Archive for June, 2011
Economics Major is Neurosurgeon-in-Training
Posted by: | June 30, 2011 | Comments
Oglethorpe Junior Allen Zow in his scrubs.
To some, Allen Zow ’14 is the nice guy who rings you up in the OU bookstore. But, in about 10 years, he’ll be Doctor Zow to everyone.
At least that’s the plan, according to Allen, who has had his sights set on becoming a neurosurgeon since the age of seven. Allen, an economics major, was first inspired to pursue the profession after reading Gifted Hands, an autobiography about the life of Ben Carson, one of the most well-known neurosurgeons in the world. Carson, an African-American doctor who battled racism, learning difficulties, and a troubled inner-city upbringing, eventually became the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD.
“Although I was young, reading the book really inspired me. Dr. Carson had so many obstacles in his way and so many hurdles to climb…so I thought, if he could do it, so can I!”
With that, Allen set himself up to pursue one of medicine’s most rigorous and consuming fields—by researching the path to becoming a doctor and connecting with medical professionals in his hometown of Savannah, GA. At age 12, he seized the opportunity to shadow a robotics surgeon. And, when he was 16, after a long interview process, Allen began working in the operating room at St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital in Savannah—a job that he held throughout high school and continued during his summers at home from college. He works as an ancillary services technician, and has been given increased responsiblity thoughout the years. His primary duties are to keep the operating room sanitized and clear of clutter during a procedure, retrieve blood from the blood bank, maintain the instruments, and shadow the doctors. Allen is quick to point out that he’s not a nurse, but his job is just as necessary for the operation to run smoothly.
“I am often on-call through the night,” said Allen. In high school, I once worked an 18-19 hour shift because we were needed at 2 o’clock in the morning. It’s a very hands-on job, and I’ve learned so much from actually being in the operating room and seeing what the doctors are doing. They will even explain what they’re doing and why…I think it’s the best way to learn whether it’s something you really want to do or not, and it’s certainly reinforced my goals.”
So, why the undergraduate major in economics?
“I’ve talked to a number of doctors who’ve told me that they wish they would have learned the business side of it more, so that they can better understand their finances,” said Allen, who wants to volunteer his medical skills internationally in the Doctors Without Borders program. “I don’t think my degree will be a problem…I’ve even met one doctor who was an Art major in college. So what I really want to do is be familiar with the whole spectrum of my profession, not only the medical side but also the business side. But, above all, my passion is helping people.”
OU Museum Scholarship Winner Takes Photography to the National Level
Posted by: | June 23, 2011 | Comments
High schooler Sara Endrias is the picture of artistic accomplishment. After receiving a scholarship from the OU Museum of Art to attend one of its summer photography programs, Sara went on to earn accolades for her work at both the local and regional Boys & Girls Clubs of America Imagemakers Photography Competition. And now, she’s progressing to the national competition.
While at Oglethorpe’s program, Sara learned alternative process photography, and spent the summer exploring different types of imaging, including photograms, the kind of photograph she entered in the contest. Her creation, titled “Flaming Pitcher of Destiny,” was announced as the Southeast Regional winner in the 16-18-year-old Alternative Process category.
Sara is a 4-year member of the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club, one of Oglethorpe’s neighbors. Because of her excellent work, Sara will receive a certificate of merit from the president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. If selected as a national winner, her photograph will be displayed in the Imagemakers National Photography Contest exhibit and she’ll receive a Boys & Girls Clubs of America award.
Sara's winning entry: A photogram is made without a camera, but combines light and photosensitive material to create an image.
Do you know of another young photographer who might want to try out the OU Museum of Art’s photography class? The next one starts soon — on June 27th! Find out how to register here.
Summer League Baseball Steps Up to the Plate at OU
Posted by: | June 22, 2011 | Comments
Never mind that school’s out. With summer in full swing, Oglethorpe’s historic baseball field is still seeing some action with its newest “home” baseball team, the Brookhaven Bucks. The Bucks are one of nine teams in the Sunbelt League, a collegiate summer league based in metro Atlanta that gives college players an opportunity to sharpen their baseball skills during the off-season.
Now in its fourth week of play, the Brookhaven Bucks are 6-3, showcasing some of the region’s best baseball talent, including Oglethorpe’s very own Jeff Pope ’13. As the only summer league team inside the perimeter, the Brookhaven Bucks are becoming increasingly popular in and around Brookhaven.
The Stormy Petrels' outfielder Jeff Pope '13 takes in a recent Bucks game from the dugout.
The Bucks’ next home game is Thursday night, June 23 at 7:15 p.m. at Oglethorpe’s Anderson Field, where they’ll take on the Rockdale Roadrunners.
Antlers up!
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Oscar Hijuelos to Speak at Oglethorpe
Posted by: | June 17, 2011 | Comments
On Monday, June 20, Oglethorpe will host Oscar Hijuelos, the first Latin American to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Hijuelos recently completed his memoir titled Thoughts Without Cigarettes and will share that story of his personal quest for identity.
After winning the Pulitzer in 1990 for his second novel, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, Hijuelos began to receive international attention for his vibrant fiction novels depicting Cubano life and culture. He also began to realize how his appearance played a key role in his cultural identity.
“People look at me—blond, fair-skinned, kind of New York in [my] demeanor….they say, ‘How on earth did that happen?” explained Hijuelos in a C-Span interview. “And I’d have to explain it because a lot of people thought Mambo Kings was my first novel. I found myself over the years explaining just what I was about…people are curious. How is it that you write these books about Cubano culture and upbringing, and other related issues to Latinos…so in a way, Thoughts Without Cigarettes is a response to all those people who have asked me these questions over the years.”
In Thoughts Without Cigarettes, Hijuelos introduces readers to the colorful circumstances of his upbringing. Born in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights to Cuban immigrants in 1951, Cigarettes relates the tale of Hijuelos’ early life, played out against the backdrop of an often prejudiced working-class neighborhood. The story takes on an even richer dimension when his relationship to his family and culture changes forever. During a sojourn in pre-Castro Cuba with his mother, he caught a disease that sent him into a hospital for terminally ill children upon his return. The yearlong stay estranged him from his language and the people he loved. In the book, Hijuelos tells how he overcame this early experience of displacement and how his inter-cultural experiences shaped him into the person he is today.
During this special event, to be hosted in Oglethorpe’s Phoebe Hearst Hall, Hijuelos will read excerpts, discuss, and sign copies of Thoughts Without Cigarettes. The evening is presented by the AJC-Decatur Book Festival,in association with Oglethorpe University and A Capella Books, and will include traditional Latin-style music performed by Cucho Garcia of the local ensemble, San Juan Jam. Guests will also enjoy refreshments provided by Sugarloft, a new Atlanta catering company inspired by Cuban bakeries that fill the palm-lined streets of Miami.
Tickets are available for $40 per person. To reserve tickets, please visit acappellabooks.com or call 404-681-5128. Ticket price includes a signed, first edition copy of the new book and benefits the AJC-Decatur Book Festival.
OU Student Uses Physics & Math Knowledge to Pursue National-level Figure Skating
Posted by: | June 15, 2011 | CommentsIt turns out that the OU Men’s Golf team members aren’t the only athletes taking their sport to the national stage this year. In July 2011, Louisa Barama ’12 will skate in the U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho, representing Oglethorpe.
Louisa does a layback spin during one of her performances.
A Physics major and a Math minor, Louisa knows that in skating it’s good to know a little something about energy and force—especially when you’re trying to land a double axel, lutz, a Salchow jump, or rotate in a proper camel or layback spin.
“My coaches talk a lot about maintaining angular (rotational) momentum and center of mass/gravity…to me, that’s good stuff!”
Not surprisingly, figure skating is a sport that demands an exorbitant amount of time and focus; and Louisa’s probably one of the best candidates for the job. Since taking to the ice skating rink 10 years ago, the aspiring atmosphere physicist has become adept at managing her time and resources throughout the year. When school is in, she spends several hours a week at the rink, juggling her studies while finishing up her season, which runs through the fall semester. During the summer, with no classes, she visits the rink twice a day and gets in at least one gym session during the day. She also works with a skating coach and a choreographer to help her perfect her routines. At most figure skating competitions, athletes perform both a short and long program, requiring Louisa to work on her endurance and master her moves with precision and with textbook form.
“Most of it is repetition and muscle memory,” adds Louisa. “Once you get [a move] down, you have to do it over and over again until it is second nature to your body….There’s a lot of falling down and getting up.”
Most skaters at Louisa's age and skill level have forfeited school to excel in their sport, but Louisa has attended traditional school throughout her career. “For me, education has always come first," stresses Louisa. "There have been times when I've had to call my coach and tell him that I won't be coming to practice because I'm working on a project or taking a test. But for the most part, I've figured out what I need to do in order to get everything done."
That dedication has landed Louisa a wall full of medals and a string of honors, including an impressive 12th place finish at this year’s U.S. South Atlantic Regional Championships. Her performance ranked her the number one junior division skater from Georgia and the number two skater from Georgia overall. Her score of 81.66 was her highest ever, and motivates her to improve the details of her performance, one that could take her around the world. An internationally-qualifying athlete should have at least 90 points to compete at the international level.
“I’m certainly going to take my education further….so I am definitely going to graduate school. But I also want to take [skating] as far as I can go with it. Because I was born in Denmark, I have citizenship there. I’ve always wanted to represent Denmark in national competition, and I’m not that far away.”
For now, though, Louisa looks forward to lacing up her skates and donning her Oglethorpe gear for the collegiate championship, which takes place July 21-24.
“I feel honored and excited to be representing Oglethorpe for the first time, doing something I love. I hope to deliver two solid, clean programs and an overall good performance.”