Dear Oxford Faculty and Staff,
As I said in my message to faculty and staff yesterday, I’m excited to be here and am grateful for all the ways this community has warmly welcomed me. I moved into the dean’s residence last week and have officially moved into my office in Seney Hall. If you see me on the Quad or wandering around campus, please come introduce yourself! I look forward to getting to know as many of you as possible during my first 60 day “listening tour.” Oxford can only flourish if we all thrive together, and the first steps are for me to listen, learn about your passions and concerns, and draw from your institutional knowledge.
I look forward to mapping Oxford’s future with all of you.
Warmly,
Badia
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Submitting to Campus Update
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To submit items for Campus Update, please email Julia Kim. The newsletter is distributed weekly on Wednesday. Please submit items by Monday afternoon.
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Oxford Communications is featuring a staff member each week to help us get to know our colleagues. To nominate a staff colleague to answer our five-question profile for publication in future issues, please contact [email protected]. You can also nominate yourself!
NAME: Matthew H. Brittingham
TITLE/DEPT: Academic Advisor — Advising Support Center
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How long have you been at Oxford?
My job is mainly about ensuring that students have the support they need to complete Oxford College's academic program. I also coordinate the exam space/appointments the ASC offers for students with testing accommodations. I have been at Oxford for almost six months.
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What do you like best about your job and about Oxford?
I enjoy helping Oxford students reach their academic goals. They are brilliant, driven, and really want to change the world for the better.
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What is your favorite song/tv show/movie/restaurant/podcast?
I'm about a year late, but I just finished the TV show "Derry Girls"—a dark comedy that can be seen on Netflix. It revolves around the exploits of a group of high school, Irish-Catholic girls who live in Derry, Northern Ireland. Set during the mid to late 1990s, a time when Northern Ireland's Catholic paramilitaries and Protestant paramilitaries were killing each other (and civilians), the show has both tragedy and hilarity (it's mostly hilarity) as the girls hope for a more peaceful future.
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What makes you happy or brings you joy?
I have three kiddos (6, 4.5, and 3), and they bring me lots of joy. But, as one might imagine, three kids make necessary moments of quiet. I really love getting out into nature by fly fishing.
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Please complete this sentence: It might surprise people to know that I...
...I just finished a PhD program in Religion at Emory University.
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David Gowler, Pierce Chair of Religion, published an article in the Society of Biblical Literature public scholarship website, Bible Odyssey. The article is entitled, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32).” You can read it here.
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Lyn Pace, College Chaplain, had his latest column for The Covington News published last month. You can read his piece "Life—the constant and continuous field trip", here.
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Pablo Palomino, Associate Professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, recently had his book, "The Invention of Latin American Music. A Transnational History", be the subject of the "Debate" section of the French historical journal Monde(s). You can read the piece here.
He also published a chapter titled, "Revolutionary Music from War to Peace: Mexico, 1910s-1930s" in the edited volume Music and Postwar Transitions in the 19th and 20th Centuries (Berghahn Books, 2023). You can access the book here.
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A message from Laura Gafnea, Director of Community Relations:
Hello everyone! I’m excited to bring you “Community Corner”, a new feature in Campus Update highlighting upcoming community events happening in Newton County and surrounding areas over the next few weeks, along with some of the great things Oxford College faculty, staff, and students are doing out in the community.
Last week, Megan Hulgan, Bridgette Gunnels, Ansley Holder and I hosted more than 40 of Oxford College’s community partners for a Community Partner Kickoff in the Student Center. This was an opportunity to bring our partners together to network, brainstorm, and orient them to our academic and co-curricular student-facing community engagement programs before the academic year begins. Many thanks to Megan Hulgan for her leadership in bringing this program together, and many thanks to Daphne Orr, Kristin Bonnie, Natalie Raymond, and Heather Blount who assisted with the lunch and program!
If you’re local to the Newton County area, there are several great events happening over the next few weeks. Throughout the summer and fall, our community hosts two farmer’s markets featuring local vendors. You can visit the Oxford College Farm booth at both great markets:
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Oxford Farmer’s Market: Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the city green next to the Oxford post office
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Covington Farmer’s Market: Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Covington Welcome Center (1143 Oak St. S.E. Covington, GA 30014)
On Saturday, August 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Newton County will host “Family Fun Day,” a free day filled with food, fellowship, activities, and local resources at Legion Field at 3173 Mill St., Covington, GA. On Saturday, August 11 beginning at 6:45 p.m., check out the Arts Association’s Covington Roots Concert featuring Connelly Crowe; Chris, Jon & Scott; and Pulse Affect at Legion Field. Finally, the City of Covington hosts “Final Friday Flicks on the Square” on August 25, 6:00 p.m. on the Covington Square, featuring Game Plan and Remember the Titans (filmed in Covington).
Looking ahead to September, don’t forget to sign up for the Covington Police Who Care Foundation’s Annual Fuzz Run 5K on Saturday, September 9. You can access the sign up link here.
If you have any questions about any of these events or ideas for partnerships within the local community, please reach out to me at [email protected].
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Convocation
William's Gym | 7:00 p.m.
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To submit a news item for the next Campus Update, please email Julia Kim.
The newsletter is distributed weekly on Wednesday. Please submit items by Monday afternoon.
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