There is always something breath taking in the sunrise. The colors that creep across and stain the sky, the taste of the crisp cold air before the sun is up to warm the world, the stillness you are a part of because in these magic hours most living creatures dare not stir. Breath Taking.

Five times a week, I am the audience to the natural occurrences of the early hours. Monday Wednesday Friday, six am. Tuesday Thursday, five am. Whether the team is in I-wing gym, lifting with the strength and conditioning coach, Christian Allen, or out on the field with Coach Maurizi, every morning brings new challenges both physically and mentally to build us into the best team we can be, as well as a family. Joining the Women’s Lacrosse team was the right decision. My experiences with my coaches, training staff, and teammates have brought me new-found friends and fills my extra hours with activity that is healthy for my body. We do cardio pieces on the track, cardio skill drills, and lifting for legs, arms, back, and chest. Nothing beats those early morning practices on the field. Doing drills and having a stick in my hands makes me feel like I’ve found my place. Although most mornings we are up before the sun and before college life stirs on campus, it is worth it to be a part of something bigger than myself. Some days when it is near impossible to get out of bed, I think about my teammates and how they are depending on me being there, and also how their energy and happiness will get me through the workout. Stockton Athletics is an amazing program, with amazing people working to make me and other athletes live to our full potential. They take care of us like family, nurse our injuries, keep an eye on our grades, and make sure we are juggling everything. Its comforting to know if I ever felt overwhelmed I would have a concerned support staff to coach me through and help me make decisions best for my life. I am pumped for the upcoming pre-season and regular season, I am confident we will succeed in all our endeavors.

The Day of Service was on the 12th of September this year. This event was run by the office of student engagement. It was an informative day, brimming with new details on the multiple ways Stockton’s community needs people to get involved. This day, although extremely interesting and helpful, was not what I expected. Our RA’s and other Honors students had described past years experiences differently than what this year was. I was expecting hands on activities, some on some off campus. The different spots were more lecture style, not bad just surprising, as I was expecting a more active day. The most hands-on activity there was the Books Without Borders presentation, where I was part of the “heavy lifters,” moving cartfulls of books from different spots on campus back to the theatre to be sorted and re-packed. This was the best activity because it made me feel good to actually be doing some community service as opposed to just learning about what to do for the community. Both are important aspects that are intricate parts to creating change. This event taught me to view civic duty in a new light. However I just feel that next year this event could be better balanced between learning and doing. The seminar on prescription drugs, and the dangers of heroin abuse in New Jersey also taught me things I didn’t know before such as the facts on why this drug has become especially common in New Jersey, such as the availability and purity and price of it. An officer from the Stockton force also explained some new information on a new drug called NARCAN that revives people from a deadly high, or drug overdose. I made new friends doing Books Without Borders, one of whom steered and controlled an empty book cart we rode downhill on the way to pick up another load. I would love to be involved in a program that integrates more active service events next year.

Maura Twiggs

September 10 2015

Freshman ’15 Blog

Welcome Week: Building Wars

We stared the other team down across the picnic table. Things were getting serious. Each team had put forth their champion to part take in the highest honor of Welcome Week even Building Wars: the Watermelon Eating Contest. Earlier, when our RA Nancy (Mom as we adoring call her on our floor) told us the morning and afternoon would be filled with different events in which we would compete against other freshman dorm buildings, I’ll admit I was weary. However, right from the start the positive attitudes of the other RA’s, SET team members, and workers who brought equipment to the quad for the day, were infectious and I couldn’t help but be completely immersed in the action. Each building was assigned a color to wear. D Building was lime green, and even though its not a color in most people’s wardrobe, everyone had a piece of green to wear. At the sign up table, SET members had colored strips of fabric corresponded with each building. Some kids wore them as headbands, others as ankle or arm bands. This small and seemingly simple idea unified us as a team. From challenge to challenge, it didn’t matter if we won or lost (although we dominated), what mattered most was spending time with each other, getting to know our building better and also meeting other freshman. Some of the people I went toe to toe with that day remain close, I couldn’t be more pleased I attended this event. It not only made me get out there and meet people, it also had activities for a range of skills. There was Stockton trivia, athletic games, ice breakers, scavenger hunts, and my personal favorite, food eating contests. So, here we stand, undefeated green team, our chorus of “D building- YOU BETTER BE LEAF IT” up in the air, ready to face off the grey team in a watermelon eating contest. RA Anthony Thawley tells the eaters to be at the ready-set-go, and a ruckus of egging on and encouragement echoed from both teams. It was both my favorite moment of Building Wars, and a Welcome Week event I will never forget.