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.