On November 19th , Stockton had a showing of, “Girl Rising”. It was a documentary featuring a variety of stories of young women and girls from all over the world with a common theme of education. Most of these girls had less than primary education and some could neither read nor write. The documentary depicted their struggles being girls in underdeveloped countries; because they were girls, many were married off at young ages and not allowed to go to school. One story was of a young girl in Nepal whose parents were poor and gave her away so she could have a place to live and food to eat, but she would be doing hard labor, facing abuse, and being fed scraps. Some stories were not all dismal; some stories illustrated family settings where the parents made their children’s education a priority, which gave their daughters an opportunity to succeed. Watching this movie gave me an opportunity to feel truly grateful for being an American and having parents who value my education. I also thought about all of the social injustices these girls in undeveloped countries face and what the resolution would be. There were many astonishing statistics including the amount of sexual assaults on young girls, that rape is legal and is a socially acceptable punishment for girls in many countries, and that a majority of deaths of young girls in these countries are because of childbirth. It is hard to find a resolution because of cultural differences among many other factors. It is unsettling to know how far women have come in America but then to think about all other countries where women are not allowed the most basic rights.

It is frequently said that the small things in life make it the most enjoyable. As I go through my first semester of college, I am coming to this exact realization. Between a full class schedule, a full workload, and adjusting to this new lifestyle, I am finding it hard to find time to enjoy life. It is the little things now that keep many students, including myself, going. So when I opened the student newspaper, the Argo, last week and discovered an advertisement for “Sweet Tooth Day,” my day was made. It was precisely 1:58 in the afternoon when I came upon this piece of information, and I happened to be sitting across from where it was being set up in the Campus Center for 2 o’clock. As my friend and I walked across the room, our eyes gazed upon such a beautiful sight: a candy cart. The popularity of this Stockton sponsored cart quickly grew into the form of a long line of sweet-toothed students. As my friend and I had our turn at the cart, I knew it was going to be a good day after all. There were choices of rock candy, nerds, jolly ranchers, skittles, sweet tarts, and many others. That day was a stressful day, but I was able to forget about the stress for a blissful few minutes filled with sugar. This small event had made a big difference in my day, and the days of those who joined me. Small Stockton events like this make a huge difference in the students’ lives, and they are important reminders of the little things in life that make it enjoyable.

In the Campus Center Theatre, Theatre Club held Whose Line? a few weeks back. My roommate and I decided to check it out. It was filled with laughter and fun, and it was a nice way to spend my time on campus.

The show is based on the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and the group of Stockton students do skits throughout the whole show like the ones they did on the TV show. The club also includes the audience by asking for suggestions for the scene of the skit and to also give suggestions before they enter for characters and one-liners. This made me feel a part of the show and made it funnier since the quotes and characters were ones that the audience knew and could relate to. One of the skits took place during Black Friday and each club member acted as a different item or person of the scene. One girl was a television and another was a little girl who got trampled by the crowds. Another skit was where audience members got selected to join the cast on stage and compete in a rhyming battle.

This event was very entertaining and I enjoyed it very much. The fact that the Theatre Club interacted so much with the audience made it more fun and I found myself

Scott Ribinsky

Freshman Blog number 2

I attended the Campus Center Movie Night and saw This is the End.  This is the End is a comedy about the apocalypse staring Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Jay Baruchel.  This movie was interesting because all of the actors in this movie played themselves.  The movie begins with a party at James Franco’s house.  However, everything changes when the apocalypse takes place.  During the apocalypse most of the population is sucked up into heaven, but most of the actors are left on earth.  The actors must find a way to survive while the world falls apart around them, while also trying to please god and get lifted into heaven.

I enjoyed the movie, I thought it was funny but there was a lot of hype for it and the movie did not satisfy my expectations.  The film also took a dark and borderline horror aspect to it, which caught me of guard.  The event itself was run very well, the theater was filled up for the movie, which is a testament on how well it was planned out.  The prizes that were given out were chosen well.  This event is pretty cool because they always show newer movies.  I look forward to going to see the next movie night.

On Monday, October 14^th, Stockton’s Neighborhood Watch club held a BBQ in the freshman quad.  The sun was out, but the air was crisp easily reminding students that this might be the last BBQ of the fall semester.  Lots of people lined up to take a grab at the food that was creating the wonderful smell of fresh food and charcoal.  However, when waiting for the food to be made, students got to watch a more exciting event.

Sunday marked the start of the Humans vs. Zombies game that lasts a full week, which people waiting on line for food got to watch.  Students are given green bands to either wear on their head or arm, deeming them either zombies or humans, respectively.  The goal of the game is to not be turned into a zombie, which happens if students get tagged.  Human students get to carry around Nerf weapons; including guns and bows, which shoot foam bullets to protect themselves from the “dead”.  As students waited, they got to see groups of humans avoid the zombies, and some zombies trying to get the humans.   The zombies wait at the bottom of the stairs of the dorms for students to come out, which is a little unfair, but it was still great to watch all of the action.  Tonight is their first mission, so I’m hoping that I’ll get to see some more interesting “battles” between the two groups.

When I finally was able to grab my burger, I was pretty excited to have something fresh to eat.  The burger was good; and it was nice to have grilled food.  While N-Wing is good a majority of the time, nothing can beat having charcoal cooked food.  However, I’m not sure how successful the BBQ was.  If the goal of the BBQ was to get people to join Neighborhood Watch, it wasn’t very convincing.  There was a small table with some information on the program, but no one was jumping to talk to students about what the club is about.  I know a lot of people didn’t stick around; they mostly just grabbed food and wandered to their dorms.  I think that there should have been something trying to convince us to get involved or some games to play.

Overall, it was really nice to take a break from doing work to hang out with some friends.  I definitely liked being able to watch the Human vs. Zombie game, which was a major plus for going to the BBQ.  In the end I had a lot of fun, which is the most important part!

Student Director

SAGE MITCHELL

Becoming the Honors Student Director would be an excellent way for me to give back to a program that has been a part of me since my first day of coming to Stockton. Through my leadership involvement in campus clubs such as Water Watch, Quidditch, and Fencing, I have had numerous opportunities to learn how to organize, manage, and promote club activities and programs. I am capable of taking on the responsibilities of the Student Director because I care about this program and about my fellow students. I hope to bring new events, projects, and idea to the program and to work with the rest of the executive board to help the Honors Program continues to run smoothly and with the same family atmosphere it has always had.

Student Assistant Director

MARY-KATE FITZPATRICK

Hello, my name is Mary-Kate Fitzpatrick. I am currently a Junior in the program. I have been on the Executive Board for the past year as a the Junior Class Representative. I will be running for Assistant Student Director this year. I want to help the program become a more Connected community and introduce new ideas. Since I have been part of the eBoard for the past year I have experience in how things are planned and completed for the program. It would a great opportunity to be elected as the 2014 Assistant Student Director.

Events Director

JESSA HERNANDEZ

Hello, my name is Jessa Hernandez, I am a junior biology major and I am running for the position of director of events. I am organized, able to plan out events, and am willing to create and plan fun times. Currently I am the co-director of events and I would like to now be the director of events. I, with the help of my other co-director, have planned out the barbeque in the spring, two semesters of Pizza and Pong, scatterball, and in the future the holiday party. Now that I have gotten my feet wet in this position, I believe that this new election year I can make the events even better. At every honors event I have been doing some research to see how things are going and have been writing down the steps on how to plan these events and now that I have one year under my belt, I think that this upcoming year can be even better. I have had numerous learning experiences with event planning including honors, RHA, and SET, and I am ready to apply what I’ve learned to this position as well. I wanted to run for this position because I believe I can put a new spin on the position by keeping the events upbeat and advertising the events more throughout our honors community. So I hope you vote for who you think is best for the position, whether that is me or my opponents. Thank you for your consideration and I hope you vote for me.

Public Outreach Co-Directors

SIENA STUCKI

I’m Siena Stucki and I am running for the Outreach Position for the Honors Executive Board. I know as part of the Outreach Position, I would need to advertise the program possibly at Open Houses to perspective freshmen. I would love to stand in front of potential incoming students and tell them of the benefits of the Honors Program. Although I may be only a freshman, the Honors Program has already done so much for me that I would love to share with others. I believe I would also be good for the job because I enjoy being creative and would love to craft different posters and bookmarks to get the word out about the Honors Program. I was the sole photographer for my middle school paper and enjoy taking photos of events which could be used for such posters. The Honors Program is where I have met some of the best and most dedicated people at Stockton. Given the chance, I would be honored to advertise the hard working students of this program as the Honors Executive Board’s Outreach Representative.

NICOLE VANCIL

Hello all.  My name is Nikki Vancil and I am running for the Director of Outreach position.  I feel I am qualified to be the Director of Outreach because I have been in a position of leadership since my junior year of High School.  I was also the Director of Outreach the last year and was successfully able to re-create the position and what it entails.  As the Director of Outreach you have to be able to work with all different types of people who are interested in joining not only this program but the college.  You also have to be creative as a big part of this job is creating the flyers, bookmarks, posters and year book ads for this program.  As the Director of Outreach I will continue to be an asset to the growing honors program.

Community Service Director

MCKENZIE LILLIA

Hello! My name is McKenzie Lillia and I am a junior running for the position of Director of Community Service. Our time in college is a time when we each find our passion. For me, I have found that my passion is helping others. I have been an avid member of Stockton Circle K since my freshman year. Circle K lives by the motto “Live to Serve, Love to Serve.” I love to serve, and I believe becoming Director of Community Service will allow me to live to serve. I have a passion for service and I would like to instill that passion in other honors students as Director of Service. I have found that many view the service-learning requirement as solely a requirement. I want my fellow peers to get excited about doing service! I want to offer a different service project every month; hence everyone can find a service project that suits his or her interests. I would also like to get us involved in smaller scale volunteering efforts that do not necessarily count as service projects but get us out into the community, making a difference! I also believe that I have the personality and skills that make me well qualified for this position. I am an extremely hard worker, I am open-minded and willing to listen to others, and I am passionate in whatever tasks I undertake. The Honors Program has done so much for me in my time at Stockton, and now I would like to give back as Director of Community Service.

Peer Mentoring Co-Directors

Allison Stiles

Hello. My name is Allison Stiles and I am running for the Peer Mentoring position.  I believe I can excel in this position for several reasons.  One: I am extremely organized, so no confusion will arise.  Two: I check my email just about every hour, so if anyone needs a response from me fast, I can get back to them as soon as possible.  Three: I have leadership experience from several clubs including 4-H and the colorguard at my high school.  Finally, I am a researcher, so anything that needs looking up like majors and programs, I can do it.  I like knowing things and helping people when they need someone.  This makes me able to perform my duties as the Peer Mentoring advisor.  I will match everyone up to the best of my abilities, and I will run the Scholars day smoothly.  Please vote for me, and I will not let anyone down.

Kimia Kheirkhah

Hi! My name is Kimia, I am a Junior and I am running for the position of peer-mentoring. Those of you who know me, know me as this loud, crazy outgoing person, which is fine because I am.  In fact, that is the reason why I feel like I would be the best choice for this position.  I’ll get the freshmen’s attention and make them fall in love with us, because we are worth falling in love with.  I love making new friends and meeting new people.  I feel like meeting the incoming freshmen is a great honor and responsibility since we’re basically making a first impression on them and those matter!  I will do everything I can to make that first impression both memorable and great. I want to be the mother hen to all the incoming kittens as GT says…and I know hens and kittens don’t go well together, but still!  I think my outgoing personality will create a friendly, warm and open environment where the incoming students will feel at ease to meet strangers, break the ice and leave with friends.  The most important thing to me is making sure there is a strong connection, not just between the mentor and the mentee, but between everyone in the honors program.  Even though I had an amazing mentor, I have learned countless more things from all the honors upper classmen in the Honors Program and I would like the incoming freshman to feel like everyone in the honors program can help them.  This is because we each have our own specialty, interest, and something unique to offer; no one person can know everything. I hope you guys support my vision for the incoming freshman and my goals.  A vote for me is a vote for a connected and united Honors Program.

Fundraising and Finance Co-Directors

Shannon Bley

Hello everyone, my name is Shannon Bley, and I am a freshman running to be the Director of Fundraising and Financing on the honors board. To be honest, when I first applied to the honors program and was accepted, I wasn’t sure if I would belong here, and had no idea what to expect. I certainly did not expect to be Irish dancing at the honors weekend in June. However, it was at that moment, when we were all flailing about and trying to figure out the dance steps, that I knew the honors program was right for me. Meeting all these friendly honors students made me want to be more involved in the program. I decided that running for this position on the honors board would be the best way to do that. As Director of Fundraising and Financing, I would plan numerous fundraisers throughout the semester so that we can raise money for the honors program and do fun activities, such as going on exciting field trips. I would keep an accurate record of finances within the honors program and aim to plan enjoyable fundraising activities to raise money for the program, more than the usual bake sale and car wash. For example, we could have a pie throwing contest, or sell strips of duct tape to tape a volunteer to the wall. In the past, I have served as the chairman of community service for my FFA chapter and as treasurer in my scuba diving venture crew. I am always coming up with new ideas (though some of them may be a bit outlandish) and am always happy to help others whenever they need it! Thank you!

Kristine Duong

My name is Kristine Duong and I am a freshman Biology major. I would like to be involved in this spectacular society that most call the honors program, but what I have come to call home.  Being involved in activities is my passion and I would like to be active in the honors program by being part of the honors outreach position.  I have really come to love the honors program and must say, besides making the decision to enroll at Stockton, it is one of my best decisions. I would love to have the opportunity to express all the great things about honors and possibly influence other students to apply for the program. I do have prior experience when it comes to fundraising for a club or a cause. One of the events that I have organized was the very first cupcake wars I my high school. We got a lot of participants and had the whole school involved in the viewing and purchasing of them. We were able to raise more than two hundred dollars and brought the students together as a community. I have a lot of ideas for fundraising and am really excited to contribute them to the honors program. In the past I have also held many treasurer positions and have been well trusted with money. I hope to become a Director of funds and fundraising.

Junior Class Representative

STEPHANIE SHEEHAN

Hi Honors Students, my name is Stephanie Sheehan and I am running for Junior Class Representative. I first found out about Stockton’s Honors Program on Stockton’s website. I was captivated by the program due to the challenge, encouragement, warm atmosphere, and fun photos on the website. I was excited to not only challenge myself but to be a part of what is described as the Honors experience. I am finding out exactly what that experience entails. The Honors program is much more than just a few extra requirements, the program stimulates and challenges students to encompass their full potential with the complete support of the Honors family. As Class Representative I hope to portray to students, faculty, the community, as well as prospective students how valuable the Honors Program is.

Sophomore Class Representative

JAKE LIPMAN

Hello, my name is Jake Lipman and I will be running for the class of 2016 Representative. I hope to continue the admirable job that Matthew Zivi has done this past year and represent the class of 2016’s interests to the fullest. I believe I possess the qualities to be a good class rep, as I am responsible, level headed and try to listen to everyone’s opinions. I believe that these assets I bring to the table are valuable for the Honors E-board.

Freshman Class Co-Representatives

Tori Novack

My name is Tori Novack, and I am running for Class of 2017 Rep for the 2014 school year.  I belonged to the National Honor Society in high school where I was the chairperson for the Go Green campaign as well as the web master for the organization.  Even though I have only been in college for two months, I have already gained a leadership position in the Stockton Christian Fellowship and have joined the worship team on Tuesday night meetings.  Also, I will am representing the club on the Campus Religious Council.  I am involved in Ratio Christi and look to join more clubs as the year progresses and as my schedule permits.  I would like to represent the Class of 2017 because I feel I am very approachable and open to ideas.  Speaking for my class rather than for myself will always be my priority, and if given the chance, I promise not to disappoint.  I have attended the meetings thus far and plan to continue attending the meetings.  Vote Tori Novack for Class of 2017 Rep!

Anthony Thawley

Hello fellow Stockton Honors students, my name is Anthony Thawley, and I would like to be your Class of 2017 representative. Is your Stockton Honors Program experience everything you thought it would be? Do you have ideas for change or improvement to the program? Well, I want to be your source to bring these ideas to the Honors Executive Board; I want to be your Class of 2017 Representative – your voice. I want to ensure that the Honors Program experience at Stockton is everything we want it to be. The Executive Board will hear our concerns because as your Class Representative I will be there to push.  I will not relent until our Honors experience is all that we hoped it would be.  I am asking for your vote for Class Representative because I want to ensure that the Class of 2017 is a vital part in the Honors Program.  Let the 2017 voice be heard!

Mary Roach is a different person than what I saw from reading her book Spook. My impression was that she was all about research and getting her answers, but I was pleasantly shocked. Mary Roach definitely writes the way she speaks, with a small humorous banter and the slight tangent here and there, but she showed that she isn’t all about simply getting the research, and that she enjoyed getting the research and obtaining answers, and then making her own conclusions.
I learned about Mary Roach by first reading Spook, but then I attended the Spook Convocation on September 26th, and it offered insight on her latest book, Spook. I had the privilege of meeting Mary Roach before the Convocation even began, and she was incredibly sweet then! Then from when she set foot on stage to when she walked off, she was very open to a variety of questions from all the students in attendance. She talked about why she wrote Spook, and even her other books; her reason being her curiosity. Curiosity is her driving force into writing a book for others to read, but it is a way for her to explore what she is curious about. Roach became curious over the question of life after death, and what lies on the other side, so she decided to investigate for answers. And investigate she did. She told the audience about her experience with a ghost ship and she even told us that she wanted to go into the world of exorcism, but was denied by an expert in the field. What a shame that was; I would have quickly read that chapter of the book with a pressing interest. Roach ended her book Spook with a vague ending, and she said she wished that she could have changed it. Her answer to what she believes lies on the other side is, “I believe that when you die, you go to the place you were before you were born, and I don’t know what that is.” That is hard to take in; it certainly is very logical, but it can be hard to believe.
Regardless of how vague the ending was, Mary Roach was a delight to listen to. She was very warming and polite and answered all questions dutifully. Attending the Convocation allowed me to have a better insight in how I was going to finish my paper on Spook, certainly a better understanding of Mary Roach’s thoughts upon the afterlife. I was happy to have been in attendance at the Convocation because I was able to learn about the process Mary Roach goes through to find out what she wants to research and then how she actually goes out and gets the research. From the Convocation, I was able to learn more about curiosity, which was the most important thing she spoke about; “It’s a state of mind, being curious.” I will always hold this fact close when I think about going on in life and in my career, that it is okay to be curious and wonder, and then to go out and get the answer.

Friday October 11 was a rainy and dreary night, so what else to do but go and see The Profession?  I walked through the rain to the Experimental Theater while I filled with excitement.  I didn’t know anything about the show other than the fact that it was an absurdist piece about a dystopia.

I entered the Experimental Theater and saw two actors, one a large man on stilts standing between two large tables and a small woman sitting at one of the two large tables.  Although I knew these actors from theater club their creepy character presence made me uncomfortable.  These actors remained on stage, silently interacting with each other.  The actors sat there for a while.  Then the lights went out and a voice dominated the theater.  The voice welcomed us to the theater, reminded us to silence our phones, and then encouraged us to enjoy the show.

The lights came up and we were in the same classroom setting as the stage was set before.  The large man on stilts was saying names of the digestive tract parts.  The students sitting in their oversized desks repeated the names that he said to them.  The female character had no issue repeating these names but the male character struggled and the man noticed.  The man on stilts boomed at him, “Eugene!  Stand up!”  The man, who we now know as Eugene, stood in front of his desk as the teacher from The Profession pointed to a small piece of the lower intestines and asked Eugene what it was, but Eugene had no idea.  The teacher was angry and told Eugene that he would never make it in The Profession, unless he threw himself into the fire.  Eugene and Rosetta, the female student, were put through many other tests until Eugene was told to have sex with Rosetta.  Eugene was married that morning, and he refused to break his vows so quickly.  Eugene fled The Profession and returned home to his apartment and his wife Ibid.  Ibid was played by the same actress who played Rosetta.  Ibid drilled Eugene with questions about his day at work and Eugene skirted around the fact that The Profession wanted him to have sex with his classmate.  Ibid claimed to have read the handbook that Eugene never saw and said she knew about this unpleasant task.  When Eugene told her that he refused to do the task Ibid was angry she told him that he would go back and do the task.  Then there was a ten-minute intermission.

After the intermission we were back in the classroom Eugene and Rosetta stood in front of their desks both reacting differently to the sex they had during intermission.  Rosetta was numb and Eugene was giddy as a schoolboy.  While Rosetta was disgusted by the sex and frozen, Eugene questioned Schaffer, the teacher of The Profession, about the person in charge of The Profession.  These questions made Schaffer uncomfortable, and he finally broke and gave Eugene a simple hint as to who controlled The Profession.  Schaffer handed Eugene an orange.  This orange was a great clue.  After Rosetta unfroze she told Eugene that maybe the orange has something to do with a fruit fly.  This was the correct answer; the ruler was the fruit flies, apparently.  Eugene was a threat to The Profession now, so Schaffer told Rosetta to castrate Eugene.

Eugene runs and leaves the theater.  He flees to the nearby park, where bad things are said to happen.  At the park Eugene meets a vagrant.  The vagrant seems crazy but safe so Eugene asks if he can join him living the vagrant life in the park.  The vagrant convinces Eugene out of all of his clothes except his underwear. There is a noise in the distance and Ibid arrives in the park.  Ibid discusses how she is happy with their life and wants Eugene back.  She begs Eugene to return, and after a while Eugene agrees to leave with her, when the vagrant rips off Ibid’s wig.  Rosetta was wearing a wig the whole time, fooling Eugene.  Then Rosetta tells Eugene of how he is a clown and is only meant to please the fruit flies.  Then the vagrant reveals that he is the teacher, Schaffer.  These two characters argue and laugh at Eugene.  Eventually, Schaffer leaves and Eugene kills Rosetta with the orange.  Once Eugene realizes what he has done he begs for forgiveness and says he will live his life by the handbook.  Fireworks go off and Schaffer returned, rewarded Eugene a promotion for killing Rosetta.  Then Eugene gives in to the life he was being offered in The Profession.

The whole play, The Profession, was trying to show that in a perfect world the higher power will always succeed, and that there is no escape from any of the higher powers.

Wow. That’s all I can say. I feel like I have been transported back to my own freshman orientation from high school when I was taking part in the Get Involved Fair on September 17th and 18th. I remember being led around and being put in the gym to sign up for clubs and sports that would ultimately determine what I would be putting on my college resume. How frightening! Part of my college application is decided right there in the gym with other freshmen milling about and talking to all their friends. But this experience was different. There was no pressure to write my name down at various clubs, and there were no tempts of candy and false promises to have me write my name down. Not only did it not pressure me, there were many options for me to choose from. I walked passed a theatre club, equestrian club, fencing club, a quidditch club, and many more. Table after table had a different option that would appeal to many people. I was excited to see such a variety of activities; there really was much more offered than what I had expected to see. The Get Involved Fair here at Stockton is something special. It allows each student, residential or commuter, to be a part of something that he or she wants to be a part of in college. Joining clubs and activities can be a vital part of meeting new people in college, outside of classes, but it still allows students to have the power to choose what they want to do. Students can join one club, two clubs, three, four, or even none, and that is perfectly okay. When I walked past all the tables, I didn’t feel the pressure I felt four years ago, I felt free and in control of what I wanted to do. The Get Involved Fair is a great showcase of what Stockton has to offer in an abundance of clubs and activities. To anyone who feels lost, or is not really meeting people, I recommend attending the Get Involved Fair because it has so much to offer to all people, and I’m sure anyone can find a club that they will fit right into. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go poke someone with a flexible metal and pointy object. En garde!

            I will freely admit that I am not fond of Mary Roach’s Spook.  The book is just too unfocused and rather pointless in my mind.  But my biggest problem with the book is the ending.  The book ends with Roach having found no proof for the existence of an afterlife, but she then states that she believes in ghosts anyway.  This ending, in my mind, betrayed the entire concept of the book, and ruined what little enjoyment I got out of the book.

            So I was very interested in the Convocation starring Mary Roach.  I though this show would give me a better understanding of this frustrating book; and maybe I could appreciate it a bit more.  I had a number of predictions heading into the auditorium. I thought it would be a little weird, somewhat funny, and would answer the question of Roach’s beliefs.  Only one of those predictions actually came true.

I guess I should talk about the theater itself.  The very high seating of the auditorium made getting a good view very easy.  The place was packed full of people; in fact, I’m pretty sure they ran out of room.  The audio system was working so that everyone could hear Roach just fine.  I did question why they needed to turn a lot of the lights off.  It wasn’t a video being shown so there wasn’t a need to dim the lights.  I noticed some people trying to take notes, and I imagine the low lights were very frustrating for them.

Mary Roach herself was exactly what I expected her to be.  She was energetic, snarky, and unapologetically herself.  The Convocation wasn’t a little weird, it was full on bizarre.  I specifically remember a brief talk about Hyena birth methods that came up somehow.  It wasn’t a little funny; it was hilarious!  I laughed out load several times during the Convocation; I can’t really give any better proof that this show was funny.

The prediction I had that came true was that I did get my answers on Mary Roach’s beliefs.  Mary Roach does not necessarily believe in ghosts, but she does believe that there are things we cannot explain.  She believes in curiosity, in never ceasing the search for knowledge.  She believes an answer does exist, and Spook is just a part of her search for it.

The Convocation did not change my distaste for Spook, but I am able to see it, and Roach herself, in a more positive light.