St. John’s University cancels ‘Columbus Day’

St. John’s – New York’s largest Catholic university – has woken up And the Monday holiday is no longer referred to as “Christopher Columbus Day” in honor of the explorer revered as a devout Christian.

Some Italian-American civic leaders and alumni are now criticizing the Catholic institution for condemning the famous but controversial Italian explorer.

“It is madness not to accept Columbus,” Angelo Vivolo saidPresident of the Columbus Heritage Coalition. “Of course it’s an insult.”

Former Brooklyn state Assemblyman Peter Abbate, a St. John’s alumnus who earned bachelor’s degrees in history and political science, agreed.

“Not acknowledging Columbus is insulting. This is absolutely ridiculous,” Abbate said. “They can also say St. John’s University, John’s University. He gets an ‘F’ for trying to look cute in this.

St. John’s academic calendar now describes the holidays as “Fall Mini-Break – University Closed”. no classes.”

In doing so, it joins the New York City government in throwing Columbus under the bus when the former mayor Bill de Blasio’s tenure Amid protests that explorers enslaved and brutalized native populations during their voyages to the New World.

city ​​sanitation department put up a notice This year there will be no garbage, curbside composting or recycling collection on Monday, October 14, Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples Day.

still, Fordham UniversityNew York Catholic University, the city’s other flagship, states in its calendar that “the University is closed for Columbus Day.”

Iona College, a Catholic school in Westchester County, also recognizes “Columbus Day” in the calendar, although it does not observe the holiday with “classes in session.”

Vivolo said he personally complained to St. John’s officials about removing “Columbus” from the holidays, saying, “My sister graduated from St. John’s. My granddaughter graduated. My Niece is a student.”

Vivolo, former chairman and president of the Columbus Foundation, which hosts the city’s annual parade to celebrate the Italian explorer, said the organization provides scholarships to Italian-American high-school students to attend colleges. , and many of them have enrolled in it over the years. St. John’s.

St. John’s defended the removal of Columbus from the calendar.

“After taking into account federal holidays, there are a limited number of days available for observation in the academic calendar,” said St. John’s representative Brian Brown.

“In 2018, St. John’s University chose to celebrate Veterans Day and Columbus Day with an extended fall mini-break in early October. Fall mini-break usually coincides with Columbus Day,” Brown said. “St. John’s University community members and alumni regularly volunteer in Columbus Day celebrations throughout metropolitan New York City and will do so again this year.”

Such controversy is nothing new for St. John’s, which has changed the names of its sports teams from redmen About 30 years ago the Red Storm was replaced by critics who said its Native American image as a mascot was a stigma.

Meanwhile, other Catholic universities have also distanced themselves from Columbus.

The University of Notre Dame in Indiana does not recognize Columbus Day at all, and its calendar indicates when classes are in session.

Manhattan University and Niagara University in New York and Seton Hall University in New Jersey have mentioned they are on “fall break” without mentioning Columbus.

The College of St. Francis in Brooklyn has tried to appease both sides of the divide by calling the October 14 holiday “Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day.”

The calendar at the City University of New York simply says, “College Closed.”

There is no mention of “Columbus Day” in the calendars of the main campuses of the State University of New York.

Democratic Queens Councilman Robert Holden condemned the censure of Columbus.

“We should not impose 21st century standards on 15th century inventors; That’s what woke enthusiasts do through presentism, Holden said.

“Federal and state law designate this Monday as Columbus Day, and the fact that we still have an active executive order from Bill de Blasio, the worst mayor of all time,” Eric Adams continues, “is a disgrace.” Is.”

The Sanitation Department said it was following a city order that barred Columbus from its holidays.

“Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples Day is a named holiday in NYC and has been for many years,” said DSNY spokesperson Joshua Goodman.

“The DSNY Columbia Association will proudly march in the Columbus Day Parade on Monday. That’s the name of the parade, and you can rest assured that we will be posting about it on social media,” he said.