Successor Must Restore Faith

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus
May 8, 2013  

At the end of the Dark Age of the St. John’s men’s basketball team (the turbulent Mike Jarvis era), Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., Still-President of the University found himself in hot water after bemoaning the “culture” of the team. “Cultures develop on a team,” Harrington told... Read More

Harrington’s Actions Show Lack of Caring

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus
May 1, 2013  

I don’t think Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M. President of the University saw me as he left Newman Hall at precisely 4:45 p.m. Monday afternoon. I happened to be passing by when he walked out, strolled to the line of cars parked across the street and climbed into a late-model Audi before... Read More

Ortiz and Sox: A Source of Healing

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus
April 24, 2013  

The concept of a hero athlete, a player that becomes a city icon, loyal to one team, was outdated long before LeBron James left his home state to take his talents to South Beach. The concept of the athlete as a role model left town way before Luis Suarez sank his teeth into Branislav Ivanovic... Read More

Seniors Go the Distance for Autism

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus
April 24, 2013  

Nathan Holmes spent part of his childhood in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. living next door to someone with autism who was the same age as him. John Kenny remembers spending time in his uncle’s New Jersey chiropractor’s office, where his uncle often saw autistic patients. Both of them... Read More

Decision to Sell Man. Campus – Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus
April 10, 2013  

Penny-wise, pound foolish – that’s the only way to describe the University’s decision to sell the Manhattan campus. I used this space last issue to talk about how incredibly shortsighted, not to mention contradictory to the University’s “Catholic, Vincentian, Metropolitan”... Read More

Campus sale contradicts University Mission

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
March 20, 2013  

While the St. John’s community started to wrap its head around the constantly updating reports and allegations of questionable dealings of upper administrators, the University dropped another bombshell, announcing that the Manhattan campus would be put up for sale. Even if all of the allegations... Read More

SGI Prez says LGBTQ Org ‘Possible,’ then Recants

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
February 20, 2013  

The president of Student Government, Inc. Tuesday opened the door, albeit temporarily, to a student-run gay-straight alliance on campus, telling the Torch that “anything’s possible” when it comes to an LGBTQ organization being approved by SGI. “As long as they have a clear mission and... Read More

Young Johnnies Evoking Memories of 2011

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-In-Chief
January 30, 2013  

Is it just me, or is it starting to feel like 2011? I’m probably getting ahead of myself, but that’s how I feel whenever I watch the men’s basketball team play.D’Angelo Harrison stars as Dwight Hardy in Rise of the Red Storm II: The Lavining, while JaKarr Sampson has nailed down the... Read More

Harrison Shakes Off Pesky Pirates

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-In-Chief
January 30, 2013  

With 2:45 left in the game, and St. John’s clinging to a 61-59 lead, Seton Hall leading scorer Fuquan Edwin lined up a wide-open three-pointer from just in front of his team’s bench to complete a 16-point comeback. The shot bounced off the rim, however, and 20 seconds later, St. John’s... Read More

Tragedy rekindles safety discussion

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
December 7, 2012  

Earlier this year I wrote a column about the concussion problem in the NFL and my newly found uneasiness about the league I had revered growing up. The point I tried to make was that the emerging information about the link between concussions and brain damage, and the general trend of NFL players... Read More

Voters validate Obama’s vision

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
November 7, 2012  

It’s finally over. The nastiest, most bitter and most partisan presidential campaign in recent memory has finally concluded after two straight years of “I approve this message” and super PAC ads dominating our television airwaves. Now, the majority of us will forget all about presidential... Read More

Letter from the editor

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
October 24, 2012  

The trial of former University dean Cecilia Chang has attracted a lot of buzz around campus, and around the city. Though Chang was arrested when half of the student body was still in high school, the testimony of Rev. Donald J. Harrington — and specifically, the New York Daily News’ coverage... Read More

Obama Controls Hofstra Debate

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
October 17, 2012  

After the debacle in Denver on Oct. 2, President Obama needed a clear victory in last night’s debate at Hofstra in order to stop Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s surge in the latest national polls. Mission accomplished — in style. Obama found the vigor and passion that were absent in... Read More

Self-esteem project brought to campus

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
October 3, 2012  

Jackie and Warren Hance were thrust in the national spotlight after their three daughters were tragically killed in July 2009 in a wrong-way automobile accident on the Taconic State Parkway that became national news. Emma, Allyson and Kate Hance, aged 8, 7 and 5 respectively, died after their... Read More

Cunniff’s Corner: In search of a 2012 Richard Nixon

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
October 3, 2012  

Question: Which party platform for an incumbent president brags about ending a seemingly endless war, signing treaties to limit nuclear weapons, cutting defense spending and raising taxes. Barack Obama and the Democrats in 2012? No, the correct answer is Richard Nixon and the Republicans in... Read More

Romney’s Comments Reveal Much

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
September 28, 2012  

What do you call a family of five who makes a combined income of $50,000, maybe with one or even both parents working two jobs to make ends meet? I call that family typical, hardworking Americans — the people to which Kix cereal and Chevrolet commercials are geared. Mitt Romney calls that... Read More

A jarring confession

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
September 12, 2012  

I came to a sobering realization this Sunday. I was sitting half-awake on my couch in the afternoon, after not sleeping much the night before (I wish staying out late at some wild college party was the reason, but it wasn’t. Just couldn’t sleep), watching the Patriots-Titans game on my... Read More

Women’s Soccer Bested By Stony Brook

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
August 29, 2012  

Call it a teachable moment. After the women’s soccer team on Sunday was blown out by Stony Brook, 3-0, at home at Belson Stadium, head coach Ian Stone put his team through the ringer at practice Tuesday – putting his team outfield plaayers through sprints throughout the session. The... Read More

Toughness Key to Johnnies’ Success

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
August 29, 2012  

The women’s soccer team has set a goal of bettering its 9-9-1 record and first-round Big East Tournament exit that it recorded last season. But to do that, according to head coach Ian Stone, the players are going to have to toughen up — especially in the aftermath of their uncompetitive... Read More

Lavin Talks New Season

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
August 29, 2012  

Steve Lavin’s absence for the vast majority of the 2011/12 men’s basketball season while recuperating from surgery to treat prostate cancer put a twist onto his three-year timetable to restore St. John’s to prominence. But it wasn’t the kind of twist most people would guess, at least... Read More

Carnesecca to Attend ‘Dribble’

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
August 29, 2012  

Legendary St. John’s men’s basketball coach Lou Carnesecca and former baseball coach Jack Kaiser are expected to headline the St. John’s basketball programs’ second annual “Dribble for the Cure” on Sept. 22, according to a source in the athletic department. Men’s basketball head... Read More

Cunniff’s Corner: Media must put facts before all else

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
August 29, 2012  

The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin’s HBO drama that portrays the inner workings of a cable news show, was one of my guilty pleasures over the summer. As a journalism major, I know that most of what happens at the fictional “News Night” show on the fictional cable network ACN is nothing like what... Read More

From the Editor-in-Chief

Michael E. Cunniff, Editor-in-Chief
April 11, 2012  

Three weeks ago, our Editor-in-Chief (now Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus), Bill San Antonio published his weekly column about a high school classmate of his who died in a car accident. The column, which ran with the headline “A statistic I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” implied that... Read More