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Oakwood's Aeolians, Angela Brown, Richard Smallwood on One Stage in Huntsville
by Kay Campbell - al.com/The Huntsville Times
Joining the elite choir for the Easter Eve concert will be Metropolitan Opera soprano Angela Brown, '91, a former Aeolian herself, and Grammy Award-winning gospel musician Richard Smallwood.
Brown and Smallwood are both offering their expertise as coaches for the Aeolians as they prepare for the biennial World Choir Games, which will be held in Latvia in July.
At the invitation of Aeolian director Jason Max Ferdinand, Smallwood and Brown will be working with the choir on aspects of both performance and staging for the World Choir Games. Smallwood, who holds a master's in divinity from Howard University, and Brown, will also be talking to the students about how people of faith can maintain their integrity on the world stage.
Brown will also be offering a master class at Oakwood that will be open to the public on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, with details to be announced later.
The concert in Huntsville is one of the choir's projects to raise the funds needed to get them to Latvia for the World Choir Games. Tickets for the concert, which will be held in the Von Braun Center's Mark Smith Concert Hall, are $30 and available in advance at the Von Braun ticket office and from Ticket Master online.
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Office of Spiritual Life to Host Biblical Foundation Conference
Oakwood's Office of Spiritual Life will host the 2nd Biblical Foundation Conference (BFC), in collaboration with the Academic Administration, and Faculty Development divisions, on May 14. Themed "Faith, Learning and Living," the conference's purpose is to design BFC-standardized concepts for course syllabus, define measurable faith-based concepts and outcomes, and assess faith-based learning outcomes.
Participants will include representatives from the Education Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and Oakwood faculty and staff.
Organizers have sent out a call for papers from all of Oakwood's academic divisions.The most scholarly papers will be sent to Dr. Howard Weems, senior chaplain and special assistant to the President. Professors whose papers are selected can use research work when applying for change of academic rank, journals, or book publications. Of special interest are scholarly papers that:
- Draw on qualitative and quantitative research on faith-based academic assessment methods.
- Explore how other universities implement campus wide faith-based learning.
- Deliberate on the nuts and bolts of structuring faith-based syllabi and co-curriculum with goals and student learning outcomes.
- Consider the format (goals, learning outcomes, etc.) of syllabi from other faith-based universities.
- Explore data on incorporating faith-based outcomes online.
However, all papers are welcome that examine any other factor(s) that contribute to how Oakwood University operationalizes faith-based learning on its campus.
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Oakwood Student Testifies About Canvassing Experience
 This past winter, literature evangelists from Oakwood and Southern Universities shared their faith, and returned with testimonies and $28,000 in donations toward their tuition.
Jonathan Williams, a social work major at Oakwood, said that "the Lord blessed me in many different ways over this campaign, both financially and spiritually."
At the end of one of the canvassing days, Jonathan felt led to "talk to one more guy before leaving. I approached the man in the car with his face looking very upset and disgruntled toward me. When I began to give him my canvass, he looked at me and said 'Go away, I don't have any money and I have had two people who took me for everything I have, so now I am poor and broke.' I told him that I didn't want his money but to only pray with him. At this point, God opened a window of opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work through me to help this man's life. I began telling him about Jesus and His soon coming; moments after that the man began to cry. We prayed together and he also accepted a Bible study that day as well. This goes to show that when you are faithful to the Lord and are doing His work, blessings will come your way and the Lord can use you to change many lives of people."
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Let's Do This, Again, Oakwood Nation!
 | | Your votes helped Oakwood win the 2013 competition to construct this outdoor pavilion. |
From now until April 14, we need you to vote for Oakwood University's campus improvement project in the Home Depot Retool Your School Campaign. "We need everyone's support to help Oakwood win this grant," said Kisha Norris, executive director for advancement and development for Oakwood. Oakwood is only Seventh-day Adventist university in the competition. The winning school of the Campus Pride Grant will be selected by a combination of the applicant's social media activity and voting score. The three applicants with the highest votes and most social media activity, as determined by the sponsor during the voting period, will be awarded with the Campus Pride Grants. Oakwood University had the most votes last year! Let's do it again. Vote as often as possible - and from all of your personal computers and devices. Using the hashtag #OakwoodTHDRYS as often as possible between now and April 14 will help in in the competition. VOTE NOW and be sure to tell your family and friends to do the same.
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Faculty and Staff News
Lynda (Mims) Bartholomew, '88,
was recently promoted to director of financial aid. She has worked in the financial aid office for the past four years. She replaces Fred Carter who was serving as the interim director. Carter is now serving as a consultant to the department.
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Alumni Notes
 Dr. Carla C. Braxton, '87, an associate professor of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Tex., is one of two recipients nationwide to be awarded a scholarship through the American College of Surgeons to attend the Brandeis University Program in Health Policy and Leadership this summer. Dr. Braxton was recently featured in a Veteran's Administration publication for introducing the intra-operational technique of hormone testing (PTH) for parathyroid surgery in the operating room for minimal-access parathyroid surgery. She is also co-investigator in a funded research project: a multicenter, open-label, randomized study to compare the safety and efficacy of intravenous Ceftolazane/Tazobactam with that of Piperacillin/Tazobactam in ventilator associated pneumonia.
Dr. Larry Black, '88, has recently completed Contentment: A Journey of Healing, a one-of-a-kind, non-fiction book that helps the reader create positive changes and overcome any unhealthy upbringing. "It helps you to understand the connection between your mind, body and spirit and empowers you to attain well-being, healing and wholeness," Black said. While it's written with a Christian readership in mind, the book is geared to every man, woman, and child who wants to find contentment in life. Look for it at your local bookstore soon.
In the March 12 issue of iinsideOakwood, we incorrectly reported the profession of Dr. Margo Cooper Bagley, '85. She is an international patent law expert, not an international patient law expert.
Note: If you are an OU alum and would like to share news about yourself, please send them to us.
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Pollard's Places
 This week, I am attending the International Conference for College and University Presidents at the General Conference headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. The conference is organized by Dr. Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, education director for the General Conference and Oakwood University Board Member. The theme of the conference is "Servant Leadership, Sacrificial Service." Approximately 101 college and university presidents from the 13 divisions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are here. In this picture, I am serving on a leadership panel of University presidents in which we discussed ways to make leadership more effective. - Dr. Leslie N. Pollard
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OU Picture of the Week
 On March 23, Oakwood students elected Mr. and Miss Oakwood, at the "Statue of Virtue" pageant, held at the Millet Activity Center.
Miss Oakwood is Nia Johnson, a junior international studies major from Bowie, Md.
Mr. Oakwood is Jordan Harris, a junior nursing major from Dayton, Oh. His great grandmother, Pearl Seard, was a member of the class of 1930.
(Photo by Jyremy Reid, student photographer)
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About Oakwood
Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution in Huntsville, Alabama, has as its mission to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity.
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Calendar of Events
March
27 - An Evening with Dr.
Washington Johnson
April
10 - Honors Convocation
15 - OU Authors Book
Signing & Reception
16 - Youth Mentoring Task Force
17 - UNCF Gala
17-20 Alumni Homecoming Weekend
19 - Aeolians Concert with Angela Brown and Richard Smallwood
May
8 - Education Teacher Dedication Ceremony
Tree Planting Ceremony
Nursing Pinning Ceremony
9 - Social Work Pinning Ceremony
President's Senior Reception
Consecration
10 - Baccalaureate Aeolians/University Choir Mini-Concert
Commencement
14 - Biblical Foundation Conference |
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The Oakwood University 
