Flames of the Torch: On fixing our mistakes, and NZ attack’s impact in SJU community
March 20, 2019
Filed under Home Scroll, Opinion
In a recent Torch article, we mistakenly published a term offensive to the LGBTQ+ community, and also misgendered a member of Spectrum, the LGBTQ+ organization on campus. We worked to fix the mistakes online as soon as we were contacted and added an apology to the online article. We would like to, agai...
MLB Teams Should Stop Overpaying Players
JP Devetori, Contributing Writer
March 20, 2019
Filed under Opinion
The 2019 Major League Baseball free agency is loaded with many big-name players and headliners, for example, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are elite ball players, and for the first time ever, they are free agents. At 26-years-old, Harper and Machado seek long term contracts with a contending team. Bo...
It Is Time Justice is Served For R. Kelly
Jewel Antoine, Contributing Writer
March 20, 2019
Filed under Opinion
Prior to 2019, when one would think of R. Kelly — famous R&B star and pop culture icon — they would be reminded of his contributions to R&B. However, Kelly’s public image has not always been as great as some of his music. Allegations of Kelly’s numerous inappropriate sexual relationsh...
Battle Irish Stereotypes on This St. Paddy’s Day
Maggie Moore, Contributing Writer
March 16, 2019
Filed under Opinion
In the United States, we have recently reexamined the way that Cinco de Mayo is celebrated across the country, as people of Mexican and Latin American descent have advocated for a more respectful celebration of the holiday, without the sombreros and “Cinco de Drinko” slogans. Irish people need to d...
Flames of the Torch
February 27, 2019
Filed under Home Scroll, Opinion
The Jewish Students Association (JSA) invited keynote speaker and Holocaust survivor Lena Goren to speak to the St. John’s community about her experience that dates back nearly eight decades. One of our contributors, Alana Loren Bethea, covered the story for the Torch. Goren discussed jumping from sh...
What Does Black History Month Mean To You?
Jewel Antoine, Contributing Writer
February 27, 2019
Filed under Opinion
Black History Month, or African-American History Month, is an annual celebration in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany. This observance was created with the purpose of recognizing and celebrating the remarkable individuals and events in the history of the African d...
NYC Fights Hair-Based Discrimination with New Laws
Rasheeda Campbell, Staff Writer
February 27, 2019
Filed under Opinion
Targeting someone based on their hair is – and to me has always been – a form of racial discrimination. Someone’s hairstyle and hair color has nothing to do with their intelligence or work ethic. That is why when certain hairstyles and colors are deemed as “more professional” than others, it...
Amazon’s HQ2 Would Have Been an Injustice
Angela Abbatiello, Staff Writer
February 27, 2019
Filed under Opinion
What would NYC look like if Amazon went through with its HQ2 plans? Honestly, worse off. The way that Mayor Bill de Blasio responded to the canceled plans was infuriating. He saw this as “an abuse of corporate power.” However, this situation should be approached from a pragmatic standpoint. If HQ...
My Hair, My Choice
Beatriz da Costa, Morgan Mullings, Dayra Santana, Dana Livingston, Crystal Simmons, Rachel Johnson, and Beverly Danquah
February 20, 2019
Filed under Home Scroll, Opinion
Beatriz da Costa - Opinion Editor I remember when I first relaxed my hair. I look back on my time in middle school when my hair was so heat damaged and wonder, “Why did my mom let me do that?” Before I relaxed my hair it was long and healthy, but peer pressure and seeing my non-Black friends wit...
Flames of the Torch: On the recent #SurvivingSJU talks, findings
February 20, 2019
Filed under Opinion
St. John’s has been under a fair amount of scrutiny since #SurvivingSJU trended nationally last month, leading students to criticize what they see as an ineffective sexual assault reporting system. This comes as several student groups on campus have held demonstrations to voice their displeasure with...
A Misleading State of the Union Address
Eduardo Alfonz, Staff Writer
February 20, 2019
Filed under Opinion
Weeks after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, President Trump delivered a State of the Union Address that sought to bring unity to a very divided Congress and provide the American people with a sense of hope that the government will no longer face a similar dilemma. The problem was tha...
Black Outrage is the New Key to Success
Beatriz, Opinon Editor
February 20, 2019
Filed under Opinion
Flooding our Instagram timelines with ads, sending 40 percent-off discount codes to our emails daily and aligning with celebrities to sell products isn’t enough for clothing companies today. Nowadays, the route that clothing brands such as Gucci, or celebrities like Kim Kardashian take to promo...
