I was three years old when I first stepped into the mirror-surrounding walls of a dance studio. After this moment, dance slowly became my life. By the
time I was thirteen years old, I was in the studio six out of seven days a
week, eating my dinner in the waiting room between classes, and doing my
homework on the benches outside. I thrived on being onstage; I lived for the
glitter and glam. I was obsessed with rhinestones and the loud music that would
play as I performed. Throughout the course of my dance career, I took lessons
in tap, jazz, lyrical, ballet, musical theater, pointe, and acrobatics. My
dream when I was a young girl was to become a professional dancer when I grew
up. I loved everything about the life of a dancer.

It is hard to believe that Dracula, performed at Stockton College on October 24,
2012, was the first ballet that I have ever attended. Dracula was a performance
executed by the Atlantic City Ballet. The Atlantic City Ballet Company is made
up of dancers from nine different countries across the world.  One of the things that I found particularly exciting about Dracula was the fact that I knew what all of the dance moves were called that they were doing throughout the play. I knew when they had made a mistake or when their performance was absolutely beautiful. If I hadn’t been a dancer for
ten years, I would not have been able to pick up on such minute things like
these.

What was so different about this experience for me was that the entire story was told through dance and not a single word was spoken. I am used to watching television or musicals where the changes in intonation of the actors indicate the moods and feelings
of the actors in the story. Being that I do not know the story of Dracula, the
fact that it was being told without words made it that much more difficult for
me to understand the plotline. If I had known the story of Dracula like I know
Cinderella, or the Little Mermaid, I would have probably gotten even more out
of it than I did.

The majority of the dancing was spectacular, especially by the lead women in the show. They made every movement look so simple and so graceful, which is awe-inspiring considering I personally know how difficult those moves actually are. There were a few
points in the show where I noticed that the dancers weren’t synchronized with
each other. Most of the time, this occurred when the younger dancers were
performing.

As much as I wanted to see a beautifully executed ballet with flawless dancers with years of
experience when I was watching Dracula, I was very pleased to see that they
incorporated their younger dancers in the performance. I was a younger,
inexperienced dancer at one point, and I would have loved to have been given an
opportunity to dance in the same production with people as experienced as these
dancers.

I am very glad that I went to see this ballet because it brought back a lot of memories from my dance past. Seeing things like this makes me miss dance because I loved it so much.
However, I have moved on and I couldn’t be happier in the place that I am in
now. As much as I would love to go back to dance, I think it’s best for me to
keep it in my memories, and continue to move forward with my life.

I had the privilege to do service with the Water Watch/ Energy Service Corps club. Over the year I became friends with a girl from my biology class. She is a freshman like me, and loves the sciences. Little did I know, she was elected president of the Water Watch Club. This is an awesome feat for a freshman, to run a science-based club at a heavily science-based school.
At any rate, I was introduced to the Water Watch club from the future president. She invited me to join an activity the club was doing called Lose the Lawn. This is an activity where native trees are planted to help stop pollutant runoff from reaching the major waterways.
It was a fun experience to put on the old gloves and thrust the shovel to break the ground. We planted all different kinds of trees. To me, there is something humbling about planting a tree that will continue to grow and help the environment for years to come.
I am so happy I got to do this service with Water Watch. Being a prospective biology major, I am considering joining Water Watch permanently. Whether you are a science major or not, if you enjoy the outdoors Water Watch/ Energy Service Corps is a cool club to try out.

One service project I did this semester was Read Across America. This project was run by an upperclassman who is on the Honors executive board. She has been volunteering at AtlantiCare for eight years! This is why she set up an awesome service project at AtlantiCare Kids. The project was reading Dr. Seuss books to young children on Dr. Seuss day. The kids’ ages ranged from 0 to about 5.
I was partners with two other honors freshmen. They are both speech pathology majors, so Dr. Seuss’s rhyming schemes were no trouble for them. The book we had was titled Oh Say Can You Say? written by none other than Dr. Seuss. We read a few pages a at a time, then handed the book to the next person.
At first, I admit that I was a little nervous on how these hyped up four-year-olds would react to college students coming in to the classroom. To my surprise, many of the children made a circle around us and put on their listening ears. Of course there were the troublemakers in the back of the classroom, but the majority were focused on the three unfamiliar faces reading a rhyming, colorful book. The children loved the book and they even were hugging us. It was nice to see kids so inclined about a book. This was beneficial in the sense that kids got to spend time with and interact intelligently with college students. But I believe that we gained more from the experience. We learned how to interact with the children and teach them. I would love to visit these children again.

In October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy left its mark on the New Jersey shore. While some were left unharmed and unaffected by the storm’s wrath, others faced great devastation. Lives were lost, attractions and homes were destroyed, and many were forced to put back together the broken pieces of their lives.

As a member of Water Watch, I often participate along with other members in volunteer activities based in working toward a healthier environment. With the occurrence of the storm, we all knew that there had to be something we could do to help. We found out about Operation Blessing, an organization involved with helping those in need, and proceeded to join in with their efforts. We discovered that a branch of the organization was being stationed in Little Egg Harbor Township and planned a trip to check things out on November 10th, 2012. Upon arriving at the branch’s base, we learned that there were numerous volunteers working together to help those who had been impacted greatly by the hurricane. The volunteers were collecting and distributing food, water, clothing and other useful items to those who had been afflicted; however this was only a small portion of the great work being done. The volunteers were traveling to destroyed homes to sort through the belongings of homeowners, remove damaged articles, and even remove structural components of homes that had been ruined. They were also providing emotional support to those whose lives had been greatly disrupted by the storm. This was amazing and we knew that we had found a way by which to participate in relief following the hurricane.

After filling out paperwork and receiving shirts with the organization’s name shown, we were given our first volunteer location. As we got closer and closer to our destination, we could see the pilings of people’s things near the curb that had been destroyed in the storm. It was absolutely unbelievable the quantity and nature of the things that had been forcedly discarded from homes. Upon arriving at the first house, it was immediately obvious that the household and all that was within it had been greatly disrupted. The entire front lawn was covered in garbage bags, boxes, furniture, carpets, tiles, drywall, lighting fixtures, and plenty more. Contained within this mess was not only the sorts of things most people would have, but also unique items of sentimental value. These were items that held important memories, and now they were destroyed and having to be dragged from homes to be picked up for disposal. Upon taking my first steps into the house, I could see that the inside had been completely destroyed. The support beams and foundation were all that remained within the interior of the home. We continued with the work being done by clearing out the remaining waterlogged items. In another house, I was literally given the task to tear out walls and the insulation behind them. It felt odd to help others by taking their homes apart, but this was necessary. At both locations, we spent a significant amount of time speaking with the residents. It is impossible to express how devastated they were by the situation; however, they were also incredibly grateful for the assistance of the volunteers.

This experience really opened my eyes to how badly people were impacted by the storm and along with others I am compelled to continue providing assistance to those in need. I would strongly recommend to others that they join in on efforts to provide relief to those afflicted by Hurricane Sandy.

The following are some tips that I find useful to help incoming college freshman. The transition from high school to college is definitely not easy. Many are leaving their hometown where they know everyone and everyone knows them. Now you are thrown into a new sea of faces as you enter college. Don’t be afraid to talk to the person next to you, chances are they are looking for a friend too. Try new things, go to different events on campus, and you are guaranteed to make friends.
Another important thing is organization. High school might be been slightly easy enough to pass by without having yourself organized. Set up a simple calendar or your wall, or if you’re a techy kind of person plan your days ahead on your phone or pda. So when you do have those mornings you wake up later than expected you don’t have to worry because you know what your day holds. Also this helps you keep track of assignments due and testing days.
Another important tip is to learn how to study. Learn which way works best for you. Study in groups, study alone, don’t waste your time or money. Ask around to see how others are studying. Studying doesn’t have to be boring! Personally, I found that working out in between making/reading note cards works best for me. Do your homework. Give your classes all you got. You will leave these four years behind with a sense of accomplishment and dignity.

In January I participated in one of the many blood drives the Red Cross does at Stockton each year. I have never donated blood previous to this experience. To be honest, I was always a little scared that I would have passed out or something. But being almost 200 pounds, that’s highly unlikely.
One of the smartest decisions I made was to sign up early with the Honors students who were tabling, because if not I would have had to wait a long time. But because I had a prearranged time I was moved to the front of the line. You have to answer a bunch of questions for pre-screening before you give blood. They do this as a precaution to make sure the blood is not defective in any way. Don’t worry, they test the blood before it is ever transfused.
I was happy I did something that could possibly save someone’s life. I know if I ever got in an accident I would hope there was someone who gave blood for me. I think this is a great way to give back to the community. All it costs is time!
Also, as with any blood drive, if you donate you get to refuel with some goodies such as pretzels, cookies, and drinks. Hopefully you can sit at this table and not have to lay down like many thin, brave boys and girls who have to recover for a while after giving blood. If you make the blood mass index to give blood by .1% and still give blood, I give you props!

I recently attended of the Stockton run parties near the freshman dorms. As a commuter, I don’t usually get to enjoy the many extra-curricular activities occurring on campus. As I was walking to the Honors dorm to finish a lab report with one of my friends, I noticed that the common grounds seemed different to say the least.
There was upbeat music pumping through two big speakers. There was a D.J. running the show with his MacBook laptop. All around it looked like a carnival, with huge blow up toys. There was a sock em’ boppers station where you could duke it out with your best friend, (or enemy). Also there was a bungee station, where two players were tied to one end and had to race with bungee cords around their waists. Many players were pulled straight back. This was comical to see!
The best part had to be the food. There was a giant barbeque next to the TRLC building, which is the center of freshman life. They had burgers, hotdogs, and of course veggie burgers to suit those who don’t eat meat. The most important to mention had to be Stockton’s famous cookies. With tastes as delicious as these, I had to go up for seconds! After a long day of classes, this was an especially amazing treat. Thank you Stockton!

This blog coincides with another blog I wrote about staying in shape. The topic of this blog is eating healthy in college. For many students eating healthy in college is a difficult task. Trust me, I know the freshman fifteen all too well. Being a wrestler in high school I was usually in pretty good shape, but when I entered college I had to loosen the belt a little bit.
I was making frequent trips to the all you can eat buffet that Stockton offers. While this may be a nice place to dine, you really shouldn’t eat all you could eat. All the pasta, pizza, burgers, and ice cream you want is a tempting offer. The variety of sodas and sugary drinks add to the lure. It was like the buffet was calling my name as my stomach growled. As I mentioned before I was a high school wrestler, so buffets weren’t usually in my weekly schedule. But sooner or later I had to shape up and take control of my body.
So how do we eat healthy in college? It doesn’t mean you have to stay in your dorm room locked up with a blender and funky protein powders. Limit yourself to one or two “junk” food meals a week. Make sure you eat breakfast, preferably something like eggs and whole wheat toast. Yes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For the rest of the time eat in smaller portions. This can be with salads of all kinds, turkey sandwiches, and possibly some sushi. By now we know the difference between healthy and non-healthy foods. And most importantly don’t get stressed and eat bad when your studying, find a healthy snack such as a fruit and vegetable. It can be done!

One of the most important places on all of Stockton’s campus is the tutoring center. Here is where I now spend most of my time. I recently discovered this hidden treasure which many students don’t take advantage of. Stockton pays student employees who are knowledgeable upon a variety of different subjects, to tutor students. While classes may be two or three days a week, it is tough to fully understand all of that information in a matter of an hour and fifteen minutes. As a matter of fact it is impossible to retain all the information you learned in class without putting it into practice. At the tutoring center I get to practice whatever I may be working on, and I have friendly tutors who help guide me in the right direction on problems. The center is filled with computers, books, scratch paper, chalkboards, whiteboards, and of course tutors. They are open Monday – Thursday 9am to 6pm, Friday 9am to 2pm, and Sunday – Thursday night 7pm to 9pm. The day sessions are in room J-108 and the night sessions are at the TRLC. I do not think there is not a better resource out there to help me with my studies and I encourage you to come too!

I believe one of Stockton’s simplest yet greatest features is the Argo. If you don’t go to Stockton you might be wondering to yourself, what is an Argo? The Argo is none other than Stockton’s own newspaper. Every week or so, a new edition of the paper comes out. It is always filled with tons of useful information. On the inside cover, there is always a letter from the Stockton College Campus Police Chief. He always writes about something that applies to the well-being of the Stockton community. This is followed by a police blotter, which gives you statistics of the funny or not so funny things that may have occurred on campus. I myself got to be in the paper along with the Stockton Innovations team (Stockton Innovations is a new undergraduate research e-zine coming soon). The newspaper describes events that have happened recently or are on the horizon. One of my favorite sections is the Poor Man’s Palate where they showcase a local restaurant that satisfies your appetite without putting a hole in your wallet.
My favorite edition of the Argo was the April Fools edition. It was full of funny jokes and gags, for example the coffee from one of Stockton’s eateries was found to be brewed with dirt not coffee grinds. They have a funny sense of humor over at Argo headquarters. All in all the Argo is a great resource to see what’s up in the Stockton community and learn about different events. P.S. You can also get a job writing for the Argo. I have a friend who does it and he loves it. So if writing is your thing, check it out!