To Durham and Back

The St. Johns Men’s basketball team has a rich history of winning and playing competitively.

However, this has not been the case in recent years as the school's basketball program has been swept under the population's conscientiousness as a result of losing, scandals and lack of interest from fans.

In 2009, the Red Storm is trying to change that while making noise in the process. Going undefeated in 6 games for the first time since 2002 has gained them national recognition and a national ranking of 35.

But the Johnnies toughest opponent was lying in wait, as the team was ready to play in the biggest game of the young season.

Their opponent...the Duke University Blue Devils.

A team that has won their conference championship 7 times this decade and made the NCAA tournament each year since 1995.

Defeating them would be a daunting task for any team especially since they were to travel to North Carolina to face Duke on their home court where they rarely lose.

David Berov and Frank Quasim, co-sports directors at St. Johns student run radio station WSJU, came up with the idea to take the trip to Durham and Broadcast the game back in September.

“Me and Dave wanted to do something big this year.” Said Frank “And when we saw Duke on the schedule we knew we had to go.”

Once the pair approached WSJU general manager Al Ragone with the proposition of a road trip to Duke, the manager agreed and the trip was a go.

Dave and Frank picked seven other members from the station to accompany them on this trip.

Derek Sheppard and Rob Tausch were the first ones to be chosen because Derek was the pre-game and post-game announcer while Rob was the station’s technical “guru”.

The other five were committed students to the team and wanted to show their pride.

On Friday December 4th, the nine St. John’s students left for North Carolina on a nine-hour trip across four states.

“The trip was long and tiring but with the right people in the car, it can be loads of fun too.” Said Dan Martin a member of WSJU’s sports department.

When the crew arrived in Durham, they all breathed a sigh of relief and got right into making themselves at home.

The broadcast team however, was not so fortunate. They immediately went to the office of the hotel and began preparing for the next day’s game.

“We couldn’t waste any time.” Said David Berov “This is the biggest game of WSJU’s sports department and we have to be sure it’s as close to perfect as possible.”

All that preparation paid off as the next day the team went to Cameron Indoor Stadium and set up for the game.

At 3:30 pm, the St. Johns vs. Duke basketball game was underway.

The Red Storm started off strong going basket for basket with the Devils but it wasn’t long till Duke went on a run ending the first half with a 16 point lead.

The deficit is a tough mountain to climb on the road in one of the most hostile environments in the country.

“I’ve never been anywhere like this.” Said Idil Kirimica a member of the station “The noise level is almost deafening, I don’t know how they can play in this.”

When the second half started the Johnnies seemed like an entirely different team. They tightened up their defense and made some critical shots as they chipped away at Duke’s lead.

At one point, St. John’s cut the lead to only four with seven minutes remaining. But Duke showed why they are one of the elite teams in college basketball by overcoming the Red Storm surge and pulling out the victory 80-71.

“Considering the program at Duke and the odds we were up against we did well” said Quasim “We showed how tough we were and that this season will be different from the others.”

A strong performance by St. Johns reassured the gang’s reasons for traveling this far. They got to see their team go toe to toe with a goliath-like school and almost pull off the upset.

The trip was a success and everyone who went enjoyed them selves. But this won’t be the last WSJU sports trip. Dave and Frank are already working on planning trips to Syracuse, the University of Connecticut, Rutgers and Georgetown in Washington D.C.

So expect the sports department to come back to New York with more good news of the St. John’s men’s basketball team.

Here's a video I threw together that encompasses the weekend trip in a few minutes.

Fast Start for the Storm

The St. Johns University Mens basketball team has started the 2009-2010 season undefeated causing a stir in the college basketball world.

"It's great to start 5-0 but we can't think about it for too long cause we have another game to worry about then another game after that." said Coach Norm Roberts after the Red Storm defeated the Temple Owls 55-48 on Saturday.

The Red Storm are having their best start since the 2002-03 season when they also started off 5-0 before losing their next game to Wake Forest.

But this particular team has gotten the students and college basketball experts talking about the team from Queens.

Senior college basketball writer, Andy Katz has acknowledged the Red Storm as a team who will improve and make a run in their conference this season.

And a big reason for the optimism is that St. Johns is the only team in the Big East Conference that has all five starters returning this season.

"The experience and maturity from the returning players will generate to wins on the court" said David Berov, Red Storm play-by-play announcer for WSJU radio. "They have all been on the big stage before and the trust between the players and coaches is evidence to their cohesiveness."

2009 began with the Red Storm winning their season opener against Long Island University 83-70.

One week later St. Johns showed their veteran game play against St. Bonaventure by pulling off a 69-68 victory thanks to starting guard Malik Boothe's free-throws with less than a second remaining.

"Malik [Boothe] is the one person we want with the ball with time running out." said starting forward D.J. Kennedy after the victory "He has the instinct and knowledge to know what to do when we need him."

With the momentum from the the next two games St. Johns defeated Brown and Siena University by the scores 79-76 and 77-68 respectively.

"I've been going to St. Johns for three years and haven't really had any interest in the basketball team." said senior Idil Kirimica "But it's hard to go here and not notice a different feel around this team and the campus is showing it little by little."

The Red Storm put their undefeated record to the test against Stony Brook University on Wednesday before heading to Durham to face Duke University on Saturday.

And there is no doubt in the team's mind that they can win both and continue their surprise run.

Health Care and Immigration

With a universal health care plan knocking on the doors of the White House a question still needs to be answered;

Will Illegal Immigrants receive the same benefits as everyone else?

A tricky and touchy subject seeing as the whole Immigrant issue is also being discussed on Capital Hill. But many people want to know if tax dollars will go to provide people, who aren't supposed to be in this country, medical coverage.

The proposal, Affordable Health Care for America, which made it's way through the House by a vote of 220-215, aims to build on "what works in today's health care system, while repairing the aspects that are broken."

According to ABC News White House Correspondent Jake Tapper, the Health Care bill in regards to illegal immigrants will provide the following:

some illegal immigrants -- those who "meet the substantial presence test" -- would be taxed if they don't obtain health insurance that meets the requirements of the law;

* there are no immigration-related restrictions on who can participate in President Obama’s proposed health insurance exchanges;

* to qualify for any subsidies for health insurance, "individuals must be lawfully present in a state in the United States." That does not preclude those in this country legally who have illegal immigrants in their family from qualifying for the subsidies.

Illegal immigrants are already eligible for emergency care through the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, signed by President Reagan in 1986. This emergency care is often paid for by Emergency Medicaid, private insurance if the patients have it, out-of-pocket, or it's written off as bad debt or charity care by the hospital.

So how would illegal immigrants receive more health care?

Well that only happens if Medicaid is expanded. The Health Care Bill would extend Medicaid coverage up to 133 1/3% of poverty for populations that previously were not covered such as some parents and childless adults.

That expansion could mean more illegal immigrants would become eligible for Emergency Medicaid. Which is not to say that citizens don't pay for those costs anyway through extra hospital fees, but this would clearly be a more direct billing to the taxpayer.

"I don't agree with that at all" said Henry Lederer, a senior biology major at Stony Brook University "Why should we have to pay out of our pockets when they don't have to pay for anything of ours? They don't get taxed, they don't pay for the schools or the streets."

A feeling that some people seem to have especially in these trying times. However, not everyone is opposed to this plan.

"In my profession we are supposed to take care of everyone," said Marisol Acevedo, a 24 year old Bronx nurse "it doesn't matter who they are, it's not our job to decide who to care for."

No matter your view, the Health Care and Immigration issues will continue to battle until Congress comes to an agreement on the best way to

Here are a few charts that will help explain the new Health Plan.

Acquired through Times Magazine

This first chart is what the Democrats in Congress would like to do:




And this one is what the current system is like:



To better understand this, click the link an explanation of the Health Care Reform.

Parade of Champions!!

When a professional team wins a championship, it is only customary that they receive a parade from the city that hosts them.

In the city of New York we have had a lot of parades. 15 times has a sports team been honored with a parade through Manhattan with one team having the most... The New York Yankees.

The Yankees have had 9 ticker tape parades dating back to 1961 when they won the American League Pennant. And this year after winning their 27th World Series, the city of New York honored them with another parade.

Yankee fans waited 9 long seasons to see their team march down the canyon of heroes once again but it was well worth it as the team that won a major league best 103 games greeted the masses on a chilly Friday morning.

Just two days after clinching the title with a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies the players, coaches and fans met along Broadway to show their appreciation for each other.

And during the parade, the people went nuts, fans crowded the sidewalks, climbing up street poles and trucks to get a better view of their favorite players. Chants of "C.C." and "Jeter" rang so loudly I'm sure you could hear it from 161st and River Avenue in the Bronx where the Bombers play.

Those who braved the windy, cold weather were rewarded with entertainment in the form of speeches from fan favorites like Derek Jeter and a concert by rapper Jay-Z who performed his hit "Empire State of Mind".

The parade was an experience that many fans young and old call "a once in a lifetime experience"

That is until the next championship comes to the Big Apple.

The Captain Speaks
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Trip Down Memory Lane

This past weekend my family and I moved to a new apartment. The packing process took many days to complete and while I was putting my stuff together I rediscovered some of my valuables that I thought were long gone.

And looking at these items helped me recover some memories that were buried deep in my mind. So here is a slideshow I created showcasing some of these items in a rough timeline of my life.

NCAA Fair or Foul?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (or NCAA as we know it) is beginning to show its muscle even more than usual these days. Just ask Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant.

Before the season even started Bryant was approached by Marcus M. Wilson, NCAA’s assistant director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities, in July. Wilson then proceeded to question the young receiver about meetings with former NFL star Deion Sanders. The interview unnerved the young man causing him to lie to the official.

“I just panicked because I was scared and afraid that I was in some kind of trouble.” said Bryant in a 2 page apology to the NCAA that the Associated Press obtained "I was scared because I was thinking, why would the NCAA talk to me unless they thought I had done something wrong, even though I did not think I had."

In September the NCAA declared the All-American ineligible to play for the Cowboys and was expected to appear for a follow up interview with the NCAA on Tuesday in Indianapolis. He has already missed two of the school's five games this season and the rest of his season is still in jeopardy. The crime being the lie and not the actual meeting with Sanders.

Was this going too far?

Oklahoma State, who asked the NCAA to go easy on Bryant, thinks so. And if you ask Florida State and head coach Bobby Bowden they would likely agree.

The NCAA investigated the school and found that many student-athletes were guilty of academic cheating last October. The NCAA Committee then proposed to vacate victories from coaches and athletes-even those not implicated in the crime. Florida State has appealed the proposition delaying the final ruling of the NCAA.



Is the NCAA going too far in making a point?

Many see the increase in authoritative action as a benefit. As NCAA football expert Michael David Smith wrote, the lack of consistent discipline can harm the institution. Citing three separate incidences of players punching opposing players, he feels the response of each school gives a bad example to how misbehavior should be handled. When the same misbehavior is punished with a range from one game to one entire season, there is something wrong.

Maybe they should take a page out of the NFL discipline book. Commissioner Roger Goodell since beginning his tenure in 2006 has implemented a new Personal Conduct Policy after a season of scandal from his players. The policy has made it detrimental for a player to act up on or off the field and has set a precedent for future seasons.

Goodell has tightened his grip on the league but when someone acts out there is no question as to how the commissioner will act.

Should the NCAA remain an entity where they leave the punishments to particular schools or should they become more like the pros and make a "universal code of ethics" for the student-athletes with a set discipline regiment?

It's an iffy subject as the NCAA tries to be the governing body of college athletics yet allow a laissez-faire style of punishment with results that may not bode well for the future.

Life After Four Years

Undergraduates are considering a path that many would never have thought to do after they receive their Baccalaureate's.

Grad school.

"It's an opportunity to further my education and get a prospective career" says Christopher Godfrey a senior journalism student at St. John's University. "I never considered grad school until I came to St. Johns"

St. Johns' University, as do many other Universities, offers an extensive graduate program in seven different schools that cover a plethora of fields. From liberal arts and sciences to education, business and even law.

Brittany Tucker, a senior communications major, is about ready to wrap up her undergraduate career and is making preparations for life after her commencement walk. She is ready to take the LSAT in December and hopes to get into law school after graduation.

"I chose communications to have a broad field to study under" Tucker said "But I always wanted to go into law, which I hope will be my safety net."

And a safety net is just what students now a days hope for after the current state of the economy has left them discouraged about their futures.

Stephanie Sica, a senior journalism student, is very worried about the job opportunities. For someone who wants to get into the magazine journalism business, recent news about publishers 'canning' certain magazines have made life after graduation a scary thought.

"I feel that there won't be a job after I'm done," Sica said "that's why I'm going to grad school."

This seem to be a growing trend for students who feel that this is the perfect time to go to grad school. The job market is increasingly becoming more competitive and opportunities seem few and far in between.

"Now because of the economic situation, it seems better to go to grad school." says Godfrey

And many experts agree citing the economic status of the country as a "springboard" for people to go after their masters degree.

US News and World Report did a story following the Graduate School trend.

It Was Bound to Happen

Yesterday the 3-0 New York Jets went into New Orleans to face off against the Saints who were also 3-0.

It was a clash of undefeated teams, the Jets with the number one defense in the league against the Saints and their high octane offense. Who will win?


Well, by the end of the game it was Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez who single handedly lost them the game.

Sanchez would turnover the ball four times to seal his team's fate in a 24-10 loss yesterday. Now turnovers are never a good thing, but in this case the timing and outcome of those turnovers stuck out in a game that was well played by both teams.

The first turnover came in the second quarter with the Jets trailing 3-0 and knocking on the door of the end-zone. As Sanchez stepped back at the Saints 10 yard line and threw a bullet of a pass into the hands of another player. Unfortunately that player was Darren Sharper of the Saints who would take the interception back 99 yards for a touchdown putting his team up 10-0.

The second turnover (and arguably the worst) was when the Jets were pinned back on their own 3 yard line and Sanchez dropped back in his own end zone. He looked around for an open man when 3...2...1... a Saint defender grabbed him from behind knocking the ball out of his hands. The ball was then recovered by another defender in the end zone for the second touchdown. The Jets were now down 17-0 and essentially out of the game.




The Jet's defense (which has become the cornerstone of the team) kept Saints QB Drew Brees and the offense quiet for most of the game keeping the Jets hopes alive especially when they cut the game to 17-10. But it was the rookie mistakes of someone who looked like a seasoned vet for the first 3 games of the season.

But we forget that rookie Mark Sanchez is just that, a rookie. It was going to happen sooner or later and we can't completely fault his play. He is just going to have to learn from what happened like everyone else and play on.

I'm sure Jets Nation will forgive this one blunder if he can recreate his performance prior to Sunday's game. So yea, the day after we criticize him and what not but we can't forget that this is the kid who became the first rookie QB to start 3-0 in the modern era of the NFL (1972). The same kid who defeated the Titans and the much maligned New England Patriots in superb fashion.

Sanchez will be fine and the Jets will try to get back on track this Sunday when they face off against division rival the Miami Dolphins

This is the Best you can come up with?

St. John's University unveiled their first mascot in 10 years at the Men's Soccer game on September 18th. And here it is...





Say hello to the St. John's "Thunderbird". Well, that's not exactly the mascot's name, that will be left up to the student body to come up with.

But honestly what is this? When i think "Red Storm", which is the team's name, i certainly do not imagine a bird!! I think Lightning, i think thunder, tornadoes, hurricanes etc etc. Just because you put the word "Thunder" in front of an animal's name does not make it more appealing.

However,in all fairness, the University allowed the students to vote between a few choices; The Thunderbird, A lightning Bolt, A Dog and a Horse. (Yea i know not the greatest choices). And i did participate, i cast my vote for the Horse because it reminded me of the old logo for St. John's but I guess i'm just nostalgic.

The only thing that can save this monstrosity is a good name. So come through St. Johns. I'll update when the name is revealed.

DAMMIT BILLS!!

Well...I was on my home from my night class on Monday and I knew the Bills/Pats game was on TV. I didn't expect the Bills (My favorite football team) to win. Come on, I love to go with my heart and everything but my brain told me otherwise.

So I was almost home and my friend texted me that i was missing an unbelievable game. I put the radio on and tuned into the sports report on 1010 Wins. They said the Bills were up by 11 with five minutes to go.

OMG!!

I raced home and ran upstairs and immediately turned the television on to see the game. The Pats were charging down the field but it was ok, we were up by 11 with 3 minutes to go. Not long after the Pats score and miss the two point conversion. So we're still up by 5 with 2 minutes to go. All we have to do is run out the clock and a HUGE upset will be cemented.

The Pats kick it off some idiot named Leodis McKelvin hesitated and then decided to run it out of the end zone instead of taking a knee.

There are a few things wrong with that decision:

1.) The Bills were expecting an onside kick so they had their "hands" team out there not their usual kick return team so he wasn't going to get good blocking.
2.) There was no need to take it out, take the knee and let your offense who was successful in moving down the field the entire game run the clock out.
3.).....YOU FUMBLE THE F*@#$%$# BALL!!

I mean come on, and wait I understand that he was trying to make a play and win it by himself and even take the time past the two minute warning. But man once you get hit or see no more room drop down and make sure you have both hands on that ball.

You single handedly loss the game for the Bills.

And we all know what happened by now. Brady tosses another touchdown while bringing the clock to about 50 seconds and then the Bills offense becomes anemic and the O-line can't protect Trent Edwards.

*sigh* I guess that is what separates the good from the mediocre.

Tennis Gets an Attitude Change

The U.S. Open finally wrapped up this weekend and it wasn't without it's drama and controversy.

First on the Woman's side during the semi-finals, #4 Serena Williams fell to unranked Kim Clijsters. The story wasn't necessarily that she lost, but how. During the second set Serena was serving to tie the set at 6 games a piece when on her second serve she was called for a double fault thanks to a foot violation.

Well you can say that Serena didn't take the call very well. She approached the line judge who made the decision and began a tirade which will be played over and over all weekend. She would go on to say things like...

"I'm going to shove this ball down your f*#$%ing throat"

Feeling threatened the judge approached the main judge and they had a discussion about Serena's conduct. After a shouting match and argument, the chief judge decided to give Serena her second foul on the match (the first coming in the first set when she destroyed her racket on the court). This gave Clijsters another point and a trip to the finals....oops.

Serena left in disbelief as her temper cost her the match.

Clijster not to be overlooked went on to win the championship the next day.

Quick Facts on Clijsters:
1.) This was her first tournament in two years. She took time off to start her family.
2.) She became the first mother in 40 years to win a major.



Not to be outdone. During the Men's final on Monday night, Roger Federer was in pursuit of his record tying 16th major victory. He was up against 20 year old Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro. It was a thrilling five set match that ended in an unbelievable upset. Federer fell to the new kid.

But was more very relevant during the match was in the third set. After a shot from del Potro looked out, the Argentinian asked for a review "too late" and was granted the look. Federer wasn't very pleased with the decision and voiced his frustrations out on the chief judge in an expletive laden tirade.

That didn't cost Federer the match, in fact he went on to win that game to force the fifth set.

But after the final major in the tennis season, a new look has come out of the perceived "calm" and "dignified" sport. A look that is showing grit and emotion where it should be. There is nothing totally wrong with showing your competitive nature, it's part of the game. And it is a welcome change in this sport.

TEAM SWIFT!!

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two days you have certainly heard what happened during Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards.

As a courtesy I'll sum it up in four words....Kanye is a Jerk.

Believe me there are plenty of other words I would use to describe Mr. West at this point, ego maniacal, classless, and some fun four-letter words but I'll try to be nice.

However after all that happened I was not too surprised that he did this. Knowing his track record (especially with MTV) and how outspoken he is, this seems like something he had to do.

Then Kanye gets on the Jay Leno show on Monday night and says he's sorry and blames it on the death of his mom? Ok Kanye, the loss of a mother is hard but that shouldn't give you the right to abandon all logical thought, get on the stage while someone is receiving an award and tell them they didn't deserve it. It was definitely uncalled for and you probably lost some fans in the process.

On the other hand Taylor Swift probably gained a boat load of support and fans (including myself) after the ordeal.

Now in Kanye's defense, (in my opinion) if Beyonce didn't win Best Video by a Female Artist how can she win Video of the Year? But that is a mood point after showing up Taylor Swift.

And quickly before I ramble on even further Beyonce, you are the epitome of class for giving your spotlight to Ms. Swift. Kudos to you.

Now for the videos. Both videos and songs for that matter, are great but i'll leave it up to the people. Which was more deserving of Best Video by a Female?

First...The Winner Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me"

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
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And then who Kanye thought should have won...Beyonce "Single Ladies"

Beyonce - Single Ladies (New)
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Jay-Z Mania

Remember when Hova announced his retirement?

Well don't feel bad if you don't, because with all the hype surrounding the Brooklyn-born rapper these days you would think he never left. From his September 11th benefit concert to his highly anticipated album "The Blueprint 3" (dropping the same day) Jay-Z is living the high life.

And those who said he "fell off" or "he's not the same" will definitely have a hard time sticking to their stance.

These days...it's good to be the jigga man.

Here's an awesome commercial for Rhapsody showcasing all of Jay-Z's album covers. Can you name them all?