Humans Vs. Zombies 2015

From Sunday, September 27th to Friday, October 2nd, Stockton’s Live Action Gamers held their biannual Humans Versus Zombies (HvZ) game.  Over 100 players registered for the game online, most of which were designated “human.”  Three of the players became the OZs: the Original Zombies, tasked with infecting the rest of the players by week’s end.

On the first night of the game, with the picturesque blood moon hanging overhead, three human teams set out: blue, white, and purple, of which I was a member.  It began as a basic game of “Capture the Flag…”, however, as the players wandered out into the woods, the OZs slowly began revealing themselves.  Hidden among the ranks of the human players, they jumped out and tagged their unsuspecting teammates, decimating over half of blue team and a large chunk of purple team by the night’s end.

The gameplay mechanics for HvZ were simple.  Each player wore a yellow band – on the upper arm if the player was human, and as a headband if they were a zombie.  Throughout the course of the week, gameplay would continue, with the only safe havens being buildings, classes, and sports practices.  Zombies tried to tag humans; humans stunned them with NERF guns for 10 minutes before making their escape.  Each night there were different missions: collecting supplies, discovering new locations, and so on.

Unfortunately, by Friday there were only a handful of humans remaining…in no time the zombies had won.

I thoroughly enjoyed HvZ: I played as a human for two days, and returned once to play as a zombie after I’d been “turned.”  As a human, I was constantly on edge – there could be zombies anywhere!  On the way to dinner, or heading to class, or while going to meet the rest of my team for a mission, I could be targeted.  After becoming a zombie, though, things became a bit less…entertaining.  Humans I knew I had tagged insisted they hadn’t been; someone hit me in the face; we hid in the bushes for over half an hour waiting for an ambush.  While the idea behind HvZ was a good one, the execution could have been a bit better.  Perhaps next time they could find a way to make the zombie experience more exciting.  All flaws aside, I am certain of one thing: that come next semester, I’ll be out there doing it all over again.

Honors 10th Anniversary Celebration

On Thursday, October 8th, the Stockton Honors Program celebrated its 10th anniversary.  The celebration, which was attended by students, staff, alumni, and current and former administrators was divided into two parts: a reflection session for students, and a gathering in the Campus Center with light refreshments.  In addition, the director of West Florida University’s Honors Program, Dr. Gregory Lanier, was invited to Stockton to write a program review and interview students about their opinions of the Honors Program.

The first part of the night was the reflection session, which began at 4:30.  About 25 honors students gathered to have a discussion with Dr. Lanier about their opinions of the Honors Program.  Most students agreed that they love the community the Stockton Honors Program has created, and that they hope to do more volunteer work and service learning in the future.

The second part of the anniversary celebration was held in the Campus Center event room, with refreshments such as fruit and mini quiches provided by Chartwell’s.  The gathering recognized many of the Honors Program’s leaders, including Dr. Rosner.  Stockton University President Dr. Harvey Kesselman also attended, and gave a short speech about how much the Honors Program has grown since its creation in 2005.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Honors Program 10th Anniversary Celebration.  It really inspired me, as well as the other attendees, to put our all into bettering the Honors Program here at Stockton.  I also was able to meet and speak with President Kesselman, which was an honor.  Hopefully by the time the Honors Program turns twenty it will be even better, thanks to the hard work of my peers and myself.

Skeleton Scripts

On Friday, December 11th, Stockton Student Television (SSTV) filmed the pilot episode of Skeleton Scripts.  Created and hosted by Stockton student Sam Rubinstein, Skeleton Scripts is an improvisational sketch comedy show.  The show works something like this: a week before the show, the actors in the cast receive a “skeleton script,” a bare-bones outline of basic dialogue without punctuation, leaving interpretation open to the actor.  In addition, space is left for improvisation between lines, and the actors have no idea until show time what other actors are in the skit with them.  Lastly, each skit has a mystery prop.  None of the actors know what the strange prop is until they’re onstage and the prop is revealed.  As expected, comedic chaos ensues.  Overall it makes for a fun, wild, and unpredictable comedy experience.

The pilot episode was filmed by SSTV in Alton Auditorium and had a live studio audience of about 30 people.  Three skits were performed: a student asking a teacher for extra credit, a new couple at a shady-looking pet store, and a thief deciding to rob the wrong couple.  At the end of the show, the audience was invited to take part in improve games with the cast.

As an actor in Skeleton Scripts, I had a very interesting view of the process, from pre-production to the filming of the pilot on the eleventh.  Auditions were nerve-racking but exciting – we were asked to act out a skeleton script with one of the SSTV members, and emote for the camera.  It was super intimidating, especially since I’d never done improve in front of a camera!  The best part of the whole process in my opinion was our cast rehearsal, which acted as a sort of ice-breaker.  The other actors and I were all given a sample skeleton script and were able to perform it multiple times with different actors.  It was a great way to get to know everyone, while at the same time practicing for the actual performance.

The night the pilot was filmed, we got a lot of laughs.  The show has since been picked up, and filming for the first season of Skeleton Scripts begins at the end of March.  I can’t wait for filming to begin and to be able to share this hilarious, crazy, improve-filled experience with the Stockton Community.

South Jersey American Chemical Society Meeting

On Tuesday, October 20th, local chemists, physicists, and professors, as well as Stockton students, gathered at Gourmet Italian Cuisine in Pomona for a meeting of the South Jersey chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The meeting began with a social hour, followed by dinner in a private room.  The food was incredible: a ravioli appetizer, garlic bread, salad, chicken or salmon with wild rice, and three-layer chocolate mousse for desert.  After dinner was over, Stockton’s own Dr. Elizabeth Pollock gave a presentation entitled “Science and Pseudoscience in Nutrition,” which examined the credibility of current nutrition research, as well as the challenges faced by scientists and doctors when organizing nutritional studies.

This was my first South Jersey ACS meeting, and to be honest it was nothing like I’d expected.  I had assumed (incorrectly) that the attendees would mainly be students, but less than a quarter of those who attend were in college.  Instead, many of the attendees were professionals working in various fields: I met a man who worked at a chemical glass manufacturing center; there were two women who worked at the Hammonton police research facility; there was a physics professor from Rowan.  They were all extremely welcoming (when I stumbled into Gourmet by myself, directed by a server in the general direction of the bar), kind, funny, and extremely devoted to their respective careers.  That is one thing I truly admire about chemists: they always seem to harbor an incredible sense of excitement regarding their work.

Between the great food, enticing presentation, and welcoming chemists, I can’t wait to attend another South Jersey ACS meeting.

Promised Land

           On Thursday, September 3rd, Promised Land opened in the Stockton Performing Arts Center’s Experimental Theater.  An original play put on by Chrysalis Staging (a group founded by Stockton alumni), Promised Land takes place in the not-so-distant future, where global warming has turned the once-civilized world into one of violence, desperation, and control.  Abraham, a land-owning farmer, struggles to feed the thousands of people who live off his land, while his wife Ester and her “Scarecrows” gather intelligence and maintain order, often through violent means.  Their daughter Rebecca, seemingly innocent, has a dark, rebellious side.  When a traveling salesman named Elliot arrives at Abraham’s doorstep, he brings with him the possibility of reversing the damage done to Abraham’s land…and, perhaps, the rest of the world.

            Promised Land had a four-night run at the Experimental Theater.  Though the Experimental Theater was small, it allowed for an intimacy between the actors and the audience that is rarely experienced in larger productions.  The set – a farm house, barn, and windmill – was versatile and detailed, allowing most of the play’s action to occur in one locale.  What truly took the play to the next level was its use of props and audio.  Throughout the show, gunfire (blanks, of course) and haunting, rumbling transition tracks created a dark and tense atmosphere.  Just as expertly, the comic dialogue between the characters, particularly between Abraham and Ester, provided a brief respite from the sincerity of the plot.

            Without a doubt, Promised Land was one of the best plays I have seen.  Though the story was fiction, it dealt with real issues that our generation will have to resolve: global warming, climate change, a growing global population, food shortages, etc.  The characters stayed with me for days afterward, particularly Elliot, who was lively, driven, and, unfortunately, dead by the end of the play.  The fact that a new group such as Chrysalis Staging could put on such an incredible show is truly inspiring.  Hopefully they will continue to perform here at Stockton University.

“Shoot Fast, Speak Easy”

On Saturday, April 23rd, I filmed my second short film with SSTV.  Entitled “Shoot Fast, Speak Easy,” it was for my Honors Literature and Society class, which focuses on 1920s literature and culture.

When I tell people on campus about SSTV, many of them are surprised.  Hardly anyone on campus knows about it, which is truly a shame, as SSTV provides great opportunities to ALL students, not just communication majors.  For instance, they:

  • loan cameras and equipment out to students
  • help students film and edit movies for class and for fun
  • produce several shows including Stockton News, Latino Motion, and Skeleton Scripts
  • teach students how to use editing software
  • give students opportunities to work as crew on different shoots

In fact, I only stumbled upon SSTV by chance.  My friend Mary said there was a Theater Club meeting in the upstairs Campus Center.  I happened to get out of class early that day, so I thought, why not?  The Theater Club meeting was being held in the SSTV office to plan “Skeleton Scripts:” I am now a member of the cast.  I wrote a blog about filming the pilot last semester.

Anyway, back to my film. SSTV was great – there were four people on crew, and they provided a DSLR camera, tripods, a boom mike, and lights.  They are always super helpful, and give me feedback on scenes, dialogue, and more as we go along.  The shoot lasted about four hours.

I am currently editing my film, something I really love doing.  Editing is really one of my passions!  It’s nice having the other SSTV members there to give me guidance while I work, and they’re loads of fun to be around!

I can’t wait to be more involved with SSTV next semester!

Honors BBQ

This Wednesday, April 20th, was the annual Honors barbecue.  Held in the Housing Four quad, it was a fun event where honors students could come relax, hula hoop, and eat some free burgers and hot dogs.

About thirty people showed up for the barbecue.  As an executive board member I showed up early to help out.  After the food from Chartwell’s arrived we setting everything out – cheese, ketchup, mustard, fixings, and corn on the cob.  We had to shuck the corn ourselves, and were surprised to find about six baby corns: tiny little corn cobs that had grown off the larger ones.  They were absolutely adorable!  While the plan was to grill the big corn, I was so hungry I thought I’d give raw corn a try, and I was not disappointed!  I was also the official taste tester for the first hotdog, and was given the sad, broken burger no one else wanted to eat.

The food was delicious.  There were burgers and hot dogs, as well as vegan options like veggie burgers.  There was also lemonade and iced tea to drink.  After eating the honors students were given the chance to pie an executive board member if they donated $1 to our charity, but unfortunately almost everyone had to leave early.

I really enjoyed the barbecue, and can’t wait until we do it again next year!

Jungle Jam!

On Friday, April 22nd, the Honors Program and Commuters on the Go hosted the first annual “Jungle Jam!,” an Earth Day celebration which aimed to raise awareness about endangered species while also collecting donations to purchase rainforest acreage.  Any collected donations went to the Earth’s Birthday Project, an organization that encourages students to take an active role in protecting the environment.  Every $50 donated helped to purchase an acre of rainforest in Peru.

The event was held in C/D Atrium from 9am to 3pm.  There were fun games, hula hoops, rainforest facts, and more for people to enjoy, or just as a way to de-stress as finals draw near.  A few people stopped to play the games, but many donated as they walked by on their way to class.

Jungle Jam was the first major service project I created here at Stockton.  I had been considering it since the fall semester, and was really excited that my service co-director and the Commuters on the Go wanted to jump on board and help out.  It took an immense amount of planning, as well as help from the Honors Program’s more artistic members, but finally it all came together!  We raised $108.29!  I was so excited!  I had no idea how the event would go, given that this was its first year.  It was great to see that other students on campus care as much about the rainforest as we do!

Hopefully we’ll be able to hold Jungle Jam! again next year, and raise even more money.  I would love for it to blossom into a really large event so we can protect even more animals and their habitats!

Express Empowerment

At 9:30pm on Thursday, April 14th, the honors RAs held a dialogue/reflection/service project called “Express Empowerment.”  The dialogue emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and how lucky and privileged we are as Americans to be able to speak our minds.  We also heard some true stories about activists in other countries who were imprisoned or beaten for encouraging political discussion in their communities.  Amnesty International, an organization that stands up for the right to freedom of speech across the globe, was also discussed.

After the dialogue (which included interactive answers via texting) and a brief reflection, all the students who attended were given a piece of poster board, a paintbrush, and some paint to create a protest sign about a cause that means a lot to them.  My sign said “We need sySTEMic change,” as I truly believe schools need to place more emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math.  Other students’ signs discussed drone regulations, mental health, gay rights, capitalism, and more.

I really enjoyed this event.  I feel like many people take freedom of speech for granted.  They use it in their everyday lives, but never realize the good they can do if they use it productively.  I myself often take it for granted.  Having been to this event, I hope to use it to make positive change both in my community and abroad.

Tibetan Culture Week

From March 28th to April 1st, Stockton hosted a group of Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery.  Over the course of the week, they worked on a large, hand-made mandala as part of their Sacred Art Tour, and gave demonstrations on Tibetan music, culture, and food.  They also sold clothing, jewelry, and more in the C/D Atrium, and took donations to support their monastery.

I was incredibly surprised to find out about the monks.  I was sitting outside Au Bon Pain when I heard a thunder of drums – I wasn’t sure what to think.  Of course, I went to go see what was happening and was amazed to see that there were about ten monks chanting in ceremonial dress.  It was incredible to watch, as was the creation of the mandala.  I really wanted to attend many of the demonstrations, such as the cooking class, but wasn’t able to due to classes.

The small shop the monks set up had some really incredible things.  Besides clothes and jewelry there were also hand-made notebooks, prayer flags, bells, scarves, and more.  I bought a few things as gifts, and a prayer flag with a Dalai Lama quote to hang in my dorm room.  I also enjoyed looking at the binder on the donation table.  Inside were pictures of all the young boys training to be monks, as well as fun little facts about them.   I really loved the whole experience, and it was nice to go about my day and randomly run into the monks – heading towards the bathroom, eating at n wing, and so on.  It made my week, and I hope that I get to witness more Tibetan culture in the future.