On Tuesday, November 18, 2014, Stockton held their annual Scholarship Recognition Dinner.  This dinner brought together faculty, scholarship recipients, donors, and President Saatkamp.  This night was created to recognize students who continually achieve academically and also to thank those donors who made it possible for the students of Stockton to receive scholarships.  The recipients of these scholarships and awards ranged from freshman to graduate students.

Upon entering the Campus Center Event Room, one could see it was going to be a night of extravagance.  It began with speeches from faculty and President Saatkamp.  After the speeches came to an end it was time for dinner.  It was a buffet style dinner with plenty of options from raviolis to stuffed chicken.  While eating dinner, the recognition speeches began.  A leader from each of the eight Schools approached the podium to introduce the recipient of a scholarship from their respective Schools.  These recipients recited speeches that outlined their academic journeys at Stockton and how the school has impacted their learning abilities as well as their abilities to excel in their fields.  During the speeches we were served desserts.  It was by far the best dessert I have had while attending Stockton.

After the speeches ended the dinner came to a close.  Before leaving, all recipients were asked to join together in the lobby for a group picture.  This picture represented the hard-working students that appreciate education and the support of donors who are helping each of us to continue in our education.

Overall, I really enjoyed the event.  However, there were some aspects of the night that I felt could have been handled better.  These aspects include a lack of food for the tables that were called last, assigned seating in no particular order, as well as a lack of seating.  When speaking about a lack of seating I mean that students were turned away from entering the Scholarship Recognition Dinner when RSVPing due to a lack of space.

Stockton’s Homecoming Weekend was held from Friday, October 10th to Sunday, October 12th.  It included events such as a comedy show, an annual parent’s breakfast, a carnival, the Osprey Ball, and multiple sports events.  The weekend was jam packed and had a wide variety of activities to fit everyone’s interests.  In my case, I attended the comedy show, the parent’s breakfast, and the Osprey Ball.  It was a weekend for fellow Osprey to interact, make new friends, and find out about student organizations that sponsored the homecoming events.

The comedy show which featured Nicole Byer and Kevin Barnett, comedians on the hit television show Girl Code and Guy Code, were hilarious.  It was college level humor that many of Stockton’s students could relate to.  I would not say that it was family appropriate, but it was definitely college appropriate.  Both comedians interacted with the crowd and seemed to really enjoy their jobs on stage.

The next event I attended was the Parent and Family Association Breakfast.  It was a welcoming atmosphere for students and their families.  This event was held in the Campus Center Event Room.  It included breakfast and light refreshments.  This breakfast was a great way for friends and family to catch up with students and prepare them for the exciting day ahead.

The final event I attended during Homecoming Weekend was the 19^th Annual Osprey Ball.  This dance included dinner, music, a photo booth, and a great dance party.  The dance allowed for students to gather with friends and dance the night away.  This event lasted from 9pm-1pm.  The DJ was great, the food was tasty, and there was a friendly atmosphere thanks to the students and faculty.

Overall I would say that Homecoming Weekend was a success.  It gave students a reason to stay on campus, and families a reason to visit the campus.

On September 6, 2014 I participated in Stockton’s campus-wide Day of Service.  This event is held by Stockton to show students that it is crucial to give back to their community.  The Day of Service consisted of service projects available for students to involve themselves both on and off campus.  In my case, I participated in Books without Borders.  This activity included unloading, sorting, and boxing up books to be sent to different locations.  These books that we were sending out included textbooks, children’s books, novels, and educational text.  Through Books without Borders we are able to help communities educate their students of all ages and grade levels through new and used books.

Through being a part of service projects, students are able to make new friends, connect with faculty and staff that are running the events, and find a service project that could be of interest to them throughout their academic career at Stockton.  Stockton gives this opportunity twice a year, once during the first semester, and another the second semester.  The next Day of Service will occur on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday January 19, 2015.  These are annual events held by Stockton that call out to ALL students, freshman through senior, graduate students, and faculty.

I enjoyed the Day of Service and feel that it is a great way for students to become more involved and aware of the surrounding communities.  As an honors student I feel as though it is a wonderful way to fulfil our service learning requirements.  It enables us to make a difference in our communities.  Even if it does not make a large impact, we are still able to give back to our community through service.  The groups that participate in the Day of Service are helping us to become involved members of the communities surrounding Richard Stockton.  I look forward to the next day of Service and once again hope to work with Books without Borders.