Pi Day Celebration in the Honors Commons

          As someone who was used to celebrating Pi Day in my high school and even middle school math classes, I was glad to see the Honors Program allowed my tradition to continue at STJ as it hosted a Pi Day celebration in the Honors Commons on Wednesday, March 14. As it was a day I happened to be working, I got to see all the pies being brought in, and then got to enjoy having a slice of the delicious apple crumb pie with my friend Adaora! 

STJ Lacrosse vs. Syracuse

          My first STJ lacrosse game was the one played on the STJ campus against Syracuse University on Saturday, March 10, 2012. The STJ Pep Band arrived ready to play for the team, which sadly ended up losing the game by a point, with a final score of 9-8. Here is a photo of me and Courtenee, an InterVarsity friend and STJ student event worker, as we tried to warm ourselves up in the sun before the game started on that chilly afternoon!

Yummy Discovery

          Friday, March 9, was the day I discovered that the Nathan's on campus sold fried mac & cheese triangles. Being a lover of any and all kinds of fried mac & cheese (Thank you Cheesecake Factory for being the first place I was exposed to the delicious creation!), I was very excited to try Nathan's version of them, and am glad to say I was very pleased with them! It made me very happy to know I can now satisfy my fried mac & cheese cravings on campus -- so happy that I decided to take and post this picture of my first order!

DAC After Dark - Trail Mix

          DAC After Dark on Thursday, March 8, brought a variety of different tastes and flavors to students as it allowed them to make their own cup of trail mix. The list of possible ingredients seemed almost endless, with crackers, chocolate, and nuts, just to name a few. Below is a picture of me with some very happy students and Father Tri standing behind the table with all the goodies!

Just One Person: Robert Levin lecture

          For the last installment of its "Just One Person" lecture series, St. John's University welcomed musician and composer Robert Levin on Thursday, March 8, to share his inspiring story of how he, one person, has made a difference in the world. He explained how falling in love with West African music and drumming inspired him, with the help of his friend and Ghanaian drummer Godwin Agbeli, to start up the Kopeyia school in Ghana to educate students who may otherwise never receive that opportunity. You can read more about this school at http://www.kgsf.org/. At the end of his lecture, Robert treated the audience to a performance of a traditional African drumming piece. He also welcomed students to ask questions and come speak with him before they left.

Me and my friend Stacey with Robert and his drum

Men's BIG EAST Basketball Tournament

          The day after my first Women's Big East Basketball tournament experience ended, I made the more familiar trip to Madison Square Garden with the pep band to experience playing for my first Big East Men's Basketball tournament. The most exciting part was the seats we had; as if the band seats weren't the best in the arena to begin with, this time we were even closer to the court, sitting on the same side as our bench, so we had even more of an amazing view of our team than usual! St. John's played against University of Pittsburgh, though unfortunately didn't manage a win, bringing an end to their season; however, it left them with a determination to come back stronger next season, which believe it or not, will be here in a little over 2 months! I can't wait! 

The BIG EAST score board before the game began

Stephanie, me, and Dana in our fantastic seats

A great view of the game in progress

Women's BIG EAST Basketball Tournament

          The 2012 Big East Women's basketball tournament took place at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, this year from Friday, March 2, to Tuesday March 6. As the No. 2 seed, the St. John's women's basketball team earned its start in the quarterfinals held on Sunday, March 4. The pep band traveled to support the Lady Johnnies, so we got to spread our spirit and music throughout the arena as our team beat the Louisville Cardinals, 68-61. This led us to another trip back to Connecticut on Monday, March 5, for the semifinal game, when St. John's was unfortunately eliminated as they couldn't repeat their earlier-in-the-season win over UConn's team. We left the game proud of our girls for making it that far, and looking forward to their likely appearance in the NCAA tournament. 

Me with band friends, all set to play for the STJ vs. Louisville game

STJ and Louisville women's teams at play