Staff Bios
Executive Editor:
Jie Jenny Zou (@JieJennyZou) is a reluctant senior double majoring in multimedia journalism and international affairs. While she’d prefer to wait out the dismal job market and stay in school forever, she realizes that she will one day (soon) have to leave the confines of Stony Brook in search of a news career. She has previously interned at WNBC-TV under the auspices of distinguished newsman Gabe Pressman and spent the past summer in the nation’s capital reporting on technology for The Chronicle of Higher Education. She is the most senior member of the Indie staff–a point of fact and zealous pride for the aspiring investigative reporter. Hobbies include eating and sleeping.
Contact at exec@sbinews.org
Managing Editor:
Kevin Lizarazo is in his sophomore year double majoring in multimedia journalism and international affairs. Legend has it that Kevin once victoriously fought a bear in the center of the Arctic Circle while armed with nothing but a feather and his wit. Sources say, however, that he simply smote down the mighty bear by using his eerily-accurate Christopher Walken impression to coax the bear off of an ice-shelf. When not dancing with danger, Kevin’s hobbies include recycling, saving the world, and cooking. Kevin used to be an adventurer — but he took an arrow in the knee.
Contact at mg@sbinews.org
News Editor:
Christina Mulligan is in her senior year studying broadcast journalism at Stony Brook. Due to a lack of credits and her fear of going out into the real world, she is starting her 5th year of college. She is dedicated to reading the news everyday because it is of utmost importance to know what Garfield is up to every week. She has previously interned at Newsday.com and is currently interning at WABC on 7online.com. Hopefully her experience will help her earn more than $20,000 a year.
Contact at news@sbinews.org
Arts & Features Editor:
Kelly Pivarnik is a junior at Stony Brook studying journalism. She’s a yinzer from Pittsburgh with a love of food, coffee, travel and movies. This past summer, she spent her time interning at Sampsonia Way, an online magazine that focuses its writing on persecuted authors, poets and journalists. Kelly does not know exactly what she wants to do with her life, but is determined to live in as many different cities as possible. This is her second year at the Independent and her first on the editorial board. Despite her surly disposition, she is welcome to new writers with new ideas.
Contact at ae@sbinews.org
Sports Editor:
Jordan Gibbons is a senior at Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism with an online concentration. He has an Associates from Suffolk County Community College and transferred from St. Joseph’s College. He is a nontraditional student that has taken a cross-country road trip that logged 10,000 miles in a 31-day vacation. He is a loyal New York Mets and Jets fan from Ronkonkoma, NY. He is currently interning at Newsday.com sports.
Contact at sports@sbinews.org
Copy Editors:
Amy Onorato
Mohammad Hamza (a.k.a. Mo) is an undecided freshman at Stony Brook University. Along with his unusual and unpublicized passion to write stories, Mo loves to ride his bike whenever the weather permits. He feels extremely free when doing so, because he says he can ponder about anything he wants while riding. Unfortunately, his bike heavily broke down while he was excitingly smiling home one day in front of Alley Pond Park in Queens. Mo also has a passion for graphics arts and design. As for the future, Mo hopes to become a teacher.
Kori Tuitt is a freshman at Stony Brook University. She is a journalism student with a concentration in print journalism but is considering switching to an online concentration. She is a commuter from Queens Village. She interned and freelanced for the Times Ledger Newspapers in Bayside, Queens during her senior year of high school and throughout the summer. One thing Kori likes to do for leisure is listen to Story Corps on NPR.
Staff Reporters:
Katie Epifane, Joann Fan, Jen Novotny, Juan Rodriguez, Eric Scaturro, Kerlern Tuitt, & Andrew Zajic.
Webmaster:
TC McCarthy
