Scenes of Fall at STJ

          It is truly a wonder what a beautiful oasis exists inside the borders of St. John's University's Queens Campus, and to me, seeing the crisp fall foliage and sunlight caress the campus as autumn arrived was the paramount display of that beauty. Below is a photo I took this November from the patio outside Newman Hall, which offers a great view of that splendor.  

And below is a photo I took of St. Augustine Hall (which houses the St. John's Queens Campus library) being touched by rays of golden autumn sunlight.

My First Time Voting!

          Tuesday, November 8, 2011, was a historic day in my life: it was on that day that I voted for the first time! Since I turned 18 this past March, this was the first November election I was eligible to vote in, and having learned from family and school the importance of exercising this invaluable right, I was determined to do so the first chance I got. I consider this milestone a part of my STJ life because St. John's is actually where I registered to vote, as I filled out the paperwork at an event held in the D'Angelo Center this September in honor of Constitution Day.  

Me in front of my polling location!

Men's Basketball vs. William & Mary

          St. John's Men's Basketball team took on William & Mary at Carnesecca Arena on Monday, November 7, for its first Opening Round game of the 2K Sports Classic. Playing with Pep Band (of course) for my third men's basketball, and first non-exhibition game, I was still in awe by the whole St. John's basketball experience. Since a high school friend of mine, Vinny Giordano, is currently a freshman at William & Mary, I made sure I took tons of pictures, both for him and for my blog! The 'Johnnies' ended up winning the game that night, a 74-59 victory, and, as can be seen by my pictures, many other cool things took place as well!

   St. John's team huddle  and     William & Mary's team huddle 

The two teams hard at play

At halftime, St. John's often hosts mini games between kids' teams on the Carnesecca court. This was the first time I ever witnessed that awesome tradition at a St. John's basketball game - and this team was just too cute!

A Pep Band 'family' photo - Jess (bells player), Stephanie (flute player), me, and R.Lo (pocket trumpet player) - as R.Lo likes to call us, "The Island of Misfit Instruments," since all our instruments are unusual for a Pep Band! 

A photo courtesy of R.Lo, who sent it to me that day as a sneak preview
of how he had decked out his pocket trumpet 'Dorothy' with
Johnny Thunderbird and St. John's decal tattoos for the
first official basketball game of the season! 

Stacey & Me as STJ Twins!

          I just wanted to post this picture of me and my friend Stacey dressed as twins in our Red Zone shirts, which were given out at one of the Men's soccer games this semester. This photo was taken on November 7 in the Honors Commons, and we really enjoyed showing our STJ pride together in these shirts that day!

Women's Volleyball vs. West Virginia - Senior Day 2011

          St. John's Women's Volleyball team celebrated its Senior Day on Sunday, November 6, 2011, at the game against West Virginia held in Carnesecca Arena. This was the first STJ volleyball game I played with the Pep Band for; I had attended all the other volleyball games solely as a spectator. Although the team did not win this last home game for the season, that did not lessen the joy shared in honoring the STJ senior team members at the game, and Head Coach Joanne Persico addressed the crowd expressing her appreciation for all the girls' efforts this season and the continued support of their fans. Afterwards, those fans could join in celebrating the team's Senior Day by dancing the hula alongside professional hula dancers and a group of volleyball team members, finishing things off with a lot of fun and smiles. 

Hula Dancers, STJ Volleyball Players, and Johnny Thunderbird encouraged fans to join in the hula on the floor of Carnesecca Arena. 

STJ Women's Volleyball vs. Pittsburgh

          The St. John's Volleyball Team played against the Pittsburgh Panthers in Carnesecca Arena on Friday, November 4. The game was an intense one, as the set winning went back and forth, with St. John's losing the first, winning the second, losing the third, and winning the fourth. It was because of this that the game needed to go to a fifth set, which would be won by 15 points instead of the usual 25. Unfortunately, the Johnnies weren't able to pull off a win, but below is a video I took at the game of an exciting play. (You can even see Johnny Thunderbird dancing at one point!)

Me with InterVarsity friends Sarah (also from my Journalism class),
Mike, and Dan with Johnny Thunderbird at the game

An action shot of a set during play

An STJ Women's Volleyball team huddle

Men's Soccer vs. Georgetown - Meeting God'sgift Achiuwa

          Thursday, November 3, 2011, was a night I will always remember. The St. John's Men's Soccer team played Georgetown University then, and I had a great time making music with the Pep Band and cheering on the Johnnies, who finished with a 2-1 win. Also, that night, during halftime, I had the honor of meeting new STJ basketball star God'sgift Achiuwa, as he came over to visit Dana, a fellow Pep Band member who he works with in the St. John's student athlete study hall. I explained to him what a big fan I was, showed him the video I happened to get of his first basket (which can be seen in my blog post on my first Men's Basketball game), and asked if I could take a picture with him, which he graciously agreed to. Below is the photo - just look at the smile on my face - what more can I say?

My Favorite Rock

          I just felt the need to share a picture of me in one of my favorite new spots on campus. This rock sitting on the lawn outside of Chiang Ching Kuo Hall across from the D'Angelo Center is the perfect place to catch some rays of sun, and also makes a great perch on which to get some reading or last minute studying done. It also holds a special place in my heart because being a MAJOR Disney fan, when I sit on it I can't help but be reminded of the Little Mermaid, my longtime favorite Disney Princess. 

Alley Pond Service

          Earlier in the semester, I wrote about looking forward to doing my ASL (Academic Service Learning) hours for my Discover New York class at Alley Pond. (That blog post can be found here.) November 1st was the scheduled day for my service, which proved to be a very interesting experience. While there, under the direction of Professor Nieter, I got to participate in a variety of tasks to help the environment, including tilling soil and planting seeds by the new boardwalk; cutting back thorn bushes; planting a tree; clearing weeds from around a natural spring; and cutting away invasive porcelain berry vines from other plants. It was rewarding to see all the progress we had made when our day of work was done, and I look forward to visiting Alley Pond in the future to see how our plantings take. 

I planted the tree seen here along with this group of STJ students; we named it "Hope," in hope that it survives.

We planted seeds along the whole length of this boardwalk and then placed wood chips on top to secure the plantings.

This is a video of the natural spring we worked to clear the area around so others can enjoy viewing it. (The man whose voice can be heard and reflection can be seen is Professor Nieter.)

DNY Comparative Museum Project

         The last weekend of October, I got to learn much about New York City lifestyle history by going to three Manhattan museums for a project I had to do for my Discover New York (DNY) class. I went to the Tenement, Merchant, and Frick museums, where I saw firsthand the living conditions of the poor, middle class, and wealthy inhabitants of New York in the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

          Touring these very different dwellings, I noticed major differences in terms of space, climate, furnishings, and responsibilities those living there would have had. The most notable disparity I saw was in how the different classes obtained water; in the tenements, people had to struggle to carry buckets of water up to their apartments, while those in the merchant house had a pump bring it in to the kitchen, and the Fricks could sit and relax by an extravagant fountain with running water in indoor Garden Court. 

The outside of the Tenement Museum, located on  Orchard Street

The front of the Merchant Museum, located on East 4th Street 

Me outside the gate of the Frick Museum, located on East 70th Street

Women's Volleyball vs. DePaul

          On Friday, October 28, I attended the STJ Women's Volleyball game held at Carnesecca Arena. Members of the STJ Redzone were in the lobby to greet fans as they came in, and gave us awesome RedZone t-shirts and bracelets. Although the STJ women ended up losing to DePaul University after the third set, they played a tough game and it was a nice opportunity to watch and support them.

The STJ and DePaul teams at play

The STJ ladies discussing strategy at a break

Me with four of my friends from Vietnam (left to right: Chi, Ky, Duc, and Nam) and my friend Alexa (on the far right) - all very excited about our
RedZone t-shirts and bracelets!

DAC After Dark - Halloween Treats

          The DAC (D'Angelo Center) After Dark event held on Thursday, October 27, created excitement for Halloween by offering cutely decorated cupcakes for the holiday. Students had the choice of either an adorable Jack-o'-lantern face cupcake or a spider one with sprinkles, both of which looked delicious and almost too cute to eat! Below are some of my pictures from that night.

All the yummy cupcakes

My friend Amber (whom I met at St. John's InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and who is exactly 3 years older than me to the day) and me with our pumpkin cupcakes

My happy little Jack-o'-lantern cupcake

Men's Soccer vs. Rutgers: Pep Band Pal Fun

          The last STJ men's home soccer game of October was played against Rutgers on Wednesday the 26th. Unfortunately, the Johnnies didn't win that night, as the game went into double overtime with Rutgers scoring in the final minutes. However, as always, Pep band members found ways to enliven the game. If viewers spotted a Teletubby on the drums or a fuzzy dog leading the band, this was because certain band members decided to dress in costume, since Halloween was drawing near.

          Also, although he did not come in costume that night, treasured trumpet player Rob Lopez (a.k.a. "R.Lo") provided extra excitement by debuting his new red pocket trumpet, gleaming with St. John's spirit!

          It's things like these that make Pep Band such a fun experience for me  - there couldn't be a more entertaining group to be a part of!

Stephanie and me (the 'flute girls') with R.Lo and his new red pocket trumpet

Fun with Pep Band in costume!

Me with Garfield, one of the band's student leaders, dressed as a dog

Pep Band never fails to put smiles on faces.

My First-Ever STJ Men's Basketball Game!

          Tuesday, October 25th, was a very exciting night for me - it was the night of my first-ever St. John's basketball game! I entered the arena, made my way to the Pep Band section, and from that moment on, felt like a wide-eyed kid as I watched every little matter that makes up a St. John's Men's Basketball game. I was  fascinated by the team first coming out to warm up, then huddling, then being officially welcomed back out by the cheerleaders, band, and fans. 

          I paid close attention as every player was introduced, and then started videotaping with my phone as highly talked about new forward God'sgift Achiuwa got ready for the first jump ball. A couple minutes later, after stopping and starting recording, I realized I had just gotten God'sgift's first basket ever for St. John's on tape!!! (You can hear how excited I was for this shot by my screech at the end of the video, which is posted below.) I had been looking forward to seeing him play ever since watching all the hype on the news this past April, when he decided to play for STJ and the headlines read, "God'sgift is coming to St. John's." - so this was a very exciting moment!

          The STJ Men ended up winning the game that night, beating C.W. Post 110-80. Although it was only an exhibition game (which I learned meant it doesn't get factored into rankings), it was a great game, and got me excited for the things to come! It was a wonderful feeling to play the "Theme from New York, New York," as we all shared the joy of the Johnnies' win!

This video shows a team huddle and the first jump ball of the season. At 52 seconds God'sgift has the ball, and at 54 seconds, he makes his first basket (after which I can be heard screeching)!!!

The team huddle

Stephanie and me (the Pep band flute girls) with the STJ team in the background

STJ and C.W. Post at play 

Me and my flute after our first STJ Basketball game!

Women's Soccer vs. Syracuse

          The STJ Women's Soccer game against Syracuse University took place in Belson Stadium on Friday, October 21. That night, students who attended received RedZone ear warmer headbands to help them battle the chilly weather with school spirit; they also got to participate in the excitement of cheering for the STJ ladies, who won the game, 2-0. 

Me with friends (left to right) Neal, Amanda, and James, modeling the ear warmers we got at halftime

Little Shop of Horrors in the Little Theater

          This year, the St. John's Chappell Players decided to present Little Shop of Horrors as its fall musical. Wanting to see the show and to support my Theology classmate Matthew Avant (who played the dentist), I attended the production with friends on Thursday, October 20, in the Little Theater. We thoroughly enjoyed the show, engaged by the talented actors and actresses, as well as the songs which we sang and swayed along to. I was impressed by the quality of this production, and I now look forward to seeing other future STJ Chappell Players shows!

A scene from the end of the show, when the bloodthirsty plant (a.k.a. "Audrey II") has perpetrated all of its destruction

Beware of the plant! 

DAC After Dark - Waffle Making

          The DAC after Dark event held on October 20 seemed to continue the waffle craze of the week before, allowing us to make our own dessert waffles. An immense array of topping options were at our disposal, and my friend Stacey and I had a lot of fun adding both things we loved and wanted to try on our creations! Below are some before and after photos of our waffles.

Our plain waffles

The final creations (left is Stacey's, right is mine)

Stacey and me - ready to eat our waffles

Autumnfest 2011

          Flavors of fall filled the air as the 2011 Autumnfest took place on the patio outside the D'Angelo Center (DAC) on Thursday, October 20. Various fall treats were available for purchase, including fresh fruits and vegetables, pieces of pumpkin pie, funnel cakes, and candied apples. Students were also able to guess the weight of a large pumpkin for a chance at winning a Starbucks gift card. 

          Having never had a candied apple, I had really been looking forward to making my own, and I immediately went with a group of friends to do so. Below are a bunch of photos chronicling this delicious and fun experience!

Me with my apple before it was dipped

A work in progress...

The finished product!

A group of friends with our delicious masterpieces

Autumnfest 2011 was awesome!

Women's Soccer vs. USF

          I just had to snap a shot of this adorable scene at the STJ Women's Soccer game on Sunday, October 16. A bunch of girl scout troops came to watch the STJ ladies take on the University of South Florida (USF) that day, and were ecstatic to meet Johnny Thunderbird - as you can see. Although the game ended in a 3-2 loss for STJ, the excitement of senior day for the players and the success of the 'Red Storm Score For a Cure' breast cancer fundraiser (for which pink STJ soccer gear was sold at the game) definitely made up for it.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

        On Sunday October 16, various STJ clubs and organizations participated in Queens's annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. This year, the event was held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. As the STJ Pep Band, Cheerleaders, and Dance Team were invited to perform at the opening ceremonies, my flute and I were there bright and early that morning. It was inspiring to see and play our music for so many survivors and supporters, who were also greeted with welcoming remarks from Dr. Sapna Parikh, medical correspondent for New York City's WABC-TV. As a viewer who has followed her medical reports for years on Fox 5 and now on ABC 7, I was honored to be able to meet Dr. Sapna afterwards; she was extremely sweet and friendly, and I enjoyed talking with her about my college experience so far in Pep band and my journalism major. 

The park was decked out with plenty of pink balloons for the occasion.

The entire group of STJ Pep Band and Cheerleading Team members - thanks to STJ Pep Band Director Kevin Vail for taking and sending this photo!

Our little flute/bells section of the band (left to right: me, bell player Jessica, and flute player Stephanie)

Dr. Sapna Parikh addressing the crowd

Me with Dr. Sapna