Stockton News - April 7, 2023
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
Rocket League Team Heading Back to World Championships
Stockton’s Rocket League team is returning to the Collegiate Rocket League (CRL) World Championships after a dramatic run to win the North American Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday, April 2.
With the top two teams earning spots at worlds, the Ospreys defeated Ball State (Indiana) 4 games to 2 in the best-of-seven semifinals to clinch a return trip. Stockton went on to beat St. Clair (Canada) 4 games to 1 to win the qualifier.
“It’s absolutely insane. I can’t expect to just make it to the finals every time,” sophomore John Merendino said with a laugh. He and senior Brian Busse returned from last year’s team along with first-year Anthony Cooper. “In the last-chance qualifier, you can’t lose. It’s single-elimination, so you have to make the most of it. But we weren’t backing down to anyone.”
Unity Day Focuses on Leadership, Decolonization and Studying Abroad
The Social Justice & Education subcommittee of the Committee on Campus Diversity and Inclusion Excellence (CCDIE) hosted their annual Unity Day conference on Thursday, March 30.
The theme for this year’s event was “Unity in Global Education,” and topics included promoting solutions to social issues, exploring strategies for promoting global education, and interrogating colonization through exploring decolonization.
In her virtual presentation, “Strategies for Shifting Mindsets for Readiness in Global Transformational Change,” Sequetta Sweet, assistant professor of Organizational Leadership, talked about understanding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), social change, and how that work requires “a change in each of us individually to reach the collective.”
When discussing transformational change, she pointed to understanding schemas or the mental models that drive our behaviors, thoughts and actions. She said examining one’s schema can lead to unlearning both behaviors and constraints on behaviors.
Film About First Jewish Farming Community in U.S. to Premiere
Stockton will host the premiere screening of “ALLIANCE,” a new documentary about the first successful Jewish farming colony in America, at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 16. The feature-length film is the directorial debut of Susan Donnelly, a descendant of one of the founding families of the Alliance Colony in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County.
The film shares the stories of the journey of 43 immigrant families from tyrannical Russia to the desolate fields of southern New Jersey in 1882. Over the next few decades, hundreds of other immigrant families joined the settlers. By 1908, the colony had grown to 1,000 people and developed into several neighboring villages.
The film tells the improbable story of the settlers, who were forbidden to own land in the old country, so they knew nothing of farming when they arrived in America. But with the business acumen of carpenters, grocers, tailors and salesmen, and a strong commitment to education and culture, the expanding group of refugees was able to claim the land, harness its bounty, and create a legacy that has been reborn six generations later.
🎬 Watch the trailer here. | 🎟️ Purchase tickets here.
STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY
Beach Cleanup at 'Second Saturdays' April 15
Second Saturdays in Atlantic City are a series of family-friendly events, hosted by Stockton University Alumni Relations, held on the second Saturday of every month at Stockton Atlantic City.
Beach cleanups are key to safeguarding our shores. Help clean the beach near Stockton's Atlantic City campus, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, April 15. Hosted by Alliance for a Living Ocean, this nonprofit's mission is to stop pollution and protect the coastal environment.
A light lunch will be provided following the activity. Register here.
SPOTLIGHT ON: TOBY ROSENTHAL
Toby Rosenthal, teaching specialist of Communication Studies at Stockton, was recently named one of 33 faculty champions by The Center for Community News (CCN) at the University
of Vermont. This new program funds each of these champions at 33 universities and
colleges who are starting and growing local news partnerships. Rosenthal will receive
$1,000, which she plans to donate to the Foundation to create two book awards for
Communication Studies students interested in journalism and community-powered storytelling
and information sharing.
Rosenthal began teaching as an adjunct at Stockton in 2015-2018 while also working full-time in television production in Philadelphia.
“I started teaching full-time with Communication Studies in 2018. Although, technically, my first Stockton job may date back to 1996-ish when I was a counselor one summer when Stockton had a day camp,” she laughed.
Rosenthal brings a personal passion to her role here and embodies why this opportunity is so relevant. “Since I started teaching at Stockton, I have been engaging in developing journalism and storytelling opportunities for students. Through my 20+ years of professional journalism and broadcast production work, I know how these valuable skills transfer into the marketplace,” Rosenthal said.
FRAME-WORTHY: 🥼
32 Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Receive White Coats
The Stockton University School of Health Sciences held a Commitment to the Profession Ceremony on April 4 in the Campus Center Theatre for 32 students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
Speakers at the event were President Harvey Kesselman; Brent Arnold, dean of the School of Health Services; Thomas Nolan, professor of Physical Therapy; and Megan Gardner, president of the New Jersey chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.
The keynote speaker was Erin Pizzolato, a 2013 graduate of Stockton’s 3+3 Physical Therapy Program who has eight-plus years of experience in the outpatient setting. She has treated orthopedic, neurological, developmental and traumatic cases from pediatric to geriatric age.
Members of the Class of 2024 who received their white coats are:
Amina Bakhat, Zachary S. Bille, James J. Bockin, Chrismarie Castano-Lopez, Dominic Cenci, Hunter M. Clayton, Jodi L. Cook, Haley S. Elias, Tia Evangelista, John K. Fabbiani, Rachel D. Follman, Hallie L. France, Jacqueline Godwin, Kelly Herman, Edwin R. Hernandez, Stephen A. Hill, Cassidy L. Hogan, Anna V. Lim, Danielle Lynch, Kaleigh P. Nolan, Rachel E. Notaro, Abigail R. Ortiz, Julia A. Quick, Josephine E. Rundall, North F. Runk, Zainab Shuja, Corinne A. Shustyk, Nicholas A. Sisto, Sean Taylor, Matthew Thermann, Jarred M. Tolley and Julia Wiemken.
WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU
Twitter: We're giving a big #OspreyShoutout to the EXSC Club, who volunteered at the Silver
Linings Senior Workshop.
Facebook: Sneak peek! In one month, Stockton will cut the ribbon for its new residence hall, opening this fall in Atlantic City.
Instagram: @yunggravy rocked a #StocktonU jersey for @setstockton’s WoodStockton XIII concert.
FROM THE SIDELINES
Stockton Wins Heats in Battle at Brigantine
Stockton hosted the second annual Battle at Brigantine Regatta on April 2, with races taking place on a stretch of the Bonita Tideway between the Brigantine Lighthouse and Brigantine Yacht Club. The day was a very successful one for head coach Chris O'Brien and the Ospreys as they won their heats of the varsity eight and second varsity eight.
Strong winds wreaked havoc on the schedule as a pair of one-hour delays forced the cancellation of some events and ultimately resulted in a condensed slate of races. "The weather threw us a great challenge to get quality racing in today. My thanks to all of the visiting crews for their willingness to stick it out and make sure we were able to race," O'Brien said.
Stockton Second in Spring Invitational
Stockton hostedthe Stockton Spring Invitational on April 4 at LBI National Golf Club and finished second with a team score of 423. The Ospreys topped Cabrini University, which posted 434, while Drew University won with 343. New Jersey City did not produce a team score.
Ella van Schalkwyk led Stockton with a 96 that was tied for sixth out of 15 golfers in the field. The junior parred three holes on the way to a 49 on the front nine and registered two more pars while shooting a 47 on the back nine.
🗓️ View the full schedule of upcoming athletic events here.
'ROLE' CALL: SOFIA ABREU
Sofia Abreu joined Stockton in March 2023 as the director of Career Education & Development. Abreu, a proud first-generation student, EOF and Stockton alumna, brings 10 years
of experience in higher education. For the past eight years, she has worked in Career
Services, first at Temple University, where she served as a career counselor and event
planner; Villanova University, where she served as assistant director for Career Development;
and for the past year in the Career Preparation office at Rowan College at Burlington
County. There she served as Manager for Career Preparation, guided career center initiatives
supporting equity and inclusion, and oversaw career counseling services and programming.
Abreu loves working with college students and helping them connect to the opportunities and networks to help them feel confident and achieve their career and professional development goals. She also enjoys working with the campus community to seek innovative ideas to support students' career and professional development goals. In addition, she's dedicated to ensuring equity is at the forefront of career education and opportunities for college students.
When she's not at work, find her spending time with her husband and daughter, playing with the family 🐶 dog (Rex), listening to a 🎧 podcast or exploring New Jersey trails.
OSPREY NOTES
🎂 Sweet Donations Sought for Cake Kits
Stockton’s Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning is holding a Cake Mix and Frosting Drive through April 12 to create birthday cake kits for those who use the Stockton and Oceanside Family Success Centers’ food pantries.
A donation bin will be located outside F101, or call 609-652-4250 to schedule a pickup.
Stockton News Egg Hunt: Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? There's an egg 🥚 hidden somewhere in this edition of Stockton News! First person to email UniversityRelations@stockton.edu with its whereabouts (is not a rotten egg 😝) and wins a prize! Happy 🕵️♀️ hunting!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring Professional Development Opportunities
🎭 Spring Programming at the PAC
Now-May 31: “The Armenian Genocide, One Family’s Story” exhibit
April 12: ⚖️ Forum on Judicial Safety
April 13-May 25: 💰 ‘Essential and Intermediate Financial Literacy’ courses
April 14: Teaching While Black screening
April 15: 🦅Experience Stockton Day
April 18: Yom HaShoah Memorial Service
April 21: 📯 The Brubeck Brothers
April 20-22: 🩰 Emerging Choreographers Showcase
April 22: Community Day Clean Up & Party in the Park, 🍾 Scholarship Benefit Gala
April 28: NEWSical: the Musical
