On November 18th, I attended a D200 floor program. Julie, our RA, ran a program about Barbies. She started the program by showing us a picture of a woman holding a Barbie doll. The woman had lines on her body that showed how a real human would have to change their body in order to have the proportions of a Barbie doll. The point of the program was to point out that Barbie dolls are a problem. Little girls grow up looking at this unrealistic figure thinking that this is how a pretty girl looks.
For the program, we created dolls of ourselves who’s body proportions were to scale with those of actual human beings. I am not the best artist, so drawing the doll was a bit of a challenge. I tried to make it look like my doll was wearing the same clothing as me. I gave her a blue tank top with a gray cardigan and black pants and flats. My hair color did not exist in the colored pencils we were using, so I just made her hair yellow. In the end, the doll did not look much like me. But it was close enough.
When we were done making the dolls, Julie took a picture of each one of us holding the doll we had created. These pictures were sent to the Barbie corporation as a form of the unrealistic proportions of a Barbie doll. After everyone had their picture taken, Julie glued all of the dolls to the paper we had used as the back drop for our photos. The dolls are still there on the wall in our hallway.
The idea behind this floor program is something that is very important. Many girls spend their childhood playing with Barbie dolls. These dolls give them an incorrect impression of what beauty is and as a result they strive to look like these dolls. Such an unrealistic goal is dangerous. The dolls that little girls play with need to be more realistic to the body proportions of actual humans.

On November 18th I attended the annual Scholarship Recognition Dinner. For this event, we were told to “wear appropriate business attire”. As I got ready for this event, I realized that I need to add this type of clothing to my closet. I have very few options for business attire and most of the options that I do have are dresses. It was very cold on the day of the event, so a dress was not the preferable choice. Five minutes before I had to leave, I able to put together an appropriate outfit that included pants.
When I got to the campus center event room, I was given a nametag that also had the name f my scholarship on it. I walked in and found my table. Everything looked very nice. There were beautiful centerpieces on the table and the napkins were folded the way that they would be at a fancy restaurant. Salads and bread were already out on the tables, but nobody was sure of the proper time to begin eating.
While we waited for the event to begin, everyone at my table tried to figure out if there was logic behind the seating arrangement. Based on my table it was not alphabetical order, scholarship type, or major. We never figured out if there was a pattern, though. When the conversation died down we decided to start eating the food that was in front of us even though we still were not sure if it was okay. Soon after that, someone came to our table and told us we could start eating.
The event began with some remarks from Provost Kesselman and President ____. After that, dinner was served. Chartwell’s really came through with dinner. Everything tasted great, especially the chicken. There was a sauce on the chicken that was absolutely delicious. I don’t understand why they can’t make N-Wing food taste like that.
After dinner, one staff member from every school introduced one student from the school. Each student talked about how scholarships have helped them to succeed. Many students mentioned that without the scholarships, they would not have been able to afford their higher education. As they talked, dessert was passed out. There were small portions of cake and pie and they were delicious.
Overall, I was happy to have attended the scholarship dinner. It is important that donors see the faces of the students they are helping. I was happy to be there as a show of my gratefulness for my own scholarship. Also, dinner was free and delicious.

On a Tuesday night before Halloween, my RA, Julie, held a floor program. I live in honors housing, D building, on the second floor. The program was called “Pumpkin Painting with Pals”. Julie organized this program with one of her friends from another floor, so both floors did this together in the D200 common room. Only one person from the other floor came, but the majority of D200 came. People brought friends, too. I really enjoy living on a floor with friendly people who participate in the awesome programs Julie plans for us.

At the start of the program, everyone went downstairs to pick out a pumpkin. There were many different sized pumpkins sitting in a big blue crate right outside D building. I chose a medium sized pumpkin and brought it upstairs. In the common room, Julie and her friend set up a long table in the middle with paint and paintbrushes. There was a snack table in the corner, with festive Halloween candy and Rice Krispy treats. Water and apple cider were available as well.

The other residents and I ate, drank, spoke to each other, and painted. It was a really fun night. People got really creative with their pumpkins. I just put an “S” on mine and painted a chevron pattern all over the pumpkin. Other girls recreated fictional characters on their pumpkins, made interesting faces on them, and so much more. I am happy that we did this. It was something creative and very fun. It is clear that Julie put a lot of thought and effort into this program, and that paid off because we all had a great time.

Attention all singers! Stockton’s Entertainment Team (SET) hosted its own version of the hit television show, The Voice! On November 12, 2014, ten hopeful singers set out to win big in this singing competition. The event took place in the Campus Center Theatre Room at 8:00pm. As I was ushered in, I noticed that there was a pretty large and supportive crowd in the audience. Before I knew it, four judges began to take their seats on stage and the show began. The first round consisted of ten singers who sang a one-minute version of their chosen song. After all singers completed their auditions, the hosts stated that there was going to be a fifteen-minute intermission. During this intermission, the singers would meet with their coaches to receive some constructive criticism that would help them do better in the second half of the competition. Also in the intermission, the SET team provided refreshments for all audience members such as soft pretzels and root beer/orange soda floats. Once I ate my food, I headed back inside to wait for the second half of the show to begin. When the hosts came back on stage, the second round of competition began. In this section, all ten singers were asked to perform another one-minute song that would be used to decide who would make it into the top four. After all singers completed their audition, the judges deliberated. While they were doing so, all of the singers made an impromptu song where each singer contributed his/her own beat or lyrics. It was pretty awesome! Finally the judges were finished deliberating, and the results were in. The top four contestants were chosen and each winner won a $25 gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings.
I think the SET team did a great job in organizing this event. Even with a limited number of participants, the show went off without a hitch! I applaud the organization for altering the rules to fit the time frame of the show. I think it was a fair way to allow all participants to really showcase their talents. Finally, I think all of the participants did a great job, especially my fellow floor mate Krista Thomson!

On Tuesday October 7^th at 6:00, I attended Project Linus. A small group of students met in an event room in the campus center. This was my first time participating, but this project is a weekly event. The organizer of Project Linus, an upperclassman named Lauren, puts this event together for Circle K. Lauren’s friend McKenzie explained the instructions to me for the project we were expected to complete: bears. We were making stuffed teddy bears for sick children. Aside from the bears, Project Linus also makes blankets and pillowcases for the children. This event was for a good cause, and it was fun.

As per McKenzie’s instructions, I started out with two pieces of fabric. Someone else already cut them into bear shapes, so I was able to skip the first step. I pinned the two pieces of pink floral fabric together, with the insides facing out. I then threaded a needle and sewed the fabric together with small stitches along the perimeter. After I sewed most of the way around, I flipped the fabric so that the pattern would now be on the outside and stuffed the inside with soft cotton. I finished it off with a few more stitches to close the stuffing hole and it was done.

It only took an hour of my time to make a difference in the life of a sick child. That small, pink bear will probably make someone very happy, and it did not take that much effort to complete. Making a difference does not require a significant amount of time or energy. Small acts of kindness have just as much of an impact.

On Wednesday, November 12, I participated in TheVoice, hosted by the Stockton Entertainment Team. I had signed up on the Monday before and got to work preparing my songs for the competition. I had not sang for real since I got to college, as I sing very loudly. I felt uncomfortable subjecting my entire floor to the sound of my practicing. However, the flyer for TheVoice promised prizes and I love prizes, so I got over it.

For the competition I had to prepare one minute portions of three songs. The first song that I chose was “Boots” by Liv Devine. I could not find an instrumental version of this song anywhere, so I messaged the artist on Facebook. She sent me the instrumental track under the condition that I send her a video of my performance. The second song that I chose was “Out Here on My Own” from Fame. The third song that I chose was “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun” by Carrie Underwood. I cut my songs to the one minute requirement and practices rather loudly for the next two days.

When I got to the Campus Center Theater on the day of the competition, SET was still trying to gather people to compete. Only three people had signed up and they needed fifteen to do what they had planned. By the start of the show, there were ten contestants. The majority of my floor made up the majority of the audience for the competition. That made me feel loved.

The show began and each of the contestants performed in the first round. Because there were only ten people, no cuts were made. We were separated into teams and each team was coached by one of the judges. Between the first and second rounds, an additional contestant joined, so we were up to eleven. After I sang and between the second and third rounds, we had a sort of jam session in the green room. One guy played guitar, some people rapped, and some of us sang. It was really cool.

It came time for the third round and the top four contestants were announced. I was in the top four, so I sang my third song. While the judges deliberated we had another jam session, but this time it was in front of the audience and smaller than before. In the end, I came in fourth. Everyone in the top four received a twenty-five dollar Buffalo Wild Wings gift card, so I was content with my placement.

As I stepped off the bus, I could smell the crisp, refreshing breeze that carried the scent of fertilizer and fresh produce from the garden not far down the path. We followed it under an archway of tree branches that couldn’t have been more inviting if it had said, “Welcome to our little piece of Eden.”

Rounding the corner, we caught sight of the Stockton Farm, an area composed of small, fenced-in rows of multicolored fruits and vegetables. A plaster owl was perched on one of the fence posts, guarding the premises and keeping unwanted intruders at a safe distance. We were greeted at the gates by two of the student volunteers, who welcomed us and told us of some of the practices on the farm, which is completely organic. They don’t treat the plants, and they use more natural pesticides: some chemical, some physical. Regardless, they told us of one pest that they just couldn’t seem to beat: a notorious groundhog that frequents the farm, slipping past the plants’ defenses and taking them one by one.

They took us inside the gate and we got a good view of the produce up close. The leaves of the root vegetables were visible above the mulch, and many of the peppers had ripened into brilliant reds and yellows. They took us around back to show us their Cajun peppers. On the way, we saw striped eggplants, kale, and tomatoes. What I found really cool, though, were the bees. Toward the back, closer to the tree line, was a beehive that kept hundreds of bees. It was pretty awesome to learn about all the ways beeswax can be harvested and used, such as for chapstick, candles, and even food! Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to see them; the weather was too cold, and we were quickly running out of time.

Last, they told us about how their entire irrigation system was student built. As they put it, “some of them had never even picked up a hammer.” Well, I never would have guessed. The system was powered by a single solar panel that activated a pump. The pump drove the water into a raised container, and gravity handled the rest. Water was distributed to all the crops throughout the farm in an efficient, natural manner. Also, did I mention it was all rainwater? I was truly impressed by the way the farm ran, and that the students built it all. I hope for the chance to go back and volunteer myself.