The D'Angelo Center: A New Beginning

Photo Courtesy of Olga Zapisek

St. John’s University has always prided itself in making its students and faculty feel like part of an intimate community. However, despite the university’s best efforts through student organizations and events, a piece of the puzzle was still missing. Now in time for the holidays, St. John’s University has unveiled for its students a present like no other-the much anticipated student university center.

For a year and a half, construction has been building expectations amongst the St. John’s community of what the new building would look like inside and out. And though the place is still full of construction workers as they complete their work to the last knot and bolt, it is also no stranger to students.

The D’Angelo Center officially opened its doors on December 7, after a ribbon cutting ceremony, coinciding with the University’s Winter Carnival at which food and drinks from the new dining additions could first be tasted.

According to Rev. Harrington C.M., the new building is just what the university needed to make the student body feel at home during their leisure and study time.

“Now we have two places where our community gathers. We have St. Thomas More Church where we gather as a community of faith, and we have the D’Angelo Center, where we gather as a community of learning and a community that shares life together,” Rev. Harrington, C.M told St. John’s University.

But what exactly does this modern, 5-story, $77 million brick-and-stone building hold? To put it simply: a whole lot of wonders.

Equipped with 14 state of the art classrooms, 6 seminar rooms, and various dining banquets, the D’Angelo Center is sure to be a breather for students from the overly crowded Marillac Cafeteria.

“I have stopped going to Marillac Cafeteria, unless it is to grab a quick snack on the go. I can’t stand the noise coming from this overcrowded place. I can’t even hear my own thoughts there. Studying is just out of the question,” Pharmacy Student, Kimberly Wang, said.

To even out dining areas and ease student complaints, the student university center is featuring a variety of healthy cuisines from different parts of the world. For instance, the food court is home to the Chop’d Fork Friendly Salads and Au Bon Pain Soups, as well as Pia Dori Flatbread Co. featuring Certified Halal meat and poultry products. In addition, the building holds a Starbucks Café and the Campus Activities Coffeehouse at which three new video game consoles (X-box 360, Playstation 3, and Wii) are held for students’ entertainment.

Yet the revealing does not end there.

Aside from having bountiful dining places, students can also enjoy recreational time with their peers thanks to a game room with two pool tables, two air hockey tables, and one foosball table.

To boot, there are two places for quiet study time: The D’Angelo Living Room (equipped with its very own fireplace donated by the graduating class of 2009), and the Center for Student Engagement with its very own computers and student laptop plug-ins.

The new D’Angelo Center is also home to various student organizations such as the Yearbook committee and the university newspaper.

“We have only been in the new office for about a week. We have to share the new room with two other organizations, which is neat because I get to meet new people,” Torch Online News Editor, Jose Silva, said.

However, though the new university center does surpass its old predecessor by a long shot with new furniture and commodities, how exactly do students feel about this building and its services?

They couldn’t be happier.

“The building is beautiful and modern. I love the massive windows and high ceiling,” Senior, 21, Stephanie Sica, said. “I will definitely spend time on the couches and the Starbucks café.”

“The building looks nice and creative. It changes the whole campus look when I pass by that area,” sophomore, Farah Laskar, added. “I heard there is good food there, so I might go eat there during my breaks. I also might think about doing my homework there, but only if I see that it's a quiet area.”

As one semester ends and another begins, one question remains. Just how long will the students appreciate this space?


D'Angelo Center from Olga Z on Vimeo.

Nook's Hidden Controversy

E-readers--they’re every avid readers dream and with the Christmas season right around the corner they are selling faster than candy canes. But despite skyrocketing sales, one e-reader is stirring up an immense level of controversy in the world of writers.

Say hello to the Nook. A slick, dual color, touch screen e-reader with 2GB of memory space and a Wi-Fi connection, which boasts itself for storing 1,500 E-books all for the price of $259. Offering more than a million titles from its E-book library, you would think the newest prized invention of Barnes and Noble, more popular than Amazon's Kindle, would be an enticing hit in the publishing industry. Yet most writers detest it.

Why, you ask? The answer is quite simple. Because of the new Barnes and Noble lend me technology. Thanks to this new technology, an owner of an e-reader can lend any book that they purchase to their friends for free. What’s more is that it does not necessarily have to be sent to another e-reader. It can be sent to any and from any iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC, or Mac, by simply using the Barnes and Noble e-reader software, which can be downloaded for free off their website.

This leaves authors financially hurt and unable to protect their work, much like musicians whose work is freely distributed over the internet through peer to peer connections. Needless to say, the Nook’s technology has writers outraged.

“If all you have to do is wait for your friend to send a copy of a book to your nook or to your i-Phone, why buy? And if no one is buying, then fewer and fewer writers will be able to make a living by writing,” Michelle Richmond, author of “No One You Know,” said on her blog.

Though there is talk of a new model where the lending would become available through a licensing program, publishers are not happy with this resolution and continue to push it back in a relentless tug of war. Barnes and Noble itself has refused to comment in regard to these accusations.

Yet readers say the lending feature should pose no threat, since it is severely limited. E-books can be lent only once to designated individuals and for a maximum of 14 days. Furthermore, there are only a few titles that are designed for this feature. But what has left readers really astonished is the fact that when they lend the book, they themselves cannot read it; therefore, contradicting the era of technological advancement versus a library.

“I'm a little pissed off by this, especially since I was so excited about the Nook, but not entirely surprised. It's like when Microsoft introduced the Zune's sharing feature. They understood that people share physical media and want to share digital media, but still forced (probably at the record labels' behest, but whatever) a 3-play, 3-day restriction that was so strict nobody ever used the feature. And now Barnes and Noble is following in Microsoft's footsteps,” Gideon commented on a Gizmodo blog post.

Yet despite the array of controversies and problems, it looks like the Nook is here to stay, as it enters the sold-out holiday marketplace.

No Z's For College Students

Aliza Moorji, 21, napping on the Great Lawn at St. John's University

Sleep deprivation. We have all suffered from it at one time or another leaving us in a zombie like trance throughout our daily activities, despite the unparalleled amounts of caffeine ingested by our bodies. However, what happens when this occasional phenomenon becomes part of a daily regime?

The coffee cup in one hand and energy drink in the other trend has become a commonplace one among college students to stay awake in class. This phenomenon is no stranger to New York City’s St. John’s University. With little or no sleep and class lectures on average running from one to three hours, students constantly try new methods to stay conscious. Yet sometimes a can of Redbull doesn’t do the trick leaving students dozing off during class or missing them altogether.

According to St. John’s University Media Graphics Professor Durso, this is not something that surprises the staff of the university, but rather the number of such circumstances.

“Although this is not a “new” problem, there appears to be many more instances of it today than in the past.”

According to an article in the Daily Utah Chronicle, a recent poll taken by the National Sleep Foundation found that approximately 60 percent of college students lack in sleep. The study also showed that 39 percent of the adult population, including college students, gets less than 6-7 hours of sleep on a daily basis.

“I usually get about 7 hours of sleep during the school week but that's not enough. I wake up feeling tired and have to drag myself out of bed. I would like to get at least 8 hours but that only happens when my first class in the morning is cancelled,” St. John’s University student, 21, Aliza Moorji, said.

This leads to a massive amount of problems. From cascading grades and GPA’s to the inability to perform and handle stress or emotions, the side-effects are endless and can progress to serious health problems. According to sleepdeprivation.com, doctors warn that severe sleep deprivation can lead to depression, heart disease, irritability, and tremors. In addition, weight fluctuations can occur as well as faster skin aging, since the body does not receive enough time to rejuvenate itself.

So why do college students sleep so little?

While some students may resort to late night partying, others complain about the workload, implying that between classes, exams, assignments, and work they have too much to consume on their plates. Some even have an additional task of an internship.

“It's not so much of sleep deprivation but more of stress. During the last few weeks though, I do find it harder to fall asleep than usual because I toss and turn until I can actually fall asleep. But it's because of stress,” Moorji, said.

However, there are those students who resort to procrastination, and do their assignments at the very last minute resulting in all-nighters. Often times they are also distracted by the array of websites designed specifically for them keeping them from a good night’s sleep.

“Students think that staying up late to catch up on school work and social networks is a good idea. The reality is that they lose so much sleep that they fall further behind on everything and the vicious cycle starts again,” Durso said.

With so many students falling into this trap, the question remains, how can these problems be solved? University professors are eager to work together with students to make college life a little more bearable for them, but under one condition—student cooperation.

“I would be more than happy to work with any student, but I think the issue is time management and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as a student of life,” Durso said.

Weight Loss Shoe Fad

Weight loss sneakers: you have seen them before and perhaps even purchased a pair. Now with Reebok’s recent new EasyTone ad campaign these once popular sneakers are in high demand all over again. But just how healthy and safe are they?

Designed for battling cellulite, toning muscles, improving posture, and weight loss, through their heavily cushioned rocker sole, which forces the wearer to use muscles that would normally remain inactive, the sneakers have become a sensation across the nation. Cleverly advertised commercials aimed at women show a promising path to a healthy lifestyle and a model-like body. But before you run off with your credit card to the nearest shoe outlet store, consider the fact that these shoes may not be for everybody.

According to About.com, though doctors recommend daily 30 to 60 minute walks due to several health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and better heart functionality, they do not necessarily have in mind weight loss sneakers, but rather comfortable walking shoes. Shoes should not cause unnecessary strain and discomfort when walking, especially for the young and elderly whose bones are more fragile and prone to injury. Instead they should offer good heel and ankle support to prevent fractures and complications.

According to USA Today, weight loss sneakers may be supportive but can be the cause of severe muscle strain.

“The shoes limit normal motion in the foot. So you may be under-using some muscles and overusing others,” Marlene Reid, a podiatrist in Naperville, Ill., and spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, told USA Today.

In addition to extraneous tension in the muscles, which can cause great discomfort to some, there is also the problem of balance. Weight loss sneakers require those who wear them to have near perfect balance, which for the inexperienced may result in falling.

“Shoes do make a crucial difference in assisting exercise and preventing injury. But the best results come when shoes and orthotic inserts built for your foot are evaluated by an expert,” Dr. Bruce Hensel of NBC4 told NBC.

According to USA Today, originally weight loss sneakers were manufactured as therapeutic footwear for those suffering from arthritis and other medical problems involving one’s feet.

However doctors and fitness trainers alike are not barring these not-so-new shoes, but reminding that everything should be done in moderation.

“Look, all these things have a placebo effect,” Dakota Mitchell, a personal trainer in Woodland Hills, California told NBC. “You pay a hundred bucks for a pair of trendy rocking shoes and you are probably going to be walking more than you would normally. You see results, but it's from exercising more, not from the shoes. Anything that gets you out there doing it, is good.”



Image courtesy of http://www.extreme-evolution.net

A Day In Embden, Maine

Public WiFi: A Hacker's Paradise

Sitting in your local Starbucks with a tall Mocha Frapuccino in hand, you turn on your laptop and seize the opportunity to hook up to a public free WiFi provider. They’re everywhere. Airports, cafes, hotels, and even gas stations have them. But just how safe are they?

The answer: not very. According to several reports, including those of the NY Times, public WiFi’s are a magnet for security hazards. Hackers particularly have thrown their anchors into the deep abyss of the oceanic hot spots of public wireless internet providers. Though a number of people are aware of the dangers lurking at public internet access points, most narrow it down to the mere refusal of making credit card transactions or typing in personal information.

Yet the precautions should go deeper than that.

According to a Yahoo Tech article, anything that requires an online login like Facebook or other social networking sites, as well as personal e-mail accounts are subject to exploitation by hackers. The threats intensify if you are using a public computer, since cookies are stored making the sites and logins you just used easily accessible to anyone who sits at the computer after you.

The problem lies in insufficient public internet security.

“The problem is, the really good people have written sniffer programs so that the less-sophisticated people have access to the same technology,” Michael Sellitto, a Harvard graduate student studying international security, told the NY Times. “Say a Microsoft Word document gets transmitted. The sniffer program will collect that and someone could open it up on their computer.”

Yet even your own wireless connection at home can leave one in the path of danger if not protected by a unique password.

So how can you protect yourself from becoming a victim and having your information stolen in a matter of seconds? According to the NY Times, there are several things you can do.

Create a password to safeguard your own wireless connection at home. Also make sure you have a new or updated version of an anti-virus program to further prevent hackers from invading your privacy.

Installing a specialized program, like RoboForm, meant to encrypt all personal data such as passwords is a safe and easy way to protect your data from being stolen in public places. Such programs can also be stored on USB ports creating a secondary protective barrier.

However, the safest way to protect your hardware is to simply limit your use online to websites that do not require personal data when using public WiFi.

"Connect only to the networks that you trust. Make sure that your communication is secure, disconnect the wireless when you stop using it, and maintain the list of wireless connections that you use on your laptop so that you don't accidentally connect to networks that may spring up when you're traveling,” Kiran Deshpande, president of AirTight Networks, told CNN.

More Than Just Halloween Horror

Sitting back comfortably in the darkness of a crowded movie theatre, we flinch instinctively at the gory sight of a man having his leg ruthlessly cut off during the newest horror movie. Slightly nauseated we turn our heads around only to find to our horror a trembling 6-year-old sitting a few seats away in the company of their guardian. Many of us, if not all, have been subjected to this type of scenario at one time or another giving rise to the question: does the fault in letting underage kids see Rated-R movies lie within the movie theatres or in parental judgment?

According to FirstShowing.net, all movies possess a comprehensive rating released by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which identifies appropriate viewer age.

Currently, the MPAA defines Rated-R movies as thematically adult oriented suggesting that children under the age of 17 not be allowed to view such motion pictures without a guardian. However, their advice does not end there, but rather continues in clear-cut detail:

An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.

Yet, parents rarely pay attention to the listed ratings, and instead instill their own set of guidelines exposing their children to potentially harmful psychological effects.

According to a 2006 study done by the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center, horror movies may cause permanent emotional problems in young children.

“Watching 'Friday the 13th' with your child is probably not a good idea. Children under the age of 5 may be too young to actually watch and understand violent movies; however, they are psychologically affected by the scenes they are exposed to,” Dr. Daniel S. Schechter, the study's principal investigator in an interview with Science Daily said.

With a high possibility of inflicting post-traumatic stress disorder upon young viewers, which can follow them into adulthood, parents are strongly advised to rethink their choices.

“It is important not only to follow the ratings guidelines, but to see the movie yourself before you see it with your child and consider how they will likely experience it at their age. Even some movies marketed to children can be inappropriate. When in doubt, parents should consult with other parents or a professional,” Schechter continued.

As Halloween approaches, parents should think twice before making the choice between Paranormal Activity and A Nightmare Before Christmas, selecting movies appropriate to their child’s age and emotional state.

Top image courtesy of Firstshowing.net