This weekend I traveled to Philadelphia on a trip with the Honors Program to visit the Museum of the American Revolution. When we arrived at the museum, we started our self-guided tour by watching the orientation video. The video gave us a great quick history of before, during and after the revolutionary war in America. This set us up for the more detailed experience waiting for us in the upstairs galleries. As we walked through the Becoming Revolutionaries exhibit, it painted a picture of the lifestyle in America and the tension that built up to the shot heard round the world. My favorite room in this part of the exhibit was the one with a liberty tree in the center of it, which was a gathering place for daughters and sons of liberty and were symbols of resistance to Great Britain. Surrounding this tree, with a piece of the first liberty tree available to touch, was an interactive screen to learn more about events during this time and a large exhibit on the stamp act. As we continued to walk through, another part I enjoyed were the scenes they had reenacted from the war with life size figures. It truly made you feel like you were walking through history. Another part I enjoyed was the part of The Darkest Hour exhibit where it discussed the battles that took place in New Jersey. There was a large map, and if you clicked on a specific battle, lights would show up and move which demonstrated the movement of each battle. There was truly so much detail put in to this very modern museum. With every new walk through I’m sure you would be able to witness something new. From the maps on the floors, to all the interactive things to open and read, it kept one captivated the entire experience. There were also many details added that didn’t necessarily directly pertain to the war, but helped us gain a good understanding of that time. For example, some I enjoyed were pieces of their money, journals from school kids at that time and the buckles they used on their shoes. There was something for all ages, from the dress up room and large boat in the War at Sea exhibit for the kids, and even videos throughout the entire journey if you needed to sit and rest for a few minutes.

As we were getting to the end of the of the exhibits I expected there to be some grand finale of the end of the American Revolution. However, just as the exhibit showed me, the end of the revolutionary war was not the end of the American Revolution. In fact, it was just the beginning. The American Revolution is still alive today, as we are constantly striving to become a stronger, better and more equal country for everyone. The exhibit ended with a bunch of mirrors and in the middle, it stated, “The Future of the American Revolution”. I think it is important to remember that while our founding fathers got us off on the right track, it is our duty as citizens to continue their work to make America the land of the free and home of the brave.

Last  week, on September 19^th and 20^th, Stockton hosted the Get Involved Fair to promote all the clubs they have to offer for students.  Each organization had a table at the fair with a few representatives who could tell you what their organization was, get you signed up to join and let you know when their upcoming meeting would be held.  There was a huge variety of organizations being represented such as sports, Greek life, clubs for specific majors, volunteer organizations and almost any hobby you could think of.  While walking past the countless tables I stopped to learn more about organizations that caught my eye and joined a few in the process.

The first club I joined is called Fantastic Friends who host many events where volunteers at Stockton can connect with members with special needs. I thought this club was an awesome way to get involved and for a good cause.  I also hope to work with special need students in the future as an Occupational Therapist so this could be great experience for me.  To also prepare me for my future profession I joined the Health Science Club and Occupational Therapy Club.  I think it will be great for me to be a part of these clubs so I can be a part of a community with people with the same interests and aspirations as me.  It will also provide me with a great support system if I ever need any help or have any questions on my journey to becoming an Occupational Therapist.  I also decided to become a part of the Stockton Center for Community Engagement.  They offer many different programs to get involved in but I am particularly excited about their afternoon tea/game day with older adults program and helping out at the Campus Kitchen at Atlantic City.  The programs Stockton Center for Community Engagement are a great way to get to know the community that surrounds Stockton, help me fulfil my service requirements for the Honors Program and give back to the community at the same time.  The last club I am considering joining is the Residence Hall Association because they offer many leadership opportunities and I think it would be fun to contribute to make living on Stockton’s campus a fun and better experience for everyone.  Going to the Get Involved Fair really opened my eyes to how much there is to do on the Stockton Campus.  There is really something for every type of person, and even if there s not the fair also showed me how easy it would be for me to create my own organization if I wanted to. The clubs I decided to join will help me get to know more people in the Stockton community while also preparing me for my future.  They will also give me an opportunity to make the most of my time year, give me place to take a break from all my work and classes and most of all have fun.