As the school year kicked off, representatives from more than 120 student organizations brought a renewed sense of purpose to St. John’s University’s Spring Activities Fair on January 30 at Tuffner Field House on our campus in Queens, New York. rice field.
As a constant stream of curious students perused tables with posters, decorations and giveaways, delegates shared their exciting plans for this semester and beyond. . Other organizations emphasized working with fellow organizations for service opportunities.
One group was particularly happy to be back on the active roster after a hiatus of over 40 years. According to junior Maya Vidiak, the newly rebuilt Ukrainian Culture Club was last active in the 1980s. We shared the reasons and some upcoming activities planned to strengthen the spirit and sense of community among our students.
“When the war broke out last February, it felt really important to get Ukrainians on campus,” said Maya.
February 24 marks the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The club is open to any student interested in Ukrainian culture and plans a fundraiser to help those affected by the ongoing hostilities. The event will include Pierogi/Vareniky’s traditional hood his night and pysanka, a decorative art form of Easter eggs.
“There are so many ideas: crafts, presentations, movie screenings, cooking nights,” Maya said.
On the other hand, my junior Cynthia Adebayo was from London, England, ethnically Nigerian, and was the representative of the African Students Association. The group, she said, is one of her student groups keen to recognize Black History Month.
“We really want to bring a sense of home to our campus and to belong to an African community,” she said.
Other Black History Month events include a black and white ball sponsored by Halaya, a pan-African student-run organization. The 31st official event will be held on February 8th with the theme of “Old Black Hollywood”.
Formed in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Crafts Club offers Johnny a unique opportunity to release stress and promote mental health through art and creativity.
“We launched it in 2020 to give students a way to de-stress and relax, especially during COVID-19,” said Lyell Bravo, president of the club. “We now continue to provide direct ways for students to have fun and de-stress away from academic life. ”
Like the Crafts Club, the Anime Games Club Meta helps students connect with each other using their creativity. Dennis Maldonado, a junior from Texas, said the club’s plans for the spring semester include an annual café event..”
“I decided on this theme after the video game was released as it still seems to be quite popular. Pokemon Scarlet Violet It just came out,” said Dennis.
The popular Chapel Players Theater Group is planning a spring performance of “Drop Dead!” directed by Club President Abby Ballard. His sophomore John Castricone, a history major from Orange County, New York, said the group would also produce programming for children.
“We invite kids from local elementary schools around Queens to show us our theater,” said John. “Then we do a nice, short, engaging show with them.”
Service and community building have been the focus of many clubs rooted in the university’s Vincentian legacy. said to be found everywhere.
“It’s great to see us doing different jobs, but in the end we all try to do one thing: help other people.”