2011 Red Storm Basketball Tip-Off

       When people hear the name St. John's University, one of the first things that probably comes to mind is basketball. With such renowned men's and women's teams, it goes without saying that much anticipation exists on campus for the basketball season to start each year, and for the annual Red Storm Tip-Off event that takes place in Carnesecca Arena.

        I was really looking forward to the Tip-Off, as it would be my first glimpse of St. John's basketball mania. Things got even better when I found out I'd be playing the event with Pep Band, because now I would feel like I was actually a part of it! The St. John's Cheerleaders and Dance Team, along with D.J. Webstar and mascot Johnny Thunderbird, pumped up the crowd for the moment we had all been waiting for: the introduction of the basketball teams. Cheers filled the air as members of the women's and the men's teams came down to the court amidst roaring music, red lights, and smoke. Women's head coach Kim Barnes Arico put smiles on everyone's face when she walked onto court with her young daughter, and proceeded to address the crowd. Although Men's head coach Steve Lavin was recovering from surgery for prostate cancer and could not be present, the entire arena sent its love and prayers to him, as he could watch the event being broadcast on ESPN3. By giving each team a chance to show off their skills in timed shooting matches, St. John's also gave fans a preview of the exciting things they can look forward to this season!

The arena could really be described as a "Red Storm" that night!

St. John's Women's Basketball Team on court with Coach Kim Barnes Arico and her daughter - thanks to fellow Pep Band flute player Stephanie Brown, who took and sent this picture to me!

St. John's Men's Basketball Team being introduced - credit goes to Stephanie for this photo as well.

Blogging School Spirit

        I can't tell you how much it means to me to find out that people are really taking interest in my blog. I love documenting all the great times I'm having at St. John's, and I get so excited when I hear that others are enjoying this too! Below is a picture I took a couple of weeks ago in my Multi Media Communications class - apparently my blog (specifically my Johnny Thunderbird Birthday Party post) inspired Professor Weiser to bring in this Johnny Thunderbird bobblehead statue of his to show the class! Just one of those little things that brightened my day…

Learning About the Writing Center

        So much has gone on in the past couple of weeks, and between midterms and other major events, I haven't had a minute to share all of the exciting things that have gone on! I plan to do that very soon, but for now, I just wanted to write about another mini-field trip I took with my Multi Media Communications class, last Friday, October 21. In an effort to help us better understand the many resources available to us at St. John's University, Professor Weiser took us to the Writing Center, located in St. Augustine Hall, the home of the school's library. 

        We were given a tour by students who currently work in the writing center, and got some extra tips along the way from fellow classmates Karla Rodriguez and Luis Romero, who also work there. We learned that the writing center is a place where we can go to seek help with any type of writing - research papers, thesis papers, cover letters, creative writing, and more. Help is also available with citing and formatting. Undergraduate and graduate students are available to work with students on appointment or walk-in basis, though an appointment is recommended. There is also an online help feature offered to students who cannot make it to the center during the hours it is open. 
          I was glad we took the trip to the writing center, as I had not yet been inside of it, and I was happy to learn from the staff that it can also be used as a place to study independently, because its tranquil atmosphere seemed very conducive for that. 

Me standing underneath a quote painted on the writing center's wall. Thanks to classmate JoAnn Noce for taking this photo!

Jeff Mermelstein 9/11 Photography Exhibit

        During my Multi Media Communications class this past Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the "Jeff Mermelstein 9.11.01" photo exhibition that has been on display in the art gallery in the university's Sun Yat Sen Hall since early September. The class was given an enlightening tour of the gallery from Parvez Mohsin, Gallery Director and Professor at St. John's University. He explained to us how Jeff Mermelstein, considered among the top 5 street photographers in the world, didn't want to just take the war photography route of capturing disaster and death that carries the potential to incite anger, but rather by offering unique visions and perspectives, wanted viewers to analyze the images and find their own personal connection to them. As I was only in 3rd grade when the tragedy happened, the 28 images in the gallery gave me a sobering glimpse of how everyone seemed to be like a child that day, helpless in many ways, watching something transpire which we could not fully grasp or understand.

We discussed how this iconic Mermelstein photograph seems to portray a ray of hope through the tree and light, even amidst the destruction.

Waiting for Waffles

         Students formed a colossal line this past Wednesday outside the D'Angelo Center (DAC), all waiting for one thing: waffles. These weren't just any old waffles; they were from the famous Wafels & Dinges golden-yellow cart which has become a major hit on the streets of NYC. Although I had never heard of the brand before that day, the idea of a free Belgian waffle with insanely sweet toppings was enough for me to get on the long line, even in the rain. 

          It took 1 hour and 47 minutes before I finally got to order my waffle, but it was worth every minute of the wait. It was like the ultimate dessert extravaganza: it had ice cream, Belgian chocolate, whipped cream, Nutella, walnuts, and something called "Spekuloos" (which is supposedly like a gingerbread spread) on it. I actually took my first bite "on camera" because students from the St. John's television Station (WRED-TV) wanted to interview me to see what I thought! It was an experience too amazing to put into words, but I tried my best! 

The golden-yellow Wafels & Dinges cart outside DAC

My scrumptious waffle - there were so many toppings on it, you could barely even tell there was a waffle underneath!

Me holding my waffle and Belgian hot chocolate with the "Waffle Guys"

St. John's "Twilight Carnival"

       This past Tuesday evening, Taffner Fieldhouse was transformed into a carnival scene bursting with food, games, and fun. The doors opened at 7pm, and my friend Stacey and I entered as soon as they did. We each got a "Seein' Red" t-shirt that was being handed out, and then we immediately ran to the jumping castle that was in the corner. We bounced and laughed inside of it with the energy of little kids, relieving our stresses from the day. After that, we got on line for custom airbrushed t-shirts, which were also being given away for free. My friend Stacey and I both got "St. John's" written on ours - hers with M&M characters, mine with the skyline. We were very happy with the way our shirts came out, and even happier that we didn't have to wait on the enormous line that developed after we got ours. Other fun things we did that night included watching tricks by a carnival magician, eating cotton candy, taking photos in a photo booth, and playing different carnival games. When it came time to leave, we wished we didn't have to, but were grateful for all the fun we had and the memories we made.

The bustling carnival scene in Taffner

Me and friends Amanda, Rebecca, and Stacey with the magician

Me and Stacey with our airbrushed t-shirts

Stacey and me with cotton candy in front of our new favorite jumping castle

I Heart STJ

        St. John's Fall Fest got its start this week with kick-off event "I Heart STJ," which was held this past Tuesday in Taffner Fieldhouse from 12-3pm. Upon entering, students were excited to receive stylish "I Heart STJ" t-shirts and St. John's knit hats. There were also games to play and snacks to eat, giving everyone a preview of what was to come at the "Twilight Carnival," which would be held in Taffner later that night. Below is a photo of me and a group of friends modeling our awesome "I Heart STJ" shirts (and hats for some)!

DAC After Dark - Lunch Box Remix

        Last Thursday's DAC After Dark brought us all back to our childhood days, with its theme being "Lunch Box Remix." For this event, a great variety of different packaged snacks we all used take to school were spread out on a table. Whether you were craving sweet or salty, your taste buds were bound to find something they wanted as the options ranged from bags of Teddy Grahams to potato chips. The most difficult part was making a decision because there were so many options to choose from! I ended up settling for a Rice Krispies Treat, which I can be seen holding in the second photo below with a big smile on my face.

Creative poster at DAC After Dark that looked like an Animal Cracker Box

Me with my Rice Krispies Treat

STJ San Gennaro Feast

        St. John's Multicultural Affairs celebrated Italian heritage by holding its very own Feast of San Gennaro festivities on Monday, October 3. One of the richest parts of Italian culture is the food, and there was no lack of it that day. Authentic Italian vender carts bordered the Great Lawn, giving students the chance to purchase Italian favorites such as sausage, pasta, pizza, and offering free treats such as Zeppoles, Fried Oreos, Italian Ices, and Cannolis. I have to say the Fried Oreos were by far my favorite part! While enjoying all this food, students could also have some fun playing games or taking turns in a photo booth, as my friends and I did.  

Me with friends Amanda (left) and Stacey (right) holding our treats - it was fun to have Amanda, the Italian, to make us feel official!

The Fried Oreos were out of this world!

Men's Soccer vs. Notre Dame

        The STJ Men's Soccer team faced off against the highly-ranked Notre Dame team on Saturday, October 1, at Belson Stadium. To add a little flavor to the game, sample sized bottles of the sports drink Powerade were handed out at a tent that was set up along with an inflatable bottle of Powerade at the entrance to the stadium. Playing in the Pep Band, I watched with excitement along with all the STJ fans as the 'Johnnies' scored during the second overtime to win the game 2-1. 

Me holding Powerade (and my flute) next to the giant inflatable bottle

DNY Manhattan Walking Tour

        The morning of Saturday, October 1st, my Discover New York (DNY) class met at West 4th Street in Manhattan for a walking tour of Greenwich Village. On the tour, which was led by Professor Lazrus, we got to view historical places and things we had talked about in class when discussing New York City in the 1800's, including tenement apartments and hand-blown glass windows. We also saw how carriage houses and factories of that time have been converted into restaurants, garages, and even theaters, and got to walk on an original cobblestone street. 

        The second part of our tour was especially exciting to me, since it involved walking on the "High Line," a recently built park on what used to be elevated train tracks. The park, which is filled with plants indigenous to the area before it was industrialized, helped give us a glimpse of New York's past days of greenery. 

A row of tenement housing

What was once a carriage house is now the Cherry Lane Theatre.

High Line railroad tracks with vegetation

Me with classmates Justin, Randy, and Nil on the High Line

Alley Pond ASL Orientation

        During their freshman year, most STJ students are introduced to a university program called Academic Service Learning (ASL). The program is integrated into classes in order to give students course-related community service experiences they can then reflect on. For my Discover New York class this semester, I will be doing my ASL at Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC) in Douglaston, Queens. In order to learn more, I attended an orientation session at the site on Saturday, September 24, which happened to be a very lively day there because it was also "Estuary Day."

        The orientation turned out to be a very interesting and fun experience, as I got to learn more about APEC and the wildlife contained there. We listened to talks at different stations with STJ Professors Cantelmo, Lazrus, Nieter, and Pacula. We got to see red-tailed hawks, and also learned about the invasive porcelain berry plants, which will need to be removed from trees as part of our service. The rest of the tour took us to the estuary and the wooden trails, and it ended with Professor Nieter, who directs the ASL program at APEC, showing us various tools we will be using. Since I really enjoyed the orientation, I am now eager to begin my service learning!    

     

Many thanks to my professor, Dr. Lazrus, for sending this picture of me and three fellow students (left to right: Justin, me, Will, and John) on the Alley Pond boardwalk.

Honors Program Freshman Welcome Reception

        Thursday, September 22, was the date of the St. John's Honors Program (HP) welcome reception for entering freshmen. As a new freshman in the honors program, I was looking forward to the reception, especially after HP Director Dr. Robert Forman's advertising that they would be giving out a special honors t-shirt that day.

        The reception, which was held in Bent Hall, consisted of a luncheon, during which words were said by Dr. Forman, Assistant HP Director Mr. Robert Pennacchio, and an honors upperclassman. It was a very nice way to spend the afternoon, as I got to enjoy the company of fellow honors students I already knew, in addition to meeting new students and faculty in the program. It was also very exciting at the end when the highly anticipated moment of receiving my honors t-shirt arrived. Below is a picture my friend Stacey sent me from that day: in it, the two of us are holding up our t-shirts with Mr. Pennacchio (far left) and Dr. Forman (far right). 

Beyond the Blackboard Lecture

          On the evening of Tuesday, September 20, St. John's University was privileged to have award-winning educator and author, Stacey Bess, come to the Marillac Auditorium and give a lecture on her book Nobody Don’t Love Nobody, which was adapted into the recent Hallmark Channel movie, Beyond the Blackboard. Although I had not read her book or seen the movie, I was interested in the story, and felt it would be an enriching event to attend. The audience intently listened to Stacey's every word as we learned of the profound impact she was able to make as a young teacher in a Salt Lake City shelter school. 

          Of all the wise words Stacey shared with us that night, one specific statement left a big impression on me: "The foundation of being successful with people is to love them." I believe this is true for everyone at every age, and I think it is an important message to spread. After the lecture, I was honored to get to meet Stacey as she signed copies of books she had brought for the attendees, and I enjoyed receiving her thoughts on the rewards of entering the speech pathology field, which I am strongly considering because of the opportunities it presents to have a positive impact on the lives of children. 

Me and a group of students with Stacey Bess (in purple, 1 in from the top left)

Johnny's 2nd Birthday

          St. John's Red Storm Mascot Johnny Thunderbird turned 2 years old on Friday, September 16, and that night the campus was abound with birthday celebrations for him. The evening kicked off with a special poetry edition of Java Johnnies weekly coffeehouse. Although I had class during the time of coffeehouse, I was able to attend the RedZone birthday-themed soccer pregame BBQ afterwards. While there, I got to enjoy STJ cupcakes with friends and got to wish Johnny a happy birthday for the first of many times that night! I then played in the Pep band for the Men's Soccer game versus Indiana University; even though neither of the teams scored that night, everyone still had a great time cheering for the STJ team and the birthday bird. 

         At 10pm, the party shifted from Belson Stadium to Carnesecca Arena, where the main event of the night, Johnny's 2nd birthday party, was held. Students put on party hats and danced along to a giant projector screen connected to an Xbox Kinect, climbed and bounced around in inflatable obstacle courses, and even rode a mechanical surfboard (my favorite), all in honor of our favorite mascot! 

Johnny's STJ birthday cupcakes

Me at the BBQ in front of the giant inflatable Johnny with friends Sarah (left), whom I met at the Wellness fair, and Shina (middle), whom I met earlier that day. 

Me with a group of friends and the Birthday Bird at the soccer game

Me hanging ten on the mechanical surfboard in Carnesecca!

Me, my friend Claire (left), and my other friend Sarah (right) wearing our party hats at Johnny's Birthday Party

DAC After Dark - Italian Dessert Night

        The DAC After Dark held on the night of September 15 was all about Italian flavor. Although I'm not Italian, it is hands down my favorite cuisine, and therefore I had a feeling I was going to like this night's theme. When my friends and I went into the D'Angelo Center, my eyes lit up at the sight of biscotti and mini cannolis that we could fill ourselves! Below is a photo of what my taste buds got to enjoy.

STJ Student Wellness Fair

        The St. John's Department of Student Wellness (known on campus as "SWELL") strives to make students health conscious, and this year's Student Wellness Fair was a fun way to do so. The fair, which was held on the Queens campus on Thursday, September 15, had many tables set up with information and giveaways related to health issues including stress management and proper nutrition. A chiropractor was also stationed to give students a posture analysis, and the student "Stressbusters" helped relieve stress by giving back rubs to anyone who wanted them.

        My favorite part of the fair was being able to satisfy healthy food cravings by visiting the stands with free smoothies and fresh corn. In addition to these, a farmer's market was also set up, at which students could purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Another exciting part was getting to meet Vinny, SWELL's official squirrel mascot!

Three friends and me at the entrance to the student wellness fair - on the left is Charlene (the girl I met on the Mr. Softee line at Tailgate '11), who, on the day of the fair, introduced me to the two girls on the right, my new friends Stacey and Sarah

Fresh corn from the Student Wellness Fair

Me with Vinny, the SWELL Squirrel

Men's Soccer vs. Yale

        Following a 9/11 mass and memorial service held at St. Thomas More Church on St. John's Queens Campus, the men's soccer game against Yale began at 7:30pm. It started off with a moving prayer by Father Tri Duong, and the game ended in a win for St. John's with a score of 2-0.
        This was my second game playing with the Pep Band, and as it was a soggy night, I remember being impressed by the tents that were put up for us to play under so we didn't have to get wet when it started to rain. It was fun playing under the tent because it somehow felt like a new experience, even though we played a similar set of songs. I was also happy to see that I was quickly becoming accustomed to the music and rituals of the band.

A photo I took of the "Yale Bulldogs" bus after the game

Men's Soccer Home Opener Game Win Against Harvard

        This year's Men's Soccer Home Opener was one of the most exciting events of the season! The evening began with a pregame RedZone BBQ. For those who don't know, St. John's RedZone is a group of STJ students who attend sports games together to cheer on their teams in a "student section." They also sponsor different game-related events, such as the BBQ before the Home Opener on Friday, September 9. At the BBQ, students enjoyed burgers at Belson Court with a giant inflatable Johnny Thunderbird behind them.

        This soccer game was thrilling to me not only because I was excited to see the 'Johnnies' take on Harvard, but because it was also my first night playing my flute in the St. John's Pep Band! As there was not a flute section yet, I was the only one that night, but was so happy to see how welcoming the band members were to me. Creating the perfect ending to the night, we beat Harvard 2-0. 

The St. John's and Harvard teams' lineup

All the new freshmen who played for their first time in Pep Band that night
(from left to right: Bailey, Freddy, me, Natalie, and Jesse)

DAC After Dark - Dessert Pizza Night

        The DAC (short for D'Angelo Center) After Dark theme for Thursday, September 8, was "Dessert Pizza Night." A group of friends and I, anxious to see how this theme would be executed, eagerly attended that night. When we arrived, we were excited to see tables full of round shortbread-like cookies, pastry bag icing, Marshmallow Fluff, and fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. The fun thing about this theme was we each got to express our creativity by making our own "dessert pizzas." Being a person who doesn't like berries, I was very happy to put just icing and fluff on mine, while my friends piled the berries on theirs. The picture below shows my friend Sarah's berried masterpiece on top, and mine on the bottom. 

St. John's vs. Princeton Volleyball Game

         The St. John's Volleyball team played an exhilarating game against Princeton on Wednesday, September 7. I had a fun time cheering on the team with my friend Sarah and her friend Alexa, whom I met that day. Throughout the game, the energy of the audience permeated Carnesecca Arena as STJ fans jumped onto their feet and screamed at every point our team scored or almost scored. The game, which had to go to extra matches, resulted in a win for Princeton; although this was disappointing for the STJ fans, we left proud of the good game our team played.

Me, Sarah, and Alexa with the STJ Volleyball Ladies in the background