On september 19, 2017 Dr. Julian E. Zelizer came to Stockton to present his topic of constitutional democracy in the era of Donald Trump. He posed a question “Is the state of American politics currently facing a constitutional crisis?”  Dr. Zelizer is a political analyst and a historian who used his knowledge to study the current president, Donald Trump as well as his administration, and then used the information to compare to past presidents and their parties as well as success. He found that Trumps style in dealing with foreign policies and aggressive leadership is not very different from the way presidents such as Reagan, Johnson, Kennedy, Clinton, and Bush lead our country.

One of the most interesting subjects Dr. Zelizer talked about was that there will be a democratic congress by 2019. This change will be due to Trump continuously causing republicans to stand up against him. Not only was it informational to hear what is to be expected in our near future, but I gained a much better understanding of how our government works and the effects our president has on individual people as well as mass groups of leadership, such as our congress in our country.  

Today’s education system seems to skip, or only lightly touch on teaching about our government branches and politics. Dr. Zelizer spoke about our President’s relationship with congress and how his power can be, and should be, checked or even belittled by congress. Understanding that students are not as involved as they should be, Dr. Zelizer suggests students at Stockton and all over our country become more engaged. Ways that Dr Zelizer suggests getting involved are through voting, attending debates, and participating in civic activity.  

Constitution Day at Stockton was very enlightening as well as thought provoking. Dr. Zelizer lead the audience through an analysis of the issues our government has been faced with under President Trump, as well as the importance of foreign policies. With all the recent negative news it was important that someone could shed some positive light on our country’s current situation. By concluding with questions the audience was able to get involved in the conversation and clear up any misconceptions. Overall I felt like I learned a lot about the Presidency and the students of Stockton can now have a better grasp on American politics.

On Thursday, September 29^th from 8:00 – 11:00 PM, Stockton’s Pride Alliance hosted an open mic night in the Coffee House of the Campus Center. They planned the event with the intent of supporting the bisexual and pan-sexual community. Anyone who wanted to was encouraged to sign up and perform on the stage. The stage was adorned with pride flags, a microphone, and speaker. As performers took the stage, audience members were welcomed to enjoy cookies, fruit, and hot chocolate provided by the Pride Alliance.

Many people elected to sing when they got their chance on stage. The singers often explained that they had strong emotional connections with the songs that they had performed. One performer expressed that music was always a coping mechanism for her during difficult times because it expressed her feelings far better than she thought she ever could. Many of the other performers agreed. Some sang acapella while others sang with the accompaniment of their own instruments or background music. The Pride Alliance was very accommodating to however the volunteers wanted to perform.

Other performers entered the stage to share stories of self-discovery and struggles they had gone through to get to that very point. In particular, one transgender male explained his past of struggling with identity and his difficulty of coming out to his parents. He expressed that things have gotten much better thanks to the incredible support of his friends and school. He then concluded by encouraging anyone who had any questions or just wanted to talk to approach him after the performance.

The atmosphere was one of complete acceptance and support. Every performer was applauded and cheered for. Their effort and bravery was always recognized. It takes a lot of courage to get up on that stage and open up about such personal things. The overwhelming support was absolutely appreciated.

This event was very important to the Stockton community as it provided members of the LGBT community with a platform to express themselves.  For others who did not perform, it allowed them to hear from people who may be going through something similar. Something that was said by a performer may have been exactly what an audience member needed to hear. It showed those who may be struggling, currently, that there are people out there who understand how they are feeling. For both performers and audience members, this event reminded them that they are not alone.

As for the heterosexual audience members, it provided them with a perspective they may never have realized before. The anecdotes shared by the performers brought forth struggles that heterosexual people have most likely never experienced. It opened up eyes and brought forth conversations that a heterosexual person may not typically have. It is so important to see life through someone else’s perspective. This was an amazing event to open up minds.

The themes of the night were support and acceptance. Many performers discussed how important it was to have a support system throughout their struggles and to feel accepted for who they are. Through this event, the Pride Alliance showcased not only the support system that they provide, but also the support that the Stockton community gives. It was an incredible night for all in attendance as it reminded everyone that no matter what struggle they are facing or battle they are fighting, they are not alone.

I didn’t hate Trust Me I’m Lying when I first read it. But I certainly didn’t like it either. Media manipulation isn’t exactly a secret, nor is it some abstract topic hard to understand. Actually, I would think it’s pretty simple: powerful individuals with ulterior motives exploit an unsuspecting public for money or otherwise. Going into the event, I had expected him to reiterate this theme of the book a few more times.

Yesterday, on September 28th at the Stockton University Freshman Convocation, Ryan Holiday did speak. And he did reiterate the themes of his book. He discussed a how the media system is broken and how bloggers manipulate information and often lie to catch the public’s attention and gain more page views.  He also talked about how people encourage this system by getting their emotions involved and sharing it with their friends. But again, all of this was already laid out in the book, and therefore not the takeaway from his presentation.

The things I found interesting about Holiday’s presentation were those that were not illustrated in the book. For one, occasionally throughout book, one could get the feeling that he did not ardently disapprove of the media system, as he didn’t seem very vocal in his condemnation. In fact, he even tells his audience to do what they want with the information that he has laid out and during one of his interviews, I even got the impression that he was still in the business of media manipulation. But during his presentation, he seemed very discontented with the media and the way that it works, and clarified that he is no longer in that business, that the book was his way of breaking those connections and walking away from this thing that was increasingly itching at his conscience. Or perhaps have current events, including Donald Trump’s rise to presidency, altered his views over time?

He went on to discuss the importance of “media literacy”, which I think isn’t something that is talked about all that much. Actually, it is apparent that it isn’t because, as Holiday disclosed in his presentation, 44% of Americans get their news from Facebook and 7% legitimately believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. And yes, I did check. He wasn’t lying. We live in a world where fake news spreads quicker than real news, and the online media industry understands that and fully exploits it. Holiday explains that it is increasingly essential that we are able to discern what is and isn’t fictitious and what is and isn’t relevant to us and our lives, because it is so easy to get pulled into the trap that is laid out for us.

Holiday’s presentation at Freshman Convocation was, in a way, more thought-provoking than the book was—at least for me it was. It encouraged me to look beyond the pages of his book into the world in which I live and look critically at my own usage of media and question whether or not the news I am reading is important and relevant to me.

Finally, I had one question for Holiday, which I never got the chance to ask, and I now leave for you, dear audience: if everything we read and see in the media can be fake, how do we discern what is real and what isn’t? Or have the lines between the two become so blurred that they no longer exist?

Volunteering at Habitat for Humanity

For the past few years I have volunteered off and on at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore. The Restore takes donations of household items such as furniture, appliances, and even decorations from the public. The store then sells those items at low rates to others in the community who could not otherwise afford those items. The profits made at the store are then used to construct houses through the Habitat for Humanity for low income families.

Before I began volunteering there in high school, I was unaware that the Habitat for Humanity Restore existed. I knew friends who had worked with Habitat for Humanity to build houses, but had not heard of anyone volunteering in their Restore. Physically building the houses with the Habitat for Humanity was not exactly a form of volunteering that appealed to me, so I was excited to find another way to help out the organization.

While volunteering there, I helped unload donations from the back of trucks, organize furniture and shelves, place prices on items, as well as help customers locate items that they were looking for. My shifts there were never dull because there was always something to do and new shipments of donations arriving multiple times a day. I made so many friends there who were volunteering alongside me who I would not normally have a chance to interact with otherwise.

Overall it was an amazing experience being able to be a volunteer there. It was amazing to see how many people were impacted by being able to buy essentials for their houses at a lower cost. Since many families could not afford to buy new items at the store, shopping at the restore was their only resort. I’m extremely thankful that my community has a resources like this since most second hand shops do not sell hardware and appliances for house. I loved being able to meet the people I was helping as well as the idea that the patrons who were shopping there were also helping since their money spent there was going towards building houses for low income families. I was thrilled to find out that volunteering there would fill my service requirement for the Honors Program at Stockton since it’s already a part of my life. It’s amazing to be able to continue to volunteer there and be able to see the progress I help make there over time.

When I decided to join Honors at Stockton, my main interest in the program was the ability to help my community. After being a Girl Scout for over twelve years, I knew I would need to take part in something that would allow me to continue the service that I completed within Girl Scouts and to keep that sense of teamwork and leadership. So far, the Honors Program has not let me down. A few weeks ago I spent a Saturday working with 400 other students at the Stockton University Fall Day of Service.
The Day of Service was an event that brought together multiple different volunteer organizations such as Rise Against Hunger, Books Without Borders, and Ronald McDonald House. As a volunteer I was separated into a group where I then rotated between several different service opportunities. These ranged from information sessions, to hands on work, to discussion sessions. Not only did these coincide with the requirements that I will have to complete later in Honors, they also were a great opportunity to find what kind of volunteer work I would be interested in continuing.
I was sorted into the Red group where our first activity was constructing simple three page coloring books and decorating them for an organization named Circle K. My friend Stephanie and I worked in a small group where we created around 20 coloring books and constructed extra so the next group was prepared. This kind of volunteer work was very familiar to what I was used to with Girl Scouts, helping my community in small ways that may seem easy to complete, but will change someone’s entire day.
The second event I took part in was a small information session on drug use and addiction. Hearing two different speakers discuss addiction and drug use, and how addiction is a disease was very impactful. They also discussed ways we could help those struggling with drug addiction such as a training course on Naloxone (Narcan), a drug to treat those who have overdosed, that will be held on October twelfth at Stockton.
The third volunteer activity was very hands on, our group helped take part in the goal of making 45,000 meals for those who have limited access to necessities such as food. I worked with four other Honors students and constructed the bags of rice, dried vegetables, bread and seasoning. Our group worked as part of a much larger team that together filled the bags, weighed them, and packaged them. This volunteer work is what stuck with me the most, being directly involved in the process of helping those in need. Much like making boxes of supplies for those in the military like I did with Scouts, the feeling of teamwork and the overall happy mood of so many people working together at a common goal is what I hope to continue to be a part of in my work within the Honors Program at Stockton. Together as a large community, everyone at the Day of Service reached the goal of making 45,000 meals, was given the ability to spread awareness on drug addiction, and helped numerous other organizations with their ambition to help the world around them.

I woke up earlier than I had wanted my first Saturday morning at Stockton University, but I knew my day was going to have a lot of meaning to me, so I powered through my initial desire to fall back asleep and got ready for my day. I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but I hoped to leave feeling good about the work I’d done that day.

My first activity of the day was to sew pillows out of old fabric for AtlantiCare. My mom works for Children’s Specialized Hospital, so I knew she’d love what I was doing. Although I had never sewn anything in my life, an upperclassmen who had done this before was a huge help and taught me a simple sewing technique and so my service to my community started. That first girl who helped me really made me think that the Honors Program was one big community within the school. I wasn’t able to get an idea of that until she helped me learn how to sew. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish my pillow because of the time constraint mixed with my hardly amateur sewing skills. So, I moved on to my second activity of the day.

My next activity, which was my absolute favorite by far, was the meal packaging activity. My job was to refill the tubs of grain and rice while everyone else had various jobs of filling, weighing, and packaging the meals. The part of the activity I liked the best was hearing the coordinator yell out every 10,000 meals we packed. I was amazed how quickly we hit each 10,000 meal threshold and how many total meals we packaged: 10,000 in one hour! Although I hear the cliché saying, “Even a small number of people can make a huge difference!” a lot, this activity really made me live it out and I’m so proud that we could all make a huge impact on so many people.

My next activity was, honestly, the most underwhelming part of my day. I sat in the small theater in the campus center lobby and listened to a talk centered on New Jersey’s opioid epidemic and Chris Christie’s efforts to curb drug addiction in the state. It gave a lot of good information, but I craved real service and being active while sitting there. After the talk, I moved onto my last activity.

My last activity of the day was the Civic Service activity where we were able to “vote with our feet” and debate hot social issues. I liked this activity because I was able to hear different perspectives on issues that I had a very narrow perspective on. I actually changed my mind on one of the issues while people were debating, for which I was given praise by one of the people coordinating the activity. After we finished voting with our feet, I made a political poster that was posted on a wall with a lot of others. Some were funny, some were serious, but overall, I appreciated the wide variety of issues that Stockton students were passionate about. Can you guess which one was mine?

I’d give high ratings for the day as a whole. I learned a lot about how people can work together to make differences in the world, and it was a great first impression I had of the Honors Program at Stockton. Everyone was so helpful and so friendly, and I am so proud to be a part of the Honors Program.

On September 9, 2017, Stockton University held its annual Day of Service.  Through this day of service, students and community members came together to help in four service projects.  These services included bagging food for people in Africa, learning and getting involved in local politics, spreading the word about alcoholism and how to help, and creating crafts for children in the hospital.

My favorite service was bagging food for the people in Africa who do not have enough food to eat.  During this service, my group was broken up into five groups of various sizes to do certain jobs.  In my case, I was one of twelve people sealed the bags of rice.  After about twenty bags or so, I got into a rhythm of completely sealing the bags.  At first, it was difficult to get the bag flat so that I could properly seal the bag.  However, I found that if I folded the bag a certain way, I would have been able to completely seal the bag with no air holes.  Finding this rhythm really helped me seal as many bags as I could.  Our group was able to bag a total of 10,000 bags of food.

It really impacted me because I knew that I was directly helping people in another part of the world.  Each bag we produced could feed either a family of four for one meal or four meals for one person.  After we packaged the 10,000 meals, I wanted to keep going and package more.  I felt complete after helping with this service because I knew I was helping people who were living in very difficult areas and could not support themselves nor their families.  We were able to make a difference in these people’s lives.

Each service had its own unique purpose.  Two of the service projects – bagging food for people in Africa and creating crafts for children in a hospital – were hands-on that directly impacted people in need.  The crafts that we created will help make the children in the hospitals feel less sick.  The purpose was to help them feel better.  The other two service projects – getting involved in local politics and spreading the word about alcoholism – educated me about each.  Even though I am not currently active politics, I know that I can easily be part of it on campus and that Stockton University is a safe place to do so.  Also, I now know how and where to get help and information regarding alcohol poisoning and the like.

I really enjoyed being part of these service projects.  They made me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be living where I am.  I wish that the rest of the world could be as privileged as the United States and myself.  Even though doing these small projects may seem small and pointless, they can and will mean the world to at least one other person in the world.  That is what community service is about, making someone else’s life better through the kindness of your heart.

My roommate and I laughing at each other

On Saturday, September 23rd, I decided to embark on a canoeing and kayaking trip hosted  by Stockton’s Get Centered office of student programming. I had seen the advertising poster on the wall outside of my dorm about a week prior to the event, but I was hesitant to go until my roommate pointed to the poster and expressed her interest in the trip. Relieved that I would have someone familiar to hang out with, I decided to hand in my $5.00 to the campus center information desk and reserve my spot. By this point, I was excited because I had always wanted to go canoeing and I had also been looking for other ways to get involved around campus.

The good thing about the trip was that the buses didn’t leave until 1:00 in the afternoon, which ensured that I’d be able to catch up on my Saturday beauty sleep (this girl does not like to get up early on the weekends). Despite having ample time to get ready, my roommate and I still found ourselves sprinting towards the campus center at 12:55, hoping desperately that the bus hadn’t left without us. It hadn’t. We climbed aboard just in time and the buses pulled out of the parking lot.

The poster had said that the canoeing trip would last from 1:00 to 5:00, so silly me, assuming we would not be canoeing for almost five hours, had brought along earbuds and a snack for the expected long bus ride. But to my surprise, around only 20 minutes into the trip, the bus pulled into the parking lot of Palace Restaurant and Outfitters, a canoeing center in my hometown of Mays Landing. Stunned at the fact that I had never been to nor heard of this place, I google mapped my location and realized that we were only eight minutes away from my house! This news excited yet also annoyed me, as I had always wanted to go canoeing but never knew that the means to do so were easily accessible.

After getting off of the bus, our group made its way to the big vans parked in front of the restaurant. The employees explained that they would drive us to the beginning of Weymouth Furnace, where we would start our journey. Hesitantly, my roommate and I boarded our two-person kayak and started paddling down the furnace. I was in charge of paddling, while she handled the steering part. We were doing a pretty good job for the most part, only running into problems when we accidentally hit low-hanging branches or veered off course. And even during those times, we laughed at our amatuer kayaking skills and at how ridiculous we looked. We got a lot of great pictures as well. I especially enjoyed listening to calming music as we paddled and viewing the river-side properties as we sped by. By the time we reached the end of the furnace, our arms were tired but our hearts were full.

I now have so many great memories of that day that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I look forward to participating in more weekend events sponsored by Get Centered in the future.

Stockton hosted an event known as the Get Involved Fair on the 19th and 20th of September. The Get Involved Fair is essentially a multitude of clubs, volunteer opportunities, fraternities, and sororities that each set up their own table in order to attract new members. The Get Involved Fair is one of the best ways to get involved on campus, for all the clubs at Stockton could be found there. Being involved both on and off campus, whether it be planting new tomato plants with the garden club or playing sports with special needs children, is essential in order to build a resume. A resume stock-full with a combination of clubs, volunteer hours, and sports makes the resume far more appealing to potential employers. Additionally, clubs and activities are the best way to make friends considering they obviously share a common interest if they join the same club. The Get Involved Fair facilitates making connections and building an impressive resume.

In between classes I decided to stop by the Get Involved Fair considering the tables lined up through multiple different wings on campus, so it was difficult to avoid. Candy and free stuff were being offered by pretty much all of the clubs and members of greek life in order to grab people’s attention. Luckily, I was able to snag up two free pens, two lanyards, a pop-socket, and a card holder to stick to the back of my phone. The free stuff was not the only reason I attended the fair, however. I arrived to the fair in hopes of joining Physical Therapy club and Marine Science club. I left the fair with more opportunities than I imagined.

My first stop at the fair was of course the table for the Atlantic County Animal Shelter. The only reason I walked up to the table was because there was an adorable dog named Tiny that I just had to pet. I had a great conversation with the woman who worked at the shelter about dog training and just dog behavior in general. I have been taking care of dogs my whole life since my mom is a dog breeder, so I had a good idea of what volunteering at an animal shelter entails. They were looking for people to bathe, feed and socialize the animals, and I was very interested because I already know how to do all of that. Especially since I am in college I miss my dogs so much and taking care of other animals would make me miss them less, so I decided to sign up. My next stop was at the table for Undergraduate Physical Therapy club. My major is health sciences with a concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy, so I decided to join the club in hopes of becoming more knowledgeable about Stockton’s graduate Physical Therapy program. My roommate also joined Physical Therapy club, so it is another way me and her can bond. Marine Science club was the next club I signed up for because I have always been obsessed with marine life, sharks especially. They do volunteer work such as cleaning up beaches, and I want to do everything I can in order to help save the oceans and everything that lives in them. Next, studying abroad has always been in the back of my mind as something that could be an option for me in the future since I love traveling. Learning about other cultures while also learning about something I love sounds amazing. So, I stopped by the study abroad table, put my name down, and grabbed a ton of informational brochures. Lastly, I signed up for a food kitchen because I just like helping people and talking to people. I have experience waitressing, so taking care of people is something I am used to doing and I love. Although a food kitchen is not really like a restaurant, it is similar enough as far as the social aspect and I’m sure I would still enjoy it. I went to the fair in hopes of joining just two organizations, but I ended up joining five. All in all, the Get Involved Fair was a great idea and I am so glad I went.

The Honors Program at Stockton University is a great way to help students get involved. Through service initiatives, students are offered the opportunity to contribute to community efforts and work to make any difference possible. As freshman entering the program, it is the perfect way to become a part of the school and meet new people. The program has not only inspired me to join clubs but also encouraged me to be as active as I can in the community around me and step out of my comfort zone to try new things.

Stockton provides many extracurricular opportunities for students through a wide array of clubs. This variety of clubs ensures there is something that can attract each individual’s interest. One of those is a renowned international service organization, Circle K. Circle K works to encourage college students to become active members in their community and build qualities of leadership through service. One of the many ways to participate is through Project Linus, a weekly service event in which students make teddy bears and pillows for children in hospitals.

Named perfectly after the blanket-carrying and compassionate character from Charlie Brown, Project Linus is an organization that aims to provide blankets to children who are ill or in need. From Stockton University, students are able to expand on these children’s gifts and make their own stuffed animals and pillows to provide for them. Through the program, college students can actively work to lessen the burden of the harsh reality some children face daily in this world.

Being in the presence of other students who were filled with happiness while creating something special for another person felt simply rewarding. The thought alone of helping to form a smile on the face of a young person who has been through so much inspired me instantly. Though the room was small, the happiness and compassion that filled it simply could not be ignored Through music and chatter, our small yet determined group cut, stitched and stuffed teddy bears and pillows in a variety of patterns and colors. Next week, the project will continue offering more children a token of comfort in their lives.

Project Linus offers students the opportunity to have a small yet direct impact on those around them while contributing a little bit of happiness and light into the lives of those is difficult circumstances. This event puts into perspective how life is never easy, even for innocent children. However, there is always something you can do, no matter the size of the gesture, to provide some comfort or safety for those in need.