St. John’s University President Rev. Brian J. Shanley sealed the future of Johnnies across the Verrazano just 19 days before the start of the Fall 2022 semester. 

In an email sent University-wide, Shanley began: “I write with the difficult task of sharing with you that, by a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees and with my full agreement, St. John’s University has decided to begin the process of phasing out academic operations at our Staten Island, NY, campus.”

Despite a wave of incoming freshmen, undergraduate and graduate students attending the  campus full-time, the decision was classified by the University as “necessary.” 

“Two decades of declining enrollment trends, as well as projected demographic and population trends exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, make the long-term viability and operation of this branch campus unsustainable,” he continued. 

As of August 2022, student enrollment at the Staten Island campus was reportedly 63 percent lower than it was in 2000. Nonetheless, a pool of individuals were heavily impacted by the sudden announcement including faculty members, staff, alumni and students. 

“The University now embarks on a phase-out process that will take two years, culminating at the end of the Spring 2024 semester,” Shanley said. 

The Torch connected with students and faculty members from the Staten Island campus to recognize these fresh perspectives and reflect on their time in Queens thus far. 

Senior Rita Vlastaras said “It’s going to take a bit to adjust,” when asked about her experience in the new location. 

“I have friends that transferred over, and some professors I know of that did too — some of my favorites. But, I saw my friends a lot more on the other campus because it was much smaller,” she continued. 

The New York Times published an essay written from the perspective of an adjunct professor who argued that “The closing of the Staten Island campus is a gloomy harbinger of what’s to come for other small campuses that offer students something increasingly rare in higher education: a truly communal and intimate learning experience.”

Commuting to the Queens campus once a week, Vlastaras still makes an effort to stay consistent with her involvement in clubs, specifically those that successfully transitioned over to the Queens campus.

“I like it, but it does feel like I’m a freshman again,” admitted Vlastaras.

This appears to be a commonality shared across those participating in transfer student transitions. 

While Staten Island students are “certified Johnnies,” a select number of them agree that the location still carries obstacles for newcomers — one of them being there-establishment of their identities within the community.

“What I’ve heard repeatedly from students who have transferred is trying to get used to being so far into the four-year college program and feeling as though they are starting from scratch,” Dr. Nancy DiTunnariello.

Before securing her role this fall as the director of the international communication master of science program, DiTunnariello gradually transitioned in Fall 2023, teaching one course in Queens while still based in Staten Island for her recurring affairs. 

When asked about her own adjustment process, she expressed, “Just like anything, there are positives and negatives that I’m learning to navigate.” 

The struggle to adapt to new surroundings is a shared experience across this group, but an additional consensus was made, challenging the inadvertent divide between the two populations. There is recurring support from students and faculty members. 

“My counterparts who were already on the Queens campus did a great job with offering me support to make the transition,” added DiTunnariello. “For the last two years in Staten Island, we did not take in any new students and the campus got smaller and smaller. So, to be back on a vibrant campus where everyone is visibly excited to be here is inspiring, and I think it adds hope for the future.”

“In the end, it’s really the students who are the ones directly helping me work through my transition,” Vlastaras said. 

RoseAnne Crivera and Marie Tricomi were incoming freshmen when Shanley reported that their university of choice would be closing its doors come Fall 2024. 

Tricomi, who lives in Queens full-time, told The Torch there are times when more attention is drawn to her being a student from Staten Island, but she tries “to look past it and take advantage of the things I’m offered here, like dorming.”

“We wanted to go to a campus that was smaller and closer to home, and a lot of people had to decide whether or not to step out of their comfort zone upon the news,” Crivera reflected.

Strength through struggle was a choice for Crivera. She expressed, “Watching people that I’m close to go through such intense feelings of self doubt inspired me to act in any way I could.”

In April 2023, the Staten Island Society was born. 

“My main concern was to get these students to feel like they had people to count on, and since I’m a student too, I needed my own help. In comes the person I still go to for anything I need — Jacqueline Lepore,” said Crivera.

Lepore serves as the assistant director of campus activities and has been deeply connected to the location since her parents met in college, to now, through her own legacy. 

“I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my S.I. campus experience,” she said. 

In her work alongside Crivera, Tricomi and others, she was part of boosting the experiences of Staten Islanders planning to switch over.

“The creation of the Staten Island Society was extremely important to me. I wanted the students transferring to Queens to have a safe space and a community they could turn to once our doors officially closed,” Lepore said. “The group of student leaders who helped this vision come to fruition used their dedication to spearhead the club’s growth and have done a fantastic job with its upkeep ever since.” 

The Staten Island Society occasionally works alongside another student-run organization that was launched this summer — the Staten Island Committee. 

Chairman Mike Aruta saluted his fellow editorial board members for their hard work and expressed that his interest in the committee is driven by passion. 

“I was there when my close friend received the email, and from what I’ve heard from people, those two years felt like an impending doom for many,” Aruta said. 

“We want people to know that while we host events and provide information, we’re an outlet everyone can reach out to in any way and at any time because we understand it’s a tough transition and not everyone can attend meetings and events,” he added.  

The two clubs work in their own way to emphasize the power of community across all members of the St. John’s community.

“I spent a lot of time helping students feel comfortable with the fact that the closure was going to be a part of our lives, and we either have to get used to it now, or go into it lost,” Crivera added. “In my opinion, assisting students in finding roommates was the biggest thing that we accomplished. ” 

Crivera and Tricomi are among these students.

“Living away has really helped me and taken me out of my comfort zone which I believe has been for the better, because I would have never met people who live far away from me who are so involved in my life now, like my suitemates,” Tricomi concluded. 

Overall, mixed emotions remain for those who were a part of the transition. The closing of the Staten Island campus left students, faculty and staff the option to transfer to the Queens location or find another place to call home. 

“Students, and even professors, confessed to me how broken-hearted they were about the campus closing. Some transferred, but some had to find work somewhere else,” Crivera said.

She revealed that adapting is something that has become a part of her personality, and because of this, she wanted to be the person to guide people.

“I still think that everybody from Staten Island has a purpose here. It wasn’t ideal at the moment, but those who transitioned to this campus are going to do great things, and as I always say, what is meant to be, will be.”