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STJ to scoop Red Mango?
More dining services for students coming this Fall
Christopher Brito News Editor Next fall, students could find themselves slurping from a Red Mango cup while using a new array of improved dining services, according to a University official. The Director of Auxiliary Services Operations, Scott Lemperle, announced several new initiatives that will start in September during the organizational congress meeting on April 15, among them are various food service upgrades such as mobile ordering capabilities and premium swipes. He also mentioned the possibility of bringing in Red Mango and an old-style diner to campus, though cautioned that talks regarding Red Mango are still in the early stages. “We’re in contact, but nothing is imminent,” he said. Red Mango spokeswoman Monica Feid confirmed Lemperle’s
characterization of the talks, saying the “project is being considered for next fall.” If the deal works out, students say they would definitely welcome the yogurt and smoothie franchise. “I think it’s awesome, I’m huge fan of Red Mango and so are a lot of people I know,” junior Tricia Murphy said. “St. John’s needs a Red-Mango,” junior George Brisita added. “I need somewhere where I can get my frozen yogurt.” In addition to the possibility of a Red Mango coming to campus, students will also see various improvements with their campus dining options beginning next Fall semester, including upgrades focusing on flexibility, value and faster service, according to Lemperle. Premium swipes, Montgoris Hall staying open until 10 p.m. on Sundays and hosting a take-out option, mobile ordering capabilities at select locations and a food truck are among the changes Lemperle said are in the works.
TORCH PHOTO/ Christopher Brito
Red Mango could possibly inhabit St. Augustine Hall in September.
“We have a lot of new initiatives that we are working on,” he said. “We have new exciting initiatives that will increase flexibility and value to the meal plans.” Students who have meal plans are eligible to use 10 premium swipes at designated venues throughout the semester to cover the cost of a meal that either doesn’t fall under the limited dining schedule or a place that doesn’t have a meal plan. It can also be used at a promotional food night, where a type of plate might be featured and the food truck. The mobile ordering feature will give students the ability to order their food online at designated venues and avoid waiting lines by picking it up at the express checkout area. Subway is one of the places they are looking into adding this express option, according to Lemperle. Sophomore Julian Vera is a commuter student who works outside of the school and is often on a tight time schedule. Hearing the implementation of this feature will make things easier for students like him. “That’s actually a cool tool. It’s needed because not many people have much time to wait in between classes,” he said. “Now, people can just eat before classes without a problem.” Lemperle also said a retro-style diner could be added to the law school, though that wasn’t finalized yet. Karen Alvarez, who dorms at Henley and eats at Montgoris frequently, is excited about the prospect of having a diner and a Red Mango. “I think it will be great because I’m tired of all the food they have,” she said. “I would love to have diner on campus.”
Ball court saga continues
ANTHONY O’REILLY News Editor, Emeritus
A Queens County Supreme Court judge ordered a former student’s permanent record cleaned of any misconduct, according to court papers obtained by the Torch. Judge Roger Rosengarten ordered on April 18 that the University’s Conduct Board’s July 18, 2012 ruling that James Ball, then a sophomore at St. John’s, was guilty of misconduct be vacated because, “the decision of the panel does not articulate any basis for its finding of Misconduct.” A St. John’s spokesman declined to comment on the ruling, saying the University has “no comment on pending litigation concerning the trial. Rosengarten originally ruled in January that the University had acted in within the guidelines of the Student Code of Conduct. Ball’s lawyer, and mother, Ann Ball
told the Torch then that she had planned to appeal because she thought “[the judge] may have overlooked a salient part of my papers on St. John’s burden of proof.” Speaking to the Torch this week, Ball said, “the ruling is now favorable.” Ball also is suing the University in a separate case, citing breach of contract and seeking an unspecified amount of money for damages. The case stems from Ball’s offcampus arrest in April of last year. At the time, Ball was of accused “very serious crimes,” by another University student, according to court papers obtained by the Torch. The Queens District Attorney decided not to pursue the charges against Ball, dropped the charges and had the file sealed. Calls to New York City Police and Queens District Attorney’s office back in October confirmed that Ball does not have an arrest record. The Torch is not identifying the other
student named in the lawsuit because of the nature of the allegation. According to Ball’s lawyer, James attended classes as usual on the first schoolday after the arrest. However, he received an email at the end of that day informing him that he had been suspended for the remainder of the Spring 2012 semester. Ball was then ordered to appear at a University disciplinary hearing on July 18 where a University panel ultimately found him in violation of misconduct — the ruling that was overturned by Judge Rosengarten— and suspended him for the Fall 2012 semester. According to Ball’s lawyer, he is now attending a different school and has “no interest in coming back to St. John’s.” The two sides will meet next in court on May 10. The other student counter-sued Ball and, according to Ball, the lawyers are asking to have the cases consolidated. Ball said she will oppose the motion.
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Paris campus’ assoc. director passes away Sarah yu Chief Copy-Editor, Emeritus Dr. Tina Chen, the associate director of the Paris campus, passed away after fighting her fourth bout of cancer. She was diagnosed with osteo sarcoma, a type of cancer that starts in the bones, at the tender age of nine and battled it until this year. Prior to becoming the associate director of the campus in 2010, Chen taught French, literature and art history classes for several years. According to her profile on the University’s website, she had enthusiasm that stemmed from her passion and appreciation for the culture of Paris, which consisted of its beauty, food and its people. Her profile continues to say that her favorite part of being a professor was meeting new students and seeing their enthusiasm to learn of the country’s culture and everything that comes with it. She was always excited because it gave her the opportunity to share her enthusiasm with her students. Matthew Pucciarelli, the associate vice president of Global Studies, shared how Chen’s death was a complete shock to everyone, including the faculty. “I think that it’s especially jarring to us because she was a young woman and I think that the number one emotion we all felt was shock,” he said. “Someone we had worked with for so long and done so many cool things with suddenly wasn’t with us anymore.” Dr. Zoe Petropoulou, the chair of the Language and Literature department, worked with Chen often and described Chen’s amorous personality. “She has been a wonderful person and colleague to work with, very professional and caring towards the students,” she said.“She was the soul of the French program.” Pucciarelli said that Chen was very dedicated to the students and when it came to discussing and initiating new ideas, she always focused it on how it would benefit the students. “She was a key member of that team in the sense that she supported it and helped people become confident to initiate new ideas,” he said. Students also felt the impact of her passion for the culture. Chen was able to make the learning experience both relatable and fun. “Seeing that it was a mandatory class [Art and Architecture] she made it pretty easy to learn about art,” senior Estlin Link said. “ “She made it fun in a way that a lot of other teachers couldn’t do,” he said.“She always wanted us to enjoy ourselves.” A memorial service was held in honor of Dr. Tina Chen at St. Thomas More’s Church yesterday afternoon.