On September 6^th, I attended the Day of Service funded by the Office of Student Development. The Day of Service takes place once per semester. When I went to the event in the morning I decided I wanted to volunteer at the South Jersey Horse Farm. The farm takes in abused and neglected horses and nurses them back to health. When I got to the farm after the twenty-minute bus ride, I was surprised at the amount of horses that were there: about a dozen or so. They looked like they had been at the farm for a long time because they all looked healthy. The woman who was in charge was named Ellen and she was a very nice lady with a huge passion for horses.

The first thing I had to do at the farm was a move a tent to another paddock so the horses would have something to rest in. It wasn’t a hard task. The tent was somewhat light and then all we had to do was anchor it to the ground with pegs.   The next thing I did was replace the plastic holders for the electric fence. I thought it would be difficult but I only had to change the broken ones and another girl helped me so it was not bad.

Afterwards, I got to spend some with the horses. They were very approachable and I got to feed them the apple cores I had leftover from the lunch they gave us. I also talked with Ellen for a bit and I asked her some questions about the farm. She told me that she had dedicated her life to this farm and wants to be able to get all the horses adopted into good homes. After I was done talking with her, we had to go back to Stockton. We all said good-bye to Ellen and the other volunteers and got on the bus. As we rode back, I smiled to myself thinking of how we all made a difference that day for the horses.

On November 6, 2014, I went to the Economics Teach In which was held right outside F-111. It consisted of multiple economic professors speaking about the significance of the casino closings in Atlantic City. In addition to the professors, there were dedicated economists to the specific issue, and individuals who support the people whom are affected. Knowing very little on the subject other than the general idea that the casinos are closing and in some way or another someone is being affected economically. I did not take into consideration a point which Dr. Oliver Cooke focused on was the multiplier effect. With the casinos closing in Atlantic City, it is obvious to realize that people are being hurt within the city, but the surrounding cities are harmed as well. For example, many people lived in the cities around Atlantic City and commuted there for work within the casinos. This caused a significant decrease in spending for consumers due to the lack of a paycheck that the former workers had, so cities around Atlantic City are being just as harmed financially speaking.

An emotional note that was brought up was an organization that helps the people stricken by poverty in the now failing city  by trying to get them back on their feet in help with finding a job and while the process is happening, the organization provides food and clothing to the job seekers and their families.

As the semester closes and I prepare to write my last blog post, I can’t help but think back and reflect on all that’s happened these past few weeks during my first few months at Stockton. The campus itself is always a fun, welcoming place to be, but I was surprised to find that many of the students who attend Stockton posses the same jovial, hospitable spirit. Because of this, it has been easy to make a handful of great friends over the course of just one semester.

One of the friendships I’ve made is with a girl I met quite accidentally but felt immediately connected to. Olivia and I have been very good friends from the start of the semester. Recently, for one of her classes, she had to participate in a small play on campus. On November 3^rd in the Campus Center, Professor O’Hara’s Dissent in America class put on a play called The Trial of the Catonsville Nine. The story takes place in Catonsville, Maryland during the Vietnam War. The plot unfolds as nine people go to the draft board and steal over 300 draft files. They take these files with the intention of publically burning them. They used homemade napalm to burn the files and then prayed over the flames while they waited for the authorities. Each of the nine testified in court after, but were all found guilty. The play itself is adapted from court transcripts.

Olivia had a pretty big part and it was great to be able to support her as a friend and watch her perform. The play was creatively stitched together; the fact that it was a small group, performing in a small setting, made it more charming and delightful. It really was a pleasure to see. As a performer, I really appreciated the class assignment and applaud the students on a job well done.

Being an honors student at Stockton can mean a lot of different things. Aside from being service driven and having a commitment to improve the world around us, we are encouraged to be active participants in our community. Being an active participant does not solely means being the ones to bring about change. Actively participating includes attending events and showing support. As a freshman, this continues to be one of the easiest and most fun ways to get involved and feel a sense of community.

Most recently on campus, I attended a comedy show. A small group of students from my honors class were looking for something fun to do and came to the conclusion that nothing could be better than a Friday night comedy show to end the week, and when we found out that admission was free, we were sold.

The comedy night took place on October 10^th as a part of Heroic Homecoming Week. It started at 8:00pm and was held in the Sports Center. The event was sponsored by S.E.T (Stockton’s Entertainment Team).

The stand up night featured Nicole Byer and Kevin Barnett. I was most excited to see Nicole Byer perform because I knew of her. She is one of the comedians featured on MTV’s “Girl Code.” Although the material on the show can be inappropriate at times, it never fails to make me laugh.

Being at the event was enjoyable. There were a lot of students but I stayed close with a small group of friends. We sat together and laughed simultaneously at all the same jokes. It always seems as if jokes are funnier when you’re laughing at them with other people… Byer’s style was a slightly offensive. Her approach was straightforward and shameless, talking about sensitive and provocative topics. Some people were uncomfortable, but I thought it was still entertaining. Barnett’s style was a little more relaxed and laid back. He made jokes about himself and his friends; he even made some comments about the homecoming king and queen.

Overall, the Stand Up Comedy Night was a lot of fun. It was an easy way to get involved and a great way to start the weekend.

Some people say that their college years were the best years of their life. It’s no secret that the “college experience” means so much more than having the opportunity to live away from home and study extensively for 4 years. College is a time to make new friends, try new things and explore the world of adulthood without ever getting too serious. Although it all seems so exciting in theory, as a freshman it can often times be difficult to be so daring as to try new things in an unfamiliar place.

This year, Stockton’s “Get Involved Fair” helped many students, freshman and seniors alike, do just that. The fair was held on September 16th and 17th from 10am to 4pm. Banners hung around the school and circulated e-mails saying “Find your fit!” This was the perfect opportunity to any student to come out and explore new things.

On the days of the event, Wings A through J of the academic building were swarming with people. Long tables displaying a colorful array of posters, pamphlets and food lined the walls. A fraternity, sorority, volunteer club or some other type of student organization occupied each table.

Of course, it didn’t feel like it would be possible to visit each table, but each organization found a way to stand out. One student got my attention by calling out, “Hey! Do you want free stuff?” and pulling me over to their table. The Stockton Qudditch Club stands out because of how unique of a club it is. Some other clubs, like The Physical Therapy Club, I visited because it applies to my major. In addition I made some stops at volunteer tables, such as Circle K, because I had heard about it and wanted more information.

Of all the tables I visited, the ones that I will commit to in the future are Circle K, The Italian Heritage Club and the Stockton Dance Club. I was surprised at things I found once I stopped to read the displays at each table. I’m happy I had the opportunity to go and see exactly what my college has to offer.

On Thursday, September 25, renowned author of Orphan Train Christina Baker Kline came to visit us at the Performing Arts Center for the 2014 freshman convocation! This was perhaps one of the most unique opportunities I had been offered while at Stockton, so of course I was going to go to show support. After all, we had  just finished reading her novel Orphan Train in our class so it was only appropriate that we went and learned as much about the book as possible. When we first arrived to the theatre, it was quite empty…I think honors kids have a knack for showing up super early to events for some reason. Nevertheless, we got the best seats in the house, and we were all super excited for the presentation. After discussing the novel meticulously in seminar, it would be interesting to get the authors opinion of her work for a change. Time passed and the room quickly filled…almost every seat was occupied, full house! And then the guest of honor appeared, and the room quickly fell silent, as she began by putting the audience in her character’s shoes. She made it a comfortable environment for learning about the research and history behind her book, and certain ideas which lead to key instances in the book. After her presentation, she offered a question and answer session to which she answered many outstanding questions, and kept things lively among the audience. After that even, she was gracious enough to hold a book signing event, but the line was too long and I had class so I up and left. I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stay the entire time though. I saw many people get up and walk out right in the middle of her presentation, which I thought to be quite rude if I do say so. I can understand that people have classes and such but still…if someone makes the time to come out and talk to you, the least you can do is be respectful and listen attentively.

Towards the beginning of the year, it seemed hard at times to transition into college life. With so much changes, one can feel lost at times for what they are supposed to do and when. During one of the first full weeks on campus, the Stockton Entertainment Team, or SET, planned a movie night for Thursday. Think Like a Man 2 was shown in the campus center theater, free of charge, with incentives of a raffle and complimentary pretzels and drinks. Seeing as the movie was not yet out on DVD, it was a treat to get the privilege of seeing it before many others got to. The movie was extremely funny, as it turned out to be an extremely entertaining evening to break up hard classes and hours spent studying.
It was a shame that there were not an abundance of viewers, for the evening was a great alternative to doing destructive things at night. Seeing as partying is a major problem on college campuses across the country, proactive clubs offer events that will counteract such dangerous activities. SET thrives on the truth that there are more fun alternatives to do on campus rather than seeking out parties and underage drinking. It is to all students’ best advantage to use these free events on campus as a way to safely socialize that is also cost efficient. These movie nights apparently take place often throughout the month, giving students a way to unwind in the comfort of a plush chair. Since going to the first event, it has encouraged me to continue to seek out more with my friends. Stockton College makes great attempts to serve the students with academic excellence along with offering experiences outside of the classroom.

On September 6, I joined hundreds of students as well as faculty and staff members in Stockton’s 11th Annual Day of Service, where we were given the option to participate in any available volunteer activity and benefit the lives of others. During the Day of Service I participated in Books Without Borders, which entailed unboxing hundreds of used books, categorizing them, and repacking them in order for them to be shipped around the world for the use of those who are in need of them. The project did take more thinking than physical labor, due to the fact that we needed to collectively determine what subject each book fell under, as they ranged from science and business to family and marriage. The number of boxes at first was also a bit overwhelming as they were unloaded from multiple cars and placed all along the road we worked on. Also, as we continued to pack them up, it seemed at some points as if books continued to appear on their own. Some books even ended up in boxes that one would never expect them to be, until someone would point them out and move them to a different box. However, eventually the stacks did begin to decrease, and we were able to see the white tables’ surfaces once more.
Books Without Borders was a mutually beneficial event for those packing the books and those receiving. I enjoyed seeing what kind of books were going to those in need, and knowing that they would be utilized in the best means possible, rather than remaining in their original boxes to collect dust. I also appreciate reading and other forms of literature; therefore I enjoyed being able to help others through it. Since Books Without Borders is also a club, after this experience I would definitely consider joining it and finding out other ways I can help those in need.

On Saturday, September 27, I, accompanied by a couple of my friends, decided to volunteer at the Atlantic County Animal Shelter located in Pleasantville, New Jersey. This was a considerably new experience for me, since I had never even heard of Pleasantville, and I had never volunteered at an animal shelter before. However, as a lover of animals and of new experiences, I decided that this would be an opportunity I could not refuse. So, bright and early on that Saturday morning, my friends and I piled into our cars, stopped for a necessary (and, of course, nutritious) Wawa breakfast sandwich, and headed for the shelter.
Upon arriving, we signed in for the day and decided where we wanted to work. Our choices were helping in the cat infirmary, cleaning pens in the cat adoption room, or doing maintenance work around the shelter. I decided to clean the pens in the cat adoption room, which required sanitizing them. Once that was done, we were able to give the cats and kittens toys made by Stockton students and the toys the shelter had, as well as take them out of their cages to hold them. I befriended an adorable kitten named Victoria. I contemplated sneaking her into my residence hall numerous times, as did other students I was with. Although that was not possible, I thoroughly enjoyed my opportunity to see what the shelter was about, as the staff seemed to truly care about their animals and facility. I also enjoyed being able to assist the staff members and the animals in cleaning up and providing the animals with new toys and clean places to rest. I have been told that Stockton offers this volunteer opportunity at least once a semester, and I will definitely volunteer any day at this shelter in the future.