Vol. 3, No. 13                                                                         March 29, 2013
Welcome home, Alumni and Friends! 
 
Join God's Latest Witnessing Tool!

  

VOTE DAILY at www.retoolyourschool.com/vote-now.aspx


 

All over our campus and the Internet, people are asking: "Have you voted for Oakwood today?"

 

For those who don't know yet, your Oakwood University is competing to win a $50,000 grant in the "Retool Your School" (RYS) grant program, sponsored by The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer.

 

Miss Kisha Norris, Executive Director for Advancement & Development here at Oakwood, says: "We're planning to win this contest-not solely for the money and campus improvements, but even more importantly for the witnessing opportunity of Sabbath observance it gives us, not only with The Home Depot, but with all onlookers."

 

Of the 75 participating HBCUs, to date Oakwood - one of the smallest and only SDA school - is #1 in getting votes (exclusively through social media activity) from across the country and around the world! What amazes The Home Depot is that OU is currently leading the contest, while encouraging its supporters to vote only six days each week!

 

When we contacted UniWorld Group, the PR agency coordinating this RYS campaign for The Home Depot, it admitted, "Yes, we're getting lots of emails asking, 'Who's this "Oakwood University"?' 'What are they doing to be at #1?' 'We never heard of them - 'til now, that is.' We had to go on the web, to find out about this "Oakwood University." (Matthew 10:18 comes to mind.)

 

God has gifted Oakwood to be an integral part of the world's second-largest private school system. When our students ask their childhood friends enrolled at other Adventist institutions to join them in voting each day on each of their electronic devices, they willingly vote each day because they're not attending competing schools!

 

Oakwood is blessed to have perhaps the state of Alabama's only K-18 community - where one can grow from pre-school to a Masters degree, without ever having to exit these sacred grounds! - and receive its daily voting support.

 

Yes, with each vote each day on each of your electronic devices, from each of you Oakwood supporters from around the world, Oakwood is praising God for this witnessing platform.

 

WARNING, from Galatians 6:9: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

 

PLEASE, Oakwood -- let's not sleep on this. Although Oakwood rose to the number one spot on the first day of voting, just this week our numbers started to slip in favor of our closest competitor, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

 

So let's keep voting - each person, each day, on each of your electronic devices - until April 15!

 

 

 
 
 

"What exactly are we voting for?" you may ask.

  

1.   Exercising what is called "anticipatory faith," University officials said the $50,000 Tier I Grant will build an outdoor pavilion near the Unity Pond, equipped with outdoor kitchen appliances, grills and fireplaces.

 

2.  If, however, we snag a $10,000 Tier II Grant instead, plans are in place to insulate the sprinkler system for the softball and football fields and re-seed those fields.

 

 3.  The $25,000 Campus Pride grant will equip two new classrooms in Ford Hall. Funds will be used to acquire state-of-the art equipment and furniture that will allow us to conduct multi-media classes, provide "real-world like" presentational aid potential, seamlessly record presentations, and make them easily accessible for students to view for self-evaluation."

 

 

   
 

 People are voting for OU all over the world! 

 

Dr. Paul Charles, Communication Director of the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division of SDA, told Dr. Pollard:   

"I received communication from my President, Dr. Paul Ratsara, and together with him, we have encouraged our constituency and student bodies to cast their votes in favour of Oakwood. (...) we have encouraged ALL our institutions and Unions to act on this.  (...)  We pray and are confident the Oakwood [college] University will be Number 1, as it should be. Please know that the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division loves Oakwood and pray for your leadership and the success of Oakwood. God bless." 

 

 

 

 

And from Southern Adventist University: We just posted a plug for votes on Southern's official Facebook page for Oakwood and the Home Depot grant competition! You all have been looking great! I hope and pray you guys take the top award! (and I am doing my own personal voting as well!!) Go Oakwood! :-) Ingrid Skantz - Director, Marketing and University Relations

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

   

  

President Pollared answered the question: "What's the difference between a Leader and a Manager?" on the OU-sponsored "Ask the Experts," WAAY-TV midday news segment.

View here.

 

 
  

 

   

  

"A Minute with Max": Director Jason Max Ferdinand discusses Aeolians Choir's upcoming live recording concert, Saturday-Sabbath, March 30, 5:30 p.m., Oakwood University Seventh-day Adventist Church

 

Accompanied by members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Oakwood University's Aeolians Choir will present a live recording concert on Saturday, March 30, 5:30 p.m., OU Seventh-day Adventist Church.

 

According to director Jason Max Ferdinand the Aeolians - the 2012 World Choir Games Spirituals Champions and three-time gold medalists, currently world-ranked #16 and the reigning 2010 and 2011iSing Challenge Champions of all the 105 historically Black colleges and universities - will entitle this CD project, "Lift Up Your Gates and Sing!!!" 

 

Q: Max, why now? Why this setting?

 

A: We try to record every two years. I have never quite liked choral singing recorded in a studio.  Something about the feel of a church, the room and the interaction of the people makes for a more authentic vibe. 

 

Q: In what ways will this product, "Lift Up Your Gates and Sing!!!," differ from the last product, "A New Song," recorded in 2009?

 

A: This recording will be live;excited that we will have members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra with us, . . . so capturing those tunes with that accompaniment is foremost in my mind; and this year represents a whole new crew of Aeolians. They are carrying on the legacy in their own way.  Click here to read more about the Aeolians' legacy.

 

Q: What has changed since winning the 2012 World Choir Games' three gold medals and World Spirituals championship, and a #1 world ranking in the gospel/pop/jazz category, as well as a #16 world ranking of the 1,000 ranked international choirs?

 

A: Definitely more calls have come in from major organizations. The Alabama Symphony call, for example, came the week after we won.  Also, I think it has taken everything up a notch on many fronts, in regards to our students' professionalism. 

 

Q: Concert admission fee?

 

A (global tour manager, VilroyMcBean): This is not a fundraiser, but a live recording concert, an historic event.  As such, it is costing us over $40,000 to produce this album project. One can support by prayer, always, as well as by donating to help cover the costs, by pledging online at Kickstarter.  

 

Ferdinand: All should come as if they were about to attend a fine concert at the concert halls of their various cities, ....it is free, but bring an OFFERing! 

     

Q: The product: CD? One- or two-set?DVD, too? How soon to market? Can one pre-order the product? How can one get more info?

 

A: We will have to see how things turn out after mixing, etc.  Yes, pre-order forms will be available. 

 

Q: Finally, Max: how close are you to completing your doctorate? From where, and in what specific area? Why this subject area, and why this person?

 

A: Will be vanishing this summer to complete it.  University of Maryland, College Park - Choral and Orchestra Conducting......"Chariot Jubilee, by R. Nathaniel Dett."  A reconstruction and analysis of his early major work. His music is so worthy to be brought back into the standard choral canon. 

 

 

 
  
 

 

 

 

Open House at "the new Cunningham Hall"
Sunday, March 31, 2013
11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

  

   
 

It Only Takes an Inch to Save a Life!

by Jason McCracken

   

According to the National Weather Service, we are now in the midst of the 2013 tornado season.

 

If you remember in 2010, the southern region had hundreds of tornados march across the US, and Alabama was included. The tornadoes destroyed and damaged more than 6,500 homes in the State of Alabama. Many of the homes are still being repaired or are being replaced.

 

How can we at least protect our homes from the pressure of the twister? Let's explain just what a twister of air is!

  

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as twisters or cyclones. (Wikipedia)

 

When that column rotates at a velocity of 200 miles an hour it creates a vortex. That pressure is so great that it begins to pressurize the atmosphere like a giant vacuum cleaner sucking the air of out of your home.

 

Well, just open all your windows at least one inch, and that will alleviate the pressure from your home. My neighbors around me had to replace their roofs when the twister was approximately 700 meters from my home.

 

Remember, it takes an inch to save a life!