Congressman John Lewis Receives Social Justice Award

On October 31, Congressman John Lewis, (D, GA) was honored at the Oakwood University Church, receiving the 2015 Social Justice Award. Representative Lewis is well respected for his work in the United States Congress representing Georgia's 5th district. He is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and also serves as a ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee and member of the Human Resources Subcommittee.

During the service, Congressman Lewis was honored for his longstanding work as a civil rights activist advocating for progressive social movements and the human rights struggle in the United States. Congressman Lewis was given a plaque "for your office in Alabama," said Pastor Carlton P. Byrd (left), but "take this to your office in Washington." Byrd was referring to a painting of Representative Lewis, which brought Lewis and many in the congregation to tears.

Lewis is best known for his work with the Freedom Rides of 1961, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the March on Washington in August 1963, and the historic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965.

The local CBS affiliate station, WHNT News19, was one of several media outlets that was present for the service and the press conference which immediately followed. (Photo by Anthony Chornes II)

Healthy Campus Week Calorie Burn Challenge Winners

On September 21, the Office of Public Safety challenged the entire Oakwood University campus to a "calorie burn" event during Healthy Campus Week 2015. Six teams accepted the challenge, and on October 30, the final weigh-in occurred. With a combined loss of 38.5 pounds, the winners of the "rolling trophy" are members of the team from Student Accounts: (back row, l-r) Waltie Getfield, Paula Wilson, Alton Conwell; (front row, l-r) Racquel McLean, Edrita Dawkins, Shelley Vaughn (team lead), Belita Newby, Anayansi Ramirez, and Lani Sharpe.

The trophy is "rolling" because the winning team can be challenged to defend their title and trophy. One of the winning team members said she "went from chicken biscuits to oatmeal" for breakfast. Team leader Mrs. Vaughn also stated that her team began to embrace the STANDOUT principles which made a difference in their lifestyle.

The second place team was Campus Safety (Chief Harris, Captain Clark, and Officers Brand, Byrd, Davis, Triplett and Winters). In third place was the Fit for Life team (April Fortune, Monica Gilmore, Faye Hicks, Stephanie Matthews, Cheryl Mitchell, Janet Poles, and Adana Wilson).

Social Work Establishes UNICEF Affiliate

The Department of Social Work has established a new club under the auspices of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). This club is composed of students interested in assisting disadvantaged children around the world. Their first initiative was to encourage and carry out activities with young people living at the Harris Home for Children.

Harris Home for Children is a residential facility that provides therapeutic care and educational services to the children of Alabama. The UNICEF club is sponsored by Samson Chama, Ph.D., MSW.

Oakwood's NAACP Chapter Releases Balloons for Awareness, Support

by Naomi Coggs, student writer

On October 29, Oakwood's NAACP Chapter hosted a balloon release in front of the Monument to Service, as a tribute to victims and survivors of both breast cancer and domestic violence. This event closed out a month of breast cancer and domestic violence awareness, while keeping students informed about risks and prevention.

Breast cancer survivor, author, WEUP DJ, and Oakwood alumnus, Micah Logan '04, shared her powerful and encouraging testimony to attendees.

"The significance of this event and having a survivor come speak to us comes from the impact that those two causes have had on the black community specifically. According to statistics, black women have a higher mortality rate when it comes to breast cancer than any other race. The leading causes for that are lack of access to adequate mammography centers, lack of usual health care providers, as well as lower incomes. We wanted to support, commemorate, and educate individuals with those statistics as well as to give release to all of those who have been impacted or influenced by domestic violence or breast cancer," explained NAACP Chapter President, Christopher Johnson.

The program ended with students writing the names of individuals who have been affected by breast cancer or domestic violence on a pink or purple balloon. After a moment of silence to commemorate the victims, the balloons were released into the air, leaving the sky full of balloons as a sign of support, honor, and hope. (Photo by Julian Magloire)

November's STANDOUT Focus

The health principle emphasized in the month of November in the 2015-2016 STANDOUT calendar is adequate rest, which is one of the most basic yet essential healers of the human body. It helps the body recuperate while re-invigorating the mind and spirit. Adequate rest also contributes to overall performance by boosting learning comprehension and memory functions. Take time for rest, relaxation, and sleep to achieve optimal health.

Ambassadors Head to Washington to Take on WAU

Alumni Notes

Roger Ryan, '88, was supposed to go into medicine, not music. If things had worked out a little differently, he might be in the middle of an accomplished career as a cardiovascular surgeon instead of launching his own record label, AfterTouch Music.

Ryan has enjoyed a two-decade career of making music, working as a producer and pianist, ccompanying the likes of CeCe Winans and Wynonna Judd. In recent years, he has focused on producing for artists from multiple genres, especially Gospel, R&B and pop.

It was during his production work that Ryan noticed that some of the most talented artists he worked with had trouble getting record deals. He solved this dilemma by launching his own record label. (Photo by Jae S. Lee/The Tennessean)

Bruce Bean, '08, (pictured 2nd from left) and Michael Lathon '14, (pictured at the President's left) were selected to be a part of the transportation detail during President Barack Obama's visit to Birmingham, Alabama, in the spring of 2015.

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.