Changes in leadership, no matter the organization, always promise bold, idealistic declarations of the new and innovative changes that are to be made. We at the Torch are no different. The new editorial board, full of fresh faces, has lofty goals as to how to expand upon the work our predecessors have done, and build on the foundation they have laid for us.

The biggest change that readers will see is the merging of Features and Inferno into a new Lifestyle section. The section aims to place more of an emphasis on the St. John’s community – the people that make our diverse University so unique. It’s a section that will certainly go through growing pains, but one that we feel will come to define the paper as the next school year progresses.

Of course, cosmetic changes will not make a difference as to how we approach what we do. We are, as all journalists are, after the truth. We are independent from the University, and this independence allows us to bring you the most objective coverage of University business possible. We recognize that people will often not like what they read in these pages, but we also hope that what is in these pages is nothing less than the unvarnished truth.

To meet these ideals, we need a strong staff contributing to the Torch. So please, get involved! Even if you’re not a journalist, there are still many ways that you can contribute, whether it is in design (we’re currently looking for a layout editor), business (all of our money is raised through advertising) or technological (one look at our website confirms – we need computer people!).

Ultimately, the success of a student paper comes down to the students that make up the community. With your help, the Torch can continue to be a beacon of information in the St. John’s community.