I traveled to the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia along with many other honors students on October 24^th, 2015. This was a great opportunity to see priceless works of art from some of the most notable artists in modern history. According to The Economist, “[The Barnes Museum] holds the greatest private collection of post-impressionist and early modern art in America.” Not only was it a great opportunity to see the art, but it was great to travel into the city and explore what it has to offer.

This visit to the Barnes Museum was a great educational experience. The museum offered commentary for a good portion of the pieces through a portable music player. We were given the opportunity to view the art with our own interpretations, as well as listen to the commentary and learn what the artist had achieved with their work. Many of the paintings were from groundbreaking artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Cézanne, and Van Gogh. To be in the presence of a works touched by such legends was pretty incredible. It was also a surreal experience to see works that date back to the 15^th century. It was hard to grasp that I was observing a painting that had lived in countless settings and had been touched by individuals that had passed away hundreds of years ago. I had a great time viewing the art in the museum.

The day managed to get even better when we went to Sabrina’s Café. After a short walk, we found a small restaurant with a crowd of people waiting outside. After some quick research, we found that it was one of the most famous brunch restaurants in Philadelphia. Luckily, we avoided the wait by grabbing seats at the bar. The food, music, and service were amazing. Overall, I had a great time on the honors trip to the Barnes Museum and I would love to go there again!

On Wednesday November 4, 2015, the boys’ soccer team played Rutgers Camden home in G. Larry James Stadium on the freshman side of campus.  This game was part of the NJAC, New Jersey Athletic Conference, tournament.  Unfortunately, Stockton fell 2-0 to Rutgers, leaving their season with one more game that was ECAC, Eastern College Athletic Conference, tournament, which they also, unfortunately, lost.

I attended the NJAC tournament game against Rutgers with some of my floormates, along with some of the guys who live on the floor above me.  We wanted to support two of the guys, #15 Zach Burns and #16 Joseph Dikmak, who also live on the floor above me.  Burns didn’t have field time that game, and Dikmak’s was limited, but we were there to support them, along with our fellow Ospreys out on the field.

There are many occasions where an event occurs multiple times and is exactly the same. Sports are an exception to that.  In sports, each event that takes place throughout the season is different.  Sometimes, games will end the same, either with the same result or with the same score, but that is rare.  Each game is unique and independent of others, but can result in similar manner.

The boys played Rutgers one other time in the season: the game prior to the NJAC tournament game.  Coincidentally, both games resulted the same, with Stockton falling 2-0.  Although they had a rough ending to the season, Stockton boys’ soccer had a great season.

September 12^th marked Stockton’s 12^th annual Day of Service, organized by the Office of Student Development.  Day of Service, an all-day event (8 to 4), offers both students and staff the rewarding opportunity to participate in service projects around the campus by exposing them to a wide variety of service projects and enlightening volunteers about the impacts they could make as opposed to simply jumping directly into work. Upon entering the event room, participants were asked to choose a team that they would be rotating with throughout the day.  About a half hour in, keynote speaker Todd Bernstein was introduced.  Bernstein explained how it is up to the citizens to bring about change, not the government.

Although there were four service projects, two in particular stood out to me.  The first service project I attended was in regards to the environment.  Richard Dovey, the CEO of Atlantic County Utilities Authority, discussed his company’s efforts to maintain a sustainable environment.  Stockton’s very own Water Watch organization and sustainable farm volunteers also spoke about their works in reducing pollution and properly utilizing land and water.

Another service project I attended was in regards to education.  An organization called Books Without Borders collects books ranging from children stories to chemistry textbooks for those who cannot afford books or simply do not have access to books.  Whereas other service projects were more so presentations, this one was more hands-on; volunteers helped put together boxes, organize hundreds of books based on topic, and carry particularly heavy boxes from the building to a storage container.  A lot of volunteers actually opted out of the final service project to continue their work with this organization.

Day of Service was an excellent way to work with peers and make a difference.  Learning should not be restricted to just the classroom, but integrated into our everyday lives as well.

The transition from high school to college can be a nerve-racking one.  In attempt to help incoming freshmen assimilate to college life, there is Welcome Week, an eventful orientation the days preceding the first day of classes.  Stockton’s Welcome Week began on August 28^th, the official Move-In Day for incoming freshmen, and continued until September 1^st.  The first mandatory event to kick off Welcome Week was a Residential Life Floor Meeting, where everyone met in the common room of their respective floor to meet other residents and their Resident Assistant.  During Welcome Week, students had to attend all mandatory events.  Although attendance at other events was not required, students could win a free Stockton stadium blanket by attending all passport events as well.

Most of the mandatory events were mandatory for important reasons.  Maximize Your Buzz was in regards to alcohol consumption in college; Let’s Talk About Sex discussed consent and being cautious about sex; and True Life 101 discussed campus safety and policies in both an entertaining and educational manner.  Something that was stressed during Welcome Week was the importance of socialization.  For instance, the Troy Stende Keynote Social was solely for the purpose of getting to know people.  RHA Building Community Battles was another event that allowed for the bonding of residents, as well as the Greek Council Dance Party.  Other events, although seemingly fun on the surface, held deeper messages – developing team building skills.  For instance, ThinkFast trivia night or the SET Amazing Race Treasure Hunt.  Although most activities were entertaining, a select few were taken to heart.  The Warrior Champions Movie recounted the stories of American heroes gravely injured during war; Sam Offer was about being cognizant and accepting of differences in our increasingly diverse and complex world; even the comedian’s stories had lessons.  On the whole, each event was helpful in assimilating to college life by teaching about how to deal with certain situations.

Although August 28^th marked the official Stockton Move-In Day, some 250 incoming freshmen moved in a few days early.  These freshmen arrived to campus on August 25^th, three days before the start of Welcome Week, to participate in Stockton’s Outdoor Adventure Retreat, or S.O.A.R.  S.O.A.R. is something of a camping trip that lasts three days and two nights.  First held in 2005, S.O.A.R. is a pre-orientation program that offers incoming students the opportunity to exercise both teamwork and leadership skills, as well as meet new people and begin their college journey with close friends.  This memorable experience takes place at Camp Ockanickon, about 45 minutes from campus.

Before students are moved in and bussed to Camp Ockanickon, they are assigned a tribe.  There are a total of eight tribes that make up S.O.A.R: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Navy, Sky, and Purple.  Each tribe is led by four or five T.A.L.O.N.S., or The Activity Leaders of New Students.  T.A.L.O.N.S. are upperclassmen who work to help new students assimilate to college life; they assist during both S.O.A.R. and Welcome Week.  Once students are assigned their tribe and bussed to camp, the real fun begins.

The first day of S.O.A.R. is an introduction day.  Students move into their living quarters, which are cabins containing bunk beds.  Students also get the opportunity to meet fellow tribe members and participate in a variety of recreational activities.  On the second day of S.O.A.R. students participate in low-ropes, which are trust building activities with members of their own tribe, as well as other tribes.  The third day is designated for high-ropes, which are more difficult and personal challenges.  Most of these challenges take place at least ten feet off of the ground and require the use of a harness.  Some challenges, for instance, include rock climbing and tightrope walking.  Students were encouraged to challenge themselves, but not to the extent of discomfort.

S.O.A.R. is an excellent way to meet other incoming freshmen.  Camp Ockanickon offers the perfect opportunity to participate in a thrilling camping experience where students can go canoeing or kayaking, swimming, hiking, practice archery, and socialize with fellow students.  Perhaps most important of all, S.O.A.R. teaches students to challenge themselves and to persevere in the face of difficulty, something that incoming college students may need to hear every now and then when they are discouraged or overwhelmed.

On Thursday September 10, 2015, I attended the panel discussion called Frozen Earth at The Noyes Museum of Art. The event was based around the issue of climate change. In attendance was a panel of 5 distinguished speakers. These panelists were each allotted a ten minute time block in which they could speak about the issues of climate change and how to combat it,  as well as their personal work.

Dr. Jeff Niemitz spoke first. His discussion focused on how the Earth’s environment has never changed as much as it is in this day and age. He also refuted a common misconception that the greenhouse effect is negative. He argued that this very effect was keeping the Earth at a moderate temperature and protecting its inhabitants. Next was Michael Lemonick who explained how the ozone layer is depleting and the positive feedback loop of climate change. Amy Lipton, an artist, spoke next. She described a work of art in which a chalk line was drawn at the ocean’s water line and explained how the water continued to rise closer and closer to the line of chalk. Andrew Revkin took the microphone next and spoke about how fixing climate change will be a long process. The last speaker was Aaron O’Connor. He spoke about the founding of his The Arctic Circle residency program.

This program was very informative and interesting. During this program visitors got the opportunity to view artwork related to the issue of climate change and listen to five distinguished panelists speak about their work in that field. This allowed the event to encompass many different aspects of the issue and show artistic and scientific views of climate change.

On Thursday November 12, I attended rehearsal for Stockton University’s basketball pep band. This was my first time attending, as I have just recently joined the group. The rehearsal was led by the director, Mr. Keith Hodgson. He started the meeting by announcing that our quickly-approaching debut performance will be on Wednesday December 2, at Stockton University’s basketball game against The College of New Jersey. Mr. Hodgson then informed the student members about where they will be seated throughout the event in Big Blue, the school’s gymnasium. He expressed the excitement of the coaches and the student body regarding this first basketball game and the band’s presence. The director then handed out decorative bumper stickers bearing the logo and name of the group, and announced that we will soon be receiving our uniforms, which will be blue and white rugby shirts, also bearing the same logo.

After that, the band began rehearsing the Star Spangled Banner, which they will play at the start of the game on Wednesday. Director Hodgson explained that this song is one of the most important songs that we will play, and that much time must be devoted to its perfection. After rehearsing the national anthem for a sufficient amount of time, the band then moved on to practice many of the other songs that may be played throughout the game to excite and rally the crowd and the players. Director Hodgson then closed the rehearsal by explaining that the pep band is creating quite an exciting positive buzz here on campus, and that he looks forward to our next meeting, and our debut performance.

The Barnes Museum Trip

One of the events that took place within the honors program, that was one of my favorites, was the trip to the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip because of my love and deep appreciation for art. I had never been to the Barnes Museum so I was sure it was going to be an enjoyable and new experience.

The museum included two main exhibits, one on the lower level and one above. The exhibits were a series of rooms with paintings hung in an orderly fashion, sometimes completely covering the walls. Also, around the the paintings were various strange metal objects and pieces that somehow brought the whole exhibit together. Every painting was as beautiful as the last and what fascinated me the most was the age of some of them. If I looked closely at the frames they were hung in, I could see the year from which that particular piece was produced. Some of the paintings I saw dated back to the 15^th century. It was amazing to be that close to something that had survived for so many centuries.

I am glad I made the decision to come on this trip with the honors program. The experience in the Barnes Museum was definitely one I will remember. Not only was I able to see some incredible art, I got to spend the day in the wonderful city of Philadelphia with my friends.

Tuesday nights on campus are usually nights that you wouldn’t think are active. However, with so many clubs active at Stockton, the activity can be any night of the week. I particularly enjoy Tuesday evenings because of one club that I have become involved with. Classrooms turn into meeting grounds for people with the same interests. Nothing could make a freshman feel more accepted than being surrounded true equals.

Stockton is home to countless clubs and organizations run by students. The club that peaks my interest is the Animal Friendly Organization, or AFO. This club is just what it seems it would be, a club that is aware of animal endangerment and conservations. I came across this club during the Get Involved Fair in September. In my high school, there were the generic clubs like Bio Club and Theater Club, so the sheer volume of different clubs present at Stockton made my jaw drop. I could finally pick a club for myself that would make me happy to participate, rather than just for the extracurricular credit like in high school. I found real enjoyment in AFO because I have a passion for animal life. I have been fascinated by them since I was in the third grade, and in high school there was nothing offered to me that would give me any kind of involvement with animals. The AFO, however, is very highly focused on involvement and participation.

Club meetings are held every Tuesday night at 5:30 PM in B-0003 and there are discussions about volunteer trips to local shelters and animal rescue facilities, fund raisers, and other kind of possible activities for the club itself like a field trip to an aquarium. In early November, the AFO hosted its first bake sale of the year, and raised $119 to be donated to a local horse rescue facility. The AFO, in my life at Stockton, has not only been a place to get involved in my own interests, but also a place to find service projects for my requirement as an honors student that actually made me feel good.

I feel AFO is a club that has involved meetings and every one that you attend makes you more passionate about the cause than you were before. I strongly recommend it to all of my friends that I know care about animals like I do.