND 3. McNutt, GU 4. McKenith, SJU Robinson, MU
11.4 10.7 9.2 9.2 8.9
Assists
Steals
1. Jackson, ND 2. Walker, UConn 3. Harvey, SHU Rautins, SU 5. Hansbrough, ND
1. Cole, Pitt 2. Lawson, USF 3. Charles, UConn Reid, LOU 5. Green, SHU
2.9 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3
1. Miles, WVU 2. Quigley, DPU 3. McKenith, SJU 4. Robinson, MU 5. Wright, GU
6.3 5.4 4.9 4.5 4.0
MIKE GURNIS Staff Writer
Junior catcher Kacee Cox was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll fort he second straight week. She hit .692 with two home runs, one double and six RBI as the softball team went 2-2 on its trip to the Charleston Southern Tournament. Cox recorded three multi-hit games on the trip and leads te team with a .514 batting average. She has amassed six mlti-hit games so far this season after totaling 11 in 2009.
Blowin’ in the Wind
“
This isn’t an easy place to get to and play and with all the weather and changing the flights, we were worried about getting out of the gates.
”
-St. John’s lacrosse coach Jason Miller about traveling to Colorado in poor weather conditions
torchonline.com
Can’t get enough TORCH sports? Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com/sports
Cox makes second straight B.E. conference Honor Roll
The TORCH
first time this season, as Illinois would scored once in the second and three in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. But the Red Storm, who didn’t even get a hit in the first four innings, scored four runs in the fifth to tie the game. Matt Wessinger had an RBI groundout in the sixth to give the Red Storm their first lead of the game. They would add another run in the seventh inning as Burawa entered the game in the ninth inning for a 1-2-3 inning, and he would pick up his second save of the weekend to seal the 6-4 come-from-behind victory. The Red Storm will look to continue their winning ways as they head to East Tennessee State on March 5 for a three game set.
Sophomore shortstop Joe Panik has earned his first-career Big East Player of the Week honor after leading the St. John’s baseball team to three wins against Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois in the Big Ten-Big East Challenge. Panik batted .625 with one double, one triple, two RBI and a team best four runs. He also slugged a team-best of 1.000 and reached base 10 times while posting a team high .769 on-base percentage.
3 March 2010
For the St. John’s baseball team, it’s hard to imagine getting off to a better start to the season. The Red Storm made the trip to Florida for the Big Ten-Big East challenge, and came away with three victories in all three games against Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois, improving the Red Storm’s record to 6-0. Their 6-0 record is tied for the best start under head coach Ed Blankmeyer. The team also started 6-0 in 2008. The Red Storm kicked off the weekend by defeating Minnesota 5-4 on Friday. Freshman Jeremy Baltz connected on his first career home run, which was a solo blast in the second inning, which gave the Red Storm a 1-0 lead. Baltz went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. The game was seemingly in hand in the ninth inning for the Red Storm, as they clung to a 5-2 lead. Ryan Cole entered the game in the ninth and allowed
two runs after walking two batters and giving up back-to-back hits. Daniel Burawa then entered the game, and would just need one pitch to enduce a groundout to end the game, as St. John’s escaped with the 5-4 win. Pitching would be the story the next day, as St. John’s narrowly edged Michigan 2-1. Nick Cenatiempo, Stephen Rivera, Kevin Kilpatrick, and Eddie Medina combined to give up a total of five hits and the lone earned run. Scott Ferrara and Joe Panik drove in the two runs for the Red Storm, as Ferrara had two singles and Panik went 2-for-4. The Red Storm took a 2-0 lead in the third after Panik’s RBI double. The two runs would be all that Michigan starter Matt Miller would allow, as he would pitch six innings for Michigan. Michigan finally got on the board in the seventh on a sacrifice fly. Eddie Medina pitched the eighth and ninth innings for the Red Storm, struck out one batter and did not give up a run, earning the save. But the Red Storm’s third win of the Big Ten-Big East Challenge would not come easy. The Red Storm trailed for the
Panik Player of the Week
SPORTS
Baseball off to perfect 6-0 start
The St. John’s University women’s fencing team finished 1-2 at the Temple Invitational, defeating Temple but falling to Duke and Penn State. The men’s team defeated Duke but lost to Penn State. Irina Koroleva and Evgeniya Kirpicheva both earned 8-1 records in foil, with Koroleva going 2-1 against Duke and undefeated in three matches against Penn State and Temple. Kirpicheva also went undefeated in 3 bouts against Duke and Temple, but 2-1 against Penn State. Dagmara Wozniak, 10 in the world in women’s sabre, finished 6-3. On the Men’s side, Nicholas Vomero and Marat Israelian each finshished with 5-1 records in epee. Vomero held a 2-1 record against Duke and went undefeated against Penn despite the loss. Israelian went 3-0 against Duke, but only 2-1 against Penn. The St. John’s fencing teams will compete in the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships, beginning on March 14 in Providence, RI.
26
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
A real tearjerker
McCorvey, Women’s Hoops beats ’Nova on emotional Senior Day
KATIE BECKMANN Staff Writer
SPORTS
The tears in Joy McCorvey’s eyes were evident as her name was called out during the Senior Day celebrations Saturday at the St. John’s women’s basketball team’s home finale against the Villanova. ST. JOHN’S
69
VILLANOVA
42
A three-year captain, McCorvey has experienced many highs and lows during the past four years as the women’s basketball program has progressed from Big East bottom-feeder to conference contender, but the highs culminated Saturday with a 69-42 win over the Wildcats, making the 2009-10 team the winningest in team history. “My freshman year was a little rough, but you keep believing in your coach and your teammates,” said McCorvey. “Coach [Kim Barnes Arico] kept promising us we’d have a good season and now, my senior year, what a great way to go out. You keep faith in your coach, faith in your team, and things will work out.” Prior to the game, McCorvey, guard Kelly McManmon and forward Victoria Hodges were honored with the Senior Day tradition of being introduced to the crowd with a bouquet of flowers in hand and their parents at their side. The players, however, weren’t the only ones excited by the festivities. “[Senior Day] was extremely emotional for me,” said Barnes Arico. “They’ve just been tremendous kids.
Throughout their career it has never been about them it’s always been about the team. The greatest thing for me is that they will get an opportunity to go to the NCAA tournament.” Sophomore guard Da’Shena Stevens, who was recently named a midseason candidate for the 2010 Women’s Naismith Trophy, an award given to the nation’s best player, scored a team-high 22 points, adding seven rebounds and three steals. McCorvey added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie Shenneika Smith scored 15 points. Stevens said the impact of McCorvey, McManmon and Hodges have had a lot to do with her development as one of the conference’s best players. “It means a lot when you have people to look up to,” said Stevens. “They’ve been through seasons when they haven’t won too many games. We can look up to them. They’ve been great on and off the court. They’ve been great helping me out and we are going to finish things strong with them and that’s important.” For the three seniors, this has been a season that has been a long time coming for them and they felt that this victory was the perfect way to finish their last game at Carnesecca Arena. “It was pretty emotional,” said McManmon. “It’s been a long time coming. It was nice to have such a great crowd. To be on the court with my team for the last time was great, especially [for the team] to go out [on Senior Day] with a win.” The Red Storm (23-5, 11-4 Big East) rounded out the regular season with a road win over Pittsburgh Monday, locking up the No. 4 seed and a two-round bye during the upcoming Big East tournament.
TORCH PHOTO/BRIAN LOPEZ
Joy McCorvey was noticeably emotional during the pregame Senior Day ceremonies, reflecting upon her career with the women’s basketball team.
Tracking the Storm: Pittsburgh
torchonline.com
The TORCH
3 March 2010
The women’s basketball team finished its season on the road Monday with a 77-55 win over Pittsburgh, securing the No. 4 seed and double bye in the conference tournament due to Notre Dame’s loss to Connecticut. Kelly McManmon led the team with 18 points on six 3-pointers in the Red Storm’s 11th win in their last 13 games. The team led by nine after a 14-2 run late in the first half. St. John’s took the lead for good with about 7:25 remaining in the second half on a 12-3 run and ended the game on a 19-7 run. Nadriah McKenith had 14 assists for the Red Storm, good for sixth best in a game in school history. Da’Shena Stevens contributed 17 points and 15 rebounds as well. Pittsburgh, who was ranked as high as No. 15 nationally earlier this year, lost 11 conference games for the first time since 2004-05. Brittney Thomas had a career-high 27 points and Chelsea Cole had an 11point, 16-rebound double double for the Panthers. The Red Storm will play Sunday at noon in the Big East tournament, taking on the winner of Louisville and Pittsburgh’s matchup. TORCH PHOTO/KRISTEN FARMER
Da’Shena Stevens said that Joy McCorvey, Kelly McManmon and Victoria Hodges each helped her develop into one of the best players in the country.
27
Women in Sports Day St. John’s gathers to celebrate women’s athletics KATIE BECKMANN Staff Writer
STEVE SIDOTI Staff Writer
TORCH PHOTO/KRISTEN FARMER
Olympic gold medalist Misty May Treanor was the keynote speaker at this year’s Women in Sports Day.
Lax survives weather, tops Air Force MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer
AIR FORCE
10 7
torchonline.com
The game was moved to Sunday night from Saturday afternoon because of the difficulties St. John’s had getting out of New York. When the two teams finally did take the field, they did so in subfreezing weather under a mix of snow and hail. The cold didn’t affect the Johnnies in the first half, however. Junior attacker Terrence Leach scored 35 seconds into the game and sophomore attacker Harry
The TORCH
ST. JOHN’S
On Sunday, Air Force scored four straight goals to trim the lead to 7-5. St. John’s was able to recover, however and scored three of the game’s next four goals to give themselves some breathing room. Miller chalked up the second half struggles to a combination of the natural flow of the game compounded by his team’s mistakes. “There’s going to be times when the game ebbs against you,” he said. “There’s no question about it but we also made a lot of mistakes during that time. We fouled them probably three or four times. We missed a couple clearing opportunities. We forced an offensive possession when we really needed to sit on the ball for a couple minutes.” Three St. John’s players tallied three points each in the win. Kutner, Leach and senior midfielder Garrett Mitchell each scored two goals and dished out an assist. With the win, St. John’s improves to 2-0. They play their first game in the newly formed Big East conference on Saturday when they travel to Washington, D.C. to take on Georgetown.
3 March 2010
As a winter storm in New York affected travel plans, and snow fell during their game against Air Force on Sunday, it is safe to say that Mother Nature did the St. John’s lacrosse team no favors. But the Red Storm were able to fight through the conditions and earned a 10-7 victory over the Falcons in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Kutner followed with a goal of his own just 2:24 later. With all the craziness in the days before the game, the strong start was just what head coach Jason Miller wanted to see. “This isn’t an easy place to get to and play and with all the weather back east and the changing the flights, we were very worried about getting out of the gates,” he said. “I thought we did a good job of that. We thought they’re a little light on numbers and we thought they might play a lot of zone. We wanted to get off to a good start and make it hard on them to do that.” The quick start helped them to a 2-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, they rattled off five unanswered goals and extended their lead to 7-1. “We got into a groove,” said Miller. “We were clearing the ball well. We were doing a really good job defensively. We did a good job offensively.We were working to get good shots and we just had it going for awhile.” But for the second straight game the Johnnies struggled to hold onto the lead. In their first game against Holy Cross, they saw a 9-5 lead shrink to 9-8 before the game ended.
The St. John’s Softball team entered the Athens Seventh Annual Georgia Softball Classic last weekend with a 4-1 record. Upon playing four games in three days, they left the state of Georgia three games over .500. The biggest star of the weekend for the Red Storm (6-3) was junior catcher Kacee Cox. Cox finished the tournament 9-for-13 with two home runs, a double, and six RBIs. “I was very pleased with my performance this weekend,” said the junior slugger. “I felt really confident with my offensive and defensive abilities this weekend,” Cox said. “I was able to stay pretty level emotionally and I never let anything affect my playing ability. I owe a lot of my success to Coach [Laura] Taylor and Coach Andy [Russo] on helping me with my swing and working out all the kinks. I wouldn’t be where I am at now without them.” On the mound, the Red Storm were led by junior Linzee Sumrall, who received a win in both of St. John’s victories. Overall, the right-hander stuck out thirteen batters in sixteen innings of work. She threw two complete games and finished with a 2.25 ERA. Overshadowed by the strong performances of Cox and Sumrall were sophomores Julia Sanchez, Meghan Gwynn, Kristi Cady, and senior Shauntaine Harris. All hit .400 or better in the tournament. Freshman shortstop Chrissy Montez slugged her first career home run in the game one loss versus South Alabama. Seven Red Storm players would finish with a hit in the one-run defeat. Head Coach Amy Kvilhaug is certainly pleased by the somewhat impressive start to the season and the progress made by her girls this weekend. “With it being early in the season we are looking to work on and improve all facets of our game,” said Kvilhaug. “We had big contributions from many players at different times, whether offensively when we needed the big hit or defensively when we needed the big out. Spreading the wealth was nice to see.” The next trip for St. John’s will be to the Grand Canyon State of Arizona where they will play ten games from March 7-14. The Red Storm will play two games in Tucson against No. 2/2 Arizona on March 7-8 and then travel to Tempe to take on No. 10/7 Arizona State on March 10. The team will then return to Tucson to participate in the Wildcat Invitational from March 12-14, where opponents include Creighton, Northern Colorado, Minnesota, No. 2/2 Arizona and Illinois-Chicago.
SPORTS
Marillac Terrace was as pink as ever at last Saturday’s Women in Sports Day. More than five hundred students, faculty and administrators gathered together to celebrate the achievement of women’s athletics and to raise money for breast cancer research during the 13th annual Pink Zone event. “Pink Zone, Women in Sports Day is a fun and memorable day for women’s athletics because it gives us a chance to promote ourselves and how strong female athletes can really be to the younger kids,” said junior Kayla Motoyama. This program was sponsored by the department of Student Life, LEADership Development, Women’s basketball, Student Government, Inc. and Campus Activties. “Many different areas of the University community come together to contribute to the annual success of this event,” said Mary Pelkowski, associate dean of Student Engagement. Pelkowski recalled how only 50 people were only in attendance on the first Women in Sports Day to discuss the importance of Women’s Athletics and Title IX. Today, Pink Zone has evolved into a day of numerous festivities including a youth clinic in the morning and women’s basketball team always has a game on that day. This year, Pink Zone was headlined by Olympic Gold
Medalist Misty May Treanor, who served as the event’s keynote speaker. In her speech, Treanor discussed her journey to the Athens and Beijing Olympics, sharing stories about injuries she sustained during competition and how she bounced back from them. She also touched upon the emotional subject about her mother’s death and how that drove her to keep working through any adversities thrown her way. Treanor also discussed how athletes should “always have a Plan B.” For Treanor, her “Plan B “is going back to college to receive a degree in coaching and administration. “Every year the event has been amazing and we have really had some great female athletes the past few years with Lisa Leslie, Jennie Finch and now Misty May Treanor,” said SGI vice president Christina Zaccarelli. “Even though the day is meant to raise awareness for breast cancer and celebrate women in sports, all of these athletes have shared stories and inspirational words that can be applied anyone’s life.” Treanor’s story touched not only students, but administrators, especially Pelkowski. “I thought her message was inspiring, humble and insightful,” said Pelkowski. “I too lost my mom to cancer and I related in so many ways to her message and the special relationship that only a mother and daughters share.”
Softball goes 2-2 in Georgia
SPORTS 3 MARCH 2010 | VOLUME 87, ISSUE 17 | TORCHONLINE.COM
TORCH PHOTO/ BRIAN LOPEZ
TORCHSPORTS.WORDPRESS.COM
The men’s basketball team lost to No. 1 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome last night.
The baseball team is off to a 6-0 start for the second time in three years.
Pg. 25
Pg. 24