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February 8, 2024

Dear Oxford College neighbors,

The semester is moving along quickly at Oxford College. I'm so pleased that we were able to engage with our community during the College's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Wednesday, January 17. You can read more about this wonderful event as well as our MLK Day of Service below. Many thanks to Megan Hulgan, Lyn Pace, Wade Manora and others across campus for their work in coordinating the MLK Day of Service and the MLK Celebration program.

Earlier this week, I was able to attend an Emory Charter Week dinner on the Atlanta campus. Charter Week commemorates the first meeting of the university’s Board of Trustees on Feb. 6, 1837, two months after Emory College was founded in Oxford, Georgia. It also serves as an opportunity to gather as a community and celebrate the university’s past, present and future. You can read more about Charter Week here.

I hope you will consider joining us for some of the upcoming events we are hosting over the next month. If you have any questions or ideas for partnership, please reach out to Laura Gafnea, Oxford College's Director of Community Relations.

Warmly,

Badia Ahad

Dean

Oxford College of Emory University

Campus News and Events

Oxford College King Week Celebrations

Oxford College hosted the Oxford MLK Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 15, and 62 volunteers came together to collectively pack 200 menstruation kits for Clements Middle School and 73 weekend meal kits for Giving Hands Food Pantry and Newton County schools. Volunteers also wrote Valentine’s Day cards for patients at a local nursing home while others partnered with the Oxford Organic Farm and City of Oxford to remove invasive species along the Dried Indian Creek Trail.

The Oxford Campus Celebration of King’s life was held on Wednesday, Jan. 17, with a focus on musical performances from student and local groups along with readings interspersed throughout the service.

Volunteer Oxford and Book Buds support Newton County Schools' Literacy Extravaganza

Volunteer Oxford and Oxford Book Buds recently volunteered to support the Newton County School System's Literacy Extravaganza. Students helped direct families around the event, read storybooks in English and Spanish to children and even dressed up as storybook characters like Pete the Cat and Clifford. Club members also helped clean up classrooms following the event.

Arts Association in Newton County presents an Evening of Contemporary Dance in Williams Hall

Join us on Saturday, February 10 at 7:00 pm in Williams Hall for an Evening of Contemporary Dance with the Arts Association in Newton County. The performance will feature works from Covington Regional Ballet, Kit Modus, and Newton County Youth Strings. Click here for more information and tickets.

For Such a Time as This: Dean Badia Ahad in Conversation with Dr. Tameka Cage Conley

Join us on Tuesday, February 13 at 7:00 pm in Phi Gamma Hall on the Oxford campus as Dean Badia Ahad and Dr. Tameka Cage Conley join in conversation inspired by Dean Ahad’s book, Afro-Nostalgia, which centers on joy, nostalgia, literature, and art in contemporary Black culture. Discussion will include identity and institutional dynamics that define America’s modern, socio-cultural landscape, as well as Diasporic concerns and interests that have influenced America.

Dean Ahad and Dr. Cage Conley will explore cultural questions about the journey of intention and guidance and what it means to make room for spontaneity, creativity, uniqueness, and that most rich ingredient—fortitude—necessary to stand upright and vigilant for generations that follow.

Oxford College/City of Oxford Community Classroom

Mark your calendars for the next City of Oxford/Oxford College Community Classroom on Monday, February 26 at 6:00 pm!

All Community Classrooms are open to the public and free of charge. The program will be held at City Hall, 110 W. Clark Street, Oxford.

This month's session will include a cooking demonstration led by Oxford Dining by Bon Appetit! All attendees will receive a recipe kit, refreshments, and door prizes! Please email Laura Gafnea with any questions.

Oxford Dining Updates & Events

The Oxford College Dining Hall has now re-opened to the public for the spring semester and Sunday Brunch hours have been extended! Brunch will now start an hour earlier at 10:00 am and run through 2:00 pm.

We hope you'll make plans to join us for a special Valentine's Dinner on February 14 at 6:00 pm. If interested, please scan the QR code on the flyer or click here to RSVP by February 8!

In addition to the Valentine's Dinner, the community is also welcome to attend any of the following pop-ups and special events in the Dining Hall this month:

Saturday, Feb. 10, 11am - 3 pm: Celebrating Lunar New Year
Sunday, Feb. 11, 5pm - 8 pm: Superbowl Sunday
Tuesday, Feb. 13: 11 am - 3 pm: Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday
Thursday, Feb. 22, 12 noon - 2 pm: Chili Cook-Off
Sunday, Feb. 25, 10 am - 2 pm: Dine on the Patio

Regular Dining Hall hours:

Breakfast: 7:00 am -- 10:00 am

Continental breakfast: 10:00 am -- 11:00 am

Lunch: 11:00 am -- 3:00 pm

Light lunch: 3:00 pm -- 5:00 pm

Dinner: 5:00 pm -- 8:00 pm

Sunday Brunch: 10:00 am -- 2:00 pm

Click here for more information.

OxTheatre Presents: Polaroid Stories

OxTheatre presents "Polaroid Stories," Thursday, February 29 through Saturday, March 2 in Tarbutton Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $8 and can be reserved here.

Step into the gritty and fantastical world of "Polaroid Stories" by Naomi Iizuka, a raw and enthralling fusion of classical mythology and the harsh realities faced by street kids. This compelling narrative unfolds on the desolate outskirts of a city, where an abandoned pier becomes a haven for dreamers, dealers, and desperadoes. Inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, Iizuka weaves a tale where myth-making becomes a lifeline for those pushed to society's fringe. Iizuka's exploration is not just an homage to classical mythology but a poignant reflection of contemporary struggles. Interviews with young prostitutes and street kids infuse the narrative with a whirlwind of psychic disturbance, confusion, and longing. The characters, like mythic counterparts, grapple with needs that burn and consume, their language a powerful mix of poetry and profanity that lends the play a lyrical and theatrical force.

Dr. Emorja Roberson: BE-SPOKEN

Join Oxford College for BE-SPOKEN on Friday, March 8, 7 pm at Porter Performing Arts Center (140 Ram Dr., Covington, GA). Click here to purchase tickets.

The title, BE-SPOKEN, is a nod to the term ‘bespoke.’ The work uses sacred texts and music genres to address themes of Black empowerment, justice for police violence within Black and Brown communities, and hope for a more prosperous future. During the worldwide shutdown, violent atrocities committed upon the Black community were unavoidably visible. Our nation, once again, struggles to reconcile its original sin of slavery and its lasting institutionalized legacy, racism. BE-SPOKEN is a cantata that explores the themes of loss and joy, and celebrates Blackness. The work begins with a field song and moves through gospel, funk, and hip-hop. The text and music for the work was written by Emorja Roberson, Anthony T. Walker, and Chavis Gill (aka “King Chav”).