The members of the Torch Editorial Board, like every other citizen of the planet, have been heartbroken over the tragedy that fell upon Nepal when the country was hit by a 7.8 magnitude quake on Saturday.

The death toll – as we write this very sentence – sits just over 4,600. According to the New York Times, the prime minister of Nepal says that it can easily reach to over 10,000 once the nation receives reports from other villages.

Now, just a few days after the earthquake, charities have officially begun to collect monetary donations to support the relief efforts in the affected areas.

As refreshing as it is to see the global community unite for a cause amidst the chaos, it’s quite unfortunate to see that it has to be done over something such as this – to say the absolute least.

So where do we stand on this?

The University prides itself on its Vincentian values: truth, love, respect, opportunity, excellence and service. Let us take a closer look at love, though.

Per the University’s website, love “is a responsible dedication to utilize available resources and turn them towards humanity’s good.”

It seems to all of us here that this tragic-stricken country is in need of love and service.

But how could we make a difference?

Though many of us students are low on funds, one dollar could be put to some good use if it’s donated to an organization such as the Red Cross and there are also more specific groups that target one particular area, such as AmeriCares, Charity: Water or Doctors Without Borders.

Whether you wish to donate or not is entirely up to you, though. We at the Torch just hope that in whatever way the students, faculty and administration at this university concerts their efforts, they do so prayerfully and in unity with the rest of the world.

If you’re a journalism major or have ever taken a journalism class, there’s a chance you might have had Professor Mark Prendergast at least once during your career at St. John’s the past few years.

Many who cross paths with Prendergast come to value his vast arsenal of journalistic knowledge as well as practical life advice that can be applied to every challenge a college student and budding journalist may deal with at some point.

Prendergast spent time at the Sun-Sentinel, the Washington Post, the Daily News, the New York Times and served as ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military newspaper. Talk about an admirable career path.

Prendergast started teaching at St. John’s in 2007 and served as the director of the journalism program for several years.

Those of us at the Torch who had the pleasure of having Prendergast as a professor are eternally grateful for his interesting yet challenging coursework, his stories from his impressive journalism career and his aforementioned life advice that he doles out at just the right moments. A lot of us have walked away from conversations with Prendergast and though we may still have been stressed, we felt better overall, and frankly unstoppable thanks to his wisdom.

So, King P. (as some of us affectionately call you), we will miss you and your always-relevant life advice. Your St. John’s family will always be here, and out there, ready to barrage you with a million questions.