On Sunday, October 11, I attended Fred Fest at the Lakeside Oasis with my family. This was a one-time event that was a part of University Weekend, hosted by the Office of Student Development. The event ran from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

It was sunny, warm, and overall a great day to spend at the lake. The DJ was playing fun and upbeat music that put everyone in a good mood. Soft pretzel sticks were served in abundance and ice-cold beverages were provided as a delicious snack. There were many volunteers around to help out or answer questions.

The highlight of the event for me was renting a canoe with my little sister. The rental was free of charge, so I did not hesitate to take advantage of it. The canoe allowed my sister and me to see the lake from a completely different perspective. The views are even more amazing from the middle of the lake than from the shorelines. I was also able to get a feel for how deep the lake really is, which, is not very deep at all. Although I could have spent a good part of the day out on the lake, my time was limited to just thirty minutes.

Overall, Fred Fest was a great success. Besides the free drinks and food, I was able to take away the valuable experience of canoeing across Lake Fred with my sister. The event allowed me to escape the college mindset for a moment and refresh my thinking. I would like to see similar events in the future. Stockton has access to the beautiful Lake Fred and should really find more ways to incorporate the lake into fun events for students.

On Saturday, September 12, I went to the Campus Center Movie Night in the Campus Center Theatre. The event was hosted by Event Services and Campus Center Operations. Every week, there is a different movie being played. And in any given week, the movie is shown twice: once on Thursday night and once on Saturday night. The movies start at nine and run until around 11 O’clock. The movie playing the week that I went was San Andreas, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The movie itself was good, but that was only a small factor in what really made my night.

After sitting down in my seat, I could not tell whether I was still at school or if I was at a genuine movie theatre. The Campus Center Theatre provides an extremely realistic setting for the Movie Night event. Before the film started, there were movie previews playing, just like at a real movie theater. Then, the lights dimmed and the movie began. As I munched on my free snack and sipped on my free drink, I was easily able to get hooked on the movie. After the movie ended, there was a raffle for various prizes. I am sure that the three winners that night went home with big smiles on their faces. As for myself, I couldn’t complain with a free movie, free refreshments, and prize raffles on a Saturday night.

Event Services and Campus Center Operations did a fantastic job of creating an authentic cinema experience for the community of Stockton University. Every detail was considered when putting together event. I will definitely be attending more Campus Center Movie Nights in the near future.

On Thursday, September 10, I attended the “Meet the Greeks” event hosted by the Greek Council. This event was a one time event and was located in the Campus Center Event Room from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Inside of the room, each organization had their own table set up. There was music playing; it was a fun and inviting atmosphere.

Entering the event, I was uncertain about my opinion on fraternities. I decided to go to the event just to open my mind to different things. Although I had no interest in joining a frat, I figured it could gain something just by attending. I walked in and approached the first Fraternity that caught my eye. I spoke with representatives from the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. They gave me many impressive statistics about their organization and showed me a myriad of awards that they received, many of which were from volunteering and service to the community. I even spoke with the President of the fraternity, who gave me his business card with his contact information.

Overall, the event was very informative and well organized. Not only was I able to speak with members of each fraternity, I was able to speak with the leaders of each fraternity. I left the event with a much different feeling than I had when I entered. My opinion on fraternities had completely changed. I had a newfound respect for the service and academic achievement that some of them were capable of. The event had me wondering if I should join one of the many fine fraternities that Stockton has. I applaud the Greek Council for putting together such a great event and making it so easy for me to acquire helpful information about Greek Life at Stockton University.