St. Joseph’s College celebrated March 2017 by appointing a new leader; Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D. will become the eighth SJC president when he arrives at SJC this July. This past month we also celebrated the arrival of several acclaimed guest speakers, including “The Free Hugs Guy” Ken Nwadike Jr., actress and performance artist Kim Chinh, and our ninth annual Khatib Chair Mehdi Aminrazavi, Ph.D.
Looking for more March highlights? OnCampus has you covered.
Please join us in welcoming our eighth president, Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D.! https://t.co/QB7kTtZrp6
— St. Joseph’s College (@SJCNY) March 6, 2017
March 1 — SJC Brooklyn in Jeopardy!
Nearly 150 students from middle schools in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville visited SJC Brooklyn to play a version of the hit TV show Jeopardy!, an event conducted by the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The event in the campus’ Tuohy Hall featured three teams of sixth, seventh and eighth graders from PS/IS 262 and PS 323, located in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville, respectively. The students showcased their knowledge of African-American history and culture.
March 6 — Searching for Her Identity
Kim Chinh performed her one-woman play — a story of identity, recovery and the power of forgiveness — for students at SJC Brooklyn. The show, “Reclaiming Vietnam,” explored both the search for identity and the confrontation of a painful personal past.
March 6 — Celebrating National Catholic Sisters Week
SJC Long Island celebrated National Catholic Sisters Week with a week-long series of events on campus from March 9–15. The College received a $1,000 grant to assist in planning the events — all of which were held during the College Common Hour.
March 6 — Hospitality and Tourism Program Opening Doors
Nicole McElroy ’17 enters into the field of hospitality and tourism prior to graduation as a newly hired sales coordinator at Discover Long Island.
March 10 — Life, Liberty And Free Hugs For All!
Viral sensation Ken Nwadike Jr. shared a message of peace and compassion with SJC students. Nwadike visited SJC Long Island to tell his story and spread his message to the student body of St. Joseph’s (and get some good hugs in while he was at it). Known for his Free Hugs Project, Nwadike burst on the scene in 2014, hugging runners at the Boston Marathon and grabbing thousands of YouTube views in mere hours. Today Nwadike emphasizes peacekeeping efforts and de-escalating violence at protests, riots, and political rallies — and as a motivational speaker to college-aged students.
March 16 — Introducing SJC’s New President
As SJC’s eighth president, Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D. takes over a College on the rise. Enrollment eclipsed 5,000 last fall, plans are in the works for the College’s first dormitory and the College’s academic profile continues to expand – including the recent additions of programs in applied behavior analysis, forensic computing, human resources, studio art and industrial-organizational psychology.
March 21 — Our Winter Athletics’ Top Ten
The 2016-17 winter sports season was one for the record books at St. Joseph’s College. Check out the top accomplishments here!
March 22 — Discussing Violence and Peace in Islam
Khatib Chair Mehdi Aminrazavi, Ph.D., delivered the 2017 Khatib Lecture, “Violence and Peace in Islam.” A specialist in the areas of eastern religions, Islam and the Middle East, Aminrazavi detailed the history of Islam and its current state. Over the course of the evening, he raised topical issues facing the faith in the contemporary world, and what Americans interpret through the media.
March 23 — Finding a New Home at St. Joe’s
Highlighting the men’s lacrosse team, which includes a number of former Dowling players. Among the Dowling transfers is Patchogue-Medford High School product Scott Reece ’17, who scored eight goals March 1 in the Golden Eagles first game, a 13-9 win over Western Connecticut State. The senior earned the program’s first-ever Men’s Lacrosse Skyline Player of the Week honor. Reece believes the team has an advantage over opposing competition, due to an already established chemistry carried over from the days at Dowling.
