On Thursday, October 30, the SET club held a Lolla No Booza party in the event room at the Campus Center as a nonalcoholic Halloween party. It was a free party where one can dress up, dance, win prizes, eat, and just have fun without the assistance of alcohol. At the dance there were tables with drinks that were to represent alcoholic drinks minus the alcohol, made in fun and creative ways in order to send the message that parties can be enjoyable without alcohol. It was a huge success as many people, including me, arrived to the event. The DJ was very good, and next to the DJ were TVs that would play the music videos of the songs he played, which was interesting. I was very glad I went, and I even won a spa gift card.

I dressed up as Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and I loved dressing up in my costume, and also seeing what others were dressed up as for Halloween. We ate pizza, which SET made sure was well stocked with boxes stacked high of plain and pepperoni pizza pies. We were each given a round of tickets at the door, and then went to the back of the room to place our tickets on prizes we wished to win. A common theme in the prize baskets was definitely Ramen noodles and Easy-Mac; I think there was definitely a food theme involved. There was a chance to win spa gift cards, a free TV, tickets to amusement parks, gift cards to stores and shops, and many other options.

We danced for the rest of the time until the lights turned on and we were kicked out; we had so much fun dancing and singing to our favorite songs remixed to dance to. Later on, the dance ran a costume contest in which my friend, Becca, came in second place. Then, there was a dance contest in which my other friend, Brian, came in second place. We had a lot of fun, and I was very happy that I went to the event. The party was able to mix fun with a little education, which is a hard feat to overcome. Overall, the event was very successful and had a big turnout; it definitely persuaded me to go to Lolla No Booza next year.

Christina Baker Kline is a woman who wrote an incredible book called Orphan Train and came to our college in order to share her story behind the novel. On September 25, 2014, Richard Stockton College held Freshman Convocation at 4:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center. It is an event held once a year run by the Freshman Year Experience Team. The book was selected by a team including GT Lenard, Tom Grites, Jack Connor, and Shelly Meyers. During this event, Christina Baker Kline came to Stockton and spoke about her book and her struggles and time working on this piece of work until it became what it is today.

To start off, the author gives a brief tale as to how this idea for a book started, and why she became interested in orphan trains. It all started on a wintery day, when Baker Kline and her family were stranded at her in-law’s house for the holidays by snow. Baker Kline’s son and her mother in-law were looking at an old book of stories, and found out that her husband’s grandfather was an orphan train rider. This was news to the mother-in-law, for she never knew about this information, and neither did anyone else in the family. This puzzled Baker Kline, for how can someone keep such a big secret from family for so long, and why would they? Thus, began her curiosity on orphan trains, which would eventually lead to her best-selling novel.

This presentation was very interesting, giving an in-depth history lesson of what started and became of the orphan trains. Baker Kline clearly showed her passion for this topic and her dedication and effort she put into this book. I was writing a research paper on the topic at this time, and I was still able to obtain new information from her presentation. She spoke of Charles Loring Brace and his plan to help save these orphaned, homeless children off the New York streets from themselves and from the city. He truly believed that he was doing these children a service, taking them to the countryside for a better life that would teach them values through hard work.

The author further explains her research on the subject, and of the people she met who were orphan train riders. She had interviewed many people during the process of writing this book, and she found that while many faced some hardships under this system, most were grateful for what they endured. If they had not been on that train, they would not have the families and the lives they had now. They would probably still be living on the streets, making a living through stealing or working in gangs, with only death or jail as their outcome.

To end, I enjoyed the Freshman Convocation very much. I found this event very informative and eye-opening to see the book through the author’s eyes. I now have a new appreciation for this novel, after hearing the author express her reasoning behind the book and gaining an understanding about the novel’s history. This event aided in my achievement of being able to see what the author’s purpose was, and I actually witnessed the amount of hard work she put into her final product, and how much this actually meant to the author. I highly recommend going to future convocations at Stockton.

On Wednesday, September 17th and Thursday, September 18th the American Red Cross sponsored a blood drive at Stockton. It was held in the Sports Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where many, including myself, volunteered to give up their blood to someone else who needs it more. It is where everyone, including students and staff, come around to help a never ending cause. Most of the donated blood goes to help burn victims, surgery patients, cancer patients, and many others who are in need of blood transfusions. There are billions of people in this world, and only a small fraction actually donate, making each person count.

When I signed in I had to read a packet on what it means to donate blood, and who receives the benefit of my donation. It outlined what to expect from donating blood and any side effects that may occur. The packet also highlighted the importance of eating a good breakfast that is rich in iron. It also noted that my blood would be tested, and if anything came back positive they would notify me. Also, it had a long list of precautions against donating if I have been in contact with anything that might contaminate and risk the blood I would be giving to other people.

    The medical technicians were very courteous and took many precautions before I donated to make sure I would be safe and that those receiving my blood would be safe. When I was donating, the nurses were there the whole time, making sure I was okay. I laid down for about ten minutes, until I had a pint of blood filled, plus some test tubes to be used for testing. They precautioned me against working out and heavy lifting, and to drink plenty of water throughout the day. The volunteers offered food and drinks after I donated to help balance my sugar levels. The American Red Cross also provided opportunities for other students at the school, and allowed for those with nursing majors to volunteer and work the blood drive. This being my third blood donation, I have been through this process before, but this was more organized and thorough in my opinion.