Student Q&A: Life after graduation

Michael Pote, 21

Year: Senior

Major: Advertising

Lives: Brooklyn, New York

What are you going to do on graduation day?

The first thing I’m going to do is graduate, after that, I haven’t really made any plans. I might go out and eat dinner or something with my family, but I’m definitely trying to party. It’ll be one of the last days that me and my friends are all here, and it’s my last day of school, so it’s definitely reason for celebration. As for specifics, I haven’t made any plans yet, but I definitely want to do something unforgettable.

Fact or fiction: Blood gang initiation

Supposedly the infamous blood gang holds annual initiation rituals every Halloween weekend. They have to kill a certain amount of women, or drive around with their headlights off, wait until somebody gives them a courtesy flash (as in, put your headlights on), and then chase them down and kill all members in the car.

Some say it is nothing more than an urban legend, and others warn people to be safe when they go out this weekend. You can read all the message boards on the internet and interpret it however you want. People say that memos have went out to mayors and police officers throughout the city warning of the danger, and internet users have accounted past experiences they had with the situation.

Through the turnstile: Visitation policy

The visitation policy is a little strict, but as any administrator will tell you, we’re in New York City, and it’s an effort to keep a safe campus. That’s reasonable, but with all the cameras and surveillance around, I don’t know why St. John’s students who live off campus are only allowed to visit during certain hours, and why on-campus residents can’t freely visit friends in other dorm buildings. I think it’s pretty stupid, but students have managed their way around it. I can’t sit here and promote ways on how to break the rules, but what I can do is tell you what not to do when trying to see your girlfriend who lives in another building.

Did you know? Mascots

In 1994 St. John’s was pressured to change its nickname because American Indian groups felt Redmen was a slur on their heritage. A University committee, headed by Lou Caresecca, was established in November of ’93 to review nickname changes, and in June of ’94, after finishing the worst basketball season in 31 years, Carnesecca held a news conference announcing the school’s new nickname and logo. After faculty, alumini and students were polled, Redstorm was agreed upon as the new nickname. The University says the nickname is here to stay, saying it represents an uprising.

The Redmen was said to have originated from the red uniforms the football team used to wear, but its logo definately suggested otherwise.

-Jonnathan Coleman

Inside Gate 6: Dinner and a movie

Well, it’s dinner and presidential debate to be exact. Starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, students have the benefit of attending free dinner at a debate viewing party held in Taffner Fieldhouse. The last debate of this election race is being held at Hofstra University, less than an hour away, and will be simulcast in Taffner on a 30 foot screen. There will also be a campus debate arguing who should be the next president. If you’re not the type to party over politics, you can always just watch it at your house starting at 9 p.m.

Here’s the debate that started all of this hoopla in the first place.

-Jonnathan Coleman

Student Q + A: Presidential Debate

Tuesday’s presidential debate ended with tons of different ideas presented by the candidates, and tons of different opinions given by all those who watched. Lets see what St. John’s students had to say about it.

Obama and McCain

Through the Turnstile: Cameras

Most resident students see the cameras in the dorm lobbies and stairwells, but have no idea there are cameras watching them in the hallways too. Some students say it invades privacy, but the school is allowed to video tape hallway activity as long as they let students know about it. And, in some cases, they don’t have to let anyone know about it. The situation may get a little sketchy, but the cameras are there to stay. Public Safety says that Big Brother has helped solve a number of thefts already, and will continue to be used as a primary resource for preventing crime.

Did you know?

Two St. John’s basketball players were arrested in 1961 after authorities found they had fixed games in the ’50s in one of the biggest point-shaving scandals in sports history. Mike Parenti and William Chrystal were arrested for cooperating with the mastermind of the scandal, Jack Molinas, to throw games. Parenti was the leading scorer for the 1956 season and holds the 7th place for all-time season scoring leaders in St. John’s history.

A 1954 New York Times article headlined, “St. John’s to rely on Parenti and Chrystal for successful basketball season” quoted Coach Al (Dusty) De Stefano as saying, “A lot will depend on a couple of our sophomores, namely Mike Parenti, 6-foot 7-inch sophomore center, and Bill Chrystal, 6-foot 5-inch lad.”

They went 11-9 that season and Parenti and Chrystal led the team in scoring.

 

-Jonnathan Coleman

Through the Turnstile: Fast Food Delivery

Delivery guys from around the area bring food to St. John’s students at least 40 times a day, and that’s just counting 5 fast-food places.

A Vincenzo’s delivery man, who went by Tom, told me he comes to STJ about 20 times a day, pretty much half of his daily deliveries. Papa John’s said they make 10-15 deliveries a day. Joe (He couldn’t have picked a faker name) from Yummy Taco said he made 8 deliveries yesterday.

The Chinese restaurant Number One records between 5-8 daily, and a guy from Dominos said he only comes here 2-3 times a day. No one at Chef’s Garden or Yummy would talk to me without knowing if I wanted to pay with cash or credit first, but I would estimate at least 5 deliveries from both of them combined.

All those deliveries and so little tips.

Yummy Taco Joe said he gets about $1 dollar for each of his deliveries to STJ, a whopping $7-$8 compared with the $80 in tips he gets throughout the whole day. Both Dominoes and Number One said that STJ students don’t tip that well, if they tip at all.

Vincenzo’s Tom wasn’t mad at the students saying, “they’re pretty good…I get a little less than half of my daily tips from them.”

And the Papa John’s delivery guy almost killed me when I asked.

“College students don’t tip, they’re all broke,” he said. “Why would you even ask me that?” To his credit, he had just waited in the lobby for about 10 minutes for two girls who told him to ‘keep the change’ before running off with their pizzas. It was 36 cents, but at least they didn’t ask for it back.

Read some crazy delivery stories here.

-Jonnathan Coleman

Grapevine: Condom fines?

Resident students are fined if they’re caught having visible condoms in their dorm room.

Myth: “No, students aren’t fined if they have condoms in their dorm,” said associate vice-president of student affairs, Dr. Jose Rodriguez. “I’ve never even heard of that,” added executive director of student health and wellness, Dr. Kathryn Hutchinson.

Apparently students have been so affected by St. John’s Catholic mission that a majority have bought into the rumor. STJ does other things, like banning overnight guests of the opposite sex, in attempts to keep students abstinent. “It’s an effort to be consistent with the Catholic mission,” said Rodriguez.

Condom fines or not, it seems as if not many college students actually use condoms.

“The reality is that many college students are sexually active during their time at college,” said vice-president of marketing Trojan brand condoms, Jim Daniels. “What’s frightening is that only one in four of their sex acts is involving a condom, that’s a high-risk behavior pattern.”

Use a condom, here are some great brands.

-Jonnathan Coleman