Torch Issue - Febuary 25, 2009

TORCH GRAPHIC/ZACH DAVINO

WHAT’S INSIDE News......................2-5 Entertainment....15-19 Comics......................7 Features..............20-22 Editorials..............8-12 Sports.................23-28

Subway guide The 7 train Inferno reveals the restaurants, museums and other venues you should be visiting in Queens.

EN NTERTA AINMENT pages 18-19

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Last week’s poll results

38% Yes 62% No

Do you think A-Rod is a future hall of famer after Check out our new using steroids? poll every Wednesday

“Think Outside. . .”

2

Directory

Managing Board LXXXV

GREGORY LEPORATI, Editor-in-Chief CHRISTINA HEISER, Managing Editor EVERTON BAILEY News Editor

ANTHONY MORREALE

MATT CHOQUETTE

Sports Editor

Chief Copy Editor

PASQUALE PASSARELLA LAURA AMATO

ELIZABETH JALONSCHI

Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor

General Manager

PATRICE BENDIG

JONNATHAN COLEMAN SARA RHODES

Features Editor

Online Editor

CAITLYN NOLAN

ZACH DAVINO

EntertainmentEditor Art Director

Layout Editor ELLEN CAREY 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

Museums P.S. 1 Check out three new eyecatching exhibits at the Queens branch of MoMA. The P.S.1, located in Long Island City, is worth the trip.

Inferno pg. 15

Campus Spotlight Grimm the Musical Read about the two St. John’s students who wrote and directed “Grimm,” the latest musical to hit the Little Theatre.

Features pg. 20

Lacrosse Major Improvement A win against Quinnipiac this past weekend helped get the St. John’s lacrosse team off to its best start in years.

NEWS

Sports pg. 34

TRANSPORTATION OPINION PG. 11

SJU gives young students a slice of college life THOMAS CARNEVALE

25 Feb. 2009

Staff Writer

The TORCH

torchonline.com

TORCH PHOTO/GREGORY LEPORATI

Hide and seek: A coffee bag at the library cafe covers up the sign located behind the cash register indicating that the location failed a recent health inspection conducted on Thursday, February 12.

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.

Some local middle school and high school students got an early taste of college life on Tuesday.

“College for a Day,” an event sponsored

by Haraya, gave 14 students from H.S. 477 School for Legal Studies in Brooklyn and six middle school students the opportunity to follow St. John’s students from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and experience collegiate life.

“We’ve never done anything like this before,” said sophomore Lee Elie, vice president of Haraya. “We were looking for activities to do for community service and we thought this would be a nice way to give back.”

From there, Elie said Haraya worked with the St. John’s School of Education and arranged for the 20 students to spend four hours on the Queens campus.

A total of 15 St. John’s students volunteered to be shadowed and took the high school and middle school students in small groups to experience a typical college routine.

Elie said he felt this approach was better than a single group tour.

“I think one of the good things about this was that not every student did the same thing, they each went on their own journey,” he said.

“Some kids got a chance to sit in on a class, others got to go in the library, some visited the WSJU radio station, they all got a piece of college life.”

Elie also said that the opportunity was just as much of a learning experience for him as it was for the students.

“It made me realize how much we take for granted here because the smallest things to us seemed so big to them,” he said.

The Haraya vice president said he found that students were most taken with the Marillac Hall food court, public safety and that cell phones are allowed on campus.

“It made me appreciate the freedoms we college students have, even more,” he said.

Elie said he felt the College for a Day event was more successful than he originally envisioned and that he would like to hold more events at least once a semester.

“I would love to continue working with the School of Education and eventually incorporating more groups on campus so we can get more college students involved and so we can truly offer these kids the best college experience we can,” he said.

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Energy drinks cause a buzz on campus PAULA RENNALLS Staff Writer At one time, coffee seemed to be the main beverage of choice for college students seeking an energy boost.

Over the past few years, however, energy drinks have emerged as a popular alternative – one that St. John’s students say has replaced their need for a cup of Joe. “I have been drinking energy drinks for about two years now and I drink one every morning to give me energy for the rest of the day,” said senior Kaity Martinez. “These drinks are my coffee.”

Sophomore Kelli Seegopaul, another avid consumer of energy drinks, said the beverage has become an important part of her day.

“Energy drinks help me to stay awake for work, school and any other event I need to stay up for,” she said. “Since I started having late classes last year, I decided to try energy drinks.”

But could it be possible that energy drinks could be working more against students than for them? Some experts say yes.

“Personally and professionally, I advise against drinking them,” said Mary Ellen Bingham, St. John’s dietician and sports nutritionist. “Too much caffeine can interfere with mental focus, often causing individuals to become jittery and more anxious.”

She also mentioned that excessive use of energy drinks could disturb sleeping patterns.

Officials from Chartwells, St. John’s food service provider, said although they offer Full Throttle, Rockstar and Nos brand energy drinks to be purchased by students on campus, they do not promote the consumption of the beverages.

“We believe in a healthy and balanced

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Energy drinks, such as Full Throttle, have emerged as popular alternatives to coffee as an energy booster over the last few years. Still, the drinks are far from top sellers, according to Chartwells officials. diet, which includes good hydration with, preferably, water,” said Edward Taraskewich, resident district manager of Chartwells. “We encourage students to make their own choices, which is why we offer a wide range of drinks on campus.

“We continue to sell energy drinks because there is a market for it and students ask for it,” he said.

Taraskewich added that despite a market for them on campus, energy drinks do not make up a large portion of weekly sales.

“We sell no more than 120 units per week,” he said.

According to Gina Capetanakis, Chartwells marketing manager, the most

popular beverages on campus are coffee, soda and water with sales of 24 percent, 21 percent and 14 percent, respectively, per week.

Instead of using energy drinks, Bingham said students should look for more nourishing alternatives to helping them get through the day.

“The better way to improve your energy level is to adapt healthier habits,” she said. “Eat a balanced diet with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low fat dairies and healthy fats.”

Bingham also said students should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night and hydrate throughout the day

with water.

But despite their popularity, some students said they are wary of the side effects.

“When I have an energy drink, I get all the energy I want, but without it, my body feels lousy,” said sophomore Rene Cousins. “I don’t want to become too dependent on them.”

Can’t get enough TORCH news? Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com

MICHAEL MURPHY

approach.”

She said many people do not realize the business school has four ethics courses that emphasize students to have personal integrity.

“What we really try to emphasize is how we can get students to visualize themselves in these situations which are very complex and get away from all the financial incentives and all the politics that goes in with the corporations and you ask, ‘Who am I as a person and what do I value?’” she said.

Salchenberger also thinks the current recession serves as a call back to basics in the business world.

“I think it is a time to learn that there are some fundamentals here in both individual ethical behavior as well as the basics of business that we have really violated,” she said. “This has caused a really complex situation that is going to be really hard to get out of.”

torchonline.com

students cheat, Fishman and others can still speculate that the pressure of financial success in the future has an effect on student habits.

“Many of us think that the reason for ‘why’ is that there is such an emphasis on financial success at all cost and that attitude trickles down to academic success at all cost,” she said.

While Linda Salchenberger, the dean of the College of Business Administration, does find these results a bit disturbing, she feels they are in contrast to what occurs at Marquette.

“First and foremost, in an administrative perspective we obviously have a very strong policy regarding academic integrity at the college. But beyond that, we’re more interested in working really hard to instill and to strengthen Jesuit values in our students,” Salchenberger said. “I think that makes us unique in our

The TORCH

A survey polled universities around the country and found business school students the most prone to cheating.

With America in a recession, the source of the problem may root a lot deeper than a few bad investments and shady characters. According to a Rutgers University professor, the problem may have started in college.

For the last 20 years, Donald McCabe, a management and global business professor at Rutgers University’s Business School, has been studying student cheating habits in institutions across the country.

More business school students admitted to cheating than students in other schools, according to results from a poll that surveyed 170,000 students at 165 universities and

themselves that everything they do is victimless,” he said.

Teresa Fishman, the director of The Center for Academic Integrity, is trying to help promote academic honesty around the country.

“What we want is a culture in which the processes of learning are valued and not so much products so that it doesn’t really make sense to cheat because what you’re doing is valuable,” Fishman said. “What we are trying to do is help people find ways at various universities to promote a culture of academic integrity.”

McCabe also works with CAI, and Fishman believes his research is valid and very important.

“It’s longitudinal research,” Fishman said. “He has been doing it for more than 15 years so he has a picture of not just what is, but also the trends.”

While the surveys do not address the question of why

25 Feb. 2009

The Marquette Tribune (Via UWIRE)

18,500 faculty members at 115 universities.

While McCabe says that the differences between schools are not tremendous, they are enough to be worrisome, especially when looking at the current economy.

“What appears to be happening is that business students are acquiring the same intelligence some people accuse business people of having and that is doing whatever it takes to get the job done,” McCabe said.

“So you see that reflected here and you can imagine what that becomes outside.”

McCabe also said he thinks students justify their actions with the idea that it is only school and that their decisions are not affecting anyone.

“Maybe when people’s money and people’s lives are in the balance they will behave differently, and I’m sure some people will but I think they are just learning to convince

NEWS

Studies show that business students cheat more

Transfers: lack of info leaves questions BILL SAN ANTONIO Staff Writer A quarter of St. John’s freshmen appear to be one and done with the University, according to a school study.

The St. John’s Office of Institutional Research reports that 75 percent of freshmen enrolled at the Queens and Manhattan campuses during the Fall 2007 semester returned for their second year.

The number is declining for the fifth straight year, with 78 percent returning in Fall 2006, 77 percent coming back for the Fall 2005 semester, 78 percent during 2004 and 2003 and 81 percent for the Fall 2002 semester.

According to the U.S. News and World Report, the average retention rates of freshmen entering between 2003 and 2006 at Queens College was 84 percent. In that same period of time, the retention rate at Manhattan College was 84 percent, while Wagner college registered an 86 percent rate.

Some students said they do not need to read any statistics

to see the apparent growth of transfers out of St. John’s.

“It seems like more and more kids leave every year,” said Reed Frazier, a senior.

Others also said they know of people who have transferred.

“A good 50-60 percent of my friends left,” said junior Ivan Aguirre. “People decided to transfer to schools in the area, Stony Brook and Hofstra.”

Students said that their peers left for a variety of reasons, such as financial problems, issues with the University, or a lack of academic drive.

While some students speculated as to why their peers have left, school officials do not have any insight.

“We know that students leave the University, but we don’t know for certain if they leave for another institution or enter the workforce,” said Christine Goodwin, director of data management, analysis and reporting for Institutional Research.

According to Goodwin, there is no policy in place requiring students to inform the University of their plans after they leave.

“Once an individual

leaves, we may not be able to get in touch with them,” she said. “Students don’t have to document anything.”

The University collects retention rates of freshmen because, as Goodwin claims, freshmen historically have held high retention rates.

When asked why the retention rates of upperclassmen are not recorded, Goodwin said, “There are only so many hours in a day. We can only provide so much information.”

Jeffrey Fagen, dean of St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, had a theory of his own as to why retention rates after freshman year are less important to keep track of.

“Generally, once a student hits sophomore year and declares a major, they’re more likely to stay,” Fagen said.

“The bigger issue then becomes graduation rate. Obviously you need to retain people in order to graduate.”

Goodwin said though the University does not collect information detailing why students leave, she would welcome the inclusion of additional figures.

“We would love to have that information. We have been trying to refine that process for some time… We do want to know why. But how do you get [the students] to give us that information?”

Institutional Research does keep records of students transferring to St. John’s from other schools.

This information has been

5

made public and can be found online via the Institutional Research Fact book on the St. John’s Web site.

“It’s important to understand why [students are] leaving,” said freshman Michael Healey.

“Let them speak honestly and openly and take that information into consideration and make an effort to do something about it.”

Freshman retention rates at nearby universities (Courtesty of U.S. News & World Report)

Baruch College- 88 percent Ithaca College- 86 percent Wagner College- 86 percent Queens College- 84 percent Manhattan College- 84 percent Iona College- 82 percent Molloy College- 82 percent Hunter College- 81 percent City College- 79 percent Brooklyn College- 78 percent

New NY Archbishop brings more optimism to SJU community EVERTON BAILEY News Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF NY DAILY NEWS

The new archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan (left) and Cardinal Edward Egan (right) celebrate mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

”

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM

Inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of New York.

torchonline.com

“I hope Archbishop Dolan brings the inclusive spirit that he seemed to exhibit in Milwaukee, here to New York, and that it helps everyone in the archdiocese feel more a part of the church, especially the young,” he said.

“Also, hopefully when the church speaks on important issues, he will be there and help build a renewal of faith and commitment to the church and a renewal of faith and commitment in others as well.”

The TORCH

ttelberge telberge -Fr. John Kettelberger Campus Ministry

25 Feb. 2009

“

I hope Archbishop Dolan brings the inclusive spirit that he seemed to exhibit in Milwaukee, here to New York, and that it helps everyone in the archdiocese feel more a part of the church, especially the young.

NEWS

A new era is on the horizon for the Archdiocese of New York.

On Monday, Pope Benedict XVI named Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan as the next Roman Catholic archbishop of New York.

Dolan, 59, will succeed Cardinal Edward Egan, who has served as New York’s archbishop for the last nine years.

Dolan, a St. Louis native, is scheduled to be installed on April 15 in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He will be the 10th Archbishop of New York.

“I am so honored, humbled, and happy to serve as your pastor,” Dolan said in a statement addressing New Yorkers on Monday.

Besides Milwaukee and St. Louis, Dolan has also served in Washington, D.C. and Rome, according to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Web site.

Members of St. John’s Campus Ministry said they are optimistic about Dolan’s appointment.

“He seems to be outgoing and friendly, not afraid of the media and enjoys being with people,” said Fr. John Kettelberger, director of Residence Ministry. “I think he realizes the responsibility that comes with this position and I think he’s up for the task.”

Abigail Furness, campus minister, said she is also hopeful of Dolan’s appointment.

“I’m excited about his appointment and I’m excited about what he brings to the church,” she said. “From what I’ve read about him, he seems to have a great affinity for the poor and I think he will be a great person to help raise awareness on a lot of social

justice issues.”

Fr. Kettelberger said that he felt Cardinal Egan’s legacy will be most defined by what he brought to the church from a financial standpoint.

“I think he was a great administrator,” he said. “When he came to the archdiocese, they were in a dire financial situation and he was a big factor in helping them out of it.”

He also said he anticipates the new archbishop will help attract more people to the church.

TORCHCOMICS 25 February 2009

Geek Zach Davino

Short Shorts Tim Olwell

Controlled Chaos Catharine Corrigan

I Can’t Draw Alex Reyes

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Editorial Board LXXXVI GREGORY LEPORATI Editor-in-Chief

Illustrator’s Corner:

CHRISTINA HEISER Managing Editor EVERTON BAILEY News Editor PASQUALE PASSARELLA Editorial Page Editor

FLAMES OF THE TORCH

25 Feb. 2009

EDITORIAL

A GREat waste of time With the recent economic decline, more students will likely continue their studies in pursuit of a graduate degree.

These students will now have to face the GRE, a standardized exam necessary to apply to graduate school.

The GRE is the college equivalent of the SAT, which has itself been the recipient of criticism for being more about testing your knowledge of how to take a test than actual intelligence.

The GRE asks nearly the exact same types of questions as the SAT, except there are less of them, so there is less room for error. There is only one section of verbal, one of math, and one of writing on the test. The writing section is graded out of six. The math and verbal sections are worth 800 points each, just like the SAT, but with only 30 questions.

After four years of college, students are supposed to be more academically developed than they were in high school. So why should we take the exact same type of test again?

The math section is composed of basic math problems, and the verbal is mainly questions testing one’s knowledge of vocabulary. This boils down to knowing how to take the test, rather than learned knowledge, as the quality a student is being graded on.

Along with the general GRE exam, there are also subject tests, which again is a similarity to the SAT. These subject tests make a lot more sense as a measure for students applying for graduate work.

Rather than asking basic math or vocabulary questions, subject tests can focus more on the coursework that a student of a given major has covered over his college career. This also would do a much better job of gauging a potential graduate candidate’s aptitude relative to the field of study he is

hoping to enter.

With more and more schools using GRE scores as criteria for acceptance decisions, more should be tested than a student’s skill at learning how to take a test. Exams like the GRE or SAT are formatted in such a way that the only way to prepare for them is to study the actual test-taking process.

This leaves students with few options in preparing to take the test. The only way to learn this process is to buy a GRE study guide book or to enroll in a GRE test prep course.

Applying to graduate school is already expensive enough. Adding more fees to the equation is just another unwanted cost. The cost of taking the GRE is $140, a hefty sum to pay for something that seems so pointless.

The fact that the company who produces the guide books and holds the prep courses is the same one that produces the exam makes it seem like more of a money-making scheme than a genuine attempt to identify which students are most qualified to enter graduate studies.

The same problem also applies to many other standardized tests. In contrast, the MCAT, which is required for application to medical schools, is based largely on material that pre-med students studied throughout their four years of college. Tests like the GRE should follow this example.

As a person’s education becomes more specialized from high school to college and on to graduate studies, so too should the examinations necessary to advance become narrower in their scope.

If a history student takes a history test to earn his undergraduate degree, why should he be tested on vocabulary and rudimentary math when seeking to further his history studies?

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.

torchonline.com

TORCH CARTOONS/TOP: GABRIELLA D’ABREAU; BOTTOM: THERESA FLAHERTY

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 have a limit of 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.

CORRECTIONS In the Feb. 11 edition, the TORCH incorrectly spelled the name of associate professor of Photography Belenna Lauto in its cover story on the FDNY Photography exhibit in Sun Yat Sen Hall. Ad-

ditionally, the TORCH did not credit the FDNY Photo Unit for the photos used in the article. In the Features Section, the name of staff writer Melissa Enaje was incorrectly spelled.

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Where have all the students gone?

Knowing the reason for student transfers is vital for the University Almost every student I’ve ever been friends with at St. John’s has confessed that he’s thought of transferring at some point or another.

In fact, I’d wager that most students at any university consider leaving from time to time. There are more than enough reasons: students get homesick, some grow disillusioned with their classes, and others fight, or don’t get along, with their roommates.

According to St. John’s Office of Institutional Research, 75 percent of freshmen enrolled in the St. John’s Queens and Manhattan campuses during the Fall 2007 semester returned for their second year.

This means that one in four freshmen did not return – a fairly significant number.

Meanwhile, Queens College and Manhattan College both had a freshman retention rate of 84 percent between 2003 and 2006, according to a study by U.S. News and World Report.

It’s undeniable that St. John’s has a good deal of transfers and, given the data from the aforementioned other schools, it seems like the University may very well be behind its peers in retaining its students.

I’d love to know more, though; for example, how many students leave the school after freshman year? And what are the various reasons that students transfer or drop out?

I certainly don’t know the answers to

these questions, but what’s most perplexing to me is that St. John’s doesn’t know, either.

Christine Goodwin, director of data management, analysis and reporting for Institutional Research at St. John’s, told the TORCH that the University does not keep track of the reasons that students leave the school.

“Once an individual leaves, we may not be able to get in touch with them,” she said. “Students don’t have to document anything.”

Additionally, she said that the retention rates of upperclassmen are not recorded.

“There are only so many hours in a day,” she said. “We can only provide so much information.”

But obtaining that information, from what I’ve seen, is vital.

It’s important to study St. John’s retention rates for all grade levels as in-

tensely as possible. In fact, given that one in four freshmen left last year, I’d argue it’s of utmost importance.

By examining the reasons that students leave the University, administrators can gain insight into what aspects of the school cause the most dissatisfaction.

Could students be feeling a disconnect with professors? Is campus life too boring for some? And what factor does dining on campus have to play in a student’s enjoyment of St. John’s?

Granted, Goodwin admitted that the school would like to obtain more information about students who leave the University.

“We do want to know why,” she told the TORCH. “But how do you get [the students] to give us that information?”

I can see where Goodwin is coming from on this one. But I feel there must be a feasible way to keep more detailed records of transfer students.

Perhaps the Office of Institutional Research could ask different departments within each college to keep track of the students who transfer out and report back those statistics. When students go to deans to drop classes, they fill out a form indicating why they are withdrawing; can similar means be used on students who transfer out?

I cannot stress how vital this information is. With the coming economic recession, it would be easy to blame financial

problems for the majority of transfers. But further studies could suggest there are bigger problems at hand – problems that the University can go about fixing or at least addressing.

Additionally, retention rates of upperclassmen need to be obtained. I’ve known a number of students in my time here that left after their sophomore year, so exclusively studying freshmen statistics does not paint the most accurate picture.

Even if the retention rate were 90 percent at St. John’s, I’d argue that studying why that 10 percent left would be crucial.

After all, for any university to thoughtfully improve upon itself, it must know why students are leaving. And learning what made students so dissatisfied in the past can help schools address problems that current students may also be facing.

More work needs to be done – and perhaps more communication between St. John’s departments and offices needs to be established – to ensure that administrators can obtain this information.

Goodwin and the rest of the Office of Institutional Research want to receive more statistics, and I recommend they make that one of their top priorities.

Granted, there are only so many hours in a day. But with finding this information such a vital task, what better way to spend those hours?

Gregory Leporati is a senior English major.

He can be reached at: torcheic@gmail.com

With the rise of Linux, Microsoft’s days are numbered MARK MCDONALD Staff Writer

STUDENTSPARKS

25 Feb. 2009

media players, and games is as easy as going to a menu and selecting what new software you would like added to the computer. All of the options are free, but many are still amazing.

Of course, the negative side to this is that since Linux embraces open software so strongly, few commercial software publishers develop for the platform. While the Openoffice.org suite, Songbird, a lot of other software are great alternatives, sometimes Microsoft Office, iTunes, and standard products are necessary. Free software is still advancing, but it has yet to reach the point where it can completely replace proprietary software.

Linux is already beginning to take over businesses and homes as a cost-efficient alternative to Windows, and its growth is only limited by developers’ imaginations. Windows is struggling, and while they will remain number one for now, it seems impossible for the company to hold their position in the long run.

The competition has risen up and challenged Microsoft, and it seems impossible for the once-unrivaled giant to stay on top. Macs are a growing trend, and are certainly cutting into the market. However, Linux is constantly evolving, advancing, and reaching new users. With the advent of a more user-friendly interface and the unlimited potential of open-source software, it would seem that Linux is on the path to becoming the new standard.

OP-ED

Just a few years ago, Microsoft was the unquestioned leader of the personal computer industry. However, by resting on its laurels at a time when digital artists, the Internet, and the number of tech-savvy users have grown exponentially, Microsoft missed a huge business opportunity. As people became frustrated with Windows, they began to turn to new alternatives. Currently, the biggest threat to Microsoft is Apple and its Mac OS X operating system.

With a more aesthetically pleasing and simple user interface, a resistance to most viruses and other security threats, and the kind of power to run high-performance applications such as Photoshop or AutoCAD with more fluidity than most Windows machines, Mac OS X has taken a big share of the market away from Microsoft.

Apple computers are a huge hit with younger users, specifically college students, often because of how much less maintenance they require. On the St. John’s campus, MacBooks are becoming an increasingly common sight.

As students tire of the standard-issue IBM ThinkPad and the problems that Windows users face, they often turn to Macs. Part of this is strictly because of how trendy

Apple products have become, and part of it is because of the great performance and reliability that their computers deliver. Either way, Macs are quickly becoming the notebook of choice on college campuses.

Despite its simplicity and security, the cost of owning a Mac still pushes many people away from them.

This cost-barrier has protected Microsoft for years, but the end of it may be near. The real threat to Microsoft is Linux, an open-source, freely distributed operating system.

Until the last five years, Linux was considered almost unusable for the general public. It was complicated, confusing, and incorporated a substantial amount of text-based commands. It seemed that the only real benefit was that it was free.

Now, however, the game has changed. Linux has many variations, and a large number of them have become extremely user-friendly. The most popular distribution at this point is Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu can be installed in a relatively small amount of space and uses a low amount of system resources. Because of this, the operating system runs very quickly. Ubuntu has fixed almost all of the complaints that people have about the Linux operating system.

Linux, as an open-source software, has both positives and negatives. One of the biggest positives is that finding and installing software such as word processors,

COMPILED BY THOMAS CARNEVALE

The TORCH

Have you ever thought about transferring?

Yes, I have. There is no campus life. Everything happens off campus.

Yes, because outside of tuition costs there are a lot of conflicts with money.

Robert Brent

Razan Khalife

Gabriel Blanco

torchonline.com

I haven’t thought about it. I like everything here. I enjoy the gym and the closeness to the city.

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TORCH GRAPHIC/KATRIN ASTARITA

Missing the metropolitan mission Manhattan shuttle bus services are not worth the inconvenience JUSTIN THRIFT Staff Writer

Weekend” shuttle bus which runs back and forth from the Queens campus to midtown Manhattan Friday through Sunday. At first, this bus sounds like a fantastic free option – but the inconvenient and minimal schedule may lose most students’ interest.

On Fridays and Saturdays there are two buses offered to Manhattan, a 4 p.m. trip and an 8 p.m. one. Subsequently, there are two buses back to the Queens Campus at 5:35 p.m. and one at midnight.

Because of this, students may feel like Cinderella, hurrying to catch the bus back to campus at 12 a.m. On Sundays, buses leave Queens at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., returning at 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The second downfall to this service is that there is only one Manhattan dropoff location, the AMC Theatre in Times Square.

With these snags in the weekend service, it’s no wonder that the shuttles often depart close to empty with more students choosing to pay and rough it out on the Q46 and subway.

What this means is that we’re more inclined to convenience, even if it does come at the cost of a MetroCard. The bottom line here is that while

the Q46 is a battle and the subway is dark and foul, they bring us closer to where we need to be and when we need to be there.

But still, wouldn’t it be nice to see a weekend shuttle service at St. John’s that makes stops downtown, midtown, and uptown more frequently throughout the day?

Anything from additional buses to added hours would improve the service from what it is now. St. John’s should look at other New York area schools such as Fordham University, which offers their students the frequent “Ram Van,” a transport for students to local subway stops and numerous other city stops around the clock for a smaller fee than a MetroCard.

For security’s sake, the school also has a Fordham security guard present at select stops during the night.

For a school that so proudly declares itself “metropolitan,” shouldn’t St. John’s offer its students the same services and opportunities? Hopefully in the future we may be fortunate enough to see bus reform at St. John’s. Even slight changes would dramatically make a difference for students who depend on bus transportation.

Photographers, graphic designers, cartoonists, editors, and businesspeople welcome too.

25 Feb. 2009

Writers welcome.

OP-ED

If you are a student who lives on or close to campus, chances are you ride the Q46 bus frequently. You may have also used the St. John’s shuttle bus service. The reality is, unless you have a car, you are going to be faced with riding one of these buses to get into Manhattan.

Take a ride on the Q46 and you are likely to encounter a packed bus that doesn’t always run on schedule. Taking a ride on the Q46 can sometimes feel like you are in a human sardine can or crayon box.

You’re forced to fight for footing, and at times must literally fight your way into the mass of other irritated passengers. If it’s raining or snowing, the experience worsens catastrophically.

The congestion of the Q46 is caused by the lack of buses running on the Union Turnpike route, a route that is one of the more populated in all of Queens.

In addition to St. John’s, the Queens Hospital Center, E and F train subway stops and access to Queens Boulevard

and Kew Gardens are all places of major commuter interest that draw large amounts of daily riders.

Because of the stress that comes with riding the Q46, many students may find themselves researching the St. John’s shuttle service in hopes of a more convenient, cheaper, and comfortable transport to the city. However, their hopes will probably be deflated upon consulting schedules.

Like most services offered at St. John’s, the shuttle service dramatically declines during the weekends, leaving it an unlikely option for residents. The pearl of the St. John’s shuttles is the Kew Gardens-Queens campus shuttle, which runs hourly Mondays through Thursdays until around 11 p.m.

This shuttle dramatically falters on Fridays, however, with service halting at 5:40 p.m. In addition, there is no Kew Gardens shuttle on Saturdays or Sundays.

Overall, this service is almost useless for resident students who need a subway shuttle service on the weekends when they are going off campus.

The next option that students may explore from the St. John’s shuttle services is the “Queens-Manhattan NYC

The TORCH

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If you have an interest, the TORCH has a role for you.

Come visit us for our next meeting of the semester, on March 3 during Common Hour in the UC room 29.

12

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/CHRISTOPHER LAUTO

The role of the Catholic university Which should come first, religious or academic issues?

torchonline.com

The TORCH

25 Feb. 2009

OP-ED

BRYAN BURTNER Staff Writer There’s plenty of debate to be had over just what it means to be a “Catholic university.” But let’s put that debate aside for just a moment, and examine the question we’re asking; the fact that we even seek out a definition for the term implies that there is something different about a Catholic school, and that’s the way it should be.

It’s a term that gets different reactions from different people.

To some, they are beacons of enlightenment, symbols of faith and knowledge working together harmoniously. To others, the very term “Catholic university” is oxymoronic.

I personally know people who have admitted that they had serious misgivings about coming to St. John’s because of its Catholic identity. Others, who chose different schools, told me they wouldn’t have even considered attending a Catholic college.

Some would suggest that there’s an easy answer to those types: a school like St. John’s should be a University first, and in practice, an education gained here is little different from one at any secular school.

Those people, quite frankly, are missing the point.

The reason that we even talk about the role of a Catholic university is largely based in the history and tradition that they have had. Some of the first modern universities in the world were administered by the Church. Some of the finest in the world are today.

But what makes a Catholic university great is not necessarily the values that it instills through the rules in the residence halls or the priests and nuns in the faculty (though many of them are fine professors).

Nor is it true that something about being Catholic makes a school better suited for teaching someone the skills involved in business, medicine or journalism.

No, the thing that makes a Catholic university great is the way that it teaches the values within Catholicism that are applicable in every faith and every profession: the values of charity,

compassion, fellowship and human dignity.

There are a lot of things that St. John’s doesn’t get right. One thing that it does get right is what it means to be a Catholic University.

In the spirit and tradition of Pope John Paul II, the school fosters a diversity of faiths and viewpoints in both its student body and its faculty, while still emphasizing the importance of the Vincentian tradition.

“Vincentian” is a buzzword that you hear a lot around here, and many students react with little more than a roll of the eyes at its mention.

If you ask me, though, there are worse things our school could focus on than embracing the traditions of helping the poor and downtrodden while striving to encourage discourse among students and faculty of all faiths.

Yes, some of the rules here are Draconian.

But the good far outweighs the bad when we really look at the ways in which the Catholic identity of the school affects our time spent here.

Rev. Richard Warner, the director of Campus Ministry at the University of Notre Dame, once said to me, “The moment that a Catholic university wants to be like one of its non-Catholic peers, it is no longer serving its purpose.”

Let’s hope that our Catholic university never forgets that.

STEPHEN PINTO Staff Writer Catholic universities face a challenge in living up to two principles: the religious and moral responsibility that is Catholicism and the public responsibility to their students, regardless of religion, to enable education with free, open discussion.

For the most part, these principles are not in conflict – but there are the few cases in which allowing the unrestricted freedom of one undermines the other. In these cases, it is the Catholic university’s responsibility to act in the secular role of university alone.

The university role of the “Catholic university” is vulnerable to deformation at the hands of religious imposition.

This does not apply only to Catholicism, and not even exclusively to religion: any bias infecting the university setting strips the students of their right to discussion and thus compromise the university as a whole.

The church is the environment for dogma, where religion can express its belief and build its rules in any way it pleases, regardless of what the secular world thinks.

This dogma, though, can and should be open to questioning at the university – even at a place like St. John’s.

But this is not TORCH ILLUSTRATION/KERI DODGE to say that dogma should be abandoned at the first sight of conflict; in fact, dogma should not be aban-

doned at all.

Liberals can seem just as stubborn as they accuse the devoutly religious of being when they take lightly the idea of dogma, as if it is something that can be turned on and off, or left at home.

Dogma is dogma for a reason: it is held dearly and truly by those who accept it. It cannot just be thrown away. But this argument does not call for that; it calls only for free, open discussion. While this includes the ability to challenge that dogma in the university environment, it does not mean that it cannot exist.

The Catholic university should give its Catholic students credit in their ability to make up their own minds and weigh conflicting arguments for themselves.

Diverse religious (and nonreligious) views make up a rich mosaic wherein all can learn and practice the human cooperation that they are taught in church.

The Catholic university, and the Catholic students who attend it, should not only tolerate, but also embrace the diversity that the University environment offers.

It is a way to learn and collaborate. Even if there are challenges to the Catholic dogma, to allow and enable their existence preserves the university and also extends an attitude of openness and accessibility on the part of the Catholic Church.

For its own health, Catholicism should not be cloistered to only its own members.

Catholics should be challenged, to strengthen their own faith, and perhaps even find some agreement with those of other faiths (and atheists, as well) that ultimately contributes to the Catholic goal: peace around the world, overcoming difference.

When actual conflicts arise, the Catholic university has to stand up and answer real questions that do seem to challenge their faith: Should we allow a prochoice student group to organize on campus? What about a gay alliance club? Should we hire an atheist as a professor in our philosophy department?

The answer should be a resounding “yes” in favor of open discussion every time – for the sake of both the Catholic principles and the university principles that make up “the Catholic university.”

P.S.1

MoMA

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INFERNO EXPLORES THE POP CULTURE ART OF JONATHAN HOROWITZ, KENNETH ANGER AND FLORIAN SLOTAWA

GREGORY LEPORATI Editor-in-Chief

F

ENTERTAINMENT

25 Feb. 2009 The TORCH

torchonline.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF PS1.ORG

A still from Kenneth Anger’s 1954 film, Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, currently being shown at the P.S.1 MoMA located in Long Island City. The Anger exhibit is one of three new collections that opened on Sunday, Feb. 22.

or fans of fine art, music, and culture, Queens has long played second fiddle to the juggernaut that is Manhattan. And, admittedly, Manhattan offers the most museums, concert halls, and galleries of any of New York City’s other boroughs.

But for those who want to scratch their artistic itch without leaving the confines of Queens, the P.S.1 museum in Long Island City – a Queens extension of the Museum of Modern Art - is arguably the most fascinating venue. Founded in 1971, (and located in what was once a deserted Romanesque Revival public school building) the P.S.1 museum hosts the work of some of the most cutting-edge contemporary artists.

Three new exhibits, featuring the work of artists Jonathan Horowitz, Florian Slotawa and legendary filmmaker Kenneth Anger, opened this past Sunday and all deal with the way pop culture and the media has affected American culture.

By far the most expansive of the three exhibits is Horowitz’s “And/Or,” located in P.S.1’s main floor gallery. Using a combination of paintings, sculptures, and film, Horowitz explores the breakdown that ensues when these various methods of communication overlap.

He juxtaposes oftentimes shocking images and words to make ironic and comical statements about pop-culture icons.

In “CBS Evening News/www.Britneycrotch.org” (2008) Horowitz frames two digital c-prints on top of each other; the top half is an upper-body photograph of Katie Couric, while the bottom half is the now-infamous shot the paparazzi took of Britney Spears’s lower body, sans underwear. “Hellen Keller Quarter (Capitalist Scheme)” (2003) is simply two framed state quarters with Hellen Keller enshrined on them, alongside a quote in which Keller denounces capitalism.

Other of Horowitz’s pieces poke fun at Jerry Lewis, Marilyn Monroe, and Hilary Clinton. But perhaps the most immersive and impressive piece is “Silent Movie” (2003), which takes up an entire room within P.S.1.

Combining various types of media, the piece consists of a large screen playing an assortment of silent clips from old and new movies, while a player piano provides musical accompaniment. The film’s lack of coherency and sound, coupled with both black-and-white and color video, makes an interesting statement on the evolution of movies.

Film can be explored further one floor up in P.S.1 in the exhibit on movie-maker Kenneth Anger, whose artistic work since the 1940s has inspired many of today’s directors. Instead of taking a narrative approach to film, Anger’s movies create striking visuals accompanied by equally absorbing and eclectic music. The room in P.S.1 that houses the Anger exhibit is dark and decorated entirely in red and silver vinyl partitions, creating a visual presentation that looks as if it could be a scene in one of Anger’s movies.

The exhibit focuses mostly on Anger’s early work, with films like Fireworks (1947), Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954-66), and Scorpio Rising (1963) all on display.

The final new exhibit featured in P.S.1 is by Florian Slotawa, the winner of the museum’s International and National Projects Winter 2009 honor. On display is the 12th in a series of works Slotawa began in 1996 called “Besitzarbeiten,” translated as “property works.”

The contents of Slotawa’s Berlin apartment, such as his dining table, kitchen sink, wardrobe, and washing machine, were transported to the gallery and arranged on top of each other, tightly packed.

The new exhibits on display in the P.S.1 museum are fascinating, quirky, and make broad statements about pop culture and politics. A trip to the museum is recommended for any St. John’s student, or any fan of art in general.

Though it may be one of the few artistic landmarks in Queens, it’s one that provides an enlightening experience worthy of Manhattan any day.

The Evolution of Downloadable Gaming Content ALEX QUEVEDO

Great Minds Think Alike - Hopefully

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DESPITE ITS NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH RELATABLE CHARACTERS, HBO’S EASTBOUND & DOWN IS WORTH IT

Staff Writer

LIZ WALSH Staff Writer

I

25 Feb. 2008 The TORCH PHOTOS COURTESY OFTV.YAHOO.COM

torchonline.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF THEPULSEMAG.COM

E

astbound & Down, another innovatively funny series from the HBO Network, chronicles the life of a professional baseball player who was forced into early retirement and subsequently became a high school gym teacher. His rude antics and public displays of disaffection which landed him in poor standing within society, coupled with the fact that he was addicted to cocaine and accused of using steroids, eventually caused him to leave Major League Baseball and move in with his brother’s family in a lower middle-class home, while still maintaining the delusion that he may soon be able to re-enter the arena of professional baseball. Despite the fact that this story line is vaguely reminiscent of movie plots past, the series is produced by the minds behind Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers which will hopefully put a new spin on the old idea.

The casting of one of the series’ writers, Danny McBride of Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express fame, in the lead role bodes to be a promising start to the comedic actor’s burgeoning career. A virtually unknown ensemble cast shows the possibility of greatness due to their spot-on comedic timing and ability to react to the outrageous antics of Danny McBride’s character, Kenny Powers. The well known producers and writers of the series give a sort of validity to the staying power of the hilarious new show. The overtly crude humor coupled with delightfully awkward moments and the emergence of sporadic nervous double-talking by McBride let the audience laugh out loud at the amusing situations.

One of the main problems with Eastbound & Down, however, is that it lacks character development; the show briefly grazes over Powers’ past as a professional athlete and the aspects of that occupation that led him into his current, more dire, situation, confusing several of the characters’ motivations because of this. Although it also lacks relatable characters, the audience’s ability to keep the outrageous personalities of the characters at a distance allows for their caricature-like qualities to be amplified and made even more hilarious.

Eastbound & Down definitely has its issues but the fact that it is only allotted half an hour in which to tell an entire story each week creates a problem for the writers and the director that cannot easily be fixed within the first episode, entitled Chapter 1.

My advice would be to keep watching the genuinely funny show because these problems are indeed fixable over time. Famous comedic guest stars such as Will Ferrell are promised to appear within the upcoming season which should increase the ratings and fan base, allowing the show to stay afloat.

ENTERTAINMENT

t was not too long ago when you would go out and buy a video game, beat it, and then put it back in its case to collect dust on a shelf. Sure, a quality multiplayer game may have you coming back to it for repeated play, but after a while the game would just feel old. Or a sequel would release, rendering its predecessor obsolete.

During this time, it could have been considered crazy to dream about what is being released today.

As the Internet started to expand, video games followed.

And as games took to the beloved series of tubes for their multiplayer, the call for game upgrades rose. So game developers started production on what would be coined as downloadable content (DLC). In terms of consoles, DLC was seen as early as Sega’s Dreamcast, though its size was incredibly limited due to a variety of reasons (connection, mostly).

Personal Computers have always had it a little easier than consoles for obvious reasons. One, PCs are able to be upgraded. Second, it is (or was) easier to get a computer online to download game modifications and patches. When the PlayStation 2 arrived without a built-in hard drive, it was not able to be a good host for DLC. That paved the way for the Xbox, with its internal hard drive, to be that host.

New maps and other smaller content were released for a variety of games. But Microsoft being Microsoft, they were the first to charge for content via microtransactions. Sony and Nintendo would eventually follow suit.

The issue of microtransactions is another discussion entirely. Throughout this time of DLC, gamers saw plenty of maps for multiplayer, but there wasn’t anything standout.

And that takes us into this generation of gaming. Sure, the most common download content still consists of a few new maps. But game developers are finally pushing DLC into its golden stage, in terms of content and price.

Case in point: Fallout 3. Bethesda Game Studios’ postapocalyptic action RPG received a major boost this Jan. with the release of the Operation: Anchorage DLC. It didn’t add a few new weapons; it added a completely new level, complete with a new map, weapons and missions for $10.

But sometimes, content works just fine, as seen with such games as Rock Band and Burnout Paradise. The latter, a racing game, has seen significant improvement in multiple aspects of the game and plenty of new content, most of which is free. Rock Band (1 and/or 2) could be considered the boss of DLC, as since its release in Nov. 2007, it has release at least three songs every week. So if you are willing to put forth the digital cash, you could have well over 500 songs to play in Rock Band.

However, what may become the new standard has been seen through Rockstar Games and Bethesda. In 2007, Bethesda released the Shivering Isles expansion pack for their hit game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It was relatively small: the expansion gave you 30 more hours of play, which included new voice acting, quests, spells and even a new land. With all that, the entire world of the game could change depending on your decisions.

And more recently, Rockstar released the Lost and the Damned pack for Grand Theft Auto IV. While not offering the same amount of hour-increase as Shivering Isles, the expansion essentially tacks on another game (mixed into the world, of course) the third of the size of GTA IV. So considering GTA IV’s size, you get a full game for your money.

So while prices of content may be a bit of an issue for some (Lost and the Damned sets you back $20; Shivering Isles costs $30), developers are starting to give you more for your dollar. And with that, gamers are getting a lot more complicated, worth-your-time content.

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A View from the 7 THE FAMOUS ABOVE-GROUND TRAIN GIVES PEOPLE A TASTE OF NEW YORK DIVERSITY CHRISTINA HEISER Managing Editor

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onsider yourself lucky: you live (or at least attend school) in the most diverse (and largest) borough of New York City. That’s why the 7 train is so great; it’s completely reflective of this diverseness. What other subway line offers you a glimpse of Asia, India and South America all under an hour?

The 7, an almost completely above-ground train, winds its way through vastly differing neighborhoods in Queens: Flushing, Corona, Jackson Heights, Woodside and Long Island City. Each area has its own distinct feel and its own unique attractions, so don’t worry about finding yourself bored anytime soon.

For those who aren’t too good at finding their way around, Inferno is here to help. You’re first step is actually finding the 7. fortunately for you, this isn’t difficult. Take the Q46 down Union Turnpike, then take the E/F to Roosevelt Avenue. Follow the signs until you get to the outdoor platform.

I took the train, now I’m hungry I recently ate lunch with my best friend at Linden Place, an ornately decorated catering hall that also serves small plates of Chinese cuisine called dim sum, located at 3410 Linden Place.

The waiter will come around the restaurant with carts containing various dishes: you choose which ones you want and the waiter will stamp

PHOTO COURTESY OF PBASE.COM

One of the two McDonald’s in bustling downtown Flushing, a center for Asian culture.

your bill each time you get another plate (each plate usually costs $2-4). Dishes range from the typical (dumplings, spring rolls) to the more adventurous (chickens’ feet). My particular favorite dish happens to be called Cha Siu Bao: barbecue-flavored pork inside dough-like buns.

Why is it called bubble tea?

One of my favorite treats is bubble tea: an iced and flavored tea beverage (often mixed with milk) containing chewy balls of tapioca at the bottom. Ok, I know it might sound strange, but trust me, once you try the bubble tea at Sago Tea Café, located at 39-02 Main Street, you’ll fully comprehend the appeal of this tasty concoction.

Oftentimes, the tea can be too watery without a strong enough flavor and the tapioca can be too chewy, but the drink at Sago strikes the perfect balance, and it won’t hurt your wallet either. I recommend: Almond Milk Tea.

The TORCH

torchonline.com

For the geek at heart I’ll admit it: I enjoy reading in my spare time. What I don’t enjoy, however, is how much the books I like to read cost.

That’s where the Flushing branch of the Queens Public Library comes in. According to Queens Library’s Web site, the Flushing branch, located at 41-17 Main Street, is thought to be the largest library in New York State: it holds more than 350,000 books, videos, periodicals and other materials. It’s no wonder that it attracts more than 5,000 customers a day. What sets this library apart from others, though, is its International Language Collections, including books in Bengali, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Urdu, Russian and Hindi, among others. In addition, you may just want to pay a visit to check out the cool architecture: the four-story state-of-the-art building the library now resides in, which opened in 1998, won the National Honor Award for Architecture from American Institute of Architects in 2001.

Hours Monday: 10-8, Tuesday: 1-8, Wednesday: 10-8, Thursday: 10-6, Friday: 10-6, Saturday: 10-5:30, Sunday: 12-5.

Cute, cheap fun For those of us who are currently unemployed, shopping may now seem like a lackluster activity. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be: Banzai 99 Cents Store, located at 133-31 39th Avenue (inside Flushing Mall: check out the whole place while you’re at it) will cure your shopping cravings without the price tag. You can find anything from makeup to stationery products to plastic containers.

Sure, these might seem like silly little trinkets, but they won’t cost you much.

25 Feb. 2009

ENTERTAINMENT

Main Street, Flushing: A Hidden Gem If you don’t feel like traveling all the way to Chinatown to experience authentic Asian culture, then take a trip to Flushing, a vibrant Asian mecca right in Queens. Flushing is, after all, the second largest Chinatown in the U.S. so there is no need to waste your time navigating through crowds in the lower Manhattan tourist hotspot (although if it’s knockoff designer bags you’re in search of, you may just have to make the trek!). With tons of ethnic cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian come to mind), cheap shopping deals and historical landmarks, Main Street offers a little something for everyone.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PBASE.COM

The state-of-the-art Flushing Library, which won an award for its architectural design.

Spring fever Whoever said there wasn’t any nature in New York City?

Prove this stereotype wrong by visiting the Queens Botanical Garden, located at 43-50 Main Street.

Granted, it may still be a bit too cold now, but with spring right around the corner, the flowers and trees will soon be in bloom. And this 39-acre garden has its “roots” in Queens: it began as part of the 1939 World’s Fair and was located in Flushing Meadow Park until it moved to its current location in 1964.

Hours April through October: Tuesday through Friday 8-6, Saturday and Sunday 8-7, November through March: Tuesday through Sunday, 8 -4:30, Closed Mondays: year-round, except legal holidays Directions Walk eight blocks south on Main Street, or take the Q44 or Q20.

Queensboro Plaza: It’s time to branch out There may not be much to do around this stop on the 7 line, but you can transfer here to the N and W trains, both of which run through Long Island City and Astoria, two neighborhoods where there are tons of sights to see and places to go. Take the N or W to the Broadway stop and visit the Noguchi Museum, located at 9-01 33rd Road. The museum, which was founded in 1985 by prominent Japanese artist Isasmu Noguchi, features his works in stone, metal, wood and clay.

The museum is currently undergoing a renovation (don’t worry, it’s still open to the public) and its sculpture garden will be reopening this March, just in time for your visit. On display through April 26 is “Highlights from the Collection,” showcasing more than 40 of Noguchi’s pieces from throughout his career.

Directions Walk ten blocks down Broadway towards the Manhattan skyline and the East River. Broadway ends at Vernon Boulevard at the Socrates Sculpture Park. Turn left onto Vernon Blvd. Walk past the Socrates Sculpture Park Offices and make a left. The museum is located between Vernon Boulevard and 10th Street.

Hours Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10-5, Saturday and Sunday: 11-6, Monday and Tuesday: closed Admission Adults: $10, Students: $5, First Friday of every month: pay as you wish

PHOTO COURTESY OF PBASE.COM

One of the most beautiful areas in Queens, the Botanical Garden is a great place to visit on a warm day.

Avenue and 81st Street. The 35th Avenue street sign even used to be spelled out in Scrabble letters (sadly, it seems to have gone missing). Once you’re done marveling at the birthplace of the quintessentially American board game, head over to an area of Jackson Heights known to locals as “Little India.”

This part of Jackson Heights is located on 74th Street between Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Avenue, as well as the surrounding blocks. While you are there, peruse the many jewelry and clothing stores, containing beautifully crafted Indian sarees. There are also many Indian buffets where you can sample delicious curries, among other traditional Indian dishes. Afterwards, check out the latest Bollywood film at the Palace Theater, located at 73-7 37th Road.

But a trip to Jackson Heights wouldn’t be complete without a sampling of Hispanic culture as well. For authentic Colombian cuisine, dine at Seba Seba, a hybrid restaurant and bakery, located at 7928 37th Ave.

If you are interested in film and how movies are made, Museum of the Moving Image, located at 35th Avenue at 36th Street, is right up your alley; there are objects on display from the different stages of movie-making, including still photographs, production design materials, costumes, publicity materials, and video and computer games. This museum is also located near the Broadway stop of the N and W trains. The museum is currently undergoing a major overhaul, so the entrance during construction is located on 37th Street, near 35th Avenue. While you are there, make sure you check out arguably the coolest exhibit you’ll ever visit at a museum: “Behind the Screen.” Part of this exhibit called “Interacting with the Screen” holds 14 classic arcade video games, which you can play for $1 each.

Directions Walk east on 36th Street from the train station.

Hours Tuesday-Friday: 10-3 Admission Adults and students: $5 45th Road- Court House Square, Long Island City: Scribbles on a wall transformed If you’ve never thought of graffiti as a serious art form, you may change your mind after seeing 5 Pointz, located at Jackson Avenue at Crane Street and Davis Street. 5 Pointz is an outdoor graffiti exhibit on the wall of a warehouse done by many different artists. Graffiti has a unique urban quality to it, so it is definitely worth checking out in New York City. It is totally free to view and spans the length of an entire block. If you don’t have time to stop, 5 Pointz is viewable from the 7 train, so watch it as it goes by.

The TORCH PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM

5 Pointz graffiti in Long Island City can be seen from the 7 train.

torchonline.com

74th Street- Broadway, Jackson Heights: Two continents for the price of one I bet you didn’t know this: Scrabble was invented in Jackson Heights. Alfred Mosher Butts created the game, first called Lexiko at the Community Methodist Church, located at the corner of 35th

25 Feb. 2009

111th Street, Corona: We’re not done with Flushing Meadow just yet You may not be able to enjoy everything that Flushing Meadow Park has to offer in one day, since there are a number of worthy sites to be seen. But before you say goodbye for good, visit the New York Hall of Science, located at 47-01 111th Street (walk south on 111th Street from the subway station to the park entrance on 49th Avenue). There are more than 400 interactive exhibits, which you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy.

Hours September – March: Tuesday – Thursday 9:30-2, Friday 9:30 – 5 (free 2 – 5), Saturday and Sunday 10– 6 (free Sunday 10 – 11), closed Mondays April – June: Monday – Thursday 9:30 – 2, Friday 9:30 – 5 (free 2 – 5), Saturday and Sunday 10– 6 (free Sunday 10 – 11) July and August: Monday – Friday 9:30 – 5, Saturday and Sunday 10 – 6 Admissions Adults: $11, Students: $8

ENTERTAINMENT

Willets Point: Not just for Mets’ fans anymore Shea Stadium may be history, but there’s still plenty to do and see around the Willets Point stop on the 7 train, or more specifically in and around Flushing Meadow Park. Once you get off the subway, walk down pedestrian ramps until you get to the park.

From there, check out the U.S. Open tennis stadium (a word to the wise: if you go the day before the U.S. begins, you just may run into some very good-looking tennis stars…) After that, visit the Queens Museum of Art, located in the New York City Building in Flushing Meadow. Exhibition of note: the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass. Charles Lewis Tiffany was the leading decorative artist of his time. Check out his astonishing lamps (now known as “Tiffany lamps”) on display here. If you have time, see if there are any performances at Queens Theatre in the Park, which recently underwent a $23 million renovation. Before you leave, make sure you get a look at the Unisphere, the 140-foot tall structure built for the 1964 World’s Fair.

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Think Outside...

Features

3

Section

Campus Spotlight Jon Randhawa and Ken Kruper

Richard Davis, Bridget McNeely, Amy Ziolkowski, Olivia Hartle, Taylor Pedane, Jozelle Anderson, Michael Courtien and the rest of the cast help bring “Grimm” to life. The play opened at the Little Theatre on Feb. 20 and will have its last performance this Friday, Feb. 27.

Fairy tale with a twist PATRICE BENDIG

Ken Kruper (above) and Jon Randhawa (below) are the masterminds behind “Grimm” the musical, in which both have served multiple roles including creator, director, musical director, and set designer.

torchonline.com

The TORCH

25 Feb. 2009

FEATURES

Features Editor

TORCH PHOTOS/ LAURA AMATO

Most college students barely have enough time in the day to call home or clean their bedrooms, but seniors Jon Randhawa and Ken Kruper are not your typical college students.

These seniors are not only balancing classes, jobs, and social lives, but for the last nine months they have been writing, producing, and directing their own musical entitled “Grimm”, based on the Brother’s Grimm fairytales. The show, performed by the Chappell Players, began on Feb. 20 and will end Feb. 27.

“One night, we went out to the city with one of the leads, and talked about writing a fairy tale musical and basing it on the Brother’s Grimm, but add a twist,” said Randhawa.

From there, the idea was pitched to the Chappell Players, the theater group at St. John’s, for the annual children’s show.

“Previously for the children’s show we had to buy rights to the book we wanted to do, but there had been complications,” said Kruper.

“In previous shows we had used Dr. Suess books,” he said.

“The Suess estate would not allow us to change or add anything. It was absolutely absurd trying to make an hour-long musical out of 20 pages of a Dr. Suess book.”

This story focuses on Queen Catherine, (played by senior Bridget McNeely) and her evil twin sister, Angelica (played by junior Amy Ziolkowski) who tries to dethrone her.

In the end, it is only the Queen’s daughter Gretel (with help from her brother Hansel) who can defeat the evil Angelica.

Although the show is only about an hour, it took months of preparation to pull everything together.

Choosing stories from the Brother’s Grimm meant the theater did not have to pay for any rights to use the material, because of how old the stories are.

From there, the creation began to snow ball. It took about two months to write the story, and then from late July to the beginning of Feb. to finish the music.

“I was still walking in with sheet

music two weeks ago, changing lyrics,” said Kruper.

The cast includes 13 students, and a number of stage crew members totaling 30 in all.

Randhawa and Kruper both had multiple roles in the production, including music director, set designer, publicity designer, director, and composer.

“People write shows as a career; usually the musical composer hands off the music to someone else to do the orchestration, but not in this case,” said Kruper.

“It is all about time management, and as much as this was crazy putting it together, we knew how much time we had.

It was always smooth, because we knew where we stood.”

Needless to say, there was stress associated with wearing multiple hats.

“What social life?” joked Randhawa.

“It is the most difficult balance, especially when you are doing something creative that is an output and balancing another life, along with relationships.”

With this show being their own creation, it took tremendous effort to make sure everything was the best it could be.

“The hardest part is finishing and getting it to the audience,” said Randhawa.

“You can have so many ideas, but if they’re not strong enough to reach completion then you need to rework something.”

Yet, with every trial comes postive results.

“The beginning process is easy. Once you have to fine tune everything and get it closer to perfection, it gets harder,” said Kruper.

“Everyone would come up to me with problems, but it showed how much everyone cared so much that I did not mind. We were always having a good time with it.”

Although they are going to graduate from St. John’s in the upcoming months, the creators of “Grimm” plan to keep using their creative energy.

Randhawa hopes to pursue a career in the creative aspect of advertising as a copywriter, while Kruper wants to teach.

However, this is not the end of their collaboration.

“Jon and I are always talking about our next show,” Kruper said. “We plan to submit “Grimm” into the Fringe Festival, and see where it goes from there.”

21

PHOTO COURTSEY OF DR. HELLDORFER

Members of the 2008-2009 Mock Trial team gear up for the National Intercollegiate Mock Trial Tournament that will be held at St. John’s on Feb. 27.

Mock trial team heads to court St. John’s is set to host and participate in the 2009 National Mock Trial Tournament ANN MARIE MASCIOLI Staff Writer

The St. John’s Mock Trial team is about to test all of its preparation and hard work. The team will compete in the National Intercollegiate Mock Trial Tournament, which St. John’s will also host.

The tournament takes place on Feb. 27, and the eight winners will move on to the national tournament in April. This, the 17th year of St. John’s Mock Trial team’s existence, promises to be as competitive as ever as they prepare to compete with teams. Among these 28 teams include prestigious schools such as Yale, NYU, Columbia, and Fordham.

The Mock Trial team has gone on to the regional tournament 15 out of the past 17 years. Dr. Bernard Helldorfer is responsible for pioneering the team.

Currently in his 22nd year as Director of Legal Studies, Helldorfer founded the team 17 years ago. He has since then created a very highly respected reputation for them by maintaining a highly competitive attitude throughout the team’s history.

With auditions beginning in Sept. , the team is com-

prised of the 10 most intelligent and promising students from the approximately 60 to 80 students who audition.

During these auditions, students are put through an intense process of testing their ability to retain material and thrive under pressure. After two rounds of cuts, only 10 students make it onto the team.

“It is my responsibility to present the best possible team, whomever that means I need to include,” said Helldorfer. “Only 10 students showed they were above the cut.”

This year’s team includes: Captain Kudakwashe Chibanda Donald Bracciodieta , Tahir Boykins, Jomaire Crawford, Jessikah Hackett, Alexis Patterson, Lisa Rodrigues, Michael Schillinger, Hadia Ali Sheerazi, and Tarunbir Singh.

“The diversity of the team is a snapshot of our University,” said Helldorfer about the team. Their closeness as a team has inspired them to work for their greater good despite the individual means by which they are judged.

This closeness is no surprise since the team prepares for their competition for about 300 hours. In this preparation, the team learns through critical assessment to compete successfully.

Each Saturday the team practices their material from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the week, students practice in

small groups going over attorney witness material. This can add up to four to six hours a week.

This “tough love” attitude, the team feels, prepares them better not only for the competition but for life. It is the guidance of coaches Helldorfer, Oscar Holt, and Assistant Coach Kareem Vessup and the team’s unwavering dedication that has brought it so much success. This success has the team feeling positive with the prospect of competing with such big-name schools such as Yale and NYU. “Mock trial isn’t just about thinking skills, it’s about life skills,” said Kuda Chibanda, team captain. “These skills are what drive these team members to work so hard for the future.”

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Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com

Instead, “Willa” examines the differences between perception and expecta-

is not supposed to and is captured by a psychopath.

The woman is forced to do whatever she can to escape, even if it means causing herself physical harm.

This story fulfills all expectations that readers have for King.

While Just After Dark is a good read filled with very interesting stories, it does not live up to King’s classic short story collections, like Different Seasons and its exceptional stories “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” and “The Body.”

These examples are impressive because they capture the essence of King’s traditional horror, which is what Just After Dark is lacking.

These new stories are just not quite as scary and just a little dull to consider King’s best work.

But for King’s fans, the collections will be worth reading, just as the two very interesting additions to Just After Dark.

In the introduction and endnotes for the collection, King explains his interest in writing short stories and how he develops the ideas for them. These are just as interesting to read as the story.

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Short stories are not very commonly written by financially successful novelists, as Stephen King points out in the introduction of his newest collection of stories, Just After Sunset.

King fell in love with the short story during his early days as an author.

His short stories were how he made his way to being one of the most recognizable names in the contemporary thriller genre.

Just After Sunset is a collection of short stories that is not quite what a fan of King would expect.

The majority of the stories do not contain the typical elements of suspense and gore that most readers associate with this master of horror.

Instead, this collection contains stories that question and examine human experiences and possibilities.

For example, the first short story is “Willa.” This story follows a couple who are stranded in Wyoming after their train derails.

While there is a twist in the story,

tion in life and death.

Willa and her fiancé realize that perception and expectation combined can be a powerful tool to coping with a seemingly unreal situation.

Another example is also the most surprising addition to Just After Dark is “The Things They Left Behind.”

This story is an excellent example of one of King’s subtle analyses of the human psyche.

It was an unexpected addition to the collection because it was a reaction to the tragedy of Sept. 11.

The story follows a man who worked in an office on the 110th floor of one of the Twin Towers who did not go to work on Sept. 11.

He is plagued by objects that his deceased coworkers once owned which appear in his apartment.

He does not know how the items get into his apartment and they are slowly driving him crazy.

However, King does give you a few adventures along his usual lines, filled with suspense and intense situations.

One of the best of these stories was “The Gingerbread Girl,” a story about a woman runner who sees something she

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there are no monsters or killers chasing anyone.

25 Feb. 2009

Layout Editor

SARA RHODES

FEATURES

Just After Sunset by Stephen King

22

Dear Devil’s Advocate, So, a friend of mine asked me if she could borrow a new pair of shoes that I own. Being the nice person that I am, I said yes.

She borrowed them and then gave them back to me.

But now, it’s like she thinks she can use them whenever she wants!

She just goes in my room when I am not there and takes them without asking. It is getting really annoying.

She is always getting them dirty and never apologizes for messing them up. What should I do?

Sincerely,

The second choice is pretty simple, and probably the prudent thing to do: go up to her calmly and explain the situation to her. Tell her that she cannot just take the shoes whenever she wants without asking.

Tell her that what she is doing makes you upset.

Don’t get angry, just let her know. The downside to this choice is that you don’t get to harbor a grudge or spread filthy rumors. The upside is that you get to keep talking to your friend.

Sincerely, Devil’s Advocate

Shoeless Sharon

Dear Sharon,

FEATURES

That’s so annoying! My ex-best friend did something similar to me once. She asked me if I could lend her a dollar to buy some gum. I lent it to her.

Then the next week I found her making out with my boyfriend! Wait, now that I think about it, that’s not very similar at all.

Anyway, the way I see it, you have two choices. First, you could not let her know how her actions are affecting you and secretly harbor a grudge against her for the rest of your life. Slowly stop speaking to her.

Never look her in the eyes. Eventually, you will break off all contact with her whatsoever.

Before that happens though, you have to get even with her. You should either ask to borrow something of hers and then never give it back or you can just start spreading ugly rumors about her love-life.

Either one works. Then you two will be even and you’ll never speak again. Problem solved.

25 Feb. 2009 The TORCH

I have had a crush on this girl for a really long time now and I finally manned up and made a move on her.

Anyway, long story short, we are sort of together now.

The only problem is, I don’t think I like her that much anymore. I mean, she’s really cool, but I just do not want to be in a relationship with her.

I feel like all the things I loved about her before aren’t there anymore.

I feel trapped. I don’t want to hurt her because I do really care about her, but I just can’t be in a relationship with her.

Do you have any advice for how I should handle this?

So you fell for a girl, got the girl after a really long time, and now that you have her, you don’t want her.

This is a classic scenario that happens to millions of men each year.

Here is your problem: you idolized this girl. While you were pining for her, you exaggerated everything good about her in your mind and ignored every negative thing about her. And now that you have her, you have stopped building her up in your mind. Now you can see her clearly.

The thing is, you obviously liked her in the first place for a reason. You should try to figure that reason out and see if it is still there. Give it a chance and see what happens.

But if you really feel that you can’t be in a relationship with this person, you should tell her sooner, rather than later. You are wasting both of your time. You could both be out there looking for someone better.

Just tell her straight up how you feel. Be honest.

Don’t make any excuses. It will probably be difficult, but it’s for the best.

Sincerely, Devil’s Advocate

Sincerely, Trapped Ted

Need advice? Please send your inquiries to the Devil’s Advocate at torchfeatures@gmail.com

Simple, snappy sandwich CHRISTINA HEISER Managing Editor

torchonline.com

Dear Devil’s Advocate,

Dear Ted,

I’ve learned quite a few lessons over the years.

How to cook, however, has not been one of them.

But what I can do in a kitchen is take a bunch of ingredients that don’t require much cooking, put them together, and create a meal that any busy college student (one who is as unskilled as I am in the kitchen, nonetheless) can easily whip up almost instantly.

Last time, I shared with you one of my favorites: English muffin pizza. This time, I’m going to share with you another one of my favorites, one that also uses the English muffin, and is almost as simple to make: a breakfast sandwich.

I know you all probably enjoying dining on the delicious breakfast sandwiches at Dunkin Donuts. I certainly do; they are one of my guiltiest pleasures.

But eating them on a regular basis isn’t exactly the best choice health-wise.

That’s why I’ve created this healthy (ok, at least healthier) version of the bacon, egg and cheese classic we’ve all come to rely on for a morning pickme-up. I use egg whites, low-fat cheese and turkey bacon, all atop a whole grain English muffin.

The best part: you won’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy it!

What You’ll Need: -One egg -One slice of low-fat cheese (American or Cheddar) -Two slices of turkey bacon -One Thomas’ whole grain English muffin

What To Do: -Separate the egg from egg yolk and scramble in a pan.

-Toast English muffin lightly.

-Heat toaster oven to 350 degrees.

-Microwave bacon in microwave for two minutes.

-Place slice of cheese on English muffin and bake in toaster oven for about 3 minutes.

-Add egg to muffin - Place bacon on top of cheese, close sandwich.

23

SJU lacrosse equals 2008 win total KATIE BECKMANN Staff Writer From start to finish against Quinnipiac, one thing was certain about the St. John’s men’s lacrosse team: they were playing with a purpose.

It was obvious in watching the game that the team has improved since last year’s 2-11 season. They were fit, more focused and, at times, played flawlessly.

ST. JOHN’S QUINNIPIAC

11 5

Head coach Jason Miller’s squad jumped out to an early lead against the Bobcats on Saturday at DaSilva Memorial Field and went on to rout them 11-5.

With the win, the Red Storm improves to 2-0, matching last year’s win total and their best start since 1985.

“Our defense was really solid,” Miller said. “I think it was a total team effort, all the way around. I thought the best part of the game was the way we hustled.”

The Red Storm were led by a balanced attack, which included ten different players who contributed points.

In the first half, the Red Storm controlled the tempo of the game, keeping the ball in Bobcats’ half of the field. They finished the first half, out-shoot-

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

After a second win, the men’s lacrosse team is off to its best start since 1985. ing the Bobcats, 29-6.

Senior attacker Drew Schanen continued to excel as a starter. Schanen had a gamehigh four goals and also chipped in one assist.

“I’ve been waiting for three years for this,” Schanen said. “So every time I go out

there, I like to leave it all on the field.”

Seniors Tom Manes, Malcolm Miles, Jamal Jones and sophomore Terence Leach added two goals apiece. While junior Garrett Mitchell and rookies Carl Iacona and Matt Hurst chipped in a goal each.

ANDREW DA SILVA Contributing Writer

Tennis teams struggling in spring ANDREW SILVERMANN Staff Writer

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Women’s Tennis The St. John’s women’s tennis team continued the disappointing start to their spring campaign on Friday, losing to the Princeton Tigers 7-0.

With the loss, which was their fourth straight, the Red Storm’s record now sits at 1-6 overall. Their last win came at home on Feb. 10 against Farleigh Dickinson.

The doubles point continued to evade the Red Storm, a trend that has continued to rear its ugly head in each of their losses this season. The tandems of Austin and Yonkus, Aleksova and Mikhaylova, and Gasiunaite and Liantonio were swept easily by the Tigers in a combined 24-4 thrashing.

It never got any prettier for the Red Storm in their singles matches. They were defeated in straight sets by the Tigers in all but one position.

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Men’s Tennis The St. John’s men’s tennis team were unable to stop the recent bleeding as they were edged by the Columbia Lions on Friday, 4-3.

After a hot 3-0 start to open up the spring portion of their schedule, the loss at the Lions’ Dick Savitt Tennis Center in Manhattan marks their third in a row.

They still have not lost a match at home, however, as the other two have come either on the road or on a neutral court.

Their record now sits at an even 3-3.

The Red Storm quickly fell behind 1-0 after their doubles tandems, which have not been all that effective recently, were swept by the Lions. Even the combination of Hauk and Kosut, who were 2-0 entering the day as a team, earned their first loss of the young season.

Despite Asaf Honig opening up singles play with a loss, things started to look brighter for the Red Storm as three of their key players seemed to have a groove.

Milo Hauk managed to pick the team up and keep them out of a 3-0 hole as he notched his team-leading fifth win of the season with a sweep of Columbia’s Bodgan Borta.

Pavel Cerny and Martin Kosut each

found themselves in an early 0-1 hole in their respective matches. However, they both managed to scrape together two straight sets to win their matches and put the Red Storm ahead 3-2.

With the Red Storm just needing one more win with two matches remaining, the day was left on the shoulders of Jordan Talbot after Stefan Nikolic was swept in two sets, allowing the Lions to tie the match at 3-3. Talbot dropped his match and, in turn, dropped the day to the Lions.

25 Feb. 2009

St. John’s Arina Gerasimova captured the Big East title in the triple jump this weekend at the Big East Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Gerasimova won the Big East title by overcoming an Achilles problem she has been nursing. “You talk about a gutty performance,” said head coach Jim Hurt of Gerasimova, whose title is the second for a St. John’s triple jumper.

Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Gerasimova recently transferred to St. John’s from the University of Albany, where she held the school record for the triple jump, and was competing in only her fourth meet with the Red Storm.

St. John’s sent nine athletes to the season finale at the 168th Street Armory, hoping to capitalize on recent success at the Metropolitan Championships last month, where the team finished second behind Manhattan College. The team scored 21 points and came away with an 11th place finish overall, moving up five spots from last year. Strong showings from Priscilla Frederick, Phobay KutuAkoi, and Arina Gerasimova propelled the team, each earning All-Big East honors in the process.

Frederick, the only St. John’s athlete

to earn All-Big East in two events, finished third in the high jump and seventh in the pentathlon. “I get upset after I lose,” she said about her high jump finish. “This time around it wasn’t because I lost, it was the way I lost.” Frederick, who’s score was good for first place, was awarded third because a tie-breaker with Rachael Porter and Carin Knight of Connecticut ruled against her.

Kutu-Akoi reached the finals in both of her events, finishing sixth in the 200m and ninth in the 60m dash. “It’s a little bittersweet, but I had no regrets,” the senior said about competing in her final Big East indoor event.

Kim Piard and Paula Rennalls also logged ECAC qualifying times this weekend, while Venisa Clarke-Lee and Tyneka Greene just narrowly fell short. Both the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams posted times qualifying them for the ECAC Championships, to be held on March 7 and 8.

“I feel really good, we had our best performance of the year,” Hurt said.

“From a coach’s point of view you always like to see your kids improve.” The team faced some very stiff competition over the two days, which Hurt credits to the conference’s continuing to “get deeper. “ There is little doubt that the Big East is a powerhouse in indoor track, as the championship meet alone saw five automatic NCAA-qualifying bids and as many as 45 provisional NCAA-qualifiers.

Another rookie, Harry Kutner played a big role for the offensive success of the Red Storm.

He finished the game with a career-high four assists, which included beautiful feeds to Can’t get enough TORCH sports?

Schanen and Leach.

Visit our blog at While the offense had its torchsports.wordpress.com SPORTS

SJU athlete jumps to BE title

moments during the game, the depth of the Red Storm midfield really shined.

Senior captain Dom DeNapoli started the game off slow but ended up finishing the game 17 for 24 in face-offs.

He also led the team in ground ball wins with 13.

Besides DeNapoli, seniors Trevor Michaelson, Manes, Jones, and Miles each had a significant impact on the game.

While Michaelson might have not had a strong game statistically, Miller thought that his impact ran deeper than the stat book.

“Statistically, it’s not going to look like he had a good day, but I think he did,” the third-year head coach said.

The defense of juniors Gavin Buckley, Jerry Nevin, sophomores Dan Cremens, Mike Sherry, and Carlin Cornetta had a solid game.

They started the game off strong, holding the Bobcats to only three first half goals.

Buckley finished the game with six saves.

The Red Storm host the Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday at DaSilva Memorial Field.

24

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The TORCH

25 Feb. 2009

SPORTS

FROM RIGHT TO LEFT

TORCH PHOTOS/LAURA AMATO

Tooting the Air Horne Paris has quickly become the Storm’s most exciting player Gertrude Stein once said, “America is my country and Paris is my hometown.”

Somehow, that seems relevant.

When I chose a photo of Paris Horne for the cover of the TORCH’s annual Courtside magazine way back in December, I had no idea he would become the player he has become.

Though I should’ve known, because the Red Storm told me.

Before the team ever stepped on the floor this season, I asked its players who they thought would be the biggest surprise in 2008-09. Johnnie after Johnnie inevitably replied, “Paris.”

They were right. Whether or not anyone finds this as a surprise anymore, here are the categories that Paris currently leads his teammates in: points(393), points per game (14.3), field goal attempts (319) and makes (149), 3-pointer attempts (136) and makes (48), 3-point percentage (.353), and steals (45).

Just last night, his 17 points and five rebounds were team-leading tallies in the Storm’s 87-58 loss to Syracuse.

But although the numbers don’t lie, they also don’t tell the whole story. There is a part of Paris’ game that there are no statistics for. Faster than his rise to the top of the Red Storm stat columns, Paris has quickly become the Storm’s most exciting player.

Game after game his on-the-court energy has provided the Storm with a special kind of spark. If there is a point in the game where a big play needs to be made, it’s going to be made by Paris, if it’s going

to be made at all.

His dunks have been known to send the student section scrambling (and, obviously, chanting Air Horne repeatedly) and his swats have been so much bigger than seem possible from his 185 pound frame.

He gets up and down the court better than any other Johnnie and goes after loose balls and errant passes harder, too.

Believe it or not, the Red Storm had a chance to beat Duke on Feb. 19 at the Garden.

And they may have done just that if they had Paris on the court in the closing minutes of what had become a sevenpoint game against the Blue Devils. But, the sophomore guard had fouled out and the Red Storm had no shot. There was no one on the court to make a big play, a job that lately can only be trusted to Paris.

We all know that, excluding free MetroCards and movie tickets, there have been few reasons to go see the Red Storm

this season. They have been expectedly disappointing and haven’t supplied their fans with a real memorable moment since the Notre Dame upset.

Forget whether or not Norm’s excuses have been valid and don’t bother trying to figure out how much impact injuries have had on this team’s win-loss record. In the simplest terms, this has been a tough team to watch.

But Paris Horne’s energetic play has kept many Storm faithful sane. He has been something to watch, when most cannot even bear to look.

Anthony Morreale is a senior journalism major.

He can be reached at torchsports@gmail.com.

Storm lose fourth straight CHRIS HARRIS Staff Writer With the season coming to a close the St. John’s women’s basketball team’s chances of any post season play seems rather doubtful. The team suffered another disheartening defeat to Marquette on Saturday afternoon at the Al McGuire Center.

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Senior Kelly McManmon led the Red Storm in scoring with 16 points.

MARQUETTE

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ST. JOHN’S

56

Kelly McManmon led the way for the Storm with 16 points, but a first half 11-point advantage would never be relinquished by the Golden Eagles as they held for a 69-56 victory.

“It was a great game, but we just didn’t get the outcome we were looking for,” said head coach Kim Barnes-Arico.

The Johnnies began the game on an 8-0 run, that was quickly followed by a 21-4 spurt from the Golden Eagles.

The tandem of Da’Shena Stevens and McManmon combined for 14 of the Johnnies’ 20 points in the half.

The Johnnies went on another 8-0 run to start the second half, cutting the Golden Eagles’ lead to three. The run would put the Johnnies in their nearest position to a victory since their first-half 8-0 advantage.

Persistent play from McManmon and

25

Stevens combined with 11 points from the bench was not enough to earn them the win.

Stevens finished with 11 points, four assists and seven rebounds and Centhya Hart added seven points in 16 minutes of play.

Four players scored in double digits for the Golden Eagles (16-11, 7-6) whose win was their third straight. They now sit in sixth place in the Big East.

Senior guard Krystal Ellis led Marquette with 16 points and freshman forward Jessica Pachko finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds.

The Johnnies’ (15-11, 3-10) loss is their fourth in a row, and tenth conference loss of the season.

“We know that the Big East is the best conference in the country and that we have to play for 40 minutes or we can lose games by a point,” Barnes-Arico said.

In fact, the Storm have lost four games by less than three points this season, two of them by one point.

“It has kind of been a tough year for us, losing a bunch of close games,” said Barnes-Arico, “so we have had to fight adversity.

“I hope we are able to get some wins over the next few games and we want to continue to get better and work hard every day.”

With two upcoming home games, the Johnnies have the opportunity to finish the season strong.

They have lost their last four games at home, but are 9-4 this season at Carnesecca Arena.

McLean suspended indefinitely, arrested for D.U.I. in crash ANTHONY MORREALE

Sports Editor

Student-Athlete Code of Conduct seriously,” said Director of Athletics Chris Monasch in a Feb. 14 press release. “Our first concern is always for the health and well-being of those involved in the incident, and then we deal with the situation properly.”

Though no information as to the specifics of McLean’s violation have been provided by the University, the TORCH has learned that two days before her suspension McLean was arrested and charged with D.U.I.

According to police, just before midnight on Feb. 12 McLean struck a parked car and a street sign while driving a black 2005 Jeep.

McLean was also charged with Reckless Driving and Criminal Mischief.

University officials would not connect McLean’s arrest with her suspension from the team.

However, the code of conduct does allow for suspension in cases involving athletes

and alcohol.

“A student-athlete who consumes alcohol, regardless of age, will be held accountable for any alcohol-related incident in which he or she is involved,” it reads. “In such cases, the student-athlete is subject to University, Athletic Department and/or team disciplinary action whether or not there are legal implications.”

Attempts to reach McLean and Barnes-Arico for comment were unsuccessful.

SPORTS

The Red Storm women’s basketball team has been without Monique McLean for three straight games and may be without the senior for the remainder of the season.

Before the Storm’s Feb. 14 game against Syracuse, head coach Kim Barnes-Arico announced that McLean had been

suspended indefinitely for violating the St. John’s StudentAthlete Code of Conduct -- a guideline to University athletes’ actions covering the areas of alchol and drug use, sexual harassment, academics and gambling, among others.

Though McLean’s suspension is indefinite, University officials say that there is no standard length for athlete suspensions.

“We have high expectations for our student-athletes, and we take all violations of our

Longer men’s 3-point line hurts women’s shooting too “Coach had us stomp on the men’s line because she wanted us to toe up to the women’s line,” Smith said. “It’s always in the back of my mind that I have to toe up and get that much closer.”

Another issue to be taken into account when considering the decrease in 3-point percentage is the varying colors of 3-point lines.

In Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the women’s line is black, and the men’s line is white. In contrast, Duke, which Iowa played at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 4, has a white women’s line and a blue men’s line — Iowa’s shot 27.78 percent from 3-point range in Durham, N.C.; its season average is 36.1 percent.

“What makes it also difficult is in our arena our line is the black line and the men’s line is the white line. But you could go to a different arena, and it could be reversed,” Bluder said.

“I think it probably needs to be more uniform at least with the outside line being this color and the inside line one being darker and one being lighter. That could be maybe a national change that would help that situation.”

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“Coach calls us out in practice all the time and she says, ‘Make it easier on yourself. You’re way behind the men’s line,’ ” Ausdemore said. “But as a player, I guess I don’t really notice when I do it except for if my shots are consistently short. Then, I can look down and tell that I’ve been behind the line.”

Ausdemore estimated that she gets told at least once a practice by Bluder that she is well beyond the men’s line. Despite the reminders, she has endured her lowest 3-point percentage since her freshman year — In 2007-08 she held the thirdhighest 3-point percentage in the NCAA at 45.6 percent, and in 2006-07 she finished in 14th, connecting on 41.6 percent of her 3-point attempts.

Only the two coastal conferences, the ACC and the Pac-10, have increased their 3-point percentages thus far in comparison with the 2007-08 campaign. Iowa’s Smith, whose 42.9 3-point percentage ranks 20th in the NCAA, has also increased her percentage from last year’s 34.6 percent, and she has reason to believe the new men’s line might actually be beneficial.

The TORCH

It’s well-documented that the extra foot added to the 3-point line has affected the men’s game — bringing down the national average for made 3-pointers to its lowest since the 1998-99 season at 34.23 percent, according to statsheet.com — but are there any effects on the women’s game as a result?

The easy answer would be no, because the women’s line has stayed in its original place, 19 feet, 9 inches from the basket. However, research by the Daily Iowan suggests the opposite — the women’s 3-point percentage has decreased at almost the same rate as the men’s 3-point percentage.

The 2007-08 season saw the highest 3-point percentage in the men’s game, 35.02 percent, since the national adoption of the line before the 1986-87 season. In the BCS conferences of women’s basketball — the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, and SEC — the 3-point per-

centage has dropped more than 0.6 from last year. The percentage as of Feb. 18 in the major six conferences is 31.94, compared with last year’s 32.58.

“It’s hard, because I never really look down at the line,” said Iowa senior Kristi Smith, who is shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. “If I catch it, I’m open and in range, I’m going to shoot it.”

In an attempt to curb any decrease in 3-point shooting percentage, Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder addressed the problem at the beginning of the season by spending time in practice stepping on the men’s line.

“I was so tired of our women spotting up from behind the men’s 3-point line,” Bluder said. “I actually just made them come out and jump on top of the men’s 3 line so they got used to stepping on that line.

“It’s human nature to not step on the line.”

Despite the initial drill at the beginning of the season, senior Wendy Ausdemore, who is shooting 37.3 percent from downtown, admitted needing constant reminders during practice.

25 Feb. 2009

JEFF PAWOLA The Daily Iowan (via UWIRE)

26

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Storm let ’Cuse loose Flynn, Devendorf stifle St. John’s BILL SAN ANTONIO Staff Writer

torchonline.com

The TORCH

25 Feb. 2009

SPORTS

With 12:29 left in St. John’s 87-58 loss to unranked Syracuse Tuesday night, Red Storm head coach Norm Roberts was charged with a technical foul after pleading his case to officials on a questionable call.

Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf made both of the free throws that followed, and guard Andy Routins made a three-pointer as he curled off a screen on the ensuing posession.

SYRACUSE

87

ST. JOHN’S

58

Syracuse’s mini 5-0 run in the middle of the second half was only a small sample of the Orange’s offensive clinic, as they capitalized on an inconsistent St. John’s offense that scored just 10 points in the first 10 minutes of the game.

“I was frustrated that we didn’t meet the intensity of the game early like we should have,” Roberts said.

The Orange, on the other hand, led by as many as 21 in the first half due to Flynn, Arinze Onuaku and Devendorf, who had 10 first-half points of his own and finished with 17 points on 6-12 shooting, including 3-5 from three-point range.

The Red Storm had trouble breaking Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense, shooting 26.9 percent from the field in the first half and just 39.6 percent for the game.

On the other end of the floor, St. John’s could not contain Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn, whose jumpshot off of a crossover move left St. John’s freshman Quincy Roberts paralyzed, extending the lead to 37-18.

“We played somewhat immature, like if things didn’t go our way or we got frustrated,” Roberts said. “We let one play affect the next play. We can’t play like that, not in this league.”

Flynn had 13 points in the first half, putting on an offensive show for the Madison Square Garden crowd made up of mostly Syracuse fans. His salute after a one-handed dunk gave the crowd an early indication that this game was to go the Orange’s way. He finished with 21 points on 9-14 shooting.

“Give Syracuse a lot of credit,” Roberts said. “They played extremely well. We didn’t defend at all in the first half.”

The Orange utilized a size advantage with the 6-9 258pound Onuaku, whose 8 points in the first half physically dominated Justin Burrell, who weighs 18 pounds lighter.

Syracuse dominated the glass, grabbing 17 rebounds in the first half and scoring 22 points in the paint. Onuaku finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Paul Harris had 10 rebounds as well.

In the second half, St. John’s went to work on breaking through the Syracuse zone defense by playing their up-tempo style offense. They scored 16 points off turnovers in the second half, but their speed was not enough to stop 6-9 235-pound Rick Jackson, whose 15 points seemed to counter every meek blow St. John’s threw.

St. John’s trifecta of D.J. Kennedy, Paris Horne, and Justin Burrell all contributed for the Red Storm on a night of consistently erratic offense. Kennedy had 11 points while grabbing 8 rebounds, Horne led the team with 17 points and had three steals, and Burrell had eight points despite being covered by the larger Onuaku.

Sean Evans quietly caused two offensive fouls and another

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

D.J. Kennedy scored 11 points in 38 minutes against Syracuse last night. turnover off a double-dribble in the first half, and finished with 13 points.

“I want to remember this game, because it’s going to make us work harder,” Horne said.

At 11:41 in the second half, a t-shirt was thrown onto the court.

As fans from the St. John’s stu-

dent section returned fire by tossing shirts of their own, a wave of ‘Let’s Go Orange’ chants erupted, as did the scoring of Onuaku and Jackson. Syracuse scored a whopping 56 total points in the paint.

Thin win marked Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s 31st 20-

win season, setting a new NCAA Division-1 record.

“I don’t think about it.” Boeheim said. “I don’t really evaluate myself. I didn’t expect to last more than ten years at Syracuse anyway.”

St. John’s (13-15, 4-11) plays DePaul Saturday at noon.

Softball prospers at Longwood Classic MATT PASCONE Staff Writer The two-headed pitching monster that is St. John’s softball was brilliant over the weekend leading the Red Storm to a championship at the Longwood Leadoff Classic.

The trip down to Virginia was solid for the whole St. John’s team as they went 3-1 overall and defeated host Longwood University in the championship game.

In the bigger picture, the Red Storm now have two aces of their incredible pitching staff.

Sophomore studs Kat Lawrence and Linzee Sumrall dazzled hitters’ bats all weekend long culminating in a two-hit, no run, nine strikeout performance by Sumrall in the championship game against the Lancers.

As a staff, Sumrall and Lawrence allowed 10 hits, three runs and struck out 35 batters in 26 innings of work at the classic. Sumrall didn’t give up a run in her two starts and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts in St. John’s 5-0 victory against Bucknell on Saturday.

Sumrall’s record now stands at 3-1 to go along with a miniscule 1.06 ERA. On top of that, she has struck out 35 batters in just 26.1 innings pitched.

Lawrence is 3-2 and sports a solid 2.66 ERA. She too is bringing the heat as she has fanned 36 batters in 29 innings pitched.

Offense was the problem in the first game for the Red Storm as they fell 2-1 to Longwood despite Lawrence’s valiant effort.

Game two was a different story for St. John’s as senior first baseman Roxy Strubble got the offense started right away belting her second home run of the season in the bottom half of the first inning. She continued her run producing ways in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, basesloaded single up the middle plating two and giving the Red Storm a 4-0 lead. St.

John’s added one more run and defeated Bucknell 5-0.

The second day of the classic proved to be successful for the Red Storm as they went 2-0 and run-ruled Longwood in the championship game 8-0.

RBIs by Chelsea Durning and Julia Sanchez, parlayed with a lights out pitching performance by Lawrence gave St. John’s a 3-1 victory over Quinnipiac in the first game.

The championship was nothing like the first matchup between the Red Storm and the Lancers. Led by a dominant performance by Sumrall, St. John’s blew out the home team in the finale. Strubble finished the tournament with six RBIs.

27

TORCH SPORTS

STORM

CAST

Leavin’ their Mark We built this Citi

The Red Storm will play the inaugural game at the newest ballpark in Queens.

The New York Mets announced Monday that they will open the brand new Citi Field with a game between St. John’s and Georgetown on March 29.

Tickets will go on sale on the Mets Web site March 2 and will cost just $5.

The Mets Foundation will make a donation to St. John’s University in recognition of its participation in the inaugural baseball game at their new ballpark.

Flavor of the week St. John’s sophomore third basemen Greg Hopkins was named Player of the Week by the Big East conference Monday, after averaging .538 with three doubles in three games last week.

The honor is the first of Hopkins’ career, though he was named to the Big East’s honor roll once as a freshman last season.

On the Blog torchsports.wordpress.com TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Da‘Shena Stevens leads all Big East freshmen in both points per game and rebounds per game.

MATT PASCONE Staff Writer

I’ve been waiting three years for this. So every time I go out there I like to leave it all on the field.

”

-Drew Schanen, Lacrosse

Headin’ this Way Red Storm home games

Men’s Basketball: Feb. 24 Syracuse Mar. 3 Georgetown

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Women’s Basketball: 7 p.m.

Feb. 25 Seton Hall Feb. 28 Rutgers

2.pm.

Lacrosse:

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

Feb. 28 Georgetown Mar. 7 Drexel

Can’t get enough TORCH sports?

Visit our blog at torchsports.wordpress.com

torchonline.com

Listen to the full interview with Da’ Shena Stevens podcasted on torchonline.com

“

Blowin’ in the Wind

The TORCH

The verdict isn’t out yet for who will win the honor of Big East freshman of the year, but Stevens is definitely St. John’s freshman of the year, as well as one of the best first-year players the Red Storm have seen in quite some time.

Not only does she lead the Red Storm freshmen in points and rebounds per game, but she leads all Big East freshmen as well.

Her points per game average as a freshman is four points better than current Red Storm scoring leader Monique Mclean’s was when she was a St. John’s freshman.

In fact, you have to go back to the 2003-04 season to find a true St. John’s freshman who averaged more points per game in their first year than her. Angela Clark averaged 12.1 points in her rookie season, which was tops for Big East freshman.

With three more games remaining before the Red Storm take on the conference’s best in Hartford, Conn. for the Big East Tournament, Stevens is hoping to finish her dynamic freshman season with a bang.

“As a team we could just finish out strong and just look forward,” she said.

“As a player there is a lot of stuff I could improve on and come back and bring more to the team that I already have.”

25 Feb. 2009

St. John’s women’s basketball has found its newest star, and luckily for the Red Storm and their fans, she’s only 18 years old.

Freshman forward Da’Shena Stevens has been thrown right into the fire by head coach Kim Barnes Arico, and Stevens hasn’t missed a beat.

Now with the indefinite suspension of senior scoring leader Monique McLean for a violation of the student athlete code of conduct, Stevens has been slotted into a feature role.

“I myself just need to take it one game at a time,” said Stevens. “If things aren’t going my way in one aspect of the game I can pick it up on the other. I just think that’s important for me to stay into the game mentally and do the little things that I can to help the team win.”

Stevens, a Stamford, Conn. native had the best game of her young career two weeks ago when she scored a career-high 27 points to go along with nine rebounds against UConn, the No. 1 ranked team in women’s college basketball.

“I was just relaxing, at the same time just playing it like it was another game,” Stevens said about her performance against UConn.

Although it wasn’t just another game, it was the toughest opponent the Red

Storm had seen all season, and most likely the toughest they’ll see year long.

While other members of the Red Storm struggled against the relentless Huskies, Stevens shined the brightest with her game-high 27 points. Not thinking about playing against her home state, Steven’s cell phone was ringing like crazy after her break out performance.

“It was on T.V. back in Connecticut so a lot of my friends called me and texted me and stuff,” said Stevens.

Standing at 15-11 overall this season, much of the Red Storm’s success can be credited to the emergence of their fantastic freshman.

Stevens is second on the team averaging 11.4 points per game and leads them with 6.7 rebounds per game. Those numbers as well as her recent play has garnered Big East freshman of the year attention.

“After seeing her today I don’t know how she can’t be freshman of the year in the Big East,” Barnes Arico said about Stevens after her performance against Connecticut.

As it has been a goal from the beginning of the season, Stevens admits being Big East freshman of the year is something that has crossed her mind.

“It’s something I think about,” said Stevens. “It’s definitely a goal, I came her for the opportunity to play and I’ve been doing good so it’s definitely a goal I think about, but at the same time you can’t think about it too much because it becomes a pressure.”

SPORTS

Da’Shena eyes freshman of the year crown

Listen to Athletic Director Chris Monasch’s recent chat interview with Mike Francesa on WFAN. Plus, get recaps of any and all of the basketball team’s games you missed.

SPORTS 25 FEBRUARY 2009 | VOLUME 86, ISSUE 16 | TORCHONLINE.COM

TORCH PHOTO/ LAURA AMATO

TORCHSPORTS.WORDPRESS.COM

The women’s basketball team dropped their 10th Big East contest Saturday: a 69-56 loss at the hands of Marquette.

The Syracuse Orange handed the men’s basketball team a 29-point loss last night at Madison Square Garden.

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