Fall issue 3 - The Face of Women's Soccer

Student says he wasn’t paid after scam pg. 3

Increased patrols after incident pg. 3

Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off pg. 4

THE FACE OF WOMEN’S SOCCER RACHEL DALY LEADS NATION IN GOALS AND RED STORM TO 6-1 START PG. 16 photo/Athletic Communications

Photo of the Week

2

Managing Board XC

Directory

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief Nicole Valente, Managing Editor Jessica Lise, General Manager anthony o’reilly

mitchell petit-frere

kieran lynch

diamond watts-walker

News Editor

Features Editor peter long

Entertainment Editor kristen farmer

Photo Editor

Sports Editor Art Director sarah yu

Chief Copy Editor jim baumbach

Advisor

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

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

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

Torch Lifestyle Fashion week in NYC The Torch reviews NYFW designers’ fresh spring/summer collections.

Lifestyle Pg. 10 Features Studying abroad in Spain Student shares his adventures while studying abroad in Seville, Spain.

Lifestyle Pg. 12

Sports Men’s soccer team beats West Virginia Rafael Diaz racks up third straight shutout in win.

Sports Pg. 18

Illustrator’s Corner

opinion pg. 6

FOR MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: 718-990-6756 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.

This copy of The Torch is worth $ .75.

Torch Photo/Diana Colapietro

Students participating in a tostones-eating competition for the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Think Outside...

News

Student says he wasn’t paid St. John’s sophomore lost $300 in wages from couple

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Patrols will increase after incident: P.S.

Christopher Brito News Editor

Kieran Lynch Editor-in-Chief

A St. John’s student said he is among those scammed by a Brooklyn couple that authorities recently charged with stealing tuition payments from the families of approximately 100 kids who had gone to them for after-hours English classes.

Sophomore Benjamin Gabriel said he spent the summer teaching remedial English classes to children in Brooklyn – until his former bosses, Joanne and Patrick Panettieri, disappeared in the middle of August, abruptly closing down the school.

Two weeks later they were arrested on fraud and larceny charges and face up to four years in prison if convicted of all the charges, according to authorities.

Bond is set at $150,000 for each of them. Their next hearing is set for Sept.

26 at Kings Criminal Court.

Gabriel, a sophomore accounting major, said he is owed $300 in unpaid wages from the Panettieris, by whom he was employed for less than two months.

Stephen McCarthy, the attorney representing Patrick Panettieri, told the Torch, “Mr. Panettieri is looking forward to seeking a resolution in the matter in such a way that all the tuition that had not been earned by the school goes to all students and family involved.”

Philip Hersh, who is representing Joanne Panettieri, did not return a call seeking comment.

In a telephone interview with The Torch, Gabriel said he was searching for a job in July and heard from a friend about an $8-an-hour gig at the Chinatown Outreach Ministry – one of the three venues where the Panettieris taught English as a second language to children, according to the news release from the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.

He said he was hired immediately by the Panettieris because of a staff shortage.

Equipped with a restricted number of school supplies and textbooks, Gabriel said he worked 15 hours a week as an English instructor to about 10-15 kids.

Looking back, he said the Panettieris exhibited some questionable behavior.

“They acted so strange—they wanted to open early so no one would notice the store opening,” Gabriel said.

He said the Panettieris were also inconsistent with paydays and would often tell employees to wait a few days to cash their checks.

According to authorities, students arrived for classes on Aug. 13 only to find the doors closed with no one inside and no explanation for the closing.

Parents and instructors filed a police report, which spurred a police investigation.

The Panettieris were found in

A female University student was the victim of a forcible touching incident Friday evening, resulting in Public Safety announcing increased patrols in the area both by them and the NYPD, according to a campus-wide email from Tom Lawrence, Vice President of Public Safety, late Friday evening.

The student was walking on Homelawn Street between Aspen Place and Kingston Place – near the off-campus Henley Residence – when she was grabbed by the man described as a 230-pound Hispanic male, Lawrence said.

“The University does not tolerate this behavior and has implemented additional patrols along with the New York City Police Department in the vicinity of Homelawn St. to protect our students,” Lawrence said in the email.

After being grabbed, the female student reportedly confronted the male. The suspect said “I thought you were Melissa,” before asking if the student “wanted to hit him” and fleeing north on Homelawn, the email said.

Similar incidents have occurred in the area of Henley Road over the last year, including multiple instances of the victim being “mistaken” as a Melissa, according to previous Public Safety advisories sent to students.

Lawrence gave points of advice for walking off campus in Friday’s email reminding the University community to be cognizant of surroundings and to walk with others whenever possible.

A University shuttle is available for travel to off-campus properties. Lawrence encouraged using it to travel and to notify 911 and Public Safety as soon as possible after an incident.

Lawrence was not available for comment Tuesday before this issue went to print.

Torch photo/DIANA COLAPIETRO

Benjamin Gabriel says he was scammed out of $300 after teaching children.

Syracuse by investigators on Aug. 30 and arrested.

Gabriel said he didn’t understand just how serious the situation was until he was contacted by the Office of Brooklyn District Attorney Lawrence Oh. “I was more surprised,” he said.

“The whole time I didn’t take it so seriously.”

Gabriel said the job itself – teaching English to youngsters – proved to be a rewarding summer job.

“It was kind of a while to get used to,” he said.

“Done legitimately, it wasn’t a bad job to have.”

He said that he is comforted knowing that the authorities acted quickly upon learning about the couple’s disappearance and found them.

“It just shows the judicial system works,” he said.

“They were capable of capturing them after couple days.”

When asked what he would say to the Panettieris if he saw them, Gabriel said, “What comes around goes around.”

He added that this experience helped him realize “not everyone can be trusted.”

Gabriel also advises fellow students to say something when faced with a similar sketchy situation.

“If you believe that your employers are doing something wrong and you believe you’re right, stand up for yourself,” he said.

Torch photo/Diana ColaPietro

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Hispanic Heritage Month starts with flavor SJU awarded

Kimberly avalos Contributing Writer The campus-wide Latino Heritage month held its official beginning on Monday in hopes of unifying the St. John’s community.

An overflowing number of students from diverse backgrounds gathered on the fourth floor of the D’Angelo Center to take advantage of an event that Natalie Munoz, assistant director of Multicultural Affairs, described as “an opportunity to explore what it means to be Latinos.”

The event featured live performances

by Latino student organizations, including a merengue dance by the Los Unidos Dance Group, along with introductory prayers, Hispanic food, music and dancing.

“I want to be able to reach out to not just the Latino community but the whole St. John’s community so we can come together and support each other as how diverse this school is,” said Jasmine Abreu, president of the Los Unidos Dance Group and vice president of Lambda Pi Upsilon.

Heads of organizations consistently brought up the push for unity this year, explaining it was difficult to accomplish in the past.

Erica Godoy, the co-chair of Latino Heritage Month and a member of the Membership and Retention Committee of L.A.S.O, said L.A.S.O is trying to become an umbrella organization so they can collaborate with others to unite the community.

“We are trying to make ourselves stand out because as minorities we are growing more and more,” Godoy said.

“We just want Latino Heritage Month to be spectacular. We want people to feel our pride. We want people to be more united.”

She said she hopes that unity will allow others to continue the tradition.

Abreu said there is much more organization this year due to more student collaborations as opposed to relying only on the administration to reach out to students and the various groups.

Students who attended felt excited about the opportunity to become involved in Hispanic culture.

“Any student that has any type of cultural background should express it because there are values and traditions that you get from your culture that you wouldn’t be able to get if you didn’t learn or didn’t express,” said Samer Akroush, a sophomore from Jordan. “It’s in the heart.”

Ryan Goberdham agreed and appreciated the expression of Latin heritage.

“I like the fact that there are young adults our age that are so into it and join clubs and actually put time to events like this,” he said.

Hispanic student Shalimar Azima said she was excited to learn more about her own culture.

“I am fascinated by culture in general and learning more about Spanish people

and seeing more of it,” Azima said. “It helps me feel more familiar.”

Students were invited to the dance floor to enjoy the merengue, bachata and salsa, and even participate in a tostoneseating contest.

Sophomore Wilson Sy stressed the importance Latino Heritage Month to the University.

“It is important to St. John’s University because we are a diverse University and it is something Latino heritage students can be proud of – that the school represents all people and welcomes everybody even if you’re not Latino but a different ethnicity,” Sy said.

“That is a special thing about St. John’s.”

Students can look forward to 33 programs throughout the month, both educational and fun, according to Munoz.

TOrch photo/ diana colapietro

Students dancing during the Hispanic Heritage Month kick-off event.

Charging stations come to campus Isabel rajabzadeh Staff Writer Two cell phone power stations were installed in the D’Angelo Center to power up top-selling smart phones, funded

by Campus Solutions Inc. marketing company.

The stations are located in the first floor by the cafeteria and second floor in the living room.

“It seemed like a no-brainer that a device like this that could charge all major mobile phones and tablets would increase our student satisfaction,” Frank Jerome, student affairs technology analyst said.

Oscar Diaz, Student Government, Inc.’s secretary, voiced a similar intention behind the charging stations, saying that providing and advocating for greater access to resources for students is a way to “enhance the student experience.”

Student Affairs and S.G.I. had been looking at a few phone-charging vendors before linking up with Campus Solutions in August, according to Jerome.

Campus Solutions Inc. said it has successfully marketed a few brands at St. John’s in the past, which is why it picked the University as one of the 20 nationwide colleges for their Campus Power Zone stations.

Bryan Carbone, president of Campus Power Zone, said the two stations can power up “each of the five most popular

phones in ’13 and ’12,” including the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy.

Each station has digital and poster advertisements marketing college-friendly brands. The Campus Power Zone stations did not cost St. John’s anything and are paid for by the advertisers, according to Carbone.

Student Affairs placed the stations in high-trafficked areas in DAC to accommodate more students, Jerome said.

They are observing its usage and if the stations continue to be successful, they will consider getting more on campus, according to Jerome.

Student Affairs also made sure the charging stations were placed in video surveillance areas to prevent theft.

“People always have to carry their chargers around,” Nathanael Louis, coordinator of Operations and Event Support Services said, “That [is] the nature of the generation –where people are constantly on their phones.”

“It’s very helpful,” freshman Melanie Morgan said. “I usually run out of battery real quick. I am here from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.”

One criticism some students have is that the stations are situated so that you have to stand while charging your phone.

Melanie said she would like to see the stations everywhere on campus and “in a more convenient area.”

torch photo/ Diana ColaPietro

New charging stations were installed in the first and third floor of the D’Angelo Center.

for cancer research

Alexa Vagelatos Staff Writer The University was honored last summer by the American Cancer Society’s Epidemiology Research Of all participants in this study, St. John’s was awarded and recognized for having over 70 CPS-3 participants registered, leading to it being the largest CPS-3 participant registration site in Queens, according to a University press release.

The Cancer Prevention Study (CPS-3) is a long-term study promoted for enrollment for Queens residents by the American Cancer Society, St. John’s, NY Hospital in Queens and North Shore LIJ Hospital.

Marge Cashin, Community Relations Assistant, said that this was a “natural fit for our University” in regards to the numerous amounts of faculty and administrators who participated in registering for this study.

She emphasized the amount of effort that students and faculty give into fighting cancer throughout the year. She mentioned the Strides Walkathon in the fall, Relay for Life in the spring, as well as the HighHeel-A-thon, and other gatherings that all help to raise funds for cancer research.

This new research study will include over 300,000 adults across the country.

The study at the University consisted of the administration staff and faculty ages 30-65 that have never had cancer.

The criteria to become a participant included the required age, participation in an enrollment event and completion of a questionnaire that will be followed up on every two years.

The data gathered from these questionnaires will be used to determine what is causing and preventing cancer, such as obesity or genetics.

The first two studies (CPS-1 and CPS-2) determined links to cancer such as smoking and diabetes. The American Cancer Society hopes for this study to be the third link.

“CPS-3 gave the alumni, administrators, staff and faculty an opportunity to back up the students’ efforts,” Cashin said.

“I am very proud to be part of this project.”

Cathleen C. Garry, Regional Vice President, Eastern Division of the American Cancer Society Inc. described the St. John’s committment as “so vigorous.”

“This strong commitment is essential if we are to change the course of cancer in the future.”

The University’s connection with American Cancer Society started 15 years ago when the school first made Strides against Breast Cancer.

Over these 15 years, the University has raised $500,000 for the American Cancer Society, including funds raised at Relay for Life, according to Cashin.

Due to the collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the pharmacy department has received grants for research and study, as well as many other benefits, according to Cashin.

“The students really support the American Cancer Society,” Cashin said.

“Our main goal is the education of cancer awareness for our students.”

Can’t get enough Torch news? Visit our Web site for online exclusives. torchonline.com

National

5

Pedestrians shot by NYPD 13 dead in Washington, D.C. talia Tirella Contributing Writer Just before 10 p.m. on Saturday, several police officers reportedly opened fire and accidentally shot two pedestrians in Times Square while trying to control another pedestrian, Glenn Broadnax, 35, of Brooklyn, who faces multiple criminal counts.

CBS Local News reported that the policemen were trying to corral Broadnax, who was erratically moving in and out of traffic around 42nd Street and Eigth Avenue, and opened fire when he would not respond.

Amidst the chaos, two bystanders were left wounded.

The bystanders, one a 54-year-old woman and the other 35, were struck with bullets, but their injuries were not life-threatening and they were both listed in a stable condition when taken to an area hospital.

NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly told the Huffington Post “it appeared [Broadnax] wanted to be struck by cars.”

As officers approached him, Broadnax reached into his pocket as if to grab a weapon, which prompted two officers to fire three shots in total.

He got away momentarily until officers brought him down in the middle of an intersection.

Broadnax was taken into custody after being subdued with a taser. He photo/wikimedia commons was then taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was in stable condition.

The NYPD booth in Times Square.

talia Tirella Contributing Writer 13 people died following a shooting rampage at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

The reported gunman, Aaron Alexis, 34, went on a two-hour rampage, killing 12 before D.C. police officers eventually shot him dead, according to Reuters.

Authorities said that Alexis entered the base armed with only a shotgun, but then obtained access to a handgun after he started shooting and wounding coworkers.

3,000 employees were locked down in their offices during the two-hour period,

during which police pursued the shooter.

Alexis was reported to have been armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, a shotgun and a handgun. According to The L.A. Times, investigators believe Alexis began the assault with only the shotgun and that he took the AR-15 rifle and the handgun from people he shot.

Officials said that Alexis eventually made it to the fourth floor of the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command building, where he started shooting down into an atrium that houses an employee cafeteria.

Officials say that there is no certainty about the motive behind the shooting, but there is no indication that the incident is connected to a terrorist plot.

photo/wikimedia commons

The Washington Navy Yard was the site of the shooting on Monday.

Security Council talks Syria Fire damages N.J. boardwalk Talia tirella Contributing Writer The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council met to negotiate a draft of a resolution that would hold Syria to its pledge of identifying all chemical weapons in their government’s possession yesterday, according to The New York Times.

Several diplomats, who declined to be identified, told The New York Times that several differences arose, which is causing conflict over the draft.

The diplomats also said that Russia, one of Syria’s most important allies, was resisting parts of the draft created by the three permanent Western members,

Britain, France and the United States.

The parts of the draft that the Russian members were resisting include a discussion of the threat to use force to ensure that the Syrian government will cooperate.

Other parts of the draft include condemning the Syrian government for using chemical weapons, and the question of whether or not suspected users should be reported for war crimes to the International Criminal Court.

According to the diplomats, the ongoing discussions are not likely to produce a clear resolution anytime soon.

It is also unclear when a complete draft will be ready for a vote.

Photo/wikimedia commons

The United Nations Security Council met to discuss a possible resolution that would hold Syria to giving up its chemical weapons.

Alexa Vagelatos Staff Writer A fire that engulfed part of the Jersey Shore Boardwalk last Thursday has been ruled an accident, according to the New York Times.

The fire that devastated both Seaside Park and Seaside Heights is reported to have destroyed 68 businesses along four blocks, and happened because of an electrical malfunction. The fire started in the afternoon underneath a building that housed Kohr’s Frozen Custard and Biscayne Candies, with electrical wiring that dated back to 1970.

On Tuesday, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said the wiring suffered damage from sand and salt water from Superstorm Sandy.

Before the fire, it had been said that the wires were inaccessible for maintenance work, and the part of the boardwalk where the fire started had not been rebuilt after Sandy, according to Coronato.

Investigators have spent about 40 hours brushing through the site for evidence, and will continue to monitor the site to prevent looting, according to USA Today.

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie pledged to provide money for the removal of debris from the destroyed boardwalk, and announced that $15 million will be

available to local businesses along the boardwalk for rebuilding. The damage alone is said to be $1.88 million.

PHOTO/wikimedia commons

The Jersey Shore boardwalk.

6

Editorial Board XCI KIERAN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief

Illustrator’s Corner

MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE Managing Editor CHRISTOPHER BRITO News Editor

FLAMES OF THE TORCH New York’s team

Water for everyone

The St. John’s men’s basketball team revealed its new Under Armour uniforms for the upcoming season yesterday.

There are two sets of home/road combinations – one for nonconference games and another for the Big East season.

Both sets bring different elements to the table and in our view, they’re all positive.

The conference uniforms harken back to the days of Chris Mullin, Walter Berry and Lou Carnesecca with a “throwback” St. John’s scrolled across the chest and a dark blue accent. It’s a homage to the success of the past with a connection to the present on the shorts feature the normal “STJ” athletics logo.

The nonconference jerseys go in a different direction, but they’re still a success. The jerseys feature images from the New York City skyline, honoring the city the team calls home.

Want another positive to these nonconference jerseys? St. John’s will take on Syracuse at Madison Square Garden in December with the city skyline across their bodies. That’s a very nice statement for this team to make to a team that has erroneously dubbed itself “New York’s College Team” with advertisements around the five boroughs – four hours away from its campus and home arena.

Red Storm fans are hoping that this season is one filled with big statements.

While showing up Syracuse with skyline jerseys (is it actually showing up the opponent if you’re the school actually from the city?) is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it’s a nice thing for fans to think about more than a month before the season kicks off.

Townhouse residents have expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that the water bottle filling stations located at other residence buildings on campus are nowhere to be found in the Founder’s Village.

We’re confident a significant number of people would be surprised learn how difficult it was for resident students at St. John’s to find access to water. Montgoris was the only real option, as the other water fountains on campus are located in the buildings used for class; once Montgoris closed, students were out of luck.

The new water bottle filling stations in the residence halls are one of the best additions to campus in a long time. But why aren’t there any in the townhouses?

Students who live in Founder’s Village pay more money (roughly $2,000) for their living space and are forced to maintain a higher GPA than their fellow students. Shouldn’t those two reasons alone warrant free and easy access to water for Townhouse students?

Long gone are the days of lugging cases of water bottles from home and walking to the Hungry Johnny in the dead of night for a little rehydration for the majority of resident students.

It should be the same for students living in Founder’s Village.

There can be a case made that the students living in the Townhouses need it mroe. There is a greater percentage of students in the townhouses without a meal plan (which means no access to Montgoris) than students in the other residence halls.

Our hope is that we’ll see the water stations present in the Townhouse square before this year ends.

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of the TORCH. Columns are the opinions of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of The TORCH. Opinions

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

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

TO CONTRIBUTE

All are welcome to contribute to the Torch.

Please include your full name, year, and college (or department). Letters have a limit of 500 words and may be edited for content, grammar, or space. Unverifiable or anonymous letters will not be published.

All letters are subject to the approval of the Editorial Board of the TORCH.

TORCH ILLUSTRATION/ MICHAEL BRODNANSKY

7

Don’t become numb to violence

SHANNON LUIBRAND Features Editor

Another day in America—another mass killing.

My phone began to vibrate. The notifications from CNN and the Associated Press flashed on my home screen.

I ran from my journalism class in Marillac Hall to my house a block from campus, refreshing Twitter, desperate for answers. I flipped on my TV and the headlines screamed, “Gunman at the Navy Yard in D.C.” No. Not again.

The first report was one injured. But slowly the number began to rise from one fatality to five dead, then 10 and finally 13 dead including the gunman.

In a matter of minutes, 12 innocent people were killed. They woke up for work, probably ate breakfast, drank a cup of coffee, complained that it was Monday, maybe watched the news, kissed their kids and spouses goodbye and walked out the door like any other early September morning.

They went to work in one of the safest places in the country – the nation’s capital – at the Navy Yard. They passed security, rode the elevator, maybe greeted an employee or two and then a little after 8 a.m., a gunman walked into the building and shot them dead.

They were parents, lovers, friends, grandparents and most of all—people.

They were people doing what people do everyday. CNN said one woman killed was months away from retirement, another killed was recently divorced but still talked to his ex, who was his high school sweetheart every single day and another loved to go fishing.

But they will no longer do what they love, because they were senselessly killed.

Now many reading this column will think, what does this have to do with St. John’s? How does this relate to us?

It has everything to do with us. This is the world we live in.

A few years ago, a man walked onto our campus, carrying a rifle. The campus was locked down, emergency notifications were sent out and thankfully things did not escalate. But they could have.

I spent the day on Monday watching the news, and that night while walking on campus I came across many friends.

I asked all of them, ‘Did you hear about the killings at the Navy Yard?’ The answers were all pretty generic, ‘Oh, another shooting? That’s awful.’

This is more than just awful. I began thinking and asking my journalism friends, do you think America has become desensitized to these mass killings? Is it no longer a big deal?

Many of them agreed, yes.

Over the last year there has been al-

most a dozen mass killings. Some have dominated our headlines, while others were merely a two-minute segment on the evening news. We can’t go to the movies, school or work without wondering if a gunman could walk in at any moment and shoot us. Nowhere is safe, no one is safe.

This is America. Our citizens go to work, they go to school, they walk the streets and they are killed. Murdered— in America.

And yet, it is becoming normal. It’s normal to turn on the news and see the headlines, “15 dead in school shooting.”

It has become a part of our reality and that is almost the scariest thing.

I don’t know the answer to fixing these mass shootings. Maybe it is a mental health issue, maybe gun control or background checks. I don’t know.

I am not a politician. But I am a journalist. I am a journalist who will most likely have to cover these mass killings for decades to come.

I hope to be a war correspondent one day, but I am realizing the war is already right here in this country.

I may not know the solution to gun violence, but one thing I do know for sure is that no matter how many of these shootings happen, no matter how many people are senselessly killed, we must not become desensitized to it.

While watching the reporting after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, I remember CNN reporter

Ashleigh Banfield began to cry while live reporting near the school. I remember thinking then, it is so important to not become insensitive to these shootings, even as a reporter.

We need to remember the people killed in these mass shootings are people. They are not just a number on a television screen or another statistic.

They are parents, lovers, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. They need to be remembered, especially by us, the future of this country.

I hope I am never face-to-face with a gunman, or any of my friends or family members. I hope I will never have to report on mass shootings or killings. I hope one day I will live in a country where these shootings are nonexistent, but for now they are unfortunately a reality of our culture and society.

No matter how many of these mass shootings occur, no matter how many people are killed, I promise to not become numb.

I promise to remember these people as people, to not forget. And as both a journalist and human being, I promise to not become desensitized.

Shannon Luibrand is a senior journalism major who met Katie Couric yesterday and is probably pretty famous.

She can be reached at torchfeatures@ gmail.com.

New females reinvigorate pop music SAMANTHA ALBANESE Entertainment Editor Being the avid follower of pop music charts that I am, the last few years have proven to be the most unpredictable, in terms of what I believe will be No. 1 versus what actually hits the top.

Whether it’s on iTunes or the Billboard Hot 100 chart, there has been an unsteady flow in trends. In contrast to what’s considered to be pop music now, the charts five years ago or so seemed to have much more diverse music. There were a bunch of music groups, such as Danity Kane, the Pussycat Dolls and the Black Eyed Peas, as opposed to the influx of single artists we have today.

The popular charts were also more different in terms of genres differing from the general consensus of what is perceived to be pop, such as Blink 182, Akon, Simple Plan and 50 Cent, just to name and compare a few that are on different spectrums. We have diversity on the charts today, but I don’t think that we have the overall group diversity that we once had.

When I think of pop today, I think of mainly the top female artists of the day, such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry. For males, the first that come to mind are Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and One Direction.

I think part of the reason there are many new artists, especially female artists, are becoming successful more

quickly than it would take in the past is because they are the ones breaking into the industry with fresh new ideas and attitudes.

Rihanna always stuck out to me because of her attitude and because she was so confident and it came across in her songs. When Lady Gaga first made her debut with “Just Dance” off of ‘The Fame,’ many radio stations wouldn’t play it on the radio because it was considered a electronic/dance song, and stations were more genre specific. But Z100 was one of the first to play the single, and it soon became a hit.

From there on out, radio stations followed suit and began to play songs that went against the grain, and are now constantly looking for the newest and hottest thing. I think that’s what so special about today’s music. With music so accessible by a few taps on our phone screens, we are all so hungry for all different types of music, and a personalized and customized playlist to call our own.

I think even though there are less diverse groups, the music records they are bringing to the industry all have a unique sound, making the industry diverse in a whole new way.

The music industry in general has also drastically changed and it continues to change day by day. With the increased influence of digital sales, an artist can have a single or an album become a hit within hours and make headlines overnight.

In an interview in this month’s issue

of The Fader, Mac Miller went back a few years and discussed when his debut album was released and how it had a “surprising” success, and within the first few days of its release he was rushed on a tour that lasted for two and a half years.

Yet some artists have made their debut into the charts by going against the trends, which to my surprise were new and unpolished artists setting the counter-trends. Lana Del Rey made her debut in 2011 with the melancholy melodies of “Born To Die,” selling over 5 million copies worldwide.

This year’s charts have been more than receptive to newly budding artists trying to make their marks, such as Ariana Grande, who debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart, and most recently Lorde, a singer/songwriter from New Zealand who is rising to fame at the mere age of 16.

Since 2008, there have been fresh female faces rising and remaining on the charts, bringing a new outlook for pop and breaking the norms of an industry pummeled with the stigma of having male dominance.

Samantha Albanese is a junior journalism major who stayed up past midnight for the first time last night. She can be reached at torchent@gmail.com

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CHINONYE MBONU

8

ON HIGH SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS JACK

Special to the Torch Nothing lasts forever.

It’s a sobering fact, but it’s the truth. People grow up, grow apart, grow bitter, break up, turn crazy, travel the world, become vegetarians…you name it; people change.

I go into relationships fully aware that nothing lasts forever. The girl I’m entirely infatuated with today may turn into the person I despise the most in a couple of years.

I’m not saying I enter relationships with the mindset that I’ll be breaking up with my significant other in a matter of months; I’m simply stating that I’m not thinking about a ring after that all-important onemonth anniversary.

Considering all of this, I couldn’t care less if I see my ex on campus!

As I said before, nothing lasts forever. And because that realization is ingrained into my mind, I feel perfectly fine about

being thrust into a situation where I see an ex on campus.

And you should, too!

Hear me out for a second. Imagine you’re late to class and you’re speed walking to Marillac 303 for your three-hour Metaphysics class. The halls are empty until you turn the corner and BOOM! You see her. The girl you dated for nearly a year. The one your dad thought was crazy, but your mom loved.

The one who was allergic to your dog. The one who knows about your intense fear of flying squirrels.

What are you going to do? You haven’t talked to the girl in nearly two months and it’s probably been a good four weeks since you’ve come faceto-face with her.

Before I tell you what you should do in this situation, let me tell you what you shouldn’t do.

Don’t look away and speed walk past her. Absolutely do not run away screaming. Please refrain from throwing the pen in

your back pocket at her.

Avoid confessing your love to her at all costs.

And don’t do that weird smile and wave combo followed by a sudden loss of eye contact.

Instead, smile and/or wave. If she generates a response, ask how she is.

When she answers back, tell her how you are, mention you’re late for class and continue on your way.

Why is this the plan of action to take in a situation like this, you ask? Let me explain.

Unless you completely hate or are still madly in love with your ex, why not give them a quick hello?

I mean, you did spend a countless amount of time with the person. How could you forget those sushi dates, nights watching Netflix and trips to the city on weekends? At the end of the day, your ex was a significant part of your life – hence the term ‘significant other.’

Because of this fact, don’t give your ex the cold shoulder.

JILL

Special to the Torch

You are walking through Marillac Hall, minding your own business with your head down, shuffling your feet while just trying to get to class.

But then you see your ex. And your mind screams, “NO. WHY. NO.” You have already made eye contact and it is too late to just simply ignore him.

So you have two choices now: you can start a conversation or you can just smile, and run, I mean walk, away.

Choosing to talk to your ex or just walk away if circumstantial.

If your breakup ended in his stuff being thrown out of your third floor dorm window as you screamed, “I HATE YOU!” Well, then, I would say you should probably just smile and be on your way.

But if your breakup end-

ed in, “I love you, I always will, but it is not our time,” eh, maybe it’s okay to start a brief conversation— emphasis on the brief.

In these moments, you are in control. If your ex took away from you, took power from you, it is your turn to be in control. If you want to talk to him, t hen go for it.

Be polite, ask him how he is doing, and even if you have spent every night since you broke up eating Ben and Jerry’s on your couch and crying to, “When Harry Met Sally” pretend you are doing amazing.

Talk about your internship, friends or classes.

Reiterate you are doing great and even if you miss him or her, don’t tell them.

But also don’t tell him or her that you have hooked up with a million people since then.

Remain classy—please.

Classy is a must.

Also don’t feel ashamed if you are feeling upset, whether that is anger, distaste or even grief. If you

miss you ex, seeing them is going to bring back all those emotions, but if they were a really bad significant other, that does not mean you need to give into that emotion. And frankly, if they were really awful to you, just smile and keep walking.

Your ex is an ex for a reason. They are meant to be in the past (unless you are truly meant for each other which means that feeling must be MUTUAL).

Seeing your ex is not easy. It can be uncomfortable, hurtful and emotional. But you are in control.

You dictate the encounter and do not allow your ex to make you feel inferior—again.

Even if you did the breaking up with, be polite. Be conscious of the fact you may have hurt your ex and seeing you can be just as painful.

No matter what, be mature. Be respectful because you never know where the future will take you.

Think Outside...

Lifestyle

9

Learning to navigate New York City

DYLAN NUNEZ Staff Writer

A little bit can go a long way when it comes to leaving behind home-cooked meals, finding your way among New York City skyscrapers and navigating through the concrete jungle.

Adjusting to the New York City lifestyle can be difficult and expensive for freshmen, especially those coming from out of state. But with a little bit of advice, it can be easy.

“When I first came here, I had some sweaters, thin jackets and one thin peacoat that I brought from California,” junior Michelle Moncayo said. “When my new friends from here saw my wardrobe, they said I would not survive the winter. I realized how right they were. It was nowhere near the winter weather in California.”

Winter is one of the greatest challenges freshmen from warm areas will face.

Many arrive unprepared for the drop in temperature that arrives around October.

“I think the biggest change coming from a tropical island was the change in seasons, there was a week of good weather and then the rest of the semester was cold weather which I hated,” junior Barbados native Vasco Lynch said. “The first time I saw snow freshman year was on Halloween. It was out of season, the snow was slushy, icy kind.”

A good jacket and a pair of long johns

go a long way.

Another challenge that presents itself to out of state freshmen is the simple fact of not being able to visit home on weekends, or even being in the same time zone as loved ones.

“Moving to a completely new city

was nerve-wracking,” senior Felipe Juan said. “I never visited New York prior and I felt pretty lonely. The comfort of calling someone for a ride home wasn’t there.”

However, the decision to pick a college a long way from home can be rewarding.

PHOTO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

“But I think making the decision of studying away from home was the best,” Juan said. “I was forced out of my comfort zone and found ways to adjust to college. We are all afraid, especially those unfamiliar to New York before starting school.”

Being active in a community on campus and making friends is also a key part of the college experience, Juan explained.

“I adjusted to college simply by being curious,” Juan said. “Things I didn’t imagine being interested in, I checked out and gave a chance. This is your chance to shape yourself the way you want. So take advantage and follow your curiosity and instinct.”

Juan suggests that freshmen explore their interests by getting involved on campus.

“If for whatever reason you get rejected or don’t feel the good vibes, let go and realize that there are other things going on with your name,” he said. “It’s not a rejection, it’s opportunity for a new challenge.”

College is an experience that will present many hurdles to out of state students, but also rewarding for those willing to venture far away from home – offering new cultures, memories and friends that make the journey well worthwhile.

“If I could tell myself one thing as a freshman to make life easier,” Moncayo said. “I would tell myself to get to know more people.”

Students like healthy food options

ALEXA VAGELATOS Contributing Writer

That time of year is here again when you have to kiss your summer eating habits goodbye, and kiss your back-toschool habits hello.

St. John’s has made the transition from peace to chaos a little bit easier, providing an abundance of different food options and spots to unwind during those hours that college students have to spare.

This year, to make the food transition even easier, the University brought in Red Mango, renovated the Red Storm Diner and created an even bigger and better “Marketplace.” All of these new dining options add to the already existing ones the University offers, from Chinese food to Italian food—there is something for everybody’s craving.

Students around campus have different opinions on what they consider to be some of the best places to eat.

“Honestly now, I would say Marillac is the best place to eat,” said junior Ashley Germain. “I tried Freshens salad, crepe and smoothie place for the first time the other day and it was really good.”

Germain also said Charcoals Grill in Marillac Terrace is one of her favorite eateries.

“Also, Red Mango was a great addition to the library,” she said. “Frozen yogurt is becoming super popular now, so it

was a really great investment.”

Natalia Pomianek, a junior commuter student, said she appreciates the healthyeaters on campus.

“It’s a huge part of my diet to eat healthy, so because St. John’s offers many healthy places to eat, it makes it easier for me to get food on campus,” she said. “I love Freshens, which is in Marillac, because I get to create a healthy option that I’m craving that day.”

Pomianek said she was also excited St. John’s added Red Mango.

“So while I’m studying or craving a healthy snack, I can run and get some,” she said.

Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are a daily necessity when she’s running low on sleep, Pomianek added.

Giselle Jett, a junior, also likes the healthy options on campus.

“Energy Kitchen is such a great pickme-up in between classes,” she said. “For people who like fresh and healthy foods, that’s the place.”

And then there’s Montgoris Dining Hall, utilized mostly by resident students.

Bridget Allen, a student who no longer lives on campus, said she sometimes finds herself missing Monty’s food.

“Montgoris Dining Hall’s breakfast is my personal favorite during the week days,” she said. “I’m no longer living on campus, but even as a commuter, I can’t stay away from Angela’s omelets.

They’re just too good.”

TORCH PHOTO/ DIANA COLAPIETRO

Montgoris Dining Hall is the main dining hall on campus where students can go.

10

Fresh vibes at New York Fashion Week SAMANTHA ALBANESE Entertainment Editor

New York Fashion Week has promptly come to an end. Having presented over 100 shows, the event went through New York like a fashion whirlwind.

Gathered from the chatter among the blogosphere, there seemed to be a wave of disappointment crashing alongside a wave of praise, which gave an overall mixed vibe for the spring/summer season.

In contrast, I found a few collections that were normally not shocking or exceptional to have brought a surprisingly fresh feel to the often floral plastered spring/ summer season.

Thom Browne’s collection had a handful of futuristic, minimalistic looks, mastering the art of broad and structured shoulders and tailored couture cuts.

Browne brought “theatre meets couture” into this season, seamlessly sewing 18th century Victorian theme with a modern, theatrical twist. There was a whisked theme of insanity and institutionalization, especially with the all white theme. The contrast in fabrics was intriguing, chiffon and lace, dresses with caged arms and barbed skirts; the women were appropriately confined.

The models sported plain, white powdered faces, with a tint of deviance, adorned with perfectly smudged red lipstick, fitting with the psychiatric theme. Browne was successful in bringing a theatrical complex into a season which tends to sport floral prints and pastels.

Also serving a Victorian theme, Marc Jacobs brought forth a cool divergence from the traditional steam-punk, and put a contemporary “beachy frat” spin on it, coordinating justly with the runway set.

“It’s more of a weird frat party, Burning Man, shores-of-Gotham City sort of beach scene,” designer Marc Jacobs told Style.

PHOTO/STYLE.COM

Thom Browne brings theatrics to the Spring/Summer 2014 presentation at NYFW.

PHOTO/STYLE.COM

Silhouettes of the outfits from the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2014 presentation.

com last week. “It’s a lovely nightmare, or it was for me anyway. I didn’t want the cliché of spring and summer, I wanted it to be about girls who have no problem coming to work in a Victorian gown and Birkenstocks.”

With black, broad-shouldered coats adorned with paneled embroidery and tassels paired with island themed floralprinted board shorts, and dresses alike, the models’ smug faces integrated well with the coolness factor and ardorous sensation in the room. The blunt cuts on the sandy blonde wigs paired nicely with the dark hues, mainly consisting of navy, maroon, emerald, brown and black which complimented the island theme, while in keeping with spring tradition.

The most notable faces, Georgia May Jagger, Cara Delevigne, Charlotte Free and “it girl,” Sky Ferreira, respectively, all walked the show, wearing romantic, long, sheer, black lace dresses embellished with sequined flowers, paired with oversized sweatshirts, that only enhanced the suave feel.

With some designers breaking the stereotypical mold of the spring/summer sea-

son, the record has been set straight that florals and pastels don’t necessarily have to be paired for a successful and artful presentation. Many designers, such as Proenza Schouler and Alexander Wang, who played with minimalism, logos, and cheeky vibes, and Proenza Schouler, who used tailored and pleated pants, and structured coats as an opportunity to play around with textures, and minimalism with structured elegance.

Interested in writing for the Lifestyle section?

Email torchfeatures@gmail.com and/or torchent@gmail.com or visit us in DAC room 125.

Lorde debuts with the ‘Love Club’ KORI WILLIAMS Staff Writer There are few places where a music fan can find music that is sweet and soulful while at the same time, upbeat and simple.

These different elements have blended together in a unique way and are topped off with her versatile voice on New Zealandbased artist Lorde’s new EP, “The Love Club.”

Even though her music presents itself in this work as uplifting, it isn’t necessarily the case. The first track on the album “Bravado,” talks about how she is fighting a “war” within herself and how she’s “faking” glory. It seems as if these feelings are only being exacerbated by a significant other.

The second track on the album, titled “Royals,” has a different view. It has a more urban beat to it that is balanced out

by Lorde’s feminine voice and harmonized background vocals. The lyrics refer to the fancy, expensive lifestyles others around her are living, or at least what they are talking about. She can only dream of that kind of life even though she may not be cut out for it.

The song could also be a statement of how different she is compared to other artists in the music industry. Many others

talk about how much money they have and how they use that money to live exuberant lifestyles. She seems to be signaling

PHOTO/MISSINFO.TV

Still image from the music video for “Royals,” the first single off “The Love Club.”

that she enjoys the wealth that results from a recording career, but that’s not why she makes music.

“And we’ll never be royals / It don’t run in our blood / That kind of lux just ain’t for us, we crave a different kind of buzz.”

The music video for “Royals” fits the same theme, as it features Lorde sitting on a bed singing with only an awkwardly colored tan wall to accompany her, almost matching her pale complexion.

Even though there are only five tracks on the EP, they all do a good job of not sounding alike, but also as if they all belong together. While some have a different feel than others, they all have a role in making the album diverse.

However, it is safe to say that Lorde has found a comfort zone and she plans on staying there. Other music she has released has a similar sound. It also seems that Lorde may get a lot of comparisons to Lana Del Rey, who is very popular at the moment and has the soft, simplicity that is found in Lorde’s music.

“The Love Club” is an EP that was released earlier this year, but has a timeless simplicity that will have people listening to it for years to come. It’ll also hold fans over until the release of Lorde’s first studio album, “Pure Heroine” due out on Sept.

30.

12

Tapas rejuvenating for study abroad students

CHINONYE MBONU Contributing Writer

It seems like it may have been the “twerk” heard around the world. Even in our state of television purgatory – no cable, no Netflix, no Hulu, not even Pandora – our study abroad group rung in its second week in Seville recounting Miley Cyrus’ foam-finger antics.

If missing a live viewing of MTV’s Video Music Awards didn’t solidify our absence from American society, the start of our classes abroad certainly did. We all seemed to have conveniently forgotten the “study” aspect of studying abroad.

Annoyed and still battling jet lag, we dragged our feet to our various Philosophy and Theology classes.

Fortunately for us, classes were only Monday through Thursday, and they passed by as quickly as we hoped.

Over the course of the week, our guides led a couple of excursions into different landmarks in the city to help us get a better sense of the culture.

I replaced those excursions with a cultural assimilation of my own – siesta. I somehow managed to sleep through all the group trips that week. Perhaps my frail body wasn’t ready to adapt just yet.

I promised myself that I’d use my three day weekend to do some real exploring, and I’m glad to say I kept my promise.

Personally, I believe that shopping and eating are the best ways to bond with a city, so naturally that is what my weekend consisted of.

I’d like to say that I found the city center on my own, but honestly it found me. The universal landmark for any hip district is a Starbucks and Seville’s city center has one on just about every corner.

I walked straight past all the American chain restaurants and had no intentions of looking back. I was having cravings–which no Quarter Pounder in the world could satisfy.

My friends and I walked into the first tapas bar we found and it was love at first taste. Truthfully, tapas are sent from God. The best way I can describe Tapas are appetizer-sized portions of entrees.

What’s even better is that they generally cost less than three euros a plate.

My favorite is a dish called carne en tomate. It’s little beef chunks in a tomato soup served hot with bread.

The first time I had it, I swear my taste buds did the Cha-Cha Slide.

After eating we headed straight to the shops. I was ecstatic to find that they had some of my favorite stores like Zara, along with some other equally fine shops that were new to me.

To add to that, there was no shortage of street vendors selling everything from scarves to ukuleles. If you’re lucky, you could snag up a genuine Moroccan leather wallet for less than 10 euros.

Come nighttime, all roads led to Bilindo, Seville’s local hotspot. We learned the basics in Spanish Clubbing 101 pretty quickly.

First, people don’t dance with each other at all. Secondly, the Spaniards

probably know more words to Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” than you do. Lastly, your night was insignificant if it did not end at Bilindo.

In retrospect, the second week may have started off as a bit of a drag, but it ultimately ended on a high note.

God bless tapas for that.

Chinonye Mbonu is a junior at St. John’s studying abroad this semester with the Discover the World program.

TORCH PHOTO/ SHANNON LUIBRAND

Seville is one of three cities where study abroad students stay during the semester.

13

Natalia’s new album ‘Kills’ SHANTAVIA THOMAS Staff Writer

NATALIA KILLS Trouble

Every young girl needs a comingof-age album for that difficult teenagerturned-young-adult phase. Natalia Kills’ sophomore album “Trouble” is the perfect soundtrack for any rock-loving girl’s wrong decisions, as well as falling in and out of love and hold nothing back.

Singer/songwriter Natalia Keery-Fisher has released music under other aliases (Natalia Cappuccini and Verbalicious) but she is widely known as Natalia Kills, the 27 year-old “Problem Princess” hailing from West Yorkshire, London. Natalia’s highly anticipated album “Trouble” made me think of a young P!nk in her prime: young, rebellious, tough and full of powerful vocals. The title track “Trouble” sums up the album in one line: “Save your innocence for the next life/Never let them make you think twice.”

The song “Television” throws the listener right into the story line: young rich kids witnessing bad behavior on television and wanting to rebel. It results in them pleading to cops, “you can take the handcuffs off, I promise we won’t run.”

Heavy electric guitars on the album’s single track “Problem” lets everyone know “there’s no salvation for a bad girl.”

Natalia keeps her heartbreaker ideals intact with “Stop Me” and “Boys Don’t Cry.” The eerie back vocals on “Stop Me” partnered with its suggestive lyrics (“When the night is young and we look 25 but we’re sweet 16, can I be the one to turn your nightmare into a dream?”) go handin-hand with Boys Don’t Cry lyrics (“I’ll be yours tonight, but don’t hold me too tight. When we say goodbye, remember,

boys don’t cry”).

One of the albums best tracks, “Daddy’s Girls,” samples Hall and Oates’ 1997 Top 100 Billboard Magazine Hit “Rich Girl,” fitting into the album’s theme of a well-off girl making all the wrong decisions when it comes to boys. “Saturday Night” is another fan favorite; it’s an awesome track to get dressed to before going out with close friends and making unforgettable memories.

“Devils Don’t Fly” is one of the more powerful ballads of the album. Natalia belts out emotional verses centered on not being strong enough to deal with hardships and identifying with a devil that wants to escape but can’t find a way.

What’s being young without a little complication in matters of the heart? Natalia warns off and runs away from suitors with “Outta Time,” sweetly singing, “You knew that I could hurt you, but you said I was worth the fight.”

“Controversy” is such a fitting title for this medley of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.

With the tracks theme of peer pressure, as well as heavy techno beats and raunchy lyrics and a few suggestive sounds, even I would “drink the kool-aid”? This track sets listeners up for “Rabbit Hole,” another peer pressure-themed track made for “those kids your momma warned you about.”

“Watching You” and “Marlboro Lights,” (another album ballad) are softer tracks off the album, with one clear understanding: breakups are hard.

“Trouble” takes you through the tale of a young woman still trying to figure out what’s right and what’s wrong, but not really caring either way. An album for a young girl with a dark past, even darker present, but a hopeful future, Natalia Kills delivers a well put-together track list that is sure to make you want to find a party or fall in love (maybe a combination of the two).

Go ‘Bezerk’ SHANTAVIA THOMAS Staff Writer

In normal Eminem-esque behavior, the Detroit rapper delivers a hard-hitting, in-your-face single that makes us remember why we loved him in the first place.

Forty year-old Marshall Mathers aka Eminem (aka Slim Shady for those who can remember that far back), released the video for his newest single “Berzerk.”

The Beastie Boys-inspired video featured cameos from record producer/former co-president of Columbia Records Rick Rubin, hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar and country musician Kid Rock.

The video is all over the place with hyper-active Em bouncing around between YouTube clips, 1990s-esque graphics and enormous speaker boxes.

The video altogether looks fun and a bit chaotic, but what else is to be expected from “The Real Slim Shady?”

In a (painfully awkward) interview on ESPN during the recent Michigan – Notre Dame football game, Eminem tells interviewers that his new album “The Marshalls Mathers LP 2” will be a “revisit” to the Slim Shady period in his music career.

The album is expected to release in late November. The Marshall Mathers LP was only one of Eminem’s awarding winning albums that solidified the rapper as a force to be reckoned with in the hip-hop community. Hopefully this new album has the same spirit and lyric intensity as the first LP. If the album is anything like “Berzerk,” we have nothing to worry about.

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PHOTO/CBS

Natalia Kills stops to pose for a photo outside of a fashion week event in NY.

Katy Perry

experimented with electronic dance music in her latest single “Dark Horse” featuring rapper Juicy J, produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin.

AVICII

who is credited with popularizing Electronic Dance Music, released his highly-anticipated full-length album titled “True” yesterday.

PHOTO/iTUNES

14

Fall gets intense with new TV dramas DOMINIQUE MUSA Staff Writer

The fall television line-up has something for everyone this season. If the everso-popular horror and comedy genres don’t float your boat, then maybe something of the tried and true variety will.

For the history buffs within the SJU community, you will not be disappointed with the premiere of “Reign.”

“Reign” documents Mary, Queen of Scots, as she arrives with her three best friends (also her ladies in waiting) in France to marry Prince Francis.

15-year-old Mary, who up until this point has been kept in seclusion at a convent, must navigate her way around and survive treacherous enemies and other dark forces within the French Court. “Reign” premieres Thursday Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. on The CW. If the historical dramas don’t catch your attention, then maybe the thriller/ drama “Hostages” will. Top-tiered surgeon and mom Ellen, prepares to operate on the President of the United States when her husband and two teenage children are held hostage by a group led by a rogue FBI agent.

The rogue team’s demand: kill the president during surgery or risk greater harm to herself and family. “Hostages” stars former

“United States of Tara,” star Toni Collette and “American Horror Story” alum Dylan McDermott. “Hostages” premieres on Monday Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. on CBS. Who doesn’t love a good fairy tale? So why not take the love of fantasy-filled fairy tales and turn it into a television series with a twist.

With the already popular “Once Upon a Time” comes a spinoff series called “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.”

The show follows a teen named Alice during the Victorian-era, who must convince her doctors at an insane asylum that her adventures, including following a talking rabbit down a hole to a mystical and adventurous land, actually took place. “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” premieres on Thursday Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. on ABC. Those of you who openly or secretly love comic books and superhero movies are in luck this season with “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” The series follows a sixperson, highly skilled team led by Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (SHIELD) agent, Phil Coulson.

Coulson died in Joss Whedon’s 2012 “The Avengers,” but the once-dead agent has apparently found his way back to the land of the living to lead the S.H.I.E.L.D team.

The pilot picks up right after “The Avengers,” leaves off, the aftermath of the battle in New York City, resulting in the world’s awareness of Superheros and Aliens. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” premieres on Tuesday Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

PHOTO/CBS

Promotional image from` the new CBS show premiering Sept. 23rd

Haraya hosts ‘Jump Off ’ on campus CHRISTINA DOGAS Staff Writer

TORCH PHOTO/CHRISTINA DOGAS

Students and friends having a great time at the “Jump Off” event hosted by Haraya

To conclude the first full week of classes, Haraya held its semester kickoff known as “Jump Off” in Taffner Field House on Friday evening.

When I arrived, the entrance to the party was exceedingly packed. As I stood outside waiting to get in, I could feel the anticipation from everyone around me.

Some people were dancing to the music that they could hear from outside. Many students brought guests from other colleges, giving them a chance to see a St. John’s party. It took at least 20 minutes to get into the event. Upon arriving, the music was thunderous and people were dancing to the rhythmic beats. DJ Zeke did an outstanding job DJing at the event with his upbeat mixes.

“It was one of the best parties in a very long time,” DJ Zeke said. “The organization did a great job at promotion.”

There didn’t seem to be a single individual who looked uninterested. Everyone was dancing together. Whether people were with their friends or meeting new people, everyone seemed to be having a good time.

At one point I forgot I was at a school event, but rather at a club.

Nechelle Jean, a new transfer, didn’t know what to expect at the event.

“I am so glad that I went, it was so much fun,” she said. “It made up for all of the stress that the first week of classes brought. I cannot wait to attend the Jump Off next year.”

Jump Off was a great chance to catch up with old friends and also a possibility to meet new ones. This was a great end to the first full week of classes.

TORCHCOMICS Tuesday Taco Time

Diamond Watts-Walker

SprayCanMan John Inzetta

College Problems L.A.B.

Bring it Back!!

18 September 2013

16

Star rising: Daly takes Belson by storm JON PEREZ Sports Editor Known as ‘The English Spa’ during the Georgian Era, Harrogate has been the spa city of North Yorkshire. Located on the West Riding of Yorkshire, Harrogate was once the best for its spa water that contains iron, sulfur, and common salt.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, ill visitors would visit Harrogate because of the ‘chalybeate’ waters that contained iron.

Three thousand six hundred and twenty five miles and 213 years later, Harrogate has another cause for attention. On the campus of St. John’s University, Rachel Daly has been the ‘Hey did you hear?’ story of the year through seven games with the Red Storm this year. So far, Daly has scored a nation best 11 goals including two hat tricks while also leading the country in points with 24 and has been named the Big East offensive player of the week twice.

Just how impressive is her start? It comes only a year after St. John’s went 6-10-1 and scored a total of 16 goals.

The leading goal scorer was Emily Cubbage with three. Cubbage also lead the team with eight points. Daly has already shattered that mark and has been a big influence on the team after sitting out last year due to NCAA regulations due to playing oversees, she is listed as a sophomore instead of a red-shirt freshman and only has three years of eligibility. While sitting out an entire year can be frustrating for any college athlete, Daly said she doesn’t dwell on it.

“I think it was a blessing in disguise, not playing for a year,” Daly said.

“Because I got to focus on my studies and see what actual college life was out here and how to be a student athlete so I was still involved in everything just not playing. It definitely prepared me well

for going into the season. I played in the summer too so I came in quite ready.”

Daly was more than ready. In her second collegiate game, Daly scored not only her first career goal but also her first career hat trick all in the first half.

In only two games, Daly already tied her teammate’s previous season high in goals scored.

Flash in a pan right? There’s no way she could do it again right? Wrong. In her follow up game she scored the game winning goal on a penalty kick - her fourth goal of the year which led St. John’s over UMass 1-0.

If there was any law of averages to be played out it certainly hadn’t happened yet. She scored her second hat trick against Brown in a 4-0 rout on Sept. 8. In the seven games that Daly has played she’s scored in five of them, the two games she failed to score were the opener against Delaware (even though she did assist on a Morgan Tinari goal) and Sunday against Ohio State.

She may not be recognizable around campus. She’s not very tall, not very muscular and blends in to her surroundings, so it’s no wonder why most of the soccer world didn’t know about one of the more dynamic soccer players on the planet right now. However there was one man who said he saw the potential for the rising star.

“I knew about Rachel,” head coach Ian Stone said. “It was tough initially to get her eligible and the way it worked out was that she had to sit out last year so that to an extent was a little more frustrating the fact that she had been practicing for us and couldn’t play, and I’m sure it was very frustrating for her too. She’s a phenomenal soccer player so it was kind of almost the final piece to the jigsaw puzzle in that we had everything else in place but obviously someone who can score goals in her place is valuable.”

While Daly has been stealing

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headlines, senior Amy Marron has been a key to Daly’s success. On Daly’s 11 goals, Marron is responsible for six of them.

Marron knows how good of a player Daly is but there are a lot of intangibles as well.

“From the beginning we really connected well together right from the start,” Marron said. “Having that connection as forwards is important because it’s hard to learn. You can’t teach someone to get along well with someone and have the same mind set. So I think we both share that, it’s easy, we have a good bond off the field so it’s easy to connect in a game and just the confidence I have in her to know that she’ll score. It’s much easier, it makes my job to get her the ball in those positions.”

Daly said she felt that the off-the-field connection helps with on-the-field performance.

“Playing with Amy is good because she literally just finds me from nowhere,” Daly said. “I don’t know how she finds me but I think 95 percent [Actually 55 percent] of my goals have come from her assists so we do have a little bit of a connection and we work on it in training a lot.”

Daly played club ball for the WPSL’s LA Strikers in the summer. While she was with the Strikers she played defense and says she felt that it was an asset to her growth as a soccer player and as a scoring threat.

“I was a defender for the last five years of my life,” Daly said. “So going into forward I was always, ‘If you don’t score you suck.’ I’m quite positive with myself so I tell myself that I do need to score and that it just so happens that I’ve done it every game so far. So I guess it’s working.”

With those 11 goals, Daly is tied for fourth on the list for most goals scored in

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a single season at St. John’s with Crisitin Burtis. Burtis also holds the school record for most goals scored in a single-season she set in 1994. Second on the list is Adriana Viola with 15 goals in 1989 and Dominica Reina is third with 12 goals in 2002. Stone took over the head coaching job at St. John’s in 1994 and had a front row seat to witness Burtis and Reina.

“Crisitin Burtis had the same type of mentality as Rachel in that she wanted to be a difference maker,” Stone said. “Goal scorers are a little bit of a rare breed they want the pressure of for example taking the penalty kick, or having the game on the line, and they want to be the people that win it. So certainly Crisitin had that.

Dominica was different in that Dominica wasn’t a complete soccer player as the other two but she was closest to Rachel in that she was a natural goal scorer. I think to an extent Rachel has surprised herself but she’s put all the work in over the years to be very good in all the techniques of the game.”

The record does seem to be within reach for Daly, who would feel honored to have her name next to a couple of St. John’s greats.

“It would mean the world to me,” Daly said. “Especially in my first season, obviously I missed out on it rookie year, so to set some form of record would be amazing for me so I strive to get past the 17 goals and make sure I get on there.”

While Daly has the opportunity to be one of the most prolific goal scorers throughout her career, Daly hasn’t forgotten that there is no I in team and for right now, she doesn’t have her sights on breaking any record but instead how far her team can go.

“As long as we’re winning and we get to where we want to be then I’m happy with that but if I’m scoring goals and setting records it’s just an added bonus.”

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School (First-Place Votes)R North Carolina (16) Notre Dame (6) Cal State Northridge (1) California Creighton Washington St. John’s Virginia Commonwealth Wake Forest Saint Louis UCLA Connecticut Clemson New Mexico Akron Northwestern Maryland Tulsa Georgetown UAB UMBC Louisville George Mason Elon Wisconsin

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Sophomore forward Sean Sepe has found the back of the net three times this season.

Junior college transfer Casey Osborne member o f the Johnnies’ defense since head Coach Dr. Dave Masur implemented a 5-3-2 formation.

Brandon Savino has been a steadying pres-

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New Under Armour uniforms released forms include a graphic of the New York City skyline, which alludes to the team’s slogan as the city’s team.

(Nonconference Home) (Conference Home)

Conference Away)

feature a throwback look harkening back to the days of Carnesecca, Mullin and deep runs into the NCAA Tournament.

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(Nonconference Away)

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Diaz stays strong between posts

Goalkeeper records third-straight clean sheet in win over West Virginia MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE Managing Editor Clean sheets at Belson are becoming the norm for the St. John’s men’s soccer team, as the Red Storm (5-1) beat West Virginia 1-0 Sunday night.

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The victory was the Johnnies’ fourth in a row – and the team’s third straight with a 1-0 score line.

“It really starts in practice with a lot of focus, a lot of preparation for the game,” senior goalkeeper Rafael Diaz said. “And we’re getting a little groove now and the forwards are putting them in and giving us confidence that if we get a shutout, we’re going to win.”

Sean Sepe was the forward who found the back of the net for the Red Storm Sunday. The sophomore slalomed past three West Virginia (3-2-1) defenders before slotting home to the far post in the 23 minute. The goal came barely five minutes after he squandered a chance created by senior midfielder-turned-fullback Jamie Thomas.

“I was mad at myself that I didn’t score the first one and I was like, ‘I’m definitely getting one this game – I’m going to push to get it,’” Sepe said.

The strike was Sepe’s second goal in

as many games and his third overall on the season. “[Scoring goals] is a lot easier for confidence and it just helps my mindset knowing if I score, it’ll help my team out,” Sepe said.

Despite Sepe’s good run of form, the story of the early season continues to be the Red Storm’s firm defense. Head coach Dr. Dave Masur’s implementation of a 5-3-2 formation along with Diaz’s presence in goal has seen the Johnnies thwart their opponents in the final third, conceding just two goals in six games.

The Red Storm’s performance against a West Virginia team that scored 12 goals in the five games heading into the Sunday night matchup puts into perspective the Johnnies’ defensive prowess at the moment.

“I think this was the best defensive game we played [thus far],” Diaz said.

“They had a couple early chances in the beginning, but we took care of that and in the second half, I don’t think they had a clear shot. It’s a team that scores a lot of goals and for them to not have that many shots is a testament to what we did.”

However, always looking to improve, Masur was quick to point out his team’s sloppy passing in midfield.

“We gave the ball away too easily,” Masur said. “They [West Virginia] were very aggressive to squeeze up on us after we scored the goal and we didn’t handle it well at all,” Masur said.

Masur and co. will look to record their fifth straight victory when they travel to Nebraska Saturday to take on Creighton.

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Rafael Diaz has three shutouts during the four-game winning streak.

Storm blank Rams in cross-town match ten kills to set up set point, which was awarded to St. John’s after a net violation by Fordham in the middle of a long

KYLE FITZGERALD Online Editor

rally.

“We just play for each other,” Boursiquot said. “When we get in our

St. John’s blew past cross-city rival Fordham in three sets (25-13, 25-20, 25-21) on Tuesday night. Although they were tested by the Rams (6-6). The Red Storm (8-4) were able to step up their game when the pressure mounted.

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The first set began with each team exchanging blows, but that only lasted for so long until junior Aleksandra Wachowicz turned it into a service clinic.

The outside hitter was given the ball to serve down 12-13, but turned that around to win thirteen consecutive points and crush her opposition.

“Well lately I’ve practiced serving a lot,” Wachowicz said. “I feel more comfortable now serving. We had a good rhythm as a team so I just followed the rhythm and I tried my best.”

Any attempt by Fordham to counter was squandered by junior Ashley Boursiquot. Nearing the end of the first set, the middle blocker scored two of her

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St. John’s has won their last six-straight sets against Troy and Fordham.

huddle we give each other words of encouragement and just play our heart out.”

The Johnnies kept the momentum in their favor in the second set, quickly establishing a 21-12 lead. The Rams refused to be humbled in a crushing fashion again, as they strung off five consecutive points to be within four, until sophomore Karin Palgutova dismantled any hopes of late-rally heroics.

Palgutova, who was given a spot on the Big East Honor Roll this past week, used her versatility at the net to find the open spot in-between two Fordham blockers to set up set point, which she clinched with a kill.

“Karin’s been a go-to player and just got Big East player of the week for the first time in her career. She’s not only a great player, not only a strong student, but also a very humble person,” head coach Joanne Persico said.

St. John’s got up to another quick lead in the final set. With Palgutova continuing to score kills, the Johnnies had a 22-15 lead, but struggled to close until Wachowicz slammed the door on another failed attempt by Fordham to come back.

St. John’s now begins a four game road trip, beginning with a rematch from earlier this year against Stony Brook on Sept. 20.

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Ohio State snaps Storm’s unbeaten streak STEPHEN ZITOLO Staff Writer The St. John’s women’s soccer team went into The Hoosier Classic looking to improve on its 6-0 record, but ended the weekend with its first loss after falling to Ohio State 1-0.

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The loss snapped a lot for the Red Storm (6-1): a six-game winning streak, goalkeeper Diana Poulin’s fivegame shutout streak and Rachel Daly’s

five-game goal scoring streak.

“I learned a lot and so did the team today,” St. John’s head coach Ian Stone said over the phone. “Rachel is the leading goal scorer in the nation and defenses are taking notice of that. We can’t just rely on her, other people have to step up and we have to put more balls on goal than we did today.”

The Johnnies were also scheduled to play Indiana at the tournament, but travel complications only allowed them to play the Buckeyes.

“It really should have been an advantage for the team,” Stone said.

“Ohio State played on Friday and we didn’t. It wasn’t ideal preparation for us with all of the flight delays but we have to overcome adversity like that better”.

The Buckeyes got on the board in the 22nd minute after Nichelle Prince

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Rachel Daly and company couldn’t find the back of the net on Sunday.

found the back of the net. Michela Paradiso was awarded the assist.

Daly was booked soon after the Ohio State goal, receiving a yellow card in the 24th minute.

It was the Englishwoman’s first yellow card of the season.

“Rachel was frustrated,” Stone said.

“The Ohio State defense was doing a good job on her, but she was being fouled as well and she was letting the referees know that.”

The Johnnies couldn’t get much going on the offensive side of the ball - recording only one shot on goal and no corners in the first half. The quick hitting offensive tempo that the Red Storm have been showing all season was nowhere to be found.

The second half of the game was much like the first. Both teams’ defenses handled each other’s offense with consumate ease.

The Johnnies had a barrage of shots in the last five minutes of the game, but failed to find an equalizer. The Red Storm’s best chance to score came on a header from Amy Marron, but the keeper saved easily.

“This was a good learning experience for us, we played a lot better in the second half,” Stone said. “Ohio State was the mentally tougher team today.”

St. John’s will take to the field again Friday when Dartmouth travels to Queens for a night on the Belson Stadium turf.

“Dartmouth could have been a NCAA tournament team last season,” Stone said. “They are going to be a good test before going into Big East play week.”

Defense is the name of the game JON PEREZ

Sports Editor Usually the second full week of the semester means that most students are finally easing into the year.

For the students who aren’t caught up, the two soccer teams are making headlines and winning like it’s going out of style.

Led by Dr. Dave Masur and Ian Stone, the men’s and women’s soccer teams are both playing well at the same time and have everything clicking. Both teams have lost just one match each and have been finding the back of the net in clutch situations. However, the most impressive thing is both team’s defense.

The men’s team has shut out their last three opponents as Rafael Diaz continues to stand on his head night in and night out.

“I think this was the best defensive game we played [thus far],” Diaz said after Sunday’s victory over West Virginia. “They had a couple early chances in the beginning, but we took care of that and in the second half, I don’t think they had a clear shot.”

While on the women’s side, the Lady Storm have been launching on all cylinders. The Johnnie’s have outscored their opponents 21-2.

“We’ve been fortunate at the moment that the both the defense is clicking and the offense is clicking at the same time,” Stone said. “I feel so confident in our back four and our goalkeepers to do the

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Storm

Cast

Leavin’ their Mark Men and Women’s tennis both serve aces

It was a banner day for men’s tennis on Sunday as sophomore Vaidik Munshaw and senior Gary Kushnirovich each won singles titles at the Princeton/ Farnsworth Invitational. The titles were each their first title as members of the Red Storm. Munshaw beat Colin Sinclair of Cornell in straight sets while Kushnirovich beat Matt Nardella of Penn.

“Overall it was a good weekend for us,” said head coach Eric Rebhuhn in a press release, “We still have some things to improve, but the team is looking good and we’re confident that we’ll have a great fall season.”

Rebhuhn will send representatives to the Yale Classic in New Haven, Conn. and the USTA Men’s College invitational next weekend.

The women were not too shabby themselves as freshman Anna Morozova and senior Yanita Arnaudova each picked up two singles victories at the Columbia Invitational. Khrystyna Pavlyuk also had a tough three set victory over Jen Newman of Amherst on Saturday.

The match featured a grueling 10-8 breaker third set to clinch the victory for Pavlyuk. Junior Nastya Polyakova had a thrilling three set victory over Stephanie Do of Penn State, 6-0, 4-6, 10-7.

Blowin’ in the Wind “I think we have the potential to go far. It’s going to be in our hands, how much we want to work for it.”

-Amy Marron on the team’s expectations for this fall.

Headin’ this Way Red Storm home games

Women’s Soccer TORCH PHOTOS/DIANA COLAPIETRO

The whole soccer program has played well on the defensive side.

job that they do, they don’t get enough credit for what they do,” says forward Rachel Daly, “It’s easy to put the goals away, but it’s not as easy to protect the goals so huge credit to the back four they’ve done phenomenal. To play 90 minutes as well every game they’re doing so well.”

Who knows how much longer both teams can sustain a winning product.

The men’s team is performing par for the course as they’re looking to improve on an early exit against Farleigh-Dickinson last season while the women cash in on their experience and continue to soar past last year’s sub-par 6-10-1 season.

Both teams will head back to action this weekend. The women’s team will host Dartmouth on Friday, while the men will travel to Omaha to play Creighton.

Sept. 20 Sept. 26 Oct. 29

Dartmouth Xavier Creighton

Volleyball

Sept. 27 Seton Hall Oct. 11

Georgetown

Men’s Soccer Oct. 5

Providence

5 p.m.

7 p.m.

1 p.m.

7 p.m.

1 p.m.

5 p.m.

The Volleyball team won its second straight match against Fordham.

The women’s soccer team lost for the first time this season.

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SPORTS SEPTEMBER 18 2013 | VOLUME 91, ISSUE 7 | TORCHONLINE.COM

KEEP ON ROLLING

MEN WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT BEHIND ANOTHER DIAZ SHUTOUT PG. 18 TORCH PHOTO/SARAH HOWARD