"Bagelicious" DAC After Dark

          This past Thursday, DAC After Dark was all about bagels. Being a big bagel lover, I was very excited for this night they called "Bagelicious." Students were given a wide array of choices as bagel flavors ranged from flavorful everything to sweet cinnamon raisin and unique cream cheese options included vegetable and salmon. As someone who likes to keep things simple, I was happy to enjoy my whole wheat bagel with plain old original cream cheese as I watched my friends take on some more crazy combinations (ehem, Jebin and your vegetable cream cheese on cinnamon raisin) - to each his own!

          Stay tuned for my next post because this week, DAC after Dark will have the only thing that can top bagels in my food world...CUPCAKES! Since I am absolutely crazy for cupcakes, I am chomping at the bit for Thursday night to arrive! 

Me with friends Amber and Taylor at the DAC bagel table after coming
from InterVarsity's first "Well" Meeting of the semester!

Honors Commons Chinese New Year Celebration

          To celebrate the beginning of Chinese New Year, the St. John's Honors Program had a special snack day for its students in the Honors Commons yesterday, offering them egg rolls, Chinese almond cookies, and everyone's favorite fortune cookies. I enjoyed sitting and enjoying these treats with a group of friends in the Honors Commons before reporting to my shift of work in the office!

Me and friends Davy and Stacey with our yummy Chinese
New Year treats in the Honors Commons

The Honors Commons Chinese New Year snack display

St. John's Fencing Invitational

          After the bus ride back from Madison Square Garden on Saturday, I made it in time to Carnesecca Arena to catch the last few minutes of the St. John's Fencing Invitational, in which our teams competed against Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Harvard, and Coumbia universities. This was my first experience witnessing fencing, and I found even just the few minutes I saw fascinating to watch. 

Men's Basketball vs. Villanova

          St. John's Men's Basketball team headed back to Madison Square Garden this past snowy Saturday, January 21, this time to play the Villanova Wildcats. I was excited to spot and wave to my high school friend Kelly in the stands at this game, as she had come to watch it. The Johnnies managed to gain a nice lead in the second half of the game, though Villanova caught up to them, and ended up tying the game, sending it into the overtime (my first time experiencing overtime at an STJ basketball game!). The band was literally on its feet throughout the entire overtime - that's how high the suspense was. Even though the Wildcats took the lead, we kept faith in our team right through the last second of the game, which almost went to a second overtime. Sadly, this didn't happen, and the win went to the Wildcats, with a final score of 79-76. It would take us fans quite some time to recover from this heart racing game; I can't even begin to imagine how our players felt. We all hope for the best for our team in its upcoming matches!

Stephanie, Jessica, and me on campus, getting ready to board
the Pep Band bus bound for MSG in the snow

We arrived at The Garden to find "True STJ Fan" t-shirts waiting for
 fans on the chairs of the RedZone and Pep Band sections

Stephanie and me proudly wearing our "True STJ Fan" shirts
at the game, along with the rest of the Pep Band

The Johnnies vs. The Wildcats

The tied score of 67-67 that led to overtime

My First Real Java Johnnies!

          I was very excited to attend my first full 'Java Johnnies' Coffeehouse event this past Friday, January 20. Java Johnnies is a weekly STJ event held on the third floor of the D'Angelo Center (DAC) from 5-7pm, though last semester I had a class in that time slot each Friday that always prevented me from attending. It was great to finally enjoy donuts, coffee, and hot chocolate from Dunkin Donuts with a wonderful group of friends in this nice, relaxed environment, and I couldn't have had a better end to the first week of the spring semester! 

Me and a group of InterVarsity friends at my first real Java Johnnies

DAC After Dark - Chocolate Fondue

          STJ made sure students had energy for the start of the semester by offering them a chance to enjoy a chocolate fondue experience this past Thursday, January 19, for the first DAC After Dark event of 2012. I headed to this sweet event with a group of InterVarsity friends, whom I had just enjoyed a wonderful semester reunion dinner with in the downstairs DAC cafeteria. When we went upstairs, we were able to dip cookies and fruit into the flowing chocolate fondue fountain. Not being a big fruit fan, I was very happy to dip and devour my chocolate drizzled cookie. After spending some more time catching up with friends, I followed the sound of familiar tunes to find some of my fellow Pep Band members performing in their 'Syncopated Butta' group for an event being held in the DAC Coffeehouse area. 

Me holding my chocolate-dipped cookie by the fondue fountain
 with Christine Gonzalez from STJ Student Engagement and
Lizzy Sheehan from STJ Student Government 

My delicious cookie

'Syncopated Butta' led by Garfield, their director

A New Beginning - Day 1 of Spring Semester

          This past Wednesday, January 18, was not only the first day of my first spring semester at St. John's, but also my first day at my new job, working as a secretary receptionist for Dr. Robert Forman and Mr. Robert Pennacchio in the St. John's Honors Program Office in the Honors Commons. My first day on the job was great; I got to answer my first phone call, help various students in the office, and perform some clerical work for the program. As a member of the St. John's Honors Program, I am delighted to now be a part of the office staff, and I look forward to getting more involved in the program and its activities as a result. 

          After a full day of work, I was happy to catch up with a bunch of friends whom I hadn't seen since last semester, before heading to my Press and Cinema class, which I really enjoyed.

          Below is a photo of me in the Honors Office with Honors Program Director Dr. Forman, James Finnegan (one of the two students I share the job with, who came in to visit that day), and Honors Program Assistant Director Mr. Pennacchio. 

Left to right: Dr. Forman, James, Mr. Pennacchio, and me

Women's Basketball vs. Rutgers

          As students prepared to begin classes again the next day, many came to see the STJ women's basketball team take on Rutgers at Carnesecca Arena last Tuesday, January 17. It was a gripping game, and although the Rutgers team did its best to try to change the outcome, St. John's triumphed over the Scarlet Knights with a final score of 62-57. It was so much fun to celebrate both the win and getting to see everyone back at school!

The rival red teams at play

Me spending halftime with a lovely group of InterVarsity friends
who came to sit near me in the Pep Band - in the top row with me are
Melanie, Subbha, and Davy (all of who are from Mauritius), and in the
bottom row, from left to right, are Taylor, Katie, Dan, and Steven

The final scoreboard 

STJ Basketball Double Header at MSG

          On Sunday, January 15, St. John's spent the day at the Madison Square Garden for a Double Header Basketball Game. After going a full week without basketball games to play for, I was so ready to join my Pep Band buddies and root for our teams. First, the men's team faced their rivals from Georgetown University, a game which unfortunately ended in a loss for STJ of 69-49. The women's team didn't have much better luck with Marquette; they lost that game, 63-55. Even though our teams weren't able to enjoy wins, there was still plenty for St. John's fans to celebrate, as our Mock Trial team was brought to the court and honored for their recent achievements, and Shenneika Smith from the Women's Basketball team was recognized for making her 1,000 point milestone at the January 4th game. 

Stephanie and me excited to be wearing our "STJ Spirit" Band
Basketball Credential tags on the bus ride to The Garden

Stephanie and I holding our flutes by a basketball hoop backstage at MSG! (Wouldn't it be so easy if the hoops were always at that height?!)

In our Pep Band seats at MSG before the men's game

St. John's Mock Trial Team being honored at MSG for all to see

Me and Pep Band member Adela (far right, in red) with Nick (far left) and Patrick (a member of the STJ Mock Trial team) after the men's game
(This was the first time I ever had a visit from non-Pep Band
 STJ friends at an MSG basketball game!)

Women's Basketball vs. Providence

          St. John's Women's Basketball team played its first 2012 game on Wednesday, January 4, at Carnesecca Arena. This was my first BIG EAST women's basketball game, and the STJ ladies played Providence, just as the men did the week earlier. Our ladies also managed to achieve a nice win over Providence, with a final score of 57-41, and junior guard Shenneika Smith made some history of her own that night by scoring her 1,000th point in her

St. John's basketball career! 

Men's Basketball vs. Louisville

          The first STJ basketball game of 2012 was a contest between our men's team and the Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday, January 3. This was exciting for me because it was the first game I'd been to where Madison Square Garden officially became our home court, as all the Garden games prior to it this season were part of special tournaments, and therefore MSG was considered neutral territory for them. It was exhilarating as the lights dimmed down and the arena thundered with excitement for our players to be introduced at the start of the game. Unfortunately, energy wasn't enough to beat ranked Louisville, which won over STJ with a final score of 73-58; however, the Pep Band still had a great time cheering on and playing for New York's Team, as always! 

I thought it was so cool to see the St. John's logo and various video 

presentations on the MSG Jumbotron, for its home team!

The two teams prepare for tip-off with St. John's logo on center court

Me and Pep Band saxaphone player Dana holding up our basketball
credential tags, which we were given to wear for the first time at this game

There couldn't be a more awesome sight to see as we exited
Madison Square Garden at Penn Plaza that night. 

Women's Basketball vs. Boston University

          St. John's Women's Basketball team finished the year off on a high note with the big win of 75-38 over Boston University at Carnesecca Arena on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2011. I was excited to get to see Stephanie (my fellow flute player), who made a surprise winter break visit with her family from her home in North Carolina! It was a pleasure getting to meet Stephanie's parents and sister, who is a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill in North Carolina. What a great way to spend the last day of 2011 - playing in Pep Band, one of the things which made 2011 such a special year for me!

Me with Stephanie (right) and her sister Christine (left)

The women's teams walking past and commending each
other on a good game after its finish

A Very Special First BIG EAST Basketball Game

          My first BIG EAST basketball experience was the men's game between the St. John's and Providence in a sold out Carnesecca Arena on December 27. Fans packed the place that night for the 99th meeting between the two teams, and were given red St. John's Basketball Coca-Cola rally towels to help cheer New York's team on. 

          What an awesome game it was for St. John's! Although almost everyone was predicting we'd lose, our team, to quote my friend Taylor, "pummeled Providence," winning the game with a score of 91-67! It was a particularly great game for Queens native Moe Harkless, who got a double-double and scored a total of 32 points for the game, a new record for a BIG EAST freshman debut. 

          The most exciting part of the night for me was having my mom come to watch, making this her first game and first time seeing me play in the Pep Band. This would not have been possible without what we consider to be a special Christmas miracle: a Heaven sent man gave her his ticket as she was given the bad news at the box office that tickets had long been sold out for the game. When she finally made it inside, I was so happy to be able to introduce her to my Pep Band family and have her sit with the band. It took no time for the excitement of STJ basketball to catch on with her, and I was so proud that we now had one more STJ basketball fan! With this wonderfully special time my mom and I got to share together, I couldn't help but feel that my dad was smiling down on us on what would have been his 77th birthday.

Carnesecca Arena filled to fan capacity 

St. John's and Providence team members 

Me proudly displaying my rally towel with R.Lo from Pep Band

My mom and me together after the game

Men's Basketball vs. UTPA

          The men's basketball game against University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) at Carnesecca Arena on Wednesday, December 21, was a particularly entertaining one. It was the night of the annual holiday sweater contest, so fans came out dressed in sweaters with all kinds of Christmas-y designs and wacky winter patterns, and the crowd chose its favorite at halftime. Members of STJ athletics even joined in the fun, including musicians from the Pep Band, and even Johnny Thunderbird, who could be spotted sporting a snowman sweater! 

          To add to the spirit and excitement of the night, the 'Johnnies' welcomed new basketball player Amir Garrett to the team, as he played in his first game for St. John's. The excitement could only escalate from there as the 'Johnnies' won the game, which ended with a final score of 66-61. 

Johnny Thunderbird (in his snownman sweater)
watching the kids' teams play at halftime

The top contenders in the sweater contest
(The lady in the blue sweater was chosen as the winner!)

Amir Garrett (#22) making one of his first free throws for St. John's
(Amir also plays baseball, and has a contract to play with the Cincinnati Reds,
in addition to his basketball position at St. John's.)

Members of my mini 'Pep Band family' feeling very festive that night
Left to right: Jessica (in a silly sweater and Santa hat), me,
R.Lo, and Kyle (wearing a Rudolph nose and Santa hat)

Bright & Merry Basketball Weekend

          The weekend of December 17-18 was a big one for both St. John's basketball teams. On Saturday, the 17th, the women's team hosted part 1 of the St. John's Chartwells Holiday Classic, home at Carnesecca Arena. The first game of the day was between STJ and Prarie View A&M, and that ended in a win for St. John's, with the final score being 66-50. Afterwards, the women's teams of La Tech and Memphis faced each other to see who would be playing the winning STJ team the next day; the Memphis team earned this opportunity. Meanwhile, that day, at Madison Square Garden, our St. John's Men's basketball team played in the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival against Fordham University, achieving their first MSG win for the season, with a final score of 56-50. The next day, the women's game against Memphis ended in STJ's favor as well, with a final score of 64-60. With three wins in two days, I'd say St. John's fans got an early triple Christmas present; Santa, who was present at the women's games to festively greet fans, must have seen them being very good this year.

Pep Band showing Christmas and school spirit!

Johnny Thunderbird and Santa Claus dribbling basketballs as they
compete in a halftime activity at the Dec. 18 women's game

Prayerful Finals Week

          I just thought it was so nice and so encouraging to see this sign on December 12, the first day of finals week, in the Marillac Terrace cafeteria area, letting all the students know that Campus Ministry was praying for us as we took our tests. It's things like this that constantly renew my delight and gratitude to be a student of St. John's University. 

Women's Basketball vs. Baylor at MSG

          St. John's basketball ladies faced the #1 ranked team in the nation on Sunday, December 11, in the Maggie Dixon Classic. For the past 6 years, this tournament has been held at Madison Square Garden to honor Coach Maggie Dixon - a legendary figure in her days as assistant coach for DePaul University and head coach for the U.S. Military Academy - who died suddenly in 2006, at theage of 29, due to an undiagnosed heart condition. In order to raise awareness for heart health, various community organizations were on hand to educate fans, including a local fire station, which gave the Pep Band costume fire hats to wear, adding a nice touch to our red uniforms!  

          St. John's Women's Basketball team played against the Baylor University 'Lady Bears' in the first game of the classic. Although St. John's was led 32-30 at halftime, Baylor played a strong second half and won with a score of 73-59. Though it was a very competitive game, everyone united with the Dixon family to honor the Tennessee 'Lady Vols' Head Coach Pat Summitt, who received the Maggie Dixon Courage award for her perseverance since her recent diagnosis with early onset dementia. Summitt, the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, would later coach her team to a win that day (84-61) against DePaul University, in the second game of the classic.

          For my first Madison Square Garden Women's Basketball experience, it truly was a day I was proud to be a part of.

Stephanie, Jessica, me, and R.Lo at MSG wearing our red fire hats,
Pep Band polos, and band credential tags

The 'Lady Johnnies' and 'Lady Bears' at play on the Garden court

A really talented group of dance kids who performed at halftime

Me looking like a fire fighter at the MSG basketball court in my
fire hat and friend Kyle's winter Pep Band jacket

Christmas Caroling at Chapin

          On Saturday, December 10, a group of InterVarsity members teamed up with Students for Life to bring some Christmas cheer to the residents of the Chapin Home for the Aging (located near St. John's) by Christmas caroling there. We all thoroughly enjoyed getting to make new friends that day, and we loved sharing the joy of the season with them as they joined us in singing through a long list of well-loved Christmas songs. We left our new friends with glad tidings and wishes for a joyous Christmas season, looking forward to making future visits. Below is a photo taken of our group outside the Chapin Home after our caroling - thanks to Mandy Spencer (bottom row, all the way to the left in the photo) from Students for Life (and the Music Ministry Choir) for sending this picture to me!

St. John's 2011 Winter Carnival

          Wednesday, December 7, was a day filled with Christmas fun thanks to the festivities of St. John's 21st annual Winter Carnival. Activities began at 11am in the DAC, where the Student Government 'elves' helped host a Santa's Worskshop event. My friend Amber and I were so anxious to enter that we got on line about fifteen minutes before it began, and we were thrilled to be one of the first few to enter. Other friends soon joined us in decorating Christmas cookies and Santa hats, and later a group of us went downstairs to the Christmas tree and took pictures with Santa, who wished us the best of luck on our upcoming final exams! 

Me with a group of InterVarsity friends (Sasha, Alice, Dan, and Aleena)
at the Santa's Workshop event

Me and InterVarsity friends Trisha (left) and Amber (right)
with the plate of cookies we decorated

Our Cute Christmas Cookies
 (left to right: Trisha's snowman, my star, and Amber's snowman)

Me and InterVarsity friends Sasha, Trisha, Dan, and Stacey with Santa
(This pose was actually chosen as the STJ Campus Activities
Facebook page profile picture in December!)

Me with what I call my "Herricks Extended" group of friends (as a number of them came from Herricks High School in New Hyde Park) and Santa

          In the evening, I headed over to the St. Thomas More Church on campus for the Winter Carnival Community Mass, for which I sang in the Music Ministry Choir, a group I sing (or sometimes play the flute) with for every Sunday evening service. It was so wonderful to share in the excitement for the arrival of Christmas with everyone who came, including a large number of alumni and their families.

          After mass, we all headed to the Great Lawn for the Christmas tree lighting and Grucci fireworks display. Although it was pouring that night, it couldn't dampen anyone's Christmas spirit, and the show would still go on. My friend Charlotte (who sings in the Music Ministry Choir with me) and I were so happy to find a little spot we could fit in right at the fence with a perfect view of the tree and lawn, which was an extra special find considering the crowds of people that were present. We both were very excited as we helped countdown to the tree lighting along with the crowd and Student Government leaders, and were in awe as we watched the stunning St. John's light show and fireworks display for the first time (We are both freshman.).

               Above is a video I took of the countdown to the tree lighting 

        and the beginning of the fireworks show, and below are some of my 

                               prettiest pictures of the whole display!

          After the fireworks, many of the viewers made their way to Marillac Terrace for the "Red and White Community Dessert Party." Because there was such a big crowd, I had to wait on line in the rain, not sure if my friends and I would be able to make it in; thankfully, we did. It was at this party that students could pick up the Student Government Inc. (SGI) 21st annual commemorative giveaways, which this year were SGI mittens and a Johnny Thunderbird ornament for our Christmas trees. There were also many cakes, pies, and desserts - too many to choose from - and I enjoyed spending the night with a large group of my InterVarsity friends, listening to the Voices of Victory choir sing of our Savior's birth, and sharing our relief that classes were over for the semester! 

One of the many artistic cakes at the Dessert Party

Me and a giant group of InterVarsity friends posing by the just-lit
Christmas tree in the rain...

...and our same giant group inside all nice and warm and dry
by the DAC Christmas tree and fireplace