On Tuesday, September 8, 2015, many Honors students gathered for the first Honors meeting of the 2015-2016 academic year. Many returning students were involved in the planning of the meeting as well as attending the meeting. Siena Stucki and Professor Rosner shared the responsibility of running the meeting. It was held in room F207 from about 4:30 until 5:00. Free pizza was offered before the meeting began and after it ended. There were several kinds including peperoni, veggie and plain. Drinks such as lemonade, iced tea and water were also provided. All new freshman and transfer member of the honors program were invited. The e-board was present at the meeting. Questions about Service Learning were discussed as well as information about the blog posts. The honors yearly requirements were reviewed. Zeal checked in with everyone attending to make sure all mentors had heard from their mentees and all mentees heard from their mentors.

The popular events of the year hosted by Honors were explained and given approximate dates for. Some new projects were proposed, such as going to a concert together. Other events that occurred in previous years and are being planned again are pizza and pong and a trip for Honors freshman. Pizza and pong will be held in Event Room 5 in the Campus Center on a night Friday in October. We are encouraged to wear costumes to this event if it lands near Halloween. The Honors Program is celebrating its tenth year here at Stockton and will be offering a small reception and a presentation discussing Stockton many years ago. Our program will be getting evaluated by an outside evaluator this year. He will give suggestions on how we can improve our program to reach its full potential. He will also meet with some of the Honors students on an individual basis. We were encouraged to discuss any changes or additions we would like to see to our program to him. For example, a larger honors room may be necessary due to the increase in Honors students admitted into the program, or an extra faculty member to help guide activities and give more support to our growing program. Freshman are also invited to talk to the evaluator about their experiences so far with Honors. We had a wonderful meeting and many topics were addressed. The next meeting is sure to provide many new ideas and events to look forward to!

On Wednesday September 16, 2015, the CARE program offered a free workshop for all students. It was on goal setting and planning ahead. This is a good topic because so many college students do not know how to effectively set a goal and achieve it.

When students arrived they were greeted and swiped into the event. After being swiped in, a student could enter the room and select a seat. Shortly after arrival, the program started. A PowerPoint was passed out to each participant. There was room to take notes on it, and all participants were allowed to take their PowerPoint home, to refer to later and remember what they learned. One of the topics included in this discussion was motivation. If a student motivates himself or herself, they are more inclined to complete the task than someone who is only motivated by an external source.

We also discussed our opinions on who controls are life. We learned that one does better if she believes she controls her own life than that external forces control her life. Then we discussed goal setting. A long-term goal takes one to five years to accomplish and should contain several short-term goals. A short-term goal should be completed in one or two months. Next we discussed SMART goals. These goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. If a goal does not meet this criteria, one must alter her goal so it has a chance of being achieved. After we were done with our discussion, pizza and drinks arrived. All participants were invited to enjoy free pizza and drinks and talk to staff in the CARE program. The pizza varieties included were plain, peperoni, and veggie and the drink choices were water, Brisk, and other sodas. Plenty of food was available; only five people attended the dinner and we had four pizza pies.

I would highly recommend adding completing this workshop to a short-term goal list because goal setting is a very important skill for any leader to acquire.

On Wednesday September 16, 2015, Stockton University kicked off the Constitution Day Series 2015. The event began at 6:30 and lasted over an hour. Bryan Stevenson was the keynote speaker. He was phenomenal! So many people were present; people were watching the event from the theater in the Campus Center. Many of the people at the event were not Stockton students, but older people in the community. This surprised me because I was not aware that so many people knew this speaker and came out to see him. I was also impressed by the dress of the people at this event. I was expecting people to come in clothing that students would wear in the classroom; however, many of the participants, especially adults, were dressed formally in professional business entire.

Stevenson’s stories about his experience with clients on death row were so interesting. I was uneducated on the fact that children could be convicted like adults in a trial; even if the child was as young as thirteen or fourteen. I was moved by the story of the young teenage boy crying in his arms. I was so upset by this because I know children who are that age, and I could imagine how scared and upset this little boy must have been. I was also surprised to learn that one in every three black male babies is expected to be incarcerated at some point in their lives. Volunteering in a school, I find it horrible to believe that so many of these children will be charged with crimes as they grow older. I was also interested in his working with people with disabilities and that they do not always receive the care that the laws entitle them to receive.

I feel that it was very important for Stockton to bring educated and successful people into the school to speak because so many students, like me, are uneducated on what is really going on in our communities.

On Thursday, September 10, 2015, the Noyes Museum of Art at Stockton University offered a wonderful program. It was entitled “Frozen Earth Climate Change: A panel Disscusion”.

Five panelists came in to discuss their information on global warming and their standpoint on it. They discussed how they believe it will affect the world in the future. The moderator was Diane Burko. The panelists included Michael Limonick, Amy Lipton, Dr. Jeff Niemitz, Andrew Revekin, and Aaron T. O’Connor. Each one has a unique exciting background. From artists to scientists, we learned about different ways people of every occupation can be involved in helping planet Earth. Many of the panelists had experience working for some of the most well-known and well-respected magazines published today, including the New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post and TIME. It was very interesting to hear these people presenting with one another because often they worked together on past projects causing their stories to overlap. Amy Lipton is a co-founder of a large group where of people from all different careers interact to help raise awareness of climate change and the effects of climate change. This organization ran a very successful project in New York City showing where the flood lines would be if the oceans were to rise. The point of this project was to educate people. These lines were accurate in informing people what could happen if a storm such as Super Storm Sandy were to hit again. Many cities such as Philadelphia will be having this project completed in their city to help raise awareness. O’Connor is the founder of The Arctic Circle. This program allows people to go by ship to High Arctic to study and learn. It is open to people of all different occupations who feel this experience would help themselves or others in some way. Laura Petrovich-Cheney coordinated this panelist discussion and made sure it would occur smoothly.

The program was very informative, although longer than expected. I enjoyed it and hope that similar programs will be available throughout the semester.

On Friday, September 11, 2015 Stockton offered a bingo night for all of its students. The event began at 8:00 PM and lasted until 10:00 PM. Nearly fifty participants strolled into the large Coffeehouse in the Campus Center to join in the festivities.

Upon arrival students swiped in and were welcomed by a young woman running the event. Students were welcome to take a snack and drink. The snack offered was Rice Crispy Treats and the drinks were sodas and waters. Students then took their Bingo cards. Each player receives three Bingo cards to play with. Although having three cards does not increase the probability of one winning, they do make the game move a lot faster. The speed of the games makes it much more intense and enjoyable. Students could be heard whispering, chanting and giggling with excitement from across the room as the students came closer to getting Bingo. The entire room was buzzing by the end of the night. The event was a wonderful opportunity for students of all ages to enjoy and interact, as well as make new friends and visit among old ones.

The bingo numbers were announced loudly and players could mark their boards. The numbers were repeated two times and then put up on a large electronic display for all players to be able to see. All boards had a free space on them, in the center. We played many different forms of Bingo including The Number 7, a Straight Line, Black Out, Four Corners, a T, and an X. When a player got Bingo, he loudly announced it and moved to the front of the room to get his card checked. When the Bingo was verified, he received a raffle ticket to be in the running to get a prize. Often we would have several winners for one round of Bingo. Two raffles took place over the night, one at 9:00 and one at 10:00. There were a total of twenty prizes given out, ten movie tickets and ten Wawa gift cards.

I attended a program for incoming freshman and transfer students called S.O.A.R. which stands for Stockton Outdoor Adventure Retreat. Three days before the official move-in day, the students who attended S.O.A.R. arrived on campus. When we arrived at Stockton, we were handed a beaded necklace. The color of the necklace indicated which tribe you were in. I was in navy tribe. When I walked out of the TRLC, I was greeted by an overwhelming amount of clapping and cheering. After I told the group what tribe I was assigned, one of the TALONS from my tribe grabbed me and helped me to put my stuff away in my new room. All of the TALONS I met throughout SOAR were enthusiastic and willing to help, but one of my TALONS Taryn was the most enthusiastic. We did not stay at Stockton for long. After our rooms were all set up and we said good-bye to our families, and we got on buses and drove to a camp that was not too far from Stockton.

Most of SOAR was a blur, but I remember having an amazing time. We played a lot of icebreakers, which made it easy to meet people and make friends. We went kayaking and swimming in the lake. We created and performed skits mocking our TALONS. We did so many fun things I can’t even remember them all.  My personal favorite activity at SOAR was the high ropes. Everyone was a little nervous going into it, but the nervous atmosphere quickly changed into one of encouragement once people stared going on the ropes. In order for someone to go onto one of the high ropes, they had to have five people help them. They were assigned different positions on the ground in order to make it safe for her to be suspended thirty feet in the air by ropes. Having friends on the ground made it much easier to complete the course. It felt really nice to have friends cheering me on.

We did a lot of amazing activities at SOAR. It allowed me to branch off and do things I never thought that I would ever do. The most important thing I got of SOAR were my friends. I met so many new people and I’m still close with a lot of them. When everyone else moved in on August 28^th, I felt really relaxed because I didn’t have to deal with the pressures of trying to move all my stuff in and meet a thousand new people at the same time. I recommend SOAR to all incoming students, because it made my transition to college very easy and even fun.

On Saturday, September 12, I went to the Campus Center Movie Night in the Campus Center Theatre. The event was hosted by Event Services and Campus Center Operations. Every week, there is a different movie being played. And in any given week, the movie is shown twice: once on Thursday night and once on Saturday night. The movies start at nine and run until around 11 O’clock. The movie playing the week that I went was San Andreas, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The movie itself was good, but that was only a small factor in what really made my night.

After sitting down in my seat, I could not tell whether I was still at school or if I was at a genuine movie theatre. The Campus Center Theatre provides an extremely realistic setting for the Movie Night event. Before the film started, there were movie previews playing, just like at a real movie theater. Then, the lights dimmed and the movie began. As I munched on my free snack and sipped on my free drink, I was easily able to get hooked on the movie. After the movie ended, there was a raffle for various prizes. I am sure that the three winners that night went home with big smiles on their faces. As for myself, I couldn’t complain with a free movie, free refreshments, and prize raffles on a Saturday night.

Event Services and Campus Center Operations did a fantastic job of creating an authentic cinema experience for the community of Stockton University. Every detail was considered when putting together event. I will definitely be attending more Campus Center Movie Nights in the near future.

Stockton University held its 12th annual Day of Service on September 12, 2015. Volunteers were expected at the campus center event room at 8am, but not before being provided a healthy breakfast consisting of bagels, coffee, muffins, etc. Volunteers arrived to the tables set up against the wall and were permitted to choose a group based on preferred color. After choosing teams, we entered the event room and prepared to hear the speakers. Meanwhile, volunteers signed photo release forms and chose what seminar they wanted to start with. After being told the importance of our participation which involved gaining knowledge that will contribute to our community, we separated to our designated areas. My group started with the drug prescription seminar. The speaker was thorough in explaining the drug problem within the community and the forces attempting to stop it. An officer came into the session and explained what we can do as bystanders or even as people who may know the victim.

Afterward, we switched rooms and met in a larger auditorium where volunteers were told about other organizations that helped around the area including, but not limited to covenant house and books without borders. After introductions and further explanation of our purpose as volunteers, we were split into organizers and lifters to help books without borders organize books into cardboard boxes.

Overall, the day of service was beneficial and was a list of lectures that volunteers rotated to. It certainly was not what I expected. I thought we’d be doing more hands on activities such as going around the community and participating in several events that would benefit our surrounding area. However, after going to the lectures, I saw the importance behind them, just as others did. They found it important that the volunteers that were present be aware of all the volunteer opportunities on campus that can relate to an area they’re interested in whether it’s rehabilitation or making care packages. Afterward, all volunteers were provided with different lunches, depending on their group. All volunteers were given t-shirts that showed they were participants in this wonderful event.

The night of Tuesday, September 22, 2015, was truly a night to remember. Stockton Entertainment Team (SET) put together an event for students of all years and dorm rooms to enjoy and share together. There was a school of fish, decorations, snacks, and it was all free! Not only was it a good night to bond with my roommate, but I came back to my dorm with a new friend named Merlin.

The Campus Center Coffee House isn’t only a house for coffee, but it’s home to many events that SET puts together for the students of Stockton. The atmosphere of the room is warm and welcoming – a good place to hang out and relax. SET chose this spot for a really fun and exciting event, an event that was surprising for me to believe was real. I could go to the coffee hose, relax with my roommate, and make my own fish tank for my room. There was a long table set up with a big tank in the middle. It looked like hundreds of little goldfish were swimming around happily. Along the sides of the tank were the little plastic tanks – which would soon be the new homes of the goldfish – and bright colorful gravel, shells, and little palm trees to make the plastic tanks fun and exciting decorations for your dorm.

SET did a very good job of keeping the event organized. After swiping my ID into the event, the member of SET gave me a little blue fish card. Having this fish card meant that I would indeed receive a little fish to put in my tank. There could have been other people that didn’t receive a fish card, because the turn out for the event was quite extraordinary. However, if someone didn’t receive a fish, they were still able to decorate a tank and take it back to their dorm, and, if they so wish, could go to the PetSmart down the road and buy a ten cent fish of their very own.

Not only could I decorate a tank for my room, but SET also provided fish themed snacks for those attending the event! Fish tenders with cocktail and tartar dipping sauces were available, along with a refreshing ocean colored raspberry flavored jell-o for dessert; drinks like lemonade, water, and iced tea were also provided. And I didn’t have to swipe and use a meal from my meal plan to eat!

Altogether, building my own fish tank for my room, having some snacks, spending time with my roommate, and experiencing one of SET’s popular events made for a great night.

Many Mini-golf enthusiasts came down last Wednesday the 23rd to participate in a Stockton sponsored round of mini-golf.  After a slight delay golfers were allowed in a greeted with pizza and beverages. Upon entry they sorted themselves into small groups of which to play in. Slowly but surely the announcers called up groups and gave each group a club and each individual a ball.  The first hole was a relatively simple straight away. The second hole proved a bit challenging having to send your ball up a ramp and and around a curved ramp. The third and fourth holes were mirror images of each other with one ending in a bend to the right and the other a bend to the left.  The next five hole proved to each be a different challenge, one required you to putt under a bridge while yet another required you to putt to the top of a small hill.  Many will agree that the hardest hole by far mandated that the golfer putt their ball down a long stretch into a ramp that led to the hole, even a small miscalculation was enough to send the ball astray.  A few would try to convince you that the last hole was the most difficult, demanding that you putt your ball into a narrow spiral leading to the hole.  The atmosphere of the event can be described like that of a very small party, with music and low conversations filling the air.  The low light of the event contributed to peoples enjoyment, some took advantage out the lights to play with their shadows on the wall before the event begin.  Overall the event was a funny activity for a low key Wednesday night with floor mates.