Favorite memories from then to now
In celebration of HawkFest, we wanted to find what stood out to Hawk alumni from their years on campus. While we can’t imagine our campus without Barbelin Beach, club lib or free soda at the Perch, each alumnus has a different memory attached with their time at Saint Joseph’s University.
The Hawk reached out to alumni to hear about their experiences during their time on campus. We asked about their favorite college memories, to discover what made St. Joe’s home for them. Reminisce with us as we look at different Hawk experiences through the years.
“Certainly lifelong friendships. I should mention at this point I met my wife here. Just like we tell the current students- this is not really a four year kind of thing but something that lasts a lifetime.” —Joe Lunardi ’82, interviewed by Max Rosenfeld ’20
“One of my favorite most memorable experiences, I was able to see the Berlin Wall, spring of 1987, I got to see it right before it came down.” —Cathy Staunton Misciagna ’88, interviewed by Stephanie McCarthy ’18.
“Back in the ’90s, there was a group called Crimson Key Society. We were student ambassadors who did a lot of work with the alumni, which is how I ultimately came to be so involved in the alumni association. We would give tours to prospective students. We were the ones making phone calls for development.” —Gina Mazzulla ’91, interviewed by Michael Kokias ’19
“I was an Orientation Leader. I don’t know if they are still there, the Red Shirts. I remember how much I enjoyed my formal introduction to the university. I was really excited and really looked forward to it. I really enjoyed being able to carry that on and bringing in the next classes.” —Brendan O’Neill ’99, interviewed by Sam Britt ’20
“I played field hockey, so most of my memories are centered around field hockey and around sports in general.
My senior year, men’s basketball won the Atlantic 10 tournament, so me and two of my guy friends took the train and saw the tournament in Brooklyn in person.
What I remember most is that there was such a sense of pride within the fan section and the Saint Joseph’s community overall.”
—Sara Kolobielski ’14, interviewed by Sami Nigro ’20
“One of my favorite memories was joining The Hawk my senior year. I joined late, but I must say I wish I joined sooner. The Hawk has a newsroom-like feeling and my favorite memories were the nights the staff and I would spend putting together the weekly paper. The atmosphere and the people I worked with made me feel like I was doing something productive with my college career.” —Matthew Haubenstein ’15, interviewed by Victor Fabietti ’18
“It [Pope Francis’s visit to St. Joe’s] was a total surprise, kept under wraps very well by the administration. [I was] told prior to the visit to prepare for a Mass Pope Francis was giving on Ben Franklin Parkway. Campus was electric. The students had great energy, which added even a more special vibe to it.” —Nick Chingas ’16, interviewed by Alex Mark ’20
