The event I attended was part of a speaker series hosted by the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Stockton. It was a special talk called “Drag Queens and Beauty Queens: Gender, Performance, and Marked Bodies”, and it was held on November 17th. The talk dealt with the ins and out of frag, the feminist critique of drag, gender performance, why people become drag queens, and drag performances. The speaker, Doctor Laurie Greene, had already formed opinions on drag culture based on feminist critiques she had studied. She decided to go out into the field and do her own research on drag, and what she had learned surprised her. She spoke to many local drag queens and attended both drag pageants and classic beauty pageants to better understand feminine gender performance. She shared her findings with the people in attendance and explained that the next part of her research would focus on drag kings and masculine gender performance.

  This talk was absolutely fascinating. Drag is still seen as a bizarre and somewhat immoral practice by many people. While there are people like RuPaul who have been bringing drag into the public conscious, there is a lot that people do not know about it. It was very interesting to see drag compared to beauty pageants as extreme performances of femininity. It was also interesting to learn about drag through the the viewpoints of both skeptical feminists and actual drag queens. The talk was very professional and informative. Doctor Greene clearly did her research and I would be happy to attend another talk lead by her after she completes her research on drag kings.

On November 28^th, I attended an event for Water Watch club.  The primary purpose of Water Watch is to strive for environmental conservation through public outreach. This club works alongside students at colleges and universities across the United States to promote tap water over bottled water on their campuses.  This project is currently known as Take Back the Tap. Areas known as, “Hydration stations,” are appearing increasingly more around campuses. Hydration stations act to highlight tap water refilling areas positioned around campus so instead of purchasing bottled water, students can instead refill their water bottles with tap water.

More than $100 billion dollars are spent every year on bottled water globally. Bottled water is a drain on the environment as the US public goes through about 50 billion water bottles a year and most of the plastic containers are not recycled.  Transporting the bottles also gives off greenhouse gasses that hinder the environment.

At this event, four types of water were placed out in clear containers so that the participants would not be able to tell the difference between brands of water. The four types of water that were placed out on the table included the following: Deer Park, Poland Spring, Fiji, and tap water.  We poured each of the unidentified waters into paper cups and were asked to differentiate between brand.  Only one member of the club could differentiate between each of the four brands whether it was out of sheer luck or not. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not one is able to taste the difference between tap water and bottled water. This was to prove that there is no obvious incongruity between tap water and any common brand water. This test acted to promote the consumption of tap water benefit the environment.  

To show appreciation to all the members that came out to support the event, three groups including Water Watch, ASA, and Commuters on the Go got together for a semi-formal dinner the day after.

On October 13th I attended Commuter on the Go Afternoon of Service with a group of friends from the honors program. This event was held in the board of trustees’ room giving ample space for anyone who chose to join. Each table had a designated craft to benefit our local community. Whether we were making birthday cards for parents who couldn’t afford to buy them for their children or dog toys for dogs in shelters with all the money available already poured into their living conditions each table had a heartwarming purpose driving them. As the holidays are rapidly approaching these gifts could be the only ones that the less fortunate receive making it all the more relevant as the holiday season is meant to be enjoyed by everyone. After the crafts had concluded the result of our work was truly incredible, tables full of gifts that would brighten up what could have very easily been a bleak time of year.

As we cleaned up our workstations we transitions into a very serious and relevant conversation. At first we jotted down three important aspects of our life and were asked to exchange our answers with someone else in the room. After this we were forced to discard one of the three items someone else had chosen and return them. This represented the loss that we all face in life and how it can affect everyone differently. This personally opened my eyes on how easy it is to lose something as dear to me as a close friend and made me appreciate what I have and all that has happened to me up to the point that I am at in my life. This event was made not only to reflect and make holiday gifts but to teach us how far a little compassion can take someone.

I participated at the Commuters on the Go Afternoon of Service on October 13^th, 2016.  Commuters on the Go sponsored the event in the Board of Trustees’ room with a great turnout of honors and non-honors students.  The environment was warm and friendly as we all sat at round tables and were instructed on different crafts by my honors mentor, Zeal Kamdar.  In my group we were instructed to make birthday cards to give out to less fortunate people who couldn’t afford cards for loved ones.  Other tables made stuffed animals to handout to others in similar situations as well.  While this was only a one-time event, the event felt like it will make a difference when the time comes for the items to be given out to the people they were made for.

After the event, we participated in a reflection session where tones became much more serious.  We discussed the effects that reaching out to disenfranchised populations can have.  The situation is often more serious than it seems and is less the fault of the people who are in those situations, but the situations they were thrown into.  One example that hit particularly hard and really drove home the point that my group and myself discussed after was the example of a veteran who returns home from war with either mental or physical trauma, or perhaps both.  Too often these brave individuals lack resources to get them back on their feet.  Sometimes they come back with hardly any money to afford a place to live, food, and clothes.  Perhaps a person in this position might have trouble getting a job too, making it even harder for them to become a normal civilian with all necessities taken care of.  However, if we could improve situations like this that someone might be in, why wouldn’t we?  That is what this outreach event was all about, the underlying ways in which even a little empathy and compassion will go a long way in order to help those in need.  I really enjoyed the event and look forward to participating in more of the same or similar events to make a difference in the community around me.

Recently I attended a Presidential Debate on Monday, September 26^th.  The event was held in the Board of Trustees’ meeting room and was packed with what seemed to be well over 100 students.  Since as how this is one of the most polarizing and controversial elections in US history, I was not surprised to find out that roughly 84 million people had tuned in to watch it.  This number was just on television alone, not counting all the live streams on social media platforms, and other services like YouTube or similar websites.  In addition to just watching the debate, the organization provided a large screen with a real time feed of popular tweets that were related to the debate from regular people and celebrities and other famous people as well.  In addition, they provided refreshments and played “Debate Bingo”, using many key words as board spaces.  Overall the event was well put together and smoothly functioning for all who were in attendance.  I highly look forward to returning to the future debates being held on the live screenings.

The debate started off fittingly, with Clinton telling Trump how “nice” it was to be there on the same stage with him.  The debate continued on just as all the campaigns have to this point, with plenty of untrue statements, mudslinging insults, and heated arguments.  It’s quite interesting to see two people with similar goals and objectives, who seemingly have so much hatred for each other.  Nonetheless, both Trump and Clinton proceeded to push their ideas while still trying to answer some of the question asked by the moderator Lester Holt.  Overall, looking back makes me question the stability of our future with leaders so unpredictable, scandalous, and controversial as these two.  The next four years will certainly be quite interesting (and possibly terrifying) to watch unfold. For this event itself, all that can be said is that the debate hosted in the Board of Trustees’ room went much smoother than the debate itself, unsurprisingly

Despite my lack of attendance of Stockton events, I was lucky enough to participate in Lolla-No-Booza! This event was hosted by R.I.S.E. A.B.O.V.E. which stands for Ready to Inspire Students to Excel And Better Our Various Experiences. This organization plans to inform students of the misconceptions they may plague the idea of sober colleges through interactive games and activities. This event took place on the 27^th of October in the Event Room in the Campus Center. This was a Halloween dance unlike another other, a silent disco. Aside from dancing zombies, witches, and the occasional t-rex, onlooking this silent disco may seem extremely awkward as people are dancing without music. However, as you continue to scan the room, you notice that everyone is wearing headphones that control the dancer’s movement. With two music stations to choose from, each person can flip through their preference of rap or edm with house and dubstep in between.

Around the campus center were tables with various activities and games to educate us on facts about drinking. Undergoing DUI simulation tests, we were challenged to say the alphabet backwards or forwards, walk a few meters in a straight line, or have the coordination to touch your nose with an extended arm. As a contrary reward for the careful evasion from the cops, we were given a ticket for the huge raffle holding a bountiful amount of prizes like Halloween props to flat screen tvs! The food variety may have been a bit lacking, but the catering from Buffalo Wild Wings alleviated the pain. Overall, the Lolla-No-Booza was a fantastic event that I will attend next year!

Katie Brandt

Professor Rosner

Great Times at LollaNoBooza

On Thursday, October 27th Stockton University hosted a one night event called “LollaNoBooza”.  This was a Halloween themed party open to the entire public.  The idea of the “NoBooza” is that there is an open bar with all non-alcoholic beverages.  I tried the cream soda float and personally, I thought it tasted very sweet and bubbly.  As soon as you entered the event room in the campus center there was darkness and flashing lights.  I saw multiple people dressed in costumes.  From witches to murderers to zombies.  There were about six stations where attendees could enter a spooky room filled with creepy characters and play a game.  If a student played a game and won, then they would receive a raffle ticket to enter into a prize drawing.  Once past the games there was an open dance floor with two DJs playing music.  This was a silent disco so, each attendee was supplied with a set of headphones.  The DJs were each broadcasting on a different station in which the attendees could switch between them for the duration of the party.  Halfway through the dance the dance team came in.  They stood in the middle of the dance floor and performed their routine for everyone.  It was fantastic to watch.  There was also a photo booth where anyone who wanted to could take goofy pictures with their friends.  There was a table full of costume accessories like hats, glasses, and fake mustaches.  I can honestly say that this event was a great time.  There were tons of people attending and the atmosphere was incredible.  My friends and I will definitely attend next year.  

On Sunday, November 20th, the Stockton Geology Club sponsored a trip to the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ. The trip was partially covered by the club, with members attending having to contribute $5 toward their tour fee. Transportation was provided, and we disembarked from the Arts and Sciences building by 7:45 am.

During the drive up, we wound up running further into the system that dropped a few flakes at Stockton. By the time we reached Sterling Hill, about 2-3 inches had accumulated, and, naturally, snowball guerrilla warfare soon ensued. Not even the accompanying professor was safe. After things calmed down a bit, we were treated to a tour of the museum and the uppermost level of one of the zinc mines on the site. The tour included descriptions of the geologic formations and processes visible at the mine as well as demonstrations of the equipment used when the mine was active. The history of the mine was also covered as part of the tour, as well as some of the fluorescent minerals found in the mine, which include willemite (a zinc ore) and calcite (calcium carbonate mineral), which respectively glow green and orange under an ultraviolet light. There was also an opportunity for guests to collect their own samples at the surface, and a gift shop with a number of small fossils, fluorescent mineral samples and crystals available. I wound up leaving with a trilobite and a sample that included willemite, calcite and franklinite (another zinc ore).

Our time at Sterling Hill concluded by about 2 pm, so we reassembled at the school vans and began the 2-1/2-hour drive home. We returned to campus around 4:30-5:00 and some club members went out for food soon after our return. I, personally, went back to my dorm.

On November 28, 2016, I attended the Take Back the Tap event hosted by the Waterwatch club.  Their main purpose is to promote the benefits from conservation of the environment through programs that involve community outreach.  This was a one time event hosted with the purpose of educating the attendees on the benefits of tap water in comparison to bottled water.  While the event had low attendance, it was put together well.  On a table in the front was four pitchers of water labeled A,B,C,D.  Three were from various companies like Poland Springs, Fiji, and Deer Park, while the last was just regular tap water.  Next to this was cups so that the attendees to the event could taste test the water.  The goal was to write down which water in each pitcher we thought belonged to each company while also figuring out which one was the tap water.  After everyone went up and wrote down their guesses, only one person out of the group was able to get all four right, winning them a Waterwatch branded bottle.  Afterwards, we discussed our thoughts on how we attempted to differentiate the taste in the pitchers.  Many others besides myself found it difficult to tell the types of water apart.  Little did we know that the event was set up to show that there is practically no difference between tap water and bottled water when it comes to taste!  Water bottle companies just take water from springs and resell it to the public when there are free methods to obtain water such as the hydration stations around Stockton’s campus.  Next time you buy a water bottle, just think about how you could be getting it through more efficient methods.         

Amanda Romeiser

This March over spring break, I will be traveling in Europe, studying the World Wars and the Holocaust with the Study Tour Faculty Led Program to the Netherlands and France. We will be departing from the Philadelphia International Airport on Wednesday, March 8, and returning on Sunday, March 19. This study tour will be accompanied by a course during the spring semester of 2017, which will be taught and the tour will be led by Dr. Michael Hayse, director of the M.A. Program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and Associate Professor of History, Mrs. Gail Rosenthal, director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, and Dr. Mary Johnson of Facing History and Ourselves. The goal of the course is to broaden our understanding of the Holocaust, including the essential background information of the World Wars in order to prepare us for the experiential core of the course, which is the study tour components.

The amazing opportunity that this study tour provides the students, and the part that I am most excited about, is the ability to travel with three Holocaust survivors, who were “hidden children” during the war. When I heard about this incredible opportunity, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. The survivors, Leo Ullman, Maud Dahme, and Dan Kochavi, will be accompanying us, and we will be visiting sites relevant to their personal stories. Additionally, we will also be tracing the life stories that connect with two of the Stockton student participants, Tyler Eden and Jennie Meltzer. We will be touring the Anne Frank House, the Portuguese Synagogue, the “Hidden Village,” the D-Day landing sites, the Shoah Memorial Museum, and the Drancy concentration camp, to name a few a few of the sites.

Following our return, the student participants will be working on individual projects related to the World Wars or the Holocaust and how the historical sites we visited relate to our personal projects. Unlike some other students going on the Holocaust Study Tour, I am not a history major, pursuing a minor in the Holocaust and Genocide Studies, nor does my family have direct connections to the horrors of the Holocaust. My interest is very personal. I have always been very moved by the events of World War II, and the more I have learned regarding the Holocaust, the more I am made aware of the extreme psychological torture inflicted on the victims and the more I realized the connections the Holocaust has to my future career as a law enforcement officer and forensic psychologist. This is what I want the focus of my project to be. I am very excited about this opportunity, and I am counting down the days until we leave.