The air is cold and dark on Halloween night at Stockton. Many people went home but those who stayed are building anticipation for the Stockton Theatre Club’s performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show. As guests enter the room, there are many actors and actresses in costumes to greet them and guide the guests to their seats. The actors do not go about interacting with guests normally. There are conversations with crude humor and laughter. Each guests who has not seen Rocky Horror Picture Show before that night is labeled as a “virgin” with a large, red letter V on their foreheads. There is a prop table with an array of items in the corner, where audience members can grab one to two props to use during the show. Once everyone makes their way to their seats, the shenanigans of the night begin.

Before the production begins, the actors and actresses around the room gather audience members to play games on the stage. The first game is played with coconuts. Players must partner up with a person they do not know, and start by holding a coconut between their bodies at the stomach. The goal is to move the coconut, without using hands, up one another’s bodies so that it is held between the partners’ necks. Players wiggle awkwardly against one another to move their coconuts. Some succeed and others drop their coconuts, letting them roll onto the ground below. After everyone returns to their seats more crude comedy and laughter fills the room, and more games are played. Once 8:15 p.m. arrives, the actors reside to the corners of the room and the production begins.

The lights dim and a movie reel begins on the screen. As the movie plays, actors dressed like the characters on screen act out the scenes on stage. The actors mimic lines only by moving their lips, all of the singing and speaking comes from the sound in the film. It is an interesting way to portray the story, but very entertaining for the audience. Throughout the production, the audience is asked to use their different props in certain scenes to add interaction. The actors walk and dance through the audience as they perform, some sitting on laps and some pulling audience members up to dance. The whole room feels whimsical and fun. Each actor does an excellent job at portraying their characters and each audience member gets into the story enthusiastically.

When the show ends, the audience is in uproar. Cheers and laughter show how well of a job the actors have done on stage. When leaving, the actors continue to interact with guests, keeping the fun atmosphere alive. The Stockton Theatre Club has, yet again, put on a fabulous show. The audience leaves feeling happy and carefree, on their way o enjoy the remaining hours of Halloween night.

Excitement was in the air on a chilly Friday afternoon as the students and their parents come together at Stockton for the start of University Weekend. The weekend began with a pep rally in “Big Blue”, the school’s main gymnasium. During the event, I had the pleasure of performing with the All Starz Dance Team. The hustle and bustle backstage before the ceremonies began was both fun and hectic. Everyone took their seats as the enthusiastic announcer told his audience about everything they should expect this weekend. Several clubs performed, including the Cheerleaders, All Starz Dancers, and Stockton’s Stocktones. At the end, everyone received a complimentary tee shirt to wear.

Early next morning, different clubs and teams around Stockton gathered to parade decorated golf carts around campus. I walked the parade with the All Starz dancers, with our cart decorated in different colors, celebrating Stockton throughout the years. We placed signs on the cart with the various names Stockton University had and the years they held these names. The parade was cold and windy, but fun nonetheless. People cheered and admired every group’s cart. At the end, each cart was presented to a panel of judges who selected the best decorated cart. The judges loved our cart and at the end of the parade, we won second place in the contest. The whole team felt excited and proud of our hard work.

The parade was only the kickoff event for Saturday morning. From twelve o’clock to four o’clock, there was a grand carnival in one of the school’s parking lots. People set up tables with games, food, and there were inflatable obstacle courses for those who liked to be adventurous. Loud music and laughter filled the air. It was impossible to find anyone with a frown on their face at the carnival. Once the excitement settled down, students said farewell to their parents and started to prepare for the 20^th Annual Osprey Ball. The ball was the final hurrah for students, and kept going until one o’clock in the morning. There was loud music, a photo booth, buffet food, cake, and thrilled guests. People dressed to impress and danced the night away. It was an event to remember, and my personal favorite of the entire weekend. As a whole, University Weekend was fun for all, and students are excited to see what it will hold next year.

On the bright morning of Saturday, September 12^th, I rose from my cozy grave to start a lengthy day of Service with Stockton. The day began with loud hustle and bustle in the campus center. Pick your team, get some breakfast, find a seat and get started. I was eager to get up and go for the day, but the Day of Service turned out to be very different than I anticipated. Much of the day included information sessions on different organizations that the university works with. They discussed different ways for us to make a larger impact on our community through extensive service projects, and not just picking up trash around campus.

The purple team started their day learning about environmental impacts, conserving water and avoiding plastic bottles, and how to get involved at the Stockton farm. After that, we continued to different areas in the campus center that discussed suicide awareness, gave information about drugs, and gave training on good programs like Green Dot. The day was only half over and already, many people were well educated in different methods to make a difference around the University and other communities. The purple team continued to sort books with Books without Borders, and ended the day with learning about Civic Engagement in the C-D Atrium.

As a whole, the Day of Service was very insightful. Though some feel that more hands-on service would have been better, everyone who attended the Day of Service gained knowledge on how to make a greater impact. For next year, I would argue that it would be more efficient to combine physical activities with the discussion sessions. That way participants can get their toes wet in the different areas and become more motivated to continue projects in the future.