Students accepted to St. John’s University were greeted by a small, but dedicated band of demonstrators opposed to St. John’s University’s 500-bed dorm on Henley Road on Sunday afternoon. The activist gathered outside the campus, brandishing their characteristic red and white “NO Dorm” signs and shouted slogans at the visitors.
At an early morning protest attended by state Sen. Frank Padavan the same day, four squad cars from the 107th Precinct were in attendance. The officers told Padavan they had many other calls, but this lawful protest was their priority.
Padavan told opponents of the dorm that at the last monthly community dialogue meeting at St. John’s, Joseph Sciame, vice president for community relations, told the meeting attendees that if residents had complaints against students behavior off-campus they should dial 911. “This will apply to students at the dorm,” he said. According to Padavan St. John's would play no part in policing students domiciled, or acting out, outside the campus.
"St. John's is using Henley Road to warehouse students for their money making machine," said Ana Landron, one of the demonstrators, of the Vincentian institution.
—Jillian Abbott
