The Torch Vol. 100:16 — November Edition

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan

Photo Courtesy / YouTube Kendrick Lamar

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan

Student Government, Inc. Teases Potential Return Of Taco Bell Next Semester

HoxHa | Nov. 30, 2022

The St. John’s University Student Government, Inc. (SGi) biweekly assembly meeting was held at 5:08 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 28 in St. Albert’s Hall Room B75, marking the last assembly meeting of the semester.

President Ethan Burrell hinted towards the re-opening of Taco Bell. “At the listening session, Dean [Sarah] Kelly did talk about the possibil ity of Taco Bell opening back up in the D’Angelo Center,” Bur rell said. Although nothing is confirmed, Burrell believes Taco Bell will open between late Jan uary and early February 2023.

SGi is working towards open ing more dining options on campus, Burrell was informed by the University that new restaurants are not opening “due to the lack of demand.”

“With the Staten Island cam pus now closing, there is going to be an influx of students hap pening [on the Queens campus] within the next two years,” Bur rell said. The University is trying to open more dining options, including a Halal restaurant.

SGi Secretary Julianna Lo Monte asked attendees for their thoughts on potentially man dating commuters to enroll in meal plans. As meal plans would be an effective way for the University to track commuters’ demands and build a fund, this would aid in providing more dining options on campus.

The statement started a general discussion on the topic. Burrell does not agree that meal plan man dates should be implemented to commuters. “I recommend we actually showcase that you save on

tax if you put [money] on your StormCard first.” University already provides commuter meal plans via students’ Account Suite on Atrium, a ser vice that supports student meal plans, dining dol lars, meal points and flex dollars. Paying through their StormCards, students would not have to pay sales tax when ordering food at on-campus sites. “I

bility for students with disabilities,” Burrell said. There is not enough here on campus.”

The meeting followed with an informal discus sion on campus and academic resources. A senator mentioned the lack of Canvas use from professors and failure to consistently post grades via Canvas. Burrell suggested the senator create a bill regarding the situation.

The Sustainability Commit tee confirmed a date on their planned book drive. The event will take place Monday, Dec. 5 in DAC Room 310.

The Flo committee mentioned getting six new dispensers. Flo provides free individual men strual products in restrooms at the first floor of St. Albert’s Hall and the Peter J. Tobin Col lege of Business, the first and second floors of the D’Angelo Center and the second floor of St. John’s Hall. Premade packs are available in the Sexual Vio lence Outreach, Awareness and Response office, Student Health Services and the Center for Counseling and Consultation. The Flo committee partnered with the Service committee to organize care packages sent to five different charities.

found out the tax-free portion probably a year and a half ago,” LoMonte said.

Burrell discussed the lack of accessibility areas, especially within the Little Theater and Carnesecca Arena — an issue that was discussed in a student listening session last week with Vice President of Student Success & Retention Strategy Sarah Kelly and Vice President of Equity & Inclusion Rachel Pereira. “One of the major concerns was accessi

RedZone Committee Chair and SGi Treasurer David Diano spoke on planned giveaways at upcoming men’s basketball games. Next Wednesday, Dec. 7, St. John’s will play their Big East home opener against DePaul. At the event, the St. John’s Athletic Department and RedZone will be giving away white long sleeve t-shirts.

Monday’s assembly meeting was the last of the Fall 2022 semester. The meetings will resume next semester on a biweekly basis.

Adams, Hochul Announce Subway Safety Plan

Following an increase in crime within New York City subways, 1,200 new NYPD shifts have been added.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new plan to reduce the amount of violence on the subways on Oct. 22. The plan has been described as a “strategy of cops, cameras, and care” by Hochul in her news conference.

The plan adds dedicated service units to help the unhoused population at psychiatric cen ters, increasing training for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police (MTA), New York Police Department (NYPD), first re sponders and paramedics.Emergency medical service units will train to engage with the un housed population and provide transportation for psychiatric evaluation. The NYPD will add 1,200 overtime shifts during peak hours at over 300 subway stations around the city.

“The bottom line is that riders will see more officers in the system and so will those thinking of breaking the law,” Adams said during the news confer ence. The increased number of officers is aimed to deter potential crime and provide serious mental health aid by training officers on ways to refer and transport those requiring aid to the necessary facilities.

“There have been way more cops at the stations,” said Alex Slyusarchuk, a freshman St. John’s student who commutes from the Middle Village. “There have also been more transit workers checking fares and NYPD on the trains.

I think increasing cops on trains and stations [is] good and should increase further.”

While some students believe the increase is positive, others are against it. “While good in theory, the NYPD are not the most reliable and often show up after a crime has happened rather than being there to prevent it,” said Panayiota Psarris, a freshman from Astoria, Queens. “For many New Yorkers of color, they report that they are more afraid on the subways with police around.”

Adams and Hochul’s initiatives will also come with the addition of psychiatric care facilities. Hochul has directed the Office of Mental Health (OMH) to open two new Transition to Home Units (THU).

This new program helps homeless people experiencing severe mental illness by providing them with care from OMH’s Center of Excellence for Psycho pharmacological Care if desired. It will launch two new 25-bed inpatient units, one of which will open at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center by Nov. 1. The other will launch by early next year.

Hochul has also announced the plan to add camera coverage to over 6,500 subway cars. The program will add camera coverage to the entire subway car fleet in late 2024.

SGi President Ethan Burrell hints at a potential re-opening of Taco Bell in the D’Angelo Center next semester at the semester’s last assembly meeting.

Dea

CJ Bourque | Nov. 9, 2022

Torch Photo / Brenden Willsch

Photo Courtesy / YouTube CBS New York

St. John’s Government and Politics Department Sponsors Biennial Election Recap

Students and faculty gathered in the D’Angelo Center on Nov. 14 for a biennial election recap held by the St. John’s University Government and Politics Department. The event, titled “Election 2022: What Happened and What’s Next,” provid ed a midterm election recap from a political sci enceTheperspective. event was hosted by Prof. Diane J. Heith, Ph.D. of the University’s Government and Politics program. The Brown University alumna specializes in the “presidency, public opinion, campaigns and elections and the media.” Heith is a distinguished author with works in The New York Times and Public Opinion Quarterly.

Heith began by discussing long-term structural forces that influenced the election results. Among these include the referendum model, which states that the current party in power will lose midterm seats, and the surge and decline model, which claims that the ‘in’ party is less enthusiastic than the ‘out’ party in the midterm elections. Ameri cans saw this model in practice as the U.S. House of Representatives shifted from Democratic to Republican control.. However, Heith claims that Democrats were far more enthusiastic than their GOP counterparts, which helped them retain Senate control.

The professor continued to emphasize the pre diction of a “red wave” and doom of Democrats which political scientists theorized for the 2022 election – which failed to happen. Heith quickly refuted the red wave and claimed that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – which overturned Roe v. Wade’s decision – was the cause.

Heith told students that before Dobbs, historical narratives dominated the political landscape. Fol lowing the events of Jan. 6, the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the pursuit of former president Don ald Trump’s White House documents, journalists covered events differently and were more involved in the political process.

Sophomore public administration and public service student Lydia Woodley was among the

students in the lecture who supports this claim. “I learned about how the Dobbs case and short-term politics drove election results,” she said. “It didn’t matter what happened before June, once Dobbs hit and other political debates started to find their way to the spotlight, the battleground started to change and couldn’t go back.”

Heith used diagrams to show election predictions and voter turnout in each state. During this seg ment, she underscored the importance of the 2022 election cycle. “What we do actually matters,” Heith said. “When people do something different we get an uncertain outcome. This is why it always

Democrats relied on younger voters from the ages of 18-39, while Republicans relied on voters 40- 65+. Democrats believed that that abortion and gun policy were most at stake in 2022 while Re publicans value crime, inflation and immigration most in 2022.

Heith closed with a segment titled “Where Do We Go From Here?,” where she laid the ground work for 2024. She believes that Gov. Ron DeSan tis will be the GOP’s frontrunner, and foresees a divided Republican party.

She also touched on lessons learned from this election. She talks about how starpower isn’t enough to win elections. Dr. Oz, Georgia’s Sta cey Abrams and Texas’ Beto O’Rourke did not have what it took to win. Heith also touched on candidate quality in states such as Pennsylvania and Arizona, where Trump-backed election-de niers Mastriano and Kari Lake lost their respec tive races.

Sophomore government and politics student Gabriella Onesto came to the event because the cycle hit home for her. “I was interested in hear ing more analysis on why the elections turned out the way they did and what the impact of that would be,” she said. “I work for the Board of Elections on Long Island, and from my per spective in working at the polls and seeing and talking to so many different people in this posi tion.”

matters what people do”

Her thoughts remained true in battleground states like Pennsylvania, which had a 55 percent (5.4 million) voter turnout rate. The state pro duced one of the most competitive races of the election, with Democrat John Fetterman defeating Dr. Mehmet Oz, flipping a GOP senate seat, and Democrat Josh Shapiro prevailing against Trump- backed Doug Mastriano in the gubernatorial race.

The lecture featured CNN exit polls, which out lined voter demographics in the election cycle.

Hochul Becomes New York’s

Tuesday’s midterm elections projected incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul to serve a full four-year gubernatorial term after her victory over Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin. The governor gained over 52 percent of New York’s votes — about 300,000 votes more than her opponent — making her New York’s first elected fe male governor.

Hochul was the lieutenant governor of former governor Andrew Cuomo since 2014 for seven years, as the pair were re-elected in 2018. Following Cuomo’s resignation due to sexual misconduct allegations and alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hochul took office in August 2021, becoming the 57th gov ernor of New York. She is also a Buffalo native, making her the first governor from outside the New York City area since 2006.

During her victory speech on Tuesday, Nov. 8, Ho chul addressed issues of affordable housing, gun vio

“The seat in my own congressional district flipped from Democrat to Republican after be ing a Democratic stronghold for a long time, so there’s also a personal connection to wanting to understand the logistical and statistical perspective of voting and government, because it does impact me,” Onesto said.

While students must wait until 2024 for Heith’s next talk, the University’s government and politics department offers classes on campaigns and elec tions, American national government and public opinion and politics – all taught by Heith.

Elected Female Governor

lence and abortion rights in New York, all issues of which she focused on during her campaign. “This will become a place where fundamental rights are protect ed and women can make their own decisions about

Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams recently unveiled a subway safety plan in New York City.

In her victory speech, Hochul mentioned that il legal gun possession and school safety are issues she aims to resolve during her tenure as governor.

Zeldin’s campaign was focused on crime in New York and infla tion. After Hochul’s declared vic tory, Zeldin refused to concede. “There’s over 1.4 million election day votes that are still out,” Zeldin said in a statement on Wednesday, Nov. 9. “It’s going to be a little frustrating for the members of the media who didn’t want us ever to be in contention here in New York.”

their bodies,” Hochul said.

Hochul and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delga do will now serve a four-year term. Their crime-pre vention efforts in New York are already apparent, as

Over 95 percent of New York votes have been counted, with over 5 million total votes recorded. Zel din holds nearly 47 percent of the votes.

The full New York midterm election results can be found on the state’s Board of Elections website.

Dea HoxHa | oct. 19, 2022

olivia Seaman | nov. 29, 2022

Torch Photo / Olivia Seaman

Photo Courtesy / YouTube CBS New York

SGi Discusses Newly-Signed Bills At Nov. 14 Assembly Meeting (With Little Student Attendance)

Burrell confirms assembly meetings are open to all students, but they haven’t been publicized amid a “slow start” this year.

Dea HoxHa | Nov. 15, 2022

St. John’s University’s Student Government, Inc. (SGi) held their assembly meeting at St. Albert’s Hall on Monday, Nov. 14. The meeting began at 5:06 p.m. in Room B75, where executive commit tees discussed recently-signed bills, campus dining options and RedZone programming.

The SGi assembly meetings occur biweekly and are open to St. John’s students, but the meetings have not been publicized on social media. “We are going to be publicizing it as well for students to know more about it,”said SGi President, Ethan Burrell. “Especially next semester, we are definitely going to make it more publicized for students to come.”

The SGi website contains an “Events” tab, which does not contain any upcoming events, showing a bare calendar. “We decided it was not the most feasible thing. We are going to be removing that from the website,” Burrell said.

“The University is going to be launching a new platform on SignOn called Pathify.” Burrell ex plained how Pathify would be a platform where organizations can post their upcoming events, keeping students updated. “It would probably be more efficient than our website.”

Burrell admitted SGi was “slow in the begin ning,” but they “encourage students to come.” Without social media posts or an updated website, it is unclear how Burrell and his executive branch encouraged students to come to the biweekly as sembly meetings.

A large turnout is expected for the Spring 2023

elections, according to the SGi Elections Com mittee. SGi Treasurer and RedZone Committee Chair David Diano spoke on plans for shuttles to the Barclays Center for the Empire Classic tourna ment, spanning Nov. 21-22. “We’re working on getting shuttles for the Monday night game at 9:30 p.m.,” Diano stated. Student tickets for the game will be sold for $10.

The Flo committee — created to provide stu dents with access to menstrual products, sanita tion facilities and education concerning menstrual health — discussed organizing donations of care packages. They also have been reaching out to the University’s facilities services department, aiming to frequently restock the menstrual product bas kets in the restrooms.

SGi Secretary and President of Student Ambassa dors Julianna LoMonte announced that the Spring 2023 Accepted Students Day will take place on April 15.

Burrell went on to review three recently signed bills: an act to provide students a limited number of prints per semester, as well as expanding print ing stations for resident students; an act to estab lish more effective communication between sena tors and their respective student bodies and an act to establish monthly emails sent to all students to inform them on the latest legislative changes, as well as provide a form for students to send their own ideas for changes.

The first bill does not have any immediate effect on the student body. It serves as a formal request

to the executive board by the student senate to initiate a dialogue with the University regarding student printing. No plan has been solidified, but SGi intends to move to secure free print points for students or remove course requirements for print ed copies of work.

Bills are first voted on by the student senate. If the bill is approved by a simple majority, it is pre sented before SGi’s president to be signed or ve toed. If a bill is vetoed, the bill can still be passed with a two-thirds majority in the student senate.

A new bill was presented to introduce food op tions in the first floor of the D’Angelo Center, mentioning the chaotic lines in the Marillac Cafe teria due to a great number of incoming students. “We need more food options on campus, especial ly DAC, because it’s a hub for commuters and res idents alike,” said Paul Gaylor, sophomore senator of the Peter J. Tobin College of Business.

Regarding current on-campus food options, Gaylor mentioned that the RoboBurger was a good start. “I thought [RoboBurger] was a great start to where we need to go,” he stated, “but at the end of the day, we still got to pay for it and it’s not part of my meal plan.”

He explained how the first floor of DAC used to be “lively” pre-pandemic. Gaylor was accom panied by Emma Cavalli, sophomore senator of the School of Education, and Jessica Lim, junior senator of St. John’s College. The bill was passed following a vote.

St. John’s University Ranks 39th Among Most “Green Colleges” Nationwide

Dea HoxHa | Nov. 29, 2022

St. John’s University’s Queens campus was ranked number 39 in a list of the most eco-friendly cam puses nationwide, according to The Princeton Review’s 2023 Top 50 Green Colleges. The col leges were evaluated based on student surveys and school-reported data.

St. John’s will reduce 50 percent of carbon emis sions produced by campus buildings by 2030 in order to remain in compliance with local regula tions. To reach its emissions limit, set by the NYC Climate Mobilization Act of 2019, the University plans to enforce energy renewable sources like so lar and geothermal power.

The St. John’s Offices of Sustainability and Resi dence Life partnered to host events throughout the year, advocating for student involvement to help keep the University green. Earlier this year, clubs and organizations held Earth Fest 2022, where multiple organizations lined up outside of the D’Angelo Center Plaza raising awareness on the importance of climate sustainability.

St. John’s is a participant of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a “transparent, self-reporting framework for col leges and universities to measure their sustainabil

ity performance.” The University earned a silver rating in 2011 and gold ratings in 2015 and 2019.

The University is also a charter participant in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s

ronment, society and the economy,” according to the FRH webpage.

The St. John’s chapter in the Food Recovery Net work (FRC) — the largest student-run movement fighting against food waste — is currently inactive. However, from Spring 2017 through Spring 2019, the University recorded a total of 14,993 pounds of recovered food. The last time the University recorded recovered food on FRC was in Spring 2019, when 3,400 pounds were recorded within the semester.

(EPA) Food Recovery Hierarchy (FRH) program.

The EPA’s program aims to limit food waste and food donations. “The top levels of the hierarchy are the best ways to prevent and divert wasted food because they create the most benefits for the envi

Students in the St. John’s Earth Club, student workers of the Office of Sustainability and volun teers of the Office of Academic Service Learning maintain a vegetable garden on campus, consisting of organic soil, a central drainage system and auto matic irrigation, harvesting to help support the St. John’s Bread & Life soup kitchen — founded in 1982 to help support people and families in crisis. The field is located near the Residence Village and Softball field.

More information on the University’s sustain ability plans can be found on the University’s web site.

Torch Photo / Andreina Rodrigues

There’s A New Chef At St. John’s University, And It’s Not Who (Or What) You Think

The intelligent, self-operating RoboBurger has entered St. John’s University with a mission to provide students with quickly cooked and high-quality burgers.

grieco | Nov. 16, 2022

Decades ago, it was thought that there would be robots everywhere by 2022 — robot doctors, robot employees and even robot chefs! Well now, there is a robot chef at St. John’s University, but not in the way one might think.

RoboBurger, a vending machine that cooks a burger in roughly four minutes, now joins Starbucks as a food option for students on the third floor of the D’Angelo Center at St. John’s University.

Founded in 2019 by three pas sionate foodies, RoboBurger has rein vented fast food into an easily accessi ble meal with high-quality ingredients such as angus beef patties, potato roll buns and aged cheese, according to the company’s website. RoboBurger aims to change the way people get and eat burgers, debunking the notion that “fast food” correlates with low-quality. RoboBurger is “fast food” in the sense that it cooks a burger from scratch with in four minutes.

The robot is “equipped with a complex, miniature kitchen consisting of a refrigeration system to keep in gredients fresh, a griddle to cook and a dishwasher sys tem to allow the unit to self-clean,” per RoboBurger. It is the most compact vending machine-sized kitchen that has cooked a burger, providing people with hot food any time DAC is open.

RoboBurger claims it is the first plug-in burger “chef in a box” that provides hot, fresh and affordable meals to students, workers or just about anyone. This machine makes it extremely easy for students to have a meal while studying for finals late into the night, or for busy employees to enjoy a hot meal for$6.99 — rather than a single candy bar from a vending machine during their much-needed breaks.

Despite the easy access and affordable pricing, Ro boBurger was met with reluctance from some St. John’s students. Senior Greg Auteri noted that he “was very hes itant to try the burger because I thought, like many, there is no way a burger from a vending machine can be in any sense tasteful.” However, Auteri found that the burger “exceeded [his] expectations. It was not terrible but not amazing. I wouldn’t get this burger everyday, but if I ever find myself hungry again at school, I’d definitely give it another go.”

Sophomore Sarah Esposito had similar feelings to wards the taste, quality and accessibility of the machine. “I was nervous to try it because it’s a burger from a vend ing machine – it sounds a little weird,” Esposito admit

ted. “Overall, I thought the RoboBurger experience as a whole was pretty good; the burger’s flavor was really nice and much better than I thought, though I would still rate it a six out of ten.”

The placement of RoboBurger in DAC right next to Starbucks encountered mixed reviews. Auteri stated, “I like the placement because right after you purchase a drink from Starbucks, you can walk over, order a burger and wait five minutes for it to be hot and ready.”

“The only thing I don’t like is that it makes DAC smell like burgers,” junior Elisabeth Casey said about DAC’s new scent “I don’t like the placement at all. [DAC] used to smell so good because of the freshly brewed cof fee, but now it has a sickening smell of greasy burgers.”

The overwhelming scent of cooked burgers can be a turn-off for many people, especially those who are veg an or vegetarian; it can also displease visiting prospective students as well as the University’s own student body.

RoboBurger is the only hot food vending machine that is certified by the National Sanitary Foundation to the highest food safety regulations. Therefore, regardless of the negatives, the higher quality of the RoboBurger can be recognized.

“It was clearly fresh, the bun was soft, the seasoning was on par and the burger itself was not dry at all,” Auteri added.

If SJU students are intrigued by the RoboBurger, it might be worth pushing past the initial smell and giving the burgers a try.

AbigAil

Torch Photo / Olivia Seaman

Ozanam Scholars Work to Close NYC Literacy Gap

Olivia Seaman | Dec. 4, 2022

Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, five St. John’s Uni versity students travel in a University-issued van to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant. After the 30-minute ride, they enter a building where they are immediately welcomed by dim lighting, endless shelves of children’s books and dozens of smiling children.

These students are in the Ozanam Scholars program and work as tutors for Read 718, a “Brooklyn-based nonprofit ded icated to building strong confident readers,” according to their website.

Read718 was founded in 2015 by Emily Kirven, a former NYC middle school English teacher who noticed many of her students needed more individual instruction to get them up to reading level. Lessons are at little to no cost for families and the program serves children in grades 3-8.

The partnership began in Fall 2021, when Anna Zak, the former associ ate director of Academic Ser vice-Learning, reached out to the non-profit inquiring about volunteer op portunities.

The program has sent eight students to the non-prof it since its in ception, with many students volunteering for more than one semester.

The scholars participate in two 75-min ute sessions per day over a 10week period, where they tu tor one desig nated child per session. Before they start, the scholars talk with the students about their day. “It’s a great way to bond with my students before we jump into the session,” said sophomore scholar Amaiya Sancho.

Lessons are divided into three 25-minute parts: word study, reading comprehension and reading aloud. Each lesson is de pendent on the students’ reading level and need. “My students are currently learning about consonant and vowel sounds and blending letter sounds together,” sophomore Sullivan Padgett said. “It’s like teaching a mini lesson.”

In the reading comprehension portion, students read to the tutors, who correct any mistakes and answer questions about reading concepts. During the last 25 minutes, the tutors read to the students.

“When working with young children, it’s hard to command their attention for the full 90-minutes,” Padgett said. He finds that playing educational games — like tic-tac-toe — in between each section is a great way to keep them focused.

The scholars have made meaningful connections with their students during their time at the program. They get their stu dents birthday and Christmas gifts. They know their students’ strengths and weaknesses.

“I think that’s one of the important pieces of our program; they are getting instruction from the same tutor each time so that they are able to develop that relationship,” said Kirven. “Kids learn better when they feel comfortable, happy and sup ported. Creating that bond, even if it’s in 10 weeks, you get to know them. For children, that’s really important.”

Padgett has been with Read718 since the beginning and has been working with his student Stephan since Fall 2021. The pair have formed an immense bond, and much of the 9-yearold’s success can be attributed to Padgett. “Sullivan makes the reading enjoyable. He always takes his time with me and helps me not only with the words, but also with the comprehension of what I have read,” said Stephan in a statement pro vided to The Torch by his mother. The students are assessed ev ery 10 weeks to see if they move up at least one read ing level on their reading scale. Howev er, the scholars see improve ments in more than just their studies. “I’ve seen improve ments with my students not just aca demically, but also personally. From their ea gerness to learn to improved focus, my students have become better readers in the year I’ve been working with them,” sophomore Jennifer Obiesie said.

Not only have the students grown, but so have the scholars. While improving their tutoring skills, the scholars feel fulfilled in their service. “I’ve grown so much during my time with Read718, it’s satisfying to help others in such a personal way,” said Sancho.

Kirvan dubs the program her “second baby” and acknowledg es the profound impact its had on her life. “I started this pro gram in order to harness the strength and power of our com munity members to provide this really important instruction,” said Kirvan. “I’m always inspired by people who volunteer their time to do this work, because they certainly don’t have to. Our volunteers recognize the real need and that one-on-one atten tion that the scholars give can truly be transformative for the kids.”

Five student scholars work to tutor elementary students and have created personal connections in the process.

Photo Courtesy / Amaiya Sancho

Tips and Tricks for College Employment and Resume Building

7, 2022

As college students reach their junior and senior year, many start considering and applying for internships, part-time or full-time jobs. While trying to meet the requirements of any job or internship, it is important to keep in mind the basic tips to create a strong, professional resume. The wide range of online, free and easily accessible resources lifts the weight of immense stress off students during the applica tion process, providing an effective way for students to prepare and to help them achieve their career goals.

Proper, unique and well-written resumes and cover letters are a crucial part of job applications. A free, easy-to-use website that aids in the process is resume.com; at no cost, students can log-in using an Indeed profile and use the ac cessible resume and cover letter templates. These templates act as a foundation to build your resume and cover letter from, and once you get the hang of a suitable format, you can add a personal flair to both documents. The website also includes career advice on interviews, dress codes, re sume samples and when to start applying for jobs.

Your resume is your first opportunity to present yourself to a potential employer; a strong resume can shine past other applicants, but a weak resume can cause you to be ruled out of an employer’s options. In order to ensure that your resume is well-articulated and polished, here are some tips.

Keep Resumes Short & Simple

Resumes should be no longer than one page in length. This allows hiring managers to effectively view your resume to find work experience and notable skills that match their requirements. Narrowing down your resume to a single page not only shows organization, but it also lays out the

most important qualifications that highlight your career. Describe Your Accomplishments, Not Your Job Responsibilities

Many employers do not want to see a regurgitation of your job description, as this is what you are required to do; rather, they want to see how you can positively con tribute to the company’s success. Listing accomplishments are proof of your best skills as well as powerful indicators of your future job performance. One way to differentiate an accomplishment-oriented resume from a responsibil ity-driven one is to use the “Challenge, Action, Result” (CAR) formula. Every accomplishment incorporated in your resume should include the challenge you were faced with, the action you took and the result of your diligence, according to JobScan.

Create A Career Snapshot at the Top of Your Resume

With a career snapshot, you are presenting an identify ing statement that succinctly provides your skills, qualifi cations and distinct values. The most important factor to remember when writing your career snapshot is to answer the question, “how would you describe your relevant work experience in a sentence?” In a single sentence, an applicant can showcase their organization and creativity, as well as acting as an opportunity to show your most dominant skills, assets and experiences to a potential employer right off the bat.

Whether you are looking for a part-time job, full-time job or even a semester-long internship, University services can provide students with advice and guidance. When tra versing through the breadth of job listings, take advantage of these resources in order to ensure you are putting your best foot forward.

As students prepare for job and internship applications, these tips and resources can help ease the stress of these anxiety-inducing processes.

AbigAil grieco And deA HoxHA | dec.

Photo Courtesy / Unsplash Markus Winkler

Why Record Breaking Temperatures Represent a Need for Change

November has shown increasing temperatures that are highly unusual for this time of year.

Although many St. John’s University students are ready to break out their heavy winter sweaters, the temperature outside calls for shorts and skirts instead. In November, temperatures are climbing into the 70s in the tri-state area, breaking temperature records from as far back as the 1990s. The areas most affected by these high temperatures are the Northeast and Midwest, with average temperatures for the month still being seen in the West. At JFK airport, the tem perature was 80 degrees on Nov. 7 – the warmest observed in over 50 years.

Students are concerned about the climbing temperatures and turn to professionals with questions about why it felt like summer in November. A zone of high pressure, often referred to as a heat dome, surged the eastern United States and created higher temperatures. However, the record break ing temperatures and humidity has been exacerbated by hu man caused climate change.

The United States is not the only place in the world to be concerningly warm — Europe has had a continued surge in temperatures due to extreme changes in the jet stream and the effects of global warming. Although the temperatures are expected to decrease, the plunge of the jet stream in the West sends temperatures soaring across the United States. The trend for the rest of November is still uncertain, according to meteorologists, but a block of high pressure from Greenland may lead to colder air.

These temperatures have proven to be a frustration to stu dents at the University. Ready to dress for cooler weather and jump into the winter season, students were forced to dress as if it was September again.

A large problem at the University is the lack of air condi tioning, since the AC units are turned off after mid-October. “The weather has been ridiculous. One day it is 50 degrees,

the next it’s 70, and realistically, it should be colder than that in November,” said sophomore Briana Ledan. “I walk into class unable to pay attention because I feel like I’m melting. It’s making everything very difficult.”

Another issue is the increasing temperature of the dorms, since the heat has been switched on. “My room was so hot that it made it hard to sleep and then I had to go right into a hot classroom,” said O’Connor Hall resident student Molly Downs.

Sophomore Madison Coombs describes sitting in the Mont goris Dining Hall as being in a “swamp.” “It is not enjoyable to eat dinner while you and your friends are breaking a sweat because the heat is blasting.”

A factor contributing to the rising outdoor temperatures is the ongoing effect of global climate change. New York is see ing higher temperatures as a trend due to increases in carbon

dioxide and other greenhouse gasses.

According to the Nature Conservancy, New York is in danger of rising sea levels destroying infrastructure, declin ing drinking water quality and quantity and degradation in air quality. New Yorkers, as well as the rest of the country, should view these high temperatures as a wake up call for the dangers of climate change.

Citizens of New York should take into greater consideration the dangers of their carbon footprint. Many people wonder what exactly they can do to help combat the devastating ef fects of climate change. Despite the overwhelming impact this phenomenon has on the world, it is possible to make lifestyle changes to become more eco-friendly. Simple steps such as using a reusable water bottle, walking or biking when possible and, most importantly, voting to enact change in government are all ways to contribute.

Why Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger Shouldn’t Be The Face of Moderate Conservatism

Liz

Cheney and Adam Kinzinger being right on one thing doesn’t mean we should praise them.

Sergio Padilla | Nov. 16, 2022

The riot and insurrection that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021 at the United States Capitol was horrific. Political violence of all stripes is bad and should be broadly condemned, as it was. The ideas behind the riots, that the 2020 election was stolen, have been debunked by Republican-led investigations in states like Arizona and Georgia.

Illinois representative, Adam Kinzinger, and Wyoming’s sole representative, Liz Cheney have gained broader appeal through their denunciation of Jan. 6 and the lies surrounding a stolen election. They are both Republicans, the same party as former President Trump, making their views significant. Their moves have resulted in the end of their careers as law makers. Cheney suffered an overwhelming defeat in her primary election in Wyoming and Kinzinger has decided against running for re-election.

But worse conservative representatives supporting anti-elec tion conspiracies could not have been chosen.Their attitudes towards war and foreign policy are reminiscent of a past po litical era better left forgotten.

First, recall Liz Cheney in an interview with “60 Minutes’” Lesley Stahl, saying that waterboarding “is not torture.”

Waterboarding, as defined by Merriam-Webster is “an in terrogation technique usually regarded as a form of torture in which water is forced into a detainee’s mouth and nose so as to induce the sensation of drowning.”

When someone needs to argue with the dictionary over the definition of a word, they’re already losing. Cheney is in

lock-step with war mongers who claim that our presence in Afghanistan was essential to keeping the Taliban out of pow er. Last summer the taliban take over and chaotic scenes un folded of people clinging to aircraft and the tragic deaths of 13 service members at the Kabul airport. But what becomes even more obvious is that the one thing that, maybe, could have prevented that was perpetual deployment.

Washington Post columnist and foreign policy author Max Boot gives his definition of perpetual deployment in the Se attle Times’ opinion pages:

“We need to think of these deployments in much the same way we thought of our Indian Wars, which lasted roughly 300 years,” writes Boot. “U.S. troops are not undertaking a conventional combat assignment. They are policing the fron tiers of the Pax Americana.”

No, Boot and Cheney are not Star Wars villains. Neither have been deployed on a combat mission as a member of the armed services before.

Kinzinger, is currently a member of the Wisconsin Air Na tional Guard as a lieutenant colonel. While Kinzinger’s ser vice demands respect, he breaks with fellow outgoing Repub lican congressman from Michigan and fellow Iraq veteran, Peter Meijer.

“I think we need to be expanding our mission [in Afghan istan]. I think it needs to be more in bed with the [Afghan istan National Army],” said Kinzinger at a panel hosted by the Wilson Center on the war in Afghanistan.

A Brown University study conducted in 2021 estimated that the total cost of the war on terror had a death toll of near ly one million people and a price tag of nearly $8 trillion. An ideology that values fiscal responsibility and believes in a right to life should not endorse reckless adventures.

While Meijer joined 49 fellow Republicans in 2021 in re pealing the use of force authorization against Iraq, Kinzinger voted against it. Meijer wasn’t afraid of staying true to his principles and voted to impeach former President Trump over Jan. 6th.

It should show that, contrary to desperate Democratic par ty rhetoric, someone that believed in the ideals of limited government, free enterprise and valuing tradition can hold office, while simultaneously finding election conspiracies on both sides silly and rejecting the idea that we need to be the world police. Agree with the underlying ideals or not, this is a model to emulate for a healthy American political right.

Photo Courtesy / YouTube US Open Tennis Championships

olivia raiNSoN | Nov. 29, 2022

Photo Courtesy / Unsplash CHUTTERSNAP

Photo Courtesy / YouTube PBS NewsHour

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 repre sent the views of the administration, faculty or students of St. John’s University unless specifically stated.

coNTrIBUTIoNS

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 newslet ter 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.

Trump’s Announcement Shows Why He Shouldn’t Be the GOP Nominee in 2024

In John Wayne’s last movie “The Shootist,” released in 1976, a little under three years before his death, the legendary actor plays an old gunslinger facing terminal cancer. See ing as he’s faced with the prospect of death, a good portion of the film focuses on Wayne and his character J.B. Books’ reminiscing on his life, showing clips from past films.

Former President Donald Trump’s an nouncement of his 2024 run for the White House went much like that. He reminisced on his work on renegotiating trade deals with Mexico and Canada, gas prices, geopo litical relationships with Russia and China and the unemployment rates of different mi nority groups under his presidency.

At his announcement, Trump laid out a policy agenda, pledging to end our supply chain’s reliance on China, a ban on congres sional stock trading and principles of small government and self determination among other actual ideas.

Contrast that with his past statements, where he openly ignored policy in favor of spreading theories about election fraud in 2020, of which has no basis in fact, as prov en by Republican-led investigations.

In Wayne’s last film, he gives Ron How ard’s character a code of laws from the wild country: “I won’t be wronged. I won’t be in sulted. I won’t be laid-a-hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”

Wronged and insulted are just two of many grievances that Trump has committed towards independents and moderate conser vatives who want policy ideas, not fictitious stories of election fraud.

When Trump spoke at his announcement, he had the same tone as a man who spent the last night drinking too much booze, now awake and hungover, regretting what he’d done the night before.

He managed to keep the election conspir acies to a minimum, but the idea that Amer ican society will view Trump as a reinvented man will take longer than the roughly 700

days until the 2024 election.

If you want to know why the “Red Wave” never materialized, it was largely in part be cause of Donald Trump’s offputting candi dates who left a sour taste in the mouths of independent voters.

Voters want normal politicians. That’s why, despite Republicans losing most state wide races in Arizona, running entire cam paigns centered around alleged election fraud, Republican State Treasurer Kimberly Yee won by over 250,000 votes, or a 12 per cent margin. Yee is undoubtedly conserva tive, she just didn’t let conspiracies dictate her campaign.

Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp and Sec retary of State Brad Raffensperger were ac tually rewarded by voters for staying true to their principles and standing up to Trump, while Herschel Walker’s future remains in doubt. Noticing a pattern?

Republicans getting a new leader should be the focus of any center-right voter in Amer ica. Even if you despise Republicans and think that their policies are silly, it’s hard to disagree that democracy works better when candidates debate policy, not conspiracy.

Governors like Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin or Florida’s Ron Desantis show what staying off social media and focusing on governing can do. Governor Youngkin enjoys a 50% approval rating in a blue state and Gover nor Desantis won Florida, formerly a purple state, by well over 1.5 million votes.

Just one week ago, Trump made racist comments towards Youngkin, alleging that he’s Chinese, calling Mitch McConnell’s wife slurs and making his least creative nick names for DeSantis. Is he really a changed man?

In an ideal world, Trump wouldn’t be an nouncing a third run. He would spend more time with his family and enjoy retirement. It’s time to call it a wrap, Mr. President.

Connor Richards Maggie M. Turner

Sydnie Stern Olivia Rainson

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Sergio Padilla | Nov. 30,2022

Trump presented his vision for America in his announcement, but is it too little too late?

Photo Courtesy / YouTube FOX News

Why New York Democrats Are Losing Long Island

At this point, it is agreed that the 2022 U.S. midterm elections did not turn out to be a “red wave” for the Re publican Party. The party massively underperformed, with the Democrat ic Party maintaining control of the Senate and doing better than expect ed on the House level by holding on to several competitive seats. However, Republicans did overperform in a few select areas of the country, including in New York, a solidly Democratic state.

In New York, Republicans picked up four seats in the U.S. House of Repre sentatives previously held by Demo crats, including two Democratic-lean ing seats on Long Island. Many theories have already emerged about how this happened. Some point to Eric Adams and his com- ments regarding crime in New York City for hurting his party down the ballot. Others are blaming Jay Jacobs, the chair of the New York Democratic Party, for the party’s misfortunes and are calling for him to step down as party chair.

One thing is clear: Republican guber natorial nominee Lee Zeldin ran an

extremely effective campaign focus- ing on crime that helped down-ballot Republicans pick up seats from Democrats. That’s in comparison to the more low-key campaign run by Democratic incumbent Kathy Ho chul, who only won her race by six percentage points. On Long Island, Zeldin won both Nassau and Suffolk County by an astonishing 11 and 17 points, respectively.

more effective at making laws to ad dress crime.

Courtesy/ YouTube Fox Business

It was also clear that the bail reform legislation passed by the New York legislature, which got rid of bail laws for certain types of offenders, hurt Democrats on Long Island.

This is not surprising. As a resident of Long Island, I saw “Zeldin for Gover nor” signs all over my town.

The fear of a Republican sweep on Long Island on the House-level pro pelled by Zeldin’s strong campaign was what inspired me to volunteer for Laura Gillen, the Democratic nomi nee for New York’s 4th congressional district on the south shore of Long Is land. As a result of Zeldin’s strong coattail effect on down-ballot candi dates, Gillen ended up losing to Republican nominee An thony D’Esposito by four percentage points.

In retrospect, Democrats could have focused more on countering Republi can attacks on crime and making the case for why Democrats would be

And it’s not as if the state’s Democratic Party wasn’t aware of their newfound vulnerability in the region. In the Nassau and Suffolk County elections that took place last year, Republicans used this argument to win several county-wide offices from Democrats, such as the district attorney race in both counties and the chief executive race in Nassau.

Democrats should have taken these elections as a sign that if they want to avoid a midterm wipeout on Long Is land, they need to change their strat egies and focus on more aggressively countering Republican attacks in re gard to crime.

But they clearly didn’t do that.

If Democrats don’t take their abysmal performance on Long Island as a sign that they need some major intra-party reform, they risk losing Long Island in local and statewide races — and potentially the state of New York it self — for the foreseeable future.

Tomas

Photo

Photo

The “final girl” trope has taken over the horror film genre for decades. Films have been in a vicious cycle that sees the most “pure” woman survive the antagonist — but Ti West’s “Pearl” and “X” have given power back to female horror leads.

“Pearl” is an out of the box film, being produced in secret after its sequel “X.” The script is the love child of West and Mia Goth, being written on the set of “X” after realizing they have the set for a while longer than planned. It was announced West was already editing and finishing up the film the same month “X” was released.

Viewers follow the origin story of the main char acter, Pearl, as she fights with unusual desires, her family and herself. Living during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic on an isolated Texas farm, her ob session for fame becomes violent.

Released March 18, “X” took the slasher formula and the “final girl” trope and completely subverted expectations. The story follows a 1970s adult film production team as they travel to a Texas farm house to shoot their next video. Things quickly unravel as the actors begin to fight for their life against the owners of the farm, Pearl and Howard.

The audience gets a small glance of Pearl’s char

acter as she rivals the main actress of the adult film, Maxine Minx (both played by Goth). They strug gle with their delusion of destiny for fame and need for love and attention.

For viewers that enjoyed “X,” note that “Pearl” is not an exact sister film. While “X” sticks much closer to the slasher genre using blood and sex to make the audience uncomfortable, Pearl is much more of a character study using psychology to make viewers squirm.

“Pearl” was released just six months after “X” on Sept. 16. It earned $3.1 million domestically and blew up on TikTok, as reported by IMDB. The film doesn’t shy away from the main character’s brutal, unbridled and uncomfortable rage caused by repressed sexuality. The audience watches a woman unravel, starting the movie off as a simple performer wishing for fame and longs to escape farm life but she starts spiraling quickly, killing farm animals and having intimate relations with a scarecrow.

Goth’s incredible performances as Maxine in “X” and Harriet in “Emma” (2020) raised audience ex pectations prior to the film. The cinematography is beautifully stylized and is a perfect homage to films of the 1910s with the soundtrack and effects used. It’s a tense and blood-pumping film, often

showing less than more. Although laced with gore, some scenes completely ignore the murderous acts committed, somehow causing more fear in view ers. With long monologues without cuts, this film makes you hold your breath.

Tandi Wright, playing Pearl’s mother Ruth, commanded the screen. Both actors portray an intense jarring relationship between mother and daughter.

The year 2022 has been an exciting year for hor ror fans with films like “Nope,” “Barbarian,” and “Don’t Worry Darling” released. Director and writer Ti West has been a big name this year, film ing and releasing these two slasher films back to back, with a third on the way.

A24 has yet to disappoint, especially in the hor ror category. The company has seen hits with Ari Aster’s “Midsommar” and “Hereditary,” accom panied by this year’s “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Men.” A24 focuses on the unsettling aspect of horror, which resonates highly with viewers.

It seems that this franchise is just the beginning of Mia Goth’s career, who could acquire her first Oscar nomination with this role. Although not the scariest horror film, “Pearl” undoubtedly has what it takes to become a cult classic.

Colleen Hoover returns with a sequel to her #1 New York Times Bestseller “It Ends With Us,” six years after its release. “It Starts With Us” was re leased on Oct. 18, continuing the story of a young girl’s healing journey following an abusive rela tionship.

Hoover captures the essence of a war between one and oneself while searching for a new begin ning. More specifically, she captures the rocky road to peace after undergoing an abusive relationship. Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid meet, elope, have a child together and break apart.

Lily witnessed abuse before, as her father was abusive towards her mother. Ryle’s heavy past fu els his rage and violence, which drives Lily away. Fan-favorite Atlas Corrigan — famous chef and Lily’s first love — is believed to be Lily’s knight in shining armor.

Incorporating each character’s heavy past, Hoover amplifies the emotional aspect of the se ries. “It Ends With Us” was filled with heavy con tent and the trigger warnings of abuse and domes tic violence must be kept in mind.

While the sequel does not consist of content as heavy, it picks up where the first book left off, shedding light on a difficult healing journey. “It Starts With Us” illustrates Lily’s conflict concern ing her past. Knowing Ryle’s tendency of violence,

she fears that opening up to Atlas, her first love, would affect her and Ryle’s co-parenting situation with their 1-year-old daughter, Emmerson. With the father of her child being a constant in her life, Lily struggles to live her life based on her own needs, not knowing how he would react.

A secondary character who deserves a bigger spotlight is Alyssa, Ryle’s sister and Lily’s best friend. She has been fully supportive toward Lily throughout the divorce and encourages her to move on, knowing it would hurt her own brother, and knowing that her brother still holds onto hope for a relationship with Lily. Hoover’s description of Alyssa brings attention to the fact that violence is never acceptable, regardless of one’s relationship

with the offender.

Atlas Corrigan has been a fan-favorite in this se ries. Unlike “It Ends With Us,” the sequel shows both the points of view of Lily and Atlas, showing readers new aspects of the book, and introduc es new information about the character. Hoover provides fans with a long-awaited detailed story of Corrigan’s life, who was known to be raised in an abusive family and who was homeless for most of his teenage years. As he now owns one of the most popular restaurants in Boston, providing his point of view added greater value in the novel. It did not take long for “It Starts With Us” to be come a bestseller, with good reason. Hoover’s nov els are known to have plot twists that leave readers on the edge of their seats. This one is different. Al though this “It Starts With Us” is a slower-paced novel as opposed to most of her previous novels, it is one with a significant message. It shows the reality of abuse and the truth behind the healing process.

Hoover’s “It Ends With Us” reached its peak in 2021, and has held a spot on the New York Times Bestsellers List for 73 weeks and counting, currently ranking third on the Combined Print & E-Book Fiction list. New to the list comes “It Starts With Us,” ranking first on its first week on the list. A movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us” is currently in the works, directed by Justin

Baldo.

Photo Courtesy / Dea Hoxha

Photo Courtesy / YouTube A24

CURATED COLLECTIONS: The Best Albums 2022

With the year quickly winding down and Apple Music’s and Spotify’s end-of-year user reviews roll ing out this week, it is finally time to review 2022’s best releases.

From reggaeton, to trap and pop, there is no de nying this year was a rich yet busy time for the in dustry. After all, almost every current music mogul released a record this season. Artists like Beyonce, Taylor Swift and BTS seemed busy this year, as they all battled for the number one spot in the top of the charts with their respective works. That is why, the task of only choosing five albums to go on the top of this list is nearly impossible.

Though the next records are from different genres and in some ways incomparable, these are projects that not only gave the audience a lot to talk about, but were also able to revolutionize their categories and provide something completely different than the rest of their competitors. So without further ado, here are the five best albums of 2022 (in no particular order).

“Un Verano Sin Ti” by Bad Bunny

“Un Verano Sin Ti” (a summer without you) is simply the standout of the entire year. Stepping away from his usual reggaeton inclinations with this new record, Bad Bunny effectively provides fans with a conglomerate of Latin genres, constant ly changing from mambo, salsa and even EDM –all while promoting Latino pride and his passion for his native island Puerto Rico.

This month, the album became the first Spanish record to be nominated for “Album of the Year” in the anglo-speaking Grammys. At the same time, it spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the

Billboard 200 chart, tying Drake’s “Views” for the most weeks at No.1.

“Midnights”

by Taylor Swift

There is no denying “Midnights” has its flaws, most of which deal with its frail theme. However, Swift’s 10th studio album still proves to be one of the best bodies of work released this year. The fun yet profound songwriting that the artist is more than familiar with, paired with the experimental pop sound bejeweled “Midnights” with a crown at the top of this year’s releases.

The success of this record is clearly portrayed in its numbers. On the day of its release, “Midnights” became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day. Swift also became the only artist to simulta neously occupy the entire Billboard Top 10 singles chart, making it the only time in history a male has not been present in this ranking.

“Harry’s

House” by Harry Styles

Despite its often weak songwriting, Styles’ vo cals, charisma and the outstanding production of the record save “Harry’s House” from being an other love album to one filled with nuance and a coming-of-age-like feeling. The British singer’s third studio album establishes Styles, not only as a force to be reckoned with, but also as the future of the industry.

With “Harry’s House,” Styles earned six Gram my nominations, including “Album of the Year” and “Best Pop Vocal Album.” Simultaneously, the lead single from the album, “As It Was” broke the record for most streamed track on Spotify for a male artist, accumulating over 16 million streams on the day of its release.

“Motomami” by Rosalía

The Spanish singer’s third studio album is eas ily the most unique of her discography. Breaking up with her flamenco roots, Rosalía adopts a more avant-garde and experimental reggaeton style. Though the album tends to deal with emotional themes such as homesickness, fame and isolation, its fun songwriting, the singer’s ethereal vocals and the catchy tunes will have listeners leaving tissues behind and running to the dance floor.

Trespassing the U.S. market and trending earlier this year on TikTok due to her exaggerated facial expression when singing “Bizcochito,” Rosalía has made a name for herself, both in America and in Europe. Earlier this month, the artist won “Album of The Year” in the Latin Grammys and is nomi nated for “Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album” in the American Grammys.

“Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers” by Kend rick Lamar

Making a comeback to music after five years, Lamar graces listeners with a punchy and three-di mensional album reflecting on his insecurities and moral authority. Being the only rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize, Lamar lives up to his songwriting abilities in this record. Through his jarring lyrics and vulnerable production, “Mr. Morale” wel comes even the most adamant listeners to the hiphop community.

The record joins “Un Verano Sin Ti” and “Har ry’s House” into the list of “Album of the Year” at the 2023 Grammys. Upon its release, Lamar’s fifth studio album reached No. 1 in Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

From pop to rap, here are the best albums to revisit as the year comes to an end.

Maria Villarroel | NoV. 30, 2022

Photo Courtesy / YouTube Kendrick Lamar

A Comprehensive Guide To The November Movie Release Schedule

What students should be looking out for at the movies this month.

The cinematic calendar inched closer to its finish line with a crowded month of offerings that feature everything from nostalgic family dramas to cannibalist love stories.

There are a lot of options and market ing campaigns to wade through this de buting, on Nov. 11 with arguably the biggest event movie of the year: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to Mar vel’s 2018 billion-dollar grosser “Black Panther” takes place after the death of King T’Challa, played in the first film by the late Chadwick Boseman, and centers around the nation of Wakan da attempting to stave off coloniza tion after the death of their king. The success of the first film, coupled with Coogler’s impeccable directorial cred ibility, gives “Wakanda Forever” a le gitimate chance to be the best Marvel movie since “Avengers: End Game” in 2019, and potentially rival the box-of fice dominance of its predecessor.

Released on the same day was “Spirited,” a musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reyn olds. With the unconventional cast ing of Reynolds and Ferrell, “Spirited” could either be a disaster or a fun mu sical romp. Either way, the cast makes the film worth watching.

Furthermore, “She Said”, hit theaters Nov. 18, following the based-on-trueevents story of two New York Times reporters, Jodi Kantor, and Megan Twohey, as they break the seismic Har vey Weinstein sexual misconduct story that led to the “Me Too” movement and Weinstein’s eventual imprison ment. “She Said” stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan and has already invoked comparisons to prestigious journalism films “All The President’s Men,” and “Spotlight.”

“The Menu” opened the same day and stars Ralph Fiennes as an eccen tric, potentially murderous chef who’s cooking for, and presumably terroriz ing, a group of couples on a remote is land. Directed by Mark Mylod – who’s primarily worked within the world of television – the film is described as a hybrid between horror and comedy. “The Menu” is the wildest card on the list, and a film with an incredibly high degree of difficulty, but still one with the potential to peak movie going cu riosities.

Cinema icon Steven Spielberg is back since 2021’s “West Side Story,” this time tapping into his own family dy namics in an attempt to render an idealized portrait of his youth. “The Fablemans,” chronicles Spielberg’s childhood and filmmaking journey

through the eyes of his parents and their marital discord.

“The Fablemans” is shepherded by Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, who play Spielberg’s parents, as well as a supporting performance by Seth Rogan, who plays a Fableman family friend. The film garnered strong critical praise for its warm familial tones and seems to be an early contender for best picture.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, but coincidentally falling on the same day was “The Fablemans,” is “Bones and All,” Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal love story with Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell playing the romantically linked cannibals in question.

An admittedly insane premise that’s sure to offend a large number of moviegoers and critics. “Bones and All” promises to be provocative, if not outright offensive. Either way, it’s an in teresting creative choice for Chalamet, who seems to be doing everything in his power as of late to shed his heart throb label.

Students can catch the month’s most-anticipated films at theaters around the city, including some with in minutes of the St. John’s University Queens campus.

Weston Greene | nov. 15, 2022

Photo Courtesy / YouTube SearchLightPictures

St. John’s University Begins Sale Of Alcoholic Beverages At Carnesecca Arena

The St. John’s University Athletic De partment, in partnership with Chartwells Higher Ed, began selling alco- holic beverages at Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 17 — following a years-long effort by fans and students to bring al- cohol to their on-campus arena.

“Chartwells, the University’s food services vendor, is offering beer and hard seltzer for sale in the conces sion stands in Carnesecca Arena,” said Sarah Jean Kelly, the University’s vice president for student success and retention strategy, in a statement to The Torch. “The alcoholic beverages are available for legal purchase by all guests over the age of 21, though un der current policy, are prohibited in the Red Zone student seating area.”

The alcoholic beverages are sold at stands directly inside the Carnesecca Arena lobby, and are not available at the arena’s other concession stands. Prices for the drinks range from $9 to $15, and there is a purchase limit of two beverages per purchase.

The University is a dry campus, and students are not permitted to pos sess or consume alcohol within the Queens campus. Now, there is an exception for alcohol sold at Carne- secca Arena, but the University says the change is in compliance with its longstanding alcohol policy. Any stu dent 21 or older can purchase alco holic beverages sold by or authorized by the University, including those sold at Carnesecca Arena.

“The sale of alcoholic beverages in Carnesecca Arena is in accordance with existing University policy,” Kel ly said, “since our existing policy per mits alcohol consumption exclusively at authorized University-sponsored events on University premises.”

The Torch learned of the Athletic Department’s intent to sell alcohol at Carnesecca Arena days before the initiative took effect from sources fa miliar with conversations surround ing the change. The same people said that the University was considering modifications to its campus-wide al cohol policy. These accounts were lat er corroborated by the University.

“We will be evaluating our alco- hol policy on campus in the months ahead to ensure that our policies pro-

vide for a safe campus environment that promotes the well-being of all students, fosters student engage- ment, and provides students with the opportunity to develop responsible practices and behaviors regarding al- cohol consumption,” Kelly said. “We look forward to working with stu dent leaders and other constituents throughout the University as we re view and evaluate these policies.”

Kelly was appointed to her position in September 2022 following a six- year run as the assistant dean of grad uate studies in the University’s School of Law. Since leading the University’s student success and retention depart ment, which encompassess the Divi

sion of Student Affairs, the Freshman Center, and academic engagement and partnerships, Kelly has made an effort to be more in-tune with studentLastrequests. week, Kelly held a student listening session with Student Govern ment, Inc. and University students, which was recounted in SGi’s latest assembly meeting.

Neither the University nor the Ath letic Department released official in formation regarding the sale of alco hol at Carnesecca Arena. For more information, view the University’s drug and alcohol policy.

Brady Snyder | nov. 30, 2022

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan

St. John’s Late-Game Push Propels 78-72 Empire Classic Win At The Barclays Center

The Red Storm defeated Temple in Brooklyn on Nov. 22, 78-72, setting the stage for an old-Big East rivalry game with Syracuse for the Empire Classic Championship on Tues day. Despite a back-and-forth contest that saw the Owls retake the lead with under two minutes of regulation left to play, the John nies held on to move to 5-0 on the young season.

“It just shows that we’re getting better,” head coach Mike Anderson said in a post game media conference, referencing his team’s high-intensity effort to close out the game. “Adversity hit us and we were away from the confines of Carnesecca Arena, so I wanted to see how we’d react to it.”

As has been the trend so far this season, St. John’s came out of the locker room strug gling in the first half. They were struggling to knock down shots from any part of the court — at one point, the team was 3-11 on layup attempts — and Temple started to build up a double-digit lead.

“We had a lot of moments when adversity hit us,” said senior center Joel Soriano. But the locker room leader says the team’s con nectedness and winning mindset permeate regardless of the current game situation. “I love this team to death, I feel like we’re more unified than anything, and when we’re to gether I don’t feel like anything can break us.”

Initially, the game mirrored the team’s last contest against Nebraska, which saw the Johnnies go down by seven at halftime. The

Red Storm turned that game around in the second half, but the team didn’t need a half time reset to make critical adjustments. Af ter successfully applying defensive pressure and converting shots at the basket, St. John’s went on a 20-5 scoring run to close out the first half with a 32-30 lead.

The Red Storm continued their offensive and defensive success in the second half, but were unable to pull away from Temple after becoming entrenched in foul trouble. With roughly 15 minutes to play, Soriano was called for his third personal foul. Start ers David Jones, Andre Curbelo and Montez Mathis had two fouls apiece on their ledger.

St. John’s held the game’s lead for most of the second half, but the momentum shifted back and forth throughout the final period. After a few questionable calls by the officials, Temple appeared poised to sneak away with the victory.

Curbelo had something to say about that. Temple took the lead with under two min utes to play on a deep three-pointer, but Cur belo rushed down the court for a fast-break layup. After crashing into a photographer and taking a foul, the point guard knocked down the free throw to put the Johnnies ahead once again — giving the team a lead it would never relinquish.

“We had a lot of heroes tonight,” Anderson said, gesturing to Curbelo and Soriano sit ting beside him. Soriano led the team’s paint presence with 15 points and 12 rebounds,

securing his fourth double-double in five games. Curbelo, of course, made up for a rough outing by closing out the game’s final minutes.

When asked about his mindset during his two game-sealing plays, Curbelo provided two simple answers. “It’s game time,” he said. “It’s winning time.”

“Making those kinds of plays are the dif ference between winning and losing,” Ander son said. “You’ve got to be able to execute as well.”

The victory in Brooklyn wasn’t the team’s flashiest win this season. It wasn’t their larg est margin of victory this season, and it cer tainly wasn’t their best offensive performance this season. Nonetheless, it might have been the team’s most important win thus far.

Last season, the Red Storm missed the NCAA tournament (and the NIT) in part because of their inability to get the last word in close games. The team was 4-9 in contests that were decided by six points or less.

Tonight, despite their struggles, they found a way to come out on top. Eventually, their late-game heroics can’t be reduced to coinci dences — they’re forming a pattern.

“If there’s a half you want to win,” Ander son says, “it’s the second half.”

The St. John’s Men’s Basketball team quick ly returned to action Nov. 23 at the Barclays Center, capturing the Empire Classic cham pionship against old-Big East rival Syracuse at 9 p.m.

Brady Snyder | nov. 22, 2022

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernann

St. JOhn's Shuts down syracuse in Over

time To Win Empire Classic

Te St. John’s Men’s Basketball team overcame their ofensive struggles against an efective Syracuse zone defense to win the Empire Classic championship in overtime, 76-69, at the Barclays Center Nov. 22. Following the win against the old-Big East rival, the Johnnies moved to 6-0 on the season and show cased their late-game prowess.

Te game started just like any other Red Storm basketball game — with slow and inefcient play from the Red Storm. Syracuse employed their zone defense in an attempt to thwart the Johnnies’ fast-paced ofense, and for the better part of the game, it worked.

St. John’s failed to fnd a consistent rhythm through regulation. Although the team trimmed the Orange lead at times, never letting Syracuse pull away, the Red Storm never fully closed the gap in the frst half. With less than eight minutes remaining in the opening period, the team had just four made feld goals on 19 shots.

More importantly, Syracuse was playing up to the Johnnies’ speed, and they were doing it well. Tat forced St. John’s to rush their ball movement, result ing in nine frst-half turnovers that led to eight Syracuse points.

When the two teams returned from the locker rooms, the Johnnies’ play didn’t look much better. Syracuse extended their lead to ten points quickly in the second half, and St. John’s had trouble keeping up.

But throughout the entire game, the Red Storm’s prophecy remained in the background. Teir early-season trend of overcoming obstacles and erasing defcits had become hard to ignore. “[Syracuse] came out and had us down early in the game, but we know that our tendency right now is to be a second half team,” said head coach Mike Anderson in a postgame media conference. “We’ve played some of our better basketball [in the second half].”

With roughly ten minutes remaining in the second half, the Johnnies began to close the gap. Junior forward David Jones fnally broke the barrier with a forceful drive to the basket, securing the bucket and the foul, putting the fnishing touches on a 16-2 scoring run. After Jones knocked down the free

throw, St. John’s retook the lead and never relinquished it.

Te fnish wasn’t without dramatics. Syracuse tied the game at 65 with 1:38 remaining in regulation, and neither team scored in the fnal minutes. Te Red Storm defense kept the team in the game, and didn’t let the Orange get a good look before the buzzer, forcing overtime. “We just tried to keep spacing and be aware of the shooters,” Anderson said. “I’m not married to one system, I’m married to winning.”

Junior point guard Andre Curbelo proved to be clutch in the added time, creating a steal in the game’s last moments and scoring a career-high 23 points. Jones sealed the win with one, fnal blow — a corner three-pointer that put the Johnnies up by seven.

“Tey’re not scared of big moments. Tey both like that [pressure],” Ander son said of Curbelo and Jones. “Tat has been trickling through our basket ball team.”

Senior center Joel Soriano led the team’s paint presence with 19 points and 14 rebounds, which earned him his ffth double-double in six games, a fgure that leads the NCAA.

Fans and experts alike have been waiting for the Red Storm’s slow starts to catch up to them, and they’ll have to wait longer. St. John’s, who have faced double-digit defcits in each of their last three games, refuse to back down.

Part of this team’s identity is to be the last team standing. Tey did just that on Monday against Temple, setting the stage for the championship thriller Tuesday. Te team pulled of an even more impressive come-from-behind victory in the Empire Classic title game.

“I think it was a great team win,” Curbelo said. “As the games go by, we continue to get better down the stretch and we are going to use that second half and make it better in both halves.”

It’s not how you start, it’s how you fnish. And following a Nov. 23 overtime win against Syracuse, the St. John’s Men’s Basketball team has fnished with six wins and a championship trophy to begin their 2022-23 season.

Brady Snyder | nov. 23, 2022

Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan