There comes a point in everyone’s winter break when they’re bored out of their mind and don’t know what to do. We wander the internet aimlessly at one point or another, navigating every Web site known to man just to keep ourselves entertained. Well worry no more; RocLoop has compiled a list of 10 things to do over break when you’re bored. 1. Shopping: Even if you’re not shopping for others during the holidays, there are lots of deals. Think it’s too late when Christmas is over? Think again. There are bound to be sales after Christmas. 2. Roller Coaster Tycoon or The Sims: Two games you can play that can make hours go by in a flash. Roller Coaster Tycoon lets you develop your own amusement park while trying to keep the guests happy. The Sims lets you develop your own family and build your own home that can become more luxurious depending on how successful you are at maintaining a happy household. 3. Take a road trip: With the price of gas so low right now it might be one of the last times for a while to take a cheap road trip somewhere with a group of friends. 4. Pogo.com: Pogo.com is a Web site that has games such as checkers, poker, slots, bingo, keno and more. Any game you can think of is on the site and it’s free to sign up. You accumulate tokens which can be cashed in for tickets for cash prize drawings. You also have the possibility to win up to $5,000 dollars instantly. 5. Rock Band/Guitar Hero: Two games that can be played on PS3 or Xbox360 that put you in the center of the rock universe. With Rockband or Guitar Hero you can play guitar, drums or sing along with friends and become rock phenomenon. 6. Nintendo Wii: An interactive game system that allows you to get up out of your seat and get some exercise. You can bowl, play tennis, baseball or several other sporting games. It makes for a great social event as well. 7. Poker: Get a group of friends together over the holidays and play a game of poker. Have everyone bring some drinks or a bag of chips. 8. Fantasy sports: If you’re a sports fan, try getting into a football, hockey or basketball fantasy league. Sure you can watch the games every night, but with fantasy you can pick players and manage your team so the actual game has even more meaning. 9. Sledding: Sledding can be a very fun group activity. So when you’re bored at home, go out and take to the hill. Black Creek Park in Chili has a great sledding hill that you might want to check out. Lugging your sled back up the hill can turn into a very good workout as well. 10. Ice Skating: Head out to your local park or take it indoors. Either way ice skating is always part of the Christmas experience and a great exercise. More...

SUNY Brockport field hockey player Amanda Pickard and Nazareth cross country runner Nick Stenuf are unanimous selections among the Rochester Area College Athletics Fall Athletes of the Year in their sport.   Nazareth is the only one of the 10 RACA colleges with two RACA Fall Athletes of the Year. Katelynn Reed, the RACA Women’s Volleyball Athlete of the Year, joined Stenuf in earning the honor.   Among the six RACA Fall Athletes of the Year, Laura Iafrati from Hilton High School and SUNY Geneseo is the only former Section 5 athlete selected. She is the RACA Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year.   Also honored in the voting are Hobart’s Dan Riso, the RACA Men’s Soccer Athlete of the Year, and William Smith’s Brelynn Nasypany, the RACA Women’s Soccer Athlete of the Year.   Voting for RACA Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Year, which used to be conducted in the fall, has been moved to the spring because that is when RACA colleges now play a majority of their schedule.   There were no repeat winners in the fall voting by sports information directors at the RACA colleges. Twenty-five athletes were nominated and 14 received votes. As many as four received votes in individual sports.   Men’s cross country  Nick Stenuf, Nazareth - Graduate student from East Syracuse, N.Y. (East Syracuse-Minoa High School) … Finished 19th at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Indiana Nov. 22 to become the Golden Flyers’ first cross country All-American  … Recorded a Nazareth-record time of 24 minutes, 49 seconds for 8,000 meters … Twice selected as Empire 8 Conference Athlete of the Week … Earned first-team All-E8 honors after finishing third in the conference race Oct. 25 … Placed second (behind national champion Pete Kosgei of Hamilton) at the NYSCTC meet Nov. 8 … Received Honorable Mention three times for RACA Male Athlete of the Week.   Women’s cross country  Laura Iafrati, SUNY Geneseo – Senior from Hilton, N.Y. (Hilton HS) … Led Geneseo to an 11th-place finish (among 32 teams) at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships by finishing 46th in 21:58. Iafrati led the Knights to team titles at the NCAA Atlantic Regional (finishing ninth in 23:30), the SUNYAC Championships (second in 22:07), the Rochester Invitational (third), the Geneseo Invitational (first) and the St. Lawrence Pre-Regional (ninth). Iafrati, a member of the SUNYAC Cross Country Hall of Fame, earned first team All-SUNYAC and All-Atlantic Region recognition. She was a 2008 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America District I first-team selection … Named RACA Female Athlete of the Week once, and received Honorable Mention once.    Women’s field hockey Amanda Pickard, SUNY Brockport – Senior forward from Depew, N.Y. (Lancaster HS) … Selected as a third-team All-American and first-team All-Region by the NFHCA for the second consecutive year. She was selected to play in the Senior All-Star game and was voted the co-captain of her team. She was also selected as the SUNYAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and to the All-SUNYAC first team in all four seasons at Brockport. She registered 16 goals and eight assists this season. Her 25 career goals and 79 points are Golden Eagles records, and her 27 assists are second on the career list. Two of her goals this season were game-winners … Received Honorable Mention once for RACA Female Athlete of the Week.   Men’s soccer    Dan Riso, Hobart – Senior forward from Red Hook, N.Y. (Red Hook HS) … Led a Statesmen offense that outscored its opponents 42-14. The Liberty League Player of the Year is a three-time all-league selection. He led the conference in goals and points, and tied for third in assists. Riso was named the Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week three times this fall. He completed his career with 22 goals and 12 assists for 56 points. Riso is ninth on Hobart’s career assists list, 10th in career points and 11th in career goals. Hobart won the Liberty League regular-season championship, and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program’s history. The Statesmen finished the season with a Hobart-record 18 wins against just one loss and three ties … Named RACA Male Athlete of the Week once.     Women’s soccer    Brelynn Nasypany, William Smith – Sophomore forward from Herkimer, N.Y. (Herkimer HS) … Led the Liberty League in points (35), goals (15) and game-winning goals (8), and ranked fifth in assists. She has guided the fifth-ranked Herons to a 16-1-5 overall mark, their second consecutive Liberty League regular season and tournament championships, and a berth in the NCAA Semifinals. Nasypany recorded at least one goal in 11 of the Herons’ 22 games, and scored twice in wins over Allegheny, DeSales, Oneonta and No. 7 Johns Hopkins. The Liberty League Player of the Year was named the league’s Offensive Performer of the Week three times.     Women’s volleyball  Katelynn Reed, Nazareth – Junior middle blocker from Horseheads, N.Y. (Horseheads HS) … Reed was honored as a third-team All-American by the AVCA, as one of just two players from the New York Region to receive All-America status. She finished third nationally with a .410 hitting percentage … Second on the team with 280 kills. Led the Golden Flyers in service aces (59) and blocks (79). Named first-team All-Empire 8 Conference and first-team All-Region. More...

Critics Rating: 3 stars What: When an upscale, happily unmarried San Francisco couple Kate (Reece Witherspoon) and Brad (Vince Vaughn) find themselves stuck at home because of a fog on Christmas morning, their exotic vacation plans evaporate and their previously non-family lives begin to change. The Buzz: If you like any other comedies that feature Vince Vaughn then this comedy/romance holiday film is right down your alley. Brad takes abuse from family members who reveal interesting things about him that Kate didn’t previously know about and it escalates into a big comic fest that all would enjoy. The Verdict: Kate and Brad are now obligated to attend four family Christmas parties which each have their own sense of humor making this Christmas film one of the funniest of the year. As Brad counts down the hours until he can get away from his parents Kate’s beginning to wonder if family is the way to go after all. More...

Artist/Band name: Akon Record label: Konvict/Universal Motown Official Web Site: http://www.akononline.com/ College Buzz:  Akon’s album “Freedom” is expected to be his third platinum record, which follows up  “Trouble” and “Konvicted.” This would make for a great Christmas gift for anyone that’s into hip-hop and R & B type music. This is Akon’s first album release since he was accused of doing some dirty dancing with an underage girl at a concert which cost him an endorsement deal from Verizon. Best Tracks: 1. Right Now (Na Na Na): This one is all over the radio and peaked at number eight on the billboard top 100. A very up-beat tempo makes for a really good song to jam along too with your friends. 2. Beautiful: This one is probably Akon’s most popular track. It features Kardinal Offishall and Colby O’Donis who broke through a few months ago with his single “What You Got” featuring Akon. 6. I’m So Paid: Lil’ Wayne is featured in this track making it tough not to like for anyone that enjoys hip-hop. Lil’ Wayne just released his latest album “Carter 3.” Rest of the Tracks: Like most of Akon’s cd’s, he features songs with various beats that could be your favorite if you don’t like his more up-beat songs like “I’m So Paid” and “Right Now”. “Holla Holla” and “Sunny Day” are probably the best of this bunch. 3. Keep You Much Longer4. Troublemaker5. We Don’t Care7. Holla Holla8. Against the Grain9. Be With You10. Sunny Day11. Birthmark12. Over the Edge13. Freedom More...

St. John Fisher junior Kristen Taliento is averaging a team-high 6.4 rebounds to go with 9.0 points and 2.4 steals. She also is shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. Age: 20. Hometown (high school): Henrietta (Rush-Henrietta). Major: Business management. Position: Guard-forward. When did you start playing basketball, and how did you get involved? I’ve been playing since I can remember, in the driveway with my older brother, Tom. Favorite pro athlete: Jerry Rice. Favorite food: Stuffed artichokes. Least favorite food: Indian food. Celebrity dream date: Cristiano Ronaldo. First thing you eat in the morning: Cereal and yogurt. Other sport played in high school: Soccer. Biggest pet peeve: When people don’t call you back. Tops on your Christmas list: iPod adapter for the car, and some jewelry. Dream job: Own my own business, preferably something involving animals. Best place you’ve ever visited: Italy. On your iPod now: A little bit of everything, from Jay Z to Dave Matthews to AC/DC. Greatest sports moment: Winning states my senior year in high school. Worst sports moment: My career has been successful for the most part, especially in basketball. Invite four people, living or dead, to a dinner party: Tim Burton, Annie Oakley, Lucille Ball and Walt Disney. Favorite quote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain Jim Mandalero of the Democrat and Chronicle wrote this report. More...

Junior forward J.J. Dennstedt is the 16th player in University of Rochester men’s soccer history to earn All-America honors. He was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America third team. He led UR (14-3-2) in scoring with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points. Dennstedt was the only player from Rochester or representing a local college to make the All-America team. More...