Oxford College of Emory University

Regular Decisions Released Tonight!

2011-04-01T15:14:00.002-04:00

Regular decisions will be released tonight via your OPUS account at 7:00 PM EST. Log on to your opus account to receive you decision letter! You will also be getting a formal letter in the mail. Good luck!

Last week Dooley made his grand appearance at the Atlanta campus during Dooley's week! This year's theme, Cirque Doo'Ley included acrobats at Wonderful Wednesday, a performance by One Republic and Dooley's Ball. Oxford's spirit is also going strong with Wale performing live on Oxford's campus next week! Spirit week is also coming up this month with the usual fun competitions, culminating with Spring Fling! Spring is warming up on Oxford's campus so come visit to see all the fun activities going on! Accepted students can visit us for one of our Spring for Oxford days in April- register online here.

My Spring

2011-03-15T19:46:00.003-04:00

As I sat down to write, I realized how close my time at Oxford is drawing to a close! I am getting ready to register for classes at the Atlanta campus and already have my housing assignment. This home stretch is bittersweet. I am excited to declare my major and dig into deeper, more exciting courses. I look forward to new adventures on a new campus in the big city. However, I will dearly miss the people and place that is Oxford College, so I am making the most of my Oxford memories and having tons of fun this last semester! Over my spring break, I had an amazing experience on the Oxford College Alternative Spring Break trip. A group of 39 students and 3 staff members traveled to South Georgia to build a Habitat House and volunteer in Camden County, GA. It was an amazing bonding experience as well as a great week of service. We visited Savannah and spent some time downtown on River Street. We played games and went hiking. We went to the beach on Tybee Island, watching the sunset, gazing at stars, and then watching the sunrise. It was a happy, fun, relaxing, absolutely amazing week - probably my favorite week of the school year!

Spring is finally here!

2011-03-08T10:47:00.003-05:00

Oxford's quad is blooming as spring has finally arrived. The campus is quiet as our students are on Spring Break! A large group of students are traveling with Volunteer Oxford to Savannah Georgia for Oxford's annual Alternative Spring Break trip, and Dr. McQuaide's Sociology in Developing Society course left for Ecuador for this eye-opening study abroad interim course. Last week Oxford's Chinese Student Association held the first annual Chinese Celebration Week to celebrate the Chinese New Year and educate the student body about Chinese Culture. Students wore their traditional Asian costumes, ate Chinese food served in Lil's, produced a Chinese New Year Gala, and had the traditional lion dance in the middle of Lil's! Scholars Finalists, thank you all so much for a wonderful weekend- I hope you were able to gain an insight into all the great opportunities we offer at Oxford and the great community we have here. Your official letters will be mailed out soon.

Regular Decision Deadline coming up!

2011-01-03T14:30:00.005-05:00

Don't miss out on the next opportunity to apply to Oxford! Our Regular Decision deadline is January 15th. Be sure to check out our application checklist online and your OPUS account to see the status of your application. Haven't applied yet? Learn more about Oxford and apply now!

Fall Semester - Where did it Go!?

2010-12-16T10:49:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-12-14T17:21:00.007-05:00

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!

2010-11-02T12:18:00.005-04:00

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!

2010-09-13T16:12:00.004-04:00

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!!

2010-08-23T09:43:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-07-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-07-09T14:57:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-04T20:02:00.004-04:00

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

2010-07-04T14:23:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-06-19T06:52:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-17T15:16:00.002-04:00

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-

2010-06-11T23:09:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-09T22:09:00.001-04:00

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!

2010-06-09T19:28:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-06-09T14:06:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-06-08T11:23:00.004-04:00

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!

2010-06-05T15:56:00.004-04:00

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.

2010-06-01T13:04:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-05-22T17:57:00.002-04:00

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 :)

2010-05-21T19:05:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-05-03T16:54:00.008-04:00

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

2010-04-29T14:21:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-04-16T12:25:00.007-04:00

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?

2010-04-12T02:58:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-03-26T16:58:00.004-04:00

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

2010-03-17T18:44:00.002-04:00

“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!

2010-03-16T14:08:00.004-04:00

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

2010-03-14T16:34:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-02-26T09:54:00.005-05:00

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

2010-02-09T12:44:00.002-05:00

" 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

2010-01-31T21:28:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-01-19T16:58:00.004-05:00

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!

FIRST BLOG OF THE YEAR

2010-01-15T17:56:00.002-05:00

Hey,

I know-I know, it's been forever since I last made a blog entry. For anyone who happens to follow this blog, I apologize. Last semester was a huge ordeal for me. Along with classes, I was also working as the Student Admissions Association Coordinator, a writing Tutor,and the Food Committee Chair of SGA. I also had a part in our school production of "Our Town", and I had to work on putting together our school paper. There's probably other stuff, but I won't bore you with the details. Needless to say, it was a rough semester, but I came through with good grades and am ready to leave it behind.

Anyway, Christmas was a lot of fun for me. I had the full series of both “The Wire” and “Battlestar Galactica” (both excellent shows which you should check out as soon as humanely possible). I had the whole extended family over (both of my sisters and their husbands) so I had to spend a lot of money on presents this year. The rate this is going, I’ll have no money left by the time my sisters start having kids! (this is all, of course, in jest).

So far, this semester seems to be going well. I’m currently taking Spanish 102, Film Studies and a class called Memoirs. What’s really cool about the Memoirs course is that we actually get to travel downtown every Wednesday to the Metro Women’s Prison in Atlanta and have class with some of the inmates. Our first venture will be this upcoming Wednesday, so I’ll let you all know how that goes.

Also, I finally ended up settling on a major (though this will probably change). I am now officially an English/Film Studies major.

Finally, since 2009 has come and gone, I figured I’d leave you guys with a list of my top ten favorite movies of the year. Feel free to comment on my choices or post some of your own! And, yes, I am aware Avatar is not on my list.

Catch ya’ll later!
Mark

TOP TEN OF 2009
1.Where the Wild Things Are
2.The Brothers Bloom
3.Observe and Report
4.A Single Man
5.Inglourious Basterds
6.The Hurt Locker
7.The Hangover
8.Moon
9.District 9
10.Star Trek

Happy New Year!

2010-01-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everybody! Campus has been brought to life again as classes started this week. We had a wonderful treat last week- snow! There was a great blanket at Oxford and the Atlanta area which made campus look beautiful. Just a reminder that the regular decision deadline is today at midnight! Make sure you check the admissions checklist to confirm that you have submitted everything. This is a very busy and exciting time in the office for us, please bear with us as it may take a about 2 weeks for us to process your documents and update their status on OPUS. Please keep an eye on your OPUS account to check your application status. If you are a Georgia resident, come check visit us at the Atlanta NACAC fair on Sunday, January 24th!

My First Semester In Review

2010-01-09T07:43:00.000-05:00

Hi Readers,

I know you haven’t heard from me all semester so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Imani and I am the Oxford College of Emory University freshman blogger. I’m currently on winter break but I must admit, I cannot stop thinking about Oxford! College has become such a huge part of my life and I love it! I can’t believe I halfway done with my first year :D

As I type (and as you read) I am only three days away from returning to school after a long and well deserved hiatus. This semester has been so eventful and exciting! It seems like just yesterday that I was freaking out about my first semester and wondering what college would be like. Now I’m steadily approaching my second semester of classes and the beginning of my sophomore year. I guess it’s true what they say: time does fly when you’re having fun. I’m feeling very well adjusted and ready to go back.

I won’t lie; college can be extremely stressful. Still, rest assured that Oxford has made the entire journey a lot of fun for me and my peers. For example, during finals week when everyone is pulling their hair out over exams, Oxford’s wonderful staff (including our deans) made us a huge pancake breakfast featuring superheroes. I had never heard of such but I loved it. We also had a fall formal at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta in early December. My friends and I had a blast there too. Dooley, the spirit of Oxford even made an appearance—body guards and coffin in tow. In addition to that there was delicious food and dancing. It was an all around good time. Another exciting event occurred when we first arrived on campus in late August. The school hosted Oxford Olympics, during which teams from each residence hall would compete in challenges such as tug-of-war and an inflatable obstacle course for the title of champion! My hall didn’t win but I will never forget that night; the school spirit was contagious.

Another aspect of the Oxford experience that I really appreciate is the close-knit quality of the entire campus. The teachers are very personable and openly encourage you to take advantage of their office hours to discuss and difficulties you may be having. My advisor actually scolded me for not visiting him more often : P. The teachers are genuinely concerned about your academic and personal well being and it shows. Even the maintenance workers, receptionists, and cafeteria personnel are friendly and warm. I’ve actually eaten dinner in the homes of some Oxford staff with their families. Nothing about the campus seems cold impersonal and I truly value that feature in Oxford.

A final piece of Oxford that I love (there are so many) is the history. As the birthplace of Emory University and Georgia Tech (yep, Tech too) the entire campus is historic. Each building on campus tells a story—some of which date back to the 1800’s. Just a few steps behind the gym and the library is a Civil War cemetery that some friends and I visited one night with sophomores. It was a little spooky but mostly awe-inspiring. I discovered at that moment that I’m attending an interactive museum of sorts for college; we learn and study in original buildings. The rustic charm and historic elegance of the campus just can’t be ignored.

Overall, my experiences during my first semester have been largely positive. Oxford has made a great impression on me thus far and I can only hope that these upcoming semesters will be just as brilliant if not better!

'Til Next Time,

Imani :)

Get connected!

2009-12-16T11:24:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to our first accepted students to the Oxford College class of 2014! We are excited to add you to our wonderful Oxford family! I encourage you to sign up for one of our Spring for Oxford Events that are coming up in April. These events include a tour of campus and a student panel, and really give students a look into all that Oxford has to offer. Register for one of our Spring for Oxford events by clicking here. I also encourage you to interact with current Oxford students and other accepted students by joining the Oxford College of Emory University Class of 2014 group on Facebook- check out our group! Here you can post questions and introduce yourselves to fellow future classmates. There are many other ways to interact with current Oxford College students and get connected with the Oxford community. Happy Holidays!

Winter break is so close!

2009-12-14T10:36:00.002-05:00

Only 3 days until I return home. The only things standing in my way from heading back to the Big Apple are two finals: Genetics and Calculus. I still have some studying to do for both, but I have been feeling well about both finals.

Of course, I have the last final this semester (no, really, I have the very last final slot). Some students have already gone home for the winter break. I'm a bit jealous, not going to lie. Once these two finals are done, I have winter break to look forward to!

So, over the next few days I shall be studying, cleaning my room and packing for winter break.

Happy Holidays!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

December Notes

2009-12-11T17:02:00.003-05:00

Finals are here and our students at Oxford are studying hard! The holiday break is coming up which means decisions for Early Action applicants are coming out soon. You may view your decision online via your OPUS account tomorrow. For instructions on how to log in, click here. Congratulations to our first accepted students to the Oxford Class of 2014!

A group of students will be returning to Oxford early for Dr. McQuaide's Social Problems class, which examines various societal issues in the Atlanta area. Some of the places the students visit are a battered women's shelter, a homeless shelter, a geriatric facility, a waste water treatment plant, and they also have the opportunity to ride along with a police officer in one of the most dangerous areas in Atlanta. These experiences in the field allow them a first hand look into the different social problems that are right in our backyard.

Check back for more information about the Social Problems class and other happenings with Oxford students during the holidays!

Finals week!

2009-12-10T14:10:00.001-05:00

This morning I took my first final: Chemistry. I felt it went well. Now I only have two more exams (on of my classes doesn't have a final - Thank you, Dr. Stutz!!). My next two finals are not until next week, so I have ample time to study for both of them.

And then, after my last final, I'll be heading home!! Yay! So excited! I'll be going to visit my high school and spending time with friends and family. And sleeping! Lots! Haha.

I just discovered this great website. Perhaps the college bookstore cannot take back your textbook, because the professor is using a different edition. Or you know you will not be keeping the textbook after this semester. Well, no fear! www.chegg.com is the answer!

www.chegg.com/buyback/ They’ll pay you top dollar for your books, like $40 each – and no lines because it’s online. Chegg even pays the shipping and plants a tree for every book you sell.

How about the fact I have a promo code CC107355 that gets you an extra $5 with your order?

Go to www.chegg.com/buyback/, you can get your used textbooks sold now.

Two and a Half Weeks left

2009-11-13T11:42:00.002-05:00

There are only two and a half weeks left in the semester - that's it. Well, only two and a half weeks of classes left.

I have finished most of my exams for November (except a take home Anthro exam due next Tuesday), so now I just have papers to write. Yay! -Not really.

This weekend is going to be quite busy - lots of homework to finish up. Other than that, I'll be going to an information session on Genetics Counseling. I am considering a career in it, so I'm quite excited. Then on Sunday, my Anthropology professor is taking some scholars to the High Museum to see Leonardo da Vinci exhibit and get some lunch.

I will definitely blog soon about the information session and the High Museum soon!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

What happened to the fall?

2009-11-04T00:02:00.003-05:00

So, I've realized that the fall season is almost over and it is quite daunting. Not too many weeks left in the semester.

This past weekend was enjoyable. Friday evening I had a "Liz night" - just a night all to myself. I took myself out to dinner at the local coffeehouse. Then I returned to my dorm where I watched Ugly Betty and read a book that was not connected any of my academic classes. It was so nice and relaxing. I snuggled in my snuggie (yes, I have a snuggie - it is amazing and reasonably priced when purchased from Wal-Mart) and enjoyed my alone time.

Saturday I headed into Atlanta to see the Ad Hoc musical: The Apple Tree. Ad Hoc is the student group on at Emory College that puts on a musical each semester. Anyways, I went to the Atlanta campus to meet up with a friend of mine who attended Oxford last year and is now a junior at Emory College. After the show (which was fabulous!), my friend and I got dressed for Halloween and joined some others to have a little Halloween shindig. We decided to watch Clue, the 1985 film, and eat lots of candy.

Now I am getting ready for lots and lots of work. I have one exam on Friday: Chemistry. Next week I have three exams: Genetics, Calculus and Biological Anthropology. Late nights are definitely in my near future, that is for sure.

But when all these exams are over, Fall Formal at the Fox Theater is on Friday! At least I have something to look forward to at the end of all this stress.

Now I must return to homework and studying...

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Half of the Semester is OVER!

2009-10-16T11:15:00.003-04:00

Fall Break is over. Midterms are still going on. Only two months before winter break. It's crazy how fast the year goes by. It's already October 16th! I'll be flying home in two months after I finish my finals. I still have to finish research for my genetics class and write a paper!

Anyways. Last weekend was Fall Break. I went home to visit my parents and relax at home. I did absolutely no work. I figured, "Hey, I've been working my butt off, I could use some 'Liz time.'" I was able to catch up on Gossip Girl and Glee. I also went to pick apples with my parents (a family tradition we do every fall). I saw a Broadway show: Finian's Rainbow. It was good. Cheyanne Jackson was the reason I went - I've seen him in two other productions, he has an amazing voice. Also, I had my favorite sampling of NYC food: Greek, pizza, pastrami sandwich, Druze and Pinkberry!

Next week is going to be a lot more hectic for me - two exams and a paper, plus Oxford Studies event. This weekend will be hectic too! Two visitation days for prospective students, along with Mr. Oxford (I'm escorting a friend of mine) and all the studying!

It's still the weekend, though!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

A New Year!

2009-09-27T07:51:00.002-04:00

Greetings!

Welcome to my first official blog of the new school year!

As opposed to the summer, my school year here at Oxford has so far been anything but uneventful. I came back and was instantly thrown into the wild circus that is orientation. I helped move the new freshmen into their dorms, participated in a bunch of the meet-and-greet activities and acted as a ref in the Oxford Olympics. The Olympics were a series of games that pitted each of the residential hall floors against each other. The games included tug-of-war, water balloon tossing, inflatable obstacle courses,and relay races with kids bikes. Basically, the whole spectacle was like a game show from the early days of Nickelodeon (and I mean that as a definite positive--I grew up on that stuff). Overall, the games were a lot of fun and got everyone REALLY excited about Oxford.

In addition to Orientation, I also spent time training for my two new jobs on campus. As a Writing Tutor, I underwent a four hour training session on a Sunday. It wasn't actually as bad as you'd think; we ended up cracking a lot of jokes (Dr. Ivey, our supervisor, is awesome) and engaging in several interesting discussions on what we believed to be the qualities of "good writing." As one the new SAA Coordinator, me and my three colleagues went on a two day retreat (or ADVANCE, as our boss preferred to call it) where we ate great food, went tubing on the lake, and even got to ride a jet ski. Overall, definitely the best Oxford retreat I've ever been on.

After Orientation, we were all through right into classes. This year I'm taking Spanish 101 (to fulfill my language requirements, a religion class focusing on the sacred texts of world religions, a poetry course, and a course in statistics. They are all challenging in their own way and I am never without some form of homework.

Besides my school work and jobs, I'm also participating in our Drama Guild's production of Thorton Wilder's Our Town. We're still in the early stages of development, but rehearsals are demanding and require a lot of time and focus.

Last week was a particularly stressful one with tests, papers, quizzes, and assignments galore. I'm glad its over now, but I still feel exhausted by all the work I had to do. I'm taking this weekend to recuperate and try to get an early start on some future assignments so I'm not as pressed for time.

Friday night, I ended up ordering a large stuffed-crust pizza from Pizza Hut and watching a rerun of the first episodes of two new shows: "FlashForward" and "Modern Family." Both were incredible and I can't wait for future episodes. I also rewatched "Double Indemnity," one of my favorite movies of all time. I even rented the first season of "Flight of the Conchords" from the Oxford library. All of this served to give me a weekend filled with laughter and high-fat, greasy fun (thanks to the pizza).

Well, that about does it for me. Until next time!

Shows seen this weekend:

FlashForward-Pilot (8/10)
Modern Family-Pilot (8.5/10)
Wonderfalls (8/10)-a highly entertaining but sadly canceled-before-its-time show from Bryan Fuller (the mastermind behind Pushing Daisies).
Flight of the Conchords (9/10)
Heroes-Fourth Season Premiere (6.5/10)
Glee-(7.5/10)

Summer's End

2009-08-17T00:02:00.003-04:00

HOLA!

Well, my summer is coming to a close and soon I will be back at Oxford's campus.

This summer has certainly been a roller coaster of sorts. I spent a few weeks traveling through Mexico as part of a medical mission trip. The weather was surprisingly mild and I was dismayed to return to Louisiana only to be greeted by the miserable, suffocating humidity.

Aside from my little voyage through Mexico, my summer has been fairly non eventful. I've certainly watched a lot of movies and--thanks to the magic of TV series on DVDs--I am now addicted to a whole new range of shows. I watched the first two seasons of "Heroes," the first season of "Battlestar Galactica," the first season of "Breaking Bad," the first season of "Mad Men," and the whole three seasons of "Friday Night Lights" (a show I cannot even begin to sing the praises of).

As for movies, I recently saw "District 9" in theatres. Though it tried to be several styles at once and was a bit too conventional at times, it was an audacious, creative, and gutsy movie that never traded preachiness for entertainment (as I had long feared when I read about it beforehand). I'd highly recommend it (though not for the squeamish).

I hope everyone is having an excellent summer and I will see you at campus!

Retreating in the summer

2009-07-25T00:28:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I saw an ad for a Young Adults Retreat put together by the Diocese of Palm Beach in the area where I am staying this summer. I was not offered a job in the area and figured I could use some retreat time and signed up the weekend.

It was fabulous. The grounds for the retreat were absolutely gorgeous, the staff were inviting and the food was, well, actually delicious (a strange commodity for retreat centers). I was able to rejuvenate and spend some time with God over the weekend. I even had the 4am-5am chapel shift for adoration, which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I met some fabulous people and was able to learn more about my faith, and in turn, myself.

Classes done, real summer now

2009-07-06T13:20:00.004-04:00

My one summer class has finished and now I can enjoy summer. You know, driving with the windows down, blasting music, staying up late, going to the beach - the norm.

Overall, Introduction to International Politics was good. The books for the class were interesting. I still prefer classes at Oxford College. I also discovered I could never be a commuter student. I enjoy living on campus too much. I had to commute for 45 minutes each way to class. Sure, I missed the NYC subway from high school, but I did not like commuting to my college class. Dorm life is just too much fun. Why you may ask: 1) living on campus means you are close to all of your classes (especially at Oxford), 2) everyone else is around to study and chill with (all the kids in my class commuted, so we really didn't form relationships because everyone was heading home, work or another class), 3) it's hard to study at home after you leave for college, because all you want to do is hang out with your friends, watch television or sleep -- not study.

So now I'm on the hunt for a job which is very difficult with the economy the way it is. Hopefully something will come up soon!

Two Weeks Down, Three To Go...

2009-06-08T22:25:00.003-04:00

I only have three weeks left of my summer class. That's crazy. We're going extremely fast (plus we meet four days a week, three hours each time (well, the professor normally lets us out early because he does not want to lecture for three hours straight, but still!)).

I took my first exam in the class last week. Did pretty well on it. Considering the exam was the antithesis of what the professor said it would be. Next Monday is test two and a pop quiz is coming up this week.

I am really enjoying reading the New York Times everyday. In first semester I only had to read Monday through Friday, but now I have to read the weekend too. Then in class we discuss what is going on in the world that day for 30 to 40 minutes. We find the actors in each situation and how it affects politics.

We just started a new book too! The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Interesting... even though the argument is very general and the facts that Huntington uses to back his argument are a bit sloppy. BUT it does attack Westernization and addresses challenges that the world faced and continues to face in the Post-Cold War.

The book we read last week, Why Nations Go To War by John Stoessinger was my favorite so far. I like Stoessinger's argument that international conflict is created by the individuals in power (egs. Stalin and Hitler = WWII, Ho Chi Minh and five different American Presidents = Vietnam War, etc.). If you can find it at the library (because the paperback costs a fortune, just borrow it from the library), you should read it. It goes into who the individuals were in power and their personalities. Quite interesting! There's a good chapter on the Arab-Israeli conflict and "Afterthoughts: Fifty Years Later" an additional conclusion to the conflict in Korea.

Well, Huntington awaits!

Peace,
Lizzy

Summer, Thus Far...

2009-06-08T00:30:00.003-04:00

Well, it looks as though this will be my first blog entry for the summer of 2009.

First of all, school's been out since early May. I really enjoyed my first year at Oxford, but I was ready to get back home and see my family. Of course, after about a week or so of doing nothing, I was ready to get out of the house. Unfortunately,my plan for a summer job fell threw and I had to start reapplying and rapidly searching for any available positions. I wanted to put off this blog entry until something EXCITING actually happened to me. However, aside from watching a few good movies and catching up on a lot of I'll-get-to-that-when-I-have-more-time reading, nothing really notable has happened.

This all changed last week.

First of all, I managed to get a job working on a website for Willis Knighton, a local hospital. I'll also be helping to work on a building project and I'll be helping doctors sort through and examine stacks of legal documents thicker than a manuscript of 'War and Peace' in large print (that part is not so fun).

Then, last Friday, I headed down to Baton Rouge to see a series concert being put on at LSU. There were a lot of good acts, but the one we came to see was Tyler Read, a band from my hometown. In the mood for straight-forward,ridiculously catchy rock songs? Look this band up!

Finally, I am currently writing this entry from a cabin in Jackson, Wyoming. I'll be staying here with my family all this week. Today, we went hiking up through Jenny Lake. Tomorrow, we head out to visit and hike through Yellowstone (hoping to spot Yogi!). We'll also be white-water rafting at some point (one of my all-time favorite activities).

Well, that's all I have for now. For anyone reading this blog, please let me know what your summer plans are!

Lastly, here's a list of the notable movies and books I've finished this summer.

Movies:
Mouchette
Duck Soup
Taken
The Devil and Daniel Webster
Children of Paradise (anyone interested in film MUST see this movie. It's simply incredible)

Books:
The Film Club: A Memoir by David Gilmour
Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (an amazing book; makes me remember why I want to be a writer)
Old School by Tobias Wolff

First Day of Class

2009-05-26T15:51:00.002-04:00

So, I'm taking a summer class at Fordham College this summer: Introduction to International Politics. Today was the first day of class. Syllabus day! I love it. That way I can plan out the rest of the semester (or in this case, the next five weeks). I have a lot of reading to do though... The professor wants the New York Times read, which is not really an issue -- I had to do that for PoliSci 101 with Shapiro and I love to read the New York Times. My high school would supply seniors with free issues everyday -- that I miss from high school. Otherwise, there's a lot of reading to do. I have to read Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History by Joseph S. Nye. I had already started reading it before the class began (I purchased all my books from the class last week - which is also another favorite day of mine during the semester, when I purchased all my books). The book seems interesting so far and to the point, which is good.

Well, I must be off to reading... International Conflict. The State of Nature. Woo! John Locke!