One of the first events I attended here at Stockton was there annual day of service. Honestly, I almost did not go because of how early in the morning it was. I struggled to get myself out of bed, but I had been registered for weeks now and was so excited about it just the night before. The free breakfast, coffee, and t-shirts after registration definitely made me feel so much better. Just a side note: the little apple muffins with the crumbs on top that they have whenever they give away breakfast for an event, are so delicious that I actually wrote them down on the “pros” side of my pro-con list when picking a college. I had five that morning. By the time I was awake to function most of the tables were filled and people had already selected their activities. Colleen and I found a spot together working for the A-heart organization.

A-Heart is a small place that offers help and support for mothers with financial troubles. The people who worked there were very nice and helpful. It always amazes me when a person can stay positive despite the awful things they see each day. We volunteered to help organize their thrift shop. I was very excited about this, because I had spent a summer volunteering at a church thrift shop, so I thought the previous experience would help. The tiny little store was extraordinarily unorganized, and the lack of space didn’t help. We removed a lot of summer clothes to hang up fall clothing. The goal was to make the place look as nice and as organized as possible. We wanted the mothers shopping for their children there to feel like they were in a real store. Box after box were brought down to us from the storage room, and after hours of work we had found a place for every article of clothing, and organized it all by item and size. It looked amazing when we were finished, and I could not have been more proud.

I hope our work helps A-heart. They do an amazing thing, and I was happy to contribute to the work they do each day.

Town Hall Meeting With President SaatKamp

On November 13^th, the students of Stockton College received the opportunity to do what other colleges in the nation have never seen before, that is, host a Town Hall Meeting with their President and ask him question after question as they so please. And how did the students respond to this opportunity? As Stockton Students, they demonstrated that they have issues they wanted to be heard, and so they came out and voiced their concerns to President SaatKamp himself.

A few of the questions asked by prominent and developing students revolved around pertinent Stockton issues. A few of those issue were regarding the GPA requirement for graduating with honors, Stockton’s status as a possible University, Greek life, a tuition increase, and much much more.  President SaatKamp was able to thoroughly and thoughtfully answer each of the questions asked and when he couldn’t provide the best answer possible, he let someone with more experience and knowledge answer. He referred to Len Farber of Student Development and even the Provost of the College.

The Student Senate was instrumental in organizing the event. They took the time to heavily advertise the event, and hosted the event, assisting students ask questions. The event was packed with the administration, and people who only wish to see this College and the community rise higher and higher. Thank you Stockton, for the wonderful opportunity you offer.

Let’s talk about…Stockton! Event

            At one point, you have to look around yourself and realize that this campus goes the extra mile to make sure you, a student, feel safe, knowledgeable, and well-guided. I personally have realized that Stockton College goes the extra mile because Stockton College truly cares. On October 17, 2013, the Student Senate hosted another extravagant and well organized event for the student body to benefit from. A few weeks into the semester, Let’s talk about…Stockton! gave students a chance to come and speak about many of the issues and concerns they encountered so far in their Stockton experience.
Hosted in the event room, there were a variety of tables arranged throughout the room that focused on issues students might have questions for and or concerns. As a member of the Student, I was at the Student rights and responsibilities, wellness center, and Campus Police Center. With me was Sergeant Tracy Stuart, as well many members of the Wellness Center, and last but certainly not least, BobRoss. Other tables included experts from the financial aid office, graduate programs, and other areas spanning all across Stockton. Well over 100 Stockton students took advantage of this amazing opportunity to discuss voice their opinion about many issues at this event. In addition the event had a wonderful assortment of delicious and mouthwatering food, as was, the cherry on top. This event hosted by the Senate, demonstrates to the Students that we do care, and we like to listen to your opinions and concerns so that together, we can make this a richer and brilliant experience for all students!

Unfortunately, many people live a sheltered life when it comes to health care, unknowing to what the government is doing. On November 12th, there was an Affordable Health Care forum going on as part of Health Professions week. The room was filled completely, with some stragglers standing off to the side just to hear what was going to be addressed. The people in attendance were elderly, young college students, professors, and other in between. This was something of great importance, to know what is occurring with ones healthcare under the government. For the two weeks before this forum, I was learning about the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obama Care, in my Intro to Health Sciences course, so many topics that had been addressed had just been discussed in class. No matter what way the information is presented, it is still shocking how much health care costs. I used to take for granted the health care my mother was provided and in turn provided for the rest of my family, and I never blinked an eye. I thought everyone had the same plan as me, and I could never understand why people complained to the pharmacist about the cost of their medicine. Now as a college student in the health sciences field, I know more about health care and the costs behind it. Each year, health care costs will increase for the individual and family plan, and there is no end in sight to the raise in cost. Currently there are over 48 million Americans who lack health care; this includes adults, children, and the elderly. Medicare, enacted in 1963, helps cover the elderly and their health insurance, but most of the time it does not cover the cost fully, and the elderly must pay what is known as a “medi-gap” and pay the difference. Medicaid, also enacted in 1963, is meant to cover the insurance of the lower economic sphere, but unfortunately many doctors offices do not accept Medicaid, and Medicaid will only cover so much of a patients visit. Medicaid is federally funded, but mandated by the state.
Health care is still expensive for many people, and Obama Care is aiming to help the uninsured get insurance so as to be able to take care of themselves and their family. Obama Care is costing 728 billion dollars to fund so as to help make a difference. As of November 12th, approximately only 100,000 people have signed up for Obama Care on the health care website, www.healthcare.gov.
Attending the health care forum helped better my knowledge of Obama Care and fully grasp the concepts that go along with it. It also helped me look at a financial perspective of how much this will cost when I eventually leave my mothers’ plan and obtain health care as an individual.

On September 26, 2013 I attended the Freshman Convocation with guest speaker and author, Mary Roach. When I first got to the event it was a mass of confusion with everyone trying to sign the sign-in sheet to make sure they got credit for being there. Eventually, I got into the Performing Art Center and settled, but I still was not exactly sure what to expect from Mary Roach. However, as soon as she started to speak I immediately started to enjoy myself. She was funny, personable, and there was no ridiculous question she would not answer. Roach spoke at length about her books and she especially spoke about the Freshman Common Reading book, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.
One thing Mary Roach said about Spook was how she never liked how she ended the book by saying “What the hell, I believe in ghosts.” She said she felt like it was a little misleading because she wanted to go on this journey to really find out if we have souls and what happens after we pass away and to end it like that was not what she was going for and most people probably did not take it in the way she had hoped, which was in a funny, humorous way. I am very sure that almost everyone in the room agreed with her that they didn’t like the ending of the book either.
Another big part of her speech was her talking about how she got into writing about things like the afterlife, and the human digestive system sex. Roach said it all stemmed from her natural curiosity. She always wanted to know everything she could know about almost everything in the world and that is what she set out to do in her writing. She would pick a topic, research it until she couldn’t research it anymore and finally she would write a book about what she discovered. That was one thing I really like about Mary Roach, is her always encouraging us to be curious and ask questions which isn’t something I see being encouraged a lot in the real world. Overall, I really enjoyed the Freshman Convocation and just maybe now have a different opinion on Mary Roach and her books.

The bus pulls up to Eastern State Penitentiary and the scenery just doesn’t look real. Giant stone gargoyles, towering walls, the place looks beautiful and terrifying at the same time. As our group of honors students file off the bus, the students buzz with anticipation. We split into 2 groups and start our exploration of the grounds.
As we walk around the Penitentiary, we begin to understand why this place was once such a great prison. As we learn about the history, the rusted gates and dilapidated cells begin to reverse become like new again. With a little imagination, it is not hard to see the strong structure that was Eastern State. We learn about the luxury the prisoners were given, and of how some people actually wanted to come to Eastern State. During the time, it was greater than some of their lives at home.
For me, the most interesting part to learn about was the renovations that were done on the prison. In order to accommodate more inmates, security and the luxury given to the prisoners were jeopardized. Prisoners used to have a whole cell to themselves, an outdoor area for fresh air, and a skylight. However, as second levels were built on some blocks, first floor prisoners no longer had a skylight and second floor prisoners had no outdoor area.
After the guided tour, we were able to explore the ground on our own. Some of us went off to find the supposedly haunted portions of the penitentiary, including The Hole. The Hole is a portion of the prison which is underground and was used for punishment of misbehaving prisoners. We weren’t actually allowed in The Hole; however, we were allowed down to the gate. It had an incredibly low ceiling that I was just short enough to stand up straight in. It was in fact a very creepy environment and we could see why ex-inmates would want to haunt it.
After exploring on our own, we left the penitentiary for lunch. Walking around Philly, we finally came across Luigi’s, a small corner pizzeria that had a nice, comfortable feel about it. Of course, when in Philly, what else should you get but, you guessed it, a portabello mushroom panini. Hey, I’m vegetarian! With the exception of myself, everyone ordered Philly cheese steaks. After the meal, we all reached one conclusion. Luigi’s was amazing.
With full stomachs and happy thoughts from the wonderful meal, we ventured on to the used bookstore Professor Lenard told us about. The place was a book lover’s dream. Floor-to-ceiling shelves, wall-to-wall bookcases, two floors, all stacked to the brim with books; all genres, all age groups, all areas covered. I’d been meaning to get a new book for some time, and since Halloween had just passed, I felt the need for something that would chill my spine. I looked at the two shelves stuffed with Stephen King novels, unsure where to start. Finally, I gave up trying to guess and called someone I knew would know which book would be perfect: my mom. She promptly recommended Carrie. I had always wanted to know the story, and I knew that the book was always the best place to start. I paid for the book and left the store with my friends in search of ice cream.
After ice cream and a little more exploration of the city, we made our way back to the giant stone structure that was Eastern State. There we waited for the bus to bring us back to Stockton. While exploring, we formed new bonds among ourselves as a class. We had hung out with people that day who we had barely had a conversation with before then. New friendships were formed, stronger bonds were made, and none of us ended up in jail.

Paranoia is the feeling coursing through my veins. Constantly looking over my shoulder, I walk cautiously to my Monday 8:30 AM class. No sign of a green headband, barely even a Nerf gun in sight. It is the week of Humans vs. Zombies, or HvZ, a game which puts stealth and bravery to the test. During the week, all the participants wear a green band. For humans, the band is clearly visible and around their arm; while for the zombies, the band is clearly visible and on their head. The week starts out with one original zombie, the OZ, who then begins to infect humans. Humans are armed with Nerf guns, which, when hit with one, will make a zombie inactive for ten minutes. Every night of the week there is a mission that the humans need to complete. During this mission, the humans are not allowed indoors, which are the only safe zones; thus, giving free reign to all the hungry zombies. As more and more humans are tagged, the more and more intense and paranoid the rest of the humans feel.
Heading back from class on Monday, I had my first experience with the zombies. With a group of three friends, we took the long way around to the dorms. After being chased by the only three zombies created and sprinting to our housing, we finally understood why this game was such a test. Later that night on the first mission, two other friends and I ran into some trouble and became part of the zombie hoard. We were not at all upset and were in fact a little relieved to have that weight off our shoulders. We changed the position of our bands and joined the hoard.
Over the course of the week, the number of humans dwindled as the amount of the undead grew. Through this game, I have learned to take more risks and have more confidence in myself. The risk comes from knowing I could be hit with a Nerf gun at any moment; however, that is part of the game and it is only ten minutes, not the entire week. Also, charging a squad of humans or executing a sneak attack requires confidence in myself to know I can do it.
Almost 200 people were involved with HvZ and while nobody can know everyone involved, there was a certain bond that developed between the people in the groups. While wearing my band throughout the halls, I would spot many other zombies roaming around to their classes. We didn’t have to know each other or even have seen each other before on campus, but there was a sort of look and smile that would be exchanged. I, for one, have made friends with people during this week that I had never even known were on this campus. Humans vs. Zombies is more than a silly game of tag. It brings people together and unifies them, whether they are Human or Zombie.

I wasn’t completely sure what to expect for my first Day of Service. My friends and I line up in our respective lines to get signed in and go down to the campus food court to have breakfast. We sit gathered around the table, focused on what exciting work we will be doing. Immediately, my eyes lock in on Dune Replenishment. Being a marine biology major, I love doing anything I can that will help the shore. Being able to plant dune grasses to replenish dune damage done after Sandy made it almost a done deal! Once my name was put on the list and the welcoming remarks were said, the dune replenishment bus was on its way.
Once in Atlantic City, we were given a briefing of what we will exactly be doing. Using bamboo sticks, we were to dig holes deep enough for the roots of the dune grasses. Easy enough, right? Well, considering we are not just digging in sand, those bamboo sticks could take a very tough toll. In some places, the bamboo was the perfect tool. However, in most places, a pickaxe would have done better.
Little by little, progress was made. The 2,000 plants we were handed in the morning were slowly becoming part of a sand dune. The blue van that was placed as our goal line became nearer and nearer. After a quiet lunch break by the shoreline, we finally reached out goal. The last grass was planted and the team felt accomplished. We gathered for a picture and waited by the shoreline until the bus came. Walking along the shore and the ruins of a boardwalk really made me think. The project made me think about the magnitude of damage that a storm like Sandy can do. Not only were we working by what used to be a boardwalk and is now just stone structures with no boards attached, the dunes we were restoring were half in the street. Also, while planting grass seems like a minor contribution, the project made me think about how a simple thing like planting grass can help with not only erosion, but also a new habitat for animals, who have been left without a home due to Sandy.
The Day of Service was a wonderful event. I was extremely grateful to be able to contribute any service that was needed to Atlantic City. Dunes? Replenished. Amazing day? Most definitely!

Once the academic day is finished, many college students are on the prowl for one of two things: food, and/or something fun to do. While I agree that fun activities are needed to relieve the stresses that are produced by the everyday academic struggle, I also believe that we as college students have the duty to, on occasion, ponder some of the more difficult issues that will one day be passed off to our generation. The trouble is getting college students interested in these difficult subjects. One solution that seemed to have a great impact was presenting a difficult subject in the form of live theater.

The second show that was produced by the Stockton College Performing Arts Center was one named Hello Herman. I had the great honor of being casted in the show as three different supporting roles. I must say that being involved in this show was definitely one of the greatest experiences of my first semester here at Stockton. I made so many friends and had honestly the best time working to perform a show that truly is difficult in its subject matter. The whole premise of the show is to show the issue of violence amongst the youth of America, and to show the possible motives that would drive a teenager to use violence to express their anger. The plot follows Herman Howards, a sixteen year old from fictional Broom, Iowa, as he carries out a Columbine-style shooting of his high school. The one major difference is the magnitude of the shooting. Howards shot 43 students, 2 teachers, and 1 police officer, making this shooting the worst mass school shooting in American history. The play then goes into an interview style as Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, Lax Morales, attempts to unravel the teens incredibly twisted mind. Through the use of flashbacks, the audience learns of Herman’s past, as well as Lax’s back story which eerily parallel that of Herman. There are also various subplots, such as the romantic plot between Lax, and news reporter Sheila Duval. While all these elements are unfolding, the audience still has to think about an element introduced fairly early in the show of if Herman will be executed, in addition to if the execution will be televised.

Through the course of the play, the audience learns that Herman’s father cheated on his mother, and left when he was eight. It is also revealed that Herman’s younger sister, Julia, was hit by a car, and died three days later in the hospital. The cause of Julia’s death could also be attributed to the fact that their mother, Gail Howards, was working and too busy to rush home right away and care for her daughter. Herman was the only one home at the time, and could not deal with the situation correctly, which seemed to be haunting him in his later years. Herman’s inability to correctly mourn the loss of sister may have also contributed to his insanity and facilitated his decision to do what he did.

In the end, Herman is executed on television, and the audience is left with this awful pit in their stomachs. When asked if they enjoyed the show, many of the audience members replied with that while they did not enjoy the subject matter, they did thoroughly enjoy the acting, which pleases me greatly. Despite being proud of a great production, I am also thrilled that the show was able to bring a very real issue in our society to the forefront of our students’ minds. If anything it got people talking, which is a great start, to hopefully what will be a definite solution to this enormous issue.

My one regret in high school was my lack of involvement during the first three years on my high school career. After my mother used her superior powers of persuasion, in my senior year I joined our schools Drama Club. This would turn out to be the best decision I would make in my high school years. Without rambling on into a short dissertation about how the Drama Club changed my life, it can simply be stated that this club became my life, and its members, my family. Upon my arrival at Stockton, I sought out the theatre program here in an attempt to continue to experience all the wonder a theatre family creates. In short, I have been heavily involved with Stockton Theatre Club, and I am honestly having the time of my life participating in all our events.

The first show of the semester that Stockton’s Performing Arts Center put on was The Profession. The show was student directed by Dan Cerullo, a senior who is scheduled to graduate this December. The cast of the show was what you could consider to be a fairly small cast, featuring only three characters. The stage crew was only slightly larger, with a crew size of four people to assist in the transitions from scene to scene. While the cast was set way back in the begging of September, the crew, however, was only solidified when I offered to join as the fourth and final crew member a mere week before opening day.

The Profession is an absurdest, dark comedy, which physically engages the audience in an interactive manner. The absurdest aspect of the show allows for the audience to draw their own conclusions as to what it is the Profession itself really is, in addition to the intended ambiguity of the ending which always leaves the audience with more questions than they arrived with. For some, not having a clear-cut ending becomes a troublesome matter, yet in my opinion the fact that the play allows for great variation in translation, is one of the highlights to the genius of the playwright, Walter Wykes.
The plot follows Eugene, played by Jeremy Rotolo, as he tried to make sense of his world which seems to be crumbling down upon itself. Eugene has just joined the profession, yet he can tell that something is amiss when it comes to classmate Rosetta, played by Taylor Cawley, and instructor Schafer, played by Ryan Gorman. Eugene begins to question the Profession, and as he does, the fabricated world that the Profession creates begins to reveal itself to him. Through it all, Eugene’s wife Ibid, also played by Taylor Cawley, is there to ease his heart and steady his mind. The final act of the play features Eugene’s desertion of the Profession, which culminates in a mad scrambling of characters, unveiling of lies, plot twists in every direction, which undoubtedly render the audience bewildered and wanting more.

I must say that the show was wonderfully directed by Dan Cerullo and his cast really did a stand-up job on every night’s performance. I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of this phenomenal production and experience what it is like to be a part of a college level performance.