Gillian Ranes
Gen 1033: Life of Mind
Freshmen Blogging Project: Dialogue Session
Dialogue Session: “La Chancleta: Discussing Discipline vs. Child Abuse”
The event/ dialogue session I went to was called “La Chancleta: Discussing Discipline vs. Child Abuse.” It was held on Tuesday, October 11th in F111. The event was presented and made by members of the Stockton’s Latin American Student Association and Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, Incorporated.
The objective of this dialogue session was to discuss methods of discipline by parents in the Latino culture. Students shared personal anecdotes, statistics, videos, and valuable information on the Latino heritage, discipline, and child abuse in general. Students who attended this dialogue session engaged in lengthy debates on whether their personal experiences or experiences seen in the videos presented on Youtube were either discipline or abuse. Answers were extremely varied, but there was a general consensus among students that there is a fine line when discipline turns into abuse.
I enjoyed the presentation so much because I learned so much about topics that I never really thought about before, such as when discipline turns into abuse. I also enjoyed the session since I find it very important to learn about cultures that one is not necessarily a part of. This is important because so as members of society, we can all share a deeper level of understanding and empathy for one another.

Gillian Ranes
Gen 1033: Life of the Mind
September 29th 2016
Event: Freshmen Convocation
I enjoyed hearing Ellen Forney speak. I liked more things than I did not like. If I had to mention something I particularly did not relish the most, it would be that in general it is difficult to sit through hearing anybody talk for over almost an hour so at certain times it was difficult to pay attention too however the topics that Forney went into were very interesting.
I liked hearing Forney speak about “the language of cartoons.” It seems that there is not only a literary sense to it but also a science to cartoons. The words go hand in hand with the drawings to tell an unexpected story. The cartoons enhanced the book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian so much, I probably would not have enjoyed it as much if the cartoons were not included. I could tell that even though the book was loosely based on its author’s Alexie’s life, Forney heavily identified with Junior as well because both, Forney and Junior, use cartooning as an emotional outlet. I had no idea comics could be so complex but as Forney and Sherman Alexie have both said: art can express what words cannot.
My favorite thing that Forney talked about was her own book: Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me. I liked how she was so open about her struggles with bipolar disorder. Removing the stigma related to mental illnesses is also an important topic to me as well. I can really see the beauty in using her disorder to work for her advantage by drawing in different styles to show how her mania and depression effect her differently.

Gillian Ranes
Freshmen Honors Program Blogging
Knock Out Opiates Day- October 6th 2016
The event that I attended was called “Knock Out Opiates” and it was a volunteer activity for the R.I.S.E A.B.O.V.E (Rise Above) club. Rise Above is a club that I am an active member and it stands for: Ready to Inspire Students to Excel And Better Our Various Experiences at Stockton University. The event was held on October 6th, which is national “Knock Out Opiates” day. The purpose of the activity was to raise awareness about the over-prescription of opiates, which are drugs with morphine like effects. The over-prescription of opiates usually leads to an addiction, no matter the age or socio-economic background of that person. Opiates are very expensive drugs, so the dependence often leads to an addiction to heroin, which is a cheaper and more easily accessible version of expensive, prescribed opiates such as Codeine, Vicodin, Oxycotin, Percocet, and more.
The event featured driving over to the Sun Rise Bay apartment and condominium complex, where many Stockton University students reside, and walking around to every apartment and car to hang up door hangers that said “Knock Out Opiates” on them. The door hangers also featured many useful and intriguing facts about opiate use and the situation going on in America regarding them.
I found the event to be very useful because I learned so much and hopefully other people, who live in the Sun Rise Bay apartments, will as well. This national problem is an issue that is very important to me and I feel as though the prescription of opiates should be limited made into more of a national priority.

Gillian Ranes
Gen 1033: Life of the Mind
Freshmen Blogging Project: Stockton Events
Event: “How to Maximize Your Buzz” and Get Involved
The event I went to was called “How to Maximize Your Buzz” and Get Involved. It was held on Monday, September 5th in the Campus Center Event Room. This event was a part of the mandatory/ passport event series for all freshmen during welcome week, which was the first week of college.
The objective of the event was to influence positive decision making from academics to social networking. Students were educated in a very interactive and entertaining manner with a program about the powerful and harsh realities of alcohol. The philosophy behind the program was repeated heavily throughout the whole event which was, “Alcohol is not about drinking; it’s about who you are.” The objective of the event was not entirely focused on influencing incoming college students to completely abstain from drinking alcohol, but it provided personal accounts, statistics, and information on a variety of topics including how to stay safe if one makes the decision to drink, the dangers of alcohol, what to do if put in a dire situation involving alcohol, and other ways to have a fruitful college experience without drinking.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed the presentation. I found the information extremely useful and I know I will carry this knowledge throughout my college career as well as after I graduate from Stockton. It was a thought provoking and intriguing presentation that appealed very well to people my age