Final Project: Man on The Street - Boston Bombing

Final "Man On The Street" Piece

Final Project: Boston Bombing Newspaper Article

Boston Bombings Newspaper Write Up

            At 2:49 pm on April 15^th, 2013 during the annual Boston Marathon, two bombs were detonated and shocked not only the city of Boston, but also the entire United States of America.

 The blasts from these two bombs killed three people and injured 264. Amongst the 264 injured people, 17 of them were in critical condition, and at least 10 of them had limbs amputated as a result of the blast, according to CNN.

“ Shock. Sadness. Horror. Terrorism.” Those are the first thoughts that Americans had when they heard the news of the Boston Marathon bombing, according to a new “YouGov” poll conducted by the Huffington post. People’s initial reaction to the Boston marathon bombings showcased how taken back people were by news of this tragedy.

            Boston law officials also seemed to be shocked and taken back by this atrocious occurrence. In the earliest stages of the post-bombing aftermath, CBS reported that a man that had been “acting suspiciously” running from the scene had been tackled by civilians, and turned over to the Boston police. This man, however, was said to have been very cooperative and clearly in no way involved with the bombings.

            It wasn’t until late Thursday night, April 18^th, that police actually had a real lead on who could have been responsible for the horrific Boston Marathon bombings. The Huffington post reported that at about 10:20 pm, according to the Huffington Post, while responding to a disturbance on campus, MIT police officer Sean Collier was shot down and killed by two suspects. Not long after reports of the shooting, there were reports of an armed carjacking, again by 2 male suspects.

            In a search for those two suspects, Boston police found themselves in Watertown, where they spotted the stolen vehicle. Not too long after finding the vehicle, were the police officers on the scene engaged in a gunfight with the two male suspects, identified to be the Tsarneaev Brothers. In this hail of gunfire, one of the alleged suspects, 26-year-old Tomerlan Tsarnaev, was shot and killed while his younger brother, 19-year-old Dhaka Tsarnaev, fled the scene and escaped from police.

            Following the events that took place on the night of April 18^th into the morning of April 19^th, Boston police began a “manhunt” for the suspect, Dochart, who escaped after the shootout. During this manhunt, the Huffington Post reports that Boston enforced a complete lockdown of the city, meaning that the entire public transportation network, outside selected taxi services, was suspended. Amtrak service to and from Boston was suspended as well. Watertown, the town where the shootout occurred, had strict temporary regulations placed on them as well. Police cordoned off a 20-block radius of the town, as they went door to door inquiring about the at large suspect.

            The manhunt and lockdown came to an end later that evening, when Dhaka Tsarnaev was found hiding in a small boat in the backyard of a Watertown residence and immediately taken into custody by Boston police.

Dhaka Tsarnaev is currently in custody and under intense US government questioning.

Final Project: Boston Bombings Blog post

The events that took place on April 15^th, 2013 were horrific to say the least. Seeing that an event as uplifting and cherished as the Boston marathon be defiled by bombings, death, and tragedy is truly sickening. It is always surreal to see horror like that anywhere in the world, but it hits especially hard when this type of incident happens on the home front.

            I did not believe the reports of the bombing when I first witnessed it on my twitter timeline. I did not want to believe it. I was hoping it was just another sick twisted joke that people like to play on social networks, but unfortunately it wasn’t.

            Seeing all the pray for Boston tweets coupled with the pictures that were being put up from the massacre was absolutely heart wrenching, and my prayers and condolences go out to any one who was affected by this tragic act of terrorism.

Though I was only in the fourth grade, and really too young to grasp the magnitude of what was actually going on, I found that there was one similarity in my reaction to the Boston marathon bombings, and the September 11^th plane crashes. The common thread was confusion. On September 11^th, 2001 I was genuinely confused as to what was going on and what it all meant, while on April 15^th, 2013 I was genuinely confused on how this could happen, and who could be responsible for such a heartless, live changing, life claiming act of hatred.

            To say the events that took place at the Boston marathon were horrific would be an understatement. Once again, my prayers and deepest condolences go out to those affected. If there is one positive, hopefully it is that through this tragedy, we can unite as a nation, pull through, and push forward like we have time and time again in the past.

Double Standards (Yes they exist)

           

I have heard many females, on twitter and in real life, voice their disdain for the presence of double standards in today’s society.  Women often declare that the double standard is unfair to the modern woman, and fosters sexist sediment. The greatest example of why women have such an issue with prevalent double standards is the “Promiscuity Standard” which is the famous double standard that states that men who have a lot of sexual partners are viewed as “The Man” while women who have a lot of sexual partners are viewed in a very negative light.

As unfair as some of these double standards appear to be, I believe that they are only frowned upon because of the negative way many of us interpret them. Personally, I believe that a lot of these double standards stem from good-natured ideas, and are pure in intention.

PROMISCUITY STANDARD

The fore mentioned promiscuity standard, for example, on the surface seems to be designed to be desirable for men, and deplorable for women. It looks as if we are just being unfair to women, and denying them the opportunity to do what they want without societal judgment. If looked at in a more positive light, however, can be viewed as women being held to a higher standard, rather than a double standard. Instead of us thinking that this double standard is defying women, it should be seen as us glorifying women. In my opinion, the promiscuity standard stems from society expecting the most of women, and not wanting them to stoop beneath the pedestal that we have put them on.

EMOTION STANDARD

There are also double standards that are detrimental to men in society. One of the most prevalent ones being what I call the “Emotion Standard.” The emotion standard refers to the double standard that allows women to be open with their feelings and publically emotional with acceptance. A woman is allowed to be as influenced by her emotions as she can, whereas a man who is openly emotional is viewed as “soft” or feminine in a derogatory sense. 

I believe that this standard, just like the promiscuity standard relative to women, stems from a men being held to a higher standard, as opposed to a double standard. Society needs strong male figures to lead society in all aspects. Whether it is on the home front or the frontlines, society looks towards strong males to be dependable and accountable. Society expects and demands that males be strong and stolid for the betterment of the society.  This standard is not necessarily ridiculing males who show emotion as much as it is glorifying the strength of men who do not show it.

SIMBA SAYS:

At the end of the day, your people are going to judge your actions and beliefs no matter what you do or what standards you agree or disagree with. Double standards are the product of societal expectations & public interpretation so you can take from them whatever you choose to. If you are confident in your actions and firm in your beliefs, the negative connotations from double standards will not faze you in the slightest.

Best Friends & Girlfriends

            I’d like to take this time out to discuss two of the most important things in the life of a young college mans life, best friends and girlfriends. Whether it be your girlfriends’ friends or your friends’ girlfriends, the balance of, as well as the correct approach to these two as they relate to each other is vital to a healthy college lifestyle.

GIRLFRIENDS BEST FRIENDS

            As a man in a relationship, it you have willingly accepted your responsibility to make your woman happy and deal with all of her emotions, mood swings, and overall irrationality. You have also willingly accepted your responsibility to deal with the emotions, mood swings, and irrationality of her best friends, whether you want to or not.

            Your girlfriends best friends opinion of you is crucial to the success of your relationship. Don’t believe me? Think about whom she spends her down time with when she is not with you. Think about whom she goes to for advice when you two have issues. Think about whom she is posting instagram pictures with when it’s not cuddling with you. Exactly! Earning approval from your girlfriends’ best friend is equally as important to earning her fathers approval. A positive relationship with her best friend results in positive reinforcement from her most trusted confidant. A negative relationship with her, however, results in a troublesome pain in the ass.

BEST FRIENDS GIRLFRIEND

This is NOT a good idea.

            Your relationship with your best friends girlfriend is a very interesting, yet important dynamic. I have found that when dealing with the significant other of your best friend, that the best course of action is not to get too close. Get to know the basics of your best friends girlfriend, but not the specifics. It is important for this to be a very healthy relationship so that she feels comfortable around and accepted by his friends, because that will make her happy, and make your friends life much, much easier. It is just as important, however, to not get too close to your friends girlfriend to the point that you consider her “your friend” before you remember that she is “your friends girlfriend” first and foremost.

YOUR BEST FRIEND & YOUR GIRLFRIEND

            As I said in the beginning, these are two of the most important people in your college life, and their happiness is vital to your emotional wellbeing. When dealing with your best friend, and your girlfriend, the most important thing is balance. You have to effectively allot your time between the two of them efficiently. You do not want your best friend to think that your girlfriend changed you, and you don’t want your girl friend to think that you spend too much time with “the guys” and not enough time with her. Time management is key.

            If you find that perfect balance, as well as make sure that your best friend and your girlfriend are maintaining a cop esthetic relationship at the least, I promise you will find your college life a lot healthier, less stressful, and more fulfilling.

SIMBA SAYS:

            Timon and Pumba were two of the most important people in my life. They were there for me through thick & thin through my formative years, and for that, I am forever grateful. When Nala came back into my life, I was fearful that I would have to make a choice between my best friends, and my girlfriend, but thankfully I didn’t have to. We all came together beautifully, and it created one of the greatest bonds I have experienced in my lifetime. I highly recommend making sure that you maintain these relationships with care.

Strip Season?

             I’d like to take a break from my normal life advice posts and address something out of the ordinary that I saw this past week on the campus of St. Johns. I was handed an issue of the Torch, the university newspaper, which was weird enough because nobody reads the Torch. At any rate, I was instructed to read an article titled “Time for University to Fix The Strip” by Shannon Luibrand, which you guys should check out for yourselves before you read this blog post.

            Let me start off by saying that I completely respect the fact that Luibrand fearlessly expressed her opinion and was not restrained in her description of what she felt was a problem with this university. Just because I respect her opinion, however, does not mean that I agree with it. I have several problems with the negative sediment she expressed about “The Strip.”

            First of all, I would like to say that, like Luibrand, I am also a junior here at St. Johns, and I can honestly say, and previous articles in the torch archives would support, that there is absolutely no change in recent years to the type of activities that take place on The Strip.  The Strip during the early fall semesters and late spring semesters has always been the grounds for students, predominately but not limited to students of African American & Latino decent to congregate, listen to music, and loiter. The Strip is home to every cookout/barbeque hosted by an African-American or Latino student organization that takes place at St. Johns university, and this is why I have such a problem with Shannon Luibrand's article on the university having to “Fix ‘The Strip’.”

I understand that everybody is entitled to an opinion, but Luibrand's article seemed to be one sided and derogatory. To me it felt like more of a statement of disgust with the prevailing urban culture that is present on The Strip. More so than any place on campus, the strip is the place where there is a true sense of community. All students, even those who have never met before, can come together and enjoy the warm weather together while enjoying music and dancing in a carefree communal environment.

            Queens is amongst the most diverse places in the entire country, and St. Johns is right in the heart of it all. This is why I am so shocked and baffled by Luibrand's article. To have a preference in atmosphere and environments you choose to be in is completely normal and understandable. To single out a specific community that you personally disagree with and shed light on their culture in such a negative manner, however, is very disturbing. We understand that you are not part of the people who choose to spend their time indulging in activities the Strip during cookout season, but that is no reason to bash the people who do.

            Nobody has written any articles slandering the “Hispter-ish” activities that take place on the Great Lawn, or the intense trading card games that take place in the D’angelo Center. Instead of spending time constructing derogatory articles on cultures you do not understand, I suggest picking your papers up, moving your studies to the library and maybe trying to be a little more tolerant. This is the twenty first century, after all.

30 Second "Fashion Roulette" TV Commercial

Radio Commercial

Above is a 30 second radio advertisement for "Fashion Roulette", St. Johns annual fashion show.

That's Not Love

            Built up dependency is really why relationships become so unhealthy. Through out a relationship, little by little you are unconsciously building up a mountain of dependence on your significant other. Humans are creatures of habit.  That being said, More often than not, in relationships these days, dealing with other your significant other has become more of a habit than something you love to do. As time goes by you are becoming accustomed and dependent on always having the other person there, more than you are actually falling in love with the person. The dependency has become so intense that rather than cutting this person who is no good for you off, you stay put because your dependency has built up so high that at this point, being without the person, though they're causing you pain, is not a viable option. Like smoking, even though you know this relationship is no good for you, you have built up a dependency on it, and through your dependency you have become addicted to it.

And when things end?

              You feel so empty when it's over. You are so used to that person’s presence in your life, that when it abruptly ends, a gaping hole that is usually filled with dealing with him/her is left empty. This is when the overwhelming, unfamiliar feeling of loneliness inevitably sets in and fills that void. And the severity of this unfamiliarity leads to disparity and one big moment of false clarity. That moment when you say:

"I love him/her, and I need him/her back."

But that's the problem.

That's not love.

              You've just become overly dependent. You've been with each other so long, talking everyday for ridiculous stretches of time, that when the relationship ends, you genuinely forgot how to be by yourself, so u foolishly run back into the relationship has driven you to the low you have found yourself in, and that's not love.

             You have to really take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You have to know the difference of being in love, and being dependent. You have to know the difference between missing someone's missing someone's presence, and missing someone’s vibe. A craving for presence can be physically satisfied by anyone, but a vibe is something that can't be duplicated. It's a genuine feeling you get when you’re chilling with, or even when you just see your significant other. Real love goes beyond any physical fixation that you've built up in a relationship. It goes past any touch you've gotten used to and any scent of perfume or cologne that you've come to love. Don't be fooled by the dependencies you've built up in your relationship.

           Remember that at this point in life, you've never put in too much time with a person to stop you from being able to walk away, learn from the experience, and start a new somewhere else. Realize that you've been happy before this person, and you will undoubtedly be happy after them. Like smoking, bad relationships can be a deadly addiction. But no habit, no matter how it's built up in your mental, is ever too intense to break with real motivation and self-actualization.

SIMBA SAYS:

            Love does not find everyone as easily as it found Nala and I. Yes, we did have some issues, but she always pushed to make me a better lion. Make sure your partner does the same for you. If they are making you no better, than they are no good. If you take nothing from this post take this:

Fear of being lonely is never an excuse to settle.

Don’t sell yourself short.
Realize your potential.
Seek progression.
Embrace unfamiliarity.
Fear only mediocrity.

First Date Guide

First Date Guide

            There is no denying that first dates can be scary. For men, as well as women, first dates, represent a new chance to get to know someone and there may even be a chance that the date can turn into a meaningful relationship. Even though there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to a first date, there is also a lot to be nervous about. I am here to remind you to relax and give you a few tips on how to ensure that you have a successful first date.

BE CREATIVE

            Many people’s idea of a first date often falls under the traditional “Dinner & a movie” standard and don’t get me wrong, a dinner & a date is definitely a viable first date option, but as far as first dates go, there is a lot more room for creativity. We live in New York City people, first date possibilities are endless! First date options range from Shakespeare in the park during the summertime to ice skating at the Rockefeller ice skating rink in the winter and far beyond.  Show this person of interest that you stand out from any other dates that they’ve ever been on, and give them something more than the traditional “dinner and a movie” that they have come to expect. Be different. Be creative!

BE APPROPRIATE

            Though you want to be creative on the first date, you have to remember to stay within reasonable boundaries. Though it shouldn’t be as serious in nature or uncomfortable, a first date is much like an interview. You want to learn the basics about this person, and get a general grasp on what kind of person they are. While doing this, however, it is imperative that you do not ask inappropriate questions such as how many sexual partners they have had, or about their religious or political affiliations. Though these all may be important issues to you, there is a time and place to bring them up, and a first date is definitely not the situation to do so. There is a fine line between getting to know someone, and digging too deep on the first encounter. Try and steer clear of those types of overly intrusive questions to make a second date more likely.

SIMBA SAYS: BE CONFIDENT. BE YOURSELF.

            Now, being as how I never really had to hit the dating scene since Nala and I were destined to be together since birth, I don’t really have much to offer as far as first dates are concerned. I do, however, know something about dealing with a person of interest. If you take nothing else from this post, take this. Do not be intimidated or let your nerves take over while interacting with him/her. Remember that there is no pressure, and that you have nothing to lose. Do not be pressed to impress this person and act too far out of your own character. Keep calm, and be confident in your personality. Be as interesting and as charming as you know how to be, and everything else will be fine. And if things do not work out as well as you planned, do not be discouraged. The circle of life continues!

Social Network Etiquette

-->

In today’s day in age, as much as it pains me to say, people may interact more behind computer screens and through cell phone connection way more than they do face to face. According to statisticbrain.com, there are 1.2 billion Facebook users and 98 percent of people ages 18-24 are using social media, so it is safe to say that a majority of us are active on some type of social network. In a world where people are meeting, establishing, and maintaining relationships over social networks, it is important for all of us who are a part of this social media culture to know proper social network etiquette. If you are unaware of what proper etiquette is, then you are in luck. Today, I will be breaking down the proper way a man should act on the big three social networks; Facebook, Instagram, and twitter.

FACEBOOK

Facebook at this point in life for people under the age of 24, has become all but irrelevant for us but in the interest that you do still have a Facebook, etiquette for this particular network is very simple. “Less is more.” Facebook has become a lot more for older people reconnecting with old friends and for parents to keep tabs on their offspring’s life, so the correct way to navigate Facebook, is by using it as little as possible. Do not post statuses or pictures about how you party all the time unless you wish to receive a very angry text message from your mother about what you are doing while she is paying tuition. Remember that your user name on Facebook is often your government name, so be mindful of what you post because not only can your parents find what you post, but potential employers can as well. Having inappropriate explicit things on Facebook can only harm you, so once again, be mindful and use discretion. Oh, and do not “Poke” someone. That is creepy.

Twitter

Twitter is a lot more informal yet personal in nature compared to Facebook. Twitter is a beautiful way to express your opinion on things that are happening at the moment and allows you to express how you feel in a short period of time. The most dangerous thing about twitter is that it is easy to read something you disagree with, lose your cool, and let off a rant in which you seem emotional and vulnerable.  The key to proper twitter etiquette boils down to “Keeping your cool.” Do not allow anything you see on twitter to affect you so much to the point where you react negatively and emotionally. Chris Brown would be a perfect example of exactly how not to behave on twitter. Remain calm and keep composed at all times, and you will find twitter very entertaining, and useful. Also, don’t follow more people than are following you. It doesn’t look cool.

Instagram

            Instagram is easy. It’s simply posting pictures and “liking” pictures that other people post. The only thing that you really need to know about navigating instagram as a man, is not to post too many “selfies”, which are defined as pictures that one takes of oneself. If more than 20 percent ones total amount of instagram pictures are selfies, then some serious maintenance must be done. Leave the selfies to the women, and stick to posting pictures of your family, your pets, and your favorite sports team. Also, duck faces are completely unacceptable. Stop that.

Follow these rules gentlemen, and I assure you, you'll be fine. 

Interview With Stephanie Duckham

Here is the exclusive Simba Says interview with 22 year old Stephanie Duckham, the creator of the "Eating Out With Steph" blog. If you don't have time to play the entire interview, here are a few questions and answers from the interview:

Q: How did you get to St. Johns & why did you choose it?

Stephanie: Well, I am a transfer student, I was actually at Suffolk County Community College out in Long Island, and I just needed to get out. I needed to get out of my hometown, I needed to go away, but similar to what you were telling me before, I wanted to stay close enough to home where if I do move out, I still can go home. Also, the first time I came to visit the campus, I fell in love with it because it is so close to the city. It has that great appeal to it that you can go hop on the train whenever you want and go right into Manhattan. The fact that St. Johns has a quad, it has a green, it has all the aspects of a real university and its still in the heart of the New York City Manhattan area, so that is why I liked it the best, I think.

Q: How does your college experience at St. Johns so far compare to your experience at Suffolk Community College?

Stephanie: Well, Suffolk was a community college, so that pretty much says it all right there. There, you have the professors that don't really care about you. I've noticed coming here to  St. Johns, they email you regularly and keep you up to date on whats going on on campus and off campus. They will give you questionaires and stuff. I mean, this is only my second semester now, but I noticed that the professors like to interact with you a lot more and I actually feel like they care about their students. That was the main thing from my first semester that I really did notice.

Q: What do you hope to do with the degree that you get from St. Johns?

Stephanie: I hope to go right into Manhattan, and work for ESPN hopefully. That is my main focus right now. It's kind of like a pipe dream, but I can't wait to get internships, that is what I am really focusing on right now. I really want to get my foot in the door and really get some experience under my belt.

Man On The Street: Bloombergs Ban

Enjoy!

Photo Essay

Action Shot: Freshman Anton Swain dunking during a pickup game in Taffner Field House.

Group Photo: Winning team of a pickup basketball game in Taffner Field House

Long Distance Shot: Taffner Field House

Close Up: Taffner Field House

Self Portrait in front of Taffner Field House.

Welcome

-->

Ladies and Gentlemen: Welcome to “Simba Says.”

My name is J.C. Mendoza, and I am a 20-year old college student attending St. Johns University where I hope to get my degree in Advertising as well as business. Aside from a superior affinity for sarcasm, I am not much different from the rest of you guys which is actually a good thing since it makes me the perfect person to act as a representative of this “Generation Y” we all as undergraduate college students are grouped in.

I understand this very awkward yet stressful time period in our lives may be physically, mentally, and emotionally straining. When things get hard you could ask your parents for advice since they been through it, but lets face it, In the words of the all wise Fresh Prince, “Parents Just Don't Understand.”

Times have changed since the ancient days that our parents were our age, and though they may provide good insight, they’re advice may be slightly out dated, and that’s why we are here.

Simba, the King of the Pride Lands himself, are here to break it down for you and give you a daily dose of reality. From significant others, to friends, to classes, to parties, to midterms, allow “Simba Says” to help you through your semester, and provide you with the life advice you need to power through this stage in life.

Every week I will be breaking down something different yet relevant to most college students, and my colleague Simba will put his two cents in to sum it up and bring it home. So sit back, relax, & allow “Simba Says” to hold your hand as we move forward this semester.

Simba Says:

Ladies and gentlemen: I've been through the Circle Of Life, I have been to the elephant graveyard, I have been banished from my own Kingdom by my own flesh & blood. I have dealt with having to meet the expectations of my father, and filling in the shoes of the greatest King the Pride Lands have seen. I have found true love and true friendship in my lifetime. I have faced my greatest fears, and heroically triumphed. I have ruled the most beautiful Pride Lands in all of the world, and the sound track to my movie went Platinum ten times.

Now all I want to do is use my experiences in life to help you through you're every day issues. If you take a little time out every week and listen to what Simba Says, I promise to never steer you wrong.

Until next time...