October 18, 2012
Sharing strategies for earning high grades, cheering for student
bands and welcoming a new season of Red Storm basketball — 250
parents from across the country sampled the excitement and support
that St. John’s offers students at the University’s annual Family
Weekend on October 12–14.
Traveling cross-country from Texas or driving the family car
from New Jersey, parents came to the Queens, NY,
campus for a full slate of activities highlighing the academic
support and sense of community their students enjoy at St. John’s.
Many parents brought younger children for the weekend.
“This was an extremely successful Family Weekend,” said
Douglas Geiger, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Student
Affairs. “The activities allowed parents to really see what their
children experience at St. John’s — in terms of academics and
campus life. Everyone was clearly impressed.”
Photo
Gallery
At the Staten
Island campus, the weekend allowed alumni to reconnect with
alma mater. Nearly 200 St. John’s graduates brought their
spouses and children on Sunday, October 14, for activities
including games, rides and a petting zoo.
Both campuses included a special presentation for Legacy
Families — those in which students’ parents also attended St.
John’s. “The greatest form of loyalty is when alumni entrust their
child’s education to alma mater,” said Victor Ramos
’91CBA, ’93MBA, Associate Vice President for Institutional
Advancement.
Queens campus activities began Friday evening with the men’s and
women’s basketball tip-off in Carnesecca
Arena. On Saturday, parents joined students for “Where We Are
Now,” an hour-long session on strategies for continued scholarly
and physical health. The program featured Ruth DeRosa, Associate
Director for Student Wellness, and Gerard Fabian Cajas, Assistant
Director for Academic Achievement, University Freshman Center.
After meals at Montgoris Dining Hall, Saturday activities
continued with a campus-wide scavenger hunt, poetry readings and a
student performance of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Visitors received a limited number of discount tickets to three
popular Broadway shows — Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,
Annie and Jersey Boys. The weekend concluded on
Sunday with Mass at the St.
Thomas More Church, a viewing of the NY Jets football game and
a blanket-making class.
For parents, the weekend confirmed everything they had expected
of St. John’s. John and Liane DaMommio came from Texas to spend
time with their son, Luke, a management major in The
Peter J. Tobin College of Business. “We were very impressed
with the campus and the facilities,” said John DaMommio. “All those
things come together with a university atmosphere. The kids feel
secure, and you can be secure that your kids are safe.”
Luke had this to offer: “St. John’s is the best school in
America! The teachers are awesome — go Red Storm!”
James Howard ’15TCB, an
accounting major from Rockland County, NY, was delighted to
show his father why he chose St. John’s. “I just like the kind of
education you have here,” said James. “The professors help me with
everything I need to do—and I’m glad that it’s so close to
Manhattan.” His father added, “I think it’s a great campus — good
education, good reputation. And it’s in New York City — you can’t
beat that.”
Jasmine Elturk ’16C, a
biology major from Spring, TX, said that Family Weekend allowed
her to share the University with her mother. “It’s really fun being
here,” she said. “There are always a lot of events going on, on
campus and off. The school spirit is great.” Her mother, Elizabeth
Heaney, summed up her daughter’s experience this way: “I’m glad she
has a sense of family here.”