Torch 11-18

TORCH GRAPHIC/KERI DODGE

WHAT’S INSIDE News......................2-5 Comics.....................20 Opinion................7-10 Features..............21-22 Entertainment...15-19 Sports.................24-28

VIDEO GAMES Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Inferno reviews the highlyanticipated video game behind the hype.

ENTER RTAINMENT Pg. 18

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Last week’s poll results Are you in favor of health care reform?

68% Yes 32% No Check out our new poll every Wednesday “Think Outside. . .”

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Directory Managing Board LXXXVII

CHRISTINA HEISER, Editor-in-Chief EVERTON BAILEY, Managing Editor KIRAN JOSEN

BILL SAN ANTONIO

MARK MCDONALD

News Editor

Sports Editor

General Manager

JUSTIN THRIFT

LAURA AMATO

MALLORY TOKUNAGA

Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor

Chief Copy Editor

PATRICE BENDIG

KERI DODGE

ELIZABETH MILLER

Features Editor

Art Director

Layout Editor

ADELLE PLATON

JOSÉ SILVA

ELLEN CAREY

Entertainment Editor Online Editor

Advisor

Business (718) 9906576 Advertising 990-6756 Editorial Board 990-6444

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

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

Shopping Black Friday Inferno offers the best tips to avoid the holiday hassle and get the most bang for your buck.

Inferno Pg. 19

Features MVP Reward Program Students can earn points to win prizes for attending campus events.

Features Pg. 21 TORCH PHOTO/THOMAS CARNEVALE

Men’s Soccer Champions

A group of St. John’s students visited the Financial District in Manhattan Tuesday, Nov. 17 for the closing bell of NASDAQ.

The men’s soccer team won the Big East Tournament over Notre Dame.

Corrections: In the Nov. 11 issue of the TORCH, in an article titled “Gender inequality a global concern,” the article identified the title of Nicholas Kristof’s book as Half in the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity. The book is actually called Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

In an article titled “Maroon 5 concert a hit,” the article stated that Adrian Brody was the drummer for Maroon 5 during the concert. The drummer was actually Adrian Young.

NEWS

Sports Pg. 26

University honors St. Vincent NUCLEAR POWER OPINION PG. 9

torchonline.com

The TORCH

18 Nov. 2009

NELL O’CONNOR Staff Writer

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.

Founder’s Week 2010 will be a Universitywide celebration of the life and legacy of St. Vincent de Paul.

The theme of this year’s Founder’s Week is “Vincentian Legacy and Destiny: Changing the World with Charity and Justice,” in honor of the 350th anniversary of his and St. Louise de Marillac’s deaths.

Designed around honoring the ongoing legacy of St. Vincent and St. Louise, the week will begin on Jan. 25 with the Founder’s Week Mass at the St. Thomas More Church on the Queens campus.

Mary Ann Dantuono, associate director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society, said she hopes that the week of events will inspire students and encourage them to celebrate St. Vincent’s life.

“St. Vincent de Paul is who we look to as the founder of the University, so we have a week of events to deepen our knowledge of him and the Vincentian mission,” she said.

Throughout the week, there will be many events celebrating the mission and spirit of St. Vincent. All campuses will be hosting their own events, including the St. John’s campuses in Rome and Paris.

At the Queens campus, Greg Mortenson, a humanitarian and author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…

One School at a Time, will lecture on January 26th.

There will also be a Vincentian Convocation so that students and faculty can come together to celebrate the life of St. Vincent.

According to Dantuono, Archbishop Timothy Dolan will speak to the University community at some point during the week.

There will also be additional events run by student organizations.

Dantuono said she thinks that the lasting power of the legacy of St. Vincent de Paul is the most important lesson students will take from Founder’s Week.

“Through this week, we can see how the mission is moving us into the 21st century, how 350 years later, there is still this common Vincentian mission,” she said.

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What did you eat last night?

Students learn about poverty and food waste at hunger awareness event RICHARD MILLER Staff Writer

TORCH PHOTO/KATRINA CURATO

Janet Kalish (above) delivers a presentation to students at the Nov. 12 Hunger Banquet. She discusses the importance of living simply and shares the principles of freeganism.

NELL O’CONNOR Staff Writer

“I probably can’t apply again since I’ll be a senior, but they told me that basically a lot of people drop every year,” he said.

“I’m very disappointed but hopefully I’ll get in.”

Beebe said she strongly recommends that students look into the many opportunities St. John’s had provided.

“Everyone should go abroad because it’s just such an amazing experience. You learn and live in new settings, having experiences you could never have by just staying in New York.”

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

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DTW Program last semester. She said it was an “eye-opening experience” that every student should be able to have.

“I knew I was going to go abroad no matter what school I went to, and when I got to St. John’s the DTW program just seemed too good to pass up,” she said.

Catherine Silva, a junior, is studying abroad next semester.

“I originally heard about the program from friends who went and absolutely loved it,” she said.

“Since I love to travel and still have some core classes to take I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me.”

Donnell Jones, a junior, is currently on the waiting list for spring Discover the World. He said he is hoping that he will get off the waiting list in time to go.

The TORCH

Students looking to spend their spring studying abroad will have to wait another semester.

According to the Office of Global Studies, this is the first year the department has had to wait-list students trying to go abroad in the spring semester.

Global Studies said that students were wait-listed because of a higher number of applications.

Senior Rob Schubert, a peer advisor for the department, said that there are currently 10 students on the waiting list and that some have already come off.

He said that the Office of Global

Studies attributes the rise in applications to the department’s new push in advertising and marketing, as well as the good reviews by student’s who have gone through the experience.

“Most people have fantastic experiences, and everyone who comes back talks it up, which I think is really helpful,” Schubert said.

St. John’s offers several options for students interested in studying abroad.

St. John’s Discover the World program brings students to both the University’s Paris and Rome campuses for five weeks. The final five weeks can be spent at a universiy in Dublin, Ireland or Salamanca, Spain. Students also have the option to spend an entire semester at either of the University’s campuses.

Ellen Beebe, a junior, went on the

18 Nov. 2009

Students wait-listed for Discover the World program

NEWS

Students experienced the effects of poverty firsthand last week as the Hunger Awareness Month Initiative continued.

The third annual Hunger Banquet took place in the UC Commons Nov.12.

Two hundred students attended the event, which Campus Ministry organized as part of its annual campaign for hunger awareness.

Widian Nicola, resident campus minister for social justice, said the goal of the event was to “bring awareness to issues of poverty and hunger on both a global and domestic level.”

At the beginning of the event, volunteers asked each of the participants to pick a coin from an envelope, which determined their socioeconomic rank.

This rank determined where they would sit at the banquet and what they would eat.

Participants were divided into three groups: the underdeveloped, the developing and the developed world.

Those in the underdeveloped and developing worlds ate porridge and rice, while the few that were placed in the developed world ate baked chicken and mashed potatoes.

Local high school teacher and “freegan,” Janet Kalish, spoke to the crowd about her group’s philosophy on waste. Followers of freeganism believe society is wasteful, and are known for dumpster diving in search of wasted food which they argue is still edible.

“What if we composted every apple peel?” Kalish asked the crowd. “What if we agreed not to buy presents for

each other? What if there were no flyers ending up on our doorsteps? What if they stopped making t-shirts right now? Would there be enough to clothe the world right now?”

Students who attended said the Hunger Banquet was a good opportunity to make students more aware of global issues.

“It is very important for students to reflect upon the real situation in the world,” said Ana Morales, a freshman.

Freshman David Lin said he believes that the audience discovered a great deal during the banquet.

“It increases awareness of how things actually are in the world,” he said.

“People are very tuned out. They focus on themselves. They will learn that a lot of companies waste a lot of good food.

Not all of the food [that is thrown away] is bad.”

Freshman John Guzman shared similar feelings.

“At one point or another we all experience hunger, but not true hunger,” he said. “[Students] will learn not to waste as much food.”

Senior Ivan Aguirre said he is looking forward to learning more about the situation of hunger and poverty in the world.

“I hope to gain some new knowledge and up-to-date statistics,” he said.

Some of the students in the audience were surprised at the banquet’s turnout.

“It’s nice that there were speakers and videos,” said freshman Samantha Schiavi. “I’m impressed by how many people showed up.”

Guzman said the event will make him think twice about being wasteful.

“I see how big of a throw-away society we are,” Guzman said.

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Alumnus lectures about DEA career ANTHONY O’REILLY Staff Writer Students got an inside look at the life of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent when St. John’s alumni Lewis Rice spoke on campus Nov. 12.

Rice, a former DEA agent and current vice president in charge of global security and trademark protection for Estee Lauder, spoke about his new book, DEA Special Agent: My Life on the Front Line.

Rice, who graduated from St. John’s in 1974, spoke about how his time at the University enabled him to get involved with the DEA. “Service and law enforcement are connected, so it was a very natural transition for me to go into the DEA,” he said.

Rice said that he got a job at the DEA, created by former President Richard Nixon due to a drug use problem in the United States, almost immediately after graduating.

According to Rice, the department started with 1,500 agents and today it has more than 5,000. The agency’s largest office is now in Afghanistan .

Rice said a position at the DEA is a dangerous job, stating that a few weeks ago three agents were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Every day they go out with guns in case

anything goes wrong. He said DEA agents are “people who put themselves in harm’s way.”

Rice also mentioned that the TV portrayal of undercover agents is unrealistic.

Sophomore Justin Solomon said this information will change the way he views crime shows.

“My opinion on crime shows has changed completely and I see how fabricated they really are,” he said.

During his time at the DEA, Rice worked in New York, Washington, and Kingston, Jamaica. Rice spent most of the lecture talking about the case he worked on involving Frank Lucas, a drug lord and organized crime boss who operated in Harlem in the 1960s and 70s. Rice said that the movie based on Lucas’ life, American Gangster, was glamorized by Hollywood. In the end, he said that “the true story is just as interesting” as the fabricated version.

After the speech, copies of the book were available for $10 each.

Students voiced their opinions about what they learned from Rice.

“I was a bit turned off from the undercover work when he mentioned all the true dangers of it,” said Melissa TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO Herson, a senior.

Junior John Nuezzella said it was “very enlightening to hear about Lewis Rice, a former St. John’s student, speaks about his career with the DEA in the Honors Commons on Nov. 12. his work.”

Fraternity alliance holds annual dinner

NEWS

SYDNEY COHN Contributing Writer The African and Latino Fraternal Sororal Alliance held its annual Colors Dinner and unveiled the first official ALFSA crest. The dinner was held in Marillac Terrace on Nov. 12.

Junior Michael Molina, president of ALFSA, opened the evening by describing the dinner as “a staple event of the council that exemplifies the ultimate and most significant goal of the council: To unify the diverse fraternities and sororities within the Greek Life at St.

John’s University.

The alliance is the umbrella organization which encompasses all 14 of the Black and Latino Greek organizations on St. John’s campus.

This year’s theme for the dinner, “New Light,” was chosen by the executive committee to “present Greek Life, especially minority Greek Life, in a way that strays away from the negative, stereotypical images that students are accustomed to seeing,” said Molina.

Senior Asia Nettles, corresponding secretary of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, spoke about what sororities and fraternities

look for in new members.

“Each of the sororities and fraternities is looking to appeal to students who are active in the community, have exceptional grades, and will improve the quality of our organizations’ well-being,” she said.

Junior Latisha Hanna spoke about her experience at the dinner.

“This dinner gives us an opportunity to get to know the current Greeks on a different level, and introduces us to all the organizations in a unified manner,” she said.

The first official ALFSA crest was unveiled at the dinner.

The images of Latin America and Africa on the crest represent the heritage and pride of the organizations within the unified council.

Keynote speaker Jodi Cox, director of Campus Activities, conveyed the ALSFA message in her speech.

“You carry the torch of leadership.

You possess the necessary passion to excel. You will always find a way, a solution to overcome any obstacle placed in your way,” she said.

“You possess clarity of vision and without you there is no community of leaders.”

torchonline.com

The TORCH

18 Nov. 2009

Multicultural Affairs hosts cultural event RAMIRO FUNEZ Staff Writer

The Department of Multicultural Affairs held an International Culture Showcase on Nov. 11. Students and administrators gathered to celebrate diversity at St. John’s through food, games and musical performances.

The showcase was part of a long line of cultural events set to transpire throughout the year that includes International Education Week and various Heritage Month celebrations.

Nashia Whittenburg, associate director of Cultural Affairs, said she felt that the event was a fun-filled experience that educated students on international culture.

“Our goal was to educate the St. John’s University community on the richness of cultural diversity; particularly

the cultural diversity that comprises this student body,” she said.

“It was great for students, faculty, staff and administrators to enjoy and have the opportunity to learn about a culture different from their own in an effort to foster understanding, support, and community,” she added.

Whittenburg orchestrates all of the Cultural Heritage Month celebrations and Global Awareness Projects while advising student organizations oriented towards religion and social justice.

“Many of our programs exceed 200plus in attendance,” she said.

According to Whittenburg, Latino Heritage Month alone had a combined student engagement rate of approximately 2,000 students.

She also said that over 150 students have RSVP’d for International Education Week featuring lectures from author E. Benjamin Skinner.

“All of this does not include the work done on the Staten Island Campus, nor

does it include Project A.I.M., Asian Roundtable, the English Language Table and the work done by Rosa Yen- the other Associate Director in our office,” Whittenburg said.

Attendants at the event represented various student organizations including P.A.R.E., African Students Association, Haitian Society and L.A.S.O. “I think that the event was a great way to learn about the different cultures of the world while still having a lot of fun,” said sophomore Brian Qian.

“It was great for international students to come out and see the different cultures that are present at St. John’s so they can see how diverse this country and this campus is.”

Musical performances at the showcase included drum dances by members of the African Students Association and Creole dancing lessons from students of the Haitian Society.

The program also displayed folkloric Filipino dances presented by P.A.R.E.

members.

“The best part was learning how to dance the different dances of different countries because it brought all of us together in an enjoyable way,” said Rigoberto Reyes, a freshman, who attended the event.

“We need more programs like this at St. John’s where we can all educate ourselves about the different cultures in the melting pot that is St. John’s,” he added.

The Department of Multicultural Affairs will hold other events in the future aimed at promoting cultural heritage on campus.

“Our expectations for next year are to become more globally inclusive,” said Whittenburg. “We want to establish additional global, civic, cultural, and religious student led organizations, increase global literature and programming, and to begin celebrating additional cultures through heritage months.”

Issues addressed at Student Gov. forum THOMAS CARNEVALE Staff Writer Student Government, Inc. sponsored an open forum with University administrators to discuss numerous issues including the residence hall visitation policy, cleanliness at Montgoris Dining Hall, student protection and the room selection process. The forum was held Thursday, Nov. 12.

Administrators in attendance included Thomas Lawrence, vice president of Public Safety, Dominic Petruzzelli, director of Residence Life, Kenneth Waldhof, executive director of Auxiliary Services, and Jim Walters, director of Residence Ministry.

One student asked about the visitation policies in the dorms.

According to Petruzzelli, the University has a visitation policy that is designed to protect students.

“We have the same visitation policy on all university properties,” he said. “The current visitation policy was created by students.”

The current overnight visitation policy allows students to have same-sex guests for three nights in a seven day period with a limit of 20 nights per semester.

One student voiced concern over cleanliness issues in Montgoris Dining Hall including problems with bugs and rodents.

Kenneth Waldhof acknowledged the problem.

“We are aware of the problem and we have brought in an exterminator,” Waldhof said. “One problem is that insects look for a warm place to stay.”

Students also raised questions about protection for walking to and from off-campus housing.

Petruzzelli said the safety of traveling students is

an important issue that they have already taken steps to address. The University created a late-night shuttle, which runs from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. in addition to the regular shuttle which already runs during the day.

Lawrence said security issues with students going to and from campus usually occur late at night or when students are alone. He said his department has urged student to travel in groups.

Petruzzelli addressed issues about the room selection process, saying it is being overhauled. “The Donovan community room was a bad venue,” he said. “The deposits and the room selection form will still be online, with the [actual] selection in person.”

Petruzzelli added that the Office of Residence Life is considering having specific areas in housing assigned to seniors, juniors and graduate students.

The monthly student government open forum series will continue in December with an IT forum.

COURTSIDE

The Torch’s annual basketball magazine is coming out Dec. 2.

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Editorial Board LXXXVII

Illustrator’s corner:

CHRISTINA HEISER Editor-in-Chief EVERTON BAILEY Managing Editor KIRAN JOSEN News Editor JUSTIN THRIFT Editorial Page Editor

FLAMES OF THE TORCH

Trojan raises concern TORCH ILLUSTRATION/KATRIN ASTARITA

Letters to the editor To the Editor:

torchonline.com

Joe McCaffrey Sophomore College of Pharmacy

The TORCH

As a student at St. John’s, I am concerned about the media outlets offered by the University. When I arrived on campus this year, I was shocked to see that the three news channels offered to students were CNN, MSNBC and HLN, all left-leaning news organizations. I was annoyed but entertained, because at least I was able to get the news and some opinion. After two weeks, MSNBC was replaced with the Food Network, leaving the students with the two least watched cable news networks. Why not the two most watched networks? They would offer an opportunity for students to hear both sides of most arguments.

I was willing to give the newspapers the benefit of the doubt however.

I knew the New York Times was liberal, but thought the TORCH was fairly balanced…until your latest issue. There were three very left articles: one news article and two op-eds. I understand that the op-ed articles “are not the opinion of the TORCH” but please at least acknowledge both sides. The three articles in question are: “School reacts to bill passed by House”, “Health care in sight”, “The White House vs. Fox News.”

The one news article that I question, “School reacts to bill passed by House”, barely covers the beliefs of those who oppose the bill, only dedicating one quote to them and ten in support. This may be the EDITORIAL POLICY overall view of the University, but there Editorials are the opinions of the Edito- ions expressed in editorials, columns, are still many students and faculty who do not agree with the decision and their rial Board of The TORCH. Columns are letters or cartoons are not necessarily voice should also be heard. The article the opinions of the author(s) and are not those of the student body, faculty or ad- also states that 47 million Americans are necessarily those of The TORCH. Opin- ministrations of St. John’s University. uninsured, but in reality there are only about eight million, due to overlaps in the following categories.

Of those 47 million, 10 million are illegal immigrants, 18 million are uninsured but make more than $50k a year TO CONTRIBUTE and 14 million are already eligible for a government run program but have not Mail letters to: Please include your full name, year, and signed up for it. The idea that insurThe TORCH Letters, St. John’s college (or department). Letters have a ance companies profit tremendously University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, limit of 350 words and may be edited for is also false. According to Forbes, the Jamaica, NY 11439 content, grammar, or space. Unverifiable average profit margin for a health insuror anonymous letters will not be published. ance company is 8%. The most profitE-mail letters to: All letters are subject to the approval of the able insurance company, UnitedHealth torcheditorials@gmail.com Group, only posted a 6.2% profit marEditorial Board of The TORCH.

gin. Other, smaller insurance companies made as high as a 12% profit.

“Health care in sight”, proclaims that hospitals “routinely turn people away who are suffering with cancer all because they lack a certain kind of insurance.”

That is a blatant lie and illegal. Hospitals are required to treat patients that show up, if the patient does not have coverage they are given the option of paying out of pocket or going to a clinic. They cannot and don’t turn away patients for lack of health insurance. Also, the 30% figure (of young adults who do not have health care) the article cites is biased.

It does not account for those who make enough money to pay for health care and don’t, or those who go without health care for only a short period of time. The bill is proposed to be subsidized by taking money away from health insurance companies, adding extra taxes on those companies, and creating a non-profit public insurance plan to compete directly against the insurance companies.

The final article I disagree with is the op-ed piece “The White House vs. Fox News.” The White House attempted to block FNC from the media pool, but the notion was objected to by CBS, ABC and I believe NBC, so they were forced to let FNC back in. The claim that the White House has not “done anything to actually limit Fox’s ability to report the news” is technically true, but they attempted to. A question I have for the author is how is FNC an enemy to the administrations mission? FNC has criticized this administration on the spending, indecisiveness on Afghanistan, and the growing ties between advisors and self proclaimed Marxism supporters.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion and do not begrudge the TORCH for running theses pieces or the University for providing only slanted media coverage. I am just pleading that there is another side that does wish to be heard, and since they were not represented in the last issue of the TORCH I decided to take it upon myself to make the attempt to speak up.

18 Nov. 2009

have access to those kinds of statistics.

St. John’s lowly ranking is a reflection of the Catholic element of the school’s mission, nothing else. It doesn’t mean the students of this University are more sexually unhealthy than any of the million other students around the country.

But while students at St. John’s shouldn’t necessarily fret over Trojan’s ranking, the list does have its merits and should raise questions for students and administration.

The list illuminates the absence of HIV testing, inefficient health center resources, and programs that teach students the dangers of unprotected sex and reach out to victims of sexual assault. Trojan raises the question, how essential are these resources on modern college campuses?

Ivy League schools like Stanford, Columbia, Cornell and Brown set the golden standard in education and student life, so if these same top institutions are consistently leading the nation on Trojan’s report, shouldn’t this indicate a red flag for schools like St. John’s that fall far behind?

Whether the issue sits right with their mission statement, every school has a responsibility to educate and protect their students, especially schools with residents.

The Trojan report is not the entire picture when observing a school’s actual sexual health, but it provides a catalyst for discussion. The report indicates the poor consciousness that many universities have of their students. It’s not responsible for college administrators to maintain a narrow view of student sexuality, regardless of their religious or moral views.

EDITORIAL

Every year, Trojan condoms ranks the sexual health of more than 100 American colleges and universities. The group represents every state and major athletic conference. St. John’s is consistently ranked among the lowest schools in this group, this year coming in second-to-last place at 140. But don’t panic and schedule an appointment with your doctor just yet.

It should not come as a surprise that St. John’s, the second largest Catholic university in the nation, isn’t considered highly on Trojan’s “Sexual Health Report Card.” After all, contraceptives and premarital sex violate Catholic doctrine. In fact, six of the 10 lowest ranked schools are religious institutions, and the three lowest rated schools are Catholic. The University of Notre Dame is ranked at 130 and DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in the country, is ranked dead last.

Furthermore, of the top 10 highest ranked schools on the list, there are no Catholic schools. There isn’t even one religiously founded school in the 50th percentile of Trojan’s list. The reason for this is a fairly logical one.

While the goal of Trojan’s list is to rate the sexual health of major schools across the country, they do so by “measuring the availability of sexual health resources and information to their students.” So while Trojan’s list may be an obvious sign that most Catholic institutions do not readily provide condoms and sexual awareness programs to their students, it does not say anything about the specific sexual health of St. John’s students. The list does not consider the amount of students on campus carrying sexually transmitted diseases, nor does Trojan even

8

D’Angelo Center a long time coming Prolonging the grand opening of the new UC would have saved aggravation

During my time at St. John’s, I’ve witnessed this university move away from its roots as a commuter school to one that is more residential.

Over the last three and a half years, the University has expanded and overhauled the Queens campus, adding new dormitories both on and off campus and revamping the library and Carnesecca Arena. Most notable though, is the construction of the massive $77-million structure known as the D’Angelo Center.

This new University Center is much needed on campus. Not only will it provide more space for the many student organizations, it will also be a place where commuters and residents can come together. The D’Angelo Center boasts 14 classrooms and a new dining area, which will hopefully ease the crowdedness that is often seen in other spaces like Marillac Cafeteria.

Over the last year and a half, the ongoing construction of this new building was oftentimes frustrating for students who had to navigate their way around large mounds of dirt and blocked-off pathways.

But, it is essential that St. John’s is able to compete with other institutions of higher education and attract the best students that it can. It may seem shallow, but the fact that a university looks good could have a huge impact on a potential student’s decision to attend school here. For that reason, the construction was necessary.

However, the University should not have aimed for a fall 2009 opening. Last year, University officials stated that the new D’Angelo Center was on target to open in August 2009, just in time for the beginning of the fall semester. But August 2009 came and went and I, like many other students here on campus, was not very surprised that the new UC wasn’t ready on time. With a building of this size, completion can often drag on past the predicted date. State inspection requirements can be a lengthy process that takes months to complete.

The opening date of the D’Angelo Center was pushed back multiple times during the semester and is currently scheduled to open on Dec. 7. But this is so close to the last day of class (Dec. 9)

that students aren’t going to have much of a chance to make use of the building.

In a March 2009 TORCH artice, Ibi Yolas, executive director of Design and Construction said that classes would not be scheduled in the D’Angelo Center for the fall semester: “We couldn’t afford to schedule all the classrooms and in the event something goes wrong then we would have major problems on our hands,” she said. So then why did the University keep aiming for a fall 2009 opening?

Students have experienced first-hand the problems that can arise from ambitious construction projects on campus.

Take the St. John’s library, for example.

In June 2008, riser pipes, responsible for carrying water throughout the building to provide air conditioning, leaked and flooded various parts of the building. The remodeling of the third and fourth floors caused intense vibrations to these pipes, which pushed back the opening of the library from August until October, the TORCH reported in August 2008. In that article, Theresa Maylone, University librarian, stated: “We’ve had flooding throughout the building for years. But as the construction on the third and fourth floors of the library went on, the vibrations from that gave way to more flood-

ing.” During that period, there was no public access to the print collections, although library staff could retrieve books for students and faculty.

While the construction of the townhouses was completed on time for movein day for the fall 2008 semester, many of the students who moved in dealt with dirty floors, damaged windows and leaking heating units.

It is for these reasons that the TORCH has continually told the University to hold off on opening the new University Center during the fall 2009 semester. Given the nature of the construction industry and the University’s track record with previous construction projects, it would have been wise for St. John’s not to rush it’s most valuable construction project.

“At any given time, something could get delayed, which could have an impact on the schedule,” said Brij Anand, vice president of Facilities, in a March 2009 TORCH article.

The University should have taken into account the fact that the unexpected could happen, and aimed for a spring 2010 opening instead.

Christina Heiser is a senior English major.

She can be reached at: torcheic@gmail.com

Letters to the editor (continued) Six or so months ago the TORCH published an article outlining the efforts of a sophomore student, Kyle Collins, to form a Gay Awareness Group on the St. John’s campus. In that article, we were informed that the University administration was in the process of “preparing a statement to address the concerns of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) students on campus,” in response to student petitions and events co-sponsored by Collins and his friends to promote Gay Awareness. But early on in this semester, I was met with a disquieting silence when I tried to find further updates on this issue. In a bid to find some answers, I requested an interview with Kyle Collins—which, happily, he agreed to—and he was able to tell me what exactly he hoped to accomplish with

this group in place on campus and also, to recount to me the decision which had been reached by the University administration concerning his group.

The purpose of the group, Collins said, was to “change the hearts and minds of prejudicial people” and “demonstrate the needs of a marginalized community.”

He went through all the right motions: in pitching the idea to the University administration, he showed clearly how the group would advance the “Catholic, Vincentian, Metropolitan” mission of the University and in lobbying for student support, he explained his aims to the students. However, when the University administration finally met Collins and his e-board in a surprise meeting at the beginning of this semester, it was only to tell them that they were unable to allow them to form a group which would go against the Catholic mission of the school. To

soften the blow, it seemed, they added that they would be looking into developing a program that would “expand resources” to the LGBTQ students on campus. It was a vague promise, and at first did not appear to be any different from similar promises which have frustrated student efforts to form Gay Awareness/ Support groups in St. John’s University over the last 23 years.

But in an amazing turn-around, the University administration has, in the last few weeks, as I have been able to learn from Kyle Collins, formed an official committee to research and to implement the necessary resources for our LGBTQ students on campus. This committee is made up of representatives from the Faculty, Campus Activities, Health and Wellness and Campus Ministry from both Queens and Staten Island campuses and has already met with Collins and his e-

board to discuss the group’s mission and how best the LGBTQ community can be served. It is a big step, perhaps the biggest positive step regarding this matter in the history of the University, and we can only hope that this committee will give more than lip-service to our LGBTQ students.

With this move, St. John’s takes the first step in joining the ranks of the Catholic schools which already have Gay Awareness/ Support groups in place on their campuses. It demonstrates its dedication to the rounded growth and wellbeing of all of its students.

Princess Ikatekit Sophomore

STUDENTSPARKS: Registration What do you think of the class registration process at St. John’s?

COMPILED BY THOMAS CARNEVALE

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18 Nov. 2009

OP-ED

To the Editor:

I think that it’s alright. They should make the times more fairly when you need to make your schedule.

I honestly have no problem.

I find it easy.

It’s ok, but getting your priority number is a hassle.

Dominic Bianco Sophomore

Robert Brent Sophomore

Serina Luna Senior

I think it is easy and well set up. Any students that find it hard didn’t listen to their advisor.

Conner James Freshman

The ‘F’ Word

9

CARA CHEREPON Contributing Writer

Nuclear power finds little space of its own in the climate change discussion ANGELIKA SWATOWSKA Staff Writer

“

The addition of nuclear power plants would secure a greater future supply of carbon-free energy, allowing for the replacement of oil as a fuel.

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”

The TORCH

The current focus in the climate change discussion is the introduction of cleaner energy. With increasing evidence of global warming and the risks greenhouse gas emissions bear on future generations, the world sees itself challenged to reduce its carbon emissions.

It is essential to lower dependence on oil, and to focus on carbon-free energies. Yet, there is little agreement on the forms of energy we should focus on: renewable resources, or other resources such as nuclear energy.

Current discussions tend to not focus on nuclear power as a means of future energy supply. Nuclear power proposes a highly efficient, essentially carbon-free, form of energy. Still it seems that a majority favor renewable forms of energy. Nonetheless, there are sound reasons for such attitudes.

While nuclear power might be highly efficient, it does bear some challenges in regard with timing and costs. According to Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, it takes approximately 10 years to start a new nuclear plant, plus another decade to have any effects on the climate. This is far too long. Today’s world is looking for immediacy. Additionally, the construction of a nuclear reactor is expensive. It costs between $6 and $9 billion to build a new reactor and returns on such investments are not immediate. As a result, few investors see themselves motivated to take on such a risk.

Another major factor concerns nuclear energy’s role in replacing oil, petroleum and natural gas as a source of energy. While nuclear power has found its application in electricity-related power, it has fewer applications in terms of transportation. To replace oil with nuclear energy would take at least 20 years, the

Carnegie report states.

Despite this, reliance on nuclear plants as an energy supply cannot be put out of the question. As President Obama noted in his speech at MIT on Oct. 23, “energy supplies are growing scarcer, energy demands are growing larger.”

The need for a highly efficient carbon-free form of energy-supply is urgent. In 2008, the U.S. consumed approximately 3.6 trillion kilowatts of electricity according to the Energy Information Administration.

This number has been on the increase since 1970, and still continues to increase. Nuclear power would pacify such increases in demands for energy safely and efficiently. Today, however, it only supplies less than seven percent of U.S. energy.

Renewable energies, on the other hand, comprise less than one percent of the country’s current energy supply. While they bear fewer timing constraints and, with great effort, would certainly help to mitigate the climate crisis, they are less costefficient. To rely solely on renewable forms of energy would prove costlier than to invest in a few nuclear power plants.

Considering the realities of our time, greater focus needs to be placed on nuclear forms of energy, though it needs not to be an exclusive focus.

Renewable forms of energy, while less efficient, need to also be utilized in order to put to work immediate measures to mitigate climate change. The addition of nuclear power plants would secure a greater future supply of carbon-free energy, allowing for the replacement of oil as a fuel.

It is clear that changes will not be immediate. However, the great levels of energy efficiency and conservation of nuclear power in prospect make it clear that it is a form of energy that will bear great future advantages to the environment and gradually provide for the transition from traditional, highly-pollution, carbon-reliant forms of energy.

18 Nov. 2009

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OP-ED

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof opened his lecture on his new book Half the Sky at St. John’s on Nov. 9 with a staggering fact: 60 to 100 million women have died from abuse or gone missing in the 20th century, a number far greater than all the men killed in all the wars of the same century.

You may wonder what this has to do with feminism. Feminism was just that time in the 1960s when women burned bras, stopped cleaning house and decided they hated men. This, of course, is completely false, and your challenge is to continue reading if you believe any part of the previous sentence.

Feminism first began in the late 1800s when women first fought for the right to vote. It then became a fight for cultural and social equality in the 1970s, and finally in the 1990s it questioned the value of gender identity. Out of this movement stemmed “radical feminism,” an ideology that has inspired the negative connotation that feminism is simply a matter of “women hating men,” fighting for some sort of Amazonian all-female dominant society.

But this isn’t the case for most (if any) feminists, and far too many people in America exaggerate what feminism really means. The irony is that many of those same people uphold feminist values.

Kristof told a story that when Bill Gates went to speak in Saudi Arabia, a country with hardly any women’s rights, a man asked him if he thought Saudi Arabia could soon become one of the 10 most successful countries in the world. Gates responded with, “If you’re only using half the talent in the country, you’re not getting too close to the top ten.”

This notion that women are a valuable part of the community is the theme of Kristof’s book, the title of which derives from the Chinese proverb “Women hold up half the sky.” As Kristof says, we cannot continue to ignore that women make up half our population, and are invaluable to our society.

America is one of the countries in the best position to achieve gender equality, but don’t let this fool you. If America is considered one of the ‘best’ then that means two things: America has a long way to go, and the rest of the world has even more to do.

The sex trade is the modern form of slavery and women are being sold into it every day, both in America and around the world. Kristof has dedicated most of his professional career to visiting these places where women are stolen from their homes and forced into a life of prostitution. He notes that if someone has the money to buy them, they will even receive a receipt.

The reality is that throughout the world, women are discriminated against and exploited, and not just by men. Kristof points out that the majority of brothel owners in countries he visits are female.

It’s incomprehensible that in the 21st century women are still being abused, and tormented. Feminism is the movement trying to reverse these wrongs, trying to rearrange global societies into a world where women are treated justly and equally. Considering this, how can you not be a feminist?

You don’t have to be a protester, yelling for women’s rights. Simply upholding the value that women don’t deserve to be killed, turned into slaves, or tormented is a feministic stance. Regardless of your gender, if you believe that women have the right to vote, the right to work, and the right to learn, then you are a modern feminist.

We need to stop glorifying the culture of abusing and exploiting women. “Feminism” should no longer be perceived as a negative word, but a positive change. Don’t sit by and let this happen. If you wonder what you can do to change this, take Nicholas Kristof’s advice: education.

Educate yourself about women’s rights, educate others on what they can do, and finally, support the education of women worldwide. Next time you overhear someone say they are a feminist, think twice before scoffing. Think about how you can be a part of the global change towards a gender-equal society, and think about how much more prosperous the world could be.

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Reviewing young reporters Justice Kennedy sends wrong message to aspiring journalists ONIKA STRAKER Contributing Writer Journalism is known by another term, the “Fourth Estate,” because it is used to keep an eye on the three branches of government. But recently, Supreme Court Justice Kennedy decided that he should keep an eye over the young journalists of a high school newspaper.

Acording to the New York Times, on Oct. 28, Justice Kennedy addressed an assembly of students at Dalton High School in Manhattan, an event that was reported on by the school’s newspaper. However, instead of reporting the event in the paper’s next issue, the newspaper instead contained a short message from the editors explaining that there had been some “publication constraints” and that their next issue would contain the story on Justice Kennedy’s talk, as well as an “explanation of the regrettable delay.”

The publication restraints that the editors were referring to was Justice Kennedy requesting to review the article written about his talk before it was printed in the school’s paper. After his office had made a few “tweaks” to his quotes, the story was returned to the paper for printing. The New York Times article writes that the court’s public information officer, Kathleen Arberg, said the Kennedy’s ambition was to ensure the quotes accurately reflected what he had wished to communicate to students.

The same New York Times article quotes Frank D. LoMonte, the executive director of the Student Press Law Center, noting that the actions of Justice Kennedy were questionable. LaMonte points out that even though Dalton is a high school publication, the request for prepublication review sends a wrong message to these aspiring journalists.

It would be understandable if Justice Kennedy re-

quested a copy of the newspaper after print, but to go as far as to edit the draft for “accuracy” is fairly taboo in the journalism field. Justice Kennedy knew that he would be quoted for the school newspaper and was responsible for speaking accordingly. His intervention raises questions of the First Amendment and sends the wrong message to the aspiring journalists that he dealt with.

Perhaps worse than Justice Kennedy’s interference in the process of journalism is the head of Dalton High School, Ellen Stein, who, according the New York Times article, agreed with Justice Kennedy’s factchecking of the student’s article. By submitting her students to Kennedy’s demands, Stein has bestowed the wrong lesson in her aspiring journalist students.

It is remarkable that those who are suppose to help shape the future of these young minds would infringe on their rights as reporters and guide them in a direction which could possibly warp their understanding of how the field operates.

Stein should have told her students not to be bullied; that in order to become credible journalists, their stories should be unbiased and that it is up to them to report the story and provide accurate quotes. As one of the nation’s most vigilant defenders of constitutional rights, Kennedy should have not exploited these young journalists because of their age and inexperience. As a Supreme Court Justice, shouldn’t he have known that he was abusing the rights of the student journalists by regulating their press?

What Justice Kennedy fails to realize is that by suppressing these young journalists’ rights, no matter how small it may be, it will damage his judicial reputation in the journalism world.

His actions hopefully opened the eyes of the students to pay close attention to politics, participate in the

MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES

government, and become great journalists. In a nonintentional way one can say that Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy reinforced the importance and integrity of the “Fourth Estate.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF FOXSEARCHLIGHT.COM/FANTASTCMRFOX

The TORCH

Pg. 17

18 Nov. 2009

Inferno steps into the wonderful world of animation.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

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Honor Society Comes Home THE BAND PERFORMS THEIR HITS TO A SOLD-OUT VENUE IN MANHATTAN KRISTEN FARMER Contributing Writer

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t was a curious sight, seeing teenage girls line up at Irving Place in Manhattan on Nov.12, 2009. Some were waiting as early as 8 a.m, suffering through the cold, the rain, and wind.

They all did this for the opportunity to stand in the front row during the Honor Society’s hometown show.

The band, made up of Michael Bruno, Andrew Lee, Alexander Noyes, and Jason Rosen proudly call New York their home. Despite having only been together for about two years, the band has developed an extensive fan base. This is especially true in New York City, where they sold out the Fillmore Theater that holds more than 1,000 people.

Before Honor Society even took the stage, they pumped up the crowd of New Yorkers by playing “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

The screams only got louder as the four gentlemen took the stage and started with their high-energy song, “Full Moon Crazy.” They continued with their upbeat songs, “Sing For You,” “Two Rebels” and “Where Are You Now.” The mood of the venue took a turn as the show slowed down for “My Own Way.” Esmee Denters, the opening act, joined the band on stage for this song. However they picked up the tempo again with “Here Comes Trouble,” where they introduced

the entire band and said, “New York City definitely has the hottest girls, though some of them might be trouble.”

Rosen, who typically sticks to guitar, keyboard, and backing vocals, took the lead as the band covered Kings Of Leon’s “Use Somebody.” After a sentimental thank-you speech from the band, they slowed it down once more for “Don’t Close the Book” and “Why Didn’t I.” The party didn’t stop as they went on to play the catchy “Nobody Has to Know” and “Over You,” which is the hit single off their album Fashionably Late. Fans went crazy over their final and most popular song, “See U In The Dark,” with every person in the house doing the Honor Roll, a dance made up by the band that quickly caught on with the fans after being posted on YouTube.

Honor Society knows how to put on a fun and entertaining show. Even parents of younger fans were unable to keep from bobbing their head to the catchy beats. Their infectious smiles and upbeat music made it impossible to leave the venue without a smile.

The band even showed how gracious they were by staying late to sign autographs for every single fan that wanted to meet them.

“I had a fabulous time and I definitely look forward to seeing them again,” Said Caitlin Glossza, a freshman at St. John’s, “I waited outside for 12 hours and it was totally worth it.”

TORCH PHOTO/ KRISTEN FARMER

Michael Bruno is the lead singer of Honor Society, who sang hits from their latest album, Fashionably Late.

An Interview of Honorable Mention KRISTEN FARMER Contributing Writer

Inferno: How’d you guys get your start as a band?

Jason: Me and Michael met in high school, in art class, actually. We started playing music, having bands through high school and college. We met Andy and Alex through friends of friends, and started the band. It’s been a little over two years.

TORCH PHOTO/ KRISTEN FARMER

Jason Rosen rocks out as the guitarist of Honor Society, who has been together for only two years.

Inferno: Has living in New York influenced your music?

Alexander: I think it’s just life in general. At different points in your life, you’re going through different things, dealing with different emotions.

Whether it’s living in different places, we’ve had the opportunity to live in New York and L.A., and we’ve been on tour for the last five months.

As just an artist in general, you have so much to draw upon. You have a well of things you’ve gone through, to draw upon.

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Inferno: Describe your sound to someone who’s never heard of you before.

Michael: The sound is definitely like upbeat, funky rock music. Falling somewhere stylistically between Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake.

Inferno: What would you tell a college student to get them to listen to your music?

Michael: It’s the party CD to have. It’s just funky, like I said before. You can put it on and you don’t have to skip a song. You can rock out, you can dance, you can slow dance. It’s got a full range of emotions. So for a college student, it’s one of those CDs you can just pop it in and do your thing.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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nferno had the opportunity to sit down with the band before their performance. We got to speak to them about their beginning as a band, their new music video, and about life on the road.

TORCH PHOTO/ LAURA AMATO

An interview with Honor Society revealed the band’s adoration of their fans.

Inferno: What’s it like being on tour?

Alexander: Incredible.

Andrew: It’s really quite fun.

Michael: It’s like having the best day over and over and over again. You know, we love to play

music. So getting to play concerts every night is completely a dream come true.

Inferno: So what’s your favorite place to play, other than New York or L.A., since you lived there?

Michael: It’s all good. It sounds really cliché.

Andrew: It’s really all about the fans. The fans, we’ve noticed, everywhere are incredible.

Whether it’s a crowd of 100 people or a crowd of 1,000 people, the fan response is so overwhelmingly positive it’s hard not to have a good time.

And we get to see the charm of every city, every city has its own nooks and crannies.

Inferno: What’s your favorite song to play live?

Jason: I think “Two Rebels” is a song that we all really love. It’s a fun, fan favorite song, that gets everyone going early on in the set. It’s high energy and everyone’s rocking out, dancing.

Inferno: So you guys just came out with a music video for the song “Over You”? What’s the music video about?

Andrew: The music video is set on a train. We wanted to carry over the album artwork theme to the video. The album was shot infront of a train station, at a train station. The video is sort of a cat and mouse chase, Where Mike sees a girl get on the train and he’s trying to find her. He’s one step behind her, he keeps finding a different person, every time he taps someone on the shoulder, he thinks it’s her but it’s not. It all culminates at the end where it turns out to be a sort of dream sequence, you’re not sure whether it actually happened. So, we leave it up to the interpretation of the viewers to decide what it all means.

Alexander: And right now it’s on Myspace, on the home page. Everybody check it out, it’ll also be on our youtube page, which is youtube.com/ honorsociety.

Inferno: Is there anything you’d like to add?

Alexander: We love our fans.

Michael: Pick up Fashionably Late, it’s available on iTunes and in stores everywhere.

Andrew: And call your local radio stations and have them play “Over You”.

Michael: And thank you, thank you, thank you, we could not do it without our fans, for sure.

The Wonderful World of Mr. Fox

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ANOTHER CHILDHOOD FAVORITE BY ROALD DAHL COMES TO ANIMATED LIFE CHRISTINA HEISER Editor-In-Chief THE FANTASTIC WORLD OF MR. FOX-

OUT OF 4 STARS

R

oald Dahl was a master storyteller. As the author of classics such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach, he enchanted readers of all ages, transforming the world into a strange, magical place where anything was possible. Yet when his novels were turned into movies, they could not fully capture the essence of his masterful, imaginative tales.

Luckily, the same cannot be said for Fantastic Mr. Fox, the latest Dahl story adapted into a major motion picture. Co-written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, the animated film retains the adventurous and witty spirit of Dahl’s story, while veering away slightly from the original plot.

Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the story of Mr. Fox (voiced

by George Clooney), a newspaper columnist who used to make a living stealing chickens. He yearns for his old life though, and begins stealing chickens once again, much to the chagrin of his wife (voiced by Meryl Streep).

Other characters include Mr. Fox’s son, Ash (voiced

by Jason Schwartzman), who is jealous of his cousin Kristofferson (voiced by Eric Anderson) because he seems to be favored by Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox’s friends include his lawyer, Badger (voiced by Bill Murray) and an opossum named Kylie (voiced by Wally Wolodarsky). Kylie becomes Mr. Fox’s partner-in-crime when he begins stealing chickens again, this time from Boggis, Bunce and Bean, “three of the meanest, nastiest, ugliest farmers.” As the movie progresses, all of the characters are affected by Mr. Fox’s actions. The movie is successful in creating a good amount of suspense while the animal characters try to outwit the three farmers.

The film’s stop-motion animation, done by Mark Gustafson (animation director) and Tristan Oliver (director of photography) is perfect. The music, done by Alexandre Desplat, adds to the overall quirky tone of the movie.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOXSEARCHLIGHT.COM/FANTASTCMRFOX

George Clooney plays newspaper columnist, Mr. Fox, who makes a living at expertly stealing chickens alongside a star-studded band of animals, voiced by Meryl Streep and Bill Murray.

Although it’s based on a children’s book, Fantastic Mr. Fox does deal with adult issues, such as Mr. Fox’s need to find more meaning in life and the jealousy Ash feels towards his cousin Kristofferson, who seems to have won Mr. Fox’s affections. The movie deals with these issues in a charming, skillful way, making it superior to many other recent adaptations of children’s classics like Where the Wild Things Are and A Christmas Carol.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is easily the best animated film of 2009 thanks to its compelling characters and adventure as well as its wry humor. The movie is currently playing in select theaters and opens everywhere on Thanksgiving.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOXSEARCHLIGHT.COM/FANTASTICMRFOX

Mark Gustafson (left) uses character models to create an enchanting animated film.

The Apocalypse Is Coming VERONICA BARDUCCI Contributing Writer 2012 -

The TORCH PHOTO COURTESY OF WHOWILLSURVIVE2012.COM

John Cusack plays an author who tries to escape destruction with his ex-wife and children.

torchonline.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF WHOWILLSURVIVE2012.COM

2012 explores the threatening possibility of the world’s end in a film filled with natural disaster.

n the year 2012, the world will end, so says director Ronald Emmerich in his latest film 2012, which will have some audiences questioning, even fearing, what may happen two years from now. The movie is a must-see for the aesthetically pleasing special effects and clever dialogue, although some viewers may be unimpressed by unrealistic scenarios depicted in the film.

The plot follows several theories that have sparked conversations throughout the ages, probing the possibility of the world’s end in 2012. With a series of natural disasters causing cities to topple down and the earth’s crust to break off into pieces, destruction becomes the major component. Emmerich strives to incorporate several aspects of each doomsday theory, especially the one created by the Mayans, which predicts the world will culminate in the year 2012.

The execution of the chaos in the movie is beautifully shown with special effects. Huge cracks in the earth cause the surface to shift and take down the foundations built upon it. Scenes include famous monuments around the world being reduced to rubble and people running frantic while praying to their god to save them. The portrayal of a Buddhist monastery in Tibet being swallowed by a huge tsunami will leave the audience stunned. The image of the 710 meters high statue of Christ collapsing on Corcovado Mountain in Brazil is breathtaking.

However, as amazing as the special effects are, the acting offers the contrary. Actress Amanda Peet plays a mother of two who escapes with her children, Lily and Noah, her current boyfriend and her ex-husband (played

by John Cusack). On a quest to stay alive, the family tries

18 Nov. 2009

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OUT OF 4 STARS

to prevent three arks from colliding with Mount Everest.

At the end of the film, they land on a newly shaped Africa, whose continent is restructured as a result of the worldwide tsunamis. The characters do not seem perturbed when facing their obstacles, and not a single strand of Peet’s hair falls out of place.

Although the film aims to demonstrate the high emotional level of the world’s end, the audience is not moved to share in these feelings, which takes away from the intensity of the film. The special effects make the movie worth watching, as does Emmerich’s directing ability in building up suspense. Viewers are taken on an emotional roller coaster ride filled with laughs, wonder, fear and a slight loss of hope. They will leave the theatre with a newfound appreciation for the present and an aching feeling about the future.

ENTERTAINMENT

2012 LEAVES AUDIENCES WONDERING WHO WILL SURVIVE BUT UNIMPRESSED WITH ITS ACTORS

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Broadway’s Newest Tragedy HAMLET SATISFIES SHAKESPEARIAN DEVOTEES AND THEATER-GOERS ALIKE DAN BAILEY Staff Writer HAMLET-

1/2 OUT OF 4 STARS

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or a limited two month engagement, the Broadhurst Theater is filling its seats with Shakespearian devotees and theater-goers who want to see the beloved tragedy Hamlet.

Jude Law does an exceptional job portraying the title character, bringing neurotic and anxious qualities to Hamlet‘s personality, where former actors substituted with a conservative and calm insanity. Law’s acting ability depicts the transition from grief to insanity well. By using his lines and body movements, Law creates drama throughout the play and tension between him and his supporting characters. He also mixes a touch of humor into his performance.

The story of Hamlet is set in Denmark and recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who murders Hamlet’s father to become the king.

Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father who reveals that Claudius was responsible for his death and prompts Hamlet to kill his uncle. In order to uncover the truth, Hamlet re-enacts his uncle killing his father in a play he puts on for his mother and allegedly guilty stepfather.

Soon after, Claudius’ actions launch Hamlet into a fit

of revenge as he schemes to bring justice to his father’s murder.

The play is directed by Michael Grandage, who does a very good job at showing how the main character goes from overwhelming grief over the death of his father to a furious rage for vengeance.

Law does have his flaws though. For example, he sometimes screams his lines, making him sound like nails scratching a chalkboard rather than sounding dramatic.

Law’s performance does not rank with some of the greats like Ralph Fiennes and Ian Charleson, but is still a pretty good Broadway debut.

Kevin McNally gives a convincing performance as the uncle-turned-stepfather of Hamlet. Claudius is portrayed like he has no remorse about the death of his brother.

Hamlet’s love interest, Ophelia, is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. After Hamlet scorns her and accidentally kills her father, Polonius, she abandons her natural and innocent womanly grace, and falls into deep despair and madness. Mbatha-Raw is a good actress, but does not have a strong voice and might be hard to hear from the back of the theater.

Overall, Hamlet comes across as an interesting and entertaining play. The play does require some knowledge of the plot and Shakespearian language before entering the theatre and may cause confusion for audience members who are not familiar with Hamlet. The action starts off slow, but picks up as the plot builds suspense and the

murder mystery unfolds. Despite its small flaws, Hamlet is a definite must-see for those who want to partake in a worthwhile Broadway show.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HAMLETBROADWAY.COM

Jude Law plays Hamlet, whose love interest is Ophelia, portrayed by Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Engaged in Modern Warfare THE CALL OF DUTY HAS GAMERS INSTANTLY ADDICTED TO THE VARIOUS MODES OF PLAY JOSHUA TAYLOR Staff Writer

T

OUT OF 4 STARS

he Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 lives up to its predecessor, as its campaign breads quality over quantity. The game offers a variety of play modes that will not disappoint.

Modern Warfare 2 exceeds the hype and will have players and critics alike talking for some time to come.

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The TORCH

18 Nov. 2009

ENTERTAINMENT

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2

The game was released on Monday night when gamers waited in line at select video game stores in anticipation. for all video gamers as the sixth installment of the Modern Warfare 2 was released for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the PC. Select video game stores held midnight release parties for the long lines of players waiting to pick up their advanced copies or hoping to purchase one before they flew off the shelves.

Modern Warfare 2 is the newest product from Activision and Infinity Ward and lives up to the hype. According to Top News, the game has shattered records upon its release, selling 4.7 million copies in the U.S. and the UK alone, more than any other game, movie, book or album.

Surpassing the likes of Grand Theft Auto IV, Spiderman 3, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Tha Carter 3, MW2 was named the most successful entertainment

PHOTO COURTESY OF MODERNWARFARE2.INFINITYWARD.COM

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 offers different interactive environments for players to explore and battle, such as the deserts of Afghanistan and the doorsteps of the White House.

release of all time for the most grossing sales within a 24-hour period.

For those who have played the previous Modern Warfare or are just being introduced to the Call of Duty addiction, MW2 does not fall short of satisfying its customers. Well-polished graphics with responsive game play and interactive environments create a complete gaming experience.

The game environments include a shanty town in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, deserts in Afghanistan, the doorsteps of Washington D.C. and snowy terrain in Siberia. The game itself includes several modes of play: Special Ops which allows the player to complete various missions with a friend, Campaign mode which is fairly short and encompasses the main story line of the game, and Multiplayer mode where one can face off against three other friends or take the game play online.

Intelligent A.I. keep the feel of the game realistic and authentic, keeping players from running through a level, guns blazing, without expecting to pay for it. It takes a bit of teamwork and strategy to make it through the game. The only downfall is that one cannot command their team directly and they sometimes fall short to create the proper support.

The gamer follows various characters as they fight to uncover conspiracy and stop terrorism, taking place approximately four years after the first “modern warfare.”

The opening scene is rather graphic and gory, contributing to the game‘s mature rating.

In the second installment, heroes find themselves up against Russians, as the U.S. has been framed for an international terrorist attack in which innocent civilians are massacred in a Moscow airport. It is a race against time to uncover the heinous attack and clear the country’s name.

The pinnacle of this game is the online play, in which friends can compete against each other or random people in ranked and friendly combat among a total of 16 players. There are about sixteen modes of play, which include free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, Sabotage, Headquarters, 3rd Person Cage Match, Mosh Pit, and Capture the Flag. No two online experiences are alike, leaving gamers playing for hours on end. There are new rewards and upgrades to keep players enthralled, as well. Anyone who plans to embark on this journey should make sure that all their work is done before they begin to play.

The

BLAZE The Music

INFERNO OFFERS THE BEST TIPS TO BEAT THE LINES AND AVOID THE DRAMA OF BLACK FRIDAY Compiled by McArthur Joseph

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INFERNO REVIEWS THE MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUM RELEASES OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON CHARLES ONYEWUCHI Contributing Writer

1. SHOP BEFOREHAND Customers can still reap the benefits of good sales when select stores are giving away huge discounts before Black Friday. A huge shopping event is taking place at Inven.Tory (237 Lafayette St. at Spring St. in Manhattan) where a promotion called “Save Fashion” offers up to 90 percent off all designer clothing. The sale will only run from Nov. 13 through Nov. 22. There are big designers, big sales and a fresh stock daily.

Interested customers only need to sign up on their mailing list at SaveFashion.com in order to ensure the best savings.

2. SNAG THE BEST STEALS ONLINE Shopping on the Internet is a convenient way to spend Black Friday because there is usually a larger selection of items online and it can be done from the comfort of one’s own home instead waking up at the crack of dawn to journey to the nearest mall or shopping center. The number of people shopping online has increased so much during the past year that a new shopping holiday has emerged: Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving). This is an opportunity for people to take advantage of the many online stores offering significant sales and discounts, or free shipping rates.

Black Friday and high fashion are usually not synonymous, but fashion lovers flock to sample sales when available. Retailers usually have an excess of products (that are usually in season) and have a big sale that few are aware of.

Some brand names that have recently held these secret pleasures are KidRobot, A-Line Clothing and Betsey Johnson. Do some digging and check out popular fashion sites and blogs, where sample sales are usually slipped into posts. Social networking sites can also increase sample sale awareness, such as designer tweets and Facebook events. Although this shopping technique takes some research, the extra time you take to find the sales will leave you extra change in your pocket.

50 CENT BEFORE I SELF DESTRUCT

OUT OF 4 STARS

OUT OF 4 STARS

A

fter five hugely successful mixtapes, Washington D.C.’s rapper, Wale, buckles down to produce his first full length commercial release Attention Deficit. However, on this debut, he is a mere shadow of his mixtape-self and fails to channel his mixtape magic into a meaningful first album. The album suffers badly from lack of concept and poor execution, which he tries to cover up with witty lyrics to keep the listener’s attention.

The album starts off promising with the track “Triumph” in which he rhymes over a jazzy beat with drums while delivering some of his best punch lines in the album rhyming “Me against you, the movie of the year/ ‘Cause [you’re] Slumdog, and I’m the millionaire.” The next six tracks are trash and forgettable, filled with narcissistic lyrics and non sequiturs such as “I’m a hundred miles far/ I’m feeling like Chris Childs/ You’re looking like Kobe Bryant’s jaw.”

The album regains steam with the track “Shades” in which he brilliantly dissects the schism between dark-skinned and light-skinned African-Americans and the plights of being raised by immigrant African parents.

Wale is badly outshined by guest rappers K’naan and J.Cole on different tracks, respectively, but salvages some dignity with the classic track “Diary” in which he gives listeners a glimpse of his poetic genius.

Overall, Attention Deficit is an okay debut with a handful tracks that will leave listeners in awe, but ultimately disappointed.

TONYA RUSSELL Staff Writer JOHN MAYER

BATTLE STUDIES

The TORCH

OTHER ALBUMS TO FILL THE CHIMNEY STOCKINGS...

Rihanna Rated R (Pop/R&B)

Lady Gaga The Fame Monster (Pop)

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Whether you’re purchasing the latest model of a highdefinition flat-screen television for yourself or holiday-specific gifts for friends and family, create a shopping strategy that allows you to cover all bases. Make a budget for yourself that doesn’t leave your wallet empty by the afternoon. By choosing a specific shopping center and researching the items you want beforehand, you eliminate wasted time looking for products you already have or don’t need. Most importantly, remember the joy of the holidays comes from shopping for gifts everyone will love. It’s not the price you spend that matters, it’s the way you spend.

B

attle Studies is another homerun for John Mayer. The theme of the album is lost love with a taste of mystery. The songs remind fans of Continuum, but refreshing.

Titles like “Perfectly Lonely,” “Friends, Lovers, or Nothing” and “All We Ever Do is Say Goodbye” speak of heartbreak. Instead of channeling melancholy moods, the tunes breathe life into the

songs and come across as mellow.

The album is the love child of R&B and soft rock, full of rich, acoustic melodies. It is full of musical osmosis—his voice is gentle but enticing.

Mayer maintains an easy and smooth vibe from beginning to end.

Mayer also tangles the listener in his cryptic lyrics. The words in “Assassin” keep listeners engaged and dissecting: “I was a killer/ Was the best they’d ever seen/ I’d steal your heart before you ever heard a thing/ I’m an assassin and I had a job to do/ Little did I know that girl was an assassin too.” The lyrics of each song can be applied to any situation and interpreted in their own way.

Despite the dominant tone of love-sickness the album conveys, Mayer delivers another amazing album. Battle Studies is worth a trip to Target, and definitely worth four stars.

18 Nov. 2009

OUT OF 4 STARS

4. PLAN ACCORDINGLY

5

0 cent returns to his roots, in a more lyrical and artistic fashion.

Before I Self Destruct is the Jamaica, Queens rapper’s fourth album and follow up to his sub-par 2007 release Curtis.

Armed with premiere beats, fresh concepts and newly emerged lyrical aptitude, he reminisces on his childhood, gangster past and insecurities on love in what could be his best album to date, arguably.

Sampling Michael Jackson’s “Ain’t No Sunshine” on the track “Then Days Went By,” 50 recounts painful childhood memories and ends the track with the unapologetic melody “The Lord doesn’t have imperfections, baby/ So I think I’m perfect the way He made me.” On tracks such as “Invitation,” “Death To My Enemies,” “Crime Wave,” “Gangsta’s Delight” and “Stretch,” 50 Cent celebrates his gangster past over hypnotic beats and pays an ode to his gun in the metaphoric track,“Hold Me Down.” He delivers a one-two punch to his hip hop rivals in the scathing tracks, “So Disrespectful” and “Strong Enough,” and even battles rapper Eminem on the macabre track “Psycho,” where they surprisingly match verse for verse. The misogyny is toned down, replaced with astute lyrics and a concept about finding love while famous. In the hit single “Baby By Me” featuring R&B singer, Ne-Yo, 50 seeks to land a companion solely based on his riches with the catchy hook “Have a baby by me, baby/ be a millionaire.” However, in tracks such as “Do You Think About Me” and “Could’ve Been You”, he opens up about his insecurities about falling in love now that he’s wealthy.

Apart from a couple of flat tracks, this album is truly a magnum opus.

ENTERTAINMENT

3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SAMPLE SALES

WALE ATTENTION DEFICIT

TORCHCOMICS I can’t draw Alex Reyes

Controlled Chaos Catharine Corrigan

Captain’s Log

Ron Ferrara

1-800-ARMSTACO Jonathan Roman

18 November 2009

Think Outside...

Features

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Section

Reaping in the benefits MVP program boosts student attendance, officials say ANURADHA BYAGARI Staff Writer

to change depending on inventory and it is the student’s responsibility to make sure they find the swiping location at the event.

Freshman Amarpreet Minhas said she disagrees with the new MVP program. “It’s the equivalent of paying someone to report good results for your product on a survey,” she said.

Zaccarelli said that with the opening of the D’Angelo Center on Dec. 7, students will have more opportunities to redeem their points next semester.

Prize System -25 points: Seein’ Red T-shirt -50 points: Long sleeve shirt and a $4 Starbucks gift card -100 points: RedZone backpack -150 points: $25 gift packages -200 points: Three $10 gift cards -250 points: Four movie tickets and an $8 MetroCard -300 points: $50 gift package -450 points: A monthly MetroCard or a $100 Amex gift card -600 points: An iPod Touch, X-Box, Wii or a $250 Amex gift card -Top points earner: $500 Amex gift card

ALEXANDRIA NEASON Contrributing Writer

torchonline.com

ideas are among the benchmarks judges look for when reviewing films.

Students are not set to any creative limitations because there is no required theme for the contest, but Herwick said parameters help solidify ideas and turn them into tangible products.

In addition to the film and video contest sponsored

by CPS, the TV and Film Club is host to a film festival at the end of the spring semester, showcasing selected student work.

Kris Fernandez, who’s film was featured in last year’s festival, said these types of events help eliminate nerves and promote student’s work.

“After putting the film in the festival, you get all kinds of fears about how it’s going to go,” said Fernandez.

“Once it’s actually played in front of an auditorium it kind of lessens those fears.”

Herwick, who plans to enter the contest this year, said its important to have a hand in as many projects as possible to enter an industry where “it’s less about where you’re from and more about what you’ve done and, by extension, what you’re capable of doing.”

The TORCH

Film. Ideas. Reels. Cameras. Vision. For more than two decades, the College of Professional Studies has given students, especially TV and Film majors, an opportunity to combine these elements and cultivate their ideas to compete for a title.

They will host its 23rd annual Video and Film Competition this year. The contest, which began in 1984 and was originally hosted by the Sony Corporation, invites students to submit original work with the possibility of winning certificates and cash prizes of up to $100.

All current students are eligible to compete. Work must be completed and turned in by April 26 at 3:00 p.m.

Professor Thomas Caputi, the director of the Television and Film Studies program, said the competition is focused on bringing out the best and most creative films and videos shot by St. John’s students.

“Participation is a step in preparing students for careers in the industry,and often becomes a part of the

student’s demo reel and resume,” said Caputi.

Tyler Herwick, a sophomore Mass Communications major, said competitions like this help push forward projects that might otherwise be stuck in pre-production forever.

“The competition really acts as a creative pressure cooker,” he said.

Dan Komarinetz, a Communication Arts major who graduated last year, entered his short film The Number in the contest and won last year’s Best Video award.

“I was proud of my film and wanted to see if other people thought it was any good,” he said. “That feedback encouraged me to just keep going and try to top myself.”

Participants spend the fall semester and the majority of the spring brainstorming, writing, casting, directing, producing and editing original films.

Scheduling shoots, checking weather reports and finding essential equipment and props are priorities for students.

St John’s alumni who currently work in the film and video industries are recruited to judge entries. Caputi said that technical quality, creativity and innovative

18 Nov. 2009

Annual contest offers more than just a prize

FEATURES

Throughout the fall semester, St. John’s students have been able to earn points for attending campus events, as part of the MVP Rewards Program, developed by Student Affairs.

John Kelly, graduate assistant of Student Engagement, said he feels the program is working well so far. “[The MVP Student Rewards Program] has been extremely successful during its first two months in existence, and we look forward to its continued success and evolution,” he said.

Christina Zaccarelli, vice president of Student Government, echoed Kelly’s sentiments.

“The student response has been very positive. We have seen a major increase in attendance from last year to this year,” she said.

According to the Office of Student Engagement, as of October 2009, 6,095 students have participated in MVP events. There has also been an increase in the number of students who have attended athletic games with 2,693 attending events in October 2009, up from he 861 who attended in October 2008, and an increase in the amount of students who attended Homecoming and Family Weekend.

Although the program has been seen as a success, some students were not aware of the MVP program until later in the semester. Sophomore Samah Mozumder said she did not know about the program until she first encountered an MVP Reward event by chance.

“I just stumbled upon a booth at the Activities Fair that offered to swipe my Stormcard for points,” she said.

Kelly was one of the main individuals responsible for spearheading this program, in addition to Mary Pelkowski, associate dean for Student Engagement.

According to Kelly, the idea for a student engagement rewards program had been tossed around for some time preceding spring 2009, when students and admin-

istration met to formalize a plan for the program.

In order to gain points, students can attend a variety of events on campus, which include athletic games, Redzone student section away trips, campus activities, commuter programs, weekend events, campus recreation, fitness classes, Career Center workshops, LEADership development events, academic lectures and Student Wellness events.

The MVP Student Rewards Program works as follows: each time students swipe their Stormcards at an event or athletic game, MVP “points” accumulate on their cards, making them eligible to receive prizes when they have reached a certain amount.

Upon reaching 25 points, students can receive a free Seein’ Red T-Shirt and at 50 points, students receive a long-sleeved St. John’s T-Shirt along with a free drink from either Starbucks at the Queens Campus’ D’Angelo Center, or from Dunkin’ Donuts at the Staten Island campus. Students may track their points online via their UIS accounts.

However, students on the Manhattan campus do not have the same opportunities to gain MVP points, like the other campuses. Mary Wang, a sophomore Manhattan resident student, feels that it is of an unfair advantage for students who already live on the Queens or Staten Island campuses.

“If I want to get any points, I have to trek out to the Queens campus and attend events,” she said.

Beyond 50 points, students can save up for more elaborate prizes, such as movie tickets, an official Redzone Student Section backpack, gift cards, MetroCards, and an X-Box or iPod Touch.

And at the end of the year, the student who has amassed the most points will receive a $500 American Express gift card.

A full breakdown of point values can be viewed in the MVP Student Rewards Program brochure on the MVP Points link on the University’s Web site.

According to the MVP Student Rewards Brochure, unused points rollover from the fall to the spring semester; points expire at the end of the last week of classes of the spring semester; a student’s points can only be redeemed the last week of each month. Prizes are subject

22

Twitter tweets into SJU St. John’s joins the latest social network to update students EARL BENJAMIN JR. Contributing Writer

FEATURES

Students and faculty can now check the latest “tweet” from St. John’s University due to the recent installment of STJnow Twitter on the St. John’s Central Web site.

The Twitter account was launched on St. John’s Central on Oct. 5. After Facebook and MySpace, Twitter is the third largest online social networking Web site with an estimated five million users around the world.

The online site allows users to post text-based messages up to 140 characters which are displayed on the site’s public timeline.

The users can send and receive posts that are known as “tweets.” The site has been gaining popularity due to its simplicity, which enables users to post updates via mobile texting, instant message or the Web. According to John Kelly, graduate assistant for Student Engagement, the primary purpose of the STJnow Twitter is for it to be viewed through the widget in St. John’s Central. This provides many benefits for St. John’s students and faculty.

“St. John’s Central has thousands of unique logins every day, and using it as the medium of communication allows students who do not have Twitter accounts to receive information,” he said.

“The secondary benefit to using Twitter is that students can ‘opt-in’ to receive updates on their personal computers and mobile devices.”

Frank Jerome, Student Affairs business analyst and Student Affairs social media committee chair, said he feels the using the social network has lead to more opportunities for the University to connect to students.

“The real time capability of Twitter provides a unique advantage,” he said. “Using our initial Twitter account at STJnow, we seek to engage students by making them aware of events, primarily large scale, signature events, through this feed that is easily viewable through St. John’s Central.

“Our main objective with Twitter, and all other social media, is to establish a two-way communication with students. Every idea the Student Affairs Social Media Committee implements has this goal in mind.”

18 Nov. 2009 The TORCH

reflective as is our institution’s enriched campus life,” he said.

“Twitter is still in its early stages on this campus. We see this as an advantage as we are one step ahead and will be ready when this platform does grow.”

Saida Harrigan, a junior, said she thinks the new integration of Twitter on St. John’s Central helps keep her informed better.

“I don’t really use my Twitter account that much,” she said.

“It makes it easier for me to find the specifics for campus activities with updates that are directly on the school Web site.”

Myron White, a senior, said he enjoys the new application, even though he is not a Twitter user.

“Seeing that I do not have Twitter, I think it is cool to see the updates without having to create an account. The updates will definitely save me time,” he said.

Jerome said he believes Twitter will help bring students together, and serves as a better communication system.

“Our long-term goal is to have these platforms serve as a sandbox for students,” he said.

“The ultimate result would be to establish an online virtual community that allows students to interact with us and one another in a meaningful way; in a way that balances traditional academic and social life.”

Free language software available through SJU CHANEL DRUMMOND Staff Writer

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TORCH ILLUSTRATION/MIKE MONTIJO

The topic of the St. John’s Central Twitter was introduced last year through dialogue between Student Affairs, Student Government, Inc. and Information Technology.

This allowed for a new organization to form, the Social Media Committee, which is comprised of students and administrators. According to Kelly, the committee seeks to leverage social media to create new avenues of interactive and collaborative communication about campus events to students. Updates for the Twitter account are handled by members of the Student Affairs Social Media Committee.

“Content fed through Twitter is based on major Student Engagement initiatives that are open to all students and primarily focuses in the areas of Weekend engagement, commuter engagement and athletic engagement. Other announcements, particularly those from student organizations can be posted, as well,” said Kelly.

Kelly also said that it benefits students because those who are not Twitter users can also receive updates on St. John’s Central.

Jerome said he feels the Twitter account feedback on the St. John’s Central Web site has been good so far.

“We have grown from zero to over 200 followers in about a month. The natural consequence would then be an online environment that is as engaging, vibrant and

St. John’s University, one of the leading wireless universities in the country, has expanded its databases to provide the University community access to a new Web-based language software program. Tell Me More, a language-learning software has been made available on St. John’s Central and all incoming freshman laptops starting this school year.

Available in six languages, (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Dutch) the program offers a comprehensive language-learning solution for all undergraduate, graduate and law students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Tell Me More covers essential areas of language such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar and vocabulary.

Millard Yoder, assistant director of ESL Languages and Literature in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the installation of the Tell Me More software was not always available to the St. John’s University databases.

“The Tell Me More software started becoming available to the St John’s University community mid-summer but it wasn’t widely available because of licensing agreements between the university and the organization,” said Yoder.

Yoder said that Chinese, Japanese and Arabic are

not yet available on university computers but can be installed through IT or Laptop Support Services.

Yoder states that the Tell Me More software is primarily beneficial for those in language programs or classes, especially for those in global studies.

The new software offers advanced speech recognition to reduce accents and assist students in imitating the language they are learning.

The program lets users complete grammar sections, a wide variety of reading and writing exercises, a “cultural workshop,” placement and progress tests, and an interactive tracking feature that will allow students and faculty to follow the progress they are making.

International students can also take advantage of the program. They will be able to access continuous ESL (English as a Second Language) support via their laptops.

To log in to Tell Me More, undergraduate students can simply type in the username used on St. John’s Central. A guided tutorial is also made available on the homepage of Tell Me More to help students choose their learning path. For graduate students, law students and university employees, registration is required.

To register, log onto UIS, go to Personal Menu, and complete the survey found there under “Answer a Survey.”

After the survey is submitted, new users will be able access the Tell Me More database the following business day.

With two learning paths, everyday vocabulary and professional or business related areas, Tell Me More acts

as a step-by-step learning guide. The online language learning database also features five learning levels ranging from beginner to expert, helping students adapt to the program based on their objectives.

Before selecting their learning paths, new users can choose from two modes, guided to just perform the activities as they are presented or free roam to select the topics, activities or skills users are interested in.

Tell Me More has three kinds of tests: a placement test which helps users find the proper level before starting the program with scores ranging from 0-10, a progress test to evaluate what students have learned and an achievement test which is only made available twice lasting 60-90 minutes.

With 37 different types of activities, students are expected to try and reproduce the native speaker’s pronunciation. Tell Me More also offers a video clip, different for each language, that will be downloaded weekly for use in learning about the current events and culture in your target language.

“Tell Me More has a broad range of activities not meant to replace the language lab or language classes but just perform the same tasks, it is just another piece that anybody can use,” said Yoder.

For support, undergraduate and graduate students are asked to visit the computer lab in Sullivan Hall to help with software installation and proper running the language lab in St. Augustine Hall B48 for questions about software use.

Faculty and administrators are asked to contact the E-Studio or call ext. 5000 for support.

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Two free throws for the show

Boothe’s free throws with seconds remaining give St. John’s the road win KATIE BECKMANN Staff Writer

SPORTS

Down by one, with 6.2 seconds left in Tuesday’s game against St. Bonaventure, the St. John’s men’s basketball team needed someone to step up and be a hero.

ST. JOHN’S

69

ST. BONAVENTURE

68

After the Bonnies overcame a 7-poin deficit, junior point guard Malik Boothe put on his best superman act and made the play of the game, driving the length of the floor and drawing the foul on the Bonnies’ Chris Matthews to receive the potential two winning free throws.

“This was a play where my coach wanted me to make a play for myself or for someone else and I saw the open lane,” said Boothe. “I knew that I was going to make those free throws. I was worried about getting a stop on the defensive end.”

Boothe calmly made the two free throws to lift St. John’s over host St. Bonaventure at 69-68 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY. “He wanted the ball in his hands and we wanted him to make a play,” said Head Coach Norm Roberts.

“I thought our guys played hard and fought well for this win,” said Roberts. “We were very tough but our we didn’t execute that well. This early in the season, teams aren’t going to

execute well. Malik making those free throws for us were huge.”

Besides Boothe, St. John’s was led by the dynamic duo of juniors D.J. Kennedy and Paris Horne, who scored 18 points and 15 points, respectively.

Junior forward Sean Evans added nine points and two rebounds while Dwight Hardy and Justin Brownlee both came off the bench and added seven points apiece.

As a team, the Red Storm shot 25-for-36 from the field, including 8-for-17 from three-point range.

St. John’s also received a great boost off the bench from the return of freshman point guard Malik Stith, who split time at point guard with Boothe and Hardy.

“He (Stith) allows us to play faster and play harder,” said Roberts.

Stith missed the team’s opener against LIU due to injury.

Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure led all scorers with 26 points.

With the win, St. John’s improves to 2-0, while St. Bonaventure drops to 1-1.

“I’m excited about this team,” said Roberts. “We needed a win like this to be able to take the next step forward and it was a great atmosphere tonight.”

Despite the close finish, Boothe said the close finish was good for the team, especially early in the season.

“This was a great test for us early on the road,” said Boothe. “You never know with any of these teams, on any given night any team can win.”

St. John’s hosts Brown this Friday at Carnesecca Arena at 7 p.m.

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Malik Boothe made the two game-winning free throws Tuesday.

Hardy fulfills dream of suiting up for Storm

torchonline.com

The TORCH

18 Nov. 2009

BILL SAN ANTONIO Sports Editor Three years ago, Dwight Hardy averaged 39.0 points per game as a senior at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx and turned the heads of scouts at St. John’s and the University of Illinois.

Growing up, Hardy dreamed of one day putting on the Red Storm men’s basketball uniform, but with lackluster grades his senior year, that dream would have to be put on hold.

Hardy spent a year at the Patterson School, a prep school in North Carolina before transferring to Indian Hills Community College (Iowa), where he amassed over 1,000 career points and earned back-to-back selections to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s all-region team.

In November 2008, the opportunity to play at

PHOTO COURTSEY OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Transfer guard Dwight Hardy scored 12 points in his St. John’s debut Friday against LIU. St. John’s presented itself, and Hardy earned a spot on the Red Storm’s roster as a scholarship player.

Dream and opportunity collided on Nov. 13, as Hardy played his first game with the Red Storm in an 83-70 win over LIU. He played 25 minutes and scored 14 points, alternating

between point guard and shooting guard duties.

“He’s acclimated very well to major division I college basketball,” said Red Storm Head Coach Norm Roberts.

“It’s very rare that he takes a bad shot. He is always thinking team first, and he wants to do whatever it takes to win.”

Hardy said he’s felt comfortable adjusting to his new but all-too-familiar surroundings because he’s gradually eased into a role as a complete player. He likes that he has the confidence from his coaches to be an aggressor on offense, but appreciates that the burden hasn’t been placed entirely on his shoulders, like

it was at Kennedy and and Indian Hills, where he led the team to a 30-3 record in his sophomore season after averaging 18.9 points per game.

“Now that I’m at the big stage finally I’m anxious to see what I’m going to do,” Hardy said. “Coming here I didn’t think my role would be to score as much, but coach really wants me to be aggressive, and I prefer that role.”

Hardy rounds out a four-man recruiting class as its star prospect from New York City. In his time at Patterson and at Indian Hills, New York City was never too far from mind, as he would return to play in summer leagues, where he earned the nickname “D-Buckets” for his ability to score in bunches.

“Dwight is going to be an immediate impact guy for us,” Roberts said. “He’s able to do an assortment of different things, shoot the basketball, score, make the pass, and defend which makes him a real complete player.”

25

WOMEN’S SOCCER

They’re at the end of the line Women’s Soccer’s NCAA Tournament run ends with loss to Virginia KATIE BECKMANN Staff Writer

The story remained the same for the St. John’s women’s soccer team during their 2009 season.

They couldn’t find the back of the net on offense and the defense of sophomore goalkeeper Kristin Russell and seniors Tara Mendoza, Nicole Doran, Vaila Barsley, and Courtney Lane wouldn’t let any opposing teams find the back of the net.

VIRGINIA

0 (3)

ST. JOHN’S

0 (1)

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Raelynn Lee had a team-high two shots on net against Virginia Friday.

Tracking the Storm: Year in Review The women’s soccer team began the season with three straight wins, including a win over then-No. 12 USC on the road.

After taking a slight tumble at Princeton, the Red Storm rattled off five consecutive wins and were ranked as high as No. 15 nationally.

On Sept. 13, St. John’s defeated then-No. 12 Indiana at home 2-1.

C.J. Ludemann scored the first goal and assisted Tara Mendoza on the game-winner.

The Red Storm amassed road wins at Pittsburgh and Seton Hall during conference play, defeating Louisville and South Florida at home and dropping games to Cincinnati, West Virginia, Rutgers

and Marquette.

In the Big East Tournament, St. John’s defeated Georgetown in double overtime on a goal by Mendoza in the 102nd minute.

That victory would be short-lived, as the team dropped its next game against a Notre Dame team that went undefeated in conference play during the regular season and would eventually win the conference championship.

For the Red Storm’s accomplishments during the regular season, the NCAA rewarded them with a berth in the national tournament. It was the first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history.

without a loss. For those of you counting at home, the Red Storm scored 20 goals since their last loss on September 25. Not bad for a team that went four games without scoring one.

Blink once and the Red Storm were looking up in the Big East standings. Blink again and you missed their second Big East championship in as many years. That’s how quickly it happened.

So Dave Masur and his team may not necessarily believe in streaks, but it may very well be two streaks that won him the Big East championship and saved the season.

Without the team’s current unbeaten streak, the Red Storm would have been an NCAA bubble team at best, with nearly as many ties as wins to their overall record.

They’d be just another

schizophrenic offense that excells on defense.

And the Red Storm scored at least two goals in each of their last five games entering Sunday’s match. Without the sharp offense – the inverse of those early season struggles – they may very well have had a hard time scoring against the Irish.

Thanks to streaks, the best soccer is still yet to come for Masur’s team. The Red Storm learned Monday that their perseverance through the frustrating stretches and the successes this season would not go overlooked, as it earned a first-round bye and a No. 13 seed in the NCAA, where the team advanced to the College Cup last year.

So, at least for the time being, the Red Storm’s streaking will continue.

torchonline.com

stretch, Head Coach Dave Masur told the TORCH that the team’s gameplan would not change, and that his team did not focus on the scoreless streak they were in. They would go out and play a tight defensive game and attack as best as they could offensively. And make no mistake; their offense did not need fixing.

Their expectations, in fact, were as high as ever. The team still expected to win every game as if they were still on top.

It didn’t seem justifiable.

How could a team that couldn’t

score win games? Defenses may win championships, but offenses score points and, at the very least, manage time.

Surely something needed to be done.

Then something happened.

Tadeu Terra scored against Villanova on Oct. 3, and everything changed. The team immediately got its mojo back.

As soon as it took to fall out of the Top 25 in the NSCAA/adidas rankings, as soon as it took to go four games without scoring a single goal, the Red Storm went on a 13-game unbeaten streak – and a six-game winning streak – that culminated Sunday in a 5-3 shootout victory over Notre Dame after a scoreless stalemate during regulation and two overtimes of the Big East Championship game.

Thirteen consecutive games

The TORCH

Midway through the men’s soccer season, it was a pretty safe bet that the St. John’s Red Storm were not a strong pick to win either Big East championship.

Though the Red Storm gave opponents all they could handle defensively, and though their new goalkeeper, Derby Carrillo, eventually finished the season atop the conference shutouts list, the Johnnies could not consistently score goals.

Over the span of 374 minutes, the Red Storm did not once find the back of the net.

They went 0-1-3 over that span in late September, and a team that was once favored in both the conference and national rankings suddenly began to spiral downward. The northeast’s perennial soccer powerhouse began to crumble.

During that beleaguered

18 Nov. 2009

The streaks saved the men’s soccer season

SPORTS

The Red Storm reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and nearly defeated ACC powerhouse Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Penn State. The Red Storm fell 3-1 to the Cavaliers on penalty kicks after scoreless regulation and overtime periods.

The loss to Virginia marks the end to one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history and the college careers of the 15 Red Storm seniors who have built the program.

The senior class finished with an all-time record of 43-21-17.

“I am really happy that this phenomenal senior class got the opportunity to make program history and play in the NCAA Tournament,” said Stone.

“I think we defended really well and left everything out on the field,” Stone said. “We played against an outstanding team and our defended really well.

I’m tremendously proud of my girls.”

The Red Storm played a hard-fought game and survived a fury of shots from the talented Virginia offense.

The Red Storm was out shot 39-6 for the game. Russell once again was a force in the net, stonewalling the

Cavalier onslaught and making 10 saves on the game. With the shutout, St. John’s tied the single season program record, with 10.

“Virginia’s offense was very fast and attacked us well,” Mendoza said. “ As a team, from their defense to forwards, they were a very strong and technical team.”

The Cavaliers gave the Red Storm little opportunities on net.

Sophomore Jen Leaverton and senior Kelly McConnell each had near-misses on net in the first half.

In overtime, senior Katie Haas nearly won the game when she had a one-onone with Virginia’s Chantel Jones, but Jones made the diving save to help the Cavaliers reach penalty kicks.

“They possessed the ball really well,” Said Stone. “We were forced to defend a lot. There were occasions when we had great situations, but were unable to finish.”

McConnell and junior Raelynne Lee each had a team high of two shots, while Haas and Leaverton each added a shot.

For Mendoza, a four-year starter, this season has been a result of all of the hard work that they have put in for the past four years.

“We had a great start to the season and went undefeated until Princeton and we made it to this point. We learned from every loss,” she said. “It means a lot to us, from the freshmen to the seniors to the coaching staff. I feel privileged to be on this team.”

The team is ranked No. 15 in the nation with a save percentage of .870 and No. 19 with a goals against average of .628. Russell is ranked 20th in the nation with a .866 save percentage.

They were also the main reason to why Ian Stone’s team had one of the most memorable and successful seasons in the program’s history.

“There were so many firsts, the NCAA tournament, getting as far as we did in the Big East,” Said Stone. “There have been so many great memories from the girls.”

26

MEN’S SOCCER

Right on the money Men’s Soccer wins Big East Tournament on last penalty kick in shootout MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer

SPORTS

The St. John’s men’s soccer team has had a reputation as a tough defensive team all year long.

ST. JOHN’S

0 (5)

NOTRE DAME

0 (3)

In Sunday’s Big East Tournament championship game, the Red Storm lived up to that reputation.

St. John’s held Notre Dame scoreless during regulation and overtime, and defeated the Fightin’ Irish 5-3 on penalty kicks, to win the Big East Tournament for a conference-record eighth time.

Notre Dame had advanced in the last two rounds of the tournament on penalty kicks.

The third time, it turned out, was not the charm.

After neither goalkeeper could lay a finger on the first five shots, senior goalkeeper Derby Carrillo made a diving stop on a blast to his left by Notre Dame midfielder Matt Thomas.

It was the only stop Carrillo made, and the only stop he would need to make.

Sophomore defender Connor Lade put home the final kick to seal the game, and the Big East championship.

“Penalty kicks are always a tough way to lose,” Head Coach Dave Masur said. “We had to make sure our guys stayed very focused. Our guys did a great job and Derby did a great job of being really being really

alert. He made a great save on Thomas and our guys really hit their penalties well.”

After their mini offensive explosion during the first half of Friday’s semifinal win over Providence, the Johnnies managed to put up just five shots and two shots on goal in the first half Sunday, with no corner kicks.

Offensively, the Johnnies struggled to get much going. Notre Dame was able to successfully control the ball in their attacking end for most of the game.

However, the Red Storm had a good scoring chance in the 17th minute.

After a Notre Dame handball on their own half of the field, junior midfielder Sverre Wegge Gundhus launched an indirect kick into the box. It was controlled by sophomore midfielder Pablo Punyed at the top of the box. He tried to beat Notre Dame goalkeeper Andrew Quinn on the left side of the net, but was stopped, unable to get enough on the shot.

“We need to continue to improve on choices on the ball,” said Masur.

Despite this, St. John’s was able to keep the Irish off the board through two overtimes.

The game went to penalty kicks.

The lineup for the Red Storm included senior midfielder Nelson Becerra, junior midfielder Tadeu Terra, sophomore defender Bjorn de Hoop, senior defender Joel Gustafsson, and Lade.

Despite this, the St. John’s defense held the Irish to just four shots and one shot on goal in the half to keep the game

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Sophomore midfielder Connor Lade scored the Tournament-winning penalty kick. tied going into the locker room.

The second half was more of the same, except Notre Dame’s senior forward Bright Dike tried to make things interesting.

The Big East’s leading scorer put three shots on goal in the second half, including two that Carrillo could barely deflect away from the net.

Dike finished with six

shots on the day and numerous headaches caused for the undermanned St. John’s defense, who played without second team All-Big East defender Ben Clack for the second straight game.

“We played against a very dangerous team,” Head Coach Dave Masur said. “The back four did a great job.”

Five players made the All-Tournament team, including Lade, Carrillo, Gundhus, senior defender David Reed and sophomore forward Walter Hines. Hines took home the Most Outstanding Offensive Player award, while Carrillo won the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award.

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The TORCH

18 Nov. 2009

Men’s soccer on road to redemption in NCAAs DYLAN KITTS Staff Writer The memory of losing to Maryland, 1-0, in last year’s College Cup, soccer’s version of the Final Four, has lingered in the heads of the St. John’s men’s soccer team throughout the year.

“We have always had that in the back of our heads,” St. John’s senior Nelson Beccera said. “We (kept thinking we) lost that game and that we have to get back up there. We have to get it right.”

“You can tell by the players, they are really determined to prove to ourselves and the nation that we can win a national championship,” St. John’s junior Sverre Wegge Gundhus said.

With the NCAA Tournament bracket released Monday night, the Red Storm (9-2-9) can now envision what their path to redemption will be.

Garnering the No. 13 overall seed, St. John’s earned a first round bye in the 48-team tournament. They will host the

winner of Dartmouth and Boston College on Sunday night at 6 p.m.

“Boston College is a perennially top-level team in the ACC,” said Head Coach Dave Masur, who will be making his 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

“Two years ago they won both the regular season and Tournament championship,” he said. “Dartmouth is a great team. They have some great international players from New Zealand and Zimbabwe, and they played a very tough schedule. Either team will be a very challenging opponent.”

This year, Boston College defeated North Carolina (No. 5 seed in the Tournament), at North Carolina, 2-1. Later in October, they also beat Wake Forest (No. 3 seed) 1-0. Dartmouth tied with Connecticut early in the season and came close to upsetting Harvard (seeded 10th) and South Florida.

In the program’s history, St. John’s all-time record against Boston College is 12-5-1, with Dartmouth 1-1.

“We have to treat every (team) equal,”

Gundhus said. “It’s going to be a tough match whoever we play. It’s going to be a tough match no matter how you look at it.”

In last year’s tournament, the No. 13-seeded North Carolina made a run to the College Cup final, where they lost to Maryland, 1-0.

St. John’s will be riding into the NCAA’s with momentum. On a six game winning streak, highlighted by their 0-0 (5-3) shootout win in the Big East Championship against Notre Dame, the Red Storm has dominated their opponents. In five of the six games, they have shut out their opponent and/or scored at least two goals.

“It’s great, our momentum can’t be better after winning a championship,” Becerra said. “Every other game we are playing better.”

“We really have good momentum and atmosphere in the locker room,” Gundhus said. “The bus ride home from West Virginia was fantastic. We want to build on that victory. We have confidence

in our game. We have confidence in our game plan.”

Masur does not see any significant difference in the team from the beginning of the season to now.

“I don’t really know what the difference is,” Masur said. “We are finding ways to put in goals now. We have kept focus. It hasn’t been much that’s changed.”

Returning all but three starters from last year’s team, they believe last year’s experience can be vital to making a second run to the College Cup, which will be held at Wakemed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

“I think we learned a lot about playing more than just 90 minutes,” Becerra said. “Being concentrated the whole game, defend, communicate, running, all the little stuff we have to do to be a winning team.”

One thing is clear, the team will only be satisfied if they make it there again.

“We are just looking forward to getting back to the final four and this time getting it done,” Beccera said.

27

RED STORM STATISTICS MEN’S SOCCER

TORCH SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

STANDINGS

STORM

CAST

STANDINGS

Team

Conference

Overall

Blue Connecticut Notre Dame West Virginia Georgetown Providence Marquette Seton Hall Pittsburgh

8-2-1 8-3 6-3-2 6-5 5-4-2 3-5-3 1-7-3 1-9-1

11-4-3 10-7-2 7-5-6 9-8-2 10-6-3 4-11-3 4-10-3 2-13-2

Red Louisville St. John’s South Florida Villanova Rutgers DePaul Cincinnati Syracuse

8-2-1 6-1-4 6-3-2 5-5-1 5-6 5-6 3-8 2-9

13-2-3 8-2-8 13-3-3 9-8-2 9-10 8-9-3 8-10 3-15

Big East Team Notre Dame Cincinnati Pittsburgh Louisville Syracuse South Florida Connecticut Seton Hall West Virginia Marquette Villanova Georgetown Rutgers St. John’s DePaul

L 0 2 2 4 5 5 7 8 8 8 9 10 11 12 14

W 20 22 20 17 21 17 14 12 17 17 16 14 10 9 6

STATISTICS AS OF NOVEMBER

LEAGUE LEADERS

L 4 9 8 10 10 8 16 18 13 12 13 16 19 21 23

Leavin’ their Mark Volleyball wraps season The St. John’s Volleyball team finished off the 2009 season with a 3-0 loss (25-12, 25-17, 25-10) to Cincinnati on the road Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore Darlene Ramdin led the way for the Red Storm once again, leading the team with nine kills, and also added seven digs and two blocks. Junior Kun Song recorded a team-high of nine digs, and also added five kills. Freshman Gabriela Petkova added 16 assists, one ace and seven digs.

The Red Storm, who had won three consecutive Big East Championships coming into the 2009 season, were unable to overcome the graduation of some key players, and had freshmen such as Ashley Asing and Gabriela Petkova stepping into important roles. The Red Storm finished the season at 9-21 overall, and 2-12 in the Big East, which was good for second-to-last place in the

17

LEAGUE LEADERS

Assists

Goals

1. Alvarez, UConn 2. Mohammed, USF

1. Rolfe, LOU Dike, ND 3. Welker, SHU Braun, LOU Vroom, DPU Mangan, DPU

11 9 3. Wegge Gundhus, STJ 8 4. Seamon, VU 7

W 14 10 10 8 8 8 7 6 6 6 5 4 3 2 0

Overall

10 10 8 8 8 8

Kills Per Set

Digs Per Set

1. Ramdin, STJ 4.27 2. Arslanbekova, LOU 4.25 3. Niemer, CIN 4.20 4. Gurgel, USF 3.91

1. Maroon, VU 2. Matters, SHU 3. Rossi, PITT 4. West, W.VA

6.02 5.17 4.79 4.47

Women’s hoops inks two

WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE LEADERS

STANDINGS Team

Team

Conference Overall

7-2-2 6-4-1 5-3-3 5-4-2 5-5-1 3-3-5 3-6-2 2-8-1

National Notre Dame Rutgers Georgetown Villanova DePaul Cincinnati Louisville Seton Hall

10-0-1 7-1-3 6-4-1 4-4-3 5-6 3-7-1 1-7-1 1-9-1

13-4-2 12-5-1 8-5-6 8-7-3 10-7-1 8-5-5 8-8-3 5-11-3

14-3-1 13-2-4 12-5-2 11-4-4 10-8-2 8-10-1 5-11-1 5-12-1

Assists 1. Wells, GU 2. Augustin, ND 3. Baker, GU 4. D’Ambrisi, GU

Goals 11 9 8 7

1. Henderson, ND 2. Ryan, VU 3. Fowlkes, ND 4. Romagnuolo, SU Klotz, USF

17 11 10 9 9

Blowin’ in the Wind

Barnes Arico wins 200th career game MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer

ST. JOHN’S

89

STONY BROOK

52

“

”

-Women’s basketball Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico on winning her 200th career game

Headin’ this Way Red Storm home games

Men’s Soccer: Nov. 22 Boston College/ 6:00 p.m.

Dartmouth

Men’s Basketball: Nov. 20 Brown Nov. 21 Boston Univ.

7:00 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

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Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com/sports

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The TORCH

The win was Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico’s 200th career in her 14th year of coaching, an impressive accomplishment considering the program was at the bottom of the Big East conference when she took over.

“It’s a really special thing to be a part of,” said senior forward Joy McCorvey.

Barnes Arico wasn’t exactly throwing herself a party afterwards. She kept it in perspective.

“It just means I’ve been coaching a long time,” she said with a laugh. “I wasn’t thinking about it. I was really just anxious to see how we played.”

She was not disappointed.

St. John’s entered opening night with high expectations. With four returning

9-for-10 shooting. Freshman guard Shenneika Smith, ranked the No. 7 player in her class by ESPN, impressed as well with 17 points and eight rebounds. Junior guard Sky Lindsay added 10 points and four rebounds.

Two other freshmen, Nadirah McKenith and Eugeneia McPherson, also played major minutes as well. McKenith scored six points with three rebounds and five assists, while McPherson tallied five points, three rebounds and an assist.

“Shenneika Smith, Eugenia McPherson and Nadirah McKenith all played significant minutes in their freshman debut,” said Barnes Arico. “All of them made an impact and will continue to make an impact throughout the year.”

“The freshmen were great,” added McCorvey, “They came in and gave great minutes when they were on the court.

They worked hard and did what was expected of them.”

Perhaps most importantly, according to McCorvey, “They got the freshman jitters out now.”

McCorvery had a good game herself.

The senior led the team in rebounds with nine and added eight points It is the third straight opening game win for St. John’s. They travel to Amherst to play UMass on Wednesday.

18 Nov. 2009

The St. John’s women’s basketball team’s opening 89-52 thrashing of Stony Brook on Sunday had a little extra significance.

starters and a top flight recruiting class, big things are expected out of the Red Storm this year.

For one night at least, they lived up to the hype.

The Johnnies jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, and didn’t ease up until going into the locker room with a 48-14 halftime lead.

It was, Barnes Arico said, the perfect start to a season.

The second half was more competitive as St. John’s played more reserves. Every player on the team got onto the floor, with nobody playing more than 27 minutes “We came in with a lot of energy,” said Barnes Arico. “We showed great depth.”

In addition to depth, the Red Storm showed off many scoring threats. Three players scored in double figures, and nine had at least five points.

“I thought we had good balance,” said Barnes Arico. “It’s just good to see them in a real game. You have a lot of question marks and a lot of times people come into games and play differently than they’ve been practicing.”

There were no such surprises on Sunday. The reigning Big East Freshman of the Year, sophomore guard Da’Shena Stevens, led the team with 22 points on

It just means I’ve been coaching a long time. I wasn’t thinking about it. I was really just anxious to see how we played.

SPORTS

American Marquette St. John’s West Virginia South Florida Connecticut Pittsburgh Providence Syracuse

Conference Overall

The women’s basketball team began improving for the 2010-11 season early, by announcing the signings of Keylantra Langley and Briana Brown, two guards from Connecticut.

“Both Briana and Keylantra come from outstanding families, and I am really looking forward to coaching them. They are the kind of players that every coach wants in their program because they work really hard on the court and they are great in the classroom.”

The Red Storm’s 2009-10 recruiting class was ranked No. 7 nationally by ESPN.

SPORTS 18 NOVEMBER 2009 | VOLUME 87, ISSUE 12 | TORCHONLINE.COM

TORCH PHOTO/ LAURA AMATO

TORCHSPORTS.WORDPRESS.COM

The women’s basketball team opened its season with an 89-52 road win at Stony Brook.

The women’s soccer team lost in its second-round NCAA Tournament game to Virginia.

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