The Torch

Travel warning brings global threat to St. John’s NELL O’CONNOR Managing Editor A recent warning by the U.S. State Department has left many schools wondering if it is safe to send their students abroad.

The warning, issued on October 3, cautioned all American citizens traveling in Europe to be vigilant in the wake of new information about potential terrorist acts. New intelligence obtained by several European countries indicated that there is an imminent threat, although it is impossible to say when and where.

St. John’s, with its increasingly large study abroad program, has taken the warning to heart and is carefully monitoring the conditions surrounding University students.

After the warning was released, the University’s Office of Global Studies reached out to all students studying abroad to remind them to be aware of what is happening around them, according to a statement on its website.

Mark Eckman, the assistant director of Global Student Services in the Office of Global Studies, spoke to the TORCH about the University’s students who are currently studying abroad and how the department and school are dealing with the situation.

According to his office, there are currently 129 students studying abroad, with 122 in one of the three programs centered in Western Europe. The Discover the World program hosts the largest contingent, with 84 students traveling between Rome, Paris and Salamanca.

TORCH GRAPHIC/MICHAEL MONTIJO

WHAT’S INSIDE News......................1-4 Comics.....................14 Opinion..................5-8 Entertainment....15-16 Features.............12-13 Sports.................17-20

MUSIC’S MOST WANTED?

“Hit or Miss” Inferno reviews Gucci Mane’s latest endeavor to remain rap’s hottest target.

ENTER RTAINMENT Pg. 16

-Continued on pg. 3

TORCHONLINE.COM

82% Yes Do you think smoking should 18% No be banned on campus?

Check out our new poll every Wednesday “Think Outside. . .”

2

Directory

Managing Board LXXXVIII

JUSTIN THRIFT, Editor-in-Chief NELL O’CONNOR, Managing Editor MARK MCDONALD, General Manager SARA CAHILL MARRON BILL SAN ANTONIO

MICHAEL MONTIJO

News Editor

Sports Editor

Art Director

CAROLYN WARGULA

KRISTEN FARMER

SARAH LANE

Features Editor

Photo Editor

Chief Copy Editor

ADELLE PLATON

BRIAN LOPEZ

ELIZABETH MILLER

Entertainment Editor Asst. Photo Editor

Layout Editor

JOSÉ SILVA

ELLEN CAREY

Online Editor

Advisor

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

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

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

Entertainment Attack of the Ninja Shinobi Ninja uses their talents to transform into this week’s “First Listen” artist.

Inferno Pg. 16

Features Mp3 Experiment Improv Everywhere sponsored a fun event in Bryant Park for over 4,000 excited participants.

TORCH PHOTO/NELL O’CONNOR

Features Pg. 13

Women’s Soccer Slipping Away Women’s soccer team has lost six of its last eight games.

NEWS

Sports Pg. 18

torchonline.com

The TORCH

13 Oct. 2010

OPINION

FITNESS CENTER PG. 7

TORCH Corrections In the Oct. 6, 2010 issue of The TORCH, an article called “Community reacts to students in off-campus housing” reported that the Jamaica Estate Association met on Sept. 21 with St. John’s and residents of the surrounding community. According to Dr. Edward Toriello, chairman of the board of the Jamaica Estates Association, the main effort of the group was not to simply point fingers at St. John’s students, but

at any person(s) who are not law abiding citizens. This statement was not reflected in the article.

Additionally, Dominic Scianna, the assistant vice president of Media Relations, was interviewed about a different subject matter than Dr. Toriello. The quotes from these two interviews do not refer to the same situation. The TORCH also regrets the various typos and grammatical mistakes that were made in the article.

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.

Students lined up for the “I Heart STJ” Homecoming 2010 giveaway. The line went up past the D’Angelo Center as students waited to get their free t-shirts and pajama pants.

3

Global terror threat reaches University students -Continued from pg. 1 He explained that there are no immediate plans to suspend the program and that the University is constantly monitoring the situation. Eckman also pointed out that since the State Department’s warning is vague and limited, making it difficult to pinpoint trouble spots that may require more concentration.

“It’s the opposite of specific,” Eckman said. “In that generality lies the biggest challenge. It’s difficult for us to formulate a concrete response.”

In an announcement on its website, the State Department cautioned Americans to be extra aware and take more precaution than usual while traveling in Europe.

Reports indicated that the plans being discussed by alQa’ida and other terrorist groups resembled those of the Mumbai attacks that occurred in 2008.

Over three days, a group of terrorists attacked two hotels, a subway station and a Jewish cultural center, leaving over 150 people dead.

The State Department’s warning emphasized that terrorists have been known to attack public transportation in particular, ranging from subways to aviation, which Eckman also emphasized.

He stated that his department was in communication with students, “advising [them] to consider their destinations” when traveling between countries.

Eckman also made it clear that the University has no plans to discontinue any of the abroad programs, so long as the situation stays as it is.

“Based on the information available to us right now, there is no plan in place to currently suspend the programs,” he said.

“It really depends on the kind of emergency that happens.”

Eckman also addressed what would happen in the event of an emergency and if students needed to be evacuated.

“If it gets to the point where students do need to be evacuated, we do have that in place,” he said.

The University has partnerships with several offsite firms that provide insurance and services for students studying abroad. One of these, HTH Worldwide, offers students medical insurance and has resources available to the University to properly evacuate the campuses.

However, Eckman also pointed out that depending on the type of emergency, it may be safer and wiser to keep students on the University campuses abroad, since they are guaranteed safety there.

Despite the warning, Eckman said that the programs have not been affected for the spring semester. The DTW and Paris semester programs are full, with the Rome semester not far behind.

Eckman admits that the department is “still continuing to receive questions from parents

and students,” but he does not think that students should allow the warning to deter them from signing up.

“I think that students always need to keep in mind their comfort level in going abroad, with or without a security alert,” he said.

Students at the University have not seemed shaken by the warning.

Kristen Sievert, a senior, studied abroad this summer on the Rome campus. She said that she felt comfortable during her time in Europe, particularly as part of the University.

“I felt really safe,” she said.

“We were on the Rome campus, everyone was so friendly. I didn’t feel threatened at all. Everyone [in the area] knew we were from St. John’s.”

Sievert said that she had spent some time in Germany previously, where she found the atmosphere to be slightly different. She felt that people were not as receptive to the American presence.

Jessica Gill, a senior, spent some time abroad this summer as well, although not in connection with the University. She vacationed in Paris and London and found the atmosphere to be similar to what Sievert experienced.

“When we went over the summer, I felt fine,” Gill said. “I didn’t feel in danger.”

For more information on travel warnings, visit the State Department’s website: http:// travel.state.gov.

TRAVEL TIPS FOR STUDYING ABROAD Register your plans with the State Department so that they can track and reach you in case of an emergency.

Leave copies of your itinerary with family or friends.

Get to know the laws and conditions of where you will be traveling.

Do not carry excessive amounts of money.

Do not wear excessive jewelry.

Make sure you have the proper overseas medical insurance coverage.

Fill in all of the emergency information on your passport.

JUSTIN THRIFT Editor-in-Chief

torchonline.com

that the TORCH addressed with the S.G.I. president was the executive board budget, which totals close to $50,000.

When asked what this budget entails and why it requires so much student money, Brewer attributed it to stipends for the government’s seven executive board members.

“The actual amount of each stipend is evaluated by S.G.I.’s advisers in December and May, and is based on the respective individual’s performance and impact throughout that semester,” he said.

Brewer further mentioned that unlike other areas of the S.G.I. budget, the executive board budget cannot be cut because it is a requirement of the S.G.I. constitution that executive members receive a stipend.

Student Government, Inc.’s next meeting is being held today, Wed. Oct. 13, because of the holiday this past Monday.

The S.G.I. floor meetings are usually held every other Monday, always in the D’Angelo Center Ballroom at 5 p.m.

Wednesday’s meeting is expected to focus mostly on approving newly proposed student organizations.

According to numerous sources, S.G.I. will only be able to approve a total of five new organizations due to budget restraints.

The TORCH

component of a collaborative effort with the University to bring the paper to campus each morning.

While working to address the current shortfall, Brewer said there were many changes being made to avoid future budgeting problems.

While some previous expenses were being frequently overlooked, eliminating unnecessary and unused expense lines from the budget’s books will enable S.G.I. to have a clearer look at their expenditures, said Brewer. S.G.I. will also be running evaluations of the budget lines every two weeks, as opposed to the quarterly evaluations that were being performed in previous years. These newly implemented practices are a part of the overall effort to be disciplined in budgetary practices.

“In combination with our necessary budget reductions that were done over the summer,” said Brewer, “these practices will lead us to end the school year with a balanced budget.”

Morton pointed out that the University does supervise the S.G.I. budget and expenses.

“Every quarter the University checks in to monitor their expenses to make sure they’re legitimate,” said Morton, “However, we do not micromanage.”

Another area of the S.G.I. budget

13 Oct. 2010

With a budget of more than $1 million, Student Government, Inc. is implementing spending cuts that will affect most organizations on campus this semester.

The budget cuts come in the wake of problems with the financial plans set by last year’s executive board, says S.G.I. president Patrick Brewer.

S.G.I. has been actively working to resolve their debt while continuing to operate in a way that least impacts the average student.

According to Brewer, last year’s S.G.I. executive board made certain “errors in bookkeeping” that resulted in incorrect budget reports, skewing the organization’s expenses to seem less than they actually were. Due to these errors made by the previous board—of which Brewer held the position of secretary— an overstretched budget has constricted many S.G.I. committees in their spending and allocation to student groups.

Darren Morton, associate vice president for Student Affairs and the

S.G.I. advisor, told the TORCH that there were two main problems facing last year’s board, which lead to the difficulties that Brewer’s board now faces.

“One, there were some expenses from the year before that set them back from the start. Priorities that came up with that board, such as increased commitment to the winter carnival and Relay for Life,” said Morton. “The second problem was that University expenses increased.”

These University expenses include maintenance and event management at S.G.I.-sponsored events, as well as increased student programming.

Brewer refused to answer or comment on how much debt S.G.I. is actually in.

Many students around the University whose organizations have experienced budget cuts this year have felt the direct effects of S.G.I.’s financial troubles.

“The decrease in funding for student organizations is one of the most unfortunate changes, and is certainly felt by involved students,” said Brewer in an emailed response to questions posed by the TORCH. One example of these changes is a decreased volume of the New York Times available to students daily through the Times Readership program. Brewer noted that S.G.I.’s contribution to the expensive Times program is the largest

NEWS

S.G.I. budget falls short for student organizations

4

Concerns over S.G.I. freshman elections TERENCE CULLEN Contributing Writer Results of St. John’s freshman representative elections this past week indicate a lack of attention from the new class.

The elections seem to have gone largely unnoticed by the class of ’14.

Students had the option to vote for a representative of their class for their individual college. Poll voting was held in Montgoris on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students also had the option to vote online beginning at midnight of last Tuesday through 2 p.m. on Thursday, according to the Student Government, Inc. announcement on the St. John’s website.

According to elections committee chair Taryn Glynn, roughly 20 percent of the freshman class voted between the two

days. While this may seem low, Glynn said that it “was up significantly from previous years.”

One freshman, Harman Singh, said he had received e-mails to remind him of the elections and saw a notification on his St. John’s Central homepage. When asked why he did not vote, Singh simply said “I didn’t feel like it.”

Matthew Fisehr acknowledged that he too did not vote. Fisehr said he did not notice any sort of announcement on the elections and that even if he had, he would not have voted.

Rita Tautonico, also a freshman, said she did not feel interested in voting and was not approached by any of the candidates. Tautonico said she feels that the elections matter but not more than her schoolwork.

“I care but it’s not a priority,” she said.

Freshman Cooper Magoon, who said he was approached by two candidates,

admitted that he thought the elections or having a representative did much of anything. He also said he received constant reminders from S.G.I. that the elections were taking place last week.

“Administration will do what it wants,” he said, “If we get an input, it’s just a formality.”

The representatives are made up of “two undergraduate full-time students from each class within each college (42 total),” according to the S.G.I. website.

The site also explains what exactly a representative’s duties are being the voting members of the SGI floor, charged with the responsibility of approving: all budgetary spending, new or re-activated organizations as well as participating in their respective SGI committees.”

As listed on the SGI website, representatives also approve chair people and co-chairs for standing committees that handle specific matters involving students.

TORCH

BRIEFS COMPILED BY SARA CAHILL MARRON News Editor

Gamma Iota Sigma claims awards at National Conference The St. John’s chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma claimed 10 awards at the annual management conference for the national organization. Alpha Iota, the St. John’s chapter, took home five awards in the categories of Chapter Management, Public Relations, Alumni Relations, Membership Development, and Community Service.

The chapter was also recognized for specific events that it held on campus such as Keggers to Cocktails, the Internship Symposium, GIS Thanksgiving and GIS Graduation Stoles.

Rajiv Sagewan, former vice president of Alpha Iota, was the recipient the Warren L. Weeks Leadership Scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded to an individual who encourages member leadership and the furthering of fraternity goals.

NEWS

Bread and Life offers discounts

TORCH PHOTO/KRISTEN FARMER

Hoarders tend to hold onto belongings long after they have lost interest in them.

The TORCH

13 Oct. 2010

St. John’s students learn dangers of hoarding

torchonline.com

St John’s Bread and Life, an organization that provides service and meals in Brooklyn for the community, is offering discounts at Macy’s and macys.com with the purchase of a donation ticket. On October 16, shoppers have the chance to receive 25% when they buy a “special savings ticket” for $5 that will be donated to Bread and Life. Tickets can be purchased in the Campus Ministry office in Marillac Terrace.

LIAM LE GUERRE Staff Writer Mountains of random possessions and trash cluttering the kitchen, hundreds of newspapers crowding the living room were some of the images depicted in photographs shown at the “Stuff: Hoarding and the Meaning of Things” event in the Little Theatre last Thursday.

Dr. Gail Steketee, the dean of Social Work at Boston University, hosted the event. She has done extensive research on compulsive hoarding.

According to Steketee, hoarding is a “psychological disorder characterized by the accumulation of a large number of possessions that clutter the active living areas.”

Steketee said the problem arises because people with the disorder have difficulty throwing away items and feel a need instead to save them.

Additionally, she said most people buy more objects and their possessions turn into clutter that blocks their living space and isolates them.

Graduate student Monique Harding feels that spreading the news about the disorder is a good way to start limiting it.

“When you raise awareness about something you’re able to be more proactive about it,” she said.

Dr. Steketee believes lecturing students about hoarding is good because although hoarding “typically begins around age 14, treatment doesn’t start until about age 50.

“It ought to be easier to get rid of this problem when you’re in your twenties” said Steketee.

About five percent of people in the Unites States are hoarders or have characteristics of hoarding, according to Dr. Steketee’s research.

“A lot of us do it, and we don’t realize that we or someone we know does it,” said graduate student Gabrielle Crichlow.

“The more information we know, the more we can do.”

Steketee’s research results stated the reasons for hoarding are various, ranging from emotional, beliefs or even biological. Common traits are that those affected have low marriage rates and

high divorce rates, tend to live alone, are mostly men and have hoarding disorder runs in their families.

To hoarders, their possessions may represent experiences, engage feelings, or still be of use. Sometimes they harbor intense feelings towards “owning things.”

Other studies suggest that hoarding could be a natural instinctual reaction, like how some animals gather food, Steketee said.

Family and friends worry but usually make the mistake of trying to forcefully stop the disorder.

“Touching or moving a hoarder’s possessions could actually anger them because they feel violated,” Steketee said.

“The good news is hoarding is treatable, the best treatment is a psychological therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.”

According to Steketee, CBT is more successful than medication because it attempts to teach hoarders how to stop symptoms like acquiring and collecting and it teaches them how to organize and what to discard.

Kartono Lectures on sustainability Singgih Susilo Kartono gave a lecture on sustainability Tuesday in Sun Yat Sen Hall. Kartono is an Indonesian social entrepreneur and an activist and designer who specializes in finding ways of using wood that usually is burned for charcoal.

RENT The Chappell Players will be presenting a production of RENT in the Little Theatre on the Queens campus.

The show will run from Oct. 15 through Oct. 23.

Tickets can be purchased at the Campus Concierge or at the door.

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

5

Editorial Board LXXXVIII JUSTIN THRIFT Editor-in-Chief

Illustrator’s Corner:

NELL O’CONNOR Managing Editor SARA CAHILL MARRON News Editor MARK MCDONALD General Manager

FLAMES OF THE TORCH

Promoting equality on campus bers to inform and promote understanding in their school community. In light of the recent tragic events, we feel that it is more important now than ever that St. John’s support and allow a LGBT student group to flourish on campus.

This would truly be a gigantic step in a positive direction for this University, instead of remaining narrow in point of view and hypocritical in practice. To continue to ignore gay students on campus as if they don’t exist and reject a need for this organization at St. John’s would be an unfortunate continued failure.

But we also would like to remind the University community that the approval of such a group is not the answer to this broader social issue. The administration of St. John’s can be continually blamed by those in support of a gay organization, but the more productive plan of action would be education.

Members of the St. John’s LGBT community do not need University permission to educate their community on gay rights; these advocates of sexual equality should not require authorization to promote tolerance amongst their peers.

Founding a formal student LGBT organization at St. John’s would only be a step in the right direction toward bringing equality to St. John’s, but this cannot be the end that proponents of this movement seek. At Rutgers, we have seen how a gay-straight student alliance could not prevent the horrid realities of what intolerance and homophobia can cause. It will take an examination of ourselves as a society, something that cannot happen overnight, that will lead to ultimate equality and justice.

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/JAMES KERIGAN

OPINION

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

Letter to the editor To the editor:

TO CONTRIBUTE

E-mail letters to: torcheditorials@gmail.com

Please include your full name, year, and college (or department). Letters have a limit of 350 words and may be edited for content, grammar, or space. Unverifiable or anonymous letters will not be published.

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

Christina Heiser Former TORCH Editor-in-Chief Class of 2010

torchonline.com

Mail letters to: The TORCH Letters, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamaica, NY 11439

Over the past few weeks, you’ve probably heard about the “It Gets Better” project. After the tragic suicide of Rutgers’ student Tyler Clementi, celebrities, students and people of all ages and backgrounds have taken part in this campaign, creating videos of support for GLBT youth who have been bullied or harassed because of their sexuality. It’s great to see such a diverse array of people uniting for such an important cause. The “It Gets Better” project also made its way to the St. John’s

campus last week. I am so proud of the students here who are banding together to show their support for GLBT youth in light of this terrible situation. I can only hope that events like this continue to take place on campus in the future because it is healthy for the members of this university to engage in dialogue and promote tolerance.

The TORCH

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

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/KATHLEEN HANNA

13 Oct. 2010

The tragic death of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi is a sad reminder of the evils and injustices that exist in our backyards. It also reminds us of how unequal our society really is, as his death was in part caused by hateful discrimination on the basis of his sexual orientation, something that is as inherent to our personal makeup as our ethnicity.

Unfortunately, although we consider ourselves a free society that promotes individualism and has evolved from a history of slavery and racial discrimination, we are very much not an equal society when it comes to sexual freedom and gay rights.

While we feel that St. John’s seriously needs to reconsider its stance on an official LGBT student organization, we do not feel that this is the only thing that needs to happen in order to prevent a similar incident from happening at St. John’s.

Clementi’s tragedy is indicative of a general negative social outlook toward gays, one that is further seen in the recent homophobic attacks in the Bronx. Rutgers University has a gay-straight alliance on campus, yet this did not ultimately protect Tyler Clementi from being tormented.

Our social mindset must be altered over time, our tolerance and capacity for gay rights expanded so that these incidents are no longer commonplace.

Student groups can ignite this kind of social growth—this is where they are truly significant and important. Influence and education are the best tools that a gay-straight organization can offer. This group’s existence on a college campus can serve to provide an open and educational forum for mem-

6

TORCH Opinion

online at torchonline.com/opinion

Can’t get no satisfaction

OPINION

The final straw with St. John’s dining, and why students should demand better

I’m not proud to admit this, but occasionally, from time to time, I will buy food from the Marillac and D’Angelo food courts. Before you get the wrong impression, let me explain.

It usually only happens when I’m in a desperate pinch and need sustenance in order to keep on doing whatever it is I’m doing on campus. Almost always when buying St. John’s food, it’s a result of a screw-up on my end, such as forgetting to pick something up offcampus, pack a lunch or succumbing to peer pressure.

Unfortunately for me, these slip-ups are impossible to avoid with my hectic schedule, and as a result there are times when I have to rely on campus food knowing full well that I’m poisoning my body and being completely ripped off at the same time.

A few weeks ago, while working late on the TORCH, I found myself in one of these terrible predicaments. I was in the mood for a cheeseburger that night, and after handing over close to $10 for one from the D’Angelo grill, what I received was truly unbelievable.

Biting into the patty, I felt and tasted something not quite right, and quickly spewed out what I had just paid St. John’s a premium price for. It was a hamburger patty raw as anything, redder on the inside than a cherry tomato. Yuck.

Upon returning my uncooked burger, the cashier couldn’t help but reveal his embarrassment.

Barring the obvious legal and health concerns that this incident raises, it made me seriously ponder, why, exactly, the food services offered at St. John’s are so dreadfully poor. Is it a problem at this University specifically, or something to be expected at all college campuses?

Sometimes I wonder if it’s just me, if the food venues here really aren’t as bad as I think they are. But still I can’t shake the reality of the outrageous prices of food and drink around campus and the bad tasting food those prices buy. I can’t ignore an experience like the one I had with that burger, or forget about the many health violations I’ve seen and heard of over the past few years involving staff members and the state of the facilities used.

To add to my laundry list of reasons for wanting to avoid St. John’s dining, I’m usually served by a staff member who seemingly hates me, the job they are doing, or both. Call me crazy, but the majority of employees that work in food services at St. John’s seem incredibly unhappy to be here.

Maybe it’s the way they’re treated by the University, or maybe they just hold a really low opinion of the students they’re serving. Whatever the problem is, many of the workers behind the counters of Marillac, D’Angelo and Montgoris look as happy to be serving STJ food as I am to be eating it.

Throughout my freshmen and sophomore years as a

“

Exploiting cheap labor, buying low-quality foods in bulk, and preparing meals in assembly-line fashion is much too profitable for the University, even if it comes at the ultimate expense to students.

”

resident student, Montgoris Dining Hall, the mainstay for dorming studens, had immensely low popularity with its diners and was a reoccurring joke in the resident village. The “Monty Effect” was a common term to describe the repercussions that a meal at Montgoris had on the body. There was even a Facebook page created to poke fun at just how terrible the dining experience at Montgoris was.

Many websites across the Internet that focus on ranking colleges and universities, such as collegeprowler.com, seem to agree with the negative quality of our school’s dining services. The average grade that I could find was a “C,” with standard complaints about pricing, lack of healthy options and bad hours.

This is an unfortunate reality for many students who dorm here, because college life can be stressful and expensive enough without having to deal with things like the Monty effect.

In my time here I have also seen multiple dining areas on campus fail annual city health inspections, including Marillac, the Library Café and the Law School Café. In October of my freshman year, some of the violations in

Marillac’s failed inspection included: sanitized equipment or utensils improperly used or stored, evidence of flying insects or live insects in facility’s food and/or non-food areas, and milk or milk product undated and improperly dated or expired. The list goes on.

In November 2007, the Law School Café failed a health inspection with a grand total of 33 violation points.

To give the University credit, those specific failures are three years old, and I haven’t eaten at Montgoris in over a year now. But my raw cheeseburger is certainly not a sign of improvement.

The University has also tried to improve its latenight dining options over the past few years, which is a positive sign of growth. However, these options are still in need of attention.

In 2008, Montgoris began offering a limited menu of items on Monday-Thursday nights. The school then moved its late-night operation to the new St. Vincent’s Red Storm Diner, which was notorious for it’s steep prices and slow service. This year, late-night dining has moved to the D’Angelo Center, which is open until 3 a.m. But if you fancy some D’Angelo grub late at night, don’t expect there to be much of a selection. The food court only stays partially open, and by midnight they begin running out of menu items.

I would implore the University to make changes and seriously assess the state of the food services offerred to students, but my single pleas would fall on deaf ears. The American food industry is defined by cheap products and streamlined service, a reality that is supported by big businesses like St. John’s and restaurant chains who aren’t as concerned with service as they are with money.

Exploiting cheap labor, buying low-quality foods in bulk, and preparing meals in assembly-line fashion is much too profitable for the University, even if it comes at the ultimate expense to students.

The only way things will truly change in our St. John’s dining halls is for students to voice their dissatisfaction with the service being offered. It’s not a problem that can be addressed by simply criticizing Chartwells; it’s an issue that only the administration can solve, and only the students can inspire.

If you share in my opinion of campus dining, avoid buying into it and convince your friends to do the same.

Support local businesses, and don’t accept terrible service from an institution you pay so much to be a part of.

Justin Thrift is a senior English major who is going to try to remember to pack a lunch.

He can be reached at: torcheic@gmail.com

COMPILED BY THOMAS CARNEVALE

13 Oct. 2010

STUDENTSPARKS: Gay rights

torchonline.com

The TORCH

How do you feel about a LGBT organization forming on campus?

I would not mind. I have friends who are open to it.

Camille Cappa Freshman

Good idea. Everyone should be treated as equals, it will help with the transition and make people feel more welcomed.

Christina Arbucias Freshman

I would not mind it. I’m open to it. All types of people should be accepted. It is closed-minded of the University not to accept it.

Andrew Mathias Freshman

In today’s society its part of life, and having an organization would be good.

Despina Victory Freshman

TORCH Opinion

online at torchonline.com/opinion

7

Fancy seein’ you Campus fitness center lacking here, Emmanuel DAVID MINEO Contributing Writer

13 Oct. 2010 The TORCH

torchonline.com

Jeffrey Gilbert is a Senior. He can be reached at: jeffreygilberttorch@gmail.com

Can’t get enough TORCH editorials?

Visit our website for online exclusives.

OPINION

Pancakes. Grilled cheese. Water stains. Potato chips.

YOUR OWN MOUTH. Yes, it seems that Jesus pops up just about everywhere these days (usually in food, for some reason), and it’s no surprise that this week he was chilling inside a woman’s MRI scan.

Tammie Cohrs of Greer, S.C. claims to have seen the face of Jesus inside an MRI scan of her mouth; she had the MRI after being recently diagnosed with a rare form of oral cancer. Now, of course, it only slightly resembles a completely distorted picture of a long-haired guy who is, frankly, looking a little creepy. But for Tammie, it was much more. As a Christian who believes in divine intervention, it was Jesus there with her. Of course, it could be his signature – hey, if you think the Lord is responsible for everything that happens, he could just be leaving his mark. Regardless, I don’t know how comforting it is to have oral cancer, even if it’s in the shape of Jesus.

No, I much prefer having Jesus on a pancake, like Mike Thompson of Orlando, Fla. in 2006. That’s why whenever I went to mass as a kid I would always bring a little bit of Mrs. Butterworth’s with me to spread on the Eucharist. You tell me where it says in the Catechism of the Catholic faith that I can’t cover the host with sweet, maple-y goodness. If evening mass is more your speed, might I suggest a nice Peter Luger sauce, or something that would go with beef – you’re eating it with red wine, after all; what are you, an animal?

I don’t mean to sound too irreverent, but I personally am not religious, which may cause you to discard my opinion on the matter – but please, humor me. It seems strange that a Christian would need a sign from the Lord reminding her that Jesus is there, when his omnipresence is a tentpole of her faith.

In addition, Jesus did not get upset with many people in the Bible (if you’ve never read it, he’s a really nice guy). But one person he did become angry with was Thomas, known as Doubting Thomas, who needed visual proof of Jesus to believe he still existed after he was crucified. So what reason would he have for popping his head in for a surprise visit in your jaw, or your food, or your leaky wall?

According to Christianity, you need him—not the other way around. He doesn’t need your validation, he wants you to be happy and kind to one another.

There are 5 billion non-Christians on the planet, and he could save them all in a second—he’s not exactly clamoring to be slathered in butter and fried in a pan so he can be tattooed on your lunch and sold on eBay for a quick buck. I’m pretty sure he never said, “Thou shalt use my image for profit,” and he certainly doesn’t refer prayers and requests to his agent (who, presumably, is Ari Gold from Entourage in this scenario).

Most importantly, Jesus definitely did not give this woman cancer. And she doesn’t have it just so he could take it away and show how great he is – Christians are supposed to already know that ain’t nobody getting to heaven without believing in him (John 14:6).

So there’s a good chance he isn’t inside your body, working on curing your cancer; otherwise, you wouldn’t be at a hospital looking for treatment from humans. No, if you’re a Christian, Jesus is merely always with you, all the time. His words teach you kindness, give you moral guidance, and if you can be true to his word and be sorry when you’re not, you’ll go to heaven. Isn’t that good enough?

Again, I may not be religious, but that sounds like a pretty solid deal to me. Keep your food in your belly, your spiritual nourishment wherever you need it, and if you want to get rid of cancer, donate to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org), and especially look for ways to donate for breast cancer research, as it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (go to nfl.com/pink to learn more). And, if I got something wrong, or you disagree with my views, you can always send me a message, as long as you’re not delivering the message like Ehud to Eglon (Judges 3: 16-24), I think we’ll be okay.

My big belly really couldn’t take it.

Think about the concept of a fitness center: It should imply a sense of order and maintenance. The St. John’s fitness center, however, is in a constant sate of disarray.

Located in the depths of Carnesecca Arena, the campus fitness center is often crowded and not well maintained. Students wishing to routinely work out, especially those students looking to weight train, are sure to face certain annoyances that can impede their time spent getting in shape.

Firstly, there are only two racks for which weight plates can be stacked. Quite often weight plates are found strewn across the weight room floor, creating obstacles for those who use the equipment.

When these plates are stacked, they are usually not organized according to their weight, but rather carelessly jumbled together with other plates of varying size. This frequently necessitates the removal of several plates before obtaining the desirable weight.

The dumbbell rack suffers the same neglect. Many times, dumbbells and plates of specific weights are nowhere to be found. Furthermore, the center is limited to two flat benches, two incline benches, and two barbells.

Considering these circumstances and cramped space, it is not uncommon to find lifters standing impatiently for extended periods of time in the confined and cluttered dumbbell area, waiting for an opportunity to use the sparse equipment.

The fitness center attendants seem to sit around lazily chatting with their friends, occasionally requesting over the loudspeaker that lifters re-rack their equipment. Perhaps they could exert enough energy to actively monitor the weight room floor.

After all, that is their job.

These problems cannot, however, be justly attributed solely to the attendants. The disorganization is due largely in part to the lifters themselves, who fail to adhere to normal gym etiquette.

Better enforcement of the gym policies by weight room attendants, as well as more adherence to gym etiquette would be the most promising solutions to this persisting problem.

The fitness center would also benefit greatly from an expansion project. In light of the University’s recent expenditure on the seemingly unnecessary D’Angelo Center, perhaps St. John’s monetary funds are being allocated for the wrong projects. The D’Angelo Center provides students with an additional dining area (which is already provided for in Marillac Hall) and a superfluously large and elaborately decorated study area (also available in St. Augustine Hall’s library).

The D’Angelo Center is of low priority in comparison to the much-needed renovation of the Fitness Center and other additions, such as an indoor pool and track. St. John’s also spends much too much money maintaining the meticulously-ordained landscaping about the campus. Though the beauty is appreciated, perennial flowers are not exactly conducive to a student’s intellectual or experiential growth.

Why is the University concerned with renovating the aesthetics of the campus while facilities such as the Fitness Center are left in a state of desolation? Students of this University would benefit highly from a more organized, better-maintained fitness center.

In the meantime, students looking to stay fit will just have to make do.

8

TORCH Opinion

online at torchonline.com/opinion

Assessing STJ Information Technology

It was only a few years ago that St. John’s University was No. 10 on Intel’s list of the top wireless universities. As we all know, St. John’s has a campus-wide wireless network available for all students to use.

In addition, the school recently added a mobile wireless network for those with iPads, iPhones, Droids, or other Internet devices. And, of course, each and every student receives a laptop their freshman year, and now the option of upgrading to a Mac has been added.

I would like to extend my own personal kudos to the University and its IT department for meeting its student’s needs. However, I think there are some areas where complaints and cries of obsolescence are beginning to rise.

Of all the IT-related complaints made about St. John’s, slow network speed is probably the most prevalent. I personally don’t think that the University’s network is unsatisfactory, I just find it to be lacking. St. John’s does a great job of making sure that we can email, network, and

research without any trouble, but it hasn’t picked up on how much the way people use the Internet has changed in just a few short years.

At this juncture, the Internet is becoming an all-in-one solution. We socialize through Facebook, watch movies on Netflix and funny videos on YouTube, video chat on Skype, stream music on Pandora, and game online with people around the globe.

Streaming media has become an everyday norm for almost everyone in Generation Y. The network at St. John’s can slow down tremendously during the day, probably due to so many people doing these very normal things.

In an interview with the TORCH, S.G.I. President Patrick Brewer addressed the issue of slow connection speeds and said that the IT department is working to fix the problem.

Another huge aspect of the University that seems to be forgotten about by the IT department are the resident students. A

“

growing issue for them is that it should not be a problem to have their gaming systems online. While many will dismiss this as a minor issue, the problem has grown to a point where it can no longer be completely ignored.

More than ever, people play video games online against players from across the country and the entire globe. Social gaming has seen growth beyond the small community it once was to a point where very even casual players game online. Still, the problem moves beyond just gaming.

For many people, a game console is the centerpiece of their entertainment system, and often does so for an entire suite.

Gaming consoles are beginning to replace VCRs, DVD Players, and even broadcasted television. The Playstation 3 can play BluRay discs, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, video files, and more. It can browse the web, stream movies from Netflix or YouTube, and share media files over a network. Keeping a console like the Playstation 3 or the

Of all the IT-related complaints made about St. John’s, slow network speed is probably the most prevalent.

”

Xbox 360 offline cripples its capabilities and its ability to serve as the centerpiece of a dorm room.

Is it necessary that they are online?

No, but keeping them offline just holds back the ability that these systems have to bring people together. We’ve all bonded over movies, music, and games in the past. A new generation shouldn’t be denied that just because they go about it in a different fashion.

Another thing ignored by St. John’s is putting printers in the dormitories. Just one per building would help lighten the load put on the labs around campus and help out a lot of resident students. This may not sound like a lot, but its usefulness would be immeasurable.

Overall, I think St. John’s is serving the current body of students well.

Our IT department does a great job, and deserves praise. But, they also need to keep improving.

After all, that praise comes with a preliminary warning: don’t stop getting better. In the fast-paced world of technology, standing still is almost the same as moving backwards.

So, instead of simply meeting its student’s needs, I would like to challenge the university to exceed them. Don’t just settle for being good, go the extra mile and be the best.

Mark McDonald is a junior business major.

He can be reached at: torchads@gmail.com

12

TORCH photo essay:

STJ Fashion Club

torchonline.com

The TORCH

13 Oct. 2010

FEATURES

photography: TOMMY THOMAS

CAROLYN WARGULA Features Editor

Fashion Club will hold a sample sale on Friday, October 15th in the UC Lounge from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The brands available include Subi, Nicholas K, Camilla and Marc, Obey, Siwy, and many other brands featured during fashion week. Last weekend, the Fashion Club shot photos around the Queens campus to promote this event.

Kelly Harkin, the club’s director of Events, commented on the Fall/Winter 2010/2011 season.

“I’ll mimic Olivier Zahm in the sentiment of embarking on the coming decade with careful optimism. Correspondingly, this season a return to classic silhouettes and textiles is prevalent on the runway, the streets and more specifically, our campus,” said Harkin. “There is an evident embrace of sophistication and simplicity reminiscent of decades past but still wholly unique to the epoch of technology and progress.”

Think Outside...

Features

3

13

Section

Improv Everywhere takes over Bryant Park KAROLINA MAY Staff Writer

October 2, 2010 was just another beautiful Saturday in New York City.

But in the city that never sleeps, no day can truly be ordinary. For people spending their time in the Bryant Park area, the day turned out to be rather full of extraordinary events. An estimated crowd of around 4,000 people with headphones took over the area.

The experiment, sponsored by Improv Everywhere, started at exactly 6 p.m. Further details were posted on the group’s official website, along with the necessary mp3 file, ready and free to download. The track contained a prerecorded voice, which gave out instructions for participants to begin the experiment in any retail store between Port Authority and Grand Central Station.

“Welcome to the MP3 experiment 7Steve’s Birthday. My name is Mark and I will be your omnipotent voice today,” began the voice in headphones.

“The mp3 experiment is an annual event done by Improv Everywhere, and this was the seventh year that they’ve done it. No one knew what to expect and everyone was really excited; you could tell from the energy in the air,” said Joanna Smykowski, a junior who attended and participated in the event. “Everyone was laughing the whole time and really enjoying themselves, and we met so many people, from out of state and even out of the country. I definitely can’t wait to be part of the next NYC Improv.”

Improv Everywhere started in 2001.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMPROV EVERYWHERE

A crowd of over 4,000 people participated in the MP3 experiment.

According to their website, they cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places.

Created by Charlie Todd, the group has started over 100 missions involving tens of thousands of undercover agents. The group is based in New York City and some of the most famous events include a “Frozen Grand Central” and “No Pants Subway Ride.”

The only given information given to the crowd for this event was its starting point and a list of accessories that participators should bring; a roll of toilet paper, two pieces of paper with one consonant and one vowel written on them, an unwanted thing that could be wrapped as a

gift and a marker.

Once the track was started on all the mp3 players, everyone who participated engaged simultaneously in the same activities. In the stores they ranged from admiring the merchandise to waltzing with the nearest product.

After exiting the store, participants engaged in series of events on the sidewalk. “We are going to freeze in an exact position we were in and hold it until I say so,” the track instructed.

When the crowd unfroze they were encouraged to practice several types of walking techniques, following strangers and high-fiving non-participants. With

a “Take off your headphones when you cross the street” song playing in the headphones, the crowd marched over to Bryant Park.

“Move from one place of the park to another, so nobody will see you!” said the voice introducing another MissionImpossible-like activity. The crowd complied and went undercover hiding under bags or squatting on the ground so that nobody would see them. That part of the event was concluded by shouting “surprise” to Mark’s brother, who was waiting for everyone in the middle of the lawn.

Bryant Park was the last stop, where the final 30 minutes of the experiment took place. Participants walked around the lawn and enjoyed one big icebreaker with the props brought by everyone. Letters were used to make a giant poem.

Then the back of the paper was reused to draw a portrait of newly met people and a collective map of the world.

The gifts were exchanged with randomly picked partners.

“I got shampoo, I was so excited!” said Garrett Matula, junior at Stonybrook University.

The toilet paper was used to transform everybody into mummies, leading to the final dance party. “On the count of 3 I want everyone to drop to the ground and the mp3 experiment will be over. Ready?

1,2,3. Goodnight!”

The lawn in Bryant Park had been reserved, and lights from other buildings were turned on to make these activities possible. In addition, during the experiment, the clean up part was stressed, so that no trash would be left behind afterwards.

STJ senior runs the race to support World Youth Day ANTHONY O’REILLY Staff Writer

FEATURES PHOTO COURTESY OFMARK CIPOLLA

13 Oct. 2010

Zappel jumped from 652nd to 20th place in the Movement Challenge. ing experience for him mentally.

“There’s something peaceful about running. When you’re at the starting line and the gun goes off all you hear are footsteps. There’s just something peaceful and beautiful about that,” said Zappel.

The challenge still has a few weeks left before it’s over. With everyone running to help benefit their cause, it’s going to be hard for Zappel to catch up to the current leader. Anybody who is willing to help out his cause can sign up on the Movement Challenge’s website.

“There are plenty of other worthy causes out there but none of them are faith based,” said Zappel. “To help send 25 young adults to see the Pope, I can’t think of anything better to run for.”

torchonline.com

“When you’re a fan you get the ability to comment. Everyday there’s new comments wishing me luck and quoting the Bible. There are some really incredible quotes up there,” said Zappel.

With everyone cheering Zappel on, it seems like the entire spotlight is on him now. However, he doesn’t look at it that way.

“I don’t see this as something I’m doing for myself. I’m trying to help everyone out by lowering the price of the trip.”

Zappel discussed how running has changed his life. Although tiring at times, he enjoys running and plans to continue after the challenge is over. Besides a great way to get in shape, it’s also a very sooth-

The TORCH

Thousands of Catholics from around the world will gather together for World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain next August. World Youth Day is an international festival where Catholic youths pray along with Pope Benedict XVI. People come from all corners of the globe to attend the event, which happens once every three years. However, this pilgrimage comes with a hefty price tag.

Many parishes are holding fundraisers to help send their parishioners on this life changing trip. One such parish is Holy Family Roman Catholic Church.

The idea to enter the Movement Challenge was presented to Holy Family and St. John’s University by senior Timothy Zappel. When he was searching for possible fundraising ideas, he came across the New Balance Movement Challenge, a five month long challenge where participants gain points by running races and gathering fans to help cheer them on.

The winner will receive $25,000 for the cause of their choice. Zappel entered into the race at 652nd place a few weeks after it had already started. As of right now, he is in 20th place.

Due to an outpouring of support from his church, family, and friends, Zappel was able to make the incredible jump in hopes of going to Spain.

“It wasn’t until after I started that we realized that I could catch up to the leader by getting people’s e-mails and use them

to get points,” said Zappel.

Every time a person signs up as Zappel’s fan and cheers for him on the Movement Challenge’s website, he earns ten points. By signing up as a recruit people can also join the Movement Challenge as a runner on Zappel’s team which gains him 100 points. He currently has over 1,000 fans and more than 30 recruits.

“I am truthfully so grateful for all the support,” he said. “The only shot I have is if there are people out there willing to help me.”

Although the fans are a great part of Zappel’s success, he must run the races in order to have a possibility of winning. For each mile that he runs 100 points is added to his score. Every time he improves his record, he gets an additional 500 points.

The races range anywhere from 3k to half marathons, and Zappel runs at least once or twice a week to prepare for the challenge. The increased amount of running has already had an effect on his body.

“Whenever I wake up after races I feel like an old man. I’m 21 but I feel like I have the knees of a 45 year old,” said Zappel.

The urge to go to Spain is the most significant motivator for Tim to keep running, but these races mean so much more to him.

“All these races have a bigger meaning,” he said. “They’re held for different charities such as fighting obesity and in memory of fallen firefighters and police officers of 9/11.”

Zappel’s motivation also comes from the people who have signed up as his fans on the Movement Challenge’s site.

TORCHCOMICS

Kitaro Jennifer Perez

The Adventures of rufus

13 October 2010

James Kerigan

Elevator Man Jordan Baum

15

ENTERTAINMENT 13 Oct. 2010

Pg. 16 PHOTO COURTESY OF LILWAYNE-ONLINE.COM

torchonline.com

Not even prison can keep Lil’ Wayne from revealing his other side

The TORCH

FREE WEEZY

16

First Listen: Ninja Tactics INFERNO PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON UPCOMING ARTISTS TO WATCH OUT FOR MARIA YAP Staff Writer

While most prefer to be categorized into separate musical genres, Shinobi Ninja is one band that mashes up hiphop, punk, reggae, rock and metal into an original, urban sound.

Shinobi Ninja is comprised of six members who formed the band after recording music, taking classes and rehearsing together at Progressive Studios in Hell’s Kitchen for over two years. The band’s members include: D.A., Baby G, Maniac Mike, DJ Axis Powers, Jonny on the Rocks and Terminator Dave.

When asked who Shinobi Ninja is in an online interview with the Inferno, the band responded: “We’re just a hardbody rock band from Brooklyn!”

Although the band’s name was influenced by Japanese culture and some members were born outside of the state, their attitude and music embodies everything that is New York City.

Having such an eclectic musical background, it’s no wonder that the band can produce such a diverse sound. When asked about their musical influences, responses varied from rock, funk, pop, dance, and hip-hop. La Bouche, Ace of Base and Notorious B.I.G. are some of the artists they are inspired by.

The ability of the band to combine these different sounds can be summarized

by one word that the band conceived: “Voltronesque.”

Derived from the cartoon The Transformers, where Voltron robots combined, Shinobi Ninja is Optimus Prime – in a musical sense.

“Rock Hood” is a popular single off of their Video Game EP that repeats the lyrics “Their old school so they really don’t know” throughout the track, emphasizing how their sound is different from what people are used to. This unique attitude can be sensed in every track the band has recorded.

Another single off of the Video Game EP is “Brooklyn to Babylon,” a great example of the band’s ability to fuse different sounds together. The track gives off a reggae vibe with a melody reminiscent of a classic Bob Marley song, while drums and electric guitar play supporting roles and add the rock music elements to the song.

In a time when most music fans would say that the quality of music is slowly diminishing, it’s safe to say that Shinobi Ninja brings something refreshingly different to the table.

When asked about their goals for the rest of the year, the band said “to rock hard in front of thousands of people, make new fans, make our dreams come true and be able to pay our rent based on our musical skills!”

The band closed the interview with a few words of advice to college students: “Stay positive and stay focused on your goals. Be willing to sacrifice everything else for what you want to attain.

Whatever it is, go get it, hardbody! Have

fun in life because life is here to enjoy.

Remember, they can never take away YOUR experiences!”

From their “Voltronesque” sound and blend of hip-hop and rock to their “hardbody” attitudes, this band is determined to make a name for themselves, one show and fan at a time.

For more information on Shinobi Ninja, visit the following sites: www.shinobininja.com www.myspace.com/shinobininjamusic

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHINOBININJA.COM

Shinobi Ninja lend their band’s name to the influence of Japanese culture and animation, describing their music as “Voltronesque.”

Hit or Miss: Hip-Hop ENTERTAINMENT

INFERNO REVIEWS THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES TO DETERMINE IF THE MUSIC IS RIGHT ON TARGET KARLA RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer LIL’ WAYNE I Am Not A Human Being (Rap)

torchonline.com

The TORCH

13 Oct. 2010

OUT OF 4 STARS

T

hroughout music history, countless artists have served time in jail. One of the major issues these artists face is the danger of becoming irrelevant in the music industry while they are gone. That has not at all been a problem for rapper Lil’ Wayne.

Through previously recorded songs and collaborations with different artists, Lil’ Wayne has managed to remain popular. In an attempt to not be forgotten, the rapper (whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.), released I Am Not A Human Being on iTunes on Sept. 27, the rapper’s birthday.

Bloggers prompted fans to download the digital album as a birthday present for their favorite incarcerated rapper to help him celebrate his 28th birthday. The physical copy of the album will hit shelves on Oct. 12 with two additional songs.

The online version has 10 tracks that

showcase Lil’ Wayne’s unique style.

As expected, the rapper features his protégées Drake and Nicki Minaj, who have raised the Young Money music label to new heights while their mentor has been away.

“I Am Not A Human Being,” the title track on the album, is too similar to the hip-hop/rock disaster that was the rapper’s early 2010 album Rebirth.

Drake’s performance in “Gonorrhea” is not impressive, but he makes up for it in “Right Above It” and adds his famous vocals to “With You.” “That Ain’t Me” features British singer/song writer Jay Sean, and makes the listener want more. The song is reminiscent of Wayne’s previous work, using substantially meaningful lyrics that seem to be absent in recent projects.

Some songs on the album should already be familiar to frequent radio listeners. Radio DJs have not turned their backs on the rapper, making it a priority to play his infectious songs such as “I’m Single” and “Bill Gates.”

Overall, I Am Not A Human Being comes off as a desperate attempt on Wayne’s part to keep the momentum his career had before his ordeal. There are a few undeniably catchy songs, but that is not enough to salvage the album.

Lil’ Wayne’s eight-month prison sentence will come to an end this upcoming November. There is no question that as soon as he is released, he will pick up right where he left off.

Until then, his fans have this album to sustain them.

DANIELLE CAMPBELL Staff Writer GUCCI MANE The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted (Rap) 1/2 OUT OF 4 STARS

S

omeone cut the lights off and let this man shine! Gucci Mane (real name Radric Davis) is a rapper you either love to death or seriously hate. With singles like “Lemonade” to his biggest and most successful “Wasted” featuring Plies, Mane was blowing the music charts up.

With his new album The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted, Mane is slowly gaining his respect as an artist from others.

The first single released from The Appeal is “Gucci Time,” which features rapper/producer Swizz Beats. It is the perfect party song.

Starting off the album is “Little Friend” featuring Bun B. Produced

by Darkchild, the track shows Mane’s

respect for the movie Scarface.

Gucci embodies the Al Pacino persona, emphasized in the chorus “Say hello to my little friend.”

Some of the highpoints on the album include “Making Love To The Money” and “Haterade.” The first is a smooth song that listeners can turn up in the car with the windows down. The latter features Nicki Minaj and Pharrell of the group N.E.R.D. Easily one of the favorites on the album, “Haterade” has an addicting beat that includes some of the most talented artists on the scene today.

“Odog,” featuring Wyclef Jean, depicts Mane’s feelings about his life. He raps about going to jail and wanting to do well, but having the mentality that the journey to success might be difficult.

There are some tracks the album could have done without. “Weirdom,” produced by Drumma Boy, is a no-go. The listener’s mood shifts from hope that the energy would return to plain disappointment. “Dollar Sign” and “Brand New” also do not represent the album well.

Overall, this album was a huge step up for Gucci Mane. Despite a few songs that brought the energy down and a few that were calling for the skip button, this new album should help bridge the love/ hate gap that people have for the rapper.

Inferno Corrections: Last week’s “Hit Or Miss” album review on Ski Beatz’ 24 Hour Karate School was written by Maria Yap.

17

Support the teams at the Tip Off, not just the free swag

Basketball season is rapidly approaching.

I know this not just because the Red Storm’s television schedule was released last week, or because men’s head coach Steve Lavin is on the fall recruiting trail, gathering the remainder of his “Noah’s Ark” for the 2011-12 season.

I know basketball season is near because Friday is St. John’s annual Tip Off celebration, a basketball pep rally event that hypes the Red Storm fan base and brings the school together as only its historic athletic program can.

This season, as a seniorladen men’s team hopes to reach the NCAA tournament and the women’s team looks to build on its NCAA

appearance last year, the Tip Off will take place in Carnesecca Arena—as opposed to Taffner Field House, where the event has been held in recent years. It will be hosted by Sportscenter anchor John Anderson, with entertainment being provided by DJ S&S, who spins for Sean “Diddy” Combs. The first 2,000 fans get free pizza, and the school promises even more giveaways and other promotions for the students than have been given out in the past.

This is what’s been advertised by the University. John Anderson, DJ S&S, free stuff—that is why you should attend. Put basketball aside— for a basketball event, mind you—and see what you’re going to get if you show up.

In my years at St. John’s I’ve noticed something about our student body—kids like being fed, they like celebrities and they like free stuff. The rest—the basketball, in this case—is just details.

Who doesn’t like free stuff, though?

Free stuff is generally what gets kids to go to events, anyway. At many of

the events the campus sponsors —like the ‘I Heart STJ’ event yesterday, where kids lined up outside Taffner past the D’Angelo Center solely for a pair of pajama pants—kids show up, swipe their cards for MVP points (which leads to more giveaways), get their free swag, then leave.

What’s to say the Tip Off would be different?

It’s easy for me to believe that Carnesecca Arena may be packed Friday mainly because of the event’s aesthetics, and not because of the basketball teams they’re supposed to be celebrating. And for a school whose basketball programs are in a transitional period—where the school is trying to build a more traditional, historic public image— saturating the event with promotions and giveaways and celebrities would simply be counterproductive.

You’d be building a hollow image, one lacking the sincerity and heart required to garner such a noble reputation, one the players and coaches, even the St. John’s

Athletic Department, don’t deserve from their fan base. They deserve much, much better. They deserve nothing but unconditional devotion from their fans and classmates.

So celebrate Steve Lavin, Kim Barnes Arico and their teams.

Celebrate the start of another basketball season, not that St. John’s was able to book Diddy’s DJ and a Sportscenter anchor. I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy these things, because they are exciting.

It’s good that St. John’s has gone to such measures to keep its student body excited about the start of the season, but just make sure that excitement is directed at the teams that’ll be taking the floor this season and not at the three MVP points you’d get for attending.

Bill San Antonio is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at torchsports@gmail.com

SPORTS 13 Oct. 2010 The TORCH

torchonline.com

18

Searching for answers Women’s Soccer team loses to WVU for sixth loss in last eight games MIKE CUNNIFF Staff Writer

13 Oct. 2010

SPORTS

After two scoring opportunities missed wide in the final 12 minutes of Sunday’s game, the St. John’s women’s soccer team fell to West Virginia, 1-0 on a golden goal within the first two minutes of overtime.

WEST VIRGINIA

1

ST. JOHN’S

0

West Virginia senior forward Megan Mischler capped an active weekend with a golden goal just 74 seconds into overtime. It was her second golden goal in as many games and sixth goal overall.

The Mountaineers went on the attack right out of the gate during the overtime period, putting a shot wide in the first 20 seconds. A minute later, Mischler took a shot from the top of the box on the left side. The ball never got off the ground, but did manage to get through two St. John’s defenders and past the dive of junior goalkeeper Kristin Russell to end the game.

St. John’s missed two chances late in regulation. In the 79th minute, sophomore forward Patrice Casimir found herself all alone in front of the net at the edge of the six yard box.

Senior midfielder Anna Torregiano found her with a cross from the left flank, but Casimir’s header bounced harmlessly off the post.

Ten minutes later, junior forward Jen Leaverton also got unlucky on a header from close range. Her headed chance beat West Virginia senior goalkeeper Kerri Russell but also beat the post, missing just wide.

The TORCH

TORCH FILE PHOTO/BRIAN LOPEZ

The women’s soccer team didn’t convert against the Mountaineers.

Pasciola named finalist for Senior CLASS award Midfielder Nicole Pasciola was named a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in men’s and women’s soccer on Oct. 6, one of 10 candidates narrowed from a list of 30.

Finalists were selected by a media committee, with the final vote open nationwide to fans to determine the winner.

According to the award’s specifications, the athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior

and have noteworthy achievements in for areas, community, classroom, character, and competition.

Pasciola carries a 3.96 overall GPA and is currently taking graduate classes in pursuit of a graduate degree in government and politics.

She has started 71 of the 72 games she has appeared in for the women’s soccer team and has been a leader in numerous campus community service projects.

Johnnies begin homestand with loss to ’Cats BILL SAN ANTONIO Sports Editor

torchonline.com

“I think [finishing] is improving,” said head coach Ian Stone. “We just needed a little more luck there, with Patrice’s header and Jen’s header right before the end of regulation.”

Russell appeared to be on her way to another clean sheet. Russell, who holds the school record for career shutout, made five saves during regulation to keep the Red Storm in it.

“She’s actually getting better,” said Stone. She’s becoming more of a leader now and more of an organizer as well as just a great shot stopper. She’s a tremendous goalkeeper.”

West Virginia came into the game in second place in the Big East’s American division, and third place overall. St. John’s on the other hand, came in near the bottom with just two wins in conference play.

But out of the gates, it was the Johnnies who controlled play, keeping the ball in West Virginia’s side of the field for the first twenty minutes.

The first half passed by without many chances for either side, as West Virginia only took four shots while the Johnnies could muster three. Leaverton had the best chance in an otherwise uneventful first half but her volley in the eighth minute hit the left post and bounced harmlessly away.

Things opened up in the second half right out of the gate for West Virginia, however. Freshman forward Frances Lewis peppered the net with two shots in the second minute, one of which went wide and one of which was saved by Russell.

It set the tone for the rest of the half, where the Mountaineers put up twelve shots, but none of them got by Russell until Mischler’s bouncer found the back of the net in the 92nd minute.

St. John’s fell to 5-8-1 with the loss, and 2-5 in the Big East. They play the third leg of their four-game homestand on Friday when they take on Seton Hall at Belson Stadium.

Four straight at home, four straight on the road, four straight at home.

CINCINNATI

2

ST. JOHN’S

0

ule

That’s part of the schedthe men’s soccer

team was dealt for the 2010 season.

The team utilized the homefield advantage and won four straight, recording three shutouts and allowing just one goal. But on the road, the Johnnies followed suit with three losses, its lone win coming in overtime against a Yale team that scored on itself.

And as it returned home for the start of another four-game set, the men’s soccer team continued its losing ways, falling 2-0 to Cincinnati (5-3-3, 3-0-0).

“Cincinnati is 3-0 in conference play for a reason,”

head coach Dave Masur said.

“They are a well-organized and veteran team. We played a very energetic first half and created a lot of chances, but we did not have that same energy in the second half.”

The Red Storm (6-5-0, 0-3-0) put 11 shots on goal in the first half, but were shut out by Matt Williams, who made six saves in the game.

In the second half, St. John’s took just four shots.

After multiple St. John’s scoring chances in the 19th minute, Cincinnati took the lead in the 24th minute when Matt Bahner sent a cross

toward the far post and found Nick Weightman on a one-timer just in front of the net.

St. John’s countered with shots by Walter Hines and Tadeu Terra just before the half, which were both blocked.

Early in the second half, Cincinnati struck again when Brenden Stelmak dribbled through the Red Storm defense and tucked a shot just out of goalkeeper Rafael Diaz’ reach.

Diaz made five saves in the losing effort for the Red Storm.

Ale Ivo had a scoring chance in the 66th minute, taking a pass from Terra and sending a shot wide of the post. He followed up with a header that also went wide a minute later.

The Red Storm also had three corner kicks between the 76th and 78th minutes, but did not get any shots on goal.

Can’t get enough TORCH sports?

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

VOLLEYBALL

TORCH SPORTS

19

STORM

CAST

Leavin’ their Mark Baseball team gives back The St. John’s baseball team was in Selden, NY Saturday to volunteer with the Miracle League of Long Island, a charitable organization which provides a baseball league to children with disabilities.

“Seeing the looks in the eyes of all the kids and seeing how excited they were to have us there meant the world to me,” said redshirt senior Joe Witowski, who helped organize the event.

The Red Storm players and coaches acted as “BUDDY’s” for the day, which stands for “Because Unbelievable Dedication Deserves YOU,” and spent the day protecting players in the field from batted balls while serving as guides to the children at the plate and on the bases.

Men’s Golf takes second at Big 5 ’ship

Volleyball drops fifth straight conference game

Blowin’ in the Wind

TORCH PHOTOS/KRISTEN FARMER

MIKE GURNIS Staff Writer

“

We don’t really look at our record, believe it or not.

-Volleyball coach Joanne Persico after her team lost its fifth-straight game in conference play

”

Headin’ this Way Red Storm home games

Men’s Soccer: Oct. 13 Connecticut

7:30 p.m.

The TORCH

Women’s Soccer: Oct. 15 Seton Hall

7 p.m.

Oct. 17 Rutgers

1 p.m.

Volleyball: Oct. 22 Rutgers

7 p.m.

Oct. 24 Seton Hall

2 p.m.

torchonline.com

“We honestly didn’t get a lot of time with her to train her to be put right away into a Big East game and be thrown into the fire, so she’s done very, very well. We know we’re close, and we’re trying to change up the lineup a little, to get some new blood out there and some different vibes, some different mentalities and different energy.”

Although the Red Storm have lost in straight sets in all but one of their Big East matches, on Sunday they lost the last two sets by very close margins, by two points and five points respectively, which shows that closing out sets has been a problem.

“At the end of the match sometimes it looks to me that these teams have athletes that can go to another level, and we cannot,” said Persico.

But Persico knows the Red Storm’s Big East outlook can change with a win at Connecticut on Saturday afternoon.

“We don’t really look at our record, believe it or not. We take it one match at a time,” said Persico. “We know that we need to win a match in the Big East, so we’ll try to bring it back and get a win on Saturday.”

13 Oct. 2010

When the St. John’s volleyball team started off its season with a 13-4 non-conference record, there was little indication that the team would be vulnerable come the start of conference play.

But that’s exactly what’s happened, as the Red Storm dropped their fifth consecutive conference game at Syracuse on Sunday afternoon in straight sets, (25-16, 25-23, 25-20).

The loss drops the Red Storm to 0-5 in Big East play, and a 13-9 overall mark, having lost in straight sets to every Big East team they’ve played except for Villanova in their Big East opener on Sept. 24.

“We knew going on the road this weekend that it wouldn’t be easy, and we knew we had to play really good volleyball,” said head coach Joanne Persico. “We knew we needed to play a good match, and we fought hard. There were a few points where we needed our key players to kind of step up,

and they had a few senior players that did a better job than we did.”

Although Persico was not happy with the loss, she said the tough times the team has faced serves as a learning tool for the Red Storm’s new players who are still getting acclimated to Division I volleyball.

“We’re disappointed of course, because we don’t want to lose matches, but I think at the same point, a lot of our new players now understand what this league is about and the leadership and skill set it takes to win matches,” Persico said.

Juniors Paulina Piegza and Anzelika Lukjanska led the team with seven kills apiece in the losing effort. Junior Alyssa Bennett had 26 assists, while sophomore Ashley Asing had a match-high 11 digs.

Bennett, a junior transfer this season from Robert Morris, is starting to see more playing time as Coach Persico is starting to adjust the team’s lineup to bring new energy to the floor, hoping to turn around the Red Storm’s poor Big East fortunes thus far.

“Alyssa’s been excellent,” said Persico.

SPORTS

Junior outside hitter Anzelika Lukjanska and Paulina Piegza had seven kills apiece for the Red Storm against Syracuse Sunday, but it wasn’t enough for St. John’s to get its first win in five games.

The St. John’s men’s golf team shot a 10-over 290 on Sunday en route to a second-place showing in the Big 5 Championship at Plymouth Country Club.

St. John’s, coming off back-toback wins in the Hartford Hawk Invitational (Sept. 27-28) and The MacDonald Cup (Oct. 2-3), has now finished second or better in three straight tournaments.

Fifth-year senior Evan Beirne notched his third consecutive top-5 finish shooting a 2-over 142 to finish tied for fifth. Mark Costanza and Pat Wilson also contributed, both finishing in the top 20 after strong rounds on Sunday.

SPORTS 13 October 2010 | VOLUME 88, ISSUE 7 | TORCHONLINE.COM

TORCH FILE PHOTO/ BRIAN LOPEZ

TORCHSPORTS.WORDPRESS.COM

The volleyball team lost its fifth straight game Sunday, falling to 0-5 in conference play.

The men’s soccer team started its homestand with a loss to Cincinnati Saturday.

Pg. 19

Pg. 18