Katie Brandt

Professor Rosner

Great Times at LollaNoBooza

On Thursday, October 27th Stockton University hosted a one night event called “LollaNoBooza”.  This was a Halloween themed party open to the entire public.  The idea of the “NoBooza” is that there is an open bar with all non-alcoholic beverages.  I tried the cream soda float and personally, I thought it tasted very sweet and bubbly.  As soon as you entered the event room in the campus center there was darkness and flashing lights.  I saw multiple people dressed in costumes.  From witches to murderers to zombies.  There were about six stations where attendees could enter a spooky room filled with creepy characters and play a game.  If a student played a game and won, then they would receive a raffle ticket to enter into a prize drawing.  Once past the games there was an open dance floor with two DJs playing music.  This was a silent disco so, each attendee was supplied with a set of headphones.  The DJs were each broadcasting on a different station in which the attendees could switch between them for the duration of the party.  Halfway through the dance the dance team came in.  They stood in the middle of the dance floor and performed their routine for everyone.  It was fantastic to watch.  There was also a photo booth where anyone who wanted to could take goofy pictures with their friends.  There was a table full of costume accessories like hats, glasses, and fake mustaches.  I can honestly say that this event was a great time.  There were tons of people attending and the atmosphere was incredible.  My friends and I will definitely attend next year.  

On Sunday, November 20th, the Stockton Geology Club sponsored a trip to the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ. The trip was partially covered by the club, with members attending having to contribute $5 toward their tour fee. Transportation was provided, and we disembarked from the Arts and Sciences building by 7:45 am.

During the drive up, we wound up running further into the system that dropped a few flakes at Stockton. By the time we reached Sterling Hill, about 2-3 inches had accumulated, and, naturally, snowball guerrilla warfare soon ensued. Not even the accompanying professor was safe. After things calmed down a bit, we were treated to a tour of the museum and the uppermost level of one of the zinc mines on the site. The tour included descriptions of the geologic formations and processes visible at the mine as well as demonstrations of the equipment used when the mine was active. The history of the mine was also covered as part of the tour, as well as some of the fluorescent minerals found in the mine, which include willemite (a zinc ore) and calcite (calcium carbonate mineral), which respectively glow green and orange under an ultraviolet light. There was also an opportunity for guests to collect their own samples at the surface, and a gift shop with a number of small fossils, fluorescent mineral samples and crystals available. I wound up leaving with a trilobite and a sample that included willemite, calcite and franklinite (another zinc ore).

Our time at Sterling Hill concluded by about 2 pm, so we reassembled at the school vans and began the 2-1/2-hour drive home. We returned to campus around 4:30-5:00 and some club members went out for food soon after our return. I, personally, went back to my dorm.

On November 28, 2016, I attended the Take Back the Tap event hosted by the Waterwatch club.  Their main purpose is to promote the benefits from conservation of the environment through programs that involve community outreach.  This was a one time event hosted with the purpose of educating the attendees on the benefits of tap water in comparison to bottled water.  While the event had low attendance, it was put together well.  On a table in the front was four pitchers of water labeled A,B,C,D.  Three were from various companies like Poland Springs, Fiji, and Deer Park, while the last was just regular tap water.  Next to this was cups so that the attendees to the event could taste test the water.  The goal was to write down which water in each pitcher we thought belonged to each company while also figuring out which one was the tap water.  After everyone went up and wrote down their guesses, only one person out of the group was able to get all four right, winning them a Waterwatch branded bottle.  Afterwards, we discussed our thoughts on how we attempted to differentiate the taste in the pitchers.  Many others besides myself found it difficult to tell the types of water apart.  Little did we know that the event was set up to show that there is practically no difference between tap water and bottled water when it comes to taste!  Water bottle companies just take water from springs and resell it to the public when there are free methods to obtain water such as the hydration stations around Stockton’s campus.  Next time you buy a water bottle, just think about how you could be getting it through more efficient methods.         

Amanda Romeiser

This March over spring break, I will be traveling in Europe, studying the World Wars and the Holocaust with the Study Tour Faculty Led Program to the Netherlands and France. We will be departing from the Philadelphia International Airport on Wednesday, March 8, and returning on Sunday, March 19. This study tour will be accompanied by a course during the spring semester of 2017, which will be taught and the tour will be led by Dr. Michael Hayse, director of the M.A. Program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and Associate Professor of History, Mrs. Gail Rosenthal, director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, and Dr. Mary Johnson of Facing History and Ourselves. The goal of the course is to broaden our understanding of the Holocaust, including the essential background information of the World Wars in order to prepare us for the experiential core of the course, which is the study tour components.

The amazing opportunity that this study tour provides the students, and the part that I am most excited about, is the ability to travel with three Holocaust survivors, who were “hidden children” during the war. When I heard about this incredible opportunity, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. The survivors, Leo Ullman, Maud Dahme, and Dan Kochavi, will be accompanying us, and we will be visiting sites relevant to their personal stories. Additionally, we will also be tracing the life stories that connect with two of the Stockton student participants, Tyler Eden and Jennie Meltzer. We will be touring the Anne Frank House, the Portuguese Synagogue, the “Hidden Village,” the D-Day landing sites, the Shoah Memorial Museum, and the Drancy concentration camp, to name a few a few of the sites.

Following our return, the student participants will be working on individual projects related to the World Wars or the Holocaust and how the historical sites we visited relate to our personal projects. Unlike some other students going on the Holocaust Study Tour, I am not a history major, pursuing a minor in the Holocaust and Genocide Studies, nor does my family have direct connections to the horrors of the Holocaust. My interest is very personal. I have always been very moved by the events of World War II, and the more I have learned regarding the Holocaust, the more I am made aware of the extreme psychological torture inflicted on the victims and the more I realized the connections the Holocaust has to my future career as a law enforcement officer and forensic psychologist. This is what I want the focus of my project to be. I am very excited about this opportunity, and I am counting down the days until we leave.

I went to Rise Above’s annual pumpkin picking gathering at R&J Farms on October 25^th. Rise Above is a club here at Stockton that does different service activities, and they even helped at Lolla-No-Booza, among other things. This event was a one-time event for the year, and was super fun because I had not done anything with this club before. I play for the tennis team at Stockton and had finally finished the season around October 15^th so I figured it was finally time to start going to some clubs, especially since I was less busy. Plus, it was a great way to meet some new friends.

This event started off well because not only did we do some pumpkin picking, but we went into a corn maze as well. As we went into the corn maze we had to go around finding seventeen different hints throughout the maze that would help us solve the crossword puzzle that the farm gave us. It took about an hour or so to finally muster up all the clues, and it helped us win a small prize at the end for finding all of them. After that, we got in line to go on the hayride that would then take us to our nice, round, and orange friends. Once we got to the pumpkin patch it took about 15 minutes or so to find the perfect pumpkin, and some of us even took two because of how cute they were. I still even have my pumpkin, and it is amazing how long it has lasted even a month later. Overall, this event was a blast and I’d highly recommend anyone going for next year if they are looking to have a great time with new friends.

The Election 2016 Debriefing, headed by Claire Abernathy on November 10, served as a platform for students to discuss the results of the 2016 election and their concerns about what’s coming in the future. The event was part of Stockton’s Democracy Cafe series in which many discussions about politics are encouraged between students and faculty of the university. The dialogue session filled about half of the Campus Center Theatre with students, and other professors in the political science department where there to assist and answer questions. Professor Abernathy first described the results of the election, showing how the votes fell in the presidential election and the congressional election by state. She then discussed the exit polls, showing statistics about who voted for what candidate in terms of gender, race, education level, and income, analyzing why the votes fell where they did, and how it compared to the exit polls of President Obama’s win in 2012. Afterwards, she posed questions to the students in attendance about the Electoral College, their thoughts about President-Elect Trump, and what they think might happen under his leadership. The longest portion was, unsurprisingly, questions about thoughts and fears about Trump, in which everything from trade and international relations to compromising of LGBT and women’s rights was discussed. Fresh fruit and water were also provided. I think this was a great event to have on campus, especially after the tumultuousness of this election in particular. For many people, Trump’s win was shocking, and many people are frightened and unsure about the future of this country. The university itself even sent out a mass email to students recommending our counseling services because of the extreme anxiety and paranoia that plagued so many after election night. The event provided a safe space for people to talk about these fears with distinguished professors of political science, who were able to honestly answer their questions. It’s extremely important to stay politically engaged, and the Democracy Cafe series allows students a way to learn and get accurate, unbiased political information.

Kate Volpe nearly singlehandedly put together one of the best organized and most underrated 5ks I have ever taken part in. This, coming from a cross country runner, means that out of over a hundred organized 5ks, Run Run Rudolph lies in my top five. Allow me to explain.
Teachers assign groups to tackle case studies, which mainly involve sitting on a couch and delving into the depths of the reliable sites on the internet to find out things about a patient you’ll never actually come into contact with. This, theoretically, can be tackled by one singular person. Sure, it would take copious amounts of time, but it is not impossible for an individual to do. Organizing a 5k takes a multitude of people. Kate Volpe not only set up a course, but she also called news stations, reached out to runners, publicized the run, and recruited volunteers nearly all on her own.
We volunteers woke up earlier than ever before, and we enthusiastically blasted Christmas music while decorating the TRLC. We took every opportunity to hang lights in various places and wear Christmas hats or reindeer antlers. If the weather had been a tad colder, I definitely would have sported my Grinch onesie. The runners were hyped up and excited not only to run but also to experience some of the holiday festivities before Thanksgiving even happened.
Kate Volpe engineered a well thought out, impressive honors event that should have received much more recognition than it did. I fully endorse the Christmas 5k for the 2017 school year!

Normally, when told to wear business casual attire, one would not expect to be taking part in a game show, let alone Family Feud. However, the board of the Student Ambassadors here at Stockton decided that applicant activities are best kept secret until the morning of. So, nearly one hundred well-dressed young adults culminated in the academic spine to give their best impressions.
All of us eccentric prospective student ambassadors recited facts from our sheets to each other. We blurted out sporadic fun facts about our beloved school while trying our best to be personable.
Did you know that Stockton has 18 Division 3 sports teams?
There wasn’t one student in that fish bowl of a room that I wouldn’t have pegged as perfect for the job. We stood up in teams of 5 and gave our best impressions of actual student ambassadors giving tours. Our equally attention-catching personalities demanded recognition as we tried to shout answers over the Family Feud theme song.
Did you know our mascot’s name is Talon?
It didn’t feel as if we were competing for a limited number of spots. The event felt relaxed, only slightly competitive, and friendly. I did not feel judged by the board, even though judging us was literally their job for the day. Rather, I felt supported by everyone in the room, including those I was technically competing against. When we engaged in rapid fire trivia, those who got those impossible questions correct were rewarded with surprised cheers, and those who, like most others, answered incorrectly were rewarded equally for exhibiting the courage to stand up and try.
Did you know we currently have 6,965 undergraduate students?
Family Feud was probably the best fit activity for prospective ambassadors. This, coming from someone who normally detests game shows, means a lot. I guarantee that both those who made the final cut and those who did not had an equally great time participating.

Let me start by saying that applying for Stockton University’s Student Ambassadors program was the most nerve racking and yet rewarding decision I have ever made.
The final round of cuts was upon us, and how else would the board decide who was fit for the ocean than to throw them into the shark tank? Despite the comparison, the open house was nothing to worry about, even though a majority of us applicants had stayed up substantially late rehearsing potential conversations in our heads and practicing our welcoming expressions in the communal bathrooms. Each applicant was assigned to two ambassadors for the day, who would take us in shifts and show us the ropes before letting us take the reins.
My first ambassador and I took charge of welcoming people in the Big Blue gym, which excited me to no end. Wooing adults with a sugar sweet voice and a winning smile was easy, but being able to have actual conversations with potential Stockton students was a challenge all in itself. I dealt with high school students and transfers of all mindsets, some of whom were dead set on coming to this school and some who claimed their parents forced them to be here. No matter what, I greeted every family with equal enthusiasm. I couldn’t wait to share my love for this school with everyone I met. I was even able to help recommend a few prospective athletes to our wonderful athletic program.
I spent a majority of my day doing what I love to do – talk to people. I talked parents’ ears off while giving room tours, and I couldn’t get enough questions about my life here at Stockton from those I gave a campus tour to. I ended the day with a sore throat, cotton mouth, and a few new friends. My name and cell phone number circulated from tour group to tour group as I exchanged information with parents who wanted to know more about our school, as if I had not divulged everything I knew already.
I wish everyone had the opportunity to work an open house. The experience was emotionally exhausting, but so worth it.

I am sitting in the library next to my best friend as she types aggressively on a lap top that is bigger than her torso, remembering just how we crossed paths. If I had to recount a specific point in time where I looked at Millie and reflected on her significance in my future, I would say honors orientation brought this insane young adult into my life. So, before you rip up the invitation to attend this mass convocation of fellow bookworms and library goers, here’s why honors orientation benefited my college life.
Icebreakers are nobody’s favorite things. I can’t express in politically acceptable words how I feel about organized group activities, and if I have to hear the word “ships” or “sailors” one more time within the next decade it will be too soon. However, the time spent on our own was what really changed my perspective on the honors college.
I’ll be brutally honest; I’d made too many judgments toward the others in the honors college. I’d assumed that I wouldn’t get along with anyone who deemed themselves as “honors kids,” and I chose to live outside of the honors living community. I’d written off an entire group of people, only to realize that these human beings collectively made up my ideal crowd. I despise pool, but I played more games of pool with strangers that night than I had ever played in my 18 years of life. I have no hand-eye coordination, but the many hours spent barefoot on the volleyball court were the best hours I’d spent on any school grounds.
And Millie – my dear fellow eccentric – her presence at honors orientation did so many great things that she will never know. Her willingness to drop everything and engage in impulsive athletic feats struck me immediately. I have never met someone who is so much like the person I strive to be.
Honors orientation has not only given me many great friends – and quite an impressive shot at pool – but it has also given me a confidant, running buddy, study partner, and impulsive-index-card-maker all in one body.
Do not think twice about going to honors orientation. It’s not what the OLs plan that will excite you the most; it’s the bonds you form in those precious hours between organized games of charades and Irish dancing that will impact you in the long run.