Yesterday, November 8th, 2016, I attended an “Election Party” in the Campus Center Board of Trustees Room.  It was a huge event: at least a hundred students gathered together (with pizza and soda!) to watch the votes be counted to declare the 45th president of the United States.  Students debated political views/ideologies on specific topics, played a “Who Said That?” quote game with sayings from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and just had a good time in each other’s company.  We had no idea about the storm that was brewing.

       At the beginning of the party, at around 7 o’clock, Clinton was destroying the election.  It seemed like her name was constantly lit up on the screen, highlighting a win in a progressive state.  Even as I left, around 10 or so, her name was still flashing, and people were still cheering “Hillary! Hillary!”  

       I was very excited for Hillary Clinton’s win.  I classify myself as a Libertarian: I believe in a majority of the things that that party stands for.  I’m not a huge fan of Gary Johnson, given his lack of knowledge when it comes to global affairs, so I associated myself #WithHer.  All I knew for sure was that I did not want the homophobic, xenophobic, islamophobic bully that is Donald J. Trump to win the presidency.

       Eventually, around 2 a.m., I couldn’t stay up any longer, so I fell asleep.  I woke up a few hours later to the news that Donald Trump won the presidency.  I was completely baffled: a man without any political experience won the slot as the face of this nation.  A man that does not care about women, minorities, or the disabled, now is the executive of the United States.  I am still in shock as I type this essay.  I feel as though this event has pushed aside all of the efforts of civil activists like Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, and Lady GaGa, and put a halt on our progress as a nation.

       I will not use this space to bash Donald Trump, but I just would like to express how disappointed I am in America.  I thought we were more progressive and loving than we really are.  It seems as though this nation is more hateful, vengeful, and racist than it seemed.  I think it is imperative that if we (anyone other than straight white males, I mean) wish to retain the rights we have been granted, we need to stand together and keep our voices loud.  We cannot allow Trump and Pence to strip us of any liberties they deem unjust.  We cannot allow common people to attempt to infringe upon the rights of others, because the “Trump Effect” is real.  Trump’s behavior has not only affected adults, but children as well, and I fear that the impressionability of children with breed more and more Donald Trumps.  

        In conclusion, I pray that Trump’s whole campaign was a joke, and that once he sits in the Oval Office, he’ll shape himself up and make the right moves.  If there’s one thing I’m happy about when it comes to this election, I am happy that I am on a campus that allows me to exercise my right of free speech and allows me to communicate with other people that feel as I do.  

       Saturday, October 8th, was Stockton University’s 21st annual Osprey Ball.  Located in the event room of the campus center, the Osprey Ball was a semi-formal event from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. that entailed food, loud music, a photo booth, and lots of dancing.  It was the final event of University Weekend, a weekend of events designed to give college students a chance to show their friends and families what Stockton is all about: good, clean, fun.   

       I brought my boyfriend, Jake, to the Osprey Ball.  It was really nice to have a chance to spend time with him, since he lives in Delaware and I don’t get to see him often.  I wore a sharp black dress, and he adorned himself in a matching black dress shirt and tie.  We both like to dress up fancy, so we took advantage of the occasion.  The only downside to the whole thing was that I saw a girl in the same dress as me…and my dress was three years old.  Good thing I don’t get embarrassed easily.  

       Although Jake and I aren’t very skilled at dancing, we still had a good time.  There was plenty of food for us to stuff our faces with: chicken tenders, veggie rolls, fruit, and more.  One thing I’ve learned in the short few months that I’ve been here: Stockton never lets anyone go hungry!

       The music was also really good at the dance.  The DJ played more than cheesy country songs (unlike my high school); the variety of genres was refreshing.  I heard old school rap, modern pop, EDM, and even some reggae.  Stockton really knows how to party.  

       What I really enjoyed the most about the dance was that it had such a different vibe to it: a happy, carefree one.  Stockton is so different than high school, and any other college campus I’ve stepped foot on.  Everyone was out on the dance floor, getting their groove on (whether they were rhythmically inclined or not).  Nobody seemed to care about anything but the music.  In high school, there was always drama on the floor: girls fighting over some irrelevant guy, friends feeling left out of a dance circle, or some other pointless event of frustration, but at the Osprey Ball, there was none of that.  I saw one guy performing moves akin to ones from Beyoncé music videos…hair flips and all.  It was pretty awesome; everyone was having such a good time.  The vibes were great.

       To conclude, I will most definitely attend next year’s Osprey Ball.  It was a good time with good friends, good food, and good music.  I’d suggest anyone that likes to dance and have a good time go.  The tickets were only $5 each (I took advantage of the pre-sale).  It’s a really fun, really cheap way to spend a Saturday night with your significant other or group of friends!  It’s also a really fun way to feel like an Osprey, and get into the Stockton spirit.  You only get four years, so enjoy them!             

       September 10th, 2016 was a monumental day.  To Stockton University, it was the annual Day of Service, but for me, it was the first official day of being a Stockton student.  Stockton is a school big on giving back not only to local communities, but national communities as well, and that was one of the reasons why I picked Stockton to be my four-year home.  Helping others in need is something very important to me, and to be a part of a family that prides itself in caring for others is something wonderful and something to be proud of.  

       At the Day of Service, I participated in packaging food to send overseas.  We had to measure rice, dried vegetables, and soy to be put in bags and then compressed to be shipped.  Together, Stockton students packed up thousands of meals in the eight hours the Day of Service ran for, which was incredible!  Together, in a day, Stockton students helped give thousands of hungry families food that they did not have access to before.  Together, Stockton students helped decrease the amount of people living in hunger in the world.

       Another thing I participated in was the making of coloring books for children in cancer hospitals.  We had to first collect pages of colorless cartoons and construction paper.  Then we had to bind the pages all together to form a book.  Afterwards, we had to design the covers.  I made about ten, a majority of them in Spanish, for children that cannot speak English.  I thought it might make a Spanish-speaking child happy to see a coloring book with their language on the covers.  I know it would be comforting to me to see the language I spoke best if I did not speak English well.  

       This Day of Service was something special, and I think it’s great that it exists.  It made me feel important, like I had an impact on the world and well-being of others, even if that impact was not very big.  I feel proud to be a part of an institution that promotes service and volunteerism for the betterment of the world around us.  I hope that others saw this day as something momentous, as I did.  In a world where some people are struggling, I think it is important to lend a helping hand whenever possible.  I am a big believer that if an act of kindness is executed, it will create a butterfly effect that could reach very far.  

       Hopefully, this Day of Service had an effect on the lives of others for the better, and people now recognize the importance of being an active citizen in the community and the world.  Thank you, Stockton, for being so selfless and allowing me to be a part of the family.  I’m very excited for what the next four years have in store for me.