University Weekend is Stockton’s annual celebration for students to invite friends and family to come see the Stockton University Galloway campus, as well as demonstrate pride in being an Osprey. The celebration began on Thursday, October 17 and ended on Sunday, October 20.

On Thursday, University Weekend commenced with the Career and Internship Fair, held in the Big Blue Gymnasium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. About 1,100 students attended and over 120 employers participated. Students were able to practice their elevator pitches and participate in mock interviews with alumni and Stockton volunteers to prepare them to talk to potential employers. At 7 p.m., Stockton University Athletics hosted their annual “Ospreys Madness,” where family and friends could watch the men’s and women’s basketball team scrimmage and showcase their own skills during the “Skills Challenge.” Later that night at 8 p.m., Student Development held its annual The Osprey Ball, a homecoming dance for students to enjoy the night out with friends. The ball was held at Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City.  

Friday began with the Student Senate hosting a “Stockton Swag Swap” in the Campus Center Coffeehouse. The Student Senate hosted a swag swap for college merchandise in exchange for Stockton swag. The Senate received 15 articles of clothing which were donated to a local thrift store. That same afternoon was full of music and crafts over at the Big Blue Gym where Student Development hosted a “Float Decorating Party.” Over 150 students that were part of clubs or organizations worked diligently from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.: they crafted decorations for their floats in hopes of winning the float decorating competition for a grand prize of $200 towards their organization.

Friday night included an “Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner” hosted in the Campus Center Event Room, sponsored by Stockton Athletics with about 150 attendees. Outside the Campus Center was the Fraternity & Sorority Life Yard Show in Parking Lot 3, sponsored by the Greek Council. About 125 people gathered around to watch performances by Stockton’s many greek organizations such as Chi Upsilon Sigma, Omega Phi Beta, and Lambda Sigma Upsilon. Senior at Stockton and Student Senate President, Andrea Sandoval, attended her first yard show this semester and was blown away by the performances. Sandoval stated that the yard show, “Gave me a better understanding of what they’re about; I was happy to see and support them”.

Saturday morning kicked off with Stockton’s Annual University Weekend Parade at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Campus Center Front Lawn, sponsored by Student Development and Student Senate. Every year, the parade features a theme for the floats created by student clubs and Stockton organizations. This year, the theme was, “A Decade of Growth & Change.” The parade featured over 30 organizations including: Los Latinos Unidos, Asian Student Alliance, Caribbean Student Organization, and many more. The Newman Club/Catholic Campus Ministry won first place in the aforementioned float competition, the Stockton Volleyball Club took second place, and the Caribbean Student Association won third place. Simultaneously, the University Weekend Street Fair took place on the Campus Center Front Lawn and in Parking Lot 3, sponsored by Student Development. About $4,100 was raised for the Student Relief Fund, 52 marketplace vendors and seven food vendors participated in the fair, and 15 organizations hosted activities around campus. The Stockton Alumni Relations team also held several events to promote engagement: the Alumni Cornhole Tournament held on the Academic Quad, “Stockton Myths & Legends” held in the Campus Center Meeting Room 5, and a celebratory dinner in the Townsend Residential Life Center.

In addition, multiple sporting events occurred throughout the day: Men’s Lacrosse hosted an Alumni game, Women’s Soccer, defeated Ramapo, 3-1, and Field Hockey also beat Ramapo, 5-1. The night closed out with an event at Galloway, “The Fusion Experience” sponsored by Residential Life, and in Atlantic City, “An Evening of Excellence” hosted by Stockton’s Alumni Relations team. The Fusion Experience is an annual event sponsored by Residential Life that works to expose students to a variety of different cultures through food, music, and dance, hosting over 150 attendees. An Evening of Excellence is an annual event held by Stockton’s Alumni Relations team that works to honor the tremendous achievements, leadership and service of Stockton’s Black alumni. Over 70 Alumni attended the event in Atlantic City. A leader of the Student Alumni Association and junior at Stockton, Oluwashefunmi Ajayi-Joseph, was volunteering at the event. She believes that celebrations like these contribute to her growth & success at Stockton University and her personal life. “I volunteered at the Black Excellence Night which was fantastic because it allowed me to connect with alumni and give me motivation to strive for better things in life. The room was full of black people. They were commended throughout the evening, giving me chills to see how well Black Stockton Alumni were doing.”

Sunday included several final celebrations on and off campus. The Multicultural Center and Stockton Entertainment Team held a “Multicultural Center Brunch & Beats Day Party” in the Fannie Lou Hamer Event Room in the John F. Scarpa Academic Building on the Atlantic City campus. Beginning promptly at 11:30 a.m. students invited family and friends to enjoy breakfast foods and beverages. On the Galloway campus, Student Development & Residential Life held its annual Fred Fest at the Lakeside Oasis. Students were able to invite family and friends to kayak or canoe out onto Lake Fred and enjoy the outdoors. Over 120 people got to set out onto the lake and celebrate the closing of Stockton’s University Weekend.