Torch Issue - March 4, 2009

TORCH GRAPHIC/ZACH DAVINO, LAURA AMATO & KATRIN ASTARITA

WHAT’S INSIDE News......................2-5 Entertainment....17-21 Editorials..............8-11 Features..............24-26 Comics...............12-13 Sports.................27-32

Worthy cause Women in Sports Day Softball Olympian Jennie Finch spoke at this event, held to raise money for breast cancer.

NEWS pages 3

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Last week’s poll results

85% Yes 15% No

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poll every Wednesday “Think Outside. . .”

2

Directory

Managing Board LXXXV

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

ANTHONY MORREALE

MATT CHOQUETTE

Sports Editor

Chief Copy Editor

PASQUALE PASSARELLA LAURA AMATO

ELIZABETH JALONSCHI

Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor

General Manager

PATRICE BENDIG

JONNATHAN COLEMAN SARA RHODES

Features Editor

Online Editor

CAITLYN NOLAN

ZACH DAVINO

EntertainmentEditor Art Director

Layout Editor ELLEN CAREY Advisor

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

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

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

Spring break Museums If you’re not sure what to do over the break, take advantage of the many venues in New York City, including Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

Inferno pg. 21 Campus Spotlight College Democrats Two St. John’s College Democrats are running for positions in New York State’s chapter of the organization in April.

Features pg. 24

Men’s Basketball Getting Revenge

NEWS

The Red Storm won arguably its biggest game of the year on Tuesday against a team that destroyed St. John’s last season.

Sports pg. 31

4 March 2009

BLOOD DRIVES OPINION PG. 11

Lent 2009 continues with a series of events THOMAS CARNEVALE Staff Writer

The TORCH

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TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Joe Rockstar, a New-York based cover band, took stage at the latest coffeehouse event, held on Saturday, Feb. 28 in the UC. This is the latest in a series of events being held this semester, which has also included Karaoke Night.

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The Office of Campus Ministry is offering a variety of ways for students to observe Lent. This 40-day period before Easter began on Ash Wednesday, which was Feb. 25.

Dr. Pam Shea-Byrnes, vice president of Campus Ministry emphasized the importance of this religious season.

“Lent gives us a time to reflect on God in the middle of a busy semester,” she said.

Shea-Byrnes encouraged students to extend their Lenten goals into the rest of the year.

“During the Lenten season imagine who you want to be when the 40 days are over,” she said.

One of the events Campus Ministry is sponsoring is “Centering Prayer.” This is part of its “Meditation and Prayer” project. “Centering Prayer,” which focuses on silent prayer, is taking place on Thursday, March 19 and Wednesday, April 1 in the St. Thomas More Church.

Another event, the annual Walk for the

Homeless, is taking place on April 10, coinciding with Good Friday. This 5K walk will start at 9 a.m. and will take place throughout Queens.

Shea-Byrnes said the Good Friday walk “goes along with Campus Ministry’s mission to get students involved in the community this Lent.”

This year, St. John’s is participating in Operation Rice Bowl, a project that calls for the distribution of 300 rice bowls throughout the University during Lent. Students will be asked to collect donations. The donations will be sent to Catholic Relief Services, which distributes the funds in the U.S. around the world.

Other observances include a Lenten Prayer tree nearear St. Thomas More Church. Students will be asked to pick a prayer and pray for that person throughout Lent.

Midnight Runs allow students to work with the homeless. They are held two or three times a week all year, but some students feel that during Lent, Midnight Runs take on a greater significance.

“With Lent we are giving up what we have, which is time, not money,” said Cenia Santana, a sophomore.

3

Gold medalist speaks to women athletes KATIE BECKMANN Staff Writer

NEWS

The power of pink was as strong as ever last Saturday.

More than 500 students, faculty and administrators filled Marillac Terrace for the 12th annual Women in Sports Day, an event held to celebrate the achievement of women’s athletics and to raise money for breast cancer research.

The majority of the people in attendance donned pink t-shirts in support of the cause.

“I think the biggest thing for us is not only recognizing what our students and administrators have done for this university, but to see everyone coming together,” said Dana Lezama, Student Government Inc. president.

“It’s not very often, that we can bring student athletes, regular students, and student leaders together. I think this is one of those events that unites this campus.”

Many members of the St. John’s community were honored for their contributions to St. John’s women’s sports, including Jill Christensen, director of equipment operations and senior associate athletic trainer, Gemma Alexander-Mozeak, St. John’s women’s tennis coach, Lucy Pesce, director of Leadership Development for student athletes, David Romeo, a representative of Nutraceuticals International, junior Renee Cloutier, a member of the St. John’s women’s golf team and SGI school spirit co-chairs Tami Telford and Christina Zaccarelli.

The program, sponsored by Student Life, LEADership Development, Women’s Basketball, SGI and Campus Activies, was headlined by Olympic Gold Medalist and U.S. Softball pitcher, Jennie Finch, who served as the event’s keynote speaker.

“It’s a great time to be a woman, take pride in it and celebrate how far we’ve come,” she said during her speech. “We know that we have more ground to cover and more barriers to break down. We have still have a long

way to go.”

Finch mentioned the experience that inspired in her a drive to win. She told a story about losing a game in college to Arizona State University while pitching for the University of Arizona and how she told her father afterwards that she never wanted to lose again. It was from this moment on, Finch said, that fueled her competitive desire to be a winner and helped her win 60 straight games as a pitcher in college.

Junior Samantha Songle said she was inspired by Finch’s speech.

“Hearing a speech like that, I think that it puts into perspective how many hardships and struggles we have to go through to be successful as a female,” she said. “Women like Jennie Finch are breaking down many barriers for females for the future.”

Mary Pelkowski, director of LEADership Development, praised Finch and her disposition.

“It was a tremendous honor to have Jennie Finch at this event,” she said.

“I was struck by how humble she was and how honored she was to play and represent our country.”

According to Pelkowski, the Women in Sports day first started 12 years ago, with 50 people celebrating Title IX, a law passed requiring gender equality in participation and funding for women’s and men’s athletic programs.

The event has since evolved, she said, but still has not lost sight of its original message.

“We have been extremely blessed that over the last few years we have had Gold Medal Olympians serve as keynote speakers, from Rebecca Lobo, Michelle Smith, Carla Overbeck, Lisa Leslie and this year, Jennie Finch,” she said. “We have been honored to have and welcome these women to our University.”

Kim Barnes-Arico, coach of the St. John’s women’s basketball team said she was impressed with the turnout for the event.

“It was a great crowd,” she said. “It’s a great foundation [and] it’s a great day for our university and the community to be involved in today.”

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Jennie Finch,an Olympic gold medalist for softball, was the keynote speaker at the twelfth annual Women in Sports Day, held on Feb. 28.

BRYAN BURTNER Staff Writer

various sub-committees, as well as the policies of Student Life.

“It’s important to know that [the candidates] have a good working knowledge of the organizations they’ll be working with,” Baccala said.

“In order to run, they have to pass the test.”

Baccala, who had to take and pass the test himself before running for his position, said that he found it to be challenging but fair.

“It’s not multiple choice, so you have to know the answers,” he said, adding that the tests are graded by Student Life to ensure that the process is unbiased.

“It gets you to do your own research and develop a well

rounded understanding of the relevant information,” Baccala said.

Students will be able to vote on March 23 in Council Hall, March 24 in Marillac Hall or online either day on St. John’s Central.

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

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campaign season will continue this Thursday with a debate in the Donovan Hall Community Room at 8:30 p.m. The second and final debate will take place on March 16 at 3:00 p.m. in the Little Theatre, and the candidates will introduce themselves before the Organizational Congress on March 18 in the UC Commons.

“There are a total of four official events,” Baccala explained, “but the candidates have the opportunity over the next four weeks to campaign across campus.”

Before the candidates could run for positions, they all had to take a test gauging their general knowledge of the operations and procedures of SGI and its

The TORCH

Student Government, Inc. will hold elections for the 20092010 academic year on March 23 and 24.

The elections will be contested by two full tickets for the third consecutive year after failing to be fully contested in 2005 and 2006.

The V.I.S.I.O.N. ticket will be led by presidential candidate Chenele Francis while P.R.I.D.E. will feature presidential candidate Patrick McBurney.

There will also be one independent candidate, Donald Wiggins, who will run for the position of Sophomore Senator

under the ticket name F.A.I.T.H. The campaign season kicked off on Tuesday with the “Campus Tour” event, which gave candidates the opportunity to introduce themselves and their platforms to students.

“The candidates started out in the UC Commons, then moved to Marillac Terrace, and finally Montgoris Dining Hall,” said current SGI Secretary Dominc Baccala, who explained that the event was the first of its kind.

“It was something the current Elections Committee and Executive Board established as a kick-off to the election season,” he said. “It was sort of a meet and greet.”

The scheduled events of the

4 March 2009

Student government elections to be held later this month

4

New schedule postponed until next spring GREGORY LEPORATI Editor-in-Chief

A new academic schedule, originally set to be implemented this fall, has been postponed until Spring 2010, according to school officials.

The proposed schedule change calls for the elimination of 55-minute classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and replaces them with 85-minute classes like those on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The proposed schedule will also feature a common hour from Monday through Thursday.

University Registrar Joseph Capobianco said the proposed changes are a significant shift for everyone at St. John’s and officials want to ensure that

the transition to the new schedule is as smooth as possible.

One of the main reasons for delaying the implementation of the schedule change is to fine-tune how Friday classes will be arranged, according to Capobianco.

“We are still in discussion about the type of classes to be held on that day – whether they be one-hour or three-hour classes,” he said.

Capobianco also said that while the number of one-hour versus three-hour classes on Fridays is still being debated, it won’t be a one-size fits all approach.

“Circumstances will vary from college to college, campus to campus,” he said.

The decision to hold off on the schedule change was made on Feb. 19 after numerous discussions with University administrators and deans,

Capobianco said.

Dr. Julia Upton, university provost, also confirmed the decision to stick with the current academic schedule for next semester.

“We are being cautious. You always have to have a back-up plan,” she said.

“You just never know with these things, and we feel it is better to be prepared.”

Capobianco said that between now and the Spring 2010 semester, administrators will continue to fine tune the proposed schedule change.

Some students said that they wished they were part of the decision-making process regarding the schedule change.

“I was an orientation leader, and students are required to fill out surveys there, so why not slip in a question about preferred schedules?” said senior Jen Rais.

Senior Astley Graham agreed, but said that waiting an extra semester before implementing the change could be a good thing.

“The delay is fine,” he said. “Give them time to get it right.”

Some students do not like the idea of eliminating 55-minute classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“I get easily bored in 50 minutes, so doing more than an hour for each class could get me stressed out,” said freshman Lily Yu. Rais believes that making most classes 85-minutes long could prove problematic for certain subject areas.

“Certain classes should not be an hour and a half because of the requirements for the class,” she said.

“And some students prefer hour-long classes. Many students pick hour-long classes for a reason.”

Graphic designer shares insights from latest book

4 March 2009

NEWS

ANN MARIE MASCIOLI Staff Writer Brazilian author and graphic designer Felipe Taborda gave students insight into Latin American culture during his lecture on Thursday, Feb. 26 in Sun Yat Sen Hall.

Tabroda, who recently published a book called Latin American Graphic Design, said that he felt it was important to provide “a new way of looking at Latin America,” focusing more on Latin Amercain achievements rather than stereotypes.

His book outlines the work of more than 200 Latin American graphic designers.

Taborda discussed his subjects’ careers and shared some of their work.

He also discussed the influence of some Latin American artists including Guillermo Gonzalez Ruiz, Ricardo Blanco, and Aloisio Magalhaes. Taborda deemed Magalhaes the father of design and credited him with his own interest in graphic design.

The TORCH

“I found him interesting and eye opening. He leaves you wanting more,” said Jennifer Doggett, a junior.

Wanting more was a common thought held by fans who stuck around to get a chance to speak with Taborda and get a photo and autograph.

“I loved it. I was really excited to come,” said Tracy Hua, a sophomore. “He was so modest for a famous designer.”

Another student, sophomore Michael Montijo, felt connected to Taborda because of their shared culture.

“I’m Latin American and I found it inspiring delving in to my culture and to see how my culture affects my work,” he said.

Sandy Almeyda, a graduate student at St. John’s, described his admiration for Taborda’s support of other artists.

“He shed light on people who haven’t gotten the exposure they should have in the past.

This makes graphic design more well rounded than they have in the past,” he said.

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Felipe Taborda spoke to students about his latest book, in which he goes into detail about many influential Latin American artists.

Graduating seniors pondering their post-academic futures JACKIE GENOVESE Staff Writer

torchonline.com

Also in his book is a history of design in Latin America from how it developed to how its style of design is so unique. It provides a timeline of historical events in design.

Taborda, studied at the London International Film School, the New York Institute of Technology and the School of Visual Arts. He is a professor at UniverCidade in Rio de Janeiro and has run his own design firm since 1990.

If one theme was prevalent throughout Taborda’s lecture, it was that great graphic designers can come from anywhere and under any circumstance.

“You must be very curious,” he told aspiring graphic designers.

During his presentation, Taborda made clear his appreciation for all life has to offer.

“There are so many books to read, foods to eat, places to go,” he said. “That’s the great thing about life.”

It was Taborda’s enthusiasm and high energy level that kept spectators captivated.

With all of the economic news, seniors may be thinking overtime about their postacademic futures, The Career Center is there to help seniors upon graduation in May. Finding a job, however, may not be at the top of everyone’s list.

Joni O’Hagan, senior associate director at the Career Center, weighed the pros and

cons of attending graduate school.

“If graduate school is appropriate to their career goal then perhaps it would be a good consideration,” she said.

“However, if graduate school has no relationship to what the student ultimately seeks to do then it might not be a good investment in these tough times.”

Senior government and politics major and SGI Secretary Dominic Baccala said he is realistic about his expectations after graduation.

“I realize that working with

the government is more realistic in this economy but I’ve always planned on going to graduate school regardless of the current crisis,” he said.

He also said he believes that taking advantage of networking opportunities is crucial because “it’s not what you know but who you know that is really going to be important nowadays.”

O’Hagan also said that she finds interning to be beneficial to students, even after they graduate.

“We often suggest internships to graduates who are either facing a tough economy or who

are in transition between two industries. It provides a good ‘foot in the door’ as well as a great opportunity to network in an industry.”

Senior history major Kevin Lubrano is interning to boost his resume.

“I have an internship with the Queens Historical Society, taking foreign languages, and trying to get a paper published,” he said.

Fellow senior and journalism major Giselle Castro said she is hopeful about her future job prospects and that she thinks having a positive attitude is the

best way to deal with today’s economy.

“I try to remain involved in activities at school pertaining to my major to make up for it,” she said. “For example I have an interest in broadcasting, so I’m apart of the TV club on campus.”

Castro said she has started job-hunting, and has “noticed there are a lot of freelancing position available for writers.”

For more information, visit the Career Center in the UC room 24 or e-mail careers@ stjohns.edu

5

Giveaways raise interest in SJU basketball BILL SAN ANTONIO Assistant Sports Editor

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Movie tickets and MetroCards are two of the incentives that have been given out to students to attend basketball games in an effort to raise attendance at both MSG and Carnesecca Arena. support of our athletic traditions.”

The current plan is to continue monitoring the effect the incentives have on St. John’s basketball home games and eventually offer similar enticements for other sporting events throughout the school year, said Morton.

The School Spirit Committee, which is part of SGI, works alongside Student Engagement and RedZone, the University student section, to put the promotions into the hands of students.

Christina Zaccarelli, SGI school spirit chair, said her committee works with volunteer members of SGI to organize the events. They hand out the food, t-shirts, vouchers, and supervise the bus rides to and from Madison Square Garden.

“The entire purpose of the current athletic engagement plan has been to get students out to games so that they can become a part of the St. John’s tradition,” Zaccarelli said. “With that being said, most student interaction that I have

personally had has been very positive.”

She also said she saw a noticeably high level of school spirit from students on bus rides to games.

“I have had buses full of students that chant ‘We Are! St. John’s!’ on the way to the game and line up to get their faces painted,” Zaccarelli said.

“I feel like there is a desire for there to be more school spirit on campus and that this is creating an atmosphere for that.”

TOM MORRIS The California Aggie (Via UWire)

danger areas along the U.S.Mexico border,” Evans said.

“We tell them to follow the same precautions that they would if they were traveling to any place, whether it’s Europe or South America.”

For those students seeking to travel to the hot spots, his advice is a little stronger, though he stops short of suggesting not to travel to Mexico at all.

“We are giving the same safety information and brochures as normal, as well as giving them advice on alternatives places in Mexico to consider traveling to,” Evans said.

Some students are taking the travel decisions into their own hands. Sophomore David Mebane, president of University of California-Davis fraternity

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, says he and his friends have planned to go elsewhere.

“We had been talking about going to Mexico for spring break, and we were going to rent a cabin for several days,” Mebane said.

“Then after hearing the news, we decided to go with different plans.”

According to the State Department, the situation in border towns is of particular concern.

Mexican authorities report that more than 1,800 people have been killed in Ciudad Juarez since January 2008.

The city of 1.6 million people experienced over 17,000 car thefts and 1,650 carjackings in 2008.

torchonline.com

Mexico last year, according to news reports.

U.S. universities are issuing their own warnings to students.

As reported by the Associated Press, the University of Arizona in Tucson has urged its 37,000 students not to travel to Mexico, while many other universities said they would call students’ attention to the State Department travel advisory.

Despite the bloodshed, the number of foreign tourists visiting Mexico rose to 23 million in 2008, up 5.9 percent from the year before.

Patrick Evans, Marketing and Communications Coordinator for STA Travel, said its travel agents have been issuing their own advisory to students.

“Most are not going to the

The TORCH

In late winter, when rain and finals are real sources of stress for students, a week in Mexico may seem like the perfect salve.

But after increased drug and gang violence there led the State Department to issue a travel warning for Mexico, the idea may not seem so attractive.

More than 100,000 high school and college students travel to Mexican resort areas during spring break each year, according to the U.S. State Department.

The majority of the violence is occurring in Mexican border towns such as Tijuana,

Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez, and tourists are generally not being targeted, yet the State Department stresses the need to exercise extreme caution in all areas.

“Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country” and “in recent years dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped across Mexico,” a statement on the State Department’s website said.

Mexico’s drug cartels are waging a brutal fight among themselves for smuggling routes, carrying out massacres and dumping beheaded bodies in the streets.

More than 6,000 people were killed in drug violence in

4 March 2009

Students advised to avoid Mexico spring break trips

NEWS

Over the course of the men’s and women’s basketball season, St. John’s has offered its fans giveaways to attend games. These have come in the form of t-shirts, MetroCards, movie tickets, meals, and transportation to and from Madison Square Garden for the $5 cover price of a ticket at the Campus Concierge station.

The University has offered numerous promotions to its fans attending athletic events in the past, such as t-shirts or banners, but many students said the increase in the quantity of giveaways this year has provided an extra incentive to attend games.

“At the beginning of the season when they didn’t have the giveaways, I wouldn’t have thought to go to a basketball game, but because they did, it gave me a reason to go,” said freshman Jennifer Curtis.

Sophomore James Barnard also said he has noticed a renewed student intrest in attending St. John’s basketball games because of the additional freebies.

“I think people didn’t go to the games because the team is [struggling], but people are going to start coming to games [because of the incentives],” he said.

Darren Morton, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, said the decision to provide giveaways for attending St. John’s basketball games at MSG and Carnesecca Arena was made to get students more involved with University athletic events.

“We determined that providing incentives and creating a vibrant experience for our students to interact with one another would also create an opportunity for students to experience one of St. John’s oldest traditions,” he said.

Morton also said that there is no correlation between the giveaways and the current state of the University’s basketball program.

“As the University community, we continuously look for ways to support that tradition and encourage student engagement,” he said. “This effort is just one example of our commitment to fostering school spirit and student

8

Editorial Board LXXXVI GREGORY LEPORATI Editor-in-Chief

Illustrator’s Corner:

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

FLAMES OF THE TORCH

torchonline.com

The TORCH

4 March 2009

EDITORIAL

Better safe than sorry When thinking about the uncertainties of completing construction projects according to strict deadlines, the old adage “it is better to be safe than sorry” comes to mind.

This becomes particularly appropriate when considering St. John’s recent track record with finishing on-campus construction projects on time.

This past summer, the townhouse project was completed on time for move-in day at the start of the Fall 2008 semester as planned by the University.

Unfortunately, many students were dismayed to find dirty floors, damaged windows, or leaking heating units in their townhouse apartments.

Whether or not this was the result of a rush to finish the construction on time, these problems could have been discovered and remedied by the construction company or University staff if they had had the luxury of time.

This was not possible since students had already been registered to live in the townhouses and were scheduled to move in only days after the construction was supposed to be complete.

Now, with the nearing completion of the new University Center/Academic Center, the University is proposing to move many student organizations into the new building over the summer in time for the start of the 2009 Fall semester. But is such a move-in schedule for student activities really the best plan of action?

The most important fact to consider when looking at the UC/AC is that it is not in the same situation as the townhouses.

Students have not signed up to move into the UC/AC, nor are classes already scheduled to take place in the new classrooms that are going to be located there. Unlike the townhouses, the UC/AC does have the luxury of time.

For the students’ welfare, the building should be finalized upon opening day in every aspect, avoiding a rush

completion at all costs. Anything less would be a great disservice to the student body.

In the construction of any building, there are many variables to consider.

However, in a multipurpose facility like the UC/AC, the number of variables are multiplied significantly. This makes foreseeing any potential problems much more difficult.

Why risk the disappointment and frustration of a delay caused by technical problems when there is no pressing urgency to have it ready in the fall?

Take the example of the library renovation that took place this past Fall semester. Like the townhouses, the library was meant to be completed in time for the start of classes. However, an unexpected plumbing incident occurred, delaying the reopening of much of the library for over two months.

If a major problem like that were to happen in the new UC/AC after the majority of student activities were moved into the new building, the University would have to then turn around and move everyone back into the old University Center. This would be a major pain for students, organizations, and administrators alike.

Now consider what would happen if the offices located in the UC had already been reallocated for other purposes. If an academic department had moved into the UC or if the building was in the process of being torn down to be replaced by a parking lot, a simple construction error would be transformed into an administrative disaster. A blunder like this would paralyze student organizations on campus because they would no longer have a place to meet.

In the case of the new UC/AC, pushing back the date of the grand opening would, as a worst case scenario, be erring on the side of caution, whereas the consequences of a rushed completion date could be dangerous, at the very least.

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

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

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

Please include your full name, year, and college (or department). Letters 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.

TORCH CARTOONS/TOP: KERI DODGE; BOTTOM: ZACH DAVINO

9

Quieting the rumor mill The University should put misconceptions about the UC/AC to rest If you were to ask one of your professors, or even a fellow student, about the construction of the new University Center/Academic Center, I’d wager they’d give you this response: no way that thing will be built in time for next semester. No way.

That’s the answer I’ve heard from a number of different people on campus, and, given the building’s current look, I can’t blame them much for making that assumption.

The recent discovery that the proposed new academic schedule would not be put in place next semester, and would be postponed until the Spring 2010 semester, added fuel to the fire.

Now, those same professor and student naysayers began telling me that the reason the schedule change had to be postponed was partly because the University was not going to have access to the classrooms the new UC/AC will provide.

But these rumors are simply hearsay.

From what I’ve found, University administrators are confident that the new University Center will be complete for its intended August opening, and the delayed implementation of the new academic schedule, officials told me, has nothing to

do with the 13 new classrooms the UC/ AC will provide.

Why are there persisting rumors that the building will not be finished in time?

That’s a question that I am struggling to answer.

University Provost Dr. Julia Upton also found it to be a difficult question when she spoke with a Torch reporter earlier this week.

“I don’t know why there are so many rumors,” she said. “I have no evidence to support that it won’t be done on time.”

And that’s certainly true. After all, how is it that students and professors think they know the building won’t be complete come August? Do they all have years of construction experience and know just by looking at its skeleton frame

that the structure is behind schedule? I’ve yet to see any hard evidence.

Brij Anand, vice president for Facilities, and various members of the construction team over at the work site confirmed that the building is on target for an opening in August 2009. With that in mind, I’m even more confused by the stunning amount of rumors I’ve heard from people on campus about an alleged delayed opening.

Perhaps students and faculty members are hesitant to believe the intended date of completion after the construction problems that happened early last semester with the library.

Maybe there is just an overwhelming sense of pessimism and negativity on this campus. Or, perhaps more realistically, it is a combination of the two.

Either way, I recommend the University take proactive steps to reassure faculty members and students that the UC/AC is on schedule. Many administrators adamantly told me that the building will be finished on time, but the amount of rumors I’ve heard lead me to believe that not everyone on campus is convinced.

And to hear professors and even some administrators sounding uncertain about

the construction date, I’d say it’s of utmost importance for University leaders to reassure the campus community.

Dr. Upton, when asked if she was certain about the UC/AC being finished on time, offered a safe and wise response: “There are too many variables involved for me to accurately predict if this is going to be done on time.”

It’s true that we can’t say anything for sure, and Dr. Upton is right to mention that we can never be 100 percent certain about anything. But from what I’ve seen, a little more certainty needs to be injected into the SJU community.

So don’t believe what your professors or fellow students may tell you: the new UC/AC is on schedule, and the delayed implementation of the new academic schedule has nothing to do with that building, according to administrators.

But there’s only so much I can say.

It’s up to the University’s higher ups to fully convince the rumor-filled student body and faculty.

Gregory Leporati is a senior English major.

He can be reached at: torcheic@gmail.com

Energy drinks are in a league of their own MARK MCDONALD Staff Writer

COMPILED BY PATRICE BENDIG AND THOMAS CARNEVALE

No, I still haven’t been to a game.

No, I’m not interested in basketball. I don’t care about the money.

Kishon Kuruvilla

Vanessa Bowan

Joe Hong

torchonline.com

Yes, they have good promotions. I think it’s a great way to promote school spirit.

The TORCH

How do you feel about the incentives to go to basketball games?

4 March 2009

STUDENTSPARKS

in the middle of the test then the benefits of that studying might not be seen.

The crash from energy drinks is much worse than one from coffee because of the higher concentration of caffeine, which makes many question the usefulness of these drinks.

While energy drinks do have their negatives, there are few, if any, concrete links between them and adverse health effects beyond the symptoms of excessive caffeine intake. There have been reports of illness, seizures, and even death due to energy drink consumption. This has caused some countries to ban many of the drinks, including market-leader Red Bull. However, these instances are generally seen as exceptions, not rules.

Despite all the reasons not to consume energy drinks, they remain a popular choice for consumers. Coffee and other drinks, while still popular, are simply not viable substitutes for energy drinks.

They may not cause as hard of a crash, but they also fail to give the same boost. If a student needs to stay awake for just a few hours more, turning to an energy drink is the better choice. It can provide the necessary jolt of energy without keeping them up all night.

OP-ED

Energy drinks have become a common sight at St. John’s. Their booming popularity during this decade has helped to make them a normal part of many students’ days. These drinks can give students the extra boost that is necessary to do all of the things they need to do in a given day. But is the boost these drinks give worth the adverse health effects that have been linked to them? Or is coffee the better alternative?

What seems to have happened is that energy drinks have created and entered into a market that is entirely separate from that of coffee. While many see them as competitors, they are not in direct competition.

Coffee is more of an everyday beverage that people regularly consume multiple servings of in a day, whereas energy drinks are usually limited to single use. Energy drinks and the boost they provide are stronger than what coffee can offer, which justifies the more intense crash to many.

As the market continues to grow, more and more people are drinking energy drinks on a regular basis. The argument about the effects of energy drinks on a person’s health continues to rage, but it doesn’t have much of an effect on the fans of the drinks. Energy drinks have made a market for themselves, and unless a study can show a direct correlation between them and a devastating health effect, people are going to drink them to get that extra jolt of energy they need.

The most common health problem associated with energy drinks is that of excessive caffeine intake. This is not usually a problem when drinking one energy drink per day, but can become a problem when more are consumed or if drinking some of the larger sized drinks.

Excessive caffeine intake can cause a euphoric state to many, but also causes nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms and upset stomach.

With excessive caffeine intake comes the dreaded caffeine crash. The crash that happens when an energy drink wears off is definitely a problem, especially for students. Using an energy drink to stay up all night and study is a common occurrence, but if the crash happens

10

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/CHRISTOPHER LAUTO

St. John’s pay-per-view program Do basketball incentives foster or hinder school spirit?

torchonline.com

The TORCH

4 March 2009

OP-ED

BRYAN BURTNER Staff Writer It wasn’t all too long ago that I was an enthusiastic freshman journalism major working on my first news article for the TORCH. Alas, I’m now a jaded, greybearded English major, and my, how things seem to have changed.

That first news article illuminated to the student population the fact that a decision by Athletics Marketing would require them to pay for tickets to some on-campus sporting events, a departure from the previous year’s policy of free tickets to every game. Today, the University is willing to pay us just to come out to a game.

You can spare us the typical arguments about how this school’s academic fortunes are intrinsically tied to its successes on the basketball court, and how much fan support for the Johnnies means to the school’s ability to support its students and faculty.

That might have been true in the good old days when we really were New York City’s college hoops team.

It might be true today at schools like Duke, UCONN and UCLA, where the b-ball brand is still marketable. But it’s not true here, not now.

Any success that St. John’s has today in climbing and clawing its way back into the national (or even regional) consciousness will be wrought in the classroom, and if we’re going to spend money to garner more support anywhere, it should be there.

As it is, the men’s basketball “incentive” program aimed at getting students out to games serves two purposes: it creates the illusion of a student body brimming with school spirit, and it provides a free handout of movie tickets and gift cards to cash strapped students.

I guess neither of those things are inherently bad, but if the school wants to provide its own little economic stimulus package to the undergrads, why not just give us a break on the tuition.

Neither is the basketball team really served by the measure in the long run, as most of the same students who show up for a free meal will just as quickly disappear when the well dries up and the equation reverses itself; paying people to take something off your hands is no way to convince them to come back and buy more tomorrow.

There have been a lot of criticisms about how money is spent at St. John’s in the past, with various programs coming under fire. The bottom line is, only the higher ups who make these decisions really know where the money is coming from, and where else it could possibly go.

It’s also true that the amount spent

on these giveaways would probably be only a drop in the bucket if they were to be redirected toward some other, more academically motivated purpose.

Doesn’t matter. The principle here is the key, and there are a myriad of more deserving programs, events and groups on campus that could benefit from that cash.

Even within the Athletics department, the money could surely be better spent, and the benefit would no doubt outweigh the harm in having a few less half-hearted fans in the stands.

So to whomever it is that makes these calls, please, take some time to ponder this question: with money as tight as it is these days, can we really afford to be paying so much to our own students, just to fill a few seats?

STEPHEN PINTO Staff Writer When a sports team loses games, it loses every argument too. Success breeds success, but failure breeds failure and right now, the St. John’s basketball program is stuck in a cycle of failure.

MSG games can often feel like away games, transfers of talented players feel as frequent as recruits, and even current seniors have not seen one exceptional season from the team.

There is no one problem with the program that any one solution can fix.

Because of its rich history, though, the potential is there to rebuild a successful system. But it will take many steps

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/KERI DODGE

over the course of several years.

That is why measures that may patch more than one hole at the same time are so valuable. Offering incentives to draw fans to the games represents one of these measures.

While it may feel like bringing in mercenary fans, there really is no downside and even these fans, perhaps drawn in solely by the thought of free food, may become real Johnnies fanatics.

One problem with St. John’s basketball is the lack of student interest. While the Student Section must be commended for all the enthusiasm they inject, the majority of the student base does not feel the energy of the basketball team. What the majority of the student base is fanatic about is giveaways and free food.

This is not to suggest that “mercenary” fans without enthusiasm are good enough. But, this is a way to break out of the negative cycle St. John’s is stuck in.

If fans are uninterested, the team will suffer, and fans will stay uninterested. If you bring students in through the use of these incentives, though, maybe they will decide to stick around. “Build it and they will come,” or in this case, “bring them and they will stay.”

For instance, after a big, exciting overtime win like the one against Georgetown on Tuesday, perhaps a “fan” that originally came only for the gift cards finds himself walking out filled with the excitement of the game.

The only way to introduce this excitement to the student fan base is to get them out to begin with, and that starts with incentives.

There may be some cost associated with these giveaways, but considering that St. John’s typically does giveaways at games anyway, and many of these are corporate-sponsored, they are actually bringing money in.

Even if there is a cost for incentives though, the team has to spend some money to make some money. Even in the short term, perhaps for every student that comes and drains some of that budget, they also give back by buying a hot dog and a can of soda, or perhaps even a team jersey.

Of course, incentives are just a start.

Along with handing out banners and t-shirts, St. John’s needs rallies and more ways of inspiring school spirit in the fan base.

Hopefully, an interested and engaged student fan base will spur the team on to become better. The way to start that process, even if it seems unfavorable in the short term, is through these incentives.

11

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/KERI DODGE

Record blood donations prove St. John’s has a heart JUSTIN THRIFT Staff Writer St. John’s always boasts its Catholic, Vincentian, and Metropolitan mission statement, but many of us can probably attest to finding faults in the school’s ability to back it up.

Yet there is no denying the Catholic and Vincentian qualities manifested in the school’s steadfast involvement and commitment to the New York Blood Center.

St. John’s collected a record amount of blood in 2008 after the school formed the University Blood Donation Steering Committee, which consists of rep-

resentatives from all St. John’s campuses. According to the University’s Web site, the school received 1,774 donations in 2008, amounting to a record-breaking 1,639 pints of lifesaving blood.

These numbers come from the culmination of students, professors, and staff across the Queens, Oakdale, Staten Island and Manhattan campuses.

In addition to these numbers, the Web site notes that the Community Outreach Committee of the Student Bar Association made its contribution as well, sponsoring blood drives at the law school and collecting 79 pints of blood in total.

Not only does this set a new precedent of community service

at St. John’s, but it also makes the University the leading blood donor of all colleges and universities in the New York City metropolitan area, a fact that certainly bolsters St. John’s Vincentian mission.

This semester, the University is continuing its good work with a few visits from the NYBC already complete.

With four more scheduled blood donation days on the Queens campus this academic year alone, the school will be hoping to maintain and progress their impressive contributions to the community’s dire need for blood.

Because of the large significance and need for human

blood, St. John’s committment is a good thing. Blood centers all across the country represent the sick and dependent—those who are in need of blood to continue living their lives.

According to the New York Blood Center’s Web site, one in every three people will require a blood transfusion once in their life, a statistic that should inspire us all to eagerly offer up some of the extra blood flowing through our veins.

Donating blood between classes or before you go home for the day is one of the best ways to make a significant difference in someone’s life, and thanks to the blood center’s portable vehicles and frequent

campus visits, it’s also incredibly easy. So if you’ve never donated blood before, check it out next time you see “Drip,” the school’s blood donation mascot, bouncing in front of the library.

The blood raised on campus in 2008 and the school’s dedication to raising awareness is admirable, and hopefully influential for other NYC area schools.

The important thing to remember, however, is that the record amount of blood raised came largely from students and could not have been achieved without student blood.

St. John’s is doing something right. The University has done well, and 2009 is looking even brighter.

Writers welcome.

4 March 2009 The TORCH

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

Come visit us for our next meeting of the semester, on March 17 during Common Hour in the UC room 29.

OP-ED

Photographers, graphic designers, cartoonists, editors, and business people welcome too.

torchonline.com

TORCHCOMICS 4 March 2009

Geek Zach Davino

Short Shorts Tim Olwell

Ethel & Wilfred Chris Lauto

I Can’t Draw Alex Reyes

MORECOMICS 4 March 2009

Controlled Chaos Catharine Corrigan

Cloister Matt Brown

1-800-ARMSTACO Jonathan Roman

Quarter-Life Crisis Preston Palmer

The Fighting Ninth

15

a photo essay by Bryan Burtner

The rebel skate culture of the 80’s lives on in a police approved after school program in Open Roads Park outside East Side Community High.

Still, the NYPD’s Ninth Precinct has not lost its edge, and it is the tense balance between the old and the new that makes this niche of the Lower East Side so fascinating.

PHOTO ESSAY 4 March 2009 The TORCH

torchonline.com

17

ENTERTAINMENT

4 March 2009 torchonline.com

After a five year hiatus, the band reunites to tour PG 19

The TORCH

No Doubt

Downtown Desserts

19

Back for D More

INFERNO REVIEWS A FEW OF NEW YORK CITY’S BEST SWEETS CHRISTINA HEISER Managing Editor

NO DOUBT RETURNS FOR A NATIONWIDE TOUR TO INSPIRE THEIR NEW ALBUM ALEX QUEVEDO Staff Writer

O

For the cupcake connoisseur in all of us This relatively new East Village bakery is easy to miss. Tucked away on E. 7th Street, Butter Lane serves up freshly baked cupcakes using only the finest organic ingredients. But before you purchase a cupcake, sample one of the many frostings. If you’re in the mood for chocolate or vanilla, you’ll have to choose between French and American buttercream; the French version is lighter than the American.

However, if plain old chocolate and vanilla just won’t do, try one of the homemade flavored frostings made with real fruit; blueberry is particularly tasty. The cupcakes here have a slight crunch when you bite into them, a nice contrast to the creamy frosting.

Butter Lane 123 East 7th St. F to 2nd Ave., R/N/ W to E. 8th St., 6 to Astor Pl. Vanilla and chocolate frosted: $2.50 each; specialty frostings $2.75 each Having your cake and eating it, too Anyone who has ever been to Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village, made famous on Sex and the City, knows that when it comes to cupcakes, it is easy to go wrong. Sarah Jessica Parker and Co. may have enjoyed the artificially sweet frosting atop overly dry cupcakes served up at Magnolia, but if you’re looking for a real treat, look no further than Sugar Sweet Sunshine, a funky, hip bakery on the Lower East Side. The cakes here are light and fluffy and the frostings are creamy without being overly sweet. So relax on one of the couches and savor each bite: after all, who can resist a cupcake named Sexy Red Velvet?

Sugar Sweet Sunshine 126 Rivington St. F to Delancey St. All cupcakes are $1.50 each.

to be missed. Neither are the other Asian-inspired flavors, such as red bean, almond cookie and green tea.

Ironically, these are listed as “regular flavors,” while the more traditional ice creams, such as chocolate chip and rocky road are listed as “exotic flavors.” The tiny interior is always packed, so unfortunately, you may have to stand outside while you enjoy. However, the experience is worth it and the ice cream here is undoubtedly better (and more exciting) than that at Haagen Dasz, located right across the street; with such a strong competitor, it’s a wonder Haagen Dasz stays in business.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory 65 Bayard St. R/N/W/Q/J/M/Z/6 to Canal St. One scoop: $3.75 NYC meets small town America Take a trip down memory lane and peruse the various old-school candies available for purchase at The Soda Shop, a popular hangout spot in TriBeCa. Afterwards, grab a table and try one of the many ice cream sodas. One of the best drinks on the menu is the Black Cow, a mix of root beer, vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Also on the menu are milkshakes, malts and New York Egg Creams. You’re sure to feel nostalgic after visiting The Soda Shop, a perfect snapshot of 50s America.

The Soda Shop 125 Chambers St. E to World Trade Center, 2 to Chambers St.

4 March 2009

Going where no ice cream’s gone before Black sesame and ice cream may not sound like the perfect pair, yet the black sesame flavored ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is not

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUGARSWEETSUNSHINE.COM

Sugar Sweet Sunshine bakery, located on the Lower East Side, serves up the ideal cupcake - light and fluffy, with a creamy frosting.

ENTERTAINMENT The TORCH

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONCERTSHOTS.COM

torchonline.com

n July 3, 2004 in Santa Barbara, Calif., Phantom Planet stepped off the stage and 20 minutes later, the giant ND curtains dropped to reveal Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young of No Doubt.

The cheering was wild, but Gwen Stefani was nowhere to be seen. But then the focus shifted towards the middle of the Santa Barbara Bowl. Stefani burst through the middle of the crowd, got everyone to their feet and ran to the stage. Just over an hour later, Stefani was in tears, blowing the crowd kisses. No Doubt was not only ending the show. They were ending their touring days and going on an indefinite hiatus.

Since then, each member has gone through their solo projects. Stefani pushed herself further into the limelight by launching a two-album music career with Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and The Sweet Escape.

Always known for her stand-out fashion sense, Stefani also furthered her L.A.M.B. clothing line with the Japanese-inspired Harajuku Girls line.

Dumont released an indie project, Invincible Overlord. Young drummed for Bow Wow Wow and Unwritten Law between 2004 and 2005. Kanal spent plenty of time producing for acts including Stefani, Pepper and Pink.

Everything was fine. No Doubt’s later projects didn’t quite match their earlier work, but they could still put on a killer performance. Of course, most of the focus was on Stefani. Her first album was a solid outing and did well amongst the fans. The album reached multiplatinum status in the United States and was received well by critics. But her follow up effort left a sour taste in people’s mouths. Despite both projects, there was plenty of clamor that she was better off with No Doubt.

And now, nearly five years after they stopped official touring (the band, however, did play a show in Anaheim, Calif. in 2005), No Doubt is hitting the road again for a revival. They plan to kick things off in New Jersey, playing a show in Atlantic City before being a headliner at this year’s Bamboozle Festival. Their tour will take them back and forth across the nation, playing with Tinted Windows, Bedouin Soundclash, The Sounds and Janelle Monáe. Paramore will be their primary opening band.

This is an incredibly smart move for No Doubt.

For starters, fans are going to have a field day heading back out to their respective arenas and screaming for their favorite hits. After such a long hiatus, there is little doubt the energy will be high at all of their shows.

Also, it could give them the opportunity to take it back to their ska/alternative roots. In 2006, MTV revealed that the band was in the early stages of a new album without Stefani. With that looking like it will not come to light, it gives them a perfect chance to create an album with Stefani on board. Their official Web site offers a possible hint: fans can vote on an official tour shirt with an updated classic logo on the front. It is not much of a stretch that this could mean No Doubt will be featuring their earlier work.

So with all that, the tour could pan out well. As stated, their tour kicks off in Jersey, the first date being May 2. They will stick around until May 3 for Bamboozle before heading back to the area in mid-June. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, March 7.

owntown Manhattan is bustling with edgy yet trendy venues. It is no wonder then, that the area (encompassing Union Square, the East Village, the West Village, the Lower East Side, Chinatown and TriBeCa) has become popular for its eclectic mix of the hip and the unconventional: for example, where else besides St. Mark’s Place could you find outposts of the popular Pinkberry frozen yogurt chain (among many knock-off competitors) nestled comfortably next to tattoo and piercing parlors? True, you may never run out of concerts to attend, shops to browse, or restaurants to try in lower Manhattan. It may even become difficult for you to make up your mind as to where you should go because of the myriad of choices available to you. But that’s where Inferno comes in: we give you a comprehensive guide of to the best dessert places in the city, from bakeries, to a chocolate shop, to an ice cream parlor, and even to an old-time candy store.

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Been There, Done That ECHELON CONSPIRACY’S SUB-PAR STORYLINE IS IDENTICAL TO THAT OF LAST YEAR’S EAGLE EYE LIZ WALSH Staff Writer ECHELON CONSPIRACY-

1/2 STAR OUT OF 4 STARS

T

he creation of films centered around paranoia regarding the dangers of technology and information sharing via the internet have become an epidemic within popular culture, the most recent addition to this branch of the film industry being Echelon Conspiracy directed by Greg Marcks. This movie is about a man who is mysteriously mailed a phone which eventually links to a government plot involving a super computer that can monitor civilian activit. It, is not Eagle Eye, the 2008 film starring Shia Labeouf and Michelle Monahan, despite the uncannily similar plot line. Honestly, right down to the high speed car chases, explosions and shoot-em-up antics, Echelon Conspiracy is a virtual clone of Eagle Eye, only contrasting in some minor discrepancies between the twists and characters within the two films.

Unlike Eagle Eye, Echelon Conspiracy is not as intricately detailed and has far less quality in the acting department, which leaves both holes in the plot and feelings of boredom in the audience. Martin Sheen represents the information-mongering republican from the NSA that’s supporting a bill that would allow super computer Echelon to invasively monitor every home and workplace with a webcam around the globe. In Congress, the bill unrealistically falls short of being passed by one vote which sets off a chain reaction that eventually lands an omniscient phone that feeds the holder valuable information on making money in Shane West‘s character Max Peterson’s hands. This sets afoot a battle for the phone

between the NSA, the FBI and Peterson, all while Peterson attempts to discover who is sending him the messages and why he was chosen to receive them.

In two of the lead roles, West is funny as the nervous, unexpected hero and Ving Rhames is always ready to be an explosive and intimidating action figure in any film.

Yet after such exceptional performances in movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Confidence, Ed Burns in one of the other main roles is disappointingly unconvincing as a ex-FBI agent turned head of security at a casino in Prague.

Cue other virtually unknown actors to unconvincingly fill the rest of the two-bit parts within the film and you have the recipe for an okay movie that was way too ambitious for its own good. Echelon Conspiracy falls short of expectations and even amounts to having an ending more disappointing than its cinematic doppelganger, Eagle Eye. Ultimately, the film amounts to be a vaguely entertaining experience of utter ridiculousness with a less than stellar cast and a two hour run-time, way too long for a movie of this caliber.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FILMOFILIA.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOARDS.NBC.COM

The Uncanny Valley - Good or Bad? AN EXAMINATION OF PHOTO-REALISM AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GAMING INDUSTRY CHRISTOPHER OTIS Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORUMS.GAMETRAILERS.COM

torchonline.com

The TORCH

4 March 2009

ENTERTAINMENT

W

ho didn’t feel a general sense of warmth from Alyx Vance’s smile in Half-Life 2, read the exhaustion off the tortured Old Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4, or chuckle at Nathan Drake’s sly smirk in the face of Uncharted’s ruthless pirates? The representation of the human likeness in video games has been inching towards photo-realism in the recent years as polygon counts have exploded and motion capturing has become more expressive. Games featuring technological eyecandy are often rewarded with undivided attention from consumers, bedazzled by how “realistic” games can truly be. However, while the multiple cell processors of game platforms and the increased production times of future releases threaten to erase the perceptual boundaries between Man and their virtual creations, there is one possible obstacle land-mining the front entrance to this “Eden” of simulated humanity.

In 1970 the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori wrote an essay discussing an effect that increasingly human-looking robots would have a on observers called the “Uncanny Valley”. He observed that as rudimentary looking robots began to take on more and more human characteristics, observers would find them more and more

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAMESPOT.COM

relatable. Yet, at the point where these robots became almost identical to human beings with synthetic skin and increased body animations, this attraction would plummet into disgust and revulsion as the robot’s disturbing inaccuracies became more noticeable. This trend would continue until the robot took the final steps towards becoming completely human-like and the details which originally made the robot repulsive disappeared. At this point the observers’ attraction would shoot back up and their revulsion would decrease. On a line graph comparing the familiarity of the observers to the humanness of the robots, this ironical trend would create what looked like a valley, a result open to a few different explanations.

As human beings ourselves we know what another human being is supposed to look and act like. Anything which appears “off” in something being judged within these standards of humanity comes across as unsettling. The effect could also come from the parallels that the “off” qualities in a human-like robot make with the features of seriously ill individuals and corpses, people who naturally elicit alarm and disgust in their observers. The Uncanny Valley could even be an instinctual carry-over that allowed ancestors to avoid inbreeding with other intelligent primates. Yet, whatever the cause, this presents a problem for video games as it makes extremely difficult the jobs of any game creators looking to achieve photo-realism with their characters. Any discrepancy from normal human characteristics and their attempt at perfection plummets down into the valley, turning their creations from relatable protagonists to disquieting malformed creatures.

So what could these game makers do? Well, while some creators feel that photo-realism should still be striven for in order to advance the industry as a whole, they also feel the focus should be placed on the peak located before the chart’s Uncanny Valley instead of the one after, stylization instead of realism. Here characters which are clearly not human but rather synthetics with human-like qualities (an example would be the exaggerated features found in a character like Mario) avoid the pit-falls and linearity found in realism and instead open up the endless possibilities found in stylization. Essentially, there’s only one way to make a “real” person look real but there are millions of ways to stylize something not meant to be real. If game creators allow the human qualities to stand out in a mostly inhuman character instead of the opposite, then maybe the Uncanny Valley can be avoided.

So Much to Do, So Little Time

21

FOR THOSE STAYING AT SCHOOL FOR SPRING BREAK, NEVER FEAR - NEW YORK OFFERS PLENTY TO DO LIZ WALSH Staff Writer

U

City for an affordable price. When “student rushing” a Broadway or off-Broadway play, all that is required is a student identification card in order to receive the benefits of low priced tickets for exceptional seats (the average price being around $27) from the box office of the show, usually located directly in front of the theatre. In order to ensure that you will be able to go to a certain show, inquire in advance whether or not the play is having a Student Rush option for the event and arrive before the box office opens so that you will be able to purchase tickets.

So now that you’ve been allotted an overwhelming amount of options to consider this vacation, don’t spend too much time contemplating your now full agenda and instead go out, have fun and make this Spring Break a memorable experience in the Big Apple.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Z.ABOUT.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF WASHINGTONCITYPAPER.COM

The Bodies Exhibit features an up-close and personal look at various parts of preserved human bodies donated to science.

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, in Times Square, is famous for its life-like wax statues, like the one pictured above of Nick Jonas.

One Rule: If It Moves, Shoot It VIDEO GAMERS CAN GO TRIGGER-HAPPY WITH THE GOREY NEW WII GAME, HOUSE OF DEAD: OVERKILL MIKE WIRSCH

ENTERTAINMENT

nable to go home this Spring Break? Don’t think you have enough money to have an enjoyable break in New York? Try not to be overwhelmed by thoughts of a boring week spent sitting in your room with nothing to do, and instead allow yourself to be entertained by some of these satisfyingly simple activities.

It doesn’t take a lot of money to treat yourself to a relaxing day of pampering. De-stress after midterm week at a spa in one of the biggest cities in the world!

When looking at spas in and around Queens, a few lower priced and customer approved places come to mind. One moderately priced spa in particular, Pure Spa & Salon is located in Sunnyside, Queens on Queens Boulevard and has been acclaimed by customers as clean and relaxing with great service and accommodations. Haven Spa in SoHo on Mercer Street is also relatively affordable and known for its exceptional service as well. Slightly higher priced but still affordable is the Feline Day Spa, which offers the total spa experience on the Upper West Side in Manhattan where one can get a relaxing massage that’s worth the price.

Another option for an interesting outing in the city is a trip to a local museum, no more than a borough away and easily gotten to when utilizing the public transit system.

There is a plethora of interesting and interactive museums within New York City if you only take the opportunity to look around.

At first glance, a few of the most famous New York museums are Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum on 42nd St. between 7th and 8th Avenue, the Museum of Modern Art located at 11 West 53rd St. between 5th and 6th Avenue, the New York exhibition of The Bodies Exhibit at the South Street Seaport, the American Museum of Natural History located at Central Park West at 79th St. and The Metropolitan Museum of Art located at 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. There are countless other museums in New York City about interesting things that, just like the museums mentioned, often have low priced admission or even discounts depending on whether or not you are a student or the day of the week you visit.

In the arena of dining, you don’t have to go far from campus to experience cuisine from other nations. Queens is a veritable melting pot of cultures, as is New York City in general, and with that there are an abundance of choices when it comes to selecting delicacies from around the world. Queens boasts the second largest Chinatown in the United States, right in Flushing, which allows for an array

of cuisines from all over Asia, including Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Malaysian and many others at genuinely affordable prices. If you aren’t in the mood for Asian, Trattoria L’incontro in Astoria, Queens offers amazing Italian food and service and Crooked Tree in St. Mark’s Place has an appetizing menu of sandwiches and crepes that won’t leave you or your wallet empty.

If it’s physically active recreation you desire, try the upscale 300 New York at Chelsea Piers which has bowling, rock climbing, dancing and ice skating all in one place, which are all easily accessible options for fitness and fun. If you’ve ever been enchanted by the idea of seeing a Broadway or off-Broadway play but instead shrugged off the idea because the tickets were too expensive or you didn’t have the time, now is your chance to see live theatre performed in New York

Contributing Writer

4 Mar. 2009

I

The TORCH PHOTO COURTESY OF GAMESPOT.COM

both shock and delight.

When you are not being showered in zombie blood, cut scenes display a plot that is as entertaining as the F-bombs are plentiful. Overkill also features an awesome soundtrack with surf guitar licks, brass funk, and drum grooves that fill you with a feeling that says, “I know I’m badass.” Weapon upgrades intensify that feeling and allow for variations in blood splatter, and headshots are rewarded so zombie slaying becomes a deranged sort of art form. Completing the game is simple enough, but mastery comes with time. For the Annie

Oakleys of the zombie world, Overkill boasts several unlockable features, including different game modes and a soundtrack playlist (which, for fans in the know, contains a song titled “Suffer Like G Did”). Depending on your threshold for offensive frivolity, House of the Dead: Overkill is a rewarding escape from tact and pacifism. It is a game to be shared between friends who don’t know the meaning of the word moderation. If you spent your childhood lighting things on fire, this game is a must have. Oh yeah, and if you can help it, try not to shoot the civilians.

torchonline.com

f Quentin Tarantino tried to produce a pulp-horror zombie movie and accidentally made a video game instead, it would probably resemble House of the Dead: Overkill. This gore romp for the Wii offers a refreshing alternative to the typical family-friendly titles, though it might be considered family-friendly if your surname is Manson. If you appreciate the poetry of bloodlust and lack taste, shame, and moral fiber, this game is the perfect cure for trigger-finger itch. Players are not confronted with the same moral dilemma as Mario when he must decide whether or not to ground-pound a goomba’s head. Instead players need only follow a simple rule of thumb: if it moves, shoot it.

This first-person shooter serves as a prequel to the House of the Dead series, and it features the AMS agent G as well as a new character, Detective Washington (think Sam Jackson with a dirtier mouth). Stylistically, House of the Dead: Overkill contains all the charm of a 70’s B movie, complete with cheesy dialogue and film grain speckled across the screen. Technically the title is a bit of a misnomer since very little of the game takes place in an actual house, and the bullet-catchers are in fact mutants, not zombies (as G repeatedly reminds you). The subheading Overkill, however, is taken very seriously.

Excessive gore and vulgarities flood the senses, and the game provides hints of incest as well as full-frontal mutant nudity. Nothing is sacred. Even newer features have off-color names such as “Slow Mofo-Time” and “Goregasm,” which, depending on the person, provide

Writers welcome.

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

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

Come visit us for our next meeting of the semester, on March 17 during Common Hour in the UC room 29.

24

Think Outside...

Features

4

Section

New York state of mind Two St. John’s students are running for positions in NYS College Democrats PATRICE BENDIG Features Editor

TORCH PHOTOS/LAURA AMATO

torchonline.com

The TORCH

4 March 2009

FEATURES

Ian Rivera (above) and Nick Roloson (below) will be running for postions in the New York state College Democrats on April 19.

If you do not know Ian Rivera and Nick Roloson, you should.

The pair of St. John’s students has already tackled the St. John’s chapter of College Democrats, and now plan to run for positions in New York State’s College Democrats.

Rivera, a senior, has been involved with the St. John’s chapter of College Democrats since his sophomore year.

“A friend of mine was a member and suggested that I join,” said Rivera.

“I was kind of looking for something to do on campus, and this seemed like the perfect fit.”

Two years later, he is the current communications director for St. John’s, and the chair for the New York City region.

Roloson, a sophomore, has been involved since his freshman year and is now serving as the chapter’s president.

“I got involved just because it interested me,” he said.

“My friend told me I missed the first meeting, so I actively searched out the next meeting. I have been to every meeting since, and I have been running the last 20.”

The College Democrats is an organization that serves as a way for students to aid the Democratic political party, and to help students gain experience while getting involved with government and politics.

Not only is the organization involved with the political side, but it aims to inform the community.

“We serve the community, by making sure everyone knew the issues of the election, and how to vote,” said Roloson.

“We not only serve as a political wing, but as an informative and social service wing.”

Altogether, St. John’s has 20-30 active members coming to meetings, while there are a core group of 10-12 that will come to every event.

“There has been very good feedback from the school and the students,” said Roloson.

After becoming so involved with the St. John’s chapter, it was inevitable that the duo would progress to a higher level.

This past fall, Rivera was asked by the National Organization’s vice president if he would be interested in participating in a student trip to gather students in the northeast states, reaching down to Pennsylvania, to campaign for Senator Obama.

He became the defacto organizer of the event, and ended up enjoying it.

“I felt passionate about it so I decided to jump in full-fledged,” he said.

Roloson wanted to make change in the organization by using his own strengths.

“People have said to me I’m good at what I do, so I figured that if you are good at something, you should not let it go to waste,” he said.

“I saw the condition of the state and it was good what we have, but it could be better. I want to make it work a little bit better, that’s why I got involved.”

Rivera is running for president of the College Democrats of New York, while Roloson will not disclose what title he is attempting to win.

“I want to keep my cards close to my chest at this time,” said Roloson.

The election will take place on April 19, the last day of the NY College Democrats’ Convention.

It is being hosted by St. John’s this year, and that has kept Rivera and Roloson extremely busy.

There will be 100-150 students attending the convention from all over New York State, and St. John’s will provide housing, food and entertainment.

“It’s a huge time commitment to get everything together, and I can imagine once we are working for all 63 counties, it’s going to be an even larger time commitment,” said Rivera.

Roloson also balances being president with other commitments at St. John’s.

“Right now I’m the president of College Democrats, a resident assistant in Century Hall, running for a national position and putting together this convention, and by the way, I’m a student,” he joked.

Both are trying to gain as much support as possible for the upcoming election.

“It has opened my eyes being involved in this campaign. It started in late October when I began asking close friends and colleagues what they thought of the idea. Before long, a Facebook group was made to garner support for my campaign,” said Rivera.

“I agreed to run if 50 people joined. By week one there were 80 members, the second week 120.”

Rivera announced his decision to run last week, and will be spending his spring break traveling to 11 upstate chapters, encouraging support, and asking for feedback.

“I want 2009-2010 as a year to build since there are no major state wide elections,” said Rivera.

Roloson and Rivera are both government and politics majors, and although they are unsure of their plans after graduation, they know being involved in College Democrats has changed their lives.

“In terms of my major, it gives me experience in seeing government and politics being carried out,” said Rivera.

Classic Feynman: All Adventures of A Curious Character SEAN MCCGRATH Staff Writer

The first thing you should know if you are thinking about buying Classic Feynman: All the Adventures of A Curious Character is that tit is two books, and a compact disc.

It’s a combination of all the stories from Feynman’s bestselling books, Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think?

The CD is a recording of Feynman telling stories about his days working on the atomic bomb in Los Alamos.

The second thing you should know about this book is that Richard Feynman is hilarious! Feynman worked on many important things in his lifetime and went through many different phases, but one constant, unchanging feature was his ability to tell jokes and make people laugh.

Ultimately, this books attempts to do more than just make the reader laugh.

They try to answer a question: who was Richard Feynman?

The stories show that Feynman was many things. He was a scientist, a teacher,

and a philosopher. He was a comedian, an artist, a musician, and a safe-cracker. He was a romantic who lost his true love and first wife at a tragically young age. Most of all, however, he was a learner. He was constantly challenging himself and always stepping out of his comfort zone.

By far, the most poignant story in the books is entitled, “What Do You Care

What Other People Think?” It is the story of how Feynman met, fell in love, and lost his first wife, Arlene to tuberculosis.

Even in this story, Feynman’s (as well as Arlene’s) humor comes out as he recounts different jokes Arlene would play on him and things she taught him.

As amazing as the stories in the book are, the recording of Feynman on the CD might be even better. When listening to his speech, you can really get an idea of how Feynman simply enjoyed life and how he loved to tell a story to anyone who would listen.

One particularly funny story involvesthe time period when incoming and outgoing mail from Los Alamos was willingly censored while they worked on the atomic bomb. This was to prevent any secrets from leaking out. One of the caveats of the censorship was that they would not censor anything which you would normally write in a letter.

So when Feynman began getting secret codes from family members, the censors were upset.

But they became more upset when they found out that this was something Feynman and his family normally did. He would challenge them to send a code that

he could not crack!

This put the censors in quite a pickle.

That is just one example of the stories Feynman tells in this book and of course, he tells it much better than it was told here.

The reason why Classic Feynman is such an entertaining read is because the reader forms a connection with Feynman.

The reader is there with him as a child while his father read to him from the Encyclopedia Britannica.

The reader is there through the death of his first love. The reader is there with him as he works on the atomic bomb and as he investigates the Challenger Disaster.

Through it all, Feynman provides laughter. But after the reader listens to Feynman speak and after the last page is turned, they will realize that the question they wanted an answer to will still be unanswered.

They still will not know who Richard Feynman was because he was and still is a mystery.

He was unimaginably intelligent, yet at the same time, he was just a normal person. And that is probably the most impressive thing about him.

26

Dear Devil’s Advocate, My friends and I had an awesome spring break planned, but then for a couple of reasons, everything fell apart. Now spring break is only a few days away and we have no idea what we should do. We could just stay in the area and have fun in New York, but that seems lame. We want to go on the coolest spring break ever! So, I guess what I am asking you is, what do you think the coolest spring break ever would be?

Sincerely,

game can be worth 10 points. You get the idea. In order for one to get the points, there needs to be a Polaroid picture as proof.

For the second part of the trip, you will all meet at a pre-determined place and time (preferably somewhere sunny, warm, sandy, and near an ocean) and recount your adventures.

Of course, you will total up the points from the scavenger hunt and the loser will have to do something ridiculous, like streaking at a local soccer stadium.

What do you think? It’s probably the best spring break idea ever, right?

Bummed Benjamin

Sincerely, Devil’s Advocate

Dear Benjamin, It just so happens that I have a super fantastic idea for what you and your friends should do on spring break. First, this is what each of you will need: a globe that spins, a Polaroid camera, a passport, and everything necessary to travel internationally.

Okay, now for the plan. This spring break is going to be called, “The Devil’s Advocate Spring Break International Scavenger Hunt,” and it has two parts.

Each of you will spin the globe and put your finger on a random country.

That country will be your individual destination for the first half of the trip. If you don’t like the country you get, then you can spin a second time, but after that you are stuck with what you get.

Before you each go to your country, you have to do two things. The first is to make a list of things to find and do. Have fun with this list. For example, going out for drinks with some locals can be worth one point.

Streaking during a local soccer stadium during a FEATURES

4 March 2009 The TORCH

My ex-boyfriend and I broke up a few months ago over some fight we had. He moved on to someone else almost immediately, but I didn’t. He seemed to be really happy with this new girl until one day, he came over and well, we hooked up.

I’ve never been the “other girl” before, but we’ve been having secret rendezvous for almost two months now. I don’t know how it happened, but just the other day, he and his actual girlfriend got engaged!

I’m sure it’s one of those engagements that is going to be several years long, but still! I love him and want to be with him, but I don’t like the situation we are in.

What should I do?

Man, that story has soap-opera potential or at the very least, it could be a trashy romance novel. You should look into that.

Anyway, the answer is simple. Read the second to last sentence you wrote. Here, I will re-write it for you: “I love him and want to be with him, but I don’t like the situation we are in.”

You need to tell him exactly that. Give him an ultimatum. Tell him that the situation between the two of you is going to change one way or another.

Either he is going to break it off with his fiancée (or is it a fiancé? Now that would be a soap-opera!) or you are going to be gone and out of his life forever. Or worse, you will tell his fiancée about the two of you!

I have to warn you, however, that you probably don’t want anything to do with this guy in the first place.

If he is cheating on his current fiancée with you, then who knows how many other girls he is cheating on her with. And who says that he won’t do the same thing to you if he accepts your ultimatum. I would run away from him faster than Usain Bolt.

I hope this advice helps. It’s really what you need to hear because you want something that he is not going to give you. You need to find someone who wants the same thing as you.

Sincerely, Devil’s Advocate

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

The Other Girl

A tasty Texan treat MARK MCDONALD Staff Writer

torchonline.com

Dear Devil’s Advocate,

Dear The Other Girl,

New York City has a seemingly endless array of food available that you simply cannot find anywhere else. Living in this giant metropolis will open your taste buds to many new and exciting experiences.

Still, there are some things that New York just seems to be missing. One of the biggest things we don’t have here is the southern goodness of fried pickles.

This recipe is very simple and doesn’t take long to make. You can make it with either a deep fryer or just a deep pan and some Crisco or vegetable oil.

All it requires is getting your hands a little messy.

This unique treat offers a more distinct taste than plain old pizza or a sub sandwich.

By surprising your friends and family with this southern specialty, it will definitely be a memorable meal.

Fried pickles are also a great way to relax and enjoy a little taste of the south when college has you stressed or feeling homesick.

They make great snack food to enjoy with your friends. After all, what food doesn’t taste good when it’s fried?

But watch out: you might even begin to speak with a southern accent while you enjoy this treat.

What You’ll Need:

What To Do:

-A bowl filled with flour

-Mix a little salt and pepper into the bowl of flour.

-A bowl filled with milk

-Mix an egg into the bowl of milk.

-One egg -Salt

-Dip the pickles into the flour, then the milk, then the flour once more.

-Pour your oil into the fryer or pan and let it heat

-Pepper

up.

-Crisco or vegetable oil

-Put the breaded pickles in and cook them until they are golden brown.

-Oval dill pickles

27

Baseball struggles before rain MATT CHOQUETTE Chief Copy Editor Before the weekend’s rain washed out the final game of the Keith LeClair Classic, Red Storm baseball weathered some storms of their own.

Despite using the long ball to grab a 3-0 lead in Game 1 against East Carolina, St. John’s was overpowered and lost 9-7.

The pitching woes continued in the nightcap of the doubleheader and the Storm suffered an 8-4 defeat at the hands of the College of Charleston.

“The best way to talk about our pitching is that it’s a work in progress,” head coach Ed Blankmeyer said. “There’s enough quality in this group, it’s just a matter of establishing themselves more than anything else and having the confidence to compete and be successful at this level.”

A two-run homerun by Tim Morris, who made the Big East honor roll this week, and an RBI single by Greg Hopkins gave St. John’s (2-3) an early lead against ECU, which was promptly erased by two Pirate homeruns in the second inning.

East Carolina took a 6-3 lead in

the fifth and chased St. John’s starter Nick Cenatiempo from his second start of the season.

The Johnnies briefly tied the game after catcher Danny Benedetti launched his first homer of the season, scoring Joe Panik and Hopkins, both on base by way of singles. However, a sacrifice fly gave the Pirates the lead for good after two singles and a walk given up by freshman Eddie Medina (0-1).

Blankmeyer is using these early-season games to get a feel for his pitching staff as far as who is right for the job. Yet, the gaudy numbers in the opponents’ box score don’t have the 14th-year coach worried.

“Pitching defines our program,” he said. “It always has.

It’s our job to find out who is going to fill the roles. We’re still in that mode. We’re still trying to find that. There’s certainly enough quality there. It’s just inexperience. How do you get experience? Well, you gotta pitch.”

St. John’s got off to a rough start in the nightcap, against thanks to homerun. Red Storm starter Brendan Lobban got tagged twice in the first inning, giving Charleston a 3-0 lead.

Morris continued his earlyseason power surge in the third

TORCH FILE PHOTO

The baseball team is off to a 2-3 start in 2009. with a solo home run. The junior first baseman tried to spurn a comeback in the fifth with a tworun shot, his third of the doubleheader, into dead centerfield.

The wind was blowing out in the park at Greenville, N.C., but

Blankmeyer said Morris’ homeruns “would have been out in any park.”

“I was a lot more patient this past weekend,” Morris said. “I got myself in good hitter’s counts and got good pitches to hit. I’m

more relaxed this season.”

Hitting second in the batting order, Morris often has the benefit of batting while team captain Brian Kemp is on base. He says this undoubtedly helps his game because Kemp is always a threat to steal and distract the opposing pitcher.

Morris was named to the Big East honor roll after going 4-for-7 with five RBIs and four runs scored. With three homeruns, he has already matched his total from his sophomore season.

Offense has certainly not been hard to come by early on.

The team’s batting average is .339 and Blankmeyer’s lineup is getting on base at a .412 clip. But some 2008 standouts such as Carlos Del Rosario and Paul Karmas have struggled at the plate.

“Statistically, you’re going to see some very glowing numbers,” Blankmeyer said of his team’s offense. “Like anything else, that will come back to reality. Also, one concerning point is there are some guys who haven’t gotten started yet.”

Those guys will get a chance to get back on track when the squad travels to Utah for a four game trip against BYU and Utah State this weekend.

ANDREW DA SILVA Contributing Writer

The TORCH

torchonline.com

TORCH FILE PHOTO

Sophomore Kat Lawrence fell short in a weekend pitching duel. outfielder Kristi Cady in the fourth. Des- sity of Buffalo. St. John’s got some tough ignated hitter Stacia Dopudja and short- breaks, as the Bulls scored three runs, all stop Jenna Berger also scored for the Red on wild pitches. Sophomore Kat LawStorm. rence pitched well, allowing only three On Friday night, the team faced stiff hits and striking out seven, but Buffalo’s competition in the form of the Univer- Sharon Barr was consistently able to get

4 March 2009

The St. John’s University softball team split the two games they played this weekend at the Wolfpack Challenge in Raleigh, N.C. The tournament was the third for the team in the last three weekends, as it is coming off a first-place finish at the Longwood Tournament last week.

“We train seven and a half months out of the year, so three consecutive tournaments are rewarding and actually rather normal at this time of year,” head coach Amy Kvilhaug said of her team’s recently packed schedule.

St. John’s started off strong, taking the first game from the College of Charleston, 4-1, in what Kvilhaug deemed “one of the best games of the season.” A dominating performance by sophomore pitcher Linzee Sumrall, who was named Big East Pitcher of the Week last week, led the team. She allowed only three hits in a complete game, surrendering one earned run and striking out nine.

“I’ve been working really hard at practice; really focusing to better my junk pitches,” said Sumrall, in regards to her recent success.

Outfielder Chelsea Durning had two hits, scored a run, and brought in fellow

out of jams and finished with a complete game shutout.

“Against Buffalo, I know for a fact we were the better team, we just didn’t play up to our potential,” said Sumrall.

The 3-0 final score did not do the Red Storm justice, as they outhit Buffalo 7-3, but stranded all nine batters that reached base. Rachel Paragas and Cady contributed two hits each, but just could not knock a run in against Barr. Durning, Berger and Julia Sanchez each finished the game with a hit.

After Friday’s contests, the rains came and St. John’s saw three of its games cancelled. The team was set to play Canisius College and face the College of Charleston for a second time on Saturday, and finish the weekend with a Sunday afternoon meeting with host NC State.

“We did some things well and our athletes are sticking to the game plan,” said Kvilhaug, “What we are lacking a bit is consistency. We need to continue to build on our progress as we have a tough stretch on the road ahead of us.” The Red Storm left Raleigh with one win and one loss, giving the team an overall record of 7-4 in the young 2009 season.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier, as the team travels to Monmouth, N.J. on March 7 before traveling to the Hawaii Spring Fling for six games, with scheduled games against such national powerhouses as No.9 California and tournament host Hawaii.

SPORTS

SJU softball splits over the weekend

28

A fitting finish for women’s hoops Pittsburgh takes down Red Storm in regular season finale CHRIS HARRIS Staff Writer

SPORTS

Before heading to the Big East Tournament this weekend to face Syracuse, the St. John’s women’s basketball team finished up an eventful season Monday night against the No. 14 University of Pittsburgh.

The Johnnies trailed the entire game against the third-ranked team in the conference, and would fall by a score of 7960 at the Peterson Events Center.

PITTSBURGH

79

ST. JOHN’S

60

“Pittsburgh played well,” said head coach Kim Barnes-Arico, “they have a lot of weapons.”

Four players scored in double digits for the Panthers (22-6, 12-4) who avenged a recent loss to No. 7 Louisville earlier in the weekend. Leading all scorers was Shavonte Zellous who finished with 18 points, followed by Xenia Stewart with12 and Pepper Wilson with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Johnnies (16-13, 4-12) trailed by 28 during the late minutes of the second half, and have now lost four of their last five games by double digits.

For the 16th time this season senior Kelly McManmon scored in double digits, finishing with 12 points. The consistent McManmon also recorded what was a career-high five assists in the loss.

“Kelly is one of the best shooters in the country,” said Barnes-Arico. “Teams have been keying on her, and she still gets her shot off.”

Sophomore Sky Lindsay finished with a team-high 16 points, along with four rebounds and four assists. The fluent floor general posted 10 of her 16 points in the first half, but shot just 2-4 from the field in the second.

“Pittsburgh pressed us well, said Lindsay, “it was a matter of making shots.

“We weren’t making the easy shots

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Kelly McManmon scored in double digits for the 16th time this season, finishing the game with 12 points. and they made all the tough ones.”

The Storms roller coaster season is headed for the Big East Tournament this Friday where the 13th-seeded Johnnies

will face state rival 12th-seeded Syracuse in the tournament opener. Earlier in the season the Johnnies lost a one point heartbreaker to Syracuse on Valentine’s Day.

“I think we have a great opportunity,” said Barnes-Arico. “I’m excited to face Syracuse, we’ll try to do better than last time.”

torchonline.com

The TORCH

4 March 2009

Norm needs to take a page out of Miller’s book This season, the St. John’s men’s lacrosse team is off to a 3-0 start – its best since 1983.

On Saturday, the St. John’s men’s lacrosse team scored its biggest win in the program’s history. They beat ECAC foe and then-No. 5 Georgetown in thrilling, 10 -9 fashion at home on Da Silva Field.

On Monday morning they were rewarded by the college lacrosse world with a No. 19 national ranking from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.

The Storm may be at the top of the college lacrosse now, but it was just last season that the Red Storm could have easily been the 19th worst team in the nation.

It was just last season that the Red Storm started not 3-0, but 0-9. It was just last season that the Red Storm lost to thenNo. 11 Georgetown by six goals.

And it was just last season that

the Red Storm won just two games in the ECAC (and just two games in total).

That all makes what the Red Storm have done so far this season all the more impressive.

We get accustomed to seeing turnarounds in sports all the time. We blink our eyes and all of a sudden the Tampa Bay Rays or Colorado Rockies are playing in the World Series. Or, we stop to smell the flowers and the Boston Celtics go from losing 58 games in 2006-07 to winning 66 and an NBA Finals crown in 2007-08.

But what we don’t realize is that we don’t see turnarounds in college athletics even half as

often as we do in professional sports. Colleges simply can’t entice Kevin Garnett with $24 million to come to play for their program. They instead must recruit talent with a clever combination of reputation advertising and what-have-you-done-forme-lately marketing. Ask any college coach; that is a much harder thing to do than to reach in someone else’s pockets.

But the Red Storm men’s lacrosse team has gone from 11-game losers to nationallyrelevant, undefeated team in just one season.

I don’t know how head coach Jason Miller pulled that off, but I sure wish he’d fill Norm Roberts in.

Norm and the men’s basketball team have been in a transition period since the coach got here in 2004, now almost five seasons ago. It’s pointless to mention that the team has experienced its share of ups-and-

downs (more downs than ups) since then. Everybody has heard that a hundred times from me alone.

And though, like Miller just accomplished, Roberts has secured a couple of huge upsets in his time here, what he’s failed to do is what Miller accomplished in just his 3rd season with the Storm: bring his team into the discussion of the relevant teams in the country.

Of course, lacrosse and basketball are different sports. The ball is smaller in lacrosse and the net is much bigger. And I’m sure that what it takes to build a successful team differs substantially as well, but I am just so impressed by what Miller was able to accomplish over the weekend that it gets me thinking about everyone’s favorite basketball coach all over again.

The most recent things I’ve heard in defense of the hoops headman is that the Storm’s on

the court failures are not his fault. If Justin Burrell fails to make a gimme layup, there is nothing that Norm can do about that from the sidelines.

Of course that’s true, but it’s also not the issue. What’s in order is not a discussion of whose fault these struggles have been, but instead whose responsibility they are. And the answer to that is very clearly Norm Roberts.

Miller has already taken care of his responsibilities.

“We’ve felt for a while (even at 2-11 last year) that we were close to being competitive on the national scene,” he said after the Georgetown win. “That was the goal when the University reinstated lacrosse. A win over a program the caliber of a Georgetown certainly validates those feelings.”

When Norm took the job over in 2004, his goals were similar.

It would be nice if he validated his feelings sometime soon.

29

SPORTS AND THOUGHTS AN UNLIKELY COMBINATION

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

Madison Square Garden: should we stay or go?

Time to kiss the Garden goodbye altogether, and play the biggest opponents at the Lou BILL SAN ANTONIO Assistant Sports Editor

MATT CHOQUETTE Chief Copy Editor

4 March 2009 The TORCH

torchonline.com

Forget the recent history. Try to ignore this season’s Syracuse beat down at the Garden, last season’s Georgetown embarrassment and Duke’s biannual trip to New York, which effectively and dismally reminds St. John’s fans that the Red Storm can no longer compete at the Top-10 NCAA level.

As hard as it might be, attempt to overlook the makeup of the crowd last Tuesday at MSG. Yes, it was practically painted orange – just as it is painted blue when Villanova or Duke visits.

The St. John’s cheerleaders and dance team completed their ritual of tossing “Seein’ Red” t-shirts into the crowd during a break in the game, only to see many of them tossed back onto the floor.

Whether the shirt tossers were Orange fans or dejected Johnnie fans is the question that sums up Red Storm basketball over the past few years: there is a problem.

But there would be a much bigger problem if St. John’s would abandon Madison Square Garden as their home away from Queens.

Since the Mike Jarvis era and the subsequent fall from prominence, the program has been on a mission. The image of St. John’s basketball was hurt and needed to be improved. They needed to honor their prestigious history, their Hall of Fame former coach and their dedicated fans.

This is not a question of attendance or competitiveness within one of the nation’s toughest leagues. This is a matter of pride and progress. Leaving the Garden would be St. John’s waving the white flag, throwing in the towel and taking that last step backward before saying, “We give up!”

This simply cannot happen. Take a look at the Big East blogosphere when you get a chance. For instance, last Tuesday, a particularly humorous Syracuse blog headlined an entry, “Contrary to Popular Belief, St. John’s Still an Active Basketball Program.”

This type of attitude is widespread.

Could you imagine the ridicule and pity

rained on this school if they continue to digress, namely, leaving the Garden?

The effects of a Garden departure will be far more damaging than hurtful public perception. It can possibly turn away recruits, who are traditionally sold on the prospect of playing in the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”

It is true that all 16 Big East teams get to play there during the conference tournament, but this would be your home court. It would be your responsibility to defend this place and not let opposing teams take over and control the chants. The potential this place has when it’s packed and cheering on the Johnnies during a potential upset is astounding.

Yet, guess who was in the crowd for last week’s Syracuse drubbing? It was only the marquee member of St. John’s recruit wish list, Lance Stephenson.

Still, it was better for Suitor Number One to witness this loss at the Garden, a real stage for Big East hoops.

The other option is Stephenson witnessing a 29-point loss in Carnesecca Arena, in front of hundreds – in contrast to the 19,000 per game at Syracuse’s Carrier Dome – of disinterested, jaded St. John’s students.

This is not to say the Redzone student section is to blame, because they are certainly the most passionate fans the city has to offer.

But the point is Syracuse has the same amount of passionate fans in a concession stand line during a game at the Dome. It all comes back to image. At this stage in the school’s struggle to rebuild, the image of the Garden goes much further than staying on campus.

A few things would need to fall into place, but many believe St. John’s is just around the corner from a comeback season. If Stephenson commits, if Omari Lawrence pans out, if the willbe junior core of the team begins to click and provide leadership, the resurgence of the Red Storm might not be far away.

So forget the recent past and try to imagine your team on the biggest stage possible, with the big city lights announcing, “Ladies and Gentlemen, here tonight at The World’s Most Famous Arena, St. John’s is back!”

SPORTS

Purple, teal and orange.

Looking into the crowd at Madison Square Garden at St. John’s blowout loss to Syracuse last week, one saw a plethora of empty purple and teal seats complemented by the overwhelming number of rabid Orange fans in attendance.

Being outnumbered by Syracuse fans at home was, in short, an embarrassment, and should send a shot to the groin hurting the pride of the University. Yet still fewer and fewer fans support the men’s basketball team regardless of how much the youthful Johnnies have struggled this season.

It might make more sense to play big games at Carnesecca Arena.

When the Storm played Connecticut, Rutgers, and Syracuse this season, all at Madison Square Garden, there were clearly more fans cheering on the Huskies, Scarlet Knights, and Orange.

St. John’s went 1-2 in those games, and in its victory over Rutgers, the Johnnies nearly blew an 11-point lead late in the second half.

So please. Play Connecticut at Carnesecca. Play Pittsburgh there, too.

Sure Carnesecca Arena seats fewer fans, but seats are packed closer together and are closer to the floor than at Madison Square Garden.

Take the Red Storm’s Feb. 22 home win against Seton Hall, the last game at Carnesecca Arena this season. With the score tied at 61, the crowd got to its feet and cheered so loud those fans in Stoors, Piscataway, and ’Cuse could hear them.

The change in momentum silenced the Pirates as Paris Horne grabbed a steal and took it for a layup. St. John’s didn’t look back.

Playing Eastern Michigan and NJIT at Carnesecca is fine considering the Storm beat those teams in convincing fashion.

But St. John’s hung with then-No. 4 Connecticut during the first half of their 67-55 loss, and they just might have won if there were more fans in red in attendance that night.

A few weeks ago, the Daily News an-

nounced that Duke would not renew its contract with St. John’s because the University didn’t feel it would benefit from playing the Johnnies.

Could anyone blame Coach K’s crew?

The Dukies are used to playing before a packed crowd of screaming fans every night regardless of where the game is played. Madison Square Garden on game night these days has become as exciting as a funeral parlor.

If more students filled the stands at Carnesecca Arena, it would create the atmosphere of Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke’s home court, where the noise and fan involvement create the aura of a tense environment.

Fans at Duke are passionate, loud, and creative with their insults. They pack so close to the court that opposing players don’t want to inbound the ball out of fear of being grabbed by some of the Cameron Crazies.

By stealing a page out of Duke’s playbook, and that of other schools around the country, St. John’s would create an electric college basketball environment, the kind of environment that makes the student body flock to the arena. It is exactly the kind of environment Carnesecca Arena, St. John’s University, and the rest of New York City needs.

Throw losses in revenues and contracts out the window for a second. What is more important, bringing in boatloads of money in revenues and contracts or getting this University excited about basketball again which should, in turn, generate more revenue and lead to more lucrative contracts?

It’s not like the University is making that much money in the first place. In order to get students (and faculty…and employees) to games, St. John’s has to offer incentives in the form of MetroCards, movie tickets, food, t-shirts, and transportation to and from games. These things do cost money.

Such changes may not be enough to pull out games against Connecticut, Rutgers, or Syracuse, who due to geographic closeness to the school will bring their fans in large numbers no matter where the games are played.

But it sure beats looking at purple and teal seats every game and listening to chants of ‘Let’s Go Orange!’ at home games.

Leaving the Red Storm’s home away from home is throwing in the white towel

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Quite a turnaround With an upset win, St. John’s finds itself ranked among the top teams in the nation MATT PASCONE Staff Writer

torchonline.com

The TORCH

4 March 2009

SPORTS

For the first time in the modern era of St. John’s lacrosse there is a number that precedes their moniker, and that number is 19.

After the Red Storm’s thrilling 10-9 victory over then-No. 5 Georgetown on Saturday, St. John’s has cracked the USILA Coaches Poll.

“Our guys deserve to enjoy it,” head coach Jason Miller said of their No. 19 ranking. “They’ve worked hard to see their name up there and it’s great to see people at St. John’s excited about lacrosse, so I don’t want to take that away from them.”

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RUTGERS

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With their 3-0 start to the season, the Johnnies have already surpassed their win total of two from last season.

“We’ve felt for a while (even at 2-11 last year) that we close to being competitive on the national scene,” Miller said.

“That was the goal when the University re-instated lacrosse. A win over a program the caliber of a Georgetown certainly validates those feelings.”

The lacrosse was re-instated in 2005, after a ten-year absence.

In undoubtedly their biggest win in the program’s history, St. John’s was able to shock the Hoyas in their ECAC-Opener at DaSilva Field.

The last time the Red Storm was off to a 3-0 start was in 1983, the third year of the program. That year, they got off to a 5-0 start.

Eight Johnnies totaled a point in the Red Storm upset and they were led by senior Drew Schanen as he recorded his second straight hat trick.

Trevor Michaelsen added two goals and as assist while Malcolm Miles had a team and career-high four assists.

“This game was huge for us, Georgetown is a great team and very well known,” said Schanen. “So far, this was the biggest game I have played in; but like coach says, it was a big game in a season full of big games.”

The Red Storm took early control of the game as they dominated the first period and took an early 4-0 lead.

Georgetown came out fired up in the second frame with three unanswered goals to pull within one goal, but St. John’s quickly changed that.

Terrence Leach netted two goals and Michaelsen put away his second of the game to end the period on a 3-0 scoring run stretching the Red Storm’s to 7-3 entering the third period.

Although, coach Miller wanted to make sure his guys stayed consistent and finished the game out strong.

“Don’t change the way you play and 30 minutes gets us nothing,” Miller said was his message to his team going into the third period.

“We talk about that all the time.

Whether we are down or up, regardless of who we are playing or where.”

Each teams traded a goal in the third

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

Jamal Jones and the Red Storm are off to their best start since 1983 and are ranked 19th in the nation. period, giving St. John’s an 8-4 lead.

The Hoyas scored two quick goals in the fourth to get to within two goals, the closest they would be for the rest of the afternoon. After trading goals to get to 9-7, Garrett Mitchell scored the gamewinning goal for the Red Storm.

“It was a big goal, it gave us the momentum back at a time when I was concerned we were running on fumes,” said Miller.

“It definitely gave us some breathing

room; but in the game of lacrosse you can score three goals in 10 seconds so it was still nerve-racking,” said Schanen. “But we held strong down the stretch which was great.”

Georgetown mounted a late rally to get to within one goal, but the Red Storm was able to hold onto the lead and finish a victory for the ages.

Now at 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the ECAC, the Red Storm are no longer in the underdog role, they are a nationally

ranked team and are expected to achieve great things.

“We cannot dwell on being ranked or what number we are,” said Schanen. “Our biggest goal now is to move forward from here and stay humble.

“Now we have painted a target on our chest with this win and people will be gunning for us, so we just have to keep a level head and still practice as hard as we have been and try to keep outworking our opponents.”

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TORCH SPORTS

STORM

CAST

Leavin’ their Mark

Dele suspended The St. John’s men’s basketball team announced Monday that sophomore forward/center Dele Coker will be suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, specifically not meeting the team’s required academic responsibilities.

Coker had played in 28 of the team’s games, averaging 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds and averaging 10.9 minutes per outing. He is also averaging a team-best 1.14 blocked shots per game.

Coker will not practice with the team or compete in any contests during the time of his suspension.

Buckley honored

TORCH PHOTO/LAURA AMATO

The Red Storm fans were definitely audible in Tuesday night’s win over Georgetown.

Sweet, sweet revenge

St. John’s junior goalkeeper, Gavin Buckley, earned ECAC CoDefensive Player of the Week honors, as announced by conference officials on Monday.

Buckley was instrumental in the Red Storm’s Saturday upset of thenNo. 5 Georgetown. He tallied 15 saves in the contest with nine of them in the first half, to help keep the Hoyas to just three goals in the first half.

Senior attacker Malcolm Miles also earned conference honor roll accolades.

On the Blog

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Thomas avenges last season’s 32-point loss to Georgetown with clutch free throws BILL SAN ANTONIO Assistant Sports Editor

“

It was crazy. I had a lot of stuff running through my mind.

I took my time and knocked them down.

“

So far, this was the biggest game I have played in, but like Coach says, it was a big game in a season full of big games.

”

-Drew Schanen, Lacrosse

Headin’ this Way Red Storm home games

Men’s Basketball: Mar. 10-14 BE Tourn.

TBA

Lacrosse: Mar. 7 Drexel Mar. 21 Lehigh

1 p.m.

2 p.m.

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“It’s a great win,” Horne said. “Especially with what happened last year, them coming in and crushing us here – it was in the back of all of our minds.”

The upset loss, however, didn’t feel like an upset to Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. “There are no upsets in league play,” Thompson said. “We go into every game knowing if we don’t do what we should do and how we should do it, we can lose. This is not an upset, especially not this year, in

Blowin’ in the Wind

The TORCH

”

-Rob Thomas

this conference, with this team.”

The comeback started well before it was even needed.

The St. John’s offense looked to establish dominance in the paint early in the first half, getting the ball in the low post and pushing around the Georgetown big men as often as possible.

The Red Storm scored 14 points in the paint in the first half, and outrebounded Georgetown 18-11. Collectively, St. John’s outrebounded the Hoyas 46-25 for the game.

“They did a better job of pursuing the ball than we did,” Thompson said. That can’t happen. The disparity can’t be that big for us to win.”

Georgetown’s lack of free throw shooting haunted them in the second half, going just 9-16 from the line and easing the gap for St. John’s late in the game.

“I don’t know [how to explain it],” Thompson said. “The ball just didn’t go into the basket down the stretch.”

In the wake of last week’s 29-point loss to Syracuse, as well as Saturday’s road win at DePaul, St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts was pleased with the win, calling it a more satisfying victory than the Red Storm’s Jan. 3 win against Notre Dame.

“It’s great for our guys, our guys feel we have a lot to play for,” Roberts said.

“Coming into the Big East Tournament, anybody can win. You want to be playing well at the end of the year going into the tournament.”

4 March 2009

With two seconds remaining in regulation of St. John’s 59-56 overtime win against Georgetown Tuesday night, Rob Thomas lined up for two of the biggest free throws of his life.

One year after losing to the Hoyas by 32 points, the program’s worst-ever deficit in Big East play, the Red Storm overcame a 15-point deficit midway through the second half to pull within two points.

Thomas hit both free throws, sending the game into overtime.

“It was crazy,” Thomas said. “I had a lot of stuff running through my mind. I took my time and knocked them down.”

Thomas established a new career-high with 16 points on 5-10 shooting, including a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.

“I think it’s great,” Paris Horne said of his teammate. “It’s not like we didn’t see this before. We knew Rob had it in him and had the potential to do it. It all played out today.”

St. John’s sparked its comeback with strong team defense and a rounded offense, cutting the lead to six with 3:26 remaining, and for the first time in a while, favorable cheers were heard when St. John’s grabbed a rebound. Chants of ‘defense’ were coming from areas outside the student section.

An acrobatic layup by Horne with just

under three minutes remaining shocked the Hoyas, cutting the lead back to five and elevating the chants. Horne hit a three with 1:44 remaining to bring the Red Storm within two, as Georgetown called a timeout to regroup.

SPORTS

Keep up with the latest happenings of Big East Conference men’s basketball at the TORCH’s sports blog, The Backpage.

SPORTS 4 MARCH 2009 | VOLUME 86, ISSUE 17 | TORCHONLINE.COM

TORCH PHOTO/ LAURA AMATO

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The baseball team was rained out this weekend, but not before they suffered two losses.

The men’s basketball team took revenge for last year’s blowout with a 59-56 thriller over Georgetown last night.

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