Day of Service Review

One event at Stockton University that attracts a diverse crowd is the Day of Service where all sorts of volunteers come together once a semester and not only spend the day working towards benefiting the community, but also are able to work on self-growth and improvement.

The 2016 Fall Day of Service was on September 10, 2016 from 8:30am – 4pm at Stockton and sponsored by Stockton. I, along with my friend, assumed the volunteering was strictly the cliché garbage-cleanup and fundraising that is more often than not associated with the word ‘service’. However, the event was divided into numerous activities that actually made the event enjoyable for the volunteer without eliminating any of the benefits for the community.

The beginning was nice, with breakfast served in the form of a lovely array of food. After everyone settled in and was divided into four groups to help with organization, the first section I attended was one to raise political awareness. I was critical at first, since I never equated politics with serving the community at all. The organizers of this event were knowledgeable, though, and I found that with interactive activities and thorough explanations that it is the individual’s duty to realize their right to vote and have say in the government, and therefore use it, especially young adults like myself. By gaining an understanding of young adults’ effect on politics, I realized that giving my say and voting is a small act of serving the community in and of itself.

My friend and I were also among the few people who signed up and were allowed to receive training from certified EMS workers, where we were taught how to give CPR and where certain resources were around the campus in varying cases of danger. I wish that this event was less of a closed opportunity and that all volunteers could have experienced it, but I was lucky enough to receive the fun and useful training.

The next event my group did was working at individual tables to complete various tasks like making cards for sick patients at hospitals, making craft packets for St. Jude’s children, and creating pillows for those in need. Seeing what small amounts of effort can make various people happy really made me thankful and gave me a new perspective. An even more direct form of service, however, was that with the Stop Hunger Now Organization that had the volunteers putting together bags of essential foods and vitamins for people around the world suffering from hunger. It was an excellent way to promote teamwork amongst the volunteers as well; teams of five were employed to create the bags. Four people were in charge of putting different parts of the bag together; one person was in charge of rice, another in charge of soy, and so on. The fifth person was the one holding the bag under the funnel and switching it out. At first, it was difficult to complete each bag of food and the group was slow, but after we got into a certain pattern it was really easy to complete each bag and we ended up working very quickly. At the end of the event, the entire volunteer population ended up making thousands of bags. This event really put the dangers of hunger into perspective, since hunger is not something most people who attend Stockton have to worry about. After this, there was a brief reflection session, where everyone agreed that the event was run very smoothly and professionally, and was an excellent way to impact the community and the world for the better.

Overall, the event was run very efficiently by the coordinators and everyone else involved. I enjoyed the event as both a volunteer and as an individual as I learned about issues both inside and outside of the community and how to help.

Alexis Franklin

On September 10, I participated in Stockton’s annual Day of Service.  I signed up over the summer because I figured I would need community service projects for the Honors Program, and I was more or less dreading spending all day volunteering.  My dread had lied in the fact that I expected to be cleaning up trash all day or doing something dull, however the different activities were actually really entertaining, and I had a lot of fun!  I did four different events; Text, Talk, Vote; Circle K’s program, where I made cards and project templates for sick children; Green Dot Bystander training; and Stop Hunger Now’s program, where I helped to make a total of 48,000 meals!  My two favorite were definitely the Text, Talk, Vote and the Stop Hunger Now events.

The Text, Talk, Vote program was meant to encourage everyone to vote, especially in the upcoming November presidential election.  I love politics, so this event was right up my alley.  I got to sit around with my friends and discuss how we felt about the different issues and candidates.  Even though the rest of my friends aren’t into politics as much as I am, it was still really fun.  It was, however, upsetting to see that most of the people participating in the program either didn’t really care about the outcome in November or had pretty much lost hope and weren’t planning on voting in the election this year.  I could go on for hours about my own opinions and the candidate I support, but I would definitely prefer for someone to vote for the candidate opposing my own than not vote at all.  I hope the Text, Talk, Vote program really changed people’s minds and encouraged them to vote, because the importance of voting is often undersold.

The Stop Hunger Now program was surprisingly fun and energizing, and even though the actual work I was doing wasn’t very complicated or all that exciting (I just poured dried veggies into a funnel), I really enjoyed it.  The big group I was with danced our way to making 12,000 meals, so in total Stockton made 48,000 meals in one day, which is really impressive.  Normally I wouldn’t have volunteered for an organization like Stop Hunger Now, but I’m glad I was kind of “forced” to try out new things at the Day of Service.  I also was in with a group of people I hadn’t met before, so in addition to making meals for the hungry, I got to meet new people and make new friends too, which was great!

The Day of Service was definitely not what I was expecting it to be, but I’m really happy I participated.  Not only did I get to help people, but I got pushed out of my comfort zone and found new things that I enjoy doing.  I even got a selfie with Trump and Clinton cutouts.  Overall, it was a great day and I’m looking forward to the next Day of Service!

Amidst the numerous assignments, projects, and papers that need completion, first-year college students can easily gain the dreaded “Freshmen 15” if they neglect to fit exercise into their academic schedules. However, with the availability of free fitness classes offered by the Wellness Center in Stockton University, freshmen don’t have to worry about going off-campus to stay in shape.

Every week, students can look forward to Monday and Wednesday evening Zumba classes in the I-Wing gym, while Tuesday and Thursday evenings offer Boxercise classes. (Beware, the intense cardio and strength training can make you sore for days!) If sweating off stress doesn’t sound appealing, then yoga offered on Tuesday in the Lodge, and Thursday in the TRLC, can also put the mind and body at ease.

Going to these classes helps in many aspects of achieving optimum health. Not only do they aid in staying fit physically, but they also improve emotional health since exercise and meditative techniques in yoga relieve stress. Furthermore, exercising with others also creates a support group who helps sustain motivation throughout the workout session. Rather than focusing on how difficult a Zumba dance may be, or how challenging it is to do one hundred pushups, everyone in the gym can maintain their energy and return every week to repeat the process.

What I like most about Stockton’s fitness classes is that they fit easily into one’s schedule. As long as night classes or sports don’t interfere, there is bound to be at least one weekly fitness class that will suit almost everyone’s schedule. Even just attending Boxercise once or twice a week is better than not going at all. Plus, based on the past two weeks I have been going to Boxercise, my body has felt stronger and healthier since I first arrived on campus.

Additionally, fitness classes can vary the activity of a previously established exercise routine. For example, I regularly use the Nike+ Run Club app to track my runs around campus. But with the addition of Stockton’s fitness classes, my exercise routine benefits from a number of activities other than just running. These fitness classes have helped add more structure to my routine, allowing me to actually look forward to my evenings—rather than contemplating about what to do. Especially with the immense amount of free time after academic classes, they help me stay on my feet and maintain an active lifestyle.

Since the start of fall fitness classes on September 12, my attendance at most of them has provided me with many more reasons as to why I love it here at Stockton. My days are filled with academic rigor, while my nights are filled with either upbeat dance combinations, intense ab workouts, or relaxed breathing. Altogether these free activities make me feel content with my choice to attend this college, and I can’t imagine going anywhere else. I haven’t felt this productive with my daily routines in a very long time, and I hope it continues for the years to come.

-Jillian Umali

Flynn Altomare

G T Lenard

Life of the Mind

30 September 2016

Stockton Events 1

I attended the first Presidential Debate Watching Party on Monday, September 26 in the Board of Trustees Room. The event consisted of debate bingo, refreshments, and, of course, a stream of the first Presidential Debate between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The debate was projected on a large screen and many Stockton students watched eagerly as the candidates verbally combatted each other on a variety of different topics and issues relevant to our nation. The event started at 8 and lasted a little under three hours. Topics discussed by the candidates included national security, race in America, and the direction the nation was headed in, among many other things. The debate moderator was NBC anchor Lester Holt. Holt was criticized by many in attendance of the event for not being able to control the debate. There seemed to be a pretty clear bias in the room, with most students appearing to favor Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Due to this, it was apparent that both during and after the event, many in the Board of Trustees Room thought that it was Hillary’s night. The general consensus appeared to be that Clinton had scored a clear, decisive victory against her opponent.

I enjoyed the event tremendously. As someone who was planning to watch the debate already, it was nice to be able to watch it on a large screen with other interested members of the Stockton community. Everyone was very respectful, which was important because if attendees became too loud no one would be able to hear what the candidates were saying. I believe watching the debates is very important for those who plan to vote, so it was great being able to go to an event screening it. It was well run, a lot of fun, and I definitely plan on going to future debate watching parties at Stockton University.

Amanda Romeiser

One quaffle, three chasers, two bludgers, two beaters, one keeper, one snitch, one seeker, and most importantly seven brooms, also known as PVC pipes to Muggles, are the necessary positions and equipment to field a Quidditch team. Muggle Quidditch is a co-ed full contact sport, which has its origins in J.K. Rowling’s thrilling Harry Potter series, that uniquely combines rugby, dodgeball, and tag into one magical game. Here at Stockton the Ospreys embrace the “Three Cs” of Quidditch: competition, creativity, and community, which were all evident during their first official United States Quidditch tournament of the season and first annual Pumpkin Spice Cup, held on Sunday, October 25, 2016. This tournament successfully brought together the local community and families into one entertaining event replete with crowd-pleasing games.

I experienced this event as both a player and an observer. As a first year Quidditch player on the Stockton team I am still very new to the sport. This tournament gave me the opportunity to both compete against and observe teams, like the Warriors and the Honey Badgers, that ranked within the top 50 teams in the nation in the 2015- 2016 season. There was no shortage of competition at this tournament. From full contact tackling to complete shutouts this tournament saw it all. Just as in any other sport Quidditch requires a sense of creativity to achieve success. After each of our four games our captains discussed news ways to handle different situations throughout the games. Although, we were not successful in the traditional sense in this tournament, meaning we did not win, each challenge we faced led us to improvement.

In accordance with the overall atmosphere that Quidditch presents, the Pumpkin Spice Cup had a very strong sense of community. I received an overwhelming amount of support from not only my teammates but from other players and referees, who enabled this tournament to be an incredible learning experience for myself. As a player and an observer the chants were my favorite part of the tournament and are an excellent representation of the Quidditch community. Each team has a unique chant that is performed before each of their games that not only successfully heightens the energy of the team but the crowd as well, drawing them into the magical game.

We as the Stockton Ospreys have a long road of improvement ahead of us. The journey is not going to be easy, but with our brooms in hand we have hope for the rest of the 2016-2017 season.

On September 23^rd, 2016, I had attended an Eid Party hosted by the Muslim Student Association. The group usually held two Eid parties a year to celebrate both Eids that occur throughout the year, typically two months apart. The party was organized beautifully as there were decorations strewn all over the room. Additionally, the food at the party was delicious as they had prepared more cultural items such as biryani, chicken tandoori, and shish kabobs along with a beautiful cake that was baked by one of the officers. The executive board had done an exceptional job in creating a festive event that could be enjoyed by freshmen and upperclassmen alike.

Although I had worn a casual skirt and top, it was nice to see that many of the girls were wearing traditional garments which furthered the festivities. Everyone was having a good time, conversing with their friends, but also meeting new people. Many had not skipped school on the actual day of Eid, so this event clearly made up for that. Personally, I had not been in the mood to attend a party as it was Friday night and the end of a long school week, however, I did not regret attending. Through this event, I had made some new friends, which I was having a difficult time doing in this new place. There were also non-Muslims who had stopped by the event after the Inauguration of the new President such as the Student Senate. I had heard a great deal about them so it was nice to meet a few of them in person. I was already thinking about joining the MSA as it was a club I had heard about from friends who were already attending Stockton. This event left me feeling quite pleased with the group and excited to partake in future events and service projects.

Overall, the party was a good time and a nice opportunity to make new friends. The environment was very relaxed. My only criticism is that the group may have considered having a few more activities during the event as everyone was simply standing or sitting around. This could have also made it easier for everyone to talk to each other as the party was divided into two groups towards the end of it. Also, it would have been informative for the executive to introduce themselves and their positions as this was the first event they had held this semester. However, this was not a big issue and I look forward to future events, and hope to attend general meetings so that I can really get to know the people I met at this party. (Nudar Chowdhury)

Katie Brandt

Honors Freshman Seminar

Professor Rosner

The Kahoot! Situation

            On Wednesday September 14^th, the Stockton Entertainment Team (SET) hosted Kahoot! Music Trivia Night in the Campus Center.  This event was a one-time only game night that all students were invited to.  Upon entrance to the Campus Center, SET members welcomed attendees and offered refreshments and candy.  All students were asked to combine into teams of four to work together when answering the trivia questions.  It was explained that each group should have one team captain that would use their phone to respond to the questions shown on the projector.  After each question was shown, there would be a few seconds given to discuss with teammates to decide which of the four possible answers was correct.  All of the teams were thoroughly enjoying themselves until there was a wireless connection issue.  One-by-one each team started to lose the connection between their captain’s phone and the trivia questions on the projector.  Phones were freezing left and right.  Multiple groups became frustrated and left the game entirely.  SET decided the only fair way to continue playing was to restart the whole question set.  For the groups that kept playing, it seemed like a great idea.  Everything was going smoothly during the retry game until it happened again.  Phones were losing connection again and participants started to become upset.  My team was doing great and getting all the answers right and we were all so excited.  We were in the top five on the leaderboard.  When the connection failed the second time, my team decided we were going to leave.  SET should not be blamed for the technical problems.  No one can control the strength of the wireless internet.  It was a shame about the connection issues because the event was put together so well and everyone was having a blast.

On Saturday September 17th, my friends and I ventured to the Campus Center for the free showing of the movie Central Intelligence. The movie featured the actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and comedian Kevin Hart. “The Rock” played CIA officer, Bob Stone, who was bullied in high school. Kevin Hart’s character, Calvin Joyner, did not live up to his classmates expectations of “most likely to succeed”. The movie opened with a traumatic high school memory: “The Rock” donned a fat suit and was thrown in the gym of his high school completely naked. Kevin Hart’s character saved him from embarrassment. Later, it shows the pair reconnecting for their 20th high school reunion. Hart is recruited to help Johnson with is CIA case. Of course, there were humorous scenes throughout the movie. It was the perfect brainless comedy to see during the first few weeks of college. 

The movie night was sponsored by Stockton Entertainment Team (SET), which puts on two movie showings a week. This gives students the opportunity to view movies on Thursdays and Saturdays. Their movie nights are perfect for the students who choose to stay on campus for the weekend; Stockton notoriously clears out on Fridays. Having weekend entertainment on campus sponsored by the college provides a great way to have fun! Students have the chance of winning movie posters and even two tickets, worth over $30.All movies shown by the Stockton Entertainment Team are only recently released to DVD. Upcoming movies being shown include: Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond, Sausage Party, Suicide Squad, Lights Out, War Dogs, Bad Moms, Jason Bourne, Sully, and Bridget Jones’s Baby.  A full schedule with dates and times for the rest of the semester is listed on Stockton’s website. SET’s movie nights provide a fun, and entertaining agenda for students looking to see a recently released movie with their friends!

Elyse Hazel

On September 15, 2016, I attended the Democratic National Convention/Republican National Convention panel which is associated with the Stockton Delegation. Here, the students who were involved with the Washington Internship discussed their experiences. Upon explanation, the eight students were each placed into separate sectors where they encountered various tasks from working as a runner for CNN (Tyler Osbourne) to interning for Free Speech TV (Maryam). After each student slightly detailed their personal role, the coordinator of the program opened to a series of questions which covered the students’ take from the unification of the representatives to their opinion on the diversity. To answer the first question, the students mentioned how protesters fought in vulgar ways at Sander’s standing during Clinton’s event and another mentioned how the convention is meant to draw people on the fence and rally behind their chosen candidate. In a sense, the supporters are treated harshly and the cameras show a biased visual by focusing on a small group of protesters rather than the overall group of supporters. To answer the latter question, the students phrased their answer around political diversity, although there was no ethnic/ racial diversity. A very essential question which allowed the audience to be placed into the internship itself questioned about the inaccuracies which the media was reporting. Based on this, the panel responded that the media’s goal is to focus on the conflict and remains unbiased by avoiding extra commentary. Furthermore, many Bernie and Trump supporters were being riled up for not covering all sides of the story and a particular student (Brittany) who listened to their voices was thanked for hearing opinions outside of mainstream media. Following these posed questions, the audience for the panel was left up to open discussion where the topic of civic education was explored.  The popular opinion holds that the more of civic education which is held by an individual, the greater contribution one can serve for their community with good intentions. Onward, a recently raised question is brought up regarding the possible fracturing into a third party. This idea is immediately dismissed on the basis that history has always held two parties and a third party concept would be too revolutionary.

Although the Washington Internship is only available every four years based on the election, these meetings by the Stockton Delegation will occur again on similar topics. The panel, in a broad sense, was able to highlight the objectives of the internship while providing personal experiences from each student. Most importantly, the audience was given insight into how the ropes of the political broadcasting system work and how the debates run. In addition, a high maintenance and constant stress environment was implied; however, a glimpse into the political world seems worth the trial. For any interested members, the event was enjoyable for individuals of all backgrounds and political views. In summation, I would attend the panel another time with choice due to the enlightenment and information that it provided both the audience and me.

~Millie Shah

On September 15th, 2016, Stockton’s Political Science Department hosted a question and answer panel featuring the nine Stockton students who had the opportunity to be interns at both the Republican National Convention (RNC) and the Democratic National Convention (DNC). The RNC took place between July 18th and July 21st, and featured two Stockton students interning. The DNC had a total of seven Stockton students in attendance, and took place between July 25th and July 28th. The panel opened with each student introducing themselves and listing what their responsibilities at their conventions were. Responsibilities ranged from arranging seats and interning at CNN during the DNC to running the shuttle services at the hotel for the RNC. One student was even able to attend the DNC’s caucasus, where important politicians such as Elizabeth Warren decide policy platforms with state delegations.

Once the students finished listing off their responsibilities, they were asked questions by the two panel moderators, Professor Michael Rodriguez and Professor Claire Abernathy. Participants were asked about what the point of a convention is, and the responses varied based on which convention was attended. The consensus from the DNC was that the convention is “essentially advertising” for the candidates, while the two RNC students believed that the convention served as a “unifying factor” for the party. The questions only got more difficult from there, however, many of the students were Political Science majors, making them amply ready to field anything thrown their way. When asked about “voting your conscience” versus “the lesser of two evils” approach to this election, the panel said that if you live in one of the “hardline” states that always vote one way or the other, then you “have every right” to vote your conscience. However, if you’re in a swing state, they said, then the “lesser of two evils” approach is how you should enter the voting booth. 110 electoral votes lie within  the eight swing states, meaning voters in these states hold the most power.

After the questions, panelists presented a slideshow of photos from both conventions, which featured pictures of the students at the conventions, including pictures of students on the convention floor with important figures of each political party. The panel was then open for questions from the audience to ask questions, Once the students answered all the questions, the panel concluded with the panelists and moderators urging everyone to go out and vote in November, because “once they see that young people are coming out to vote, they’ll start to cater to us”.

Overall, the panel was very enjoyable and offered valuable information to students at Stockton. Hopefully, Stockton will continue to offer events like these and students will continue to come out and become more politically active.

– Dan Tidcombe