The Angry Johnnie Revisited: Library Facilities reopen

When I came back to school in August, to my chagrin, my favorite spot on campus, St. Augustine Hall (ok, the library) was closed for business. Where was I hang to out? Study? Spend time between classes…Sleep?!

Image of St. Augustine Hall

I clearly stated my dissatisfaction here. The anticipated wait until Mid-October seemed an eternity. Well, the wait is finally over–let’s see how the brand spanking-new library stacks up.

The second level is still not open, however the third and fourth levels are available for student use.

The entire space has been revamped to reveal more wide open space. In the old library, at times it would seems as if you had to turn sideways to walk the corridors due to the number of desks.

Now, the dozens of workspaces have been chiseled down to just a couple of dozen, with some comfy couches thrown in for good measure. On the downside, study spaces fill up quickly.

The new St. Augustine Hall

Study and meeting rooms are still available for private use, and more have been added on the upper floors. The central computer lab has been moved from the middle of the third floor to the left side of the floor and is now unfortunately half the size it used to be.

The bathrooms have all been remodeled as well, and the perpetually out-of-order stall in the women’s bathroom on the third floor is now back in business!

Angry Johnnie: Perhaps just a little irked

Aloha,

With election day rapidly approaching, I happened to stumble across this interesting post from a blog called Earth to Bella. Searching for the Incubus song of the same title just for song, I came across this post. This is the picture posted in there:

Pic from Earth to Bella

The Angry Johnnie: Five Things You Shouldn’t Wear To Class

I don’t consider myself an expert on fashion, but there are some things that really annoy me about the way people dress when they go to class. Here’s a few things that really bother me about my classmate’s dressing habits:

Angry Johnnie: Endorsements (Updated)

Aloha,

This week, The Torch decided to make the decision to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States. While it is fine that most of the staff probably supports that decision, I feel it is wrong for the Torch to make such a move. Why?

Angry Johnnie: No Concert for You

Aloha,

Homecoming is rapidly approaching and while the school has plenty of stuff going on throughout the week, there is one major thing missing: a concert. Last year, students were greeted with a solid performance by the Gym Class Heroes (with The Pack opening up for them). It was free, which made it even better.

Photo Courtesy of Starpulse

Yet nothing was planned for this year. What gives? The school has done their surveys about what bands or acts students would like to see. All those artists couldn’t have possibly been busy this week, given the broad range of options. Even bands that weren’t choices could have been looked into. A concert would have made for a great stress reliever with midterms approaching. Unfortunately, the music is nowhere to be heard.

Perhaps the school will step up next semester and offer a great concert. But don’t exactly count on it.

-Alex Quevedo

The Angry Johnnie, Where are My Teachers?

That would be pretty cool!

Hey Johnnies,

I come to you today mildly distraught. So, I am having trouble in one of my classes, and I probably should meet with my teacher to work out everything to see if i can actually catch up. Problem is, he only has 4 hours of office time, and they are all during my classes. When I asked if i could meet with him/her at another time, he/she says “well, I really don’t have time.”

Yeah, apparently not to many teachers around here too.

Campus Gripe: Library WANTED!

Before leaving St. John’s U for the summer last semester, many of us were aware of the upcoming renovations that were going to be made to St. Augustine Hall, the building that houses the library on the Queens campus.

Like any other student on campus I expected that all the knocking down of walls and what-have-you would be done by the time Fall semester came around, right? WRONG. Instead, I was greeted with a giant barricade and poster board that said CLOSED. I expected the problem to be remedied soon. I mean, after all, how can you have a university without a library?

To my chagrin, the library facilities, with the exception of the cafe on the bottom floor and two adjoining rooms on either side, will be unavailable until the end of October. WHAT?!

This leaves the students with not only fewer options of places to study, but puts a burden on the other facilities around campus. Just a simple stroll through Marillac Hall during Common Hour will tell you. CROWDED. Even the usually quiet and relatively empty Sullivan Cafe is feeling the pinch. For the first time ever, I went in and couldn’t get a seat.

Where does this leave commuter students who, by the way make up a large percentage of the university, who don’t have the option of going back to the dorms between classes? Either jockey for a space to chill or go off campus, or even back home. Unfortunately, for most of us, home is in other boroughs, making that option less desirable and even impossible.

The university is trying to make library materials more available however, with a temporary system which requires you to request materials via phone or online and then you’ll be able to pick it up in the Academic Commons. However, not all the books will be available and students still may have to go to an off-campus library.

Unfortunately, we’re gonna have to make do until the renovations get finished. Hopefully, it’ll be well worth the wait. For all this inconvenience, this library better rival The Library of Congress!

–Lynecia Burgess

The Angry Johnnie: Book Sales [womp womp]

It never fails, each and every semester in the begining of the school year I’m shoved into a stuffy classroom with “some of the best teachers and professionals still in the business” and year after year I have the same question for each and every one of them: If you’re the best in the field why do I need to pay 175 dollars for the “best” textbook when I can just learn everything I need to know from you?

I understand that the textbooks are required to coplememnt the information given in class [and of course I still buy them] but why do they have to be so expensive? It isn’t like there aren’t 89247932 other students in America reaching out for the exact textbook, can’t they at least lower the prices just a little bit? 

This semester alone I’ve spent nearly 800 dollars on textbooks… that is nearly enough to put a reasonably sized down-payment on a car. In the words of my mother “that is utterly ridiculous.”

Of course, we’ve all resulted to the dipping and diving, bidding and buying of books on “discount” sites such as amazon and ebay but if a person is willing to sell a 100 dollar book for ONLY 17.00 then, perhaps that’s all the book is actually worth. I can’t help but feel violated by these textbook authors and the audacity of their prices. 

But the problem doesn’t stop there… oh no, it certainly doesn’t.

At the end of the year St. John’s University gives each student the chance to “sell back” their books. But somtimes the editions seem to have miraculously disappersared. So upon plopping my text book down on the desk, I am greet with a rather smug “hello” by the clerk, folowed the scanning of the barcode after which I am quickly told “this book no longer holds any value.”  To which my reply is always “well, where did the class go?” 

In my opinion we pay ENOUGH money to go to school, buying books should be the last thing sending me into an early grave.

 

-Rachel S.