December 19, 2011
Christmas was in the air on the Staten Island campus, and for
the women of the Notre Dame College Alumnae Association who
gathered in Flynn Hall for a Christmas Tea, the atmosphere sparkled
with warm memories of holidays from years gone by.
Photo Gallery
Colleges and universities thrive on tradition. It’s a way to
continue the past so that it can be repeated and enjoyed in the
present. For the alumnae, coming together for this seasonal event
was a way to put the years on hold and carry them back to their
student days.
“The nuns believed that a formal tea was the most appropriate
way for young ladies to celebrate the holidays, so this was
something we did every Christmas,” recalled Joan Dobis ’66NDC,
President of the Notre Dame College Alumnae Association. “It’s
important to keep this tradition alive so that the ladies who
attended Notre Dame can celebrate in the way that we were
accustomed to doing in the past. This is something that brings back
good memories of something that was such a part of us. It’s our way
of keeping the past alive.”
For many
alumnae, the opportunity to mingle with old friends in one of their
favorite campus buildings brought forth a wave of nostalgia for the
simpler and more genteel days of their youth. Once across the
threshold, they could easily imagine themselves again chatting
quietly under the watchful eyes of Sr. Helen Flynn, trying hard to
balance their delicate china cups without spilling or dropping
anything.
“Our teas were an occasion to dress up, and we always wore hats
and white gloves,” remembered Marianne O’Donnell Cummins ’60NDC.
“We held the teas in a large dining room with a coffee server at
each end, and it was a privilege if we were chosen to pour. There
were no seats, and we would stand and have our delicacies with our
tea or coffee. This is the second year that we’ve reinstated this
wonderful tradition. We’re trying to encourage more of our alumnae
to come back for these special events.”
Ever since Notre Dame College became part of St. John’s
University in 1971, their histories have become linked in ways
that, while bringing them closer together, allow each institution
to both respect and maintain their separate identities. It’s the
reason that everyone at St. John’s has always been proud to
incorporate the Notre Dame alumnae into our University family.
“I’m glad
that we’re hosting this event,” noted Christopher Cuccia Ed.D.
’97CBA, ’01MBA, ’07PD, ’09Ed.D., Academic Assistant Vice President
for the Staten Island campus. “Events like this are a good way to
keep the history and traditions of Notre Dame College alive in the
present day. Their history is an important part of our history and
I think it creates a really special bond between all of us.”
One of the ways that Notre Dame lives on at St. John’s is
through the Notre Dame College Alumnae Association Sister Helen
Flynn Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to qualified
incoming freshmen with demonstrated financial need who have been
accepted into an undergraduate baccalaureate degree program offered
on the Staten Island campus. Since its inception the alumnae have
contributed nearly $1.2 million to support deserving students who
wish to study at St. John’s.
Although Regina Cranston ’82NDC received her scholarship more
than three decades ago, she has never forgotten the generous
alumnae who helped to make her education possible. “I was a Sister
Helen Flynn Scholarship recipient,” she said, “and the alumnae of
Notre Dame College will always be important to me because of their
generosity when I was a student. I come to as many of their events
as possible as a way to show my appreciation for what they did for
me and continue to do for today’s students who need their
assistance. I enjoy going to events like this as a way to keep the
connection between St. John’s and Notre Dame strong.”