Fall issue 2 - Stickin' Around

Feds look to seize Chang’s house pg. 3

STICKIN’ AROUND

University’s Sustainability Initiative pg. 4

Week of Welcome concludes pg. 4

MASCOT, RED STORM NAME LIKELY TO REMAIN AMID POSSIBLE CHANGES PG. 3 Photo Courtesy of ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Photo of the Week

2

Directory

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

Samantha albanese Entertainment Editor Diana Colapietro Photo Editor jim baumbach

Advisor

Christopher Brito News Editor Jon Perez Sports Editor diamond watts-walker Art Director

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

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

Special thanks to Richard Rex Thomas for assisting in the design of the Torch

Lifestyle Faculty, students remember 9/11 Members of SJU community remember where they were on Sept.11, 2001.

Lifestyle Pgs. 5-7

Torch “Electric Lady” album review The Torch reviews Janelle Monae’s new album, “Electric Lady.”

Lifestyle Pg. 8

Sports Men’s Soccer team has perfect weekend Men’s Soccer beats Akron and Penn State over the weekend.

Sports Pg. 18 Illustrator’s Corner | Opinion pg. 14

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/Shannon Luibrand

The Vitality College Tour kicked off its Fall 2013 schedule at Carnesecca Arena.

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News

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Johnny Thunderbird stays on his perch Mascot, Red Storm expected to stay amid other possible Athletics changes

Kieran Lynch Editor-in-Chief The Red Storm name and Johnny Thunderbird mascot are expected to remain a part of St. John’s after an athletics branding survey revealed the University community supports both, the Torch has learned.

The Red Storm name was preferred the most among more than 3,000 respondents from targeted audiences, according to Hallie Sammartino, vice president of marketing in an emailed statement Tuesday night.

The survey, which was conducted online over the summer, also showed that the use of Johnnies was thought of as a more informal and secondary name to the nearly 20-year-old Red Storm, Sammartino said.

“The objective of the survey was to obtain feedback and reactions to the current St. John’s University athletic brand – including the team’s name, mascot, and graphic identity, from current students and student-athletes, faculty/staff, alumni and athletics personnel,” the email said.

Sammartino said that while there “may be some lack of support” for the mascot’s identity with general audience, Johnny should be retained as mascot, but with an update to reflect a new athletic brand. Sammartino attributed that lack of support among the general audience to changes over the years to the mascot’s persona.

Development of a new athletics identity – likely to include a new variation of the St. John’s logo to deemphasize the recently discarded “STJ” acronym – is underway and is likely to be revealed next semester and implemented by Fall 2014, according to people familiar with the situation and

the email.

The news that Johnny will likely remain comes on the heels of overwhelming support for the mascot from students around campus.

“As someone who came to St. John’s when Johnny hit the scene, it’s been great to grow with him and see him become someone you can really identify with this University,” said senior Redzone student spirit committee co-chair Jose Benitez.

Johnny was created as the University’s mascot in 2009 after winning a vote among the University community with 11,000 votes, according to Karli Hausman, assistant athletics director for marketing and promotions.

“There’s no point in changing the mascot so we have to re-find our identity for another three years,” Benitez said before the Torch was made aware of Johnny’s apparent security. “The students voted for Johnny Thunderbird and he’s been a staple of my time here.”

The Torch first reported on its website in June that changes could be made to the athletics brand over the next year.

Sammartino said at the time that Johnny had “resonated strong” with some people, but not as much with others, adding that a lot of people spoken to informally before the survey said they didn’t know who the mascot was.

The thought of Johnny being dumped as one of the school’s symbols provoked someone to place a poster in the front of D’Angelo Center in August reminding passers-by that the mascot had been voted in by students.

The Torch spoke with students attending the men’s soccer team’s 2-1 overtime win over Akron on Friday

night. They overwhelmingly showed support for the four-year mascot.

“I think it’s great that we got to vote on him when we chose him so we take pride in our choice,” said Emily Trefry, a graduate student. “Johnny Thunderbird is unique enough that people are going

to remember him.”

The definitive answers about needing a mascot change all added up to some form of “No way.”

Additional reporting by Kyle Fitzgerald, Online Editor.

TORCH PHOTO/ Diana COlapietro

Johnny Thunderbird high-fives a student during Friday’s men ‘s soccer game.

Feds look to take Chang’s home; son fights suit Christopher Brito News Editor Federal prosecutors are attempting to seize the Jamaica Estates home of late dean Cecilia Chang as well as funds tied with her embezzlement schemes, but her son has argued that he is the house’s “rightful heir.”

An initial conference in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn last June, was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, according to the docket report.

Stephen Mahler, one of the attorneys who defended Chang during her federal fraud trial, filed a notice of claim in August on behalf of Chang’s son, Steven, attempting to prevent the prosecutors from obtaining her home.

His motion comes after the federal prosecutors filed paperwork looking to seize Chang’s Tudor-style home located

on 82-34 Tyron Place and $434,616.55 from a bank account Chang allegedly had opened in a former student’s name,

TORCH PHOTO/ Anthony O’Reilly

Chang’s house last November.

according to court documents obtained

by The Torch.

Chang, former dean of the Center for Asian Studies and vice president of International Relations at the University, was arrested in 2010 and faced a federal trial last fall on charges that she stole University money, mostly through fraudulent expense reports, and forced international scholarship students to act as her personal servants.

Chang – who was fired by the University in June 2010, three months before she was arrested – committed suicide in her home a day after testifying last November.

Prosecutors argue in their suit that because the forced labor is alleged to have taken place in Chang’s residence, “the property is liable to condemnation and to forfeiture to the United States,” according to the court documents.

“Rather than arrange universityrelated work opportunities for these

scholarship students, Chang instead forced many students to perform labor for Chang personally at her home at the Tyron Place property,” the suit says.

Activities for the international students, according to the lawsuit, included cooking, cleaning and laundry, and students were warned that their scholarships would be in jeopardy of being revoked if they told anyone what they were doing.

Chang’s son, Steven, who is described in court papers as an attorney licensed to practice law in Hawaii, said he deserves to be considered the heir to the house because he “had no knowledge or reason to know the property in question was related to criminal activity.”

William J. Gullotta, the Assistant U.S. Attorney in the forfeiture suit, had “no comment” on the case and wouldn’t disclose details of the earlier meeting.

A trial is not expected to take place at least until next summer.

4

SJU strives for environmental excellence

University’s Sustainability Initiative keeps campus energy efficient and ‘green’

Alexa Vagelatos Staff Writer The University participates in a campus-wide environmental project known as the Sustainability Initiative where students and faculty team up to continually make the school more environmentally friendly and aware.

“I think there’s a high level of sensitivity to focus on this issue, as an institution,” said Brij Anand, vice president for campus facilities and services. “We are going through a cultural shift, and we as educators feel we play a large role in educating our future generations with the use of natural resources.”

Efforts toward sustainability at St. John’s started six years ago when the University took part in Mayor Bloomberg’s idea to reduce carbon footprints by 30 percent for institutions in NYC, commonly known as the “Bloomberg Challenge,” Anand said.

Since 2007, the University has participated in the “Bloomberg Challenge” and has been able to reduce 20 percent of its carbon footprint (how much electricity and water students use, etc.), according to Anand.

The project doesn’t just stop with Bloomberg’s challenge, though. Each year the University’s sustainability committee – which consists of staff, faculty, and student government – is said to have made efforts toward improving both lighting and water conservation.

“Every new project meets the highest conservation standards,” Anand said.

One of the University’s new initiatives designed to help preserve water has been the 17 new cooled-and-chilled water stations in the residence halls. Instead of using water bottles, the University has given out 3,500 water containers to

all students in Residence life as well as 1,700 to all new students who came in this year, Anand said.

The sustainability committee has also worked on an efficient lighting system campus wide. They’ve invested money into restoring the building management system (which controls the stop time of heating, air conditioning, the electric, etc), as well as installing motion sensors in certain offices and classrooms.

Amidst the various efforts the

University has made towards conservation, it has also taken part in a number of competitions nationwide. Each year SJU gets involved with the nationwide Energy Conservation Competition “Compete to Reduce.” Within the University, it is called the Watt Stopper program. This competition occurs in the dorms every semester. SJU finished in fifth place last year nationwide among 100 universities and colleges. The University also takes part in Recycle Mania, which is also a

nationwide competition that SJU engages during the spring semesters.

Meanwhile, two notable NYC programs have recognized the University’s sustainability efforts.

NYC’s “Million Trees NYC” program and the “Tree Campus USA” program both promote healthy trees in NYC as well as student involvement. In 2012, SJU was given an award by the Arbor Day Foundation, which runs the “Tree Campus USA” program. The award was in recognition of the amount of trees we have planted around campus, along with the amount of students that were actively involved in making it happen.

In 2008, SJU hired 10-to-20 students to become “energy coordinators.” Tom Goldsmith, the director of energy and environmental conservation, trains and educates the students, and in order to become an energy coordinator now, students must apply.

“We would like to have more student coordinators,” Anand said. “It’s a great way to have students to become aware.”

These students help with projects like the all-organic garden, which is located by the residence halls. When the energy coordinators started in 2008, they were only at 12 percent of the recycling rate (keeping waste from landfills).

Anand said now they are at 30 percent and their goal is to get to 50 percent of the recycling rate.

Follow the Torch on Twitter: @SJUTorch TORch photo/Diana colapietro

An Energy Coordinator tending to the all-organic garden on campus.

Students embrace Week of Welcome Kaitlin Simpson Contributing Writer The University hosted its annual Week of Welcome, where students—freshmen, transfer or returning—get acclimated to the campus and can partake in various events designed to start the year with a little fun.

Week of Welcome kicked off on Aug. 31 with the Play Fair and Target Party and ran until Sept. 9.

Shoshana Khan, a sophomore, attended the Twlight Carnival on Aug. 1 which had several games, delicious food and giveaways.

“I liked the carnival; it was pretty cool,” Khan said. “The best part was the energy with everyone dancing and the free stuff.”

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the first annual class photo of the incoming freshmen took place. The new freshmen also took part of Convocation.

Khadijah Donaldson, a junior and resident assistant of Henley Road Complex, attended the first annual class photo and Convocation.

“The freshman photo class went better

than I expected,” Donaldson said. “It was beautiful to see the freshman come together to form our school letters,” While the Week or Welcome was a hit amongst many students, others felt there was lack of advertisement and that it was targeted solely for residents.

“If I didn’t have to come to campus for school, I would have never heard about it,” Andrew Mathias, a senior commuter student said. “I hope they have more commuter designated events.”

St. John’s Fest on Sept. 4, sponsored

by Greek Life, Athletics, S.G.I., Red Zone and Global Studies, helped students get the chance to meet campus leaders and get to participate in giveaways, games and food.

Callista Faria, a junior, was one of the many who attended and was happy she did.

“St. John’s Fest was a lot of fun and really nice to see all of the student body out. I got to be reunited with a lot of my friends,” Faria said.

St. John’s Week of Welcome concluded on Monday afternoon with the Activities Fair on the Great Lawn where students got to learn about all the interest organizations on campus.

TORch photo/Diana colapietro

Students enjoying some of the perks of Week of Welcome’s events.

Think Outside...

Lifestyle

5

Editor’s St. John’s Remembers Sept. 11 Note THE UNIVERSITY CAME TOGETHER WHEN NYC WAS ATTACKED

Anita Webb

SHANNON LUIBRAND Features Editor

On Sept. 11, 2001, St. John’s lost 108 alumni in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Out of the 2,973 people who lost their lives that day, at least 3.6 percent of them were members from the University community.

Twelve years later, for many the pain and memories are still very raw. The images of that horrific day are engrained in their minds.

The next few pages of this edition of the Torch are a collection of stories–from a student, a professor, an administrator and a faculty member. They will recount, remember, grieve and memorialize those lost. These stories are just a glimpse of what they witnessed on Sept. 11.

I grew up in upstate N.Y. a little outside of Albany. While close to the city, I was not close enough to feel the real tragedies of that day. I chose St. John’s for many reasons, but one of the main reasons was its proximity to the greatest city in the world–New York. Like most of you, I remember seeing the images on TV. I remember hearing about the horrors of that day and about the heroes. I remember watching as New York City rebuilt and recovered, but never forget.

As this Sept. 11 anniversary approached, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to be at St. John’s that day–or to have been in the city at all.

I am now a senior. I was in the fourth grade during the attacks and I remember it like it was yestesterday. However, many freshman were just first graders.

And a few years from now, the students at this University will have no memory of Sept. 11, 2001 at all.

I wanted to do this section to not only share the stories of those who were there, but to remember. To remember those images, those experiences and those lives lost. The lives sacrificied, the heroes, the St. John’s faculty who stepped up on that day and the students who walked fom Manhattan to Queens. The students who showed strength during the scariest day of their lives.

We go to an amazing University in the best city in the world. It is important to remember our history. And to realize, even if we do not have memories from that day, for many faculty members at St. John’s and for alumni, it was the worst day of their lives.

For those who took the time to share your stories with me, thank you. I will never forget. And I will think of you on every Sept. 11 for the rest of my life.

I hope the collection of stories is also a reminder for you– St. John’s will always remember.

The following stories are compiled and written by Shannon Luibrand, Features Editor–all interviews took place over the last week.

Advisement Coordinator in the School of Risk Management

It was a beautiful September day, not a cloud in the sky, the remnants of summer still lingering in the air.

Anita Webb exited the subway station on Murray Street in Manhattan like any other day. She was headed to the St. John’s Manhattan campus where she worked. But as soon as Webb came up from under ground, it became apparent something was wrong.

A plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers.

She did not understand. The clear blue sky– how could a plane not see a building? What a terrible accident.

And while she stood on Murray Street and West Broadway, the second plane hit. A fireball erupted from the sky and Webb began to run. This was no accident.

“It was just unbelievable,” she said.

“I was very afraid.”

Webb was changed forever, she said. The world as she knew it, as New York City knew it, was over. Life would never be the same.

By the time the second plane had hit, the radio and televisions began announcing what was happening. Webb said she watched the second building collapse from the street, debris and smoke billowing towards her.

Over a decade later, it is impossible to forget the horrors of that day.

“The image that is most engrained in my mind was standing on that corner when the second plane hit that second building,” Webb said. “I can close my eyes and still see it.”

Webb eventually made her way to the Manhattan campus. Students and faculty gathered in the lobby, unsure of where to go or what to do next. There was no service, limited transporta-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Victims on Sept. 11, 2001 assist each other while roaming the streets of Manhattan.

tion and still a lot of confusion. It was decided the Manhattan campus students would begin making the walk to the Queens campus—where they would stay for the remainder of the semester as the Manhattan campus was transformed into a Red Cross center.

Webb, who lived in the Bronx, was able to catch one of the few buses running. She said she remembers passing all of the major NYC landmarks on that bus ride and wondering what would happen next. She admits the fear was intense.

The campus lost one student that day who had graduated in May, along with two adjunct professors.

“It was horrific,” Webb said.

But Webb reiterated what many St.

John’s faculty on campus said too about that day– St. John’s came together.

Webb explained that the weeks and months after the attacks were just as hard as that initial day. The memories, the lives lost and the images were always prevalent. But the Queens campus welcomed Manhattan with open arms. They gave them a place to live, learn and remember.

Twelve years later Webb still remembers the day of the attacks like it was yesterday. Everything–from the smell to the burning to the chaos–will always be with her. But she said she is no longer afraid. She learned you cannot let fear stop you, but you must also never forget.

“We survived,” she said. “We will find a way. We always do.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Aerial view of Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The Manhattan campus is a few blocks away.

6

The attacks in the eyes of a fourth grader Skye Mahoney

Current St. John’s student who was in NYC on the day of the attacks.

TORCH FILE PHOTO

The Cover of The Torch on Sept. 19, 2001 just a few days after the attacks on NYC.

On Sept. 11, 2001, most seniors now at St. John’s were in the fourth grade, Skye Mahoney being one of them.

Mahoney, a 9-year-old in Ms. Figueroa’s class at PS 212 in Jackson Heights, started the day off like any other. Dressed in a sweater, jeans and her favorite Jordan sneakers, she took advantage of the beautiful morning.

“It was a really nice day out,” she said. “Because I remember my mom let me play outside for a little before entering the school.”

The day started out fairly normal, but during writing class that morning Mahoney realized something was wrong.

“I started to realize my teacher kept leaving the classroom and she never left,” Mahoney said. “So that was a little odd to me but I still had no idea what was going on.”

“I remember Ms. Figueroa’s facial expression because she looked shocked, like she didn’t know what to do,” she said. “Writing time went on later than normal and I remember this because I hated it and wanted it to end.”

Soon Mahoney’s friends were all being picked up from school. She was one of only three students in her class who was not picked up.

“I knew something was wrong but I didn’t know what it was,” she said. “I remember having a bad feeling in my stomach and I started to get nervous.”

Throughout the day Mahoney picked up on the little things, such as teachers crying, a special pizza party and watch-

ing movies in class. The school day came and went, but Mahoney was still not picked up. At the end of the day, the remaining students were brought in the gymnasium to watch a movie. Mahoney said she was on her best behavior.

“I look back on it now and maybe we all felt something because nobody got in trouble,” she said. “I remember we were all calm, we all behaved, we all just listened. “ Around 7 p.m., Mahoney’s mother, an actress, picked her up from school.

She had been stranded in Manhattan and had to walk all the way to Queens. Mahoney said she can remember watching the news with her mom that night and crying thinking about all the children who lost their parents.

Mahoney’s stepfather, who owned a café in Chelsea, did not come home until late that night. He had been trapped in the city as well.

“I fell asleep on the couch that night watching the news,” she said. “I didn’t go to school for the rest of the week.”

Even though she was so young, Mahoney felt compelled to help those affected by the attacks. When her father and grandfather volunteered at Ground Zero, Mahoney passed out paper hearts she made to everyone who walked by. In her young mind, she thought her hearts were the cure for everyone’s pain.

“Turned out I didn’t cure the world,” she said. “But my family didn’t let me feel bad for it or let me carry any hate in my heart.”

Instead Mahoney’s family used the attacks as a teaching moment.

“I think that’s what 9/11 taught me the most was not to hate other countries,” she said. “But to help and forgive.”

Biking from Queens to The New York Times Mark Prendergast

Associate Professor and the Director of the Journalism Department Looking out his office window on the third floor of Bent Hall, Mark Prendergast can see his entire life laid out before him.

To his right is Flushing where he was born and raised, and continues to call home. Just below his office window is the St. John’s campus where he has taught for a decade and to his left is the Manhattan skyline—the city where he became a renowned journalist, building a career that led him to The New York Times.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Prendergast was an editor at the Times. And while most people were running away from Manhattan after the attacks on the World Trade Center, Prendergast was riding into the city–on his bike.

When the towers were struck and transportation into the city became nonexistent, his wife drove him to Long Island City. Very few people were being let into Manhattan, the security was tight and the traffic unbearable. From LIC to the Times office in Times Square, Prendergast rode his bike the 4.5 miles.

He said if he remembers anything from that day, it is the bike ride—and the sea of faces he passed along the way.

“Once the cops let me go over the bridge, the 59th street bridge, I was riding up the steep incline on the lower level and it was just thousands of people pouring over the bridge toward me,” he

said. “And nobody was talking. Nobody was saying anything.”

He said the silence was eerie. All that could be heard was the sound of thousands of feet pushing forward.

“It was silent,” he said. “I was just looking at the faces of the people. I was peddling very slowly because the crowds were very thick, but it wasn’t so thick that I couldn’t actually ride.”

Standing on his bike pedals, Prendergast was elevated slightly above the crowd.

“They just had these almost blank stares on their faces,” he said. “It wasn’t panic, it wasn’t horror—it was just they just needed to get away from that place.

And the only way that was left to them was by foot and they were doing it.”

While Prendergast was headed into the unknown, his wife, Michelle Prendergast, watched him ride off into the distance. She later told her husband she feared she would never see him again.

Unbeknownst to him, she snapped a picture of him riding off; to his left is the column of smoke from the World Trade Center.

“I didn’t even know she had a camera with her,” he said, looking at the image he now has framed. “I didn’t even find out until I got home that she had taken the picture.”

In the Times office, Prendergast said, things remained professional.

“Very professional,” he said. “Everyone was stunned, of course.”

Prendergast spent the rest of the day editing stories as they came through, eventually moving off the news desk to

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE PRENDERGAST

Mark Prendergast bikes towards Manhattan on Sept. 11 and his wife snaps a picture.

help with copy editing. He went home to his wife that night, and he was one of the only people riding the subway.

But the most difficult part of that horrific day did not come until later on, when he found out his close cousin had been killed in the attacks. On a personal level, this really hit home.

“That is by far the most powerful experience out of 9/11, was the very personal element of it,” he said. “It resonates to this day.”

Looking out his office window, the Freedom Tower stands out in the skyline and reflects the sun in the September sky.

The Tower is a reminder of that horrific day 12 years ago—the sea of faces, the bike ride, his wife who captured the moment and his cousin who was taken all too soon. And most of all, a reminder to never forget.

“We mark 9/11 as a family every year,” he said. “I imagine we always will.”

7

Everything changed while on the Great Lawn

Mary Pelkowski Associate Dean for Student Engagement

Mary Pelkowski stood on the Great Lawn on Sept. 11, 2001—setting up for the fall activities fair and waiting to greet students as they hurried to their 9 a.m. classes.

But campus was deserted and the students never came by walking.

“The later that hour got, I started thinking to myself, shouldn’t people be going to their 9 o’clock class? So I was alone on the lawn,” she said. “It was like a ghost town on the lawn. It was surreal now that I look back on it.”

Eventually someone from the library came outside; they told her a plane hit one of the World Trade Center towers.

Pelkowski quickly made her way to the old University Center on campus. Huddled around several big screen televisions with her colleagues she watched as life as she knew it evaporated.

From the St. Vincent’s stairway, the smoke from the towers could be seen rising into the air. Pelkowski took a moment at the stairway overlooking the skyline, where the towers no longer stood, debris and smoke in their places.

“You could really see the smoke,” she said. “I think it was more of a pause to be like, could this really be happening? And then going down and seeing it on the TV… Wow this really did just happen to us.”

The rest of the day was hectic.

Pelkowski stayed on campus through the

night assisting the Red Cross, students and reassuring worried parents.

“We weren’t going to bed that night until we knew every St. John’s student was safe and sound,” she said.

One moment stood out in her mind in particular. Standing outside with Campus Ministry, she looked up and saw the students from the Manhattan campus

walking towards her.

“Many of them without shoes, they just left there and walked,” she said.

“And they didn’t know where to walk so they came here.”

The students were without working communication devices and transportation. They had evacuated the campus and walked over 12 miles to the Queens

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001 just moments after they were attacked.

campus, where they would remain for the rest of the semester.

In the days to follow the University worked to accommodate the Manhattan campus students. Pelkowski said Campus Ministry was instrumental in making sure the students had clothes, toiletries and beds to sleep in. She said the Vincentian and Catholic spirit was alive.

“Our first priority were our students,” she said. “It was those days following I was like, wow, St. John’s really is a community.”

Pelkowski went with the Manhattan campus students to retrieve their things a few days after the attacks.

“They were emotional. I think because it was so close…It wasn’t like it was miles and miles away,” she said.

“It was emotionally draining.”

The smells and sights still remain in her mind. When she brought the students to gather their belongings she became acutely aware that sometimes the little things really do matter.

“I think our church is the biggest symbol of that day,” she said. “It shows that our faith is everlasting.”

The St. Thomas More Church was donated in memory of an alumnus of the Law School who was killed in the attacks. A piece of the World Trade Center remains inside the church.

Pelkowski said she hopes people continue to remember that day for years to come, as well as the people lost and the heroes who sacrificed their lives.

“Our lives were changed forever,” she said.

SJU community lost 108 alumni on Sept. 11 On the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, the Torch published a few blurbs about alumni who were killed during the terrorist attacks. St. John’s lost many alumni that day and 12 years later, the community continues to mourn their deaths and remember their lives.

Here is some of what they published:

James Munhall, managing director for Sandler O’Neill and Partners, was 45 years old. He was a 1978 graduate of St. John’s.

James Nelson of Clark, N.J. was a Port Authority officer who began his work at the World Trade Center in 1986.

After graduating high school in 1979, he received a full fencing scholarship to St. John’s. Four years later, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Nelson was at the World Trade Center after the 1993 bombing and died at the site in 2001 after being sent to work on Sept. 11.

The back cover of the edition of the Torch from the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.

Scott Kopytko, a three year veteran of the FDNY, was part of one of the first units to reach the towers. He was part of South Street’s Ladder Co. 15. He graduated from St. John’s with honors and a degree in computer science. He worked for several years as a commodities trader for a firm in the World Trade Center, according to the Daily News.

But eventually he traded in his suit and briefcase to become a firefighter.

Robert Nagel, 55, a 28-year veteran of the fire department died on Sept. 11.

He earned a business degree from St. John’s. He was also a Vietnam veteran, according to The Record (Bergen County, NJ).

Michael Weinstein was on vacation when the World Trade Center, where his sister worked, was attacked. He died trying to find shelter under a firetruck as the towers collapsed around him, according to the Daily News. He was a former member of the St. John’s baseball team.

8

What is to come for Fall comedies

FAMILIAR FUNNY FACES IN THE UPCOMING FALL COMEDY SHOWS COMING TO CBS AND NBC. DOMINIQUE MUSA Staff Writer

People have many things in common, but one thing in particular, is that almost all of us love to laugh. In my lifetime I can’t remember meeting anyone who didn’t like a good laugh. So for all the comedy fans, there’s nothing to worry about because the Fall 2013 new comedies are about to start.

A large majority of the premiering comedies this fall star familiar and/or returning faces. The first of the bunch is Fox’s cop comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” The show stars and is produced by “Saturday Night Live” alum and The Lonely Island member Andy Samberg. Samberg plays laid back NYPD detective Jake Peralta who is forced to grow up because of new and strict Captain Ray Holt, played by Andre Braugher.

The show also has former “Everybody Hates Chris” star Terry Crews. Cop procedurals have been fairly popular for a while now, so why not add a new spin to the old tradition? “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 8:30 p.m.

The next of the shows is “The Crazy Ones.” Airing on CBS, “The Crazy Ones” features a dad and daughter team at an advertising agency in Chicago. That father-daughter duo happens to be funnyman Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Both Gellar and Williams are no strangers to leading roles on TV series. Sarah Michelle starred on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the short-lived series “Ringer.”

This will be Robin Williams’ first starring role on a television series since his run on “Mork & Mindy,” which aired from 1978-

1982. “The Crazy Ones” premieres on Thursday Sept. 26 at 9 p.m.

Another premiering comedy this fall on CBS is the news series titled “Mom.” “Mom” stars “Scary Movie” franchise star and actress Anna Faris in her first starring television role. Faris plays single mom Christy, who has recently sobered up and moved to Napa Valley, California. The series also stars “The West Wing” alum Alison Janney as Bonnie, Christy’s mom.

Mom premieres on Monday, Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m.

And last but not least and probably one of the most anticipated new shows of the season is NBC’s “The Michael J. Fox Show.” The show stars film and TV star Michael J. Fox. The new comedy is his first starring TV role since his run on “Spin City” which aired for five years from 1996-2001. “The Michael J. Fox Show” is loosely based on Fox’s real life.

The show is centered around news anchor Mike Henry, who gives up his career after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease to focus on his health and family. Five years later, Henry decides to return to work but now struggles with the right balance between career and family. Similarly to the show, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 but did not go public with his condition until 1998. Fox has since become an advocate for the disease. “The Michael J. Fox Show” premieres on Thursday, Sept.

26 at 9:30 p.m.

The Fall TV programs are usually the most anticipated of the seasonal series premiers, and with these major stars of comedy being brought to the forefront, viewers should anticipate a whole lot of laughing going forward.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CBS NETWORK

Funny girls Anna Faris and Allison Janney star in the new television series, “Mom.”

Janelle Monae debuts as ‘Electric Lady’

ANNMARIE TURTON Staff Writer

JANELLE MONAE Electric Lady

Janelle Monae is one of the few artists of our generation who understands that music is art, and musicians are artists.

They usually embody every aspect of the story they paint in their songs, and Monae does this perfectly in her sophomore album entitled Electric Lady.

The first song on the album, “Suite IV Electric Overture,” sets the scene for the album with its jazzy and bluesy vibes.

This song also prepared listeners for what I am sure will be referred to as Monae’s best collaborations to date, “Givin Em What They Love” featuring Prince. Prince is so much of a legend that he almost out-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Janelle Monae has released her second studio album this week on Sept. 10,.

shines Monae’s vocals on the track with his groovy funkadelic chords on the guitar, but she holds her own incredibly well on the track.

This groovy jam session touched off a firestorm of future groovy jams to come especially with her collaboration named “Q.U.E.E.N” with Erykah Badu, another soul heavyweight. “Q.U.E.E.N,” is another one of the many funky get up and groove songs on the album. During the song she speaks of the hate she gets from her detractors but ultimately refuses to accept their opinions of her.

The title track on the album “Electric Lady,” builds off of the sentiments Monae expresses in “Q.U.E.E.N” and takes being a confident fun, eclectic woman to another level. With the help of Solange Knowles, Monae perfectly conveys electric ladies as being fun, classy and sassy movers and shakers of the world. There are several radio style interludes such as “The Chrome Shoppe,” “Our Favorite Fugitive” and “Good Night Midnight,” which help to keep the listeners engaged as the album simultaneously transcends various styles, eras and moods.

Monae continues to build on the genius of her theme of self acceptance and love in with “Dance Apocalytic,” which makes you want to dance wherever you are. The album takes more of a romantic turn with the sexy and sensual ballad called “Primetime,” featuring Miguel, who is known for creating simple but powerful soul ballads. The song is one of the best on the album.

With every artist – particularly R&B singers – it would be rare for them not to have ballads about lost love, and “It’s

Code” and “We Were Rock N Roll” doesn’t disappoint in this area. Though they are typical melancholy love songs, you can feel the extent of Monae’s pain in every lyric of these songs. These songs, and a few others, didn’t catch my attention, especially, “Look into My Eyes,” which has a 1940s drive-in movie theater feel. However, her song “Ghetto Woman” did because she refers to one of the themes on the album – struggle and embracing who you are.

Monae gets the most personal about her family and her roots on this track not by singing, but by rapping about how women can amount to anything they want to be regardless of how much the world throws their way. “Ghetto Woman” is by far one of the most powerful songs on the album.

The album from here on out gets a little predictable with more intense alternative romance songs such as “Sally Ride” and “Victory” but she ends with a bang with ultra jazzy and reggae songs like “Dorothy Dandridge” featuring Esperanza Spaulding and “What an Experience.”

For someone who wasn’t a fan of Monae’s music when she first debuted in 2007, I think she has definitely come a long way in terms of reaching people like me who initially did not understand her unique persona. The album is Monae’s best work so far and is available today after hitting shelves on Sept. 10.

Can’t get enough of the Torch?

Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com

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14

Editorial Board XCI KIERAN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief

Illustrator’s Corner

MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE Managing Editor CHRISTOPHER BRITO News Editor

FLAMES OF THE TORCH Think and propose On the ‘Bird and Storm This weekend marked the end of the St. John’s-famous “Week of Welcome.”

The week typically begins on movein day and lasts… you guess it … one week.

This year’s inaugural period was much like year’s past: barbecues, sporting events and various functions for the newer students to meet new friends and get acclimated.

One event that stuck out to us did so not so much because of some sort of overarching success, but rather because it was simply different. It was the Vitality Tour put on by Groove Boston, a group that performs EDM (Electronic Dance Music) shows on college campuses.

The show was entertaining and gave us something more than mildly interesting to do on campus after class hours. But more than that, it added some variety.

As it turns out, it’s not that terribly difficult to hold events like this one on campus.

According to Student Government, Inc.’s Secretary, Oscar Diaz, all it took to bring the Vitality tour to campus was a suggestion from Greek Life and then a proposal. He said other organizations have done the same in the past and can do it in the future, but from our view it isn’t done enough.

If you’re part of an organization, our challenge to you is to think out of the box. Come up with a creative entertainment idea and make it happen. Our feeling is that sometimes at St. John’s we all get lost in what we can’t do, what we’re prevented from doing and what’s holding us back. Instead, we should look at things such as last weekend’s event and say, ‘Why can’t we hold a similar event?

Why don’t we try to suggest something that appeals to our group?’

What this instance shows is that ideas can be formed, can be proposed and can be executed. Just go out there and do it.

Yesterday the Torch learned that the University’s athletics branding survey returned mostly positive results on the Red Storm name and using Johnnies as a secondary nickname. We’ve also learned that despite apparent mixed reviews about Johnny Thunderbird, our feathery friend looks like he’s here to stay.

These are all positive developments to us. We commend the University for their academically sided rebrand with the new logo and return to blue in the color scheme.

We hope that its embracing those changes – though from the looks of it, they’re a little slow to appear around campus – and breathing new life into itself.

For athletics, however, there’s no need to go overboard. We all know about the recent history of name changes, color changes, etc. It’s time to stick with what we’ve got.

Name recognition when it comes to the Red Storm or identifying with a mascot has nothing to do with images at this point – it’s winning.

The men’s basketball program has been on the way up and this year may very well be the year it cements itself on the national stage. What shouldn’t be done during this time is changing of a 20-year-old name or a mascot that’s beloved by students.

You have to build your image, it doesn’t just magically gain traction. You build it by having the public care about you – not because you have a certain mascot or name (how many ‘Cats teams are there?), but by going to the NCAA tournament and winning.

Do that a few years in a row, (and go on a few March runs) and you’ll be a household name.

Go Red Storm. ...and Johnnies on second reference.

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

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

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

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/ DIAMOND WATTS-WALKER

15

Through the eyes of a nine-year old I hate when something so momentous occurs that you can’t wrap your mind around it. Like when someone close to you passes away and you’re unable to convince yourself that you’ll never see their face again… touch their skin, smell their hair. You can’t put it into words; it’s just impossible to swallow reality.

September 11, 2001 did that for a lot of people.

I was nine-years-old when it happened. I’ll never forget that day. Not only because of the events that took place in lower Manhattan, but because it was the day I took home my baritone.

Yes. My baritone.

You see, every fourth grader at my elementary school gets to pick an instrument to play for band class. And I chose the baritone.

I have no idea why I chose the largest instrument available. It was legitimately the same size as me.

But the size of my baritone is the

memory that intertwines most with my experience on 9/11.

After successfully trudging my newly rented instrument onto the bus after school, I got home to find my mom waiting for me outside. I was happy to see her – because I’m a Mama’s boy – but surprised because she never got off work before I got home from school.

As I stumbled off the bus, dragging my baritone along, I headed towards my mom and we talked about my day at school, what I learned and, of course, my baritone.

Then she mentioned somewhere in the span of the two minute walk to our apartment that there was an accident in the city (I’m from New Jersey and we refer to New York City as the ‘city’).

When we got home, I realized what my mom had been talking about. I’m almost positive we had CNN on because that’s my dad’s favorite channel.

I saw the footage of the planes crashing into the towers dozens of times in the hour my eyes were glued to the television.

Even at the age of nine, I was affected in a way that I couldn’t properly put into words. I remember one thought that wouldn’t stop running through my nine-year old head: how could someone do something so cruel?

I was too young to process the thousands of lives lost. They were just num-

bers on a screen to me. The only thing I could truly connect with was the pictures and videos on television. I didn’t understand the speeches from Mayor Giuliani and President Bush. All I knew was that I was witnessing something that was causing unimaginable suffering – and no one knew why.

In the weeks after 9/11, I began to notice something that became a recurring theme on the endless media reports surrounding the attacks. There was strong focus on Muslims – both Muslims who lived overseas and ones with American citizenship.

It was the reports about Muslim Americans that interested me the most.

My nine-year-old brain gathered that they were being treated with resentment because the suspected perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks were also Muslim.

Once I gathered the latter in my head, it was like a switch flipped. I was furious at what I was learning.

For as long as I can remember, issues dealing with race have meant a great deal to me. I realized at an early age that one’s ethnicity means nothing in the grand spectrum of things.

I hated the fact that Muslims who called the U.S. home were being treated with such callousness because of the actions of individuals who’s only connection to them was a religion. A religion that nearly two billion people

share.

One of my friends from school was named Mohammed. Was I supposed to think differently of him because he shared a name with one of the suspects in the 9/11 attacks? My nine-year old mind couldn’t grasp that mindset.

It’s a good thing I couldn’t grasp the thought, though. How could I empathize with a frame of mind crafted by people who, unlike me, were attempting to comprehend the complete tragedy of that September day.

They were trying to make sense of the thousands of lives lost and the families whose lives were changed forever. My nine-year old mind couldn’t handle that.

Everyone else was doing something to help the people directly affected by 9/11. I guess I was trying to help the people indirectly affected.

I was just a nine-year old kid.

Mitchell Petit-Frere is a senior English and journalism major who quit playing the baritone before his freshmen year of high school. But not before he won the music award in fifth grade for his exceptional music abilities. He can be reached at torch.managing@gmail.com or @mrpetitfrere.

Goodbye August, hello Europe

Chinonye Mbonu Contributing Writer

The month of August is the last guest you’d ever want to invite to your summer party. It arrives entirely too early, rounds up all the fun in its backpack, and disappears into the darkness never to be seen again until the following year.

However, for a group of 32 study abroad students, August could not come soon enough. We could hardly wait to trade in our beach balls and bonfires for flamenco dances, cobblestoned Parisian streets, and authentic gelato.

We all had our reasons for studying abroad – from wanting to enhance portfolios to wanting to learn a new language.

“I’ve never been out of the country before,” said Tyler Jones, a 20-year-old junior. “I haven’t even been on a plane for longer than four hours. I really just want to experience somewhere different.”

Personally, I felt the U.S. was getting a tad bit too “mainstream”, and I needed to expand my cultural horizons.

After much packing, over-packing, unpacking and repacking, the majority of our group met for the first time at JFK’s terminal 4. It was nice to meet the people we’d be spending the next 15 weeks travelling from Seville to Paris to Rome with.

So after seven hours of flying that could easily have been mistaken for a seven-hour ride on Disney’s Tower of Terror, we landed safely in sunny Seville, Spain.

We soon met our program directors Raul and Fernando, and the 104 degrees of arid Mediterranean heat definitely ex-

pedited the, “I can’t believe this is really happening” phase.

Our first week was very reminiscent of freshman year orientation. The Office of Global Studies staff didn’t cut any corners to make sure we would acclimate into Spanish society.

The day after we arrived, Raul took us on a power walk along the historic Guadalquivir River. The river is truly the heart and soul of Seville. A testament of this is the fact that travel directions are generally given in accordance with location and proximity to the river.

The highlight of the week was our trip to Aracena Caves. We travelled about an hour to Huelva where the caves are located. I may have selectively misheard the instruction about not taking photos, and may or may not have tried to take a picture with my flash on.

Needless to say, I got a nice long lecture and no picture to show for it.

We soon learned how ineffective our high school Spanish lessons were.

For one, all those verb tense conjugations are no match for the Spaniards and their dialect. Secondly, Gazpacho is one dish you really don’t have to try. Take our word for it, unless you’re a fan of cold V8 juice. Lastly, do not under any circumstance compare American “Ham” to Spanish Jamon. Spaniards view American ham the same way we view Canadian bacon.

We weren’t ready to let go of summer just yet, so we wrapped up our first week with a trip to Matalascañas beach.

For our peers back home, the fun was about to end, but for us it had just begun.

Chinonye Mbonu is a junior journalism major studying abroad.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHINONYE MBONU

16

–TORCHCOMICS– 11 SEPTEMBER 2013

By: Diamond Watts-Walker

By: Diamond Watts-Walker

17

Storm to open Big East season at Xavier

KIERAN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief

The St. John’s men’s basketball team will start the new Big East era with its first conference game on New Year’s Eve and will end its regular season with a “protected rivalry” game against Marquette in March, according to the conference schedule that was released last Thursday.

The schedule included all 18 conference games plus TV information. Twenty-three Red Storm games will be nationally televised. The majority of games appear on Fox Sports 1, while two will take place on CBS Sports Network and one on the national FOX network.

The Red Storm kick off Super Bowl weekend against Marquette on Feb. 1 as part of a college basketball double header at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s game will be followed by a non-conference matchup between Georgetown and Michigan State.

Each Big East team will play every other team twice – both at home and on the road.

Two conference games will be played at Carnesecca Arena as opposed to Madison Square Garden.

They are Jan. 16 against Providence and Jan. 23 against Seton Hall. The Garden will host nine game over the course of the season – seven of them in-conference.

The Big East set aside a “protected rivalry” game for the last weekend of the season. St. John’s

rivalry game is a road contest against Marquette on March 8 at a time still to be announced.

Dec. 31 at Xavier - 12 p.m.

Jan. 4 at Georgetown - 1 p.m.

Jan. 11 vs. Villanova - 7 p.m.

Jan. 14 at DePaul - 7 p.m.

Jan. 16 vs. Providence - 7 p.m.

Jan. 18 vs. Dartmouth - 12 p.m.

Jan. 23 vs. Seton Hall - 7 p.m.

Jan. 25 at Butler - 4 p.m.

Jan 28. at Creighton - 9 p.m.

Feb. 1 vs. Marquette 12:30 p.m.

Feb. 4 at Providence - 7 p.m.

Feb 9. vs. Creighton - 7 p.m.

Feb. 13 at Seton Hall - 9 p.m.

Feb. 16. vs. Georgetown - 7 p.m.

Feb. 18 vs. Butler 9 p.m.

Feb. 22 at Villanova 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 25 vs. Xavier 7 p.m.

March 2 vs. DePaul - 7 p.m.

March 8 at Marquette - TBA

TORCHPHOTOS/DIANA COLAPIETRO

The Red Storm kick off new Big East conference at Xavier on Dec. 31.

Daly continues hot streak as SJU downs Brown

STEPHEN ZITOLO Staff Writer

Sophomore Rachel Daly looked unstoppable again as she recorded her second hat trick of the year to help the St. John’s women’s soccer team to a 4-0 win over Brown University and its sixthstraight win to open the season.

ST. JOHN’S

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Freshman Diana Poulin and the rest of the team’s defense bolstered the Red Storm (6-0-0) and secured it’s fifth straight shutout of the season.

“So far this season its taken a full team effort to be successful,” said head coach Ian Stone “We will need to play and prep the same way for Big East play.”

The Johnnies came out on Sunday against the Bears (1-1-0) like they have all season – playing fast and always on the attack. Daly led the attack early, continuing to be a force to be reckoned with for the Johnnies. Daly scored on a penalty kick only 36 seconds into the game for her ninth goal of the year and the Johnnies a 1-0 lead.

The Amy Marron-Rachel Daly scoring combination struck again at the

30-minute mark as Marron assisted Daly on her tenth goal of the season. That goal marked the seventh time Marron assisted a Daly goal.

“Amy is kind of the unsung hero on this team,” said Stone on a conference call. “She has been doing a lot of the dirty work and been very physical on challenges for the ball. Amy has been able to find Rachel and with Rachel’s strong leg and Amy’s soccer brain, the results have been great.”

Junior Deanna Murino also became part of the scoring for St. John’s as she scored in the last second of the first half for her first goal of the season. The Johnnies led 3-0 at the end of the first half.

The Red Storm continued their aggressiveness as they tested the new Brown goal keeper, MC Barrett, who allowed Daly’s third goal of the day and 11th for the season at the 76 minute mark.

The Red Storm will head to the Hoosier Classic to take on Indiana and Ohio State looking to continue their undefeated streak.

“I hoped we would be undefeated at this point because of our upcoming schedule and because of our tough schedule there are going to be some tough days of practice upcoming,” Stone said. “But these girls are ready for the challenge.”

TORCHPHOTOS/DIANA COLAPIETRO

Rachel Daly needs six more goals to pass Cristin Burtis’ school record.

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Johnnies shut out Nittany Lions Sunday

The Johnnies go perfect this weekend after clipping Akron and Penn State MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE Managing Editor The then No. 23/17 St. John’s men’s soccer team managed to put a thrilling double overtime victory against then No. 5/9 Akron Friday behind them to beat Penn State 1-0 Sunday night at Belson Stadium.

ST. JOHN’S

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“We were pretty high after we beat Akron,” junior defender Tim Parker said. “It’s always a plus beating a team like that, but we knew that we needed to refocus Saturday and come right back at it.”

The difference for the Red Storm (3-1) Sunday was defender Casey Osborne. The junior college transfer fired home from close range in the 43 minute after a scuffle in the box.

“Coach (Masur) is always hassling, ‘bodies in the box, get in your spot,’” Osborne said. “I was just lucky to be in that right spot at the right time.”

The goal came after a half of missed chances for the Johnnies.

Senior Jimmy Mulligan nearly opened the scoring two minutes into the game after intercepting a sloppy Penn State (2-2) pass, but he failed to find the target in a

TORCH PHOTOS/DIANA COLAPIETRO

Casey Osbourne surrounded by teammates after scoring the game winning goal on Sunday night.

1v1 spot with the keeper.

Danny Bedoya came closest to scoring in the 40 minute when he slipped past a defender in the box and fired near post with his left foot, only for his shot to hit both posts before the keeper pounced on the ball.

It seemed like the Red Storm were going to head into halftime in a scoreless draw before Osborne found the

back of the net.

“It was great for the guys going in [to halftime],” Osborne said.

“Now you have the advantage and energy up coming into the second half.”

The home crowd didn’t get to celebrate an insurance goal during the second 45 minutes, but the Johnnies did manage to record its first shutout of the young season.

“We need a lot more [shutouts],” Parker said. “This is our fourth game of the season and our first clean sheet.

It’s good to get it on Belson and we’re looking forward to two more next weekend.”

The Red Storm will look to record their third straight victory Friday when South Carolina comes to town.

OSBORNE NAMED BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK, DIAZ GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK. Casey Osborne and Rafael Diaz were two crucial players in St. John’s victories over then No. 5/9 Akron and Penn State last weekend.

Osbourne received Big East defen-

sive player of the week honors after netting the game winning goal against Penn State on Sunday night as well as helping the Johnnies’ defense to their first shut out of the regular season.

Osborne is also one of the

stoppers on the defensive side of the ball as him and his fellow defenders have only allowed eight shots on goal in the past two games.

Diaz, a redshirt senior and the Big East preseason goalkeeper of

the year, had three saves against Akron and notched his first shutout of the year against Penn State.

Osbourne, Diaz and the rest of the team will open up a four-game homestand this Friday.

Red Storm fans rock the Belson thus far MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE

Managing Editor 1,533 fans packed Belson Stadium Friday night when the men’s soccer team defeated then No. 5/9 Akron 2-1 in double overtime. 985 flocked to Belson two nights later when the Red Storm shut out Penn State 1-0.

Both were above last season’s average home attendance of 870.

The Akron match marked the Johnnies’ first home game since resident students moved back onto campus.

“We really love when the crowd is behind us and the student body is behind us, and we really had that push Friday night against Akron,” junior defender Tim Parker said after the Penn State game.

Regardless of the support the Red Storm received on a weekend that saw the team climb to No. 12 in the national rankings, the team is hoping the fans

streaming into Belson stay firm.

“We were thrilled to see our student body and it makes the university tick and creates a collegiate environment, and our team loves St. John’s,” St. John’s head coach Dave Masur said.

Past seasons have proved that attendance declines as the Red Storm enter into the heart of its schedule. Besides two 1,000-plus crowds in the latter part of last year, there were four games with less than 800 fans in the stands – includ-

TORCH PHOTOS/DIANA COLAPIETRO

1,533 fans were in attendance to watch SJU defeat Akron Friday night.

ing a 703-fan showing at the team’s first round NCAA Tournament game.

However, a double OT win over a top-five team has the ability to act as a catalyst in ensuring sustained fan support.

Historically, the home game that follows move-in day always garners a large crowd – 2,202 in 2010, 1,844 in 2011 and 1,082 last season. With that said, positives can be taken out of the fact that this year’s ‘move-in day opener’ saw roughly 500 more fans show up than last year.

The fans are awesome,” senior forward Jimmy Mulligan said after the Akron game. “They spark us. They gave us a lot of lift this whole game and were cheering the whole time. To have them is great.”

The Red Storm will be counting on receiving the same amount of support as the team delves deeper into its schedule.

“It’s good to have them behind us and have them here,” Parker said.

SJU Breezes through Seawolves in straight sets KYLE FITZGERALD Online Editor St. John’s blitzed past Stony Brook in a straight sets victory on Tuesday night.

The Red Storm (5-3) handily took care of the Seawolves (3-5) in the first two sets, but had to mount a comeback late in the third set to clinch the victory in just over an hour of play.

ST. JOHN’S

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Backed by a strong performance from sophomore Karin Palgutova, the Johnnies steamrolled past a besieged Stony Brook squad to take a quick 19-3 lead in the first set. The 6’2” outside hitter led the team with 15 kills in the match.

St. John’s continued to overpower Stony Brook to take the first set 25-5, finished by a kill from Karin Palgutova, assisted by sophomore Deniz Mutlugil.

The setter earned thirty-one assists in the match, including the set that established that first set-winning kill for Palgutova.

“We came out strong,” head coach Joanne Persico said. “We try to just work on our leadership and that killer instinct.”

The Seawolves looked to bounce back following their first set thumping, but their lack of size led to them being dominated at the net and eventually they were run over partway through the second set. The Red Storm went on a 7-2 run to take a six point lead and

Storm

Cast

Leavin’ their Mark Duffy leads the way at SJU-Hofstra Fall XC

TORCH PHOTOS/KYLE FITZGERALD

The Volleyball team had a pretty easy night against the Seawolves.

later closed the door on the struggling Seawolves to end the set, winning seven of the eight final points in the second set.

The final set of play looked to be much more competitive than the previous two as Stony Brook strung off five points in a row to take an early lead. Junior Alexandra Wachowiz managed to keep the scoreboard close, getting two consecutive kills. Wachowiz was second in kills for the team on Tuesday with eight, only trailing Palgutova.

“Alexandra’s a junior now and she knows what it’s like to be in the Big East and to compete and she’s one of our junior leaders,” Persico said.

Trailing 15-18, the Johnnies scored six consecutive points to set up a sizeable lead that seemed to banish any lingering thoughts of optimism from Stony Brook, and only surrendered one more point in the final set before Palgutova ended the game with a kill.

St. John’s will play on Sept. 13 when they travel to Georgia Tech.

Daly and co. can give fans a pleasant fall JON PEREZ Sports Editor

After a season in which more wrong than good happened for Ian Stone and his squad, the St. John’s women’s soccer team is off to another hot start and don’t seem to be cooling down anytime soon.

The Lady Johnnies continued their hot streak with a 4-0 victory against Brown University on Sunday. Scoring machine sophomore Rachel Daly had her second hat trick in six games and has 11 goals overall. While Daly has been taking the spotlight, it’s been the defense that has allowed for these one sided victories.

Winners of six straight to start the season, Stone’s squad has shut out their last five opponents and made a mockery of its competition. Freshman goalkeeper Diana Poulin has stopped 16 shots while allowing only one goal of the year.

With the exception of their 2-1 victory over Delaware and 1-0 victory over UMass, the Red Storm defense has made the offense shine. The defense has allowed the offense to have a plus 20 goal differential and makes a goal lead feel like an insurmountable deficit.

With a perfect 6-0-0 record, the Lady Johnnies have already matched their win total from last season when they went 6-10-1, and scored a total of 16 goals on the year which is five fewer than this year. The last time the Red Storm finished above .500 was 200910 when they went 13-6-2 and lost to Virginia in the Women’s College Cup.

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The St. John’s women’s cross country team got the 2013 season off and running with their first meet of the year at the SJU-Hofstra Fall XC Festival on St. John’s University’s Oakdale campus.

St. John’s placed eighth overall while tallying a team score of 78.

The Red Storm placed its first two runners in the top 16 of the 108competitor field in the women’s collegiate 4K race. Graduate student and captain Michelle Duffy and sophomore Kerri Butler lead the pack for the first loop.

Duffy finished 12th while Butler finished 16th.

“I thought we had a great day out here on the Oakdale campus,” said St. John’s coach Jim Hurt in a press release, “The venue was outstanding and the weather and competition was great. I thought we looked a bit rusty so our team still has to get some work done in the next couple of weeks but it was a great day here in Oakdale and we are really excited about having the meet back out here next year.”

The Johnnies will look to defend their team title at the C.W. Post Invite on Saturday. Last year, the Red Storm finished first out of 20 teams.

Blowin’ in the Wind “The fans are awesome. They gave us a lot of lift this whole game and were cheering the whole time. To have them is great.”

TORCH PHOTOS/DIANA COLAPIETRO

Rachel Daly has certainly done her part to lead the Johnnies to a fast start.

To show just how hot of a start the ladies are off to, let’s take a look at the numbers. First the offense; the 21 team goals scored thus far is about halfway to the school record of 43 goals scored in the 1989 season when the Red [wo]Men went 6-9-1 and their top goal scorer was Adriana Viola who scored 15 goals.

While 43 goals is attainable, Stone’s squad is on pace to score 63 goals would would shatter the school record and increase the total by 31 percent.

There is a lot to look forward to with this young team that is playing with a chip on its shoulder. Daly’s quest is not only to break the current school record for most goals – 17 by Cristin Burtis in 1994 – but also to contend for a spot high atop the NCAA scoring ranks. The current NCAA Division I record for goals in a season is owned by Christine

Sinclair of Portland. Sinclair scored 39 goals in 25 games for the Portland Pilots while on the cusp of the 2005 College Cup Championship. Daly’s team has 18 regular season games remaining and will need to rack up a couple more hat tricks as the season progresses to keep soccer fans glued to the box score as the season progresses.

It’s been four seasons since the women’s soccer team has had something to smile about, and should the season continue the ways it’s been going, there should be some serious November soccer to be played.

Want to join the Torch as a sports writer? Send us an email at Torchsports@gmail.com

-Jimmy Mulligan after Friday’s 2-1 win over Akron.

Headin’ this Way Red Storm home games

Men’s Soccer Sept. 13 Sept. 15 Oct. 5

S. Carolina 8 p.m.

West Virginia 7 p.m.

Providence

Women’s Soccer Sept. 20

Dartmouth

Volleyball

Sept. 17 Fordham

Sept. 27 Seton Hall

7 p.m.

5 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

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SPORTS SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 | VOLUME 91, ISSUE 6 | TORCHONLINE.COM

ZIPPIN’ THROUGH THE WEEKEND

SJU KNOCKS OFF AKRON AND PENN STATE PG. 18 TORCH PHOTOS/DIANA COLAPIETRO

The Volleyball team breezes through Stony Brook in straight sets.

Rachel Daly nets her second hat trick of the year in a 4-0 rout of Brown.

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