The Election 2016 Debriefing, headed by Claire Abernathy on November 10, served as a platform for students to discuss the results of the 2016 election and their concerns about what’s coming in the future. The event was part of Stockton’s Democracy Cafe series in which many discussions about politics are encouraged between students and faculty of the university. The dialogue session filled about half of the Campus Center Theatre with students, and other professors in the political science department where there to assist and answer questions. Professor Abernathy first described the results of the election, showing how the votes fell in the presidential election and the congressional election by state. She then discussed the exit polls, showing statistics about who voted for what candidate in terms of gender, race, education level, and income, analyzing why the votes fell where they did, and how it compared to the exit polls of President Obama’s win in 2012. Afterwards, she posed questions to the students in attendance about the Electoral College, their thoughts about President-Elect Trump, and what they think might happen under his leadership. The longest portion was, unsurprisingly, questions about thoughts and fears about Trump, in which everything from trade and international relations to compromising of LGBT and women’s rights was discussed. Fresh fruit and water were also provided. I think this was a great event to have on campus, especially after the tumultuousness of this election in particular. For many people, Trump’s win was shocking, and many people are frightened and unsure about the future of this country. The university itself even sent out a mass email to students recommending our counseling services because of the extreme anxiety and paranoia that plagued so many after election night. The event provided a safe space for people to talk about these fears with distinguished professors of political science, who were able to honestly answer their questions. It’s extremely important to stay politically engaged, and the Democracy Cafe series allows students a way to learn and get accurate, unbiased political information.

The morning of Saturday October 8 had the makings of an unpleasant day—the sky was a bleak shade of gray, and the forecast of rain all day proved to be accurate, with a fair amount of rain falling from the sky. This assumption proved to be wildly inaccurate. That day was the third and biggest day of Stockton’s University Weekend, an annual event which serves as a chance for family and alumni to visit the campus and enjoy a wide variety of fun (and mostly free) activities. What made the 8th special was their large Street Fair, which featured a wide variety of vendors. This event was sponsored simply by the university, as one of the many activities for University Weekend (including a semiformal dance, the Osprey Ball, that evening). My family wasn’t able to attend, but I had the pleasure of going to the Street Fair with my visiting boyfriend. I was shocked by the large amount of vendors they had. However, it was mildly disappointing to see many empty tables that would’ve had Stockton clubs and organizations as their vendors. The inflatables, which we were both looking forward to, were also unable to be used. With the somewhat heavy rain, these were both understandable. The weather was manageable, as long as you had a jacket and umbrella, which we thankfully had. However, there were still many outside vendors. Some of these included various food trucks serving tacos, sandwiches, and potato products, as well as food tables featuring pretzels and cinnamon rolls, clothing and jewelry vendors, and even the Camden Aquarium, which had a mobile aquarium where you could see and touch starfish, stingrays, and even sharks. Inside the Campus Center and Big Blue, there were performances from Stockton’s dance team and acapella groups, respectively, which were both excellent. The university also had tables set up in dry areas, giving away free items as well as selling University Weekend t-shirts. Overall, the event was well organized and put together. All of the vendors were high quality and very friendly, as were the Stockton clubs and organizations that were in attendance. The rain did put a bit of a damper on things, and it would’ve been nice to see more of the clubs that signed up represented at the Street Fair. It is hard to make an event of this sort rain resistant, but some better planning on that end would’ve made it even better. Possibly with more tents, or moving the tables inside of the academic building. The people that were there, though, were very amiable, and it was a great environment to be in. Though the weather was less than ideal, I had a great time shopping, eating, and petting sharks (which I never thought I’d do in front of I Wing). The organization of the event and the people still made the day enjoyable, despite the dreary weather, and I can’t wait to see what they do next year.

The Stockton Entertainment Team, more commonly known around campus as SET, is one of the most active groups on campus. Almost every day there’s a new event sponsored by SET that any one can go to. Not only that, but all of them are free for students. One of their most popular events is their free movie showings in the Campus Center Theater every Thursday and Saturday at 8:30. Every week is a different film, and all of them are fairly current—the movies showing now were released this past summer in cinemas. Entry is free of charge for students, and they receive a raffle ticket (at the end of the movie, students use these for a chance to receive prizes like free movie tickets and posters) as well as a complimentary snack and drink. I have been to the first two movies, but this review will be about the September 15 showing of Central Intelligence, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. The movie itself wasn’t one I’d see normally, but all feelings aside, I had a great time. It was well put together and very funny, and the underlying message of embracing yourself and moving forward after trauma was very sweet. Going got me out of my comfort zone, and it was a chance to do something fun with new friends. This is especially important for freshman, as even 2 weeks in we’re still navigating the waters of Stockton. SET has many activities with this aim, and showed this through their multiple events during Welcome Week. The fact that they’re able to provide this for students, especially at no cost, is truly remarkable. This organization really cares about their peers, and realizes the financial and emotional hardships that students have to persevere through. This series gives students a chance to relax with friends and enjoy themselves, even if only for 2 hours. The free snacks and drinks are things you’d actually buy at a cinema, the picture quality of the film was excellent, the facility was clean and comfortable, and the whole theater had an aura of relaxation and pure fun. They put this event together with their peers in mind, and I applaud SET for all the work they do.