May 08, 2006
Queens, NY -
The Torch, St. John’s student newspaper covering the
Queens campus, has received the highest possible accolade of “First
Place with Special Merit” from the American Scholastic Press
Association for its high caliber as a publication. About a dozen
colleges and universities received this prestigious designation,
including two other New York institutions of higher learning: The
Julliard School and Fordham University.
“This is the first time we’ve been recognized nationally
in more than 10 years,” says Albert Silvestri, who spearheaded
The Torch’s ascent during the past year as Editor in
Chief, and produced 22 issues. “We’re also Hall of Fame members of
the Associated Collegiate Press,” he says. “We’ve received a total
of 15 awards from that organization.”
With Silvestri at the helm of the newspaper, there was a major
emphasis on quality reporting and a big improvement in the paper’s
appearance, which, he says, was recognized by the award. “We used
color for the first time this year!” he explains.
Although he just concluded his leadership role on the student
newspaper, Silvestri plans to contribute articles while he remains
at St. John’s to pursue a master’s degree in public
administration.
Further Improvements Slated
Empowered by the award, the staff of The Torch, the St.
John’s University student newspaper covering the Queens campus, has
big plans for its 83rd year: a new logo; larger photos; compelling
graphics; and top-notch stories from a superb editorial staff.
“The content and look of The Torch will be better than
it’s ever been,” says recently-elected Editor-in-Chief Stephen
Pasqualina, who just completed his second issue in his new role,
moving up from his position as Editorial Page Editor this past
year. (The last two issues of the spring semester and a summer
issue slated for July are put out by the new staff that will be
responsible for The Torch for the next academic year,
2006-2007.)
Other changes involve a more even work flow for editors to avoid
the crunch on Monday and Tuesday nights that kept the staff
working often until the early-morning hours, he adds. Also planned
is a revamped torchonline.com, which will be redesigned with a new
template. “This past year, the paper’s Web site really took off; it
received about 8,000 hits per month!” reports Pasqualina.
Strong New Editorial Staff
He’s also excited about the strong editorial team that’s taken the
helm of the newspaper, citing the youth, talent, dedication and
enthusiasm of new key players, including several students in
management positions who are only going into their sophomore year:
News Editor Bryan Burtner; Sports Editor Stephen Pinto;
Entertainment Editor Amadeo Plaza; and Graphics Coordinator
Christopher Lauto. Editorial Page Editor Kristina Lopez, also in a
key position, will be a junior.
The hardest-working editor will no doubt continue to be Jennifer
Peters, says Pasqualina, as she moves up from News Editor to
Managing Editor for her senior year at St. John’s. “She’s a
journalism major who’s an excellent reporter,” he explains, “and
she keeps us on track.”
The Torch continues to aspire to higher levels of
excellence, concludes Silvestri, who cites the staff’s ongoing
efforts at improving their professionalism. Fifteen editors and
staffers sharpened their skills at the Associated Collegiate Press
Convention in Los Angeles just before Spring Break, he says, adding
that “the sessions were tremendously helpful.”