October 21st, 2015

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To r c h

VOL 93: 08 October 21, 2015

torchonline.com

The independent student newspaper of St. John’s University

Photo: Courtesy of stjohns.edu

PETS FOR VETS

AMANDA UMPIERREZ

News Editor

Best-selling author, notable photographer and blogger Brandon Stanton will be speaking at St. John’s come Nov. 5, highlighting his journey in his Humans of New York (HONY) project and how it initiated a worldwide trend.

Associate Dean of Student Engagement Mary Pelkowski, who served as the steering wheel in organizing and coordinating the event, believes it will connect people in diverse ways.

“I think this speaks to a lot of different people at a lot of different phases of their lives,” she said.

Along with Pelkowski, Student Government, Inc., Alumni Relations, Multicultural Affairs, Residence Students Association, Campus Ministry, Career Services and Student Affairs collaborated in creating and constructing the event.

According to Pelkowski, 3,200 students have registered to hear Stanton speak as of Tuesday, with the maximum only managing to hold 5,000 seats.

Pelkowski’s interest in reserving Stanton as a speaker for the Academic Lecture Series stemmed in May 2015, at a time when various departments had already began to research lecturers.

“When we looked at him, one of the things that I’m always looking for is ‘does our speaker always speak to our mission? The mission of who we are as a University?’”

Ultimately the University, along with Pelkowski, trusted that Stanton would inspire students, especially at a time when college students may not always recognize what their aspirations are. (continues on pg 3)

Illustration: Courtesy of Steve Verdile Photo: Courtesy of Connor Coughlin

Sigma Puppies Raise PTSD Awareness

LIvIA PAULA Features Editor

Dogs are universally known to be men’s best friends. Dog owners see them as part of their families, and sometimes for many people, dogs might be the only family they have. Service dogs can make someone’s life easier as well, as they are the eyes for those who are blind, or they can substitute the “calm pill” for those who are having anxiety attacks.

For the veterans whom fought for their country in the war, dogs can be a very helpful and cute medicine when it comes to their Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Features

Sports Big East Media Day Page 17 PHOTO/ CHRISTIaN ESPINaL

According to www.ptsd.va.gov, owning a dog brightens up your mood.

They also provide their owners a sense of companionship, so they know they are not alone.

On Tuesday, Oct. 19, outside the Veterans Success Center office located in Marillac hall’s cafeteria, there was something different going on. Aside from the members of Sigma Pi fraternity selling food to raise money to Veterans, there were also some very special guests: service dogs and therapy dogs.

Sigma Pi Fraternity hosted “Sigma Puppies,” where they collaborated with the St John’s University Student Veterans Association to not only gather donations

but to also raise PTSD awareness on war veterans.

“Dogs help with the mood, they’re good companions, they take orders very well,” Junior Richard Cantoral, Sigma Pi’s Secretary, said. “These dogs definitely have saved many veterans in terms of mental wellness and emotional wellness.”

According to Cantoral, all proceeds will go to the St. John’s veterans’ center so they can create their own banner to walk the Veterans Day parade in November.

According to Mandi Dillinger, any topic of mental illness is easily overlooked, and it is important to make these issues known. (continues on pg 13)

Opinion

News

Competitive gaming hits St. John’s

Can SJU become a Fair Trade university?

St. John’s Students react to university’s smoking policy.

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Bob Woodward, signing his newest book, “The Last of the President’s Men,” at a lecture and Q&a at Cooper Union last week.

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“Humans of SJU” prepare to meet HONY creator

PHOTO PROVIDED/MaRY PELKOWSKI

“Humans of SJU” highlights different St. John’s members, whether it be students or employees. The aboved pictures showcase students who were photographed and shared their stories for the project.

(continued from page 1) “I think that Brandon, coming out of college and not knowing what to do, I think every student in the room will be able to relate to him in some way, to see that ‘you know what, I can do this,’” Pelkowski said.

His compilation of photos and stories has accumulated thousands of fans on his Facebook page since the beginning of the project back in November 2010, slowly transforming his series from a personal hobby to an international phenomenon.

“It’s such a simple concept, but it turns into something meaningful,” freshman Anisa Afiz said.

Freshman Tamara Garcia agrees and believes other’s stories hold a significant impact on society’s growth.

“I think it’s life changing to hear the views of others,” she said. “I really love the pictures themselves, and the idea of him having a quote from each person. It was really nice; it was different.”

HONY has galvanized individuals and

groups since its 2010 release, from heartening people to building ideas. Earlier in fall, St. John’s released their own HONY, titled “Humans of SJU.” The “Humans of SJU” perception was designed by Mary Pelkowski, in collaboration with St. John’s Marketing and Communications.

“The concept was a collaborative effort and takes a team to organize, photograph and release the posts every week,” Catherine Ravner, web producer for the digital media team in the Office of Marketing and Communication, said.

Ravner also aids as one of the writers for the series, while Siobhan Mulan, the photography assistant in the graphic design and photography team, served as the prime photographer.

Since the start of the project, 20 students, administrators and employees of the university have been photographed and have had their stories unveiled. Subjects range from any student to hallmark legends such as renowned St. John’s coaches Lou Carnesecca and Jack Kaiser, whose pictures and quotes have yet to be released.

“It was great to ask coach Carnesecca the questions that everybody wanted to ask him,” Pelkowski said, who interviewed many of the series’ members.

Pelkowski and Ravner emphasized the aspect of allowing unrecognizable St. John’s members to talk about their stories.

Pelkowski noted one Chartwells employee, Jimmie, who has been folding cardboard boxes in the D’Angelo Center for the past 26 years.

“We took this opportunity to highlight everyone who contributes to our community, in their own way,” Ravner said. “Through this campaign, we’re able to introduce the campus community to people who play important roles, but may be unknown to most, as well as recognize those who don’t always get the credit they deserve for the unique things they do,” Ravner said.

During the event on Nov. 5, 25 “Humans of SJU” accounts will be displayed in a video that will commemorate the diversity in students, employees and stories throughout St. John’s. According to Pelkowski, the series will possibly continue

for an additional year.

However, instead of speaking to random students at any spur of the moment, the St. John’s community may nominate each other to be featured. Currently, there have been 47 nominations. Students can access the nomination application in their emails, as a link was sent out to all, as stated by Pelkowski.

St. John’s graduate student Sarah Taorimo, who was nominated for “Humans of SJU,” is excited to attend the event, for she believes it will further draw the community together.

“As a St. John’s student, we hear about serving other people,” she said. “This event will just bring us together as a community, and here we can serve each other in hearing our stories.”

Freshman Garcia concurs, and considers the essentialness in being aware of others.

“It’s good knowing about your peers, and knowing that you’re surrounded by a diverse population of students.”

LEAD program to host “It’s On Us” conversational event NIckooL cAstRo Staff Writer “It’s On Us”—a conversation about our responsibility to prevent sexual assaults—is a conversational workshop that will give students the opportunity to express their opinion about sexual assaults on college campuses. The event is organized by the LEAD Student Program and will take place in Marillac Hall 135 today from 12:40 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“That is a workshop designed to introduce students to the ‘It’s On Us’ program at St. John’s,” said Director of Media Re-

lations Elizabeth Reilly in an email interview.

Faculty are not the only ones who would like to talk about the current situation on college campuses. Many students are excited for the opportunity to express themselves and find a solution to the situation.

“I’m excited to go to this event. I went to the ‘Hunting Ground’ screening last month, but we didn’t have time to talk about it,” said television and film junior Ashley Rodriguez. “This definitely will give many of us [students] the chance to talk and let our voice be heard.”

The “It’s On Us” awareness campaign

was first launched by the White House in an attempt to end sexual assaults on college campuses in September 2014. The campaign consists of asking everyone in a university community to be part of the solution to this problem that has affected many universities nationwide.

According to a survey from the Association of American Universities, 23.1% of female undergraduates experienced some kind of sexual assault and 11.7% of student respondents across 27 universities reported experiencing non-consensual contact since they enrolled at their universities.

The event page on the St. John’s website highlights the mission in the “It’s On

Us” campaign and explains what students will hopefully learn.

“LEAD Student Program wants students to be aware through this event that as leaders in college, we hold a responsibility to help change the current statistics about sexual violence on campuses around the country,” writes the website.

The “It’s On Us” conversation is part of a series of LEAD events.

“It’s important that people be aware of how to prevent sexual assaults on college campuses especially since it is a common problem that hasn’t been fully addressed,” senior Isabel Mendez said. “And, I believe the ‘It’s On Us’ campaign is doing the job.”

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Student Code of Conduct explains smoking policy JoANNE coRRIELUs Staff Writer The University’s Division of Student Affairs sent an email earlier this month notifying students of the revisions made in the Student Code of Conduct. However, one of the things that remained the same is the University’s smoking policy.

According to the Student Code of Conduct, smoking is prohibited in all indoor areas of the university buildings and facilities. In addition, “University policy prohibits smoking within a minimum of 30 feet of any entrance, exit, open window or air intake to a building or facility.”

The code also states that there are areas on campus in which smoking is prohibited and there are signs “prominently and conspicuously” posted in these locations, in accordance with the Smoke-Free Air Act. The smoking policy was put into effect on April 10, 1995.

“St. John’s University created the smoking policy to be in compliance with the law and to protect the health of members of its campus community and visitors to campus,” said Associate Vice President for External Relations Dominic Scianna.

Scianna said the policy was revised in 2008 “by adding clear outdoor smoking restrictions: ‘When smoking outside, individuals should be mindful of nearby doors and windows. In an effort to prevent

outdoor smoke from permeating buildings and affecting indoor occupants, University policy prohibits smoking within a minimum of 30 feet of any entrance, exit, open window or air intake to a building or facility.’”

Although the St. John’s community is quite large, Scianna finds that most members of the St. John’s community comply with the University’s smoking policy.

“Yes, most faculty, administrators, staff and students comply with the policy,” Scianna said. “Signs are posted throughout the campuses, and from time to time, the University issues reminders to its students and employees of the smoking policy.”

However, members of the St. John’s community, who are found to be in violation of the university’s smoking policy, will be penalized.

“New York City imposes civil penalties for violations of the Smoke-Free Air Act,” Scianna said. “The University issues warnings for policy violations. Administrators and staff employees found to be repeatedly in violation of the smoking policy would be subject to disciplinary procedures as outlined in the employee policy manual; faculty members are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. Students who are found in violation of these policies are subject to the student conduct process.”

Although the smoking policy seems to be effective, some students would prefer if

TORCH PHOTO/STEPHEN TROIaNO

Two St. John’s students take a smoke break and light their cigarettes by Marillac Hall.

smoking wasn’t allowed on campus at all.

“I do mind people smoking on campus because the smoke affects us all,” junior Nathalie Tigua said. “Especially, when the smoke blows into my face.”

On the other hand, there are students on campus who don’t mind that others smoke.

“I think it’s fine as long as they respect the people around them,” junior David Rosario said. “If they keep within reasonable distance from the buildings and nonsmokers, then it’s fine by me.”

Junior Shanyse Clark agreed.

“I think that smoking should be allowed on campus,” Clark said. “I know it’s not a good habit, but I think we need to have an understanding for those who choose to smoke as long as it’s in designated locations.”

Despite the differences of opinions with smoking on-campus, the University’s commitment to the health and wellness of its members remains.

“For employees, the University’s Employee Assistance Program offers a seminar on understanding the power of nicotine addiction, as well as resources and strategies for smoking cessation,” Scianna said.

“Participants will have the opportunity to develop a personal plan to accomplish their long-term goals.”

“In addition, Oxford Health Plans has partnered with Health and Fitness Concepts, which offers a group smoking cessation program to support employees in adopting a smoke-free life,” Scianna said. “Student health services also provide resources for students who want to quit smoking.”

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Illustrator’s CORNER TALIA TIRELLA Co-Editor-in-Chief JENNY CHEN Co-Editor-in-Chief KYLE FITZGERALD Managing Editor CHEYANNE GONZALES General Manager AMANDA UMPIERREZ News Editor STEPHEN ZITOLO Sports Editor LIVIA PAULA Features Editor JASMINE IMANI DAVIS Entertainment Editor SUZANNE CIECHALSKI Opinion Editor

AST:ALT By: Nicole Marino

Is socialism the answer? cARoLINA RoDRIGUEZ Contributing Writer Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York fame is visiting our campus next month, and the Torch staff is excited for his visit. Check out News Editor Amanda Umpierrez’s preview of the event on page 3.

For those who aren’t familiar, Stanton is known for his blog and social media posts, which consist of photos of residents of New York City along with personal anecdotes or witty quotes.

Stanton started the project to document every NYC resident after moving to the city as a college graduate.

Stanton has also written two books based on his photography, one of which was just released, titled “Humans of New York: Stories.”

Occasionally, Stanton will travel to other nations and feature citizens, their anecdotes and photos as well.

His recent trip to Syria and his documentation of the refugee crisis greatly inspired his social media followers, leading to thousands of Facebook shares.

The idea of a site that features photos and personal anecdotes is a popular one.

We’ve even been inspired on our own campus, and student affairs has started “Humans of SJU” which features members of the University community.

This is a great way to highlight the diversity of our campus and spark interest in learning more about the individuals who make up our community.

His visit and lecture should prove to be inspiring, as Stanton focuses on diversity, on which our University prides itself. It seems as though Stanton’s mission and that of the University’s when it comes to diversity will be the perfect marriage.

Midterms are stressful and sometimes it seems as though the endless mountain of work will never disintegrate. However, the Torch staff has a few suggestions that we hope will help our readers get through these next few weeks and finish the semester on a strong note.

-Stay hydrated, and clean your water bottle regularly if you use one.

-Take a multivitamin or Vitamin C to strengthen your immune system.

-Eat healthy foods: We know how hard this is with so many tempting choices of junk food around (after all, we’re on a college campus) but aim to eat vegetables and fruits as much as you can.

-Drink orange juice or eat citrus every day.

-Get plenty of rest: Aim for around eight hours a night. We know how hard it is to find the time for sleep between studying and having a social life, but in the long run those eight hours will not only keep you healthy but help you focus in class or at work the next day.

-Exercise: Make sure you keep your blood flowing and boost your heartrate at least a few times a week. Getting to the gym may be tough to fit in an already jam-packed schedule, so even doing simple cardio for 20 minutes in your dorm could work just as well.

-Focus on your mind: Midterms are stressful. Make sure you take a few minutes each day to rest your mind too. Meditate, take a walk outside, read for pleasure, call a good friend for a lighthearted chat. Give your mind a break and do something that will let you unwind in between studying for tests.

The first Democratic debate for the 2016 presidential election took place on Oct. 13, 2015. Among the candidates present was 74-year-old Democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders. Topics discussed at the debate ranged from education to healthcare to Hillary Clinton’s infamous emails.

A Brooklyn native, Sanders explicitly expressed his favor towards an America that provides free tuition at all public colleges and accessibility to Medicare for all Americans. But, if Sanders is elected, what could this mean for America, and what exactly is a Democratic socialist?

The Huffington Post suggests, “Democratic socialists might not recoil at the thought of government running large industries, but they don’t actively pursue that goal. Instead, they focus on decidedly less radical objectives—like making the welfare state more generous, giving

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.

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workers more power, limiting the influence of money on politics and policing the practices of business more closely.”

However, this may be a bit of idealistic thinking. Without the democratic aspect, and with a little bit more intensity, socialism could be catastrophic. Some may ask, “Wouldn’t socialism result in the government owning and running everything?”

The truth is that it could. However, democratic socialism could also result in something great, like more people going to college and, in turn, helping our society grow into one that is more apt to self-govern.

Sanders began his closing remarks of the debate by saying, “This is a great country, but we have many, many serious problems.”

This is true. Whether or not democratic socialism is the answer, no one can be sure, but we as a country should strive towards anything that will allow us to progress.

Opinions expressed in editorials, columns, letters or cartoons are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or administrations of St. John’s University.

A look at the life and work of St. Thomas More FR. PAtRIck J. GRIFFIN, cM Players put on an admirable performance of this play.

Special to the Torch

St. Thomas More Church sits at the center of our campus. The church serves as both a symbol and a source of the religious values that contribute to our inheritance and our legacy as a university.

Within the Church, a beautiful life-size statue of St. More stands.

Robert Bolt’s wonderful play (and then movie) “A Man for All Seasons” offers some idea of the character of Sir Thomas More.

This literary title captures his essence as a Christian man of conscience who remained true to himself and his beliefs while adapting to the needs of time and place.

During Founder’s Week, our Chappell

Born in London in 1476, St. More benefitted from a first-class education to become a lawyer, statesman and Lord Chancellor of England. In this last role, he served Henry VIII. This service ultimately cost him his life when he found himself unable to support his King’s separation of England from the Church of Rome due to a question of marriage.

Though loyal to the royal household, St. More would not allow his patriotism to win out over his principles.

St. More also believed in the importance of education. After marriage, he provided for the ongoing education of his beloved wife and he made sure that his daughters, as well as his son, received the

best schooling he could provide.

When other nobles of his time saw the success of his daughters, some also began to take a greater interest in the education of all their children.

At St. John’s, we can appreciate the lessons that Thomas More can teach by his words and example. His willingness to adapt to circumstances yet unwillingness to compromise his principles offers a powerful description of what one can hope from a St. John’s graduate.

These concepts rest at the heart of morality as well as ethics. They carry weight in law, pharmacy, business and education as well as liberal arts and professional studies. St. More carries the distinction of being the patron of politicians and lawyers. One understands why.

St. More’s insistence upon a universal and well-rounded education also has force. His study included literature, language and music as well as law and statecraft.

He saw the benefit of a citizenry to be educated so that all could take part in governance and decision-making.

Yes, St. More was a brilliant scholar as well as social innovator—he wrote “Utopia”—but first and foremost, he was a man of faith. Our central and dignified worship space (the gift of the Brennan Family) appropriately continues his endowment.

The patron of our Church and the patron of our University—Thomas More and John the Baptist— are widely different in their garments and audiences.

Yet, they are true twins in their fidelity to principle, confrontation of power and willingness to surrender their lives for their beliefs. They offer wonderful role models.

Cecil’s killer not charged ANGEL vERA Staff Writer According to the 2010 census, in the United States today, there are roughly 54 million Hispanics and Latinos.

The Pew Research Center reports that, of those Hispanics and Latinos, 25.2 million of them are eligible to vote, which is around 11 percent of nationwide voters.

To put this into perspective, the 2012 presidential race, in terms of popular vote, was won by about six million votes, or about four percent of votes casted.

Overwhelmingly, 71 percent of Latinos voted for Obama, around 17 million votes. To say that the “Latino Vote” had a lot to do with Obama winning the reelection, is putting it very lightly.

Although Latinos have generally been in favor of the Democratic Party and tend to lean liberally, that trend has been decreasing.

In congressional elections alone from 2012 to 2014, there was a six-percent increase in votes for Republican candidates, going from 30 to 36 percent.

Latinos, just like many other Americans, care for a variety of issues, not just for immigration reform.

Education and income inequality are major issues that have efficacy amongst the Latin American community.

Many voters are even disillusioned that any politician is actually willing to make any significant change on the issues important to them and, similar to many, see all candidates as one in the same.

Only 27 percent of eligible voters came out in the 2014 midterm elections, which added to the overall low turnout in voting,

per the U.S. census. The Latino Vote has not been used to its full potential, as there is no urge to go out and vote. Why is that exactly?

It’s simple. Latinos are tired of being pandered to and being used as political pawns.

No one cares that you eat beans or tacos, Jeb, or that you played a Selena song that one time, Hillary, or “La Hilary.” That isn’t enough, and never was.

Immigration reform was promised and never delivered, education has stifled and nonsense drug laws have drastically affected Latino communities.

According to a Telemundo poll, Bernie Sanders is picking up steam amongst Latinos only behind Hillary Clinton.

Mainly due to him not pandering and speaking frankly, he could very well be the candidate that builds saliency amongst the Latino community.

There is no definite candidate, liberal or conservative, libertarian or progressive, that Latinos feel the need to follow.

Thanks to the conservative field of candidates such as Donald Trump, there is definitely an image issue that needs to be worked on, yet that goes for all political parties.

Trump may be more outwardly ignorant, but it’s under Obama’s administration that deportations have increased.

Until a candidate comes around that talks about immigration and labor, how agriculture and the markets are affected by harsh immigration laws, and about education or even better working conditions for low-skilled workers, Latinos won’t come out to vote as much as they can.

kRIstEN cAtALANo Staff Writer Uproar ensued across the nation when it was discovered that an American dentist killed one of the world’s most beloved animals, Cecil the lion. Cecil was a male Southwest African lion that lived on a preserve in Zimbabwe.

He was the most well-known animal in the park and was identifiable by both the black hair in his mane and the GPS tracker around his neck. Cecil was being studied by the University of Oxford at the time of his death and therefore was known worldwide.

On July 1, Cecil was lured off of the preserve by two Zimbabwean natives and was subsequently shot and wounded with an arrow by American dentist Walter Palmer.

He was then tracked and found 40 hours later, only to be shot and killed by Palmer. When researchers noticed that Cecil’s GPS tracker was no longer working, they began searching for him and soon found his headless carcass without the GPS tracker.

The two Zimbabwean natives that assisted in the luring and killing of Cecil were subsequently arrested and accused of assisting the hunt. Palmer, who had already returned to the United States, went into hiding and released a statement saying that he could not be blamed because he relied on the guide’s knowledge on what was allowed and what wasn’t. It seems, however, that this may be untrue.

At some point, he must have seen the collar that Cecil was wearing. Why didn’t that stop him and at least force him to question what he was doing? The GPS

tracker that Cecil wore around his neck could be seen clearly and that should have been a red flag.

The two men from Zimbabwe are being prosecuted in relation to the hunt, but Palmer is not being charged with anything and is free to return to Zimbabwe as long as he is not hunting.

“Just because his hunting licenses were legal and filed the right way does not mean that he did nothing wrong.”

This is completely wrong. It’s evident that Palmer seemingly knew that what he was doing was wrong.

Therefore, he should be charged with something. Just because his hunting licenses were legal and filed the right way does not mean that he did nothing wrong.

It is not normal to lure an animal off of a certain area of land.

It is also not normal for a lion to have a GPS tracker, or for a lion to be as trusting towards people as Cecil was because of his interaction with the researchers.

Palmer is an educated man and these all should have been red flags that made him stop and think about what he was doing.

The scientific study that Cecil was involved in started in 1999. Of the 62 lions tagged for this study, 24 have been killed by sport hunters. An effort needs to be made to save these animals before it is too late. They are being killed for no reason other than to boost their murderer’s ego.

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Beyond the gun debate: Uncover secrets in Tintori’s The mental health discussion MILEs koPLEY Staff Writer On Dec. 14, 2012, a young man named Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in his hometown of Newtown, Conn. and launched an armed rampage that claimed the lives of 27 young students and faculty. He had a known list of mental health struggles that persisted throughout his childhood, including sensory-integration disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and severely antisocial behavior.

Men with deep psychological issues, which seem to have been brewing inside them for several years prior, have perpetrated most of the nationally covered mass shootings. After every mass shooting, there is this particular argument raised that the violence is reflective of the lack of attention to mental health in this country.

That is absolutely true, but it goes far beyond the gun debate. This argument should not just be a defense for pro-gun activists, but should also be fostered by both sides of the debate to help fix a broken system – and maybe along the way curb gun violence.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act into law, shifting the masses of people locked away in state-run health institutions into community-based and funded programs. Over the next two decades, the bill ultimately led to the complete demise of those institutions in exchange for treatment that coincided with a regular exis-

tence. Yet in the past two decades, between severe funding cuts and government shutdowns, mental health services have often been the first to get in the axe in budgetary reform, leaving many people and families with few affordable alternatives.

This catastrophe has led to issues stemming far beyond the few who perpetrate gun violence. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, some 25 percent of the homeless population in the United States consists of people who suffer from a serious mental health issue.

This means that while you are reading this, there are 875,000 homeless people in need of psychological help–many of them military veterans who suffer from PTSD–who are at a high risk for substance abuse, violence, crime and hunger. At the same time, a mere 7.4 percent of the 8.9 million people in the United States who suffer from both a psychological issue and substance abuse ever receive treatment for both issues. With the grand reduction of services, these people have nowhere to turn to, making violence and other bad choices an ever more appealing alternative to the state they are in. Without a steady outreach program to help people who are in need but can’t find any, how can anybody expect the situation to get any better?

I’m no psychologist or sociologist — I’m just stating the obvious after repeatedly hearing the argument, “gun violence is reflective of our modern society.” It’s really not; it’s more representative of our lack of care for those who need it the most.

IsABELLA BRUNI Contributing Writer Every family has their secrets, but some have more than others. Writer and journalist Karen Tintori reveals the unbelievable skeletons within her family’s closet of an honor killing in her gripping nonfiction tale, “Unto the Daughters.”

The story of the Costa family unfolds between the years 1903 and 2002 in Sicily and Detroit. The family of 10 immigrated to Detroit in hopes of a life free from poverty and the burdens of Sicily, but their overall lifestyle remained the same.

After oldest daughter Josie, Tintori’s grandmother, got married, her sister Frances was next to marry, but not to the man she loved. Instead of marrying an older man from the neighborhood mafia like her father wanted, Frances impulsively runs away with her young, handsome barber. Frances’ arranged marriage would have helped her brothers join the local mafia, but after disgracing the Costa family name by refusing to do so, she was killed for it.

All evidence of the existence of Frances was destroyed, her name completely erased from the family genealogy. After the night of her death, the name Frances

Costa was never spoken again.

“Unto the Daughters” is not just the story of a murder, but one about family, culture, honor and justice. Tintori reveals the true colors of each family member, allowing the reader to feel anger, disappointment or joy whenever something significant occurs. She impeccably describes the aspects of Sicilian culture, the role of women and men in the early 20th century and how America could have arguably been a curse, blessing or both.

The story itself is so shocking at times that it’s easy to forget that it’s a true story and not a wild murder mystery. It can range from heartwarming to horrifying, but it’s guaranteed you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough. By including old family photos, the story comes to life even more, adding to the emotional appeal and personal connections with the Costa’s and their growing family.

Tintori’s “Unto the Daughters” is a must-read for anyone interested in Sicilian culture, mafia history and family ties.

This book is a statement, Godfather-esque and allows justice for Frances, who otherwise would have never again been recognized as a Costa, or even a once-living and breathing person. In the end, it’ll make you truly wonder how much you actually know about your family’s history.

Want your opinion heard?

Write a letter to the editor at torchopinion@gmail.com

Has the two-party system run its course?

MAttHEW D’AGUANNo Contributing Writer A Gallup poll conducted in early 2014 found that the percentage of Americans that believed either political party was doing a sufficient job in running the government went down from 56 to 35 percent.

The other statistic in this survey analyzed the proportion of citizens who believed that a third party should be more prominent in the political process.

Of that, 60 percent agreed that a third party was necessary.

With wide-ranging support for an upheaval of the two-party system, a system in which most of the modern democracies have abandoned, why is it that we are stuck in a cycle of discontent and the old adage of voting for the “devil you know?”

It all circles back to the system upon which we have become accustomed to: a two-party system perpetuated by first past

the post voting. First past the post voting is a winner-takes-all system where if 49 percent are the dissenting opinion, then that 49 percent will not be represented in the process.

For a country founded on the principle of equal representation, this idea is quite contrary to our ideals.

Proportional representation hasn’t emerged yet, despite most of the modern world adapting to it, and the alternative vote hasn’t found popularity.

An independent candidate can only hope to garner a handful of electoral votes, if that, when running for the White House.

Inherent minorities, racially and politically, are misrepresented in this broken system, which disheartens the citizenry.

This leads to low political efficacy, then leading to low voter turnouts, a continuous pattern in the system.

Corporations and PAC’s invest money in candidates that will represent their de-

sires, so why bother reaching out to a candidate that will not see it into the system?

The voices of the few are, unfortunately, being squashed by the majority.

Why shake things up when no disseminating voice can reasonably be heard?

In 1989, an incredibly insightful and forward-thinking politician who became the only independent member of a 535-member house at the time he was elected and stated “the two-party system in this country dominated by big money is not delivering which is why people are giving up on the political process, why they are not voting and why there is a great anger with the political system as it now exists.”

This politician is Bernie Sanders, currently running under the Democratic ticket.

A proclaimed “democratic socialist” saw the obstacles initiated by the Federal Election Committee and found no other way of fixing government than by joining

in on the process, which he has stated in the past is a failure.

In that same interview, Sanders conveyed that if you just go out and talk

“Inherent minorities, racially and politically, are misrepresented in this broken system, which disheartens the citizenry, leading towards low political efficacy which leads to low voter turnouts, a continuous pattern in the system.”

“common sense” to the people, they would vote for you.

For third party candidates such as Jill Stein of the Green Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, it’s going to take an upheaval of process and mindset before those words ring true.

8 Opinion

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Can St. John’s become a Fair Trade university?

ABIGAIL tItUs, PAoLo tAGAtAc Special to the Torch A reaction or question consumers ask themselves in coffeehouses and groceries stores around the country is “Fair trade?

What is fair trade?” Even here at St. John’s, a university rooted in Vincentian values, many students, faculty and employees are unaware of the fair trade movement that is directed towards creating a more dignified market for all, according to a recent survey.

Furthermore, the university has not taken steps to supply certified products or officially commit to obtaining the status of a Fair Trade university.

According to the World Fair Trade Organization, this effort “seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.”

Therefore, its primary benefactors are the vulnerable farmers, artisans and workers in less industrialized countries. These people, according to Fair Trade Resource

Network, are compensated by a living wage and a premium. Premium is compensation because “this sum of money goes into a communal fund for the farmers and workers to use–as they see fit–to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.”

Of the 20 St. John’s University students and faculty that we surveyed, only 11 are able to partially describe Fair Trade the way World Fair Trade Organization and Fair Trade Resource Network have. Of which, three indicated that farmers work in a safe working condition and receive a living wage; eight described Fair Trade as simply “no child labor,” “without middlemen” and “living wage.”

We also received emails from individuals like Leonard Breton, associate director of community development, fraternity and sorority life advisor who chose not to complete the survey stating, “I do not know what Fair Trade is and I am not a coffee drinker.”

Fair Trade’s definition and the movement at large seems to align perfectly with the mission of St. John’s University, which states in part, “we devote our intellectual

Life, our own novel LIvIA PAULA Features Editor I was looking over some of my old books the other day while cleaning my closet.

As I sat down, I experienced flashbacks while reading each story and each ending.

I automatically connected some of the books I had read with situations that I know have happened not only to me, but also to others.

Nearly everyone has a favorite book.

We reread these favorite books from time to time just to relive in our heads the moments that they triggered.

It’s the same idea with movies: we watch them again because we love them.

As a result, we pay attention to something we may not have understood the first time we watched it.

I believe things work the same way in life.

We analyze situations over and over again to either understand them or to try to create an alternative end to a chapter of our lives that didn’t finish the way we wanted it to.

How many of us have picked our brains over a certain situation that happened, come up with a bunch of “what if ’s” and still got upset?

It’s frustrating to not understand the ‘novel’ that is life. Sometimes it gets to the point where we get a marker and highlight

the important things, the main ideas and the details.

We look for imagery or anything that will help solve our confusion.

But then we end up with our pages all colored and filled up with post-its on “why,” “where,” “who” and “when.” Maybe that helps us out.

Or, perhaps it’s just a waste of time to try and solve what has already passed.

Highlighters and post-its can just delay us from flipping the page.

It’s sad that many people don’t really care if we’re losing time on things that aren’t worth it. We say we care; but, most of the time, we don’t do anything to change that. We just love the drama, even when we say otherwise.

Maybe we need to understand some things to be able to move on with life, or maybe we just need to suck it up, whatever “it” may be, and move along.

Trying to fix everything might give us the sensation of walking in a river against the direction of the water to get something that fell back there. Some things are better off left alone.

Besides, if the chapter was too complicated and we really can’t get the hang of it, it’s best if we just flip the page.

Maybe, everything will be clear in the next chapters. There might not be a new beginning for our whole story, but it sure is possible to sneak in some more content before it hits “The End.”

and physical resources to search out the causes of poverty and social injustice and to encourage solutions which are adaptable, effective and concrete.”

“Even here at St. John’s, a university rooted in Vincentian values, many students, faculty and employees are unaware of the fair trade movement that is directed towards creating a more dignified market for all, according to a recent survey.”

If this is so, why hasn’t St. John’s officially committed to supporting and using Fair Trade branded products? Dana Gouldthorpe, a department assistant at the Registrar’s Office feels that “it’s because of the amount of time and funding” it will need. To do so, she adds, will require the involvement of the student community as they will “be the ones buying [the] majority of the products.”

The survey showed that there is a clear demand to see more Fair Trade products around our campus like clothing, fruits,

chocolate, school supplies and St. John’s apparel. Fatema Tahiri, a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program even wants Fair Trade sugar used in the food served at St. John’s.

Despite its almost 30 years of existence, many still do not know about Fair Trade. This is unfortunate because Fair Trade’s marketing, according to Fair Trade World, “is driven by consumer education and advocacy that leads to socially responsible business innovations.”

Good thing for St. John’s community, Professor Sean Murray and a student, Emily Santoro, started a Fair Trade Steering Committee at the end of the spring 2015 semester aimed at identifying and centralizing efforts to educate and made us aware about Fair Trade. With the help of Lynn Stravino, director of Academic Service Learning, Professors Megan Clark and Anne Galvin and students like Stefani Castorena, to name a few of its members, St. John’s may one day be a Fair Trade university.

Paolo Tagatac is the assistant director of Student Transfer Services at St. John’s.

Abigail Titus is a St. John’s student.

Jason Rezaian: victim of Iranian repression

IRENE sPEZZAMoNtE Staff Writer On Oct.12, Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post correspondent in Iran, was convicted of espionage.

Rezaian has been imprisoned for 448 days and is an example of the freedom of speech oppression in Iran.

According to Freedom House, an American government organization that conducts research and advocates democracy, political freedom and human rights, Iran’s press freedom score is 92 in a range in which 100 represents the very worst.

In the country, thousands of journalists have been imprisoned on several accusations. The most common of these are spying and espionage. The repressive approach of the Iranian government, which often includes harassment, extends to the families of journalists as well.

The most censored media outlet in the country is the Internet.

According to the Washington Post, “Almost half of the 500 most popular sites on the Internet are censored.”

This does not only limit the necessary work of journalists who are unable to spread news throughout a fundamental medium in this day and age, but it also stunts people’s right to create their own information.

However, this decision does not come

from nowhere. In the country, the Press Law states, “Publications and news media shall enjoy freedom of expression provided what they publish does not violate Islamic principles of the civil code.”

Americans would think this is unconstitutional, but the Iranian constitution itself limits the freedom of speech by saying that the content of any kind of news should not be “detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam or the rights of the public.”

Rezaian’s case is only the tip of the iceberg, which is very difficult to melt.

While his family and the entire world is praying for his freedom, even larger issues lie beneath the water.

The conflict across the Middle-Eastern part of the world and in the Iranian culture shows that repression is not a sustainable public policy.

Sadly, things will not improve just because media outlets all around the world are talking about Rezaian’s case.

The Iranian government will always look at freedom of speech as one of the most dangerous threats.

They will continue controlling it with close-minded laws that do not reflect the fundamental liberties of the reasonable and industrialized world.

This didn’t change yesterday, it is not changing today and it will probably not change tomorrow.

Entertainment 9

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Fans fall in love with “Love Me” ALYssA FoRD Contributing Writer After a long summer of patiently awaiting the release of the 1975’s new music, the day has finally come. On Oct. 8, the British alternative rock band released their latest single, “Love Me.” The band has recently gone through a makeover, keeping their fans on their toes. With a new look to match their new sound, they have shifted from their original black-and-white aesthetic to an electric pink-and-white image.

The 1975 has been teasing their fans on social media since June by posting messages to make it seem like the band was going to call it quits and also by deactivating all of their social media accounts. Their accounts were reactivated within 24 hours and were flooded with the new pink-and-white album art.

“Love Me” is the first look into their upcoming album that is said to drop in February 2016. The band announced its title, “I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It.” After listening to the new track, the rea-

PHOTO/ WIKIPEDIa COMMONS

son why they went with the new color scheme is obvious. The song is flooded with groovy vibes and funky beats, differing widely from their original dark and brooding sound that matched the black-and-white aura.

The song is upbeat and electronic, which is sure to have fans moving and singing along with the lead singer, Matty Healy, as he screams his soul through the lyrics with a bottle of wine in his hand.

The track starts out with a synthesized guitar harmony that repeats throughout the song and mixes in a fusion of heavy drumbeats, bells and electropop sounds.

Healy’s voice ranges from a mellow to screaming tone. It adds some depth to the song that keeps it engaging and makes it enjoyable. The lyrics are catchy and easy to sing along to.

When listening to it, you could imagine yourself jamming out at the

concert with many fans of the band.

Although “Love Me” is a great song, it sounds like it could be a track on the album, “Talking Is Hard” from fellow synth-pop band Walk the Moon.

When I first heard “Love Me,” I immediately thought back to this album and also Walk the Moon’s sound. It makes sense though, because the two bands fall under a similar genre and carry an intertwining fan base.

It makes me wonder, however, what the rest of the album will sound like and also if “Love Me” will top the charts as fast as Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance” did.

No matter the sound, the 1975 has a strong fan base that seems to love them no matter what they do. “Love Me” is doing extremely well in the eyes of the fans, which is all that matters to the band.

As stated in one of their messages about the new song posted to Twitter the band writes, “This is for the fans.”

Thankfully though, while we are anticipating their new album, we have “Love Me” to listen to.

“Crimson Peak:” Style over substance

MIcHAEL AMBRosINo Staff Writer

PHOTO/ I.YTIMG.COM

Visionary filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, whose resumé includes “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Hellboy” and the recent “Pacific Rim,” reintroduces the gothic romance genre in his new film, “Crimson Peak.”

“Crimson Peak” is a film of tremendous beauty and imagination that unfortunately falls flat into the category of style-over-substance. It’s not a terribly bad thing, considering Del Toro’s visuals often tend to outweigh the story and still make for an entertaining product, but audience members looking for meaty substance and an emotional connection may exit the theater feeling underwhelmed.

Edith, who is the central character of the film and played by Mia Wasikowski, states just a few minutes into the film, “It’s not a ghost story, but

rather a story with ghosts in it.” In her statement, she is defending her newest short story and its thematic undercurrent.

However, we can assume that this is Del Toro foreshadowing the tone and the nature of the rest of the film; to turn audience expectations around and have them watch the movie as one thing, rather than something else. No, this is not a horror film; it is a gothic romance that contains horror movie elements to serve the story. The problem, though, is that “Crimson Peak” doesn’t quite succeed on either fronts.

The film follows Edith Cushing, a young writer of short stories who, after a devastating family tragedy, marries Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and moves in with him and his sister, Lucille Sharpe ( Jessica Chastain), to their house called Crimson Peak.

The house is old and creaky, yet darkly beautiful while being enormous in size. It drowns in a grim, gothic atmosphere that flows through the corridors and trembles within the walls. Did I mention that it’s haunted, too? “Many souls have come and gone,” Sharpe informs Cushing at one point, which is why she is constantly seeing brutalized spirits wandering the house both day and night.

Cushing and Sharpe appear to be very much in love, meanwhile his sister has something that is dark and vicious running through her bones. Her eyes say it all, especially when the three of them share a close space.

This isn’t the only secret that the house holds, and the more Cushing explores it and encounters its terrifying spirits, the more she becomes aware of what she is ultimately involved in.

I liked “Crimson Peak,” with reservations. It’s a beautiful-looking film and has its share of terrifying moments, but it suffers from poor characterizations and lazy screenwriting. Rather than finding a unique way to tell his story, Del Toro employs conventional plot devices that makes “Crimson Peak” a predictable and underwhelming yarn of storytelling.

There just isn’t much here that makes it substantially compelling to support the film’s visual wonder.

As a gothic romance, “Crimson Peak” falls unforgivably short, being completely devoid of emotion and dramatic tension. It’s difficult for the film to engross its audience in the romantic relationship because of how thinly drawn the characters are and how underdeveloped their relationship is.

The only intriguing character in the film is Chastain’s character, Lucille, who is a rather questionable, complex and terrifyingly bleak woman. We, as audience members, are just dying to know what she’s thinking about and how she’s feeling.

As I look back at the gorgeous visual appeal of his past films, I can safely say that Del Toro delivering something of astonishing beauty seems inevitable at this point.

Everything that gives the film heft on its exterior, from the costumes and production design to the detailed visual effects, is so enthralling. It makes it easy to forgive the film’s drawbacks.

If you are willing to set aside the film’s problems and give yourself over to Del Toro’s unique visual style, you are going to enjoy “Crimson Peak.”

10 Entertainment

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“Kinks, Curls and Pearls:” SJU’s A.K.A. Sorority and Haraya talk about all things hair

Jasmine Imani Davis Entertainment Editor

One of the biggest topics in black and Hispanic culture nowadays is hair.

Whether it is kinky, curly, locs, relaxed, texturized or in a weave, ethnic hair has been a subject that brings people together.

Last Wednesday, Oct. 14, the Nu Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and members of the Haraya organization at St. John’s University collaborated on an event called “Kinks, Curls and Pearls.” The event kicked off the fall 2015 multicultural events list for the next few weeks. It was filled with discussions about ethnic hair and many tips and tricks were shared among the six female panelists and those who attended.

The panelists were a mixture of SJU students, past and present, and friends and/or family members of a student. The group of women answered questions asked them by the hosts about their “go-to hairstyles,” any ups and downs when it came to their hair and shared their favorite hair products.

Everyone in Bent Hall 101B was comfortable to ask and answer each other’s questions.

Even though you’d expect only women to be in the crowd, some men

came to support, ask questions and to even know the dos and don’ts when it comes to their girlfriends and their hair.

“I wanted to make sure that I covered most of the basis, for example, hair extensions, relaxed hair, natural hair and curls,” said Laurice Rawls, a senior at SJU who is the pan-women committee co-chair for Haraya. “With this event, I really wanted to spread positivity.”

According to Rawls, her goal before graduating SJU is to leave this campus with letting every female know how “beautiful she is regardless of if she may follow the norm.” She was nervous while planning the event because she wanted to make sure that she had different women to represent all hair types, but she feels like “Kinks, Curls and Pearls” helped her to achieve her goal.

“There were so many different shades of women in the building, different hair textures and lengths and the fact that we were able [to get] together and share our hair tips and tricks with one another was amazing,” Rawls said. “I personally learned so much and am so excit[ed] to go to the beauty supply store now. So many things to buy.”

Shardé Majors, an accounting major, thought that the event “was amazing for numerous reasons” and

was “extremely satisfied.”

“One of my best friends, Danielle Hardy, who is the president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on campus, told me about this event,” said the Maryland native. “So many beautiful curly-haired women came to the event with radiant energy and a willingness to share what they experienced while going through their natural hair journey.”

Majors also loved the diversity of the panel. She liked how there was a young woman with dreads on the panel, which was 22-year-old Queens

native Kenya Abdul-Wahhals.

She felt like “these types of events are definitely necessary in the community because they foster sisterhood and give women the opportunity to learn from each other.”

All in all, Haraya and the A.K.A’s “Kinks, Curls and Pearls” event was very well organized and was very informative. The positive energy was undeniable. Along with networking, everyone was excited to take home what he or she learned about their crowning glory.

PHOTO CREDIT/TORCH PHOTO

11

Jenny’S INFINITE PLAYLIST 1. “Come Alive” by Foo Fighters (2007) diversity, I have only selected one. That is not to say this is their absolute best song, because it isn’t. It is, however, an incredible song that showcases what they do well. A similar song is “Let It Die,” but I love

song that gets me going. I could listen to this song every morning before short song, but it does its job. Everyone needs a “Glorious Day.”

is a little different. For when you’re having a lull in your life, or having a gray moment, this is the song to come to for color—you will feel yourself coming alive. Too many things to say, not enough time, so just one last 2. “Enter Sandman” by Metallica (1991) Metallica has a song for when you just want to rock out. “Enter

sides the fact that it rocks. Of course, there are other songs, but this is Metallica. I love the calm before the storm style, or as Foo Fighters’ be noticed. “Enter Sandman” starts this way and continues to have really awesome guitar riffs and solos in the middle. How can you get tired of this song?

3. “Black Metallic” by Catherine Wheel (1992) For fans of the Cranberries, this song is for you. There are several

sheen, or whatever else. Whatever your take, the melody is something

worthy of the whole world. This song is a soft, melodic soothing machine. If I ever feel tense, anxious, angry, sad or any derivation of those emotions, I always come to this song. It’s a soft song, but

you entranced.

8. “Terrible Things” by Mayday Parade (2011) Other contenders included Seether’s “Passing Slowly” and YellowI am such a fan of the calm before the storm in the song. The slow, almost dead, melody moving to a sudden climax towards the end of I want to hate this song, or at least to never listen to it again because

demeanor. I’m okay with that when I’m alone, I feel cool and calm.

Just let Dickinson’s voice serenade you.

9. “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd (1975)

4. “ Black Balloon” by Goo Goo Dolls (1998)

Pink Floyd altogether. This is another soft song but the drawling

“Wish You Were Here” is famous for the lines “we’re just two lost

aforementioned line because who knows what we’re doing. We’re just wandering the Earth “year after year” doing the same monotonous doubt, delectable. This song has sad lyrics with such a rich melody.

hold dear has left.

to become more generally about someone you love who’s on a rough

5. “Drifter” by Mike Mans and the Branches (2011)

Billy Corgan sings a bittersweet song reminiscent of youth. The lyrics some of us need less reminding than others, we should be enjoying our youth because soon enough, we’ll all be actual adults. When

way. You can be a drifter; everyone feels lost every now and again, reach out.

12 Entertainment

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Pitching Picasso: Madison Morris cRYstAL sIMMoNs Contributing Writer A pitcher by day and an artist by night is the phrase that you would use to describe 18-year-old artist Madison Morris. Most people know Morris as a freshman pitcher for the Red Storm softball team.

But, when she is not on the field, many do not know she has a hidden talent that makes up another part of her life. If you walked into her room you could see some of the various collections of artwork she has created.

Morris started creating her vast repertoire when she was 14-years-old. However, she has always loved art and took many art classes throughout elementary and middle school.

She gets a lot of her inspiration from pictures she finds online or from anything that looks remotely interesting to her.

“I really like surrealism,” said Morris, “It is one of my favorite types of artwork to do.”

The majority of her artwork includes a lot of little details similar to what you would see in a surrealist style painting. In almost all of her artwork, you are able to find little details and images hidden among the bigger picture.

“It is almost like a ‘Where’s Waldo,’” says Morris.

While she has created many types of surrealist-themed pieces of artwork, she never really knows where to display them after she finishes them. It does not seem to bother her very much though.

“I am not really big on putting myself out there, you know,” mentions Morris, “I would rather this be one of those hobbies that I keep to myself.”

Although revealing her artwork to the world is not

in her nature, she did enter her work in one contest in middle school for mascot design ideas in her hometown.

Her favorite artists are Jackson Pollock and Picasso. Unlike them, she does not name her work after she finishes it.

“I don’t name any of my art,” Morris said. “I’ve never really thought about it like that.”

What really makes her artwork unique is that there is

no definite subject that she draws about. She describes it all as sort of “scatterbrain.”

While this young sociology major does not want to pursue art as a career option, she plans to minor in it.

“Personally, I feel like it would be hard for me to pursue a career in the art industry,” explains Morris.

“But, I would like to keep it as a hobby and maybe do something on the side later in life with it.”

TORCH PHOTO

Amy Schumer conquers SNL MELANIE sHEEHAN Contributing Writer

Many fans were feeling underwhelmed following the season 41 premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” With Miley Cyrus as the host and musical guest, her obscene costumes and traditionally weird antics seemed to have fallen short for the ex-Disney star.

Alas, this Columbus Day weekend, there was a beacon of hope for the sketch comedy show that came in the form of none other than Amy Schumer. The New York-native brought her A-game last week just coming off her extremely successful film, “Trainwreck”, and an Emmy win for her show “Inside Amy Schumer.”

The episode kicked-off with the regularly parodied “Fox and Friends” sketch, which was easily the most forgettable skit of the night. After the cold open, it was time for Schumer’s monologue which on no level disappointed. She approached it with a stand-up style that centered around positive body image and, of course, the Kardashians. “Is that a great message for little girls? A whole family of women who take the faces they were born with as like a light suggestion?” Schumer joked about

the iconic family. Her excitement was obvious as she stood up on the studio 8H stage, paving the way for the rest of the show.

Schumer and Vanessa Bayer started out strong with the Delta Flight sketch.

The two were flight attendants that are determined to make the passengers’ flight to Milwaukee enjoyable with their rehearsed Spice Girls parody, but in perfect SNL fashion, there were some hijinks involved. With the help of their comedic timing, the easy-to-open cabin door and Taran Killam’s ending ballad, this skit has become a new fan favorite for many.

In the next sketch, Kyle Mooney and Schumer have a complicated teacher-student relationship in this porno parody, but not to worry, Aidy Bryant swoops in to steal the spotlight in “Hot for Teacher 8.” Kyle Mooney’s creepiness along with Schumer’s suggestive puns really showcased everyone in this classic sketch. As news has been breaking recently about gun violence across our nation, SNL took the rising issue to a new level in this pretaped segment.

The Weekend Update crew stepped up their game this week, after last week left much to be desired for some. Colin Jost and Michael Che continued the gun conversation as Jay Pharoah came in as Solo-

mon, the unreliable travel correspondent.

The show was also visited by another new character, Mrs. Santini, played by Kate McKinnon. Her ridiculous accent along with her off-the-wall notes, gives me a feeling that this is not the last we will see of this character.

The next sketch took us to Ford’s Theater, where Schumer and Killam portrayed Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln in a living museum. But, when John Wilkes Booth (Mooney) comes into the play, the scene seems to not follow the history books. The “Hands-Free Selfie Stick” took the crown for many as the best sketch of

the night. From start to end, this sketch had us laughing nonstop.

Schumer is the obvious star in the next skit about a town city council. As a little girl, her character is scarily involved with the concerns of guns and religion.

In the final sketch of the night, the women of SNL take to the stage as we find what seems to be a normal baby shower, taken over by Schumer and a ‘missing’ purse.

Overall, this episode was the saving grace that many SNL fans have been begging for, and hopefully there will many more like it.

PHOTO/WIKIMEDIa COMMONS

13 Features

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Pets for Vets: Sigma Puppies raise PTSD awareness

PHOTOS/CONNOR COUGHLIN

St. John’s University’s community’s hearts melted as they mingled with therapy dogs sponsored by Sigma Pi fraternity to raise awareness for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for veterans.

“I think mental illness in this country is such a taboo and it’s really important that people become aware and know that it’s not something that you can see on the news,” Dillinger said. Associate Dean for student Engagement, Mary Pelkowski, also oversees the Veteran Affairs here at SJU. She said that Sigma Puppies was “a wonderful and creative way to support our SJU veterans, and raise awareness for PTSD.”

Pelkowski also said that as the Veteran population grows at SJU, to raise awareness on this issue is important in order to “celebrate, appreciate and realize the challenges” that our veterans face in their lives.

“I applaud Andrew Calvano and Tyler DeFranco of Sigma Pi Fraternity for their vision, dedication and execution of this event,” Pelkowski said.

“Our veterans were extremely thankful and humble that Sigma Pi organized such

an event that engaged so many students.”

According to Calvano, Veterans who serve this country has been a huge part of this life.

“I always felt it was necessary to give back to the ones who have served for your freedom and your rights,” he said.

Calvano was positive on the outcome of the event even before it happened.

“We chose Sigma Puppies because we knew it would be a great event to bring out

the crowd so we can raise enough donations for the student veterans association,” he said. Calvano also said that it is important to support PTSD, a huge issue in this country.

“What better way to honor the veterans and give back to the school at the same time?” He said.

St. John’s steps up to take back the night CRYSTAL GRANT

Contributing Writer One in five women in colleges across the country face the horrifying realities of sexual assault. Agonizing over their abuse, many of their stories go unheard as they suffer through their trials alone. This became a silent epidemic due to these victims not having a voice in society or having anyone intervene.

However, the silence was shattered Oct. 15 at St. John’s University during “Red Steps Up to Take Back the Night,” an event organized by Student Wellness, Step Ya Game Up, Lambda Phi, Tau Kappa Epsilson and Phi Beta Sigma.

Take Back the Night is part of a national campaign known as “It’s On Us,” which seeks to raise awareness about sexual assault.

The night began with students leading a silence awareness walk to show their support for all the current and past victims, proclaiming their dedication to the fight against sexual violence on our campus.

Adjunct professor and doctoral student Kandice Belluscio shared her story of how she managed to escape an abusive relationship, which she describes as revolving around “obsession and control.”

“When you’re in an abusive relationship it’s as [if ] your mind has become distorted and you can’t decipher what is realty and what isn’t. I lost who I was,” Belluscio said. “Domestic violence is not black and

PHOTO/HANNAH ARTILES-STRAVERS

Students leading the silence awareness walk in memory of current and past sexual assault victims.

PHOTO/HANNAH ARTILES-STRAVERS

Step Ya Game Up leading step class to all St. John’s University students and faculty in attendance.

white. It is not limited to certain groups of people. It doesn’t just involve physical altercations, and it truly knows no limits.”

Step Ya Game Up, St. John’s official step team, showed their support by leading a powerful dance and encouraging anyone, or anyone that knows someone suffering from sexual violence, to speak up.

Hannah Artiles-Stravers, the assistant director for violence prevention, holds Take Back the Night during what is known as “the red zone” or the first six weeks of school when perpetrators are more likely to take advantage of vulnerable students.

“Student Wellness’ Mission is that our students have holistic wellness,” Artiles-Stravers said. “If students are being assaulted they don’t have wellness.”

Artiles-Stravers, who also teaches a

class for bystander intervention, urged students to follow what she calls the 3Ds: direct, delegate and distract when they witness someone facing sexual violence.

“I think this is important because I deserve to be able to walk around my school knowing that I’m safe and that some students here are watching out for my safety as well,” said junior Somalia-Rose Muhammad.

The President of Tau Kappa Epsilon, junior Henry Codron, felt that it was their duty as part of Greek life to support this cause.

“Fraternity and Sorority Life have a negative stigma when it comes to sexual assault,” Codron said. He said that their organization came together to prove they are not in favor of sexual assault.

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S J U u n d e r g ra d u a t e s p a r t i c i p a t e i n c o m p e t i t i v e v i d e o g a m i n g cRYstAL GRANt

Contributing Writer Though Super Smash Bros. made its debut in North America in 2002 on Game Cube, even after 13 years, hardcore fans pit themselves against each other to claim the coveted number one ranking in competitions. Super Smash Bros. is a Nintendo game that enables players to partake in battle royale fights using some of Nintendo’s most popular characters, such as Mario, Link, Sonic and Captain Falcon.

It was the level of intensity within competitive Super Smash Bros. that stirred junior Christian Espinal’s interest to create an outlet for fans at St. John’s to bare their competitive spirits while having fun with each other over this shared passion.

“I didn’t know you could take it so far,” Espinal said. “Into my second year, I actively started seeking out other people that played Smash Bros.’’

Through the Otaku Brigade, weekly Super Smash Bros. competitions known as “set ups” began to occur in the D’Angelo Center. There, the St. John’s Smash community could compete against each other and even stream their battles online via TWITCH.TV, where sometimes hundreds of people watch the fights.

PHOTO/CHRISTIaN ESPINaL

Gamers and spectators focused in Super Smash Bros. competition at the D’angelo Center.

They had a humble beginning with only nine members ready to compete.

However, they managed to expand their competition off home base to challenge collegiate Super Smash Bros. teams from other universities, including Columbia, NYU and Hofstra whose teams have between 30-40 people.

LAUREN EDEN

Staff Writer If you were told that an English major, an Italian major, a legal studies major, a biology major and an athletic training major all shared something in common in terms of their career, would you find it hard to believe? This was the case for the five women on the panel at the Career Services event, “A Taste for Success: Careers in Food” held Thursday, Sept. 15 in Bent Hall.

“It doesn’t matter what major you are, you can still get involved in a food career,” said Stephanie Solomon, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur. Solomon opened two Chocolate Works stores, a franchise that specializes in making customized sweets, as well as hosting workshops and parties.

After taking a leap of faith, Solomon said she has found more happiness out of her current career than being a lawyer could offer.

Two of the women on the panel were St. John’s graduates, Victoria Gander (class of 2012) and Rossella Rago (class of 2009).

As an undergrad, Gander studied biology and was an Ozanam scholar.

After St. John’s, Gander went on to earn her Master’s degree in public health and now works for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at the

PHOTO/COURTESY OF STJOHNS.EDU

Brooklyn District Public Health Office.

She coordinates programs that help to incorporate healthy eating and lifestyle into underprivileged Brooklyn communities.

“I don’t expect anyone to know what they want to do with their life going into

It was through expanding their gaming network to these universities that they discovered Nebulosu, weekly gaming tournaments that host Super Smash Bros. competitions.

The energy and the passion people display during the games thrills Espinal.

“There is a lot of electricity in the air.

People get very hyped and it’s so much fun

college as an 18-year-old freshman,” she said.

Rago is the star of “Cooking with Nonna,” an online cooking show and food webisode series that recently won Food Network’s “24-Hour Restaurant Battle.”

Like the other panelists, Rago didn’t intend on having a job involving food. As a student at St. John’s, Rago aspired to be an Italian teacher.

“Just because you went to school for something doesn’t mean you will actually land a job in that field,” she said.

On “Cooking with Nonna,” a different Italian grandmother is featured on each episode alongside Rago as they cook oldschool Italian recipes.

With over 330,000 fans on Facebook, Rago gives partial credit to social media for the show’s success.

“If you can focus on one platform and build it up, it can be extremely valuable,” Rago said.

As an English major, Andrea Lynn knew that she wanted to be a writer but didn’t know what she wanted to write about.

After holding several unfulfilling positions at newspapers, she decided to go to culinary school and take up food writing.

Lynn has become a freelance food writer and has written her own cookbooks as well as recipes for different food media platforms including Better Homes & Gar-

to watch,” he said.

According to Espinal, they faced challenges when they played against people that have years of experience in competitive video gaming.

“We didn’t win a lot in the beginning.

It takes a lot of effort to get good at the game,” Espinal said. “Some people have been playing competitively for a very long time so the barrier to entry is very high.’’

Going further than simply enjoying participation in Nebulosu competitions, Espinal is currently aspiring to create a film documentary exploring the journey Nebulosu has gone through to gain recognition in the gaming community.

One of Espinal’s visions is to convert the Super Smash Bros. community into an official collegiate team so they can enjoy the game while having an official status.

Though St. John’s Smash community enjoys challenging fans from other schools, they do not have the status of being an official collegiate team. This prevents them from entering official collegiate game tournaments.

“By next year, I want the collegiate Smash team to be officially recognized in the Smash scene,” he said.

Espinal feels that beyond simply becoming more skilled at the game, taking on these challenges has strengthened the bond between his friends as well.

dens, Serious Eats and Rachael Ray. Amy Connell, ATC, RD, CCSD is the campus dietitian/sports nutritionist here at St. John’s, where she primarily works with the student-athletes. She also provides all students with nutritional information and distributes weekly healthy food samples throughout the St. John’s campuses.

Her initial interest in athletic training and helping athletes with injuries turned into a passion for nutrition when she realized the important role that food has for an athlete’s body and performance.

At the end of the event, the panel opened for discussion. It’s amazing to see how five different people have changed their career paths so much. It is also a relief to college students because it shows that it’s okay to be confused and uncertain about what you want to do.

“Just because you went to school something doesn’t mean you will

-Rossella Rago

15 Features

TIFFANY HERAVI

Contributing Writer Eco-friendly pizza. Now, that’s a choice open to all members of the St. John’s University community.

SJU students can find the Neapolitan Express food truck parked on campus. The truck sells personal pizzas that are baked fresh in the truck’s Italian handmade openmouth electric oven.

There are a variety of flavors for every palette. For example, for those who enjoy spicy food, the Diavolo pizza comes topped with spicy soppressata salami and jalapenos. There’s also the L’Americano, which, as the name indicates, is an American styled pizza topped with organic pepperoni.

One of the Neapolitan’s best qualities is that they are very thoughtful about what goes into their products. The company’s mantras are, “Fast food should be good food,” and “Doing well by doing good.”

They have followed suit by making their

LINDSAY GASPARRI

Contributing Writer If you’re tired of making your own waffles at Montgoris, you can stop by the Wafels & Dinges food truck here at St. John’s.

According to their website, the waffle truck originated in Brussels, Belgium and has been around since 1831. Fast forward to 1964, where the “Brussels Waffle” made its debut in Flushing, Queens, and was

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food organic, non-GMO and moving to make the process more eco-friendly.

When eating their pizza, you can immediately notice the fine quality of ingredients. Unlike the greasy, over-processed pizza we all know and love, Neapolitan Express’ pizza provides us with a classic and simple taste. The sauce is not as complexly flavored and has less of the thin pouring consistency that typical pizza shops use, which can sometimes leave the pizza with a bland taste to some. However, Neapolitan-style pizza has always had less-cooked tomatoes. If you are looking for that herb flavor in the sauce, one trick is to shake on some dried oregano from the bottle offered at the truck.

The best part of the Neapolitan Express experience is their dough. It’s so good, in fact, even if you only eat the dough, it would be appetizing. Baked to perfection with the right amount of charred bits on the sides, the crust is delicious with a fresh taste. Underneath the pizza, the dough is made thick enough to compensate for the toppings. Unlike the crust on American

TORCH PHOTO/JACKIE PRIESLER

Neapolitan Express eliminates the negative stigma around Pizza and proves that it can be healthy.

pizza, the crust of the pizza at Neapolitan Express is chewy with an edge crispy enough so that it is not too soft.

The friendly workers and minimal wait

time are a bonus. SJU students seem to be in agreement: this truck has been a wonderful addition to the dining options on campus.

renamed the “Belgium Waffle” that we all know and love today.

Luckily for SJU students, they’ve kept the truck business and are now on campus every week. During my first experience with Wafels & Dinges, I tried the Elvis Waffle with bananas, peanut butter and bacon on top. Although I barely finished the delicious treat because of the large compilation of toppings, it was the perfect mix of sweet and sour.

On my next trip to the Wafels & Ding-

Wafels & Dinges provide customers with a variety of choices and allow them to pick their toppings.

PHOTOS/TORCH PHOTO/LINDSAY GASPARRI

St. John’s University students waiting for their chance to savor Wafels & Dinges.

es truck, I took a friend to see what other options they provide. They have at least 12 different options already posted on the truck and you can also choose your own toppings.

With all the options being so overwhelming, I asked for a recommendation.

The attendants replied, “the most popular waffle today is the WMD Waffle, people keep ordering it nonstop.”

The WMD Waffle contains strawberries, bananas and whipped cream drenched in chocolate fudge. No wonder it was a crowd favorite. As he was describing it, I

was in awe. My friend and I decided to split a waffle because of the immensity of the treat and to lower the cost for both of us.

Prices of the waffles tend to be a little expensive, but students always come back because the price is worth the quality. You can find the truck on Wednesdays parked between the D’Angelo Center and Sullivan Hall.

I suggest everyone go there at least once to add a little sweetness to their life.

We could all use some after midterm week.

Waffle Wednesday anybody?

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Cross Country rocks XC fall festival ANNA kULEsA Contributing Writer On Oct. 18 at Cunningham Park in Queens, the St. John’s cross country team came in first place at their very own 2015 Red Storm XC Fall Festival. Seven St. John’s runners made it in the top 10 on Sunday morning, with sophomore Izzi Batt-Doyle coming in first with a time of 15:08. The festivities started at the XC Fall Festival at 9:30 a.m. with a fun onemile breast cancer awareness walk/run, which was teamed up with the program’s annual Olympic Day. Coach Hurt said, “I was very pleased with our total team effort today as we ran aggressively from the start and stayed close to each other the entire race. Izzi, Stephanie and Ant continue to be a dominant front three. We had Tiffany Evanego run her best race of the year and Claire Mooney looked great in her first race in a year. Melissa, Marlow and our entire long sprint corps get better each week.”

This 4k included teams from Seton Hall, Cheyney and even a few of the St. John’s Running Club’s members. The total time that the Red Storm came in with was 16:01 with Seton Hall just a minute

behind on their total standings. Just like they did at the Metropolitan Championships, Batt-Doyle along with freshman Antonia Howard and senior Stephanie Van Pelt came in on top working hard to bring in St. John’s team strong.

Van Pelt’s time was 15:22 and Howard finished the race with a 16:16. Senior Tiffany Evanego came in sixth place with a time of 16:34. Red Storm runners did excellent as they pushed Seton to second place. “Today’s meet was all about having fun. Today was a 4K and we normally run 5k or 6k so the change was nice. It was a good practice for the Big East Championships at the end of the month,” said Van Pelt.

Taking eighth place was graduate student Claire Mooney who, according to the press release, timed a 16:47 in her very first cross country race of the season.

Sophomore Melissa Hidalgo came in with a time of 17:13 for ninth place. As for 10th and 11th places, sophomore Marlow Schulz and senior Michelle Van Pelt came in shoulder to shoulder, running the race besides each other pushing one another the whole way through with a time of 17:22 and 17:23, respectively.

Senior Pariis Garcia did an excellent job considering she has not participated in cross-country in a year, since she is

a sprinter for St. John’s track and field, by coming in 20th place with a time of 18:38.

After the races, the program held its luncheon where 40 alumni showed up to remember the accomplishments made in the St. John’s cross-country and track and field programs. Two alumni were specifically honored. Over this past summer, high jumper Priscilla Frederick from the class of 2012 participated in the Pan American Games in Toronto, taking a silver medal along with placing 22nd at the World Championships in Beijing, China.

Then there was Rodney Wiltshire, who won the gold medal in the 300m hurdles at the World Master’s Championship in Lyon, France. Both of these incredible athletes shared their stories to the current Red Storm runners.

The team is preparing well for their next challenge at the Big East Championships in Ohio on Oct. 30. On how she was preparing for the next meet, BattDoyle said, “The Big East Champs will be my first 6km and hopefully the course, weather and the competition there will provide a good race for me in Ohio. Plus, I’ll have my mom watching me! I’m planning to work really hard this week and then start to rest up next week. I’ve been working hard the last couple weeks after

coming back from sickness, with quite high mileage (100kms a week) and some great workouts for example, 15x400m on the track last Wednesday. Next week will be all about staying sharp but getting my legs fresh, doing lots of recovery treatment, positive visualization and getting lots of sleep!”

Sophomore Izzi Batt-Doyle placed first in the XC Fall Festival with a time of 15:08.

Van Pelt twins are one of a kind kAtHARINE AcQUAvELLA Contributing Writer

lettered all four years in track and field.

They closed their senior year of high school as members of the 2011 Staten Island Cross Country Championship team.

Despite the fact that the Staten Island natives share a passion for track, they differ in their academic interests. Michelle is studying public relations while Stephanie is studying environmental science.

Siblings, nevermind twins, participating in the same sport when they’re young is common. It becomes uncommon when this continues throughout high school and even more so in college.

Twin sisters Michelle and Stephanie Van Pelt are in their senior year at St. John’s University.

As runners, they defy the norm for university’s Division I track and field team.

The sisters both compete in the mid-distance events (1500 meters, 1000 meters, 800 meters). The possibility of either Van Pelt twin competing against each other is not unusual.

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The Van Pelt sisters compete in several mid-distance events together.

However, the two of them don’t view it as an opportunity to compete against each other. Instead, they view it more as having someone to run with.

“It’s good to have someone there.

It’s just nice to have someone warm up with you and have someone next to you

throughout the race,” Stephanie said.

“Stephanie pushes me for sure,” Michelle said.

The Van Pelt twins were told that they were natural runners since they were in elementary school. The two stayed active, participating in various sports such as soccer and softball. However, the sisters didn’t begin their running career until high school, at Notre Dame Academy.

“We were always paired together. I’d be the pitcher for the softball and she’d be

the catcher,” Michelle said.

The twins never felt that their relationship on the field was competitively driven. Instead, they view themselves as partners, where one never has to do something alone.

“We always have a workout partner.

We always played basketball together and now, run together,” Stephanie said. “It’s just like having someone with you all the time.”

At Notre Dame Academy, both sisters

The sisters are also both members of the National Honor Society at St. John’s.

“We both came in as undecided and took the same classes. But then, I realized that I didn’t want to be trapped in an office all day long. So, I chose environmental science,” said Stephanie.

“We’re both very into hockey, so Michelle chose to do public relations and hopefully get into the sports side of that.”

“And, I was like ‘that sounds so cool,’” Stephanie said. “And, I like what she does too,” Michelle said.

The Van Pelt sisters are not only teammates, but they act as each other’s role models.

“I’m trying to make it to NCAA’s for indoor and outdoor, for the mile and 1500,” Stephanie said.

“I guess my goal is to be like her,” Michelle said.

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Red Storm Spikes DePaul kEIsHA RAYMoND Staff Writer The St. John’s volleyball team was victorious against DePaul on Friday night, 3-2 (27-25, 24-26, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11). The Red Storm now has a record 14-9 (4-4 Big East) and the Blue Demons now has a losing streak of five 12-8, (1-7 Big East).

Senior outside hitter Yaidy Santiago had four kills to help the Red Storm get 5-4 lead in the fifth set that led DePaul to call a timeout.

After the timeout, St. John’s took a 11-8 lead and finished the set on a 4-2 run to win 15-11.

“It was great to get another hard-fought and exciting fifth set win on the road,” “Santiago came in the fifth set with her team down 4-1 and was a game changer. I was so happy for her and how the team responded.”

Junior Mona Karkkainen tied a career-high with 12 kills and .435 hitting percentage.

Karkkainen was one of four St. John’s players to have four kills. Senior Shawna-Lei Santos came close to tying her career-high in assists with 51. She also collected five digs and three blocks.

Karin Palgutova, a senior outside hitter, got her eight double-double this season with 20 kills (match-high) and 10 digs plus six blocks and two service aces. Palgutova now has 1,742 career kills and is 25 kills away from passing Jackie Ahlers (1,766 kills) for the school’s alltime leader in kills. She also needs five service aces to become the all-time leader in that category. Palgutova has 128 career kills.

Margherita Bianchin, freshman outside hitter, had an splendid game with 10 kills and six digs. Sophomore Julia Cast had a season-high 12 kills, a .391 attacking percentage and six blocks.

BRANDoN MAUk Digital Sports Manager Just like the good old days, Chris Mullin was the biggest draw at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. He wasn’t there to talk about the good old days, though. He was all about business in his first season at his second go-around at St. John’s.

The St. John’s legend made his first appearance at Big East Media Day as the new head coach of the Red Storm. Instead of dwelling on the days when he and coach Lou Carnesecca led the team to a Big East championship and a Final Four appearance, Mullin made it clear that he is focused on rebuilding the program. He’s sticking to the plan despite low expectations for his rookie season.

“I’m really focused on trying to help these guys improve their game and have fun doing it, play together and build a camaraderie with their teammates,” Mullin said. “That other stuff, I really don’t think a lot about it. It’s old and nostalgic. I’m living in the now.”

Despite having no prior experience coaching (he was the executive vice president of Basketball Operations for the Golden State Warriors from 2004-09, so

he does have experience in building a roster), Mullin is passing his first major test going into his first season back in Queens.

Since day one, Mullin has been straightforward about what his plan has been for his alma mater. He doesn’t want to talk about the past. He wants to recreate it. He is trying to restore St. John’s as a significant player in the recruiting game, both nationally and specifically in the New York metropolitan area. That will be the next step going forward.

“I know coach Carnesecca recruited with a token and that worked pretty good, so I’m going to use his philosophy. MetroPass, not a token,” Mullin said.

After being named head coach in April, Mullin went straight to work to fix an unstable program left by Steve Lavin.

He’s put together a talented assistant coaching staff around him, particularly former John Calipari recruiter Barry “Slice” Rohrssen and former Iowa State assistant and St. John’s alumnus Matt Abdelmassih.

Mullin also added Greg St. Jean, who worked with Mullin with the Sacramento Kings from 2013 fellow NBA Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond as a special assistant. It’s an overall impressive staff that should be a big help for the Hall of Famer in his first foray into coaching.

“They better be, that’s why I hired

them. If not I’m going to fire them,” Mullin quipped.

The plan remains the same for Mullin going into the season. St. John’s and New York City has not been the major attraction they once were when Mullin called St. John’s and Madison Square Garden home. Many kids have been leaving the city for private high schools in New Jersey and major college programs outside the northeast, so St. John’s has been a middling program for the last 15 years. Mullin wants to try and reverse that trend.

“I think that always exists. When I came out, there were guys that left. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Mullin said.

“There’s also kids that want to stay home, play in front of their families, play at Madison Square Garden. That’s not new.”

With only three lettermen from last year’s NCAA Tournament team returning this year, the roster went through similar turnover.

Mullin did everything he could to put together a team. He recruited six freshmen, three of which were four-start recruits and four transfer players. It’s a mix of young talent and seasoned veterans.

It is all part of the identity he wants to establish for the program. An underdog, hard-working mentality that does all the little things to come together to grind and win.

Redshirt sophomore Danisha Moss finished the game with a match-high eight blocks plus two kills and two assists. Delaney D’Amore pick up a team-high 17 digs and one service ace and Melissa Chin had a total of seven digs and one service ace.

The Red Storm was defeated by Marquette, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-14) Saturday night at Al McGuire Center.

The Johnnies were kept to a .131 hitting clip and lost in straight sets for only the second time this season. Sophomore Julia Cast finished with a .467 attacking percentage and eight kills.

The Red Storm record now sits at 14-10 (4-5, Big East) and the Golden Eagles are 14-7 (6-3, Big East). Marquette now has 10 consecutive wins over the Red Storm and leads the overall head to head series 10-3.

“We looked a bit fatigued tonight and a strong opponent like Marquette will demand your energy and execution at all times” said head coach Joanne Persico.

Palgutova got 11 kills for a team-high and six digs. Bianchin and Moss both had four kills. Also Freshman Lexie Lobdell tallied two kills and three digs.

Santos lead the offense with 25 assists, seven digs and one service ace, freshman Ariel Miyasaki came off the bench and chipped in with fours digs, and Santiago collected four digs and two kills.

Marquette redshirt freshman Taylor Louis recorded 20 kills, six digs and a .395 attacking clip and redshirt junior Sara Blasier came away with 31 assists and five digs. Overall, the Golden Eagles had a .330 attacking percentage.

Coming up next for the Red Storm are a pair of road games against Georgetown (Oct. 23) and Creighton (Oct. 25) as they continue Big East play.

“I’m trying to establish a culture of hard work, unselfishness, dedication and discipline. The skill development will come. The most important advice I can share now is what worked for me as a player: physical conditioning, mental approach and skill development.”

After a summer’s worth of a complete overhaul of the program, predictions for Mullin’s rookie season are not bright. The Coach’s Poll was released for media day, and St. John’s was voted to finish dead last in the Big East.

That’s not what the fans want to hear.

As seen by his construction of the roster and the recruiting of assistant coaches and players, Mullin is aware, but unconcerned about the uphill battle that awaits him. It’s all about progress.

“There will be a time for that, probably not this year. I’m just asking them to get in the best shape that they possibly can physically. Mentally, be composed and unselfish, and this year we’ll live with the results. I think there will be time for expectations but not this year,” Mullin said.

Mullin is focused on the future, but he still lives in the now with a plan to reach that goal. He made that clear again for anyone who wants to dwell on the past, whether it’s the glory days of St. John’s or it’s darkest hours.

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Red Storm Splits Two Big East Battles TROY MAUERIELLO Staff Writer

The St. John’s men’s soccer team continued play this week with a pair of Big East matchups against Xavier and Georgetown.

The Red Storm got their week started with their first home game in over two weeks against the Xavier Musketeers on Wednesday night.

Midfielder Marti Tapia nearly got the Red Storm on the board with a header in the 15th minute, before he was turned away by an acrobatic one-handed save by Xavier goalkeeper Dallas Jaye. Tapia was back at it seven minutes later off a free kick but was once again denied by Jaye.

As the Johnnies controlled much of the first half, redshirt senior goalkeeper Jordan Stagmiller didn’t face a shot until the 37th minute. Ultimately, the game would go into halftime scoreless.

St. John’s had the first opportunity of the second half, and it would be a golden one. In the 62nd minute, Xavier’s Jaye made another outstanding save off a header, while a defender at the goal line denied the subsequent Red Storm

shot. The ball ended up in the goal after a few chaotic seconds, but St. John’s was ultimately ruled offsides.

The Red Storm continued to dominate the final 30 minutes of regulation; however, the Musketeer defense remained stingy and the scoreless game would head into overtime.

Aside from one Xavier push near the end of the second overtime, neither team threatened to score, and the game ended in a scoreless draw.

“Tonight, I was glad to see that we came out with a first-class effort as opposed to being a little sullen off the game at Creighton,” head coach Dave Masur said.

“We’ve got to keep battling forward, we’re a young team, we’ve got to learn how to keep continuing to fight,” Masur continued.

Following the draw on Wednesday night, the Johnnies took to the road for a Saturday night matchup against the Butler Bulldogs.

The Red Storm controlled the pace of play early, pressuring the Butler defense and holding the Bulldogs without a shot until the game’s 29th minute.

From that point on, the St. John’s defense struggled, and Butler pressured Jordan Stagmiller with seven shots in the half ’s final 16 minutes. However, Stagmiller was able to make four solid saves to send the scoreless game into halftime.

The Bulldogs would continue their attack into the second half, and in the 49th minute they would find the game’s first goal. A Butler shot from just outside the 18-yard box beat Stagmiller inside the right post to make it 1-0.

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Mike Prosuk Butler on Saturday.

Daly, Paulin lead St. John’s in Double overtime draw Brandon Mauk Digital Sports Manager

St. John’s faced its biggest test of the season on Sunday.

In the typical formula, a Rachel Daly score, stout team defense and goalkeeping were good enough against their toughest opponent as No. 25 St. John’s drew a 1-1 draw with first place, No. 18 DePaul.

“This was a hard-fought battle between two elite teams,” St. John’s head coach Ian Stone said.

“I am proud of the effort and belief we demonstrated on the road today.”

DePaul (11-2-3, 5-0-1) jumped out in front in the 26th minute on a 10-foot strike from Franny Cerny, her sixth of the season.

Abby Reed picked up the assist for the home team as she caused a turnover in their offensive zone.

After falling behind, St. John’s (12-21) turned the pressure back on DePaul and registered three shots on goal in the first half, two of which came on cor-

ner kicks in the last two minutes of the period. But, they were unable to get the equalizer until the second half.

Daly found the game-tying score in the 61st minute after she cleaned up a clearing attempt by DePaul following a scramble in front of the net started by junior Morgan Tinari. It was Daly’s 16th of the season.

After 30 more minutes, the match still wasn’t decided and the teams went into overtime. St. John’s had a chance to steal the road victory seven minutes into the first extra period, but Emily Cubbage’s shot just rang off the crossbar.

Junior Diana Poulin came up big in overtime. Five minutes into the second extra period, she denied Reed up in the box. She and defender Georgia Kearney-Perry prevented a pair of last minute scoring chances.

Poulin made a save on a shot by Taylor Schissler and Kearney-Perry blocked a shot by CernWy to preserve the 1-1 draw.

Poulin had three saves in the day.

DePaul had the edge in shots 15-12, but the teams were even on shots that met their target on goal (four) Daly had

seven shots overall, three of which were on goal.

With Georgetown’s draw at Marquette, St. John’s remains tied with the Hoyas for second place in the Big East.

St. John’s plays their final scheduled home game of the season on Thursday against Xavier for Senior Night. They will wrap up the regular season afterwards at Villanova and Providence.

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Diana Poulin’s strong play in net helped lead the Red Storm to a 1-1 draw with No.18 DePaul.

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Women’s tennis team gets coach of their own CARMINE CARCIERI Staff Writer Since graduating from St. John’s and finishing a successful playing career on the court, Lauren Leo has had her sights set on possibly returning to the Red Storm as head coach of the women’s tennis team.

Eight years later, Leo has finally achieved her goal, as she was hired in August to be the 15th head coach in the program’s history.

“Once I graduate, I realized I had such a good experience here that I wanted to get back to the school,” coach Leo said. “I was fortunate enough to have this opportunity now.”

Leo, who achieved a successful 48-29 record, played both singles and doubles for the Johnnies from 2003 to 2007 while also building strong relationships that helped make the transition from player to coach much smoother.

“It’s like coming back to family,” coach Leo said. “There’s a lot of people still here that were apart of the University when I was a player and the support from the administration is just great.”

Before the position opened in Queens, the Staten Island native gained valuable experience working as the head coach at Hunter College in 2008 and 2009, as well as earning a spot on the Adelphi University coaching staff.

Leo, who started as an assistant, led Adelphi to a 17-6 record, a share of the 2012 Northeast-10 Conference Championship and a trip to the 2012 NCAA Division II Tennis Championship.

Leo’s success, early in her career, translated into a job in Hempstead, where she served as the Director of Tennis from 2013-15 for Hofstra University. She oversaw a steady program that had five athletes earn All-Colonial Athletic Association honors and two athletes earn All-CAA Academic Team honors.

Following the stint with the Hofstra Pride, the time was finally right for Leo to pursue the job at her alma mater as St. John’s was looking for a new leader for their women’s team.

“I knew they were looking for a coach,” coach Leo said. “I went out to get some feelers, just to see where everyone was at, and I was lucky enough to get the position.

Just being a graduate of the school and see-

ing where I can take the program makes it special.”

Leo’s ability to relate to her players has translated into early success during the fall season and, with plenty of talent returning,

expectations are high in Queens.

“They had a taste (last year by finishing second in the Big East) so I know they are very hungry this year,” coach Leo said.

“First and foremost is to play well and fight hard on the court. Stay focused and stay disciplined.”

“If we follow the path we’re on, good things will happen. I don’t like to jump forward but it would be very nice to win the Big East.”

A dream has finally become a reality for coach Leo and a chance at a conference title will make her return home that much sweeter.

PHOTO/ aTHLETIC COMMUNICaTIONS

Coach Lauren Leo returns to her alma mater to coach.

“An evening with St. John’s Basketball” and three-time NBA champ Bill Wennington WILSON SY Staff Writer

On a very delightful evening with the St. John’s basketball teams, the Office of Athletic Development hosted the annual basketball team’s fundraising event on Thursday, Oct. 15.

It was a successful turnout as many Red Storm supporters, alumni and staff gathered together on the first floor of the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan and helped raised $250,000 for the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

Head coaches Chris Mullin and Joe Tartamella gathered together along with special guest Bill Wennington to help celebrate the start of the 2015-16 basketball season.

WFAN’s 101.9 Radio Host Craig Carton served as the master of ceremony and panelist for the basketball discussions.

Before the evening commenced, Carton shared his thoughts with me on the upcoming men’s basketball season.

“I like the fact that nobody’s picking them to do anything,” said Carton. “I saw on the paper that they were picked dead last and that’s good because it’s a new program and [Mullin] is going to redevelop

basketball here and everyone knows that doesn’t happen immediately.

“So, the fact that there [are] no expectations from these so-called experts [means] you can only overachieve. I like where they are at.

“I follow their recruiting draft class.

He’s a hall of famer and a New Yorker so it may take a year or two, but I think everyone will be very very happy with the program under [Mullin’s] watch.”

As the night began, both coaches reflected on their team’s upcoming season.

Attendees also had a special treat when Carton held a panel discussion on former St. John’s teammates Mullin and Wennington.

They spoke about the program’s tradition, as well as playing in the NBA.

After an enjoyable evening, St. John’s President Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw and Mullin presented Wennington with a commemorative No. 23 jersey.

I also had the opportunity to speak with the former St. John’s center about how St. John’s legendary Lou Carnesecca positively impacted his life.

“Well, coach Lou Carnesecca has been a second father to me,” said Wennington.

“He really taught me a lot about being a man, about being respectful, holding true to myself and my word. One of the things he tells me about is honesty.

“If you say something, you do it. If you don’t want to do it, don’t say you’ll do it. And, simple things in life, especially today, you take it for granted, but they really are the foundation of maturity and I hold that very near [and] dear my heart.”

After a stellar four-year collegiate career (1981-85) with the then called “Redmen” under Carnesecca and being part of the 1985 St. John’s Final Four team, the 7’0 center went on to play 13 years in the NBA and was part of three Chicago Bulls Championship teams (1996-98), playing alongside with arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time, Michael Jordan.

“Playing with Michael Jordan was a lot like playing with Chris Mullin ‘cause both of them demanded excellence and

they expected you to put 100 percent effort on the floor every night,” Wennington said.

“I was fortunate enough to play with Chris, be under his tutelage and understand how hard you had to work; and, when I came in playing with Michael, I understood that.

“So, he [Jordan] and I got along well because he understood I was working hard and I was doing what I needed to do.

“But, if you like winning, playing with guys like Chris Mullin and Michael Jordan, that’s where you want to be.”

PHOTO/ aTHLETIC COMMUNICaTIONS

St. John’s head coaches Chris Mullin and Joe Tartamella with NBA legend Bill Wennington at “an Evening with St. John’s Basketball.”

SPORTS October 21, 2015 | VOLUME 93, ISSUE 08 |

TORCHONLINE.COM

aLL PHOTOS/ aTHLETIC COMMUNICaTIONS TORCH DESIGN EDITOR / GINa PaLERMO

TIP OFF: a NEW BEGINNING WILsoN sY Staff Writer The Red Storm kicked off the start of basketball season at Tip-Off on Friday. The annual celebration brought together thousands of students to cheer on the men’s basketball team in support for the start of the season.

It was a night filled with contests and giveaways to promote school spirit. The first 1,000 students received a t-shirt and a light-up “Spirit Stick,” courtesy of RedZone. One won his way to a Qdoba lunch for 20 people in time for the start of player introductions. Another student, senior Jonathan Byrne, participated in the shooting challenge for the 2016 Chevy Camaro, but came up short

on the free-throw attempts before attempting a half-court shot as time expired. Two students also joined the Arby’s 3-Point Shootout and won free Arby’s for an entire section.

The players were then shortly introduced. For the men’s program, there were 10 new players in their respective roster. The women’s team added two freshmen, 6’1 forward Jordan Agustus and 5’11 guard Akina Wellere.

After the assistant coaches of both teams were announced, a special shout-out was made to the accomplishments to the 2015 men’s basketball graduates Phil Greene IV, D’Angelo Harrison and Sir’Dominic Pointer before the unveiling of the men’s 2015 NCAA Tournament banner.

The momentum began building up when fans were cheering happily, “Mullin! Mullin! Mullin!” when new men’s basketball head coach and St. John’s basketball legend Chris Mullin was introduced and addressed the crowd.

“It’s great to be home,” Mullin

said. “This brings back so many great time memories. Playing in this court makes this the most toughest place to play in the Big East.”

Mullin then gave a special shout out to St. John’s President Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw. Fans then cheered, “Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!”

“Good evening St. John’s,” Dr. Gempesaw said. “Welcome to the start of the basketball season. Tonight is the celebrating of a long history of our men’s and women’s basketball program.”

President Gempesaw then gave a welcoming surprise by removing his jacket to reveal a referee’s jersey serving as one of the four officials for the white and red team scrimmages.

Gempesaw would begin action by taking center-stage and served as the official who tossed the jump ball. The teams played two eight-minute halves and Gempesaw playfully gave Mullin a technical foul.

Hip-hop artist Mac Miller capped off the party by performing his hittracks while representing his love for SJU by wearing a white Chris Mullin

St. John’s jersey.

As everything seemed to be going along perfectly, there was one incident where a fan illegally stormed onto the court in the middle of Miller’s performance and looked to take a selfie with the artist. He was then quickly tackled down to the floor

by Karli Hausman, assistant athletic director of St. John’s marketing.

The suspect then tried to escape by running towards the exit, but was taken down by multiple public safety officers and security before being handcuffed and arrested. Fortunately, the incident did not interfere with the performance and nobody else was hurt. The University has not released a statement regarding further information whether the suspect was a student and if so, whether he would be expelled from the university.

Students sang along and cheered for Mac after the 40-minute performance. Many players also walked onto the sections and celebrated as fans took pictures and mingled to end another successful Tip-Off.