Monthly Archives: October 2013

When Zombies Attack!

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At midnight on Monday morning on October 14th, another game of Humans vs. Zombies commenced at Stockton. Humans vs. Zombies, or HvZ, is played by thousands of colleges throughout the nation and is one of the most fun and interesting games one can play. The goals in HvZ differ between being a zombie and a human. If you are a human, your objective is to survive the week of Hvz, which is how long the game lasts. You must attend nightly missions to obtain food rations and to prevent yourself from turning into a zombie. Humans can use Nerf guns or socks to defend themselves against zombies.

If you are a zombie, however, your goal is to tag as many humans as you can. Once you tag a human, you collect their code and enter it on the HvZ website, and your victim then also becomes a zombie. You must eat at least once every 48 hours, or you will starve. If you get shot by a human, you are out of the game for 10 minutes, the time it takes for a zombie to respawn. Once a zombie is respawned, they can continue hunting for more humans. Zombies do not need to complete their nightly missions, but it is easier to find targets if they do (and it is also a lot more fun!).

When I played HvZ, I was the first one to get tagged by a zombie. I was tagged by the OZ, or “Original Zombie.” The OZ is disguised to look like a human, though they are secretly lurking around and tagging humans to turn them into zombies. Though I wish I had more time as a human, I also loved the thrill that came with being a zombie. I ran after people all day every day of the game trying to tag them, and even got a few! I jumped out of my window to tag people, and I even wore zombie makeup one of the days! My muscles were so sore from all of the running, but it was definitely worth it and some of the most fun I’ve ever had!

Get Involved Fair

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On September 17 and 18, 2013, the Stockton Office of Student Development organized an event called the “Get Involved Fair.” This event offered students a variety of ways to get involved with Stockton clubs and activities this fall.  The tables were arranged down the halls through A to J wing. Tables had representatives from fraternities, sororities, major specific clubs, club sports, student leadership organizations, and volunteer opportunities. Many tables appealed to me. However, since I am a freshman, who is still getting acclimated, I decided to minimize my sign-ups.

I approached three tables at the fair. All of the representatives at each table were welcoming, upbeat, and informative. The representatives for the sorority I approached gave me information about upcoming socials and events they were hosting. They encouraged me to come out and experience these events to make my decision process easier next semester.  The next table I visited was Circle K. Their representatives described different volunteer events I could participate in, which would help me satisfy the service learning requirements for the honors program here at Stockton. The final table I visited was the Public Health Club. I found myself the most interested in this table mainly because I am majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. The president of the club explained how last year’s members volunteered at health practices and Relay for Life walks to raise money for diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. I think this club is perfect for me because it provides me with the opportunity to participate in volunteer work that I am very interested in. These volunteer projects will also be great real world experiences for my career goals.

I found attending this event was very helpful. The “Get Involved Fair” made it much easier to see everything Stockton has to offer and find out what is best for me. Getting involved with these great clubs and activities will make the college experience much more enjoyable. I highly recommend attending this two-day event every semester.

A Convocation with Mary Roach

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On September 26, 2013, all freshman were asked to attend a Convocation with writer Mary Roach, author of the summer reading book Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. During this event, Mary Roach gave students the inside scoop on the workings of her book. She talked about her travels, her struggles, and everything about being a scientific writer.

I must say, Mary Roach is a very unique individual. She has no shame in discussing the most vulgar topics and answering the most ridiculous questions. She went from talking about being in Cambridge at the medium school to discussing hyenas giving birth through their clitoris. That discussion got the crowd energetic and constantly laughing. During her entire time at the Convocation she interacted with the crowd and kept everyone interested. For example, she asked the crowd a question: What other part of your body can have an erection besides the penis? Everyone had very unique answers, but none where the right one. Come to find out the answer was the nasal cavity. This shocked everyone, and I will carry that fun fact with me forever. It was an all around fun time at the convocation with Mary Roach.

Then the conversation turned serious. Through all the laughter and crazy stories there was an underlying meaning that Roach wanted us all to understand. To paraphrase Mary Roach, curiosity is your greatest asset. If you are not curious, you are not living. She talked about how her main drive for writing her books was pure curiosity for things. She encouraged all of us to live life asking questions and looking for the answers.

I was truly inspired by Mary Roach’s presentation. She justified her book to the criticism presented, and she expressed her love for her writing and curiosity. She has encouraged me to question things and strive to find the answers based on my own will to solve the problem.

 

Stocktonopoly

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To start my Homecoming weekend off right I went to the showing of “Monster’s University” in the campus center on Thursday October 3, 2013. Although I narrowly missed winning the Wawa gift card I wanted, I had a great time watching the movie and sitting with some of the girls from my floor. Little did I know it was the start to hectic and crazy weekend.

Friday began as just another normal day for me. I woke up. Got breakfast. Went to class. Got lunch. Went back to my dorm. But, at 4:30, my floor mates and I walked over to see the Homecoming parade. The weather felt like summer and we sat in the grass right by the judges’ table. As the different clubs and organizations went by we got lots of handouts that included candy (which I particularly enjoyed) and invitations to their meetings. All of the golf carts were beautifully decorated and all showed off the groups’ personalities. A club I had just joined, the American Sign Language Club, had (in my humble opinion) one of the best floats, connecting sign language to the theme of the weekend, Stocktonopoly. Afterwards we all rushed over to the pep rally.

I must be honest- I did not expect such a pepped up pep rally. All of the students and faculty were so excited for Homecoming weekend and had so much school spirit. All of the sports teams were introduced, along with their collective many championships won. Many fraternities and sororities made appearances at the pep rally as did many clubs. The dance team and the cheerleading squad both performed. The ASL club did an amazing performance of “Roar” by Katy Perry in sign language that absolutely stunned the crowd. After the crowd was all excited, we all went in to get our free Stocktonopoly t-shirts and the bonfire began. The bonfire was huge, and it lit up the entire freshman quad. My friends and I were disappointed that we could not roast marshmallows or make smores on the fire. We couldn’t get close enough to the fire to do that even if we had really wanted to.

The big events all happened Saturday- the carnival and then the dance. My parents and younger brother came down for the day, and I loved spending time with them. My brother made me do all the blow-up obstacle courses with him and mocked me because I was slower than him. It’s worth mentioning that he is ten and it was way easier for him to manage the obstacle courses than it was for me. My parents took us out to my favorite restaurant Applebee’s for dinner, and it was amazing to have a real, off-campus meal for the first time in almost a month. After dinner we said our goodbyes so I could get ready for the dance.

My entire floor was in a frenzy getting ready for the dance, making sure our hair and makeup were perfect. We took floor pictures with our wood cutout of Gloria from “Madagascar” in the common room, which resulted in us being late to the dance. By the time we got there everything was already underway, and the party was pumping. I personally took off my heels as soon as we walked through the door and headed straight for the dance floor. Shortly thereafter my group of friends and I had formed a rather large circle on the dance floor and were having a blast (our song “The Fox” even came on). I danced the night away with my girls and I couldn’t have asked for a better freshman Homecoming dance. What a way to kick off my college experience.

Overall my first Homecoming weekend here at Stockton was full of fun, laughter, family, friendship and good food. I can absolutely not wait until next year!

Event Fair

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As a freshman in a college with so many different activities going on, I was somewhat nervous about finding a way to fit in. I wanted to get involved but I felt intimidated by the number of students and all of the various events. I barely knew anyone and I certainly didn’t know my way around the campus. I was happy to receive an email that listed all of the events for the upcoming week because I read about the Event Fair. It was sponsored by the Student Development team and the Office of Service Learning. It was convenient because it was located in the A-J wings which I could find very easily, and it was from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. so I could take my time and look at everything between classes without feeling rushed. I felt like this was definitely something that would help me get acquainted with other students and learn more about what Stockton has to offer, so I decided to spend a few hours there.
The hallways were lined with over a hundred tables with free food and prizes. The people behind the tables were so outgoing and friendly. They were eager to get students to join their organization. Their enthusiasm definitely made me feel welcome and interested in what they had to say. One club that stood out to me was called Commuters on the Go. I feel like I can meet other commuters whom I would be able to relate to and find ways to get involved without actually living on campus. Another club that stood out to me was the Circle K club, which is a service based group that does humanitarian charity. I definitely want to get involved with as much as possible while still living half an hour away. The Event Fair helped me examine my options while meeting a lot of new people in the process.

Convocation

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On the 26th of September, the freshman class got together in the Performing Arts Center to hear Mary Roach speak.  What did she talk about you ask?  Well, everything!

After several brief introductions and acknowledgements from the president of Stockton and GT Lenard, Roach came out on stage and began talking to us about herself and how she views life.  She emphasized the importance of being curious and asking questions.  To give us an idea of how important she feels being curious is, she told us stories about her life.  She shared some of her awkward experiences that she had when she was writing Spook and she also shared a lot of her interesting experiences.  Yes, all of these experiences were a result of her curiosity and uncanny ability to ask the most obscure questions.  In the end, all of these experiences gave her answers to the many questions that she said are always present in her mind.  Each experience gave her a new piece of knowledge that seems like it will forever stick with her.

She also told us that college is the time to be curious and to ask questions.  Like many adults, she knows what kids do in college and she was one of the few adults who didn’t lecture us on trying new things or experimenting.  She actually told us to try these new things and to continue to experiment but to be smart about it.  She tied in some of her awkward and crazy stories when she was telling us to be curious in order to relay her point.  That point being curiosity is actually a good thing.  After her presentation, she opened the floor to questions and many people took advantage.

Most of the questions that were asked revolved around her book Spook mainly because that was the book most of the people at the convocation had read.  Of course, the biggest question of all was “do you believe in ghosts?”  To be honest, I think that is all anyone wanted to ask her.  But her response was definitely something I didn’t expect.  In response to the question, she told us a story of her one and only personal ghost encounter and honestly, it wasn’t that great.  So her answer was no, she doesn’t believe in ghosts even after all of the research she did in order to write Spook.  After the question session was over, she went to the lobby and signed books for everyone who wanted their books signed.

In the end, it was a pretty neat experience to be able to hear what she had to say, especially in regards to Spook.  I didn’t expect the Convocation to be what it was, but I’m glad that we were required to go for class.  It was something that I will never forget.

One Night Stand-Up

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On Friday, October 4, Stockton Entertainment Team (S.E.T.) sponsored an event called One Night Stand-Up, a comedy show featuring Thomas Dale. My friends and I heard about the comedy show, which started promptly at 8:00, about 15 minutes prior to the event; needless to say, we quickly ran to the Performing Arts Center Box Office to purchase our tickets. We then settled into our balcony seats and waited for the show to begin.

Within the first five minutes of his act, Dale confessed his love for “straight boys.” He singled out a member of the audience named Nick and repeatedly made references such as, “Don’t put it on display if it’s not for sale,” to him throughout the course of the night. Dale’s material ranged from being a gay teenager and dating girls to fighting off mountain lions on hikes in Los Angeles. He certainly did not censor his material, which was somewhat awkward considering the event was part of homecoming and family weekend. Many college students were sitting with their parents, and I could sense their uneasiness when I occasionally scanned the room. Regardless, there was never a shortage of laughter in the room. By making fun of both male and female characteristics, he was relatable to everyone—even parents.

Dale’s underlying message was subtle but clear: embrace equality. He told an anecdote about pretending to want to marry a bug for his nephew’s amusement. His nephew said something along the lines of: You can’t marry that bug! He’s a boy. Dale replied, “You can marry whoever you want. Boys can marry boys. Boys can marry girls. Girls can marry girls. The real problem is that he’s a bug.” Dale’s tone and mannerisms were truly endearing, and I could not help but feel like we had a real connection by the end of the show.

After his performance, Thomas Dale stood by the entrance of the PAC and posed for pictures. My friends and I took a picture with him, followed him on twitter, and friended him on Facebook. Now, he is not just a comedian but a friend. So while the ticket may have cost two dollars, the experience was priceless.

Seaview

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As a Hospitality & Tourism Management major, I decided to take “Introduction to Hospitality” my freshman year. I wanted to get a head start to furthering my education in the field I’m interested in. On October 3rd, we had a chance to visit Stockton’s Seaview Hotel and Golf Club.

Instead of going to class on campus, we all met in the lobby of Seaview. I was the first one there so I was a little nervous that I had the wrong date or time. However, one of my fellow classmates, who lives at Seaview, came down and we waited for the rest of the class together. Once the whole class had arrived, Mike Tidwell, Director of Sales and Marketing, began our tour of the hotel. We were shown the dinning hall and the many event rooms Seaview has to offer their guests and customers. The whole place was beautiful and in top shape. It was the first time since I was a child in Seaview.

Mike answered many questions about the business. He stressed the importance of data, and gave us an example of the type of budgeting he does every year. We didn’t get to see as much of the hotel as I would’ve liked to, but I learned a lot from Mike talking to us. The trip excited me more about getting into the business. I’m ready to pay my dues and work my way up the hospitality ladder.

The Profession

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During the days of October 9-13, the Stockton Theatre Club put on Walter Wykes’ tragicomedy, The Profession in the experimental theatre. It was directed by Dan Cerullo, and featured three actors, Jeremy Rotolo, Taylor Cawley, and Ryan Gorman. The second night of the show I helped sell concessions as well as watching the show. The fifth night I went again, but solely as an audience member. The first night was fun and I saw a lot of the comedy and laughed.

Moments were absolutely hysterical, Taylor’s facial expressions were beyond compare, and Jeremy’s timid sense of being was always there for a laugh, while Ryan’s intimidating nature only increased the comedy with him and Jeremy. While the show had its serious moments it was on an overall, funny and quite enjoyable. I found myself laughing as Taylor, portraying the character of Ibid, would creepily smile her way through lines. I couldn’t take Jeremy too seriously as I watched his character of Eugene fumble over words in the beginning, laughing the whole time. Ryan too, had a smile on my face as he played Schäffer, found a way to always get just a little too close to Eugene, and had the audience laughing. The first night I saw the show was full of smiles and laughter, while the second night of seeing the show brought me something entirely different.

The second night of the show brought about a whole new set of emotions. Instead of seeing the comedy I found a more disturbing show. I found Ryan’s booming voice chilling, Taylor’s eerie smile and constant reactions that were just too quick, Jeremy’s questioning of power and society. The show and the plot continually brought my mind to darker places, as the motives behind actions switched from comical to tragic. The monologues became disturbing and unnerving, as the cruel side of humanity was revealed.

The longer I watched the show the more disturbed and moved I felt. Instead of comedy I found a deeper meaning. It was amazing how much a show can change in your mind as you view it more than once. I wish I could have gone all of the nights to see a greater progression in my views of the show. Theatre is an amazing thing, and the change and progression in a show is even more amazing. I cannot wait for the upcoming show, Hello Herman. 

Silent Library

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On Tuesday, September 17, Stockton Entertainment Team (S.E.T.) sponsored an event called Silent Library. In accordance with the popular television show, the objective of the game remained the same: do not laugh, regardless of whatever ridiculous activity a teammate may undertake. When my best friend and I arrived at the event, we had no intention of actually playing the game—we consider ourselves viewers, not doers—however, we promptly learned all who attend must participate. In retrospect, I am thankful for this rule.

Lacking four more people to round off our team, I quickly called another friend I had made during Welcome Week. He was conveniently with three others, so I instructed them all to run like the wind down to the event room! Upon our entrance, we were greeted by the always friendly members of S.E.T., and they told us to help ourselves to frozen yogurt and fresh fruit. After loading up our bowls, we sat down and waited for the games to begin.

While our team anxiously anticipated our turn, we witnessed unlucky participants dancing in tutus and being subjected to pie-eating contests. Alas, it was our turn! We were the last team to go, and perhaps I am biased, but I believe we had the worst challenges. For one of the challenges, we had to play leap frog. This does not sound too embarrassing until factoring in being watched by a crowd and jumping over the heads of people met less than an hour ago. While we did laugh quite a bit during this challenge, our team was deemed successful and moved on to the next round. The final challenge was to have one person apply lipstick to each teammate’s face while blind-folded. Though I did not know the boy selected for this challenge before that night, we got acquainted pretty quickly as he stroked my face trying to find my lips. Despite his best efforts, he somehow always ended up drawing on either the chin or neck. Our team obviously lost this round.

In the end, all the humiliation was worth it because we were given prizes: a beach ball, lip balm, and a cell phone holder. A more important prize is the new friendships that were formed in the process of embarrassing ourselves. I applaud S.E.T. for helping people step out of their comfort zones. I certainly benefited from attending this event. I made new friends and was given the chance to let loose and be silly.