2.5.14

SGI meets with Public Safety pg. 3

LOW FROM SNOW

Chinese New Year celebrations pg. 4

Studying abroad in Morocco pg. 11

BLOOD SERVICES RECEIVE HELP DURING SHORTAGE PG. 4 TORCH PHOTO/SHANNON LUIBRAND

Photo of the Week

2

Managing Board XCI

Kieran Lynch, Editor-in-Chief

Mitchell Petit-Frere, Managing Editor Shannon Luibrand Features Editor Natalie Hallak Chief Copy Editor Kyle Fitzgerald Online Editor Jenny Chen Asst. Chief Copy Editor

Samantha albanese Entertainment Editor Diana Colapietro Photo Editor

Olivia Cunningham Asst. Features Editor

Stephen Zitolo Asst. Sports Editor

jim baumbach

Advisor Talia Tirella Asst. News Editor

Christopher Brito News Editor Jon Perez Sports Editor diamond watts-walker Art Director Alexa Vagelatos Asst. News Editor

Directory Advertising (718)-9906756 Business 990-6756 Editorial Board 990-6444

Features 990-6445 News 990-6444 Opinion 990-6445 Sports 990-6444

Briawnna Brown Asst. Entertainment Editor

Angelica King Advertising Manager

Lifestyle Taking an adventure in England Kyle Fitzgerald talks about his latest journey in England.

Lifestyle Pg. 9

Entertainment Philip Seymour Hoffman dies The Academy Award-winning actor dies in his Manhattan apartment after an apparent drug overdose.

Lifestyle Pg. 10 Sports St. John’s defeats Providence DeAngelo Harrison leads the Johnnies passed the Friars 86-76.

Sports Pg. 14

Illustrator’s Corner, Pg. 5

The Torch is the official student newspaper of St. John’s University. The Torch is written, edited, designed and produced by students of the 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.

To contact The Torch by mail: The Torch, St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway Queens, NY 11439

The Torch is typically published on Wednesdays, approximately 20 issues throughout the academic year.

Circulation per issue is 3,500 copies distributed free on campus and through mail subcriptions.

This copy of The Torch is worth $1.00.

TORCH PHOTO/STAFF

DaSilva Field blanketed in snow after Monday’s storm that caused the University to close and prior to Wednesday’s storm that caused more delays.

Think Outside...

News

3

Public Safety meets with students in forum

Guest sign-in policy, gate closings among topics of discussion TALIA TIRELLA Assistant News Editor Student Government Inc. held open meetings with Public Safety and Residence Life, respectively, last week, to discuss concerns such as the guest sign-in policy, StormCard replacement fees and gate closings.

Mark Benavides, vice president of SGI, and Brittany O’Neill, co-chair of student services, spoke to the Torch about the recent meetings.

Benavides said that S.G.I., in conjunction with students and Public Safety, wants to talk about the guest signin policy and the issues surrounding it.

“We want to know if it enhances or hinders the student experience,” Benavides said.

SGI has already involved the Research and Development Committee to collect information through Formstack surveys in order to zero-in on concerns students have on campus.

Preliminary statistics show that out of 370 students interviewed regarding the sign-in policy, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of students that have an issue with it, according to Benavides.

“We haven’t necessarily identified the problem yet, but we are trying to figure out if it’s a procedure problem, a policy problem or a ‘lack of freedom’ problem,” Benavides said.

With the help of Public Safety, SGI aims to determine what the safest possible solution will be and sustain a comfortable environment for students.

For example, students should be aware when their roommates or suitemates are having guests over and how long they will be staying.

Benavides also expressed possible negative effects that a more lenient policy could have on students’ academic success.

O’Neill mentioned that the sign-in policy currently in place was a result of students voicing their concerns about roommates.

“What I found to be extremely interesting was that they talked about how a few years prior, the policy that is being instituted today was actually brought up by students,” O’Neill said.

Torch

Briefs COMPILED BY ALEXA VAGELATOS Assistant News Editor

Celebrate Black History Month

PHOTO/IDIANA COLAPIETRO

S.G.I. and Public Safety are discussing ways to improve the signing-in policy.

“Since then, I feel like the students have changed... they are now against the policy, which is shown in our Formstack data.”

“SGI isn’t moving unilaterally on this; we have already reached out to the Resident Student’s Association to help us understand students’ issues with the current policy,” O’Neill said.

There haven’t been any developments about the issue of modifying the lost StormCard fee discussed in the Nov. 20 meeting with Public Safety. However, Tom Lawrence, vice president of public safety and dean of students are receptive toward a solution, Benavides said.

“We are very concerned about this because we want to make sure that

PHOTO/DIANA COLAPIETRO

Gate 6 will now have more parking spots available for students to use.

students aren’t seen as cash cows or that we’re not seen as a source of revenue for Public Safety based on our own forgetfulness,” Benavides said. “We want to take a look at the policy to make sure that it is fair and fits in with the University’s Vincentian values.”

There has been benchmarking research done in order to find data on other universities and their fees for lost student ID cards, Benavides said. He also said there was no data found on any other schools that charged up to $100 for lost ID cards like St. John’s does.

As far as general improvements go, O’Neill said that Public Safety has removed nine vans to create more space for student parking near Gate 6, and will now post when gates are closed and open, both at the entries and online.

O’Neill also mentioned that the Henley Apartment Complex is now equipped to sign in guests without residents having to go back to the Public Safety office on the main campus.

Benavides said that while there is no significant problem yet, SGI wishes to divert any future problem by advocating for continued funding for the Manhattan Shuttle. There has been a sufficient amount of speculation of the shuttle being removed that is prompting SGI to act on this issue.

Benavides and O’Neill also mentioned that SGI will meet with executive vice president, Martha Hirst in order to discuss the shuttle bus issue.

Black History Month is here, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs is encouraging you to come and celebrate.

On Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., the Black History Month Kick-Off Rally will be taking place during the Martin Luther King Celebration at Marillac Terrace. The event will start a month of festivities, food, plays, discussions, fundraising and honorary events. Performances, treats, awesome giveaways, and the highlight of the event “The Solidarity Event” will all be continuing throughout the night.

Throughout the month, organizations such as the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Haraya, ALFSA, The Fashion Club and many other fraternities and sororities will be hosting events to educate the SJU community on the history and future of African Americans and Latinos in America and other countries around the world.

Donate to St. Baldrick’s/ Locks of Love

On Thursday, March 20, 2014, Campus Ministry is bringing to you the University’s annual St. Baldrick’s/Locks of Love event.

The day is planned to be filled with raffles, giveaways, grab-alunch for $5, and positive energy to fight childhood cancer. Shaving your head or cutting your hair in solidarity with these children will help raise money for research to give these children a life that everyone deserves. All of these proceeds go directly to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

The non-profit organization, Locks of Love, is also another great way to get involved during this event.

All hair (10 inches or longer) will be cut and donated for wigs to give to children suffering from medically related hair loss.

By participating, you will be supporting end goal of raising $40,000.

Register to shave your head on the official St. John’s St. Baldrick’s site, and register for Locks of Love by contacting Angela Seegel at seegela@stjohns.edu or 718-990-2680.

4

University assists in low blood supply

Due to snow, blood runs scarce; students help through donations CHRISTOPHER BRITO News Editor

The University is helping replenish the New York Blood Center’s blood supply which is low due to recent snowstorms.

Paul Ferrera, the Blood Center accounting manager assigned to St. John’s, said Tuesday there’s a low blood supply in New York because of snowstorms closing venues on days like Monday where blood drives were scheduled to be held.

It could elevate to an emergency issue if potential snowstorms scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday cause more blood drives to cancel and prevent people from donating.

“If it snows and schools are closed then there might be a problem with blood shortage,” Ferrara said. “If they close schools, that’s where it hurts.”

Bill Mardavich, donor relations associate, said these places where blood drives are happening often don’t reschedule if they cancel due to snow.

“We’re at their mercy when schools close,” Mardavich said.

Ferrera brought up staffing issues that come as a result of rebooking blood drives.

“Sometimes when we rebook, our staff may already be accounted for,” Ferrara said.

“It is very challenging because of the snow,” Ferrara said. “This time it’s important to donate because of the storms.”

Students responded to the blood supply problem by donating on Tuesday at Taffner Field House.

Freshman Bryan Cuartas, an actuarial science major, donated his red blood cells through the Alyx machine that collects double the amount of cells versus a whole blood donation.

“It feels good but I feel cold now,” Cuartas joked. His donation will save six people, according to Mardavich.

Kenneth Tompkins, a sophomore philosophy major, made it a priority to donate after his mother got a blood transfusion recently.

“It gives purpose to being poked and prickled,” he said. “You may not feel it right now but you see the fruits of the service later on.”

Both Ferrera and Mardavich emphasized one blood donation can save up to three lives. With your help, the New York City area can meet the daily transfusion needs of patients suffering from diseases such as cancer, surgery patients suffering from accidents, burns and more.

“People don’t understand the importance of donating,” Mardavich said. “It is not mass produced. The only way to make it is through donating.

We’re only here to save lives.”

There will be blood drives on Feb. 4, 10 and 24 at Taffner Field House.

TORCH PHOTO/CHRISTOPHER BRITO

Students helped out the NY Blood Center’s low blood supply by donating Tues.

Students celebrate Chinese New Year CHRISTOPHER BRITO News Editor

Several students started celebrating Chinese New Year on Friday, Jan. 31, a traditional 15-day festival marked by the turn of the Chinese calendar.

The Chinese New Year falls in conjunction with a much bigger Asian celebration, the Lunar New Year, where East and Central Asians celebrate the beginning of spring.

This year, the holiday began on Jan. 30. Families normally cook up a large feast composed of different dishes including rice, fish, chicken, pork, duck and vegetables. On the day of the actual New Year, families partake in different activities ranging from lighting firecrackers to wearing clothes that are newly bought.

Senior Mike Chien, a business management major, spent Chinese New Year’s morning with his parents and had a vegetarian breakfast, refraining from eating meat the entire day - which is a tradition. Following breakfast, Chien’s family visited their temple to pray, and later gathered with old friends.

James Leung’s, a senior legal studies major, family is from Hong Kong and they traditionally hand out red envelopes filled with cash ($5-$20) to younger members who aren’t married.

“It’s a nice tradition that extends back for a long time so it’s a nice time to reunite with the family,” Leung said.

INSTAGRAM PHOTO/MIKECHIEN

Mike Chien’s large feast on New Year’s Eve was how many Chinese families welcomed the new year.

“[We] don’t have many reasons to do that nowadays.”

Senior Ryan O’Toole uses the annual celebration as a way to reconnect with his older family members, especially his grandma.

“As I have grown older, I feel I have drifted away from my roots, but celebrating Chinese New

Year gives me a better appreciation for the culture and makes me proud to be Chinese,” O’Toole said.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, it’s the Year of the Horse, which signifies kindness, strength and gregariousness.

The Chinese holiday culminates with the lantern festival on Feb. 15.

Follow the Torch on Twitter: @SJUTorch

Opinion Staff Editorial Board XCI KIERAN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief

MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE Managing Editor

5

Illustrator’s Corner

CHRISTOPHER BRITO News Editor SAMANTHA ALBANESE Entertainment SHANNON LUIBRAND Features Editor JON PEREZ Sports Editor

FLAMES OF THE TORCH A little notice would be nice

Snowstorms in New York during rush hour never allow for an easy commute. There are late or cancelled trains and buses and endless amounts of accidents on major roadways, making it even more difficult than one’s usual daily trek.

Many of us who are commuters may have already made our long commutes on Monday morning when Public Safety closed all campuses for the day a mere 20 minutes before the 9:05 a.m. classes started.

One of The Torch editors received the call from Public Safety at around 8:45 a.m. when she was on the Q30 bus, about three stops away from the school after her hour-long LIRR train ride coming from eastern Suffolk County.

Like many other commuters, she was surprised that the University had waited so long to cancel classes when most of the news stations were reporting predictions of 6-10 inches of snow on Sunday evening. With that information, many of the schools in the affected areas had notified of closings either Sunday night or early Monday morning.

When St. John’s did neither as many of us woke up and checked the St. John’s website for any closings and saw none, we carried on with our normal routines only to have to stop, turn around and go back home. This cost us gas, train and bus money, time, sleep and in some instances safety.

What the University should have done was either cancelled earlier around 4 or 5 a.m. or start classes at a later time. This would have allowed for less frustration from commuter students who were not allotted enough warning time of the cancellation and were blindsided by the news mid-commute. After taking a look at the mentions of the @ StJohnsNow Twitter account, we were not the only ones who were frustrated

with the delayed notification.

A University spokeswoman gave the following response regarding closing procedures: “The safety of its students and staff is the University’s number one concern.

In the event of weather emergencies, St. John’s requires that key senior administrators speak via conference call beginning at 4 a.m. and throughout the day to evaluate current weather and forecasted conditions, transportation concerns, and the physical state of each campus. At 4 a.m. on Monday (Feb. 3), the decision was made for the New York campuses to remain open based on those conditions. However, at approximately 8:15 a.m. that morning, as the weather began to rapidly deteriorate, the decision was made to close and the University Emergency Notification System was put into effect at that time.”

The Torch Staff assessed when they received the calls from the University regarding the cancellation and it was all in the ballpark of around 8:40 - 8:45 a.m. Some received the text message alert at 8:16 a.m., while some did not receive a text message at all.

The University statement said that students should enroll in its notification for updates: “Members of the University community are reminded to enroll in the University’s Emergency Notification System to receive school closing and other emergency alerts via text and voice message.

In addition, regular updates concerning all weather emergencies will be available via St. John’s website, Facebook, Twitter, the University hotline at 888785(STJ)-2499 and by watching local television broadcast reports.”

Despite the issues from Monday, the University had the foresight to announce the delayed opening of Wednesday classes 13 hours in advance.

EDITORIAL POLICY

Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of the TORCH. Columns 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 administrations of St. John’s University.

TO CONTRIBUTE

Mail letters to: The TORCH, St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY 11439 Submit letters via email to: torcheic@gmail.com

All are welcome to contribute to the Torch.

Please include your full name, year, and college (or department). Letters have a limit of 500 words and may be edited for content, grammar, or space. Unverifiable or anonymous letters will not be published. All letters are subject to the approval of the Editorial Board of the TORCH.

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/ DIAMON WATTS-WALKER

6

Seattle takes New York ALAN GARCIA Staff Writer

I can practically hear my muscles ache as I step onto the Q46 off the Kew Garden subway. With fingers still shaking from adrenaline, I clumsily fish my MetroCard out of my pocket and wearily greet the bus driver with a subtle nod. I can still feel the thin layer of spilled beer on my arms, my skin still buzzing from one of the most tumultuous and emotional nights I’ve ever experienced. It was a night I will tell my grandchildren about, one I will carry in my memory for as long as I live.

The night we became Super Bowl Champions.

My night actually began back in 2011, when I did a little bit of research and discovered Carlow East, the “official Seahawks bar in NYC.” This came as a sigh of relief for me; what most considered just another bar in the Upper East Side became my antidote against homesickness. In an ocean of East Coast frenzy, this would become my oasis, a little taste of home in a city I was still learning to love.

Two years later, on a warm Sunday afternoon in September, I took the E train by myself down to Lexington, transferred to the 6, and made my way up to what would inevitably become my haven on Sundays, Mondays, and some Thursday nights.

The next four months would rush by in a flurry of tackles, interceptions and glorious touchdowns. Every time

I stepped into the dim-lit entryway of Carlow East, I’d meet one more person who lived in the same town I did when I was in third grade, one more fan who’d blown their entire allowance on Supersonic tickets back in the day, one more homesick visitor to the Big Apple.

Each game became more and more of a reunion as we swapped stories of local Seattle supermarkets our mothers used to frequent, the first time we saw (and fell in love with) Gary “The Glove” Payton on the court, and where we were the day we said goodbye to the Kingdome at

the turn of the millennium.

Before we knew it—almost as if no time had passed at all—we found ourselves on the brink of redemption at last.

It was hard not to reminisce on our turbulent sports history as a city: in 2006, we faced off against the Steelers in our first Super Bowl appearance ever (the controversial Super Bowl XL), only to have one of the referees admit to blowing some important calls four years later; 2008 saw us lose our beloved Sonics to Oklahoma City; and our efforts to bring them back home in 2013 resulted in disappointment once more.

TORCH PHOTO/KIERAN LYNCH

MetLife Stadium hours before kickoff for Super Bowl XLVIII.

And there we were, united as one, as history was made on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014. With throats raw from screaming our hearts out and skin slick with sweat, we counted down the final seconds of a game that solidified our fate. The time ran out, and as someone tossed the remainder of their beer up in the air in celebration, I turned to Cynthia, an elderly woman I’d met prior to the game who’d been a Seahawks fan since their creation in 1976. Tears were pouring down her face as she lifted her arms in victory, rain in the form of Bud Light falling from the ceiling. She embraced me tightly, her smile lighting up the whole room. I tried to tell her how honored I was to have experienced this moment with her, but I was quickly grabbed by another pair of arms as hugs were given all around.

Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” filled the air as we chanted along, and I found myself having to hold a burly man with a monstrous beard as he wept in my arms. These are people I will probably never see again, but for that time being, we were neighbors, we were friends, laughing and crying together in ways we never knew possible.

I make my way to the back of the bus and lock eyes with a kid my age. His eyes nearly pop out of his head as he sees my jersey and reaches for his sweatshirt.

I grin at his Seahawks jersey and highfive him, my head still reeling from disbelief.

I take my place at the back and feel my bones settle deep into the seat. I can feel my pulse ease up as I replay the night in my head, and as I stare out the window into the night sky, I can almost make out the Seattle skyline in the distance.

Think Outside...

Lifestyle

7

Living and learning in northern Africa GEORGE WINN Contributing Writer Many students spend their collegiate winter break either working hard or hardly working at all.

However, 15 St. John’s students thought it would be best to spend part of their winter break studying abroad in Morocco.

“Within the short 10-day trip, I learned more than one full semester worth of lectures in Queens,” Brock Brunson, a second-year graduate student on the Rome campus, said. “Not only did it teach me about the global issues and culture of Morocco, but it also helped me understand them analytically in the hands-on course.”

As part of an inaugural study abroad program from the Office of Global Studies led by Government and Politics professor Azzedine Layachi, PhD., seven undergraduate and eight graduate students traveled to Morocco to spend 10 days exploring three major Moroccan cities – Rabat, Fez and Tangier.

“It was truly a unique and fascinating experience traveling through Morocco,” Krista Gilchrist, a graduate student at the Rome campus of St. John’s, said. “Interacting with local Moroccans and picking their brains about life and politics in

Morocco was especially enlightening.

This was indeed a trip I will never forget.”

The students had eye-opening lectures on a variety of issues regarding Moroccan politics and civil society.

Some of these issues included youth and politics in Morocco, illegal immigration issues in North Africa and religion and politics in North Africa. These 15 students, getting into the swing of the new semester, are now expected to write an extensive research paper on a topic of their choice.

“Under Dr. Layachi’s guidance, he broke up the program perfectly,” senior Brendan Latimer said. “With his deep knowledge and background of North Africa, I could not think of anyone more appropriate to lead us through the adventure that is Morocco.”

More exhilarating than the lectures, in the opinion of the students, was interacting with local individuals and university students. While attending lectures in Rabat, Fez and Tangier, the St. John’s students were able to interact with local university students and young professionals.

There was a wave of approval of the Office of Global Studies Winter Intersession program, and Dr. Layachi is certainly looking forward to arranging this program again in future years.

The words of Rome campus graduate student Alexandra McGrath sum up the experience, “Rock the Kasbah!”

PHOTO/FACEBOOK

St. John’s Students in Morocco during their 10-day stay over Christmas break.

Solo exploration leads to adventures

KYLE FITZGERALD Online Editor

dying curiosity and open-minded spirit lead me the way.

Apparently, I didn’t realize how far I would have to walk to actually see something interesting. In my hour-and-a-half walk to this town once unknown to me, the only notable sight was that of a cat sitting near a dumpster. The white- andblack haired beast stared at me, but only for a moment as, I guess, it couldn’t handle my Americanism.

As I continued my expedition, my sharp optimism began to morph into a slight sensation of boredom. I’ve been

walking for what seemed like forever now and I see nothing but cars, streetlights and houses. But that feeling of ennui neglected one very important fact: I simply had nothing better to do. So I ventured onward.

It was 2:30 in the afternoon after I walked up yet another hill. But this one was different. It led to this small town.

Here enters Pudsey.

The first thing on my to-do list was to find food. All I had to eat that day was a Belvita breakfast biscuit, so one can infer that I may have been a bit hungry. I had

As I walked back through a hail storm after eating a satisfying plate of sliced lamb on naan bread on a Saturday night, my American friend Erick brought something to my attention: He and Marcus, my Swedish comrade, were heading their way to a pub called the Brewery from the city centre one day when they asked their cab driver how long it takes to get to Pudsey from the Brewery. He said 20 minutes. Then they asked him how long it takes to walk there. The cab driver replied, “You can’t walk to Pudsey!”

Well, that cab driver has never met Kyle “Freshly Chiseled Calves” Fitzgerald.

You see, a few days before that fateful conversation took place, I decided to go exploring. I pretty much walked in every direction since my arrival, with one exception: I had yet to traverse north.

So I did.

I left my accommodation at noon, unaware that I would not sit down or see my blue duvet with white polka dots until four hours later.

I was continuously challenged by the terrain, walking up an assortment of hills; God forbid. I walk down one. I PHOTO/KYLE FITZGERALD kept my eyes peeled. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. I just let my un- Pudsey, England, where Kyle walked even though he was told it was too far.

my options of where to go, but I walked into a placed called Graveley’s simply because its sign was decorated with two anchors. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume I ordered fish and chips.

I ate my crispy haddock and walked along the streets, taking an interest in the town. It’s taking quintessentially British.

Even the name Pudsey sounds British, much more so than Los Angeles or Tallahassee.

A compact town littered with brick buildings under cloudy grey skies, Pudsey has that traditional British quirk.

It still had its Christmas decorations mounted on the light poles. Pubs were unevenly spaced throughout the streets, and I would also find the occasional confectioner’s shop or tea room or local butcher. There wasn’t much activity aside from the too-excited kids being released from school. In fact, the only sounds I heard prior to their overzealous laughter were my own footsteps against the stone footpath.

Pudsey was the exact kind of thing for which I kept my eyes peeled out for.

That sort of thing that one would just sort of stumble across after a series of hills and grey skies and a cat.

Would I take the bus next time? Answer: depends on the weather.

Kyle Fitzgerald is studying abroad in England this semester and writing about his excursions each week.

8

OSCAR NOMINEES P I C T U R E

ILLUSTRATION BY MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE

B E S T

AC T O R

– in a Leading Role

AC T R E S S

– in a Leading Role

Christian Bale – “American Hustle”

Amy Adams – “American Hustle”

Bruce Dern – “Nebraska”

Cate Blanchett – “Blue Jasmine”

Leonardo DiCaprio – “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Sandra Bullock – “Gravity”

Chiwetel Ejiofor – “12 Years a Slave” Matthew McConaughey– “Dallas Buyers Club”

A C T O R – in a Supporting Role

Barkhad Abdi “Captain Phillips”

Bradley Cooper “American Hustle”

Jonah Hill “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Michael Fassbender “12 Years a Slave”

Jared Leto “Dallas Buyers Club”

Judi Dench – “Philomena” Meryl Streep – “August: Osage County”

A C T R E S S – in a Supporting Role

Sally Hawkins “Blue Jasmine”

Jennifer Lawrence “American Hustle”

Julia Roberts “August: Osage County”

June Squibb “Nebraska”

Lupita Nyong’o “12 Years a Slave”

PHOTOS/IMDB

9

Not too Swift West heading Brown leaves Pilotto hits rehab south the target Awkward moments caught on camera seem to be all the rage this week for Taylor Swift. After her embarrassing moment of thinking she won ‘Record of the Year’ at the Grammy’s went viral, a new video of a fan rushing her on stage is

Kanye is keeping all eyes on him and his soon-to-be in-laws. One incident after other, the self-proclaimed rap “God” manages to keep his name in every weekly tabloid. However, this time it may not be his fault.

PHOTO/SCREENSHOT

PHOTO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

making its way around the blogosphere.

Over the weekend, while performing her hit single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” at her final show in London’s O2 Arena, an over excited “swifty” rushed the stage, joining ‘T. Story’ during the final moments of her performance. Always a class act, Swift remained cool, calm and collected as security immediately came on stage to drag the crazed fan away. Showing true professionalism, she finished the show without even mentioning the incident.

After attacking an 18-year-old in the waiting room of a Beverly Hill’s chiropractor’s office for calling his fiancé, Kim Kardashian, a “n*gger lover,” it is now time for the 36-year-old Chicago native to pay up.

Defending his girl’s honor is reportedly costing West more than $250,000 according to TMZ. Although the alleged victim has agreed to settle out of court in a civil settlement, it is still up to the District Attorney’s office to charge “Yeezus” with battery.

Things may be looking down for everyone else, but it seems Chris Brown is getting back on the right track.

The “Love More” singer appeared with girlfriend Karreuche Tran in court Monday, where the judge passed the

PHOTO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

motion to remove Brown from his rehabilitation center. He has been receiving treatment for anger management there since his November assault incident in Washington, D.C. Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, told the court that there has been a positive change in the pop star’s attitude since he began his three month stint in rehab.

Although he has managed to skip out on jail time, he is still responsible for completing 1,000 community service hours for violating his parole, and has to return to court later this month.

LAURICE RAWLS Staff Writer

Peter Pilotto is a fashion designer from London, who is well-known for his ability to mix and match exotic prints in a way that makes them look like a match made in heaven.

However, Pilotto is also known for his hefty price tags. On Feb. 9, Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos look out for us college students and launch a more affordable line exclusively at Target. Pilotto has a major following from many celebrities and high-end fashion lovers.

“Our brand is about print, yes, but it’s also about the emotional feeling you can get from color and color combinations,” according to a release from the Pilotto brand on Target. com. Peter Pilotto’s color bravery is obvious by looking at his lookbook which includes a large variety of the color-spectrum.

Pilotto gives consumers the power to break fashion rules and wear any pattern and color mix that they may want. The entire line is vibrant, energetic and sure to give consumers a kick-start for their spring wardrobes.

Pilotto’s colorful apparel, exotic printed accessories and sexy-but-fun swimwear are sure to wow on-lookers from the classroom, the office and the beach. Prices range from $16.99 to $79.99 at select Target stores.

10

Death shocks Hollywood and beyond KIERAN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment from an apparent drug overdose in Greenwich Village Sunday, police said.

Dozens of bags of heroin were in his apartment when he was found, according to reports. The film and theater star was discovered on his bathroom floor with a needle in his arm by screenwriter David Katz and personal assistant Isabella Wing-Davey, reports said.

Hoffman, who was 46, has openly discussed his drug addiction from his early 20s, but had been clean for about two decades before starting again in 2012.

He said in a “60 Minutes” interview with Steve Croft in 2006 that the addiction included different drugs and alcohol.

“It was anything I could get my hands on,” he said. “I liked it all.”

The bags of heroine found in the Academy Award-winning actor’s apartment reportedly had “Ace of Hearts” and “Ace of Spades” labels on them. The names represent “brands” of the drug that are cut with a pain reliever called fentanyl.

The brands aren’t often seen in the New York metropolitan area, according to a report in Newsday, and if the drugs used by Hoffman are found to have fentanyl in them, the case could become a homicide investigation.

Hoffman won an Academy Award for best actor for his role in the 2005 film “Capote.” He’s played parts in “The

Big Lebowski,” “Moneyball,” “Boogie Nights” and most recently “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” among others.

He’s survived by his girlfriend Mimi O’Donnell and his three children Tallulah, Willa and Cooper Alexander.

Films Philip Seymour Hoffman featured in: The Big Lebowksi

Moneyball

The Hunger Games

A Late Quartet

Mission: Impossible III

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

Back Beyond

Capote

Cold Mountain

Red Dragon

The Talented Mr. Ripley

A Most Wanted Man

The Master PHOTO/AMPAS

Philip Seymour Hoffman, a celebrated actor, died suddenly over the weekend.

OLIVIA CUNNINGHAM Assistant Features Editor and Career Peer at the Campus Career Center

This Week’s Career Topic: Internships

Finding an internship can be challenging, to say the least. Many students struggle with beginning the process of finding an opportunity that they would like to pursue.

Most importantly, one should begin the process early. As early as freshman year, students can and should start looking for internships that they might be interested in applying for, even if they cannot actually apply until their junior year.

It’s also important to know the expectations and guidelines of your college. For example, many majors require students to attend a meeting outlining the process and have 60 or more credits before they can get an internship. Some programs, including pharmacy, education and sports management, expect students to complete an internship or a similar practical experience as part of the curriculum.

As students begin to look for internships, they should network, use all of their resources and think outside the box.

Networking Students should work on making connections with professors, administrators and professionals early and often, so that they can call on their network when it’s time to start the internship search.

Many students become interested in a company through a personal connection.

Stephon Wynn, a junior journalism major, found his current internship at Ebony Magazine through a friend.

“Her family was familiar with my boss,” he said. “She passed along her information and eventually I was hired.”

Use your resources There are quite a few resources available to students looking for internships.

On St. John’s Central under the “Career/Internships” tab, the first banner is for CareerLink. This is essentially an internship database maintained by St. John’s, so that all opportunities have been screened and listed specifically for St. John’s students.

Other online resources on St. John’s Central include Vault Career Insider and Internships.com. In addition to St. John’s resources, several students say that websites such as ED2010.com were helpful to them in finding internships.

Students can visit Career Services, located in Chiang Ching Kuo Hall, to make an appointment with a professional advisor or to consult a Career Peer.

The Career Center is also a useful on-campus resource. Wynn said it was a “great resource” in his quest for the ideal internship.

“I remember going to several internship opportunities,” he said. “I encourage every student to do so.”

Ada Lee, a junior marketing major, used Career Services extensively in her internship search. Lee, who works for Sony Music Entertainment, said “I credit all my success so far with what they helped me achieve.”

Think outside the box Don’t be afraid to explore fields different from your major. Although often you cannot pursue these opportunities for credit, there may be paid or summer internships.

Searching for an internship may be a daunting task, but students should take advantage of resources and networking in order to find their ideal match.

TORCHCOMICS

12

Lucia Burrafato

Birthday

Tuesday Taco

Han Niu

Diamond Watts-Walker

Posing With JimStephen Saliba

5 February 2014

13

14

4-of-5 and no meltdown for SJUBB Storm

pressing for answers

STEPHEN ZITOLO Assistant Sports Editor

The St. John’s men’s basketball team got its fourth victory in the last five Big East contests as it beat Providence 86-76 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

The Red Storm made it look as though they had the victory in hand as they led by as many as 23 points early in the second half, but too many miscues in the half shrunk the lead to only six – making what should have been an easy victory a nail biter for the Johnnies.

The Red Storm (14-9, 4-6) are only the second team to beat the Friars (16-7, 6-4) at home this season.

ST. JOHN’S

86

PROVIDENCE

76

“This was another positive step for our team,” head coach Steve Lavin told reporters. “It’s difficult for a team to dig itself out of an 0-5 conference start, but we knew we’d have to elevate our level of play with each practice and game opportunity.”

Junior guard D’Angelo Harrison led the team in points with 22 and six rebounds. Sampson scored 21 points with seven rebounds, and Jordan had a career-high 18 points with six assists. As a team the Johnnies shot 31-for-62 (50 percent) from the field, while shooting 6-for11 (54.5 percent) from beyond the arc.

Providence’s Bryce Cotton led the charge for the Friars as he had a gamehigh 32 points, going 6-for-10 (60 percent) from beyond the arc.

St. John’s came out red hot in the first half. Sampson and Jordan led the charge in the first half as Sampson scored 15 points and Jordan scored 13 points with five assists. The Red Storm went into the half leading 53-37 over the Friars behind

JON PEREZ Sports Editor

Hooper added. “We’ve had a sense of urgency all season but now as we’re backed into a corner. We’re not going to put pressure on ourselves that will make us uptight and not perform but this is something that needs to get done.”

Hooper also knows his coach’s track record when it comes to late February surges.

“For whatever reason coach Lavin’s teams have played better in February based on progressing on an incremental basis throughout the season,” Hooper said. “So that’s what we’re hoping for, that’s what we built this team for late season success in February and March so that’s what we’re striving for every day and trying to achieve every time we step on the court.”

As the second half of Big East play begins, St. John’s has gained momentum of late.

Sophomore forward JaKarr Samspon believes that pressing will put the Red Storm over the hump; however, head coach Steve Lavin said that the team has been pressing for a while now.

After the win over Butler on Saturday, Sampson said his team had an epiphany on the bus and came to an agreement that the team should start the game in the full-court press to avoid the slow starts.

“We all know we can compete with any team in the country as you’ve seen with Syracuse, it was a close game, Villanova was a close game,” Sampson said. “All of the best teams we could compete with but I feel our whole big thing is our starts. Our starts to games have been killing us all season. If we have a good start I feel we win a lot of those games by 10 points.”

The ebb and flow of the press is what attracts Sampson and the rest of the bunch. Sampson said he feels more comfortable relying on his instincts when his team is in the press.

“I just feel like we’re better playing at a fast pace,” Sampson said. “I feel like that gets us more loose. We don’t think, we’re just reacting instead of thinking so much. I just feel like we’re a better fast-paced playing team. I feel like the press is good for us.”

Lavin, however, said that his team has been pressing all along.

“We’ve been from start to finish the last five games in the press,” Lavin claimed. “The challenge is when we don’t score we can’t get into the press.

We’re in it from start to finish. I think sometimes he may feel we’re not in the press because we didn’t score and we’re down 16 and then we start scoring and we’re back in the press.”

So while Lavin didn’t dismiss that Sampson’s desire to press more often in the beginning of games, one thing appears to be clear: Sampson isn’t on the same page as far as the type of press that Lavin is utilizing and when he is utilizing it.

“To a player they’re thinking we’re not pressing,” Lavin said. “Well it’s because we’re not scoring and we have to score to get into the press.”

“We’re in it, what we call our onefull for the last five games now. But you can’t pressure if you miss because then they’re going down the other end of the press and they’re going to be boat racing by 3-on-1, 2-on-1 breaks.”

Be sure to check out everything St. John’s sports on twitter: @TorchSports

View all stories in this week’s paper and online exclusives at: torchonline.com

TORCH PHOTO/DIANA COLAPIETRO

The Johnnies have won 4-of-5 Big East games after starting 0-5 in conference.

shooting 61 percent from the field as a team.

The second half was a complete role reversal from the first as the Johnnies struggled out of the gate. From 14:26 to 8:11 in the second half the Friars went on a 19-2 run and narrowed the St. John’s lead to 69-63, beyond 17 second-half points from Cotton. But the Red Storm

were able to pull it out on the shoulders of Harrison’s 13 points in the half.

“I’m proud of the poise and gumption our team exhibited tonight when Providence made a big run at us in the second half,” Lavin said. “I like the character of this team. We’ve seen it all season long with the kids’ resilient spirit.”

Improvements on the way for Johnnies JON PEREZ Sports Editor

As the calendar turns to February, the pressure increases for Steve Lavin.

Lavin has been stating all season that February is the month where the team will hit its stride. Lavin stated that the team has been playing better since the second half of the Georgetown shalacking on Jan. 4 and is a little closer to the prize.

“I thought the kids took a positive step forward, which is encouraging as we head toward the second half of Big East play,” Lavin said after Saturday’s victory over Marquette. “There were a number of positive aspects of play today and as a result we were able to get a win against a very feisty Marquette team.”

Some members of the team feel the team is resurging into a contender.

“My team is confident, and we feel like we could win every game that we’re in,” sophomore forward JaKarr Sampson said. “I feel like we could beat anybody.

Mentally we feel really good about ourselves.”

While much of the team feels good about itself, some players say that some-

times improvement doesn’t always guarantee a victory.

“We’re satisfied with the progress we’ve made but we’re not happy with the results,” sophomore Max Hooper said. “Obviously you don’t want to make progress and lose so if we can take things from those and say that we need to keep getting better.”

The vibe the team is exuding comes from the victory in Indianapolis, where Hooper said his team shined.

“In the Butler game I feel like it was definitely offensively where we were clicking, we were moving the ball, we were being unselfish with ball movement and man movement and defensively talking and communicating, sticking to the scouting reports,” Hooper said.

“It’s the things that the coaches stress every day and it’s the things that we need to make habit and implement on every single possession and not 25 minutes in a game, not 30 minutes in a game but, 40 minutes in a game. We need to be able to do it from start to finish.”

As the days dwindle towards the big dance, Hooper admits that the thought of failing to make the tournament for the third straight year isn’t vocalized in the locker room.

“We just have a sense of urgency,”

McPherson nets 1000th point in win vs. Hall Torch Sports ALLAN GOMEZ Staff Writer

The St. John’s women’s basketball team stayed hot by defeating Seton Hall 69-48 on Saturday afternoon for their eighth-straight win.

ST. JOHN’S

69

SETON HALL

48

“It’s great that we are on a little bit of a roll right now,” said head coach Joe Tartamella. “Obviously, we take each game one at a time. Every game is important whether we’ve won eight, nine or two. The biggest focus for us is making sure we are ready for the next one.”

Danaejah Grant paced the Red Storm (16-5, 9-1) with 14 points and six rebounds. However, the team’s contributions were spread pretty evenly in the box score. Freshman Jade Walker had a career-high 13 points, Senior Briana Brown and sophomore Aliyyah Handford each had 12 points.

Senior Eugeneia McPherson became the 20th player in St John’s women’s history to score 1,000 points in her career. She finished with 7 points and accomplished the feat with 1:53 to play in the game.

“We’re very proud to watch Eugeneia score 1,000 points,” Tartamella said. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment at any level. We’re very happy to watch her out on the floor after her injury and after what she had to go through to come back. It’s a tremendous

feat for anybody and now she’s joined an exclusive club in our program.”

The Johnnies dominated from wire to wire by shooting 61 percent from the field and shot 5-7 from downtown in the first half. The Johnnies continued their success in the second

half and held the Pirates (13-7, 4-5) to 31 percent from the floor in the contest.

The Johnnies will continue Big East play on the road against Butler on Feb. 5.

15

Storm

Cast

Leavin’ their Mark Johnnies take home second place in ‘Mets’

The St. John’s track and field team came within 53 points of claiming the 2014 Metropolitan Indoor Championship last weekend at Manhattan College and the New Balance Armory Track & Field Center. The Red Storm snagged the runner-up title totaling 104 points as 23 runners finished in the top-10.

Claire Mooney was impressive in her 500 meter run with a time of 1:12.38.

Women’s tennis team swept in Princeton

TORCH PHOTO/DIANA COLAPIETRO

Eugeneia McPherson became the 20th player to hit the century mark at SJU.

Baseball team to be featured on FS1 AISHA QUINONES

Princeton blanked the St. John’s women’s tennis team on Saturday as they swept both singles and doubles on the road.

It was just not the Johnnies day as Princeton (2-1) dominated the Red Storm (1-1).

Senior Diamond Adams was the lone member of the Red Storm to win more than four games in a set.

This was the first test for the woman’s tennis team in the early season. St. John’s will try to get things back on track on Feb. 7 in the nation’s capital against Georgetown.

Blowin’ in the Wind

Contributing Writer

“I like the character The St. John’s baseball team is gearing up to make its television debut with the official broadcast partner of the Big East, FOX Sports.

The Red Storm will have the opportunity to showcase their talents for a national audience against Butler on April 12 on FOX Sports 2 and May 11 when they host Creighton at Jack Kaiser Stadium at 1 p.m. The announcement was made that the two games will be included in the 10-game spring sports including lacrosse.

The Johnnies, led by head coach Ed Blankmeyer, are set to open up the 2014 season with a three-game series at Pepperdine starting Feb. 14. With the most winning coach in St. John’s baseball history by their side, the team prepares to head into a total of nine different states in the midst of their 56-game schedule this season.

They will also be playing in 21 games against teams that have made NCAA Tournament appearances in recent years.

One other avenue for students to get their baseball fill will be on ESPN3 which is free and accessible to virtually everybody on their smartphone or laptop.

The Red Storm went 23-35 in 2013 during a rebuilding year for the program.

of this team. We’ve seen it all season long with the kids’ resilient spirit.”

-Steve Lavin

Lookin’ Ahead

Red Storm upcoming schedule

Men’s Basketball Feb. 9 Feb. 13 Feb. 16

Creighton* at Seton Hall Georgetown*

Women’s Basketball Feb. 5 Feb. 8 Feb. 15 Feb. 18

at Butler Providence Villanova at Georgetown

PHOTO/DIANA COLAPIETRO

The baseball team features the same core nucleus from a season ago.

* WSJU Radio

7 p.m.

9 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

12 p.m.

12:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

WOMEN’S TEAM STAYS HOT IN JERSEY

SPORTS FEBRUARY 5 2013 | VOLUME 91, ISSUE 16 |

TORCHONLINE.COM

RACING TO THE FINISH MEN’S BASKETBALL 4-6 AFTER 0-5 START IN BIG EAST PG. 14 PHOTO/DIANA COLAPIETRO