Fall Activities Fair Showcases More than 180 Student Organizations

Students from St. John’s University’s undergraduate Schools and Colleges gathered on the Great Lawn of the Queens, NY, campus on September 8 for the annual Fall Activities Fair, where representatives from more than 180 student organizations shared their work and mission with those interested in getting involved.

The activities fair, held in the second week of fall classes, offered new and returning Johnnies an opportunity to see what the University and its community offer. The collection of organizations stretched across academic and extracurricular disciplines, offering students a chance to join in a common passion, immerse themselves in a new culture, or seek out a new interest.

Curious students included Justin Zhang, of Albany, NY, who sought out the leaders of St. John’s eSports club. A first-year student, Justin said he hoped to share his love of gaming with other like-minded Johnnies.     

“I hope to make some new friends and be introduced to people who share this common interest,” Justin said. “It is a lot of fun.”

The activities fair highlighted opportunities at St. John’s for students to bond around common academic, professional, social, and spiritual values. Academic and professional clubs, cultural organizations, theater and music groups, and representatives of fraternity and sorority life were all represented.  

There were also several social-service organizations, including several committed to promoting the University’s Vincentian mission. The St. Vincent de Paul Society sponsors charity events campuswide. The St. John’s chapter of Project Sunshine trains volunteers to deliver play opportunities to children with medical needs.

“Service is one of the pillars of our campus,” said Lauren Palma, social media representative of the St. John’s chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. “We try to meet people in need where they are—on campus, off campus—and do our best to help them.” 

“We want to help these children who face such challenges,” said senior Kareena Poonai, a biology major at St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Project Sunshine volunteer.

St. John’s Pep Band members brought their enthusiasm to the fair. The band, which performs at Red Storm sporting events, including Men’s Basketball games at Madison Square Garden, was in the spotlight last year when the team won the BIG EAST Conference championship. It added 10 new members at the fair, prompting Assistant Director Michael Grunhaus to say he could not wait for the coming basketball season to begin.

“We have already started rehearsing,” Michael said. “We are ramping up our social media and could not be more excited.”          

Among the more popular organizations was the Bad Astronauts Improv Club, which brings its unique brand of spontaneous entertainment to destinations on and off campus. Part theater, part sketch comedy, the club has several shows planned for the 2025–26 school year.

“Improv has its roots in theater, except that it is acting without a script,” club President Nicolas Cappalli explained. “The actors are given a setting or a scene, usually by the audience. The rest is improvisational.”  

As DJ music rang out and students enjoyed complimentary ice cream, several explored clubs related to their professional ambitions, including sophomore Anthony Eannazzo, a student at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business. Anthony chatted with representatives of the Financial Management Association, which is dedicated to financial education and career development for students pursuing degrees in finance.

“I am looking to establish myself in the industry,” Anthony said. “I am curious to see what the club offers.”

Likewise, representatives of the Women in Sports Association explained to interested students the opportunities for women in professional and collegiate athletics. The club has 70 members, and another two dozen students at the fair requested additional information.     

“People don’t realize how good our sport management program is,” said club President Sarah Rao, who interned with the New York Islanders hockey team in 2024. “There are so many opportunities now for women in the sports industry, and so many alumni have told me they wished they had a club like this when they were students.”