Excitement was in the air on a chilly Friday afternoon as the students and their parents come together at Stockton for the start of University Weekend. The weekend began with a pep rally in “Big Blue”, the school’s main gymnasium. During the event, I had the pleasure of performing with the All Starz Dance Team. The hustle and bustle backstage before the ceremonies began was both fun and hectic. Everyone took their seats as the enthusiastic announcer told his audience about everything they should expect this weekend. Several clubs performed, including the Cheerleaders, All Starz Dancers, and Stockton’s Stocktones. At the end, everyone received a complimentary tee shirt to wear.
Early next morning, different clubs and teams around Stockton gathered to parade decorated golf carts around campus. I walked the parade with the All Starz dancers, with our cart decorated in different colors, celebrating Stockton throughout the years. We placed signs on the cart with the various names Stockton University had and the years they held these names. The parade was cold and windy, but fun nonetheless. People cheered and admired every group’s cart. At the end, each cart was presented to a panel of judges who selected the best decorated cart. The judges loved our cart and at the end of the parade, we won second place in the contest. The whole team felt excited and proud of our hard work.
The parade was only the kickoff event for Saturday morning. From twelve o’clock to four o’clock, there was a grand carnival in one of the school’s parking lots. People set up tables with games, food, and there were inflatable obstacle courses for those who liked to be adventurous. Loud music and laughter filled the air. It was impossible to find anyone with a frown on their face at the carnival. Once the excitement settled down, students said farewell to their parents and started to prepare for the 20th Annual Osprey Ball. The ball was the final hurrah for students, and kept going until one o’clock in the morning. There was loud music, a photo booth, buffet food, cake, and thrilled guests. People dressed to impress and danced the night away. It was an event to remember, and my personal favorite of the entire weekend. As a whole, University Weekend was fun for all, and students are excited to see what it will hold next year.