Wow. That’s all I can say. I feel like I have been transported back to my own freshman orientation from high school when I was taking part in the Get Involved Fair on September 17th and 18th. I remember being led around and being put in the gym to sign up for clubs and sports that would ultimately determine what I would be putting on my college resume. How frightening! Part of my college application is decided right there in the gym with other freshmen milling about and talking to all their friends. But this experience was different. There was no pressure to write my name down at various clubs, and there were no tempts of candy and false promises to have me write my name down. Not only did it not pressure me, there were many options for me to choose from. I walked passed a theatre club, equestrian club, fencing club, a quidditch club, and many more. Table after table had a different option that would appeal to many people. I was excited to see such a variety of activities; there really was much more offered than what I had expected to see. The Get Involved Fair here at Stockton is something special. It allows each student, residential or commuter, to be a part of something that he or she wants to be a part of in college. Joining clubs and activities can be a vital part of meeting new people in college, outside of classes, but it still allows students to have the power to choose what they want to do. Students can join one club, two clubs, three, four, or even none, and that is perfectly okay. When I walked past all the tables, I didn’t feel the pressure I felt four years ago, I felt free and in control of what I wanted to do. The Get Involved Fair is a great showcase of what Stockton has to offer in an abundance of clubs and activities. To anyone who feels lost, or is not really meeting people, I recommend attending the Get Involved Fair because it has so much to offer to all people, and I’m sure anyone can find a club that they will fit right into. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go poke someone with a flexible metal and pointy object. En garde!
Lollanobooza
Lollanobooza
Lollanobooza took place on October 29th and was organized by SET, Stockton’s Entertainment Team. This carnival themed event’s goal was to deter drinking on Halloween, which can be one of the worst days for alcohol usage in college. SET planned on getting students informed about the dangers of alcohol while still enjoying a night of prizes, costumes and games.
Lollanobooza took place in the Campus Center Event room and was packed with hundreds of costumed students. In order to receive tickets that would enter them for a chance to win one of the many prizes, students had to play a variety of carnival games. Some of the games included spinning a wheel for tickets, throwing a ball to knock over boxes and using a Nerf gun to shoot off items. Pizza, a photo booth and a mechanical bull were also available for students to enjoy.
All of the tickets that had accumulated over the course of a half hour were then drawn for winners. Everyone looked eagerly at the screens in the room that displayed the names of the winners. They were then ushered to a table filled with prizes that they would choose from, such as a variety of gift cards and other prizes. The night eventually drew to a close and everyone, even those who did not win, was sad to see the night end. Lollanobooza was a fun and interactive way to get students involved and to also demonstrate the dangers of alcohol.
Spook Convocation
I will freely admit that I am not fond of Mary Roach’s Spook. The book is just too unfocused and rather pointless in my mind. But my biggest problem with the book is the ending. The book ends with Roach having found no proof for the existence of an afterlife, but she then states that she believes in ghosts anyway. This ending, in my mind, betrayed the entire concept of the book, and ruined what little enjoyment I got out of the book.
So I was very interested in the Convocation starring Mary Roach. I though this show would give me a better understanding of this frustrating book; and maybe I could appreciate it a bit more. I had a number of predictions heading into the auditorium. I thought it would be a little weird, somewhat funny, and would answer the question of Roach’s beliefs. Only one of those predictions actually came true.
I guess I should talk about the theater itself. The very high seating of the auditorium made getting a good view very easy. The place was packed full of people; in fact, I’m pretty sure they ran out of room. The audio system was working so that everyone could hear Roach just fine. I did question why they needed to turn a lot of the lights off. It wasn’t a video being shown so there wasn’t a need to dim the lights. I noticed some people trying to take notes, and I imagine the low lights were very frustrating for them.
Mary Roach herself was exactly what I expected her to be. She was energetic, snarky, and unapologetically herself. The Convocation wasn’t a little weird, it was full on bizarre. I specifically remember a brief talk about Hyena birth methods that came up somehow. It wasn’t a little funny; it was hilarious! I laughed out load several times during the Convocation; I can’t really give any better proof that this show was funny.
The prediction I had that came true was that I did get my answers on Mary Roach’s beliefs. Mary Roach does not necessarily believe in ghosts, but she does believe that there are things we cannot explain. She believes in curiosity, in never ceasing the search for knowledge. She believes an answer does exist, and Spook is just a part of her search for it.
The Convocation did not change my distaste for Spook, but I am able to see it, and Roach herself, in a more positive light.
Inside Out
Gianna Nitti
Movie Night: Inside Out
Sponsored By SET
9/24/2015
I went to the weekly movie night hosted by SET. When you swipe in they give you a raffle ticket and you can get some snacks. They choose movies that are new and popular. This week they played the new Pixar™ movie Inside Out. Inside Out is a movie about growing up and the conflict between a person’s emotions during everyday life.
The story begins with Joy’s quick overview of Riley’s life, Joy explains how Riley’s mind works and how she is a happy girl with a great life and Joy doesn’t think anything could go wrong. As soon as Joy finishes her explanation and introduces the other emotions a “SOLD” sign appears in front of Riley’s home. Riley’s Father has a new job opportunity in San Francisco so that’s where they are moving to.
When they arrive at their new home Riley is disappointed to find out how her home is dingy, small, and a bit run down. While Joy is attempting to have Riley keep a positive outlook, Fear, Anger and Disgust are fighting over the controls. Sadness begins acting weird and she keeps tainting all the memories from Minnesota with sadness, Joy tries to keep sadness from doing this but she cannot and Sadness ends up knocking all of Riley’s most important memories, her Core Memories, out and they get sent to Long-Term Memory along with Joy and Sadness leaving only Fear, Anger and Disgust in Headquarters.
Inside Out shows the struggle that Joy and Sadness face to get back to headquarters before Riley ends up running away and how Joy has to learn the importance of Sadness before she is able to return to Headquarters to save Riley. This movie definitely is a must see with fun animation, a tearful storyline, and lots of laughter.
Second Stockton Event
For my second Stockton event I chose to attend the Get Involved Fair on campus. The Get Involved Fair was hosted on September 17th and 18th in the Main Campus Building in Wings A through J. The Fair attracts nearly one hundred student clubs and community service agencies. I decided to attend this event because I wanted to join a few clubs to occupy my time productively and to meet new students at Stockton who share similar interests.
I attended the Get Involved Fair on the 17th with two of my friends from high school, Sarah and Erica, who also go to Stockton. The Fair was busy and the A through J Wings were filled with students looking for clubs to join. I was at the fair for approximately an hour and met club officers and other student members of clubs I wanted to join. I decided to sign up for two clubs, the Stockton Circle-K and the Animal Friendly Organization. Circle-K is a service club that participates in volunteer work throughout the community. I participated in Key Club, a similar service club, during high school and figured that I would enjoy Circle-K activities. I signed up for the Stockton Animal Friendly Organization because I enjoy helping out with my local animal shelter in Cape May and because I recognize the value of animal rights. I was a vegan during my sophomore and junior year of high school and am currently in the process of switching back to an animal-free diet. I care about the furry critters of this planet and I wanted to socialize and volunteer with other students who share my same ideas.
The Get Involved Fair hosted many clubs in addition to the two I selected. The wide array of club options was almost overwhelming but it also a positive sign that students can be involved on campus according to their specific interest. The club tables were organized neatly on either side of the hallways and the current club members were helpful in answering my questions. I will definitely be attending the Get Involved Fair again to sign up for a few more intriguing organizations.
Carly Aquilino
Gianna Nitti
One Night Stand Up Comedy Show featuring Carly Aquilino
Sponsored By SET
10/09/2015
Carly Aquilino
I went to the comedy show featuring Carly Aquilino hosted by SET. I went with my parents and best friend from home who were all visiting with me for University Weekend. My parents really enjoy comedians so I was excited to be able to spend time with them and have fun.
When we got there we were all able to get free t-shirts. I was worried because the line seemed very long and I am a bit impatient but fortunately, the line went extremely quickly and we were soon in our seats. There was plenty or seating available so while there was a lot of people I never felt crowded or uncomfortable. There was also pizza and refreshments offered to everyone before the show started.
Carly was very funny and entertaining. Her comedy was definitely aimed for college students and I found it very funny. My friend and I were cracking up for almost the entire hour that she was onstage. My parents also found her hilarious so she was funny for all older audiences. I really enjoyed her stand up and though she did an amazing job, if I ever have the opportunity I would see her perform again.
Beach Sweep
On October 19th a large amount of students from Stockton College and people in the Atlantic City community got together in front of the Rain Forest Café on the Atlantic City boardwalk at 9:00am to participate in the Atlantic City Beach Sweep. We all stood there listening to brief speeches on why Clean Ocean Action hosts beach sweeps and what you can do to stay involved. As you may have guessed, they host beach sweeps to keep the beaches clean and help keep the environment healthy and clean and to help the marine life thrive.
After these speeches, we got into groups of two and three, grabbed some trash bags, a few recycle bags, a t-shirt, and a checklist and walked on the beach eager to get started. Each time we saw some trash, we picked it up and checked off what we picked up. The point of checking off the items and keeping track of how many of each thing we picked up was so that it can be tallied and recorded for future reference. We were informed that each time a beech sweep is done, the information on the trash picked up is recorded and from that there have been many laws and regulations passed to help prevent trash build up and pollution on the beaches.
After picking up garbage for about two and a half hours, we all carried our full bags up to the boardwalk and took pictures to savor the moment. While we were taking pictures the Barenaked Ladies set up and got ready to perform a small show for all of the people who worked to clean up the beach that morning. They helped out on the beach sweep but were pretty sneaky about it. Spotting them was definitely the challenge of the day. Yet, when it was all over they sang their hearts out for us performing almost every request and making jokes the whole time about the trash.
After they finished performing, we all whistled and clapped thanking them for playing just for us and for their help cleaning up the beach. It didn’t really seem like they wanted to take pictures or sign autographs but after running up and asking they said of course and I was able to sneak away with a picture with the lead singer.
All in all it was a lot of fun. The beach wasn’t nearly as polluted as I thought it was going to be so it was actually tons of fun. It kind of felt like a treasure hunt…except the treasure was trash. But, looking back it was so much fun and getting to see the Barenaked Ladies afterwards made it even better. I would totally do it again.
S.O.A.R.
Gianna Nitti
S.O.A.R.
Sponsored by T.A.L.O.N.S
June 25-27
I attended S.O.A.R. this year. S.O.A.R. is a leadership retreat offered to incoming freshman students before Move-In day and Welcome Week. The students who participate in S.O.A.R. get to move in a few days before the rest of the incoming students. This is a big advantage because it allows for a calmer and quicker move because there are fewer people and it is not crowded. When arriving at check in students are given a string of beads to represent which tribe they will become a part of. After moving in, separating into tribes and going through introductions, everyone travels to the YMCA Camp Ockanickon.
Tribes are separated by different colors. There are eight different tribes: Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Navy, Sky, and Purple. Each person receives a bag and a bandana of their color and this is used to identify which tribe a person is in. Being in a tribe allows you to bond with a smaller group of people which makes it easier to form friendships. At first, everyone was a bit scared but as we spent time together we all bonded with each other and our T.A.L.O.N.S. Every tribe had their own set of T.A.L.O.N.S. and they really made S.O.A.R. special because they took the time to bond with us and pushed us to really be our best. They also encouraged us to have a good time and open up because at first it was a bit awkward being with complete strangers but the T.A.L.O.N.S really made us excited to support our tribe and embrace the S.O.A.R. experience. While you are often in your tribe you are not limited to interacting only within your tribe because there are plenty of activities where tribes are combined. Another fun thing about tribes is that you develop competition between other tribes and a strong sense of pride for your own tribe.
At camp, the counselors there were really fun to be around and made the experience great. They took us through different team building activities such as icebreakers, leadership courses, team building games, high ropes, and free time activities such as kayaking, archery, yoga and many other interesting activities.
I would highly recommend attending S.O.A.R. to anyone who plans on coming to Stockton. I found it to be a fantastic opportunity because I got to meet people I may not have otherwise known and I formed great friendships with amazing people. It also made the transition into college a lot smoother, because I was able to slowly unpack early with family and avoided the hustle of Move-In day. I already had a great group of friends to hang out with when I began my college experience, all because of S.O.A.R. The experience was one hundred percent worth it and I made an incredible amount of memories with people I know I’ll stay close with for the rest of my years here at Stockton.
When Zombies Attack!
At midnight on Monday morning on October 14th, another game of Humans vs. Zombies commenced at Stockton. Humans vs. Zombies, or HvZ, is played by thousands of colleges throughout the nation and is one of the most fun and interesting games one can play. The goals in HvZ differ between being a zombie and a human. If you are a human, your objective is to survive the week of Hvz, which is how long the game lasts. You must attend nightly missions to obtain food rations and to prevent yourself from turning into a zombie. Humans can use Nerf guns or socks to defend themselves against zombies.
If you are a zombie, however, your goal is to tag as many humans as you can. Once you tag a human, you collect their code and enter it on the HvZ website, and your victim then also becomes a zombie. You must eat at least once every 48 hours, or you will starve. If you get shot by a human, you are out of the game for 10 minutes, the time it takes for a zombie to respawn. Once a zombie is respawned, they can continue hunting for more humans. Zombies do not need to complete their nightly missions, but it is easier to find targets if they do (and it is also a lot more fun!).
When I played HvZ, I was the first one to get tagged by a zombie. I was tagged by the OZ, or “Original Zombie.” The OZ is disguised to look like a human, though they are secretly lurking around and tagging humans to turn them into zombies. Though I wish I had more time as a human, I also loved the thrill that came with being a zombie. I ran after people all day every day of the game trying to tag them, and even got a few! I jumped out of my window to tag people, and I even wore zombie makeup one of the days! My muscles were so sore from all of the running, but it was definitely worth it and some of the most fun I’ve ever had!
Alcohol Presentation
Thomas Guardino
GT Lenard
December 2015
Learning Something New About Alcohol
I was given the opportunity to sit in on a nice presentation by one of our fellow Honors students, Anthony Thawley. He and three others were there to inform students on the true facts of drugs and alcohol. During the presentation, I found that everyone in the room was very down to Earth and realistic about the situation. It is understood that college students drink alcohol, so they should at least do it as safely as possible.
This presentation used various facts and examples to help students understand that there are many dangers that come along with drinking alcohol or even using recreational drugs. While it may be fun for a short time, it can very quickly become hazardous to your health and well being, as well as to the health and well being of the ones around you. There were statistics that absolutely blew my mind, like how close to 93% of fights are all involving the use of alcohol. After witnessing the effects of alcohol on my friends, it is almost frightening how obvious the influence of alcohol can change someone. When alcohol is present, the hormones in your body are altered and your decision making process is changed. You may feel angry about something that would otherwise be insignificant if the effects of alcohol were not controlling your mind and body.
Over the course of the hour and a half that this presentation lasted, there was an incredible amount of information presented. I felt far more informed about the dangers of date rape drugs that can be evident at even our own Stockton parties. I learned ways to ensure the safety of myself and my friends for the times that we do want to go out. I really liked one where you make plans at the beginning of the night and have a friend make sure you follow those plans exactly as you laid them out.
At the end of the presentation, I felt more confident in my decision making process and felt as though I could still have a great time here at Stockton, but in a safe way. Thank you Anthony.