Latest Events
The Blank Foundation’s “The Future of the American Dream” Webcast to Include Oglethorpe Students
Posted 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.
Alternative Winter Break: An Invitation to “Change the World”
Posted 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
Posted 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.
Oglethorpe Veterans Club Honors Those Who’ve Served
Posted by: | November 11, 2011 | Comments
The Oglethorpe Veterans Club handed out yellow lapel ribbons across campus.
To commemorate Veterans Day today, the newly-formed Oglethorpe Veterans Club distributed yellow lapel ribbons to raise awareness, held a campus-wide moment of silence at 11 a.m. to remember those who have fallen, and hosted a ”Lest We Forget” brunch event to honor those who’ve served and their families.
The Oglethorpe Veterans Club members include veterans, family members, students, faculty, staff and alumni who have come together to recognize the contributions of soldiers.
“Veterans are really everywhere,” said Jef Palframan ’13, founding president of the OU Veterans Club—and a veteran himself. “The club is for everyone, not just veterans, and our mission is the aid those who have served and their families.”
Jef Palframan '13, Professor Chris Benton, Trustee Fred Agel '52, Trustee Emeritus O.K. Sheffield '53
The event opened and closed with prayers for those who have fallen in battle, for those who are missing, and those who are fighting right now. There also were toasts made to those who have served and their families, as well as remarks from Dean of Students Michelle Hall, OU Trustee Fred Agel ’52, and Trustee Emeritus O.K. Sheffield ’53. Veterans who attended were encouraged to wear their uniforms and medals.
OU shares a long history with alumni veterans and veterans-turned-students. Oglethorpe’s first international students in the 1940s were four Norwegian veterans of WWII. (Read the full article: Summer 2011 Carillon, pages 10-11.) Currently there are 13 veterans enrolled as students at Oglethorpe.
An empty table symbolized those soldiers who are or were prisoners of war or missing in action.
OU Men’s Soccer Team Captures First SCAC Title, Accepts First NCAA Bid
Posted by: | November 07, 2011 | Comments
The Oglethorpe University men’s soccer 2011 season will roll on into the middle of November after the team accomplished a couple of program firsts this past weekend. The Stormy Petrels captured their first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championship by topping Centre 1-0 in Birmingham on Sunday afternoon and, in the process, clinched the school’s debut trip to the NCAA Tournament!
Still celebrating their first league title, the Petrels learned today that their first round NCAA Tournament game will be against the University of Texas at Tyler on the Patriots campus at 8:00 p.m. Eastern this Thursday, November 10.
The Petrels will bring their 17-3 overall record to Tyler, Texas to face a Patriot squad that is 15-2-2 overall and Sunday winners of the American Southwest Conference Championship. The Petrels and Patriots shared one common opponent from the 2011 season: Southwestern University. Texas-Tyler topped Southwestern 2-1 in their first match of the year back on September 3. Oglethorpe bested Southwestern by the score of 2-0 in last Saturday night’s SCAC Semifinal in Birmingham.
If the Petrels are fortunate enough to top the Patriots on their home field, Oglethorpe will travel down the road to San Antonio, Texas for a Sunday afternoon matchup with conference rival Trinity. To view the entire 2011 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer bracket, go here.
The 2011 Oglethorpe men, coached by Jon Akin, enjoyed a year unlike any other in the program history. The team set a school record by winning twelve straight games during the campaign en route to posting the 17-3-0 overall record. The 17 wins are a program best and the .850 winning percentage is also tops all-time for a team that celebrated 50 years of soccer being played on the campus just this season. The Petrels also posted their best SCAC mark in school history at 8-1 overall and the squad’s success gained national attention when the team appeared in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings for the first time in 50 years.
CONGRATULATIONS!
A Historic Season for Oglethorpe Men’s Soccer—And It’s Not Over
Posted by: | November 03, 2011 | Comments
The Oglethorpe University men’s soccer team just put the finishing touches on a historic regular season that saw the 2011 Stormy Petrels set several school records. With the first season complete, Oglethorpe is now excited about their second season—this weekend’s conference tournament with a chance to qualify for the school’s first-ever trip to NCAA Tournament on the line.
Coached by Jon Akin, the men enjoyed a year unlike any other in the program history. The team set a school record by winning 12 straight games during the campaign en route to posting a 15-3-0 overall record. The 15 wins are a program best, and the .833 winning percentage is also tops for a team that just this season celebrated 50 years of soccer being played on the campus. The Petrels also posted their best SCAC mark in school history at 8-1 overall. The squad’s success gained national attention when the team appeared in the rankings for the first time in 50 years.
This weekend the men travel to Birmingham, Ala. for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament (Nov. 4-6), hosted by Birmingham-Southern. The Petrels will face the winner of Friday night’s Colorado College/Southwestern match-up on Saturday at approximately 8:30 p.m. Eastern. A semifinal victory on Saturday would spring Oglethorpe into the Championship game on Sunday (2:30 p.m. Eastern) against the likely opponent of the nation’s No. 4 ranked team, the undefeated Trinity Tigers.
To follow Oglethorpe’s quest for their first conference championship using live stats and live video, visit the Championship website here.
Go Petrels!
Pictured: The recordbreaking 2011 Oglethorpe Men’s Soccer team; Coach Jon Akin
Zombie Expert Max Brooks to Help Oglethorpe Survive a Zombie Attack!
Posted by: | October 21, 2011 | Comments
Zombie Expert Max Brooks
Just in time for Halloween and Oglethorpe’s Zombie Week…! Oglethorpe University will welcome Zombie expert and author Max Brooks to campus on Monday, October 24. Join us—if you dare—at 7:00 p.m. in Lupton Auditorium to hear Brooks’ “10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack,” based on his book The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead.
Brooks is also the author of The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, soon to be made into a major motion picture starring Brad Pitt.
Brooks is a former writer for Saturday Night Live and is the son of Hollywood’s Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft.
A book signing will follow, with books available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public, with limited seating. No zombies allowed.
‘A School for My Village’ Author at Oglethorpe this Thursday
Posted by: | October 19, 2011 | Comments
Don’t miss this lecture and book signing by author Twesigye Jackson Kaguri on Thursday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art.
In his book, A School for My Village: A Promise to the Orphans of Nyaka, Twesigye Jackson Kaguri captures his amazing journey from a small farm in Uganda to the ivy halls of Columbia University, and then home again. He will share his story of returning to his village of Nyaka, Uganda and building a tuition-free school for almost 500 Nyaka orphans. The author lost two siblings to AIDS leaving behind their children as orphans.
The event will include author’s remarks, a book signing, and a Taste of Uganda Feast.
Presented by the Oglethorpe Women’s Network and The Georgia Center for the Book.
Career Services Expands Resources, Opportunities
Posted by: | October 10, 2011 | Comments
Do you know about all the career resources offered at Oglethorpe’s Career Center? The Center helps both students and alumni with career development and planning through self-evaluation, the exploration and pursuit of career interests, and by offering opportunities like one-on-one appointments, job seminars, educational programs and recruitment events. Now, Career Services has its sights set on expanding internships opportunities for current students.
Director of Career Services Caroline Weimar was recently joined by Robin Brandt, who assumed the brand new position of Director of Experiential Learning. Robin is focusing on developing and expanding opportunities for OU students to participate in internships, with the goal to significantly increase the overall number of students who benefit from the practical, hands-on experience that internships offer. She recently convened a steering committee of OU students who will help support and advise the Career Center in its ongoing efforts to increase OU students’ participating in internships.
“Internships can be a beneficial experience for students of any major,” said Brandt. “They help formulate career goals, gain valuable work experience and enhance marketable skills. Internships also help establish reference and networking contacts and can possibly open doors to full-time employment. Some positions even qualify for academic credit.”
When it comes to finding internship positions, Brandt advises students to do research on their own, along with using the resources available through the Career Center, such as Career Connect. Center staff offer professional advice on writing resumes and cover letters and holds mock practice interviews. OU students also are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to meet face-to-face with potential employers during on-campus Career Fairs. The recent Nonprofit Career Fair brought more than 35 potential nonprofit employers to campus. View photos from the event here. Throughout the year, students also can look forward to guest speakers and panel discussion series with professionals from various fields, as well as another career fair scheduled for spring 2012.
For more information about Career Services or internship opportunities visit the Career Center office in Emerson Student Center or email careerservices@oglethorpe.edu.
Photos: (top) Robin Brandt meets with an OU student in the Career Center; (middle) Caroline Weimar consults on career planning; (bottom) Snapshots from the recent Nonprofit Career Fair.
Oglethorpe’s ‘Atlanta Day of Service’ Makes A Difference
Posted by: | October 07, 2011 | Comments
Ashley Causey ’14 is a 2011-2012 Civic Engagement Student Ambassador at Oglethorpe.
“Join the A-Team for A-Day of Service!” was a catchphrase we chanted last week at the Center for Civic Engagement to get students pumped for Oglethorpe University’s Atlanta Day of Service, which took place last Saturday, October 1. More than 90 Oglethorpe students, staff, faculty, alumni, community members—and a recordbreaking 16 parents!—showed up bright and early for Oglethorpe’s second Day of Service this semester.
Volunteers gave their time at one of the following nonprofit organizations: Lynwood Park Recreation Center, Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Sunrise Assisted Living, Suthers Center for Christian Outreach or Open Hand. Whether they were creating trails and dams at Blue Heron Nature Preserve or preparing meals for the chronically and terminally ill patients at Open Hand, the volunteers worked selflessly in their endeavors to provide their best work to these organizations.
The Atlanta Day of Service was also the second COEXIST Oglethorpe event this semester. COEXIST Oglethorpe was started by students, staff, and faculty members in June 2011 as a response to President Obama’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. President Obama challenged over 300 colleges and universities around the country to promote intentional interfaith dialogue and community service. Center for Civic Engagement Program Coordinator Peyton Healy and Sophomore Class President Awet Woldegebriel kicked off Atlanta Day of Service and challenged them to think about and discuss “what does COEXIST mean to you?”
As a Center for Civic Engagement Student Ambassador, I had the honor of co-leading the service project at Suthers Center of Christian Outreach Thrift Store. Suthers Center opened its doors a year ago as a collaboration of local churches in order to provide food, clothing, and emergency assistance for over 130 families in the Chamblee and Brookhaven areas. The Suthers Center does not have any paid staff—they are all volunteers who run the Center six days out of the week.
Eleven students, parents, staff members and I unpacked nearly 100 boxes of donated winter clothing. We packed summer clothing away, put price tags on winter clothing and painted the display walls. We also made sure that the front of the store looked presentable and approachable for customers.
On Atlanta Day of Service, I learned something important: I learned how simple serving others can be. Serving others does not necessarily mean exhausting yourself to do something momentous or earth shaking, but rather doing something that makes someone’s day a little bit easier. Before volunteering at Suthers Center, I had the mindset that I had to do the former in order to be helpful. But, about an hour into our volunteering, one of the Suthers Center volunteers walked in with an astonished look on her face and expressed pure joy for our work: “What you all have done in an hour of time would have taken us MONTHS to accomplish!”
It was at that moment that I began to understand the real purpose for serving others. It doesn’t matter about the size of your actions; in fact, it was never about that. It is about your desire and pure kindness to lighten someone’s load, because they are a part of this world just like you.
