Stockton News - Feb. 14, 2025 - University Relations & Marketing

Stockton News - Feb. 14, 2025

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Transcending Spaces with Black Joy & Excellence

In celebration of Black History Month, a Feb. 6 panel discussion with students, faculty and staff in the Multicultural Center became a lively conversation on the Black lived experience and the role that resilience, joy and excellence play in it.

Guivenchiali Saint Jean, a second-year student in the Environmental Science & Africana Studies programs, and Timaya McGowan, a second-year Accounting major, served as the evening’s moderators and asked the panelists questions such as “What does Black excellence mean to you?” and “How has your African American identity shaped your leadership experience?”

In one of his answers, panelist Marques Johnson, associate dean of students, talked about a student who called him while writing an essay for fellow panelist Donnetrice Allison’s Africana Studies course.

Despite occurring at 10 p.m., the call itself wasn’t what shocked him the most – it was the student’s excitement and eagerness to share what he learned in her class.

“In a way, I was able to experience her excellence and how it showed up in that classroom from seeing what it did for him,” Johnson said. “(The student) came from a place where… one of his parents didn't want him to come to Stockton because of some of the race-related courses we offer."

Changes Made to Criminal Justice Degree Program

Stockton has changed some of the requirements of its undergraduate Criminal Justice degree program to meet the evolving needs of the field.

Effective for incoming students in fall 2025, Stockton will offer a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Current students will earn a Bachelor of Arts in the major.

Marissa Levy, the dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said one of the main reasons for the switch is to better prepare students for jobs in the Criminal Justice field.

Stockton Establishes Community Advisory Board

Stockton has assembled community stakeholders for a new initiative emphasizing the University’s role as a regional Anchor Institution. The formation of a Community Advisory Board will create stronger partnerships with leaders who can provide strategic input into advancing Stockton’s mission and help Stockton to better engage and serve the community, according to President Joe Bertolino.

“This diverse group of leaders will serve as a bridge between the University and the region, offering insight and guidance to advance shared goals and keep our finger on the pulse of community needs,” Bertolino said.

The board will focus on five primary goals, including: engaging with community stakeholders to help ensure university priorities contribute to the well-being of the community; sharing information to provide an understanding of local issues and opportunities; providing advice and recommendations to the University to support informed decision-making that positively impacts both the university and the region; creating relationships that enhance the educational experience, contribute to the vitality of the community, and support for the local workforce, and; empowering community members through educational opportunities, events and initiatives.

SPOTLIGHT ON: NATHAN LONG

Nathan Long, professor of Creative Writing, recently won the Nonfiction Award from C&R Press for his book, “As Is: Essays on a Queer Life, Writing, and the Unpredictable Nature of Things,” an achievement he described as “unreal” in many ways.

Long said the book is a collection of essays — part memoir, part social commentary — tracing his evolving understanding of sexual identity as a spiritual, queer writer-activist through the last five decades, growing up in rural Appalachia, witnessing the AIDS crisis, traveling and meditating in a Buddhist Monastery in Southeast Asia, living on a queer commune in rural Tennessee, caring for a disabled activist, and coming to understand how all along, writing and story-telling shaped his life and identity.

He has taught at the university for 20 years -- mostly creative writing courses, but also literature and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses – and shared some insight about what went into the book’s development, his experience as a writer, the impact of winning this award and some interesting personal facets. Read the full Q&A here.

WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU

Instagram: Last week Stockton and Chartwells participated in the annual Let’s Get Cookin’ event to raise funds for the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club.Chartwells Executive Chef Scott Bencze made Maple Bulgogi Brisket Tacos using fresh Stockton-sourced ingredients. Congratulations to Chef Scott, who was awarded the Best Professional Chef Award for Entrée!

Facebook: POV: You decided to transfer to Stockton and it was the best decision you ever made for future you 📚✨🦅

LinkedIn: If you could go back in time to tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

FROM THE SIDELINES

Stockton Tops Rutgers-Camden 67-57

Stockton University scored the first 10 points of the game and never looked back on the way to a 67-57 victory over Rutgers-Camden. The Ospreys led by as many as 24 points in the first half and head coach Scott Bittner collected his 150th career win.

Stockton won with balanced scoring led by EJ Matthews-Spratley with a team-high 19 points. Tayvon Gaither returned after missing three games due to injury and scored 11 points.

Christian Armstrong-Thomas also reached double figures with 10 points. Stockton owned a commanding 45-29 advantage on the boards, sparked by Logan Mckee with a team-high eight rebounds plus seven points.

Stockton has two regular-season games remaining, starting with a matchup at Ramapo on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Stockton Competes in Frank Colden Invitational

The men and women’s track and field teams participated in the Frank Colden Invitational, which was was hosted by Ursinus College on Saturday, Feb. 8. The women’s team competed in nine events and the men competed in eight.

The majority of the participating teams were NCAA Division III squads from Pennsylvania, with some other states represented as well as Division II and track club entrants.

The women’s best finishes came on the track, highlighted by Sophia Stahl and Sarah Rutledge who were fourth (5:42.51) and fifth (5:43.48) respectively out of 43 runners in the mile. Paige Baney placed 12th in the mile as well (5:49.25).

Guinevere Kennedy finished fourth out of 16 in the 5000m (19:55.39) and Bella Campiglia placed sixth (20:33.84). A pair of Ospreys also fared well in the 800m as Rachel Hayes crossed the line fifth (2:28.39) out of 44 and Olivia Horton was ninth (2:33.29).

The men’s best finishes came in the field events. Andres Perez tied for eighth out of 22 in the pole vault (3.80m) and Alexis Maldonado-Ortiz placed ninth out of 22 in the long jump (6.14m).

Patrick Storti led the Ospreys on the track with a 12th place out of 39 runners in the 800m (2:06.74). Dan Mine finished 17th in the 800m (2:08.18). Shane Moore placed 19 out of 56 in the 200m and Mike Cordiano was 19th out of 45 in the mile (4:51.06).

Stockton will compete in the Widener Indoor Classic at the University of Pennsylvania this weekend on Feb. 14-15.

🦅 For more athletics news and upcoming game information, visit here.🦅

OSPREY NOTES

Strategic Planning Update: Defining Stockton's Edge

The Strategic Planning Steering Committee shared an update on Feb. 14:

With the Fall 2024 phase now behind us, we're excited to share the progress we've made together. Thanks to the hard work of our planning groups, we’ve identified five key themes that will shape the foundation of Stockton’s future. These themes reflect who we are as a university and where we want to go, guiding our next steps as we refine our priorities and set a course for the years ahead.

Stockton is more than just a university — a community, a launchpad for innovation, and a place where students, faculty, and staff thrive. But what truly sets us apart? And how do we continue to stand out in the years ahead? As we shape our next strategic plan, we want to hear from you! What qualities make Stockton special today, and what bold steps should we take to define our future? Your voice matters, and together, we’ll ensure Stockton’s story is one of growth, impact and opportunity.

Share your thoughts and ideas on what sets Stockton apart on the Strategic Planning website.

2025-26 FAFSA is Available Now

Attention faculty & staff! The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available now at fafsa.gov! We ask that you please encourage your students and their families to not only complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA by the below deadlines, but also utilize the resources and helpful information listed at stockton.edu/fafsa before they complete the application.

March 1 is the deadline for students to complete the FAFSA to be considered for aid programs with limited funding for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters.

April 15 is the deadline for students who received the State Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) and/or the Stockton Promise in the 2024-25 academic year to complete the 2025-26 FAFSA at fafsa.gov or NJ Alternative Application for Financial Aid (NJ Dreamers only) at hesaa.org to be considered for state aid as well as the Stockton Promise in the 2025-26 academic year. Students who miss this deadline could miss out on thousands of dollars in grant funding!

Any student or family member who needs assistance completing their section of the FAFSA is invited to attend an evening FAFSA Completion event hosted by the Office of Financial Aid on Tuesday, March 25! Students and their family members will receive in-person assistance in completing their sections of the FAFSA during this event. Register for March 25 here!

Students can also register for a one-on-one FAFSA Completion Appointment by using the “Get Assistance” button in the Ospreys Navigate account.

Please feel free to share the information on how to register with your students. Note that students will need to log in with their goStockton portal credentials to register.

Fun Fact Friday: 🍫 Besides Feb. 14 being Valentine’s Day, it is also National Cream-Filled Chocolate Day. Before these delectable little desserts were called truffles, they were known as pralines. The Belgian chocolatier Jean Neuhaus Jr. invented the first hard chocolate shell in 1912, which allowed chocolates to be filled with soft centers. Neuhaus Jr. was the grandson of a Swiss immigrant, Jean Neuhaus, who originally ran an apothecary shop where he covered medicines in chocolate to make them more appealing to customers. It was Neuhaus Jr. who created the very first chocolate-filled bonbons, which he called pralines. If you are looking for ways to celebrate, treat yourself to your favorite chocolates or try this easy truffle recipe at home.

POLLING ALL OSPREYS

chicken wings

First, what a 🏈 Super Bowl! Congratulations to the Eagles on a win it seemed all of South Jersey needed. We hope everyone enjoyed the day watching the game with friends and family!

That brings us to last week’s incredibly important poll question results. We asked you what you were dipping your coveted buffalo wings in – ranch or blue cheese, and there was a clear winner here, too. While 30.8% of you are heading for the ranch, a whopping 69.2% are making no bones about diving into the blue cheese. Whichever dip you choose, just don’t double dip. On to the chocolates now!