Annual Move-In Weekend Celebrates 25 Years of Residence Life at St. John’s

Abounding in optimism and inspired by the possibility of a St. John’s University education, almost 2,600 students moved into the University’s Residence Village climaxing a week in which resident students arrived to campus ahead of the start of classes on September 4.

Resident students, some from as far away as Australia and Uzbekistan, including 926 first-year students, unpacked their belongings in what has become an end-of-summer tradition on the Queens, NY, campus.

The next generation of Johnnies included Tyson Hagler of Clarksville, TN, by way of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, who plans to study Television and Film at The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies. It also included Stephanie Maceiko of Bowie, MD, a Government and Politics student at St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who arrived with her parents eager to get her St. John’s experience underway.

“I am anxious to get started, more than anything,” Stephanie said on Saturday, August 31, when most first-year students moved in. “I just hope everything goes smoothly.”  

Stephanie, a baseball fan, was lured to St. John’s by one of its most celebrated athletes, World Series champion Frank Viola. Stephanie befriended Mr. Viola, now the pitching coach of the Atlantic Baseball League’s High Point Rockers, during a tour of minor-league ballparks with her father.

“I told Mr. Viola where I was interested in going,” Stephanie recalled. “He said, ‘They are a rival of St. John’s. You should look at St. John’s instead.’ I did, and I really liked it. So here I am.”

Tyson literally traveled the world before settling into St. John’s and his first-year home in DaSilva Hall. The son of US Army parents, he spent his first year of high school in Saudi Arabia and his senior year in Abu Dhabi. In between, while in Tennessee, he researched St. John’s and was impressed by its television and film curriculum.

“I was looking for schools with good TV and film programs and I wanted to be in New York,” Tyson said. “I heard so many good things about St. John’s.”    

This year marks 25 years since St. John’s first opened residence halls on the Queens campus, transforming the historically local, commuter campus to one with national and global reach. The Fall 2024 entering class features resident students from 44 US states and 43 international countries.

Streams of new students and their parents gathered in cars outside of University gates beginning at 8 a.m. on August 31 and continuing through the early afternoon. There, they were greeted by representatives from the Department of Public Safety and volunteers from the Office of Residence Life, who, together, helped to make the process as efficient as possible. Once moved in, students and parents were welcome to enjoy lunch at Montgoris Dining Hall.

“I couldn’t tell, but my daughter told me my wife cried in the car for 40 minutes,” said Phil Azzarello, who came from Staten Island, NY, with wife Julie to assist son Matthew in moving into Hollis Hall. “It’s an emotional day, but we are so proud of him.”   

Move-In Weekend is the busiest time of year for the Office of Residence Life. Jason T. Bartlett, Ph.D., Director, Office of Residence Life, lightheartedly likened it to the office’s Super Bowl Sunday, “except that is only one day. This is more like a holiday weekend of fun for everyone.”  

While there was no Super Bowl-style halftime performance, celebratory music courtesy of the University Pep Band cascaded from the deck of the new, $106 million St. Vincent Health Sciences Center. A DJ and a series of photo stations helped families mark the day as special.

Among the students moving onto campus over the weekend were more than 100 Johnnies who made the move to Queens following the closure of St. John’s Staten Island, NY, campus earlier this year.

“We’re always excited to welcome the next generation of Johnnies to the Queens campus,” Dr. Bartlett said. “We are especially excited to welcome students from the Staten Island campus who chose to come to Queens to complete their degrees. Whatever path students followed to come to St. John’s, we hope it feels like home.”

Mother Nature cooperated, too. A bit of sun peeked in between the clouds and rain stayed away, making for a trouble-free morning.

Outside in the Residence Village courtyard, volunteers delivered information about extracurricular organizations and student resources, including counseling and wellness services; Campus Ministry programs; community service opportunities; Student Government, Inc.; and more.  

First-year student Gabriella Setaro of Brooklyn, NY, daughter of Peter Setaro ’98CBA, said the Move-In Weekend enthusiasm confirmed everything she heard about St. John’s, and why she wanted to attend. She will spend her first year at Donovan Hall.

“It won’t feel truly real until I am moved in,” said Gabriella, part of the third class of Nursing students to enter the University. “But I know I am going to be successful in starting my career here. Enjoying where you are and what you do is a big part of being happy in your personal journey.” 

Watch highlights from Fall 2024 Move-In Weekend.