In early October, my class took a trip to the Stockton Farm. This trip enabled us to see what it takes to grow and produce food naturally, opposed to just buying it from the store. The trip to the farm coincided with the reading of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Since the book talked about growing food organically, the trip to the farm provided a firsthand look as to what that could be like.

When we first arrived at the farm, we all gathered in the pole barn to look at what organic pesticides and fertilizers were used on the farm. All of the things that we were shown were good for the growth of the vegetables. Some of the pesticides and fertilizers that were used were even made by the people who work on the farm. There are many different options of organic fertilizers and pesticides that can be used, opposed to ones that can potentially danger the food or even the people eating it. After that, we got to walk around the farm and learn about all of the different things that could be grown or were currently growing. We also got to go into the hoop house to see what was being grown in there. I thought the hoop house was interesting because it could be used in the cold to keep the vegetables growing in a warmer temperature. On the flipside, the sides of the hoop house could be rolled up in the summer to make it cooler inside.

I think that the trip to the farm was very informational. I liked how it went along with the book that we were reading at the time. I never knew that Stockton had a farm until we went to visit. After the visit to the farm, I would not mind going to help volunteer once the weather gets better.  Overall, the trip to the farm was a good one.

On Thursday October 9, I attended the Stockton Myths and Legends event. Myths and Legends was a heroic homecoming event for students and faculty. The event was hosted by staff and alumni from the first two years of the college. The panel talked to students and faculty about Stockton around the time that it was first beginning. They discussed the different influences and philosophy that helped to shape Stockton into what it is today.

At the beginning of the event, the panel introduced themselves and mentioned their favorite part of campus. They started with talking about Stockton in the beginning of its years. It turn out that Stockton started at the Mayflower Hotel. Eventually, land was bought to start building the Richard Stockton College that we all know today. One member of the panel used to be an architect, so we were told about how the college was designed to create an interactive environment. The academic building was based off of a strip mall so students would pass each other in the hall and always see each other. The panel talked a lot about their memories of Stockton in its early years and how it has changed since then.

Overall, I enjoyed the Stockton Myths and Legends event. There is a lot of history to Stockton that most people probably don’t know about. I found it interesting that Stockton started out of a hotel before the actual college campus was built. I like that I could learn the about the unknown history of my own college. I believe that I can now appreciate Stockton even more after hearing about the different events and challenges that helped to shape the college into what it is today.

On Tuesday September 16, my roommate and I went to go check out the sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma. Every fall and spring, the sorority sets out to recruit new members. They held a meeting in the academic building to give students a chance to learn more about them. When we first arrived, some of the sorority sisters were out in the hall greeting everyone who showed up. They wanted to give us a chance to meet each other, so we got in a circle and participated in some ice breakers. When it was time for the recruitment meeting to start, we signed in and were given a ticket with a sorority member’s name on it. It was our job to find that sorority sister and introduce ourselves. Once we found that member, we were free to mingle and get to know everyone. About halfway through we were shown a presentation to learn more about Tri Sigma. We learned about their philanthropy and what it means to them. The Sigma Sigma Sigma foundation helps children cope with their illnesses through therapeutic play, which allows the opportunity for play to occur in the hospital setting. The foundation helps to fund children’s therapy programs through the Robbie Page Memorial Fund. After the presentation, we mingled some more until it was time to leave.

Overall, it was a useful night that provided me with a lot of practical information about Tri Sigma. The meeting definitely changed the way I view sororities, and now I am even considering going back to another recruitment in the spring.  Before this meeting, I never knew what sororities actually did. I like that Tri Sigma helps chronically ill children cope with their illness. Tri Sigma shows that being in a sorority isn’t about socializing and going to parties, but instead it is about giving back and helping others.