Fall Semester - Where did it Go!?

I have finished the first semester of my sophomore year. It's an exciting accomplishment, but it has gone by so quickly! This is my first post since the summer due to my VERY busy schedule this past semester. There has not been a dull moment in the past three months. The sophomores at Oxford are the "upperclassmen," so I have been busy as club president, research student, SI, and studying in general. The studying has to happen sometime....

I have successfully completed physics - an accomplishment I am relieved of. This class was the most challenging class I have ever had, but I am so thankful that I survived! I feel as though I can take on anything now - graduate school, organic chemistry, whatever; I have finished Dr. S physics class, and nothing can stop me now!

I've had a lot of fun this semester, too. Attached is a picture of Fall Formal. It was held at the Fox Theater in Atlanta - one of my favorite places. I used to get dressed up, go to a nice dinner, and then see a play for my birthday when I was a little younger. I love the theater. I recently saw the Nutcracker a few weekends ago, which was magical!

For Fall Break I had a lot of fun volunteering at a national park. I met some awesome new friends, including some new freshmen :) I'm super psyched about Spring Break next semester - I'm on the planning committee for Alternative Spring Break. We are going to south Georgia to build a Habitat House; last year's ASB was the BEST week of freshman year!!!

I'm about to leave Oxford for home - winter break!

Au revoir,

Susanna

'Twas the night of decisions...

Greetings from Oxford! As the temperatures drop and snow flurries float through the air, the Oxford campus has become quieter as students are studying for finals. The admissions office is bubbling with activity and excitement as decisions are being released tonight! Decisions will be available on your OPUS account by 7:00 PM EST this evening.

Be sure to visit our Accepted Student website to see what's next for accepted students and check out the Accepted Students handbook. Also don't forget to join our Oxford College Class of 2015 group on Facebook where you can interact with current students! Be sure to reserve your spot in the entering class by submitting your deposit which you can do via your OPUS account tomorrow. We're excited about our new class of Emory Eagles!

Back in the office and now application time!

Our advisors are happy to be back in the office after Travel Season 2010. Did you meet one of our friendly admissions advisors at your high school or college fair in your area? Post a comment below if you did!

The Early Action deadline has passed, but don't worry- you can still apply for our Oxford Scholars Deadline (November 15th) and for Regular Decision (January 15th). Make sure you check our to-do list online to ensure you have sent in all the right documents to make a complete file.

Campus has been teeming with activity while we have been traveling. Oxford Students shared their new home with their families over family weekend, our Fall Play "The Misanthrope" was a big hit, the Dalai Lama came to visit Emory's campus, Oxford sponsored a bike ride fundraiser for Leadership Oxford, students celebrated Halloween with Halloweek, and so much more! Check out some pictures from recent events on campus!

Emory Hits the Road!

Travel Season has officially begun and our Admissions Advisors from Oxford and Emory College will be coming to a college fair or school near you soon! Meet the Admissions Advisor for your area and come armed with plenty of questions since they are your best resource during the application process. Make sure to fill out those information cards to let us know that we met with you at your high school or an area college fair. Check out our map online to see when we are coming to your area! We look forward to meeting you!

Welcome Oxford Class of 2012!!

Last Wednesday, campus came alive again when 550 first year students moved to Oxford to begin the exciting new chapter of their lives as Emory students. Our PALS (orientation leaders) were on site with their cheering voices and enthusiasm to welcome the incoming class. First year students began orientation the next day and parted ways with their parents after the annual Coke toast on the quad. Spirits were high as the new freshman class was excited to be a part of Oxford as the largest and most diverse class in Oxford's history.



On Saturday, incoming freshmen participated in the 2nd Annual Oxford Olympics. This new tradition, started by Oxford alum Rhiannon Hubert, has students competing with their residence hall. This event included a tricycle race, Dooley-Zebra-Eagle rock paper scissors, king of the mountain, spirit competition, and relay race. Freshmen were lead by their PALS and RA's through the activities organized by the Office of Leadership and Student Development. Each team had a banner and cheer which could be heard all around campus during the competition.

Poster Tomorrow!

Hi all!

Well, it's winding down here at the STAR program at MCG. Tomorrow, we all have to present our projects during the poster session. I have my poster printed and my speech ready. So now I'm just practicing.

I cannot believe that I am done with the STAR program! Nine weeks have gone by so quickly! I also cannot believe the amount of research I was able to do while I was here!

It has definitely been a good experience. The research has been helpful for me in deciding what I would like to pursue as a career (I'm leaning towards medicine right now) and I have met some really awesome people.

My mentor has been fantastic and has made sure that I am ready for tomorrow. We have been working on my poster and what I was going to say for the past two weeks! Yesterday, he also sat me down and went over questions that I would be asked. I feel so much less stressed now. Whew!

Other than prepping for tomorrow, I also have been packing up my things and getting ready to go. I cannot believe that I shall be moving out on Friday! Then off to Florida to be with my parents for the rest of the summer. I'm excited to be able to relax before I head back to school in the fall and start at the Atlanta campus.

Well, back to work. Gotta practice for tomorrow!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Oxford is Heating Up for Incoming Students!

Happy summer everyone! Oxford's campus is gorgeous right now with the sun shining through the trees and lighting up our quad. There are also some exciting changes taking place on campus and I can't wait til later this summer when I'll get to see the new and returning students' surprised faces. The library, Branham and East, and the JRC are all being renovated as I type. This includes new furniture, carpeting, new paint, and updated features. These new updates will really add to the campus and I can't wait to see the final products in each building. We are also having a lot more visitors on campus since life for rising seniors isn't busy just yet. So I thought I would share some tips for when you visit a college campus:
- Meet your admissions advisor! This is the person assigned to your particular state or school. They will be your contact throughout the application process so make sure you meet them.
- Come prepared with questions
- Eat a meal on campus
- Bring a camera- this will help you remember what each campus looks like
- Talk to as many students and faculty on campus- they are the ones that know the place best

Happy visiting!

From the Land of 10,000 Lakes

I have arrived and have been enjoying the Twin Cities for two weeks now. Minneapolis is a really cool city, and I am having a wonderful time. There are cute little restaurants and old buildings and the Mall of America, and the Mississippi River, and lakes, and museums. So many things to see and do! However, I have also found the city to be much more expensive.....

I have decided I would like to have a summer home here in Minnesota on one of the lakes. I absolutely loved Lake Itasca and didn't want to leave once my two week course was over. After being in the woods for two weeks coming to the big city was kind of shock. I had gotten used to watching the sunset from a canoe. Absolutely beautiful. But as I said, Minneapolis is a lot of fun.

My research is ok so far. I have learned so much about the immune system in just two weeks. I've made some presentations and (after FOUR attempts) finally succeeded in producing a satisfactory western blot. I have one more week until I start my very own project (I'm still just helping my mentor).

Anyway, here are some pics of the beautiful lake!

Summer in the City

Hey Y'all,

I did a post a while back, hinting at some places I'd be visiting in the coming weeks. Well, I'm happy to say that I am back at home—safe and sound. I'm also ready to reveal my mystery destinations.

Destination number one may have been the easiest to figure out. It was Atlanta! I’m from a very small town in the Deep South so it was nice to be in the city again. I spent two days in Atlanta, my home town and the location of Emory University, attending the Communities in Schools Summer Training Institute. This is actually a special conference for educators but I was asked to attend because I received a scholarship from the Wal-mart Foundation and Communities in Schools National as a high school senior. The trip was very brief but it gave me a chance to relax in a nice hotel and do some networking before moving on to my next city.



The following day, I woke up at 9 AM and drove to the airport. From there I passed through security and boarded my plane to Washington, D.C. This particular trip was sponsored completely by the Gates Millennium Scholars Program and really gave me the opportunity to do more networking, do some career exploration (my future is undetermined, as of now), and rediscover the city that I hadn't seen in years. About 30 other scholars and I were given the opportunity to attend the American Library Association's Conference and Exhibition that went on over our 5-day stay.



The conference gives students of Library and Information Sciences and Library/Information Science professionals the chance to experience the latest and greatest developments in their fields, meet famous authors, and attend sessions that encourage library improvement and advocacy. Over 23,000 people were in attendance and it was just about as amazing as it sounds. Thousands of sessions went on throughout the week and I wanted to attend every single one of them but I could only go to a few. When I wasn't in sessions I was seeing the city with other scholars! In addition to the great learning experience, I made a lot of new friends, and came back with tons of free swag from some of the sponsors at the conference. I had a great time!




I'll be updating more throughout the summer!

‘Til Next Time,
Imani

Digging trenches in Jordan!

Hey everyone! Currently I'm in Jordan and have been for the last week and a half, though this is one of the few times I have internet, since I am in Amman for the day. The team this year consists of Oxford Professors Dr. Aaron Stutz and Dr. Liv Nilsson-Stutz, former Oxford student Brittany Mayo, Emory PhD student Joshua Robinson, Dr. Jamie Clark, Anna Trainer (former student of Dr. Aaron Stutz), and myself.

This year in Jordan we are doing test excavations ... which have quickly turned into an ACTUAL excavation. The site we were here to determine whether or not it was actually a paleolithic site, is definitely a site, though what time period we are unsure of, all of the artifacts, which there are TONS of, are very ambiguous, since we are still only a few centimeters under the surface. At the moment, it appears that there are also ruins of a wall structure or a pavement near the surface, we are trying to see how to excavate the feature effectively.

Days start at 4 in the morning, when we wake up so that we can get to the site no later than 5:30 am, since we need to start work early because by noon it is too hot to continue working, since we are working on the East Bank of the Jordan Valley. Working in our cave on the East Bank allows us to see the West Bank from where we are working. Each day some of the team members get text messages on their phone saying "Welcome to Palestine!" the reception isn't that accurate here in the valley haha... Though one day it was a little hairy in the morning, we heard explosions coming from the West Bank an looked over and saw the smoke. Along with a few gunshots and aircraft, we decided that wasn't the best thing to be hearing in the morning coming from the West Bank... but we learned from our dig house's caretaker that it was just the Israelis doing training exercises on their side of the Valley which they do occasionally, and none of the locals seemed worried. It did make for a very interesting morning though! Nothing like a bit of excitement to add to your adventure!

We also took a trip to the ancient Roman city of Jerash and saw the ruins there and the Temple of Artemis, though it was weird because all the writing on the ruins was in ancient Greek and not Latin, which according to Brittnay who is majoring in classics, is extremely strange considering the Romans are usually known for using Latin and writing over everything in Latin.

So as you can tell, a LOT is going on right now! I've posted some pictures below but I will leave the update at this considering I'm exhausted from all the physical work and waking up at 4 in the morning daily! Though I'm having an amazing time once again this year, and even have gotten to see some of the other archaeologists I met last year and chat with them about their projects this weekend, so it was somewhat like a mini reunion for me! I hope you all are having a great summer as well!!

Pictures Below:

Dr. Stutz setting up the grid and grad student Josh
Roman Ampitheater 2 at Jerash
Me in the Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artmeis
City of Jerash
At work with smoke on the West Bank in the background
Working on the terrace of the cave
Working on the terrace more

Exciting Adventures on the Research Front

Well, it comes a time in every one's research when you get extremely frustrated and you wonder if anything will ever work or are you at a dead end. Let me say that I have felt that way about my research this summer for the past couple of weeks.

First off, the sequencer in our lab, the primary machine I need to verify many mutations for my research, was not working at all. No peaks were coming up and I feared that I would not have any data at the end of the program except for some gel electrophoresis images. While these photos are nice, they cannot conclude if the one-base pair mutation is there or not. Then this week, Lynn, the research assistant in my lab who has taught me so much figured out what was wrong with the machine: the cable was on "test" rather than "run." That's all! We just had to change the cable hook-up and viola! it's working now! Now, I'm quite excited that I shall have data!

Also, for the past couple of weeks, I have been testing primers to find the optimal conditions for them. For the first 15 out of 16 primers, everything was great: I got the conditions down right away. But this one primer just would not work. I must have prepared about 5 PCRs and ran the gel just as many times. But to avail. I would either have no bands (which is quite distressing for a student who always had clear bands in her gels from her labs in general Biology and genetics) or I would have multiple bands. Finally, I gave up on that primer, designed a new one for the same locus of DNA I wanted and the new primer came in today. So, I'm in the process of preparing it.

Then, on Tuesday, I decided to do a PCR of about 10 samples for various genes. I was so afraid that I would mess up again and there would be no bands on any of the samples. BUT every sample produced a band! And the band lengths were just right. I was so excited that I started dancing in front of the imaging machine. Thankfully, no one walked into the room while I was doing this, because then they would have thought that I was insane.

So, I've been feeling a little better about my research. I'm finally getting data. My mentor returned from a trip to Europe and brought me back cookies! And told me to keep up the good work (I had been emailing him daily about my distressing primer situation and the later fantastic gel along with the dancing. I also think that the research assistant was filling him in about how I was helping around the lab). He's off to a convention for the Endocrine Society and I'll see him in about a week. He also wants me to present at his lab meeting when he gets back. And these lab meetings are not just him and the research assistant that helps me, it's everyone who works in the lab, along with collaborators from other labs and Ob/Gyns from the hospital because they help out with the clinical aspect of his research. (My mentor is an Ob/Gyn, but also has a lab to investigate specific puberty disorders)

Well, time to get back to research. I'm sorry if this is boring for all the non-science people out there! But I cannot imagine working outside of the science/medicine world!

Peace and love,
Lizzy-

Hello all! I am now in northern Minnesota taking my molecular genetics class to get ready for summer research. I work in the lab from 8AM to 6PM isolating plasmids and RNA, doing tissue cultures, running PCR, gel electrophoesis, basically cool stuff if you are a science nerd :) I am having so much fun meeting other people who share my interests and learning and practicing skills that will be very valuable in my future as a researcher this summer, next year back at Oxford, and beyond undergrad. I am kind of thankful for the weekend because it has been a VERY full week. I am excited to start my project a week from Saturday.

While my research will take place in the Twin Cities, I am taking the class 4 hours north at Lake Itasca, which leads into the headwaters of the Mississippi River. I have been kayaking and hiking, roasting marshmallows, and am planning a long bike ride for this weekend. It has been a wonderful experience so far, and I can't wait for the rest of the summer!

If you are interested, I have some more specifics about my summer research. I will be studying a very involved biochemical pathway that activates transmembrane proteins called integrins that are found in T-lymphocytes. These integrins, when activated, direct the T-cell to antigens and promote cell adhesion. The pathway that activates the integrins is really complicated with many steps, enzymes, proteins, and reactions. I don't know which piece of the puzzle I will be focusing on directly, but I assume I will be studying some sort of gene expression in this pathway. That means real time PCR and isolating mRNA!!!! It's rather complicated, and I was rather unsuccessful at doing those things this week. However, it was my first try, and I am excited to learn and get better and better!!!

Ok no more science stuff for now!! BYE BYE
Susanna

From Oxford to Oxford

It’s almost been a month since the end of my first year of college. My first year of college was filled to the brim with various things that made my experience so enjoyable. Looking back, it seems crazy that I managed to do so much in such a short period of time.

Summer has been relaxing so far. I’ve done various sorts of activities in order to keep myself busy. It is great to finally have some time to read for leisure. I’m currently tackling The Brother’s Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Not only have I been able to read, I’ve also been able to do some writing and even draw. The rest of my time is spent playing basketball, running, or watching sports. I run three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I've managed to cover about five miles a day in recent weeks.

June 29. That is the day I’m leaving the US for the UK. In less than two months I will have gone from one Oxford to the other. Oxford University is one of the oldest universities in the world. It would be an understatement to say that I’m extremely excited about this trip. This will be my first venture into Europe and I expect I will learn plenty during my stay in the UK. I am taking two classes: British Anti-Slavery and Chuchill and Modern Britain.

Stay tuned for more on Jeffrey’s Summer Adventures!

Summer Plans!

Hey Y'all

Guess what!?! I'm taking two trips at the end of the month through two different scholarships that I got when I was a freshman. I'll give a more detailed post, with pictures, after I come back.

Here are some hints about my two destinations:

1. I am very familiar with the first city that I'm visiting -- you could call it my second home
2. I've only been to the second city once, in the 8th grade
3. Both cities have long and rich histories
4. Both cities are capitals. . .  one of a state the other of a country

Can you figure out where I'm going???

'Til Next Time,
imani :)

Researching!

Hi again!

So, I have a few minutes while waiting for a gel electrophoresis and an ethanol precipitation to write this post.

Like I said in a prior post, I am researching at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta! It's been really awesome so far. Last week, I had to give a powerpoint presentation to our lab group about my project that I researching this summer. It was very nerve-wrecking, but my mentor told me a did good job, so that made it worth it!

For my first part of my research, I am verifying a series of mutations found in patients with IHH/KS. So, I've been looking at a lot of chromatograms, identifying the single base mutations and designing primers so that I can repeat PCR and sequencing to make sure that these mutations are really there! I finally got a hughe shipment of primers this week! I've been working with them, making sure I have the proper controls with a series of controls we have in the lab.

The second part of my project has to do with NELF knockdown. A knockdown is when you, in effect, "knockdown" the representation of that gene, as though it was not there. You can knockdown genes with miRNA. My mentor is working on the knockdown. After we get a confirmed knockdown of NELF, I shall be observing the effects of downstream genes. This is to see if NELF is a transcription factor that hinders or aides the transcription of certain genes.

Well, my ethanol precipitation is almost done. I should get back to it and start the sequencing reaction!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Orientation's Great!

Orientation planning has already begun and our orientation leaders (PALS) are so excited to meet you all! Please visit the orientation website for details about the orientation schedule and more!

Make sure you have checked out our Deposited Student Handbook online for all the forms and more information you will need before you arrive on campus in August!

The Adventures have begun!

Hey everyone, this is Julie!

So summer has been AMAZING so far! Finals week was insane for me, but this summer has definitely made up for it! After spending only a week at home, I went to Cozumel, Mexico with a bunch of Oxfordians for scuba diving. Several former Oxford students, a current Oxford student, and the scuba diving instructors and swim coach from Oxford all were part of our group. We did more than 15 dives on the trip and most of us got higher certifications, it was incredible! We even got to do a wreck dive where we penetrated the ship and got to see the engine room and even the bathroom (seeing toilets underwater is a little surreal!). The diving there was insane, the water was perfectly clear, you could see straight to the bottom from the boat which in some places was more than 80 feet deep, and it looked no deeper than 3 feet! I'll post some pictures some of the other students took at the end of the post, but some of the girls literally took THOUSANDS of pictures .... sooo I can only post a few! :x

After a week in Cozumel, I went back home to Chicago for another week before heading back down to Atlanta. Currently I'm doing research at Emory's Atlanta Campus with Dr. Armelagos as part of the SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) program. SURE offers pairing students with mentors in labs (or, such as in my case, students who have already found a mentor to work with, submitting a research proposal for a project to work on developed by the student and mentor) to work full time over the summer and recieve a stipend and housing for the summer. At the end of the project, we all have to present posters on our research. I'm working in the Anthropology bone lab with human ribs from the Kulubnarti site in Africa. These bones are over 2000 years old and I will be making thin sections of them in order to look for tetracycline labeling under a UV microscope. What's really cool about this project is that tetracycline is an antibiotic, which had not been discovered until more than 1500 years after when these people had lived. The antibiotic then must have been part of their diet and so if labeling is found, it shows that tetracyline had been ingested, and then we can try and determine how the antibiotic got into their diets and how it effected their culture (since it would have affected death rates and sperm count, so that in turn would influence the culture, such as the age of marriage). I really REALLY enjoy learning about how biology and culture influence each other, and I find it fascinating how you can learn about these through ancient bones!

On Tuesday however, I am leaving to go back to Jordan for 4 weeks! Last summer I went to Jordan with Oxford Professor, Dr. Aaron Stutz, to look for excavation sites, and this summer I will be returning with him and a small team to do test excavations! We are going to do basically a mini archaeological dig at what appears to be a middle and upper Paleolithic site to see if it is indeed an archaeological site on which it would be worth doing a full excavation. I am so excited it has even been hard for me to sleep sometimes just thinking about it! Once that trip is over however, I will be back here at Emory to finish out my SURE project for the rest of the summer. I really hope we find something incredible while in Jordan. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me dead people and enough water for showers!

- Julie

Pictures taken by former Oxford Students Collette McLeroy and Lillian Fineman, and current Oxford Student Meredith 'Mimi' Hacking.

Hey everyone!

I can hardly believe that we are three weeks into summer! I have been having a great time as an intern in the Ethics and Servant Leadership (EASL) program. For the past two weeks, I have been working full time at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Decatur. I work there Monday through Thursday and then meet with the other interns in EASL class on Friday. There are about 25 people in the program, and we each work at a different nonprofit during the week and then meet together for discussion and lunch on Friday. During class, we talk about issues such as how ethics applies to the working world, what a nonprofit organization is, and how ethics and nonprofits go hand in hand. The course is run by Dr. Edward Queen, [Ph.D., J.D.], who manages the Ethics minor and teaches both Religion and Ethics at Emory. He is really fun to talk with and has done some pretty incredible things with his life, including traveling all over the world and serving on different ethics committees.

My favorite thing about working at the IRC so far is the diversity that is found there; many of the case managers, case aids, and other workers were once refugees themselves. I eat lunch everyday with Parveneh, a Case Manager from Iran, and Nodira, a Case Manager from Uzbekistan. I also enjoy the company of Asha, from Somalia, and Beatrice, who is from Northern Africa. Beatrice and Asha are both Case Managers as well and are a lot of fun; I enjoy speaking French with Beatrice, and since I am a double major in Women's Studies and French, it's very good practice for me.

At the IRC, I work in the Resettlement Services department with the Health Specialist, Mark Greenberg. Mark helps all of the new families who come in apply for Medicaid. He assigns them doctors, helps them fill out necessary paperwork, makes MARTA maps for them to travel from their home to the doctor's office, and makes appointments for them. Working with Mark is a lot of fun, but I am also looking forward to getting to meet some of the refugees first hand. The IRC is a very large nonprofit organization; they have offices in over twenty U.S. cities (with the world headquarters in New York) and in six continents. The organization was started in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, who was a refugee himself. You can check out more about the IRC by looking at their website, http://www.theirc.org/us-program/us-atlanta-ga. Thanks for checking this out! I look forward to hearing from you! Please feel free to email me or comment with any questions.

Have a great summer!

Hannah Rogers
Oxford College Graduate (2010)
Emory College Class of 2012
Women's Studies and French Major
Bobbie Patterson Fellowship Recipient
Ethics and Servant Leadership Intern
Oxford and Emory Scholar
haroger@emory.edu

Summer at MCG!

Hello summer readers!

It's Lizzy again and it's summertime! So exciting!

This summer, I am taking part in an undergraduate research program at Medical College of Georgia is Augusta! I have finished my first week (of nine) and I am having a great time. There are 25 students in the program. 14 of the students are from the Augusta area and the rest of us are from all over. The 11 non-Augusta people are living in the dorms on campus. So, I'm working in a lab helping my mentor with his research on NELF and it's role in IHH/KS (a puberty disorder). I'll be confirming the mutations in certain genes in patients who have the disorder. And when I'm not in lab, we have workshops for all the STAR participants. Also, all the dorm people chill and hang out.

Anyways, at the end of the program, I have to put together a poster presentation.

Well, back to researching. Look back for more updates!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Summertime :)

Summer time is here, and I am really enjoying relaxing (aka sleeping late, manicure/pedicure, friends, cookouts, chillin), but it is almost time for me to pack my bags and head to the Twin Cities. I am doing research this summer at the University of Minnesota. It's the farthest I've lived away from home, but I am VERY excited to get started with research. I'll be researching signalling in the immune system in regard to the action of t lymphocytes (sorry if you are reading this and are like blah I hate science:).

Anyway, I miss Oxford so very much. But it's not necessarily the campus that makes Oxford the amazing place that it is. I couldn't join them, but a group of my friends got together for dinner this week and played frisbee. I saw facebook pictures of course and it made me sooooo happy to see that we are going to be able to hold onto those friendships we make at Oxford. I just got a webcam and skype (yeah I know I'm a little behind), so now I can see my school pals all summer!!!!

I can't wait to meet the freshman class!! Looking forward to an AWESOME sophomore year, but enjoying my summer so far :)

tootles

Getting excited for the new class!

Hey everybody! So May 1st was the deadline to make your deposit and we are pleased to report we have a great full class! We are so excited about our new "Oxfordians" and can't wait for them to arrive in the fall. This class is truly an amazing one and I'm sure they will greatly contribute to the Oxford community. Move-in day will be August 18th and orientation will be from August 19-26. Don't forget to join our "Oxford College of 2014" facebook group and check out our deposited student handbook for more information about housing and health services, and make sure you check out Learnlink- your Emory e-mail address system!

The students are buried under their books as they are finishing with finals and the summer dreaming ensues.Also we will greatly miss the sophomore class since they have played an integral role in leading this campus. Commencement is this Saturday and we are so proud of the sophomores who we know will move on to the Atlanta campus and accomplish great things. I hope everyone enjoys their summer!

Finals, finals and more finals

Well, it's that time of the year again: the end of the semester. Which means summer vacation, no work, hanging out at the beach and finals! Ahhhhh! This semester I have four final exams, but they are all spread out very nicely. Only one a day. I had my first this morning at 9am. I thought it went quite well. It was for my Art History class which has been a really fabulous break from all of my science classes. Tomorrow is Political Science, then Chemistory and Zoology next week. Then, graduation from Oxford!

I'm bittersweet about my time ending at Oxford. I have loved all of my experiences here and I cannot imagine how different I would be if I went someplace else. Oxford has given me so much: wonderful, caring professors, leadership opportunities, fabulous friends and most of all - I found my passion for genetics research. So, while this is an end to my career at Oxford, it is a new beginning for a new chapter in my life. In the fall, I am taking some higher-level Biology courses and I'm getting to meet so many new people.

But first, this summer I shall be at the Medical College of Georgia performing Biomedical research. It is going to be a wonderful experience meeting new people who share some similar passions to myself.

Well, back to studying. But look out for my posts over the summer!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Springing for Oxford!

Oxford's campus is teeming with activity! The weather is gorgeous and student's are relaxing on the quad and enjoying the sun despite their busy schedules. Every club on campus has their final event to bid the semester goodbye and celebrate their accomplishments. The Hindu Students Association celebrated Holi with the Oxford community by playing Holi with everyone on the quad. Also, chorale is having their final concert, the tennis teams are competing well, Spirit week is next week (it's going to be EPIC), and a new sport has begun at Oxford... Quidditch.

Now is a great time to come on campus and see some Oxford's student life first hand. We only have 2 Spring for Oxford events left on April 23 and April 26th so don't miss your chance to visit Oxford!

Our Accepted Student and Deposited Student Handbooks are now available online. Check these out for more information on applying for housing and Orientation details!

Deposits are due on May 1st so hold your spot by sending in your deposit today!

Hey you! Can I be your PAL?

SEN10RS of 2010!

I bet y'all are so excited right now. I remember when I was in your shoes. I was on cloud nine. I knew I was headed to a great college, I had a couple of scholarships under my belt, I was about to graduate and get out of my momma's house-- everything was perfect.

Well trust me, it only gets better from here. Sure, the next four months will be somewhat stressful. This is to be expected with any major lifestyle change. Still, Oxford College is all about making the transition from high school to college as smooth as silk.

One of the best aspects of your orientation experience will be meeting your PALs. PALs or Peer Assistance Leaders are your orientation leaders, freshman seminar teachers, and (hopefully) longtime friends who are committed to making your first year experience awesome.

I remember when I had my first PAL sighting at orientation. We were driving into the little village of Oxford and I saw all these people in bright blue t-shirts jumping up and down, waving, and screaming. They were holding signs that pointed the way to Oxford and looked very excited about their job. The next sighting came on the quadrangle. The all marched across the quad yelling Emory fight songs and the Alma Mater. Their school spirit was admirable but for an introverted little freshie like myself I found them to be a bit frightening at first.

No need to worry, though! Never fear, your PAL is here! The PALs made my transition wonderfully easy. You're assigned a PAL group on the first day of orientation that you'll send a lot of time with. You'll eat dinner with them and go to activities with them and hopefully make a new friend or two along the way.

Once orientation is over and you register for freshman seminar you'll get to take a class taught by a PAL and an Oxford faculty member. During this time you'll get to meet more awesome friends and learn a lot about yourself and others.

Your PALs, along with other student leaders, will your ultimate buddies on campus and I hope you'll take your first few months at Oxford as an opportunity to get to know and love them as they'll know and love you back :)

P.S. If you haven't caught on by now. . .  I'm a PAL! I can't wait to work with you!

Regular Decisions Released Tonight!

Regular decisions will be released tomorrow at 8:00 AM! Look on your OPUS account and you will be able to view your decision and your letter online. You will also be receiving a decision packet and hard copy of your letter next week. Good luck with your decisions and remember to sign up for our Spring for Oxford events for accepted students.

Alternative Spring Break 2010

“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”

This is why we have spring break! So, Jacks and Jills across the United States can take a breather from academics and extracurriculars. Still, sometimes work and play can be a match made in heaven. Trust me, I worked and played this spring break and loved every moment of it. 

I always thought that my first college spring break would include a tropical vista, bikinis, crystal clear water, my best girlfriends, days of much needed R&R and a really expensive price tag. I was prepared for this and ready to shell out the big bucks to have a typical, run-of-the-mill spring break—that is, until I heard about Alternative Spring Break.

Here at Oxford, the Alternative Spring Break trip is insanely popular. You can’t just sign up and go—you have to apply and be chosen. Being the person I am (I sign up for everything) I applied and I got it. I actually didn’t expect to be chosen. I had plans to go to Puerto Rico but a chance at ASB pushed that all aside. I still had an awesome time but it was significantly less expensive than Puerto Rico and I worked with a great cause!

I probably have y'all wondering: “What makes ASB so special?” Well, let me start from the very beginning.

A group of 29 students (including myself) and five faculty and staff volunteers (including Dean of Campus Life, Joe Moon) traveled to New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama last Saturday at the beginning of our spring break. We spent the following week taking in New Orleans culture and food (yum!), bonding, having warm and fuzzy moments, soaking up some sun on the Gulf Shores, and building a six bedroom house for a family of 13 (yes thirteen!) African refugees with Habitat for Humanity.

I’m still amazed that we managed to fit everything that we did into seven days. It was a truly awesome experience. I didn’t know anyone going on the trip but the trip really encouraged us to bond and talk to new people. We’re like one big happy family now :) We learned how to work together, have fun together, and live together. Now, we can’t get enough of each other! We’ve actually been having mini ASB reunions ever since school started again.

Check out this link for our news coverage!

'Til Next Time,

Imani :)

P.S. Happy St. Patty's Day, Y'all!

 

Springing Forward!

Spring is here and the quad is blooming with excitement! The students just came back from spring break (as Lizzy noted) and the end of the semester is approaching. We had two groups of students go to some unique locations this spring break. A group of 32 students chose to forego the usual tanning, swimming, and beach activities to build a house in Mobile, AL. We also had a group of student that traveled to Ecuador for Dr. McQuaide's Social Change in Developing Societies course.
Look out for Oxford 101 which will be on March 21st. This event is for 9th-11th graders who would like to gain a good insight into the college application process. Register online today!

The End of Spring Break

I'm actually writing this blog post from 36,005' in the air (thank you Delta and inflight Wi-Fi!). Well, it's the end of spring break. Less than 2 months of the semester left and then I shall be graduating from Oxford. It's scary knowing that I won't be coming back to Oxford in the fall. It's also scary that I only have about 6 weeks until finals (so much work to do!).

Anyways... much has happened so far this semester. I joined Gamma Phi Beta at the Atlanta campus. It has been a wonderful experience. I have met so many wonderful people through the sorority and I'm excited to be at the Atlanta campus full-time next year to take full advantage of the sorority. This week is clue week, so I'll be getting "clues" from my big sister (I don't know who she is yet... hence the clues). I'm quite excited. It's something nice to come back from spring break to. I declared a Biology major and as of right now, I am pursuing a MD/PhD dual degree. I applied to several summer research programs, but I have not heard back from all of them yet.

Spring break was a lot of fun. I went back home to NYC with a friend of mine. We did a lot of sight-seeing around the city: The Bronx Zoo, the Statue of Liberty, MoMA, Guggenheim, every Apple store (Curtis works at an Apple store in Georgia), and lots of walking throughout the city. We also saw a lot of shows: In the Heights (I was blown away!), Joan Rivers, God of Carnage, The Addams Family (so amazing - it's going to be a huge hit!) and The Miracle Worker (Abigail Breslin was amazing as Helen Keller and Allison Pill was an excellent Anne Sullivan). And of course some shopping! Haha.

Well, we should be getting ready for landing soon. Much more later!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

February Fun!

February has been a busy month for us! Financial aid is in full swing and Scholars Weekend last week was a huge success! The sun is finally coming out and campus looks gorgeous, although campus did look beautiful in the snow as well. Throwing a frisbee or studying out on the quad are just beginning as Spring quickly approaches (finally!).

Oxford College is a great value. The academics we offer here combined with the community oriented atmosphere and leadership opportunities make it a great place to start your Emory Undergraduate Career. About 98% of our faculty (even our PE teachers!) have the highest degree in their field and they choose to teach at Oxford because they love teaching 1st and 2nd year students. They want our students to succeed and are unbelievably accessible inside and outside the classroom.

A couple of Financial Aid reminders: Remember to turn in your FAFSA and CSS profile as soon as possible.Remember that the FAFSA is very important for us to evaluate your financial status and serves as your application for the HOPE scholarship (if you are a Georgia resident) and as a way for us to see if you qualify for work study. Here are the links for the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

Scholars weekend was a big hit! We had 65 candidates on campus to compete for the different levels of 4 year scholarships. We really enjoyed having them here on campus and we hope you got a great glimpse into the student and academic life here at Oxford. Thanks so much for coming and you should be finding our in mid- March about your scholarship selection.

Come on out and visit campus! We have 6 "Spring for Oxford" events available for Accepted Students in April. These events include a tour, student panel, lunch, a feature presenter, and Overnights are available the night before each event.
Spring for Oxford dates are as follows:
April 2nd April 16h
April 5th April 23rd
April 10th April 26th

Oxford 101 is a great way to be informed about the college admissions process! This event is for students in 9th-11th grade and offers a great sense of the admissions process. Oxford 101 will take place on Sunday March 21st.

Remember to visit our website and click on the "Admissions" tab for more details about these and other events. Also, if you applied regular decision check your application status online to ensure we have received all of your necessary documents. Until next time!

Volunteer Oxford

" The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. "

Mahatma Gandhi 

I love this quote so much. The words are undeniable. I've done a lot of volunteering throughout my life. My mom has always encouraged me to give back to my community and to help others. Even as an adult, I still feel the need to volunteer my services when I can. Service helps you grow and I've really seen myself change over the past 18 years due to volunteering. This brings me to another awesome aspect of going to school at Oxford. I'll admit Oxford has a lot of amazing student groups on campus. Still, one of the largest and most popular "clubs" on campus is Volunteer Oxford. 

Through Volunteer Oxford students are given volunteer opportunities that seek to enhance our knowledge of society. In addition to that,  while volunteering we're given  a chance to learn more about ourselves. My first time volunteering at Oxford was with my Freshman Seminar class. With the help of VO we took on an "Into the Streets" service project at a local elementary school. We helped run a fall festival that they had in October. I had so much fun interacting with my classmates, students, and parents.

 I went on my latest VO "mission" last Saturday. A group of about 30 students went to Atlanta to help build a house with Habitat For Humanity. Initially, I was a little skeptical that 30 college students would be willing to give up their Saturday and wake up at 7 AM to do manual labor but Oxford didn't disappoint. Both of the vans were packed with eager students.

Once we arrived at the site we did everything. Volunteering with Habitat was so hands-on. We lifted floorboards, hammered nails, and even put up walls. I was in awe as I stood on the street and admired all that we had accomplished. We literally started with a foundation and by the time we were finished the house had a floor, insulation, and all the walls had been put up. Building a house is no small feat but as a group it was possible. By 3:30 PM we were done framing the house and headed back to Oxford.

In retrospect, I'm still a bit sore (building a house is workout) but the experience made it all worthwhile. VO is always posting new events and opportunities; I can't wait for my next chance to volunteer!

'Til Next Time,

Imani

A New Chapter

So this new semester has certainly started with a lot of changes! I just moved into the new building (East Village). I love my new room. Along with moving, I have some amazing classes this semester: Zoology, Human Nature from the Feminist Perspective(PoliSci 306), Art History, Chemistry 142 (this one is not exactly so amazing... but I need it for my major) and golf (so much fun!).

Zoology is quite exciting. I never knew that sponges or jellyfish could be so fascinating! My political science class is also really cool. It's with Dr. Shapiro (my favorite professor and advisor)and I feel so enlightened after each class. We just finished reading "Medea" which I thoroughly enjoyed. Now we are reading "Lysistrata" which is amazing-ly funny. Art History is quite enjoyable. I've been traveling a lot, so most of the work that we study in class I have seen.

And I joined a sorority: GAMMA PHI BETA! I love it! The girls are awesome. We had our Chapter retreat this weekend, which was a lot more fun than I expected.

Well, got to get back to studying (Zoology exam on Thursday!).

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Vampires and Application Updates!

Great News! Oxford College has decided to extend our Regular Decision deadline until February 1st, 2010 to allow students more time to apply and complete their admission applications! Make sure you check your application status online to make sure your documents have been received.

In other news make sure you check out The Vampire Diaries this Thursday, January 21st at 8PM on the CW to see Oxford College on TV. The crews were on campus in October filming in our very own library! Take a look at some pictures of them filming on campus!