Giving Tuesday a Success 

On December 2, Oakwood University participated in a worldwide celebration known as Giving Tuesday. Coming just four days after Black Friday, and a day after Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a day set aside to donate time, food, or money to charities, schools, churches, or other non-profit organizations. This is the first year Oakwood University participated in the international event, and it had an overwhelmingly positive response as current students, alumni, and friends of Oakwood University rose to the challenge and exceeded the goal of raising $25,000, garnering a total of $26,509. Donors from all over were able to go online and choose which fund their charitable donations would be directed toward. A special heartfelt thank you to each one who helped reach the goal and contributed to making a difference. If you missed the opportunity to share your gift on Giving Tuesday, please visit www.ougiving.com. Thanks, again, for your support of Oakwood University. 

Students Prepare to Finish Strong 

 

Students at Oakwood University are finishing up the last day of instruction, in preparation for fall semester final examinations, scheduled for December 7 to 11. The Christmas/New Year's break is December 14, 2014, until January 6, 2015. Spring semester classes begin on Wednesday, January 7. [Photo by Anthony Chornes II] 

Oakwood University Church Welcomes Pastors, Evangelists
  

 

More than 1,200 ministers, Bible instructors, conference leaders, and lay members are making their way to Huntsville to attend the 2014 Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Council, scheduled for December 7-10, on the campus of Oakwood University. 

 

"This yearly conference represents the largest annual gathering of Adventist clergy leaders in the 17 million-member world church of Seventh-day Adventists," said Dr. Jesse Wilson, PELC director and OU religion professor.

 

In addition to "boot camp" training sessions, and nightly inspiration and preaching services, Distinguished Service Awards will be given to Herman Davis, Alvin Kibble, Walter Pearson, Benjamin Reaves, Sr., Calvin Rock, and James White, for their contributions to the Seventh-day Adventist gospel ministry.

 

"Our theme this year is '3:16.' Each session and sermon is designed to help us discover, again, how the gospel should be at the center of every ministry and message," said Wilson.

 

To welcome attendees, the world-renowned Aeolians will be present their Fall Concert at 6:00 p.m. on December 6, at the Oakwood University Church.  

Smithsonian Names Oakwood Founder Ellen White as an Influential American
 

Oakwood founder, the late Ellen G. White, is on the Smithsonian Magazine's list of "100 Most Significant Americans of All Time." 

 

White's sermon on March 21, 1891, to the 30 leaders assembled at the General Conference Session titled "Our Duty to the Colored People," established the urgency and legitimacy of taking the gospel to the recently-released slaves in the American South.

 

This call to action culminated with the establishment of the Oakwood Industrial School, which opened its doors to 16 students in November, 1896.

 

Smithsonian's list is based on the work of computer scientists Steven Skiena and Charles B. Ward, who analyzed massive droves of historical reputation data derived from the English-language Wikipedia (which hosts over 840,000 pages devoted to individuals from all times and places), and from the more than 15 million books Google has scanned. White is listed under the category "Religious Figures."

 

White, who would have been 187 years old on November 26, was one of three women in the religious figures category and one of only 22 women, overall.

 

See Smithsonian's complete list of 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.

USM Officer Participates in Duke-Oakwood Ph.D. Pipeline Opportunity Program 

 

Charles White, finance student in the Business and Information Systems Department, and financial vice president of the United Student Movement, recently participated in Duke University's 2014 Summer Institute, as part of the Ph.D. Pipeline Opportunity Program (PPOP).

 

The mission of the PPOP is to inspire and inform undergraduate students to prepare for careers as business faculty, with special emphasis on students in underrepresented populations.

White was thrilled to be selected in a very competitive process from among other students attending universities throughout the country. During the two-week Institute, he was required to write, present and defend a proposal, an exercise that he welcomed, although he admitted that it was extremely challenging.

 

"The opportunity to meet and network with professionals in business was priceless," Charles stated. "The chance to meet students from other universities who are serious about their academic pursuits was invaluable," he concluded. 

Academic Calendar Available Online 
December's feature is the religion and theology program, with the hashtag #outheologyfuture. [Photo by Ron Pollard]

 

The 2014-2015 Academic Calendar is now available online. Each month features an academic program with a hashtag, where students, alumni and friends can share their Oakwood stories related to a specific theme. Click here to view the calendar for this academic year.

Alumni News 
 

David Person, '85, has been selected as one of Huntsville's 10 Most Influential People for 2014. He was selected by the reporting staff of al.com, who chose non-elected individuals, whom they believe have made an impact on the Huntsville and Madison County community. Person hosts a drive-time radio talk show on WEUP's gospel station, in Huntsville.

 


 


 


 

 

Colin Sandy, '96, and Carla Sandy, '97, of Sandy Audio Visual LLC, received the distinguished 2014 Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Award at a ceremony recently in Baltimore, Md. The ceremony acknowledged and paid tribute to outstanding women and minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.


 


 

Courtney Carey's Stars of Tomorrow: Celebrating a King concert is a two-night musical presentation that will include standard and specially commissioned works from the choral, orchestral, and solo vocal repertories featuring legendary mezzo-soprano and 2009 Kennedy Center honoree Grace Bumbry, as well as up-and-coming operatic talent Kali Wilder, '03, accompanied by chorus and full orchestra. The concerts will take place January 17 and 19, 2015, at 7:00 p.m., at the United Palace Theater, in New York City. More information at www.cstarsoftomorrow.com.

 

 

Susan G. Komen recently welcomed Jessica Wilson, '11, as an evaluation specialist on the organization's Mission Evaluation and Outcomes Team. Jessica received her Bachelor of Science (Biology) from Oakwood University and a Master of Public Health (Health Policy and Leadership) from Loma Linda University. While attending Loma Linda University, Jessica completed fellowships at the County of Riverside (Calif.) Department of Public Health and at the City of Perris (Calif.), and worked for Loma Linda University's Global Health Institute as an International Mission Service Program Assistant. Also while at Loma Linda University, Jessica received the C. Torben Thomsen Endowment Fund Award, Randall Lewis Health Policy Award, Loma Linda University Health Policy Scholarship and the North American Division Scholarship.

 

Pollard's Places


 

This week, Prudence and I visited the Guam-Micronesia Mission (GMM), a 2,900-mile stretch of the Pacific Ocean islands of Guam, Palau, the Northern Marianas, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and the Marshall Islands.

 

Here, I am pictured with the principals of the Seventh-day Adventist high schools who are part of the 5,000 member Guam-Micronesia Mission. As Prudence and I used to teach here for the master's programs of Loma Linda and La Sierra University, some of the individuals are our former students.

 

It was my pleasure to tell them about "a University that is unique among institutions," as I proceeded to make a presentation on Oakwood University to the GMM leadership team.

 

The Guam-Micronesia Mission has a number of developmental needs, especially concerning Adventist higher education for the young people who live here. The goal of our visit was to identify ways in which Oakwood could partner in the delivery of education for the high school graduates, send student missionaries, and assist with the leadership development needs of the growing mission. Elder Dan Jackson, president of the North American Division and Oakwood University Board Chair, was also visiting the Mission. A return trip is planned to concretize our go-forward plan. Click here for more info on the Guam Micronesia Mission.
 

Picture of the Week 

 

Oakwood is once again sharing school spirit with the Huntsville community by participating in this year's "Tinsel Trail," a project of The Downtown 47, an organization whose mission is to support and promote the vitality of downtown Huntsville.
 

More than 300 Christmas trees are decorated in Huntsville's Big Spring Park for the holiday season. Approximately 38,000 visitors are expected to view this year's Tinsel Trail. 

 

If you're in Huntsville for the holidays, look for tree #178, near the Huntsville Museum of Art. As you can see, it is decorated by Oakwood University's Edible Arrangements store #819.    


An Edible Arrangement fruit bouquet is a delightful addition to your holiday table, and a perfect way to share love and support students. No matter where you are geographically located, call our store at (256) 881-7555 to place an order. You can also visit the store at 5000 Whitesburg Drive S., #148, Huntsville, AL 35802. Profits from orders received at Oakwood's store (call or walk-ins) are directed toward scholarships at Oakwood University. [Photo by Richard Hodnett]

About Oakwood 

 

The mission of Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution, is to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity.

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In This Issue - 12/3/14
Giving Tuesday a Success
Students Prepare to Finish Strong
Oakwood Welcomes Pastors, Evangelists
Smithsonian Names Oakwood Founder Ellen White as an Influential American
USM Officer Participates in Duke-Oakwood Pipeline
Academic Calendar Available Online
Alumni News
Pollard's Places
Calendar of Events

 

DECEMBER

 

3       Instruction Ends

 

4      Communication Dept.

        Art Show

 

6      Aeolians Fall Concert:

        Oakwood University

        Church

 

7       Association of Black

         Adventist Religion

         Scholars

 

7       Miss UNCF Coronation

 

7-10    Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Council 

 

7-11    Final Examinations

 

15      Christmas Break

          begins 

 
WJOU
 
  
  

STORE #819

5000 Whitesburg Dr. S, #148

Huntsville, AL 35802

(256) 881-7575

Share Love, Support Students


  
 Click here to see the Fall 2014 issue of Oakwood  Magazine or visit www.oakwoodmagazine.com

 

insideOakwood is published by the Office of Integrated Marketing & Public Relations

Editor: George Johnson Jr. | Managing Editor: Debbe Millet | Student Writer: Monica Spencer
www.oakwood.edu