When you hear an event’s name is Tap Dogs, automatically one thinks it will involve tap dancing. At least that’s what I thought.  I was right, but however, I was also wrong.  Going to the show on September 22, I thought I was going to be watching a show similar to a ballet, except involving tap dancing.  Because I do not have a strong interest in theater or the arts, I initially believed that Tap Dogs would be a good show but boring nonetheless.  I could not have been more wrong.  This show was amazing, and if you were not able to attend, you really missed out on something extremely unique.

At the beginning, I felt as if I could do what the dancers were doing.  However, I soon realized how very wrong I was.  The only reason I had the slight inclination that maybe I could dance like them is because of the way the dancers were able to make it look so effortless.  As the show went on, I saw this degree of effortlessness continue as their performances got harder and harder as they incorporated more obstacles and variables in the way of their dancing.   One element incorporated into their performance was different kind of elevation changes.  They went from extreme to extremer.  Basketballs were also incorporated into the performance with each dancer being able to perform in sync with his fellow dancers and the basketballs.  Every time I thought one of their performances was the most amazing I had seen, they proved me wrong in the next performance that they did.  One of these was when four dancers were using some kind of power tool on a metal ladder, creating sparks that would fly into the center of the stage.  While they were doing this they were dancing, and the sparks were being created in sync with the dancer’s steps that was performing in center stage.  It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.  However, my favorite event was when one of the dancers was put into a harness and flipped upside down to dance.  The fact that he was able to be upside down and dance the way he was blew my mind.

Along with having phenomenal performances throughout the show, the dancers were also extremely personable; you could get a feeling of each of their personalities even though no words were being spoken.  Some were very humorous, and some were more serious.  I really enjoyed this aspect and that they got the audience involved with what they were doing onstage.  For example, at one point, the audience was needed to snap its fingers to keep a rhythm for the dancers.

Overall, this show was great.  It kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time, which I was happily surprised about.  Not being a dancer myself, it made me realize a new appreciation for it by seeing the lengths you can go to during performances and how difficult it must be to perform.  I’m extremely happy that I went and would highly recommend it for anyone who gets the opportunity to go see Taps Dogs.  You’ll be glad that you did.

Alexis Lawless

Day of Service

September 8, 2012

Circle K

I attended the Stockton Day of Service on Saturday, September 8, 2012. It was my first time actually doing community service at Stockton. I stayed with Circle K at the campus center. I really wanted to go off campus somewhere, but in the end I found it was very worthwhile doing what I did on campus with Circle K.

While I was there, one of the things I did was make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Salvation Army. I’ve never made so many sandwiches before! It was sticky and got all over the place, but in the midst of spreading that jelly, I realized why I was doing this certain task. I was preparing food for people, although it was so much more than just that. I was feeding the people in this world who are hungry and some days have nothing to eat at all. That thought was so satisfying to me and actually made me a little emotional. I know I’d feel very appreciative if students took their time on a Saturday afternoon to make me a meal if I was in need of one.

Another activity I did on this day was write letters to children who were, for lack of a better word, “sick” or “challenged” in some way. As hard as it was, we weren’t allowed to write things like “Get better soon!” or “Keep looking towards a brighter tomorrow.” Instead, we were asked to write about things they enjoyed (we were given a list for each child), and from that form a letter that would just put a smile on their faces for a couple minutes. Again, if I was a child with a disability, I know something like this would make my day. We weren’t showing sympathy or giving a helping hand; we were simply being friendly and treating them as our equal. I think this was a very good idea for Circle K to do, and while reading the children’s stories made me heartbroken, they showed me how lucky I truly am, and how strong these young people are.

Circle K is a very special group and I’m glad I was a apart of it on this day. I was so glad that I actually decided to join the club after this event. I’ve gone to two meetings so far and I can’t wait to start doing more service in my community! There’s something about community service like this that really touches my heart. Helping others less fortunate than me is probably the most rewarding thing I could do with my life. I will definitely do another Stockton Day of Service. I might even join a different group to learn about what they do to help others. All in all, I learned that the littlest things can help your community, ranging from feeding the hunger to writing a friendly card to a strong kid living a life most of us couldn’t even dream of.

I strolled over to the Campus Center on the evening of September 10^th for a Stockton Neighborhood Watch sponsored event called “Generation Text.”  I didn’t know what to expect from this program and I didn’t care very much because I was just going to get some extra credit in one of my classes.  I brought a friend along to keep me company and merely intended on just signing in at the event, sitting there, and possibly leaving early.  However, when 7:30pm arrived, I found out what this event was all about and didn’t miss a minute of it.

Jill Brown, CEO of Generation Text Online, has dedicated a large part of her life to educating students on the do’s and don’ts of social media and texting.  It is known that cyber bullying is a big issue today but this presentation went farther then telling us to not harass people via the Internet.  Mrs. Brown pointed out that since our generation grew up with phones and social media, we were never taught the proper way to utilize them where it won’t hurt others or ourselves.  As social media was forming, our parents and other adults in our lives didn’t understand it or know that serious problems could occur because of it.  Therefore, Mrs. Brown was teaching and convincing her audience to stay safe and stay smart when it comes to social media and texting.

In the “Generation Text” presentation, we were shown a variety of different sites to demonstrate how they can me harmful.  Mrs. Brown showed us real Facebook posts that teens and adults posted.  These posts ranged from statuses that said hurtful things about a classmate, negative comments on their job, to inappropriate pictures, and full pages dedicated to making fun of someone.  Many of these posts have led to tragic suicides, job firings, or being denied a job or school acceptance.

Many times users post or upload things that aren’t even meant to be hurtful; they’re meant to be funny.  Mrs. Brown reminded us of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers student who committed suicide after his roommate videotaped him with another man and posted it on YouTube.  Clementi’s roommate didn’t mean for him to commit suicide.  Someone who puts up a picture of a turtle climbing a fence making fun of Mexicans and immigrants is trying to crack a joke but they don’t see the big picture.  It doesn’t matter what context it is in, it can be extremely hurtful and cause a tragedy like it did for Tyler Clementi.  There are tons of cases where something on the Internet had been taken too far.  It doesn’t matter who you were, how old you were, or what your intentions were.

Jill Brown was definitely persuasive and convincing.  She showed us the reality of social media and texting that we didn’t really know before.  Media can be a good thing, but it can just as easily be a horrible thing.  We need to think hard before we post or send things because they can harm other people and ourselves.

Attended event on 9/20/12

Event run by: Fencing Club

Fencing is something that I had
been curious about. I have friends who fenced and the idea of it was always
appealing, though I could never really find a reason to get involved in it or
for that matter, find the time. Fencing Club meets every Monday and Thursday at
8 and the typical meeting runs until 10. This was easy enough to incorporate
into my busy schedule and so I jumped at the chance to finally engage myself in
a gentleman’s duel. As one arrives at big blue, you are directed to the area
behind the far bleachers which I realize, sounds quite odd indeed. However, I
made my way across the gym and was greeted by an unusual lot. They ranged in
body size and type and it seemed humorous to me to compare them to a band of
merry men or something or other. Curious as I was, I stayed and I can say that
I do not regret doing so. As I was completely new to the sport, I was eager to
learn what it would take to become a fencer. There is a man who one could call
the leader of the club, although his name escapes me. Regardless, he is a
pleasant fellow and I enjoyed his demonstrations on footwork, among other
fencing basics. He instructed the group for the following few minutes and
taught us how to advance and retreat with ease. Then the lunge, which I must
say is the most exciting part of the exercise, was displayed as well. It
involves a deeper squat in relation to one’s stance and then the thrusting of
the sword-arm and an explosion forward which occurs as a result of extension in
the rear leg. Once all the demonstrating is complete, all club members decide
what event they are interested in. I had not known that fencing involved
multiple weapons but, it does in fact have three events. Epee, which is a
thrusting type weapon, involves smaller movements of the wrist and a tactile
mind that knows when to strike. Saber, which is slashing weapon, is interesting
in that once a fencer makes an attack, he or she must subsequently defend and
wait for the opponent to make a move, and then re-gain the right of way in
order to attack once more. Then there is foil, which is only a shorter version
of the epee blade. In regards to the skill in which the weapons and
techniques are demonstrated they are quite excellent. There are experts in all
three categories, almost all of which are students here at Stockton. They offer
wonderful advice which can be immediately applied to ones combat techniques and
undoubtedly will result in great improvement. After careful consideration, I
decided to join the epee group because of how I admire the skill and fluidity
with which they duel. I fully enjoyed myself and have made plans to continue
attendance of this thrilling club which in my mind, teaches more than just
gentlemanly fighting ability, but also how to be a gentleman.