On October 29^th, Stockton held Lollanobooza, a Halloween dance party. Being held on a Thursday, which are notorious party days, it served as an alternative to partying in a safer, alcohol-free way. Students were encouraged to wear costumes, as there was a contest for the best costumes. The night was filled with games, dancing, prizes, and of course, free food.

One of the most popular games of the night was the bull riding. Though there was no actual bull, an electronic bull simulated a realistic experience of riding one. Some students managed to stay on for a few seconds, or even minutes, but most flew right off as soon as the ride started. Another popular feature was the photo booth. Students could take pictures with their friends, use fun props, and receive a two four-panel copies of their pictures. Fortunately, there was no limit to how many times students could use it, so those who came with a large group of friends could use it until everyone had their own picture to take home. A third feature that students enjoyed was the face/body painting and temporary tattoo station. Students who wanted to add a face to their costume could do so, or instead get small, festive Halloween-themed pictures, such as candy corn or ghosts, painted where they so choose. The temporary tattoos were colorful and metallic, and there were even Stockton tattoos.

All in all, Lollanobooza was a fun night that hopefully saved students from its alcohol filled counterpart(y).

Stockton’s University Weekend was from October 9-11. On Friday it started off with Stockton Spirit Day, where students were encouraged to wear school colors or apparel. Spirit night included a stand up comedy performance by Carly Aquilino and a chance to get a free University Weekend t-shirt. The Stockton Entertainment Team (S.E.T) set up (no pun intended) the performance that all the students loved. Carly, who is a cast member of MTV’s Girl Code, gave an unforgettable performance filled with laugh-out-loud and embarrassing stories, snarky and relatable humor, and a question and answer session to let Stockton students learn more about her.

On Saturday, Stockton had a University Weekend Parade, which people could view in the K-Wing circle. Afterwards, students could enjoy their afternoon at the Carnival in Lot 5. The day ended with the 20th Annual Osprey Ball, held in Campus Center Event Room. All throughout the night, dressed in their best semi-formal attire, students danced to their favorite music, ate a variety of delicious food, and took pictures to remember the night at the photo booth. Sunday was dedicated to Lake Fred; throughout the day, students had the opportunity to go on nature tours, giving them a chance to learn about secret pathways and just plain enjoy the scenery.

All in all, University Weekend was a great way for students to bond with their old friends, make new ones, and display their pride of being a Stockton student.

On Saturday, September 12th, Stockton University had its 12th annual Day of Service. At 8 A.M., students arrived fresh-faced and full of anticipation for the day ahead. Students were divided into four groups, each assigned a color: blue, green, red and purple. With multiple service projects scheduled throughout the day, the different groups would rotate and take turns in order to experience each service project offered. The day began with a brief introduction by President Kesselman, followed by a speech by Todd Bernstein. It was a great way to precede the service projects that were soon to follow.

Stockton offered a wide variety of service projects for students to participate in. One service project offered was for a group called Books Without Borders. This organization takes in used or old book donations from schools, libraries, and homes, and ships them off to countries that need them. For the Day of Service, students were able to do just that. With literally thousands of books, students sorted books by their genre and packed them into boxes, ready to be sent off at any time.

Another service project was for an organization called Green Dot. Green Dot is an organization against violence, and their main goal is to get communities to reduce violence by helping in any way possible. Brian Pluchino, who spoke at the Day of Service, shortened his original six hour presentation to just an hour, but was still able to give all the information needed. In a fun and interactive way, Pluchino engaged students with different, realistic scenarios on violence, and showed them that any help does help, even in the smallest way.

The day ended with a reflection, and students were encouraged to not only get involved with the organizations participating in the Day of Service, but to also better their community and join other groups for community service. All in all, Stockton held another successful Day of Service.