On September 17 and 18, 2013, the Stockton Office of Student Development organized an event called the “Get Involved Fair.” This event offered students a variety of ways to get involved with Stockton clubs and activities this fall.  The tables were arranged down the halls through A to J wing. Tables had representatives from fraternities, sororities, major specific clubs, club sports, student leadership organizations, and volunteer opportunities. Many tables appealed to me. However, since I am a freshman, who is still getting acclimated, I decided to minimize my sign-ups.

I approached three tables at the fair. All of the representatives at each table were welcoming, upbeat, and informative. The representatives for the sorority I approached gave me information about upcoming socials and events they were hosting. They encouraged me to come out and experience these events to make my decision process easier next semester.  The next table I visited was Circle K. Their representatives described different volunteer events I could participate in, which would help me satisfy the service learning requirements for the honors program here at Stockton. The final table I visited was the Public Health Club. I found myself the most interested in this table mainly because I am majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. The president of the club explained how last year’s members volunteered at health practices and Relay for Life walks to raise money for diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. I think this club is perfect for me because it provides me with the opportunity to participate in volunteer work that I am very interested in. These volunteer projects will also be great real world experiences for my career goals.

I found attending this event was very helpful. The “Get Involved Fair” made it much easier to see everything Stockton has to offer and find out what is best for me. Getting involved with these great clubs and activities will make the college experience much more enjoyable. I highly recommend attending this two-day event every semester.

On Thursday September 12, 2013, the Stockton Office of Student Development sponsored its annual event called “Meet the Greeks.” Upon arrival, I waited in a long line that curved out of the doors of Big Blue. The door attendant who swiped my card was excited about how big the turn out was. When I first walked in I was greeted by three rows of decorated tables, each representing one of the Greek organizations. Before attending the event I already had a couple of sororities in mind, so this set-up made it easy to locate each. The representatives for each of the three sororities I visited were extremely friendly and informative. Although I am a freshman and cannot rush until next semester, the representatives handed me flyers and suggested I attend their information sessions to get a head start.

After visiting my interested tables, I took a seat with a couple of my friends to enjoy the Greek introductions. This part of the event was very lively and upbeat. I found myself, amongst others, laughing and smiling throughout the majority of the performances. Many of the Greeks showed videos to give the audience a taste of what their organizations are all about. Most of the sororities performed their chants while most of the fraternities performed dances. It was very enjoyable to see how much fun each group was having; everyone got along so well.

I found attending this event was very helpful. At first I wondered whether Greek life was for me, but now I am excited to join a sorority next semester. This event also helped me narrow down my interests and focus on one sorority I feel is right for me. I learned that Greek life is a great opportunity to meet new friends that will last a lifetime. I highly recommend attending this event for anyone interested in Greek life here on Stockton campus.

On Tuesday, November 12, 2013, the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy and the Stockton School of Health Sciences hosted an event called “Forum: Affordable Care Act, Marketplace, and Exchanges.” Students, faculty, and citizens were encouraged to either attend the event in person or watch live online. Since I was feeling under the weather, I choose to watch it online. This made it so much easier to enjoy the event in the comfort of my bed. This also benefited many elders or others who are not physically able to come out for the event, but are in need of information for the new healthcare policy.

The program began with an introduction from the director of the Center for Public Policy, Daniel Douglas, and The Richard Stockton President, Dr. Herman Saatkamp.  Both explained their excitement for this program and thanked everyone for attending. Dr. Saatkamp explained the importance of learning about the Affordable Care Act. This act primarily takes affect in 2014, which is approaching very soon, and will change many the lives of many American citizens. He informed the audience how America may have the best doctors and treatment in the world, but it does not have the best healthcare system available. Millions of Americans are either bankrupt because of high healthcare costs or living without health insurance. After some background information, Dr. Saatkamp welcomed Dr. Jaime Torres to explain America’s healthcare problem and its solution more in depth.

Dr. Jaime Torres started by explaining the troubles of our current healthcare system including: the ability of insurance companies to take advantage of and discriminate against citizens, how premiums have doubled over the last decade, and that fifty million Americans are uninsured. Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in March 2010 in order to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to the American public. Many benefits of this Act include: protecting all Americans from insurance abuse and poor coverage, strengthening Medicare, and improving the quality of all care.

Dr. Jaime Torres proceeded to inform the audience of many other benefits the public may not be aware of. For example, previously insurance companies were mandated to spend at least  sixty cents of every premium dollar on healthcare as apposed to marketing. Now insurance companies must spend at least eighty cents of every premium dollar on healthcare. Also, the Affordable Care Act is closing the “donut hole,” which is the gap of drug coverage for Medicare patients. This has saved patients about $299 million on prescription drugs since 2012. Finally, the act has expanded coverage for Medicaid patients. A family of four can now make about $30,600 a year instead of  $23,500. This income eligibility is expected to increase over time.

As a public health major with a concentration in healthcare administration, I found this event to be extremely interesting. There are many rumors about the Affordable Care Act, and it is great that Stockton provided this event to give the public the truth. Dr. Jaime Torres was an excellent speaker and interacted frequently with the audience to make the presentation more personal and enjoyable. This event was very successful in aiding the public on need-to-know facts of the Affordable Care Act. Six-hundred people attended the forum, not including the online viewers. I encourage anyone who has yet to experience this event watch it online at http://new.livestream.com/StocktonCollege/AffordableCareActForum.