From celebrating its 100th graduating class to the College’s first-ever Giving Day and Iđź’›SJC Week, St. Joseph’s 2019 was historic in more ways than one.
Join us as we take a look back at St. Joseph’s past year.
January
SJC Long Island students and staff participate in Alternative Winter Break.
SJC Brooklyn welcomes new indoor athletic turf.
Growing in Faith and Service: SJC Long Island students visited Camden, New Jersey, and Agape, Massachusetts, as part of Alternative Winter Break. One of the largest community service efforts that SJC Long Island students participate in, AWB provides excellent opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the College’s goal to serve and make the world a better place.
Brooklyn’s New Turf: SJC Brooklyn opened the new St. Angela Hall Turf Athletic Facility on Jan. 28. The facility — outfitted for indoor soccer, baseball and softball practice — will go a long way toward keeping the Bears competitive in the Skyline Conference and within the region.
February
Students and staff gather at SJC Brooklyn to celebrate Black History Month.
SJC Long Island welcomes speakers Bettie Mae Fikes and Pierce Freelon in honor of Black History Month.
Students at SJC Brooklyn gathered to learn about reggae music in honor of Black History Month.
SJC Long Island students met their best friends while studying at the College.
SJC Sweethearts share their stories of meeting loved ones on campus.
Black History Month: SJC Brooklyn students celebrated Black History Month by playing their own version of the popular game show Jeopardy and by honoring the impact reggae music has had on black history. SJC Long Island welcomed the self-styled “Queen of the Blues” Bettie Mae Fikes and Emmy Award-winning producer Pierce Freelon to speak — and sing — about slavery, the Civil Rights movement and freedom.
St. Joseph’s College Hosts its First-Ever I💛SJC Week: St. Joseph’s alumni reminisced about the best friends they made, the people who left a lasting impact, their favorite hangout spots on campus, the relationship that led to marriage, the classes they loved and the memories they will never forget from their time at SJC.
March
St. Joseph's College celebrates National Catholic Sisters Week.
For Alternative Spring Break, students from both campuses visit Kure Beach, North Carolina, to help prepare homes for rebuilding after Hurricane Florence.
National Catholic Sisters Week 2019: At St. Joseph’s College, we’re inspired by the women religious who dedicate their time and energy to the institution. During National Catholic Sisters Week 2019, students, faculty and staff had the chance to learn more about some of the sisters who help make the College community what it is. SJC Long Island also hosted events for the College community about the Sisters of St. Joseph, their rich history and their passion for social justice.
Using Breaks to Provide Service: Twenty St. Joseph’s College students — 10 each from SJC Long Island and SJC Brooklyn — spent spring break 2019 in Kure Beach, North Carolina, helping people whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Florence last September.
April
St. Joseph's College held events and hosted guest speakers in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
President Boomgaarden performs music by Chopin at both campuses.
SJC Long Island's men's volleyball team wins the Skyline Championship for the second year in a row.
CNN's Chris Cuomo visits SJC Long Island for a Q&A.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month:Â Both SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island welcomed guest speakers and hosted several events to inform students about violence prevention, bystander intervention and healthy communication.
An Afternoon of Chopin: St. Joseph’s College President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., led interactive concerts for the College community, performing works by the Polish composer and virtuoso pianist Chopin at both SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island.
Skyline Champs: SJC Long Island’s men’s volleyball defeated SUNY Purchase with a 3-0 win in the Danzi Center Saturday, April 13, earning the team its second-straight Skyline Conference Championship.
Cuomo’s Prime SJC Time: CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” host Chris Cuomo visited SJC Long Island for an interview with Associate Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies Bill Phillips, Ph.D., followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
May
St. Joseph's held its first-ever Giving Day.
SJC Long Island hosts their annual Student Research Symposium.
SJC Brooklyn welcomes family and friends for their annual Student Research Symposium.
SJC Long Island honors alumni in the health care and human services fields.
Students turn their tassels at SJC Brooklyn's commencement.
SJC Long Island graduates more than 1,200 students at commencement.
Giving Day Success at St. Joseph’s: More than 1,100 donors contributed over $75,000 during St. Joseph’s College’s first Giving Day on May 1 — obliterating the fundraising project’s goal to raise funds from at least 400 donors. Those who contributed chose to support an array of worthy projects proposed by St. Joseph’s students, faculty and staff, including the SJC Fund, the Golden Eagle Athletic Fund, the Student Emergency Fund, the Alternative Spring Break Fund and the SJC Bears Athletics Travel Campaign.
Student Research Symposiums: More than 60 students from over 10 different disciplines presented their research to classmates, family, faculty and staff during St. Joseph’s annual Student Research Symposiums. Students at SJC Long Island presented their posters and papers on May 4 in the McGann Conference Center and the surrounding classrooms. SJC Brooklyn’s symposium took place May 7 in Tuohy Hall.
Alumni Achievement Awards at SJC Long Island: A veteran nurse, a dedicated ambulance volunteer and the leader of a homeless outreach center were the honorees at the seventh annual St. Joseph’s College Alumni Achievement Awards in Health Care and Human Services. Kevin Dahill, president and CEO of the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State (SHANYS) served as the featured speaker.
Commencement: More than 1,500 students in St. Joseph’s College’s 100th graduating class collected degrees in front of more than 7,000 family members and friends across the College’s two commencements in May. From SJC Brooklyn, 216 undergraduate students and 108 graduate students earned degrees at the May 19 ceremony in the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. St. Joseph’s President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., conferred degrees on more than 1,200 graduates at the SJC Long Island graduation ceremony at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum May 29.
June
The Dillion Child Study Center turns 50.
Dillon Center Commemorates 50 Years: More than 85 supporters of the College and the Dillon Child Study Center — including faculty, staff and alumni — gathered Saturday, June 8, in the Bloodgood Garden for a Champagne Brunch celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the Dillon Center. The brunch featured encouraging speeches from President Boomgaarden; S. Patricia Dittmer, a 1972 SJC Brooklyn graduate and an assistant professor of child study; and Dillon Center Director Susan Straut Collard, Ph.D.
July
St. Joseph's welcomes Robert Riley, Ph.D., as its new provost and vice president of academic affairs.
Eileen White Jahn, Ph.D., starts her new role as interim executive dean at SJC Long Island.
Raymond D'Angelo, Ph.D, takes over as SJC Brooklyn's interim executive dean.
SJC Long Island partners with Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) Foundation and Sesame Workshop through a new program for aspiring educators.
Ready for His New Role: Robert Riley, Ph.D., became the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at St. Joseph’s College July 1. The Minnesota native previously served as vice provost for academic affairs at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.
SJC Long Island Ushers in New Executive Dean: Eileen White Jahn, Ph.D., started teaching undergraduate and graduate business classes at St. Joseph’s College in 1998. More than 20 years later, she started her new role as interim executive dean of SJC Long Island on July 1. Dr. Jahn continues to serve as chair and professor of the Department of Business Administration and Marketing — a position she’s held at the College since 2001.
SJC Brooklyn’s New Interim Executive Dean: Raymond D’Angelo, Ph.D., took the helm as SJC Brooklyn’s interim executive dean July 1, after spending more than four decades teaching social sciences. Dr. D’Angelo, who has taught at SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island, has been the chair of the Department of Social Sciences, as well as program coordinator for the human relations program at SJC Brooklyn since 1992.
Becoming Brave, Strong, Resilient: SJC Long Island partnered with Sesame Workshop and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) Foundation through the launching of the program “Brave, Strong, Resilient.” The program trains in-service and pre-service early childhood educators on new, carefully developed exercises to help children build confidence and control their emotions in an emergency, such as a natural disaster.
August
SJC Long Island celebrates the 35th anniversary of the Clare Rose Playhouse.
Incoming freshmen visit SJC Long Island for orientation.
New students attend orientation at SJC Brooklyn.
Student Production of ‘Godspell’: SJC Long Island’s Clare Rose Playhouse kicked off its 35th anniversary season in August with a student production of the jubilant musical “Godspell.”
Growing their Roots at St. Joseph’s College: More than 400 first-year students gathered in the John A. Danzi Athletic Center Gymnasium at SJC Long Island on Aug. 27 for Orientation. With the day’s theme of “Room to Grow,” freshmen were reminded that SJC Long Island is the perfect place to continue developing current interests and to cultivate new ones.
New SJC Heroes Arrive on Campus: Incoming freshmen and transfer students at SJC Brooklyn were greeted with a cheer from a pack of spirited orientation leaders and campus mascot Vandy the Bear as they entered the gymnasium Aug. 28 during New Student Orientation. The theme was SJC Heroes.
September
New freshmen and transfer students at SJC Brooklyn dressed in their caps and gowns for Investiture.
SJC Long Island formally welcomed the Class of 2023 during Investiture.
St. Joseph's College celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Patchogue campus.
SJC Long Island's Callahan Library turns 30.
Investiture: New students at SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island attended ceremonies at their respective campuses for Investiture — a 104-year old College tradition that marks the first academic event of the year for the freshman class. It’s also an opportunity for family members and loved ones to see their children make the leap to college life while donned in caps and gowns.
Reflections of Four Decades in Patchogue: On Sept. 4, 1979, St. Joseph’s College’s new campus in Patchogue, Long Island, rolled out the “red carpet” — in the form of an evening picnic — to 400 students at its “Let’s Get Acquainted” day. Classes kicked off the next morning. Over the decades, the campus — now called SJC Long Island — experienced enormous growth. Enrollment skyrocketed to over 4,000, while the campus added an athletic center, library, business technology building, wellness center, small playhouse and outdoor field complex. To commemorate the campus’ 40th anniversary, we gathered reflections from SJC community members who were there when it all started.
Callahan Library Turns 30: SJC Long Island’s library received its own building in the fall of 1989. The red ribbon used during the actual ribbon-cutting ceremony was displayed at the Callahan Library on Sept. 18, the exact day the library opened 30 years ago.
October
SJCNY and SCCC celebrate new articulation agreements.
St. Joseph’s hosts a lecture series with noted Irish-American historian Michael Doorley, Ph.D.
SJC Long Island hosts its annual Study Abroad Conference.
Members of the SJC community raise money in honor of breast cancer research and awareness.
SJC Brooklyn renovates the Bear Cave after generous donations.
Three in Five: The College announces new articulation agreements with Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) that give students the opportunity to earn either a master’s degree in forensic computing or human services leadership at SJC Long Island — all just five years after getting their start at SCCC.
Author Presents Series on Irish-American History in New York: Through a generous grant of $31,000 from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, St. Joseph’s College hosted an “Irish American Heritage in New York City and State” lecture series, featuring noted Irish-American historian Michael Doorley, Ph.D., an associate lecturer at Open University of Ireland.
SJC Celebrates Studying Abroad: SJC Long Island students, alumni and faculty spoke about their 2019 global excursions Friday, Oct. 18, during the fifth annual Study Abroad Conference.
SJC Makes Strides this October: St. Joseph’s College students dressed in pink Sunday, Oct. 20, as members of clubs, athletic teams and Greek life took part in this year’s American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K walks. Representing the College at both MCU Park and Jones Beach, the St. Joseph’s contingent helped raise awareness — and more than $10,000.
Bear Cave Popularity Soars: The SGA received more than $7,000 to help improve the Bear Cave throughout the year. SJC Brooklyn alumni who donated to the cause returned to campus Oct. 29 to see the new recreation equipment, which includes a pool table, foosball table, television and other games, in use.
November
SJC Brooklyn celebrates veterans and active military members during Veterans Day event.
SJC Long Island honors all service members past and present during its annual Veterans Day event.
Students at SJC Brooklyn donate and pack Thanksgiving meals for those in need in the local community.
The SJC Long Island community donates food for Thanksgiving for local families in need.
Veterans Day:Â The SJC Brooklyn community hosted a special Veterans Day ceremony. SJC Long Island hosted Veterans Awareness Week, which kicked off with the annual Veterans Day celebration on Nov. 11, and included a special visit from Daniel Murphy, the father of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in June 2005.
Thanksgiving Food Drives:Â SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island got into the giving season with Thanksgiving food drives that benefitted the local communities.
December
The SJC community comes together to give to those in need during the holidays.
Spreading Hope for the Holidays: The St. Joseph’s College community teamed up to give to those in need this past holiday season. Events and fundraising drives across both campuses helped collect items for less fortunate families from nearby communities.
