June 4, 2018
More than 100 St. John’s University alumni from the 1980s and friends gathered at the Foxwoods Club at Citi Field on Thursday, May 31, to cheer for the NY Mets as they played the Chicago Cubs—and celebrate the signature 30th anniversary of the class of 1988.
The reunion was organized by Susan M. Damiani ’87CBA, Director of the Office of Gift Planning, in a first-time effort to bring together graduates from the entire decade. It was one of the kickoff events for the Grand Alumni Homecoming Weekend, which ran from May 31 to June 3.
“The Mets lost 5 to 1, but we forgot they were even playing because we were having so much fun,” Ms. Damiani said.
Leonard I. Kaplan’88SVC, a member of The Loughlin Society, was there celebrating his 30th class anniversary. “It is always nice to see people come back,” Mr. Kaplan said. “The University has changed a lot. It continues to move forward, and still remains one of the icons of New York City. We are all here because it has benefited us pretty well.”
John O’Driscoll ’84C sensed this would be an enjoyable evening when he received his invitation. “My family and I have always been lifelong Mets fans,” Mr. O’Driscoll said. “It was a great experience to spend some time together, meet fellow alumni and friends, and just really have fun.”
Overall, it was a successful night for St. John’s alumni, who rekindled old friendships, shared many laughs, and went home with University baseball caps and sunglasses. One of the biggest groups represented was the College of Business Administration’s class of 1985, who enjoyed reminiscing as they gathered for a photo before the game. The College of Business Administration is now known as The Peter J. Tobin College of Business.
“We have been able to maintain the friendships we made at St. John’s,” Maryann Arnold Ceparano ’85CBA said. “We received a great education and secured really terrific jobs out of college. Many of us worked for the Big 8 accounting firms.”
Dorothea T. Page ’85CBA remains hopeful for the University’s future as she reflected on how much it has grown over the years. “I think we were blessed to have the opportunity to go to St. John’s,” she said. “It is still a great institution.”
Ms. Damiani is organizing a 1980s Reunion Committee. If you are interested in participating, she can be reached at 718-990-7562; [email protected].