On November 19^th, the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies hosted their annual Conversation series. Each year they pick two female professors to talk about how it is to be a woman in academia. The classroom was equally filled with men and women. The professor talked about how many of her colleagues are mother. There are many women in this field that feel like they have to be some type of superwoman.

The one thing that she brought up was how she did not want to have children. There were many people that feel like she is missing out because she is choosing not to have children. She has absolutely no desire to have children because she does not like them. There are also many other medical conditions that she has to deal with that would enable her to be able to take care of children.

The second point that she brought up was the role reversal in her household. Her husband is the one that cooks the food and cleans the house. She goes to work and then gets to relax. There are many people that see this as a problem because they think it should be the other way around. This brought up a very heated debate throughout the room. Many people had very different opinions when it came to this topic. It is very sad to know that there are so many women that feel like they have to look down on themselves because they are not able to do everything.

Overall this was a very amazing event to go to. This is the type of event that many Stockton students should be attending. It allows students to learn more about the people around them and allow people to express how they feel about the topic.

On the days of Friday October 17^th through Sunday October 19^th, the annual Stockton a Cappella Retreat took place. Stockapella, Stocktones and Stockata all join together at the Spruce Lake Retreat Center. All three groups left after classes on Friday to embark on their three-and-a-half-hour trip to the Poconos. The whole trip was filled with lots of singing and team bonding.

Once all the groups got there they all ran and found out their room assignments. The assignments were made so that group were not all together. It allowed everyone to start making new friends. Once everyone got settled in, all of the three group learned the two songs that they are all singing together. After practice was over, they ended the night by gathering by the fire and talking about how the day went.

Saturday started with a lovely breakfast that was provided by the facility that they all stayed at. Once breakfast was over, the groups played a bunch of team bonding games. They helped everyone learn a little bit more about each other. The groups then split up to work on their group songs. The night ended once again with gathering by the fire.

Many people felt like the final day was the best. Everyone gathered and listened to each of their groups perform their songs. As each song went on, the groups got more and more into it. Everyone was dancing and singing with one another. It was amazing to feel all the energy from each and every group. The experience was an amazing one that many members can not wait for next year. At the end of this trip, all of the groups felt like one big happy family.

The Day of Service brought a lot of excitement to Stockton University. On September 12^th, many people gathered to take part in this year’s Day of Service. This year’s day of service was like no other. There were a few changes to make this event the best it could be.

The day started with everyone choosing a color. Everyone grouped up and sat down with their breakfast that was provided. After everyone was seated, the keynote speaker, Todd Bernstein, began to speak to everyone. Once he finished, all the groups split off and went to their different sections. There were many different types of programs introduced to the groups.

There were many that stuck out during this program. One of the programs was Book with Borders. It was the most hands on that happened that day. Many participants organized books and put them in boxes. This program allows students who do not have the best access to books to get them for free. It gave many students here a great feeling to know that they were able to help in some way.

Another highlight of the night was the green dot presentation. It shed light on what can really happen in this world. It showed so many participants that everyone could easily be a helping hand. Being attacked could really happen to anyone, even someone that a person cares about. The speaker hit home with many people in the audience. It was truly an eye opening experience for many people there.

Overall, the Day of Service was a very big success. It taught many people about a lot of the service activities that Stockton University has to offer. The only issue that was mentioned was that it was not as hands on as people thought it was going to be. Even though there was that, everyone seemed to have a great time and learn a bunch of new information.

Lollanobooza

Lollanobooza took place on October 29th and was organized by SET, Stockton’s Entertainment Team. This carnival themed event’s goal was to deter drinking on Halloween, which can be one of the worst days for alcohol usage in college. SET planned on getting students informed about the dangers of alcohol while still enjoying a night of prizes, costumes and games.

Lollanobooza took place in the Campus Center Event room and was packed with hundreds of costumed students. In order to receive tickets that would enter them for a chance to win one of the many prizes, students had to play a variety of carnival games. Some of the games included spinning a wheel for tickets, throwing a ball to knock over boxes and using a Nerf gun to shoot off items. Pizza, a photo booth and a mechanical bull were also available for students to enjoy.

All of the tickets that had accumulated over the course of a half hour were then drawn for winners. Everyone looked eagerly at the screens in the room that displayed the names of the winners. They were then ushered to a table filled with prizes that they would choose from, such as a variety of gift cards and other prizes. The night eventually drew to a close and everyone, even those who did not win, was sad to see the night end. Lollanobooza was a fun and interactive way to get students involved and to also demonstrate the dangers of alcohol.

Gianna Nitti

Movie Night: Inside Out

Sponsored By SET

9/24/2015

I went to the weekly movie night hosted by SET. When you swipe in they give you a raffle ticket and you can get some snacks. They choose movies that are new and popular. This week they played the new Pixar™ movie Inside Out. Inside Out is a movie about growing up and the conflict between a person’s emotions during everyday life.

                The story begins with Joy’s quick overview of Riley’s life, Joy explains how Riley’s mind works and how she is a happy girl with a great life and Joy doesn’t think anything could go wrong. As soon as Joy finishes her explanation and introduces the other emotions a “SOLD” sign appears in front of Riley’s home. Riley’s Father has a new job opportunity in San Francisco so that’s where they are moving to.

When they arrive at their new home Riley is disappointed to find out how her home is dingy, small, and a bit run down. While Joy is attempting to have Riley keep a positive outlook, Fear, Anger and Disgust are fighting over the controls. Sadness begins acting weird and she keeps tainting all the memories from Minnesota with sadness, Joy tries to keep sadness from doing this but she cannot and Sadness ends up knocking all of Riley’s most important memories, her Core Memories,   out and they get sent to Long-Term Memory along with Joy and Sadness leaving only Fear, Anger and Disgust in Headquarters.

Inside Out shows the struggle that Joy and Sadness face to get back to headquarters before Riley ends up running away and how Joy has to learn the importance of Sadness before she is able to return to Headquarters to save Riley. This movie definitely is a must see with fun animation, a tearful storyline, and lots of laughter.

Gianna Nitti

One Night Stand Up Comedy Show featuring Carly Aquilino

Sponsored By SET

10/09/2015

Carly Aquilino

I went to the comedy show featuring Carly Aquilino hosted by SET.  I went with my parents and best friend from home who were all visiting with me for University Weekend.  My parents really enjoy comedians so I was excited to be able to spend time with them and have fun.

When we got there we were all able to get free t-shirts.  I was worried because the line seemed very long and I am a bit impatient but fortunately, the line went extremely quickly and we were soon in our seats.  There was plenty or seating available so while there was a lot of people I never felt crowded or uncomfortable.  There was also pizza and refreshments offered to everyone before the show started.

Carly was very funny and entertaining.  Her comedy was definitely aimed for college students and I found it very funny.  My friend and I were cracking up for almost the entire hour that she was onstage.  My parents also found her hilarious so she was funny for all older audiences.  I really enjoyed her stand up and though she did an amazing job, if I ever have the opportunity I would see her perform again.

Gianna Nitti

S.O.A.R.

Sponsored by T.A.L.O.N.S

June 25-27

I attended S.O.A.R. this year. S.O.A.R. is a leadership retreat offered to incoming freshman students before Move-In day and Welcome Week. The students who participate in S.O.A.R. get to move in a few days before the rest of the incoming students. This is a big advantage because it allows for a calmer and quicker move because there are fewer people and it is not crowded. When arriving at check in students are given a string of beads to represent which tribe they will become a part of. After moving in, separating into tribes and going through introductions, everyone travels to the YMCA Camp Ockanickon.

Tribes are separated by different colors. There are eight different tribes: Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Navy, Sky, and Purple. Each person receives a bag and a bandana of their color and this is used to identify which tribe a person is in. Being in a tribe allows you to bond with a smaller group of people which makes it easier to form friendships. At first, everyone was a bit scared but as we spent time together we all bonded with each other and our T.A.L.O.N.S. Every tribe had their own set of T.A.L.O.N.S. and they really made S.O.A.R. special because they took the time to bond with us and pushed us to really be our best. They also encouraged us to have a good time and open up because at first it was a bit awkward being with complete strangers but the T.A.L.O.N.S really made us excited to support our tribe and embrace the S.O.A.R. experience. While you are often in your tribe you are not limited to interacting only within your tribe because there are plenty of activities where tribes are combined. Another fun thing about tribes is that you develop competition between other tribes and a strong sense of pride for your own tribe.

At camp, the counselors there were really fun to be around and made the experience great. They took us through different team building activities such as icebreakers, leadership courses, team building games, high ropes, and free time activities such as kayaking, archery, yoga and many other interesting activities.

I would highly recommend attending S.O.A.R. to anyone who plans on coming to Stockton. I found it to be a fantastic opportunity because I got to meet people I may not have otherwise known and I formed great friendships with amazing people. It also made the transition into college a lot smoother, because I was able to slowly unpack early with family and avoided the hustle of Move-In day.  I already had a great group of friends to hang out with when I began my college experience, all because of S.O.A.R.  The experience was one hundred percent worth it and I made an incredible amount of memories with people I know I’ll stay close with for the rest of my years here at Stockton.

Thomas Guardino

GT Lenard

December 2015

Learning Something New About Alcohol

I was given the opportunity to sit in on a nice presentation by one of our fellow Honors students, Anthony Thawley. He and three others were there to inform students on the true facts of drugs and alcohol. During the presentation, I found that everyone in the room was very down to Earth and realistic about the situation. It is understood that college students drink alcohol, so they should at least do it as safely as possible.

This presentation used various facts and examples to help students understand that there are many dangers that come along with drinking alcohol or even using recreational drugs. While it may be fun for a short time, it can very quickly become hazardous to your health and well being, as well as to the health and well being of the ones around you. There were statistics that absolutely blew my mind, like how close to 93% of fights are all involving the use of alcohol. After witnessing the effects of alcohol on my friends, it is almost frightening how obvious the influence of alcohol can change someone. When alcohol is present, the hormones in your body are altered and your decision making process is changed. You may feel angry about something that would otherwise be insignificant if the effects of alcohol were not controlling your mind and body.

Over the course of the hour and a half that this presentation lasted, there was an incredible amount of information presented. I felt far more informed about the dangers of date rape drugs that can be evident at even our own Stockton parties. I learned ways to ensure the safety of myself and my friends for the times that we do want to go out. I really liked one where you make plans at the beginning of the night and have a friend make sure you follow those plans exactly as you laid them out.

At the end of the presentation, I felt more confident in my decision making process and felt as though I could still have a great time here at Stockton, but in a safe way. Thank you Anthony.

Thomas Guardino

Professor Lenard

Honors Program

October 2015

Blog Post: Munchie Monday

On a sunny Monday morning, I had decided it was in my best interest to go and get food. I put on my shoes and exited my residential hall and was under the impression that there would not be any surprises on the way. However, that is the funny thing about surprises, you never know when one is coming. I entered the Campus Center at the end near the Dunkin Donuts and questioned why there is always such a long line. As I walked up the three steps that lead to the main hallway of the campus center, my stomach growled.

At a distance, I was able to see a figure of a woman standing near the wall behind a small cart with baskets on it. I had no idea what this could have been so I ignored my thoughts and continued walking. As I passed the woman, she smiled and asked if I would like a free snack. Taken back, I asked, “What is the catch?”.

She replied with a smile, “No catch, just need to swipe your ID card”.

I was thoroughly surprised and I handed her my card. Afterwards, she let me choose one snack from the wide selection. The choices were limitless, and they ranged from Welch’s fruit snacks to Lay’s potato chips and even had Raisinettes for the healthy munchers out there. Mulling over the options, a wave of excitement came over me as I discovered the Ritz Bitz that were hiding behind Cheetos that I almost grabbed.

As I walked away, I thanked the nice woman who had indirectly made my day just a little bit better. This type of action by the University, I realized, is something that is incredibly uplifting and great for general morality of the student body. It is the little things like this that have brought out my true love and admiration for Stockton University.

Thomas Guardino

Day of Service

September 12, 2015

On the morning of September 12, 2015, I was not entirely sure what to expect of the Day of Service. We were greeted with breakfast and broken up into teams. After opening remarks, our teams were sent to our first activities of the day. For Team Red, we entered the Theater and sat down to listen to representatives from various organizations.

Of the organizations in the Theater that spoke to us, the one that definitely caught my attention the most was the Covenant House. Located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, this organization opened my eyes to a new perspective on homelessness. This is a shelter for mostly teens who are without a safe home to return to every night. They offer over twenty beds and three meals a day. They provide the opportunity for these lost teens to continue their education and push them to do so.

Growing up with a father who commuted into Manhattan every day and tagging along to multiple ‘Bring Your Kid to Work’ days, I had always been familiar with the homeless that inhabited the busy streets. However, they all seemed to be middle-aged. I never truly considered what it may be like for a teenager to be in that horrible situation. Since poverty and homelessness is a scary reality, it is comforting to know that these unfortunate teens have a place to go where they will be taken care of.