December 07, 2012
Towering above the Great Lawn on the Queens, NY,
campus, the St. John’s University Christmas Tree was lit up on
December 6 as students, faculty and staff gathered for the
culmination of the University’s annual
Winter Carnival — a week-long celebration of the holiday
season.
“Seeing all the festivities around campus gets everyone in the
holiday spirit,” said
Jodi Cox ’98C, ’02G, Director of Campus Life. “Winter Carnival
has a special way of unifying the St. John’s community.”
Photo
Gallery
Now in its 22nd year, Winter Carnival is a beloved St. John’s
tradition that gives students a much-needed break before they
prepare for finals and the end of the fall semester. “It’s great to
have this time to relax and have fun before finals,” said Ashley
Kadamthottu ’16TCB. “I love seeing everyone on campus getting into
the Christmas spirit.”
During the week leading up to the tree lighting, St.
John’s was transformed into a winter wonderland, despite the
spring-like temperatures throughout the New York metropolitan area.
This year’s Winter Carnival activities included live music, holiday
treats, ice skating at Manhattan’s Bryant Park and horse-drawn
carriage rides around the Great Lawn. “I love the carriage rides,”
said Erika Godoy ‘14C. “It feels just like being in Central
Park.”
St. John’s Staten Island campus also held a
Winter Carnival, featuring an ice skating rink, a lounge with
“mocktails,” a “Stuff-a-Polar-Bear” station and, of course, a
Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. “Winter Carnival is such an
amazing holiday event,” said
Audra Goodman, Associate Director of Student Life at the Staten Island, NY,
campus. “It brings our tight-knit Staten Island community even
closer together. Our students love it.”
Back in Queens, the University community celebrated the Festival
of Lights — an educational and spiritual evening of performances,
presentations and prayer — to reflect the diverse cultural and
faith traditions represented on campus.
“Winter Carnival celebrates our diversity at one of the holiest
times of the year,” said Cox. “The different celebrations and
events going on around campus make the entire St. John’s community
feel the energy of what this season is all about.”