On Thursday, September 3^rd, Promised Land opened in the Stockton Performing Arts Center’s Experimental Theater.  An original play put on by Chrysalis Staging (a group founded by Stockton alumni), Promised Land takes place in the not-so-distant future, where global warming has turned the once-civilized world into one of violence, desperation, and control.  Abraham, a land-owning farmer, struggles to feed the thousands of people who live off his land, while his wife Ester and her “Scarecrows” gather intelligence and maintain order, often through violent means.  Their daughter Rebecca, seemingly innocent, has a dark, rebellious side.  When a traveling salesman named Elliot arrives at Abraham’s doorstep, he brings with him the possibility of reversing the damage done to Abraham’s land…and, perhaps, the rest of the world.

            Promised Land had a four-night run at the Experimental Theater.  Though the Experimental Theater was small, it allowed for an intimacy between the actors and the audience that is rarely experienced in larger productions.  The set – a farm house, barn, and windmill – was versatile and detailed, allowing most of the play’s action to occur in one locale.  What truly took the play to the next level was its use of props and audio.  Throughout the show, gunfire (blanks, of course) and haunting, rumbling transition tracks created a dark and tense atmosphere.  Just as expertly, the comic dialogue between the characters, particularly between Abraham and Ester, provided a brief respite from the sincerity of the plot.

            Without a doubt, Promised Land was one of the best plays I have seen.  Though the story was fiction, it dealt with real issues that our generation will have to resolve: global warming, climate change, a growing global population, food shortages, etc.  The characters stayed with me for days afterward, particularly Elliot, who was lively, driven, and, unfortunately, dead by the end of the play.  The fact that a new group such as Chrysalis Staging could put on such an incredible show is truly inspiring.  Hopefully they will continue to perform here at Stockton University.

On September 12, I attended The Day of Service organized by Service Learning. The event started at 8 o’clock in the morning and went on until about 3 in the afternoon. There was a new format this year; rather than doing one event for the entire day, there were four activities scheduled. To help the event run smoothly, there were four groups categorized by colors.

I was in the red group and went to the volunteer activity presented by Books without Borders. A spokesperson from the Covenant House in Atlantic City spoke about the teens who live there. Her speech impacted me the most out of the entire day. She mentioned that teens from all calibers of life walk through the front door. She mentioned a girl who goes to Kean University who still has nowhere to go during the summer. The girl finds the Covenant House a safe place for her to be. Her speech made me think I should be more grateful for the life I have. I would also like to fundraise for the house to help get the teenagers more beds. The house currently has 27 and over 40 individuals living there. I would like to help raise enough money for at least ten more beds for the house.

The next event was about civic involvement in the community. A representative from Petey Greene, a new organization on campus also sparked my interest. On Friday afternoons she and college students go to local prisons to help tutor inmates. I then learned about Greendot, which is a program to help stop sexual assault. The program helped teach me to be a proactive bystander and help in situations I find uneasy. The last program was an ACUA presentation. The President came in and explained what the company does. Stockton’s Waterwatch had a presentation about water and safety. They informed me about how unhealthy plastic water bottles are. I believe the whole day was informative and helped shape me into a more civic citizen.

The 12^th annual Day of Service project took place on Saturday, September 12, 2015. All volunteers arrived at 8:00 am and after checking in divided into four teams – Red, Purple, Blue and Green

After being assigned a team we were lead to a complimentary breakfast and then ushered into the Campus Center Event Room, where we sat at tables designated by our group color. The program began with an opening session welcome by President Kesselman & Keynote Speaker Todd Bernstein, both giving speeches to inspire us take action after today in local community service. Afterwards, the groups exited the Event Room and began their activities.

Purple group headed toC134 for an hour long session on Environment, with speakers from ACUA, Water Watch, and Stockton University’s Sustainable Farm. ACUA’s (Atlantic County Utilities Authority) President Richard Dovey, who is a Stockton alumnus (class of 1975), spoke about the history of ACUA and how it helps the community. Water Watch gave a presentation on the hazards of bottled water and how tap water is actually safer for consumption. Last, but certainly not least, one of the volunteers from Stockton University’s Sustainable Farm came up and explained all the ways we could volunteer and help out on the farm, such as working on the solar panel or becoming a bee keeper.

At 10:30 am we headed over to the Campus Center Meeting Room 2 for the Health & Wellness: Prescription Drugs session, which was presented by JTAC. The JTAC’s (Join Together Atlantic County) “mission is to prevent, reduce and/or delay substance use among youth of Atlantic County in a long term and sustainable manner” (Join). We learned that heroin deaths in NJ are more than triple national rate, surpassing homicides, suicides, car accidents and AIDS. One reason that heroin is such a large problem I NJ is because it is very pure and sold very cheap. A police officer was also there, telling us stories of past drug incidents that he has seen over the years and how the officers are trained to use Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of opioids, in case someone is experiencing an overdose.

At the end of that session we headed over to the Campus Center Theatre for lunch and our third session, Hunger & Homelessness. After finishing eating volunteers from Covenant House New Jersey, the nation’s largest privately funded agency serving homeless, runaway & at-risk youth, came on stage and gave a presentation. The volunteers explained how they provide food, shelter, immediate crisis care and an array of other important services to homeless, runaway and trafficked youth between the ages of 18 to 21. The next speaker, however, brought a pleasant change of pace. Books Without Borders, an organization that collects and donates books to libraries, had the teams participate in a service project of packing and loading books into a van to be placed in a storage container for later distribution. Doing hands-on work was a lot of fun, even when it started raining, and I ended up remaining to assist instead of going to the fourth session.

Around 3:00 pm all of the groups met up again in the Campus Center Event Room were we had a quick reflection session and got free t-shirts to commemorate the day. I had a lot of fun at my first Day of Service and now I feel more aware of what service opportunities are available around me. I can’t wait for next years!

Welcome Week brought us students a variety of speakers, with the goal of getting us to branch out and meet new people and to help us transition into college life. We new freshmen would walk around with specific groups led by TALONS and travel to these events called “Passport Events” together.

Troy Stende, an international speaker, came to the university on move in day, August 28^th, and I specifically went to the last session at around 7 P.M in the campus center event room. Once we swiped our ID’s, we were led into the event room and were met with other freshmen, TALONS, and RA’s dancing line dances on the dance floor. One could feel the hype building up for this speaker to come in. After a few minutes of people dancing and people talking on the sides of the event room, we were directed to have a seat on the floor, and the moans and groans of 18 year old college freshmen could be heard echoing around the room.

Once everyone got settled, Troy Stende was introduced, and his energy could really be felt. It was impossible to not be captivated by his speaking skills. He spoke about leadership and building connections with others, and to build these connections, he had us perform a few icebreakers. One of these icebreakers involved us going around to talk to people we have never met before and finding out four things we had in common. This was to be done four times, and our first partner was our high five partner, our second partner was our low five partner, our third partner was our knee to knee partner, and our fourth partner was our toe to toe partner. This was to help us build connections with others, and I still regularly speak to both my low five partner and my knee to knee partner.

We also did another icebreaker where we ended up separating into a large group of about eight to ten people and sitting in a circle and asking each other questions about our interests and how we feel about the school. I met one of my now closest friends in college through this circle icebreaker, which is great because Stende referred to the circle as our “family.” Stende had us play a game with our family to help strengthen our connection by making us work together to find various objects around the room. It really made us work together as a group and helped with leadership because there was always one specific person in charge of telling the group what the objects were and they were also in charge of bringing these objects back to the front of the room. This activity was particularly fun since one could see everyone trying to not get frustrated when they couldn’t find something.

This event with speaker Troy Stende was actually really great and helped create new friendships, which I am thankful for because I now have two good friends and one friend that I am particularly close with now. I’m sure that he will be back next year for the next class of incoming freshmen, and that new friendships and connections will be established through his event.

Casey Schieda

Freshman Blogging Project: Title IX

To begin Freshman year at Stockton University, every freshman, residential and commuter, had to attend mandatory events during Welcome Week.  One event that stuck with me was called “Let’s Talk about Sex! (Consent and Title IX).”  The program was held on Tuesday, September 1^st, 2015 on campus in the I-Wing Gym.

In order to effectively relay the information, the freshman class was divided by gender, a female session and a male session.  The program was run by the Women’s Gender and Sexuality Center and had help from other departments within the University as well.  The main speaker, Laurie Dutton, began the program by explaining what it means to fully consent to sexual activity.  She discusses the Red Zone, the first six weeks of college when most sexual assaults occur, and how to steer clear of these perilous situations.  For example, campus police are always available to escort someone home if they feel unsafe walking on campus from either the campus center to their dorm or their friend’s dorm to their dorm.

Additionally, the speakers shared a story about a college student named Jeanne Clery who was raped and murder in her dorm room in 1986 at Lehigh University.  This horrifying event led to stricter security on college campuses.  The Clery Act states that universities and colleges must provide statistics of crimes and sexual assault cases on campus and in the surrounding areas to students.  The act works cohesively with Title IX because Title IX states that universities and colleges must provide a safe environment for students, free of sexual discrimination and other sexual crimes.

Along with these legal aspects of sexual harassment and assault, the concept of consent was portrayed through a video about tea.  The video was gripping and intrigued the audience, as suggested by the chuckles in the room.  An example from the video was that the narrator mentioned, “If someone says they want tea, but then they pass out once the tea is made, do not continue to force them to have tea.”  This was referring to a situation where someone consents to sex, then loses consciousness for whatever reason and can no longer consent to sex.  The point was that if one could understand the concept of not forcing someone to drink tea, they should not force them to have sex.  Thus, the event was informative for females and males because it discussed topics relating to sexual violence, assault, harassment, and consent.

I was really engaged in this program because I hear the horror stories on college campuses but never really think it will happen at my school.  The event was an eye opening experience because anything can happen to anyone who is not careful and I want to be prepared and hopefully avoid a sketchy situation at all costs.  Additionally, my mother was a student at Lehigh when the student, Jeanne, was attacked so I had heard her mention the story before and was glad to hear that her family made a positive out of a terrible situation.  The Clery Act has probably saved so many lives just by publicizing the crime rates and sexual assault statics.  As a whole, I thought this program was very helpful and relevant to incoming female freshmen and will have a lasting impact on the students.

Casey Schieda

Freshman Blogging Project: S.O.A.R.

S.O.A.R. stands for “Stockton’s Overnight Adventure Retreat” and is a camping trip designed to facilitate friendships among the incoming freshmen and transfer students at Stockton University.  The trip was at the YMCA Ockanickon campground from August 25-27, 2015.

Each new student was assigned to a tribe- orange, red, navy, sky, purple, pink, green, or yellow.  The tribes would share cabins together, cruise meals together, and participate in several activities throughout the program.  A group of Stockton students called T.A.L.O.N.S, The Activity Leaders of New Students, were the leaders of each tribe and helped the program run smoothly.  The S.O.A.R. experience is organized by the Office of Event Services and Campus Center Operations.

Throughout the camping trip, students took part in icebreakers, such as “Ride that Pony” or “All of my Friends and Neighbors,” to familiarize themselves with each other and help eliminate the awkwardness among the groups.  Also, activities such as low elements and high elements forced students to step out of their comfort zone and to trust new people.  For example, in the high ropes, students had the opportunity to climb the rock wall.  Although this may not be something that they normally do, students were encouraged to be daring and to have faith that their friends belaying and spotting were reliable.

The Tribathlon was another event that united the tribes and added some fun competition.  Tug of war and dodge ball were two events that were part of the Tribathlon and allowed students to show their pride and commitment to their designated tribe.  The staff at the YMCA campground was very instrumental in making S.O.A.R. an amazing and enjoyable experience.  Sam, Stephanie, and Rick were a few employees who really showed an interest in the students and taught them how to create friendships that would last throughout college and after.  In summary, S.O.A.R. was a great experience for students who wanted to expand their comfort zone and meet new people who they will be acquainted with for the next four years.

I was a member of the orange tribe on S.O.A.R. this year and I am thrilled that I went on the trip.  Climbing up the telephone pole and jumping off with my only support system being a harness was the most exhilarating experience for me.  Additionally, I met two of my best friends on the trip and felt so comfortable going into freshman year with a support system.  The T.A.L.O.N.S. acted as great role models and were able to shed light on some concerns I had about starting college.  Thus, S.O.A.R. was a once in a lifetime experience that I would recommend to every incoming freshmen attending Stockton University because it helps to create friendships and open new doors for students who are anxious about starting a new chapter in their lives.

The Stockton Outdoor Adventure Retreat is held every year three days prior to Welcome Week. The S.O.A.R program is run by Jen Radwanski with the help of the The Activity Leaders of New Students also known as the T.A.LO.N.S. S.O.A.R is held at Camp Ockanickon in Medford New Jersey, 45 minutes from the University. This year the students attending S.O.A.R moved into their dorms the morning of Tuesday, August 25th and left for camp Tuesday night. They spent all day Wednesday and Thursday at camp and returned home the night of the 27th.

S.O.A.R is the greatest opportunity for incoming freshman. New students get 2 nights and 3 days to bond with each other at Camp Okacnicion. Students are assigned to specific tribes that they remain with for the duration of their trip. The tribes participate in team building activities including various group games. There is a rope course at the camp which includes rock climbing walls where students can push their boundaries and learn to trust themselves as well as each other. There is also a beautiful lake where students can go kayaking and canoeing during free time. Everyone on the trip eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner together which allows everyone to mingle between the tribes. The Camp Staff is friendly and encouraging to Stockton Students and really adds to their experience on S.O.A.R.

S.O.A.R wouldn’t be the amazing experience it is without the T.A.L.O.N.S. The student leaders are exciting and down to earth. They are so thrilled to be on S.O.A.R and make the new students feel comfortable. The T.A.L.O.N.S play a key role in the leadership development in each of the students that attend. From sunup until sundown the T.A.L.O.N.S mingle in games such as the Newspaper Interviewer in which everyone is essentially “speed introducing eachother” and goes to as many people as possible in a minute. Additional games include the leadership training which entails the entire group to go through team-building experiences such as balancing on a log and attempting to move into birthday order, or approaching a “spider web” and having to lift people to get through each opening. Through it all, the T.A.L.O.N.S always smiled and pushed each student to chase their lion. The sense of community they brought into the S.O.A.R program truly made it an exceptional experience.

Overall, S.O.A.R is an unforgettable experience for all who attend. Every incoming freshman should apply. For those who didn’t have a chance to attend as a freshman you can always apply to become a T.A.L.O.N.S. S.O.A.R allowed me to feel comfortable in my new home at Stockton. I met amazing leaders and made friends that I will have for a lifetime. I thank everyone who played a part in putting together S.O.A.R and recommend it to every incoming freshman.  

With the help of several faculty members and volunteers, Stockton University hosted its 12^th annual Day of Service on September 12, 2015. Though participants are encouraged to engage in service projects regularly, this event takes place once a year.

When first arriving, volunteers chose to be on one of four teams. Each team then rotated among four different service projects. For my team, our first stop was in C-wing. Topics for this presentation included the services ACUA (Atlantic County Utilities Authority) offer, opportunities at Stockton’s very own organic farm, and information on the Water Watch Club. What stood out for me was the actual harm that bottled water poses on someone’s health. It’s just the type of information companies do not warn about.

Next, we learned about the dangers of prescription drugs and heroin In Atlantic County. We also learned of the ways we can help others cope with addiction. Another interesting project was definitely working with Books without Borders. We helped this club package books for underfunded libraries. The day ended with information on how to educate oneself on current matters of government. During this time I registered to vote. I also learned about the Petey Greene Project, a program in which volunteer teach prisoners hoping to get a GED. I learned how our generation really needs to know what’s going on in the government we’ll eventually take over.

While many enjoyed this day, most can agree that the event did not meet expectations. Many new-comers anticipated more hands-on projects, instead of just learning about them. Volunteers from previous years preferred the old way Day of Service was organized. Overall, the day inspired me to get more involved.