On September 26, the freshman of Stockton piled into the Performing Arts Center to hear Mary Roach speak about the freshman common reading, Spook.  Some students came because their seminar required it, others wanted the ULTRA credit, and still others just wanted to be at the event.  Nearly every seat both in the auditorium and orchestra pit were filled with students waiting for the event to begin.

The event started a little after 4:30 with opening remarks from President Herman Saatkamp, Professor G.T. Lenard, and Student Senate President Maribeth Capelli.  Then, it was time for Mary Roach herself to take the stage.

Mary Roach spoke much in the same way that she wrote.  She always had one idea in mind, but she always went off on tangents that in some way related to the main topic she was speaking about.  She spoke mainly about the importance of being curious.  Aside from Spook, she mentioned her books Stiff and Bonk.  At times, she even got a roar of laughter from the audience.

During the question and answer session, Mary Roach kept the ball rolling with quick answers and jests at the audience.  No question was too bizarre for her to answer.  She spoke of everything from her strangest instance with sexual research to her own experience with ghosts.  Her ghost story was a bit of a let down to the audience.  People were expecting a bit more of a gripping story instead of hearing about finding a candy heart on the table, but not everyone can have a gripping ghost story.  Everyone has their own personal experience, exciting or not.

Some people had to leave early due to conflicts in their schedule, but others were able to stay the entire time.  All in all, it was an enjoyable event.