By Tim Robertson

Heli-NO

Just like the White House, Hofstra Hall should be a no-fly zone, this means slapping a giant no across Jets’ owner Robert “Woody” Johnson’s request for a permit to land his helicopter on campus.

Imagine sitting in C.V. Starr attempting to pass an accounting final and now you must bear to listen to the sounds of a helicopter land across the street so that Woody can drop in and watch the J(ust) E(nd) T(he) S(eason) practice.

It’s ridiculous for the Town of Hempstead to grant this permit, and Stuart Rabinowitz must voice his objection.

Yes, Hofstra has benefited greatly from its relationship with the Jets, but enough is enough. The Jets are taking off – shoot, that pun slipped – after next season for the greener – or more polluted – pastures of New Jersey. Why should Hempstead grant Woody’s request? What is one good reason?

The billionaire probably has his own driver, and heaven forbid he ride in the back of his car that costs more than Hofstra’s tuition for the hour ride from Jersey to campus.

Good thing the golf team doesn’t play matches on campus, they’d have to cancel on opponents because the big man wants to pay a visit.

You think the wind tunnel between Enterprise and Vander Poel is bad? Wait until that sucker tries to land.

Hofstra is an arboretum, has a sensory garden, and will build a med school. Hofstra is not an airport. If Woody wants to land his copter somewhere, he can go to LaGuardia and hail a Lincoln Towncar.

There must first be a study what effect the helicopter would have on air quality and noise, and then the county, along with Hempstead will decide whether or not to allow it. But do you know who will provide the study? The Jets. What are the chances a company hired by the Jets to research the effects of a Jets helicopter finds that it would egregiously harm the community? Zilch.

Since the land the Jets facility lies on belongs to the University, shouldn’t the students by way of SGA and the administration weigh in?

Students and professors shouldn’t have to stop talking because they can’t hear each other when Woody wants to watch his team prepare for an upcoming loss.

This is another instance of someone thinking he is more important than 12,000 others. The county, the town and the University can’t allow this to hold up. The Hofstra community would suffer greatly from allowing Woody to land his copter here whenever he felt like it. This idea is inconsiderate, irresponsible and just plain irritating.

Women’s Soccer Raises Profile with Help from the Irish

It’s time to tango once again for the women’s soccer club, and once again an Irish lass sealed an automatic invitation to the NCAAs for her Pride.

Edel Malone, one of three players who hail from the land of potatoes, scored the game-winning goal for a 1-0 win in the CAA championship, quite déjà vu of 2005. In that conference championship game, also against VCU, Malone scored the only goal to secure a date with West Virginia in the national tournament. The Pride will take on Ohio State in the first round of this year’s dance.

The midfielder ranked second on the Pride in scoring with seven goals and four assists, good for 18 points.

A year removed from suffering an injury that canceled her sophomore year, the 2005 CAA Rookie of the Year, stepped up again, nearly matching her 21-point freshman year performance.

Now, on her shoulders, along with former Syracuse striker Brooke DeRosa, the Pride will get its second chance at NCAA glory. Two years ago they fell to West Virginia in the first round – and their tourney debut – 3-0.

This year, coach Simon Riddiough and his Pride have a chance to reverse the fortunes of 2005 and lead the only Pride team to thus far make the postseason – with a fairly decent chances of being the only team to do so this season.

Hofstra has not allowed a goal since its 2-0 loss to the James Madison University Dukes on Oct. 19, a stretch of six games. In all, opponents laid 11 goose eggs against the Pride this season.

Best of (Irish) luck to Malone, Riddiough and the rest of the Pride as they go for their first ever NCAA tourney victory.