The Torch 100:26 — March 2023 Issue

Torch Photo / David Bayha

Torch Photo / Dea Hoxha

2023 Student Government, Inc. Elections: Meet The Candidates

CRUSH and Revive presidential candidates introduce tickets’ future plans.

Dea

HoxHa | MarcH 29, 2023

The 2023 Student Government, Inc. (SGi) election sees two tickets — CRUSH and Revive — competing for this year’s executive board positions. Both presidential candidates sat down with The Torch to share their plans and initiatives for the coming year.

CRUSH — which stands for committed, relentless, united, sincere and humble — released their platform on Monday. Presidential candidate Nawsin Kamal broke down the listed initiatives.

Donating premium meal swipes — a plan she and the current president, Ethan Burrell, have been working on — is something she sees happening soon. “That is a vision that both Ethan and I shared,” Kamal said. “I have been working very closely with him.”

Kamal is a junior government and politics student. She joined SGi in 2021 when she was a senator and the inaugural chair of the governmental affairs committee. Last year, she ran for vice president, which she did not win. However, she was voted as the speaker of the student senate, and joined the executive board by way of that position.

CRUSH plans to start an SGi-moderated monthly podcast where members speak with administration and student leaders. “I feel like there are many questions that the student body has and a lot of times they are intimidated to ask,” Kamal said. “I feel like this would aid that.”

Student inclusivity is prioritized in the CRUSH platform, according to Kamal. “I’m also really excited about the non-traditional students section of my platform,” she said. “I want to have voices that belong to the disability community to be heard within the student government. That’s something I personally think we lack.”

Non-traditional students refer to graduate students, commuter students and “students who aren’t necessarily college age.”

“I feel like they’re not involved in a lot of campus programming,” Kamal said. “I want to create programming for such students because I don’t want them to feel alienated from the community.”

Kamal also wants more representation of students who belong to the LGBTQ+ community.

“I want to ensure that students who express themselves in different ways and want to advocate for certain things for the student body belonging to their community can do that through the student government as well,” she said. “We want representation for everyone on campus.”

With the influx of students expected following the closure of the Staten Island campus, Kamal wants to start a Staten Island wellness committee. “I want to provide them with representation from the student government,” she said. “I think a really good way of ensuring [representation] is ensuring that we have committees under the executive branch.”

The Full CRUSH Ticket President: Nawsin Kamal

Vice President: Sana Farooqi

Treasurer: Paul Gaylor

Secretary: Jennie Vosilla

Press Secretary: Cynthia Adebayo

Senior Programming Coordinator: Samantha Sebhatu

Revive’s goal is to “revive the school spirit.” Revive Presidential Candidate Nina Allen is a junior management student. During her freshman year as a biology student, she joined SGi as a freshman representative.

“I decided to run for president because I saw that there was a decrease in school spirit and I’m here to revive that,” Allen said. “Being a commuter student, I see that there is sometimes a disconnect with [commuters]. I’d like to bring activities for students to feel more connected to campus.”

The ticket plans on releasing their platform in a “unique way.”

“Instead of a document, we’re probably going to be doing some Instagram posts that show what our initiatives are. We’re hoping in the next two to three days,” Allen said on Monday.

Allen is concerned about the lack of school spirit at St. John’s. “I wasn’t sure about running [for president] until I saw the decrease in school spirit,” Allen said. “That’s why I decided that I wanted to run.”

Revive’s plans include moving University Service Day — which now falls on a weekend — to a weekday “to get more involvement from students.” Allen believes hosting it on a weekend limits attendance.

They also plan to open an on-campus food pantry to provide food for students living in food insecurity. Although she thinks it will take time to open the food pantry “because applying for grants isn’t easy.” Allen believes it is a valuable initiative that she plans to finalize.

“We also have unique ideas of opening an on-campus bar for students over the age of 21,” Allen said, seeing it as an opportunity for students and alumni to network, but she thinks it “will take more time.”

“There will be a lot more discussions with faculty and staff,” Allen said. “I think that will be something that will be implemented much later.”

Last semester, St. John’s University President Brian Shanley told the Torch that an on-campus bar is not currently in the picture, but the University “would certainly have to think about what makes sense for us to sell it on campus someplace.”

Allen also plans on hosting a formal for St. John’s students who graduated during the pandemic. “They didn’t get to have a prom, so a big senior programming coordinator event is going to organize a winter formal or spring formal so we can have the seniors experience that for once,” Allen said.

The Full Revive Ticket

President: Nina Allen

Vice President: Shannon Bassaragh

Secretary: Emily Hernandez

Treasurer: Christly Borno

Senior Programming Coordinator: Palak Seth Students were provided with usernames and passwords through their St. John’s emails, which enabled them to cast their e-votes. Voting was open from April 2 through April 4.

Photo Courtesy / Nawsin Kamal

Photo Courtesy / Nina Allen

2023 Student Government, Inc. Debate Recap

Candidates discuss student involvement, transparency and inclusion at this year’s debate.

Student Government, Inc. (SGi) at St. John’s University held this year’s presidential debate in D’Angelo Center Room 310 on March 30. The debate ran from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Members of the CRUSH ticket, Revive ticket and Claudia Obuchowicz — independent candidate running for press secretary — kicked off the debate with their opening statements. CRUSH stands for “committed, relentless, united, sincere and humble,” while Revive hopes to “revive” school spirit at St. John’s.

Both tickets mentioned food insecurity on campus and how they plan to resolve the issue. The CRUSH ticket is working on establishing an app where donors will be able to purchase donatable block meal plans open to alumni and students.

Obuchowicz sees the student body refraining from “voicing their concerns” to be one of the University’s biggest issues. “Although [SGi] do have legislative meetings where the student body could come and voice their concerns, I feel like people just don’t go.”

Aside from a swim club that introduced themselves during community dialogue at the April 3 meeting, there has been no participation in community dialogue by non-SGi members this year.

To resolve this, Obuchowicz plans to create a survey that would be administered to the student body in order for SGi to gain feedback from students.

Revive President Nina Allen stressed the lack of student involvement on campus. As a commuter student, she finds it difficult to get involved. “We want to work to promote current resources, such as organizations,” she said. “We also would like

to expand our ideas.” One new plan Allen mentioned is organizing a formal for seniors.

In their platform, which has been posted through a series of Instagram posts, Revive mentioned their plan to open a bar on campus. St. John’s previously had an on-campus bar, The Rat,

a pop-up bar, seeing it as a networking opportunity.

“For instance, at Stormin Loud, alumni are going to be there,” said Revive’s Treasurer Christly Borno. “We know that we aren’t necessarily building a bar. Alcohol is already sold on campus so we are just adding to it in a way that will bring back alumni because that’s a way to connect students to alumni.”

To battle racial and gender bias, CRUSH wants to mandate diversity and equity training within the student senate. Revive plans to open a Google Form accessible to all students to report any incident of unfair treatment.

which closed in the early 1990s.

Contrary to the previous bar, Revive plans to open a pop-up bar that would be open on game days and special events “to increase school involvement and networking with alumni.

CRUSH Treasurer Paul Gaylor questioned this plan, claiming it is not unique.

“Father Shanley actually had this idea, and stated that it was an idea but it wasn’t really going to come soon,” Gaylor said. “There’s no shot that you can get [the bar] back within the next year.”

Revive believes that the decision to begin selling alcohol at St. John’s Men’s Basketball games in Carnesecca Arena boosts hope for them to open

Obuchowicz highlighted the importance of implementing people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and ethnic minorities in our core curriculum. “I feel like in our Philosophy or English classes, we predominantly just focus on Aristotle and Socrates,” she said. “All these other philosophers that are part of the minority groups are not represented as much.”

Transparency is an essential part of CRUSH’s platform, they said, which is why they plan to start a podcast to let the student body know what SGi has planned. This would inform students about what administration and organization leaders have planned.

Voting opened on April 2 at noon and will be available until 11:59 p.m. on April 4. Students have been provided with unique usernames and passwords through their St. John’s emails, enabling them to cast their e-ballots.

The full video of the debate can be found on The Torch’s YouTube Channel.

SGi Assembly Meeting: Students Plan To Start SJU Swim Club

Second-to-last Student Government, Inc. assembly meeting introduces a potential swimming club.

The St. John’s Student Government, Inc. (SGi) held an assembly meeting on April 3 in St. Albert’s Hall Room B70. With election results being announced on Wednesday, the executive board is preparing for the transition. The meeting began at 5:05 p.m., marking the second-to-last SGi assembly meeting of the semester.

As election voting closes Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., the results will be announced on Wednesday at noon in the D’Angelo Center Coffeehouse.

Members of the SJU Swim Club introduced their plans to form a swim club at St. John’s, seeing it as an opportunity for students to learn how to swim.

St. John’s had a Men’s Swimming team from 19642004 and a Women’s Swimming team from 19732004, but the program was shuttered following the 2003-04 season. The on-campus pool was located where the Fitness Center currently resides in Carnesecca Arena.

Captain Bernard Juncaj, Co-Captain Melanie Franco and Secretary Beatrice Persaud explained how the club would not solely be open to professional swimmers, but beginners as well.

“We have 17 Division I sports, and I was surprised swimming isn’t one of them,” Juncaj said. “My ultimate goal is to eventually have a pool on campus.”

While they doubt that they can build a pool in the University in the near future, they proposed the YMCA Hillside Pool, which is five miles away from the Queens campus.

Anthony Cannatella, theology professor at St. John’s, endorses the club. Juncaj said Cannatella is a high school swim coach. Juncaj swam professionally in high school.

“We have about 40 students who are interested in the club,” he said.

The club wants to contact the Department of Public Safety to organize a shuttle that would take students from campus to the pool. For financial reasons, they plan to hold practice once a week.

SGi President Ethan Burrell recommended the club to reach out to Campus Recreation as he isn’t sure if SGi can fund the club right now. “Try to reach out to campus recreation first, and then come back to us.”

Juncaj explained how the venue would charge two to three hundred dollars per hour.

SGi organized an ice cream truck in front of the D’Angelo Center on Monday,

where they set up a voting table and gave away free ice cream to St. John’s students. The truck was open from 1:50 p.m. through 3 p.m. SGi Secretary Julianna LoMonte said they “got about 300 students.” The executive board is positive about this year’s voter turnout. The last assembly meeting will be held on April 17, where the newly elected executive board will be introduced. The new speaker of the student senate will also be announced at the meeting.

Dea HoxHa | april 4, 2023

Dea HoxHa | april 4, 2023

Torch Photo / David Bayha

Torch Photo / Dea Hoxha

Mike Anderson Out At St. John’s Amid Disappointing Results & Internal Turmoil

Anderson’s four years in Queens were marked by a 30-46 Big East record and no NCAA tournament appearances.

St. John’s University announced today that it is parting ways with Men’s Basketball head coach Mike Anderson and plans to conduct a national search for the program’s new leadership. Rick Pitino — who is the only coach in history to win NCAA national championships (one vacated) at two schools — is a target for the job, according to the New York Post.

The move comes less than a day after St. John’s (8) was eliminated from the Big East Tournament after squandering a 14-point lead over Marquette (1) in the quarterfinals. With the loss, the program was officially eliminated from NCAA tournament contention. Barring a surprise NIT selection, the Johnnies’ failure to make the semifinal round of their conference tournament ended their 2022-23 campaign.

“After fully evaluating the men’s basketball program, our University has decided a change is needed in both the leadership and direction of St. John’s Basketball,” said Mike Cragg, the St. John’s athletics director, in a press release. “We wish coach Mike Anderson and his family the best in their future.”

Anderson led St. John’s to a 68-56 overall record in his four seasons as head coach with no NCAA tournament appearances. Under his leadership, the Red Storm had a 30-46 record in conference play. Following a promising 2020-21 season that saw the Johnnies capture a winning record in league play, St. John’s extended Anderson to a six-year contract. There are four years left on that deal, with upwards of $10 million still owed to Anderson.

In the interim, the University confirmed that associate head coach Van Macon will lead the Men’s Basketball program.

Beyond the team’s on-court performance during his tenure, there have been questions about the program’s internal turmoil as well.

This season, Anderson issued multiple suspensions to St. John’s players for “not adhering to team standards.” Junior guard Andre Curbelo was suspended twice and did not travel with the team for one of their away games and sophomore guard Raphael Pinzon is currently indefinitely suspended. When Curbelo was asked why he wasn’t playing, he told reporters he didn’t know. Anderson declined to provide additional comment on the suspensions as well.

St. John’s President Brian Shanley, who has expressed his displeasure with the program’s on-court performance, told The Torch that he was “completely committed right now” to helping Anderson be successful in a January 2023 interview. However, he added that “we have to figure out how to win more games.”

Shanley hired Ed Cooley as the head coach of Providence while he was serving as the school’s president, and considered hiring Pitino for that job years ago.

A lawsuit filed by former St. John’s basketball coach Steve DeMeo in 2021 alleged that Anderson lost control of the team at the end of the 2020-21 season. “The public success of the St. John’s men’s basketball team on the court masked a tumultuous end to the season,” the suit stated. “Mr. Anderson lost control of the team and the players nearly revolted against him before the end of the season.”

At the time, the University categorically denied all allegations of wrongdoing, but declined to further comment on the pending litigation.

Pitino was also a candidate for the St. John’s job before Anderson was hired. But in the years since, Pitino was cleared of any wrongdoing at Louisville by the Independent Review Panel of the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. The panel found that “no violation by [Pitino] occurred given that he demonstrated he promoted an atmosphere of compliance” in Louisville’s corruption case, that led to their national title being vacated.

With Pitino in the clear and a high-major job at St. John’s open, the next Red Storm Men’s Basketball coach might already be in New York.

Premium Meal Swipe Donations to be Allowed Next Semester

Student Government, Inc. updated their plans to allow premium meal swipe donations between students, aiming to finalize the plan by Fall 2023.

dea

As the 2022-2023 academic year comes to an end, Student Government, Inc. (SGi) at St. John’s University highlighted their hopes for next semester and shared news on scholarship funds at the assembly meeting on March 20.

SGi President Ethan Burrell provided updates on previously mentioned initiatives. SGi will meet with University faculty to discuss the plan to allow premium meal swipe donations.

At the Feb. 13 assembly meeting, SGi introduced their plan to enable the donation of premium meal swipes between St. John’s students. Initially claiming they do not see the plan being implemented within this academic year, Burrell now sees it po-

| March 22, 2023

tentially happening in the Fall 2023 semester.

“Hopefully we will get that done soon,” Burrell said.

SGi sold crewneck sweatshirts in the D’Angelo Center on March 16 at common hour to fund senior scholarships, which are need-based scholarships available to resident senior students at St. John’s. With crew necks selling for 20 dollars each, they raised “about a thousand dollars.” Scholarship applications open during the summer.

Burrell also stressed the importance of students attending student listening sessions. Listening sessions are hosted by Sarah Kelly — vice president for student success and retention strategy — and

Rachel Pereira — vice president of equity and inclusion. Burrell claimed that the plan to re-open the on-campus Taco Bell was initially introduced at one of the sessions by sophomore senator Paul Gaylor.

“For example, at the last listening session, Paul [Gaylor], had actually brought up Taco Bell, and Sarah [Kelly] talked about it,” he said. “So if you have any concerns, please talk about it there.”

The next student listening session was held March 30. during common hour in Room 206 of the D’Angelo Center. The event was limited to 125 first-year students.

Brady Snyder | March 10, 2023

hoxha

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan

How Red House is Changing the Fashion Landscape at St. John’s

student-run

Representing the ever-changing world of fashion, St. John’s student-run organization Red House is the “future of fashion,” said supervisor and director of the University’s fashion institute Dr. Andrea Licari. Red House held its annual fashion show March 24, titled “The Red House Royale Fashion Show,” in Taffner Field House.

According to Licari, Red House “is the application of everything that has been learned about the fashion management business, especially being global and sustainable.”

This weekend’s fashion show featured four collections — Angel Kiss, The Dysign House, Constandino Couture and Pas de Regles — all of which held extremely bold and eclectic designs. Sofia Grossi, designer of the Angel Kiss collection, drew inspiration from her brand name, wanting to create versatile yet chic designs to ensure that her creations are not ones that have been overdone in the past.

“When I was designing my outfits I had a mood board for inspiration, but when I was working with the models I made sure that each model helped style their outfit as well,” said Grossi. “This was big for me because if they’re helping style the outfit then that allows them to be comfortable and confident when they’re walking.”

Two models — Isabella Skrela and Elwood Roberts — share their experience with Red House.

“We did a lot of workshops, which were essentially run-throughs, like walking the runway and getting feedback on pace and posture,” said Skrela. “We also did a lot of fittings; I am modeling for Angel Kiss and Constandino Couture, and we would not only try on the clothes to see what worked the best, but the designers made sure we chose what we felt the best in.”

Elwood Roberts, a second-year model for Angel Kiss, The Dysign House and Constandino Couture, said that “the process for the fashion show was a little bit hectic, and despite being new to the process, it was really enjoyable because we all came together as a family.”

After several rounds of tryouts, designers, models and all else involved behind-the-scenes went through weeks of show preparation. “We had to go through public relations, spreading the word out and around campus about the show, getting all details sorted with facilities and even getting a big venue this year [in Taffner Field House] is so amazing,” said Roberts.

Through immense determination and an energizing atmosphere, Red House is making its mark on the fashion world at St. John’s. “You would think there is a lot of opportunity for fashion and design at a school in New York, but there are not many outlets for fashion at the University,” Grossi said.

The fashion program in the Collins College of Professional Studies requires

six fashion classes to be taken for a bachelor’s degree; all other courses required for a fashion degree fall under core, business, art and elective courses. “Being a fashion business major, I expected more, and I didn’t really get what I expected in terms of courses available,” Grossi said. “But, ever since I discovered Red House, I have found that it is an amazing way for students to be involved in fashion.”

“It’s such a great opportunity for anyone interested in fashion, whether you’re a designer, model, volunteer, makeup artist or assistant,” said Skrela in a pre-show interview. It was evident that everyone behind the scenes was enthralled to prepare for the fashion show; the familial comradery between all those involved was incredible to experience, and this energetic atmosphere bled all the way into the night’s performance.

“It’s such a good way for students to be involved in fashion, and even the fact that we are here preparing for a fashion show is amazing for everyone,” said Grossi.

When asked what Red House means to them, designers, models and supervisors emphasized its importance. “This is my second fashion show for Red House and every time I do this it makes me love the fashion industry ten times more,” said Grossi. “It reminds me why I’m in this field because I not only love doing this for myself, but seeing other people wear and enjoy my designs makes me feel really warm inside.”

“If it wasn’t for Red House asking for more from the University and more from the fashion industry, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” stated Licari.

The

organization is the “future of fashion.”

AbigAil grieco | MArch 29, 2023

Angel Kiss designer, Sofia Grossi (middle) with her models.

Photo Courtesy / Marissa Duldulao

Angel Kiss models.

Photo Courtesy / Marissa Duldulao

The Dysign House models.

Photo Courtesy / Marissa Duldulao

Meet the St. John’s University Professor Who Wants To Take On George Santos

Legal studies professor William Murphy hopes to put service back into public service.

Olivia Seaman | march 15, 2023

Legal studies professor William Murphy has always been passionate about service, even as a young boy on Long Island, New York. The self-declared “politics junkie” has always been fascinated by changing the world and helping others.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New York University and a Juris Doctor from Touro School of Law, Murphy was a practicing attorney before entering his professorship at St. John’s in 2012. He’s known for being an “edutainer,” his way of “educating and entertaining students at the same time.”

Recently his aspirations have shifted. Murphy plans to run as the democratic nominee for New York’s third district house seat in 2024 but doesn’t want to run for Congress.

“I don’t want to run, but I feel like I have to,” Murphy told The Torch in an interview.

Murphy announced his bid in January for the House of Representatives seat infamously held by George Santos, who garnered national coverage for falsifying his resume. Murphy grew tired of watching injustices play out on his TV screen every night and decided he needed to fix the problem.

“Santos is the breaking point. I am angered beyond belief, but I am not too illogical to know I can’t sit here and be angry,” Murphy said. “I have a choice: be angry and try to do something about it or live with it and get over it.”

When asked about his platform, Murphy hopes to “reinstill people’s confidence in government and put the service back into public service.” On his campaign’s Instagram, Murphy has pledged to not serve more than three terms, not to receive outside funding and not to actively invest in Congress.

“I’m seeing a culture in Washington [D.C.] of people who are not there to serve and have no interest in looking after the people who voted to put them there,” Murphy said. “What they’re really interested in is spending as long as they can in Washington and making themselves wealthy in the process.”

Murphy refers to himself as a Long Island Democrat – someone who is “normal” in their political ideology.

“At the end of the day, we’re the center,” Murphy said. Murphy believes Long Island Democrats can point out the successes and flaws of each party and hopes to find solutions for issues without going to extremes.

Murphy credits his love for politics from the need to fix and perform. “I’ve always seen something, whether it was broken or can be improved upon, and enjoyed the challenge of figuring out a more efficient way to bring out an outcome,” Murphy said. ” In his younger years, as an attorney and a professor, Murphy has found a love for performing. “If I was given one gift in life, it’s the ability to speak,” Murphy said. “Whether one-on-one or in front of a classroom, I enjoy communicating in spoken and written forms.” He credits St. John’s for helping him develop these skills further.

“I’ve learned more about the world, people’s behavior and myself in nine years working with students more than I ever have in any other place,” Murphy said. “I get to be a student for life.”

Many of his past students have shared testimonials on his Instagram, sharing how he’s made them better students. Current and former students Amal Ahmad and Hayoung Park spoke to The Torch about their experiences with Murphy.

“He has a great energy about him and really cares about his students. Professor Murphy is extremely involved with the community, and I know he can get things done,” Ahmad said.

“He’s direct and great at explaining terms,” Park said. “He puts himself in our shoes, which has immensely helped me as a student.”

When asked about the best parts about the St. John’s University and NY03 communities, he responded: family.

“If I’m wearing a St. John’s hat anywhere, someone will stop me without fail and will tell me their connection to the University. Everyone knows someone who went to St. John’s,” Murphy said. “That’s not something you’re going to get from any other school.”

When it comes to his district, “No matter who you are, we all have one thing in common: we live in NY-03,” Murphy said. “The priority for all of us is family. It’s a travesty and a disgrace that the most prominent political figures in our district do not even have a family.”

In the coming months, Murphy hopes to expand his campaign through social media. He will continue to be a professor during his candidacy.

“As a father and someone who’s devoted his career to working with young people – teaching them about a corrupt and dysfunctional system – along with my background as an attorney and at St. John’s, I might be able to put together the resources to actually do something,” Murphy said.

Photo Courtesy / William Murphy

Random Roommates: Lifelong Friends or Difficult Foes?

Entering college, many students find themselves sharing a room with a person they have never met before — what is this really like?

Olivia RainsOn | apRil 3, 2023

Incoming college students often stress over who their freshman year roommate will be. If you ask just about anyone who chose to go “random,” meaning they were placed with a stranger, there are a plethora of stories that will ensue. However, through social media, students have been connecting with their peers to find someone they believe they can dorm with. But does this method work consistently for St. John’s University students?

Some interesting and bizarre stories can come from choosing to go “random.” Alex Overton, a current senior at St. John’s University, recalled their unique experience living in a triple in Donovan Hall freshman year.

“One of my roommates brought her parents, stepmom, uncle, and brother to move in,” Overton said. “We only had two closets for three people, and she came in with giant suitcases and filled all the closets herself.”

This lack of communication was evident when Alex shared that “we came in the room one day and all of her stuff was gone — she had moved out after a month.”

Senior Natalie Rojas moved to DaSilva Hall at St. John’s University in her freshman year, where she was placed in a triple. During their move in process, the roommates were required to fill out a housing contract — and in this contract they agreed to keep their room set at 70 degrees auto.

“When spring semester came around and the temperatures were dropping, one of our roommates started lowering the unit to 50 degrees – and

this became a huge problem when my other roommate and I would come in from 20 degree weather,” Rojas said.

Rojas states she took matters into her own hands: “Eventually I put my foot down and really enforced the contract, and she didn’t like that, so she moved out two days later. My other roommate and I lived pretty comfortably after that!”

However, despite the unnerving stories, long-lasting friendships can be developed from being placed with a random roommate. “I went into freshman year without even knowing where my roommate was from or ever having an entire conversation with him, to him now being one of my best friends,” said senior Dawson Hughes.

Kelly Kreuscher was placed in a quad in Hollis Hall freshman year and was extremely nervous to be living in such close quarters with three strangers.“Our rooming situation went really well,” Kreuscher said. “Everyone was super chill and if there were any little things that came up they never became bigger issues which is probably the key to it all.”

Moving in with a stranger is definitely a scary experience, but it can lead to lifelong friends and great experiences can come of it. With social media, people can now communicate in groups or message each other to find a roommate, so the chances of finding a good fit are high.

Photo Courtesy / Unsplash Alexandra Dalidovskaya

Why You Should Be Mad About Long Island

Wind Farms

With New York’s first offshore wind pipeline underway, these turbines bring great harm to the environment.

New York’s first offshore wind pipeline is underway. There are currently five wind farms in active development set to bring 4,300 megawatts of energy to the state. According to the New York State website, these turbines are set to cover “almost 50 percent of the capacity needed to meet New York’s nation-leading offshore wind goal of 9,000 megawatts by 2035.”

Renewable energy has been making waves throughout the world for decades. With rapid population growth occurring for the Long Island area, this development would be essential in order to create a sustainable future. But, that’s only if wind power was actually sustainable. While the energy produced is everlasting, the turbines bring great harm to the environment around them.

According to Sinay, a Maritime Data Solution platform, wind turbines create low frequency vibrations that bring about concern for environmental scientists and activists. Sinay makes clear that the vibrations can heavily disorient marine life, “it alters their way of communicating, feeding, reproducing, and navigating the oceans. On some occasions, these changes can lead to injury or even death.”

And death among marine animals has been occuring presumably due to the installation of wind turbines, or more so the amount of industrial traffic that has been accruing in the oceans. According to the New York Times, over 23 dead whales have washed ashore on New York and New Jersey beaches since

December of 2022. Leading causes discussed are the increased amounts of cargo ships due to pandemic spending, as well as the construction of wind farms.

Autopsies performed on these whales have demonstrated that some were subjects of collision with these cargo ships – which is thought to be occurring on a grander scale due to the vibrations of these industrial entities messing with the sounds the whales emit for communication, migration, etc.

But some are skeptical of whether or not these vibrations from the turbines are actually harmful to the oceans. USA Today brings up the argument that, “Conservation groups and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management generally believe that’s nonsense, in part because the type of sound used for wind turbine placement is much weaker than the stronger signals regularly used for other purposes such as oil and gas exploration.”

Sinay points out, however, that the construction sites for this pipeline are just as problematic as oil and gas exploration, as they disturb the ocean floor and create various types of pollution through use of heavy machinery. Most of these turbines are set to be constructed 14 miles off the shore of Jones Beach, a popular South Shore public beach surrounded by other popular beaches. Not only will the landscape be altered by this pipeline, but the construction is set to take place close to where Long Islanders will be enjoying their summer days, leaving them susceptible to pollutants

in the air and water, noise pollution and light pollution.

Not only is this wind farm harmful, but it’s also redundant. Much more sustainable renewable energy sources are already being explored for the Long Island area, with the Long Island Solar Roadmap in full swing.

The Solar Roadmap is seeking to identify “low-impact sites for commercial and utility-scale solar arrays and shows their energy generation potential.” This plan intends to place solar sites on large rooftops, parking lots and previously worked land in hopes of obtaining 19,500 megawatts of energy without further damage to relatively untouched ecological sites. The energy to be potentially harvested from this plan is enough to power 4.8 million New York residences per year. That’s nearly four times the amount of households there are on Long Island, according to the Nassau and Suffolk County censuses. Through its noninvasive sourcing of sun power, this plan proves that wind farms are not necessary for the area.

Staying out of the ocean is the only way to be sure of no further contamination. Long Island beaches are part of what make it so desirable to people around the world – the access we have to the ocean is unlike anywhere else. Wind turbines are only here to disturb our sandy havens, creating more pollution upon their building and harvesting energy that is not needed.

ElizabEth Kaufmann | march 27, 2023

Photo Courtesy / Unsplash Nicholas Doherty

EDITOR WeStOn Greene CULTURE EDITOR SerGiO PaDilla OPINION EDITOR

abiGail GreicO

FEATURES EDITOR Olivia rainSOn ASST. FEATURES EDITOR

Sara Kiernan PHOTO EDITOR

Arresting President Trump is a Publicity Stunt

@stjtorch

elizabetH Kaufmann CHIEF COPY EDITOR aliSOn GOlDberG SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

abiGail GriecO

Guaman

Suzanne ciecHalSKi ADVISER

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

David Bayha

Kyler Fox

Bradley Kazanecki-Bourque

Alanna Scalza

EDITorIAL PoLIcY

Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of the Torch. Columns and other content are the opinions of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of the Torch Opinions expressed in editorials, columns, letters or cartoons are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or administration of St. John’s University. All contents are the sole responsibility of the editors and the editorial board and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of St. John’s University unless specifically stated.

718-990-6444

torcheic@gmail.com torchads@gmail.com

The Torch, St. John’s University

O’Connor Hall - B Level 8000 Utopia Parkway Queens, NY 11439

coNTrIBUTIoNS

@sjutorch

torchonline.com @sju_torch

sju torch productions

All letters submitted for publication must include the author’s name, email and affliliation to St. John’s. Limit letters to 350 words. Submissions may be edited for clarity. Please submit letters to torchopinion@gmail.com

ABoUT ThE Torch

The Torch is the official, independent student newspaper of St. John’s University. The Torch is written, edited, designed and produced by students of the University. The Torch is published througout the week at torchonline.com. There is a weekly newsletter on Wednesday afternoon, as well as a full digital publication each month.

ADVErTISING

To advertise in The Torch contact torchads@gmail.com. Advertisements can be purchased for placement on our website, in our newsletter and within our full digital publication. For more information, please see The Torch Media Package located on our webisite.

Since entering into the political landscape, former president Donald Trump has been no stranger to legal battles. But, if his claim on Truth Social that he will be arrested for what is at worst a misdemeanor is correct, there’s evidence to suggest that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is using the power of his office to score political points.

To recap what’s being alleged, the New York Times reported that while Trump was in the White House, he reimbursed his former lawyer Michael Cohen $130,000 for providing hush money to another lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Daniels had been trying to sell her story about an affair she claims to have had with Trump in 2006, and how he allegedly lied about getting her an appearance on “The Apprentice.” Trump denies these allegations.

Bragg said he is preparing to seek criminal charges against Trump, using what the Times described as “an untested and therefore risky legal theory involving a complex interplay of laws, all amounting to a low-level felony.”

The Trump Organization allegedly accounted for the hush money as legal expenses.

Falsifying business records in New York state is a misdemeanor. It becomes a felony only when one does so with the intent to conceal a second crime. Bragg’s prosecutors will reportedly argue that because the hush money silenced information that likely would have hurt Trump’s 2016 campaign, it violates New York State campaign finance law.

Cohen himself will reportedly be the “star witness” in the case against Trump. But given that Cohen has spent time in prison for lying under oath to congress, there are obvious concerns about his credibility. A 2018 letter from Cohen’s former lawyer, Stephen

Ryan, states that the Trump Organization nor Trump’s 2016 campaign were parties in the hush-money deal, nor did they reimburse him directly or indirectly.

In interviews with the New York Post, former Brooklyn prosecutor Julie Rendelman and former Manhattan prosecutor Michael Bachner both agreed that the letter casts doubt on whether Cohen’s word is reliable.

If a presidential candidate, let alone someone who once held the office, is to be charged with a felony for the first time in the nation’s history, it would hinge on something undoubtable. A novel, untested legal theory aided by a convicted liar doesn’t exactly fit that bill. All it does is lend credence to Trump’s claims that he is part of a massive witch hunt.

Presuming the case against Trump fails, the backlash could potentially lionize Trump among Republican primary voters, meaning that we have a second Trump and Biden presidential election. That leaves America with two options: more incompetent governance under Biden or letting the guy who was too dumb to cover up his tracks when paying hush money to a porn star run the country again. The only way to truly defeat Trump is at the ballot box.

Trump calls his supporters to “PROTEST” and “TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” It’s irresponsible to use rhetoric similar to what was said in the lead-up to Jan. 6. Threatening “Death and Destruction” as a result of an indictment, no matter how far-fetched it is, must be condemned by everyone in politics.

Repeating that same level of violence would give failed leaders like Bragg another embarrassment to dangle over the heads of those who have legitimate grievances against them. Leave it to Trump to sabotage that.

Sergio Padilla | March 27, 2023

District Attorney Bragg’s case is politically motivated.

Photo Courtesy / Unsplash Tiziano Brignoli

Why The Empire State Building Changing To Eagles Colors Wasn’t A Big Deal

Giants fans got a taste of retribution for the whole debacle following Chiefs 38-35 win over the Eagles in the

The Empire State Building changed its colors to Kelly Green in response to the Philadelphia Eagles NFC Championship game victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 29. While the worst of the public backlash is now in the past, for a good week it was the thing to talk about if one were just in the mood to rant on afternoon sports-talk radio.

For native New Yorkers who also happen to be Giants fans, it’s understandable to be somewhat upset at first glance. Seeing something that you consider a centerpiece of the city celebrating the win of an arch rival can feel like a slap in the face. However, it was not that much of an atrocity to the point people felt like they needed to tweet about their hatred for the Empire State building days after it all went down.

Besides, the Empire State Building changed its colors shortly after to Chiefs colors following the Kansas City Chiefs win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game. They did the same for the Chiefs Super Bowl victory over guess who, the Eagles. It’s not as if the owner of the Empire State Building purposely changed its colors to Kelly Green in an attempt to spite Giants fans.

The Empire State Building is also privately owned by the shareholders of the Empire

Super Bowl.

State Realty Trust. Management is allowed to change its colors to whatever they may choose. People may disagree with their decision to do so, but there is nothing they can legally do about it. People who don’t like it can buy a building in Philadelphia, install LED Lights if it doesn’t already have them and change it to Giant Blue and Red for every Giants win next season.

New York City is also unique in the fact it embodies many people who are not native New Yorkers. There is a good percentage of people living in New York who are probably Eagles fans. There are also tourists who probably have no idea what football is, but see the bright colors on this tall building and decide to check it out which brings in revenue.

At the end of the day, it’s understandable why some people may have been upset when they saw Eagles colors on the Empire State Building.

However, there shouldn’t have been the outrage there was for the entire week that followed. It should’ve been one of those things that was talked about on sports radio the following Monday and then immediately forgotten about shortly thereafter.

At least those that were outraged got the satisfaction of seeing the Eagles lose in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 12.

From Governor to Senator? Examining Cuomo’s Potential Candidacy

News that former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is considering a bid for the United States Senate has sparked conversation about whether he would be a good fit for the role. It’s important to assess whether he’s the appropriate candidate for the job by taking a close look at his track record.

It’s also vital to weigh his past actions and decisions against the needs of the people. Considering Cuomo’s past, it is highly unlikely that he would be a suitable candidate for a significant position such as senator.

It’s no secret that Cuomo’s time as governor of New York was controversial. Most notably, he faced accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct from multiple women, which lead to his eventual resignation, as reported by Reuters.

While he denied the accusations, the fact remains that his behavior was deemed inappropriate by his own party and the public at large. Such a prominent scandal on his record should not be overlooked, particularly when it relates to issues of respect and integrity. Cuomo’s behavior, which

included using his power and influence to intimidate women, was inexcusable and should not be ignored when considering his fitness for any political position.

Additionally, Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York has come under scrutiny, as reported by the New York Times. While he was initially praised for strong leadership during the early days of the pandemic, it later emerged that his administration had falsely reported the number of deaths that occurred in nursing homes.

This news, along with other unfavorable actions in the state’s pandemic response, led to widespread criticism. Cuomo’s lack of transparency undermines the trust of the public and raises doubts regarding his ability to be honest about crucial matters that impact the well-being of New Yorkers. Given these factors, it’s difficult to determine whether Cuomo would be a strong candidate for the Senate. While he may have some supporters, it’s possible that his previous actions and contro-

versies would overshadow his campaign, potentially leading to a loss in the general election. It’s hard to justify supporting a candidate with such a flawed track record, particularly when there are other candidates who may be better suited for the role.

Moreover, New Yorkers may desire a fresh face in politics. After years of scandals and controversy, some may feel that it’s time to move on from familiar faces and look toward a new generation of leaders who can bring new perspectives and ideas to the table.

Ultimately, the decision on who should represent New York in the Senate lies in the hands of the people. However, it may be important to carefully evaluate each candidate’s record and decide if their methods of leadership aligns with the community’s needs. Given Cuomo’s history, it seems doubtful that he would be the right choice for such an important role.

Bradley KazanecKi-Borque | March 10, 2023

Photo Courtesy/ YouTube Fox Business

Photo Courtesy / YouTube New York Post Sports

alanna Scalza | March 27, 2023

“The Last of Us” is a Stellar Video Game Adaptation

With the conclusion of HBO’s “The Last of Us’” first season, viewers are left reeling after an ultimate cliffhanger. The show has left an indelible mark on television and paves the way for a new era of video game adaptations.

“The Last of Us” is a nine-episode series that explores a powerful journey through post-apocalyptic America. The show follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a young girl who holds the key to a cure for a deadly virus that has decimated the world.

Pascal delivers a poignant performance as a grieving father tasked with a life-or-death task. His chemistry with Ramsey is apparent, and the two share emotional scenes that bring a heartwarming aspect to a dark series. Newcomer Ramsey cements herself as a leading woman and shows promise for upcoming installments. The show’s supporting cast adds intensity to the story, including Gabriel Luna as Joel’s brother Tommy and Merle Dandridge as the leader of the Fireflies.

The show’s writing almost mirrors that

of the game and expands on the world written by Neil Druckman and Craig Mazin, who also served as writers for the show. The show carries themes such as loss, love and survival. The third episode, “Long, Long Time,” takes a break from Joel and Ellie’s story and highlights supporting characters Bill and Frank, played by Nick Offerman and “The White Lotus” Murray Bartlett. The episode dives deep into the relationship between the two and helps keep the pace of the larger story.

The show’s design and visual effects are a television wonder. HBO gives viewers a hyper-realistic perspective of a post-apocalyptic America with abandoned buildings and picturesque west coast views.

“The Last of Us” does not lack in the action aspect. The show features gruesome zombies and convincingly taps into the violence and brutality of the game. The action scenes leave viewers anticipating what comes next and are well-placed in the episodes.

The series has garnered widespread critical praise. The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager

writes, “As heartbreakingly faithful as it is riveting and suspenseful, The Last of Us is a triumph that ends any further debate about the all-time best video game adaptation.”

“The Last of Us” isn’t the first video game adaptation to reach the big screen, but it surely tops any list. “Tomb Raider,” “Resident Evil” and “Uncharted” are just a few of the adaptations that have been bested by “The Last of Us.”

The show has already surpassed HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff “House of the Dragon” in full-season viewership, marking a new high for the streaming service facing “lackluster subscriptions.” The service is reportedly merging with Discovery+ this spring to become “MAX.”

The show has been renewed for a second season, which will be based on the game’s second part. No details have yet been released.

Stream the entire season of “The Last of Us” on HBOMax.

The show relies on emotional performances and visual effects to recreate a virtual world.

Olivia Seaman | march 22, 2023

Photo Courtesy / YouTube HBOMax

Curated Collections: Scream Movie Rankings

With the release of “Scream 6,” let’s look back at the iconic horror franchise.

The Scream franchise has been a horror staple since 1996, when Wes Craven and Kevin Willison’s blend of meta-humor and traditional slasher villainy reinvented an entire genre. With the sixth film now in theaters — and five previous gory and quippy entries to choose from — let’s rank the installments from worst to best.

“Scream 3” (2000)

“Scream 3” is an objectively enjoyable horror movie. By this point in the fran- chise, the repeated formula of Ghostface pursuing Sidney Prescott and the usual cast of tertiary characters had worn a little thin. The dynamics still work, and the Ghostface reveal is a legitimate twist, but three movies in four years seemed to effectively over-sat- urate the market, and “Scream 3” is largely forgotten among fans of the franchise.

“Scream 4” (2011)

The final film directed by Craven before his death in 2015, “Scream 4” convincingly breathed new life into the dormant franchise. Benefiting from an 11-year gap between films and the successful imple- mentation of a handful of compelling new characters, the fourth entry feels like a brand-new take on the “Scream” formula. Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts join the recurring cast of Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette to take on an especially brutal version of the masked killer. “Scream 4” improves on the shortcomings of its predecessor, and serves

as a fitting curtain call for a horror legend.

“Scream” (2022)

The fifth installment, annoyingly titled identically to the original film, was directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. “Scream” starred burgeoning superstar Jen- na Ortega around, you guessed it, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette.“Scream” really strips things down and gets back to basics, a group of high school friends and a brand new iteration of Ghostface on the loose. Despite the simplicity, “Scream” is packed with young acting tal- ent and a series of great chase scenes. Bonus points for the updated Ghostface mask.

“Scream 2” (1997)

“Scream 2” came out less than a year after the original. The film starred Neve Camp- bell and the surviving characters of the first film and was set entirely on a college campus.The premise is simple and characteristical- ly metatextual, there’s a blockbuster movie based on the events of the first film, and there’s an imitation killer targeting college students.

“Scream 2” starts with an all-time open- ing scene starring Omar Epps and Jada Pinkett Smith that would make Chris Rock smile, and remains excellent throughout the course of the 2-hour runtime. To put it simply, “Scream 2” is one of the best se- quels ever made.

“Scream” (1996)

Arguably the greatest slasher movie, the original “Scream” is one of the most in- fluential films of all time. Its biting meta dialogue and comedic exploitation of hor- ror tropes led to an endless array of copycat films and over $700 million in total box office revenue.

Famously, the film’s top-billed star Drew Barrymore is killed in the opening scene, and the story pivots to a collection of less- er-known actors.

“Scream” is an enigma. It’s a raunchy teen comedy wrapped inside a violent whodun- it. An admittedly insane premise, but the impact of the film has endured decades of sequels. “Scream” still remains endlessly re-watchable and quotable twenty-six years after its initial release.

Daisy Jones & the Six: A Good Thing Made Bad?

The series, based on the novel of the same name, is a love letter to the 70s.

If there’s anything young adults love, it’s music and bands with a heaping of drama.

Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 bestselling novel of the same name, “Daisy Jones and the Six” follows the rise and fall of a fictional 1970s rock band, The Six, and their mysterious lead singer, Daisy Jones.

The story’s roots lie in the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac — primarily the romance of Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham.

The show is presented in a documentary-style format, set 20 years after the band’s final performance. This adds a unique twist to the show’s narrative and gives viewers a raw perspective of the band’s struggles and relationships.

“Daisy Jones and the Six” is not just about the music industry, but love, relationships and addiction. Each band member has their struggles that are ultimately overshadowed by Daisy and Billy’s relationships.

The cast brings an excellent sense of chemistry to the screen, especially Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin). The two’s “will they, won’t they” dynamic leaves viewers on the edge of their seats until the show’s final minutes.

The music of “Daisy Jones & the Six” is outstand-

ing, with original songs created for the show. The band’s album “Aurora” features songs “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)” and “Regret Me,” which capture the spirit of 1970s Los Angeles rock. The show’s concert scenes capture the period’s excitement and are reminiscent of a Fleetwood Mac live performance.

Writers Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber brilliantly capture the portrayal of female artists in a male-dominated industry.

Daisy is a driven and talented singer/songwriter who refuses to be defined by the men around her. She struggles with addiction and emotional trauma while fighting for her artistic visions.

The series struggles to find momentum, but once Daisy joins the band at the end of the third episode, the show gradually finds its rhythm.

What the show lacks in pacing, production design and costuming make up for it. Characters are dressed in denim and earth tones reminiscent of 70s Los Angeles. According to Variety, costume designer Denise Wingate “spent weeks scouring thrift stores and flea markets to build a wardrobe of over 1,500 outfits.”

The series breaks away from the novel, missing key elements. From scrapped characters, lyric

tweaking and that final romantic scene, fans of the book will notice these not-so-subtle changes.

“[The show] makes interesting changes that make it compelling to engage with this story a second time,” said author Reid in an interview with Town and Country.

While “Daisy Jones and the Six” features groovy music, fun costumes and musical drama, the show once again proves that the books are always better.

The entire season of “Daisy Jones and the Six” is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and “Aurora” is on all major streaming platforms.

Photo Courtesy / YouTube Prime Video

Photo Courtesy / YouTube Paramount Pictures

Photo Courtesy / YouTube Prime Video

WeStOn Greene | march 17, 2023

“Tár:” Classical Music and Power Dynamics

Todd Field and Cate Blanchett challenge audiences with an unrelenting new film.

“Tár,” is now available for audiences to stream on Peacock, the film was written and directed by Todd Field, a name that many people may not have heard. Field went sixteen years in between directorial credits, his last feature film was the Oscar-Nominated “Little Children,” in 2006.

In the intervening years, Field directed a handful of commercials, and worked on screenplays. He returned to movies in 2022 with a sprawling script, and two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett in the starring role.

“Tár” is an act of provocation, a purposefully-agitational story made up of entirely jagged edges. For 157 minutes, Field shoves his audience into tense conversations about the one percent, cancel culture, power dynamics, artists and obsession.

Field earned two Oscar nominations for best director and best original screenplay. But for as lifelike and dense as Field’s script is, the entire project orbits around a mammoth, Oscar-nominated performance by Cate Blanchett.

Blanchett inhabits the vividly rendered fictional central character Lydia Tár. Lydia is a classically trained and critically-lauded classical music conductor; she’s also a mother, a wife, an adjunct professor at Juilliard, and a quasi-celebrity.

Blanchett plays Lydia with a collection of tics, jitters, and contortive facial expressions that camouflage, or reveal a wide range of emotions throughout the film.

The film opens, with the closing credits. A montage that lasts a handful of minutes and highlights the behind-the-scenes employees of “Tár,” everyone from camera operators to executive producers. From there, we jump to a fic-

tionalized New Yorker talk with Lydia Tár, and Adam Gopnik. The scene briskly and effectively places the audience into Field’s highfalutin world of wealth and classical music, also serving as a much-needed introductory exposition.

The film becomes markedly more ambiguous from here, as we follow Lydia’s personal and professional spiral into controversy and chaos without further exposition or simplified language. “Tár,” is littered with a litany of technical terms, and long-winded conversations about “Berstein” and “Bach.” Jargon and dialogue that’s likely indecipherable to most audience members, but a creative choice that makes the character seem all the more realistic.

Lydia is unrelenting, some would argue sociopathic, and unconcerned with emotions, people, and opinions she views as beneath her. Very much cut from the same archetypal “Type A,” cloth as a number of formerly powerful men canceled or imprisoned during the “Me Too,” movement, Lydia’s gender and sexual orientation seem calculated, and pointed.

“Tár” is, at its core, a story about immensely talented, narcissistic people, and how these people leverage their power in an effort to maintain their superior societal footing, and positions of power. Moral dissonance and corruption can happen in any professional context, whether that person is gay or straight, male or female, isn’t relevant. What is relevant are their actions.

The skeleton key to understanding Tár,” and where the movie turns on its head, is a scene in the classroom at Julliard. A scene where Lydia confronts a student about “Bach,” and the relevancy of the artist’s personal life, when consider-

ing his work.

Blanchett berates the student while playing Bach on the piano, and menacingly walks around the classroom. The facade of Lyida’s public persona begins to crack, and the audience can clearly see the aggression underneath. Some of Field’s best writing is showcased here, with razor-sharp lines like, “If Bach’s talent can be reduced to his gender, birth county, religion sexuality, and so on, then so can yours,” and “Unfortunately the architect of your soul appears to be social media” being fired toward the student at a rapid, staccato pace.

The academic undressing contributes to the cancel culture portion of the screenplay and leads to the most unpredictable third act in recent memory. A sequence that sparked a surplus of think pieces, and conspiracy theories, all of which miss the broader point.

When discussing Bach in the classroom, Lydia says, “He knows that it’s always the question that involves the listener. It’s never the answer, right?”

This is the only line in the film that feels closer to Field than it does Lydia Tár. Almost as if Field is commenting on the opacity of his own artistic output.

“Tár,” is chalked full of questions, the sparsity of its answers is what makes it so unique.

What happens to Lydia Tár is ultimately open to interpretation, as is the resonance of Field’s overall message. Still, the puzzle pieces are there for anyone who wants to attempt to analyze or assemble them.

Weston Greene | March 17, 2023

Photo Courtesy / YouTube Focus Features

Forecasting the 2023-24 Red Storm By

Looking At Pitino’s Ledger

With Rick Pitino in the driver’s seat, where can the Johnnies go?

The Mike Anderson era is over at St. John’s, and coaching legend Rick Pitino is now at the helm of the Men’s Basketball program. Pitino’s resume speaks for itself — he spent much of his introductory press conference last Tuesday promising a return to glory for the Red Storm moving forward.

What will this look like? With plenty of roster turnover already underway — and sixfive players in the portal already — projecting the upcoming season for St. John’s could feel like an impossible task. Perhaps it is an ill-advised practice anyway; after all, the rest of the Big East will undergo its own roster and personnel changes, and this year was a great example of how crucial intraconference play is.

Keeping this in mind, Pitino’s nearly five decades of experience can help paint some of the picture for the 202324 season. Certainly the new leader of the Red Storm has a strong narrative of success supporting him, but statistics are the best indicator at this time of where the Johnnies can go.

While Pitino’s track record is well-documented and easily accessible, its significance cannot be understated. He has amassed 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven trips to the Final Four and two national championships. Needless to say, he is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for a reason.

As Pitino moves into his office inside Carnesecca Arena, he will certainly seek to impress this fanbase early. However, at his last four schools — Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and Iona — his worst winning percentage of each tenure came in his first season at the helm. Additionally, Iona is the only team he has taken to the NCAA Tournament in year one. It is noteworthy that this was the condensed 2020-21 season, and they received an automatic bid by way of winning their conference tournament.

That is not to say Pitino will struggle out the gate at St. John’s, but patience may be a virtue for this fanbase; across those debut seasons at his five full-time gigs, he holds just a .585 win-loss per-

centage. A silver lining is this: Anderson only eclipsed this percentage once in four seasons (2020-21) and never did so in conference play.

Another area of concern involves roster turnover; Pitino said that he will “probably have to bring in six to eight players for the team” during his introductory press conference. Even with Storr, King, Pinzon, Alexander, Addae-Wusu and Stanley already in the portal, fans should expect this fluid situation to continue evolving long after this story’s publication. Regardless, Pitino has varying experience with this in taking over new teams: just 34% of minutes played from the previous season returned for the Gaels in 2020-21, while Louisville’s 2001-02 team saw 69.3% of minutes return in Pitino’s debut.

We will know soon enough just how different the 2023-24 roster will look for St. John’s, but if every current and eligible player returned — minus the current sextet of departures – Pitino would have 38.7% of this season’s minutes back in the fold.

Senior center Joel Soriano was the Red Storm’s best player this past season, establishing career highs across most major categories while taking home the Big East’s Most Improved Player award. With statistics rivaling those of the country’s best centers, his return to the Red Storm in 2023-24 sets the stage for another stellar campaign. Thankfully, Pitino is no stranger to coaching strong play at the center position.

Jamaal Magloire comes to mind as a similar player to Soriano. In his final season at Kentucky, Magloire averaged 12.7 points and 9.1 boards per game, leading the conference in rebounding and earning himself a spot on the AllSEC First Team. He also found success in getting to the free throw line, as he was second in free throws made and attempted in the SEC that year. In comparison, Soriano ranked third in the Big East this year in both charity stripe categories, while also leading the conference in rebounds per game.

Since 1985, Pitino has coached 35 players who have gone on to play in the

NBA. While Soriano’s professional career post-St. John’s is a separate discussion, it is evident that Pitino is capable of developing players to the point that they can compete on the world’s most competitive level of basketball. Soriano may not be the NBA draft prospect some of these players were, but their success at the collegiate level prior is something to consider in visualizing what he can achieve in a St. John’s uniform next season. After all, Soriano’s 393 total rebounds in 2022-23 surpassed any single-season total achieved by those three aforementioned players when they were in college.

At the end of the day, the St. John’s Red Storm will have a very different look next season. Fans will surely relish this change, but for now there are plenty of unknowns for this program. With so much excitement in the air, the next few months will be a painfully long wait for the Johnny faithful.

Connor riChards | MarCh 29, 2023

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan

St. John’s (8) Suffers Overtime Loss To Marquette (1) In Big East Tournament

15

Three Lacrosse Players To Watch In Justin Turri’s First Season

Despite an 0-5 start to the season, the future of lacrosse in Queens looks to be in good hands. Though St. John’s University lacrosse team dropped their second game Feb. 18, there are many reasons to be excited about the Red Storm going forward.

While the No. 13 Delaware Blue Hens ultimately won the contest 16-9, the game’s first half was much closer. The Red Storm was able to hang with the Blue Hens through the first 30 minutes of action, thanks to goalie Kyle Munsen recording 10 of his 15 saves in the first half. The senior is one of three players who are going to be key to Justin Turri’s turnaround of the program.

A back-and-forth contest between Marquette (1) and St. John’s (8) ended in the Johnnies’ crushing Thursday afternoon overtime loss, 72-70. The team dropped the quarterfinal-round game in the Big East Tournament, extending the program’s Big East Tournament semifinal round drought to 23 years and officially eliminating St. John’s from the NCAA tournament.

St. John’s found itself with the ball, down by two points, with less than four seconds remaining in overtime. Dylan Addae-Wusu had been successfully driving to the basket and working inside the paint late, with 11 of his 16 points coming in the second half. St. John’s head coach Mike Anderson hoped to send Addae-Wusu back to the basket for the game’s final play, but the junior guard couldn’t get through.

“We had guys spaced out on the floor and we wanted to try to get Dylan [Addae-Wusu] to the hole,” Anderson said of the game’s final play in a postgame media conference. “He came off the screen and I thought they did a good job of jamming it up in there.”

But although junior guard Posh Alexander got an open look on a 3-point try that could’ve given the Red Storm the win, the shot bounced off the rim. Alexander scored seven points on 2-for-10

shooting against the Golden Eagles.

Before the Johnnies faltered in overtime, they made a critical blunder in regulation. Alexander grabbed a steal from Iso Ighodaro, and passed it to forward David Jones with roughly 15 seconds left in the second half.

Instead of calling a timeout, the Johnnies continued play, Jones lost the ball and committed a foul. The error cost St. John’s a possession and allowed Marquette to tack on another point.

“I was trying to call one,” Anderson said. “It happened so fast.”

In a game that saw the Red Storm lead by as many as 14 points, the team couldn’t overcome their sluggish start to the second half. St. John’s led by 10 points heading into the locker room at the half, but Marquette opened the game’s second period on a 12-4 scoring run that tied the game at 40. From there, St. John’s and Marquette would trade leads, but the Johnnies shot 24.1% from the field through the end of regulation. In total, the game was tied 10 different times and there were eight lead changes.

Immediately following the loss, there were questions of whether St. John’s would play in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) if they are selected. “If there’s an opportunity, our guys

want to play,” Anderson said. “I’m sure our guys will want to play.”

Anderson declined to comment on whether there have been conversations with the St. John’s administration about his future. But when asked about whether he hopes to be the Johnnies’ coach next season, he said “yes, without a doubt.”

Players voiced their support for Anderson after their elimination, including senior center Joel Soriano, who is the NCAA leader in double-doubles. Soriano, who can return next season if he decides to use his additional COVID eligibility year, told New York Post reporter Zach Braziller that he is only returning if Anderson is the head coach. “He’s a great coach,” Soriano added.

Freshman standout AJ Storr, who scored six points on 1-for11 shooting against Marquette, seemed to share Soriano’s sentiment in a cryptic tweet.

While St. John’s missed out on a potential NIT bid, Maruqette secured a Big East Tournemant win.

The Johnnies will continue their pursuit into the 2024 season under head coach Rick Pitino.

Graduate student midfielder Sean Duffy and Sophomore attackman Brian Kelly are going to be just as vital for future success. Duffy was the team’s big addition in the offseason, luring the second-team All-American away from Hampden-Sydney College with the opportunity to be a focal point of the offense.

Kelly, fresh off his first season where he broke the record for points scored as a freshman with 44, continued his hot start to the season by recording a hat-trick. This is his fourth career game with at least three goals in his short time in Queens.

Following a season where the Red Storm did not lose by less than 14 goals to a nationally ranked program, falling to Delaware by seven goals seems like an accomplishment already. Whenever a new coach takes over a program, there will be growing pains and adjustment periods. This 2022-23 St. John’s lacrosse team should not be judged based on their early performances.

The group will continue to make strides under Turri as the players begin to buy into his system and philosophy. The young head coach brings a plethora of experiences to St. John’s, having won a National Championship as a player with Duke as well as serving as Michigan’s offensive coordinator for the past four seasons.

The Red Storm will continue their pursuit against Marquette in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 8. The team is currently 0-10.

Brady Snyder | March 8, 2023

Kyler Fox | March 8, 2023

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan

St. John’s season ended Thursday afternoon after a 10-pointhalftime lead turned into a crushing overtime.

women's basketball

goes dancing

The St. John’s Women’s Basketball team made it back into the NCAA tournament for the 11th time in pro- gram history and the first time since 2016.

The Red Storm took on Purdue in Columbus, Ohio in Thursday’s play- in game. St. John’s was able to claim the 11-seed and played the University of North Carolina in the first-round games of the tournament.

The last time and only time St. John’s played Purdue was in 2018 when the team beat the Boilermakers 68-62 in the Paradise Classic.

“I think it’s going to be a great chal- lenge. It’s March. You can’t underes- timate anybody, just like they can’t underestimate us,” redshirt senior guard Jayla Everett said. “They are a very good team, with nice shooters. As long as we stay locked in, we are going to be okay and it’s going to be a greatCoachgame.”

Joe Tartamella led the veteran team to a 13-0 win streak to start the season. With six new faces and seven returners, he was focused on winning. “We’re going to be able to do a lot of

the things that we have done in the past with our more successful teams, in the way that we can guard and the athleticism that we have,” said Tartamella at Big East Media Day.

Senior Kadaja Bailey is the lon- gest-tenured member of the team and is finally dancing in her final season. “It feels great. I always wanted to go there as a freshman, and now that I am going there in my last year, it feels great,” Bailey said in a press conference before leaving for the tournament.

Their February win against No. 4 UConn, 69-64, is credited as the game that solidified their spot in the tournament. The Red Storm finished 22-8 on the season overall and 13-7 in Big East Transferplay.students Danielle Patterson, Danielle Cosgrove and Mimi Reid have all been to the NCAA tournament before their Johnnies’ tenure.

Purdue is a familiar opponent for Patterson, who she played against while at Indiana.

“To be able to go back and play Pur- due again, it’s going to be nice to go back to the Big Ten and play a Big

Ten team, I have experience playing them,” Patterson said. “Obviously, it’s with a new group of girls, and I love playing with this group and I think it’s going to be exciting.”

Jayla Everett made a two-pointer to end the game 68-66, bringing the Johnnies into the first round of the tournament.

However, the team lost by two in the last few seconds of their first-round game against UNC Chapel Hill, end- ing their season with a 61-59 loss.

After the season’s conclusion, Jayla Everett was invited to compete in the 2023 State Farm College Three-Point Championship during the Final Four games. Danielle Patterson was also in- vited to the Final Four game as part of the “So You Wanna Be a Coach” program.Following the NCAA tournament appearance, the Johnnies ended their season 23-9. The team had the best start of the best season in program history and had its first victory in the tournament since 2014.

Sara Kiernan | March 15, 2023

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan