On Thursday October 9th Stockton kicked off its annual Homecoming and family weekend with the 9th annual myths and legends panel in a jam-packed room L112. Stockton invited back around twelve alumni, and faculty who were a part of Stockton’s first or second school year. The faculty shared stories, laughs and opinions about the history of the school. They also took questions from the audience who were interested in learning more about the history of Stockton.
One of the hot topics that arose from the panel was the purpose of the college opening in 1969. The panel reached a general consensus that the reason Stockton opened was because the state wanted to provide an elite education for those who chose to attend a state school at the reasonable price of public education.
Another point of discussion was the reason why Stockton truly is a “distinctive college”. Distinguished professor Bill Daly went into great detail about the differences between Stockton and other schools. He says one paramount feature that makes Stockton stand out is the fact that it is a highly liberal institution. Students are able to learn what they want to learn without having the nagging requirements of learning what they did not. “If they decide they don’t want to learn how to write they don’t have to,” said Daly. The “GEN” courses are a distinguishing feature because students could take a class outside of their major and learn information just because they want to learn it
The panel also shared some humorous anecdotes such as Bill Daly’s story of a student back in 1969 who had asked for a neck tie because he was involved in a drug bust and never returned it. The panel also discussed the story of a cabin that burned down in a suspected arson in 1973. Certainly the Stockton Myths and Legends panel was both entertaining and informative and made everyone feel like they went to a college with a lot of history.