26th Annual Winter Carnival Rings in Holiday Season

December 12, 2016

“Winter Carnival really helps me get in the holiday spirit, and I definitely needed a break like this with finals coming up,” said Natalie Nagarayeva ’21Pharm.D.

St. John’s ushered in the holiday season with its 26th annual Winter Carnival celebration on the Queens campus, a week-long event filled with festive opportunities for students and alumni that left the university brimming with holiday cheer. The Staten Island campus held its own Winter Carnival and tree lighting ceremony on December 3 in the Campus Center gymnasium, featuring a visit and photos with Santa.

Student Government, Inc., and the Division of Student Affairs began planning the season’s festivities at the beginning of the fall semester. The culmination of all their hard work was realized this past week.

“Winter Carnival is a yearly tradition at the University that rewards students for their hard work throughout the fall semester, and is capped off by a spectacular fireworks display signaling the close of the semester,” observed Jodi Cox ‘’98C, ’02G Director of Campus Life.

The week began with a student trip into Manhattan on November 28 for an evening of ice-skating at Bryant Park. The following day, students were treated to a holiday brunch, where they took refuge from the poor weather outside and enjoyed pancakes, eggs, and other brunch foods set to holiday tunes in the D’Angelo Center Coffeehouse.

December began with St. John’s popular horse-and-carriage rides. Students and faculty were whisked away into a winter fairytale by white, horse-drawn carriages that took them around the Great Lawn. Onlookers paused to take pictures of the three robust horses, a pair of which were making their first trip to St. John’s.

“Nothing feels more like winter than these horse-and-carriage rides—and the carolers,” said Hunter Rabinowitz ’19C, who normally commutes but stayed on campus just a little longer to take a ride. “Horses are definitely better than the train.”

Winter Carnival concluded on a day jam packed with events for students and alumni. The conference room in the D’Angelo Center was transformed into Santa’s Workshop on the morning of December 7. There, those in attendance could decorate Santa hats and Christmas stockings, garnish baked goods, and fill to-go bags with the candy of their choosing at festively decorated workstations.

A vigil Mass took place that night in St. Thomas More Church, commemorating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Afterwards, alumni braced the cold and attended the Alumni Winter Carnival in front of Newman Hall, adjacent to the Great Lawn. Alumni and their children got to have complimentary hot cocoa, take pictures with Santa, and do arts and crafts. Santa hats and gifts bags were sold to benefit St. John’s Bread and Life. Toy donations were also being accepted.

Gwendolyn Groves ’07CPS, ’14G.Ed. has been coming to the Alumni Winter Carnival since 2007. She said she has shared some great memories with her husband and three kids at the event. “Our house was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, and spirits were down that holiday season,” she said. “It was uplifting to come to here and feel the happiness for a night.”

The alumni gathering by Newman Hall offered a picturesque view of the Christmas tree lighting and fireworks show on the Great Lawn. Winter Carnival’s capstone event, the glowing tree and brilliant display lit up the night sky with red, green, and gold. As the fireworks shimmered like tinsel, glowing phrases—“The Tradition Continues” and “We Are St. John’s”—appeared in the background, bringing together students, faculty, staff and alumni for the fall semester’s final celebration.

“Winter Carnival shows that the St. John’s community can come together as a family,” said Kashun Morawakkoralage ’18C. “We’re here to support one another.”