April 30

SJU CELEBRATES SPRING WEEK

Carnival helps students relax before finals Pg. 5 PHOTO/ CHEYANNE GONZALES

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PHOTO of the week

Think Outside...

‘It’s been a great year:’ President Fr. Levesque

Fr. Levesque speaks about his year as interim president and incoming president Dr. Gempesaw

Talia TIrella News Editor

Alexa Vagelatos Opinion Editor

Advisor

The Torch is the official student newspaper of St. John’s University. The Torch is written, edited, designed and produced by students of the University. All contents are the sole responsibility of the editors and the editorial board and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of St. John’s University unless specifically stated.

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

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

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

This copy of The Torch is worth $1.00.

PHOTO/ CHEYANNE GONZALES

Aerial view of the spring carnival held last week on Friday

Computed CAPEX and OPEX. Then learned how to cook Tex-Mex.

On my project team, I work with people from around the world. Thursday is our international cooking night, when we share our favorite dishes and a bit about our ancestries. We’re a team in the office, a team in the kitchen.”

See every amazing angle at exceptionalEY.com.

© 2014 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved. ED None.

“One thing I’ve learned during my first year here is that capital expenditures and operating expenditures are only part of the EY equation.

News

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Rev. Joseph Levesque, C.M., took over as university president last August after Rev. Harrington’s resignation. Fr. Levesque has served as the University’s interim president for this past school year, but will leave office when Dr. Conrado Gempesaw takes over as president July 1.

The Torch sat down with Fr. Levesque to discuss his year in office as well as Gempesaw and his future time as president.

The Torch: How do you feel about your year as president? How did you handle being thrown into the job sort of suddenly?

Fr. Levesque: I thoroughly enjoyed this past year, the university is well known to me, and I’ve been a part of the University’s board for many years. But coming to be the president, I met all the leaders of the University. I met as many of the faculty and staff and administrators as possible. I met a lot of students in a lot of different ways, and everyone really made my stay a happy one.

I thought it was a good year, I certainly have had the experience of being a president of a university, I just finished my term at Niagara as president and came here, so the very same challenges that you find in higher education today, I was able to meet those.

You always work in a team with people, so I worked with the team, it’s called the cabinet, a number of vice presidents sit there and we deliberate important questions challenging us. The other side of it, of course, is just trying to let the university grow, so we talk about the strategic plan for the future. It’s been a great year. My transition was easy.

T: Tell me about what you do on a daily basis as president, as well as on a more general level.

L: Well, the business of a president is different every day. There are set meetings that are predetermined. It might be meeting with deans, it might be meeting with faculty, it might be meeting with faculty and chairpeople of the departments, so the days are set up very differently. But, by and large, the business of the university is dealing with all of those people, administrators, staff, the students.

I meet with Student Government a couple times a year. I meet with meet with young Catholic scholars and President Society people, so I meet with as many people as possible. Most of my day is that: meeting with people. Sometimes with individual people who want an appointment, like alumni or faculty. I have an open-door policy and I’m always willing to sit and talk with anyone who wishes to meet me. So the days become very full.

T: What was your first impression of Dr. Gempesaw, and how do you think he will do as president? Do you think he will be a good fit?

L: As you might expect, I knew Dr. Gempesaw mostly because of the search we did, and he applied for the position so I met him through his statement, his letter of desire to become the president of St. John’s and then actually researching his resume, et cetera. And I got to meet him on two, three occasions. One was as a member of the search committee, one was with the Board of Trustees and another was on his first formal visit here with his wife; I got

a chance to speak with him again. He’s a wonderful person, he’s very happy. You know, that picture you put of him on the Torch was a great picture. He’s smiling, he looks happy; that’s who he is, you meet him that way. He’s a very calm person, very sure of his position and he very much looks forward to being president here.

He’s got a very strong academic background, and that was something that everybody in the university community really wanted to make sure that he had, and he does. His field, his PhD is in agricultural economics, and he’s published and spoken about that. So he’s someone that I have a lot of confidence in as the new president, and so does the board, and I think really the university community.

T: Is there any advice you’d give him for his new role as president?

L: Yes. I would tell him to bring to the leadership of this university the same talents that he has used in his positions in the past. He certainly was a dean, and most recently he’s been provost at Miami University of Ohio. Namely, to be always open to looking toward the future with colleagues, which means everyone, including students, faculty, leaders, and then giving leadership to the University, the best ideas that he has moving forward. We always like to talk about having a strategic plan. A strategic plan tells us where we’re going, why we’re going, how we’re going to get to our goals, and that is what he will have to build. But he’s no stranger to that. In a university community, you’re always looking at: this is the plan we have, are we following it well, are there any things happening in the world that are making us change this plan. One of the challenges that St. John’s has, which is not unique to St. John’s at all, is enrollment because there are fewer young people out in the world today, and so the numbers are changing and universities have to adapt to that, that their enrollment may get lower rather than higher. Although, you keep on trying to make sure that the numbers are very good. That’s a big one because it impacts on the budget, and therefore can you successfully go through an academic year well. He knows that, and he’s been a part of building Miami University very strongly. They’ve been doing very well, so he has a good track record in something that is becoming one of the great challenges for universities all over the country right now.

T: Are there any goals you’ve been working on that you’d like to see him continue with?

L: Well, probably the best way to say that is that we always talk about the University as being a Catholic university, a Vincentian university, and a metropolitan university. Those are our guides as to how we want the University to be. He certainly knows that of course; and the board, everyone challenged him on that, ‘are you ready to assume that leadership and making sure that you stay faithful to the mission of the University’ and he very enthusiastically responded ‘yes, I know what your mission is, I love your mission, and I will fulfill that mission with the help of everybody here at the University.’ He’s very aware of who we are, he’s studied us carefully, and he’s ready to commit to it. I think the big things are: what’s the mission of this University?

What is your plan for growth, what’s your strategic plan, things like that. Those are

the things we talked to him about when we were interviewing him.

T: What goals do you think he should set or strive for for St. John’s in the future?

L: I think he should try to continue enhancing all of the strengths that we presently have, and then looking at the challenges we have. Those challenges are enrollment, making sure that we always have a high quality education that we’re offering, and then doing things that adapt to the times, so that some majors that students are extremely interested in, [and] that would be something that we could offer to students, consider those in addition to the ones we already have. It’s always keeping an eye on things that are in place: the mission, the strategic plan and fulfilling that and always opening yourself up to something that’s new. You know, what are the trends? Are we keeping up with the most recent trends?

What’s going to be the best thing for the student of today and tomorrow? What are your interests?

We know that the student of today is more technologically connected to the world, and so we have to make sure that we offer our students the best technology and what they have in the ways in which they study and the ways in which they do research.

T: You’ve probably dealt with your fair share of criticisms and the whole problem of transparency between administration and other departments. Do you think Dr. Gempesaw will be prepared to handle the situation as well as any of the criticisms that may be thrown at him?

L: I think so. I think he considers himself a very transparent person, and therefore that’s the way he will operate. It’s what I know was expected of me when I came for this year, and I’ve always tried to be extremely transparent with dealing with all members of the university community. He knows that, and he is that kind of person. So, as he sits with people he will listen carefully. He will offer his own ideas, but he’s very willing to listen. If there are problems that are very consistent that he will meet, I know he will listen to those carefully, and try to find ways to meet those problems. The transparency issue is sometimes [something] seen as an obstacle. I think it’s a great challenge for the contemporary president. I think every president knows the need to be transparent with everyone in the University. The University doesn’t belong to the president, it belongs to students, faculty, administration, all the people who invest their life here and spend their life here; so it has to be a collaboration, it has to be a sharing of thoughts, ideas, questions with one another. He is very aware of that and very open to that.

T: What do you think your lasting impact will be and is there anything you want to do in your last three months here?

L: My impact has simply been that I came as a Vincentian president in the long tradition of Vincentian presidents, and I tried to be what was needed. Someone who was very transparent, someone who would keep things moving very well that are going well in the University and make them stronger, and that I look for and have become an important part of preparing for the new leader. So that was the presidential search which we completed. I think the person we found, Dr. Gempesaw, is the ide-

al. He is foreign born, he’s a Filipino. As you know, I think, we have such a diverse student population here on this campus, so he himself is part of that diversity coming to this country from the Philippines and establishing himself and basing himself here, making this his new home. He’s a great academic; he’s very devoted to his background in economics, and he’s given that to the University, plus his great thinking.

These last few months, I hope to work with everyone to insure that the University is in the best condition that it can be as I ‘pass the baton’ on to the new president.

Saying, ‘We have our plans, that we’ve been fulfilling them, these are our plans Dr. Gempesaw, I wish you well, there are some changes that we think might have to be made, and here are some of the areas that you have to be sensitive to,’ that type of thing, that’s how I wish to spend the end of my time. Also just saying thank you to the people who have helped me this past year.

T: How or will you remain a part of the St. John’s community?

L: I don’t know. I think maybe I will pray for St. John’s, the community. At a distance, I’m always available if they need my help, I can help the University by always being available.

My only plan now is two things. I’ve had a need for a long time for knee surgery, so I’m going to do the knee surgery, that will be the first thing when I leave. I’ll do that in the New York City area, so I’ll be available if people need me to consult on issues. I’ll return to Niagara University where I’ve lived for many years, and continue to be president emeritus there and continue to serve that community as well. But I’m always available to St. John’s if they need me.

T: How do you feel about Dr. Gempesaw being the first layperson and also the first Asian-American president, and what effect do you think it will have on St. John’s?

L: I feel very good about Dr. Gempesaw coming on campus. Our history, which you know, we had to break from that history, for the past 150 years it has been a Vincentian priest who’s been president of the University. The signs of the times are that there are fewer priests available in the world today, and then the second piece of that is not all of those priests necessarily want to be a president. So the pool of candidates to be university president at St. John’s are slimmer. The pool is smaller. So, we knew that we might only be able to have a layperson come on board, and we were quite happy with that as long as that person knows who we are; that we are a certain type of university, a Catholic and Vincentian university, and Dr. Gempesaw really applied here because he knew who we were and he thought he could fulfill our expectations of him. He looks forward to coming here. He himself is Catholic in background and I think we all have to pitch in and teach him more and more about the Vincentian nature of the University, but he’s very open to that. He already knows about it, but now he’s got to live it and he’s very willing to do it. The University and the Board of Trustees feels very good about bringing him on. If we had had a priest that we had available and ready to come and take over, and had great qualities like Dr. Gempesaw, we would’ve chosen that person.

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At St. John’s, a culture of sustainability emerges Earth Club and Students for Global Justice celebrate Earth Day and focus on recycling efforts Bill pHam Staff Writer

Since joining other New York City area partners in former mayor Michael Bloomberg’s challenge to reduce university carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030, St. John’s has pledged to reach that goal by 2017.

St. John’s has achieved a 21 percent carbon reduction from the base year, 2007, and is on target for a 30 percent reduction by 2017.

This is a very promising outcome, and behind the numbers is a concerted effort from students, faculty, staff and departments throughout the University.

“The general direction is to create a community of students to be a part of environment-related discussions, events and services… We’re also shifting our focus to recycling,” Paula Weiss Within the St. John’s community, a grass-root culture of sustainability has emerged on campus. On April 22 of this year, the Earth Club and Students for Global Justice organized an event to celebrate Earth Day, with the theme “Conscious Consumerism.” Their goal was to raise awareness of ways we as consumers impact the planet and how we need to take responsibility for that impact.

By bringing organizations from in-

side and outside of St. John’s to Earth Fest, the event strived to give participants a bigger picture of our interconnectedness with the environment.

“We did raise awareness about topics like hydro-fracking, composting, recycling, fair-trade, vegan and local topics affecting our bodies, communities and environment that are rarely discussed on campus,” said Paula Weiss, president of Earth Club.

Some presenters at Earth Fest included SJU Wellness Department, Sustainability Department, PEARLSxDEMONS Pop-up thrift store, the Queens Botanical Garden’s NYC Compost Project, NYC improv poet Allan Andre, NYC Youth Poet Laureate Ramya Ramana, rap-artist Jay Supreme, GLOBE, a local farmer’s market and many others.

The success of Earth Fest, however, was the result of months of planning. It was also a beginning for a bigger student movement to tackle some existing challenges.

“The general direction is to create a community of students to be a part of environment-related discussions, events and services… We’re also shifting our focus to recycling,” said Weiss. “[Earth Club]’s recycling committee started a research project to gain knowledge and understanding of St. John’s Single Stream system. We noticed that the term ‘single stream’ doesn’t fully explain the way items should be disposed of, and creates more confusion. As a club, we hope to address St. John’s poor recycling habits and inefficient infrastructure through design proposals, educational campaigns, and

policy changes.”

Regarding the theme of Earth Fest this year, Weiss said, “We’re all incredibly interconnected with the environment and the global society through our consumption and the first step to making a positive impact is to understand where you could be making a negative one.”

Conscious consumerism is about being informed and making decisions

about your consumption and disposal with a sense of responsibility… Our school has so much potential to create events that reflect the culture we would like to see in this world. It is up to us as students, leaders or aspiring leaders, to create those events, spark those conversations, connect to something greater than ourselves and refuse to waste these four precious years on apathy.”

photo/Courtesy of Syeda Ali, Earth Club

Earth Fest featured a local farmer’s market as well as artists and a thirft store.

Spring Fling Carnival helps students relax before finals and enjoy Spring Week Talia Tirella News Editor This year’s Spring Week included a student favorite: the Spring Fling Carnival, which was held on Friday. Students gathered on the Great Lawn to enjoy the free rides, activities and food.

The Carnival included traditional rides, such as a Ferris wheel, slides, bumper cars, a swing carousel and bungee jumping, among several others. Students also enjoyed Instagram and Vine photobooths, as well as tents with free merchandise and free, traditional carnival food.

Sophomore Chris Louis said that his favorite parts of the carnival were the bumper cars and taking photos in the Instagram booth.

“The carnival is good, it’s fun, and it’s good to see everyone gathered out here enjoying the beautiful day,” Louis said.

Many students agree that the carnival is a good way to bring the St. John’s community together.

Freshman Moira Shannon said, “I like seeing more people out, and seeing the whole community coming out. It’s a cool tradition.”

Spring Week gives students a chance to relax at the end of the spring semester before finals.

“Being able to relax and have some fun with my friends [at the carnival] before finals will help me do well. The carnival is

really fun,” freshman Allison Corralejo said.

When asked what possible improvements they would like to see, Shannon and freshman Victoria Bowlsbey both agreed that the carnival should be held for a longer period of time.

“A good time frame would be from 12 until 6, because of people’s schedules. It should go into the night time so more people can come out,” Bowlsbey said.

This year’s carnival was a success, and a large portion of the St. John’s community came out to celebrate Spring Week before the start of finals.

Torch photos/cheyanne gonzales

The Spring Fling Carnival was popular with all students, who came out in large numbers to celebrate Spring Week.

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Opinion Staff Editorial XCII

Samantha albanese

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: What are your favorite things to do during the spring in NYC?

Illustrator’s Corner

Editor-in-Chief

OLIVIA CUNNINGHAM Managing Editor TALIA TIRELLA News Editor BRIAWNNA JONES Entertainment KYLE FITZGERALD Features Editor STEPHEN ZITOLO Sports Editor

TORCH PHOTO/ SABBA MANYARA

Dr. John Fitzgerald, Assistant Professor

ALEXA VAGELATOS Opinion Editor

“Red Hook Brooklyn – I heard Steve’s key lime pie is the best. Brooklyn also has good biking and good restaurants.”

Letter From The Editor

TORCH PHOTO/SABBA MANYARA

Tatiana Castellanos, Freshman “Walk around the city and study outside.”

TORCH PHOTO/ SABBA MANYARA

Dr. Pengfei Song, Assistant Professor “Brooklyn botanical garden – it’s free on Tuesdays by the way.”

Dear Readers, The summer is so close we can practically taste it. Finals are around the corner, but most of us have visions of beach days and warm nights ahead. This is the last issue at the Torch until September, and I wanted to make one last shout out to whoever is reading this lovely letter. Basically, if you’re reading this… congrats, because you’ve completed the first thing that this new section is supposed to accomplish, which is grabbing your attention. So, why stop here?

The second thing that this section is supposed to do is make you want to be a part of it. For those of you who aren’t aware, this fabulous Opinion section is a brand new addition to the Torch of which I have proudly taken the position of developing. I have visions of it becoming one of the more popular and attractive sections of the Torch. It will allow the students – that’s you, the people who keep this campus thriving--to speak your minds.

The point of this letter is to let you all know that just because the summer puts an end to the dreadful papers and exams does not mean your thoughts should be all of a sudden suppressed. I am openly extending an invitation to write for my section if you feel like there is something you would like to share throughout the summer. Like I have said before, I want this section to be the beginning of something great, but I can’t get the ball rolling without you. I know you all have opinions. Chances are, you aren’t the only one thinking and feeling the things that you do.

I hope that over time, whether or not it is during mine at the Torch, this section grows to be one of the primary outlets for students. I promise to make it the best and most effective that it can be. I hope that you join me in this mission to become the voice of St. John’s University. Have a great summer and don’t forget you have me to come to!

Thank you.

Sincerely,

FLAMES OF THE TORCH Father Joseph Levesque, C.M., will be stepping down as president of St. John’s at the end of this academic year.

In an interview with the Torch (page 3), Fr. Levesque reflected on his year as president and shared his hopes for St. John’s going forward.

The Torch wishes Fr. Levesque well as he moves into the next stage of his life.

During his tenure at St. John’s, Fr. Levesque successfully introduced an open-door policy, beginning during Welcome Week this past fall, when he met students, parents and administrators as he rode through campus on a golf cart.

While the university faced a difficult time, Fr. Levesque provided a stable and comforting transition.

Alexa Vagelatos Opinion Editor

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of the TORCH. Columns are the opinions of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of The TORCH. Opinions exMail letters to: The TORCH, St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY 11439 Submit letters via email to: torcheic@gmail.com

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

TO CONTRIBUTE

All are welcome to contribute to the Torch. Please include your full name, year, and college (or department). Letters have a limit of 500 words and may be edited for content, grammar, or space.

Unverifiable or anonymous letters will not be published. All letters are subject to the approval of the Editorial Board of the TORCH.

We’ve enjoyed his welcoming presence on campus and as Father Levesque has described our incoming president, we look forward to a similar personality from Dr. Gempesaw.

It’s reassuring to the St. John’s community to know that Fr. Levesque was very involved in the search committee for our new President and that Gemepesaw has his full support.

TORCH PHOTO/ SABBA MANYARA

Stephanie Mawad, Junior “Any park; I just want to be outside but my friends don’t want to come with me!”

TORCH PHOTO/ SABBA MANYARA

Vivian Borroni, Senior “Outdoor campus events and rooftop brunch parties.”

TORCH PHOTO/ SABBA MANYARA

Chris Zimmerman, Sophomore “Go to the city more often, hang outside.”

The strategic plan for the university is an important component of life at St. John’s. With Gemepesaw’s impressive experience at Miami University in Ohio, we look forward to seeing him put his own mark on the plan for the future of the university.

Fr. Levesque represents an end of an era. Gemepesaw’s diverse background and the fact that he is not a priest is indicative of the new direction the university is embarking on.

As this chapter draws to a close, we hope St. John’s continues to explore new paths and we wish Fr. Levesque all the best and look forward to meeting our new president.

Summer Session at Queens College EARN UP TO 15 CREDITS IN 9 WEEKS • FOUR SESSIONS FROM JUNE 2–AUGUST 7

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Lifestyle

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SJU alum walk for autism awareness

KIERAN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus

Last spring, a group of then-fresh St. John’s graduates completed a 128mile walk from the Brooklyn Bridge to Montauk, Long Island to raise money for Developmental Disabilities Institute, a Smithtown, Long Island-based organization that specializes in providing services for people with autism.

One year later, it’s time to hit the road again. John Kenny and Nathan Holmes along with Morgan Zajkowski, Michael Sardone, Ellen McBurney, Peter Barker, Marita Rausch and John’s brother, Liam Kenny, will embark on their second trek in late May that will total 125 miles and thousands of dollars raised.

“I think there are a couple main things that made us want to do this again,” Holmes said. “Selfishly, I think I can speak for the whole group and say we had a great time. We met some incredible people along the way and it was an awesome adventure to cap off our time at St. John’s.”

DDI, which operates schools and services throughout Nassau and Suffolk County for both children and adults with autism, was a logical choice for the group to partner with because of their resources and mission.

“We wanted to do it with an organization that had the resources to deal with a project like this because we didn’t want to take away from the core missions of an organization,” Kenny said. “They

were so receptive to the idea, it caught us off guard. They wanted to meet right away. It was awesome.”

to meet the people who will benefit from the money raised that is slated to help renovate playgrounds and classrooms.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KIERAN LYNCH

St. John’s University alums and graduating students walk for autism.

The group will depart from the Brooklyn Bridge on May 25 and plans to complete the journey seven days later at the tip of Montauk. A map of the route can be viewed at DDI’s website, ddiny. org.

Kenny and Holmes said the group plans to make four stops at DDI-operated schools along the route where they’ll get

Those stops are also what help keep them going, they said.

“We had assemblies with the kids and got to meet [them] and they made signs and posters,” Kenny said. “The reception we got from the staff, teachers and aids was just overwhelming.

“The kids were so excited that we were doing this and just being around

them and then the teachers rallying behind us too, it kind of gets you through those long afternoons and long evenings of walking because you know you’re walking for more than just yourself,” he added.

The St. John’s alums said they’ll average 17.9 miles-per-day, which requires physical endurance and training walks. A couple weeks ago, they walked around 22 or 23 miles from home in Jamaica, Queens into Brooklyn, then back into Queens and over into Manhattan, Kenny said.

“It was like our big training walk because it’s not just a physical thing, it’s definitely mental too,” Kenny said. “I left my house at 8:30 [a.m.] and got back at 7 [p.m.] so you know you’re going to be putting in the time.”

Anybody who wants to walk can join, Kenny said. He suggested the best time to come along would be from the Brooklyn Bridge to St. John’s – a distance of about 11 miles or at the end from downtown Montauk to the lighthouse, which covers around five or six miles.

An event will be held at The Point Bar & Grill in Montauk from 3-6 p.m. on May 31 – the day the group arrives in Montauk.

The group raised $22,000 from last year’s walk and is currently taking donations of all sizes (from $5 to $5,000 so far, according to Kenny). Donations can be made by visiting ddiny.org.

“What DDI is all about, their cause and what the money is going toward, you can’t get a better cause,” Kenny said.

Torch Reviews: Hedwig on broadway NIKKI DJOKOVICH Staff Writer

Roaringly hilarious, passionately tragic and masterfully performed, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is immeasurably perfect. After nearly 14 years off of the New York stage, “Hedwig” returns with the legendary Neil Patrick Harris as its title character. Director Michael Mayer’s (“Spring Awakening” and “American Idiot”) revival of the 1998 musical, written by John Cameron Mitchell, is destined for a 2014 Tony Nomination.

Harris generates a superb performance, establishing an enticing presence on stage as Hedwig, the “internationally ignored song stylist.”

There’s no better man for the role: he masterfully embodies Hedwig, never breaking character and controlls the script with such perfection that each night at the Belasco Theatre seems improvised and personalized.

“Hedwig” narrates a role-defying tale that tears down the walls of societal norms. An emotionally lost boy living in East Berlin must give up part of himself in his search for freedom, love and happiness.

After a botched gender reassignment surgery, Hedwig moves to America to become a rock star. Now, on stage in front of his New York audience, she gives the

performance of her lifetime while re- audiences to root for her. While HedIts compellingly unconventional plot counting her past conflicts. The rawness wig gives audiences details of her past, has audiences hysterically laughing and behind Harris’ voice, and even his move- Yitzhak’s sorrow is felt in his actions and crying for the irresistible cast. ments, calls audiences’ attention to the voice.

Under Hedwig’s glitter, wigs and pain and torture Hedwig endures.

Powerful would be an understate- makeup lies a human with whom everyAudiences are enthralled from the ment of Hall’s vocal capabilities. The one can relate as she battles to find her beginning as Hedwig descends onto the control she has over her voice demands place in this world. stage wearing a gold-sequined KISS-es- even more attention from the audience; sure to experience the magnificent que outfit as the “Star Spangled Banner” she shines brighter than Hedwig’s glit- and emotional journey at the Belasco plays. tering attire.

Theatre.

The contagiously catchy setlist, written by Stephen Task, mixes rock, R&B and pop, creating an iPod-worthy soundtrack. The songs touch on Hedwig’s introspective battles and philosophical ideals.

A personal favorite, “The Origin of Love,” explains Hedwig’s perspective of love based on Greek mythological theories.

She dares audiences to tear her down, only to further her vulnerability: “I’m the new Berlin Wall baby, Try and tear me down!”

Through the intermission-free one hour and 40 minutes, viewers understand and relate to Hedwig; she’s lost, she’s hurt, she’s lonely, which ultimately leads them to understand that she’s perfect.

Alongside Harris, the astounding Lena Hall guarantees her place as Broadway’s next brilliant star, and that’s by no PHOTO/HEDWIGONBROADWAY means an assumption.

Her incredible embodiment of Neil Patrick Harris portrayal of Hedwig makes the play a possible TONY nominee.

Yitzhak, Hedwig’s husband, compels

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UMMER.

STUDY ONLINE, ON CAMPUS, OR ABROAD

EARN CREDIT TOWARD YOUR MAJOR OR EXPLORE A NEW INTEREST THIS SUMMER AT ST. JOHN’S. Flexible schedules and small classes Wide range of courses, from Criminology and Writing for TV, to Business on Wall Street and Sports Psychology Study Abroad destinations, such as Argentina, Bermuda, Russia, and Vietnam A choice of locations that includes Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Oakdale, Rome, Paris, and Seville

PRE-SESSION: MAY 19–30 SESSION 1: JUNE 2–JULY 7 SESSION 2: JULY 9–AUGUST 12 POST-SESSION: AUGUST 18–27 M1-9090-RM

Visit stjohns.edu/summersession for more information.

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Spr ng Week 6 A week full of fashion, singing, and movies

On April 24 at 7 p.m., students gathered in Carnesecca Arena to continue Spring Week festivities with Beau Monde, a fun night of fashion. Weeks beforehand, neon posters plastered all around St. John’s University promoting the event caused a high level of anticipation to grow among students.

This event was the first of its kind for the school’s Fashion Club, which decided to switch things up a bit from their usual, annual runway show. This year, the club decided to have a live fashion show, where students would be able to view the looks for an extended period of time as well as mingle with fashion professionals like “Project Runway”’s, Helen Castillo “It’s an interactive event; we wanted people to experience something new and bring art and fashion together at the same time because we are all artistic beings. Especially with the new fashion major we have worked on with Dr. Likari,” said Brittany Spell, Fashion Club treasurer.

The event had a sexy and sophisticated ambience. The room was draped in white linens with a sensual, dim purple light flickering throughout the night.

Every aspect of the event was well thought out. The staffers were all dressed in coordinating black ensembles adding extra sass. Although there was limited seating, the food and drink helped. There were non-alcoholic cocktails topped with cucumbers and strawberries in trumpet glasses and servers carrying trays of crème puffs, shrimp lettuces wraps and fruit kebabs. For a moment in time, it seemed like we were at the Mercedes-Benz fashion week instead of hanging out on the Red Storm basketball court.

Although the event started off a little rocky with host St. John’s alum Kevin Thompson bringing someone to the stage for her poor choice of shoes, special celebrity guest Angela Simmons saved the night, as she put Thompson in his place. The two announced the first designer, Yaw Boateng, showcasing his collection Avi Gichee, a mix of women’s and men’s clothing, featuring bold gowns in dark shades. Treated with his amazing sense of style, onlookers got to see pops of red in-between the predominately black and white color scheme.

Continuing on with the live show was Meagan Mullings, a St. John’s University student that let her stellar style shine through her designs. Her collection

BRIAWNNA JONES Entertainment Editor

MeaganAndrea was the highlight of the show with its serve sexiness and touches of color. Through sequins and mesh fabric, Mullings won over the crowd with her women’s line.

“It comes from everywhere and nowhere, sometimes I can’t come up with anything and I just lay there in the bed and I just start drawing and when that happens, it’s like five at once,” said Mullings. “I love sequins and mesh, so anything to put the two together.”

Next up was, Kingston Twenty One, by Travis Sylvester, a fun and mature men’s line that resembled modern Polo by Ralph Lauren. The collection wasn’t complete without the designer’s specialty: bowties. Helen Castillo’s vibrant and very blue collection closed the show. With simplicity and ultra feminine cuts, her line was one of the must-sees of the night. Telling her story as an intern at Vivienne Westwood and time spent at “Project Runway,” Castillo inspired and encouraged young designers.

Before it was over, students made sure to take their picture with budding fashion designer Simmons, who revealed that she was happy to be at St. John’s because her sister, Vanessa Simmons, and stylist Kanayo Ebi were proud alums.

“I’m really inspired and happy to see these young dsigners out here doing their thing. To me, that’s the main thing—just seeing and viewing the designers. Just continue to do what you do and make sure you are underneath people that you look up to because mentors are really important,” said Simmons.

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Battle of the Voices stuns audience with performances

Beau Monde: SJU’s very own Fashion’s Night Out

Host Kevin Thompson and celebrity guest Angela Simmons pose with designer Travis Sylvester.

Melanie Fiona

Lisa Anakwenze Contest Winner

Guest Singer PHOTO/XAVIER DUAH

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In place of the annual Spring Concert was “Battle of the Voices,” presented by the Resident Student Association. The event featured two celebrity guest judges, two-time Grammy winner Melanie Fiona and former Mrs. Carter Show opening act Luke James. In preparation for the American Idol-esque event, St. John’s students battled it out in a five-week competition, where only four would get to advance to the “Battle of the Voices” finale to compete for the chance to win cash prizes. The final four contestants were Ashley Germain, Lisa Anakwenze, Mariah Cameron and Ava McCoy. Although very different, these talented ladies all share the same passion: a deep love for music. Throughout the show, audience members got to hear the extremely diverse styles of the four contestants ranging from a cover of John Legend’s “Ordinary People” to rock performance of “Killing in the Name of”

by Race Against the Machines.

Prizes were awarded to those based off of key categories: stage presence, vocals and audience involvement. The four female performers opened with a unity song singing “Fly” by hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj, harmonizing with R&B veteran R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” The female competitors then sang their first songs and received critique from the judges. Mariah Cameron opened her performance by singing Jordin Spark’s classic “No Air,” while a few judges responded negatively calling Cameron’s vocals pitchy, she received positive feedback from Melanie Fiona saying “‘No Air’ is one of [her] favorite duets.”

Some of the contestants faced some confliction with the criticism that was given to them by the judges. Sophomore Ava McCoy, a dramatic arts film and television major, opened the finale battle angelically singing Elle Varner’s “Not Tonight,”

ISA JOHNSON Contributing Writer

PHOTO/XAVIER DUAH

which drew much love and attention from the judges and crowd. However, in her second song, a fun renditon of Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love” mixed in with a few other popular tunes, and two back-up dancers, was not well-received by the judges.

This performance was the polar opposite of her first. The judges voiced that they felt like that wasn’t McCoy’s style and that she should stick to what she was familiar with. “I respect the notes they gave, but I also felt like they didn’t know me, so I don’t really feel as though they should tell me to stick to one thing,” said McCoy. As the night continued, fans were treated to stellar performances from Cameron, who redeemed herself with a powerful vocal performance of “Ava Maria,” and Germain, who gave her all in a soulful cover of “If I Aint Got You,” that blew away the judges. By the end of the night, fans were in four different corners as the ladies each brought different styles and flavors to the stage.

When it was all said and done, it was time to announce the winners of the $1000 and $500 cash prizes. Lisa Anakwenze was announced winner of “Battle of the Voices” taking $1000 worth in check and studio time with Ava McCoy and Ashley Germain coming in second and third place, respectively.

“Being the winner is a crazy and surreal feeling because everyone is so talented and the talents vary, but I am honored and I praise God for this,” says Anakwenze after she was crowned the winner of the 2014 “Battle of the Voices.” It was not a shocker to viewers as everyone gravitated to Anakwenze because she captivated the audience and judges with her theatrical, but also vocally talented, performances of “Crazy” by Cee Lo Green and Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care about Us.” The night ended with special performances from celebrity guests Melanie Fiona, who gave the audience a dose of her sultry vocals, and Luke James, who left the ladies weak in the knees with his version of “Sexual Healing.”

Hollywood’s biggest night comes to campus Spring Week came to an end Saturday night as students headed to Marillac Auditorium for student filmmakers’ biggest night, the Campus Movie Fest. The event featured 16 five-minute, or less, short films produced by student filmmakers and their teams.

Fairly new to the university, the moviefest began over 13 years ago at Emory University, and has since grown to become the largest college movie festival, funding over 750,000 students with necessary technology. Filmmakers on campus were given the opportunity to use materials provided by the university to create a movie in seven days that could possibly lead to the chance to screen their films at Cannes Film festival or in Hollywood. This year’s participants were offered the chance to have their movies screen this summer in Hollywood.

As the moviegoers entered the auditorium, they were treated to popcorn-filled megaphones, CMF souvenirs and cool door prizes. The lights dimmed and it was time for action as the first film, conveniently titled “Cult,” began to play. The dark yet humorous film was set on the Staten Island campus and introduced viewers to a university cult obsessed with Pythagoras.

The next few films were hit-or-miss as the audience either chuckled at how lackluster or shook their head in disbelief of the storyline. A crowd favorite “Muse” had the entire auditorium smiling as it displayed a real life situation of seeing a girl over and over again on the subway. Ending in the D’Angelo Center Coffee House, the mystery girl shows up just in time to retrieve her notebook!

Kennedy Love-Green, director and cinematographer of “Promise” took home the award for Best Drama. Her short film left viewers puzzled as the lead actress went back and forth between normal and schizophrenic moments about a day spent with her boyfriend.

“I really did not want the audience to know what was happening in the end. I wanted them to be totally dumb-founded. It was my one of my goals to astound the audience to make some emotion come out of them,” said Love-Green.

Other big winners of the night were Kurt Cruz for Best Actor in “Only One”

by Back to Back Productions, Lana Novikona in “Infidelity” by Paul Halil’s Team,

BRIAWNNA JONES Entertainment Editor

“Office Rivalry” for Best Director and “Soul Cry” for Best Editing.

“This is my dream and my passion and I feel like anybody who really this serious this is only the first step. If you really love what film it’s important to enter as many festivals as possible,” said “Soul Cry” director and graduate student, Careina Yard.

PHOTO/CAMPUS MOVIE FEST

Infidelity director, Paul Halil accepted an award for Best Picture.

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‘Indie’ artist Egyptian Feminist To Run For President release new nostalgic EP

Johnnie turned instant ‘Glamour’ girl VALERIE JUAREZ Staff Writer Between her bubbly personality and determination, it is no wonder that Glamour Magazine named Donya Nasser one of the “Top 10 College Women” because she would be seldom without it.

Not thinking she would win, Nasser, a junior studying government and politics at St. John’s earned her spot as Glamour Magazine’s “Top 10 College Women” when she applied to the national contest in September of 2013.

“I heard about the contest through a friend who had actually been a top 10 two years prior to when I applied. I actually sent in the application like an hour before it was due because I didn’t think it was worth applying, only because it being a national contest, I didn’t think I really had a shot at it,” Nasser said.

Nasser was one of the two winners of the Glamour Magazine contest who did not come from an Ivy League university. According to Nasser, they had about 1,100 applications and they only choose 10 girls. One of the things that stood out in her application was that she founded the program, Watch. Her. Lead. in January of 2013.

Watch. Her Lead. is a lot about raising awareness on the issue that there is a lack of women of color in office. Coming from an Iranian background, Nasser travels across the country to spread awareness about these issues. Nasser is currently in the process of making this into a non-profit organization.

“A lot of organizations out there are all about dedicating women to run for office, which I think is wonderful, but I think it is important to notice the race gap in office along with the gender gap.

I’ve never had anyone that I felt that I could look up to in Congress and be like ‘oh, she comes from my background so I know that I can run for office because I have such a role model,’” Nasser explained.

Being originally from Orlando, Fla., Nasser spends long periods of time away from her family, which is her ultimate support system.

However, Nasser receives a lot of support and guidance from her best friend and roommate, Collen

Fonesca, who also attends St. John’s. “She is like my sister. She has helped me with everything. She looks over all of my applications. I am the first student at St. John’s to be a Truman Scholar and I can’t imagine how many times she looked over my application and proofread it.

Since being recognized by Glamour Magazine, Nasser has gained so much exposure unexpected in common hours. On Wednesday, April 30, 2014, Nasser will be one of the guests on the Katie Couric show speaking about her recognition by Glamour Magazine as a “Top 10 College Woman.”

“Anybody who picks up a magazine and looks through it will see my face in it. The biggest thing really is the exposure. I want to run for office and that is all good but if you really don’t have people supporting me all over than you really don’t have anything.

People can look back 10 years ago online and look up that I was a top 10. I feel like people look at me in a different way. Like I am legit. This really helps to validate me.”

Nasser tries to never miss any opportunity that comes her way. This highly motivated individual, is also a youth rep for the United Nations and has interned for Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

She is a go-getter who works incredibly hard in achieving her dreams and long-term goals. People sometimes fail to realize the sacrifice that goes into hard work like this.

Nasser has had to sacrifice her social life along with a relationship with someone. However, Nasser is okay with that as long as she knows she’s doing well in the end and contributing to the greater good.

“Frankly, I spend my Saturday nights studying because I need to catch up on all the homework,” Nasser said. “My mom tells me all the time that you’ll have the rest of your life to change the world but you really need to focus on school because you will have a GPA that will last forever. All of this takes a toll.”

With all her great success, Nasser’s biggest advice to St. John’s students is to look beyond the campus. One of the best ways to contribute to your college campus is to venture out and make a name for you.

SARAH HERMINA Contributing Writer

Nasser has won a lot of exposure for St. John’s by venturing out and making a name for herself across the country. Now people who have never heard of St. John’s know St. John’s because a student was featured in Glamour Magazine.

“It can be so easy to be wrapped up in your college campus. I definitely recommend people to contribute to their campus which I’ve done my share of, but if I hadn’t applied to this Glamour thing or haven’t worked so hard for Truman, now we have our first Truman scholar and that contributes to the prestige of your school and if you really care about your school, that is what you would want to do,” Nasser said.

JON MARANAG Contributing Writer Indie Cindy Pixies

Torch Briefs

Don’t miss singer-songwriter James Tristan Redding perform at Arlene’s Grocery on Sunday, May 18. Redding, who’s known for his timeless and whimsical songs, has toured North America for over a decade with Union Pulse, his independent alt-country group.With the band he has released five studio albums full of variety. The show begins with Redding at 7pm, following him will be The Jupiter Deluxe. Must be 21 or older to attend; tickets cost $8. Purchase tickets on www. arlenesgrocery.net Arlene’s Grocery: 95 Stanton St, New York City, NY 10002.

Compiled by: Nikki Djokovich

Celebrities showcase lastest spring trends on Instagram LAURICE RAWLS Online Editor

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Now that spring has finally arrived, all of our favorite celebrities are starting to share their fave spring trends online. From Kim Kardashian’s sexy all-black one-piece to Lala’s hot pink bodycon dress. Celebrities are showcasing their inner fashionista and giving all of us college students a run for our money—seriously.

Khloe Kardashian, the youngest sister of the trio, was photographed wearing a soft pinky-peach jumpsuit by Elisabetta Franchi at the launch of their Miami Dash store.

She combined the jumpsuit with pink nude lips and her soft luscious ombre blonde curls.

The entire outfit was paired with a small bracelet, red nails and matching nude heels. Khloe is leading by example in rocking the pastel trend.

Looking effortlessly chic “The Real” cohost Adrienne Bailon sported a creamy, light peach-colored coat with a white, button-down shirt, boyfriend jeans and nude heels.

Bailon complimented the coat by matching her shoes and clutch in nude tones. Spicing things up a bit, she decided to add in a pop of color by wrapping a red, orange and yellow

scarf around her neck. Proving that accessories do matter, Bailon turned this simple outfit into perfect daytime attire.

For the ladies who love to be comfortable and look cute at the same time, try wearing your favorite boyfriend jeans and a white or denim button-down. Also, try wearing nude accessories and a red lip; they are guaranteed to bring your outfit together and turn heads.

With on-and-off-again boyfriend, Chris Brown, behind bars, fans expected her to fall off the radar. But Karrueche Tran has done the exact opposite. She’s a budding model who’s continuously setting trends for women world-wide and giving a thumbs-up that the thin and petite crowd can look totally adorable as well.

Karrueche Tran wore a white crop-top with a leather jacket and boyfriend jeans.

A easy and simple look that can make a smooth transition from day to night.

In their first LP since 1991’s “Trompe Le Monde”, Pixies have returned with “Indie Cindy.” After a tumultuous year of losing founding member/bass player Kim Deal, replacing her with Kim Shattuck of The Muffs and then Paz Lenchantin of A Perfect Circle.

Kim Deal and twin sister Kelley have recently gone on tour with their band The Breeders, performing their hit album “Last Splash” in its entirety. Deal was not present for the recording sessions of “Indie Cindy” and her absence has clearly taken an effect on the dynamics of the group.

Pixies make some disappointing aesthetic choices, the band seems resigned in nostalgia, utilizing distortion effects and chords that seem heavy handed in execution. “Indie Cindy” is a compilation of the several EPs the band has released since 2013.

The EPs were met with mixed reception, and the record overall is equal to the sum of it’s parts.

Initially, my expectations were lowered hearing of Deal’s absence when the band released the single “Bagboy” which was an indicator of some of the more questionable decisions made on the record. From the Lulu-era Lou Reed-esque spoken word on “Bagboy” and the title track “Indie Cindy,” Pixies don’t seem to be in a place of creative innovation.

Where “Trompe Le Monde” saw Pixies trying to focus on distancing their sound from “Bossanova” while minimizing Deal’s presence, “Indie Cindy” sounds like a brand new group attempting to replicate former innovations without creating anything original.

The sound is overtly derivative, without any musical direction; the lyrics lack any intricate mysticism their career was built upon or technical excellence that made their records iconic.

Where The Breeders have gone on to refine their angsty, avant-garde sound, “Indie Cindy” shows Pixies at a dangerous level of misguided fumbling that befell many bands before them.

For more Lifestyle updates, follow @TorchLifestyle on Twitter.

Since the region of Cleopatra in the year 51 B.C., no woman has attempted to become the ruler of Egypt. Bothaina Kamel, a former controversial talk-show host on Egyptian radio and television, could not gather enough signatures for her first run in 2011. This time, she has the signatures and will try again.

When I met Ms. Kamel at the Egyptian Revolution Conference in Washington, D.C. in October of 2011, I asked her if she had any hope of becoming Egypt’s next president. Her answer was a forceful “no.” Known for her controversial positions calling for equality for all religious minorities, and the establishment of a minimum and a maximum wage, Ms. Kamel said that she did not expect women to turn out in large numbers because of the security situation, which is not much better today.

Ms. Kamel was running, primarily, to change the culture, which she believes is oppressive to women.

She and other women have been subjected to sexual harassment and

assaults for simply participating in street protests over the years. She is also running to keep the revolution alive.

“People in Egypt are now beyond the shock of a woman running [for president],” she said, adding that she wanted to appeal to Egypt’s youth. The new generation, she said, is more accepting of gender and age differences, and that most of the support she had in Egypt “comes from young people.” She wants to reduce the age of candidates running for parliament from 30 to 22 so that the youth of the revolution can participate in elections.

Kamel had hosted a television program in Egypt during the Mubarak era and was fired when she began to delve into social issues such as sexual harassment, domestic violence and female circumcision.

Ms. Kamel has been critical of the Egyptian military and its role in allowing thousands of militant Islamists to return to Egypt after Mubarak’s fall. She has accused the military of failing to prevent attacks on women, and she has condemned the army’s assault on Coptic Christians in October of 2011. Coptics were attacked in Maspero, Cairo by army personnel

and armored vehicles, resulting in 24 deaths and injuries to over 200 individuals.

The final list of presidential candidates for the 2014 election will be announced on May 2. A poll conducted by the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research, Baseera, found that if the election was held at the end of March of this year, 39% would have voted for El Sisi, only 2% would have voted for other candidates and 59% would have been undecided.

PHOTO/ SARAH HERMINA

Bothina Kamel, Egyptian presidential candidate

Iggy claims spot as the ‘new classic’ ANN MARIE TURTON Staff Writer Iggy Azalea

The New Classic

New eras in hip hop are ushered in by fresh faces with something to prove. One of those fresh faces is Australian rapper Iggy Azalea.

Though Iggy gained fame thanks to Youtube, she still had a hard time securing a deal.

Her mentor T.I. signed her to his imprint of Interscope Records, Grand Hustle, but the deal fell through and Iggy was eventually signed to Island Def Jam which produced her debut album, “The New Classic”.

Iggy’s rise to the top is perfectly portrayed as the newcomer lets people into her world with her raw but honest lyrics on “Walk the Line”.

The 23-year-old doesn’t waste any time letting people know she’s here to

stay with the line “Know where I wanna be but I’m far from home/I’m just tryna make it my own”.

The Aussie artist continues with this theme of talking about her rise to fame including her risky move to the states on the track “Don’t Need Y’All”.

The song is carried by an uptempo pop-like beat but is reinforced by Iggy’s declaration of not needing fake friends in her life.

The emcee deviates from talk about haters and naysayers to bragging about all that she’s become on the track “100 featuring Watch the Duck”.

Azalea takes things to the next level by referencing her high class, cash only lifestyle.

Next up, Iggy and her mentor T.I. brag about how they can your life with their money on a track titled “Change Your Life”.

“Fancy” feat Charli XCX and “Work” were both released as singles prior to the album’s release date.

Fancy is raw and gritty with Azlea affirming her status on the electronic beat by repeating “Who Dat, Who Dat, I-GG-Y”.

On “Work” the Aussie paints a picture for her listener about just how real her struggle as 16-year old living in Miami on her own got.

Though the beat sounds perfect for

the club, Iggy keeps it serious by thanking her mom for believing in her dream and telling the world she’s constantly working on her craft.

On “New Chick” Iggy confirms her man’s ex is a thing of the past. From referring to the mystery girl as desperate to declaring how she now spends her man’s money, Iggy reaffirms she’s here to stay.

Swithching things up, Iggy mixes thing up with two Caribbean inspired songs, “Goddess” and “Lady Patra”, where she solicits dancehall veteran Movado to help her creatively tell her competition and suitors who she really is.

Lastly songs, “Black Widow” which was penned by Katy Perry and features Rita Ora, and the song “Fuck Love”, discuss love gone bad.

Rounding out the album are bonus songs, “Bounce”, “Just Askin” and “Rolex”, where she not so subtly refers to her failed relationship with ASAP Rocky with the line “I got you tatted, you took off before the ink dried on my hands/ I was down to give you the world, instead you gave me hell.” Ouch!!

“The New Classic, which was released on April 22nd, is ju”st that, a new classic by a new artist who is already making her mark in hip hop whether you like or not.

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From Red Storm to the White House

LIVIA PAULA Staff Writer

Trouble on set at 106 & Park

When August Alsina tells you not to ask him anything before he gets on camera, you better listen! The New Orlean R&B singer recently appeared on BET’s “106 & Park” to promote his new album “Testimony” out in stores this week. Everything was going well until co-host Keisha Chante asked Alsina if there would ever be a reunion between him and former friend Trey Songz.

Alsina, not a wanting to address his beef with the R&B singer, responded by saying, “I told y’all we weren’t going to talk about this sh*t backstage,” while quickly changing the subject by yelling into the audience for fans to get his new album.

PHOTO/BET Aside from this rocky interview, his album is doing pretty well in stores debuting at no. 2 on Billboard’s top 200 in its first week. While you won’t be seeing any features from Trey Songz, Alsina does collaborate with hip-hop’s favorites, Rick Ross, Fabulous and “All Gold Everything’s,” Trinidad James.

LHHATL drama!

Just when you thought the cast of “Love and Hip Hop”’s Atlanta couldn’t be any more scandalous, they have outdone themselves again. Cast member Mimi Faust and her boyfriend, Nico Smith, have come out with a sex tape and it’s doing a great job for the shower rod business. Faust, mother to 4-year-old daughter Giselle, and ex of ATL’s, one and only, Stevie J has received a lot of backlash for the video with people shocked and disgusted at the tape, one of them being the infamous “Puerto Rican Princess” Joseline Hernandez.

Lupita named most beautiful

It seems to be that 2014 is the year of Lupita Nyong’o, who was named People’s “Most Beautiful Woman,” this past week. The “12 Years a Slave” actress says she would have “never dreamed” about being on the cover as this was a major shock for her. Growing up, her perception of beauty only revolved around women she saw on television with light skin and long hair.

It wasn’t until Nyong’o’s mother helped her realize her own true beauty, that she realized that she, too, was beautiful.

Other stars on People’s list include actresses Jenna Dewan-Tatum, “The Mindy Project”’s very own Mindy Kaling, “Scandal”’s leading lady Kerry Washington and Gabrielle Union who says she is “focused more about inner beauty.”

Compiled by: Ashley Pure

“When St. John’s junior Najaah Daniels was working at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Easter Sunday, she met a 10-year-old boy who said he wanted to be a politician when he grows up. She was surprised; while politics and politicians are usually seen with ‘bad publicity’ around the world. The last time she had encountered someone that young who wanted to pursue a career in politics was years ago. This young, yet, bright and ambitious girl saw in the boy her 13-year-old self. “You’re going to be my running mate,” she said to the boy.

Daniels hopes to someday become a politician, and she has taken an important step in that direction. This spring, she began a prestigious internship working as a White House intern in Vice President Joseph Biden’s office. Daniels is working in the Violence Against Women Department under Lynn Rosenthal, the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women.

“From the beginning, I knew my life would be different because of the color of my skin,” Daniels said. “Because I was being a woman and because I am a minority.”

She is majoring in rhetoric and public address at St. John’s, with a double minor in philosophy and sociology. As a child, Daniels had an unusual upbringing. She was born in the South Bronx and she lived with her biological parents until she was about 6 years old. Later, her aunt and uncle in the town of Pomona, Rockland County, N.Y., adopted her.

Growing up, she was strongly influenced by those surrounding her, who include her ‘strong’ adoptive mother as well as her five younger sisters, who motivate her to be the best role model she can be.

Daniels likes to think of herself as a

“very self-sufficient” person who looks for opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to her.

Last year, through her own research and hard work, she was able to land an internship working for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She spent her summer as one of the two students picked across the country to work as a “FirstGen” (first generation) Fellow and a Public Policy Intern on Capitol Hill.

“I had an amazing experience,” Daniels said. “When I left (Washington) D.C in August and was back in school, I realized that I really wanted to try to work in the White House,” Daniels remarked.

Daniels wasted no time on trying to make her way back into Washington, this time, in the White House. Though the process was longer than it would be because of the government shutdown, she had a successful interview to work in the office of the vice president, more specifically in the Violence Against Woman Department with Lynn Rosenthal.

Within a week from hearing back from them, she was accepted to spend the spring working in the White House.

President Obama created the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault on Jan. 22 of 2014 just a couple of days before Daniels began her internship. This project is a combination of inter-governmental actions to prevent on-campus rape and sexual assault across the country.

This project has been her main priority during her time in the White House.

Working on an issue that she is so passionate about and working closely with these two individuals is a “blessing” to Daniels. According to her, the whole experience is “very unique, rewarding and challenging at the same time.”

“He (Biden) was elected senator of Delaware when he was 29 and my goal is to be elected a senator of New York when I am 29,” Daniels said.

Daniels sees Lynn Rosenthal as a “great boss and a great mentor.”

“She is dynamite,” she said.

Daniels talents have not gone unnoticed at St. John’s. The Associate Director of Events in the Office of Admission, Corinne Gentile, considers Daniels to be a “gem.”

“Najaah is one of my student ambassadors who assists with the events and gives campus tours throughout the year,” Gentile said. “She is an incredible, inspiring, proactive self-starter who is absolutely making her mark on campus and will continue to leave footprints wherever her path may take her.”

Gentile had selected Daniels to share her inspiring story with the accepted students and their families during the Opening Session for Accepted Student day.

She mentioned how proud she is of her accomplishments and that “she is exactly where she belongs.”

Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs Andrew Bennett said he wasn’t surprised when Daniels was selected to work in the White House. He met her through the RISE Network mentoring program of which he manages. According to him, she stood out on paper and he was immediately impressed.

“Najaah provided great mentorship, leadership and role-modeled positive behavior,” Bennett said. “Yet still balanced a healthy social life.”

Though Daniels achieved a lot through her own hard work, she believes that students should take advantage of the career center’s resources and help.

“You need to know how to brand yourself,” Daniels said. “I feel like the career center is a great source to get you from point A to point B.” Daniels might be away for the semester, but she is certainly not taking a semester off from school. She is taking the total of 18 credits, including her internship as well Spanish and online classes.

Daniels also pointed out that she be-

lieves that young people should get more involved, voice their opinions and become more aware of what is going on in our society.

“In our day and age, a lot of us are afraid to speak up because we are young,” Daniels said. “We have to have confidence in our abilities.”

She also wishes that more people her age would take more time to know what is going on around them. Daniels brought up the fact that only two of her friends on Twitter “tweeted” about a big decision that the Supreme Court upheld regarding the affirmative action, while many others were posting about something else, like the “new pair of sneakers that came out.”

Daniels is thankful for all her opportunities and is hopeful about her future.

She often uses Mother Theresa’s “Do it Anyway” poem in her speeches as well as a life motivator, especially in the part where Mother Theresa said, “Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.”

“In the next eight years, I would like to be elected official for New York and I am still looking into my options,” Daniels said. “Eventually I want to run for president.”

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Sports

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Golf wins first Big East since 89’

Red storm take fourth straight series

JULIA QUADRINO Staff Writer

St. John’s snagged their fourth consecutive conference series victory this past weekend as they won two games out of three against Creighton at Red Storm Field.

The Johnnies (24-22, 9-8 Big East) took the first two games in a double-header sweep on Saturday before dropping the series finale to the Blue Jays (26-21, 7-10 Big East) on Sunday.

“All season long we have talked about the importance of winning series,” head coach Amy Kvilhaug said. “Taking two out of three from Creighton was a big deal on a lot of levels.”

Decked out in pink uniforms for Strike Out Cancer day, St. John’s fought back from a 2-0 deficit halfway through game one. In the bottom of the fifth inning, junior Erin Burner broke the silence with a solo home run to put the Red Storm on the board. The Johnnies kept the momentum going into the sixth as sophomore Yvonne Rericha smacked a shot into right field to drive in senior Kelsey Moyer for the game-tying run.

Lexi Robles provided the base hit that would score the decisive third run as St. John’s went on to win 3-2.

The Red Storm carried their winning ways into game two, despite getting off to a slow start. After being held hitless the first three innings, the Red Storm put together a fourth inning rally capped off with a two-run double by freshman Mo-

nique Landini. The shot would give the Johnnies a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish, as they went on to shut out the Blue Jays and complete their Saturday sweep.

However, on St. John’s senior day, the Johnnies were held to just two hits as a team. Fitzgerald and senior Jackie Reed supplied the only offensive contributions for the Johnnies, both managing base hits in the loss as Reed finished her collegiate career in Queens by going 1-for-2 with a walk.

“It was bittersweet playing my last home series this weekend,” Reed said.

“It was sad to think about how it was the final time I would play at home… but I have also had a ton of memories on this field that I will remember forever.”

This was probably not one of those games to remember, as the Blue Jays put the game away in the seventh inning with a three-run homer from Liz Dike, giving Creighton a 4-0 victory.

Still, after the game they honored their four graduating seniors. The Johnnies have a respectable record that gives them an edge heading into the Big East tournament.

“This senior class has been instrumental in turning our season around from a year ago,” Kvilhaug said. “It is going to be great to see them compete next weekend in our final regular season series at Villanova to earn a spot in the Big East Tournament.”

After a quick pit stop for a one-game series with Hofstra, the Johnnies will head to Villanova on May 3.

Ryan McCormick PHOTO/ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

TORCH PHOTO/ CHEYANNE GONZALES

Yvonne Rericha attempting a drag bunt in ridays game one win

BRANDON MAUK Staff Writer

Zach Lauricella had a great weekend going 8-for-13 with eight RBI’s

It’s been a long time coming but the St. John’s men’s golf team came away with their tenth Big East Conference title on Tuesday, the programs first since 1989. The Red Storm’s impressive play at Callawassie Island gave head coach Frank Darby his first Big East title in his 20 years at the helm of Red Storm golf. St. John’s dominated all three days of competition beating second place Marquette by ten strokes with a team score of 882 (+18).

“It was a great battle out there with Marquette,” “It’s the best feeling I have had as a collegiate golfer. I am so happy for Coach Darby, he deserves a Big East Championship by now.”

Blankmeyer and Co. keep ball rolling at Kaiser

TORCH PHOTO/CHEYANNE GONZALES

Michael Trivigno Staff Writer

St. John’s continued both its roll and home success in conference play this weekend as they swept a three game set against Georgetown. The Johnnies (27-14, 7-2) improved to 19-1 at Jack Kaiser Stadium and moved into a tie with Xavier for second place in the Big East conference.

“We approach every game the same,” first baseman Matt Harris said. “Just go out there and try to score runs as much as we can and play defense and win.”

Harris had seven RBI in the series as he went 8-for-15 at the plate. He’s now hitting .342 with a .924 OPS. St. John’s outscored Georgetown (15-25, 1-11) by 19 runs in the three games, scoring a total of 34 runs on 44 hits. The Hoyas briefly held a lead twice in the series, but each one only lasted until the bottom of the same inning thanks to a relentless Red Storm offense.

“I think our guys have a pretty good feeling about themselves,” coach Ed Blankmeyer said. “We work the pitchers pretty good.

Our kids see a lot of pitches. When you see a lot of pitches, with two outs and two strikes, you have a tendency to be successful. So, these guys are doing a pretty good job on that.”

Friday’s affair looked like an easy win, as RHP James Lomangino took a no-hitter to the seventh inning, but the Hoyas rallied for five in the inning for the lead. However,

St. John’s immediately responded, as right fielder Zach Lauricella led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to tie the game.

They took the lead that inning on a sacrifice fly from Bret Dennis. The bullpen held on for a 7-6 victory.

“They took the lead there, and we wanted to answer right away,” Lauricella said. “He throws a lot of first pitch fastballs, so I was looking for a first pitch fastball and I got it and I didn’t miss. That was key for us, and then we got another key run there in that inning. Big answer for us.”

Lauricella swung a hot bat the entire series as he went 8-for-13 with eight runs batted in. He has raised his average to .262 after a slow start to the season.

The second and third games of the series were a breeze, as St. John’s scored early and often. The game was out of reach by the second inning in both games, allowing both Ryan McCormick and Chris Kalica to collect their sixth wins of the season.

“Coach preaches when we get two outs, just keep the chain moving,” center fielder Alex Caruso said. “Whoever gets on, just get that last out. Just keep it rolling.”

Overall, the offense carried the Red Storm to the sweep over the Hoyas, as the defense was shaky, committing nine errors the entire series.

“I thought offensively we swung the bats pretty good,” Blankmeyer said. “Our starting pitching was not great, but solid. I thought defensively, we didn’t play well, and if we play like this in certain frames of the game, it certainly can cost you.”

head coach Frank Darby said. “I am proud of my guys. Sometimes it’s difficult being the front runner and playing with the lead. We love this course and Callawassie has been a great host.”

The Red Storm was led by senior Ryan McCormick who entered Tuesday with the lead after posting back-to-back 71’s to put him at 2-under for the tournament. On Tuesday, McCormick was on cruise control finishing his final round with a 69. The senior captain ended the tournament with a 211 (-5) and gave the Red Storm their first Big East Individual Championship since Andrew Svoboda did it in 2001.

“It’s the best feeling I have had as a collegiate golfer,” McCormick said. “I am so happy for Coach

Coach Frank Darby and Co. won the first Big East Championship under Darby’s reign

Darby, he deserves a Big East Championship by now.

McCormick didn’t do it alone. Junior Ben Ludlam picked up his first Top-10 finish of season, carding a 224 (+8) which was good for ninth place. Junior Dylan Crowley finished tied for 11th with a 226 (+10) and freshman Sean Byrne produced his best finish of his young collegiate career finishing 18th overall with a 230 (+14). Lastly Junior Obe Ayton ended the event tied for 26th with a 234 (+18).

The Red Storm broke a bit of a sweat when second place Marquette began to make a late run in the third round, closing the gap to two strokes heading to the

back nine. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, St. John’s has persevered all season long and Tuesday was no different. Despite Marquette’s best efforts, the Red Storm held the lead for all three days of the event.

As a true captain would, McCormick dedicated the victory to Red Storm golfers everywhere.

“For all of the players on his teams (Darby) that didn’t win a title, this one is for them too,” McCormick said.

Not only did St. John’s win their first Big East title in 25 years, the team earned an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Regional which will be announced on May 5, on the Golf Channel at 10 a.m.

Hinton shines as track heads to Big East Championship ALLAN GOMEZ Staff Writer After winning 11 events on Monday at the University’s DaSilva Memorial Track, the St. John’s women’s track team traveled to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa. on Thursday to compete in a three day event.

After a successful month in April, The Johnnies are returning to the Penn Relays, where last year they set records in the 4x200 meters and were runner-up in the ECAC division.

The Red Storm struggled to finish in the top five for the first time in three weeks, but was still able to finish in the top 10 in three events.

One of the bright spot for St. John’s was in the hammer throw championship, where senior Danette Hinton finished in sixth place for the Red Storm.

Hinton, with a throw of 57.07 meters, claimed a new personal best for herself and moved into fourth place as St. John’s best of all time.

“The competition and atmosphere was unmatched by any other meet we’ve been to thus far,” Hinton said. “I was happy to be able to beat my personal record with so much pressure on me, as well as to

compete with my twin sister. It got me excited to improve for the regional meet in Florida.”

“The Penn Relays highlighted the strength of our team with great performances in the hammer, sprint and mid-distance relays,” coach Jim Hurt said.

In the ECAC 4x400 meters relays, the Johnnies finished fifth in the heat with a combined time of 3:38.18. The team was led by sophomore Pariis Garcia, junior Claire Mooney, senior Shayna Presley and senior Amber Allen.

In the 4x800 relays, St. John’s finished eighth overall with a combined time of 9:07.2 in a field of 19 teams. The relay team was led by sophomore Veronica Thompson (2:13.77), sophomore Stephanie Vanpelt (2:15.94), junior Natasya Rodriquez (2:18.10) and sophomore Michelle Vanpelt (2:19.43).

“Our ladies proved that they could compete with the best in the nation on the largest stage of our sport,” Hurt said. “I am very proud of all their efforts and look forward to more great things next weekend at home for the Tom Farrell Classic.”

The Johnnies next track meet will be on May 3, where they will host their season’s final home meet at DaSilva Memorial Track in Queens before going into the Big East Championship.

PHOTO COURTESY/ SOPHIA LEE

Women’s Track finished in the top-ten in three events

18

Torch Sports

No.10 Penn too much to handle Michael Trivigno Staff Writer

The St. John’s men’s lacrosse team ended their regular-season on a sour note with a loss to No. 10 University of Pennsylvania 17-10 Friday night. The Red Storm had their hands full from start to finish, dropping their fourth loss in their final five games of the season.

St. John’s (7-7, 3-3) saw why Pennsylvania is ranked No. 10 in the nation with their relentless shooting and their dominant faceoff percentage. The Quakers (9-3) outshot the Red Storm 49-33 and won 23-of-31 faceoffs.

“We were on our heels all night,” St. John’s head coach Jason Miller said.

“We struggled all night at the faceoff ‘X,’ on loose balls and in the goal.”

St. John’s was led by their senior attacker Kieran McArdle, who scored a game-high five goals and one assist.

McArdle’s five goals on Friday set a new a record for most goals scored in a single season with a total of 40. The Ronkonkoma native broke his own single-season goal record since the program’s rein-

statement in 2005, which he set last season with 36 goals. McArdle’s one assist gave the title of program’s all-time leading scorer with a total of 80 points on the season (40 goals and 40 assists).

Senior midfielder Ryan Fitzgerald tied a career-high with three goals while senior attacker Kevin Cernuto tied a season-high with three assists. Junior defenseman Mark DiFrangia led the Red Storm’s defense with a career-high four turnovers while coming away with a team-high five groundballs. The Red Storm put out two goalies in the season-finale, where freshman Joseph Danaher and sophomore Harry Burke finished the game with four and seven saves, respectively.

“I thought our effort was great and I don’t believe our guys ever stopped fighting,” Miller said.

UPenn opened the game up with a 4-1 advantage, but with a goal from Fitzgerald, St. John’s brought it back to 4-2 heading into the second quarter. The Quakers turned it up a notch, scoring three consecutive goals before taking a

10-4 advantage into halftime. UPenn didn’t give the Red Storm much of a chance for a comeback, only giving up consecutive goals once.

The Quakers had an all-around team effort on the offensive side, where they saw 11 different players score at least one point. They were led by sophomore Nick Doktor, who finished the game with three goals and three assists.

Not only did the Red Storm drop their season-finale, but their hopes of making the 2014 Big East Championship are lost. St. John’s finished with a 3-3 Big East record for the second consecutive season and needed a Rutgers loss to Georgetown on Saturday to clinch a spot into this year’s tournament. The Red Storm could only sit and watch as Rutgers beat Georgetown Saturday afternoon 12-8, ending their season and their hopes for a Big East tournament spot.

With an outside chance of receiving an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, it appears that St. John’s lacrosse is done for the season. Better luck next year, Red Storm.

PHOTO/ ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

The Lacrosse Team lost its second straight match up to a nationally ranked foe on Friday night

Mens tennis takes Big East, ladies fall short After finishing the regular season off witAfter finishing the regular season with a record of 13-7 overall and 2-0 in Big East conference play, the No. 72 ranked St. John’s men’s tennis team were rewarded with the top seed heading into the 2014 Big East tournament.

As the Red Storm hosted the tournament at home at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, they took on the No. 8 seeded Villanova in a quarterfinals matchup to take a sweeping victory over the Wildcats. Senior Gary Kushnirovich and freshman Freddy Ruiz Acevedo had huge contributions in singles play.

Freshman Robert Livi and sophomore Michael John-Every pitched in early on

in doubles competition as well.

Advancing to the semifinals, the Red Storm then found themselves going head-to-head with No. 4 Xavier, but had no problem getting past the Musketeers as they were victorious once again with a 5-0 win. The St. John’s men’s tennis team not only had the win to celebrate, but this marked the team’s first appearance in the Big East Tournament finals in 19 years.

The Red Storm made their Big East Tournament Championship final appearance a memorable one by becoming triumphant over the No. 3 seeded DePaul Blue Devils with a satisfying 4-1 win.

“I’ve coached for 19 years and winning my first conference championship is a blessing for me and this program,” coach Rebhuhn said. “This team had a passion to win this from the very beginning of the season and they will repre-

sent the University well in the NCAA Tournament in the coming weeks.”

After wrapping up the regular season with an overall record of 10-8 (4-0 in Big East play), the St. John’s women’s tennis team obtained the No. 4 seed as they headed into the 2014 Big East Tournament.

The St. John’s women’s tennis team faced off against the No. 5 seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the quarterfinals.

The Red Storm came out triumphant over the Hoyas with a 4-3 victory. The match between St. John’s freshman Stephanie Elgegren and Georgetown’s Sophie Panarese lasted over three hours, with Elgegren sealing the win after the third set at 6-3. The win was seen as a milestone for the St. John’s women’s tennis team as it was their first opening round triumph since 2008 in conference tournament play.

Sports give us hope

Storm

Cast

Leavin’ their Mark Harrison receives Haggerty Award Troy Mauriello Contributing Writer

After a stellar season in which he led the Red Storm in scoring with 17.5 points per game, junior guard D’Angelo Harrison recently received some recognition off the court. The Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association awarded him the 2014 Haggerty Award last week, naming him the New York City collegiate basketball player of the year.

With this honor, Harrison becomes the 25th St. John’s student-athlete to win the Haggerty Award, but the first since Marcus Hatten in 2002. The 25 Red Storm players to win the award are the most in the award’s history, more than doubling the nine players who have won it from No. 2 Seton Hall.

“Even though St. John’s players have received this award the most throughout history, a St. John’s player hasn’t been honored with this award since 2002,” said Harrison. “I am grateful to be able to bring this back to our campus and represent so many who have come before me.”

A 2014 All-Big East First Team selection, Harrison’s 17.5 points per game and 86.1 percent free throw percentage were both fourth best in the conference.

During the season he also became the St. John’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 198, and is now 10th in the school’s history with 1,601 points.

Also receiving honors was sophomore forward JaKarr Sampson, who was named All-Met second team. Sampson announced in March that he would forego his final two years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2014 NBA Draft.

Harrison, though, plans on returning to St. John’s as a senior next year, as the Red Storm look to build on their 20-win 2013-14 season.

Blowin’ in the Wind

Aisha Quiñones Staff Writer

19

“ It was important for me to come back and I knew it was going to be emotional.You want to go back and show resilience for other people who went through things I can’t even imagine.”

-Amy Kvilhaug See page 19 for more

Headin’ this Way

Red Storm upcoming schedule

Lacrosse May 1

Softball

Big East Semis TBA.

May 3

Villanova

12 p.m.

May 2

Xavier

1 p.m.

Baseball

W. Track SJU Farrell April 21

Baseball

Classic

All Day

May 6

Albany

6 p.m.

May 9

Creighton

6 p.m.

Baseball

Stephen Zitolo Sports Editor In my relatively short lifetime of 19 years, I have seen two terrorist attacks on United States soil that have pulled at the heart strings of every American young and old. Sept. 11, 2001 and April 15, 2013 are two days that this nation will never forget.

9/11 was the day that two airplanes were hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, forcing both buildings to collapse. United Airlines Flight 93 was also hijacked, but the heroic passengers were able to overtake the cockpit and crash-land in Pennsylvania, preventing the deaths of many more people. The Pentagon in Washington D.C. was also attacked as a plane was flown into its western side. On 9/11, 2,977 people died because of these attacks.

April 15, 2013 was the day of the Boston Marathon bombings. Two men placed backpacks on Boylston Street near the finish line of the Marathon and at 2:49 p.m. set off the bombs, killing three people and injuring over 140.

In the days following these tragedies, the nation was left grieving and asking why these things happened. But what gave the people a sense of normalcy, brought people together, and allowed them to forget about the tragedy that was surrounding them – if only for a few short hours – was sports.

Ten days after the terrorist of 9/11, the Mets

returned to New York to play the first major sporting event in the city since the attacks. The Mets were playing bitter rival the Atlanta Braves, and with a runner on first and the Mets down 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Mike Piazza stepped up to the plate. On a 0-1 count, Piazza got his pitch and drove the ball deep into the night over the centerfield wall, giving the Mets a 3-2 lead, a lead they wouldn’t let go. The crowd exploded, not in “Let’s Go Mets,” but in “USA! USA! USA!” Later that fall, the Yankees would play in the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees continued what the Mets started in September as they returned to Yankee Stadium down in the series 2-0. But they came back to a Yankee Stadium crowd that was roaring behind them after a ceremonial first pitch right down Broadway by then-President George W. Bush. The Yankees won all three games at Yankee Stadium in walk-off fashion. The Yankees would lose the series, but for that week and a half at the end of October and the beginning of November the nation was engulfed in baseball and not in the wake of the attacks.

The professional sports teams up in Boston had the same impact after tragedy twelve years later.

Two days after the Marathon bombings, April 17, 2013, the Boston Bruins returned home to play the Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins honored the victims of the Marathon by projecting the Marathon Memorial ribbon on the ice with “Boston Strong” on it, a motto that

carried the city through the tragedy. Before the game, Rene Rancourt sang the national anthem. But as he started the crowd stood united and boisterously sang the anthem with Rancourt. Rancourt proceeded to take the microphone away from his mouth holding it up to the crowd as he allowed them to sing the anthem. This inspirational scene showed the strength of the city.

On April 20, the Red Sox returned home to Fenway Park and had a massive ceremony to honor the first responders and the victims of the Marathon Bombings. Before the game, fan-favorite David Ortiz gave a speech only he could give, really expressing what the city of Boston felt.

“This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red Sox. It says Boston,” Ortiz said. “We want to thank you, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, the whole police department, for the great job that they did this past week. This is our f–king city! And nobody’s going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.”

The Red Sox continued to be a great distraction from the tragedy of the Marathon, as they went on to win the 2013 World Series behind the “Boston Strong” motto.

Sports have always been an integral part of American culture. Sporting events are something that people love to watch and attend because they’re fun and make you feel good. But I and millions of others have seen what else sports can do; they can heal.

Coach Kvilhaug runs Boston Marathon a year after attacks Christopher Brito News Editor Emeritus Softball coach Amy Kvilhaug stayed true to her desire of running the Boston Marathon, more than one year after two deadly bombings took place.

With heightened security presence and heavy hearts, Kvilhaug said the atmosphere was “electric” and “was ready to execute” at the mild warm day in Boston on April 21.

Despite the commotion, this year’s event seemed like a breeze compared to the 2013 Boston Marathon where a pair of pressure cookers injured 264 people and killed three. Those figures rose when police relentlessly pursued the two suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev after the fact.

Considering the chaos and angst caused by last year’s tragedy, no one could stop Kvilhaug and her impressive 63-year-old father Joe from competing this year.

“It was important for me to come back and I knew it was going to be emotional,” Kvilhaug, who hails from Massachusetts, said. “You want to go back and show resilience for other people who went through things I can’t even imagine.”

Kvilhaug finished last year’s Boston Marathon before she received a pair of disconcerting, strange text messages from her friend Meredith Cleasby.

First one read, “I’m fine.” The second, “Bomb.”

She thought nothing of it at first, but proceeded to turn on the television set in her hotel room and then, she realized the nature of Cleasby’s message.

Immediately, her instinct was to check on her two other loved ones still in the race: her father and her best friend Cythnia Lujan.

Joe was safe in the downstairs lobby of the hotel.

Lujan was too despite finishing less than two minutes

before the bombs exploded . Cleasby’s whereabouts were unknown despite her texts.

After finally reaching Cleasby, Kvilhaug found out she was at the center of the chaotic spree helping others in a restaurant dangerously close to the bombings.

“She went in the restaurant to go get a bite to eat and was going to meet us after,” Kvilhaug said. “Right after she steps in the restaurant the bomb goes off.”

However, as her timely text implied, she was fine.

While Cleasby and Lujan understandably passed on the opportunity to run this year, Kvilhaug trained for nearly a year.

She had a running coach change and compared to last year’s training, she had less mileage to practice for and no stress fractures to keep her down.

Kvilhaug, who is in her seventh year coaching the softball team, even had some ice cream and her favorite fast food Chipotle during her months of preparation.

Initially disappointed she missed her personal best by a measly 23 seconds (3 hours and 20 minutes), the external factors and emotions surrounding the race gave her satisfaction of her performance.

“Originally, I was a little distraught because I should have ran a lot better because of the way I was trained,” she said. ‘“All in all, it was a pretty good race for me.”

Her father who was plagued with hamstring issues during his prep work, finished the race as a happy camper with the result.

Kvilhaug, will take a break, citing her busy schedule as a coach and shorter running endeavors such as cross country and sprinting as her focus for now. She will return to the marathoning game however.

“For the next couple of years, I’m going to put marathoning on hold.” she said. “‘There’s a part of me that will always come back for it.”

PHOTO/ATHLETIC COMMUNICATiONS

Kvilhaug and her father ran the marathon together last year.

PHOTO/ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Kvilhaug participated in an emotional 118th Boston Marathon.

Men’s Golf Wins Conference Tourney PG. 17

SPORTS APRIL 30 2014 | VOLUME 92, ISSUE 3 |

TORCHONLINE.COM

Kvilhaug Runs Boston Marathon PG. 19