September 02, 2004
Staten Island, NY - St. John's University Staten Island Campus
celebrated the start of its fall semester with a ceremonial
classroom ribbon cutting at the DaSilva Academic
Center. Students, university employees and faculty members
were on hand for the event which took place at the doorways of
rooms 109 and 110. Sr. Joan Mahoney, Cong. de Notre Dame, led
the group in a blessing before students filed into the brand new
classrooms. The building will be officially dedicated in a
ceremony on Saturday, October 2, 2004.
Named for the son of Mr. Leon DaSilva, the DaSilva Academic
Center honors the memory of John DaSilva, a member of the St.
John's Hockey Team who was killed in an automobile accident one
year after his graduation in 1980. The three-story,
state-of-the-art building will house several computer classrooms, a
technology center and faculty and administrative office space.
Student lounges and a communication arts suite, including a
multimedia production lab, will also be prominent parts of the
building's configuration. Along with Mr. DaSilva's generous $2.5
million contribution, the Richmond County Savings Foundation
pitched in $300,000 for the computer lab and SI Bank & Trust
Foundation contributed $150,000 towards the media lab and radio
station. In all, the building will comprise more than 37,000 square
feet and be situated opposite the Campus Center. The two story
glass atrium is filled with brightly painted walls and sun soaked
hallways that will serve as a spot for students to exhibit their
artwork.
"We are excited to welcome students and faculty members to this
great new facility," said Victor Ramos, Director of the St. John's
University Staten Island Campus. "The labs and computers in
the DaSilva Academic Center provide students with the technology
they need to be successful in their college and professional
careers. This is a great addition to our campus."
About St. John's University
At St. John's University education is not only about career
preparation but about learning to make a difference in the world.
In addition to rigorous academic study, there is a focus on direct
experience helping those less fortunate, which is at the core of
our Vincentian heritage. With a total enrollment of more than
19,000 students, St. John's University operates five campuses: in
Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and Oakdale in New York and in
Rome, Italy. The University has six schools and colleges and offers
associate, baccalaureate, master's, doctoral and professional
degrees.