Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
Welcome back! I hope you each had a happy and restful Thanksgiving break. My family and I spent the holiday here in Oxford, seeing a few friends and enjoying the time together.
I know how busy the next few weeks will be as we wrap up the semester. I invite you to take the opportunity to attend one or more of the student holiday programs on campus this week.
We’re expecting a great turnout at the Dean’s Annual Holiday Party this Friday, Dec. 3, at 5:00 p.m. on the Quad for our "winter wonderland." Remember to dress for the weather. Forecasts suggest a warm day, but I leave weather prognostication to others! There will be fire pits and heaters—and food, drinks, and good cheer—to keep us warm should the temperature drop. I look forward to seeing you Friday.
Best,
Doug
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Tasha Dobbin-Bennett, Associate Professor of Art History and Studio Art, gave an invited lecture co-hosted by the Michael C. Carlos Museum and the American Research Center in Egypt (Georgia Branch) on Nov. 20. Her talk was on "The History of Mummy Unwrapping and Its Connection with the Problematic Study of Craniology." Read more about the lecture here.
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Sarah Fankhauser, Associate Professor of Biology, and her colleagues at Mount Holyoke and Colorado State University were recently awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation entitled “Developing Biology Undergraduates’ Scientific Literacy and Identity Through Peer Review of Scientific Manuscripts.” Dr. Fankhauser and her colleagues will use the grant over a three year period to develop, implement, and test a curriculum that engages students in the peer-review of scientific pre-print manuscripts.
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Molly McGehee, Associate Professor of English and American Studies, recently had her scholarly piece “‘It’s a State of Mind’: The Online Merch-ing of Whiteness” published in Remediating Region: New Media and the US South by LSU Press. Read more about the book here.
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This holiday season, Lyn has also been active as a writer for the new app Good Ground. As he described it:
"This Christian devotional app is all about helping people connect with God in a meaningful way, without the noise and clutter of some other tools. I’ve been able to write some of the devotional reflections, and there are also spiritual practices, poetry, music, art, and scripture.
For the Advent season—the app is free! I’d love you to check it out. Some sections will remain forever free, and others will require a subscription in the new year (*hint hint* makes a great Christmas gift!). You can download the App to check out my contributions in your Apple or Android App store."
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Southern Folk Advent service |
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The 28th annual Southern Folk Advent service, titled "When Shall I See Jesus?" and presented by the Meridian Herald, will take place this Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2:00 p.m. in the Old Church. It will feature meditations from preacher Gary S. Hauk, as well as musical performances from Timothy B. Miller (soloist), Leah Calvert and Friends (bluegrass-gospel music), and the Meridian Chorale with Steve Darsey as Artistic Director.
The Southern Folk Advent, held annually in Old Church since 1993, is a form of Lessons and Carols based on folk hymns from the historic Sacred Harp Tunes book (compiled in Georgia, 1844). The tunes are presented in a variety of formats with the Meridian Chorale singing some original arrangements and the congregation singing others both a cappella and with folk instrument accompaniment. Read more at the Meridian Herald's website.
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In Conversation: Guided by Her Compass |
On Monday, Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m., Tameka Cage Conley, Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing, will host author Margot Livesey for a reading and Q&A over Zoom.
Margot Livesey is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Banishing Verona, and The House on Fortune Street. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the N.E.A., the Massachusetts Artists’ Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts. O the Oprah Magazine selected her latest novel, The Boy in the Field, as one of the best books of Fall 2020. They write, “Margot Livesey is a literary pointillist whose prose is both impressionistic and as precise as a geometry equation... Tiny piece by tiny piece, Livesey builds an intimate universe that expands and expands 'until it grows large enough, almost, to keep everything else at bay.'” She is Professor at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and lives in Cambridge.
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Reminder: Student testing accommodations |
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As finals approach, remember to contact [email protected] if one or more of your students has testing accommodations through the Department of Accessibility Services. The Advising Support Center has set aside rooms with limited distractions on the dates of Dec. 9, 10, 13, 14, and 15 (Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and will be available to proctor exams each morning at 9:00 a.m.
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Oxford Chorale Holiday Concert
Oxford Chapel | 7:30 p.m
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Biodiversity Exhibition
Oxford Science Building | 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
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Dean's Annual Holiday Party: Winter Wonderland
The Quad | 5:00 p.m
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Oxford Chorale Holiday Concert
Oxford Chapel | 7:30 p.m
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Oxford Dance Company Fall Concert
Williams Hall | 7:30 p.m
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Social Justice Dialogue: Getting to know Newton
Oxford Student center | 10:00 a.m.
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Southern Folk Advent service
Old Church | 2:00 p.m
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Men's Basketball vs. Central Carolina Community College
Williams Gym | 2:00 p.m
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Men's Basketball vs. Central Carolina Community College
Williams Gym | 2:00 p.m
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Guided by Her Compass: Margot Livesey In Conversation with Dr. Tameka Cage Conley
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Take a Break Tuesday
Hosted by the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life & Allen Memorial UMC
Oxford Student Center Front Plaza | 1:15–2:45 p.m.
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Men's Basketball vs. Southern Crescent Technical College
Williams Gym | 7:00 p.m
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To submit a news item for the next Campus Update, please email Daniel Christian.
The newsletter is distributed weekly on Wednesday. Please submit items by Monday afternoon.
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