Discimus ut serviamus: We learn so that we may serve.

QView #213 | October 21

From left: Zonghua Zhang, President Frank H. Wu

The winning entry in this semester’s Presidential Suite Art Competition is Our Breakfast by Zonghua Zhang, a senior pursuing a BFA with a concentration in drawing art. The acrylic painting was unveiled in the President’s Suite on Tuesday, October 14. In the artist’s words, the work “merges playful imagery—aliens, candy, balloon animals, and oversized food—with dreamlike compositions that blur fantasy and reality.” The first meal of the day has never looked this exciting.

From left: Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement/Alumni Relations Laurie Dorf, President Frank H. Wu, East West Bank Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Consumer and Business Banking Dennis Chuang, Assistant Vice President for Governmental Relations & External Affairs Jeffrey Rosenstock, Social Sciences Dean Kate Penchenkina

Dennis Chuang, senior vice president and regional director of consumer and business banking for East West Bank, swung by campus on Wednesday, October 15, for lunch with President Wu and colleagues. Chuang has supported the art gallery at Queensborough Community College. Discussion included the new Transfer Hub scheduled to open later this week in Frese Hall and how QC is working with QCC, and other community colleges, to ease student transfer and improve opportunities for student success.

Academic departments, student organizations, campus offices, and representatives from the Immigrant Student Support Initiative (IMMI), CUNY Citizenship Now, and the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) staffed informational tables on the Quad as the community turned out for I Stand with Immigrants on Wednesday, October 15. After Jennifer Jarvis (Student Affairs), Carla Cordova (IMMI), Kimiko Hahn (English), Caroline Hong (AANAPISI Project, QCAP), and Joshua Martinez (Student Association, Alliance of Latin American Students) offered remarks, Nikael provided live music. Activities ranged from button making and quick tarot card readings to the creation of a collective art piece with messages of support. In related programming, Rosenthal Library is displaying books featuring powerful immigrant stories, research, and analysis through the end of November. The Writing Center plans to hold a multilingual open mic night.

The Enrollment Growth Task Force—co-chaired by Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management Vivek Upadhyay, Assistant Vice President for External and Governmental Relations Jeffrey Rosenstock, and Anthropology Chair Larissa Swedell—held its inaugural meeting on Monday, October 20. The task force is focusing on improving prospective student recruitment and retention, and therefore student success at QC. The work includes tying recommendations to the QC Strategic Plan and the CUNY Roadmap and utilizing the many talents of the college community in developing and implementing initiatives. 

Rachel Mow Wins Cross Country Invitational; Soccer Teams Continue Playoff Push

Queens College senior Rachel Mow was the winner of the St. Joseph’s College Invitational on Saturday, finishing the women’s 5K race at Sunken Meadow Park in a time of 20:47.2. Mow bested a large field of 148 runners, with the next fastest runner coming across the line 22 seconds later.

Also on Saturday, the men’s soccer team earned another important East Coast Conference (ECC) victory. The Knights rallied with two second-half goals to defeat the College of Staten Island, 2–1. Tommy Gunn netted the game-winner with just two minutes remaining to lift the Knights. The win helped the Knights maintain a one-point lead over St. Thomas Aquinas College for first place in the tightly contested ECC standings.

The women’s soccer team recorded two draws last week and earned a point in the ECC standings. They tied Assumption University, 1-1, in a non-conference match on Tuesday and then played to a scoreless draw against Staten Island in a key conference tilt on Saturday. The Knights sit in fifth place in the ECC with the top six earning playoff spots.

The women’s volleyball team also picked up an ECC win, defeating St. Thomas in five sets on Sunday. Kylynn White nearly recorded a triple double with 16 kills, 16 assists, and nine digs to lead the Knights.

It will be a busy week of action for QC’s fall sports. Men’s and women’s soccer will play two doubleheaders this week. On Wednesday, the women visit Molloy University at 4 pm with the men to follow against Molloy at 7 pm. On Saturday, the two teams will be on the road against Caldwell University. The men play at 11 am, and the women play at 1:30 pm.

Women’s tennis returns to action this week with three matches. They host University of the District of Columbia on Friday for a 1 pm match, then travel upstate to take on D’Youville University on Saturday at 4:30 pm and Daemen University on Sunday at 4:30 pm. 

In its only match of the week, women’s volleyball hosts Molloy on Tuesday at 7 pm. Finally, the cross country team will compete in the ECC Championships, which will be held at Sunken Meadow Park on Saturday at 10 am.

For the latest Knights news, visit queensknights.com

This Week in Hispanic Heritage Month

Technically speaking, Hispanic Heritage Month ended on October 15. But events at QC are continuing this week with a roundtable—50+ Years of Activism & Education: The Past and Futures of Ethnic, Race and Diaspora Studies at QC—on Thursday, October 23, from 12:15 to 1:30 pm in Dining Hall 122. Jorge Alves (Latin American and Latino Studies Program and Political Science) will moderate a panel of campus leaders Norka Blackman-Richards (SEEK), Madhulika S. Khandelwal (Urban Studies), and Simone Yearwood (School of Arts and Humanities). To attend, reserve a seat here. The roundtable is presented by Latin American and Latino Studies, Africana Studies, Asian American Community Studies, Political Science, QC AANAPISI Project, SEEK, and Urban Studies

Artistic Homecoming

QC alumni are highlighted in Now! & Then! & How!, a group show curated by studio art alumna Celeste Balducci ’18. Opening October 27 in the Student Gallery on the fourth floor of Klapper Hall, the exhibition features 27 artists spanning the classes of 1969 and 2025. In keeping with the title concept, each participant is displaying two pieces—a “then” piece from their QC days and a “now” piece reflecting their current artistic voice. An opening reception will take place October 28 at the gallery from 2 to 6 pm. Now! & Then! & How! will run through November 6.

Spooky Doings in the Borough

This coming weekend, Halloween-themed events will take place all over Queens. Here’s a guide to a few borough haunts.

At Queens Botanical Garden, staffers will lead a Witchy Plant Tour on Saturday, October 25. Costumes will be encouraged the next day for Halloween at the Garden, with trick-or-treating and crafting for kids; adults will be able to bend elbows at a cash bar pouring beers, ciders, seasonal cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages. A fair will showcase local vendors.

Halloween on the Farm, taking place October 25-26 at the Queens County Farm Museum, will offer Monster Mash Dancing, ghost story sessions in historic Adriance Farmhouse (circa 1772), and hayrides complete with festive decorations and a kid-friendly Halloween soundtrack. Puzzlers will have the opportunity to test their navigational skills in the Amazing Maize Maze, a sprawling 3-acre cornfield puzzle. As always, visitors will be able to enjoy photo ops and purchase fresh produce and baked goods.

Socrates Sculpture Park will host its annual Halloween Harvest Festival on October 25. Activities will include pumpkin decorating, creative workshops, and what’s billed as the city’s second-largest dog costume contest, co-presented with Chateau le Woof.

The Central Astoria LDC will return to Astoria Park on Sunday, October 26, for its tenth Batty Over Halloween. Expect a puppet show, performances by local ensembles, face painting, balloon art, and more. That evening, for those brave enough, Bowne House, a landmark dating to the 17th century, will delve into its past with Haunted House Tours.

PS: Don’t squash and trash your pumpkins! “Smashing” opportunities will be covered in the next issue of QView.)

Harold Robert Hogstrom ’49

Harold Robert Hogstrom, emeritus professor of communication and theatre at the College of New Jersey, passed away on September 7, six days after his hundredth birthday.

An Eagle Scout and New York City native, Hogstrom saw World War II action as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division; his battalion was the first to land in Japan on VJ Day. After graduating from QC, he earned his doctorate at Syracuse University. He spent most of his academic career—33 years—at the College of New Jersey. He directed more than 100 plays and designed and built stage sets for many others.

Retiring to Asheville, North Carolina, Hogstrom put his construction skills to use as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and kept teaching at the College for Seniors at University of North Carolina at Asheville.

As noted in the obituary he wrote himself, he is survived by his wife Valerie, daughter Olivia, stepchildren James and Cathy, and five grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Jon and his daughter Kim.

Yvette St. Jacques ’76

Yvette St. Jacques, former assistant vice president for communications at Stony Brook University, died on July 22. She was 77.

Born in Manhattan and raised in Queens, St. Jacques earned an undergraduate degree at QC and then enrolled in a new graduate program in Critical Thinking Skills. Moving to Long Island, she would eventually apply those skills at Stony Brook.

She is survived by her son, Jed Cappellazzi, daughter-in-law, Shannon Cappellazzi; siblings, Marlene Cleaves, Yvonne St. Jacques, and Richard St. Jacques; and three nieces. 

CUNY Distinguished Professor Fred Gardaphe and Calandra Institute Dean Anthony Tamburri will be among the speakers at the ILICA Conference on October 31, at Calandra Institute Hall at CUNY (25 West 43rd Street). The conference will explore the theme of Italian Americans: The New Generation Between Culture and Tradition. The session will conclude with a question-and-answer session between the speakers and the audience, followed by a reception with food prepared by Chef Andrea Tiberi, who will be arriving directly from Italy . . . .

Susan Isaacs, a QC alumna and best-selling novelist, will discuss writing and publishing with novelist Dana Weinberg (Sociology) on Monday, October 27, from 12:15 to 1:30 pm in the Klapper Hall Student Art Gallery (Room 472). Refreshments will be served at the event, part of the School of Arts “A Life in Arts” series. RSVP here. . . .

Jeffrey Rosenstock (External and Governmental Relations) and Michelle Stoddart (Resorts World New York City, Louis Armstrong House Museum) were honored as heroes at the Flushing Town Hall Gala on October 16 . . . .

Quinceañera: Dress and Memory in Latine Culture, on display at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum through December 18, was the subject of coverage from ABC 7 and CBS News . . . .

Hackathon Organizers

The Fall 2025 Hack Knight Hackathon at Queens College—a semi-annual coding competition held October 17-19 in collaboration with the Provost’s Office, Department of Computer Science, Student Association, and Student Clubs (Code for All)—attracted 500 students from 11 CUNY campuses. Participants submitted a total of 47 projects to compete in the categories of health, finance, and the environment. Entries were judged by industry experts and professors from the computer science department. This event was sponsored by companies and organizations including Capital One, Bloomberg, CodePath, and Major League Hacking (MLH). During the hackathon, Bloomberg engineers and recruiters hosted onsite technical interviews exclusive to QC students . . . . 

CUNY TV celebrated its 40th anniversary with a television special hosted by Tony Guida. On Thursday, October 16, an event at the CUNY Graduate Center brought together many of the station’s hosts, producers, engineers, camera crews, writers, and managers. QC faculty, staff, students, and alumni—including Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson, who supervised the station for over three decades—were among members of the CUNY community whose activities and accomplishments were featured, along with programming that has won 49 Emmys to date . . . .  

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (right) was the guest speaker on Friday, October 17, for the urban studies class taught by James Vacca (left).