Eryn Swineford

Presidential Debate

    It was Monday, September 26th. I filed into the small room and glanced around, noticing that the room was much too small for the number of honors kids who pledged their attendance previously. I sat down, dismayed by the fact that we were told to arrive a full hour before the debate was to begin. The giant screen portrayed a panel of people, presumably speaking, however all i could hear was the noise of Stockton students conversing all at once. Food was shoved into our hands and presidential debate bingo. Second Amendment, national security, temperament, child care, all made appearances on the various boards passed about. By the end of the debate, 14 out of my 25 blocks would be filled. I passed the following hour drawing the exit in my notebook and drinking my complimentary Brisk tea as slowly as possible.

    Finally, silence fell and Lester Holt took the stage. He explained that the debate would be comprised of three sections, achieving prosperity, securing america, and america’s direction. After niceties were exchanged, Secretary Clinton, as Donald Trump took such pains to call her, was given the first question. She opened by thanking Hofstra University and diving into a deeply political answer to a seemingly simple question. Accusations were thrown mercilessly throughout the remainder of the debate, most hilariously that Trump “doesn’t do” bad commercials, when I had seen one a few days prior.

    Trump owned his aggressive business tactics and Hillary agreed that her email fiasco was a mistake, but at the end of the debate I could not have been more excited to leave. While it was obvious that Clinton had won, as she seemed extremely well prepared when compared to her republican counterpart, I was terribly disappointed. While I appreciated Stockton’s Political Engagement Project’s snacks and entertaining bingo, I had hoped to hear something new from our candidates. A definitive plan for the future. Something concrete other than lowering taxes and far fetched theories. As I pushed in my chair and shuffled through the double doors, I couldn’t shake the feeling that while I had heard both candidates speaking for an hour, very little had actually been said. Thankfully, I can hear our presidential candidates argue on national television twice more.

By Emily Calhoun

     On September 28th at 5:30pm, the Animal Friendly Organization held its first meeting for the fall semester.  By the time I arrived, around 5:25pm, the classroom the meeting was held in was already filled to capacity, with some people already sitting on the floor.  The group of students standing in the hallway continued to grow, so much so the president decided to take those of us in the hallway into the classroom next door, which we proceeded to fill.  Each student who went to the meeting was given a survey on a half-piece of paper when they arrived; its questions asked our opinions on where the trip this semester should be, our preference on the main service project, as well as any other ideas we had for the club.

     At 5:30, the president of the AFO began to explain the mission of the club and what membership entails.  She presented a short powerpoint that outlined some of the organizations the AFO is affiliated with and the many projects they lead and are involved in throughout the year.  These projects included bake sales, service projects, and volunteer opportunities.  The volunteer opportunities especially piqued my interest, as the club’s main focus is volunteering at the Atlantic County Animal Shelter.  The first opportunity to volunteer is on Monday, and I hope that I will be able to attend and be an active member of this club.  Finally, the president explained the options for the trip this semester.  We all filled out our preferences on our surveys and the meeting ended.  The meeting was very brief, only fifteen minutes from beginning to end; she explained that meetings are typically short since most of the important information and events are discussed by email and in the Facebook group.

To start, the opening statements from President Harvey Kesselman were inspiring and soothing; he made me feel welcomed immediately! I’ve definitely been enjoying my time at Stockton University so far. After Ellen Forney disclosed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I had trouble believing that she could make such amazing and thought provoking comics. This disorder makes it difficult to express feelings so I commend her for finding such an effective way to express herself. Besides her comics in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, her comics in Marbles really sent a powerful message. She talks about feeling vulnerable and alone, which is something I think a lot of freshmen were able to relate to on the first day of college. Junior also is also vulnerable and alone when he switches schools, but he draws comics so that everyone, no matter what language they speak, will be able to understand his state of mind. I think that she’s inspired me to find a channel where I can express myself as well as her. It might be my sport or a club I haven’t joined yet, but I’m definitely looking. This event was useful for me and I’m happy that GT told us to go. I think Ellen’s story relates to more than just people suffering from bipolar disorder. She talks about feeling shameful because she has this baggage that she’s carrying, but it’s all in her head because she’s just a normal human being. I honestly feel like anyone with a mood disorder would be able to gain the courage to accept their lives the way they are from listening to Ellen Forney. (Kristen Russo)

The Stockton Entertainment Team, more commonly known around campus as SET, is one of the most active groups on campus. Almost every day there’s a new event sponsored by SET that any one can go to. Not only that, but all of them are free for students. One of their most popular events is their free movie showings in the Campus Center Theater every Thursday and Saturday at 8:30. Every week is a different film, and all of them are fairly current—the movies showing now were released this past summer in cinemas. Entry is free of charge for students, and they receive a raffle ticket (at the end of the movie, students use these for a chance to receive prizes like free movie tickets and posters) as well as a complimentary snack and drink. I have been to the first two movies, but this review will be about the September 15 showing of Central Intelligence, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. The movie itself wasn’t one I’d see normally, but all feelings aside, I had a great time. It was well put together and very funny, and the underlying message of embracing yourself and moving forward after trauma was very sweet. Going got me out of my comfort zone, and it was a chance to do something fun with new friends. This is especially important for freshman, as even 2 weeks in we’re still navigating the waters of Stockton. SET has many activities with this aim, and showed this through their multiple events during Welcome Week. The fact that they’re able to provide this for students, especially at no cost, is truly remarkable. This organization really cares about their peers, and realizes the financial and emotional hardships that students have to persevere through. This series gives students a chance to relax with friends and enjoy themselves, even if only for 2 hours. The free snacks and drinks are things you’d actually buy at a cinema, the picture quality of the film was excellent, the facility was clean and comfortable, and the whole theater had an aura of relaxation and pure fun. They put this event together with their peers in mind, and I applaud SET for all the work they do.

One of the many events that I attended so far at Stockton University was on a casual Friday night when so many people went home for the weekend and there was nothing to do. This event is known as the Billiards Club. I went on September 8^th and have gone every Friday since. It is a great way to meet new people and I was able to learn a game that I never really knew the rules of. I felt like the group was very welcoming and they were all so excited to have new people join and all wanted to know my name. In the beginning it can be intimidating because all the returning people already knew each other but it didn’t take long before I made some new friends to talk to. In fact, I was able to hang out with three people that are in my housing that I never even knew existed beforehand and now they are great friends of mine. Plus, the gameplay was super fun and there was some fierce competition. The secretary of the club made brackets of all our names and we would play best of three games to see who would then move on to the semi-finals and the finals. I feel that the Billiards Club is very useful for those that are bored on a Friday night and when you go to a university that has over half of its students being commuters the campus can be kind of dead and depressing. Therefore, it can at least boost your mood for two hours or so and make your night more enjoyable. Now every time I go to the game room with friends outside of Billiards Club I am able to beat them more because this club has taught me some tricks and made me a more well-rounded player.

It was a quiet morning on August 30^th when TALONS, excited freshman, and nervous parents disturbed the peace to move the incoming freshman in to start a new chapter of their lives at Stockton University. All the new students who moved in on this day signed up for Stockton’s Outdoor Adventure Retreat. S.O.A.R. is located at YMCA’s Camp Ockanickon just a little over an hour away from campus. This experience is to help new students step out of their comfort zone and make start friendships that could possibly last a lifetime.

The incoming freshman were welcomed very enthusiastically by TALONS and were then revealed which tribe they would be one for the next three days. After this warm welcome, the students and their families took the next 2-3 hours to quickly set up their room and get settled in. After saying on last emotional goodbye to their families, it was then time for the “tribelets” to get on the bus and head over to camp.

When all the students arrived, there was not much time to relax before all the exciting and fun ice breakers began. At this point some people had already made friends that would be by their side for the next 4 years at Stockton. It was truly an amazing thing to see how close some people got in such a short amount of time. The next two days consisted of a little bit of canoeing, some great TALONS, a lot of ice breakers, even more camp chants, and overall an unforgettable experience. One activity that really helped many students step out of their comfort zones were the high ropes obstacle course. It was inspiring to see people who were afraid of heights conquer their fears. The overall experience at S.O.A.R. was one that every freshman should be a part of at Stockton.

On September 10, 2016, the Fall Day of Service took place, one of the many community service days on campus. I signed up for it not quite knowing what exactly I was getting into, but I was pleasantly surprised. At the very beginning of the day, we chose teams. These teams would determine how we rotated through different activities; there were too many of us to count, so I only really became familiar with my own team.

The day consisted of several different activities, including the sewing and creation of pillows for patients at AtlantiCare, where I attempted to create a pillow that actually looked like a pillow (spoiler alert: I failed) as well as an activity where we answered different questions about the election and politics in small groups. We had previously decided how to preoccupy ourselves for a small duration of the day by deciding what we wanted to do from a list of different volunteer activities; I personally picked a session on Suicide Prevention and awareness, as it is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. The session was quite general, but we all walked away secure in the knowledge that there was a place we could go to talk about our problems and people who cared; this session is actually what drove me to join Active Minds, a club on campus dedicated to mental health treatment and awareness.

The final activity that we partook in was an appropriate send off to the day; in groups of five, we worked together to put together bags of ready-to-make meals that people without access to food in other countries could easily make. It wasn’t necessarily a highbrow job, but there was something glorious about it, about old pop songs blasting on tinny speakers, about the way we methodically moved along, about the unification of so many different people just to do something good. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up, and prior to this I had felt very isolated, new to campus. And perhaps I’m making something out of nothing, but this day really made me feel like I belonged, like I had a place in this world. My job, when we were making the food, was to scoop a sort of fiber into the bag, and this may be cheesy, but I felt like I was making a difference, one little grain at a time.

The first Marine Science seminar of the year was hosted earlier in October. The seminar was hosted by the Marine Science program and it was on the future of marshes. Erin Reilly who is from the Barnegat Bay Partnership was the presenter.

This seminar focused on problems facing marshes, particularly the Tuckerton and Cattus Island marshes. Reilly also explained the methods by which employees of the Barnegat Bay Partnership would collect data, like using quadrats and transects. After collection of this data, elevation maps were created and outlined the marshes according the elevation. The classification of elevation were referred to as zones. Zone 1 had the lowest elevation, and zone 5 had the highest elevation. The low elevation zones could be considered possible candidates for a new process called thin layer deposition.

Thin layer deposition is when dredge is put on top of marsh in places where the marsh is suffering, either through sinking or erosion. Based on the elevation maps and quartiles completed, the Tuckerton and Cattus Island marshes could be candidates for thin layer deposition, but more data is needed. If these marshes are deemed appropriate for this procedure, additional funding is needed, because thin layer deposition is a costly and labor intensive process.

The information learned from going to this seminar was incredibly valuable. It is interesting to learn about marshes whether you are a marine science student or not. Marshes are incredibly important assets, especially in New Jersey, and more information needs to spread about them.

            On November 2^nd, the freshmen honors trip to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia occurred. After an hour-long bus ride, we split into two groups for a tour of the penitentiary. We walked around the outside and through the cell blocks as the guide explained the history of the revolutionary – for its time period – prison system. The penitentiary was originally built in the shape of a wagon wheel so that a single guard could stand in the very center of the spokes and watch all six wings. The prisoners were all low-risk and were meant to be rehabilitated completely. They were kept isolated from each other so they would not influence each other’s recovery. This system became a model for prisons across the world. However, this idealistic system did not last for long as crowding began to take precedent over the perfect system. At the beginning of the twentieth century, they abandoned the system entirely and became just like any other prison.

           As I enjoy history, and the prison is supposedly haunted, I found the experience quite interesting. After the initial tour, we were allowed to explore the prison and visit the areas that were not a part of the tour. The people I was with stayed in the ‘haunted’ cellblock for a long time, looking for signs of ghosts. There was one especially creepy cell which was dark with a human-shaped tree growing inside. When we finally left, we went to eat and walked along the street the prison was on, going in various stores such as a nifty book store, an icecream parlor, and a pet shop. All in all, the day was very informative but also a great bonding experience for our group. I would definitely recommend attending any future honors-related trips, if not for the activity itself, then for the people you would be with.

One year ago, my ideal college was Ithaca College in upstate New York. Every fiber of my being felt a sense of belonging to their campus, their physical therapy program, their community. Their institution was perfect for me except for one key aspect: the expense. I let my heart become attached to a college that, in the end, I would only get to experience on a campus tour rather than as a student.
The thought of coming to Stockton was one that nauseated me. I had fallen in love with Ithaca College and felt married to it, I felt adulterous informing Stockton that I would be attending their campus in the fall. When I came for the Honors Overnight Experience I was ambivalent, trying to find something to love about Stockton when I felt very prejudiced against it. I looked at the agenda with a critical eye, doubting that anything would spark an interest for me. That was of course until I read the title: Whose Line is it Anyway.
Comedy has always been my guilty pleasure and improv my bread and butter. Growing up I would stay up late whenever I could so I could watch episodes of Whose Line air on ABC Family around 11 o’clock. As my taste for comedy matured I added television like Saturday Night Live and The Office to my repertoire of favorite shows. But my gateway to comedy, my gateway to funny, was Whose Line is it Anyway.
My heart opened up to Stockton as soon as I saw the program in the Campus Theater at the Honors Overnight Experience. I knew that it was a night of theater that I would never forget. More importantly it was the first thing that I could see myself becoming involved in at Stockton. I saw the show again during Welcome Week- the actors were playing to a full house. As an actor myself I know there is nothing more euphoric than the feeling of performing for a full and receptive audience.
After the show that night, the director of the program announced that Whose Line was a program open to anyone who was interested in improv comedy. I proudly fell into that category. The criteria for being a cast member on the show at that point was simply expressing interest in the program; so many people had done so however that auditions became necessary.
Sitting in the Experimental Theater lobby waiting to audition for the show, I felt oddly star struck simply talking to the members that I had seen perform just days before. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to be among their ranks for the next Whose Line production. During the audition we just played the improv games together that they use in performance. I had so much fun goofing around with them I almost forgot that I was at an audition. When the cast list was posted, I was thrilled to see that my name was second on the list, I was on Whose Line is it Anyway?! My inner child was squealing with joy, I had just accomplished a life dream.
The following Monday I got to perform in the Campus Center Theater for around sixty people. I had butterflies in my belly all day prior to the performance. I had watched episodes of the show on YouTube in between each of my classes to prepare for the night’s production. I had the best time playing different games with my theater friends and was feeling the euphoric joy of entertainment each time the audience laughed at one of my jokes. It was one of the best performances I have ever gotten to be a part of. I can’t wait until next month when I’ll have an opportunity to do it again.