By: Tasnima Nabi, Senior Staff Editor
–
On May 2nd, St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences hosted the “Pre-Finals Relax, Refresh, Recharge Luncheon” on the Great Lawn. The event took place from 12:00 pm till 3:00 pm, with an array of activities. Students were able to picnic on the Great Lawn with a BBQ buffet and ices from the Kona Ice truck, and relax as personal massage therapists worked out any knots from studying. People even got a chance to “Dunk the Deans & Faculty.” There were also plenty of giveaways sporting the new College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ name and different prizes from various information tables. Over a thousand students and faculty attended the event, which was surely a great stressbuster right before the start of finals week.
The Pre-Finals BBQ was coordinated by Associate Dean Sawanee Khongsawatwaja, who shared that the Dean’s Office wanted to make sure students were prepared to study for finals week. She commented, “We know finals are stressful, so we wanted to do something fun to get everyone’s mind off of all the studying.” The event was definitely a success, with over 98% positive feedback gathered from the survey that was emailed out by the Dean’s Office.
Besides being a relaxing event, the Luncheon also raised money for a good cause. Three “STJ Pride” packages were raffled off for a dollar, which included a JohnnytheThunderbird stuffed toy, a St. John’s University photo frame, a coffee mug, a planner, and a hoodie. As they enjoyed the food and kept cool with ice cones, the students gathered into a large crowd around the dunk tank, where Dr. Conry, Dr. Martino, Dr. Etzel, and Dean Zito took the wet seat. It was nice to see everyone, faculty and students, together in this pleasant setting. The proceeds from the dunk tank and the raffle were donated to the “Janet Mangione Service Learning Scholarship Fund.”
When the idea of a dunk tank was discussed, Dean Zito eagerly volunteered, to join in on the fun. The students and faculty were delighted by his par
ticipation in the activity. Characterizing the event as “absolutely terrific,” Dean Zito said that the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences would definitely like to make this an annual pre-finals event. He also thanked Mrs. Khongsawatwaja and the staff that helped, including Anthony Marziliano, Gina Lapan, Frances Buscemi, and all the volunteers that participated in the dunk tank. Dr. Zito expressed his hope that such activities are held in the future as well, to raise money for a cause that the senior class can choose.
As the year ends, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences urges all students and faculty to fill out the email surveys so they know how to improve for future events. In addition, students and faculty can post feedback on the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ Facebook page. From the turnout and memories created, it is clear that the Pre-Finals BBQ was a fun time for all. It is comforting that everyone in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences can look forward to future events that are exciting and stressfree.
