Prior to arriving at Stockton University, I always had an interest in participating in community service. Whether it be through clubs, sports teams, or just organizing events on my own, I loved finding ways to help in my community and beyond. So when I heard that the Honors Program here has a community service requirement, I was excited rather than concerned. I just had to find some good ways to give back to the community while at college. Because we were not yet introduced to any of the clubs here, the Day of Service was the perfect first opportunity to get involved in service activities at Stockton.

My friends and I showed our dedication to this event by making the huge sacrifice of not sleeping in on one of our Saturday mornings. However, the event members knew that they were dealing with tired, hungry college students and were kind enough to provide us with coffee and breakfast. Once we were adequately fueled for the day, everyone made their way to the event room. In there, the event leaders gave us instructions and information about each service activity. When it was finally time to begin, we broke into four large groups and went to our first assigned station.

My group’s journey began in the event room, where there were many tables set up with projects for different causes. There were activities such as sewing pillows, decorating cards, and making coloring books.  I ended up going to a table that made paracord bracelets for military members. Learning to make the bracelets with a new group of people was a fun bonding activity, and was rewarding to know that it was for a good cause. Before we knew it, our time in the event room was done, so we continued to our next location.

The second stop was in the coffeehouse, where there were projects to help raise awareness for suicide prevention. There was the option to make buttons, paint rocks, or make ribbons to help write positive messages and prevent suicide. I decided to sit at the rock-painting table, where they told us to write happy messages or decorate them in a positive way. When we finished the rocks, they spread them around campus to add little positive moments to everyone’s day. I really loved this station, because not only was it fun to decorate rocks and meet new people, but now every time I see one of those rocks, it makes my day a little brighter. I love thinking that something that small can improve someone’s day. We finished our rocks, and soon enough it was time to eat lunch and move onto the next task.

This third project was not only impactful, but very fashionable for us volunteers. As soon as we arrived, we received bright red hair nets and gloves to prepare to handle food. This event was to package food for families in need. We all broke up into stations to collectively make thousands of measured bags of meals. You would not expect that doing a repetitive task for an hour would be enjoyable, but this project was so much fun for everyone. We had an effective assembly line going, and had catchy music keeping us entertained the entire time. We ended up packaging so many meals, and it was so fulfilling.

The final portion of the Day of Service was a civics lesson in  F-Wing. The event leaders for this section asked us controversial questions and made us publicly answer them. They also had citizenship tests and voting registration available for the students to see. I did not enjoy this portion of the day and felt that it was not community service, which was the entire point of the event. However, this too eventually came to a conclusion and we all migrated back to the event room to reconvene as a whole group.

Overall, the Day of Service was an amazing experience. Even though it was an Honors requirement, I know that I definitely would have done it by choice anyway. It was a great way to become more involved, meet new people, and, most importantly, to give back to the community. I think it is a great idea that Stockton continues to do this event each year, and I would recommend that anyone else here participates in it in the future.

Recently, Stockton University hosted its Constitution Day lecture on campus, an event which examined the workings of our government structure as well as some historical presidencies relating to some of the crises that our current legislation has brought today. This event was interesting for a variety of reasons, one of which was providing a new perspective on some of the current fears and issues our country is struggling to overcome, as well as offering a better understanding of exactly how our government works and some of the flaws that exist within that system.

One thing that came as a surprise concerning this event was how much it focused on the history of our country, while many in attendance expected that the event would relate aspects of the constitution directly to the current ongoings of the new legislation which has sparked fear in many. While this certainly would have been an interesting lecture, what Julian Zelizer decided to to in place of this seemed like a better idea overall, and helped to shed light on the events occurring in the media today and, in a way, alleviate some of the fears that it has caused. One important aspect that the speaker touched on was that, despite what many might believe, President Trump is far from the first to act in the brash, confrontational, and aggressive manner he often assumes. As Zelizer pointed out, there are several examples of presidents with similar behaviors from both the Democratic and Republican parties, including presidents Reagan, Truman, Roosevelt, and Johnson, along with several others.

Another aspect of this current presidency that has caused such alarm is not necessarily Trump’s behavior and tactics, but rather the fact that at this time the majority of the senate is republican which, in theory, should make it easy for Trump to push through any act or law he desires. As Zelizer explained this is not, in fact, the case. Instead in many cases, especially with a president with mannerisms similar to Trump, the senate will often strongly oppose any decisions made by the president, even if they run along party lines. This is because these individuals recognize that Trump’s image is not one that the public will appreciate, and in many cases his actions have undermined the desires and instructions of  the Republican Party as a whole. As a result, the senate will often make it so no acts or laws touched by the president can be passed, in a kind of damage control attempt so that his actions do not destroy the reputation of the party.

This is very similar to what happened to president Johnson in many ways. As Zelizer explained, Johnson was known for using his imposing figure to attempt to persuade individuals to make the decisions he wanted them to. When he tried to do this with the senate at the time in order to get them to pass a bill, the senate began to reject his ideas the instant they were put forward, even though the senate was mostly composed of members from his own political party. In all, this conference event provided a new outlook on the current state of events, and was a wonderful learning experience that granted a better understanding of the world today. It is, perhaps, an indicator that a more thorough understanding of the past by the public at large could be helpful in preventing political crises such as those we face at this moment.

The honors program has open me to many opportunities already.  First, it has given me many great friends.  More importantly, however, it encouraged me to go to different events to get involved on campus.  The first one being the Day of Service.  This was definitely one of my favorite days at Stockton so far.

First, there were four different stations.  At some of these stations you could pick different events to go to.  So the first one I was in with Circle K.  Here I chose to sew pillows for Project Linus.  I love this organization.  I learned about it freshman year at my high school.  My math teacher, and senate advisor, Mr. Leon Vargin introduced it to my school.  The day before Thanksgiving the middle school takes the half day to make blankets for the project, and as a senate advisor I was able to go and help.  Therefore, when I saw the chance I went straight there.  I was able to make a teddy bear pillow in my allotted time.

After this I went to work with Active Minds.  I also enjoy this organization a lot , and I haven’t even been able to get active yet.  Here we painted rocks with encouraging words and created pins to wear.  I also helped make ribbons for  suicide awareness.  I use to also do this for my high school for my teacher, so I was definitely struck with a bit of nostalgic happiness.  It was also something I really needed because the repetitive action was very calming for me.  The painting the rocks was also very nice to do as a way to release some stress.  The girl next to me painted a pretty little sunset, and I was really surprised how she fit the entire thing onto a rock.  Either way it has been really nice to walk around campus and see the rocks everywhere.  I am still looking for mine!

Next was my favorite event.  It was the meal packing station.  It was so empowering to know what I was doing then would actually affect people and actually help them.  I know that things like Project Linus gives people things in hospitals and it’s nice to know I did something good, but with that meal packing event it was a different kind of volunteerism.  It was like building a house, but in a much shorter time; so more effective rather than a do-a-good-thing volunteerism. Either way it certainly pumped me up and we do it so fast.  I loved the music too, it made it a lot of fun!  We made a really nice system and we even finish our allotted meals early.  I also got to hit the gong, which was fun.  This section affected me the most.  It showed me how much people can do to help one another, and made me think why we do not do it as much as we could.

The last section was the civil discourse section.  This station I appreciated, however, I still have mixed feelings about it.  I was slightly confused why it was included in a day focused on volunteering, however, I liked it.  It was certainly eye opening.  It also struck up good conversation with some of my friends.  It made me realize that I actually didn’t know these people for as long as I felt like.  At one point my friend and I actually started having a debate, but after that I think it only made me understand them more and now we debate on a regular basis.  It was also nice to do this, without it ending in a fight, but actual have a civil discussion where the two people disagree.

This day was extremely exciting for me, and I am so glad I went.  I cannot wait for the next one to occur. It was a great motivator for the coming weeks and only encourage me to join certain groups and make my own change.  I was so excited to join Active Minds afterwards at the Get Involved Fair.  I cannot wait for the rest of the year and the other volunteering and service I can do with, and for Stockton.

As much as people may try to deny it, a terrible reality is on the verge of being exposed. There is something that 77 percent of the United States’ population did not experience over the last few months since the election of president Donald Trump: fear pf deportation. Of course, there are concerned citizens, and angry citizens, but only 23 percent of the population must face the however slim possibility that they may be evicted from the country they call home. People may dismiss the possibility of legal immigrants and birth-right citizens being neglected and left to a corrupt system as little to nonexistent. However, the reality that irrefutably changed the lives of many illegal immigrants in the United States threatens the well-being of all people of color, no matter their nature of citizenship: this country may be more racist and discriminatory than it would like to believe.

On Sunday, September 17, an incident of unauthorized posting of fliers promoting Identity Evropa, a group previously identified as a white supremacist group, resulted in a wave of concern and protests across campus the following Monday. In response to this chilling series of events, Stockton’s Student Senate decided to host a “Unite Against Hate” rally and march to stand against hate groups and any form of discrimination that they may promote whether it be racial, religious, disability, or sexual orientation.

On Thursday, September 21, a large group of students and faculty filled the Campus Center lobby to hear organization leaders and representatives speak against the spreading of animosity on campus, and to be reassured of the safety of the student body. The speakers included representatives from the Student Senate, the Unified Black Students Society, the Latin American Student society, the Muslim Student Society, the Stockton University faculty, and other distinguished members of the community.

Anthony Vigliano asked the 72% of students representing the white population to think about their privilege of being able to go about campus knowing that they will not feel directly threatened by the messages of Identity Evropa. Mahalia Bazile spoke of the easily missed forms of exclusion that can be found in such places as a supermarket regarding shampoo for black people in the “ethnic hair” section, or her inability to find nude colored clothing that matched her skin tone. Carolina Paula emphasized that the Latino community felt that they may feel as if they did not have a voice in the school community, but that she would be the voice for all Latinos. Faculty Senate President Donnetrice Allison assured students that the university and faculty will not tolerate any forms of hate or discrimination at the school, and that anyone who felt threatened by ongoing events should feel comfortable speaking to their professors. Still other speakers referred to the Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech to ask for the rightful integration of black people into our existing society.

The rally in the Campus Center was followed by a short march through the university campus accompanied by chants of equality for various racial and ethnic groups. Students marched to take a stand against hate and make clear that any forms of discrimination on campus would not be tolerated. The march ended with Angela Y. Davis’ four demands for Stockton’s President Harvey Kesselman to better protect the school from future such occurrences and to promise the safety and well-being of all minority students.

Many students who were at the rally felt that their sense of security was being threatened by the white supremacy group. Minority groups felt as if they were being singled out. In a society where Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians work hard to be integrated into a society where the color of their skin and their racial differences already divide them from the majority of the population, Identity Evropa seemed to be clearly separating those who were white and those who were not. Minority groups felt targeted, and felt as though the white “supremacy” posters were trying to spread the idea that people who were not white were “inferior” to those that were. The fear of being physically targeted was not the principal emotion that this incident produced, but rather it was the fear of discrimination—the fear that minority groups would be seen as “victims.”

This concept is clearly something that all people from ethnic backgrounds have been trying to eradicate throughout American history, and so feelings of dread were high the day of the rally and march. It was nerve-racking and upsetting to see the number of police officers in the area that the school deemed necessary for the protection of the marchers. Why should there be a need for police protection for people who are simply asking for something as simple as basic human rights? Some may argue that the posting of the fliers was just an expression of a group of people’s opinions, and that they have freedom of speech, but should a discriminatory idea or concept be voiced if it puts certain groups in danger and threatens their well-being? Such actions are ethically and morally incorrect, and should be suppressed for the cohesion and unity of all people who call the United States their home.

Last  week, on September 19^th and 20^th, Stockton hosted the Get Involved Fair to promote all the clubs they have to offer for students.  Each organization had a table at the fair with a few representatives who could tell you what their organization was, get you signed up to join and let you know when their upcoming meeting would be held.  There was a huge variety of organizations being represented such as sports, Greek life, clubs for specific majors, volunteer organizations and almost any hobby you could think of.  While walking past the countless tables I stopped to learn more about organizations that caught my eye and joined a few in the process.

The first club I joined is called Fantastic Friends who host many events where volunteers at Stockton can connect with members with special needs. I thought this club was an awesome way to get involved and for a good cause.  I also hope to work with special need students in the future as an Occupational Therapist so this could be great experience for me.  To also prepare me for my future profession I joined the Health Science Club and Occupational Therapy Club.  I think it will be great for me to be a part of these clubs so I can be a part of a community with people with the same interests and aspirations as me.  It will also provide me with a great support system if I ever need any help or have any questions on my journey to becoming an Occupational Therapist.  I also decided to become a part of the Stockton Center for Community Engagement.  They offer many different programs to get involved in but I am particularly excited about their afternoon tea/game day with older adults program and helping out at the Campus Kitchen at Atlantic City.  The programs Stockton Center for Community Engagement are a great way to get to know the community that surrounds Stockton, help me fulfil my service requirements for the Honors Program and give back to the community at the same time.  The last club I am considering joining is the Residence Hall Association because they offer many leadership opportunities and I think it would be fun to contribute to make living on Stockton’s campus a fun and better experience for everyone.  Going to the Get Involved Fair really opened my eyes to how much there is to do on the Stockton Campus.  There is really something for every type of person, and even if there s not the fair also showed me how easy it would be for me to create my own organization if I wanted to. The clubs I decided to join will help me get to know more people in the Stockton community while also preparing me for my future.  They will also give me an opportunity to make the most of my time year, give me place to take a break from all my work and classes and most of all have fun.

The Stockton University Day of Service, held on September 9th, was a collection of events which emphasized service projects as well as being in places of leadership in the community. There, I was given the opportunity to be involved in three distinct service projects which each taught an individual lesson about diversity and leadership. As a precursor, I want to be forward that I believe that the effectiveness of the activities was inconsistent and where I gained little from one of them, another one meant a lot to me, and the third had a slight positive impact on me. I overall had a positive and enlightening experience at the Day of Service.

The first event that I took part in first was called “Books Without Borders.” This event consisted of separating and boxing books to be sent to areas less fortunate around the world. While the notion of this is splendid and was the reason I took part in it, I did not take full advantage of the event. My job was tearing old boxes into pieces to be used as packing insulation in the finished boxes of books. While I know this is a critical part of the process, I was disappointed in the fact that I was not more actively involved in processes directly regarding the books. However, this event did show me how much I take textbooks for granted as people in developing nations have use for even outdated and used textbooks. This also humbled me in the fact that I could be involved in the learning process of people who I have never met. A service project at its core is being involved in the betterment of others and I truly believe I was a cog in the machine for change at this event.

I was also given the opportunity to get involved with packaging meals for those who are starving around the world. With several teams of five, we helped package over ten thousand, six serving food systems to be sent internationally. Not only am I extremely proud of being involved in this, but I believe that this service project best represented what volunteer work is: helping others, working diligently, and using teamwork to accomplish something bigger than ourselves. Not only did the food packaging require leadership qualities, but it let me get to know some other Stockton students within my team. I personally added dried vegetables to the food pouch before the package was sealed. I very much enjoyed how this activity was a sort of ice breaker for awkward college freshman, such as myself, as well as a powerful force for enacting change in the world community.

The final event I went to had the least impact on me personally, but was interesting nonetheless. I went to a presentation about drug misuse and learned some of the terms and stigmas associated with drug use in the Atlantic City area. Being new to New Jersey myself, this was a sort of history lesson for me about drugs in different parts of the state and how it differed from Illinois drug problems. As a drug-free student many of the problems of drug misuse do not impact me, but knowing how to spot drug problems and to help those who are misusing drugs is not information I plan to take lightly. Sometimes the catalyst for change in people’s lives is noticing and acting upon the signs they show. This information will lead me to be a more aware and involved student, and further, person, who can enact that change in people’s lives.

I did have to leave early due to family matters and thus did not get to enjoy a fourth event like many of my fellow students, but I believe that this is factor is unimportant. I believe the true nature of Day of Service is to take students and introduce them to a lifestyle incorporating volunteer work and community involvement. Even with three events I am ready to volunteer again and excited to further my involvement in the world community. There is another day of service coming up and I plan to take advantage of the benefits it provides.

Many can agree that giving back to the community is a very rewarding thing to do in your spare time. After seeing the first poster for Day of Service, I pre-registered right away. I was excited to see the different volunteer activities that were planned for that day. This was my first Day of Service so it was all new to me. There were different organizations within and even outside of the school itself, Alpha Lambda Delta, Active Minds, and Books Without Borders to name a few. With a high number of volunteers, we were split into groups by the color of our name tag. Each group had roughly 80 people. I thought this was interesting and a smart thing to do although some people already knew this was how things were done. Therefore, they made sure their friends had the same color they did when getting the name tags to begin with. Either way, it was still a good thing to be able to meet new people being in such a large group overall.

One activity that stood out to me was with Alpha Lambda Delta. They were focusing on educating about cerebral palsy. All of the volunteers made ribbons for cerebral palsy awareness. It was during their presentation that I learned about the Field of Dreams which is a local organization that gets kids with any disability, not just cerebral palsy, out on the baseball field to play a game. Each person has someone with them to help them along throughout the game. It seems like it would be a great experience for everyone involved. I made sure to take down information for them in order to volunteer. I’m sure I couldn’t have been the only one interested in the Field of Dreams. In my opinion, Alpha Lambda Delta had a powerful message and made some people realize a few things about cerebral palsy that they didn’t know before. There are also people within Alpha Lambda Delta that either have a form of cerebral palsy or are closely affected by it through relatives. This made their message even better because they could relate and tell you first hand the different things that go on in someone’s life with cerebral palsy.

What seemed to be liked by a lot of people was packaging meals. I personally agree with this. On the way to this specific volunteer activity I really didn’t know what to expect. I mean packaging meals, obviously. However, I had never done this. I didn’t know how it happened or what was being packaged. When we got to the activity, gloves and hair nets were given out in order to not contaminate the food. At this point, I knew it was a legitimate thing and we were about to package a lot of meals. People dispersed to different stations of the food packaging and where you were determined your team. Each person had an important job in order to sufficiently pack meals. The music played and we began. The feeling of working in a group to do something for the greater good of people is just an amazing feeling. Every time we reached 1,000 meals packaged a gong was hit. This just fueled everyone even more. By the end, the group I was in made 13,000 packaged meals. All of the groups combined made about 45,000 meals to give to the hungry. That’s absolutely mind boggling to me that groups of college students were able to make such a great impact on the world.  

The Day of Service is definitely something I will continue to participate in at my time here at Stockton. I encourage everyone to do so as well; it’s a great experience.