September 29, 2016
Members of The McCallen Society, along with faculty, alumni, students, and friends, attended Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ filmed performance of West Side Story on September 15. The outing was organized by Susan M. Damiani ’87CBA, Director of the Office of Gift Planning and The McCallen Society, as a way to steward donors, reconnect alumni and friends, and educate students.
What made for an outstanding evening was that the New York Philharmonic played the original score as the film was projected to a vast audience. It was part of a special event entitled, “The Art of the Score: Film Week at the Philharmonic.”
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Ironically, decades ago the rundown tenement district portrayed in the movie was located in the same area where the audience sat to watch the performance. The dance sequences were filmed along nearby 68th Street between Amsterdam and West End Avenues. The aging buildings were eventually demolished to establish New York’s Lincoln Center.
Before enjoying the show, the group gathered at Gabriel’s Bar and Restaurant on Manhattan’s West Side. “It was a small group, and everyone had some type of connection with each other, which is what St. John’s is all about,” said Ms. Damiani. “It worked like an orchestra, with all instruments coming together.”
Daniel Hayde ’64C, a member of The McCallen Society, enjoyed the event. “The music, the Philharmonic, and the setting were all great. Also, the story resonated with me and my wife since we both grew up on the West Side ourselves.”
Rose Ruggiero ’85CBA plans to become a member of The McCallen Society after attending the event. “I received scholarships, grants, and aid when I was in school, and I would like to be able to give back some of that.”
Savio Monteiro, a new law student at St. John’s School of Law, attended the event as the guest of his uncle, Basilio G. Monteiro, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Director of the graduate program in International Communication at St. John’s. “I had the honor of meeting some of the oldest alums of St. John’s University. Some of them even provided me with valuable career guidance and advice,” said Savio. “It was a pleasant and interesting evening as the alumni reminisced about their time at the University. I look forward to The McCallen Society organizing more alumni meetings and other social gatherings.”
If you would like to establish your legacy through a planned gift to St. John’s and become a member of The McCallen Society, please contact Susan M. Damiani at 718-990-7562; [email protected], or visit stjohns.edu/give-sju/ways-give/giving-societies/mccallen-society