We are living in a time like no other. Through the hardships and efforts of our previous generations, we have come so far in the areas of civil rights and equality. However, there is still more to do globally and nationally. We as a world community have not yet achieved true equality between men and women in the areas of civil liberties and acceptance. By attending the “Girl Rising” film showing and panel discussion, I was able to get different perspective on the position of women on a global level. The film took the viewers through the lives of real girls growing up in a global community that does not yet fully accept them. The story of a girl struggling to free herself from the kumlari life as a slave, the story of two girls. each fighting for her education in their respective countries of Ethiopia and Peru, and the story of a girl fighting off the advances of an older man in a Middle Eastern country all tell of girls fighting for their chance of equality and acceptance in their lives. Each girl in the film is going through the plight of fighting for her education, for her own rights, for her own future. In watching this, I came to understand that an education is a means to equality for these girls, and it only takes one of them to start a revolution.

In the panel discussion, we discussed the struggle of all of these girls and the girls like them all around the world. In many countries, it is not a priority to educate the girls in each family, but a priority to marry them off sometimes at the age of 2. The discussion then turned to the struggle for equality and acceptance for women in America. Women do not earn as much as men in the professional work world, women face discrimination in typically male dominated field such as math and science from the time of elementary school, and women are still fighting everyday to eliminate those facts. I learned, however, that it must be a fight for every woman and support from every man for us to make a difference in our world. It will not change right away, the change will be slow. We must all fight for equality all around the world.

I recently attended a showing of the film Girl Rising on campus. It was a documentary about different girls around the world and the hardships they faced and overcame throughout their lives. One girl got herself a job cleaning public toilets at a very young age to help her family financially. These were not the kind of luxurious public bathrooms we enjoy everyday here at Stockton, but instead disgusting hole in the floor bathrooms where nobody seemed to have good aim. She did this every single day throughout her childhood and teenage years. It was better than her other option, which was to sell her body to the neighborhood miners like the other girl’s in her community did to get by.

The movie opened up my eyes to the vast majority of struggles women face throughout the world. Most of the women in this movie had somebody there to support them. A male figure like a brother or a father who wanted better for them than society had to offer. That, however, is not the usual way things are. Most girls do not have that figure in their life. With nobody there for them, they do as society tells them to.

It brought up the issue of education. Public education is not available to the entire world, and without it thinks like this are possible for not only girls but all children. Even in certain countries where public education is available it is so poor that most students do not make it through the elementary grades without dropping out. I immediately felt grateful for the education I was able to obtain as an American. Sure, improvements can be made on our education system, but without it I would not be here. All those days I complained about having to go to school seemed like a blessing after the things I witnessed in this film.

Yesterday, as part of an RHA meeting we went to a new program on campus called “Let’s Talk About Stockton.” As with most programs, there was free food, and it was very yummy. The pita chips and hummus were my favorite. However, the campus food services (Chartwells) is the only thing I really wanted to talk about. After working at Lakeside at the beginning of the year I became disgusted and infuriated with this company. I worked in a cramped little Mondos stand area, with food dating back to my grandparent’s birth. At times, the tomatoes were so soggy I could not even pick them up with my hands. The tiny quarters always seemed to be home to at least 4 flies that not only enjoyed landing on the food, but biting at my arms and ankles as well. Stockton can do better. We can do better.

With a few friends I ventured over to the table hosting representatives from Chartwells. I sigh of relief came over me when I realized that none of them were my previous employers. There was a new guy. He had only been here a couple of weeks, and was previously employed at Cornell University. He had some great ideas to improve the food on campus, and was eager to hear all of our concerns. But who isn’t at these sorts of things? I told him about what I experienced at Lakeside, what my friend with a gluten allergy experiences every day, and what bothers the student body as a whole about the campus food. I made it clear that if things do not change next year when I am no longer required to I will not be purchasing a meal plan, and that I feel many other students will be doing the same.

The man listened patiently to all of our concerns and addressed each one of them individually. He said he would personally look into what is going on at Lakeside and make sure things are taken care of and the food is rotated properly. He said that he is currently working on a project called “My Place” for people with gluten free diets. Everything that is gluten free will be put out on a completely separate table and all gluten free utensils will be marked with green handles so that there will be no reason to ever worry about what is available, what is marked, or what has been cross contaminated with gluten products. He said we should see it within the next few weeks. He also said quite directly that there is nothing he can do about Dunkin Donuts not accepting gift cards or any game promotions won on cups. In order to change that I would have to speak to another man who lives somewhere in the area. Lastly he said that the food court’s twenty cent charge for water is the charge for the expense of a cup. I’ve worked in a restaurant before, those cups do not cost anywhere near twenty cents each. But if that’s there policy there is almost nothing that can be done about it. However, if you feel it is wrong to be charged for water like I do, you can bring a water bottle or your own reusable cup and fill it up at the food court and you will not be charged. If somebody tries to charge you for it, ask to speak to a manager.

The conversation seemed to go on for a long time. We spoke of maybe starting a fresh Mexican food place on campus, something similar to a Chipotle. He also said he wanted to see more Asian cuisine mixed into the menu. I do not know how productive this meeting really was, and I don’t know if any changes are actually going to be made, but at least now the company has been made aware of the concerns of many students here on campus. I hope to see improvements in the future.

One of the first events I attended here at Stockton was there annual day of service. Honestly, I almost did not go because of how early in the morning it was. I struggled to get myself out of bed, but I had been registered for weeks now and was so excited about it just the night before. The free breakfast, coffee, and t-shirts after registration definitely made me feel so much better. Just a side note: the little apple muffins with the crumbs on top that they have whenever they give away breakfast for an event, are so delicious that I actually wrote them down on the “pros” side of my pro-con list when picking a college. I had five that morning. By the time I was awake to function most of the tables were filled and people had already selected their activities. Colleen and I found a spot together working for the A-heart organization.

A-Heart is a small place that offers help and support for mothers with financial troubles. The people who worked there were very nice and helpful. It always amazes me when a person can stay positive despite the awful things they see each day. We volunteered to help organize their thrift shop. I was very excited about this, because I had spent a summer volunteering at a church thrift shop, so I thought the previous experience would help. The tiny little store was extraordinarily unorganized, and the lack of space didn’t help. We removed a lot of summer clothes to hang up fall clothing. The goal was to make the place look as nice and as organized as possible. We wanted the mothers shopping for their children there to feel like they were in a real store. Box after box were brought down to us from the storage room, and after hours of work we had found a place for every article of clothing, and organized it all by item and size. It looked amazing when we were finished, and I could not have been more proud.

I hope our work helps A-heart. They do an amazing thing, and I was happy to contribute to the work they do each day.

Town Hall Meeting With President SaatKamp

On November 13^th, the students of Stockton College received the opportunity to do what other colleges in the nation have never seen before, that is, host a Town Hall Meeting with their President and ask him question after question as they so please. And how did the students respond to this opportunity? As Stockton Students, they demonstrated that they have issues they wanted to be heard, and so they came out and voiced their concerns to President SaatKamp himself.

A few of the questions asked by prominent and developing students revolved around pertinent Stockton issues. A few of those issue were regarding the GPA requirement for graduating with honors, Stockton’s status as a possible University, Greek life, a tuition increase, and much much more.  President SaatKamp was able to thoroughly and thoughtfully answer each of the questions asked and when he couldn’t provide the best answer possible, he let someone with more experience and knowledge answer. He referred to Len Farber of Student Development and even the Provost of the College.

The Student Senate was instrumental in organizing the event. They took the time to heavily advertise the event, and hosted the event, assisting students ask questions. The event was packed with the administration, and people who only wish to see this College and the community rise higher and higher. Thank you Stockton, for the wonderful opportunity you offer.

Let’s talk about…Stockton! Event

            At one point, you have to look around yourself and realize that this campus goes the extra mile to make sure you, a student, feel safe, knowledgeable, and well-guided. I personally have realized that Stockton College goes the extra mile because Stockton College truly cares. On October 17, 2013, the Student Senate hosted another extravagant and well organized event for the student body to benefit from. A few weeks into the semester, Let’s talk about…Stockton! gave students a chance to come and speak about many of the issues and concerns they encountered so far in their Stockton experience.
Hosted in the event room, there were a variety of tables arranged throughout the room that focused on issues students might have questions for and or concerns. As a member of the Student, I was at the Student rights and responsibilities, wellness center, and Campus Police Center. With me was Sergeant Tracy Stuart, as well many members of the Wellness Center, and last but certainly not least, BobRoss. Other tables included experts from the financial aid office, graduate programs, and other areas spanning all across Stockton. Well over 100 Stockton students took advantage of this amazing opportunity to discuss voice their opinion about many issues at this event. In addition the event had a wonderful assortment of delicious and mouthwatering food, as was, the cherry on top. This event hosted by the Senate, demonstrates to the Students that we do care, and we like to listen to your opinions and concerns so that together, we can make this a richer and brilliant experience for all students!

Unfortunately, many people live a sheltered life when it comes to health care, unknowing to what the government is doing. On November 12th, there was an Affordable Health Care forum going on as part of Health Professions week. The room was filled completely, with some stragglers standing off to the side just to hear what was going to be addressed. The people in attendance were elderly, young college students, professors, and other in between. This was something of great importance, to know what is occurring with ones healthcare under the government. For the two weeks before this forum, I was learning about the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obama Care, in my Intro to Health Sciences course, so many topics that had been addressed had just been discussed in class. No matter what way the information is presented, it is still shocking how much health care costs. I used to take for granted the health care my mother was provided and in turn provided for the rest of my family, and I never blinked an eye. I thought everyone had the same plan as me, and I could never understand why people complained to the pharmacist about the cost of their medicine. Now as a college student in the health sciences field, I know more about health care and the costs behind it. Each year, health care costs will increase for the individual and family plan, and there is no end in sight to the raise in cost. Currently there are over 48 million Americans who lack health care; this includes adults, children, and the elderly. Medicare, enacted in 1963, helps cover the elderly and their health insurance, but most of the time it does not cover the cost fully, and the elderly must pay what is known as a “medi-gap” and pay the difference. Medicaid, also enacted in 1963, is meant to cover the insurance of the lower economic sphere, but unfortunately many doctors offices do not accept Medicaid, and Medicaid will only cover so much of a patients visit. Medicaid is federally funded, but mandated by the state.
Health care is still expensive for many people, and Obama Care is aiming to help the uninsured get insurance so as to be able to take care of themselves and their family. Obama Care is costing 728 billion dollars to fund so as to help make a difference. As of November 12th, approximately only 100,000 people have signed up for Obama Care on the health care website, www.healthcare.gov.
Attending the health care forum helped better my knowledge of Obama Care and fully grasp the concepts that go along with it. It also helped me look at a financial perspective of how much this will cost when I eventually leave my mothers’ plan and obtain health care as an individual.

On September 26, 2013 I attended the Freshman Convocation with guest speaker and author, Mary Roach. When I first got to the event it was a mass of confusion with everyone trying to sign the sign-in sheet to make sure they got credit for being there. Eventually, I got into the Performing Art Center and settled, but I still was not exactly sure what to expect from Mary Roach. However, as soon as she started to speak I immediately started to enjoy myself. She was funny, personable, and there was no ridiculous question she would not answer. Roach spoke at length about her books and she especially spoke about the Freshman Common Reading book, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.
One thing Mary Roach said about Spook was how she never liked how she ended the book by saying “What the hell, I believe in ghosts.” She said she felt like it was a little misleading because she wanted to go on this journey to really find out if we have souls and what happens after we pass away and to end it like that was not what she was going for and most people probably did not take it in the way she had hoped, which was in a funny, humorous way. I am very sure that almost everyone in the room agreed with her that they didn’t like the ending of the book either.
Another big part of her speech was her talking about how she got into writing about things like the afterlife, and the human digestive system sex. Roach said it all stemmed from her natural curiosity. She always wanted to know everything she could know about almost everything in the world and that is what she set out to do in her writing. She would pick a topic, research it until she couldn’t research it anymore and finally she would write a book about what she discovered. That was one thing I really like about Mary Roach, is her always encouraging us to be curious and ask questions which isn’t something I see being encouraged a lot in the real world. Overall, I really enjoyed the Freshman Convocation and just maybe now have a different opinion on Mary Roach and her books.

The bus pulls up to Eastern State Penitentiary and the scenery just doesn’t look real. Giant stone gargoyles, towering walls, the place looks beautiful and terrifying at the same time. As our group of honors students file off the bus, the students buzz with anticipation. We split into 2 groups and start our exploration of the grounds.
As we walk around the Penitentiary, we begin to understand why this place was once such a great prison. As we learn about the history, the rusted gates and dilapidated cells begin to reverse become like new again. With a little imagination, it is not hard to see the strong structure that was Eastern State. We learn about the luxury the prisoners were given, and of how some people actually wanted to come to Eastern State. During the time, it was greater than some of their lives at home.
For me, the most interesting part to learn about was the renovations that were done on the prison. In order to accommodate more inmates, security and the luxury given to the prisoners were jeopardized. Prisoners used to have a whole cell to themselves, an outdoor area for fresh air, and a skylight. However, as second levels were built on some blocks, first floor prisoners no longer had a skylight and second floor prisoners had no outdoor area.
After the guided tour, we were able to explore the ground on our own. Some of us went off to find the supposedly haunted portions of the penitentiary, including The Hole. The Hole is a portion of the prison which is underground and was used for punishment of misbehaving prisoners. We weren’t actually allowed in The Hole; however, we were allowed down to the gate. It had an incredibly low ceiling that I was just short enough to stand up straight in. It was in fact a very creepy environment and we could see why ex-inmates would want to haunt it.
After exploring on our own, we left the penitentiary for lunch. Walking around Philly, we finally came across Luigi’s, a small corner pizzeria that had a nice, comfortable feel about it. Of course, when in Philly, what else should you get but, you guessed it, a portabello mushroom panini. Hey, I’m vegetarian! With the exception of myself, everyone ordered Philly cheese steaks. After the meal, we all reached one conclusion. Luigi’s was amazing.
With full stomachs and happy thoughts from the wonderful meal, we ventured on to the used bookstore Professor Lenard told us about. The place was a book lover’s dream. Floor-to-ceiling shelves, wall-to-wall bookcases, two floors, all stacked to the brim with books; all genres, all age groups, all areas covered. I’d been meaning to get a new book for some time, and since Halloween had just passed, I felt the need for something that would chill my spine. I looked at the two shelves stuffed with Stephen King novels, unsure where to start. Finally, I gave up trying to guess and called someone I knew would know which book would be perfect: my mom. She promptly recommended Carrie. I had always wanted to know the story, and I knew that the book was always the best place to start. I paid for the book and left the store with my friends in search of ice cream.
After ice cream and a little more exploration of the city, we made our way back to the giant stone structure that was Eastern State. There we waited for the bus to bring us back to Stockton. While exploring, we formed new bonds among ourselves as a class. We had hung out with people that day who we had barely had a conversation with before then. New friendships were formed, stronger bonds were made, and none of us ended up in jail.

Paranoia is the feeling coursing through my veins. Constantly looking over my shoulder, I walk cautiously to my Monday 8:30 AM class. No sign of a green headband, barely even a Nerf gun in sight. It is the week of Humans vs. Zombies, or HvZ, a game which puts stealth and bravery to the test. During the week, all the participants wear a green band. For humans, the band is clearly visible and around their arm; while for the zombies, the band is clearly visible and on their head. The week starts out with one original zombie, the OZ, who then begins to infect humans. Humans are armed with Nerf guns, which, when hit with one, will make a zombie inactive for ten minutes. Every night of the week there is a mission that the humans need to complete. During this mission, the humans are not allowed indoors, which are the only safe zones; thus, giving free reign to all the hungry zombies. As more and more humans are tagged, the more and more intense and paranoid the rest of the humans feel.
Heading back from class on Monday, I had my first experience with the zombies. With a group of three friends, we took the long way around to the dorms. After being chased by the only three zombies created and sprinting to our housing, we finally understood why this game was such a test. Later that night on the first mission, two other friends and I ran into some trouble and became part of the zombie hoard. We were not at all upset and were in fact a little relieved to have that weight off our shoulders. We changed the position of our bands and joined the hoard.
Over the course of the week, the number of humans dwindled as the amount of the undead grew. Through this game, I have learned to take more risks and have more confidence in myself. The risk comes from knowing I could be hit with a Nerf gun at any moment; however, that is part of the game and it is only ten minutes, not the entire week. Also, charging a squad of humans or executing a sneak attack requires confidence in myself to know I can do it.
Almost 200 people were involved with HvZ and while nobody can know everyone involved, there was a certain bond that developed between the people in the groups. While wearing my band throughout the halls, I would spot many other zombies roaming around to their classes. We didn’t have to know each other or even have seen each other before on campus, but there was a sort of look and smile that would be exchanged. I, for one, have made friends with people during this week that I had never even known were on this campus. Humans vs. Zombies is more than a silly game of tag. It brings people together and unifies them, whether they are Human or Zombie.