Campus Trivia Contest Ushers in Celebration of Tobin’s Centennial

The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University kicked off its centennial celebration on September 29 with a knowledge competition that brought employee teams from across the Queens, NY, campus to the Munson Lecture Hall.

Tobin Trivia Night featured a dozen eight-player teams, who matched wits in categories ranging from films to geography, literature, music, sports, and more. Teams competed for Tobin-branded merchandise and possession of the championship hawk statue, a modest tribute to the family of red-tailed hawks that nest near Belson Stadium.

Some teams brought their most creative Johnnie-inspired nicknames, including Johnny Thunderbrains, Storm Catchers, and Trivia Newton Johnnies. Other competitors included Control+Alt+Defeat, Strategic Guessing, and We Thought It Was Bingo.

Teams competed through five rounds of 10 questions each, with a bonus question at the end of each round. The competition was open to all St. John’s employees, not just those who work at Tobin.

In the end, Trivia Newton Johnnies—made up of employees from the Office of Marketing and Communications, the Office of Media Relations, and the Office of Global Programs—took home the ceremonial trophy, leading from the first round through the last.

“Congratulations to the Tobin College of Business on its 100th anniversary,” said Dennis Cuadros, Assistant Director of Short-Term Programs, and a member of Trivia Newton Johnnies. “It was an evening full of laughs, and a great opportunity to reconnect and make introductions with colleagues from across the campus.”

A buffet dinner preceded the trivia competition, where employees could mingle with colleagues from across the University, who were all eager to celebrate Tobin’s growth into a leading business college. In U.S. News & World Report national rankings released last month, Tobin placed 33rd among undergraduate Finance programs, a 12-place improvement from a year ago; the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science placed sixth among national insurance programs, up five places from last year.

Trivia Night is the first of several events planned to celebrate 100 years of business education at St. John’s. Other highlights include a public discussion on October 5 between former Goldman Sachs Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein and James P. Riley Jr. ’74CBA, ’75M.B.A., ’03HON. The two business leaders will discuss Mr. Blankfein’s leadership knowledge and other experiences that shaped his journey to the top of one of the world’s leading investment banks. Advance registration is required for the discussion.

“As we begin celebrating 100 years of business education at St. John’s, we wanted to bring together the people who have been part of Tobin’s story and success,” said Maciek Nowak, Ph.D., Dean, and Joseph H. and Maria C. Schwartz Distinguished Chair at Tobin. “That extends beyond our College and includes colleagues from across the University and the many offices and teams we work alongside every day. Trivia Night was a chance to celebrate those relationships, have some fun, and remind ourselves we are all part of one St. John’s community.”

Dean Nowak served as Trivia Night master of ceremonies, where, in addition to general knowledge, teams were quizzed on their ability to identify film titles from digitally altered images and create imaginary book titles from a mash-up of author names. Bonus questions asked competitors to name as many current and former St. John’s campuses and locations as they knew.

Other Trivia Newton Johnnies team members included Brian Browne ’93SJC, ’97M.A., Associate Vice President of University Relations; Andrew Miller, Director, Editorial and Creative Content, Office of Marketing and Communications; Maggie Panzera, Assistant Director of International Admission; James Stephen Smith, Director, Office of Media Relations; Bianca Sylvain, Assistant Director of Outbound Services; Anna Torres, Coordinator of Study Abroad Academics and Scholarships; and Stephen Vivona ’92SVC, ’10M.L.S., Marketing Writer and Editor, Office of Marketing and Communications. 

Mr. Miller said the team’s complementary knowledge was the key to victory.

“We had people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise, and that made all the difference,” Mr. Miller said lightheartedly. “We were able to fill in the gaps for one another and, most importantly, have fun along the way. Kudos to the entire Tobin team. They did an amazing job with the event.”

Ms. Torres said Trivia Night was an ideal way to bond with colleagues from across St. John’s. “It was a wonderful way to usher in Tobin’s 100th,” Ms. Torres said. “We do not often get the chance to enjoy such a relaxed and fun atmosphere with colleagues—both familiar faces and new ones. It was a great opportunity to connect and laugh.”