Monday, December 17, 2012

Latest Student Life

Sep

Student Represents OU at National Leadership Conference

Student Jan Sexton '12, a mathematics major, is pictured with Dr. Herschler and Betty Slater, director of public relations for AAUW's Atlanta chapter, during a visit to Oglethorpe.

Earlier in the summer, Jan Sexton ‘12 represented Oglethorpe University at the National Conference For College Women Student Leaders, a leadership conference sponsored by the AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women).
The annual conference was held in Washington, D.C. and Jan attended as a representative of the University and the Atlanta chapter of AAUW. Jan was recommended by Oglethorpe Provost Dr. Steven Herschler and received a scholarship from AAUW’s Atlanta branch to supplement her trip to D.C.
AAUW’s mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research, with the goal of breaking through educational and economic barriers that women often face in their academic, professional, and personal lives.
Jan will discuss her conference experience at an Atlanta AAUW gathering on Sunday, September 12 at 2:30 p.m. in the Grenwald Room in the Emerson Student Center on the Oglethorpe University campus.
To learn more about AAUW and its mission, visit aauw.org.

Aug

Cartoon Network on Location at Oglethorpe…and Looking for Extras

Did you know? The character Oglethorpe from Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force was named after Oglethorpe University. His fellow Plutonian, Emory, was named after our neighbor Atlanta university.

This Wednesday, September 1, the Cartoon Network will be on the Oglethorpe campus filming a music video intro for Tower Prep, a new live action show coming to the Cartoon Network in October.

A band will perform the show’s intro song on stage in the midst of small pyrotechnics and a crowd of “fans.” OU students, this could be you!

For this exciting shoot, extras are needed to make up the “crowd.” All are welcome, but you must be 18 or older. Guys need to wear khaki or grey cargo pants, if you have them, and girls should wear a school uniform-like pleated skirt, if possible. If not, wear jeans.

Set-up will begins in the late afternoon and cameras will roll from 9 p.m. until approximately 1 a.m. If you’re interested in being an extra in the video, gather on the lawn by Lupton Hall, in front of the keyhole turnaround at 8 p.m. The video shoot will take place in front of the Library on the Quad.

Aug

Quadfest Marks End of First Week of Classes

It is nothing short of beautiful to see our campus so vibrant and alive again after the quieter summer, and the quaint academic quadrangle is an ideal setting for gatherings in the OU Community. On Friday afternoon, it was alive with Quadfest 2010, a fitting way to celebrate a successful first week of classes and a foreshadowing of a wonderful school year in the making.

Quadfest was put on by the Oglethorpe Student Association’s Programming Board, who knew exactly how to appeal to the student body, with multiple activities and free, catered food. In senior Campbell Walker’s words: “they had Moe’s Southwestern Grill—that’s huge!”

“I love any activity on the quad because it brings out all of the students and unifies everyone. I got to see a lot of people I hadn’t yet this semester,” praised sophomore Tyler Herndon.

A bungee trampoline dominated the quad and I watched the thrilled expressions on students’ faces as their bodies catapulted into the air. “It was magical. I felt like a real petrel flying in the air,” joked Sean Lovett. Another popular activity was riding the classic mechanical bull. Freshman Katie Cornelison laughed, “The bull was hilarious because the people who marched up to it with confidence were thrown off within seconds. It seems that those who really rocked it were surprisingly the shy people.” A few yards away, boys were competing against each other in a moonwalk race.

For the less rambunctious students, there was a craft tent where they could make Pop Art and airbrushed tee-shirts. Junior Kimberly Overmier said, “I liked that there was a creative activity because it was an accurate representation of the many artistic and crafty people that come to our liberal arts school,” as she proudly held up her colorful airbrushed tee with a pinwheel design.

Quadfest 2010 was yet another successful event rich with camaraderie and school spirit. I felt a surge of affection for my beloved Oglethorpe as I watched the freshmen mingle and build connections that they’ve yet to realize will last them a lifetime.

Photos by Armanda Colson ‘11 andChloey Mayo ‘10.

Aug

A Look Back at Orientation Week…

As classes begin and the excitement of a new academic year sets in, we look back at the activities that welcomed the new faces of the Class of 2014, the largest class in almost 50 years. This year’s orientation week was like no other—in addition to a cookout, activities fair, and an on-campus “Screen on the Green” event, students ventured off campus to volunteer at Grant Park, visit Zoo Atlanta, and tour the Coca-Cola headquarters. If you missed any part of the fun, CHECK OUT PHOTOS HERE. Like what you see? More photos from Orientation Week are available for purchase, with downloads starting at only .50 per photo.

RAs beat the heat in Traer on move-in day.

Upperclassmen help freshmen get settled in Dempsey.

Orientation is a family affair.

President Schall pitches in at Grant Park Day of Service.

OU Day of Service at Grant Park

Enjoying the outdoors at Zoo Atlanta

Party!

Kick Off a New Season with OU Theatre

Oglethorpe’s Theatre Department is starting the year off right by welcoming new Theatre Director/Visiting Assistant Professor Matt Huff and by offering ways for both Theatre and non-theatre majors to get involved.

The 2010 Season kicks off this week with Georgia Shakespeare’s “Welcome Back” Mixer for OU Students on Wednesday, August 25 at 6 pm in the Conant Performing Arts Center. (Georgia Shakespeare is Oglethorpe’s professional theatre in residence.) Come schmooze and eat pizza with the GA Shakes staff, OU Theatre faculty and students and learn about the exciting theatrical opportunities available to you this year.

Immediately following the mixer, auditions for Stop Kiss by Diana Son and Women Beware Women by Thomas Middleton will be held from 7:30-10 pm in Rehearsal Room A (third floor of Conant). All actors are welcome! Auditions will consist of cold readings of scenes from the scripts that will be provided. Not familiar with the plays? Check out copies in the Theatre Office (2^nd Floor, Conant)–but please return them quickly as there are only a few copies of each.

Callbacks for Stop Kiss will be held the following night, Thursday, August 26 from 6:30-9:30pm. Rehearsals will begin the weekend of August 28. Callbacks for Women Beware Women will be scheduled in a few weeks.

In Stop Kiss, hardened New Yorker Callie befriends an optimistic newcomer to the city, Sarah, and the two unexpectedly fall for each other. Their first kiss, however, is violently interrupted forcing both women on a journey to discover who they are and what they are willing to commit to. Stop Kiss will run September 23-25.

Women Beware Women, Thomas Middleton’s salacious examination of sex, power and politics, is as shockingly depraved today as it was in the 17^th century. This rarely performed Jacobean thriller spins a tale of lust and betrayal so destructive, the play easily lives up to its title. Women Beware Women will run November 18-20.

Make plans to take part in these productions–either on stage or in the audience–and be reminded why Princeton Review ranked OU’s Theatre among the top twenty theatre programs in the country.
19

Orientation Day of Service Reflects the Oglethorpe Difference

The entire Oglethorpe campus is looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2014 tomorrow morning, when they move into their dorms and take the first steps of their college lives…beginning with orientation.
Ahh, college orientation…a time when new students prepare for the upcoming school year with a week-long crash course of the institution itself. Like most colleges, orientation week for OU freshmen includes attending panel discussions on academic and student life, welcome parties, and an activities fair with representatives from student organizations vying for their interest.
The Oglethorpe difference begins in the early morning of day three—our Orientation Day of Service. Unlike most freshmen across the country, OU freshmen will rise early Monday morning, meet for breakfast, and head out to Atlanta’s Historic Grant Park Conservancy to assist the the 127-year-old park in sprucing up and preparing for its annual Summer Shade Festival. There, rain or shine, 300 new Petrels will work alongside upperclassmen and other volunteers to get the city’s oldest park in festival shape .
Oglethorpe’s Day of Service, an annual event, serves not only as a way for new students to get acquainted with one another, but is a testimony to OU’s commitment to community service, something that has become signature to the Oglethorpe experience.
For a record number of freshmen and new students, that experience starts tomorrow - WELCOME!

OU Freshmen at a past Orientation Day of Service.

Categories : Legends & Traditions, News, Student Life

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Aug

U.S. News & World Report Features “Road Trip: Oglethorpe University”

Posted by: Renee Vary | Comments (1)

Released online today! Oglethorpe is spotlighted by U.S. News & World Report in “Road Trip: Oglethorpe University”, an article that profiles the University’s ”stories of community spirit.” OU also is featured in an accompanying online photo gallery.

The article will be carried nationwide in the magazine’s September issue and in the 2011 Best Colleges Guide, both out on newsstands later this month.

In more good news, U.S. News’ America’s Best Colleges also ranked Oglethorpe among the nation’s top 250 Best Liberal Arts Colleges (#166), as a college “Seeking Diversity” and among ”A-plus Schools for B Students.” View all rankings.

“To be named among the top liberal arts colleges in the country is a nod to the quality of our faculty and the education Oglethorpe provides,” said OU President Larry Schall. “The ‘Road Trip’ profile captures the spirit of Oglethorpe University—both our commitment to community service and the overall sense of community on our campus.”

Categories : Academics, Admissions, News, Student Life

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Aug

Forbes Ranks Oglethorpe Among America’s Best Colleges

Oglethorpe was recently ranked by Forbes as one of America’s Best Colleges 2010 (#353 of only 610 schools included.) Colleges’ rankings are based on ”quality of the education they provide, the experiences of the students and how much they achieve.” View more information about Oglethorpe’s ranking. View full article and all rankings.
This recognition comes on the heels of Princeton Review ranking Oglethorpe as a Best Southeastern College and on four national Top 20 lists. 　

OU Sophomore Speaks at National Girl Scouts Conference

Morgan Coffey, a sophomore at Oglethorpe and already a social entrepreneur, is making moves once again with her work in Girl Scouts USA.
Today, Morgan spoke at the National Girl Scouts Confernce in New York City, on a panel discussion called “What If Girls Ran the World.” [View the online panel discussion]
The panel participants were selected from the 2009 National Young Women of Distinction and the 2009 National Board Leadership Lanes program participants. Morgan is both.
Earlier this year Morgan was selected to be one of only 16 National Girl Consultants, part of GSUSA’s National Board Leadership Lanes program, which offers Girl Scouts an opportunity to influence both operational and policy decision making. Morgan also was named a 2009 National Young Women of Distinction for her efforts in helping domestic abuse victims. [Read previous blog about her work.]
Go, Morgan!

OU Professor, Students Take “Experiential Learning” to England & France

Dr. Jeffrey Collins,director of Oglethorpe’s Study Abroad programs, has been on the move this summer, leading a group of “extraordinary students” to Paris, London, and Oxford, England. He shares his experience with Oglethorpe Blog:

“I have not seen more willing, eager, and intrigued students. We have explored the Bodelain Library and were given a special exhibition of Shakespeare’s first portfolio and other rare books, as well as being given a 16th century press demonstration. Then we punted down the Charwell River, toured all of the major colleges at Oxford, made a special stop at Corpus Christi, and spent hours at the new Ashmolean Musuem–a 100 million dollar renovation there– with some of the most important exhibits of all archaeological finds in the world.”

Dr. Collins' Class at Louvre: All of the students were absolutely a joy and a privilege to lead around…," Dr. Collins remarks. "Paris, London and Oxford, Stonehenge, Salibury Cathedral,Notre Dame, the museums, and--well, you name it, we did it. They moved with a precision of a well-trained army and absorbed and spoke and wrote about it all like poets."

Here the group poses at Stonehenge: "One of the students told me that this was the culmination of her OU career," recalls Dr. Collins. "Another said it was beyond all expectations and ten times worth the investment. That is heartening and can never be truly measured."

Dr. Collins and his students spent their morning hours taking classes on the world-renowned University of Oxford campus, and reserved the rest of the day for experiencing the unique culture of England. During the first week alone, Collins and his group took in Oxford’s campuses and its surrounding intrigues, including Stonehenge, Avebury Circle, and the Salisbury Cathedral. As part of their study aboad experience, the students researched their travels and presented reports to the group.

Dr. Collins couldn’t have been more thrilled, noting the emotional effect the trip was already having on his colleagues. “Today we gave reports at Stonehenge, Avebury Circle, and the Salisbury Cathedral,” writes Collins. “I heard Cleo [a student] say she will never forget her day out at Stonehenge, giving a report about it; Karly actually teared up seeing the Magna Carta in Salisbury; Josh told me this was just unbelievable as he has never been out of the country; it is so heart warming and enlightening to hear all of this. Not one complaint, and plenty of laughter and good fellowship. I want to clone this group.”

Latest Legends & Traditions

Aug

Orientation Day of Service Reflects the Oglethorpe Difference

OU Freshmen at a past Orientation Day of Service.

Categories : Legends & Traditions, News, Student Life

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Aug

Tag – You’re It! Show Your Petrel Pride on Your Ride!

Posted by: Chelsea Reed '13 | Comments (1)

Whenever I mention that I attend Oglethorpe University, people often comment on the exquisite architecture and picturesque campus. I’m always proud to say that I do indeed live, work, and study at a castle. It reminds many people of Hogwarts School from the beloved Harry Potter series, and some students have even affectionately deemed it “Oglewarts.”
We may be a private liberal arts school instead of a wizarding school, but to me, Oglethorpe possesses a magic of its own. The presence of community spirit is more prominent here than in any community I’ve ever considered myself to be a part of. For me, it’s been an interactive and nurturing environment that has helped me to grow in both my knowledge of my studies and my relational experiences with the wonderful people I’ve encountered here.
One day driving around campus, I noticed a car with an OU license plate and of course I immediately coveted it. It was the opportune time for me to get one because I had just gotten a new car and had a temporary tag. I finally got my OU tag in the mail a few weeks ago and it was exciting! My love for this school makes me bleed black and gold, so I’m ecstatic that I now represent OU even when I’m out and about. Now I get to have a piece of my beloved Oglethorpe with me everywhere I go!
I encourage all students and alums to show your Petrel pride on your ride! You can contact the OU Marketing department directly at 404-364-8468 for more information about getting an OU plate or you can order one directly at any Georgia DMV.

Categories : Alumni, Legends & Traditions, News, Student Life

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May

Room for improvement

Posted by: Susan Soper | Comments (0)

The restored former office fo the late President Thornwell Jacobs

Anybody remember Room 101 in Hearst? Didn’t think so. It was a kind of hybrid, not really a classroom, sort of a seminar room, sometimes used for food spreads for things like Parents’ Weekend and OU Passport. It was also the former office of the late OU President Thornwell Jacobs.

It was Thornwell Jacob’s vision that returned the campus to the Atlanta area. Carrie Lee Henderson, Jacobs’ granddaughter, provided the initial inspiration for reconnecting to her father’s tenure as president at Oglethorpe University (1915-1943). But leave it to those folks in the library to grab a nugget of history and spin a vision around it.

Library Director Anne Salter proposed taking the room back to its former glory, to the days in the first half of the 20^th Century when Jacobs sat behind a big desk and ran Oglethorpe University with great aplomb.

The goal was to complete the work and outfit the room as an archival museum filled with photos, memorabilia and historic timelines before Alumni Weekend in April. All systems were go: demolish a fake wall that covered the beautiful leaded glass doors from the inside; repair and replace broken crown mould along the ceiling; pull up the carpet squares that had been glued to the original hardwood floors; replace broken panes in the windows; repair the transom over the door and remove glue from the fireplace hearth and add a final touch – a fresh coat of warm, buttery paint.

Thornwell Jacobs

Much of the electrical was rewired in the process, too; an old air conditioning unit was removed and granite blocks seamlessly filled the gap. The restoration is complete. The room is a warm treasure trove to explore and enjoy. Please make a point to visit!

The room is now open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for visitors to immerse themselves in Oglethorpe’s history since its founding in 1835.

Categories : Legends & Traditions, News

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Apr

Ring my bell…

Posted by: Elizabeth Katz | Comments (1)

On Thursday, May 6, Oglethorpe seniors prepping for graduation will get the opportunity to finally see what all the fuss is about and climb the Lupton bell tower and ring the Carillon bells.
Why such a big deal, you ask? The bell tower stairwell is off-limits to just anyone. There are just a few keys tucked away in various places on campus that open the secret doorway to the Lupton bell tower. The only people authorized to climb the bell tower are graduating seniors (a couple days before they depart campus and set out into the real world!) and alumni who celebrate reunion years during Alumni Weekend.
Seniors, we’ll see you next week (meet in Lupton Auditorium at 4:45 p.m. Thursday) for your climb to ring the Carillon bells. You’ll go down in history as you climb the spiraling staircase and sign your name to the lengthy list of all the past climbers.

Here’s a brief (and interesting!) history of the bells here at Oglethorpe University… Read More→

Categories : Alumni, Legends & Traditions, Student Life

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Feb

Mark your calendars, alumni!

Alumni Weekend is April 16 – 18.

As you know from The Flying Petrel eNews – the monthly alumni e-newsletter – Alumni Weekend registration is open!
The weekend will be full of fun events for alumni, their friends and families. With special reunion celebrations for classes ending in 0 and 5, decade parties for each decade, athletic alumni matches, Dinner in Dorough (a dinner for alumni athletes) and much more, this Alumni Weekend is sure to be the best yet!
Check out the full Alumni Weekend schedule and all the information you’ll need to go ahead and plan to be here April 16 – 18.

Latest Global

Aug

OU Professor, Students Take “Experiential Learning” to England & France

Posted by: Chloey Mayo '10 | Comments (0)

“I have not seen more willing, eager, and intrigued students. We have explored the Bodelain Library and were given a special exhibition of the Shakespeare Folio and other rare books, as well as being given a 16th century press demonstration. Then we punted down the Charwell River, toured all of the major colleges at Oxford, made a special stop at Corpus Christi, and spent hours at the new Ashmolean Musuem–a 100 million dollar renovation there– with some of the most important exhibits of all archaeological finds in the world.”

Categories : Global, News, Student Life

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Aug

From Tanzania to Indonesia: A World of Experiences

Posted by: Heather Staniszewski '02 | Comments (0)

Emily (far right, in green) with her team of Habitat volunteers for their training session in Chicago before heading to Indonesia.

After graduation, Emily Lawson ’03 became an elementary school teacher at a brand new charter school Dekalb PATH Academy, located on OU’s land behind Greek Row. She went on to travel the world, live abroad and most recently earn her degree from Yale University School of Nursing in May 2010.
After participating in Habitat International builds in Tanzania (2002), India (2005) and Romania (2009), Emily is now leading her first team of Habitat volunteers to Batam, Indonesia this summer. She attended a training in Chicago that outlined the responsibilities and procedures of being a team leader and recently arrived in Thailand to travel to the small community of Bua Yai where she lived and worked for the Peace Corps 2005-2007. Below is a sample of her experiences as related through her blog.

Emily Lawson in Romania on a Habitat for Humanity build in 2005.

By Emily Lawson ’03
Before departing from the U.S. I had an unfamiliar mix of excitement, anticipation and fear surrounding this trip. Would I be able to communicate? Would I feel totally out of place? How would my community (Bua Yai) react. I hardly slept the night before departure (which combined with 24 hrs of travel, time change and jet lag has left me feeling tired to my gut. Thank God for midwifery school’s lesson of function, participation and enjoyment on extremely minimal sleep!). So far, things are going great and my fears have been appeased. Here’s the story thus far… Read More→

Categories : Alumni, Global, News

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Jul

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition II

Posted by: Chloey Mayo '10 | Comments (0)

A few weeks ago, we asked OU faculty to let us know what’s been keeping them busy this summer. The response was so generous, we had to post another blog! Here are more of their exciting stories:
Dr. Jay Lutz, Professor of French, visited the country of Senegal as part of the Intercultural Dimensions Program. He and two colleagues explored Senegal for three weeks, and stayed with the Diedhiou family in Sédhiou for a portion of their travels.
The group participated in all aspects of family life while staying in the compound, engaging in cultural activities that included a lesson in local agriculture. In preparation for one of their dinners, Dr. Lutz and the others pounded spices with a traditional upright African mortar and pestle. They also brought seeds with them, and together with the Diedhiou family, dug a vegetable garden in the compound.
The group also stayed overnight in the remote Pulaar village of Temento Samba near the border of Guinea Bissau. There, they shared a traditional West African meal, while being entertained by drummers and chanters…Check out the sights and sounds of Senegal (and Dr. Lutz dancing!) below:

Associate Professor of Japanese Robert Steen spent a week at the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota, where he enjoyed the cool weather and studied the latest theories of second language acquisition with instructors from all over the world.

Dr. Daniel Schadler, Professor of Biology, attended the 19^th National Meeting of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Profession, held in Atlanta last month. He was involved in local arrangements for the meeting, organizing and staging a silent auction that raised over $4000 for the Good Samaritan Health    Center, a local clinic that provides medical care for un- and under-insured patients.
Dr. Brent Runnels, Professor of Music, has been spending his time on stage this summer.  He conducted Jazz Orchestra Atlanta with special trumpeter Marcus Printup from the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The concert was featured on the front page of the Marietta Daily Journal newspaper: Read More→

Categories : Faculty, Global, News

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Jul

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition

Posted by: Chloey Mayo '10 | Comments (0)

We’ve been covering a lot of the exciting things OU students are doing with their time this summer, but what about the professors? Some of OU’s finest told us what they’ve been up to this summer, and you’d be surprised: they’re not lying by the pool discussing individualism, the social order, or the number of elements in a common universe…instead, these scholars are sharpening their proverbial swords of knowledge while having some fun at the same time– definitely putting a spin on the term, “lifelong learning.”
Earlier in the summer, Dr. Joe Knippenberg, professor of politics, spent some time in Kurdistan (in the Middle East) as part of a site visit team for the American Academy of Liberal Education (www.aale.org). He sits on the Academy’s Council of Scholars. Knippenberg and the rest of the team visited the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani (www.auis.org), a brand new liberal arts university whose language of instruction is English.
“There are a few things someone from North America has to get used to. First, there are Pesh Merga (Kurdish militiamen) everywhere, and they carry AK47s. Second, there are almost no traffic lights, but lots of police officers attempting to direct traffic. Third, the whole city (and indeed the whole region) seems to be under construction. There are several explanations for this, among them that… in accordance with Islamic principles, money cannot be lent at interest, which means that lots of construction starts…and then stops…and then starts again, as revenue comes in and is spent.”
        —Dr. Knippenberg about his experience in Kurdistan this summer
       Next month Dr. Vicky Weiss, professor of English, will be heading to Washington D.C. to participate in a seminar on Greek literature at the Center for Hellenic Studies. The seminar “addresses the challenge of keeping alive in undergraduate education classical texts such as the Iliad, Odyssey, the Homeric Hymns, the poetry of Hesiod, and the Histories of Herodotus that a generation ago were read and understood by everyone.” Dr. Weiss was one of only 24 professors selected out of pool of almost 100 nominations. Having taken her class for CORE III, I think it’s safe to say that no one knows Herodotus better than Vicky Weiss.
Anne Salter, director of the Philip Weltner Library, is going to the University of Edinburgh this month to present a paper along with her colleague from Mercer University. Their paper concerns the use of e-books among academics.   She says she’s “excited and nervous,” but we doubt there’s even a need to be.   Good luck, Anne!

Alan Loehle's class in NY

Alan Loehle, professor of art, is currently researching a series of paintings based on his trip to Rome during the Guggenheim Fellowship. Earlier this summer, he traveled to New York to teach an 11-day class, “Critical Issues in Art and Philosophy” with Dr. Simon Sparks. The group stayed in the dorms at NYU and used the resources of New York as their classroom to explore critical, philosophical and aesthetic issues in art, with a special emphasis on modern and contemporary art.
“Our students had the good fortune to see the Whitney Biennial as well as the Christian Boltansky installation at the Armory, which was a highlight of the trip. In the performing arts, we were fortunate to see the Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and the plays Red (about the work of Mark Rothko) on Broadway and Gabriel off Broadway.”
—Alan Loehle, about the art class he taught in New York
Attention Faculty! We’d love to know what you’ve been up to this summer—let us know on our ‘Contact’ page at the top of your screen.

Categories : Academics, Faculty, Global, News

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Jul

OU student finds herself…running with the bulls

Posted by: Heather Staniszewski '02 | Comments (0)

Civic Engagement Scholars receive a stipend to complete a nonprofit internship of their choice during their junior year. Clair Carter ‘12 was accepted into the University of Dreams internship program in Barcelona and was hired at a small nonprofit for eight weeks called Manos Unidas. Here are just two of her amazing stories about her work and travels thus far. To read more, including what it was like to be in Spain when the Spanish team won the World Cup, please check out her blog at: http://huntercarter.com/hosted/claircarter/clain/

Clair Carter '12 after running with the bulls in Spain.

By Clair Carter ‘12
THE OFFICEApplying for an international internship is a gamble. Aside from the uncertainty of receiving the position, there is no guarantee that one´s workplace will be enjoyable. It was apparent on Wednesday when all of the students in the program reconvened for dinner after the first day of work that we were not all winners.
Some students were greeted with intricate ceremonies involving smearing tomatoes and oil and, of course, kissing more strangers than one cares to remember. Other students failed to comprehend their Spanish instructions and attempted to look as important and busy as possible while actually surfing Facebook for hours. One girl discovered that she was the star in a real life version of ¨The Devil Wears Prada¨when upon entering the office, she was bombarded with a list of tasks and no directions (or kisses for that matter). How does one obtain 50 clear umbrellas anyway?
But I feel like the Goldilocks of the group. Although finding my office was difficult, acclimating to it has been anything but. I spent the first three days just learning my place here. I work for Manos Unidas, that´s Mans Unides in Catalan and United Hands in English. This non-profit NGO (non-governmental organization) is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. Started by catholic women in the interest of women, Manos Unidas has expanded to help families and communities all over the world. They are devoted to ending hunger, improving health, sanitation, and education, promoting the rights of women–to sum it all up, world peace.
The discussions here flow smoothly from universal health care to burkas to diets to futbol to Avatar. For now, I am mostly a spectator. I understand what is being said over coffee, but my tongue and my brain have yet to synchronize. From time to time, I interject and everyone waits patiently as I search for words and proper conjugations, but mostly I just laugh at the way everyone teaches each other.
I feel as if by some bizarre turn of fate, I have ended up here just as I found myself at Oglethorpe. I did not realize how much I would connect with the purpose or the people of either of these two small places.

76 TROMBONESTo my dad and mom(s) and friends and boyfriend and grandmas everywhere, just go ahead and take a deep breath. This last weekend I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in what is quite possibly the most famous Spanish tradition.

I went to Pamplona to run with the bulls…

Categories : Global, News, Student Life

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Jul

OU student “aimed big” with CBS internship

Posted by: Chloey Mayo '10 | Comments (2)

Matthew Claiborne, a junior at OU, has a right to be proud—really proud. This summer, Matthew is working in New York City as a production intern for CBS News Productions. It’s one of the more coveted national internships, and Matt was one of only 70 students out of a pool of hundreds to be chosen. He works on reality TV shows and documentaries, learning the “ins and outs” of television production. Matthew took time out of his busy schedule to tell us about his new-found responsibilities, grabbing a piece of the social scene, and living in New York on intern means.

On landing the internship:
I knew I wanted to apply to a big internship this year because I thought I was ready to handle it…I got a call about a month later from the CBS News internship coordinator. Read More→

Categories : Academics, Global, News, Student Life

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Jul

“Football” Fever!

Posted by: Chloey Mayo '10 | Comments (1)

For the last three weeks, all eyes have been focused on the 2010 FIFA World Cup and one Petrel alum is keeping the world’s soccer fans updated, play-by-play, on the world’s largest sporting event. Sportscaster Brent Latham ‘97 played soccer at Oglethorpe and now reports on World Cup action on ESPN.com. He is also 1/7th of a team of American soccer bloggers around the world. Brent sounds off about World Cup action at www.USA10kit.com.

Landon Donovan and the U.S. team were ousted from the tourney last week…Which team are you rooting for?

We asked Petrels around the world: Are you watching the World Cup? What teams are you rooting for?

@Evan Britton ‘11:

“Absolutely. Argentina, Brazil and Chile were my teams but it’s down to just two of those now…Brazil and Argentina

”

@Kofi Nketiah ‘10:

“CHYEA!!!! MY BLACK STARS [GHANA] DID WORK!!! LET’S GO GHANA!!! SORRY USA”

@Dr. Herschler:

“Of course! My Dad grew up in Europe and he played soccer in the 1950’s…so I grew up around the sport. It’s kind of sad that Japan and the U.S. are out of the competition, but I’m still enjoying the game…”

@Julie Vaughan ‘09: “I think it’s going to be between Brazil and either Argentina or Germany.”

Are you watching the World Cup? Who are your favorite teams?

Categories : Alumni, Athletics, Global, News, Student Life

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Jun

One Student’s (Front Row) Take on the World Cup

Posted by: Chloey Mayo '10 | Comments (0)

A while back, we featured a rising senior, Malika Whitley, who was spending her Summer Break the OU Way as a programming assistant for the National Black Arts Festival. Now, she’s in South Africa, working as an intern for the City of Cape Town’s Special Events department and blogging about her adventures. Find out her take on the World Cup, how she’s juggling her new-found responsibilities, and living in a country where she doesn’t know the language! (Afrikaans)

When I got here the first things I heard were vuvuzelas and yelling…there were people running in the street selling and waving flags and blowing their vuvuzelas and singing… I’m officially a bandwagon World Cup fan…lol.

Categories : Global, News, Student Life

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Jun

OUr World: Alex van Zandt auf Deutsch

Posted by: Chloey Mayo '10 | Comments (0)

St. Augustine–someone all true Petrels who have survived Core should know–once said: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” Through Oglethorpe’s International Exchange Partner Program, students like rising junior Alex van Zandt have the opportunity to take the world in, one page at a time.
Alex is in Dortmund, Germany studying Psychology (or “psychologie,” as the Germans call it) at the University of Dortmund. Alex has been in Germany for two months as an exchange student. The program allows students to study abroad at partner schools without paying separate tuition to their host school. This means that people like Alex pay Oglethorpe tuition, using whatever financial aid and scholarships they already have—quite the bargain. The “exchange” happens when Oglethorpe takes in a student from Dortmund next semester.
Between his schoolwork, social life, and traveling throughout Europe, Alex set aside some time to answer a few of my questions… Read More→

Categories : Academics, Global, News, Student Life

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Aug

Princeton Review Rankings Reflect the Oglethorpe Experience

Princeton Review unveiled its annual “Best Colleges” rankings earlier this week and Oglethorpe once again was named among the Best Southeastern Colleges. And while Oglethorpe did not receive UGA’s top honors as the “best party school”–a dubious distinction indeed–OU did rank highly in some of the other categories that better qualify as “feathers in our cap.”
In the category “Professors Get High Marks,” Oglethorpe’s ranking climbed three spots from last year to #17 in the country. This hardly comes as a surprise, considering that 94% of OU professors possess terminal degress in their fields and 100% of OU classes are taught by faculty. On top of that, we hear time after time that the supportive professor/student relationship sets an Oglethorpe education apart from the rest.
Going hand-in-hand with that was our #14 placement for “Classroom Discussion Encouraged.” While this was a brand new category for Oglethorpe, it seems an obvious reflection of Oglethorpe’s emphasis on developing a “community of learners” in which individual participation and an interactive atmosphere in the classroom are valued.
OU was also recognized again for “Best College Theatre” at #18, a definitive nod to quality of our Theatre Program and the unique opportunity provided for students to gain practical experience both on-stage and off-stage with Georgia Shakespeare, the professional theatre-in-residence here on campus.
Oglethorpe’s top rating came in at #11 for “Lots of Race/Class Interaction,” another category in which Oglethorpe placed last year. Oglethorpe’s emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness, along with a commitment to service to the community no doubt influenced this ranking. Set in Atlanta, Oglethorpe values diversity and fosters an open, family-like atmosphere.
In considering these rankings, it’s interesting to note that only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two Canadian colleges are profiled in the rankings and the rankings are based solely on Princeton Review’s survey of 122,000 students (about 325 per campus on average). The 80-question survey asks students to rate their own schools on several topics and report on their campus experiences at them. This is a true reflection of the Oglethorpe experience.
Asked for his reaction to the rankings, President Schall summed it up:

“…For a school of our size to make four top-20 lists for such critical characteristics as class participation and faculty quality is extraordinary.”

Jul

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition II

Jul

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition

Alan Loehle's class in NY

OUMA Exhibition Preview: Salvador Dali

Falling astronauts. An exhausted giraffe running with a fiery mane. Lifeless chipmunks settled in…the silhouette of a human face?
These visuals are just some of the thrilling madness that is Salvador Dali. They are morphing images—those that transform in theme and feeling as the eye moves across the piece. This is the kind of art that moves from graceful, to gore, to graphic all in the same piece—and leaves the viewer either fully confident that they know exactly what’s going on or completely confused, but determined to resolve the scene within their mind.
At least that was my experience last Thursday, as I walked the red gallery of the OU Museum of Art with Assistant Art Director Betsy Ayers. She was putting the finishing touches on the highly-anticipated Dali exhibition, which opened Sunday and runs through September 11. As my attention shifted from one piece to another, falling for each new visual trick, and subconsciously aware of my losing streak in his famous mind-eye games, I couldn’t help pondering the idea that this was exactly what Dali would have wanted.
The exhibition features a set of lithographs, or prints, that are authorized copies of Dali’s original works, donated anonymously to OUMA’s permanent collection. In each of the fourteen lithographs, the surrealist is typified by the reality that in viewing seems so very ”unreal.” Betsy even told me that to achieve this experience, Dali would actually induce a paranoid-delirium state, which in his words, were to “maintain the systematization of delirious thought within the most remarkable coherence.” He wanted to make dream-like images.

Betsy Ayers and intern Jordy Pfeifer arrange a Dali lithograph at the OU Museum of Art.

One remarkable feature of the OUMA exhibit is a trilogy of lithographs that were part of a tarot card deck that Dali was commissioned to illustrate.

Latest Cultural Events & Courses : Kick Off a New Season with OU Theatre

Kick Off a New Season with OU Theatre

Make plans to take part in these productions–either on stage or in the audience–and be reminded why Princeton Review ranked OU’s Theatre among the top twenty theatre programs in the country.

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Mark your calendars, alumni!

Alumni Weekend is April 16 – 18.

View all photos from last year; you won’t want to miss this year!

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Diamond Petrels Opener in the Books

As the Oglethorpe University Petrels opened their season splitting a double-header with Maryville College Sunday, expectations remain high for a successful 2010 campaign.
Dan Giordano starts his 7th season as head coach, bringing with him an experienced crew that counts eight returning seniors, a far cry from the past three seasons which counted only six graduating seniors combined. If youth can come of age this season, we’ll be witnessing it firsthand, and here’s to hoping the attendance at the ballpark grows with the team.
After finishing last season 19-17 for the first winning season in recent memory but missing the SCAC Divisional Playoffs for the first time in two years, hopes are high, as the SCAC has ranked OU as the 4th best in the division.

Running the Curve

Oglethorpe University’s athletics have been on the rise of late: Men’s Basketball is about the wrap up the 4th seed in the SCAC tourney, Baseball is off to their best start in school history and the Men’s Golf squad returns to the green as the defending DIII champs. But the biggest over-achievers on campus are the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams.
Runners you say? But how?
Being an NCAA student athlete is not only about performance on the field, court or fairways. Each semester, the SCAC (that’s Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference for those not savvy to Petrel Athletics) hands out awards for student-athletes who have excelled in both their sport and the classroom.

Top 10 Greatest Moments in Oglethorpe Athletics History

Attention Oglethorpe sports fans! Make sure you are checking out the Stormy Petrels new website www.gopetrels.com for all the current news regarding your favorite Oglethorpe athletic teams.

Greatest Moment #10: The women’s basketball class of 2009 celebrates the school’s first women’s championship in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference on March 1, 2009.

Currently, the athletics department and the alumni office are announcing the Top 10 Greatest Moments in Oglethorpe Athletics History, as voted on by Stormy Petrels fans and alumni. Greatest Moments #10-#7 were announced in past weeks and moment #6 was revealed just today!
We’ll continue to announce the Top Greatest Moments every Friday leading up to the 2010 Alumni Weekend festivities, to be held on campus April 16-18. The #1 moment will be announced at the Stormy Petrel Athletic Buffet in the Dorough Field House on April 17.
For more information about Alumni Weekend or to register, go to www.alumni.oglethorpe.edu

Petrel Student/Athlete Featured in NCAA Video

Oglethorpe alum Stephen Archer ‘10 is featured in a new marketing video by the NCAA as part of their “Identity Initiative” campaign. The NCAA has released several videos to communicate the values and attributes of its Division III program.
Archer, an honors graduate and a member of the All-conference baseball team, is spotlighted in their latest video to showcase his accomplishments both on and off the field.
View Video: Stephen Archer Exemplifies Attributes of NCAA’s Division III

Summer Break the OU Way: Matt Cornwell ‘11

“I can’t describe in words the feeling I get playing in front of our home crowd…”

By now, most college baseball players have ended their season and are working hard to stay in shape for next spring. For Matt Cornwell, however, baseball season never ended—in fact, for the OU shortstop, playing baseball in front of hundreds of people is an everyday event.
Matt was recently signed to play for the Wisconsin Rapids, the newest franchise in the Northwoods League, which is a MLB-sanctioned summer league for top collegiate talent. Last week, the team celebrated its first win of the season, a 3-2 victory over Green Bay.
“The win was amazing,” said Matt. “The town supports us as if we were a professional team. They pack the stands and congratulate us for even the smallest successes…it was really cool to get a standing ovation from over 1,500 people for winning a baseball game. ”
It might not be quite the majors, but players in the Northwoods League join the ranks of some of baseball’s top talent. Just within the last two Major League Baseball drafts, 277 Northwoods alumni have been chosen to play in the pros, including three first round selections in 2009 and the fourth pick overall. Matt, who has played baseball since he was three years old, hopes to be part of that group one day, and he says playing in the summer league is good practice. They play 70 games during 3-month season, one that is closely modeled after the minor leagues.

Matt (center) in action at a 2010 OU home game.

“I love the fact that we play every day,” said Matt of the busy schedule. “It is what pro players do so it makes it feel like we are playing a pro schedule. It hasn’t been too tough to adjust to because almost every game is at night so we have plenty of time to sleep, get up, eat, get over to the ballpark and then get ready to play.”

Matt plays half of his games on the road, and the other 35 at his home field in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. When he is not at practice or playing a game, he stays with a host family in the area. ”They are all are just such nice, selfless people. They open up their homes to college kids and spend money they don’t have to be spending on feeding us and housing us.”

It took some time, but now that Matt is getting settled in to his new schedule, family, and teammates, he has already started to set goals and plan future seasons. When he returns to Atlanta, he wants to have “the best season of Oglethorpe baseball,” be the SCAC Athlete of the Year, and be instrumental in taking the Petrels to the NCAA National Championships.

“I think playing here is only going to make me an even better player when I return to Oglethorpe. I will have spent the summer facing some great pitching and playing baseball at an extremely serious level so when I return to OU I plan on maintaining the professional attitude from this league and hopefully showing the guys back at school what it takes to play this game at the highest level.”

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OU Toasts to Coach Howell’s Success

Last night a reception was held at the President’s home in honor of Coach Howell’s induction into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame. “I feel quite honored, ” Coach Howell said, as he raised his glass to toast a roomful of smiling guests, who laughed as Coach Howell relayed stories of chance encounters with historical Oglethorpe figures and of several OU connections he’s had that appeared well before his debut as head tennis coach of both the Men’s and Women’s teams.
The cocktail reception, hosted by President Larry Schall and his wife Betty Londergan, celebrated Coach Howell’s recent induction and his more than thirty years of involvement and success in the sport of tennis. Among guests were several of Coach Howell’s family members, colleagues, and close friends:

Top 10 Greatest Moments in Oglethorpe Athletics History

Attention Oglethorpe sports fans! Make sure you are checking out the Stormy Petrels new website www.gopetrels.com for all the current news regarding your favorite Oglethorpe athletic teams.

Greatest Moment #10: The women’s basketball class of 2009 celebrates the school’s first women’s championship in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference on March 1, 2009.

Ring my bell…

Here’s a brief (and interesting!) history of the bells here at Oglethorpe University… The construction of Lupton Hall in 1919 included a clock tower and chimes for both aesthetic and practical applications. The four bells were a gift from Mrs. Fredrick Lesh of Newton Center, Massachusetts, who was the sister of Mrs. Thornwell Jacobs. The largest of the original four bells (weighing 2,000 lbs.) bears the inscription, “Given by Grace Josephine Lesh, that the hours at Oglethorpe might be filled with music and harmony.” The chimes helped to guide the daily schedules of the people of OU and were designed to strike mechanically Westminster quarter-hour chimes and hour toll.
Further donations brought the total number of bells to 10 as of 1929. These ten bells were equipped with electrical striking and a one octave console was installed allowing the playing of limited musical scores. In 1972, due to the deterioration of the oak timber frame supporting the bells, the frame and bells were removed as part of a renovation plan for Lupton Hall. The 10 bells were sent to Cincinnati, Ohio, for sounding. Later that year, 25 new bells and a new steel tower were installed. Seven additional bells were ordered to be installed the following spring to bring the total bell count to 42. The OU 42-bell carillon was the first cast bronze bell carillon in Georgia. The carillon was first equipped with a double-banked console, allowing unlimited musical scores to be played, as well as an automatic player with chime quarter-hour Westminster, hour strike and toll, and a coded tape deck that will play pre-selected music on the bells. The carillon has played for a variety of Oglethorpe University and community events including the Senior Capping ceremony, Boar’s Head, Oglethorpe Day, Commencement, recitals, weddings, funerals and national events.

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Savannah, here we come

When I started working in the Alumni Office at Oglethorpe University, I had recently moved from Savannah, Ga., to Atlanta (followed a boyfriend who’s now my husband). Savannah is my hometown – I grew up there, moved away for college for four years and then immediately returned to my coastal city.
And while I do love living here in Atlanta, one of the things I’m most proud of is Savannah. I am always ready to tell someone all about Savannah. I love it. It has so much to offer: breathtaking live oak trees with Spanish moss dangling from them; the coastal waterways; the gorgeous architecture; the rich history. And that Southern cuisine. Mmmmm…
I am so happy to blog about this news….
In honor of the university’s 175th anniversary of its founding, Oglethorpe University alumni, faculty/staff and friends are invited to visit Savannah, the landing point of James Edward Oglethorpe – the university’s namesake.
The fall weekend (Friday, September 24 – Sunday, September 26) will be an absolute treat.
Here’s everything we’ll do: stay two evenings at the award-winning Mulberry Inn; dine at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House; visit City Market and River Street; catch some Savannah Jazz Festival events; enjoy a historic tour of the Downtown Historic District; enjoy wine and refreshments at the private home of historian John Duncan who lives on Monterey Square; hear from an urban planner/architect about Savannah’s squares; leave the Historic District one morning to tour Savannah’s Lowcountry (Bethesda Home for Boys, Wormsloe and Isle of Hope); dinner at the Olde Pink House – a Savannah favorite; and even creep around the city for a Haunted Pub Crawl. All of this – and plenty of “free time.”

View the entire itinerary and cost of the weekend.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Latest Student Life

Student Represents OU at National Leadership Conference

Cartoon Network on Location at Oglethorpe…and Looking for Extras

Quadfest Marks End of First Week of Classes

A Look Back at Orientation Week…

Kick Off a New Season with OU Theatre

Orientation Day of Service Reflects the Oglethorpe Difference

U.S. News & World Report Features “Road Trip: Oglethorpe University”

Forbes Ranks Oglethorpe Among America’s Best Colleges

OU Sophomore Speaks at National Girl Scouts Conference

OU Professor, Students Take “Experiential Learning” to England & France

Latest Legends & Traditions

Orientation Day of Service Reflects the Oglethorpe Difference

Tag – You’re It! Show Your Petrel Pride on Your Ride!

Room for improvement

Ring my bell…

Mark your calendars, alumni!

Alumni Weekend is April 16 – 18.

Latest Global

OU Professor, Students Take “Experiential Learning” to England & France

From Tanzania to Indonesia: A World of Experiences

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition II

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition

OU student finds herself…running with the bulls

I went to Pamplona to run with the bulls…

OU student “aimed big” with CBS internship

“Football” Fever!

@Evan Britton ‘11:

“Absolutely. Argentina, Brazil and Chile were my teams but it’s down to just two of those now…Brazil and Argentina

”

“CHYEA!!!! MY BLACK STARS [GHANA] DID WORK!!! LET’S GO GHANA!!! SORRY USA”

@Dr. Herschler:

“Of course! My Dad grew up in Europe and he played soccer in the 1950’s…so I grew up around the sport. It’s kind of sad that Japan and the U.S. are out of the competition, but I’m still enjoying the game…”

@Julie Vaughan ‘09: “I think it’s going to be between Brazil and either Argentina or Germany.”

One Student’s (Front Row) Take on the World Cup

When I got here the first things I heard were vuvuzelas and yelling…there were people running in the street selling and waving flags and blowing their vuvuzelas and singing… I’m officially a bandwagon World Cup fan…lol.

OUr World: Alex van Zandt auf Deutsch

Got books?

Latest Faculty

Princeton Review Rankings Reflect the Oglethorpe Experience

“…For a school of our size to make four top-20 lists for such critical characteristics as class participation and faculty quality is extraordinary.”

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition II

Summer Break the OU Way: Educators’ Edition

OUMA Exhibition Preview: Salvador Dali

Kick Off a New Season with OU Theatre

Mark your calendars, alumni!

Alumni Weekend is April 16 – 18.

Diamond Petrels Opener in the Books

Running the Curve

Top 10 Greatest Moments in Oglethorpe Athletics History

Petrel Student/Athlete Featured in NCAA Video

Summer Break the OU Way: Matt Cornwell ‘11

“I can’t describe in words the feeling I get playing in front of our home crowd…”

OU Toasts to Coach Howell’s Success

Top 10 Greatest Moments in Oglethorpe Athletics History

Ring my bell…

Savannah, here we come

View the entire itinerary and cost of the weekend.

Petrel Student/Athlete Featured in NCAA Video

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