October 22, 2012
For many years, students at St. John’s University’s Schermerhorn
Street campus enjoyed a relaxing cruise up the Hudson River as part
of their annual social activities. Those fond memories were brought
to life once again at the Schermerhorn Street Alumni Harbor Cruise,
a nautical journey around New York Harbor that featured exciting
views of the Manhattan skyline, Ellis Island and the Statue of
Liberty.
Photo gallery
“We wanted to do something different for our alumni,” said Susan
Damiani ’87CBA Director, Office of Gift Planning, “and so our
Schermerhorn Street Committee surveyed them to see what types of
gatherings they would most enjoy. The cruise was among the most
popular, and the Committee did a great job of putting it together.
There are nearly 60 alumni here today, and everyone’s having a
wonderful time.”
For
Charles Buckley ’69CBA, his fondest memories are of the people he
met while a student at the University’s “vertical campus”. He noted
that since St. John’s was exclusively a commuter school at that
time, it was common that many students knew each other from their
home neighborhoods. When he looks back on those bygone days, he
recalls the sense of family that was a defining factor of the
Schermerhorn Street campus.
“Although St. John’s was a big University back then, Schermerhorn
Street was like a small school within that big University,” he
said. “With the small student body there it didn’t really matter
much what your field of study was. Everybody kind of knew
each other and interacted with each other, so it was really a
hometown feel. I came back today to see some of the people that I
was close to when we were students.”
Neither Carol A. McShane ’60Ed nor her husband Cornelius (’59CBA)
were typical St. John’s students. Because of her need to work
full-time, Carol went to classes at night on Schermerhorn Street
and on Saturday on the Queens campus. Cornelius had his education
interrupted by two years of military service. Now looking back on
the many years since their graduation, they both appreciated their
time at St. John’s, and saw the Harbor Cruise as an opportunity to
reconnect with the University and make new friends with other
alumni.
“Even though Carol and I live in Manhattan, we rarely get over to
this part of the city,” remarked Cornelius. “We both had a great
time at St. John’s, and I’m sure that we’ll make some new friends
by the time we head for home later today. It’s amazing how much
this area has developed. All the cruise ships are lined up
here, the Intrepid is here and the Circle Line is here. This is
definitely the place to be!”
One
of the most active and committed Scherrmerhorn Street alumnae,
Karen Madden ’68UC served as both a Committee Member and Sponsor of
this special alumni event. The passage of time has not diminished
her connection to the University, and especially to the campus that
she called home.
“I really enjoy just getting together with our St. John’s alumni
and showing some school spirit,” she acknowledged. “I have some
really great memories and friendships that still continue to this
day. We had some wonderful teachers, and being in Brooklyn was an
experience because we were so close to Manhattan. Schermerhorn
Street was the best of two worlds, because we were in a campus
environment but still very close to the heart of the city. St.
John’s has developed a lot in the past few years, and it’s just
great to stay connected and see how it’s grown.”
Throughout the day many Schermerhorn Street alumni reflected on
their status as a unique group of members within the University
community. They are proud of their long-standing connection to St.
John’s, and believe that their days in Brooklyn are a lasting
reflection of what made the University unique so many years
ago.
“I think there’s something very special about Schermerhorn Street
and the Schermerhorn people,” noted Steven Rzonca ’69Ed, ’00G. “In
my opinion, I think that we are the embodiment of St.
John’s.”