On September 10, 2016, Stockton University hosted its annual Day of Service. Over 500 students and faculty, representing a variety of different university programs, gathered in the event room to kick start the day of giving back to the community. The Office of Student Development, along with Circle K and local organizations, organized the service activities that were to take place throughout the day. Each station worked diligently to fight global hunger, provide arts and crafts for children in the hospital, and pack books for disadvantaged countries, as well as offered education programs for suicide prevention, CPR, and voting registration. Following the activities, students were involved in a dialogue session to reflect on the work they had done and the lives that had benefitted from their work, including their own.

Two of my friends and I participated in the Day of Service for the first time, and we were amazed by the dedication and commitment that Stockton has towards giving back. There were hundreds of students and staff who, through collaboration and teamwork, worked towards something bigger than themselves.  My favorite station of the day, personally, was the Stop Hunger Now station that provided meals for underprivileged cities across the world. Students were asked to pack pre-sectioned meals of rice, soy, dried vegetables, and vitamins. Latoya Gillyard, representative of Stop Hunger Now movement, encouraged students to work as hard and effectively as they could; ultimately, setting a goal of making 48,000 meals in the allotted four hours of time. Every time the group made 1,000 meals, students would ring a bell to mark the effectiveness of their efforts.

Following the events, each group separated into mini breakout sessions, led by members of Circle K, to discuss the events of the day and the impact the Day of Service had on everyone in attendance. Not only had we helped those struggling both locally and globally, we learned the value of putting others before ourselves. I find great pleasure when making a difference in the world around me. Service has always been a big part of my life, and it was cool to bring that with me as I started my college experience.

On September twenty-third the Stockton Pride Alliance held their first event, a Bi Visibility Cafe, at eight p.m. in the campus center to celebrate Bisexual Awareness Day. In general, the concept of the event, a forum specifically for multisexuals (an umbrella term referring to anyone attracted to more than one gender, including bisexuals, polysexuals, pansexuals, and individuals who prefer not to use labels), was a satisfying change, when most LGBT spaces tend to center around monosexual gay people, and bisexuals are rarely given a loud voice in the community. Furthermore, the atmosphere was immediately welcoming. I initially sat by myself far from the stage and was quickly approached by the club’s vice president, who explained the event and invited me to move closer, where luckily I ran into some friends. The event primarily centered around an open mic night for multisexuals to share personal stories, songs, and poetry, and several tables were set up with snacks and drinks such as cookies, fruit, soda, and coffee. The board members put significant effort into keeping the event moving, frequently making announcements or doing improvised acts whenever there was a break in performances, as well as encouraging audience members to come up and share their experiences. About halfway through, the vice president of the Pride Alliance went around to every table and spent several minutes chatting with each person who had attended, looking for feedback and trying to make sure the event was successful. Overall, the performances were insightful, often entertaining, and the audience was welcoming and respectful. Moreover, the event provided some much-needed visibility to a part of the community that so frequently struggles with erasure.

The other day I attended a meeting for the Stockton Theatre Club. Since it was one of their first meetings and there were many new faces, we played a games and afterwards went around introducing ourselves. There were many members who major in a part of theatre, including aspects related to backstage work, but there were also many other majors. The club is great for anyone interested in theatre, on stage or behind the scenes, and it seems like people can get a lot of experience with it at the club, with their many events and workshops.

Some of the upcoming events include Whose Line Is It Anyway? shows, workshops and a performance of monologues. The Whose Line shows are improvisation shows where actors do skits and the audience comes up with the characters or scenario. I have been to a few and they were very funny and entertaining. I definitely recommend going to one. The next one, I believe, is in late October, but there will also be more after that. They also do workshops on different things in theatre run by the seniors and professors, so that people can improve their skills and learn. I know there will be many performances that people can go see as well if they are not interested in the actual acting or behind the scenes work such as the performance of monologues which is coming up soon, plays, musicals and many others.

            I am very excited to be a part of the club this year and am looking forward to being involved in these events. They seem like they will be a lot of fun and I would recommend going to at least some of these events. The theatre club meets on Thursdays at 4:30 pm in the experimental theatre lobby, which is downstairs from the PAC, so come and check out the club!

On September 20th, I attended the ‘Get Involved Fair’ hosted in the academic building, on campus. This event also took place the next day with the same clubs and greek societies. I was looking forward to joining many clubs, being active on campus, and meeting new people. I met up with my friends around 11:00 AM and we all walked to the start of what seemed like a chain of a thousand tables. Anime, quidditch, or neuroscience- I found these clubs particularly unique; however, the club I most connected with was the Global Health Team. The president, Francesca, was very friendly and explained the club’s mission. I enjoy helping others, and I aspire to travel to new places so this club really appealed to me. Other than this club, I also found the Animal Friendly Organization interesting. I have a passion for animals and the organization often volunteers at local animal shelters, so I wanted to be part of the fun! I noticed that they do fundraisers and donate to animal shelters as well, I look forward to making a noteworthy cause in this club. Another club that I signed up for was the Latin American Student Association. I joined this club not only because I’m Hispanic, but also because they have fun events and interesting meetings. In an upcoming meeting they will be discussing the Hispanic culture, such as parenting and growing up compared to other cultures. Throughout the Get Involved Fair session, I was able to meet leaders and other freshmen who were interested in clubs, like me.

This past Monday, September 26, Stockton’s Office of Service Learning hosted their first “Presidential Debate Watching Party” in the Board of Trustees room. It provided a fun atmosphere for anyone interested in politics and the upcoming election to gather together and hear what the two candidates had to say.

The Office of Service Learning did an excellent job setting up the event. They provided popcorn and drinks, and had round tables set up to help foster discussion among attendees before the debate started. There was even a separate screen off to the side which displayed live tweets about the debate- a useful tool which showed immediate responses from all over the world as things began to get heated. In addition, they created bingo cards, which included phrases such as “only I can do it” and “tax returns” (What prize did the winners receive? Presidential Pez Dispensers!). Personally, this was my favorite part of the night, as it encouraged attendees to listen carefully to the rhetoric of each candidate.

Coming from a high school where nearly everyone fell on the same side of the political spectrum, I found it refreshing to hear and see students supporting both candidates. I believe that hearing both sides is very important in a healthy discussion, which is why the only thing that I would suggest adding to future events is a more formal discussion/analysis after the debate ends. Some students stayed for a few minutes to discuss with their friends, but I think it would be beneficial for everyone to hear from students with different backgrounds and consider the arguments of those with contrasting political views. Overall, however, I found it to be a great experience, and I look forward to the next debate!

The Day of Service was an opportunity for Stockton students and faculty to engage in service projects. After intense card games and quarts of Chinese food, sleeping for five hours the night before was probably not the brightest idea. However, the morning of the event while walking to the campus center I was invited by the sweet display of free food. This was a perfect start for a 10^th of September morning as I walk into a small room to learn how to perform hands-on CPR. This experience was not the exciting at all. Especially after ending the session 45 minutes early. Nonetheless, I acquired the power of CPR in my very hands and walked out ready to save the world one pump at a time. After the vigorous training, I delighted myself to another blessing, free water! Hydrate or die-drate as they say. Anyways, while waiting for our next event I encountered a friend of mine who was unaware of the service project. With careful persuasion I approached Paul and said, “Hey you should join in!”. To my surprise, he replied in agreement as a recruited member for our next event, food packing extravaganza.

We arrived at our next arena with our assembled five-person team of Paul, Jess, Elyse, Emily and Me. Our unstoppable crew banded together with a handful of other teams and fought world hunger together which was sponsored by Stop Hunger Now. This experience felt very unique. Going back to the land of the East, a gong was struck for every thousand bags we created. This, the blasting music, and mini dance party our crew created was just the right amount of incentive to fill bags chock filled with delicious minerals, vegetables, soy and rice. Saving the world from hunger was pretty cool too. Later on during the hour of packing, the sound of thunder roared twelve times. Twelve-thousand bags were made to feed someone who wouldn’t have eaten without this package. This helped me realize how much working together can impact the world, even if I was just putting a vitamin packet into a bag.

Finally, we ended our event with handmade coloring books for the kids at Saint Jude’s hospital. With our utmost efficient Ford-style assembly line, we constructed over thirty books! Never again shall Spiderman or Mike Wazowski be left uncolored. Our last service was followed by a reflection session in which we discussed the impact our day of service had on us. Although a third of our day was spent on volunteering, those hours flew by quick. The projects held were unique and interesting. Ranging from book organizing, peanut butter and jelly sandwich-making, as well as a variety of self-awareness sessions, this one-semester event opened my eyes to the change that anyone can accomplish.

       September 10th, 2016 was a monumental day.  To Stockton University, it was the annual Day of Service, but for me, it was the first official day of being a Stockton student.  Stockton is a school big on giving back not only to local communities, but national communities as well, and that was one of the reasons why I picked Stockton to be my four-year home.  Helping others in need is something very important to me, and to be a part of a family that prides itself in caring for others is something wonderful and something to be proud of.  

       At the Day of Service, I participated in packaging food to send overseas.  We had to measure rice, dried vegetables, and soy to be put in bags and then compressed to be shipped.  Together, Stockton students packed up thousands of meals in the eight hours the Day of Service ran for, which was incredible!  Together, in a day, Stockton students helped give thousands of hungry families food that they did not have access to before.  Together, Stockton students helped decrease the amount of people living in hunger in the world.

       Another thing I participated in was the making of coloring books for children in cancer hospitals.  We had to first collect pages of colorless cartoons and construction paper.  Then we had to bind the pages all together to form a book.  Afterwards, we had to design the covers.  I made about ten, a majority of them in Spanish, for children that cannot speak English.  I thought it might make a Spanish-speaking child happy to see a coloring book with their language on the covers.  I know it would be comforting to me to see the language I spoke best if I did not speak English well.  

       This Day of Service was something special, and I think it’s great that it exists.  It made me feel important, like I had an impact on the world and well-being of others, even if that impact was not very big.  I feel proud to be a part of an institution that promotes service and volunteerism for the betterment of the world around us.  I hope that others saw this day as something momentous, as I did.  In a world where some people are struggling, I think it is important to lend a helping hand whenever possible.  I am a big believer that if an act of kindness is executed, it will create a butterfly effect that could reach very far.  

       Hopefully, this Day of Service had an effect on the lives of others for the better, and people now recognize the importance of being an active citizen in the community and the world.  Thank you, Stockton, for being so selfless and allowing me to be a part of the family.  I’m very excited for what the next four years have in store for me.
     

The debate-watching party was an experience that I’m glad I didn’t miss. Truthfully, I had been anticipating this event since the beginning of the year, and I would have gone whether or not it was a course requirement to go to an event. I have no regrets about going. Some people might think I’d have rather been at a student-hosted debate party with drinking involved, but I scientifically may have died from alcohol poisoning if I had “taken a shot” every time Donald Trump said “China.”
The party gathered at 8PM in the Board of Trustees room, even though the debate started at 9PM. I was beyond excited, and for me that hour couldn’t go faster. This, for me, was the first presidential debate where I considered myself educated enough to largely keep up. I went into this knowing the meaning of acronyms like TPP and NAFTA. A young woman handed me a bingo board with instructions to mark a spot on it whenever the word on the spot was said. Among the words were “terrorism,” “Mexico,” “Obama,” “NAFTA,” and “emails.” There was popcorn out on a table, along with refreshments. I grabbed my popcorn and took my seat among my excitedly chattering peers.
The debate began and the lights went down. People (including me) gasped in excitement as the candidates walked out and laughed as they shook hands cordially. It was hilarious; they didn’t even look as though they wanted to tear each other to shreds. Worry not, they did that later – with their words. With every Trump interruption, a collective laugh resounded in the room. With every snide comment, people OOHed and AAHed and laughed and BOOed. The peanut gallery served as good company; they weren’t so loud as to make it hard to hear the debate. Best of all, I was part of it. There I was, OOHing and AAHing right along, excitedly marking my bingo board. I did not win, but it was an incredibly enjoyable event, and as the debate came to a close I found myself wishing there was more.