6 Opinion
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Flames of the Torch A few words of advice for the 97th Torch editorial board, from the 96th Managing Board XCVI
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Angelica Acevedo, Editor-in-Chief Isabella Bruni, Managing Editor
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Amanda Negretti Creative Director Brendan Myers Sports Editor Beverly Danquah Features Editor Dayra Santana Assistant Features Editor Samantha DeNinno Culture Editor Priyanka Gera Assistant Culture Editor Beatriz da Costa Opinion Editor Dara Burke Assistant Opinion Editor
Jillian Ortiz Chief Copy Editor Spencer Clinton Photo Editor Alex Yem Assistant Photo Editor Jenna Woo Assistant Design Editor Nick Bello Social Media Manager Morgan Mullings Outreach Manager Dana Livingston Assistant Outreach Manager Jim Baumbach Adviser
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Dear new Torchies,
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The time has come to pass on the Torch to a brand new editorial board. A good number of current e-board members have been a part of the newspaper since their freshman year of college. We have played an important role in creating not only a base for growth in terms of learning the craft of journalism outside of classrooms, but also established a sense of community within our staff. As we prepare to elect a new e-board for St. John’s independent student newspaper, we can’t help but think about the many long Tuesday nights we spent in the basement of O’Connor Hall. Having lengthy conversations about whether we should publish an article at the moment or wait for more information, discussing comma placements and headline options. Perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice that we can offer the next e-board is to always question what comes your way. Question why and how a piece of news is important to the St. John’s community. Question why it’s important to you and how you should go about covering it for the paper. The second most important thing we can pass along is to fearlessly hold those in power accountable. However, being in charge of what appears on the pages of this publication requires you to be driven and responsible. If the last years have taught us anything, it’s that people do care what we write and how we write it. Use your best judgement, and never forget that we must represent
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Staff and contributors Anthony Villacreses Shaolin Barid Jennifer Hood Anna McFillin
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the diverse student body and culture of St. John’s. With the help of our College Media Project from the Poynter Institute, we have learned that accountability journalism is the best way to perfect our craft. This means that we must push for media literacy within our communities, and that an open dialogue with readers is a constant goal. We hope that members of the St. John’s community give the newly elected e-board the chance to create their own legacy. We hope that the Torch can continue to build up the trust with students, faculty and administrators. We also hope that the paper continues to be seen as a reliable source of all things SJU. But most importantly, new Torch editors, be passionate. It’s important that everything you do in life — whether it’s journalism or not — you do with passion. You must care about every single story you pitch, publish and edit. You must care about the people you are interviewing and your readers. This job can be frustrating and tedious at times. It can cause you to question all of your beliefs and why you should even bother, since you have classes, jobs and internships, family and loved ones to worry about as well. But once the interviews are over, once the stories are edited and once the paper is printed, it will be one of the most fulfilling aspects of your SJU experience. We promise. Best wishes, and good luck. Angélica and Isabella
The Subtle Power of Pete Buttigieg Dara Burke Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, recently announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary nomination. The field is becoming progressively more crowded, and Buttigieg is not yet a household name like Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren. Serving as the mayor of a nondescript Midwestern city does not quite carry the same weight as being the former vice president of the United States or the senator of Massachusetts. But as an Afghanistan War veteran and Rhodes scholar, Buttigieg is a subtle, powerful force. A series of well-received TV appearances culminated in his surprisingly well-attended debut campaign event in South Carolina last weekend. This boost in visibility has paid off: A recent Iowa poll showed Buttigieg’s launch to third place in the race, behind only Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. In a party facing increased pressure to move left, the 37-year-old’s policies hold up as genuinely progressive, true to his millennial label. Buttigieg supports DACA and the gradual implementation
of a single-payer healthcare system. Beyond the standard policy issues, he has called for measures as radical as expanding the Supreme Court and eliminating the Electoral College. Buttigieg stands out as being from a true Republican stronghold, and he wants to win over the voters that others have written off as a lost cause. As a result, he is immune
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Time will tell if the mayor of an Indiana city can withstand a race against the likes of Joe Biden - the prospect may not be as outlandish as it seems.
to portrayals as an out-of-touch politician ignorant to affairs outside of major coastal cities. Buttigieg is a white man from the Rust Belt, which are not characteristics that would usually grant someone the “diverse” label, but in 2015, he came out as gay to his con-
stituents through an article in the South Bend Tribune. Buttigieg’s raw honesty is refreshing and turns the “lying politician” stereotype on its head. The fact that Buttigieg is a married, Christian veteran from a conservative state while being openly gay is incredibly subversive and challenges the preconceived notions of many across the country. Personally, I could never have imagined an openly gay candidate running for president a few years ago; the issue was simply too controversial. I see Buttigieg as a living sign of profound societal progress. Despite Buttigieg’s recent spike in popularity, he is undoubtedly the underdog in this race. At the same time, I can see his youth and progressive qualities appealing to young voters who must make some hard decisions during the primaries. I can also see Buttigieg’s pragmatic approach to the implementation of progressive ideas mitigating the criticism that these policies are impractical. Time will tell if the mayor of an Indiana city can withstand a race against the likes of Joe Biden - the prospect may not be as outlandish as it seems.