Four Stormy Petrel Soccer Stars Earn All-Region Honors; Lavery Named to Division III First Team All-America
By | December 21, 2011 · Comments
Pictured: Mark Lavery
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced the 2011 NCAA Men’s Soccer Division III All-Region teams recently and four Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels received recognition: Senior center back Mark Lavery (Woodstock, Ga.) and senior midfielder Aaron Walker (Woodstock, Ga.) were tabbed as members of the All-South Atlantic First Team while sophomore defender Nikos Papanikolopoulos (Atlanta) and junior goalkeeper Frank Petersen (Woodstock, Ga.) received Third Team nods.
Just days later, the NSCAA named Lavery to the First Team of the NSCAA/Continental Tire 2011 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer All-America Team. Lavery is the first Stormy Petrel in school history to receive a First Team All-America designation in men’s soccer. He was also named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Defensive Player-of-the-Year.
These individual postseason honors come on the heels of unrivaled team success for an Oglethorpe squad that won a conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2011—all during Oglethorpe’s 50th anniversary year of soccer.
“I’m thrilled that four deserving players like Mark, Aaron, Nikos and Frank were recognized…” said Oglethorpe head men’s soccer coach Jon Akin. “It’s the icing on the cake after all the hard work these kids put in to push us to our first conference title and first trip to the NCAA’s in program history.”
Congratulations to all!
Frank PetersenAaron WalkerNikos Papanikolopoulos
Oglethorpe University featured in leading business publication
By | December 20, 2011 · CommentsThe Atlanta Business Chronicle, a leading source for Atlanta business news, recently published a feature story titled “Oglethorpe University makes ‘amazing’ turnaround.”
Here’s a brief excerpt from the article, which was published in the December 16th print edition:
“The Oglethorpe story is an amazing one,” said Jack Guynn, retired president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, who recently completed a three-year term as the chairman of its board of trustees. “Every indicator of success has moved in the right direction under Larry’s leadership — enrollment, markers of academic strength such as SAT scores, philanthropic giving and on and on. And this has all been accomplished during the most difficult economic times most of us have ever seen.”
Read the entire article with photos on the Atlanta Business Chronicle website (subscribers only) or on Maria Saporta’s blog, SaportaReport.
Silver Petrels Program Partners Students with Seniors
By | December 12, 2011 · Comments
Dr. Bob with OU players
The Oglethorpe University Women’s Basketball team had some special fans in the stands during their recent game against Birmingham-Southern. Residents of the Sunrise Senior Assisted Living community visited the campus to support the team as part of the new Silver Petrels program.
Initiated by Head Basketball Coach Aaron Nester and organized by OU’s Center for Civic Engagement, the Silver Petrels service program was formed inspire teamwork both on and off the court, and to make a positive impact in the community. The players focus on nurturing friendships with the residents at the Sunrise Assisted Living in Buckhead. The team has made a commitment to spend quality time with the residents. The groups’ first gathering in November was spent playing bingo during an afternoon spent at the assisted living center.
“This is a great partnership and hopefully one we keep for many years,” said Coach Nester. “It is neat to see our student-athletes be involved in something bigger than themselves and, ultimately, that is what it is all about.”
“The residents were so excited…to visit a college campus and to see a sporting event,” said Heather Staniszewski, assistant director at OU’s Center for Civic Engagement. “They loved seeing new people, clapping, and of course the food. [One resident] took notes and cried he was so touched to be cheering on the team.”
The residents were impressed to find out that OU students do not play for athletic scholarships but out of pure love for the game. They hope to return for another game and in the meantime they are preparing to host the team again at Sunrise for another Bingo Day.
The Blank Foundation’s “The Future of the American Dream” Webcast to Include Oglethorpe Students
By | November 30, 2011 · Comments
Americans have always believed that hard work and education open the doors to success. Is that promise still alive for today’s generation of students?
Oglethorpe University students Christina Bayne, Will Jones, Misty Love, Katie Odell, Corey Ray, Kristy Williams, Ashley Causey, Awet Woldegebriel, Joseph White, and Maya Hayes will discuss that question during a live webcast titled The Future of The American Dream on December 1 at 6:00 p.m. The webcast is organized by the The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and is part of their Speaker Series. The discussion will feature Bob Herbert, journalist and Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos, and Deborah Bial, president and founder of The Posse Foundation. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Garrow will moderate the discussion.
“We are delighted that a number of Oglethorpe students will join us for our live speaker series event,” said Penny McPhee, president of the The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
Oglethorpe University students were invited by the foundation to take part and will participate alongside students from several other metro Atlanta universities, including Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Agnes Scott College, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Georgia State University.
Join the live webcast at http://bit.ly/ambdream, no registration needed. The page also contains links to speaker bios, interviews with area college students on The Future of the AmericanDream, and links to resources and news articles.
Amnesty International Conference Impacts Oglethorpe Students
By | November 28, 2011 · Comments
Pictured: Oglethorpe University students Anna Ethridge '14, Keturah Thomas '13, Tirzah Brown '14, and Ashley Causey '14 at the Amnesty International Conference.
On the weekend of November 4-6, Ashley Causey ’14, Tirzah Brown ’14, Keturah Thomas ’13, and I all lugged our (overly-packed) luggage and our Oglethorpian minds up to Charlotte, N.C. for the 2011 Amnesty International Southern Regional Conference. Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million people, in more than 150 countries, who fight injustices and advocate for human rights all around the world.
The organization uses a three-prong strategy to fight for human rights: (1) public education, (2) state work, and (3) case work. The vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights preserved in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which are rights that are often denied more than we realize. Some of the issues that Amnesty advocates for include, but are not limited to LGBTQ rights, the abolition of the death penalty, human trafficking, environmental issues, torture in Guantanamo Bay, controlling arms, immigration rights, and issues in Syria, China, Nicaragua, the Middle East, and North Africa, just to name a few.
With multiple workshops to choose from, Ashley, Tirzah, Keturah and I thrived off of the abundant information that was presented in each workshop. We all decided it was best to attend workshops that presented on issues we knew little about, which proved to be a successful learning experience. This conference was a life (and mind)-changing experience for me. This experience gave me that “boost” of motivation that I so greatly needed to start advocating and educating people on the many injustices that engulf society every day.
Out of all of the workshops and events that I attended, (including the Troy Davis Vigil and plenaries on human trafficking, queer liberation, undocumented youth, and more), the Closing Brunch Plenary impacted me the most. During brunch on the last day of the conference, two advocates against the death penalty spoke about their own personal experiences with the criminal justice system, and why and how we can make an impact against the injustices that violate human rights everywhere. Troy Davis’s nephew, De’Jaun Correia, only 17 years old, spoke about the execution of his uncle and how it impacted him. He was recently named one of the Top 25 Youth that will change the world. Rais Bhuiyan also spoke. He is a Bangladeshi American who was shot by Mark Stroman, who told police that he was “hunting Arabs” after the attacks on 9/11. Rais was saved from brain damage, but lost sight in one eye. He appealed to save Stroman from the death penalty.
These two speakers had a huge impact on me and really made me realize what we, as an organization, are really fighting for. We’re not fighting to change institutions, or even to change people’s minds about the most effective form of punishment, we are really fighting to eliminate hate. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”
How an Oglethorpe Biology/Chemistry Major Became Mayor
By | November 21, 2011 · Comments
On Tuesday, November 7, the voters of Commerce, Ga. made a major decision. They elected their first new mayor in over 20 years as J. Clark Hill ’93 took 737 of the 1,095 votes cast.
Hill defeated both veteran City Councilman Donald Wilson and former Commerce Mayor Tommy Stephenson for the job. Clark, a local physician has also served as Ward 4 city councilman and chairman of the Downtown Development Authority. Jonathan Milford ’00, who owns an Allstate insurance agency in Commerce, was first to call me with the exciting development.
Jonathan and other business leaders in the community feel strongly that Clark is the best choice to represent their interests and lead Commerce out of economic uncertainty. They trust he will bring inspired leadership to Commerce based on his strong character, integrity, caring and generosity for others. One local business leader said that, “going to the polls to vote for someone like Clark Hill for Mayor means your town won the lottery.”
Clark will replace outgoing Mayor Buzzie Hardy, who is retiring after more than two decades as Commerce’s mayor. “Commerce is at a critical point in its history with high unemployment and most new jobs going to the west side of Jackson County,” Hill said in an email over the weekend. He wants to modernize city hall; rebuild relationships with other local governments, schools and business groups; and reclaim the city’s status as an industrial and manufacturing hub in the I-85 corridor.
During the next few years, key city employees like the town’s long-time manager, clerk and recreation department director also are retiring, making the time a pivotal one for the city, he said. “Recruitment of qualified replacements and having a smooth transition will be paramount to our success,” Hill said.
Knowing Clark as an Oglethorpe undergrad student I never imagined this professional path for him. I knew he wanted to help others through medicine but it’s great to see what a difference his consistent caring spirit makes on those around him. It’s interesting too how his Oglethorpe experience may have nurtured his current professional and political path.
Here’s a snapshot of Clark:
Councilman J. Clark Hill III received his BA in Biology/Chemistry from Oglethorpe in 1993. He is a 1997 graduate of Mercer University School of Medicine and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Atlanta Medical Center. He moved to Commerce in 2001 to start an Internal Medicine practice. Dr. Hill owns Hill Medical Group, PC. Dr. Hill is married to Doreen (Hart) from Savannah and they have three daughters: Emily, Maggie, and Callie. Dr. Hill has served on the Commerce Downtown Development Authority since 2005 and is the current Chairman of the Board. He is a 2003 Leadership Jackson County graduate, current member and past president of the Commerce Kiwanis Club and serves on the Board of Directors of First Georgia Banking Company.
John Breton ’97 is Clark’s SAE fraternity brother.
OU Psychology Students Achieve 100% Acceptance Rate at Professional Conference
By | November 21, 2011 · Comments
Brittany Weiner '12 (left) celebrates her award-winning research with Ashleigh Brizzle '10 at last year's SEPA Conference
Earlier this fall, five Oglethorpe University psychology majors submitted research projects for presentation at the 58th annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) in New Orleans in spring 2012.
All submissions to this professional conference are peer-reviewed by faculty experts in their respective fields. As is always the case with Oglethorpe psychology majors, they did not self-identify as “students” and submit to an undergraduate student conference. Instead, they submitted their work alongside that of professors and graduate students to a professional research conference.
All five students recently were informed that their projects were accepted for presentation. Their accomplishments continue the strong record of performance by OU psychology majors on state, regional, and national levels.
The five students and their respective projects are listed below.
Cassie Hendrix ’12 – “The Effects of Media Exposure on Infants’ Ability to Learn”
Balbir Khalsa ’12 -“Detecting Subtle-microexpressions: Can we see them?”
Marie King ’12 – “How People Perceive Profanity Users”
Justin Sabree ’12 - “Versatility of psychophysiological paradigms for assessing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms”
Brittany Weiner ’12 - “Whose Fault is it Anyway? Perfectionists’ Experience of Test Anxiety”
Congratulations and have fun in New Orleans this spring!
Oglethorpe’s First Lady on the Road in Uganda
By | November 18, 2011 · Comments
Last month the OU Blog told you about a lecture and book signing by author Twesigye Jackson Kaguri and organized by Oglethorpe’s Women’s Network.
In Kaguri’s book, A School for My Village: A Promise to the Orphans of Nyaka, he describes his amazing journey from a small farm in Uganda to the ivy halls of Columbia University, and then home again to build a tuition-free school for almost 500 Nyaka orphans.
Affected by the Kaguri’s story, Betty Londergan, President Schall’s wife, journeyed to Uganda, to see the work of Kaguri’s Nyaka AIDS Orphan School wtih her own eyes. Read about her experiences and follow her journey on her blog:
Nov. 11 – You are welcome here, Bet-ty!
Nov. 14 – Somewhere over the rainbow…
Nov. 17 – Not the same old song.
Alternative Winter Break: An Invitation to “Change the World”
By | November 16, 2011 · Comments
Anna Ethridge '14
During Alternative Winter Break in New Orleans this past January, I learned to live life simply so that others may simply live.
Our group of 23 Oglethorpe students and staff members traveled down to New Orleans for a week-long service trip. We built a house through Habitat for Humanity for a family who had lost their home during Hurricane Katrina. Not only did we help to improve a community that was in great need, but we also learned new skills, met life-long friends, and got to hear touching stories from people in New Orleans who had been through this catastrophic event.
Throughout the week, I learned the true definition of teamwork, but I also learned how to see the world through another person’s eyes. While in New Orleans, we saw people on a daily basis on the streets begging for food. Seeing these struggling individuals gave me the most helpless feeling in the world. But, when we were building a house for that family, I saw the smile on their faces, and that feeling was indescribable. I felt that, although I couldn’t, and still can’t, help every single individual in the world at once, at least I can contribute positively to a few at a time.
Tony Golden & Helen Boyer
I feel that every single student at Oglethorpe – no matter what color, orientation, major, interests, skills sets, or personality should attend an Alternative Winter Break with the Center for Civic Engagement. This year will be an incredible opportunity for students as we head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to work on disaster relief. Throughout the week, we will help to rebuild a low-income housing community that was completely destroyed by the tornados in April. Residents were forced to move in with families or onto the streets because the only homeless shelter in Tuscaloosa was blown away by the tornados.
I think that the first step in our development as humanitarians is a capacity for compassion permanence—a courageous and generous capacity to remember the needs of an unjust world even when they are out of our immediate sight. I think to myself sometimes: what is the core of my being, what can I really do?? I continue to find through experiences such as Alternative Winter Break that the core of my being is to live as if I have received nothing, but given everything, as if each breath is my last, as if each word can make an impact, as if each hand and smile can change the world.
Zachary Vealey, Ali Hadd & Jessica Miller
And I learned this on my experience on Alternative Winter Break. You will too, just try it. What do you really have to lose?
If you are motivated to go and make a change, then start filling out the application, which is available on PetrelNet and in the Center for Civic Engagement. Applications are due to the Center for Civic Engagement this Friday, November 18 at 5:00 p.m.
Dressing to Stand OUt
By | November 14, 2011 · Comments
Savannah Boyd, personal stylist, advices students on appropriate attire.
The OU Career Center recently hosted a Dress for Success event for students in the OU Museum of Art.
“Career Services, with the help of the Student Government Association, created this event to give students a chance to jump start their professional wardrobe. The goal of the event was to help students understand that professional attire is a key part of making a positive first impression to a potential employer” said Caroline Weimar, director of Career Counseling. “We emphasized that your clothing should enhance, not distract from, what you are trying to articulate in terms of your skills and talents.”
The event featured Savannah Boyd, a personal stylist and owner of Hearts of Style (www.heartsofstyle.com). Savannah spoke to the students about professional attire and the difference between interview dress and business casual. She shared some common mistakes that people make and emphasized the importance of having basics such as a dark suit and white or blue collared shirt in your wardrobe. Savannah told OU students that you do not have to spend a lot of money to look polished and that it’s better to invest in a few key pieces that you can use again and again.
OU students Awet Woldegebriel and Ciarra Dantzler model professional attire
OU student models demonstrated the DOs and DON’Ts of professional dress. The students included Awet Woldegebriel, Spenser Knauss, Sonya Myers, Joel Raffety, Price Hamilton, Ciarra Dantzler, and Nicole Kang.
For more than a month, Career Services collected donated gently-used professional items from OU faculty and staff. Thanks to the generosity of our Oglethorpe community, students had a large selection of professional clothing, belts, jewelry, and ties. They were given the opportunity to shop from the items to enhance their options for professional dress.
With the help of SGA, OU Career Services raffled off three gift cards to be used toward professional clothing items. Savannah Boyd also raffled off a two-hour closet audit where she will spend time going through a student’s closet and helping them put together various pieces into professional and business casual outfits.
Hats off to Career Services and SGA for another successful event! 
Find more information about OU Career Center and the services offered to OU students.
