On Monday September 14, 2015, all Stockton students were welcome to try out for the Stockton University cheerleading team. That day was an opportunity for participants to learn a dance, cheer, stunts, and tumbling to prepare for the actual tryout in front of the coaches and captains on Wednesday September 16. The captains taught everyone the things they needed to know. The captains were two nice girls that would help you with anything and answered any questions. Whether you had cheered before or it was a totally new thing, everyone felt welcomed. After leaving that Monday, everyone felt pretty confident.

On Wednesday, it was the big day. Everyone was nervous and practicing everything together before the tryouts begun. They split us into groups of 4 and the tryouts were underway. Everything ran smoothly and before you knew it, tryouts were over. Afterwards, we stayed and flipped and stunted. Everyone there was so nice and friendly. It was an awesome way to make really cool friends that you had something in common with. It was a lot of fun.

Overall, cheerleading at Stockton seemed to be a great experience. It was a great way to make friends, get involved and do something you enjoy doing. I would personally recommend trying out for a team or joining a club here at Stockton. I am sure that just like cheerleading, other teams or clubs would be welcoming and fun. It was truly an awesome experience all around.

On Tuesday November 17, I got to attend my first college basketball game. It was a really good time. As a cheerleader, I do not get to really attend games without cheering so this was a great experience for me. I thought that it was going to be like my high school basketball games, but it was totally different. Stockton’s game was like a high school game on steroids. Even if people are not really into basketball, I would still suggest going. The game I got to attend was a men’s game and it was an exciting experience that I would love to share with others.

When I first got there, I was initially shocked by the fact that with your student id you did not need to pay. Even though we pay mega bucks to attend school here at Stockton, I still would have thought they would make us pay at least two dollars. Once entering the courts, it was very loud. There were people all over the place. The bleachers were packed like sardines in a can. I am not sure if every game is going to be like this or if it was just because it was the first home game. I hope it is always like this because I love to see school spirit like that.

As the game began, the crowd was really wild. Everyone was having a great time that I could see. When halftime came, there was a great concession stand that people could go to. The money went towards the teams, which is a great way to raise money. There was hotdogs, pretzels, candy, and drinks. The stuff was good, but I was hoping there would be pizza or fries. The line to get the food was very long, but I could have guessed it would be that way. During the half, I also used the restroom. I am a huge critic of bathrooms and I must say this bathroom was one of the best I have seen. It was very clean and big and I did not mind using it at all.

The men’s basketball team did well. I can tell that they have been practicing and have a chance at winning their conference once again this year. They played to the best of their ability and were a complete pleasure to watch. They did not play dirty at all and I was very happy to see that. Although they did not end up winning, it was a great game to go to. I cannot exactly remember, but I believe that they only lost by three points, which is really good.

Overall, the game was a complete joy to be at. Everyone there was so nice, the environment was enjoyable, and the team did great. I hope to see the school spirit stay the way it was at that game. That means that everyone should come out and support the teams! I wish the best of luck to both the men’s and women’s basketball teams this season. It is going to be a amazing time cheering for them both. I hope to see you all there!

Over the weekend of October 8th through 11th, Stockton celebrated university weekend. It was the first one celebrated since the college became a university. There was a bunch of activities to participate in for students, families, and alumnis. Also, for the first time ever, they awarded a Stockton student with the golden osprey award. There was a lot of participants in all of the events that were provided. With all the activities and people, it turned out to be an awesome weekend filled with games, a t-shirt swap, a spirit night, a comedy show, a parade and a carnival. Personally, I attended a lot of the events that took place. My three favorites were spirit night, the comedy show, and the carnival.

Spirit night was a fun filled night of music and entertainment.  All of the clubs, sports and organizations were announces and some even performed. The cheerleaders, the dance team, and a capella group were of those who performed. They were all really awesome and entertaining. It was there where the gold Osprey winner was announced. The winner was an absolute inspiration and deserved the award 100%. Those in attendance received a University Weekend t-shirt and pizza. In addition to all of those parts, all those who were at spirit night, got to stay after and get very good seats for the comedy show.

The comedy show was another one of my favorite events. Carly Aquilino, from MTV’s Girl Code, was the star of the show. She was absolutely hilarious. I do not think there was even one word that came out of her mouth that I did not laugh at. There were many people that attended this event. It was a big thing because the comedian was famous. At the end of the show, she ended up doing a Q and A. Even during this, she was making me laugh. The SET did an awesome job with providing this event and I can not wait to see what they have in store for the university weekends to come.

Lastly, the carnival was also a great event. This event was great for families to attend because there was something for every family member to enjoy. If students did not see their families for a while, this was a nice place to catch up. There was food, games, music and different organizations set up tables. The food was fresh off the grill and delicious. The games includes a rock climbing wall, a trampoline, a dunk tank, and an inflatable obstacle course.  The music was played by a DJ and all of the songs were up to date and well known.

Overall, university weekend was a great experience. There was so many different things to do for students, all members of the family, and alumni. It is awesome to see how much school spirit Stockton University has. I hope that university weekend will continue being this well done for the rest of my years here at Stockton. If students did not participate in this one, I would highly suggest attending an event next year.