Please allow us to introduce ourselves! Our name is, well, you know the rest. As the Torch’s 92nd group of editors, we are honored to say we have the opportunity to represent such a publication.

Our mission is to keep it real with both the students and members of our St. John’s community. We’re working with a clean slate here and staying loyal to the ethics of journalism and the values of the Torch, while remaining true to you is our goal. To say that we are ashamed or not proud of editorial boards in the past is not true. The message we are trying to get across is that we plan to handle things differently than they did. As a new board, we want St. John’s University to know that our door is always open.

We’ve been told that over the years the relationship between us and the student body hasn’t always been fluid. But, we are all students at St. John’s: therefore, we are one community. As a publication, we want people to see us as an outlet to which can serve as a voice of the students. We also want to maintain the trust and the image that we will remain the role as watchdog of our University and we will continue to take it very seriously.

We welcome all students to express their talents in various forms here at the Torch. Whether you’re a writer, singer, dancer, artist, athlete or politician, we want to work with you. The Torch provides you with relevant up-to-date news about what’s going on in our community, but our purpose also is to shine a light on the lesser-known talents that our peers possess.

Below is a list of the new editors and what we as an editorial board hope to accomplish and improve on within our time at The Torch.

Samantha Albanese, a junior journalism major who intends to bring a fresh perspective and enforce the open-door policy at the Torch, is Editor in Chief.

Olivia Cunningham, a junior journalism major who intends to help execute the team’s vision and take the Torch to new heights is Managing Editor.

Talia Tirella, a first-year journalism major who intends to inform the St. John’s Community, is News Editor.

Kyle Fitzgerald, a sophomore sport management major who intends to expand the features section, which he has contributed to greatly through his study abroad columns, is Features Editor.

Alexa Vagelatos, a junior communications major who intends to allow students to express themselves freely, is Opinion Editor.

Briawnna Jones, a junior communications major who intends to bring student life to lifestyle, is Entertainment Editor.

Stephen Zitolo, a sophomore journalism major who intends to be the top source for Red Storm sports, is Sports Editor.

Laurice Rawls, a junior journalism major who intends to expand our Twitter presence, is Online Editor.

Cheyanne Gonzales, a freshman journalism major who intends to change the image of student newspapers, is Photo Editor.