June 11, 2012
Photo Gallery
When alumni and their families came together for Let’s Reconnect
Weekend, hosted by the Black Alumni Association, the conversations
quickly turned to shared memories that reunited them in ways that
made time stand still.
Throughout
the off-campus Friday evening cocktail reception and the Sunday
afternoon picnic on the Great Lawn of the Queens campus, older
alumni generously offered suggestions to the younger graduates
regarding career help and professional development while stressing
the value of staying connected to St. John’s.
“I’ve been able to network with alumni who graduated before me as
well as with recent graduates,” said Theresa Patterson ’01TCB. “I
had a great St. John’s experience so I was happy to come back and
see how the campus has changed and reconnect with friends. I’m
really looking forward to next year’s event and inviting more of my
friends to attend.”
Many alumni haven’t been back on campus for many years, a reality
that inspired tavern owner Frantz Metellus ’94SVC to spearhead
efforts to make the Let’s Reconnect Weekend a success.
“The Black Alumni Association hasn’t had an event in a few years,”
he noted, “and I thought it was important to reconnect with St.
John’s. I see many St. John’s alumni at my bar in Brooklyn, but
many of them have not been to campus or to a St. John’s event in a
long time. I wanted to see that change.”
Jacob Dobbs
’81SVC lives in upstate New York, and frequently participates in
alumni activities in and around the Albany and Saratoga areas. He
wanted to come back to campus to meet some of the younger alumni
and to see the changes that have taken place at the University
since he was a student.
“This weekend was an opportunity to reconnect with old and new
friends from St. John’s,” he said. “It was great to share our love
for St. John’s, even though our experiences were different,
depending on when we were students. I usually attend two events
each year, and was happy to add this weekend to that list. I’m
looking forward to coming back next year and an even bigger
turnout!”
Although not an alumnus, Douglas Cobb’s ties to the University are
as strong as anyone’s. He met his future wife, Angela Wambugu Cobb
’94SVC at a St. John’s party when she was President of Haraya, a
cultural organization established to facilitate events for the St.
John's Pan-African community. His membership in the University
family now extends to the next generation, as their daughter has
just completed her freshman year at St. John’s.
“It was important for my family and I to be here at this picnic
today,” he said, “especially since my wife is an alumna and our
daughter is a St. John’s student. Today gives them both a great
opportunity to mix with the alumni and keep in contact with St.
John’s. Events like these really bring the St. John’s family
together, and that’s very special to us.”