Oakwood University's "Alumni Weekend" is a special time of year for the entire Oakwood community. Just about every department is preparing in some way to welcome alumni and friends to the annual Alumni Homecoming Weekend, April 2-5, 2015.

Events include the annual UNCF Gala on Thursday April 2, with recording artists Naturally 7, and the Alumni Awards Luncheon, where individuals and classes of 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 will be recognized.

For more information, visit www.oakwoodalumni.org, or click here to see the full schedule of events. 

Globally-acclaimed vocal group Naturally 7 will be the special guest performers at the 37th Annual UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Gala on Thursday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m. The Gala will be held in the North Hall of the Von Braun Center, and will feature a special presentation by Rey Almodovar, chair of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation.

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. The 37-member, minority education organization provides operating funds for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), scholarships and internships for students at about 900 institutions, and faculty and administrative professional training. For more than 70 years, UNCF has raised more than $3.6 billion to help more than 400,000 students attend college and graduate from college.

"We thank the community for continuing to partner with us," said Cheri Wilson, director of development at Oakwood University, North Alabama's only UNCF member institution. "Oakwood University's motto is Enter to Learn; Depart to Serve. Support of the UNCF helps us equip our students to graduate and become national and global servant leaders."

As the only North Alabama UNCF member institution, Oakwood University is grateful and proud to contribute to the concerted effort of raising funds for the mission of the UNCF. Each year, Oakwood hosts the UNCF North Alabama Campaign, culminating with the Annual UNCF Gala held on the Thursday evening of its Alumni Weekend.

In its on-going celebration of diversity, this year's Gala will feature a Latin theme. Oakwood University has more than 80 students of Hispanic descent currently enrolled. Most are U.S. residents, but others are from Cuba, the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Bermuda, and Gambia.

Share-a-thon is here! Praise 90.1 FM began its annual spring on-air "Many Voices, One Praise" fundraising campaign on March 20 with a full day of prayer requests, praise testimonies, and inspirational music. Special guests, including several local pastors and Oakwood employees,  also dropped by the station for on-air interviews.

Share-a-thon is a great opportunity to support this 35-year-old radio ministry by becoming a Praise Partner. Your donation will help to continue the station's outreach mission to our students, faculty, staff, alumni and our listeners around the world. The ministry of WJOU is also an important component of media training for our students.

Donations can be made at any time by visiting the website at www.wjou.org, or call the Share-a-thon hotline at (256) 726-7444. Thanks in advance for your prayers and support of this important radio ministry.

by Kisha R. Norris, M.Ed., CFRE, executive director for Advancement & Development

Online voting continues through April 20, at www.retoolyourschool.com/vote-now in The Home Depot's Retool Your School grant program. You can help us by voting once per day, per electronic device (computer, smart phone, laptop, tablet). Also remember to use Oakwood's designated hashtag #Oakwood_RYS15  on all social media. 

Oakwood's three proposals highlight how each project will make a lasting, positive impact on the campus. The three projects are: 

• $50,000 - Mile-long circuit of outdoor exercise stations emphasizing the laws of health 
• $25,000 - Fruit trees and an outdoor screen and projector near the Unity Pond
• $10,000 - Bleachers for fans and seating for players on the soccer field  

More voting, more tweeting - let's show them the power of the Oakwood network! 

Students pause with Dr. Greene in front of the Civil Rights  Memorial, a black stone wall inscribed with the words: "...until  justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty  stream."

At the Children's Annex of the Rosa Parks Museum, students boarded a "time machine," viewing reenactments of important events in African-American history leading up to the 1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott. Later, a museum spokesperson delivered a presentation that connected lessons learned from the Civil Rights movement of the past to current movements for social justice.

The next stop was the Southern Poverty Law Center. Here they signed the" Wall of Tolerance," and watched a documentary entitled "Faces in the Water" about the martyrs of the civil rights movement. The students also viewed the Civil Rights Memorial, which features a black stone wall behind a waterfall, and a table engraved with the names of the martyrs, and the dates and major events in the Civil Rights movement.

The Department plans to continue to sponsor field trips like this one to enhance the learning experience of Oakwood University students.  

Members of the Oakwood Business Department Marketing Club,  Pure Market, review projects.

Pure Market, led by co-founders Archie Jones and Julian Magloire, is a marketing organization comprised of and run by Oakwood University students. It functions as the Oakwood Business Department's Marketing Club, and provides marketing services and promotional support.

Pure Market provides Oakwood students with the opportunity to experience the marketing process directly. By creating, developing, and executing marketing campaigns in an autonomous organization, students receive hands-on experience with the marketing cycle. Forward thinking young professionals also establish credibility in the form of live material for their portfolios.

The Oakwood Business Journal is a production of Pure Market, recently formed by editor Edwyn Cain. The journal informs a professional audience of events within Oakwood University from a business perspective. It aims to garner insight as well, through interviews with business contacts related to Oakwood through alumni connections and professional relationships.

Both Pure Market and the Oakwood Business Journal are already major assets of Oakwood University's Business Department, giving students an outlet to hone their professional skills while providing a meaningful service to their college community, the journal, a means for professionals and students to connect and share knowledge for mutual benefit, using mediums relevant to today's and tomorrow's workforce. 

Captain Loren Walwyn-Tross, MD, '08, proudly shows off his Oakwood University gear next to a MEDEVAC HH-60. Captain Walwyn-Tross is currently stationed in Iraq, serving as an US Army flight surgeon in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve. He entered to learn, departed to serve, and is now caring for those in harm's way.

Alabama has a new bankruptcy judge. The Honorable Clifton R. Jessup, Jr., '76, was sworn in on March 2, and will hear cases in the Northern Division of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama which is based in Decatur, Alabama. Judge Jessup comes to the bench from the firm of Greenberg Traurig LLP where his practice was focused on creditors' rights, business reorganization and bankruptcy. His distinguished career spans over 35 years. 

Entrepreneur Kevin Carrington, '03, was recently interviewed on the Explore Riverside Weekly podcast, regarding his luxury tech accessory company, Carrington Case. Carrington's mission is to go beyond just selling cases and tablets to wanting to make a real difference in the community.  
 

On March 19, Alexandrea Irby, '08, and husband, Juan, were awarded the United Way Call to Action "Give" Award for their couponing efforts at the United Way of Madison County's 2014 Campaign Celebration.