Fall at St. John's

From Ideation to Realization: Student Entrepreneurs Promote their Products at Annual Pitch Johnny

Twenty-two teams composed of 31 entrepreneurial students representing all of St. John’s undergraduate schools and colleges gathered in the Farella Innovation Laboratory for the second annual Pitch Johnny Competition. Students were divided into three tracks—undergraduates, women, and nonprofits—and competed for cash prizes by making persuasive business presentations before judges that included professors and industry professionals. The competition is one of many creative networking programs and opportunities taking place in a newly renovated campus learning environment.

St. John’s Community Hears a Powerful Voice for Social Justice

A prominent voice in the struggle for social justice throughout this country, Rev. William J. Barber II, D.Min., preached the first of four lectures he will give at St. John’s University during the 2018–19 academic year. Bishop Barber has been selected as this year’s holder of the St. John’s University Vincentian Chair of Social Justice. The theme for this year’s lecture series is, “It’s About Right and Wrong.” His first lecture, “America, America, What’s Going On? A Moral Critique,” took place on October 25 in St. Thomas More Church on the University’s Queens, NY, campus.

Catholic Lecture Speaker Encourages Building a Bridge to Welcome all Catholics

St. John’s University hosted Rev. James Martin, S.J., Editor-at-Large of the Jesuit magazine America, who spoke during St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ annual Catholic Lecture Series on November 8. Established in 2009, the St. John’s College Catholic Lecture Series brings a noted Catholic scholar to the University to spend a day at St. John’s meeting with students and faculty and giving a lecture open to the broader community. His lecture, “Building a Bridge: Reaching Out to LGBT Catholics,” emphasized the dignity of LGBT Catholics and the need to be welcoming and compassionate to all.

ROTC Cadet Focuses on a Future of Military Service

Nicholas J. VanSlyke, a cadet in the Red Storm battalion of the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), was recognized by the ROTC for being ranked seventh in the nation on the 2018 Order of Merit list, out of a talent pool of 5,500 cadets who are commissioning in 2019. Nicholas is a senior majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Military Leadership. He is also a member of the President’s Society—the highest honor society for undergraduates. Upon graduation, Nicholas will commission as an Active Duty Infantry Officer and relocate to Fort Benning, GA, to complete the Infantry Officer Basic Leadership Course followed by Ranger School, the Army’s premier leadership school.

Surveying the Political Spectrum: Students Meet Alumni in the Nation’s Capital

St. John’s University’s Alumni Insider’s View (AIV)…US Capital program gives students a behind-the-scenes look at government in action. Offered by the Office of Alumni Relations and University Career Services, this year’s trip featured visits to the US Secret Service James J. Rowley (’36L) Training Center, the FBI Headquarters/J. Edgar Hoover Building, the US Supreme Court, the US Capitol, and for the first time—the White House. Students enjoyed networking opportunities at an alumni reception at the US Chamber of Commerce hosted by Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. Donohue ’63C, ’85HON. The event featured guest speaker Raymond P. Martinez ’93L, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences offered more than 30 students a similar opportunity that same week.

Tobin CEO Seminar Series Features The Home Depot Cofounder, Kenneth G. Langone

Eager to learn about and from one of the visionary minds behind a retail giant ranked number 23 on the Fortune 500, more than 300 students, faculty, administrators, board members, alumni, and friends of St. John’s filled Marillac Hall Auditorium on October 17 to hear The Home Depot cofounder, Kenneth G. Langone, talk about his career and his beliefs pertaining to corporate culture with Norean R. Sharpe, Ph.D., Dean of The Peter J. Tobin College of Business and Joseph H. and Maria C. Schwartz Distinguished Chair, at the annual Tobin CEO Seminar Series. Mr. Langone discussed his New York Times Bestseller, I Love Capitalism!: An American Story; his early days working in financial services; and the formation of The Home Depot. Mr. Langone implored students to follow their passion when pursuing a career. “If you are doing what you love doing, you are going to do it better,” he said. “The better you do it, the more successful you will become.”

Alumni Give Students a Close-Up Look at Careers on Wall Street

Forty St. John’s students from The Peter J. Tobin College of Business got a taste of life in the financial capital of the world on November 14 when they participated in the annual Alumni Insider’s View (AIV)… Day on Wall Street. Bill Graiser ’03CPS, Account Manager, Business Development Global Wealth Management, for the investment management firm PIMCO, shared his insights with students during a presentation and breakfast at the company’s Broadway offices. Students were treated to a tour of the New York Stock Exchange, attended another presentation at the financial services firm Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, and went on a walking tour of the Financial District. Several alumni spoke at an evening networking reception, including Janet Squitieri, Esq. ’82CBA, ’87L, ’94MBA, Executive Director and Global Coordinator, J.P.Morgan Asset Management, and Member, Board of Governors, St. John’s University; and Demetrios G. Frangiskatos ’00CBA, President of the Tobin Alumni Association and Greater New York Commercial Assurance Managing Partner for BDO, an international network of public accounting, tax, consulting, and business advisory firms.