Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

More than 180 student organizations gathered on the Great Lawn at St. John’s University’s Queens campus on September 8 for the annual Fall Activities Fair. The event, held during the second week of fall classes, aimed to introduce both new and returning students to a wide range of academic, cultural, professional, and extracurricular opportunities available at the university.

Students explored various clubs spanning academic disciplines, social-service initiatives, performing arts groups, and fraternity and sorority life. First-year student Justin Zhang from Albany expressed interest in joining the eSports club. “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.”

Service-oriented organizations were also present at the fair. Lauren Palma, social media representative for the St. Vincent de Paul Society chapter at St. John’s, described their mission: “Service is one of the pillars of our campus. We try to meet people in need where they are—on campus, off campus—and do our best to help them.” Project Sunshine volunteer Kareena Poonai added, “We want to help these children who face such challenges.”

The St. John’s Pep Band recruited ten new members during the fair as it prepares for performances at Red Storm sporting events this season. Assistant Director Michael Grunhaus commented on their preparations: “We have already started rehearsing,” Michael said. “We are ramping up our social media and could not be more excited.”

Entertainment groups like the Bad Astronauts Improv Club attracted attention with their improvisational performances planned for the school year. Club President Nicolas Cappalli explained their approach: “Improv has its roots in theater, except that it is acting without a script,” he said. “The actors are given a setting or a scene, usually by the audience. The rest is improvisational.”

Professional development clubs also engaged students interested in future careers. Anthony Eannazzo from The Peter J. Tobin College of Business spoke with representatives from the Financial Management Association about career opportunities in finance. “I am looking to establish myself in the industry,” Anthony said. “I am curious to see what the club offers.”

The Women in Sports Association shared information about involvement in collegiate and professional athletics for women at St. John’s University. Club President Sarah Rao highlighted recent growth: “People don’t realize how good our sport management program is,” she said after her internship with the New York Islanders hockey team last year. “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.”