Brooklyn House Catches Fire; No Casualties Reported

By Pablo Kay

A Brooklyn neighborhood spared no time in reacting to a sudden fire that broke out in a three-story apartment building on Tuesday as firefighters rushed in from different parts of the borough to assist. Prospect Heights residents were alarmed to see several fire engines rush down smoke-covered Washington Avenue in what turned out to be an incident free of any fatalities.

            “A fire broke out in a bedroom on the second floor of the building but did extend elsewhere,” reported 11^th Division Deputy Fire Chief Clifford. “We don’t know the cause of the fire yet.” The occupants of the apartment, located near the corner of Underhill and Bergen St,. were home at the time but self-evacuated, according to the chief.

            Although the fire appeared to have inflicted little structural damage, firefighters took no chances, arriving promptly and in force. Almost a dozen fire department vehicles bearing nicknames such as “The Bedford Express” and “In the Eye of the Storm” rushed onto the scene within minutes of the fire breaking out. Fire truck Ladder 105 quickly raised one of its men onto the top of building to knock out the windows and check for any possible remaining inhabitants while its counterpart Engine 219 assisted by putting out the fire with its hose.

            As the firefighters made quick work of the small fire, residents young and old alike came together to look on. As the trucks converged on the scene, one woman remarked “These guys mean business…it looks like a fireman’s reunion out here.” Even children from the neighboring Bergen elementary school could be seen with their parents staring at the scene with a mix of fear and admiration for the firefighters. High school science teacher Denise Dixon said she and a friend were about to enter her house across the street when she noticed smoke coming from the second floor.

            “You could tell there was some kind of fire, but all of a sudden we saw smoke billowing out the window,” said Dixon. Before she had time to panic, Dixon said firefighters were already beginning to arrive on the scene.

            The first trucks to arrive, the aforementioned 105 and 219, belong to Brooklyn’s Dean St. firehouse, which lost seven men in the September 11^th attacks. The firemen, however, appeared reluctant to give details about the blaze, much less even give their names. One fireman, who did not want to give out any personal information but whose jacket revealed the last name Stahl, brushed aside questions about the incident, simply saying “everyone’s fine, nothin’ to worry about.”

New Cut, New Woman

By: Lynette Perez

October 30, 2010 marked the date of a new, friendly ambiance at Shortstop Diner on 242 and Broadway. The 24 hour diner, moreover, the hub of campus has been run by waitress, Tina Lee for over twenty years. Her mundane night job as a waitress/babysitter had her cranky and upset, but a much needed physical change has turned her attitude around.

That night, Shortstop was buzzing-- busier than anyone has ever seen it before. Sophomore Caroline Mann thinks it was due to Tina’s new haircut.

“Her hair was always so severe. it was pulled back, she was uptight and rocking an olga bun. But she cut it all off-- no longer are the days of an uptight atmosphere at shortstop,” said sophomore, Adrienne Hughes about Tina’s new do.

Her hair, originally slicked back into a tight bun atop her head now falls lightly around her face, not nearing her shoulders.

When asking the 5’6” brown eyed belle why she decided to cut all of her hair off, she had me follow her into her office (the doorway of Shortstop), and between puffs of a Marlboro Light 100, Tina said “I needed a change... I had enough of getting headaches.”

Once the tobacco was smoked to the filter, Tina had enough of a break and got back to work. Her gold chains and heart shaped earrings shone in the light and accentuated the rose tattoo on her left breast.

Seated next to me were sophomores and regular Shortstop diners, Anthony Liota and PJ Tranchese. Liota remarked “she seems younger and happier,” while Tranchese said “it’s very nice... very flattering.” 

It seems as though the young freshmen seated in the front of the room had a different opinion, though. When asked about Tina’s new cut and disposition, Maria Toscano said “who’s Tina?” after explaining to the rookie diner, she remarked “oh, she wasn’t too happy [when she took our order].” When asking her if she had noticed the new do, the freshman said “oh, yeah, it looks good.”

After making a fresh pot of coffee with her shoulders back and her head held high, Tina turned back around for another cigarette break.

Regarding the students’ reaction to her haircut, Tina said “They all love it... I think they’re more shocked than anything.” More importantly, though, when asked if she felt like a new woman, Tina remarked “No, I’m still Tina the bitch.”

According to Dr. Zella Moore, assistant professor of psychology at Manhattan College, “getting a haircut can definitely change an emotional state... If it comes out good, you’re going to feel confident, secure and on top of your game. A change in appearance can change your confidence and can impact your life in many different domains.”

This statement seems to ring true for Shortstop’s star employee.

Although Tina’s attempt at keeping a rough exterior is a good one, her pose with one hand on her hip and the other behind her head saying ‘superstar’ while I took her picture had me thinking she’s not still “Tina the bitch.”

“If you don’t get and A+ on it, i’m kickin’ your ass... And you can put that in ‘quote un quote.’"

Crouching Ninja, Hidden Stranger

On Friday, October 29, the hallways of the Horan dormitory building at Manhattan College were abuzz with goblins, naughty nurses, and movie characters, among a slew of other costumed co-eds, all getting ready to celebrate the All Hallows Eve early. Not all of these individuals meandering the halls were students, though.

It was around 10:30pm when what appeared to be a young man was first spotted creeping down the corridors in a ninja-type costume, his face hidden behind black mesh and a plastic samurai sword strapped to his back.

Students began getting nervous, though, when the ninja began to follow various individuals, both male and female.

“I was walking down the hall to my friends room,” recalls a female student who wishes to remain nameless.  “He just watched as I waited for my friend to answer her door…I got nervous, I didn’t know what he was going to do or who he was.”

Adds student Rich Baxter who was also followed, “I yelled at him. I said ‘are you seriously following me right now?’ and took his picture. He crossed the line of being really funny to being really creepy”

What appeared to be a harmless prank wound up being a more serious offense, as students awoke the next morning to see flyers featuring the masked man adorning the halls. “Have you seen this kid?” The sign read. “If so report him immediately to main office. He has somehow snuck on to campus and is NOT a resident here. Call this number if you have any tips on finding him.”

The phone number was ripped off of the flyer.

Security shed little light on the matter, and failed to reveal exactly who was on duty when the non-resident snuck onto campus. One guard who heard about the incident claims “there were so many kids running around in costume that night, they probably snuck on through the bridge or with a group of other kids at the front desk.” He added that it wouldn’t be that hard to sneak onto campus, especially if whichever guard is on duty isn’t checking ID’s. “You didn’t hear that me, though,” he added, protecting his identity.

Within a few hours of the flyers being posted around Horan, they had been removed, yet the mysterious intruder’s identity has yet to be revealed.

Additionally, Residence Life refused to address the incident, saying they “were not aware” of anything that happened. This is only one of a number of recent breaches in Manhattan College security. It appears that Manhattan College has decided to simply sweep this one under the rug.

-Samantha Fox

Jasper Hall Goes Mad on Halloween? - Danielle Valente

It came as no surprise when Jasper Hall residents added a frat boy touch to their Halloween festivities.

A group of boys on the second floor main hallway (“J2”) could have been mistaken for a pep rally last Friday night. What began as a hushed conversation took a turn around 12:00 am Saturday morning with loud chatting and even louder music.

 RA Valbona, who resides on the floor above, oftentimes hears music and guitar playing from below. When asked if the noise distracts her, her eye brows arched as if this was a familiar issue and said, “Yeah, it definitely does.”

The iPod was well charged as the boys’ playlist echoed throughout the dormitory into the early morning. Although fellow neighbors on the second were not disturbed by the music, the girls residing on the floor above were not exactly pleased with the punk rock resonating into their bedrooms.

“I try to ignore,” Valbona further said. Although she was not in Jasper Hall Friday night, she has made several trips downstairs asking them to lower the music in the past.  

Roughly around 1:30-2:00 am, the boys decided to take a trip down memory lane while playing wanna-be heavy metal bands such as Chevelle, although the band’s HeadBanger’s Ball days have been over since 2003. That was the breaking point for a third floor resident who was wrapped up in her watermelon colored sheets, becoming more and more disgruntled with every chord she heard.

Roughly around 3:00 am, RA Dolores intervened with findings that were unexpected.

“They were just listening to music and watching TV, which is kind of counterproductive,” RA Dolores said jokingly. The loud party only consisted of five boys in a disheveled room surrounding the TV, chatting (loudly) and enjoying each other’s company. What appeared to be a wild rave was simply a misunderstanding.

“They were polite,” Dolores said, “They said they’d turn in it off. I think they didn’t realize how loud they were being.”

The biggest surprise of all?

“They weren’t drinking,” Dolores said.

Although several trips were made to “J2,” the boys were unavailable to comment.

Even though Jasper residents appeared to be partying harder than they actually were, one student, whose name could not be revealed, partied her way into the hospital because of alcohol consumption, according to Dolores.

“This weekend was a little crazy,” she said, relieved that it was coming to an end. “There was a lot of partying.” She seemed unfazed by the demanding responsibilities RA face on weekends such as these. She simply sat in the library, wrapped up in her oversized sweater surrounded by textbooks.

Dolores explained that the student entered East Hill Saturday night intoxicated and unable to compose herself. She had not eaten that day, but drank far more than her body could handle. Since she was under the legal drinking age, the RAs needed to take action.

“If you’re under 21 and intoxicated you have to go to the hospital,” Dolores said, “It’s just a liability thing.”

Due to the resident’s privacy, further information on the emergency could not be revealed.

While loud music and an even louder TV can seem inconvenient and even problematic, the mix of the two certainly cannot compare to this East Hill resident’s Halloween weekend. Chevelle is not so bad after all.

Trick or Treat?

Kayla Mancuso

An adrenaline rush is believed to be the cause of many heroic acts. Even acts of survival. During Halloween weekend, this was the case for two female Manhattan College students. Their adrenaline rush saved them from a kind of terror that is not welcome, not even on Halloween.  

On October 29, two Manhattan College Students (who have requested to remain nameless) were on their way home from a pre-Halloween Party. Dressed in baby costumes, the roommates were walking along Broadway around three o’clock in the morning.

Approximately five blocks away from the Horan dorm, the blonde and the brunette student noticed a tall man wearing a grey New York Giants t-shirt was walking towards them. Everything seemed normal, just another person walking alone Broadway. 

As most Manhattan College students do, the two girls stopped in the Diner Short Stop before heading back to the dorms. It was just another Friday night in Short Stop having conversations with friends about the night’s events.  

After about 15 minutes, the two girls decided it was time to head back. As they were walking back, the brunette was overcome with a freaky suspicion that someone was following her. “Have you ever just had this feeling like someone was watching you?” she explained. As she turned her head, she saw the reappearance of the New York Giants fan that they had seen earlier.

“I got a weird feeling in my stomach so I told my friend to walk a little faster. I looked back and saw him running towards us,” the brunette explained.

She began to make a run for it and thankfully her roommate followed no questions asked. “I have never experienced an adrenalin rush like that before in my life,” she clarified.

As they crossed the cobble stone path towards Horan Hall, they began to walk faster and faster. Once they picked up their pace, so did the Caucasian male with dirty blonde hair, which the girls described as a man in his late 20’s early 30’s.

With Horan Hall in sight, they did not slow their stride until they knew that he was no longer following them.

The blonde student was at first oblivious to what was happening. “When we [left] the diner I did not notice anything except [my friend] acting worried,” she claimed. She basically just followed her friend’s lead and trusted her judgment.   

Once the brunette led her friend to safety, one thing was running through her mind: what would have happened if we didn’t get away?

 “While taking the elevator up to my room my heart was racing, my body was shivering, and I couldn’t control the tears coming out of my eyes. I continuously replayed the image of him coming towards us in my head. I will never walk alone again!”  

"Fire Pelosi" bus tour rolls into Toms River

By Matthew Rocco

In New Jersey’s third district, the race for a congressional seat has attracted greater attention ahead of Tuesday’s elections. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele directed his “Fire Pelosi” bus tour into Toms River on Thursday to support former football player Jon Runyan, the Republican challenger to incumbent Democrat John Adler.

Republicans have zeroed in on New Jersey congressional races, identifying them as potential gains in the House. On Wednesday, Steele supported Republican Anna Little who is challenging Democrat Frank Pallone in the sixth district.

The bus tour has traveled around the country over the last six weeks. The “Fire Pelosi” slogan refers to the potential unseating of Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker if Republicans take a majority in the House.

Thursday’s rally for Runyan at the Toms River Holiday Inn focused on the heated third district race, a contest that has had its share of controversy.

Cherry Hill’s Courier Post reported earlier this month that people connected to the Adler campaign, including campaign manager Geoff Mackler, recruited a third party candidate, Peter DeStefano, in an attempt to split votes. DeStefano will be on the ballot Tuesday, and listed as a member of the “New Jersey Tea Party,” although no tea party groups in the area have affirmed his candidacy.

Adler has criticized Runyan for paying less in property taxes by registering 15 acres of land that surround his Mount Laurel home as farmland. Runyan sells firewood, and has donkeys grazing the land.

Both campaigns did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Runyan had a five point lead in the latest Monmouth University poll. A Rutgers-Eagleton poll size had Adler leading by one point.

In the Holiday Inn’s Atlantis Ballroom, the enthusiastic crowd hung on Steele’s every word as he identified New Jersey as the start of the conservative momentum. Last year, New Jersey voters elected a Republican governor, Christopher Christie.

As he entered the room, Steele recalled the slogan that is on the red tour bus, asking voters if they were ready to “fire Nancy Pelosi” and “fire Harry Reid.”

The bus, emblazoned with white stars and the RNC logo, will head south to complete its tour of 48 states this weekend.

Sugar, Sweets, and Sanctions?

Jeanette Settembre

What was supposed to be a night filled with innocent candy consumption, quickly turned into a dreadful halloween horror story early Sunday morning. 

The security officers on the Manhattan College campus were put to work early Sunday morning when a twenty year old female student belligerently stumbled inside the East Hill dorm after what appeared to be a reckless night out. 

Halloween has been known to be the beloved holiday in which children of all ages dress up in their favorite costumes and parade door-to-door to collect an excessive amount of free candy. In the college world however, if you ask any student their definition of this holiday you may find students, typically females, dodging sweets at all costs in order to fit into skin tight pieces of thinly cut fabric, their idea of costumes. 

The halls of East Hill were patrolled hourly from 9pm to 1am. There were no signs of mischief, misbehavior, or any form of mishap. The halls remained surprisingly quiet, that is until herds of students came back from their hallows eve festivities.

Residence life professional staff, Mollie Otto states, “The RA rounds are starting too early. The halls are going to be quiet because people are getting ready to go out. It is between 12 and 2am that students really start to get more rowdy either in their dorm rooms, or upon returning.” Otto states that when she was an RA at her former institution, Saint Mary’s College in Minnesota, she was mandated to do rounds from 12-2am on weekends.

Makeup smeared, with eyes flickering open and closed, Mary Smith lied vertically on the couch of the first floor in the East Hill Lobby. After witnessing the student literally falling through the door, officer Scott immediately called the resident assistant on duty to investigate the scene. 

“This building usually doesn’t have many students making hospital runs frequently on weekends, but I guess with the holiday the kids are getting more out of control, they don’t realize how much danger then can actually be putting themselves in,” states Scott. 

When the resident assistant arrived, she began to ask Smith simple questions like her name and room number to see if she was able to comprehend and answer correctly. The student was able to say her name in a slow fashion, but did not respond to the other questions. She held a plastic bag beside her in case she became ill again. 

Smith was surrounded by an entourage of friends who appeared to be relatively sober and willing to help their friend who was serious need. One male sat beside Smith offering her water and comfort. 

The resident assistant proceeded to ask Smith’s friend, Junior, Katie Roe, for Smith’s identification number and past experiences with alcohol. Apparently Smith had not eaten that day and had begun drinking early on. She had made an impromptu decision to go out to a local house party that night where alcohol was being served and proceeded to consume far more than her limit permitted. 

“She usually does not drink up to this point. We all wanted to let loose and have some for halloween, just like any other student, but it got to the point where Mary couldn’t move. She was falling all over the place, and it started to get scary, we knew we had to get her help,” stated Roe. 

Minutes later the resident director on duty for the north side of campus, Liz Gibbons, evaluated Smith. It was clear that an ambulance was needed to be called immediately, and a trip to the hospital was in order. 

Within minutes the paramedics wheeled in a stretcher and Smith was told to lie down. 

“Stop giving her water, she’s just going to throw it up,” shouted one of the paramedics to Smith’s friend as he lifted her onto the chair. 

Friend Katie Roe volunteered to accompany Smith to the Allen Pavilion hospital in the Bronx. When ever a resident is being sent to the hospital it is mandatory procedure that either the roommate or a friend accompanies the person in need of medical care. 

After Smith was wheeled out of the building and taken to the hospital, RD Liz proceeded to call Smith’s emergency contact, which in this case was her mother. 

There were four other incidents in the East Hill building alone between the hours of 12 and 3am that involved trips to the hospital. In comparison to last years holiday, trips to the hospital in the East Hill building this year alone doubled. In Horan, the neighboring dorm, there were also three hospital trips made early Sunday morning. 

Since the student was illegally consuming alcohol off campus she will be charged accordingly by MC residence life board, and could be facing a mandatory alcohol awareness course, and other sanctions that will not be so sweet.